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>> the new face of north korea, king john owen, is hailed as the supreme leader. -- kim jong un, is hailed as the supreme leader. the italian prime minister, mario monte, moves ahead as the borrowing way remains dangerously high. -- borrowing rate remains dangerously high. the turkish military accuses rebels of targeting. the king's son-in-law learns he is to go on trial in february. political royalty in india, the next generation of the dynasty your -- can the next generation of the dynasty revive the governing party?

>> it seems that the leaders dead, so long live the leader. north korea continues to mourn the death of kim jong il. his youngest son has been declared supreme leader of the country. they gathered for a memorial service led by senior military and political leaders. >> after the grief, a show of force. one patient, rejuvenation, with precision in the snow -- one nation, with precision in the snow. this last choreographed display is also for him, his youngest son, kim jong un. north korea's newest leader, 40

years younger than anyone else here. he fitted -- flitted through the speeches, either with cold or nervousness. >> the entire military will protect kim jong un. we will move as one under his orders and cement the military system. if we were ever to be attacked, we would fight back. >> this was a chance for the military to pledge their allegiance. he will not have much power without the military, but how much control will be have over them? to mark the final minutes of the old era, a military salute. and a moment of silence punctured by horns from vehicles and factories. a transition and a warning, both for this country and others -- it is not just him you are

dealing with. >> extraordinary pictures. and for more on the situation in north korea and what will have -- what will happen next and how he will be perceived by his people, we have more for you on the website, bbc.com/news. an interactive family tree as well. you can find out more about the first family and the missing sons on the tree. it italy's mario monte responding to his first bad news. >> the debt auction, he explained, was successful, but there are challenges ahead. challenges, indeed, for next year. >> he seemed to say that this was not all our fault. that it was europe's fault as well. >> similar lines and phrases that we heard when greece was in

trouble. and ireland was saying very similar things. portugal was saying similar things when they needed the bailout. that it is a eurozone issue and problem. a big test for it early today. basically -- a big test for italy today. they managed to raise $9 billion. they were actually aiming for $2.5 billion. they got $9 billion. we always keep our eyes on the yield. it is the interest rate that the investors forced the government to pay them to take on their debt. that is how they raise this $9 billion. last month, when they held a similar debt auction, they were paid 7.5%, 6%. it is a drop.

this is an unsustainable level. these of the levels where we saw the likes of greece and ireland finally put up their hands and say they needed a bailout. the big test going forward. most of the commentators i have spoken with today said that it was a positive sign that the money is still coming in and that it is keeping the wolf away from the door, if you will, but the test is next year, when they have to raise 450 billion euros. they have to raise $53 billion next month. at those interest levels, it makes it probably unsustainable. >> we will certainly keep in this story. thank you very much indeed. officials in turkey say that 35 people have been killed in a series of turkish air raids on targets in northern iraq. officials say that the overnight attacks for aimed at suspected

kurdish militants. reports indicate the the victims were smugglers mistaken for kurdish rebels. >> the kurdish military said the the target for just over the border, into iraq, and that they had information about the kurdistan workers party without any reports of settlements. they were told of a large group of people headed for the border. is that an acknowledgement that they hit the wrong lot? -- >> is that acknowledgment that they hit the wrong lot? >> yes, i think so. >> in france, an afghan soldier has shot dead two members of the french foreign legion in eastern afghanistan. they were taking part in a support mission with the afghan army. the shooting was the latest in a

series of attacks against their coalition partners, which have raised fears of increased taliban infiltration. karen is in kabul. are there any more details? >> he was a member of the armed forces. if he was a taliban sympathizer or an argument with the other soldiers at the root of the incident, we simply do not know. the taliban has claimed responsibility, saying it was one of theirs. i cannot find the name here, we do not know if that is true, however. we understand from the communique from paris that this is a region where the french are based, almost 4000 soldiers in afghanistan. we have not received confirmation as yet, but as far as we know, there were two french soldiers.

>> proved to be a familiar tactic, has it not? >> it certainly has grown to become familiar. 30 international soldiers have been killed before the police could turn their weapons on them. last week american soldiers were wounded when an afghan colleague turned their weapons on them. there have been many other incidents is like this so far. the afghan national police are working so closely together with the international force. and living inside of the same camps. you need that closeness. >> caroline wyatt. there have been many protest in pakistan over the civilian deaths caused by unmanned military drones on air strikes during reconnaissance missions. the air -- the technology itself

is proving to be pretty big business in the u.s.. private companies developing more sophisticated and smaller drones. they could soon be used in the u.s., as well as abroad. >> wars fought with drones in a futuristic world is how the american air force is advertising for new recruits. thousands of drones are already in use. every year the u.s. government is spending billions on new ones. here in california, the races on to develop and unveiled the latest, most high-tech, and biggest -- or smallest. these hand-held drones are widely used by the military. in a few weeks, aviation regulators are bringing in new rules so that local authorities can use them. they come in all sorts of sizes.

this is the wasp, one of the smallest. the one overhead is not much bigger and you can see how good the picture is from 150 feet up. but the future is even smaller. this is the hummingbird, still under development, weighing less than a battery and designed to blend in, and has a spy camera on board. new drones designed specifically for the police are being built and heavily marketed by private companies. los angeles police have been trying to get permission to fly drones for years. >> they can go into a dangerous environment where you cannot send a person, chemical fires, places like that. it is also very portable. you can put it in the trunk of a car. >> his predecessor came up with the idea eight years ago after serving in iraq, but they still

cannot use it. >> one time we got to use it and we were asked to stop by the faa. certainly, we did. >> that is set to change with more regulations, allowing for more eyes in the sky. >> we are accustomed to a world where we are not being looked down upon from above. a world that is, for better or for worse, vanishing. it raises a lot of interesting privacy concerns about what people are allowed to acquire from above and what they are not. >> as the debate continues, it may soon become a bigger issue closer to home. bbc news, los angeles. >> the son-in-law of the spanish king is a suspect in a corruption scandal. corruption is being investigated in a charity formerly run by the

two. the man is married to the king's youngest daughter, christina. he denies the allegations. >> we have known about his involvement in this case for some weeks. the press has been leaking details of it. today we had confirmation that he is a defendant. allegedly, when he was the chair of this nonprofit organization between 2004 and 2006, he was involved in contracts where public money was supposedly going to events that he was organizing. sports and tourism related events. according to the allegations, not all of that money went to the offense. a good deal of it went to private companies. those of the allegations, that

this is embezzlement and fraud that we are talking about. very serious allegations that are very worrying for the world -- royal family. >> you are watching "bbc world news." we are going to one of the richest countries in europe, but even switzerland is feeling the force of the debt crisis. how are they coping? animal quarantine laws are to be relaxed in britain from the start of the new year. meaning that animals coming into the u.k. will no longer have to spend six months in quarantine. changes could expose britain to an increased risk of rabies. >> they are always pleased to see her. this is just a visit. they are changing the laws from the start of 2012. >> these changes will simply modernize the existing

quarantine system, put in place around 100 years ago. >> the animal must be vaccinated against and blood tested for rabies. quarantined for six months. in january, it will not need the blood test and quarantine is reduced to three weeks. currently the pets must be treated for ticks and tapeworms. this will put the u.k. into line with european legislation. >> we want to make it cheaper and easier for people to travel with their pets. >> this is one of the quarantine channels. -- kennels. the staff are worried. >> i think we will be very vulnerable. it is not if we get rabies, it is when. >> britain is currently free of rabies. imported cases are rare. charities believe that these

cases could jeopardize that. the government insists that there is no risk. >> there are other diseases that britain is free of. that six month interval give time for these diseases to become apparent. >> these changes, says the government, will make the process easier for pets. bbc news, bristol. >> time for the headlines, here on bbc world news. kim jong un is hailed as supreme leader of north korea as his father's death is mourned. arab league monitors had to dinner, where the uprising began. activists say that their presence in the country has not stopped the violence. iran has rejected a u.s. war

against the strait of hormuz in the gulf. the navy said it will not tolerate any disruptions of international shipping. these comments that they could close it if the west imposed new sanctions, the straight runs along the borders of one of the biggest oil producers in the world. in 2010, around 17% of oil traded worldwide passed through the strait. half of the iranian government's revenues is from oil exports. in >> in the waters off of iran, a surge of activity. two jets pass overhead. this is just unable drill that is already taking place here in sensitive international waters, even before iran changed its

