Angela Merkel will continue as chancellor of Germany. But following an <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/politics">election</a> that saw the rise of <a href="http://www.focus.de/politik/praxistipps/erste-hochrechnungen-die-aktuelle-prognose-zum-ergebnis-der-bundestagswahl-2017_id_7631195.html">smaller parties</a> &ndash; most notably the far right &ndash; her fourth term will probably be an eventful one in ways, she would not wish for.

The Union parties (Merkel&rsquo;s CDU and sister party CSU) finished in top place with just under 33%. They did nevertheless lose almost 9% over their previous election result of 2013.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), coalition partner to the Union parties, finished a distant second, with just over 20% of the vote. For the SPD, this is a historic low: almost 6% down on the last election. Party leader Martin Schulz failed to come up to scratch in a lacklustre campaign.

Four smaller parties have managed to meet the 5% threshold to qualify for seats in parliament.

The right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), achieved a dubious milestone in post-war German history. With a vote share of 12.5%, it will be the first overtly far-right nationalist party to enter the federal parliament.

The Left Party (die Linke) and the Green Party (B&uuml;ndnis &lsquo;90/die Gr&uuml;nen) made marginal gains to score 9% and just over 9% respectively. Big gains went to one party that had been more or less written off after the last election and to another that many commentators hoped never to see in parliament at the federal level. The liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) rose from the ashes to return to parliament under their charismatic new leader Christian Lindner. With 10.7% of the vote, the party more than doubled its tally of the last election.

Forming a government

The new government will need to control 316 seats in the parliament to achieve the majority needed to take office. While probably technically possible, a continuation of the current Grand Coalition (GroKo) between CDU/CSU and SPD now seems unlikely.

Having sent mixed messages before the election, the SPD declared after the close of polls that it aims to work as an <a href="http://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/bundestagswahl_2017/bundestagswahl-2017-im-live-ticker-wahlbeteiligung-bislang-schwaecher-als-2013_id_7631710.html">opposition</a> party in the new parliament.

With the AfD and die Linke ruled out of a CDU/CSU-based coalition on ideological grounds, this leaves the possibility of a so-called Jamaica coalition of CDU/CSU, FDP and the Greens (the parties&rsquo; traditional colours of black, green and yellow tally with the Jamaican flag). However, this option is no foregone conclusion and could prove very unpopular with voters.

All roads lead to Merkel

Despite the consistency of the polls over the past few weeks, an unprecedented number of German voters &ndash; <a href="http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/bundestagswahl/bundestagswahl-2017-entscheidet-die-taktik-der-waehler-15212740.html">around 40%</a> &ndash; remained undecided as late as a week before the election.

The uncertainty was palpable in an unusually nervy, volatile mood among the electorate. <a href="https://www.pocketstory.com/der-spiegel/sicherheit-und-wut">Psychologist Stephan Gr&uuml;newald</a> noted odd swings in public perceptions of the Merkel government&rsquo;s achievements. One minute Germany was a &ldquo;desolate land&rdquo;, the next an &ldquo;island of prosperity&rdquo;.

Germans are well aware of their relative prosperity in Europe but seem to have been traumatised by the impact of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41147362">migrant crisis</a> within their borders. Anxiety runs high over international tensions and there is a fear that Germany&rsquo;s economic security is under threat. At one level, people could hardly be bothered about the election. Even so, social media posts exploded with rage and Merkel&rsquo;s car was <a href="http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/bundestagswahl/merkels-wagen-mit-tomaten-beworfen-15190057.html">pelted with tomatoes</a> at appearances in the east &ndash; her home territory.

The voters sensed that a change was overdue but calculated that in practice all votes &ndash; other than for the radical outliers of the Left Party and AfD &ndash; would trickle back to Merkel. Ironically, the opposition parties fed the perception that there was no alternative to Merkel.

Before election day, all of the remaining mainstream parties &ndash; SPD, Greens and FDP &ndash; had seemed open to the idea of joining a coalition. With the Union parties bossing the polls at around 36% and the SPD well behind at around 22%, it was clear that any continuation of the GroKo would be led by Merkel, not Schulz.

Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, 56% claimed in polling that they would rather see her <a href="http://www.forschungsgruppe.de/Aktuelles/Politbarometer/">remain chancellor</a> while only 32% favoured Schulz. With neither the mainstream parties nor the voters daring to rock the boat, Merkel barely needed to campaign.

But now she faces another set of challenges before she can forge a new government. Before the election, it was thought that the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the likelihood that the vote of the other smaller parties would be squeezed, making a continuation of the crumbling CDU/CSU-SPD partnership unavoidable. Instead, it was the vote of the two main parties that was squeezed, apparently convincing the SPD that there was no future for it in a Merkel-led GroKo. Now Merkel must try to make a pact with two parties that will stretch the comfort zone of an already broad Union church.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84578/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Also, the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the pressure that the CSU, the CDU&rsquo;s more conservative and reactionary Bavarian sister party, can exert on the content of the government&rsquo;s coalition agreement and on future policy direction. Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CSU, had already announced his intention of driving the Union parties further to the right in the post-election coalition negotiations. The strident entry of the AfD into parliament will help him to justify his demands, including a more <a href="https://theconversation.com/angela-merkels-election-manifesto-attempts-to-rebrand-refugees-80447">rigorous immigration control policy</a>. With the CSU suffering a historic low of 38.5% &ndash; a drop of almost <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/csu-stuerzt-in-bayern-auf-niedrigstes-ergebnis-seit-1949-a-1169590.html">11% of the vote</a> &ndash; in its Bavarian constituency, it will be sure to press even harder for conservative reforms.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/angela-merkel-wins-a-fourth-term-in-office-but-it-wont-be-an-easy-one-84578">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Angela Merkel maintains her pre-eminence and leads to the challenging fourth term

Angela Merkel will continue as chancellor of Germany. But following an election that saw the rise of smaller parties – most notably the far right – her fourth term will probably be an eventful one in ways, she would not wish for. The Union parties (Merkel’s CDU and sister party CSU) finished in top place with just under 33%. They did nevertheless lose almost 9% over their previous election result of 2013. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), coalition partner to the Union parties, finished a distant second, with just over 20% of the vote. For the SPD, this is a historic low: almost 6% down on the last election. Party leader Martin Schulz failed to come up to scratch in a lacklustre campaign. Four smaller parties have managed to meet the 5% threshold to qualify for seats in parliament. The right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), achieved a dubious milestone in post-war German history. With a vote share of 12.5%, it will be the first overtly far-right nationalist party to enter the federal parliament. The Left Party (die Linke) and the Green Party (Bündnis ‘90/die Grünen) made marginal gains to score 9% and just over 9% respectively. Big gains went to one party that had been more or less written off after the last election and to another that many commentators hoped never to see in parliament at the federal level. The liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) rose from the ashes to return to parliament under their charismatic new leader Christian Lindner. With 10.7% of the vote, the party more than doubled its tally of the last election. Forming a government The new government will need to control 316 seats in the parliament to achieve the majority needed to take office. While probably technically possible, a continuation of the current Grand Coalition (GroKo) between CDU/CSU and SPD now seems unlikely. Having sent mixed messages before the election, the SPD declared after the close of polls that it aims to work as an opposition party in the new parliament. With the AfD and die Linke ruled out of a CDU/CSU-based coalition on ideological grounds, this leaves the possibility of a so-called Jamaica coalition of CDU/CSU, FDP and the Greens (the parties’ traditional colours of black, green and yellow tally with the Jamaican flag). However, this option is no foregone conclusion and could prove very unpopular with voters. All roads lead to Merkel Despite the consistency of the polls over the past few weeks, an unprecedented number of German voters – around 40% – remained undecided as late as a week before the election. The uncertainty was palpable in an unusually nervy, volatile mood among the electorate. Psychologist Stephan Grünewald noted odd swings in public perceptions of the Merkel government’s achievements. One minute Germany was a “desolate land”, the next an “island of prosperity”. Germans are well aware of their relative prosperity in Europe but seem to have been traumatised by the impact of the migrant crisis within their borders. Anxiety runs high over international tensions and there is a fear that Germany’s economic security is under threat. At one level, people could hardly be bothered about the election. Even so, social media posts exploded with rage and Merkel’s car was pelted with tomatoes at appearances in the east – her home territory. The voters sensed that a change was overdue but calculated that in practice all votes – other than for the radical outliers of the Left Party and AfD – would trickle back to Merkel. Ironically, the opposition parties fed the perception that there was no alternative to Merkel. Before election day, all of the remaining mainstream parties – SPD, Greens and FDP – had seemed open to the idea of joining a coalition. With the Union parties bossing the polls at around 36% and the SPD well behind at around 22%, it was clear that any continuation of the GroKo would be led by Merkel, not Schulz. Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, 56% claimed in polling that they would rather see her remain chancellor while only 32% favoured Schulz. With neither the mainstream parties nor the voters daring to rock the boat, Merkel barely needed to campaign. But now she faces another set of challenges before she can forge a new government. Before the election, it was thought that the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the likelihood that the vote of the other smaller parties would be squeezed, making a continuation of the crumbling CDU/CSU-SPD partnership unavoidable. Instead, it was the vote of the two main parties that was squeezed, apparently convincing the SPD that there was no future for it in a Merkel-led GroKo. Now Merkel must try to make a pact with two parties that will stretch the comfort zone of an already broad Union church. Also, the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the pressure that the CSU, the CDU’s more conservative and reactionary Bavarian sister party, can exert on the content of the government’s coalition agreement and on future policy direction. Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CSU, had already announced his intention of driving the Union parties further to the right in the post-election coalition negotiations. The strident entry of the AfD into parliament will help him to justify his demands, including a more rigorous immigration control policy. With the CSU suffering a historic low of 38.5% – a drop of almost 11% of the vote – in its Bavarian constituency, it will be sure to press even harder for conservative reforms. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Angela Merkel wins a fourth term in office ? but it won't be an easy one

When Angela Merkel first became Chancellor of Germany in 2005, she was a virtual unknown. Critics were sceptical about her staying power. There were confident predictions that she wouldn&rsquo;t see out the 100-day honeymoon period traditionally enjoyed by a new incumbent. Now, 12 years on, Merkel is undoubtedly the most powerful woman in the world and a symbol of continuity both at home and abroad. Yet remarkably little is known about her, what drives her and what explains her extraordinary resilience. So who is Angela Merkel and what explains her dominance of Germany&rsquo;s millennial years?

Within her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel&rsquo;s rise to political prominence was aided by two factors: she was both fiercely competent and inconspicuous. She was underestimated, even patronised, by party colleagues. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/16/helmut-kohl-ex-chancellor-and-architect-of-german-reunification-dies-aged-87">Helmut Kohl</a>, the long-serving CDU prime minister who presided over German unification, referred to her as &ldquo;the girl&rdquo; (das M&auml;dchen). He never seriously rated her as a challenge for his role.

<figure class="align-center ">
<figcaption>
When Kohl became embroiled in a <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/the-scandal-that-rocked-the-government-of-helmut-kohl/a-5137950" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">party funding scandal</a> it was Merkel who represented the new face of the CDU, free of the taint of past party sleaze. Kohl apparently <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/11920552/10-moments-that-define-German-chancellor-Angela-Merkel.html" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">never forgave her</a> for usurping him.
</figcaption>
</figure>

The appeal of the ordinary

Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, Merkel remains extraordinarily popular with the German public. Significantly, <a href="https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/deutschlandtrend-895.html">her popularity extends across all parties</a>.

Part of her enduring appeal lies in her unobtrusiveness. For a politician, she is, well, rather ordinary. Merkel has never felt the need to validate herself through a polished public image. She famously wears <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2012/oct/09/angela-merkel-jacket-pantone">the same jacket in a dizzying array of colours</a>, because it&rsquo;s easier than selecting new styles for every public appearance. Her groundedness and indifference to the trappings of the political high life have earned widespread respect.

Although entitled to live in a fine official residence at the Brandenburg Gate, she prefers to stay in a small flat she shares with her husband. When she has time, she cooks her own food. A keen football fan, the photos of her and president Joachim Gauck celebrating in the German national squad&rsquo;s dressing room after their <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/pictures/10965966/Angela-Merkels-World-Cup-German-Chancellor-joins-in-the-celebrations.html">2014 World Cup</a> win look natural and convincing.

In her understated way, Merkel conveys an image of a woman who can&rsquo;t be bought; who somehow remains outside the privileged elite. Both endearing and slightly demeaning, her nickname of &ldquo;Mutti&rdquo; (Mum) combines common responses to this eastern-born outsider and cements a sense of trustworthiness that serves her well with the voters.

Patience and pragmatism

A large part of Merkel&rsquo;s success lies in her consummate mastery of the German political system. Quite simply, she has what it takes to win in German politics. She is cautious, pragmatic, strategic, patient, and is imbued with the traditional Christian Democratic certainty that the integration of interests provides a sound basis for governance. She is an outstanding mediator. At times these attributes have infuriated supporters and critics alike, but they have worked for her.

Merkel has a keen instinct for shifts in public opinion and is swift to occupy new ground. This maddens the opposition SPD, which often complains that the union parties are &ldquo;stealing their clothes&rdquo;, making it difficult for them to develop a distinctive policy platform.

Just before the dissolution of parliament ahead of the 2017 election, Merkel engineered the passage of a <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/angela-merkel-ja-zur-ehe-fuer-alle-nicht-aus-ueberzeugung-a-1155042.html">popular bill</a> legalising gay marriage. Although it went against majority opinion within her own party, she didn&rsquo;t want the SPD or the Green Party to be able to capitalise on the issue in the election campaign.

Merkel is frequently criticised for &ldquo;de-politicising&rdquo; government. She tends to a technocratic, pragmatic approach and often sits on the fence. After three terms in office, there are concerns that this &ldquo;Merkel model&rdquo; of governance is smothering the vigorous plural exchanges that ought to characterise democratic interaction between the mainstream parties.

In particular, critics fear that Merkel&rsquo;s current grand coalition (where government power is shared between the leading party and the main party of opposition) is driving out the democratic principle of alternation of government (where there is a real potential for elections to replace one government party with another). With no mainstream opposition to the existing government, voters are drawn to cast a protest vote for radical parties, such as right-wing populists AfD. Moreover, this middle-of-the-road approach blocks reform of outdated policies.

While these are valid arguments, Merkel&rsquo;s depoliticised approach is, in fact, a logical strategy for sustained leadership in the German political system. In order to pass major domestic legislation in Germany, a government has to get a bill passed not only the parliament, in which it has a majority, but also the second legislature, the Bundesrat, where the federal government majority is not replicated. In practice, every government has to &ldquo;collude&rdquo; with opposition forces on a routine basis if it is to be successful.

The &ldquo;boring&rdquo; election campaigns so common in German politics are also a function of the system. Until the votes have been cast and the parliamentary arithmetic is known, neither the CDU/CSU nor the SPD can know for sure how it might work with the other parties in parliament to forge a majority coalition government. The election is only the beginning. Many of the details of the new chancellor&rsquo;s programme will not be settled until the rounds of coalition negotiations that take place immediately afterwards. It makes sense, then, for the two main parties to avoid specifics on their policy platforms. Keeping their powder dry, though, can make the public feel that their main concerns are not being adequately addressed.

