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

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

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

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

German carmaker Volkswagen (VW) AG is set to recall 340,000&nbsp;vehicle units in India across 13 models as part of its global recall to replace a software linked to emissions cheating tests, according to <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Companies/BVEFtjcdtj5M9jwUbGPn5L/Volkswagen-to-recall-34-lakh-vehicles-of-13-models-in-India.html">India&#39;s business newspaper Mint</a>.

Volkswagen had admitted in 2015 that about 11 million diesel cars worldwide were fitted with &#39;defeat devices&#39;&nbsp;in order to beat emissions tests.&nbsp;

The car models to be recalled by Volkswagen in India are hatchback Polo, sedans such as Vento, Jetta, Passat; Skoda&rsquo;s Fabia hatchback, Yeti SUV and sedans such as Rapid, Laura and Superb, also Audi&rsquo;s A4 and A6 sedans apart from Q3 and Q5 SUVs, the Mint report adds.

Six Volkswagen employees from Germany have been indicted in the US in the emissions cheating scandal.&nbsp;Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn will face German MPs next week amid fresh allegations that top executives colluded in covering up the German automaker&#39;s emissions cheating practices. 
&nbsp;

(WION)

Volkswagen's decision to recall cars in India is part of its global move to replace a software linked to emissions cheating tests

German carmaker Volkswagen (VW) AG is set to recall 340,000 vehicle units in India across 13 models as part of its global recall to replace a software linked to emissions cheating tests, according to India's business newspaper Mint. Volkswagen had admitted in 2015 that about 11 million diesel cars worldwide were fitted with 'defeat devices' in order to beat emissions tests. The car models to be recalled by Volkswagen in India are hatchback Polo, sedans such as Vento, Jetta, Passat; Skoda’s Fabia hatchback, Yeti SUV and sedans such as Rapid, Laura and Superb, also Audi’s A4 and A6 sedans apart from Q3 and Q5 SUVs, the Mint report adds. Six Volkswagen employees from Germany have been indicted in the US in the emissions cheating scandal. Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn will face German MPs next week amid fresh allegations that top executives colluded in covering up the German automaker's emissions cheating practices. (WION)

Volkswagen set to recall 340,000 cars in India: Report

Germany took in 280,000 asylum seekers in 2016, about one-third of the previous year`s record figure, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday.

At the height of the huge refugee and migrant influx to Europe in 2015, a total of 890,000 people came seeking safe haven in the EU`s top economy.

The migration office said that it received about 745,000 asylum requests in 2016 from people who had arrived that year or the year before.

Of these, 36 per cent were from refugees from war-torn Syria, 17 per cent&nbsp;Afghans and 13 percent&nbsp;Iraqis, it said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces an election expected in September, has been harshly criticised for the mass inflow, and her government has taken a series of measures to reduce arrivals.

The reduced numbers for 2016 &quot;show that the measures which the German government and the European Union have taken are working,&quot; said de Maiziere at a press conference.&nbsp;

&quot;We have managed to bring order to the migrant situation,&quot; he added.

The mass influx eased off sharply in early 2016 after several Balkans transit countries shuttered their borders.

The EU also reached a controversial deal with Turkey, spearheaded by Germany, to stop the influx to the Greek islands.

In further measures, Berlin declared some western Balkans states &quot;safe countries of origin&quot;, making it harder for their citizens to obtain refugee status in Germany.

It is seeking similar designations for Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, and also plans to pressure the Maghreb countries, possibly by denying foreign aid, if they drag their feet on taking back rejected asylum seekers.

(AFP)

At the height of the refugee influx to Europe in 2015, a total of 890,000 people came seeking safe haven in the EU`s top economy

Germany took in 280,000 asylum seekers in 2016, about one-third of the previous year`s record figure, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday. At the height of the huge refugee and migrant influx to Europe in 2015, a total of 890,000 people came seeking safe haven in the EU`s top economy. The migration office said that it received about 745,000 asylum requests in 2016 from people who had arrived that year or the year before. Of these, 36 per cent were from refugees from war-torn Syria, 17 per cent Afghans and 13 percent Iraqis, it said. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces an election expected in September, has been harshly criticised for the mass inflow, and her government has taken a series of measures to reduce arrivals. The reduced numbers for 2016 "show that the measures which the German government and the European Union have taken are working," said de Maiziere at a press conference. "We have managed to bring order to the migrant situation," he added. The mass influx eased off sharply in early 2016 after several Balkans transit countries shuttered their borders. The EU also reached a controversial deal with Turkey, spearheaded by Germany, to stop the influx to the Greek islands. In further measures, Berlin declared some western Balkans states "safe countries of origin", making it harder for their citizens to obtain refugee status in Germany. It is seeking similar designations for Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, and also plans to pressure the Maghreb countries, possibly by denying foreign aid, if they drag their feet on taking back rejected asylum seekers. (AFP)

Germany's interior minister: Asylum-seeker arrivals down two-thirds in 2016

&nbsp;

Mesut Ozil is ready to sign a new contract with Arsenal but the attacking midfielder wants to know if manager Arsene Wenger is staying at the club beyond this season.&nbsp;Wenger`s contract expires at the end of the current season, while Ozil and teammate Alexis Sanchez both have 18 months left on their deals.

&quot;I feel very, very happy at Arsenal and have let the club know I would be willing to extend. The fans want me to stay, and now it&#39;s only down to the club,&quot; Ozil told German football magazine Kicker.

&quot;The club knows I am here mainly because of Arsene Wenger, who brought me here and whose trust I have. The club also knows that I want clarity about what the manager is doing.&quot; 
 
Ozil, who joined the North London club in 2013, has been criticised by former Arsenal players including Thierry Henry, who said the German international was &quot;holding the club hostage&quot; with his wage demands.&nbsp;&quot;Everyone has a right to say what they want, but what they have to say doesn&#39;t interest me,&quot; Ozil said.

&quot;Ex-players or other people who have a view don&#39;t know what is actually being said between me and the club,&quot;&nbsp; Ozil pointed.&nbsp;Arsenal are currently fifth in the Premier League with 41 points from 20 games, trailing leaders Chelsea by eight points.

(Reuters)

Mesut Ozil is ready to sign a new contract but he wants to know if Arsene Wenger will stay with Arsenal.

Mesut Ozil is ready to sign a new contract with Arsenal but the attacking midfielder wants to know if manager Arsene Wenger is staying at the club beyond this season. Wenger`s contract expires at the end of the current season, while Ozil and teammate Alexis Sanchez both have 18 months left on their deals. "I feel very, very happy at Arsenal and have let the club know I would be willing to extend. The fans want me to stay, and now it's only down to the club," Ozil told German football magazine Kicker. "The club knows I am here mainly because of Arsene Wenger, who brought me here and whose trust I have. The club also knows that I want clarity about what the manager is doing." Ozil, who joined the North London club in 2013, has been criticised by former Arsenal players including Thierry Henry, who said the German international was "holding the club hostage" with his wage demands. "Everyone has a right to say what they want, but what they have to say doesn't interest me," Ozil said. "Ex-players or other people who have a view don't know what is actually being said between me and the club," Ozil pointed. Arsenal are currently fifth in the Premier League with 41 points from 20 games, trailing leaders Chelsea by eight points. (Reuters)

Want clarity over Wenger staying with Arsenal: Ozil

In 1945, West Germany was 400 million cubic metres of rubble. Almost 80 per cent of historical buildings in the main cities of Germany were levelled, some were restored later and some lost forever. The trains were not working, not enough food, and almost 70 per cent of the houses were destroyed, forcing people to stay in refugee camps once the war ended. Many men&nbsp;died in the&nbsp;war, severely impacting the labour force required to rebuild the country.&nbsp;

It is difficult to peg the exact economic cost of&nbsp;rebuilding Germany after the war, but the Marshall Plan, also known as&nbsp;the European Recovery Project, gives a partial figure. Beginning in 1949, the Marshall Plan provided $1.4 billion to Germany to&nbsp;promote&nbsp;economic recovery. According to a 2006 report by the Federation of American Scientists, the United States provided financial assistance to Germany for rebuilding its cities from 1946-1952, an amount equivalent to $29.3 billion, as per dollar conversion rates in 2005.&nbsp;

The reconstruction of&nbsp;Germany lasted up to the 1980s &mdash; almost 35 years. Even as late as the 2000s, certain parts of Germany were still being rebuilt, with&nbsp;Berlin having maximum damages.&nbsp;

It takes centuries for an economy to evolve. People from other countries migrate, and settle in a country, bringing new traits of commerce with them. With time&nbsp;these traits become a part of the settled country,&nbsp;enriching its economy, and building it further. Several civilisations contribute to building a country, its economy, and help it reach where it stands at a given point of time.

But&nbsp;one war disrupts it all and sets a country back by generations. In September 2012, Syrian government forces shelled the rebel forces, bankrupting 40,000 traders in the city of Aleppo overnight. &nbsp; &nbsp;

For the past five&nbsp;years, Syria has been witnessing war between&nbsp;Islamic militants and&nbsp;government forces. The population, as well as the GDP (gross domestic product) of&nbsp;Syria, has shrunk miserably since the inception of war, with the maximum damage being borne by the manufacturing and crude oil sectors. According to the data released by the Syrian government, the Syrian pound has lost about 80 per cent&nbsp;of its value since the conflict began.

In February 2016, Syrian President Bashar Assad put the estimated economic loss to Syria from war at $200 billion. According to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, rebuilding war-ravaged Syria may cost as much as $180 billion.

Aleppo, once envied for its trade and commerce, is now reduced to rubble. A World Bank-led preliminary assessment of damage in six cities of Syria &mdash; Aleppo, Dar&#39;a, Hama, Homs, Idlib, and Latakia &mdash; over seven sectors &mdash; housing, health, education, energy, water and sanitation, transport and agriculture &mdash; estimated a cost-of-repair bill of $ 3.6 billion to $4.5 billion as of 2014-end. &nbsp;

Even the countries bordering Syria such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and&nbsp;Egypt are suffering from the spillover effects of war. The World Bank estimates that the influx of more than 630,000 Syrian refugees has cost Jordan over $2.5 billion a year. This amounts to 6 per cent of Jordan&#39;s GDP and one-fourth of its government&rsquo;s annual revenue.

War is the greatest negative disruptor for any economy making all its growth over the years futile. War does not end in a day or even a year. It continues for several years and puts the economy in a freeze. Post World War II, it took 35 years and several billion dollars to rebuild Germany, Syria has a tougher road ahead. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION)

From Berlin in WW II to Aleppo, the economic cost of armed conflict, putting aside the human toll, should be enough to end war

In 1945, West Germany was 400 million cubic metres of rubble. Almost 80 per cent of historical buildings in the main cities of Germany were levelled, some were restored later and some lost forever. The trains were not working, not enough food, and almost 70 per cent of the houses were destroyed, forcing people to stay in refugee camps once the war ended. Many men died in the war, severely impacting the labour force required to rebuild the country. It is difficult to peg the exact economic cost of rebuilding Germany after the war, but the Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Project, gives a partial figure. Beginning in 1949, the Marshall Plan provided $1.4 billion to Germany to promote economic recovery. According to a 2006 report by the Federation of American Scientists, the United States provided financial assistance to Germany for rebuilding its cities from 1946-1952, an amount equivalent to $29.3 billion, as per dollar conversion rates in 2005. The reconstruction of Germany lasted up to the 1980s — almost 35 years. Even as late as the 2000s, certain parts of Germany were still being rebuilt, with Berlin having maximum damages. It takes centuries for an economy to evolve. People from other countries migrate, and settle in a country, bringing new traits of commerce with them. With time these traits become a part of the settled country, enriching its economy, and building it further. Several civilisations contribute to building a country, its economy, and help it reach where it stands at a given point of time. But one war disrupts it all and sets a country back by generations. In September 2012, Syrian government forces shelled the rebel forces, bankrupting 40,000 traders in the city of Aleppo overnight. For the past five years, Syria has been witnessing war between Islamic militants and government forces. The population, as well as the GDP (gross domestic product) of Syria, has shrunk miserably since the inception of war, with the maximum damage being borne by the manufacturing and crude oil sectors. According to the data released by the Syrian government, the Syrian pound has lost about 80 per cent of its value since the conflict began. In February 2016, Syrian President Bashar Assad put the estimated economic loss to Syria from war at $200 billion. According to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, rebuilding war-ravaged Syria may cost as much as $180 billion. Aleppo, once envied for its trade and commerce, is now reduced to rubble. A World Bank-led preliminary assessment of damage in six cities of Syria — Aleppo, Dar'a, Hama, Homs, Idlib, and Latakia — over seven sectors — housing, health, education, energy, water and sanitation, transport and agriculture — estimated a cost-of-repair bill of $ 3.6 billion to $4.5 billion as of 2014-end. Even the countries bordering Syria such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt are suffering from the spillover effects of war. The World Bank estimates that the influx of more than 630,000 Syrian refugees has cost Jordan over $2.5 billion a year. This amounts to 6 per cent of Jordan's GDP and one-fourth of its government’s annual revenue. War is the greatest negative disruptor for any economy making all its growth over the years futile. War does not end in a day or even a year. It continues for several years and puts the economy in a freeze. Post World War II, it took 35 years and several billion dollars to rebuild Germany, Syria has a tougher road ahead. (WION)

War disrupts it all: It will take $180 billion to rebuild Syria

Investigators said they suspect the driver of a truck that ploughed into a crowd at a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 48, did so in a deliberate terrorist attack, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said he may have been an asylum-seeker.

