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

Militant groups smuggled some of their members into Europe in the wave of migrants who have fled from Syria, German chancellor Angela said on Monday (July&nbsp;11).

&quot;In part, the refugee flow was even used to smuggle terrorists,&quot; Merkel told a rally of her Christian Democrats in the eastern German Baltic Sea resort town of Zingst.

Merkel also warned that if young people in poor parts of the world did not get &quot;a perspective,&quot; &quot;they will all try to get somewhere else and that&#39;s not good for the countries and it&#39;s of course also not good for us.&quot;

&quot;Imagine a country like Togo, a small African country where 75 per cent of the population -- so three out of four people -- are younger than 25.&quot;

&quot;All these young people might not have electricity but if they just have a little bit of money they all have a smartphone. They can all watch what the world is like elsewhere,&quot; said Merkel.

More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians.

The German chancellor also commented again on British voters&#39; recent decision to leave the European Union.

&quot;We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy,&quot; Merkel said.

&quot;But that is why we as 27 member states must ask &#39;how should our Europe look?,&quot; she added. 
 
(Reuters)

More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians

Militant groups smuggled some of their members into Europe in the wave of migrants who have fled from Syria, German chancellor Angela said on Monday (July 11). "In part, the refugee flow was even used to smuggle terrorists," Merkel told a rally of her Christian Democrats in the eastern German Baltic Sea resort town of Zingst. Merkel also warned that if young people in poor parts of the world did not get "a perspective," "they will all try to get somewhere else and that's not good for the countries and it's of course also not good for us." "Imagine a country like Togo, a small African country where 75 per cent of the population -- so three out of four people -- are younger than 25." "All these young people might not have electricity but if they just have a little bit of money they all have a smartphone. They can all watch what the world is like elsewhere," said Merkel. More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians. The German chancellor also commented again on British voters' recent decision to leave the European Union. "We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy," Merkel said. "But that is why we as 27 member states must ask 'how should our Europe look?," she added. (Reuters)

Terrorists smuggled into Europe with migrants: Angela Merkel

The German parliament passed a landmark &quot;no means no&quot; rape law on Thursday, broadening the definition of sex crimes and making it easier to deport migrants and refugees who commit them. 
 
After years of anguished discussion on the need for tougher treatment of rape by the German criminal justice system, the new legislation finally came together, following a spate of sexual assaults in crowds on New Year&#39;s Eve in the western city of Cologne. 
 
Deputies gave a standing ovation as the law passed the Bundestag lower house with an overwhelming majority, following an emotional debate. 
 
Dubbed the &quot;no means no&quot; law, it explicitly covers cases in which a victim withheld consent but did not physically fight back. It brings what critics call woefully lax legislation into line with that of many other developed countries. 
 
The law, entitled &quot;improving the protection of sexual self-determination&quot;, also lowers the bar for deporting sex offenders, classifies groping as a sex crime and targets assaults committed by large groups. 
 
Justice Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged that there were &quot;unacceptable gaps in protection&quot; against sexual coercion and assault in Germany. 
 
Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s cabinet signed off on the measures in March after the attacks in Cologne, where more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies on New Year&#39;s Eve. These were blamed largely on Arab and North African men. 
 
The draft law was toughened again by the ruling left-right coalition last month. 
 
Cologne&#39;s police chief conceded earlier this year that most culprits may never be caught over the spate of assaults, which ranged from groping to rape, and inflamed public debate about a record influx of refugees and migrants.&nbsp; 
 
A first attempt at prosecution in May was thrown out by a court when the alleged victim said she could not identify the defendant as her attacker. 
 
A second trial stemming from the Cologne violence on Thursday saw a 21-year-old Iraqi man given a one-year suspended sentence for kissing and licking the face of a woman against her will. 
 
A 26-year-old Tunisian defendant received the same sentence for accessory to sexual assault and attempted sexual assault for another attack in the crowd.Currently, victims reporting a rape to police must demonstrate not only that they verbally declined sex but also that they resisted their assailant. 
 
The new law, which is set to come into effect in September after passage by the upper house, is intended to cover &quot;the actual situations in which most attacks occur&quot;, Maas said. 
 
These include cases in which the victim is taken by surprise, intimidated or threatened with other violence -- for example in an abusive relationship -- or is unconscious. 
 
&quot;Other countries implemented this principle of &#39;no means no&#39; long ago and it is high time that we have this paradigm shift in our own criminal law,&quot; lawmaker Carola Reimann of the Social Democrats told the Bundestag. 
 
Parliament had already in January made it easier to expel migrants and refugees convicted of crimes.&nbsp; 
 
But along with sexual offences, it required proof of additional &quot;violence, threats or physical endangerment&quot; and generally a prison sentence of at least one year before an attacker could be deported.&nbsp; 
 
The reform means any sex crime conviction can be used against an applicant in an immigration or asylum hearing. 
 
It also specifically upgrades groping to a sex crime with sentences of up to two years` jail or a fine. 
 
Merkel&#39;s conservative parliamentary group included a stipulation making it illegal to be part of a group committing assaults in a crowd. 
 
The leftist opposition withheld its support for that plank of the legislation on constitutional grounds, saying it opened the door to prosecution of innocent bystanders. 
 
Its abstentions meant that while the &quot;no means no&quot; plank passed with a unanimous 601 votes, the other two planks carried only with large majorities. 
 
News agency DPA cited figures that 8,000 rapes are reported in Germany each year but that only one in 10 victims files charges. Moreover, only one in 10 rape complaints leads to a conviction. 
 
The latest reform drive began in 2011 with the passage of a Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women, requiring signatories to penalise all non-consensual sexual acts. 
 
&quot;Rape cannot be limited to just physical assault,&quot; Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said, adding that Germany`s law should encourage more countries to sign the convention. 
 
(AFP)

The new law will make it easier for the country to deport migrants and refugees who commit the crime

The German parliament passed a landmark "no means no" rape law on Thursday, broadening the definition of sex crimes and making it easier to deport migrants and refugees who commit them. After years of anguished discussion on the need for tougher treatment of rape by the German criminal justice system, the new legislation finally came together, following a spate of sexual assaults in crowds on New Year's Eve in the western city of Cologne. Deputies gave a standing ovation as the law passed the Bundestag lower house with an overwhelming majority, following an emotional debate. Dubbed the "no means no" law, it explicitly covers cases in which a victim withheld consent but did not physically fight back. It brings what critics call woefully lax legislation into line with that of many other developed countries. The law, entitled "improving the protection of sexual self-determination", also lowers the bar for deporting sex offenders, classifies groping as a sex crime and targets assaults committed by large groups. Justice Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged that there were "unacceptable gaps in protection" against sexual coercion and assault in Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet signed off on the measures in March after the attacks in Cologne, where more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies on New Year's Eve. These were blamed largely on Arab and North African men. The draft law was toughened again by the ruling left-right coalition last month. Cologne's police chief conceded earlier this year that most culprits may never be caught over the spate of assaults, which ranged from groping to rape, and inflamed public debate about a record influx of refugees and migrants. A first attempt at prosecution in May was thrown out by a court when the alleged victim said she could not identify the defendant as her attacker. A second trial stemming from the Cologne violence on Thursday saw a 21-year-old Iraqi man given a one-year suspended sentence for kissing and licking the face of a woman against her will. A 26-year-old Tunisian defendant received the same sentence for accessory to sexual assault and attempted sexual assault for another attack in the crowd.Currently, victims reporting a rape to police must demonstrate not only that they verbally declined sex but also that they resisted their assailant. The new law, which is set to come into effect in September after passage by the upper house, is intended to cover "the actual situations in which most attacks occur", Maas said. These include cases in which the victim is taken by surprise, intimidated or threatened with other violence -- for example in an abusive relationship -- or is unconscious. "Other countries implemented this principle of 'no means no' long ago and it is high time that we have this paradigm shift in our own criminal law," lawmaker Carola Reimann of the Social Democrats told the Bundestag. Parliament had already in January made it easier to expel migrants and refugees convicted of crimes. But along with sexual offences, it required proof of additional "violence, threats or physical endangerment" and generally a prison sentence of at least one year before an attacker could be deported. The reform means any sex crime conviction can be used against an applicant in an immigration or asylum hearing. It also specifically upgrades groping to a sex crime with sentences of up to two years` jail or a fine. Merkel's conservative parliamentary group included a stipulation making it illegal to be part of a group committing assaults in a crowd. The leftist opposition withheld its support for that plank of the legislation on constitutional grounds, saying it opened the door to prosecution of innocent bystanders. Its abstentions meant that while the "no means no" plank passed with a unanimous 601 votes, the other two planks carried only with large majorities. News agency DPA cited figures that 8,000 rapes are reported in Germany each year but that only one in 10 victims files charges. Moreover, only one in 10 rape complaints leads to a conviction. The latest reform drive began in 2011 with the passage of a Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women, requiring signatories to penalise all non-consensual sexual acts. "Rape cannot be limited to just physical assault," Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said, adding that Germany`s law should encourage more countries to sign the convention. (AFP)

Germany toughens rape law after Cologne mob assaults

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed on Wednesday suggestions from Italy that EU deficit and banking aid rules be adjusted to take account of its fiscal and financial troubles following the Brexit referendum in Britain. 
 
&quot;I think the stability and growth pact has enough flexibility to work with. Even under the current circumstances. And we just came up with a whole new bunch of regulations regarding the banking union, regarding their bankruptcy and their recapitalisation. It does not make sense to change things every two years. It cost us a lot of energy. These are the first cases where the new rules are executed. 
 
&quot;There is enough leeway in these regulations to serve the specific needs of the member states,&quot; Merkel told reporters at the end of a two-day summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, referring to the bloc&#39;s rulebook on deficit and debt levels. 
 
Rome wants to prop up Italian banks in response to financial turmoil unleashed by the British referendum. EU rules allow member states to provide financial help to banks only in exceptional cases. Italian officials have also said they plan to seek more flexibility on EU fiscal rules. 
 
(Reuters)

Germany refuses to alter rules which would give Italy EU funds to prop up banks after Brexit vote

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed on Wednesday suggestions from Italy that EU deficit and banking aid rules be adjusted to take account of its fiscal and financial troubles following the Brexit referendum in Britain. "I think the stability and growth pact has enough flexibility to work with. Even under the current circumstances. And we just came up with a whole new bunch of regulations regarding the banking union, regarding their bankruptcy and their recapitalisation. It does not make sense to change things every two years. It cost us a lot of energy. These are the first cases where the new rules are executed. "There is enough leeway in these regulations to serve the specific needs of the member states," Merkel told reporters at the end of a two-day summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, referring to the bloc's rulebook on deficit and debt levels. Rome wants to prop up Italian banks in response to financial turmoil unleashed by the British referendum. EU rules allow member states to provide financial help to banks only in exceptional cases. Italian officials have also said they plan to seek more flexibility on EU fiscal rules. (Reuters)

EU must implement existing rules: Angela Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Saturday for clear-headed negotiations with &quot;close partner&quot; Britain over its departure from the European Union. 
 
Foreign ministers of the European Union&#39;s (EU) six founding members had earlier said Britain should leave the bloc as soon as possible after Britons voted on Thursday to quit the 28-member bloc. However, Merkel struck a more conciliatory tone. 
 
&quot;The negotiations must take place in a businesslike, good climate,&quot; Merkel said after a meeting of her conservative party in Hermannswerder, outside Potsdam, to the west of Berlin. 
 
&quot;Britain will remain a close partner, with which we are linked economically,&quot; she said, adding that there was no hurry for Britain to invoke Article 50 of the EU treaty, the first step it must take to set in motion the exit process. 
 
&quot;It should not take ages, that is true, but I would not fight now for a short time frame,&quot; Merkel said, in contrast with the more urgent call by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, who were meeting to the north of the German capital. 
 
They pressed for Britain to trigger the process for exiting the bloc after Britons voted by 52-48 percent to exit the EU, which it joined more than 40 years ago. 
 
&quot;We now expect the UK government to provide clarity and give effect to this decision as soon as possible,&quot; they said in a joint statement. 
 
Schulz piles pressure on Britain&nbsp; 
 
The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, also piled pressure on Britain, calling for it to trigger the Leave process at a summit of EU leaders next Tuesday. 
 
&quot;We expect the British government to deliver now,&quot; Schulz told Germany`s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. &quot;The summit on Tuesday is the appropriate moment to do so.&quot; 
 
EU officials said there was no real problem if it took a few months to begin the process for Britain to leave, though waiting until the end of the year could get in the way of the next round of EU budget talks and European election campaigning. 
 
The officials said they were worried that British Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned on Friday, could hand over to someone with a strategy to drag out the country`s departure. 
 
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, said Britain should begin informal negotiations on a full settlement governing its post-Brexit relationship with the EU before invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. 
 
&#39;Period of uncertainity could result in economic, political consequences&#39;&nbsp; 
 
France also pressed for a swift start to the exit process, with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault saying negotiations must move quickly and that the remaining EU member states also needed to give fresh impetus to the European project. 
 
&quot;We have to give a new sense to Europe, otherwise populism will fill the gap,&quot; he said, adding that the EU could not wait for Cameron to depart in October before the exit process begins. 
 
