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WASHINGTON: North Korea's nuclear bomb test drew stern rebukes on Monday from global leaders with US President Barack Obama warning of "grave" danger and Israel stressing "negative implications" in the Middle East.
South Korea put its military on alert and world powers frustrated by failed diplomatic efforts to rein in Pyongyang demanded a firm response ahead of a United Nations' Security Council emergency meeting later Monday in New York.
Even China, the secretive North's closest international ally, expressed "resolute opposition".
The North Korean explosion - an underground blast the size of a mid-sized earthquake, according to seismologists - was a much bigger follow-up to its first nuclear test in 2006.
It came amid reports that Pyongyang also tested a short-range missile.
"North Korea's nuclear ballistic missile programmes pose a grave threat to the peace and security of the world and I strongly condemn their reckless actions," Obama said in a statement.
He called the testing a "blatant violation of international law" as well as its own public position, saying North Korea had chosen to "ignore" its previous commitment to abandon its nuclear programme.
Obama said North Korea had flouted UN resolutions, with the result it "is not only deepening its own isolation, it's also inviting stronger international pressure.
"That's evident overnight as Russia, China, as well as our traditional allies of South Korea and Japan have all come to the same conclusion: North Korea will not find security and respect through its threats and illegal weapons."
Israel, which along with the United States suspects Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, was clearly referring to Tehran when its foreign ministry said in a statement that "North Korea's nuclear proliferation... has negative implications in this region."
Iran, however, has repeatedly denied charges of a military purpose to its nuclear activities.
In South Korea President Lee Myung-Bak called a special national security council meeting while Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said the testing "raises tensions in the region extremely."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, himself South Korean, said he was "deeply disturbed."
The main powers on the Security Council all strongly condemned North Korea with France urging sanctions against Kim Jong-Il's Stalinist administration, as foreign ministers from Asia and Europe began two days of talks.
"China strongly demands that North Korea keeps its promise of denuclearisation and ceases all actions that could further worsen the situation," the Chinese foreign ministry said in its statement.
Russia, which has sought a role in efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, said the test would "provoke an escalation of tensions in northeast Asia," according to a foreign ministry statement.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the test was a "danger to the world," while South Africa warned the possession of nuclear weapons "constitutes a threat to all humanity."
In Brussels, the NATO military alliance said the "provocative" test was a "serious challenge to peace."
Other countries including Spain and Canada labelled the testing a "provocation". Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it was "reckless" and posed a "grave threat."
Brazil joined in the "vehement condemnation" and called on North Korea to resume multi-party talks on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.
South Korea, Russia, China, the United States and United Nations have sought to engage the North in so-called "six-party" talks on its nuclear programme.
But a 2007 accord broke down with the North's test-firing of a long range missile in April. North Korea angrily reactivated its nuclear programme after being condemned by the Security Council for that action.
John Bolton, a US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W. Bush, said Obama now faces "a moment of truth" and suggested it was time to expel North Korea from the UN.
Speaking on Fox News television, he said Obama's special envoy, Stephen Bosworth, had recently given North Korea "a signal that they could get away with it."
Bolton also warned of Middle East repercussions, "given the cooperation" between North Korea and Iran on ballistic missiles."
Experts have accused North Korea of using the test blast as a means to secure international concessions.
"They are clearly engaged in a cynical game where they are using nuclear technology to gain economic and energy advantages," said Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. - AFP/de
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