30/12/2012 | World

Merkel challenger under fire for saying chancellor underpaid

Chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrueck was widely criticized, even by his own center-left Social Democrats (SPD), for saying German leaders were underpaid.

30/01/2013 | World

Merkel urges Egypt's Mursi to hold crisis dialogue

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Egypt's Islamist president today to open a dialogue with all political forces in the crisis-ridden Arab country after a week of violence that has killed more than 50 people.

14/12/2012 | World

More tensions over euro zone crisis management

European leaders agreed today to press on with further steps to tackle their debt crisis but German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw out a proposal to boost risk-sharing with a fund to help euro zone states in trouble.

14/12/2012 | World

Merkel says tough, painful years ahead for euro zone

16/12/2012 | World

Merkel rips German opposition for blocking tax cuts

Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized the centre-left opposition for blocking her government's efforts to cut income taxes by 6 billion euros, telling a German newspaper those parties will have to explain that to voters in next year's election.

01/12/2012 | World

Merkel reaffirms support for Israel after UN vote

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reassured Israel of her country's support, two days after Berlin disappointed the Jewish state by abstaining in a UN vote on the Palestinians' status.

06/12/2012 | World

Merkel says agree to disagree with Netanyahu on settlements

Germany's Angela Merkel and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to disagree on the question of Israeli plans to build more Jewish settlements, the chancellor said.

13/12/2012 | World

EU reaches deal to make ECB top banking supervisor

The European Union reached a landmark deal today to make the European Central Bank the bloc's top banking supervisor, giving EU leaders greater confidence that they are gaining the upper hand over the euro zone's debt crisis.

18/10/2012 | World

Merkel seeks more EU budget control

German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded stronger central powers for the European Union's executive to veto national budgets that breach EU rules, risking a clash with close ally France at a summit of the bloc's leaders.

31/10/2012 | World

France, Britain set stage for EU budget wrangling

British Prime Minister David Cameron came under pressure to act tough on the European Union budget and France threatened to use its veto, signalling a divisive start to bargaining over the 1 trillion euro ($1.3 trillion) long-term spending plan.

12/11/2012 | World

Merkel, in anxious Lisbon, hails austerity drive

Angela Merkel faced scattered protests in Lisbon, where she delivered German endorsement of a government austerity drive designed to honour a bailout loan but which critics fear may only deepen the slump.

07/10/2012 | World

Merkel to face protests on first crisis visit to Greece

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will tell Greeks she wants to keep their country in the euro when she visits Athens this week, but she faces a hostile reception from a people worn down by years of austerity and recession.

08/10/2012 | World

Thousands of Greek protesters tell Merkel she is not welcome

About 8,000 demonstrators chanted anti-austerity slogans and hoisted banners warning Angela Merkel she was not welcome in Greece at a protest, the eve of a visit by the German chancellor.

09/10/2012 | World

Merkel lands in Greece as protesters mass on streets

Germany's Angela Merkel arrived in Greece on her first visit since Europe's debt crisis erupted here three years ago, braving protests to deliver a message of support - but no new money - to a nation hammered by recession and fighting to stay in the euro.

22/09/2012 | World

Merkel, Hollande pledge to consult on EADS

France and Germany pledged to consult closely on plans by Airbus parent EADS and Britain's BAE Systems to forge a new aerospace and defence giant, but announced no joint decisions on the $45 billion merger plan.

25/09/2012 | World

Merkel: 'We need to take a deep breath to overcome this crisis'

Speaking at a meeting of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Merkel acknowledged that Germany was "not an island" that could disconnect from economic developments in Europe and the world economy.

05/10/2012 | World

Merkel to visit Greece as money running out

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make her first visit to Greece next week since the euro zone debt crisis erupted, in a show of support for Athens after it said it would run out of money at the end of November without fresh international aid.

07/09/2012 | World

Merkel defends ECB after bond-buying program announced

Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the European Central Bank as independent and strong today following an uproar in Germany over the ECB's new bond-buying program for struggling euro zone members.

