As the kingdom replaces its military chief and other Senior Defense officials. Prosecutors in south korea push for a tough sentence for the president. And a Cabinet Reshuffle in south Africa Office clues about the priorities of the new president. And im far as be here with all the days sporting clearing a time olympic champion the same ball makes a highly anticipated announcement about its future but it turned out not to be what is fans were expecting. Welcome to the program after ten days of intense bombardment on syrias eastern go to the fighting was supposed to have stopped at least temporarily but russias military is reporting heavy mortar fire and laying the blame with the rebels but they are denying this. Well on monday russia or the daily five hour pause in the rebel held district more than five hundred fifty people have been killed in the past ten days and on sunday opposition doctors reported a suspected poison gas attack well russia says evacuation corridors will be set up to allow civilians to leave the area more than four hundred thousand people are trapped inside Eastern Ghouta and its unclear where they will go with the districts been under siege since twenty thirteen so the daily pause could offer some or spite but it falls short of the Un Security Council resolution passed on saturday what that demanded a thirty day nationwide cease fire to allow aid to be delivered and for the critically ill to be evacuated well dean lives in duma thats inside Eastern Ghouta he says the assault on the area has continued despite the ports there was a fighting. We hear that. This fire expected. Maybe. Even that there is more. That. It matters. To my city how we trust this regime that is shelling gas. A bomb being gas for the for the for the last five years how between night and the day. The one who is telling me the night. Truce and. Humanitarian cross for the eastern goods and the morning we are. We. Want the united nation. Supervise this truth not the regime and the recent addition. To how to joins us live now from the lebanese capital beirut say no so what are you hearing there about the russian cease fire is it holding. Well it is largely holding yes there is relative calm in eastern huta no airstrikes we have to remember the past ten days really a relentless Bombing Campaign at this office really summer spite to the civilians who are trapped inside we understand some of them managed to bury the dead some of them emerge from underground bunkers try to search for food for water some of them have been underground for days now the Russian Military like you mentioned earlier blaming the rebels for targeting an Evacuation Route that they designated for civilians to leave the rebels denying this saying that theyre not preventing civilians from leaving and they are not targeting this Evacuation Route but what is clear is that the majority of the people inside eastern who do not want to leave not because they want to die it is because they dont know what will happen to them if they cross into government controlled territories they would like security guarantees because these people lived in opposition controlled territory some of them have been media activists over the past few years so theyre afraid that if they cross into government controlled lie. They will be arrested detained or even killed so no civilians have not started to make their way out we have to remember that is the stated aim of the Russian Military for this pause in the fighting this five day daily pause in the fighting. Has become a form in the side of the Syrian Government as the demi seems clear that the syrian army backed by the russians were going to take place. Yes or in the side of the government to the last remaining rebel stronghold close to the capital damascus the governments seat of power the rebels there are able to target the mouse this with mortars we have to remember that in the over the past two years this this enclave has been under siege but now the government has managed to recapture a lot of territory so their men are not really as overstretched this before so now their focus is on eastern and from the actions of the statements from the progovernment alliance they are bent on recapturing this territory at whatever cost i mean. For example one of the groups inside eastern theyve attend the talks and asked that are russian sponsored talks and now theyre telling the russians ok a group theyre ready to leave why dont you accept this and it seems that the answer thats coming back from the progovernment alliance is we want all rebel fighters in eastern f. S. A. Affiliated or not to leave to lay down their arms and leave but this is what the people of these tent with do not want it is not die or displacement they do not want to have to leave their homes to get another rebel controlled territory in the north which is also unsafe say no thank you. Saudi arabias king solomon has replaced top military commanders the Defense Ministry shake up comes nearly three years after saudi and forces went to war in neighboring yemen but on monday russia vetoed a u. N. Resolution criticizing iran for failing to prevent weapons from reaching iranian back to the rebels in yemen and just reports. Saudi arabias military might on display. Generals have been leading a coalition of forces attacking the p. C. And yemen for nearly three years runyan backed rebels who pose the internationally recognized government of president of the rubble of the door how to remain in control of large areas of the country and the Saudi Armed Forces have been