Yen slides past 163, raising intervention alert

The Japanese yen weakened past 163 per dollar, its lowest since late 1986, raising the prospect of fresh intervention by Japanese authorities. A broadly stronger dollar was supported by safe-haven demand amid ongoing Middle East conflict, with Brent crude touching a six-week high of 91.99 dollars a barrel. US Treasury yields climbed across the curve, with the 30-year yield breaching 5.15 percent and the 10-year yield touching 4.64 percent, a level that typically pressures risk assets and emerging market currencies.