0:00:15 > 0:00:23Guarding the road to Afghanistan's Valley of Death. Caroline Wyatt
0:00:23 > 0:00:27joins British troops at a remote Hale mand outpost. We join the US
0:00:27 > 0:00:32planes fuelling American operations. Church on a collision course with
0:00:32 > 0:00:35the state. Why the debate over contraception is causing division
0:00:35 > 0:00:40in the Philippines. And they started building a nuclear fusion
0:00:40 > 0:00:47plant in France 26 years ago. Paul Henley wonders if it will ever
0:00:47 > 0:00:52produce eek I don't happen friendly power.
0:00:52 > 0:01:00-- ecofriendly power. Hello. It was known bit Americans as the Valley
0:01:00 > 0:01:04of Death, a remote part of Helmand. In October, British troops took
0:01:04 > 0:01:09over from the US marines. Since then, one British soldier has died
0:01:09 > 0:01:13there, several others have been injured. Their job is to protect a
0:01:13 > 0:01:20major road, Route 611, against the insurgents. Our defence
0:01:20 > 0:01:28correspondent sent this report. A remote checkpoint, known as Pan
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Kalay, which translates as 'the last village'. This valley remains
0:01:31 > 0:01:35hostile territory, where the Taliban are still very much in
0:01:35 > 0:01:40evidence, as sown by the defences on the rooftop. The building you
0:01:40 > 0:01:45can see just over there is probably the closest Taliban firing point to
0:01:45 > 0:01:49this checkpoint. It's only about 200m away and soldiers have been
0:01:49 > 0:01:53fired upon, while guarding the checkpoint but also while they have
0:01:53 > 0:02:00been out on patrol. That's closed away now. Most of the soldiers here,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05in their 20s, do they feel vulnerable? I think we feel safe.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10When we're on foot, slightly more dangerous. But we've got enough
0:02:11 > 0:02:14firepower to protect us and let us do our jobs here. While some have
0:02:14 > 0:02:19had miraculous escape, some have been injured. Some of their
0:02:19 > 0:02:24comrades by roadside bombs. Frpblt I have a wife and daughter at --
0:02:24 > 0:02:29have a wife and daughter at home. I tend not to tell them much. They do
0:02:29 > 0:02:34worry about me. They will celebrate Christmas here in this remote spot
0:02:34 > 0:02:39as much as they k although away from family and friends. Back at
0:02:39 > 0:02:44the unit's headquarters, it's time for the daily briefing. It's been
0:02:44 > 0:02:48another busy day across their area in the constant battle of wits with
0:02:48 > 0:02:53the insurgents. There will be no let-up here, even over the festive
0:02:53 > 0:02:57season. The more talking, the better. We're going to be doing
0:02:57 > 0:03:01operations as normal, because the insurgent is quite cunning. He will
0:03:01 > 0:03:05be thinking we're in here, celebrating Christmas. We will have
0:03:05 > 0:03:10our Christmas dinner and carol service, because that's right and
0:03:10 > 0:03:14proper. We will do it at a time of our choosing, and when he thinks we
0:03:14 > 0:03:18will be back here, enjoying the fest I've season, we will be
0:03:18 > 0:03:22securing the route. The plan is to ensure that the Afghan security
0:03:22 > 0:03:26forces, training to search vegs at the checkpoints here, will be ready
0:03:26 > 0:03:29-- vehicles at the checkpoints here, will be ready to take over on their
0:03:29 > 0:03:34own. They are keen to prove themselves, sometimes a little too
0:03:34 > 0:03:39much so. You have gotta treem them as if they are not guilty -- treat
0:03:39 > 0:03:44them as if they are not guilty yet. They need this training. From 2014,
0:03:44 > 0:03:49it will be up to the Afghan forces to hold the ring, while a search
0:03:49 > 0:03:52for a political solution goes on. It was hard enough getting
0:03:52 > 0:03:57thousands of US troops into Afghanistan. Now it's becoming even
0:03:57 > 0:04:02harder getting them out of that land-locked country. The challenge
0:04:02 > 0:04:07has become trickier after a recent Pakistani blockade, which the
0:04:07 > 0:04:17country's prime minister says might not be lifted for weeks. One option
0:04:17 > 0:04:18
0:04:18 > 0:04:24for the NATO drawdown is the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30An angle of the US that outsiders don't often see. Hi-tech
0:04:31 > 0:04:36legitimates, this is how the US fuels the -- hi-tech logistics,
0:04:36 > 0:04:42this is how the US fuels the fight, literally. This is pretty
0:04:42 > 0:04:49incredible. The jets come up really, really close, basically as close at
