As bodies pile up, Germany's eastern COVID hot spots struggle for answers

MEISSEN, Germany - For some in Meissen the caskets piling up in the eastern German city's sole crematorium are a tragic reminder of what happens when the coronavirus is not taken seriously. For others it is simply nature's way.

Meissen, along with other places across old East Germany that are generally poorer, older and more supportive of a far-right opposed to lockdown, are the worst hit by the pandemic in the country, complicating Chancellor Angela Merkel's efforts to bring it under control.

"It's heartbreaking," said manager Joerg Schaldach, whose furnaces cremated 1,400 bodies last month, double the figure from December last year. More than half had died of COVID-19 and Schaldach expects some 1,700 cremations in total this month.

"People are dying alone in hospital without a loved one holding their hand," added Schaldach, standing in the main hall cleared of chairs used for funeral services to make way for caskets. "People get just a phone call: 'deceased'. A farewell at the coffin is not possible, all they get is an urn."

Like many east German regions that had a relatively mild first wave, Saxony, home to Meissen and a stronghold of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has the second highest 7-day incidence rate in Germany, almost double the national average of 136 per 100,000 people.

The neighbouring eastern state of Thuringia, where the AfD is also popular, is now Germany's worst hot spot, taking over from Saxony last week.

"If the Saxony government had acted earlier, we would have had the pandemic under control. But now we are a national problem," said Frank Richter, a lawmaker in the Saxony parliament for the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).

"The pile of bodies in Meissen is bitter medicine against ignorance."

Detlev Spangenberg, an AfD lawmaker in the national parliament from Saxony, said the party should not be blamed.

"We've had a lockdown since November and the numbers are not going down. It's nothing to do with the AfD," he said late last week. "We are just saying that the collateral damage of lockdowns outweighs the benefits.

MISTAKES MADE

The governors of both Saxony and Thuringia had in September opposed efforts by Merkel to introduce restrictions after the summer in anticipation of a second wave of COVID-19, only to acknowledge recently that they had made an error in judgment.

On the deserted streets of Meissen, a city of 28,000 famed for it porcelain industry, people had different explanations for the dramatic surge in infections, ranging from naive complacency to skepticism partly promoted by the AfD.

"It sounds strange, but I noticed that young people follow rules like wearing a mask and keeping distance more than old people," said Jenna Schmidt, a 27-year-old waitress at a local restaurant shuttered since November.

"When numbers started to rise in October, you'd hear old people say, 'oh I'm too old, I'll die soon anyway'," said Schmidt, walking with her toddler in the snow in the main square that is usually bustling with tourists.

"It's attitudes like this that got us here."

At the crematorium, men working around the clock unloaded caskets marked with pieces of paper stating the deceased's name, date of birth and death and address. Almost all were in their late 60s or older. Some had lived in care homes.

"There is a lot of panic and hysteria," said Roswitha Zeidler, a 60-year-old who works as a cleaning lady in a hotel. "Old people die all the time. I'm sick and tired of all the restrictions and predictions. I just want my life back."

Merkel and state leaders will hold talks on Tuesday on whether more restrictions are needed when a hard lockdown expires on Jan. 31.

Germany, which imposed a lockdown in November that was tightened early last month, recorded just over 7,000 confirmed new infections on Monday and 214 deaths, roughly half the figures from a day earlier.

'OWN GOAL'

While limited testing and lower death reports at the weekend may have played a role, Health Minister Jens Spahn said the trend was downward but the numbers remained far too high.

Ute Czeschka, an independent member of the Meissen city council, said another factor that contributed to infections exploding in eastern German states like Saxony was their proximity to the Czech Republic and Poland, two hot spots on Germany's eastern border.

"Many of our health care workers and doctors come from hot spots like the Czech Republic," said Czeschka. "So this didn't help. But the main reason we got here is that, until recently, many people did not believe in the virus. Now they do."

SPD lawmaker Richter said that the skepticism of the coronavirus promoted by local AfD leaders, who during the summer showed up at anti-lockdown protests not wearing masks, had encouraged people to flout hygiene and distancing rules.

"Fighting a pandemic is like a team trying to win a soccer match," said Richter. "You can't win if some players are trying to score an own goal."

A study by the Forsa research institute found that only 19% of AfD supporters believed the federal government's information about the pandemic was credible and less than 30% of men who support the party followed distancing and hygiene rules.

This compared with 75% and 65% respectively for the whole population.

-reuters-

With virus 'under control', Germany begins opening up

BERLIN - Germany takes its first steps back towards normality on Monday, with smaller shops in some regions opening up for the first time in a month after politicians declared the coronavirus "under control".

From florists to fashion stores, the majority of shops smaller than 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) will be allowed to welcome customers again, in a first wave of relaxations to strict curbs on public life introduced last month.


Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional state premiers announced the decision to reopen last week, though they have been careful to cast it as no more than a cautious first step.

While the first shops will open their doors on Monday, each of Germany's 16 states is set to lift the restrictions at a slightly different pace.

In some states such as the capital Berlin, reopening will take a little longer.

Merkel, who has been praised for her handling of the coronavirus crisis, is hoping to reinvigorate the ailing German economy, which officially entered into recession last week.

'FRAGILE'

With 139,897 confirmed cases and 4,294 deaths as of Sunday, Germany has been one of the countries worst hit by COVID-19, but also one of the quickest to react. 

On Friday, the Robert Koch Institute for public health announced that the rate of infection -- the number of people each ill person contaminates -- had dropped below one for the first time, leading Health Minister Jens Spahn to declare the virus "under control".

Yet Merkel, who was herself quarantined for two weeks earlier this month before testing negative for the virus, has warned that Germany's success remains "fragile".

"We will not be able to go back to our normal lives for a long time," said her conservative party colleague Armin Laschet, the state premier of North-Rhine Westphalia, the country's most populous region.

In an interview with Der Spiegel weekly, Laschet warned that some coronavirus restrictions could last until 2021.

A ban on gatherings of more than two people and a requirement to stand more than 1.5 metres apart from others in public areas remain in force. 

That means that hairdressers, initially deemed an essential business, cannot open until at least May 4. 

