Beard. King tuts golden mask gets a glue job. Hello. Thanks for joining us. King abdullah of saudi arabia has died. He was 90 years old. Hed been in hospital for several weeks, with pneumonia. Well, the new monarch has made clear, therell be no change of direction for the country, following the succession. In his first public address, King Salman Abdullah hes half brother, calls for unity and solidarity among muslims. The new king has also tweeted a message. He says i ask god to help me succeed in my service of the dear people and realize their hopes the protect our country and the nations safety and stability. Saudi arabia, of course has vast oil resources, its the Biggest Oil Producer in the world and also the most influential member of omeck. Along with King Abdullah the country has been a key ally of washington as well most recently joining the u. S. Coalition to carry out air strikes against the Islamic State group in syria and iraq. As for the funeral for King Abdullah thats set to take place shortly following afternoon prayers. Reporter the official announcement from the world court. King abdullah was 90 and had been in hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia. Before he came to power in 2005 hed run the daytoday affairs of the Worlds Biggest Oil exporter and producer in the previous decade, after his predecessor suffered a stroke. King abdullah pushed through cautious reforms, including giving women a Greater Public role against opposition from religious conservatives. In his first statement as new king, salman abudulaziz emphasizes continuities. Weve got a consistent in strength. Well continue adhering to the same policies. We will never deviate from our institution, our holy book and islamic teachings. The arab and islamic nation is today in dire need for its unity and solidarity. Reporter King Abdullah had used his position as the leader of one of the most influential countries in the middle east to try to troemtpromote dialogue both religious and political. He was the driving force behind an arab peace plan which offered israel the prospect of recognition in return for its withdrawal from land occupied in 1967. The former israeli president , shimon peres said his death was a real loss for peace in the middle east. He has had the courage in a very demanding period of time, to stand up and do a Peace Process for the middle east. Not sure that i could accept all the items in his Peace Process, but the spirit the strength and the wisdom invested in it. Reporter the new prince named is the former intelligence chief to be the new crowned prince. And hes also moved quickly by appointing a prince from a Younger Generation as deputy crown pd prince and second in line to rule. Saudis special forces in training. In abdullahs route, their counterterrorism cooperation with the United States was key, as was his wariness for shiite iran and its operations in the region. And the tensions between conservatives and all continuing challenges for King Abdullahs successor. Mike aldridge bbc news. Let me show you a pictures riyadh airport. The funeral is not too far now. And obviously dignitaries from across the region indeed, across the world, are making their way into riyadh for the funeral. Indeed, two neighboring countries, iran and jordan they both have declared 40 days of mourning to mark the death of king anbdullahabdullah. And no doubt there will be a steady stream of planes coming in. We understand joe biden, as well, the Vice President , is said to be on his way to represent the United States at the funeral. I will keep tabs on the situation there, of course as well. But among the various dignitaries and people responding to the death of King Abdullah is the former british Prime Minister tony blair. He knew the king well and has been speaking to us from the World Economic forum in davos. One of the things that King Abdullah was, he moved the country and modernized it substantially. So, for example, today, there are more women in Higher Education than there are men in saudi arabia. This would have been unthinkable a few years back. So, i think, for me the issue was always whats the direction the countrys going in. And i think one of the most important things is that that direction that King Abdullah set out and pursued with a certain amount of courage is maintained. Well, thats tony blair there. Lets go over to dubai. Our correspondent, martin. There have been some pretty quick announcements on positionings within the hierarchy, as it were as well. The Saudi King Salman has moved very fast and decisively with that continuity message. Hes kept the same people in charge of finance, petroleum, and foreign affairs. Of great interest, those three departments, to the rest of the world. But interesting, prince mohamed denice, the interior minister the guy who cracked down on al qaeda has added to his portfolio, deputy crowned prince, as mike mentioned in the report earlier. That is important, because hes about 54 years old and part of the new generation. So some of this young blood that people were looking for and a signal about who will take over next time. But even more interestingly, for people who like the details, is who hes replaced in defense. He had to replace someone in defense, because that was his old post and hes put his son there, 34yearold prince mohamed salman. Now, he has been previously an aide to his father when he was governor of riyadh. He was an aid to his father in the defense ministry. So to become defense minister, in charge of the