- Oleksandr Usyk: looking for heavyweight legacy on the Fury road
- Tyson Fury: the 'Gypsy King' of the ring riddled with contradictions
- Push for new US lithium mine leaves some Americans wary
- 'Sowing peace'? Colombia program for war criminals stokes debate
- US says Boeing can be prosecuted for 737 MAX crashes
- More money pledged for flood-stricken Brazil
- Parts of Canadian city in oil sands region evacuated as wildfire draws near
- New dad Scheffler, divorcing McIlroy add emotion to PGA drama
- Trump defense takes aim at ex-fixer Michael Cohen at trial
- Man City do feel the tension of title race, says Guardiola
- Watches belonging to F1 great Schumacher fetch millions at auction
- Postecoglou 'misread' Spurs' fans desperation to deny Arsenal title
- Nasdaq finishes at record as US stocks shrug off latest inflation data
- No.1 new dad Scheffler enjoying life but strives for more at PGA
- Bellingham, Vinicius shine as champions Madrid smash Alaves
- Man City can 'make history' with fourth consecutive Premier League: Rodri
- Singapore to swear in Lawrence Wong as new prime minister
- Blinken vows US will back Ukraine till security 'guaranteed'
- Ohtani interpreter appears in court over $17 mn fraud
- Haaland double puts Man City on brink of Premier League history
- In major change, Google to use AI-generated answers in search results
- Rahm says he's not slumping despite winless LIV start
- Paris Holocaust memorial hit with red hand graffiti
- Floods unite Brazilians in solidarity despite political rift
- Spieth tries again for career Grand Slam with PGA victory
- Massive manhunt after French prison officers killed, inmate escapes in ambush
- Biden sharply hikes US tariffs on Chinese EVs and chips
- Quarter of Gazans displaced again as fighting rages north to south
- Ex-fixer Cohen grilled by defense at Trump trial
- Alice Munro: short story virtuoso with a touch of 'magic'
- Top-ranked Scheffler paired with major winners at PGA Championship
- Defending champion Medvedev out as Swiatek cruises in Rome Open
- McIlroy files for divorce from wife Erica
- Stubbs gives Delhi IPL play-off hope with win in last league match
- Top French court rejects bid to return Mona Lisa to 'rightful owners'
- Streep honoured at opening of drama-filled Cannes Film Festival
- Grammy-winning sax player David Sanborn dies
- UK law to ban live animal exports clears parliament
- In big change, Google to use AI-generated answers in search results
- Medvedev's Rome Open title defence ended by USA's Paul
- US will back Ukraine until its security is 'guaranteed', Blinken says
- World No.2 McIlroy files for divorce from wife Erica: report
- King Charles III sees red in new portrait
- Amazonian chief at UN to combat traditional knowledge piracy
- US sharply hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs and chips
- Thousands rally in Georgia after parliament passes 'foreign influence' law
- Tiger 'still talking' about US 2025 Ryder Cup captain's job
- Alice Munro, Nobel-winning Canadian author, dead at 92
- Alice Munro, Canada's 'Chekhov'
- Alice Munro, Nobel-winning Canadian author, dead at 92: media
Yen swings after hitting new 34-year low; stocks mixed
The yen swung in volatile trade Monday as it rebounded soon after hitting a 34-year low against the dollar, fuelling speculation Japanese authorities had intervened to support the currency for the first time since late 2022.
The dollar's rally came as another forecast-topping US inflation report dented hopes for US Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year.
The yen sank to 160.17 to the greenback in choppy Asian trade, with liquidity also thin amid a holiday in Japan. It later bounced back as high as 154.54.
"We're seeing huge volatility in the Japanese yen at the start of the week," said analyst James Mill at trading firm TickMill.
"The move suggests that Japanese authorities have finally intervened in the market after plenty of anticipation over recent weeks."
Masato Kanda, Japan's vice minister of finance for international affairs, offered no comment to reporters on Monday.
The currency has come under renewed pressure after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) refused to tighten monetary policy further at its meeting last week.
Officials have repeatedly said they are ready to step in if there are wild movements in the exchange rate, citing speculators as a key issue.
"The BoJ's dovishness in keeping rates unchanged late last week was an open invitation for yen sellers," noted Finalto analyst Neil Wilson.
Most Asian equity markets rose Monday following a pre-weekend rally on Wall Street as strong tech earnings offset the stubbornly high personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index.
Eurozone stocks diverged, but London struck another record peak after UK music rights owner Hipgnosis agreed to an improved $1.6-billion takeover from US private equity firm Blackstone.
British energy infrastructure group Petrofac saw its share price collapse by almost a third after announcing a delay to its audited 2023 results, but said it had made "progress" with creditors over a debt restructuring.
"Although the audit is substantially progressed, the company and its auditor require additional time to complete the annual report," Petrofac said in a statement, adding that shares will be suspended from May 1 until annual earnings are published.
In Amsterdam, Philips rose 42 percent after it reached a settlement in United States to put an end to litigation over re-called sleep machines.
- Key figures around 1040 GMT -
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 155.90 yen from 158.33 yen on Friday
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.5 percent at 8,180.65 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 8,093.15
Frankfurt - DAX: FLAT at 18,162.19
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.2 percent at 4,996.28
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.5 percent at 17,746.91 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.8 percent at 3,113.04 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday
New York - Dow: UP 0.4 percent at 38,239.66 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0717 from $1.0693
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2533 from $1.2493
Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.54 pence from 85.59 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.6 percent at $89.00 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.2 percent at $83.69 per barrel
I.Meyer--BTB