☕️ Good morning, friends,

A Japanese postal worker’s parked motorcycle tipped over and got scratched.

As “training,” he was then ordered to deliver mail by bicycle for two weeks in 40-degree heat. After public outrage, Japan Post has now scrapped the practice, admitting it “could be seen as harassment.”

We briefly considered introducing similar measures at asiabits.

But the idea of handwriting and hand-delivering thousands of newsletters every day felt a bit too ambitious. ✉️

📈 Prime-minister power propels Asia’s markets

Asia’s markets remain on a record-setting path. After the appointment of Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, “Sanaenomics” euphoria spread again—expansionary thinking paired with loose monetary policy. Investors were also relieved by the friendlier tone between China and the U.S., pushing shares higher.

TOP BIT

🏭 Resource shock: China tightens the screws

China is once again stepping up export controls on rare earths. In September, shipments of magnets to the U.S. plunged by nearly 30%.
Energy companies around the world are on alert as inventories run low, supply chains strain, and automakers and machinery producers warn of looming shortages.

The Details

🧲 Export squeeze: According to Chinese customs data, exports of rare-earth magnets to the U.S. fell …