Angela Merkel

Given that Turks represent the majority of Muslims in Germany, it is not surprising that the activities of the group known as PEGIDA, the German acronym for ?Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident,? should be attracting attention in Turkey.

By Saleha Mohsin

Germany is wrong in its contention that a Greek exit from the euro won't spread to other members of the currency bloc, Hayman Capital Management LP's Kyle Bass said.

The German government is not planning for a Greek exit from the eurozone, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Wednesday, after Germany's Bild newspaper reported Berlin was working on contingency plans for an exit and possible run on banks.

By Rainer Buergin, Birgit Jennen & Brian Parkin

Germany is leaving the door open to discussing debt relief with Greece?s next government, lawmakers in Chancellor Angela Merkel?s coalition said, signaling a more flexible stance than her administration has taken publicly.

Ukraine on Wednesday signed a EUR 500M loan agreement with Germany to rebuild public infrastructure in its eastern regions.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the loan will be used to finance the reconstruction of roads, bridges, hospitals and other elements of public infrastructure, ITAR-TASS reported.

A group of pro-Russian hackers claimed responsibility for hacking the website of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the lower house of parliament - the Bundestag on Wednesday.

The attack comes as Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is expected to arrive in Berlin on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Any political turmoil in Greece following this month?s election is no longer a threat to the wider stability of the euro area, said Michael Fuchs, a senior lawmaker from Chancellor Angela Merkel?s party.

Supporters and opponents of a group campaigning against what it perceives as "Islamisation" of Europe have held rival rallies across Germany on Monday night.

Greece's main opposition party SYRIZA is not intending to trigger an exit of its country from the Eurozone if it wins the early elections this month, its leader Alexis Tsipras has said.

In a statement of SYRIZA sent out to Greek-language media outlets, Tsipras adds his Coalition of the Radical Left would seek to ensure the Eurozone's stablity instead of disintegrating it.

By Brian Parkin and Birgit Jennen

Greek opposition leader Alexis Tsipras won?t get German support for easing austerity, though Greece?s exit from the euro area would be costly for Germany, members of Chancellor Angela Merkel?s two main coalition parties said.