missiles on standby to strike the u.s., south korea, guam, even hawaii. experts doubt he has the ability to hit u.s. targets, and think it would be pretty suicidal to try. they believe a full-scale conflict is unlikely, but do worry about a more localized provocation, perhaps around disputed waters in the yellow sea. there have been several clashes there in recent years and when i visited the area friday, i found the south most vulnerable islands just ten miles from the north on a high state of alert. the big worry is that a local skirmish or miscalculation could quickly escalate. >> ian, thank you. for more on what this means for u.s. allies here's our nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell. andrea? >> thomas, experts say that the real danger here is you have a young leader, he's got his finger on nuclear weapons, and he needs to prove himself or he wants to prove himself to some of the military. since he's only in his late 20s, he was made a four-star general and president virtually

south korea. meaning it will deal with every issue with the south in a wartime manner. this follows a string of warnings and threats by north korea against south korea and the u.s. for its routine military drills. nbc's ian williams is in south korea with the very latest on this escalating tension. ian, good morning. >> not only did north korea today declare what it calls a state of war, it said it will now deal with south korea according to wartime regulations. now, it's not exactly clear what that means. since this peninsula has been in a technical state of war for 60 years. there never having been a formal peace treaty after the korean war. officials here in seoul dismissed the latest outburst as more of the same. it followed a massive rally in the northern capital friday, where tens of thousands turned out in support of north korean leader kim jong-un's call to arms. chanting, death to the u.s. imperialists. kim said earlier that the time had come to, quote, settle accounts with the u.s. this was in response to a u.s. show of force, b-2 bombers in exercises over south korea. kim has also ordered his missiles on standby to strike the u.s., south korea, guam, e

forces say the exercises began as scheduled here in south korea. 3500 u.s. troops, 10 thousand south korean troops involved in this computer-simulated exercise. it typically runs a scenario where the u.s. and south korea respond to a north korean invasion attempt or attack of some kind. they say this is an annual exercise. it is not tied to what is currently happening on the korean peninsula. it is the first time south koreans have been in charge of planning and leading this exercise as they prepare for taking control, operational control in 2015. that would mean if there were a real conflict on the peninsula the south korean army rather than the americans would be in charge of the south korean and allied war effort. the new president of this country is meeting -- convening her first cabinet meeting today, despite the fact that she does not have enough ministers through the approval process. she is holding a cabinet meeting. she attends to a point her somewhat under fire defense ministerial nominee. >> thank you. now, it was exactly two years ago that an eart

u.s. supreme court hearing on gay marriage. north korea has again ratcheted south, ons with the a military official said there is no communications in a situation where "war may break out at any moment. tensions have risen following u.s. and south korea military drills and un sanctions over the north's military tests. >> the north korean television showed pictures of leader kim jong-un -- the military was doing what it could to turn up the tension. they informed south korea they were cutting off the hot line that connects the two militaries, saying that no words, only arms would work. another statement from the foreign minister was relayed by a newsreader. >> the korean peninsula is now in a touch and go situation due to the nuclear war provocation of the u.s. and south korea. they are entering the final stage of the all-out showdown with the states. >> the foreign minister statement also said a final decision had been reached to take military action. it sounds like a clear threat, but the conditions for doing so have already been met. at the same time, pyongyang i

korea. the display was part of a drill, but president kim responded by ordering his missiles to be ready to strike the u.s. and south korea. north korea's weapons can't travel far enough to reach the u.s. >> former south african president nelson mandela is in good spirits as he recovers from persistent lung infection. the 94-year-old was admitted to the hospital earlier this week. it's his third stay since december. mandela's son announced today that his father was in good spirits and has been able to eat well. the former president contracted tuberculosis when he was a political prisoner and has had lung problems ever since. >>> a health scare for thousands of former patients of an oklahoma debtist who are being told they may have been exposed to hepatitis and hiv. the 7,000 patients were possibly exposed through unsanitary conditions at doctor w. scott harrington's two offices after a former patient tested positive for hepatitis c. they found rusty instruments and potentially infected drug vials that hadn't been inspected in at least six years.3eez dr. harrington had little to say about the investigation. >> he sai

u.s. brinksmanship with north korea climb even higher. north korea puts its rocket forces on standby to attack the u.s. and south korea. will it cost the u.s. military to prepare and respond? more "money" coming up. ♪ adam: a predawn arrest making huge waves. we have video. it was shot by the wall street journal. the vide shows michael steinberg, a senior manager at sac capital being arrested and taken into custody by fbi agents . accused of committing insider trading regarding dell and invidia stock. the exchanges that took place in 2008 and 2009. one of the u.s. government's biggest insider-trading cases yet, but is this crackdown going far enough? former delaware senator ted kaufman sat on the senate judiciary committee during the financial crisis and has been a champion for consumers and joins us. thank you again for being a senator. i don't know if you recall our discussion were the sec first discussed a settlement. we take issue with the fact, had to admit guilt. it would appear the u.s. attorney here in new york is not buying that and is going after sac capital. is it enough? >> i think is great. i think what th

