Name: Chinese 'spy balloon': will USA return debris to Beijing? Watch Biden govt's answer
Uploaded: 2023-02-07T08:22:47.000+05:30
Duration: T00M43S
Channel: Editorji News Desk
Description: The balloon was destroyed on 4 February over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina.

They tried to disrupt the discussion while Junaid was responding to a question on the reasons why the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders were in jail.

 Separatists disrupt panel discussion on Kashmir in US, removed from venue

Six separatists were forcibly removed from the National Press Club Washington after they repeatedly disrupted a panel discussion on Kashmir. 

They tried to disrupt the discussion while Junaid was responding to a question on the reasons why the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders were in jail.

Six separatist loyalists were forcibly removed from the National Press Club&nbsp; in the US capital after they repeatedly disrupted a panel discussion on Kashmir.
The panel discussion titled 'Kashmir: From Turmoil to Transformation' was held on Thursday. It was moderated by columnist Se Hoon Kim and addressed by president of the Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party Mir Junaid, and Touseef Raina, president of the Municipal Council of Baramulla.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/vandalism-by-pro-khalistani-mob-at-indian-high-commission-raised-in-uk-parliament-1679621166583">Vandalism by pro-Khalistani mob at Indian High Commission raised in UK Parliament</a>
"The whole audience has seen your real face today. What we have seen in Kashmir, we saw in Washington today, and thank you for showing the world how cruel, and indecent these people are. You have seen it all,&rdquo; Junaid said as the separatist sympathisers were taken out of the room.
They tried to disrupt the discussion while Junaid was responding to a question on the reasons why the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders were in jail.
"They (Hurriyat leaders) are in jail because of their mistakes. They misled the people of Jammu Kashmir for their vested interests and gains. They spoiled our ecosystem of education. They were the spoilers of our economy. They were glorifying terrorism. They are in jail for their hate speech. They are in jail for their war crimes,&rdquo; Junaid said.
Referring to the disruption caused by the protestors, Raina said all these years this is what the separatists sponsored by Pakistan have been doing in Jammu and Kashmir.
"What these gentlemen did, the same thing they did in Kashmir. Whosoever was speaking, right, or for the people, was silenced by the gun,&rdquo; he said.
"I wish I get a chance to visit Pakistan. I want to meet the policymakers to stop funding terrorism,&rdquo; Raina said.&nbsp;

Abbey officials said that the section of the church's floor where the coronation chair has been placed for some 700 years, will be on display during Charles' crowning

Stand where the King stood: Westminister Abbey offers barefoot post-coronation tours

Visitors to London's Westminster Abbey will be allowed to stand for the first time on the exact spot where King Charles III will be crowned

Abbey officials said that the section of the church's floor where the coronation chair has been placed for some 700 years, will be on display during Charles' crowning

Visitors to London's Westminster Abbey will be allowed to stand for the first time on the exact spot where King Charles III will be crowned &mdash; though after the coronation. And they will need to make sure they don't have holes in their socks for the shoeless tour, meant to protect the abbey's medieval mosaic floor.
Abbey officials said Friday that the section of the church's floor known as the Cosmati pavement, where the coronation chair has been placed for some 700 years, will be on display during Charles' crowning ceremony after being hidden away under carpets for decades because of disrepair.
The pavement area, normally roped off to the public, will be open to small guided &ldquo;barefoot tours&rdquo; after the May 6 coronation. Visitors will be asked to remove their shoes to avoid wear and tear to the now-conserved floor.
&ldquo;Standing on the pavement and feeling that sense of awe of being in the central part of the abbey is a really amazing experience," said Scott Craddock, head of visitor experience at the abbey. &ldquo;It will give people the opportunity to feel what it's like being at that center stage of the coronation.&rdquo; The intricate mosaic of marble, stone, glass and metal, located in front of the abbey's high altar, was commissioned by Henry III in the 1200s and made by Italian craftsmen and English masons.
It is where English &mdash; and, later, British &mdash; coronations have taken place ever since, but the area was covered by carpet at many previous coronations, including those of Elizabeth II in 1953 and her father, George VI, in 1937.
It is said to be the best surviving example outside Italy of a rare type of mosaic stonework known as &ldquo;Cosmati,&rdquo; after the Italian family which created it. The mosaic was restored to its former glory after a two-year conservation project was completed in 2010.
&ldquo;It's a unique piece of art to Westminster Abbey but also to Britain itself &mdash; there are no other mosaic pavements like this in the U.K.,&rdquo; said Vanessa Simeoni, the abbey's head conservator.
Experts from the abbey will guide the tours, which will run on some days from May 15 to July 29.&nbsp;
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/how-royal-family-will-treat-harry-meghan-at-coronation-of-king-charles-iii-report-reveals-1678765999273">How royal family will treat Harry, Meghan at coronation of King Charles III: report reveals</a>

