TOKYO: The Bank of Japan on Friday ramped up its vast monetary easing programme following a string of poor data that has fanned fears the economy may contract again in the third quarter.

After a one-day meeting, policymakers said they would add up to 20 trillion yen ($182 billion) to the central bank's current asset-buying scheme, bringing it to 80 trillion yen annually.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2014