Main content

Lockdown Ramadan, music and guns

Stories from inside and outside the Covid-19 pandemic, including a lantern-less Ramadan in Egypt, America鈥檚 beleaguered Chinese community, and Paraguay鈥檚 recycled refuse orchestra

David Amanor invites a panel of guests to share stories they've been covering, from inside and outside the Covid-19 pandemic. Sally Nabil of 麻豆社 Arabic describes lockdown Ramadan in Cairo, and why she misses her Ramadan lantern so much. Zhaoyin Feng of 麻豆社 Chinese in Washington DC shares the political and personal impact of the war of words between the US and China. And Lucia Blasco of 麻豆社 Mundo shares the story of Paraquay鈥檚 'recycled orchestra' who play instruments made from rubbish.

Exiled Fifth Floorers鈥� hidden talents
A tour round the virtual Fifth Floor as our language service colleagues share unexpected skills and interests they鈥檙e using to keep their spirits up while working from home. With Irena Taranyuk of 麻豆社 Ukrainian, Vietnamese journalist Nga Pham of 麻豆社 World TV, Prudent Nsengiyumva of 麻豆社 Great Lakes, women's affairs journalist Faranak Amidi, and Brazilian Fernando Duarte of the 麻豆社 Digi-hub.

The Smell of Terror
A building in Moscow, once used by Stalin to sign the death warrants during the purges, may become an upmarket perfume store. Some activists are fighting this obliteration of history, and one even created a perfume, 鈥楾he smell of terror鈥�. Elizaveta Vereykina of 麻豆社 Russian has had a sniff.

Indian life without food delivery apps
The Covid-19 lockdown has deprived many middle-class Indians of a key pleasure in life - restaurant food delivered to your door. The 麻豆社's South Asia diaspora reporter Gaggan Sabherwal describes the impact on her own family in Chennai.

Liberia sings against coronavirus
The 麻豆社's Jonathan Paye-Layleh talks about music and public health, including "Let Us Stand Together and Fight Coronavirus" sung by President George Weah, and 9-year-old Josalia Kollie, who found fame with a coronavirus awareness song.

image: Egyptians in facemasks browse Ramadan lanterns, April 2020
credit: MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Sat 2 May 2020 02:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 1 May 2020 11:06GMT
  • Fri 1 May 2020 17:06GMT
  • Sat 2 May 2020 02:06GMT