Tokyo's Economic Planning Agency is projecting fiscal 1999 growth of 0.5%, resisting pressure from the powerful Ministry of International Trade and Industry for a higher forecast.

CNN: THE LONG, HARD CLIMB BACK UP

An extraordinary parliamentary session will then be called for September, ostensibly to pass a bunch of job-creation and company-restructuring proposals that the Ministry of International Trade and Industry is beavering away on.

ECONOMIST: Praise Clinton and pass more bills to stir Japan��s economy