0:04:50 > 0:04:54this. And, really, at any given moment, day or night, there is
0:04:54 > 0:05:00always a refuelling plane above aves.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04-- above Afghanistan. Once done, we head back, across the mountains to
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Central Asia. This region is the back stage of America's war effort
0:05:08 > 0:05:18in Afghanistan. It doesn't make the headlines, but it's crucial to the
0:05:18 > 0:05:19
0:05:19 > 0:05:26Not only fuel, virtually every coalition soldier comes to the
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Manas air base in the way to or out of Afghanistan. It provides a
0:05:31 > 0:05:35location where proximity matters. It allows the international efforts
0:05:35 > 0:05:41in Afghanistan to be sourced much quicker at times than it could from
0:05:41 > 0:05:47other locations around the world. But now, Kyrgyzstan's new leader
0:05:48 > 0:05:54says he will shut down the base in 2014. This could seriously
0:05:54 > 0:05:57complicate logistics of President Obama's planned withdrawal. With
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Pakistan increasingly unreliable, and a threat of losing this base,
0:06:01 > 0:06:08the Americans have been courting other Central Asian leaders.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13Ends on a very high note. This was Hillary Clinton on a recent trip to
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Uzbekistan. Next to the man whose human-rights record is often
0:06:18 > 0:06:23compared to that of Colonel Gaddafi. The president used to be regarded
0:06:23 > 0:06:29as a pariah in Washington, but the US has now lifted a ban on military
0:06:29 > 0:06:33aid to his government. Why is the US doing it? It's because they are
0:06:33 > 0:06:39pretty scared. 2014 is approaching. They not only need to get troops
0:06:39 > 0:06:43and material into Afghanistan, they need to get a lot of hi-tech
0:06:43 > 0:06:49equipment out. They clearly don't feel they have all the exit routes
0:06:50 > 0:06:54that they need. President Obama's priority is to end the war and get
0:06:54 > 0:07:04these soldiers home. But deals made along the way could have a lasting
0:07:04 > 0:07:04
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Tens of millions of people in the Philippines live in poverty. The
0:07:09 > 0:07:13country also has one of the highest birth rates in Asia. The government
0:07:13 > 0:07:18now wants to encourage its citizens to have fewer children and is
0:07:18 > 0:07:22putting forward a bill in parliament to provide free
0:07:22 > 0:07:27contraception. But many are Catholic and the Church is unhappy
0:07:27 > 0:07:32with the bill. Little Danielle wakes for lunch.
0:07:32 > 0:07:38But for her mother, finding enough food for all 10 of her children is
0:07:38 > 0:07:46a real struggle. TRANSLATION: Often we have nothing
0:07:46 > 0:07:49to eat. And when my kids are sick we have to pawn whatever we have.
0:07:49 > 0:07:55Like most Filipinos, she is a committed Catholic. But recently
0:07:55 > 0:07:59she start to do think the unthinkable.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05TRANSLATION: The priests say contraception is against God's will.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09But now I think we really need family planning. Birth control is
0:08:09 > 0:08:13expensive. A packet of condoms costs as much as some families earn
0:08:13 > 0:08:19in a week. So the government has put forward a bill to provide it
0:08:19 > 0:08:27for free. But the bill is facing powerful
0:08:27 > 0:08:33opposition from the Church. It's not the business of the
0:08:33 > 0:08:41government to be promoting contraceptive devices. It would be
0:08:41 > 0:08:47like, say, the government will pass a law, which will fund the
0:08:47 > 0:08:51promotion of pork eating among the Muslims.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57Supporters of the bill say you just need to come to places like this to
0:08:57 > 0:09:02see why it's so urgently needed. There are often two or even three
0:09:02 > 0:09:05mothers for every bed here in this maternity ward.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Population growth in the Philippines is one of the highest
0:09:09 > 0:09:14in South-East Asia. It's a situation the president says is
0:09:14 > 0:09:19unsustainable, which is why he's backing the bill. This is a fight
0:09:19 > 0:09:28not against the Church. This is an attempt to address the situation,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33that exists, and would we be happy to let the status quo as it is?
