The euro has made strides while stock markets are surging following the French presidential election result - seen as a boost for stability in Europe.
Pro-EU Emmanuel Macron's victory over far-right challenger Marine Le Pen was largely expected by financial markets though a relief rally, of sorts, was evident given recent electoral shocks including the Brexit vote.
The first reaction to his comfortable win came in Asia where the euro rose half a cent, above $1.10. It was also up against sterling and many other major currencies.
Stock markets also gained - with analysts pointing to strong US job creation numbers last Friday helping Japan's Nikkei to a 17-month high.
In Europe, the gains were more muted as the election result was largely priced in.
France's CAC 40 was 0.3% higher in early trading while the FTSE 100 was just fractionally up. Values in Paris later slipped, with traders citing some profit-taking.
Concerns remain that Macron is yet to secure a power base in Parliament, with elections due next month in a country that remains split on the path ahead.
:: The stakes could not be higher for Macron
Ms Len Pen - who is anti-euro and could have pushed to take France out of the EU alongside Britain - secured a third of the presidential vote.
Chief market analyst at ThinkMarkets UK, Naeem Aslam, said: "Risk of failure in delivering higher growth and lower unemployment is going to be the focal point and it is in this manner that all eyes will now turn towards the June parliamentary elections.
"Macron needs to make sure that he has a strong hand in the parliament which will help him to make swift movements."
Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital, said the election - coupled with better growth and inflation data for the eurozone - may nudge the European Central Bank closer to tightening monetary policy.
"What this election doesn't change is the kind of fundamental stuff that affects the French economy," he said.
"And one-third of French people would prefer Le Pen. Populism - and the risks it poses to markets - has not been vanquished by this election."
Monday, May 8, 2017
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Space plane X-37B lands at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida
An unmanned US military space plane has landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center following a mission lasting more than two years.
The X-37B, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, touched down on Sunday morning, causing a sonic boom as it landed on a runway once used for space shuttles which have been mothballed.
The sonic boom caused dozens of nearby residents to take to Twitter, with one saying her house "shook" and her dog had "gone into a frenzy".
Exactly what the space plane was doing during its 718 days in orbit is not entirely clear, with the US Air Force saying the orbiters "perform risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies".
The cost of the mission - the fourth and longest so far - is classified.
The Secure World Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes the peaceful exploration of space, says the secrecy surrounding the X-37B suggests intelligence-related hardware is being tested or evaluated aboard the craft.
At 29 feet-long and with a wingspan of 15 feet, the Boeing-built craft is about a quarter of the size of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's now-retired space shuttles.
This mission began in May 2015, when the plane set off from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co.
Its first mission was eight-months-long from April 2010, its second from March the following year lasted 15 months.
A third took off in December 2012 and ended after 22 months.
Another mission is scheduled later this year.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, sonic booms used to be common in the area during the 30 years of NASA's manned space shuttle programme, with landings at the Kennedy Space Center preceded by a loud double boom.
But the last of those shuttles landed nearly six years ago.
There is also a type of rocket - SpaceX's Falcon 9 - which produces sonic booms and these were last heard earlier this month.
But officials had refused to confirm the return date for the X-37B, so its arrival was not expected by residents.
The X-37B, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, touched down on Sunday morning, causing a sonic boom as it landed on a runway once used for space shuttles which have been mothballed.
The sonic boom caused dozens of nearby residents to take to Twitter, with one saying her house "shook" and her dog had "gone into a frenzy".
Exactly what the space plane was doing during its 718 days in orbit is not entirely clear, with the US Air Force saying the orbiters "perform risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies".
The cost of the mission - the fourth and longest so far - is classified.
The Secure World Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes the peaceful exploration of space, says the secrecy surrounding the X-37B suggests intelligence-related hardware is being tested or evaluated aboard the craft.
At 29 feet-long and with a wingspan of 15 feet, the Boeing-built craft is about a quarter of the size of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's now-retired space shuttles.
This mission began in May 2015, when the plane set off from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co.
Its first mission was eight-months-long from April 2010, its second from March the following year lasted 15 months.
A third took off in December 2012 and ended after 22 months.
Another mission is scheduled later this year.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, sonic booms used to be common in the area during the 30 years of NASA's manned space shuttle programme, with landings at the Kennedy Space Center preceded by a loud double boom.
But the last of those shuttles landed nearly six years ago.
There is also a type of rocket - SpaceX's Falcon 9 - which produces sonic booms and these were last heard earlier this month.
But officials had refused to confirm the return date for the X-37B, so its arrival was not expected by residents.
Nicki Minaj offers to pay college fees for fans
US singer Nicki Minaj has said she will pay for some of her fans' college tuition fees if they can prove they have achieved top grades at school.
The 34-year-old agreed to donate thousands of dollars to 30 fans - and promised more in the future.
