fighting continues in yemen, rebels have not responded to a saudi offer of a ceasefire hello, you're watching al jazeera, live from london. also coming up egypt's former president hosni mubarak is sentenced to three years in prison on corruption charges. relief in liberia, as the west african country is declared free of ebola, and 70 years on russia shows off its military might as it celebrates victory

day against the nazis. hello, the saudi-led military circlition staged more than 100 air strikes in the past 24 hours. saudi arabia jets bombed areas close to the airport in sanaa, as well as areas in other provinces. saudi arabians offered a ceasefire, so long as the houthis took part. there has been no response from the houthis as fighting rages on. hashem ahelbarra has more. >> reporter: air strikes targetting houthis in sadr province in northern yemen. opposition forces striking command centers, ammunition depots and the homes of top military commanders.

sadr province is a military target and civilians are urged to leave the area. saudi arabian army officers say they will implement a 5 day humanitarian ceasefire starting from tuesday, but warn it will only hold if houthis stop targetting saudi villages. >> translation: these militia escalated the situation, targetting the saudi cities. that's why we need to protect the cities and guarantee the safety of saudi and yemeni cities. >> reporter: fighting is escalating across yemen. tribesmen loyal to president abd-rabbu mansour hadi say they have repelled a houthi offensive in a province. it's a crucial battle for both sides. the province has most of yemen's oil and gas reserves. >> translation: this is the front line, this area was under the control of the houthis, now we have captured it.

the rebels are regrouping and planning a counter-offensive. >> reporter: in the city of tiaz, pro-government troops backed by the militias captured the mountain. the strategic high ground overlooking the city. these are some of the weapons and military equipment seized from soldiers supporting deposed president ali abdullah saleh. if the houthis lose tiaz, they lose a vital supply line for their fighters in aden. mohammed vall is live in riyadh. we talked about 100 strikes taking place in yemen. has there been a change or shift in the coalition's tactics? >> i think that it seems that there is a change in terms of intensification first. because we will have seen how

they move from 50 strikes a day to 80 strikes a day, and now it is over 100 in one day. that is what a spokesman of the coalition promise said the houthis, saying these two or three days the beginning of the saudi air strike will be the harshest and the hardest. saudi arabia and its allies would like to as they said themselves to punish the houthis for crossing the two red lines, one was a refusal of the offered peace initiatives or truce initiatives, and two by attacking inside saudi arabia. and that is what they are doing. also now, they have announced, the saudis that they'll go specifically after certain individuals among the houthis and ali abdullah saleh loyalists. they stated on one occasion that

they were not after individuals, but the organization. today they have struck at the house of a prominent leader and they have as we saw yesterday they have conducted air strikes against the founder of the houthi movement. this is a new tack fibbing. -- tactic. they have not talked about ali abdullah saleh by name but it's understood they have struck at an airbase loyal to him. by this probably the saudi arabia coalition wants to tell the houthis and loyalists that there are no targets off the tail. that will be avoided and all of this is in order to make sure the houthis take the message, that if they don't accept the truth. they will see a devastating effect of the peace proposal.

now, iran's president blasted saudi arabia for its air campaign in yemen accusing the kingdom of a lack of understanding of international issues. >> saudi arabia is a government that does not understand or is not aware of the political situation of the area or the world. it is trying hard to prove itself after many years. if saudi arabia accuses iran of false allegations, then we can give our aid supplies to the red cross and they can deliver to the yemenis, it's not our goal to deliver ourselves or advertise our name, our kneel is to save these people. a judge in cairo upheld hosni mubarak's 3-year prison sentence for corruption. he is allowing the former egyptian president to go home. that's because he served time in detention and in a military

hospital. the judge also reduced the sentences of his two sons. they have been given three years instead of four. the judge is allowing them to go free, since they too, have served full-term in suspension. signs 2011 the former ruler faced a string of trials the most serious, the trial of the century, when he was charged with ordering the killing of protesters. he was sentenceded to 25 years gaol but was acquitted in a retrial. that verdict is being appealed and a final decision next case. the second is corruption. hoe he was accused of squandering public funds to retrial his residence. he was found guilty sentenced to three years, he served that time he can walk free. he was charged with two other corruption cases. he was cleared in one.

and the other never made it to court. an egyptian journalist said charges against hosni mubarak and his second were selected. >> anyone could see that the charges were carefully picked. and the seeds were planted. it was not surprising that they were convicted at the first stage of the trial. i believe the objective of such convictions were to appease the rising victims of the revolutionaries and the public. they knew very well that in the next stage of the trials, they were going to be acquitted. in my view, it aims primarily and basically to kill future chances for mubarak's son run in chances for mubarak's son to run in an upcoming presidential election. the retrial of two al jazeera journalists in egypt had been postponed until june the

1st. mohamed fadel fahmy and mohammed badr are accused of supporting the outlawed muslim brotherhood. charges denied. they were released on bail in february after spending more than 400 days in imprisonment a judge dismissed the charges, but ordered them to stand trial again 55 inmates and 12 policemen have been killed during a prison break in diyala. more than 55 inmates are missing. police are searching for them. o moving to syria, inspectors found traces of sarin gas in research sites used by the government coming as activists reported a series of chlorine attacks in idlib. hezbollah and opposition fighters have been battling for control near damascus.