Ayrault said other EU leaders would put &quot;a lot of pressure&quot; on Cameron at Tuesday`s summit to act quickly. 
 
French President Francois Hollande said the separation &quot;will be painful for Britain but ... as in all divorces, it will be painful for those who stay behind, too&quot;. 
 
Pertinently, France and Germany have drafted a 10-page paper mapping out three areas of immediate concern for the remaining EU members: security, migration and refugees, and jobs and growth which diplomatic sources say they want to use as a basis to shore up the EU, while building a more flexible union. 
 
Notably, global stock markets plunged on Friday, and sterling saw its biggest one-day drop in more than 30 years, while ratings agency Moody`s downgraded Britain`s credit outlook. 
 
The six foreign ministers said the EU was losing &quot;not just a member state but history, tradition and experience&quot;. 
 
Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Reuters: &quot;I believe you can destroy the European Union with referenda. We have to communicate better what the EU has done, and we have to work harder on issues such as migration where we have failed.&quot; 
 
Both Ayrault and Asselborn warned Britain not to play games by drawing out the exit process. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s in Britain`s interest and in the interest of Europeans not to have a period of uncertainty that would have financial consequences, and that could have economic and political consequences,&quot; he told a news conference after the meeting.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, also piled pressure on Britain, calling for it to trigger the Leave process?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Saturday for clear-headed negotiations with "close partner" Britain over its departure from the European Union. Foreign ministers of the European Union's (EU) six founding members had earlier said Britain should leave the bloc as soon as possible after Britons voted on Thursday to quit the 28-member bloc. However, Merkel struck a more conciliatory tone. "The negotiations must take place in a businesslike, good climate," Merkel said after a meeting of her conservative party in Hermannswerder, outside Potsdam, to the west of Berlin. "Britain will remain a close partner, with which we are linked economically," she said, adding that there was no hurry for Britain to invoke Article 50 of the EU treaty, the first step it must take to set in motion the exit process. "It should not take ages, that is true, but I would not fight now for a short time frame," Merkel said, in contrast with the more urgent call by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, who were meeting to the north of the German capital. They pressed for Britain to trigger the process for exiting the bloc after Britons voted by 52-48 percent to exit the EU, which it joined more than 40 years ago. "We now expect the UK government to provide clarity and give effect to this decision as soon as possible," they said in a joint statement. Schulz piles pressure on Britain The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, also piled pressure on Britain, calling for it to trigger the Leave process at a summit of EU leaders next Tuesday. "We expect the British government to deliver now," Schulz told Germany`s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "The summit on Tuesday is the appropriate moment to do so." EU officials said there was no real problem if it took a few months to begin the process for Britain to leave, though waiting until the end of the year could get in the way of the next round of EU budget talks and European election campaigning. The officials said they were worried that British Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned on Friday, could hand over to someone with a strategy to drag out the country`s departure. Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, said Britain should begin informal negotiations on a full settlement governing its post-Brexit relationship with the EU before invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. 'Period of uncertainity could result in economic, political consequences' France also pressed for a swift start to the exit process, with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault saying negotiations must move quickly and that the remaining EU member states also needed to give fresh impetus to the European project. "We have to give a new sense to Europe, otherwise populism will fill the gap," he said, adding that the EU could not wait for Cameron to depart in October before the exit process begins. Ayrault said other EU leaders would put "a lot of pressure" on Cameron at Tuesday`s summit to act quickly. French President Francois Hollande said the separation "will be painful for Britain but ... as in all divorces, it will be painful for those who stay behind, too". Pertinently, France and Germany have drafted a 10-page paper mapping out three areas of immediate concern for the remaining EU members: security, migration and refugees, and jobs and growth which diplomatic sources say they want to use as a basis to shore up the EU, while building a more flexible union. Notably, global stock markets plunged on Friday, and sterling saw its biggest one-day drop in more than 30 years, while ratings agency Moody`s downgraded Britain`s credit outlook. The six foreign ministers said the EU was losing "not just a member state but history, tradition and experience". Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Reuters: "I believe you can destroy the European Union with referenda. We have to communicate better what the EU has done, and we have to work harder on issues such as migration where we have failed." Both Ayrault and Asselborn warned Britain not to play games by drawing out the exit process. "It's in Britain`s interest and in the interest of Europeans not to have a period of uncertainty that would have financial consequences, and that could have economic and political consequences," he told a news conference after the meeting. (Reuters)

Merkel in 'no hurry' as EU members await clarity after Brexit

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