The truck crashed into people gathered on Monday evening around wooden huts serving mulled wine and sausages at the foot of the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church - left as a ruin after World War Two - in the heart of former West Berlin.

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<h5>I know it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum,&#39; said Merkel</h5>
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A German security source said the suspect was a 23-year-old migrant from Pakistan known to police for committing minor offences. The source said the man had been staying at a refugee accommodation centre in the now defunct Tempelhof airport.

Merkel told reporters: &quot;There is much we still do not know with sufficient certainty but we must, as things stand now, assume it was a terrorist attack.&quot;

She added: &quot;I know it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum.&quot;

The incident evoked memories of an attack in Nice, France in July when a Tunisian-born man drove a 19-tonne truck along the beach front, mowing down people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day, killing 86 people. That was claimed by Islamic State.

If a migrant link is confirmed, it could further sour sentiment towards asylum-seekers in Germany, where more than a million people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere have arrived this year and last.

The record influx has hit Merkel&#39;s popularity ratings and boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). Senior AfD member Marcus Pretzell blamed Merkel for the attack on Twitter.

AfD leader Frauke Petry said Germany was no longer safe and &quot;radical Islamic terrorism has struck in the heart of Germany&quot;.

Slovakia&#39;s Prime Minister Robert Fico said the attack would change European Union member states&#39; perception of migration.

&quot;The facts are simple: a migrant who arrived to Germany in February 2016 and got refugee status ... is now interrogated as a suspect responsible for this heinous, repugnant crime,&quot; Fico said, without specifying the source of his information.

&quot;This attack will undoubtedly again significantly change the attitude of a number of EU member states towards migration as such,&quot; he said. &quot;I think that the cup of patience is beginning to spill over and Europe&#39;s public will rightfully expect rather stronger measures.&quot;

Driver chased down

Police said the man suspected of steering the truck had fled the crash scene and was later arrested.

Newspaper Die Welt said he had jumped out of the driver&#39;s cab and run down the street towards the Tiergarten, a vast park in central Berlin. It said several witnesses phoned police to inform them, including one who chased the suspect while on the phone, constantly updating officials on his whereabouts.

On Tuesday morning, investigators removed the black truck from the site for a forensic examination. People left flowers at the scene and notes, one of which read: &quot;Keep on living, Berliners!&quot; One woman was crying as she stopped by the flowers.

Berlin police are investigating leads that the truck had been stolen from a construction site in Poland. They said a Polish man was found dead inside the vehicle but added he was not in control of it.

German magazine Focus cited Karl-Heinz Schroeter, interior minister of the state of Brandenburg, as saying one of people found dead at the scene was shot, and that was probably the Pole.

Bild newspaper cited security sources as saying the suspect was named Naved B. and had arrived in Germany a year ago. In legal cases German officials routinely withhold the full name of suspects, using only an initial.

Local broadcaster rbb cited security sources as saying the man came to Germany via Passau, a city on the Austrian border, on Dec. 31, 2015.

Die Welt said police special forces stormed a hangar at Berlin&#39;s defunct Tempelhof airport at around 4 a.m. (0300 GMT). It said, without citing its sources, that the arrested man was registered there.

A refugee there who gave his name only as Ahmed told Reuters security guards had told him there was a raid at around 4 a.m.

Prosecutors declined to immediately comment on the report.

Stephan Mayer, a senior member of the Christian Social Union - the Bavarian sister party to Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats, told broadcaster ZDF it was necessary to ensure that there were no copycat attacks.

Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said on ORF radio he had told the heads of Austria&#39;s regional police forces to intensify surveillance measures.

He called for biometric and fingerprint checks to be introduced along the Balkan route travelled by many migrants arriving in Europe, in order to better control foreign jihadist fighters&#39; movements.

London police said they were reviewing their plans for protecting public events over the festive period after the Berlin attack and the assassination of Russia&#39;s ambassador to Turkey on Monday.

Flags will be hung at half-mast around Germany on Tuesday and Berlin Christmas markets were closed for the day out of respect.

Dresden tourist information service said authorities had erected concrete blocks around the Striezelmarkt, one of Germany&#39;s oldest Christmas Markets, to increase security.

Christmas markets selling ornate, often hand-crafted decorations, seasonal foods and hot wine are a beloved tradition in Germany.

Manfred Weber, head of the centre-right European People&#39;s Party, said: &quot;It&#39;s not an attack on a country; it&#39;s an attack on our way of life, on the free society in which we are allowed to live.&quot;

(Reuters)

The source added that he was known to police from earlier minor offences

Investigators said they suspect the driver of a truck that ploughed into a crowd at a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 48, did so in a deliberate terrorist attack, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said he may have been an asylum-seeker. The truck crashed into people gathered on Monday evening around wooden huts serving mulled wine and sausages at the foot of the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church - left as a ruin after World War Two - in the heart of former West Berlin. I know it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum,' said Merkel × A German security source said the suspect was a 23-year-old migrant from Pakistan known to police for committing minor offences. The source said the man had been staying at a refugee accommodation centre in the now defunct Tempelhof airport. Merkel told reporters: "There is much we still do not know with sufficient certainty but we must, as things stand now, assume it was a terrorist attack." She added: "I know it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum." The incident evoked memories of an attack in Nice, France in July when a Tunisian-born man drove a 19-tonne truck along the beach front, mowing down people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day, killing 86 people. That was claimed by Islamic State. If a migrant link is confirmed, it could further sour sentiment towards asylum-seekers in Germany, where more than a million people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere have arrived this year and last. The record influx has hit Merkel's popularity ratings and boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). Senior AfD member Marcus Pretzell blamed Merkel for the attack on Twitter. AfD leader Frauke Petry said Germany was no longer safe and "radical Islamic terrorism has struck in the heart of Germany". Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said the attack would change European Union member states' perception of migration. "The facts are simple: a migrant who arrived to Germany in February 2016 and got refugee status ... is now interrogated as a suspect responsible for this heinous, repugnant crime," Fico said, without specifying the source of his information. "This attack will undoubtedly again significantly change the attitude of a number of EU member states towards migration as such," he said. "I think that the cup of patience is beginning to spill over and Europe's public will rightfully expect rather stronger measures." Driver chased down Police said the man suspected of steering the truck had fled the crash scene and was later arrested. Newspaper Die Welt said he had jumped out of the driver's cab and run down the street towards the Tiergarten, a vast park in central Berlin. It said several witnesses phoned police to inform them, including one who chased the suspect while on the phone, constantly updating officials on his whereabouts. On Tuesday morning, investigators removed the black truck from the site for a forensic examination. People left flowers at the scene and notes, one of which read: "Keep on living, Berliners!" One woman was crying as she stopped by the flowers. Berlin police are investigating leads that the truck had been stolen from a construction site in Poland. They said a Polish man was found dead inside the vehicle but added he was not in control of it. German magazine Focus cited Karl-Heinz Schroeter, interior minister of the state of Brandenburg, as saying one of people found dead at the scene was shot, and that was probably the Pole. Bild newspaper cited security sources as saying the suspect was named Naved B. and had arrived in Germany a year ago. In legal cases German officials routinely withhold the full name of suspects, using only an initial. Local broadcaster rbb cited security sources as saying the man came to Germany via Passau, a city on the Austrian border, on Dec. 31, 2015. Die Welt said police special forces stormed a hangar at Berlin's defunct Tempelhof airport at around 4 a.m. (0300 GMT). It said, without citing its sources, that the arrested man was registered there. A refugee there who gave his name only as Ahmed told Reuters security guards had told him there was a raid at around 4 a.m. Prosecutors declined to immediately comment on the report. Stephan Mayer, a senior member of the Christian Social Union - the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats, told broadcaster ZDF it was necessary to ensure that there were no copycat attacks. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said on ORF radio he had told the heads of Austria's regional police forces to intensify surveillance measures. He called for biometric and fingerprint checks to be introduced along the Balkan route travelled by many migrants arriving in Europe, in order to better control foreign jihadist fighters' movements. London police said they were reviewing their plans for protecting public events over the festive period after the Berlin attack and the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey on Monday. Flags will be hung at half-mast around Germany on Tuesday and Berlin Christmas markets were closed for the day out of respect. Dresden tourist information service said authorities had erected concrete blocks around the Striezelmarkt, one of Germany's oldest Christmas Markets, to increase security. Christmas markets selling ornate, often hand-crafted decorations, seasonal foods and hot wine are a beloved tradition in Germany. Manfred Weber, head of the centre-right European People's Party, said: "It's not an attack on a country; it's an attack on our way of life, on the free society in which we are allowed to live." (Reuters)

Germany truck attack: Driver was 23-yr-old migrant from Pakistan, says source

US&nbsp;secretary of state John Kerry condemned the killing of Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday, and said the United States was ready to help Russia and Turkey investigate the attack.

Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot in the back and killed while giving a speech at an art gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara.

&quot;The United States condemns the assassination today in Ankara of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov,&quot; Kerry said in a statement. &quot;We stand ready to offer assistance to Russia and Turkey as they investigate this despicable attack, which was also an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world.

Germany also said it was &quot;in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism.&quot;

German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin that he should not comment on breaking news when asked to react to initial reports of the shooting during a news conference with his French counterpart.

&quot;What is clear however is that Turkey is a country which is being hard hit by terrorism and irrespective of the differences we have with Turkey on other issues, we are in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism. This is what I underlined in a phone conversation with my Turkish colleague just a few days ago,&quot; de Maiziere said.

(Reuters)

US secretary of state John Kerry condemned the attack and said the US

US secretary of state John Kerry condemned the killing of Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday, and said the United States was ready to help Russia and Turkey investigate the attack. Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot in the back and killed while giving a speech at an art gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara. "The United States condemns the assassination today in Ankara of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov," Kerry said in a statement. "We stand ready to offer assistance to Russia and Turkey as they investigate this despicable attack, which was also an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world. Germany also said it was "in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism." German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin that he should not comment on breaking news when asked to react to initial reports of the shooting during a news conference with his French counterpart. "What is clear however is that Turkey is a country which is being hard hit by terrorism and irrespective of the differences we have with Turkey on other issues, we are in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism. This is what I underlined in a phone conversation with my Turkish colleague just a few days ago," de Maiziere said. (Reuters)

US offers help to Russia, Turkey to investigate shooting

With a single 1970s train in orange livery and a little crowdfunding help, a plucky Berlin start-up is challenging the might of Germany&#39;s state rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.

At 6:20 am (0520 GMT) on Wednesday, the first Locomore train will leave Stuttgart in Germany&#39;s southwest, pass through Frankfurt and Hanover and pull into Berlin, its final destination, some six and a half hours later.

With just one return service a day to start with, compared to the over 700 daily long-distance journeys run by Deutsche Bahn, Locomore founder and director Derek Ladewig knows he barely qualifies as a rival.

But he is hoping to win over Deutsche Bahn customers with budget ticket prices and lure environmentally-conscious travellers from more polluting forms of transport.

&quot;We are offering a new service to compete with the car, the plane, the long-distance bus as well as Deutsche Bahn,&quot; Ladewig told AFP.

Locomore, which bills itself as the world&#39;s first crowdfunded train line, owes its start-up capital entirely to online supporters who chipped in more than 600,000 euros ($640,000) in less than a year to get the project on the rails.

Many of the contributors bought vouchers that can now be traded for tickets, as well as souvenirs such as mugs and T-shirts in the firm&#39;s distinctive orange hue -- a nod to the vintage origins of Locomore&#39;s renovated carriages from the 1970s.

