The Rupee closed weaker for a third straight session on Monday as corporate dollar demand via private banks pressured the currency, with bids at the central bank’s reference rate adding to the drag, traders said. Earlier in the day, bankers were willing to pay a roughly 1.5-paisa premium to buy dollars at the RBI fixing rate, signalling steady dollar demand. The rupee hovered around 90 through the session and is seen at risk of slipping past the mark this week, with thinning year-end volumes likely to magnify flow-driven moves. Asian cues were largely unsupportive for the rupee, with regional currencies mostly weaker and the dollar index rising to 98.05. The yen strengthened on Monday and was on track for its fifth gain in six sessions as markets weighed the timing of additional interest rate hikes in Japan and the chances of intervention in thin holiday trading. Bank of Japan policymakers debated the need to continue raising rates, the minutes from its policy meeting earlier in December, when the central bank hiked its policy rate to a 30-year high of 0.75% from 0.5%, showed on Monday. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, shed 0.05% to 97.99, with the euro up 0.08% at $1.1781. Sterling weakened 0.02% to $1.3492. Against the Japanese yen , the dollar weakened 0.26% to 156.14. Despite the rate hike at the BOJ's December 19 meeting, the yen weakened to a one-month low of 157.77 per dollar, prompting intervention warnings. Japan last stepped into markets to defend its currency in July 2024, buying yen after the currency hit a 38-year low of 161.96. Tuesday will bring about the release of minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's meeting earlier this month in which the U.S. central bank cut rates and projected just one more reduction for next year, although markets have priced in roughly two more. Oil prices rose by more than $1 on Monday as traders braced for potential supply disruptions in the Middle East due to rising tensions in Yemen, and Russia claimed Ukraine had launched a drone attack on a Russian presidential residence. Brent crude futures rose $1.22, or 2%, to $61.86 a barrel by 12:03 p.m. ET (1703 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up $1.29, or 2.3%, at $58.03.......