good evening. i'm antonio mora. this is al jazeera america. angry protests over the execution of a shia cleric in saudi arabia has middle eastern countries taking sides. >> this is not a violent or hostile situation occupation of a federal

building is demanding changes. the day that sent stocks into a tumble we begin with calls for calm amid escalating tensions between saudi arabia and iran, a day after saudi arabia cut off ties with tehran, bahrain and sudan follow eld suit and downgraded its relationship. tensions flair after demonstrators in iran set fire to the saudi arabian embassy after the saudis executed a shia cleric. andrew simons reports. >> reporter: diplomats on their way home with their families, transiting here at dubai

airport. among them bay rain. up to two days of demonstrations by protestors from a shia muslim majority. the gulf state that is closely allied to saudi arabia accused iran of blatant and dangerous interference in arab countries and support for terrorism. the actions followed the arson attack at the saudi embassy in tehran. saudi arabia aaccused iran of doing nothing to prevent it. a war of words is escalating. >> we decided to cut off all diplomatic relations with iran and also all air traffic, cutting off all commercial relations with iran and we will have a travel ban against people travelling to iran. >> translation: unfortunately, the government of saudi arabia sees its interest in creating clashes and escalating tensions in the region. in recent years it has taken measures in line with that.

>> reporter: sympathy apeople right across the middle east have been demonstrating after the execution of nimr al-nimr. he and 46 others, including preacher faris al-zahrani, were charged with plotting and carrying out terrorist attacks the saudi arabia is adamant he got a fair trial. it is not the first time diplomatic relations have been cut, but there are fears it could cause more violence. in an incident in eastern saw dewhere people are mourning nimr al-nimr's death, the officials reported that one man had been killed and a child was injured. nimr al-nimr's brother has said he had been told the cleric will be buried in an undisclosed location, a move that could cause more protests iraq's prime minister is blaming i.s.i.l. for the bombing of two sun ee-- three sunni mosques south of baghdad. the facilities were partially

destroyed this morning and at least two people were killed. witnesses say they saw men wearing military uniforms. no-one has claimed responsibilities yet, but the bombings took place right after saudi arabia severed ties with iran. iraqi officials say the attacks were carried out to stir up sectarian defines. one person was killed when a truck filled with explosives rammed into a wall near kabul's airport. earlier in the day a suicide bomber blew himself up. members of an armed anti-government group remained holed up in the headquarters of a federal wildlife reserve in oregon. two oregon ranchers whose battle with the government helped spark the protest went to prison.

is everything the same, frozen in place or is there a change? >> reporter: not much has changed. although the sheriff made it very clear today he would like these protesters to leave. these protesters made it very clear that they would like a much deeper investigation into the circumstances behind the convictions and incarceration of those two ranchers. other than that it was a lot of talk, a little bit of show and tell aland not much action. we got our first look at the new home of the group that is now calling itself the citizenss for constitutional freedom. a spokesman for the protesters told us specifically not to expect a lot of guns and any questions about how many protesters are here were left unanswered during our 45-minute tour of the national wildlife refuge property that this group walked into and took over. >> it is an emotional roler coaster. it is up and down. it is going great. there's no blood shed.

this is not a violent or hostile situation. >> reporter: there are 15 or so buildings here, dozens of idle government trucks and heavy equipment. the spokesman told us this is one of the sleeping areas. we took video through a window of people prepping food but were not allowed into this kitchen. we didn't visit every building, but we were allowed to roam on our own and saw no signs of damage or vandalism >> we want to be polite and neighbourly, we want to be citizens and respectful of unanother. >> reporter: this is a rancher who has emerged as one of the group's main spokesman. where do you see this ending? >> i believe it shall spread from here. this grievance that they're dealing with here is widespread throughout the west. this is not going away. >> reporter: we saw nobody carrying a weapon, but, again, didn't see every room. we asked if he here were armed.

>> there is probably a weapon in every pick-up truck within a hundred miles of here. you know, everybody says they're armed, but each rancher i know has a weapon. i had a cougar on my porch last week. there you go >> reporter: the leader of the group calling citizens for constitutional freedom held a morning conference to outline grievances. he was asked what will it take to end this protest peacefully? >> i wouldn't say words would do it. i would say action would. that would be for the federal government to remove its unconstitutional presence here in the county. i want to talk directly to the

people in the wildlife refuge. you said you wanted to help. a peaceful protest became a bad situation. it's time are for you to leave your community. go home to your families. >> reporter: so far lots of talking but no serious action as the protest that started saturday continues. there is a hint, just a hint, of the possibility of some movement in this situation. oregon public broadcasting is reporting tonight that ryan bundy has indicated that this group might be willing to move out if the community says they don't want them here and he is indicating that he would like to have some kind of community meeting to find out if that is the case. however, we have not been able to find anyone at the site monday night, lately monday night, to confirm that or to address it in any way thanks for that.

