>> every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. >> invoking the memory of children killed in a mass shooting an emotional u.s. president outlined his actions to tighten gun control. you are watching al jazeera live from london, also coming up on the program, rival demonstrations in venezuela, where the winds have changed for the first time in nearly 20 years. as germany deals with a low birthrate, a massive influx of refugees help make up a

worsening field shortage. also, the slow and quiet disaster unfolding where rising sea waters are washing away entire villages. as he announced executive actions to tighten gun control. who have consistly blocked changes to gun laws. at the center of obama's plans is the closure of a legal loophole which currently allowed many weapon sales without a background check on the buyer. he says he wants to prevent tragedies like the mass shooting at a school three years ago, in which 20 children were kimed. every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. by the way it happens on the streets of chicago every day.

and a white house correspondent is following the story. >> in fact, wiping away tears after talking about the twenty-first break students that were killed in their classroom in new town kentucky, they don't have to pass a background check, the president says he is changing that, and anyone who sells a gun, makes a profit, is now going to be considered a dealer, they have to get a license, if they don't perform the background checks well, they can face criminal penalties. now i spoke to one of the fathers who lost his daughter in sandy hook, and asked him how he felt about this step would it make a difference. >> there's nothing that can

bring my daughter back, and that's a sad reality. it is very likely the president's moves will be challenged in the court system and also in the u.s. congress. 20 do more investigations he is likely going to face a fierce fight in congress if he is going to try to get that money. >> they say that barack obama proposals are, quote, ripe for abuse by the government. and it will continue to fight for people's constitutional right to bear arms. amido a power struggle with the president, for the first time in 16 years the 167 member national assembly will be controlled by the opposition. the democratic action party won a two-third maz jordy in legislative elections last month.

but not all of them have been able to take their seats after a challenge in court, by supporters of president nikolai's social party. now demonstrations have been held by both supporters and opponents accusing each other. the president himself calls for calm ahead of the inauguration. still live now in the capitol, what more can you tell us about what is going on? >> we have seen the new assembly being sworn in, what should have developed peacefully, in ilack inside of the assembly between both camps and then finally, the government camp leaving all together the national assembly, they argued that the opposition congress had violated basic regulations and that today ceremony was all about inaugurating the new congress, and that they

agreed to take to the floors. the right intentions inside the parliament of more than we can probably expect in the near future. >> what kind of reaction has there been among ordinary people in venezuela? >> well, we spent the morning in the opposition strong holds where people were gathering. to support the new legislatures coming into power, and people there were ecstatic, however they were disappointed at several of the measures taken in the months since the opposition one of two-thirds super majority, and that designs to rest some of the power that the new etch osix led assembly, was set to achieve. the government has just passed several laws some of

which strip the new assembly of powers that were traditionally attributed to it. for example, removing directors of the central bank. it is also commenting at a time when the government has challenged the election of several of the new legislatures which could potentially see the opposition stripped of the super majority. they would still have a three-fifth control of the congress, but certainly not as significant as the super majority. >> with the latest from karakas, thank you. the united nations says the civilian death toll from nine months of war has reached already 2,800. the latest figures show that the spike of supposed cease fire at least 81 people were killed in violence, in december. another 109 were wounded last month. and that means since the war began, 2,795 civilians have

died. >> . >> senior officials have survived a rocket propelled grenade attack, among them was the government of the port city, with the attack happens. but two of his bodyguards were killed and three others were left with critical injuries. the government forces recently recaptures adan in the midst of war and turmoil, in the capitol saleh an art exhibition has opened for the artist it is a way of giving expression to the conflict around them. mariana has more. >> at first glance this could be an art gamery in london or new york, the capitol of war torn yemen. a city at the heart of the hoot firearm led rebellian. that becomes apparent with a closer look, through the vibrant brush strokes you can see the fighting, the turmoil, and the loss. >> the conflicts that plagued

yemen since december of 2014, when fighters backed by troops loyal to the former president, and supported by iran, launch add rebellion and took control. they are up against forces of yemen's president which have had the backing of air strikes since march. the united nations says more than 6,000 people have been killed nearly half of them civilians. the exhibition is the first of it's kind, since i began in march. once an aid visor to the ministry of tourism, now he is an artist. >> much of the art reflecting the shelling of yemen over these months. women and children have been the main victims.

