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* Yen hits two-month low against dollar amid political shifts in Japan * Takaichi's leadership raises uncertainty over fiscal, monetary policy * Fed speeches and minutes awaited amid U.S. government shutdown (Updates prices, adds crypto, Aussie, kiwi in last paragraph.) By Rocky Swift TOKYO, Oct 7 (Reuters) – The yen weakened to a two-month low against the dollar on Tuesday as attention in Japan turned to who may join the administration of fiscal dove Sanae Takaichi after her party leadership victory. With the yen also trading at an all-time low against the euro, Japan's finance minister said authorities were watching out for excessive moves in currency markets. Takaichi, expected to become Japan's next prime minister, chose former premier Taro Aso as vice president of her ruling party. The euro remained on a fragile footing following the resignation of France's prime minister and statements by European Central Bank officials that a rate cut may be necessary. Traders will be on watch for speeches from Federal Reserve policymakers later in the day as a U.S. government shutdown squelches other data signals. As markets await more clarity on how Takaichi will structure her government, Japanese officials may try to talk the yen down from recent extremes, said Bart Wakabayashi, the Tokyo branch manager of State Street. "We'll see if the expected policies that she is tied to will come through," Wakabayashi said of Takaichi. The 150 yen per dollar mark is "a very important level, psychologically and economically." "From an economic and corporate competitive perspective, where is the Bank of Japan and the Ministry of Finance comfortable? I do believe it's at a lower level," he added. The yen slid 0.1% to 150.46 per dollar and earlier touched 150.62, the weakest level since August 1. Japan's currency also skidded to 176.35 per euro, a fresh all-time low, before rebounding slightly. Takaichi was considered to be the most dovish among five candidates in Japan's Liberal Democratic Party race on Saturday to replace hawkish Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Along with her appointment of Aso to her inner circle on Tuesday, she chose former finance minister Shunichi Suzuki as secretary-general of the LDP. There remains considerable uncertainty if Takaichi, as prime minister, will be able to fully implement her agenda of looser fiscal and monetary policy, said Carl Ang, a fixed income analyst at MFS Investment Management. "One consideration is fiscal conservative Taro Aso and his faction, which were instrumental to Takaichi’s success at the LDP leadership election," Ang added. Reacting to the yen's swoon, Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato on Tuesday reiterated that currencies should move in a stable manner reflecting fundamentals. A closely watched auction of 30-year Japanese government bonds went smoothly on the day, after yields on the debt jumped to a record high. The euro slid against the dollar and the pound in the previous session after France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and his government resigned on Monday. The ECB may need to reduce borrowing costs slightly if the risk of inflation going too low increases, but interest rates are appropriate now, the central bank's top brass said on Monday. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, rose 0.1% to 98.23. The euro slid 0.1% at $1.1694, after a 0.3% drop on Monday. Sterling weakened 0.1% to $1.3463. The White House on Monday backed off President Donald Trump's assertion that government employees were already being laid off due to the shutdown, but warned job losses could result as the standoff looked set to stretch into a seventh day. The shutdown delayed last Friday's closely watched monthly jobs report for September and is set to postpone other key releases until the government reopens. Market attention is now focused on the Fed itself for signs of the timing and extent of more easing. Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and newly installed fellow Governor Stephen Miran are due to speak later on Tuesday, while Wednesday brings minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's meeting for September. Markets are pricing in additional 25 basis-point rate cuts in both October and December, with probabilities of 92.5% and 81.5%, respectively, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The Australian dollar weakened 0.1% to $0.6608, while New Zealand's kiwi fell 0.3% to $0.5822. In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin fell 0.7% to $124,334.94, and ether rose 0.5% to $4,713.78. (Reporting by Rocky Swift Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Sam Holmes)

