look at this shocking crime >> the major difficulty for the prosecution that there was no evidence >> al jazeera america presents lockerbie part two: case closed >> this is al jazeera america, live from new york city, i'm tony harris. here are today's top stories. ♪ around the world the faithful celebrate one of christianities holiest days. meanwhile the vicious battle for control of iraq and syria continues without a pause. and the u.n. handing responsibility for the war back to the afghan army. and marking the anniversary

of the devastating earthquake and tsunami. ♪ >> translator: i ask the savior of the world to look upon our bothers and sisters in iraq and syria. >> pope francis says a special prayer for those in war zones as christians around the world observe the christmas holiday. we will have more on christmas coming up in just a moment, but we begin with the fight against isil. kurdish fighters appear to be regaining ground. mohammed has this exclusive report from near sinjar in northern iraq. kurdish peshmerga fighters raised their flag in one of the villages they recently recapt e

recaptured from isil. they want to make clear who is in charge here. the peshmerga [ inaudible ] -- swates of land. >> translator: we have seized major roads. whoever controls these areas has the upper hand. >> reporter: but the towns and villages remain deserted. most of the residents of these towns we are told now live in camps or have crossed the nearby syrian border. this newly retaken town reveal a number of tactics isil fighters used to protect themselves. here they create a smoke screen to hide them from the jet fighters, and to my left are a network of tunnels that they have used to navigate their way

around town. they used doors of abundant houses to cover the tunnels, and as the fighting reached the town, so did the air strikes. here one of the houses isil used as a base lies in ruins. it was hit by coalition jets supporting the peshmerga offensive. >> translator: the air strikes have been very helpful to our offensive. we have been guiding the coalition jets on target and that really helped in increasing the accuracy. >> reporter: the peshmerga also helped break an isil siege of mount sinjar. just four days ago this road was impassable. it was under the control of isil. it's now an escape route for the thousands of yazidises who have been trapped on the mountain. >> translator: most of our

houses were destroyed in the fighting says this man. we were advised to leave, he says. isil also left behind improvised explosive devices like these in most towns and vil agency they have lost. just one more thing holding people from returning to their homes. in syria, at least 23 people were killed and dozens more injured after government attacks on towns controlled by isil. a number of children were hurt in one attack near a school, and there are new accusations that the syrian government is now using starvation as a weapon in the city of homs. >> reporter: government snipers surround this district in homs moving in and out is severely restricted. residents are harassed and sometimes arbitrarily detained when trying to do so. it has become a prison for its

residences. the government wants the fighters inside to lay down their arms, but the opposition wants guarantees. >> translator: the government wants defebruarying -- defectors to turn themselves in. >> reporter: the state has regained control over much of syria's third largest city after what it calls reconciliation deals, but the rebels say they had to surrender because the districts were besieged for months. this is the last one in government hands, and attacks have intensified since ceasefire talks claptsed in september. some 100,000 people, many who fled from other conflict zones in the city live here. and they are growing increasingly desperate. >> translator: even when we were able to bring this supplies, the traitors in the district used to

take advantage of our situation, and now there's a government siege, and we cannot bring anything in. the people want these fighters to leave. they want this to end. >> the intensive shelling has had devastating consequences on the people there. we understand the people and not the fighters are now engaged in u.n. mediated negotiations with the authorities. the government says it wants to make a deal. some supplies have entered since the government imposed a partial blockade late last year, but since september it was tightened. the government has been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war. a tactic that has worked in the past and may work again here. arizona senator, john mccain spent christmas day in kabul. he says he is comfortable with the combat agreement that will

keep more than 13,000 u.s. troops there. >> i believe that we are now in a time where with proper support and effort and partnership with the united states in every way, including militarily and economically. in six days the u.s. and nato forces will leave afghanistan. jennifer glasse reports, local security forces remain optimistic about taking control. [ explosion ] >> reporter: from a mountain top base, afghan army soldiers are sending a message to the taliban and al-qaeda. taliban fighters in the valley below keep the soldiers confined to the roads and their base. they control the countryside. >> translator: there are al-qaeda training centers about 20, 25 kilometers away from us. that's too far for us to launch

