UN may vote on N. Korea resolution tomorrow

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (Reuters) The UN Security Council may vote on a sanctions resolution against North Korea over the weekend but not today as originally planned, council diplomats said.

The United States had pushed for a vote today but Russia and China balked at some of the measures in a US-drafted resolution to punish North Korea for its announcement on October. 9 that it had tested a nuclear weapon.

Japan's UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, the current council president, told reporters yesterday he hoped for a vote on Saturday on a revised text, the third this week, which would be distributed later 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.'' REUTERS DH PM0412