it came from the asia pacific region with the deal there is topping $1 trillion.lth care sector leading the way. up 60% from the last year. now it's followed by tech with volume doubling $713 billion. the four largest tech deals ever were announced this year. the top ten deals include some big names such as pfizer, allergen, sab miller and dupont. nine are still pending approval. it's been a goodyear to be a financial advisor as well. goldman sachs, morgan stanley, and bank of america merrill lynch had the highest volume ever with each topping $1 trillion but experts say this may raise a red flag since the previous m&a record occurred in the year before the financial crisis and it very often signals the end of a bull market. back to you. >> that's the big question, isn't it? are we at the end or are we in the middle of the deal activity at the moment. i just wonder, you know, the guys that look at the crystal balls, what are they telling you about expectations in sectors for 2016? >> you know i think that's definitely going to be one to watch. a huge deal with pfi

." >> keeping an eye on the state of play when it comes to asia-pacific markets and it is probably a day of selloff from last week. investors are turning risk ahead of the first reserve rate hike in just about a decade. we are also seeing the oil routes continuing. the sentiment is continue to play out. opec is sticking to its guns when it comes to production output. that is expected to exacerbate the commodities while and toil. they are at a 16 year low. playing across a lot of commodity sensitive industries. we have seen shanghai turning green. up by 3/10 of a percent. an afternoon session of greater volatility, but still, really strong losses in tokyo as the decay is down by two and a half percent. the topic is hurtling toward multi-month lows, a better than expected read on the survey. japan picking up a little bit, but investors are shrugging that off. positive weakness coming through from hong kong shares. down by 4/10 of 1%. energy and oil related plays that are getting quite a bit of risk to those markets. i want to take a look at some of the currencies that are in focus toda

sources are telling us that the asia-pacific operations are just lagging behind. these include markets like japan, hong kong, and singapore. they are not profitable, not competitive enough. take for example the asia-pacific operation last year, which generated revenue of $1.2 billion. compare that to revenue out of the u.k. -- that's $19 billion. very much behind other units in the company. barclays has been dragged down by this. they're following about 6% this year. this 20% cut of the investment bank workforce would come on top already planned 7000 jobs cut at the investment bank through 2016. just at the end of last year, barclays had around 20,500 people at the securities unit. all of this is coming in the isees that this will ra profitability, as we have a new ceo and he is helping to improve the competitiveness of the banking unit there. angie: jobs cuts seem to be growing trend -- shery: indeed. we are talking about barclays, morgan stanley, credit sleaze, and standard chartered. just last week we heard from sources telling us that morgan stanley is plannin

let's take a look at other markets across the asia pacific.e are seeing mostly negative picture at the moment. sydney share prices trading lower by 0.5%. in seoul, down now by 0.3%. we'll keep track of market trading throughout the day. >> bic camera made the announcement monday during a signing ceremony in beijing. the event marked a tie-up with the chinese retailer. bic camera will offer about 450 items on the chinese company's e-commerce website including cameras and beauty products. when an order is placed, bic camera will ship the item from japan to china using logistics network. the japanese retailer will pay a handling fee for the transactions. both companies will consider offering repairs and other after-sales services, as well as a line to transfer and use of customer points at each other's stores. >> the e-commerce site has 120 million members, almost the same size as japan's population. it's a propsing opportunity for our company to expand its business overseas. we'll do our best. >> we'll provide cost-effective japanese products to

plus, a day where we are seeing declines across the board when it comes to markets in the asia-pacificre when "trending business" returns. ♪ the only way to get better is to challenge yourself, and that's what we're doing at xfinity. we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around. looking at our top stories. asia joining the global selloff after the ecb's latest stimulus disappointed. janet yellen signaled liftoff is coming. paring theirs weekly advance. drivingodity slump investors away from riskier assets. meeting indiana vienna, saudi arabia holding its line, that it hasports been wavering basis. talk --ds to shares taking a dip after they must face lawsuits over defective airbags that led to recalls. canderal judge says buyers pursue class actions under buye