operations, because we don't have access to any air support. we don't have proper artillery. >> reporter: only a small support force remains in the country, but not here. the soldiers say al-qaeda fighters reestablished their camps because they know the afghan army can't reach them. >> translator: if we had artillery and air force, tanks or other guns, we would destroy them. >> reporter: even the top nato commander here admits al-qaeda is here after 13 years of war. >> there continues to be al-qaeda presence in afghanistan. and there are other insurgent groups that continue to facilitate al-qaeda. >> reporter: but the mission will be left to afghan forces, and it won't be easy. one reason is al-qaeda fighters have intermarried with afghans.

>> translator: of course they support them, if someone to the village is married to them, then of course they support them. >> reporter: for now afghan forces continue to monitor al-qaeda bases, and control as much of this terrain as possible. pakistan's prime minister is expanding his security policies to try to prevent future taliban attacks. so-called terror suspects will now be tried in military courts. it's part of a new crackdown which began when the government lifted a six-year ban on the death penalty. the change was prompted by a tall ban attack that killed more than 150 people, most children at a school last week. al-shabab gunmen have attacked in mogadishu. three soldiers and one civilian were killed in the assault, five of the gunmen were also killed

dozens of people spent christmas day protesting in protest of the shooting of antonio martin. witnesses said the protest was more peaceful than last night's, when demonstrators blocked highway traffic and several people were arrested. surveillance video appears to show martin pointing a gun at an officer before he was shot dead. and the shooting of michael brown was just one of the events that demanded president obama's attention this year. but now the president has many other challenges facing him. >> reporter: as a rocky here came to a close, president obama was accentuating the positives. >> i said that 2014 would be a year of action and a

break-through year for americans. and it has been. >> reporter: the economy is heading up, while the jobless rate dips down. along with another encouraging sign. the price at the pump plummeting. >> i'm glad to be able to pull together my cabinet. >> reporter: mr. obama began 2014 with a vow to go around congress. >> i have got a pen and i have got a phone, and i can use that pen to sign executive orders, and take actions that move the ball forward. >> reporter: and so he did. on the minimum wage, ordering the federal government to raise it to $10.10 an hour for outside contractors. and on immigration where he reversed course, giving a three-year retrieve to deportation to parents with children in the country legally. >> i think it's the height of

arrogance. >> reporter: there have been setbacks, and issues where he struggled to find the right response. ferguson, missouri, as outrage and riots shook the streets. the president calling for a measured response as the community burns. when mr. obama found his footing, he vowed to change attitudes between police and minorities. >> part of the reason this will be different is because the president of the united states is determined to make it different. >> reporter: but it was overseas where mr. obama has struggled most. in february the crimean parliament was sieged. just as the assad syria was killing thousands in a civil war. hit with criticism that he was shying away from decisive

action, the president reacted angerly. >> why is it that everybody is so eager to use military force after we just went through a decade of war at enormous costs. >> reporter: but the stunning advance of isil changed all of that. mr. obama sent troops back into iraq, some 3,000 advisors there to train and assist the iraqi army now in a shambles. by the end of the summer the president has changed his tune on military force. >> last night on my orders, america's armed forces began strike against isil targets in syria. >> reporter: mr. obama saw his biggest political setback yet in november when his party suffered an election wipeout, giving the g.o.p. control of congress for the last two years of his presidency. the president and his family are now on vacation in hawaii, a

brief rest before returning to washington and a new political reality. another issue on the president's plate, north korea, it's alleged hack on sony, and the fallout that resulted in company pulling the release of the movie "the interview." the movie has been released online and some 300 theaters across the country. hundreds of indonesians gathered to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. more than 220,000 people were killed when the tsunami swept through 13 countries. but ten years later, this city has been rebuilt. >> reporter: ten years later,

and it's hard to tell it ever happened. the resurrection has removed reminders of one of the world's most deadliest disasters. more than 130,000 houses were rebuilt. 1,700 schools. it's back to life ten years after disaster instruct, it's now bustling and vibrant. but while people seem to have picked up their lives for many it still feels like yesterday when the waves hit. >> translator: the last thing my child screamed was mommy, and i held her as tight as possible. i went down with her for more than one hour, the only sound i could hear on the water was the sounds of banging. >> reporter: i meet her again ten years later.

