SEOUL - NORTH Korea's rocket may have fallen into the sea, but military experts cautioned on Monday against calling it a complete failure, noting that it traveled twice as far as any missile the country has launched.

Although the distance was still far short of showing North Korea could reach US territory, it rattled the North's neighbours and countries around the globe.

BEIJING - CHINA'S capital announced a year's extension for traffic restrictions aimed at reducing congestion and improving air quality - a lighter version of rules launched to clean up Beijing for the Olympics.

The measures take a fifth of the city's 3.61 million vehicles off roads each weekday, according to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.

BEIJING - CHINA announced on Monday it will extend medical services to all its citizens by 2020, taking aim at a health care system long derided as creaking and inadequate.