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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006149

South Korea fines Google for abusing smartphone dominance

South Korea fined Google $177 million for hampering the development of rivals to its Android operating system, sustaining a campaign targeting the U.S. search giants dominance in smartphone software.

Regulators accuse Google, whose mobile operating system powers more than 80% of smartphones around the world, of using its immense bargaining power to squeeze out the competition. The Korea Fair Trade Commission said Google’s anti-fragmentation agreements (AFA) with manufacturers like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics prevented gadget makers from developing or using modified versions of the Android OS. The watchdog banned Google from forcing manufacturers to sign AFA contracts and ordered that it modify existing ones.

Korea in August became the first country to pass a law forcing Apple and Google to open up their app stores to outside payment systems, setting a potentially radical precedent for their lucrative operations everywhere from India to the U.S. That bill becomes effective Sept. 14, the Korea Communications Commission said in a statement. Tuesday’s 207.4 billion won fine is one of the highest levied in the country over abuse of market dominance, with only Qualcomm Inc.’s mobile chipsets drawing higher sanctions.

Google responded by saying Android has accelerated innovation — including among Korean companies — and improved the user experience, and that it will appeal the decision. “The KFTC’s decision released today ignores these benefits, and will undermine the advantages enjoyed by consumers,” the company said in a statement.

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“It shows the KFTC is taking action after years of sitting on the fence,” said Tom Kang, research director at Counterpoint. “It has made the verdict that Google enjoys monopoly power so the regulator will continue to monitor and fine the company and other internet giants like it. It’s a big win for increased competition.”

The new measures from the KFTC are intended to spur competition by freeing companies to create so-called forks of Android — versions built from the same basic building blocks but modified to suit the manufacturer’s aims, such as targeting different device classes or use cases — without fear of punitive measures from Google.

“The Fair Trade Commission’s action was not limited to mobile devices, but corrective measures included emerging smart device-related areas such as smart watches and smart TVs,” Chairperson Joh Sung-wook said in a briefing on Tuesday. “Therefore, we expect that new innovations will occur as some competitive pressures in this area are activated.”

Korean regulators have stepped up scrutiny of tech giants this year, including of local players. Kakao Corp.’s group of companies lost more than $16 billion of market value at one point this month after prominent lawmakers called the nation’s biggest messaging and social media service “a symbol of greed.” Consumer protection has been a focal point of measures designed to curb the market-control powers of the largest companies, especially in developing spheres such as fintech services.

The market dominance of Google in the mobile arena has solidified as a result of the tech giant’s obstruction of competitors, the Korean regulator said. Amazon.com Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. failed to launch mobile OS businesses while Samsung and LG were not able to release devices such as smartwatches and speakers with new services on time due to Google’s obstruction, according to the Commission.

Separately, the KFTC is investigating three other cases related to Google and competition restrictions in its Play Store app market, in-app purchases and the advertisement market.

Published : September 15, 2021

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006120

Lito Adiwang to Hiroba Minowa: You Cant Escape From Me

Team Lakay strawweight star Lito Adiwang has a tough test ahead of him when he meets Hexigetu at ONE: REVOLUTION on Friday, September 24, live at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

But though he says he’s not looking past his dangerous Chinese opponent, Adiwang also has a message he wants to deliver to former adversary, Hiroba Minowa.
 
Adiwang and Hiroba battled to a close split decision in October of 2020, with the final verdict swinging in the Japanese fighter’s favor. 

“Thunder Kid” says a rematch with the #4-ranked strawweight contender is still a fight he very much wants, and is determined to get Hiroba back in the Circle after he takes care of business against Hexigetu.
 
“That’s definitely one win I want back. I still think I did enough to win that fight. But I guess that’s why you don’t leave the decision at the hands of the judges,” Adiwang told ONE Championship.
 
“Even after that fight, I was already clamoring for an immediate rematch. I wanted it. I wanted to clear all doubts. A lot of fans thought I won the fight as well. But on his side, he threw out a lot of excuses. He said I needed to prove myself and whatnot. I wanted to settle that issue right then, but I guess he didn’t want another piece of me.”

