U.S. urges North Korea to curb actions that raise tensions in northeast Asia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday condemned an attempted missile launch by North Korea and urged Pyongyang to refrain from actions that create tensions in northeastern Asia. "The United States, and the rest of the international community, calls on North Korea to refrain from actions including this failed missile test that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "The United States strongly condemns North Korea's missile test," he told a news briefing. The U.S. military's Strategic Command assessed that North Korea attempted to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Monday but that the test was a failure. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Doina Chiacu)