Cultural venues, bars, leisure centres and beauty salons will also remain closed for the time being, while large-scale public events such as concerts and football matches have been banned until August 31. 

But Germans can look forward to at least some relaxations to the existing shutdown although they have not been welcomed by everyone.

With larger shops unable to open, the German Trade Association warned Friday of a possible "distortion of competition".

Yet Economy Minister Peter Altmaier defended the 800-square-metre limit, saying that "the belt can only be loosened bit by bit".

SCHOOLS REOPENING

Schools will also be partially reopened in the coming weeks, with most states set to welcome back older students from May 4. 

Education policy is traditionally decided at state level in Germany, and Bavaria, the region worst hit by the virus so far, will keep its schools closed for an extra week.

On April 29, regional education ministers are set to present concrete plans on how social distancing can still be enforced in the classroom. 

Germany hopes to combine the lifting of restrictions with a more efficient tracing of the spread of COVID-19.

The country hopes to ramp up testing -- it has already tested around two million people -- and aims to produce around 50 million protective masks, including 10 million of the higher efficiency FFP2 standard a week from August.

Though not yet obligatory, Merkel said her government "strongly advises" wearing a mask in public.

With more movement of the population expected as shops reopen, eastern states Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony have made masks obligatory on public transport.

In doing so, they have followed the example of the eastern city of Jena, which unilaterally enforced the wearing of masks earlier this month. 

According to German media, the city has had no new cases in a week.

Agence France-Presse

Germany could still ban Huawei from 5G build-out: defense minister

BERLIN - Germany could still decide to rule out Chinese telecom equipment vendor Huawei Technologies from the construction of the country's fifth-generation data network (5G) due to security concerns, the defense minister said on Tuesday.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told a cyber security conference organised by German business daily Handelsblatt that it was important to minimize any risks.

The German government is currently trying to shape the 5G security criteria in a way that would prevent foreign governments from gaining access to Germany's important infrastructure, said Kramp-Karrenbauer.

"If that's not possible, then one has to ban Huawei from the procedure - just like other countries have done," said the minister, who is a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The comments are the strongest sign yet that Berlin is willing to take a tougher approach on Huawei and may exclude the Chinese equipment vendor at least from some parts of the 5G network.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also cast doubt on whether Huawei could participate in the construction of the country's fifth-generation data network (5G).

Government officials confirmed last month that Germany's so-called security catalogue foresaw an evaluation of technical and other criteria, but said no single vendor would be barred in order to create a level playing field for equipment vendors.

The United States has piled pressure on its allies to shut out Huawei, the leading telecoms equipment vendor with a global market share of 28 percent, saying its equipment contained 'back doors' that would enable China to spy on other countries. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World stock markets rally on hopes for stimulus, trade progress

NEW YORK -- Global stocks rallied Monday on rising optimism about stimulus measures in China and Germany as investors welcomed more conciliatory signs in the long-running US-China trade war.

Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, warned that Europe's biggest economy could enter a recession in the third quarter, a statement that further fueled expectations that a stimulus program would be coming.

Market watchers also expect further stimulus measures by China to boost growth and are confident Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will communicate dovish direction at a big central bank gathering at the end of the week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Analysts also cited the Trump administration's decision to delay by 90 days a ban on US companies doing business with Huawei, seen as a conciliatory step in the running US-China trade fight and coming on the heels of statements from US President Donald Trump and other top administration officials emphasizing efforts to revive talks with Beijing.

"The market is looking at the positives out there," Manulife Asset Management's Nate Thooft told AFP, adding that the low trading volumes in the sleepy August period have sharpened market swings in recent sessions.

Major US indices gained more than one percent after European and Asian bourses earlier also finished solidly higher.

Germany's DAX index jumped 1.3 percent in spite of the downcast report from the central bank.

"The economy could contract again slightly" this summer, Germany's central bank said in its monthly report, following a 0.1-percent decline in gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter.

"According to data currently available, industrial production is expected to shrink markedly in the current quarter as well."

As US-China tensions intensify, economists have urged Berlin to fork out cash to avoid a recession, but Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has previously said things were not yet bad enough to warrant loosening the purse strings.

On Sunday, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz hinted at a potential intervention, stating that Germany could "fully face up to" a new economic crisis.

"It is sometimes important, when things change completely, for example, for us to have enough strength to react," he said during an open house day at government offices.

China has meanwhile announced an interest rate reform that it said would lower borrowing costs for companies.

"The week is off to a pleasant start, with traders seemingly buoyed by Chinese lending rate reforms and the prospect of German fiscal stimulus," said Oanda analyst Craig Erlam.

KEY FIGURES AROUND 2015 GMT (4:15 a.m. Tuesday in Manila)

New York - Dow: UP 1.0 percent to 26,135.79 (close)

New York - S&P 500: UP 1.2 percent at 2,923.65 (close)

New York - Nasdaq: UP 1.4 percent at 8,002.81 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 1.0 percent at 7,189.65 (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 1.3 percent at 11,715.37 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.3 percent at 5,371.56 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.2 percent at 3,369.19 (close)

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 20,563.16 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 2.2 percent at 26,291.84 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 2.1 percent at 2,883.10 (close)

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1078 from $1.1090 at 2100 GMT Friday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2134 from $1.2149

Euro/pound: UP at 91.30 pence from 91.29 pence 

Dollar/yen: UP at 106.66 yen from 106.38 yen

Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.9% at $59.74 per barrel

West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.4% at $56.21 per barrel

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World reacts with sadness, anger to New Zealand mosque shootings

LONDON - Leaders and organizations around the world expressed disgust and sorrow at the killing of 49 people in shootings at 2 New Zealand mosques on Friday, attacks that many blamed on the demonization of Muslims by the West.

Western leaders from Donald Trump to Angela Merkel expressed solidarity with New Zealanders, deploring what the White House called a "vicious act of hate."

The response from some Muslim countries went further, blaming politicians and the media for stoking that hatred. The nationalities of the victims included Indian, Pakistani, Malaysian, Indonesian, Egyptian, Bangladeshi, Saudi, Somalian and Turkish, authorities said.

