| North Korea puts on show of military might for heir apparent – and the world Kim Jong-il smiles and claps alongside son as troops and tanks parade in front of live TV audience and international mediaThe ground shook as thousands of boots slammed on to the road in unison. Martial tunes blared; bayonets glinted; the tanks' diesel fumes choked the air.Today saw the largest military parade that North Korea has ever witnessed: a blend of sheer force and razzmatazz. But the real show was not down on Kim Il-sung Plaza but up on the viewing rostrum, where the country's leader, Kim Jong-il, and his heir apparent, Kim Jong-un, stood watching.For most of the spectators, who swivelled as one to cheer and applaud the two Kims' arrival, this was the first sighting of the young general – a man who, until two weeks ago, had never been acknowledged by state media. Unusually, the event was broadcast live, giving the country's 24 million inhabitants a chance to see their leader-in-waiting at last."Kim Jong-un has the love of all the Korean people," declared Kim Chong-il, a media officer from the Foreign Affairs ministry."No words can describe our excitement [at seeing him]," added civilian participant Cho Song-bok, through an official translator. It was hard to imagine anyone professing anything short of total loyalty to Kim or his father.The crowd chanted "Kim Jong-il! Protect him to the death!" and "Kim Jong-il! Unite to support him!" as the 68-year-old leader smiled, clapped and saluted troops.His absence at the last military parade in 2008 was linked to reports of a stroke. Today he stood throughout the 90-minute event, before slowly walking the length of the building to wave from each corner. He leant heavily on the balcony rail as he went.Beneath him, female spectators were bright in their traditional gowns while men bore two, three or even four columns of enormous medals on their jackets alongside the Kim Il-sung pins worn by every North Korean. The country's founder is still revered and his image has been central to his son's rule and establishing his grandson as the next leader.The Kim family and the military are the pillars of the state. Although the parade officially marked the 65th anniversary of the Korean Workers' party, its scale and focus suggested it owed more to cementing Kim Jong-un's position and the country's songun ("military first") policy. Ri Yong-ho, chief of the army's general staff, stood between father and son.As many as 20,000 soldiers, sailors and air force pilots took part. Women with identical black bobs and khaki-skirted uniforms bore machine guns; sailors marched in blazingly white jackets. Armed officers guarded lorries loaded with rocket launchers and enormous missiles that underlined international concerns about the country's military stance.The North has come under increasing international pressure with the imposition of sanctions following a second nuclear test and missile firings last year and the sinking of a South Korean warship this spring. Pyongyang denies involvement in that incident and says it is defending itself against US aggression.The country is one of the world's most tightly controlled, and had never before allowed so many international media to visit at once.Kim So-hye, of the foreign ministry, said: "A lot of people from outside of Korea came here and we meant for them to see [the celebrations] because you don't know a lot of things about Korea and probably might have some misunderstandings and wrong impressions about our country."Where outsiders usually focus on weapons programmes and food shortages, the authorities want to project colour, joy and harmony."I think our might of single-hearted unity around the headquarters of revolution is demonstrated to the full through the ceremony today," said Kim Song-yon, another participant. "As we have the young general, I think the future of our Korea is very bright and I think we are very much honoured."The celebrations continued into the night, with 10,000 dancers flooding the square for the mass dance – a sequined extravaganza crossing Busby Berkeley with socialist realism.They leapt up and down waving plastic flowers as fireworks exploded over the plaza. Cheering erupted from the speakers: the father and son had reappeared.An all-female orchestra in white meringue frocks played popular tunes, while men dressed as ostriches ran in circles in tribute to the country's animal husbandry.Images of prosperity and progress unfolded across giant screens. A harvester rolling through the fields gave way to one of the country's two computing rooms for students. Above, lasers raked the sky; beneath, men in glittering jumpsuits gyrated with girls in tight orange tops and matching vinyl miniskirts. Children dressed in silver unitards bore antennae on their heads. The theme: modern technology.Down the length of the Juche tower ran the message: "How glad President Kim Il-sung would be if he could see this reality."But it is his inexperienced grandson who must find a way to sustain this extravagant vision of plenty and the magic of his name.North KoreaKim Jong-ilTania Braniganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Newsreader Kaplinsky leaves Five TV newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky is to leave Five at the end of the year, the broadcaster has confirmed. bbc.co.uk |
Goldman Sachs quarterly profits slump • Big slowdown seen in trading• Revenue down 28% to $8.9bn• $13.12bn for pay and bonuses, a 21% drop from last yearGoldman Sachs's earnings easily beat analysts' forecasts again, but the bank saw a big slowdown in trading, its most profitable business.Net income after paying preferred dividends fell 43% from the year-ago period as revenue in the bank's bond, currency and commodities trading division fell sharply.Goldman's income fell to $1.74bn (£1.1bn), or $2.98 per share, the bank said Tuesday. It earned $3.03bn during the same three-month period last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters predicted earnings of $2.32 per share.Revenue fell 28% to $8.9bn, but still came in well ahead of the $7.92bn analysts had forecast. Goldman's shares rose 40 cents to $154.10 in pre-opening trading.Analysts have been expecting Goldman's earnings to decline because of slower trading, and have been slashing their estimates in recent weeks. A month ago, analysts' average forecast was for income of $3.05 per share.Goldman's trading volume fell in the third quarter amid historically low interest rates and waning market volatility. Those low rates benefited Goldman's investment banking division, however, which reported a 24% jump in revenue. With borrowing rates so low, many companies were eager to issue new debt.The decline in Goldman's overall revenue was also tied to a slowdown in stock trading and a weaker return on its investment in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Goldman's stake in the Chinese bank generated just $9m in revenue during the quarter, down from $344m during the same quarter last year.The New York-based bank continued to reduce compensation costs. The bank was strongly criticised during the financial crisis for doling out big paychecks even after it received government aid and while the broader economy suffered.Goldman set aside $3.83bn for compensation and benefits during the quarter. It has now set aside $13.12bn for compensation during the first nine months of the year, a 21% drop from the same period last year.Compensation totalled 43% of the company's revenue for the year so far, down from 47% last year.Goldman SachsBankingExecutive pay and bonusesUnited Statesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Shark kills bodyboarder in California 19-year-old dies after attack in Santa BarbaraA bodyboarder bled to death after a shark mauled his left leg, authorities said in Santa Barbara, California, yesterday as they closed three beaches over the weekend. Lucas Ransom, 19, was in the surf line about 100 metres off Surf Beach when a shark suddenly pulled him under. A friend who was with Ransom and other people at the beach pulled him from the water, but the University of California, student had received a severe wound and died a short time later. The last shark attack on Surf Beach was in 2008, when what was believed to be a great white bit a surfer's board but he was unharmed. United Statesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Study: Vikings May Have Taken a Native American to Iceland Scientists have found a genetic link that they say could offer further evidence that Vikings were in America 500 years before Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World feedproxy.google.com |