thomas here at the bbc headquarters in london. in this special edition of the programme, we're looking at some of the best reports of this year from some of the best reports of this yearfrom our some of the best reports of this year from our network of correspondents from around the world. coming up: stand—off in the skies above the south china sea is. rupert wingfield—hayes flies over one of the most contested areas in the world, incurring the wrath of the chinese. our captain is saying that we're a civilian aircraft, not a military aircraft, it didn't make any difference whatsoever, theyjust repeated the threat to leave the area over and over again. tiny victims of yemen's forgotten war. we find starving children in desperate need of aid. he just had fever and diarrhoea and because there was no medicine he passed away. we've just arrived in what is called the prong zone. under fire on ukraine's frontline. tom burridge and his team meet one of the conflict's most volatile hotspots where the fragile ceasefire has collapsed. you can't make no mistakes, it cost you your life, literally. ian pannell reports from barack obama's former hometown and finds gun crime is out of control. and battle of the sexes. we meet the moroccan warrior women taking on and beating the men of north africa at their own game. the bbc went to extraordinary lengths this year to get a rare glimpse of china's determined expansion in the south china sea. one of the most contested areas anywhere in the world. beijing is building huge artificial islands on the spratly islands chain, which the americans and others insist are illegal. the area is difficult to get to, but rupert wingfield—hayes flew in a small civilian aircraft into china's self—declared security zone 200 kilometres off the coast of the philippines. this is what he found. it's just before dawn on the philippine island. even at this hour it is hot, but there's no sign here of the trouble brewing a few hundred miles out to sea. i'm about to take off on miles out to sea. i'm about to take offona miles out to sea. i'm about to take off on a trip the chinese government has tried to stop. as we roll down the runway, we're all tense. no one has tried what we're about to do. we're now heading south—west to wards and number of chinese controlled atolls. these are places where the chinese have being doing massive land reclamation over the last year and a half. we really want to go for two reasons, one, to see exactly what the chinese are doing, and two, to test to see if the chinese would try to stop us because the whole of this area is, according to most countries, international airspace. just 140 nautical miles from the philippine coast we spot new land. this place is called mischief reached. until a year ago there was nothing here, just a submerged at all. now look at it. —— reef. millions of tons of material have been dredged up to build this huge new island. then as we close to 12 nautical miles, this. down below we can see a pair of chinese navy ships. our pilots are nervous. they want to turn away. we're a civilian aircraft flying over international waters and yet we're being repeatedly threatened. so what we're getting is the chinese sending out that message, foreign military aircraft, and identified military aircraft, and identified military aircraft, and identified military aircraft, leave the area immediately, in chinese and english, oui’ immediately, in chinese and english, ourcaptain immediately, in chinese and english, our captain replied saying we are a civilian aircraft, not a military aircraft, but it didn't make any difference, they repeated the threat to leave the area over and over again. as we fly on the full extent of the construction is revealed. the lagoon is teeming with ships. a cement plant is visible on the new land. then for the first time a clear view of the new runway china is building here. a chinese fighter taking off from here could reach the philippine coast in nine minutes. in the last year, china has built at least seven new islands and three new runways in the south china sea. one here at mischief reef, another at subi reef and the biggest of all at fiery ci’oss. and the biggest of all at fiery cross. the aim is to reinforce china's claim to the whole of the south china sea. america and its allies are now responding. and over the radio we now hear one of them. what we're hearing is an australian military aircraft asserting freedom of passage. more than 40% of the world's trade passes through the waters below us. china is determined to assert its control. america and its allies say they won't let that happen. and as we have found out, it may already be too late. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in the south china sea. from the conflict in syria to what's seen as from the conflict in syria to what's seen as the forgotten war in yemen. the fighting there has pushed one of the poorest countries in the middle east to the brink of famine, threatening the lives of millions of people. more than 7000 have been killed in the conflict between the country's who the rebels, who overthrew the government last year, and a saudi led coalition backed by britain and the us. —— to the rebels. this has left around 7 million people on the brink of famine, many of them children. and againa warm famine, many of them children. and again a warm warning, this report contains some distressing images from the start. in the villages of the yemen, it's the children who suffer most. wherever you go you can see the human cost of this war. seven—month—old fatima is weak and severely malnourished. she's one of hundreds in this area alone. her mother, sara, tells me she won't stop crying. translation: mother, sara, tells me she won't stop crying. translatiosz mother, sara, tells me she won't stop crying. translation: it breaks my heart. the only thing sarah can offer her child is water. she is so malnourished herself she can barely best to macro speed. this doctor took me from village to village and each time we saw the same thing. yemen has always been desperately poor but the war has made things worse. it's not just poor but the war has made things worse. it's notjust the villages that are struggling. this war has forced the 600 hospitals to close down and lack of supplies has pushed this central hospital to the brink. children are the most affected by malnutrition. here hunger has left 1.5 million children starving. this is four—year—old chaim. his grandfather brought him here with fever and diarrhoea. malnutrition has meant his immune system isn't able to fight a simple infection and severe shortage of medicine means that antibacterial needs aren't a available either. translation: the antibiotics we have will not treat the type of bacteria he is suffering from. all we can do is provide healthcare with the supplies that we have. the hospital is overwhelmed with children, but in some cases malnutrition has turned into outright starvation. selina is eight yea rs outright starvation. selina is eight years old. once able to play and talk with his brothers and sisters, his mother says although he's alive it's as if he's not here. translation: i never imagined i would ever see a child like this in yemen. this boy is starving. it scares me that it may be the beginning of a famine. four-year-old chaib's grandfather tells me the condition has taken a turn for the worst. hejust had fever he just had fever and diarrhoea and because he didn't have his medicine he passed away. back in the village, as hwaq he passed away. back in the village, ashwaq has some good news. after six days point calls and negotiations, as hwaq days point calls and negotiations, ashwaq managed to import his life—saving milk. translation: ashwaq managed to import his life-saving milk. translation: and you've made me so happy and build oui’ you've made me so happy and build our home with happiness. i hope i can do the same for you. poverty has a lwa ys can do the same for you. poverty has always affected yemen but now there's the risk of losing an entire generation. from yemen's forgotten war to what's become known as europe's forgotten conflict in ukraine. tensions escalated there this year as europe struggled over whether to maintain sanctions on russia following its military intervention in the region. at the height of the crisis, tom burridge and his team travelled with the ukrainian military to one of the most volatile parts of the front line, on the edge of a town. he sent us line, on the edge of a town. he sent us this report and. venture into this industrial area known as the prong zone on the edge ofa known as the prong zone on the edge of a small ukrainian city and this is the reality almost every night. it's really close. go to the wall. go to the wall. we've literally just arrived in what's called the prong zone and you can tell why they call it hot, because it's really... this perpetual war zone has been largely forgotten. after two and a bit years and forgotten. after two and a bit years a nd cou ntless forgotten. after two and a bit years and countless diplomatic meetings, russia and the west have failed to deliver peace. lethal wa rfa re lethal warfare here sometimes feels mundane and monotonous. so five, maybe ten minutes after we arrived here in the so—called prong zone and sniper fire, here in the so—called prong zone and sniperfire, the here in the so—called prong zone and sniper fire, the krakow machine—guns, that the soldiers say are probably rpg is, rocket propelled grenades, essentially is welcome to the prong zone. so we're changing positions now. our walk through the industrial zone feels like it will never end. he chooses to walk but i would prefer to run now, right here in the open. we made it! that was intense! we reach a building where we will spend the night. fighting these ukrainian troops is a militia which controls two tiny unrecognised russian backed republics. 