Police fired water cannon and pepper spray at protesters who had gathered to demonstrate against the G20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday after a group of black-clad demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at riot police.

Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;Police are still being attacked,&quot; a police told AFP. He added hat most of the officers hurt sustained light injuries.

A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated.

Several arrests were also made.&nbsp;

The protesters say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace and were gathering for the demonstration dubbed &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; by the anti-capitalist groups behind it.

The &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; march has been called off but thousands of people remained on the streets as night fell intending to march, AFP reported.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2017-07-06t191715z_1_lynxmped651r2_rtroptp_4_g20-germany-protest-20170706083623.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
German riot police use water cannons against protesters during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg. (Reuters)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_qd3ow-20170706083824.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
THe fire brigade put out a car set alight during the &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_qd3ed-20170706084023.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
A man bleeds during the &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

German police&nbsp;expect around 100,000 protesters in Hamburg from around Europe, about 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The demonstrations have tarnished the outset of the meeting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees as crucial in seeking policy consensus ahead of the election in September.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Police fired water cannon during a clash with protesters demonstrating against the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany

Police fired water cannon and pepper spray at protesters who had gathered to demonstrate against the G20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday after a group of black-clad demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at riot police. Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police told Reuters. "Police are still being attacked," a police told AFP. He added hat most of the officers hurt sustained light injuries. A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated. Several arrests were also made. The protesters say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace and were gathering for the demonstration dubbed "Welcome to Hell" by the anti-capitalist groups behind it. The "Welcome to Hell" march has been called off but thousands of people remained on the streets as night fell intending to march, AFP reported. German riot police use water cannons against protesters during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg. (Reuters) × THe fire brigade put out a car set alight during the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP) × A man bleeds during the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP) × German police expect around 100,000 protesters in Hamburg from around Europe, about 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence, Reuters reported. The demonstrations have tarnished the outset of the meeting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees as crucial in seeking policy consensus ahead of the election in September.

Police clash with G20 protesters in Hamburg  as world leaders arrive

In his first address after estimates indicated his victory in the French presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU and centrist Emmanuel Macron said&nbsp;he would &quot;fight the divisions&quot; in the country.

39-year-old Macron&nbsp;stormed to victory, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote.

&quot;I have heard the anger, anxiety and doubts that a large number of you expressed,&quot; &nbsp;Macron said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&quot;I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us,&quot; he added.

Set to be&nbsp;France&#39;s youngest-ever president, the former economy minister vowed to work to &quot;rebuild the link between Europe and its citizens.&quot;

&quot;A new page in our long history is opening this evening,&quot; the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one &quot;of hope and confidence regained&quot;.

&quot;France will be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism,&quot; he said.

Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world.&nbsp;

&quot;I called Emmanuel Macron this evening to warmly congratulate him on his election to the presidency,&quot; outgoing French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a statement.

US president Donald Trump took to Twitter saying he is looking forward to working with Macron.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/861300169438113793">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

British Prime Minister Theresa May said she looked forward to working with him on &quot;a wide range of shared priorities&quot;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I warmly congratulate <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron">@EmmanuelMacron</a> on his success and look forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities.
&mdash; Theresa May (@theresa_may) <a href="https://twitter.com/theresa_may/status/861301370367987713">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman said Macron&#39;s victory &quot;is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship.&quot;

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that France chose a &quot;European future&quot;.

European Union &nbsp;Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations and said that the French had chosen &quot;liberty, equality and fraternity&quot; and &quot;said no to the tyranny of fake news&quot;.&nbsp;

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a &quot;stable&quot; and &quot;more integrated Europe&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe,&quot; Rajoy said in a tweet.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'A new page in our long history is opening this evening,' the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one 'of hope and confidence regained'

In his first address after estimates indicated his victory in the French presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU and centrist Emmanuel Macron said he would "fight the divisions" in the country. 39-year-old Macron stormed to victory, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote. "I have heard the anger, anxiety and doubts that a large number of you expressed," Macron said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris, AFP reported. "I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us," he added. Set to be France's youngest-ever president, the former economy minister vowed to work to "rebuild the link between Europe and its citizens." "A new page in our long history is opening this evening," the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one "of hope and confidence regained". "France will be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism," he said. Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world. "I called Emmanuel Macron this evening to warmly congratulate him on his election to the presidency," outgoing French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a statement. US president Donald Trump took to Twitter saying he is looking forward to working with Macron. Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017 × British Prime Minister Theresa May said she looked forward to working with him on "a wide range of shared priorities". I warmly congratulate @EmmanuelMacron on his success and look forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities. — Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 7, 2017 × German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said Macron's victory "is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that France chose a "European future". European Union Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations and said that the French had chosen "liberty, equality and fraternity" and "said no to the tyranny of fake news". Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a "stable" and "more integrated Europe". "Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe," Rajoy said in a tweet. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Macron vows to 'fight the divisions' in France

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday backed an official check into reported brutal attacks on gay men in Chechnya in his first public comment after German Chancellor Angela Merkel confronted him on the issue.

Putin said he would personally &quot;talk to the prosecutor-general and the interior minister&quot; to ask them to help Kremlin rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova check the reports which have caused an international scandal.

&quot;I hope the colleagues respond and support you,&quot; Putin told Moskalkova, whose role is to investigate rights abuses but is widely seen as a loyalist establishment figure.

At a joint press conference with Putin on Tuesday in Moscow, Merkel raised the &quot;very negative reports&quot; and said she had asked Putin to &quot;use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities.&quot;&nbsp;

While speaking to the Kremlin ombudswoman in televised comments, Putin referred to the reports as &quot;rumours, you could say, about what is happening in our North Caucasus with people of non-traditional orientation,&quot; using a euphemism meaning gay.

In March, the Novaya Gazeta opposition daily reported that Chechen authorities were imprisoning and torturing gay men in the conservative region where homosexuality is taboo.

It said the authorities had detained more than 100 gay men and urged their families to kill them to &quot;wash clean their honour.&quot; At least two had been killed by relatives and a third died after being tortured, it reported.

A group of Chechen men in a safe house near Moscow later confirmed to AFP that they had fled the region in fear of their lives after being beaten and imprisoned.

Chechnya&#39;s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region.

The muscle-bound former insurgent turned Kremlin-loyalist responded to Putin&#39;s comments on Friday by telling journalists his authorities were &quot;ready to closely cooperate&quot; with Moskalkova, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

But he claimed that majority-Muslim Chechnya does not have any gay people and suggested some gay people may be pretending to be Chechen to get asylum in the West.

&quot;Chechen society does not have the phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation: its people have lived for thousands of years according to different rules laid down by Allah,&quot; Kadyrov said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially downplayed the reports, saying there had been &quot;no confirmation&quot; of violence and arrests.

After a delay, Russian investigators have said they are probing the allegations.&nbsp;

Moskalkova said last month there had been no official complaints from victims.&nbsp;

But on Friday she said that there needed to be a mechanism for victims to report abuse when they are outside Chechnya and asked Putin to help create a working group to receive such complaints. She stressed that victims&#39; anonymity will be protected.

This week, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden wrote to their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to press for an immediate end to any persecution of gay men in Chechnya.

(AFP)

In March, the Novaya Gazeta opposition daily reported that Chechen authorities were imprisoning and torturing gay men in the conservative region where homosexuality is taboo.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday backed an official check into reported brutal attacks on gay men in Chechnya in his first public comment after German Chancellor Angela Merkel confronted him on the issue. Putin said he would personally "talk to the prosecutor-general and the interior minister" to ask them to help Kremlin rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova check the reports which have caused an international scandal. "I hope the colleagues respond and support you," Putin told Moskalkova, whose role is to investigate rights abuses but is widely seen as a loyalist establishment figure. At a joint press conference with Putin on Tuesday in Moscow, Merkel raised the "very negative reports" and said she had asked Putin to "use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities." While speaking to the Kremlin ombudswoman in televised comments, Putin referred to the reports as "rumours, you could say, about what is happening in our North Caucasus with people of non-traditional orientation," using a euphemism meaning gay. In March, the Novaya Gazeta opposition daily reported that Chechen authorities were imprisoning and torturing gay men in the conservative region where homosexuality is taboo. It said the authorities had detained more than 100 gay men and urged their families to kill them to "wash clean their honour." At least two had been killed by relatives and a third died after being tortured, it reported. A group of Chechen men in a safe house near Moscow later confirmed to AFP that they had fled the region in fear of their lives after being beaten and imprisoned. Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region. The muscle-bound former insurgent turned Kremlin-loyalist responded to Putin's comments on Friday by telling journalists his authorities were "ready to closely cooperate" with Moskalkova, RIA Novosti news agency reported. But he claimed that majority-Muslim Chechnya does not have any gay people and suggested some gay people may be pretending to be Chechen to get asylum in the West. "Chechen society does not have the phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation: its people have lived for thousands of years according to different rules laid down by Allah," Kadyrov said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially downplayed the reports, saying there had been "no confirmation" of violence and arrests. After a delay, Russian investigators have said they are probing the allegations. Moskalkova said last month there had been no official complaints from victims. But on Friday she said that there needed to be a mechanism for victims to report abuse when they are outside Chechnya and asked Putin to help create a working group to receive such complaints. She stressed that victims' anonymity will be protected. This week, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden wrote to their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to press for an immediate end to any persecution of gay men in Chechnya. (AFP)

After Merkel plea, Putin backs probe into Chechen gay attacks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin insisted Tuesday that there was no alternative to a stalled Ukraine peace plan as they struggled to mask deep rifts during a first meeting in Russia since 2015.

Merkel pushed Putin at a frosty encounter to ensure a ceasefire in war-torn east Ukraine, but the Russian leader laid the blame on Kiev for a European-brokered peace deal hitting a dead end.&nbsp;

The rare visit also saw the German chancellor confront Putin over rights issues in Russia, including the alleged persecution of gay men in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya.&nbsp;

&quot;I think we have differences but international politics means to always keep looking for dialogue,&quot; Merkel said at a press conference in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.&nbsp;

The meeting was meant to focus on preparations for the G20 summit in Hamburg in July, and no major breakthroughs were expected on mending the deep divisions caused by the conflict in Ukraine.&nbsp;

The German leader has strongly backed EU sanctions on Russia for seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and for supporting a pro-Kremlin separatist insurgency in the east of the country.

Merkel said she hoped some of the sanctions could be lifted if a flatlining peace plan brokered by her and French President Francois Hollande in 2015 was fulfilled.

And both leaders admitted there was no choice but to stick to the process despite its running into a brick wall amid recriminations from all sides.&nbsp;

&quot;We cannot think about any alternative and we should not have to think of it,&quot; Putin said at a press conference.&nbsp;

&quot;It is impossible to create new plans without achieving elementary results for what we outlined in previous years.&quot;

Gay rights

Merkel last visited Russia in May 2015 when she met Putin in Moscow, and the two leaders have scaled back contacts as the Ukraine crisis has driven ties to a post-Cold War low.&nbsp;

Putin talked up economic ties between the two countries, insisting that &quot;our cooperation makes a significant contribution to stabilising the world economy.&quot;

But it was clear that despite pledges to talk there remain deep gulfs between the German leader -- seen as a major bulwark of the Western liberal order -- and the Kremlin strongman, who many accuse of trying to undermine it.&nbsp;

At the press conference Merkel said she raised recent high-profile accusations of rights abuses in Russia, including allegations the authorities in Chechnya were rounding up gay men.&nbsp;

&quot;We received very negative reports about how homosexuals are treated in Chechnya,&quot; Merkel said. &quot;I asked President Putin to use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities.&quot;

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Putin-loyalist and strongman leader of Chechnya, has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region, and after a delay Russian investigators said they are probing the allegations.&nbsp;

Putin was also forced to deny that Russia was planning to meddle in German elections that Merkel is competing in later in the year after claims that Moscow interfered with the US presidential vote.&nbsp;

&quot;We never interfered in the political life or the political processes of any other country,&quot; Putin said.&nbsp;

Trump talk, Erdogan meeting

The meeting with Merkel comes ahead of a busy diplomatic push for Putin.

After meeting Merkel, he was expected later Tuesday to hold his third phone call with US President Donald Trump.

The two leaders are looking to make headway on ties in the face of deep rifts over the conflict in Syria and after claims of Russian hacking during the US elections.&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also due to meet Putin in Sochi on Wednesday.

Putin and Erdogan have inched closer together on Syria as Erdogan&#39;s ties with Europe have deteriorated in recent months.

(AFP)

The rare visit saw the German chancellor confront Putin over the alleged persecution of gay men in Chechnya

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin insisted Tuesday that there was no alternative to a stalled Ukraine peace plan as they struggled to mask deep rifts during a first meeting in Russia since 2015. Merkel pushed Putin at a frosty encounter to ensure a ceasefire in war-torn east Ukraine, but the Russian leader laid the blame on Kiev for a European-brokered peace deal hitting a dead end. The rare visit also saw the German chancellor confront Putin over rights issues in Russia, including the alleged persecution of gay men in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya. "I think we have differences but international politics means to always keep looking for dialogue," Merkel said at a press conference in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. The meeting was meant to focus on preparations for the G20 summit in Hamburg in July, and no major breakthroughs were expected on mending the deep divisions caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The German leader has strongly backed EU sanctions on Russia for seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and for supporting a pro-Kremlin separatist insurgency in the east of the country. Merkel said she hoped some of the sanctions could be lifted if a flatlining peace plan brokered by her and French President Francois Hollande in 2015 was fulfilled. And both leaders admitted there was no choice but to stick to the process despite its running into a brick wall amid recriminations from all sides. "We cannot think about any alternative and we should not have to think of it," Putin said at a press conference. "It is impossible to create new plans without achieving elementary results for what we outlined in previous years." Gay rights Merkel last visited Russia in May 2015 when she met Putin in Moscow, and the two leaders have scaled back contacts as the Ukraine crisis has driven ties to a post-Cold War low. Putin talked up economic ties between the two countries, insisting that "our cooperation makes a significant contribution to stabilising the world economy." But it was clear that despite pledges to talk there remain deep gulfs between the German leader -- seen as a major bulwark of the Western liberal order -- and the Kremlin strongman, who many accuse of trying to undermine it. At the press conference Merkel said she raised recent high-profile accusations of rights abuses in Russia, including allegations the authorities in Chechnya were rounding up gay men. "We received very negative reports about how homosexuals are treated in Chechnya," Merkel said. "I asked President Putin to use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities." Ramzan Kadyrov, the Putin-loyalist and strongman leader of Chechnya, has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region, and after a delay Russian investigators said they are probing the allegations. Putin was also forced to deny that Russia was planning to meddle in German elections that Merkel is competing in later in the year after claims that Moscow interfered with the US presidential vote. "We never interfered in the political life or the political processes of any other country," Putin said. Trump talk, Erdogan meeting The meeting with Merkel comes ahead of a busy diplomatic push for Putin. After meeting Merkel, he was expected later Tuesday to hold his third phone call with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders are looking to make headway on ties in the face of deep rifts over the conflict in Syria and after claims of Russian hacking during the US elections. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also due to meet Putin in Sochi on Wednesday. Putin and Erdogan have inched closer together on Syria as Erdogan's ties with Europe have deteriorated in recent months. (AFP)

Merkel pushes Putin on Ukraine, gay rights

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany has dropped steeply, figures showed on Monday, a sign that a deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants is working.

The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of national elections in September and fuelled the rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

But the AfD has seen its support plunge in polls since the sharp slowdown in the flow of migrants after the deal between the EU and Ankara was reached a year ago.

Around 47,300 people arrived in Germany between January and March, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while 60,000 applied for asylum in that period, down two-thirds from the same period a year ago, the interior ministry said.

The German office for migration and refugees ruled on 222,395 asylum applications from January to March. About half the individuals were allowed to stay in Germany for the time being, but only a fifth were granted full refugee status.

Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog.

At the end of March, there were still around 278,000 outstanding applications to process, the ministry said.