not only did she lose her baby, most of her family, including her husband and parents died. two days after the tsunami, she showed me the body of her dad's sister. >> translator: sitting here, i can clearly see the face of my sister lying here. >> reporter: the tsunami was a long time ago, but it feels to me like it has just happened. >> reporter: this girl was 9 years old when the tsunami killed her parents and 270 of her schoolmates. she wrote a poem back then. >> translator: children have lost their mothers and fathers, we, the new generation will build back our city as a great province, as a city of peace and wealthy. >> reporter: now 19-year-old says her worlds have come true.

while she remembers her parents at a mass grave with 15,000 bodies, she says she wants to look at the future. >> translator: in these last ten years if i compared the situation before and now, there are many changes. now it's very beautiful, although we have lost so much, we have resurrected. >> reporter: she studies english and wants to be a tv presenter. an international aid organization, paid for this girl's studies, and now she works as a nurse. >> translator: i always wonder while i'm still alive, while my baby and sister died next to me. this question keeps haunting me. i think there must be a reason for this. maybe i have been given a chance to become a better person.

>> reporter: new lives have started, but the dark images of the past will stay with them forever. a stark reminder as this boat pushed by the waves 5 kilometers inland, but preserving it as a museum, they want to show the world that even the worse disaster can be overcome. the story of recovery for fisherman for southern india has not been as bright. billions of dollars were spent to rebuild affected communities, but it has not been enough. government aid helped some fishermen, but many still live in temporary housing. turkey's president is continuing his campaign to silence critics of his government. a 16-year-old student has been arrested to drawing attention to corruption in the government. now according to reports the teenager was taken into custody wednesday after delivering a speech at school. it has been a year since four of

the ministers were forced to resign. erdogan, say a turkish cleric based in the united states is to blame. christmas celebrations around the world, and coming up next, the lowly root behind a booming business in kentucky. government a message. >> ahead of 'em is a humanitarian crisis where tens of thousands of people are without food, water, shelter. >> a special one hour look at global attacks on free press. monday 9:00 eastern. on al jazeera america.

♪ a cdc lab worker is being monitored after possible exposure to the ebola virus. the technician may have handled samples of a live virus, after they were mistakenly shipped to an atlanta lab. the incident comes some six months after samples of anthrax and inflew -- influenza were

mishandled. and a lockdown has been placed on citizens in sierra leone. >> reporter: crowds head to christmas markets in the capitol, but all around there are reminders that the ebola virus remains a threat. in the north of the country scenes like these are impossible. the government has declared a five-day lockdown, but even in freetown, christmas celebrations are muted. >> translator: we're not enjoyed this festival. we're just trying to work hard for our children, so they will have something to eat for a day, but we can't enjoy ourselves when we are suffering like this. >> reporter: the go has announced more travel restrictions and a ban onub parties.

in neighboring liberia, more than 3,000 people have been killed by ebola, although the number of new infections in the country is going down. even so people have struggled to find much to celebrate. >> no, we celebrate christmas [ inaudible ] because of the ebola. [ inaudible ] for me i told my family, i told my kids. you are not going out. stay home and watch movie all day. >> reporter: unlike liberia, the ebola virus in sierra leone is still spreading in some places, but experts say results will soon be shown according to the cdc 9,000 people have been affected in sierra leone, about 2500 have died. some 3300 have died in liberia. about 1600 deaths in guinea, 8

in nigeria, 6 in mali, and just one in the united states. former president george h.w. bush has been given a good prognosis by doctors, but he will be staying at the hospital as precaution. he was taken to the hospital tuesday evening after feeling short of breath. a family spokesman said today his condition is not as severe as the illness he experienced two years ago. the use of gin sing to treat medical conditions is widespread especially in asia. the use is thought to be useful for treating everything from cancer to attention deficit disorder, and while some medical experts may not recognize its medical value, some farmers are taking advantage of its economic value. >> reporter: on the shaded

