European-led Mars lander starts descent to red planet

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The ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite, comprised of the Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli, is transfered to the launch vehicle adapter (LVA), with the conical shaped LVA seen in the foreground, at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, in this handout photo released by European Space Agency (ESA) on February 29, 2016. REUTERS/Silvia Bayon/ESA/Handout via Reuters

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A Mars lander left its mothership on Sunday after a seven-month journey from Earth and headed toward the red planet's surface to test technologies for Europe's planned first Mars rover, which will search for signs of past and present life.

The disc-shaped 577-kilogramme (1,272 lb) Schiaparelli lander separated from the spacecraft Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) at 1442 GMT (10:42 a.m. EDT) as expected, starting a three-day descent to the surface.

Signals received from TGO, which is to orbit Mars and sniff out gases around the planet, did not at first contain data on the lander's onboard status, but the European Space Agency (ESA) later said the link with the craft had been restored.

"On the side of (Schiaparelli) I would say that the separation was a success," Paolo Ferri, head of mission operations at ESA, told Reuters TV at ESA's Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, after it had been confirmed that the lander had split from the TGO.

Schiaparelli, part of the European-Russian ExoMars program, represents only the second European attempt to land a craft on Mars, after a failed mission by Britain's Beagle 2 in 2003.

Landing on Mars, Earth's neighbor some 35 million miles (56 million km) away, is a notoriously difficult task that has bedevilled most Russian efforts and given NASA trouble as well.

But a seemingly hostile environment has not detracted from the allure of Mars, with U.S. President Barack Obama recently highlighting his pledge to send people to the planet by the 2030s.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is developing a massive rocket and capsule to transport large numbers of people and cargo to Mars with the ultimate goal of colonizing the planet, with Musk saying he would like to launch the first crew as early as 2024.

The primary goal of ExoMars is to find out whether life has ever existed on Mars. The current spacecraft, TGO, carries an atmospheric probe to study trace gases such as methane around the planet.

Scientists believe that methane, a chemical that on Earth is strongly tied to life, could stem from micro-organisms that either became extinct millions of years ago and left gas frozen below the planet's surface, or that some methane-producing organisms still survive.

Schiaparelli will reach the atmosphere of Mars on Wednesday, and will use a parachute and thrusters to slow its descent from a speed of nearly 21,000 kilometers per hour before touching down on the planet's surface. Entry, descent and landing will take less than six minutes.

The second part of the ExoMars mission, delayed to 2020 from 2018, will deliver a European rover to the surface of Mars. It will be the first with the ability to both move across the planet's surface and drill into the ground to collect and analyze samples.

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The ExoMars 2016 mission is led by the European Space Agency (ESA), with Russia's Roscosmos supplying the launcher and two of the four scientific instruments on the trace gas orbiter. The prime contractor is Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Finmeccanica.

The cost of the ExoMars mission to ESA, including the second part due in 2020, is expected to be about 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion). Russia's contribution comes on top of that.

UK PM May to visit India from November 6

London, Oct 16 (PTI) British Prime Minister Theresa May today said she will visit India next month for her first bilateral visit outside Europe during which she will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and review all aspects of the India-UK strategic partnership post-Brexit.

May, 60, will be in India between November 6 and 8 on the invitation of Modi.

She will be accompanied by her international trade minister Liam Fox and a business delegation drawn from regions across the UK as "examples of the best of British business".

"The relationships between our two countries are strong, and the Indian diaspora plays a vital role in our national life," May said.

"In my talks with Prime Minister Modi, I want to build on our relationship for the benefit of both our countries, generating jobs and wealth and maintaining cooperation on defence and security," the Prime Minister said.

"As we leave the European Union, we have the chance to forge a new global role for the UK to look beyond our continent and towards the economic and diplomatic opportunities in the wider world. I am determined to capitalise on those opportunities and as we embark on the trade mission to India, we will send the message that the UK will be the most passionate, most consistent, and most convincing advocate for free trade," May said.

While in India, the British Prime Minister will hold discussions with Modi and a number of commercial deals are expected to be signed during the visit.

The India-UK partnership has moved into a new era, with Britain voting to leave the European Union (EU) in a referendum in June and leading to the resignation of then prime minister David Cameron.