A failed asylum-seeker from Tunisia killed 12 people in December by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, fuelling accusations by Merkel&#39;s opponents that mass immigration is making Germany more vulnerable to Islamist attacks.

(Reuters)

The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Angela Merkel ahead of polls

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany has dropped steeply, figures showed on Monday, a sign that a deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants is working. The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of national elections in September and fuelled the rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. But the AfD has seen its support plunge in polls since the sharp slowdown in the flow of migrants after the deal between the EU and Ankara was reached a year ago. Around 47,300 people arrived in Germany between January and March, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while 60,000 applied for asylum in that period, down two-thirds from the same period a year ago, the interior ministry said. The German office for migration and refugees ruled on 222,395 asylum applications from January to March. About half the individuals were allowed to stay in Germany for the time being, but only a fifth were granted full refugee status. Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog. At the end of March, there were still around 278,000 outstanding applications to process, the ministry said. A failed asylum-seeker from Tunisia killed 12 people in December by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, fuelling accusations by Merkel's opponents that mass immigration is making Germany more vulnerable to Islamist attacks. (Reuters)

Migrant arrival in Germany drops in 2017

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO on Friday and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO&#39;s military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.

The meeting between the leader of Europe&#39;s largest economy and the US president was billed as one that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape their working relationship.

&quot;I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence,&quot; Trump said at a joint news conference with Merkel.

Merkel said she told Trump Germany needs to meet NATO spending goals. The two also discussed Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Trump said he expected the United States to do &quot;fantastically well&quot; in trade with Germany, while Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer.

&quot;We held a conversation where we were trying to address also those areas where we disagree, but we tried to bring people together ... (and) tried to find a compromise that is good for both sides,&quot; Merkel said.

Trump said he &quot;very seldom&quot; regrets anything he tweets, brushing off questions about his claims without evidence that his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, wiretapped him during last year`s presidential campaign.

Trump said, &quot;At least we have something in common,&quot; apparently referring to reports during Obama`s presidency that the United States bugged her phone. Congressional leaders from both political parties say they do not believe Trump was wiretapped.

Earlier, the new US president greeted the long-serving stateswoman at the White House with a handshake before they began talks in the Oval Office. Both leaders described their meeting in brief remarks to reporters as having been very good.&nbsp; 
The meeting is consequential for both sides.&nbsp;

As a presidential candidate, Trump criticized Merkel for allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany. At the news conference, Merkel hinted at differences, saying: &quot;This is obviously something we had an exchange of views about.&quot;

Relationship building is a less overt but important agenda item. Merkel had close relations with Trump&#39;s Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and she is likely to seek a strong working relationship with Trump despite major policy differences and wariness in Germany about the former New York businessman.

&quot;Those who know the chancellor know that she has a knack for winning over people in personal discussions. I am sure that Donald Trump will not be immune,&quot; said Juergen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker who helps coordinate transatlantic relations for the German government.

(Reuters)

The meeting between Trump and Merkel is seen as important in determining the future of the transatlantic alliance

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO on Friday and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO's military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. The meeting between the leader of Europe's largest economy and the US president was billed as one that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape their working relationship. "I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence," Trump said at a joint news conference with Merkel. Merkel said she told Trump Germany needs to meet NATO spending goals. The two also discussed Ukraine and Afghanistan. Trump said he expected the United States to do "fantastically well" in trade with Germany, while Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer. "We held a conversation where we were trying to address also those areas where we disagree, but we tried to bring people together ... (and) tried to find a compromise that is good for both sides," Merkel said. Trump said he "very seldom" regrets anything he tweets, brushing off questions about his claims without evidence that his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, wiretapped him during last year`s presidential campaign. Trump said, "At least we have something in common," apparently referring to reports during Obama`s presidency that the United States bugged her phone. Congressional leaders from both political parties say they do not believe Trump was wiretapped. Earlier, the new US president greeted the long-serving stateswoman at the White House with a handshake before they began talks in the Oval Office. Both leaders described their meeting in brief remarks to reporters as having been very good. The meeting is consequential for both sides. As a presidential candidate, Trump criticized Merkel for allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany. At the news conference, Merkel hinted at differences, saying: "This is obviously something we had an exchange of views about." Relationship building is a less overt but important agenda item. Merkel had close relations with Trump's Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and she is likely to seek a strong working relationship with Trump despite major policy differences and wariness in Germany about the former New York businessman. "Those who know the chancellor know that she has a knack for winning over people in personal discussions. I am sure that Donald Trump will not be immune," said Juergen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker who helps coordinate transatlantic relations for the German government. (Reuters)

US President Trump demands NATO dues in first meeting with Germany's Merkel

Large swaths of the US East Coast declared a state of emergency, cancelled flights and shut&nbsp;schools&nbsp;as&nbsp;millions&nbsp;braced for potentially the worst winter storm of the season with up to two feet of snow forecast to fall.

Winter Storm Stella is expected to begin overnight with accumulation becoming&nbsp;most&nbsp;intense Tuesday morning,&nbsp;combined with winds of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) to cause treacherous whiteout conditions.

The alarming forecast forced the postponement of the first meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington from Tuesday until Friday.

New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency.

The National Weather Service issued a 24-hour blizzard warning from midnight Monday (0400 GMT Tuesday) for New York, America&#39;s financial capital and largest city, stretching north into Connecticut and south into New Jersey.

Additional winter storm warnings were posted from southern Maine to Virginia, south of Washington, where the National Park Service warned that the blustery weather could wipe out up to 90 per cent of the city&#39;s famed cherry blossoms.

In New York, UN headquarters will close and Wall Street largely expected to work from home with low trade volume anticipated, if also due to Wednesday&#39;s decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates.

More than 6,500 US flights were cancelled for Monday and Tuesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hardest hit, according to the tracking service FlightAware.

Schools will close Tuesday in New York, Providence, Rhode Island and in towns across Connecticut and Massachusetts. In New York City, home to 8.4 million people, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency from midnight.

Blizzard conditions&nbsp; 
 
Non-essential state workers were told to stay home. In Connecticut, the governor announced a statewide travel ban from 5 am as Americans across the heavily populated northeast were advised to stay off the roads.

Trump, facing the first major weather event of his presidency after a mild winter, said Monday he had spoken to Homeland Security and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to provide assistance if necessary.

&quot;Everybody in government is fully prepared and ready,&quot; he said. &quot;Let&#39;s hope it&#39;s not going to be as bad as some people are predicting. Usually it isn&#39;t.&quot;

But de Blasio wasn&#39;t taking any chances, with 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 centimeters) of snow forecast for New York and expected to fall as quickly as two to four inches an hour.

&quot;We&#39;re tracking a major storm with blizzard conditions,&quot; said de Blasio.&nbsp;

&quot;High end could be as much as 24 inches which would therefore put this in the category of one of the biggest snowstorms in recent memory,&quot; he said.

New York last year experienced the biggest snowstorm in the city&#39;s history with a record 27.3 inches falling in Central Park in 24 hours. Winter Storm Jonas paralysed parts of the Northeast and left 18 people dead.

This week&#39;s Winter Storm Stella formed near the coast, the collision of two low pressure systems expected to dump snow on a wide area home to tens of millions of Americans from the central Appalachian Mountains to New England.

Worst of season 
 
The heaviest snow is expected to wallop New York, parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

&quot;We&#39;re expecting it to be the worst snow of the season,&quot; National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Di Spigna told AFP, following winter temperatures &quot;well above normal&quot; this year.

The National Weather Service cautioned that the storm could bring record-low temperatures, as well as &quot;difficult travel and power outages.&quot;&nbsp;

Temperatures on Monday were already icy, with afternoon highs hovering around the freezing point.

Around 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States have been cancelled for Tuesday, mostly along the East Coast, according to FlightAware.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo instructed residents to have seven to 10 days&#39; supply of food and an emergency supply of bottled water.

In New York, the subway will be suspended above ground at 4am (0800 GMT) and express subway service will end at midnight, with bus and commuter rail services into Long Island and north of the city also likely to be suspended.

In Washington, the Metro is planning to operate on a Saturday schedule and Metrobus will start the day on a &quot;severe&quot; modified schedule. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

A 24-hour blizzard warning has been issued for New York, stretching north into Connecticut and south into New Jersey

Large swaths of the US East Coast declared a state of emergency, cancelled flights and shut schools as millions braced for potentially the worst winter storm of the season with up to two feet of snow forecast to fall. Winter Storm Stella is expected to begin overnight with accumulation becoming most intense Tuesday morning, combined with winds of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) to cause treacherous whiteout conditions. The alarming forecast forced the postponement of the first meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington from Tuesday until Friday. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency. The National Weather Service issued a 24-hour blizzard warning from midnight Monday (0400 GMT Tuesday) for New York, America's financial capital and largest city, stretching north into Connecticut and south into New Jersey. Additional winter storm warnings were posted from southern Maine to Virginia, south of Washington, where the National Park Service warned that the blustery weather could wipe out up to 90 per cent of the city's famed cherry blossoms. In New York, UN headquarters will close and Wall Street largely expected to work from home with low trade volume anticipated, if also due to Wednesday's decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates. More than 6,500 US flights were cancelled for Monday and Tuesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hardest hit, according to the tracking service FlightAware. Schools will close Tuesday in New York, Providence, Rhode Island and in towns across Connecticut and Massachusetts. In New York City, home to 8.4 million people, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency from midnight. Blizzard conditions Non-essential state workers were told to stay home. In Connecticut, the governor announced a statewide travel ban from 5 am as Americans across the heavily populated northeast were advised to stay off the roads. Trump, facing the first major weather event of his presidency after a mild winter, said Monday he had spoken to Homeland Security and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to provide assistance if necessary. "Everybody in government is fully prepared and ready," he said. "Let's hope it's not going to be as bad as some people are predicting. Usually it isn't." But de Blasio wasn't taking any chances, with 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 centimeters) of snow forecast for New York and expected to fall as quickly as two to four inches an hour. "We're tracking a major storm with blizzard conditions," said de Blasio. "High end could be as much as 24 inches which would therefore put this in the category of one of the biggest snowstorms in recent memory," he said. New York last year experienced the biggest snowstorm in the city's history with a record 27.3 inches falling in Central Park in 24 hours. Winter Storm Jonas paralysed parts of the Northeast and left 18 people dead. This week's Winter Storm Stella formed near the coast, the collision of two low pressure systems expected to dump snow on a wide area home to tens of millions of Americans from the central Appalachian Mountains to New England. Worst of season The heaviest snow is expected to wallop New York, parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont. "We're expecting it to be the worst snow of the season," National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Di Spigna told AFP, following winter temperatures "well above normal" this year. The National Weather Service cautioned that the storm could bring record-low temperatures, as well as "difficult travel and power outages." Temperatures on Monday were already icy, with afternoon highs hovering around the freezing point. Around 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States have been cancelled for Tuesday, mostly along the East Coast, according to FlightAware. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo instructed residents to have seven to 10 days' supply of food and an emergency supply of bottled water. In New York, the subway will be suspended above ground at 4am (0800 GMT) and express subway service will end at midnight, with bus and commuter rail services into Long Island and north of the city also likely to be suspended. In Washington, the Metro is planning to operate on a Saturday schedule and Metrobus will start the day on a "severe" modified schedule. (AFP)

Trump, Merkel meet cancelled over alarming snowstorm predictions

Turkey on Monday said it was suspending top-level ties with The Netherlands and blocking the return of its ambassador in a spiralling crisis over the holding of rallies abroad ahead of a crucial referendum.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of &quot;supporting terrorists,&quot; as acrimony flared between Turkey and EU states -- a standoff that risks affecting Ankara&#39;s entire relationship with Europe.

&quot;Until the Netherlands compensates for what it has done, high-level relations and planned meetings at a ministerial and higher level have been suspended,&quot; said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.

Turkey will not allow the Dutch ambassador to Ankara to return until The Netherlands meets Turkey&#39;s conditions over holding rallies, he added. Diplomatic flights would also be suspended.

Ambassador Kees Cornelis van Rij is currently outside of the country, and business is being handled by Dutch &nbsp;charge d&#39;affaires.

Both Germany and The Netherlands have blocked Turkish ministers from staging rallies to court the vote of expatriate Turks in the April 16 referendum on giving Erdogan greater powers.

Ankara was especially angered by the acts of The Netherlands days ahead of general elections in the country. The authorities prevented the foreign minister&#39;s plane from landing and expelled the family minister over the weekend.

&nbsp;Twice over the weekend, Erdogan accused The Netherlands, a NATO ally, of acting like the Nazis.

His comments sparked outrage in a country bombed and occupied by German forces in World War II.

With the exchanges worsening Turkey&#39;s already fraught relations with the European Union, Brussels sternly warned Ankara to avoid intensifying the crisis.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn called on Turkey to &quot;refrain from excessive statements and actions that risk further exacerbating the situation.&quot;

But hours later in an interview with A-Haber television, Erdogan bluntly stated: &quot;Mrs Merkel, you are supporting terrorists.&quot;

He accused Berlin of not responding to 4,500 dossiers sent by Ankara on terror suspects, including those linked to Kurdish militants and the failed coup in Turkey last year.&nbsp;

&quot;Mrs Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country?... Why are you not doing anything?&quot;

Erdogan&#39;s comments against Germany absurd: Angela Merkel

Merkel&#39;s spokesman described the accusations as &quot;absurd&quot;, saying the chancellor had no intention of taking part in a &quot;competition of provocations&quot;.&nbsp;

Turkey&#39;s EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik also said Ankara &quot;should re-evaluate&quot; a key part of a 2016 deal to stem the flow of migrants to the EU.

He said Turkey should look at its policy on preventing migrant flows across land borders, although it would keep halting the illegal and dangerous sea crossings as a matter of human responsibility, state media said.

Dutch authorities at the weekend prevented the plane of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from landing and blocked Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya from holding a rally in Rotterdam.

The ministers had been seeking to harness the support of an estimated 400,000 people of Turkish origin living in the country ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes.

Bringing out the millions-strong expatriate vote could be key in a referendum that could be a turning point in Turkey&#39;s modern history.

Erdogan said the ministers would make the &quot;necessary applications&quot; to the European Court of Human Rights over their treatment.

Meanwhile Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is under pressure to take a hard line against Erdogan as he faces the far-right populist Geert Wilders in general elections on Wednesday.

Netherlands, Germany issue travel advisories for Turkey

The Netherlands also issued a new travel warning to Dutch citizens, urging them to stay &quot;alert across the whole of Turkey&quot;. And Germany warned its citizens to take note of &quot;increased political tensions and protests that could be directed against Germany&quot;.

Turkey had already responded furiously to fellow NATO ally Germany&#39;s refusal to give permission for ministers to hold rallies there, with Erdogan comparing such action to &quot;Nazi practices&quot;.

After Erdogan used the same language to scold the Netherlands, Merkel said on Monday that the comparison was &quot;completely wrong&quot; and &quot;banalises suffering&quot;.

&#39;Lifeline for Erdogan&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The issue risks spiralling into a crisis with the EU as a whole, which Turkey has sought to join for more than half a century.

Erdogan, who has indicated he may personally travel to EU states to address rallies said Sunday that the West was showing its &quot;true face&quot; in the standoff.

The immediate effect of the row, however, may aid Erdogan, Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Programme at The Washington Institute, told AFP.

