>> saudi arabia mourns the death of king abdullah. an i-sis threat with japanese hostages has opinion passed. will they become the neck victims of the brutal terror group? and a key american ally in complete disarray after a day of resignations.

what's neck for yemen? hello and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. now funeral services are just a few hours away from king abdullah. he passed away in morning at the age of 90. his brother assumed the throne a short time later. here is cnn's senior international correspondent. >> we can expect the funeral to be quite short. there won't be a lot of ceremony of the grave site. we can expect it to be perhaps running a little bit late to be an element of confusion in there as well. this is a huge gathering of people. i was in saudi arabia when king abdullah came to the thrown.

t rather than a service because it's over very quickly. the hole in the ground the coffin very quickly lowered and covered with soil. will receive the guest for the royals who come to pay tribute and he will also receive the respects of the other world leaders who have come to visit. one of the reason ys it's such a simple ceremony if you will at

the grave site is the cultural tradition s traditions really in part people moving on through the deserts, the graves are very simple. almost forgotten. so the actual ceremony again i struggled to call it that. that will be a very, very brief affair in the cemetery. nick robertson since cnn london. >> mr. obama said it is with deep respect that i express my personal condolences under the sympathies to the american people.

>> joe bide listen lead a dell gigs. con toll enss are being expressed from around the world. >> we just have the statement. he will be remember. he will be repped for his commit tomt piece. king abdull lahe came a few years ago as part of a ground breaking visit. in a way also the relationship between saudi arabia and the west ful!

westful. >> it is dependent on the power base. and you have seen that push and pull with the call for women's right to drive. they didn't get that. but they did get representation. one that acts alongside. women will be allowed to stand. it sounds like on cure points to make. >> and why does this matter so much to the world? >> it is a time of huge instability. production as oil prices are dropping. the i-sis threatened king abdullah.

he has seen very much class of that. but the hope is and that's why we have seen all of the very quick tributes pouring out and a lot of praise for the pace of reform. people want it to be business as usual. >> yes. absolutely. through the way that muslim funerals work, he is expected to be very quickly today. such a big deal. he opened up that space for royals whether they have their health or not to push out. to the deputy crown prince.

he is 69 and he is not from an acceptable royal saudi bride. that will be seen as the final push. >> it is very modern isn't it? this is not a royal family that has been established. >> when he comes to the thrown will be the last of the sons of the founder of saudi arabia. sometimes you feel about these expectations. >> thank you very much toindeed.

>> is japan still trying to contact isis? the minister said he would refrain from answering that question. we're live in tokyo very shortly for you. u.s. officials is having a devastating impact on the terror group meanwhile. officials say that includes half of the top command of isis. u.s. defense secretary won't confirm the 6,000 numbers but does say that thousands have been killed. >> a 19-year-old woman will be sentenced today after pleading guilty to trying to join isis. she was arrested last april at the denver international airport

apparently ready to start a journey to marry a suspected jihadist. she faces a $250,000 fine. coming up after the break what's neck for yemen. does this mean a key ally in the fight against al qaeda is gone for good?

>> we're going to cross to tokyo now. this has been two hours, will since the deadline has passed. >> there is a new report from public broadcaster nhk here in tokyo which claims it has been in contact with a spokesperson for isis. i believe we have some video of the report that is just out. they asked a spokesperson about the $200 million ransom that is being demanded in exchange for the two japanese men and the response was that they want $200 million for humanitarian purposes. they don't want to use the money for weapons or to fight or hurt

people. but they want to use money to rebuild infrastructure that has been damaged. this is the first window of information that we have. certainly the first communication apparently with isis from anybody on the japanese side. and the japanese government's official stance is they have had no direct line of talks with the terrorist group.

nd once you get to know him. >> his mother max, also revealed a pretty surprising detail to a lot of people that his wife gave birth to a child just two weeks before he took what was a surprise trip to syria. he didn't tell anybody he was going beforehand or where he was going including his wife so nobody knew.

hat conversation happened early this morning so it would have been several hours before the deadline. the 7 2 hour deadline. some are reading this as a possible member of hope. but we certainly don't want to give people false hope. >> by all accounts it was bigger than expected. the central bank plans to buy

private debt each month. it will continue until next year. now to the price of oil it's been on a long deep decline. >> how would you say that the king's death and the imposition of a new king will affect oil prices. >> you're already seeing a small jump. prices are up a little over 2% on his death. >> oil prices have plummeted in large part because the saudis

have kept pumping rather than cut production as they often do. the general reason is to shake out the higher priced producers and put pressure on rival regimes. flush all the extra production out of the market in order to stabilize prices. >> he will continue that and avoid too much disruption. >> i think that is right. there are three key factors in the oil market right now. one is the slower growth in china. china is actually the number one energy consumer in the world. u.s. shale production has been a big factor.

america overtook the saudis last year. uch higher price on oil to balance their budgets so all of that is playing into markets right now. >> and there's going to be a huge amount of emphasis on the funeral today. is it oil that really puts saudi arabia in the center of the world economy? when discussions come up saudis are always involved. >> absolutely.

