KYODO News (Business/General)

Kyodo News (All Headlines)

• Stocks open higher after Wall St. gains
  Tokyo stocks opened higher Monday, aided by Friday's sharp rise on Wall Street. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 72.57 points, or 0.80 percent, from Friday to 9,186.70. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 5.34 points, or 0.65 percent, to 829.04. The Second Section edged higher.
  
  
• Dead body found in sack in Kumamoto Prefecture
  A dead body was found Sunday evening in a sack on the grounds of a house in Tamana, Kumamoto Prefecture, the police said Monday. The partially decomposed body appears to be that of a man who died about a month ago, they said.
  
  
• Dollar trades at lower 84 yen range in early Tokyo deals
  The U.S. dollar traded at the lower 84 yen zone early Monday in Tokyo, little changed from its level in New York late Friday. At 9 a.m., the dollar fetched 84.41-51 yen against 84.38-48 yen in New York and 84.29-30 in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Friday.
  
  
• Kan still ahead of Ozawa as public's preferred premier: polls
  Prime Minister Naoto Kan retained his overwhelming lead over his challenger Ichiro Ozawa as the public's preferred choice for the nation's leader in opinion polls carried Monday by two major Japanese newspapers. Kan won 65 percent support against Ozawa's 17 percent in the Asahi Shimbun's nationwide telephone survey conducted over the weekend, and 66 percent against his rival's 18 percent in the Yomiuri Shimbun's from Friday to Sunday.
  
  
• Freed Japanese journalist says his kidnappers not Taliban
  A Japanese freelance journalist who was released Saturday after going missing in late March denied late Sunday that his kidnappers were Taliban insurgents as identified by Afghan security authorities. Reporting his arrival at Dubai airport on his way back to Tokyo, where he says he is slated to arrive Monday night via Kansai airport in western Japan, Kosuke Tsuneoka, 41, said on his Twitter account the abductors are ''a group of corrupt armed factions'' in northeastern Afghanistan.
  
  
• Japanese morning newspaper headlines
  The following are the headlines of top stories carried by major Japanese newspapers in their Monday morning editions: -- Poll shows 64-65% of general public find Kan ideal for DPJ leader (Asahi, Yomiuri)
  
  
• Prince Hisahito celebrates 4th birthday
  Prince Hisahito, the only son of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, turned 4 years old Monday. Prince Hisahito, the third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after Crown Prince Naruhito, Emperor Akihito's eldest son, and Prince Akishino, the emperor's second son, is attending the kindergarten affiliated with Ochanomizu University in Tokyo.
  
  
• Baseball: Wada goes deep, Nakata deals as Dragons sweep Giants
  Kazuhiro Wada hit a two-run homer and Kenichi Nakata threw eight impressive innings in a 3-1 victory as the Chunichi Dragons swept the Yomiuri Giants in three games on Sunday. The second-place Dragons won their sixth in a row and remained a half game behind the Hanshin Tigers in the Central League heading into a three-game set against Hanshin getting under way Tuesday.
  
  
• Motorcycling: Moto2 Tomizawa dies in crash: Reuters
  Moto2 rider Shoya Tomizawa has died from a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in Misano, Italy, Reuters reported citing Mediaset television Sunday. Officials from the 19-year-old Tomizawa's team, Suter, have yet to comment. ==Kyodo
  
  
• Soccer: Gamba start three-peat campaign with 6-goal burst
  Emperor's Cup holders Gamba Osaka set off on their quest for an unprecedented third consecutive title with a 6-2 second-round victory over Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences on Sunday evening. Forward Cho Jae Jin scored twice during Gamba's five-goal explosion in the second half at the Expo Stadium as Akira Nishino's side set up a third-round date with Tochigi SC of the J-League second division next month.
  
  

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