mind. it's -- iran, anchored by a recent tightening of european union's sanctions, threatening to close it to oil shipments. this man, said to be a rear admiral, was quoted by one national television station as saying that closing the strait was a piece of cake. in other words, very easy for the forces. wednesday, washington up its rhetoric. -- upped its rhetoric. no aggressive hostile actions have been reported towards u.s. vessels in the area. iran is a big oil exporter. the fourth largest producer of crude in the world. not the first time it has sent strong warnings of closure. but the context has changed. the threat of an oil embargo, as

well as some other arab states, and over the country. iran, just as they did exercises last year, are determined to demonstrate its regional prowess. >> arab league observers are visiting three more cities in syria as part of their mission to assess whether forces are complying with plans drawn up by the league. this comes amidst claims of further violence today. one of the cities they are visiting is a -- is whether protests -- is where the protests began back in march. the anti-government activists claim that 14 protesters were killed on wednesday. >> of their job is not necessary to try to track everything that is happening all over the place, all of the time.

that all armed manifestations, as they put it, of the military are pulled off of the streets, and that all detainees are freed. obviously, none of those conditions have been met yet. it is not happening spontaneously. certainly, people are being killed in roughly the same numbers as reported before. the regime did announce the release of 755 prisoners on wednesday. but that is a drop in the ocean. however, the activist reckon that there are many thousands left. human rights watch has joined them in accusing the government of basically smuggling a lot of prisoners on two military bases where they are beyond the reach of the observers. so, a long way to go and a lot of ground to cover, without any sign that the peace plan is being implemented on the ground.

>> trade unions in switzerland are warning that thousands of jobs could be lost because of the high value of the swiss franc. switzerland is not a member of the european union, but the european union is nonetheless its biggest trading partner. >> is there any light in the gloom of europe's economic problems? one places where -- there is one place where the money seems to keep flowing. often called the millionaires mile, switzerland might be right in the center of europe, but it is not in the eurozone. so far there is little sign of a financial crisis. but look closer and the success loses some of its sparkle. this was our famous or high-tech

precision proverb. the crisis in the eurozone reflects something that is shrinking. >> we have already seen a slowdown in the european economy. we do not think that it will fall apart altogether. we are expecting a slowdown in europe. what will happen with the euro? we cannot give an answer to that. we are trying to be prepared for anything that could happen. the franc rose 20% against the euro in just a year and a half. swiss products that are never cheap in the first place are becoming even more expensive. companies are cutting costs and unemployment is rising. >> people are losing their jobs.

especially in the machine and chemical industries. if nothing changes, we are afraid that we will have major problems with unemployment next year. and >> they are beginning to realize that staying out of the european union will not spare them the fate. >> we are outside of the euro zone, but we are heard by the affected directly. the demand in these markets are lower. also, there is an inflow of money to switzerland. there is large uncertainty in the eurozone. >> switzerland is looking at a growth rate of 1% next year. if european economic woes continue, switzerland will also

feel the pain. >> many people are hoping that the latest member of a famous dynasty in india could revive the fortunes of the congress party. >> they were packed in. and all eyes were on one young man. the heir to one of the world's most powerful political institutes. and the congress government has always work for your interests. farmers, laborers. a chorus of support, he says. this massive public rally is just one of several that he has addressed. as he pushes on with his campaign to revive his party's fortunes, there are many within the congress and outside it that want to expand the canvas and

take a more active role in national politics. as he heads to the next rally, they surge toward some before being pushed back. in india, they urged the applause is irresistible. it is this iconic status that has always delivered and that congress wants to cash in on. >> there are very few political families today in that position. they are committed to secular values. giving your family and advantage, remember, this is still a very [unintelligible] >> three generations of the family have governed india.

this is also a family touched by tragedy. and now he faces his stiffest test. winning over in india that is politically more complex in this widening economic disparities. it is the support of people like him the the young leader is banking on. >> we are hoping that he can make up a life for us. >> some believe that the dynasty is incompatible with a modern democracy. others see the rise to the top job as inevitable. india may well -- may well be prepared.

>> many challenges in the coming year. you are what "bbc world news." >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global offering special growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you?

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