Kabul- A Japanese aid worker along with his Afghan driver were kidnapped in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar on Tuesday morning, police said.

"The two men's vehicle was stopped by a group of unknown gunmen in Badyalai village in Khewa district," a police official who did not want to be named, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"The Japanese aid worker and his driver were dragged out of their vehicle and were taken to an unknown location," the source said.

Tokyo- More than 20,000 truck drivers and some 2,300 trucks took to the streets across Japan Tuesday to demand countermeasures to survive high fuel prices.

The Japan Trucking Association, which represents about 51,000 trucking companies, demanded the government introduce tax cuts on diesel oil and fuel surcharge system as well as reduction of freeway toll fees.

The nation's trucking industry, which is made up of small-to- medium-size firms, is threatened unless appropriate measures are taken, the association said in a statement.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower Tuesday after the US market fell overnight.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 169.14 points, or 1.31 per cent, to 12,709.52.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 21.21 points, or 1.71 per cent, at 1,218.04.

The Tokyo players sold issues mainly in consumer finance, retail and the banking sector.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 109.30-35 yen, down from Monday's 5 pm quote of 109.96-97 yen.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened higher Monday on Wall Street rises before the weekend and the US dollar's advance against the yen.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average increased 232.98 points, or 1.84 per cent, to 12,899.02.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 23.77 points, or 1.95 per cent, at 1,240.19.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 109.91-96 yen, up from Friday's 5 pm quote of 109.10-11 yen. A stronger dollar makes Japanese products cheaper overseas.

Tokyo - A wooden hall within Kyoto's l

London, Aug. 22 : China has become Japan’s top export destination, overtaking the US for the first time last month, reports the Financial Times.

Exports to China, which have risen in each of the last 38 months, expanded by 16.8 per cent in July to their highest level since the Japanese government began compiling statistics in 1950. At the same time, exports to the US declined by 11.5 per cent, marking the 11th consecutive monthly drop.

Overall, shipments rose by 8.1 per cent by value, after falling in June for the first time since 2003, the finance ministry said.