- Popular with families - 
The 600-kilometre (370-mile) trip from Stuttgart to Berlin takes slightly longer than with Deutsche Bahn, but Locomore hopes to make up for that by promising its ticket prices will always be cheaper than those of its competitor.

By comparison, Locomore charges 22 euros for a Stuttgart-Berlin ride in January, compared with 115.90 euros on Deutsche Bahn -- although the latter&#39;s journey is roughly an hour shorter, and it offers prices as low as 29 euros for travellers willing to change trains once or twice.

Karl-Peter Naumann, a spokesman for the passenger group Pro Bahn, welcomed the new player on the block and said the service should prove popular with families, who will be offered their own compartments, and with young people.

The country&#39;s rail sector was liberalised in 1994 but remains dominated by Deutsche Bahn, which carries more than 5.5 million passengers a day in Germany alone and accounts for 99 percent of all long-distance rail journeys.

The state firm has more competitors on the regional transport networks, where its market share falls to 72 percent, according to Mathias Lahrmann of the BSL transportation consulting agency.

Locomore is not the first private company to try to go up against the rail operator, but those efforts have gained little traction.

- &#39;Niche market&#39; - 
Veolia Verkehr, a subsidiary of France&#39;s Transdev, abandoned its loss-making Interconnex service in 2014, leaving just the Hamburg-Cologne express (HKX), launched in 2012, to offer an alternative.

&quot;Locomore could invigorate the market with its innovative ideas,&quot; said Lahrmann. But &quot;like HKX, it only serves a niche market&quot;, he added.

Lahrmann said it was difficult for new companies to get a foot in the door in the long-distance rail business.

There are no state subsidies available, and prospective operators are expected to reserve their slots years in advance as well as source their own trains.

To give itself maximum flexibility, Locomore has opted to rent its trains and drivers from other companies while employing its own on-board personnel and handling ticket sales.

Ladewig has calculated that at least half of Locomore&#39;s seats need to be filled to cover costs and be able to branch out to other lines in the future.

Achieving that will be no mean feat, as even Deutsche Bahn last year registered an occupancy rate of just 50.9 percent on its long-distance trains.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s not easy to be profitable, but it&#39;s possible,&quot; said BSL consultancy&#39;s Lahrmann.

With more than 10,000 tickets already sold and its trains promising to be &quot;pretty full&quot; over the coming weekends, Locomore&#39;s Ladewig is banking on the upcoming Christmas holidays to keep his ambitious plans on track.

(AFP)

Locomore, which bills itself as the world's first crowdfunded train line, owes its start-up capital entirely to online supporters

With a single 1970s train in orange livery and a little crowdfunding help, a plucky Berlin start-up is challenging the might of Germany's state rail operator, Deutsche Bahn. At 6:20 am (0520 GMT) on Wednesday, the first Locomore train will leave Stuttgart in Germany's southwest, pass through Frankfurt and Hanover and pull into Berlin, its final destination, some six and a half hours later. With just one return service a day to start with, compared to the over 700 daily long-distance journeys run by Deutsche Bahn, Locomore founder and director Derek Ladewig knows he barely qualifies as a rival. But he is hoping to win over Deutsche Bahn customers with budget ticket prices and lure environmentally-conscious travellers from more polluting forms of transport. "We are offering a new service to compete with the car, the plane, the long-distance bus as well as Deutsche Bahn," Ladewig told AFP. Locomore, which bills itself as the world's first crowdfunded train line, owes its start-up capital entirely to online supporters who chipped in more than 600,000 euros ($640,000) in less than a year to get the project on the rails. Many of the contributors bought vouchers that can now be traded for tickets, as well as souvenirs such as mugs and T-shirts in the firm's distinctive orange hue -- a nod to the vintage origins of Locomore's renovated carriages from the 1970s. - Popular with families - The 600-kilometre (370-mile) trip from Stuttgart to Berlin takes slightly longer than with Deutsche Bahn, but Locomore hopes to make up for that by promising its ticket prices will always be cheaper than those of its competitor. By comparison, Locomore charges 22 euros for a Stuttgart-Berlin ride in January, compared with 115.90 euros on Deutsche Bahn -- although the latter's journey is roughly an hour shorter, and it offers prices as low as 29 euros for travellers willing to change trains once or twice. Karl-Peter Naumann, a spokesman for the passenger group Pro Bahn, welcomed the new player on the block and said the service should prove popular with families, who will be offered their own compartments, and with young people. The country's rail sector was liberalised in 1994 but remains dominated by Deutsche Bahn, which carries more than 5.5 million passengers a day in Germany alone and accounts for 99 percent of all long-distance rail journeys. The state firm has more competitors on the regional transport networks, where its market share falls to 72 percent, according to Mathias Lahrmann of the BSL transportation consulting agency. Locomore is not the first private company to try to go up against the rail operator, but those efforts have gained little traction. - 'Niche market' - Veolia Verkehr, a subsidiary of France's Transdev, abandoned its loss-making Interconnex service in 2014, leaving just the Hamburg-Cologne express (HKX), launched in 2012, to offer an alternative. "Locomore could invigorate the market with its innovative ideas," said Lahrmann. But "like HKX, it only serves a niche market", he added. Lahrmann said it was difficult for new companies to get a foot in the door in the long-distance rail business. There are no state subsidies available, and prospective operators are expected to reserve their slots years in advance as well as source their own trains. To give itself maximum flexibility, Locomore has opted to rent its trains and drivers from other companies while employing its own on-board personnel and handling ticket sales. Ladewig has calculated that at least half of Locomore's seats need to be filled to cover costs and be able to branch out to other lines in the future. Achieving that will be no mean feat, as even Deutsche Bahn last year registered an occupancy rate of just 50.9 percent on its long-distance trains. "It's not easy to be profitable, but it's possible," said BSL consultancy's Lahrmann. With more than 10,000 tickets already sold and its trains promising to be "pretty full" over the coming weekends, Locomore's Ladewig is banking on the upcoming Christmas holidays to keep his ambitious plans on track. (AFP)

Crowdfunded train service takes on German rail giant

Angela Merkel called for a burqa ban saying that the &#39;full veil is not appropriate&#39; in Germany.

The German chancellor said at her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party conference that wearing the burqa should be outlawed &#39;wherever legally possible&#39;.

The 62-year-old Merkel had said a few months ago said that the burqa was a barrier to Muslim women integrating into the German society.

Dutch MPs voted a week ago to ban the Islamic full-face veil from some public places such as schools and hospitals.

The legislation must go to the Senate for approval to become a law. Similar bans have been imposed in France and Belgium.

About 890,000 asylum-seekers arrived in Germany last year and the numbers have since declined.

While Merkel has insisted that Germany will help people in need of protection, her government has toughened asylum rules.

Merkel is seeking a fourth four-year term as chancellor in the September elections.

(WION)

The 62-year-old had said a few months ago said that the burqa was a barrier to Muslim women integrating into the German society

Angela Merkel called for a burqa ban saying that the 'full veil is not appropriate' in Germany. The German chancellor said at her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party conference that wearing the burqa should be outlawed 'wherever legally possible'. The 62-year-old Merkel had said a few months ago said that the burqa was a barrier to Muslim women integrating into the German society. Dutch MPs voted a week ago to ban the Islamic full-face veil from some public places such as schools and hospitals. The legislation must go to the Senate for approval to become a law. Similar bans have been imposed in France and Belgium. About 890,000 asylum-seekers arrived in Germany last year and the numbers have since declined. While Merkel has insisted that Germany will help people in need of protection, her government has toughened asylum rules. Merkel is seeking a fourth four-year term as chancellor in the September elections. (WION)

German Chancellor Merkel calls for burqa ban 'wherever possible'

A German ex-police officer who was convicted of murdering a willing victim he met on a website for cannibalism fetishists will go on trial again today after the verdict against him was overturned on appeal.

Detlev Guenzel, 58, was sentenced to eight years and six months in jail last year by a regional court in the eastern city of Dresden, which found him guilty of killing Polish-born Wojciech Stempniewicz in 2013.

Guenzel had cut Stempniewicz&rsquo;s &nbsp;body into small pieces in a slaughter chamber he built in his cellar, and then buried them in his garden, the court found. However, there was no evidence that he ate any part of his victim.

The Federal Court of Justice overturned the verdict, arguing that the regional court had failed to probe whether the victim had actually killed himself through strangulation, as the&nbsp;Guenzel had claimed.

It also disputed the sentence imposed by the Dresden court as too lenient for a murder conviction, and ordered a retrial.

Guenzel,had met Stempniewicz in October 2013 on a website for slaughter and cannibalism fantasies tagged as the &quot;#1 site for exotic meat&quot; , that has more than 3,000 registered members.

His defence team argued that Stempniewicz had hanged himself in Guenzel&#39;s custom-designed &quot;S&amp;M studio&quot; before Guenzel took a knife, then an electric saw, to him.

Guenzel admitted to detectives that he killed the victim by cutting his throat, soon after the death. But he later retracted his confession.

Investigators said &nbsp;in the first trial that they could not determine the cause of death due to the state of the corpse.

Guenzel and Stempniewicz had ensued an extensive contact online and by telephone before finally arranging the fatal date on November 4, 2013.&nbsp;

Their emails bore the title &quot;Schlachtfest&quot;, the German word for a country feast after the slaughter of a pig.&nbsp;

A 50-minute video Guenzel made was played during the trial and showed him at one point covered in blood as he mutilated the corpse, muttering, &quot;I never thought I would sink so low.&rdquo;

The Dresden court had imposed &nbsp;just above half of the maximum 15 years for murder, taking into account the death wish of the victim.&nbsp;

The victim&#39;s wish &quot;did not open the possibility to reduce the penalty&quot;, said the appeal court.

A verdict is expected in January at the earliest.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Detlev Guenzel was sentenced to more than 8 years in jail for murdering a man he met on a website for cannibalism?fetishists

A German ex-police officer who was convicted of murdering a willing victim he met on a website for cannibalism fetishists will go on trial again today after the verdict against him was overturned on appeal. Detlev Guenzel, 58, was sentenced to eight years and six months in jail last year by a regional court in the eastern city of Dresden, which found him guilty of killing Polish-born Wojciech Stempniewicz in 2013. Guenzel had cut Stempniewicz’s body into small pieces in a slaughter chamber he built in his cellar, and then buried them in his garden, the court found. However, there was no evidence that he ate any part of his victim. The Federal Court of Justice overturned the verdict, arguing that the regional court had failed to probe whether the victim had actually killed himself through strangulation, as the Guenzel had claimed. It also disputed the sentence imposed by the Dresden court as too lenient for a murder conviction, and ordered a retrial. Guenzel,had met Stempniewicz in October 2013 on a website for slaughter and cannibalism fantasies tagged as the "#1 site for exotic meat" , that has more than 3,000 registered members. His defence team argued that Stempniewicz had hanged himself in Guenzel's custom-designed "S&M studio" before Guenzel took a knife, then an electric saw, to him. Guenzel admitted to detectives that he killed the victim by cutting his throat, soon after the death. But he later retracted his confession. Investigators said in the first trial that they could not determine the cause of death due to the state of the corpse. Guenzel and Stempniewicz had ensued an extensive contact online and by telephone before finally arranging the fatal date on November 4, 2013. Their emails bore the title "Schlachtfest", the German word for a country feast after the slaughter of a pig. A 50-minute video Guenzel made was played during the trial and showed him at one point covered in blood as he mutilated the corpse, muttering, "I never thought I would sink so low.” The Dresden court had imposed just above half of the maximum 15 years for murder, taking into account the death wish of the victim. The victim's wish "did not open the possibility to reduce the penalty", said the appeal court. A verdict is expected in January at the earliest. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Cannibalism fetish murder: German ex-policeman faces trial again

Finger wrestling is a real sport and not something made up. The sport involves two people fighting it out with one finger to violently pull at each other. 
 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FswH-TAzeh0?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> 
 
There is a leather strap which the competitors tug at and try to pull their competitor towards them. Wearing traditional clothes, the players are from countries like Germany and Austria.&nbsp;

Finger wrestling is a real sport and not something made up. The sport involves two people fighting it out with one finger to violently pull at each other. There is a leather strap which the competitors tug at and try to pull their competitor towards them. Wearing traditional clothes, the players are from countries like Germany and Austria.

Video: Did you know that in Germany, finger wrestling is an actual sport?

Defeating all odds, an 11-year-old football player from Odisha&#39;s Sabar Sahi slum has made the country proud by making his way to Germany&#39;s Bayern Munich Club. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PVceV-lv_o4?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> &nbsp; 
 
The young football genius, Chandan Nayak, has been chosen to travel to Munich to get a two-month training at the reputed club. Nayak, who hails from an extremely underprivileged family, will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp. 
 
Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria, best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga. It is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups.

Nayak will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp

Defeating all odds, an 11-year-old football player from Odisha's Sabar Sahi slum has made the country proud by making his way to Germany's Bayern Munich Club. The young football genius, Chandan Nayak, has been chosen to travel to Munich to get a two-month training at the reputed club. Nayak, who hails from an extremely underprivileged family, will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp. Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria, best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga. It is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups.

Video: An Indian village boy makes it to Germany's top football club

The Highland Games is a celebrated series of competitions that are held at several places around the world.&nbsp;More and more communities across Europe are participating in the games. And in doing so, not only are the participants engaging in tests of strength but they are also rediscovering their Celtic heritage. For instance, Germany alone hosts around 46 such competitions. The games consists&nbsp;of caber toss, stone put and weight over the bar, among others.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0XsHIU_Vhu8?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe>

It is a visual display of people returning to their heritage and playing conventional games. More than just another competition, the games are being seen as a great community development program that binds the people together.

Highland Games is a traditional Scottish festival celebrated in Peine, Germany, every year

The Highland Games is a celebrated series of competitions that are held at several places around the world. More and more communities across Europe are participating in the games. And in doing so, not only are the participants engaging in tests of strength but they are also rediscovering their Celtic heritage. For instance, Germany alone hosts around 46 such competitions. The games consists of caber toss, stone put and weight over the bar, among others. It is a visual display of people returning to their heritage and playing conventional games. More than just another competition, the games are being seen as a great community development program that binds the people together.

Video: Meet Europe's modern-day highlanders

Syrian migrant&nbsp;Jaber Albakr&nbsp;suspected of planning a bomb attack on a Berlin airport has committed suicide in police custody in&nbsp;Leipzig, Germany.&nbsp;

The 22-year-old was under police surveillance for months but had managed to escape when police raided his house. He was nabbed on Monday after a two-day hunt&nbsp;with the help of three Syrians in whose flat he sought refuge, one of whom alerted the police.

&quot;Jaber Albakr took his own life in the Leipzig prison hospital,&quot; the regional government in Saxony said in a statement without elaborating, AFP reported.

&nbsp;

While Germany&rsquo;s Spiegel Online said it was not yet clear how he had killed himself, Bild daily reported he was found hanging in his cell.

Albakr had been under round-the-clock watch due to an acute risk of suicide and hunger strike, Spiegel Online said.

 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

German media reported the 22-year-old Syrian migrant Jaber Albakr was found hanging in his prison cell

Syrian migrant Jaber Albakr suspected of planning a bomb attack on a Berlin airport has committed suicide in police custody in Leipzig, Germany. The 22-year-old was under police surveillance for months but had managed to escape when police raided his house. He was nabbed on Monday after a two-day hunt with the help of three Syrians in whose flat he sought refuge, one of whom alerted the police. "Jaber Albakr took his own life in the Leipzig prison hospital," the regional government in Saxony said in a statement without elaborating, AFP reported. While Germany’s Spiegel Online said it was not yet clear how he had killed himself, Bild daily reported he was found hanging in his cell. Albakr had been under round-the-clock watch due to an acute risk of suicide and hunger strike, Spiegel Online said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Germany: Syrian bomb suspect commits suicide

Germany today stressed its promise to protect its NATO allies after White House hopeful Donald Trump called the commitment into question. 
 
&quot;The German government is fundamentally committed to Article Five of the NATO treaty. That is the central promise of solidarity within the alliance,&quot; Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about Trump&#39;s remarks. 
 
&quot;Collective defence according to Article Five is and remains the main duty of NATO,&quot; Seibert added, noting that the pledge had once again been renewed at a NATO summit this month in Warsaw. 
 
Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all, and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. 
 
In an interview published on Thursday in the New York Times, Trump raised questions about this vow.&nbsp;He warned that if elected he would only come to the aid of the Baltic states in the event they were invaded by Russia if he judged they had &quot;fulfilled their obligations to us&quot;. 
 
This drew a furious response from Estonia and Latvia, and outrage from Trump&#39;s domestic political critics.&nbsp;US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday reaffirmed Washington&#39;s promise to protect its NATO allies following the uproar. 
 
(AFP)

Trump said if elected he would aid the Baltic states only if they had 'fulfilled their obligations', drawing outrage from two Baltic nations

Germany today stressed its promise to protect its NATO allies after White House hopeful Donald Trump called the commitment into question. "The German government is fundamentally committed to Article Five of the NATO treaty. That is the central promise of solidarity within the alliance," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about Trump's remarks. "Collective defence according to Article Five is and remains the main duty of NATO," Seibert added, noting that the pledge had once again been renewed at a NATO summit this month in Warsaw. Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all, and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. In an interview published on Thursday in the New York Times, Trump raised questions about this vow. He warned that if elected he would only come to the aid of the Baltic states in the event they were invaded by Russia if he judged they had "fulfilled their obligations to us". This drew a furious response from Estonia and Latvia, and outrage from Trump's domestic political critics. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday reaffirmed Washington's promise to protect its NATO allies following the uproar. (AFP)

Germany stresses NATO commitment to allies after Trump comments

World champions Germany struck twice in four first-half minutes to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and stretch their winning run in Group C with their best ever start in a tournament qualification.

Julian Draxler&#39;s 13th-minute strike put them ahead and Sami Khedira added another goal as Germany killed off the game for their third win in three qualifiers in their best start to a World Cup or Euro qualification with no goals conceded.

Germany, who made three times as many passes as the Irish, are top with nine points, two clear of Azerbaijan, who drew 0-0 away to the Czech Republic. The Irish stay third on four points.

Northern Ireland, who battled hard in a 1-0 Euro 2016 group stage defeat by Germany, were no match for the hosts, who had over 75 percent possession and were never really threatened.

&quot;We did our job. We got the six points we wanted from our (latest) two qualifiers,&quot; said Loew, who equalled former Germany coach Sepp Herberger&#39;s record 94 wins.

&quot;Northern Ireland were defending deep in their half and it was at times difficult for us.&quot;

&quot;We were in a good run after our win over the Czechs (on Saturday). I wanted two or three goals in the first half to be able to then rest some players.&quot;

Messy performance mars Southgate&#39;s audition

England interim manager Gareth Southgate is halfway through his audition for the full-time job but his hopes were hardly helped by an ugly performance in a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday.

Southgate claims he inherited a &quot;mess&quot; after replacing Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in the job, and the display in Ljubljana was anything but pretty.

England rode their luck to stay top of Group F and on course for the 2018 Russia World Cup, thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Joe Hart, but there were few positives in a shapeless display that classier opposition than 67th-ranked Slovenia would have punished.

His decision to drop skipper and England&#39;s all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney in favour of Eric Dier was hardly a qualified success with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder almost gifting Slovenia an early goal.

Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain&#39;s armband, struggled to exert much authority and he too was guilty of a careless pass that would have led to a Slovenia goal after the break but for another fine intervention by the over-worked Hart.

When Rooney did finally come off the bench in the 73rd minute he almost gave his side an undeserved lead with a shot that flashed past the post, but there was precious little to excite the visiting fans as England laboured to a draw.

Southgate&#39;s first game since replacing disgraced Allardyce was a nondescript 2-0 win over Malta last weekend.

Now he must wait another month before a qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly versus Spain, after which the English&nbsp;Football&nbsp;Association are expected to make a decision on his future.

Lewandowski scores stoppage time winner

Robert Lewandowski struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Poland a dramatic 2-1 home win over 10-man Armenia in a World Cup Group E qualifier on Tuesday.

The result kept Poland on course to reach the 32-team finals in Russia, as it left them second in Group E on seven points from three games, behind surprise leaders Montenegro on goal difference.

Romania have five points, Denmark are on three after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Montenegro, Kazakhstan have two and Armenia none.

(Reuters)

Goals by Draxler and Khedira gave Germans their best-ever start in a World Cup or Euro qualification stage

World champions Germany struck twice in four first-half minutes to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and stretch their winning run in Group C with their best ever start in a tournament qualification. Julian Draxler's 13th-minute strike put them ahead and Sami Khedira added another goal as Germany killed off the game for their third win in three qualifiers in their best start to a World Cup or Euro qualification with no goals conceded. Germany, who made three times as many passes as the Irish, are top with nine points, two clear of Azerbaijan, who drew 0-0 away to the Czech Republic. The Irish stay third on four points. Northern Ireland, who battled hard in a 1-0 Euro 2016 group stage defeat by Germany, were no match for the hosts, who had over 75 percent possession and were never really threatened. "We did our job. We got the six points we wanted from our (latest) two qualifiers," said Loew, who equalled former Germany coach Sepp Herberger's record 94 wins. "Northern Ireland were defending deep in their half and it was at times difficult for us." "We were in a good run after our win over the Czechs (on Saturday). I wanted two or three goals in the first half to be able to then rest some players." Messy performance mars Southgate's audition England interim manager Gareth Southgate is halfway through his audition for the full-time job but his hopes were hardly helped by an ugly performance in a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday. Southgate claims he inherited a "mess" after replacing Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in the job, and the display in Ljubljana was anything but pretty. England rode their luck to stay top of Group F and on course for the 2018 Russia World Cup, thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Joe Hart, but there were few positives in a shapeless display that classier opposition than 67th-ranked Slovenia would have punished. His decision to drop skipper and England's all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney in favour of Eric Dier was hardly a qualified success with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder almost gifting Slovenia an early goal. Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain's armband, struggled to exert much authority and he too was guilty of a careless pass that would have led to a Slovenia goal after the break but for another fine intervention by the over-worked Hart. When Rooney did finally come off the bench in the 73rd minute he almost gave his side an undeserved lead with a shot that flashed past the post, but there was precious little to excite the visiting fans as England laboured to a draw. Southgate's first game since replacing disgraced Allardyce was a nondescript 2-0 win over Malta last weekend. Now he must wait another month before a qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly versus Spain, after which the English Football Association are expected to make a decision on his future. Lewandowski scores stoppage time winner Robert Lewandowski struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Poland a dramatic 2-1 home win over 10-man Armenia in a World Cup Group E qualifier on Tuesday. The result kept Poland on course to reach the 32-team finals in Russia, as it left them second in Group E on seven points from three games, behind surprise leaders Montenegro on goal difference. Romania have five points, Denmark are on three after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Montenegro, Kazakhstan have two and Armenia none. (Reuters)

World Cup 2018 qualifiers: Germany cruise to win as England draw blanks against Slovenia

Thomas Mueller netted twice as Germany eased to an impressive 3-0 home win over the Czech Republic to keep them top of their World Cup qualifying group on Saturday.

It leaves Germany with a perfect six points ahead of Tuesday&#39;s next qualifier, home to Northern Ireland, who beat San Marino 4-0 in Belfast.

Germany stay top of Group C on goal difference from surprise-package Azerbaijan on the road to Russia 2018.

&quot;We can be very happy with the win and we had a good grip on the game,&quot; said Germany coach Joachim Loew.

&quot;After 60 minutes you could see the opposition had run themselves into the ground and didn&#39;t have any more clear chances.&quot;

After Mueller gave Germany an early lead, Toni Kroos weighed in with a crisp strike just after the break.

Mueller then hit Germany&#39;s third with the best goal of the game midway through the second half to cap a very polished display from the world champions.

&quot;We&#39;re very serious about these two games (against the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland), we could have scored more goals, but we delivered a very concentrated performance,&quot; said Mueller.

&quot;The fans deserve some praise, the atmosphere was really good. It made it even more fun to play for Germany and, of course, I am happy to have scored twice.&quot;

Centre-backs Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng were outstanding in shutting down the Czech attack and putting in damaging long-range passes.

With his only out-and-out striker, Mario Gomez, injured, Loew opted to play Mario Goetze as his lone striker, in front of attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil with Julian Draxler and Mueller on the wings.

The Czech Republic dealt Loew the heaviest home defeat of his 10-year tenure when they won 3-0 in Munich in October 2007 in a Euro qualifier.

But with veteran midfielder Tomas Rosicky injured and goalkeeper Petr Cech now retired, Czech shot-stopper Tomas Vaclik had a busy night.

The hosts went ahead after just 13 minutes. Goetze&#39;s pass to Ozil was flicked on to the unmarked Mueller, who drilled his shot past FC Basel&#39;s Vaclik.

&nbsp;

It could easily have been 3-0 at half time as Germany dominated the first 45 minutes.