to washington dc where the president is preparing to take steps to reduce gun violence. tomorrow he will announce a number tf executive actions, including expanded background checks on gun sales. as our correspondent reports, republicans are already criticizing the proposals. >> reporter: on the president's first day of his last year in office he took on the one issue he says has fraus traited him the most throughout his term and that's gun violence and what to do about it. after going over plans with the attorney-general, president obama says it's time to act on arms >> we have to be clear that this is not going to solve every violent crime in this country or prevent every mass shooting or keep every gun out of the hands of a criminal. it will potentially save lives in this country. >> reporter: as he has on immigration and the environment,

he will use executive action bypassing congress. among the new rules requiring dealers who sell firearms on line and at gun shows to get a licence, thereby making their customers subject to background checks before a gun sale can go through >> we've been very careful recognising that although we have a strong tradition of gun other thankership in this country, that even those who possess firearms for hunting, for self protection and for other legitimate reasons, want to make sure that the wrong people don't have them for the wrong reasons >> reporter: currently a seller classified as a personalal collector or hobbyist can sell guns without running a background check. the numbers are in dispute of the sale 2 to 4% of all transactions. it is a huge loophole in the law that is frequently ignored

>> back background checks are to make sure that people who are buying guns can legally do so >> reporter: background checks should have stopped this man, but the procedure was boched and the f.b.i. apologise. in san bernardino the shooters recruited a friend to buy weapons that they used to kill 14. purchase of the weapons would not have been blocked by obama's new rules. one place where it could have made a difference is the 1999 school massacre where some of the weapons were bought at a show. >> it is possible that we could prevent even one or two incidents of gun violence, then we're going do eagerly implement those executive actions. >> reporter: public polling on guns varies depending on how questions are posed to respondents, but a clear majority of republicans are

against stricter measures. presidential hopefuls have pounded. chris christie called him a petulant child. >> i am confident that the courts will reject his attempts to do that. if they don't, i'm sure ultimately the next president will make sure that he abrogates them. >> reporter: it all comes with a price tag and that means congress may have a say in this after all. some 230 f.b.i. examiners are going to be hired under the president's plan. that will have to be fund eld by congress who, after all, has the power of the purse thank you for that. this morning workers returned to the san bernardino california office complex where 14 people were murdered a month ago. guards checked ids as 600 employees entered the building. many of them have not been there

since the attack on 2 december. counsellors were on hand for the returning employees. the conference room where the massacre took place remains closed. former president bill clinton is hitting the trail. a former police officer charged with murdering a man during a traffic stop is out of jail at least for now.

>> new moms forced to choose. >> the united states does lag behind other countries on this. >> now a revolution in workers' rights... >> my story is so many peoples' story. >> that could decide the election. >> it can be different.

missing country music singer craig strickland has been found dead. his body was found in a lake. on december 27 his wife reported him missing along with his friend chase morland. they were on a duck hunting trip when their boat capsized. a former police officer charged in the murder of an unarmed black man last year is out of jail. a judge in south corolina set

bail for him. he previously denied bail saying that he would be a dangerous risk to the community. he has been held in solitary kon fiment since his arrest last april. former president bill clinton is back in a familiar place, the campaign trail. he made an appearance today on behalf of his wife's campaign. >> reporter: hillary clinton has called her husband "not so secret weapon", and this was the day the campaign began using his star power with voters. the former president told those crowded into a community college jip that it is about restore is prosperity, keeping america straight but still america. a dig at donald trump who

suggested banning muslims >> america is a place that welcomes other people who treat people the way they want to be treated following the law. >> reporter: clinton said there is no better candidate than hillary clinton to raise the middle-class and carry on president obama's progress on the environment, gay rights and health care. >> i do not believe in my lifetime anybody has run for this job at a moment of great importance who was better qualified by knowledge, experience and temperament that needs to be done to restore prosperity. >> reporter: new hampshire is friendly territory for the clintons. hillary clinton had a come from behind win here in her first presidential bid eight years ago. the state launched her husband's

to the. she is trailing bernie sanders in the polls here. experts say it is still anyone's race and that bill clinton's job is to coral those undecided democrats. >> his job is to get them energyi energyised. if she wins here, it's game over. >> thank you very much and god bless you. >> reporter: sending bill clinton on the road can be risky. in 208 he angered african americans by insinuating obama run the primary simply because of his race, but monday clinton stayed on message. even when asked about donald trump's comment calling him "one of the great abusers of the world". >> they have to decide who they want to nominate. i'm trying to tell the democrats that i think hillary clinton will be the best president. >> reporter: he had an easy sell for the supporters of his wife

