News
North Korea Launches 2 Missiles To Sea As Allies Hold Drills
North Korea conducted SEOUL, South Korea, Two short-range ballistic missile tests on Tuesday, one day after the US and South Korea started military exercises that Pyongyang considers a practice for an invasion.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea claimed in a statement that the missiles were fired from the coastal town of Jangyon in the country’s southwest and crossed over to North Korea before splashing down in the water off its eastern coast. It claimed that each missile had flown 620 kilometers (385 miles).
According to reported flight distances, the missiles appear to be aimed at South Korea, home to around 28,000 American troops. The military of South Korea referred to the launches as “a grave provocation” that jeopardizes regional peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The American Indo-Pacific Command declared that its partners were not immediately in danger from the launches on Tuesday. It also stated that the United States’ security commitment to South Korea and Japan remains “ironclad” and that the North’s recent tests demonstrate the “destabilizing consequences” of its illegal weapons programs.
According to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, there were no early reports of damage in Japanese waters, but officials were still gathering information on the North Korean launches.
Pyongyang may intensify its weapons testing in the upcoming days in retaliation for the allied military exercises scheduled to last through March 23. The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, ordered his forces this week to be prepared to fend off what he described as the “frantic war preparedness measures” of his country’s adversaries.
Pyongyang may intensify its weapons testing in the upcoming days
After North Korea test-fired more than 70 missiles in 2022, many nuclear-capable weapons, and publicly threatened to use them in future confrontations with the United States and South Korea, concerns about its nuclear program have risen considerably.
North Korea is taking advantage of the long-stalled talks with Washington and the growing U.S.-South Korean drills to maximize its leverage in future negotiations with the United States.
The United States is a member of the Organization of American States, which is a member of the Organization of American States. But, other observers believe that a more consolidated Washington-Seoul-Tokyo partnership may encourage Pyongyang, Beijing, and Moscow to improve their trilateral relations.
Russia and China have frequently thwarted attempts by the United States and its allies to impose more stringent sanctions on North Korea because they are involved in conflicts with the United States.
The North conducted its second weapons test this week with Tuesday’s missiles. North Korea announced on Monday that it had tested two cruise missiles from a submarine the day before. Although foreign experts disagree on whether Pyongyang has operational nuclear-armed missiles, it was claimed that cruise missiles were being manufactured to carry nuclear warheads.
Although they are more difficult to detect, submarine-launched missile systems would allow the North to mount a second attack in retaliation. Yet according to analysts, the tightly sanctioned country would need years, a lot of money, and significant technological advancements to construct a fleet of submarines that could operate strikes reliably and stealthily.
The North conducted its second weapons test this week with Tuesday’s missiles.
North Korea has improved its submarine launch capabilities since its initial test in 2016. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan added that the country analyzed Sunday’s launches to gauge the North’s capabilities.
Sullivan added, “But of course, we’re not going to let any actions North Korea takes dissuade us or prevent us from taking the actions that we feel are essential to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The joint exercises between the United States and South Korea that began on Monday involve field drills and computer simulations of North Korean aggression and other security scenarios. According to South Korean defense officials, the field exercises would revert to the size of the greatest springtime exercises for the allies that were last staged in 2018.
The number of joint exercises between the two nations has increased as North Korea’s nuclear threats have increased.
Regardless of whether “North Korea attempts to disrupt them with provocations like missile launches,” Jeon Ha Gyu, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday, U.S.-South Korea drills would go on as usual. Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department, said on Monday that the United States has made it clear that it has no hostile intentions toward North Korea and that the ongoing training exercises between the allies are “purely defensive in character.”
During telephone conversations for the second consecutive day to discuss the North Korean launches, the main South Korean and U.S. nuclear envoys reiterated Tuesday that the North would face “clear repercussions” for its actions without detailing what those would be. According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, they pledged to be “firmly ready” to retaliate against any provocations from North Korea.
The North Korean menace is anticipated to be a prominent topic of discussion at the summit between Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, and Kishida in Tokyo later this week. After years of disagreements resulting from Japan’s colonial domination over the Korean Peninsula before the end of World War II, the shared urgency over security is bringing Seoul and Tokyo closer together.
SOURCE – (AP)
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who served for more than three decades and was a pioneer for women in American politics, passed away at 90.
Feinstein was the eldest senator in the United States, and she voted on Thursday.
The veteran Democrat was questioned about alleged memory and cognitive issues for months.
After a “minor fall” at home in April, she was admitted to the hospital, the latest in a series of health concerns.
The office of Ms. Feinstein stated in a statement that she died overnight at her residence in Washington, DC.
The statement continued, “Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who had an enormous impact on our country and her home state.” She left an incontestable and extraordinary legacy.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California must now appoint her replacement. He had previously promised to nominate a black woman to serve the remainder of her term, which ends in 2025.
Ms. Feinstein, born in 1933 and grew up in San Francisco, attended Stanford University and was elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1969.
This election marked the beginning of a long career in public service that led her to become the first female mayor of San Francisco and, in 1992, a senator.
She had previously proclaimed her intention to retire at the end of the following year, but she resisted mounting pressure. Several prominent Democrats, including Representatives Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, have previously declared their intentions to run for her Senate seat.
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who served for more than three decades and was a pioneer for women in American politics, passed away at 90.
In a statement issued after her passing, US President Joe Biden said that Ms. Feinstein “made history in so many ways, and generations to come will benefit from her legacy.”
