New cutting-edge software developed in Melbourne can help uncover how the most common heart tumor in children forms and changes. And the technology has the potential to further our understanding of other childhood diseases, according to a new study.
The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Genome Biology, found the software, VR-Omics, can identify previously undetected cell activities of cardiac rhabdomyoma, a type of benign heart tumor.
Developed by MCRI’s Professor Mirana Ramialison, VR-Omics is the first tool capable of analysing and visualising data in both 2D and 3D virtual reality environments. The innovative technology aims to analyse the spatial genetic makeup of human tissue to better understand a specific disease.
Cardiac rhabdomyoma, usually detected during pregnancy or infancy, doesn’t cause health problems in most cases. But in some babies and children the tumors can grow and block blood flow to vital organs, causing respiratory distress, irregular heartbeat,obstructions and heart failure.
When the tumors cause severe health complications, treatment options are limited and include surgically removing part of the heart, which may lead to further complications and death. Unfortunately, it’s not well understood why these tumors form.”
Professor Mirana Ramialison, MCRI
To challenge her new software, Professor Ramialison and her team, including Denis Bienroth and Natalie Charitakis, analysed heart tissue from three children in Melbourne with cardiac rhabdomyoma. In a breakthrough, the research uncovered specific underlying features of the tumor that hadn’t been identified previously.
Professor Ramialison said the VR-Omics tool would help researchers to gain a better insight into the disease.
“VR-Omics generates 3D visualisations of the cells within human tissue based on large collections of patient data,” she said. This could allow for greater analysis of human tissue compared to other methods.”
Professor Ramialison also benchmarked the software against existing state-of-the-art methods, finding it performed better in all analysis steps.
“VR-Omics has a unique capacity to analyze large datasets, which allows it to explore new biological mechanisms in rare tissue sections, like those from cardiac rhabdomyoma,” she said. The technology will enable more biological discoveries that could help better understand many childhood conditions.”
Researchers from the Melbourne Centre for Cardiovascular Genomics and Regenerative Medicine (CardioRegen), the University of Konstanz in Germany, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Melbourne and Monash University also contributed to the findings.
Source:
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Journal reference:
Bienroth, D., et al. (2025). Automated integration of multi-slice spatial transcriptomics data in 2D and 3D using VR-Omics. Genome Biology. doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03630-6.
DOHA, July 1, 2025 — The World Bank Group (WBG) announced today the appointment of Holly Welborn Benner as the World Bank Group Country Manager for the State of Qatar, based in Doha. This underlines the World Bank Group’s commitment to strengthening the partnership with Qatar by supporting Qatar’s private and public sector development priorities in line with its National Vision 2030. A new WBG office in Doha will deepen our engagement in response to development challenges, and national priorities with speed, efficiency, and impact.
Most recently, Ms. Benner was the Resident Representative for Jordan, overseeing a program focused on growth and jobs aligned with Jordan”s Economic Modernization Vision. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked on development solutions for countries facing complex transition and reform challenges, including leading operations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Her work included conflict-recovery efforts in Ukraine and programs in Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic that integrated energy infrastructure with community development.
“As I step into the role of Country Manager for Qatar, I am both honored and excited to contribute to the World Bank Group’s mission of fostering sustainable development and economic growth, bringing together public and private sector solutions to help Qatar implement its National Vision 2030,” said Holly W. Benner, the World Bank Group Country Manager for Qatar. “Qatar’s dynamic landscape also offers unique opportunities for the World Bank Group to promote Qatar’s knowledge, innovation and investment in the Middle East region and globally.”
The World Bank Group is assisting Qatar in achieving its “National Vision 2030” which aims to strengthen human capital, support job creation, diversify the economy, and drive sustainable growth by catalyzing cross-border investments, facilitating public-private partnerships, promoting women’s economic empowerment, and addressing sustainability challenges.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group focused on the private sector in emerging markets, has invested and mobilized $1.84 billion of financing to help Qatari companies expand to new markets in developing countries. MIGA, the home of the World Bank Group Guarantee Platform, issued guarantees in the amount of $225 million to Kasada Hospitality Fund LP, a firm that is 69.7% owned by a subsidiary of the Qatari Investment Authority. These guarantees enabled investments in 17 hotels with 2,900 hotel rooms in seven countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
The Qatar office will operate under a single Country Manager for the World Bank Group including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
————————————-
About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group has a bold vision: to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. In more than 100 countries, the World Bank Group provides financing, advice, and innovative solutions that improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth, and confronting the most urgent global development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org , www.miga.org , and www.ifc.org.