>> u.n. brokers talked have suffer as set back, the saudi led coalition announced on saturday it was pulling out of the cease fire, that began in mid december. without a clear path to peace, people are determined to express themselves, and the turmoil they see. al jazeera. >> a u.s. soldier has been killed in southern afghanistan after coming under heavy mortar fire. two others were wounded in the attack in the province, where heavy fighting has been taking place between afghan and taliban no, sirs the taliban have been focused their attacks as they seek to extend their control of the region. >> the bodies of at least 36 refugees have been found at two locations on turkey's coast. the area is a starting point for many refugees and migrants trying to reach the greek island. turkish coast quartses have rescued eight people and are looking for more.

al jazeera john that hull reports. >> it is the first week of a new year. the warm summer long gone, and the refugees journey getting harder. we came an hour ago, we heard the boat sink and hit the rocks. i think these people died when they are trying to swim to the rocks. we came here to help. >> but there wasn't much to be done. the coast guard dispatched three boats and a helicopter to search for survivors, eight people were rescued. including one man who emerged

from the freezing waters on his own. it is estimated 1 million refugees and migrants entered greece through it's outlying islands in 2015, traveling on to central and northern europe as part of the biggest humanitarian crisis on the continent in two decades. >> nigh grants and refugees continue to enter greece at a rate of 2500 a day, from turkey, which is very close to the average through december. so we can see the flows are continuing through the winter. and obviously, the fatalities are continuing as well. >> this is where most are heading the greek island gate way to the european union some ten-kilometers off the coast, but despite efforts to improve conditions here, international volunteers say the refugees welcome can be a harsh one. >> women, young children, they are not safe at night, as are the men that come with the women and children.

because they are stealing, and raping, there is theft. there is fives here, there are guns here, those things happen here. >> so the fate of even those who survived the sea crossing is uncertain. many will eventually find safe harbor in european countries like germany. but here, on the greek shore, their ordeal has just begun. john that hull, al jazeera. >> still to come on the program, armed occupation, u.s. ranchers take their protests into a fourth day. and it may look like paradise, be uh the island is struggling with some very heavy debt problems. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

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spoken of his anger of the death of child victims of gun violence, as he unveiled plans to ensure background checks are carried out on anyone buying a gun. the new parliament is being sworn in, with president nicholas madu row. and the bodies of at least 36 refugees have been found at two locations on turkey's coast. beer ran has joined saudi arabia in halting all flights two and from iran kuwait has

also recalls it's envoy in iran. protestors attacked the embassy, over the kingdoms execution of the prominent clearer rick. iran's president says saudi arabia is severs relations to cover up the crime of execution, both russia and now turkey have offered to mediate between the two countries, here is what the prime minister has to say about the dispute. >> iran and saudi arabia, which are friends and allies of turkey, are two important countries of the muslim world. the current tense between these two is unfortunately clearing the potential. we expect them to decrease the tension rather than increase it. >> four armed men have set fire to a bus tearing workers in saudi arabia's oil rich eastern province. state and news agencies say there were no injuries the

bus was passing through a residential neighborhood, in the government from have been flashes in the area since the execution. in 1920, there were about 2 billion people. but today that figure is over 7.3 billion people. but by 2000 -- well, 2100, that group is expected to slow with world population leveling out at around 11 billion. and that's because average fertility rates are coming down. from around five children per woman, in 1950, to just 2 1/2 and falling today. but there are big regional differences women in africa have an average of 4.7 children while in europe, that figure is much lower. 1.6, that is below the population replacement rate. in germany, an aging population and a low

birthrate are creating serious skills shortages. in part one of the global look at falling birthrates dominic cane is in a small town in central germany. where they are hoping some of the thousands coming there could provide an answer. nestling at the foot of the mountains, an affluent town that is home to 22,000 people. despite the apparent prosperity, one group is increasingly missing, young people. in the past 15 years, the population of the town has fallen 20%. the decline is being blamed on impression. >> when the schools run out of children, we have regular school in our area, and first four years has about let's say 150 to 200 children.

if you are under any fact children, you are not able to manage a good school many the long run. >> it is a similar story in many german towns and cities. fewer births and an a tension population. one leading academic says it is creating a serious skills shortage. and the profession nally qualified refugees could be part of the solution. >> the big expectation is that the migrants would also be a remedy to the labor market shortage. that we have in germany, we have a shortage of high skill laborers but also a shortage of young starting vocation positions. perhaps this initiative could be a template for the future. it helps refugees who want to work, by teaching them vocational courses, and germ

nan language skills. people like hassan from ghana are already benefiting from the training. >> we need to forget about what has gone in the past, and focus on the future. they are so much kind and so good, and that is my dream. i want somebody to give me an opportunity to start from. >> back here many people want to give refugees like hassan that opportunity. the local mayor says the refugees with professional experience, could help provide an answer to the shortage of jobs in the german work force. around a 1,000 men described by witnesses as being of north african appearance, harassed women in h the city center close to the train

station. and one of rape, and the police investigation is underway. the armed occupation of a wild life center in the northwestern united states, is now into a fourth day with the internal security agency the fbi working to end the protest peacefully. the initial protest was against jail sentences given to two local ranchers for starting fires. their grievances now appear to spread much wider. a spokesman told us not to expect a lot of guns and the question about how many protestors are here, remains unanswered. that this group walked into and took over. how is it going so far? >> it is an emotional roller coaster, it is up and down.

