welcome to bbc news, broadcasting at home and around the globe. i'm tom donkin. our top stories: north korea commemorates its founding father — but as tensions grow, will there be an act of defiance against the west? this is the scene live in pyongyang right now as the parade gets into full flow — china warns conflict on the peninsula could break out at any moment. hello. tens of thousands of north korean soldiers and civilians are taking part in celebrations to mark the anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, kim il—sung. this was the scene a short time ago as president kim—jong un arrived at the event. along with the traditional parade of missile launchers and other military hardware, there's speculation that he could order another nuclear test.

this is the scene live in pyongyang. we can see the leader of north korea lined up, watching the military parade which you have to say is being awarded mated to the latter. the run many, many, many thousands of soldiers and civilians joining in the celebrations —— is being co—ordinated to the letter. there is speculation that north korea could carry out its sixth nuclear test or a long—range missile test. kim —— kim il—sung although he is dead

remains in office. it is taking on a symbolic meaning as the tensions between north korea and the us are notching up. donald trump sent what he called a powerful armada to the korean peninsulas as a show of strength and after meeting chinese leader, he said the us was prepared to go alone. this parade will be watched very, very closely, followed by many experts in the region. where there are test is imminent or a missile launch may be happening, thatis missile launch may be happening, that is what the thought is in the

next 2a hours. of course, we don't know what is going to happen but what we do know for now is that there is a huge show of strength in pyongyang. our correspondentjohn sudworth is in pyongyang with a group of foreign journalists invited to witness the event — and his movements are being closely monitored. he filed his report before the parade began. they sing. in north korea, the spectre of war looms large over daily life. these girls are singing about being soldiers... while, not far away, real ones crowd into a shrine to the country's founding president, general kim il—sung. these are scenes akin to a religious pilgrimage, but of course, in honour of a still ruling family dynasty who have at their disposal all of the myth that would rival any of the world's great religions. and as the country prepares

to display its devotion at the anniversary of kim il—sung's birth this weekend, there's an awareness of the rising tension with america. translation: we should have the nuclear weapons. if we do not have nuclear weapons, the nuclear weapon of another country will fall on our soil. translation: it doesn't matter whether the americans make the situation on the korean peninsula tense. it doesn't matter. we feel safe because we have the great leader, kimjong—un. this week, the current ruler, kim jong—un, held this meeting where his late grandfather was honoured.

he is also thought to be planning a massive military parade as a powerful tribute, and a message of defiance. children sing. this is a country where art and armaments are blended in singular purpose, to demonstrate to the watching world that its nuclear ambitions will not be stopped. john sudworth, bbc news, pyongyang. north korea's army has promised what it called a "merciless" response to any us provocation — reflecting growing tension about the country's nuclear and weapons programmes. china has called for calm — saying it fears conflict could break out at any moment. the appeal came just hours after america dropped a huge bomb on so—called islamic state militants in afghanistan. the us military insists it was a local, tactical decision — but others believe it was intended as a show of strength. our security correspondent frank gardner reports. a powerful armada, in the words of president trump. this is the us navy's carl vinson carrier battle group, equipped with 90 strike aircraft and other weapons and diverted to the seas off north korea.

mr trump is hoping it will intimidate that country's isolated regime into abandoning any further nuclear tests or long—range missile launches. ‘s china has warned of the imminent danger of a war being triggered on the korean peninsula, and north korea remains defiant, saying it's ready to respond to any attack with nuclear weapons. meanwhile, in afghanistan, the us has dropped an immense bomb — 11 tonnes of high explosive dropped on an isis tunnel complex in the mountains of eastern afghanistan. the blast was felt 30 miles away. the weapon used is called a moab, a massive ordnance airburst, also known as the mother of all bombs. this was its first time used in combat. this was the right weapon against the right target. we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with our afghan comrades to eliminate this threat to the afghan people, especially the people of nangarhar, to the people of the entire region and indeed, the people around the world. local villagers confirmed that isis