&quot;By blocking (the rallies), they may have given Erdogan a lifeline to eke out a victory in the referendum,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Turkey says it will not allow the Dutch ambassador to Ankara to return until The Netherlands meets its conditions over holding rallies

Turkey on Monday said it was suspending top-level ties with The Netherlands and blocking the return of its ambassador in a spiralling crisis over the holding of rallies abroad ahead of a crucial referendum. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of "supporting terrorists," as acrimony flared between Turkey and EU states -- a standoff that risks affecting Ankara's entire relationship with Europe. "Until the Netherlands compensates for what it has done, high-level relations and planned meetings at a ministerial and higher level have been suspended," said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus after a cabinet meeting in Ankara. Turkey will not allow the Dutch ambassador to Ankara to return until The Netherlands meets Turkey's conditions over holding rallies, he added. Diplomatic flights would also be suspended. Ambassador Kees Cornelis van Rij is currently outside of the country, and business is being handled by Dutch charge d'affaires. Both Germany and The Netherlands have blocked Turkish ministers from staging rallies to court the vote of expatriate Turks in the April 16 referendum on giving Erdogan greater powers. Ankara was especially angered by the acts of The Netherlands days ahead of general elections in the country. The authorities prevented the foreign minister's plane from landing and expelled the family minister over the weekend. Twice over the weekend, Erdogan accused The Netherlands, a NATO ally, of acting like the Nazis. His comments sparked outrage in a country bombed and occupied by German forces in World War II. With the exchanges worsening Turkey's already fraught relations with the European Union, Brussels sternly warned Ankara to avoid intensifying the crisis. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn called on Turkey to "refrain from excessive statements and actions that risk further exacerbating the situation." But hours later in an interview with A-Haber television, Erdogan bluntly stated: "Mrs Merkel, you are supporting terrorists." He accused Berlin of not responding to 4,500 dossiers sent by Ankara on terror suspects, including those linked to Kurdish militants and the failed coup in Turkey last year. "Mrs Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country?... Why are you not doing anything?" Erdogan's comments against Germany absurd: Angela Merkel Merkel's spokesman described the accusations as "absurd", saying the chancellor had no intention of taking part in a "competition of provocations". Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik also said Ankara "should re-evaluate" a key part of a 2016 deal to stem the flow of migrants to the EU. He said Turkey should look at its policy on preventing migrant flows across land borders, although it would keep halting the illegal and dangerous sea crossings as a matter of human responsibility, state media said. Dutch authorities at the weekend prevented the plane of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from landing and blocked Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya from holding a rally in Rotterdam. The ministers had been seeking to harness the support of an estimated 400,000 people of Turkish origin living in the country ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes. Bringing out the millions-strong expatriate vote could be key in a referendum that could be a turning point in Turkey's modern history. Erdogan said the ministers would make the "necessary applications" to the European Court of Human Rights over their treatment. Meanwhile Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is under pressure to take a hard line against Erdogan as he faces the far-right populist Geert Wilders in general elections on Wednesday. Netherlands, Germany issue travel advisories for Turkey The Netherlands also issued a new travel warning to Dutch citizens, urging them to stay "alert across the whole of Turkey". And Germany warned its citizens to take note of "increased political tensions and protests that could be directed against Germany". Turkey had already responded furiously to fellow NATO ally Germany's refusal to give permission for ministers to hold rallies there, with Erdogan comparing such action to "Nazi practices". After Erdogan used the same language to scold the Netherlands, Merkel said on Monday that the comparison was "completely wrong" and "banalises suffering". 'Lifeline for Erdogan' The issue risks spiralling into a crisis with the EU as a whole, which Turkey has sought to join for more than half a century. Erdogan, who has indicated he may personally travel to EU states to address rallies said Sunday that the West was showing its "true face" in the standoff. The immediate effect of the row, however, may aid Erdogan, Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Programme at The Washington Institute, told AFP. "By blocking (the rallies), they may have given Erdogan a lifeline to eke out a victory in the referendum," he said. (AFP)

Turkey suspends top-level ties with Netherlands as row worsens

The southern German state of Bavaria has decided to ban full-face veils in public places like schools, universities, government workplaces and polling stations.

The regional government drafted a law to ban the full-face veil for civil servants, and in public places where there are concerns for public safety.&nbsp;

&quot;Communication happens not only via language but also via looks, facial expressions and gestures,&quot; Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said.

&quot;It&#39;s the foundation of our interactions with each other and it&#39;s the basis of our free and democratic order. Concealing your face is at odds with this culture of communication,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD)</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD)" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

He expects the regional parliament of Bavaria to approve&nbsp;the law.&nbsp;

Elections are due in Germany in seven months and immigration is expected to dominate campaigning.

The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In December, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a ban on full-face Muslim veils &quot;wherever legally possible&quot;, after she suffered electoral setbacks in regional elections where the AfD managed to get a significant vote share.&nbsp;

France and Belgium have already banned burqas.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

'Communication happens not only via language but also via looks, facial expressions and gestures,' the Bavarian interior minister said

The southern German state of Bavaria has decided to ban full-face veils in public places like schools, universities, government workplaces and polling stations. The regional government drafted a law to ban the full-face veil for civil servants, and in public places where there are concerns for public safety. "Communication happens not only via language but also via looks, facial expressions and gestures," Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said. "It's the foundation of our interactions with each other and it's the basis of our free and democratic order. Concealing your face is at odds with this culture of communication," he added. The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) × He expects the regional parliament of Bavaria to approve the law. Elections are due in Germany in seven months and immigration is expected to dominate campaigning. The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). In December, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a ban on full-face Muslim veils "wherever legally possible", after she suffered electoral setbacks in regional elections where the AfD managed to get a significant vote share. France and Belgium have already banned burqas. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Bavaria drafts law to ban full-face veil months before German elections

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ensure full freedom of expression in Turkey, ahead of a crucial referendum on constitutional change.

Making her first visit to Turkey since July`s failed coup, Merkel held tense talks with Erdogan seeking to repair a key relationship battered by a series of crises over the last months.

But as Turkey prepares for an expected April referendum on constitutional changes that opponents fear will grant Erdogan one-man rule, the splits on key issues between the two NATO allies were still wide.

&quot;I emphasised from my side that in this far-reaching change the separation of powers and freedom of expression must be ensured,&quot; Merkel said after talks with Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara.

Merkel added she had also passed on concerns over press freedom and the accreditation of German journalists in Turkey, many of whom have not received approval to work in 2017.

According to the P24 press monitoring group, 94 Turkish journalists are being held behind bars within the state of emergency declared after the coup.

But Turkish presidential sources said after the meeting that on the subject of press freedoms &quot;German authorities sometimes make statements based on wrong, incomplete or biased information&quot;.

Merkel added that the referendum on constitutional change could be monitored by a delegation from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) &quot;so that what the people want is guaranteed&quot;.

But Erdogan immediately countered it was false to maintain there would be any end to the separation of powers under the new system.

&quot;The legislative is still there. So is the executive and the judiciary. Their dissolution... is out of the question,&quot; said the Turkish president.

Further tension came when Merkel spoke of the need to fight &quot;Islamist terrorism&quot;, with Erdogan bridling at the expression which he said upset Muslims and was not correct as Islam is a religion of peace.

&quot;Please let`s not use it. As long as it is used we need to stand against it,&quot; said Erdogan, looking directly at Merkel.

Berlin has repeatedly expressed unease over the extent of the post-coup crackdown that has seen some 43,000 people arrested, under a state of emergency that has now lasted over half a year.

Erdogan, meanwhile, is exasperated that Germany has not responded to requests for the extradition of hundreds of suspects linked to the coup, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) and the ultra-left.

Last week it was reported that 40 Turkish soldiers stationed at NATO bases had asked Berlin for asylum, with Turkey pressing for the bids to be rejected.

Merkel emphasised that Germany was Turkey`s partner in the fight against terror but could only act against suspects &quot;when we have evidence and it is examined by the courts&quot;.

After his talks with Merkel, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Ankara wanted to see &quot;more support from Germany&quot; in extraditing alleged PKK militants and supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara blames for the coup bid.&nbsp;

Merkel also wants Turkey to keep implementing a deal that has so far successfully reduced migrant flows to Europe, despite threats by Erdogan to walk away from it due to a failure to fulfil a pledge to grant Turks visa-free travel.

&quot;The refugee issue is very important for Turkey and also the EU and Germany,&quot; she said, adding the deal was in their &quot;mutual interest&quot;.

Opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu had expressed unease at the visit, fearing that Merkel`s presence could buttress Erdogan ahead of the referendum.

But Merkel was also to meet Kilicdaroglu and figures from the pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP) whose co-leaders are under arrest.

Merkel said after meeting Erdogan: &quot;Opposition belongs to a democratic state.&quot;&nbsp;

Opposition figures in Germany have also suggested Merkel should not be meeting Erdogan as he is presiding over the crackdown. Turkey policy is set to be a key issue when Merkel faces re-election in September.

Germany is home to some three million people of Turkish origin, the biggest population of Turks in the world outside Turkey.

(AFP)

Merkel held tense talks with Erdogan seeking to repair a key relationship battered by a series of crises over the last months

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ensure full freedom of expression in Turkey, ahead of a crucial referendum on constitutional change. Making her first visit to Turkey since July`s failed coup, Merkel held tense talks with Erdogan seeking to repair a key relationship battered by a series of crises over the last months. But as Turkey prepares for an expected April referendum on constitutional changes that opponents fear will grant Erdogan one-man rule, the splits on key issues between the two NATO allies were still wide. "I emphasised from my side that in this far-reaching change the separation of powers and freedom of expression must be ensured," Merkel said after talks with Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara. Merkel added she had also passed on concerns over press freedom and the accreditation of German journalists in Turkey, many of whom have not received approval to work in 2017. According to the P24 press monitoring group, 94 Turkish journalists are being held behind bars within the state of emergency declared after the coup. But Turkish presidential sources said after the meeting that on the subject of press freedoms "German authorities sometimes make statements based on wrong, incomplete or biased information". Merkel added that the referendum on constitutional change could be monitored by a delegation from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) "so that what the people want is guaranteed". But Erdogan immediately countered it was false to maintain there would be any end to the separation of powers under the new system. "The legislative is still there. So is the executive and the judiciary. Their dissolution... is out of the question," said the Turkish president. Further tension came when Merkel spoke of the need to fight "Islamist terrorism", with Erdogan bridling at the expression which he said upset Muslims and was not correct as Islam is a religion of peace. "Please let`s not use it. As long as it is used we need to stand against it," said Erdogan, looking directly at Merkel. Berlin has repeatedly expressed unease over the extent of the post-coup crackdown that has seen some 43,000 people arrested, under a state of emergency that has now lasted over half a year. Erdogan, meanwhile, is exasperated that Germany has not responded to requests for the extradition of hundreds of suspects linked to the coup, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) and the ultra-left. Last week it was reported that 40 Turkish soldiers stationed at NATO bases had asked Berlin for asylum, with Turkey pressing for the bids to be rejected. Merkel emphasised that Germany was Turkey`s partner in the fight against terror but could only act against suspects "when we have evidence and it is examined by the courts". After his talks with Merkel, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Ankara wanted to see "more support from Germany" in extraditing alleged PKK militants and supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara blames for the coup bid. Merkel also wants Turkey to keep implementing a deal that has so far successfully reduced migrant flows to Europe, despite threats by Erdogan to walk away from it due to a failure to fulfil a pledge to grant Turks visa-free travel. "The refugee issue is very important for Turkey and also the EU and Germany," she said, adding the deal was in their "mutual interest". Opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu had expressed unease at the visit, fearing that Merkel`s presence could buttress Erdogan ahead of the referendum. But Merkel was also to meet Kilicdaroglu and figures from the pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP) whose co-leaders are under arrest. Merkel said after meeting Erdogan: "Opposition belongs to a democratic state." Opposition figures in Germany have also suggested Merkel should not be meeting Erdogan as he is presiding over the crackdown. Turkey policy is set to be a key issue when Merkel faces re-election in September. Germany is home to some three million people of Turkish origin, the biggest population of Turks in the world outside Turkey. (AFP)

Germany's Angela Merkel insists on protecting freedom of expression in meeting with Turkish President Erdogan

A sudden surge in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels killed at least seven people on Monday despite a tattered truce in Ukraine&#39;s war-scarred east.

The overall death toll reported for the past two days rose to 12 after the bloodiest outburst of violence since the former Soviet republic and its foes last month agreed an &quot;indefinite&quot; ceasefire.

The fighting came as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to step up economic sanctions against Moscow, and fears grew in Kiev that US support could wane should President Donald Trump draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

But Poroshenko cut short his visit to Berlin after hearing news of the deaths, his spokesman told AFP.

&quot;Since Sunday, there have been continuing clashes and heavy attacks on our positions,&quot; Ukraine&#39;s 72nd army brigade spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told AFP.

The military in Kiev said three of its soldiers had died overnight.

An AFP reporter in the town of Avdiivka near the de facto rebel capital Donetsk saw Kiev troops capture three rebels on Monday. Two of them later died of their wounds.

The electricity has been off since Sunday and water supplies are sporadic in Avdiivka amid the shelling and gunfire.

The separatists also reported two civilians deaths from Ukrainian fire around Donetsk.

The bloodshed put at risk yet another attempt by exasperated mediators to end one of Europe&#39;s bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars.The violence coincided with Poroshenko&#39;s visit to Berlin to meet ally Merkel -- the German leader who along with French President Francois Hollande helped hammer out a 2015 peace deal in the Belarusian capital Minsk that has failed to achieve results.

&quot;We are certain that today we need decisive and united action that can motivate Russia to sit at the negotiating table and fully implement the Minsk agreements -- particularly its security component -- to stop civilians from dying,&quot; Poroshenko said in Berlin before entering the meeting.

&quot;We believe that not only should the sanctions be maintained, but they should be intensified as well,&quot; he added.

Merkel said she found the situation &quot;worrying&quot; but gave no indication on whether she intended to add to the pressure on Putin.

The east of Ukraine comprises coal mines and steel mills whose possession is coveted by both sides of the war, which broke out in April 2014.

The clashes started in the Russian-border regions of Donetsk and Lugansk after a February 2014 revolution ousted Ukraine&#39;s Moscow-backed leader and put Kiev on a pro-Western course.

The sides have since agreed to a series of temporary ceasefires and an &quot;indefinite&quot; one on December 23, but none have been respected.

The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people -- more than half of them civilians -- and plunged Moscow`s relations with the West to a post-Cold War low.

Russia denies backing the insurgents and only admits that &quot;volunteers&quot; and off duty soldiers had entered the war zone of their own free will.

(AFP)

Death toll in the violence rose to 12 even as Ukraine's President, on a visit to Germany, pressed for more sanctions against Moscow

A sudden surge in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels killed at least seven people on Monday despite a tattered truce in Ukraine's war-scarred east. The overall death toll reported for the past two days rose to 12 after the bloodiest outburst of violence since the former Soviet republic and its foes last month agreed an "indefinite" ceasefire. The fighting came as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to step up economic sanctions against Moscow, and fears grew in Kiev that US support could wane should President Donald Trump draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But Poroshenko cut short his visit to Berlin after hearing news of the deaths, his spokesman told AFP. "Since Sunday, there have been continuing clashes and heavy attacks on our positions," Ukraine's 72nd army brigade spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told AFP. The military in Kiev said three of its soldiers had died overnight. An AFP reporter in the town of Avdiivka near the de facto rebel capital Donetsk saw Kiev troops capture three rebels on Monday. Two of them later died of their wounds. The electricity has been off since Sunday and water supplies are sporadic in Avdiivka amid the shelling and gunfire. The separatists also reported two civilians deaths from Ukrainian fire around Donetsk. The bloodshed put at risk yet another attempt by exasperated mediators to end one of Europe's bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars.The violence coincided with Poroshenko's visit to Berlin to meet ally Merkel -- the German leader who along with French President Francois Hollande helped hammer out a 2015 peace deal in the Belarusian capital Minsk that has failed to achieve results. "We are certain that today we need decisive and united action that can motivate Russia to sit at the negotiating table and fully implement the Minsk agreements -- particularly its security component -- to stop civilians from dying," Poroshenko said in Berlin before entering the meeting. "We believe that not only should the sanctions be maintained, but they should be intensified as well," he added. Merkel said she found the situation "worrying" but gave no indication on whether she intended to add to the pressure on Putin. The east of Ukraine comprises coal mines and steel mills whose possession is coveted by both sides of the war, which broke out in April 2014. The clashes started in the Russian-border regions of Donetsk and Lugansk after a February 2014 revolution ousted Ukraine's Moscow-backed leader and put Kiev on a pro-Western course. The sides have since agreed to a series of temporary ceasefires and an "indefinite" one on December 23, but none have been respected. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people -- more than half of them civilians -- and plunged Moscow`s relations with the West to a post-Cold War low. Russia denies backing the insurgents and only admits that "volunteers" and off duty soldiers had entered the war zone of their own free will. (AFP)

Ukraine: Fresh violence erupts between govt forces and Russia-backed rebels as month-long truce frays

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s government on Wednesday set September 24 as the date for a general election, as she seeks a fourth term facing populist headwinds over a record migrant influx.

