Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, was elected in Tokyo as the new head of the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Monday.
Why it matters; The vote means he'll replace Shinzo Abe as prime minister.
Flashback: Japan ponders future after Shinzo Abe
Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
Nations' formal emissions-cutting pledges are collectively way too weak to put the world on track to meet the Paris climate deal's temperature-limiting target, a United Nations tally shows.
Driving the news: This morning the UN released an analysis of the most recent nationally determined contributions (NDCs) — that is, countries' medium-term emissions targets submitted under the 2015 pact.
President Biden reaffirmed U.S. support for the people of Ukraine and vowed to hold Russia accountable for its aggression in a statement on Thursday, the 7th anniversary of Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea.
Why it matters: The statement reflects the aggressive approach Biden is taking to Russia, which he classified on the campaign trail as an "opponent" and "the biggest threat" to U.S. security and alliances.
The labor market is showing some signs of improvement: Jobless claims fell to 730,000 — a dramatic drop from 841,000 the previous week. And the latest jobs report showed a pandemic-era low unemployment rate of 6.3%
But, but, but: That's not the full story, experts say.
A milestone was reached in the markets Thursday: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to match the dividend yield on the S&P 500
Why it matters: The two yields have been inverted since the beginning of last year, which is historically unusual.
Business Roundtable, the voice ofAmerica's top CEOs, today launched "Move the Needle," a campaign to support President Biden in rolling out COVID vaccine, increasing vaccine uptake and encouraging masks.
What they're saying: "Masks and vaccines are working. Now is the time to keep at it, overcome pandemic fatigue, and double down on the measures that will end this public health and economic crisis, said Business Roundtable president and CEO Josh Bolten.
The Biden administration notified Israel in advance about the airstrike against an Iranian-backed Shiite militia base on the Syrian-Iraqi border Thursday evening, Israeli officials told me.
Why it matters: The airstrike was the first overt military action by the U.S. in the Middle East since Biden assumed office, and one that Israeli officials see as a positive signal about the new administration's posture toward Iran.
Facebook's 3 billion monthly active users, its mountain of money and its control over the flow of information all put the company on an equal footing with governments around the world — and, increasingly, it's getting into fights with them.
Why it matters: Facebook's power alarms governments fearful that the tech giant could tilt the political scales inside their borders, and regulators around the world are seeking ways to rein the company in.
