North Korea has warned publicly for the first time that it is ready to develop nuclear weapons.
A commentary carried by the official news agency in Pyongyang said it would build a nuclear deterrent to counter the threat from the United States, "unless the US gives up its hostile policy".
North Korea said its aim in developing such weapons was not to blackmail others, but to reduce spending on conventional military forces and improve the lives of its people.
Western intelligence agencies believe North Korea has had nuclear weapons programmes for several years and may already have a small number of bombs....