saudi arabia executes 47 people convicted the terrorist attacks including a shia cleric. iran warns the kingdom will pay a high price. you're with al jazeera. an indian air base near the pakistani border is attacked just days after p.m. visits to lahore. quality education for all is one

of u.n.'s goals saudi arabia has executed 47 people on terrorism charges. they include a prominent she' cleric and prominent preacher. >> reporter: these are some of the 47 men executed in saudi arabia. they had been convicted of plotting and carrying out terrorist attacks, targeting civilians and security forces. they included nimr al-nimr who was a central figure during shia protests in saudi arabia which intensified in early 2011. also among them was a leading preacher faris al-zahrani. human rights watch has criticized the executions but saudi arabia say the men received a fair trial. >> translation: the judiciary is objective and we deal

objectively with the case on merit. it doesn't matter what he believes. we deal with facts and criminal intent. >> translation: last year a special court in riyadh sentenc sentenced nimr al-nimr. he said he never carried weapons or called for violence. >> reporter: many of the others such as a preacher had been linked to attacks in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006, said to have been carried out by al-qaeda. >> translation: it has made sure that there is no difference. as long as it's threatening people in cities, its economy, it will take care of it and deal with it swiftly.

>> reporter: in october iran warned vashe of what it called dire consequences if nimr al-nimr was killed. government leaders said the saudis will pay a high price >> iran will try to neutralize th this. >> reporter: following these latest executions, more may still be on the way. at least 2200 similar cases are still to be had in saudi arabia courts shia muslims in saudi arabia have taken to the streets to condemn the execution of nimr al-nimr. dozens of protesters have rallied. nimr al-nimr was one of the v.

a middle east analyst and a communist says threats of retaliation for nimr al-nimr's execution will have significant impact. >> we have a good deal of handcuffing and puffing-- huffing and puffing, i think. they said they will retaliate for the execution of nimr al-nimr, but i death whether there will be taken out of proportion. i think the terrorist convictions will stand. these came about last november and everyone expected that there would be executions, perhaps the timing was not right but nevertheless they carried out what they promised they would do and the regional repercussions, as i said, will be for the next new cycle. not more than that the saudi let coalition fighting houthi rebels in yemen is ending a ceasefire according to the media. it was agreed upon at peace talks in geneva last month, but

the truce was repeatedly violated. talks are due to resume in two weeks. an early morning attack on an air force base in india has left at least four gunmen and three soldiers dead after a gun battle that lasted several hours. the heavily fortified facility is located just 50 kilometres from the border of pa pakistan. it's on the main highway. the attack follows one in july on a police station. the air base in pathankot is home of mig 31 fighter and attack helicopters. >> reporter: the confrontation began around 3.30am when men arrived in an official vehicle. soldiers confronted the gunmen inside. after a battle which lasted several hours, all four gunmen were killed.

security forces then began searching for more members of the group. the area was already on alert after a senior police officer was briefly abducted earlier this week. >> translation: off a police officer's car was high jacketed yesterday and today's attack, a red alert has been made across punjab. >> reporter: the area is no stranger to attacks. strategically located between pakistan and kashmir. in july last year three men armed with guns and grenades were killed after they stormed the police station. in this latest attack, indian officials believe the gunmen are members of a known armed group based inside pakistan. the indian government is cautious and firm. >> translation: pakistan is our neighbour and we want peaceful relations not just with them but with all our neighbours. we want peace.

security agencies have been on defense. pakistan must take some responsibility for the attacks. >> they cannot abdicate and say that these are forces which are not under their control, meaning no state can abdicate from actions of its own citizens, whether they are non-state or otherwise. >> reporter: talks between india and pakistan officials are expected later this month. scheduled talks have been called off following previous attacks. there is no word yet if that will happen in this case a suicide bomber has killed at least three people in somalia's capital. it was in a restaurant near the presidential palace. there has been no claim of

responsibility, but al-shabab has attacked the same restaurant in the past. two rival afghan taliban factions have agreed to a ceasefire. they split following the announcement of the death of former leader. this disrupted peace talks. our correspondent is in kabul. he says the deal strengthens the taliban momentarilily, but he greece it makes it easier for the government to negotiate. >> reporter: it is very important for afghanistan. agreement or disagreement is both important for the future. afghan government always said that they are - which faction they enthusiasm talk with. they were talking about a split. if these two groups get together, it will make it easier for afghan government to do peace talk with one joint group.

