moving for celebrations as fighters and families caught in the syrian conflict head for safety a welcoming party, family of syrian boy whose lifeless body sparked outrage, arrives in canada i'm richelle carey in doha with the world news from al jazeera. also ahead in the next half hour - al jazeera gives access to what was once the armed group boko haram's heavily fortified

base in nigeria. and losing their identity. why so many chinese are being pushed out of chinatown and the u.s. hundreds trapped in two besieged areas of war-torn syria are on their way to safety. the united nations hopes the deal to evacuate fighters and their family is a stepping stone do a peace accord. 450 people are transported from syria, turkey and lebanon. more are expected to follow it's taken months of complex political manoeuvring. but on monday, buses started to arrive into lebanon from syria, in them, dozens of civilians and fighters trapped by the forces of bashar al-assad. other convoys contain pro-government fighters and civilians, besieged by

opposition forces. more are due to be moved to safety as part of an un-brokered deal reached in september. this is a humanitarian effort. some are talking about winners and losers. >> translation: maybe some will say that what has happened is a victory. others will say it's a defeat. for u the activists say it's a solution, we think it's a feet. we dealt with the issue, the city supported the war and the bombing alone. >> these people are heading to turkey and back to rebel held areas in syria. the civilians and fighters have been dropped in the villages in

north-west of syria. >> thank god the road was secured. we left at 12. >> reporter: this complex movement of people was made possible because of a deal brokered by iran and turkey. it's seen as a development in a country battered by violence and a death toll of a quarter of a million people. the u.n. hopes the deal will create some level of trust between the government and rebels ahead of a meeting next month video emerged of the aftermath of a series of air strikes targetting a suburb in damascus. it happened in the rebel held area. the air strikes were carried out by government war planes. several people are believed to have been injured. there has been several

explosions in the western city of homs. activists say at least 32 people were killed, 90 injured. it is the second attack in homs since a ceasefire this month. the agreement followed - allowed the government to take over the last rebel held area of the city. and the violence in syria forced millions to take enormous risks to reach europe. among them was the family of 3-year-old alan kurdi. his lifeless body was found washed ashore on the turkish coast. some of the family members have now reached canada. his uncle and family are among the 25,000 syrian refugees that canada promised to welcome by the end of february. alan, his brother and mother drowned trying to cross the mediterranean sea. >> thank you for the people.

thank you for the government and thank you for the group. >> i'm very happy and excited. at the same time i'm sad about my uncle's kids. >> at least 26 have been killed, and 82 injured in attacks in north-eastern nigeria. >> emergency services say two bombers struck a market in the town, and neighbouring borno state gunmen opened fire and detonated a bomb. no one claimed responsibility. the suspected boko haram is behind the attacks. nigeria's government says it's now got the upper hand over the armed group. the announcement coming days before a head line. the government set to defeat them. al jazeera has been given access

to film in what was once boko haram's fortified base. idomeni reports. >> -- our correspondent reports. >> reporter: a patrol in a former i.s.i.l. stronghold. a mention of this area feels nigerians with dread. it's a vast territory seized by boko haram. a new government and military leadership took over this year. it is now declared that the group is no longer dominant. >> more peace. ful -- peaceful. a better place than it used to be. we believe it for every second, every minute things would continue to improve. still, the military stepping up operation the, mopping up and securing areas that they have

recaptured. no nigerian territory saw the bombing of the land behind me. the stronghold was pounded from the air for several months. we were told it was not safe to go in there because of the presence of ordnances. land mines. on the road to one of the most devastated towns, the military handlers took us through areas of destruction - a legacy of six years of the violence. >> the way things are going on now. we don't think the army will stay for a long time. due to the defeat, because boko haram is no longer pristine. >> another school occupied and ravished by the group before the military chased them out. girls taken by this town, long before they are abducted. >> for two years, a 70-year-old

fisherman couldn't go to the river. now they are ready to be laid. >> translation: life was tough, now we can go to the river, and with troops, things are getting better and better. >> things have improved, but fear remains as boko haram carried out a series of suicide bombings recently. like many people in the north-east, mohammed nose the fight for stability may continue for some time to come u.s. secretary of state john kerry said iran started to fulfil its part of a deal with six world powers, after a shipment of iranian left for russia. >> iran is moving forward and removing much infrastructure and

removing and rendering inoper ag the existing core of iraq's reactor. all the steps will be verified and the agency is verifying the whole programme rosalind jordan has more on the story from washington d.c. >> reporter: john kerry's announcement that iranians have shipped out the problematic stores to russia doesn't mean everything has been completed under the joint plan of action or j.p. coa. iranians have to verify that they have dismantled the infrastructure that could have permitted them to g nuclear wop -- build nuclear weapons. pt i.a.e.a. has to implement its own regime, one that would allow it unprecedented and unfettered access to iran's nuclear

