1. The Bank of Japan chief has suggested again that the bank will cautiously weigh a further rate hike amid extremely high uncertainty. BOJ Governor Ueda Kazuo said inflation in Japan has picked up again, driven primarily by higher prices of food, most notably rice. He said the bank will “adjust the degree of monetary easing” if incoming data provide a reason for greater confidence that economic activity and prices are improving. 2. Japan is trying to arrange another round of high-level negotiations with the US on Friday to seek a review of tariffs rolled out by President Donald Trump. If realized, it would be the second week in a row that Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei sits down for talks in Washington as Japan’s chief negotiator.
3. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has slammed Israel’s recent actions in Gaza. The military operations have been causing increasing numbers of civilian casualties. Merz said in a TV interview on Monday that he no longer understands why Israel is harming the civilian population.