the news continues next live from doha. thanks for watching. >> you're watching the news hour live from our headquarters here in doha. top stories. raising the flag of liberation, iraqi forces say they've retaken the city of ramadi. a rare evacuation. syrians trapped in three battleground areas are given safe passage out. a painful legacy resolved. japan and korea come to an

agreement on the women used as sex slaves. welcome to the program. the iraqi military said it it's liberated the city of ramadi from isil. the iraqi flag is flying over a complex interest, and soldiers have been celebrating their victory. we're joined live now. osama explain what has been going on there over the past few ours. >> peter, we heard one spokesman spoke about isil as they raised think flag in the center of ramadi. this compound holds much of the anbar headquarters and pr pro

provincial compounds as well. we know that there are parts of central are a misdemeanor di di ,down ramadi that are under isil control, and they're trying to across euphrates from the north, and push from the east and the south to take these areas from them. but it will take a while before they are able to do so. is the supply significance on their part that they'll encounter that again in these lingering pockets of isil fighters? >> absolutely, peter. that is key to whats slowing progress in the intensive. they have been faced not just with proceed side bombs, but

mines, improvised devices. in decision to that there are reports of isil suicide-bombers that are left behind when forces retreat from airous arrests who wait in siding for troops to arrive, and troops to come in and then they blow themselves up. they're me tic--meticulously going through homes before they declare victory. this is the first time they've taken an offensive all by themselves into the city of ramadi, not helped by any of the forces on the ground like the popular mobilized forces or other groups. they're also aided by coalition airstrikes who are key taking out isil defensive position.

>> now fighting in two parts of the country being implemented today. now on the syrian border of lebanon a group of rebel fighters and their families have been under siege. now those fighters and their kin have been allowed safe passage wheral nusra is the strongest

group. there they have been trapped in two towns controlled by the rebels. now under this u.n.-backed deal they have been given a safe route to damascus where the government is largely in control. the rebels and the families will head to lebanon where they'll continue on to turkey before finally arriving in idlib. the families will go from idlib to turkey. then beirut before being transferred to damascus. this is not the first evacuation agreement of its kind. there was a similar deal in ho homs. hashem ahelbarra is live for us. hashem, the symbolism of this and what it could turn into is not lost on anyone. >> it's quite significant.

the government has fighters trapped in towns in northern idlib, and they have the fighters trapped in an area where the government has laid siege in the past. they were hoping to have their own people evacuated. it comes at a time when the international community is hoping to convince the opposition and the government that the only way to put an end to more than four years of fighting and violence is a political way out. this evacuation could be the first step in that long process. >> and when we talk about that long process, i guess we've got to discuss the peace talks planned for geneva at the end of next month, january 25th and 26th, is what is going on today very good for the diplomats for the syrian foreign minister when

they go to geneva. what is happening now is it takes the heat out of the situation. >> exactly. peter, when the united nations envoy took over, they said it's going to be now about confidence-building measures. we would like to see the two parties negotiate deals. they started the deal, specifically the one in homs, and the deal is to strife to have the two parties start agreeing on some sort of in the. these are small settlements because you have fighting going on across the country. but it is a small step but quite significant steps. when they meet in geneva they'll have to tackle the big pic

picture, and that is to go forward. they say it's a transational authority with full executive power, which means by the end of the era of bashar al-assad. it remains to be seen whether the international community, the heavyweight players, turkey, iran, saudi arabia, the america will be able to convince all the parties to compromise. >> i guess that's the key thing you've identified for us there, now they've got what, four and a half weeks to talk to the aspiring politicians, and talk to the rebel groups. and the rebel groups they're militarily spent. by definition they have to be more receptive to hearing talk of peace opposed to hearing talk of war?