Recently, media reports have highlighted unprecedented levels of rage and polarisation in post-war German opinion. The anti-immigrant Pegida movement and the populist <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37274201">Alternative for Germany</a> (AfD) have voiced views that only a few years ago would have been considered completely unacceptable in public discourse. This has carried over into society, where public opinion is hardening against asylum seekers.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84442/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Some argue that this new German anger can&rsquo;t be dismissed simply as a protest vote for the AfD, but may indicate a more profound disaffection with the Merkel model. But a quick glance at the world outside and the alternative leadership at home seems to have persuaded most voters that this is not the time to throw their toys out of the pram. The Merkel decade has quietly transformed Germany into a world power while protecting the economy from the worst of the fallout from the eurozone crisis. Throughout the postwar period, German voters have shown a strong inclination for predictability: for &ldquo;the devil they know&rdquo;. Perhaps this more than anything else will secure one more term for Merkel.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-angela-merkel-model-or-how-to-succeed-in-german-politics-84442" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.

Angela Merkel looks set to continue her magnificent political journey

When Angela Merkel first became Chancellor of Germany in 2005, she was a virtual unknown. Critics were sceptical about her staying power. There were confident predictions that she wouldn’t see out the 100-day honeymoon period traditionally enjoyed by a new incumbent. Now, 12 years on, Merkel is undoubtedly the most powerful woman in the world and a symbol of continuity both at home and abroad. Yet remarkably little is known about her, what drives her and what explains her extraordinary resilience. So who is Angela Merkel and what explains her dominance of Germany’s millennial years? Within her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel’s rise to political prominence was aided by two factors: she was both fiercely competent and inconspicuous. She was underestimated, even patronised, by party colleagues. Helmut Kohl, the long-serving CDU prime minister who presided over German unification, referred to her as “the girl” (das Mädchen). He never seriously rated her as a challenge for his role. When Kohl became embroiled in a party funding scandal it was Merkel who represented the new face of the CDU, free of the taint of past party sleaze. Kohl apparently never forgave her for usurping him. The appeal of the ordinary Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, Merkel remains extraordinarily popular with the German public. Significantly, her popularity extends across all parties. Part of her enduring appeal lies in her unobtrusiveness. For a politician, she is, well, rather ordinary. Merkel has never felt the need to validate herself through a polished public image. She famously wears the same jacket in a dizzying array of colours, because it’s easier than selecting new styles for every public appearance. Her groundedness and indifference to the trappings of the political high life have earned widespread respect. Although entitled to live in a fine official residence at the Brandenburg Gate, she prefers to stay in a small flat she shares with her husband. When she has time, she cooks her own food. A keen football fan, the photos of her and president Joachim Gauck celebrating in the German national squad’s dressing room after their 2014 World Cup win look natural and convincing. In her understated way, Merkel conveys an image of a woman who can’t be bought; who somehow remains outside the privileged elite. Both endearing and slightly demeaning, her nickname of “Mutti” (Mum) combines common responses to this eastern-born outsider and cements a sense of trustworthiness that serves her well with the voters. Patience and pragmatism A large part of Merkel’s success lies in her consummate mastery of the German political system. Quite simply, she has what it takes to win in German politics. She is cautious, pragmatic, strategic, patient, and is imbued with the traditional Christian Democratic certainty that the integration of interests provides a sound basis for governance. She is an outstanding mediator. At times these attributes have infuriated supporters and critics alike, but they have worked for her. Merkel has a keen instinct for shifts in public opinion and is swift to occupy new ground. This maddens the opposition SPD, which often complains that the union parties are “stealing their clothes”, making it difficult for them to develop a distinctive policy platform. Just before the dissolution of parliament ahead of the 2017 election, Merkel engineered the passage of a popular bill legalising gay marriage. Although it went against majority opinion within her own party, she didn’t want the SPD or the Green Party to be able to capitalise on the issue in the election campaign. Merkel is frequently criticised for “de-politicising” government. She tends to a technocratic, pragmatic approach and often sits on the fence. After three terms in office, there are concerns that this “Merkel model” of governance is smothering the vigorous plural exchanges that ought to characterise democratic interaction between the mainstream parties. In particular, critics fear that Merkel’s current grand coalition (where government power is shared between the leading party and the main party of opposition) is driving out the democratic principle of alternation of government (where there is a real potential for elections to replace one government party with another). With no mainstream opposition to the existing government, voters are drawn to cast a protest vote for radical parties, such as right-wing populists AfD. Moreover, this middle-of-the-road approach blocks reform of outdated policies. While these are valid arguments, Merkel’s depoliticised approach is, in fact, a logical strategy for sustained leadership in the German political system. In order to pass major domestic legislation in Germany, a government has to get a bill passed not only the parliament, in which it has a majority, but also the second legislature, the Bundesrat, where the federal government majority is not replicated. In practice, every government has to “collude” with opposition forces on a routine basis if it is to be successful. The “boring” election campaigns so common in German politics are also a function of the system. Until the votes have been cast and the parliamentary arithmetic is known, neither the CDU/CSU nor the SPD can know for sure how it might work with the other parties in parliament to forge a majority coalition government. The election is only the beginning. Many of the details of the new chancellor’s programme will not be settled until the rounds of coalition negotiations that take place immediately afterwards. It makes sense, then, for the two main parties to avoid specifics on their policy platforms. Keeping their powder dry, though, can make the public feel that their main concerns are not being adequately addressed. Recently, media reports have highlighted unprecedented levels of rage and polarisation in post-war German opinion. The anti-immigrant Pegida movement and the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) have voiced views that only a few years ago would have been considered completely unacceptable in public discourse. This has carried over into society, where public opinion is hardening against asylum seekers. Some argue that this new German anger can’t be dismissed simply as a protest vote for the AfD, but may indicate a more profound disaffection with the Merkel model. But a quick glance at the world outside and the alternative leadership at home seems to have persuaded most voters that this is not the time to throw their toys out of the pram. The Merkel decade has quietly transformed Germany into a world power while protecting the economy from the worst of the fallout from the eurozone crisis. Throughout the postwar period, German voters have shown a strong inclination for predictability: for “the devil they know”. Perhaps this more than anything else will secure one more term for Merkel. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Angela Merkel model ? or how to succeed in German politics

The Alternative For Germany (AFD) has taken a strident stance against German Chancellor Angela Merkel&rsquo;s admission of millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Islamic states in North Africa.

The party which is being termed &ldquo;extreme right wing&rdquo; is slated to change Germany&rsquo;s post-WWII history dramatically on Sunday, September 24 when it is predicted to win almost 10% of the vote in general elections and enter Germany&rsquo;s Bundestag or parliament for the first time.

In an exclusive chat just two days before Germany&rsquo;s general election, AFD&rsquo;s senior board member and Chief of Lower Saxony, Armin-Paul Hampel tells WION&rsquo;s Sr Foreign Editor Padma Rao Sundarji that it is Muslims from countries with Islamist terrorist presence -and not Indians &ndash; whom his party does not welcome in Germany. 
&nbsp; 
Q:&nbsp;Armin-Paul Hampel, you are an award-winning television journalist (&quot;IN GANDHI&rsquo;S FOOTSTEPS&rdquo;) who have been based here in India and elsewhere and have stayed loyal to your old Indian friends. Your kids were born in India, at one point they spoke Hindi but no German. Your family had integrated well here. In 2013, you co-founded Alternative For Germany (AFD) &nbsp;a party that has been termed extreme rightwing by the international and German media. AFD wants no foreigners in Germany. Does that include Indians? &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A:&nbsp;Not at all ! I lived in India for 11 years, why should I change my opinion about India? In fact, even the opinion of AFD is not as you describe.

It&rsquo;s a different story. We have a problem with about 1 million people from northern Africa who migrated to Germany in 2015. In keeping with the German constitution, we have to offer shelter people who are political refugees and my party agrees that such people are welcome to come to our country.

But in reality, only 15-20% of those 1 million people were political refugees. The rest had economic reasons for coming here. To that, my party says it is too much, Germany cannot afford it, we cannot finance them. And that we must find better and more solutions for people who are trying to migrate from Arab and Muslim countries into Germany. India is not affected at all. 
&nbsp; 
Q:&nbsp;All German governments have, in recent years, campaigned aggressively in India to attract Indian students and professionals to come to Germany. There is reportedly a huge shortfall of IT talent there. Your party is slated to change 70 years of German history by being the first rightwing party to enter the Bundestag on Sunday. Will AFD support the continuation of this canvassing for Indian talent? 
&nbsp; 
A: Absolutely &ndash; that is the point. Look, since 2013 - the year we founded our party, we have been asking for a migration law in Germany. Once, we had a blue card, similar to the American green card. AFD has been saying Germany wants people who are well-trained to come and take up jobs here. We have a need for well-trained and well-educated people and there are a lot in India. &nbsp;

But because we are a German-speaking country, &nbsp;people from India are unfortunately not so willing to come here. But we will still continue to invite them if they have good qualifications, experts in the one or another important subject, good engineers or in the IT&nbsp;branch. That&rsquo;s not the problem.

The problem is that we have a different situation in Arab countries like Syria, Iraq and others where there is war, some other crisis or unstable governments. We are asking for better support from the United Nations, which, unbelievably reduced its budget in 2015.

We want the UN to increase its budget, send experts to Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, and armed with a robust mandate of the UN, establish safe havens over there with the help of NATO and local troops to protect such refugees. &nbsp;

But spending billions of Euros to get people from an 8000-mile distance &ndash; from the Bosphorus, from Arab countries &ndash; into Germany &ndash; is just wrong. These people have different cultures, different ethnic backgrounds, a different religion.

Many are not well-educated, some never went to school at all. All this makes it difficult for them to adapt to Germany. We do want to help. But we at AFD say that we should do that by investing the money right there, on the spot &ndash; for good medicare, &nbsp;safe housing, good education, etc. That would be far more effective than transporting 1 million people across thousands of miles to Germany. 
&nbsp; 
Q:&nbsp;You are set to make history by entering parliament on Sunday. This is an era of coalitions. And that means compromise. Which of your beliefs, goals will AFD be willing to compromise or tweak if you are part of one such coalition? &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A: We want to learn parliamentarianism to start with and we&rsquo;ll do that by sitting in the opposition for a start. We are not thinking of joining any coalitions at this time.

Instead, we want to prepare ourselves to be able to take on greater responsibility in 2021, when the next general elections will be due.

Under normal circumstances, it is hardly possible for a party that was founded only four years ago to cross the 5% vote share hurdle to enter parliament. &nbsp;But we achieved 4.8 percent in 2013 itself, barely a few months after we established AFD.

This means that times are changing in Germany. &nbsp;Maybe a lot of people are not voting for the AFD, but are really voting for an alternative per se. &nbsp;Be it the CDU, SPD, FDP, Greens or Left, most Germans have lost their faith in the established parties. Those parties represent an Old Boys Club today. They are simply not capable of solving even today&rsquo;s problems, let alone those of tomorrow. 
&nbsp; 
Q:&nbsp;You may say all these things. But you cannot deny that you are a right-wing party with startling views&hellip; 
&nbsp; 
A: Our political opponents always try to push us into that &ldquo;right wing&rdquo;&rdquo; corner. May I tell you that we have many members who were once with the other parties? Be it CDU or SPD, be it the FDP or Greens.

Nobody can say these people all suddenly turned hardcore right wing. Actually, we at AFD are neither left nor right. We are in the centre, we are trying to establish a party which is able to balance facts, access accurate figures, think about them and then decide. This ideology of &quot;Left&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;Right&quot;&nbsp;that was created in the 20th century has been terrible not only for Germany but also Europe and must be abandoned.

We want neither Left&nbsp;nor Right but normal human understanding and the human brain to decide matters &ndash; that&rsquo;s our way. The Old Boys Club of the established parties realise that that there is a new power emerging. That&rsquo;s why they have been trying hard to keep us out. It&rsquo;s like anywhere in the world. They will try again next Sunday. And they will fail. Rest assured we will be in the Bundestag with not merely 5%, but more than 10%. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Q: If you are neither Left nor Right, how come the AFD attracts so many skinheads and extreme right-wing supporters? &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A: One has to admit that World War II and Nazism in Germany is very much still a topic. But many people reduce our entire history to those 12 terrible years. Germany is actually 1200 years old and Deutschland is a German empire. Yes, the Nazi past was part of our history, a horrible part. But we have been in existence for much longer.

Certain Germans have a problem accepting this fact. Since 1945, Germany has changed so much. We have taken responsibility in all fields, we have accepted our lot due to our history. It is the same in India. When you reflect upon your history, you feel self-confident and proud of your nation. So why should we Germans not be proud about ours, when we have given the world so much? &nbsp;Science, music, literature, architecture? We say - let&rsquo;s be proud of those aspects. We don&rsquo;t have to talk only about 12 dark years all the time, there are 1200 others we can live happily with and be proud of. Maybe some Germans have a problem with that &ndash; we don&rsquo;t. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Q: Opinon polls can&rsquo;t predict whether the CDU will form a coalition with the FDP or others. But it will be a coalition, that&rsquo;s almost certain. Which constellation would be most preferable to the AFD? &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A: I think all established parties will lose in terms of percentage. People have lost their faith in them. At this moment, tax rates in Germany are the highest in the world. There are a number of problems besetting crucial fields like defence, science, infrastructure, etc. No proper decisions are being taken. Therefore, it really doesn&rsquo;t matter who will choose to co-habit with whom in a coalition.

It&rsquo;s one big Old Boys Club and they all stick together anyway. And because they want to cling to power, they don&rsquo;t have the will, nor the tools, nor the instruments, nor the will to change policies and forge a better future for our country. It&rsquo;s just the Old Boys Club &ndash; and none of them matter. We want to be the new club in Germany. 
&nbsp; 
Q:&nbsp;Please summarize one last time: whom is the AFD against? All foreigners? Only those with an Islamic background? Or foreigners who don&rsquo;t adapt to Germany? After all, there are many well-integrated Germans of Turkish origin who are perfectly integrated in Germany&hellip;. 
&nbsp; 
A: First of all, we have people from all over the world in our country. The reason we have been asking for an immigration policy is so that we can decide exactly who is welcome and who is not.

Yes, we have a problem with fundamentalist Islamic movements. Can you name any country that does not? &nbsp;When our investigation agencies warn that some of the people we are taking in, may have a terrorist background &ndash; yes, we have a problem.

We say: please don&rsquo;t keep them here, please send them back to where they came from. On the other hand, we are also a party pushing for, not resisting an immigration policy ! We want well-educated people, smart brains, knowledgeable, well-educated people from all over the world, who will easily integrate in Germany.

This has already been happening since decades and people from many countries moved here and are living happily. Our only problem is that we are getting huge numbers -1 million from Africa alone - with ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds which do not fit into our country, especially when they have fundamentalist Islamist influences of the kind of the IS&nbsp;in Syria and Iraq.

We don&rsquo;t want to accept such people. We want to live peacefully and happily in this country. We don&rsquo;t want police all over the place, like in London, Berlin, Madrid or elsewhere.

We don&rsquo;t want to live in constant fear that today may be our last day. But welcoming people who are well-educated and well-trained from India? They are very welcome here and pose no problem for the Alternative For Germany at all.

AFD?s senior board member and Chief of Lower Saxony, Armin-Paul Hampel tells WION that it is Muslims from countries with Islamist terrorist presence - and not Indians ? whom his party does not welcome in Germany.