army, navy and air force in saudi arabia is a huge promotion and puts him firmly in the succession line. As the dignitaries come to attend the funeral, weve got some pictures, mark, Qatar Airways there, so we get an idea where theyre coming from. They are obviously going to be looking intensely at the makeup of the cabinet, if i can call it that and, indeed what salman might wish to do. It is a volatile region. It would be understandable if steady as she goes no change in policy was actually carried out as well as spoken about, wouldnt it . Thats absolutely right. Its not easy to sail a steady ship here because theres so much going on. Now, King Abdullah even fell out with many of the colleagues with the qatarryis. And there were those famous pictures of everyone kissing King Abdullahs forecast. And theyve made up of a gcc unit. And theyre all meant to be on the same side. When you look at saudi arabia and look at the southern border with yemen. If you look in the north with isis and look at its relationship with iran as the oil price fluctuates you see that the king played a real prominent role in stability in the region. So the dynamic of this new king will be crucial. But i would say that the thoughts today are really with King Abdullah because he was a really popular leader who all these people flying in now knew incredibly well and you heard that tribute from tony blair. Think how much the leaders in this region will be missing him now. And theyll want to be paying their respects in a few hours at his funeral. Mark lobel in dubai, as the preparations are taking place, and the arrivals there ahead of the funeral of King Abdullah which we understand could be starting in as little as an hour from now. Well keep a close eye on that for you here on bbc world news. Lets pick on other news stories now. Thailand militaryappointed particle amount has voted to impeach the former Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra for her role in overseeing a government rights Subsidy Program, which cost billions of dollars to implement. Miss yingluck condemneded the move on her facebook page. She said, democracy has died in thailand today along with the rule of law. Now, she and her party are accused of using the scheme to buy votes from farmers, particularly from their power base in the north. Our correspondent in bangkok is jonathan headou. Nothing in thai politics is ever definite. Its worth bearing in mind theres a huge amount of deal making that went on behind this vote. The military may very well be split about whether they tried to do a deal with yingluck and her brother. Some of them inside the military regime have been trying to do that and there are those who are diehard opposed to her and determined to percentageurge her family from politics. Todays decision it wasnt just a vote in parliament, it was also a decision to Face Criminal Charges against her by the Attorney Generals Office in relation to the scheme. Looks like theres a decisive move now in terms of those who want to destroy her politically. But nothing is ever final. Her family still has a huge amount of popular support, influence, powerful networks here, and a lot of money. Its quite possible other negotiations will start. What is clear the tacit kind of ceasefire we had between here side and the army, after the coup where her red shirt supporters have staid away not come out on the streets at all, no attempt to undermine the military, that deal is really off now. The eight months of a kind of phony war where there hasnt been either move by either side. Well have to wait to see how her supporters respond. So you would not be expecting, jonathan, to see red shirts back out on the streets, then . Reporter not immediately, no. I think it would be very difficult for them to do. The military has got a very, very tight grip on the country. Martial law, any kind of street or political activity they know they would be rounded up pretty quickly if they tried to do it. But the strategy of her red shirt supporters up to now has been to keep a low profile, not to provoke the military, just to quietly keep their movement organized and connected, believing that when democratic rule is restored which they expect some Time Next Year that they would again have a good chance of repeating the election victories of the past. This changes the rule. Yingluck shinawatra was a very successful vote getter. She represents her brother, the funder of the party, and by trying to neutralize her and she goes to prison and she may well go into exile, that really changes things. If they do move its difficult with the military in charge and it certainly wont happen immediately. Jonathan head in bangkok. Lets pick up on the business news. Aarons with me now. Its a topsyturvyier world in the euro zone. Yes, the financial markets, i tell you what they barely had the time to celebrate. Yesterday, thursdays news of that big european bazooka, the big stimulus package by the European Central bank, because now their attention turns once again, greece is the word to greece, which is threatening to plunge the eurozone back into crisis. Because on sunday greeks go to the poles to elect a new governor. And the left wing opposition elects a super sexy alexi, and the syriza party are widening their lead in the opinion polls. They have promised to abandon the austerity measures imposed by the European Union and the International Monetary fund when greece was bailed out. They also demand a write off of greeces death. Were talking big numbers. Take a look at this. Greece owes around 317 billion euros. Thats about 365 billion u. S. Most of that, they owe that to the eu and the imf. The debt has risen as greece economy has shrunk. It is now 175 of greeces annual gdp, gross domestic product. Thats the second highest debt ratio in the world and way above what is considered sustainable. Meanwhile, unemployment continues to rise one in four greeks dont have a job, out of work. Among young people, the jobless rate is almost twothirds. So we are going to be keeping, of course on sunday an eye on the election and the outcome and well have a lot more on monday. Asias richest person is in talks to buy o2 up to nearly 15. 