Minaj had been posting on Twitter about a competition giving fans a chance to meet her but one of her followers asked instead for help paying college fees.
The rapper tweeted: "Show me straight A's that I can verify w/ur school and I'll pay it.
"Who wants to join THAT contest?!?! Dead serious. Shld I set it up?"
Other students then joined in, detailing their financial situations, fees and grades.
One even asked for $6,000 (£4,600) to cover his classes, accommodation, food and books.
Minaj replied: "Ok, I'll pay it. If you have proof."
At the end of the Twitter session, she signed off, saying: "Ok u guys. It's been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left." She added a laughing emoji.
"I'll do some more in a month or 2," she added.
The 34-year-old agreed to donate thousands of dollars to 30 fans - and promised more in the future.
Minaj had been posting on Twitter about a competition giving fans a chance to meet her but one of her followers asked instead for help paying college fees.
The rapper tweeted: "Show me straight A's that I can verify w/ur school and I'll pay it.
"Who wants to join THAT contest?!?! Dead serious. Shld I set it up?"
Other students then joined in, detailing their financial situations, fees and grades.
One even asked for $6,000 (£4,600) to cover his classes, accommodation, food and books.
Minaj replied: "Ok, I'll pay it. If you have proof."
At the end of the Twitter session, she signed off, saying: "Ok u guys. It's been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left." She added a laughing emoji.
"I'll do some more in a month or 2," she added.
Briefsfromshittu: Britain has more billionaires than ever before, ac...
Briefsfromshittu: Britain has more billionaires than ever before, ac...: There are more billionaires in the UK than ever, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. The wealthiest 1,000 people and families have a to...
Britain has more billionaires than ever before, according to Sunday Times Rich List
There are more billionaires in the UK than ever, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The wealthiest 1,000 people and families have a total wealth of £658bn, which is up 14% on last year's £575bn.
But it is no longer good enough to be a plain millionaire, with £110m now required to make the list - a sharp climb from the £15m required two decades ago.
The richest people are Sri and Gopi Hinduja, with £16.2bn.
The brothers, aged 81 and 77, are among 134 billionaires on the list and have made their fortune from investments in industries such as oil and gas, automotive, IT, energy, media, banking, property and healthcare sectors.
Their latest project is converting the Old War Office in London into a five-star hotel and luxury apartments.
Robert Watts, compiler of the list, said: "While many of us worried about the outcome of the EU referendum, many of Britain's richest people just kept calm and carried on making billions.
"We expected to see a chilling effect in the run-up to the EU referendum, but that simply did not materialise.
"A buoyant stock market usually drives the wealth of Rich Listers higher, and since last June equities have soared.
"We're seeing more and more diversity in the composition of the Rich List.
"More women, more people from ethnic backgrounds, and more from surprising walks of life, with egg farmers and pet food makers lining up with hedge fund managers and private equity barons."
Ukrainian-born American businessman Len Blavatnik is second richest with £15.982bn. His businesses include Warner Music Group.
Last year's winners were knocked down to third place this year: siblings David and Simon Reuben, 78 and 76 respectively, have a fortune of £14bn, a £900m rise in the past 12 months.
The 2017 Sunday Times Rich List:
1: Sri and Gopi Hinduja (Industry, Finance) £16.2bn
2: Len Blavatnik (Investment, Music, Media) £15.9bn
3: David and Simon Reuben (Property, Internet) £14bn
4: Lakshmi Mittal and family (Steel) £13.2bn
5: Alisher Usmanov (Mining, Investment) £11.8bn
6: Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli (Pharmaceuticals) £11.5bn
7: Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family (Retailing) £10.5bn
8: Kirsten and Jorn Rausing (Inheritance, Investment) £9.6bn
9: The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family (Property) £9.5bn
10: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho (Inheritance, Brewing, Banking) £9.3bn
11: Hans Rausing and family (Packaging) £9.25bn
12: John Fredriksen and family (Shipping, Oil services) £8bn
13: Roman Abramovich (Industry, Oil) £8bn
14: Sir James Dyson and family (Household goods, Technology) £7.8bn
15: Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay (Property, Media, Internet retailing) £7.2bn
16: Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and family (Hotels, Food, Industry) £6.7bn
17: Earl Cadogan and family (Property) £6.5bn
18: Jim Ratcliffe (Chemicals) £5.75bn
19: Nicky Oppenheimer and family (Mining, Diamonds) £5.5bn
20: Carrie and Francois Perrodo and family (Oil, Gas, Wine) £5.17bn
The wealthiest 1,000 people and families have a total wealth of £658bn, which is up 14% on last year's £575bn.
But it is no longer good enough to be a plain millionaire, with £110m now required to make the list - a sharp climb from the £15m required two decades ago.
