Takaichi’s LDP Victory Sparks Yen Rally and Dow Breakthrough Above 50,000

Japan’s Sanae Takaichi-led LDP won a sweeping supermajority, giving her latitude to push defense spending and tax policy; the yen firmed to about 156.9 per dollar and Tokyo stocks hit records. In U.S. markets, futures were higher and the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rising as tech stocks rebounded after a week of big losses totaling more than $1 trillion in market value. Other notes include a U.S.–India trade framework with agricultural access friction, Trump’s removal of a 25% tariff on Indian oil from Russia, Luckin Coffee opening its first high-end Shenzhen store, and SpaceX/xAI shaping Elon Musk’s path to a potential trillionaire fortune.