u.s. south korea and started at the beginning of the month. state run media reporting the country has been on stand by since last week to take up battle positions. they say militia units have been deployed. they say people have been enrolled in the military and retired soldiers are reenlisting. they are hding ergen meetings and preparing to mobilize. the current state of preparedness under his son and successor is one notch below that. the ruling korea working parties newspaper carried a title all people are solders. the entire nation is on the front line. video shows some buses and trucks covered with camouflage nets. sign boards calling for war and praising kim jong un can with seen around the city. people are walking to their workplaces or standing in line at bus stops. south korean president says recent events are a serio concern. she's told her ministers to prepare for more provocations. park head a cabinet meeting on monday. her first since being sworn in late last month. >> she's hoping international pressure will convince north korea t

u.s. and south korea. he will put his rockets on standby, the leader is quote ready to settle accounts on the u.s. post midnight meeting with senior generals. his rocket preparation plantar gets military bases in the u.s., including guam, hawaii as well as south korea. you see the large-scale map in the photograph with trajectory plans. this is one day after the u.s. dropped nuclear capable b-2 bombers with military drills with south korea. the state department said the decision to send the bombs was part of a normal exercise but officials are not ignoring the provocative threats. >> when a country says the kinds of things that the dprk is saying you have to take it seriously and you have to take steps.sure when we say in response we can and will defend our own nation. >> obviously in our country we're building additional interceptors. i met with general therm man this morn hog handles our u.s. operations and they're prepared for anything that might take place. >> reporter: now many an -- analysts say the r

u.s. show of force reckless, b-2 stealth bombers in exercises over south korea and said the time had come to, quote, settle accounts with the u.s. state television reported that kim had ordered his forces on standby to strike the u.s., south korea, guam and hawaii. in one photo targets appear to include austin, texas. experts doubt he has the ability to hit the u.s. but they fear a provocation here in the yellow sea disputed waters where south korean ferries skirt around north korean territory. baengnyeong island is home to 5,000 south korean civilians and many soldiers. it sits just ten miles from the border. kim jong-un, seen recently peering at this island through binoculars, threatened to turn it into a sea of flames. so he was on that island there? >> yes. >> reporter: does that worry you? this man has lived here for 49 years. he's heard the threats before but never like this. the island is a fortress lined with fencing and mine fields. the fortifications stretch all the way down the coast here. 30 foot wide wall and on top layers of razor wire. locals say the army is tense. a network

from south korea's defense ministry say the north's military has been stepping up its winter time training and suspect north korean forces may conduct a large-scale exercise in early march. the u.s./south korea joint command notified north korea about the drills in advance. the north has come under intense criticism for carrying out a third nuclear test last month. it also launched a rocket in december which other countries suspect was a ballistic missile. the drill is being carried out amid heightening tensions on the peninsula. the north korea newspaper, "rodong sinmun," says the country cannot allow a threat that will maximize the risk of a nuclear war. >>> shop owners in south korea have launched a boycott of products from japan. they're responding to developments in a territorial dispute that's divided the nations. south korea controls islands that japan claims. a merchants group with an estimated 6 million members launched the campaign. representatives say they're protesting against japan's recent action regarding the disputed islands. a senior government official went to an event last week. people there marked the anniversary of the day in 1905 japan incorporated the terr

u.s. bomber flights over south korea. it's an annual military exercise but pyongyang is seething. >> translator: the u.s. should not forget that there is an air force base on guam where jets

u.s./south korea joint military drills, meaning tensions remain high ahead of the anniversary. >>> traditional japanese textiles usually found under foot are popping up in different places. these coin cases and belts are made from a cloth. it covers the edge of floor mats to keep strands of straw from unraveling. fewer japanese use the mats so some are trying to stay in business by looking abroad. >> reporter: these products went on sale at a trade show held in paris last month. they were made in a historic town in western japan long known be for its textiles. drawing the attention of visitors were colorful hems. many of them were made from synthetic fabrics. they make straw mats used in traditional japanese rooms more durable. >> most interesting is -- >> reporter: this cop makes 80% of all of these made in japan. now half of them have gone bankrupt. this maker has been be producing and selling them since 1950. it accounts for half of the hems produced in the country. but the company sees difficulties ahead. >> translator: the market has shrunk quite a bit, and we are just trying to survive n