New Zealand police said 49 people were killed and 42 were being treated for wounds, including a 4-year-old child. Three people were in custody including one man who has been charged with murder, police said.

"I blame these increasing terror attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9/11 (where) 1.3 billion Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror," Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote on social media.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the attack was a result of Muslims being demonized. 

"Not only the perpetrators, but also politicians & media that fuel the already escalated Islamophobia and hate in the West are equally responsible for this heinous attack," he tweeted.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated "the urgency of working better together globally to counter Islamophobia and eliminate intolerance and violent extremism in all its forms," a spokesman said.

Hundreds of protesters in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, chanted "Allahu akbar!" (God is Greatest) after Friday prayers.

"We will not let the blood of Muslims go in vain," said one protester. 

Members of the Bangladesh national cricket team, in Christchurch for a match against New Zealand, arrived for Friday prayers as the shooting started but were not hurt.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said some of the victims may have been new immigrants or refugees.

"They are us," she said. "The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not. They have no place in New Zealand."

Trump, following a phone call with Ardern, said on Twitter: "...I informed the Prime Minister... that we stand in solidarity with New Zealand - and that any assistance the U.S.A. can give, we stand by ready to help. We love you New Zealand!"

The accused gunman's manifesto posted online praised Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose."

Asked by a reporter if he thought white nationalism is a rising threat around the world, Trump said: "I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems. I guess if you look at what happened in New Zealand perhaps that's a case, I don't know enough about it yet."

Trump said he had not seen the gunman's manifesto.

'EXTREMIST'

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said an Australian national arrested after the attack was an "extremist, right-wing violent terrorist."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth, who is New Zealand's head of state, said she was "deeply saddened by the appalling events."

Pope Francis deplored the "senseless acts of violence."

In a message of condolence sent by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Francis "assures all New Zealanders, and in particular the Muslim community, of his heartfelt solidarity in the wake of these attacks".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world’s largest Muslim body, to discuss this "horrible crime", Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported.

"Western hypocrisy of defending demonisation of Muslims as 'freedom of expression' MUST end," Zarif said on Twitter. He posted a picture of US President Donald Trump saying "I think Islam hates us," during the 2016 US election campaign.

The Palestinian chief peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, called the attack a "consequence of racist ideologies that continue trying to promote religious wars".

He compared it to the shooting last October at a synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh that killed 11 people, deadly attacks on churches in Egypt by Islamic State and an attack by a far-right Israeli gunman on a West Bank mosque in 1994 that killed 29 people.

A statement by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been accused by the United States of terrorism, said in part: "Hezbollah warns against the tendency of extremism against Muslims and foreigners and against the politics of hate that the United States nourishes in the world, rather than religious values that advocate tolerance, dialogue and acceptance of the other."

'FLAMES OF HATRED'

German Chancellor Merkel mourned "with the New Zealanders for their fellow citizens who were attacked and murdered out of racist hatred while peacefully praying in their mosques."

Her foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said: "When people are murdered solely because of their religion, this is an attack on us all."

Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of London, said Londoners stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Christchurch. He also pointed his finger at those who promote religious hatred.

"When the flames of hatred are fanned, when people are demonised because of their faith, when people's fears are played on rather than addressed, the consequences are deadly, as we have seen so sadly today," he said.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said the attack brought back memories of the 2011 attack by anti-Muslim extremist Anders Breivik that killed 77 people: "It shows that extremism is nurtured and that it lives in many places."

Al-Azhar University, Egypt's 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islamic learning, called the attack "a dangerous indicator of the dire consequences of escalating hate speech, xenophobia and the spread of Islamophobia."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

German, 20, confesses ‘annoyance’ spurred massive data hack

German authorities on Tuesday said a 20-year-old hacker had confessed to stealing and leaking private data from hundreds of politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, because he was "annoyed" by some of their public statements.

The young German, who lives with his parents, was taken into custody after police searched the family home in the western state of Hesse on Sunday. 

The suspect was not remanded in custody however because he was fully cooperating with the enquiry and not deemed a flight risk, said Georg Ungefuk, a spokesman for the Frankfurt prosecution service's internet crime office ZIT.

"The accused said he published the data because he had been annoyed by certain statements made by those affected," Ungefuk told a press conference in Wiesbaden.

The suspect, who because of his young age falls under juvenile law in Germany, told police he acted alone.

Ungefuk added that the young man had shown "clear remorse" about the stunning cyber security breach which affected around 1,000 German politicians, journalists and celebrities and piled political pressure on the government.

The information leaked online comprised home addresses, mobile phone numbers, letters, invoices and copies of identity documents. The data was first released via Twitter in December but its spread gathered pace last week.

Among those hit were members of the Bundestag lower house of parliament and the European Parliament as well as regional and local assemblies.

Deputies from all parties represented in the Bundestag were targeted with the exception of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the largest opposition group in parliament.

Speaking at the same press conference, the head of cyber security at Germany's Federal Police Office (BKA), Heiko Loehr, said it was too soon to say whether the suspect was acting out of far-right sympathies.

"We are still investigating his motives and whether they may have been criminal or politically motivated," he told reporters, adding that police were also working to confirm whether the suspect did indeed work alone.

Investigators have seized computers and hard drives from the scene that were now being combed over by experts, Ungefuk added.

He confirmed media reports that the suspect had tried to destroy a computer before the raid, but said investigators were still able to retrieve data from the damaged device. 

- 'Attack on democracy' -

Although the leak was sweeping, there is no evidence that sensitive information reached the public, investigators and the interior ministry have said.

In the vast majority of cases, only basic contact information was made available. 

The leak has nevertheless been deeply embarrassing for the political class, exposing a naive and sometimes reckless use of computer networks, and turned up the heat on the unpopular interior minister, Horst Seehofer.

Critics said the ministry and relevant authorities were slow in informing affected politicians of the leak and moving to stop it. 

Seehofer is due to speak to reporters in the afternoon. 

Beyond politicians, the leak also exposed the private data of celebrities and journalists, including chats and voicemail messages from spouses and children of those targeted.

The information derived both from social media and private "cloud" data.

The Twitter account @_0rbit published the links last month, along the lines of an advent calendar with each link to new information hidden behind a "door".

