Tokyo  - The Japanese government plans to draw up a supplementary budget for fiscal year 2009 with an economic stimulus package of more than 10 trillion yen (100 billion dollars), Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said Monday.

During a meeting with Yosano, Prime Minister Taro Aso ordered him to draft a fresh stimulus plan amounting to more than 2 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product, Jiji Press quoted the finance minister as saying.

The government was expected to finalize the largest-ever spending package in detail on Friday.

Tokyo  - Japan has gained support from its allies in trying to get a new resolution passed in the United Nations Security Council in response to North Korea's weekend rocket launch but still faces differences with China and Russia, Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said Monday.

"The various countries share the common concern that North Korea's action has a grave impact on the region's stability and security," Kyodo News Agency quoted Nakasone as saying.

Tokyo - Imported vehicle sales in the past fiscal year plunged 24.8 per cent from the year before to 199,115 units, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said Monday.

Sales of vehicles made by foreign manufacturers dropped 22.2 per cent in the year that ended March 31 to 176,723 units while those produced abroad by Japanese makers nosedived 40.3 per cent to 22,392 units.

Volkswagen sold 40,661 units for the year, ranking at the top with a market share of 20.42 per cent, but its sales fell
21.2 per cent year-on-year.

Tokyo  - The Tokyo market opened higher Monday as investors bought mostly export-oriented issues on a weaker yen, despite a rocket launched by North Korea the previous day.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average index advanced 200.1 points, or 2.29 per cent, to 8,949.94.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was up 12.49 points, or 1.5 per cent, to 843.85.

Washington

Tokyo - North Korea has not gone ahead with a planned rocket launch yet, the Japanese government said Saturday, correcting earlier reports of a launch.

Initial information about a launch had proved erroneous, Japan's NHK television said, quoting government sources.

Japan retracted the warning about five minutes after it initially sent out the news at 12:30 (0330 GMT).

North Korea has completed preparations for what it calls a communications satellite to be launched "soon," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said.