Young people with friends who vape are 15 times more likely to use e-cigarettes, and more adolescents are turning to illicit cannabis products, University of Queensland research has found.
In two separate UQ-led studies, researchers have uncovered vaping trends, including a significant increase in the number of young people who don’t know what they’re inhaling.
In one study, PhD candidate Jack Chung from UQ’s National Centre For Youth Substance Use Research examined the types of cannabis compounds that youth aged 11-18 years old were vaping between 2021 and 2023.
We analyzed how many teens were vaping 2 types of cannabis compounds, the first of which is commonly used for its psychoactive ‘high’ effects, and the 2nd is usually used for medicinal purposes.
We also studied the use of lab-made synthetic cannabinoids which can be more potent and deadly.
We saw an increase in all products between 2021 and 2023, but it was concerning to see a rise in synthetic cannabinoids, where vaping doubled in young people aged between 11-15 years.
Synthetic cannabinoids are particularly dangerous as they can lead to unpredictable health consequences and even death.
It was also worrying to see more adolescents were unsure about the substances they were vaping – 1.8 per cent of teens in 2021 weren’t sure if they had vaped synthetic cannabinoids, increasing to 4.7 per cent in 2023.”
Jack Chung, PhD candidate from UQ’s National Centre For Youth Substance Use Research
Mr. Chung’s study analyzed data from 70,773 middle and high school students in the United States, which was captured in the country’s National Youth Tobacco Surveys.
In a separate UQ-led vaping study, PhD candidate Giang Vu found peer influences were a major factor in vaping trends, while disapproval of e-cigarettes from people important to teens – such as parents – reduced the likelihood of a teen vaping by about 70 per cent.
“We analyzed data from 20,800 American youth between 2015 and 2021 and found while the proportion with friends who smoked declined, having friends who vaped remained concerningly common,” Ms Vu said.
“In 2015, 31.6 per cent of young people had friends who vaped, and while this decreased to 22.3 per cent by 2021, this figure is still high.
“The outbreak of lung disease associated with vaping, and COVID-19 related disruptions to social networks and access most likely contributed to this decline.”
Associate Professor Gary Chung Kai Chan, who collaborated on both studies, said social media played a big part in vaping rates among young people.
“In many videos, vaping is portrayed as trendy and a healthier lifestyle choice when compared to cigarette smoking, but this is dangerous messaging,” Dr Chan said.
“We need more regulation on social media, along with targeted policies and campaigns to decrease vaping rates.
“Further research is also needed to help us understand the evolving trends of cannabis vaping and the physical and mental health impacts on youth.”
The first paper has been published in American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
The second paper has been published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
Key findings:
Adolescent cannabis vaping trends:
In 2023, it was estimated:
7.4 per cent of US adolescents were vaping a cannabinoid known as THC (which is extracted from the cannabis plant and produces a psychoactive high)
2.9 per cent were vaping cannabidiol known as CBD (also extracted from a cannabis plant and is more often used for medicinal purposes)
1.8 per cent were vaping synthetic cannabinoids (a dangerous lab-made drug that mimics the effects of cannabis)
Vaping of all 3 products increased between 2021 and 2023 in teenagers aged 11-18 years old.
Vaping rates were higher among females than males.
The number of 11-13-year-olds vaping THC and synthetic cannabinoids doubled between 2021 and 2023.
Consistent increase in the number of teens who weren’t sure what product they had inhaled.
Trends in social norms towards cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use:
Teens who had friends who vaped were 15 times more likely to use e-cigarettes themselves.
Between 2015 and 2021, the probability of having friends who smoked cigarettes decreased from 26.1 per cent to 7.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, the probability of having friends who vaped decreased from 31.6 per cent to 22.3 per cent.
Between 2015 and 2020, perceived public disapproval increased for both cigarettes (73.3 per cent to 84.2 per cent) and vaping (55.4 per cent to 77.5 per cent).
Disapproval of e-cigarettes from people important to teens reduced the likelihood of a teen vaping by about 70 per cent.
Source:
The University of Queensland
Journal references:
Chung, J., et al. (2025). Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021–2023): Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107655.
Vu, G. T., et al. (2025) Trends in Social Norms Toward Cigarette Smoking and E-cigarette Use Among U.S. Youth Between 2015 and 2021.Nicotine & Tobacco Research. doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf120.