17/09/2012 | World

EU foreign policy chief to meet Iran nuclear negotiator

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator on Tuesday, Ashton's office said, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a political solution was still possible in the stand-off over Tehran's atomic programme.

20/09/2012 | World

Merkel turns to ex-mentor Kohl to sell Europe to Germans

Angela Merkel is seeking help from her estranged, former mentor Helmut Kohl, architect of the euro, to restore voter faith in the European project before next year's election.

24/08/2012 | World

Merkel to Greek PM: 'Greece must meet its reform targets'

Angela Merkel said today after meeting Greek premier Antonis Samaras that Germany would not judge his country's performance on its reform targets prematurely, but would await a report by the "troika" of international lenders due next month.

26/08/2012 | World

Merkel's party keeps lead, coalition ally down

Support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives has nudged higher, an opinion poll showed, but the weakness of two smaller parties highlights the trouble she may face building another center-right coalition after Germany's 2013 election.

30/08/2012 | World

German opposition chief hints he won't challenge Merkel

The head of Germany's opposition Social Democrats (SPD) said the arrival of his new baby means he will work less, in the strongest signal yet that he will stand aside to let a rival challenge Angela Merkel for the chancellorship next year.

22/08/2012 | World

Greek PM asks EU 'bit of air' to get economy running

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras started a European charm offensive with an appeal to Germans for more time to meet Athens' borrowing obligations, but he may struggle to make his case in a series of meetings this week with EU leaders.

22/08/2012 | World

Merkel tops Forbes list of powerful women

Forbes magazine ranked German Chancellor Angela Merkel the most powerful woman in the world for the second year in a row in the annual list dominated by politicians, businesswomen and media figures.

23/08/2012 | World

Merkel and Hollande in extension talks over Greek bailout

Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande will present a united front towards Greece at talks today. The two European leaders will also meet Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras later this week.

28/06/2012 | World

EU summit works on short-term support for Spain, Italy

European finance officials were working on urgent measures to ease financial market pressure on Spain and Italy, which are too big to bail out, as EU leaders began a summit on Thursday deeply divided over how to resolve the euro zone's debt crisis.

13/08/2012 | World

Senior Merkel ally sends stark warning to Greece

A senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party issued a stark warning to Greece, saying Germany would not hesitate to veto further aid to the country if there were any signs it was not meeting the conditions of its bailout.

20/08/2012 | World

Germany's Central Bank reluctant to ECB bond buying

Germany's Bundesbank showed no signs of lowering its resistance to a European Central Bank plan to buy billions of euros worth of Spanish and Italian government bonds to reduce those countries' crippling borrowing costs.

22/06/2012 | World

Euro's big four seek way out of crisis in Rome

The leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Spain will try to find common ground in Rome today to restore confidence in the euro zone ahead of a full EU summit next week, which Italy's prime minister called a defining moment.

22/06/2012 | World

Euro's big four agree on billionaire boost for the zone

The leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Spain agreed today on a 130 billion euros ($156 billion) package to try to revive economic growth in Europe but differed over whether and how to launch joint bonds to combat the euro zone's debt crisis.

27/06/2012 | World

Merkel says no easy answers to end euro crisis

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today, one day before a crunch European Union summit, that there were no quick or easy solutions to end the euro zone's debt crisis and leaders should avoid making rash promises they could not keep.

03/06/2012 | World

Merkel seeks measures to boost growth in Europe

Chancellor Angela Merkel praised higher German wage deals and signalled flexibility on a financial transaction tax, in a sign she is open to new measures to boost growth in Europe.

07/06/2012 | World

Merkel says EU ready to act as Spain downgraded

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe was ready to act to ensure stability in the euro zone as Spain's credit rating was cut by three notches amid expectations it may soon seek EU help for banks beset by bad debts.

14/06/2012 | World

Merkel rejects 'miracle solutions' for Europe, warns of 'limited German resources'

Chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed pressure today for Germany, Europe's most powerful economy, to underwrite debt or guarantee bank deposits in the euro zone.

