you're watching al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead, iraqi kurdish forces raid an i.s.i.l. base in the north injure months after-- just months after a joint operation with the u.s. i cannot believe that this amount of damage was done. it's probably 30 seconds. people in texas pick up the pieces that a deadly tornado left behind.

severe weather is not over yet. u.k. scientists invest new tools that will allow doctors to perform vital surgeries on babies in the womb. investigation finds a possible connection between medical professionals and professional athletes. allegations involve the host of americans sport stars. debra davies has this report. >> no blood test. i've taken that stuff. >> reporter: talking about using drugs banned in sport. in particular, a steroid known as delta 2. >> i used it last year. i was scared to be honest with

you. i took it for, like, two weeks. i had a test. four weeks after my last administration, i was also taking peptides too. >> reporter: the conversation took place in texas in the apartment of a pharmacist charlie sly. he it was recorded by aborigine undercover. at one stage he offers lee am a syringe of delta two. when we got back to the flat, he pulls out this from the-- pulls out this from the fridge. you can have it now if you want. sly goes on to name eight other athletes, major names in american football and baseball that he claims is using a range of banned drugs. it is all part of an undercover investigation into what athletes call the dark side. the alleged used of

performance-enhancing drugs. the athletes and medical professionals we asked for comment denied any wrongdoing. we also infill trade a doping network in canada. we filmed a doctor who provided drugs and offered to destroy medical records. we do injections up to ten times a day. enhancement. now will get into the bad shit. going black ops, i can just document everything not in this chart but in my own chart. if anybody comes sniffing for it, there's the decoy. we didn't get a response for our comment. charlie sly now says his statement is captured on hidden

capture was incorrect and false. our investigation faces serious questions about whether pharmacists and doctors are taking doping to a new level michael carlson is an independent sports analyst focusing on american football. the national football league n.f.l. there are conditions in modern sports that force athletes to choose to dope. >> there's two separate issues here. one is the culture of football where you have to get bigger because bigger is always better. so that it just goes down and there have been cases reported. literally coaches at the high school level say you're a good football player but you need to be 20 pounds heavier. they don't tell them specifically to tell them to go out and do steroids to get 20 pounds but the implication is there. it is a long stoneding problem.

more germly, we've seen studies in other sports where drug testing has been instituted and most of them are international sports where international bodies have been involved. the surveys overwhelmingly say that when you offer athletes the choice between getting that performance edge or in some cases keeping up with everybody else who they believe is already using those drugs, and the possible long-term of side effects bad effect in the future, they overwhelmingly choose to take the drugs or to say they would take the drugs in order to get that benefit. i think that is the real ethos that we're dealing with here, that attests etic drive to succeed at any and all cost and that is something that really has to start being addressed at the lowest levels of sport you can watch the full documentary from al jazeera's investigative unit on these

doping allegations on sundays we will go on air for the first time. reaction to the film is already coming in. one n.f.l. star mentioned. he has issued this statement: the new leader of one of the group jaysh al-islam has vowed to take revenge for the killing of its predecessor in an air strike on friday. issam al-buwidani has called on all the opposition to put up a united fronts, but other rebel groups have criticised jaysh al-islam. it says it uses brutal tactics. broker talks with expected to start next month to try and end the war in syria. the opposition has agreed to attend on the condition that air strikes against civilian halt

and the president is replaced. the death of zahran alloush has contributed to the delay of a deal that this been seen as a break through. the government has been planning to allow fighters in the besieged palestinian refugee camp and damascus. that would mean that aid relief could be delivered. our correspondent near the turkish-syria border. >> reporter: the deal between the government on one hand and i.s.i.l. on the al-nusra front about the safe passage out of damn as cause and-- damascus and paving the way for the families to pull out from those areas and go to areas under the control of i.s.i.l. or the opposition is still on hold for different reasons. i.s.i.l. and the al-nusra front are looking for more guarantees that they are going to be safe and waiting for logistics to take thaw have their family--s out. they have to cross some areas

