BARCELONA, March 25: Carles Puigdemont, the fugitive ex-leader of Catalonia and ardent separatist, was arrested Sunday by German police on an international warrant as he tried to enter the country from Denmark.
Seven people were killed during a mass shooting on Thursday at a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in the German city of Hamburg in what the country’s leader denounced a “brutal act of violence.”
AUG 31: Mr Gorbachev, who took power in 1985, opened up the then-USSR to the world and introduced a set of reforms at home.
But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the Soviet Union, from which modern Russia emerged.
Tributes have been paid worldwide, with UN chief Antonio Guterres saying he "changed the course of history".
"Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a kind statesman," UN Secretary General Mr Guterres wrote in a Twitter tribute. "The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace."
The hospital in Moscow where he died said he had been suffering from a long and serious illness.
In recent years his health has been in decline and he had been in and out of hospital. In June, international media reported that he had been admitted after suffering from a kidney ailment, though his cause of death has not been announced.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his deepest condolences following Mr Gorbachev's death, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agency Interfax, according to Reuters.
US President Joe Biden called him a "rare leader" and praised Mr Gorbachev as a unique politician who had the "imagination to see that a different future was possible" amid the tensions of the Cold War.
European Union President Ursula von der Leyen praised him as a "trusted and respected leader" who "opened the way for a free Europe".
"This legacy is one we will not forget," she added.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he admired Mr Gorbachev's courage and integrity, adding: "In a time of Putin's aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all."
Mr Gorbachev became general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, and de facto leader of the country, in 1985.
At the time, he was 54 - the youngest member of the ruling council known as the Politburo, and was seen as a breath of fresh air after several ageing leaders. His predecessor, Konstantin Chernenko, had died aged 73 after just over a year in office.
Few leaders have had such a profound effect on the global order, but Mr Gorbachev didn't come to power seeking to end the Soviet grip over eastern Europe. Rather, he hoped to revitalise its society.
The Soviet economy had been struggling for years to keep up with the US and his policy of Perestroika sought to introduce some market-like reforms to the state run system.
Internationally he reached arms control deals with the US, refused to intervene when eastern European nations rose up against their Communist rulers and ended the bloody Soviet war in Afghanistan that had raged since 1979.
Meanwhile, his policy of glasnost, or openness, allowed people to criticise the government in a way which had been previously unthinkable.
But it also unleashed nationalist sentiments in many regions of the country which eventually undermined the stability of the country and led to its collapse.
In 1991, after a shambolically organised coup by communist hardliners failed, Mr Gorbachev agreed to dissolve the Soviet Union and left office.
He is seen in the West as an architect of reform who created the conditions for the end of the Cold War in 1991 - a time of deep tensions between the Soviet Union and Western nations, including the US and Britain.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 "for the leading role he played in the radical changes in East-West relations".
But in the new Russia that emerged after 1991 he has been on the fringes of politics, focusing on educational and humanitarian projects.
Mr Gorbachev made one ill-fated attempt to return to political life in 1996, receiving just 0.5% of the vote in presidential elections.
His divisive legacy is reflected in the tributes that followed his death.
Henry Kissinger, who served as US Secretary of State under President Richard Nixon, told the BBC's Newsnight programme that Mr Gorbachev will be "remembered in history as a man who started historic transformations that were to the benefit of mankind and to the Russian people".
James Baker, who negotiated the reunification of Germany with Mr Gorbachev's government, told the New York Times that "history will remember Mikhail Gorbachev as a giant who steered his great nation towards democracy".
But many Russians never forgave him for the turmoil that followed the collapse of the USSR.
Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official in occupied Ukraine, said Mr Gorbachev had "deliberately led the (Soviet) Union to its demise" and called him a traitor.
He will be buried in Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery, the resting place of many prominent Russians, next to his wife Raisa who died of leukaemia in 1999, Tass news agency said.
FEB 13: The US, UK and Germany are among those who told their nationals to leave.
Moscow has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border but denies any intent to invade.
