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Early results are pointing to a landslide victory for French leader Emmanuel Macron’s fledgling political party in the legislative elections. With all the ballots for the first round counted, Mr Macron’s La Republique en Marche and its MoDem ally suggested it would win up to 70% of seats, albeit with markedly low voter turnout. They are set to win up to 445 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, which would be one of the biggest majorities in postwar France.

Here are three takeaways from the first round of voting. The final outcome will be decided at a run-off next Sunday. Mr Macron has also just won the rare distinction of being the most re-tweeted French person in history, thanks to his “Make Our Planet Great Again” campaign. The French leader has a growing fan club in France, the US and across the globe among people who view him as the anti-Trump. (FT, BBC, ABC, Politico)

In the news

‘Dead woman walking’
Theresa May faces a showdown with newly elected Conservative MPs today as the British prime minister attempts to shore up her position following claims by former chancellor George Osborne that she is “a dead woman walking”. Philip Stephens says chancellor Philip Hammond is the best hope as a replacement for a soft Brexit, while Nick Clegg sees five steps Mrs May now needs to take. Wolfgang Münchau on why the election’s effect on Brexit shouldn’t be exaggerated. (FT, Guardian)

DC, Maryland to sue Trump
Attorneys-general for Washington DC and the state of Maryland said they were going to sue Donald Trump today. The lawsuit, the first of its kind brought by government entities, centres on the fact that Mr Trump chose to retain ownership of his company when he became president. (WaPo)

A new type of investment
Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Vision Fund is raising up to $100bn for technology investments in an unusual way: with backers contributing debt as well as equity. “The structure reflects both Mr Son’s confidence and greed,” says one analyst. (FT)

Thawing in the Gulf
Three Gulf states isolating neighbouring Qatar have softened their stand on the expulsion of all Qatari nationals after a US plea. But Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will keep their air and seaports shut to Qatar as they try to cajole the country into changing its attitude to political Islam in the region. (FT)

Japan and Trump’s impeachment
Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso and US vice-president Mike Pence have forged a solid relationship. Both secretly harbour designs on the top job, which could change politics in both countries if Donald Trump runs into further trouble. (NAR)

The day ahead

A day of protest in Russia
Unsanctioned opposition rallies are expected in Russia where Aleksei Navalny has called for a nationwide anti-corruption protest. A vocal Kremlin opponent, he is seeking to build grassroots opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s government before next March’s presidential election. Here’s an in-depth read on how Russia’s activists have found their voice. (Economist, FT)

Uber’s management shake-up
Sweeping changes to the company’s management are expected to be made public after a Sunday board meeting, including the possibility of co-founder Travis Kalanick taking a leave of absence. (Reuters)

Rajoy’s day of reckoning
A vote of no-confidence in the Spanish People’s party government of Mariano Rajoy is set to take place in Madrid days after Catalonia announced plans to hold an independence referendum. (FT)

Keep up with the important business, economic and political stories in the coming days with the FT’s Week Ahead.

What we’re reading

Why the most successful people just say no
Lucy Kellaway on the power of “no” and why saying it more should be celebrated. “You could say this is all very selfish . . . Yet there is another way of looking at it — fans of ‘no’ are rebranding it as the altruistic choice.” (FT)

The long game of Isis
Long before it lost turf, Isis was already targeting Britain and Iran. The recent assaults in London and Tehran make it clear the group never gave up on that goal. US cyberweapon attacks against the organisation have proved of limited effect. (NYT)

Lunch with Bernie Sanders
Over tea and cakes in Dublin, America’s most popular politician talks about the GOP, the left and why Trump is “actually quite smart”. (FT)

The secret millionaires of ebook self-publishing
Meet self-publishing’s “hidden” authors, who buy houses in cash and feel like they have won the lottery. They sell millions of books but you rarely see them in bookshops. (Guardian)

Bosses are not forever 
Andrew Hill cautions: “The problem with the myth of the indispensable chief executive is that the more willing shareholders are to believe it, the more they have to pay to sustain it.” (FT)

Video of the day

The week ahead
Aimee Keane highlights the main stories the FT is watching, including the Federal Reserve’s rate decision, the Bank of Japan’s monetary meeting and the French legislative elections. (FT)

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