Tokyo - Japan's core consumer price index (CPI) rose in September from a year before due to rising oil and food prices, and the nation's average household spending declined as people spent less on food, the government data showed Friday.

The nation's core CPI, excluding fresh food prices, rose 2.3 per cent in September, compared to a year before, as energy prices grew 14.7 per cent and non-perishable food prices rose 4.2 per cent, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks lost some of their recent gains Friday as investors tried to lock in profits.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average, which gained nearly 10 per cent the previous day, lost 245.64 points, or 2.72 per cent, to 8,784.12.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 15.49 points, or 1.72 per cent, at 883.88.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 98.77-82 yen, up from Thursday's 5 pm quote of 98.74-76 yen.

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday announced a new economic stimulus package worth about 26.9 trillion yen (276.33 billion dollars) to battle the impact of the global financial crisis, as speculation over an interest rate cut by the Bank of Japan mounted.

"The most important thing is to allay concerns about people's livelihoods," Aso said at a press conference.

Tokyo - More than 1,000 Japanese signed an online petition to legalize marriage between humans and comic-book characters launched by a man who wants to marry a girl from a poplar Japanese manga comic series.

Taichi Takashita said he wanted to collect more than 1 million signatures to present to the government to legalize marriage to two-dimensional characters.

As soon as the law was passed, he plans to marry long-legged manga character Mikuru Asahina.

Tokyo - Markets across the Asia-Pacific on Thursday saw the roller-coaster ride they have been taking in recent weeks make an upward surge with key markets jumping more than 10 per cent on news of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average ended trading up nearly 10 per cent after the US central bank's rate cut as well as boosted profit prospects for Japan's exporters as the yen weakened against the dollar.

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday announced a new economic stimulus package worth about 26.9 trillion yen (276.33 billion dollars) to battle the impact of the global financial crisis.

"The most important thing is to allay concerns about people's livelihoods," Aso said at a press conference.

The government stimulus package, the second since August, includes 2 trillion yen in financial assistance for all households to jump-start consumption and up to 6 million yen in tax breaks for housing loans for 10 years.