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France: Claimed N.Korea nuke test failed

By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 42 minutes ago

PARIS - France said outright for the first time Wednesday that
North Korea's proclaimed nuclear test produced such a small blast that it must have failed, and analysts warned such challenging talk could lead Pyongyang to try again.
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World powers stepped up a hunt for clues about the insular communist regime's test, with Britain sending refueling jets to join Japanese aircraft trawling the skies for any traces of radiation.

The blast from North Korea's first nuclear weapons test was believed to have been the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of tons of TNT, and was strong enough to send seismic waves as far as Japan's main island.