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The destruction wrought by the earthquake on the 22 of June 2022 on Paktika province in Afghanistan has been immense. Some whole villages were destroyed; in some communities, whole families died. There have been other losses too: of livestock, livelihoods and much sense of hope for the future. But even amid all this, Secunder Kermani found Afghan hospitality undimmed.

Over recent weeks, the state of Texas has been the scene of two horrific mass deaths – which received rather different media treatment. Will Grant covered both the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde which left a class of ten-year-olds and their two teachers dead; and the more muted response to the discovery of the bodies of 53 people - presumed to be migrants from Central America who had asphyxiated while being smuggled into the USA - in a van in San Antonio. He reflects on the bitter ironies of both events – and the nation’s response to them.

Digital greetings messages – often complete with made-to-order video content – are a huge business on social media in China. But some of these messages, made to send congratulations for birthdays, exam results or personal milestones, play on racist stereotypes. As a Black woman living in Beijing for six years, Runako Celina had her own experiences of being gawked at or commented on. So when she saw videos containing racist cliches, insults and ridicule in Mandarin, she went to investigate who was making them – and making money from them. The trail led all the way to a makeshift studio in Malawi – and a dramatic confrontation.

Would you like to fly Iraqi Airways? The flights do tend to leave on time – and some Iraqis are still proud to use the national carrier. Lizzie Porter wanted to buy a seat to Erbil, but had no luck at all using the airline’s website. And at its booking office in Baghdad, she found the process for getting a seat still stuck in the past - complete with long queues, printed tickets, ink stamps and payment in cash only. And for some analysts, the company’s woes signal the wider failings of the country’s economy.

Presenter: Max Pearson
Producer: Polly Hope
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Photo: Survivors of the earthquake in Barmal district of Paktika Province, Afghanistan, assess the damage)