Japan's finance minister issued a verbal warning after the yen weakened past 160 per dollar, a psychologically significant level that tends to trigger official concern in Tokyo. The 160 threshold has historically prompted intervention talk, and the minister's comments signal that authorities are watching the currency's slide closely. A weaker yen raises import costs for Japanese businesses and households, pushing up prices for fuel, food, and raw materials in a country that relies heavily on imports. It also squeezes corporate margins for firms with large domestic cost bases, even as it boosts export earnings for manufacturers like Toyota and Sony. Markets will now watch for whether Japan's Ministry of Finance moves beyond words to actual currency intervention, as it did in 2022 and 2023 when the yen fell to multi-decade lows. The Bank of Japan's policy stance and any shift in US interest rate expectations remain the main drivers of yen direction.
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.
