thousands gather of the funeral of saudi arabia's king abdullah. we'll back at his legacy and forward to the man who is replacing him. ♪ hello and welcome to al jazeera, i'm jane dutton live from our headquarters in doha. also coming up children are among the dead after government shelling near the capitol damascus as well as the city of homs. ukraine's conflict has claimed 5,000 lives says the u.n. in the country's east, where people are living in fear. and heading for radical shift, greeks will soon vote in

a election that could see the left party come to power. ♪ tributes have been touring in for saudi arabia's late king abdullah. heards from around the world have attended his funeral. power has now passed to his half bother salman. and in an unprecedented move one of the grandsons have been named as deputy crown prince. erika wood reports now on the funeral for king abdullah. >> reporter: dignitaries from all over the middle east and beyond arrive to pay their respects the mayor of kuwait the prime minister of egypt, and leaders from countries like qatar and the united arab imrates. the ceremony was a transfer

foreign dignitaries to greet his family including his successor, salman bin abdulaziz al-saud. the kingdom of bahrain said: and u.s. president barack obama said: and a similar sentiment from the former president of israel. >> it was a real loss for the middle east. and real loss for the peace in the middle east. he was an experienced heard and

wise king. >> reporter: the u.n. secretary general bank ki-moon said: and it's a legacy that standings out in saudi history, one his successor will have to choose how he will carry on. >> he -- he unleashed a foreign policy that was far more dynamic, interventionist and militant in some ways than any previous saudi king. it is very unusual for saudi leadership, but this is one of the things that he has done. >> reporter: counties like qatar and bahrain have announced periods of mourning but saudi arabia itself following its own tradition will not. also the former king has now been buried in the family plot in a simple unremarkable grave.

bahrain has announced 40 days of mourning. flags will be flown at half staff and ministries will be closed for days. and kuwait has declared three days of mourning. a professor of political science had this to say. >> there is a now cold war mentality between the gulf countries lead by saudi arabia the new regime of saudi arabia will continue the path against iran. iran that is playing a major role as an expansionist and power in the region. the latest push by the houthis taking over in a major coup in yemen, which is bordering saudi arabia is an extremely worrying sign that the saudis along with

the gcc allies will be looking at in a very keen way. the major meeting of the arabian foreign ministers of the gcc countries took extremely important steps. but this has to materialize to a clear strategic policy. there is a need right now for a clear alliance among the gcc countries. to have the same approach and priority, and we could see from the outpouring of support and the presence of the leaders of the gcc countries, and for other -- probably for health reasons not the -- from uae and ohman because of the health reasons of the heads of state but still the presence of the major dignitaries, and high profile at this stage, means that there is a vote of

confidence, and a vote of support and allying with the saudis for the next -- for the next administration lead by king salman and his -- and his new cabinet. let's go to a developing story out of syria where there has been more fighting near homs and damascus. nicole johnston is monitoring the situation. what reignited the fighting there? >> reporter: well, the fighting has been ongoing really. so the syrian observatory for human rights has said in a town east of damascus more than 40 people have been killed and 60 injured by government air strikes, and the air strikes have really picked up over the last few days because the weather has improved. it's clear skies, and activists are telling us over the last few days there has been more than 100 air strikes in different parts of syria in those

rebel-held areas. also on friday there has been air strikes in hula town. at least four killed there, and six people killed in darah. >> we're hearing about fighting on the border with lebanon. what is going on there? >> reporter: that's right there has been a spillover from the war in syria into lebanon today. what we have seen is syrian rebels attack the lebanese army in an area near the town that is in the peca valley. it's very close to the border. it's a porous border. it's sort of somewhat of a no man's land. we know inside there are fighters from the al-nusra front. the army has released a statement saying they have got

the situation back under control. they have retaken the post that was attacked. the lebanese army says that a number of rebel fighters have been killed and it also says that a number of lebanese soldiers have been killed and injured as well. but that's a very unstable sort of front along that border area. >> nicole johnston reporting there. thanks nicole. the united nations says the death toll from the conflict in eastern ukraine has now exceeded 5,000. bitter fighting between ukrainian troops and pro-russian separatists have seen its most violent stage. >> reporter: we followed a rebel escort and headed north out of donetsk. the rebels at this check point said we could go no further.

the ukrainian military has retreated hours before we arrived. the rebels are in control here now. this is about 20 kilometers north of donetsk. and up until yesterday it was occupied by the ukrainian army. all that remains of their presence is the bunkers, and their dead. ukrainian military equipment, a few personal belongings are scattered ash the bunkers and trenches they had dug. >> translator: it's my motherland i fight for it. there were injured soldiers we tried to help them. >> reporter: this video hi says he shot of ukrainian soldiers. >> translator: i want to put this on the internet so their families know they are still live. >> reporter: he shows us graffiti that reads russian alcoholics get out. there are still a few people living amid the destruction.

