[ gunfire ] the battle for ramadi. the iraqi army says it is close to recapturing the strategically important city from isil. ♪ hello, there, i'm felicity barr. and you are watching al jazeera, live from london. also coming up, palestinians prepare for christmas day in bethlehem with continued violence in the occupied west bank. storms and tornados sweep through parts of the u.s. causing several deaths and travel chaos. plus -- ♪

>> don't stop the music. the refugee musicians who banded together in brussels after crossing europe. ♪ hello, the iraqi army says it has liberated large parts of the city of ramadi from the islamic state of iraq and the levant. the military backed by tribal fighters is edging forward street by street. it says its advance is being slowed down by explosive devices left behind by isil. >> reporter: as the days wear on, iraqi forces trying to retake ramadi have made a sobering admission. it will take time. the military is trying to overpower ills fighters who have been in control of the city since may, backed by air strikes, ground troops are edging forward, street by street, towards the center.

>> translator: morale is high, and god willing, we will keep advancing to retake the whole of ramadi city. we are now in this district, and god willing we will liberate the remaining part of ramadi. >> reporter: there is just a few hundred isil fighters left in the city. they have planted baby traps. it has slowed down advancing troops, but it hasn't stopped them. >> translator: following the liberation of the area, things from the 16th division started work to remove the bombs planted on the roads and houses. >> reporter: the iraqi government is confident that itself security forces are in the final stages of this operation. >> reporter: there is a well knit plan followed by the counter terrorism forces that has surprised everyone. the plan is to encircle the area

and attack the center. >> reporter: ramadi is littered with rubble and shrapnel, this is an urban battlefield, and up to 10,000 civilians are thought to be trapped inside the city. the hope is that victory will come swiftly and with no further loss of life. but both seem unlikely. gerald tan, al jazeera. the director of the iraqi institution for democracy and development, he says even if the iraqi forces push isil out of ramadi they still face resistance elsewhere. >> reporter: they learned the lesson in tikrit, that once it was liberated, the shia mobilization forces took over and indirectly ruined tikrit. now they are trying to avoid any involvement by the shia

mobilization force. among the sunni tribesmen there is still fighting. they are against the previous governor, against the council, so who will control it in ramadi? this hasn't been decided yet. in addition to that, there is a big problem, because most of the isil who in fighting them, are also part of the same tribes in anbar, so how they reconcile between these two within the party, how they will deal with them. in addition to all of this, what is the general vision, political approach to the whole problem? if this will end in anbar, how about mosul, how about the rest? but no doubt it's a tactical victory for the abadi government if they succeed in regaining ramadi, but it should not be considered as a change -- change -- changing the game in iraq. it is only a milestone. ♪

u.s. and afghan security forces have conducted air strikes in a district of the southern province of helmand. government troops and taliban fighters battle for control. the taliban say they have captured the center of the district on two separate occasions, but afghan authorities deny this. british soldiers have also been sent back to the area to advise a year thaf withdrew from the region. our correspondent is in the afghan city, speaking to security officials there and sent this update. >> reporter: they are telling us that afghan special forces have been deployed to the area, and they are fighting in the area, and afghan security officials claim that they have control of the district headquarters. we are talking about a very small area, and police

headquarter is about 3,000 square meters, that's where fighting is still going on. afghan officials also claim that taliban have big casualties last night, and the fighting is still going on, and they have sent some reinforcement by road, but we believe these reinforcements haven't reached the area, because on the road to the area, there are lots of areas under com of taliban, and lots of ied's and mines there. but in the province of helmand it's hard to say anyplace in this province or any district fully under control of taliban, even here, last year, the capitol of the province, in district 4 of the capitol, the fighting is going on, and taliban are present strongly there. a palestinian who has died and five others were injured after israeli forces firing shots into a refugee camp north of jerusalem. hospital officials say the man was hit in the head of a bullet.