Netanyahu's coalition approved legislation that would protect the Israeli leader from being deemed unfit to rule

Israel passes law protecting Netanyahu as protests against judicial overhaul continue

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition on Thursday passed the first of several laws that make up its contentious judicial overhaul. 

Netanyahu's coalition approved legislation that would protect the Israeli leader from being deemed unfit to rule

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition on Thursday passed the first of several laws that make up its contentious judicial overhaul. Protesters opposing the changes staged another day of demonstrations to raise alarm over what they see as Israel's descent toward autocracy.
Thousands protested throughout the country, blocking traffic on main highways and scuffling with police in unrest that shows no sign of abating as the overhaul moves ahead.
Netanyahu's coalition approved legislation that would protect the Israeli leader from being deemed unfit to rule because of his corruption trial and claims of a conflict of interest surrounding his involvement in the legal changes.
Critics say the law is tailor-made for Netanyahu, encourages corruption and deepens a gaping chasm between Israelis over the judicial overhaul.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/israel-sees-day-of-resistance-against-judicial-overhaul-plan-1678368411512">Israel sees 'day of resistance' against judicial overhaul plan</a>

The app "will be blocked from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network"

TikTok banned in UK parliament, blocked from network

Britain's parliament has banned lawmakers from accessing TikTok via its internet network. 

The app "will be blocked from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network"

Britain's parliament Thursday joined the government in banning TikTok, depriving lawmakers of access to the Chinese-owned video app via its internet network.
The announcement came as TikTok's chief executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before a hostile US Congress over its alleged ties to the communist government in Beijing.
The app "will be blocked from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network", the House of Commons and House of Lords said, adding: "Cyber security is a top priority for parliament."
Individual lawmakers who are dedicated users of TikTok, such as Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, will still be able to use the app on their own phones, but not when connected via parliament's own WiFi network.
The UK announced last week a security ban of TikTok on government devices, in line with action by the European Union and the United States.
Shapps, who has more than 14,000 followers on TikTok, said he would comply with the ban on his government phone, but still use the app on his own devices.
The devolved government of Scotland announced Thursday that it would also ban the app on its official devices.
TikTok's owner ByteDance and the Chinese government have dismissed the security fears over the app and denounced the Western bans as politically motivated.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/north-korea-says-it-tested-new-underwater-nuclear-attack-drone-1679628981809">North Korea says it tested new underwater nuclear attack drone</a>

The tests are reported to have taken place between March 21-23.

North Korea says it tested new underwater nuclear attack drone

North Korea claimed Friday it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone able to unleash a "radioactive tsunami"

North Korea says it tested new underwater nuclear attack 'drone'

The tests are reported to have taken place between March 21-23.

North Korea claimed Friday it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone able to unleash a "radioactive tsunami", as it blamed recent US-South Korea exercises for a deteriorating regional security situation.
Pyongyang carried out drills in response this week, the official Korean Central News Agency said, including testing of the new underwater nuclear delivery system.
"This nuclear underwater attack drone can be deployed at any coast and port or towed by a surface ship for operation," the report said.
The weapon's mission is to "stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami ... to destroy naval striker groups and major operational ports of the enemy," it added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the tests, KCNA reported, and images released by Pyongyang's Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed a smiling Kim and what appeared to be an underwater explosion.
The agency also said Pyongyang had fired strategic cruise missiles "tipped with a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead" on Wednesday.
But analysts questioned North Korea's claims.
The idea that Pyongyang has "a nuclear-capable underwater drone should be met with skepticism," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/us-state-mandates-parental-consent-for-social-media-1679626806706">US state mandates parental consent for social media</a>

The law, which takes effect March 2024, also requires social media firms to grant parents full access to their children's accounts

US state mandates parental consent for social media

Utah on Thursday became the first US state to require social media sites to get parental consent for accounts used by under-18s. 

