Japan PM: 'severe' sanctions over NKorea nuke test

(AP) Japan's prime minister says the world should impose tough new sanctions against North Korea if it goes ahead with plans for a nuclear test.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a television talk show Tuesday that Japan and the international community will need to impose quite severe measures against North Korea if it conducts the test. He said North Korea would not gain anything from such a provocation.

Last week, North Korea announced plans for a nuclear test after the United Nations Security Council punished it for firing a long-range rocket in December. The Security Council said the rocket violated a ban on nuclear and missile activity and ordered the regime to refrain from a nuclear test. North Korea says it launched a satellite as part of a peaceful space program.