A 16-year-old high school girl has been arrested on suspicion of giving birth to a boy at a commercial facility and attempting to kill him, in Nagano.

A groundbreaking policy fund has embarked on a journey, committing up to 16 years of funding to support cutting-edge technology development. This pioneering approach, the longest ever, has investors eagerly watching its success. The Financial Services Committee announced on the 20th that it will gather investment management firms for the initiative, aiming to select seven firms and raise capital by October to begin investing later this year.

The policy fund, known as the 'Cradle 16-Year Fund,' operates as an indirect investment program under the National Growth Fund. Its objective is to provide stable capital to startups developing advanced and foundational technologies, including semiconductor, bio, and nanotech sectors. With a projected fund size of 8.8 trillion won, 6.8 trillion won will be sourced from the Advanced Strategic Industries Fund and government finances, while the remainder will be raised from the private sector.

The most distinctive feature of this fund is its extended duration, spanning 13 to 15 years, with the potential to be extended by one additional year at the discretion of the investment firm. This is a significant shift from traditional policy funds, which typically last 8 to 10 years. The extended duration acknowledges the fact that developing technology can take up to a decade, and investors often struggle to generate short-term profits, leading to potential difficulties in managing the company.

The market is closely monitoring the fund's success, but there are concerns about the burden of committing funds for over a decade. For investment firms, the potential for poor fund performance before the technology is developed adds to the uncertainty. To address these concerns, the Financial Services Committee has set aside a "green light" period during which the fund's performance will be excluded from evaluation for other policy funds.

Additionally, the committee is considering measures to support investors (Limited Partners) who may withdraw funds and transfer to other investments during the fund's operation. Given the high level of uncertainty surrounding technology development, interest is also growing in the fund's potential returns. While traditional policy funds have averaged returns of 7-8% annually, individual funds can experience significant deviations.