The law, which takes effect March 2024, also requires social media firms to grant parents full access to their children's accounts

Utah on Thursday became the first US state to require social media sites to get parental consent for accounts used by under-18s, placing the burden on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to verify the age of their users.
The law, which takes effect March 2024, was brought in response to fears over growing youth addiction to social media, and to security risks such as online bullying, exploitation, and collection of children's personal data.
But it has prompted warnings from tech firms and civil liberties groups that it could curtail access to online resources for marginalized teens, and have far-reaching implications for free speech.
"We're no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth," tweeted Spencer Cox, governor of the western US state, who signed two related bills at a ceremony Thursday.
The bills also require social media firms to grant parents full access to their children's accounts, and to create a default "curfew" blocking overnight access to children's accounts.
They set out fines for social media companies if they target users under 18 with "addictive algorithms," and make it easier for parents to sue social media companies for financial, physical or emotional harm.
"We hope that this is just the first step in many bills that we'll see across the nation, and hopefully taken on by the federal government," said state representative Jordan Teuscher, who co-sponsored the bill.

The TikTok boss assured that the app is not a national security risk.

Skeptical US lawmakers grill TikTok CEO over safety, content

U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday

The TikTok boss assured that the app is not a national security risk.

U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritises user safety and should not be banned.
Shou Zi Chew's rare public appearance came at a crucial time for the company, which has 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials.
TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.
In a bipartisan effort to reign in the power of a major social media platform, Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed Chew on a host of topics, ranging from TikTok's content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and its spying on journalists.
&ldquo;Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security,&rdquo; Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, said in her opening statement.
Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, told the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that TikTok prioritises the safety of its young users and denied it's a national security risk.
He reiterated the company's plan to protect U.S. user data by storing it on servers maintained and owned by the software giant Oracle.
&ldquo;Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,&rdquo; Chew said.
TikTok has been dogged by claims that its Chinese ownership means user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government or that it could be used to promote narratives favourable to the country's Communist leaders.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/judge-allows-anonymous-jury-for-trump-rape-lawsuit-trial-1679624586052">Judge allows anonymous jury for Trump rape lawsuit trial</a>

Former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s.

Judge allows anonymous jury for Trump rape lawsuit trial

Jurors' names will be kept secret at the upcoming civil trial in a writer's rape lawsuit against former President Donald Trump

Former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s.

Jurors' names will be kept secret at the upcoming civil trial in a writer's rape lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, a judge ruled Thursday, citing &ldquo;a very strong risk&rdquo; they would otherwise face harassment and more.
Anonymous juries are unusual, particularly outside criminal cases. The Associated Press and the Daily News of New York objected to the plan to conceal the identities of jurors in the trial over columnist E. Jean Carroll's claim &mdash; denied by Trump &mdash; that the Republican raped her in the 1990s.
But U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said he was concerned that jurors would be subjected to unwanted attention from the media and &ldquo;harassment or worse&rdquo; from supporters of a president who has railed against the judicial process, or from people unhappy with any verdict that might ensue.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/explained-allegations-levelled-by-stormy-daniels-against-donald-trump-1679314736648">Explained: allegations levelled by Stormy Daniels against Donald Trump</a>
&ldquo;On the basis of the unprecedented circumstances in which this trial will take place, including the extensive pretrial publicity and a very strong risk that jurors will fear harassment, unwanted invasions of their privacy and retaliation,&rdquo; he wrote, &ldquo;there is strong reason to believe that the jury needs the protection.&rdquo; Carroll's lawyers declined to comment. Trump lawyer Alina Habba said she didn't want jurors &ldquo;to feel any outside pressure or influence" at the trial, set to start late next month.
&ldquo;Anonymity will help ensure that their decision is based solely on the facts presented to them,&rdquo; Habba said, insisting those facts would &ldquo;irrefutably vindicate&rdquo; Trump.
Besides having their names kept confidential, jurors will be transported to and from court and sequestered from the public while on breaks there.
There is a history of federal courts finding that jurors' names are public record, and reasoning that such openness quells potential public suspicions about the selection process. But courts also have allowed exceptions to protect the jury, sometimes in cases involving allegations of terrorism, organized crime or prior jury tampering.

