00:03 Speaker A Time now for to watch Thursday, January 29th. We're going to start off on the earnings front. If you didn't get enough tech earnings, we have more on the way Thursday, headlined by Apple's first quarter results. The iPhone maker reporting after the market's close, and I was anticipating Apple's report may hinge less on iPhone demand, and more on margins this quarter. Memory prices ...
00:03 Speaker A Time now for to watch Thursday, January 29th. We're going to start off on the earnings front. If you didn't get enough tech earnings, we have more on the way Thursday, headlined by Apple's first quarter results. The iPhone maker reporting after the market's close, and I was anticipating Apple's report may hinge less on iPhone demand, and more on margins this quarter. Memory prices are rising sharply, and while Apple is likely insulated in the near term, investors will be listening closely to guidance for signs of pressure 00:29 Speaker A later this year. Another key metric analysts are watching, whether delayed iPhone sales finally show up in Q1, and if services growth can help offset higher hardware costs. Moving over to housing, we're going to be getting new mortgage rate data from Freddie Mack on Thursday. 30-year fixed rate ticking up to 6.09% in the previous reading, elevated rates and affordability issues continuing to be a thorn in the side of not just home buyers, but also President Trump. And on the job front, fresh data coming in on Thursday with 00:53 Speaker A initial jobless claims, Thomas forecasting claims to increase compared to the week prior, 205,000 signaling slightly more people filing for unemployment for the first time.
2026 Brings Big Changes To Charitable-Deduction Rules Now that we're into 2026, many provisions of last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are coming to life. One set of tweaks brings major changes to the tax treatment of charitable contributions , getting non-itemizers back into the tax-saving game but curtailing tax benefits for itemizers and higher-income filers. Ever since standard dedu...
2026 Brings Big Changes To Charitable-Deduction Rules Now that we're into 2026, many provisions of last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are coming to life. One set of tweaks brings major changes to the tax treatment of charitable contributions , getting non-itemizers back into the tax-saving game but curtailing tax benefits for itemizers and higher-income filers. Ever since standard deductions were nearly doubled in 2018, far fewer Americans have been itemizing their deductions -- only about 9% in recent years. For the masses, that reduced the appeal of charitable donations, since the only way to benefit from contributions was via an itemized deduction. Losing a major selling point, the country's charities pushed for the creation of an "above-the-line" deduction for non-itemizers . With the 2025 OBBBA, their ship came in. Which organizations are on your 2026 donation list? Let us know in the comments In 2026, single people who take the standard deduction can deduct up to $1,000 in cash gifts to qualified 501(c)(3) public charities. For married couples, it's $2,000 . You can't take an above-the-line deduction for contributions to donor-advised funds or private foundations. As usual, the IRS requires that you have a written acknowledgement from a charity that you give $250 or more. Unlike itemized charitable contributions, there's no carry-forward for contributions that exceed your cap on the deduction in a given year. This new deduction feature of the tax code has no expiration date, and it will be adjusted for inflation going forward. Non-profit institutions are welcoming the change. "The new above-the-line deduction will make it easier for Americans to support causes they care about,” says Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity . "A healthy non-profit sector is critical to a free society." While the OBBBA is all good news for the standard-deduction crowd, the new law tightened charitable tax-deductions for th...
Microsoft reported a marginal decline in the growth of its cloud-computing unit while the company’s capital expenditure increased about 66% year-on-year. The Microsoft stand, during the first day of Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, 22nd of February, 2016. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto) (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The company posted revenue of $81.3 billion, 17% higher than...
