China says it is firmly opposed to North Korea's nuclear test, but is repeating its call on the international community to remain calm in formulating a response. British PM Gordon Brown also condemned North Korea's nuclear test. New reports say North Korea fired more missile tests today. Report by South Korea's Yonhap news agency cites unnamed government sources who say the missiles were fired from an east coast launch pad

Less than two months after launching a rocket widely believed to be a test of its long-range missile technology, North Korea announced on Monday that it has successfully carried out a second underground nuclear test.

In protest of the U.N. Security Council's condemnation of the country's rocket launch, North Korea has vowed to restore its nuclear facilities and boycott the Six-Party nuclear disarmament talks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has appointed his brother-in-law to an influential defense position. That has fueled discussion about what might happen to North Korea's government if the aging leader's health should fail. Jang Song Taek saw his share price rise dramatically this week in North Korea's political market. He is North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's 63-year-old brother-in-law.

The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session on Sunday afternoon to discuss concerns over North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket. But the closed-door consultations did not produce a clear and unified response.

Despite warnings from the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and many other nations, North Korea carried out a provocative rocket launch on Sunday that it said was a satellite launch, but that others feel are a cover for long-range missile testing. According to CNN "North Korea's satellite did not make it to orbit, the North American Aerospace Defense Command says."

Japan deployed three guided missile destroyers Saturday with orders to shoot down any debris from a North Korean rocket that might stray into Japanese airspace.

The international criticism of North Korea's planned launch of a rocket is increase as the deputy Russian foreign minister joined the call cautioning the reclusive-communist country on Friday against increasing tensions in the region.

South Korea says North Korea must immediately withdraw an implicit threat it made this week to civilian airliners. Major airlines have adjusted their routes. South Korean Unification Ministry Spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said Friday, North Korea must immediately move to ease worries it has caused about regional air travel.

As we know, Kim Jong-Il, 66, suffered a stroke in August, had brain surgery, which according to a Japanese TV station included his eldest son flying to Paris to "recruit" a neurosurgeon to Asia to treat Kim. According to an unnamed source, Kim has suffered a serious setback in his recovery from a stroke and has been hospitalized.

The U.S. blinked. In the face of North Korea vowing to restart its nuclear facilities, and a short-range missile test by the country earlier in the week, the U.S. has said it will remove the country from its terror list.

In our earlier story about North Korea's test launch of short-range missiles, we noted that rather than a routine test, it could be a form of saber-rattling. Well, the rattling just got louder.