Vandalism by pro-Khalistani mob at Indian High Commission raised in UK Parliament

The Cabinet minister addressing the Business of the House, Penny Mordaunt, responded by reiterating Foreign Secretary James Cleverly earlier statement.&nbsp;

The vandalism by pro-Khalistan extremists at the Indian High Commission here was on Thursday raised in the House of Commons, with British MPs demanding action against "Khalistani hooligans" and the safety of India's diplomatic staff.
While Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman called for a debate in Parliament to discuss steps to ban groups behind the violence, Opposition Labour Party MP Gareth Thomas asked the Leader of the House of Commons about the steps being taken to ensure there is "no repeat of such behaviour".
The Cabinet minister addressing the Business of the House, Penny Mordaunt, responded by reiterating Foreign Secretary James Cleverly earlier statement announcing a review of the protection measures around the Indian mission.&nbsp;
"We strongly condemn the vandalism and violent acts that took place outside the Indian High Commission in London. It was a completely unacceptable action against the High Commission and its staff," Mordaunt told MPs.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/uk-premier-rishi-sunak-earned-millions-in-non-politics-income-releases-tax-returns-1679580818880">UK premier Rishi Sunak earned millions in non-politics income, releases tax returns</a>

UK PM Sunak releases tax returns; paid over GBP 1 million since 2019

 UK premier Rishi Sunak earned millions in non-politics income, releases tax returns

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid over £1 m in UK tax since 2019

Sunak, among the wealthiest British politicians, on Wednesday, revealed that he earned a total of GBP 4.766 million between 2019 and 2022 and paid GBP 1.053 million in tax - at a tax rate of around 22 per cent

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has released his tax returns, revealing that the British-Indian leader paid more than GBP 1 million to the Exchequer since becoming a frontline politician in 2019.
The tax release is part of a transparency commitment the UK premier made in November last year.
Sunak, among the wealthiest British politicians, on Wednesday, revealed that he earned a total of GBP 4.766 million between 2019 and 2022 and paid GBP 1.053 million in tax - at a tax rate of around 22 per cent.
Over the last tax year, when he was the finance minister, the 42-year-old leader paid GBP 325,826 in capital gains tax and GBP 120,604 in UK income tax on a total income of GBP 1.9 million.
"I published my tax returns in the interests of transparency, as I said I would, and I am glad to have done that," Sunak said during a visit to north Wales on Wednesday.
"I think ultimately what people are interested in is what I am going to do for them," he added.
Sunak came under pressure to publish his tax returns after his financial affairs came under the spotlight during the Conservative Party leadership election campaign last year, which he lost to Liz Truss before being elevated as Prime Minister after Truss' short-lived tenure at 10 Downing Street.
It followed the controversy around the non-domicile tax status of his wife, Akshata Murty, who has since relinquished the legal position, which meant she paid tax on her Indian earnings in India.
Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy said in April last year that she took the action to avoid the issue becoming a "distraction" for her husband, who was the UK chancellor of the exchequer at the time.
The Opposition Labour Party, which has often raised Sunak&rsquo;s wealth in Parliament to claim he fails to fully empathise with those struggling with a cost-of-living crisis in the country, questioned the &ldquo;much delay&rdquo; of their publication.
"They [tax returns] reveal a tax system designed by successive Tory governments in which the prime minister pays a far lower tax rate than working people who face the highest tax burden in 70 years," Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said.
The returns were published as MPs backed Sunak&rsquo;s revised post-Brexit deal with the European Union (EU) to resolve the issue of avoiding a land border between UK territory Northern Ireland and neighbouring EU member-state Ireland. While his predecessors, former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, were among some Conservative Party MPs joining Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in voting against the agreement, it passed by 515 to 29 overall in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The Windsor Framework, unveiled by Sunak last month, rewrites the Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol agreed upon by Johnson in 2019. The Tory MPs who voted against the new deal were among the supporters of the former PM, including former Indian-origin home secretary Priti Patel, who called upon Sunak to "negotiate a better deal".&nbsp;
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Avalanche in Sonamarg

The balloon was destroyed on 4 February over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina.

