more news next. >> iraqi forces say they have won the bottom for ramadi freeing the city from isil. hundreds of fighters and civilians are given safe passage in two besieged areas of syria. i'm david foster. we're live in london. south korea and japan reach a deal to compensate the women used as wartime sex slaves. and we have the latest on the floods that have forced tens of thousands from their homes in latin america.

iraq's military said it has retaken full control from the islamic state of iraq and lavan, isil. a soldiers have been celebrating their victory although there are reports that there are still pockets of isil resistence inside ramadi. we have reports from irbill in northern iraq. >> a major battle in ramadi is over. these soldiers are celebrating after they took key control of the pound of the city. the take cover is symbolic. whoever controls these administrative buildings orange the city. >> yes, ramadi is now a free city. the hero of the armed forces have put the iraqi flag over the

government complex in anbar. >> as much as they celebrate the forces, this is just one area. isil fighters remain in downtown ramadi. in the north iraqi forces have not been able to cross the euphrates rivers and the forces continue to attack from the east of the city. their presence crumbled when fighters moved into the city. it's the first battle that they have fought without the direct support of the mobilization forces known as sheena militias. these soldiers have kille found hundreds of roadside bombs. the challenge is to clear the homemade explosives and booby

traps planted. >> e. coli forces are upatlanta. it has taken them months to battle with isil and days in the final offensive to get this far. while they may have won this battle against the group, it will take them long for win the war against isil. al jazeera, erbil. northern iraq. >> and not surprisingly there has been u.s. reaction to the retaking of ramadi. let's go to roslind jordan in washington, d.c. it was such a disappointment. back in may when the islamic state in iraq and the levant managed to take this key city, i would imagine that the united states is particularly pleased to see the resilience of the iraqi forces now. >> that's right, david, in fact, the u.s. military is saying that patience is paying off as is the ongoing training work which the u.s. military has been carrying out with the iraqi military.

however, they are cautioning even though this is a good day for the iraqi military and for the iraqi people, the fight against isil is far from over. >> there is still plenty of work to do in ramadi. we still need to stabilize the remainder of the euphrates river valley. we need to wok on the rest of the tigress river valley. i want everyone to be clear this is still a lot of work ahead of us. this enemy is dug in very deeply on portions of iraq. they still have the capability to fight and they have the capability to do harm. this is going to take time. >> he is saying that we need to do this, it's up to us. clearly it's a joint effort in so many ways. but there are two questions here, really. one is how easy or how hard is it going to be to hang on to ramadi? and the next big battle mosul,

any indication when that may be coming up with the u.s.? >> well, colonel steve warren, who is a spokesperson for the u.s. effort inside iraq told al jazeera there is no timeline yet for going into mosul. that's because there is still a lot of training that needs to be carried out. there is still a lot of other work that needs to be done. not just in ramadi but other parts of the you freighty river valley between ramadi, and mosul. they need to--according to colonel warren, they need to take care of those issues and try to debilitate isil in those areas before they try to retake mosul. remember, there have been talk earlier in the year that maybe this past may there might have been a major offensive against isil inside mosul. that would quickly knocked down and it seems as if the u.s.' repeated stance, david, that this is going to take years is

seemingly coming to fruition. you say this is going to happen, but not before the public says it ought to happen. >> word from the syrian state television is that 19 people have died in a twin bombing attacks in the central city of homs. the governor of homs saying that a car bomb exploded and moments later a suicide-bomber detonated his invest. another 100 people were wounded. a british-based activist group was given the higher death toll of 32. in a different attack, buses and ambulances carrying about 450 fighters and civilians out of three besieged towns in syria have crossed into turkey and

lebanon. now they've been allowed safe passage out heading north and into that part of the country, and they will therefore arrive in the al nusra front stronghold idlib. well, there are civilians and fighters trapped in two pro government shia villages in a safe route from turkey itself. from there they will fly from beirut moving on to the syrian capital, in the past year there have been similar agreements in homs, and in yarmouk. low, the kill of a powerful rebel leader on friday. let's hear from hashem ahelbarra who is on its turkish border with syria.

