The device was tested at high altitude over Christmas Island

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Britain has exploded its first hydrogen bomb as part of a series of tests in the Pacific, the Ministry of Supply has announced.

Details of the bomb, described only as a "nuclear device", are sketchy. The term "device" indicates that it was an experimental explosive rather than a fully developed weapon.

It was almost certainly part of the thermo-nuclear weapons programme which was started in December 1954 to develop the megaton hydrogen bomb, which is as powerful as one million tons of TNT.

The test was carried out at high altitude over the largely uninhabited Christmas Island to minimise nuclear fall-out.

This is the most important range of tests carried out by Britain, developed with limited resources and in a remarkably short space of time.

Scientists have taken two years to develop the tests compared with their American counterparts who took seven years before exploding their first device.

The bomb was dropped by a four-engined jet, Valiant of No 49 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, normally based at RAF Wittering, Northants.

The Minister of Supply, Aubrey Jones, was informed of the Pacific nuclear trials by Air Vice-Marshal WE Oulton, commander of the task force and WRJ Cook, scientific director of the program.

Scientists are evaluating the results of the testing and will make a further statement in the next few days.

Funerals took place one day after the Ma'alot school killings

Up to seven children were injured, nine critically, after Israeli troops stormed the building in an attempt to free the youngsters in Ma'alot, five miles (eight kilometres) from the Lebanese border.

As the troops entered the school the teenagers were reportedly attacked with handgrenadesby the Palestinians. An Israeli soldier is also believed to have died in the gun battle that followed.

Smoke could be seen pouring out of the windows as the Israeli soldiers threw out furniture which they feared was booby-trapped.

Gang stormed school

It is thought that around 100 pupils aged between 14 and 16 were in the school when the Palestinians stormed it in the early hours of this morning as the teenagers slept.

Fifteen people, children and teachers, managed to escape. A teenage boy was later sent out with a list of prisoners the hostage-takers wanted released in Israel.

The Knesset, the Israeli parliament, met in an emergency session, and by 1500 local time a decision was reached to negotiate.

The Israeli government talked to the hostage-takers, via a loudhailer, and had agreed to release 26 political prisoners held in Israel.

It appears that the deal to free the Israeli children broke down when the Palestinians inside the school failed to receive a code word they were waiting for from their organisation in Damascus.

The Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it carried out the attack.

School faced bomb threat

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir told reporters in Jerusalem that her government had been talking to the hostage-takers but had not been given enough time to complete preparations to free prisoners.

Mrs Meir described the group believed to be behind the attack as "an organisation of blood and murder".

Israel's Minister for Information, Shimon Perez, said the decision to storm the school had been taken at the last minute because it was feared the gang would blow it up with the children inside by an 1800 local time deadline.

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