UPDATED 8:37 AM EST, December 12, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House was quick to condemn North Korea's successful launch of a long-range rocket, calling it a "highly provocative act" that threatens regional security.
Tuesday's launch, which caught the world by surprise, apparently placed an object in Earth orbit, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said, but neither the missile nor debris from the launch posed a threat to North America.