21—year—old dima says he will dive for land which he says is pa rt will dive for land which he says is part of ukraine. the next day, on a hillside nearby, we are shown the ukrainian military defences. this impressive network of trenches shows how ukraine has been digging infor trenches shows how ukraine has been digging in for months. they have not lost territory to the rebels in well over a year. and for that, they can claim some success. but any success has come at a cost. the front line town held by ukraine. we meet victor. his wife was killed and his grandson disabled, both by shelling. —— viktor. eastern ukraine is a deprived region. you can see bitter divisions. the conflict has become one of attrition which world powers have been unable or unwilling to. eastern ukraine. now to evidence of a startling rise in gun violence the us, including in chicago, home to barack obama. killings in the city have reached a 20 year high. a deadly summer of violence brought this year's death toll to 500. most of the victims and their killers are young men. we spent a week in chicago and found a world where guns rule. in my neighbourhood, they start young, men. that is the edge frame that they are dying from guns. very young. we have to teach children how to defend themselves. it is like, what do you do? you would rather be caught with protection than without it.|j would rather be caught with protection than without it. i have never seen so many guns. protection than without it. i have never seen so many guns. like, we had so many guns. but i have never seen as many as now. had so many guns. but i have never seen as many as now. this is a wrapperfrom seen as many as now. this is a wrapper from the west side. now, the most violent part of chicago. he is a member of the vice lords gang. he has been imprisoned. and even he is by what has happened. it is like somebody dropped off crazy amounts of guns in the neighbourhood. i think that many guys need to die to make it better. some of these bleep need to be killed and knocked off to make it a better place. we have been standing here for five make it a better place. we have been standing here forfive minutes make it a better place. we have been standing here for five minutes and make it a better place. we have been standing here forfive minutes and i have seen two police cars and one ambulance. it is not safe here at all. suddenly we were told to leave the area as he and his gang sped off. phone call: what happened? why did we have to leave? more people have been killed here since 2001 than us deaths in iraq and afghanistan combined. and yet, there is almost no outcry. do you worry about your children?” there is almost no outcry. do you worry about your children? i do. like, to be honest, i doubt they sign of seven and a daughter of four, and! sign of seven and a daughter of four, and i have not taught them how to ride a bike because the environment they live in isjust to ride a bike because the environment they live in is just not safe. i love you. i love you, dada. iam safe. i love you. i love you, dada. i am trying to change the cycle. it is hard when you don't really have help, you know what i'm sayin'? we have been put in a weird position, do you know what i am saying, because... hold on. cut. this stuff don't end. with so many guns and so little control, the murders will rise. rarely solved, and barely noticed. this may sound like the stuff of science fiction movies, but american researches broke new ground this year by trying to grow human organs inside pigs. the research uses a pioneering technique cold gene engineering, which allows genes to be changed quickly. some say this may end the organ crisis. but it also may raise ethical issues. you are watching two species being mixed. humans themselves are being injected into a one—day—old pig embryo. you can see them travelling down the tube. this biologist in california is trying to grow a human pancreas inside a pig. our hope is that this will develop normally. but the pancreas will be made up almost exclusively out of human cells so that then that pancreas will be compatible with the patient for transplantation. the technique is known as gene editing. it uses molecular scissors to delete the dna instructions in the pig embryo to create a pancreas. the ambition is the human cells will fuel the void and growa the human cells will fuel the void and grow a human pancreas instead —— fill. the same technique might enable other organs to be grown for transplant. the bbc‘s panorama matter was allowed to film the sows filled with human embryos known as chimera is. if you men stem cells are taken from a patient, they could be tissue match, reducing the risk of rejection. —— human. this research raises profound ethical concerns. crucially, just how human and the piglets developing inside this sow? it is such a sensitive area that the chimeric embryos will not be permitted to go to term, but be removed for tissue analysis after 28 days because gestation when they are about a centimetre long. —— days‘. they will crucially check whether the brain develops humanlike qualities. another pioneer in this field told me this question has yet to be resolved. whatever we tried to make, whether it is a kidney, liver, a lung, we will look at what is happening in the mind. and if we find it is to humanlike, it will be ended. organisations campaigning for an end to factory farming are dismayed by the image of organ farming. i am nervous about opening up farming. i am nervous about opening upa new farming. i am nervous about opening up a new avenue of farming. i am nervous about opening up a new avenue of animal suffering. we could consider it, but the basis has to be that there is no overall increase of pigs being used for human services. 