>> hello, i'm felicity barr. welcome to the news hour live from london. coming up over the next 60 minutes furious protest as saudi arabia executes 47 people convicted of charges relating to terrorism. among them a leading shia cleric. india on alert after fighters kill two soldiers at the border of pakistan. and celebrating too soon, the iraqi army said it's in

control of ramadi, but 15 soldiers are killed in fighting around the city. and the u.s. workers beginning the new year with a pay rise after a two-year fight. >> i'm robin adams with the sport in doha. the premier league serving up interesting results and there is a new league record. they managed to make history. i'll tell you about it later. >> hello, we begin this news hour in arme saudi arabia where 47 people have been executed after being charged request terroriswith terrorism. among them an shia cleric sheik nimr al-nimr.

shia-led iran said that saudi arabia would pay a high price for his execution. also put to death is a preacher known for supporting al-qaeda. >> these are some of the 47 men executed ms. saudi arabia arabia--inside saudi arabia. they included this man, nimr al-nimr, a central figure during protests in saudi arabia which intensified in early 2011. among them was an leading al-qaeda preacher. human rights questioned whether the two men received a fair trial. >> the judiciary is objective, and we deal o objecttively with

what they have done on merit. we deal with facts and criminal intent. >> last year a special court in riyadh sentenced this man to death for is he edition, disobedience and bearing arms. he did not deny the political charges against him but said he never carried weapons or called for violence. saudi arabia vowed to stamp out terrorism after 15 people were killed in a suicide bombing in august. others had been linked to attacks in the kingdom between 3:00 and 2006, said to have been carried out al-qaeda-link. >> it has made sure that there is no difference between any form of terror as long as it is threatening people. it will take care of it and work swiftly.

>> in october iran warned saudi arabia of dire consequences if nimr was killed. iranian government leaders said that the saudis will pay a high price. >> they will be igniting the soft spots in the region, and it would not an surprise if it attempted to do that. >> following the latest executions more still may be on the way. at least 2200 similar cases are still to be had in saudi arabian courts. al jazeera. >> well, shia muslims in saudi arabia have taken to the streets to condemn the execution of nimr al-nimr. many chanted down with the name of the ruling family.

in some areas the police used tear gas to protest protesters. ithank you for coming in to al jazeera. the reaction further on was entirely predictable. but what response could we expect in other shias in that region because it is provoking reaction. >> i think one of the things we need to recognize is that while he came from the shia community was asking for people to be empowered, for people to have some kind of voice in terms of ruling and being empowered. that was the issue. one of the things we need to have this sunni narrative, it is not about a shia narrative. we've done a report in previous years which talked about 30,000 political prisoners, the majority of them being sunni background who oppose the saudi

regime and have been imprisoned as a result of that. we need to say that this person was one of a group of people that was actually anti-regime. >> indeed, and there were, as you pointed out, mr. wa there was a prominent sunni preacher. it's not just about targeting the shia majority. >> and within saudi arabia itself, it has no due process. you're not allowed to prepare a case, and all of those things are abusive processes, abusive systems, etc. when we talk about saudi arabia actually executing someone, they have not gone through any due process. and some of the narrative put out is problematic and incorre incorrect. >> saudi arabia clearly has a problem with fighters internally within its borders. there was the bombing to the

mosque last year. but you're saying that the court system does not work in terms of defense. it has a right to have judicial process, and to be fair there has been pressure internationally for saudi arabia to round up people who are suspected of planning violent attacks? >> i think any country has a right to have judicial processes and provided they are acted on fairly. here we're talking about someone who was accused of disobeying the ruler, who was told that he was encouraging and leading demonstrations against the regime. these are the kind of things that he was charged with. when we look at this, this is something where this person was talking about empowerment of people and saying to people, look, we all need to have a voice, and we need to make sure that this saudi monarchy, which iscy cued o--which is accused

of denying due process. >> good to get your thoughts. thank you so much, indeed, for joining us. >> thank you. >> well, saudi state media is reporting that the coalition fighting with houthi rebels in yemen has stopped it's cease-fire. since the conflict began last year thousands of people have been killed and negotiation negotiationnegotiations are redo to resume in two weeks. they said there really was never a cease-fire in the first place. >> if you remember, on the

