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North Korea has threatened to attack South Korea if it joins a new round of tightened UN sanctions against Pyongyang, a day after the US expanded existing sanctions and denounced the communist state's decision to conduct nuclear testing. In a third straight day of fiery rhetoric against regional powers, the North directed its verbal onslaught at its neighbour on Friday, saying: "Sanctions amount to a declaration of war against us." "If the South Korean puppet regime of traitors directly participates in the so-called UN 'sanctions', strong physical counter-measures would be taken," the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, said. The warning, carried by...

In a third day of fiery rhetoric the North Korean regime today threatened its neighbour South Korea with war if Seoul joined a new round of tightened UN sanctions. The reclusive North Korean regime's statements have been increasingly uncompromising over the last three days culminating today in an announcement that: "Sanctions' mean a war...

By MITSURU OBE And ALEXANDER MARTIN TOKYO—Japan rejected growing international criticism that it is easing its monetary policy to drive down the yen, with Tokyo's finance minister on Friday characterizing concerns expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel as "misplaced." Despite growing claims that Tokyo is resorting to a beggar-thy-neighbor policy of weakening its currency to give its exports a competitive edge, Japanese officials continue to stand by their position that the yen's...

Zulkarnaen "Choel" Mallarangeng, the younger brother of graft suspect and former youth and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng, was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday as a...

, Jakarta: Indonesia's Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro officially received a new warship, the Beladau. The Quick Missiles Ship 40...

* Euro strength versus the dollar lends support to gold * Bank of Japan reaffirms aggressive monetary policy * Coming up: ECB loan repayments statement 1100 GMT (Updates throughout; changes dateline from SINGAPORE) By Clara Denina LONDON, January 25 (Reuters) - Gold bounced from a near two-week trough on Friday, underpinned by a stronger euro ahead of the ECB loan repayments statement and the reaffirmation of Bank of Japan's commitment to aggressive monetary easing. The euro hit an 11-month high versus the dollar as markets awaited to know how much banks will repay of the one trillion euros in European Central Bank crisis funds that have been keeping them afloat. A weaker dollar is...

BEIJING — China’s fight against the rampant problem of corruption has long lacked a tool that many believe could help shine a light on graft: a requirement from the central government that officials publicly disclose their assets. In the past, authorities tried such policies at the local level, but there has not been a top-down approach to give the public more information about officials’ assets. That, however, could be changing. China's Communist Party has publicly acknowledged its fight against corruption is a life or death struggle, and in the coming weeks several new - albeit small scale - asset disclosure programs are expected to be initiated, one in the eastern city of...

LONDON (Reuters) - A fall in national output in the fourth quarter shows Britain faces real problems, including...