UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council strongly condemned on Sunday North Korea’s rocket launch and said it would speed up work on a sanctions resolution “in response to these dangerous and serious violations”.

The statement was adopted by China, Pyongyang’s ally, and the 14 other council members during an emergency meeting called after Pyongyang said it had put a satellite into orbit with a rocket launch.

A draft resolution prepared by Japan, South Korea and the United States has been in negotiations for weeks. But Beijing has been reluctant to back measures that would take aim at North Korea’s already weak economy.

The 15-member council said it would “adopt expeditiously” a new sanctions resolution, but there was no indication that China would agree to US demands to include tougher measures.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2016