A US drive to impose tough UN sanctions on North Korea for its reported nuclear explosion was delayed to Saturday at the earliest after China balked at Japan's UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, the current council president, told reporters he hoped for a vote on Saturday on a revised text, the third this week, which would be distributed later on Thursday for governments to analyse. "I think we are almost there and most likely, if we are lucky ... for a vote most likely Saturday," Oshima told reporters after a meeting he attended with the five permanent council members with veto power - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin also was optimistic, telling reporters, "There have been a number of changes, a number of improvements. I think that the unity of the Security Council at this stage ... is in good shape."