Japan and the US support the yen

They stepped in to stop the yen from falling again.

The yen is Japan's money.

It had just hit a new 40-year low.

So this was not a small move.

Why did they do it now?

They wanted to slow the fall in the yen.

They also wanted to stop a bigger bond sell-off.

Officials say that could affect the world economy.

That wider effect is important.

How rare is this kind of action?

It is very rare.

The last joint move was in 2011.

Then, both countries acted after Japan's big earthquake and tsunami.

So this is the first joint step in about 15 years.

What do we know about the money?

BoJ data suggest Tokyo may have sold almost 59 billion dollars.

It used that money to buy yen in New York.

The US has not confirmed its own size.

But a photo showed a note before Scott Bessent.

And that note gave a small clue.

What did it say?

It said, “To Do: Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil.”

That was seen during a cabinet meeting on Friday.

It does not show the full US move, but it shows support.

So both sides sent a clear message.

What did officials say about the future?

Japan's finance ministry and Scott Bessent say they may act again.

They may use joint action more than once.

One expert says this can make speculators more careful.

Even the chance of more action can matter in the market.

That is a strong warning without a lot of public noise.

And it is meant to calm the market, not add fear.

Yes, that is the idea.

They want less pressure on the yen and less risk.

Aung San Suu Kyi appears in new photos.

Now we go to Owen, our LinguaWire correspondent for politics.

New photos show Aung San Suu Kyi with a Red Cross official.

This is the first confirmed contact with her in about two and a half years.

The military government released the pictures.

In them, she appears healthy and relaxed.

That is a rare sign after so much time.

What exactly happened in this meeting?

She met the Red Cross delegation.

The group was allowed to speak with her in private.

But the authorities did not share details about the talk.

So we have pictures, but not the full story.

Why has her family been asking so many questions?

Her son, Kim Aris, has led an international campaign.

He has asked for proof of life.

He wants clear signs that his mother is alive.

And this meeting is the strongest sign so far.

What do we know about her situation before this?

She was detained after the armed forces removed her government in 2021.

She was later sentenced to 33 years in jail.

Her sentence was later reduced, and she was put under house arrest.

That is a very long and difficult story.

Do the new photos answer every question?

No, they do not.

We still do not know much about her health.

The government said she is alive and well, but gave no proof before.

So people still have many open questions.

But the pictures do change the picture a little.

Yes, they do.

Her son said the pictures look real, and she seems healthy.

Three words from the first story.

low means not high.

In the story, the yen fell to a new 40-year low.

Example: The water is low today.

support means to help.

In the story, Japan and the US supported the yen.

Example: Friends support each other.

markets is a related word. It means places where people buy and sell things.

In the story, we heard "New York markets."

Example: I go to the market on Saturday.

Grammar point: be allowed to

Use be allowed to when you have permission to do something.

Example: The group was allowed to speak with her in private.

Example: We are allowed to ask questions.

Repeat after me: be allowed to speak