and the entire middle east revolves around oil. >> i think we are going to see some volatility but i really do expect that the saudis will accept this in the short term. >> the front cover right there in front of you if you want to read more about it. how low can pries go is the headline on the new time magazine. we'll be back in a moment. [ male announcer ] stop! living with hair loss, that is. losing your hair is no fun and no one wants to be bald but there is hope. getting my hair back was the best thing that ever happened to me. i'm happy with the way i look now. i'm very excited about my hair. i feel beautiful. i love my hair. [ male announcer ] hair club offers all proven hair loss solutions backed by our commitment to satisfaction

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>> the country is reeling from a string of resignations. it's uchb clear exactly what role you want going forward. more on the crisis. >> a day of stark political change and consequence in yemen. we have heard now from multiple sources resign. this is after days of turmoil

here. the militia in many key government buildings to withdraw and release the chief of staff in exchange for huge political session. it looked like it might sai the situation. and wanted part of what would come here in the future. clearly concerned at the future now and we do not know quite what comes after president hardy.

may assume the role of president in the days ahead. they have been very successful. now it seems causing the government to no longer want to continue in the role. this is a key ally in the war on terrorism and who do they call? they may have a challenge in forming a relationship with the united states in the days or months ahead. >> when israel prime minister visited congress in march, a trip won't be taken to the white

house. at least a nasal security white house official said that barack obama will not meet because of the proximity to the israeli election. >> the united states and cuba wrapped up second day of talks in trying to restore diplomatic relationships. the u.s. hopes cuba will agree to reopen embassies and appoint ambassadors in the coming months. >> it's a challenge to say that we have re-established diplomatic relationships whils

our country unfairly remains on the list of international state sponsors for terrorism. >> officials insist that little head way can be made until the u.s. embargo is lifted.

l learn more about king salman up next. and finger pointing in the ukraine. we will bring you the latest around that attack.

>> you're watching cnn. funeral services are set for this afternoon. saudi arabia's king abdullah died this morning at the age of 90. >> an apparent deadline has

expired to save two japanese hostages. nhk says the tror group will release a statement soon. >> the us is drawing down its embassy personnel in yemen. >> thailand's attorney general office says itd will indict a dpsh the country's military appointed assembly has overwhelmingly voted to impeach the former pm.

lahas many sent to the saudi throne. this august 2005 had been running the country since 1996 following his half brother's stroke the previous year. now is the time that modernizers hope that saudi arabia would shed some of its ultraconservative values. broaden political freedoms.

s. he began opening the door to reform. 15 of the 19 high skrakers attack ed attacked under abdulluh's condition, forcing the rem innocents underground and sidelining radical preachers. at the same time the king unlike some of his predecessors began investing the country's oil wealth.

king abdull laeconomic city just one of such megaprojects creating cities from the ground up providing not just accommodation for a work force but new industries and acknowledgment that oil money wouldn't last forever. the king focused on ramping up education, too. king abdull ladesigned to be the first coed university in the country. some of his more conservative ministers, his half brothers bridled at his changers. dreams were not realized during his lifetime.

but i don't think is borders he saw the kingdom's statue grow. also becoming the lead airplane jags in the u.s. led coalition to irrat gait i-sis. the muslim brother hood is who he saw as a threat to the future.

rabia is one of the world's largest oil exporters. i wanted to start off asking about the reaction there. obviously the world's great -- he was a key player mungs them. >> absolutely. i just this second interviewed prince albert in monaco.

year. we will have the french president taking to the podium in about a half an hour an hour from now and he will presumably express his con doles. >> the debate there largely of course.

when you talk about saudi arabia it's about oil. is there concern that it may be a change in strategy as the throne passes through the family? >> that is the big question and the strategy that you're referring to is the decision largely to decide to keep production at current level ss back in november members agreed to keep the oil production at current high levels and for some of them like iraq it is at the highest level that the oil production has ever been at. saudi arabia is next and neck depending on which statistics you like to site.

here's the ting thing. they can ride out the current low price. they have got huge cash reserves. means that their budgets are quite seriously out of line. the other members of the opec kounryes. max? >> thank you very much with you. ukraine's president is warning pro russian rebels. they will be punched in the teeth. the remarks follow a bloody thursday in the eastern city.

seven people dead. as a result of that attack on the trolly bus, the rebels blaming the ukrainian government for carrying out the attack. the russian government said it was a crime against humanity. the fighting around the airport, though has been what has been preoccupying much of the coverage and focus of the violence in eastern ukraine. it was big news and it will be a

big blow to the government in kiev. at the same time a big victory for the rebels who have apparently at this point hanged to successfully drive the government forces away from that asset. whether it stays like that whether there's going to be a peace deal now that freezes the fighting or whether this is just the start of a new round of violence is something we are all watching to see. >> punching in the teeth? how did you take that? >> i guess he is referring to the possibility of renewed military action. this loss of an airport was a bitter blow. they staked a lot to soldiers defending the airport.

with that came an increased risk of losing what was lost. or they may accept this is the way things are going to be. rur r. >> okay. thank you very much indeed. prince andrew speaks out. still to come the new demand made by his alleged victim.