15/05/2012 | World

Merkel says Germany, France to work closely on growth

New French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged differences over how to boost growth in recession-plagued Europe, but pledged to work together on a joint approach in time for a summit next month.

21/05/2012 | World

Euro area bonds to be discussed at informal EU summit

French President Francois Hollande and like-minded euro zone leaders are expected to promote the idea of mutualised European debt at an informal summit in Brussels this week, increasing pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop her opposition to the proposal.

01/06/2012 | World

Annan frustrated over Syria, Russia gives no ground

International envoy Kofi Annan said on Friday he was "frustrated and impatient" a week after a massacre in Syria of 108 people shocked the world, but Russia said his peace plan was still the best hope for Syria.

08/05/2012 | World

'We won't finance French election promises,' Merkel's parliamentary party leader

Francois Hollande's election as French president was greeted by jitters on European markets and a dour front in Berlin where ruling conservatives warned the Socialist that Germans were not ready to pay for his promises of an end to austerity.

13/05/2012 | World

Merkel faces rout in state vote over austerity

Voting began in Germany's most populous state where Angela Merkel's conservatives face a defeat that could give the left momentum before next year's federal election and fuel criticism of the chancellor's European austerity drive.

15/05/2012 | World

Hollande's plane hit by lightning, flight forced to return to Paris

The presidential airplane carrying newly sworn-in French President Francois Hollande had to make an emergency return to Paris this afternoon, after passing through an electrical storm while on route to Berlin. The pilot was forced to land the plane in the French capital, however the leader was not injured and took off for Germany on a separate flight, a presidential source said.

19/02/2012 | World

Merkel backs opposition's choice for president

German Chancellor Angela Merkel bowed to pressure on Sunday and agreed to back popular opposition candidate Joachim Gauck to become president, averting a political fight that might have distracted her government from solving the euro zone crisis.

08/04/2012 | World

Merkel coalition ahead, first time in 2 years, poll

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition has inched ahead of the main opposition parties for the first time in two years, a poll showed - thanks to a surge in support for the maverick Pirate Party at the expense of the Social Democrats.

24/04/2012 | World

Hollande: ‘Merkel ran Europe along with Sarkozy and we can see the results’

French presidential candidate for the Socialist bloc François Hollande defended his intention to “re-guide” Europe by criticizing the results of the vision applied until now by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and current French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

06/02/2012 | World

Merkel, Sarkozy press Greece as another bailout deadline slips

The leaders of France and Germany told Greece time was running out in talks on a broad debt restructuring deal and Athens would only get bailout money from Europe if it lived up to its promise to deliver economic reforms in return.

13/02/2012 | World

Germany 'expressly welcomes' Greek austerity deal

Germany praised the sealing of an austerity pact on Greece, saying it showed the determination to take difficult decisions to get Greece on track of an economic recovery. Greece's parliament agreed last night on a raft of unpopular reforms in a bid to secure international aid.

17/02/2012 | World

German president resigns in blow to Merkel

In a curt five-minute statement at the Bellevue presidential palace, Christian Wulff said he had lost the trust of the German people, making it impossible to continue in a role that is meant to serve as a moral compass for the nation.

25/01/2012 | World

Merkel deflects calls for bigger euro zone firewall

German Chancellor Angela Merkel deflected pressure today to increase the euro zone's rescue fund, saying the key to reassuring markets was to restore lost trust in governments' policies.

26/01/2012 | World

Greece, creditors edge closer to deal, talks to continue

Greece and its private creditors made progress in talks on restructuring its debt, both sides said, and they will continue negotiating on Friday with the aim of sealing an agreement within a few days.

30/01/2012 | World

EU leaders agree rescue fund, 25 join fiscal pact

European leaders agreed on a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone and 25 of the 27 EU states backed a German-inspired pact for stricter budget discipline, but they struggled to reconcile fiscal austerity with economic growth.

