#angela-merkel

#angela-merkel

BERLIN  Angela Merkel, who led Germany for sixteen years, said that her diminished political power in the run up to her retirement prevented her from setting up diplomatic talks aimed at dissuading President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia from launching Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.

WASHINGTON Pranksters posing as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine tricked the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome H. Powell, into having a conversation with them in January, according to video clips covered on Russian state television and posted online.The ruse apparently carried out by two Russian comedians who support President Vladimir V. Putin involved asking Mr. Powell questions about the American and global economy.

Criticism of Kate Forbes over her views on issues such as gay marriage has nothing to do with faith, Scotland's deputy first minister has said.John Swinney said he profoundly disagreed with Ms Forbes despite also having "deep religious faith".He questioned whether it would be appropriate for someone with her views to be SNP leader.

1) Fernsehturm alias Telespargel Berlin's TV tower.Photo: DPA Berlin's Fernsehturm (Television tower) dominates the largest square in the middle of Berlin, the Alexanderplatz.Completed in 1969 and standing at 368 metres tall, the Fernsehturm loomed large over the divided city and was built to display Socialist supremacy.

The ex-finance minister took office promising continuity with the era of Angela Merkel, who ended her 16 years as chancellor a widely respected figure.But Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced him to rip up Germany's post-war axioms and chart out new economic, defence and geopolitical directions for the country that prizes  and is valued for  its stability and predictability.

Security guard David Smith snooped around colleagues' desks at the British embassy in Berlin, copying pictures of their family and friends as Russian military forces loomed on the border of eastern Ukraine, a court has heard.The 58-year-old Scot has admitted sending classified documents to the Russian Embassy anonymously in May and November 2020.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails David Smith liked Russia.A lot.And he wasn't shy about expressing his feelings to colleagues at the British embassy in Berlin.The 58-year-old security guard kept a poster affixed to the inside of his work locker's door so that every time he opened it, he was greeted with a cartoon of a muscled Vladimir Putin, who was holding a bayonet in one hand and using the other to drag Angela Merkel by the neck.

Germany would plough 100 billion into revamping the army, send weapons to Kyiv and wean itself off Russian energy.But a year after Russian troops marched onto Ukrainian soil, Scholz is finding himself struggling to put his ambitious plans into practice and to make them palatable to all in the country.

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 20: Protesters, many of them expatriate Ukrainians living in Berlin, protest under the motto: "Free the Leopards" outside the Chancellery to demand that Germany send Ukraine Leopard battle tanks on January 20, 2023 in Berlin, Germany.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, facing increasing pressure from Germany's allies, has indicated he is willing to allow the delivery of the German-made tanks to Ukraine under certain conditions.

7 minutes ago7 minutes ago A survey has found that a year after Merkel's departure from politics, the majority of Germans do not want her back in office.A clear majority of Germans do not want Angela Merkel to become Chancellor again, a survey conducted by the Civey Institute for the Funke Media Group revealed on Saturday.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SNP lead candidate Kate Forbes said she would have voted against gay marriage in Scotland at the time it was made legal almost a decade ago.The finance secretary, one of the two frontrunners to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland, said in an interview that she would not have backed the legislation, but would have respected and defended the democratic choice that was made.

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Scotland's SNP members will next month decide the country's next first minister after Nicola Sturgeon announced she would be stepping down from the role.Following her shock resignation as party leader, scrutiny has turned to the three candidates - who have until Friday to secure 100 nominations - vying to replace her.

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Boris Johnson used a speech at the Global Soft Power Summit in London to have his say on everything from Rishi Sunaks Brexit deal to his Partygate fine.

SNP leadership frontrunner Kate Forbes has said she believes having children outside of marriage is wrong.The devout Christian attributed her views to her faith as a member of the Free Church of Scotland and said it was something she would personally seek to avoid.Her comments come hours after the favourite to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader was engulfed by controversy after saying she would have voted against gay marriage if she had been an MSP when it became law in Scotland in 2014.

Four German states have already dumped the compulsory isolation regulation for persons infected with Corona, even though there are tens of thousands new cases every day.The governments in the state capitals are also arguing about masks.It is not the first time.Berlin, December 6th, 2022 (The Berlin Spectator) - Recently, the southern states Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, Hesse in the west and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany's north-western part got rid of the isolation rule.

Germany's interior minister has warned of a massive danger facing Germany from Russian sabotage, disinformation and spying attacks.Nancy Faeser said Vladimir Putin was putting huge resources into cyber-attacks as a key part of his war of aggression.The cybersecurity concerns have been exacerbated by the war.

Angela Merkel has insisted that her position as a lame duck in the last months of her time in office made it more or less impossible for her to influence the behaviour of Vladimir Putin.The former German chancellor appeared both defensive and quietly defiant about her inability to change the course of the Russian president's decision-making in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine in February.