it's the latest death in a wave of violence that began in october. earlier on thursday, israeli security forces shot dead a palestinian near a jewish settlement. they say he stabbed two security guards before they opened fire. in a separate incident a palestinian was killed by israeli forces after he tried to stab them with a screwdriver. 135 palestinians and 20 israelis have died in violent incidents since the beginning of october. hundreds have attended the funeral of an israeli man on wednesday. israeli forces say he was stabbed to death by two palestinians. the attackers were shot dead. thousands of pilgrims have made their way to the city of bethleh bethlehem. security has been tight in and around the city as the violence fiend israeli forces and

palestinians continues across the occupied west bank. our correspondent is in bethlehem and says there has been a toning down of festivities this year, because of the wave of violence. >> reporter: christmasfesttiveties are well underway here. the christmas tree is lit, the choir is singing, and in a few hours from now the latin patriarch are deliver a sermon. still in the background of christmas celebrations, has been extraordinary violence, acrossed the occupied west bank. in four separate incidents, four palestinians have been killed. one incident involved israeli soldiers entering a refugee camp, which they opened fire and allegedly used live fire which resulted in the injuries of five palestinians, killing one. still the people we have been speaking to here say although in

the background of all of their celebrations has been extrordanaire violence, they want to celebrate christmas in the spirit of the holiday, and that's why they are here. a huge fire has killed at least 31 people in saudi arabia, the blaze broke out in the intensive care unit and a maternity ward in the hospital. 21 civil defense teams were needed to battle the fire on the first floor of the hospital. an investigation is underway. human rights watch has accused the nigerian army of killing more than 300 unarmed civilians including children in an unprovoked attack earlier this month. the army says members of a shia group set up a roadblock and tried to assassinate the army chief of staff. but the hr.w. found no redable evidence to support the account

of avents. the report concludes the killings were at best an overreaction to a roadblock . and at worst a planned attack. >> if you really look into the narl's version of events, it really does not stack up. the army chief arrived in the area one hour before a military was deployed around the mosque. prior to his arrival, exactly an hour before the chief of staff of the army has arrived in the area, there was actually a deployment of military troops around the mosque, and there are video footage that indicate how soldiers were actually calmly taking positions around the mosque. and what else apparently

happened is members of the sect were erected roadblocks and it is just impossible how a situation of erecting roadblocks can lead into days of hundreds of thousands -- hundreds of people and hundreds more being wounded. and -- and mind you, the attack was followed in the hours and days not only in the first site, but in other sites in the hours and days following the initial incident. it's a step in the right direction that local government has established this judicial commission of inquiry, but it is extremely crucial that the inquiry needs to be fully dent and impartial. at least seven people have died in a storm that has swept across parts of the united states. tornados have destroyed homes

and caused flight delays in several states. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: it's a bleak midwinter, in mississippi. >> oh. >> reporter: this towering funnel cloud is one of several tornados that have hit the state since the start of the week. the youngest person to die was a 7-year-old boy. he was in a car, which like this truck was picked up and thrown by the wind. >> we are looking still at that risk of tornado activity. keep in mind there's 72 million people that will still see the chance of some sort of severe weather overnight. >> reporter: this is what some of them will be waking up to. every so often nature likes to remind us that it wields the real power. 2015 has been one of those years. it's an el nino year, the

phenomenon in which the warmest orb shall waters move from one part of the pacific around the philippines. >> and they bank up against the americas. north america's offshore temperatures are about 2 or 3 temperatures above what they should be, and when that cold air sweeps across the plains states, where it meets up with the warm from the gulf of mexico, which is very warm at the moment. in december this is a rare verdict. >> reporter: this time the earth's currents are making their presence felt, regardless of the holiday season. still ahead on the program, a new weapon in the fight against breast cancer, south african doctors unveil a machine that x rays and scans, saving time and money. plus we'll take a look at the intricacies behind the pinata, to find out why they are so popular. ♪

>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the soundbites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is.

