INTERNATIONAL

Japan’s July Trade Surplus Soars to $11.82 Billion: The surplus grew for the 31st consecutive month, swelling nearly $2 billion from the previous month, Japan’s Finance Ministry said. The surplus with the United States, the most vocal critic of Japan’s trade policies, climbed to $4.68 billion from $3.81 billion a year earlier. Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa said in his first news conference that he will consider ways to encourage Japanese to buy more, ease regulations and allow more foreign goods into the country to try to balance trade with the United States. Hosokawa’s coalition took power Monday, ending 38 years of Liberal Democratic Party rule.