financializer news A weblog highlighting financial topics making news in the international media.

analysts brokers: Next week, the Nikkei is expected to move mainly between 29,000 and 30,000, analysts and brokers said, according to The Japan Times. Maki Sawada, strategist at Nomura Securities Co., said economic indicators to be released domestically and overseas may give further reassurance to investors that the economy is on the recovery path. This week, the Nikkei average of 225 first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed 740.88 points, or 2.57%, to end at 29,520.07 on Friday. ; The market enjoyed a bull run on positive developments regarding U.S. President Joe Biden's 1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package and rosy earnings announcements by Japanese firms in the first half of the week, but the Nikkei lost steam after a national holiday on Thursday, due to concerns over market overheating. But at the same time Sawada noted that such reassurance would not be enough for the Nikkei to breach the major psychological threshold of 30,000. Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan Inc., said upcoming domestic earnings reports are expected to continue to underpin the market by showing stable business recoveries from the coronavirus crisis. Even if progress with Biden's rescue package is made, the 30,000 line cannot be broken because large U.S. fiscal spending has already been priced in, she added. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

army chiefs: President Joe Biden said his administration was cutting off military leaders' access to 1 billion in funds in the U.S., while the Treasury Department blocked any U.S. assets and transactions with 10 current or former military officials held responsible for the Feb. 1 coup, according to The Japan Times. But experts believe the army chiefs still have access to enormous wealth from the sprawling conglomerates behind them. After last week's coup to oust civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the subsequent protest crackdown calls have grown for international penalties. ; On Thursday, the United States slapped sanctions on the country's top brass. Through two highly secretive military-controlled behemoths Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited MEHL and the Myanmar Economic Corporation MEC at least 133 companies in the country are wholly or partially overseen by generals, according to a report by Justice For Myanmar JFM . The opaque groups have their tentacles in industries as diverse as beer, tobacco, transportation, textiles, tourism and banking. Although Myanmar is the world's largest producer of jade, and the trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars a year, only a very small part of the financial windfall ends up in state coffers with most high-quality stones believed to be smuggled over the border into China. Much of the lucrative and largely unregulated jade and ruby trade is controlled by military-owned businesses. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

asian country: The turmoil is prompting multinationals like Thailand's biggest industrial developer to delay investment plans, a harbinger of things to come should the chaos deepen. ; Western nations are applying pressure on the newly installed military government of the Southeast Asian country, once regarded as greenfield territory for everything from oil and gas to leisure resorts, according to The Japan Times. With the U.S. reiterating plans to renew sanctions, it could cause a rippling effect among businesses, threatening 5.5 billion in foreign investment in a country that just a few years ago was on the path to democracy. From beer maker Kirin Holdings Co. to an early backer of gaming firm Razer Inc., companies and investors are weighing the impact of a military coup that has thrust the once-thriving nation into a state of emergency. It will definitely get bigger as these corporations get on board the bandwagon, Justin Tang, head of Asian research at United First Partners in Singapore. Bordering the massive markets of India and China, Myanmar has abundant natural resources, including oil and gas, gold, silver and precious stones. Myanmar has been attracting more outside investment in recent years after posting double-digit economic growth in the early part of the last decade. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

code name: Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, has been interested in audio communication forms, said the people with knowledge of the matter, and he appeared in the Clubhouse app Sunday to chat about augmented and virtual reality. ; Facebook executives have ordered employees to create a similar product, said the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly, according to The Japan Times. The product is in its earliest stages of development, they said, and the project's code name could change. Clubhouse, a social networking app, has gained buzz for letting people gather in audio chat rooms to talk about various topics. We've been connecting people through audio and video technologies for many years and are always exploring new ways to improve that experience for people, Emilie Haskell, a Facebook spokeswoman, said. Facebook has a history of breaking into new technologies and chasing different mediums that have attracted users, especially if those audiences are young. A representative for Clubhouse declined to comment. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