&nbsp;

Goetze went one-on-one with Vaclik, who brought him down, but the German&#39;s chipped shot went wide and the referee waved away shouts for a penalty.

&nbsp;

Draxler&#39;s effort was just the wrong side of the post, while a superb long ball from Hummels found Goetze in behind the defence, but he was incorrectly flagged for offside.

&nbsp;

Four minutes into the second half, left-back Joshua Kimmich&#39;s pass allowed Kroos to curl his shot around Vaclik&#39;s despairing reach to double Germany&#39;s tally.

&nbsp;

But Germany saved their best goal for last.

&nbsp;

Ozil released Jonas Hector on the flank and he played in a superb cross which Mueller expertly converted on 65 minutes.

&nbsp;

It was nearly 4-0 on 80 minutes when replacement Benedikt Hoewedes fired just wide.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

Germany managed to stay on top of their World Cup wualifying group with a 3-0 win over Czech Republic

Thomas Mueller netted twice as Germany eased to an impressive 3-0 home win over the Czech Republic to keep them top of their World Cup qualifying group on Saturday. It leaves Germany with a perfect six points ahead of Tuesday's next qualifier, home to Northern Ireland, who beat San Marino 4-0 in Belfast. Germany stay top of Group C on goal difference from surprise-package Azerbaijan on the road to Russia 2018. "We can be very happy with the win and we had a good grip on the game," said Germany coach Joachim Loew. "After 60 minutes you could see the opposition had run themselves into the ground and didn't have any more clear chances." After Mueller gave Germany an early lead, Toni Kroos weighed in with a crisp strike just after the break. Mueller then hit Germany's third with the best goal of the game midway through the second half to cap a very polished display from the world champions. "We're very serious about these two games (against the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland), we could have scored more goals, but we delivered a very concentrated performance," said Mueller. "The fans deserve some praise, the atmosphere was really good. It made it even more fun to play for Germany and, of course, I am happy to have scored twice." Centre-backs Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng were outstanding in shutting down the Czech attack and putting in damaging long-range passes. With his only out-and-out striker, Mario Gomez, injured, Loew opted to play Mario Goetze as his lone striker, in front of attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil with Julian Draxler and Mueller on the wings. The Czech Republic dealt Loew the heaviest home defeat of his 10-year tenure when they won 3-0 in Munich in October 2007 in a Euro qualifier. But with veteran midfielder Tomas Rosicky injured and goalkeeper Petr Cech now retired, Czech shot-stopper Tomas Vaclik had a busy night. The hosts went ahead after just 13 minutes. Goetze's pass to Ozil was flicked on to the unmarked Mueller, who drilled his shot past FC Basel's Vaclik. It could easily have been 3-0 at half time as Germany dominated the first 45 minutes. Goetze went one-on-one with Vaclik, who brought him down, but the German's chipped shot went wide and the referee waved away shouts for a penalty. Draxler's effort was just the wrong side of the post, while a superb long ball from Hummels found Goetze in behind the defence, but he was incorrectly flagged for offside. Four minutes into the second half, left-back Joshua Kimmich's pass allowed Kroos to curl his shot around Vaclik's despairing reach to double Germany's tally. But Germany saved their best goal for last. Ozil released Jonas Hector on the flank and he played in a superb cross which Mueller expertly converted on 65 minutes. It was nearly 4-0 on 80 minutes when replacement Benedikt Hoewedes fired just wide. (AFP)

Mueller brace inspires Germany win

Germany is moving to close the pay gap between men and women with a proposed new law agreed in principle by the government&#39;s ruling coalition parties Thursday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservative CDU reached the agreement in talks with its centre-left coalition allies the SPD, without saying when the changes would take effect.

Under the deal, companies with more than 200 employees will have to be transparent about what they pay men and women in equal positions and publish wage data in anonymous form.

Companies with more than 500 staff will have to introduce mechanisms to equalise pay for both sexes, said SPD parliamentary chief Thomas Oppermann.

He hailed the proposed law as &quot;a great step forward&quot; for millions of female employees.

Women in Germany earn around one fifth less than men, according to official data released in May.

In raw or unadjusted terms, the gender pay gap stood at 21 percent in Germany last year, above the European average of 16.5 percent, the federal statistics office Destatis calculated.

In the former communist east of the country, the pay gap was much narrower, standing at eight percent last year, but in the west it stood at 23 percent, Destatis calculated.&nbsp;

Women in Germany tend more often to work in low-paid jobs or sectors and frequently only part time, the statisticians said.

The adjusted pay gap, which compares wages for people with the same qualifications doing the same work, stood at seven per cent.

(AFP)

Under the deal, companies with more than 200 employees will have to be transparent about what they pay men and women

Germany is moving to close the pay gap between men and women with a proposed new law agreed in principle by the government's ruling coalition parties Thursday. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU reached the agreement in talks with its centre-left coalition allies the SPD, without saying when the changes would take effect. Under the deal, companies with more than 200 employees will have to be transparent about what they pay men and women in equal positions and publish wage data in anonymous form. Companies with more than 500 staff will have to introduce mechanisms to equalise pay for both sexes, said SPD parliamentary chief Thomas Oppermann. He hailed the proposed law as "a great step forward" for millions of female employees. Women in Germany earn around one fifth less than men, according to official data released in May. In raw or unadjusted terms, the gender pay gap stood at 21 percent in Germany last year, above the European average of 16.5 percent, the federal statistics office Destatis calculated. In the former communist east of the country, the pay gap was much narrower, standing at eight percent last year, but in the west it stood at 23 percent, Destatis calculated. Women in Germany tend more often to work in low-paid jobs or sectors and frequently only part time, the statisticians said. The adjusted pay gap, which compares wages for people with the same qualifications doing the same work, stood at seven per cent. (AFP)

Germany takes step to close pay gap between men, women

An angry crowd greeted &nbsp;Germany&#39;s Chancellor Angela Merkel today with whistles and shouts of &#39;Get out&#39; as she arrived in Dresden to attend official celebrations for 26 years of German reunification celebrations, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While she called for mutual respect in political discussion during her address, protesters waved signs saying: &quot;Merkel must go&quot;.

&nbsp;

&quot;For my personally and for most of the German people, this still is day of joy and gratitude. But it is also a day on which 26 years after the German unification we still see that there are new problems, new work to be done,&quot; she was quoted as saying by Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;And personally, I hope that we solve those problems together, with mutual respect and acceptance of different political views. And that we find good solutions. And I hope that the people continue to talk, especially in regard to those who do not make an effort. However, I will campaign for that with all my strength. And I know that many others do so as well, and I want to thank them for that on that special day of ours.&quot;

&nbsp;

Merkel has been facing pressure at home over her &#39;open door&#39; refugee policy. Germany saw an influx of more than one million migrants following the implementation of policy, observes AFP.&nbsp;

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<h5>Dresden is hosting national celebrations to mark 26 years since the reunification of East and West Germany.&nbsp;</h5>
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President Joachim Gauck, who accompanied Merkel also received a hostile welcome.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As many as 106 far-right hate crimes have been recorded in Dresden&#39;s state capital, Saxony,&nbsp;in 2015, according to AFP. Meanwhile, in the first half of the year, as many as 50 hate crimes were recorded.

&nbsp;

An annual government report also highlighted last week that growing xenophobia and right-wing extremism could threaten peace in eastern Germany.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Agitators at Dresden, which is the birthplace?of xenophobic movement 'Pegidais', waved signs saying: 'Merkel must go'

An angry crowd greeted Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel today with whistles and shouts of 'Get out' as she arrived in Dresden to attend official celebrations for 26 years of German reunification celebrations, international news agency AFP reported. While she called for mutual respect in political discussion during her address, protesters waved signs saying: "Merkel must go". "For my personally and for most of the German people, this still is day of joy and gratitude. But it is also a day on which 26 years after the German unification we still see that there are new problems, new work to be done," she was quoted as saying by Reuters. "And personally, I hope that we solve those problems together, with mutual respect and acceptance of different political views. And that we find good solutions. And I hope that the people continue to talk, especially in regard to those who do not make an effort. However, I will campaign for that with all my strength. And I know that many others do so as well, and I want to thank them for that on that special day of ours." Merkel has been facing pressure at home over her 'open door' refugee policy. Germany saw an influx of more than one million migrants following the implementation of policy, observes AFP. Dresden is hosting national celebrations to mark 26 years since the reunification of East and West Germany. × President Joachim Gauck, who accompanied Merkel also received a hostile welcome. As many as 106 far-right hate crimes have been recorded in Dresden's state capital, Saxony, in 2015, according to AFP. Meanwhile, in the first half of the year, as many as 50 hate crimes were recorded. An annual government report also highlighted last week that growing xenophobia and right-wing extremism could threaten peace in eastern Germany. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Protests greet Merkel on reunification day

Slipping on a virtual reality headset, the indelible images come into view: the steel rails, the imposing brick gatehouse, the rows of identical barracks, the gas chambers, the crematoria. Thanks to the work of the Bavarian state crime office (LKA) in Munich, German prosecutors and police investigating the last living Nazi war criminals can now immerse themselves in a highly precise 3D model of Auschwitz. The VR death camp offers 21st-century fact-finding technology for the final Holocaust trials, in a twilight bid by the German justice system to address the atrocities committed seven decades ago.

Wearing the headset, prosecutors, judges and co-plaintiffs can have the chilling experience of moving about 1940s-era Auschwitz at will.&nbsp;Created by LKA digital imaging expert Ralf Breker, the VR model brings to life in astonishing detail the notorious Nazi-run camp in occupied Poland where more than 1.1 million people died during World War II.

&quot;The advantage the model offers is that I get a better overview of the camp and can recreate the perspective of a suspect, for example in a watchtower,&quot; Breker said. &quot;It has often been the case that suspects say they worked at Auschwitz but didn&#39;t really know what was going on,&quot; Jens Rommel, head of the federal office investigating Nazi war crimes, told AFP. &quot;Legally, the question is about intent: must a suspect have known that people were being taken to the gas chambers or shot? This model is a very good and very modern tool for the investigation because it can help answer that question.&quot;

The case that gave rise to the project was that of Johann Breyer, a Czech-born retired machinist accused of complicity in the killing of 216,000 Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz. Prosecutors in the Bavarian town of Weiden put together the case with the help of an early version of the 3D model. But the 89-year-old American died in June 2014, just hours before a US court approved his extradition to stand trial. This year, a more advanced model was used in the case of former SS guard Reinhold Hanning, who was convicted in June of complicity in 170,000 murders at Auschwitz and sentenced to five years&#39; imprisonment. Rommel, 44, said his team is investigating a few dozen suspects, of whom he estimates a &quot;double-digit number&quot; are still alive and could potentially face court.

&#39;So many shocking details&#39;&nbsp;

To make his computer-generated recreation of hell on earth, Breker used materials from the Warsaw surveyor&#39;s office and more than a thousand period photographs to create orthophotos, the uniform-scale base maps onto which buildings can be overlaid. Then he travelled to Auschwitz twice in 2013 to fill in the gaps. He and a colleague used a terrestrial laser scanner to create 3D images of the structures that were left standing after the Germans destroyed much of the camp while retreating from the advancing Soviet army.