The decision, adopted by Merkel&#39;s right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck.

But the announcement fires the starting gun for an election campaign that Merkel has said will be her toughest yet due to opposition to her liberal asylum policy.

Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the clear frontrunner in the race and enjoys solid popularity in Europe&#39;s top economy.&nbsp;

A poll released Wednesday showed her conservative Christian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as the strongest political force in the country with 38 per cent.

It was followed in distant second by the Social Democrats (SPD), the current junior partners in Merkel&#39;s &quot;grand coalition&quot; government, which polled at 21 per cent.

The right-wing anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has railed against Merkel&#39;s decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, lost one percentage point compared to last week to reach 11 per cent.

The head of the Forsa opinion research institute which conducted the poll, Manfred Guellner, said a jihadist attack on a Berlin Christmas market last month that killed 12 people and was committed by a rejected asylum seeker had failed to boost support for the AfD.&nbsp;

&quot;Although the security debate after the Berlin terror attack is running high, the AfD is unable to capitalise on it,&quot; Guellner said in a statement.

&quot;It is actually losing support while the CDU/CSU and the SPD are stabilising.&quot;

Radical surge&nbsp;

The AfD, born as a eurosceptic party in 2013, has attempted to harness public unease with migration and asylum and, due to its relative strength, threatens to scramble the potentially complicated arithmetic of coalition building after the election.

It hopes to become the first populist party to gain seats in the Bundestag lower house of parliament in post-war Germany.

The AfD, seeking to gain momentum from a surge of European radical parties, will host a meeting of far-right leaders in the western city of Koblenz on Saturday.

Leaders expected to attend include Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France&#39;s National Front; Harald Vilimsky of Austria&#39;s nationalist FPOe party; and Dutch MP Geert Wilders of the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV).&nbsp;

The Forsa poll, conducted January 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,053 eligible voters, showed the ecologist Greens and the far-left Linke each at nine per cent and the pro-business Free Democrats at six per cent.

The Greens, who have been mentioned as potential partners in government for Merkel after the election, on Monday chose two members of their pragmatist wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin Goering-Eckardt, to lead the party into the general election.

Both have praised Merkel&#39;s stance on refugees.

However, Merkel has faced blowback from within her own conservative bloc, with the Christian Social Union in the southern state of Bavaria agitating for an upper limit on new asylum seekers &mdash;&nbsp;a bid Merkel has repeatedly rejected. &nbsp;

US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview Monday that Merkel had made a &quot;catastrophic mistake&quot; in letting migrants flood into Germany.

Yet some analysts say German uncertainty over the future of the post-war order with Trump at the helm in Washington and Britain leaving the European Union could help Merkel&#39;s campaign as voters long for stability. 
 
(AFP)

The decision, adopted by Merkel's right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government on Wednesday set September 24 as the date for a general election, as she seeks a fourth term facing populist headwinds over a record migrant influx. The decision, adopted by Merkel's right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck. But the announcement fires the starting gun for an election campaign that Merkel has said will be her toughest yet due to opposition to her liberal asylum policy. Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the clear frontrunner in the race and enjoys solid popularity in Europe's top economy. A poll released Wednesday showed her conservative Christian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as the strongest political force in the country with 38 per cent. It was followed in distant second by the Social Democrats (SPD), the current junior partners in Merkel's "grand coalition" government, which polled at 21 per cent. The right-wing anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has railed against Merkel's decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, lost one percentage point compared to last week to reach 11 per cent. The head of the Forsa opinion research institute which conducted the poll, Manfred Guellner, said a jihadist attack on a Berlin Christmas market last month that killed 12 people and was committed by a rejected asylum seeker had failed to boost support for the AfD. "Although the security debate after the Berlin terror attack is running high, the AfD is unable to capitalise on it," Guellner said in a statement. "It is actually losing support while the CDU/CSU and the SPD are stabilising." Radical surge The AfD, born as a eurosceptic party in 2013, has attempted to harness public unease with migration and asylum and, due to its relative strength, threatens to scramble the potentially complicated arithmetic of coalition building after the election. It hopes to become the first populist party to gain seats in the Bundestag lower house of parliament in post-war Germany. The AfD, seeking to gain momentum from a surge of European radical parties, will host a meeting of far-right leaders in the western city of Koblenz on Saturday. Leaders expected to attend include Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France's National Front; Harald Vilimsky of Austria's nationalist FPOe party; and Dutch MP Geert Wilders of the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV). The Forsa poll, conducted January 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,053 eligible voters, showed the ecologist Greens and the far-left Linke each at nine per cent and the pro-business Free Democrats at six per cent. The Greens, who have been mentioned as potential partners in government for Merkel after the election, on Monday chose two members of their pragmatist wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin Goering-Eckardt, to lead the party into the general election. Both have praised Merkel's stance on refugees. However, Merkel has faced blowback from within her own conservative bloc, with the Christian Social Union in the southern state of Bavaria agitating for an upper limit on new asylum seekers — a bid Merkel has repeatedly rejected. US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview Monday that Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" in letting migrants flood into Germany. Yet some analysts say German uncertainty over the future of the post-war order with Trump at the helm in Washington and Britain leaving the European Union could help Merkel's campaign as voters long for stability. (AFP)

Germany: Angela Merkel sets September 24 as date for general elections

Chancellor Angela Merkel made a &quot;catastrophic mistake&quot; in letting migrants flood into Germany, US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview on Sunday.

He blamed the refugee crisis for being the &quot;straw that broke the camel&#39;s back&quot; and triggered Britain&#39;s vote last year to leave the European Union.

&quot;I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know, taking all of the people from wherever they come from,&quot; Trump said in an interview with The Times of London and Germany&#39;s Bild, adding he had &quot;great respect&quot; for the chancellor.

Some 890,000 migrants, many of them fleeing war in Syria, entered Germany in 2015 after Merkel opened her country&#39;s doors in response to massive pressure on countries along the so-called &quot;Balkan route&quot; into western Europe.

The mass arrivals prompted an initial mass outpouring of support, but fear about the consequences has also driven anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany to between 10 and 15 per cent in polls.

One MP deserted Merkel&#39;s centre-right Christian Democratic Union this weekend over her refugee policy, as the Chancellor tees up a re-election bid later this year.

Trump said that he would start out &quot;trusting both&quot; Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;Let&#39;s see how long that lasts, may not last long at all,&quot; he went on.

While he allowed that Merkel was a &quot;fantastic leader,&quot; the Republican said that Germany had &quot;got a clear impression&quot; of the consequences of her policy from a deadly December 19 terrorist attack in Berlin in which a hijacked truck was used to mow down Christmas market patrons, killing 12.

Berlin suspect Anis Amri, a Tunisian national, entered Europe via Italy in 2011 and served a four-year prison sentence there before allegedly carrying out the attack.

Trump also argued that the mass arrivals in 2015 were &quot;the final straw that broke the camel&#39;s back&quot; in convincing British voters to back leaving the European Union in a June 24 referendum.

Pro-Leave campaigners warned in the wake of the crisis that refugees would flood into the UK, producing a poster showing a crowd of Middle Eastern men under the words &quot;Breaking Point&quot;.

Britons were wise to choose to leave the 28-member union, Trump said, arguing that it was a &quot;basically a vehicle for Germany.&quot;

&quot;Other countries will leave&quot; the European Union in future, Trump prophesied

(AFP)

He blamed the refugee crisis for being the 'straw that broke the camel's back' and triggered Britain's vote to leave the EU

Chancellor Angela Merkel made a "catastrophic mistake" in letting migrants flood into Germany, US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview on Sunday. He blamed the refugee crisis for being the "straw that broke the camel's back" and triggered Britain's vote last year to leave the European Union. "I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know, taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said in an interview with The Times of London and Germany's Bild, adding he had "great respect" for the chancellor. Some 890,000 migrants, many of them fleeing war in Syria, entered Germany in 2015 after Merkel opened her country's doors in response to massive pressure on countries along the so-called "Balkan route" into western Europe. The mass arrivals prompted an initial mass outpouring of support, but fear about the consequences has also driven anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany to between 10 and 15 per cent in polls. One MP deserted Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union this weekend over her refugee policy, as the Chancellor tees up a re-election bid later this year. Trump said that he would start out "trusting both" Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Let's see how long that lasts, may not last long at all," he went on. While he allowed that Merkel was a "fantastic leader," the Republican said that Germany had "got a clear impression" of the consequences of her policy from a deadly December 19 terrorist attack in Berlin in which a hijacked truck was used to mow down Christmas market patrons, killing 12. Berlin suspect Anis Amri, a Tunisian national, entered Europe via Italy in 2011 and served a four-year prison sentence there before allegedly carrying out the attack. Trump also argued that the mass arrivals in 2015 were "the final straw that broke the camel's back" in convincing British voters to back leaving the European Union in a June 24 referendum. Pro-Leave campaigners warned in the wake of the crisis that refugees would flood into the UK, producing a poster showing a crowd of Middle Eastern men under the words "Breaking Point". Britons were wise to choose to leave the 28-member union, Trump said, arguing that it was a "basically a vehicle for Germany." "Other countries will leave" the European Union in future, Trump prophesied (AFP)

Donald Trump: Merkel made 'catastrophic mistake' by letting migrants in

German police said on Sunday they had prevented a repeat of the assaults and robberies suffered by hundreds of women in Cologne a year ago by screening 650 mostly North African men on New Year&#39;s Eve.

Police detained and screened many of the men at the main railway station as they headed towards the centre of Cologne in western Germany, where the attacks a year earlier fuelled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s&nbsp;migrant policy.

Cologne police chief Juergen Mathies did not say how many of the men were subsequently allowed into the city centre, but denied that the checks amounted to racial profiling. He also said many of those detained had been aggressive.

&quot;This was clearly about preventing similar incidents to last year,&quot; he told a news conference. &quot;A large part of this group that was checked was such that criminal acts were to be expected. That is why we took this clear approach.&quot;

Police arrested 92 people - including 16 Germans and 10 Syrians - during Saturday night&#39;s celebrations in Cologne. Police also installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square.

Political context

Many of the suspects in the attacks a year ago were of North African and Arab appearance, the police have said.

Those attacks helped fuel the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which hurt Merkel&#39;s conservatives in a series of regional polls last year and threaten to erode her support in this year&#39;s national election.

In her New Year&#39;s address to the nation, Merkel said Islamist terrorism was the biggest test facing Germany, and she vowed to improve security after an Islamic State attack in Berlin before Christmas that killed 12 people.

Although the migrant flow into Germany has slowed sharply, Merkel is under pressure from the AfD and her party&#39;s conservative Bavarian allies to take tougher action after more than one million asylum seekers arrived here in 2015 and 2016.

(Reuters)

They screened and detained 650 mostly North African men, denied it was racial profiling

German police said on Sunday they had prevented a repeat of the assaults and robberies suffered by hundreds of women in Cologne a year ago by screening 650 mostly North African men on New Year's Eve. Police detained and screened many of the men at the main railway station as they headed towards the centre of Cologne in western Germany, where the attacks a year earlier fuelled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's migrant policy. Cologne police chief Juergen Mathies did not say how many of the men were subsequently allowed into the city centre, but denied that the checks amounted to racial profiling. He also said many of those detained had been aggressive. "This was clearly about preventing similar incidents to last year," he told a news conference. "A large part of this group that was checked was such that criminal acts were to be expected. That is why we took this clear approach." Police arrested 92 people - including 16 Germans and 10 Syrians - during Saturday night's celebrations in Cologne. Police also installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square. Political context Many of the suspects in the attacks a year ago were of North African and Arab appearance, the police have said. Those attacks helped fuel the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which hurt Merkel's conservatives in a series of regional polls last year and threaten to erode her support in this year's national election. In her New Year's address to the nation, Merkel said Islamist terrorism was the biggest test facing Germany, and she vowed to improve security after an Islamic State attack in Berlin before Christmas that killed 12 people. Although the migrant flow into Germany has slowed sharply, Merkel is under pressure from the AfD and her party's conservative Bavarian allies to take tougher action after more than one million asylum seekers arrived here in 2015 and 2016. (Reuters)

German police claim to have stopped repeat of New Year Cologne assaults

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday ordered a sweeping review of Germany&#39;s security apparatus amid increasing anger that the chief suspect in the Berlin market attack was already under counter-terrorism surveillance on suspicion that he was plotting an attack.

Tunisian Anis Amri, 24, a known radical Islamist, was shot dead on Friday by police in Milan after he killed 12 people in a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday.

German police had monitored Amri since March but dropped the surveillance in September thinking he was primarily as a small-time drug dealer.

Politicians and newspapers have also criticised the fact that Amri slipped through the net of security services, who knew he had been in contact with Islamist &quot;hate preachers.&quot;&nbsp;

Berlin&#39;s BZ tabloid charged in a blistering headline this week: &quot;They knew him. They did nothing.&quot;

Reuters quoted news weekly Der Spiegel as saying that he had offered himself for a suicide mission.

Authorities have also been criticised for the two-day delay in issuing a public wanted notice for the fugitive, as well as the fact the rejected asylum seeker should have been deported long ago.

Amid the fierce criticism, Merkel pledged a &quot;comprehensive&quot; analysis of what went wrong.

&quot;The Amri case raises questions -- questions that are not only tied to this crime but also to the time before, since he came to Germany in July 2015&quot; from Italy, she said. &nbsp;&quot;We will now intensively examine to what extent official procedures need to be changed.&quot;&nbsp;

Merkel said she had ordered justice and interior ministers at the federal and state level to &quot;analyse every aspect of the case and present their conclusions as soon as possible&quot; so that reforms, where needed, could be agreed and implemented quickly, Reuters reported.

The German leader said she had also spoken with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi by telephone to discuss anti-terror efforts and inform him that Germany would be &quot;significantly accelerating&quot; deportation of rejected asylum seekers.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas meanwhile pledged to examine &quot;how to improve surveillance of potentially dangerous persons&quot; and concrete steps to speed up deportations of illegal migrants.

Anger has also focused on the investigation since Monday&#39;s truck attack.

After following an initial false lead, police only found Amri&#39;s identity papers in the lorry&#39;s cabin a day after the attack, and authorities took another day before issuing a Europe-wide public wanted notice.

Merkel &nbsp;-- already under fire from right-wing populists over her liberal migrant policies &nbsp;-- can now expect the security debate to heat up ahead of an election expected in September, Reuters reported.

Reuters quoted conservative lawmaker Stephan Mayer as saying that the case &quot;held up a magnifying glass&quot; to the failings of Merkel&#39;s migration policy, and Christian Lindner, head of the Free Democrats opposition party, charged that &quot;catastrophic mistakes&quot; had been made.

Peter Neumann, professor of security studies at the King&#39;s College, pointed to &quot;a systemic failure&quot;, as security services lacked the manpower for around-the-clock surveillance of Germany&#39;s 550 known radical Islamists considered potentially violent.

&quot;Germany&#39;s anti-terrorism structure is failing to match the scale of the problem,&quot; he said. &quot;Once the dust settles, it will be important to have a fundamental rethink.&quot;

Germany&#39;s over-burdened asylum and immigration services have also faced criticism.

Amri&#39;s asylum request was denied in June but because Tunisia refused to take him back, denying he was a citizen, he was issued a stay of deportation paper -- the document that police found in the mangled truck cabin.

The new Tunisian travel document only arrived on Wednesday, two days after the attack, Reuters reported.