ground there was strong national pressure against saudi arabia. there was shown to be the need of a cease-fire, but there is no cease-fire. this is more of a media issue to decrease the pressure against saudi arabia rather than-- >> did the cease-fire have any impact, any affect whatsoever? >> i won't be lying if i said that during the cease-fire it became even fiercer than before the cease-fire. for example, sanaa has not been attacked as much over the last

two or three months and during the two weeks during the cease-fire. as i said earlier, on the ground, in reality, it's not there. it's more to push the national pressure. the question now is which key levels where 20 million people are suffering from hungr hungry--hunger. yemen has not seen electricity for the last six months. imagine blackouts for six continuous months. these are issues putting pressure on saudi arabia and we need something to defuse the power or pressure against it, but the reality is that it's not the case. >> two soldiers have been killed in an attack on an indian air force base. the heavily fortified facility is just 15 kilometers on the

border of pakistan. it is on the highway that leads to kashmir. here are our reports. >> the confrontation began around 3:30 a.m. with several men dressed in military uniform arrived in an official vehicle carrying guns and explosives. the police cordoned off the base after a gun battle that lasted several hours all four gunmen were killed. security forces began searching for more members of the group. the area was already on alert after is senior police officer was briefly abducted earlier this week. >> after a police officer's car was hijacked yesterday, and today's attack, a red alert has been issued. we have barricaded the roads and we're checking vehicles. >> the area is no stranger to

attacks in july of last year three men armed with guns and grenades were killed after they stormed police station. in this latest attack officials believe the gunmen are members of a known armed group in pakistan. the indian response is cautious and firm. >> pakistan is our neighbor, and we want peaceful relations, not just with pakistan but all our neighbors. >> security agencies have been on alert for attacks since india's prime minister made a surprise cross-examine day visit to his counterpart in pakistan, which was seen as a huge diplomatic overture. analysts say that pakistan must take some responsibility for the attacks. >> they cannot abdicate and say these are forces not under our parole. mean nothing state can abdicate

from actions of its own citize citizens, whether they're none state. >> talks between indian and pakistani officials are expected later this month. scheduled talks have been called off after previous attacks. there is no word yet if that were to happen in this case. al jazeera, new delhi. >> 15 members of iraq's counterterrorism forces have been killed in an explosion in central ramadi. that's in addition to the 60 soldiers and tribesmen who have been killed in recent days. the government claimed to have reclaimed the city from isil. >> they have been celebrating their victory in retaking ramadi, but it looks like their fight is not over nearly a week after the government claimed control of the city center. iraqi troops are suffering new set backs with multiple coordinated attacks on isil on

various positions around the city. in a recently released isil video one of the fighters said that they're battling the army in the center of ramadi. these pictures appear to show the anbar police headquarters in the center of the city. al jazeera is being told there was an isil suicide car bomb attack, and intense shelling on iraqi forces near a government compound in the city, and isil fighters are still in control of buildings nearby. isil used another ten suicide-bombers in attacks on the army north of the city destroying army vehicles and taking control of the tense division headquarters. the army has made big advances in to and around ramadi in recent weeks. that process helped to free families who had been trapped by the family. they are also accused of using people as human shields. >> may god punish them. they shot people in the head.

bodies are still there. you can go and see them. >> retaking ramadi was the first big victory for the army since isil seized a third of iraq around 2014. but the army is still battling for control of both the city center and wider area and remain under threat from boobie traps and bombs left by isil fighters. caroline malone, al jazeera. >> and still to come on this news hour, going head to head, taiwan hopefuls battle it out on television. the u.n.'s plans to get more children into school. and barcelona in the race. we'll have more details first, two rival afghan taliban factions have agreed to a

cease-fire. the group announced it after the death of their leader in july. >> now on a peace talks level. of afghan government said that these two groups get together it will make it easier for afghan government to continue--to do peace talks with one group. now in the upcoming fighting, they are well-known on the taliban offensive, which has

start in spring and march. now, now if these two groups agree with each other in final agreement, and they fight against afghan government, then the afghan government will days a stronger taliban that they are now. if they disagree with each other, then these two groups will be fighting each other, and it will make it easier for the afghan government to fight them. this is a very important news, and this agreement does not mean yet that they've reached a final agreement with each other. one of taiwan's presidential candies. tsai ing-wen in a debate. beijing views taiwan as a breakaway province. well, eric chu is the mayor of taipei say and supports the

outgoing president's policy. wen has the sizable lead in the poll, and if elected she'll be taiwan's first female president. the final candidate for presidency is the people's first party's james soong. he unsuccessfully contested th the 2000 presidential election and founded his own party. soong has strong connections with beijing's communist leaders. adrian brown has been watching that debate from beijing. >> well, the reason why there is so much interest in these election, the sixth since taiwan became a democracicy 20 years ago. for the first time in a taiwanese election a woman is the clear frontrunner. she's tsai ing-wen.

59 years old, and single and leader of the progressive party. she would be the first female president in a chinese society. she says she wants good relations with china, but worries that taiwan is becoming too economically dependent on beijing. one of her rivals said that she's becoming an isolationist and taking taiwan down a road of uncertainty, but most believe she won saturday's debate. opinion polls give her the commanding lead over her two main rival candidates but 25% of voters also remain undecided, which means the election could still be a very close one. >> russia's ban on turkish goods has come into effect. it came after turkey shot down a

russian jet in november. russia is also stopping charter flight operations for russians to turkey leave meaning the country's tourism industry could be hit, and turkish citizens are now banned from working in russia. what will the sanctions mean for the turkish economy especially for citrus farmers. from southern turkey hashem ahelbarra reports. >> this farm in the southern city in turkey. he grows a variety of fruits such as lemon, lime and manderines, which he exports to russian consumers. he grew more plants in the hope of doubling his profits. recently russia imposed economic sanctions against turkey for shooting down one of its fighter jets near the syrian border. he is now worried about what this means for thinks business.

>> angels will be harmful for us farmers and businessmen, but people like me will be ready. we're hearing tha hearing hearinhearing that citrus prices are declining because of the russian decision. >> these are local produced from here and shipped all over the world. citrus is one of turkey's main exports, a business worth almost $1 billion, and a third of these exports go to russia. >> it's the farmers who are likely to suffer because of the economic sanctions. they're all worried that they no longer will be able to sell their goods if the political crisis with russia continues. they say that the government has to take action so there will be big losses. and the farmers are under pressure to finish harvesting citrus fruits before it gets cold.

the region produces 75% of turkey's products. these are seasonal workers, mostly syrian and local villagers whose future is also uncertain. >> the situation is bad. it's not good. our daily wage is very little, and we come here very early. 3:00 in the morning until the evening. most of us are in debt and life is very expensive. >> he was hoping to sell this year's harvest to iraq. but with instability in kurdish areas the border crossings have been closed. he's now looking for buyers in istanbul. >> it's not my job to find alternative markets. it's the government's or traders. fruits can't wait long in refrigerators. this food cannot pate long and we have commitments towards workers. >> the turkish government has

promised to compensate those affected by the russian sanctions. adding that it will also impose restrictions on russian goods. but until this dispute comes to an end citrus farmers will continue to worry about their future. hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera, in southern turkey. >> well, at least three people have been killed in a suicide-bombing in a somali capital of mogadishu. the target of a restaurant. the police say he wore a business suit on top of his suicide vest. the restaurant has already been attacked by suicide-bombers on two other occasions. the new year has started with a resolution from the united nations aiming to improve the lives of millions of children. more than half of all children who aren't enrolled in school live in sub-saharan africa. the u.n. development goals is

aiming to change that. we have reports now from nigeria, where millions of children don't receive an education. >> this man struggles to keep his seven children in school because of continued strikes and poor facilities. he cannot afford tutors so he makes it up with lessons and work and that takes up a lot of his time and energy. >> you he sends his children to this private school. >> children like hers has access to better learning facilities as they grow up. something private schools are providing as long as parents are willing to pay.

the child comes to the preschool before entering the primary section. they get ahead in writing, reading, before learning the other basic schooling. >> the united nations wants to close this gap by insuring the children all over the worlds have access to quality early state child care and preschool education. the new sustainable development goals want to achieve this b by 2030. but that will be difficult. in nigeria there are 11 million kids out of school. most preschool education is run by private institutions in nigeria. regional governments already struggling to pay teachers have little to no interest in running it. >> i really think that government should be doing less, not more, than what the private sector can do, the government

should encourage them to do. >> which means children will continue to have an edge over the poor, widening the huge gap between the haves and the have nots. al jazeera, central nigeria. >> and you can catch part five of our global series on supplied when we travel to sri lanka where there are concerns about stinking forests and the habitats of rare wildlife are being destroyed. still ahead on this news hour, under investigation on the iraq war. u.k. soldiers could face possible prosecution. [ music ] and cramping creativity, the copyright law hamperingga iguyana's music scene.

