a rare u.n. back deal in syria. hundreds of opposition fighters and their families are evacuated from three towns. this is the world news from al jazeera. ending a decade long dispute, japan offers 8.7 million dollars in compensation for war time korean sex slaves. uganda hosts talks i aimed at diffusing the escalating violence in burundi. stylish luxurious poor man's

sports sports car. to the developing news. around 100 wounded syrian rebel fighters trapped in the regime controlled town near the lebanese border are being evacuated. this was negotiated between the syrian government and the opposition with the help of iran, turkey and the united natio nations. it is happening here and they're being escorted by the international red cross as they head, along with family members, to lebanon, then to turkey to be treated for their wounds. around 300 supporters of the syrian regime are given safe passage to cam as can you say, crossing first into turkey and then lebanon-- to damascus. >> reporter: this is a very significant swap deal that has been underway today in syria. roughly 123 wounded syrian

opposition fighters along with their families are being evacuated from the besieged town. along the border here with lebanon. this group was expected to cross through the main border crossing here in lebanon heading to beirut international airport. at the same time there will be 330 shia predominantly two villages in idlib will be swapped here going through turkey. this is a very significant deal that has been underway since late september. the iran jane negotiator negotiated with the main opposition group in turkey to get to the second phase today. this has been long overdue. there has been several delays. one of the factors that delayed this agreement has been the russian air strikes targeting mostly idlib. there is a glimmer of hope for these people who have been under siege for years now. it will take several hours for us to get to the end of this

deal. we expect even more phases. there are roughly a thousand still holed up that are predominantly shia that's on the lebanon side. going to our correspondent near the turkey-syria border. tell us about part 2 of this deal. how is that supposed to work? >> reporter: we're expecting the 36 supporters of the syrian government to be given-- 336-- to be given from the shia villages. we understand from our sources on the ground that the operation is underway and is expected to aarrive in the turkish border any time soon. from there they will be flown to beirut and then they will drive to damascus. the two areas came under the spotlight when the rebels

control overrun most of idlib and the cities were the last focus of the regime in the northern part of the country and then the rebels said we will only allow those fighters free passage if our fighters are offered the same. this has been happening. i've been talking to a syrian member and they said what you're seeing on the ground is part of an international push to build confidence measures between the two parties now that they are talking about a political way out to the syrian crisis in geneva i just ask you something else on a sort of related topic. we're still talking syria. i'm seeing multiple explosions. anything on that? >> reporter: the syrian news agency says these were two

suicide bombing attacks in homs. this is the same area where there has been suicide bombing attack earlier this month that killed dozens of people. the attack was claimed by i.s.i.l. i.s.i.l. controls areas east. this is one of the areas where there has been many attacks in the past targeting syrian groups and also targeting the minority thank you for that. waiting for this to happen. this is pictures from the lebanon-syrian borders. we're talking about safe passage for fighters being given safe passage out to lebanon and into turkey eventually and then the reverse side of the deal where those loyal to the regime will be given safe passage as well. a deal brokered in september having now at the end of december. we will bring you that when it

happens. to other news. south korea and japan have reached a deal over a longstanding dispute over war time sexual slavery. both countries have been holding courts. an apology ask being offered and tokyo is offering 8.7 million in compensation to comfort women in japan. historians estimate up to 200,000 korean women were forced to work as prostitutes for japanese soldiers during world war ii. >> translation: as prime minister of japan, most sincere apologies to all women who underwent such a painful

experience and suffered wounds. >> translation: south korea confirms that the issue is resolved finally with this announcement on the premise that the japanese government will instead lee implement the measures the talks aimed at ending months of unrest in burundi are due to begin in uganda. violence began back in april when the president announced his intention to run for a controversial third term. since then more than 300 people have died. rights groups blame security forces for many of those killings. we're live to the burundi capital of bujumbura. we are following the story for us. what has the reaction been like there? >> reporter: the president launched the talks just moments ago in state house which is

outside the capital. the president opened the talks with a plea for an end to the violence in burundi and asked the groups to come to a very quick agreement on matters that are between them. in burundi the reaction to these talks have been very welcomed. people here feel that the talks are the best possible chance of ending the violence that has racked this country since the president announced that he was going to run for a third time, which many saw as unconstitutional. the civil society organizations are one of the big players in these talks and they issued a statement last evening and they said that there is disagreement over who ask actually open-- is actually opposition of burundi because they say the opposition parties who have remained in the

area, they have taken up their positions in parliament, they say they are not the opposition. the opposition are those who are opposed to the president's third time in office and those people who fled the country who are living in exile and they appealed to the presidency of uganda to invite those people living outside the country to come to the talks. some of them, of course, have been invited to the talks, but they say all those who opposed the president's third term, especially the leaders who lost the government and are now living in exile, should be invited to these talks the issue of the failed coup, i believe coup leaders, failed coup leaders, are actually appearing in court today as well. >> reporter: yes. they were supposed to come in front of a court 100 kilometres from here, but the judge adjourned the hearing of that

case until 4 january. former defense minister and five generals from the army as well as two others were supposed to come in front of the court today, before the court today. they are seen as the leaders of the coup attempt in may which sparked off most of the violence that burundi is facing right now thanks for that. in afghanistan a bomb has gone off near an entrance to kabul's airport used by nato forces. at least one person has been killed. 13 others injured. >> reporter: afghan police say a suicide bomber detonated a car packed with explosives next to this pick-up truck. the attack happened on a road near kabul airport. the suicide bottomer's-- bombers target was nato officials.

instead civilians were caught up in the blast >> translation: i was standing near my shop when i heard an explosion. i was three metres away from the explosion. i saw a teenager dead on the ground. it was terrible. >> reporter: the explosion destroyed cars and hit a street lined with shops. >> translation: i was teaching children inside the mosque when the suicide attack happened and i was injured. >> reporter: kabul's chief of police says the attack was aimed at creating fear among after gangs - afghans. >> translation: a suicide bomber detonated his car in this area. 13 passers by woulds wounded and one killed this is the latest in a series of security setbacks. the afghan city was held for two weeks before the army gained

controlled. more 70 people died in kandahar complex. the attack in kabul came a day ahead of the pakistan attending peace talks in the news ahead iraqi government forces continue to make gains in ramadi. we're live to erbil in relation to that. an investigation into banned drugs and professional sports.

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here. the international red cross is over seeing the evacuation of syrian rebel fighters and families from a town near the lebanese border. rebel fighters are being transferred to turkey. separately, supporters of president bashar al-assad in two villages are boarding buses to turkey. they will head to lebanon enroute to damascus. all part of the deal with the government and the opposition. syrian state tv reporting multiple explosions in homs in the west of the country. at least 14 people killed and more than 130 wounded in those blasts. in south korea and japan has ended a longstanding dispute on war time korean sex slaves. the prime minister has agreed to make an apology on behalf of his country. he is also offering 8.7 million dollars to the former sex slaves. iraqi forces are claiming victory over i.s.i.l. in ramadi after retaking the government

builds in the city center. i.s.i.l. seized ramadi, which is more than 100 kilometres west of baghdad, back in may. the army along with sunni tribal fighters now controls the government compound in the alhus neighborhood. other reports say i.s.i.l. still controls part of the city. live to erbil now. our correspondent. the iraqi have a key government building. that's important but not the end of the fight. >> reporter: yes. this is a very symbolic victory because this government compound is seen key to holding the city of ramadi. whoever holds it, holds the city. iraqi forces are not in complete control of the compound as yet because they're still clearing booby trap, antopolers and land mines from the area. this is a series of buildings, not just the police headquarters but the provincial and the council builds as well and it

will take some time before they can completely have victory over them. these are like areas like others where i.s.i.l. has retreated from where they're laden with booby traps and explosives do the iraqis give any occasion of what happens next? it is a city where a lot of people have lived and a lot of people have had to leave. >> reporter: absolutely. you can see from the images that we are seeing that are emerging out of ramadi that it is a city that's mostly rubble now. it will be a very hard job for the government to rebuild the city. they have taken control from i.s.i.s. in somewhere between 60 to 75% of ramadi, but there are four or five neighborhood in down town ramadi that still remains. bearing in mind that the government forces have not been able to cross the euphrates river from the north of ramadi.