May will land in New Delhi, where she will inaugurate the India-UK TECH Summit alongside Modi.

The TECH Summit, described as South Asia's largest technology conference, will provide a platform for promoting technology-intensive trade between the two countries.

Fox will also attend another major international event, the Joint Economic and Trade Committee where UK and Indian leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs will meet to discuss how to take the bilateral partnership to the next level.

ब्रिक्स का आतंकवाद से निपटने, सीसीआईटी जल्द अनुमोदन का आह्वान

गोवा:, 16 अक्तूबर :भाषा: भारत और ब्रिक्स के अन्य देशों में हाल में हुए आतंकवादी हमलों की कड़ी निंदा करते हुए पांच देशों के इस शक्तिशाली समूह ने आज सभी देशों से कहा कि वे अपने जमीन से ‘‘आतंकवादी कृत्यों’’ को रोकंे। ब्रिक्स ने साथ ही इस आतंकवाद की बुराई से प्रभावी तरीके से निपटने के लिए भारत समर्थित वैश्विक संधि का संयुक्त राष्ट्र से जल्द अनुमोदन का आह्वान किया।

ब्राजील, रूस, भारत, चीन और दक्षिण अफ्रीका वाले ब्रिक्स के वाषिर्क सम्मेलन में मंजूर घोषणापत्र में सभी देशों का आह्वान किया गया है कि वे आतंकवाद, हिंसक अतिवाद, कट्टरपंथ, भर्ती, विदेशी एवं अन्य आतंकवादियों की गतिविधियों और आतंकवाद के वित्तपोषण के स्रोतों को बाधित करने में एक व्यापक दृष्टिकोण अपनायें।

समूह ने सभी देशों से कहा कि वे साथ मिलकर काम करें जिससे कि ‘अंतरराष्ट्रीय आतंकवाद पर समग्र समझौते’ :सीसीआईटी: का अनुमोदन संयुक्त राष्ट्र में बिना किसी और देरी के हो सके।

सम्मेलन के अंत में जारी गोवा घोषणापत्र में कहा गया, ‘‘हम भारत सहित कुछ ब्रिक्स देशों के खिलाफ हाल में हुए कई आतंकवादी हमलों की कड़ी निंदा करते हैं। हम आतंकवाद की उसके सभी स्वरूपों के साथ कड़ी निंदा करते हैं और इस बात पर जोर देते हैं चाहे जो भी हो किसी भी आतंकवादी कृत्य को किसी भी तरह से उचित नहीं ठहराया जा सकता। चाहे यह किसी विचारधारा, धार्मिक, राजनीतिक, नस्ली, जातीय या किसी भी कारण पर आधारित क्यों न हो।’’ इसमें कहा गया, ‘‘हम इससे सहमत हैं कि अंतरराष्ट्रीय आतंकवाद के खिलाफ लड़ाई में सहयोग मजबूत होना चाहिए जिसमें द्विपक्षीय और अंतरराष्ट्रीय मंच दोनों ही स्तर शामिल हैं।

‘भारत और चीन के बीच गतिशील सेतु बनना चाहता है नेपाल’

काठमांडो, 16 अक्तूबर :भाषा: भारत और चीन के बीच ‘गतिशील सेतु’ के तौर पर नेपाल को पेश करते हुए प्रधानमंत्री प्रचंड ने भारतीय समकक्ष नरेंद्र मोदी और चीनी राष्ट्रपति शी चिनफिंग के साथ बैठक के दौरान त्रिपक्षीय रणनीतिक भागीदारी का प्रस्ताव पेश किया।

ब्रिक्स शिखर सम्मेलन से इतर कल त्रिपक्षीय बैठक के दौरान पुष्प कमल दहल ‘प्रचंड’ ने दोनों एशियाई शक्तियों के बीच ‘गतिशील सेतु’ बनने की नेपाल की इच्छा जतायी और इस तरह की भूमिका का लाभ उठाने का इजहार किया। हिमालयन टाइम्स ने फोटो के साथ बैठक से जुड़ी खबर प्रकाशित की।

रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि प्रचंड ने ‘‘तीनों देशों के बीच त्रिपक्षीय रणनीतिक भागीदारी का प्रस्ताव पेश किया’’ जिसे मोदी और शी ने ‘महत्वपूर्ण’ मानते हुए कहा कि वो इसके प्रति सकारात्मक हैं। प्रधानमंत्री के निजी वेबसाइट पर उनके सचिवालय द्वारा जारी वक्तव्य का हवाला देते हुए अखबार ने यह रिपोर्ट प्रकाशित की है।

‘हिमालयन टाइम्स’ में आज प्रकाशित रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है, ‘‘पुष्प कमल दहल ‘प्रचंड’ जो ब्रिक्स.बिम्सटेक विस्तारित शिखर सम्मेलन में शामिल होने के लिए कल ही भारत पहुंचे थे, उन्होंने चीन के राष्ट्रपति शी चिनफिंग के साथ पहले सीधी बातचीत की। यह वार्ता लगभग बीस मिनट तक चली और उसके बाद मोदी भी इस बातचीत में शामिल हो गए। नेताओं ने साझा हित के मुद्दों पर चर्चा की। रिपोर्ट प्रचंड के निजी सचिव प्रकाश दहल को उद्धृत करते हुए प्रकाशित की गई है। प्रकाश, प्रचंड के पुत्र भी हैं।

पाकिस्तान आतंकवाद के पोषण की भूमि: मोदी

गोवा:, 16 अक्तूबर :भाषा: पाकिस्तान को दुनिया भर में आतंकवाद के ‘पोषण की भूमि’ करार देते हुए प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने आज इस समस्या के खिलाफ ‘समग्र’ और ‘सामूहिक’ कार्रवाई की जरूरत पर जोर दिया तथा आगाह किया कि किसी भी तरह की भेदभावपूर्ण रूख विपरीत परिणाम पैदा करेगा।

रूसी राष्ट्रपति व्लादिमीर पुतिन, चीनी राष्ट्रपति शी चिनफिंग, दक्षिण अफ्रीका के राष्ट्रपति जैकब जुमा और ब्राजीलियाई नेता माइकल टेमर की उपस्थिति वाले ब्रिक्स शिखर सम्मेलन में पाकिस्तान का नाम लिए बगैर उसकी कड़ी निंदा करते हुए प्रधानमंत्री ने यह भी कहा कि भारत के पड़ोस में एक देश है जो न सिर्फ आतंकवादियों को शरण देता है, बल्कि ऐसी सोच को पाल-पोस रहा है जो सरेआम यह कहती है कि राजनीतिक फायदों के लिए आतंकवाद जायज है।

उन्होंने कहा कि आतंकवाद का सहयोग करने वालों को ‘पुरस्कृत नहीं, बल्कि दंडित’ किया जाना चाहिए।

ब्रिक्स देशों से आतंकवाद से पैदा हुए खतरे के खिलाफ मिलकर कार्रवाई करने का आह्वान करते हुए प्रधानमंत्री मोदी ने कहा कि आतंकवाद के खिलाफ जवाब समग्र होना चाहिए और देशों को इसके विरूद्ध ‘अकेले दम पर और सामूहिक रूप से भी’ कार्रवाई करनी चाहिए।

उन्होंेने कहा, ‘‘हमारे अपने क्षेत्र में आतंकवाद ने शांति, सुरक्षा और विकास के लिए गंभीर खतरा पैदा किया है। दुखद है कि इसके पोषण की भूमि भारत के पड़ोस में एक देश है। दुनिया भर में फैले आतंकवाद के मॉड्यूल इसी भूमि से जुड़े हुए हंै। यह देश सिर्फ आतंकवादियों को शरण नहीं देता, वह एक सोच को पालता-पोसता है। यह सोच सरेआम यह कहती है कि आतंकवाद राजनीतिक फायदों के लिए जायज है। इसी सोच की हम कड़ी निंदा करते हैं।’’ मोदी ने कहा, ‘‘इसी सोच की हम कड़ी निंदा करते हैं। इसके खिलाफ ब्रिक्स को खड़े होने और मिलकर कार्रवाई करने की जरूरत है। ब्रिक्स को इस खतरे के खिलाफ एक सुर में बोलना चाहिए।’

Poles honoured by Israel for helping Jews meet in Warsaw

A large group of Poles honoured by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations met in Warsaw on Sunday in what was the first such gathering since World War II.

