Bill McDermott, the American chief executive of massive German business software maker SAP, will quit after a decade in charge, the company said Friday.

McDermott "has decided not to renew his contract and is stepping down from his position," SAP said in a statement, adding that he will be replaced by board members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-chief executives.

The company did not give a reason for the longtime chief's sudden departure.

He joined the software maker in 2002, climbing to the executive board in 2008 and serving as CEO since 2010.

"Every CEO dreams of handing an exceptionally strong company to its next-generation... now we start the next chapter," McDermott tweeted.

SAP said the veteran executive "will remain in an advisory capacity until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition".

His contract had originally been slated to run until 2021.

"SAP would not be what it is today without Bill McDermott," supervisory board chairman Hasso Plattner said.

He singled out for praise SAP's transition from selling traditional software licenses to subscriptions to cloud computing services, "which will fuel our growth for many years to come".

A member of the DAX blue-chip index on the Frankfurt stock market, SAP boasts a market capitalisation of almost $143 billion.

In third-quarter results released ahead of schedule Friday, the group reported 13 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue, to 6.8 billion euros.

Net profit grew 30 percent compared with July-September 2018, to 1.3 billion euros.

Bill McDermott, the American chief executive of massive German business software maker SAP, will quit after a decade in charge, the company said Friday. McDermott "has decided not to renew his contract and is stepping down from his position," SAP said in a statement, adding that he will be replaced by board members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-chief executives.

Bill McDermott, the American chief executive of massive German business software maker SAP, will quit after a decade in charge, the company said Friday. McDermott "has decided not to renew his contract and is stepping down from his position," SAP said in a statement, adding that he will be replaced by board members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-chief executives. The company did not give a reason for the longtime chief's sudden departure. He joined the software maker in 2002, climbing to the executive board in 2008 and serving as CEO since 2010. "Every CEO dreams of handing an exceptionally strong company to its next-generation... now we start the next chapter," McDermott tweeted. SAP said the veteran executive "will remain in an advisory capacity until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition". His contract had originally been slated to run until 2021. "SAP would not be what it is today without Bill McDermott," supervisory board chairman Hasso Plattner said. He singled out for praise SAP's transition from selling traditional software licenses to subscriptions to cloud computing services, "which will fuel our growth for many years to come". A member of the DAX blue-chip index on the Frankfurt stock market, SAP boasts a market capitalisation of almost $143 billion. In third-quarter results released ahead of schedule Friday, the group reported 13 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue, to 6.8 billion euros. Net profit grew 30 percent compared with July-September 2018, to 1.3 billion euros.

Chief executive of German business software group SAP steps down

Injury-decimated&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;squandered a&nbsp;two-goal&nbsp;lead&nbsp;to&nbsp;draw&nbsp;2-2 with&nbsp;Argentina&nbsp;thanks to Lucas Ocampos's 85th-minute equaliser in a friendly on Wednesday.

The Germans, missing a dozen players and without a single world champion in the starting line-up for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final, fielded a callow team including newcomers Robin Koch and Luca Waldschmidt.

What they lacked in experience, however, they made up for in enthusiasm in the first half with Serge Gnabry continuing his prolific run with his 10th&nbsp;goal&nbsp;in his 11th international, stabbing the hosts ahead after quarter of an hour.

Gnabry turned provider seven minutes later when he found Kai Havertz in the box to complete a quick move.

Marcel Halstenberg rattled the crossbar with a stunning left-footed free-kick as did&nbsp;Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul with a long-range effort.

Argentina, without suspended world footballer of the year Lionel Messi as well as Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero, cut the deficit in the 66th minute through substitute Lucas Alario who instantly added more pace to their game.

The Germans, who had four players making their debuts, gradually ran out of steam and the visitors completed their comeback when Alario charged into the box to lay off for Ocampos to equalise.

Germany&nbsp;next take on Estonia in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday.

Injury-decimated Germany squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina thanks to Lucas Ocampos's 85th-minute equaliser in a friendly on Wednesday. The Germans, missing a dozen players and without a single world champion in the starting line-up for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final, fielded a callow team including newcomers Robin Koch and Luca Waldschmidt.

Injury-decimated Germany squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina thanks to Lucas Ocampos's 85th-minute equaliser in a friendly on Wednesday. The Germans, missing a dozen players and without a single world champion in the starting line-up for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final, fielded a callow team including newcomers Robin Koch and Luca Waldschmidt. What they lacked in experience, however, they made up for in enthusiasm in the first half with Serge Gnabry continuing his prolific run with his 10th goal in his 11th international, stabbing the hosts ahead after quarter of an hour. Gnabry turned provider seven minutes later when he found Kai Havertz in the box to complete a quick move. Marcel Halstenberg rattled the crossbar with a stunning left-footed free-kick as did Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul with a long-range effort. Argentina, without suspended world footballer of the year Lionel Messi as well as Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero, cut the deficit in the 66th minute through substitute Lucas Alario who instantly added more pace to their game. The Germans, who had four players making their debuts, gradually ran out of steam and the visitors completed their comeback when Alario charged into the box to lay off for Ocampos to equalise. Germany next take on Estonia in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday.

Germany waste two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina

A Gunman With A Head-Mounted Camera Live-Streamed Shooting Rampage In Germany. What Are Social Media Firms Doing?

Gravitas: Shooting In Germany Was Live Streamed

Two people were killed in a shooting in the eastern German city of Halle on October 9 and a suspect was arrested, police said, with broadcasters showing images of an alleged perpetrator dressed in combat garb including a helmet.

Shooting Incident in Germany; Terror probe begins

Shooting Incident in Germany: 2 Killed

A gunman who denounced Jews opened fire outside a German synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and killed two people as he livestreamed his attack.

Several German media outlets said the perpetrator acted alone on Wednesday in the eastern German city of Halle. He fatally shot a woman outside the synagogue and a man inside a nearby kebab shop.

Two other people were seriously injured, but regional broadcaster MDR said their condition was not critical.

Police said they had detained one person, reported by German magazines Spiegel and Focus Online to be a 27-year-old German named Stephan B. His full name cannot be published under German privacy laws.

Video broadcast on Amazon's gaming subsidiary Twitch showed a young man with a shaven head first reciting a short statement in broken English while sitting in a parked car.

"I think the Holocaust never happened," he began, before adding "feminism is the cause of decline in birth rates in the West" and mentioning mass immigration. He concluded: "The root of all these problems is the Jew", before embarking on his shooting spree.

A spokeswoman for Amazon said Twitch "worked with urgency to remove this content and will permanently suspend any accounts found to be posting or reposting content of this abhorrent act."

In the video, the man drove to the synagogue, found the gates shut and unsuccessfully sought to force the gates open. He then shot several rounds at a woman passerby.

"We saw via the camera system at our synagogue that a heavily armed perpetrator with a steel helmet and a gun tried to shoot open our doors," Max Privorozki, Halle's Jewish community chairman, told the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper.

"We barricaded the doors from inside and waited for the police," he said, adding that about 70 to 80 people were inside the synagogue observing Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement which is marked by fasting and solemn prayer.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, without citing its source, that when he was detained the suspect had a wound to the neck and that security authorities suspected he had attempted suicide.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government voiced outrage over the attack on Yom Kippur and urged tougher action against anti-Semitic violence.

Merkel visited a Berlin synagogue as around 200 people, some holding Israeli flags and candles, held a vigil outside. Merkel's spokesman tweeted: "We must oppose any form of anti-Semitism."

Rifat Tekin, who worked at the Halle kebab outlet, said he was making a kebab for two construction workers when a perpetrator threw an explosive at the restaurant before shooting.

"He was very calm, like a professional," Tekin told n-tv television. "He didn't say anything. He just kept coming and shooting ... I was hiding behind the salad counter."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent condolences to the victims' families and said in a Twitter post: "The terrorist attack against the community in Halle in Germany on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of our nation, is yet another expression that anti-Semitism is growing in Europe."

"I call upon the authorities in Germany to continue to work determinedly against the phenomenon of anti-Semitism."

Anti-semitism is a particularly sensitive issue in Germany, which during World War Two was responsible for the genocide of 6 million Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. Around 200,000 Jews live today in the country of around 83 million people.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the shooting was anti-Semitic, adding: "According to the federal prosecutors' office, there are enough indications that it was possibly a right-wing extremist motive."

Despite comprehensive de-Nazification in the post-war era, fears of resurgent anti-Semitic hatred have never completely gone away, whether from fringe, far-right neo-Nazis or more recently from Muslim immigrants.

Occasional past attacks have ranged from the scrawling of Nazi swastikas on gravestones to firebombings at synagogues and even several murders. In recent years, cases of assault or verbal abuse, in some cases directed against people wearing traditional Jewish skullcaps, have raised an outcry.

A gunman who denounced Jews opened fire outside a German synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and killed two people as he livestreamed his attack.

A gunman who denounced Jews opened fire outside a German synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and killed two people as he livestreamed his attack. Several German media outlets said the perpetrator acted alone on Wednesday in the eastern German city of Halle. He fatally shot a woman outside the synagogue and a man inside a nearby kebab shop. Two other people were seriously injured, but regional broadcaster MDR said their condition was not critical. Police said they had detained one person, reported by German magazines Spiegel and Focus Online to be a 27-year-old German named Stephan B. His full name cannot be published under German privacy laws. Video broadcast on Amazon's gaming subsidiary Twitch showed a young man with a shaven head first reciting a short statement in broken English while sitting in a parked car. "I think the Holocaust never happened," he began, before adding "feminism is the cause of decline in birth rates in the West" and mentioning mass immigration. He concluded: "The root of all these problems is the Jew", before embarking on his shooting spree. A spokeswoman for Amazon said Twitch "worked with urgency to remove this content and will permanently suspend any accounts found to be posting or reposting content of this abhorrent act." In the video, the man drove to the synagogue, found the gates shut and unsuccessfully sought to force the gates open. He then shot several rounds at a woman passerby. "We saw via the camera system at our synagogue that a heavily armed perpetrator with a steel helmet and a gun tried to shoot open our doors," Max Privorozki, Halle's Jewish community chairman, told the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper. "We barricaded the doors from inside and waited for the police," he said, adding that about 70 to 80 people were inside the synagogue observing Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement which is marked by fasting and solemn prayer. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, without citing its source, that when he was detained the suspect had a wound to the neck and that security authorities suspected he had attempted suicide. Chancellor Angela Merkel's government voiced outrage over the attack on Yom Kippur and urged tougher action against anti-Semitic violence. Merkel visited a Berlin synagogue as around 200 people, some holding Israeli flags and candles, held a vigil outside. Merkel's spokesman tweeted: "We must oppose any form of anti-Semitism." Rifat Tekin, who worked at the Halle kebab outlet, said he was making a kebab for two construction workers when a perpetrator threw an explosive at the restaurant before shooting. "He was very calm, like a professional," Tekin told n-tv television. "He didn't say anything. He just kept coming and shooting ... I was hiding behind the salad counter." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent condolences to the victims' families and said in a Twitter post: "The terrorist attack against the community in Halle in Germany on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of our nation, is yet another expression that anti-Semitism is growing in Europe." "I call upon the authorities in Germany to continue to work determinedly against the phenomenon of anti-Semitism." Anti-semitism is a particularly sensitive issue in Germany, which during World War Two was responsible for the genocide of 6 million Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. Around 200,000 Jews live today in the country of around 83 million people. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the shooting was anti-Semitic, adding: "According to the federal prosecutors' office, there are enough indications that it was possibly a right-wing extremist motive." Despite comprehensive de-Nazification in the post-war era, fears of resurgent anti-Semitic hatred have never completely gone away, whether from fringe, far-right neo-Nazis or more recently from Muslim immigrants. Occasional past attacks have ranged from the scrawling of Nazi swastikas on gravestones to firebombings at synagogues and even several murders. In recent years, cases of assault or verbal abuse, in some cases directed against people wearing traditional Jewish skullcaps, have raised an outcry.

Gunman kills two in livestreamed attack at German synagogue

German leaders were on Thursday to visit the scene of a deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-kills-two-in-livestreamed-attack-at-german-synagogue-254847">anti-Semitic gun attack </a>carried out on the holy day of Yom Kippur, as Jews demanded action to protect the community from the rising threat of neo-Nazi violence.

Two people were shot dead in the eastern German city of Halle on Wednesday, with a synagogue among the targets. The suspect, identified by media as 27-year-old German Stephan Balliet, filmed the assault and streamed it online.

The victims, a man and a woman, were apparently chosen at random when the assailant failed to gain access to the temple he had besieged with gunfire and homemade explosives, as the frightened congregation barricaded itself inside.