mountains of appalachia, the autumn gold rush has begun. chris mills and his family have been digging up ginsing roots for nearly half a century. dodging copper head snakes in search of what some say is the most lucrative root in the state. >> they can stay in the ground ten or 12 years before they come up. >> reporter: chinese and korean consumers value the root as a medicine. there is a market for cheaper cultivated ginsing, but consumers pay far more for the wild north american market. >> most of the market goes to china. and they prefer the wild root, because it has real deep rings on there. it's grown slower, so they feel like that in their philosophy it

has gotten more information from mother earth. >> reporter: these boxes each hold more than $5,000 of ginsing. this plant is too young to pick. you pick it at this stage, and it won't reseed. if you get a big one, something like this, a digger could get $40 for this, but it could be worth thousands by the time it reaches markets like korea. those prices have lured newcomers, coal miners, and poachers on private and government land. several states now limit the season to prevent overharvesting. >> all of this was ginsing that was done prior to season. >> reporter: during two weeks in september in west virginia alone, resource officers

confiscated illegal ginsing. >> it's god's gift, because the economy around here is poor, you know? but if you just work at it, and keep trying, you -- you come out. >> reporter: here in poor but proud appalachia, many are happy to get by on gifts from the soil. and still ahead the celebration of christmas around the world, and the discovery of what could be christianities first church. ♪ >> it's only 144-square feet of living space, just one of 30 units in a village in olympia, washington.

>> saturday on tech know. a brutal killing. a thorough investigation. >> we're pushing the envelope. >> but this is no ordinary c.s.i. >> what went on right before that animal died? >> hunting the hunter. >> we're gonna take down the bad guys. >> solving the crime. >> we can save species. >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science. >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can affect and surprise us. >> don't try this at home. >> tech know, where technology meets humanity. saturday at 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪ christmas day, 2014, marked

and celebrated around the world. at the vat tan, pope francis delivered his christmas address to thousands of catholics in st. peter's square. his speech gave special attention to the world refugee population. >> translator: i ask him, the savior of the world to look upon our brothers and sisters in iraq and syria, who for too long now have suffered the effects of ongoing conflict, and those belonging to other ethnic and religious groups are suffering persecution. christians in iraq gathered for their own services. christmas morning mass at this church in bagdad, a priest lead the organization. and some christians were able to

celebrate in parts of the country. the three-year conflict has forced many to skip the celebration. in damascus christian leaders prayed for lasting peace in the country. the top roman catholic leader in the region, called on all to live together as equals, but the memory of last summer's conflict is still fresh in the biblical town. >> reporter: christmas has always been this man's favorite holiday. all of his children and grandchildren now live abroad. >> my son lives in the united states, and he is a canadian citizen. my other son lives in canada, and is a canadian citizen. my daughter lives in dubai. >> reporter: after decades of israeli restriction, and the

construction of the separation wall, not only have his children moved away, but many other palestinian christians are tooing. >> people are leaving. and you can't stop it. so we are trying to tell the world over, especially through christian churches, you need to support christians in the holy land. you need to provide for them. you need to give them the possibility of continued living in dignity. >> reporter: before the creation of israel in 1948, christians made up nearly 20% of the arab population in historic palestine. today with ongoing immigration, they make up just 2% of palestinians living in occupied territories. every year thousands of christians come here to bethlehem to celebrate the birth of christ, but with increasing numbers of palestinian christians moving abroad, that has many religious leaders

concerned. the father is a senior official at the church of the nativity. he tells me if the situation doesn't change, the birthplace of christ will eventually lose its organization. >> translator: it is the responsibility of the church to keep christians living in the holy land. imagine bethlehem without christians. without the presence of the community, the church has no meaning. without them all it is stones. >> reporter: christmas festivities in bethlehem will be subdued this year, after the 50-day war in gaza that claimed more than 2,000 lives, continued occupation, and the death of a minister by israeli soldiers, people have decided to scale back festivities.

