U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new threat to North Korea on Friday, saying American weapons were "locked and loaded" as Pyongyang accused him of driving the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.
Trump kept up the war of words on Twitter shortly after the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, put out a statement blaming him for the escalated tensions.
"Trump is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war, making such outcries as 'the U.S. will not rule out a war against the DPRK,'" KCNA said.
Trump, who is at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort on a working vacation, described American military readiness in stark terms.
"Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely," he wrote on Twitter. "Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"
The U.S. president maintained pressure on the North a day after saying his earlier threat to unleash "fire and fury" on Pyongyang if it launched an attack may not have been tough enough.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis tempered Trump's harsh words later on Thursday by telling reporters the United States still preferred a diplomatic approach to the North Korean threat. A war would be "catastrophic," he said.
Asked if the United States was ready if North Korea committed a hostile act, he said: "We are ready."
Tension in the region has risen since the reclusive North staged two nuclear bomb tests last year and launched two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July in defiance of world powers. Trump has said he would not allow Pyongyang to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States.
As incendiary rhetoric in Pyongyang and Washington flared this week, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Friday that China should remain neutral if North Korea launches an attack that threatens the United States, sounding a warning for Pyongyang over its plans to fire missiles near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
Asian equity markets sank again on Friday and European stocks looked set for their worst week this year because of the tensions.
"This situation is beginning to develop into this generation's Cuban Missile crisis moment," ING's chief Asia economist, Robert Carnell, said in a research note. "While the U.S. president insists on ramping up the war of words, there is a decreasing chance of any diplomatic solution."
China, North Korea's most important ally and trading partner, has reiterated calls for calm. Beijing has expressed frustration with both Pyongyang's repeated nuclear and missile tests and with behaviour from South Korea and the United States, such as military drills, that it sees as increasing tensions.
"China should also make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten U.S. soil first and the U.S. retaliates, China will stay neutral," the Global Times, which is widely read but does not represent government policy, said in an editorial.
"If the U.S. and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so," it said.
China's Foreign Ministry repeated a call for all parties to speak and act cautiously and do more to ease the situation, rather than going down the "old path" of exchanges of shows of force and continually rising tension.
North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency said on Thursday its army would complete plans in mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near Guam.
Trump said Kim was not going to get away with his "horrific" comments and disrespecting America.
"Let's see what he does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody's seen before, what will happen in North Korea," Trump told reporters on Thursday in New Jersey, without offering specifics.
Reuters
Fri Aug 11 2017
U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence (R), speaks to reporters after a security briefing at his golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey U.S. August 10, 2017. - REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
PKS, syarikat pemula digalak mohon geran LiKES - TalentCorp
PKS dan syarikat pemula termasuk yang beroperasi di luar bandar digalakkan untuk memohon Geran Padanan Latihan Industri untuk PKS (LiKES).
Tiada kompromi ke atas mana-mana pihak langgar hak pekerja - Steven Sim
tindakan tegas akan diambil terhadap majikan kerana setiap pekerja berhak ke atas gaji mereka dan ia bukanlah satu perkara yang boleh dipermainkan.
Isu Kalimah Allah: Pihak berkuasa digesa ambil tindakan tegas - Pemangku Sultan Johor
Pemangku Sultan Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim menggesa pihak berkuasa untuk mengambil tindakan tegas berhubung isu penjualan stoking tertera kalimah ALLAH.
Penyaluran bantuan pesawah tertakluk kepada penilaian jawankuasa penilai
Penyaluran bantuan kepada pesawah yang terjejas adalah tertakluk kepada penilaian oleh Jawatankuasa Penilai Teknikal Tabung Bencana Tabung Bencana Tanaman Padi.
Tempoh 'bulan madu' hampir tamat, masa pemerintahan sebenar' - Sultan Ibrahim
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, bertitah bahawa tempoh 'bulan madu' akan tamat tidak lama lagi, dan baginda akan memulakan cara pemerintahan yang sebenar.
Argentina terpaksa lupakan Messi
Messi telah diketepikan daripada skuad Argentina untuk perlawanan persahabatan yang akan datang di Amerika Syarikat kerana kecederaan hamstring, kata Persatuan Bola Sepak Argentina.
Skim baharu tangani isu beras diumum minggu ini - Mohamad Sabu
Satu skim baharu bagi menstruktur semula industri padi dan beras tempatan sebagai penyelesaian jangka panjang akan diperkenalkan KPKM dalam masa terdekat.
Notis AWAS banyak dikeluarkan di Lebuh raya PLUS KM382.8 Behrang
Menteri Pengangkutan Anthony Loke berkata lokasi paling banyak keluar notis kesalahan AWAS di Lebuhraya PLUS KM382.8 Lebuh Raya-Behrang iaitu sebanyak 98,911 notis pada Jun hingga Disember tahun lalu.
Kastam Pulau Pinang rampas rokok seludup bernilai RM7.92 juta
Kastam Pulau Pinang merampas sembilan juta batang rokok putih dianggarkan bernilai RM7.92 juta termasuk cukai.
Empat pemain Velez Sarsfield berdepan tuduhan serangan seksual
Empat pemain kelab bola sepak Argentina, Velez Sarsfield ditahan atas perintah mahkamah Argentina selepas dituduh melakukan serangan seksual pada Isnin.
'Demokrasi AS berakhir jika saya tewas pilihan raya' - Trump
Trump memberitahu penyokongnya jika beliau tidak memenangi pilihan raya, ia bermakna kemungkinan demokrasi AS akan berakhir.
Trump dijangka terima pencalonan Republikan selepas keputusan pemilihan pendahuluan
Donald Trump secara tidak rasmi memperoleh cukup sokongan perwakilan untuk menjadi calon presiden bagi Republikan dalam pilihan raya presiden AS.
Trump cabar Biden untuk berdebat
Donald Trump mencabar Presiden Joe Biden untuk berdebat dengannya "pada bila-bila masa" dan "di mana-mana sahaja."
Presiden Joe Biden harap genjatan senjata di Gaza sebelum 4 Mac
Presiden Amerika Syarikat Joe Biden berharap gencatan senjata dapat dilakukan dalam konflik antara Israel dan Hamas menjelang minggu depan.
Donald Trump diarah bayar denda AS$438 juta tahun ini atas kesalahan menipu, fitnah
Pada Jumaat Trump didenda AS$355 juta kerana tipu nilai hartanahnya, bulan lalu pula beliau didenda AS$83 juta sebagai pampasan kepada E Jean Carroll yang diserang secara seksual dan difitnah.
Perbicaraan kes jenayah pertama Donald Trump ditetapkan bermula bulan depan
Mahkamah tolak permohonan Trump untuk mengenepikan tuduhan jenayah berkaitan bayaran 'menutup mulut' kepada seorang bintang filem lucah.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Biden bidas kenyataan Trump, anggap ia sebagai memalukan AS
Kata Biden, kenyataan yang dibuat oleh Trump itu amat bahaya dan tidak mempamerkan imej 'warga AS' di mata NATO.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Amerika akan tarik diri dari NATO jika Trump menang pilihan raya
Trump hampir-hampir menyingkirkan AS daripada NATO pada sidang kemuncak pakatan itu pada 2018 di Brussels.