Germany has repeatedly accused Tunisia and other north African states of stalling the repatriation of their nationals.

A law to designate Tunisia, as well as Morocco and Algeria, as &quot;safe countries of origin&quot;, to raise the bar for asylum requests, has been held up for months in Germany&#39;s upper house, over human rights concerns in the North African countries.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Anger increased after it emerged that suspect, Anis Amri, had long been under surveillance on suspicion he was plotting an attack

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday ordered a sweeping review of Germany's security apparatus amid increasing anger that the chief suspect in the Berlin market attack was already under counter-terrorism surveillance on suspicion that he was plotting an attack. Tunisian Anis Amri, 24, a known radical Islamist, was shot dead on Friday by police in Milan after he killed 12 people in a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday. German police had monitored Amri since March but dropped the surveillance in September thinking he was primarily as a small-time drug dealer. Politicians and newspapers have also criticised the fact that Amri slipped through the net of security services, who knew he had been in contact with Islamist "hate preachers." Berlin's BZ tabloid charged in a blistering headline this week: "They knew him. They did nothing." Reuters quoted news weekly Der Spiegel as saying that he had offered himself for a suicide mission. Authorities have also been criticised for the two-day delay in issuing a public wanted notice for the fugitive, as well as the fact the rejected asylum seeker should have been deported long ago. Amid the fierce criticism, Merkel pledged a "comprehensive" analysis of what went wrong. "The Amri case raises questions -- questions that are not only tied to this crime but also to the time before, since he came to Germany in July 2015" from Italy, she said. "We will now intensively examine to what extent official procedures need to be changed." Merkel said she had ordered justice and interior ministers at the federal and state level to "analyse every aspect of the case and present their conclusions as soon as possible" so that reforms, where needed, could be agreed and implemented quickly, Reuters reported. The German leader said she had also spoken with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi by telephone to discuss anti-terror efforts and inform him that Germany would be "significantly accelerating" deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Justice Minister Heiko Maas meanwhile pledged to examine "how to improve surveillance of potentially dangerous persons" and concrete steps to speed up deportations of illegal migrants. Anger has also focused on the investigation since Monday's truck attack. After following an initial false lead, police only found Amri's identity papers in the lorry's cabin a day after the attack, and authorities took another day before issuing a Europe-wide public wanted notice. Merkel -- already under fire from right-wing populists over her liberal migrant policies -- can now expect the security debate to heat up ahead of an election expected in September, Reuters reported. Reuters quoted conservative lawmaker Stephan Mayer as saying that the case "held up a magnifying glass" to the failings of Merkel's migration policy, and Christian Lindner, head of the Free Democrats opposition party, charged that "catastrophic mistakes" had been made. Peter Neumann, professor of security studies at the King's College, pointed to "a systemic failure", as security services lacked the manpower for around-the-clock surveillance of Germany's 550 known radical Islamists considered potentially violent. "Germany's anti-terrorism structure is failing to match the scale of the problem," he said. "Once the dust settles, it will be important to have a fundamental rethink." Germany's over-burdened asylum and immigration services have also faced criticism. Amri's asylum request was denied in June but because Tunisia refused to take him back, denying he was a citizen, he was issued a stay of deportation paper -- the document that police found in the mangled truck cabin. The new Tunisian travel document only arrived on Wednesday, two days after the attack, Reuters reported. Germany has repeatedly accused Tunisia and other north African states of stalling the repatriation of their nationals. A law to designate Tunisia, as well as Morocco and Algeria, as "safe countries of origin", to raise the bar for asylum requests, has been held up for months in Germany's upper house, over human rights concerns in the North African countries. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Berlin market attack: Angela Merkel orders review of 'what went wrong'

There are no prizes for guessing whose face features on the poster for the first German edition of Charlie Hebdo which will appear on newsstands in Berlin and Vienna on Thursday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will be pictured in a moment of quiet contemplation reading the satirical weekly on the toilet.

&quot;Charlie Hebdo, the newspaper that relaxes,&quot; the legend reads.

The irreverent French phenomenon, which was the victim of a bloody jihadist attack in January 2015, hopes to continue its renaissance with a German version of its provocative mix of no-holds-barred cartoons and biting satirical columns.

Germans bought 70,000 copies of Charlie Hebdo&#39;s &quot;survivors&#39; edition&quot;, which appeared one week after last year&#39;s massacre in the magazine&#39;s Paris offices, and its already sells 1,000 copies a week of its French edition there.

Its editor the cartoonist Riss -- who was shot in the shoulder during the attack -- has been working on a German-language version for six months.

He has also drawn the poster for the first issue with Merkel resplendent in pink reading a Charlie Hebdo which wonders whether she would be able to govern both Germany and France at the same time.

The cover she is holding on her throne is one originally drawn by the weekly&#39;s murdered former editor, Charb, who was gunned down in the attack in which 12 people died.

&quot;I always thought that we would be able to export Charlie Hebdo,&quot; Riss told AFP.

&quot;There is a real curiosity in Germany about what we are doing, which is not the case for instance in Britain, Spain or Portugal,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;Freedom to attack religion&nbsp; 
Its 200,000-copy launch in Germany is certainly ambitious -- almost the same number as are printed in France every week.

&quot;Unfortunately lots of people outside France discovered Charlie Hebdo because of the attacks when it is supposed to be a magazine that makes you laugh,&quot; Riss said.

And the cartoonist said he was wary of the weekly&#39;s 46-year history being reduced to the attacks.

&quot;It is true that an important aspect of our editorial identity is our attachment to the freedom to criticise religion, but Charlie Hebdo in not just that,&quot; he insisted.

&quot;If we succeed in developing a readership abroad, we are also making allies,&quot; said Riss, whose real name is Laurent Sourisseau.

&quot;Those allies will help us get our message out and be understood,&quot; he added.

Despite its many fans and supporters, Charlie Hebdo has never had a shortage of enemies.

It first became a target of Islamist extremists after publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Most Muslims consider portraying the prophet in images to be blasphemous. But it also regularly outrages Christians, drawing criticism from the Vatican, as well as from the French political establishment.

&nbsp;&#39;Tactless&#39;&nbsp; 
Nor did its humour go down well in Italy after the town of Amatrice was devastated by an earthquake in August. Its &quot;macabre and tactless&quot; pasta-themed cartoons on the quake, including one portraying victims crushed under layers of lasagna, prompted the town to sue.

Italy&#39;s interior minister Angelino Alfano was even more forthright in his fury, telling the cartoonists where they &quot;could stick their pencils&quot;.

Charlie Hebdo is keeping under wraps which German sacred cows it will take to the slaughter.

Its 16-page German version is mostly a translation of the French edition but with some content written specifically for a German audience.

Riss said he hoped it would inspire young German cartoonists to dare to start drawing for it.

But such are the security concerns that the edition&#39;s young female editor -- who heads a 12-person team -- is working under a pseudonym, Minka Schneider.&nbsp;

&quot;Our biggest challenge isn&#39;t German humour,&quot; she said, &quot;it is that the cartoon culture (from which Charlie Hebdo comes) doesn&#39;t really have an equivalent here.&quot; &nbsp;

Germany already has two major satirical monthlies, Titanic and Eulenspiegel, but their humour is different to Charlie Hebdo&#39;s, she said.

Riss is realistic about the German edition&#39;s long-term prospects. &quot;It&#39;s a test, an experiment&quot; but he argued that the magazine&#39;s brand of humour was &quot;universal&quot;, with part of its website already available in English.

Nevertheless, he admitted that often foreigners didn&#39;t how to take the magazine&#39;s often vicious edge.

&quot;Charlie Hebdo is kind of an extra terrestrial... its humour is a little cynical, disillusioned. There is a pessimism in our drawings but we try to laugh about it,&quot; he said.

 
(AFP)

The first poster features Chancellor Angela Merkel in a moment of quiet contemplation reading the satirical weekly on the toilet

There are no prizes for guessing whose face features on the poster for the first German edition of Charlie Hebdo which will appear on newsstands in Berlin and Vienna on Thursday. Chancellor Angela Merkel will be pictured in a moment of quiet contemplation reading the satirical weekly on the toilet. "Charlie Hebdo, the newspaper that relaxes," the legend reads. The irreverent French phenomenon, which was the victim of a bloody jihadist attack in January 2015, hopes to continue its renaissance with a German version of its provocative mix of no-holds-barred cartoons and biting satirical columns. Germans bought 70,000 copies of Charlie Hebdo's "survivors' edition", which appeared one week after last year's massacre in the magazine's Paris offices, and its already sells 1,000 copies a week of its French edition there. Its editor the cartoonist Riss -- who was shot in the shoulder during the attack -- has been working on a German-language version for six months. He has also drawn the poster for the first issue with Merkel resplendent in pink reading a Charlie Hebdo which wonders whether she would be able to govern both Germany and France at the same time. The cover she is holding on her throne is one originally drawn by the weekly's murdered former editor, Charb, who was gunned down in the attack in which 12 people died. "I always thought that we would be able to export Charlie Hebdo," Riss told AFP. "There is a real curiosity in Germany about what we are doing, which is not the case for instance in Britain, Spain or Portugal," he added. Freedom to attack religion Its 200,000-copy launch in Germany is certainly ambitious -- almost the same number as are printed in France every week. "Unfortunately lots of people outside France discovered Charlie Hebdo because of the attacks when it is supposed to be a magazine that makes you laugh," Riss said. And the cartoonist said he was wary of the weekly's 46-year history being reduced to the attacks. "It is true that an important aspect of our editorial identity is our attachment to the freedom to criticise religion, but Charlie Hebdo in not just that," he insisted. "If we succeed in developing a readership abroad, we are also making allies," said Riss, whose real name is Laurent Sourisseau. "Those allies will help us get our message out and be understood," he added. Despite its many fans and supporters, Charlie Hebdo has never had a shortage of enemies. It first became a target of Islamist extremists after publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. Most Muslims consider portraying the prophet in images to be blasphemous. But it also regularly outrages Christians, drawing criticism from the Vatican, as well as from the French political establishment. 'Tactless' Nor did its humour go down well in Italy after the town of Amatrice was devastated by an earthquake in August. Its "macabre and tactless" pasta-themed cartoons on the quake, including one portraying victims crushed under layers of lasagna, prompted the town to sue. Italy's interior minister Angelino Alfano was even more forthright in his fury, telling the cartoonists where they "could stick their pencils". Charlie Hebdo is keeping under wraps which German sacred cows it will take to the slaughter. Its 16-page German version is mostly a translation of the French edition but with some content written specifically for a German audience. Riss said he hoped it would inspire young German cartoonists to dare to start drawing for it. But such are the security concerns that the edition's young female editor -- who heads a 12-person team -- is working under a pseudonym, Minka Schneider. "Our biggest challenge isn't German humour," she said, "it is that the cartoon culture (from which Charlie Hebdo comes) doesn't really have an equivalent here." Germany already has two major satirical monthlies, Titanic and Eulenspiegel, but their humour is different to Charlie Hebdo's, she said. Riss is realistic about the German edition's long-term prospects. "It's a test, an experiment" but he argued that the magazine's brand of humour was "universal", with part of its website already available in English. Nevertheless, he admitted that often foreigners didn't how to take the magazine's often vicious edge. "Charlie Hebdo is kind of an extra terrestrial... its humour is a little cynical, disillusioned. There is a pessimism in our drawings but we try to laugh about it," he said. (AFP)

Charlie Hebdo in bid to find German funny bone

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will announce her decision to seek a fourth term in due time, her spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The comment came in response to a lawmaker in Merkel&#39;s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Norbert Roettgen, told CNN&nbsp;she &quot;will run for chancellor&quot;.

Merkel&#39;s spokesperson, Steffen Seibert told Reuters &quot;She will address this question at the suitable time, as has been said many times in the past.&quot;

Merkel&#39;s allies expect her to contest despite drawing criticism over her open-door migrant policy.&nbsp;

The Alternative for Germany Party is becoming increasingly popular with their anti-migrants policy and are expected to make it in to Parliament in 2017.&nbsp;

Merkel&#39;s CDU is approximately 10 percentage points ahead of its rivals as per polls.&nbsp;

 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert said 'she will address this question at the suitable time'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will announce her decision to seek a fourth term in due time, her spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. The comment came in response to a lawmaker in Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Norbert Roettgen, told CNN she "will run for chancellor". Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert told Reuters "She will address this question at the suitable time, as has been said many times in the past." Merkel's allies expect her to contest despite drawing criticism over her open-door migrant policy. The Alternative for Germany Party is becoming increasingly popular with their anti-migrants policy and are expected to make it in to Parliament in 2017. Merkel's CDU is approximately 10 percentage points ahead of its rivals as per polls. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Merkel may seek fourth term

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said Russia could try to influence Germany&#39;s general elections next year through cyber attacks or disinformation campaigns, after Washington accused the Kremlin of similar meddling in the US vote.

&quot;We are already, even now, having to deal with information out of Russia or with internet attacks that are of Russian origin or with news which sows false information,&quot; Merkel, said at a press conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Dealing with that was already &quot;a daily task&quot;, she told reporters in Berlin.&nbsp;

&quot;So it may be that this could also play a role during the election campaign.&quot;

The comments came in response to a question about whether Germany could experience the type of cyber attacks that have plagued the White House race, notably targeting Hillary Clinton&#39;s Democratic party.

Washington last month formally accused the Russian government of trying to &quot;interfere&quot; in the election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed.&nbsp;

Germany&#39;s domestic secret service earlier this year accused Russia of a series of international cyber spying and sabotage attacks, including a case which targeted the German lower house of parliament last year.

Germans are scheduled to go to the polls in September 2017. Merkel has yet to announce her candidacy but is widely expected to run for a fourth term.

(AFP)

Germany's secret service has earlier accused Russia of a series of international cyber sabotage attacks

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said Russia could try to influence Germany's general elections next year through cyber attacks or disinformation campaigns, after Washington accused the Kremlin of similar meddling in the US vote. "We are already, even now, having to deal with information out of Russia or with internet attacks that are of Russian origin or with news which sows false information," Merkel, said at a press conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. Dealing with that was already "a daily task", she told reporters in Berlin. "So it may be that this could also play a role during the election campaign." The comments came in response to a question about whether Germany could experience the type of cyber attacks that have plagued the White House race, notably targeting Hillary Clinton's Democratic party. Washington last month formally accused the Russian government of trying to "interfere" in the election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. Germany's domestic secret service earlier this year accused Russia of a series of international cyber spying and sabotage attacks, including a case which targeted the German lower house of parliament last year. Germans are scheduled to go to the polls in September 2017. Merkel has yet to announce her candidacy but is widely expected to run for a fourth term. (AFP)

Angela Merkel warns of possible Russian interference in German elections

The German government denied it was preparing a rescue plan for Deutsche Bank as Germany&#39;s biggest lender faces a $12 billion fine from the US Department of Justice.

The bank boosted its balance sheet by selling its British insurance business Abbey Life to Phoenix in a $1.2 billion deal on Wednesday.

Although the sale will result in a pre-tax loss of 800 million euros ($895 mln), mainly from writedowns for Deutsche Bank, it will lift the German lender&#39;s capital ratio by 10 basis points.

The move pushed its shares to a record low on Tuesday and heightened concerns about the health of the financial sector in Europe&#39;s largest economy.

A local daily had reported that a rescue plan was being drafted in case Deutsche was unable to raise capital to pay for costly litigation.

But the German finance ministry dismissed the reports that the government would even offer to take a direct stake of 25 percent in an extreme emergency.

&quot;This report is wrong. The German government is not preparing any rescue plan, there is no reason to speculate on such plans,&quot; the finance ministry said in a statement.

The government was still hoping Deutsche would not need state support and only scenarios for a potential rescue were being discussed so far, the newspaper added.

A Deutsche Bank spokesman referred to an interview chief executive John Cryan gave German daily Bild on Wednesday and denied the report.

