Helen Clark still in UN race but for how long?

This morning marks the turning point in Helen Clark’s bid for the top job at the United Nations, with the third ‘‘straw poll’’ of the 15 Security Council members. At the last poll Clark was ranked seventh of the 10 still in the race. She needs to improve on that to keep alive her hopes of being the ‘‘compromise candidate’’ if the permanent five members on the council use their vetoes to cancel out their first preferences. But Russia’s preference for an East European remains a big stumbling block.