North Korea fired short-range missiles into the sea off its eastern coast for the second time in a week Monday, prompting a warning from South Korea of "reckless provocation."
Washington has joined Russia's neighbours in voicing alarm after Moscow revealed it had moved nuclear-capable Iskander missiles closer to EU borders in response to the US-led deployment of a disputed air defence shield.
A US drone strike targeting a militant compound killed at least two suspected insurgents in a restive Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border on Friday, officials said.
North Korea is making progress on an inter-continental ballistic missile capable of delivering a first-generation nuclear warhead to the continental United States.
Panamanian authorities have found two Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets aboard a North Korea-flagged ship seized this month as it tried to pass through the Panama Canal after departing from Cuba.
Panama called for UN inspections of missile parts found aboard a North Korea-flagged vessel as it approached the Panama Canal, weapons Cuba later claimed as its own.
North Korea has mobilised a variety of missiles in preparation for a massive military parade later this month to mark the 60th anniversary since the end of the Korean War.
North Korea fired another short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday, the latest in a series of missile drills that have been condemned by South Korea and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
South Korea on Monday predicted further missile tests by North Korea which fired four short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan at the weekend, drawing criticism from Seoul and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
The wait for North Korea's expected missile test, which has kept South Korean and US forces on heightened alert for the past two weeks, may stretch to July.
The Pentagon has requested $220.3 million in 2014 to bolster Israel's "Iron Dome" missile defense system despite broader cuts to US military spending, according to budget documents.