Japanese household spending fell 0.4% in November from a year earlier, internal affairs ministry data showed on Friday. That compared with the median market forecast for a 0.6% decline. On a seasonally adjusted,

Japan’s households cut consumption for a fourth month as inflation continues to weigh on their purchasing power, showing an economic fragility that’s likely to keep the Bank of Japan cautious about additional rate hikes.

The U.S. and Japan Friday imposed new sanctions on Russia, in moves designed to constrain Russia’s ability to continue funding its war on Ukraine. The U.S. sanctions, imposed through the Treasury Department and announced simultaneously through the State Department and the White House,

The new measures targeted individuals and entities from Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Turkey, and North Korea.