their going to go to geneva to show the world that they're genuine about a political supplement, however, they still have a main continue which is after all the sacrifices made, all those killed, they will not go to geneva to negotiate a national unity government. they say he should not have a say in the future. if they cannot come together on these two narratives the conflict will continue to go on for quite some time. >> at the moment isil controls much of the country's central

corridor. the syrian opposition controls the south and the west. and ypg has also been taking on isil and the rest of the country remains under government control. they say both the government and the rebels benefit from such a deal. >> i think this is not the first time we've seen this, and a long time ago there was a benefit approach. it is a win-win situation for the regime the area is in the middle of the area of influence of hezbollah where you have hezbollah, at the same time it

is beneficial for the rebels. i think it is like a trend going on. we've seen it in homs, as we said earlier, it's a benefit for everyone. a cross-benefit approach. >> syrian state tv has reported explosions in homs. a syrian rights group said at least 32 people have died. moving on, the japanese prime minister shinzo abe today apologized for the second world war policy of forcing thousands of korean women to be sex slaves. >> the victims have waited for 70 years for an apology from japan. it finally came from prime minister shinzo abe. >> we have been expressing our

feelings of remorse and apology on this issue as a previous government have, and such position will not be changed. from today japan and south korea will enter into a new era. i hope this will serve as a moment for japan and south korea. >> it is an issue that strained the two countries for years. now at last they hav they can move on. >> i think it is most important that the japanese government swiftly and safely carry out the measures under this deal. >> almost 200,000 asian women mostly from korea were forced to providing sex in brothels set up for japanese soldiers during world war ii. he the victims have accepted the apology and $8.3 million in

compensation. >> the government has been trying to end this issue by the end of this year. >> korea was a japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, and that history still affects south korea's relationship with japan. but they say this apology, however long in coming, offers hope for the future. >> this is a huge deal as far as we can tell, a long-time problem that has divided these two countries has seemingly resolved at least on a government to government level. >> to many victims the trauma of the past has never gone away. but they say it's important that japan admitted that what happened was wrong. >> here within the news hour coming from our studios here in doha, still to come on this program. five families a brief reunion for siblings were forced to

leave myanmar and are now separated again. and hoping to end burundi's unrest. talks try to stop the violence. and in sport, manchester united takes on chelsea aiming to end the run of four straight defeats. >> at least 11 people died when a string of tornadoes swept through texas. it flew away cars, caused traffic jams. eight people died. the extreme weather will continue over the next few days. flooding has forced people from their homes in south america. paraguay has been worst affected. the brazilian president dilma

rousseff took a tour of the fluiding, the rain is attributed to the el niño weather pattern. to argentina northeast of that country is worst hit. the president ma receiptsio mccrew cut short his holiday to tour the region there. >> we see in this place precisely thousands of people have been evacuated, around 10,000, i'm being told, and they continue to work.

people are using boats in the middle of the streets to move around. i was able to see some fish that came all around this area. people are trying to cope with this situation. they are also trying to cope. mauricio macri came here and put the blame on climate change. he said the only way of mediating its effect is infrastructure. >> are people able to look after themselves? usually after this kind of flooding, after a week or so we get stories about the spread of disease. that's something that authorities are aware of, and people are aware of as well? >> most definitely. people are worried about the current situation here. thousands of them have been

evacuated in a school that is not far were where we are right now. they have a whole unit in charge of the organizations here. we see doctors, firemen and military working in places like this one, which has been th in the area. but only here thousands of people were forced out of their homes. >> thank you. and staying with flooding, the u.k. prime minister david cameron has visited flooded areas in the north of england. he has bee said that more will be invested to prevent future floods. a suicide-bomber in the afghan capital killed one person and wounded 13 others close to the airport. the attack happened near the military entrance.

>> a suicide-bomber detonated a car next to this pick up truck. the attack happened on a road near kabul airport. the suicide target appears to be members of nato security forces. but instead civilians were caught up in the blast. >> i was standing near my shop when suddenly i heard a huge explosion and everything became dark behind me. i was three meters away from the explosion. i saw a teenager dead on the ground. it was really terrible. >> the explosion destroyed cars and hit a street lined with shops. >> i was running inside the mosque when a suicide happened, and i was injured. >> kabul's chief of polit police said that the attack was createcreate supposed to create

fear in the area. >> everyone killed was civilians. >> this is a latest of series of security set backs for the afghan government. the it will ban took control of kunduz and held it for two weeks before the army regained control. and then several people died in an attack. the attack came at a time of peace talks with the taliban. >> rescue teams in eastern china are struggling to reach 17 miners trapped in collapsed mine since friday. the miners have been located in two sections and rescuers are working out a plan to reach them. so far they've been able to provide them with food and communication equipment. 29 people were in the mine when it collapsed. 11 people were rescued on saturday. the head of china telecom

has become the latest target. investigated for, quote, disciplinary violations. we have more now from beijing. >> the boss of china telecom one of the three big telecommunications companies in the country. according to a posting of a website on anti-corruption watchdog he's now being investigated for serious violations of discipline, usually an euphemism for corruption here in china. just a few weeks ago the plan who was boss of one of the biggest private conglomerates in this country vanished from view for several days after police confirmed he was helping them with their inquiries. this widening anti-corruption campaign is focusing not just on the private sector but also increasingly on the state-owned sector, and there may an reason for that because there has been

a lot of resistence among the state-owned enterprises against some of the structural reforms that president xi jinping once carried out to get the economy moving again. about what we've had is another reminder that as this campaign continues no one is untouchable. >> growing restrictions, prohibiting visa-free travel for anyone who is visiting from what is considered high-risk countries including syria and iraq. this comes after the shooting in california. >> since the pakistani woman pledged her allegiance to isil and joined her husband in california, suspicions have mounted to avoid scrutiny and from entering the u.s. there are new limits on travelers both americans and

citizens from 38 countries who have long been able to visit the u.s. without a visa. >> it will disqualify anyone who has traveled to syria, iraq, sudan, iran within the past five years from participating in this program. we will now require those individuals to apply for a visa and go through the formal visa convening process. >> it has been met with anger from several quarters from americans who hold dual nationalities from those countries even if they never set foot in their parents' homeland. >> if your father is an irani national. you're considered an irani national, that is even if you have never traveled to iran. >> the law sparked an online campaign condemning what is called second class citizenship.

european countries would have to retaliate against american visitors, the end result only hurting economies on both sides of the atlanta, but the motive appeared clear to iran. the speaker said that they were aimed at harassment and blatantly sabotage the agreement. the obama administration is worried about the visa changes. >> it could have very negative impact. >> but secretary of state john kerry has assured the iranians the visa reform would not be an obstacle. the american administration has the power to waive the rules in his words so as not to interfere with legitimate business interests of iran. the republicans who oppose the nuclear deal say they will resist any effort to placate iran. but after realizing the unintended consequences of the new restrictions some of their

leaders say they may have to reassess next year. tom ackerman, al jazeera, washington. >> now back in the middle east, saudi arabia said it will review power and fuel subsidies as it looks at the budget deficit of $19 billion. and they expect $87 billion deficit next year. hitting the budget after king salman took over. saudi is the largest oil exporter. the break even price for its budget was $106 a barrel last year. the current price is just under $40. saudi arabia and other opec members refuse to cut their output because they want to keep their market share. we go to an economist and former member of the saudi council. he said that saudi has enough reserves to go through this period of low oil prices.

>> 80% to 90% of the government's income comes from oil. that is true. but pending on the economy, it does not mean that saudi arabia has to do anything about the price of oil. it has enough reserves to last several years in the future, even if it grows $100 billion a year. let's say it has over $600 billion. so the domestic spending is a part. that issue of oil, i think saudi arabia is doing what it should do as far as the oil concern. oil prices are down. they were in 2008 they reached a huge $145 a barrel, and since then it has been sliding down. but since it was an used commercially 100 years ago to today, it goes through a cycle. the price of oil, demand wide

takes a long time for it to move. $140 a barrel is not sustainable. it's going to change. it will change, when will it change? next year? the year after that? it will happen. until then, the saudis have enough reserve. >> the concern of the rise of fuel prices in the next few years, the government said it's trying to reflect the rising prices in the region. still to come here on the al jazeera news hour we're on the road with human smugglers trying to move human cargo from central america to the united states. plus who is reaping the benefits of a gold mine boom? local people say it is not them. and in sports news the l.a. lakers season gets worse after a defeat to the memphis grizzlies. we have all the latest with sana.