under the control of rebel groups, particularly jaysh al-islam. they're going to intensify their military campaigns as a revenge against the death of their prominent leader zahran alloush. this whole debate about the deal between the government and i.s.i.l. comes against a backdrop of the renewd international push to put an end to the crisis in syria. the syrian opposition says there is going to go to geneva to talk to government about a way out. there are two conditions that have to be met. first, a ceasefire with a government and the russian should be committed to stop using barrel bombs against civilians. no.2, a political way out from an opposition perspective is the following. a transitional authority with full executive power bashar al-assad has to go, but bashar al-assad has been saying in the past and he has been backed by

others that the syrians only have the right to say whether he should stay or go the iraqi army says it is only a matter of days before it retakes the entire city of ramadi from i.s.i.l. troops were filmed walking through the host neighborhood. this area was the target of a government offensive that began on tuesday. ramadi felt that i.s.i.l.-- fell to i.s.i.l. in may and recapturing it will be a victory victory. kurdish media say u.s. commandos were involved in this operation in northern iraq. although the u.s. has denied this. several i.s.i.l. fighters have been killed and others captured. it comes two months after u.s. and kurdish commandos carried out a joint operation. the latest on this from erbil

>> reporter: on fry evening occurred-- friday evening a joint operation in an area. u.s. special forces and some sort in the u.s. denied this tack place entirely. sources and kurdish local media are saying that this operation did take place and more than a dozen i.s.i.l. fighters were either killed or injured, including two major commanders. kurdish forces are down playing this incident leading many to believe that this was an operation that did not go as planned. i.s.i.l., however, and proper beganed ais saying that it killed killed two people in this operation that it called a failed operation by men me forces and those two people were americans. we haven't been able to confirm those details as yet also in iraq 36 men are standing trial in connection with one of the worst atrocities allegedly committed by i.s.i.l. fighters. rights groups accuse the government of cutting corners. the families of those killed are

demanding justice. >> reporter: i.s.i.l. fighters are said to have killed 150 iraqi soldiers just outside a camp in june last year. this was one of the men killed. the upcoming trim is not enough to kill the pain. the government keeps saying it would capture those who killed our sons. but i have not received the remains of my dead son. we want justice to be served quickly. in july 24 men were sentenced for what the iraqi government said was their partial responsibility for the massacre of the soldiers. human rights groups have said the trail was flawed and the evidence was lacking. that is a charge that iraqis have denied and it is hoped justice will be served in this trial. >> translation: those who were accused have confessed that they have carried out mass killings. the case is looked after carefully and it is in process.

>> reporter: the families of the dead are angry and have mounted regular protests in baghdad demanding justice. >> translation: iraqi politicians, let the speaker and mps go to hell. >> reporter: others are hoping that they will not only get justice but also the iraqi government will try and find out where the soldiers are buried. the bodies of only 400 of the 1500 taken have been found. so far only 24 have been sentenced. imran khan saudi arabia says it has intercepted a long range missile fired from yemen. the kingdom says it was launched from the capital which is controlled by houthi rebels. a ceasefire is in force, but both sides have reportedly violated it. more u.n.-backed talks between the warring factions are due

next month. plenty more ground to cover on al jazeera coming up in just a bit. after more than a year, relatives of 43 missing students in mexico still do not know what happened to the loved ones. they're demanding answers. creating communities and the world's youngest nation, how traditional crafts are being people together in south sudan.