The meeting, which was held at Warsaw’s Museum of the History of Polish Jews, was attended by about 70 individuals who risked their own lives and those of their families during WW II to save Jews from the Holocaust.

Jan Kasprzyk, acting head of Poland’s Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression, noted during the meeting that any kind of assistance offered to Jews in German-occupied Poland during the war was punishable by death.

Anna Azari, Israel’s ambassador to Poland, called the group "the light pointing the way" and "the moral compass for other people," including "those who lost their dignity in those terrible times of war."

"You, Righteous, are the living proof that there is good in the world and that together we can overcome evil," Azari said.

Righteous Among the Nations is a designation given by Israel’s Yad Vashem Institute to gentiles who risked their own lives and those of their loved ones to rescue Jews from the Holocaust during WW II.

As of January, there were 26,120 Righteous Among the Nations worldwide. Poles formed the largest group among them, at 6,620. (PAP)

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Iranian flotilla leaves for Port of Baku for the first time

Bandar-e Anzali, Gilan prov, Oct 16, IRNA – An Iranian flotilla carrying the message of peace and friendship left here Sunday for Port of Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Commander of Iran's fourth maritime zone said that the dispatch of the Iranian flotilla to Azerbaijan is taking place for the first time which is an indication of formation of changes in the Caspian Sea region. 

Rear Admiral Afshin Rezaei Haddad said that sending the flotilla with messages of peace and friendship indicates that the Caspian Sea is secure, and mutual interaction has got the first priority in this region. 

The presence of the Iranian ships in the Caspian Sea littoral states reflects Iran's belief that the ground is well prepared for establishing peace and friendship and holding talks on those issues, the commander said.

The flotilla is on way to Baku to practically show that it is the carrier of message of peace from the Iranian nation to their Muslim brothers in Azerbaijan, he stressed.

Apart from land border lines, Iran and Azerbaijan enjoy sea borders, the commander said hoping that the two countries would strengthen bilateral ties. 

Japan Faces Heightened Threat from N. Korea: Suga

   Tokyo, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)--Japan faces a heightened threat from North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Sunday, following U.S. and South Korean announcements of a failed missile launch by North Korea.
   "The threat from North Korea has risen to a higher stage," the top government spokesman said in a speech in the northern city of Sapporo.
   The government will work harder to secure broader-based support in the international community for a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution to launch additional sanctions on North Korea, officials said.
   The United States and South Korea said they detected that what appeared to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile failed just after the launch around 12:30 p.m. Japan time Saturday (3:30 a.m. GMT) near the northwestern city of Kusong.
   "This year, North Korea has carried out many missile and nuclear tests," Defense Minister Tomomi Inada told reporters in Tokyo.

An election in the wind in Japan

By Todd Crowell

TOKYO

Is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe thinking of holding a snap general election soon after the New Year? Certainly there is plenty of talk of an election and the need to begin preparing for it.

Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said earlier this week, “it would be appropriate to say that the wind for a general election has started to blow.”

Renho Murata, leader of the opposition Democratic Party (DP), also stressed the need to “always be ready”.

“It [a general election] could happen at any time,” according to Natsumo Yamaguchi, leader of the Komeito Party that is in a political coalition with the LDP.

Abe is under no pressure to call an election for the lower chamber of Japan’s bicameral parliament. The current parliament’s term runs for more than two years, to December 2018, and he has a super majority in both houses.

Of course, Abe has shown a penchant for holding early elections, and has been rewarded by them with increasing majorities.

His first election was in 2012, where he ousted the DP government. He called another in 2015 with equally positive results.

If he scheduled an election for January, as is rumored, it would come only six months after the last national election for the upper house of parliament, raising some concerns about voter fatigue, not to mention a drain on the treasury since any national election costs around half a billion dollars to run.

Abe might hope that the current extraordinary session of the legislature will finally ratify the Trans Pacific Partnership, a regional trade deal he sees as being critical to improving the economy (though unpopular with certain LDP constituencies, such as farmers).

He would like to top it off with a big foreign policy success when he hosts a visit by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in December.

It would be even more successful if the two counties could reach agreement on disputed islands north of Hokkaido.

The Japanese premier has a rather long list of things he would like to accomplish on this and other fronts, including an accounting for Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s. (A negotiating session was concluded with the North recently in China.)

