Bank of Japan decides further monetary easing

The Bank of Japan said Friday it had decided to introduce additional monetary easing steps to prop up the world's third-largest economy.
According to dpa, the bank said government boosts to the monetary base will increase from current levels by 10 trillion yen to 20 trillion (91 billion to 182 billion dollars) per year, to an annual pace of 80 trillion yen.
The bank's nine-member policy board was split over the move, which was supported by five members including Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and his two deputies.
The central bank also said on Friday it would buy more government bonds from financial institutions, two days after the US Federal Reserve decided to end its bond-buying programme.
'Japan's economy has continued to recover moderately,' the bank said in a statement.