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In their controversial strawweight contest, Adiwang, then ranked fifth in the division, caught Hiroba in a deep submission attempt early in the first round. The Japanese fighter appeared to have tapped, but the referee missed the call and the fight continued. Hiroba battled back in the final two rounds, enough to earn the split nod.
 
Following the bout, there was tremendous clamor for a rematch to settle the score. However, it appeared Hiroba was fully intent to move on from the Adiwang saga.
 
The Filipino fighter says not so fast.
 
“I’ll climb my way back through the rankings and keep on winning. He can avoid me now, but once I’m in range, he will have nowhere to go. He can’t run forever,” Adiwang said.
 
“I will claw my way back to the top five, and he will have nowhere to run. He can’t escape from me.”
 
But before Adiwang can even think of a Hiroba rematch, he has to get past Hexigetu, who poses a legitimate threat. The Filipino strawweight is confident he will pass his next test with flying colors.
 
“I’ve had enough preparation for this fight. I’m in great physical condition. I feel strong and ready. This is going to be one of my best performances yet. I can’t wait to step inside the Circle and do what I love to do,” Adiwang said.
 
“[Hexigetu] has my respect. I don’t think this is a step down for me. I respect every athlete I step into the cage with, whether you’re ranked or not. I know [he] will do everything in his power to beat me. I’ll be doing the same. In my mind, whoever finishes the fight first, wins. That’s my mindset. Let’s see what kind of mindset he comes into this fight with.”
 
ONE: REVOLUTION happens live on Friday, September 24 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and features three world title bouts.
 
Also on the card, Adiwang’s Team Lakay teammate, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio is set to defend his belt against former titleholder Yosuke Saruta in a highly anticipated trilogy match.

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006117

18th China-ASEAN Expo concludes with record deals

The 18th China-ASEAN Expo and the concurrent China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit concluded Monday in Nanning, the capital of south Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Atotal of 179 deals worth a record-high combined value of over 300 billion yuan (about 46.59 billion U.S. dollars) were signed during the expo. The total value marks an increase of 13.7 percent over the previous edition, showed data released by the expo secretariat at the closing ceremony

A total of 148 economic and trade promotion activities and 26 high-level forums took place during this year’s expo, covering industrial chains, industrial capacity cooperation, customs and health.

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With an exhibition area of more than 100,000 square meters, this year’s expo set up 5,400 booths for offline exhibitors. Over 1,500 enterprises participated in the in-person exhibitions.

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The exhibition area for foreign countries was about 20,000 square meters, up 13.4 percent year on year, said the organizer.

The 19th China-ASEAN Expo is preliminarily scheduled for Sept. 16 to 19, 2022, with Malaysia as the Country of Honor, said Wang Lei, secretary-general of the expo secretariat.

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006110

Mideast in Pictures: Big show in sky over Turkey!

Wanna enjoy perform of aircrafts and parachuting? The Sivrihisar Airshow in Turkey, organized annually by Sivrihisar Sportive Aviation Society, gave you enough to see.

A helicopter performs during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

A helicopter performs during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

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Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021. 

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021. 

An aircraft performs during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

An aircraft performs during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021.

Aircraft perform during the Sivrihisar Airshow 2021 in Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir in Turkey, on Sept. 12, 2021. 

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006108

U.S. remains prepared to engage with DPRK after missile tests

A White House official reaffirmed the Joe Biden administrations “calibrated, practical approach” in dealing with Pyongyang, which is open to exploring diplomacy to make practical progress that increases the security of the United States and its allies.

The White House said on Monday that the United States remains prepared to engage with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), after Pyongyang tested a new type of long-range cruise missiles over the weekend.

“Our position has not changed when it comes to North Korea,” White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We remain prepared to engage in diplomacy with the DPRK toward our objective of a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

She reaffirmed the Joe Biden administration’s “calibrated, practical approach” in dealing with Pyongyang, which is open to exploring diplomacy to make practical progress that increases the security of the United States and its allies.

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“Our offer remains to meet anywhere, anytime without preconditions,” Jean-Pierre added.

The DPRK successfully test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missiles on Saturday and Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday.

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The launched long-range cruise missiles traveled for 7,580 seconds along oval and pattern-8 flight orbits in the air above the territorial land and waters of the DPRK and hit targets 1,500 km away, the report said.

