Prospects still bleak for Japan

The Japanese Government says there is still no sign of a recovery for the country's economy.

The government's latest monthly economic report says exports and industrial output are continuing to fall.

Analysts say Japan has been hard hit by the global economic slowdown, with demand for goods falling, particularly in the United States.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has pledged to press ahead with a series of reforms to help strengthen the economy, including cutbacks in public spending.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service