Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan today. South Korea's military and the Japanese government said it a major escalation amid tensions over its weapons ambitions. <br/>'<br/>No North Korean missile had overflown Japan for years. The launch came after a strained period on the peninsula following Pyongyang's testing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles, ICBMs, last month that appeared to bring much of the US mainland within reach. <br/><br/>It threatened to fire a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning of raining "fire and fury" on the North, saying Washington's weapons were "locked and loaded".<br/>'<br/>The United Nations Security Council imposed a seventh set<br/>of sanctions on the North, tightening restrictions on its exports, and investments into the country. Tensions had eased more recently, but the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that today's missile was launched from Sunan, near Pyongyang, and travelled east and over Japan.<br/>'<br/>The firing comes days after Pyongyang launched three short-range missiles in what analysts said was seen as a minimal provocation after the start of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian South Korean-US joint military exercise, which the North sees as rehearsals for invasion.<br/>

Nuclear-armed North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan<br/><br/><br/>Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan today. South Korea's military and the Japanese government said it a major escalation amid tensions over its weapons ambitions. <br/>'<br/>No North Korean missile had overflown Japan for years. The launch came after a strained period on the peninsula following Pyongyang's testing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles, ICBMs, last month that appeared to bring much of the US mainland within reach. It threatened to fire a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning of raining "fire and fury" on the North, saying Washington's weapons were "locked and loaded".<br/>'<br/>The United Nations Security Council imposed a seventh set<br/>of sanctions on the North, tightening restrictions on its exports, and investments into the country. Tensions had eased more recently, but the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that today's missile was launched from Sunan, near Pyongyang, and travelled east and over Japan.<br/>'<br/>The firing comes days after Pyongyang launched three short-range missiles in what analysts said was seen as a minimal provocation after the start of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian South Korean-US joint military exercise, which the North sees as rehearsals for invasion.<br/>