The rampage was streamed live for 35 minutes on Twitch, and eventually seen by some 2,200 people, the online platform said, in a chilling reminder of the mosque attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in March which was also played out online in real-time.

Police subsequently captured the Halle suspect after a gun battle that left him wounded.

Chancellor Angela Merkel joined a solidarity vigil at a historic synagogue in central Berlin late Wednesday, and firmly condemned the anti-Semitic rampage.

But Jewish leaders said that words were not enough, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joining calls for German authorities to "act resolutely against the phenomenon of anti-Semitism".

The head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany ripped into the authorities for failing to provide adequate security on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

"It is scandalous that the synagogue in Halle is not protected by police on a holiday like Yom Kippur," said Josef Schuster.

"This negligence has now been bitterly repaid."

Schuster was to join German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and local leaders in Halle at the synagogue ahead of a joint news conference.

Ronald Lauder, who heads the World Jewish Congress, also stressed the far-right threat. "The fact that 75 years after the Holocaust, such groups are gaining influence in Germany speaks volumes."

Germany has taken pride in the rebirth of Jewish life since the Nazis' World War II slaughter of six million Jews across Europe. The community has grown to about 225,000 thanks in large part to an influx from the ex-Soviet Union after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

&nbsp;

- 'We made it out' -

In a copy of a 35-minute video obtained by AFP the gunman filmed himself launching into a diatribe against women and Jews and denying the Holocaust, before carrying out the attack.

The video's authenticity has been confirmed by the SITE monitoring group but not by police.

The gunman also published an anti-Semitic "manifesto" online more than a week ago, according to SITE director Rita Katz, who said the document showed pictures of the weapons and ammunition he used.

In the video, he was seen trying to force open the synagogue door before shooting dead a female passer-by. He then tried unsuccessfully to blast open the gate of the Jewish cemetery with explosives.

The man was later seen shooting at a patron of a kebab shop about 600 metres (yards) away from the synagogue.

Jewish community leader Max Privorotzki, who was in the Halle synagogue, told the Stuttgarter Zeitung of the harrowing minutes as the site came under assault.

"We saw through the camera of our synagogue that a heavily armed perpetrator wearing a steel helmet and rifle was trying to shoot open our door."

Between 70 and 80 people were in the synagogue then.

"We barricaded our doors from inside and waited for the police," he said. "Then we carried on with our service."

&nbsp;

- 'Like a professional' -

Among those in the synagogue were 10 Americans, as well as several Israelis, who had turned up in Halle especially to join the small local population in celebrating Yom Kippur.

"We've made it out with our lives, in health and amazing spirits," wrote Rebecca Blady, a Jewish American community leader, who was in the synagogue.

An employee at the kebab shop, Rifat Tekin, meanwhile described the gunman as "calm like a professional".

"Maybe he has done this many times. Like me making a kebab, he's doing this -- like a professional."

Bild daily spoke to relatives and neighbours who described Balliet as a loner and computer junkie who lived with his mother.

Anti-terrorist prosecutors confirmed that they were taking over the probe. Investigators were combing his online traffic for clues to possible links to far-right networks.

Wednesday's shootings came three months after the assassination-style murder of local pro-migrant politician Walter Luebcke in the western city of Kassel, allegedly by a known neo-Nazi.

Luebcke's killing has deeply shaken Germany, raising questions about whether it has failed to take seriously a rising threat from right-wing extremists.

Seehofer last month warned of the rising danger of the violent far right, calling it "as big a threat as radical Islamism".

German leaders were on Thursday to visit the scene of a deadly anti-Semitic gun attack carried out on the holy day of Yom Kippur, as Jews demanded action to protect the community from the rising threat of neo-Nazi violence.

German leaders were on Thursday to visit the scene of a deadly anti-Semitic gun attack carried out on the holy day of Yom Kippur, as Jews demanded action to protect the community from the rising threat of neo-Nazi violence. Two people were shot dead in the eastern German city of Halle on Wednesday, with a synagogue among the targets. The suspect, identified by media as 27-year-old German Stephan Balliet, filmed the assault and streamed it online. The victims, a man and a woman, were apparently chosen at random when the assailant failed to gain access to the temple he had besieged with gunfire and homemade explosives, as the frightened congregation barricaded itself inside. The rampage was streamed live for 35 minutes on Twitch, and eventually seen by some 2,200 people, the online platform said, in a chilling reminder of the mosque attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in March which was also played out online in real-time. Police subsequently captured the Halle suspect after a gun battle that left him wounded. Chancellor Angela Merkel joined a solidarity vigil at a historic synagogue in central Berlin late Wednesday, and firmly condemned the anti-Semitic rampage. But Jewish leaders said that words were not enough, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joining calls for German authorities to "act resolutely against the phenomenon of anti-Semitism". The head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany ripped into the authorities for failing to provide adequate security on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. "It is scandalous that the synagogue in Halle is not protected by police on a holiday like Yom Kippur," said Josef Schuster. "This negligence has now been bitterly repaid." Schuster was to join German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and local leaders in Halle at the synagogue ahead of a joint news conference. Ronald Lauder, who heads the World Jewish Congress, also stressed the far-right threat. "The fact that 75 years after the Holocaust, such groups are gaining influence in Germany speaks volumes." Germany has taken pride in the rebirth of Jewish life since the Nazis' World War II slaughter of six million Jews across Europe. The community has grown to about 225,000 thanks in large part to an influx from the ex-Soviet Union after the fall of the Berlin Wall. - 'We made it out' - In a copy of a 35-minute video obtained by AFP the gunman filmed himself launching into a diatribe against women and Jews and denying the Holocaust, before carrying out the attack. The video's authenticity has been confirmed by the SITE monitoring group but not by police. The gunman also published an anti-Semitic "manifesto" online more than a week ago, according to SITE director Rita Katz, who said the document showed pictures of the weapons and ammunition he used. In the video, he was seen trying to force open the synagogue door before shooting dead a female passer-by. He then tried unsuccessfully to blast open the gate of the Jewish cemetery with explosives. The man was later seen shooting at a patron of a kebab shop about 600 metres (yards) away from the synagogue. Jewish community leader Max Privorotzki, who was in the Halle synagogue, told the Stuttgarter Zeitung of the harrowing minutes as the site came under assault. "We saw through the camera of our synagogue that a heavily armed perpetrator wearing a steel helmet and rifle was trying to shoot open our door." Between 70 and 80 people were in the synagogue then. "We barricaded our doors from inside and waited for the police," he said. "Then we carried on with our service." - 'Like a professional' - Among those in the synagogue were 10 Americans, as well as several Israelis, who had turned up in Halle especially to join the small local population in celebrating Yom Kippur. "We've made it out with our lives, in health and amazing spirits," wrote Rebecca Blady, a Jewish American community leader, who was in the synagogue. An employee at the kebab shop, Rifat Tekin, meanwhile described the gunman as "calm like a professional". "Maybe he has done this many times. Like me making a kebab, he's doing this -- like a professional." Bild daily spoke to relatives and neighbours who described Balliet as a loner and computer junkie who lived with his mother. Anti-terrorist prosecutors confirmed that they were taking over the probe. Investigators were combing his online traffic for clues to possible links to far-right networks. Wednesday's shootings came three months after the assassination-style murder of local pro-migrant politician Walter Luebcke in the western city of Kassel, allegedly by a known neo-Nazi. Luebcke's killing has deeply shaken Germany, raising questions about whether it has failed to take seriously a rising threat from right-wing extremists. Seehofer last month warned of the rising danger of the violent far right, calling it "as big a threat as radical Islamism".

German leaders to visit scene of deadly anti-Semitic attack

Bastian Schweinsteiger is welcome to join the Germany coaching staff, national team coach Joachim Loew said Tuesday just hours before the veteran midfielder announced his retirement on Tuesday.

"The time has now come and I will be finishing my active career at the end of the season," Schweinsteiger wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Time has now come: I would like to thank both, you and my teams <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBayern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBayern</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ManUtd</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChicagoFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChicagoFire</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/DFB_Team?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DFB_Team</a> and of course <a href="https://twitter.com/AnaIvanovic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnaIvanovic</a> and my family for their support! 
 
Thank you! <a href="https://t.co/jNSrXGNpxF">pic.twitter.com/jNSrXGNpxF</a>
— Basti Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) <a href="https://twitter.com/BSchweinsteiger/status/1181570718548598784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me."

The 35-year-old former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder has effectively hung up his boots as his current team Chicago Fire team failed to make the MLS play-offs.

Shortly before Tuesday's announcement on social media by Schweinsteiger, Loew said the midfielder could join his staff.

"We will always have a place for him," said Loew in Dortmund where Germany are preparing to host Argentina in a friendly on Wednesday.

"I don't know what his plans are," he said, adding "any player who has ever played in the national team, and has the goal of being a coach, is always welcome here to get a taste of what it's like."&nbsp;

Schweinsteiger's former national team-mate Miroslav Klose was briefly part of Loew's coaching staff, as a forwards coach, until last year's World Cup.

Schweinsteiger retired from the national team in 2016 after making 121 appearances.

Loew heaped praise on Schweinsteiger, who helped inspire a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final despite a cut under his right eye.&nbsp;

"Everyone has a picture of him in their heads: blood-stained in the Maracana (in the 2014 World Cup final), he got up again and again and gave everything.

"He is one of the greatest players in German history," enthused Loew.

"You could always feel his will to win. He was a great player and a great personality."

Bastian Schweinsteiger is welcome to join the Germany coaching staff, national team coach Joachim Loew said Tuesday just hours before the veteran midfielder announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is welcome to join the Germany coaching staff, national team coach Joachim Loew said Tuesday just hours before the veteran midfielder announced his retirement on Tuesday. "The time has now come and I will be finishing my active career at the end of the season," Schweinsteiger wrote on Twitter. The Time has now come: I would like to thank both, you and my teams @FCBayern, @ManUtd, @ChicagoFire and @DFB_Team and of course @AnaIvanovic and my family for their support! Thank you! pic.twitter.com/jNSrXGNpxF — Basti Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) October 8, 2019 × "Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me." The 35-year-old former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder has effectively hung up his boots as his current team Chicago Fire team failed to make the MLS play-offs. Shortly before Tuesday's announcement on social media by Schweinsteiger, Loew said the midfielder could join his staff. "We will always have a place for him," said Loew in Dortmund where Germany are preparing to host Argentina in a friendly on Wednesday. "I don't know what his plans are," he said, adding "any player who has ever played in the national team, and has the goal of being a coach, is always welcome here to get a taste of what it's like." Schweinsteiger's former national team-mate Miroslav Klose was briefly part of Loew's coaching staff, as a forwards coach, until last year's World Cup. Schweinsteiger retired from the national team in 2016 after making 121 appearances. Loew heaped praise on Schweinsteiger, who helped inspire a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final despite a cut under his right eye. "Everyone has a picture of him in their heads: blood-stained in the Maracana (in the 2014 World Cup final), he got up again and again and gave everything. "He is one of the greatest players in German history," enthused Loew. "You could always feel his will to win. He was a great player and a great personality."

Germany's World Cup star Bastian Schweinsteiger announces retirement

Several shots were fired Wednesday in the eastern German city of Halle, leaving two people dead as the suspected assailants fled, police said.

2 killed in shooting in eastern Germany, 1 arrested

The European Union's two most powerful leaders, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, will meet just days <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-brexit-minister-to-meet-eu-negotiator-thursday-london-254756">before a crunch Brexit summit next week</a> which Britain says is the last chance to secure an orderly departure from the bloc.

As the clock ticks down to the October 31 departure date, Brexit descended into a public row between London and Brussels this week as both sides position for another delay followed by an election or an acrimonious divorce.

After a Downing Street source said a Brexit deal was essentially impossible because German Chancellor Merkel had made unacceptable demands, the EU accused Johnson of playing a "stupid blame game".&nbsp;

Macron will meet Merkel at the Elysee Palace this coming Sunday to discuss European affairs ahead of the October&nbsp;17-18 EU summit and preparations for a Franco-German summit on October&nbsp;16, Macron's office said.

EU diplomats, though, are sceptical about the chances of a deal. Most expect Johnson to be forced to accept a delay to Brexit - a step that could ultimately lead to either a disorderly exit or the reversal of the entire Brexit endeavour.

"There will be no rabbit-out-of-the-hat solutions," one EU official told Reuters. "There will be more talks and more political contacts. But, for the time being, there is no breakthrough to be reported."

Johnson has repeatedly cast the EU summit next week as the last chance for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irish-pm-says-very-difficult-to-secure-brexit-deal-by-next-week-254692">EU to strike a deal or face the disruption of a no-deal Brexit</a> that would divide the West, threaten the unity of the United Kingdom and roil financial markets.