5 billion from Spains Telefonica telefonica. He says the Hong Kong BasedHutchison Whampoa and combining it with o2 would create the uks biggest mobile group, but the move could face a very tough scrutiny from competition regulators. Mr. Li has spent more than 30 billion on overseas acquisitions in recent years. The 86yearold is also undertaking hes also undertaking a major reorganization of his Business Empire which has interest in property, energy ports, and telecoms. Now, lets take a look at this bloke. Hes the tech giant, apples big boss, the chief executive, tim cook. Heres some numbers. His base salary was increased by nearly 43 in february last year. According to the annual report, mr. Cooks salary rose to 2 million from 1. 4 million and his total remuneration more than doubled to 9. 2 million in 2014. Base salary for other executives also increased by over 14 . Apples new york listed shares hit a record high last year, while almost 40 million iphones were sold. Follow me on twitter, tweet me send me some money if you can. Youll find me bbcaaron. Thats it with the business. I took the wrong job. Got to go. Aaron thank you very much. And thank you for being with us here on bbc world news. Still to come on the program, was this the moment the boy king parted company with his beard . Tutankhamens golden mark gets a bit of a messy glue job. Well have more. You want an advanced degree, but sometimes work can get in the way. Now Capella University offers flexpath, a revolutionary new program that allows you to earn a degree at your pace and graduate at the speed of you. Flexpath from Capella University. The adventures youve been imagining. The heroes youve been admiring. The worlds youve been dreaming of. The thrills youve been craving. The moments youve been missing. The vacation youve been looking for is here. Come and take it. Universal orlando resort. Ive been called a control freak. I like to think of myself as more of a control. Enthusiast. Mmm, a perfect 177degrees. And thats why this road warrior rents from national. I can bypass the counter and go straight to my car. And i dont have to talk to any humans, unless i want to. And i dont. And national lets me choose any car in the aisle. Control. Its so, whats the word . Sexy. Go national. Go like a pro. Here on bbc world news, the latest headlines. King abdullah of saudi arabia has died. His 79yearold half brother has become the new rural. Thailands Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra has been banned from office for five years after a vote by the militaryruled parliament. Theyre making every release to release two hostages. The video emerged on tuesday, demanding japan pays a 200 million ransom within 72 hours or the two would be dillkilled. The mother of one of the men gave this appeal just hours before the deadline. Translator i would like to say to all the members of Islamic State, kenji is not an enemy of Islamic State i ask for his release and assure that he went into the islamic world of his own accord. Japans chief cabinet secretary said that the government was seeking cooperation from many different groups to help with the hostages release. Translator the 72hour deadline was something imposed in the statement from the hostage hostages. From the governments point of view, the situation is still difficult. We are making every effort and asking for cooperation from those involved for the release of our two nationals. This has not changed. Despite the fact that the situation is difficult we are continuing to seek support from tribal leaders and representatives who might have contacts with aim to secure the Early Release of the two japanese. Rupert wingfieldhayes does say it seems pretty clear that the government has not agreed to the demands coming from Islamic State. I think at this stage i think we can pretty safely say no negotiations have opened and certainly no money has changed hands. I think the japanese government is being quiet honest when it says it is trying to make contact with these people, but it hasnt succeeded in doing so. As far as the money is concerned, there are two things here, david. One is the amount of money being demanded by Islamic State is so vast. Its unlikely that any government would be willing to hand over 200 million for the lives of two people. But also the government of shinzo abe, the Prime Minister has taken a pretty hard line stance, saying it wants to get these men released but it will never give in to terrorism. Those are the words that he used. And that suggests mr. Abe has no intention at all of handing over this money. Now, some amazing pictures here. These are coming from the European Space agency and its of the comet, which is being tracked by the rosetta space probe. And they show evidence of violent explosions on the surface of comet 67p. This could help to reveal whether