Chinese 'spy balloon': will USA return debris to Beijing? Watch Biden govt's answer

The balloon was destroyed on 4 February over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina.

Days after shooting down an alleged Chinese spy balloon, the United States of America on 6 February 2023 ruled out the possibility of returning the debris to Beijing.
&ldquo;I know of no such intention or plans to return it," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. The US government had said that initial analysis of the balloon showed that it was a surveillance tool.
The balloon was destroyed on 4 February over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina. The US military has recovered some remnants of the balloon from the surface of the sea, with efforts on to retrieve parts which sank underwater.
China had called the balloon a civilian research airship which blew off course.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/china-reacts-after-usa-shoots-down-spy-balloon-says-global-practice-violated-1675570113975">China reacts after USA shoots down 'spy balloon', says global practice violated</a>

N Korea claims ''radioactive tsunami'' weapon test

North Korean underwater drone can trigger radioactive tsunami: reports

North Korea claims to have tested nuclear-capable underwater drone to tackle enemy

The test this week came as the United States reportedly planned to deploy aircraft carrier strike groups and other advanced assets to waters off the Korean Peninsula
&nbsp;

North Korea claimed on Friday to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone designed to generate a gigantic &ldquo;radioactive tsunami&rdquo; that would destroy naval strike groups and ports. Analysts were skeptical that the device presents a major new threat, but the test underlines the North's commitment to raising nuclear threats.
The test this week came as the United States reportedly planned to deploy aircraft carrier strike groups and other advanced assets to waters off the Korean Peninsula.
Military tensions are at a high point as the pace of both North Korean weapons tests and US-South Korea joint military exercises has accelerated in the past year in a cycle of tit-for-tat responses.
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said the new weapon, which can be deployed from the coast or towed by surface ships, is built to &ldquo;stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami through an underwater explosion to destroy naval strike groups and major operational ports of the enemy.&rdquo; The North Korean report came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to make North Korea pay for its &ldquo;reckless provocations&rdquo; as he attended a remembrance service honoring 55 South Korean troops killed during major clashes with the North near their western sea border in past years.
The testing of the purported &ldquo;nuclear underwater attack drone&rdquo; was part of a three-day exercise that simulated nuclear attacks on unspecified South Korean targets, which also included cruise missile launches on Wednesday.
KCNA said that the drills were supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who condemned the US-South Korean drills as invasion rehearsals and vowed to make his rivals &ldquo;plunge into despair.&rdquo; The drone is named &ldquo;Haeil,&rdquo; a Korean word meaning tidal waves or tsunamis. The North's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos of Kim smiling next to a large torpedo-shaped object at an unspecified indoor facility, but didn't identify it.
Other photos published with the same article showed sea-surface tracks supposedly caused by the drone's underwater trajectory and a pillar of water exploding up into the air, possibly caused by what state media described as an underwater detonation of a mock nuclear weapon carried by the drone.
KCNA said the North's latest tests were aimed at alerting the United States and South Korea of a brewing &ldquo;nuclear crisis&rdquo; as they continue with their &ldquo;intentional, persistent and provocative war drills.&rdquo; The U.S. and South Korea completed an 11-day exercise that included their biggest field training in years on Thursday, and are preparing another round of joint naval drills that will reportedly involve a US aircraft carrier.
KCNA said the latest drills verified the operational reliability of the drone, which it said the North has been developing since 2012 and tested more 50 times in the past two years, although the weapon was never mentioned before in state media until Friday.
KCNA said the drone was deployed off the North's eastern coast on Tuesday, traveled underwater for nearly 60 hours, and detonated a test warhead at a target standing for an enemy port.
Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said that it's impossible to verify North Korea's claims about the drone's capabilities or that it had tested the system dozens of times.
But, he said, the North is intending to communicate that the weapon has enough range to reach all South Korean ports.
Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, questioned the wisdom of North Korea devoting resources to the drone system as a means of delivery versus its ballistic missiles when it has limited amounts of nuclear materials suitable for weapons.
&ldquo;This un-crewed underwater vehicle will be vulnerable to anti-submarine warfare capabilities if it were to deploy beyond North Korea's coastal waters. It will also be susceptible to preemptive strikes when in port,&rdquo; said Panda.
