PRESIDENT Trump said US military solutions are "locked and loaded” in a direct threat against North Korea as tensions continue to mount.

US President Donald Trump said his “fire and fury” warning to North Korea may not have been “tough enough,” shrugging off domestic critics who accused him of reckless rhetoric.

PRESIDENT Trump has vowed the US will remain the “most powerful nation in the world” and bragged about its “stronger and more powerful” nuclear arsenal in a direct threat against North Korea online.

AN ATTACK on the tiny Pacific territory of Guam could escalate to draw in the world’s most powerful nations within 24 hours under a rarely-used clause of the NATO military alliance.

President Donald Trump's comments threatening North Korea "with fire and fury" are sparking fears that a conflict with the U.S. could be escalating. (Aug. 9) AP

NORTH Korea has retaliated to Donald Trump’s warning of “fire and fury like the world has never seen” by threatening a missile strike on a US Pacific territory frighteningly close to Australia.

US President Donald Trump has yet again called for tough and decisive action over the “dangers posed by North Korea,” while praising the UN's solidarity over the crisis. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is reportedly reviewing missile restrictions with Seoul.

A confidential assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency says that North Korea has already developed a miniaturized nuclear weapon that can fit on top of an ICBM. (The Washington Post)

The US government is not seeking a regime change in North Korea, the secretary of state says, amid tensions over Pyongyang's weapons programme.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that China could easily pressure North Korea into curtailing its missile and nuclear programs. He raised the issue again in tweets Saturday.

That, of course, is Kim's other pet project.

"We have demonstrated our ability to fire our intercontinental ballistic rocket at any time and place and that the entire U.S. territory is within our shooting range"

North Korea appears to have conducted another missile test, media in Japan and South Korea report.

Tokyo on Friday has announced the blacklisting of two Chinese companies for their connections with North Korea. The announcement comes as concerns rise Pyongyang is prepping for another missile test.

Milestones in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs

North Korea's artillery and nuclear arms hold too many civilians in Seoul at risk

China is said to have increased its military defenses along its border with North Korea.
This comes as President Donald Trump considers a military response to Pyongyang's provocations.
Both U.S. and Chinese officials continue to push for a diplomatic solution, rather than a military one.

The US is to ban its citizens from travelling to North Korea, according to two agencies that operate tours there.

Daily NK is run by North Korean defectors who collect prices via phone calls with fuel traders.

The proposal is the first formal overture by the government of President Moon Jae-in, who came to power in May pledging to engage the North in dialogue. If they go ahead, they would be the first government-level talks since late 2015