North Korea fired an unidentified projectile towards the sea off its east coast, less than two weeks after it tested a new railway-borne missile system, South Korea’s military said. The Japanese news agency Kyodo also reported that North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Tuesday, citing the Japanese government. It follows a series of missile launches by North Korea during September, in an apparent ramp-up of hostility that has been strongly condemned by neighbouring Japan and South Korea. On 15 September, North Korea fired a new “railway-borne missile system” designed as a potential counter-strike to any threatening forces. The announcement came as North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations called on Monday for the United States to give up its “hostile policy” towards Pyongyang and said no one could deny his country’s right to self defence and to test weapons.