German election results live: Angela Merkel′s CDU largest party, record low for SPD, AfD to be third power in Bundestag

What we know so far:
— Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats stretch their lead as the strongest force in parliament, despite a severe dip compared to their 2013 haul.
— Martin Schulz's Social Democrats slip to their worst election result in post-war Germany.
— The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) wins its first seats in the federal parliament, also becoming the Bundestag's third power in the process.
— The pro-business Free Democrats return to parliament, after missing the cut for the first time since the war last time around.
— The Greens and the Left hold station, scoring very similarly to four years ago.
— No coalitions are practically viable without Merkel's CDU taking the lead.
— The Social Democrats say they do not want to be in a coalition and intend to lead the opposition.
— Turnout will be higher than 2013's level of 71.5 percent, around 75 percent.

Read more: German election results live: Angela Merkel′s CDU largest party, record low for SPD, AfD to be third power in Bundestag | Breaking News | DW | 24.09.2017

German Elections: For the German election, no fake news is good news - by Shara Tibken

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stands amid several young women dressed in white in a photo that's made the rounds on social media. They're Muslim child brides, a post claims. 

"Merkel wünscht den kinderbräuten alles gute," it says in German. "Merkel wishes the child brides all the best."

Except those aren't child brides. And the photo isn't new. It's from April 2016 when Merkel visited a refugee camp in Turkey. She was greeted by young women dressed in their best outfits, not wedding dresses. But try telling that to the thousands of people who shared it online.

That's exactly what Correctiv, First Draft and other groups are attempting to do. These organizations, along with help from tech companies like Google and Facebook, are investigating stories that gain traction in Germany and could impact the country's national election on Sunday. They want to make sure the sort of viral rumors that spread in the US don't happen here.

Read more: For the German election, no fake news is good news - CNET

Global Politics: Editorial The world needs more Europe and less Donald Trump - by Max Hofmann.

Can someone please find a distraction for the American president? Dangle a shiny object in front of him? Maybe show him a funny YouTube video, or get him to give a rally speech in some small American town.

Do anything to keep him busy in the US because when it comes to foreign policy and dealing with countries like North Korea or Iran, Donald Trump horrifies his partners, especially those in Europe.

After years of laying down the groundwork, the negotiating partners struggled for yet another 20 months over the Iran nuclear deal. The European Union had a seat at the negotiation table and ended up scoring a success for the bloc. Ultimately, Europeans were able to use their favorite crisis-resolution skill: classic diplomacy.

Ever since the Iran nuclear deal was concluded, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has checked eight times to see whether Iran has met the requirements. Every time, the answer was "Yes!"

The results have been so convincing that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has proposed to use the agreement as a blueprint for further action in North Korea.

Now along comes Donald Trump, who threatens to destroy the greatest international diplomatic feat of recent years. For what? Merely to fulfill a crazy election promise. He mentions North Korea and Iran in the same breath and makes it sound as though both nations must be treated with equal severity. Europeans would never lump these two countries together. Those in Europe know the devastating effects the termination of the Iran deal would have at their own doorstep: the destabilization of the Middle East, Iran's move towards China and Russia, and the strengthening of radical anti-Western forces.

What can the European Union do? It will probably — as already announced by the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini – adhere to the agreement, regardless of whether the US pulls out or not. In practice, this could mean that Americans would impose sanctions on Iran again while the Europeans would not, putting the transatlantic entities on a confrontational course with each other. Everyone knows how the US president will react to this. At the same time, the West would lose all credibility as a moral and political entity and would be permanently weakened. If the US and the EU can no longer act together, no one will take them seriously.

The EU has no choice but to continue using whatever influence it still wields over Trump's government. The Europeans must try to keep the US in the agreement. Its success in the past few years should speak for itself, but facts no longer count in the White House. Merkel and company have tried prievously to make Trump come to his senses, as was seen with the Paris climate agreement, but to no avail. In the case of Iran, however, it is a matter of a new cold war — or even a hot war in a highly volatile region. The situation could escalate very quickly.

