Country plans huge stimulus

Japan signaled it will pull together a stimulus programme to shore up the world's third-largest economy after it slumped into a fourth recession since 2008.

Economy Minister Akira Amari told reporters in Tokyo on Monday that there's a high chance of a package being needed. Etsuro Honda, an adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said that a 3 trillion yen ($26 billion) programme was appropriate and should go to childcare and other measures to directly help households.