The buildings that were ripped down or blown up in 1945 had to be reconstructed virtually with the help of the vast Auschwitz archives. &quot;The Germans were very precise -- we were able to rebuild every single structure because we had blueprints for each one,&quot; Breker said.&nbsp;

The ruddy-cheeked career investigator turned pale as he recounted what he learned there. &quot;Our team only investigates murders and we&#39;re usually the first at a crime scene so there&#39;s a lot we see that is very unpleasant,&quot; said Breker, a seven-year veteran of the force. &quot;But when I got back to the hotel room each night after being at Auschwitz, I was shattered.&nbsp;

&quot;We spent each day with the head of the archive and he provided us with so many shocking details.&quot; Breker recounted the story of the campaign between May and July 1944 when some 438,000 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He said VR technology was set to become a staple in criminal investigations around the world.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

VR death camp, a fact-finding 3D technology, will provide prosecutors an overview of the life at the notorious Nazi-run Auschwitz camp

Slipping on a virtual reality headset, the indelible images come into view: the steel rails, the imposing brick gatehouse, the rows of identical barracks, the gas chambers, the crematoria. Thanks to the work of the Bavarian state crime office (LKA) in Munich, German prosecutors and police investigating the last living Nazi war criminals can now immerse themselves in a highly precise 3D model of Auschwitz. The VR death camp offers 21st-century fact-finding technology for the final Holocaust trials, in a twilight bid by the German justice system to address the atrocities committed seven decades ago. Wearing the headset, prosecutors, judges and co-plaintiffs can have the chilling experience of moving about 1940s-era Auschwitz at will. Created by LKA digital imaging expert Ralf Breker, the VR model brings to life in astonishing detail the notorious Nazi-run camp in occupied Poland where more than 1.1 million people died during World War II. "The advantage the model offers is that I get a better overview of the camp and can recreate the perspective of a suspect, for example in a watchtower," Breker said. "It has often been the case that suspects say they worked at Auschwitz but didn't really know what was going on," Jens Rommel, head of the federal office investigating Nazi war crimes, told AFP. "Legally, the question is about intent: must a suspect have known that people were being taken to the gas chambers or shot? This model is a very good and very modern tool for the investigation because it can help answer that question." The case that gave rise to the project was that of Johann Breyer, a Czech-born retired machinist accused of complicity in the killing of 216,000 Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz. Prosecutors in the Bavarian town of Weiden put together the case with the help of an early version of the 3D model. But the 89-year-old American died in June 2014, just hours before a US court approved his extradition to stand trial. This year, a more advanced model was used in the case of former SS guard Reinhold Hanning, who was convicted in June of complicity in 170,000 murders at Auschwitz and sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Rommel, 44, said his team is investigating a few dozen suspects, of whom he estimates a "double-digit number" are still alive and could potentially face court. 'So many shocking details' To make his computer-generated recreation of hell on earth, Breker used materials from the Warsaw surveyor's office and more than a thousand period photographs to create orthophotos, the uniform-scale base maps onto which buildings can be overlaid. Then he travelled to Auschwitz twice in 2013 to fill in the gaps. He and a colleague used a terrestrial laser scanner to create 3D images of the structures that were left standing after the Germans destroyed much of the camp while retreating from the advancing Soviet army. The buildings that were ripped down or blown up in 1945 had to be reconstructed virtually with the help of the vast Auschwitz archives. "The Germans were very precise -- we were able to rebuild every single structure because we had blueprints for each one," Breker said. The ruddy-cheeked career investigator turned pale as he recounted what he learned there. "Our team only investigates murders and we're usually the first at a crime scene so there's a lot we see that is very unpleasant," said Breker, a seven-year veteran of the force. "But when I got back to the hotel room each night after being at Auschwitz, I was shattered. "We spent each day with the head of the archive and he provided us with so many shocking details." Breker recounted the story of the campaign between May and July 1944 when some 438,000 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He said VR technology was set to become a staple in criminal investigations around the world. (AFP)

Virtual reality helps target Auschwitz war criminals

In a bid to mark their protest against the controversial transatlantic trade deal, thousands of protesters are likely to take to the streets across Germany today ahead of the next round of negotiations slated for October 3 in New York, according to ABC news.&nbsp; 
 
The European Union (EU) and the United States had begun negotiating the&nbsp;Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013 &nbsp;with an aim to create the world&#39;s biggest free trade &nbsp;market comprising of&nbsp;850 million consumers. 
 
While exporters are in favour of the deal that promises lower tariffs and a wider base of consumers, the consumers in Europe fear it would it would &nbsp;lead to more outsourcing and consequently job losses. According to a Reuters report, several rights group fear that the deal would provide easier access to European market without creating more jobs.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We hope that more than 250,000 participants will join in the march nationwide,&quot; Roland Suess from the anti-globalisation group Attac, one of the organisers of the demonstrations in seven German cities including the capital Berlin and Frankfurt, told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
In Germany, there is widepread skepticism about the accords in Germany. &nbsp;According to AFP, a survey has highlighted that 28 per cent its respondents doubted free trade bringing in any benefits and 52 per cent say it would result in weakening of standards and increasingly inferior products.&nbsp; 
 
Proponents say that EU&#39;s most ambitious trade impact could increase trade between the two areas by some 20 per cent, adding some 11.6 billion euros a year to the EU economy. However, prominent rights groups in Germany argued that the deal undermines democracy because citizens would be excluded from decision-making.&nbsp; 
 
Vice-Chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel last month declared that talks on TTIP have &quot;de facto failed&quot; while&nbsp;Peter Gauweiler, who had quit his CDU post and MP mandate to protest against Merkel&#39;s stand on the the euro crisis, called the proposed treaties &quot;a danger for democracy&quot;. 
 
Gabriel had also insisted that &quot;Europeans must not give in to (the Americans&#39;) demands&quot;. 
 
However, a hopeful German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week said EU should keep negotiating with US over the free trade deal.&nbsp; 
 
A new round of talks will start in October and US President Barack Obama wants the deal concluded before his term ends in January. 
 
A smaller version of TTIP is also in the works with Canada. The deal called CETA, will be signed in October. 
 
There are also &nbsp;plans for setting up a special court to hear cases by companies against governments over breaching of regulatory issues, which the opponents see as giving firms a veto over public policy. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

While exporters are in favour of the deal as it promises lower tariffs , consumers fear job losses

In a bid to mark their protest against the controversial transatlantic trade deal, thousands of protesters are likely to take to the streets across Germany today ahead of the next round of negotiations slated for October 3 in New York, according to ABC news. The European Union (EU) and the United States had begun negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013 with an aim to create the world's biggest free trade market comprising of 850 million consumers. While exporters are in favour of the deal that promises lower tariffs and a wider base of consumers, the consumers in Europe fear it would it would lead to more outsourcing and consequently job losses. According to a Reuters report, several rights group fear that the deal would provide easier access to European market without creating more jobs. "We hope that more than 250,000 participants will join in the march nationwide," Roland Suess from the anti-globalisation group Attac, one of the organisers of the demonstrations in seven German cities including the capital Berlin and Frankfurt, told AFP. In Germany, there is widepread skepticism about the accords in Germany. According to AFP, a survey has highlighted that 28 per cent its respondents doubted free trade bringing in any benefits and 52 per cent say it would result in weakening of standards and increasingly inferior products. Proponents say that EU's most ambitious trade impact could increase trade between the two areas by some 20 per cent, adding some 11.6 billion euros a year to the EU economy. However, prominent rights groups in Germany argued that the deal undermines democracy because citizens would be excluded from decision-making. Vice-Chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel last month declared that talks on TTIP have "de facto failed" while Peter Gauweiler, who had quit his CDU post and MP mandate to protest against Merkel's stand on the the euro crisis, called the proposed treaties "a danger for democracy". Gabriel had also insisted that "Europeans must not give in to (the Americans') demands". However, a hopeful German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week said EU should keep negotiating with US over the free trade deal. A new round of talks will start in October and US President Barack Obama wants the deal concluded before his term ends in January. A smaller version of TTIP is also in the works with Canada. The deal called CETA, will be signed in October. There are also plans for setting up a special court to hear cases by companies against governments over breaching of regulatory issues, which the opponents see as giving firms a veto over public policy. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Germany likely to witness mass protests today against transatlantic trade deal

US agriculture company Monsanto agreed to a takeover from Bayer with a USD 128 per share offer, Reuters reported on Wednesday. 
 
The companies have agreed on a break-up fee of USD 2 billion, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The deal is expected to be closed by the end of 2017, the source said. 
 
The new offer would value Monsanto at USD 56.5 billion. 
 
Bayer chief executive Werner Baumann first made his bid for Monsanto four months ago. The German pharmaceutical and chemical group had initially offered USD 122 per share in May. Monsanto rejected the offer as &quot;incomplete and financially inadequate&quot;. 
 
The merger of the two would create a new global leader in agrochemical businesses. 
 
As part of its latest proposal, Bayer is also offering to double, to USD 3 billion, the compensation it would have to pay to Monsanto if the deal is stopped by competition regulators, Rheinische Post said. 
 
&ldquo;We see the Bayer-Monsanto deal as close to an end,&rdquo; analysts at Germany&rsquo;s DZ Bank wrote in a note Wednesday morning, The Wall Street Journal reported. &ldquo;We don&#39;t like the transaction because we think that Bayer is overpaying significantly,&rdquo; the analysts said. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Bayer chief executive had made his first bid for Monsanto, which will now be valued at $56.5 billion, four months ago

US agriculture company Monsanto agreed to a takeover from Bayer with a USD 128 per share offer, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The companies have agreed on a break-up fee of USD 2 billion, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The deal is expected to be closed by the end of 2017, the source said. The new offer would value Monsanto at USD 56.5 billion. Bayer chief executive Werner Baumann first made his bid for Monsanto four months ago. The German pharmaceutical and chemical group had initially offered USD 122 per share in May. Monsanto rejected the offer as "incomplete and financially inadequate". The merger of the two would create a new global leader in agrochemical businesses. As part of its latest proposal, Bayer is also offering to double, to USD 3 billion, the compensation it would have to pay to Monsanto if the deal is stopped by competition regulators, Rheinische Post said. “We see the Bayer-Monsanto deal as close to an end,” analysts at Germany’s DZ Bank wrote in a note Wednesday morning, The Wall Street Journal reported. “We don't like the transaction because we think that Bayer is overpaying significantly,” the analysts said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Bayer takes over Monsanto with a $128 per share offer: Sources

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s domestic popularity has declined, a poll showed on Sunday, with 50 per cent of Germans against her serving a fourth term in office after a federal election next year. 
 
Support for Merkel has weakened after a string of violent attacks on civilians in July, three of which were carried out by asylum seekers. Of those, two were claimed by Islamic State. 
 
This has raised opposition to Merkel&#39;s open-door migrant policy, which allowed hundreds of thousands from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere into Germany last year. 
 
Half of the 501 people questioned in the Emnid poll for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper were against Merkel staying in office beyond the 2017 election, with 42 per cent wanting her to remain. 
 
In November, the last time Bild am Sonntag commissioned a survey on the issue, 45 per cent had been in favour of Merkel serving a fourth term, with 48 per cent against. 
 
The head of Germany&#39;s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), Frank-Juergen Weise, told the newspaper that he expects a maximum of 300,000 refugees to arrive in Germany this year. 
 
When asked about her plans for the 2017 election in an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, Merkel said she would comment on this &quot;in due course&quot;, but did not elaborate. 
 
Germany&#39;s political parties are gearing up for next year&#39;s election. Asked in the ARD interview when Germans would get tax relief given that Germany has a budget surplus, Merkel said that would come &quot;in the next legislative period&quot;. 
 
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has previously said that people should not expect much tax relief. 
 
Merkel&#39;s Social Democrat coalition partners have promised voters increased spending on infrastructure, education and research. 
 
(Reuters)

Support for Merkel has weakened after a string of violent attacks on civilians in July, three of which were carried out by asylum seekers

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's domestic popularity has declined, a poll showed on Sunday, with 50 per cent of Germans against her serving a fourth term in office after a federal election next year. Support for Merkel has weakened after a string of violent attacks on civilians in July, three of which were carried out by asylum seekers. Of those, two were claimed by Islamic State. This has raised opposition to Merkel's open-door migrant policy, which allowed hundreds of thousands from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere into Germany last year. Half of the 501 people questioned in the Emnid poll for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper were against Merkel staying in office beyond the 2017 election, with 42 per cent wanting her to remain. In November, the last time Bild am Sonntag commissioned a survey on the issue, 45 per cent had been in favour of Merkel serving a fourth term, with 48 per cent against. The head of Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), Frank-Juergen Weise, told the newspaper that he expects a maximum of 300,000 refugees to arrive in Germany this year. When asked about her plans for the 2017 election in an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, Merkel said she would comment on this "in due course", but did not elaborate. Germany's political parties are gearing up for next year's election. Asked in the ARD interview when Germans would get tax relief given that Germany has a budget surplus, Merkel said that would come "in the next legislative period". Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has previously said that people should not expect much tax relief. Merkel's Social Democrat coalition partners have promised voters increased spending on infrastructure, education and research. (Reuters)

Half of Germany against Merkel serving fourth term: Poll

Germany won their first ever Olympic gold medal in women&#39;s football on Friday when they turned in a superior second half performance to beat Sweden 2-1. 
 
The no 2 ranked Germans, who are now one of only three women&#39;s teams to win both the Olympics and World Cup, scored two goals in the second half, and although the Swedes got a goal back they could not get a second to take the game into extra time. 
 
Sweden, who scored just three goals in their five games before the final, started more positively than their previous form suggested, but Germany started to impose themselves as time went on and the best chance of the half fell to Anja Mittag after 25 minutes. 
 
Leonie Maier&#39;s curling shot was only parried by the Swedish keeper and the ball fell to Mittag just yards from goal but she blasted the ball high and wide. 
 
