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SEOUL—North Korea said Wednesday that it successfully staged its first test of a more powerful form of a nuclear weapon, expanding the U.S.’s foreign-policy challenges and highlighting the limits of China’s ability to rein in its volatile ally. An announcer on North Korean state television said in a midday broadcast that scientists had successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb at around 10 a.m. local time. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake was triggered at that time near North Korea’s nuclear test site in the northeast of the country. Experts have said it was unclear whether North Korea had developed the ability to build a hydrogen bomb. The magnitude of the latest explosion was the same as a 2013 test of an atomic bomb. U.S. officials said they were working to confirm North Korea’s claim. In the past, U.S. officials have questioned North Korea’s claims to technological breakthroughs. At the same time, the Pentagon last year said it has determined that Pyongyang is close to or already capable of miniaturizing nuclear warheads so they can be mounted on missiles and launched across the globe. Confirmation that Pyongyang has conducted a nuclear test of any kind is likely to accelerate U.S. responses across a variety of fronts, and add to pressure on the Obama administration to step up action on sanctions and missile defense. North Korea has staged three test detonations of atomic bombs; the latest was in 2013. A hydrogen bomb is more powerful and uses nuclear fusion to trigger an uncontrolled chain reaction. “The yield of this explosion doesn’t seem to be big enough to be a classic hydrogen bomb,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. In a statement from its state media following the test, North Korea said its scientists had verified “the power of a smaller H-bomb.” South Korea denounced the test as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban the North’s nuclear weapons development. “North Korea’s provocation is in clear violation of Security Council resolutions and a serious challenge to international peace and security,” Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam said during an emergency meeting of ministry officials.U.S. officials say they have repeatedly tried to engage North Korea in dialogue about its nuclear program in recent months, but Pyongyang hasn’t responded to their advances. John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, said the decision to go ahead with a test was likely driven by technical needs to continue to test nuclear devices. While the nature of the latest test remained unclear, it highlighted the commitment of North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, to continue confronting its neighbors despite recent hopes of a shift in its emphasis on dialogue. In a speech on New Year’s Day, Mr. Kim said he remained committed to a military confrontation with other nations, even as he called for talks with South Korea. Following an armed standoff in August, the two Koreas agreed to hold high-level dialogue but the talks have stalled due to differing priorities held by each side.

WP holds Meet-the-People Sessions by Tanya Fong 04:47 AM May 24, 2011 SINGAPORE - As they battled the sweltering heat under the void decks, Workers' Party Members of Parliament for Aljunied GRC in Eunos, Paya Lebar and Serangoon met their residents for the first time. And while they continued with WP chief Low Thia Khiang's tradition of holding their Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) in void decks and meeting them one-on-one, Mr Chen Show Mao and his volunteers also added a systematic touch. Organising his team into six groups, Mr Chen led the charge, while four other groups of volunteers also met residents and one group took charge of registration. Said Mr Koh Choong Yong, WP's webmaster and youth wing president, who helped out at Mr Chen's MPS: "The residents have not seen their MP for four weeks and this is the first for them with Mr Chen and the party so we expected a crowd, and decided to try out this system to streamline the process." All residents would get to meet Mr Chen and they could choose to consult the other volunteers, added Mr Koh, noting that response has been good. Spotted helping out at Mr Chen's MPS were Mr L Somasundaram, Ms Frieda Chan, members of WP's Moulmein-Kallang team in the recently-concluded General Election, as well as Mr Mohamed Fazli from the East Coast team. In total, 45 residents registered at Mr Chen's MPS. Said Mr Chen: "I'm very excited and very happy to serve because we are listening to the real problems of residents." The void deck at Block 146, Serangoon North Avenue 1, where Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim met residents was also abuzz, with residents bringing down their own chairs when they heard there were not enough chairs for the MPS attendees. Noting that town councils will be officially handed over to elected MPs this Friday, Ms Lim said: "Obviously, it's a new chapter for us - the Workers' Party and for me personally. Finally, we have a mandate from the people to hold a Meet-the-People session, to represent them in whatever appeals that they may have with the government department. So it's really quite something." Moulmein-Kallang candidate Toh Hong Boon and Nee Soon candidate Sajeev Kumalasan were also there to help. About 40 residents brought a range of issues from family problems to legal matters. A parent who lived in Kovan also brought her daughter to ask Ms Lim for advice on her university admission. Madam Zheng Feng Mei, 66, who sought Ms Lim for help regarding a legal matter surrounding her late father's flat, said in Mandarin: "I feel better after talking with her and that someone can help me." At Block 615, Bedok Reservoir Road, Mr Pritam Singh met 48 residents, as well as having a surprise visit from former MP for Aljunied GRC Zainul Abidin, who was at the community club nearby. Meanwhile, the party's first open house since the elections saw some 150 members of the public packing into its headquarters in Syed Alwi Road last night. The WP's MP for Hougang Yaw Shin Leong, NCMP Gerald Giam and Nee Soon GRC team leader John Yam fielded a slew of questions from the audience over one-and-a-half hours, ranging from ways they can volunteer in the WP and the party's plans. Several of them also threw up suggestions, such as setting up a Malay bureau for better outreach and building up a database on the demographic profiles of different constituencies. First MPS by Chen Show Mao https://www.facebook.com/notes/chen-show-ma...156303197768282 First MPS (May 23, 2011) by Chen Show Mao on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 12:52am I've been looking forward to this evening. Aljunied is our home and we look forward to making our home even better for every one of us. The Aljunied MPs begin our Meet-the-People sessions this week. I belong to a dedicated and enthusiastic team. I know Aljunied will be well served. Mr Low has set the bar for us in his 20 years as Hougang's MP. I will listen very intently and offer my views and assistance. I hope to do more, though. I hope to work together with the residents to find solutions to the problems that we face here in Aljunied, so that we all feel more empowered to make a difference in our lives. 阿裕尼的人民是我們的衣食父母。為他們服務是我們最基本、最核心、最重要的工作，我們一定會把它做好。 At our first MPS, many came with their good wishes, some even brought us flowers, banners, pictures, chrysanthemum tea and kindly-thought-of flax oil. On our void deck, the tables and chairs were set up expertly, and the process flowed smoothly, thanks to our many volunteers. There was still a great deal of waiting around by the residents, which we hope to reduce in the future with the help of more volunteers. A resident had too much to drink and grew boisterous, but managed to tell us most of his woes.