15/04/2017 BBC Weekend News

North Korea delivers a display of military strength amid rising

tensions with America over its nuclear programme.

The state unveiled what appear to be new intercontinental missiles

Our correspondent reports from Pyongyang.

In Syria, dozens of people including children are killed after a huge

bomb hits a group waiting to be evacuated from two beseiged towns.

Everton Football Club bans journalists from The Sun

from its ground because of the controversial article written

And title-chasing Tottenham look to keep the pressure

North Korea has made a show of military strength,

putting what appear to be intercontinental missiles

on display at a massive parade in its capital Pyongyang.

It's warned the United States, which has sent an aircraft

carrier to the region, that it is ready to

The display of military hardware today has increased fears that

North Korea is moving ever closer to having a viable long-distance

Our correspondent John Sudworth is one of a group of foreign

journalists invited to the North Korean capital

His movements are being monitored and tightly controlled.

As the parade began, the ground shook,

and a city at the centre of a mounting crisis

echoed to the sound of marching feet.

Presiding over it all was Kim Jong-un, apparently

untroubled by the international pressure over

the now realistic prospect of this most totalitarian of states

becoming a fully-fledged nuclear power.

And while President Donald Trump may be promising to stop it,

This is state power expressed as mass unity, and it's meant

to send two key messages - to the North Korean people

that their young leader's grip on power is unassailable,

and to the outside world that he commands massive military might.

"We will respond to nuclear war with nuclear war,"

by the rolling out of these weapons which analysts say may be

North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missiles.

But while it may be isolated, it's resilient and often rational too.

It wants nuclear weapons not to use them but as a security guarantee.

What message does this send to the outside world?

"It shows the great strength of Korea," this woman tells me.

"We are the most proud people in the world."

The periodic crises have so far always blown over

but each time North Korea emerges one step closer to its nuclear goal.

no-one has yet worked out how to stop its advance.

So what are the options to avert any potential crisis?

Here's our Washington correspondent Laura Bicker.

These naval warships are within striking distance

North Korea is a problem, the problem will be taken care of.

North Korea has got to change its behaviour.

These talks with President Xi last week laid the groundwork.

Donald Trump said he received assurances that they would help put

an end to North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

And some believe that is why he has dispatched those warships.

Perhaps the dispatch of carrier strike force to the peninsula

is really aimed at motivating the Chinese, to tell Beijing

that the United States is serious and wants to see China put a lot

China is already applying pressure at its border and placed a ban

If President Trump is weighing his options,

The US could also push for more UN sanctions but critics believe that

punishes the people of North Korea, not its leaders.

The Pentagon has denied any suggestion of a pre-emptive

But Donald Trump's actions in Syria prove he is a President prepared

to take action quickly and without warning.

US troops in Afghanistan are advancing after the dropping

of a massive bunker-busting bomb known as the Mother Of All Bombs.

A display of firepower from the world's strongest military

that might just make Kim Jong-un think twice about

Meanwhile, the Vice-President, Mike Pence, is on his way to Seoul

to reassure Asian allies and offer them an iron-clad commitment

His message is that the US will do whatever is necessary

How likely is it President Trump would go for a military option?

Despite US media reports earlier in the week, that the president was

considering a pre-emptive strike against North Korea, our

understanding is that is far from their minds at the moment.

The policy seems to be more one of continued pressure, deploying

diplomacy along with those noble strikeforce is, just to turn up that

pressure a bit more. The most likely scenario if North

Korea does test and other nuclear missile would be further sanctions.

Already, China has banned imports of coal from North Korea, they could

move to oil, stopping oil imports from the north. That could cripple

North Korea's economy. When it comes to the test Donald Trump has had in

his foreign policy strategy, it has been an evolving one. After months

of isolationist talks, discussions putting America first, President

Trump's views have put the US back at the centre of the world stage.

A massive suicide car bomb in Syria has hit a convoy of buses

on the outskirts of Aleppo where thousands of people from two

besieged government-held villages were waiting to be taken to safety.

More than 40 people are reported to have been killed.

In the immediate aftermath, a man runs towards the site

of the huge explosion, filming the horrifying

It is believed a suicide bomber carried out this

attack, reportedly driving a van carrying aid supplies.

TRANSLATION: I can't describe it, I am

You can see dozens of burnt-out cars, bodies everywhere.

Emergency staff and opposition factions are

The target was this convoy of buses carrying

children finally able to leave their villages which had

been under siege for years in Syria's

Since last night, the convoy had been held up

on the road near Aleppo because of a hitch in

the deal agreed between Government forces and the rebels

That left everyone here very exposed to an attack.

With so many killed and injured in this

bombing, there are fears of revenge attacks

and an end to further agreements to get people out other

For those who survive this attack, the aim now is

to get them to safe areas as quickly as possible.

Some are already reported to be getting back on

buses, leaving the horror of this day behind them.

The parents of a Birmingham University student who was stabbed

to death on a tram in Jerusalem have said they're "devastated"

Hannah Bladon who was 20 and from Burton upon Trent

was in Israel as part of an exchange programme.