>> comedy great richard lewis. >> i really am in love with the craft. >> turning an angst ridden and neurotic outlook... >> i have to unravel myself on stage as fearlessly as possible. >> into an award winning career...from hell. >> it's thrilling when it's working. >> i lived that character. >> go one-on-one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change.

s. >> welcome back. the iraqi military said it has liberated ramadi from isil. soldiers have been celebrating their victory. more than 100 syrian rebel fighters and their families have left their besieged town have arrived at the syrian border. others are being taken to damascus, lebanon, all from the rare deal o backed by u.n. the japanese prime minister shinzo abe making an apology for the force sex slaves and making $8.3 million to former sex workers. now talk of ending the violence in burundi has

concluded today. 300 burundiens have decid died since april. a delegation from the government was there as well. this man, however, was not choosing to stay away. representatives from the burun burundi's rifle opposition groups were also part of the discussions. others who took part were human rights activists as well as religious leaders. the main purpose, of course, to prevent a return to civil war. malcolm webb reports now from uganda. >> in the opening session of the talks the government would not be willing to negotiate with anyone who was involved in the failed attempted coup in may. the government said people involved in that opposition to

gain power. the opposition said there was no way they would accept power from the president. he was elected in july after the opposition boycotted and said that the election is not valid and there is no way he should be in power for a third term. they want safe environment and they say the president cannot be part of it. they say it's difficult to see how these two very different positions are going to be reconciled in the coming weeks. >> now many in burundi as well as the african union worry that the country could slip into civil war once again. many citizens say that there is the stirring of tensions between the tutcy minority and the hutu majority.

>> we wake up and found some bodies. i'm very shocked. >> they don't want to give up that third term.

there are some who driver the message, but i don't think that it will lead to genocide. everyone knows that genocide is not good. the desire is to have peace, security.

>> dozendozens of people have been killed in nigeria. at least 30 were killed and 90 wounded. another 20 were killed when a mosque was bombed. it was the first attack on the city in months. just last week they said that boko haram was effectively defeated. let's look at the stories through the eyes of families affected. one year, five families, about a rohingya family who faced hostilities from buddhist and it's estimated 36,000 rohingyas

left myanmar. they're headed to for malaysia, and thailand. they all did agree to offer temporary refuge. but many were stranded on boats in the sea for days. two rohingya siblings escaped and were separated at sea, they finally landed in heche, we revisit those siblings to see how they are doing. >> they fled prosecution in myanmar. surviving two hazard douse boat journeys. more than a thousand kilometers from indonesia. where we met seven months ago.

>> in indonesia they took good care of us, we had enough food. but we were sad because we had nobody. that's why i decided to come here. >> in may, they landed, and were separated on the journey, and both drifted at sea for months after smugglers abandoned them. many traveling with them died on the way. she recognized her brother in a photo we took in a different camp and finally the siblings were reunited. >> that was the last time they saw each other. we find the brother spending most of his time praying. >> when i met my sister i was so happy. i felt like i have my family again. now she has gone and i'm heartbroken. i'm so sad. >> the siblings have tried to

leave indonesia together, but he was betrayed by smugglers and abandoned. >> i could not stop crying, i could not eat for two days after this. i was so afraid we were going to die. >> the story is a tale of thousand who is have risked their lives at sea to find a better future. they were given some kind of safety, but it has brought new uncertainty. it's a journey that has only just begun. she regrets leaving indonesia. now she lives as an undocumented in malaysia. >> it has ban very long journey, and i've faced much hardship along the way. everyone was burned, and we had

no freedom there, not even to pray. despite everything i'm thankful. >> once a month they talk on the phone and hope one day they might be reunited again for good. al jazeera, in kual kuala lumpur. >> a year since 43 sunset went missing in mexico. how does one family feel about lost time and prospect of closure. that's tuesday here on al jazeera. the european union stepping forward to help processing a large number of refugees still arriving on the greek islands. we have reports now from the greek macedonian border. >> we're talking about a few days, perhaps, before they can actually start processing and helping authorities. they could be deployed on the

