NORTH KOREA RAISES ALARM WITH NUCLEAR TEST ANNOUNCEMENT

…Opponents rush to condemn statement that, if confirmed, would mark fourth time Pyongyang has exploded a nuclear bomb.
North Korea said it conducted a hydrogen bomb test in a surprise announcement that caused regional tension and drew swift condemnation, while triggering scepticism that such a powerful weapon was actually detonated.
If confirmed, the test would be the fourth time Pyongyang has exploded a nuclear device.
South Korean intelligence officials and several analysts, however, reportedly questioned whether Wednesday’s explosion was indeed a full-fledged test of a hydrogen device.
No radiation was detected at Japanese monitoring posts.
The test was met with a burst of jubilation and pride in the capital Pyongyang. A North Korean television anchor, reading a typically propaganda-heavy statement, said a test of a “miniaturised” hydrogen bomb had been a “perfect success” that elevated the country’s “nuclear might to the next level.”
Before the announcement was made on state television, South Korea’s meteorological agency said a 5.1 magnitude earthquake was detected near a known test site in the secretive and isolated state.
South Korea’s presidential office held an emergency meeting and later said the government would take all possible measures to respond to its neighbour and long-time foe’s actions.