The Alternative For Germany (AFD) has taken a strident stance against German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s admission of millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Islamic states in North Africa. The party which is being termed “extreme right wing” is slated to change Germany’s post-WWII history dramatically on Sunday, September 24 when it is predicted to win almost 10% of the vote in general elections and enter Germany’s Bundestag or parliament for the first time. In an exclusive chat just two days before Germany’s general election, AFD’s senior board member and Chief of Lower Saxony, Armin-Paul Hampel tells WION’s Sr Foreign Editor Padma Rao Sundarji that it is Muslims from countries with Islamist terrorist presence -and not Indians – whom his party does not welcome in Germany. Q: Armin-Paul Hampel, you are an award-winning television journalist ("IN GANDHI’S FOOTSTEPS”) who have been based here in India and elsewhere and have stayed loyal to your old Indian friends. Your kids were born in India, at one point they spoke Hindi but no German. Your family had integrated well here. In 2013, you co-founded Alternative For Germany (AFD) a party that has been termed extreme rightwing by the international and German media. AFD wants no foreigners in Germany. Does that include Indians? A: Not at all ! I lived in India for 11 years, why should I change my opinion about India? In fact, even the opinion of AFD is not as you describe. It’s a different story. We have a problem with about 1 million people from northern Africa who migrated to Germany in 2015. In keeping with the German constitution, we have to offer shelter people who are political refugees and my party agrees that such people are welcome to come to our country. But in reality, only 15-20% of those 1 million people were political refugees. The rest had economic reasons for coming here. To that, my party says it is too much, Germany cannot afford it, we cannot finance them. And that we must find better and more solutions for people who are trying to migrate from Arab and Muslim countries into Germany. India is not affected at all. Q: All German governments have, in recent years, campaigned aggressively in India to attract Indian students and professionals to come to Germany. There is reportedly a huge shortfall of IT talent there. Your party is slated to change 70 years of German history by being the first rightwing party to enter the Bundestag on Sunday. Will AFD support the continuation of this canvassing for Indian talent? A: Absolutely – that is the point. Look, since 2013 - the year we founded our party, we have been asking for a migration law in Germany. Once, we had a blue card, similar to the American green card. AFD has been saying Germany wants people who are well-trained to come and take up jobs here. We have a need for well-trained and well-educated people and there are a lot in India. But because we are a German-speaking country, people from India are unfortunately not so willing to come here. But we will still continue to invite them if they have good qualifications, experts in the one or another important subject, good engineers or in the IT branch. That’s not the problem. The problem is that we have a different situation in Arab countries like Syria, Iraq and others where there is war, some other crisis or unstable governments. We are asking for better support from the United Nations, which, unbelievably reduced its budget in 2015. We want the UN to increase its budget, send experts to Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, and armed with a robust mandate of the UN, establish safe havens over there with the help of NATO and local troops to protect such refugees. But spending billions of Euros to get people from an 8000-mile distance – from the Bosphorus, from Arab countries – into Germany – is just wrong. These people have different cultures, different ethnic backgrounds, a different religion. Many are not well-educated, some never went to school at all. All this makes it difficult for them to adapt to Germany. We do want to help. But we at AFD say that we should do that by investing the money right there, on the spot – for good medicare, safe housing, good education, etc. That would be far more effective than transporting 1 million people across thousands of miles to Germany. Q: You are set to make history by entering parliament on Sunday. This is an era of coalitions. And that means compromise. Which of your beliefs, goals will AFD be willing to compromise or tweak if you are part of one such coalition? A: We want to learn parliamentarianism to start with and we’ll do that by sitting in the opposition for a start. We are not thinking of joining any coalitions at this time. Instead, we want to prepare ourselves to be able to take on greater responsibility in 2021, when the next general elections will be due. Under normal circumstances, it is hardly possible for a party that was founded only four years ago to cross the 5% vote share hurdle to enter parliament. But we achieved 4.8 percent in 2013 itself, barely a few months after we established AFD. This means that times are changing in Germany. Maybe a lot of people are not voting for the AFD, but are really voting for an alternative per se. Be it the CDU, SPD, FDP, Greens or Left, most Germans have lost their faith in the established parties. Those parties represent an Old Boys Club today. They are simply not capable of solving even today’s problems, let alone those of tomorrow. Q: You may say all these things. But you cannot deny that you are a right-wing party with startling views… A: Our political opponents always try to push us into that “right wing”” corner. May I tell you that we have many members who were once with the other parties? Be it CDU or SPD, be it the FDP or Greens. Nobody can say these people all suddenly turned hardcore right wing. Actually, we at AFD are neither left nor right. We are in the centre, we are trying to establish a party which is able to balance facts, access accurate figures, think about them and then decide. This ideology of "Left" and "Right" that was created in the 20th century has been terrible not only for Germany but also Europe and must be abandoned. We want neither Left nor Right but normal human understanding and the human brain to decide matters – that’s our way. The Old Boys Club of the established parties realise that that there is a new power emerging. That’s why they have been trying hard to keep us out. It’s like anywhere in the world. They will try again next Sunday. And they will fail. Rest assured we will be in the Bundestag with not merely 5%, but more than 10%. Q: If you are neither Left nor Right, how come the AFD attracts so many skinheads and extreme right-wing supporters? A: One has to admit that World War II and Nazism in Germany is very much still a topic. But many people reduce our entire history to those 12 terrible years. Germany is actually 1200 years old and Deutschland is a German empire. Yes, the Nazi past was part of our history, a horrible part. But we have been in existence for much longer. Certain Germans have a problem accepting this fact. Since 1945, Germany has changed so much. We have taken responsibility in all fields, we have accepted our lot due to our history. It is the same in India. When you reflect upon your history, you feel self-confident and proud of your nation. So why should we Germans not be proud about ours, when we have given the world so much? Science, music, literature, architecture? We say - let’s be proud of those aspects. We don’t have to talk only about 12 dark years all the time, there are 1200 others we can live happily with and be proud of. Maybe some Germans have a problem with that – we don’t. Q: Opinon polls can’t predict whether the CDU will form a coalition with the FDP or others. But it will be a coalition, that’s almost certain. Which constellation would be most preferable to the AFD? A: I think all established parties will lose in terms of percentage. People have lost their faith in them. At this moment, tax rates in Germany are the highest in the world. There are a number of problems besetting crucial fields like defence, science, infrastructure, etc. No proper decisions are being taken. Therefore, it really doesn’t matter who will choose to co-habit with whom in a coalition. It’s one big Old Boys Club and they all stick together anyway. And because they want to cling to power, they don’t have the will, nor the tools, nor the instruments, nor the will to change policies and forge a better future for our country. It’s just the Old Boys Club – and none of them matter. We want to be the new club in Germany. Q: Please summarize one last time: whom is the AFD against? All foreigners? Only those with an Islamic background? Or foreigners who don’t adapt to Germany? After all, there are many well-integrated Germans of Turkish origin who are perfectly integrated in Germany…. A: First of all, we have people from all over the world in our country. The reason we have been asking for an immigration policy is so that we can decide exactly who is welcome and who is not. Yes, we have a problem with fundamentalist Islamic movements. Can you name any country that does not? When our investigation agencies warn that some of the people we are taking in, may have a terrorist background – yes, we have a problem. We say: please don’t keep them here, please send them back to where they came from. On the other hand, we are also a party pushing for, not resisting an immigration policy ! We want well-educated people, smart brains, knowledgeable, well-educated people from all over the world, who will easily integrate in Germany. This has already been happening since decades and people from many countries moved here and are living happily. Our only problem is that we are getting huge numbers -1 million from Africa alone - with ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds which do not fit into our country, especially when they have fundamentalist Islamist influences of the kind of the IS in Syria and Iraq. We don’t want to accept such people. We want to live peacefully and happily in this country. We don’t want police all over the place, like in London, Berlin, Madrid or elsewhere. We don’t want to live in constant fear that today may be our last day. But welcoming people who are well-educated and well-trained from India? They are very welcome here and pose no problem for the Alternative For Germany at all.

German Election Special: Right wing AFD leader speaks exclusively to WION

The well-preserved&nbsp;wreck&nbsp;of a World War One&nbsp;German&nbsp;submarine, possibly still containing the bodies of 23 crew members, has been&nbsp;found&nbsp;off&nbsp;the&nbsp;Belgian&nbsp;coast, Belgian&nbsp;broadcaster VRT said on Tuesday.

It was not yet clear which of the 11 known&nbsp;German&nbsp;submarine&nbsp;wrecks, often referred to as U-Boats, had been&nbsp;found, and authorities said they would not give the exact location of the&nbsp;wreck&nbsp;to deter looters.

The use of&nbsp;submarines in World War One to disrupt British trade routes in the English Channel and the North Sea was a key part of&nbsp;Germany&#39;s military tactics.

It was not yet clear which of the 11 known?German?submarine?wrecks, often referred to as U-Boats, had been?found, and authorities said they would not give the exact location of the?wreck?to deter looters.

The well-preserved wreck of a World War One German submarine, possibly still containing the bodies of 23 crew members, has been found off the Belgian coast, Belgian broadcaster VRT said on Tuesday. It was not yet clear which of the 11 known German submarine wrecks, often referred to as U-Boats, had been found, and authorities said they would not give the exact location of the wreck to deter looters. The use of submarines in World War One to disrupt British trade routes in the English Channel and the North Sea was a key part of Germany's military tactics.

World War I German submarine with  23 dead bodies found off Belgian coast

World champions&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;pushed Brazil back into second place to&nbsp;return&nbsp;to the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of the&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;rankings, which was published on Thursday.

Germany&#39;s 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia.

European champions Portugal climbed three places to third -- even though they are second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Switzerland.

In another surprise, Argentina are fourth in the&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;despite struggling to qualify for the World Cup after drawing their last two games - away to Uruguay and at home to Venezuela.

War-torn Syria, who have reached the Asian playoff stage in the World Cup qualifiers despite playing their &#39;home&#39; World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia because of the security situation in the country, rose to their highest-ever ranking of 75.

Three other teams reached their best-ever place - Peru (12th), Northern Ireland (20th) and Luxemburg (101st) after they held France to a 0-0 draw away.

The&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;made disappointing reading for Asia with only three sides in the&nbsp;top&nbsp;50 - Iran, Japan and Australia.

The next&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;will be announced on Oct. 16 and used to determine the seedings in the draw for the four European playoff ties for next year&#39;s World Cup finals in Russia.

Top&nbsp;10&nbsp;rankings: (previous positions in brackets) 1.&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;(2) 2. Brazil (1) 3. Portugal (6) 4. Argentina (3) 5. Belgium (9) 6. Poland (5) 7. Switzerland (4) 8. France (10) 9. Chile (7) 10. Colombia (8)

Germany's 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia.

World champions Germany pushed Brazil back into second place to return to the top of the FIFA rankings, which was published on Thursday. Germany's 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia. European champions Portugal climbed three places to third -- even though they are second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Switzerland. In another surprise, Argentina are fourth in the rankings despite struggling to qualify for the World Cup after drawing their last two games - away to Uruguay and at home to Venezuela. War-torn Syria, who have reached the Asian playoff stage in the World Cup qualifiers despite playing their 'home' World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia because of the security situation in the country, rose to their highest-ever ranking of 75. Three other teams reached their best-ever place - Peru (12th), Northern Ireland (20th) and Luxemburg (101st) after they held France to a 0-0 draw away. The rankings made disappointing reading for Asia with only three sides in the top 50 - Iran, Japan and Australia. The next FIFA rankings will be announced on Oct. 16 and used to determine the seedings in the draw for the four European playoff ties for next year's World Cup finals in Russia. Top 10 rankings: (previous positions in brackets) 1. Germany (2) 2. Brazil (1) 3. Portugal (6) 4. Argentina (3) 5. Belgium (9) 6. Poland (5) 7. Switzerland (4) 8. France (10) 9. Chile (7) 10. Colombia (8)

FIFA rankings: World Champions Germany on top, Brazil slips

Germany&#39;s&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;Re warned it could miss its profit target this year, the&nbsp;first&nbsp;major&nbsp;reinsurer&nbsp;to flag a hit to earnings from damage caused by hurricanes&nbsp;Harvey and&nbsp;Irma.

&quot;These two events are expected to result in high insured losses, which the market and&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;Re are unable to quantify at the moment,&quot; it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Analysts at Jefferies said they expected this to be the&nbsp;first&nbsp;of a series of such statements as insurers count the costs of the destructive storms.

Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storms on record, ravaged several islands in the northern Caribbean, killing at least 60 people, before barrelling into Florida&#39;s Gulf Coast on Sunday, causing further destruction.

Munich&nbsp;Re had earlier this week estimated losses for the global insurance industry from&nbsp;Harvey, which struck Texas two weeks ago and caused massive flooding, of between $20 billion and $30 billion, putting the storm on the scale of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Shares in&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;Re nonetheless edged up by 0.4 percent in early trade on Thursday, with analysts saying the group had sufficient capital buffers to weather some headwinds.

Munich&nbsp;Re said it would probably report a third-quarter loss due to the hurricanes, but that it had a sufficiently solid capital base to still be able to offer full reinsurance capacity to its clients.

It said it may miss its full-year net profit goal of 2 billion to 2.4 billion euros ($2.4 bln-$2.9 bln). Analysts on average have forecast 2.35 billion euros, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Munich&nbsp;Re had said as recently as Sunday, at an annual industry meeting in Monte Carlo, that it was not especially exposed to Florida.

Analysts at Jefferies said&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;Re had an advantage over peers such as Swiss Re, given it had one of the largest budgets in the industry to cover natural catastrophes, at 1.4 billion euros for the full year.

"These two events are expected to result in high insured losses, which the market and?Munich?Re are unable to quantify at the moment," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Germany's Munich Re warned it could miss its profit target this year, the first major reinsurer to flag a hit to earnings from damage caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. "These two events are expected to result in high insured losses, which the market and Munich Re are unable to quantify at the moment," it said in a statement on Wednesday. Analysts at Jefferies said they expected this to be the first of a series of such statements as insurers count the costs of the destructive storms. Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storms on record, ravaged several islands in the northern Caribbean, killing at least 60 people, before barrelling into Florida's Gulf Coast on Sunday, causing further destruction. Munich Re had earlier this week estimated losses for the global insurance industry from Harvey, which struck Texas two weeks ago and caused massive flooding, of between $20 billion and $30 billion, putting the storm on the scale of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Shares in Munich Re nonetheless edged up by 0.4 percent in early trade on Thursday, with analysts saying the group had sufficient capital buffers to weather some headwinds. Munich Re said it would probably report a third-quarter loss due to the hurricanes, but that it had a sufficiently solid capital base to still be able to offer full reinsurance capacity to its clients. It said it may miss its full-year net profit goal of 2 billion to 2.4 billion euros ($2.4 bln-$2.9 bln). Analysts on average have forecast 2.35 billion euros, according to Thomson Reuters data. Munich Re had said as recently as Sunday, at an annual industry meeting in Monte Carlo, that it was not especially exposed to Florida. Analysts at Jefferies said Munich Re had an advantage over peers such as Swiss Re, given it had one of the largest budgets in the industry to cover natural catastrophes, at 1.4 billion euros for the full year.