main hot spot, the main islands. we don't know their number. we expect to know in the next few hours. in terms what have they will be doing, they'll be helping the greek authorities in registration. they'll be taking security briefs and determining their identity and security background checks. then they will process check it with national and perhaps european database. but all of that procedure will not help the greek authorities or stem the throw, it will only speed the process to allow them to continue their journey to the rest of europe. >> al jazeera has gained access to one of the most dangerous migration roots anywhere in the world. the migrants must pass through honduras. considered the world's most

violent city, and they have to get to guatemala. from there they go into the cartel-controlled mexican state. then people smugglers are taken across the border into the state. they're aiming for san antonio in texas. john holman traveled with them in part three of the series of reports. >> it may look like one horse town, but don't be fooled. the guatemala-mexican border is a hub for migrant and for gangs who prey on them. the man i'm talking to is a people smuggler. his job is to keep those traveling with him safe from the local mafia. >> i pay for security here so that my clients don't have to wait. here time is safety. >> people here don't let you move. they kidnap you, beat you up and

do what they want to you. >> we followed him on an exhausting journey from san pedro, honduras, hopping on the crowded buses trying to pick up more clients. now he needs to get out of their area and into mexico. there is only one way. >> this is where the road ends and the river begins. then, they climb in to these small boats here, which will take them down the river. hondurans, guatemalans, salvadorans, everyone we talked to had a story of poverty and violence they're trying to escape. a gang got into my house, robbed everything, beat up my dad and my cousins and even raped my mother. >> but he's only heading into more danger. mexican cartels and authorities are infamous for kidnapping,

extorting and killing migrants. the only sure way through is to pay them off. >> federal police take at least $120. migration officials are $30. the other groups are no better. >> it's a booming business, and mexico's recent tightening of its southern border means the chances of getting through without the guide is slimmer than ever. but even paying the $6,000 to $7,000 the people smugglers demand, it does not guarantee your safety. >> a year ago i brought a group of young women of 16 to 17 years old. all of them got raped. i paid the money, and they raped all those girls any ways. >> from the boat these migrants are hurried in to cattle trucks. that's how they went to mexico.

merchandise trapped in an industry that sees them as pure profit. guatemala. >> a gold mine is creating big profits, but there are many who say they're not seeing any of the profits. people in the area say they want better facilities such as schools and hotels, bu but--hospitals, but their demands have been met with silence. >> all this time a reliable if humble income for the people of the region. but they know that gold in the mountains above earns the government tens of millions of dollars a year. the gold mine contributes as much as 25% to the gdp, however, many who live mere by worry about the environmental impact of the mine and the lack of

tangible benefits. two years ago demonstrations against it turned violence. protesters accuse the police of brutality. now activists say nothing has changed, and no one feels safe to speak out. >> the guides who were convicted, their relatives are always frightened. if you talk to someone their boys will never get out, they'll rot in jail. >> we went to the villages to see for ourselves if things have improved, but we discovered that we've been followed. >> we know the people we want to speak to has been warned not to talk to foreigners. in fact, they were surrounded by an angry crowd and then later they were held for three hours and questioned by state security

and told to go back to the government. >> the government is trying to renegotiate its agreement with the canadian company that runs the mine. the prime minister said more than enough is being done for local villages. he warns he won't tolerate interference with the agreements. >> protecting investors is the job of our state security services. we have a lot of people who are sometimes motivated by greed. >> these men filmed trying to extort $3 million from the gold mine were later jailed. environmentalists say that the villages demands for decent schools and hospitals is legitimate. >> when you see that it is for the benefit of the communities and villages rather than describing them as trying to

gain personal profits. >> villages are not yet convinced of its value. al jazeera. >> plenty more still to come here on the al jazeera news hour. stylish, luxurious and affordable. we look at a budget sports car. after two days of sailing, the race winner is crowned. sama is here with that story with that and the international sports news in a couple of minutes.