they're still fighting resistance. it might be still too early to claim ramadi thank you for that. suspected boko haram fighters have killed at least 15 people in north-eastern nigeria. they attacked a village and it is feared the death toll could be much higher. at least ten gunmen were also killed. more for us from the area. judge the military is on hot pursuit of the attackers. they comb the bushes to find whether there are more boko haram fighters hiding. security and local sources are telling al jazeera that boko haram fighters led as many as eight female suicide bombers to attack that village causing so much damage. after the nigerian combovt and the military announced that they have degraded the capacity of boko haram, technically

defeating it, we will see instances such aas this, attacking isolated communities, launching suicide missions, as well as ambushing either patrols or local communities on the highways. shortly before the attack i spoke to the theatre commander of the operations against boko haram in the north-east of the country and this is what he was saying. >> more peaceful. the trouble is it used to be and we believe that for every second, for every minute, for every day, things will continue to improve. >> reporter: the government is confident that it has broken the will of boko haram to occupy any nigerian territory. what we will probably see over the next few months as the nigerian military, alongside troops of cameroon and chad and others, mop up, there will be incidents such as this, attacking isolated communities

and patrols and highways and launching of suicide missions al jazeera investigation into sports doping in the u.s. has revealed links between professionals and athletes. peyton manning is involved and he denied any wrongdoing. the >> reporter: on hidden camera footage, charlie sly advises liam collins on the use of drugs banned in professional sport. >> i'm using this delta 2 stuff. it is a steroid. it will be great for you. >> really? >> football players and basketball players take it too >> reporter: liam collins isn't a drugs cheat. he is working undercover for al jazeera's investigative unit to expose what athletes call the dark side. the alleged use of performance enhancing substances.

charlie sly claimed connections to several top sports men in american football and baseball. one player. taylor teagarden was recorded. >> i used it last year. i was scared, to be honest with you. i took it for, like, two weeks. i was also taking peptides too. >> reporter: sly also alleges that when he worked at an anti ageing clinic a banned substance was shipped to peyton manning's wife. >> we sent ashleigh manning drugs. it would never be under his name. >> reporter: in an interview with espn peyton manning has now responded to the allegations in the program. >> it is complete fabricated, complete trash, gar badge. there are more more adjectives i

would like to use but it makes me sick >> reporter: we spoke to the institute who gave us the start day that charlie sly worked in 2011. sly issued his own video denial. >> i am recanting any such statements. there is no truth to any statement of mine that al jazeera plans to air. >> reporter: our investigation also infiltrated a doping network in canada. we filmed a pharmacist and doctor who supplied our undercover athlete with an array of drugs and offered to destroy medical records to cover it up >> we will be doing ten injections in one day. if you want to really go black ops, so to speak, i can just document everything not in this chart but on my own chart. if somebody ever comes sniffing for it, there's the decoy. >> reporter: taylor teagarden, chad robertson and brandon

spletzer didn't respond. other professionals named in the program who did respond denies the allegations. this raises the question of enhancing drugs used in sport it is one of the most dangerous journeys in the world. the migrants journey to the united states. the best chance of getting through is by hiring a people smuggler. they must travel through in honduras, a town with the highest homicide rates in the world around get to guatemala. from there they go through another in the cartel mexican state and then people smugglers take them across the border to san antonio. we gained access to one