joining us is chief asia-pacific economist. the fed is ready to go, with china stabilizing. >> i think the china data we have seen has removed any last obstacle to fed liftoff. the key this week will be on the new wants to the statement -- on the nuance to the statement. week.going to be a big >> china is already worried about the pressure on the r&b. an interesting move with the pboc unit, saying they want to a basket of currencies. >> with trade exposure to the rest of the world, that does make sense. to move unilaterally against the u.s. dollar doesn't really make sense given that china still remains the factory of the world at this stage. agentms of the impact on -- on asian currencies, i think it is very well priced at this stage. it will come down to the new wants of the statement, how hawkish the fed is or how dovish they are. therents of stabilization may be introducing a reduction in some of the external risks that the fed has previously played up. think we are going to hear more dovish comments and what does it mean i

the obama administration believes it will further advance efforts to rebalance asia and the pacific. leaders are expected to discuss issues, including china's development of artificial islands in the south china sea. observers say u.s. efforts to strengthen ties with asean are an attempt by washington to keep china in check over its territorial claims and secure u.s. influence in the asia-pacific region. >>> china's leaders have scrapped the country's decades-old one-child policy this year to establish more economic growth. under the old law, people who had a second baby had to pay a fine. but the new law comes at a cost. as nhk explains. >> reporter: this company in beijing produces educational materials for toddlers. through its online store, the firm sells kits for learning things such as english as well as traditional chinese poetry. it also has imported baby products and developed special apps for mothers. company officials are hoping that the new family planning policy will boost their business. >> translator: a survey of about 10,000 customers shows more than 30% of mothers wa

that is as the overall asia pacific is down about 4.5 percent this year.at the bottom of the list, look at energy stocks falling. oil prices really pushing that lower. also, commodities, materials not faring so well. china's slowdown is sort of playing into that. also, the huge supply of oil on the market recently. let's take a look at the companies on the index, the best .erformers so far this year a korean company has signed big germanhis year with pharmaceutical companies. at one point, it was up 91.7%. it has come down a little bit, but it is performing strongly. also, other companies are taking seven out of the 10 best performing slots. worst performers, let's look to a company like noble. trying to recover from criticism ,bout its accounting policies and also companies like in gm cina and when the cow -- mgm hina and wynn macau. gamblers are just not heading to those casinos anymore, but there is a prediction that they will have sales growth in 2016 and 2017, so in the next two years the gaming companies may see a pickup. back to you, you yvonne. yvo

asia-pacific market is down for a fifth consecutive day.er the hong kong throughout mixed messages. heading home, reports from china say that the chairman is back home after being out of contact. the company's plunge on the return to trading in hong kong. doing a deal. the climate stock reaches what is called a historic agreement in paris. one that some say will require unprecedented investment. the deal is not perfect, but it is historic. let us know what you think of today's top stories by following me on twitter. a look at some of the markets trading here in asia. -- are things looking at the >> things are going from bad to worse. emerging markets are headed for their lowest in six years. investors are heading for the exits, taking risks off the table. the firste getting rate hike for the u.s. economy in about a decade. we are quite a lot of risk aversion when it comes to the selloff in oil and other commodities. to disruptsion output is not helping sentiment at all. we are expecting them up -- market glut scenario to continue into the n

asia, clinging onto gains when you look at the asia pacific. currently, 5100. trickling downwards. u.s. futures, similarly in the red. that is after some stellar gains yesterday. rose single industry group yesterday. a santa claus rally. hong kong andw australia close in the green. let's get to news. the bank of japan has policy options. the governor speaking days after the central bank announced and would not expand its stimulus target. >> there is no mistake. japan is headed in the right direction with wages and the labor markets continuing to show improvement. i think a virtuous circle has finally begun. the stock market will follow the meaningful improvement of the economy. with the effort the government is making, i am not worried about what the market does. rja: the governor has reiterated what he calls the unwavering determination to get inflation to 2%. that comes after an announcement wages tonce ways is -- rise. oil in the u.s. headed to a gain. that after the biggest loss since june. -- it will result in the reduction of fourth-quarter earnings of 900 million euros. hasc

