The rupee closed stronger while logging its the sixth consecutive weekly decline on Friday as pressure remained on account of heightened dollar demand in the non-deliverable forwards market and a weaker yuan while mild inflows helped the currency on the day. While the rupee was supported by likely dollar-selling intervention by the central bank earlier in the session, it found some relief in latter half on account of inflows, traders said. The dollar index was slightly higher at 107, on course for its best weekly performance in a month, while Asian currencies weakened between 0.1% to 0.6%. U.S. producer price inflation data released on Thursday reaffirmed investor expectations of a 25-basis point rate cut by the Federal Reserve on Dec. 18 as well as a comparatively slower pace of policy easing over 2025, which would be dollar-positive. China will firmly prevent overshooting risks of the yuan exchange rate and keep the rate basically stable, its central bank said on Friday, state media reported. The People's Bank of China will increase treasury bond buying and selling operations, and provide a sound liquidity environment for government bond issuance, CCTV quoted the Bank as saying. The dollar headed for its best weekly performance in a month on Friday, as investors priced in the possibility of the Federal Reserve cutting rates more slowly next year, while sterling fell after a surprise contraction in UK economic activity. The U.S. currency held firm against the euro and Swiss franc following rate cuts by those central banks a day earlier, and rose against the yen after reports that the Bank of Japan could forgo a rate hike at its meeting next week. Markets fully expect a cut at the upcoming meeting, but only price a roughly 24% chance of another one in January, with March the most likely point for another move, according to CME's FedWatch tool. The dollar rose 0.5% to 153.465 yen its highest since late November. The yen has been the worst performer this week against the dollar, which has gained 2% on the Japanese currency. Sterling was last down 0.2% at $1.2647, around its weakest since the start of the month. Against the euro the pound was down 0.48% at 82.985 pence, but still not far off its strongest since June 2016, when the UK voted to leave the European Union. Oil prices rose on Friday, heading for their first weekly rise since the end of November, as additional sanctions on Russia ratcheted up supply worries, while a surplus outlook weighed on markets. Brent crude futures rose 39 cents, or 0.53%, to $73.80 a barrel by 1424 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 47 cents, or 0.67%, at $70.49.......