麻豆社

Kate Adie presents stories from China, Ukraine, Moldova, Zimbabwe and the US.

Protests have taken place across China, from Shanghai, to Guangdong to Beijing after a fire in Urumqi killed ten people who were thought to have been under Covid restrictions. Celia Hatton asks whether this is a watershed moment for Xi Jinping and his Zero Covid policy.

In Ukraine, a bloody war is being fought in towns and cities in Donetsk, such as Bakhmut and Avdiivka, with high numbers of casualties on both sides. Abdujalil Abdurasulov went to Avdiivka and spoke to some of the 2000 residents who've decided to stay amid intensive shelling, in bombed-out buildings.

Joe Inwood goes to neighbouring Moldova where local businesses, including a winery, are trying to switch to renewable energy to avoid the power outages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moldova and Ukraine's power infrastructure are intrinsically interlinked, so cities across the country are affected by Russian attacks.

In Zimbabwe, despite initial hopes that President Ernest Mnangagwa would bring economic and political stability, the reappearance of road blocks harks back to the regime of Robert Mugabe. Meanwhile inflation is once again soaring, and the country remains locked in an economic spiral, says Kim Chakanetsa.

And in Washington DC, the leader of the far-right, anti-government Oath Keepers militia was found guilty of plotting an armed rebellion to stop President Joe Biden from taking office in 2020. Mike Wendling went to Montana to meet the ring leader, Stewart Rhodes' son.

Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond