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From Our Own Correspondent: Germany’s leadership crisis

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Germany’s leadership crisis

03/04/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Germany’s leadership crisis

Support for the ruling CDU is dwindling as Covid infections rise

The German government is struggling to keep a united front amid the slow pace of the vaccine roll out and a rise in infections.

Germany is confronting a third wave of Covid-19.  Chancellor Angela Merkel was credited last year with her clear communication and decisive leadership as the pandemic spread across Europe. But the government is now struggling to navigate both the rising infections and a delayed vaccine rollout, not helped by concerns over the safety of the AstraZeneca jab. Regional leaders have challenged the Chancellor’s more cautious approach and her ruling party is losing support. Jenny Hill looks at what next for the German leadership.
The Festival of Nowruz, meaning “New Day”, is a two week long celebration which heralds the beginning of Spring and the start of the Persian New Year. In the ancient town of Akre in the Kurdish mountains of Iraq, Iranians, Syrians, Kurds and Iraqis all gather to mark the occasion, lighting beacons, dancing and holding torchlight processions.  Leila Molana-Allen attended the festivities.
On Liberia’s coast, we hear about the business of farming sea cucumbers. The marine animals are mainly sold to China where they are seen as an edible delicacy and used in traditional medicine. The sea cucumber stocks in neighbouring Sierra Leone have been over-fished and there are concerns that Liberia will go the same way. Lucinda Rouse met one man who runs a farming business - she watched the haul of sea cucumbers being brought in.
We’re in Bamiyan province in Afghanistan, high in the mountains for the annual ski challenge. The area is probably best known for its vast, standing Buddha statues that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Now, organisers of this ski event are hoping the region can attract more tourists, despite the on-going threat of violence and unrest in the country. Charlie Faulkner paid a visit.

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