a very warm welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to our viewers in north america and around the globe. my name's 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. a simple tactical decision or a show of strength to the world? we assess the impact of america's bomb attack on afghanistan. we're also on the front line in iraq, as security forces surround the old city of mosul, ahead of an all—out assault. and coming to a screen near you — there's a star wars frenzy — as fans get their first glimpse of the lastjedi. hello.

north korea said it is prepared to respond to any nuclear attack by the united states with an all—out war. choe ryong—hae — who is second in command of the country's military — said north korea is ready to hit back with a nuclear attack of its own. he was speaking as tens of thousands of north korean soldiers and civilians were 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. tens of thousands of people have

come out to take part in this co—ordinated military parade. you can see missile launchers are on display as well as other military hardware. many people monitoring this very closely and as is our correspondence in north korea john sudworth. his movements are being tightly controlled and monitored. give us your opinion of the display. it is an extraordinary sight. you can feel the ground shake as thousands upon thousands of goose—stepping soldiers, tanks, other weaponry have advanced and rumbled their way through the capital city. this is a display of unity for the young north korean leader. he wants to send a key message on the anniversary of his grandfather's birth that his grip on

power is unassailable but as donald trump threatens to thwart his nuclear ambitions, it also sends a message to the outside world that this country's military with its nuclear tests and missile launchers is vital for its survival. military a nalysts is vital for its survival. military analysts will be poring over these pictures for evidence of the latest state of technological advancement of these forces. has been some strong words from donald trump towards north korea but equally, we have seen strong rhetoric from pyongyang. that's right. north korea is making it very, very clear that its nuclear weapons programme is that select the integral to its view of regime survival. there is that speculation that it may be preparing

for another underground nuclear test. at the moment, we have absolutely no contact with the outside world other than this tv line we are speaking on. all our mobile phones were taken away from us mobile phones were taken away from us about five or six hours ago with before being allowed into the square. it is unlikely we will see a test today, i think. kim jong—un square. it is unlikely we will see a test today, i think. kimjong—un is making it absolutely clear that he is not prepared to negotiate away his nuclear weapons while being threatened and challenged by the united states. john, you are there with a group of foreign journalists who covered this event. ijust wonder the level of access you have been allowed to have and have you been allowed to have and have you been able to speak to average north korean ‘s and get their thoughts on the day ‘s events and the tensions? we haven't. these are very, very tightly controlled media trips. we are able to speak to some north

korean but of course only ever under the watchful eyes of our minders. beyond the city limits, there is no media access at all. this is a society, our country, that controls freedom of information like none other on the planet. the one thing you can say, of course, is that it has proved over the years extremely resilient and this is the reason why. it's used its military force, its nuclear weapons programme, to remarkable strategic effect. outliving all the other totalitarian regimes which have fallen by the wayside at the end of the cold war and it is clear that north korea has learnt the lessons from iraq and libya. countries that either didn't possess nuclear weapons or had given there's up and it learnt that lesson in one particular regard, of course, which is to keep on pushing because it sees, in its military, its

security. indeed. as you talk to us, in credible scenes behind you. missile launchers driving straight past. it is easy to forget the reason for today's parade. wityk about —— we speak about potential conflicts but of course this is a an important day for north koreans, the anniversary of the birth of the state founder, kim il—sung. how important is he still in the country was to market well, he is still president. even in death, he remains officially by the constitution the president of this country. i have to say, i mentioned it earlier, but you really ca n say, i mentioned it earlier, but you really can feel this parade. it's not just something you really can feel this parade. it's notjust something you witness. the ground is shaking, you can feel the engines of the caterpillar trucks as they take their rockets and missiles away from kim il—sung's square. he was the man who began it all. the nuclear weapons programme began in

the 1980s under his watch and of course, his son and grandson are now carrying on that ambition. experts believe that missiles with weaponry like this, they are just a few small steps away from having a real deliverable nuclear. once they reach that stage, it is a game changer in terms of the regional security system and the diplomatic international situation about what can be done about a military ambitions. it changes things for good. the young man sitting out there in those that stand that is —— has learnt the lessons from his father and grandfather before him. absolutely. you mention that many experts will be watching this parade with great interest from any clue about north korea's current