Munich Re makes first warning by reinsurer on Harvey, Irma impact

In his fresh warning to North Korea, President Donald Trump has said that the US nuclear arsenal had grown more powerful than ever before.&nbsp;

&quot;My first order as President was to renovate and modernise our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter, adding that &quot;hopefully we will never have to use this power.&quot;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/895252459152711680">August 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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...Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/895254168570605568">August 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The US President&#39;s comments come a day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/guam-keeps-its-cool-after-north-korea-strike-threat-18781">verbal war between North Korea and the United States.</a> North Korea had threatened a nuclear war on the US after Trump&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729">&quot;fire and fury&quot;</a>&nbsp;reaction to Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson justified Trump&#39;s rhetoric of &quot;fire and fury&quot; saying President Donald Trump was simply using the language &quot;that Kim Jong-Un would understand&quot;. He added while talking to journalists, that Kim doesn&#39;t seem to understand diplomatic language.

Germany intervened in the mounting war of words between the two&nbsp;countries, urging them to show &quot;restraint&quot;. It came down on the side of the US and called North Korea the clear &quot;provocateur in this case and the source of our worries&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The German foreign ministry, Martin Schaefer, urged United Nations Security Council to &quot;thoroughly implement&quot; the latest round of sanctions against North Korea.

He stressed on continuing the diplomatic efforts among the countries and ensured it as the only way to contain the North Korean threat.&nbsp;

He added that Germany will consult with the United States and China &quot;to find the right approach to dealing with the existential danger to the region and the world posed by nuclear proliferation and threats from North Korea&quot;.&nbsp;

The North&#39;s main ally China warned against &quot;words and actions&quot; that would stoke tensions.

France meanwhile praised Trump&#39;s &quot;determination&quot; in standing up to Pyongyang.

&nbsp;

The comments have come a day after the verbal war between North Korea and the United States

In his fresh warning to North Korea, President Donald Trump has said that the US nuclear arsenal had grown more powerful than ever before. "My first order as President was to renovate and modernise our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before," Trump wrote on Twitter, adding that "hopefully we will never have to use this power." My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017 × ...Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017 × The US President's comments come a day after the verbal war between North Korea and the United States. North Korea had threatened a nuclear war on the US after Trump's "fire and fury" reaction to Korea's nuclear ambitions. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson justified Trump's rhetoric of "fire and fury" saying President Donald Trump was simply using the language "that Kim Jong-Un would understand". He added while talking to journalists, that Kim doesn't seem to understand diplomatic language. Germany intervened in the mounting war of words between the two countries, urging them to show "restraint". It came down on the side of the US and called North Korea the clear "provocateur in this case and the source of our worries". The German foreign ministry, Martin Schaefer, urged United Nations Security Council to "thoroughly implement" the latest round of sanctions against North Korea. He stressed on continuing the diplomatic efforts among the countries and ensured it as the only way to contain the North Korean threat. He added that Germany will consult with the United States and China "to find the right approach to dealing with the existential danger to the region and the world posed by nuclear proliferation and threats from North Korea". The North's main ally China warned against "words and actions" that would stoke tensions. France meanwhile praised Trump's "determination" in standing up to Pyongyang.

Trump now threatens North Korea with US nuclear might

The Pacific island of Guam remained calm a day after the apocalyptic threats from Korea.

The threats followed after the US President Donald Trump had warned North Korea with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729">&quot; fire and fury&quot; over its nuclear ambitions</a>. Korea reverted saying it was considering missile strikes near US strategic military installations on Guam.

Governor Eddie Calvo assured the residents of Guam of their safety. He said that Guam and Washington are working together to secure the Pacific island.

George Charfauros, the territory&#39;s homeland security adviser said there was just a 0.000001 per cent chance of the North Korean missile hitting Guam.

The threat did not scare the people in Chelsea as it was like any other ordinary day for them. &quot;I haven&#39;t heard people talk about it. The customer traffic is normal. They&#39;re just buying school supplies because the school&#39;s just opened&quot; a shop worker in Chelsea told AFP.&nbsp;

Guam, a US island territory, is a popular tourist destination. The island is inhabited by around 6000 US troops and houses two US military installations, the Andersen Air Force Base and the Naval Base Guam.

Nationalists claim that it is because of the US military that the island attracts potential threats.&nbsp;

However, Calvo dismissed the claims saying the island is safe because of the US military presence.

&quot;Those who are against the military will keep that distinction and make that argument. In the same manner, those who support the presence of the military on Guam will argue that this is what keeps us safe,&quot; he said.

The governor also said that he has been assured by the White House that a strike on the territory would be considered an attack on the United States, adding that Guam is American soil inhabited by 200,000 Americans.&nbsp;

The verbal war between US and Korea has forced Germany to intervene and request United Nations Security Council to &quot;thoroughly implement&quot; the latest round of sanctions against North Korea.

The German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer has asked &quot;all sides to restraint&quot; stressing that Germany saw North Korea as the clear &quot;provocateur in this case and the source of our worries&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The threats followed after the US President Donald Trump had warned North Korea with 'fire and fury' over its nuclear ambitions

The Pacific island of Guam remained calm a day after the apocalyptic threats from Korea. The threats followed after the US President Donald Trump had warned North Korea with " fire and fury" over its nuclear ambitions. Korea reverted saying it was considering missile strikes near US strategic military installations on Guam. Governor Eddie Calvo assured the residents of Guam of their safety. He said that Guam and Washington are working together to secure the Pacific island. George Charfauros, the territory's homeland security adviser said there was just a 0.000001 per cent chance of the North Korean missile hitting Guam. The threat did not scare the people in Chelsea as it was like any other ordinary day for them. "I haven't heard people talk about it. The customer traffic is normal. They're just buying school supplies because the school's just opened" a shop worker in Chelsea told AFP. Guam, a US island territory, is a popular tourist destination. The island is inhabited by around 6000 US troops and houses two US military installations, the Andersen Air Force Base and the Naval Base Guam. Nationalists claim that it is because of the US military that the island attracts potential threats. However, Calvo dismissed the claims saying the island is safe because of the US military presence. "Those who are against the military will keep that distinction and make that argument. In the same manner, those who support the presence of the military on Guam will argue that this is what keeps us safe," he said. The governor also said that he has been assured by the White House that a strike on the territory would be considered an attack on the United States, adding that Guam is American soil inhabited by 200,000 Americans. The verbal war between US and Korea has forced Germany to intervene and request United Nations Security Council to "thoroughly implement" the latest round of sanctions against North Korea. The German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer has asked "all sides to restraint" stressing that Germany saw North Korea as the clear "provocateur in this case and the source of our worries".

Guam keeps its cool after North Korea strike threat

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his two-nation visit today which also included the historic visit to Israel, the first by an Indian Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Modi started his two-nation tour with a historic visit to Israel marking 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Later, he attended the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.&nbsp;

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the Indian Prime Minister at the airport. The two leaders signed a number of agreements.

Narendra Modi also met the Israeli business community where CEOs of Indian and Israeli businesses signed agreements worth $5 billion.&nbsp;

After concluding his historic Israel visit, the Prime Minister visited the German city of Hamburg to attend the 12th G-20 summit. At the summit, the Prime Minister urged the countries for a debate on forced migration and emphasesed on a policy framework to distinguish legal migration.

The Prime Minister also held bilateral talks with leaders of South Korea and Italy and discussed a range of issues. He also held talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May discussing ways to extradite economic offenders.

The big take away was Prime Minister Modi&#39;s meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the two armies back home.

The big take away was Prime Minister Modi's meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the two armies back home

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his two-nation visit today which also included the historic visit to Israel, the first by an Indian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Modi started his two-nation tour with a historic visit to Israel marking 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Later, he attended the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the Indian Prime Minister at the airport. The two leaders signed a number of agreements. Narendra Modi also met the Israeli business community where CEOs of Indian and Israeli businesses signed agreements worth $5 billion. After concluding his historic Israel visit, the Prime Minister visited the German city of Hamburg to attend the 12th G-20 summit. At the summit, the Prime Minister urged the countries for a debate on forced migration and emphasesed on a policy framework to distinguish legal migration. The Prime Minister also held bilateral talks with leaders of South Korea and Italy and discussed a range of issues. He also held talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May discussing ways to extradite economic offenders. The big take away was Prime Minister Modi's meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the two armies back home.

PM Modi returns after concluding two-nation tour including historic Israel visit

For a moment Saturday the United States was represented by another Trump on the world stage, when the president&#39;s daughter Ivanka took a seat among a table of G20 leaders in Germany.

The 35-year-old former fashion model sat down next to Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Hamburg, diplomats and the White House confirmed.

The incident&nbsp;fuelled allegations of nepotism against the US leader, who has put family members in top White House positions.

A White House official told AFP that Ivanka had been at the back of the room but &quot;briefly joined the main table when the president had to step out.&quot;

The official emphasised that &quot;when other leaders stepped out, their seats were also briefly filled by others.&quot;&nbsp;

Merkel also sought to play down the case, saying that it is &quot;in line with what other delegations do&quot;.&nbsp;

But Trump&#39;s already vociferous detractors were enraged.

Historian Anne Applebaum took to Twitter to denounce what she described &quot;an unelected, unqualified, unprepared New York socialite&quot; being seen as &quot;the best person to represent American national interests.&quot;

Ivanka&#39;s participation came to light when a Russian official, Svetlana Lukash tweeted a picture of Ivanka at the main table of the summit in Hamburg, surrounded by world leaders.

&quot;And replaces Pres Trump at the G20 table as he leaves for bilateral meetings&quot; she said.

&quot;It&#39;s nothing unusual for an advisor to sit up front,&quot; said one diplomat on condition of anonymity, &quot;we have had it before.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;She&#39;s a champion&#39;&nbsp;

Earlier in the day Trump had waxed lyrical about his daughter before a bevy of world leaders, gathered to boost a fund designed to encourage female entrepreneurs.

&quot;I&#39;m very proud of my daughter, Ivanka -- always have been, from day one -- I had to tell you that, from day one,&quot; Trump said before Canada&#39;s Justin Trudeau and Australia&#39;s Malcom Turnbull.&nbsp;

&quot;She&#39;s always been great,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;A champion.&nbsp;She&#39;s a champion.&quot;

Trump then prompted some nervous laughter when he mused about whether he had made her life more difficult.&nbsp;

&quot;If she weren&#39;t my daughter, it would be so much easier for her. Might be the only bad thing she has going, if you want to know the truth.&quot;

Ivanka was given the official title of &quot;First Daughter and Advisor to the President&quot; early in the adminstration, amid outcry that an unofficial role exempted her from ethics rules.

Her husband -- Trump&#39;s son-in-law -- is assistant to the president and senior advisor, a top White House role. Neither of the two take a salary.

Just a few weeks ago Ivanka professed to want to avoid getting involved in politics.

While unusual, it is not unheard of for presidential kin to play a role in policy making. Bill Clinton&#39;s wife Hillary worked on health care reform and Rosalynn Carter sat in on cabinet meetings.

Ivanka sat down next to? Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Hamburg

For a moment Saturday the United States was represented by another Trump on the world stage, when the president's daughter Ivanka took a seat among a table of G20 leaders in Germany. The 35-year-old former fashion model sat down next to Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Hamburg, diplomats and the White House confirmed. The incident fuelled allegations of nepotism against the US leader, who has put family members in top White House positions. A White House official told AFP that Ivanka had been at the back of the room but "briefly joined the main table when the president had to step out." The official emphasised that "when other leaders stepped out, their seats were also briefly filled by others." Merkel also sought to play down the case, saying that it is "in line with what other delegations do". But Trump's already vociferous detractors were enraged. Historian Anne Applebaum took to Twitter to denounce what she described "an unelected, unqualified, unprepared New York socialite" being seen as "the best person to represent American national interests." Ivanka's participation came to light when a Russian official, Svetlana Lukash tweeted a picture of Ivanka at the main table of the summit in Hamburg, surrounded by world leaders. "And replaces Pres Trump at the G20 table as he leaves for bilateral meetings" she said. "It's nothing unusual for an advisor to sit up front," said one diplomat on condition of anonymity, "we have had it before." 'She's a champion' Earlier in the day Trump had waxed lyrical about his daughter before a bevy of world leaders, gathered to boost a fund designed to encourage female entrepreneurs. "I'm very proud of my daughter, Ivanka -- always have been, from day one -- I had to tell you that, from day one," Trump said before Canada's Justin Trudeau and Australia's Malcom Turnbull. "She's always been great," he said. "A champion. She's a champion." Trump then prompted some nervous laughter when he mused about whether he had made her life more difficult. "If she weren't my daughter, it would be so much easier for her. Might be the only bad thing she has going, if you want to know the truth." Ivanka was given the official title of "First Daughter and Advisor to the President" early in the adminstration, amid outcry that an unofficial role exempted her from ethics rules. Her husband -- Trump's son-in-law -- is assistant to the president and senior advisor, a top White House role. Neither of the two take a salary. Just a few weeks ago Ivanka professed to want to avoid getting involved in politics. While unusual, it is not unheard of for presidential kin to play a role in policy making. Bill Clinton's wife Hillary worked on health care reform and Rosalynn Carter sat in on cabinet meetings.

Ivanka sits in for President Trump at G20

The G-20 (Group of 20)&nbsp;is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial&nbsp;issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance.

G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than&nbsp;80 per cent of the global economic&nbsp;output.&nbsp;

Around two-third&nbsp;of the global population lives in G-20 member countries.&nbsp;

The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community.

In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders&rsquo; Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions.&nbsp;Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global&nbsp;economic recovery.&nbsp;

How it works 
Each year in December&nbsp;a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a &ldquo;troika&rdquo; (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat.&nbsp;

The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes &ndash; often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year &ndash; are coordinated by the respective host country.

Members of G20 
The twenty members of the forum are :

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		<tr>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Argentina</li>
				<li>Australia</li>
				<li>Brazil</li>
				<li>Canada</li>
				<li>China</li>
				<li>France</li>
				<li>Germany</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>India</li>
				<li>Indonesia</li>
				<li>Italy</li>
				<li>Japan</li>
				<li>Republic of Korea</li>
				<li>Mexico</li>
				<li>Russia</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Saudi Arabia</li>
				<li>South Africa</li>
				<li>Turkey</li>
				<li>The United Kingdom</li>
				<li>The united States</li>
				<li>The European Union</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

 
&nbsp;

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The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others)
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At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017.

Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit.&nbsp;

India and G20

India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. &nbsp;

For instance, India enacted the&nbsp;National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people.&nbsp;

India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India.

G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

G20 is an international informal forum where India has made the mark of an emerging economy which aspires to take the world along with it towards development

The G-20 (Group of 20) is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance. G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than 80 per cent of the global economic output. Around two-third of the global population lives in G-20 member countries. The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community. In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders’ Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions. Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global economic recovery. How it works Each year in December a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a “troika” (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat. The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes – often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year – are coordinated by the respective host country. Members of G20 The twenty members of the forum are : Argentina Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Italy Japan Republic of Korea Mexico Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey The United Kingdom The united States The European Union The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others) × At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017. Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit. India and G20 India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. For instance, India enacted the National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people. India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India. G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.

All you need to know about G-20

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

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

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

Police clash with G20 protesters in Hamburg  as world leaders arrive

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to size each other up in person for the first time on Friday in what promises to be the most highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia&#39;s actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.

That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analysed as much as any words the two leaders utter as the world tries to read how well Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality television star, gets along with Putin, a former spy.

The fear is that the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared than Putin, who has dealt with the past two US&nbsp;presidents and scores of other world leaders.

&quot;There&#39;s nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (US) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat,&quot; Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives&#39; Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC.

As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump&#39;s presidential campaign and Russia the US president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.

Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the US&nbsp;Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its &quot;destabilising activities&quot; and end its support for Syria and Iran.

&quot;This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy,&quot; said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues.

But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed US&nbsp;intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

&quot;I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure,&rdquo; Trump said at a news conference, before slamming Democratic former President Barack Obama for not doing more to stop hacking.

Senators&#39; concerns&nbsp;

Ahead of Trump&rsquo;s meeting with Putin, three US senators wrote to Trump to express &ldquo;deep concern&rdquo; about reports that his administration planned to discuss the return to Russia of diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration last year in response to alleged Russian election meddling.

Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said returning the facilities would &quot;embolden&quot; Putin and encourage further efforts by Russia to interfere in Western elections. All three are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The White House declined to offer details on what Trump would request of Putin and what he might offer in exchange for cooperation.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump wanted to talk about how the two countries can work together to stabilise war-ravaged Syria.

&quot;The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance,&quot; Tillerson said before leaving the United States to join Trump in Germany.

Trump was also grappling with a response to North Korea&#39;s successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say had a long enough range to reach Alaska.

Curbing Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear ambitions has been Trump&#39;s most pressing foreign policy priority, and he met with leaders from Japan and South Korea on Thursday evening to discuss it. He is also slated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20.

&quot;I&rsquo;d like to see the president figure out how to engage Russia on North Korea,&rdquo; said Representative Francis Rooney, a Republican from Florida who is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

&quot;What I suggested to the president here a while back was that since we have all these conflicting issues about Russia right now and we&rsquo;re still reeling from the fact that they took Crimea, maybe this is an opportunity to reset the Russia relationship in a positive manner,&rdquo; Rooney said in an interview.

Ahead of Trump?s meeting with Putin, three US senators wrote to Trump to express 'deep concern'?about reports that his administration planned to discuss the return to Russia of diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration last year in response to alleged Russian election meddling

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to size each other up in person for the first time on Friday in what promises to be the most highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia's actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 US presidential election. That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analysed as much as any words the two leaders utter as the world tries to read how well Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality television star, gets along with Putin, a former spy. The fear is that the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared than Putin, who has dealt with the past two US presidents and scores of other world leaders. "There's nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (US) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC. As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia the US president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin. Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia. On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the US Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its "destabilising activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran. "This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues. But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed US intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. "I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure,” Trump said at a news conference, before slamming Democratic former President Barack Obama for not doing more to stop hacking. Senators' concerns Ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin, three US senators wrote to Trump to express “deep concern” about reports that his administration planned to discuss the return to Russia of diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration last year in response to alleged Russian election meddling. Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said returning the facilities would "embolden" Putin and encourage further efforts by Russia to interfere in Western elections. All three are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The White House declined to offer details on what Trump would request of Putin and what he might offer in exchange for cooperation. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump wanted to talk about how the two countries can work together to stabilise war-ravaged Syria. "The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," Tillerson said before leaving the United States to join Trump in Germany. Trump was also grappling with a response to North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say had a long enough range to reach Alaska. Curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions has been Trump's most pressing foreign policy priority, and he met with leaders from Japan and South Korea on Thursday evening to discuss it. He is also slated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20. "I’d like to see the president figure out how to engage Russia on North Korea,” said Representative Francis Rooney, a Republican from Florida who is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "What I suggested to the president here a while back was that since we have all these conflicting issues about Russia right now and we’re still reeling from the fact that they took Crimea, maybe this is an opportunity to reset the Russia relationship in a positive manner,” Rooney said in an interview.

All eyes on Trump-Putin meeting at G20

Germany is a big target of espionage&nbsp;and cyber attacks by foreign governments such as Turkey, Russia, and China, a government report said. It warned&nbsp;of &quot;ticking time bombs&quot; that could sabotage critical infrastructure.

Industrial espionage costs German industry billions of dollars&nbsp;each year, with small- and medium-sized businesses often the biggest losers, the BfV domestic intelligence agency said in its 339-page annual report.

The report mapped out a range of security threats, including Islamist militancy and increased far-right violence, but highlighted the growing incidence of cyber espionage.

It cited a &#39;noticeable increase&#39; in spying by Turkey&#39;s MIT foreign intelligence agency in Germany in 2016, following the failed July 15 coup in Turkey, and said Russia was seeking to influence a parliamentary election on Sept. 24.

&quot;The consequences for our country range from weakened negotiating positions to high material costs and economic damage all the way to impairment of national sovereignty,&quot; it said.

Key targets were the Foreign Ministry and its overseas offices, the Finance and Economics Ministries, the Chancellery and the German military.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the government was working closely with industry to better protect German firms, with the most affected sectors being the weapons, space and aerospace and car industries, as well as research institutes.

Cyber attacks could not only lead to losses of information but also, through delayed-action malware, trigger &quot;silent, ticking digital time bombs&quot; that could manipulate data and sabotage equipment, especially critical infrastructure, the report said.

It said that the Sandworm malware, which computer experts have linked to Russia, had actively targeted government sites, the NATO military alliance, utilities, and telecommunications firms in recent years.

RUSSIA, CHINA, IRAN

Russia, China and Iran were the main countries spying on Germany, albeit for different reasons, it said.

Russia had a keen interest in the removal of economic sanctions imposed by the European Union for Moscow&#39;s actions in Ukraine, and the Russian hacker group APT 28, also known as Fancy Bear and believed to be state-controlled, continued to attack German political targets, the report said.

Russia was also using so-called Internet trolls to influence public opinion and push pro-Russian views citing a sharp increase in propaganda and disinformation campaigns using social and Russian-backed media.

&quot;It is assumed that Russian state agencies are trying to influence parties, politicians, and public opinion, with a particular eye to the 2017 parliamentary election,&quot; it said.

Iran was focused mainly on Israeli or pro-Jewish targets and political opponents of Tehran&#39;s clerical rulers.

The report cited a sharp decline in potential attempts by Iran to buy dual-use items for its nuclear programme, but said that was not true for its missile development efforts.

Chinese espionage had increased since President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, and was focused increasingly on political events such as the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, as well as technology and critics of the Chinese government.

It said Chinese intelligence was using social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to try to recruit Western informants, and that the close links between government and industry meant state and industrial espionage were hard to distinguish.

Turkish spying was focused on backers in Germany of both the banned separatist Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) and the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for the failed coup, though he denies involvement.

A German intelligence report says the country is a victim of espionage and cyber attacks by foreign governments such as Turkey, Russia, and China

Germany is a big target of espionage and cyber attacks by foreign governments such as Turkey, Russia, and China, a government report said. It warned of "ticking time bombs" that could sabotage critical infrastructure. Industrial espionage costs German industry billions of dollars each year, with small- and medium-sized businesses often the biggest losers, the BfV domestic intelligence agency said in its 339-page annual report. The report mapped out a range of security threats, including Islamist militancy and increased far-right violence, but highlighted the growing incidence of cyber espionage. It cited a 'noticeable increase' in spying by Turkey's MIT foreign intelligence agency in Germany in 2016, following the failed July 15 coup in Turkey, and said Russia was seeking to influence a parliamentary election on Sept. 24. "The consequences for our country range from weakened negotiating positions to high material costs and economic damage all the way to impairment of national sovereignty," it said. Key targets were the Foreign Ministry and its overseas offices, the Finance and Economics Ministries, the Chancellery and the German military. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the government was working closely with industry to better protect German firms, with the most affected sectors being the weapons, space and aerospace and car industries, as well as research institutes. Cyber attacks could not only lead to losses of information but also, through delayed-action malware, trigger "silent, ticking digital time bombs" that could manipulate data and sabotage equipment, especially critical infrastructure, the report said. It said that the Sandworm malware, which computer experts have linked to Russia, had actively targeted government sites, the NATO military alliance, utilities, and telecommunications firms in recent years. RUSSIA, CHINA, IRAN Russia, China and Iran were the main countries spying on Germany, albeit for different reasons, it said. Russia had a keen interest in the removal of economic sanctions imposed by the European Union for Moscow's actions in Ukraine, and the Russian hacker group APT 28, also known as Fancy Bear and believed to be state-controlled, continued to attack German political targets, the report said. Russia was also using so-called Internet trolls to influence public opinion and push pro-Russian views citing a sharp increase in propaganda and disinformation campaigns using social and Russian-backed media. "It is assumed that Russian state agencies are trying to influence parties, politicians, and public opinion, with a particular eye to the 2017 parliamentary election," it said. Iran was focused mainly on Israeli or pro-Jewish targets and political opponents of Tehran's clerical rulers. The report cited a sharp decline in potential attempts by Iran to buy dual-use items for its nuclear programme, but said that was not true for its missile development efforts. Chinese espionage had increased since President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, and was focused increasingly on political events such as the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, as well as technology and critics of the Chinese government. It said Chinese intelligence was using social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to try to recruit Western informants, and that the close links between government and industry meant state and industrial espionage were hard to distinguish. Turkish spying was focused on backers in Germany of both the banned separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for the failed coup, though he denies involvement.

Germany target of cyber attacks from Turkey, Russia

Germany booked their place in the Confederations Cup final as Leon Goretzka scored twice in a devastating opening spell to Thursday&#39;s 4-1 semi-final win over Mexico.

Attacking midfielder Goretzka ran riot in Sochi with goals on six and eight minutes before Timo Werner and substitute Amin Younes netted in the second half.

Marco Fabian scored Mexico&#39;s stunning consolation in the 89th minute with a thunderbolt free-kick from long range.&nbsp;

World champions Germany will face Chile in Sunday&#39;s final in St Petersburg while Mexico play Portugal in Moscow&#39;s third-place play-off.

Goretzka and Werner are now the tournament&#39;s joint top-scorers with three goals a-piece in Russia.

Germany head coach Joachim Loew pulled a surprise before kick-off by naming 20-year-old Benjamin Henrichs on the right wing for only his third international and first start in Russia.

The bold move paid off as Henrichs pounced on an early mistake and his pass found Goretzka sprinting towards the box.

The Schalke forward took the ball in his stride and stroked his shot past Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa on six minutes.

Goretzka struck again soon after when Werner&#39;s pass split the Mexican defence open and he drove home.

The early goals sparked life into comeback kings Mexico, who fought back in all three group stage matches to beat New Zealand and Russia after scrambling a draw with Portugal.

Midfielder Giovani dos Santos was a constant first-half threat.

When Germany captain Julian Draxler was caught napping on the edge of the area, Dos Santos robbed him of possession, but fired just wide.

LA Galaxy&#39;s Dos Santos and his Villarreal namesake Jonathan Dos Santos forced Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a double save with half an hour gone.

Javier Hernandez squandered Mexico&#39;s best chance when his effort flew agonisingly over the woodwork just a few minutes later.

Mexico sustained the pressure and Hector Herrera&#39;s free-kick had to be tipped over the bar by Ter Stegen.

It stayed 2-0 at the break, but Mexico had 62 percent possession in the first half and 10 shots to Germany&#39;s five.

The world champions tightened their defence accordingly for the second half and Ter Stegen was rock-solid in denying Mexico&#39;s half-chances.

It was three shortly before the hour mark when Draxler&#39;s pass into the area found Jonas Hector, who drew Ochoa for Werner to tap home for his third goal in Russia after Sunday&#39;s double against Cameroon.

Goretzka was replaced by Liverpool midfielder Emre Can for the final 23 minutes as Loew rested him for Sunday&#39;s final.

With 15 minutes left, Raul Jimenez headed against the crossbar with Ter Stegen beaten.

There was nothing on when Fabian stepped up for a free-kick just inside the German half, but his strike rocketed into the top corner.

The Germans were briefly rattled, but replacement Younes settled any nerves with a fourth goal in injury-time.

Germany booked their place in the Confederations Cup final as Leon Goretzka scored twice in a devastating opening spell to Thursday's 4-1 semi-final win over Mexico. Attacking midfielder Goretzka ran riot in Sochi with goals on six and eight minutes before Timo Werner and substitute Amin Younes netted in the second half. Marco Fabian scored Mexico's stunning consolation in the 89th minute with a thunderbolt free-kick from long range. World champions Germany will face Chile in Sunday's final in St Petersburg while Mexico play Portugal in Moscow's third-place play-off. Goretzka and Werner are now the tournament's joint top-scorers with three goals a-piece in Russia. Germany head coach Joachim Loew pulled a surprise before kick-off by naming 20-year-old Benjamin Henrichs on the right wing for only his third international and first start in Russia. The bold move paid off as Henrichs pounced on an early mistake and his pass found Goretzka sprinting towards the box. The Schalke forward took the ball in his stride and stroked his shot past Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa on six minutes. Goretzka struck again soon after when Werner's pass split the Mexican defence open and he drove home. The early goals sparked life into comeback kings Mexico, who fought back in all three group stage matches to beat New Zealand and Russia after scrambling a draw with Portugal. Midfielder Giovani dos Santos was a constant first-half threat. When Germany captain Julian Draxler was caught napping on the edge of the area, Dos Santos robbed him of possession, but fired just wide. LA Galaxy's Dos Santos and his Villarreal namesake Jonathan Dos Santos forced Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a double save with half an hour gone. Javier Hernandez squandered Mexico's best chance when his effort flew agonisingly over the woodwork just a few minutes later. Mexico sustained the pressure and Hector Herrera's free-kick had to be tipped over the bar by Ter Stegen. It stayed 2-0 at the break, but Mexico had 62 percent possession in the first half and 10 shots to Germany's five. The world champions tightened their defence accordingly for the second half and Ter Stegen was rock-solid in denying Mexico's half-chances. It was three shortly before the hour mark when Draxler's pass into the area found Jonas Hector, who drew Ochoa for Werner to tap home for his third goal in Russia after Sunday's double against Cameroon. Goretzka was replaced by Liverpool midfielder Emre Can for the final 23 minutes as Loew rested him for Sunday's final. With 15 minutes left, Raul Jimenez headed against the crossbar with Ter Stegen beaten. There was nothing on when Fabian stepped up for a free-kick just inside the German half, but his strike rocketed into the top corner. The Germans were briefly rattled, but replacement Younes settled any nerves with a fourth goal in injury-time.

Confederation Cup: Germany thrash Mexico to enter final

Germany will set up a new organisation to test vehicle emissions to try to restore consumer confidence after Volkswagen&#39;s emissions scandal revealed an industry-wide pollution problem, the transport ministry said.&nbsp;

The ministry said the new institute would involve consumer organisations, local governments, and environmental groups, as well as the auto industry and ministries, to ensure &quot;more transparency and reliability&quot; in vehicle tests.

However, the KBA motor vehicle authority, which reports to the transport ministry and currently oversees vehicle testing, will remain responsible for licensing new models.

Since Volkswagen admitted to cheating US diesel emissions tests in September 2015, the German government has come under fire for not doing enough to crack down on vehicle pollution and for being too close to the country&#39;s powerful car industry.

The ministry said the new institute would test about 70 car models a year using realistic driving scenarios, rather than relying solely on laboratory conditions, and the emissions and fuel consumption results would be made public to allow car buyers to make better comparisons.