0:09:33 > 0:09:37That would be criminal. Not something I subscribe tofplt that
0:09:37 > 0:09:43would be against the teachings of the church I belong to. Neither
0:09:43 > 0:09:47side in this debate seems prepared to compromise. But the Philippines'
0:09:47 > 0:09:5480 million Catholics know that somehow they need to reconcile
0:09:54 > 0:10:04their faith with the reality of life for the country's poor.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09More famous than most stars, the Hollywood Sign is an icon of the
0:10:09 > 0:10:13entertainment industry. It's also a real pain to live next to. For
0:10:13 > 0:10:16years, people have found their way to the neighbourhood for the
0:10:16 > 0:10:26perfect photograph. Now GPS technology has them positively
0:10:26 > 0:10:30
0:10:30 > 0:10:34flocking there. The residents are It's iconic, it symbolises a
0:10:35 > 0:10:38century of shoz biz and the tourists love it -- showbiz and the
0:10:38 > 0:10:46tourists love it. Absolutely fantastic. You see it, it's like,
0:10:46 > 0:10:54"Wow." We want to touch it. Gotta be at least ten, 15 feet from it,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58and then you have done it. The sign started out as an advert for a
0:10:58 > 0:11:03development. Hugh Hefner stepped in with celebrity friends to make it
0:11:03 > 0:11:08what it is today. And it has some very rich neighbours. This is
0:11:08 > 0:11:15Madonna's old house. They might have a great view from their narrow
0:11:15 > 0:11:20streets, but not everyone likes what fame and new technology brings.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24WOMAN: The last 0.7 miles to Hollywood sign. We have always
0:11:24 > 0:11:29welcomed tourists, but this was before GPS. You had a small group
0:11:29 > 0:11:33of tourists. It's like saying we're gonna put Disney Land in the middle
0:11:33 > 0:11:40of a residential neighbourhood with no supervision in a big fire zone.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46Sat nav systems now bring secret local spots to the masses. Look at
0:11:46 > 0:11:50this. Researchs are, of course, up in arms. You're not supposed to be
0:11:50 > 0:11:56parked here. It's illegal. It's dangerous. An accident could happen.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58This neighbourhood is going on the offensive against traffic and
0:11:58 > 0:12:06trespassing. It's a typical residents and city council row, but
0:12:06 > 0:12:09this is Hollywood. You live next to a public park, you gotta expect the
0:12:09 > 0:12:15public. When had you live near a Hollywood sign, people would say,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19"God, I want toss live next to the Hollywood sign." The row is all
0:12:19 > 0:12:22about access to the Hollywood sign. This is fantastic access. Up here
0:12:22 > 0:12:27is really where all the tourists want to come to, but, of course,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30they can't. We're just here because we got special permission. These
0:12:30 > 0:12:35letters have been built to withstand an earthquake. So
0:12:35 > 0:12:38whatever happens, the row is set to go on for a very long time.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43MAN: You are trespassing and subject to arrest. Get down off the
0:12:43 > 0:12:50hillside right now. Despite Europe's economic problem,
0:12:50 > 0:12:56members of the European Parliament have approved more money for one of
0:12:56 > 0:13:01the biggest scientific gambles of all time. It's hoped the
0:13:01 > 0:13:06thermonuclear reactor will produce environmentally friendly energy