The richest people are Sri and Gopi Hinduja, with £16.2bn.
The brothers, aged 81 and 77, are among 134 billionaires on the list and have made their fortune from investments in industries such as oil and gas, automotive, IT, energy, media, banking, property and healthcare sectors.
Their latest project is converting the Old War Office in London into a five-star hotel and luxury apartments.
Robert Watts, compiler of the list, said: "While many of us worried about the outcome of the EU referendum, many of Britain's richest people just kept calm and carried on making billions.
"We expected to see a chilling effect in the run-up to the EU referendum, but that simply did not materialise.
"A buoyant stock market usually drives the wealth of Rich Listers higher, and since last June equities have soared.
"We're seeing more and more diversity in the composition of the Rich List.
"More women, more people from ethnic backgrounds, and more from surprising walks of life, with egg farmers and pet food makers lining up with hedge fund managers and private equity barons."
Ukrainian-born American businessman Len Blavatnik is second richest with £15.982bn. His businesses include Warner Music Group.
Last year's winners were knocked down to third place this year: siblings David and Simon Reuben, 78 and 76 respectively, have a fortune of £14bn, a £900m rise in the past 12 months.
The 2017 Sunday Times Rich List:
1: Sri and Gopi Hinduja (Industry, Finance) £16.2bn
2: Len Blavatnik (Investment, Music, Media) £15.9bn
3: David and Simon Reuben (Property, Internet) £14bn
4: Lakshmi Mittal and family (Steel) £13.2bn
5: Alisher Usmanov (Mining, Investment) £11.8bn
6: Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli (Pharmaceuticals) £11.5bn
7: Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family (Retailing) £10.5bn
8: Kirsten and Jorn Rausing (Inheritance, Investment) £9.6bn
9: The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family (Property) £9.5bn
10: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho (Inheritance, Brewing, Banking) £9.3bn
11: Hans Rausing and family (Packaging) £9.25bn
12: John Fredriksen and family (Shipping, Oil services) £8bn
13: Roman Abramovich (Industry, Oil) £8bn
14: Sir James Dyson and family (Household goods, Technology) £7.8bn
15: Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay (Property, Media, Internet retailing) £7.2bn
16: Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and family (Hotels, Food, Industry) £6.7bn
17: Earl Cadogan and family (Property) £6.5bn
18: Jim Ratcliffe (Chemicals) £5.75bn
19: Nicky Oppenheimer and family (Mining, Diamonds) £5.5bn
20: Carrie and Francois Perrodo and family (Oil, Gas, Wine) £5.17bn
Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan Abdul Hasib killed
The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, has been killed, the government has said.
Hasib was killed in an operation led by Afghan special forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar, President Ashraf Ghani announced.
He was appointed last year after his predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan died in a US drone strike and is understood to have ordered a series of high profile attacks.
One was on the main military hospital in Kabul in March by a group of militants dressed as doctors.
The US and Afghan forces, backed by drone strikes and other air support, have mounted a number of operations against IS this year in which dozens of fighters, mainly in Nangarhar on the Pakistan border.
Defeating IS in Afghanistan remains a top priority for the US which in April dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on a network of caves and tunnels killing 94 fighters, including four commanders.
Hasib was killed in an operation led by Afghan special forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar, President Ashraf Ghani announced.
He was appointed last year after his predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan died in a US drone strike and is understood to have ordered a series of high profile attacks.
One was on the main military hospital in Kabul in March by a group of militants dressed as doctors.
The US and Afghan forces, backed by drone strikes and other air support, have mounted a number of operations against IS this year in which dozens of fighters, mainly in Nangarhar on the Pakistan border.
Defeating IS in Afghanistan remains a top priority for the US which in April dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on a network of caves and tunnels killing 94 fighters, including four commanders.
Security front and centre at French elections
French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have cast their votes as millions of French citizens head to the polls in the most volatile election for a generation.
And while the party leaders cast their ballots, French police were taking no chances as they attended to a security threat at the the Louvre in Paris, evacuating much of the outside courtyard area.
The museum is set to be the venue for the En Marche! victory party if Emmanuel Macron triumphs in today's vote.
The centrist candidate voted in his home town of Le Touquet in northern France, alongside his wife Brigitte.
Marine Le Pen cast her vote in the former coalmining town - and National Front stronghold - of Henin-Beaumont, also in the north of France.
Outgoing president Francois Hollande, who cast his vote in the central town of Tulle, said: "Today is an important day because it is about not taking the wrong road."
The turnout for the election was confirmed to be just over 28 percent by midday.
Amid increased security people will make their choices after a second round campaign which pitted far-right Ms Le Pen against centrist newcomer Mr Macron with radically different visions on Europe, the economy, immigration and identity in France.
Many in France have seen this election as a test of voters' anger with the political establishment.