The sides were evenly match but things changed in the second half and it was the Germans who deservedly took the lead three minutes into the second period. 
 
When they did it was a goal worthy of a cup final. Dzsenifer Maroszan gathered a cross ball on the edge of the box and had time to steady herself before curling a perfect strike into the top right hand corner of the net. 
 
They extended their lead 14 minutes later thanks to an unfortunate own goal. A Sara Daebritz free kick from 20 yards smacked the post and Linda Sembrandt tried to clear but instead kneed the ball into her own goal from just a few yards out. 
 
Sweden reacted almost immediately and just five minutes later Stina Blackstenius pulled them back into the game. Olivia Schough hit a beautiful low cross into the box from the right and Blackstenius slid in between two defenders and poked the ball home to cut the deficit. 
 
Schough had a great chance to level the scores three minutes from time but her shot was blocked just yards from goal. 
 
The win was a perfect farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match. 
 
Germany missed out on the Olympics in 2012 but won the bronze the last three times they played, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. 
 
(Reuters)

The win was a perfect farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match

Germany won their first ever Olympic gold medal in women's football on Friday when they turned in a superior second half performance to beat Sweden 2-1. The no 2 ranked Germans, who are now one of only three women's teams to win both the Olympics and World Cup, scored two goals in the second half, and although the Swedes got a goal back they could not get a second to take the game into extra time. Sweden, who scored just three goals in their five games before the final, started more positively than their previous form suggested, but Germany started to impose themselves as time went on and the best chance of the half fell to Anja Mittag after 25 minutes. Leonie Maier's curling shot was only parried by the Swedish keeper and the ball fell to Mittag just yards from goal but she blasted the ball high and wide. The sides were evenly match but things changed in the second half and it was the Germans who deservedly took the lead three minutes into the second period. When they did it was a goal worthy of a cup final. Dzsenifer Maroszan gathered a cross ball on the edge of the box and had time to steady herself before curling a perfect strike into the top right hand corner of the net. They extended their lead 14 minutes later thanks to an unfortunate own goal. A Sara Daebritz free kick from 20 yards smacked the post and Linda Sembrandt tried to clear but instead kneed the ball into her own goal from just a few yards out. Sweden reacted almost immediately and just five minutes later Stina Blackstenius pulled them back into the game. Olivia Schough hit a beautiful low cross into the box from the right and Blackstenius slid in between two defenders and poked the ball home to cut the deficit. Schough had a great chance to level the scores three minutes from time but her shot was blocked just yards from goal. The win was a perfect farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match. Germany missed out on the Olympics in 2012 but won the bronze the last three times they played, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Germany wins women's soccer gold after beating Sweden

Germany&#39;s interior minister came out in favour of partially banning the full-face burqa Islamic veil on Friday, as a debate on integration rages after two jihadist attacks, and ahead of key state polls. 
 
The call by Thomas de Maiziere comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s government attempts to address public fears surrounding last year&#39;s record influx of migrants and refugees.&nbsp;It also echoed a controversial move by several French towns in recent weeks to outlaw &quot;burkinis&quot;, the full-body Islamic swimsuit, at a highly sensitive time for relations with the Muslim community following a series of Islamist attacks. 
 
&quot;We agree that we reject the burqa, we agree that we want to introduce a legal requirement to show one&#39;s face in places where it is necessary for our society&#39;s coexistence: at the wheel, at public offices, at the registry office, in schools and universities, in the civil service, in court,&quot; De Maiziere said after a meeting with regional counterparts from his conservative bloc. 
 
He told public television that the full-face veil &quot;does not belong in our cosmopolitan country&quot;. 
 
&quot;We want to show our faces to each other and that is why we agree that we reject this. The question is, how we put this into law,&quot; he said.&nbsp;De Maiziere, who was to hold a press conference later on Friday on the proposal, did not say when he would put forward a draft bill. 
 
But he indicated that outlawing the burqa only under certain circumstances, as opposed to the blanket ban favoured by the hard right of Merkel&#39;s Christian Union bloc, would be &quot;likely to win approval&quot; in parliament.&nbsp;Merkel&#39;s right-left &quot;grand coalition&quot; holds an overwhelming majority in the Bundestag lower house. 
 
Islamic State threat &#39;already there&#39; 
 
In an interview with a regional newspaper this week, Merkel underlined her objections to the burqa.&nbsp;&quot;From my point of view, a woman who is entirely veiled has hardly any chance at integrating,&quot; she said. 
 
De Maiziere&#39;s position outlined on Friday represents a compromise with hardliners ahead of two pivotal regional elections next month in which the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party looks set to make strong gains. 
 
Just last week he had rejected a call from conservative state interior ministers for a sweeping burqa ban, saying: &quot;We can&#39;t ban everything that we reject, and I reject the wearing of the burqa.&quot; 
 
He made the comments on August 11 as he unveiled tough new anti-terror measures after two attacks in Germany last month claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp;The measures included a controversial proposal to strip jihadist fighters of their German nationality, as well as to speed up deportations of convicted criminal migrants and boost police resources. 
 
The AfD in particular has attempted to link the arrival of nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees in Germany last year with an increased threat of terrorism, an argument Merkel sharply rejected this week on the campaign trail in her home district. 
 
&quot;The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism by Islamic State is not something that came to us with the refugees, it was already there,&quot; she said, referring to the threat posed by homegrown militants. 
 
(AFP)

Thomas de Maiziere told public television that the full-face veil 'does not belong in our cosmopolitan country'

Germany's interior minister came out in favour of partially banning the full-face burqa Islamic veil on Friday, as a debate on integration rages after two jihadist attacks, and ahead of key state polls. The call by Thomas de Maiziere comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's government attempts to address public fears surrounding last year's record influx of migrants and refugees. It also echoed a controversial move by several French towns in recent weeks to outlaw "burkinis", the full-body Islamic swimsuit, at a highly sensitive time for relations with the Muslim community following a series of Islamist attacks. "We agree that we reject the burqa, we agree that we want to introduce a legal requirement to show one's face in places where it is necessary for our society's coexistence: at the wheel, at public offices, at the registry office, in schools and universities, in the civil service, in court," De Maiziere said after a meeting with regional counterparts from his conservative bloc. He told public television that the full-face veil "does not belong in our cosmopolitan country". "We want to show our faces to each other and that is why we agree that we reject this. The question is, how we put this into law," he said. De Maiziere, who was to hold a press conference later on Friday on the proposal, did not say when he would put forward a draft bill. But he indicated that outlawing the burqa only under certain circumstances, as opposed to the blanket ban favoured by the hard right of Merkel's Christian Union bloc, would be "likely to win approval" in parliament. Merkel's right-left "grand coalition" holds an overwhelming majority in the Bundestag lower house. Islamic State threat 'already there' In an interview with a regional newspaper this week, Merkel underlined her objections to the burqa. "From my point of view, a woman who is entirely veiled has hardly any chance at integrating," she said. De Maiziere's position outlined on Friday represents a compromise with hardliners ahead of two pivotal regional elections next month in which the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party looks set to make strong gains. Just last week he had rejected a call from conservative state interior ministers for a sweeping burqa ban, saying: "We can't ban everything that we reject, and I reject the wearing of the burqa." He made the comments on August 11 as he unveiled tough new anti-terror measures after two attacks in Germany last month claimed by the Islamic State group. The measures included a controversial proposal to strip jihadist fighters of their German nationality, as well as to speed up deportations of convicted criminal migrants and boost police resources. The AfD in particular has attempted to link the arrival of nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees in Germany last year with an increased threat of terrorism, an argument Merkel sharply rejected this week on the campaign trail in her home district. "The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism by Islamic State is not something that came to us with the refugees, it was already there," she said, referring to the threat posed by homegrown militants. (AFP)

Germany's interior minister votes for partial burqa ban

One person was injured in a knife and shooting attack in Cologne city centre in the early hours of today, German newspaper Express reported, adding that two suspects were on the run. 
 
The paper said several people had told the police shortly before 4 am (0200 GMT) that three or four people seemed to be having problems with another man. Eyewitnesses reported seeing men attacking each other with axes, Express said on its website. 
 
A man who sustained a stab wound tried to flee in his car but other men shot at him, though they only hit the car. 
 
Two possible perpetrators were later stopped by police. The motive for the attack is unknown, the newspaper reported. 
 
(Reuters)

Eyewitnesses describe seeing men attacking each other with axes, a German newspaper reported. The motive for the attack is unknown

One person was injured in a knife and shooting attack in Cologne city centre in the early hours of today, German newspaper Express reported, adding that two suspects were on the run. The paper said several people had told the police shortly before 4 am (0200 GMT) that three or four people seemed to be having problems with another man. Eyewitnesses reported seeing men attacking each other with axes, Express said on its website. A man who sustained a stab wound tried to flee in his car but other men shot at him, though they only hit the car. Two possible perpetrators were later stopped by police. The motive for the attack is unknown, the newspaper reported. (Reuters)

Axe and shooting attack in Germany injures one

Brazil beat Colombia 2-0 to move into the last four and a date with Honduras, while Nigeria and Germany both won on Saturday to set up an intriguing semi-final line up in men`s soccer at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.&nbsp; 
 
Brazil, who have never won the Olympic soccer title, were nervous, especially in a first half that had 21 fouls and five yellows cards, four of them for Colombia.&nbsp; 
 
The visitors rarely tried to play, preferring to hack at their opponents and it was from a 30-yard free kick that Brazil took the lead after 12 minutes with Neymar curling the ball through a wall that disintegrated.&nbsp; 
 
Brazil were the better team throughout and Luan got the second goal they deserved seven minutes from time when he lifted a sublime chip over the goalkeeper from 25 yards out. 
 
&quot;It was very important that we scored early and that helped us not fall into their trap of winding us up,&quot; defender Marquinhos told TV cameras after the game in Sao Paulo. 
 
&quot;We are very disciplined to not lose a goal and when we score early that allows us to open up a bit,&quot; he added. &quot;We held it together at the back and we played well.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Rampant Germany hammered Portugal 4-0 to set up a semi-final clash with Nigeria. Serge Gnabry put the Germans ahead with an angled strike just before halftime and Matthias Ginter added a second with a commanding header from a corner 12 minutes into the second half.&nbsp; 
 
Davie Selke got the third in the 75th with a goal that was almost identical to the first before substitute Philipp Max put the icing on the cake when he ended a sweeping move with a neat finish into the top corner three minutes from time. 
 
Germany will face Nigeria in Sao Paulo on Wednesday after the Africans scored in each half to beat Denmark.&nbsp; 
 
John Obi Mikel put Nigeria ahead after 16 minutes when he slotted home from the edge of the six-yard box after Imoh Ezekiel had set him up. Aminu Umar doubled their lead with a glancing header that may have come off his shoulder from a corner after 58 minutes.&nbsp; 
 
Honduras, seeking their first soccer medal in the Olympics, were inferior to a South Korea side that had 16 shots, compared to six for the Central American side, who got the only goal of the game after 59 minutes.&nbsp; 
 
The speedy Romell Quioto ran the length of the field before feeding Alberth Elis who coolly side-footed home from 15 metres. The 
 
Koreans pushed frantically for an equaliser but could not score. 
 
The men`s tournament is restricted to players aged under 23, though each squad is allowed to name three `overage` players. 
 
(Reuters)

Selecao to meet Honduras in last four while the other semi-final will see Germany and Nigeria slug it out for the summit clash

Brazil beat Colombia 2-0 to move into the last four and a date with Honduras, while Nigeria and Germany both won on Saturday to set up an intriguing semi-final line up in men`s soccer at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Brazil, who have never won the Olympic soccer title, were nervous, especially in a first half that had 21 fouls and five yellows cards, four of them for Colombia. The visitors rarely tried to play, preferring to hack at their opponents and it was from a 30-yard free kick that Brazil took the lead after 12 minutes with Neymar curling the ball through a wall that disintegrated. Brazil were the better team throughout and Luan got the second goal they deserved seven minutes from time when he lifted a sublime chip over the goalkeeper from 25 yards out. "It was very important that we scored early and that helped us not fall into their trap of winding us up," defender Marquinhos told TV cameras after the game in Sao Paulo. "We are very disciplined to not lose a goal and when we score early that allows us to open up a bit," he added. "We held it together at the back and we played well." Rampant Germany hammered Portugal 4-0 to set up a semi-final clash with Nigeria. Serge Gnabry put the Germans ahead with an angled strike just before halftime and Matthias Ginter added a second with a commanding header from a corner 12 minutes into the second half. Davie Selke got the third in the 75th with a goal that was almost identical to the first before substitute Philipp Max put the icing on the cake when he ended a sweeping move with a neat finish into the top corner three minutes from time. Germany will face Nigeria in Sao Paulo on Wednesday after the Africans scored in each half to beat Denmark. John Obi Mikel put Nigeria ahead after 16 minutes when he slotted home from the edge of the six-yard box after Imoh Ezekiel had set him up. Aminu Umar doubled their lead with a glancing header that may have come off his shoulder from a corner after 58 minutes. Honduras, seeking their first soccer medal in the Olympics, were inferior to a South Korea side that had 16 shots, compared to six for the Central American side, who got the only goal of the game after 59 minutes. The speedy Romell Quioto ran the length of the field before feeding Alberth Elis who coolly side-footed home from 15 metres. The Koreans pushed frantically for an equaliser but could not score. The men`s tournament is restricted to players aged under 23, though each squad is allowed to name three `overage` players. (Reuters)

Brazil overcome nerves to prevail over Colombia, Germany thrash Portugal

Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited executives from some of Germany&#39;s biggest listed companies to attend a summit next month where she will urge them to hire more refugees, the newspaper Bild reported on Saturday. 
 
