麻豆约拍

Alan Johnston presents insight, wit and analysis from 麻豆约拍 correspondents around the world. In this edition Andrew Harding on a hellish road trip through the fighting in Ivory Coast and Stephen Sackur in Western Australia's mining outback.

Ivory Coast - where even the winners are losers
Abidjan was once one of Africa's most prosperous and vibrant cities. But in recent weeks, it's been a warzone - gunfire in the streets, looting, and corpses stinking in the tropical heat. The violence began after Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in a presidential election. He was eventually captured in a military operation on Monday. Our correspondent Andrew Harding travelled through the country as the crisis worsened.

Western Australia - China's new quarry of choice
As the Chinese economy booms, its factories are endlessly hungry for raw materials - which makes Australia's mineral wealth particularly attractive. Deep in the Western Australian outback, near the tiny town of Cue, Stephen Sackur came across a Chinese owned mining camp. But what will the coming of these pioneers mean for the sacred world of the Aboriginal people?