• Centrist Emmanuel Macron held on to his lead as favorite to emerge as the eventual victor, a closely watched poll showed, although it indicated that the outcome of the first round of voting on Sunday was too close to call.
• The dollar caught its breath in Asian trading on Thursday, holding above lows hit earlier this week as investors awaited this weekend's first round of voting in France's presidential election.
The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency against a basket of six major rivals, was slightly higher on the day at 99.752 .DXY, moving away from a three-week low of 99.465 plumbed on Tuesday.
The euro edged up 0.1 percent to $1.07200 EUR=, and was expected to tread water ahead of this weekend's vote.
Against its perceived safe-haven Japanese counterpart, the dollar was up 0.1 percent at 108.99 yen JPY=, pulling away from five-month lows touched on Monday.
• Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States was looking at ways to pressure North Korea over its nuclear program as North Korean state media warned the Americans of a "super-mighty preemptive strike" and said don't "mess with us".
Rex Tillerson said the United States will conduct a "comprehensive review" of its policy toward Iran, warning that leaving the country "unchecked" could increase threats around the world.
Tillerson told Congress late Tuesday that the White House will consider whether to break with the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal because of concerns about that country's continued support of terrorism. The Trump administration has found that Iran is currently in compliance with the agreement.
• Two sources close to the health care legislative process tell CNN the White House is exploring whether to take one more stab at repealing and replacing Obamacare before President Donald Trump hits the key milestone of 100 days in office late next week.
• U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday his administration wants fairer trade with Indonesia, as Washington reviews a number of countries with which it has trade deficits.
After meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Pence said Washington was interested in a "win-win relationship" with Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
• Theresa May, who called for an early general election on June 8, has indicated she will refuse to debate her challengers. She says she already debates them once a week, during the session known as Prime Minister's Questions.
• Japan's exports rose in March at the fastest pace in more than two years as increased shipments of car parts and steel signaled that expanding overseas demand could help boost the country's notoriously slow economic growth.
Exports rose 12.0 percent in March from a year ago, more than the median estimate of 6.7 percent annual growth. The data also showed Japan's trade surplus with the United States narrowed, although this development is unlikely to wholly ease concerns about U.S. trade policy.
Japan's exports are expected to continue rising as global economic growth gains momentum, but concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump's pledges to adopt more protectionist trade policies cloud the outlook for Japan's trade.
• China's economic growth is seen slowing to 6.5 percent in 2017 despite a strong start to the first quarter, as the government seeks to cool the property sector and temper credit growth to contain risks from a dangerous build-up of debt, a Reuters poll showed.
Growth is expected to weaken further to 6.2 percent in 2018, the Reuters poll of over 75 economists showed, extending a slowing trajectory for the world's second-biggest economy which grew 6.7 percent in 2016 for its worst performance in 26 years.
• China has issued stricter regulations requiring officials to report personal information, including assets, to the ruling Communist Party, state media said, in the country's latest effort to tackle corruption.
China's President Xi Jinping sees extravagance and corruption as an existential threat to the party, whose authority is in part predicated on its ability to spread the gains of China's growth fairly among the Chinese people.
• Capital outflows from China eased sharply in the first quarter and cross border flows were more balanced, the foreign exchange regulator said on Thursday, in the latest official comments indicating policymakers are growing less worried about the yuan currency.
• Oil prices regained some ground on Thursday after steep losses the previous day, as Kuwait said it expected an OPEC-led effort to cut supplies would be extended beyond the middle of the year.
Brent crude futures were at $53.34 per barrel at 0715 GMT (3:15 a.m. ET), up 41 cents, or 0.77 percent, from their last close.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 32 cents, or 0.63 percent, to $50.76 a barrel.
Reference: Reuters, CNN, CNBC
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