North Korea defies warnings to launch rocket

North Korea has launched its rocket in defiance of international warnings, South Korea and Japan say. The three-stage rocket was launched at 09:45 (00:49 GMT). Reports indicate it followed its intended trajectory, with stages falling in expected areas.
North Korea says its rocket is putting a satellite into space, but several nations say the launch is a cover for long-range missile development. A previous launch in April failed when the rocket broke up after take-off.
There has been no word yet from North Korea on this launch, which comes only two days after it warned that technical problems could force a delay. It also comes a week ahead of the South Korean presidential election and roughly a year from the death of leader Kim Jong-il, who died on 17 December 2011

The rocket was launched from a site on North Korea's west coast. It was scheduled to pass between the Korean peninsula and China, with a second stage coming down off the Philippines before launching the satellite into orbit.
The Japanese government, which put its armed forces on alert ahead of the launch, said the rocket appeared to have passed over pasts of Okinawa prefecture, south of the Japanese mainland.

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