North Korea's Missile Launch Escalates Tensions, Blames U.S.

North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, prompting condemnation from Pyongyang towards the United States and South Korea for raising tensions through military shows of force. The missile fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, and further details about the launch were not immediately available. North Korea's missile activities are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions, but the country defends them as its right to self-defense.