22:00 International News in DPRK Media (October 31, 2026) | |
October 31, Pyongyang (RSTV) [조선어] [English] [Русский] [中国语]
The second, fifth and sixth pages of the October 31, 2026 issue of Rodong Sinmun carried news of the talks and meeting between Comrade Jo Yong Won, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation; the return home of the Swiss Foreign Minister and his party; the exposure of the terrorist act that destroyed Europe's energy security; El Niño's negative impact on agricultural production; the assertion that a peaceful and stable environment must be created for women; Russia's retaliatory measures against Britain and the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM); the re-election of the President of Brazil; the demand for the withdrawal of Israeli troops; the occurrence of Mpox patients in Pakistan; earthquakes in Japan and Vanuatu; and news of cooperation and social development in various countries, gun crimes, and a high-speed train collision in Spain. Comrade Jo Yong Won, Secretary of the WPK Central Committee, Meets Swiss Foreign Minister
Comrade Jo Yong Won, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and secretary of the WPK Central Committee, met with Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, who had paid a courtesy visit, at the Pyongyang Assembly Hall on the 30th and had a conversation in a friendly atmosphere. Comrade Jong Dong Hak, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK); Comrade Jo Chol Su, our country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation; the party of the Swiss Foreign Minister; and Astier Sylvain, representative of the Swiss diplomatic mission in our country, took part. [KCNA] Talks Held between DPRK Foreign Minister and Swiss Foreign Minister
Talks between Comrade Choe Son Hui, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, and Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, were held at the Pyongyang Assembly Hall on the 30th. Taking part were, on our side, Comrade Jong Dong Hak, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Comrade Jo Chol Su, our country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation, and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and, on the other side, the Foreign Minister and his party and Astier Sylvain, representative of the Swiss diplomatic mission in our country. At the talks, views were exchanged on strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries and on the assessment of the international situation of mutual interest. The talks were held in a friendly atmosphere. [KCNA] Swiss Foreign Minister and Party Return Home Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, and his party returned home on the 30th. They were seen off at Pyongyang International Airport by officials of the MFA, our country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation and the representative of the Swiss diplomatic mission in our country. During their stay the Foreign Minister and his party visited the Tower of the Juche Idea. [KCNA]
The Terrorist Act That Destroyed Europe's Energy Security On the 14th, a court in Hamburg, Germany, began the trial of a former Ukrainian army officer involved in the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. He was arrested last August on charges of organizing and commanding the group that destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The Nord Stream gas pipeline is an undersea natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. It consisted of two branches of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and two branches of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The Nord Stream gas pipeline was like an artery carrying cheap Russian natural gas to Germany and other Western European countries. Under long-term contracts, the price of gas supplied from Russia to Europe was said to be only one-third to one-quarter of the market price. It was this that the sabotage was aimed at. On September 26, 2022, a powerful underwater explosion occurred, severely damaging two branches of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and one branch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and gas transport was eventually stopped. The German authorities identified the arrested former Ukrainian army officer as the main suspect in this case. According to data released by the German Federal Prosecutor's Office, he, acting on instructions from Ukrainian government bodies, together with military figures, drew up a plan to blow up the Nord Stream gas pipeline and then formed a sabotage group of divers and explosives experts. Under his command, the saboteurs carried timed bombs on a yacht, installed them on the Nord Stream gas pipeline and detonated them, it is said. After the incident, Russia characterized the blowing up of the gas pipeline as an act of state terrorism and demanded that Russian experts be included in the investigation. Voices were raised in China and many other countries calling for an international joint investigation to establish the truth of the incident as soon as possible and to find and punish the attackers. However, the forces gripped by anti-Russia frenzy turned a deaf ear to this and instead heated up a conspiracy commotion against Russia using the incident as a pretext. European countries including Poland spread absurd public opinion such as "an attempt to escalate the situation in Ukraine" and the claim that Russia might have "blown it up itself". Ukraine, saying that Russia had caused a gas leak, seized upon it as an "act of aggression" against the European Union (EU). Meanwhile, on February 8, 2023, the American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a shocking report describing in detail how the US destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The report also contains a passage saying that the US agonized for as long as nine months over the question of how to leave no evidence. Hersh analyzed that Western Europe had become addicted to buying cheap natural gas provided by Russia, and that in the end Western Europe's dependence on the US decreased; this is one of the main reasons Washington decided to blow it up. The US clamoured that it was fake information and fabrication. And it began to spread the theory of destruction by Ukraine through the media. The New York Times, citing "new information data", reported that a pro-Ukrainian group had carried out the attack. In this regard, a Swedish expert said that the Western media had exposed their moral inferiority by widely circulating clearly fabricated claims, and stressed that the explosion was an act committed by the US. The Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations (UN), speaking at a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting, exposed that the US destroyed the gas pipeline to maintain its influence in Europe, which needs Russian energy, and that it committed such a furious criminal act out of the desire to consolidate its domination over Europe. In the meantime, almost three years after the incident, the former Ukrainian army officer was arrested in Italy on charges of involvement in the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and a trial began in Germany not long ago. The press secretary of the Russian President said on the 12th that he expects the perpetrators and those who ordered the sabotage to be identified at the trial, and that he will wait for the verdict. An awl in a sack cannot be hidden. No matter what tricks those who destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipeline may play, the truth of the incident and their crimes will certainly be brought to light. Jon Jong Ho, staff reporter El Niño's Negative Impact on Agricultural Production Several international organizations are repeatedly sounding warnings that the El Niño phenomenon is bringing negative impacts on agricultural production. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) once again published data showing that the current El Niño may develop to the strongest level on record by the end of this year and reach its peak, and expressed concern that drought and floods in various places may have a great impact on agricultural production and food supply. Not long ago the organization also pointed out that from October to December the sea surface temperature in the central and eastern parts of the tropical Pacific will rise to record levels, and that as a result temperatures in most regions of the world will be higher than normal and abnormal climate phenomena such as drought and heavy rain will appear in some regions. The World Food Programme (WFP) also announced that El Niño will have a serious impact on agricultural production in eastern and southern Africa, and that this may further worsen Africa's food shortage. The head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at a press conference not long ago, once again warned that the impact of El Niño may bring about a serious food shortage. He appealed to governments of all countries to draw up sufficient countermeasures as the risk of abnormal climate phenomena is increasing worldwide. The negative impacts are actually being observed. Owing to El Niño, record heavy rain and floods occur in some regions, while severe drought and high temperatures persist in others. As a result, serious damage is being suffered, such as farmland being washed away or submerged and the growing conditions of crops deteriorating. In Vietnam, during the nine months since the beginning of this year, 127,353 hectares of farmland were submerged by various natural disasters such as floods and landslides. In Afghanistan, it is said that more than 83,300 acres of farmland suffered flood damage during the past year. According to what the Philippine government announced not long ago, in that country this year, owing to the impact of El Niño, crops planted on more than 291,100 hectares were ruined. Minimizing the damage from floods, heatwaves and drought caused by El Niño and ensuring stable agricultural production are becoming urgent tasks for all countries. Staff reporter Assertion That a Peaceful and Stable Environment Must Be Created for Women The Permanent Representative of China to the UN, speaking on the 27th at an open debate of the UNSC under the theme "Women, Peace and Security", asserted that a peaceful and stable environment must be created for women. He said that the current international situation is becoming more complex and that women still face challenges in many respects, including violence, discrimination and poverty, and stressed that the international community must join hands and strive to protect women's rights and interests and promote the development of the world women's cause. He said that in the Middle East, Haiti and some regions of Africa numerous women are becoming innocent victims of armed conflict, violence and terrorist attacks, and that to ease their suffering, first of all wars must be ended, peace promoted and the situation stabilized. He mentioned that all countries should help women participate equally in economic and social activities and should properly implement national strategies and outlook plans to guarantee women's rights and interests. [KCNA] Retaliatory Measures Taken against Britain's Hostile Acts Russia has taken retaliatory measures against Britain's hostile acts of raging to supply weapons to Zelensky's neo-Nazi regime. On the 27th the Russian MFA issued a statement announcing that the heads of seven British arms companies that are handing weapons and military-technical equipment over to the Ukrainian authorities have been included in the sanctions list. [KCNA] ICBM Launched The Russian Ministry of Defence announced on the 28th that a strategic nuclear submarine of the Russian Pacific Fleet, in accordance with a combat training plan, conducted an underwater launch of a Bulava ICBM in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. The missile was launched toward the Chizha range in Arkhangelsk region, it is said. [KCNA] Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Re-elected President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected President of Brazil on the 25th. He received a majority of the votes in the presidential election held recently. [KCNA] Demand for Withdrawal of Israeli Troops The President of Lebanon on the 28th, at a diplomatic venue, condemned the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in the southern region of his country. He exposed that the Israeli army continues to bomb and destroy cities and villages in southern Lebanon and said that this violates the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel. He appealed to the international community to press the Israeli authorities to stop military attacks and withdraw from the occupied territories. [KCNA] Mpox Patients Continue to Occur In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, four new Mpox patients have been registered. Thereby the total number of infected persons in the province has risen to 18, the provincial health authority announced on the 27th. The provincial authorities recommended that residents not come into contact with patients in order to reduce the risk of spread of the infectious disease. [KCNA] Earthquakes An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale was observed in the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on the 29th. The depth of the epicentre was 50 km, it is said. On the 28th an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale occurred in Vanuatu. [KCNA] For Social Progress and Development Cooperation Russia and Belarus on the 27th signed a document on the operation of a common electricity market of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The common electricity market will begin operation from next year, it is said. On the same day Indonesia and Singapore agreed to establish a cooperation body for wildfire prevention. Industrial Production Growth In India industrial production grew by 6.7 percent in September. In particular, in the manufacturing sector the production of rolling electrical equipment and electrical installations, rubber and synthetic resin products increased, the government announced on the 28th. Job Creation Plan Tanzania plans to create 1.7 million new jobs in 2027. On the 28th the government announced that the job creation work would be carried out in accordance with the new fiscal year's national development plan, and stressed that to this end investment would be concentrated on the development of transport infrastructure including roads, railways and ports, and on such fields as energy, irrigation facilities, and mineral and agricultural product processing. Encouragement of Solar Energy Use Thailand is encouraging the use of solar energy. On the 27th the government of that country announced a plan to install solar power generation systems in one million households. These households can send surplus electricity to the national power grid and earn income, it is said. [KCNA] Gun Crimes In Melbourne, Australia, on the 27th an armed gangster shot and killed a 55-year-old man. In a neighboring city the passenger car used by the criminal suspect was found burned, it is said. Earlier, on the 26th in Bavaria, Germany, an unidentified villain broke into a dwelling house and opened gunfire on the owner, wounding him. As the armed suspect fled and hid, social unrest and fear are increasing. [KCNA] High-Speed Train Collision in Spain Causes over 200 Casualties In Toledo province, Spain, on the 28th two high-speed trains collided, killing 68 people and wounding over 180. In connection with the many casualties caused by the accident, a three-day national mourning period was declared. Last January, too, a high-speed train collision caused dozens of deaths. As two large-scale collisions have occurred since the beginning of this year, concerns and unease over the safety of high-speed trains are growing in this country. [KCNA]
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