US threatens decisive action as North Korea fires ANOTHER failed ballistic missile

North Korea fired a failed ballistic missile:

A swift response has been threatened by THE US against North Korea following last night failed ballistic missile they fired, intensifying tensions with the West.

A raft of new economic sanctions and military manoeuvres may be speedily deployed after the rocket threat

Donald Trump had earlier warned of a "major, major conflict" with Kim Jong-un's hermit state if it doesn't fall into line.

Also China ordered it to stand down its rocket testing or risk harsh sanctions.

China, which has long provided a lifeline to the rogue nation, upped its effort to rein in its trigger-happy neighbour by threatening economic curbs if it further posed a risk.

But the Chinese also echoed the Russians by cautioning the West against threatening brute force against edgy Kim.

"It's possible that something could be sped up," a senior White House official said of the potential for imposing new sanctions on North Korea.

"Something that's ready to go could be taken from the larger package and expedited."

Kim Jong-un with his generals

In a failed test on Friday, a missile was launched from Pukchang Airfield north of the capital Pyongyang at around 9:30pm GMT.

According to US officials, they confirmed they had tracked the medium range weapon, which may have been nuclear capable, and that President Trump had been informed.

The rocket exploded within North Korean territory above the Sea of Japan minutes after it was fired, military chiefs said.

Donald Trump

Trump took to twitter and posted: "North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!"

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, hours earlier, warned that failure to stop North Korea's nuclear and missile development could lead to "catastrophic consequences".

America committed itself to keeping military options "on the table" to ward off North Korea's nuclear ambitions at a UN Security Council meeting on Friday.

The United States is sending the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group to waters off the Korean peninsula, in a show of force.

It will join the USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea on Tuesday.

South Korea's navy has said it will hold drills with the US strike group.

It was reported on Friday that North Korea is ready to send up to 500,000 women soldiers to the front line if war with the US breaks out, according to defectors’ estimates.