Failed launch a setback for N. Korea leader

PYONGYANG, North Korea -- North Korea's much-touted satellite launch ended in a nearly $1 billion failure, bringing humiliation to the country's new young leader and condemnation from a host of nations. The UN Security Council deplored the launch but stopped short of imposing new penalties in response.

The satellite's disintegration Friday over the Yellow Sea brought a rare public acknowledgment of failure from Pyongyang, which had hailed the launch as a show of strength amid persistent economic hardship.

For the 20-something Kim Jong Un, it was to have been a highlight of the celebratory events surrounding his ascension to top political power. It was timed to coincide with the 100th birthday of his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

The United States and South Korea declared the early morning launch a failure minutes after the rocket shot out from the North's west coast. North Korea acknowledged its demise four hours later on state TV, saying the satellite the rocket was carrying did not enter orbit.

The launch brought swift international condemnation, including the suspension of U.S. food aid, and raised concerns that the North's next move could be even more provocative -- a nuclear test, the country's third.