Tokyo  - Sony Corp's president is to resign in April as the company was forecasting a record loss in the current business year because of a surge in the yen's value and declining sales, it said Friday.

The Japanese electronics giant announced that Ryoji Chubachi would step down and chairman Howard Stringer would serve in both posts as the firm seeks to achieve a recovery in its core electronics business.

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Tokyo - Japan's industrial output underwent a record fall of 10 per cent in January amid shrinking export demand, and consumers cut spending as the recession in the world's second-largest economy worsened, the Japanese government reported Friday.

The 10-per-cent fall in industrial production in seasonally adjusted terms from December broke the previous record fall of 9.8 per cent recorded in December. It also was the fourth-straight monthly decline.

Tokyo  - Tokyo stocks ended Friday morning trading modestly higher on the continued strength of the US dollar against the yen.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average edged up 53.27 points, or 0.71 per cent, to 7,511.2.

The broader Topix index of all first section issues was also up 4.17 points, or 0.56 per cent, at 746.7.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar traded at 98.31-36 yen, up from Thursday's 5 pm quote of 97.92-95 yen. A lower yen makes Japanese goods cheaper overseas.

Tokyo  - The Tokyo market reversed its early gains to end Thursday's trading lower as economic worries outweighed optimism created by a weaker yen.

Tokyo players bought mainly export-oriented issues in morning trading as the yen's value dropped. Market sentiment was also boosted by a report the previous day about a government plan to use public funds to buy stocks to try to avoid further declines in share prices.

But investors returned to selling in the afternoon to lock in profits from gains in the morning and on Wednesday on lingering economic worries.

Tokyo  - The Tokyo market rose Thursday as investors bought export-oriented issues on a weaker yen.

Buying was also spurred by a report the previous day about a government plan to use public funds to buy stocks to avoid further declines in share prices.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average extended its gains from Wednesday, rising 99.09 points, or 1.33 per cent, in morning trading to 7,560.31.

The broader Topix index of all first section issues also rose for a second day, up 4.67 points, or 0.63 per cent, at 750.29.