facilities. in the meantime it's not clear when the iranians will receive natural stores which it will use for peaceful energy purposes. it does see progress, it is looking forward to implementation day. the day when the terms of the j.p. coa is concluded and thin it could remove sanctions against the iranian government the u.s. grand jury decided that the white police officer that shot and killed a 12-year-old african american will not face charges. john terrett reports. >> reporter: no charges for the two police officers involved in the death of tamir rice, the 12-year-old boy shot as he apparently reached into his waistband for a pellet gun in november last year. the prosecutor said he agreed with the grand jury decision. >> simply put, this perfect storm of human error, the state

and miscommunications by all involved ta day, the evidence did not indicate criminal kouct. >> the weapon tamir rice had was a realistic looking copy of a real pistol. in a statement issued through the attorney, the rice family accused the prosecutor of abusing and manipulating the grand jury process to get the outcome he wanted. 9 statement reads: [ chanting ] >> reporter: the shooting of tamir rice led to protests in the city and was a key event in 2014 that led to the nationwide "black lives matter" movement, along with the deaths of zack macewan in ferguson, missouri, and eric garner in staten island. the mayor appealed for calm. i wanted to say to the family, the mother in particular, that we are sorry for her loss, and we know it's been a long

process, but we do not intend to add to whatever anxiety or agony that they feel in terms of the process. >> the police chief says now criminal proceedings are over, the next priority is an internal investigation. >> now that the county, grand jury has concluded, we start our administrative process in this matter with both the officers involved. we are going to reconvene the critical incident review committee, leal look at the incident -- they'll look at the incident from start to finish. >> the department of justice and the federal bureau of investigation are reviewing the shooting still ahead - a salute to liberation, iraqi forces celebrate retaking ramadi from i.s.i.l. plus, al jazeera is on the road with people smugglers, trying to take migrants to the

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take a look at the top stories here on al jazeera. hundreds of syrians trapped by intense fighting in two parts of the country are on their way to safety. the first batch of evacuees arrived in beirut. a complex exchange of civilians and fighters from both sides of the conflict followed months of u.n. brokered talks the u.s. said iran has started to fulfil its end of a

nuclear deal with six world powers. a ship carrying 11,000 kilograms of low enriched uranium left iran for russia a u.s. grand jury decided the white cleveland police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old african-american tamir rice, will not face charges. the release of c c.t.v. footage caused outrage. the boy turned out to be holding a toy gun when shot the provision against i.s.i.l. in ramadi has been called a significant step in defeating the the group. iraqi troops captured key parts of anbar in a week-long operation. secretary of state john kerry says it's important to bring stability to the lid rated areas. we have this report from erbil. >> reporter: a major battle in the iraqi city of ramadi is over. at least soldiers are celebrating after taking control of a key compound in the center

of the city. the takeover of the anbar police headquarters and the provincial buildings is symbolic. whoever controls the buildings holds the city. >> yes, ramadi is now a free city. the armed forces put the iraqi flag over the government complex in anbar. >> reporter: as much as there is to celebrate for the forces, the neighbourhood one area. i.s.i.l. fighters remain in downtown ramadi. in the north they have not crossed the euphrates river and they continued to launch attacks. the capture is a boost to the army, whose presence crumbled when i.s.i.l. fighters moved into too much of the city. it's the first army fought without the support of mobilization forces. the top commander of aind

terrorism forces will not preodict when the forces will completely take over a major challenge once the city is clear of fighters will be to declare fighters and booby trapped buildings. iraqi forces are jubilant because they see victory within site. it's taken them months in the battle of i.s.i.l. and days in the offensive. while they may have won this battle with the group, it will take them longer to win the war against i.s.i.l. the death toll from severe storms across the united states has risen to 43 with no sign of any let up in the extreme weather. texas has been badly effected with 11 killed over the weekend. the weather grounded almost 2,000 flights. >> for people died in a

landslide in south-east brazil. this happened in a town or the city of sao paulo. four more were let's cued from the debris, and a 1-year-old was among the survivors. it's thought the landslide was triggered by heavy rain. >> flooding has displaced more than 160,000 people, caused by the worst el nino in 15 years. in argentina, the president warned the country needs to be ready to fight the perils of climate change. >> we travel to concordia where thousand lost everything. >> reporter: on a boat on the streets of concordia, this man is trying to make it back to the house he left, to escape the flooding. >> translation: this is my mother's house, my brother's house - everything is under water. >> reporter: concordia is located in a province where the

flooding is happening, but not just here, but other areas. the el nino phenomenon is reported to be strong this year, and scientists fear it may lead to the worst effects in 15 years. >> i've lost everything. i'm so angry, so frustrated. i work every day to get something. then this happens, and everything is gone. >> we are on the second floor of the house. this area is flooded. this is the poorest area in the city. many are afraid of leaving their property, because they fear whatever they have left will be stolen argentina's new president visited the areas. >> translation: the frequency we see is everything to do with climate change. we have to use less energy and

water. and take dare of the environment. >> translation: he also said the way to mitigate is to build more infrastructure. and that's what people here have been waiting for years. around 10,000 have been evacuated from their homes. many live on the river banks because it is cheaper and they have nowhere else to go. this man has been living in the area for two weeks. authorities told her it will be months before she can go home. >> translation: we are very thankful for all the help we are getting. what we really need is a house far away from the water. my children are sick. we have nothing left. >> people here say that they are used to floods, but this is the first time they have been forced out of their homes. flooding in argentina is vulnerable, and many say only government actions can help them deal with the effects of climate