The account, which calls itself G0d and has now been suspended by Twitter, was opened in mid-2017 and purportedly has more than 18,000 followers. 

It described its activities as "security researching", "artist" and "satire and irony" and said it was based in Hamburg.

Justice Minister Katarina Barley, who last week had labelled the data dump an attack on "our democracy and its institutions", called on internet service providers and social networks "to shut down accounts as soon as they have been hacked".

German politicians and lawmakers have repeatedly fallen victim to cyberattacks in recent years.

In 2015, the Bundestag network was hit by a malware attack later blamed on Russian hackers.

In March last year, computer networks belonging to the German government came under sustained attack and data from foreign ministry staff was stolen.

At the time, Moscow denied that Russian hackers were involved.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

With eye on China, Germany toughens rules for foreign buyouts

BERLIN - Germany was Wednesday set to toughen rules on non-EU share purchases and acquisitions of its strategic companies, amid growing disquiet about takeovers by Chinese firms.

It plans to lower the threshold where reviews apply to foreign purchase offers of 10 percent of companies, down from 25 percent now.

Germany and other EU states have voiced growing concern in recent years as Chinese companies have bought up, or purchased controlling stakes in, high-tech firms, airports and harbors.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet planned to approve the change to the Foreign Trade Regulation, and Economy Minister Peter Altmaier was then to give a statement at 1130 GMT.

The update would strengthen government powers to review and possibly block foreign purchases in companies that are crucial to Germany's defense or "critical infrastructure."

This would include military, IT security and power companies but also, for example, large food producers, reported the business daily Handelsblatt.

"The test criterion is whether an acquisition endangers the public order or security of the Federal Republic of Germany," an economy ministry spokesman told AFP.

Alarm has grown in Germany about losing valuable know-how since Chinese appliance giant Midea in mid-2016 took over German industrial robotics supplier Kuka.

In mid-2017 Germany tightened scrutiny of non-EU takeovers of strategic companies, doubling to four months the time for reviews, and broadening the range of sectors.

'NATIONAL SECURITY'

In February, Germany raised no objections when Chinese billionaire Li Shufu bought a near 10-percent stake in the Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler.

However in July, the state took a minority stake in electricity transmission firm 50Hertz, citing national security reasons, to thwart Chinese investors from buying into it.

Germany has been discussing similar protective steps at the EU level with France and Italy.

"The aim is to be able to intervene nationally, in individual cases, against state-controlled or state-financed strategic direct investments," said the economy ministry.

This could apply where the home country of the purchasing company financially supports a takeover bid at above-market prices or through political incentives.

German business groups criticized Berlin's move Wednesday as overly protectionist and ultimately harmful.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry called the change "problematic", warning that it sends a "negative signal to our foreign partners."

And the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association charged that it "is politically motivated and creates additional uncertainty among foreign investors."

"Germany relies on open markets, including foreign investment," said its chief executive Thilo Brodtmann. "Conversely, we also expect open investment markets from our partner countries outside the EU."

The economy ministry insisted that "this is not about more prohibitions but about strengthening the capacity to find out whether legitimate security interests of Germany are affected."

Germany had reviewed 80 to 100 purchase offers annually in recent years "without discrimination and regardless of origin of the buyer" and had so far never blocked an offer, he said.

This proved that "Germany remains one of the world's most open investment locations."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Merkel says Khashoggi killers must 'answer for their actions'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said those behind Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death must be brought to book and called for "transparency" from Riyadh.

"Those responsible must answer for their actions," Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a joint statement. 

"We expect transparency from Saudi Arabia on the circumstances of his death," it said. "Available reports on what happened in the Istanbul consulate are insufficient."

After days of denying that it was involved in the death of the Washington Post journalist at its Istanbul consulate, Saudi Arabia finally admitted early Saturday that Khashoggi had died during a "brawl" inside the mission.

Eighteen Saudis have been arrested in connection with his death and two top aides of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as three other intelligence agents, have been sacked.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Hate in the streets' has no place in Germany: Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday condemned violent far-right protests that degenerated into attacks against foreign-looking people, saying "hate in the streets" has no place in Germany.

After the fatal stabbing of a German man, 35, allegedly by a Syrian and an Iraqi, thousands of protesters marched in the eastern city of Chemnitz for two straight days, some chasing down people they believed were immigrants.

Police reported assaults by extremists against at least three foreigners on Sunday, while investigations were opened in 10 cases of the protesters performing the illegal Hitler salute.

At least 20 people were injured on Monday as pyrotechnics and other objects were hurled by both far-right demonstrators as well as anti-fascist counter-protesters in the city.

"What we have seen is something which has no place in a constitutional democracy," Merkel told journalists.

"We have video recordings of (people) hunting down others, of unruly assemblies, and hate in the streets, and that has nothing to do with our constitutional state."

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said federal police were ready to provide backup for overwhelmed officers in Saxony state, where Chemnitz is located.

'Pogrom sentiment'

The ugly scenes of mostly white men, many of them extremist football hooligans, hurling abuse at people they deemed to be foreigners, have deeply alarmed Germany.

"Of course history is not repeating itself, but that a far-right mob is on a rampage in the middle of Germany and the authorities are overwhelmed, is reminiscent of the situation during the Weimar Republic," said Spiegel Online.

The Weimar years were marked by the formation of paramilitary groups, such as the Sturmabteilung or SA, which eventually helped the Nazis to power.

Josef Schuster, who chairs the Central Council of Jews in Germany, also voiced his alarm, saying it is "now the duty of citizens to counter the far-right mob".

Anetta Kahane of the anti-racism Amadeu Antonio Foundation told news channel NTV that, while people have the right to demonstrate, "what happened in Chemnitz went beyond that -- it was incitement to hatred and the propagation of pogrom sentiment."

The circumstances that led to the death of the German man remain unclear, but the far-right quickly mobilised Sunday as word spread online that the key suspects were foreigners.

Saxony's interior minister Roland Woeller said hooligans from across Germany, including as far as the western states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, had travelled to Chemnitz for the marches.