u.s. brinksmanship with north korea climb even higher. north korea puts its rocket forces on standby to attack the u.s. and south korea. will it cost the u.s. military to prepare and respond? more "money" coming up. ♪ copd makes it hard to breathe, but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inlers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. how old is the oldest person you've kwn? we g

u.s.-south korea military exercises that start ad week ago and will continue into april. >>> north korea'snnouncement has sparked strong reactions in seoul. south korean defense officials say they are ready to strike back against anything that the north throws at them. >> translator: north korea is conducting military drills with unprecedented intensity. they mobilized submarines, fighter jets, and special forces for the maneuvers. >>> a defense ministry spokesperson has warned south korean force will retaliate against any provocation. he dismissed the threat of preemptive nuclear strike saying such an attack would mark the end of kim jong-un's regime. south korean president park geun-hye issued a stern warning. >> reporter: any country that focuses exclusively on strengthening its military power while people are starving is bound to face self-destruction. >>> china is north korea's biggest ally but it too supports the latest u.n. sanction. james tengan is in beijing covering our series china, change and challenge. james, how is the story on the korean peninsula playing occupant there? >>

u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea. the north korean military has staged a massive rally in support of the operation to prepare for a massive attack. >> thousands accounting "death to the u.s. imperialists cornerman after a call to arms against south korea and the united states. over the border in south korea, many are worried p'yongyang might act on its debts. there's been a string of worrying signs, including the latest nuclear test in february. tendons on the peninsula are high. >> i am nervous. i do not want north korea to talk like that, but we cannot control them. i am afraid they target the u.s. if that happens, we could be attacked, too. >> north korea is taking a strong stance, but they do not think they are going to get anywhere with this behavior. i think they have to come to the negotiating table for talks. >> the latest tensions come after u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea in a joint military exercise. kim jong un's that in response has caused alarm across the region. even his longtime ally china ha

u.s./south korea military exercises that started a week ago and will continue into april. north korea's announcement has sparked strong reactions in seoul. south korean defense officials say they're ready to strike back against anything the north throws at them. >> translator: north korea is conducting military drills with unprecedented intensity. they mobilized submarines, fighter jets, and special forces for the maneuvers. >> a defense ministry spokesperson has warned south korean forces will retaliate against any provocation. he dismissed the threat of preemptive nuclear strike saying such an attack would mark the end of kim jong un's regime. south korean president park geun-hye issued a stern warning. to pyongyang. >> translator: any country that focuses exclusively on strengthening its military power while people are starving is bound to face self-destruction. >>> chinese leaders have long supported their counterparts in north korea. still, they back the latest u.n. security council sanctions. the world's most populous nation is in the middle of a leadership transition

u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea. the north korean military has staged a massive rally in support of the operation to prepare for a massive attack. >> thousands accounting "death to the u.s. imperialists cornerman after a call to arms against south korea and the united states. over the border in south korea, many are worried p'yongyang might act on its debts. there's been a string of worrying signs, including the latest nuclear test in february. tendons on the peninsula are high. >> i am nervous. i do not want north korea to talk like that, but we cannot control them. i am afraid they target the u.s. if that happens, we could be attacked, too. >> north korea is taking a strong stance, but they do not think they are going to get anywhere with this behavior. i think they have to come to the negotiating table for talks. >> the latest tensions come after u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea in a joint military exercise. kim jong un's that in response has caused alarm across the region. even his longtime ally china ha

today's warnings from north korea are the latest in a series of provocative threats, which have forced the u.s. and south korea to plan for possible military retaliation. the north koreans claim they put their long range missiles on high alert, aimed at american targets in guam, hawaii and the u.s. mainland. u.s. officials see no sign of an imminent attack, but they're taking no chances. the u.s. and south korea signed a military agreement just last week that in the event of a north korean attack, the two allies could combine forces for a counterattack. now, officials here don't believe that north korean president kim jong-un wants a full scale war. some fear his unpredictability makes him extremely dangerous, brian. >> jim miklaszewski watching it all from the pentagon tonight. jim, thanks. >>> president obama today named long-time secret service agent julia pierson as the agency's new director. it will mark the first time a woman has ever held the top job. pierson moves up from the chief of staff role at the agency. known most widely for protecting presidents and their families. she takes over now from