smuggler. >> reporter: roaming one of the world's most murderous cities looking for those trying to escape. this is a people smugger in honduras. he has given us access to the clandestine business of getting people from here to the united states. a call from his latest client. >> translation: he is a migrant like any other. we're taking him to the safe house where he will stay with the others who are travelling. >> reporter: he is already packing his few clothes before a final prayer with his family. he says he can't stay in a country where jobs are scarce and violence ever present. >> translation: i worked as a bus conductor, but they always assaulted us. the extortion is really tough right now. they kill you for nothing. >> reporter: this is his last conversation before the people smuggler takes his phone and his

wallet. he is now in his power, just like his other clients in what he calls his warehouse until he is ready to take them north. i ask him why. >> translation: having someone in the warehouse gives me security that the family will pay. the migrant can therefore be up to four months. the family has to pay half the trip within that time. >> reporter: it is common for smug letters to keep clients as virtual prisoners while they extract the 6 to $7,000 fee. he works for mexico powerful gulf cartel. he says the majority of people smugglers are employed by one or another of mexico's powerful groups. his recruitment was a painful process. >> translation: i went as a migrant as any other youngster. it turned into a nightmare. i was kidnapped, tortured. i saw them kill my cousin and 14 more people. it was my life or work with cartel.

so i started. >> reporter: he says he is doing this for his country men, but he doesn't hesitate to hand over those who fall behind in their payments to the cartel. >> translation: with pain in my heart, i hand them over to the cartel. they kidnap you and they kill you. they always get their money. they ask families for five or six thousand dollar ransom, but then they take your life. that's what you risk >> reporter: this time it is his turn to put his life in the hands of the people smuggler as they go north in the final part of our migration series floodings forced more than 150,000 people from their homes across south america. paragu aay is the worst affected country. at least five people have died and many trapped in their home. this is argentina, the north-east is the worst hit region. the president cancelled his christmas holidays to visit one of the worst affected areas,

concordia. more than 10,000 people have been evacuated there. brazil's president took an aerial visit of the state. a record rain across the region is being attributed to the el nino weather pattern. at least 11 people have died as a string of tornadoes swept through northern texas. they toppled hopes, blue away cars, cut power lines. the worst hit were north-east of dallas where eight people died. extreme weather will continue over the next few days forecasters say. the philippines, known for its beauty, not the first country that you think when you think of sports car design. some young engineers are hoping to change that. affordable super cars are being built. >> reporter: this is the alrelio.

the philippines first super car weighing 650 kilos it pumps out 517 horse power and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h. it is designed and developed by young filipino car, enthusiasts. because they could never afford a sports car, they decided to build one >> translation: it all started when we were challenged and told we couldn't do it, that we wouldn't be able to complete one and make it run. >> reporter: but they did. using parts that were easy to find locally and adapting the overall design for the filipino market. its engine is japanese and it has a due boo lair space frame chassis. -- tubular. >> translation: the thing about this car is that it isn't too delicate in how it is made. in the philippine context, which is there's a lot of traffic, a lot of humps, many uneven roads. it is adapted to that. >> reporter: it has been called the poor man's sports car. but that doesn't bother its builders who see it as a

showcase of filipino ingenuity. a way of recycling up. it all begins here each piece of the car's body is crafted and moulded by hand. there are no machines. it takes between six to eight months to complete a car. so far only four proceed toe types have been produced. -- prototypes. there has been much interest from buyers. it will be a long time before the car is ready for the market. >> translation: we want this to serve as inspiration for each filipino that if we can achieve this dream, so can offer re others who appreciate what we have done here. >> reporter: what they have done is create a work of art by making the most of what they had finally, the latest star wars movie has broken another record. the walt disney say the force awakens is the first film to hid

a billion dollars in worldwide tickets sales. it reached that in 12 days. previouslily it was jurassic world which took 13 days. go to our website for further news. al jazeera.com. >> it's christmas eve and u.s. soldiers are preparing for their last month in afghanistan. about 40,000 are still here. by the end of the year there will be just 8,000. we traveled to afghanistan in the midst of this transition.