Kim Jong-un is plotting another ballistic test it has emerged this morning after Seoul simulated its own missile raid on the North in the wake of the dictator's hydrogen bomb test.

South Korea launched a spectacular rocket launch exercise hitting 'designated targets in the East Sea' last night in response to Pyongyang's provocative detonation.

The US warned it could launch a 'massive military response' to any threats from North Korea after the rogue state announced it had carried out its most powerful nuclear test yet.

Earlier, when asked if he planned to attack Pyongyang, Donald Trump replied, 'We'll see', and said he was holding a meeting with his military leaders. Mr Trump also tweeted that talk of appeasement was pointless because North Korea 'only understand one thing', as the state promised further tests.

His hard-line rhetoric was prompted by Pyongyang's announcement that it had successfully tested a weapon up to ten times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb that could kill millions of people. 

But this morning South Korea announced it had detected signs Kim Jong-un was preparing to carry out yet another launch - possibly of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Seoul and the US said this morning it will deploy more anti-missile defences despite a The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system already being installed in the South. Last night, the South's military conducted a live-fire exercise simulating an attack on the north's nuclear site, hitting 'designated targets in the East Sea', the report added, quoting the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  

Pictures showed South Korean short-range Hyunmoo ballistic missiles roaring into the sky in the pale light of dawn from a launch site on the country's east coast. Authorities released video showing South Korean F-15K fighter jets firing air-to-ground missiles.

The weapons accurately hit their targets in the East Sea - the Korean name for the Sea of Japan - the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The exercise 'was carried out as a strong warning' to the North for conducting its sixth nuclear test, it added. 

The training involved long-range air-to-surface missiles and ballistic missiles.

The country is also preparing fresh military drills with its ally the United States in response to North Korea's sixth and most powerful nuclear test a day earlier.

Nearly two decades after her mother’s traumatic death, Ann Reeves is still battling to discover the truth of what happened to her at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Hampshire.

Elsie Devine was 88 and weighed just seven stone when she died on November 21, 1999, after being ‘given enough drugs to lay out a six-foot violent man’, according to her family.

A month earlier, she’d been admitted to the small community hospital, which specialised in respite care, when her daughter Ann, with whom Elsie lived, had to go to London to be with her husband while he received treatment for leukaemia.

Mrs Devine was visited daily by her son, Harry, and kept herself busy sending cards to friends and relatives.

In a card to Ann, she wrote: ‘I feel lost without you all, but never mind. The important thing to me is that you are all alright. Nothing else. I don’t get up here till 8.30 am. One day they let me stay in till lunch. All I did was watch telly.’

Two weeks later, Elsie Devine, who her family say was suffering from a kidney infection, suddenly died. An inquest into her death said that she had been given inappropriate medication at the hospital.

Over the years, using the inquest’s papers and details in her mother’s medical file, her daughter has unravelled, hour by hour, Elsie’s last days. ‘She was treated with strong opiates, and we feel it was an overdose of these that caused her death,’ says Ann, now 71.

In a formal complaint to doctors’ watchdog the General Medical Council, she has explained: ‘On November 18 1999, my mother was administered with a 25mcg fentanyl patch that was only licensed that year to be used for “chronic intractable pain due to cancer”.’

Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller which is up to 100 times more potent than morphine.

Before receiving the patch, Elsie had bathed, had her hair washed and was up and dressed, sitting talking to a doctor. She even signed her pension book. Her medical notes for that morning show she was ‘happy, no complaints. No obvious paranoia’.

Ann’s GMC complaint goes on: ‘The following morning, when our mother woke with the fentanyl patch running at full strength, she was feeling the effects of what was an overdose. She was acutely confused and, most likely, terrified. She was then injected with 50mg of chlorpromazine [a sedative used to treat paranoia and agitation], double the dose for a normal adult and far higher than what should be used on the frail elderly.

‘Fifty-five minutes later, our mum was started on a syringe driver with 40mg of midazolam, another strong sedative, pumping directly into her body. A further 40mg of diamorphine [a painkiller] was added, which is four times the recommended dose.’

Little wonder that tiny Elsie was soon close to collapse.

As Ann says today: ‘After three hours, she fell unconscious and remained in a coma for two days, until she died.

‘It was all without any logic or justification. If you take fentanyl alone, it is only prescribed for people with intractable pain, and Mum was in no pain.’

This one story is disturbing enough — but Elsie was far from alone, say other relatives of the elderly who entered Gosport Memorial never to emerge alive.

They maintain the hospital had a suspiciously high death-rate in what they call ‘end of line’ wards.

Some relatives who visited the morgue to see their loved one’s bodies say it was full. They speak of a climate of fear, with one elderly patient begging his son: ‘Get me out of here — they are trying to kill me.’

A patients’ services officer at the hospital has revealed on an NHS staff internet site that during one busy afternoon, he consoled the next of kin of eight patients who had passed away overnight. Death certificates said they had each succumbed to pneumonia.

He said some of the elderly were ‘scared to go to sleep because they were afraid they would not wake up. They were distressed and frightened about being given painkillers’.

Now 120 families are hoping that the new findings of an independent investigation — headed by the former bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, who chaired the inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster — will end their torment.

It was announced recently that the £13 million inquiry will report next spring after examining 833 death certificates issued historically at the hospital.

What are you good at or have a natural aptitude for? Forget about what you’re good at but don’t really like doing much. I’m talking about the things you have a knack for that delight or happily occupy you.

Are there things you like to do that you don’t think you’re that good at, that other people have complimented you on? Perhaps you even dismissed or rejected their enthusiasm.

After much digging and questioning (I am a passion hound) I recently discovered that one of my coachingclients loves taking pictures. She rarely picks up her camera, as she didn’t think she was any good.

I asked her to email me some favorite shots and they were fantastic. She was skeptical at first, but when I convinced her that I knew what I was talking about (I have earned income from my own photography) she could hardly contain her excitement. She finally had “permission” to fully embrace this pastime that she loves so much. Yet when I had asked about her passions in our first session, she had come up empty.

Identifying things you love that you’re good at is a great way to unearth potential passions. Don't be concerned if what you love isn't practical or common (I get very excited about the uncommon).

Please note though that you don’t have to be good at something for it to quality as a passion. You don't have to ever earn a penny of income from it either. Talent can simply be a clue. When it comes to your passions, the only thing that matters is that you enjoy them.

2) Pay attention to who makes you annoyed or jealous

Are there people doing things that are “frivolous” who annoy you? Take a closer look at that annoyance. Is the truth behind your annoyance that you really wish you could live so freely, that you didn’t have so many serious responsibilities and could be as “immature” as they are?

After a lifetime of being an overachieving do-what-everyone-expects-of-me student, when I embarked on my Mexican adventure at 33 I wanted to give myself a break and find time to pursue my freshly discovered passions for writing and dancing. Most people thought I was nuts, but my father got the angriest. He told me I was wasting my life and should let him help me set up my own clinic instead.

He pounded the kitchen table with his fist, shouting “Life isn’t supposed to be fun! When are you going to grow up like the rest of us?”        

Thankfully I ignored him, as I did everyone else who tried to discourage me.

A few years later, when it was clear that living, writing and dancing in Mexico was one of the best decisions (and careermoves) I ever made, my dad sold his business. And moved to Hawaii. To write his first novel.

I’m convinced he was largely so upset because he wanted to do what I was doing. At the time, I’m quite sure he didn’t know that. But eventually he figured it out!

3) Think of what you loved to do as a child

This is probably the simplest way to unearth what pursuits hold the potential to light up your days. Before the grown-ups get to us with their ideas, most of us know exactly who we are and what would make us happiest.

Were you obsessed with horses? Maybe you should head to a dude ranch for your next vacation.

Loved finger painting or drawing? Sign up for an art class.

Sang at the top of your lungs until people begged you to stop? Think about joining a local choir (or starting your own garage band!)

4) Notice when you lose track of time, or what you hate to stop doing

When I work at the clinic seeing a long line-up of sore throats and knees, I watch the clock all day until I’m finally done. Yet when I have a patient in front of me who is depressed or anxious or newly diagnosed with a condition that would benefit from lifestyle change, I often lose my usual urgency and spend a big chunk of time with them. Not surprisingly, my true passion is life and health coaching, where I have the luxury of time with clients and love spending great swaths of time teaching and encouraging.

I dance flamenco until my legs or body force me to stop. I also love working on my "Health and Happiness Expert" business so much that I have to force myself to stop writing and reading to sleep and eat and play. It’s reverse clock-watching – I get annoyed as time goes by! What a different world.

What would you love to spend hours doing, that you never get enough time to do? That’s a passion, and you probably need to do it more than you are.

5) See your passion hunt as a fun, joyful adventure

In my coaching and speaking work I see people putting pressure on themselves to find their passion. I do believe it’s critically important to discover and engage in things that light you up, but it’s just as important to cultivate an un-serious child-like attitude of play, wonder and adventure.