u.s. and south korea. had concluded so the fact this was put on after that is an indication that u.s. commanders and their south korean court -- counterparts take that's serious. >> shepard: there's a lot of noise here. is there more danger simply as a result of the noise? >> i think south korea -- north korea's primary threat is threw proliferation. in comparison to the other alternative which is a direct nuclear strike on japan, south korea, the u.s. korea has proven itself capable of picking fights inch 2010 they shelled a south korean island and sang a ship and paid no consequence for doing that. >> shepard: i wanted to ask you about the political will in south korea. they seem to be telegraphing it wasn't very high. >> right. and this is -- there's a new government in south korea, a woman neighborhood park. the first woman president of the country. and so they're testing her. it tested the previous government. but not a very firm response. no consequence at all. and this is a problem, where democracie

south korea. that's according to north korea's state-run news agency. pyongyang also threatened to dissolve the u.s. but washington and south korea say this is not the first time that the north has made such threats. the national security council said this -- we take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our south korean allies. but, we would also note that north korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern. cnn international anchor jim clancy joins me now from seoul, south korea. jim, what at this point are people saying there? do they really think this is any different from the north's threats in the past? >> reporter: well, there is a sense that the threats have been taken to new heights, that the father, the grandfather of kim jong-un has exceeded now the direct threats against the united states, the threats of nuclear war on the peninsula, the threats of attacking hawaii, of attacking guam, of attacking the mainland united states with nuclear weapons. let's make clear. he doesn't have the capability to do t

u.s. and south korea started their joint military exercises this week the combination of sanctions and militarydrills by the u.s. and south korea has sent the isolated regime in pyongyang into a frenzy of threats north korea has called the annual drills an open declaration of war so further military buildup around north korea could actually to the simmering tensions. venezuelans have been paying their respects to the country's late leader as he didn't do it a long battle with cancer but it was said to be a halt to time which killed the president of fourteen years it was his funeral is now friday the russian president vladimir putin said that he will be remembered as someone who always had the people's best interests in mind. the correct total on chavez was a brave and very thorough man who was able to showcase strong character to go through with his plans he genuinely wanted to rid the countries poor citizens of their plight and improve their lives but chavez became the symbol of independence throughout latin america while he was still alive he joined the legendary ranks of simon bolivar fidel

kim jong-un has ordered missile units to attack south korea and the u.s. mainland after american bombers flew trianing missions across south korea. >> he is young, untested, and says he wants to settle scores with american imperialists. he rallied his generals to aim the rockets at u.s. bases in hawaii. north korea is on a war footing, with military parades in pyongyang. news broadcasts are full of theater and threats, 20 this far alone. from turning washington to a lake of fire and cutting military hotlines to south korea. it is an effort to eget washington's attention. they say the bellicose record only deepens the isolation in the u.s. and the u.s. remains committed to its allies, and demonstrated it. fromuclear capables flew missouri to the penninsula of korea. china appealed for calm. nobody believes north korea will launch rockets but a small incident could escalate. >> sergei lavrov saiys unilateral actions could mena it could spiral out of control. he may have meant north korea as much as the u.s. >> the war of words is part of the relationship with

north korean military leaders are raising stakes in their on going show of defiance against south korea and the u.s. they're vowing to scrap the arm sift signed in 1965 that ended the korean war. they're responding to joint south korea-u.s. military drills that are currently under way. a senior military official with the korean people's army made the announcement on state-run tv. the statement denounces the joint drills which began last friday and will last two months. it says the armistice will no longer be in effect as of march 11th. it also says north korean representatives who are stationed at the demilitarized zones dividing the two koreas will spend their activities as liaison officers. the statement says authorities in pyongyang are willing to take substantial measures against the south korea-and u.s. drills. the korean warm ended with an arm stist leaving them technically in a stast war. >>> government officials in venezuela say president hugo chavez's condition is worsened. he is fighting new complication after cancer surgery. he has a weakening immune system. supporters are praying for hi

u.s. and south korea in case of reckless provocation. they released an image of kim meeting the military leaders to talk about readiness. he is specially angry over the u.s. decision to send b-2 bombers to take part in the drills. it is unlikely north korea could hit the u.s. with long-range missiles. >>> a 1-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being shot in his own home in richmond. someone opened fire outside st. john's apartment building on west mcdonald's avenue just before 1:00 yesterday afternoon. a fragment from a bullet hit the baby. you can see this bullet hole in the window of the apartment. police say the boy was sitting on the floor after just being fed when he was hit. we are told he is now in good condition. a $25,000 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of the gunman. >>> later today, a long-awaited decision in a sex abuse case involving the now cal swim coach and the moraga dual skschool di. >> reporter: teacher, carol buchanon, says she asks herself over and over again, why didn't someone lis

