Object Seen in Orbit After NKorea Rocket Launch...

HONG KONG (CNN) — North Korea surprised and angered the international community Wednesday by launching a long-range rocket that appeared to put a satellite in orbit, a breakthrough for the reclusive, nuclear-equipped state.

The North Korean regime said the rocket had successfully blasted off from a space center on its west coast and delivered a satellite into its intended orbit. The launch followed a botched attempt in April and came just days after Pyongyang suggested its plans could be delayed.

North Korea’s previous claims of successful satellite launches have been dismissed by the United States and other countries, but this time it seemed to have pulled it off.

Initial indications suggest the rocket “deployed an object that appeared to achieve orbit,” the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the joint U.S.-Canadian aerospace agency, said in a statement.

Mmmmm, really?