fighters had set up bases in the mountains behind them, and said the bomb had hit its target. but the strike was condemned by both so—called islamic state and afghanistan's former president. how could the united states use afghanistan as its ground for experiments, for testing weapons of mass destruction on our soil? president trump's targets now include three major problem areas for the us — afghanistan, syria and north korea. the massive weapon that the pentagon has used in afghanistan is intended to send a message to its enemies that "you're not safe underground". in syria, the trump administration will be hoping that last week's cruise missile strike will deter presdent assad from any further chemical attacks. but north korea is the biggest gamble. mr trump is hoping that sending this powerful naval armada

offshore will deter any further nuclear tests. the question now, though, is can he manage three global crises simultaneously? it's very possible that if these three scenarios come together, syria, afghanistan and north korea, that it would overwhelm the policy—making capabilities of mr trump's administration, it will overwhelm the strategic planning capabilities of the pentagon and it would overwhelm the resource capabilities of the us military. but president trump and his entourage now feel they're on a roll, tackling head—on the foreign policy challenges the previous administration was unable to resolve. there is now the risk that ramping up the rhetoric could lead america into more conflict, or that in the absence of any swift resolutions, mr trump may simply turn his back on foreign adventures and focus instead on domestic issues. frank gardner, bbc news. stay up to date with this story

at bbc.com/news or by downloading the bbc news app. the national union of teachers says it's prepared to take legal action against the government, over plans which it believes are being used to expand selective education in england. the union believes it's identified comprehensive schools which are bending the rules by introducing some selection based on the results of a test. the move comes as ministers seek to lift the ban on new grammar schools. our education editor, bran—wen jeffreys reports from the union's annual conference in cardiff. grammar schools have a long history. in altrincham, 100 years of tradition. then, almost 20 years ago, new grammar schools were banned. now, some comprehensives offera grammarstream — for many, a way of stretching the brightest. but could this also be used to get around the law? so today, a warning of legal action. they fear ministers could

encourage more of this. the schools where we'd have an issue around this is a school that's advertising a grammar stream, that is putting children through tests for it, and where we get the sense from documents and other things that children stay in that stream, that it's actually a selective system that is being introduced. that's what we would want to challenge. is this essentially a shot across the bow of the government, to say don't try to do this without changing the law? what we're saying to government is if you want grammar schools, you have to win it through the parliamentary process. do not try and go round the back way. who can tell me what soluble was? for schools like elton primary in cheshire, the big worry is budgets. bills going up mean less money per pupil, leaving school governors facing tough decisions. we're already having to consider over the next three years losing at least two teachers, merging year groups,

potentially shortening the school week by one or maybe half a day. these are all things that we're having to consider. for teachers, that means fears aboutjobs, so a warm welcome for labour's shadow chancellor. this is the first real terms cuts in school budgets for two decades. this is the worst school funding settlement, since, to be frank, i was wearing flares. it's no surprise he gets a warm welcome at a union conference. but the issue of school budgets matters to parents too. the government is facing cross—party opposition to its plans for new grammar schools. schools can stream pupils after they get a place. the government says that's perfectly legal. and only a change in the law could allow new selective schools. branwenjeffreys, bbc news, cardiff. just taking you back to pyongyang.

you can see the leader of north korea and the many tens of thousands who have turned out. tens of thousands are taking part in the celebrations. there is intense speculation today as the country marks the birth of its founder but there will be at potential missile test or a nuclear test in the country. that is the fear in many countries. china is of course north korea's closest ally and a country which has just met very recently with donald trump whether chinese leader xi jinping and donald trump no doubt discussed north korea and china is seen as

