The yen weakened past 150 per dollar for the first time since November, raising the specter that Japanese authorities will step in to prop up the currency, after hot US inflation data prompted traders to dial back their bets on interest-rate cuts and bid up the greenback. The dollar soared against all G-10 currencies, reviving the likelihood that authorities in Tokyo will ramp up verbal warnings to stem the yen’s decline after it slumped past a key level that spurred previous interventions. Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Friday that Japan will continue to closely monitor foreign-exchange developments. The ... (full story)