liberating ramadi, iraqi forces continue to drive out isis fighters seizing a key government compound from the islamic militants. also, the long cleanup begins after deadly tornadoes decimate parts of texas. we'll have the latest on extreme weather across the u.s., which has claimed dozens of lives. and an unusual booming business in japan. the schoolgirl culture is everywhere, but is it crossing a dangerous line? welcome to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm rosemary church. thanks for joining us. this is cnn news room.

>> the iraqi military announced a huge step forward in its fight to recapture the city of ramadi from isis. they say they've pushed the terrorists out of a key government complex in the heart of the city. right now security forces are advancing slowly. they're concerned about explosives and booby traps isis may have left behind, but the commanders say they'l have ramadi firmly in their control within a few days. the provincial capital sits about 110 kilometers west of baghdad. it fell to isis this past may. for more, we want to turn to robin ceil. she joins me live from london. robin, do we know what the situation is on the ground right now, how much progress has been made by the iraqi forces? >> well, this assault began in earnest on tuesday, and they

have been advancing, rosemary, toward this key government compound, the provincial government compound which holds a number of essential buildings toward the city as well as the isis militant stronghold. now that they've reached the compound, they've surrounded it. they delayed going in it yesterday. darkness was approaching, and we also understand they're very worried about the likelihood of booby traps such as ieds, sniper fire, as well something they're coming under a lot during this advance toward the crucial government compound, by they do have it surrounded. they'll try to go in today. as i said, isis has had months in which to plan for this contra assault to rig the city. we understand there are thoughs in the ground and in buildings. >> and robin, is this seen as somewhat of a game changer for the iraqi forces? >> reporter: it's seen as a game

changer. the next stop will be mosul which is also a critical city, perhaps more than ramadi. it's important because it's the capital, the heartland of sunni in iraq. it's the capital of anbar province. it's so close to baghdad, within striking distance. if they manage to take the city, to recapture it from the isis militants, it's a legitimate chance for the iraqi government to govern the entire country. and it will likely mean isis is weakening. >> thank you, robin, joining us live from london. general mark hurtling joins me now from orlando, florida. thank you for being with us. i wanted to ask you how significant you think these gains being made by iraqi forces are. what could this mean in the fight against isis going forward? >> yeah. there are two things to consider, rosemary. first of all, this was a

military -- or has been so far, a military victory. or at least the beginnings of one. we're seeing a resurgence of the iraqi security forces, the army. they're taking in more troops of the sunni sect and religions and also having some militias involved that are those other than the popular mobilization front, the so-called shia militias. so you're seeing some retraining of the iraqi security forces that are nationalistic in nature. they are attempting to retain security for all of the people of iraq. but the other more important thing, the thing that i've been watching very closely is, is there dependence and a generation of trust between a shia dominated government in baghdad with the sunni and the kurdish populations in other parts of the country? and i think now that you're seeing a shia government, a majority shia government in

baghdad supporting a sunni province, it gives some good indications of things to come. >> interesting. so we're seeing this resurgence of iraqi forces. where do you think this leaves isis? are they on the run, or is it just too premature to say such a thing? >> it's premature to say that. this is a tactical victory. they've shown they can regenerate security for the people, that they're connected to the central government and they have the support of not only the groovernment but the people of iraq. that's important, and that's contrary to what isis was using. they were going into territories and basically telling the people there the government in baghdad does not care about you. we are trying to establish a caliphate which is counter to what the shia believe in your central government. well, now you see the central

government supporting the tribes in a sunni territory, regenerating army and providing security for the people, and that runs contrary to the dialogue that isis has been having with the local population. all of that has been very important. as we've said from the very beginning, the government is the most important thing, a solid, secure government that takes care of all the people is the most important thing to use to defeat isis. >> yeah. interesting. and iraqi military commanders predict the complete recapture of ramadi in the coming days. do you think that's realistic. >> i've been in situations claiming quick victories before. not yet. i would say based on what i know about the city and how isis fights, there is still going to be many tough days ahead. you not only have to beat these individuals militarily, but then you quickly have to get in support infrastructure,

reestablishing electricity, ensuring the water is running. the government's established. police forces are there to secure the people in the local towns. the military is going to quickly leave ramadi. it's going to be left up to the local security forces, the police, and also the political forces in this province, and in this city, to take care of the people. that will be the thing to watch next. you can defeat isis on the battle field, but then you have to follow up with services to the people to make them understand that the government of baghdad is taking care of them. >> general mark hurtling, thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you, rosemary. >> officials report a suicide car bomb was detonated near the airport in the afghan capital of kabul. an afghan interior ministry spokesman said one civilian was killed and four others wounded. and the taliban have claimed responsibility for the blast. in nigeria, at least 14 people were killed and several

others injured when terrorists stormed a village shooting residents and burning homes. it happened on christmas day in kim ber in bornos state. to the west, nigeria's army says it's arrested six bomb experts. calling on muslims to reject extremi extremist islamic. he also called on muslims to counternegative images of us la -- islam and renounce. >> people in texas are picking up the pieces. but more bad weather is on the way. plus people in parts of england are dealing with their own flooding nightmare.

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a weather emergency is happening right now in the u.s. state of texas. at least three tornadoes slammed the dallas suburbs over the weekend, killing 11 people. and now the area is expecting freezing weather and snow. that will make it harder, of course, for emergency crews who are still sifting through storm debris, making sure no victims were overlooked. hundreds of buildings and homes are damaged, and as nick valencia reports, the governor has declared a disaster in four counties. >> reporter: the damage to this area has been extraordinary, and the residents we've spoken to said the stress and the anxiety is still very real. >> whoa. my gosh. it's big. it's hitting stuff -- it's a big tornado. big, strong tornado. >> reporter: residents in texas are picking up the pieces today after a terrifying night of deadly storms. >> i actually looked at the

twister. i was looking at it. >> reporter: describe it for me. >> it was just a dark funnel, and it was just a big roar. it was really scary. it scared me. i don't scare that easy, but i was scared. >> i thank god. >> reporter: sirens warn residents to take over as a half a dozen twisters ravaged the area, killing at least 11 and leaving others homeless. >> my daughter's car is in the kitchen. >> reporter: in the in the back of your house. >> yes. and my husband's car was in the driveway. it's out around. her car is in the kitchen. >> reporter: the town of garland took the brunt of the storm. >> i can see it crossing the highway. >> laufayette griffin huddled with his family and prayed. >> it was terrifying.

>> reporter: eight people died when a tornado hit the area around interstate 30, and in some neighborhoods, storms left gaping holes in houses, and in other cases, houses were ground. >> it's a grace of god how he works. i'm really grateful. my wife works not that far from here. if i didn't call her, they would be here. my kids too. a lot of things. >> reporter: local authorities here in garland, texas where blocked off some of the roads to the hardest hit areas making that journey impassable. those authorities still going door to door to make sure everyone affected by the storms are accounted for. >> nick valencia reporting from texas, and the tornadoes are the latest in a string of deadly weather events to tear through the southern u.s. we turn to our meteorologist, pedram javaheri, who joins us. this weather is extraordinary. now texas is going to experience

cold temperatures, freezing. >> and blizzard conditions across the western part of the u.s. states adds well. you know, of course, we know triple a has said about a hundred million americans are expected to travel this week. a lot of them traveled last geek, agee -- week, and now the return trip is happening. this pattern is incredible. and the extreme nature of the storms, when you take a look at the severity, at least 67 tornadoes since the first day of winter occurred nature typically takes all of december, january, and part of february to occur in the cold season. it hasn't been cold, and that's part of the reason why the storms have been have fuelled across this region. one was an ef four, considered devastating damage. we know across the united states, since 1950, about 50,000 tornadoes have occurred, less than 4 % fall into that ef 4 and

ef 5 scale. behind us, the storm system, temperatures 15 degrees below normal. ahead of it, 15 degrees ahead of normal. parts of the u.s. state of alabama dealing with weather going over the next several hours. i counted one in every other person in the united states on monday will have some sort of inimplement weather to deal with. ice tomorrow, winter storm watches, flood watches, to the east and it continues and the pattern now for the severe storms centered over parts of alabama and southern areas of the state of tennessee as well. look at the temperatures across parts of western texas right now. it feels like 7 degrees fahrenheit. dropping into the 20s and the mild air ahead where the severe storms are affected. you see it fall apart from saturday into sunday.

and, of course, that is what's led to some of the wild weather patterns that we've been talking about for the last week or so across the u.s. >> it's on extraordinary. as an australian, on christmas day in atlanta, the temperature as it was back in sydney, where it's summer. so any aussies here were having a nice, warm christmas. and el niño is fuelling this. >> absolutely. this is something that fisherman back in the 1950s noted their harvest was limited because the water temperatures were warmer. they called it el niño, because they observed it happening every few years around christmas. they know around the world the weather patterns are being displaced as the warm waters are building. >> hard to predict. >> it is. >> pedram, we'll talk more next hour. appreciate it. other parts of the world are dealing with their own dangerous weather in south america. more than 150,000 people have

been displaced by flooding. pare gooi was hit the hardest. days of rain caused the flooding. in argentina, 20,000 people were forced from their homes. in northern england, hundreds of people have been forced from their homes as the region deals with its worst flooding in 70 years. in some areas, a month's worth of rain fell in just one day. prime minister david cameron is sending more troops to help and calls the flooding an incredibly serious situation. the government issued 24 severe flood warnings on sunday. and bad or good, the strange weather isn't just happening in the uk and south america. parts of continental europe are also reporting unusual temperatures and once again, el niño is to blame. michael holmes has the details. >> reporter: people in madrid

enjoying coffee in an outdoor cafe, many without jackets. in valencia at 19 degrees celsius, it's nearly beach weather. >> translator: it's marvelous. at this time of year toen joy the beach. >> reporter: moscow's red square without snow, the christmas there was anything but white. green slopes in germany's ski resorts forced people into more year around attractions like the alpine sled run. >> translator: there are people who come to go skiing, so some are saying this is not ideal weather, but a lot of people are familiar with the surrounding and find other activities. >> reporter: but why is this happening? meteorologists are chalking it up to el niño. it occurs when ocean temperatures in the pacific are unusually high. the warm water changes weather patterns all over the world.

it happens every two to seven years, and this years is expected to be one of the worst on record. el niño also being blamed at least in part for disastrous bleeding in the united kingdom and severe weather events in parts of the united states as well. and now to southern california where firefighters continue to battle a wild fire. they're making great progress. officials reporting more than 75% containment. they expect to have the fire under control by tuesday. dry conditions helped fuel the blaze. it was started by downed power lines, and burned some 500 heck tears. that's more than 1200 acres. in australia, firefighters are working to maintain a major

bush fire in victoria. it could take weeks to contain the blaze. it destroyed more than 10 0 homes. more than people are returning to their neighborhoods to find burned out cars and homes, fallen trees and downed power lines. >> really, all you can do is try and support them. we can't bring it back. so just giving them an opportunity to have a bit of a look and reflect and think about where they go. >> but we do have a little good news to report. crews were able to rescue this koala found unconscious on the side of the read. she seemed to be feeling better after police gave her some water and gum leaves. they named her. very cute. australian authorities are declaring an energy after a train carrying 200 liters of sulfuric acid derailed in a row

mote area. police say there is minor le leaka leakage. officials have a zone around the stage. it's unclear what caused the derailment, but there's flooding in an area. china's government is enacting a tough new anti-terrorism law, but critics say it goes too far. a closer look coming up. plus youth and innocence, a big business in japan. some say the country's pop culture fascination with schoolgirls is putting young women at risk. we'll explain. pain not sitting too well? burning to feel better? itching for relief? preparation h offers the most maximum strength solutions for all hemorrhoid symptoms. from the brand doctors recommend most. preparation h. don't stand for hemorrhoids. and this year, look at whate he put in our driveway. from the brand doctors recommend most. the lexus december to remember sales event is here.

