The international news carried on Page 6 of Rodong Sinmun dated August 7, 2026, reports on the independent moves of developing countries against the arbitrariness and interference in internal affairs of the West, the holding of an international anti-terrorism research seminar in China, the arrest of terrorists hired by Ukraine by the Russian Federal Security Service, the denunciation by the Chinese Ministry of National Defence of Japan for prating about the “China threat”, the start of the Far Eastern border defence exercise of the Russian Pacific Fleet, natural disasters in the US, Ethiopia and France, forest fire damage in Spain, and general knowledge about the ancient Persian city ruins of Persepolis.

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The West's Arbitrariness and Interference in Internal Affairs Are No Longer Working

The moves of developing countries to put an end to the high-handedness and interference in internal affairs of the West and build a new independent society are becoming more active.

Not long ago, Burkina Faso declared the severance of diplomatic relations with France, which supported terrorists aiming at overthrowing the government. Subsequently, Nicaragua proclaimed the severance of diplomatic relations in protest against the remarks of the Italian Foreign Minister who denounced the country as a hideout for terrorists.

For a long time, France, obsessed with the outdated concept of a colonial master, interfered in the internal affairs of Burkina Faso and took issue with the policies of this country. In recent years, Burkina Faso repeatedly demanded the establishment of state relations based on equality, non-interference in internal affairs and mutual respect, but France turned a deaf ear to this and consistently and systematically enforced acts contrary to the national interests of this country, causing social instability in the Sahel region countries including Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso sounded the alarm on several occasions, but France's attitude did not change at all. French diplomats abused their diplomatic privileges, acted arbitrarily and carried out anti-government activities.

The enraged government of Burkina Faso demanded in 2023 that France immediately recall its ambassador stationed in the country. In the following year, it expelled three French diplomats who had been engaged in government-subverting activities, and this time, it took the resolute measure of completely severing diplomatic relations.

Socio-political activists of many countries are expressing full support and solidarity, saying that the severance of diplomatic relations with France is the first step towards genuine independence, that Burkina Faso is exercising its right to self-determination and going its own way, and that it is a just and proper measure to defend the national interests as a sovereign state.

France is complaining and exerting pressure, calling the appropriate measure of the Burkina Faso government a “hostile and groundless decision” and saying it will respond to the emergency situation, but it is not working.

The times have changed. All countries and nations are struggling to break free from the domination and subjugation of foreign forces, achieve genuine independence and realize complete sovereignty. No one likes others to interfere in their own country's affairs, dictate this or that, and wag a finger; they are trying to solve their own problems by themselves.

The severance of diplomatic relations by Nicaragua with Italy is the same. This time, Nicaragua strongly denounced the Italian Foreign Minister who portrayed its country as a state sponsor of terrorism, emphasized that he ignored the principle of respect for relations between countries and insulted the Nicaraguan people with European arrogance, and stated that the severance of diplomatic relations serves as a countermeasure to defend the dignity of the country.

Developing countries are denouncing and rejecting the Western countries that indulge in high-handedness and interfere in internal affairs under the pretext of “aid” and “cooperation”. They have keenly realized the truth that only when the noose of Western subjugation is cast off can genuine independence and development be contemplated, and are openly turning against the policies of the West.

The case of Niger, which once accepted US and French troops on its soil, is precisely such an example.

In 2011, under the lead of the US and France, NATO crushed Libya by force. As a result, chaos persisted in neighbouring countries, arms trafficking became rampant in the Sahel region, and extremist terrorist organizations expanded their power.

Seizing this as an opportunity, the US began stationing troops in Niger from 2013 under the pretext of striking the extremist organizations in the region. France also launched “anti-terror” military operations in the Sahel region in 2014 and dispatched thousands of soldiers to Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

However, what the US and France brought to the region was not peace and stability but poverty and chaos, and only made terrorism more widespread. Several African nations including Niger have clearly come to know that the US and France, by employing their stationed troops, are indulging in interference in internal affairs and pursuing the plunder of resources.

Anti-US and anti-French sentiments have sharply risen in African countries.

In March 2024, the Nigerien government decisively abrogated the military agreement with the US, and in August, it drove out all the assets of the US military from its country by closing even the last US military base. French troops were also expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and other places.

Many developing countries including African nations, realizing that the way to ensure the social stability and independent development of the country lies in resolutely countering the high-handedness, arbitrariness and interference in internal affairs of the West and defending the national interests, are struggling steadfastly. They are strengthening mutual cooperation in the political, economic and other fields with the position of solving all problems by their own strength and joint efforts.

The West is greatly anxious about this. The areas where Western neo-colonialism has gained a foothold are gradually shrinking.

Staff Reporter Ri Hak Nam

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International Anti-Terrorism Research Seminar Held in China

The 2026 International Anti-Terrorism Research Seminar was held on the 4th in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.

The seminar, under the theme “Responding to New Terrorist Challenges: Strengthening National Responsibility and Pooling the World's Strength”, was attended by representatives of 24 countries and international organizations including China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the African Union.

At the research seminar, the representatives expressed concern that at present, terrorist activities are reviving globally and the dark cloud of terrorism is not dispersing.

They stressed that all countries should shoulder their responsibility, strike all forms of terrorism, promote international cooperation and pool their efforts to raise the efficiency of anti-terrorism work.

