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Episode 4

Rio de Janeiro: Countdown to the Olympic Opening Ceremony – Steve Scott

There are less than 100 days to go until the curtain raises on the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but already political turmoil and high drama threaten to overshadow Brazil's showcase event. Nationwide protests, claims of corruption, the country's president now impeached: hardly the best build up to the world's largest sporting event. Add into the mix the devastating Zika virus and a crippling economic recession, and Brazilians could be forgiven for not feeling optimistic about the games.

But that is not the Rio way. This is a city that lives for a party and one party in particular: Carnival. Early every year, the city's streets come alive to a dazzling bombardment of the senses as revellers compete to be the most striking, colourful and vibrant show in town - played out to the irresistible rhythms of the Samba. It is exactly this spirit the games organisers are hoping to harness at the Olympic opening ceremony and make it a night to remember. Steve Scott has been to Rio to get a privileged glimpse behind the scenes as preparations gather pace and meets the city's charismatic mayor, who in the current political vacuum has been thrust further into the spotlight. Is he still confident the games will put Rio on the map for all the right reasons?

Yemen: Voices of a forgotten civil war – Neil Connery

The brutal civil war in Yemen has now raged for over a year, but little is heard from inside this bitterly divided country. Recently Neil Connery travelled to the country's ancient capital Sana'a, much of which now lies in ruins, and beyond into the harsh but beautiful mountains to tell the story of a people's struggle to survive in the shadows of war.

LA: Food deserts – Nina Nannar

For years Nina Nannar has covered the Oscars for ITV News, but this year she left the glitz and glamour of Hollywood behind for the Los Angeles suburb of Watts to meet the chefs on a mission to bring healthy eating to the streets of LA's poorest neighbourhoods. Once synonymous with riots and violence, today Watts faces a different challenge. Without even a supermarket in town, residents say that the lack of healthy, affordable food has created a reliance on cheap fast-food outlets and a serious obesity problem.

But Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi, two of California's most celebrated chefs, are determined to make a difference with their new breed of fast food which promises something healthier, delicious and nutritious at a price people can afford. Even Aqeela Sherrills, a former gang member, who once brokered a peace deal between the notorious Bloods and Crips gangs in the ‘90s has taken on this new fight against obesity. With Nina he hits the streets in his food truck, delivering free fruit smoothies and spreading the word about healthy eating to a young generation hoping for bright future.

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