comet had a role in bringing life to planetert. Reporter so alien, and yet, somehow, strangely familiar. These look like weathered is cliffs overlooking a perfectly still ocean of rock. New pictures from the rosetta spacecraft show features on a comet that have never been seen before. Like this hole the size of a football pitch. Next to it is a slab of material that once fitted on top, like a lid, blown out by a mighty explosion. And most surprising of all, these bumps look like sand dunes, blown in the wind. But as we know there is no wind in space. So just what has caused these incredible features . The scientists believe that ice, just under the surface, is slowly melting, creating a breeze. This blows over the rocks to form the structures that look like sand dunes. But theres an even more remarkable discovery. Look closely inside this hole and youll see bumps. Scientists call them goose bumps. Theyre all the same shape and size and could be the building politics from which comets and possibly our own earth were built, piece by piece, like a lego model, billions of years ago. Ago. And something from the past as well. Europes ministry of antiquities is having a look at how a clumsy repair was carried out, on all things, one of the great treasures, the bolen mark of king tuts beard. It seems it was rather columnlumsyily stuck back on. Reporter the golden mask of king tutankhamen, which has endured since ancient times. But now the boy king is showing some fresh wear and tear allegedly thanks to a botched repair job last august. This unverified photograph claims to capture the incident. Workmen in tshirts appear to be securing the blue and gold beard to the mask. And this recent image shows a telltale mark along the join. The two pieces were originally made separately and need to be fixed together. The director of the museum which houses the mask told us someone may have been heavyhanded with the glue during routine maintenance. It can get dry in a few seconds, so thats why what maybe what had happened. That they put more material and this could easyily be removed. Reporter maybe so but many wonder how this could happen with a museum entrusted with egypts heritage. The burial mask is one of the Main Attractions here at the museum. Its unclear if the repair work has caused any lasting damage to the priceless art fact which has survived for more than 3,000 years, but the incident has raised serious concerns about how egypts treasures are being treated. This archaeologist, familiar with the museum, believes tutankhamen tutankhamen was mishandled by amateur. Theyre too skilled, they know what theyre doing, they take care of the objects around something of this immense importance. To me it sounds like some kind of accident. Whether it was in cleaning or moving another object around. Reporter there has been other blunders sblunders. Officials are accused of mismanaging the restoration of egypts oldest pyramid. The sands of time are not the only danger to the nations antiquity antiquities. And some fairly dramatic pictures of here in the uk of a rescue of a group of fisherman, just moments before their boat sank in fairly rough seas. The vessel was off the west coast of scotland. It started to fill with water and the rescue helicopter dropped a salvage pump to clear water from the boat but that was swamped. And the boat started to sink and the pictures just show the fishermen scrambling on the upturned stern of that boat as a winch man was sent down his line. Theyre a lucky bunch, arent they, as you can see. No sign of the boat and that is bbbc world news. Ing on. achoo i hit it hard. New zicam cold remedy nasal spray shortens colds. And it reduces symptom severity by 45 . So when a cold hits, shorten it with zicam. Grab a refreshing canada dry ginger ale. Real ginger. Real taste. Real ahhh. Your moms got your back. Your friends have your back. Your dogs definitely got your back. But whos got your back when you need legal help . We do. Were legalzoom, and over the last 10 years weve helped millions of people protect their families and run their businesses. We have the right people onhand to answer your questions, backed by a trusted network of attorneys. So visit us today for legal help you can count on. Legalzoom. Legal help is here. You owned your car for four years. You named it brad. You loved brad. And then you totaled him. You two had been through everything together. Two boyfriends. Three jobs. Youre like nothing can replace brad then Liberty Mutual calls. And you break into your happy dance. If you sign up for better car replacement, well pay for a car thats a model year newer with 15,000 fewer miles than your old one. See Car Insurance in a whole new light. Liberty mutual insurance. Our top stories. Saudi arabia prepares for the funeral of King Abdullah. His 79yearold half brother has become the new ruler. Tributes are paid from world leaders, past and present. He moved the country and modernized it substantially. And so for example, today, there are more women in Higher Education than there are men in saudi arabia. This would have been unthinkable a few years back. Thailands former Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra has been banned for five years from office after a vote by the militaryappointed parliament. And a number of antimuslim incidents in france has soared since the paris attacks two weeks ago. Hello. Thanks for joining us. King abdullah of saudi arabia has died. He was 90 years old. Hed been in hospital for several weeks with pneumonia. The