A week ago, he proposed a possible solution to ensure the border between the British-ruled province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland does not become a backdoor into the EU's single market and customs union.

The EU's cool reaction to his proposals indicates that, short of an unexpected last-minute breakthrough, Johnson will have to decide whether to accept another delay or to go for a no-deal Brexit and get around a law demanding the&nbsp;extension.

Johnson's Brexit

The EU's executive agreed on Wednesday with the assessment of the bloc's Brexit negotiator that the British proposals did "not represent a satisfactory solution", the bloc's top budget official, Guenther Oettinger, said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-ready-to-make-major-concession-on-brexit-deal-the-times-newspaper-254717">In the Brexit maelstrom where newspaper reports and contradictory tweets can send sterling into gyrations</a>, EU officials denied a report in The Times that the bloc was preparing a major concession to Britain to secure a Brexit deal.

"Unfortunately, no bold new offer is coming from the EU side at this stage," an EU official said while stressing that the bloc was not closing the door to more talks with Britain.

Britain's Brexit minister Steve Barclay was due to have lunch with EU chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, on Thursday "to check if there is any more flexibility on the UK side to head for a deal. For now, there seems to be none," a diplomat said.

Behind the rhetoric, the Brexit finale will ultimately be decided by Merkel, Macron, Johnson, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar - all of whom say they want an orderly exit.

Johnson and Varadkar could meet later this week.

With chances of a deal receding, the focus was turning back to British domestic politics where Johnson is under intense pressure from opponents to delay Brexit.

Anti-Brexit campaigners claimed victory after Scotland's highest court decided on Wednesday to wait before ruling whether to force Johnson to seek a delay to Britain's EU divorce date if he has not struck a deal in the next ten days.

British government lawyers had told the court that Johnson accepted that he must carry out the requirements of the law demanding a delay, even though he has publicly rejected asking for any further extension.

The European Union's two most powerful leaders, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, will meet just days before a crunch Brexit summit next week which Britain says is the last chance to secure an orderly departure from the bloc.

The European Union's two most powerful leaders, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, will meet just days before a crunch Brexit summit next week which Britain says is the last chance to secure an orderly departure from the bloc. As the clock ticks down to the October 31 departure date, Brexit descended into a public row between London and Brussels this week as both sides position for another delay followed by an election or an acrimonious divorce. After a Downing Street source said a Brexit deal was essentially impossible because German Chancellor Merkel had made unacceptable demands, the EU accused Johnson of playing a "stupid blame game". Macron will meet Merkel at the Elysee Palace this coming Sunday to discuss European affairs ahead of the October 17-18 EU summit and preparations for a Franco-German summit on October 16, Macron's office said. EU diplomats, though, are sceptical about the chances of a deal. Most expect Johnson to be forced to accept a delay to Brexit - a step that could ultimately lead to either a disorderly exit or the reversal of the entire Brexit endeavour. "There will be no rabbit-out-of-the-hat solutions," one EU official told Reuters. "There will be more talks and more political contacts. But, for the time being, there is no breakthrough to be reported." Johnson has repeatedly cast the EU summit next week as the last chance for the EU to strike a deal or face the disruption of a no-deal Brexit that would divide the West, threaten the unity of the United Kingdom and roil financial markets. A week ago, he proposed a possible solution to ensure the border between the British-ruled province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland does not become a backdoor into the EU's single market and customs union. The EU's cool reaction to his proposals indicates that, short of an unexpected last-minute breakthrough, Johnson will have to decide whether to accept another delay or to go for a no-deal Brexit and get around a law demanding the extension. Johnson's Brexit The EU's executive agreed on Wednesday with the assessment of the bloc's Brexit negotiator that the British proposals did "not represent a satisfactory solution", the bloc's top budget official, Guenther Oettinger, said. In the Brexit maelstrom where newspaper reports and contradictory tweets can send sterling into gyrations, EU officials denied a report in The Times that the bloc was preparing a major concession to Britain to secure a Brexit deal. "Unfortunately, no bold new offer is coming from the EU side at this stage," an EU official said while stressing that the bloc was not closing the door to more talks with Britain. Britain's Brexit minister Steve Barclay was due to have lunch with EU chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, on Thursday "to check if there is any more flexibility on the UK side to head for a deal. For now, there seems to be none," a diplomat said. Behind the rhetoric, the Brexit finale will ultimately be decided by Merkel, Macron, Johnson, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar - all of whom say they want an orderly exit. Johnson and Varadkar could meet later this week. With chances of a deal receding, the focus was turning back to British domestic politics where Johnson is under intense pressure from opponents to delay Brexit. Anti-Brexit campaigners claimed victory after Scotland's highest court decided on Wednesday to wait before ruling whether to force Johnson to seek a delay to Britain's EU divorce date if he has not struck a deal in the next ten days. British government lawyers had told the court that Johnson accepted that he must carry out the requirements of the law demanding a delay, even though he has publicly rejected asking for any further extension.

Germany's Merkel and France's Macron to meet ahead of crunch Brexit summit

At least two people were shot dead on a street in the German city of Halle on Wednesday, police said, with media and witnesses reporting that a synagogue and a Turkish restaurant were the targets.

"Early indications show that two people were killed in Halle. Several shots were fired," said police on Twitter, urging residents in the area to stay indoors.

Police had earlier said the "perpetrators fled in a car" before saying later that one suspect had been caught.&nbsp;

It was not immediately clear whether there were other assailants.&nbsp;

The central train station has been closed while the area is under lockdown, rail company Deutsche Bahn said.

According to Bild daily, the shooting took place in front of a synagogue in the Paulus district, and a hand grenade was also flung into a Jewish cemetery. Police could not be reached immediately for confirmation.

Jews around the world were marking Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, on Wednesday.

An eyewitness, Konrad Roesler, told news channel NTV he was in a Turkish restaurant about 600 metres&nbsp;away from the synagogue when "a man wearing a helmet and military uniform" flung a hand grenade at the store.

"The grenade hit the door and exploded," he said.

"(The attacker) shot at least once in the shop, the man behind me must be dead. I hid in the toilet and locked the door."

Speaking to NTV, a police spokesman said the motive of the suspect or suspects was not clear.

"We don't have any indication about the motive of this act."

'Big threat'

Wednesday's shootings came three months after the shocking assassination-style murder of local pro-migrant politician Walter Luebcke in the western city of Kassel, allegedly by a known neo-Nazi.

Luebcke's killing has deeply shaken Germany, raising questions about whether it has failed to take seriously a rising threat from right-wing extremists.

Investigators have been probing the extent of suspect Stephan Ernst's neo-Nazi ties and whether he had links to the far-right militant cell National Socialist Underground (NSU).

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer last month warned of the rising danger of the militant far-right, calling it "as big a threat as radical Islamism".

Seehofer said that police had uncovered 1,091 weapons including firearms and explosives during probes of crimes linked to the far right last year, far more than in 2017 when 676 were found.

At the same time, Germany has also been on high alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

At least two people were shot dead on a street in the German city of Halle on Wednesday, police said, with media and witnesses reporting that a synagogue and a Turkish restaurant were the targets.

At least two people were shot dead on a street in the German city of Halle on Wednesday, police said, with media and witnesses reporting that a synagogue and a Turkish restaurant were the targets. "Early indications show that two people were killed in Halle. Several shots were fired," said police on Twitter, urging residents in the area to stay indoors. Police had earlier said the "perpetrators fled in a car" before saying later that one suspect had been caught. It was not immediately clear whether there were other assailants. The central train station has been closed while the area is under lockdown, rail company Deutsche Bahn said. According to Bild daily, the shooting took place in front of a synagogue in the Paulus district, and a hand grenade was also flung into a Jewish cemetery. Police could not be reached immediately for confirmation. Jews around the world were marking Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, on Wednesday. An eyewitness, Konrad Roesler, told news channel NTV he was in a Turkish restaurant about 600 metres away from the synagogue when "a man wearing a helmet and military uniform" flung a hand grenade at the store. "The grenade hit the door and exploded," he said. "(The attacker) shot at least once in the shop, the man behind me must be dead. I hid in the toilet and locked the door." Speaking to NTV, a police spokesman said the motive of the suspect or suspects was not clear. "We don't have any indication about the motive of this act." 'Big threat' Wednesday's shootings came three months after the shocking assassination-style murder of local pro-migrant politician Walter Luebcke in the western city of Kassel, allegedly by a known neo-Nazi. Luebcke's killing has deeply shaken Germany, raising questions about whether it has failed to take seriously a rising threat from right-wing extremists. Investigators have been probing the extent of suspect Stephan Ernst's neo-Nazi ties and whether he had links to the far-right militant cell National Socialist Underground (NSU). Interior Minister Horst Seehofer last month warned of the rising danger of the militant far-right, calling it "as big a threat as radical Islamism". Seehofer said that police had uncovered 1,091 weapons including firearms and explosives during probes of crimes linked to the far right last year, far more than in 2017 when 676 were found. At the same time, Germany has also been on high alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years claimed by the Islamic State group.

Germany: Police say at least two killed in Halle shooting, country on high alert

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-urges-european-unity-30-years-after-prague-exodus-252914">The German government gave its blessing Wednesday to draft climate legislation</a>, even though it has been heavily criticised by environmentalists and scientists alike as an unambitious package.

"For the first time, Germany's climate goals are becoming legally binding," environment minister Svenja Schulze said in a statement.

"Germany missing its climate targets cannot happen again," she added after ministers admitted the country will not succeed in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) output by 40 per cent compared with 1990 by next year.

By 2050, the country should be climate neutral -&nbsp;a goal that "will for the first time be anchored in the law", said Schulze.

Over the coming decade, Berlin now targets greenhouse gas output to fall 55 per cent compared with 1990, while some 65 per cent of Germany's electricity should come from renewables.

To get there, ministers agreed to extend CO2 pricing from energy and industry -&nbsp;already regulated at the European Union level -&nbsp;to areas like transport and construction.

They will gradually raise the CO2 price each year from a low starting level of $11&nbsp;per tonne and allow a growing role for markets from 2025.

That represents "the economically most efficient way to reduce emissions and hit climate goals," the federal government said on its website.

On top of pricing, there will be subsidies for big-ticket items like electric vehicles or insulation and heating for buildings.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-to-commit-at-least-100-billion-euros-on-climate-action-250843">And the government will invest in electric car charging points, public transport and passenger rail</a>, as well as levying higher charges on short-haul flights.

Parliament must now debate and vote on the package that has been hammered out in weeks of talks between Merkel's conservatives&nbsp;and junior coalition partners the social democrats.

The parties were forced into action as unusually hot and dry summers, years of car industry emissions scandals and months of "Fridays for Future" marches by students shot the climate up the political agenda.

Speaking to ZDF public television, Schulze had argued for a "more gentle" climate debate, after days in which Extinction Rebellion protestors attempted to hobble road traffic in Berlin.

"Climate protection isn't just something for a few people, but for everyone," she said.

The German government gave its blessing Wednesday to draft climate legislation, even though it has been heavily criticised by environmentalists and scientists alike as an unambitious package.

The German government gave its blessing Wednesday to draft climate legislation, even though it has been heavily criticised by environmentalists and scientists alike as an unambitious package. "For the first time, Germany's climate goals are becoming legally binding," environment minister Svenja Schulze said in a statement. "Germany missing its climate targets cannot happen again," she added after ministers admitted the country will not succeed in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) output by 40 per cent compared with 1990 by next year. By 2050, the country should be climate neutral - a goal that "will for the first time be anchored in the law", said Schulze. Over the coming decade, Berlin now targets greenhouse gas output to fall 55 per cent compared with 1990, while some 65 per cent of Germany's electricity should come from renewables. To get there, ministers agreed to extend CO2 pricing from energy and industry - already regulated at the European Union level - to areas like transport and construction. They will gradually raise the CO2 price each year from a low starting level of $11 per tonne and allow a growing role for markets from 2025. That represents "the economically most efficient way to reduce emissions and hit climate goals," the federal government said on its website. On top of pricing, there will be subsidies for big-ticket items like electric vehicles or insulation and heating for buildings. And the government will invest in electric car charging points, public transport and passenger rail, as well as levying higher charges on short-haul flights. Parliament must now debate and vote on the package that has been hammered out in weeks of talks between Merkel's conservatives and junior coalition partners the social democrats. The parties were forced into action as unusually hot and dry summers, years of car industry emissions scandals and months of "Fridays for Future" marches by students shot the climate up the political agenda. Speaking to ZDF public television, Schulze had argued for a "more gentle" climate debate, after days in which Extinction Rebellion protestors attempted to hobble road traffic in Berlin. "Climate protection isn't just something for a few people, but for everyone," she said.

