Colossal forces of nature have devastated Japan and the country faces the possibility of a nuclear disaster; but in the teeth of catastrophe Rachel Harvey discovers an extraordinary resilience on the part of the Japanese people. Egypt is undergoing massive political upheaval; and while the country is struggling to shape its future, Christine Finn hears that looters are increasingly plundering its past. Southern Sudan is just a few months away from independence; Hugh Sykes gets a feel for life in what will be Africa's newest capital city. On the anniversary of Italy's unification, David Willey meets the Italians who would rather dismantle the state than celebrate its foundation. And, enjoying a rare glimpse of Russia's pioneering spacecraft, Richard Hollingham wonders whether Russia might prove to be the real winner of the space race.