North Korea launches yet another ballistic missile

North Korea has fired another ballistic missile, according to South Korea’s military, which said it would be responding with its own military drill.

The Pentagon said it was assessing what it described as a “probable launch” which took place at 7.30pm. It later confirmed that the missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew 1,000km eastwards before crashing into the Sea of Japan, within Japan’s Economic Exclusion Zone.

The last time Pyongyang tested a ballistic missile was in September, days after it had conducted its sixth nuclear test.

According to the White House, US president Donald Trump was briefed about the launch while the missile was still in the air.

The North is thought to be focusing efforts on building long-range missiles with the potential of reaching the mainland continental US.

Pyongyang officials said the first of the longer-range missiles it tested in July could hit "any part of the world", but the US military called it an intermediate-range missile instead.