German government presses on with criticised climate law

A stolen truck ploughed into several cars in the centre of the German city of Limburg leaving a number of people injured, police said Tuesday, adding that the driver had been detained.

Police said it was too soon to speculate about a motive for the incident, which began when a man seized the truck at 5:20 pm (1520 GMT) on Monday.

"We currently do not have sufficient information about what was behind it," the police said.

The white articulated lorry slammed into around nine cars waiting at a traffic light opposite the courthouse in Limburg in western Hesse state, crushing them together.&nbsp;

Police said "around nine people were slightly injured," including the driver of the stolen vehicle.

Police staged a major deployment of officers and vehicles, with a helicopter circling overhead the city of 35,000, about an hour's drive from Germany's financial capital of Frankfurt.

The site was cordoned off by police and brightly lit up as tow trucks removed the damaged cars one by one.

'Didn't say a word'

The original driver of the truck, who was not named, was quoted by daily Frankfurter Neue Presse (FNP) as saying a man had "dragged" him out of his lorry.

He said the man, in his 30s with short dark hair and a full beard, had yanked open the driver-side door and stared at him wide-eyed before forcing him out of the vehicle.

"I asked him 'What do you want from me?'," he told FNP. "He didn't say a word."

The truck sped into the parked cars a few hundred metres (yards) further on and came to a stop on the central reservation of a six-lane road.

When the man behind the wheel of the truck emerged from the crash, several passers-by provided first aid, FNP said.

"The passers-by said the driver said 'Allah' several times" and spoke Arabic, FNP reported.

Police did not confirm this account.

Bettina Yeisley from Limburg, whose office is next to the scene of the crash, told FNP that she heard a loud bang and ran out onto the street with colleagues.

They found the man sitting beneath a tree, without knowing the circumstances.

"He was bleeding from the nose, his hands were bloody, his trousers torn. He said that everything hurt. I asked him his name and he said, 'My name is Mohammed'."

Authorities urged users of social media not to jump to conclusions on the motive.

"We are not ruling anything out," a spokesman for the state police force said, quoted by DPA said. "But we call on you: don't take part in speculation!" the regional police wrote in several tweets.

Germany has been on alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

The most deadly was committed in 2016 by 23-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, who killed 12 people when he stole a truck and ploughed it through a Berlin Christmas market.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic security watchdog, warned in April of an increased risk posed by IS fighters returning from Syria and northern Iraq.

Its director Thomas Haldenwang said that an estimated 2,240 Islamists with "terrorist potential" were living in Germany.

Last Thursday in neighbouring France, a Muslim convert who had reportedly started adopting increasingly radical beliefs stabbed four colleagues to death at Paris police headquarters.&nbsp;

A stolen truck ploughed into several cars in the centre of the German city of Limburg leaving a number of people injured, police said Tuesday, adding that the driver had been detained.

A stolen truck ploughed into several cars in the centre of the German city of Limburg leaving a number of people injured, police said Tuesday, adding that the driver had been detained. Police said it was too soon to speculate about a motive for the incident, which began when a man seized the truck at 5:20 pm (1520 GMT) on Monday. "We currently do not have sufficient information about what was behind it," the police said. The white articulated lorry slammed into around nine cars waiting at a traffic light opposite the courthouse in Limburg in western Hesse state, crushing them together. Police said "around nine people were slightly injured," including the driver of the stolen vehicle. Police staged a major deployment of officers and vehicles, with a helicopter circling overhead the city of 35,000, about an hour's drive from Germany's financial capital of Frankfurt. The site was cordoned off by police and brightly lit up as tow trucks removed the damaged cars one by one. 'Didn't say a word' The original driver of the truck, who was not named, was quoted by daily Frankfurter Neue Presse (FNP) as saying a man had "dragged" him out of his lorry. He said the man, in his 30s with short dark hair and a full beard, had yanked open the driver-side door and stared at him wide-eyed before forcing him out of the vehicle. "I asked him 'What do you want from me?'," he told FNP. "He didn't say a word." The truck sped into the parked cars a few hundred metres (yards) further on and came to a stop on the central reservation of a six-lane road. When the man behind the wheel of the truck emerged from the crash, several passers-by provided first aid, FNP said. "The passers-by said the driver said 'Allah' several times" and spoke Arabic, FNP reported. Police did not confirm this account. Bettina Yeisley from Limburg, whose office is next to the scene of the crash, told FNP that she heard a loud bang and ran out onto the street with colleagues. They found the man sitting beneath a tree, without knowing the circumstances. "He was bleeding from the nose, his hands were bloody, his trousers torn. He said that everything hurt. I asked him his name and he said, 'My name is Mohammed'." Authorities urged users of social media not to jump to conclusions on the motive. "We are not ruling anything out," a spokesman for the state police force said, quoted by DPA said. "But we call on you: don't take part in speculation!" the regional police wrote in several tweets. Germany has been on alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years claimed by the Islamic State group. The most deadly was committed in 2016 by 23-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, who killed 12 people when he stole a truck and ploughed it through a Berlin Christmas market. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic security watchdog, warned in April of an increased risk posed by IS fighters returning from Syria and northern Iraq. Its director Thomas Haldenwang said that an estimated 2,240 Islamists with "terrorist potential" were living in Germany. Last Thursday in neighbouring France, a Muslim convert who had reportedly started adopting increasingly radical beliefs stabbed four colleagues to death at Paris police headquarters.

Stolen truck slams into cars in Germany, several injured

German authorities on Tuesday were investigating the motive of a Syrian man who hijacked an articulated lorry and smashed it into cars stopped at a traffic light in the city of Limburg, injuring several people.

The public prosecutor's office said it had opened an attempted homicide probe against the 32-year-old suspect, whose name was not released.

"The investigation into what was behind the act is ongoing," the prosecutors said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We cannot comment on the motive in particular -&nbsp;we are pursuing all leads."

Unconfirmed media reports said the Syrian national arrived with the massive migrant influx to Germany in 2015 and that his residency permit had expired on October 1.&nbsp;

Germany has been on alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

The most deadly was committed in 2016 by a 23-year-old Tunisian,&nbsp;who killed 12 people when he stole a truck and ploughed it through a Berlin Christmas market.

However the authorities remained cautious.

German authorities on Tuesday were investigating the motive of a Syrian man who hijacked an articulated lorry and smashed it into cars stopped at a traffic light in the city of Limburg, injuring several people.

German authorities on Tuesday were investigating the motive of a Syrian man who hijacked an articulated lorry and smashed it into cars stopped at a traffic light in the city of Limburg, injuring several people. The public prosecutor's office said it had opened an attempted homicide probe against the 32-year-old suspect, whose name was not released. "The investigation into what was behind the act is ongoing," the prosecutors said in a statement. "We cannot comment on the motive in particular - we are pursuing all leads." Unconfirmed media reports said the Syrian national arrived with the massive migrant influx to Germany in 2015 and that his residency permit had expired on October 1. Germany has been on alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years claimed by the Islamic State group. The most deadly was committed in 2016 by a 23-year-old Tunisian, who killed 12 people when he stole a truck and ploughed it through a Berlin Christmas market. However the authorities remained cautious.

Germany probes motive of Syrian crash truck hijacker

German industrial orders fell more than expected in August on weaker domestic demand, data showed on Monday, adding to signs that a manufacturing slump is pushing Europe's largest economy into recession.

Contracts for 'Made in Germany' goods fell 0.6 per cent&nbsp;from the previous month, with demand for capital goods down 1.6 per cent&nbsp;the Economy Ministry said. The overall fall compared with a Reuters consensus forecast for a drop of 0.3 per cent.

"The German economy is in the midst of a recession. Today's data make that clear again," said Thomas Gitzel, an economist at VP Bank Group.

The economy shrank by 0.1 per cent&nbsp;in the second quarter, and recent data have pointed to continued weakness in manufacturing in the third quarter. Most economists define a recession as two straight quarters of contraction.

"The German government will probably come under growing pressure to give up its strict budget policy," added Gitzel.

The government has so far stuck to its balanced-budget policy, despite pressure from economists and other governments to spend more to boost flagging demand.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said last week that Germany would be able to cope with an economic crisis but added that he did not expect a downturn to be as bad as it was in 2008/2009.

"The weakness in demand in the industry continues," the Economy Ministry said in a statement accompanying Monday's data. "The industrial sector remains subdued for the time being."

Germany's export-reliant manufacturers are suffering from a slowing world economy and business uncertainty linked to a trade dispute between the United States and China as well as Britain's planned but delayed exit from the European Union.

Monday's weaker-than-expected data added to the sense of gloom around the German manufacturing sector.

A survey released last Tuesday showed the manufacturing recession deepened in September, with factories recording their weakest performance since the world financial crisis a decade ago.

Last Wednesday, leading economic institutes slashed their growth forecasts for the economy for this year and next, blaming weaker global demand for manufacturing goods and increased business uncertainty linked to trade disputes.

The institutes also called on Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government to ditch its budget policy of incurring no new debt if the growth outlook deteriorates. It has so far refused to do so.

Merkel's government has managed to raise public spending without incurring new debt since 2014, thanks to an unusually long growth cycle, record-high employment, buoyant tax revenues and the European Central Bank's bond-buying plan.

But with the economy slowing and tax revenues waning, the fiscal room to counter a recession is getting smaller. At the same time, Germany's borrowing costs have turned into premiums, which means investors are actually willing to pay the state a bonus for being able to lend it billions of euros.

German industrial orders fell more than expected in August on weaker domestic demand, data showed on Monday, adding to signs that a manufacturing slump is pushing Europe's largest economy into recession.

German industrial orders fell more than expected in August on weaker domestic demand, data showed on Monday, adding to signs that a manufacturing slump is pushing Europe's largest economy into recession. Contracts for 'Made in Germany' goods fell 0.6 per cent from the previous month, with demand for capital goods down 1.6 per cent the Economy Ministry said. The overall fall compared with a Reuters consensus forecast for a drop of 0.3 per cent. "The German economy is in the midst of a recession. Today's data make that clear again," said Thomas Gitzel, an economist at VP Bank Group. The economy shrank by 0.1 per cent in the second quarter, and recent data have pointed to continued weakness in manufacturing in the third quarter. Most economists define a recession as two straight quarters of contraction. "The German government will probably come under growing pressure to give up its strict budget policy," added Gitzel. The government has so far stuck to its balanced-budget policy, despite pressure from economists and other governments to spend more to boost flagging demand. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said last week that Germany would be able to cope with an economic crisis but added that he did not expect a downturn to be as bad as it was in 2008/2009. "The weakness in demand in the industry continues," the Economy Ministry said in a statement accompanying Monday's data. "The industrial sector remains subdued for the time being." Germany's export-reliant manufacturers are suffering from a slowing world economy and business uncertainty linked to a trade dispute between the United States and China as well as Britain's planned but delayed exit from the European Union. Monday's weaker-than-expected data added to the sense of gloom around the German manufacturing sector. A survey released last Tuesday showed the manufacturing recession deepened in September, with factories recording their weakest performance since the world financial crisis a decade ago. Last Wednesday, leading economic institutes slashed their growth forecasts for the economy for this year and next, blaming weaker global demand for manufacturing goods and increased business uncertainty linked to trade disputes. The institutes also called on Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government to ditch its budget policy of incurring no new debt if the growth outlook deteriorates. It has so far refused to do so. Merkel's government has managed to raise public spending without incurring new debt since 2014, thanks to an unusually long growth cycle, record-high employment, buoyant tax revenues and the European Central Bank's bond-buying plan. But with the economy slowing and tax revenues waning, the fiscal room to counter a recession is getting smaller. At the same time, Germany's borrowing costs have turned into premiums, which means investors are actually willing to pay the state a bonus for being able to lend it billions of euros.

German recession looms as industrial orders drop more than expected

Deutsche Bank&nbsp;is creating a new technology division in a strategy shift designed to reduce complexity and lower costs while transforming systems that have held back the bank for years.

The German lender's<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-congressional-probe-finds-possible-lapses-in-deutsche-bank-controls-report-247969"> legacy IT systems have been blamed in part for the bank's failure</a> to control costs and for its slow progress in keeping up with the wave of financial technology innovation across the industry.

Technology has long been a problem for Deutsche Bank. Former Chief Executive John Cryan complained in 2015 about "lousy systems" and "very slow processes", and former operations chief Kim Hammonds last year described Deutsche as "vastly complex" and the "most dysfunctional" workplace she has known.

The central technology division announced on Monday will be led by Bernd Leukert, overseeing tech security, data and innovation functions among others, the bank said in a note to employees seen by Reuters.

"At its heart, our technology strategy empowers our businesses to control 'what' is produced, while technology has control of the 'how'. In the past, the 'how' offered too much optionality and did not consistently follow group-wide architecture and tooling," it said.

The lender also established a board-level Technology, Data and Innovation Committee in May and has vowed to invest $14.2 billion&nbsp;in technology by 2022.

It will be doing so amid a technology arms race in banking. Research from UBS this year found that JPMorgan&nbsp;has budgeted $11.4 billion for technology in 2019 alone.

In its note to staff, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deutsche-bank-says-to-slash-18000-jobs-by-2022-233897">Deutsche Bank also said that moving systems to the cloud</a> would not happen overnight, meaning it would continue to invest in legacy infrastructure on which it operates today.

However, it pledged to continue to reduce the number of applications and barriers to technology functions.

"We have a bank-wide commitment to strengthen engineering expertise in the bank by increasing the share of expert internal technology staff," it said.

Deutsche Bank is creating a new technology division in a strategy shift designed to reduce complexity and lower costs while transforming systems that have held back the bank for years.

Deutsche Bank is creating a new technology division in a strategy shift designed to reduce complexity and lower costs while transforming systems that have held back the bank for years. The German lender's legacy IT systems have been blamed in part for the bank's failure to control costs and for its slow progress in keeping up with the wave of financial technology innovation across the industry. Technology has long been a problem for Deutsche Bank. Former Chief Executive John Cryan complained in 2015 about "lousy systems" and "very slow processes", and former operations chief Kim Hammonds last year described Deutsche as "vastly complex" and the "most dysfunctional" workplace she has known. The central technology division announced on Monday will be led by Bernd Leukert, overseeing tech security, data and innovation functions among others, the bank said in a note to employees seen by Reuters. "At its heart, our technology strategy empowers our businesses to control 'what' is produced, while technology has control of the 'how'. In the past, the 'how' offered too much optionality and did not consistently follow group-wide architecture and tooling," it said. The lender also established a board-level Technology, Data and Innovation Committee in May and has vowed to invest $14.2 billion in technology by 2022. It will be doing so amid a technology arms race in banking. Research from UBS this year found that JPMorgan has budgeted $11.4 billion for technology in 2019 alone. In its note to staff, Deutsche Bank also said that moving systems to the cloud would not happen overnight, meaning it would continue to invest in legacy infrastructure on which it operates today. However, it pledged to continue to reduce the number of applications and barriers to technology functions. "We have a bank-wide commitment to strengthen engineering expertise in the bank by increasing the share of expert internal technology staff," it said.

Deutsche Bank in strategy shift to address tech woes

Germany's foreign minister on Monday called for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-will-leave-eu-on-october-31-finance-minister-javid-says-252779">European unity</a> 30 years after thousands of East Germans escaped communism via the West German embassy in Prague.

As the Iron Curtain began to fall in September 1989, East Germans crossed the border into then Czechoslovakia, the only country to which they could travel visa-free, and sought the safety of the embassy.

On September 30, 1989, West German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher stepped onto the embassy balcony and told the refugees they were finally free -- a famous sentence drowned out by a chorus of cheers.

"No one in Germany will ever forget this moment, this speech," current German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Prague on Monday.

Speaking later at the embassy, Maas <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-commissions-juncker-says-britain-will-be-responsible-if-no-brexit-deal-252324">called on Europeans</a> to preserve their unity.

"We must not allow new ditches to be dug in Europe, be they between the east and the west or the north and the south," he said.

"How else are we to face the great global challenges like globalisation, climate change, digitalisation or migration?"

Genscher -- who himself escaped East Germany in 1952 -- convinced the hardline Communist regime to accept the mass exodus.

About 15,000 East Germans fled to the West via Prague before East Germany opened the iBerlin Wall dividing the city on November 9, 1989.&nbsp;

The entire Soviet bloc crumbled within two years, while former Czechoslovakia split in 1993 in two to form the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Genscher died aged 89 in 2016.

Maas said it made sense "to risk something for liberty, equality, democracy because none of these can be taken for granted."

"That applies today, in the era of populist seducers and nationalist ideologists, as much as it did back then," he added.

Germany's foreign minister on Monday called for European unity 30 years after thousands of East Germans escaped communism via the West German embassy in Prague. As the Iron Curtain began to fall in September 1989, East Germans crossed the border into then Czechoslovakia, the only country to which they could travel visa-free, and sought the safety of the embassy.

Germany's foreign minister on Monday called for European unity 30 years after thousands of East Germans escaped communism via the West German embassy in Prague. As the Iron Curtain began to fall in September 1989, East Germans crossed the border into then Czechoslovakia, the only country to which they could travel visa-free, and sought the safety of the embassy. On September 30, 1989, West German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher stepped onto the embassy balcony and told the refugees they were finally free -- a famous sentence drowned out by a chorus of cheers. "No one in Germany will ever forget this moment, this speech," current German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Prague on Monday. Speaking later at the embassy, Maas called on Europeans to preserve their unity. "We must not allow new ditches to be dug in Europe, be they between the east and the west or the north and the south," he said. "How else are we to face the great global challenges like globalisation, climate change, digitalisation or migration?" Genscher -- who himself escaped East Germany in 1952 -- convinced the hardline Communist regime to accept the mass exodus. About 15,000 East Germans fled to the West via Prague before East Germany opened the iBerlin Wall dividing the city on November 9, 1989. The entire Soviet bloc crumbled within two years, while former Czechoslovakia split in 1993 in two to form the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Genscher died aged 89 in 2016. Maas said it made sense "to risk something for liberty, equality, democracy because none of these can be taken for granted." "That applies today, in the era of populist seducers and nationalist ideologists, as much as it did back then," he added.

Germany urges European unity 30 years after 'Prague exodus'

&nbsp;Thomas Cook's German tour business filed for insolvency on Wednesday in a move aimed at separating its brands and operations from its failed parent and said it was in talks with potential new investors.

"Intensive talks over the last two days with strategic and private equity investors have&nbsp;shown us that the German branches of former Thomas Cook with its brands Neckermann Reisen, Oeger Tours, and Bucher Reisen have the chance to have a future," Thomas Cook GmbH said in a statement.

Britain's Thomas Cook, the world's oldest travel firm, collapsed earlier this week, sparking the largest peacetime repatriation effort in British history and a scramble for survival among many of its subsidiaries.

The German government said on Tuesday it would guarantee a 380 million euro ($418 million) bridging loan for the group's German airline, Condor, to keep it flying.

Condor and Thomas Cook GmbH, the second-biggest tour operator in Germany after TUI, are both independent units of the insolvent British parent company.

Condor is also expected to undertake insolvency proceedings under self-administration to avoid being entangled in the winding up of the parent company's financial affairs.

Thomas Cook's Nordic arm, meantime, has said it is looking for new owners, while Polish unit Neckermann Polska said on Wednesday it was insolvent.

Thomas Cook GmbH said it had filed for insolvency in an attempt to restructure the business in an orderly fashion and continue profitable operations. It added that a German court could appoint a liquidator as soon as on Wednesday.

The business, which serves around three million customers a year, said it had been weighed down by the weakness of its British parent and the impact of Brexit on the German business.

But Stefanie Berk, the unit's head, said she was optimistic the business would survive.

"We owe this to our long-standing customers, committed employees and other partners who have supported us so much over the years and in the last difficult weeks," Berk said.

The German regional state of Hesse, which has provided help to Condor, said on Wednesday it stood ready to offer financial assistance to Thomas Cook GmbH and would discuss the matter with the federal government.

Trade union Verdi called for efforts to save the German business and its 2,000 employees, noting that thousands of travel agencies in the country were dependent on its survival.

Thomas Cook Austria, which belongs to the German unit, also filed for insolvency on Wednesday, with the aim of continuing in business.

Thomas Cook's German tour business filed for insolvency on Wednesday in a move aimed at separating its brands and operations from its failed parent and said it was in talks with potential new investors.

Thomas Cook's German tour business filed for insolvency on Wednesday in a move aimed at separating its brands and operations from its failed parent and said it was in talks with potential new investors. "Intensive talks over the last two days with strategic and private equity investors have shown us that the German branches of former Thomas Cook with its brands Neckermann Reisen, Oeger Tours, and Bucher Reisen have the chance to have a future," Thomas Cook GmbH said in a statement. Britain's Thomas Cook, the world's oldest travel firm, collapsed earlier this week, sparking the largest peacetime repatriation effort in British history and a scramble for survival among many of its subsidiaries. The German government said on Tuesday it would guarantee a 380 million euro ($418 million) bridging loan for the group's German airline, Condor, to keep it flying. Condor and Thomas Cook GmbH, the second-biggest tour operator in Germany after TUI, are both independent units of the insolvent British parent company. Condor is also expected to undertake insolvency proceedings under self-administration to avoid being entangled in the winding up of the parent company's financial affairs. Thomas Cook's Nordic arm, meantime, has said it is looking for new owners, while Polish unit Neckermann Polska said on Wednesday it was insolvent. Thomas Cook GmbH said it had filed for insolvency in an attempt to restructure the business in an orderly fashion and continue profitable operations. It added that a German court could appoint a liquidator as soon as on Wednesday. The business, which serves around three million customers a year, said it had been weighed down by the weakness of its British parent and the impact of Brexit on the German business. But Stefanie Berk, the unit's head, said she was optimistic the business would survive. "We owe this to our long-standing customers, committed employees and other partners who have supported us so much over the years and in the last difficult weeks," Berk said. The German regional state of Hesse, which has provided help to Condor, said on Wednesday it stood ready to offer financial assistance to Thomas Cook GmbH and would discuss the matter with the federal government. Trade union Verdi called for efforts to save the German business and its 2,000 employees, noting that thousands of travel agencies in the country were dependent on its survival. Thomas Cook Austria, which belongs to the German unit, also filed for insolvency on Wednesday, with the aim of continuing in business.

Thomas Cook Germany in rescue talks with investors

The European Parliament on Tuesday approved <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/christine-lagarde-resigns-as-international-monetary-fund-chief-starting-race-for-her-successor-236536">outgoing IMF chief</a> Christine Lagarde as the next boss of the European Central Bank, which last week announced massive stimulus for the sluggish eurozone despite divisions among its governors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lagarde-temporarily-steps-down-as-imf-chief-american-economist-david-lipton-named-interim-leader-232570">Lagarde</a>, who was absent for the vote, won backing from 394 MEPs, with 206 votings against and 49 abstaining in a secret ballot.

Some criticised her not turning up.

The parliament's green light is just a recommendation.

The final decision on her appointment is up to EU leaders in a mid-October summit.

She is expected to easily clinch that confirmation as the leaders put her forward for the ECB post back in July.

Lagarde, a former French economy minister and head of the International Monetary Fund for the past eight years, is expected to largely follow the course set by departing ECB president Mario Draghi.

Draghi was hailed seven years ago for saving the eurozone from the debilitating crisis by vowing "the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes".

But his decision last Thursday to have the ECB intervene again with quantitative easing (QE) from November and a cut to the interest paid on banks' deposits deeper into negative territory has ruffled the feathers of some EU states.

Germany and the Netherlands notably accused Draghi of going too far. Sources told AFP that around 10 of the 25 ECB governors were against relaunching QE.

Draghi had underlined three challenges facing the ECB and its goal of price stability: a slowing eurozone economy, looming trade protectionism and Brexit, and the bank's degrading economic forecasts.

He is to leave his job to Lagarde after hosting a last monetary policy meeting in October.

The European Parliament on Tuesday approved outgoing IMF chief Christine Lagarde as the next boss of the European Central Bank, which last week announced massive stimulus for the sluggish eurozone despite divisions among its governors.

The European Parliament on Tuesday approved outgoing IMF chief Christine Lagarde as the next boss of the European Central Bank, which last week announced massive stimulus for the sluggish eurozone despite divisions among its governors. Lagarde, who was absent for the vote, won backing from 394 MEPs, with 206 votings against and 49 abstaining in a secret ballot. Some criticised her not turning up. The parliament's green light is just a recommendation. The final decision on her appointment is up to EU leaders in a mid-October summit. She is expected to easily clinch that confirmation as the leaders put her forward for the ECB post back in July. Lagarde, a former French economy minister and head of the International Monetary Fund for the past eight years, is expected to largely follow the course set by departing ECB president Mario Draghi. Draghi was hailed seven years ago for saving the eurozone from the debilitating crisis by vowing "the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes". But his decision last Thursday to have the ECB intervene again with quantitative easing (QE) from November and a cut to the interest paid on banks' deposits deeper into negative territory has ruffled the feathers of some EU states. Germany and the Netherlands notably accused Draghi of going too far. Sources told AFP that around 10 of the 25 ECB governors were against relaunching QE. Draghi had underlined three challenges facing the ECB and its goal of price stability: a slowing eurozone economy, looming trade protectionism and Brexit, and the bank's degrading economic forecasts. He is to leave his job to Lagarde after hosting a last monetary policy meeting in October.