It noted that current official tests do not take into account factors such as the use of air conditioning and radio, or the weather or style of driving, which all influence fuel consumption.

Germany&#39;s VDA auto industry association said in a statement its members were keen to give customers more information about variance in fuel efficiency and would fully participate in the new institute in the interests of more transparency.

Sector under pressure

As per previous reports, transport ministry was pushing carmakers to update the engine management software to cut pollution in up to 12 million diesel vehicles in the country.

HSBC analysts said estimates for the cost of retrofitting cars vary widely but could reach as much as 10 billion euros.

&quot;The theme remains highly relevant and creates uncertainty that we believe contributes to the ongoing de-rating of the sector,&quot; HSBC wrote in a note referring to pressure on carmakers&#39; shares.

Volkswagen&#39;s 2015 admission that it used software to cheat US diesel emission tests highlighted the laxness of the European Union&#39;s own tests, which are currently organised on a national rather than a pan-European level.

The European Commission is seeking broader supervisory powers, including the ability to impose fines on carmakers, but Germany is lobbying to keep vehicle testing and licensing a national affair.

In the aftermath of the Volkswagen scandal, the German transport ministry ordered tests on the carbon dioxide emissions of 29 models. 17 passed the test, while 10 models still needed to be tested in the coming months.

However, some versions of an Opel Zafira car and a Smart For Two produced by Daimler released more carbon dioxide than they should, although the Smart model still needed to undergo further tests. Both versions of the models in question are now discontinued.

Zafira diesels already on the road will have to undergo a software update, the ministry said, although the licences for both vehicles will not be withdrawn.

Opel said the Zafira had passed all legal tests, noting fewer than 3,800 of the model in question had been sold in Germany.

European governments have promoted diesel cars as part of efforts to fight climate change as they produce less carbon dioxide than petrol cars, although environmental groups have cast doubt over how much less they produce and have focused instead on the levels of toxic nitrogen oxides they emit.

Germany is trying to restore consumer confidence after Volkswagen's emissions scandal revealed an industry-wide pollution problem

Germany will set up a new organisation to test vehicle emissions to try to restore consumer confidence after Volkswagen's emissions scandal revealed an industry-wide pollution problem, the transport ministry said. The ministry said the new institute would involve consumer organisations, local governments, and environmental groups, as well as the auto industry and ministries, to ensure "more transparency and reliability" in vehicle tests. However, the KBA motor vehicle authority, which reports to the transport ministry and currently oversees vehicle testing, will remain responsible for licensing new models. Since Volkswagen admitted to cheating US diesel emissions tests in September 2015, the German government has come under fire for not doing enough to crack down on vehicle pollution and for being too close to the country's powerful car industry. The ministry said the new institute would test about 70 car models a year using realistic driving scenarios, rather than relying solely on laboratory conditions, and the emissions and fuel consumption results would be made public to allow car buyers to make better comparisons. It noted that current official tests do not take into account factors such as the use of air conditioning and radio, or the weather or style of driving, which all influence fuel consumption. Germany's VDA auto industry association said in a statement its members were keen to give customers more information about variance in fuel efficiency and would fully participate in the new institute in the interests of more transparency. Sector under pressure As per previous reports, transport ministry was pushing carmakers to update the engine management software to cut pollution in up to 12 million diesel vehicles in the country. HSBC analysts said estimates for the cost of retrofitting cars vary widely but could reach as much as 10 billion euros. "The theme remains highly relevant and creates uncertainty that we believe contributes to the ongoing de-rating of the sector," HSBC wrote in a note referring to pressure on carmakers' shares. Volkswagen's 2015 admission that it used software to cheat US diesel emission tests highlighted the laxness of the European Union's own tests, which are currently organised on a national rather than a pan-European level. The European Commission is seeking broader supervisory powers, including the ability to impose fines on carmakers, but Germany is lobbying to keep vehicle testing and licensing a national affair. In the aftermath of the Volkswagen scandal, the German transport ministry ordered tests on the carbon dioxide emissions of 29 models. 17 passed the test, while 10 models still needed to be tested in the coming months. However, some versions of an Opel Zafira car and a Smart For Two produced by Daimler released more carbon dioxide than they should, although the Smart model still needed to undergo further tests. Both versions of the models in question are now discontinued. Zafira diesels already on the road will have to undergo a software update, the ministry said, although the licences for both vehicles will not be withdrawn. Opel said the Zafira had passed all legal tests, noting fewer than 3,800 of the model in question had been sold in Germany. European governments have promoted diesel cars as part of efforts to fight climate change as they produce less carbon dioxide than petrol cars, although environmental groups have cast doubt over how much less they produce and have focused instead on the levels of toxic nitrogen oxides they emit.

Germany plans new emissions testing body after Volkswagen scandal

Germany&#39;s foreign minister said on Tuesday he would try to avoid damaging already strained relations with NATO partner Turkey during a withdrawal of German troops, as he didn&#39;t want a mounting dispute to push Ankara into closer ties with Moscow.

Sigmar Gabriel said his officials would do their best not to escalate the situation as German troops left the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey - in reaction to Ankara&#39;s decision to restrict German lawmakers&#39; access to the soldiers.

&quot;Above all we should organise the withdrawal so that there is no megaphone diplomacy where we trade insults,&quot; Gabriel told Deutschlandfunk radio.

He said he had agreed with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen that the German cabinet would deal with the issue on Wednesday. He also said the defence ministry had already been working on a withdrawal plan.

Turkey&#39;s ties with Germany and other European Union states deteriorated sharply in the run-up to Turkey&#39;s April 16 referendum that handed President Tayyip Erdogan stronger presidential powers.

Germany, citing security concerns, banned some Turkish politicians from addressing rallies of expatriate Turks before the referendum. Ankara responded by accusing Berlin of &quot;Nazi-like&quot; tactics, drawing rebukes from Berlin.

Turkey has reignited a row over access to German forces on its territory by imposing new restrictions on German lawmakers visiting Incirlik.

The German deployment at Incirlik is part of a mission providing reconnaissance aircraft to support U.S.-led coalition operations against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Gabriel said the defence ministry had concluded it now made more sense logistically to send Germany&#39;s Tornado jets to Jordan.

&quot;We have no interest in pushing Turkey into a corner ... we don&#39;t want to push it towards Russia,&quot; Gabriel said. &quot;This is no small thing but it is about more than Incirlik, it&#39;s about our relationship with Turkey,&quot; he said.

Turkey has been seeking to improve relations with Russia. Last month it agreed plans with Moscow and Tehran to reduce the fighting in Syria, and has been working to end economic barriers imposed after Turkey shot down a Russian plane near the Syrian border in 2015.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after meeting Gabriel in Ankara on Monday that relations with Germany had suffered recently, but that trade and investment between the two countries were still strong.

&quot;We spoke about how we can focus on this more, what steps could be taken to increase contact between the two nations and disperse this negative atmosphere,&quot; he said.

Berlin is also worried about a security crackdown in Turkey after last year&#39;s failed coup. Some 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from their jobs and 50,000 people jailed pending trial.

&quot;Turkey wants an expansion of the customs union. We say we are ready for that ... but you have to move, too,&quot; said Gabriel, who stressed that adhering to the rule of law was necessary.

Germany has also pushed for the release of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, who was arrested in Turkey in February on a charge of spreading terrorist propaganda.

(Reuters)

There is fear that distancing themselves from Turkey will push Ankara closer to Russia

Germany's foreign minister said on Tuesday he would try to avoid damaging already strained relations with NATO partner Turkey during a withdrawal of German troops, as he didn't want a mounting dispute to push Ankara into closer ties with Moscow. Sigmar Gabriel said his officials would do their best not to escalate the situation as German troops left the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey - in reaction to Ankara's decision to restrict German lawmakers' access to the soldiers. "Above all we should organise the withdrawal so that there is no megaphone diplomacy where we trade insults," Gabriel told Deutschlandfunk radio. He said he had agreed with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen that the German cabinet would deal with the issue on Wednesday. He also said the defence ministry had already been working on a withdrawal plan. Turkey's ties with Germany and other European Union states deteriorated sharply in the run-up to Turkey's April 16 referendum that handed President Tayyip Erdogan stronger presidential powers. Germany, citing security concerns, banned some Turkish politicians from addressing rallies of expatriate Turks before the referendum. Ankara responded by accusing Berlin of "Nazi-like" tactics, drawing rebukes from Berlin. Turkey has reignited a row over access to German forces on its territory by imposing new restrictions on German lawmakers visiting Incirlik. The German deployment at Incirlik is part of a mission providing reconnaissance aircraft to support U.S.-led coalition operations against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Gabriel said the defence ministry had concluded it now made more sense logistically to send Germany's Tornado jets to Jordan. "We have no interest in pushing Turkey into a corner ... we don't want to push it towards Russia," Gabriel said. "This is no small thing but it is about more than Incirlik, it's about our relationship with Turkey," he said. Turkey has been seeking to improve relations with Russia. Last month it agreed plans with Moscow and Tehran to reduce the fighting in Syria, and has been working to end economic barriers imposed after Turkey shot down a Russian plane near the Syrian border in 2015. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after meeting Gabriel in Ankara on Monday that relations with Germany had suffered recently, but that trade and investment between the two countries were still strong. "We spoke about how we can focus on this more, what steps could be taken to increase contact between the two nations and disperse this negative atmosphere," he said. Berlin is also worried about a security crackdown in Turkey after last year's failed coup. Some 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from their jobs and 50,000 people jailed pending trial. "Turkey wants an expansion of the customs union. We say we are ready for that ... but you have to move, too," said Gabriel, who stressed that adhering to the rule of law was necessary. Germany has also pushed for the release of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, who was arrested in Turkey in February on a charge of spreading terrorist propaganda. (Reuters)

Germany says will avoid escalation of Turkey row during troop pullout

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with Germany&#39;s Chancellor Angela Merkel in a move to further strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two countries.

Both the leaders held the fourth&nbsp;India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) to set a roadmap for the bilateral strategic ties, PTI said.

&quot;We are looking at outcome oriented momentum in India- Germany ties and a quantum jump specially in economic ties. We had wide ranging discussions today. India-Germany partnership will help our nations and also help the world,&quot; he said.

Merkel and Modi also discussed a number of issues like&nbsp;trade, skill development, cyber security and terrorism.

Modi said that Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and a capable partner.

&quot;Pace of development of our relations is fast, direction positive and destination clear. Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and capable partner,&quot; Modi said at a joint press interaction after holding talks with Merkel, PTI reported.

The German Chancellor said that Berlin wants to develop ties with New Delhi but not at the cost of its trans-Atlantic relationship, Reuters reported.

&quot;That&#39;s of huge importance and in no way directed against any other relationships and certainly not against the trans-Atlantic ties, which have historically been very important for us and will remain so in future.&quot;

On Monday, Merkel underlined her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally but said she was a &quot;convinced trans-Atlanticist&quot;, fine-tuning her message after surprising Washington with her frankness a day earlier.

(WION with inputs from PTI and Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Merkel said she could develop ties with India and keep up its relationship with the US

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel in a move to further strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two countries. Both the leaders held the fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) to set a roadmap for the bilateral strategic ties, PTI said. "We are looking at outcome oriented momentum in India- Germany ties and a quantum jump specially in economic ties. We had wide ranging discussions today. India-Germany partnership will help our nations and also help the world," he said. Merkel and Modi also discussed a number of issues like trade, skill development, cyber security and terrorism. Modi said that Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and a capable partner. "Pace of development of our relations is fast, direction positive and destination clear. Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and capable partner," Modi said at a joint press interaction after holding talks with Merkel, PTI reported. The German Chancellor said that Berlin wants to develop ties with New Delhi but not at the cost of its trans-Atlantic relationship, Reuters reported. "That's of huge importance and in no way directed against any other relationships and certainly not against the trans-Atlantic ties, which have historically been very important for us and will remain so in future." On Monday, Merkel underlined her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally but said she was a "convinced trans-Atlanticist", fine-tuning her message after surprising Washington with her frankness a day earlier. (WION with inputs from PTI and Reuters)

Modi calls Berlin a 'reliable partner' after meeting Merkel

India is keen to attract more German companies to invest and improve bilateral relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ahead of a two-day visit to Europe&#39;s leading economic power that begins on Monday.

Modi&#39;s arrival comes a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel shocked many in Washington and London by saying Europe must take its fate into its own hands, implying that the United States under President Donald Trump and Britain after its Brexit vote were no longer reliable partners.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also visits Berlin this week, and the arrival of two leaders of rising Asian powers in the wake of Merkel&#39;s speech has prompted talk of an eastern pivot in previously firmly Atlanticist Germany.

&quot;Both (the German and Indian) governments are firmly committed to strengthening economic relations,&quot; Modi said in an interview with Handelsblatt newspaper. &quot;I am very optimistic about our future partnership.&quot;

Merkel&#39;s remarks, made to her Christian Democrat party&#39;s Bavarian allies in Munich, were all the more striking since Merkel, a fan of the United States as a teenager in Communist East Germany, has always been known as a convinced Atlanticist.

&quot;The times when we could fully rely on others are somewhat in the past,&quot; she said in a Munich beer tent to lasting applause from her Christian Social Union allies, making palpable her disappointment at failing to secure Trump&#39;s backing for the Paris climate accord at the G7 summit.

&quot;We Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands,&quot; she said. &quot;Of course in friendship with the United States of America, of course in friendship with Great Britain.&quot;

In China and India, Merkel saw the possibility of a partnership in favour of action to slow climate change and to promote free trade, noted Handelsblatt, the newspaper of Germany&#39;s business elite.

&quot;After the disappointing G7 summit, the German chancellor is turning her hopes for free trade and climate protection to India and China,&quot; the paper wrote on its front page on Monday.

But Merkel&#39;s own, carefully chosen words, arguing that times of dependency were &quot;somewhat&quot; in the past, indicate that the pro-American chancellor&#39;s view is one that could yet be revised.

&quot;One thing is clear,&quot; wrote the conservative Bild newspaper, a strong backer of Merkel, in an opinion article. &quot;In the future, America will continue to be our most important partner in economic, foreign and security policy.&quot;

(Reuters)

Germany is looking to economic powers like India and China after Merkel implied Trump's US and Britain post-Brexit are less reliable

India is keen to attract more German companies to invest and improve bilateral relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ahead of a two-day visit to Europe's leading economic power that begins on Monday. Modi's arrival comes a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel shocked many in Washington and London by saying Europe must take its fate into its own hands, implying that the United States under President Donald Trump and Britain after its Brexit vote were no longer reliable partners. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also visits Berlin this week, and the arrival of two leaders of rising Asian powers in the wake of Merkel's speech has prompted talk of an eastern pivot in previously firmly Atlanticist Germany. "Both (the German and Indian) governments are firmly committed to strengthening economic relations," Modi said in an interview with Handelsblatt newspaper. "I am very optimistic about our future partnership." Merkel's remarks, made to her Christian Democrat party's Bavarian allies in Munich, were all the more striking since Merkel, a fan of the United States as a teenager in Communist East Germany, has always been known as a convinced Atlanticist. "The times when we could fully rely on others are somewhat in the past," she said in a Munich beer tent to lasting applause from her Christian Social Union allies, making palpable her disappointment at failing to secure Trump's backing for the Paris climate accord at the G7 summit. "We Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands," she said. "Of course in friendship with the United States of America, of course in friendship with Great Britain." In China and India, Merkel saw the possibility of a partnership in favour of action to slow climate change and to promote free trade, noted Handelsblatt, the newspaper of Germany's business elite. "After the disappointing G7 summit, the German chancellor is turning her hopes for free trade and climate protection to India and China," the paper wrote on its front page on Monday. But Merkel's own, carefully chosen words, arguing that times of dependency were "somewhat" in the past, indicate that the pro-American chancellor's view is one that could yet be revised. "One thing is clear," wrote the conservative Bild newspaper, a strong backer of Merkel, in an opinion article. "In the future, America will continue to be our most important partner in economic, foreign and security policy." (Reuters)

Modi's Berlin visit signals Asian pivot for Atlanticist Merkel

US President Donald Trump&#39;s actions have &quot;weakened&quot; the West, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Monday, while also charging that Trump&#39;s &quot;short-sighted&quot; policies hurt EU interests.