Due to a case of shingles, she was absent from Capitol Hill for nearly three months earlier this year. Upon her return, she assumed fewer responsibilities and used a wheelchair to navigate the US Capitol. She occasionally appeared perplexed in interviews, committee hearings, and floor votes.
Ms. Feinstein was well-known for her ardent support of gun control measures and the 1994 assault weapons prohibition signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
After the murders of her predecessor, George Moscone, and city councilman Harvey Milk, she became mayor of San Francisco in 1978.
She stated that the experience of racing to Mayor Moscone’s office and discovering a bullet wound while searching for his pulse had left an indelible mark on her.
As a senator, Ms. Feinstein was the first woman to chair the influential Senate Intelligence Committee, overseeing a multi-year evaluation of the CIA’s controversial interrogation program of foreign terrorists following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The evaluation ultimately resulted in legislation prohibiting “enhanced interrogation techniques” on terrorism suspects, such as waterboarding.
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who served for more than three decades and was a pioneer for women in American politics, passed away at 90.
Ms. Feinstein was the first woman to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the first woman to lead the Senate Rules Committee.
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, described Dianne Feinstein as a “pioneering woman leader” in a statement.
“Dianne’s extraordinary career will inspire countless women and girls to pursue careers in public service for generations to come,” she said.
On the Senate floor, Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell praised “her dogged advocacy and diligent service”.
In recent years, concerns about her deteriorating health and cognitive abilities have prompted calls for her retirement and brought attention to the aging of America’s legislators.
During a committee vote, individuals around her could be heard in a widely circulated video telling her to “just say yes.”
Despite mounting family tensions, she is succeeded by a daughter, Katherine, who reportedly held power of attorney over her mother’s legal affairs. Richard Blum, her investment banker spouse, passed away last year.
SOURCE – (BBC)
In New York City, a state of emergency has been declared as violent storms deliver flash flooding.
Many of the city’s subways, streets, and highways have been inundated, and LaGuardia Airport closed at least one terminal on Friday.
According to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, some areas received up to five inches (12.7cm) of rain overnight, and up to seven more inches (17.8cm) are expected.
“This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm,” she continued.
She announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was proclaiming a state of emergency in New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the region’s extreme rainfall.
She urged individuals to take precautions and to “never attempt to travel on flooded roads.”
As a result of the declaration of a state of emergency, New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a call for “heightened alertness and extreme caution.”
In New York City, a state of emergency has been declared as violent storms deliver flash flooding.
“Some of our subways are flooded, and it is extremely difficult to move around the city,” he said at a press conference.
Due to intense rainfall, people were pictured and captured on video wading through knee-deep water in the streets and subways.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advised individuals who did not need to travel to remain at home.
Terminal A at La Guardia Airport is presently closed due to flooding, according to airport authorities.
Before traveling, passengers were instructed to verify with their airline.
The New York City Police Department also announced multiple road closures and the deployment of the National Guard.
Elsewhere, traffic stopped along a section of the FDR Drive, a significant thoroughfare on the east side of Manhattan, as the water rose above the tires of automobiles.
In addition, employees attempted to unclog a drain in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, while cardboard and other debris floated by.
According to municipal officials, there were no storm-related fatalities or serious injuries as of midday (1600 GMT).
The weather service has issued flood warnings and advisories for approximately 18 million people in the New York metropolitan area and other major East Coast cities.
SOURCE – (BBC)
NEW YORK — Today, password-sharing crackdowns are becoming increasingly prevalent in the streaming industry. In addition, Disney Plus follows suit.
In an email sent to Canadian users this week, Disney announced restrictions on the “ability to share your account or credentials outside of the household.”
The updated Canadian Subscriber Agreement for Disney Plus stipulates that users may only share a subscription within their domicile if permitted by their account tier and that violations may result in Disney Plus limiting or terminating service. According to the streamer’s help center, “Household” refers to the collection of devices associated with a subscriber’s principal residence and used by the residents.
These password-sharing restrictions are part of multiple revisions to the Disney Plus Subscriber Agreement that will go into effect on November 1 for most Canadian users. According to this week’s email, annual subscribers in Quebec may see the changes a bit later, depending on their billing cycle, while users who alter their plan before November 1 will see the changes take effect immediately.
As previously disclosed in August, Disney Plus will launch its ad-supported tier offerings in Canada and select European markets on November 1. The ad-supported tier of Disney Plus has been available in the U.S. since December 2022.
Disney Plus Announces Crackdown On Password Sharing In Canada
When contacted by The Associated Press, a Disney Plus spokesperson declined to comment on whether similar domestic restrictions could be anticipated in countries other than Canada.
In a recent earnings call, Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger pledged to make the company’s streaming services profitable, notably through an October price increase on its ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans in the U.S. and a restriction on password sharing that is expected to last through 2019.
At the time, Iger did not elaborate on the password-sharing crackdown beyond stating that Disney could reap some benefits in 2024, although he added that the work “might not be completed” by then and that Disney could not predict how many password-sharing users would switch to paid subscriptions.
New restrictions on streaming extend far beyond Disney. Netflix, for instance, made headlines when it began clamping down on password sharing. Freeloading viewers are now required to open their accounts in the United States unless a subscriber with a standard or premium plan agrees to pay a $8 monthly surcharge to enable more people from different households to watch.
SOURCE – (AP)
Dianne Feinstein: ‘Pioneering’ Senator Dies Aged 90
New York City: State Of Emergency Declared Over Flash Flooding
Disney Plus Announces Crackdown On Password Sharing In Canada In 2023
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