The 10 most important things in the world right now

Hello! Here's what you need to know on Wednesday.

1. It appears as if Republican Donald Trump has secured the 270 electoral votes necessary for the US presidency. His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton won't be attending her Manhattan victory party, but has reportedly called Trump to concede.

2. Republicans maintained control of the US Senate on Election Day, and will maintain control of the House of Representatives.

3. Financial markets are cratering as Donald Trump closes in on a massive upset victory in the US presidential election. US and European stock futures and benchmarks in Asia are sliding.

4. The Mexican peso crashed to a record low. The currency was down by about 13.0% at20.6879 per US dollar.

5. The Government of Canada's immigration website crashed on Tuesday night as the US election results were rolling in. The top story on Business Insider has been "How to move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen."

6. Gold is skyrocketing as Donald Trump closes in on the US presidency. The precious metal is up just over $52 an ounce at $1,326 an ounce.

7. Mexico's worst nightmare is suddenly in play, and it's trying to prepare. Mexico's central-bank chief has said a Trump win would hit the country like a "hurricane."

8. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he was creating civilian units to back troops monitoring food production and distribution in the crisis-wracked country. The embattled president has had the military protecting the mainly centrally planned economy's food distribution system, which is hobbled by theft and black marketeering.

9. A rising suicide toll rings alarm bells in Tunisia. Six years since a young Tunisian stallholder set himself on fire, his country's suicide rate is surging over economic and social woes.

10. Voters in California passed a ballot initiative on Election Day to legalize marijuana for recreational use, ending the prohibition on pot in the Golden State.

And finally ...

Here's how an American astronaut cast his vote from space.