Tokyo - Tokyo stocks see-sawed between positive and negative territory in morning trading Friday as investors were concerned about congressional passage of the US government's bailout plan for the financial industry.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 23.19 points, or 0.19 per cent, to trade at 11,983.34.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was almost unchanged at 1,154.81, up 0.86 points, or 0.07 per cent.

Brussels - European Union officials on Thursday congratulated the new government in Japan, saying that they looked forward to working with Tokyo on major issues such as global warming.

"I am looking forward to working with you in order to deepen and strengthen EU-Japan relations and to continue our excellent cooperation in the G8 and multilateral fora," the head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, wrote to Prime Minister Taro Aso.

"I consider Japan to be an important strategic partner for the EU with whom we share many basic values and interests," he wrote.

The EU's foreign-affairs commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, sent a congratulatory note to Japan's new foreign minister, Hirofumi Nakasone.

Recently, a plan to construct a ‘space elevator’ has been made by a group of scientists and industrial firms, with the aim to drastically reduce the cost of getting into orbit. 

The whole project to construct an elevator would cost around $9bn, and the plans for the structure has been published by the Japan Space Elevator Association. 

If this project is completed successfully, then the cost of satellite communications systems would be lowered to a great extent and the orbital manufacture will also become more economically possible. 

Tokyo - Japan in August saw its first trade deficit since January as surging oil prices boosted imports and export growth slowed, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

The nation's trade deficit ran 324 billion yen (3.06 billion dollars), the ministry said.

Excluding January, when exports tend to slow because of business holidays during New Year's celebrations, Japan last logged a trade deficit in November 1982.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower Thursday as investors sold stocks to lock in profits amid uncertainties over the fate of the US government's financial bailout plan.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 103.72 points in morning trading, or 0.86 per cent, to 12,011.31.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 10.52 points, or 0.9 per cent, at 1,157.45.

Tokyo players sold a wide range of issues amid concern about when the US Congress would pass a government plan to bail out distressed financial institutions.

Tokyo  - A list of the Japanese coalition government's cabinet members announced Wednesday, with ages:

Prime Minister: Taro Aso, 68

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister (in charge of decentralization of administration): Kunio Hatoyama, 60

Justice Minister: Eisuke Mori, 60

Foreign Minister: Hirofumi Nakasone, 62

Finance Minister and state minister in charge of financial services: Shoichi Nakagawa, 55

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister: Ryu Shionoya, 58

Health, Labour and Welfare Minister: Yoichi Masuzoe, 59

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister: Shigeru Ishiba, 51