change. >> floods are causing havoc in australia northern territory. towns have been hit with a deluge of rain and a large stretch of the highway closed. 500 residents from the community have been moved to darwin. authorities warn people to be wary of crocodiles near populated areas. australian prime minister has been visiting areas affected by a christmas day fire. 116 homes were destroyed in the fire. the government has offered grants to those who have lost properties. the victorian wine region is one of the country's most famous tourist spots. >> houses have been lost. that is tragic. they can be rebuilt. as we have said, we are very - we are all sad at the loss of property and particularly the loss of homes. and there is support from our government and the victorian government and, of course, from people's insurance, to enable

the homes to be rebuilt. >> beginning tuesday, motorists in saudi arabia will pay 50% more to fill up their vehicles. the kingdom of cutting fuel sub-sid yits after posting a record deficit of $98 million. falling oil revenues is to blame. saudi arabia is the largest exporter, but with oil under $40 a barrel. saudis, and other gulf countries are trimming budgets a trial scheme has been approved that will allow thousand of stranded cubans stranded to travel west. it will provide flights to an undisclosed number of cubans to el salvador. they will be ferried towards mexico by bus. an estimated 8,000 cubans are stuck in costa rico al jazeera has gained access to one of the dangerous migration routes in the world.

in our series people smugglers, and central america, we are taking you on that journey through the eyes of those involved. migrants must travel through san pedro sula in honduras, considered the most violent city. and get to guatemala. from there they go into the cartel-controlled mexican state of tamalepos. then people smugglers take them across the border to san antonio in texas. >> john holman travelled with them in the third part of our series. >> reporter: it may look like a one horse town. don't be fooled. this town nt the gaut- -- in the guatemala-mexican border is a hub for criminals. this man's job is to keep those travelling with him safe from the mafia. >> i pay for security for transport out, so that my clients don't have to wait.

here time is safety. people here kidnap you, beat you up and do what they want to you. >> reporter: we followed him on an exhausting journey. hopping on and off crowded bus, trying to pick up more clients. now he needs to get out and into mexico. there's only one way. this is where the road ends and the river begins. the migrants arrive in small taxis and buses and climb into small boats. hondurans, guatemalans and el salvadorans. every one we spoke to had a story of poverty and violence. albans was shocking.

>> translation: a gang got into my house, robbed everything, beat up my dad and cousins, and even raped my mother. >> reporter: he's heading to more danger. mexican cartels and authorities are known for snapping and killing migrants. the only sure way through is to pay them off. >> translation: federal police take at least $120. the other, when entering the state charge more per person. >> reporter: it's a booming business, focussed on squeezing the desperate for all they have. a tightening of the border makes the chances of getting through without a guide as slim as ever. even paying the $6,000 to $7,000 that people smugglers demand doesn't guarantee your safety. >> translation: a year ago i brought a group of young women,

16 to 17 years old. all got raped. i paid the money, and they raped all the gels anyway. >> reporter: from the boat, the migrants were hurtied into cattle trucks. you see merchandise trapped in an industry seized for pure profit throughout the u.s., there are hundreds enclave where immigrants live, work and socialise. an estimated 4 million are chinese. many congregate in chinatown are disappearing disappearing. >> reporter: when jenny came 20 years ago from china, she chose to live in the tight-knit conclave of chinatown in order to hang on to her cultural heritage. today chinatown is fast disappearing. the famous chinese gate over the

main avenue remains as a tourist attraction, surrounded by western food and clothing franchises. it's about the people. at one time 3,000 chinese lived in washington's chinatown. today only about 300 remain, and half of those might soon be gone. the building replaced, jenny tang to be evicted so a luxury condo can be built. >> most that live here have jobs. we don't have as much money with them. every day, every month we pay the rent. >> reporter: they are victims of gentrification, a prospect through which poor minorities are moved out. >> according to one study non-chinese populations in the areas doubled in a decade.

some estimate of 15 large chinatowns, three are authentic to the chinese cultural past. >> china townis not just with the people. chinatown is a place where social networks, economic fabrics, right, it's been built. >> reporter: but when chinese are pushed out. it breaks up cultural co-herein of the community and threatens tradition. in new york, people are fighting back. >> in some ways, new york city has been a lone success story, people taking to the streets to fight back against development. everyone knows once the heart, sole and character of their chinatown is gone, it likely will never come back. >> in washington, jenny tang nose this and is deeply

saddened. >> my sister tells me to come back to china. i don't want to go back. >> looking out at a chinatown that she now barely recognises you can visit us online at aljazeera.com. >> on "america tonight": taliban take back? the resurgence of afghanistan's feared fighters and the threat to a community struggling to bring back its freedom. >> three generations having no access to education and now we have to recover from this. it's going to take at least another 30 years. >> the disturbing questions about what's next. thanks for joining us i'm joie chen. in the final days of the year disturbing signs from afghanistan.