on the fighting, upcoming fighting season, they will start mainly in the spring in march, afghanistan spring. if these two groups agree with each other and final agreement, they fight against afghan government and then afghan government will face stronger taliban than they are now. if they disagree with each other, then they're going to be two groups fighting each other and it will make it easier for afghan government to fight them. it is important news and disagreement doesn't mean that they have reached a final agreement with each other detectives in france are investigating the motive behind an attack in may mosque. >> reporter:-- on a mosque. soldiers shot a man driving a car after he rammed then. one soldier and one civilian

were slightly injured. france remains on high alert following the death of 130 people across paris in november. senegal is also on high alert. this will tos novp's deadly attack in mali. the prime minister wants border controlled tightened up. >> reporter: along the 500 kilometer land border, this is used by truck drivers carrying goods. migrants trying to reach you're travel through here too. the route is also used by armed groups planning attacks in the region. we can't show the border post because the guards don't want us to film. they fear it could compromise their safety such is the level of concern. west africans can formally travel freely throughout the

reason as long as they have a valid passport, but it is a long wait to cross the border. security controls are tighter. some have been here for hours. others like this man have been waiting for days to get into mali. >> translation: i take this road all the time. this is slowing down our business these checks. >> reporter: increased security checks were introduced after an attack on the hotel in mali's capital in november. 22 people decided when gunmen stormed their hotel promising the president to reinstate border controls. he is also proposing on banning the full burka. other areas have banned the attire. authorities say the measures are justified so they can identify individuals more easily to prevent suicide attacks. the suggested measures haven't made it to parliament yet, but they're already a source of heated debate.

islam plays a great role in this country. the president says these measures are necessary because the threat of attacks on senegal are real. the police recently made several arrests including the imam of this mosque. he is accused of having links with nigeria's boko haram. >> translation: the state eye doll ices valuess like secularism and republican laws. they are making mistakes. we only accept the rule of god. >> reporter: the country has so far prevented any attacks. the government says it will take whatever steps necessary to protect its citizens. even if it causes inconvenience for some there's more ahead on al jazeera. we will look at what is pushing

afghans to risk everything and seek refuge in europe. donald trump becomes the latest target of an al-shabab video.

welcome back. a reminder of the top stories. shia muslims in saudi arabia have protested against the execution of a leading shia cleric. more gun fire has been heard at an indian air force base. four attackers and three indian

soldiers are confirmed killed so far. two afghan taliban factions have agreed on a ceasefire in a prisoner exchange. they split following the announcement of the death of the former leader. i.s.i.l. attacks in ramadi have killed 15 members of iraq's counter terrorism forces and local tribes men fighting with them. that's in addition to 60 troops being killed in recent days. the government said on monday it took this city back from i.s.i.l. >> reporter: the iraqi army has been celebrating their victory in retaking ramadi, but it looks like their fight isn't over. nearly a week after the government claimed control of the city center. iraqi troops are suffer new setbacks with multiple coordinated attacks by i.s.i.l. on varies army positions around the city. in a recently released i.s.i.l. video one of their fighters says they're still battling the army in the center of ramadi.

these picture appear to show the anbar police headquarters in the center of the city. al jazeera has been told there was an i.s.i.l. suicide car bottom attack and intense shelling on iraqi forces near a government compound in the city, and i.s.i.l. fighters are still in control of building nearby. >> translation: there might be some surprises on the ground through suicide bomb attacks. we are changing the balance of power. the only thing that changes is the number of victims which is increasing. >> reporter: i.s.i.l. used another ten suicide bombers in attacks on the army north of the city, destroying army vehicles and taking control of the headquarters. the army has made big advances into and around ramadi in recent weeks. that progress helped them free 100 families who had been trapped by the fighting. i.s.i.l. fighters are accused of using people as human shields.

>> translation: may god punish them. they shot people in the head who refused to go with them. bodies are still there. you can go and see them. retaking ramadi was the first big victory since i.s.i.l. seized a third of iraq in 2014. it schemes the army is still battling for control of both the city center and wider area and remain under threat from boob traps and bombs left by i.s.i.l. fighters the increasing violence across the middle east in north africa has driven a new wave of refugees to europe. border control data says more than a million refugees and migrants lived last year more than a third of all rivals were from syria. the second largest group are afghans looking to escape the ongoing fight with the taliban.

the director for afghanistan in pakistan for the nor we gen council council. >> the crisis has been going on for over three decades now. we are seeing a situation where there is a number of people who are now leaving the country and i think the issue is that it is now becoming largely a forgotten crisis. because of the huge areas, the situation in afghanistan is not seeing the same kind of attention it should. the conditions in the country are continuing to be very, very difficult. the economic situation, the security situation and there is a sense of hopelessness that we have seen. i think particularly in 2015 the situation has been quite challenging. so at this point there is a very difficult scenario if you're talking about returns to the country.

we are hearing that, of course, it is a challenged journey, but the risks people are taking, they are going. this will only continue to increase as we go into this year, 2016 with wars in afghanistan, syria, iraq and yemen continuing unabated, the refugee crisis is expected to continue as well. our correspondent takes a look at whether europe will be able to better manage the influx this year. >> reporter: with historians commit to paper the stories of 2015 there won't be short of things to write about. hundreds of thousands running away from the horrors of syria and elsewhere. thousands drowned in the seas in over crowded, terrifying crossings. the european union at odds with itself and human rights groups as to whether these people are really refugees at all, let alone whether they should be helped to build new lives.

