Tokyo

Nikkei falls to a four-year low, Topix tumbles below 1,000 points

Tokyo  - Nikkei falls to a four-year low, Topix tumbles below 1,000 points Japan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell to a four-year low Monday on worries about the financial crisis, despite US Congressional approval of a Wall Street bail-out.

The benchmark Nikkei index was trading midday (4:43 GMT) at 10,434.17, down 503.97 points, or 4.60 per cent.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues fell below the psychological marker of 1,000 points for the first time since December 2003.

Nikkei falls to a four-year low

Tokyo  - Nikkei falls to a four-year lowJapan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell to a four-year low Monday on worries about the financial crisis, despite US Congressional approval of a Wall Street bail-out.

The benchmark Nikkei index ended the morning trading at 10,544.33, down 393.81 points, or 3.60 per cent.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also fell 42.44 points, or 4.05 per cent, to 1,005.53.

It is the first trading day in Tokyo since the US Lower House approved Friday, after tough negotiations, the 700-billion-dollar rescue package for the financial sector.

Sweets tainted with melamine found in Japan

Sweets tainted with melamine found in Japan Tokyo  - Chemical tests in Japan have confirmed that a Chinese-produced chocolate containing the chemical melamine was imported into Japan, local media reported Sunday, adding that the government in the city of Osaka has called on the importer NS International to recall the sweets from markets.

According to the reports, shopowners throughout Japan had already removed the product "Chocolate Pillows" from their shelves. NS International since January had imported around 798,000 packages of the sweet, which was produced in Shanghai, China.

Japan's Supreme Court rules homeless man can't use park as address

Tokyo  - Japan's Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal by a homeless man and ruled that he cannot register a public park as his address.

A homeless man who lives in a tent at a park in western Japanese city of Osaka had appealed the January 2007 ruling of Osaka High Court that rejected his claim to register a park as his home address.

The high court overturned the district court's decision and refused to recognize the park usable as a personal address "based upon sound social norms," Kyodo News Agency reports said.

Yuji Yamauchi, 58, has lived in the park since 1998 and tried to convince the local government that the city-managed space was his personal address. But the city refused to accept it.

Nikkei falls below 11,000 level after Wall Street plunges

Nikkei falls below 11,000 level after Wall Street plungesTokyo - Japan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell below the 11,000-point-mark Friday hitting the lowest since May 2005 following overnight plunges on the Wall Street.

The benchmark Nikkei index ended the morning trading at 10,996.98, down 157.78 points, or 1.41 per cent.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also fell 25.09 points, or 2.33 per cent, to 1,051.88.

Japan markets fall on uncertainty over US bail-out package

Japan markets fall on uncertainty over US bail-out packageTokyo - Japanese stocks fell Thursday as investors sold mainly export-oriented issues while uncertainties spread over the US government's bail-out package that passed the Senate earlier in the day.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average sank 213.5 points, or 1.88 per cent, to close at 11,154.76.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also sagged 24.16 points, or 2.19 per cent, to 1,076.97.

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