north korea's state-run media say kim jong-il's third son kim jong un has been named vice chairman of the korean worker's party. the announcement suggests kim jong un has officially been chosen as kim jong-il's successor. the wednesday morning report says the decision was made at the conference of the workers party in a general meeting of the central commission, the party's leadership body. no images have been made public so far. members of the party's central military commission lead the korean people's army. 19 people, including kim jong-il have been chosen as members of the commission. kim jong un who was earlier given the title of four star general has been named vice chairman of the central military commission, a new post. 30 years ago when kim jong-il first appeared in public as the successor to his father, he was also chosen as a member of the central military commission. jim jiang ill's younger sister kim kyong hui has been named a member of the politic bureau and her husband jang song thaek is a candidate for a polit bureau post. they are expected to act as kim jong un's guar

kim jong il took over the power from kim il song more than 20 years. ring the intervening years he strengthened his grip on the workers' party and pardoned his rivals. however, kim jong un suddenly appeared in public way four-star general and vice chairman of the central military committee. kim jong il and his family act as guardians for kim jong un because he has no military experience and is still in his late 20s. but the transfer of power will not be smooth. north korea postponed the party conference, originally it was set on september 7th, so there is a speculation of dissatisfaction among some party members. but now it has been revealed the purpose of the conference was to show the succession of power. >> i see. so if the change of power continues, what do you foresee happening in the future in north korea? >> well, the country is now faced with many tasks and much international controversy. north korea has been suffering from a devastating economy, and the priority is to get foreign aid and a guarantee of political stability from the united states

rehabilitative jong il from place. to general and a possible step toward the transfer of power we talked to experts about what this could mean for relations with the rest. of carrying a jewish activists attempting to reach book aided garza has been forced to divert to the port of ashdod in israel by israeli warships among those on board is a holocaust survivor and an israeli man who lost his daughter at a palestinian suicide bombing a spokesman for the group that all going on the journey says many jews don't support the israeli government's behavior towards palestinians. we've had the better world order we understand international waters but the crew and happened in the boat. don't we hope they will be. released. immediately. treatment in the area or we believe the blockade is illegal and illegitimate and we want any of them to make a. public statement amar will hope that the collective punishment of the people of god and good political trial that the blockade of gaza and the company would argue the group with the weap

wanted to say that kim jong il appears is an energetic and informed person who knows what he does and knows what to strive for i think that the stereotypes appearing regularly in western and frankly also in russian publications about some unpredictable politician and regime are absolutely ungrounded because an irrational and unpredictable politician would hardly be able to hold power in his hands for the past two decades when many revolutions broke out and many countries actually disappeared money expected the north korean regime to fall however for a number of reasons including purely pragmatic and realistic policy and the ability to outplay the enemy even though in some small things the north korean regime managed to survive. and you mentioned that the north korean leader knows what he wants for his country and from his country he's calling a party meeting that hasn't been held in thirty years and many in the west specifically are very excited trying to guess why exactly or what he's trying to tell the world by doing that what do you think at the purpose of the conference and the wo

there believe those rumors are exaggerated but i can't rule out the possibility that kim jong il has begun to ponder about his possible successor who would have to lead the country after he himself leaves the political arena i don't think the conference is due to pronounce anyone as a successor most likely such a person would simply be elected into the government which will allow him to prove his eligibility by his achievements in areas he would be in charge of. now if kim jong il decides to follow in his father's footsteps and name his son as his successor there's very little known about the man what do we know who is he what does he what does he have what he bring to north korea. first of all i think we shouldn't expect any dramatic changes right away because power in north korea is built on succession and continuity principles kim jong il became a leader first and foremost thanks to his image of a true follower of his father's legacy and ideas not of some destroyer of the foundations where the person to lead the country's policy into a sharp turn so obviously the same is going to