State premier Michael Kretschmer warned that a false claim that the man was stabbed while defending a woman was circulating online, as he urged the population to seek credible news sources. 

He also stressed that the nationalities of the suspects were "absolutely no reason to cast general suspicion on all foreign-born citizens".

'Nothing more dangerous'

Saxony state, where Chemnitz is located and which is the birthplace of the Islamophobic PEGIDA street movement, has repeatedly come under intense scrutiny as a hotbed for hate crimes.

The state is at the heart of misgivings over Germany's decision to welcome more than a million asylum seekers since 2015, many from war-torn Syria and Iraq.

Railing against the newcomers, the far-right AfD party has made significant gains in Saxony and is poised, according to the latest polls, to become the second biggest party in its regional elections next year.

Critics warned that the authorities have for years failed to take the far-right threat seriously.

"The state can never allow our streets to be overrun by far-right mobs," said Bild daily, adding that at the same time, Berlin needs to promptly deport criminal foreigners.

"For too long, nothing has been done. That's why confidence in the state is crumbling. That's why racists like in Chemnitz think they can do what they want. Nothing could be more dangerous for our country."

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted that "where such hunting down of foreigners is possible, the rule of law has abdicated," while Die Welt daily warned that "the rule of law and police now face a test". 

"There cannot be a zone of violence, there is no such thing as partial security," said Welt.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Trump, in trade feud with allies, say won't let them take advantage of US

SINGAPORE - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday kept up his feud with America's closest allies over trade, saying he could not allow them to continue taking advantage of the United States.

Although he insisted he had a good relationship with Justin Trudeau, just days after blowing up a G7 summit the Canadian prime minister had hosted, Trump took another dig at him, saying the United States had a big trade deficit with Canada and that "a little balance" was needed.

Trump's comments after a historic summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were the president's most extensive on the matter since he tweeted that Trudeau was "very dishonest and weak" and raised the prospect of tariffs against auto imports, a move that would imperil the Canadian economy.

"We are being taken advantage of by virtually every one of those countries," Trump told a news conference on Tuesday. "Look, countries cannot continue to take advantage of us on trade."

Trump left a weekend Group of Seven summit in Canada early, then immediately announced he was backing out of a joint communique, torpedoing what appeared to be a fragile consensus on the trade dispute between Washington and its main allies.

The escalating clash cast a shadow over the Trump's nuclear talks with Kim and led critics to question why the president was bashing US partners while appearing to cosy up to one of Washington's bitterest long-time foes.

Trump took time at his news conference to explain a photo that went viral from the G7 summit. It showed a seemingly glowering German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several other leaders appearing to confront a seated Trump.

"We finished the meeting, really everybody was happy, and I agreed to sign something," Trump said. "And in fact the picture with Angela Merkel, who I get along with very well, where I’m sitting there like this ... we’re waiting for the document because I wanted to see the final document as changed.

"I know it didn’t look friendly," Trump said. "I know it was reported sort of nasty both ways – I was angry at her, or she. But actually we were just talking, the whole group, about something unrelated to everything, very friendly."

Trump said he decided to back out of the G7 communique after watching Trudeau's closing summit news conference, at which he warned that Canada would not be pushed around on tariffs - a point the Canadian prime minister had made several times before.

"He'll learn that's going to cost a lot of money for the people of Canada. He'll learn, he can't do that," Trump said.

Trump fired off a volley of tweets on Monday further venting anger at NATO allies, the European Union and Trudeau. Some of Trump's aides also lashed out at the Canadian prime minister.

Trump's extraordinary outburst in recent days appeared aimed at striking a chord with voters who support his "America First" agenda. "Not fair to the people of America! $800 billion trade deficit," he tweeted on Monday.

In the same set of tweets, Trump said: "Justin acts hurt when called out!"

On Tuesday, Trump said: "We have a big trade deficit with Canada ... it’s close to $100 billion a year deal loss."

However, the office of the US Trade Representative has said the United States ran an $8.4 billion trade surplus with Canada in 2017.

Canadian officials have stressed the two countries' extensive trading relationship and pointed out that Canada is the top export destination for 35 US states and that 9 million jobs in the United States depend on trade with its northern neighbor. 

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom, Editing by Robert Birsel, Miral Fahmy and Gerry Doyle)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dollar slips on trade war fears, euro bounces after Italian exit polls

SYDNEY - The dollar stayed on a slippery slope on Monday amid fears of a global trade war, while the euro dipped briefly but rebounded quickly after results of exit polls for Italy's elections pointed to a hung parliament.

A centre-right coalition is set to win the most seats in Italy's parliament ahead of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, according to the exit polls, although it was unlikely to produce an outright winner.

The euro level rose 0.3 percent to $0.1.2352, after going as low as $1.2335 as the polls suggested a period of uncertainty until a coalition government could be formed.

Also helping the euro was the revival of Germany's grand coalition over the weekend, meaning Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives will form a new government more than five months since the country's inconclusive election.

The euro also got a bit of a lift from safe-haven flows as risk sentiment soured after US President Donald Trump proposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, rattling financial markets last week.

The dollar fell for a fourth straight session to go as deep as 105.40 yen, but was slightly above Friday's low of 105.23, a level not seen since November 2016.

Still, Wall Street rebounded late on Friday as investors who were initially spooked by the prospect of a global trade war clung to hopes that Trump was just rattling sabres as a negotiating tactic.

News over the weekend suggested, however, that Trump was going ahead with his plan, while there was no indication that allies would be excluded from the tariffs.

Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliation, and the European Union said it would apply 25 percent tariffs on about $3.5 billion of imports from the United States if Trump carried out his threat.

Trump says the tariffs are needed to protect domestic industries against unfair competition from China and elsewhere.

Analysts were not sure how Asian markets would react on Monday, although sentiment is likely to remain jittery.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rebounded from losses of 1 percent or more to close higher on Friday. The Dow, however, ended lower and remained in negative territory for the year so far.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Merkel, Trump concerned over Putin's 'invincible' weapons

BERLIN - United States President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone conversation shared concern over President Vladimir Putin's claim Russia was developing new "invincible" weapons, Berlin said Friday.