In Love Island USA season 7 episode 26, the islanders sent each other letters, sharing their honest but brutal opinions with the islanders in the form of anonymous letters.
When Amaya read her letters, one of them stated that she cried more than needed and tries to “move too fast” for everyone. The letter made Amaya tear up, and she clarified that she was a “sensitive gangsta” and that her tears were not her weakness.
Austin admitted to writing the letter and also said that it came across as harsher than he intended. Ace and Zac also chimed in and shared their grievances with Amaya while Bryan defended her.
Fans reacted to Ace, Zac, and Austin’s comments towards Amaya and felt they were ganging up on her. One person wrote on X:
“Ace, Zak, And Austin jumping on Amaya like this was completely unacceptable. this is horrible.”
“Moral of the story is if they all had something to say to her so f*cking important they could’ve waited, but instead they all decided to just jump on her all at ONCE. I don’t care what was said clearly amaya’s feelings were hurt because she was sob crying,” a fan commented.
“the way ace ,zak, and austin spoke to amaya was unacceptable. and the women not standing up for her? i don’t care how close you are to someone there’s no excuse for staying silent when a woman is being disrespected. i would never let that slide, friend or not,” a tweet read.
Fans of Love Island USA season 7 praised Bryan for defending Amaya:
““coming from a hispanic household. that’s just how we talk. you’re telling her to meet you halfway you gotta meet her halfway too” bryan, YOU GET YOUR 10’s being the only man to stand up for amaya when all the guys were ganging up on her,” a person wrote.
“what bryan said about growing up from a hispanic household is so true, we pass around nicknames like crazy and i’m glad that he decided to defend amaya at that moment when 3 men decided to bring her and her personality down (ESPECIALLY since ace raised his voice)” a fan commented.
“AMAYA IS A LOVER GIRL WHAT ABOUT ITTT??? If yall can’t handle that then leave amaya alone!! AND ACEEE NO ONE ASKED U FOR SH*T!! thank you bryan for defending her! and zak literally why would u say that in front of everyone?? F*CK THE MEN IN THIS VILLA,” a tweet read.
Fans of Love Island USA season 7 further said:
“for ace and zak to punch in on amaya like she already wasn’t crying?? are they f*cking serious?? they shouldn’t have done that sh*t at all, especially zak,” a person wrote.
“austin, ace & zak coming at amaya about crying is f*cking weird as f*ck. they can leave like today. yall weird as f*ck for that. especially after she already having a moment,” a fan commented.
Amaya breaks down as Ace, Austin, and Zak critique her personality in Love Island USA season 7 episode 26
In Love Island USA season 7, Amaya read out the anonymous letters the islanders had left for her. While the first one was funny, the next letter made Amaya tear up.
“You cry more than needed. You try to move too fast for everyone,” it read.
Amaya joked that she was a “sensitive gangsta” and explained that her tears were not her weakness, but her strength, given her past struggles. She added that if people saw it as a negative, she was not their “cup of tea to be drinking.”
Austin admitted to writing the letter and said that although he didn’t intend for it to be as harsh as it came across. The Love Island USA season 7 star said that after they coupled up, the intensity of Amaya’s emotions and wants went “way up.” Amaya countered his point and said she was tired of people viewing her emotions as a negative instead of a “power move.”
“Time out,” Ace said as he put his point across.
The male Love Island USA cast member said Amaya was used to wearing her heart on her sleeve and being passionate, but noted that her approach was “very strong” right from the start, as evidenced by her referring to him as “babe” when they were coupled up.
Ace said he wanted to slow down and said it was a matter of meeting people halfway with what they were comfortable with. Amaya continued to cry as she said that she wasn’t a book, “someone should be reading, and that’s okay.”
Bryan defended Amaya and said that coming from a Hispanic household, referring to each other as “babe,” “mi amor,” or “mi vida,” was how they spoke and that the Love Island USA islanders needed to meet her halfway as well.
Love Island USA season 7 Casa Amor bombshell Zak also spoke up and said that when they spoke, he let her be “passionate” with him. He added that he let her kiss and touch him, and felt like he needed to take a step back sometimes.
“Zac, you had every opportunity to tell me that when we were sitting now you wait until this moment to speak to me in front of 20 other people here? I don’t even want to continue speaking to you anymore,” Amaya said.
Fans of Love Island USA season 7 commented on the letter challenge and criticized Zac, Austin, and Ace for ganging up on Amaya.