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>> a warm welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm rosemary church. want to get you caught up on the main stories we have been watching this hour. iraqi forces say they are close to pushing isis out of the center of ramadi. they say the militants have abandoned a strategic compound in the heart of the city, and military commanders predict the complete recapture of ramadi in the coming days. a weather emergency in texas, at least 11 people died in storms and tornadoes that ripped through the dallas area over the weekend. and more bad weather is on the way. freezing weather and snow are in the forecast now. and there is massive flooding in northern england. people forced from their homes as the region deals with the worst floods in 70 years. the government issued 24 severe flood warnings on tuesday.

the prime minister is sending more troops to help. in south africa, this is what's left of a passenger train that caught fire at the cape town railway station. five cars were destroyed. fire officials say no one was hurt, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. two similar incidents have been reported in three months. china's security laws are getting tougher. lawmakers unanimous sly approvea measure requiring tech firms to give the government encryption keys it can use for surveillance, and the army will be allowed to conduct counterterrorism operations abroad. we wanted to get more on the law and the criticism surrounding it. we are joined now from hong kong to explain. christy, talk to us about just how extensive this new terror legislation is. >> reporter: with over 95 articles in it, this new terror legislation that was just passed in china is very extensive, and

it's also china's first piece of antiterror legislation passed in the country. it was passed unanimously on sunday. it will go into effect in january. effectively, it allows china to address rising terror and security threats at home as well as to boost international security. and this is what a chinese official with the public security ministry had to say about this new piece of anti-terror legislation. >> translator: the violent terrorist cases that happened in china have caused a serious loss of people's life and property. terrorist activities have imposed severe threat to the national security and social stability, economic development, national unity and people's life and property. >> reporter: the anti-terrorism legislation edelman published in chinese. we scoured the document tran translating it to english. one article details the actions

that telecom service and internet service providers should take. it says companies and corporations who provide telecommunication and internet services should offer police and state security department assistance and technical interface and decoding to prevent and investigate terrorist activities. a lot of concerns being raised by businesses and human rights groups. >> let's talk about the concerns. this is very controversial. what are the critics saying about this? what is their main complaint? >> reporter: the main complaint is it goes too far and gives wide ranging surveillance powers and censorship powers. we heard that it goes too far and basically this terrorism law gives china a license to commit human rights abuses and it's part of the aauthoritarian

agen agenda. we spoke to an academic of chinese politics. this is what we had to say about it. >> one of the big concerns i have with this draft counterterrorism bill is that the definition of terrorism is quite vague and open-ended, and if we look at how chinese officials as well as the media have used the terrorism tag in the past, it's chiefly applied to the a bettens. it's applied to people who disagree with the policy of the chinese communist party. >> reporter: now, there's a fear that china will use this counterterror law to rational its its actions and increasing pressure that its been placing on other groups and ethnics in their country. beijing argues the measures are needed to prevent a terrorist attack and to deal with rising security threats. in fact, over the weekend, there was a heightened security alert

around a shopping district, a neighborhood in beijing, due to security alerts that were issued by foreign embassies in china, including that of the united states. >> christy bringing us up to date from hong kong. many thanks. china is changing one of its most controversial policies that has stood for decades. lawmakers voted sunday to end the one-child policy. and allow couples to have two children. the reason is china's aging population. the government says in just 15 years, china will be home to more than 400 million people over the age of 60. and there are concerns there won't be enough young people to support them. reaction to the move is mixed, though. >> i think two children are better. the only child is too selfish because there's only one in the family. the four grandparents and dad and mom are all focusing on him.

there's too much attention for him. >> one child is enough another one would be a burden, especially when they need to go oh to the school and find a job when they grow up. >> translator: it will be harder for us to have another child, but i think two children can have less pressure looking after us when we are old. >> one socialologist stiestimat the new policy will affect 100 million couples. let's turn to japan. images of schoolgirls are everywhere, innocence and cuteness is a lucrative business, but are some of these young girls being exploited? will ripley takes a look at japan's fascination with schoolgirl cull chture and if i crossing a line. >> reporter: japanese schoolgirls line the streets passing out fliers for jk cafe, jk, short for high school girl.

one jk cafe allows our cameras inside. we find it full of adult men paying for the company of schoolgirls as young as 16. >> what kind of customers usually come in here? >> translator: most are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, says this 18-year-old. she says they talk about school, work, and life. >> reporter: the care owe can i machine, full of a teenage favorite. these girls all dressed in their actual high school uniforms, earn about $8 an hour to socialize and serve food and drink to men often more than device their age. sometimes customers bring expensive gifts. sometimes they want more than small talk. has a customer ever asked you on a date? >> translator: all the time, but we have a no dating rule.

the cafe owner says if girls are caught dating customers, he calls their parents. >> reporter: he says everything happening here. all 80 schoolgirls on staff must have a signed permission slip. >> translator: people often tell me i'm running a strange business, but we have nothing to hide. >> reporter: are these all visits to this? this is a married father and university professor. he says he comes here for the conversation. this 35-year-old says chatting with young girls gives his energy, but says he's never asked one out. i come here once a week, he says. there may be criticism, but i come because it's fun. we found other jk businesses selling a different kind of fun. this hallway lined with massage parlors, and even a shop selling

schoolgirl uniforms and supposedly, used underwear. you can pay for a 30 minute massage or an hour walk where you leave with a girl. they're called walking dates. in october, they called the practice worrying. last year, a u.s. state department report on human trafficking called walking dates a common front for prostitution. >> translator: once you're out of the shop, even by a step, you can do whatever you you want says this victim's advocate. >> reporter: the lighthouse center is one of the few resources available for jk girls in trouble. the executive director says japan's shame-based culture, blaming the victim, prevents many from seeking out. >> always society accusing the children who enter the kind of business. >> reporter: our final stop, an adult video store. sitting right next to the

pornography, we find videos of schoolgirls in uniform, smiling, posing for the camera. the boxes, some of them say elementary school age. the store operating openly. it's not clear in any of the videos violate japan's newly revised pornography laws. beneath the bright lights, a dark reality. a culture some say exploits the innocence of young girls. will ripley, cnn, tokyo. >> and still to come here on "cnn newsroom," the mayor of chicago is calling for change after police say they accidentally shot and killed a woman while responding to a domestic disturbance call. we'll hear from a former officer about the use of deadly force. back in a moment.

