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N-Korea defies world, fires missile
Why is N-Korea’s rocket launch so important?
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Stage one of missile fell into Sea of Japan: US
45 Afghans suffocated to death in container
24 Afghan kids found in Rome manhole
LTTE bastion captured
Pak enlists 16 temples for conservation
JuD chief moves Lahore HC
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N-Korea defies world, fires
missile
North Korea launched a long-range missile on Sunday defying international warnings and prompting a stern rebuke from US President Barack Obama who condemned the “provocative act”.
North Korea said the successful launch of the Taepodong-2 missile would help launch a satellite into space, while the United States and its allies worried that the missile could be used to target cities as far away as the Pacific coast of America. “North Korea’s development and proliferation of ballistic missile technology pose a threat to the northeast Asian region and to international peace and security,” Obama said. He described the launch as a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which prohibits North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind. “With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations,” Obama said. Japan did not try to intercept the rocket. It had earlier maintained that it would shoot down the rocket if it threatened its territory. Obama said his administration would consult with its allies in the region, including Japan and South Korea, and members of the UN Security Council to bring this matter before the Council. He urged North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the UN Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions. “Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a high priority for my administration,” he said. Obama insisted that the United States was fully committed to maintaining security and stability in northeast Asia and will continue working for the “verifiable denuclearisation” of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party Talks. Obama said: “North Korea has a pathway to acceptance in the international community, but it will not find that acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and abides by its international obligations and commitments.” He maintained that the Six-Party Talks, which include the US, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea and North Korea, provide the forum for achieving denuclearisation, reducing tensions, and for resolving other issues of concern between North Korea, its four neighbours, and the US.
Satellite fails to launch into orbit, claims US military
Washington: The US military today disputed North Korea’s claim that it had launched a satellite into space, saying “the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean.” “Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan," the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command said in their brief account of the North Korean rocket launch. "The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean," the commands said. "No object entered the orbit and no debris fell on Japan." The statement came after North Korea said its satellite was "rotating normally in its orbit" and transmitting "immortal revolutionary songs" in praise of the communist state's current and former leaders. —
AFP
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Why is N-Korea’s rocket launch so important?
North Korea launched a long-range rocket over Japan on Sunday, defying calls to scrap a plan that had caused international alarm and prompting swift condemnation from Asian powers and Washington. Here are some questions and answers about the rocket, which Pyongyang says is the centrepiece of a peaceful programme to put satellites in space.
Why is it conducting the launch? North Korea’s propaganda machine will portray a successful launch as a mighty symbol of Kim Jong-il’s leadership after a suspected stroke in August raised questions about his grip on power. Was it dangerous? Most experts do not think the launch pose any immediate threat to the region, other than the potential for pieces of the rocket to hit something or someone when it fell from the sky. In the long term, any sort of test increases the threat posed by North Korea because it brings it closer to building a missile that can hit US territory. Why did Pyongyang give the world notice of launch? This strengthens North Korea’s case that its motives were peaceful. North Korea contends that every country has the right to peaceful space exploration and that UN sanctions barring it from ballistic missile tests did not apply. Isn’t a missile test different from satellite launch? For the US, South Korea and Japan, there is no difference between the two because North Korea uses the same rocket - the Taepodong-2. The three countries see any test of this rocket as a violation of UN sanctions because the launch is to help the North improve its long-range missile technology. —
Reuters
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World reacts
United Nations
JAPAN CHINA
RUSSIA EUROPEAN UNION
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Ban regrets the launch
United Nations: Regretting North Korea’s rocket launch, UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon today said the move would be an obstacle in the resumption of diplomatic talks aimed at promoting regional peace and stability."Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability," Ban said in a statement. —
PTI
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Stage one of missile fell into Sea of Japan: US
Washington: The US military today disputed North Korea’s claim that it had launched a satellite into space, saying “the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean.” “Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan," the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command said in their brief account of the North Korean rocket launch. "The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean," the commands said. "No object entered the orbit and no debris fell on Japan." The statement came after North Korea said its satellite was "rotating normally in its orbit" and transmitting "immortal revolutionary songs" in praise of the communist state's current and former leaders. —
