News In Brief

New Zealand scolds France over new A-test in Pacific

Prime Minister David Lange criticized France yesterday for conducting another nuclear test on Mururoa atoll, in the Pacific Ocean, and said he would appeal to the French people to demand that the tests cease. Saturday's blast was the second in a week and the sixth this year. New Zealand, Australia, and other South Pacific nations have protested the tests, saying they jeopardize both the environment and the stability of the region.