World Vignettes

Russian satellites crash into Pacific

Three Russian satellites,being sent into orbit to complete Russias GLONASS navigation system,fell off course on Sunday and crashed into the Pacific Ocean not far from the Hawaii Islands,Ria News Agency reported. A spokesman for Russias space agency Roscosmos said the satellites had strayed from their course and caused an un-planned situation. He did not confirm that they had crashed. The satellites were being carried by the Proton-M rocket carrier,which blasted off early on Sunday from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan.