an al jazeera investigation finds a link between banned substance businessed a big names in america's favorite sports. the iraqi military claims to ever retaken a key compound from isil. tornadoes ripped through the u.s.a. through the accident. south sudan is using traditional craft work to bring communities together after years of violence.

>> al jazeera's investigative unit infiltrated the world of sports doping. we find possible connections between medical professionals and professional athletes. the allegations involve a host of american sporting stars. we have this report. >> they're all urine tests, no blood tests. i've taken that stuff off and on for two years. >> this hidden camera footage shows an american baseball player taylor teagarden talking about drugs banned in sport, in known as delta two. >> 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. >> the conversation took place

in texas in a pharmacist's apartment, charlie sly. it was recorded by leon collins working undercover. at one stage, he is offered a syringe of delta two. >> when we got back to his flat, he pulls out this from the fridge. he goes there you go, you can have it now, if you want. >> sly goes on to name eight other athletes, major names in american football and baseball who he claims are using a range of banned drugs. it's all part of an undercover investigation by al jazeera into what athletes call the dark side, the alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. the athletes and medical professionals who responded to our request for comment denied any wrongdoing. we also infiltrated a doping network in canada.

we filmed a pharmacist and doctor blue supplied our undercover athlete banned drugs and offered to destroy medical records to cover it up. >> some doing eight to 10 injections a day in some cases. >> wow. >> ok, now we're going to get into the bad [bleep]. ops, i can just document everything not in this chart but on my own chart and if anybody ever comes sniffing for it, there's the decoy. >> charlie now said his names caught on hidden camera were false and incorrect. our investigation raises serious questions about whether pharmacists and doctors are taking doping to a new level. deborah davis, al jazeera, washington.

michael carson said there are issues that lead athletes to dope. >> there's two separate issues. one is the culture of football, where you have to get bigger, because bigger is always better. this goes down and there have been cases record where literally coaches at the high school level say son, you're a good football player but you need to be 20 pounds heavier. they don't specifically tell them to do steroids or drugs to get 20 pounds heavier, but the implication is there. this is a long standing problem in american football, but more generally, we've seen studies in other sports where drug tufting has been instituted more quickly and remember most of them are international sports, where international bodies have been involved, but the surveys

overwhelmingly say 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 side effects, bad effects in the future, they overwhelmingly choose to take the drugs or say they would take the drugs in order to get that benefit. i think that's the real ethos we're dealing with, the athletic drive to succeed at any and all costs. that has to be addressed at the lowest levels of sport. >> reaction to the film has been coming in. one nfl star mentioned is denver broncos quarterback peyton manning. he issued this statement:

>> it came to my attention to the broadcaster on al jazeera has somehow recorded me saying a number of athletes. inner recordings of me were made without my knowledge or consent. it is my belief that an individual named liam collins made those recordings. liam is a reputed fraudster banned in his native united kingdom from running any investment businesses. the statements on any recordings or communications that al jazeera plans to air are absolutely false and incorrect. to be clear, i am recanting any such statements and there is no truth to any statement of mine that al jazeera plans to air. under no circumstances should any of those statements recordings or communication be aired. you can watch the full documentary on the doping allegations on sunday. it will go on air for the first time at 20gmt.

iraqi forces say they've taken control of a government complex in ramadi. the army is trying to retake the city which they lost to isil in may. a spokesman said there are no it ai will fighters left in the complex. ramadi is important because of its proximity to baghdad and access to roads in iraq's west. we are joined live from erbil. so how big a step would it be if they had taken control of the whole of ramadi, or was it simply that this complex is retaken? can you clarify what it means? >> absolutely. the iraqi forces was taken we can safely say more than 60% of the city, ramadi. this is an area in the homs neighborhood in the southwest of

ramadi. this is a key area for iraqi forces to take if they want to take the heart of ramadi. we believe that these forces are now in the building. they haven't taken control of the forces. it's a while before they actually clear the building. the buildings are not just booby trapped, but also there are suicide bombers who are issue hiding and waiting for the iraqi forces to enter and then they blow themselves up. >> what has happened to civilians who are left in ramadi? >> most civilians as far as we know have left, but there are concerns that there may be hundred was civilians still left in various neighborhoods.

this is a very, very urban area. there are houses in close proximity, streets that are very narrow, so the fight has been very, very slow, frustratingly for the iraqi forces who thought they would be able to take the city and clear it in a matter of days. it's day six and they are industrial struggling to get to the heart of ramadi. the fight is concentrated on the north and south. there are concerns the civilians may have and they might be used as human shields by isil. so far they have fled close by areas or cities in iraq. >> tell us about the kurdish airstrikes. what's changed in the way that the iraqi army and their partners have worked to make them be a bit more successful the this time? >> the iraqi forces have been

trying to surround ramadi for months now. now they are trying to use air power. it is not just coalition strikes, but trying to help them move forward. the tactical approach is the fact that iraqi forces go in, they try and gauge the resistance to facing some isil fighters and call in either airstrikes or try and push forward into that particular area. from the front lines, they've seen some pictures that have come to us. sometimes they coordinate the iraqi forces, sometimes with the

airstrikes. >> thank you very much indeed for giving us a clearer picture of what is happening in ramadi, thank you very much. the new leader of one of syria's most powerful rebel groups vowed to take revenge for the killing of his predecessor in in a air strike on friday, he has called on all opposition forces to show a united front, but other rebel groups criticized him for using brutal tactics and shelling residential areas. >> the safe massage out of damascus paving the way for fighters and their families to pull out from those areas and go

to areas under the control of isil. isil and the nusra front are looking for more guarantees that the routes are going to be safe and they are waiting for more logistics to take their families in one go out of the capital damascus. we will have to cross some areas under the control of rebel groups. they are saying they are going to intensify military campaigns.

a ceasefire should be committed to stop using barrel bombs, missiles against civilians. number two, a political way out from an opposition perspective is the following, a transitional authority with full executive power, assad has to go. assad has been saying i in the past and backed by the iranians and russian that is only the syrians have the right to say whether assad should stay or go. >> still to come on the program, flood fierce, latin americas worry as thousands flee their homes. looking back on 2015 through the eyes of three families. a mother and son who lost everything in april's devastating earthquake.

al jazeera's investigative unit infiltrated the world of sports doping and found a possible link between medical professionals and athletic professionals in the united states. those we contact denied wrongdoing. iraqi forces have retaken control of a compound in ramadi. vowing to take revenge for the killing of his predecessor in an air strike on friday, he called on all opposition forces to show a united front.

saudi arabia said it intercepted a long-range missile fired from sanna. people are forced to resort to old methods to get basic supplies like food and water. 20 million people are in need in the war-torn country. >> the city of taiz has been virtually under a state of siege for months, desperate for food, water and medicine, yemenese are trekking through old mountain passes with their animals, just as their ancestors did. >> i walk for four hours, yes, it's an exhausting journey. >> the u.n. said people need help in the town. camels and donkeys make it possible to survive, at a time when being caught between houthi gunmen and saudi air strikes makes life a daily struggle. >> we will never surrender to the houthis, the houthis have to leave taiz. >> since saudi led airstrikes

began in march, 5,700 yemenese have been killed. the u.n. estimates 21 million people need shelter, water and food. things are getting worse. in taiz, medicine is in such short supply that the city's hospital closed its doors. for the people of taiz, these animals are a lifeline. >> israeli security forces say two palestinians have been shot dead in the west bank after trying to stab israeli soldiers. a soldier was injured in the stabbing and another hit by friendly fire. earlier sunday, israeli police arrested a palestinian who stabbed a soldier in jerusalem at a bus station. a bill has received minsterral approval. it would require ngo's to give details of overseas donations to elected officials in israel if more than half funding came from

foreign governments. at least 29 died in the south of the u.s. as storms hit parts of northern the accident. there's more bad weather on the way, predicting severe storms, blizzards and icy conditions lasting through the week. we have this report. >> 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 just dove into the hallway. >> multiple tornadoes cut a path of destruction across texas, but this area bore the brunt. residents are now trying to recover what they can from their wrecked homes. >> all the neighbors, everybody, we all went in and took our safe area and hunkered down for a little bit and 15 seconds later,

it was over with, it was gone, next thing you know, i got a sky light in my kitchen. >> many here have been hit hard by this powerful storm and the road to recovery will be long. >> 30 seconds. i cannot believe this amount of damage was done in probably 30 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime, it did. you know, i'm sorry. >> over the last week, tornadoes and storms have swept across six states with mississippi worst affected. meteorologists are predicting severe blizzards and ice across central and eastern states in the coming days. southern california is also experiencing a weather related emergency, albeit of a different kind. this area is accustomed to wildfires, but the fourth year of drought 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. >> the national weather service says the current storm system will continue to be a threat for days to come, but in texas residents face the task of rebuilding their homes and getting disrupted lives back on track. al jazeera. at least six have died and thousands forced from their homes by heavy rain and floodion across south america. more than 160,000 people have been evacuated from park guy, uruguay, brazil and argentina. the el niño weather pattern is blamed, the strongest since 1950. hundreds of homes are being evacuated in parts of the united kingdom as flood barriers fail. british government held emergency talks sunday and promised to do whatever pleaded to help people. weather officials issued several warnings and the army deployed to help boost flood defenses. the relatives of missing

students in mexico have been joined by others. the parents ever yet to receive a trustworthy account of what happened. we have this report from mexico city where protestors are pushing for a new investigation. >> the anger towards the mexican government echoed on the streets of mexico city on saturday evening. among the chants, these are the people who are destroying our country. the agony of the families are 43 missing students has been described as a permanent torture. the men are believed to be dead, but the truth of exactly what happened to them has yet to emerge more than a year later. independent investigators say they were kidnapped after trying to highjack buses for transport, a common move for students in mexico. the investigation also found the mexican government lied and withheld information from the families.