23/01/2012 | World

Lagarde urges EU to increase financial firewall against Greek crisis

IMF chief Christine Lagarde urged today European governments to increase their financial firewall to prevent Greece's troubles from ensnaring bigger countries like Italy and Spain.

23/01/2012 | World

Germany, France press for Greek debt deal

Germany and France pressed today for a rapid deal between Greece and its private creditors that returns its soaring debt to sustainable levels and said they remained committed to a new bailout that is needed by March to avert a disastrous default.

25/01/2012 | World

Iran, capitalism and EU debt crisis to dominate Davo’s agenda

The world's political and business elite will shelter from the chilly winds buffeting the global economy and plot a new path for capitalism at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos which begins today.

04/01/2012 | World

Merkel backs German president amid media scandal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave her backing today to President Christian Wulff who has faced growing pressure to resign for trying to get Germany's top-selling newspaper to kill an embarrassing story on a home loan scandal.

09/01/2012 | World

Merkel and IMF's Lagarde to meet tomorrow

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde will meet today at 8 pm local time (1900 GMT) in Berlin, Merkel's spokesman said today.

09/01/2012 | World

Merkel, Sarkozy press for quick Greek solution

Germany and France warned Greece it will get no more bailout funds until it agrees with creditor banks on a bond swap and pressed for an early deal to avert a potential default in the euro zone's most debt-stricken nation.

07/12/2011 | World

Germany pours cold water on EU summit hopes

Pessimistic comments from EU paymaster Germany and new figures exposing deepening stress among Europe's banks dented financial market hopes of a turning point in the euro zone's debt crisis at a summit this week.

14/12/2011 | World

Merkel urges patience, says Europe can overcome crisis

Europe can emerge stronger from its debt crisis if governments show patience and follow through on their plan to integrate their economies, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a speech in parliament.

30/12/2011 | World

Merkel says Europe must cooperate more for euro to succeed

Europe must cooperate more closely if it wants the euro to succeed as its shared currency, and it still has a long way to go to overcome its sovereign debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her New Year's Eve address.

24/11/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel agree to stop sniping on ECB crisis

France and Germany agreed today to stop arguing in public over whether the European Central Bank should do more to rescue the euro zone from a deepening sovereign debt crisis.

02/12/2011 | World

Merkel says debt crisis will take years to solve

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for rapid EU treaty change to remedy the root causes of the euro zone's debt crisis but warned that Europeans faced a long, hard "marathon" to restore lost credibility.

05/12/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel outline euro zone master plan after key meeting

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Paris today to align their positions on centralizing control of euro zone budgets to stem a debt crisis that threatens Europe's currency union.

17/11/2011 | World

Merkel reiterates her opposition to ECB greater role in crisis

"I am convinced that only political solutions can resolve the situation," Merkel told an industry event in Berlin.

18/11/2011 | World

Merkel, Cameron admit they had failed to narrow differences

At a news conference in Berlin, British Prime Minister David Cameron said the currency bloc needed a credible firewall and should use all of its institutions to fight the crisis, but his host German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she favoured a "step by step" approach.

22/11/2011 | World

Merkel says treaty changes key to solve debt crisis

Changing the European treaty to pave the way for closer European integration is vital to solving the euro zone's debt crisis and to restoring confidence, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

14/11/2011 | World

Merkel: 'If the euro falls, Europe falls'

As technocrats leaders in Italy and Greece rush to form governments as they sought to limit the damage from the euro zone debt crisis – and the euro climbed on relief that a key Italian bond auction drew decent demand from investors – German chancellor Angela Merkel stepped up to defend Europe’s common currency.

16/11/2011 | World

Obama kisses Chávez in Benetton ad campaign

Italian store Benetton launched its new ad campaign with photo montages showing the Pope kissing the imam of Cairo's al-Azhar, Ahmed el Tayeb, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez also kissing his US counterpart Barack Obama in the name of the fight “against hate.”

16/11/2011 | World

France, Germany clash over ECB crisis role

France and Germany, Europe's two central powers, clashed over whether the European Central Bank should intervene more forcefully to halt the euro zone's accelerating debt crisis after modest bond purchases failed to calm markets.