. >> north korea announced on friday it was readying its military for attacks on u.s. bases in south korea and the pacific. one day later, p'yongyang declared a state of war. the escalation comes after the u.s. lose the bombers over the peninsula. the response of kim jong-un among sparked alarm, and china, their ally, urged restraint. >> this serves the common interests of all parties and also responsibilities. we hope that relevant parties will work together in pushing for a turnaround of a tense situation. >> the north korean war talk has especially unsettled people in the south, but some see it as a bluff. taking akorea is strong stance, but i do not think they will get anywhere with this behavior. i think they have to come to the negotiation table for talks. doubt northexperts korea has the capability to hit targets on the u.s. mainland or pacific territories, but u.s. bases in south korea are within range. >> good friday ceremonies in rom where held for the first time by pope francis. they were joining him for the way of the cross which will, commemorating the final hours of jes

u.s. and south korea continued scheduled training exercises in south korea. while officials say the u.s. is well-defended against missile attacks, south korea and japan are increasingly worried about their belligerent neighbor. >> this 28-year-old leader is either trying to embolden himself with the military that run the operations of north korea, or the other way around. the military is exerting force over this young 28-year-old leader, and the saber rattling is serious and we should take it seriously. >> reporter: u.s. officials don't deny that the white house sent secret envoys last year to test whether the new leader wanted a better relationship with washington. now they have their answer and it is not good. brian. >> andrea mitchell in washington for us tonight, thanks. >>> here in the northeast tonight the winter storm made its way across the country much of this week is now churning along the coast, exactly what the coast doesn't need and can't tolerate, because coastline defenses are down, so much remains battered and torn apart by hurricane sandy. we get our report tonight from n

korea. south korean troops and u.s. soldiers took part in a defense training operation earlier today. response to those drills, north korea has threatened to reduce south korea to a, quote, sea of fire and stage preemptive nuclear attacks right here in the united states. >>> for the third time in a week, president obama now meeting with congressional leaders to work on a budget consensus which has been very elusive. right now, the president meeting face to face with republican senators and house democrats. yesterday senate democrats unveiling a budget plan calling for $1 trillion in new taxes. earlier this week, house republicans showing off their budget which includes more than $4 trillion in spending cuts, the president expected to unveil his budget plan next month. >>> the head of the tsa is also heading to capitol hilloday to face mounting criticism on a plan to allow passengers to carry small knives onto planes. the rule change would allow passengers to carry blades smaller than 2 1/2 inches. the tsa chief will testify before a house committee hearing at noon. he argues small kni

north korea said it might preemptively attack the u.s. and south korea with nuclear weapons after the united nations increased sanctions against north korea. >>> now we go to business where there appears to be no end in sight for wall street bullishness. the dow posted another record high yesterday up more than 10% for the year while the s&p closed within 1% of its 2007 peak. for more, we turn to geoff cutmore in london. >> good morning to you, mark. it seems that investors are prepared to back the u.s. economy over concerns that continue to come out of europe at this point. we also didn't have mparticulary exciting news out of china or japan. it didn't matter, investors in the u.s. turned around a weak day. we got another strong close on the dow. it's been like treading water in europe, and we're struggling for strong direction to the upside. let's bear that mind as we come into the u.s. session later. one man who may be cross about the direction of travel for markets is slim, carlos slim. his own company dropped 3.3% in the session yesterday. tha

south korea. and we will be prepared, if we have to be prepared, to deal with any eventuality there. >> reporter: since february when the u.s. and south korea began gearing up for military exercises, north korea steadily escalated its threat, a page from its playbook, only this time those threats have been hotter, including nuclear strikes, which they are not yet capable of. the u.s. says the stealth bombers were not meant to ratchet up the tension with north korea, but that is exactly what has happened. diane? >> thanks so much, martha. >>> now we go to south africa, where the crusader against apartheid, nelson mandela, now 94, has been hospitalized for the third time in four months because of a recurring lung infection. we saw him last month cradling his great grandson. we're told he is responding to treatment tonight. >>> and in rome, an ancient tradition on this holy thursday. pope francis reenacting a famous bible passage in which jesus washes the feet of his disciples before the last supper. today pope francis chose 12 young inmates at a juvenile detention center. ten men, two women. in the past, popes have washed the