"The chancellor and the president voiced concern about Russian President Putin's latest remarks on arms development and its negative impact on international arms control efforts," said a statement by the German chancellery.

Putin unveiled the new arsenal Thursday in a state of the nation address, challenging Washington to a new arms race ahead of a presidential election that will all but certainly confirm his grip on power.

Putin during his speech showed a series of video montages of missiles crossing mountains and oceans, heading over the Atlantic before striking the US eastern seaboard.

The United States on Thursday accused Moscow of openly breaching Cold War-era treaties by developing what Putin called a new generation of "invincible" hypersonic weapons and submarines.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Global stocks mostly fall on German election, North Korea worries

NEW YORK - Global stocks mostly fell Monday and the euro tumbled on unease over the German election outcome and the increasingly hostile war of words between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's nuclear program.

Investors worried about looming political infighting in Germany after an election that won Angela Merkel a fourth term as chancellor, but also gave a hard-right opposition party parliamentary seats for the first time.

"The markets' initial reaction to the outcome of the German federal election has been negative," said Fawad Razaqzada, an analyst at Forex.com. Merkel's "poor showing" was weighing on the euro.

The euro dropped more than 0.8 percent against the dollar compared with Friday at $1.1846.

Worries about North Korea returned to the forefront after the country's foreign minister accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war and said Pyongyang was ready to defend itself by shooting down US bombers. The White House dismissed the claim as "absurd."

Major equity markets across Europe also were lower by the end of trading although Frankfurt managed a stable finish, partly thanks to the eurozone currency's weakness which tends to favor exporters.

In New York, the broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.2 percent, with the tech-rich Nasdaq sliding a more substantial 0.9 percent. Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Google-parent Alphabet each lost 1 percent or more as analysts pointed to signs of a shift to sectors that have not done as well in 2017.

But petroleum-linked companies such as ExxonMobil, Halliburton and Schlumberger advanced one percent or more after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to block the key oil exports from Iraq's Kurdish region which is holding an independence referendum.

Brent oil prices jumped nearly four percent to $59.02 per barrel, its highest level since July 2015.

KEY FIGURES 2100 GMT (5 a.m. Tuesday in Manila)

New York - DOW: DOWN 0.2 percent at 22,296.09 (close)

New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.2 percent at 2,496.66 (close)

New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.9 percent at 6,370.59 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,301.29 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: FLAT at 12,594.81 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.3 percent at 5,267.13 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,537.81

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 20,397.58 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN 1.4 percent at 27,500.34 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3,341.55 (close)

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1846 from $1.1947 at 2100 GMT on Friday

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 111.68 yen from 112.01 yen

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3465 from $1.3486

Oil - Brent North Sea: UP $2.16 cents at $59.02 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP $1.56 at $52.22 per barrel

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Merkel hangs on to power but bleeds support to surging far right

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in office on Sunday but Europe's most powerful leader will have to govern with a far less stable coalition in a fractured parliament after her conservatives hemorrhaged support to a surging far right.

Two years after Merkel left German borders open to more than 1 million migrants, the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) stunned the establishment by becoming the first far-right party to enter parliament in more than half a century.

The AfD won 13.0 percent of the vote - more than expected and one of many shocks on a night of drama that saw Merkel's conservatives get their worst result since 1949, and her main Social Democrat (SPD) rivals their worst since 1933.

Describing the far right's success as a test for Germans, Merkel insisted she had a mandate to govern - a formidable challenge as she has little choice but to cobble together a three-way coalition with a pro-business group and the Greens.

"Of course we had hoped for a slightly better result," a humbled Merkel said after her conservative bloc slumped to 32.9 percent of the vote - down from 41.5 percent at the last election in 2013.

But she added: "We are the strongest party, we have the mandate to build the next government - and there cannot be a coalition government built against us."

The euro slipped around 0.4 percent in early Asian trading as it became clear the results would make forming a coalition tricky for Merkel.

Coalition building could take months as Merkel's only straightforward path to a majority in parliament would be a three-way tie-up with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens - an arrangement untested at national level.

The Social Democrats, who have served with Merkel's conservatives as junior partners in a "grand coalition" for the past four years, won just 20.6 percent of the vote, as nearly half of voters repudiated the two parties that have dominated Germany since World War Two.

SPD leader Martin Schulz said the party would refuse to rejoin a coalition and instead take up its position as the main opposition. The Social Democrats appear to have been hurt badly by being in government, making it difficult to distinguish themselves from Merkel's conservatives.

After shock election results last year, from Britain's vote to leave the EU to the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, leaders of Europe's establishment have looked to Merkel to rally the liberal Western order.

A pastor's daughter who grew up in Communist East Germany, she has acted as an anchor of stability in Europe and beyond. Now, she faces an unstable situation at home as she must form a coalition, an arduous process that could take months.

"TECTONIC SHIFT"

Sunday's election, fought against the tense backdrop of surging support for far left and far right parties across Europe, delivered a fractured German parliament with six party groups, up from four previously.

Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of Germany weekly Die Zeit, said the vote marked a "tectonic shift in German politics" and that the three-way coalition Merkel looks likely to try to forge will be "highly unstable".

Leading AfD candidate Alexander Gauland vowed his party would "hunt" the new government, whatever its make-up, adding: "We'll get our country and our people back."

In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen congratulated the AfD, tweeting: "Bravo to our AfD allies for this historic showing!"

A large group of protesters gathered outside the AfD's post-election party and police said they made several arrests.

The European Jewish Congress expressed alarm at the AfD's success, adding: "We trust that centrist parties in the Bundestag will ensure that the AfD has no representation in the coming governing coalition."

The AfD says immigration threatens German culture, but denies that it is racist: "We will neither tolerate xenophobia nor racist positions. But we simply don't have them either," AfD co-leader Joerg Meuthen said.

The result makes kingmakers of both the FDP and the Greens, both of which have played the role in the recent past but neither of which now has enough support on its own to give Merkel a majority.

FDP leader Christian Lindner, an ambitious 38-year-old who preaches an ultra-hard line on Europe and has unsettled the German political establishment, said he was open to coalition talks with Merkel but that Germany needed a change of course.