In a phone call, US President Joe Biden again warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin of the costs of any invasion.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said invasion warnings could stoke panic, which he called "the best friend of our enemies".
The White House has warned that an invasion could happen at any time, and could begin with bombing from the air. Russia characterised such allegations as "provocative speculation".
Non-essential staff have been ordered to leave the US Embassy in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, and consular services will be suspended from Sunday, although "a small consular presence" will remain in the western city of Lviv "to handle emergencies".
Canada is also moving its embassy staff to Lviv, near the border with Poland, Canadian media reported. UK ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons tweeted that she and a "core team" are staying in Kyiv.
Russia itself is also making changes, saying it will "optimise the staffing" of its diplomats in Ukraine, citing "possible acts of provocation by the Kyiv regime or third countries".
The US has also pulled some 150 troops who were training Ukrainian soldiers out of the country, citing an abundance of caution. And Dutch airline KLM announced it would stop flying to Ukraine, effective immediately, Dutch media said.
Mr Zelensky said that if Western powers had any firm evidence of an impending invasion, he had yet to see it.
"I think there is too much information in the media about a deep, full-scale war," he said.
"We understand all the risks, we understand that they exist. If you or someone else has additional 100% reliable information about the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine... please share it with us."
Many countries, including Australia, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands and Japan have told their citizens to leave Ukraine. Some have also evacuated diplomatic staff and their families.
Mr Biden told Mr Putin that any invasion would result in "swift and severe costs on Russia", White House notes about the call said.
"While the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy... we are equally prepared for other scenarios," it said.
The Kremlin described the call as taking place amid "peak hysteria" from the US and its allies, and said Mr Putin had again told his counterpart that they had not addressed Russia's security concerns. But both leaders would continue to talk, it said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke to Mr Putin by phone on Saturday, telling him that "a sincere dialogue was not compatible with escalation", according to notes released by the French embassy.
With foreign embassies withdrawing staff and a host of countries now telling their citizens to leave Ukraine, Kyiv still doesn't feel like a city in crisis.
The government here is telling people to stay calm and united and, in the words of a statement this morning, refrain from actions that undermine stability and sow panic. President Zelensky said the country had to be ready for any eventuality.
Across Ukraine, foreign citizens are now making hurried plans. Stuart McKenzie, who's lived in Kyiv for 28 years and runs a successful business, hopes to get his wife and two sons out on a flight. But he is ready, if necessary, to pack the family into the car and drive 300 miles to Poland. He loves Ukraine and can't quite believe it's come to this.
At the British Embassy, we found tight-lipped staff loading bags into a car and driving off. No-one seemed keen to talk.
Not far to the north, across the border in Belarus, Russia's war games are now well under way. Russian defence ministry pictures, released this morning, showed multiple rocket launchers being fired. Moscow still says it has no plans to invade. But there's a lot the Russians can do without ever setting foot inside Ukraine.
In Kyiv, several thousand people marched through the city on Saturday, chanting slogans pledging loyalty to Ukraine and resistance to any Russian invasion. The march was organised by a right-wing nationalist group called Gonor and anti-Zelensky far-right activist Sergiy Sternenko, but it attracted other people too.
BBC reporter Eleanor Montague says the demonstration was not huge, but was the first significant manifestation of public feeling since tensions escalated, finishing at the Maidan, the city's most famous square.
Sasha Nizelska, who works as a nanny in Kyiv, told the BBC that she would resist a Russian attack with all means in her power. The sentiment was repeated by people of all age groups attending the demonstration.
Tensions have steadily increased as Russia has continued to deploy troops along Ukraine's eastern border. Russian troops are also staging military exercises in Belarus to the north, while naval exercises in the Sea of Azov in the south-east have led to accusations that Russia is blocking Ukraine's access to the sea.
Meanwhile, some 7,500km (4,660 miles) away on Russia's eastern side, the Russian defence ministry says it spotted a US Navy submarine inside its territorial waters. Officials say the US submarine was near the Kuril Islands and failed to surface when instructed.
