Security Council Fails to agree on statement over North Korea Missile Launch

The UN Security Council was unable to adopt a formal statement over North Korea's ballistic missile launches, however, there were "strong condemnations across the board". 
The Security Council held an emergency session over the launches at the request of Japan and the United States. 
While the member states of the top UN body condemned the North's test, the 15-nation council could impose fresh targeted sanctions on the isolated country in the coming days. 
US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said she was confident the Security Council would come together to swiftly condemn the test, which she called "another effort by North Korea to enhance its menacing capabilities. 
Following the meeting on Wednesday, the diplomats said that there is widespread consensus on condemning Pyongyang's actions. 
"They are doing all of this with a systematic, comprehensive purpose of upgrading and refining their missile technologies, which is not only a grave challenge to the global nonproliferation system but also poses a clear and present danger to the security of all countries in the region. It is definitely in the interest of all countries to stop this dangerous series of provocations immediately," said South Korea's UN ambassador Oh Joon. 
Earlier on Wednesday, the North had launched two ballistic missiles, both thought to be the medium-range Rodong, as part of its muscle-flexing exercise. The first missile is thought to have exploded mid-air immediately after launch, while the second one travelled more than 1,000km before landing in Japan's territorial waters triggering serious regional tensions. 
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch was an "outrageous act and a grave threat to our country's national security". 
"It was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. We lodged a strong protest with North Korea," he told reporters.

Source: QNA