New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- Bank of Japan increase interest rate: The Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a 31-year high of 1.25% on Friday in a widely expected move to forestall risks of inflation overshooting its 2% inflation target.

At a two-day policy meeting that ended on Friday, the board decided by a 7-2 vote to raise its policy rate from 1%. Board member Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato dissented to the decision.

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is expected to hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) to explain the decision.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from MINT....