North Korea says its latest weapons test was a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike targets in the Pacific as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further expand his collection of nucle

North Korea has fired what appears to be an intermediate range ballistic missile towards the sea to its east, South Korea's military said, in what is Pyongyang's first missile launch in two months. Japan's defence ministry said around noon local time (03:00 GMT) that the projectile had already fallen into the sea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter Ju Ae, attended New Year's celebrations featuring fireworks and ice dancing. State media reported high-ranking officials were present. Kim pledged to strengthen North Korea's strategic partnership with Russia in a letter to President Vladimir Putin.