North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has instructed the military, including its nuclear programme, to 'accelerate' war preparations in response to what he described as unprecedented hostile steps by the United States, according to Al Jazeera.

The North Korean leader "set forth the tasks for the People's Army and the munitions industry, nuclear weapons, and civil defence sectors to further accelerate war preparations" at a meeting of the country's ruling Workers' Party on Thursday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).