well when that career leader kim jong il promoted his youngest son kim jong un to the rank of general and was seen as the first step of a power transition it came before the country's ruling workers' party gathered for its biggest convention in decades no official announcements were made and the issue of succession has been shrouded in mystery bosses ozzy's company that is out of a report from the practice isn't done public in north korea. in the twenty first century everything is global and all kinds of information is available online but there remains a spot of mystery in the world wide web and not is north korea not many are pretty trade secrets locked around my colleague alex you know chefs he was one of you to visit the place and hopefully will share his impressions a alex so tell me you were in a gang what's it like what's your biggest impression be honest with you when i was going there i felt a little nervous having read all the stories about north korea in the west media that it's a scary place it's always a different sort of scary things when i arrived there i thought it was

bets are off what would his uncle do is uncle in law i should say jiang song was married to kim jong il's younger sister what would he do with the really the regent or would kim kim jong un like to get rid of him incidentally i should add that john was not the only one who was promoted today there were there were five others who were promoted the most important in the family and his family the younger sister a woman sixty four years old all right all in the family kim and perpetuating the dynasty ok victor fine go to you. you're the neighbor china is the neighbor and has the closest relations with with north korea. do you do you think the chinese leadership is given a heads up for a pretty clear heads up of what was going to happen this transition process because north korea if it likes it or not self-reliance or not is very reliant on china. well first of all i think the announcement coming out of pyongyang today is not surprising because the rumors have already been spreading for quite some time now the official chinese position about this changes in senior leadership positions in north

personally what kind of a man is he when you're there i met kim jong il both as a journalist and a diplomat in particular during the then president putin's visit to north korea in two thousand carefully read what a number of state leaders who met him as a president wrote a belgian. i want to say that kim jong il appears is an energetic and informed person who knows what he does and knows what to strive for i think that the stereotypes appearing regularly in western and frankly also in russian publications about some unpredictable politician and regime are absolutely ungrounded because an irrational and unpredictable politician would hardly be able to hold power in his hands for the past two decades when many revolutions broke out on many countries actually disappeared money expected the north korean regime to fall however for a number of reasons including purely pragmatic and realistic policy and the ability to outplay the enemy even though in some small things the north korean regime managed to survive. and you mention that the north korean leader knows what he wants for his cou

north korea has announced that the third son of its leader kim jong-il has been appointed as the force -- as a four-star general. many believe that the party is preparing to anoint thee a man named kim jong-un as his father's eventual successor. from the south korean capital of seoul, here is one of our correspondence. >> from the trains pulling into an immaculate pyongyang central station to the choreographed uniformity of the arriving delegates, it is clear that something is going on. these are pictures that north korea is off authoritarian rulers want the world to see, showing a city being prepared for a very significant event indeed. the last time a major party gathering was held was in 1980 -- 30 years ago. that meeting sok kim jong il appointed to the highest ranks of the party, -- saw kim jong-il appointed to the highest ranks of the party, confirming him as his father's successor. after years in charge, he is for real, the elderly, and on well. there is speculation that he is -- is frail, elderly, and unwell. there's speculation that he is about to do the same and appoint his s

the youngest kid was only twenty something years old he has no experience when kim jong il was young his father kim il some took twenty years to groom him for this position this is a rush job they are rushing this through for a person who is really has no experience and that's why they've appointed sort of again from medieval times a regent kim has appointed his brother in law to sort of hold things together until the youngest son is old enough to take over but how long will that last will the military want to have a greater say in what's going on will others want to fight for power how will react during a period of vulnerability these are all big questions with potentially big consequences and they'll have to be answered first before we see what kind of leader the youngest son turns out to be in north korea the danger is not that north korea is going to turn around and attack a country with nuclear weapons it really it has a nuclear device but it really doesn't have a working nuclear weapon and it's not interested in that to begin with ironically and as hard as it is to believe what

chair. -- the taste of york shire. >> official media in north korea said the youngest son of kim jong-ilas been given the rank as general. as the first time the name of kim jong-un has been published in north korea. this could be the start of a succession process, say analysts. kim jong-il's health was thought to be deteriorating. you'll find more of that and all the international news on line at bbc.com. we are also on facebook and twitter as well. thank you for watching. >> see the news unfold, get 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 has put its global financial strength to work 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 cl

