Briefly

KOREAN PENINSULA

ROK believes DPRK fired short-range missile

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea fired one projectile, believed to be a short-range missile, into waters off the east coast, the Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, said on Tuesday. The JCS said in a statement that the projectile was launched eastward from Mupyong-ri in Jagang Province of the DPRK at about 6:40 am local time. It did not specify if the projectile was a ballistic missile, but the Japanese government said it appeared to be a ballistic missile and splashed into waters outside its exclusive economic zone, according to Japan's Kyodo News. The DPRK is banned from all ballistic missile activities under United Nations Security Council resolutions. According to the ROK's Yonhap news agency, the projectile traveled shorter than 200 kilometers at an altitude of about 30 km. The flight distance, altitude and pattern were different from other known missile firings of the DPRK.

UNITED STATES

R&B superstar R. Kelly convicted in sex scandal

R. Kelly, the R&B superstar known for his anthem I Believe I Can Fly, was convicted on Monday in a sex-trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. A jury of seven men and five women found Kelly, 54, guilty of all nine counts, including racketeering, on their second day of deliberations. Kelly wore a face mask below black-rimmed glasses, remaining motionless with eyes downcast as the verdict was read in a court.

Xinhua - Agencies