>> now the philippines known for its lush tropical beauty is probably not the first country that springs to mind when you think about designing a new sports car. but the car reaches 300 kilometers an hour. we have reports where the team is building a new kind of super car. >> this is the described as the philippines first super car, it is designed and developed by young filipino car enthusiasts. they could never afford to buy a sports car they decided to build one. >> it was all started when we were challenged and told we couldn't do it. >> but they did, using parts that were easy to find locally

and adapted for the filipino market. the engine is japanese. >> the thing about this car is that it's not too delicate in the way it's made. in the filipino context, there is a lot of traffic, a lot of bumps and uneven roads. >> it's been called the poor man's sports car but that does not bother its builders who see it as a way of recycling up. it all begins in here. there are no machines nor assembly lines. each piece of the car's body is crafted and molded by hand. it takes between six to eight months to complete a car. so far only four prototypes have been produced. the developers say there have been much interests from buyers, but it will be a while longer before the car is ready for the

market. >> we want to serve as inspiration that if we could achieve this dream, so can others who can appreciate what we've done here. >> and what they've done is create a work of hard by making the most of what they have. >> sports news time. >> in the english premier league manchester united take on chelsea at old trafford. it puts van gaal against his compatriots. it could be the last game in charge. it was theirs fifth again without victory. >> at halftime despite they are

2-1 down against stoke. it's 1-1. >> the carolina panthers season is over. they lost to the atlanta falcons. putting the falcons ahead and the panthers could not come back after that. the defeat at the georgia dome deny the panthers from clinching home field advantage in the nfc playoffs. >> just disappointing. we didn't take advantage of the opportunities. we didn't coach to our abilities. we didn't play to our abilities, but you have to give them credit. the coach did a nice job, they hathey were prepared to play.

but at the end of the day we were not good enough as a football team. >> there are no magic words that need to be said. hear me wave a wound. we got our ass kicked today, and we deserved it. i'm talking with the mirror in front of my face. some plays that we left out there, we knew it. but yet we know that we're 14-1 right now. we put ourselves in a situation where we can use this as fuel to the fire. >> the kansas city thieves clinch a playoff spot after they beat the cleveland browns. the 17-13 win was their ninth straight victory. other gains on sunday including arizona clinching a first-round play with their ninth straight win against the green bay

packers. while minnesota's win over the new york giants means next week's game, they will decide the nfc north title. the new york jets have put themselves in contention with a playoff spot with a win over the reigning super bowl champions new england patriots. the grizzlies dominated from start to finish, and they easily defeat 112-96, the latest loss in a row. >> the chicago blackhawks stumbled out of their christmas break with a defeat to the

carolina hurricanes. they both would score a goal but the star of the night was the goal goal goalie who made 35 saves. carolina held on for the two-1 win. taking a lead at the end of day three. and 91-for-6 overnight they managed 271 in the first inning, we got if 81, but despite not getting close with a total of 551 they were not forced to follow on. an >> in england, the lead of 261 against south africa on day

three. despite it south africa were bowled out for 214. end. >> extended their advantage in the second innings. 172 for three. >> winning what organizers the toughest to hold that race in ten years. nearly a third had to retire due to bad weather. they had to recover from the water damage and the start, but eventually finished ahead of another american vessel. >> thank you very much. david foster is waiting for your company in london. we're back at the usual time tomorrow. we'll see you very soon. bye bye for now.

>> coming up tonight, we'll have the latest... >> does the government give you refugee status? >> they've marched to the border. >> thousands have taken to the streets here in protest. >> this is where gangs bury their members. >> they're tracking climate change. >> elderly americans addicted to painkillers prescribed by doctors. >> have you ever thought about going off of your painkiller dosage? >> no. i don't know if i'd have the courage to stop it. >> but is it leading to abuse more than it's helping. >> he would prescribe what he felt was appropriate... the result, she died. >> faultlines checks into rehab to investigate who's responsible for the hidden epidemic. >> i was just doin' what the doctor's told me to do.

>> iraqi forces say they've won the battle for ramadi freeing the city from isil. and hundreds of fighters and civilians have been given safe passage under a rare deal. >> it's good to have you along. i'm david foster, you're watching al jazeera. also coming up in this program, japan and south korea have come to a deal over women used as