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.

TOKYO, Nov. 28  -- Japan, saying the Iraqi situation is improving, announced Friday it will end its military airlift mission in Iraq by year's end.

"The situation in Iraq is improving and Iraq has become able to reconstruct itself on its own by the Iraqi people under a democratic government,'' Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters.

He said Japan's air self-defense force mission had helped in improving the Iraqi situation, Kyodo news service reported. The mission began about five years ago to help in the reconstruction of the war-torn country, the news agency said.

CNN reported the announcement is part of an effort to withdraw Japan's 210 military personnel.

Tokyo  - Tokyo stocks ended Friday trading higher as investors remained positive about the outlook of a series of economic measures across the world.

Tokyo - Japan's industrial output dropped in October because of slow overseas demand for cars and high-tech devices amid the global financial turmoil as consumer prices rose for the 13th-consecutive month, leading Japanese to cut spending, government reports said Friday.

Tokyo  - Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose in a morning of mixed trading Friday, but its gains were capped by a gloomy economic outlook.

The Nikkei rose 47.7 points, or 0.57 per cent, to 8,421.09, but the broader Topix index of all first-section issues dipped 0.21 points, or 0.03 per cent, to 828.82.

Increases were limited after Japan's home electronics company Panasonic Corp slashed its earnings projections for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31.

Tokyo - Panasonic Corp on Thursday cut its earnings forecast for the current fiscal year on the yen's rise and a slowdown in consumption.