&quot;At no point did I ask the chancellor for support. Neither did I suggest anything like that,&quot; the Briton told Bild in response to a report that said he had asked Angela Merkel for her backing with a $14 billion US demand to settle claims it missold mortgage-backed securities.

On Tuesday, Andreas Dombret, the Bundesbank board member in charge of supervision said that support for Europe&#39;s oversized banking sector must stop, comparing banks to dinosaurs facing a threat of extinction.

&quot;Political support for the banking sector must finally come to an end - something that unfortunately I&#39;ve only seen to a limited extent,&quot; he had said.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs on Wednesday estimated that the US mortgages case will cost Deutsche Bank $2.8-8.1 billion. Other analysts have said that any price tag above $5 billion will likely necessitate a capital increase.

Its overall legal provisions stood at 5.5 billion euros at the end of June. However, three other large legal headaches also remain, alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates, an investigation into suspicious equities trades in Russia and allegations of money laundering.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The lender's litany of legal troubles have spurred worries it may need to raise capital to staunch the damage

The German government denied it was preparing a rescue plan for Deutsche Bank as Germany's biggest lender faces a $12 billion fine from the US Department of Justice. The bank boosted its balance sheet by selling its British insurance business Abbey Life to Phoenix in a $1.2 billion deal on Wednesday. Although the sale will result in a pre-tax loss of 800 million euros ($895 mln), mainly from writedowns for Deutsche Bank, it will lift the German lender's capital ratio by 10 basis points. The move pushed its shares to a record low on Tuesday and heightened concerns about the health of the financial sector in Europe's largest economy. A local daily had reported that a rescue plan was being drafted in case Deutsche was unable to raise capital to pay for costly litigation. But the German finance ministry dismissed the reports that the government would even offer to take a direct stake of 25 percent in an extreme emergency. "This report is wrong. The German government is not preparing any rescue plan, there is no reason to speculate on such plans," the finance ministry said in a statement. The government was still hoping Deutsche would not need state support and only scenarios for a potential rescue were being discussed so far, the newspaper added. A Deutsche Bank spokesman referred to an interview chief executive John Cryan gave German daily Bild on Wednesday and denied the report. "At no point did I ask the chancellor for support. Neither did I suggest anything like that," the Briton told Bild in response to a report that said he had asked Angela Merkel for her backing with a $14 billion US demand to settle claims it missold mortgage-backed securities. On Tuesday, Andreas Dombret, the Bundesbank board member in charge of supervision said that support for Europe's oversized banking sector must stop, comparing banks to dinosaurs facing a threat of extinction. "Political support for the banking sector must finally come to an end - something that unfortunately I've only seen to a limited extent," he had said. Analysts at Goldman Sachs on Wednesday estimated that the US mortgages case will cost Deutsche Bank $2.8-8.1 billion. Other analysts have said that any price tag above $5 billion will likely necessitate a capital increase. Its overall legal provisions stood at 5.5 billion euros at the end of June. However, three other large legal headaches also remain, alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates, an investigation into suspicious equities trades in Russia and allegations of money laundering. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Germany denies 'emergency plan' to rescue Deutsche Bank

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais in northern France and relocating thousands refugees living there to reception centres across the country, international news agency AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
During a visit to France&#39;s one of the 164 reception centres, Hollande said that the conditions inside the camp &ldquo;are not acceptable, especially for the people who fled war to live there&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
Stressing that France should show that it is capable of being &quot;dignified, humane and responsible&rdquo; when it comes to treating refugees, he said they could not have such camps in their country. He will pay the camp a visit on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
The &ldquo;Jungle&rdquo;, as the camp is notoriously known, is home to as many as 9,000 refugees. The southern half of the camp was brought down in February and March this year but its population has since then doubled, according to media reports.&nbsp; 
 
Several media reports also point out that reception and orientation centres across the country will accommodate asylum-seekers for over five months while their cases are studied by the authorities. Those not seeking asylum will be deported.&nbsp; 
 
Pressure from the Right wing 
&nbsp; 
Pressure from conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and a far-right leader Marine Le Pen is pushing Hollande to take an adamant stand on the issue of migrants, AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The international news agency observes that &quot;Illegal migration&quot; has &quot;plagued France under Hollande&#39;s four-year-long tenure&quot;, prompting the authorities to step up measures.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Sarkozy, who is bracing up for a comeback as the president, said that once immigrants are granted citizenship &ldquo;they should live like the French&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
German chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that Europe should work out a deal with the third-world countries to send back the migrants who &ldquo;do not qualify for asylum&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
The decision to dispatch refugees to orientation centres has sparked protests among the far-right conservative leaders who fear &ldquo;graver consequences&rdquo; of keeping refugees in their country.&nbsp; 
 
According to a UN report, more than 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year with thousands drowning in the attempt.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The President said that the conditions inside the camp are 'unacceptable, especially for people who have fled the war to live there'

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais in northern France and relocating thousands refugees living there to reception centres across the country, international news agency AFP reported today. During a visit to France's one of the 164 reception centres, Hollande said that the conditions inside the camp “are not acceptable, especially for the people who fled war to live there”. Stressing that France should show that it is capable of being "dignified, humane and responsible” when it comes to treating refugees, he said they could not have such camps in their country. He will pay the camp a visit on Monday. The “Jungle”, as the camp is notoriously known, is home to as many as 9,000 refugees. The southern half of the camp was brought down in February and March this year but its population has since then doubled, according to media reports. Several media reports also point out that reception and orientation centres across the country will accommodate asylum-seekers for over five months while their cases are studied by the authorities. Those not seeking asylum will be deported. Pressure from the Right wing Pressure from conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and a far-right leader Marine Le Pen is pushing Hollande to take an adamant stand on the issue of migrants, AFP reported today. The international news agency observes that "Illegal migration" has "plagued France under Hollande's four-year-long tenure", prompting the authorities to step up measures. Meanwhile, Sarkozy, who is bracing up for a comeback as the president, said that once immigrants are granted citizenship “they should live like the French”. German chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that Europe should work out a deal with the third-world countries to send back the migrants who “do not qualify for asylum”. The decision to dispatch refugees to orientation centres has sparked protests among the far-right conservative leaders who fear “graver consequences” of keeping refugees in their country. According to a UN report, more than 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year with thousands drowning in the attempt. (WION with inputs from agencies)

French President Francois Hollande vows to dismantle Calais migrant camp, relocate refugees

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she wants to stop illegal immigration by securing deals with third countries and sending back migrants who did not qualify for asylum. 
 
The chancellor was in Vienna along with other European leaders to discuss the issue of migration along the Balkan route, the path into Europe was shut down by Austria and other countries, leaving thousands of migrants stranded in Greece. 
 
&quot;We want to stop illegal immigration while living up to our humanitarian responsibilities. It is necessary to get agreements with third countries, especially in Africa but also Pakistan and Afghanistan... so that it becomes clear that those with no right to stay in Europe can go back to their home countries,&quot; Merkel told the press. 
 
The number of migrants into Europe has relatively reduced after EU&#39;s accord with Turkey to halt a mass influx of migrants into Greece in return for billions in aid. The influx has far from stopped, however, with many migrants attempting to cross over from Libya or Egypt to Italy instead.&nbsp; 
 
Austria&nbsp;last year took in 90,000 asylum-seekers, more than 1 per cent of its population. It says it could not cope with another such wave of arrivals, and wants far more wide-ranging action to ensure that does not happen. 
 
More than 300,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean this year, down from 520,000 from the first nine months of 2015, a UN report released earlier this week states.&nbsp; 
 
More than 60,000 migrants remain stranded in Greece. Merkel said that an EU relocation scheme to share out some of these people among EU states has been &quot;too slow&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, 300,000 refugees are expected to arrive in Germany this year, the head of the country&#39;s migration office&nbsp;said in a newspaper interview this month. 
 
The change in Merkel&#39;s stance also comes in the wake of her pro-migrant party, the Christian Democrats&#39;, defeat in the Berlin state election. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

'We want to stop illegal immigration while living up to our humanitarian responsibilities,' she said

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she wants to stop illegal immigration by securing deals with third countries and sending back migrants who did not qualify for asylum. The chancellor was in Vienna along with other European leaders to discuss the issue of migration along the Balkan route, the path into Europe was shut down by Austria and other countries, leaving thousands of migrants stranded in Greece. "We want to stop illegal immigration while living up to our humanitarian responsibilities. It is necessary to get agreements with third countries, especially in Africa but also Pakistan and Afghanistan... so that it becomes clear that those with no right to stay in Europe can go back to their home countries," Merkel told the press. The number of migrants into Europe has relatively reduced after EU's accord with Turkey to halt a mass influx of migrants into Greece in return for billions in aid. The influx has far from stopped, however, with many migrants attempting to cross over from Libya or Egypt to Italy instead. Austria last year took in 90,000 asylum-seekers, more than 1 per cent of its population. It says it could not cope with another such wave of arrivals, and wants far more wide-ranging action to ensure that does not happen. More than 300,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean this year, down from 520,000 from the first nine months of 2015, a UN report released earlier this week states. More than 60,000 migrants remain stranded in Greece. Merkel said that an EU relocation scheme to share out some of these people among EU states has been "too slow". Meanwhile, 300,000 refugees are expected to arrive in Germany this year, the head of the country's migration office said in a newspaper interview this month. The change in Merkel's stance also comes in the wake of her pro-migrant party, the Christian Democrats', defeat in the Berlin state election. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Merkel: Europe needs more deals with third countries to send back migrants

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats are bracing for a second loss as Berlin city votes&nbsp;on Sunday. 
 
Voters are expected to express their unease about Merkel&#39;s open-door migrant policy in&nbsp;today&#39;s vote. 
 
Merkel&#39;s decision to open Germany&#39;s borders to refugees a year ago has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.&nbsp;AfD has played on voters&#39; fear of the migrants, winning nine of Germany&#39;s 16 states. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. 
 
AfD&#39;s Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski told Reuters: &quot;I favour educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back.&quot; 
 
Polls point to heavy losses for Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats (CDU) in the vote which means the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to ditch them from their current coalition, Reuters reported. 
 
With only a year left until the next federal election, Merkel&#39;s refugee-friendly policy has dented her popularity. 
 
Merkel has defended her policy, appealing to Berlin&#39;s openness.&nbsp;&quot;Berlin, its whole history, the success of what was West Berlin, its openness has served it well and must be preserved,&quot; Rueters quoted her as saying. 
 
Merkel&#39;s conservative allies in Bavaria have called on her to toughen up the migrant policy with measures such as capping the number of refugees to 200,000 per year. 
 
The recent election reversals have even raised questions about whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. 
 
An INSA poll this week put the CDU to win 18 per cent of votes in Berlin, down by more than five points from the 2011 vote and only four points ahead of the AfD. 
 
Carsten Koschmieder, political scientist at Berlin&#39;s Free University, predicted further damaging splits between the CDU and CSU if voters reject conservatives in Berlin. 
 
&quot;Critics of Merkel will get louder while her supporters in the CDU will blame (CSU leader) Horst Seehofer for using destructive rhetoric,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
Voting in the German capital started at 8 am (0600 GMT) and some 2.5 million people are eligible to decide who should represent them in the Berlin city assembly. 
 
Polling stations will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT) and public broadcasters will publish exit polls shortly afterwards. First projections are expected roughly half an hour later. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Polls point to heavy defeat for Merkel's Christian Democrats which means the Social Democrats may be able to ditch them from their coalition

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats are bracing for a second loss as Berlin city votes on Sunday. Voters are expected to express their unease about Merkel's open-door migrant policy in today's vote. Merkel's decision to open Germany's borders to refugees a year ago has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. AfD has played on voters' fear of the migrants, winning nine of Germany's 16 states. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. AfD's Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski told Reuters: "I favour educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back." Polls point to heavy losses for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) in the vote which means the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to ditch them from their current coalition, Reuters reported. With only a year left until the next federal election, Merkel's refugee-friendly policy has dented her popularity. Merkel has defended her policy, appealing to Berlin's openness. "Berlin, its whole history, the success of what was West Berlin, its openness has served it well and must be preserved," Rueters quoted her as saying. Merkel's conservative allies in Bavaria have called on her to toughen up the migrant policy with measures such as capping the number of refugees to 200,000 per year. The recent election reversals have even raised questions about whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. An INSA poll this week put the CDU to win 18 per cent of votes in Berlin, down by more than five points from the 2011 vote and only four points ahead of the AfD. Carsten Koschmieder, political scientist at Berlin's Free University, predicted further damaging splits between the CDU and CSU if voters reject conservatives in Berlin. "Critics of Merkel will get louder while her supporters in the CDU will blame (CSU leader) Horst Seehofer for using destructive rhetoric," he told Reuters. Voting in the German capital started at 8 am (0600 GMT) and some 2.5 million people are eligible to decide who should represent them in the Berlin city assembly. Polling stations will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT) and public broadcasters will publish exit polls shortly afterwards. First projections are expected roughly half an hour later. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Angela Merkel braces for Berlin vote loss over pro-migrant policies

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats party suffered a heavy setback on Sunday, its second electoral blow in two weeks.&nbsp; 
 
The CDU slumped to its lowest level since 1990 in a Berlin state vote that rejected her open-door refugee policy. 
 
Merkel&#39;s party won just 18 per cent which will likely spell the end of its term as a&nbsp;junior coalition partner to the Social Democrats (SPD), who won almost 22 percent. 
 
Merkel&#39;s decision to open Germany&#39;s borders to refugees a year ago boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.&nbsp;There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. 
 
Voters turned to AfD that garnered 12.9 percent of the vote and won 10 of the 16 seats.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;From zero to double digits, that&#39;s unique for Berlin. The grand coalition has been voted out - not yet at the national level, but that will happen next year,&quot; said AfD candidate Georg Pazderski to cheering supporters after the results. 
 
Commentators said the result indicated that the party looked poised to enter the lower house of parliament in 2017. 
 
&quot;With the Berlin result, the AfD has consolidated its position and shown it can appeal to voters across the board - it is now represented in a big city, eastern German states and in more affluent western states like Baden-Wuerttemberg,&quot; said Thomas Jaeger, a&nbsp;political scientist at Cologne University. 
 
A year before the national election, the result will bolster the chances for AfD and raise pressure on Merkel&#39;s party.&nbsp; 
 
The rift within the conservative camp is only expected to deepen with these results. The CSU&#39;s Bavarian finance minister Markus Soeder said this should be viewed as the second massive wake-up call for the allies in Bavaria.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;A long-term and massive loss in trust among traditional voters threatens the conservative bloc,&quot; Soeder said.&nbsp; 
 
He added that major changes to the coalition&#39;s immigration policy were required to win back supporters.&nbsp; 
 
The losses for the biggest parties in Germany raise the possibility of different coalitions in future. 
 
It also cast doubt over whether Europe&#39;s most powerful leader, Angela Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year.&nbsp; 
 
Given a dearth of options in her party, however, she is still the most likely candidate. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The second loss in two weeks for the Christian Democrats has triggered calls from CSU allies to toughen up the migrant policy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats party suffered a heavy setback on Sunday, its second electoral blow in two weeks. The CDU slumped to its lowest level since 1990 in a Berlin state vote that rejected her open-door refugee policy. Merkel's party won just 18 per cent which will likely spell the end of its term as a junior coalition partner to the Social Democrats (SPD), who won almost 22 percent. Merkel's decision to open Germany's borders to refugees a year ago boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. Voters turned to AfD that garnered 12.9 percent of the vote and won 10 of the 16 seats. "From zero to double digits, that's unique for Berlin. The grand coalition has been voted out - not yet at the national level, but that will happen next year," said AfD candidate Georg Pazderski to cheering supporters after the results. Commentators said the result indicated that the party looked poised to enter the lower house of parliament in 2017. "With the Berlin result, the AfD has consolidated its position and shown it can appeal to voters across the board - it is now represented in a big city, eastern German states and in more affluent western states like Baden-Wuerttemberg," said Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at Cologne University. A year before the national election, the result will bolster the chances for AfD and raise pressure on Merkel's party. The rift within the conservative camp is only expected to deepen with these results. The CSU's Bavarian finance minister Markus Soeder said this should be viewed as the second massive wake-up call for the allies in Bavaria. "A long-term and massive loss in trust among traditional voters threatens the conservative bloc," Soeder said. He added that major changes to the coalition's immigration policy were required to win back supporters. The losses for the biggest parties in Germany raise the possibility of different coalitions in future. It also cast doubt over whether Europe's most powerful leader, Angela Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. Given a dearth of options in her party, however, she is still the most likely candidate. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Merkel's party suffers setback in Berlin vote, migrant policy backlash boosts support for AfD

France said on Tuesday it will call on the European Commission to suspend negotiations on a massive trade deal between the European Union and the United States, which it complained are unfairly weighted in favour of the Americans. 
 
