North Korea's leader made his first appearance since last month's deadly train explosion, according to official media that also kept up rhetorical attacks against Washington despite a US offer of emergency aid.
Kim Jong-il inspected a military unit and met soldiers, the official KCNA news agency said in a report on yesterday that did not mention when the inspection by the elusive leader took place.
Kim was "satisfied to see all officers and men of the unit ... capable of successfully undertaking any combat duty under any circumstances," KCNA said.
As the US awaited word on whether Pyongyang would accept the US offer of help, the North denounced Washington's decision to keep its listing of the North as a state sponsor of terrorism.
In its annual report on terrorism last week, the US State Department left unchanged its list of seven state sponsors, including North Korea. It said the seven had "not taken substantial steps to cooperate in efforts to combat international terrorism."
A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman told KCNA: "This once again convinces us that the hostile policy of the Bush administration towards the DPRK remains unchanged."
DPRK is the short hand for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The abduction of Japanese cited as grounds for the decision is a bilateral issue that has been resolved with Tokyo, the spokesman said. Tokyo does not share that view.
The report of Kim's appearance came 11 days after the train explosion in the North that killed at least 161 people the day Kim returned by rail from talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing.
KCNA did not mention the blast nor explain Kim's absence from public view. The state media had remained silent during Kim's secretive China visit, not reporting on the trip until after he had returned to the North early on April 22.
He was presumed to have passed through the town of Ryongchon on his way home. An explosion at the town's rail station some hours later rocked a 4km radius area and killed at least 161 people and injured 1,300.
The North accepted and gave thanks for offers of help from the South, other countries and international aid organizations.
The international offer of assistance also includes proposals to send medical supplies and personnel from the US, which is in a standoff with the North over its nuclear arms aims.
After three rounds of talks spread out over more than year of trying to push negotiations on the nuclear problem, junior North Korean and US negotiators will meet representatives from South Korean, China, Japan and Russia next week in Beijing.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS