15:10 International News in DPRK Media (October 22, 2026) | |
October 22, Pyongyang (RSTV) [조선어] [English] [Русский] [中国语]
The 1st, 4th and 6th pages of Rodong Sinmun dated 22 October 2026 carried a reply message sent by Comrade Xi Jinping to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un; the return home of our athletes who won the Asian 1A regional competition of the International Handball Federation Women’s World Cup; the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s condemnation of Japanese politicians’ visits to the Yasukuni Shrine; the uproar of Japanese militarist fanatics visiting the shrine; natural disasters in Indonesia and Ecuador; the arrest of terrorists in Türkiye; condemnation of the United States’ mistreatment of migrants; Pakistan’s position on eradicating poverty; cooperation between various countries; the spread of infectious diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and the United States; an earthquake in Russia; the desolate reality in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s massacres; and general information on the Great Zimbabwe ruins.
To the Respected Comrade KIM JONG UN Reply Message from Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China
Pyongyang To the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Un
General Secretary, I sincerely thank you for the warm and heartfelt message of congratulations you sent on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In the 77 years since the founding of new China, under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have united as one and struggled ceaselessly, creating two miracles: rapid economic development and long-term social stability. We have achieved, on schedule, the goal of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society and are advancing with vigour towards the goal of comprehensively building a powerful socialist modern country. China and Korea are linked by mountains and rivers. The friendship between our countries, handed down from generation to generation, and our shared destiny, in which we defend and assist each other, have always been distinctive features of China–Korea relations. In June this year, I paid a state visit to Korea and met with you once again. We reached a series of important common understandings concerning the deepening and development of China–Korea relations and further strengthened our strategic guidance. China is ready to work with Korea to carry forward the traditional China–Korea friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, expand and develop practical cooperation, and maintain close communication and coordination, thereby enhancing the well-being of the peoples of our two countries and making positive contributions to peace and development in the region and the world. We are pleased to see Korea opening a new period of comprehensive socialist development. We believe that, under the firm leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea headed by you, the socialist cause of Korea will continue to open up new horizons. I wish you good health and success in your work. I wish your country prosperity and flourishing, and its people happiness and well-being.
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping Beijing, 20 October 2026 2026 International Handball Federation Women’s World Cup Our Athletes Return Home after Competing in the Asian 1A Regional Event Our athletes who took part in the Asian 1A regional competition of the 2026 International Handball Federation Women’s World Cup in Hong Kong, China, have returned home. Having defeated all their opponents and advanced to the final, our women handball players beat the Hong Kong, China team 25–22 and won the Cup and gold medals. Officials from the sports sector, athletes and family members welcomed the players, who returned having enhanced the honour of their homeland, at Pyongyang Railway Station on the 21st. 【Korean Central News Agency】
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Condemns Japanese Politicians’ Visits to the Yasukuni Shrine At a press conference on the 19th, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Japanese politicians, including the Prime Minister, for making offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine and staging a collective visit there. Describing the Yasukuni Shrine as a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism, which launched wars of aggression abroad, the spokesperson denounced the Japanese politicians for visiting it so ostentatiously despite knowing full well what it represented. Their actions, the spokesperson said, exposed their deep-rooted erroneous view of history and their sinister intention to evade responsibility for war crimes, glorify wars of aggression and pave the way for remilitarisation. He said China firmly opposed and strongly condemned Japan’s negative moves, and strongly demanded that Japan face history squarely, reflect on its crimes and stop acting against the current of the times on historical issues. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Militarist Fanatics’ Uproar over Visits to the Yasukuni Shrine Despite protests and condemnation from the international community, Japanese politicians once again made a commotion by visiting the war criminals who met their inglorious end after taking part in wars of aggression abroad. On the 17th and 19th, Prime Minister Takaichi made offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine, where the tablets of war criminals are enshrined. Before assuming the post of president of the Liberal Democratic Party last year, Takaichi had made a point of visiting the shrine every year without fail. Even after becoming Prime Minister, she showed how deeply steeped she was in militarism by paying her respects from afar, avoiding the watchful eyes of people at home and abroad. Following the Prime Minister, politicians from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Conservative Party one after another busied themselves with visits to the shrine and offerings. More than 70 members of the nonpartisan parliamentary group “Association of Members of Parliament Who Visit the Yasukuni Shrine Together” then made a collective visit. After visiting the shrine, these people even made the disgraceful gesture of extolling the war criminals who had met their inglorious end in wars of aggression abroad as “spirits who sacrificed themselves for the homeland.” The Yasukuni Shrine is, in every sense, a shrine to war criminals and a place that conjures up the spectre of militarism. The international community is therefore raising its voice in strong appeal for vigilance and decisive restraint. The reckless conduct of Japanese politicians, who continue to incite the revival of militarism in society through the Yasukuni Shrine, a spiritual tool and symbol of wars of aggression abroad, will hasten the island country’s isolation and ruin. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Natural Disasters From July to August, approximately 900,000 hectares of forest burned in Indonesia, including on the island of Kalimantan, and the forest fires have continued to spread since then. Health authorities reported that, as of 13 October, the number of people nationwide suffering from acute respiratory illnesses caused by the forest fires had exceeded 280,000. Dense smoke from the fires has spread to neighbouring countries, causing adverse effects. In Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, more people are wearing masks; schools have closed in Johor and other areas; and some flights connecting with Singapore have been suspended. Dry weather caused by a strong El Niño phenomenon is contributing to the spread of the damage. ＊ ＊ Ecuador is suffering various forms of damage caused by torrential rain. According to the country’s disaster-management authorities, more than ten disasters, including floods and landslides, occurred in several provinces, including El Oro, Guayas and Los Ríos, as a result of torrential rain from the 18th to the 19th. In Guayaquil, in Guayas Province, approximately 50 residential areas were inundated. Since the end of August, torrential rain has reportedly affected more than 23,160 people in 22 provinces of the country. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Terrorists Arrested Turkish police recently conducted counter-terrorism operations in more than 20 provinces and arrested 59 terrorists. They had reportedly provided funds to the international terrorist organisation “Islamic State” and propagated extremism through social media. The country’s Ministry of the Interior stressed that it would continue the struggle to eradicate terrorism, mobilising all available forces. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Condemnation of the United States’ Mistreatment of Migrants At a press conference on the 19th, the President of Mexico condemned the United States’ mistreatment of Mexican migrants. Referring to the recent death of a Mexican national at a migrant detention centre in Texas, he said that the Mexican government would file a complaint with the United States over the incident. He said that the victim was the 18th Mexican to die in a migrant detention centre in the United States since January 2025, and stressed that his government opposed and rejected the racist treatment of Mexican migrants by the United States. He stated that his government would make every effort to protect the human rights of Mexicans living abroad. Meanwhile, the Mexican Foreign Ministry demanded that the United States clarify the circumstances of the death and conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Pakistan Declares Its Resolve to Strive to Eradicate Poverty The Prime Minister of Pakistan issued a letter on the 17th declaring his resolve to strive to eradicate poverty. He said that eradicating poverty was essential to building a peaceful and just society, and stated that active measures would be taken to eliminate social inequality and provide equal opportunities for development to all in the economic sphere. He stressed that the government was working hard to improve the living conditions of poor households and flood victims by strengthening assistance to them. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Cooperation between Various Countries Cambodia and Thailand agreed on the 18th on measures to build mutual trust in resolving maritime sovereignty issues between the two countries and to find a fair and peaceful solution in accordance with international law. Recently, Lebanon and Oman signed a memorandum on strengthening cooperation to ensure the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and food security. 【Korean Central News Agency】 Spread of Infectious Diseases - The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread. According to information released by the country’s Ministry of Health on the 18th, as of 16 October, the number of confirmed Ebola cases had risen to 9,415 since the outbreak was declared in May, with 4,536 deaths. The disease has reportedly spread to eight provinces. - The Kenyan Ministry of Health announced on the 17th that four more people had tested positive for Ebola, bringing the total number of infections to seven. The newly confirmed cases were reportedly detected among people who had been isolated after coming into contact with the first infected person. - The number of measles cases in the United States continues to rise. According to the US Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nationwide number of measles cases had reached 4,410 as of the 15th. 【Korean Central News Agency】
