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>> and now "bbc world news." cold war.s north and south exchanged artillery fire. could there be more to come? >>

-- under the threat of north korea and guns. it is that the process of hours. what is speeding into view is the sense that north korea is becoming more reckless and provocative. on north korean television they were showing their leader today.

kim jong-il out and about on a fish farm. he is trying to engineer a succession of power to his son. north korea blamed the south for firing first. he blamed them for their forces intruding on their territory. >> a rash of tensions and fears here. no one knows what is driving north korea down this dangerous road. bbc news, seoul. >> these clashes have spurred international condemnation. the white house has called this belligerent action. but could it escalate? our correspondent has this. >> a reclusive communist country, armed with misfiles,

over 1 million soldiers, and a nuclear weapon. and a leader who is in failing health. you can see him, holding tight onto the handrail. perhaps this show of nerves might have -- it is still not established that his youngest son will be his successor. for whatever reason for today's clash, the times are desperate. >> the u.s. strongly condemns this aggression on the part of north korea and we stand firmly with our allies. we have met with the chinese ministry of foreign affairs, and i think we both agree this conflict is very undesirable. >> the problem is this is the most militarized border in the

world. there are tens of thousands of american troops. there are unresolved territorial disputes. there have been clashes between north and south here for years. but now there is rising tension. in march, a warship was sunk with 46 sailors. last month, troops from north and south korea exchanged fire across the land bridge, and north korea probably revealed they have a new nuclear facility to enrich uranium. today, in washington, the united states really which is north caribbean policy. >> as i indicated -- there are

the three nyets. no bombs,, no exports. >> paradoxically, north korea may have an eye to new diplomacy. bbc news. >> much more, of course, on our website about that. and we have a timeline on how the conflict has escalated, analysis, and a look at the options for south korea. all that and more at bbc.com /news. now, the insurgency in afghanistan is growing. the latest analysis from military experts for the u.s. department of defense says it is a critical year for the nato mission. it also says that insurgent bases are still a problem with

more, that any bill. in a way, what is more worrying is the strategy. and in this report, it says that this is driving people further? >> yes. this is pretty grim. it comes in a week and where they have been talking about the possibility of withdrawing from afghanistan. what we want to point out is that people in afghanistan, they believe that western powers withdrew, too, and they say that that strengthen the forces of the taliban. it points to an international taliban victory. it exploits the frustration of

the government. >> do you get any sense from your sources about how people at the highest levels proposed to deal with this situation? >> this report has are realistic soldier's of view of the situation. i think what it does -- it is not aware at the moment. this, i think will make leaders realize it is not political will on the table at the moment. >> thank you very much, bethany. more top stories for you at this hour.

belgian prosecutors have arrested several on suspicion of planned attacks on belgians. there have been several different countries, including russia and morocco. rescuers tried to reach 29 people trapped in and new zealand coal mine. it is still not safe to send in rescue teams. there has been no contact with the trapped men. they are now saying they expect growth up to 6% next year, down from the previous estimate. thatirst apple computer's company founder steve jobs it sold from his parents' garage have been sold on auction in london. this was the predecessor of the various macs and ipads.

they sold for rather less. and kate middleton and the prints that decided on april 29 as a wedding date. they have agreed it will be a public holiday. there will be many such -- there have been many such events over the century. our correspondent has a pretty intense look. there is flash photography. >> it is woven into the history of this country. william and kate will be in westminster abbey. it is the culmination of hundreds of years of real history. they are preparing for an event that will be both an event of national attention and a family wedding. >> it will be here, and all

around. and then the dressing. >> this is said to be the intimate part of the abbey. >> it is very important to the couple, i think. it is their own commitment to each other. that is the heart of it. we delight in it and we pray for them. >> kate middleton was spotted there on a late-night visit last week. security aside, the wedding will be paid for by the first family. >> by choosing westminster abbey, william will be following in his grandparents footsteps. the queen was married here on november 20, 1947.

>> i take the, phillip, for my wedded husband. >> this was the first spectacle after the second world war. >> the two youngest ones leading the way. >> behind the newlyweds, prince william. his parents were married in st. paul's cathedral. for centuries, westminster abbey has been a key part of the nation's history. >> there have been several correlate -- coronations here. this will be the 10th royal wedding here at the abbey cents lower cornwall was married here in 1919. >> it will be married on the

friday before the holiday, and for many, it will be a long weekend. >> we discussed this in cabinet this morning and we decided to hold a bank holiday on april 29. so everyone who wants to watch the celebrations will be able to do that. that is the right thing to do. >> william and kate are said to be calling the shots for the wedding plans. the wedding venue is decided, and there are five months ago. bbc news. >> stay with us, if you can, on "bbc world news." still to come -- inside the newly-renovated royal shakespeare theatre in stratford. first though, the u.n.'s global assessment of new hiv infection shows deaths from aids are

falling and infection rates are falling over the past decade. we have this. >> 33.3 million people live with hiv. last year, there were some 6 million new infections. but still, it is a 20% drop on the number 10 years ago. death rates have fallen, too, and treatment rates are rising. >> the investment is paying off. we have seen fewer new infections. and we are seeing also fewer deaths. >> the picture is not positive everywhere. and in europe, southeast asia, there is a sharp rise in new infections.

the cause -- typically sharing meals. -- needles. bad laws and discrimination hamper the fight against aids. battements that -- that means that for some countries at least, the aids epidemic is in decline, but the vision of the zero infections and zero deaths is a long way off. bbc news. >> what could be an important footnote here -- the drug used by a gang members to fight the virus may offer some protection for tracking it. the drug can reduce the chances of male to male hiv infection by 40%. >> the latest headlines for you on "bbc world news."

the u.n. inspector general has condemned the shelling of a south korean island by north korea. three european countries are on suspicion of planning an attack. the prime minister of cambodia has announced a day of mourning for the 307 people killed in yesterday's stampede. from the scene of the tragedy, we have this. >> [unintelligible] >> at the heartbreaking cries of the injured. today, terrible scenes of loss. we have seen this over and over again. parents

hundreds are injured, many dead. a harrowing experience for those who survived. >> she was trapped beneath people. i could not breathe. they pulled me out just in time. >> in the middle, carnival surged into terror. people were crushed and smothered in a stampede. in daylight, and it was hard to calculate how many died. this was a buddhist festival.

there has and and and i huge amount of trauma and lost over the last decade. the impact of this has affected people even more than pol pot. preparations have begun for the first of many, many funerals. bbc news. >> we have reports coming in that ireland's bailout will total 85 billion euros. it will partly be used to recapitalize the country's banks. prime -- the prime minister says he will not go into an emergency budget is passed. >> another day of bitter political backing nations, as

the government puts out its latest austerity measures. they are looking for a savings of 15 billion euros, or $20 billion over the next four years. now they are looking at more losses in the public sector. there's also talk of maybe reducing cuts of 12%. on top of that, there is property tax and rises on income tax. this is all a very difficult picture for this island. >> in greece, there are protests. the government has taken extra efforts to reduce its deficit for next year. they say they are impressed with the work so far.

the burmese pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi has reunited with her youngest son after 10 years. he arrived in rank and 10 days after his mother was freed from house arrest. rachel harvey has this report. >> he awaits his anxious mother. aung san suu kyi is never alone these days. even at a meeting as personal as this is cramped. she sees him coming. after 10 years apart, mother and son together at last. and they do not want to let go. aung san suu kyi is a symbol of fortitude. her determination and courage.

she has made huge personal sacrifices along the way. [cheers] this will open the way to today's angry union. she is around with adoring supporters. but her son was in bangkok. all this is now forgotten. it is a very personal, intimate relationship. the word on the lips of mother and son is a "piece." -- car -- rachel harvey, bbc news. >> the actress ingrid finch has

died. she was seen as the queen of hammer horror films. she died in hospital in london. she was 73. now, staying with the dramatic universe, the plays of the bard. the real shakespeare company has invested in a restoration. the result is a complete redevelopment. we have a look. >> no. >> the greatest actors of modern times perform on this stage. in 1932, the royal shakespeare theatre is no longer considered fit for the purpose. so this happened. today, the curtain was raised

on a visit the theater complex, which includes a new exhibition space. they are here in the main theater. they built a stage that thrusts out into the middle of the auditorium, getting the audience twice as cold as -- as close as they were before. >> excuse me. >> it is an approach that has won the approval of leading actors. >> it is very worthwhile and a brilliant investment. anything that is connected with shakespeare. his name alone. he is it. it is his majesty on the horizon and everything. >> others though have reservations. plays needkespeare's

more flexibility. >> my feeling is as fine as it can be, it can result in poor audience of visibility as actors turn their backs. >> there is what they like to call a flying box office. the royal shakespeare company thinks the new theater is just as he would have liked it. bbc news. >> just briefly, the main news for you. in north and south korea -- the conflict has brewed for more than 50 years. there have been shots near the disputed frontier. the south korean leader said it is the duty of the army to have

action. much more online. thank you for watching. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank offers unique

>> union bank offers its global expertise for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center. >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home. >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.