most are reluctant to talk. >> translator: i don't support either side this lady told me. i just want peace. >> reporter: the rebels tell us that the ukrainian military retreated to 3 kilometers down this road as we prepare to leave, explosions could be heard in the distance. the rebels say they expect ukrainian forces to try to retake the village at anytime. charles stratford, al jazeera, eastern ukraine. to yemen now where a big explosion has been heard to the north. it is considered a houthi rebel strong hold the group's fighters took control of the area during the 2011 uprising. it adds to fears that the resignation of the president and cabinet could plunge the country into further turmoil. politicians need to approve the

resignations for them to take effect. president hadi had been at odds with leaders from the houthi shia minority who took control in september. their fighters have surroukded the parliament building and the presidential palace. yemen's prime minister is among those who resigned. he said he didn't want to be part of the collapse of the country. it is raising fears that yemen could desend into complete disarray. >> reporter: a dawn attack in yemen's capitol sana'a. hewthy rebels take count. across the country, people have been reacting to what they see as a houthi takeover. some in celebration, others

anger. in one city they demonstrated a besieged president hady resigned. >> translator: we say to the president he must not run away from taking responsibility. must complete the peaceful transition of power. we the people will stand with him. >> reporter: but hadi's decision was made under pressure. he has been holed up in his home. in september the houthis signed a u.n. brokered deal after take control of large parts of sana'a. but they are demanding a bigger say in government. >> translator: i want to assert again that the crisis can't be resolved other than what you agreed upon throughout the outcomes of the partnership agreement. i call on you all to have wisdom and national spirit and use dialogue and political action to resolve any disagreement. >> reporter: but with that comes

security concerns. separatists in the south have renewed their call with a split with the north. and supporters there, the line of security against al-qaeda are saying that will no longer take orders from the capitol. some activists view this as the unravelling of hard-gained reforms. >> after the counter revolution they destroy all of the [ inaudible ] of our peaceful revolution. >> reporter: backed by iran and in control of the capitol, the houthis are also accused of colluding with the former president saleh. a confluence of forcing showing who now has power in yemen. you are watching al jazeera, still ahead more harm than good. we'll tell you why these people

in haiti want the united nations peace keepers to pack up and leave. ♪

workers in greece delay your retirement? i'm here to make the connections to your money real. ♪ you are watching al jazeera, here is a reminder of the top stories. people in saudi arabia have been paying their respects to the king who died on friday. his body has been buried and power has been passed to abdullah's half brother, salman.

for the first time in the kingdom's history one of the grand sons has been named as deputy crown prince. at least 35 people have been killed including six children in the latest fighting in syria. there has been government shelling near the capitol of damascus as well as the city of homs. the u.n. says more than 5,000 people have been killed by the conflict in eastern ukraine. pro-russian pro-russian pro-russian separatists are gaining more ground. now back to the death of king abdullah. power has been handed to his half brother salman. the new king tried to address some concerns in a televised address. >> translator: we are going to continue with the approach of father who built the state and is followed by his sons. we are going to continue to

implement the quran and the character of the prophet muhammad into our legislation. >> while king salman is now in power, his ascension to the thrown wasn't always so certain. >> reporter: the next king of saudi arabia. he became the crown prince in 2012. prince salman's swift appointment was seen as shoring up the succession line. he is one of seven powerful brothers. they are the sons of the founder of saudi arabia all from the same mother. all of the remaining sons are over75 years old. he was governor for nearly 50 years, during his tenure the saudi capitol grew into a major modern city. prince salman attracted foreign investment and was seen as politically and economically aligned with the west and he developed a network of

relationships in arab and international circles. he became minister of defense in 2011 and was appointed to the powerful national security council. socially conservative and close to the religious establishment, salman is not likely to introduce significant change. but at 79 years old there are concerns about his ability to govern. his health is rumored to be frail. he has rarely spoken in public in recent years. saudi arabia's royal succession rules stipulate that the eldest and fittest among the brothers inherit the thrown. but the rules are not clear enough about more complex situations one the crown passes to the next generation the several dozen grandsons may battle for power. prince salman is seen as the most likely person to quell

decent. on sunday people go to the polls in greece to decide who they want to put in charge of their country and their struggling economy. opinion polls suggest the radical left party is poised to win. its message has resinated with young voters struggling with unemployment. more now from barnaby phillips. >> reporter: they are on the verge of a victory that will spread excitement and fear across europe. the left wing party, and it's leader. for young greeks he says an end to austerity means an end to mass unemployment. a message of hope to those who have suffered so much in the economic crisis. but not so excited about these elections. pitcher editor who thinks none of the parties can be trusted. he is planning to immigrate because he says young people can't make a living in greece

anymore. >> i want to have a family. and i don't think i'm going to be able to raise a family in greece because i'm not going to have the money. we have to live with our parents. we -- we can't live by our own. we can't buy stuff for us. like i haven't -- i haven't bought any clothing for -- for a year i think now. >> reporter: so many young greeks will vote for change and some want to leave the country all together. but even those who are suspicious of the radical left agree that the old political system based on corruption and patronage has ruined this country and should never come back. alexander will vote for the conservative new democracy who lead the outgoing government not because he is happy with the way things are, but because the thinks they offer the best chance of reform.