Watch the segment back by streaming Love Island USA season 7 episode 26 on Peacock.
Sukriti is a Reality TV writer for the pop culture division of Sportskeeda. A graduation in Political Science initially sparked her interest in journalism; however, over time, she found herself drawn to combining her passion for writing with her fascination for pop culture. With a diverse background spanning 4 years, she likes to maintain dignity and accuracy in her work, ensuring that sensitive matters are reported with integrity and using credible sources.
Sukriti appreciates how reality television offers unique insights into the lives of celebrities and influential personalities, showcasing both their triumphs and vulnerabilities. She is a big fan of Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules, for her ability to navigate challenging situations gracefully.
She has had the privilege of interviewing prominent cast members from popular shows like Squid Game: The Challenge such as Charles ‘Chaz’ Roquemore, Jinwoo Oak, Radhika, Mutty B. Mark Gilloffo, along with the cast members from Love at First Lie – Monica Bulnes and Josh Riquelme.
Outside of work, Sukriti finds joy in traveling to offbeat destinations, particularly in the hills, and spending quality time with her cats. She also remains engaged with current affairs, seeking to educate herself on social and political developments worldwide.
CANBERRA, July 2 (Xinhua) — Offering various nicotine replacements or vapes with behavioral support helps people leaving rehab stay smoke-free, a group where long-term quitting is rare, a new clinical trial has found.
The study, which tracked over 360 adults exiting detox programs, added to growing evidence that, with consistent support and a variety of nicotine replacement options, people in recovery can achieve meaningful progress in quitting smoking, according to a release on Tuesday from Flinders University in South Australia which led the study.
This potentially saves lives and reduces the heavy health burden associated with tobacco use in this vulnerable population, according to the study published in the July issue of the Lancet Public Health.
“People recovering from substance use are more than twice as likely to smoke as the general population — and far more likely to suffer and die from tobacco-related illness,” said the study’s lead author Billie Bonevski, director of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute.
Participants were randomly assigned either a 12-week supply of vapes or a combination of nicotine replacement therapy products such as patches, gum, lozenges, inhalators, and mouth sprays. Both groups also received behavioral counseling through Quitline services, the researchers said.
After nine months, 10 percent of participants in both groups remained smoke-free, a notable achievement in a population with high smoking rates and typically low quit success, the study showed.
“This isn’t about one therapy outperforming another — it’s about building a system that gives people the best chance to succeed,” Bonevski said, adding ongoing support and access to multiple quit tools matter more than the type of nicotine therapy, calling for smoking cessation to be fully integrated into addiction treatment. ■
Pakistan Shaheens will return to Darwin for the third successive year to take part in the Top End T20 Series, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed today.
This year’s edition of Top End T20 Series will take place in Darwin from 14 to 24 August with Pakistan Shaheens taking on Bangladesh ‘A’ in the opening match of the tournament on 14 August at the TIO Stadium in Darwin.
The event will feature 11 teams with 36 T20 fixtures to be played across five venues including DXC Arena, TIO Stadium, Gardens Oval, Cazaly’s Arena and Freds Pass. More details will be announced by the tournament organisers in due course.
In 2023 edition, Pakistan Shaheens qualified for the final, while in last year’s event, they featured in the first semi-final.
Sumair Ahmed Syed, PCB Chief Operating Officer: “We are pleased to confirm Pakistan Shaheens’ participation in the Top End T20 Series for the third consecutive year. This tournament continues to serve as a platform for our emerging cricketers to gain valuable exposure and experience in competitive conditions. “We are grateful to Northern Territory Cricket for their continued collaboration and for providing a professional and high-quality tournament that contributes significantly to the growth of our emerging talent.”
Gavin Dovey, NT Cricket CEO: “We are once again delighted to welcome our good friends the PCB and BCB to Darwin where it is an honour and privilege to host two genuine giants of the game. “The Top End T20 Series was created as a vehicle to market and promote the Northern Territory as a destination to visit, live, work or study, and I don’t think there is a sport in the Territory that can connect with a bigger audience.”
The debriefing sessions on the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are scheduled to take place on July 2 and 3, local media confirmed.
These sessions will be led by PSL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salman Naseer and his team. Franchise owners and other key stakeholders are expected to attend. The discussions will focus on reviewing the conduct and performance of previous PSL editions, while also exploring the league’s future direction.
