Tokyo - Toshiba Corp on Thursday revised downward its earnings forecast for the full business year that ends in March to post its first net loss in seven years as the global recession slowed demand for semiconductors and liquid crystal displays for televisions.
The Japanese home electronics company expected a net loss of 280 billion yen (3.13 billion dollars) for the full year after earlier forecasting a net profit of 70 billion yen in September.
Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed with US President Barack Obama in a telephone conversation on Thursday to join hands in working for recovery from the global financial crisis, a Japanese media report said.
The two leaders agreed to hold a bilateral summit meeting at an early date, while Japan hopes to realize the talks before a financial summit in London in April and send Aso to the United States.
Tokyo - Japan on Thursday executed four convicted murderers, the Justice Ministry announced, a decision expected to draw renewed protests from pressure groups.
Japan is one of the very few industrialized countries upholding capital punishment. The world's second largest economy after the United States faces regular international condemnation from human rights organizations like Amnesty International over prison conditions and its continued adherence to capital punishment.
Tokyo - Tokyo stocks ended Thursday morning trading up, following positive signals from Wall Street and the yen's weakening against the dollar.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average was up 134.28 points, or 1.66 per cent, to 8,240.57 at mid-trading, while the broader Topix index of all first section issues also rose 12.51 points, or 1.56 per cent, to 816.84.
On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 90.27-37 yen, down from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 89.15-18 yen.
Tokyo - Canon Inc on Wednesday reported a 91-per-cent decline in its net profit in the fourth quarter while it also forecast its lowest earnings in 10 years for 2009 because of the strength of the yen and price declines.
The world's largest camera maker said it expected its earnings for the current year to fall 68.3 per cent from last year to 98 billion yen
(1.1 billion dollars).
Operating profit would drop 67.7 per cent to 160 billion yen while sales would sink 14.5 per cent to 3.5 trillion yen, the Tokyo-based electronics company said.
Tokyo - Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc, Japan's third-largest bank, on Wednesday reported a 74-per-cent decline in profits for the first nine months of the fiscal year.
Net profit for April through December dropped to 83.4 billion yen (934 million dollars) after 319.5 billion yen in the same period last year.
Responsible for the slump were a radical rise in credit costs as well as losses generated by dropping stock values, the company said.
Operating profit dropped from 3.2 trillion yen to 2.8 trillion yen year-on-year.
Tokyo - Toshiba Corp on Thursday revised downward its earnings forecast for the full business year that ends in March to post its first net loss in seven years as the global recession slowed demand for semiconductors and liquid crystal displays for televisions.
Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed with US President Barack Obama in a telephone conversation on Thursday to join hands in working for recovery from the global financial crisis, a Japanese media report said.
Tokyo - Japan on Thursday executed four convicted murderers, the Justice Ministry announced, a decision expected to draw renewed protests from pressure groups.
Tokyo - Tokyo stocks ended Thursday morning trading up, following positive signals from Wall Street and the yen's weakening against the dollar.
Tokyo - Canon Inc on Wednesday reported a 91-per-cent decline in its net profit in the fourth quarter while it also forecast its lowest earnings in 10 years for 2009 because of the strength of the yen and price declines.
Tokyo - Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc, Japan's third-largest bank, on Wednesday reported a 74-per-cent decline in profits for the first nine months of the fiscal year.
