Face to face with Abiy Ahmed
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Two weeks ago Ethiopia held a parliamentary election billed as the first truly \\u2018free and fair\\u2019 vote in its history \\u2013 after nearly 20 years of continuous economic growth. It should have been a success story \\u2013 but the election was only held in some parts of the country, as war was still raging in the Tigray region. There have been over eight months of armed conflict there as the central government moved to re-establish control; and there have been many reports of atrocities \\u2013 and of hunger. Ethiopia\\u2019s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly claimed government forces were close to victory and described the rebels as \\u201clike flour blown away by the wind\\u201d. But after a shock reversal as Tigrayan forces retook the regional capital, Mekelle. Catherine Byaruhanga wonders how much longer Mr Ahmed's confidence can hold.
The South China Sea contains some of the world\\u2019s most hotly-disputed waters - with particular strife between the Philippines and China over the rights to some of its reefs and atolls. These are not just useful places to park military assets - but also particularly rich spots to fish. Given the diplomatic tension between Beijing and Manila over the area, Howard Johnson decided to board a fishing vessel and see more for himself.
The Dalmatian pelican is something special in the bird world \\u2013 the largest pelican on earth and one of the heaviest things on wings. It\\u2019s huge: just as big as the very largest swans, with a wingspan nearly as wide as an albatross's. The global range of the species is also vast \\u2013 from the Mediterranean shores of Turkey, all the way across central Eurasia, as far east as China. But there are only about 5,000 breeding pairs left in the world, with around 450 of those in the delta of the River Danube. Abdujalil Abdurasulov waded out with a pair of Ukrainian conservationists trying to make the birds feel more at home.
New York City \\u2013 once the epicentre of the pandemic in the USA - is emerging from the nightmare of last spring. Hospital admissions are at a record low; restaurants and bars are serving again; the theatres on Broadway are due to reopen in September. But the city has lost a million jobs and many businesses \\u2013 and it\\u2019s still losing New Yorkers. 187,000 households packed up and left in 2020. Lucy Ash has been considering the city\\u2019s longer-term future \\u2013 and seeing how it hopes to lure people back.
Money might still talk \\u2013 or even shout \\u2013 on Wall Street, but on a global level it\\u2019s not as much of a physical presence as it used to be. Cash was king once, but these days debit cards or smartphone apps are often more welcome. Yet in many countries around the world, the number of banknotes in circulation is still rising. Kevin Peachey was recently given rare access to a site where millions of these notes are printed and - for one brief moment - thought he might be in for a windfall...
Producer: Polly Hope
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