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From Our Own Correspondent: Farewell to Germany’s ‘Mutti’

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks in Parliament

11/09/2021 GMT

Farewell to Germany’s ‘Mutti’

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Farewell to Germany’s ‘Mutti’

Farewell to ‘Mutti’, Germany’s Angela Merkel, plus stories from Brazil and Afghanistan

Farewell to ‘Mutti’, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Brazil’s President Bolsonaro on Independence Day, insurgencies across Africa and meeting one of Afghanistan’s former Taliban leaders.

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

This week Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, delivered her final speech in parliament, before elections in two weeks’ time.  After 16 years in office, ‘Mutti’ or ‘Mother’ as Mrs Merkel is sometimes called, is standing down and says she will not run again. But as Damien McGuinness hears, this label is not quite as straight forward as it seems.

In Brazil, Independence Day was less of a celebration and more of a rally this year – with President Jair Bolsonaro using it to announce that: “Only God will remove me from power”. The president is under mounting pressure as he is under investigation by the Supreme Court for posting documents on social media from a sealed police investigation and for the dissemination of fake news. He also narrowly avoided being impeached by congress for his handling of the Covid crisis.  In São Paulo Andrew Downie looked on as Brazilians were divided by their president once more.

Twenty years on from the 9/11 attacks in the United States, Catherine Byaruhanga takes stock of the war on terror in Africa. As she reports there are still many jihadist groups operating across the continent. And frequently it’s civilians who bear the brunt of the conflict.  

With the US gone from Afghanistan the world is watching to see how the Taliban may have changed since the last time it was in power 20 years ago.  Has there been a shift in its views when it comes to music, art and the media?  For a possible insight into what they’ll do, we hear from the BBC’s Sahar Zand. In 2019 she met the Taliban’s Deputy Director of the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Elimination of Vice.

Presenter: Pascale Harter
Producer: Bethan Head

(Image: German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks in Parliament. Credit: Reuters/Michele Tantussi)

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