new monarch has made clear, therell be no change of direction for the country following the succession. In his first public address, king salman this is abdullahs half brother, called for unity and sol dater darety among muslims. He also tweetd a message. He said, i ask god to help me succeed in my service of the dear people and realize their hopes, protect our country and the nations safety and stability. Saudi arabia is a country with vast oil resources, the biggest producer in the world, and that makes it the most influential member of opec. Under King Abdullah the country has also been a key ally of washington, most recently joining the u. S. Led coalition, carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group in syria and iraq. Well, the funeral for King Abdullah will be taking place shortly, following afternoon prayers. More now from our World Affairs correspondent, mike woolrich. Reporter the official announcement from the world court. King abdullah was 90 and had been in hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia. Before he came to power in 2005 hed run the daytoday affairs of the Worlds Biggest Oil exporter and producer in the previous decade after his predecessor suffered a stroke. King abdullah pushed through cautious reforms, including giving women a Greater Public role against opposition from religious conservatives. In his first statement as the new king salman abudulaziz emphasized continuity. Weve got consistency in strength. Well continue adhering to the policies, safety and establishment of the kingdom of saudi arabia. We will never deviate from our institution, our holy book, and islamic teachings. The arab and islamic nation today is in dire need for unity and solidarity. Reporter King Abdullah has used his position as leader of the up with most influential countries in the middle east to try to promote dialogue both religious and political. He was a driving force behind an arab peace plan which offered israel the prospect of recognition, in return for its withdrawal from land occupied in 1967. The former israeli president , shimon peres, said his death was a real loss for peace in the middle east. He has had the courage in a very demanding period of time to time stand and continue a Peace Process for the middle east. Not sure that i could accept all the items in his Peace Process, but the spirit the strength and the wisdom invested in it. The new king has name edd prince to be the new crowned prince. And moved quickly to deal with the longer term succession, by ab pointing a prince from a Younger Generation muhammad bin nayef as second in line to rule. In abdullahs rule saudi arabias counterterrorism cooperation with the United States was key as well as his wariness of mainly shiite iran and its influence in the region. Tackling extremism, dealing with the current fluctuations and the value of oil, its source of wealth and attentions the between conservatives and modernity, all continuing challenges for King Abdullahs successor. Mike woolridge, bbc news. The former Prime Minister tony blair, knew King Abdullah well. One of the things that King Abdullah was, he moved the country and modernized it substantially. And so for example, today, there are more women in Higher Education than there are men in saudi arabia. This would have been unthinkable a few years back. So, i think for me the issue is always, whats the direction the country is going in. I think one of the most important things, that direction that King Abdullah set out and pursued with a certain amount of courage is maintained. Toeny blair there. Lets just focus on the succession and all the Building Blocks very quickly put in place. Perhaps you can run through a bit of that for us. After all, salman is not a young man himself, is he . Yes, hes around 80 or 79 and hes known to have some Health Problems in the past few years. And this is why the late King Abdullah appointed a second crowned prince who is now the crowned prince. And they now announced a new second crowned prince. This is quite significant, because he has prince muhammad bin nayef, and hes the first one from the Second Generation so thats the grandchild of the founder of saudi arabia because since the foundation of the Saudi Arabian kingdom, all the kings have been the sons. And for the past 60 years, theyve all been the monarchy has been handed from one brother to the other. And its likely that now prince mugren will be the last one and the first one, the Third Generation of the grandchild will be prince mohammad bin nayef. We heard tony blair saying that he was seen as a reformer within a very conservative society. But this is a society between conservatives and much more liberal minded people. How does that balance work for the new king . There is a sense of a sense of war. Behind the socalled saudi liberals and the conservatives. But you have to understand that saudi arabia in general is leaning the majority of the population is leaning towards the conservative side. And on the far end of the conservative spectrum you will find the people who are ultrafundamentalists, who will be willing to go and fight with the Islamic State group. And are the far end are the liberals, the reformest wing you will find people like one who was now in jail and flogged two weeks ago. Its a fine balancing act for any saudi monarch. So when things are implemented that may seem to in a western eye as very trivial, such as 30 women on the council or more women in education, to a western eye, this would seem like