internationally criticized for killing thousands of yemenis widespread destruction and achieving little. Been abilities all sod has announced a reshuffle of the armys chief of staff and the heads of ground and air Defense Forces the water in yemen there is a serious failure when it comes to the so the idea that is growing because says im from International Community and there is a serious pressure there so the stop should stop what they are doing now and change course if its if this is needed and i think so that it is trying now to open up to the International Community by trying to open up airports and ports for the support of food or medical support so they can reduce the pressure on the so you have a government and the alliance the most notable dismissal was the military chief of staff general abdul rahman bin salah bin yen is being sidelined to become a royal Court Consultant is replacement is the former commander of the Royal Saudi Air force general fayyad been honeyed of the brady while the changes were approved by king some months analysts say its crown Prince Mohammed bin someone whos like that you have been the driving force. The shakeup followed russias vetoing of a Un Resolution which would have criticized iran for failing to prevent weapons falling into the hands of who the rebels in yemen its the first time russia has protected iran in the Security Council the fifteen member Security Council did however unanimously adopt a russian proposed resolution which extends targeted sanctions on iran related to the war in yemen russia doesnt like the outcome of certain expert panel reports but just doesnt like the messages doesnt mean im doing everything they say so will be a change in our colleagues for the good of the United Nations system to fight in fact that is what you will change does not affect everything in the panel of experts reports that the mention of you he told you camps is not the same mention the whole thing bombardment by the saudis in the in the galaxy of that you know resolution so are textbook single posts of what the problem but for the passage text comes the support of the council on this moment and thank you very much whatever the case saudi arabia continues to Face International criticism for airstrikes which have targeted markets hospitals and other civilian areas aid groups also blame a saudi led blockade for pushing millions of yemenis to the brink of famine in aljazeera south korean prosecutors are demanding a thirty year prison term for the deposed President Park geun hye she denies bribery abuse of power and coercion last year she became the first democratically elected south korean president to be impeached of a Corruption Scandal involving business and political elite will rub a bride has more from salt. Parkin hay has faced an array of charges from alleged bribery to abuse of power even to things like discriminating against artists who she felt were opposed to her government all this dates back to an unfolding scandal in twenty sixteen and much of it related to a friendship with her longtime confidante choice and still its claimed that together and choice forced a number of conglomerates to hand over more than fifty Million Dollars in return for business favors the whole scandal led to massive street protests calls for her resignation she clung on to power and was eventually impeached and which brought about her downfall at the end of twenty sixteen since then choi has been found guilty of her part in all this two weeks ago she was sentenced to twenty years in prison something she is appealing against parker and hey though has pleaded not guilty and indeed has said that shes been treated unfairly by the judicial system and has been boycotting a number of of her Court Appearances but according to the prosecutors shes guilty not only of these crimes but also of damaging the very constitutional fabric of south korea itself north korea has confirmed it will send athletes to next months paralympics and south korea thats according to local media representatives from both countries met in the truce village at panmunjom to discuss the logistics the north plans to send one hundred fifty people including athletes and supporters soul has tried to use the pyongyang games to open up dialogue between north korea and the United States lets talk to b. J. Kim is a professor at hancock university of foreign studies in seoul he joins us live from the south korean capital how significant are these latest round of talks between both koreas i mean they seem pretty high level so whats the expectation here. The expectation is this somehow that the talks in the korean talks will somehow lead to the talks between washington and county and eventually and thats what government has in mind basically and for the last three days you know at the closing at the occasion of the closing of the Olympic Games north korea sent a delegation led by the chief for. Policy towards south korea there and they have been pretty much in the Hotel Meeting with wide range of south korean officials and specially several rounds of talks with key korean government officials here and the expectation is south korean government i have tried very hard to persuade north korea to open their talk with washington so this is a part of all dynamics that im just talking about but it is interesting to point out that despite this hint of rapprochement countries like the u. S. And japan remain deeply wary of north koreas intentions i mean President Trump has already said any talks with the north must include denuclearization. Thats