european markets are following the lead in the asia pacific instead. it's a mix out there.man dax also declining mild gains for the like of the cac 40 but that rally over on wall street didn't really carry through, did it? >> no. twitter which is already under fire for the lack of women and mireties in it's ranks is stirring up more controversy. it's hired a white man as it's new diversity chief. he lead similar efforts at am. he co-founded an lbgt advocacy group in the business community. jesse jackson is disappointed by the choice and while we stick with the social media story, julia filed this report on the new features that social media companies are likely to roll out in the year ahead. let's take a listen. >> in 2016 social media will play a bigger role in our lives than ever. messaging apps will take on more than just texts and voice calls as book's messenger is a tool for its 700 million plus users to take care of business. from scheduling a repair visit, tracking a return to a retailer, monitoring a delays flight or making a restaurant reservation. meanwhile, what'

. >> european stocks are following overnight losses in the united states and the asia pacific but the miners are out performing today as commodities recover and ubs is calling the bottom for the entire sector. >> a pathway to a deal. david cameron holds good progress on reform talks but there's still more work to be done. >> really good progress has been made but it is going to be tough because we are attempting something really difficult. that is to renegotiate our position at a time of our cho e choosing. >> the world's richest footballer investors $40 million into the boutique hotel space. ronaldo telling us in an interview why he's taking a stake in the hotel empire makes sense to him. >> football is not for the whole life. i want other things. for me it's fantastic. as i said before it's number one and i'm number one in football. so you have everything. >> good morning. it's friday. quick look at the markets. the stocks europe 600 is down by 0.4%. we're at 363 here. yesterday's trading session we were up by 1.3%. so that post federally fizzled out a little bit. maybe a little bit

indices in the asia-pacific region also performed differently, shall we say, in 2015, with the nikkei in tokyo gaining 9%. the shanghai composite gained almost 10%. it was one of the best performing markets globally this year. the hang seng in hong kong suffered on fears that china's economy is slowing. like the ftse 100, the asa in in sydney was way down as metals prices dropped. we are going to head back to france now, where a change is heading to the high streets in 2016. more and more stores will remain open on sundays. this follows a government push in 2015 to loosen sunday trading rules. a major retailer has reached a deal with employees to allow for extended opening hours. of next sunday, it will be possible to shop here in the center of paris. this store will now be able to open some 50 shops across -- this brand will now be able to open some 50 shops across france on sundays. people are thrilled. zara employees are ok with it, then why not? >> i work all day long ash all week long. it is the only -- i work all week long. it is the only day i have to shop. reporter: those who

let's take a look at other benchmarks across the asia pacific region. sydney share prices are opening up 0.4%. in south korea, down about 0.4%. >>> a plan to expand the asset management business. executives will guy a 41% stake in american century investments. it will be their largest since the 2008 global financial crisis. executives say they expect to complete the purchase by june next year. the firm is based in kansas city and missouri and has about $150 billion of assets under management and invests mainly in u.s. stocks. they plan to use the deal to sell investment trusts incorporating japanese and asian stocks in the u.s. they'll sell american century's mutual funds in japan. >>> japan's agriculture ministry is announcing the first group of domestic products certified as regional brands. they'll receive official logos. several products including melons and kobe beef are expected to be approved. the certification shows they have met standards for quality and production. they hope to fight lower quality imitations. since june the ministry has examin

let's take a look at some other markets across the asia-pacific. we're seeing gains across the board. sydney share prices trading higher. the cost pi is up just slightly. the feds move ends the policy put in place seven years ago at the height of the global financial crisis. nhk world's kyoko fujita has more. >> reporter: in september 2008, the biggest bankruptcy case in u.s. history rocked financial markets. >> the financial systems in the united states and in much of the rest of the world are under extraordinary stress, particularly the credit and money markets. >> reporter: fed officials took unprecedented measures to prevent the country from sinking into a full-blown depression. up until that point, they had already been cutting interest rates in stages. they've been trying to combat the effects of an economic slowdown brought on by the subprime mortgage crisis. then in december they lowered the rate to near zero for the first time in fed history. and they bought mortgage-backed securities and long-term government bonds to pump liquidity into t