not really a huge thing. But in saudi arabia its a big thing to push this through, despite the opposition from the conservative wing. It will be interesting to see whether he moves forward or stays put. Actually the prince the king salman is seen as more conservative compared to King Abdullah. Thanks very much. To thailand now, where the militaryimplemented parliament has voted to impeach Yingluck Shinawatra for overseeing is a government rights Subsidy Program which cost billions of dollars to implement. She has condemned the vote on her facebook page. She says democracy has died today in thailand along with the rule of law. Shes accused of using the program to buy votes from farmers, lateral in the north. Jonathan head says yingluck is now off the frame in thai politics. Well nothing in thai politics is ever definite. Its worth bearing in mind that theres a huge amount of deal making that went on behind this vote. The military itself may very well be split about whether they tried to do a deal with yingluck and her brother. Some of them inside the military regime have been trying to do that. And there are those who are diehard opposed to her and determined to percentage her family from politics. Now, todays decision it wasnt just a vote in parliament also the decision to Face Criminal Charges against her by the Attorney Generals Office in relation to the scheme. Looks like theres a decisive move now in favor of those who want to destroy her politically. Nothing is ever final. We dont really know yet. Her family still has a huge amount of popular support, a lot of influence, powerful networks here, and a lot of money. Its quite possible other negotiations will start. What is clear is that the tacit kind of ceasefire weve had between her side and the army after the coup where her red shirt supporters have stayed away have not come out on the streets at all, have been no attempt to undermine the military, that that deal is really off now. Eight months of a kind of phony war where there hasnt been any move by either side has to stop now. There is a clear move by yingluck and her side. Well have to see how her supporters the pond respond. So you would not be expecting to see red shirts back out on the streets . Not immediately, no. It would be difficult for them to do that. Martial law bars any kind of street or political activity. They know theyd be rounded up pretty quickly if they tried to do that. But they would at least be thinking about it. The strategy of her red shirt supporters up to now has been to keep a low profile, not to provoke the military to quietly keep their movement organized and connected, believing that when democratic rule is restored, which they expect some Time Next Year that they would again have a good chance of repeating the election victories of the past. This changes the rules. Yingluck shinawatra was a very successful vote getter. She represents her brother, the main funder of the party, by trying to neutralize her, and if she goes to prison if she gets the jail sentence, she may go into exile, that changes it and puts the red movement on the defensive. They may have to consider alternative tactics. But if they do move its difficult with the military in charge and certainly wont happen immediately. Jonathan head there. The number of antimuslim incidents in france has soared since the paris attacks. Thats according to the National Observatory against islamic islamophobia. The group says there have been 128 acts or threats made against the Muslim Community since january the 7th. This is nearly the same number for similar incidents recorded for the whole of last year. Lets get some more on this. Hugh joins ss us from paris. Does it give any sense of the scale of those threats and attacks . How extreme or otherwise they are . No it doesnt. And we need to be careful of this kind of statistic. Quite clearly, there has been an increase in the number of attacks on islamic properties and mosques and so on and restaurants and so on. But, i mean many of these are quite low level. Therell be insults thrown at people bricks thrown at buildings and so on. But what we havent seen is anything that has led to criminal, or as far as im aware, criminal prosecutions of people. Quite clearly, there is a mood in some quarters which is should we say, giving rise to some of these incidents, but its hard to draw i would say, if theres any firm conclusion about whether this is you know, a dangerous new trend in french life. Right. I saw a statistic. As does i saw this story, that a case before the constitutional council, they ruled that a jihadist who has dual citizenship, can be stripped of his french nationality. Thats right. Its confirming something which is in law, this is not the first case of a man being stripped of his french nationality. Hes binational, thats the key point. Its impossible for the courts of france or the government to strip a french person of his french nationality, if thats the only nationality hes got. But in this case and in the case of several other people since this came in a couple of decades ago, it is possible in the case of convictions, for the government to strip a binational of his french nationality, leaving him with his other nationality, in this case, moroccan. Its a moroccan man who acquired french nationality in the 80s, who was convicted two years ago of terrorism and last year was stripped of that nationality, but the interior might besternister back then. Now theres been a challenge by the mans lawyer that in effect creates