Tokyo  - Japan markets opened stronger on Monday, with stocks driven up by hope for the US economy to recover as president-elect Barack Obama Saturday pledged a large-scale spending plan.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average was up 203.2 points, or 2.57 per cent, to 8,120.71 by mid-trading, carrying over Friday's positive sentiment at Wall Street.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues rose 11.34 points, or 1.44 per cent to 797.36.

Tokyo  - Japan's current-account surplus fell in October by 56.5 per cent from the same month of 2007 to 960.5 billion yen (10.4 billion dollars), the Finance Ministry said Monday in Tokyo.

It was the eighth consecutive month with a year-on-year drop.

Japan's goods and services trade surplus ran a deficit of 131.9 billion yen, against a year-before surplus of 853.5 billion yen, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

TOKYO, Dec. 5  -- The Honda Motor Co. Friday announced it has withdrawn its sponsorship on the Formula One auto racing circuit because of "widespread economic uncertainties."

Honda's chief executive officer, Takeo Fukui, said at a Tokyo news conference Friday the company -- the world's largest automaker -- experienced a 34 percent sales drop in November from last year, and that its F1 racing team is for sale.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks ended trading down Friday, as concerns over upcoming US employment data sniffed out modest gains made earlier that day as investors tried to snap up bargains.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed down 6.73 points, or 0.08 per cent, at 7,919.51.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues declined 2.86 points, or 0.36 per cent to 786.02.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 92.45-50 yen, down from Thursday's 5 pm quote of 92.79-80 yen.

Tokyo  - Japan's foreign reserves topped 1 trillion dollars in November for the first time in four months, buoyed by sharp gains in US Treasury bond prices, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

Japan held 1.002 trillion dollars in foreign reserves by the end of November, up 25.14 billion dollars from the previous month.

The country holds the most foreign reserves worldwide after China.

Tokyo  - Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Co considers disbanding its costly Formula One team as it battles sinking profits, news reports said Friday.

Honda representatives had informed its team, which is based in Britain, that it was to pull out of the expensive sport if no new sponsor was found, Japan's Jiji Press news agency said, also citing British news reports.

If there was no buyer by March, the team was to be sold, leaving current drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in limbo, the BBC reported.