. >>> other markets in the asia-pacific region rose ahead of the outcome of the fed's meeting. >>> traying in china remained on a cautious mode. the shanghai composite edged higher closing at 3,516. energy related stocks gained after the government temporarily stopped adjusting prices of gasoline and diesel. hong kong's hang seng index climbed 2%, finally snapping its nine days of losses, the longest losing streak since 1984. a sharp rebound in oil prices supported the rise. seoul's kospi extended gains. singapore advanced 0.9%. the s&p sx rebounded from a two-year low. >>> here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. executives at toyota motor say next year the company and its subsidiaries expect to sell more than 10 million vehicles worldwide, almost the same level as this year's estimate. the world's top-selling automaker projects strong demand for its new prius hybrid model in japan. also expects sales to decline in emerging countries with slowing economies. the number of foreign visitors to japan climbed to another record. government officials say almost 18 mil

let's look at other markets across the asia pacific. we are seeing a mostly positive picture. australia's jumping more than 1.1% on track for a seventh ta of gains. sydney trading half a day today. >>> some companies in china are seeing a silver lining in the country's population woes. officials have ended the decades old one child policy to boost a low birth rate and businesses are hoping to cash in on the change in policy. nhk world has more. >> crowded although sales show in bay ying. since october's announcement that one child policy is ending consumers are changing how they buy. larger vehicles are increasingly popular. >> translator: when you go out with a bigger group you can use the back seats, as well. >> reporter: enough space for an extra child seat and any other item that might be needed with a second baby. >> translator: we are now allowed to have two children so i want to have a second. this car is more practical. >> translator: young couples who plan a second child prefer this type of car. since the announcement of the new policy customers are increasingly inter

taking a look at some other markets across the asia pacific this morning, and we are seeing a modest positive move on other markets. sydney shares trading higher by just about a quarter of a percent. over in seoul the kospi is up by .10%. >>> japanese authorities have been imposing strict regulations on the use of drones after a series of accidents, but some businesses see the small unmanned aircraft as a potential boone. that includes a leading japanese security company, which has launched a drone that tracks suspicious activity. it has started using its eye in the sky to keep watch on people and vehicles that break into properties. after ground-based sensors detect intruders, the drone takes off. its camera captures images of faces or license plates. it transmits the images triggering an emergency call and the deployment of security guards. pictures can be taken in rain or at night. the drone can swoop in about five meters away from an intruder and can even chase them. >> translator: a single drone can replace numerous surveillance cameras that are required to keep a large property

let's look at other markets across the asia pacific. we are seeing sidney shares trading lower by more than 1%. that is despite better than expected australian jobs data. the unemployment rate fell to 5.8%. in seoul the kospi up by a tenth of a percent. >>> you may have heard a new "star wars" opens this month. fans of the series couldn't be more excited. businesses across japan are trying to harness their devotion and turn it into increased sales. nhk world has more. >> the force, it's true, all of it. >> reporter: fans have been waiting ten years for the latest installment. opening night tickets sold out instantly at many theaters. this department store wants to take advantage of the prerelease frenzy to boost christmas sales, and check this out. it looks like the movies loveable robot r 2 d 2, but it's also a refrigerator. another main character is carved into the heels of these shoes. the store offers more than 160,000 star wars-related items, including clothing and groceries. >> translator: this is so exciting. >> translator: i wis

