Key headlines and weekend press stories

Ross J Burland FXStreet

Here are a number of key stories from the weekend press:

Author

Ross J Burland

FXStreet

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

AUD/USD looks weaker, focus is back to 0.7100

AUD/USD reverses Tuesday’s gains and retreats markedly toward four-day troughs in the low 0.7100s ahead of the opening bell in Asia. The firmer tone in the Greenback weighs on the risk complex amid unabated tensions on the US-Iran front, prompting the Aussie to shed part of recent gains and refocus on the downside. Moving forward, Australian trade balance results should entertain investors early on Thursday.

Japanese Yen bounces up from lows after Japan PM Takaichi’s intervention warnings

The Japanese Yen bounced up from five-week lows against the US Dollar, turning positive on the daily chart, as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that Tokyo is ready to take action against Yen weakness. The USD/JPY pair has pulled back from the 160.00 level, considered a line in the sand for Japanese authorities, to hit session lows at 159.55.

Gold slumps to near $4,450 as strong US jobs data reinforce higher-rate bets

Gold price falls to around $4,450 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The precious metal attracts some sellers amid rising expectations that the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.

XRP eyes rebound despite muted ETF demand

Ripple (XRP) rebounds above $1.23 from support at $1.20 at the time of writing on Wednesday, as the broader cryptocurrency market pares losses triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East. Appetite for risk assets remains generally low as the United States (US) and Iran exchange fire amid a fragile ceasefire and peace negotiations.

The upside-down math of debt

In 2010, Professors Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff published a paper, Growth in a Time of Debt, which instantly went viral. The main thesis of the paper was that once a government's debt-to-GDP ratio crosses above 90%, a financial crisis and default are around the corner.

Recession on paper: What really moves the Canadian Loonie now?

Statistics Canada handed the headline writers a gift and the analysts a headache. Real GDP shrank 0.1% on an annualized basis in the first quarter, and with the fourth quarter of 2025 revised down to a 1.0% contraction, that is two negative quarters in a row, the textbook definition of a technical recession and Canada's first since the pandemic.