Tokyo - Tokyo stocks plunged Wednesday as investors worried about the grim outlook for Japanese firms' earnings.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average tumbled 631.56 points, or 6.79 per cent, to end 8,674.69.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also lost 67.41 points, or 7.05 per cent, to 889.23.

Japan's automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp expected a 7.6-per-cent fall in sales in the year's first six months through September due to slowing demand in the United States and Europe, the company said.

The shares of major sugar companies witnessed a steep downfall on Bombay stock exchange on Monday trading. The shares of Bajaj Hindustan Ltd declined Rs 5.6 and closed at 53.50. The company is the biggest refiner by sale of the country. Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd. also saw share decline of 12% which is the lowest since December 2.

The shares downfall came after the decision of UP government to hike the cane prices in the state. UP government had hiked the state administered price (SAP) of sugarcane by Rs 15 per quintal for the new crushing season. UP is the largest sugar producing state of India and many leading cane companies are located in the state.

Washington, Oct. 22: A Military Times poll indicates landslide support for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

While McCain has captured 68 percent of the military vote, his Democratic rival Barack Obama has 23 percent.

The Military Times, which publishes the Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times, polled 80,000 subscribers from September 22 to September 29.

The non-scientific survey gathered 4,300 respondents -- all of them registered and eligible to vote.

The system abroad the IBEX, which was launched yesterday to study and click images of the edge of the solar system, is being remotely tested by the NASA engineers. It is indeed good news for everyone at NASA, that the computer onboard the spacecraft that was released from a Pegasus rocket on Sunday, is already up and functioning efficiently with its batteries fully charged.

Japanese drug major, Daiichi Sankyo has completely acquired 52.5 per cent equity stake in India's Ranbaxy Laboratories. The process is carried out through off-market and stock exchange transactions. Ranbaxy Laboratories is the largest pharmaceutical company of the country. It has become the subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo after acquisition of majority shares. The deal worth Rs 19,850 crore was initiated in June this year. It would enable Daiichi to use the generic expertise of Raanbaxy.

Washington, Oct. 22 : The Republican National Committee (RNC) is reported to have spent over 150,000 dollars sprucing up Sarah Palin''s appearance

According to a report by the web site Politico, the wardrobe makeover began in September and included bills from Sak''s Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York totaling nearly 50,000 dollars, a 75,000 dollar shopping trip at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis in September and 4,700 dollars spent on hair and makeup.