&quot;There is no more political support in France for these negotiations&quot; and &quot;France calls for an end to these negotiations,&quot; the country&#39;s junior minister for trade Matthias Fekl told RMC radio. 
 
The EU and US began work on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013, aiming to create the world&#39;s largest free-trade area by the time President Barack Obama leaves office in January. 
 
But the talks have got bogged down amid widespread suspicion in the 28-nation EU that a deal would undercut the bloc&#39;s standards in key areas such as health and welfare. 
 
The setbacks have raised serious doubts that it will be achieved by the end of the year as hoped.&nbsp; 
 
Fekl said there is an imbalance in the negotiations in favour of the US side. 
 
&quot;The Americans give nothing or just crumbs... that is not how negotiations are done between allies,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We need a clear and definitive halt to these negotiations in order to restart on a good foundation&quot;. 
 
France will make this case at a meeting of foreign trade ministers in Bratislava in September, Fekl added. 
 
He did not indicate when or under what conditions the talks could restart. 
 
France&#39;s Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said it would be &quot;impossible&quot; for the two sides to conclude negotiations on a trade deal by the end of 2016. 
 
And Germany&#39;s vice chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sunday that the negotiations were effectively dead in the water. 
 
&quot;The talks with the US have de facto failed because we Europeans of course must not succumb to American demands... Nothing is moving forward&quot;, he said. 
 
But the European Commission on Monday rejected the German claims and insisted the talks remained on track. 
 
&quot;The ball is rolling right now. The Commission is making steady progress,&quot; Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said. 
 
&quot;Talks are now indeed entering a crucial stage but... provided the conditions are right, the Commission stands ready to close this deal by the end of the year,&quot; he told a press briefing. 
 
Behind the scenes, top diplomats have told AFP talks may be suspended until after the US presidential election in November as well as elections in France and Germany next year. 
 
Activists who have opposed TTIP since negotiations began in 2013 say the deal would only benefit multinationals and harm consumers.

(AFP) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

There is a widespread suspicion in the EU that the deal would undercut the bloc's standards in key areas such as health and welfare

France said on Tuesday it will call on the European Commission to suspend negotiations on a massive trade deal between the European Union and the United States, which it complained are unfairly weighted in favour of the Americans. "There is no more political support in France for these negotiations" and "France calls for an end to these negotiations," the country's junior minister for trade Matthias Fekl told RMC radio. The EU and US began work on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013, aiming to create the world's largest free-trade area by the time President Barack Obama leaves office in January. But the talks have got bogged down amid widespread suspicion in the 28-nation EU that a deal would undercut the bloc's standards in key areas such as health and welfare. The setbacks have raised serious doubts that it will be achieved by the end of the year as hoped. Fekl said there is an imbalance in the negotiations in favour of the US side. "The Americans give nothing or just crumbs... that is not how negotiations are done between allies," he said. "We need a clear and definitive halt to these negotiations in order to restart on a good foundation". France will make this case at a meeting of foreign trade ministers in Bratislava in September, Fekl added. He did not indicate when or under what conditions the talks could restart. France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said it would be "impossible" for the two sides to conclude negotiations on a trade deal by the end of 2016. And Germany's vice chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sunday that the negotiations were effectively dead in the water. "The talks with the US have de facto failed because we Europeans of course must not succumb to American demands... Nothing is moving forward", he said. But the European Commission on Monday rejected the German claims and insisted the talks remained on track. "The ball is rolling right now. The Commission is making steady progress," Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said. "Talks are now indeed entering a crucial stage but... provided the conditions are right, the Commission stands ready to close this deal by the end of the year," he told a press briefing. Behind the scenes, top diplomats have told AFP talks may be suspended until after the US presidential election in November as well as elections in France and Germany next year. Activists who have opposed TTIP since negotiations began in 2013 say the deal would only benefit multinationals and harm consumers. (AFP)

France seeks halt to talks on skewed EU-US trade deal

German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said in an interview on Saturday that Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservatives had &quot;underestimated&quot; the challenge of migrant influx. 
 
Gabriel is the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) -- the junior coalition partner in Merkel&#39;s government -- and his comments come as campaigning begins for a federal election next year and regional elections in Berlin and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 
 
Hundreds of thousands of migrants from West Asia, Africa and elsewhere flocked to Germany last year. There is an increasing concern about integrating the migrant population into the German society and the labour market.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I, we always said that it&#39;s inconceivable for Germany to take in a million people every year,&quot; Gabriel said in an interview with broadcaster ZDF. 
 
&quot;There is an upper limit to a country&#39;s integration ability,&quot; he added at a news conference on Sunday. 
 
Gabriel also criticised Merkel&#39;s catchphrase &quot;Wir schaffen das&quot; (&quot;We can do this&quot;), which she used at a news conference this July after a string of attacks on civilians. Two of the attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
Rejecting Gabriel&#39;s criticism, Merkel said she was open to changes in the EU&#39;s planned quota system which aims to transfer of about 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU states. However, she added it was important to work hard with state and municipal authorities and also share responsibility.&nbsp; 
 
It would not be acceptable, Merkel said, for governments to say: &quot;We don&#39;t generally want to have Muslims in our country.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

'There is an upper limit to a country's integration ability,' said vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel

German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said in an interview on Saturday that Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives had "underestimated" the challenge of migrant influx. Gabriel is the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) -- the junior coalition partner in Merkel's government -- and his comments come as campaigning begins for a federal election next year and regional elections in Berlin and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Hundreds of thousands of migrants from West Asia, Africa and elsewhere flocked to Germany last year. There is an increasing concern about integrating the migrant population into the German society and the labour market. "I, we always said that it's inconceivable for Germany to take in a million people every year," Gabriel said in an interview with broadcaster ZDF. "There is an upper limit to a country's integration ability," he added at a news conference on Sunday. Gabriel also criticised Merkel's catchphrase "Wir schaffen das" ("We can do this"), which she used at a news conference this July after a string of attacks on civilians. Two of the attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State. Rejecting Gabriel's criticism, Merkel said she was open to changes in the EU's planned quota system which aims to transfer of about 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU states. However, she added it was important to work hard with state and municipal authorities and also share responsibility. It would not be acceptable, Merkel said, for governments to say: "We don't generally want to have Muslims in our country." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Merkel deputy: She underestimated migrant challenge

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday refugees had not brought terrorism to Germany, adding that Islam belonged in the country as long as it was practised in a way that respected the constitution. 
 
More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere arrived in Germany last year. The mood towards them has soured after a spate of attacks on civilians last month, including three carried out by migrants. 
 
Two of those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State militant group. 
 
&quot;The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism, of IS, is not a phenomenon that came to us with the refugees,&quot; Merkel said at an election campaign event for her Christian Democrats in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ahead of a regional vote on Sept. 4. 
 
Merkel said many people had travelled from Germany to Syria for training with Islamist militants. In June Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said a total of more than 800 were believed to have gone to Syria and Iraq. 
 
&quot;This group has worried us for several years,&quot; she said at the event in Neustrelitz, a town 100 km (60 miles) north of Berlin. 
 
Merkel&#39;s popularity has suffered in the wake of the attacks and 52 percent of Germans think her migrant policy is bad, a poll published last week showed. 
 
The influx of migrants, many of whom are Muslim, has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is expected to perform well in elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. 
 
&quot;We have said clearly that an Islam that works and lives on the basis of the constitution ... belongs to Germany,&quot; Merkel said. 
 
She added that a type of Islam that did not stick to the constitution or accept equal rights for women had no place in the country. 
 
(Reuters)

The mood towards refugees in the country soured after recent attacks on civilians including three by migrants

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday refugees had not brought terrorism to Germany, adding that Islam belonged in the country as long as it was practised in a way that respected the constitution. More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere arrived in Germany last year. The mood towards them has soured after a spate of attacks on civilians last month, including three carried out by migrants. Two of those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State militant group. "The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism, of IS, is not a phenomenon that came to us with the refugees," Merkel said at an election campaign event for her Christian Democrats in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ahead of a regional vote on Sept. 4. Merkel said many people had travelled from Germany to Syria for training with Islamist militants. In June Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said a total of more than 800 were believed to have gone to Syria and Iraq. "This group has worried us for several years," she said at the event in Neustrelitz, a town 100 km (60 miles) north of Berlin. Merkel's popularity has suffered in the wake of the attacks and 52 percent of Germans think her migrant policy is bad, a poll published last week showed. The influx of migrants, many of whom are Muslim, has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is expected to perform well in elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. "We have said clearly that an Islam that works and lives on the basis of the constitution ... belongs to Germany," Merkel said. She added that a type of Islam that did not stick to the constitution or accept equal rights for women had no place in the country. (Reuters)

Refugees did not bring terrorism, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Public support for Angela Merkel has plummeted, mainly over the chancellor&#39;s refugee policy in the wake of a series of attacks in Germany, according to a poll published Thursday. 
 
Forty-seven per cent of the 1,000 people who took part in the poll by the ARD TV station said they were satisfied with Merkel&#39;s work, 12 points down from her July rating. 
 
It was Merkel&#39;s second worst poll score since she was re-elected in 2013. In February 2016, 46 per cent of respondents gave favourable opinions. 
 
In this latest poll, just 34 per cent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the government&#39;s welcoming policy towards refugees. 
 
It was the lowest result on the issue since it began to be included in the monthly poll in October. 
 
Some 65 per cent said they were dissatisfied with the policy. 
 
Horst Seehofer, conservative premier of Bavaria, and a staunch critic of the government&#39;s refugee policy despite being one of Merkel&#39;s allies, saw his popularity rating soar 11 points to 44 per cent. 
 
Germany&#39;s first attacks claimed by the Islamic State group took place in July. Three of the assailants were seeking asylum in Germany. 
 
A few days after the two attacks, Merkel continued to defend her migration policy, repeating the &quot;We can do it&quot; slogan she first used in the summer of 2015. That year Germany welcomed more than a million migrants. 
 
Merkel is expected to run for a fourth term in general elections due in just over a year. 
 
In September, regional elections will be held on her home turf of Western Mecklenburg-Pomerania, where her party is trailing in the polls. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Poll numbers show the chancellor's migration policy led to a 12-point drop in her July rating

Public support for Angela Merkel has plummeted, mainly over the chancellor's refugee policy in the wake of a series of attacks in Germany, according to a poll published Thursday. Forty-seven per cent of the 1,000 people who took part in the poll by the ARD TV station said they were satisfied with Merkel's work, 12 points down from her July rating. It was Merkel's second worst poll score since she was re-elected in 2013. In February 2016, 46 per cent of respondents gave favourable opinions. In this latest poll, just 34 per cent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the government's welcoming policy towards refugees. It was the lowest result on the issue since it began to be included in the monthly poll in October. Some 65 per cent said they were dissatisfied with the policy. Horst Seehofer, conservative premier of Bavaria, and a staunch critic of the government's refugee policy despite being one of Merkel's allies, saw his popularity rating soar 11 points to 44 per cent. Germany's first attacks claimed by the Islamic State group took place in July. Three of the assailants were seeking asylum in Germany. A few days after the two attacks, Merkel continued to defend her migration policy, repeating the "We can do it" slogan she first used in the summer of 2015. That year Germany welcomed more than a million migrants. Merkel is expected to run for a fourth term in general elections due in just over a year. In September, regional elections will be held on her home turf of Western Mecklenburg-Pomerania, where her party is trailing in the polls. (AFP)

Merkel's popularity plunges in wake of attacks

Germany held an emergency security cabinet meeting on Saturday in Berlin in wake of the deadly shootings which took place in Munich on Friday. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, vice chancellor and minister of economy and energy Sigmar Gabriel and foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier were amongst many officials that attended the meeting. 
 
During the meeting, Germany&rsquo;s interior minister Thomas de Maiziere and other national security members released general information about the investigation process for the shooting. 
 
Merkel delivered a brief speech at the press briefing afterward. 
 
&quot;We are all - and I&#39;m saying this on behalf of the whole federal government - mourning with a heavy heart for those who will never return to their families,&quot; Merkel said. 
 
She said that Germany and the people who reside in Munich all had a terrifying experience on Friday night. She spoke on behalf of the federal government and expressed sympathy to the bereaved families of the nine victims. She also sent her regards to the injured civilians, wishing them to get well soon. 
 
Merkel said the German government and the National Security Defense Organization will continue to do whatever is necessary to guard the safety and freedom of everyone in Germany. 
 
Merkel stressed that they will thoroughly investigate the motives of the gunmen in the Munich shooting. 
 
Two attacks occurred in less than 10 days, which brought fear, shock and anxiety to the German public. Two polls in July showed more than 70 per cent of Germans do not feel secure and over 50 per cent of Germans think the polices would not effectively protect them, which may bring a serious challenge to the government in coping with the recent events. 
 
(Reuters)

Merkel assures the National Security Defense Organization will do its utmost to guard the safety and freedom of everyone in Germany

Germany held an emergency security cabinet meeting on Saturday in Berlin in wake of the deadly shootings which took place in Munich on Friday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, vice chancellor and minister of economy and energy Sigmar Gabriel and foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier were amongst many officials that attended the meeting. During the meeting, Germany’s interior minister Thomas de Maiziere and other national security members released general information about the investigation process for the shooting. Merkel delivered a brief speech at the press briefing afterward. "We are all - and I'm saying this on behalf of the whole federal government - mourning with a heavy heart for those who will never return to their families," Merkel said. She said that Germany and the people who reside in Munich all had a terrifying experience on Friday night. She spoke on behalf of the federal government and expressed sympathy to the bereaved families of the nine victims. She also sent her regards to the injured civilians, wishing them to get well soon. Merkel said the German government and the National Security Defense Organization will continue to do whatever is necessary to guard the safety and freedom of everyone in Germany. Merkel stressed that they will thoroughly investigate the motives of the gunmen in the Munich shooting. Two attacks occurred in less than 10 days, which brought fear, shock and anxiety to the German public. Two polls in July showed more than 70 per cent of Germans do not feel secure and over 50 per cent of Germans think the polices would not effectively protect them, which may bring a serious challenge to the government in coping with the recent events. (Reuters)

Germany convenes emergency security meeting after Munich shootings

Chancellor Angela Merkel today said Munich had suffered a &quot;night of horror&quot; after a shooting spree in the southern German city left nine people dead. 
 
&quot;The people of Munich have come through a night of horror,&quot; she said in her first reaction to Friday&#39;s carnage, adding: &quot;A night like this is difficult for us all to bear.&quot; 
 
Speaking from her office in Berlin, the German leader said: &quot;All of us, and I say this on behalf of the whole government, are mourning with heavy hearts those who will never be able to return to their families.&quot; 
 
She paid tribute to Munich residents who had offered refuge in their homes to people fleeing the gunman, many of them using social media to spread the word. 
 
Their actions showed that &quot;we live in a free society and it showed humanity&quot;, she said, adding that &quot;our greatest strength&quot; lies in these values. 
 