Microsoft reported a marginal decline in the growth of its cloud-computing unit while the company’s capital expenditure increased about 66% year-on-year. The Microsoft stand, during the first day of Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, 22nd of February, 2016. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto) (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The company posted revenue of $81.3 billion, 17% higher than the same period last year and beating street expectations of $80.25 billion. Earnings also beat market estimates, with Q2 earnings per share coming in at $4.14, increasing 24% year-on-year. Amy Hood, Microsoft’s CFO, said about two-thirds of the company’s capital expense was on short-lived assets, including GPUs and CPUs. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) shares slumped over 7% in after-hours trading on Wednesday despite the company reporting second-quarter (Q2) 2026 results that beat Wall Street expectations. However, the company reported a marginal decline in the growth of its cloud-computing unit, Azure, which clocked a 38% growth in sales for the latest quarter, compared to 39% growth in the same period last year. The company’s capital expenditure increased about 66% year-on-year, to $37.5 billion. Q2 Results The world’s largest software vendor posted revenue of $81.3 billion, 17% higher than $69.63 billion from the same period last year. The latest revenue numbers beat street expectations of $80.25 billion as per data from Fiscal.ai based on 39 analyst estimates. Earnings also beat market estimates, with Q2 earnings per share coming in at $4.14, increasing 24% year-on-year, and beating analyst estimates of $3.95, as per Fiscal.ai data. “We are only at the beginning phases of AI diffusion and already Microsoft has built an AI business that is larger than some of our biggest franchises," said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft in a statement. “We are pushing the frontier across our entire AI stack to drive new value for our customers and partners,” Nadella added. Capex R...
is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Sebastiaan de With, known for his work on apps like Halide, Kino, and Orion as the co-founder of Lux, is joining Apple’s design team, he announced today. “So excited to work with the very ...
is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Sebastiaan de With, known for his work on apps like Halide, Kino, and Orion as the co-founder of Lux, is joining Apple’s design team, he announced today. “So excited to work with the very best team in the world on my favorite products,” de With says in his post. It’s unclear what the future of Lux or its apps will be given de With’s new role. de With and Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. de With has worked with Apple in the past; on his website, he says that he has done “design work for various companies like Apple, where I worked on iCloud / MobileMe and the Find My apps.”
Uladzimir Zuyeu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction After delivering a triple play for Q4 2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. ( META ) stock is rising by ~9% to $729 per share in the post-market session. In this report, we break down Meta's latest quarterly results and reassess its long-term risk/reward to reach an informed investment decision. Dissecting Meta's Q4 2025 Report For Q4 2025, Meta reported r...
Uladzimir Zuyeu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction After delivering a triple play for Q4 2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. ( META ) stock is rising by ~9% to $729 per share in the post-market session. In this report, we break down Meta's latest quarterly results and reassess its long-term risk/reward to reach an informed investment decision. Dissecting Meta's Q4 2025 Report For Q4 2025, Meta reported revenues of $59.89B [+24% y/y] and non-GAAP EPS of $8.88 per share, beating consensus estimates of $58.47B and $8.18 per share, respectively. Seeking Alpha And, these stronger-than-expected results were driven by continued improvement across Meta's core KPI metrics, with Family of Apps [FOA] DAPs up 7% y/y to 3.58B, FOA Ad Impressions up 18% y/y, and FOA Average Price Per Ad up +6% y/y in Q4 2025. Meta Investor Relations Now, while Meta exceeded management's CAPEX guide for 2025 of $70-72B by a sliver, total expenses fell within management's guided range of $116-118B. Consequently, Meta delivered operating income of ~$25B, operating cash flow of ~$36B, and free cash flow of ~$14B for Q4 2025. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO, We had strong business performance in 2025. I'm looking forward to advancing personal superintelligence for people around the world in 2026. Looking forward, Meta's leadership is guiding for Q1 2026 revenue to come in the range of $53.5-56.5B, well above the pre-ER consensus of $51.4B, thereby completing the triple play for Q4. Meta Investor Relations Interestingly, Meta's total expense guide of $162-169B calls for a 40% y/y jump in expenses in 2026, with CAPEX expected to rise to $115-135B (from ~$72B in 2025) to support Meta's ongoing quest for superintelligence. Despite management projecting 2026 operating income to be higher than 2025, I think such heavy CAPEX spending will raise several question marks around ROI in the investor community, given that expense growth is far outpacing revenue growth. Now, that said, the social media/d...
Uladzimir Zuyeu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction After delivering a triple play for Q4 2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. ( META ) stock is rising by ~9% to $729 per share in the post-market session. In this report, we break down Meta's latest quarterly results and reassess its long-term risk/reward to reach an informed investment decision. Dissecting Meta's Q4 2025 Report For Q4 2025, Meta reported r...
Uladzimir Zuyeu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction After delivering a triple play for Q4 2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. ( META ) stock is rising by ~9% to $729 per share in the post-market session. In this report, we break down Meta's latest quarterly results and reassess its long-term risk/reward to reach an informed investment decision. Dissecting Meta's Q4 2025 Report For Q4 2025, Meta reported revenues of $59.89B [+24% y/y] and non-GAAP EPS of $8.88 per share, beating consensus estimates of $58.47B and $8.18 per share, respectively. Seeking Alpha And, these stronger-than-expected results were driven by continued improvement across Meta's core KPI metrics, with Family of Apps [FOA] DAPs up 7% y/y to 3.58B, FOA Ad Impressions up 18% y/y, and FOA Average Price Per Ad up +6% y/y in Q4 2025. Meta Investor Relations Now, while Meta exceeded management's CAPEX guide for 2025 of $70-72B by a sliver, total expenses fell within management's guided range of $116-118B. Consequently, Meta delivered operating income of ~$25B, operating cash flow of ~$36B, and free cash flow of ~$14B for Q4 2025. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO, We had strong business performance in 2025. I'm looking forward to advancing personal superintelligence for people around the world in 2026. Looking forward, Meta's leadership is guiding for Q1 2026 revenue to come in the range of $53.5-56.5B, well above the pre-ER consensus of $51.4B, thereby completing the triple play for Q4. Meta Investor Relations Interestingly, Meta's total expense guide of $162-169B calls for a 40% y/y jump in expenses in 2026, with CAPEX expected to rise to $115-135B (from ~$72B in 2025) to support Meta's ongoing quest for superintelligence. Despite management projecting 2026 operating income to be higher than 2025, I think such heavy CAPEX spending will raise several question marks around ROI in the investor community, given that expense growth is far outpacing revenue growth. Now, that said, the social media/d...
helen89 Jersey Mike's appears to be pushing forward with its IPO plans. Sources told Bloomberg that the company is working with Morgan Stanley ( MS ), JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ), and Jefferies Financial ( JEF ) to explore an IPO that would value the company well above $12B. Notably, Blackstone ( BX ) paid $8B for a majority stake completed in early 2025. Jersey Mike's traces its roots to 1956, when th...
helen89 Jersey Mike's appears to be pushing forward with its IPO plans. Sources told Bloomberg that the company is working with Morgan Stanley ( MS ), JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ), and Jefferies Financial ( JEF ) to explore an IPO that would value the company well above $12B. Notably, Blackstone ( BX ) paid $8B for a majority stake completed in early 2025. Jersey Mike's traces its roots to 1956, when the original Mike’s Subs opened in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Founder Peter Cancro bought that store and began to franchise the chain in the late 1980s. From the original single store, Jersey Mike’s has scaled to operate over 3,200 sandwich shops across the U.S. and Canada. It is largely recognized as one of the fastest-growing fast-casual brands. Importantly, c onsumer surveys point to strong name recognition and favorability for the chain. Looking ahead, Jersey Mike’s has announced a major international push, signing a franchise agreement to open 400 stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of a broader global expansion strategy. A Jersey Mike's IPO could help fund the international expansion plans while providing investors exposure to a scaled franchisor model with recurring royalty streams and asset-light economics. Jersey Mike's competes directly with Jimmy John’s, Firehouse Subs, Potbelly (PBPB), Quiznos, and Penn Station East Coast Subs. On a more indirect basis, Jersey Mike's scraps for lunch traffic with Panera ( PANERA ), Portillo's ( PTLO ), McDonald's ( MCD ), Wendy's ( WEN ), and Burger King ( QSR ). More on the restaurant sector The Ultimate Guide To The Restaurant Industry In 2026 2026 Market Outlook: Besides AI, Consumers Will Determine The Way Will the FAT Brands bankruptcy put the Johnny Rockets, Twin Peaks, Fat Burger, and Ponderosa chains in play? These are the hardest-hit restaurant stocks after the massive U.S. winter storm Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF
Key Takeaways Apple is slated to post its latest quarterly earnings after the market closes Thursday, with the iPhone maker expected to report record revenue. Options pricing suggests traders expect the stock could moving about 4% in either direction following the results. Apple is slated to report its fiscal first-quarter earnings after the closing bell Thursday, with traders anticipating a sizab...