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>> hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on

al jazeera. saudi arabia has executed 47 people under terrorism charges. they include a prominent shia cleric and a preacher that affiliated with al-qaeda. attacks i by isil well staying with iraq some british troops who served there may face prosecution for war crimes. that's between 3, and. >> you the british soldier filmed here of abusing iraqi

prisoners is now detained. >> it now has a caseload of 1500 alleged victims, including 280 said to be unlawfully killed. the former commander of british forces in afghanistan believe they need more support. >> the investigation where wrongdoing takes place, but there needs to be a more effective way of screening out. >> but union rights lawyers are bitterly critical that war crimes are taking so long to investigate.

>> they're investigating 45 of those cases. so statistically it doesn't like there actually being very effective, and we do have lots of concerns about how effective they can be in the circumstances. >> although the death of prisoners in 2003 revealed treatment by soldiers, only one soldier was jailed for ill treatment. regarding the latest reports the british ministry of defense issued a statement: yet the number of legal cases continue to grow, and the ability to deal with them is starting to look

questionable. >> one clear inference, the complexity and cheer number risk overwhelming the team. that's bad news for the ministry of defense here. the mod set up in part to prevent the international criminal court for looking at the abuse allegations. if they fail the icc is on stand by, and we could see british soldiers facing trial in the hague. paul brennan, al jazeera, london. >> earlier i spoke to the director of redress human rights organization that helps prisoners. she told me that the allegations must go before prosecutors regardless of who they are against. >> we've known about these allegations for a very long time. and it's extremely important that where the evidence shows criminal behavior has taken place that these allegations are part of prosecutions.

this is how any justice systems should work and there should be no exception for military or any other category of persons. >> there are almost 300 cases that involve allegations of unlawful killing. that sounds an extremely high number. is it really likely that an army that is posed to be as well trained and disciplined as the u.k. army is, and many people would agree that it is that, is it likely that army would be responsible for so many unlawful killings? >> the context in iraq was very difficult, and it is impossible to secretary lat--speculate how many numbers of credible allegations there are. what is important is that those with the obligation and the capacity to invest those allegations do so as thoroughly and independently as possible so that the very well-trained t.

military goes forward with untainted reputation. it's not good for the u.k. military or any other forces to have these kind of allegations over their heads without having prosecutor accountability. the quicker and the quicker we can have answers to what, indeed, happens and accountability, the better for all concerned. the better for the victims and for the military itself. >> the investigation, of course, are taking a long time. is that not in part to the difficulties in operating iraq and investigating exactly what went wrong in a war situation? >> of course it's difficult. but we need to remember the comments which came out of the commission of inquiry after the

incident where the military judge said that there was a closing of the ranks. that's a really serious statement in relation to the ability for there to be proper accountability. so what is important is that despite the difficulties all those who have information about what, indeed, happens reveal that information so that justice could be served. >> do you have any sympathy for the soldiers particularly now who may go into a war situation like iraq in the future? and then live with the fear that they might face prosecution later even if they are then cleared, they face that prosecution because some in the country they're operating in feel they have not acted in the right and proper manner? >> we have to understand that the allegations that we're talking about here are war crimes, crimes against humanity, and torture, no one should be

put into a position where they commit war crimes. if any u.k. military is accused of carrying out war crimes i would certainly hope that proper investigation and prosecution will take place. >> police in israel say that they remained on heightened alert after a gunman killed two people in tel aviv. the gunman open fired outof a bar on friday. the police are still serving for the suspect who is identified as a 31-year-old from a village in northern israel. in the west bank thousands of mourners are joining a mass funeral procession for those killed in violence. the funeral takes place the day after israel released the bodies.

