国外媒体:美国军方称朝鲜发射的“导弹”坠入太平洋（在线收听）

针对朝鲜宣布成功发射“光明星2号”试验通信卫星一事，美国军方5日说，朝鲜当天发射的是导弹，而且导弹已坠入海中。

位于美国科罗拉多州的北美防空司令部与北方司令部就此进行简要通报时说，朝鲜发射的是一枚导弹，发射后其一级助推火箭坠落日本海，其余助推系统与有效载荷一同坠入太平洋。在这一过程中，没有任何物体或碎片坠落日本。

朝鲜中央通讯社5日发表新闻公报说，朝鲜于5日当地时间11时20分（北京时间10时20分）在东海卫星发射场成功发射“光明星2号”试验通信卫星。

I'm Asieh Namdar at the CNN.com newsroom in Atlanta. Here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Despite international pressure, North Korea launched a rocket late last night. It says carried a satellite. But the North American Aerospace Defense Command says the payload crashed in the Pacific Ocean instead of going into orbit. US and other countries fear the launch could have been a missile carrying a warhead. UN Security Council meets today to discuss the launch. China and Russia have called for restraint and calm.

Ahead of the Security Council meeting, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is busy working to build an international consensus on condemning the North Korean rocket launch. Clinton spoke on the phone today with the foreign ministers of China, Japan and Russia this morning. All three countries in talks aimed at getting that North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons.

President Obama is traveling through Europe on an 8-day-trip. He and first lady are now headed to Turkey. In Prague, Mr. Obama called North Korea's launch a provocative act and called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The US military says an American soldier has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a contractor in Iraq. Pfc. Carl Stovall was arrested last month the day of the contractor’s death. The military has not released any other details about the incident. It didn't say the contractor was neither Iraqi nor American.

Police in Washington State say a father apparently shot and killed his five children and then took his own life. The children's bodies were found in the family’s mobile home near Takoma. The youngest, 7 years old. Police say after the father killed them, he drove to a nearby casino and shot himself. It’s not clear where the mother was at the time of the shootings.

And millions of Christians around the world have begun their Holy Week with Palm Sunday celebrations. Pope Benedict XVI held an open air mass at the Vatican. He called for an end to human trafficking which he says could increase during the global economic slowdown.

And those are the headlines this hour. For more on these stories and other news of the day, CNN is your source online, on TV, or when you're on the go.

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