European Parliament approves Lagarde as next European Central Bank chief

Thousands of climate protests target Frankfurt auto show. Watch video to know more.

Thousands of climate protests target Frankfurt auto show

Germany beat hosts Northern Ireland 2-0 on Monday with two goals in the second half to get their Euro 2020 qualification on track as they bounced back from last week's loss to the Netherlands to take over top spot in Group C.

Defender Marcel Halstenberg drilled the ball in three minutes after the restart following a lacklustre first half by the Germans, who lost 4-2 at home to the Dutch on Friday.

Serge Gnabry continued his impressive scoring run for Germany, netting in second-half stoppage time for his ninth goal in his 10th international, completing Germany's eighth consecutive win over Northern Ireland.

The win put Germany on 12 points from five games, ahead on goal difference of second-placed Northern Ireland, who suffered their first loss of the campaign as captain Steven Davis became their most capped outfield player with 113 appearances.

The third-placed Netherlands, 4-0 winners away to Estonia on Monday, are on nine points from four matches.

"We were under pressure to win after Friday's result and we had to overcome some obstacles in the first half," Germany coach Joachim Loew told reporters. "The Northern Irish attacked early and disrupted our game. After the break we did it better."

The Germans, missing half a dozen injured players, seemed to lack a clear game plan in the first half with plenty of passing but struggling to find ways to open up the Irish defence.

Loew's young team, looking to recover from last year's shock first-round World Cup exit and Nations League relegation, have not had enough match practice and it showed.

"We had never played before with this line-up," Loew said. "So we will need some patience because this a learning process."

Conor Washington had a golden chance to put the hosts ahead in the seventh minute when he pounced on a rare Toni Kroos mistake but fired straight at charging goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Timo Werner had the visitors' best chance before the break but his close-range effort was saved by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Germany looked to be feeling the effects of Friday's loss with the Irish working hard to stifle their attacks early.

"We managed to stop them building the game and got joy off pressing and winning the ball higher up the pitch," the hosts' coach Michael O'Neill told Sky.

"It's very difficult to do that against this level of opposition. I'm proud of what they gave."

Halstenberg eventually settled German nerves, timing his half-volley to perfection as he angled Julian Brandt's cross into the far corner just after the break.

They should have scored again in a scintillating start to the second half but instead had to wait until deep into stoppage for Gnabry to make sure of the three points.

Germany beat hosts Northern Ireland 2-0 on Monday with two goals in the second half to get their Euro 2020 qualification on track as they bounced back from last week's loss to the Netherlands to take over top spot in Group C.

Germany beat hosts Northern Ireland 2-0 on Monday with two goals in the second half to get their Euro 2020 qualification on track as they bounced back from last week's loss to the Netherlands to take over top spot in Group C. Defender Marcel Halstenberg drilled the ball in three minutes after the restart following a lacklustre first half by the Germans, who lost 4-2 at home to the Dutch on Friday. Serge Gnabry continued his impressive scoring run for Germany, netting in second-half stoppage time for his ninth goal in his 10th international, completing Germany's eighth consecutive win over Northern Ireland. The win put Germany on 12 points from five games, ahead on goal difference of second-placed Northern Ireland, who suffered their first loss of the campaign as captain Steven Davis became their most capped outfield player with 113 appearances. The third-placed Netherlands, 4-0 winners away to Estonia on Monday, are on nine points from four matches. "We were under pressure to win after Friday's result and we had to overcome some obstacles in the first half," Germany coach Joachim Loew told reporters. "The Northern Irish attacked early and disrupted our game. After the break we did it better." The Germans, missing half a dozen injured players, seemed to lack a clear game plan in the first half with plenty of passing but struggling to find ways to open up the Irish defence. Loew's young team, looking to recover from last year's shock first-round World Cup exit and Nations League relegation, have not had enough match practice and it showed. "We had never played before with this line-up," Loew said. "So we will need some patience because this a learning process." Conor Washington had a golden chance to put the hosts ahead in the seventh minute when he pounced on a rare Toni Kroos mistake but fired straight at charging goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Timo Werner had the visitors' best chance before the break but his close-range effort was saved by Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Germany looked to be feeling the effects of Friday's loss with the Irish working hard to stifle their attacks early. "We managed to stop them building the game and got joy off pressing and winning the ball higher up the pitch," the hosts' coach Michael O'Neill told Sky. "It's very difficult to do that against this level of opposition. I'm proud of what they gave." Halstenberg eventually settled German nerves, timing his half-volley to perfection as he angled Julian Brandt's cross into the far corner just after the break. They should have scored again in a scintillating start to the second half but instead had to wait until deep into stoppage for Gnabry to make sure of the three points.

Germany edge Northern Ireland to restore Euro 2020 order

Hong Kong activist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joshua-wong-poster-child-of-hong-kongs-umbrella-movement-227835">Joshua Wong</a> has met <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-foreign-minister-heiko-maas-meeting-with-hong-kongs-joshua-wong-disrespectful-china-248822">Germany's foreign minister</a> as he carries abroad his call to support the growing pro-democracy movement in the former British colony, a meeting slammed on Tuesday by China as "disrespectful".

Posting a photo of himself and foreign minister Heiko Maas on his Twitter account, the 22-year-old said they spoke on the "protest situation and our cause to free election and democracy in HK".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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In Berlin I spoke to Foreign Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/HeikoMaas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HeikoMaas</a> on protests situation and our cause to free election and democracy in HK. Anticipating further discussion with members of German Bundestag in coming days. <a href="https://t.co/y8VCUZrE6s">pic.twitter.com/y8VCUZrE6s</a>
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1171221980109885440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Beijing reacted angrily at their meeting during an event organised by Bild daily, saying "it is extremely wrong for German media and politicians to attempt to tap into the anti-China separatist wave".

"It is disrespectful of China's sovereignty and interference in China's internal affairs," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

"I want to stress once again that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. No foreign government, organisation or individual has the right to intervene," Hua said, adding that Beijing "strongly disapproves" of the meeting.

Wong, a prominent face in Hong Kong's growing pro-democracy protests, planned to hold talks with other German politicians during his visit to Berlin.

But there are no plans for Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet him, said her spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-protests-chief-carrie-lam-warns-us-over-interference-248765/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

The activist's visit came on the heels of Merkel's trip to China, where she stressed Friday that the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong "must be guaranteed", after meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.

Ahead of her three-day visit to China, demonstrators in the semi-autonomous city appealed to the German chancellor to support them in her meetings with China's leadership.

Wong himself had written an open letter to Merkel, seeking her backing.

'Hong Kong the new Berlin'

 
Germany has emerged as a country of refuge for many Chinese dissidents in recent years, including Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel dissident Liu Xiaobo.

In May, two former Hong Kong independence activists were granted refugee status in Germany in what is one of the first cases of dissenters from the enclave receiving such protection.

Wong had arrived in Berlin late Monday after he was briefly detained in Hong Kong just before his departure to Germany following an error in his bail conditions from previous detention.

He was among several prominent democracy advocates held late last month in a roundup by police as the city reels from more than three months of unprecedented pro-democracy protests.

Bild reported that Wong turned up late at the event is organised, but was still able to meet Maas at the gathering.

In a brief speech at the event, Wong vowed to "protest until the day that we have free elections".

"If we are now in a new Cold War, Hong Kong is the new Berlin," he said, referring to the post-war split between communist East Berlin and the democratic West.

"'Stand with Hong Kong' is much more than just a mere slogan, we urge the free world to stand together with us in resisting the autocratic Chinese regime," he added.

Wong was due to hold a public discussion on Wednesday evening at Humboldt University in Berlin and later travel to the United States.

He launched his career as an activist at just 12 years old and became the poster child of the huge pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement" protests of 2014 that failed to win any concessions from Beijing.

Wong has previously been jailed for involvement in those protests.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has met Germany's foreign minister as he carries abroad his call to support the growing pro-democracy movement in the former British colony, a meeting slammed on Tuesday by China as "disrespectful".

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has met Germany's foreign minister as he carries abroad his call to support the growing pro-democracy movement in the former British colony, a meeting slammed on Tuesday by China as "disrespectful". Posting a photo of himself and foreign minister Heiko Maas on his Twitter account, the 22-year-old said they spoke on the "protest situation and our cause to free election and democracy in HK". In Berlin I spoke to Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas on protests situation and our cause to free election and democracy in HK. Anticipating further discussion with members of German Bundestag in coming days. pic.twitter.com/y8VCUZrE6s — Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) September 10, 2019 × Beijing reacted angrily at their meeting during an event organised by Bild daily, saying "it is extremely wrong for German media and politicians to attempt to tap into the anti-China separatist wave". "It is disrespectful of China's sovereignty and interference in China's internal affairs," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. "I want to stress once again that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. No foreign government, organisation or individual has the right to intervene," Hua said, adding that Beijing "strongly disapproves" of the meeting. Wong, a prominent face in Hong Kong's growing pro-democracy protests, planned to hold talks with other German politicians during his visit to Berlin. But there are no plans for Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet him, said her spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday. Watch Video: The activist's visit came on the heels of Merkel's trip to China, where she stressed Friday that the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong "must be guaranteed", after meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing. Ahead of her three-day visit to China, demonstrators in the semi-autonomous city appealed to the German chancellor to support them in her meetings with China's leadership. Wong himself had written an open letter to Merkel, seeking her backing. 'Hong Kong the new Berlin' Germany has emerged as a country of refuge for many Chinese dissidents in recent years, including Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel dissident Liu Xiaobo. In May, two former Hong Kong independence activists were granted refugee status in Germany in what is one of the first cases of dissenters from the enclave receiving such protection. Wong had arrived in Berlin late Monday after he was briefly detained in Hong Kong just before his departure to Germany following an error in his bail conditions from previous detention. He was among several prominent democracy advocates held late last month in a roundup by police as the city reels from more than three months of unprecedented pro-democracy protests. Bild reported that Wong turned up late at the event is organised, but was still able to meet Maas at the gathering. In a brief speech at the event, Wong vowed to "protest until the day that we have free elections". "If we are now in a new Cold War, Hong Kong is the new Berlin," he said, referring to the post-war split between communist East Berlin and the democratic West. "'Stand with Hong Kong' is much more than just a mere slogan, we urge the free world to stand together with us in resisting the autocratic Chinese regime," he added. Wong was due to hold a public discussion on Wednesday evening at Humboldt University in Berlin and later travel to the United States. He launched his career as an activist at just 12 years old and became the poster child of the huge pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement" protests of 2014 that failed to win any concessions from Beijing. Wong has previously been jailed for involvement in those protests.

Wrong for German politicians to tap into anti-China separatist wave: China on Joshua Wong's meeting with foreign minister Heiko Maas

&nbsp;Netherlands scored four times in 32 second-half minutes to secure a remarkable 4-2 comeback victory against hosts Germany in their Euro 2020 Group C qualifier on Friday.

Goals from Frenkie de Jong, a Jonathan Tah own goal, Donyell Malen and Georginio Wijnaldum wrapped up the win after Serge Gnabry had given the hosts an early lead and Toni Kroos had pulled them level at 2-2 with a controversial penalty.

The result leaves Germany on nine points from four games, three behind leaders Northern Ireland, who they face on Monday in Belfast. The Netherlands move to six points from three games and next face bottom side Estonia.

It was a winning return to Hamburg for Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, who won in the port city against the Germans as a player during Euro' 88, and a clear mark of his team's improvement after they failed to reach the last two major tournaments.

"I told my players (at halftime) to stay in the game, not to give them so much space, control the ball better," Koeman told reporters. "That we should just keep going and we would get our chances. In the second half the Germans looked more tired and we benefited from that."

"Overall we worked harder than Germany for this victory," he said.

Joachim Loew's Germany side, undergoing their own overhaul after a disappointing 2018 World Cup first-round exit and Nations League relegation, got off to a good start with Gnabry scoring on the rebound in the ninth minute.

There was little to be seen in terms of attacks from the Netherlands but that changed after the break.

Dutch fightback&nbsp;

They turned the game around within seven minutes, first scoring through De Jong in the 59th and then taking the lead courtesy of Tah's unfortunate own goal.

The Germans, missing several injured players, including Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka, were struggling with the Dutch pace down the wings and were lucky to level with a 73rd minute Kroos penalty after Matthijs de Ligt accidentally handled.

There is no video replay for referees in the qualifiers.

The visitors got revenge for their 3-2 loss in Amsterdam in March, striking through debutant Malen in the 79th after a quick combination left the German defence frozen.

Wijnaldum completed the victory in stoppage time and ended Germany's 14-match winning run in World Cup and Euro qualifiers.

