North Korea ‘fires 2 cruise missiles’

North Korea fired two suspected cruise missiles yesterday, Seoul said, its fifth weapons test this year as Pyongyang flexes its military muscles while ignoring US offers of talks. Cruise missiles are not banned under current UN sanctions on North Korea, and Seoul does not always report such launches in real time, as it does for ballistic missile tests. This year Pyongyang has embarked on a fresh flurry of sanctions-busting tests, including hypersonic missiles. Washington imposed new sanctions in response, prompting Pyongyang to double down on weapons testing and hint last week that it could abandon a years-long self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range tests.