you're watching al jazeera. the top stories right now. al jazeera is investigative unit

has infiltrated the world of sports doping. our team finds a link between medics describing banned substance and big named athletes. the allegations involve stars in baseball and football. one of syria's powerful groups jaysh al-islam has called on all the opposition to put up a united front against the syrian government. u.n. broker erred talks are expected to start next month. the opposition has agreed to attend on the condition that air strikes on civilians end and the syrian president is removed. iraqi forces are raid. u.s. commandos were involved. the u.s. has denies that israeli police say they have arrested a palestinian who stabbed a soldier in the central bus station in jerusalem. the soldier was lightly injured

and is the latest incident in three months of violence. earlier on saturday palestinian protesters thought with israeli forces in the occupied west bank. it happened in the town a few hours of the funeral of a palestinian woman. the woman was shot dead for trying to ram her car into a security check point. at least eight people have died in the united states after tornadoes in texas. there is more bad weather on the way. they're predicting severe storms, blizzards and icy conditions lasting through the week >> reporter: when a tornado touched down in the city, lives were lost and homes too. for those who survived, this is their new reality. >> i looked out my window and saw the funnel around my house and i dove into the hallway.

this area bore the brunt. residents are trying to recover what they can from their wrecked home. >> we all went in and took our safe area and hunkeked down for little bit and 15 seconds later it was gone. next thing wive got a sky light in my kitchen. >> reporter: many have been hit hard by this powerful storm and the road to recovery will be long. 30 seconds. it was just, i cannot believe that this amount was done. probably 30 seconds, but it felt like a life time. it did. i'm sorry. >> reporter: over the last week, attorney dose and storms have-- tornadoes and storms have swept across the area. severe bliss arids and eyes in the coming days. southern california ask also experience-- is also

experiencing a weather related emergency albeit of a different kind. this area is accustomed to wild fires, but the fourth year of draught means they start and spread more easily. >> right now we have about 60% containment of what we estimate to be 1238 acres for the incident. currently there are over 400 firefighters on the line. >> reporter: the national weather service says the current storm system will continue to be a threat for days to come. in texas they face the task of rebuilding their homes and getting their lives back on track the relatives have 43 missing mexican students and hundreds of their supporters have taken to the streets of the capital. they're trying to keep the pressure on the government to tell them what happened to their loved ones. a report from mexico city. >> reporter: the anger towards the mexican government echoed on the streets of the city on

saturday evening. among the chants these are the people who are destroying our country. the agony of the family of the 43 missing students has been sdribdz as described as a permanent torture. independent investigators say they were kidnapped after trying to hijack buses for transport. a common move for students in mexico. the investigation also found that the mexican government lied and withheld information from the family. >> i have seen repression and the social demands have been growing because people have been disappearing and now we are demanding that the government give us back the students alive. the mechanics con government is refusing to lodge a new investigation. the hope is that independent experts will expose the truth. those experts say they still need some assistance from the

government. fortunately, the parents protests during the last year in legal action have helped discredit the government's version of events. the relatives have been protesting in mexico city each month. more than 20,000 people believed to be missing across the country, their activism is being viewed by some as representing the conscience of all mexicans rescue workers have managed to reach 17 people trapped in a collapsed mine in eastern china. they're trying to be released. food and communication equipment has been sent down to them. the owner of the mine drowned himself at the rescue site. 29 people were in that mine when it collapsed on friday. one person died while 11 minors have managed to get out. japan must do more to stop child abuse and especially the exploitation of young girls. this message from the u.n.

expert comes as japan records a 20% increase and the number of cases from last year. ownership with child pornography only became a crime in 2014. the child pornographic content is still part of some comic books. >> reporter: it is the weekend but she is still wearing her school uniform. it is part of the job drumming up business for a jk café where adult men pay to sit and chat with teenage girls. >> >> translation: some of the mean are my grandpa's age and i get short of things to talk about sometimes. >> reporter: she says it beats her old restaurant job insisting that her customers treat her well. >> translation: they say i'm cute, but i say there are many other cute girls here. >> reporter: it is something that her boss makes sure of in selecting his staff of 15 to 18-year-old girls. >> translation: basically they need to be pretty. this is an absolute requirement. they should look slim and

