South Korea Central Bank Signals Cautious Policy Amid Inflation and Middle East Tensions 
BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Grow as Board Member Signals Hawkish Stance 
ASX Names Former Euronext Executive Anthony Attia as New CEO 
Bank of Japan's Ueda Flags Low Real Interest Rates as Key Factor in Rate Hike Timing 
Eurozone Recession Risks Rise as Middle East Conflict Threatens Growth, ECB Official Warns 
US Stock Futures Slip as Iran Tensions and Hot Inflation Data Pressure Wall Street 
Havana Protests Erupt as Cuba Faces Severe Blackouts and Fuel Crisis 
Gold Prices Steady Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting as Inflation and Oil Concerns Persist 
Australia Housing Tax Reform Sparks Debate Over Property Investor Tax Breaks 
Trump Says Iran Ceasefire ‘On Life Support’ as Oil Prices Surge Above $104 
Gold Prices Hold Steady as Investors Monitor U.S.-Iran Tensions and Trump-Xi Summit 
S&P Global Revises Mexico Credit Outlook to Negative Amid Rising Debt Concerns 
According to recent data from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, December's bonus payments declined 0.4% below that of 2014, shattering the Japanese central bankers' hopes of re-inflation. Further the summer bonus payment failed to impress, while regular salaries did not increased over the previous years.
The recent BoJ's monetary policy effect has faded away from the FX market. While the central bank has a number of measures at its disposal to tackle the situation including QE and rate policy among others, markets now clearly see the exchange rate as the only monetary policy measure left with the central bank. The BoJ will have no other option other than devaluating the yen.