>> translator: the old greece people could work in a public sector. but we want to be a modern western country, not a country living on deception as greece was before the crisis. >> reporter: at the rally, they feel their time has come. they are ready to risk a confrontation with the imf and european countries who lent greece money, but also imposed harsh economic policies. after all, many in this crowd young and old fear they have nothing to lose. doctors without borders says one of its hospitals has been deliberately bombed by sudanese forces. the air strike hit the center that operates in the south. there were more than 100 patients in the hospital at the time. no one killed but the hospital had to be closed temporarily. liberia is about to receive its first shipment of the ebola vaccine. the batch was dispatched by

galaxosmithkline. it says a shipment of 300 vials will be the first to arrive in one of the three main ebola-affected african countries. the leader of libya's militia group has died from injuries he suffered while fighting in benghazi. he had fought against forces loyal to the late libyan leader in 2011. the following year he founded the militia, which has a presence in a number of libyan cities. egypt's president has said he would like to see the case against three al jazeera journalists resolved. our colleagues have been imprisoned in egypt for 391 days. mohammed fahmy, peter greste and baher mohamed were falsely accused of colluding with the

outlawed muslim brotherhood. charges they deny. >> translator: we don't have any interest whatsoever to put any citizen under detention outside of the rule of law. but there is a point also that i would like to highlight here which is is we are trying very hard after four years of turbulence to regain the rule of law and to uphold the independence of the judiciary. >> reporter: thailand's parliament has voted to impeach the former prime minister for her role in overseeing a government rice subsidy program. it means she will be banned from politics for five years. the attorney general's office also announced separate plans to indict her on criminal charges for negligence in the rice scheme. representatives of the u.n. security council are due to arrive in haiti, but they are unlikely to receive a warm welcome. many haitians object to the presence of u.n. peace keepers in their country, and blame them

for starting a cholera outbreak. our diplomatic editor james bayes reports from the capitol port-au-prince. >> reporter: an angry crowd marches through the streets of port-au-prince just hours before the u.n. security council arrives in haiti. in recent weeks the prime minister has resigned and parliament was dissolved. these protesters say the new cabinet is supposed to represent all political groupings is stacked with loyal lists of the president. the so-called consensus cabinet has not stopped the political turmoil. protests like these have become an almost daily occurrence they are not just angry at the president and his cabinet, but also at the international community and the united nations. what do people here think about the united nations? >> translator: the u.n. mission here only causes problems. we see a lot of soldiers every day. and we don't know what they are

here for. they brought cholera to our country, and they rape our women. >> translator: they have been in our country for 11 years and nothing has improved. >> reporter: one prominent activist says the u.n. is now hated in the country. >> wherever you have soldiers stepping in a foreign land you are going to have abuses. this is kind of part of it. but the real trouble people have with the u.n. has been this cholera outbreak. i mean you know, it killed more people than all the so-called insecurity in haiti has done. >> reporter: the u.n. mission costs more than $30 million a month, but if the ambassadors of the security council speak to ordinary haitians while they are here they may well discover most would prefer they packed up

right now, and went home. james bayes. plunging oil prices are taking their toll on communities around the world. in north dakota native american populations control vast amounts of land and had benefited from the shale oil boom but not anymore as john hen drin reports. >> reporter: >> reporter: for native americans the oil boom become as much as a curse as a blessing. >> some are just freely just getting up and saying i don't want to live there anymore, and they are moving. >> reporter: the oil benorth the ground has earned the nation a billion dollars since the boom began in 2008. the minority of landowners about 4,000 of the 14,000 members, profit from drill sites on their property but for most

lifestyles have gone down crime, traffic deaths and cost of living have gone up. >> there's money always but con is drugs, is the main one especially meth. heroin is becoming a big one. >> reporter: one third of the oil comes from here the mha nation. but many members say they wish it had been left in the ground. so oil hasn't made everything better? >> no it made it worse, you know? people like the money, but, you know i think they are destroying mother earth. >> reporter: then there's the corruption, the last chief was voted out in november accused of enriching his own oil business and partnering with an outsider now accused of murder for hire of two business rivals. this yacht now stands as an symbol of an era of excess. >> regulation in general was not a priority here. they wanted to do a good job.

there are a few select people profitting you know, through the economy, through tribal organizations, through contracts, through -- and it was through the support of the chairman. and at the time i had no home. there was guys getting $50,000 bonuses for doing no work. >> reporter: mark fox was elected to change all of that. he says he wants the government more contractible spread the wealth, and revive traditional challenges. >> we have got to build a future for our children. because this boom will be over one day. and if we all wake up 25 years from now, and life is worse, our lands are destroyed, our -- our social unity is in disarray. >> reporter: with the sunsetting on high oil prices and tribal revenues expected to drop from $400 million last year to

$300 million this year the mha nation will have less to work with to turn its fortunes around. if you are keen to read up more about the news and what is happening in the world of spot log on to our website, the address there, aljazeera.com. ♪ i'm in africa where multinational project is attempting to stop the spread of the sa jara. >> and i'm in