Isolated North Korea said on Wednesday it was injecting fuel into a long-range rocket "as we speak" ahead of a launch condemned by its neighbours and the West as a disguised long-range ballistic missile test.
The launch, set to take place between Thursday and next Monday, has prompted neighbours such as the Philippines to re-route their air traffic just in case. Regional powers also worry it could be the prelude to another nuclear test, a pattern the hermit state set in 2009. Japan said it would shoot down the rocket if it crossed its airspace. (Reuters)