(AFP)

She paid tribute to residents who had offered refuge in their homes to people fleeing the gunman, many using social media to spread the word

Chancellor Angela Merkel today said Munich had suffered a "night of horror" after a shooting spree in the southern German city left nine people dead. "The people of Munich have come through a night of horror," she said in her first reaction to Friday's carnage, adding: "A night like this is difficult for us all to bear." Speaking from her office in Berlin, the German leader said: "All of us, and I say this on behalf of the whole government, are mourning with heavy hearts those who will never be able to return to their families." She paid tribute to Munich residents who had offered refuge in their homes to people fleeing the gunman, many of them using social media to spread the word. Their actions showed that "we live in a free society and it showed humanity", she said, adding that "our greatest strength" lies in these values. (AFP)

Merkel deplores night of horror in Munich

German police shot dead a 17-year-old Afghan refugee Monday after he attacked train passengers with an axe and a knife, seriously wounding four in what one official said was a &quot;probable&quot; Islamist attack. 
 
Several other people were also injured in the assault on a regional train near the southern city of Wuerzburg, police said, adding that the teenager was killed as he tried to flee. 
 
Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria state, said the assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany and had lived at first in a shelter and then more recently with a foster family in nearby Ochsenfurt. 
 
&quot;It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack,&quot; said a ministry spokesman, adding that the assailant had shouted &quot;Allahu akbar&quot; (God is greatest). 
 
However he stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the teenager appeared to have acted alone. 
 
The attack happened around 9:15 pm (1915 GMT) on the train, which runs between Treuchlingen and Wuerzburg in Bavaria. 
 
An eyewitness who lives next to the railway station told DPA news agency that the train, which had been carrying around 25 people, looked &quot;like a slaughterhouse&quot; with blood covering the floor. 
 
The man, who declined to give his name, said he saw people crawl from the carriage and ask for a first-aid kit as other victims lay on the floor inside. 
 
&quot;The perpetrator was able to leave the train, police left in pursuit and as part of this pursuit, they shot the attacker and killed him,&quot; a police spokesman said. 
 
Herrmann later said that the teenager was shot when he attacked police while trying to escape the scene. 
 
A special police force unit happened to be nearby and was able to mobilise quickly, Hermann added. 
 
Four of those injured are members of a family from Hong Kong, authorities in the southern Chinese city said Tuesday, adding the immigration department was providing them with assistance. 
 
Political tensions 
 
Germany has thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attacks seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down people leaving a Bastille Day fireworks display, killing 84 people. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group. 
 
In May in Germany, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man carried out a knife attack on a regional train in the south, killing one person and injuring three others. 
 
Early reports had suggested he had yelled &quot;Allahu akbar&quot; but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital. 
 
Germany let in a record nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans fleeing ongoing turmoil and poverty in their country. 
 
However the number of refugees arriving in Germany has fallen sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow. 
 
In April, May and June, the number was around 16,000 each month, less than a fifth of the tally seen at the start of the year, according to official figures. 
 
Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservative Christian Democrats. 
 
The CSU has been loudly critical of Merkel&#39;s welcoming stance toward asylum seekers, a split that threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government&#39;s approval ratings plunging. 
 
It has also lent support to a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest outfit in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany&#39;s refugee influx. 
 
It currently polls at around 10 percent and is represented in half of Germany&#39;s 16 states as well as the European Parliament. 
 
Merkel&#39;s popularity has rebounded recently but the attack in Bavaria is likely to revive political tensions. 
 
(AFP)

Several others hurt in the assault. Police shoot teenager down

German police shot dead a 17-year-old Afghan refugee Monday after he attacked train passengers with an axe and a knife, seriously wounding four in what one official said was a "probable" Islamist attack. Several other people were also injured in the assault on a regional train near the southern city of Wuerzburg, police said, adding that the teenager was killed as he tried to flee. Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria state, said the assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany and had lived at first in a shelter and then more recently with a foster family in nearby Ochsenfurt. "It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack," said a ministry spokesman, adding that the assailant had shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest). However he stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the teenager appeared to have acted alone. The attack happened around 9:15 pm (1915 GMT) on the train, which runs between Treuchlingen and Wuerzburg in Bavaria. An eyewitness who lives next to the railway station told DPA news agency that the train, which had been carrying around 25 people, looked "like a slaughterhouse" with blood covering the floor. The man, who declined to give his name, said he saw people crawl from the carriage and ask for a first-aid kit as other victims lay on the floor inside. "The perpetrator was able to leave the train, police left in pursuit and as part of this pursuit, they shot the attacker and killed him," a police spokesman said. Herrmann later said that the teenager was shot when he attacked police while trying to escape the scene. A special police force unit happened to be nearby and was able to mobilise quickly, Hermann added. Four of those injured are members of a family from Hong Kong, authorities in the southern Chinese city said Tuesday, adding the immigration department was providing them with assistance. Political tensions Germany has thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attacks seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down people leaving a Bastille Day fireworks display, killing 84 people. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group. In May in Germany, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man carried out a knife attack on a regional train in the south, killing one person and injuring three others. Early reports had suggested he had yelled "Allahu akbar" but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital. Germany let in a record nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans fleeing ongoing turmoil and poverty in their country. However the number of refugees arriving in Germany has fallen sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow. In April, May and June, the number was around 16,000 each month, less than a fifth of the tally seen at the start of the year, according to official figures. Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats. The CSU has been loudly critical of Merkel's welcoming stance toward asylum seekers, a split that threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government's approval ratings plunging. It has also lent support to a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest outfit in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany's refugee influx. It currently polls at around 10 percent and is represented in half of Germany's 16 states as well as the European Parliament. Merkel's popularity has rebounded recently but the attack in Bavaria is likely to revive political tensions. (AFP)

17-year-old Afghan refugee attacks German train passengers with axe, knife, injures 4 seriously

David Cameron entertained parliament with a series of farewell quips on Wednesday in his last appearance as prime minister before making way for Theresa May to lead the monumental task of extricating Britain from the European Union. 
 
&quot;This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Other than one meeting this afternoon with Her Majesty the Queen, the diary for the rest of my day is remarkably light,&quot; Cameron said to roars of laughter in a packed House of Commons. 
 
He was due to present his resignation to the queen at Buckingham Palace at around 1600 GMT. Then May will pay her own visit to the monarch to be formally entrusted with the job, before entering 10 Downing Street to become Britain&#39;s second woman prime minister after Margaret Thatcher. 
 
Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted in a June 23 referendum to quit the EU, weakening the 28-nation bloc and creating huge economic uncertainty because of the likely damage to trade and investment. 
 
Apart from the task of executing &#39;Brexit&#39;, May must try to unite a divided party and a nation in which many, on the evidence of the vote, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. 
 
Despite the serious backdrop, there was an atmosphere of hilarity in parliament as Cameron traded humorous jabs with beleaguered opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m beginning to admire his tenacity. He is reminding me of the black knight in Monty Python&#39;s Holy Grail. He&#39;s been kicked so many times but he says &#39;Keep going, it&#39;s only a flesh wound&#39;. I admire that,&quot; said Cameron, who departed to a standing ovation from his own and some Labour members of parliament. 
 
He took the opportunity to trumpet his government&#39;s achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. 
 
Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. 
 
&#39;Our Angela Merkel&#39; 
 
May, who has been interior minister for six years, is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer the country through the disruptive Brexit process. 
 
&quot;I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel,&quot; said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron&#39;s team which met for the last time on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;We have an incredibly tough, shrewd, determined and principled person to lead those (Brexit) negotiations for Britain,&quot; Hunt told Sky News television. 
 
German Chancellor Merkel will be May&#39;s most important counterpart on the continent as the Brexit process unfolds. Both women are renowned for their firmness, pragmatism and discipline. 
 
The new British leader is expected to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try to satisfy opposing camps in her party. 
 
Before the referendum, May had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, albeit in a low-key fashion. Since the vote, she has repeatedly said that &quot;Brexit means Brexit&quot; and her backers say she is determined to make the exit a success. 
 
&quot;Of course Theresa is going to want to make sure she&#39;s got a balanced ticket that represents the views of different parts of the party,&quot; cabinet minister Chris Grayling, who campaigned for Brexit and managed May&#39;s leadership campaign, told BBC radio. 
 
May has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the EU which would be headed by someone who had campaigned for Brexit. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s very sensible. It will ensure confidence among those in the party who did campaign to leave that they have a champion who believes in what they campaigned for,&quot; Grayling said. 
 
Financial markets, which had been extremely volatile since the referendum, reacted positively to news on Monday that May would become prime minister earlier than expected, with sterling making strong gains against the dollar and the euro. 
 
The UK currency, which sank to a 31-year low against the dollar a week ago, rebounded further on Wednesday as the political uncertainty that has dogged it since the referendum eased. 
 
Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels of the year as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concerns over the impact of the Brexit vote. 
 
&#39;Reluctant to shift&#39; 
 
Despite pressure from other EU capitals to quickly start negotiating the terms of Britain&#39;s exit, May has said she would not be rushed into it. 
 
She is unlikely to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty - which will formally launch the process of separation and start the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to Britain&#39;s actual departure - until next year. 
 
She is expected to promote women ministers to several senior roles, and Cameron&#39;s long-serving finance minister George Osborne could lose his job, according to media reports. 
 
Vince Cable, an opposition Liberal Democrat politician who was the minister for business in a coalition government led by the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, praised May&#39;s determination but said she may face challenges in the role of prime minister, which has a much wider remit than her home affairs portfolio. 
 
&quot;There is a streak that we all saw which was to be really quite narrow in focus and reluctant to shift even when the facts seemed to be changing, and if that&#39;s what happens when she&#39;s prime minister we could find ourselves in difficulties,&quot; Cable told BBC television. 
 
May could face more trouble from dissenting Conservatives than from the Labour Party, which is in meltdown. 
 
After months of simmering discontent among Labour lawmakers with party leader Corbyn, the conflict exploded into the open after the referendum when the vast majority of the lawmakers rejected his leadership, accusing him of failing to campaign vigorously enough for a Remain vote. 
 
Corbyn has clung to his job, citing support from the party grassroots members, and the 116-year-old party is now locked in a bitter power tussle that risks destroying it. 
 
Former minister Angela Eagle launched a leadership bid against him on Monday, and on Wednesday fellow Labour lawmaker Owen Smith also threw his hat in the ring. 
 
(Reuters)

'Other than one meeting this afternoon with Her Majesty the Queen, the diary for the rest of my day is remarkably light,' he quipped

David Cameron entertained parliament with a series of farewell quips on Wednesday in his last appearance as prime minister before making way for Theresa May to lead the monumental task of extricating Britain from the European Union. "This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Other than one meeting this afternoon with Her Majesty the Queen, the diary for the rest of my day is remarkably light," Cameron said to roars of laughter in a packed House of Commons. He was due to present his resignation to the queen at Buckingham Palace at around 1600 GMT. Then May will pay her own visit to the monarch to be formally entrusted with the job, before entering 10 Downing Street to become Britain's second woman prime minister after Margaret Thatcher. Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted in a June 23 referendum to quit the EU, weakening the 28-nation bloc and creating huge economic uncertainty because of the likely damage to trade and investment. Apart from the task of executing 'Brexit', May must try to unite a divided party and a nation in which many, on the evidence of the vote, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. Despite the serious backdrop, there was an atmosphere of hilarity in parliament as Cameron traded humorous jabs with beleaguered opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. "I'm beginning to admire his tenacity. He is reminding me of the black knight in Monty Python's Holy Grail. He's been kicked so many times but he says 'Keep going, it's only a flesh wound'. I admire that," said Cameron, who departed to a standing ovation from his own and some Labour members of parliament. He took the opportunity to trumpet his government's achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. 'Our Angela Merkel' May, who has been interior minister for six years, is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer the country through the disruptive Brexit process. "I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel," said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron's team which met for the last time on Tuesday. "We have an incredibly tough, shrewd, determined and principled person to lead those (Brexit) negotiations for Britain," Hunt told Sky News television. German Chancellor Merkel will be May's most important counterpart on the continent as the Brexit process unfolds. Both women are renowned for their firmness, pragmatism and discipline. The new British leader is expected to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try to satisfy opposing camps in her party. Before the referendum, May had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, albeit in a low-key fashion. Since the vote, she has repeatedly said that "Brexit means Brexit" and her backers say she is determined to make the exit a success. "Of course Theresa is going to want to make sure she's got a balanced ticket that represents the views of different parts of the party," cabinet minister Chris Grayling, who campaigned for Brexit and managed May's leadership campaign, told BBC radio. May has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the EU which would be headed by someone who had campaigned for Brexit. "That's very sensible. It will ensure confidence among those in the party who did campaign to leave that they have a champion who believes in what they campaigned for," Grayling said. Financial markets, which had been extremely volatile since the referendum, reacted positively to news on Monday that May would become prime minister earlier than expected, with sterling making strong gains against the dollar and the euro. The UK currency, which sank to a 31-year low against the dollar a week ago, rebounded further on Wednesday as the political uncertainty that has dogged it since the referendum eased. Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels of the year as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concerns over the impact of the Brexit vote. 'Reluctant to shift' Despite pressure from other EU capitals to quickly start negotiating the terms of Britain's exit, May has said she would not be rushed into it. She is unlikely to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty - which will formally launch the process of separation and start the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to Britain's actual departure - until next year. She is expected to promote women ministers to several senior roles, and Cameron's long-serving finance minister George Osborne could lose his job, according to media reports. Vince Cable, an opposition Liberal Democrat politician who was the minister for business in a coalition government led by the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, praised May's determination but said she may face challenges in the role of prime minister, which has a much wider remit than her home affairs portfolio. "There is a streak that we all saw which was to be really quite narrow in focus and reluctant to shift even when the facts seemed to be changing, and if that's what happens when she's prime minister we could find ourselves in difficulties," Cable told BBC television. May could face more trouble from dissenting Conservatives than from the Labour Party, which is in meltdown. After months of simmering discontent among Labour lawmakers with party leader Corbyn, the conflict exploded into the open after the referendum when the vast majority of the lawmakers rejected his leadership, accusing him of failing to campaign vigorously enough for a Remain vote. Corbyn has clung to his job, citing support from the party grassroots members, and the 116-year-old party is now locked in a bitter power tussle that risks destroying it. Former minister Angela Eagle launched a leadership bid against him on Monday, and on Wednesday fellow Labour lawmaker Owen Smith also threw his hat in the ring. (Reuters)

Cameron exits with a joke, a number of them

angela-merkel

Angela Merkel, News on Angela Merkel, stories on Angela Merkel, articles on Angela Merkel, Angela Merkel stories at Wion, Angela Merkel news, Angela Merkel latest news

angela merkel

Police clash with G20 protesters in Hamburg as world leaders arrive

Macron vows to 'fight the divisions' in France

After Merkel plea, Putin backs probe into Chechen gay attacks

Merkel pushes Putin on Ukraine, gay rights

Migrant arrival in Germany drops in 2017

US President Trump demands NATO dues in first meeting with Germany's Merkel

Trump, Merkel meet cancelled over alarming snowstorm predictions

Turkey suspends top-level ties with Netherlands as row worsens

Bavaria drafts law to ban full-face veil months before German elections

Germany's Angela Merkel insists on protecting freedom of expression in meeting with Turkish President Erdogan

Ukraine: Fresh violence erupts between govt forces and Russia-backed rebels as month-long truce frays

Germany: Angela Merkel sets September 24 as date for general elections

Donald Trump: Merkel made 'catastrophic mistake' by letting migrants in

Donald Trump: Merkel made 'catastrophic mistake' by letting migrants in

German police claim to have stopped repeat of New Year Cologne assaults

Berlin market attack: Angela Merkel orders review of 'what went wrong'

Charlie Hebdo in bid to find German funny bone

Merkel may seek fourth term

Angela Merkel warns of possible Russian interference in German elections

Germany denies 'emergency plan' to rescue Deutsche Bank

French President Francois Hollande vows to dismantle Calais migrant camp, relocate refugees

Merkel: Europe needs more deals with third countries to send back migrants

Angela Merkel braces for Berlin vote loss over pro-migrant policies

Merkel's party suffers setback in Berlin vote, migrant policy backlash boosts support for AfD