Tokyo - North Korea has not gone ahead with a planned rocket launch yet, the Japanese government said Saturday, correcting earlier reports of a launch.

Initial information about a launch had proved erroneous, Japan's NHK television said, quoting government sources.

Japan retracted the warning about five minutes after it initially sent out the news at 12:30 (0330 GMT).

North Korea has completed preparations for what it calls a communications satellite to be launched "soon," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said.

Tokyo  - Tokyo stocks extended the week's positive trend Friday as hopes for a global recovery rose after the London Group of 20 summit of influential world leaders.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average index was up 49.94 points, or 0.57 per cent, to 8,769.72 by mid-trading.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also rose 7.29 points, or 0.88 per cent, to 833.98.

Investors were encouraged by the reassurances of the G20 leaders to pull out all stops to kick-start the slowing global economy.

Berlin - Dignitaries gathered Thursday evening in Berlin for the formal handover of a valuable collection of traditional Japanese art to the German capital's Museum of Asian Art.

Berlin-born collector Klaus F Naumann, who lives in Tokyo, has agreed to donate 100 paintings and ceramic art items dating from the 6th to the 19th centuries to the museum, which has been exhibiting them as loans since 2000.

In addition, he is selling the museum 55 East Asian lacquerware items from his collection.

Tokyo  - Stocks across the Asia-Pacific surged Thursday after Wall Street saw strong overnight gains on better-than-expected data from the US housing, manufacturing and auto sectors, suggesting the global recession could be moderating.

In Japan, the region's largest economy, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average jumped 4.4 per cent to close at 8,719.78 while the broader Topix index of all first-section issues advanced 4.14 per cent to 826.69.

Tokyo  - Japan may extend economic sanctions against North Korea past their April 13 deadline if Pyongyang goes ahead with a planned rocket launch, a top government spokesman said Thursday.

Japan "aims to reinforce its stance in seeking progress in dialogue [with North Korea]" by extending sanctions for another year, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said at a press conference.

The Stalinist state has been preparing to launch a communications satellite between April 4 - 8, which is widely believed to be a cover for a long-range ballistic missile test.

Tokyo  - Tokyo stocks extended its gains Thursday with key indices rising more than 3 per cent on optimistic US economic data.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average index surged 251.58 points, or 3.01 per cent, to 8,603.49.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also rose 25.7 points, or 3.24 per cent, to 819.52.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar traded at 98.50-55 yen, down from Wednesday's 5 pm quote of 98.60-63 yen.