Apple tablet computer rumour sends shares up

Apple shares have jumped another 1% as speculation grows that it will launch a new touch-screen computer.

Over the past two weeks the iPhone manufacturer's share price has been pushed up steadily by the rumours.

Apple has booked San Francisco's Yerba Buena Centre on 26 January for a "major product announcement" without giving any further details.

The company has previously used January launches to unveil products including the iPhone and the MacBook Air.

The venue is the same used by Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs when he made his return earlier this year following a liver transplant.

Touch-screen rumours

Blogs and analysts have fuelled rumours that Apple will launch a new touch-screen "tablet" computer - resembling a larger version of the iPhone and variously dubbed the iSlate or the iTablet.

The rumours have already helped Apple shares rise by more than 11% since early December.

But the company's share price has dropped in recent days, amid a continued patent dispute with mobile phone maker Nokia.

Nokia claims that most of Apple's products - from the iPod to the iPhone - make use of its patent-protected technologies.

Japan Airlines shares fall 24% to hit a new record low

Japan Airlines shares touched a record low for the second day running, falling 24% from Tuesday's price to 67 yen.

The drop followed more reports that the carrier would file for bankruptcy as part of a revival plan.

Last week, Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said the state would not give the airline any more loans.

Japan Airlines has rival offers from American Airlines and Delta to buy a stake in the firm. A bankruptcy filing would make a deal more complicated.

The Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp - a state-backed fund - was asked in October to help out the debt-laden Japan Airlines.

A decision is due in January.

Japan Airlines is less efficient than its rival All Nippon Airways and is struggling with 1.5 trillion yen of debt ($16bn; £10bn). It has been bailed out by the government four times since 2001.

It has made a loss in four of the past five years.