INTERNATIONAL

Japan’s Discount Rate to Be Cut Next Month: The Bank of Japan, in another bid to spur the economy, is expected to cut the discount rate by half a percentage point to 5% next month, a Japanese newspaper reported. The central bank last lowered the rate in July. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan’s major financial daily, said the central bank was planning the move sometime in November in light of declining capital investment plans and the decreased risk of inflation. U.S. interest rates have also been lowered this year while the recovery from a recession lost steam. The Japanese central bank is hoping to encourage more capital investment, a main engine for economic growth, as the Japanese economy slows down.