Tensions between North and South Korea continue to escalate: On Friday, North Korea blamed its southern neighbor of staging the sinking of its own warship, which killed 46 soldiers, denying any responsibility for the tragedy. It also warned that any retaliation for the incident would lead to armed conflict, and potentially “all-out war.” North Korea’s denial runs at odds with a recent multinational probe that determined that a torpedo fired by a North Korean submarine downed the ship. On Monday, meanwhile, South Korea announced that it would take a series of measures against North Korea, including a drastic reduction in trade.