. >>> north korea, they entered a state of war with south korea and are aiming their missiles at the u.s. >> south korea and some diplomats say it's the usual posturing. and the security council weighed in on this. we take these threats seriously and remain on close contact with our south kau rejon i hrupbs. but we would also note that north korea has a long history of rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar threat. >> they were out today, and i was walking on the streets and people were out with their families here in seoul, the south korean capital. darkness is falling now and the crowds are thinning out and they enjoyed the day, and they do not see this in the same light other people do. they lived with it all of their lives. in their view this is all about the kim regime and dynasty, if you will, doing the same thing its always done, nuclear weapons, and holding it over their head to extort money and food. people on the streets are saying we can't take it anymore, and they are ready to confront the u.s. empearlist. >> any indication this is just a pwhruser

bring back six-party talks and get something from the americans and south korea and in the past five years or so, south korea and the u.s. have tried to change this dynamic. and now with kim jong ill, he or whoever is behind this is still pushing this line, and i thought what is dangerous is now the other side they view the u.s. and south korea are not playing this game anymore and now he is an untested leader for sure. that's where i suppose this extra tension can come from, but ultimately right now we can just call it rhetoric. >> north korea is one of three cuvens that blocked the u.n.'s attempt of the selling of weapons around the world. our james reports from the u.n. in new york. >> the rules of these proceedings call for consensus. everyone had to agree. but three nations, all of them used to international condemnation, voice their objections. >> iran. due to many legal flaws and loopholes. >> then north korea and then syria. the australian chairing the meeting was not going to give up there. he left the rest of the delegates behind and took the three ambassadors in the room did they really want to block is a tre

north korea is threatening to cancel the 60 year truce, the armistice, with the south if the u.s. and south korea continue scheduled military exercises. this is what ambassador susan rice had to say at the u.n. today as she and the chinese are moving closer to sanction nokt for thinks latest nuclear test. >> north korea will be subject to some of the toughest sanctions imposed by the united nations. the breadth and scope of these sanctions is exceptional and demonstrates the strength of the international community's commitment to denuclearization and the demand that north korea comply with its international obligations. >> what we're hearing from north korea -- as they race for these sanctions? >> as you well know, north koreans have always been unreasonable in what they've said about their country and about the nuclear issue, but i think they've hit a new low now with these absolutely unacceptable statements about the united states in the last couple of weeks and now this threat to somehow end the armistice of 1953. they won't do that. i think what's going to -- the most important

u.s. show of force, b-2 bombers in exercises over south korea. kim has also ordered his missiles on stand by to strike the u.s., south korea, guam, even hawaii. experts doubt he has the ability to hit u.s. targets and think it would be pretty suicidal to try. they believe a full scale conflict is unlikely but do worry about a more localized provocation, perhaps around disputed waters in the yellow sea. there have been several clashes there in recent years, and when i visited the area friday, i found the south most vulnerable islands just ten miles from the north on a high state of alert. the big worry is that a local skirmish or miscalculation could quickly escalate, lester. >> ian williams in south korea for us this morning, thanks. >>> kristen welker is at the white house with reaction this morning from the obama administration. what are you hearing at this point from the white house? >> reporter: well, erica, good morning. behind the scenes certainly officials are alarmed by this latest provocation but are also trying to reassure the allies in

as north korea under this untested 28-year-old leader has been stirring things up with the u.s. and neighboring south korea. today the u.s. answered with a symbolic show of force that really represented quite a dramatic effort and late tonight north korea volleyed back by saying they are putting rocket units on stand-by to fire at u.s. military bases. nbc's ian williams reports from the south korean capital, seoul. >> reporter: the two stealth bombers dropped munitions on a range, part of joint military drills scheduled to run through april. they were deployed from missouri, a distance of more than 6,000 miles. a show of force coming at a time of escalating tensions on the korean peninsula. >> we will unequivocally defend and we are unequivocally committed to that alliance with south korea as well as our other allies in that region of the world. >> reporter: angered by the military drills, north korea's young and untested leader kim jong un has issued almost daily threats including the threat of nuclear strikes on the u.s. and seoul. the north threatened u.s. bases in the pacific following tough u.s.

south korea to show you this morning. despite threats from the north of an outright war, the u.s. and south korea continue the joint military drills. today, south korean soldiers fired self propelled rocket shells. the drills are expected to last for eight more days and include 10,000 south korean soldiers and 3,000 u.s. troops. >>> the latest test flight for boeing's struggling 787 dreamliners could start as soon as today. the faa approving boeing's plan for a redesigned battery system on those jets. problems with lithium ion batteries grounding all 787s in commercial service since january. prototypes of the redesigned battery system installed in two aircraft will now undergo limited test flights. >> an historic finish to the lskds iditarod dog sled race. just moments ago, the winner crossed the finish line in nome, becoming the oldest winner of the grueling contest. this is his second iditarod. his son, dallas, won last year's event, becoming the race's youngest winnerer. he wins a $50,000 and a new pickup truck. >> and a big smooch from whoever that is. nice way to finish that.