♪ hello, welcome back. a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. the iraqi army says it liberated large parts of the city of ramadi from isil fighters. in afghanistan the taliban is fighting for control of the helmand province. and at least seven people have been killed in severe storms sweeping across the central and southern parts of the united states. a british ammon is demanding an explanation from the u.s. as to why he was prevented from

travelling to new york. he says u.s. officials were unable to give him a reason for his visa being revoked. and there was another family that was stopped from heading to disneyland. >> i have done nothing wrong in my view. not that i have been convicted of any crime in any country ever in my life. i have known for my work. i live with a death threat from al-shabab for our work against extremism, and when i spoke out against the murder of lee rigby in london. one thing i do want to know is why? if they tell me why, at least i know. i believe it's not only me, but many muslims who try to go to america today have religious profiling done on them. donald trump's desire to ban the muslims looks like is already

come to fruition. syrias foreign minister has indicated his country is ready to activively ready to participate in peace talks. both countries foreign ministers have agreed on the key principles required for the talks between syrian government and the opposition. the talks were approved at the u.n. security council last friday, and will begin in geneva at the end of january. >> syria ready to participate in the syrian-syrian dialogue in geneva without any foreign interference. and our delegation will be ready as soon as we receive a list of the opposition delegation. >> translator: we should stick to a peaceful resolution of the

syrian issue. the people of syria decide the future and fate of syria, the u.n. plays a key role in negotiations. a agree that these three principles should be upheld throughout the whole peace process. 19 people including six children drowned when they boat they were traveling in capsized off of the turkish coast. more than 20 other refugees died early this week, trying to travel between turkey and greece. more than a million refugees and migrants have made their way to europe this year. and the italian navy has rescued more than a hundred refugees from a rubber boat off of the coast of libya. it's not clear where those on board had started their journey. since the refugees began, many europeans have tried to help new arrivals rebuild their

lives. one group of refugees is doing it for themselves. they are all musicians and have been busy recording a cd to help others in their situation. lawrence lee reports now from brussels. ♪ >> reporter: a few days ago they had nth even met, yet now these men from syria and iraq are singing and playing traditional songs from their homelands in far-away belgium. ♪ >> reporter: we met this man on the border with macedonia, where he told us he had to leave his instrument behind when he fled iraq. some kind europeans raised the money to get a new one, and now he uses his music to help forget the journey he has had to make. >> when i touch the instrument, there's a lot of things just go away, just forget a lot of things, even when you play and

remember things, but at the end when you finish, you just forget everything. you don't care about anything. because it's -- i don't know it's like music means everything for me. ♪ >> reporter: assad was a tv star in pakistan playing class call music, but when he tried to set up a music school in his home, the taliban came and told him it was forbidden, and they wouldn't tell him twice. >> a lot of musicians has been taken and has been injured, and they try to kill them also, and you can see all of those -- or most of them, they leave the country, most of them they could not, but they stopped singing, they stopped playing music. ♪ >> on guitar is this man, a respected composer from damascus. he made the journey through europe late this summer.

he carried his guitar with him all the way, singing for the other refugees. ♪ >> now we play music what we have feelings. what -- what happened with us, and how -- how we leave in damascus. that's all. >> reporter: the people helping organize this are close to their target of $13,000 to print the cds, music classes for refugee children and concerts are also being planned. ♪ >> reporter: in a europe increasingly and openly hostile to all refugees, it is perhaps a reminder of how war affects all of us, even the most talented. >> not bad. >> reporter: lawrence lee, al jazeera, brussels. the u.s., u.k., france, and australia have issued warnings about possible threats about

westerns, around the chinese capitol on or around new year's day. a yellow security alert have been issued. heavy smog in china's northeast has sparked more red alerts, with authorities in ten cities advising people to stay in doors. a vast area of china would be hit by pollution. people have been forced to stay in doors, schools have been closed and the use of vehicles has been restricted. the russian president, vladimir putin says his country will cooperate with india on building new missiles, fighter jets, transport vehicles. >> we are making progress on our