>> i have seen repression and the social demands have been growing because people are disappearing and now we are demanding that the government give us back the students alive. >> the mexican government is refusing to launch a new investigation, so the hope is that independent experts will expose the truth, but those experts say they still need some assistance from the government. >> fortunately, the parents protest during the last year and legal action have helped discredit the government version of events. >> the relatives have been protesting in mexico city each month, with more than 20,000 people believed to be missing across the country, their activism is viewed by some as representing the conscience of all mexicans. natasha, al jazeera, mexico city. al jazeera is looking back at 2015 through the eyes of five families who lived through the biggest news events. we return to nepal where we met a mother and son who survived

april's devastating earthquake. >> finally starting to clear the stones which used to form her home, when the quake shook her house, her 2-year-old son and husband were buried in the rubble. this is what she had to say when we visited her in june. >> my older son, samir, keeps saying that he misses his younger brother. he looks at his picture and starts crying. >> life has been a daily struggle for her since the quake. >> he is still young. i have to earn and i don't have skills. i worry about how to build a house. it's not possible to live like this. the ceiling leaks with dew as if the house is sweating. it gets very cold. i have to build a house somehow. >> she has received $150 from the government to build a temporary shelter.

temperatures at night drop to freezing point and nepalis shiver in their shelters. rebuilding around the country has not started yet, because political parties can't agree on who will control reconstruction. >> back in june when we visited her, her son was petrified of leaving her side even for a short while. by now, she said, samir is much more confident, loves playing with his friends and enjoys going to school. >> this is what the school looked like in june. now temporary classrooms are open. >> we found samir playing in the school yard. after seeing him in our previous report an al jazeera viewer contributed $1,000 towards samir's education. samir said he still misses his brother, every day. >> the walls of the family's little tin house are full of

photos of loved ones who died. >> i watch t.v. and listen to music on the phone. i go outside with my friends. i try to keep my mind occupied, but at times when i see other women with their husbands, it hits me that i don't have mine anymore. an aunt says she looks at these photos every day and weeps, despite the challenges, she knows she needs to be brave for her son. al jazeera. >> our next report on the series is about two rohingya siblings forced to leave myanmar and explaining why they could only reunite briefly in indonesia before parting ways again. in so you had sudan, the countries two year war left 2 million people displaced. some refugees returning home see traditional craft skills as a way of bringing people together.

there are some who are returning home and one former refugee is using an arts project to create a sense of community. we have this report. >> inside the house is a craft. >> this is decorated with beads. this is traditionally well a necklace with kind of like a bone decorated with fire is the pattern there. >> after 20 years abroad, she came back to help rebuild the country of her birth. >> i always had an interest of living back here. i knew there was a lot required of us and being able to contribute in one way or the other was definitely something that influenced my studies and influenced what i want to do. >> part of that contribution is an effort to preserve the culture of south sudan. this market demonstrates some traditional craft.

>> you light it and use it like this. this is you use it for the smoking. >> at this women's cooperative, people from all tribes come to make beaded jewelry. two years ago, the civil war started when the president accused his deputy of attempting a coup, pitting tribal groups. this prompted a debate whether or not south sudan has a national identity. it is hoped people will feel better connected through one another through cultural practices they have in common, which includes these handy crafts. >> a lot of south sudanese people grew up outside their communities, many refugees in neighboring countries. these traditional skills have been lost. this project aims to bring together the older generation with the younger one in the pope they can pass on these skills and that crafts like these can be revived. al jazeera, south sudan.

>> kurdish forces in iraq raided an isil base. the kurdish media is questions police in kirkuk who say u.s. commanders were involved in the operation in northern iraq, though the u.s. denied it. several isil fighters have reportedly been killed and others captured. it comes two months after a joint operation freed 70 isil captives. >> hundreds gathered to hear pope francis celebrate mass. the pope underlined the importance of family and made a plea for mercy. it made his message of forgiveness. let us not lose confidence in the family. it is beautiful when we can always open our hearts to one another and hide nothing. where there is love, there is also understanding and forgiveness. to all of you, dear families, i

entrust with every day pilgrim only, the most important mission which the world and the church node now more than ever. >> plenty more on our website, aljazeera.com. you can catch up by watching you guess live as you're watching now. rooted in catholicism, but they're in mexico and an extension of people >> >> translation: at this time of the year people are looking for the traditional ones. although this business is changing, the artists are adapting. that's the value we are promote possessing >> reporter: for kids they will remain a game that