North Korea

ANZUS would be invoked against N Korea - Turnbull

The Trump administration has escalated its rhetoric against North Korea, after the rogue regime threatened to attack the US territory of Guam in the Pacific.

"America stands by its allies, including Australia of course, and we stand by the United States," Mr Turnbull told 3AW.

"So be very, very clear on that. If there's an attack on the US, the ANZUS Treaty would be invoked and Australia would come to the aid of the United States, as America would come to our aid if we were attacked."

North Korea plans to strike 30 km from Guam

State media said the plan would then be presented to the leader Kim Jong Un who will make a decision on whether to proceed.

The report cited a commander in the Korean People's Army who said the Hwasong-12 rockets will cross the skies of Japan and hit the sea 30 to 40 kilometres from Guam

"The Hwasong-12 rockets to be launched by the KPA (Korean People's Army) will cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan," the report said, citing General Kim Rak Gyom, commander of the Strategic Force of the KPA.

North Korea vows to retaliate against US over sanctions

The sanctions, which were unanimously passed by the UN on Saturday, were a "violent violation of our sovereignty," the official KCNA news agency said.

Separately, South Korea says the North has rejected an offer to restart talks, dismissing it as insincere.

The sanctions will aim to reduce North Korea's export revenues by a third.

The UN Security Council decision followed repeated missile tests by the North which have escalated tensions on the peninsula.

Trump criticises China over North Korea

Writing on Twitter, he said he would not allow China to "do nothing" about the reclusive state.

His comments came a day after Pyongyang test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a month.

It later claimed the test proved that the entire US was within striking range of its weaponry.

On Saturday, two US B-1 bombers conducted exercises over the Korean peninsula with South Korean and Japanese planes.

Trump condemns 'brutal' N Korea as student dies

North Korea returned Otto Warmbier, 22, to the US last week, saying he had been in a coma for a year and that it was acting on humanitarian grounds.

His parents said he had been subjected to "awful torturous mistreatment".

Mr Warmbier, who was jailed for trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel, did not regain consciousness.

Mr Trump said that a "lot of bad things happened" to Mr Warmbier, but added: "At least we got him home to be with his parents, where they were so happy to see him, even though he was in very tough condition."

US Navy moves second aircraft carrier near North Korea

The move comes just days after North Korea demonstrated a significant leap forward in their missile program after launching a projectile that achieved "successful" controlled reentry into the Earth's lower atmosphere rather than falling back to the surface, according to a preliminary US intelligence analysis, two US officials tell CNN.

Putin warns against 'intimidating' North Korea after latest missile launch

Speaking in China, Putin called for a peaceful solution to the ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula, Russia's Sputnik news agency reported.

"I would like to confirm that we are categorically against the expansion of the club of nuclear states, including through the Korean Peninsula," Putin told reporters. "We are against it and consider it counterproductive, damaging, dangerous," he said.

But in comments that appeared aimed at the US, he said that "intimidating (North Korea) is unacceptable."

Researchers find possible North Korea link to massive cyberattack

Security researchers have documented similarities between the WannaCry code and malware created by Lazarus group, a hacking operation that has been linked to North Korea. The code similarities were discovered by Google researcher Neel Mehta on Monday. Google declined to comment.

South Korean military: North Korea launches ballistic missile

"Our military is closely monitoring for provocative movements by North Korea and is maintaining all readiness postures," a statement from the military said.

The missile, launched near the city of Kusong, flew 700 kilometers (435 miles), the South Korean military said. A US defense official confirmed that it flew that far, but said the US is still assessing what type of missile it was.

A second defense official told CNN: "At this point, we see nothing consistent with an (intercontinental ballistic missile) launch."

US citizen detained in North Korea

Kim is believed to be the fourth US citizen currently detained in North Korea.

In April, KCNA said Tony Kim -- also known as Kim Sang Duk -- was detained for "hostile acts" toward the North Korean regime.

Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 for removing a political sign.

And Kim Dong Chul, the president of a company involved in international trade and hotel services, was arrested in 2015 and is serving 10 years on espionage charges.