Artillery fire heard on South Korean island

Artillery fire has been heard on a South Korean island near waters disputed by North Korea suggesting a live-fire drill has begun.

The sound of artillery firing was heard from an air raid bunker on the Yeonpyeong, the island that came under North Korean attack last month.

Fog had delayed the drill from taking place on the island which is about 50 miles from mainland South Korea. A military official said he could not confirm that the exercise had begun.

A clash on the Korean peninsula could be a "national tragedy" that would imperil regional stability, a Chinese diplomat said at the UN Security Council meeting that failed to agree on defusing the Korean standoff.

China and Russia resisted moves to publicly blame North Korea over the standoff that has deepened since last month when the North shelled a South Korean island.

China has long stood as North Korea's only major ally and economic backer, and the United States and its regional allies have said Beijing must do more to rein in Pyongyang, which has threatened to strike back if the planned drills go ahead.