But he may feel he is running out of time.

Currently, he is in the middle of his second term as president of the ruling party, which is a perquisite for becoming, or staying, prime minister in Japan. The term expires in September 2018.

So, in addition to the talk of holding another snap election in a few months, there is the question of Abe running for a third term.

Currently, he is disqualified by party rules from running for another term -- unless he can persuade a party congress to change them.

He’s looking to his legacy, but he still needs time.

The issue closest to his heart, amending the constitution, probably cannot be accomplished by the end of the current parliament, despite Abe having super majorities in both chambers.

It will take time to develop a consensus around any specific amendments. Even those members who favor a change my not vote to enact the LDP’s wish list.

And once that is accomplished, it will take time to organize an unprecedented national referendum.

If Abe calls a general election and persuades his party colleagues to let him have a third term, it would extend the life of parliament until 2021 and his own premiership to 2021, allowing him, among other things, to preside over the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Abe ran without opposition for his second term of office, but that doesn’t mean he can do it again.

There are prominent LDP members who think they have a chance. They include Shigeru Ishiba, who declined to serve in Abe’s new cabinet in order to leave him free to run for higher office.

As secretary-general Nikai recently told first-term members worried about keeping their seats in any new election: “It is important to imagine that you are always on the battlefield."

Israel PM vows national service ban for NGO over UN row

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By Kaamil Ahmed 

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to bar national service volunteers from joining human rights group B'Tselem after the organization angered him with their testimony at the U.N. last week.

Netanyahu said in a Facebook post on Saturday he planned to change the national service law during the upcoming winter session of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, a move he said the government's legal adviser agreed to. 

He went on to call the anti-settlement group "shoddy and unhinged". 

In a testimony at the UN Security Council last week, B'Tselem's director Hagai El-Ad said Israel's settlement policy in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem had essentially been allowed by the international community through its inaction, despite it being contrary to international law. 

Israel’s ongoing construction of Jewish-only settlements in the occupied West Bank was a main reason for the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in April 2014. 

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Israeli settlement building on the land to be illegal.

B’Tselem said it would not be intimidated by Netanyahu’s threat. 

“We will not stoop down to the prime minister’s level. We will not be cowed and neither will the hundreds of thousands in Israel who opposed the occupation,” the rights group said in a statement. 

“We will continue to tell the truth: The occupation must end.” 

Volunteering for B'Tselem has been allowed under a provision for a limited number of young Israelis who are excused from compulsory military service. 

In 2014, B'Tselem was banned as an option by the head of the civic service authority but the decision was quickly overturned by Israel's then Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein.

The group documents alleged Israeli human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories, often earning it the ire of Israeli politicians. 

Earlier this year, right-wing groups ran a campaign against left-wing Israeli groups, accusing them of being foreign agents

Indonesia: 9 dead, 30 injured near Bali bridge collapse

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Philippines to explore joint air patrols with neighbors

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia

At least eight people were killed and dozens injured after a bridge for pedestrians and motorcyclists collapsed near the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Sunday.

National Disaster Management Agency Spokeperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Anadolu Agency the bridge connecting the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan gave way at 6.30 p.m. (1130GMT) while a large number of people were crossing.

"Eight people died and 30 were injured," he said.

He added that search efforts were suspended at 9 p.m. due to the dark conditions and that there were no reports from local people of missing family members.

"Based on the report, all the victims were local people. No foreigners," said Nugroho.

The collapse occurred during the passage of residents who were taking part in a religious ceremony.

"Before the collapse, the bridge had been swaying. Some bikers and people fell into the sea," Nugroho added.

"Allegedly, the bridge collapsed because of being overloaded. In addition, the bridge had also been damaged several times and had been repaired."

Locals near the site had responded by rushing to save the victims.

Search and rescue agency personnel deployed to the area have yet to reach the site due to the remote location of the islands.

The collapse of bridges -- which are extensively used to connect Indonesia’s more than 17,000 islands -- is not a rare occurrence in the archipelago due to lack of regular maintenance.

Russia interested in engaging more states in Syrian settlement

Russia is interested in the engagement of as many countries as possible in Syrian crisis settlement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday, Sputnik reported.