Spread of Ebola virus in Kenya Earthquake An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale was recorded 156 kilometres southwest of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. The Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Survey, Kamchatka Branch, reported on the 16th that the earthquake’s hypocentre was at a depth of 138 kilometres. 【Korean Central News Agency】 The Gaza Strip Turned into a Desolate Wasteland A year has passed since the ceasefire took effect in the Gaza Strip of Palestine. Yet the war continues. The Israeli army, despite controlling approximately 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, has not stopped its military attacks. Just several days ago, it launched successive attacks on areas of Gaza it had not occupied, killing six Palestinians and injuring 28. The Israeli army has sought to justify its attacks as operations to “eliminate Hamas,” and has revealed its intention to continue such military operations in the future. The documentary Naza, which exposes the atrocities Israel has committed in the Gaza Strip of Palestine, includes testimony about the authorities’ instruction that it would be acceptable to kill 500 civilians in a single attack on Hamas fighters. When the film, which was screened for the first time at the Venice International Film Festival, ended, every member of the audience rose to their feet and applauded for 25 minutes. It was a show of protest against Israel’s barbarous atrocities. The Israeli authorities, however, challenged the international community, claiming that the film was “based on false accusations.” With the killing and destruction showing no sign of abating, reconstruction has become an unimaginable prospect. Israel’s barbarous airstrikes have reduced hundreds of thousands of homes to heaps of rubble. Dozens of hospitals and medical centres have been severely damaged. Educational institutions, including schools, have also become targets of destruction by the Israeli army. The only thing growing in the Gaza Strip is the number of tent camps for refugees. People displaced from their homes are searching through the rubble of destroyed buildings for tents and materials with which to put up temporary shelters. Before the situation in Gaza erupted, the Strip produced a certain amount of its own food. Now, however, most farmland has become barren and can no longer produce food. Moreover, unexploded ordnance scattered everywhere means that the land cannot be cultivated even if the conflict comes to a complete end. Recently, an official of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said in dismay, “The Gaza Strip is becoming an increasingly uninhabitable place.” It is estimated that US$71.4 billion will be needed over the next ten years to restore and rebuild the Gaza Strip. More than two million residents of the Gaza Strip are confined to a narrow area, struggling to survive in tents and ruined buildings. An acute shortage of medicines has led to the spread of various infectious diseases. One in every five households can eat only one meal a day. More than 1.2 million people are suffering from severe hunger. This is because Israel is severely restricting the entry of food and essential supplies into the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas could use them for military purposes. Vehicles carrying humanitarian aid reportedly entered the Gaza Strip from the time the ceasefire took effect in October last year until the end of May this year. Yet the amount was nowhere near sufficient to ensure the survival of the millions of residents left out in the cold. Despite this, Israel boasted that enough aid was entering to meet the needs of the residents. Voices of condemnation from the international community against Israel, which is committing heinous crimes by turning innocent Palestinians into victims of its ambition to annex their territory and hostages to its ambition to dominate the Middle East, are growing ever louder. Staff Reporter Israel’s Continuing Massacres
Israel continues to commit massacres in the Gaza Strip. On the 19th, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on refugee tents and gathering places for Palestinians in Gaza City, Khan Younis and other areas, killing five people and injuring more than 20. The health authorities in the Gaza Strip reported that, as a result of the Israeli army’s continuing atrocities since the ceasefire agreement in October last year, the number of Palestinian deaths had reached 1,522 and the number of injured 5,421. 【Korean Central News Agency】 World Knowledge The Great Zimbabwe Ruins These are representative ancient cultural remains created by the people of Zimbabwe. The stone ruins are spread between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers, and more than 400 sites have reportedly been excavated to date. The most famous is the stone ruin situated in a mountain valley in western Zimbabwe. The name of the country, Zimbabwe, also derives from this site. In Shona, a Bantu language of Africa, it means “stone houses.” The structure was built of granite, and its ground plan is oval. The walls have a circumference of 240 metres and stand about 10 metres high. Inside the enclosure are a tall conical stone tower, stone monuments and the remains of palace buildings. Near the enclosure are the foundations of houses where ordinary officials and servants lived. What is remarkable is the extraordinary precision with which the stones were laid, keeping the walls level without using any adhesive. Iron tools and weapons, gold ornaments, graphite-polished pottery and glass beads have been excavated at the site. Stone pillars carved with images of birds and crocodiles are also famous. The stone enclosure was both a centre of activity for the local inhabitants and the capital fortress of an ancient kingdom of the time. Construction is generally believed to have begun in the 4th or 5th century. It was enlarged and extended several times thereafter, reaching its heyday in the 14th and 15th centuries. From the late 15th century, it began to fall into ruin along with the decline of the kingdom. Colonialists looted many precious artefacts that had been inside the stone enclosure. In 1986, the Great Zimbabwe ruins were inscribed on the World Heritage List. Today, the Great Zimbabwe ruins stand as a precious historical site that bears witness to the wisdom and talent of the people of Zimbabwe and the long history of Africa. Staff Reporter | |
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