Tokyo  - Stocks closed lower Tuesday in Tokyo as overnight losses on Wall Street spurred concerns over a world recession.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 194.17 points, or 2.28 per cent, to close at 8,328.41.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 15.05 points, or 1.77 per cent, to 835.44.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 96.68-73 yen, down from Monday's 5 pm quote of 97.10-12 yen.

Tokyo  - A House of Councillors panel on Tuesday postponed deliberations on a bill to extend a counterterrorism refuelling mission that Japan is conducting in the Indian Ocean as the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) boycotted a vote.

Because deliberations on other bills were also postponed, the parliamentary session might be prolonged past November 30, when it was scheduled to adjourn.

Tokyo - Stocks opened lower Tuesday in Tokyo as overnight losses on Wall Street spurred concerns over the world recession.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 82.17 points, or 0.96 per cent, to 8,440.41.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 2.23 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 848.26.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 96.42-47 yen, down from Monday's 5 pm quote of 97.10-12 yen.

Tokyo - Suzuki Motor Corp has agreed to buy back its 3.02-per-cent stake from the US auto giant General Motors Corp (GM), the Japanese automaker said Monday.

Suzuki was expected to buy back 16.41 million shares, which are worth 22.37 billion yen (230.7 million dollars), from GM unit Controladora General Motors SA de CV through non-cross trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange during morning trading Tuesday.

The purchase will be made at 1,363 yen per share, the company said.

The two automakers would continue joint projects such as development of hybrid cars, fuel cells and power trains.

Tokyo - Japan's economy shrank at an annualized rate of 0.4 per cent in real terms in the July-September period, the government said Monday.

The gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.1 per cent during the three months from the previous quarter, marking the second quarterly drop, the Cabinet Office said.

Looking at the GDP for the July-September quarter, Japanese Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano said Monday that the nation's economy is in a recession, which means that it shrank two quarters in a row.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks ended modestly higher Monday as investors bought back battered shares, but gains were capped due to anxiety over the slowdown of Japan's economic growth.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average inched up 60.19 points, or 0.71 per cent, to close at 8,522.58.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 3.58 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 850.49.

The government announced Monday that the nation's economy shrank at an annualized rate of 0.4 per cent in real terms in the July-September period.