Recommend this article  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union
governments agreed on Monday to tighten sanctions against North
Korea, restricting the country's ability to trade following last
week's nuclear test.  The sanctions expand those approved by the
U.N. Security Council in January, adding measures preventing
trading in North Korean government bonds, gold, precious metals,
and diamonds, EU diplomats said.   The new sanctions ban
components that could be used in ballistic missiles such as
"certain types of aluminum used in ballistic missile-related
systems".  North Korea was widely condemned last week after its
third nuclear test since 2006, defying United Nations
resolutions and putting the country closer to a workable long-
range nuclear missile.  North Korean banks will also barred from
opening new branches in the European Union and European banks
would not be able to open new branches in the northeast Asian
state. Diplomats could not say if North Korean banks had any
branches in the EU.  (Reporting by E