AFP
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45 Afghans suffocated to death in container
Pakistani authorities on Sunday handed over bodies of 45 Afghans, who were suffocated to death in a container in which Afghan labourers were being taken to Iran illegally. As many as 47 others who survived the travel from Kabul to Quetta are admitted in a hospital in Quetta. Afghan Consul General Dawood told reporters that arrangements were being made to transport the bodies to Kabul by a special plane or by road on Sunday night. Dawood said investigations had been ordered in Kabul against persons responsible for human traficking. He said his country was in a state of war and the container escaped border checking. The container was found about 20 km south of Quetta, abandoned by the driver and the conductor when they discovered the tragedy. The survivors said they had paid for the travel expenses and extra money was given to human traffickers for possible labour jobs in Iran. On the way, the air-conditioning system of the container tripped, which led to suffocation of the inmates, killing 45 of them. Most of the survivors were found in an unconscious state. “All those trapped in the containers were Afghans belonging to various provinces and looking for employment, “ Dawood told reporters. He thanked the Pakistani authorities for taking care of the dead and the wounded. Survivor Nizar Ahmed (15), told reporters there were two other teenagers who died. “I came from Paktia province,” he said adding that Iran was their destination where they were promised jobs. Police official Mohammad Zaman Karim said 110 persons were crammed into the trucking container, adding that the driver and his assistant apparently fled after suspecting that people inside the container had died. The locals and the police realised there were people inside when they heard sounds coming from within the container, the police said.
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24 Afghan kids found in Rome manhole
Rome, April 5 According to news reports, Officials believe the children, whose ages range from 10-15, travelled from Afghanistan unaccompanied by their
parents. It was not immediately clear when the children arrived in Italy, although it appears they may have spent some time in Turkey after leaving their homeland, officials said. The children shared their living space with over 90 adults at Rome’s Ostiense train station where many of the city’s homeless seek refuge. — DPA
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Another shootout in US, three cops killed
New York, April 5
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Colombo, April 5 Bodies of 420 rebels killed in intense clashes with advancing troops in the past three days have been recovered from the war zone, military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said. Important LTTE leaders killed in the clashes included Vidusha, Nagesh, Durga, Deepan and Patabi, Nanayakkara said, adding another senior rebel leader Banu was injured. Unconfirmed reports, meanwhile, said that the LTTE has taken hostage all civilians in the 20 square km-long 'No Fire Zone'. "The remaining LTTE cadres are now facing a total annihilation as the soldiers are engaged in a man-to-man combat against them," the military said. Defence sources, citing soldiers from the frontline, said there were dozens more bodies of the LTTE cadres lying scattered in the forward areas. According to defence sources, security forces asked the trapped LTTE cadres to surrender, before launching the military onslaught against them. "We called them to surrender via their radio frequencies, but they were ordered to fight to their death by the leadership," a senior ground commander said. "We heard them pleading to the LTTE leadership to let them withdraw before we attacked them, but their request was not granted," the ministry quoted the commander as saying. According to sources, all senior LTTE leaders are now hiding in the No Fire Zone, a small stretch of land where the rebels are now confined to after losing Pudukuduriyirippu, and are holding civilians as protective shields. — PTI
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Pak enlists 16 temples for conservation
Lahore, April 5 Unlike the Krishna temple, the other shrines have no patronage from the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a government body that is primarily responsible for the maintenance of gurdwaras and temples across Pakistan and for facilitating visiting pilgrims from India and other parts of the world. Punjab Archaeology Department Director Shahbaz Khan said that the temples are places of worship and an integral part of Pakistan’s heritage that should be conserved.“We have documented some 16 temples for restoration. — PTI
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JuD chief moves Lahore HC
Lahore, April 5 Saeed, who is also the chief of the banned organisation Jamat-ud Dawa, has filed a petition in the court yesterday along with three of his associates-Col Nazeer Ahmad (retd), Abdul Rehman and Ameer Hamza. Their counsel A K Dogar argued that the detention of the petitioners, ordered by the Home Department on January 9 and again on March 9, was without lawful authority. — PTI
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First James Bond museum opens Antarctic iceberg ‘set to collapse’ TV soaps influencing names in Qatar
Source: Agencies 
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This photo released by the Binghamton Police Department on Saturday shows Jiverly Wong, the gunman who killed 13 persons in a rampage at an immigrant community
centre. He then committed suicide. He was wearing body armour, indicating he was prepared to battle with law enforcers, the police chief said. —
AP/PTI