DPRK players Ri Hyo Song and Ro Hye Song took third place in the mixed pair balance and the mixed pair combined of the 29th FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championship held in Portugal. 

Pyongyang University of Fine Arts, the “pedigree” establishment for education in Juche-based fine arts, is widely known as the academic centre promoting the development of fine arts of the country and a prestigious group of artists.

In the past the university contributed greatly to the construction of monumental structures including the Chollima Statue, Monument to the Victorious Battle of Pochonbo, Grand Monument on Mansu Hill, Wangjaesan Grand Monument and Samjiyon Grand Monument representing the eras in the DPRK history, while producing tens of thousands of pieces of artworks of national treasure value, based on profound themes and ideas and done with unique painting techniques, such as Korean painting “Nostalgia” and oil painting “Mansu Hill in July”.

Its fine tradition has successfully been inherited in the new century of the Juche era.

Successes are made in improving the quality of education in different parts of the DPRK.

In order to improve educational conditions and environment, primary efforts are being directed to constructing new school buildings or renovating existing ones.

The Ministry of Education and relevant local authorities worked out bold plans for the projects and are pushing ahead with them while solving knotty problems.

Units of general education are directing efforts to the education of schoolchildren in patriotism.

“Love for the country does not come of its own accord. It blossoms and grows from valuing and loving even a tree and pebble of the native village while receiving education in patriotism from childhood. The school turned several spaces of the campus into places for education in patriotism and gave education in various ways to help students cultivate the mind of knowing the country first before acquiring knowledge,” said Ri Il Sim, Children’s Union instructor of Ryomyong Primary School in Taesong District, Pyongyang.

The school put up visual aids showing the name of the country, national emblem, national flag and other symbols of the DPRK in several halls in the campus so that students could know well about the national symbols and value them.

September 27 is World Tourism Day.

Tourism not only provides people with adequate rest and physical training, but also gives them a deep understanding of politics, the economy, history, culture, geography and others of each country.

The 3rd General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization held in 1979 set September 27 as World Tourism Day to encourage public awareness of the importance of tourism.

Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released a report on the influence of Israel’s aggressive moves on the economy of the Gaza Strip. 

According to the report, the total volume of production in Gaza in the fourth quarter of last year diminished by 81 percent as compared to that in the third quarter.

In the period between October last year and early this year, 82 percent of enterprises were destroyed and 80 to 96 percent of irrigation facilities and other agricultural assets became unusable, thus making the area unable to produce food.

The home-visiting group of students in their final year at Korea University of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan visited the statues of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on September 24.

The members of the group laid bouquets before the statues of the great leaders and made bows to them. 

Kim Song Nam, director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, met and had a friendly talk with Keo Mackhaphon, Laotian ambassador to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on September 24 when the latter paid a courtesy call on him.

Present there were officials of the International Department of the WPK Central Committee and staff members of the Laotian embassy.

New villages have been built at Sinjidong and Sinsong farms in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province.

Present at the ceremony for moving into new houses were Kim Man Jo, secretary of the South Phyongan Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and officials, builders and agricultural workers in Hoechang County.

Jang Myong Il, vice-chairman of the South Phyongan Provincial People's Committee, made an address there. Then licences for the use of houses were conveyed amid the warm applause of the participants.