When you deliberately open yourself to noticing things you might enjoy doing, don’t be afraid of getting it wrong. It’s all an adventure, you’re learning and growing as you go. Happiness research shows that trying new things increases dopamine levels in the brain, contributing to sustained levels of contentment. So try away!

Notice what you love. Notice what makes you feel like a kid. Notice what you long to have more time for.

Make time for these things, whatever you can manage, and watch your life start to change. It’s really magical.

How have you stumbled on passions in the past? Share your story in the comments section - I'd love to know, it will surely inspire other readers and will also help me continue to help other people find theirs.

4 FOODS MOST LIKELY TO CAUSE CANCER                     1

MICROWAVE
POPCORN.  Although only microwave-popcorn bags have been proven to contain carcinogens, the contents carry their own special set of health risks. As for the packaging: Conventional microwave-popcorn bags are lined with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also called C8. Numerous animal and human studies show that exposure to PFOA significantly increases the risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas and testicular cancers. On top of that, a condition called “popcorn lung” impedes breathing. Factory workers who produced microwave popcorn developed it from inhaling diacetyl, a synthetic butter flavoring. The good news? You can still enjoy microwave popcorn. Just use organic kernels, put them in a brown paper bag and lay it flat in the microwave.  2

CANNED
TOMATOES  The lining of almost all canned foods are made with a chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA. Even minuscule exposures to BPA increase the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, infertility, early puberty, metabolic disorders and type-2 diabetes, according to the Breast Cancer Fund. But tomatoes are exceptionally dangerous because of their high acidity, which causes BPA to leach from the lining of the can into the fruit. You’re better off using fresh tomatoes when you cook a meal or, if you prepare them ahead of time, storing them in glass jars.                                                                                                 3

FARMED
SALMONMore than 60 percent of the salmon consumed in the USA is farm raised, and that’s bad. Why? Studies have shown that farmed salmon contain high levels of PCBs, mercury and dioxins — three cancer-causing chemicals. Hardly surprising when you consider that these fish are fattened up with feed that’s contaminated with chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides. And their pinkish hue? It’s dye. On top of all that, farmed salmon has much less of the stuff that makes eating wild salmon a healthy choice. They’re lower in the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids that abound in wild specimens. Your move? Go wild when it comes to buying salmon.                                                                                                                                                 4

HYDROGENATED
OILS.       Hydrogenated oils are used to preserve processed foods, to give them an appealing look for a long as possible. The ugly truth: Those oils can influence cell membranes’ structure and flexibility, which can lead to cancer. Vegetable oils also contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause heart disease and increase the risk of various malignancies, particularly skin cancer. The body needs some omega-6s, but they should be balanced with omega-3s; wild salmon, mackerel and grass-fed meats are very good sources. When it comes to oil, your best bet is to use olive and coconut oils which are naturally, not chemically, extracted.

Secret networks of Freemasons have been used by organised crime gangs to corrupt the criminal justice system, according to a bombshell Metropolitan Police report leaked to The Independent.

Operation Tiberius, written in 2002, found underworld syndicates used their contacts in the controversial brotherhood to “recruit corrupted officers” inside Scotland Yard, and concluded it was one of “the most difficult aspects of organised crime corruption to proof against”.

The report – marked “Secret” – found serving officers in East Ham east London who were members of the Freemasons attempted to find out which detectives were suspected of links to organised crime from other police sources who were also members of the society. Famous for its secret handshakes, Freemasonry has long been suspected of having members who work in the criminal justice system – notably the judiciary and the police.

The political establishment and much of the media often dismiss such ideas as the work of conspiracy theorists. However, Operation Tiberius is the second secret police report revealed by The Independent in the last six months to highlight the possible issue. Project Riverside, a 2008 report on the rogue private investigations industry by the Serious Organised Crime Agency, also claimed criminals attempt to corrupt police officers through Freemason members in a bid to further their interests.

Concerns over the influence of freemasons on the criminal justice system in 1998 led former Home Secretary Jack Straw to order that all police officers and judges should declare membership of the organisation.

However, ten of Britain’s 43 police forces refused to take part and the policy was dropped under threat of legal action.  In England and Wales, the Grand Master of the Freemasons is Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. The United Grand Lodge of England declined to comment last night. 