face challenge: As the triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant continues to cast a shadow over the coastal areas, the three prefectures now face the challenge of achieving autonomous economic growth orchestrated by firms and others in the private sector, according to The Japan Times. In the town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, an evacuation order issued shortly after the nuclear accident was partially lifted in March 2017. The prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate have been shored up economically by public investment involving reconstruction projects since being devastated by the disaster on March 11, 2011, and the subsequent nuclear power plant meltdowns. ; The three prefectures, however, are seeing reconstruction demand pass its peak. Although industrial complexes have been built and restaurants have opened their doors to customers once again in Namie, there are also many empty plots of land in the town, which shows that some former Namie residents had their houses torn down after giving up on returning from where they had been evacuated. Meanwhile, some companies that were not doing business in Namie prior to the disaster have made inroads into the town. Sales halved from before the disaster, said Yasushi Niizuma, who reopened his restaurant in the town. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

press release: The pledge from the Solar Energy Industries Association in the U.S. doesn't specifically mention Xinjiang, according to The Japan Times. The region in Western China plays a dominant role in the global solar supply chain, and it's also become the center of widespread accusations that President Xi Jinping's government is systematically oppressing Muslim Uighurs. It will be much harder for them to actually cut ties with Xinjiang, the western China region facing increasing scrutiny for human rights abuses. An accompanying press release, however, calls on the pledge's signatories to quit the territory over evidence of forced labor. ; The move sheds light on a dirty secret of the solar industry It relies on Xinjiang and its cheap coal power to produce half of its key raw material. Political pressure is building up within the industry to reconsider the supply chain, said Johannes Bernreuter, head of polysilicon market intelligence firm Bernreuter Research. And with demand for panels set to explode as the U.S. and China commit to more clean power, it will be even harder for the industry to quit the troubled region. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

hair salons: The pace of decline was the fastest since 2009 when the global financial crisis and economic downturn caused a slide of 13.5%. ; By sector, the average plunged 33.5% among livelihood services such as hair salons as well as the entertainment industry, according to The Japan Times. Restaurant and hotel operators marked a 27.3% fall while manufacturers saw a 19.5% drop. The average stood at 17,352 165 per month, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said in a preliminary report that covered workplaces with at least five workers. Monthly overtime hours of all workers fell 13.2% on average for 2020, also the biggest decline since a 15.0% decline in 2009. The survey also showed that part-timers made up 31.14% of the country's workforce last year, down 0.39 point from 2019 and the first decrease since the survey began in 1990, as the pandemic seriously damaged the service sectors, which employ many nonregular workers. The average total cash earnings per worker, including base and overtime pay, fell 1.2% last year to 318,299 on a nominal basis for the second straight year of decline. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

japan-related content: I mean, there's only so many times you can watch a video of conveyor-belt sushi, according to The Japan Times. This doesn't mean interest in Japan-related content on You Tube has trailed off, though. Content creators based in Japan often referred to as J-vloggers most of whom are from countries other than Japan, have shepherded overseas Japanophiles to places in this country that many locals haven't even visited. ; Life moves pretty fast on the internet, though, and the heyday of the J-vlogger simply sharing their life online has waned as the market has become oversaturated with similar-looking content. If anything, it has become more popular during the pandemic with people using the videos to plan their dream vacations and post-college plans after the pandemic. Broad is the creator behind the popular Abroad In Japan channel. My You Tube videos had an increase in views, I'd say, You Tuber Chris Broad told The Japan Times' Oscar Boyd in December for the Recultured podcast. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

once-in-a-generation shakeup: Japan Exchange Group Inc., which owns the bourse, plans to cut the number of market segments, apply new listing criteria and turn five confusing, overlapping divisions into three simpler sections blue-chips, startups and the rest. ; A key goal seemed to have been to overhaul the Topix, whose membership has almost doubled since the 1990s to over 2,000 companies and includes more than half of Japan's listed firms, into a much slimmer benchmark of top-performing, well-governed firms, according to The Japan Times. But some are already voicing concern that the changes may not result in the dramatic transformation that had been hoped for. The Tokyo Stock Exchange is set to undergo a once-in-a-generation shakeup in little over a year. One reason is that Keidanren, Japan's powerful, industry-heavy business lobby, is likely to oppose significant changes to practices that have long made foreign investors skeptical of Japanese stocks such as cross-shareholdings, in which companies with business dealings own stakes in one another. It looks likely that vested interests will water down the process, moving the focus to merely ejecting the small caps rather than corporate governance laggards, Smith said. That's the view of Nicholas Smith, a strategist at CLSA Securities Japan Co., who wrote a report last month titled Opportunity Missed. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

anglo-dutch company: Shell announced in October it would increase its spending on low-carbon energy to 25% of overall capital expenditure by 2025 and the sources said that would translate into more than 5 billion a year, up from 1.5 billion to 2 billion now, according to The Japan Times. The Anglo-Dutch company will, however, keep its overall oil and gas output largely stable for the next decade to help fund its energy transition, though gas is set to become a bigger part of the mix, the sources said. Shell and its European rivals are seeking new business models to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and appeal to investors concerned about the long-term outlook for an industry under intense pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions. ; Shell will present its strategy on Feb. 11 and unlike Total and BP, the company will focus more on becoming an intermediary between clean power producers and customers than investing billions in renewable projects, the sources said, giving previously unreported details of the plan. A Shell spokeswoman declined to comment on the details of the company's new strategy ahead of its February announcements. While Europe's big oil firms are all rolling out strategies to survive in a low-carbon world, investors and analysts remain skeptical about their ability to transform centuries-old business models and triumph in already crowded power markets. BP, meanwhile, plans to slash its oil output by 40% by 2030 and has swept aside its core oil and gas exploration team to focus on renewables, with spending on low-carbon energy set to rise 10-fold to 5 billion over the coming decade. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

coronavirus cases: Avex Inc., an entertainment company, also plans to offload its head office in the capital. ; Companies around the world are paring office space as workers stay at home during the pandemic, giving firms an opportunity to save costs and raise cash, according to The Japan Times. In Tokyo, office vacancies have surged to a five-year high and may continue to climb as the government urges people to work remotely to curtail the latest wave of coronavirus cases. In a country where companies have long taken pride in owning their buildings, advertising agency Dentsu Group Inc. and logistics firm Nippon Express Co. are now considering selling their Tokyo headquarters. Not many companies in Japan have sold headquarters buildings before, but we may see more of it, said Kakyu Tanaka, a senior researcher at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Research Institute Co. With thousands of its employees working from home, Dentsu is looking to sell its 48-floor headquarters for around 300 billion and lease back some of the space, the Nikkei reported in January. Firms that are faced with tough business prospects but have room to reduce office space through remote work may do so, he said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

voter fraud: An order by acting President Myint Swe, a former general aligned with the army, granted full authority to the army chief to run the country, saying it was necessary to act now before the new parliament sessions began this week. ; If such a problem is not addressed properly, then there will be obstacles in the nation's democratic transition, the order said, according to The Japan Times. The army statement said voter rolls would be checked and the election commission would be re-established. Army chief Min Aung Hlaing's office said he took the action in response to alleged voter fraud and the military would hold a free and fair general election after the emergency is over. Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy, confirmed Suu Kyi and President Win Myint had been detained in what he called a coup. TV channels, phone and internet communications were all spotty, making it difficult to get information from the country. It was unclear how many people were held, and under what terms. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

climate change: While this promise is both welcome and ambitious, Japan's pledge comes nearly a year after the European Union, which in 2019 proposed a climate law that would create a legally binding target of net zero carbon by 2050, according to The Japan Times. Further, despite its green rhetoric, Japan's climate change record at home and abroad has been mixed at best. Responding to climate change is no longer a constraint on economic growth, he said in October, I declare we will aim to realize a decarbonized society. To accomplish Suga's ambitious goals, Japan will need to learn from other countries and pursue major political and economic reforms. ; Until 2011, Japan was on track to use nuclear energy to provide more than half of its electricity by around 2040. But the March 11, 2011, triple disasters a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, 14-meter-tall tsunami and meltdowns at three of the Fukushima No. 1 plant's nuclear reactors pushed Japan away from nuclear power and back to fossil fuels. The Japanese public was not strongly opposed to the use and expansion of the fleet of 54 nuclear power plants, which generated some 30% of Japanese electricity. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

nikkei stock: The euro was at 1.2155-2155, up from 1.2104-2104, and at 126.08-09, up from 125.88-88. ; After fluctuating around 103.90 in early trading on dollar buying by Japanese importers for settlement purposes, the dollar fell to around 103.70 later in the morning as the Nikkei stock average turned lower, according to The Japan Times. The U.S. currency moved narrowly around 103.70-80 in the afternoon amid an absence of fresh trading incentives. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at 103.73-74, down from 104.00-04 at the same time Tuesday. Market participants are waiting to hear what Biden has to say on U.S.-China ties in his inauguration speech, a currency broker said. But the impact of her remark was limited on the dollar-yen sector because it gave little surprise to currency market players, market sources said. In a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen showed her readiness to launch large-scale fiscal measures. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

self-driving vehicles: Honda and major U.S. carmaker GM agreed in 2018 to join hands in developing self-driving vehicles. ; Honda said it plans to start a mobility business using the Cruise Origin, a self-driving vehicle being developed by the three companies, with an eye to offering new transportation solutions in potential collaboration with local governments in Japan, according to The Japan Times. Through active collaboration with partners who share the same interests and aspirations, Honda will continue to accelerate the realization of our autonomous vehicle MaaS business in Japan, Honda President Takahiro Hachigo said in a statement, referring to its mobility service. Automakers are scrambling to develop next-generation autonomous vehicles, with IT firms also joining the race. Honda and Cruise will start conducting experiments in Japan using Cruise's test vehicle this year, Honda said. Microsoft will join GM, Honda Motor Co. and institutional investors in a combined new equity investment of more than 2 billion 207.5 billion in Cruise, bringing the post-money valuation of the San Francisco-based startup to 30 billion. RELATED STORIES Toyota to use advanced self-driving tech in commercial vehicles first Toyota-backed Pony.ai to offer autonomous delivery service in California Honda to launch world's first level 3 autonomous vehicle by March Cruise and GM said Tuesday they would partner with Microsoft Corp. to accelerate the commercialization of driverless vehicles. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

section issues: On Friday, the benchmark index lost 179.08 points. ; The Topix index of all first section issues ended 11.12 points, or 0.60%, lower at 1,845.49, following a 16.67-point decline the previous trading day, according to The Japan Times. The Tokyo market succumbed to strong selling pressure from the outset, in response to drops in all three major U.S. stock gauges Friday, with the Nikkei giving up more than 400 points at one point in early trading. The 225-issue Nikkei average of the Tokyo Stock Exchange shed 276.97 points, or 0.97%, to close at 28,242.21. The market, however, managed to cut some of its losses later in the morning, thanks to buying on dips and anticipation for the Bank of Japan's purchases of exchange-traded funds, brokers said. The market went through a much-needed speed correction, after the Nikkei gained around 1,600 points in its recent rising streak of five sessions through Thursday last week, an official at a securities firm said. Both the Nikkei and Topix indexes continued to fluctuate in negative territory in the afternoon amid persistent profit-taking following the Tokyo market's recent bull run and a dearth of fresh buying incentives. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

trade agreement: But if Biden maintains outgoing President Donald Trump's confrontational approach to the world's second-largest economy, he will come to regret it, according to The Japan Times. While Biden may be less overtly antagonistic toward China than Trump was, he has echoed many of his predecessor's complaints about China's trade practices, accusing the country of stealing intellectual property, dumping products in foreign markets and forcing technology transfers from American companies. A glaring exception is China. And he has indicated that he will not immediately abandon the phase one bilateral trade agreement reached last year, or remove the 25% tariffs that now affect about half of China's exports to the United States. ; In Biden's view, it is best not to make any significant changes to the ongoing approach to China until he conducts a full review of the existing agreement and consults with America's traditional allies in Asia and Europe, in order to develop a coherent strategy. But it should not take a comprehensive examination to see that high tariffs and the phase one agreement are fundamentally incompatible. His chosen U.S. Trade Representative, Katherine Tai an Asian-American trade lawyer and fluent Mandarin speaker with extensive experience in China might play an important role in the review process. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