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welcome back, everyone. the mayor of chicago is calling for changes in the way its police are trained. after an officer shot and killed two people the day after christmas. authorities say the officer shot 19-year-old, wom man while respg to a domestic disturbance call. a neighbor was also shot. family members and activists blame bad leadership and asked why police did not use nonlethal force such as stun guns. >> a beautiful woman. it hurts my heart to see that. it hurts me all over to know that the family is going through this tragic danger that's going on. police shooting without asking. why you got to choshoot first a

ask questions later? it's ridiculous. somebody needs to do something about this. this is ridiculous. what about the tasers? taser him down. don't start shooting people, innocent people. >> and earlier, cnn's poppy harlow asked a former nypd detective when do officer resort to deadly force over a taser. >> you make that choice as an officer when your life or the life of another person is in danger. that is when you can use deadly physical -- i'm sorry, deadly force, the use of their weapon. if somebody comes at you with a knife, a baseball bat, a brick, a gun, as a police officer, those weapons i'm talking act right now can kill you. being hit in the head with a baseball bat can the till you. so if the officers were charged, and we don't know for sure. the investigate investigation will show. then the officers have a right

to fire at somebody coming at them with a baseball bat. you know, it fends depends on h quickly it's happening. if they had time to tell them to drop the bat, they would dry that first, but if it gets too close where you're in immediate danger, as an officer, you're going to fire your weapon. >> the officer in that chicago shooting has been placed on administrative leave. the mayor is calling for a police meeting to review training procedures on how officers respond to mental health crisis calls. to the 2016 race for the white house and the escalating war of words between donald trump and hillary clinton. the republican front runner has ramped up his attacks against clinton on tv and online. including a shot he took at her husband, former president, bill clinton. we have the latest. >> reporter: the fight between

donald trump and hillary clinton is getting personal. trump said his tweet saturday attacking pension for sexism turned the tables on hillary clinton because she used the same phrase to criticize trump earlier after he described her loss to barack obama in 2008. >> i think he's fair game. his presidency was considered to be very troubled, to put it mildly because of all the things that she's talking to me about. i mean, she's mentioning sexism. i turned her exact words -- i don't know if you sow sau the following tweet, but i turned her words from her from that standpoint. it has to be fair. we have to fight for the good of the country and for the good of the people and everybody. she's playing the woman's card, and it's like give me a break. >> the chairwoman of the democratic national committee said trump is practicing gutter

politics and the gop field is following him. >> it's outrageous, the depths and how low he has allowed the campaign to sink, and the rest of the republican field is going along. >> reporter: trump's slam on the sexual misconduct comes a week after the democratic front runner announced that her husband will hit the campaign trail for her next month, and it appears to be a preemptive strike on a man regarded as one of the country's best campaigners. trump and clinton are neck and neck in a hypothetical matchup. it doesn't hurt that criticizing clinton is a popular past time among republican primary voters. >> we'll have more "cnn newsroom" after this short break.

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no matter who shows up. [cricket sound] richard. didn't think you were going to make it. hey sorry about last weekend, i don't know what got into me. well forgive and forget... kind of. i don't think so! do you like nuts? >> a u.n. sponsored deal between rebels and his bylaw to swap territory is underway. under a plan, shiites in northern syria are riding buses

into turkey while rubblebels ar taking buses to lebanon. both groups will board planes to their destinations. out-korsouth korea and japa reached an agreement on comfort women. comfort women was the name given to women, mostly korean, who were forced to work in japan's military brothls during world war ii. according to the japanese goran minister, the government takes deep responsibility for it actions. south korea's foreign minister says the deal will be final and irreversible as long as japan fulfills its responsibilities. in just a few weeks, a little panda cub named bebe is set to make his public debut in

washington. he's gone before the media. at four month's old, he is grabbing plen thety of attentio. >> he has a thing about having his head touched sometimes. yes. he is definitely very large. he's probably about three or four pounds bigger than his older sister was at the same time. when he was born, he was already automatically larger than his previous siblings, so it's a natural process that he's going to be larger through time. >> he has gone from an animal that really could not do anything to us to one who's becoming a little bit more resistant and difficult to handle. >> his personality is very unique. definitely compared to his older

sister, he was quiet in the beginning, which is unusual. as he's gotten older, it's gotten more vocal. it seems like whenever he's comforted by his mom, that's typically when he settled down. i know i've learned a lot from his mom. whenever he gets a little squirmy, i try to look at what mom has done, and i sort of try to do the same thing as she does. every birth is very unique, and every animal is unique. at this point in time, we're excited he's born. and our goal is to make sure that we can ensure that this species will be seen by many generations ahead in the future, awe billio but also to be able to see them in the wild. >> how cute is that. john beaden is the first person who row solo nonstop from north america to australia. he's been rowing up to 15 hours

a day since june 1st. this wasn't even his first record. he's already completed the atlantic ocean solo trip. congratulations to him. well done. and thanks for watching "cnn newsroom." i'm rosemary church. stay with me for another hour of news from all around the world. and i quit smoking with chantix. i don't know that i can put into words how happy i was when i quit. it's like losing some baggage, i don't have to carry it around with me anymore. chantix made it possible for me to quit smoking. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse

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deadly tornadoes, flooding, now blizzards, large parts of the u.s. on alert for extreme weather at this hour. also ahead, isis -- iraqi forces claim a significant victory in ramadi. plus another slew of box office records fall at light speed for the new "star wars" movie. welcome our viewers in the united states and all around the world. i'm rosemary church. thanks for joining us as we kick off a second hour of "cnn newsroom." we start this hour in the

u.s. where winter storm warnings are in effect from texas, north to michigan. at least nine states farther east are on alert for flash floods. parts of texas and new mexico dealing with blizzard warnings, and this after texas was slammed by tornadoes that killed 11 people. officials are warning people to stay off the roads. heavy rain caused widespread flooding across missouri. officers rescued dozens of stranded drivers, but others got swept away by rising waters. at least 13 people have died in flash floods in missouri and illinois. more now on the deadly storm system in texas, at least three tornadoes slammed the dallas suburbs over the weekend. and now the area is expecting freezing weather and snow. nick valencia reports the state's governor has declared a disaster in four counties. >> wow. whoa. my, gosh. that's big. it's hitting stuff.

it's a big tornado. big, big, strong tornado. >> reporter: residents in texas are picking up the pieces after a terrifying night of deadly storms. >> i was looking at it. >> reporter: describe it for me. >> it was just a dark funnel, and it was just a big roar. it was really scary. it scared me. i don't scare that easy, but i was scared. >> we have our lives, and i thank god for that. >> reporter: sirens warn residents to take cover as an estimated half dozen twisters kill at least 11 and leave hundreds more homeless. >> my daughter's car is in the kitchen. her car is in the kitchen right now. >> reporter: in the back of your house? >> and my husband's house is out in the alley. her car is in the kitchen, and it was in the garage. >> reporter: the towns of garland and rolette took the brunt of the storms. >> i can see it crossing the highway. >> reporter: this man huddled

with his family under a mattress and prayed as the tornado hit. >> it was terrifying. they were terrified. you know, they didn't know if they was going to make it. >> reporter: eight people died when a tornado hit the area around interstate 30, and in some neighborhoods storms ripped facade's off houses leaving holes. in other cases, houses were just gone. >> it's a grace of god how he works, man. i'm really grateful. you know. my wife works not that far from here. if i didn't call here, she'd be here right now and my kids too. so, you know, a lot of things -- >> reporter: nick valencia, cnn. >> other parts of the world are dealing with their own dangerous weather. in south america, more than 150,000 people have been displaced by flooding. paraguay was hit the hardest. that's where most of the evacuations were. days of torrential rain blamed on el nino caused the flooding.

in argentina, 20,000 people were forced from their homes. brazil and uruguay were also ach affected. in some areas, a month's worth of rain fell in england in one day. the prime minister is sending more troops to help. he calls the flooding, quote, an incredibly serious situation. and our london correspondent max foster joins us with more on the situation in the united kingdom. max, unbelievable. a month's worth of rain in one day in some areas? just incredible. what's the situation for those people? how are they coping? >> reporter: well, the city of i don't recollect, people are still being e vok waited. -- evacuated. no lives have been lost yet. a huge amount of resources to make sure that stays the case.

500 troops are being deployed and the emergency services and a mountain of rescuers being deployed. 1,000 troops on stand by. what you've had here, rosemary, is a double whammy. on the fifth of december, storm desmond came through that region, and it flooded the ground. there were evacuations, but the area didn't have a time to recover when a second storm came in over the christmas period causing massive evacuations across the north of england and giving everyone a thorly miserable holiday season. thankfully no deaths so far. ? all right. max foster bringing us up to date on the situation there from london. many thanks to you. for more on this dangerous weather in britain and here in the united states as well, our meteorologist, pedram javaheri, joins us again to explain just those extreme weather systems

we're seeing. some of these communities, you see it there. when you're talking about a month's worth of rain in one day. there's no way any community can absorb that. >> you can't absorb it or prepare for it. it's challenging. this is part of another e stlaent took place a month ago that brought in similar amounts of rainfall. this is on top of what has occurred. a lot of these areas, the soil is saturated. the water is coming up instantly. that's a problem. when you take a look at some of theseimages, looking at the water rises near the top of her apartment building. some of the flood warnings in place. on monday watching that for the high risk zone across the higher elevations and northern portions of england. and into tuesday, improves a little bit as far as the forecast is concerned with the threat dropping off a little bit as well. here's what happened in december in some of these communities that were hard

tripling their average. similar amounts coming out of areas near khezwick. the water table is rising. you have the soil water at surface. surface flooding takes place, and this is what some of the communities are dealing with on top of what's coming down from above. here's the perspective as far as what's happened across the united states. flooding is also a concern across the united states. 300 rivers, about 3 00 rivers dealing with flooding across the eastern and southern area of the u.s. and an additional 300 plus near flooding. people dealing with inclement weather and severe weather. severe thunderstorms could spawn tornadoes on monday. and it's a big travel week

across much of the united states with about a half an inch, some areas three quarters of an inch expected to accumulate, especially south of chicago. a lot of people don't think that's a significant amount, but look how the numbers translate when it comes to a quarter of an inch two half an inch of ice. tree limbs break. widespread tree damage. and expensive power outages. a lot of people traveling. this is expected to be one of the busiest travel weeks of the year as people head back toward their original point of starting, and this is a major concern with ice being widespread over this region of the u.s.? >> all right. thank you so much, pedram. appreciate it. iraqi soldiers plan to hold a flag raising ceremony in ramadi. they made the announcement after dealing a major blow to isis seizing control of a key government compound in the

city's center. ramadi fell to isis several months ago. they are advancing slowly because they believe isis set up traps. they expect to have full control of the entire city in a few days. >> translator: we will declare the victory soon. by the golden brigade and the special forces, god willing. we will announce happy news to the people of anbar, those who were displaced from their own town and lived in tents. god willing, they will be able to return to their place soon. and for more, we want to go to robin ceil. she joins us live from london. robin, as we saw, the progress has been a little slow at this point, because of the possibility of booby trap and explosives, but this is significant, nonetheless, isn't it? >> hugely significant, rosemary.