>> wounded rebel fighters and their families cross from syria. with insecurity and uncertainty with their future. they're trapped near the lebanese border. it has been the very tall county of intense fighting. but after a serious of setbacks, the wounded and their families will be taken to turkey. their final destination is unclear. they could be sent to refugee camps on the board with syria or move to areas under opposition control inside the country. also, as part of the deal, shia fighters were given safe passage through small towns. these pro government fight

precious evacuated to turkey. it's the first leg in a journey that will take them to lebanon and then syria's capital, which is still largely a stronghold of bashar al-assad. this complex movement of people was made possible because of a deal brokered by iran and turkey. it is seen as a significant development in a country battered by more than four years of violence. the united nations hopes this deal will create some level of trust between the government and the rebels ahead of a crucial meeting in geneva next month. there is a growing sentiment that no can decisively win this war in syria, and a compromise may be the only way to bring an end to this face of the conflict. >> the emergency agency said that at least 30 people were killed in a wave of overnight

attacks. there have been reports of a suicide-bombing, too. at a mosque. let's go to mohammed idris from maidugari, tell us why you think that events have increased so much over the last 24-48 hours? >> well, basically, david, over the past few days maidugari was on military lockdown. no vehicle is allowed in. no vehicle is allowed out basically because the security services want to make sure that this is a crime-free christmas. for the first time in the three years there was no case of bombing of boko haram in a church or any worship place. so the ban on movement or car movement in maidugari and other parts of the northeast of course was lifted yesterday.

and then all of a sudden there were suicide-bomb whose were intercepted by the military. the military killed more than a dozen of them as they try to enter maidugari, but some how some of them were able to escape. and for the first time in months they detonated their devices in various places. the military, the general officer commanding the nigerian army told reporters that 26 people have been killed in the series of bomb attacks across the state, and the fatalities could rise because of the severity of injuries sustained during the serious of attacks in my doings are on the outskirts of the city. >> what are they saying about the success of the operation, the entire operation against boko haram. given if they sit on a security in one ski completely, that it seems to not be possible. but the moment they lift it,

them it comes back? >> yes, we've just come back from the front line. there was a military facility. we saw the devastation in the northeast, and actually the military has succeeded they were holding one or two years ago. the nigerian government said that the capacity has been degraded. they have no power, no strength to launch an attack or hold a city or a state as they used to. that is--that is very proof at the moment we've seen how boko haram is fighting back. >> one of the few correspondents that you'll see reporting from that troubled part of area.

thank you, mohammed idris from maidugari. japan prime minister shinzo abe has apologied for the us forcing of coo south korean women as sex slaves. >> witting 70 years for an apology from japan. it came from shinzo abe. >> we have been expressing our feelings of remorse and apology on this issue as the previous governments have, and such position will not be changed. from today japan and south korea will enter into a new era. i hope this agreement will serve as an momentum for japan and south korea. >> it's an issue that strained the two countries for years.

many feel relief that they can at last have a chance to move on. >> regaining the impaired reputations of these women, i believe the government should quickly and safely carry out the provisions of this deal. >> many were forced to providing sex for japanese warriors during world war ii. the victims have accepted the apology and offer of $8.3 million in compensation. >> the government has been trying to settle in issue by the end of this year. we'll follow the government's decision. korea was a japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, but many say that

this apology brings hope for the future. >> this is a huge deal. a long time probable that has divided these two countries has been seemingly resolved on a government to government level. >> for many victims the trauma of the past has never gone away, but they say it is important that japan has finally admitted that what happened to them was wrong. al jazeera. >> do stay with us if you can on al jazeera. this is one of the stories we have for you coming up. after months of violence and deaths in burundi, can peace talks change the course of the conflicts? also the philippines gets its first super car built by young engineers who say they simply could not afford to buy their own.

>> the global headlines, iraq says its forces have retaken ramadi. the state of islamic state in iraq and the levant. soldiers here celebrating what they see as a victory. a number of on significance fight whose were under siege were also allowed to have safe passage in lebanon. and japan has apologized to

south korea forcing hundreds of thousands of korean women to be known as comfort women or sex slaves for soldiers. it will pay the victim who is are still alive compensation. there are talks under way and trying to find the political solution to escalating violence in burundi. fighting began earlier this year when the president said that he wanted to run for a third term in office. delegation from his government was present as the uganda talks, but president was not. let's hear from our man malcolm webb in uganda. >> in the opening session of the talks one of the delegates said that the government would not be willing to negotiate with anyone who was involved in the failed attempted coup in may. people involved in that could you include some opposition

meanwhile, th opposition say there was no way they would accept the power of the president. the opposition said that the elections are not valid and there is no way he should be in power for a third term. they want fresh elections, and they say he can't be a part of them. it's difficult to see how these two very different positions are going to be reconciled in the coming weeks. >> many people in burundi as well as in the africa union say that the country could once again see civil war. many people there are saying that the president is stirring up essentials between the one side the tootsi minority and the hutu majority.

