North Korea fires projectiles for second time in week

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Monday fired what Japan said appeared to be ballistic missiles, the second such weapons test in a week amid a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States.

Analysts say the North has been continuing to refine its weapons capabilities in the more than a year since a summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump broke down in Hanoi.

Pyongyang is under multiple sets of sanctions over its weapons programmes from the United Nations Security Council, US, South Korea and others. The North "appeared to have carried out joint firing drills involving various types of multiple rocket launchers", the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, expressing "strong regret" over Pyongyang's actions.