this city was a massive embarrassment to the iraqi forces when it fell. they were accused of not having the will to fight by the u.s. secretary of state but according to them they ran out of ammo and did not have the support they needed. however c this fight has begun in earnest. it was going slowly and still is because of not only the possibility of booby traps, but they are dismantling thousands of ieds, bomb, planted by isis in the ground in vehicles, and in buildings as well. we understand that they have put a number of these in buildings, rigged so the whole place explodes, and that's really why it's been taking so long as well as the risk of civilian casualties. isis prevented a number of civilians from leaving the city of ramadi, despite that they were warned that the unslaut was

coming. >> and, robin, we're seeing the stronger iraqi forces. are we looking at a game changer here? >> yes. you're looking at the counterterrorism force elite force that's been trained by the united states. you're also looking at a really cooperation that hasn't been seen in use before between various militias as well as the iraqi army, and of course, u.s. led air strikes overhead which has been pounding isis command centers. they were initially supposed to be 300 to 500 isis militants in the city. and they believe a number of them have fled, although a number have been killed as well. a game changer, yes. if ramadi is successfully recaptured and it is by no mean over. there are still pockets of resistance throughout the city, not only at this government

compound which is laden with ieds, but it will be a game changer. ramadi is the center of air strike. if they manage to get the city, it will be a morale booster to the iraqi forces who have suffered some major setbacks from isis in the past movannths. >> and we'll be watching their progress closely. and a u.n. sponsored deal between syrian rebels and his bylaw to swap syrians from opposite territories is under way. under the plan set up by trrk, iran and the u.n., shiites in northern syria are riding buses into turkeys. while rebels are heading into lebanon. next syrian rebels fly into turkey and the shiites from fly to lebanon. it was the picture that brought the shia desperation of

the issue to light. a three-year-old wash aid shore on a turkish beach. outrage around the world. now the family has found refuge. several of the relatives will begin resettlement as refugees. >> officials say a suicide car bomb was detonated near the ancient in the afghan capital of kabul. an afghan superior ministry spokesman said one person was killed by the blast and four people wounded. the taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. coming up here on cnn news room. outrage and frustration in chicago. >> somebody needs to do something about this. this is ridiculous. >> we will tell you how the

mayor is responding to the latest police shooting involving a grandmother who authorities say should not have been shot at all. plus a landmark deal between japan and south korea over an issue that has plagued relations between tw t the two countries for decades. we're live in seoul after this short break. just about anywhere you can use splenda®... ...no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience... ...the joy of sugar... ...without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda®

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better ingredients. better pizza. papajohns.com welcome back, everyone. the mayor of chicago is calls for changes in the way its police are trained. after an officer shot and killed two people a day after christmas. authorities say the officer shot a 19-year-old man while responding to a domestic disturbance call. a 55-year-old neighbor was also killed. police say jones was shot accidentally. family members and activists blame bad leadership and asked why police did not use nonlethal force such as stun dpguns. >> beautiful woman. it hurts my heart to see that. it hurts me all over to know that the family is going through this tragic danger thing that's

going on. police shooting without asking. why you got to shoot first and ask questions later? it's ridiculous. you all, somebody needs to do something about this. this is ridiculous. what about the tasers? taser him down. don't start shooting people, innocent people. >> the officer has been placed on administrative leave. the incident comes amid a series of deadly police shootings in chicago. south korea and japan have reached an agreement on the controversial issue of comfort women, a subject that has long strained relations between the two countries. comfort women is the term used to describe women, mostly kra , koreaned, forced to work in military brothels in world war ii. we want to go live to seoul. this has been a long time coming for sure. let's talk about the c

significance of this and what has been agreed on. >> reporter: the fact that south korean officials are saying they consider the matter to be resolved and irreversible if dwra p japan carries out this agreement from today. it's caused a lot of tension, and it seems that the resolution has come now. here's what we heard. we paeheard the japanese apoll zwriez for the women who suffered. we also heard the foreign minister saying the japanese government is taking responsibility for the actions of military authorities, but what makes all of this different, beyond the many apologies issued through the years, is the agreement to set up a fund, the exact amount of the fun not announced, but it's expected the fund will amount to

around $8.3 million paid by the japanese government to these former comfort women. it's believed that there were some 200,000 women forced to become sexual slaves to the japanese military up until and during world war ii. there are some 46 of these former comfort women who are alive and registered with the south korean government for years. for decades they've called for a greater apology. they have called for the kind of help that is now being promised to them today. it is certainly an historic agreement. there have been previous apologies made by various japanese officials. but this is really historic, because it supplies this money directly from the japanese government to these women. previous funds set up drew heavily from the support of

donations. >> many thanks to our alexandra field with details on the comfort women. many thanks to you. chinese authorities say the chairman of china telecom is under investigation. that's one of china's largest wireless providers. he's drawing scrutiny for what the communist party calls suspected disciplinary violations. it comes as china cracks down on alleged corruption and sa state-owned companies. >> china is tightening up laws. one of the provisions of a new laws requires tech if i weres to hand over encryption keys to allow government surveillance. we are joined from hong kong with more on this. christy, explain to us how extensive this legislation is, and, of course, what the critics

are saying about it. >> yeah. this anti-terror legislation just passed in china is extensive with over 95 articles inside it. it's also a first. it's the very first counterterror law passed in china. it was passed on sunday by the standing committee of the national people's congress. it will go into effect in january and allow the country to be able to better handle and deal with internal security threats as well as to boost international security. earlier this is what we heard from a senior official with the public security ministry. >> translator: the violent terrorist cases that happened in china have caused a serious loss of people's life and property. terrorist activities have imposed a severe threat to the social stability, economic development, national unity and people's life and property. >> reporter: the entire counterterror legislation has some 95 articles in it. we've scoured them all. article 18 is the one that most people are talking about.

it captured our attention. it's one that details what actions that telecom service providers in isp should take. it says companies and dorpgss who provide telecommunications and internet services should offer police and state security department assistance of technical interface and decoding to prevent and investigate terrorist surveillance. there was debate among international business groups who fears this law is going to give the chinese government far sweeping powers over surveillance as well as censorship. we heard from the human rights groups that says this law will effectively be a license for china to commit human rights abuses. >> with that, how likely is it that the chinese government will consider some of the complaints about this law going too far?

