North Korea launches rocket

TOKYO - North Korea launched a rocket Sunday, a South Korean foreign ministry official told Yonhap news agency.

Pyongyang said it was putting a communications satellite into orbit, but Japan, South Korea and Washington believe the launch was a screen to test a long-range ballistic missile.

The launch occurred around 11.30 a.m. (0230 GMT) from North Korea’s base on its east coast, the official said.