"We played below our skill level and abilities," Loew told reporters. "The Dutch were the better team and we deserved to lose. We went ahead but I never had the feeling that we were in control of the game.

"The Dutch kept pressing and then we ended up playing high balls. That is not how we had planned to play. We will now need to analyse this game and draw our conclusions,"

Belarus earned a stoppage-time 2-1 win at Estonia to claim their first points in the other game in the group on Friday.

Netherlands scored four times in 32 second-half minutes to secure a remarkable 4-2 comeback victory against hosts Germany in their Euro 2020 Group C qualifier on Friday.

Netherlands scored four times in 32 second-half minutes to secure a remarkable 4-2 comeback victory against hosts Germany in their Euro 2020 Group C qualifier on Friday. Goals from Frenkie de Jong, a Jonathan Tah own goal, Donyell Malen and Georginio Wijnaldum wrapped up the win after Serge Gnabry had given the hosts an early lead and Toni Kroos had pulled them level at 2-2 with a controversial penalty. The result leaves Germany on nine points from four games, three behind leaders Northern Ireland, who they face on Monday in Belfast. The Netherlands move to six points from three games and next face bottom side Estonia. It was a winning return to Hamburg for Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, who won in the port city against the Germans as a player during Euro' 88, and a clear mark of his team's improvement after they failed to reach the last two major tournaments. "I told my players (at halftime) to stay in the game, not to give them so much space, control the ball better," Koeman told reporters. "That we should just keep going and we would get our chances. In the second half the Germans looked more tired and we benefited from that." "Overall we worked harder than Germany for this victory," he said. Joachim Loew's Germany side, undergoing their own overhaul after a disappointing 2018 World Cup first-round exit and Nations League relegation, got off to a good start with Gnabry scoring on the rebound in the ninth minute. There was little to be seen in terms of attacks from the Netherlands but that changed after the break. Dutch fightback They turned the game around within seven minutes, first scoring through De Jong in the 59th and then taking the lead courtesy of Tah's unfortunate own goal. The Germans, missing several injured players, including Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka, were struggling with the Dutch pace down the wings and were lucky to level with a 73rd minute Kroos penalty after Matthijs de Ligt accidentally handled. There is no video replay for referees in the qualifiers. The visitors got revenge for their 3-2 loss in Amsterdam in March, striking through debutant Malen in the 79th after a quick combination left the German defence frozen. Wijnaldum completed the victory in stoppage time and ended Germany's 14-match winning run in World Cup and Euro qualifiers. "We played below our skill level and abilities," Loew told reporters. "The Dutch were the better team and we deserved to lose. We went ahead but I never had the feeling that we were in control of the game. "The Dutch kept pressing and then we ended up playing high balls. That is not how we had planned to play. We will now need to analyse this game and draw our conclusions," Belarus earned a stoppage-time 2-1 win at Estonia to claim their first points in the other game in the group on Friday.

Netherlands shock stunned Germany in 4-2 comeback win

Germany plans to ban single-use plastic bags from next year, joining a growing movement to fight global pollution, the environment minister said Friday.

Supermarkets and other retailers will be barred from offering lightweight plastic carrier bags at their checkouts, including those now marketed as being biodegradable or being made from renewable sources instead of petroleum.

"The vast majority of Germans want this ban," said Environment Minister Svenja Schulze of the centre-left Social Democrats, introducing the initiative that she hopes to soon turn into law.

Breaches of the ban, set to take effect in the first half of next year, would threaten businesses with fines of up to 100,000 euros ($110,000), according to a report by Bild newspaper.&nbsp;

Plastic pollution, especially in waterways and oceans, is a major ecological hazard as it injures or kills marine and bird life, fouls beaches and creates giant floating garbage patches in oceans.

Scientists warn that, as plastic slowly breaks down, the micro-particles enter food chains and end up in humans, with studies showing toxic traces in the waste of people in Europe and Asia.

Germany plans to ban single-use plastic bags from next year, joining a growing movement to fight global pollution, the environment minister said Friday. Supermarkets and other retailers will be barred from offering lightweight plastic carrier bags at their checkouts, including those now marketed as being biodegradable or being made from renewable sources instead of petroleum.

Germany plans to ban single-use plastic bags from next year, joining a growing movement to fight global pollution, the environment minister said Friday. Supermarkets and other retailers will be barred from offering lightweight plastic carrier bags at their checkouts, including those now marketed as being biodegradable or being made from renewable sources instead of petroleum. "The vast majority of Germans want this ban," said Environment Minister Svenja Schulze of the centre-left Social Democrats, introducing the initiative that she hopes to soon turn into law. Breaches of the ban, set to take effect in the first half of next year, would threaten businesses with fines of up to 100,000 euros ($110,000), according to a report by Bild newspaper. Plastic pollution, especially in waterways and oceans, is a major ecological hazard as it injures or kills marine and bird life, fouls beaches and creates giant floating garbage patches in oceans. Scientists warn that, as plastic slowly breaks down, the micro-particles enter food chains and end up in humans, with studies showing toxic traces in the waste of people in Europe and Asia.

Germany plans to ban single-use plastic shopping bags next year

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will announce a new step in scaling back its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-warns-of-further-retreat-from-nuclear-deal-if-no-european-action-by-thursday-247504">nuclear commitments</a> by Thursday despite a diplomatic push for relief from US sanctions.

Iran and three European countries- Britain, France and Germany, have been engaged in talks to save a 2015 nuclear deal that has been unravelling since the US withdrew from it May last year.

The efforts have been led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been trying to convince the US to offer Iran some sort of relief from crippling sanctions it has reimposed on the Islamic republic since its pullout.

"I don't think that we will reach a deal so we'll take the third step and we will announce the details today or tomorrow," Rouhani was quoted as saying Wednesday by the presidency website.

The Iranian president said the two sides were getting closer to an agreement on a way to resolve burning issues.

"If we had 20 issues of disagreement with the Europeans in the past, today there are three issues," he said.

"Most of them have been resolved but we haven't reached a final agreement."

Iran has hit back with countermeasures in response to the US withdrawal from the 2015 deal, which gave it relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

In July, it said it had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to beyond the maximum set by the deal. It later announced it had exceeded a cap on the level of enrichment of its stocks.

Iran has long been threatening to carry out the third step by Friday unless other parties to the deal offset the effect of US sanctions in return for its continued compliance.

A deputy foreign minister said Iran would resume full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if it is allowed to sell its oil or get a $15-billion credit line guaranteed by future crude sales.

Abbas Araghchi expressed doubt, however, that such a plan could be agreed by the deadline set by Iran for sanctions relief.

"Iran&nbsp;will return to full implementation of the JCPOA only if it is able to sell its oil and to fully benefit from the income from these sales," said Araghchi.

"The French proposal goes in that direction," the deputy foreign minister was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Araghchi, speaking days after leading an economic delegation to France, ruled out any renegotiation of the JCPOA but said Iran was open to talks on how to implement it better.

"Returning to full implementation of the JCPOA is subject to receiving $15 billion over a period of four months, otherwise the process of Iran reducing its commitments will continue," he said.

The 2015 nuclear deal was agreed between Iran and the so-called 5+1 -- UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany. 
&nbsp;

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will announce a new step in scaling back its nuclear commitments by Thursday despite a diplomatic push for relief from US sanctions.

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will announce a new step in scaling back its nuclear commitments by Thursday despite a diplomatic push for relief from US sanctions. Iran and three European countries- Britain, France and Germany, have been engaged in talks to save a 2015 nuclear deal that has been unravelling since the US withdrew from it May last year. The efforts have been led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been trying to convince the US to offer Iran some sort of relief from crippling sanctions it has reimposed on the Islamic republic since its pullout. "I don't think that we will reach a deal so we'll take the third step and we will announce the details today or tomorrow," Rouhani was quoted as saying Wednesday by the presidency website. The Iranian president said the two sides were getting closer to an agreement on a way to resolve burning issues. "If we had 20 issues of disagreement with the Europeans in the past, today there are three issues," he said. "Most of them have been resolved but we haven't reached a final agreement." Iran has hit back with countermeasures in response to the US withdrawal from the 2015 deal, which gave it relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. In July, it said it had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to beyond the maximum set by the deal. It later announced it had exceeded a cap on the level of enrichment of its stocks. Iran has long been threatening to carry out the third step by Friday unless other parties to the deal offset the effect of US sanctions in return for its continued compliance. A deputy foreign minister said Iran would resume full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if it is allowed to sell its oil or get a $15-billion credit line guaranteed by future crude sales. Abbas Araghchi expressed doubt, however, that such a plan could be agreed by the deadline set by Iran for sanctions relief. "Iran will return to full implementation of the JCPOA only if it is able to sell its oil and to fully benefit from the income from these sales," said Araghchi. "The French proposal goes in that direction," the deputy foreign minister was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Araghchi, speaking days after leading an economic delegation to France, ruled out any renegotiation of the JCPOA but said Iran was open to talks on how to implement it better. "Returning to full implementation of the JCPOA is subject to receiving $15 billion over a period of four months, otherwise the process of Iran reducing its commitments will continue," he said. The 2015 nuclear deal was agreed between Iran and the so-called 5+1 -- UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani set to make new cut in nuclear commitments

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday asked Poland's forgiveness for history's bloodiest conflict during a ceremony in the Polish city of Wielun, where the first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/80-years-since-world-war-ii-timeline-of-worlds-deadliest-conflict-246168">World War II </a>bombs fell 80 years ago.

"I bow my head before the victims of the attack on Wielun. I bow my head before the Polish victims of Germany's tyranny. And I ask forgiveness," Steinmeier said in both German and Polish.

Poland suffered some of the worst horrors of World War II: nearly six million Poles died in the conflict that killed more than 50 million people overall.&nbsp;

That figure includes the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, half of them Polish.

"It is the Germans who committed a crime against humanity in Poland. Anyone who claims it is over, that the national-socialists' reign of terror over Europe is a marginal event in German history judges that for himself," Steinmeier added in the presence of his Polish counterpart.

The line appeared to be a clear reference to the German far-right, whose co-leader Alexander Gauland once called the 12-year Third Reich a "speck of bird poop" in an otherwise glorious German past.

"We will never forget. We want to remember and we will remember," Steinmeier said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda for his part denounced Nazi Germany's attack on Poland, calling it "an act of barbarity" and "a war crime."

"I am convinced that this ceremony will go down in the history of Polish-German friendship," he added, thanking Steinmeier for his presence.

'Smoke, noise, explosions'

The heads of state will later tour the Wielun museum and meet with local survivors of the September 1, 1939 bombing.&nbsp;

"I saw dead bodies, the wounded... Smoke, noise, explosions. Everything was burning," Wielun bombing survivor Tadeusz Sierandt, 88, told AFP ahead of the anniversary.

The carpet-bombing came one week after Germany and the Soviet Union secretly agreed to carve up Eastern Europe between them by signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans attended a separate dawn remembrance Sunday in Westerplatte, where a Nazi German battleship opened fire on a Polish fort on September 1, 1939.&nbsp;

Hitler's attacks on Poland led Britain and France to declare war on Nazi Germany. On September 17, the Soviet Union in turn invaded Poland.

After the Nazis tore up the pact with Moscow, two alliances battled it out to the end: the Axis powers led by Germany, Italy and Japan and the victorious Allied forces led by Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States.&nbsp;

Later Sunday, US Vice President Mike Pence, Steinmeier and Duda will deliver speeches at a ceremony in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square, the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.&nbsp;

No Johnson, Putin, Trump

Though it has been 80 years since the war started, there are still unresolved matters according to Poland, which says Germany owes it war reparations.

A parliamentary commission is currently working on a new analysis of the extent of Poland's wartime human and material losses. Berlin, however, believes the case is closed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the Warsaw ceremony, but no other major world leaders are expected.

US President Donald Trump had planned to attend the war commemorations but cancelled at the last minute so that he could monitor Hurricane Dorian.&nbsp;

Also not attending are French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited -- unlike 10 years ago -- because of Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The Polish presidency had said the commemorations would be attended by around 40 foreign delegations, a few of them led by heads of state.

They include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whose partnership matters to Poland, which believes its security depends on Ukraine remaining outside of Russia's sphere of influence.&nbsp;

Duda said Poland wants neighbour "Ukraine to be closer to the European Union, to be closer to NATO" after meeting with Zelensky in Warsaw on Saturday.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday asked Poland's forgiveness for history's bloodiest conflict during a ceremony in the Polish city of Wielun, where the first World War II bombs fell 80 years ago.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday asked Poland's forgiveness for history's bloodiest conflict during a ceremony in the Polish city of Wielun, where the first World War II bombs fell 80 years ago. "I bow my head before the victims of the attack on Wielun. I bow my head before the Polish victims of Germany's tyranny. And I ask forgiveness," Steinmeier said in both German and Polish. Poland suffered some of the worst horrors of World War II: nearly six million Poles died in the conflict that killed more than 50 million people overall. That figure includes the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, half of them Polish. "It is the Germans who committed a crime against humanity in Poland. Anyone who claims it is over, that the national-socialists' reign of terror over Europe is a marginal event in German history judges that for himself," Steinmeier added in the presence of his Polish counterpart. The line appeared to be a clear reference to the German far-right, whose co-leader Alexander Gauland once called the 12-year Third Reich a "speck of bird poop" in an otherwise glorious German past. "We will never forget. We want to remember and we will remember," Steinmeier said. Polish President Andrzej Duda for his part denounced Nazi Germany's attack on Poland, calling it "an act of barbarity" and "a war crime." "I am convinced that this ceremony will go down in the history of Polish-German friendship," he added, thanking Steinmeier for his presence. 'Smoke, noise, explosions' The heads of state will later tour the Wielun museum and meet with local survivors of the September 1, 1939 bombing. "I saw dead bodies, the wounded... Smoke, noise, explosions. Everything was burning," Wielun bombing survivor Tadeusz Sierandt, 88, told AFP ahead of the anniversary. The carpet-bombing came one week after Germany and the Soviet Union secretly agreed to carve up Eastern Europe between them by signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans attended a separate dawn remembrance Sunday in Westerplatte, where a Nazi German battleship opened fire on a Polish fort on September 1, 1939. Hitler's attacks on Poland led Britain and France to declare war on Nazi Germany. On September 17, the Soviet Union in turn invaded Poland. After the Nazis tore up the pact with Moscow, two alliances battled it out to the end: the Axis powers led by Germany, Italy and Japan and the victorious Allied forces led by Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States. Later Sunday, US Vice President Mike Pence, Steinmeier and Duda will deliver speeches at a ceremony in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square, the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. No Johnson, Putin, Trump Though it has been 80 years since the war started, there are still unresolved matters according to Poland, which says Germany owes it war reparations. A parliamentary commission is currently working on a new analysis of the extent of Poland's wartime human and material losses. Berlin, however, believes the case is closed. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the Warsaw ceremony, but no other major world leaders are expected. US President Donald Trump had planned to attend the war commemorations but cancelled at the last minute so that he could monitor Hurricane Dorian. Also not attending are French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited -- unlike 10 years ago -- because of Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The Polish presidency had said the commemorations would be attended by around 40 foreign delegations, a few of them led by heads of state. They include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whose partnership matters to Poland, which believes its security depends on Ukraine remaining outside of Russia's sphere of influence. Duda said Poland wants neighbour "Ukraine to be closer to the European Union, to be closer to NATO" after meeting with Zelensky in Warsaw on Saturday.

Germany asks Polish forgiveness 80 years after WWII outbreak

Elections in two east German states on Sunday are set to yield a surge in support for the far right and raise the pressure on conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel`s Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners to quit her government.

Both Merkel`s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the SPD are expected to lose support to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Brandenburg and Saxony.

But polls show that the SPD will be the bigger losers when the voting ends at 1600 GMT. Exit polls are due then.

The AfD is harnessing voter anger over refugees and the planned closure of coal mines in the two regions and cast themselves as the heirs of the demonstrators who brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall three decades ago.&nbsp;

The SPD is almost tied with the anti-immigrant AfD in Brandenburg, where an unprecedented victory for the far-right party would amplify leftist voices in the centre-left party who want out of the coalition to rebuild in opposition.

The latest poll put the Social Democrats on 22%, just 1 point ahead of the AfD in Brandenburg, the state neighbouring Poland that has been governed by the SPD since German reunification three decades ago.&nbsp;

"Earthquake in the east, earthquake in Berlin?," headlined the Munich-based Merkur newspaper. "A resounding (SPD) defeat in the east would be grist to the mill of critics (of the coalition)."

The SPD has been run by an interim leadership team since their leader stepped down in June after painful losses in the elections for the European Parliament and support for the party nationally is at a record low of about 15%.

SPD delegates are expected to elect a new leader in December and the party has promised members to assess the partnership with Merkel`s conservatives at the end of this year.

Cracks in coalition

A coalition breakdown could trigger a snap federal election before 2021, an unappealing option for the SPD given that national polls have put Merkel`s conservatives first, with the Greens close behind and the SPD trailing on a par with the AfD.

Another option would be a conservative minority government, anathema to stability-loving Germans.

To tame opponents of continuing to serve in Merkel`s government, SPD leaders could demand painful concessions from the conservatives, such as generous state pensions for low-income workers and higher taxes for the rich.

This would anger many conservatives who prefer tax relief for companies and widen cracks in an unwieldy coalition that has been weakened by disputes over asylum policy, tax and pensions.

"The coalition is no end in itself for us," Ralph Brinkhaus, conservative leader in the national parliament warned the SPD in an interview with Focus Magazine. "We as conservatives are surely not going to bend over backwards just to reach 2021."&nbsp;

Merkel`s CDU has widened their lead over the AfD in Saxony, where they have governed since 1990.

But support for the conservatives in the state of 4 million people on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic is expected to fall by more than 7 points to 32% as they lose voters to both the AfD and Greens.

A humiliating outcome in Saxony is likely to renew debate among conservatives about whether CDU leader and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, aka AKK, is the right person to lead them into the next national election.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, widely seen as the most likely successor to Merkel who will not run as chancellor in the 2021 federal election, has seen her popularity slide since taking over as CDU leader last year after damaging gaffes.

"It`s going to be tough for AKK. She has to prove she is fit for the defence minister post. As CDU leader she would also be needed to deal with any SPD moves to leave the coalition," wrote the Berliner Morgenpost.

"Will her authority suffice? Her popularity is at the bottom and bad election results will lead to a discussion among conservatives about her future," the newspaper added.&nbsp;

Elections in two east German states on Sunday are set to yield a surge in support for the far right and raise the pressure on conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel`s Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners to quit her government.

Elections in two east German states on Sunday are set to yield a surge in support for the far right and raise the pressure on conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel`s Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners to quit her government. Both Merkel`s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the SPD are expected to lose support to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Brandenburg and Saxony. But polls show that the SPD will be the bigger losers when the voting ends at 1600 GMT. Exit polls are due then. The AfD is harnessing voter anger over refugees and the planned closure of coal mines in the two regions and cast themselves as the heirs of the demonstrators who brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall three decades ago. The SPD is almost tied with the anti-immigrant AfD in Brandenburg, where an unprecedented victory for the far-right party would amplify leftist voices in the centre-left party who want out of the coalition to rebuild in opposition. The latest poll put the Social Democrats on 22%, just 1 point ahead of the AfD in Brandenburg, the state neighbouring Poland that has been governed by the SPD since German reunification three decades ago. "Earthquake in the east, earthquake in Berlin?," headlined the Munich-based Merkur newspaper. "A resounding (SPD) defeat in the east would be grist to the mill of critics (of the coalition)." The SPD has been run by an interim leadership team since their leader stepped down in June after painful losses in the elections for the European Parliament and support for the party nationally is at a record low of about 15%. SPD delegates are expected to elect a new leader in December and the party has promised members to assess the partnership with Merkel`s conservatives at the end of this year. Cracks in coalition A coalition breakdown could trigger a snap federal election before 2021, an unappealing option for the SPD given that national polls have put Merkel`s conservatives first, with the Greens close behind and the SPD trailing on a par with the AfD. Another option would be a conservative minority government, anathema to stability-loving Germans. To tame opponents of continuing to serve in Merkel`s government, SPD leaders could demand painful concessions from the conservatives, such as generous state pensions for low-income workers and higher taxes for the rich. This would anger many conservatives who prefer tax relief for companies and widen cracks in an unwieldy coalition that has been weakened by disputes over asylum policy, tax and pensions. "The coalition is no end in itself for us," Ralph Brinkhaus, conservative leader in the national parliament warned the SPD in an interview with Focus Magazine. "We as conservatives are surely not going to bend over backwards just to reach 2021." Merkel`s CDU has widened their lead over the AfD in Saxony, where they have governed since 1990. But support for the conservatives in the state of 4 million people on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic is expected to fall by more than 7 points to 32% as they lose voters to both the AfD and Greens. A humiliating outcome in Saxony is likely to renew debate among conservatives about whether CDU leader and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, aka AKK, is the right person to lead them into the next national election. Kramp-Karrenbauer, widely seen as the most likely successor to Merkel who will not run as chancellor in the 2021 federal election, has seen her popularity slide since taking over as CDU leader last year after damaging gaffes. "It`s going to be tough for AKK. She has to prove she is fit for the defence minister post. As CDU leader she would also be needed to deal with any SPD moves to leave the coalition," wrote the Berliner Morgenpost. "Will her authority suffice? Her popularity is at the bottom and bad election results will lead to a discussion among conservatives about her future," the newspaper added.

'Earthquake' elections in east Germany could jolt Merkel's coalition

Germany's president asked for forgiveness for his country on Sunday for the suffering of the Polish people during World War Two as Poland marked 80 years since the Nazi German invasion that unleashed the deadliest conflict in human history.

Germany's president asked for forgiveness for his country on Sunday for the suffering of the Polish people during World War Two as Poland marked 80 years since the Nazi German invasion that unleashed the deadliest conflict in human history. The ceremonies began at 4:30am in the small town of Wielun, site of one of the first bombings of the war on September 1, 1939, with speeches by Polish President Andrzej Duda and his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Few places saw death and destruction on the scale of Poland. It lost about a fifth of its population, including the vast majority of its 3 million Jewish citizens. After the war, its shattered capital of Warsaw had to rise again from ruins and Poland remained under Soviet domination until 1989. "As a German guest I walk before you here barefoot. I look back in gratitude to the Polish people's fight for freedom. I bow sorrowfully before the suffering of the victim," Steinmeier said at event later in Warsaw. "I ask for forgiveness for Germany's historical guilt. I profess to our lasting responsibility." US Vice President Mike Pence paid tribute to the courage of the Polish people. "None fought with more valour, determination, and righteous fury than the Poles," Pence told the gathering of leaders that included German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. For some in Poland, the conflict and its commemorations are still a live political issue, just weeks before a national vote. For Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, the memory of the war is a major plank of its "historical politics", aiming to counteract what it calls the West's lack of appreciation for Polish suffering and bravery under Nazi occupation. Pence attended the ceremony instead of US President Donald Trump who cancelled his trip due to the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, a disappointment to the PiS government which is seen as one of Washington's biggest allies in Europe. Pence underlined that relationship, saying: "America and Poland will continue to call on our allies to live up to the promises we have made to one another." Trump and the PiS government share views on issues such migration, energy and abortion, but the Warsaw government faces mounting isolation in Europe over accusations that it subverts democratic norms. Despite the theme of the day looking back 80 years, present day politics was, as ever, to the fore. "We know that Europe needs to become stronger and more self-confident," Steinmeier said. "But we also know: Europe should not be strong without America - or even against America. Rather, Europe needs partners. And I'm sure America needs partners in this world too ... So let's take care of this partnership!" Election looming Poland was holding a series of commemorations during the day. Parallel events, attended by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and European Commission deputy chief Frans Timmermans, were held in the coastal city of Gdansk, site of one of the first battles of the war. Morawiecki spoke of the huge material, spiritual, economic and financial losses Poland suffered in the war. "We need to talk about those losses, we need to remember, we need to demand truth and demand compensation," Morawiecki said. PiS politicians have repeatedly called for war reparations from Germany, one of Poland's biggest trade partners and a fellow member of the European Union and NATO, and several onlookers yelled "reparations" after Steinmeier spoke. Berlin says all financial claims linked to World War Two have been settled but Steinmeier continued with his theme of responsibility. "Because Germany - despite its history - was allowed to grow to new strength in Europe, we Germans must do more for Europe," he said. Critics say the PiS's ambition is to fan nationalism among voters at a time when populists around the world are tapping into historical revisionism. PiS says the country's standing on the global stage and national security are at stake. Wartime remembrance has become a campaign theme ahead of the national election due on Oct. 13, with PiS accusing the opposition of failing to protect Poland's image. "Often, we are faced with substantial ignorance when it comes to historical policy ... or simply ill will," Jaroslaw Sellin, deputy culture minister, told Reuters. Opinion polls show PiS is likely to win the October ballot. The party's ambition is to galvanise voters and disprove critics by winning a majority that would allow it to change the constitution. Poland marks commemorates the outbreak of World War Two rather than its end because it fell under Soviet domination shortly afterwards.

Germany asks for forgiveness as Poland marks 80th anniversary of war

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