North Korea launches "satellite," sparks fears about long-range missile program

In defiance of international warnings, North Korea launched a long-range rocket Sunday morning, a move widely seen as a test for a missile capable of striking the mainland United States. The move was expected — Pyongyang had given warnings to maritime and airspace authorities, and analysts had detected movement at its launch site — but coming just a month after a nuclear test, it nevertheless showed Kim Jong Un’s continued willingness to defy the international community. The United States immediately condemned the launch, and the United Nations Security Council called an emergency meeting for later Sunday to discuss North Korea’s latest provocation.