&quot;Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk,&quot; Gabriel said.&nbsp;

&quot;The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union,&quot; he said, adding that &quot;the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker&quot;.

(AFP)

He accused Trump of accelerating climate change by weakening environmental protections and selling arms in conflict zones

US President Donald Trump's actions have "weakened" the West, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Monday, while also charging that Trump's "short-sighted" policies hurt EU interests. "Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk," Gabriel said. "The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union," he said, adding that "the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker". (AFP)

Trump has 'weakened' the West, hurt EU interests: German FM

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported.

&quot;The Germans are bad, very bad,&quot; he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine&#39;s online edition said.

&quot;See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this,&quot; he reportedly said according to &quot;participants at the meeting&quot;. Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone.&nbsp;

Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.

Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report.

Trump&#39;s reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for &quot;not paying what they should be paying&quot; and did not declare his commitment to the alliance&#39;s collective defence guarantee.

Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel.

In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany&#39;s substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation.

After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as &quot;GREAT&quot;, Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing &quot;vast sums of money&quot; to NATO and the US.

For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign.

(AFP)

Trump accused Germany of selling millions of cars in the US during a meeting with EU officials, reports Der Spiegel

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported. "The Germans are bad, very bad," he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine's online edition said. "See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this," he reportedly said according to "participants at the meeting". Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone. Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy. Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report. Trump's reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for "not paying what they should be paying" and did not declare his commitment to the alliance's collective defence guarantee. Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel. In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany's substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation. After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as "GREAT", Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO and the US. For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign. (AFP)

Donald Trump: 'The Germans are bad, very bad'

India&#39;s economy will overtake that of Germany to become the fourth largest and knock Britain out of the top&nbsp;five by 2022, an IMF study, based on analysis of growth projections, said, reported Bloomberg.

But there are significant headwinds before the economy. The biggest risk is the massive amount of bad debts plaguing the Indian banking industry.

IMF&#39;s deputy managing director Tao Zhang, in an exclusive interview to PTI, said that the health of the Indian banking industry, which is facing massive amounts of bad debt, is a concern for IMF.

However, he expressed confidence in the economic reforms being taken up. He said that the roll out of GST could move up the medium-term economic growth rate to more than eight per cent.

Other significant challenges before the Indian economy are overhauling the infrastructure, creating job opportunities, and raising corporate investments in the country.

(WION)&nbsp;

But there are significant headwinds before the economy. The biggest risk is the massive amount of bad debts plaguing the Indian banking industry

India's economy will overtake that of Germany to become the fourth largest and knock Britain out of the top five by 2022, an IMF study, based on analysis of growth projections, said, reported Bloomberg. But there are significant headwinds before the economy. The biggest risk is the massive amount of bad debts plaguing the Indian banking industry. IMF's deputy managing director Tao Zhang, in an exclusive interview to PTI, said that the health of the Indian banking industry, which is facing massive amounts of bad debt, is a concern for IMF. However, he expressed confidence in the economic reforms being taken up. He said that the roll out of GST could move up the medium-term economic growth rate to more than eight per cent. Other significant challenges before the Indian economy are overhauling the infrastructure, creating job opportunities, and raising corporate investments in the country. (WION)

IMF says Indian economy will be fourth largest by 2022: Bloomberg

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

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

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

Migrant arrival in Germany drops in 2017

Germany on Monday dismissed as unacceptable an accusation by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that Chancellor Angela Merkel is &quot;applying Nazi methods&quot; against Turks and Turkish officials in Germany.

&quot;Nazi comparisons are unacceptable in any form,&quot; a German government spokeswoman said, adding that it was up to Turkey to tone down its rhetoric and avert damage to relations between the two countries.

Germany&#39;s Nazi government during World War II--the&nbsp;perpetrators of the Holocaust in which&nbsp;millions of Jews, Roma, differently-abled and more were murdered--is a legacy&nbsp;contemporary Germany&nbsp;still wrestles with&nbsp;decades later.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Erdogan has previously said that&nbsp;both the German and Dutch governments&nbsp;egaged in &quot;Nazi practices&quot; after each country prevented Turkish ministers from campaigning at events for expatriate&nbsp;voters ahead of an April referendum in Turkey that would expand Erdogan&#39;s power.

Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul on Sunday: &quot;Merkel, now you&#39;re applying Nazi methods. Against my brothers who live in Germany, and against my ministers and lawmakers who visit there. Would this suit the ethics of politics? Your mission is not to support terrorist organisations, but to extradite them.&quot;

Germany, and Berlin in particular, has&nbsp;had a large Turkish population for decades. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/07/18/home-to-3-million-turkish-immigrants-germany-fears-rising-tensions/?utm_term=.46fcaf49836d" target="_blank">Estimates </a>peg Germany&#39;s Turkish immigrant population at roughly three million. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Berlin refused to let Turkish ministers campaign in Germany to Turkish ex pats before an April referendum that would expand Erdogan's power

Germany on Monday dismissed as unacceptable an accusation by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that Chancellor Angela Merkel is "applying Nazi methods" against Turks and Turkish officials in Germany. "Nazi comparisons are unacceptable in any form," a German government spokeswoman said, adding that it was up to Turkey to tone down its rhetoric and avert damage to relations between the two countries. Germany's Nazi government during World War II--the perpetrators of the Holocaust in which millions of Jews, Roma, differently-abled and more were murdered--is a legacy contemporary Germany still wrestles with decades later. Erdogan has previously said that both the German and Dutch governments egaged in "Nazi practices" after each country prevented Turkish ministers from campaigning at events for expatriate voters ahead of an April referendum in Turkey that would expand Erdogan's power. Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul on Sunday: "Merkel, now you're applying Nazi methods. Against my brothers who live in Germany, and against my ministers and lawmakers who visit there. Would this suit the ethics of politics? Your mission is not to support terrorist organisations, but to extradite them." Germany, and Berlin in particular, has had a large Turkish population for decades. Estimates peg Germany's Turkish immigrant population at roughly three million. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Germany says Erdogan's Nazi comparisons are unacceptable

Germany angrily warned Turkey on Sunday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had gone too far after he accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of using &quot;Nazi measures&quot; in an escalating diplomatic feud.

Turkey and the European Union are locked in an explosive crisis that threatens to jeopardise Ankara&#39;s bid to join the bloc, as tensions rise ahead of an April 16 referendum on expanding Erdogan&#39;s powers.

The row erupted after authorities in Germany and other EU states refused to allow some Turkish ministers to campaign for a &#39;yes&#39; vote on their soil, provoking a volcanic response from the Turkish strongman who said the spirit of Nazi Germany was rampant in Europe.

&quot;When we call them Nazis they (Europe) get uncomfortable. They rally together in solidarity. Especially Merkel,&quot; Erdogan said in a televised speech on Sunday.

&quot;But you are right now employing Nazi measures,&quot; Erdogan said referring to Merkel, pointedly using the informal &quot;you&quot; in Turkish.

&quot;Against who? My Turkish brother citizens in Germany and brother ministers&quot; who planned to hold campaign rallies for a &#39;yes&#39; vote in the referendum, he said.

Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel branded Erdogan&#39;s comments &quot;shocking&quot;.

&quot;We are tolerant but we&#39;re not stupid,&quot; he told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper. &quot;That&#39;s why I have let my Turkish counterpart know very clearly that a boundary has been crossed here.&quot;

Julia Kloeckner, the vice-president of Merkel&#39;s CDU party, also reacted angrily to the comments.

&quot;Has Mr. Erdogan lost his mind?&quot; she said, telling journalists she was urging the EU to freeze &quot;financial aid amounting to billions of euros&quot; to Turkey. Home to 1.4 million Turkish voters, Germany hosts the world`s largest Turkish diaspora but the partnership between NATO allies Ankara and Berlin has been ripped to shreds by the current crisis.

Turkey reacted furiously to a Frankfurt rally on Saturday urging a &#39;no&#39; vote where protesters brandished insignia of outlawed Kurdish rebels, accusing Germany of double standards.

&quot;Yesterday (Saturday), Germany put its name under another scandal,&quot; presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told CNN-Turk. He said the German ambassador had been summoned although this was not confirmed by Berlin.

The Turkish foreign ministry accused the German authorities &quot;of the worst example of double standards&quot; for allowing the pro-Kurdish protest while preventing Turkish ministers from campaigning there.

Many protesters carried symbols of the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), listed as a terror organisation not just by Turkey but also the EU and the United States.

(AFP)

The row erupted after authorities in Germany and other EU states refused to allow some Turkish ministers to campaign for a 'yes' vote

Germany angrily warned Turkey on Sunday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had gone too far after he accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of using "Nazi measures" in an escalating diplomatic feud. Turkey and the European Union are locked in an explosive crisis that threatens to jeopardise Ankara's bid to join the bloc, as tensions rise ahead of an April 16 referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers. The row erupted after authorities in Germany and other EU states refused to allow some Turkish ministers to campaign for a 'yes' vote on their soil, provoking a volcanic response from the Turkish strongman who said the spirit of Nazi Germany was rampant in Europe. "When we call them Nazis they (Europe) get uncomfortable. They rally together in solidarity. Especially Merkel," Erdogan said in a televised speech on Sunday. "But you are right now employing Nazi measures," Erdogan said referring to Merkel, pointedly using the informal "you" in Turkish. "Against who? My Turkish brother citizens in Germany and brother ministers" who planned to hold campaign rallies for a 'yes' vote in the referendum, he said. Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel branded Erdogan's comments "shocking". "We are tolerant but we're not stupid," he told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper. "That's why I have let my Turkish counterpart know very clearly that a boundary has been crossed here." Julia Kloeckner, the vice-president of Merkel's CDU party, also reacted angrily to the comments. "Has Mr. Erdogan lost his mind?" she said, telling journalists she was urging the EU to freeze "financial aid amounting to billions of euros" to Turkey. Home to 1.4 million Turkish voters, Germany hosts the world`s largest Turkish diaspora but the partnership between NATO allies Ankara and Berlin has been ripped to shreds by the current crisis. Turkey reacted furiously to a Frankfurt rally on Saturday urging a 'no' vote where protesters brandished insignia of outlawed Kurdish rebels, accusing Germany of double standards. "Yesterday (Saturday), Germany put its name under another scandal," presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told CNN-Turk. He said the German ambassador had been summoned although this was not confirmed by Berlin. The Turkish foreign ministry accused the German authorities "of the worst example of double standards" for allowing the pro-Kurdish protest while preventing Turkish ministers from campaigning there. Many protesters carried symbols of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terror organisation not just by Turkey but also the EU and the United States. (AFP)

Germany fumes over Erdogan's Nazi jibe against Merkel

Turkey on Sunday accused Germany of supporting the network of a US-based Muslim cleric it blames for last year&#39;s attempted coup, comments likely to aggravate a diplomatic feud between the two countries.

Germany and Turkey have been locked in a deepening row after Berlin banned some Turkish ministers from speaking to rallies of expatriate Turks ahead of a referendum next month, citing public safety concerns.

On Saturday, German news magazine Der Spiegel published an interview with the head of Germany&#39;s BND foreign intelligence agency, who said Ankara had failed to convince it that the cleric Fethullah Gulen was responsible for the coup attempt.

&quot;Turkey has tried to convince us of that at every level but so far it has not succeeded,&quot; Bruno Kahl was quoted as saying.

President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said Kahl&#39;s comments were proof Germany was supporting Gulen&#39;s network, which Ankara refers to as the &quot;Gulenist Terrorist Organisation&quot; or &quot;FETO&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s an effort to invalidate all the information we have given them on FETO. It&#39;s a sign of their support for FETO,&quot; Ibrahim Kalin told broadcaster CNN Turk.

&quot;Why are they protecting them? Because these are useful instruments for Germany to use against Turkey.&quot;

There was no response from Germany to the comments.

Ankara blames Gulen&#39;s network of followers in the military for the abortive putsch in July, when a group of rogue soldiers seized tanks, helicopters and war planes to attack parliament and attempt to overthrow the government. More than 240 people were killed in the coup attempt.

Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, has denied the charges and condemned the coup.

(Reuters)

In an interview, head of Germany's foreign intelligence, said Ankara had failed to convince it that Gulen was behind the failed coup

Turkey on Sunday accused Germany of supporting the network of a US-based Muslim cleric it blames for last year's attempted coup, comments likely to aggravate a diplomatic feud between the two countries. Germany and Turkey have been locked in a deepening row after Berlin banned some Turkish ministers from speaking to rallies of expatriate Turks ahead of a referendum next month, citing public safety concerns. On Saturday, German news magazine Der Spiegel published an interview with the head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency, who said Ankara had failed to convince it that the cleric Fethullah Gulen was responsible for the coup attempt. "Turkey has tried to convince us of that at every level but so far it has not succeeded," Bruno Kahl was quoted as saying. President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said Kahl's comments were proof Germany was supporting Gulen's network, which Ankara refers to as the "Gulenist Terrorist Organisation" or "FETO". "It's an effort to invalidate all the information we have given them on FETO. It's a sign of their support for FETO," Ibrahim Kalin told broadcaster CNN Turk. "Why are they protecting them? Because these are useful instruments for Germany to use against Turkey." There was no response from Germany to the comments. Ankara blames Gulen's network of followers in the military for the abortive putsch in July, when a group of rogue soldiers seized tanks, helicopters and war planes to attack parliament and attempt to overthrow the government. More than 240 people were killed in the coup attempt. Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, has denied the charges and condemned the coup. (Reuters)

Germany supports group responsible for failed coup in Turkey: Erdogan's spokesman

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

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

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

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

Germany&#39;s Justice Minister put forward a tough new draft law on Tuesday calling for social networks like Facebook to take faster action to remove slanderous or threatening online postings quickly or face stiff fines of up to 50 million euros.

&quot;This (draft law) sets out binding standards for the way operators of social networks deal with complaints and obliges them to delete criminal content,&quot; said Heiko Maas, a Social Democrat minister.

Failing to comply would breach the rules and could result in a fine of up to 50 million euros against an organisation, he said.

