S. Korea Bent on Military Drills

Despite an attempt by the U.N. Security Council to defuse an escalating crisis on the Korean peninsula, South Korea is pushing ahead with plans to conduct live-fire drills on a border island. Seoul has scheduled the exercises for Monday; the North has warned of a “catastrophe” if the South follows through with the plans. Russia called for an emergency Security Council session on Sunday, claiming that escalation on the peninsula “directly affects the national security interests of the Russian Federation.” Moscow requested that the powerful council issue a statement urging the dueling nations to “exercise maximum restraint," but the eight-hour meeting ended without resolution.