>> reporter: it's thought to be a battle of survival. if in the opposition hands, damascus would be next, and would cut off bashar al-assad's stronghold. north-west syria from the capital. they are gaining the upper hand with few losses on the battlefield. the syrian opposition says 40 hezbollah fighters were killed. it announced a strategic withdrawal from the area. the army of conquest groups leading. it's one of fighting of a coalition. hezbollah deployed 85% of forces to fight in syria, leaving 15% on the border with israel. damascus international inspectors found traces of sarin gas and a nerve agent on the sites. samples taken from experts in december and january tested positive. it comes with increased regime attacks in civilian areas, the latest of which was a chlorine attack reported in

idlib province, more than 70% were affected. >> we believe the factual record was straightforward and devastating in terms of syrian regime use. as a factual matter, it is true that no one in the international system is mandated to establish attribution for the attacks, and we need to fix that. >> away from the fighting, in the southern city, the opposition is restoring historical sites that have been damaged during the war. the project involves local organisations is aimed at cleaning and restoring the town that has a castle and a roman theatre. a ray of hope in a province that a new life without war may be possible. still ahead, three people are killed as one of air buses newest military planes crashes in spain, and why mount everest

sherpas are worried about their livelihood in the aftermath of the nepal earthquake. earthquake.

welcome backs, you'reway al jazeera. let's take you through the top stories. a saudi-led coalition staged more than 100 air strikes in the past 24 hours against houthi fighters in yemen. the houthi rebels are yet to respond a judge in cairo upheld hosni mubarak's prison sentence. he will be allowed to go home

as he's served time in detention. hezbollah and opposition fighters in syria have been battling for control of the strategic area. if the area is lost, the capital damascus is likely to fall to the syrian opposition in other stories we are following, police in macedonia battle an armed group as ethnic tensions increase in the former yugoslavia republic. explosions have been seen on the roof of a house, where the group is believed to have barricaded themselves. medical workers say four policemen have been injured. it's not clear who the groups are or what their aims are. they were the result of a massive wire tap campaign. investigators in stain is trying to find the cause of a crash that killed eight people.

between eight and 10 were on board. it's thought there are no survivors, it was undergoing flight trials before being delivered to spain's military the death toll from nepal's earthquake rose to more than 7,500. among them 19 dying on mount everest in an avalanche triggered by the quake. now the tourist claiming season cancelled, sherpa guys are worried about their livelihood. >> reporter: it's not what he's used to carrying on his back. for this man, getting the family supplies is just as important for the moment. he should be guiding mountaineers and trekkers across the peak of himalayas. nepal's earthquake ended the

season. money is tight. his wife has to decide what to cook and how many meals to have in a day. >> my villa not destroyed much, but is still affected. we have a problem here to live in kathmandu - it's very expensive. financially it's very, very bad. >> reporter: he reminisces with his daughter and worried about his family far away. some are alive, but cut off from the world. no help has come yet. his cousin died, but he wanted to go. the journey is unsafe. roads blocked and bridges out. it's a worry not just for him but many others that depend on foreign tourists. the community is recovering from the deaths of a dozen sherpas killed in an avalanche. that tourist season came to an abrupt end. earnings plummeted. the earthquake brought more hardship. this is a funeral for a sherpa killed in the quake. the family and community gathered to pay respects.

it's hard to bear for any community. >> translation: nepal has come to a stand still with last year's disaster and now this. we are trying to help the sherpa as much as we can. we are trying to get the government to help us. >> reporter: the disaster of the last is it months affected the sherpas to earn a decent living. the focus of sherpa work is to help in the rescue and recovery effort. their knowledge of the earthquake-effective zone is comparative. with the infrastructure all but destroyed, it's hard to believe it will be up and running in 12 months, leaving sherpas with an uncertain future. tourists know the importance of having a sherpa guide with them. >> we feel safer. it's good to have them. sometimes it's less difficult to find a way.

it's easier with a guide. sherpas hope to earn as much as 1,000 in a regular season. usually it's enough to see them through the year. praying for help is all they can do right now. two global aid agencies evacuated their international staff from a region of south sudan due to fears of an attack. doctors without borders and the red cross say they are concerned about the situation in the rebel held town of leer in the oil-rich unity state. fighting broke out in south sudan in december 2013 when the president accused his former deputy of attempting to stage a coup. the world health organisation is declaring liberia free of ebola. experts warn against complacency, because new cases are being reported elsewhere in west africa. caroline malone reports.

