International
North Korea hosts a grand ceremony for the 30th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s death
The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, presided over a massive ceremony in Pyongyang on Monday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the country’s founder, state media reported.
The event, which was attended by thousands of people, took place in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, the scene of the great celebrations and commemorations of the North Korean regime.
“The place was filled with ardent longing and deep mourning for President Kim Il-sung, the great revolutionary, the great man and the benevolent father, who gave himself to the homeland and the people, to socialism and the sacred cause of independence on a global scale for more than 70 years,” says an article about the event published today by the KCNA agency.
Kim Jong-un, who previously visited the Palace of the Sun of Kumsusan in Pyongyang to pay tribute to the embalmed remains of his grandfather and father, presided over the ceremony from the tribune located in front of the Great Palace of People’s Studies, from which Kim Il-sung Square is overlooked.
It was flanked by the four members of the Presidium of the Single Party Politburo, Kim Tok-hun, Jo Yong-won, Choe Ryong-hae and Ri Pyong-chol.
In the box you could also see the leader’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, who is deputy director of the Department of Propaganda and Agitation of the Workers’ Party.
After a minute of silence, it was his direct superior, Ri Il-hwan, director of the aforementioned department, who gave a speech entitled “The sacred revolutionary feats of the great leader comrade Kim Il-sung will be eternal,” in which the work of the founder of the country was praised and emphasis was placed on the work of Kim Jong-un to keep his legacy alive.
The event concluded with a salvo and with the well-known hymn “The song of General Kim Il-sung.”
The founder of North Korea died on July 7, 1994 at the age of 82 from heart failure.
With the support of the Soviet Union he became the first leader of the country after the end of World War II and over five decades he managed to impose himself over other factions and place his son Kim Jong-il (father of the current leader) as his successor.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
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