Financial

Housing wealth losses are squeezing education budgets Cuts hit “extras” first, widening gaps fast Schools need funding buffers and lower pressure According to research, a 10% change in home values can predict a 1.6% chan

Credit and payment guarantees aligned with sovereign currencyStablecoins excluded from the official policy track

SoftBank buys DigitalBridge for $4B, accelerating expansion of its AI infrastructure portfolio Google also moves into infrastructure M&A to secure priority access to power and land Private markets turn more optimistic, with the AI infrastructure investment boom set to accelerate

Korean regulators and parliament move in tandem to strengthen CISO authority at financial firms Repeated hacking and data breaches fuel growing consumer concerns Financial sector revamps security systems, but market says “lenient penalties are the real problem”

Two-thirds of companies plan workforce cuts or freezesGrowth increasingly driven by technology, not labor

Local-Government Debt Expansion Amid a Property Downturn China’s “Lost Decades” Risk Intensifies China’s Debt Ratio Breaks Above 300% of GDP for the First Time China’s local governments are sharply ramping up issuance of asset-backed

Limited FX-Market Reaction Despite BOJ Policy-Rate Hike Last Week Global IB Warning of Large-Scale Liquidation Risk on Early-Year Yen Appreciation Entrenchment of Yen Carry Capital Amid Persistent Early-Year Yen Weakness Despite the Bank of Japan’s

“Dollars must return home, listings under review”Expanded control scope steers firms toward Hong Kong listings

China’s Debt Ratio Climbs to 302.3% by End-September, Liabilities Top 400 Trillion Yuan Surge in Local Government Debt and Deflation-Driven Nominal Growth Slowdown Push Ratio Higher Authorities Move on Debt Rollovers and Demand Stimulus, but Doubts Linger Over Short-Term Impact

2022 proved the nonlinear Phillips curve under tight labor Use two-speed budgets: inflation >4% and v/u >1 trigger Teach regime-switching to keep small misses small After the pandemic, inflation surged: in Europ

SVB proved digital runs can topple banks fast Real-time diversification is the best defense Faster, targeted supervision blunts coordinated risk In March 2023, the future of financial oversight looked grim.

Harman to Buy ZF ADAS Unit for €1.5bn, Stepping Up SDV Push Samsung Electronics on M&A Spree With Fläkt, Sound United, Xealth Legal Risks Cleared, New M&A Team in Place — Questions Linger Over Scale and Direction

U.S. corporate bond issuance nears record highsDemand holds firm despite rising Treasury yields

Strategy Chooses Common-Stock Sale Over Bitcoin Buys Last Week With Fears of a Large Bitcoin Selloff Growing, Strategy Moves to Boost Liquidity MSCI Index-Removal Worries Spread—Saylor Still Signals “More Buying” Strategy, the bitcoi

Yen Weakness Persists Despite ‘Highest Rate in 30 Years’ Increase “Speculative Yen Sell-Off, Decisive Action Needed,” Japan Signals Possible Intervention Fiscal Expansion Fuels Yen Selling, Highlighting Structural Economic Concerns Beyond Rates

Foreign threat consolidation is binding Ukraine—and now Europe—around credible defense Budgets climb, conscription returns, and schools build civic resilience Expect wider mandatory service soon—if paired with fair pathways and legal guardrails

Acquisitions slow innovation as buyer governance overrides speed Bound, don’t ban: output floors, retention covenants, access terms Educators: design for portability and use escape clauses There's a number that s

Consumer inflation remains in the 2% range Limited prospects for a reversal in currency weakness Persistent risks of a prolonged strong-dollar environment While the United States and other major economies are enjoying the rare combination

China’s Export Growth Masks Weak Domestic Demand as Property Slump Drags on Consumption and Investment Limits Emerge in China’s Subsidy-Driven Export Model, Growth Engine Wobbles Amid Trade Tensions Chinese Party and Government Set Boosting Domestic Demand as Top Policy Priority for Next Year

Rewiring of labor-market compensation architecture amid AI diffusion Automation acceleration and economy-wide employment-contraction pressure Productivity-driven widening of asset and income gaps The U.S.