Around the World's Markets: Tokyo

THE NIKKEI 225 share index touched a new high for the year at 17,958.34, in sympathy with the overnight rise on Wall Street. But profit- taking set in and the Nikkei plunged to close 1.42 per cent down on the day at 17,529.74.

The setback followed a rise in bond yields and continuing strength in the yen against the dollar, anticipating monetary tightening after the governor of the Bank of Japan had said the economy had clearly stopped shrinking.