The Rupee opened weaker at Friday's open after patchy holiday flows and losses in the non-deliverable market drove it beyond the 91-per-dollar level. With Mumbai, the primary hub for rupee trading, shut for a holiday on Thursday, trading was confined to other domestic centres and offshore desks. The local currency's slide past the 91 mark was sizeable as it occurred in holiday-thinned trade, a setting in which big moves are relatively uncommon, bankers said. One banker pointed to sustained pressure on the rupee in the non-deliverable forwards, while highlighting that a large public sector bank was aggressively buying dollars. With liquidity far from optimal due to the Mumbai holiday, the flows had an outsized impact, exaggerating the move in the currency. The dollar was poised on Friday to cap its strongest weekly performance since October, buoyed by a run of better-than-expected economic data, a more hawkish Federal Reserve outlook and as tensions between the U.S. and Iran kept markets on edge. Overnight, the greenback got an added lift after data showed the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, underscoring labour market stability. It clung to gains in early Asia trade on Friday and left sterling languishing near a one-month low at $1.3457. It was headed for a weekly drop of nearly 1.5%. The euro was similarly down a touch 0.02% at $1.1768 and set to lose 0.8% for the week, with the common currency also weighed down by uncertainty over European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde's tenure. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar hovered near Thursday's one-month peak and was last at 97.89. It was on track for a weekly gain of more than 1%, which would mark its strongest performance in more than four months. The focus for markets now turns to the release of the U.S. core PCE price index and advance fourth quarter GDP figures later in the day, which could drive the next move in currencies. Investors continue to price in roughly two Fed rate cuts this year, though expectations for such a move in June have dipped to a roughly 58% chance from 62% a week ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar was down 0.08% at $0.7055 but set to lose just 0.2% for the week, as it continues to be buoyed by hawkish rate expectations at home. The New Zealand dollar was in a bit more of a bother, headed for a 1.2% weekly loss, undone by a dovish outlook on rates from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Investors wagering on tighter policy were badly wrongfooted, following a blizzard of cuts over the past year or so. The kiwi last traded 0.12% lower at $0.5967. In Japan, the yen dipped 0.05% to 155.08 per dollar, reversing slight gains from earlier in the session after data on Friday showed the country's annual core consumer inflation hit 2.0% in January, marking the slowest pace in two years. Oil prices were higher on Friday as concern of conflict betweenn the U.S. and Iran ratcheted up, with Washington saying Tehran will suffer if it does not agree a deal about its nuclear activity within a matter of days. Brent crude futures rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $71.87, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 23 cents, or 0.4% to $66.66.......