North Korea fires missiles

North Korea test-fired at least five missiles Wednesday morning, including one intercontinental missile that failed in less than a minute. Pyongyang attempted to fire a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, the South China Morning Post reported, which could theoretically hit Alaska, Hawaii or even the US mainland. The missile failed less than a minute after being launched. The launch caused sharp falls in Asian stock and currency markets but heavy selling had stopped around 10 am Tokyo time. The launch coincided with US Independence Day on July 4.