kim jong-il is called "the der leader." and now his son will take the soap opera into a third generation. he is known officially as brilliant. grimm, poverty stricken -- this is his inheritance. we still cannot film it openly, but this could be the start of change. and now the government tolerates night markets, where people can sell in the streets. police used to stop this kind of thing. now they let it happen. >> it signals there will be a very stable transition. and in north korea. it will take longer than one or three years. >> there is one other important player behind the scenes today, and that is china. china may be worried that north korea will inflow of with incalculable consequences for the in -- will in flowed with incalculable consequences for the entire region so, it is that closed mysterious country across the river -- it could mean that changes on the way for the family business. >> john since then, our world affairs editor there. at least seven people are confirmed killed. the rain collapsed a hillside, bury

the meeting is expected to put the third son of kim jong-il in line for succession. he believed to have suffered a stroke two years ago. i asked how much was known about kim jong il's successor. >> truth be told, very little. we are not even sure how old he is. he is thought to be 26-years old, so he is very inexperienced. we know a few brief details. he is reported to have spent some time studying at a private school in switzerland. beyond that, very little is known. we don't know for sure that he is his father's chosen successor, but reading between the lines, north korea calling this a party gathering a turning point in recent weeks. that is believed to be its normal cryptic language. something significant is afoot. most agree that if a succession process is to begin, kim jong- il's son is the likely candidate to take over. >> should we expect any change in politics no matter who takes over? >> if we do see the beginnings of a succession process, and i don't think it's likely to come in dramatic form, we may see kim jong il elevated to a senior party position just

nobody knows until kim jong il dies. this is a boy who nothing is known about until yesterday his name had never appeared in the north korean press. we don't even really know how to spell it. they say sometimes u-n.... >> warner: they changed the spelling today. >> you had two different ones on the prompter. i'd ask katy about that. the only photograph of him shows him at the age of about 12. so he's the man without a name. the man without a face. something that i've been hearing in china-- i'm based in beijing-- is that even in north korea, there are some rules for legitimacy within the party one needs to establish credibility and presence. so i would not say he's the successor. i would say he's daddy's favorite. >> warner: not a done deal. do you think katy-oh, you can read this as expressing kim jong il's wish? and if so what explains the appointment of his sister as a general? what is that all about? >> i think i would make a little bit different approach. i think king jong ewen. >> warner: the son? >> i think he is

kim jong-il took over and is still in power. called the deer leader and now his song will take them into the third decade. he's known as the brilliant comrade. it's grim, poverty filled. it can be a slow change the no the government tolerates night markets where people can sell the things they bruce in unlit streets. police used to stop this kind of thing. now they let it happen. >> the way north korea operates, there will be a stable transition and will take a longer period of time rather than 1 or 2 years. >> there's o one immensly play. china. they want north korea to reform itself but they don't think that the military are capable of doing that. >> so in that closed mysterious country, the emergence of the dear leader, could mean change is on its way for the family business. >> a great editor kim jong-ils son is in power. >> it's still a crime to discuss the family in public. yet here we are in the space of two days. this unknown political novice is given the rank of a 4-star general will and told elected to two very senior

kim jong il -- kim jong-un has been given the rank of military general.his is one of the a few photographs of him. he is thought to be in his 20's. in any seat strong signs he is about to be anointed -- many see strong signs he is about to be anointed. from neighboring south korea, we have this report. in atm the train's coming you and immaculate john young central station to the choreographed uniformity -- immaculate pyongyang central station to be choreographed uniformity. these are the pictures that north korea was the world to say. the city getting ready for a very significant event indeed. the last major party gathering was it 1980, 30 years ago. that meeting saw kim jong-il appointed to the highest ranks of the party, confirming him as his father's successor. now he is frail, elderly, and on well. speculation is mounting that he is about to pull off the same trick by dramatically elevating his third and youngest son, kim jong-un, as the next jos and later. >> if he is anointed -- as the next and its leader. >> if he is anointed, [unintelligible] he