>> reporter: these students are the picture of health as liberia is declared ebola free. the virus has not been seen in this country for 42 days, twice the incubation period. >> i lost my father to the deadly ebola virus. now i see my country getting back to normal. i'm happy i'll see my friends play, joke, shake hands. things i have not been able to do for six months. >> the people in neighbouring guinea and sierra leone are still dealing with ebola. the world health organisation says both countries reported nine new cases in the last week. that's the lowest weekly total, this year, but it means ebola is spreading. new cases in sierra leone and guinea puts liberians at risk. >> we know that ebola, on the borders, especially with sierra leone, there are a lot of entry points in liberia from sierra leone, and guinea. >> reporter: the disease killed nearly 11,000 people since it was first detected more than a year ago. people with ebola get fevers, diarrhoea and often bleed internally.

the virus spreads through bodily fluids and kills around half the people that it infects. there's no known cure for ebola, but a vaccine has been quickly developed over the past year. trials on healthy volunteers show it's safe and has been used to protect frontline workers in guinea. >> like with many fatal diseases that are relatively contagious we rely on a vaccine, trying to avoid catching the disease is what will help the most. >> the who has been criticized for being slow to respond to the ebola outbreak, despite warnings from groups like doctors without borders, who dealt with the early cases. there are still lessons to be learnt in the health communities. doctors in liberia are feeling confident. >> if it happens that we have an upsurge of cases coming back, it means that would be a new

outbreak, which we don't wish for. but if it should come, from the case management point of view, we are very well prepared. >> reporter: 4,700 people died from ebola in liberia, more than any other country. it has now got rid of the disease, and although there's a threat of a new outbreak, people are hopeful they have seen the end of the ebola in liberia authorities in guatemala expect further protests calling for the resignation of the president. the vice president has resigned after one of her top aides was listened to a multi-million corruption scandal. victoria gatenby reports much >> reporter: thousand of guatemalans celebrated the vice president's resignation in the capital guatemala city. it was the culmination of weeks of protests. anger and frustration that had been directed to the ruling

party and the president was replaced by chants and cheers and fire crackers. it was called a victory for the people. the resignation was announced by the president and said it was a brave decision. >> after talks, i reiterate courageously the vice president made the decision. what i think is everything had its time. their are processes that i insist should be followed. there are processes established by law and should be respected. the vice president's private secretary is alleged to be a leader of a corruption scam. officials took bribes to lower customs duties. investigators issued a warned for his arrest when he was on a trip with the vice president. when she flew home she held a media conference denying wrongdoing.

two days ago they called on congress to remove and pave the way for legal action against her. others were implicated, including the head of the tax authority. when the president was elected in 2011 he promised to combat crime with an iron fist. and this corruption scandal suggested limited success. arrived in the capital islamabad. 15 fishermen have arrived in myanmar after being rescued. a leading country is accused of treating more than 300 workers as slaves, forcing them to work

long hours without pay beating them and housing them in unsanitary conditions. florence louie met the family of two men. >> it was poverty that drove her son away, first to thailand and then to indonesia. >> translation: we are a farming family, it is no longer profitable to work on the farm. on the other hand we don't have money to start another business. the farmers were losing money and my son needed to find a job somewhere else. >> this man told his mother he was working on a boat and he would be back in three years. those years have come and gone, without a word from him, until a few days ago. kt found out her son is safe, after being rescued by indonesian authorities, and will soon return home to myanmar. her son could be one of hundreds of regular migrant workers, forced to work in slave-like conditions on fishing trawlers,

in indonesia. one company used a prison cell to lock up workers. these men, many from myanmar, were paid a pittance and abused, until they were rescued by indonesian officials. her son is among them. the more i think about it the sadder i become. i wish my younger son comes back soon. >> reporter: all she has to do now is wait. myanmar police and immigration officials are in the midst of confirming identities and processing documents of hundreds of fishermen. they were rescued in indonesia in april. they are hoping to bring them home later this month. there'll be more men and women hoping to leave home, eager for better playing jobs abroad. despite stories of ill-treatment that compatriots come back with

they call it the great patriotic war. world war ii is still resonating among the people of russia. no country suffered more casualties - military and civilian in the fight to defeat nazi germany. the annual victory day parade is a source of pride. rory challands reports, and it's a barometer of military and political position.

>> are in the past, principles hard won by mankind in the trials of war have been neglected more and more often. we saw attempts to create a uni-polar world, and now see military block thinking gaining momentum. 10 years ago vladimir putin sat next to george w bush. western leaders were noted by their absence. ukraine's crisis badly souring relations. plenty of other leaders came to shake hands with the president. the chinese leader, xi jinping. russia is displaying new relationships intended to mitigate damage to the older ones. also shown off is high tech

military. a newly designed battle tank since before the soviet union fell. russia is modernizing armed forces as fast as it is able. trying to build a professional military. while other departments and ministries are facing severe budget cuts, defense spending increased significantly. watching the parade were some of the few remaining people that fought against the nazis in what russia calls a great patriotic war. perhaps it will be the last anniversary where it's possible. >> i feel pride for the motherland. which we served during the war. now i'm amazed by the modern technology. i feel so proud. i'm satisfied that there are people that can defend the land that we once defended. >> victory day has multiple functions.

it displays military might and shows off friendships and unites russians in the politically potent themes of sacrifice and victory. heading live to the saudi arabia military briefing the coalition speaks men getting ready to brief reporters, give us information on the saudi operation taking place in yemen. of course we know that more than 100 strikes have taken place in the past 24 hours against houthi fighters in yemen. let's listen in. >> we are targetting city, and increased in the last 24 hours. we