very much a powerbroker in this situation, calling for calm between the two countries. a powerful armada, as donald trump said, is arriving in the waters on the korean peninsulas that china itself, it has to be said is showing some hostility towards north korea by blocking coal imports. as of monday, direct flights between china and pyongyang are not running. many countries hope that north korea don't pursue their nuclear ambitions which they have long had but we are expecting some sort of test on saturday or in the hours after. there is the scene live injohn yang. we will bring you more as the events unfold —— pyongyang. columinist kelvin mackenzie has been

suspended by the sun newspaper after comments he made about everton footballer ross barkley. in an article, mr mackenzie compared the midfielder to a gorilla — mr barkley‘s grandfather was born in nigeria. liverpool mayorjoe anderson said he had reported the article to the police for a "racial slur". the sun apologised for any offence caused, and added the paper was unaware of the footballer‘s heritage. mr mckenzie has disputed that his article was racist. our correspondent helena lee has the latest from news uk‘s headquarters in central london. the article was about ross barkley who was punched. "the lack of reflection is the —— in his eyes made us think he was one of our dimmest footballers." it went on to

say that men who and similar amounts of money to footballers in liverpool we re of money to footballers in liverpool were drug dealers. this prompted the mayor of liverpool to complain to the police and tonight kelvin mackenzie has been suspended from the paper. he is away on holiday at the paper. he is away on holiday at the moment but in a statement he said he didn't know of ross ba rkley‘s said he didn't know of ross barkley‘s family background and also said it was beyond parody that his critics would describe his article as racist. here at news uk they say that views expressed by kelvin mackenzie were wrong, unfunny and not the view of the paper that it is important to note that even though kelvin mackenzie wrote the article himself, they would have been in editorial process and the paper still went ahead and published his piece. this is bbc news. the headlines. tens of thousands of north korean soldiers and civilians are marking the anniversary of the birth of the country's founder with a military parade, amid concerns that spiralling

tensions could spark a conflict with the us. the us military says it was a tactical decision to drop a huge bomb on is hideouts in afghanistan, but as pictures emerge, questions are being asked about whether it was a show of strength to the world. the international development secretary, priti patel, has accused government and rebel forces in south sudan of deliberately blocking food aid. on a visit to the famine—stricken country, she also accused both sides of what she called abhorrent human rights abuses, including rape and murder. she was speaking to our diplomatic correspondent, james landale, who travelled with her and sent this report. in many civil wars, aircraft bring death. but, here in south sudan, they bring hope, dropping not bombs, but bags. this is leer, a desolate spot near the frontline of a conflict that has left millions of people hungry and displaced.

these bags are full of food, paid for by british taxpayers, to relieve the famine that the un has formally declared here. we travelled with priti patel, the international development secretary, to see how the aid she has ordered is being delivered to regions that are hardest to reach. airdrops that she admits are complicated and expensive, and not enough is getting through. so there is a conflict taking place, and food is being used as part of that conflict. this is a man—made famine. there is a civil war taking place here in south sudan, and we've seen all sorts of abhorrent practices take place, in terms of human rights violations, rape, murder, people being persecuted. that absolutely has to stop. but, in the meantime, uk aid is providing a lifeline. so close is the fighting that this is only a temporary food distribution centre, here for just a few days while security can be negotiated. to people here, these bags of seed represent a chance to live, a chance to survive.

but to british ministers, they also represent the sharp edge of british soft power, proof, they hope, that britain is still playing a key role on the international stage, despite brexit, and, they hope, an argument against critics back home who say britain's aid budget is just too large. i think, for viewers back home, and for people who, yes, question our aid budget, this makes us stand tall in the world. it gives us influence. this is south sudan's only children's hospital, where more and more babies are arriving with acute malnutrition. cecilia is 18 months old, and severely malnourished. her mother is dead, and her grandmother, rhoda, had no milk to feed her. i had to beg food from neighbours, she told me, but after a few days here, cecilia's diarrhoea and fever has got better. this war has also forced people from their homes. this is the registration

