Aso injects $99b into flagging economy

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has ordered more than 10 trillion yen ($99 billion) in fresh spending to rescue the world's second-biggest economy from its deepest recession since World War II.

The figure amounts to more than 2 percent of Japan's gross domestic product, Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano told reporters yesterday after meeting with Aso.

Yosano said the package is part of the broader international effort to revive the global economy. "These are the instructions I have received (from the prime minister), so I would like to work toward this goal," he said.