north korean leader kim jong il is promoted is the youngest son came. to the rank of general in what's seen as the first step of a power transition and it came before the country's ruling were gathered for its biggest convention in decades. slim elf moves were made only a few succession has been shrouded in mystery but as always governor that over reports that practice is in dollar common in north korea. and the twenty first century everything is global and all kinds of information is available online but there remains a lot of mystery in the world wide web and that is north korea that many are pretty trade secrets not likely get access to ships he was one of you to visit the place and hopefully will share his impressions a alex so tell me you were in yang what's it like what's your biggest impression be honest with you when i was going there i felt a little nervous haven't read all the stories about north korea in the western media that it's scary place it's all the different sort of scary things that when i arrived there i thought it was nothing like

the last time that they did that, kim jong il was anointed successor to his father. it seems history is about to be repeated with the ailing dictator preparing the way for his son to take control of the most secret nation on earth. his son was just made a four- star general, that much we know. anything else that you can tell us about this young man? >> we know very little about him at all. he attended an international school in switzerland, classmates say that he was a fan of the american nba basketball league. other than that we know very little. he is thought to be around 27 years old. perhaps not the most impressive person to take over the running of one of the bombers -- one of the world's most authoritarian countries. >> how are people reacting in south korea? of >> huge reaction. north korea is one of the world's most totalitarian governments. people are used to predicting its demise. here for the first time in a long time we potentially have a sense of the moment that change, a subtle shift. it might not look like a coronation, but definitely a sense that some

who met kim jong il plus. in the twenty first century everything has become globalized there is practically nothing that a person can find on the internet on the phone or from known sources but north korea remains one of the very few enigmas in the twenty first century and to talk a little more about this effect where r.t. got the chance to talk to the director of the far east studies of the russian cademy of science alexander and i've been with jim thank you so much for joining us north korea remains one of the few mysteries today everything is known information about everything can be found easily but north.

here's his son, the current leader, kim jong-il. and one of the few childhood of him,exthat exists there is his son, kim jong-un. >> just hours before the conference, he was promoted to the rank of four start military general. now we learn he has been made vice chairman of the military commission and a member of the central committee. there can now be little bill that he is the chosen successor. -- air can now be little doubt that he is the chosen successor. kim jong-il's sister is in attendance, having also just been promoted to the rank of military general. it is thought that she will guide her nephew of through the difficult power transition. the world will get its first real glimpse of a young man that has just been handed a weighty legacy. >> nigeria marks its years of independence this week with a country facing a defining presidential vote. democracy is gradually taking root in the country. a exertonal rulers is there enormous influence. >> this is one of the most powerful traditional rulers in nigeria. he was not elected by p

in 1994, kim jong-il took over. he is called "the dear leader." w his son, kim jong-un, will take the soap opera into a third generation. he is a known officially as "the brilliant comrade." this is his inheritance -- grim, pover-stricken. it could be the start of slow change. there is one a immensely important player behind the scenes today and that is in china. the chinese are worried that north korea might simply implode with incalculable consequences for the entire region. they want north korea to reform itself, but they do not think the military are capable of doing that. if so, and that close, mysterious country across the river, the emergence of the heir leader's" son and could mean that change is under way for the family business. >> all landslide in cells was mexico buried hundreds of houses and at least seven people have been confirmed killed. it buried the houses of people as they slept. rescue workers are struggling to reach the scene hours after the disaster. the government in its southern nigeria -- 15 schoolchildren were seized when

and speculation that kim jong-il will name his youngest son as his successor. and money laundering at the bank of the vatican. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you -- . dementia at the damage. the global problem costing the world $600 billion and no cure in sight. and back on display -- some of the ancient iraqi artifacts looted during the 2003 war. hello to you. the indian government wanted to host the commonwealth games to highlight the country's many strengths. but now the games have become an embarrassment. within two weeks, 71,000 athletes and officials from 71 former british colonies are due in delhi. there are already complaints about filthy accommodations and safety concerns have been raised with the collapse of a foot bridge, injuring 23 people. >> india's dream of glory has turned to its worst nightmare. every deadline has been advanced. the worst monsoon in 30 years has left of flood and an outbreak of fever. the latest worry, blocks of luxury f