capabilities. ring us up to speed about what we know about their capabilities as it stands. —— bring us up to speed. we know they are very, very close. perhaps a matter of months and even a few years at most away from being able to put nuclear weapons on a warhead. we have seen in the last three months, submarine launched ballistic missiles. we don't know when they will be able to marry the two bits of technology together that experts have agreed that with every single test, test and fail, test and fail, test, test and fail, test and fail, test and success, they get ever closer. if we look at china's role in all of thisjust closer. if we look at china's role in all of this just a moment, there is potentially a sign of growing frustration between china and north korea. obviously, china is north korea's only ally. it has recently blocked coal imports in the country and as of monday, we understand,

there will be a suspension of direct flights between beijing and pyongyang. absolutely. i should make this my last answer because we have been asked to move away from the position that you are right, china is key. we know very little about the real insight is that strategic relationship that there is no doubt about it, china's impatience is growing. thanks for staying with us. as we look at those live pictures therein pyongyang of those missile launchers parading the streets in pyongyang. the founder of the country kim il—sung which is being celebrated today in such a huge display. you can see it right there, a huge display of national unity. also of impressive military might. you can see the live pictures of the current leader of north korea saluting his military. china has called for calm saying

that conflict could break out any moment. the appeal came just hours after america dropped a huge bomb on so—called islamic state militants in afghanistan. 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. 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 with us on bbc news, still to come: enlightening the planet. new night—time images from nasa give us the clearest view yet of human activity and settlement across the earth. pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers is reported to have died of natural causes. he and the khmer rouge movement he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians. there have been violent protests

in indonesia where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazine's offices have been attacked and its editorial staff have gone into hiding. it was clear that paula's only contest was with the clock and as for a sporting legacy, paula radcliffe's competitors will be chasing her new world best time for years to come. quite quietly, but quicker and quicker, she seemed just to slide away under the surface and disappear. this is bbc news. the latest 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. in iraq, a military commander has told the bbc that one of the highest religious authorities in the islamic state group has been killed. he says abdullah al—badrani died in an airstrike in mosul on thursday evening. iraqi security forces have been surrounding the old city, ahead of an all—out assault. our defence correspondent jonathan beale sent this report from the frontline. the prize is in their sight. the old city of mosul,

and its most famous landmark, the leaning minaret of the al—nuri mosque. this is where abu bakr al—baghdadi first appeared as caliph of the so—called islamic state. they still control it, and most of what you can see. but for how much longer? translation: the mosque is now very near, and soon we will advance. we know the enemy is weak and on its last legs. a visit to the frontline, though, tells a different story. for the past few weeks, the iraqi advance has slowed to a crawl. resistance is still fierce. well, these federal police are surrounded on two sides by is, and they are firing on their positions from here. snipers, is snipers, just about 100 metres from this position.

and you can see the rounds, the is rounds, coming in here, fairly regularly. tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped, caught in the crossfire. much of mosul has already been turned to rubble. even in these deserted streets, recently secured, there is nowjust the debris of war. here, discarded is military uniforms, and nearby, one of their many improvised bombs. but the enemy is not just hiding in the city. wejoined an iraqi intelligence unit hunting down is infiltrators and collaborators who have already escaped. now seeking shelter and avoiding capture, in camps, living alongside the innocents of this war, who fled the fighting. how often do you do this?

do you do this often? always, every day, every night. you are finding isis fighters in these camps? in the camp or some in his house, in mosul. everywhere. the extremists may be losing their grip on mosul, but even if they are defeated, is won't have gone away. jonathan beale, bbc news, mosul. christians around the world have been observing good friday. in rome, pope francis led a procession around the colosseum, as an egyptian family carried the cross. security has been tight at the former gladiators' arena, with tens of thousands in attendance. the pope is still planning to visit egypt at the end of the month, despite two deadly bomb attacks on coptic churches on palm sunday last weekend. 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 darkness have been dubbed the black marble. cameras on—board nasa a satellite are so sensitive they can detect light from a single fishing boat or isolated streetlamp. these pictures were taken in 2016. the satellite data creates beautiful images, but also show how humans have shaped the 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. and if we 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 helped to detect power cuts, after hurricane matthew struck parts of the caribbean and us in 2016. and in syria, the un has used the data to monitor the movement of people displaced by war. 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 reduce light pollution, monitor unregulated fishing, and track ice movements across the world's oceans. have you ever considered how much you might waste, when it comes to how much toilet paper you use? a few weeks ago, we reported that, in parks in china, there is a new high—tech solution

to stop people using too much. now, arrun soma can show you how it works. in beijing, at the temple of heaven, it is the porcelain palace that is getting all the attention. in one of the most private of places, you are being watched. after years of people using too much toilet paper, throne thieves sometimes stuffing it into their bags, authorities have rolled out facial recognition technology to stop people pilfering paper. translation: through these two lenses at the front, it collects facial information, and creates a three—dimensional model. after analysing it, it will give the electric machine a pulse, so the machine will start working, and provide paper. this will save paper and stop wastage. it is convenient, because i don't need to pull it out. but you will only get one 70 cm strip at a time, and you will have to wait nine minutes if you want more. this man says for most people it is a bit slow, if they need the toilet urgently. fair point, but he goes on to say that it is actually pretty useful.

