Twitter says Trump's threat to North Korea was 'newsworthy' and will not be taken down

Company rejects complaints that US president's tweet was in violation of its terms of service

Twitter has refused to take down a tweet by Donald Trump threatening North Korea, arguing that the statement by the US president was "newsworthy" and in the public interest.

Trump posted a tweet in response to a speech by North Korea's Ri Yong-ho at the United Nations on Sunday, indicating that if the foreign minister "echoed" the thoughts of Kim Jong-un, the two men "won't be around for much longer". It is the latest in a series of hostile statements between the two countries.