The security council has imposed seven sets of sanctions on North Korea since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006. South Korea rattled nerves this morning when its defence minister suggested it might consider hosting American nuclear weapons, in what would be a dramatic escalation of the situation. Lunchtime read: How North Korea could have been stoppedShould we be surprised that North Korea has developed nuclear weapons when other countries still have 22,000 between them – despite having pledged in 1970 to wind down their arsenals? The Guardian leads on the US claim that North Korea is “begging for war” – the same line as the online Independent. Sign upIf you would like to receive the Guardian Morning Briefing by email, bright and early every weekday, sign up here.

Source: The Guardian September 05, 2017 05:42 UTC