v-shaped recovery: Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted 6.2% growth for the quarter and 2.1% for the full year. ; China has more than returned to trend growth, said Raymond Yeung, chief economist for Greater China at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, according to The Japan Times. The strong rebound means authorities can prioritize structural reforms rather than economic reflation in 2021, he said. Gross domestic product climbed 6.5% in the final quarter from a year earlier, fueled by industrial output, the statistics bureau said Monday. The V-shaped recovery was based on successful control of COVID-19 cases and fiscal and monetary stimulus which boosted investment in real estate and infrastructure. The quarter really seems to have shown the economy ended the year on a strong note, manufacturing is doing well, Cui Li, head of macro research at CCB International Holdings Ltd. in Hong Kong said in an interview. Growth was further spurred by overseas consumer demand for medical equipment and work-from-home devices, with exports expanding 3.6% in 2020 compared to the previous year. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

conference circuit: The Financial Times on Friday reported that the showrunners of the Shark Tank-like Africa's Business Heroes replaced him as a judge in a November telecast and removed his photo from the show's website, around the same time Ma delivered his now-infamous rebuke of the pawnshop mentalities of government overseers. ; The flamboyant Ma long a fixture on the international conference circuit all but vanished from public view thereafter, according to The Japan Times. As of early December, the man most closely identified with the meteoric rise of China Inc. was advised by the government to stay in the country, a person familiar with the matter has said. Ma hasn't been seen in public since Chinese regulators torpedoed Ant's 35 billion IPO, then tightened fintech regulations and launched an antitrust probe into Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. all in a span of days. An Alibaba spokesperson said Ma couldn't attend due to scheduling conflicts, declining to comment specifically on the executive's whereabouts. The crackdown on Ma's companies has set in motion a string of regulatory decrees that threaten to reshape the landscape for China's online operators. Ma may have his hands full dealing with escalating scrutiny. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

energy supply: Nuclear power and fossil fuels using carbon capture and storage are expected to account for 30% to 40%, with hydrogen making up much of the remainder, according to The Japan Times. The plan is to keep nuclear power as a main source of energy despite calls to raise the share of renewable energy sources even further. That in turn, has touched off a debate over whether more renewable energy or more nuclear power is the best way to provide a safe, stable, secure and green energy supply by the middle of the century. ; The current energy plan, adopted by the Cabinet in July 2018, calls for renewable sources to provide between 22% and 24% of Japan's electricity by 2030, and for nuclear energy to provide between 20% and 22%. On Dec. 25, the government announced that it was aiming to have renewable energy supply between 50% and 60% of the nation's electricity by 2050 nearly a threefold increase over current use. We will establish a stable supply of energy by thoroughly conserving energy and introducing renewable energies to the greatest possible extent, as well as by advancing our nuclear energy policy with the highest priority on safety, Suga said in October when announcing the 2050 carbon neutral target. The nuclear industry will strive to continuously improve the safety and stable operation of nuclear power generation, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum president Shiro Arai said in response to Suga's declaration. Nuclear power can contribute to supply stability and economic efficiency, which are important for decarbonization of the energy system. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

state involvements: Biden has promised to rebuild U.S. alliance with like-minded countries to pressure China into making changes, according to The Japan Times. He will also likely broaden the litany of demands for changes, from market access to state involvements in the economy, from human rights issues to regional geopolitical conflicts. President-elect Joe Biden will arguably still perceive China as a major competitor, but his approach to deal with Beijing is bound to be less mean-spirited and arbitrary than Trump's more consistent and measured. Biden will move beyond the simple transactional calculations of the Trump administration to command China's good behavior. The damages to U.S. leadership in the multilateral system under Trump are beyond easy and quick fixes. Alas, if Biden's ambition is still to wage a pressure campaign to gain concessions from China, he will face a number of formidable challenges. ; First, to build an anti-China coalition is by no means an effortless task. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

cheese: Korean-style cheese dogs had their moment, according to The Japan Times. Earlier this year, it seemed that pulled pork would finally get its due. For several years, bubble tea chains reigned supreme, with lines stretching around the block, until they were already passe. The pandemic, of course, threw all predictions into chaos, leading to a surge in takeout options, even from some of the capital's most exclusive restaurants. Five of The Japan Times' food-minded critics share the dining trends they'd like to see the country embrace spoiler alert seating en plein air is a must . Sustainable mindset If you pickle extra produce in red wine, vinegar and mustard seed, it will keep for up to three months in the fridge. In many kitchens, rice cookers and bread makers were harnessed to push the bounds of home cooking. ; Even as we think back on 2020, eyes and stomachs are already turning toward what culinary delights 2021 might have to offer. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

