Fulfilling its aim to show military might, North Korea said on Friday that its two latest rounds of weapons tests conducted this week were successful. &nbsp;

It also looks to speed up the development of more powerful warheads. &nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to have not attended the tests carried out on Tuesday and Thursday. The tests were detected by the militaries of neighbours, South Korea and Japan. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/6-japanese-youth-sue-fukushima-nuclear-plant-operator-over-cancer-claims-448145" hreflang="en">6 Japanese youth sue Fukushima nuclear plant operator over cancer claims</a>

The leader conducted an inspection at a munitions factory, where workers pledged loyalty to their leader, who "smashes with his bold pluck the challenges of US imperialists and their vassal forces," state media said. &nbsp;

According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the two ballistic missiles launched from a coastal area on Thursday were 'surface-to-surface tactical guided missile', which were armed with a conventional warhead. It said that they accurately struck a sea target. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-takes-toilet-with-him-even-abroad-and-anyone-using-it-will-be-killed-but-why-448133" hreflang="en">North Korea's Kim takes toilet with him even abroad, and anyone using it will be killed. But why?</a>

The state media also released photos, which suggest the weapons test-fired, were a short-range solid-fuel missile. It looks to be apparently designed after Russia's Iskander ballistic system. &nbsp;

Tuesday's launches were of a purported long-range cruise missile the North had first tested in September, said KCNA. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“The two missiles flew for more than two hours and 35 minutes and demonstrated an ability to strike targets 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) away, a performance that underscored their value in boosting the war deterrence of the country," the agency said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Fulfilling its aim to show military might, North Korea said on Friday that its two latest rounds of weapons tests conducted this week were successful. It also looks to speed up the development of more powerful warheads.

Fulfilling its aim to show military might, North Korea said on Friday that its two latest rounds of weapons tests conducted this week were successful. It also looks to speed up the development of more powerful warheads. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to have not attended the tests carried out on Tuesday and Thursday. The tests were detected by the militaries of neighbours, South Korea and Japan. Also Read: 6 Japanese youth sue Fukushima nuclear plant operator over cancer claims The leader conducted an inspection at a munitions factory, where workers pledged loyalty to their leader, who "smashes with his bold pluck the challenges of US imperialists and their vassal forces," state media said. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the two ballistic missiles launched from a coastal area on Thursday were 'surface-to-surface tactical guided missile', which were armed with a conventional warhead. It said that they accurately struck a sea target. Also Read: North Korea's Kim takes toilet with him even abroad, and anyone using it will be killed. But why? The state media also released photos, which suggest the weapons test-fired, were a short-range solid-fuel missile. It looks to be apparently designed after Russia's Iskander ballistic system. Tuesday's launches were of a purported long-range cruise missile the North had first tested in September, said KCNA. “The two missiles flew for more than two hours and 35 minutes and demonstrated an ability to strike targets 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) away, a performance that underscored their value in boosting the war deterrence of the country," the agency said. (With inputs from agencies)

North Korea confirms two tactical guided missiles tests, Kim visits munitions factory

The 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest surviving literary works in history, is to be returned to Iraq by the United States later this week, the UN agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday.

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The Gilgamesh Tablet, which is made of clay, is priceless. It features inscriptions in Sumerian, a civilisation of ancient Mesopotamia. After the start of the Gulf War in August 1990, the treasure was taken from a museum in Iraq.

In 2007, it was introduced fraudulently into the US art market. In 2014, the artefact was acquired by the craft retail chain, Hobby Lobby, for display at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington DC, which is funded by the family of Hobby Lobby’s owner, as per news reports. &nbsp;

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In July, the US Department of Justice announced that it was ordering the official handing over of the tablet, as it had entered the US “contrary to federal law”, noting that federal agents had seized the tablet from the museum, in September 2019. &nbsp;&nbsp;

At a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC on this Thursday, it will now be formally returned to Iraq.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/guinness-certifies-107-year-old-siblings-from-japan-as-worlds-oldest-twins-414652" hreflang="en">Guinness certifies 107-year-old siblings from Japan as world's oldest twins</a>

In a celebratory message, UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said, “By returning these illegally acquired objects, the authorities here in the United States and in Iraq are allowing the Iraqi people to reconnect with a page in their history. This exceptional restitution is a major victory over those who mutilate heritage and then traffic it to finance violence and terrorism.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest surviving literary works in history, is to be returned to Iraq by the United States later this week, the UN agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday.

