Japan

Global markets begin the last full week of trading of the year in subdued fashion, with U.S. equity futures rising 0.1%, to 2,258.5, European shares decline halting two straight weeks of gains, and Asian shares hitting a four-week low. The Dollar extends losses, yen and gold rise amid geopolitical concerns as the fallout from China's seizure of a U.S. continues to reverberate. Volumes are thinning before the December holiday season and end of the year, with trading in German bund futures about half the average for the past five days.

Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,

The entire Pacific Coast of the United States, Canada and Mexico has been contaminated with radioactive particles from Fukushima.

And finally, it is being officially acknowledged. This is really happening…

Submitted by Michael Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Global financial repression picks up steam, led by India. After declaring large denomination notes illegal, India now targets gold.

It’s not just gold bars or bullion. The government has raided houses, no questions asked, confiscating jewelry.

For background to this article, please see my November 27 article Cash Chaos in India, 86% of Money in Circulation Withdrawn; Cash Still King in Japan.

In another sign that conventional diplomatic protocol is changing on a daily basis, on Monday Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would visit Hawaii on Dec. 26 and 27 for his final summit meeting with outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama, and to remember the victims of Japan's Pearl Harbor attack 75 years ago.

As Reuters reports, the visit will make Mr Abe the first sitting Japanese prime minister to visit Pearl Harbour since his country’s surprise attack on the Hawaiian port began the Pacific war 75 years ago.

European shares dipped and U.S. equity-index futures (-0.3%) pointed to a lower open as traders questioned the stability of the Italian banking sector ahead of next weekend's referendum as well as the longevity of the Trumpflation rally, pressuring the dollar, sending the USDJPY sliding as low as 111.355 overnight, before rebounding over 112. That was the dollar's biggest fall against its Japanese rival since October 7 and against a basket of top world currencies it was the greenback's worst day since November.