“We’re aware of these reports of these cruise missile launches,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a Monday briefing. He said the United States is consulting with regional allies and monitoring the situation, adding U.S. security commitments to Japan and South Korea are ironclad.

The missile tests came after a joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States in August. It also came before the U.S. envoy for the DPRK Sung Kim’s meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo this week.

The Biden administration said it would engage with Pyongyang over the denuclearization issue but showed no willingness to ease sanctions.

Photo taken on Sept. 3, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006105

Afghan Kabul airport to be ready for intl flights soon: official

The Kabul International Airport will soon be ready for international flights as efforts are underway to remove technical problems, airport director Abdul Hadi Hamadani said Monday.

“The domestic flights have already begun and the international flights would begin soon and efforts are underway to remove the remaining 10 to 15 percent technical problems at the airport,” Hamadani said in a video clip as quoted by local media.

He made the remarks after the landing of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane at the Kabul airport and its taking off on Monday.

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The Kabul airport were damaged with its many facilities destroyed during the withdrawal of the last U.S.-led forces and American nationals on Aug. 31, according to him.

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Hamadani also confirmed that the airport has received planes carrying humanitarian assistances from Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan, adding that similar flights from Russia and Turkey are expected to arrive in the coming days.

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/international/40006101

CARAT exercise helps Thailand and US expand maritime partnership

Thailand held joint naval training with the United States during the 27th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise, which took place from September 6-10.

“The exercise demonstrated the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to ensuring a free and open maritime security environment,” the US said.

In order to mitigate the risk of Covid-19, CARAT included virtual exercises and at-sea training in the Gulf of Thailand that minimised direct contact between participating forces.

“The 27th iteration of CARAT Thailand represents the longstanding partnership between the Royal Thai Government, the United States, and our like-minded allies and partners,” said Captain Tom Ogden, commander, Destroyer Squadron (Desron) 7.

“Our ability to sail our ships and operate aircraft together as a unified force in a manner that minimised Covid-19 risk is a testament to our alliance and showcased both the mutual trust between and operational capability of both our nations,” Ogden said.

CARAT exercise helps Thailand and US expand maritime partnership

The two countries demonstrated their ability to work together by practising helicopter landings and search and rescue exercises and testing communications as ships sailed together in complex manoeuvres, he added.

Tracking exercises with P-8 aircraft increased both navies’ ability to monitor and pursue targets by ship and maritime patrol aircraft. For the first time, the exercise was supported by civilian experts from the European Union’s Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean initiative, who hosted a virtual exchange on boarding operations in the high seas and maritime domain awareness, Ogden said.

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The at-sea phase took place in territorial and international waters near Sattahip and Koh Samui, where USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and a P-8A Poseidon aircraft joined with ships and aircraft from Thailand for allied training.

CARAT exercise helps Thailand and US expand maritime partnership

Royal Thai Navy ships at-sea included the Naresuan-class frigates HTMS Naresuan (FFG 421), HTMS Taksin (FFG 422) and HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej (FFG 471).

“The Covid-19 pandemic made 2021 a challenging year because of the health restrictions imposed to control the spread of the virus,” said Captain Anurak Prom-ngarm, chief of staff, Frigate Squadron 2, Royal Thai Navy during a virtual ceremony. “Despite the impediments, we still managed to successfully finish the plan which shows the hard work and professionalism we devoted to this exercise.”

CARAT exercise helps Thailand and US expand maritime partnership

Beginning in 1995, CARAT has built upon other engagements in the Indo- Pacific region. Each CARAT exercise features professional symposia and a robust at-sea phase that increases interoperability. CARAT improves a broad range of naval competencies, including search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response.

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006095

New Covid-19 cases and deaths down in Asean

Southeast Asia reported a dip in new Covid-19 cases and deaths for the second consecutive day, collated data showed on Monday.

Asean saw 67,017 new cases, lower than Sunday’s 74,305, while deaths fell to 1,341 from Sunday’s 1,481.

The number of Covid-19 cases crossed 11.07 million and the death toll climbed to 244,086.