More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market, which would reduce their dependence on the state and compensate for labour shortages as the workforce ages. 
 
Merkel will push reluctant German companies to offer more traineeships and positions to refugees, Bild reported. Large companies have been criticised for doing little to help integrate the refugees into the thriving job market. 
 
Companies say most of the new arrivals lack the German language skills and the education required for a job. 
 
Engineering giant Siemens, chemicals group Evonik, carmakers Opel and VW and utility RWE will share with Merkel the results of pilot projects with refugees, Bild said. 
 
Merkel&#39;s office declined to confirm Bild&#39;s report, which said the meeting at the chancellery will take place on September 14. 
 
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a month ago that the 30 biggest DAX-listed companies had until June employed only 54 refugees, including 50 who were hired by logistics provider Deutsche Post. 
 
Vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel last month urged large companies to do more for refugees, saying their efforts pale in comparison to the Mittelstand, the small and medium-size companies considered the backbone of Europe&#39;s biggest economy. 
 
More than 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, mostly refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. 
 
(Reuters)

More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market

Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited executives from some of Germany's biggest listed companies to attend a summit next month where she will urge them to hire more refugees, the newspaper Bild reported on Saturday. More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market, which would reduce their dependence on the state and compensate for labour shortages as the workforce ages. Merkel will push reluctant German companies to offer more traineeships and positions to refugees, Bild reported. Large companies have been criticised for doing little to help integrate the refugees into the thriving job market. Companies say most of the new arrivals lack the German language skills and the education required for a job. Engineering giant Siemens, chemicals group Evonik, carmakers Opel and VW and utility RWE will share with Merkel the results of pilot projects with refugees, Bild said. Merkel's office declined to confirm Bild's report, which said the meeting at the chancellery will take place on September 14. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a month ago that the 30 biggest DAX-listed companies had until June employed only 54 refugees, including 50 who were hired by logistics provider Deutsche Post. Vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel last month urged large companies to do more for refugees, saying their efforts pale in comparison to the Mittelstand, the small and medium-size companies considered the backbone of Europe's biggest economy. More than 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, mostly refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. (Reuters)

Merkel likely to push big companies to hire more refugees, says local media

Germany&#39;s defence minister said on Thursday (August 11) that the country was in the &quot;crosshairs of terrorism&quot; and pressed for plans for closer collaboration between the military and police in preparation for potential large-scale militant attacks. 
 
Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at an operations centre in the town of Uedem near the Dutch border, said military and police already worked together on disaster response and to defend against 9/11-style attacks and chemical and biological threats; but it was critical to meet changing circumstances. 
 
&quot;We all know that Germany has long been in the crosshairs of terrorism and we all know as well the fantastic job the national forces are doing, like police and all the forces they work with. The level of protection is so high and so good that we can live in peace. However, we have to be prepared,&quot; von der Leyen told reporters. 
 
&quot;For us, the debate about using the military domestically is important simply because we are now pragmatically preparing for situations that we could not imagine before the attacks in Paris and Brussels,&quot; she said. 
 
Islamist militants killed 130 people in simultaneous attacks in Paris last November. 
 
In March, 32 people died in attacks on Brussels airport and a metro station. 
 
Earlier on Thursday, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere, speaking in Berlin, said Germany must spend considerably more on its police and security forces, create a special unit to counter cyber crime and terrorism, and clamp down on foreigners convicted of crimes. 
 
Germany is debating security measures including domestic use of military forces after a spate of attacks on civilians, two claimed by the Islamic State group, and a mass shooting in Munich initially seen as a possible terrorist attack. It was later found to be the work of an 18-year-old deranged gunman. 
 
The use of the military at home is a sensitive matter. Von der Leyen triggered questions when she put a unit of 100 military police on alert for possible deployment during the Munich shooting. Germany&#39;s postwar constitution, intended to protect democracy after the Nazi era, forbids the army from deploying at home, except for defence against invasion or in&nbsp;case of natural disasters or extreme emergencies. 
 
(Reuters)

Von der Leyen said the level of protection in Germany is so high and good that they could live in peace but they would have to be prepared

Germany's defence minister said on Thursday (August 11) that the country was in the "crosshairs of terrorism" and pressed for plans for closer collaboration between the military and police in preparation for potential large-scale militant attacks. Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at an operations centre in the town of Uedem near the Dutch border, said military and police already worked together on disaster response and to defend against 9/11-style attacks and chemical and biological threats; but it was critical to meet changing circumstances. "We all know that Germany has long been in the crosshairs of terrorism and we all know as well the fantastic job the national forces are doing, like police and all the forces they work with. The level of protection is so high and so good that we can live in peace. However, we have to be prepared," von der Leyen told reporters. "For us, the debate about using the military domestically is important simply because we are now pragmatically preparing for situations that we could not imagine before the attacks in Paris and Brussels," she said. Islamist militants killed 130 people in simultaneous attacks in Paris last November. In March, 32 people died in attacks on Brussels airport and a metro station. Earlier on Thursday, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere, speaking in Berlin, said Germany must spend considerably more on its police and security forces, create a special unit to counter cyber crime and terrorism, and clamp down on foreigners convicted of crimes. Germany is debating security measures including domestic use of military forces after a spate of attacks on civilians, two claimed by the Islamic State group, and a mass shooting in Munich initially seen as a possible terrorist attack. It was later found to be the work of an 18-year-old deranged gunman. The use of the military at home is a sensitive matter. Von der Leyen triggered questions when she put a unit of 100 military police on alert for possible deployment during the Munich shooting. Germany's postwar constitution, intended to protect democracy after the Nazi era, forbids the army from deploying at home, except for defence against invasion or in case of natural disasters or extreme emergencies. (Reuters)

Germany is prepared for an eventual attack: defence minister

Germany appears to have drastically curtailed its open-door policy for migrants in 2016, turning away 13,000 people without valid documentation in the first six months, already 4,000 more than in the whole of 2015, official data showed on Tuesday. 
 
Around 117,500 migrants were admitted in the same period, compared to a record of more than one million migrants entering the country last year, mainly across the border from Austria. 
 
The bulk of the rejections happened at land entry points and Afghans, Syrians, and Iraqis made up the three largest groups of the total, the Interior Ministry data published at the request of the hard-left Die Linke party showed. 
 
Chancellor Angela Merkel last month interrupted her summer break to defend her government&#39;s migration policy after two Islamist attacks by asylum seekers, saying that those fleeing conflicts and persecution have the right to asylum in Germany. 
 
More than 2,500 Afghans, 1,300 Syrians, and 1,000 Iraqis were declined entry at border crossings in the January-June period, the ministry said. Iranians, Moroccans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Gambians, Somalis and Algerians made up the rest of the top 10. 
 
The number of people seeking asylum in Germany dropped drastically this year as a result of border closures in the Balkans, an EU-Turkey deal to stop sea arrivals in Greece and tougher asylum rules in Germany. 
 
In July, 4,500 migrants arrived in Germany, less than half of the daily arrivals at the peak of the crisis in the fall of last year, German police said earlier this month, bringing the number of arrivals in the first seven months of the year to 122,000. 
 
Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can officially file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog and putting a strain on civil servants. 
 
The influx has dented the popularity of Merkel&#39;s ruling conservatives and prompted the rise of an anti-immigration party. 
 
Turkey has threatened to suspend its migrants&#39; agreement with the European Union if there is no deal to grant visa-free travel to Turks. The number of migrants reaches Italy in boats from Libya has also been rising. 
 
(Reuters)

The country has turned away 13,000 people without valid documentation in the first six months, already 4,000 more than in the whole of 2015

Germany appears to have drastically curtailed its open-door policy for migrants in 2016, turning away 13,000 people without valid documentation in the first six months, already 4,000 more than in the whole of 2015, official data showed on Tuesday. Around 117,500 migrants were admitted in the same period, compared to a record of more than one million migrants entering the country last year, mainly across the border from Austria. The bulk of the rejections happened at land entry points and Afghans, Syrians, and Iraqis made up the three largest groups of the total, the Interior Ministry data published at the request of the hard-left Die Linke party showed. Chancellor Angela Merkel last month interrupted her summer break to defend her government's migration policy after two Islamist attacks by asylum seekers, saying that those fleeing conflicts and persecution have the right to asylum in Germany. More than 2,500 Afghans, 1,300 Syrians, and 1,000 Iraqis were declined entry at border crossings in the January-June period, the ministry said. Iranians, Moroccans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Gambians, Somalis and Algerians made up the rest of the top 10. The number of people seeking asylum in Germany dropped drastically this year as a result of border closures in the Balkans, an EU-Turkey deal to stop sea arrivals in Greece and tougher asylum rules in Germany. In July, 4,500 migrants arrived in Germany, less than half of the daily arrivals at the peak of the crisis in the fall of last year, German police said earlier this month, bringing the number of arrivals in the first seven months of the year to 122,000. Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can officially file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog and putting a strain on civil servants. The influx has dented the popularity of Merkel's ruling conservatives and prompted the rise of an anti-immigration party. Turkey has threatened to suspend its migrants' agreement with the European Union if there is no deal to grant visa-free travel to Turks. The number of migrants reaches Italy in boats from Libya has also been rising. (Reuters)

Germany has curbed open-door policy for migrants, government data reveals

Saudi Arabia has offered to help German investigators find those behind Islamist bomb and axe attacks in July, news magazine Der Spiegel reported today, citing a senior member of the Saudi government. 
 
Saudi authorities are in contact with their German colleagues, responding to new findings that show both attackers were in close contact via a chat conversation with possible Islamic State backers from Saudi Arabia, Spiegel said. 
 
Traces of the chat, which investigators have been able to reconstruct, indicate that both men were not only influenced by but also took instructions from people, as yet unidentified, up until the attacks, the report said. 
 
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on July 18 near Wuerzburg in Bavaria in which a 17-year-old refugee believed to be from Pakistan or Afghanistan wounded five people with an axe before police shot him dead. 
 
A twenty-seven-year-old Syrian who blew himself up in Ansbach, southern Germany on July 24 had pledged allegiance to Islamic State on a video found on his mobile phone, investigators said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, which wounded 15 people.

Bavaria&#39;s Interior Minister said at the end of July that the Ansbach bomber had been &quot;significantly influenced&quot; in a chat conversation on his mobile phone that ended just before the attack. 
 
(Reuters)

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for both the attacks that happened on July 18 and 24 in Germany

Saudi Arabia has offered to help German investigators find those behind Islamist bomb and axe attacks in July, news magazine Der Spiegel reported today, citing a senior member of the Saudi government. Saudi authorities are in contact with their German colleagues, responding to new findings that show both attackers were in close contact via a chat conversation with possible Islamic State backers from Saudi Arabia, Spiegel said. Traces of the chat, which investigators have been able to reconstruct, indicate that both men were not only influenced by but also took instructions from people, as yet unidentified, up until the attacks, the report said. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on July 18 near Wuerzburg in Bavaria in which a 17-year-old refugee believed to be from Pakistan or Afghanistan wounded five people with an axe before police shot him dead. A twenty-seven-year-old Syrian who blew himself up in Ansbach, southern Germany on July 24 had pledged allegiance to Islamic State on a video found on his mobile phone, investigators said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, which wounded 15 people. Bavaria's Interior Minister said at the end of July that the Ansbach bomber had been "significantly influenced" in a chat conversation on his mobile phone that ended just before the attack. (Reuters)

Saudi?Arabia?to?help?Germany?investigate?attacks, reports Spiegel

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