&ldquo;Indeed, the US and South Korea would have incentives in a crisis to preempt any such systems before they could deploy.&rdquo; North Korea is believed to have dozens of nuclear warheads and may be capable of fitting them on older weapons systems, such as Scuds or Rodong missiles.
However, there are different assessments on how far it has advanced in engineering those warheads to fit on the new weapons it has developed at a rapid pace, which might require further technological upgrades and nuclear tests.
Speaking to lawmakers on Thursday, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup said the North probably hasn't yet mastered the technology to place nuclear arms on its most advanced weapons, although acknowledging that the country was making &ldquo;significant progress.&rdquo; On Wednesday, North Korea also test-fired cruise missiles in launches that were detected and publicized by South Korea's military.
It also staged another nuclear attack simulation with a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday and flight-tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last week that may be able to reach the continental United States.
KCNA said Wednesday's tests were of four cruise missiles and two different types. The missiles flew for more than two hours in patterns over the sea while demonstrating an ability to strike targets 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) and 1,800 kilometres (1,118 miles) away.
It said the missiles' mock nuclear warheads were detonated 600 metres (1,968 feet) above their targets, which supposedly verified the reliability of their nuclear explosion control devices and warhead detonators.
KCNA said Kim Jong Un was satisfied with the three-day drills and directed unspecified additional tasks to counter the &ldquo;reckless military provocations&rdquo; of his rivals, indicating North Korea will further ramp up its military displays.
He &ldquo;expressed his will to make the US imperialists and the (South) Korean puppet regime plunge into despair&rdquo; with powerful demonstrations of his military nuclear program to make his rivals understand &ldquo;they are bound to lose more than they get&rdquo; with the expansion of their joint drills.
Kim issued similar language Sunday after a test-firing of a short-range ballistic missile from what was possibly a silo dug into the ground. The North's media said a mock nuclear warhead placed on the missile detonated 800 metres (2,624 feet) above water, an altitude that would maximize damage.
It was the first time North Korea publicised a nuclear detonation at such an altitude, though it has previously claimed to have simulated nuclear strikes on its rivals.
The North has fired over 20 ballistic and cruise missiles across 10 launch events this year as it tries to diversify its delivery systems and display the ability to conduct nuclear strikes on both South Korea and the US mainland.
North Korea already is coming off a record year in testing activity, with more than 70 missiles fired in 2022, as Kim accelerated a campaign aimed at negotiating badly needed sanctions relief from a position of strength and forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power.
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Trans flight attendant found dead after sharing an emotional note on social media

Transgender flight attendant found dead after sharing an emotional note

On March 20, Kayleigh Scott shared on social media about her deteriorating mental condition suggesting that she was "taking her final breaths and exiting earth, and therefore, wanted people to remember her for the good memories."

On March 20, Kayleigh Scott posted about her deteriorating mental condition saying she was "taking her final breaths and exiting earth, and therefore, wanted people to remember her for the good memories"

A United Airlines' transgender flight attendant who made headlines in 2020 after appearing in a company commercial on diversity was found dead after sharing an emotional note on social media, as per reports.
On March 20, Kayleigh Scott posted about her deteriorating mental condition saying she was "taking her final breaths and exiting earth, and therefore, wanted people to remember her for the good memories."
"As I take my final breaths and exit this living earth, I would like to apologize to everyone I let down," Scott wrote. "I am so sorry I could not be better. To those that I love, I am sorry I could not be stronger. To those that gave me their everything, I am sorry my effort was not reciprocated. Please understand that me leaving is not a reflection on you, but the result of my own inability to turn myself for the better," Scott wrote in a Facebook post.
Confirming Scott's death, her mother Andrea Sylvestro also shared a heartfelt note remembering her daughter and the odds she fought.
Meanwhile, as per a report in The Independent, the cause of Scott's death is being ascertained.
Kayleigh was reportedly battling depression.
Also <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/watch-naatu-naatu-light-show-by-us-car-maker-tesla-will-surely-make-you-groove-1679304401056">Watch: 'Naatu Naatu' light show by US car maker Tesla will surely make you groove</a>

According to the ALA, over 2,500 individual books were "targeted for censorship" last year, up from around 1,900 in 2021.