stylish. also they need to be smart. >> reporter: in october the u.n. special report on child explodetation infuriated japan's government by saying that up to 13% of school girls had taken part in compensated dating. that figure wasn't official and it wouldn't be in her report. the lack of figures is itself a sign of complacency. >> this concept has been discussed internationally as a social issue in japan for how long, like, 20 years. but in japan we don't have data for that? that's very, very shocking. >> reporter: for groups like lighthouse the problem goes i don't understand dimly lit cafés. it took last year for pornographic images to be illegal but not depictions. these can be used in a specific way by child abusers to convince

their young victims that their criminal behaviour is, in fact, perfectly normal. we were given a tip about one location where a lot more than conversation is on offer. adult entente is illegal-- entertainment is illegal for children to be, but it seems it happens here. we could go for a walk somewhere. next-door i'm told only chatting is on offer, but the menu lists anything from being slapped and cried to having your head cradled on a teenage girl's lap. no such thing could happen here he says, but he was once arrested for hiring understand age girls at at caberet club >> translation: sometimes i explain that something like this has happened in the pavement so don't sit next to the customers. >> reporter: this is a world full of fine gradations. it is about young girls sold to

older men and it is happening in plain sight south sudan is still seeing regular skirmishes despite a peace deal signed in august. civil war broke out after it separated from sudan in 2011. people have been leaving for decades. there are some who are returning home and one former refugee is using an arts project to create community. >> reporter: inside this house she shows off some south sudanese crafts >> this is july rewith beads-- jewellery with beads. this is traditionally a necklace with a bone decorated with fire. that's the patterns there. >> reporter: as 20 years as a refugee abroughted, she came-- abroughted she came back to-- abroad, she came back. >> i had an interest of living back here. i knew a lot is required of all

of us. being able to contribute in one way or the other was definitely something that influenced my studies, influenced what i was to do. >> reporter: part of that contribution is an effort to preserve the culture of south sudan. this is run by the patch organization, a trader demonstrates some traditional crafts. >> inside here, usually like this. use it for the smoking. >> reporter: people from all tribes come here to make beaded july re. two years ago-- jewellery. fighting assumed in ethnic dimension pitting tribal groups against each other. this debate about whether or not south sudan has a national ied tea, it is hoped that people will feel better connected to one another through the cultural practices they have in common which clues these handy crafts.

>> reporter: a lot of people grew outside their communities. many were refugees from war in neighbouring countries. as a result these traditional skills have been lost. so what this project is aiming to do is bring together the older generation with the younger one with a hope they can pass on the skills and crafts like these can be revived. clues clues scientists are developing a procedure to use on unborn babies to correct defects on unborn babies at an early age in pregnancy. >> reporter: a healthy ultrasound, relief for an expectant mother. it was not always the case. birth defects can be seen as early as 12 weeks. when scans highlight a problem there are few options. open the mother up and perform surgery on the foetus.

highly dangerous and can leave the mother unable to have more children. or in certain cases perform keyhole surgery. scientists in london are designing tools to increase the options and allow complicated but vital surgery on unborn babies. >> this technology will be allow us to do it early in pregnancy and have a better long-term outcome for the babies we treat. >> reporter: surgery to prepare holes in the heart or other defects are often too risky to even contemplate. surgeons usually will only operate when there is a real threat that the baby or babies will die. already some surgery takes place in womb. this procedure to balance the blood and nutrients between twins. doctors say there is much more they could do if they had the right tools. those tools are being designed here.

it is a seven year, 17 million dollar project funded by the british government and the welcome trust. more proceed toe types and research is ahead. one day a tiny flexible probe will go through the mother's skin and into the uterus. it will carry a camera, scalpel or laser and assisted by a robotic arm which will compensate for a slight tremor in the surgeon's hands. the challenge is greater because of the tiny space and poor visibility. one wrong move can damage the unborn baby. >> you have got a lot of challenging things happening around and you need to be able to not only to take care of the foetus but take care of the mum. so it does make the environment far more challenging. the tools we have to use have to be as small as possible. >> reporter: robotics to

compensate, micro engineering for tiny bones and veins all coming together to reduce the risk of womb surgery incredible stuff there. when you get a moment, checkout the website. plenty of news there. al jazeera.com.