09/11/2011 | World

Merkel says Europe must achieve ‘breakthrough’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today in some of her most dramatic rhetoric since the euro zone crisis erupted two years ago that it was high time for Europe to achieve a "breakthrough" on changes to its ground rules.

10/11/2011 | World

Merkel puts euro split fears to rest

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected today the idea that her government might favor a smaller euro zone, saying her only goal since the beginning of the debt crisis has been to stabilise the bloc in its current form.

12/11/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel urge Greek PM to respect pledges

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday telephoned Greece's new prime minister, Lucas Papademos, to urge him to respect and fully carry out all Greece's reform commitments, the French government said.

02/11/2011 | World

Germany urges Greece to stick to the agreed aid plan

Germany's finance minister and other senior officials urged Greece today to stick to the aid plan agreed with the euro zone and IMF and to avoid the dangerous instability posed by the prospect of a referendum on the latest bailout deal.

02/11/2011 | World

Obama tops Forbes most powerful list, Putin No. 2

Barack Obama topped Forbes' list of the world's most powerful people in 2011, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel remained the most powerful woman at No. 4 on the list.

03/11/2011 | World

Greek Papandreou chairs emergency talks over plebiscite controversy

Greece's government was on the brink of collapse today, casting doubt on plans to hold a referendum on staying in the euro zone, as European leaders contemplated a Greek exit to preserve their single currency.

28/10/2011 | World

German court suspends parliament's bailout committee

A German court today suspended a parliamentary committee's right to approve urgent actions by the euro zone's bailout fund, potentially delaying decision-making in Europe's top economy on key moves to tackle the bloc's crisis.

01/11/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel to speak later today

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will call German Chancellor Angela Merkel today after Greece's decision to hold a referendum on a 130 billion euro ($180 billion) bailout, the French president's office said.

01/11/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel 'determined' to save Greek bailout plan

Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Nicolas Sarkozy are “determined” to implement the EU bailout plan for Greece. That was the outcome of an emergency phone call between the two chiefs of state ahead of a G20 summit tomorrow.

27/10/2011 | World

Read the main points of the statement here

27/10/2011 | World

Italians, Greeks skeptical over euro zone rescue plan

A deal struck by euro zone leaders today to contain the region's dangerous debt crisis was greeted skeptically in the two countries most in the firing line, Greece and Italy, with some saying politicians were dreaming.

27/10/2011 | World

Greece vows to build on European deal, people skeptical

Greece vowed to press ahead with economic reforms today to capitalize on an EU deal to slash the country's debt, despite anger among its citizens at the prospect of years of painful belt-tightening demanded by foreign lenders.

26/10/2011 | World

Merkel wants EU deal on 50% Greek writedown

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said European leaders should agree on what would amount to a 50 percent write down of Greek debt from the private sector at a summit to tackle the euro zone debt crisis later.

26/10/2011 | World

German parliament gives green light to Merkel ahead of key summit

German Chancellor Angel Merkel won a parliamentary vote with a large majority today on boosting the firepower of the euro zone rescue fund, handing her a strong mandate to negotiate at a crunch EU summit later in the day in Brussels.

27/10/2011 | World

Euro leaders strike historic economic deal to save zone

The eurozone sealed a grand deal to overcome its festering debt crisis today when banks agreed to take a 50 percent loss on Greek debt. Eurozone officials announced the deal following tough talks in Brussels between leaders of the eurozone and the Institute of International Finance banking lobby to force the private sector to share the pain of Greece's debt burden.

23/10/2011 | World

Sarkozy yields on ECB crisis role, pressure on Italy

European Union leaders made some progress towards a strategy to fight the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis, nearing agreement on bank recapitalisation and on how to leverage their rescue fund to try to stop bond market contagion.

25/10/2011 | World

Greek Prime Minister hopes EU summit to turn page on crisis

Prime Minister George Papandreou said today an EU summit could turn the page on Greece's economic crisis, appealing for unity in his Socialist party to approve austerity measures.

