Business and Finance
JAPAN PLEDGED to sweeten its plan to stimulate the economy, after an initial proposal met with criticism. Japan's finance minister said terms will be revised to increase imports and further boost spending, a victory for Rubin in his first trip overseas as Treasury secretary. Meanwhile, the dollar is seen weakening further, raising fears that higher import prices and inflation may follow.</br></br>---</br></br>U.S. Shoe agreed to be acquired by Luxottica Group after the Italian eyeglass-frame maker raised its bid to about $1.3 billion from $1.12 billion. The sale of U.S. Shoe's footwear business to Nine West isn't affected.</br></br>---</br></br>Some large U.S. companies have profited from the declining dollar in recent months as corporate treasurers have placed bets against it in the futures market, observers say.