Attempts at banning books in US reach record high: report

Requests for books to be removed from US shelves soared to a record-high in 2022,

According to the ALA, over 2,500 individual books were "targeted for censorship" last year, up from around 1,900 in 2021.

Requests for books to be removed from US shelves soared to a record high in 2022, with the majority of titles "targeted for censorship" related to LGBTQ issues and minorities, according to data released by the American Library Association Thursday.
A total of 1,269 individual "challenges" -- demands to restrict or remove one or more books -- were filed in the United States last year, the NGO said.
This beat the previous record of 729 set a year prior, according to the association, which began recording such data in 2003.
"Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color," the ALA said.
"Overwhelmingly, we're seeing these challenges come from organized censorship groups that target local library board meetings to demand removal of a long list of books they share on social media," Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, said in a statement.
According to the ALA, over 2,500 individual books were "targeted for censorship" last year, up from around 1,900 in 2021.
The vast majority (86 percent) were children's books, and more than half (58 percent) were books taught or available at school.
"Their aim is to suppress the voices of those traditionally excluded from our nation's conversations, such as people in the LGBTQIA+ community or people of color."
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/china-reacts-to-reports-of-us-banning-tiktok-if-its-owner-doesn-t-sell-company-1679648792562">China reacts to reports of US banning TikTok if its owner doesn't sell company</a>

China slams possible US plan to force TikTok sale
 

China reacts to reports of US banning TikTok if its owner doesn't sell company

China slams possible US plan to force TikTok sale


Governments around the world are worried that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to Beijing or promote propaganda and disinformation
<div class="content-block">&nbsp;</div>

China&rsquo;s government says it would oppose any U.S. plan to force TikTok&rsquo;s Chinese owner to sell the short-video service.
TikTok has ballooned its American user base to 150 million in a few short years.
But governments around the world are worried that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to Beijing or promote propaganda and disinformation.
The Wall Street Journal reported U.S. authorities were considering banning TikTok if ByteDance doesn&rsquo;t sell the company.
&ldquo;If the news is true, China will resolutely oppose it,&rdquo; Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting said on Thursday, although she did not specify what that might entail.
She also warned that a ban would hurt investor confidence in the United States.
The debate about TikTok has been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology, as well as heightened tensions due to recent balloon politics and China&rsquo;s relationship with Russia.
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/us-state-mandates-parental-consent-for-social-media-1679626806706">US state mandates parental consent for social media</a>

The video shows England bowler Sam Curran & Chris Jordan bowling to Sunak in the garden at 10 Downing Street.

WATCH: UK PM Rishi Sunak plays cricket with England's World Cup winners 

England's T20 World Cup winners met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his official residence, where they all played a game of garden cricket together.

Click to watch.

The video shows England bowlers Sam Curran &amp; Chris Jordan bowling to Sunak in the garden at 10 Downing Street.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak enjoyed a game of cricket with England's T20 World Cup winners in the garden of his residence at 10 Downing Street.&nbsp;
In a clip shared by 10 Downing Street videographer Luca Boffa, Sam Curran &amp; Chris Jordan were captured bowling to Sunak, with the latter even managing to nick the UK PM off.
The English players, who won the World Cup in November last year, only got around to meeting Sunak now due to their hectic schedules.
Also read: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/sports-news/cricket/jonny-bairstow-to-miss-ipl-2023-after-ecb-deny-noc-liam-livingstone-cleared-reports-1679565619373">Jonny Bairstow to miss IPL 2023 after ECB deny NOC, Liam Livingstone cleared - Reports</a>

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