it is going great. there's no bloodshed, this is not a violent or hostile situation. >> there are 15 or so buildings here, dozens of truck, swamp boats for the marshes and heavy equipment. we took video of people prepping food, but were not allowed into the kitchen, we didn't visit every building but were allowed to roam on our own, and so no signs of damage or vandalism. >> we want to be polite, we want to be neighborly, we want to be siseses. we want to be respectful of one another. >> lavoy is an arizona larger, who is emerged as one of the group's main spokes men. >> where do you see this end? >> i believe it shall spread from here. this is -- this grievance that-here is widespread throughout the west. this is not going away. >> we saw nobody carrying a

weapon, but didn't see every room, we asked dwayne if people here were armed. >> there's a probably a weapon in every pickup truck within 100 miles of here. everybody says they are armed but each rancherie know has a weapon. so i had a cougar on my porch last week. there you go. >> ammond bundy the leader of the group called itself citizens for constitutional freedom, to outline grievances about land use restrictions and federal regulations in an area where ranching and conservation have collided since the refuge was formed in 1908. i wouldability said ownerships would do it, i would say action would. and that's for the federal government to remove it's unconstitutional presence here in the county.

>> i want to talk directly to the people another the wild life refuge. you said you are here to help the residents, that help ended when a peaceful protest became an armed occupation. the hammonds have turned themselves in, it is time for you to leave our community, go home to your families and end this. >> so far, a lot of talking but no serious action. as the protest that started saturday continues. al jazeera, near burns oregon. >> the u.s. territory of puerto rico has $174 million of debt payments. now the caribbean island is looking to washington for help. >> . >> the island paradise is kicking off the new year. >> the debt is on payroll, some of us here in the senate, we are seeing that

since 2014. >> they say puerto rico can't stop the crisis until washington helps. >> in order for us to pay for the debt service, we will have to sacrifice. essential services for the people. >> how are you. >> trying to pay down debt, the island has slashed healthcare and public transportation services. 2340 matter what side of an aisle a politician is on, if you ask them what is reason for the recession, and the massive debt, almost all of them will point to a nice teen 96 act of congress, that cut corporate tax incentives and by the time 2006 came along, most of those companies left the island. port rick coy's governor speaking exclusively to al

jazeera described what happened next. >> there was a tool that puerto rico had to bring investors the the island. to bring factories, to bring manufacturing to the island. they shut that down with ten year, that ends in 2006. what happened in 2006, we get into organizations. >> puerto rico's job less rater is 12.5%, more than double the national average of 5%, last year, 84,000 people left the island, and 1,000 more joined them each week, most headed to the u.s. mainland. and then there's the poverty rate, clouding the future of the working class. >> a crisis that developed that took decades to develop, will not be solved from juan i do to the next day. so for them, i know what they are feeling. and with them, and because of them, that i am trying too hard to fix this crisis that we have.

>> the debt load has been building for over a decade, and the long term outlook appears bleak with more payments due in the coming months, the only hope is if congress allows the island to restructure the money owed and start from scratch. robert gray al jazeera, san juan puerto rico. >> in ten yeah has reopened nine months after it was attacked by al-shabaab. 148 people, most of them students, were killed when gunman opened fire in the camp in april. police are now permanently stationed there. in senegal islands around the low lying delta of the region are fast disappearing beneath rising seas. thousands of people living there are becoming climate change refugees. nicholas reports now. a suitcase, pots and pans, all belongs that were once safe before it was destroyed

by rising water. it has become a daily ritual, finding out where the tide will swallow, and what she can save before it rises again. >> sounds in what was her living room, the memories are confronting. her children once plays here, and this is what remains of a kitchen where her mother shared her recipes. >> i am scared that more of our lives will disappear, washed away in this water that just won't stop rising. >> it is a slow and rising disaster, barely one meter above sea level, they are gradually being submerged. the water has destroyed patty fields, villagers first thought this was an unusual tide from a far away storm. but then someone gave it a name. climate change.

since then, government officials international aid agencies and environmentalists have come to the island, offering solutions. the government built a wall to stop the water from coming in. but it wasn't high or strong enough. the united nations expanding millions of dollars here in other low lying deltas across the world, but nearly the trees are no match for the tide. most here are unaware of the global efforts to find a solution to climate change. those who do say it is too late. these islands are disaa peering and people are now living this town most of the men have moved to the capitol or further to europe to find work. according to the red cross, there are more climate refugees than political refugees in the world. the united nations estimates their number will rise to 50 million people by 2020.

among them other women from the island. they are already on the move, searching for a better place to live. nicholas hawk, al jazeera. >> and you can find out more on the website aljazeera.com. a unique way. this is a show about science... >> oh! >> oh my god! >> by scientists. tonight: techknow's journey to the arctic. 13 days... subfreezing temperatures...