> the south korean prime minister resigns following the government's handling of the ferry disaster. hello, welcome to al jazeera. also on the programme - calls for obama to address human rights concerns as the u.s. president visits malaysia on his tour. diplomatic efforts continue to seek the release of european observers held hostage in ukraine. and from pope to saint -

thousands of pilgrims gather at vatican square for an unprecedented double canonization. . we begin in south korea where chung hong-won, the prime minister, resigned over the handling of the ferry disaster. 187 are confirmed dead after the ferry capsized and sank a week ago. more than 100 people are missing. harry fawcett reports from se l seoul. >> reporter: 11 days, anger and recrim nations. the prime minister decided to resign. >> translation: the right thing for me to do is take responsibility and resign as the person in charge. cabinet. on behalf of the government i apologise for the problems, from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the

disaster. >> a day after it went down, south korea's president put chung hong-won in charge of the rescue effort. it put him in the firing line. at one point when parents of missing children threw a water bottle and scuffled with him, and tried to stop his car leaving the island. rely ties were furious about delay -- relatives were furious about delays. and the lack of information they were getting from officials. rmpingts in this count there is more talk about safety violations. broader questions are being asked about regulations and practices in south korea as a whole. against that, pre-empting a trial, there was concern and

response. u.s. president barack obama visited a malaysian mon oument, the national mock, and paid his respect where some of the country's former leaders are laid to rest. president barack obama wants to strengthen ties with malaysia. he is the first president to visit malaysia in four decades. some groups want him to use the trip as an opportunity to raise a number of human rights issues. human rights watch says the malaysian deposit continues to use outdated war to prosecute opponents. (technical difficulties) 10..t

we spoke to some. they said they'll raise the issue such as election irregularities that it said took place in the last general election last year, which cost - which they believe cost the opposition coalition some votes.

the opposition won the votes but failed to gain a majority in parliament because of the way electoral constituencies are drawn up, because of jerry nannedering. there are -- jerry mannedering. they want to bring up the fact that a state government is trying to impose a criminal islamic law, and there are concerns over that. it seems that he has taken all this on board, and will not have a meeting. but the politicians say it's not enough. they are questioning why he is not meeting the opposition leader anwar ibrahim who they say face trumped up charge, accused of sodomy and is facing a prison term if he fails to win his appeal. >> there's larger policies at play here, that president obama's administration wants to rebalance its relationship with ashia, calling it an asia pivot.

is that having an effect or influence in a way that malaysia is dealing with the visit? >> this is an opportunity for malaysia to strengthen ties with the u.s. now, for more than two decades when the government was under former prime minister he had a very strong look at policies, and savoured closer ties with african countries, eastern nations, rather than western nations. the relationship with the western powers was neglected. this is an opportunity for malaysia, for the strategic unit, because malaysia is a country which is in a territorial dispute with china. if the u.s. wants to rebalance its focus to the region, it's going to have to have the support of these other

countries. the u.s. president said so in an te in an interview that appeared in a local paper. he said the visit is an opportunity for the u.s. to lay a foundation for closer ties with malaysia. >> thank you very much. >> to ukraine, and a team of european negotiators heading to eastern ukraine, hoping to secure the release of international observers. the group of military observers have been detained under accusations they were spying for neighbours. the kremlin is under pressure. it's facing sanctions some of which can come in less than four hours. european diplomats will meet on monday. barnaby phillips has the latest. >> reporter: on both sides in eastern ukraine, funerals are becoming political events.

this was a russian separatist laying a hero to rest. it was in the town of ben lovejoy. killed by you -- town of slovyansk. "long live dombask. ukraine is with russia." >> military observers are being held by pro-russian gunmen, saying one way the observers could be released would be in an exchange with the government in kiev, holding a number of pro-russian activists. prisoners have been coins to exchange during times of war. it's an international practice to swap prisoners. there's nothing scary about it. >> this is the administration center in donetsk. there's no sign that pro-russian groups are giving up control. the barricades are up. let's go over here and see the other side of the life in the east. for most people things are going

on as normal. they may be anxious, but they are keeping their opinions to themselves. that is the same not just in donetsk, but across eastern ukraine. >> closer to kiev, they were marking a grim anniversary - 28 years since the chen ob ill nuclear action. it was events on the eastern border that preoccupied politicians that came to the event. >> translation: if russia conditions its aggression, ignoring decisions during negotiation, then ukraine has to stay strong and resist the occupants forces. >> yulia tymoschenko opens to be ukraine's next president. the legitimacy of may's elections could depend on a successful resolution of this crisis with russia. >> hundreds of thousands of roman catholics are at the vatican for a double

canonisation ceremony. this is the scene now where people are heading out ahead of the event. on sunday pope francis will declare pope john paul ii and john xxiii saints. . >> reporter: two popes elevated to saint hood, the holiest hop you are the catholic church -- honour the catholic church can bess stow. the faithful will bear witness. among their numbers is this woman, a woman whose recovery from a fatal brain aneurysm is considered one of two miracles. qualified for sanctity. >> i heard a voice. it said get up. don't be afraid. my eyes were fixed on a picture

ahead of john ii. in the picture his hands from raised. i saw how his hand were meted out. i got up and said that was my response. it happened at home in costa rica as the late pope's bu butification was watched on television. her family were waiting for her to die. >> john paul ii was responsible for two miracles. john 23rd, and pope francis removed the requirement for a second, making the canonization event possible. >> to pilgrims both popes are men of holiness, the legacy of john paul ii calls into question. giovanni is a former catholic priest asked to give evidence to the vatican committee investigating the possibility of

john paul ii's canonization. they did not ask him back. >> translation: in the past i expressed my view that this process has been accelerated in a significant way. subsequently they have not vetted the characters of these men enough. specifically the characters in the life of these men. >> survivors agree. the polish pope should have done more to stop it. >> it's disappointing that the catholic church officials are making pope john paul ii a same time. he was involved in covering up sex crimes, and we don't believe that's saintly behaviour. >> that will not be widely heard on sunday. . the weather is coming up next. still ahead - south africans looking back at 20 years of

democracy at the end of apartheid. plus we'll show you a race in ve bennos iris where competitors need poise.

>> hello again. a recap of the top stories. south korea's prime minister chung hong-won resigned, following criticism of the deposit's response to the ferry disaster. u.s. president barack obama visited asia's iconic monument, the mosque in the third level of his tour. a team of european observers - the release sought after being held since friday. it's been 20 years since south africa held its first post-apard eyed elections. celebrations will be held to mark the end of white rule. while there has been many achievements, a lot more needs

to be done. this report from johannesburg. >> photographs of family bring back fond memories. this woman gets annoyed. she voted for freedom in the elections in 1994. she feels that young people do not understand what it was like living under apartheid. >> i told them they are stupid. they are fools. we lived - we used to live like dogs. >> the apartheid years were called the dark days. some spoke out against the government. 20 years later the ruling party is credited for ending the oppression. >> this 23-year-old learn about apartheid in school and through word of mouth. she knows during apartheid she probably wouldn't do the job.

like other south africans, she feels democracy should be more than freedom. >> there are a lot of issues that come up with regard to the caliber we have in our country. it's riddled with a lot of corruption, and leaders that have forgotten they are people. >> millions are jobless. one in four. there's anger at government's failure to address poverty. >> we have a different kind of apartheid, a class apartheid who continue to benefit those that benefitted under apartheid, but with a layer of the black middle class crafted on to those that benefitted historically. that has to change. >> this man says the ruling african congress has done well.

>> to have basic needs. >> millions more across the country say they are waiting for the basis of water and electricity along with affordable housing. >> demonstrations held in egypt against a law restricting the right to protest. about 1,000 people marched to the presidential palace in cairo. a law was passed in november to outlaw them. egyptians will have a new president in a month. al jazeera continues to call for the release of its journalists held in egypt. the trial has been adjourned may the 3rd. they've been in gaol for 120 days. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed are falsely accused of providing a platform for the outlawed muslim brotherhood. now declared a terrorist

organization. a fourth has been held without trial sips august. he's been on a hunger strike for 97 days. al jazeera rejects the charms. >> in ethiopia security forces journalists have been. several were arrested on friday. websites have been shut todown. six of the arrested journalists are said to be bloggers who called themselves the writers, and they have been critical of policy and big on social media. the seventh wrote for a newspap newspaper. taken to a central prison. the government is yet to say what will happen to the

journalist. lawyers acting for them told journalists that they may be arraigned in court on monday. it's not the first time journalists have been arrested here. there are journalists serving prison services ranging between 15-27 years in prison, with some of the journalists charged with terrorism. >> the son of former libyan dictator muammar gaddafi is due to go on trial for his alleged role in repressing the uprising. he was charged with crimes against humanity. his can'tives refused to mo him. he's in tripoli. >> they are poorly equipped, jobs are becoming more dangerous. nearly 50 police officers have

been killed in the pakistani city of karachi. the force is reeling from the deaths of 166 of its men. we joined a police team op patrol. >> a team of police makes its way through one of karachi's dangerous neighbourhoods. they are on what is called a targeted operation. al jazeera has been given access. officers say an informant alerted them to this address. they approach carefully. once inside, they find who they are looking for. these men allegedly belong to a criminal gang. in all, six people are arrested. investigators say they discovered arms and narcotics in their possession. the mission is considered a major success not only for the arrest, but because officers face little resistance and not a

shot was fired. the assistant superintendent of police says too often his me are caught in dangerous situations without the right equipment. >> we are facing shortage of protective gear. we lack bulletproof jackets and helmets. even what you are wearing. >> karachi is a large and volatile city. various gangs have been waging a deadly turf war fought along ethnic and political lines. the taliban and al qaeda-linked groups have grown in influence, and sectarian attacks are on the rise. caught in the middle are the police - underfunded and poorly equipped. the dangers of the jobs cost many lives. nearly 50 officers have been killed. this man find it difficult to talk about his younger brother. he had been a police officer for

two years. he was shot dead in january while on pat roll. >> translation: my brother loved working for the police. more needs to be done to protect officers. they need better equipment to keep them safe. >> the government ordered safety gear for the police, but has not said when it will be issued. while violence rises, officers will lose their lives trying to protect it. >> dozens of homes have been destroyed by a tornado in the u.s. state of carolina. windows over 160km ripped through towns. six were hurt. thousands are without power. meteorologists say a stronger one is due across the central u.s. native americans joined forces with ranchers in washington d.c., protesting

against a controversial law. a week of protests have been organised against the keystone pipeline stretching from canada to texas. it will transport oil from canada to texas refineries. oil spills could damage water supply. >> we do not want to pollute our water, and destroy our land. we want to see our children and our grandchildren survive on the plains as our forefathers have down for many generations. we need president obama to reject the keystone excel pipe line. >> in venezuela thousands of opponents from the president have defied a ruling limiting protests in caracas.

they are marching against inflation and foodstuffs, they have grown into mass protests. waiting tables has a long history in the argentinian capital of buenos aires. immigrants from italy and spain introduced the skills. now this generation of waiters is celebrating the tradition of speed in an unusual way. daniel schweimler reports. >> reporter: efficiency, poise and grace are required. they are all on display for waiters and waite reses in the heart of buenos aires. this is a previous winner. with more than 30 years in the job, he knows what is required. >> translation: a good waiter must be friendly, respond rapidly and treat the customers

as well as possible, always with a smile. they are the main characteristics of a good waiter. >> he worked at the bar in the local district serving lawyers and judges for two decades, a profession he loves, because he enjoys dealing with the public. >> an often maligned profession. some practice it with a surmount of style and pan ash. nowhere is the art of waiting a table, better preserved here nan in buenos aires. >> the waiters here at the iconic cafe, as in all of the major establishments work their way up the career ladder from washing classes to serving customers. it's a story that goes way back, as the waiters raise a celebration of pride in their profession. >> it's a tradition here. buenos aires is a spiritual city

with 10,000 hotels, restaurants and bars. a profession we are proud of. >> this is for the waiters, and this for the waitresses. 1,600 metres. balancing two bottles and a full class and a trade. the winner is not the fastest, but the competitor with the most balance. now, that is service. . a whole 30 minutes of news is still ahead here on al jazeera. stay with us if you can. we'll have all the stories, including... it's difficult to imagine that things could turn out like this. i never thought we'd have to move and leave everything behind. >> the people living in uncertainty after russia took control of crimea. that and more coming up.

>> results of analyses were skewed in favor of the prosecution >> the fbi can't force the states to look at those cases >> the truth will set you free yeah...don't kid yourself >> the system has failed me >> turnings textbook medicine on its head. my co-host and digital producer is bringing feedback from the show. when people talk about heart disease, health, diabetes, you think i am young. i can put it off and deal with