u.s. and nato troops in afghanistan were treated to a christmas concert in kabul. ♪ >> pretty good, huh? the entertainment came from tops in blue. the show was held at the air base, headquarters of the international security assistance. many soldiers say the holidays make them home sick. >> we have got a pretty important mission here, so it's an hand for to be part of that, but it's difficult being away from home. >> reporter: this could be the last christmas in afghanistan for many soldiers. they will officially end their mission on december 31st. now a chance discovery in northern israel may provide more

incite into the birth of christiany. >> reporter: if you dig in the right place, you might find jesus's footsteps below the surface. they unearthed what could be the world's first church. >> i was like oh, i can be part of something of history. >> reporter: volunteers have come from all over the world to work here. bible country, where jesus is said to have inspired his first followers, where he is said to have healed the sick, where he may have even walked on the water, and on the shores they discovered where jesus may have first preached. >> this community is -- is one community. and they are not divided into different communities, and it is not even divided from the jewish people. what does it tell us 20 centuries later?

that we have so much in common. >> reporter: for years the father didn't know the site's significance. at first they were pleased to simply discover a first century marketplace for local fisherman. then they were shocked to discover jewish ritual baths. and a few inches below the soil they found this design. >> it has that significance of internal life. >> reporter: and these mosaics. >> reporter: they are first century. the fact of having a mosaic in the first century synagogue was unheard of. >> reporter: then these benches for the faithful. >> you can imagine him sitter here. >> and then -- >> this was here for 2,000 years, nobody knew about it. and this was the first one they

found in the country, here. >> reporter: they realized this was one of the oldest synagogues. on one stone the oldest menorah ever discovered. >> the sides of the stone that the teacher, the rabbi is opening up his spool. >> reporter: and that rabbi that he is talk about -- >> obviously you could say this is the beginning. >> jesus walked on this road. jesus meet the people here in the synagogue, in the market. >> reporter: palestinian archeologist may be muslim, but he feels jesus's presence as much as anybody. >> this changes history. now we'll have a clear clear city from the first century. what he touched. >> reporter: and the coins he

used. they reveal when the synagogue was built, ad 29. >> nowadays we seem to be pitted against each other. and why did providence allow us to find this place 2,000 years later. >> open our arms to more religions, to be more open. >> i am muslim, the city, it's jewish. and [ inaudible ] for the christian, together we make the future. >> in a time of so much conflict and division, we needed today. we needed to encourage us to look for that greater comm commonality that we share. >> reporter: a place where different faiths were united as the faithful in this temple, this church. well, i get a moment here to say merry christmas to you and your family at home, or wherever

you are celebrating this christmas holiday season. and i get to say hello to kevin. i was feeling lonely out here. a pretty big storm of the rockies, huh? >> we are. but people are enjoying the nice sun and above-average temperatures along the coast. but a lot of people are enjoying the skiing and on ski vacations. if you are trying to get there now, we are looking at a lot of weather that may hinder some of your plans. take a look at the warnings and watches in effect right now. first of all avalanche warnings. you see these orange avalanche warnings are in effect right now. as well as winter storm warnings for many of these mountain states. we don't expect that to change any time soon. because if you look at the for cast, here on friday more snow

coming in with the storm. then on saturday a new storm comes in off of the pacific. this one is promising to bring a lot more storm. it stays in effect here on sunday. great skiing. it's just really a matter of getting out there, or if you need to get back home, it's a matter of getting out of there. >> yeah, good luck with that. thank you. spring valley is your typical postcard washington, d.c. neighborhood. we're talking about original brick. perfectly man cured gardens and neighborhood of wealthy diplomats. but behind each home is a dark past. keep mostly secret by the original owner and the u.s. army corps of engineers. >> reporter: inside this gate the hunt is on for the remnants of deadly chemical weapons. >> we're standing right about

here. >> reporter: standing in d.c.'s spring valley neighborhood, filled with expensive homes, ambassador's residence and american university. but back in 1917, part of the campuses, and what was then farmland was leased by the army. 660 acres. here the military developed and tested poison gas for world war i trench warfare. that history was virtually forgotten until it was literally unearthed. it was in 1993, and they were building new homes, workers dug up what looked like rusted bombs. that was just the beginning. >> we found four disposal pits, a major surface disposal area, and then we had found pieces of munitions sort of around the site. >> reporter: it turns out when the war ended the army closed up shop and simply buried all of its materials. the cleanup has now been