The country already has some of the world&#39;s toughest hate speech laws covering defamation, slander, public incitement to commit crimes and threats of violence and is seeking to update its rules in the fast-moving, often anonymous social media age.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

The fine could be as high as 50 million euros

Germany's Justice Minister put forward a tough new draft law on Tuesday calling for social networks like Facebook to take faster action to remove slanderous or threatening online postings quickly or face stiff fines of up to 50 million euros. "This (draft law) sets out binding standards for the way operators of social networks deal with complaints and obliges them to delete criminal content," said Heiko Maas, a Social Democrat minister. Failing to comply would breach the rules and could result in a fine of up to 50 million euros against an organisation, he said. The country already has some of the world's toughest hate speech laws covering defamation, slander, public incitement to commit crimes and threats of violence and is seeking to update its rules in the fast-moving, often anonymous social media age. (Reuters)

Germany plans to fine social networks if they don't remove hate speech

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Berlin of &quot;aiding and harbouring&quot; terror after German authorities banned rallies courting support from Turkish expatriates for a constitutional change to expand Erdogan&#39;s powers.

Ankara and Berlin were locked in acrimony and Erdogan also claimed a detained correspondent working for Germany&#39;s Die Welt newspaper was a &nbsp;spy, an accusation Germany said &quot;makes no sense.&quot;

&quot;They need to be put on trial for aiding and harbouring terror,&quot; Erdogan said, criticising German authorities who had allowed outlawed Kurdish leaders to speak but had blocked rallies where Turkish ministers sought to address the Turkish community.&nbsp;

The president also claimed that Die Welt correspondent Deniz Yucel, who was detained on Monday on terror-related charges, was a &quot;German agent&quot;.

Turks vote on April 16 on whether to create a presidential system -- a change that the government says will ensure political stability, but which critics say will drag Turkey into one-man rule.&nbsp;

In the runup to the referendum, controversy has flared over politicians&#39; trips to Germany, where they have been seeking &quot;Yes&quot; votes from the millions of people of Turkish descent.

One such event was a rally by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the western city of Oberhausen.&nbsp;

On Thursday, local authorities blocked rallies by two more Turkish ministers, prompting a furious response from Ankara which promptly summoned the German envoy to protest.&nbsp;

An incensed Erdogan, who was prevented from adressing a rally in Cologne by video link after a failed coup in July last year, lashed out at Germany.&nbsp;

&quot;They allow Cemil Bayik to speak from (the) Kandil&quot; mountains in Iraq, he said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) leader.&nbsp;

Earlier, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused German officials of failing to &quot;honour democracy&quot; and of allowing &quot;terrorists&quot; to speak but denying the same right to Erdogan.

&quot;They don&#39;t want Turkey to campaign here, they are working for a &#39;No&#39;,&quot; he said. &quot;They want to get in the way of a strong Turkey.&quot;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Turkey&#39;s accusations, saying the decisions were &quot;taken by municipalities, and as a matter of principle, we apply freedom of expression in Germany&quot;.

Cavusoglu and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking by phone, agreed to meet next Wednesday, a senior Turkish official said.

Another rally cancelled&nbsp;

As the political fallout continued, a third German town -- Frechen on the outskirts of Cologne -- scrapped a rally that had been scheduled for Sunday, as the venue &quot;excludes political events,&quot; police said.

And the western town of Gaggenau, which had cancelled a rally scheduled for Thursday by Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, said it received a bomb threat early Friday.&nbsp;

&quot;The caller cited the cancellation of the event with the Turkish justice minister as a reason,&quot; local official Dieter Spannagel told AFP.&nbsp;

Cologne city authorities also withdrew permission for the UETD to use a hall on Sunday for a speech by Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci. But Zeybekci said he would still go ahead with the visit.&nbsp;

&quot;Even if they don&#39;t allow (it), I will go from house to house to meet with our citizens in Germany,&quot; he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

&#39;German agent&#39;

Tensions have erupted previously over German criticism of the crackdown in Turkey following last year&#39;s failed coup, which has seen more than 100,000 people arrested, dismissed or sacked for alleged links to the plotters or to Kurdish militants.

The Die Welt correspondent was charged on Monday by an Istanbul court with spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred.

&quot;That person had hidden at the German consulate for a month as a PKK representative, as a German agent,&quot; Erdogan said, adding that Germany had initially refused to hand him over for trial.

Speaking earlier in the day, Merkel said Berlin was right to criticise Ankara over press freedom.

&quot;I also think that it was right of us to criticise any restrictions on press freedom.&quot;

Germany is home to the biggest population of Turks outside Turkey with around three million in the country of Turkish origin, the legacy of a massive &quot;guest worker&quot; programme in the 1960s-70s.

(AFP)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after Berlin banned rallies seeking expansion of his presidential support

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Berlin of "aiding and harbouring" terror after German authorities banned rallies courting support from Turkish expatriates for a constitutional change to expand Erdogan's powers. Ankara and Berlin were locked in acrimony and Erdogan also claimed a detained correspondent working for Germany's Die Welt newspaper was a spy, an accusation Germany said "makes no sense." "They need to be put on trial for aiding and harbouring terror," Erdogan said, criticising German authorities who had allowed outlawed Kurdish leaders to speak but had blocked rallies where Turkish ministers sought to address the Turkish community. The president also claimed that Die Welt correspondent Deniz Yucel, who was detained on Monday on terror-related charges, was a "German agent". Turks vote on April 16 on whether to create a presidential system -- a change that the government says will ensure political stability, but which critics say will drag Turkey into one-man rule. In the runup to the referendum, controversy has flared over politicians' trips to Germany, where they have been seeking "Yes" votes from the millions of people of Turkish descent. One such event was a rally by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the western city of Oberhausen. On Thursday, local authorities blocked rallies by two more Turkish ministers, prompting a furious response from Ankara which promptly summoned the German envoy to protest. An incensed Erdogan, who was prevented from adressing a rally in Cologne by video link after a failed coup in July last year, lashed out at Germany. "They allow Cemil Bayik to speak from (the) Kandil" mountains in Iraq, he said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader. Earlier, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused German officials of failing to "honour democracy" and of allowing "terrorists" to speak but denying the same right to Erdogan. "They don't want Turkey to campaign here, they are working for a 'No'," he said. "They want to get in the way of a strong Turkey." German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Turkey's accusations, saying the decisions were "taken by municipalities, and as a matter of principle, we apply freedom of expression in Germany". Cavusoglu and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking by phone, agreed to meet next Wednesday, a senior Turkish official said. Another rally cancelled As the political fallout continued, a third German town -- Frechen on the outskirts of Cologne -- scrapped a rally that had been scheduled for Sunday, as the venue "excludes political events," police said. And the western town of Gaggenau, which had cancelled a rally scheduled for Thursday by Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, said it received a bomb threat early Friday. "The caller cited the cancellation of the event with the Turkish justice minister as a reason," local official Dieter Spannagel told AFP. Cologne city authorities also withdrew permission for the UETD to use a hall on Sunday for a speech by Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci. But Zeybekci said he would still go ahead with the visit. "Even if they don't allow (it), I will go from house to house to meet with our citizens in Germany," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency. 'German agent' Tensions have erupted previously over German criticism of the crackdown in Turkey following last year's failed coup, which has seen more than 100,000 people arrested, dismissed or sacked for alleged links to the plotters or to Kurdish militants. The Die Welt correspondent was charged on Monday by an Istanbul court with spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred. "That person had hidden at the German consulate for a month as a PKK representative, as a German agent," Erdogan said, adding that Germany had initially refused to hand him over for trial. Speaking earlier in the day, Merkel said Berlin was right to criticise Ankara over press freedom. "I also think that it was right of us to criticise any restrictions on press freedom." Germany is home to the biggest population of Turks outside Turkey with around three million in the country of Turkish origin, the legacy of a massive "guest worker" programme in the 1960s-70s. (AFP)

Turkey's Erdogan accuses Germany of 'aiding and harbouring' terror

One person was killed and two injured Saturday when a man rammed a car into pedestrians in the southern German city of Heidelberg, said police, adding that it did not appear to be a terror attack.

After the crash, the driver, a 35-year-old German man, fled on foot armed with a knife on a busy city centre street but was shot and wounded by police.

Police said a 73-three-year German man who suffered serious injuries died later in hospital.

A statement said a 32-year-old Austrian and a Bosnian woman aged 29 were injured by the car.

&quot;At the current stage of the investigation there is nothing to suggest that it was a terrorist&quot; act, the police said.

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<h5>German daily Bild reported that the suspect was suffering from psychiatric troubles, but authorities have made no comment on that claim</h5>
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Officers had tracked down the driver with help from witnesses and opened fire on the suspect who was &quot;seriously wounded&quot;, police said.&nbsp;

They said there was &quot;no additional information on the state of health&quot; of the driver.

German daily Bild reported that the suspect was suffering from psychiatric troubles, but authorities have made no comment on that claim.

The police cordoned off the area and a helicopter hovered overhead on Saturday evening.

Germany has been on high alert since a Tunisian allegedly rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin in December, killing 12 people, before being shot dead days later by police in Italy.

The Berlin carnage evoked memories of the July truck assault in the French Riviera city of Nice, where 86 people were killed by a Tunisian Islamic State group-sympathiser.

According to German security services, there are about 10,000 radical Islamists in the country of whom 1,600 have suspected links to terror groups.

(AFP)

Heidelberg police said the attack did not appear to be terror-related

One person was killed and two injured Saturday when a man rammed a car into pedestrians in the southern German city of Heidelberg, said police, adding that it did not appear to be a terror attack. After the crash, the driver, a 35-year-old German man, fled on foot armed with a knife on a busy city centre street but was shot and wounded by police. Police said a 73-three-year German man who suffered serious injuries died later in hospital. A statement said a 32-year-old Austrian and a Bosnian woman aged 29 were injured by the car. "At the current stage of the investigation there is nothing to suggest that it was a terrorist" act, the police said. German daily Bild reported that the suspect was suffering from psychiatric troubles, but authorities have made no comment on that claim × Officers had tracked down the driver with help from witnesses and opened fire on the suspect who was "seriously wounded", police said. They said there was "no additional information on the state of health" of the driver. German daily Bild reported that the suspect was suffering from psychiatric troubles, but authorities have made no comment on that claim. The police cordoned off the area and a helicopter hovered overhead on Saturday evening. Germany has been on high alert since a Tunisian allegedly rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin in December, killing 12 people, before being shot dead days later by police in Italy. The Berlin carnage evoked memories of the July truck assault in the French Riviera city of Nice, where 86 people were killed by a Tunisian Islamic State group-sympathiser. According to German security services, there are about 10,000 radical Islamists in the country of whom 1,600 have suspected links to terror groups. (AFP)

Germany: 1 dead, 2 injured after man rams car into pedestrians

German weekly magazine Der Spiegel sparked controversy at home and abroad on Saturday with a front cover illustration of US President Donald Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty.

The cover depicted a cartoon figure of Trump with a bloodied knife in one hand and the statue&#39;s head, dripping with blood, in the other with a caption: &quot;America First&quot;.

The artist who designed the cover, Edel Rodriguez, a Cuban who came to the United States in 1980 as a political refugee, told The Washington Post: &quot;It&#39;s a beheading of democracy, a beheading of a sacred symbol.&quot;

The cover set off a debate on Twitter and in German and international media, with Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a member of Germany&#39;s Free Democrats (FDP) and vice-president of the European Parliament, describing it as &quot;tasteless&quot;.

However, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Klaus Brinkbaeumer stood by the cover saying, &quot;Der Spiegel does not want to provoke anybody. We want to show what this is about, it&#39;s about democracy, it&#39;s about freedom, it&#39;s about freedom of press, freedom of justice and all that is seriously endangered.&quot; &quot;So we are defending democracy, we are defending international organisations and contracts. Are these serious times? Yes, they are,&quot; he added.

&quot;The impact actually surprised me, that this cover was held high at demonstrations, that many in the American media put it on the front page or the first place of their website. This impact surprised me. That it would get attention, I expected,&quot; the editor-in-chief observed.

The cover follows a series of attacks on Berlin&#39;s policies by Trump and his aides, marking a rapid deterioration in German relations with the United States. Chancellor Angela Merkel was the go-to European ally for former US President Barack Obama, who praised her as &quot;an outstanding partner&quot;. However, a lot has changed since then. Last month, Trump said Merkel had made a &quot;catastrophic mistake&quot; with her open-door migration policy, and this week his top trade adviser said Germany was using a &quot;grossly undervalued&quot; Euro to gain advantage over the United States and its European partners.

Meanwhile, Trump&#39;s policies, especially the travel ban imposed on seven mainly Muslim countries sparked protests across Europe including in New York and Washington&nbsp;even as the appeal was rejected by a federal judge. In London an estimated 10,000 people turned out, chanting &quot;Theresa May: Shame on You&quot; to denounce the British prime minister&#39;s support for the American president.

Trump&#39;s executive order last week put a 120-day halt on the US&nbsp;refugee programme, barred Syrian refugees indefinitely and imposed a 90-day suspension on people from seven majority Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. But a US court in a ruling denied a request from the US Department of Justice to immediately restore Trump&#39;s order. In Iraq, a government spokesperson said, &quot;It is a move in the right direction to solve the problems that it caused.&quot;

(WION with Reuters input)

Der Spiegel's cover follows a series of attacks on Berlin's policies by Trump marking a rapid deterioration in German relations with the US

German weekly magazine Der Spiegel sparked controversy at home and abroad on Saturday with a front cover illustration of US President Donald Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty. The cover depicted a cartoon figure of Trump with a bloodied knife in one hand and the statue's head, dripping with blood, in the other with a caption: "America First". The artist who designed the cover, Edel Rodriguez, a Cuban who came to the United States in 1980 as a political refugee, told The Washington Post: "It's a beheading of democracy, a beheading of a sacred symbol." The cover set off a debate on Twitter and in German and international media, with Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a member of Germany's Free Democrats (FDP) and vice-president of the European Parliament, describing it as "tasteless". However, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Klaus Brinkbaeumer stood by the cover saying, "Der Spiegel does not want to provoke anybody. We want to show what this is about, it's about democracy, it's about freedom, it's about freedom of press, freedom of justice and all that is seriously endangered." "So we are defending democracy, we are defending international organisations and contracts. Are these serious times? Yes, they are," he added. "The impact actually surprised me, that this cover was held high at demonstrations, that many in the American media put it on the front page or the first place of their website. This impact surprised me. That it would get attention, I expected," the editor-in-chief observed. The cover follows a series of attacks on Berlin's policies by Trump and his aides, marking a rapid deterioration in German relations with the United States. Chancellor Angela Merkel was the go-to European ally for former US President Barack Obama, who praised her as "an outstanding partner". However, a lot has changed since then. Last month, Trump said Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" with her open-door migration policy, and this week his top trade adviser said Germany was using a "grossly undervalued" Euro to gain advantage over the United States and its European partners. Meanwhile, Trump's policies, especially the travel ban imposed on seven mainly Muslim countries sparked protests across Europe including in New York and Washington even as the appeal was rejected by a federal judge. In London an estimated 10,000 people turned out, chanting "Theresa May: Shame on You" to denounce the British prime minister's support for the American president. Trump's executive order last week put a 120-day halt on the US refugee programme, barred Syrian refugees indefinitely and imposed a 90-day suspension on people from seven majority Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. But a US court in a ruling denied a request from the US Department of Justice to immediately restore Trump's order. In Iraq, a government spokesperson said, "It is a move in the right direction to solve the problems that it caused." (WION with Reuters input)

German magazine depicts Trump beheading Statue of Liberty, chief editor defends decision

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