The Marshal Shaposhnikov destroyer took unspecified "appropriate" actions and the US submarine left the area, the ministry said. A US defence official has been summoned by Moscow over the incident.
However, US officials later contradicted their Russian counterparts' version of events.
"There is no truth to the Russian claims of our operations in their territorial waters," US military spokesman Captain Kyle Raines said in a statement carried by Reuters.
"I will not comment on the precise location of our submarines but we do fly, sail, and operate safely in international waters."
President Joe Biden met with Germany’s new leader Monday and vowed the crucial Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline will be blocked if Russia further invades Ukraine.
A leader of Germany's Greens, set to be part of a new government, expressed support on Wednesday for mandatory vaccinations as the number of infections jumped again.
This year, around 60.4 million people are eligible to vote in Germany. In total, 6,211 candidates from 47 political parties will compete for at least 598 seats.
BERLIN, Sept. 26: Germans will elect the members of the country's 20th Bundestag (lower house of Parliament) on Sunday. In total, 6,211 candidates from 47 political parties will compete for at least 598 seats.
A new government will be formed after the election. The current German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is not seeking re-election after 16 years in office.
The Bundestag exercises legislative power, supervises the implementation of laws, elects the chancellor and oversees the work of the federal government.
This year, around 60.4 million people are eligible to vote in Germany, and the country is divided into 299 electoral districts according to population.
Voters cast two votes. The first for an individual constituency candidate. The candidate who gets the most constituency votes (relative majority voting) will become a directly elected member of the Bundestag. The second vote is for political party lists. The share of second votes won by the party lists determines the total number of seats they will hold in the Bundestag.
Currently, the Bundestag has 598 seats by law. The 299 lawmakers directly elected by their constituents (first vote) ensure that, in principle, every region is represented in the Bundestag. The proportion of second votes won by the political party lists determines the distribution of party power in the legislative body. As a rule, only parties receiving at least five percent of the second vote or winning at least three directly elected seats can enter the Bundestag.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and Armin Laschet, leader of German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and chancellor candidate of CDU/Christian Social Union (CSU), attend an election rally of CDU for Germany's federal elections in Aachen, Germany, Sept. 25, 2021. (Photo by Tang Ying/Xinhua)
However, an excess of seats may arise when a party obtains more directly elected seats in the first vote than the total number of seats it is entitled to on the basis of the second vote. In this case, the number of directly elected seats must be retained in full and the other parties are given additional seats to balance the proportion. The actual size of the Bundestag is thus greater than 598 seats. The last Bundestag elections in September 2017, for example, produced an unprecedented 709 seats.
Voters can bring their ballot papers and identity documents to their nearest polling station on polling day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., or they can choose to vote by post in advance, provided they ensure that their ballot papers reach the relevant authorities before 6 p.m. on polling day, when voting closes and counting begins.
In Germany's current electoral system and party landscape, it is very unlikely that any one party will be able to secure an absolute majority of seats to govern alone. Therefore, after the election results are announced, the parties with the highest number of votes will try to make contact and discuss the possibility of forming a governing coalition. The parties that decide to govern together will negotiate the choice of a chancellor, the composition of the cabinet, policy directions and other issues, and eventually come up with a joint cabinet agreement.
Once the parties have agreed on all these, the new Bundestag will put the election of a chancellor on its agenda. As a matter of procedure, the chancellor will be nominated by the federal president of Germany and voted on by the members of Bundestag.
Once all the issues related to the formation of the government have been settled, the new government will start to implement its campaign promises and lead the country into the next phase.
The then reigning Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, in capacity of the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), was vouching for a third term; his opponent being a less popular quantum chemistry researcher turned politician Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
BERLIN, Dec 31: Germans have rarely been so divided about the changes taking place in their society, the country’s long-time leader Angela Merkel said Sunday, adding in her New Year’s address that she is committed to helping tackle the challenges of the future by swiftly forming a new government.