>> calle >> reporter: not likely. china has said this is necessary to deal with the current security terror threats its facing inside its own borders. beijing is concerned about anti-government violence, essentially violence in a western region of china, ethnically divided where there's been a lot of tension with people at odds with the central fwoft. on saturday we heard from the ministry of foreign affairs in china saying it would not renew the press credentials due to her reporting. what we have here is china taking this zero tolerance policy toward anything or anyone who dares to challenge its national security or national security policies. back to you. >> all right. many thanks to you for that live report from hong kong.

with travel restrictions being lifted, cuba will likely see a surge of tourists soon. later we have tips travelers will need to know. plus you'll hear from a woman who was once exploit the on the streets of germany. now she's using her experiences to help other survivors of human trafficking.

>> a warm become welcome back. i'm rosemary church. the main stories, we've been following this hour. 20 states across the u.s. are dealing with potentially dangerous weather right now.

three tornadoes ripped apart homes near dallas, texas. at least 11 people were killed. that area is now expecting freezing weather and snow just as people try to clean up the tornado damage. in northern england, hundreds of people have been forced from their homes as the region deals with its worst flooding in 70 years. the government issued 24 severe flood warnings on sunday. the prime minister calls it an incredibly serious situation. and he's sending more troops to help. south korea and japan have reached a deal on the controversial issue of comfort women. a term referring to women who were forced to be sex slaves for soldiers during world war ii. japan says it will set up a fund of more than $8 million to support comfort women victims and their families. iraqi army leaders say they control a crucial compound in

the center of ramadi. they expect to recapture the entire city from isis fighters in the coming days. air stri ramadi fell to isis seven months ago. general mark hurtling joins me from florida. thank you for being with us. i wanted to ask you how significant you think these gains being made by iraqi forces are. what could this mean in the fight against isis going forward? >> there are two things to consider. first of all, this was a military -- or has been so far, avictory, or at least the beginnings of one. we're seeing the resurgence of the army. they're taking in more troops of the sunni sect and religions and also having some militias involved that are those other

than the popular mobilization front, the so-called shia militias. so you're seeing some retraining of the iraqi security forces that are nationalistic in nature. they are attempting to regain security for all of the people of iraq. but the other more important thing, the thing that i've been watching very closely is, is there dependence and a generation of trust between a shia dominated governance this baghdad. and i think now that you're seeing a shia government, a majority shia government in baghdad supporting a sunni province, it gives some good indications of things to come. >> interesting. so we're seeing this resurgence of iraqi forces. where do you think this leaves isis? are they on the run or is it just too premature to say that? it's premature.

i think this is a good tactical victory. they have shown that they can regenerate and provide security for the people, that they are connected to the central government. that they have the support or not only the government but the people of iraq. that's important. and that's contrary to what isis was using to generate support for themselves. they were going into territories and basically telling the people there the government in baghdad does not care about you. we are trying to establish a caliphate which is counter to what the shia believe in your central government. well, now you see the central government supporting the tribes in a sunni territory, regenerating army and providing security for the people, and that runs contrary to the dialogue that isis has been having with the local population. all of that has been very important. as we've said from the very beginning, the government is the most important thing.

a solid, secure government that takes care of all the people is the most important thing to use to defeat isis. >> interesting. and iraqi military commanders predict the complete recapture of ramadi in the coming days. do you think that's realistic? >> i've been in situations before with some of the iraqi military claiming quick victories, not yet. i would say based on what i know about the city, based on what i know about how isis fights, there is still going to be many tough days ahead. you not only have to beat these vngs militarily, but then you quickly have to get in support infrastructure, reestablishing electricity, ensuring the water is running, the government is established, police forces are there to secure the people in the local towns. the military is going to quickly leave ramadi. it's going to be left up to the local security forces, the police, and also the political forces in this province, and in this city, to take care of the

people. that will be the thing to watch next. you can defeat isis on the battle field, but then you have to follow up with services to the people to make them understand that the government of baghdad is taking care of them. >> general mark hurtling, thank you for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you, rosemary. >> now to cnn's freedom project and the fight against modern day slavery in america. as a teenager, rachel lloyd was exploited on the streets of germany. now she heads an organization designed to support and empower other survivors of human trafficking. >> hi, my name is rachel lloyd. i'm the founder and ceo of girls educational and mentoring

services. i founded gems in 1998. we serve girls and young women ages 12 up to 24 who have had some involvement in the commercial sex industry, probably 90 plus percent of the women we help from under the control of a pump. we provide housing and counseling and groups and employment and education, and really a range of services designed to empower girls who leave the commercial sex industry, but really to develop just a beautiful young women they were born to be. ♪ ♪ i have peace in mind >> not everyone wants to sit down in a one on one therapy session so therapeutic sessions

like creative writing, right now they're doing a writing group, poetry, singing. ♪ i've grown happiness in my soul ♪ >> ways that young people can work through some of their healing and enjoy themselves and have fun creating things. i think with or without we've had a clear idea of the types of services that we wanted to do, and as a survivor and starting this program as a survivor, i was always really committed to the idea of survivor leadership. it was at the heart of everything that we did. it's so healthy and important for young people to see those of us who have made it out and made it out successfully, and that there is light after the life, and that it doesn't have to define you, and things get better, considerably, a lot better, a lot better. i'm very conscious of not just the education, having it on

paper, but the power of education to transform you personally and how you see the world and your confidence. for me, college didn't seem like a reality. i didn't grow up with people who had gone to college, so i was like, i need to get my ged, and then that's it. and then when i went to college, i was like this is doable. for our young people, we've normalized education and achievement, and so again, you're getting your certificate on the wall, it's a big deal, but now people are like i got my ged and tomorrow i'm signing up for college. it's seen as a normal, given thing now. which is really exciting. i'm very lucky to do this work, and we have a lot of fun. i think people go oh, my god, you work in trafficking. that's so sad. obviously, there's some really painful, poignant moments that happen every day, and yet,

