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MASSED RANKS OF military and party leaders pledged complete loyalty to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on the second death anniversary of his father, at a time of growing concern over the regime’s stability.
The vows of obedience, at an elaborate gathering in Pyongyang honouring Kim’s father and former supremo Kim Jong-Il, followed the shock execution last week of the young leader’s uncle and one-time political mentor Jang Song-Thaek.
Jang’s purge raised questions about factional infighting at the top of the Pyongyang hierarchy and prompted both Seoul and Washington to warn of possible provocative acts by the nuclear-armed North.
Warriors
State television showed tens of thousands of military and party officials sitting stony-faced in pin-drop silence for several minutes, before rising to greet Kim with thunderous applause as he took his place on the leadership podium.
“We should be warriors to safeguard the party centre with our lives … with the conviction that we know no one but the great comrade Kim Jong-Un,” North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-Nam, said in an opening address.
He added that the country had made “great strides” in the two years since Kim took over the reins of power after his father’s death.
The mass meeting also heard a keynote address by top military leader Choe Ryong-Hae who some analysts believe had a hand in the ouster and execution of Jan.
The military will support “our supreme commander, under any storms and hardships”, said Choe, a close Kim confidant who holds the military rank of vice marshal and is director of the Korean People’s Army’s General Political Department.
“We will share the fate with our respected supreme commander by living and dying with him until the very last moment,” he said, while firing off a warning at rival South Korea.
If the enemies drop a single drop of fire on our motherland, our soldiers will immediately storm out to wipe out all the invaders and achieve unification.
At a meeting of top defence and national security officials on Monday, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye had warned that the recent leadership shake-up in the North could presage some aggressive behaviour from Pyongyang.
There was no sign on the leadership podium of Kim Jong-Un’s aunt and Jang’s widow, Kim Kyong-Hui – a major political player in her own right who holds the military rank of four-star general.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim Jong-Un had visited his father’s mausoleum on Monday, in the company of his wife, Ri Sol-Ju.
Ri has not been seen since October, prompting speculation that she may also have fallen out of favour.
Tuesday’s meeting came the day after a massive military rally in Pyongyang, during which Choe also spoke, urging troops to protect Kim Jong-Un “at the cost of their lives”.
Media
North Korea’s state news outlets, meanwhile, have erased tens of thousands of articles archived on their websites, according to a watchdog site.
About 35,000 articles have disappeared from the website of the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as well as 65,000 articles in Spanish, English, Chinese and Japanese, said Frank Feinstein, an analyst who tracks the North’s online media for US-based website NK News.
It was not clear if the deletion was permanent or related to efforts to eradicate Jang Song-Thaek’s name from the official archive.
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Harris is completely useless. Is there any evidence that drinkaware provides misleading information?
Perhaps we will soon read about a website that cost more than any other website and receives no traffic.
@Wreck Tangle:
what a foolish little tool is Simon Harris !
Exactly what is he trying to achieve here ?
Trying to promote an image of himself as being tough, edgy and innovative most likely
In fact he’s anything but – the opposite in fact.
@Jazz Buckler: In all honesty, the man is a waste of a good underpants.
If we’re learned anything from the cigarette industry we should know that we can never trust the drink industry to have our health and best interests at heart.
The drink industry like the cigarette industry will always play down the risks and lobby against anything that will hurt their profits. They spend millions each year on lobbying.
They don’t care about how many peoples lives are ruined by drink, the countless staff hours wasted dealing with people who’ve drank too much pretty much every day of the week in A&E.
Drink is far too socially acceptable in Ireland, much of the harm it causes is ignored by the avg Joe.
@Barry: so do you honestly believe the goverment spin?????? Askabout alcohol
I suppose you yhink harris is doing a great job too
Where can I get accurate information on the government?
@jamesdecay: nowhere
Coming from the worst minister for health to don shoe leather that has to be a joke.
That man is a waste of oxygen.
Tuned into rte1 last night to get the news at nine. Was a little early and fair City was on. All in the pub having drinks and 1 woman slapped another cross the face. All before the Watershed. When are you Simon Harris going to deal with this indirect advertising of alcohol and ithe violence shown on this show??. RTÉ should receive a definition of watershed cause its taking no heed with this soap and thats just the Irish one. What bout the rest eastenders etc too ?
@C_O’S: You ok hun??
@C_O’S: there is no watershed in Ireland.
@C_O’S: Before the watershed are you serious. What the “children” can see in real life and on their phones is a hundred times worse.
All of the people were actors showing what can happen and telling a story.
Or would you rather have everyone totally unaware of the realities of life
He’s correct. Drink companies don’t make money reducing pint consumption. Same with cigarettes. Same old tricks, since the early 1900′s. Every single study on the matter of big corporations cosing up to any regulators results in increased product usage and poses a risk to our health, though none are more threatening than big pharma cash in our health sectors. When these two meet misinformstion, pseudoscience, drug usage and negative patient outcomes bloom https://www.bmj.com/content/326/7400/1189. We know this. The hyprocacy of the guy – so vocally concerned about misinformstion when 1/3 of his senior doctors are paid by big pharma. https://www.businesspost.ie/news-focus/how-doctors-and-hospitals-cash-in-from-big-pharma-edb1b5a0.
That information was dug up by brilliant reporting. Not given voluntarily, as it should be.
Don’t fully trust anyone with your health. Read a book and in times of bad health always get a second opinion from a doctor of a different leaning.
‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’ what’s the difference?
@Annette Hunter: one is accidental (mis) the other has intent (dis).
@Annette Hunter: Simon Harris apparently
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/11/advisers-threaten-to-quit-public-health-england-over-drink-free-days-campaign – it sounds like Alcohol industry advertising re safe alochol drinking practices is advisable as tobacco companies advising re safe cigarette smoking practices
And the (dis) information we receive from the Depth of Health is to be trusted?
I’m asking the media not to use information from Simon Harris.
@Anna69xxa: thanks Anna , are those photos mis information or dis information -ive had a few beers over the xmas and am easily confused …..
Alcohol is hugely damaging to your health both mentally and physically, no matter how much its downplayed. This is coming from someone who drinks, and everyone who drinks who says otherwise or overstates the enjoyment and relaxation it offers ect is in denial about the harm.. I drank flip all this week, all because i drank a bit too much at the weekend and i felt like death the next day. The worst part is mentally, it messes with your moods because youre fighting a losing battle with tiredness and trying to get through the day, Its all self inflicted and i dont even drink that much, one bottle of wine a week on average is hardly going mad., but i think any alcohol messes with your entire system, i wish i could just do without it, but its become a weekly habit that i cant convince myself not to do
For the first time I agree with Harris. Media should be getting this information from an independent source and not something from the drinks company. It should be the same with drugs and gambling as well. Harris is still useless. How can a person whose only experience is making tea be made a health minister in charge of multi billion euro budget.
@John Smith Esq: I think we all know how Simon got his post -as with most FG appointments (particularly with Kenny) – for loyalty to the leader. Thats all that is needed.
@John Smith Esq: a independent source ie the government????????
Is simon suggesting we can’t trust the drinks industry?
Will this little whipper snapper ever go away!
have your say