Tokyo falls towards 8,000 at start
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Markets are eyeing Iraq
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TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Japan's Nikkei average fell towards the key 8,000 mark at the opening as speculation that war in Iraq was imminent, with selling by banks and insurers weighing on blue chips.
As of 0010 GMT on Monday, the Nikkei average was down 0.74 percent at 8,083.74, after crashing to a two-decade closing low of 8,144.12 on Friday.
The broader TOPIX index lost 0.74 percent to 790.24.
Nomura Holdings Inc, Japan's top brokerage, was down 2.84 percent at 1,268, leading a 2.69 percent fall in the brokerage sector subindex ISECU.
The sector was rattled on Friday by news that the Japanese securities regulator was seeking a penalty against major market player Nikko Salomon Smith Barney -- owned by Citigroup and Nikko Cordial Corp -- for stock manipulation.
Nikko Cordial was ask-only at 363 yen, 2.68 percent down on Friday's close of 373 yen.
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