• Dutch center-right Prime Minister Mark Rutte scored a resounding victory over anti-Islam and anti-EU Geert Wilders in an election on Wednesday, offering huge relief to other governments across Europe facing a wave of nationalism.
With around 95 percent of votes counted, Rutte's VVD Party won 33 of parliament's 150 seats, down from 41 at the last vote in 2012. Wilders was second with 20, the CDA and centrist Democrats 66 tied for third with 19 each, data provided by the ANP news agency showed.
• President Donald Trump will ask the U.S. Congress for dramatic cuts to many federal programs as he seeks to bulk up defense spending, start building a wall on the border with Mexico and spend more money deporting illegal immigrants.
• China's central bank raised short-term interest rates for the third time in as many months on Thursday, a day after the end of the annual session of parliament where leaders warned that tackling debt risks would be a top policy priority this year.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) raised interest rates by 10 basis points on both medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans and its open market operation reverse repurchase agreements
The move brought the rate on MLF loans to 3.05 percent and 3.20 percent, respectively, the PBOC said in an online statement.
• Crude oil prices rose on Thursday to extend gains from the previous session after official government data showed U.S. stockpiles had eased from record highs.
The market was also buoyed after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in line with expectations but did not signal any pick-up in the pace of further rises.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 39 cents, or 0.8 percent, at $49.25 a barrel by 0734 GMT, having surged 2.4 percent in the previous session while posting its first increase in eight days.
Brent futures climbed 47 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $52.28. They had their first increase in seven days on Wednesday, gaining 1.7 percent.
Reference: Reuters
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