The 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest surviving literary works in history, is to be returned to Iraq by the United States later this week, the UN agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday. Watch: × The Gilgamesh Tablet, which is made of clay, is priceless. It features inscriptions in Sumerian, a civilisation of ancient Mesopotamia. After the start of the Gulf War in August 1990, the treasure was taken from a museum in Iraq. In 2007, it was introduced fraudulently into the US art market. In 2014, the artefact was acquired by the craft retail chain, Hobby Lobby, for display at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington DC, which is funded by the family of Hobby Lobby’s owner, as per news reports. Also Read: In a first, sex worker group gets unionised in Canada In July, the US Department of Justice announced that it was ordering the official handing over of the tablet, as it had entered the US “contrary to federal law”, noting that federal agents had seized the tablet from the museum, in September 2019. At a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC on this Thursday, it will now be formally returned to Iraq. Also Read: Guinness certifies 107-year-old siblings from Japan as world's oldest twins In a celebratory message, UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said, “By returning these illegally acquired objects, the authorities here in the United States and in Iraq are allowing the Iraqi people to reconnect with a page in their history. This exceptional restitution is a major victory over those who mutilate heritage and then traffic it to finance violence and terrorism.” (With inputs from agencies)

Looted ancient Gilgamesh tablet to be returned to Iraq by US this week

Students who survived a mass shooting at their Florida school on Sunday announced plans to march on Washington in a bid to &quot;shame&quot; politicians into reforming laws that make firearms readily available.

The &quot;March for Our Lives&quot; will take place on March 24, with sister rallies planned across the country, a group of students told ABC News` &quot;This Week.&quot;

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/florida-school-shooter-was-on-police-radar-in-2016-report-33221"> Florida school shooter was on police radar in 2016: Report</a>

They pledged to make Wednesday`s slaughter in Parkland, Florida a turning point in America`s deadlocked debate on gun control.

Nikolas Cruz, 19, a troubled former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, confessed to killing 17 people with a legally-purchased AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the latest such atrocity in a country with more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/shame-on-you-florida-school-shooting-survivor-tells-trump-at-anti-gun-rally-33213"> &#39;Shame on you!&#39; Florida school shooting survivor tells Trump at anti-gun rally</a>

Among the students announcing the march was Emma Gonzalez, who captured worldwide attention with a powerful speech in which she assailed President Donald Trump over the multi-million-dollar support his campaign received from the gun lobby.

She vowed Stoneman Douglas would be &quot;the last mass shooting.&quot;

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<h5>The students have pledged to make Wednesday`s slaughter in Parkland, Florida a turning point in America`s deadlocked debate on gun control</h5>
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On Sunday, Gonzalez, 18, urged politicians to join a conversation about gun control -- citing Trump as well as his fellow Republicans Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Rick Scott.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-visits-florida-shooting-survivors-fbi-admits-it-missed-tip-33123">Trump visits Florida shooting survivors, FBI admits it missed tip</a>

&quot;We want to give them the opportunity to be on the right side of this,&quot; she said, as she and her four classmates called on students nationwide to help push the message.

Trump will host a &quot;listening session&quot; with high school students and teachers on Wednesday, the White House said in a statement, though it did not specify who would attend the event.

Singling out the links between politicians and the powerful National Rifle Association, Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kasky said any politician &quot;who is taking money from the NRA is responsible for events like this.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;This isn`t about the GOP,&quot; he said, referring to the Republican Party. &quot;This isn`t about the Democrats.&quot;&nbsp;

The NRA, a traditional ally of the Republicans who currently control Congress and the White House, defends a literal view of the US Constitution`s 2nd Amendment which promises a right &quot;to keep and bear arms.&quot;

Even after last October`s killing of 58 people by a gunman in Las Vegas who amassed 47 firearms to commit the worst mass shooting in recent US history, legislators accomplished nothing in the way of tighter controls.

Accusing the NRA of &quot;fostering and promoting this gun culture,&quot; Kasky said the students seek &quot;a new normal where there`s a badge of shame on any politician who`s accepting money from the NRA.&quot;&quot;People keep asking us, what about the Stoneman Douglas shooting is going to be different, because this has happened before and change hasn`t come?&quot; said Kasky.&nbsp;

&quot;This is it,&quot; he continued. &quot;We are going to be marching together as students begging for our lives.&quot;&nbsp;

The students did not indicate how many people they expected to join their rallies.

But their aims won support from Florida Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch, who said they can make a difference.

&quot;After what they saw, the worst things imaginable, they`re not going to just sit back and take it,&quot; he told &quot;This Week.&quot;

&quot;All I`ve heard all week is how frustrated people are with rhetoric. They want action.&quot;

Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo, speaking on the same program, said he is working towards bipartisan solutions that could prevent similar tragedies.

&quot;There are a lot of Republicans who are prepared to support reasonable, common-sense gun safety laws,&quot; he said.

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said that although Republicans have faced a bigger hurdle in making gun control a priority, &quot;it`s been a challenge in the Democratic Party as well.&quot;

Speaking on CNN`s &quot;State of the Union,&quot; Schiff asked, &quot;How much more of this are we gonna to take? How many more shootings?&quot;

Congress has to get &quot;off its backside&quot; to &quot;stare down the NRA and do the right thing,&quot; he said.

The student survivors` calls for change &quot;should matter,&quot; said Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut whose wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot and wounded by a deranged gunman. 
 
He said on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; that the student activists &quot;are going to vote on this issue probably for the rest of their lives and they`re going to encourage others to do that as well.&quot;

But conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, speaking on the same show, said neither legislation nor marches are the answer.

&quot;It`s not the fault of the NRA,&quot; he said, calling for concealed weapons to be allowed in schools.

&quot;If we are really serious about protecting the kids, we need a mechanism to be defensive.&quot;

The 'March for Our Lives' will take place on March 24, with sister rallies planned across the country, a group of students told ABC News' 'This Week'

Students who survived a mass shooting at their Florida school on Sunday announced plans to march on Washington in a bid to "shame" politicians into reforming laws that make firearms readily available. The "March for Our Lives" will take place on March 24, with sister rallies planned across the country, a group of students told ABC News` "This Week." Also read: Florida school shooter was on police radar in 2016: Report They pledged to make Wednesday`s slaughter in Parkland, Florida a turning point in America`s deadlocked debate on gun control. Nikolas Cruz, 19, a troubled former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, confessed to killing 17 people with a legally-purchased AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the latest such atrocity in a country with more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually. Also read: 'Shame on you!' Florida school shooting survivor tells Trump at anti-gun rally Among the students announcing the march was Emma Gonzalez, who captured worldwide attention with a powerful speech in which she assailed President Donald Trump over the multi-million-dollar support his campaign received from the gun lobby. She vowed Stoneman Douglas would be "the last mass shooting." The students have pledged to make Wednesday`s slaughter in Parkland, Florida a turning point in America`s deadlocked debate on gun control × On Sunday, Gonzalez, 18, urged politicians to join a conversation about gun control -- citing Trump as well as his fellow Republicans Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Rick Scott. Also read: Trump visits Florida shooting survivors, FBI admits it missed tip "We want to give them the opportunity to be on the right side of this," she said, as she and her four classmates called on students nationwide to help push the message. Trump will host a "listening session" with high school students and teachers on Wednesday, the White House said in a statement, though it did not specify who would attend the event. Singling out the links between politicians and the powerful National Rifle Association, Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kasky said any politician "who is taking money from the NRA is responsible for events like this." "This isn`t about the GOP," he said, referring to the Republican Party. "This isn`t about the Democrats." The NRA, a traditional ally of the Republicans who currently control Congress and the White House, defends a literal view of the US Constitution`s 2nd Amendment which promises a right "to keep and bear arms." Even after last October`s killing of 58 people by a gunman in Las Vegas who amassed 47 firearms to commit the worst mass shooting in recent US history, legislators accomplished nothing in the way of tighter controls. Accusing the NRA of "fostering and promoting this gun culture," Kasky said the students seek "a new normal where there`s a badge of shame on any politician who`s accepting money from the NRA.""People keep asking us, what about the Stoneman Douglas shooting is going to be different, because this has happened before and change hasn`t come?" said Kasky. "This is it," he continued. "We are going to be marching together as students begging for our lives." The students did not indicate how many people they expected to join their rallies. But their aims won support from Florida Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch, who said they can make a difference. "After what they saw, the worst things imaginable, they`re not going to just sit back and take it," he told "This Week." "All I`ve heard all week is how frustrated people are with rhetoric. They want action." Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo, speaking on the same program, said he is working towards bipartisan solutions that could prevent similar tragedies. "There are a lot of Republicans who are prepared to support reasonable, common-sense gun safety laws," he said. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said that although Republicans have faced a bigger hurdle in making gun control a priority, "it`s been a challenge in the Democratic Party as well." Speaking on CNN`s "State of the Union," Schiff asked, "How much more of this are we gonna to take? How many more shootings?" Congress has to get "off its backside" to "stare down the NRA and do the right thing," he said. The student survivors` calls for change "should matter," said Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut whose wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot and wounded by a deranged gunman. He said on "Fox News Sunday" that the student activists "are going to vote on this issue probably for the rest of their lives and they`re going to encourage others to do that as well." But conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, speaking on the same show, said neither legislation nor marches are the answer. "It`s not the fault of the NRA," he said, calling for concealed weapons to be allowed in schools. "If we are really serious about protecting the kids, we need a mechanism to be defensive."

Florida school shooting survivors to march on Washington, call for gun reform

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