increasingly new members of the e.u. which argued that the refugees and migrant should be kept out to defend europe's christian traditions, successfully shouted down germany and sweden which wanted to lead on human rights. the best clue came as to what 2016 might have in store. turkey suddenly being groomed for a quicker entry into the european union in return for plain to hold refugees inside its borders before they come to greece. in the same way the european tried to convince african leaders that they could work together to create the conditions which would stem the flow of human traffic across the immediate tire anian. >> over time the situation has changed. we are looking at a framework in which they're not only looking for immediate shelter, but after two to four years in camps this they look for the future of

their lives and their children. so to appear up education for children and schooling which is important. >> reporter: security experts are already warning that blocking some routes will only lead to others opening. perhaps north from the turkish black sea coast and into romania and even ukraine. turkey can't police all of it. human rights groups say not only will the e.u. plans not work, but they're immoral. >> in turkey, the refugees don't enjoy human rights at all. syrians enjoy some sort of protection, but 80% of all syrian kids in turkey don't go to school. syrians are not allowed to work legally and when we talk about people from iraq, afghanistan, iran, they're not throughout get any protection-- allowed to get

any protection in turkey. that would be a huge point of concern for us. >> reporter: of course, the paris attacks changed european thinking enormously. any sort of agreement between the west, russia and turkey on what to do about syria hardly looks likely. so as hard as 2015 was for all these people, there's every suggest 2016 could be even harder. lawrence lee the somali armed group al-shabab has used u.s. politician donald trump as the focus of its latest recruitment video. donald trump said all muslims somebody ban episode from attending the u.s. this man was killed by a drone strike in 2011. hillary clinton had warned that thump's comments could be used by armed groups to recruit fighters. a security analyst and author

says donald trump's politics is playing into the hands of armed groups looking to recruit fighters. >> i think it is very significant in the sense that donald trump has turned out to be the poster boy for al-shabab latest recruitment efforts to bring us himself around the world to support this jihadist cause. this is significant because it speaks to something that critics been saying for a while, that this kind of far right extremist sympathising, this kind of very exclusionary politics which does racialise politics and demonise a particular religious group, pulls directly into the strategys that they are hoping no accelerate. they want to see more division between non-muslims and muslims obama has made a new push for gun control in his weekly address of the new year. the u.s. president described the

issue as unfinished business and accused congress of failing to act. guns used non-appearance massive shootings were all purchased legally. the obama millions of low workers in the u.s. are celebrating the new year with a wage rise. >> reporter: this man lives with his parents and relies on government food assistance. even that he has held down a full-time job at mcdonald's for three years. his pay is going up more than a dollar than hour this year to $10.50. thanks to a nationwide campaign to raise the minimum wage. >> basically, you know, we and my workers got fed up and an organiser came to talk to me and he said enough is enough, don't

you think and i said yeah. >> reporter: new york fast food workers started a fight for $15 an hour two years ago. they walked off the job in protest. some were even arrested. others from home health workers to college professors joined the campaign, highlighting the struggle of all low wage earners. they have convinced a few cities to adopt a $15 minimum wage over time with smaller minimum wages increases taking effect in 13 states this year. businesses have argued a higher minimum wage will force them to cut jobs. mcdonald's is the world's largest fat food restaurant, one of the most successful and recognisedable global brand. yet, economists say that corporate profits per worker has been rising much faster than workers' wages. according to one study, half of

fast food workers need public assistance to get by. >> what that indicates is that taxpayers are basically subsidising the low wage cost model. the low wage model of operating a business. >> reporter: he says he is happy to have more money to spend in 2016 even though it will take two more years to reach $15 an hour. >> if you work a full-time job, you should have the right wage. period. >> reporter: he is prepared to continue that fight the new year has started with a resolution from the united nations aiming to improve the lives of many children. more than half of all kids that are not enrolled in school live in africa. the goals are aiming to change that. >> reporter: this man struggles

to keep his seven children in school because of continued strikes and poor facilities. he cannot afford private tutors, so he makes time to help them with lessons and homework. that is taking a lot of his time and energy. >> if i have the money, i would send them to private school. >> reporter: this woman sent her children to this private school. as a working mother it is convenient. >> i can take care of my business and go around knowing full well that the school is taking care of my child. >> reporter: children like hers have access to better learning facilities as they grow up. something private schools are providing as slang as parents are willing-- as long as parents are willing to pay. >> when the child comes to the preschool, the child gets tutor

in reading and writing. >> reporter: the united nations wants to close this gap by ensuring that children all over the world have access to quality early stage child care and preschool education. the new sustainable development goals want to achieve this by 2030, but in countries struggling with school facilities and investment, that will be difficult. in nigeria, for example, there are more than 11 million kids out of school. most preschool education is run by private institutions in nigeria. regional governmentss already struggling to pay teachers have little or no interest in running it. >> no. i really think that governments should be doing less not more. whatever the private sector can do. >> reporter: what it means, children will continue to have an-- children of the rich will continue to have an advantage

over the children of the poor all the top stores on our website, al jazeera.com commercial traffic, this canal is considered a wonder of the engineering world. >> okay, vamos. >> nicaraguans pacific coast line, still untouched by development. but perhaps not for long. it could soon feature another grand canal, one designed to accommodate the largest ships on the planet.