The Bank of Japan held its benchmark interest rate steady at its latest policy meeting, but three board members broke ranks and voted for a rate hike. The dissent is notable, a three-member split signals growing internal pressure to tighten policy, even as the majority chose to wait. The BOJ has been one of the last major central banks to hold near-zero rates, and any shift in its stance carries wide market consequences. When the BOJ moves rates, it affects the yen's value, Japanese government bond yields, and global carry trades, strategies where investors borrow cheaply in yen to buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere. A stronger internal push for hikes could pull those trades apart. Markets will now watch the next BOJ meeting closely, along with any statements from Governor Kazuo Ueda, for signals on whether the dissenting view is gaining ground among the broader board.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