The prospect for North Korea is even gloomier than for Iran. Europeans have very little influence there. The EU cannot — and does not want to — keep up with Donald Trump's and Kim Jong Un's nuclear swagger. The bloc's demand to focus strictly on politics and diplomacy may seem like it's failing to handle the situation with the seriousness it deserves. However, it is the right way to move ahead and the only way forward for the EU. Here, too, one can see the gapping gulf between Europe and the US in sensitive diplomatic issues.

But Donald Trump will have to follow the European example, at least a little bit, if he really wants to maintain world peace, as he declared to the UN General Assembly. His threats, both to Iran and North Korea, have the potential to lead the world to destruction. Europe's diplomatic approach may at times seem somewhat feeble, but it is the only method that has really worked in recent years. The Americans have tried to use military force in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan, sometimes with disastrous results. That is why Trump's saber rattling and his demand to renegotiate the Iran deal strike Europeans as threatening and hollow. Everyone believes that the president is capable of a blind military attack. The angry man in the White House lacks the experts, the patience, and the competence required to conduct well-balanced and complex negotiations. Europe has all this

Read more: Opinion: The world needs more Europe and less Donald Trump | Opinion | DW | 22.09.2017

Spain-Catalonia: 'The door is open for dialogue with Madrid,' says Carles Puigdemont

Carles Puigdemont is president of Spain’s Catalonia region. As national authorities crack down on the region’s preparations for an October 1 independence referendum that Madrid says is illegal, Puigdemont has accused the national government of adopting a “totalitarian attitude”.

Puigdemont spoke with FRANCE 24’s Caroline de Camaret and RFI’s Sophie Malibeaux about the political crisis with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government and the potential consequences independence would have on Catalonia’s relationship with the European Union.

Asked why he won’t bow to pressure and call off the referendum, the Catalan leader told FRANCE 24 that regional elections provided the mandate to hold this vote. “This is not something we can cancel. We cannot say no to what has already been approved by the citizens. They decided on this through the ballot box,” Puigdemont said from Barcelona.

Read more: 'The door is open for dialogue with Madrid,' says Carles Puigdemont - France 24

Turkey: Investigate Ankara Abductions, Disappearances says Human Rights Watch

Turkish authorities should urgently investigate the abduction and possible enforced disappearance of at least four men in Ankara since March 2017, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül.

One of the abducted men, a former teacher, was located in official police custody after 42 days. At least three others were abducted in similar circumstances but their whereabouts remain unknown. The similarities between the abductions and the fact that one of the men was subsequently found in police custody are credible grounds to believe that the men may be victims of enforced disappearances by Turkish security forces or law enforcement agents.

“There are credible grounds to believe that government agents forcibly disappeared the missing men,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Turkish authorities should promptly uphold their obligation to locate the missing men, who may be in grave danger, secure their release and if they are in custody give them immediate access to a lawyer, and let their families know where they are.”

An enforced disappearance occurs when a person is taken into custody, or otherwise deprived of their liberty by the state or its proxies, but authorities subsequently deny it or refuse to provide information about the person’s whereabouts, placing the victim outside the protection of the law.

The victim who was located in official custody is Önder Asan, a former teacher. A witness saw men who said they were police officers abduct Asan in Ankara in April, forcing him out of a taxi and bundling him into a Volkswagen Transporter van. After his family received a call from a police station 42 days later, they located him in police custody. He was taken before a judge on May 17 and sent to detention pending trial for alleged terrorism links.

Read more: Turkey: Investigate Ankara Abductions, Disappearances | Human Rights Watch

The Netherlands: Princes day: a well kept Dutch political tradition

King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima

Today was Prinsjes Dag (Princes day) in the Netherlands.

The day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives to give the speech from the throne (Dutch: Troonrede); setting out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session.. It is somewhat similar to Britain's ceremony Re: opening of parliament.

Basically it has become a ceremonial day of the King reading a speech written by the PM and a lot of "pomp and glamour" with the ladies showing off their hats and a large public turnout.