u.s. and south korea in a case of reckless provocation. tensions have increased as the u.s. continues to run military drills with south korea. u.s. secretary of defense, chuck hagel, says the allegiance with south korea remains strong and they won't back down in the face of threats from the north >>> neighbors in the south bay community want to handle their fast food fight by themselves today without city leaders. they are taking on a proposed mcdonald's. arturo santiago live in west san jose with why they want to take matters into their own hands. >> reporter: good morning. there are a number of kearns. their biggest complaint seems to be focused on a mcdonald's staple, the drive-through. nearly 800 neighbors signed the petition with the intention of keeping a mcdonald's restaurant from opening. a lot of the residents believed that mcdonald's wa derail efforts to fight childhood obesity and others concerned kids would run across the street and it would take business from nearby restaurants. they can't stop the mcdonald's from being built but might be able to keep it from hav

u.s. bases in guam, south korea, and hawaii. north koreaen is common every spring when the united states and south korea engage in military exercises. but u.s. officials concede there is no way of knowing exactly what kim will do or when. >> the best theory is that north korea wants to scare the united states, china, or russia into lowering sanctions. >>> nobody really thinks that north korea could hit the united states. the biggest threat is to south korea and japan. and u.s. bases there. >>> here's a live look at downtown oakland where the temperature hit nearly 80 degrees today. paul says big changes are coming for this easter weekend. paul. >> i'll tell you what, we will see a big dip in temperatures coming in over the weekend. down to the 60s and then we're going to look at radar. already the evening, kpix5 is tracking some showers, just skirting the coastline. you may get a shower or two, but these showers will be moving inland. the same catalyst for the very warm and humid weather today. that's off to our west. will be the

korea. u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel, in a telephone conversation with his south korean counterpart, reaffirmed the commitment of the united states to the defense of south korea. 2/3 of south koreans say they want a south korean nuclear deterrent. they want a reintroduction of u.s. tactical weapons on the peninsula as well. there has been some commentary that the u.s. nuclear umbrella, as it is known here, is not as solid and reliable as in the past. but the united states still stands behind south korea, even with nuclear-capable bombers. >> a judge in south africa has granted oscar pistorius permission to leave the country while awaiting trial. the bail conditions had stopped him from traveling abroad. pistorius is facing first-degree murder charges after his girl friend was shot dead last month. one of theperts say biggest online attacks ever has affected download speeds for millions of people. we all have received spam at one time or another, but it is those annoying inboxes that slow -- e-mails that slow our inboxes. the worst offenders have been targeted. it is nothing new. it is called a

between north and south korea that was designed to at least keep lines of communication open during a crisis. make no mistake. north korea has been saber rattling and threatening the u.s. and south korea for years. but the real concern for now is that north korea is under new management -- a 28-year-old who learned under his father and seems to love american basketball but not america. our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell watching all this from our d.c. newsroom to start us off. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this is exactly what the u.s. feared when that untested 28-year-old took control of

u.s. and south korea. and it's doing just the same now, but it's doing them in a much more intensive way. >> jim, finish up with you. of course we had the u.s. announcing the agreement with south korea to firm up plans in case north korea does follow through on its threats. really sort of putting the u.s. in a position of responding even to the smallest action that might take place. a lot of people don't understand the geography there. seoul to the dmz, that ain't far. >> no, it isn't. and the deal is if there was a war, say there was a full blown war, north korea would lose. they would lose even if they simply fought south korea and the u.s. wasn't going to be in it, and the u.s. will be in it. but the problem is they will lose. but in going down those 10,000 artillery pieces near the border will take a piece of seoul with them. they don't want to start a war they're going to lose. and we don't want to start a war that would cause chaos on the peninsula and have our troops in danger. the u.s. mission is to

north korea, accused of five attacks on the south since 2009 and issuing daily threats against seoul and its allies. last week, its own media websites went down for two days. p'yongyang blamed the u.s. and south korea caring out combined computer simulation drills, saying they would suffer the consequences. the banks and internet banking were restored after a two-hour lapse but the point was made -- south korea piece in media and financial institutions's vollmer below these exposed. >> experts say the logic is two fold -- an attempt to create concern in the people who use them and much lower risk than targeting the government or military. >> the government can bring some military measure to the attacker. so, the attacker is very cautious in attacking national security. >> now comes the tough for ranjit task of detecting the source of this attack and the tougher task of trying to prevent it from happening again. >> cypriot politicians are holding an emergency meeting to find an alternative solution for its debt crisis. president is hosting a discussion. on tuesday parliament rejected an e you plan to tax people's savings in exchange for $13 billion international bailout. dramatic an

