Japan PM Takaichi to hold first meeting with BOJ chief Ueda since election win

By Leika Kihara TOKYO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will hold their first bilateral meeting on Monday since the ruling party's landslide election victory, ‌which could serve as a venue to discuss the central bank's rate-hike plans. The meeting at 5 p.m. (0800 ‌GMT) comes amid simmering market speculation that the rising cost of living, driven in part by the weak yen, could prod the central ​bank to raise interest rates as soon as March or April. ...