Blair condemns North Korean test
Tony Blair has condemned North Korea's apparent first nuclear weapons test as a "completely irresponsible act".
The prime minister also said the test, reportedly held at 0236 BST, showed the country's "disregard" for the international community's concerns.
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she was "horrified" by the news.
North Korea has called the underground test a success. Seismic events at a suspected test site were detected by both the US and South Korea.
'Act of defiance'
Mr Blair said: "I condemn this completely irresponsible act by the government of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).
"The international community has repeatedly urged them to refrain from both missile testing and nuclear testing.
"This further act of defiance shows North Korea's disregard for the concerns of its neighbours and the wider international community."
Mrs Beckett told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Like everyone else, we are horrified. We are having to check, of course, if we take this announcement at face value.
"It does look like a very deliberate and flagrant provocation.
"I understand that there is a strong response from the Chinese. We are particularly concerned about the impact in the neighbourhood and in the region."
Mrs Beckett said it was difficult to know how to handle an issue such as this without making matters worse.
Iraq reaction?
"I think the international community will have to take very, very careful stock," she said.
"This is very difficult for the neighbourhood, it's very difficult for the region, and what we don't want is to see something happen that will make things even worse and more dangerous than they already are."
Mrs Beckett rejected suggestions North Korea's actions had anything to do with military action against Iraq or that Britain's moral authority had been weakened by the Iraq war.
"I don't think that is the case," she said. "After all, it's quite a considerable time now since that happened and there are much more current United Nations statements, resolutions and so on."
The Foreign Office said the international community would react "robustly" to the test.
A spokesman added: "This nuclear test is viewed by the UK, and will be viewed by the rest of the international community, as a highly provocative act to which we will respond robustly.
"It will raise tensions in an already tense region and have repercussions internationally."
A White House statement said such a test would be a "provocative act", while China denounced it as "brazen".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6032811.stm