North Korea launches second missile over Japan

North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan early Friday morning local time—the second hostile test in less than a month and its longest flight so far. The missile flew for 19 minutes over the Japanese island of Hokkaido and traveled nearly 2,300 miles before landing harmlessly in the Pacific Ocean. The closest U.S. military base to North Korea is on Guam, about 2,100 miles away. “North Korea’s provocative missile launch represents the second time the people of Japan, a treaty ally of the United States, have been directly threatened in recent weeks,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. “These continued provocations only deepen North Korea’s diplomatic and economic isolation.” The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved new economic sanctions against North Korea this week. On Friday, the council will hold another emergency meeting about the latest threat. But the North’s totalitarian regime clearly doesn’t care about sanctions and tough talk, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., tweeted Friday morning. “It is time to more forcefully back up our diplomatic efforts with the threat of a credible military option,” he said.