25/10/2011 | World

ECB row, Italy flare on eve of euro rescue summit

A flare-up over the European Central Bank and political turmoil in Italy kept the euro zone on edge on the eve of a summit meant to confront the currency bloc's worsening sovereign debt crisis.

20/10/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel rejoice Libya’s liberation

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today the death of Muammar Gaddafi turned a page for the Libyan people and signaled the start of a democratic process.

21/10/2011 | World

Merkel rebuffs Sarkozy on euro zone solution

France's push to use more European Central Bank money to fight the euro zone debt crisis has run into strong resistance from Germany and other EU partners, leaving Paris increasingly isolated before a crucial summit.

23/10/2011 | World

EU leaders press Italy for reform at crisis summit

European Union leaders piled pressure on Italy today to speed up economic reforms to avoid a Greece-style meltdown as they began a crucial two-leg summit called to rescue the euro zone from a deepening sovereign debt crisis.

19/10/2011 | World

Violent anti-austerity protests grip Greek capital

Greek police cleared the square in front of parliament today after clashing with black-clad demonstrators during a mass anti-austerity rally called to coincide with a vote on a bitterly resented new round of belt-tightening.

19/10/2011 | World

Sarkozy says euro zone talks stuck on bailout fund

Plans to tackle the euro zone debt crisis have stalled with Paris and Berlin at odds over how to increase the firepower of the region's bailout fund, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said

19/10/2011 | World

Greek parliament gives green light to austerity law

Greek lawmakers gave today initial approval for an austerity law cutting wages and hiking taxes, crucial for the country to receive a next batch of bailout funds and avoid bankruptcy.

17/10/2011 | World

Greek deficit revised up to 10.6% of GDP

Greece's budget deficit reached 10.6 percent of GDP in 2010, the country's statistics office said today, revising the data slightly up from a previous estimate of 10.5 percent of GDP. Greece faces a crucial test this week, when much of the country is expected to be shut down by a 48-hour strike reaching a peak next Thursday.

17/10/2011 | World

Germany lowers expectations of debt crisis breakthrough

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a speech in Duesseldorf today that while European governments would adopt a five-point platform to address the turmoil, it was wrong to expect "a definitive solution" at the summit.

18/10/2011 | World

Merkel meets Mujica, dismisses debt crisis fast solution

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today that European Union leaders would make an important step at their upcoming summit towards solving the debt crisis, but more steps would be necessary.

08/10/2011 | World

Europe eyes bolstering banks ahead of debt storm

European banks may need more than 100 billion euros (US$135 billion) to withstand the sovereign debt crisis, Ireland estimated, ahead of a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to work out how to recapitalise the lenders.

14/10/2011 | World

Greek government vows to pass cuts in 'fight for existence'

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos pledged today to pass austerity measures in parliament next week in a "fight for our existence," rallying lawmakers despite mounting opposition from labor unions and within the ruling party's own ranks.

14/10/2011 | World

Obama, Merkel discuss European debt problems

US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone to consult about the "evolving financial situation in the eurozone," the White House said.

04/10/2011 | World

Anti-austerity protesters block Greek ministries

Greek public sector workers blocked the entrances to several ministries today to protest against austerity measures, disrupting talks with EU and IMF inspectors on a vital aid tranche.

04/10/2011 | World

Euro zone considers making banks pay more for Greece

European finance ministers are considering making banks take bigger losses on Greek debt and have postponed a vital aid payment to Athens until mid-November, setting up a crunch point in the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis.

05/10/2011 | World

Clashes in Athens as workers strike

Police fired tear gas at stone-throwing youths in central Athens today, where thousands of striking state sector workers marched against cuts the government says are needed to save the nation from bankruptcy.

29/09/2011 | World

Merkel wins Parliament battle; pushes through bailout funds

Angela Merkel won her toughest challenge yet as German chancellor by pushing through changes to a rescue fund for the euro zone debt crisis today without the humiliation of relying on opposition support.