0:13:06 > 0:13:08through nuclear fusion. What's slowly taking shape here in
0:13:09 > 0:13:14the Southern French countryside could provide the answer to the
0:13:14 > 0:13:19world's energy crisis. Or it might prove one of the most expensive
0:13:19 > 0:13:23failures in scientific history. When it becomes fully operational
0:13:23 > 0:13:28in 2027, the giant reactor is supposed to prove that nuclear
0:13:28 > 0:13:32fusion is viable, that it can provide lots of cheap and
0:13:32 > 0:13:37relatively clean energy for when fossil fuels run outment
0:13:37 > 0:13:43project, in which the European Union is claberating with Russia,
0:13:43 > 0:13:49the United States, India and Korea, to produce energy available for the
0:13:49 > 0:13:54whole of mankind. Fusion creates energy by combining atoms, rather
0:13:54 > 0:13:57than by splitting them. They need to be heated to a temperature ten
0:13:57 > 0:14:00times hotter than the sun. The problem with fusion is that in all
0:14:00 > 0:14:04the experiments so far they have only managed to get out a fraction
0:14:04 > 0:14:08of the power that they have had to put N now, the hope of doing things
0:14:08 > 0:14:12on a massive scale like this is that it will be more efficient.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16That ten times the power will be produced as they put in in the
0:14:16 > 0:14:20first place. Critics point out that the costs have trebled in five
0:14:20 > 0:14:24years and they say the whole project is a gamble that won't pay
0:14:24 > 0:14:29off. It's not realistic to think that this is going to work in this
0:14:29 > 0:14:34century. This is for the next century, perhaps. All this money,
0:14:34 > 0:14:3915 billion euros, would be better used, for example, at improving the
0:14:39 > 0:14:45safety of the existing nuclear reactors. The European Union is
0:14:45 > 0:14:49paying for nearly half of it. Brussels has just approved an extra
0:14:49 > 0:14:531.3 billion euros to cover the latest overspend. Many believe
0:14:53 > 0:14:58there should be other spending priorities. We don't know whether
0:14:58 > 0:15:02it will deliver what they promise. I think it's more crucial to invest
0:15:02 > 0:15:08the money, what we have now, in clean technologies, which would
0:15:08 > 0:15:14have a good result. Even its most powerful supporters admit the
0:15:14 > 0:15:19scheme has no guarantees. It's an expensive, risky project, but it's
0:15:19 > 0:15:24an option which we cannot afford not to explore. It may be a
0:15:24 > 0:15:30potential source of energy, which will solve our energy needs in the
0:15:30 > 0:15:36period after 2050. It's an experiment so long-term that few of
0:15:36 > 0:15:42these workers will live long enough to see if it succeeds.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46If you're young in Gaza, your horizons can seem pretty limited.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51The United Nations estimates that youth unemployment is well over 50%.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56The tiny Palestinian territory has been under a heightened blockade
0:15:56 > 0:16:05ever since Hamas came to power. But a group of young men have found
0:16:05 > 0:16:12release in a relatively new sport. As if Gaza wasn't dangerous enough.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16This is parkour. Part gymnastics, part breakdancing. Part
0:16:16 > 0:16:19rockclimbing. And for the past five years, these
0:16:19 > 0:16:25three young men have been throwing themselves around the Strip.