The Independent revealed last week that Operation Tiberius found that organised crime syndicates such as the Adams family and the gang led by David Hunt were able to infiltrate the Met “at will”.

Asked to comment on the Tiberius report, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “The Metropolitan Police Service will not tolerate any behaviour by our officers and staff which could damage the trust placed in police by the public.

“We are determined to pursue corruption in all its forms and with all possible vigour.”

Nike employees continue to face poverty, harassment, dismissal and violent intimidation despite its pledge three years ago to improve conditions for the 500,000-strong global workforce.

A new report, Still Waiting For Nike To Do It, published by the San Francisco-based Global Exchange, says Nike workers still toil for excessive hours in high-pressure work environments while not earning enough to meet the basic needs of their children. he report's findings will further embarrass a company already discredited by consumer groups for exploitation of labour. 

In 1996 Nike was severely embarrassed when a US magazine featured a photograph of a young Pakistani boy sewing together a Nike football. The following year it was revealed that workers in one of its contracted factories in Vietnam were being exposed to toxic fumes at up to 177 times the Vietnamese legal limit. 

Still Waiting For Nike To Do It follows up the various promises made three years ago by Phil Knight, the company's chairman, to overhaul appalling conditions faced by the Nike workforce. 

Standing before the American National Press Club in Washington DC, Knight told journalists and trade union activists that he personally would ensure an improvement in conditions at Nike factories around the world. He promised six main improvements: 

• All Nike shoe factories would meet US air quality standards. 

• The minimum age would be raised to 18 for workers in Nike shoe factories and 16 those in for clothing factories. • Nike would include non-governmental organisations in factory monitoring, and the company would make inspection results public. 

• Nike would expand its worker education programme, with free secondary-school equivalent courses. 

• A loan programme would be expanded to benefit 4,000 families in Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand. 

• Research on responsible business practices would be funded at four universities. 

The Global Exchange report concludes, however, that the projects Knight announced have been of 'little benefit to Nike workers' or 'have helped only a tiny minority, or else have no relevance to Nike factories at all'. And while the report's authors find that 'the education programme has ex-panded, wages paid in Nike factories are so low that the great majority of workers cannot afford to give up overtime income in order to take one of the courses'. While its $9 billion turnover in 2000 was an increase of 2.5 per cent on the year before, sales of Nike products fell by nearly 8 per cent in 1999. And as rival shoemaker Reebok has seen its share price rise from $8 to $30 in the past year, Nike's stock has fallen by 15 per cent. 

In February, Nike issued a report confessing the company's role in facilitating worker exploitation. It uncovered the exchange of sexual favours for jobs at factories in Indonesia. The company - which sponsors sports celeb rities such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods - revealed that 30 per cent of the employees interviewed at Nike franchises in Indonesia had been abused verbally. 

Jason Mark, of Global Exchange, said: 'The key to solving many of Nike's problems would be to pay a living wage that allowed workers to save money, raise a family and move up to their society's middle class. Nike says they can't find a formula because it's different for every country. It's an assumption that's convenient for them, because it allows them to pay lower wages.

Primark was embroiled in a new row over the treatment of sweatshop workers today as shareholders gathered to celebrate record profits at the budget clothing chain.

According to new research by charity War on Want, workers stitching Primark clothes in Bangladesh earn so little that they cannot eat properly, and many end up "malnourished". In interviews with the charity, they claimed to be working up to 84 hours a week, and were subjected to verbal threats and banned from joining a trade union.

If true, the allegations would breach a code of conduct introduced by Primark to improve the treatment of workers amid allegations of exploitation. In 2006 and 2008 War on Want reports claimed Bangladeshi workers making clothes for Primark and other British retailers earned as little as 3p an hour for toiling around the clock. Last year, a six-month investigation by the BBC's Panorama found that children as young as 11 had been sub-contracted to sew beads and sequins on to Primark tops in India.

In the wake of that scandal – a flagrant breach of the £2bn-a-year retailer's regulations – Primark promised to redouble its efforts to end sweatshop labour, even setting up a website, Ethical Primark. But War on Want claimed its latest evidence showed that the improvements had not made a difference to the lives of workers. It timed its release to cause maximum embarrassment to Associated British Foods, Primark's parent company, as investors toasted an 8 per cent rise in operating profits to £252m at its annual meeting in London today.

Primark responded by criticising War on Want for not passing on the name of the factory, which it said would hamper efforts to tackle any abuses. The firm stressed that ethical behaviour was of the utmost importance to them and assured shoppers they could continue visiting Primark's 136 UK stores with a clean conscience.

