- WLS – Chicago
15-year-old boy stabbed, critically injured in the Loop: CFD
A 15-year-old boy was on a sidewalk Sunday in downtown Chicago when four offenders approached him. Two of the offenders stabbed him in the back with knives in broad daylight.
- Reuters
Asia stocks brace for US inflation test, China data
Asian share markets made a cautious start on Monday in a week where inflation figures could make or break hopes for earlier U.S. rate cuts, while Chinese activity data will test optimism about a sustained recovery in the world's No. 2 economy. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat, having hit its highest in more than 15 months last week. Japan's Nikkei eased 0.2%, still saddled with speculation further losses for the yen could lead the Bank of Japan to raise rates in the next few months.
- Reuters
Japan on track to normalise monetary policy, says ruling party heavyweight
Japan is seeing conditions fall in place for the central bank to normalise monetary policy, ruling party heavyweight Katsunobu Kato told Reuters, underscoring growing political support for further interest rate hikes. But Kato said the Bank of Japan (BOJ) must keep a close eye on economic conditions and coordinate carefully with the government in working out when to raise rates. "Japan is shifting to an era where prices and wages rise, from one where both barely moved," said Kato, a former chief cabinet secretary and a ruling party veteran seen by some analysts as a candidate to become future prime minister.