The PSL recently went through a major structural change after being turned into a separate entity, with Salman Naseer appointed as its first CEO. However, many important positions within the league’s setup are still vacant.
With ten successful seasons completed, franchise valuations are currently being reviewed. A 25% increase in franchise fees is also being considered. All six existing franchises had confirmed their intent to retain ownership as of December last year. However, Multan Sultans’ owner, Ali Tareen — who had previously voiced concerns about the league’s financial model — has remained silent. Multan continues to be the most expensive franchise, paying over PKR 1 billion annually.
Plans to expand the league to eight teams for PSL 11 have stalled, with no progress reported so far. According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet opened discussions with the franchises about the proposed expansion or changes in the financial model for new teams.
In addition to these concerns, several major commercial agreements — including those for title sponsorship, broadcasting rights, ground rights, and live streaming — are up for renewal. Currently, the PCB earns around PKR 900 million per year from title sponsorships, while local broadcast rights have brought in approximately PKR 6.3 billion, and international media rights earned $4.6 million.
If the league expands to eight teams, the number of matches could rise from 34 to 54, potentially boosting revenue by nearly 30%. However, franchise owners say they have not yet received any official communication about such plans.
Akmal unhappy Former cricketer Kamran Akmal on Monday criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for appointing Azhar Mahmood as the interim head coach of the national Test team, calling the decision illogical and reflective of poor management.
Speaking on the YouTube show, Akmal expressed confusion over the rationale behind Mahmood’s temporary appointment, comparing it to PCB’s earlier controversial move of naming Mickey Arthur as director of cricket while he continued his commitments with county cricket. “I just don’t understand the logic behind this decision,” Akmal said. “It’s exactly like the time PCB made Mickey Arthur director of cricket while allowing him to continue working with a county team. I couldn’t understand it then, and I can’t understand it now.” Akmal held such inconsistent decisions responsible for the ongoing decline in Pakistan cricket, saying these appointments have created long-term problems. “That role [Arthur’s] has continued, and it has brought many issues into Pakistan cricket,” he added. “The same thing is now happening with the interim coaching setup. Before this, it was Aaqib Javed, then Mohammad Hafeez and now Azhar.”
The former wicketkeeper-batter advised PCB to adopt a professional approach and make clear, long-term decisions rather than appeasing everyone. “These decisions reflect a lack of seriousness. When the PCB starts thinking seriously and acting professionally, it won’t have to make such compromises or temporary appointments,” Akmal said.
He also criticised the board for what he termed a ‘please-all’ strategy, saying that Azhar’s appointment appeared to be more about rewarding loyalty than building a robust coaching system. “Everyone has been appeased, and now Azhar has also been rewarded. If you’ve made him head coach, then give him the full time and responsibility. Otherwise, what’s the point?” he concluded.
Chile’s ALMA observatory, which houses some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, has captured its most detailed images to date of the building blocks of the early universe — primarily cold gases, dust and stellar light in 39 galaxies.
“We’ve never achieved so much detail and depth in galaxies from the early universe,” Sergio Martin, head of Scientific Operations at ALMA, told AFP during a presentation of the research at University of Concepcion in Santiago.
Due to its dark skies and clear air, Chile hosts the telescopes of more than 30 countries, including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) that was used in the findings.
The research was led by Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, director of the Millennium Nucleus of Galaxies (MINGAL) of Chile, who told AFP the new images provide “the opportunity to study how stars are born.”
The survey also found that stars emerged in “giant clumps,” Herrera-Camus said.
By combining ALMA’s findings with images from the James Webb and Hubble telescopes, researchers were able to learn more about how galaxies evolve, interact, and form stars.
The ALMA telescope was developed by the European Southern Observatory, the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
The Japanese Yen attracts some sellers as Trump raised doubts over a US-Japan deal.
A positive risk tone also undermines the safe-haven JPY and lends support to USD/JPY.
The divergent BoJ-Fed expectations favor the JPY bulls and might cap the currency pair.
The Japanese Yen (JPY) remains depressed through the Asian session on Wednesday, which, along with a modest US Dollar (USD) uptick, assists the USD/JPY pair to move away from a nearly one-month low touched the previous day. US President Donald Trump expressed skepticism about reaching a trade deal with Japan and suggested that potential tariffs on Japanese imports would be higher than the 24% rate announced on April 2. This, along with the bullish risk tone, is seen undermining the safe-haven status of the JPY.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) cautious approach to unwinding its ultra-loose policy forced investors to push back their expectations for early interest rate hikes. Investors, however, seem convinced that the BoJ will stay on the path of monetary policy normalization as inflation has persistently exceeded its target for nearly three years. This, in turn, helps limit losses for the JPY and caps the USD/JPY pair. Traders also seem reluctant to place aggressive directional bets ahead of the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Thursday.
Japanese Yen bulls remain on the sidelines amid trade jitters; downside potential seems limited
US President Donald Trump had expressed frustration over stalled US-Japan trade negotiations and cast doubt about reaching an agreement with Japan. Moreover, Trump suggested that he could impose a tariff of 30% or 35% on imports from Japan, above the tariff rate of 24% announced on April 2.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Tuesday that although headline inflation has been above 2% for nearly three years, underlying inflation remains below target. Ueda added that any future rate hikes will depend on the overall inflation dynamic, including wage growth and expectations.
Moreover, BoJ’s new board member Kazuyuki Masu said on Tuesday that the central bank should not rush into raising interest rates given various economic risks. However, concerns about mounting inflationary pressure in Japan keep the door open for a BoJ rate hike in 2025, especially if trade risks stabilize.
In contrast, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell noted that the US central bank would have eased monetary policy by now if not for Trump’s tariff plan. When asked if July would be too soon for markets to expect a rate cut, Powell answered that he can’t say and that it’s going to depend on the data.
Nevertheless, traders still see a small chance that the next rate reduction by the Fed will come in July and are pricing in over a 75% probability of a rate cut at the September policy meeting. This, in turn, dragged the US Dollar to its lowest level since February 2022 and should cap the USD/JPY pair.
Meanwhile, the US ISM Manufacturing PMI showed on Tuesday that economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted for the fourth consecutive month, albeit the rate of contraction slowed in June. In fact, the gauge edged up to 49 from 48.5 in May, above market expectations of 48.8.
Separately, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) that the number of job openings on the last business day of May stood at 7.769 million. This followed 7.395 million openings in April and was above estimates for 7.3 million.
Traders now look forward to the release of the US ADP report on private-sector employment for some impetus later this Wednesday. The focus, however, remains on the closely-watched US monthly employment details – popularly known as the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Thursday.
USD/JPY remains vulnerable while below the 144.40 region, or the 200-SMA on H4
From a technical perspective, negative oscillators on 4-hour/daily charts suggest that any subsequent move up towards the 144.00 mark could be seen as a selling opportunity. This, in turn, should cap the USD/JPY pair near the 200-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) on the 4-hour chart, currently pegged near the 144.35 region. Some follow-through buying, leading to a subsequent strength beyond the 144.65 horizontal hurdle, should allow spot prices to reclaim the 145.00 psychological mark.
On the flip side, the 143.40-143.35 area could offer some support ahead of the 143.00 round figure and the overnight swing low, around the 142.70-142.65 region. Failure to defend the said support levels will reaffirm the near-term negative bias and make the USD/JPY pair vulnerable to accelerate the fall toward the May monthly swing low, around the 142.15-142.10 region. The downward trajectory could extend further towards testing sub-141.00 levels in the near term.
Japanese Yen FAQs
The Japanese Yen (JPY) is one of the world’s most traded currencies. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Japanese economy, but more specifically by the Bank of Japan’s policy, the differential between Japanese and US bond yields, or risk sentiment among traders, among other factors.
One of the Bank of Japan’s mandates is currency control, so its moves are key for the Yen. The BoJ has directly intervened in currency markets sometimes, generally to lower the value of the Yen, although it refrains from doing it often due to political concerns of its main trading partners. The BoJ ultra-loose monetary policy between 2013 and 2024 caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks. More recently, the gradually unwinding of this ultra-loose policy has given some support to the Yen.
Over the last decade, the BoJ’s stance of sticking to ultra-loose monetary policy has led to a widening policy divergence with other central banks, particularly with the US Federal Reserve. This supported a widening of the differential between the 10-year US and Japanese bonds, which favored the US Dollar against the Japanese Yen. The BoJ decision in 2024 to gradually abandon the ultra-loose policy, coupled with interest-rate cuts in other major central banks, is narrowing this differential.
The Japanese Yen is often seen as a safe-haven investment. This means that in times of market stress, investors are more likely to put their money in the Japanese currency due to its supposed reliability and stability. Turbulent times are likely to strengthen the Yen’s value against other currencies seen as more risky to invest in.