>> he touched on all the issues which shows up what a great candidate she would be >> she can work with other people and get things done. >> reporter: others are not yet on board. >> i'm still not sure. i'm going to - there's still five weeks. i've got a lot of time to think about it. >> reporter: lisa starke for more on this year's election, bill schneider joins us. your name sake, former bill clinton. he is a much more natural politician than his wife. do you see him as a big boost for her? >> well, i think he is a boost, particularly among democrats who continue to him. they think his presidency was successful. he is better regarded than, say, george w bush. he had, of course, a lot of enemies, but so did bush. any ex-president these days is

going to have both fervent supporters and deeply committed means bill kon tonne does bring up a series of issues, donald trump among others hasn't been shy about bringing them up and as lisa mentioned. bill clinton showed a lack of discipline that might have hurt her candidacy. do you expect him to be more disciplined? >> yes. he learned a lesson in 2008. there was a huge amount of excitement over obama becoming the first african american president. clinton seemed to spoil it when he went out in campaign for his wife, but appeared to be critical of obama and that hurt a lot of his supporters. i think those feelings are now four years away and the feelings have not lasted as deeply as they did in - no eight years away what about the issue of political dynasties.

poll sz show most americans oppose a bush or a clinton election. do you think that's an issue at all because i think people are conscious of the fact that bill is hillary clinton's husband >> it is a plus or a minus. the plus is clearly what they remember about him is very good times, i suppose in every sense of the word. great economy in the late 1990s. things were booming a lot of people think if he is around to advise, he might know things about managing the economy. the minus of course, a lot of people don't want to go back to the clinton wars of the 1990s, which is one reason obama beat him when he brought up president obama he focused on social issues and health care. the recent poll shows the president's rating is deeply in the red and overwhelming americans feel the country is on the wrong track. will hillary clinton's association with the association

hurt her? >> i think that will be problem. after two terms of one party one president, people have many a vote for veining. i think obama is a bigger problem than her husband. there are voters today who were toddlers when clinton left office. i think that the obama record is for her. the republican party and its tendency these days towards the divisiveness extremism, i think that's a big advantage for her donald trump finally is that right to advertise in iowa and new hampshire, much are wondering if his popularity will turn into vote. do you think his supporters will show up? >> no-one knows. i don't know if he knows. he doesn't have much of a ground organization. these people are inspired, passionate, but we don't know if they will be driven to the

polls. if they do donald trump will win, but right now we don't know because he doesn't have much of an organization out there always good to have your perspective on all this. a new year brings new worries for investors. while china's economic slow down is dragging down markets. the federal government is taking vw to court after the company admitted to installing software in some of its cars to cheat on emissions tests. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

and that's what we're doing at xfinity. we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around.

with tuesday trading already underway, asian markets are fairly flat. the shanghai is up a third of a%. that follow $monday's terrible start to 2016. as al jazeera's correspondent reports, global investors are closely watching china where stocks fell almost 7% on monday before trading was suspended. >> reporter: the do you jones industrial average closed down 276 points. its worst annual kick-off in eight years. as markets around the globe tanked over fresh evidence that china's economy is shrinking more than analysts expected. >> what investors are worried about is whether that is accelerating whether or not the slow down is moving from gradual

to a very sharp drop. >> reporter: an engine of global growth in the wake of the recession, china's economy has been slowing down to an economy powered by consumer spending. the ability of chinese authorities to pull off a smooth transition and manage shocks along the way has been thrown into doubt. last year beijing tried to stem a stock market rout that wiped a lot of the value of chinese shares, spending billions on share buy backs and placing a six-month ban on stock sales by big share holders that is due to expire this friday. >> the authorities have taken a number of measures that really do not look like very good policy making and since china is the second biggest economy in the world, people are nervous now >> reporter: because as china's

economy slows, so does its appetite for material. that has been hampering economies that depend on selling to china. like brazil, weakness that can feedback in the u.s. economy by shrinking the global trade and depressing the prices when a strong dollars is making u.s. goods more expensive to buy overseas. it didn't help matters that a reading on u.s. manufacturing also disappointed monday and while many investors will be hoping the sell off was over done, the tone set by the first day of trading in 2016 was undoubtedly a dismal one the u.s. government filed a lawsuit against vw told over the emissions cheating software found in nearly 600,000 vehicles. the civil complaint from the justice department and the epa says the german auto maker illegally installed the software to make them pass emissions

tests. they're still facing possible criminal charges. i'm antonio mora. thank you for joining us for the latest news. you can go any time to al jazeera.com. ray suarez is up next. have a great night. a group of armed opinion has taken ore a federal building at a wildlife refuge in eastern oregon. they say they are prepared to hold the facility for years. the men are armed. some have told reporters they are prepared to kill and die for their cause. federal officers haven't simply run them off of the property. have the militia men proved when you have got a cause, being armed matters. armed politics.