Today was not any different, specially the great sunny weather made it fun to watch.

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands - Almere: NDIC clebrates its 10th.anniversary: "How Great Thou Art"

Pastors - van der Meijdens and the Sisks

This past Sunday, September 17th , was a festive occasion for the New Day International Church located at the Almere Filmwijk, as it celebrated it's 10th anniversary.

Jointly participating in this special event, organized by the NDIC Pastorial team of  John  and Joy Sisk, were also the founders of the NDIC church, Pastors Peter and Nancy van der Meijden.

Unfortunately, Pastors Melvin and Louise, who came after Pastors Peter and Nancy van der Meijden had left, and before Pastors John  and Joy Sisk.became the present pastors for NDIC, could not be there to join in the celebration,  as they were away on a new assignment.    

Pastor Peter "back home"

It was a great event, which included an introduction by Pastor Sisk of the van der Meijdens, an outline of the day's program, and a brief history of NDIC.

This was followed by a touching sermon of Peter van der Meijden, entitled  - "How Great Thou Art"  - highlighted by Joy Sisk singing the beautiful Christian song from which the title of the Sermon  was derived at the end of the sermon

New Day Cafe: an international culinary delight

Following the blessing of the congregation, concluding Pastor Peter van der Meijden's sermon, Pastor Sisk noted : "keeping up with the tradition of NDIC to not only feed the soul, but also the stomach of the congregation, you are now all invited to our delicious New Day cafe "Pot Luck Lunch", with food representing the many nationalities attending New Day International Church".

It was a blessed event of friendship, fellowship and a great opportunity for "the old timers" to reflect on the years gone by.

NDIC anniversary:A blessed event of friendship and fellowship

NDIC opened its doors in Almere at the beginning of September 2007,  all because of a vision its first Pastor Peter van der Meijden had to start an international church in Holland, while he and his American wife Nancy were living in the US

A vision which eventually led them back to the Netherlands

So when the couple returned to the
Netherlands and settled in Almere, one of Europe's most modern, functional and multi-cultural cities, "it was obvious", says Peter, "the vision God gave me in America was becoming a reality".

"Yes indeed", said Peter: "In Gods plan all things always fit together for the good".

Almere, situated east of Amsterdam, was created only about 40 years ago as part of a major Dutch land reclamation project, which eventually resulted in a new Dutch Province called Flevoland

This huge land reclamation project certainly has been a successful venture so far.  In those 40 years Almere has attracted over 200,000 residents and 15,600 businesses, with new residents moving in daily..

In God's plan all things always fit together for the good

Almere today is the largest city in the Province of Flevoland, and the 8th largest city in the Netherlands, closing in rapidly on Groningen, to the North of Almere., to overtake her ranking as number 7.

Paster Peter noted  "What made Almere particularly interesting for us to start an international English language church was the fact that  more than 27% of Almere's citizens come from non-western cultures, in addition to a large contingent of "Expats" , who work in and around Amsterdam, known as the industrial Randstad".

A megalopolis in the central-western Netherlands, consisting primarily of the four largest Dutch cities and their surrounding areas

"One of our primary goals has always been to be sensitive to multi-national cultures and provide a spiritual home for people from all around the globe living in this city and surrounding areas".

"Obviously we also have our doors wide open for Dutch folks who prefer to listen to sermons in English", said Pastor John Sisk.

Over the past years NDIC has become the Church home to many people from all over the world, with or without a previous church background.

As one father with two young children, who moved from Poland to Holland said "we like it here at NDIC because it feels like family, and we find the International environment to be very inspiring to exploring your faith, whereby God can be encountered in new and creative ways. It is very refreshing and stimulating."

Everyone is welcome to attend the Sunday meetings of NDIC, which start at 10.30 a.m. If you are a first time visitor please come a little earlier so you can be welcomed properly. NDIC is located at the Walt Disney Plantsoen 76/78, in the Almere Filmwijk Center, and faces a Vomar supermarket