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From Our Own Correspondent: Japan 75 years on from WW2 surrender

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Japan 75 years on from WW2 surrender

15/08/2020 GMT

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Japan 75 years on from WW2 surrender

75th anniversary of Japan’s WW2 surrender, plus stories from Colombia, Greece and Majorca

The 75th anniversary of Japan’s WW2 surrender, a divided Colombia, Cretan seasonal workers feeling the pinch thanks to Covid-19 and the German holiday destination of Majorca.

Pascale Harter introduces analysis, reportage and personal reflections from correspondents around the world.

This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War. A surrender which followed the utter destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the first ever use of nuclear weapons, dropped by the United States. But our correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says the decisions which followed, made by the victors, may have kept a flame of resistance alight. A flame which is growing stronger.

The house arrest of former president Alvaro Uribe in Colombia has revived the divisions wrought by decades of civil war between government forces, paramilitaries and leftist guerrillas, most prominently the FARC. Mr Uribe denies the allegations against him of witness tampering in an investigation meant to establish the extent to which the government colluded with paramilitary abuses of civilians. Mathew Charles reflects on a development which divides Colombia once more.

Greece’s economy relies heavily on tourism, accounting for around 26% of all employment. It’s no surprise that seasonal workers in this part of Europe have been hit hard by the pandemic. This week a new curfew was brought in, closing bars and restaurants early in some of the most popular destinations, including Santorini and Mykonos. Heidi Fuller-Love has heard how, for one seasonal worker in Crete, Covid-19 has made a difficult situation impossible.

For many Germans, a holiday abroad means going to one place; the Balearic Island of Majorca in Spain. But this year, many Germans were worried they wouldn’t be able to go due to coronavirus. While, as John Kampfner has found, other Germans were worried that they would.

Presenter: Pascale Harter
Producer: Bethan Head
Editor: Bridget Harney

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