let's see what's happening on other markets across the asia pacific region. sydney share prices sharply lower as well, down 1.7%. over in seoul the kospi's trading lower by a little more than .5%. we'll see where trading takes us throughout the day. >>> japanese and u.s. business leaders say the transpacific partnership has the potential to boost their economies and create stronger ties. they're meeting in washington at the two-day japan/u.s. business conference. high on the agenda this year is how to use the tpp free trade deal to forge a stronger economic relationship. a broad tpp agreement was reached in october. >> translator: we must work together to find best ways of using new rules under tpp to improve the business environment and expand investment. >> we trade over $200 billion between our two countries every year. a total that would grow further with a completed tpp agreement. >> the business leaders are also talking about ways of cooperating to deal with data security and aging societies. >>> china is known as the factory of the world. a country tha

. >> let's take a look at what's happening on other markets across the asia pacific. we are seeing pretty strong performances in australia as well as south korea. sydney share prices up 1.6%. i'll have more in business the next hour. i'll leave you with a check on other markets. >>> myanmar's opposition leader is preparing to meet with the country's two most powerful officials. aung san suu kyi's scheduled to sit down wednesday with president thein sein and military chief min aung hlaing. her democracy party will lead the next government after a sweeping election victory. it was myanmar's first free election in 25 years. the nld dealt a decisive blow to the military-backed ruling party. aung san suu kyi had written to the president and the military commander, asking for meetings for the sake of national reconciliation. thein sein said he would agree to a meeting when the election result was finalized. the nld will effectively have to enter into a coalition with the armed forces to govern. myanmar's constitution is written by the former military government. it keeps 25

. >>> many other markets in the asia-pacific region also ended higher. in china, the shanghai composite saw another volatile day after the government released weaker than expected manufacturing pmi data. the index added 0.3%, extending gains to a third day. some invesrs bout stocks in hopes of fresh stimulus measures. hong kong's hang seng index advanced 1.75% snapping its six-day losing streak. analysts say many market players reacted positively to the imf's decision. indonesia rebounded sharply from yesterday's fall. sent many was somewhat improved by news that annual inflation in november had risen at a slower pace than the previous month. sydney climbed 1.9% after the central bank decided to keep its key interest rate at a record low. the kpi rose 1.6%, the biggest one huff day rise in more than two months. >>> here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. >>> new car sales in japan in november were down. it marks the 11th consecutive month of decline. compact vehicles in april continues to have an impact. officials with the ja

soft power projection around the world and the morning post being an influential paper in the asia-pacific region, it will be used to project soft power and also assure that alibaba's coverage of china will no longer be biassed and seen what they call through lenss >>> mexico hope they're one step closer to having a drug legal identified. the possession of drug for personal use has been passed. one h cubans are being allowed to post a letter direct to family in the u.s. and vice versa. direct postal services are being restarted more than 50 years after being stopped because of a cold war. since then letters have been rerouted through a third country. the resumption is the latest improvement in relations between the neighbors. it's 45 years since the beetles split up, but in argentina the memory of the fab four is as sharp as it ever was. a week-long music festival is underway. >> reporter: this man is listed in the guinness book of records for having the largest amount of beetles memorabilia. he became hooked as a buy when he heard the single in high life. he began collecting when john len

and taking a look now at some other markets across the asia-pacific. a bit of a mixed picture. australian shares are trading pretty flat. they are down just 0.02% at the moment. over in seoul, though, we are seeing gains with the kospi trading higher by just about a fifth of a percent. we'll see where trading takes us throughout the day. >>> japanese officials want to export their nuclear expertise to india, an emerging country that needs to upgrade its power grid. but the officials want their technology used strictly for infrastructure, not for making weapons. the japanese prime minister will head to india to reiterate that stance. shinzo abe will visit from friday through sunday. he hopes to come home with an agreement that allows japan to export its nuclear plant technologies to india. abe will sit down with indian prime minister narendra modi. japanese officials say the talks are in their final stage but it's too early to be optimistic. japanese and indian officials have been discussing a nuclear power deal for five years. the indian side is interested in the japanese techn

