SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired five ballistic missiles on Saturday, South Korea's defense ministry said, in an act of defiance toward the United States that further stoked regional tensions already high due to its nuclear test in May. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missiles test-fired were "Scud-type," marking an escalation of recent saber-rattling by the reclusive North, which has fired several non-ballistic, short-range missile since the May 25 nuclear test. North Korea is barred by United Nations resolutions from firing ballistic missiles such as the Scud ...

Two US soldiers were killed in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan Saturday, the US military said, as Afghan authorities reported that 32 rebels died in an ensuing US helicopter attack. "There was an incident with a possible IED (improvises explosive device) in Paktika province this morning in which two US service members were killed," Sergeant Charles March, a military spokesman said. The military spokesman could not give further details but Hamidullah Zhwak, a spokesman for the local administration, said the US casualties occurred when a fuel tanker was exploded by ...

North Korea has test-fired four ballistic missiles, on the eve of US Independence Day celebrations, according to South Korean officials, further fuelling regional tensions amid its nuclear standoff. Seoul's foreign ministry said all four of the weapons launched into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) were ballistic missiles, which the North is banned from firing under UN Security Council resolutions. It was the first time in three years that the communist state fired multiple ballistic missiles. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles had a range ...