Vietnam reported 11,172 new cases and 381 deaths on Monday, bringing cumulative cases in the country to 634,547 patients and 15,660 deaths.

Ho Chi Minh City municipal People’s Committee has decided to extend social distancing measures until September 30 to reduce the burden on public and private hospitals.

Hanoi and provinces located on the Mekong River delta have eased disease control measures.

Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority has proposed to the government to allow domestic flights on selected routes.

China delivered an additional batch of Sinovac CoronaVac vaccines to the Philippines on Monday to support the country’s vaccination campaign. China has been delivering Covid-19 vaccines to the Philippines since February 28 and was the first to provide vaccines to the country, allowing it to kick off its vaccination drive on March 1. So far, the Philippines has administered over 31 million doses of vaccines with around 16 million people fully vaccinated. The government aims to vaccinate up to 70 million people this year.

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006090

WHO envoy warns of increasing risk of covid variants evading vaccines

Variants that can eventually evade Covid vaccines are increasingly likely with vast parts of the world unprotected, and rich countries should hold back on booster doses until others catch up, according to a special envoy to the World Health Organization.

“Variants that can beat the protection offered by vaccines are bound to emerge all over the world in the coming months and years,” David Nabarro, the WHO envoy, said in an interview Monday with Bloomberg Television. “This is an ongoing battle, and we need to work together.”

Nabarro issued the warning as some countries such as the U.K. prepare to give an extra dose to people already vaccinated. With thousands of Covid deaths occurring each day 20 months into the pandemic, health advocates are urging governments and manufacturers to take action to narrow a glaring gap in access to shots.

The envoy called for prioritizing global needs over national agendas. Rich countries could use up all the manufacturing capacity for their booster programs, leaving minimal supplies for the rest of the planet, he said. The WHO has said that while in most instances the variants of concern lead to a reduction in vaccine effectiveness of varying degrees, the shots mostly retain their ability to protect against severe disease. Nabarro said he worries about the threat rising as the virus continues to spread.

“This world is struggling with a dangerous virus that is constantly evolving and new variants are emerging, and there will be more,” he said. “I think this virus is most definitely here to stay for the foreseeable future.”

Published : September 14, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006089

After 16 years, Germany Merkel is stepping down. Heres how her legacy was built.

After a decade and a half in power, German Chancellor Angela Merkels era is coming to an end. The first German premier to leave power of her own volition, she has chosen not to run in elections later this month that will usher in her successor.

If negotiations to form a government drag on after the Sept. 26 elections, she could overtake Helmut Kohl as modern Germany’s longest-serving leader. She is the doyenne of European politics – a generation of young Germans remembers no one else at the helm.

Her admirers have described her as everything from the leader of the free world to a contemporary Joan of Arc – grand portrayals she has always spurned. Yet she has been repeatedly named among the world’s most powerful women. President Barack Obama, among her most enduring advocates, described her as an outstanding global political leader.

But she leaves a complicated legacy. Some applaud her humble, consensus-driven political style. Others see a lack of bold leadership, particularly in the face of a more aggressive Russia and rising Chinese power.

In 2015, she opened the door to more than 1 million refugees, mostly from war-battered Syria. But Merkel’s watch has also seen a surge in nationalist sentiment that has propelled the far right into parliament.

While dubbed the “climate chancellor” for her environmental promises, she leaves office with Germany as the world’s biggest producer of air-choking brown coal.

Historians will debate her impact for years to come. What is certain: Her departure will leave a vacuum after a career that has spanned more than three decades, beginning amid the dying gasps of the Cold War.

– – –

Growing up behind the Iron Curtain, it was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 that opened up the world of politics to Merkel, the daughter of a pastor in communist East Germany.

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In a speech at Harvard University in 2019, she described how she’d walk past the wall every day on the way home from work at her scientific institute.

“The Berlin Wall limited my opportunities,” she said. “It quite literally stood in my way.”

She was 35 years old when the most enduring symbol of the Cold War dramatically crumbled. “Where there was once only a dark wall, a door suddenly opened,” she said in the speech. “For me, too, the moment had come to walk through that door. At that point, I left my work as a scientist behind me and entered politics. That was an exciting and magical time.”