underway for two decades. costing hundreds of millions of dollars. tom smith is a long-time resident and represents the neighborhood on a city advisory council. >> it has been a lot of foot dragging and because of the aggressive efforts of the community that we are where we are today. >> reporter: today the work is focused on what may have been ground zero. >> that's the former driveway area. and the garage. >> reporter: the home on this property was demolished to the core after the site was linked to this photo. inscribed on the back: >> we do have positive confirmation that there is mustard and contamination here in the soil. >> reporter: that's mustard gas.

brenda is the project manager for the cleanup. >> if we encounter decree, it becomes like a archaeological dig. they very meticulously dig through the soil. >> reporter: it's all done under a giant pressurized tent, nearly three stories tall. a break in the work allows us a rare behind the scenes look. we're told it's safe, because nothing is distesh tushed -- disturbed. but before dig teams come in, they cover themselves head to toe. workers are tooked up to oxygen for safety. when they unearth something, an explosive's team takes over. with all of these safety measures, neighbors worry about their own health. some are convinced the environment has made them sick. two studies found that community health is very good.

but tom smith says the study did not stop there. >> other concerns including blood disorder, kidney susan rices, and neurological conditions also war rent further attention. >> reporter: was there further at tension paid? >> no. >> reporter: at the current dig it is taking every precaution, air goes through a filtration system before it is released. and if there is an accident discharge, an alarm would warn nearby residents to shelter in place. so far there has been no such emergency. the army estimates it has two years of work left to go. >> we can't guarantee that we're going to find everybody, so there will be this ongoing engagement between the army and this community for -- for a long time. >> reporter: what is your biggest concern right now?

>> that the army will leave -- will -- will leave earlier than it should because of the limits of financial resources. >> reporter: the core says when it leaves it will be because the job is done. residents can only hope so. lisa stark, al jazeera, washington. and later this hour, how soldiers a century ago stopped their war briefly to celebrate christmas. ♪ urnalists live.

♪ for many americans 144 square feet wouldn't be big enough for a bedroom. think about it, let alone an entire home, but when you have no other options, even a tiny space can make a big difference. alan introduced us to a village in olympia, washington. he checks back in on a prom that is designed to give the homeless

a unique community. >> reporter: this was a bleak-looking place a year ago. now the grass has grown in. front lawns and gardens, give the 144-square foot homes individual character. the decorations are up and there is halladay cheer here, but half of the original residents are long gone, unable or unwilling to live by village rules. >> we had people here provided the opportunity, given a place to live, and, you know, they just let it slip away. >> reporter: drugs and alcohol not allowed here were mostly to blame, he says. some of the city's homeless advocates were frustrated that those losing the battle with addiction, but still needing shelter weren't welcome. >> we sort of had to clean house a little bit. >> reporter: john made it and is thriving in what he calls a calmer quieter environment. he survives on food stamps and

can now go to college full-time. >> this place has given me the stability to do that, and, you know, i just can't -- i just can't say enough about it. >> reporter: residents pay 30% of their income, if they have an income. they are expected to attend community meetings and help run the village. >> this i love. >> reporter: sharon wilson, recently upbeat when we met her a year ago, is staying positive, even after a challenging 2014 full of changes to the roster of residents. you wake up happy every day? >> i do. i'm so pleased to be here. because we have gone through a lot of stuff being here. and it's paying off. >> reporter: it's relatively cheap for an assisted living program, about half the price of conventional low-income studio housing where many homeless end up. calls come in from all over the world from organizations hoping to replicate the village. >> it is a powerful model, but

we are 30 drops in the bucket, and it's not enough. it's just not enough. >> reporter: the village leaders say overall year one was a success. they say in year two, they would like to accomplish two things. they would like to make the residents better leaders, better at governing themselves and running this place. and institute more job training and job readiness programs. you know, a growing number of women are attending college around the world, but the united nations says only 30% of them are going into science. one exception is latin america. roxana saberi is here with more. >> here in the u.s. women make up only about a quarter of computer scientists and less when it comes to engineer. but in latin america their numbers are catching up with the men's. achieving ginter parity in the