The Greens' Katrin Goering-Eckardt said: "We will see if there can be cooperation."

A three-way tie-up of Merkel's conservatives, the FDP and the Greens - known as a "Jamaica" coalition because the black, yellow and green colours of the three parties match the Jamaican flag - is widely seen as inherently unstable.

The Greens - keen on regulation - and the business-friendly FDP are at opposite ends of the political spectrum and a clash of policy visions would be likely on tax, energy, the European Union and migrants.

Despite losing support, Merkel, Europe's longest serving leader, will join the late Helmut Kohl, her mentor who reunified Germany, and Konrad Adenauer, who led Germany's rebirth after World War Two, as the only post-war chancellors to win four national elections.

(Additional reporting by Caroline Copley, Michael Nienaber and Thomas Escritt; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Keith Weir and Peter Graff)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Euro and NZ dollar slip on political news, Asia shares track Wall Street

TOKYO - The euro slipped on Monday after German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in a weekend election, but faced leading a much less stable coalition in a fractured parliament as support for the far-right party surged.

"The market reacted by selling the euro on the possibility of Merkel running into difficulties in forging a coalition. The euro, however, was already losing support from the European Central Bank's monetary policy theme and appeared to be on its way lower," said Daisuke Karakama, chief market economist at Mizuho Bank in Tokyo.

"The election outcome in Germany showed the country was no longer a special presence in Europe amid growing support for populism and the far right."


The euro was down 0.2 percent at $1.1934, putting more distance between a 2-1/2-year high of $1.2092 reached on Sept. 8, when a European Central Bank policy meeting left currency bulls optimistic the ECB would begin tapering its big stimulus program.

The New Zealand dollar suffered a similar setback, falling as New Zealand's ruling National Party won the largest number votes in Saturday's election but without a ruling majority and now faces a round of coalition building that could last days or weeks.

The New Zealand dollar, the world 11th most-traded currency, was down 0.7 percent at $0.7288.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.2 percent higher.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.6 percent, Australian shares climbed 0.4 percent and South Korea's KOSPI was flat.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed slightly higher on Friday as worries about the Graham-Cassidy proposal to reform US health insurance eased and investors shrugged off concerns about North Korea.

The pound was on the defensive after British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to give any concrete details for how Britain might retain preferential access to Europe's single market after Brexit.

Sterling was little changed at $1.3506 after losing 0.6 percent on Friday.

Its peers' troubles lifted the dollar, with its index against a basket of 6 major currencies up 0.1 percent at 92.274.

The greenback was up 0.4 percent at 112.455 yen, reversing losses suffered on Friday when the exchange of insults between US President Donald Trump and North Korea heated up, sapping broader risk appetite.

Oil prices extended their gains after surging on Friday, when OPEC and other oil producers said they were clearing a glut that has weighed on crude prices and may wait until January before deciding whether to extend their output curbs beyond the first quarter of 2018.

Brent crude futures was up 0.05 percent at $56.88 a barrel, not far from a 6-1/2-month high of $56.91 set on Friday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Germany votes as history beckons for Merkel, and far-right

Polls show Merkel heading for historic fourth term

BERLIN - Germans vote in a national election on Sunday that is likely to see Chancellor Angela Merkel win a historic fourth term and a far-right party enter parliament for the first time in more than half a century.

Merkel's conservative bloc is on track to remain the largest group in parliament, opinion polls showed before the vote, but a fracturing of the political landscape may well make it harder for her to form a ruling coalition than previously.

With as many as a third of Germans undecided in the run-up to the election, Merkel and her main rival, centre-left challenger Martin Schulz of the Social Democrats (SPD), urged them on Saturday to get out and vote.

"We want to boost your motivation so that we can still reach many, many people," the chancellor, 63, said in Berlin before heading north to her constituency for a final round of campaigning.

In regional votes last year, Merkel's conservatives suffered setbacks to the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which profited from resentment at her 2015 decision to leave German borders open to over one million migrants.

Those setbacks made Merkel, a pastor's daughter who grew up in Communist East Germany, wonder if she should even run for re-election.

But with the migrant issue under control this year, she has bounced back and thrown herself into a punishing campaign schedule, presenting herself as an anchor of stability in an uncertain world.

Visibly happier, Merkel campaigned with renewed conviction: a resolve to re-tool the economy for the digital age, to head off future migrant crises, and to defend a Western order shaken by Donald Trump's U.S. election victory last November.

"GRAVEDIGGERS OF DEMOCRACY"

Both Merkel and Schulz worry that a low turnout could work in favour of smaller parties, especially the AfD, which is expected to enter the national parliament for the first time. On Friday, Schulz described the AfD as "gravediggers of democracy."

An INSA poll published by Bild newspaper on Saturday showed sliding support for Merkel's conservatives, who dropped two percentage points to 34 percent, and the SPD, down one point to 21 percent - both now joined in an unwieldy "grand coalition".

The anti-immigrant AfD, rose two points to 13 percent - a result the poll showed would make it the third largest party.

Should she win a fourth term, Merkel will join the late Helmut Kohl, her mentor who reunified Germany, and Konrad Adenauer, who led Germany's rebirth after World War Two, as the only post-war chancellors to win four national elections.

The AfD's expected entry into the national parliament will herald the beginning of a new era in German politics that will see more robust debate and a departure from the steady, consensus-based approach that has marked the post-war period.

Coalition building after the election will be an arduous process that could take months as all potential partners are unsure whether they really want to share power with Merkel. All major parties refuse to work with the AfD.

Electoral arithmetic might push Merkel to renew her grand coalition with the SPD, or she might opt for a three-way alliance with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and environmentalist Greens.

(Editing by Stephen Powell)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

What German elections mean to the global economy

BERLIN - At first glance, Germany's federal election looks like a done deal -- all major polls predict Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives to come in first, a result that should mean no political upheaval in Europe's biggest economy.

But that's the first glance. The devil will be in the detail of what coalition is likely to come after Sunday's vote, and with it whether Merkel's economic policies can remain in position.


Those policies have reigned over booming growth and rising consumer confidence.

The status quo, though, will depend to a certain extent on how Merkel's centre-right CDU/CSU bloc fares compared with her incumbent junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD).