and authorities in dubai are still trying to establish what caused a fire that gutted a luxury hotel on new year's eve. officials say 14 people suffered minor injuries. the 63-story building was badly damaged in the blaze that was believed to have started on the 20th floor terrace. in missouri the mississippi river is expected to reach record levels on sunday. hundreds of homes have been evacuated we're monitoring events, give us the scale of this flooding. >> well, as you point out it is really massive in the fact that it hitting record levels and it is hitting that in the state of

majority. it is as water continues to accumulate even states in the u.s. south are expected to be bracing themselves as well. as well as the residents, tennessee, mississippi, louisiana, even texas. as you point out it is missouri that has been hit the hardest. there have been 12 different counties that have been declared disaster areas, and in some cases hundreds in not thousands of residents were advised to move to higher ground, they're now sheltered at schools, todaying with friends and families. the and the situation has been hit hard. >> we won't know about the damage until those waters subside. >> we'll wait to hear from the missouri governor on how this

has affected the states in surrounding areas. it has not been just people who have had to leave their homes. but the transportation chaos has been massive. some highways have been shut down for a number of days, but it goes to the rail lines that have been stopped. rail lines have been disrupted, and a number of bridges that have washed out. this really is a massive scene of destruction in some parts. it will take weeks in not months to rebuild the damage, it is expected to be in the hundreds of millions. >> thank you so much for that update. >> senegal is tightening security at its border. it is in response to attacks at a hotel in neighboring mali.

>> along the senegal 500 kilometer land border with mali there are only two roads linking the country. this one is used by truck drivers carrying goods destined for the capital. security agencies fear the route tear carries attacks. it is a long wait to cross the border. security controls are tighter. some have been here for hours. others have been waiting for days to get into mali. >> i take this road all the time and now there are so many checks. this is slowing down our business.

>> increased security checks from introduced after the attacks on the radisson hotel in november. 22 people died when gunmen stormed the hotel prompting the president to suggest reinstated border controls throughout west africa. he's also proposing banning the work out. shad and niger have alread already--chad and niger have already banned burqas. islam--these measures are necessary because the threats of the attacks in sin gallon are real. senegal police have made several arrests including the imam of this mosque. he's accused to having links

with boko haram. a claim that mosque reporter worshipers deny. >> they're make a big mistake. as muslims we do not accept this law of the state we only accept the rule of god. >> senegal has so far prevented any attacks. the government said that it will take whatever steps necessary to protect its citizens. even if it causes inconvenience for some. al jazeera, at the senegal-mali border. >> in 2015 record numbers of people traveling to europe seeking a new life. more than a million refugees and migrants arrived last year, more than a third of those were syrians looking to escape the civil war. >> you when historians commit the events of 2015, they won't

be short of things to write about. thousands drowned in the mediterranean in over crowded terrifying crossings. the european union holds for itself and human rights groups as to whether these people are really refugees at all and whether or not they should be helped to build new lives. introssingly newer members of the e.u. argue which migrants and refugees should be kept out to defend europe's christmas. so as the year ended the best clue of what might 2016 might have in store. turkey suddenly being groomed for quicker entry into the european union with an effort to hold refugees inside it's

borders before they come to greece, and in the same way they try to convince african leaders they can work together and stem the flow of human traffic across the mediterranean. >> now we're looking at the framework in which they're looking for immediate shelter, but after two, three, four years in refugee camps they look for their own layoffs and lives of their children. so to own up for schooling, for participation in the economy, for working for the time that they are staying in turkey. >> yet security experts say that blocking some routes will only lead to others opening. perhaps north into romania and even ukraine. turkey can't police all of it, and it's lucrative for the smuggling gains. human rights groups say not only will the e.u. plans not work,

they're immoral. >> they're in turkey and they don't enjoy human rights at all. syrians enjoy some sport of protection but 80% of all syrian kids in turkey do not go to school. syrians are not allowed to work legally, and when we talk about people from iraq, afghanistan, iran, they're not allowed to get any protection in turkey. so that would be a huge point of concern for us. >> of course, the paris attacks changed european thinking enormously. another one like it would make things even harder for the refugees. anything on what to do about syria hardly looks likely. so as hard as 2015 was, there is every suggestion that 2016 could be even harder. >> we'll continue our look ahead to what 2016 holds over the next

few days from flashy drones to bio metrics to something still a little more restaurant. we'll reach down into something to take the world by storm this year. that's this year on the 3rd of january. raffle nadal bids for the country's tennis tournament. that's next where we'll have all the latest.