very true but for the perhaps past few days weve been getting indications from washington that United States is actually carefully watching whats happening in terms of into korean dialogue at this point and as the United States has expressed their willingness to come to the table somehow if north korea is willing to move towards the do Nuclear Radiation so United States is not staying firmly in its place its coming closer to the table the way many observers are seeing here so this is only going movement right here and north korea has repeatedly said specially the head of the delegation this time has repeatedly said for the last three days that they want to talk so therefore i think one way or another we will get to see some kind of dialogue or you know United States is making this an issue between talk and dialogue and talk as initial form to get to the dialogue and well get this is some kind of talk happening between washington and pretty soon so let me ask you then how come south korea helped to bridge this divide because north korea is sort of saying no to talks about denuclearization the americans have had already said preconditions over the Nuclear Program so its going to be delicate balancing act for the south isnt it. Absolutely south korea is definitely on the side of the United States its not like like a neutral mediator here but i think so far more government has succeeded considerably in terms of moving washing the both more washington and coming on closer to the to the table of talk and coming out has repeatedly said they want to now talk and they havent said theyre there are now willing to talk about the nuclear and yet however it looks like theyre getting close to it in washington seems to be getting closer to the idea of opening talks so that they will talk about move taking steps towards talking about denuclearization let me get a final thought from you b. J. Came away from the diplomacy both sides have been talking about the norths participation in the winter paralympics i mean pealing chang sees this as a big deal perhaps but many ordinary South Koreans still think that they governments cozying up too easily with the north india that there is such sentiment is special among the conservative voters and some of north korea trusts him to have tried very hard to. Smooth smoothing the mood here the way South Koreans feel toward them but that has not worked out very well South Koreans especially young people here have remained quite firm that they do not like north korea and whatever of north korea has done this time in the occasional regularly became say whatever they will do in the occasional Paralympic Games later on looks like the young young South Koreans not have been moved at all at this time b j k thank you very much indeed for your time lots more still to come here on the news hour including. I really believe id run into even if i didnt have a weapon and i think most of the people in this room would have done that too because i know donald trump says he would have run into the Florida School unarmed during the my shooting early this month. And now the next generation of oneness networks will change our lives well have the latest in the world. And you start with something a problem to. Welsh on. South africas new president has announced thirty changes in a Cabinet Reshuffle on reappointed government ministers such by the former leader jacob zuma they include former finance minister Pravin Gordhan who is the new Public Enterprises minister seumas exwife was also appointed from a post or has promised what he calls a new dawn to fight corruption malcolm webb has more from johannesburg. Its not the overhaul that many ram oppose the supporters or many South Africans who were hoping for a clear change of direction and an Anti Corruption drive would have hoped for many ministers from the previous cabinet who appointed by former president jacob zuma and implicated in many of the Corruption Scandals that afflicted his government have been reappointed but in different positions the most controversial of those reappointment is youve got a foreigner former finance minister hes been reinstated in another powerful position the ministry of home affairs one position will point and that will reassure people who are hoping for a change of direction is the appointment of private the former finance minister hes been appointed in the ministry of enterprise he has a reputation for cleaning up any ministry that hes been in charge of that will reassure people who were hoping for some change poses stuck with iraq and a hard place on the one hand trying to please the supporters and those who wanted a complete change of house and. New direction on the other hand he still has to pick eight. National executive. Position as the leader can recall any time to keep his job yes to keep different factions within the a. N. C. Located as well as trying to push through. Cleaning out corruption and fixing the economy lets talk to last night hes executive director of the council for the advancement of the South African constitution and joins us live from cape town last night how much is this Cabinet Reshuffle being seen perhaps. Stumping his mark as the countrys new president well i think its certainly you know a departure from what weve had before i think one of the striking features of this new cabinet is that ten ministers who served under jacob zuma have been fired by a sort of interim report and i think thats a real statement of intent yes it does not go as far as some people would have liked and its c