plans for [ inaudible ] vehicles at two sites. the agreement today will increase indian manufacturing content in these [ inaudible ]. it's support of a mission of making india a [ inaudible ] i think the president for his support. doctors in south africa have developed a breast cancer screening machine it says will save time and money. our correspondent reports from cape town on how there's hope this innovation will also save lives. >> reporter: this is the latest innovation in breast-cancer detection. >> the problem with digital x rays is that when the lady has dense breast tissue, and that happens in almost half of women, particularly those aged between 40 and 50, that density can mask the cancer. >> reporter: this machine is

able to x ray the breasts and take an ultrasound at the same time, penetrating dense breast tissue to reveal any cancer. >> reporter: this is the world's first system that incorporated both of these technologies into a single platform. so the idea would be that you can catch that breast cancer early in one view rather than having to ask the woman to come back repeatedly. >> reporter: when nora who is also a ma'am mog fer, found a lump in her breast, she volunteered to help with the testing. >> it's a good to see that there is so much progress being made, especially when you think of the time that you need to have the mammogram and have an ultrasound afterwards. >> reporter: early test results show the machine to be safe and effective. development began six years ago and cost about $3 million.

studies by doctors ash the world suggest that around five of every thousand women tested have a tumor detected. that total rises to around 12 of every thousand tested with an ultrasound. now the developers of the machine, say its technology will provide women with access to better-quality cancer testing without having to undergo two separate tests. both the developers and the government say the machine can be used to reach a large number of people. >> we would like to see greater manufacturing capability in south africa, and developing this machine in our country, and then being able to market it to europe, we hope eventually to the united states, and throughout the african continent and through this development, make a difference to the health status of women. >> reporter: while women will save time and money, developers

say the greater benefit will be the quicker detection of cancer to save lives. now it is a common site at the end of many a party, the pinata, but nowhere are they as popular as in mexico. families buy them and then break them, especially during this festive season. and some art an ans have been making pinatas for generations. >> reporter: if you are a pinata artisan, this is the reason of achy hands and ripped nails, but pride in knowing his creations are routinely copied is what has kept this man designing, gluing, and wrapping for 40 years. >> translator: i like the colors. you don't need a lot of money to make them. and that this has given jobs to me and my family. >> reporter: he is also a dentist. he admits the pinata trade isn't

as lucrative as it used to be, because now there's more competition. christmas is the busiest time of year. he and his family members will make 4 to 5,000 in a month and charge about $2 for these stars. ♪ >> reporter: they represent the christmas star, the star that revealed the birth of jesus to the three wise men. this stretch of road is called the kilometer of pinatas. but artisans say machines are now cutting the paper and making the bodies of pinatas. >> reporter: i feel melancholily, because this tradition is coming to an end. our parents taught us this for two or three generations. >> reporter: but this woman says the tradition of pinatas will endure. he says they are not only firmly

rooted in catholicism, they are an expression of the music and spirit of mexico, and an extension of the person who made them. >> translator: at this time of the year, people are always looking for the traditional pinatas, and that's difficult to find when it is made by a machine. although this business is changing, the artisan are adopting and know how to satisfy their customers. that's the value we are promoting. >> reporter: but for kids, pinatas will remain sa game that comes with a prize. >> translator: i like the pinatas because i can hit them and eat the candy. >> reporter: not so for christmas. it's peanuts, oranges, and guavas that come tumbling out of these pinatas. natasha ghoneim, al jazeera, mexico city. and they were one of the biggest bands ever. [ cheers ] >> and now the beatles back

catalog is being made available for free. they wish their fans a happy christmas when the announcement was made. more on our website, the address is aljazeera.com. i'm phil torres. tonight sharks. both people avoid sharks. we're out to meet them. tag them. learn all about this pep. >> sharks don't eat people. >> five days and nights at sea on our especially rigged shark laboratory. exhort research is next. lindsay moran is an ex-c.i.a.