centre, over the border in uganda, where thousands are arriving each day. mary fled after her husband was killed by soldiers. one night, her husband was followed out of their home, and he was pulled away from the house and slaughtered. he was slaughtered, like an animal is butchered in a slaughterhouse. for all the aid, this is a crisis that many think will get worse before it gets better. james landale, bbc news, near the border of south sudan. thousands of military personnel in pyongyang, parading to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of its first leader and founder, kim il—sung. there is the current leader, kim jong—un, who

il—sung. there is the current leader, kimjong—un, who many people are worried he will authorise a nuclear test or potentially a missile test today, to coincide with this celebration. now, saturday does mark the so—called date of the sun. that is the anniversary of the founder's birth, the grandfather of the current leader, kim jong—un. north korea, it should be said, has seen a ratcheting up of tensions with the us in the recent week, but north korea, it should be said, is still technically at war with the south after their conflict back in the 1950s. that ended with a truce, but not a treaty, crucially, so those two countries are still very much on guard and that is why there isa much on guard and that is why there is a lot of worry in the south, in seoul, but also in many countries around the world, that there will be potentially a nuclear test or a missile test which is designed to carry a nuclear warhead. that of course is causing great concern to

many countries, because of the unknown, really, about what is going to happen, and what north korea is actually capable of. and many experts are watching this particular military parade very closely to see if any new assets are emerging, or any new capabilities are being displayed. so those are the live pictures right now in the gang, for this huge show of military strength and the country's massive military parade. let's round up some of the other main stories: german prosecutors say that an investigation into letters found in the aftermath of tuesday's bombing in dortmund cast doubt on whether the attack was the work of radical islamists. the three identical letters claim the borussia dortmund team bus was attacked in the name of allah, but experts say they have significant doubts about their authenticity. computer hackers in the united states have released files indicating that the country's intelligence services,

have been monitoring global bank transfers. the files suggest that the national security agency was able to penetrate the international bank messaging system known as swift, allowing it to trace the flow of billions of dollars to and from banks, particularly in the middle east. the trump administration will not make public the white house visitor logs, the records that detail who has visited the president and his staff. the white house said the records would be kept secret for at least five years after president trump leaves office, citing national security risks and privacy concerns. barack obama voluntarily disclosed the details of six million visits. police in italy have arrested a mafia boss who had escaped from prison last year during a three—day release. sicilian concetto bonacorsi had been serving a life sentence for murder, the illegal disposal of bodies, and drug trafficking. he was recaptured after police followed his wife and spotted him preparing a barbecue outside a flat in tuscany.

nasa scientists have released new global maps of the earth at night. they say it gives us the clearest view ever of the patterns of human settlement across our planet. the maps are created by stitching together thousands of cloud—free satellite images taken over many months. sarah corker has been taking a close look. these images of the world in dark this has been dubbed the black marble. cameras on—board nasa will make nasa satellite are so sensitive they can detect light from a single fishing boat or isolated streetlamp. these pictures were taken in 2016. these pictures were taken in 2016. the satellite data creates beautiful images. it also shows how humans have shaped planet. this image shows europe at night, and if you look more closely you can see the boot shaped peninsula of italy and lights coming from its towns and cities. if you move over to africa, this is the

river nile. it clearly shows how people have built their homes along its banks. this is a daytime image of the area, showing green, fertile land, and this is it lit up at night. the images have become a useful tool for scientists and researchers. they help to detect power cuts after cocaine matthew struck parts of the tribune and the us in 2016 -- -- struck parts of the tribune and the us in 2016 —— —— caribbean —— hurricane matthew. while the most recent mt etna eruption was also caught on camera from space. next, nasa plans to release daily night images. they should help to track ice is mac like pollution and the ice is mac like pollution and the ice movements across the world's oceans. before we go, let's take you back to pyongyang, and those live pictures we can see of that military parade,

as the smiling leader, kim jong—un, looks on as tens of thousands of north korea's soldiers and civilians are taking part in this show of military strength. a lot of experts in the north and south korean peninsula are interested in this parade, to see if any new military hardware is on display which could give an indication as to whether a missile launch, our tests, give an indication as to whether a missile launch, ourtests, ora nuclear test is imminent. that is the fear and the thought at this stage. and just to say, on the reuters news agency, according to reuters news agency, according to reuters so far, a north korean submarine launched ballistic sale has been seen, apparently, at this parade for the very first time. so there we see news of a new piece of military hardware being shown off in the capital, pyongyang. and of course, we will be watching this event and potentially any other events which many people are

speculating may happen. but of course, we don't know anything so far other than the country is celebrating a massive holiday with this show of strength, this show of military might, celebrating the birth, 105th anniversary of the birth, 105th anniversary of the birth of its founder, kim il—sung, the grandfather of the current leader, kim jong—un. so the grandfather of the current leader, kimjong—un. so there the grandfather of the current leader, kim jong—un. so there you have it. you can see those highly co—ordinated lines of soldiers marching through the capital, and we will of course watch this with great interest in the coming minutes and hours here on bbc world news. for now it is goodbye from me and the tea m now it is goodbye from me and the team and time for the weather. hello. rain for some of us on good friday. for very few of us, though, during saturday. it is an easter weekend of up—and—down weather. it is cool throughout, but there are sunnier days, saturday will be one. there are also wetter days. looks like for some of us the rain will come back on sunday, easter day.

and we'll get to easter monday as well. we'll start with saturday. a cloudy start across parts of southern england. it will brighten up. sunny spells from the word go, elsewhere. it is quite a blustery day across the northern half of the uk. some gales across parts of northern scotland, and the showers are going to be most frequent coming to northern scotland. there will be some snow on the higher hills. there will be a few showers in northern ireland, scotland, and a few pushing into northern england on the wind as well. it will be breezy, so they will move through quite quickly. for the rest of england and for wales, we will see very few showers here. just one or two around, but the vast majority are going to stay dry. not quite as windy the further south we come, but it is a cooler, fresher feel to the weather wherever you are, especially in the breeze. through the day, the showers will come into scotland, most frequent in northern scotland, wintry on the hills. one or two for northern ireland and northern england, but very few for the rest of england, and for wales, the afternoon here will be largely dry. those temperatures down compared with good friday,

so 1a degrees possible in london, only nine in glasgow. for most of us, we will be around 9—12 degrees, and the wind making you feel cooler. and bear that in mind, heading into the higher scottish hills and mountains. so wind chill will be a factor. there could be some snow showers as well, so some wintry conditions, you have to be prepared. now, as we go into saturday evening, it will be chilly. many of the showers will start to fade away, so we're left with a mainly dry saturday evening, but watching a weather system coming in from the atlantic for part two of the weekend. that is easter day, for sunday. now, still some uncertainty about the detail. there is a risk of some snow into the scottish uplands, perhaps the higher parts of the pennines, too, for a time, as the wet weather pushes across northern england, wales, east anglia, the midlands, leaving southern england dry. some uncertainty about the position and timing of this weather system. so keep watching the forecast during saturday if you've got plans on sunday, easter day. those temperatures around nine to 15 celsius. for easter monday, we're dealing with showers,

most frequent down the eastern side of the uk, it will be quite windy. but there will be sunny spells around, too. but bear in mind, once the cloud clears away on monday night, it is looking frosty, and we've got some very chilly nights for this time of year coming up next week. the latest headlines from bbc news. i'm tom donkin. tens of thousands of north korean soldiers and civilians are taking part in celebrations to mark the anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, kim il—sung. ahead of the traditional parade, there's been speculation that the current leader, kim—jong un, could order another nuclear test to mark his grandfather's birthday. us commanders have insisted that the huge bomb used against so—called islamic state in afghanistan was the right weapon for thejob. afghan officials say there were no civilian casualties,