During the research seminar, the representatives visited exhibitions related to the anti-terrorism struggle in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

(Korean Central News Agency)

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Russian Federal Security Service Arrests Terrorists Hired by Ukraine

The Russian Federal Security Service recently arrested three terrorists hired by Ukrainian special services.

According to the Public Relations Centre of the Federal Security Service, two terrorists arrested in Sevastopol, under the instructions of Ukrainian special services, planned to perpetrate destructive and terrorist acts on the territory of the Republic of Crimea.

It is reported that after learning how to use explosive devices, they received the mission to destroy extremely important infrastructure objects in the region and terrorize important figures.

Meanwhile, in Crimea, a terrorist was detained who had collected information on the movement of military technical equipment, the locations of Russian armed forces units and important infrastructure objects and passed it to Ukrainian special services.

This person manufactured and assembled drone components including a device that can automatically drop bombs, and at his residence, various drones, controllers, a 3D printer, components and so forth were discovered.

(Korean Central News Agency)

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Chinese Ministry of National Defence Denounces Japan for Prating about the “China Threat”

A spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, on the 4th, answered a journalist's question regarding the fact that Japan, in its officially released “Defence White Paper”, disparaged China's military moves as “the greatest ever strategic challenge”.

The spokesperson revealed that Japan's new “Defence White Paper”, which grossly exaggerates the “peripheral security crisis” and makes an uproar about the so-called “China threat”, is full of false contents, and that this is entirely a case of a thief crying “stop thief”, aimed at finding a pretext to break free from military restraints.

He exposed and denounced that Japan's ruling authorities, while continuing to put up the signboard of “exclusively defence-oriented defence”, are accelerating the revision of three security-related documents, increasing defence expenditure, developing long-range attack capability, pushing forward the weaponization and battlefieldization of outer space, and even trying to deeply infiltrate military expansion and war preparations into the state system, economy, industry and public opinion.

He asserted that Japan's new militarism, which has grown into a source of trouble, has already become a serious challenge to the post-war international order and a genuine threat to regional peace and stability.

He then stressed that China strongly demands that Japan deeply reflect on its history of aggression, stop interference in China's internal affairs, and not go further down the wrong path of remilitarization.

(Korean Central News Agency)

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Russian Pacific Fleet Begins Far Eastern Border Defence Exercise

The Russian Pacific Fleet has begun a Far Eastern border defence exercise.

On the 4th, the Press Service of the Pacific Fleet announced that about 60 ships including surface vessels and submarines, aircraft, helicopters and drones of the naval aviation, and more than 13 000 troops will take part in the exercise to defend Russia's maritime borders, island territories and the coastal areas of the Far East.

The basic task of this exercise, which is conducted in a bilateral training mode, is to inspect the level of preparation of the commanders of combined units and task forces for commanding force groupings and carrying out special operation missions in the jurisdictional waters.

It is reported that during the exercise, the methods of using high-precision weapons, modern armaments and military technical equipment will be practised.

(Korean Central News Agency)

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Natural Disasters

- In connection with the increased risk of heatstroke and forest fires due to record high temperatures in the western region of the United States, heatwave warnings were issued on the 1st for some parts of California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

The meteorological agency of this country warned that over the next few days, scorching heat will continue in most parts of the west, and that temperatures are forecast to reach over 50℃ in some areas.

Also, the death toll is increasing due to the heatwave in Arizona and Nevada.

- In Amhara Region, Ethiopia, a landslide caused by heavy rains occurred, resulting in human casualties.

On the 3rd, local authorities announced that people who had been attending a religious ceremony were buried in the landslide, killing 14 and wounding 7.

It is reported that major floods and landslides are occurring more frequently in this country compared to the previous period.

- In France, July this year was recorded as the hottest July in history.

On the 4th, the meteorological service of this country announced that the nationwide average temperature for July broke the previous highest record and was the highest since weather observation began. It is reported that at present, extreme drought and large-scale forest fires are expanding in France due to the record heatwave, causing a great deal of damage.

(Korean Central News Agency)

Forest Fire Damage in Spain

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World Knowledge

The Ancient Persian City Ruins of Persepolis

To the northeast of Shiraz, a major city of Iran, lie the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis.

The word Persepolis means “city of Persia”.

From the mid-6th century B.C. until around 330 B.C., a strong ancient Persian state of the Achaemenid Dynasty was established over a vast area including present-day Iran. Persepolis became its capital in 518 B.C.

At present, only ruins remain from which the appearance of the ancient city can be glimpsed. The most famous among the ruins of this city is the Persepolis Palace to the east of the city. The palace was built between 518 B.C. and 460 B.C.

King Darius I, who ruled a vast territory at the time by strengthening the centralized monarchical ruling system, had this large-scale palace built with the aim of maintaining royal authority and “displaying its might”.

The palace was built by cutting away the slope of a large mountain, piling up a high stone platform adjacent to it, and then erecting it on top.

The palace is surrounded by walls of stone or unbaked brick, and there are 106 large steps at the entrance.

There are a palace gate with four columns, an audience hall, a throne hall (also called the Hall of a Hundred Columns as it has 100 columns), and three tower gates between the audience hall and the throne hall.

There are also many ruins near the palace. At a point 6 km from the palace is the city of Istakhr, which fell into ruin in the 10th century. There are also traces of village settlements estimated to date from around 5 000 B.C.

The ruins of Persepolis are representative ruins that allow one to gauge the ancient Persian culture, the high architectural skill of the people of that time, and the architectural style of ancient Southwest Asia.

Staff Reporter