The choice on the ballot paper will be between Mr Macron's business and EU friendly vision and Ms Le Pen's "France First", anti-immigration strategy.
The final day before voting was overshadowed by revelations that Mr Macron's En Marche! party had suffered a "massive and coordinated" hacking attack.
Campaign documents, financial, professional and personal information were made public. En Marche! called it an attempt at a "democratic destabilisation" designed to undermine Mr Macron's chances.
The French election watchdog is investigating but also responding to claims from Marine Le Pen's National Front that ballot papers had been tampered with to try and aid her opponent.
Those last-minute developments added to what has already been a confusing and difficult election for many voters.
Traditional centre-right and centre-left parties fell at the first round, leaving Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen to fight to the finish.
The economy and jobs have been the dominant issues of the election but security was thrust to the fore mid-campaign after an armed gunman brought chaos to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, shooting dead a police officer and injuring others.
Security is expected to be tight around polling stations with extra police and soldiers deployed to ensure the selection of the next French president goes ahead without any problems.
:: What you need to know about the French elections
Close to 47 million people are eligible to vote in the election, with 1.3 million of them living abroad.
The result will be as keenly watched internationally as in France to see what extent the populist tide which delivered Brexit to the UK and Donald Trump to America is still at play.
Polls opened at 8am in France (7am UK time) and remain open until 7pm in most areas and 8pm in some major cities, including Paris.
Some French mayors have struggled to find enough people to tally votes.
Counters usually come from the major parties in France - the Socialists and Republicans - but with both parties knocked out of the race, in some areas city officials have had to be hired to do the job.
Surveys suggest many voters plan to abstain, not finding either remaining candidate acceptable after their party was ejected from the race.
Abstentions are expected to hit a record level for a presidential contest which usually attracts high turnout in France.
Many who plan to vote have said they are choosing between the "lesser of two evils".
About 60,000 polling stations will be open across the country with exit polls expected very soon after they close.
And while the party leaders cast their ballots, French police were taking no chances as they attended to a security threat at the the Louvre in Paris, evacuating much of the outside courtyard area.
The museum is set to be the venue for the En Marche! victory party if Emmanuel Macron triumphs in today's vote.
The centrist candidate voted in his home town of Le Touquet in northern France, alongside his wife Brigitte.
Marine Le Pen cast her vote in the former coalmining town - and National Front stronghold - of Henin-Beaumont, also in the north of France.
Outgoing president Francois Hollande, who cast his vote in the central town of Tulle, said: "Today is an important day because it is about not taking the wrong road."
The turnout for the election was confirmed to be just over 28 percent by midday.
Amid increased security people will make their choices after a second round campaign which pitted far-right Ms Le Pen against centrist newcomer Mr Macron with radically different visions on Europe, the economy, immigration and identity in France.
Many in France have seen this election as a test of voters' anger with the political establishment.
The choice on the ballot paper will be between Mr Macron's business and EU friendly vision and Ms Le Pen's "France First", anti-immigration strategy.
The final day before voting was overshadowed by revelations that Mr Macron's En Marche! party had suffered a "massive and coordinated" hacking attack.
Campaign documents, financial, professional and personal information were made public. En Marche! called it an attempt at a "democratic destabilisation" designed to undermine Mr Macron's chances.
The French election watchdog is investigating but also responding to claims from Marine Le Pen's National Front that ballot papers had been tampered with to try and aid her opponent.
Those last-minute developments added to what has already been a confusing and difficult election for many voters.
Traditional centre-right and centre-left parties fell at the first round, leaving Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen to fight to the finish.
The economy and jobs have been the dominant issues of the election but security was thrust to the fore mid-campaign after an armed gunman brought chaos to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, shooting dead a police officer and injuring others.
Security is expected to be tight around polling stations with extra police and soldiers deployed to ensure the selection of the next French president goes ahead without any problems.
:: What you need to know about the French elections
Close to 47 million people are eligible to vote in the election, with 1.3 million of them living abroad.
The result will be as keenly watched internationally as in France to see what extent the populist tide which delivered Brexit to the UK and Donald Trump to America is still at play.
Polls opened at 8am in France (7am UK time) and remain open until 7pm in most areas and 8pm in some major cities, including Paris.
Some French mayors have struggled to find enough people to tally votes.
Counters usually come from the major parties in France - the Socialists and Republicans - but with both parties knocked out of the race, in some areas city officials have had to be hired to do the job.
Surveys suggest many voters plan to abstain, not finding either remaining candidate acceptable after their party was ejected from the race.
Abstentions are expected to hit a record level for a presidential contest which usually attracts high turnout in France.
Many who plan to vote have said they are choosing between the "lesser of two evils".
About 60,000 polling stations will be open across the country with exit polls expected very soon after they close.
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