. >>> in the asia-pacific region, other markets, the shanghai composite gained 0.3%, closing at 3536.o investors took comfort from a government plan to introduce the stock market circuit breaker next year. the function will allow authorities to halt trading during volatile periods. in indonesia, the jakarta composite rose 0.3%, snapping three days of losses. investors reacted positively to fresh government stimulus in the form of a tax cut for companies and labor intensive sectors. singapore was up nearly 0.8%. sydney edged higher, the gain was limited. lower oil prices dragged down energy-related shares. seoul's kospi dropped 0.5%, reversing earlier gainses asome foreign investors continue to offload shares. >>> here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. the head of japan's largest business association has asked the government to accept more foreign workers. he says there's a real shortage in the construction and nursing care industries. japan allows indonesians, filipinos and vietnamese to study in the country to qualify as caregivers. he requested legal re

. >>> other markets in the asia-pacific region ended lower.hanghai composite in china slid 0.6%, closing at 3,434. analysts say some investors stayed on the sideline before the release on saturday of key data, including industrial output. the jakarta composite dropped 1.6%. market players were wary of a possible rate hike decision fm the fed. they believe they might trigger capital outflows from emerging markets. hong kong's hang seng index lost more than 1%. it fl for a seventh straight session on concerns about econic data out of chunz this week. the s&p asx 200 index shed 0.2%. the resource heavy index still suffered from lower commodity prices. >>> here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. >>> the man in charge of revitalizing japan's economy says oil prices should be excluded from calculations in the bank of japan's inflation goal of 2%. crude oil future prices replain at multiyear lows. economic revitalization minister says the impact of the prices should be counted out because they are an unexpected factor. se

the soft power projection around the world and the morning post being an influential paper in asia-pacific region it will be used to project soft power and also ensure that alibaba is accepting the coverage will no longer be biassed >>> japanese bullet trains on the way to india. japan is to invest in india's first high speed line. a preliminary agreement on nuclear power plants has also been signed. >> we greatly appreciate the prime minister's aid of approximately 12 billion u.s. dollars and technical assistance on very easy terms for this project. this enterprise will launch an evolution in indian railways and square up our journey into the future >>> marijuana smokers in mexico hope they are one step towards legal the drug. four permit holders have been granted the right for possession of marijuana. stay with us on al jazeera. l jazeera. >>> you're watching al jazeera from doha. historic election, women in saudi arabia are taking part in

. >>> moving on to other markets in the asia-pacific region, most major benchmarks posted sharp declines. hang seng fell 2.18%. in china, shanghai composite dropped 1.7% to close at a one-month low. analysts say many investors grew cautious after four straight days of gains. financials and property shares led the losses. the s&p dropped 1.4%. higher oil prices failed to support sentiment. >>> here are a look at the other business stories we're following. consumer sentiment improved for the second month in a row. the consumer confidence index increased in november by more than one point from the previous month to 42.6. officials upgraded their assessment for the first time since march. they say confidence shows signs of picking up. managers at volkswagen japanese arm are feeling the effects of a scandal left engulfing the firm into other parts of the world. they sold only about 3,600 cars in november, down more than 30% from the same month last year. they say the admission riggings case in other countries is tainting their brand. even though they don't sell diesel vehicles in japan. >>> j

he said it plays a central role in the peace and prosperity of the asia-pacific region. abe and turnbull turned their attention to the chinese artificial islands in the south china sea. they agreed to call for an end to land reclamation and construction and for the islands not to be used by the military. they promised to work more closely on security with the united states. abe and turnbull also touched on defense cooperation between japan and australia. they said they will work toward simpler immigration procedures for troops. they want personnel to be able to enter each other's countries more easily to deal with disasters and to train. >>> ethiopia's foreign minister is pushing for closer ties with japan on the economic front. he says he wants much more investment. he is visiting tokyo for a business forum. he told nhk his country is getting more and more corporate investment from china and europe and much less from japan. >> compared to other countries and considering also the potential that japan has, it's really small. >> tedros said he'd like to learn why investmen

many other markets in the asia pacific region closed today. but forces in china and thailand will open in about an hour. >>> information technology is revolutionizing classrooms in south korea. the government is expanding the environment for what's known as smart education. that's creating a new market for the nation's i.t. companies. nhk world's kim chan-ju reports. >> reporter: students in this science class at a junior high school have swapped paper textbooks for tablet computers. the student's experiments are instantly disclayed on an electronic white board so the teach kerr see how they're doing. nearly half of all elementary, middle and high schools in south korea use high-tech devices like this. >> i can share what i studied on my digital textbook with others at school. >> translator: students are more interested in classes. even with difficult science they are more inclined to study and have fun. the application of i.t. to classrooms, known as smart education, is expanding in korea. that's creating business opportunities. this robot ha

. >>> moving on to other markets in the asia-pacific region. the shanghai composite gained 2.5%, closing at 3,520. it snapped two days of losses to hit a one-week high. sentiment improved after key economic data on saturday came in better than expected. the s&p asx 200 dropped 2%. many investors are holding back while they wait for the outcome of the u.s. federal reserve meeting. seoul's kospi lost 1.1%, hitting a three-month low. and hang seng continued to decline for the fourth straight -- for the eighth straight day rather. here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. >>> officials in china say industrial output in november gained 6.2% from last year, a 0.6-point rise from the previous month. government stimulus helped, especially in auto production. but the pace of growth remains weaker than last year. >>> the president of of the world bank has suggested emerging economies prepare for a u.s. interest rate hike. he said those countries should carry out structural economic reform, including debt reduction to make them

soft power projection around the world and the morning post being an influential paper in the asia-pacific region, it will be used to project chinese soft power and also ensure that alibaba says coverage of china will no longer be biassed >>> the mexican government has granted the first permit allowing the cultivation and possession of marijuana for personal use. health authorities say the permits will only apply to four individuals. they secured approval from a supreme court ruling last month and they hope mix co will be convinced to legalise marijuana. cuba and the u.s. have agreed to restore a direct postal service suspended more than 50 years ago at the height of the cold war. this move is part of the process of improved diplomatic relations that was announced by president obama and castro in december last year. posts have been rerouted through a third country usually mexico or canada. it is 45 years since the beetles but, but in argentina the memory there is as sharp as it ever was. fans are celebrating the band's impact with a week-long music festival. a report on a nation's long aff

. >>> moving on to other markets in the asia-pacific region. in china, the shanghai composite closed at 3,578. the index advanced more than 4% on the week on hopes for fresh government stimulus measures. taiwan's taiex retreated 0.75% after three days of gains. financials were widely sold after the central bank cut its key rates for the second time this year. other markets retreated from yesterday's rally following the u.s. fed decision. hong kong's hang seng dipped 0.5%. indonesia lost 1.9%. t . >>> scandal hit toshiba, plans to shed more jobs. nhk learned that 4,000 workers will face layoffs, early retirement or re-assignment. it's the latest attempt to turn toshiba around following an accounting scandal that surfaced in may. sources say the company will announce the additional streamlining in its appliance business as early as monday. around 1,000 workers will be relocated or asked to take early retirement. executives are already considering selling factories in indonesia and china. the plants make washing machines, refrigerators and other h

