French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin created a real “commotion” in the artistic world when his works were first released. More than one hundred years later, his creations still elicit intense reactions from the public, but not necessarily positive. Such was the case of a woman who attacked Gauguin’s “Two Tahitian Women” hanging in the National Gallery in Washington DC on Friday.

With the S&P 500 going above a key technical level, U.S. stocks took a leap on Thursday. The circumstances that favored such a progress reside in an optimistic outlook regarding future earnings and a strong and healthy trading in terms of investor buying of the quarter’s top performers.

According to its chief executive, Reto Francioni, the Deutsche Boerse will not pursue any forced layoffs in its planned merger with NYSE Euronext, the main concern being now the name of the future alliance, and employees will have the responsibility of choosing the title.

Auction house Sotheby’s is planning to sell a Soviet test space capsule, which was part of the Vostok program in the 1960s. The auction will take place in New York on April 12, the 50th anniversary of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s flight.

The U.S. dollar managed to gain slightly in Asia on Monday, after hitting a record low against Swiss franc, but the situation in Libya and the fears of its potential spreading to other countries in the area maintained a somewhat cautious mood in the market.

Stocks on the New York Stock Exchange rebounded on Friday after a three-day sell-off as oil prices stabilized, but worries about the situation in Libya persist. The S&P 500 lost 1.7 percent for the week, being its first drop in three weeks, but it’s still up 25.8 percent since the start of September, making analysts demand a correction in stocks.

The turmoil in Libya was certain to have repercussions in the financial markets around the world, and fears that the situation might spread to other oil producers in the area have made investors seek safety. This in turn has made the Swiss franc reach an all-time high against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, while the Japanese yen also gained considerably.

Starting from Wednesday this week, Milan Fashion Week is expected to end the frenzy that London Fashion Week has created around the royal wedding which is to take place on the 29th of April and to bring a breeze of fresh trends addressing the average shopper.

As violence continues in OPEC producer Libya, oil has reached a price of 100 dollars a barrel on Wednesday, representing a 28-month high. Fears grow among investors that other oil exporters in the area might be affected by similar situations in the near future.

A new law will ban smoking in New York’s parks, beaches, boardwalks, pedestrian plazas and other public spaces. Despite the numerous complaints about the government meddling too much into people’s private life, the legislation will come into effect on 23rd May.