A War on Want researcher interviewed 18 workers at one factory – which also makes clothes for high-street stores New Look and Zara – in Bangladesh in October. War on Want declined to name the factory to prevent reprisals or the cancellation of contracts, which might throw the workers out of a job.

The workers interviewed were making clothes only for Primark. Zara said it had a code of conduct and would look into any problems. New Look made no comment. According to Primark's code of conduct, workers should have a maximum 48-hour week, voluntary overtime, wages allowing them to meet basic needs, good sanitation and the right to join a union.

Employees claimed they earned as little as 2,200 taka (£19) a month before overtime – less than half the living wage in Bangladesh of at least 4,500 taka (£39 a month). Factory staff said they worked up to 84 hours a weeks, without access to clean drinking water. Female workers said they were subjected to "verbal threats" if they complained or asked for time off.

According to War on Want, most employees live in slum homes with up to three family members per room, without access to clean water or hygienic toilets. "Workers interviewed were exhausted and malnourished," it said. One employee, Madhovi, 21, said: "My mother is losing her sight in our family's village. The pay is so little that I cannot afford to send money for her treatment."

Khorshed Alam, War on Want's Dhaka-based researcher, said: "None of Primark's claims – so-called ethical staff, training and audits – have made any difference to the workers' poverty." Simon McRae, senior campaigns officer at War on Want, said: "Our research underlines the abuse which faces overseas garment workers producing high-street clothes. Shoppers cannot rely on retailers to police themselves." He called for new legislation to improve the lives of foreign workers making clothes for British stores.

Primark issued a robust response. It said: "Primark is greatly concerned that the campaigning group War on Want is claiming once again to have identified a factory owned by a third-party supplier in Bangladesh where working conditions fall below the standards expected both by this company and two other high street brands.

"Primark shares and recognises many of the concerns raised by War on Want, and has asked it to identify factories where it believes standards are not high enough."

Primark added that ethical business practices were of "paramount importance". The company said: "That is why we work tirelessly with our suppliers and other stakeholders, including those in Bangladesh, to raise standards and to ensure the welfare of the workers that depend on the orders placed at these factories."

Primark's code: And what the workers say

Wages

Primark's code of conduct says wages would be "enough to meet basic needs and to provide discretionary income".

Workers in Bangladesh claim to be paid as little as £19.42 a month – half a "living wage" of £39.74. War on Want says they cannot afford nutritious food, decent housing or adequate healthcare

Hours

Primark's code says "workers shall not be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week" and overtime must be voluntary.

Workers say they work up to 14 hours a day, six days a week. Overtime is "mandatory." The average week is 70 hours. Workers are "exhausted and malnourished"

Conditions

Primark says factories must provide a "safe and hygienic" working environment, clean toilets and potable water.

Workers say there is no safe drinking water and toilets are dirty

Abuse

The code bans physical and verbal abuse and sexual or other harassment.

Women say they suffer physical and verbal abuse for enquiring about pay and overtime.

A doctored photograph showing Ku Klux Klan hoods covering the faces of all but three black children at a New Mexico high school has left parents outraged.

A student at Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque allegedly took the photo and with another pupil posted the image to social media on August 25, according to local ABC affiliate KOAT. 

The two students were suspended from school as a result.  One of them was also kicked off the football team due to the offensive photograph. The mother of one student not covered in the photograph called the incident 'disgusting,' saying she was concerned for her daughter's safety.

'It was appalling, disgusting. We felt like this was just a serious display of hate,' said Mary Morrow-Webb, who has two other daughters that attend Volcano Vista. 

'I was shocked, angry, afraid for my daughters. I just can't imagine what they feel like walking through the halls, having to deal with this,' the father, Lamont Webb told KOAT, adding that his children have complained about racist bullying before.

In fact, the Webbs say they have alerted the school to bigotry and bullying in the past, but have yet to see any results. 'We've been coming in with complaints of my daughter saying someone called her the N-word,' Morrow-Webb said. 'Someone called her a porch monkey and different things like that on a regular basis.' 

'And now they say they can't go back,' Morrow-Webb continued. 'And we can't afford to send our daughters to private school, so what options do they have? They finally have broken my girls. So what do we do?' 

The principal of Volcano Vista, Dr. Vickie Bannerman, sent a letter to parents saying the picture was 'repugnant and hateful,' adding that students 'shouldn’t use (a social media) platform to harass, tease or threaten others.'

