1.   In January, finance ministry officials revealed plans to sell yen bonds, managed by Nikko Europe.

2.   Japanese finance ministry officials reportedly favor keeping noneconomic issues out of the discussions.

3.   But new Premier Yu Shyi-kun would not discuss the WTO position or the candidates for the economic and finance ministries.

4.   Finance ministry director-general Zenbei Mizoguchi said earlier he was unconcerned over a recent fall back in the value of the yen against the dollar.

5.   Irregularities in tax and revenue collection by finance ministry and the treasury has raised serious concern among donor countries.

6.   The programme still has to be approved by the Russian central bank and finance ministry.

7.   Japanese finance ministry officials were quoted as saying that the agreement followed a Japanese compromise on major outstanding issues.

8.   Japan and the United States are to resume talks here later this month in an attempt to resolve their insurance dispute, the Japanese finance ministry said Friday.

9.   Japan and the United States are to resume talks here later this month in an attempt to resolve an insurance dispute, the Japanese finance ministry said Friday.

10.   Japanese and US negotiators resumed insurance talks here Wednesday in an effort to bridge the gap between the two countries over their bilateral dispute, finance ministry officials said.