Key Takeaways Apple is slated to post its latest quarterly earnings after the market closes Thursday, with the iPhone maker expected to report record revenue. Options pricing suggests traders expect the stock could moving about 4% in either direction following the results. Apple is slated to report its fiscal first-quarter earnings after the closing bell Thursday, with traders anticipating a sizable move in the iPhone maker's stock following the results. Based on current options pricing, traders expect Apple's (AAPL) stock could move about 4% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Wednesday's close around $256 could lift the stock to $266 at the high end, 7% off its December record, while the low end would put shares around $247. Apple shares are currently about 11% below their early December highs reached amid positive signals about the global smartphone market and demand for the iPhone 17. The tech giant topped estimates in its last report in October, when CEO Tim Cook said Apple looked to be on track for its best-ever holiday season for iPhone sales. Why This Matters to Investors Apple typically reports its strongest results of the year in the quarter that includes the holiday season, and strong iPhone sales could be enough to boost the stock. Many investors and analysts may also be looking for updates from Apple on its AI efforts amid worries it has lagged behind other tech giants. Apple is seen posting record revenue of $138.11 billion, while earnings per share are projected to come in at $2.67, each up 11% year-over-year, according to Visible Alpha estimates. Analysts at JPMorgan, UBS, and Morgan Stanley recently said that an ongoing memory chip shortage has raised some concerns about Apple's margins, however. Though they suggested the impact on Apple may be limited, they warned solid iPhone results could potentially be overshadowed by worries about rising memory costs. Wall Street analysts lean more bullish than bearish on Apple'...
Key Takeaways Apple is slated to post its latest quarterly earnings after the market closes Thursday, with the iPhone maker expected to report record revenue. Options pricing suggests traders expect the stock could moving about 4% in either direction following the results. Apple is slated to report its fiscal first-quarter earnings after the closing bell Thursday, with traders anticipating a sizab...
Key Takeaways Apple is slated to post its latest quarterly earnings after the market closes Thursday, with the iPhone maker expected to report record revenue. Options pricing suggests traders expect the stock could moving about 4% in either direction following the results. Apple is slated to report its fiscal first-quarter earnings after the closing bell Thursday, with traders anticipating a sizable move in the iPhone maker's stock following the results. Based on current options pricing, traders expect Apple's (AAPL) stock could move about 4% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Wednesday's close around $256 could lift the stock to $266 at the high end, 7% off its December record, while the low end would put shares around $247. Apple shares are currently about 11% below their early December highs reached amid positive signals about the global smartphone market and demand for the iPhone 17. The tech giant topped estimates in its last report in October, when CEO Tim Cook said Apple looked to be on track for its best-ever holiday season for iPhone sales. Why This Matters to Investors Apple typically reports its strongest results of the year in the quarter that includes the holiday season, and strong iPhone sales could be enough to boost the stock. Many investors and analysts may also be looking for updates from Apple on its AI efforts amid worries it has lagged behind other tech giants. Apple is seen posting record revenue of $138.11 billion, while earnings per share are projected to come in at $2.67, each up 11% year-over-year, according to Visible Alpha estimates. Analysts at JPMorgan, UBS, and Morgan Stanley recently said that an ongoing memory chip shortage has raised some concerns about Apple's margins, however. Though they suggested the impact on Apple may be limited, they warned solid iPhone results could potentially be overshadowed by worries about rising memory costs. Wall Street analysts lean more bullish than bearish on Apple'...
NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mesoblast Limited (Nasdaq:MESO; ASX:MSB), global leader in allogeneic cellular medicines for inflammatory diseases, today provided highlights of its recent activities for the second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025. “This quarter was highlighted by continued strong Ryoncil® sales and the establishment of a new lower-cost non-dilutive financing faci...
NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mesoblast Limited (Nasdaq:MESO; ASX:MSB), global leader in allogeneic cellular medicines for inflammatory diseases, today provided highlights of its recent activities for the second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025. “This quarter was highlighted by continued strong Ryoncil® sales and the establishment of a new lower-cost non-dilutive financing facility both of which enable greater flexibility for strategic partnerships and pursuit of label expansion for Ryoncil®,” said Mesoblast Chief Executive Dr. Silviu Itescu. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20251 Ryoncil ® gross sales for the quarter were US$35 million, a 60% increase on the prior quarter ended September 30, 2025, and net revenues were US$30 million. 1 gross sales for the quarter were US$35 million, a 60% increase on the prior quarter ended September 30, 2025, and net revenues were US$30 million. Mesoblast entered into a new non-dilutive credit-line totaling US$125 million at a fixed interest rate of 8.00% per annum, a substantial reduction from Mesoblast's current debt facilities, with a five-year interest only period. The initial US$75 million drawn is unsecured until the remainder of the secured debt is repaid, no later than July 8, 2026, after which the entire new facility will be secured solely with the Temcell 2 royalty. royalty. Mesoblast had US$130 million of cash at December 31, 2025. Net operating cash spend for the quarter was US$16 million. Mesoblast expects to see reduction in net cash spend over the remainder of the fiscal period based on projected receipts from quarterly revenues and tight control of operating expenses. OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025 Ryoncil® is the first mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any indication, and the only product approved for children under age 12 with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aG...
An immigration judge on Wednesday granted asylum to a Chinese national who he said had a “well-founded fear” of persecution if sent back to China after exposing human rights abuses there. Guan Heng, 38, applied for asylum after arriving in the US illegally in 2021. He has been in custody since being swept up in an immigration enforcement operation in August as part of a mass deportation campaign b...
An immigration judge on Wednesday granted asylum to a Chinese national who he said had a “well-founded fear” of persecution if sent back to China after exposing human rights abuses there. Guan Heng, 38, applied for asylum after arriving in the US illegally in 2021. He has been in custody since being swept up in an immigration enforcement operation in August as part of a mass deportation campaign by the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security initially sought to deport Guan to Uganda, but dropped the plan in December after his plight raised public concerns and attracted attention on Capitol Hill. Advertisement Guan in 2020 secretly filmed detention facilities in Xinjiang, adding to a body of evidence of what activists say are widespread rights abuses in the Chinese region, where as many as 1 million members of ethnic minorities, especially the Uygurs, have been locked up. During Wednesday’s hearing in Napanoch, New York, Guan was asked if his intention in filming the detention facilities and then releasing the video a few days before arriving in the US was to give him grounds to apply for asylum. He said that was not his goal. A Chinese flag flies over an entrance to the inmate detention area at the Urumqi No 3 Detention Centre in Xinjiang in April 20211. Photo: AP “I sympathised with the Uygurs who were persecuted,” Guan, speaking by video link from the Broome County Correctional Facility, told the court through a translator.
Earnings Call Insights: BXP, Inc. (BXP) Q4 2025 Management View Owen Thomas, CEO & Chairman of the Board, reported that BXP had "a very strong year of performance in 2025 in all areas critical to our business, namely leasing, asset sales, development starts and deliveries, financing and client service, notwithstanding our below reforecast FFO per share outcome for the fourth quarter." He highlight...
Earnings Call Insights: BXP, Inc. (BXP) Q4 2025 Management View Owen Thomas, CEO & Chairman of the Board, reported that BXP had "a very strong year of performance in 2025 in all areas critical to our business, namely leasing, asset sales, development starts and deliveries, financing and client service, notwithstanding our below reforecast FFO per share outcome for the fourth quarter." He highlighted progress in leasing, asset sales, deleveraging, development, and capital raising, with over 1.8 million square feet leased in the fourth quarter and 5.5 million square feet for the year, "well above our goals for the year." Thomas confirmed BXP is ahead or on track with the business plan outlined at the September investor conference, reiterating confidence in achieving a "4% occupancy gain over the next 2 years." Asset sales remain central, with 12 assets sold for net proceeds of over $1 billion in 2025 and January, and 8 more under contract for $230 million in 2026. "In total, we have 21 transactions closed or well underway with estimated net proceeds of roughly $1.25 billion." Thomas stated, "we have exited the Life Science business on the West Coast, but remain committed to the sector through our substantial life science holdings in the Boston region." New development is focused on pre-leased office opportunities and multifamily projects with equity partners. Thomas detailed the pre-leased 2100 M Street project in Washington, D.C., and progress with 343 Madison Avenue in New York, where "we finalized a lease commitment with Starr for 29% of the space...and are negotiating a letter of intent for another 16% of the building." Michael LaBelle, Executive VP, Treasurer & CFO, stated: "For 2025, we reported total consolidated revenues of $3.5 billion and full year FFO of $1.2 billion or $6.85 per share. Our fourth quarter FFO was $1.76 per share, and it came in short of the midpoint of our guidance by $0.05 per share due primarily to higher-than-anticipated G&A expense and ...
