Tokyo - The Japanese central bank Tuesday decided on emergency measures to support Japanese companies hit by the global financial crisis.

The central bank's eight-member Policy Board agreed in an extraordinary session on a set of policies aimed at encouraging banks to offer loans to companies facing cash problems as a result of the crisis.

The board also decided to leave the short-term interest rate unchanged at 0.3 percent.

Taipei - Taiwan's National Palace Museum, which holds the world's largest collection of Chinese artifacts, plans to hold an exhibition in Britain and Japan, the museum said Tuesday.

"We are negotiating with the British Museum for an exchange of exhibitions - we hold an exhibition of Chinese treasures at the British Museum and they display their collection of Greek sculptures at the National Palace Museum," a museum press officer told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"The negotiation is still going on. We don't know when the exhibitions can be held, because even after we have reached agreement, we have to wait till both museums have the space to hold the exhibitions," she said, asking not to be named.

Tokyo  - Tokyo stocks ended trading lower on Monday, with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average losing 115.05 points, or 1.35 per cent, to close at 8397.22 points.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down by 7.35 points, or 0.88 per cent, at 827.47 points. Traders said markets were still hit by general concerns about the world economy.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 95.32-37 yen, up from Friday's 5 pm quote of 95.29-32.

MISHIMA, Japan, Dec. 1 -- Two Japanese researchers say it is "plausible and provocative" to associate the obesity epidemic with chemical triggers present in the modern environment.

Taisen Iguchi and Yoshinao Katsu of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan say the rise in obesity in humans over the past 40 years parallels the increased use of industrial chemicals during the same period.

The researchers note the chemical Tributyltin is used as a wood and textile preservative in paints for boats, as a pesticide on high-value food crops and many other applications.

Tokyo  - Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average opened lower in early trading Monday, amid continuing concern about the slowing world economy.

The Nikkei fell 166.44 points, or 1.95 per cent, to 8,345.83. The broader Topix index of all first-section issues lost 12.05 points, or 1.44 per cent, to 822.77. dpa ln ffxnc006 vv iq sn 010800 ecs tra 000

World-Economy/UN/ ROUNDUP: UN: Deep 2009 recession in developed nations if stimuli fail Eds: Embargo expired =

New York (dpa) - United Nations economists warned Monday that the world economy will enter a deep recession if numerous stimulus packages being worked out by individual countries fail to improve the credit crunch and restore consumer confidence in the coming months.