The U.N. Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea for its attempted launch of a long-range rocket last week and agreed to impose new sanctions on the increasingly isolated nation. The Council unanimously adopted what is known as a Presidential statement, which called Friday's launch a serious violation of existing Security Council resolutions aimed at halting Pyongyang's use of ballistic missile technology.

Meanwhile, Japanese media reports quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Pyongyang has rescinded an invitation for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities. The reports said the action was taken in retaliation for a U.S. decision to withhold food aid because of Friday's attempted satellite launch. The failed launch lasted only a few minutes and ended in embarrassment for Pyongyang when the rocket broke apart and fell into the Yellow Sea.