two kinds of french person. A french person whos born french and a french person who acquires french nationality. That was the basis of his challenge to this decree by the state, stripping the man of his nationality. But that has been turned down now. In effect the constitutional council, the highest court in the land has confirmed the governments right to do this to people, which is important, because its very much part of the armory which the french government wants to have in his fight against terrorism, to trip binationals. And there are many many many people who have that dual nationality nationality. Now, this is the proud flag of greece. The leader of greeces antiausterity party, syriza that an end to what he calls National Humiliation is approaching. Opinion polls show that Alexis Tsipras party is pulling ahead three days ahead of the general election itself. Mr. Tsipras urging greeks to give syriza an outright victory so the country can turn its back on four years of austerity. Our europe correspondent, chris morris, has more. Reporter in drama, they know all about the crisis. Five years of punishing austerity, all on fast forward. Illiat is a stone mason, but the work has dried up. He now spends his days making toys for his kids. Hes hardly poor but a family thats been involved in center right politics for generations is voting for syriza this time around. Weve seen nothing like this in greece since the end of the second world war. Its humiliated. Stripped us of our dignity and destroyed democracy. Weve been betrayed by the whole political system. At the local hospital everyone knows the Greek Health Service has been hit really hard by austerity cuts. Grim times for many. Undaunted, a government mp running for reelection is paying a visit. Make sure youre out by sunday he jokes, so you can vote. The government argues that the economy is turning a corner and syriza is making promises it cant keep. But how much more pain can people take . Translator syriza says theyll spend more money, but dont tell us where theyll find it. It all sounds good. Wed like to spend more too, but we have to live within our means, not with borrowed money. We shouldnt trick people tor lie to them no matter the political cost. Reporter but the crisis has taken its toll. Unemployment is high incomes have fallen rapidly. Its the same story across the country. During this election season anthrax that not many people wanted, its hardly surprising that more and more greeks are prepared to take a punch on an alternative political vision. A few will vote for the extreme right, a lot more for the radical left. The old order, they feel has let them down. The the syriza slogan here hoepe is on the way. Inside, there is quiet confidence, expectation, and ideas about writing off crippling debts that could unsettle not just the greek, but the european establishment. We dont have any other choice. Its either syriza or austerity. Its the beginning of a new era. Were going to build a new country, a new economy. Reporter there is a long road ahead, and the votes have yet to be counted. But it feels like the stage is set for change. Chris morris, bbc news. Elections on sunday. Do stay with us here on bbc world news. Still to come the japanese government insists its still making every effort to seek the release of two hostages held by Islamic State militants, even though the deadline for a ransom payment has passed. [container door opening] what makes it an suv is what you can get into it. [container door closing] what makes it an nx is what you can get out of it. Introducing the firstever lexus nx turbo and hybrid. Once you go beyond utility theres no going back. News. Im david eades. The latest headlines. King abdullah of saudi arabia has died. His 79yearold half brother has become the new ruler. Thailands former Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra has been banned from office after a vote by the militaryappointed parliament. The japanese government says its making every effort to seek the release of two hostages being held by Islamic State militants. A video believed to be from Islamic State emerged on tuesday, demanding that japan pays a 200 million ransom within 72 hours or kenji goto and Haruna Yukawa would be killed. The ransom deadline has now passed. Well, the mother of kenji goto gave this appeal just hours before the deadline. Translator i would like to say to all the members of Islamic State, kenji is not an enemy of Islamic State. I ask for his release and assure that he went into the islamic world of his own accord. Well, japans chief cabinet secretary said the government was seeking cooperation from many different groups to help with the release. The 72hour deadline was something that was imposed in the statement by the hostage takers and from the governments point of view the situation is still difficult. We are making every effort and asking for cooperation from those involved for the release of our two nationals. This has not changed. Despite the fact that the situation is difficult, we are continuing to seek cooperation for more countries, tribal leaders, and religious rep representatives, who might have contacts with the aim to secure the Early Release of the two japanese. Well our correspondent, Rupert Wingfield hayes is monitoring the situation from the tokyo. He says its clear the government hasnt agreed to the demands of if. I think at this stage, i think we can pretty safely say that no negotiations have opened and certainly no money has changed hands. I