0:16:25 > 0:16:31TRANSLATION: It's a fast-moving sport using all your athletic able
0:16:31 > 0:16:35tos to get from A to B as quickly and as smoothly as possible. A good
0:16:35 > 0:16:40warm-up is crucial, not to mention a strong nerve.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44All of them say they have broken more bones than they care to
0:16:44 > 0:16:49remember. TRANSLATION: This sport is
0:16:49 > 0:16:53dangerous and risky. You have to be very self-confident. Three years
0:16:53 > 0:16:57ago I really damaged my teeth doing the jump badly. You have to know
0:16:57 > 0:17:03what you're doing. Up can't hesitate. It you're young in Gaza,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07life can be pretty dull. Everywhere you go, you see people with time on
0:17:07 > 0:17:14their hands. The United Nations says around 70% of Gaza's
0:17:14 > 0:17:20population is under 25. Youth unemployment is over 55%. For some,
0:17:20 > 0:17:25parkour has provided an escape. TRANSLATION: Parkour helps me get
0:17:25 > 0:17:31away from everyday life. When I first started, it helped me get out
0:17:31 > 0:17:36of the depression I felt living in Gaza. Over the decades, Gaza has
0:17:36 > 0:17:41seen all manner of conflict and destruction. Millions of dollars
0:17:41 > 0:17:46worth of damage. This area around here has seen many incidents of
0:17:46 > 0:17:51fierce fighting, the walls potted with bullet marks. But for the Gaza
0:17:51 > 0:17:56parkour team, it's given them their playground.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00TRANSLATION: The thing I really like about this sport is it gives
0:18:00 > 0:18:05me freedom. There are no limits. You feel that you can cross any
0:18:05 > 0:18:10obstacle. You feel nothing can stop you. And in a place like Gaza,
0:18:10 > 0:18:19where the ambitions and aspirations of young people are so often
0:18:19 > 0:18:22crushed, for three three at least, that counts for a lot.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Every parent tries to do their best for their children, so when it
0:18:26 > 0:18:30comes to making a packed lunch to take to school, there's always
0:18:30 > 0:18:34someone who will take it one step further. In Japan, the packed lunch
0:18:34 > 0:18:40isn't just about being healthy and tasty, lunch has to look appealing
0:18:40 > 0:18:46to the young ones. We report from Tokyo, on how the ancient Japanese
0:18:46 > 0:18:51skills of food presentation have blossomed in the school lunch box.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55It's lunchtime here at this kindergarten in Japan, and the
0:18:55 > 0:19:01children are eager to see what their parents have made for them.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06In this country, a dry sandwich wrapped in tin foil just won't do.
0:19:06 > 0:19:12A pacted lunch is elevated to something near an art form. On this
0:19:12 > 0:19:22table, there's some great ones. Here's Hello Kitty and a teddy bear.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Right next to her friend, a piano. Great, isn't it? Tomomi Maruo is an
0:19:29 > 0:19:33acknowledged master of making character bentos, as the mostly
0:19:33 > 0:19:39rice-based meals are known. She gives lessons to other mothers who
0:19:39 > 0:19:44want to know how to make a packed lanch their child would be proud to
0:19:44 > 0:19:49open at -- lunch their child would be proud to open at school. Is
0:19:50 > 0:19:54there competition? That must be tricky? I feel, "Oh, my gosh, it's
0:19:54 > 0:20:01sports day" The expectation is getting high. You have to sit next
0:20:01 > 0:20:06to other mums. So I feel pressured, you know, certain pressure. So this
0:20:06 > 0:20:12is - what else have you done? The teacher has kept photographs of
0:20:12 > 0:20:22their best designs. So who are these, these portraits? Michael
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Jackson. Michael Jackson? Mm-hm. Harrison Ford. With the Indiana
0:20:28 > 0:20:34Joans hat and stubble. How do -- Indiana Jones hat and stubble. How
0:20:34 > 0:20:41do you dot stubble? With little seaweed. It's fun. I enjoy doing it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:48And my kids enjoy it. Back in the kindergarten, and lunch is coming
0:20:48 > 0:20:51to a very noisy end. None of it lasted very long. Cute pandas, and
0:20:51 > 0:21:01colourful characters. What took hours to make has been gobbled in a
0:21:01 > 0:21:03
0:21:03 > 0:21:13And that's all from Reporters for this week. From me and the team
0:21:13 > 0:21:21
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Hello there. Good morning. We have seen the temperatures dropping
0:21:25 > 0:21:29sharply overnight. Widespread frost in Scotland, England and Wales.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Potential for icy conditions following the early showers, but
0:21:33 > 0:21:38also in the morning, as wetter weather eases in from the western.
0:21:38 > 0:21:45Rain from the west, but in Scotland, mainly north of the central belts,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49we're gonna find some know, even at lower levels. Treacherous in the