That history has, in many ways, shaped Merkel’s politics as she has tried to position Germany, and Europe, as a bridge between East and West.

After entering politics, her rise was rapid. She joined the traditional, conservative and male-dominated Christian Democrats and was elected to Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, in 1990. A protegee of Kohl, then Germany’s chancellor, she was appointed minister for women and youth the following year, when she also became deputy chairman of the party. In the early days of her career, she was nicknamed “Kohl’s girl.”

But in a move that stunned German politics, she turned on Kohl in a newspaper opinion piece in December 1999, calling on her former mentor to resign. Now party leader, she argued that his credibility, and the party’s, had been damaged in a donations scandal.

“The party thus has to learn to walk,” she wrote. “[It] has to trust itself to take on the fight with the political opponent in the future even without its old warhorse, as Helmut Kohl often liked to call himself.”

“I brought my killer,” Kohl later reflected on Merkel’s decision to turn against him. “I put the snake on my arm.”

It was a razor-tight electoral win that brought Merkel power in 2005. Few expected sweeping change. The same critics did expect her to last long.

“Many will say, ‘This coalition is taking many small steps and not just one big one,’ ” she said in her first speech as chancellor. “I will answer them: ‘Yes, that’s exactly how we do it.’

She came to power in a period of relative stability, but Europe would soon be buffeted by successive crises.

– Euro-zone storm. As the euro zone’s debt crisis began to unfold in late 2009, she helped lead efforts to save the continent’s shared currency. “If the euro fails, Europe fails,” Merkel argued.

Clinging tightly to Europe’s purse strings, Merkel became the face of northern Europe’s frugality. She became a figure of hate in countries such as Greece, as they were forced into crippling austerity. Greek newspapers compared her to Hitler, and her visits were marked with protests for years.

Ultimately, she helped steer Germany and Europe’s euro zone through an existential threat. She recently said she sees it as one of her biggest achievements as chancellor.

– Migrant surge. Perhaps the most-defining moment of her political career came in 2015 as the number of refugees arriving in Europe began to surge. Many were fleeing from the civil war in Syria and taking perilous journeys by sea to Europe.

Merkel’s opened Germany’s doors. In a typically understated comment made after a visit to an asylum center in August that year, she assured the German public. “Wir schaffen das,” she said, meaning “We can do it.”

“She’s on the right side of history on this,” Obama said at the time.

But Merkel’s refugee-friendly stance divided Europe and was jumped on by Germany’s far right, which gained ground as her popularity took a hit.

– The pandemic. When the world was hit by its next epochal crisis, Merkel had learned the importance of clear and frank communication. As some world leaders appeared to dither, she stood out for her science-led approach.

The pandemic laid bare some of the country’s deficiencies, including a lack of flexibility that hampered a vaccine rollout. But the majority of Germans supported her leadership during the pandemic.

– East and West. Merkel’s 16 years in power have seen a shift in the global world order. Washington has pressured Germany to take a firmer stance toward Russia and China. But as a child of the Cold War, she has stressed the importance of avoiding another one.

She has tried to separate Chinese human rights abuses and Russian expansionism from issues of trade and economy, sometimes also finding herself out of step with her European neighbors.

Her relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has, at times, been strained and antagonistic. But she has said it is important to keep lines of dialogue open. Despite her fear of dogs, Putin once brought his Labrador into a bilateral in what she says was an effort to intimidate her.

In a career that has spanned four U.S. presidencies, she has remained staunchly committed to the transatlantic alliance, even as relations became particularly strained under President Donald Trump. In one telling moment in 2018, Merkel’s official Instagram account posted a photo showing her bearing down over a table with Trump on the other side with his arms folded.

– – –

Now aged 67, Merkel has said she isn’t seeking a new political role. “Do I want to write, speak, hike? Do I want to be at home? Do I want to travel the world?” she said this month.

Merkel has regularly dismissed questions on her legacy, saying historical analysis is not for her and she’d rather get on with the job.

But in a town hall in the coastal town of Stralsund in 2019, she was asked what she’d like children to read about her in history books in 50 years time.

“She tried,” she said.

Published : September 14, 2021