Her parents said she was the "most caring"

Israeli police have arrested a Palestinian man who they say has

Everton Football Club has banned Sun newspaper journalists

from its ground following an article written by the paper's columnist

In it he compared the intelligence of Everton footballer Ross Barkley

The Mayor of Liverpool has called for the newspaper to sack

Mr McKenzie for making what he called "racial slurs".

From Goodison Park, Frankie McCamley reports.

The footballer in the centre of it all, Everton midfielder

Ross Barkley, whose grandfather was Nigerian, compared

And the man who wrote it, Kelvin MacKenzie, now suspended.

He also claims the only other people in Liverpool earning as much

I've reported it to Merseyside Police and they're

I have also written to the Press Complaints Commission.

The comments I believe were overtly racist.

The club reacted quickly, banning the Sun, stating

the newspaper has to know any attack on this city is not acceptable.

It follows a long-running hatred towards the newspaper

who blamed fans for the Hillsborough disaster that left 96 dead.

With applause at today's match to mark the 28th anniversary.

The Sun's publisher News UK has apologised

for the offence caused, saying it was unaware

of Ross Barkley's heritage and there was never any slur intended.

Mr MacKenzie says it was beyond parody to describe

Outside the stadium, fans welcomed the news.

What he said about Ross Barkley I think is shocking,

I think it's disgraceful the way he spoke about Ross Barkley

and the way he described the people of Liverpool and they

His article should be proof-read anyway by the editors,

so for them to let that go to press, I think it's quite poor.

Many will question why the paper, which he edited for many years,

The Sun knew enough to make sure that MacKenzie didn't refer

to Liverpool, especially on the anniversary of

So it was a gross editorial oversight.

Arriving here this morning, fans said they were angry

Following the club's announcement to ban the Sun,

those feelings have somewhat subsided this evening, but many say

It's understood Rupert Murdoch will be consulted before a decision

is made about Mr MacKenzie's future which may depend on a

The world's oldest person has died in Italy at the age of 117.

Emma Morano was born on 29 November 1899

She was officially the last person born in the 19th

Ms Morano had attributed her longevity to her genetics and a diet

of three eggs a day, two of them raw.

With all the sport, here's Karthy at the BBC Sport Centre.

Neutral football fans will be hoping for the Premier League title race

to go right to the end of the season.

It is time to pop out of the room if you're waiting

for Match of the Day, which is on BBC One later tonight

as I have the results and some of the action coming up now.

Spurs are not letting the title go without a fight.

They are now just four points off league leaders

That's after Tottenham beat Bournemouth 4-0 today.

It is at this point of the season Tottenham are used

If Chelsea falter, Spurs are waiting in the wings.

Where once the gap at the top looked insurmountable,

That light shone brighter when Mousa Dembele drilled them

In the recent absence of Harry Kane through injury,

Reunited, they combined for Tottenham to make it two.

Spurs have turned White Hart Lane into a fortress, no Premiership team

has a better home record and Kane, as he showed again, is one

of the main reasons why, 25 goals in all competitions.

Goals could prove crucial if Tottenham do push

The gloss was provided by Vincent Jansen.

The importance of this win all too clear to manager

Manchester City have moved up to third place after a 3-0

Everton are now in fifth place after beating Burnley.

Sunderland drew with West Ham but are bottom of the table

and still nine points away from safety.

Also in the relegation zone are Swansea City,

Sheffield United have been promoted to the Championship.

While in Scotland, Hibernian have won the Championship title to seal

At the bottom of the Scottish Premiership table, Dundee are now

two points from safety after losing to Hamilton.

And there were wins for second-placed Aberdeen, Rangers,

Formula One, and a Mercedes driver is on pole position

for tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix, but it isn't Lewis Hamilton.

His new team mate this season, Valtteri Bottas, snatched

the front spot in the final seconds of qualifying.

It's Bottas' first pole position of his career.

Hamilton will start from second on the grid.

Great Britain have claimed four medals at the World Track Cycling

Championships in Hong Kong after Elinor Barker and Emily Nelson

It was the first time women have competed in the event

It was judgment day in rugby union's Pro12 with the four Welsh teams

Cardiff Blues beat Ospreys for the first time in seven years.

Scarlets defeated Newport Gwent Dragons 21 points to 16.

And Munster are guaranteed a place in the play-offs

In the Premiership, Leicester boosted their hopes of finishing

the season in the top four by thrashing Newcastle

There were also wins for Worcester and Gloucester.

And the five-time snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan

has a slender five frames to four lead over Gary Wilson, a former taxi

driver making his debut in the World Championships

That's all from the BBC Sport Centre.

You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.

Good evening. The day maybe call, where you saw the cloud and showers

but it looked the part when the sun was out.

These guys tomorrow will be different and there may be some rain

at times. It is this area of cloud causing

problems. Tonight it will introduce more cloud over western areas,

patchy rain over Northern Ireland, with clearer skies to the south and

east, there may be a touch of frost into Sunday morning.

This weather system looks further north, meaning a better time for

southern Scotland, a dry day across the south. Some outbreaks of rain.

At lunchtime, rather cool, particularly southern Scotland and

North England. A better feeling day than today. Some hazy sunshine

across the south. The rain will make its way through the latter stages of

Sunday. A flow of cold air will come from the north. There will be a lot

more sunshine around, and drier weather. Showers will be fleeting.

Strong winds in Scotland. That