1.   Operating profits -- what banks earn from everyday business before loan disposals, stock losses and taxes -- fell as corporate lending sagged and bond-trading revenue declined.

2.   Operating profits -- what banks earn from everyday business before loan disposals, stock losses and taxes -- fell because corporate lending was sluggish and the bond market slumped.

3.   Operating profits -- what banks earn from everyday business before loan disposals, stock losses and taxes -- fell because corporate lending was sluggish and bond trading revenue declined.

4.   Authorities urged the banks to come up with more accurate figures, while pushing them to accelerate bad loan disposal.

5.   Takenaka stressed that tackling deflation must include bad loan disposals.

6.   Analysts warned Japan must further speed up bad loan disposals, underlining the strong need for an injection of public funds into weaker banks.

7.   But analysts warned Japan must speed up its bad loan disposal further and they said an injection of public funds into ailing banks was necessary.

8.   Dealers said details of the probe, due to be released on Friday, raised hopes of increasing bad loan disposals.

9.   Meanwhile Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told Financial Services Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa to keep taking measures to accelerate bad loan disposals by banks.

10.   The government is expected to unveil this month an anti-deflation package centering on banking bad loan disposals and ways to stabilize the financial system.