Tokyo - The Tokyo market opened higher Friday, briefly sending the key Nikkei 225 Stock Average above 9,000 after an overnight surge on Wall Street. The Nikkei index was up 47.45 points, or 0.53 per cent, to 8,963.51 after peaking at 9,068.8 at during morning trading.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues gained 3.66 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 845.47.

Exporters were helped by a weaker yen, which boosts earnings of Japanese firms.

Tokyo  - Asian stocks bounced up Thursday as investors were cheered by news from Japan, where the government prepared to unveil a 154-billion-dollar economic stimulus package and its machinery orders unexpectedly rose.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average surged 3.74 per cent to 8,916.06, a day after falling 2.69 per cent on concerns over upcoming corporate earnings reports. Thursday's gains erased the Nikkei's losses for the year.

Japan's broader Topix index of all first-section issues also rose 3.26 per cent to 841.81.

Tokyo  - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday vowed create 1.4 to 2 million new jobs in the next three years to pull the domestic economy out of the worst recession in the postwar era.

Aso's long-term policy aims at increasing the nation's real gross domestic product (GDP) by 120 trillion yen (1.2 trillion dollars) and create 4 million new jobs by 2020.

Aso unveiled a plan to invest in low-carbon technology, expand nursing-care facilities and the workforce caring for the nation's ageing population, and improve medical services.

Tokyo - Japan's key machinery orders unexpectedly rose for the first time in five months in February, giving rise to hopes for a recovery in capital spending and an easing of the recession.

Machinery orders increased 1.4 per cent from January to 728.1 billion yen (7.28 billion dollars) on the back of an unexpected recovery in orders from the non-manufacturing sector, the government said.

The increase was better than the average market expectation for an 8.1-per-cent fall and caused stocks to rise.

Tokyo  - The Tokyo market bounced back Thursday after investors were cheered by better-than-expected machinery orders.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 158.38 points, or 1.84 per cent, in morning trading to 8,753.39.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 12.61 points, or 1.55 per cent, at 827.87.

The Tokyo indices plunged more than 2 per cent Wednesday on concerns about upcoming corporate earnings reports.

Amman - King Abdullah II of Jordan is to pay a working visit to Japan starting on Sunday, the royal court announced Wednesday.

During the visit, which is due to last for several days, the monarch will meet Emperor Akitio and hold talks with Prime Minister Taro Aso that focus on latest developments in the Middle East, particularly efforts under way to spur peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, a royal court statement said.

The discussions will also tackle means of boosting bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic spheres, it added.