surrounded by tasheenagers and young people. it's fun. there's a lot of joy here. we work hard to do that. i'm proud of creating that and giving girls that space, and i'm proud of empowering young people to see themselves as leaders, as confident, strong, fierce, young people who can kind of take on the world. >> and our international viewers will see a lot more on this story later this week. richard quest moderates a discussion that examines the battle on the front lines of main street america. what's being done to put an end to this trade in human life and what about dismantling this international networks? that's thursday at 9:00 p.m. in london, 10:00 p.m. central european time, only here on cnn. now to australia where firefighters are working to

contain a major bush fire in the state of victoria. officials warn it could take weeks to extinguish the blaze. it started with a lightning strike and destroyed more than 1 00 homes. many people are returning to find burned out cars and hopes, fallen trees and downed power lines. >> really, all you can do is try and support them. we can't bring it back. so they've just giving them an opportunity to have a look and reflect and think about where they go. >> firefighters in southern california continue to battle a wild fire. they're making great progress with officials reporting more than 75% containment. they expect to have the fire under control by tuesday. dry conditions helped fuel the blaze that was started by downed power lines and burned more than

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all right. we turn our attention now to the race for the white house and the increasingly bitter feud between donald trump and hillary clinton. this time trump is calling out clinton's husband, bill clinton, trump tweeted saturday hillary clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign, but he's demonstrated sexism. so inappropriate, seemingly referring to his extramarital affair. when asked about it on fox news sunday, trump added this. >> she's playing the woman's card, and it's like give me a

break. and i've had so many women come up and say keep her out. he's terrible. she's playing that woman's card left and right, and women are more upset about it than anybody else. including most men. >> and trump was referring to a recent interview in which clinton attacked him for using this slang term to describe her the 2008 presidential loss. >> she was going to beat obama. i don't know who would be worse. i don't know. how does it get worse? but she was going to beat. she was favored to win, and she got schlonged. she lost. >> it's not the first time he's been sexist. i'm not sure anybody is surprised. >> donald trump has had a long relationship with both rl hillary and bill clinton. they attempted his third wedding

in 2005, and he's a do for a to the clinton foundation. >> americans can now legally travel to cuba, and many are eager to visit the island nation before it becomes too commercialized with new tourist business. will ripley tells you what to expect. >> reporter: cuba's crumbling infrastructure isn't exactly ready to handle a surge of tourists, but soon they'll be coming with more flights expected from places like the u.s. and china and more cruise shi shi ships sailing here. and a hotel room shortage. the best bet, maybe renting a private room in someone's home. you can even try your luck on air bnb. there's only internet access as a few spots. the lack of mobile data means your smart phone or tablet won't

really work here aside from these particular places. another thing that may not work? your credit card. check with your bank before traveling, and bring euros or canadian dollars. and don't expect to pay in local cuban money. foreigners have to use convertible money valued like the u.s. dollar. you can usually expect to pay more when you're using this. if you have a u.s. bank accounted, don't access it online from cuba. your assets may be frozen. also you may want to stick to bottled waters and peel your fruits and veggies or you might end up sick. beware of driving here. it's easier and safer to hire a taxi like this, and classic cars can get you around style but negotiate your price ahead of

time. one more thing, embrace the slower pace of life here. things do take a while in cuba, but that's a good thing in a place like this. will wripley. >> the new "star wars" film has wasted no time working into the record books. its latest accomplishments, next.

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>> nothing will stand in our way. i will finish what you've started. >> the force remains strong with the new "star wars" movie. the seventh installment of the classic has set yet another record. it is now the fastest movie of all time the hit the $1 billion mark at the pox forbox office. it surpassed jurassic world. "the force awakens" also took the top spot at christmas earnings, and it's already the fifth biggest film in u.s. history.

>> and kim from in touch weekly joins me to talk about "star wars" and how it's breaking records across the globe. kim, i got a chance to see the movie. it's reached a $1 billion mark in record time. talk to us about that. >> it's really incredible. and i think people knew this was going to be a huge money maker, but the fact that it's broken every record there is, basically, you know, as you mentioned the $1 billion mark in 12 days, record time. christmas day box office, christmas weekend box office was the highest in box office history because of "star wars," and it's not just in the u.s. it's in united kingdom and sweden and australia and poland. every country. we don't have time to name every country. it continues to dominate. jurassic world was a big box

office hit, and for avatar that holds the record, it's possible "star wars" could get there. >> and what about the beatles? they're creating a whole new sensation now that their songs are available for streaming. so what is going on there? >> this is great news for everyone. beatles finally started streaming on christmas eve. it's interesting to note the top strongs people are streaming around the world. come together is the number one streaming strong on spotify in the u.s., uk, and around the world. that's interesting. i don't know if it's the times that are making us want to stream that song, or if it's just that popular b but that's a popular. hey jude and let it boe the othr things. >> beatles are hard to beat. and finally, there were lots of big hollywood stories in 2015,

but none bigger than caitlyn jenner? what were the highs and the lows of her story? >> certainly, so many entertainment stories to talk about for 2015. there are celebrity breakups and majo marriages and deaths, but there was caitlyn jenner. that's the one story people will really remember from the year. spfs speculation, and then she came out and did the interview and put her entire life out there. she had done it with keeping up with the kardashians, but let people get through her struggles. people applauded her, and i think it's made transgender such an issue that people are willing to understand more, and i think so much that is due to kaitlcai jenn jenner. look for her to be a spokesperson. >> her story has fascinated and

inspired people. >> thanks so much. >> and we have a heart warming update from the bush fire in australia. crews rescued this koala. she was better after police gave her water and gum leaves, and they named the co-wakoala. >> early start is coming up for our viewer here in the u.s. and for everybody else, stay tuned for "cnn newsroom." have a great day.

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dozens dead. severe storms strike. tornadoes, flooding crippling cities. and terror alert across europe. possible warnings this week. and donald trump striking back at hillary clinton. this time taking personal shots at her husband. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm miguel marquez. >> nice to see you. i'm christine romans. it is monday, december 28th. deadly christmas weather claiming 37 lives.