The Rupee opened on a modestly stronger note with traders parsing the details of an interim trade framework unveiled by India and the U.S., while watching for signs of a revival in foreign portfolio flows. New Delhi and Washington on Friday released an interim framework that would lower tariffs, reshape energy ties and deepen economic cooperation after a breakthrough in long-drawn negotiations was announced earlier last week, powering the rupee to its best weekly rise in over three years. The trade relief is expected to give breathing room to the rupee, which is down about 3.5% from the time tariffs went into effect in late August. Whether the rise extends past 90 depends on exporter activity and foreign portfolio flows, the trader added. Foreign investors have net bought about $900 million of local stocks in February so far, a turnaround from the $4 billion outflow last month. The yen strengthened in Asian trading on Monday after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi swept to victory in Sunday's election, abruptly reversing a six-day string of losses as traders bet fiscal stimulus will boost the stock market. The yen overturned a 0.3% decline which saw the currency reach its weakest level in two weeks to strengthen as much as 0.7% before paring gains. It was last trading 0.3% firmer at 156.76 yen against the dollar. The yen also retraced losses against other currencies, which earlier saw it reach its weakest level on record against the Swiss franc and trade near the weakest point since the creation of the euro . Japan's top currency diplomat Atsushi Mimura said earlier on Monday that the government is "closely watching currency movements with a high sense of urgency" after Takaichi's coalition swept to a historic election win. The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was flat at 97.629, at the start of a week that will see the release of several key data releases out of Washington, including retail sales, inflation and Wednesday's delayed jobs report. Traders are increasing their bets on policy easing from the Federal Reserve later this year. Fed funds futures are now pricing an implied 19.9% probability of a 25-basis-point cut at the U.S. central bank's next two-day meeting on March 18, up from a 18.4% chance on Friday, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool. The pound was last down 0.1% at $1.3599 as markets considered developments in a political crisis swirling around British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday. McSweeney said he was taking responsibility for advising Starmer to name Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., despite his known links to Jeffrey Epstein. Against the Chinese yuan trading offshore in Hong Kong , the U.S. dollar was last flat at 6.9317 yuan. The Australian dollar was last up 0.1% at $0.7018, while the New Zealand dollar nudged 0.1% higher to $0.6013 and the euro was flat at $1.1818.Oil prices fell on Monday after the U.S. and Iran pledged to continue talks over the Middle Eastern producer's nuclear programme, easing concerns about a possible conflict that could disrupt supply from the region. Brent crude futures fell 49 cents, or 0.72%, to $67.56 a barrel by 0134 GMT after settling up 50 cents on Friday.......