NOKOR MISSILE: North Korea said Sunday it had succeeded in sending a satellite into
space, in a launch that has been condemned by the international
community.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite was carried aloft by a three-stage Unha-2 (Taepodong-2) rocket and is now orbiting the earth.
The rocket (launched at 0230 UTC) passed over Japan, with
the first stage landing in the Sea of Japan and a booster falling in
the Pacific. Japanese officials said no debris fell on its territory
OBAMA-EUROPE: U.S. President Barack Obama says the existence of nuclear weapons is the "most dangerous legacy of the Cold War."
Addressing tens of thousands of people in square at Prague Castle in
the Czech Republic Mr. Obama outlined his strategy for eventually
eliminating the world's existing nuclear arsenals.
The U. S. president called for reaching a new strategic arms reduction
treaty with Russia by the end of the year and announced plans to push
the U.S. Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan police say a suicide bomber has attacked a crowded Shiite mosque, killing at least 20 people.
Officials say there were dozens of injuries in Sunday's blast in Chakwal, south of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
Pakistan authorities say the bomber was intercepted at the entrance.
On Saturday, a suicide bomber killed at least eight soldiers and wounded four others inside a paramilitary post in Islamabad.
AFGHANISTAN: The U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff are in Kabul for meetings with Afghan officials.
Envoy Richard Holbrooke and the top U.S. military leader, Admiral Mike Mullen, will head the high-level talks starting Sunday.
The Obama administration has announced a revised strategy to fight
militants in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. The new plan
includes sending thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan, along
with more money to train Afghan police and develop tribal areas.
CHILE VOLCANO: Chile's Llaima volcano has erupted, forcing evacuations from Conguillio National Park and destroying a bridge.
Officials said the eruption Saturday prompted authorities to ask
residents and tourists to evacuate the area, which is some 700
kilometers south of the Chilean capital, Santiago.
Ash spewing from the volcano filled a nearby river, causing it to flood and sweep away a bridge.
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