N. Korea Launches Rocket

UN fails to agree on punishment for rocket launch

(NEWSER) - Japan is punishing North Korea for its recent rocket launch with renewed and tightened sanctions, the BBC reports. Japan has lowered the cap on monetary transmissions to reduce the flow of money into the country. A ban on imports from North Korea remains in place, but a total ban on exports to North Korea failed to pass. More»

(AP) - North Korea said preparations to launch a satellite were complete and liftoff was imminent, as US, Japanese, and South Korean warships with radar plied waters near the communist nation to monitor what they fear is a long-range missile test. Spy satellites trained high-resolution cameras on a coastal launch pad for a launch the North earlier advised would take place sometime between Saturday and Wednesday. More»

Navy moves ships in as Tokoy says it will shoot down debris

(NEWSER) - The Japanese government ordered its military to fire on a North Korean rocket if any part of it falls into Japanese airspace, reports Reuters. North Korea has said it will launch a communications satellite but is presumed to be testing a long-range missile, which is currently on a launch pad. North Korea has warned that any attempt to shoot down the rocket itself would be an act of war. More»

And bad ones at that...

(NEWSER) - If the missiles North Korea triumphantly unveiled at a parade last week are the ones that are supposed to defeat the US in a "single blow," then Washington has nothing to worry about. The missiles, which were saved for the end of the parade and trotted out on the biggest launch vehicles ever seen in North Korea, aren't just fakes, they're really bad fakes, a jumble of components that couldn't possibly fly together, experts tell the AP . More»

Agni-V test leaves China unruffled

(NEWSER) - India's test launch of a missile capable of striking major Chinese cities went smoothly this morning, and Indian officials say the country has now emerged as a major missile power. The nuclear-capable Agni-V missile, with a 3,100-mile range, will be added to India's arsenal after more tests over the next couple of years, providing the country with what one official calls "much-needed dissuasive deterrence against China," the BBC reports. "The nation stands tall today," declared India's defense minister. More»