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andrew took an unprecedented step for a royal. >> i think i want to refer to the events in the last few weeks. i have just wished to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by buckingham palace. >> no reference there to this letter from his accusers lawyers. they want an interview under oath. she says she was 17 at the time and claims to have had sex with a royal shortly after the photo was taken. prince andrew the duke of york 54 years old and fifth in line to the throne. he's queen elizabeth's second

son and often represents her at official engagements. he was the dashing military helicopter pilot but his personal life has long been tabloid foder starting with his marriage to sarah ferguson in 1986. the couple were the toast of high society, had two daughters but divorced after ten years. pictures had appeared of ferguson's affair with her financial advisor. the prince went on to travel the world as a british ambassador. andrew described his jet setting lifestyle. >> in order to do what i do i have to travel. that's it. that's one of those unfortunate as it were tags that one has to

put up with. >> it was his friendship with the billionaire banker and convicted sex offender that eventually led to his resignation as trade envoy. >> he tried to move on from it. but now association has come back to haunt him. virginia roberts filed legal papers in florida claiming to have been used as an underage sex slave and that she was forced to have sex with prince andrew three times between 1999 and 2002 in london new york and at an orgy on the u.s. virgin islands.

he has addressed it and will be hoping to move on. >> good morning. >> he didn't say much in that moment in front of the cameras but there's a huge amount of attention on it because we have not seen a royal dealing with issues the in that way before. >> we have not. this is going back to the victorian times. this is quite similar to diana. he was really saying gs what the palace has already said reiterating the denials. >> i think what's fascinating is he felt they were not enough and if he came out and said something that would mean even more. it's very clear. normally in the old days the

palace would want, they would ignore us. they did make another denial. this is a big story. they can't run away from it and they feel that his personal denial is going do the trick. >> in a way he is doing that by continuing all of this engagement which is a long plan. >> i think that is true but i think it is such a big story. there is the fact that unlike any other world story, any other piece of scandal of conversation this is linked to a court case.

>> he doesn't have a say. >> they will say that he wasn't tried properly. that they want to retrial it. the idea that andrew might be called as a witness in that possible trial is completely disastrous. it's a story that is running and run. and it was all kinls of excitement today. i think certainly people are commenting about them. >> for a lot of people it's just a tabloid scandal but you look

at the whole stretch. that's what the palace will be partly concerned about as well. but that without tarnishing the retch ewe tags of the cream is probably not all that particularly concerned. >> we have had the royal baby. the pr image couldn't be higher. it has been incredibly successful compared to the 1990s and the aftermath where lots of people in britain were actively against the monarchy or more. and yet we have this which could possibly cause a lot of problems for the monarchy. it is this particular environment in which stories about exploitation of young people have been at the forefront over the last couple of years.

and people are sensitive to the idea of men in positions of power. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> we're going switch gears after a short break with a look at president obama's latest white house guests. >> i have green lipsticks. one for your first wife -- >> my first wife? >> i mean -- >> yeah. >> that is youtube star glozell green. we will have more on her interview with the president right after this.

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from hair club. call now!

president obama has been working to get his state of the union message out on social media. he met with three youtube stars. they ask some serious questions and also had a little fun with the president. >> i have three family members who are in the law enforcement. >> uh-huh. >> and my husband who painted that yes, he is retired from the air force. >> we are grateful for his service. you tell him thank you. >> i will do that. however he is mad at me right now. i cut all the hoods off his hoodies. i did. i did that for real to protect him because i'm afraid when he goes outside that somebody might shoot and kill him. >> the overwhelming majority of police officers they are doing

a really tough job and they're doing it well and professionally. a lot of the way to solve this is to improve traping so people can be aware of their biases ahead of time. >> i grew up in florida and i have a lot of friends, close friends who are cuban americans and i heard the stories of their families escaping and some of them didn't even make it to come to the united states for a better life, to get away from the castros. >> right. >> okay. i mean the guy puts [ bleep ] in dictatorship. so i am trying to understand -- >> many momma said when you go to somebody's house you give v to give them something. i have green lipsticks. one for your first wife. >> my first wife? do you know something i don't? >> will you take a selfie with me? >> let's do it. you guys going get in here? >> group selfie. >> everybody ready?

>> wait wait wait. >> one of the you tube stars asked the president if he could have a super power he would like to be able to speak to anybody in the world in their own language. the new king of saudi arabia said he will take the same approach as his predecessors. he assumed the thrown today after the death of his half brother. we will bring you the details of what he said very soon. coming up for viewers in the u.s. early start. elsewhere, stay tuned for newsroom. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement

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en upheaval in the middle east. the leader in america's most important ally there dies overnight. changes that could spell trouble for the u.s. war on terror. this morning, the u.s. moving workers out of the region as al qaeda looks to increase its power. we have live team coverage. the deadline passes for two hostages on isis. this morning, waiting word on this fate. we are live in tokyo with the latest. good morning. welcome to "early start."