London  - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Sunday condemned North Korea's rocket launching and accused Pyongyang of pursuing a "hostile policy" towards the world.

Miliband said that the launch was part of North Korea's "ballistic missile programme" and so it violated a UN Security Council resolution

"While Pyongyang continues to pursue a hostile policy towards the rest of the world, it cannot hope to take its rightful place within the international community.<

Singapore - The Singapore government said on Sunda

Wellington- New Zealand joined international condemnation of North Korea's satellite launch on Sunday, saying it had not helped efforts to build peace and stability in the region.

"North Korea's actions are provocative, despite their claim that the satellite launch was for peaceful, scientific purposes," Foreign Minister Murray McCully said in a statement.

He said the launch ran contrary to clear messages given to North Korea by United Nations Security Council resolutions following missile and nuclear tests in 2006.

Moscow - Russia has urged the international community to show restraint in its reaction

Taipei  - Taiwan on Sunday expressed concern about North Korea's launching a rocket, and called for peaceful solution of the conflicts on the Korean Peninsula.

"The Republic of China (Taiwan's formal title), as a member of the Northeast Asia, is very concerned about regional security. We will continue to closely monitor developments," Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Ming-cheng said.

"Conflicts on the Korean Peninsula should be solved through peaceful means to avoid affecting regional stability."

London, Apr 5 : The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting after North Korea defiantly carried out a provocative long-range missile rocket launch on Sunday that passed over Japan.

Both the US State Department and the Japanese Government have issued stark statements condemning the blast-off.

Japan said the launch was "regrettable" and the US called it "provocative" and said appropriate steps would be taken.