north korea already upset of course over the u.s. and south holding those recent joint military exercises. this move likely to prompt some fresh outrage. >> and president obama beginning his week back in washington after his visit last week to the middle east. of course a very important trip. stakes were high, but the expectations rather low for that trip. he actually visited israel, the west bank, jordan as well before returning to the white house over the weekend. >> so what did the trip accomplish? journalists and foreign policy expert a fellow at the institute of peace and wood row wilson international center joins us to talk about a few things we learned from the president's trip. first of all, you say it changed the diplomatic climate of the middle east. is that a little too optimistic? and how so? >> well, the most important thing to come out of this trip was the deal between turkey and israel. turkey is the most powerful muslim country of the 57 nations with strong muslim populations. and this makes a lot of other things possible, whet

south korea. >> reporter: this morning, the u.s. and south korean military are keeping constant watch on any movements in north korea, after the north declared a state of war with south korea. if provoked, said the north korean newscaster, the response will not be limited to a local war but will develop into an all-out nuclear war. the statement came after north korea's young, unpredictable and volatile leader kim jong-un called an urgent meeting to order the nation's strategic rocket units on standby. part of the steadily escalating and dangerous rhetoric here. unlike in the past, the u.s. has pushed back hard. flying two nuclear-capable stealth bombers on a practice run last week, just 50 miles from north korea's coast. a show of force that's a part of the new so-called u.s./south korean counter provocation plan. >> we hope to never to have to put those plans into effect. >> reporter: u.s. intelligence doesn't believe that north korea has a nuclear weapon that fits atop a missile. but that's what they have been looking to perfect.

korea. after weeks of nuclear tests and threats to the u.s. and southaying it entered into a quote state of war against south korea. nbc's kristen welker, explain the white house and how its approach to this and taking these threats very seriously, especially when we consider we have a new defense secretary in chuck hagel. >> reporter: white house officials taking this latest provocation very seriously. they are concerned and chuck hagel expressing his concern. at the same time they are trying to reassure their allies in the region. caitlin hayden releasing this statement. we've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from north korea. we take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our south korean allies but would also note north korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and this follows that familiar pattern. trying to reassure the allies in the region. the latest provocation comes on the heels of a number of provocations, including a number of nuclear tests from north korea. they fired a rocket last decem

u.s. bombers fly near its borders. we'll tell you what happened. >>> the tension is thicker than ever. north korea put its rockets on standby tonight to attack the u.s. and south korea. it's a response to force shown today when two bombers flew over the korean peninsula. at this time, neither side is showing any signs of backing down. >> reporter: two stealth bombers dropped munitions on a south korean bombing range scheduled to run through april. they were deployed from whiteman air force base in missouri. more than 6,000 miles away. a show of force coming at a time of escalating tensions. >> we will une kwif kablly going to defend. >> angers by the military drill, north korea's young leader has issued almost daily threats including threats on washington and soul. the north has threatened u.s. bases in the pacific following tough u.s.-led sanctions. and one of the last remaining hotlines to the south put its troops on what it calls combat readiness and war may break out at any moment. it has already renounced the armistice that ended the korean war. >> translator: if north korea makes a misjudgment, south korea should deliver a strong punishment. >> so far, n

. ♪ and it's beautiful >>> north korea threatening a nuclear attack on the u.s. and southea just as the un security council was waiting to vote on new sanctions. a former nuclear arms negotiator warns about that threat. >> she worked with the clinton administration on negotiations to dismantle soviet nuclear weapons. she told me that north korea doesn't have means to deliver a nuke they're moving in that direction. gloria duffy says it's true, the country does not have miss dwrolz deliver a nuclear weapon across the pacific but adds that is not the only point. >> it's not a cred cal threat but it is cause for concern. it's only a matter of time. >> north korea did test a minute yu nuclear weapon. it voted to strengthen sanctions against pung yang. un ambassador says the dictateor ask his wife like yachts and nice jewelry. >> north korea's elite living large while impoferishing their people will pay a price for this nuclear test. >> significant is that china joined the u.s. in playing a lead role. >> north korea has declared its intention to use it's nuclear weapons. they c

korea is ratcheting up tensions with the u.s. kim jong-un has ordered missile units to attack south korea and the u.s. and after american bombers flew trianing missions across south korea. >> he is young, untested, and says he wants to settle scores with american imperialists. he rallied his generals to aim the rockets at u.s. bases in hawaii. north korea is on a war footing, with military parades in pyongyang. news broadcasts are full of theater and threats, 20 this far alone. from turning washington to a lake of fire and cutting