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and others could potentially hold the balance.

So a few percentage points will decide Merkel's coalition options and her policy agenda for the next 4 years -- with consequences for Berlin's stance on euro zone integration, tax cuts, state spending and the privatization of state assets.

"It's all about politics next week -- and that means German politics," said Andrew Bosomworth, a senior portfolio manager at Pimco, one of the world's largest bond funds.

The base scenario is that Merkel will win the election and remain chancellor for a fourth term. "The big question is with which of the other parties she will team up," Bosomworth said.

Coalition building will be complicated by the fact that the anti-immigration AfD and the socially liberal FDP are forecast this year to easily pass the 5 percent threshold to enter the Bundestag lower house of parliament after failing in 2013.

This means that traditional 2-party alliances -- such as a "black-yellow" coalition between Merkel's conservatives and the FDP or a "red-green" coalition between the center-left SPD and the Greens -- are likely to fall short of a stable majority.

The most likely scenarios are therefore another "grand coalition" between Merkel's bloc and the SPD -- usually a last resort combination -- or a 3-way alliance untested at national level between the conservatives, the FDP and the Greens -- dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" due to the parties' colors.

Both options would broadly mean a continuation of CDU/CSU's economic policies, including closer cooperation within the euro zone, sealing more free trade deals and granting minor tax cuts.

"If Merkel's conservatives win as expected, the market reaction is likely to be calm. A Merkel victory is basically priced in," Bosomworth said.

BLACK-YELLOW

However, last year's elections in the United States and Britain showed that pollsters can get it badly wrong. There is also a chance that the conservatives and the FDP could get just enough votes to form a black-yellow coalition.

Such a scenario could bring some market volatility since the FDP is less open to helping other euro zone countries and its leader has criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to create a joint budget for the single currency bloc.

Some investors have even warned that a black-yellow coalition could lead to a renewal of the euro zone debt crisis.

Such fears are based on the idea investors could shift their money out of government bonds from southern European countries.

Berenberg economist Holger Schmieding, however, reckons this is all exaggerated. "An FDP presence in government would not jeopardise European reforms," he said.

With the FDP calling for privatization of state assets such as the government's stakes in Commerzbank, Deutsche Telekom or Deutsche Post, a black-yellow coalition scenario is likely to push up some stocks.

"The DAX could make a small jump if there should be a majority for black-yellow," said Joerdis Hengelbrock, portfolio manager at Sal. Oppenheim.

Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding Merkel's future coalition partner or partners, investors such as Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett are banking on the pastor's daughter to remain at the helm of Europe's biggest economy.

"Merkel is an extraordinary personality," Buffett told business daily Handelsblatt. "Germany and the world, from my point of view, need a leadership personality like Angela."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

From Melania to Merkel's eye-roll: Five G20 moments

From US First Lady Melania Trump's travails to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's facial twitches, here are some of the moments that livened up this year's G20 summit in Hamburg.

Mixed day for Melania

US First Lady Melania Trump was due to go on a cruise tour with other spouses of G20 leaders, but was instead trapped at her residence as anti-globalization demonstrators went on the rampage, smashing shop windows and burning cars.

When she finally emerged, her husband Donald was in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"There are so many issues on the table... Just about everything got touched upon... Neither one of them wanted to stop" talking, said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

"I believe they even sent in the First Lady at one point to see if she could get us out of there, but that didn't work either... We did another hour. Clearly she failed," he added.

Later that evening, Melania found herself sitting next to Putin who, having already kept her husband for two hours and 15 minutes in talks, appeared equally chatty with her.

Ivanka steps in

For a moment at the G20 summit Saturday the United States was represented by another Trump, when the president's daughter Ivanka took a seat at the table of world leaders.

The 35-year-old former fashion model sat around the table with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May, diplomats and the White House confirmed.

Ivanka had been at the back of the room but "briefly joined the main table when the president had to step out," a White House official told AFP.

That quickly sparked a storm, with historian Anne Applebaum slamming what she called "an unelected, unqualified, unprepared New York socialite" being seen as "the best person to represent American national interests."

Macron warms to Trump

If a video of France's President Emmanuel Macron swerving away from Trump to greet other leaders was a key image from a NATO summit earlier this year, at the G20, there appeared to have been a clear rapprochement between the young leader and the US property tycoon.

Macron was at Trump's side at "family photo" sessions of the leaders. He even inserted himself to the far right of the entire group at one photography session, saving the US leader from being at the edge of the picture.

At a concert of Beethoven's Symphony Number 9, the former investment banker was seated next to the US billionaire.

And on Saturday morning, Macron was seen greeting Trump, leaning toward the US leader at one point, sparking questions on whether he offered him a peck on the cheek.

But journalists at the scene say it was more of a hug.

Who were they clapping for?

Trump, among the last to arrive at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie concert hall for a cultural evening, appeared to be greeted by a round of applause as he stepped out of his armored vehicle.

The US leader returned a big smile.

It turned out that the applause was for Macron, who pulled up just behind Trump, German media reported.

Merkel rolls eyes at Putin

An animated encounter between Merkel and Putin has been making the rounds on social media, with much buzz and speculation about what the two leaders discussed.

Walking into the conference room, Merkel lifted a hand and traced what appeared to be movement of a projectile.

But Putin held up a finger, then offered his version of the same gesture, prompting the usually poker-faced German chancellor to roll her eyes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

German parliament legalizes same-sex marriage

The German parliament on Friday legalized same-sex marriage, days after Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would allow her conservative lawmakers to follow their conscience in the vote.

The German legal code was changed to say "marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex", in the bill that was strongly supported by leftist parties.

The reform grants full marital rights, including child adoption, to gay and lesbian couples, who in Germany have been allowed since 2001 to enter so-called civil unions.

The lower house passed the bill by a margin of 393-226. The upper house has already approved it, and the measure is expected to enter into force before the end of the year.

The election-year bill was pushed by Merkel's leftist rivals who pounced on a U-turn she made in an on-stage interview Monday -- a maneuver that left many of her conservative lawmakers fuming.

source: news.abs-cbn.com