Tokyo (dpa) - Japanese citizens protested Monday against the harbouring of nuclear-powered submarine La Jolla at the US naval base in southern Sasebo city, Nagasaki province.

More than 40 people staged a sit-in at the peace memorial in Nagasaki's capital, which was destroyed by the 1945 atomic bombing. The city is scheduled to mark the 63rd anniversary of the devastation on August 9.

Protests have mounted since another US nuclear-powered submarine, the Houston, was found to have leaked a small amount of radioactivity at the same Sasebo port in March.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry only reported the radioactive leak on Saturday - after news had filtered out - drawing sharp criticism from citizens' groups.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower Monday on worries over Japanese corporate earnings outlooks and the course of the US economy, sending the key Nikkei 225 Stock Average to a two-week low below 13,000 level.

The Nikkei index fell 133.53 points, or 1.02 per cent, to 12,961.06.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 17.57 points, or 1.38 per cent, to 1,255.36.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 107.53-58 yen, up from Friday's 5 pm quote of 107.43-44 yen.

Tokyo - Nomura Holdings Inc has reached an a

Tokyo - Nissan Motor Co said Friday that its net profit fell 42.8 per cent to 52.8 billion yen (505 million dollars) in its first quarter from the same quarter a year before, mainly because of the rise in the yen.

Operating profit also plunged 46.1 per cent in the April-to-June quarter to 79.9 billion yen.

Japan's third-largest automaker saw its sales fall 4.1 per cent to 2.35 trillion yen.

Nissan's global sales were up 6.9 per cent for the quarter to 936,000 units.

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda was expected to reshuffle his cabinet Friday in an effort to boost his government's support rate.

Fukuda apparently said that he would rename ministers with the future economy in mind amid surging oil and goods prices, as well as aging population, said Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Bunmei Ibuki.

The cabinet members would resign en masse in the afternoon before Fukuda summons new ministers.

Tokyo - Stocks lost more than 2 per cent in Tokyo Friday as concerns over the US economy grew stronger among the market players.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average tumbled 295.88 points, or 2.21 per cent, to 13,080.93.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also fell 31.67 points, or 2.43 per cent, to 1,271.95.