india: On one hand, experts said, Biden's administration will most likely pay more attention to India's contentious domestic developments, where Modi's right-wing party has been steadily consolidating power and becoming overtly hostile toward Muslim minorities, according to The Japan Times. Trump has largely turned a blind eye. Military cooperation and a personal friendship between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India both domineering nationalists have pushed New Delhi and Washington closer. ; Now, as President-elect Joe Biden is set to move into the White House, U.S. diplomats, Indian officials and security experts are resetting their expectations for relations between the world's two largest democracies. Others believe that the United States cannot afford to drastically alter its policy toward New Delhi because the United States needs its help to counter China and increasingly values India as a military and trade partner. One of the constants in U.S.-India relations has been that every presidential administration here in the United States has left the relationship in even better shape than the one it inherited. RELATED STORIES U.S. and India to sign defense pact amid China border standoff China gained ground on India during bloody summer in Himalayas India hails Kamala Harris as history-making U.S. vice president-elect India accuses China of helping rebel groups on Myanmar border The real opening between the United States and India began under President Clinton, it accelerated under President Bush, it continued under President Obama, and it's accelerating again under our president, President Trump, Stephen Biegun, the deputy secretary of state, said in October. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

september december: JPX plans to announce lists of companies on each of the new sections in January 2022, according to The Japan Times. The restructuring comes as Japan is seeking to boost its global standing as a financial center at a time when Beijing's tightening of controls over Hong Kong has raised concerns about the major Asian financial hub. Japan Exchange Group Inc. said it will reorganize the current four trading sections into Prime, Standard and Growth sections. ; Companies will choose which section they want to be listed on between September and December next year. The bourse, which was recently hit by a full-day trading glitch caused by a system failure, aims to attract foreign investors who have a big presence in the market. Companies to be listed on this section will need to have at least 10 billion worth of floating shares, which will have to account for 35% or more of their outstanding shares in principle. The Prime section or the top-tier market, equivalent to the current First Section, will have a greater focus on liquidity with an eye to attracting a variety of institutional investors. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

japan china: In July, some of his former students myself included and colleagues got together for an online party to celebrate his 90th birthday, according to The Japan Times. The late scholar talked about his life, showing us many old family photos that included his Jewish immigrant parents. There are many scholars who are well-versed in matters related to Japan and China, but Vogel was simply in his own league in terms of his academic work, and his contributions were immeasurable in facilitating a better understanding of the two Asian giants for scholars and laypersons alike. We were all amazed how such a radiant boy from the small town of Delaware, Ohio, could rise from such humble beginnings to navigate this world using his intellect and hard work to become the most celebrated expert on both Japan and China. ; Vogel was full of energy and passion about his book project on Hu Yaobang, who was a close collaborator of Deng Xiaoping and very close to Japanese leaders such as Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. We parted by promising to meet again on his 100th birthday. He also had words of advice on future U.S.-China policy for Joe Biden who he hoped would win and his administration in addition to being enthusiastic about his personal memoirs, as evidenced by the photo tour of his life. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

mark zuckerberg: The more Mark Zuckerberg tried to reassure politicians by talking up financial inclusion and innovation, the more he came across like a tobacco boss denying cigarettes are addictive, according to The Japan Times. He even acknowledged the problem I get that I'm not the ideal messenger for this. Governments and regulators linked arms to repel a perceived threat to monetary sovereignty, financial stability and data privacy. That hasn't deterred him. There's no more talk of rewards for members in the form of investment tokens. Given Zuckerberg's tendency to issue half-hearted apologies before going back to breaking things, it's not surprising that he's gearing up for a second attempt to launch Libra next year. ; There have been a few changes Libra is now called Diem as in Carpe and its membership council is headed by Stuart Levey, whose stints at the U.S. Treasury and HSBC Holdings Plc make him a blend of Beltway and banking. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.