Asian authorities stepped up the fight to curb their strong currencies Friday. Singapore intervened in the foreign-exchange market for the first time in months and Korea resumed its intervention after a two-week break, while Japan has signaled it is weighing entering the market for the first time in six years. The Bank of Japan is set to take center stage in the coming week as it looks at revised GDP and machinery orders in order to determine how to address the rising yen. MarketWatch's Chris Oliver reports. Week Ahead Video: Bank of Japan to Weigh Data The Monetary Authority of Singapore sold the Singapore dollar after it hit an all-time high, "to smooth the U.S. dollar's fall," said a person familiar with the central bank's thinking. The Bank of Korea sold won for dollars, traders said, though the greenback remained weaker on the day. In Japan, people familiar with the matter have said the government is more determined than ever to act against any unusually rapid yen rise—but would find it hard to intervene if the gains are gradual.[Read more...]