Albuquerque Public School superintendent Raquel Reedy has called the photo unacceptable, and said the authorities have been alerted to the situation. We took this to our police department,' Reedy told the broadcaster.

'They came and investigated and are really looking very carefully at whether we should file charges for hate crimes. This is something we're looking at very carefully because it's this serious.' 

Asked about prior incidents of racism not being addressed by the school, Reedy said that the new administration at Volcano Vista will be pro-active in deterring such behavior.  

'The fact is that [Dr. Bannerman] is out to make sure that this doesn't happen again,' Reedy said. 

'She is adamant that the school is going to be safe for every single student that attends, and I would encourage any parent who has any concerns to contact Ms. Bannerman because she will look into it and they would be heard. 

North Korea has confirmed its test of a hydrogen bomb meant for an intercontinental ballistic missile was a 'perfect success'.

The country's sixth nuclear test - 10 times more powerful than its fifth - sparked a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake which was detected in the northeast of the country where North Korea's test site Punggye-ri is located.

The hydrogen bomb test ordered by leader Kim Jong-Un was a 'meaningful' step in completing the country's nuclear weapons programme, state television said.

The statement read: 'Scientists in the nuclear field of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] successfully carried out a test of H-bomb for ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] in the northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK at 12:00 on September 2, true to the Workers' Party of Korea's plan for building a strategic nuclear force.'

It said radioactive material did not leak into the environment. 

The announcement was delivered by news anchor, Ri Chun-hee - who has been making announcements on Korean Central Television for more than 40 years. 

North Korean television also released photographs appearing to show Kim signing the order to carry out the country's sixth nuclear test. 

The test is a direct challenge to President Donald Trump, who hours earlier had talked by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the 'escalating' nuclear crisis in the region. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a statement its military has strengthened monitoring and readiness and is mulling a variety of possible responses that could be pushed together with its ally the U.S.

It says it detected a seismic wave from 12.34pm to 12.36pm Sunday around Punggye-ri.  

South Korea's weather agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff said an artificial 5.7 magnitude quake occurred at 12.29pm local time, in Kilju, northern Hamgyong province, the site where North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in the past. 

Seoul officials revised their earlier estimate of 5.6 magnitude quake. The U.S. Geological Survey called the first quake an explosion with a magnitude 6.3.

The US State Department had no immediate reaction. South Korea's presidential office said it will hold a National Security Council meeting chaired by President Moon Jae-in.

'It is absolutely unacceptable if North Korea did force another nuclear test, and we must protest strongly,' Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

China's earthquake administration detected a second tremor of magnitude 4.6 in North Korea minutes after the first. It described the event as a cave-in. South Korea's weather agency, however, said no second quake occurred. A US researcher told the BBC that if the earthquake was caused by a nuclear blast, it would be the largest atomic test conducted by North Korea.

Dave Schmerler, of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies: 'This would be the largest nuclear test that North Korea has ever conducted. We should definitely be alarmed.' 

Japan's Ministry of Defence has dispatched three military jets to test for radiation.  

Tremors caused by the nuclear test were at least ten times as powerful as the last time Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb a year ago, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said at a briefing aired by public broadcaster NHK.

The previous nuclear blast in North Korea is estimated by experts to have been around 10 kilotons.

South Korea's defence committee says the blast was about 100 kilotons - powerful enough to destroy an entire city, BBC reports.

People in the Vladivostok in eastern Russia said they felt the tremors.

Black and ethnic minority people are much more likely to be jailed for committing a crime than white people, research has suggested.

The study, compiled as part of a landmark review into racism in the criminal justice system, found stark inequality in likelihood of sentencing for both black and Asian people, compared to white convicts. For every 100 white women handed custodial sentences at crown courts for drug offences, 227 black women were given prison terms. 

For black men, the figure was not as marked but still considerably higher, with 141 black men jailed for every 100 white men. The likelihood of receiving a custodial sentence also varied by crime. Regarding convictions for sexual offences, 208 black men and 193 Asian men received jail terms for every 100 white men.

The report has suggested that “unconscious racial bias” in criminal justice may exist and therefore require further investigation to establish how it shapes sentencing. Labour MP David Lammy who is leading the probe into racism in the criminal justice system said: “These emerging findings raise difficult questions about whether ethnic minority communities are getting a fair deal in our justice system.

“We need to fully understand why, for example, ethnic minority defendants are more likely to receive prison sentences than white defendants. These are complex issues and I will dig deeper in the coming months to establish whether bias is a factor.