>> the situation in the country is bad. it is not good. >> the country we do not see what--the president does not

want to give that you third term. >> there are some who are using some messages to divide burund burundiens into ethnic city. but i don't think that will lead to genocide because i hope everyone knows that genocide is not good. i do not think that burundi will go into genocide.

we are waiting for an international community to intervene. the regional community to enter seen to save our country. >> a suicide-bomber in the afghan capital has killed one person, hurting at least another 33. this was near the airport. 18 children are thought to be among the wounded. this attack was near a military entrance used by nato forces in kabul. here is the story. >> afghan police say that a suicide-bomber detonated a car next to this pickup truck. the attack happened on a road near the kabul airport. the suicide-bombers' target appear to be members of nato forces. but instead civilians were caught up in the blast. >> i was standing nery my shop when i heard a huge explosion and everything became dark around me. shattered pieces of iron fell

over me. i was 300 meters away from the explosion. i saw a teenager on the ground. it was terrible. >> can calls chief of police say that it was aimed at creating fear among members of afghans. >> men were wounded an one person was killed. all of them were civilians. this is the latest in a series of security set backs. in september the government took patrol and held it for more than two weeks before the army redeigned control and earlier this month more than 70 people died in a taliban attack on the kandahar airport complex. the attack came a day after the head of pakistan's army attended a christians in the city.

it was aimed at restarting pea talks with the taliban. al jazeera. >> the european union's border agency from texas is stepping up its efforts to try to process the magic number of refugees still arriving on greek islands. this is the our report. >> we're talking about a few days, perhaps, before they can actually start processing and helping the greek shorts. they could be deployed on the main hot spots, the greek highlands. we don't know that number yet. we expect to know within the next few hours. and in terms of what these officers will be doing, they'll

be happying the greek sports speed up the process of registration. they'll be taking security debriefs and determining their identify and carry out security background checks. then they'll cross check it with national and perhaps the european database. but all of that procedure will not help the greek authorities or stem the throw of the number of refugees. it will just allow them to continue their journey to the rest of europe. >> floodwaters have forced 160,000 people out of their homes in different countries in south america. para gray is the worst effect: local media say that five people have died and many are still trapped in their homes. state of emergency has been declared there, and northeastern argentina has been badly affected. nearly 10,000 people have had to leave a place called concordia because of severe flooding.

our supports content is there. >> this is the province in northeast argentina. and what we're seeing is happening not only in argentina, but also in paraguay, and in brazil. in this place precisely thousands of people have been attacked, around 10,000, and i'm being told authorities continue to work. i'm also told that this is one of the poorest areas of the city. and many people do not want to leave because they're afraid of losing whatever little they have left after this enormous flooding. you can see behind me that all the houses are underwater. people are using boats just in the middle of the streets. i was just able to see some fish that came all around this area. people are just trying to cope with the situation. while authorities are also trying to cope. mauricio macri, the newly elected president, said the only

way of mediating its effect is infrastructure. >> the philippines are known for lush tropical beauty but not necessarily for sports cars. a group of engineers want to change that. where they're building luxurious and perhaps one day affordable were "v" cars. >> this is being described as the philippines first were car weighing 650 kilos, it pumps out 519-horsepower. it was designed by car enthusiasts. because they could never afford to buy a sports car they decided to build one. >> it all happened when we were challenged and told we couldn't do it an to complete one and make it run. >> with you they did using parts that were easily found locally and adapting it for the filipino

market. the engine is japanese. >> the thing about this car is that it's not too delicate in how it is made. in the philippine context there is a lot of traffic, many uneven roads. it's adapted for that. >> it's been called the poor man's sports car, but that does not bother its builders, who see it as a showcase of philippine mow ingenuity, a way of recycling up. >> it all begins in here. there are no machines or 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. there has been interest from buyers, but it will be a while before the car is ready for the market. >> we want to serve as inspiration to each filipino. if we could achieve the dream,

so can others who can appreciate what we've done here. >> and what they've done is create a work of art by making the most of what they had. al jazeera, philippines. >> for the top stories go to www.aljazeera.com. >> the sports stars and possible use of performance-enhancing drugs, allegations they deny. we'll bring you part of the interview that manning gave. retaking ramadi. officials saying they have retaken the city from isil, but the p