>> hello again. millions of low wage workers will begin their new year with a pay rise. the pay increase comes after two years of protest and national debate of what is a living minimum wage. >> jarrel lives with his parents and relies on government assistance for living assistance, but his pay is going up to $10.50 thanks to a nationwide campaign to raise the minimum wage. >> basically, you know, me and my workers, we got fed up.

organizers came to talk to me and said enough is enough, don't you think? i said yes. >> new york fast food workers backed by labor unions started a fight for 15 dollar an hour two years ago. they walked off the job in protest. some were even arrested. some from home health workers to college professors highlighting the struggles of all low-wage earnings. it convinced some cities to adapt a $15 minimum wage over time. businesses argue that a higher minimum wage will force them to cut jobs. >> mcdonald's is one of the most successful and recognizable global brands. yet economists say that cooperate profits for works. >> according to one stay more than half of answer fast food

workers require some public assistance to get by. >> what that indicates is that the low wage model of operating a business jarrell said he's help to have more money to spend even though it will take more than two years to reach $15 an hour. he's vowing to continue the fight until all workers receive that wage nationwide. >> it is time to catch up with all the latest in sport now. >> felicity thanksgiving very much. arsenal has managed to extend their lead to the top of the english premier league.

>> i think it helps because we go where we will not play well, and the memory of having done that before and having won the game helps you to hang on sometimes. >> elsewhere, wayne rooney at the end of his goal drought netting one to end with a victory against swansea. >> the win over liverpool, they took the lead after just ten minutes. former leadership player, the fourth loss in 12 premier league games in charge. the reds are down to eight. >> i can't say more.

but not enough. >> for a third straight game, leicester city has failed to score against bournemouth, and sunderland against aston villa's relegation. watford has taken a shot 1-0 lead over third-place manchester city. barcelona could lose the top spot. they've been held to a draw in the catalan derby. the spanish record of 118 goals, but the match finish goalless. many have now drawn three of the last four games in la liga. well, the lead at the top of the table is just a single point. just over a half our win there would see their move ahead.

but with the game in hand. well, they'll look to keep pace with the other words with shah lens i can't who have won kicks of their last seven games. rafa benitez has been quizzed about hamas being clocked at driving 200 kilometers on the way to practice. >> this is an inside issue. we'll look at the situation. struggling with injury and fell to win a grand slam. but he has managed to stop the new year on a positive note.

were earlier they claimed third place by in a tiebreaker all players are preparing for the year's first grand slam. let's go to england after the open day play in south africa. thmost of the conditions there were three half centuries other stand out performances, they would pick up three picture picture wickets.

they lead the series, 1-0. west indy open that the new year brings an end to their disastrous streak. they go into australia's 3-0 whitewash. >> i think in terms we'll be disciplined for longer periods of time and it feels adequate for that. >> they came out and played a bit more up tempo again last week. they fought quite hard. i'm sure they're going to do the same this week, and they're work e extremely hard with their team to get them up for every challenge, and i think they're going to come in hard again this

week and we'll have to do our best. >> that's it for sport, felicity. >> well, enjoying the fact that england are 317-5 against south africa, i think robin has not been in the frame of mind right now. there was hope that the number of rhinos being poached might have lowered. in 2015 there was prominent shia about 1,160 reported cases of rhino poaching. that is down by more than 50 from the number reported from the year before. but some conservations say that this figure does seem low and it does not include carcasses from last year that still have not been discovered. we'll find much more on many of our stories over on our website. the usual address to click on to is www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com. that's it from this particular news hour. thank you for watching. david foster is up next. i'll see you soon.

bye bye.

>> a shia cleric and leading al-qaeda preacher among 47 men executed by saudi arabia. for terrorism offenses. good to have your company. i'm david foster. you're watching al jazeera live from london. also from this program, fighters kill at least two soldiers at an air base at the border near pakistan. and we meet a farmer who is feeing the bite as russian tanks take effect. and the u.s. worker is