31.   At a separate gathering, Taiwan Provincial Governor James Soong said the missile launches hurt the feelings of the Taiwanese.

32.   Bell recalled the tensions raised in Russia three years ago when a scientific missile launch by Norway was interpreted as an attack.

33.   But another missile launch could prompt donors to curb aid to the isolationist government.

34.   But it was a North Korean missile launch last August that shocked Japan into re-evaluating its national defense.

35.   But the agency reported no signs that North Korea has begun preparations for a new missile launch, it said.

36.   China on Friday announced another round of military exercises near Taiwan even as it declared the end of eight days of missile launches near the island.

37.   Government spokesman Sadaaki Numata said Tuesday that Japan did not know about the missile launch until it was informed by the U.S. military.

38.   Government spokesman Sadaaki Numata said Tuesday that Japan did not know about the missile launch until it received word from the U.S. military.

39.   He added, however, that the Russian bombers will conduct practice missile launches in the Pacific, which are set for Friday.

40.   He also proposed expanding a Russian-U.S. center for exchange of information on missile launches to include European partners.