Tokyo - A former executive of a Japanese construction consultancy company was arrested on suspicion of bribing a Vietnamese official with about 300 million yen (2.78 million dollars), media reports

Tokyo - The Japanese government plans to file a protest with China if a report about police brutality against two Japanese journalists was confirmed, media reports said Tuesday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Japan would "protest strongly" if the attack against the journalists was verified.

A Japanese reporter from the Nippon Television Network Corp and a photographer from the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper were detained and beaten by paramilitary police late Monday as they were covering an attack on police by two Uighur men in Xinjiang in north-western China that left 16 officers dead, the two news organizations said.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened modestly higher Tuesday as investors bought export-oriented issues on the US dollar's advance against the yen.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 34.85 points, or 0.27 per cent, to 12,968.03.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was slightly up 0.84 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 1,249.09.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 108.18-23 yen, up from Monday's 5 pm quote of 107.79-80 yen. A weaker yen makes Japanese products cheaper abroad.

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