fields of science and technology has not been easy. but for countries in latin america and the caribbean, women are making tremendous strides. >> reporter: 46% of scientists in latin america are women. this is a relatively high rate. the highest in the world. >> reporter: bolivia has the highest concentration. they make up 63% of the country's scientists. that's higher than in the u.s. where women account for only under a quarter of science workers. in brazil the science without borders program is funding studies at home and abroad. brazilian physics professor says cultural stereo types often get in the way. so it's important to get the message out to younger girls. >> translator: when you think of a scientist, the image tends to be of a man.

women must not feel intimidated for being women. it is unjust, and it should not hold anyone back. >> reporter: argentinian scientist won this year's award for women in science for her research in clean energy. she says 60% of her team are women. she plans to use her success to complain for more women scientists in leadership roles. >> translator: i feel a great responsibility to try to promote things i am passionate about, and to encourage people, especially women to continue working in areas related to technology. >> reporter: researchers acknowledge that while the growth of women sciencists hasn't have significant, it's not enough. the u.n. found many reasons deterring women from going into

signses. and it is tougher for women to compete with men for hot positions. >> there is a pretty powerful ad campaign on the air in the united states, encouraging girls to take more stem classes. roxana, appreciate it. merry christmas. >> merry christmas. two people have been arrested in a million dollars money grab. it happened in hong kong on christmas eve. three boxes of hong kong $500 bills fell out of a truck. that lead to a bit of a frenzy as you can see before police arrived. according to friday's south china post at least 30 people have come forward to surrender the bank notes to police. the two suspects were apprehended after police recognized their license plates

on tv footage. when we come back, the truce that stopped the slaughter in world war i. ♪

queen elizabeth used her annual christmas message to praise healthcare workers. earlier this year, scottish voters soundly defeated a referendum to break away from the u.k. the queen urged citizens to mend those ties. >> past example has taught me to seek respect and value of all people of whatever faith or none. sometimes it seems that reconciliation stands little chance in the face of war and discord. but as the christmas truce a century ago reminds us, peace and goodwill have lasting power in the hearts of men and women. >> the christmas truce is an event that has served as a

symbol of humanity in the midst of war for the past century. german and allied troops paused out of respect for christmas day. and the game we call soccer and they call football, may have been part of it. >> reporter: the horror of life and death fighting in world war i has been commemorated throughout this 100th anniversary year. but it was christmas day in 1914 that has stood out. a game of football between troops in no-man's land. >> it's probably the only time in any conflict, any time in the history of the world, that you had two conflicting armies lay down their arms and be friends. it was such an extraordinary

moment. ♪ >> reporter: reenactments have taken place across europe. in southern england the british and german armies united in football again. >> we have many days to commemorate this 100th years, 75 years of beginning of world war ii, this is the greatest event i have experienced. [ cheers and applause ] >> during a lull in fighting and certainly before the serious fighting began. as young people do all over the world when they are in close proximity, and a ball is available, sport takes place. >> reporter: the power of the story is being utilized by advertisers in the u.k. the moving film has been well received by some of the british

public. though others question the integrity of public companies attaching themselves to such event. letters from servicemen exist describes some football having taken place, but that was only a small part of an extrordanaire truce. the main thing were soldiers coming out into no-man's land on christmas day, swapping, food, damages, buttons, and burying the dead. and then repairing the trench lines. >> reporter: the need for people to say thanks to those who served their country was captured when hundreds gathered for an unforgettable memorial. the christmas truce story provides a similar opportunity for those to show understanding and empathy for those who are gone but not forgotten.

new generations do want to believe and celebrate this incredible day in 1914, which provided brief res piet, hope, and humanity. merry christmas, everyone. ♪ ♪ the business of space. a new age is dawning for space exploration, a new commercial space age. >> we're demock are tiezing space. >> and with that comes a new space economy. private american companies racing to advance the technology that could challenge our concept of space. they call it a new frontier.