Key Points It posted a mixed first quarter. It beat the consensus analyst revenue forecast but missed on profitability. 10 stocks we like better than Starbucks › Wednesday morning, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) posted a quarterly earnings report that beat analyst revenue expectations. That wasn't enough to lift its shares into positive territory, though they only dipped by 0.6% in price on the day. Luk...
Key Points It posted a mixed first quarter. It beat the consensus analyst revenue forecast but missed on profitability. 10 stocks we like better than Starbucks › Wednesday morning, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) posted a quarterly earnings report that beat analyst revenue expectations. That wasn't enough to lift its shares into positive territory, though they only dipped by 0.6% in price on the day. Lukewarm performance? Before market open, Starbucks served up its first quarter of fiscal 2026 results. For the period, its net revenue rose 6% year over year to $9.9 billion. That was on the back of 4% growth in global comparable store sales. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » The bottom line followed a much different trajectory. The company's net income in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) fell to $293 million from first quarter 2025's nearly $781 million. On a per-share, non-GAAP (adjusted) basis, net earnings declined to $0.56 from $0.69. Starbucks beat the average analyst estimate for revenue, but missed slightly for profitability. Collectively, pundits tracking the coffee slinger were modeling net revenue of slightly more than $9.6 billion and adjusted net income of $0.59 per share. The company managed to squeeze out growth in both its U.S. stores and its international outlets. It attributed the decline in profitability to labor investments it said were tied to its "Back to Starbucks" revitalization strategy and to inflationary pressures, primarily higher coffee input costs and tariff-affected expenses. Not a disaster, but not a runaway success either Starbucks also provided guidance for the entirety of the current fiscal year. It's forecasting that both net revenue and comparable sales will grow at a 3% clip over fiscal 2025, not least because it anticipates the opening of roughly 600 to 650 net new coffee s...
Just days after a court in Tokyo ordered the North Korean government to compensate Japanese citizens who it had lured with the promise of “paradise on Earth”, the victorious plaintiffs are drawing up a strategy to force Pyongyang to pay up. The Tokyo District Court ruled on Monday that three plaintiffs and the family of another claimant who died before the case was concluded should each receive 22...
Just days after a court in Tokyo ordered the North Korean government to compensate Japanese citizens who it had lured with the promise of “paradise on Earth”, the victorious plaintiffs are drawing up a strategy to force Pyongyang to pay up. The Tokyo District Court ruled on Monday that three plaintiffs and the family of another claimant who died before the case was concluded should each receive 22 million yen (US$144,000) in compensation for the suffering they endured before escaping from the North and returning to Japan Representatives of North Korea did not attend any of the hearings or submit written arguments in defence of the state. Advertisement The lawyer who led the case said he expected Pyongyang to ignore the judgement, but that preparations were already under way to enforce it under Japanese civil law. “We have got the judgement we wanted and, under Japanese civil enforcement procedures, it is now the responsibility of the plaintiffs’ creditors to identify assets that can be seized,” Kenji Fukuda told This Week in Asia. One of the plaintiffs, Eiko Kawasaki (centre), and lead lawyer Kenji Fukuda (left) speak at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday after a court ordered the North Korean government to pay compensation to former residents who moved to the North under a state-backed repatriation programme. Photo: AFP “We are planning to draw up an inventory of the North Korean government’s assets here in Japan and we intend to move forward and start procedures to seize those assets,” he said.