7000 people are on the transplant waiting list in the uk and hundreds die each year before a donor can be found. but patient trials involving gene edited pig organs are still a long way off. bogus wars, bbc news. finally, for centuries, the men have proven their worth in fantasia, firing their rifles in unison. for the first time, female riders have been taking them on. we have been to meet the moroccan women warriors beating the man at their own game. fantasia, a centuries old moroccan tradition, a way for men to show off their wa rfa re way for men to show off their warfare and masculinity. but in recent yea rs, more warfare and masculinity. but in recent years, more women riders are taking the reins. this is the leader ofan taking the reins. this is the leader of an all—female troop. and today, the only woman competing in this fantasia. how different do you feel the image is to what people think a normal arab or moroccan girl should be? did you not think maybe you cannot do it because no other girl has done it before? when you first started fantasia how did men think of you? now they respect us. did they not respect you before? that sounds horrible. did that ever put you off? how did you find the girls for your group? for good luck? yeah, of course, for good luck. i am nervous and my heart is beating. the aim is for the teams to charge and shoot simultaneously. the winners are announced and the girls won! bbc news, morocco. and thatis girls won! bbc news, morocco. and that is all from this special edition of reporters looking back at of the best reports from this year. —— at some of the. from me, phillipa thomas, goodbye for now. yesterday's weather was all about storm barbara, the second named storm for the season. it has been a quiet winter season so far. there is barbara with cloud working into the uk. the strongest winds are in the scottish islands. reports of power supply problems here. transport disruptions as well. into the atlantic our next storm system is forming, this is connor, strong winds to the north of scotland especially on boxing day. the weather watchers had their work cut out enjoying strong winds, being driven out into the bay in lerwick by the strong winds. that is how we start the day. showers and snow in scotland mainly above 200 metres, perhaps 100 metres at times. this is mainly in the hills where we will see that. because of that, we will have icy conditions on some of the roads first thing. england and wales, a lot of dry weather to start the day. a few isolated showers working into north—west england and across wales as well first thing. the further south and east you are the better chance you have of starting the day on a dry note with a fair bit of sunshine. but it will be quite breezy for all of us. through the rest of the day, those gale force winds will bring plenty of showers in. again, they will be falling as snow up in the hills of scotland. a more general spell of rain moving into northern ireland late in the day. turning damp here. england and wales, a mainly dry day with sunny spells. temperatures, 8—11 degrees. colder than that in northern ireland in scotland. the cold air will be behind us to start christmas day. mild air is on the way. these are the temperatures first thing on the big day itself. christmas day, quite windy. a lot of cloud around. this cold front will go south during the day. bringing wet weather for northern ireland, the north of england, and north wales. the south is still quite mild. temperatures, 14—15 in the mildest spots. further north, cold air moving in. that means late in the day some of us could see a white christmas. the chance of getting a bit of snow in the hills of northern scotland. for boxing day, remember connor? i showed you that on the satellite. it is bringing strong winds to the northern isles of scotland where we have an amber weather warning. gale force gusts for the northern half of the uk. further south, quite windy. a lot of dry weather with sunshine. temperatures between 7—8. later next week, the weather should calm down and we will see a return of night—time frosts. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm lebo diseko. our top stories: the un security council passes a resolution demanding a halt to israeli settlement—building on occupied palestinian land. the us abstains from the vote. anis amri, the man suspected of carrying out the attack on a berlin christmas market, dies in a shootout in italy. putin faces the world's media, and says he is not worried by donald trump's talk of a new arms race. the star wars actress carrie fisher suffers a heart attack on a flight to los angeles, but is said to be stable.