"We are ready to talk to everyone, moreover, we are interested in involving as many countries as possible in this process," Putin told journalists.

Commenting on the recent cancellation of his visit to France, Putin stressed that Syrian problem was not on top of the agenda of the visit, noting that France was not that deeply involved in the Syrian crisis settlement.

Putin was expected to attend the opening of the Russian cultural and spiritual center and the exhibition during his October 19 visit to France that was canceled by the Russian side after some of the scheduled events were "dropped out of the program" by the French side.

Samsung, gov't investigate cause of Galaxy Note 7 fires

SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. and the South Korean government have launched their own investigations to figure out what caused Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to catch fire after the tech giant halted its sales over recurring battery problems, industry officials said Sunday.

Samsung has been investigating components of its latest flagship phones after numerous reports of the device catching fire. The world's largest phone maker conducted a global recall last month citing faulty batteries, but it last week decided to discontinue its sales after some of its replacements running on different batteries also had overheating problems.

Separately, the state-run Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) on Thursday began their own probe with five phones provided by Samsung Electronics that caught fire in the nation earlier this month, according to industry officials with knowledge of the matter.

Consumers ask about the recall plan of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 at a Seoul phone shop on Oct. 13, 2016, after Samsung Electronics announced its plan to discontinue the smartphone's production. (Yonhap)

KTL will not just limit its investigation into the batteries and will use latest testing technologies, including X-ray and computerized tomography, to find the exact cause of the problem, they added.

"We have handed over the phones (that caught fire) to KTL and will cooperate with their investigation, but we can't just sit and wait for its result," a Samsung Electronics official said. "We have been mobilizing all possible resources to find the exact cause of the problems as soon as possible."

   Samsung is also considering testing the faulty devices collected by the U.S. consumer Product Safety Commission, which issued two rounds of recalls of the smartphones, company officials noted.

The firm cut its forecast for third-quarter profit to 5.2 trillion won (US$4.6 billion), down from the 7.8 trillion-won, reflecting the estimated loss from halting Note 7 sales. On Friday, it again issued forecast of another mid-3 trillion-won (about $3.1 billion) in lost profit in the next two quarters.

Industry watchers say finding the exact cause of the Note 7's problem is crucial for Samsung to win back consumers' trust before the firm launches its new flagship model, the Galaxy S8, next year.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

U.S. says N. Korea's launch of Musudan missile ends in failure

WASHINGTON/SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has attempted to launch a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), but the launch ended in failure, the U.S. Strategic Command said.

"U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) systems detected what we assess was a failed North Korean missile launch" at 12:33 p.m. Saturday (Korean time) near the northwestern city of Kusong, the command said in a statement.

Kusong is near the North's "Dongchang-ri" or "Sohae" missile launch site.

"The missile is presumed to be a Musadan intermediate-range ballistic missile," it said, adding the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America.

"We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," Cmdr. Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

"This provocation only serves to increase the international community's resolve to counter the DPRK's prohibited activities, including through implementing existing U.N. Security Council sanctions," he said, adding that the U.S. will raise the issue at the Security Council.

The U.S. commitment to South Korea's defense is "ironclad," he said.

"We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its commitments and international obligations," the spokesman said.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed and condemned the launch early Sunday.

It said Seoul and Washington closely shared information on the North's failed missile launch and reached an analysis it was a Musudan missile that is estimated to have a range of more than 3,000 kilometers.

"The military maintains heightened vigilance against any provocations by the North," the JCS said in a text message.

South Korea's foreign ministry also denounced the North's latest missile test.

"Regardless of its success or failure, North Korea's missile launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile violates the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution," the ministry said in a statement. "This provocation was conducted amid the UNSC's efforts to draw a fresh resolution on North Korea's fifth nuclear test, and it challenges the U.N.'s authority."

   This year alone, Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in January and another one in September, and test-fired six Musudan IRBM missiles between April and June, with one of the two missiles fired off on June 22 flying some 400 km and reaching an altitude of over 1,400 km. Of the seven Musudan launches conducted so far, only one is considered to have succeeded.

The reclusive regime conducted tests on various other missiles, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles that have escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole.

A North Korean intermediate-range Musudan missile on a mobile launch pad (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution.) (Yonhap)

jschang@yna.co.kr, kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr