Pressure builds for new UN sanctions on North Korea after nuke test

The United States,Britain and France pushed the United Nations Security Council onFriday to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its fifth andbiggest nuclear test as the 15-member council condemned the moveby Pyongyang.

North Korea conducted the nuclear test on Friday and said ithad mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic
missile, ratcheting up a threat that its rivals and the UnitedNations have been powerless to contain.

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"North Korea is seeking to perfect its nuclear weapons andtheir delivery vehicles so they can hold the region and the
world hostage under threat of nuclear strike," U.S. AmbassadorSamantha Power told reporters ahead of the council meeting.

"We will take additional significant steps, including newsanctions to demonstrate to North Korea that there are
consequences to its unlawful and dangerous actions," Power said.

Prime Minister JustinTrudeaujoined the chorus of internationalcondemnation, calling the test a threat to the region's stability and an "unacceptable violation" of UN Security Council resolutions.

Minister of Foreign AffairsStphaneDion alsoreleaseda statement Friday saying that the test wasa direct threat to international security."Canada condemns in the strongest terms North Korea's announced detonation of a nuclear warhead," Dion said. "We call upon North Korea to comply with its international obligations, take concrete steps toward denuclearization and re-engage in meaningful negotiations for a peaceful political solution."

Dion expressed support for South Korea and Japan, sayingCanada "will examine further actions, in concert with the international community, in response to North Korea's behaviour."

UN Security Councilcondemnstest

North Korea has been under UNsanctions since 2006. InMarch, the Security Council tightened sanctions to further
isolate the impoverished country after its fourth nuclear testin January and a long-range rocket launch in February.

The Security Council condemned Friday's test, calling it "a clear violation and in flagrant disregard" of previous resolutions and of the nonproliferation regime.

In the unanimously adopted March resolution, the council expressed "its determination to take further significant measures in the event of a further DPRK (North Korea) nuclear test or launch."

The 15-member council said it will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures, without adding details.

"Weakness is simply not an option, North Korea will have tobear the consequences of its actions and provocations," FrenchUNAmbassador Francois Delattre told reporters. "France callsfor the adoption as soon as possible of a new resolution."

North Korea TV announcement on nuclear test

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North Korea TV announcement on nuclear test

Russian UNAmbassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters: "Ithink we should condemn it first of all and then we will see
what we can do."

Pyongyang has also carried out a string of ballistic missiletests this year in defiance of U.N. sanctions, which have all
been condemned by the Security Council.

In the unanimously adopted March resolution, the councilexpressed "its determination to take further significant
measures in the event of a further DPRK (North Korea) nucleartest or launch."

'Brazen breach'

British UNAmbassador Matthew Rycroft said there were aseries of steps the Security Council could take to respond toFriday's nuclear test and that Britain would like to see acombination of those steps imposed.

"First of all, there must be full implementation of theexisting sanctions, secondly there could be additional names
added to the existing sanctions regime ... and thirdly therecould be a tightening up and a strengthening of the sanctionsregime," Rycroft told reporters ahead of the council meeting.

UN condemns latest Korea nuclear test

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Ban Ki-moon calls test a 'brazen breach' of international law

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned NorthKorea's nuclear test on Friday as a "brazen breach" of UNSecurity Council resolutions.

"I count on the Security Council to remain united and takeappropriate action. We must urgently break this accelerating
spiral of escalation," he told reporters.