take a look at other markets across the asia-pacific. we are seeing a negative start to our morning. sydney share prices lower by .74%. in seoul the kospi is down by .55%. >>> part two on our report on the changes happening in japan's labor market. faced with a declining population and shrinking pool of workers some enterprising companies are coming up with unconventional staffing solutions. today we visit an i.t. firm that's focused on freedom and flexibility in the workplace. >> tottori prefecture is the nation's least populated area. it's here he runs a school but this is not his only job. >> translator: i'm from surora cram school but i have another card as well. >> reporter: he works for an i.t. firm in the prefecture. the company offers web services to businesses and develops smartphone apps. many of the firm's workers have paid employment elsewhere. >> translator: i'm also a jazz guitarist. >> translator: i grow persimmons and ship them. >> reporter: comes generally don't let their workers hold a side job, saying it would undermin

lawmakers must visit the asia-pacific region in particular, to better understand the mo important strategic chalallenge facacing t nation -- the rise of china, seeking to conceive the united states as the worlds leading power. politicis must be rifty as possible, but it's important they are as expert as possible in an increasingly dangerous time. thanks for watching. i am vago mudian. please visit us onn defensenews.comincluding our 2016, and our first ever e-book. if you have questions about coverage, please e-mail me. we will be back at the same time xt week. on till then, hahave a great wek and a very happy new year. -- until then, have a great week and a very happy new year. ♪ [music] >> dr. charles stanley: and this book is an expression of god. it's an expression of his love, his goodness, his mercy, his judgment, his kindness, his condemnation, his discipline. here is the living word of the living god. and how grateful wought to be to be able to say, "for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." >> male announcer: next on "in touch," "the love of god." [music] [mus

down they across the asia-pacific. not a lot to help agent investors out. lows. and investors out. record lows. extending its fall. hong kong down by over 2%. you can see some big falls coming through there. korea weaker again. of course the resource laden market of ulster oil coming under significant selling pressure as well. australia coming under significant selling pressure as well. at some of theok movers we see in the region. these are the three worst-performing. those big energy players. australia abandoning its $8 billion take on the oil search. in hong kong, pic c property coming out of pressure. the upside is low oil prices helping out the airlines. doing very well this morning. rishaad: trade numbers. what was your first take on these? falling exports. worryingthe most thing. roughly as4 billion a trade surplus. >> that's being skewed by the price effects on the imports. the following price for commodities has endangered the import side. rosy picture.more going forward, china exports will continue to remain under pressure. reflecting a's poor global ec

we will give you with a check of the markets in the asia-pacific. this is how hong kong and shanghai lucknow. naked to 25 up 1/5 of 1%. ♪ emily: if he is right, one day, drones will be everywhere. chris anderson started playing around with robots in the backyard with his kids on a whim. now his company, 3-d robotics, manufactures self flying planes, helicopters, blimps, around the world. but his flight to ceo has been anything but direct. he has been a punk rocker, a particle physicist, a journalist, editor-in-chief of "wired" magazine for 12 years, and a three-time author. joining me today on "studio 1.0" is inventor, father, and founder, chris anderson. chris, thank you so much for joining us. chris: thanks for having me. emily: great to have you here. i would love to hear about the day when you started playing around with robots with your kids. five kids, by the way. chris: five kids. it was a big day. as you mentioned, my origins were as a scientist. my wife is a scientist and we hope some day our kids would be excited by science and technology.

says the asia pacific region faces a hidden epidemic of h.i.v. among adolescents. there were 50,000 new infections there. last year, a 15% increase. there are now 220,000 people between the ages of 15-19 that have h.i.v. in that part of the world. bangkok, and jakarta are hubs of new infections. >> starting today, a tiny little symbol is the law on some restaurant menus in new york city, warning diners they are about to eat something with a lot of salt. we have the story. officials hope putting this icon on the menu will help with health problems. >> our blood pressure can go up when we eat too much salt. these icons can help consumers. >> new york is the first city to make chain restaurants put that warning label next to menu items that contain more than 2300 milligrams of sodium. that's the recommended daily limit and officials say some popular items like a subway foot long spicy italian sub or an applebee's grilled shrimp and spinach salad can put you over that limit. >> the blood pressure and sodium work alone and together to create vascular damage. this vascul