think the japanese government is being quite honest when it says, it is trying to make contact with these people but it hasnt succeeded in doing so. As far as the money is concerned, and there are two things here david. One is the amount of money being demanded by Islamic State is so vast, its unlikely that any government would be willing to hand over 200 million u. S. For the lives of two people. But also the government of shinzo abe, mr. Abe himself, the Prime Minister, has taken a pretty hard line stance saying it wants to get these men released but it will never give in to terrorism. Those are the words that he used. And that suggests mr. Abe has no intention at all of handing over this money. I want to take you back to what is our main story, the death of saudi King Abdullah to be seceded by his halfbrother salman. Well have a look at the situation at airport, i believe well do that in a moment. Well have a look at the situation in a moment but first lets think about salman, the man that takes over. 79 years old, we think. Its not entirely clear with members of the saudi leadership their precise age. Before becoming king he served as defense minister. He was recently crowned prince and for the best part of 50 years, he was governor of the province of the saudi province riyadh. And he said a cautious approach to social and cultural reform but that he is liberal in his personal life. Hes also on twitter, with a newly updated biography, confirming he is now the rural or custodian of the two mosques. Hes at hphpsalman. Well, robert lacy is an author of books about saudi arabia including the king and inside the kingdom. Tell me about more about salman. Of course all saudi kings to date have been sons of that great founder of the kingdom. And its always said that salman, of all the 35 sons by a number of wives, obviously, was the one who most resembled his father. Tall of stature, of unmistakably desert lineage. You mentioned, he ran riyadh for 40 years. He transformed a little township into a really very impressive modern city. He obviously had money, but he was a hardworking man. I remember when i was in riyadh you could set your clock, 8 00 his cavalcade would come through from his domestic palace to his working palace. Where among other things he had a little prison in which he locked up badly behaved Young Princes and members of the royal family. He had the personal authority to exert that sort of law making. A disciplinarian street perhaps, within the realms of the elite. Yes, and oh, arabia is a harsh place. And men only survive there if they are pretty tough. Riyadh in particular a tribal area. I remember seeing him sitting with the tribal chieftains paying homage to him. And these tribal chieftains would come from iraq, from syria, from yemen, because, of course arabian tribes dont take any account of the borders that we have written there. And that was one of the reasons that saudi arabias particular involvement in the syrian civil war, because of the shama tribe who looked to King Abdullah for help. Thats robert lacy talking to me earlier. El take you over to riyadh airport, as leaders and dignitaries from around the world, not just the region are gathering for the funeral of King Abdullah. Just worth noting that neighboring countries like jordan and bahrain, they have both already declared therell be 40 days of National Mourning for the king. That funeral expected to start fairly soon now. Once afternoon prayers on friday are out of the way. So the funeral for King Abdullah to take place in due course. Well keep that for you here on bbc news of course and theres more, as i said before on the way, brkbc. Com news where we have full analysis and background on King Abdullah and on the successor, king salman. At ancestry, we call it a hint. Our little leaf that helps guide you through the past. Simply type in a name and youre taken on a journey. A journey that crosses generations. And continents. All to tell the most amazing story. Yours. Discover your story. Start searching for free now at ancestry. Com you want an advanced degree, but sometimes work can get in the way. Now Capella University offers flexpath, a revolutionary new program that allows you to earn a degree at your pace and graduate at the speed of you. Flexpath from Capella University. The adventures youve been imagining. The heroes youve been admiring. The worlds youve been dreaming of. The thrills youve been craving. The moments youve been missing. The vacation youve been looking for is here. Come and take it. Universal orlando resort. Experience it all with the Wizarding World of harry potter vacation package. Visit universalorlando. Com thought i told you to stay off our turf. And what would you know about turf, skipper . Lets end this here and now lets dance flo whoa there progressive covers boats and rvs, okay . Plenty of policies to go around. [ grunts ] oh, oh, im the bad guy . You threw a fish at us so, yeah. Yeah. Coverage for land and sea. Now, thats progressive. Hello and welcome to gmt on bbc world news. Im stephen sackur. Our top stories. The most powerful crown in the middle east changes hands, as saudi arabia mourns the death of King Abdullah. He ruled saudi arabia for two decades, combining cautious reform with an active role in middle east diplomacy. And these are the scenes in riyadh, as leaders arrive for the late kings funeral, which will be followed by a simple burial in the islamic tradition. Saudi arabias new king is salman, half brother of abdullah. Hes already promised