World eyes North Korean missile test sites

North Korea said it had the right to test its ballistic missiles amidst warnings from other nations after reports the country was preparing launch sites.

The South Korean spy agency said that it didn't believe North Korea had completely fueled its test missile because there were only 40 fuel tanks around the launch site -- not enough for a weapon estimated at 65 tons.


Kim Jong-Il in a photo released on June 16, 2006 by the official North Korean news agency. AFP/KCNA photo from Yahoo News.

Stormy weather over the area on Tuesday may also delay any imminent test of the missile according to South Korean sources. The Meteorological Administration said that rain was expected into Wednesday morning.

The 116-foot long Taepodong-2 has an estimated range of 9,300 miles.

Aung San Suu Kyi turns 61 under house arrest

Pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 61st birthday on Monday under house arrest in Yangon, Myanmar.

Supporters protested her detention in front of Yangon's Town Hall, while others held rallies in more than 25 countries.


Supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi demonstrate in front of party headquarters in Yangon, Myanmar. Police later dispersed the crowd. AFP photo from Yahoo News.

Suu Kyi was placed under detention on May 30, 2003 after fighting broke out between her supporters and pro-government demonstrators.

Myanmar says that Suu Kyi's house arrest is a domestic issue and has resisted international pressure demanding her release.

Kazakhstan satellite launched

The Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan launched its first satellite into orbit Sunday in a major step forward for the country's fledgling space program.

Kazakhstan hosts the world's largest space center, the Baikonur cosmodrome built by the old Soviet Union and still used by Russia to launch spacecraft.


Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin watch the launch of Kazakhstan's first satellite at the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 18, 2006.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has made building a space industry a major goal of his government and eventually wants Kazakhstan to construct a national space center of its own.

Using the country's rich oil assets, Kazakhstan has started training its native cosmonauts for future human space missions.