North Korea fires 'projectile'

North Korea fired a projectile into waters off its eastern coast today, a day after launching three short-range missiles in the same area, officials said.

North Korea routinely test-launches short-range missiles. But the latest launches came during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing recent tension, including near-daily threats by North Korea to attack South Korea and the US earlier this year. North Korea protested annual joint military drills by Seoul and Washington and UN sanctions imposed over its February nuclear test.