30/09/2011 | World

Sarkozy to meet Merkel in coming days on Greece

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the coming days in Germany to discuss Greece's debt troubles, calling support for Greece a "moral obligation" for Europe.

03/10/2011 | World

Greek economy stuck in recession, complicates fiscal efforts

The Greek economy will remain stuck in recession next year, underlining the challenge the country faces in creating enough growth to claw its way out of a debt crisis shaking the euro, Greek budget figures showed today.

13/09/2011 | World

Merkel, Obama voice concern over Greece debt crisis

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to quash talk of an imminent Greek default today as the United States voiced fresh concern at the euro zone's inability to master its debt crisis. President Barack Obama expressed his concern in an interview with Spanish journalists.

22/09/2011 | World

Berlin greets pope with praise and protests

Germans opposed to Pope Benedict's teachings on sexuality and angry at cases of abuse by priests protested in Berlin while members of parliament boycotted a speech by the pontiff at the start of his four-day visit to his homeland.

27/09/2011 | World

Merkel: Germany to help Greece gain confidence

Germany will do all it can to rebuild confidence in debt-stricken Greece as it implements reforms to meet the conditions of its international bailout package, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

11/08/2011 | World

Sarkozy, Merkel to discuss eurozone and debt crisis in Paris on Tuesday

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss next Tuesday how to make the euro zone work more effectively amid persistent doubts in financial markets over Europe's ability to solve its sovereign debt crisis.

14/08/2011 | World

Merkel's party hit by scandal in North German state

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats suffered a setback today when a regional leader was forced to resign over his affair with a 16-year-old girl.

27/08/2011 | World

Obama and Merkel vow action on global economic woes

US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the eurozone crisis and financial-market turbulence today and vowed action to bolster the global economy, the White House said in a statement.

27/03/2011 | World

Merkel's party loses power in rich German state

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives lost power in a regional stronghold, with early poll results showing the Greens, buoyed by Japan's nuclear crisis, surging to their first state premiership.

24/06/2011 | World

Athens struggles for support, Finance Ministers to meet

Greece's new Finance Minister Evangelos said today he would meet his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble to discuss how to return Greece's economy to growth after three years of recession. "We have agreed with Schaeuble to meet in Berlin to discuss growth issues," Venizelos told parliament's economic affairs committee.

20/07/2011 | World

Merkel confident euro summit will find solution

Germany's Angela Merkel believes tomorrow's summit of euro zone leaders will agree on a new Greek bailout, while her talks with France's Nicolas Sarkozy later today will help Europe find such a solution, an aide said.

27/01/2011 | World

Sarkozy says he, Merkel will never abandon euro

Sarkozy spoke as financial executives attending the Davos forum voiced cautious optimism that the euro zone's debt crisis could be resolved without contagion spreading to Spain or investors being forced to take unbearable losses.

26/02/2011 | World

US says Libya has spoken, Gaddafi must leave now

President Barack Obama called for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down from power, sharpening US rhetoric after days of deadly violence and criticism that Washington was slow to respond.

02/03/2011 | World

Germany appoints new ministers after Guttenberg quits

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would appoint Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere as new defence minister to succeed Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, moving quickly to leave his plagiarism scandal behind.

09/06/2012 | Latin America

Humala begins Europe visit

Peru's president Ollanta Humala, travelled to Europe today, where he will stay for the total of one week and visit Switzerland, France and Germany.

20/06/2012 | Sports

Germany's Merkel to attend football match with Greece

German chancellor Angela Merkel will attend Friday's Euro 2012 quarter-final with Greece in Gdansk, adding to the political spice in a clash that pitches the euro zone's most troubled economy against its rich northern paymaster.

11/05/2012 | Entertainment

Merkel, Murdoch targets of Sacha Baron Cohen during movie premiere

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and News Corp head Rupert Murdoch were among the targets of British comic Sacha Baron Cohen's satirical humour at the world premiere of his political spoof "The Dictator".