麻豆社

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

This week Germany鈥檚 Chancellor, Angela Merkel, delivered her final speech in parliament, before elections in two weeks鈥� time. After 16 years in office, 鈥楳utti鈥� or 鈥楳other鈥� 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 鈥� with President Jair Bolsonaro using it to announce that: 鈥淥nly God will remove me from power鈥�. 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 S茫o 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鈥檚 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鈥檒l do, we hear from the 麻豆社鈥檚 Sahar Zand. In 2019 she met the Taliban鈥檚 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)