and then there are those unmentionable moments where one needs, well, a lot more. a park spokesman says there are staff on hand with extra paper. after all, desperate times call for desperate measures. after some teething issues during the trial, the cleaner here says the new electronic dispensers have solved the problem. they have gone from replacing 1a rolls a day to just four. the ratings are in. it seems the authorities think the idea is flushed with success. now to the movie trailer that has sent star wars fans into a frenzy. this clip released on the internet is the first look at the latest star wars film, the lastjedi. it follows on from the force awakens, and will feature the late carrie fisher. the trailer was unveiled at a star wars celebration,

in florida, and thousands rushed to watch it online in just the first few minutes. earlier i spoke to scott casanova, a huge star wars fan and contributor to the boba fett fan club, and i asked him what he thought of this new trailer. it's very exciting, very exciting. and, you know, after her death, fans of princess leia will be happy to see the late carrie fisher, in what seems to be a quite pivotal role in this movie. yeah, it will be bittersweet. i mean, we've seen that in other films recently, as well, where actors have passed and then films have come out. the are looking forward to seeing her ina

the are looking forward to seeing her in a much bigger role in this next film. what is your impression of this? does it actually matter how good the plotlines are of these movies, or how good the battle scenes are? basically, people will pay their money to see any franchise, won't they? i think there is a bit of that. there is a new film coming out, and we had to see it. but, for the real star wars fans, it is the story that matters. that is how george lucas built this franchise from the get go. it's always been very story—centric. the empire strikes back is often cited as the best film in the series, and that one is almost all story, there's very little action in that film. it does seem that this is a rejuvenation of the franchise, after a period where the prequels came out, and there was criticism of those films as being very disney—esque. now that they own it, do you think it will help the franchise? i think, any time you have disney money involved,

it will help. and disney have shown that they are willing to take chances. if you look at rogue one, they had everyone die at the end. i think that was the right decision in the writing. before we go, another look in pyongyang. this is the marking of the country's founder, kim il—sung's birthday. tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians taking part in the celebration to mark the birth of the country's founder. there is intense speculation today that north korea could carry out its sixth nuclear bomb test, or another missile test, possibly a long—range missile test, possibly a long—range missile test. we will cover that and all the day's news coming up. you can stay with us here on bbc news. and you can get in touch with me and the team on twitter. i'm @tomdonkinbbc. 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 of those. there are also wetter days. looks like for some of us the rain will come back on sunday, easter day. we'll get to easter monday, as well, in this forecast, but we'll start with saturday. rather 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 scotland, and the showers are going to be most frequent coming into northern scotland. there will be some snow on the higher hills. one or two showers elsewhere, for northern ireland, scotland, and a few pushing into northern england on the wind as well. it will be breezy, so that means the showers 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 that breeze. so on through the day, then, we will keep a feed of showers will come into scotland, most frequent in northern scotland, again wintry on the hills. one or two for northern ireland, 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, but nine in glasgow. for most of us, we will be around 9—12 degrees in the wind, making you feel cooler. and bear that in mind, heading into the higher scottish hills and mountains. with gales, 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 turn quite chilly. many of the showers will start to fade away, so we're left with a mainly dry saturday evening, but we are 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. it looks like it is going to push some rain into northern ireland, then feed into scotland.

the 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, the midlands, east anglia, leaving southern england dry. but again, 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, where it will be quite windy. but there will be sunny spells around, too. bear in mind, once those showers clear 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, but 36 is fighters were killed — the group has denied any losses. several thousand people have been evacuated from four besieged towns in syria as part of a deal between the government and rebels. around 30,000 people are trapped in a humanitarian crisis described by the un as "catastrophic." much more online anytime at bbc.com/news. do check it out. now on bbc news, an affectionate portrait of elizabeth gathoni koinange, who celebrated her 117th birthday last month.