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AMSTERDAM, Oct 7 (Reuters) – A crew member of the Dutch cargo ship that was attacked by Houthis in the Gulf of Aden last week has died of his injuries, the vessel's Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said in a statement Monday evening. The company did not release further details about the deceased crew member, but a spokesperson told a Dutch broadcaster they were Filipino. The vessel, Minervagracht, was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was struck by an explosive device that inflicted substantial damage and started a fire on the ship. A helicopter was used to rescue 19 of its crew, who are Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino and Sri Lankan. Yemen's Houthis clamed responsibility for the attack. The Iran-aligned group has launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked with Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war on Gaza. Spliethoff added that one other crew member remained under medical care in Djibouti. "His condition is stable, and we expect he will be able to return home later this week." (Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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(Updated at 0505 GMT) By Nimesh Vora MUMBAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) – The Indian rupee rose slightly on Tuesday, buoyed by expected capital inflows, though sticky U.S.-India trade issues are likely to keep the currency's upside in check, analysts said. The rupee was quoted at 88.7375 to the U.S. dollar at 10:35 am IST, up from Monday's level of 88.78. Expectations of inflows tied to two initial public offerings — Tata Capital’s $1.75 billion share sale, which kicked off on October 6, and LG Electronics India’s $1.3 billion IPO that opened on Tuesday — offered support. Both IPOs are expected to attract interest from foreign investors, offering the rupee much-needed relief. "The market is quiet for now, yet the stubborn residue of U.S.-India trade issues remains a problem for the rupee," a trader said. Market participants note that the punitive U.S. tariffs on Indian goods will cap the upside on the rupee, prompting cautious positioning among importers and investors alike. Lingering trade tensions, persistent foreign fund outflows, and the recent hike in H-1B visa fees are likely to keep the rupee under pressure, HDFC Bank said in its daily note. The currency is expected to remain vulnerable unless positive developments emerge on the U.S.-India trade front, the note added. The rupee has shown limited volatility over the past week, likely reflecting active intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which is helping to cap the rupee's downward bias, said Anindya Banerjee, head of currency and commodity research at Kotak Securities. Meanwhile, Asian currencies were mostly range-bound on Tuesday, while the dollar index held above the 98 level. The Japanese yen was little changed after Monday's plunge, holding below 150 to the dollar. Japan's finance minister said authorities were watching out for excessive moves in currency markets. (Reporting by Nimesh Vora; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Janane Venkatraman)

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Oct 7 (Reuters) – Hoegh Autoliners ASA: * SEPTEMBER 2025 TRADING UPDATE * HÖEGH AUTOLINERS TRANSPORTED 1.3 MILLION CBM CARGO IN SEPTEMBER * TRANSPORTED VOLUME IN QTRLY WAS 4.0 MILLION CBM * AVERAGE GROSS FREIGHT RATE IN SEPTEMBER WAS USD 90.3 PER CBM * AVERAGE GROSS FREIGHT RATE IN QTRLY WAS USD 92.3 PER CBM * EXPECT Q3 EBITDA TO BE IN LOW END OF OUR COMMUNICATED GUIDING PER Q2 Source text: Further company coverage: (Gdansk Newsroom)

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(Adds details paragraph 2 onwards) Oct 7 (Reuters) – Indian dealers' auto sales grew 5.2% year-on-year in September, with upbeat growth across two-wheelers and passenger vehicles, as tax cuts boosted demand during the festive season, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations said on Tuesday. While sales were muted in the first three weeks of September, they surged after September 22, when the revised goods and services tax rates took effect, the auto dealers association said. Two-wheeler sales climbed 6.5% from a year earlier, while passenger vehicle sales grew 5.8%. Dealers posted record high sales during the nine-day Navratri festival, the association said, with a 34% year-on-year jump during the period, as a wave of new customers entered showrooms and existing ones upgraded their vehicles, taking advantage of lower taxes and festive schemes. The auto dealers body expects an above-normal monsoon, strong harvest, and steady lending rates to boost purchasing power of consumers, driving demand. It also expects "peak sales" during the Diwali festival in October, when Indians typically tend to make high-value purchases. (Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Ronojoy Mazumdar)

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