presidential election

Summary:

• One police officer has been killed in a shooting on the Champs Elysees in Paris
• The shooting suspect, who was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle, has been shot dead
• Reports of more shots fired a new location new the Champs Elysees
• One suspect shot dead
• At least one other suspect thought to be on the loose
• An arrest warrant has been issued for the second suspect who arrived from Belgium by train
• Attack comes three days before presidential election

* * *

Update 9:

In what Reuters has said was "an apparent sign of support just three days before the first round of an uncertain presidential election", French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron - and the market-friendly candidate preferred by Europe's establishment - spoke with former U.S. president Barack Obama on the phone on Thursday.

European stocks rose amid earnings beats, offsetting weakness in the energy sector and easing investor concerns ahead of the weekend’s French election. Asian shares and U.S. futures also rise. The dollar weakens against the euro and most crosses, while crude oil rebounds following renewed OPEC chatter of a production cut, this time with Saudi Arabia seemingly onboard.

Goldman's Jan Hatzius believes the odds of a government shutdown next week are fairly low, but rise to around one in three if the debate extends into May. A shutdown at the start of the next fiscal year, in October, is a greater risk in their view.

According to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily, China appears to be preparing measures in case North Korea tests a nuclear device or performs another provocation, including possibly suspending oil to the regime, and adds that relations between Beijing and Pyongyang appear frostier than ever before.