North Korea continued to blame the U.S. for the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas this week, claiming the fighting was “an inevitable result” of a Middle East policy that made Israel out to be the “victim.”

State media also announced that previously postponed local elections will be held next month, as the regime looks to use the typically single-candidate polls to give the appearance of democracy.

Propaganda media criticized Seoul’s new unification minister Kim Yung-ho over his overseas trips, where he called for international cooperation on human rights in the DPRK. [/p