News on Top President Obama: "We will lead the world in taking firm action"
North
Korea's actions will only isolate it further, US President Barack Obama
has warned, hours after the UN Security Council unanimously condemned
Pyongyang's nuclear test.
The US would lead "firm action" to counter the threat, the US president said in his State of the Union address. The Security Council hours earlier called the test a clear threat to international security.
Monitors said the test appeared twice as big as the previous one in 2009.
The test took place at the Punggye-ri site in the north-east of the country on Tuesday morning.
Analysis
One option is a move like the 2007 sanctions against Banco Delta Asia, which froze $25 million (£15.9m) in laundered North Korean assets. That step got Pyongyang's undivided attention.
Throwing some sand into the gears of the Kim family business does not solve the larger problem, but at least it might arrest Pyongyang's swagger.
It remains to be seen whether Pyongyang's provocative course is the new normal or just part of the learning process for a young and untested leader.
Either way, if Kim Jong-un wants to play with the grown-ups, he has to understand there are real costs for going beyond the accepted boundaries.
To get him refocused on available carrots, it is time he experienced some heftier sticks.
There are fewer ways to impact the North Korean economy than,
say, Iran's, but plenty of steps remain available to more seriously
squeeze the North Korean leadership.One option is a move like the 2007 sanctions against Banco Delta Asia, which froze $25 million (£15.9m) in laundered North Korean assets. That step got Pyongyang's undivided attention.
Throwing some sand into the gears of the Kim family business does not solve the larger problem, but at least it might arrest Pyongyang's swagger.
It remains to be seen whether Pyongyang's provocative course is the new normal or just part of the learning process for a young and untested leader.
Either way, if Kim Jong-un wants to play with the grown-ups, he has to understand there are real costs for going beyond the accepted boundaries.
To get him refocused on available carrots, it is time he experienced some heftier sticks.
A powerful underground explosion
was detected at 11:57 (02:57 GMT), followed three hours later by