At least four people were killed and more than 20 missing tonight after the roof of an ice rink collapsed under the weight of snow in southern Germany.

Conservative and centre-left leaders today signed the agreement to form a coalition government – the last step before Angela Merkel can be elected Germany’s chancellor.

THE future of Germany’s left-right coalition was thrown into deeper confusion last night after a senior conservative quit the planned government following an internal crisis in the Social Democrats.

Edmund Stoiber, who was set to become Germany’s economy minister, announced today that he would not participate in the incoming government.

A senior conservative’s participation in Germany’s proposed new left-right government was in doubt today as politicians struggled to digest the implications of a sudden leadership crisis in the centre-left Social Democrats.

Germany’s conservatives are moving toward completing the lineup of Chancellor-designate Angela Merkel’s cabinet, with a key ally preparing to nominate his final choice for the new government.

THE battle to agree to common goals for the future government of Germany is well underway following the division of the ministries between the two coalition partners.

Chancellor-designate Angela Merkel will have only limited authority in Germany’s planned left-right government, leaders of its two main parties said, as they prepared today for the start of full-blown coalition negotiations.

According to reports in the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told his conservative counterparts during coalition talks yesterday that he would not join the new government.

Conservative leader Angela Merkel and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder headed into a showdown today over who will lead a new government, seeking to end a post-election stalemate that is delaying efforts to tackle Germany’s stubborn economic problems.

Conservative challenger Angela Merkel is still pressing hard to replace Gerhard Schroeder as chancellor of Germany after the two opponents held another meeting to try to hammer out a coalition accord.

CONSERVATIVE leader Angela Merkel pushed her demand to serve as Germany’s next chancellor while Gerhard Schroeder clung to his competing claim as they readied today for tough negotiations aimed at ending the country’s political crisis.

Germany’s top political leaders were to meet today at a summit aimed at resolving their two-and-a-half-week stand-off over who will lead the country, with Angela Merkel’s conservatives hopeful Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will let go of the top job.

CONSERVATIVE challenger Angela Merkel claimed a mandate to form Germany’s next government - but an exuberant chancellor Gerhard Schroeder refused to concede defeat after his party did better than expected in yesterday’s election and insisted that he should lead the next administration.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was squaring off today with his challengers in their last debate before Germany’s election as a new poll showed his Social Democrats continuing to edge forward.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and conservative challenger Angela Merkel square off today in a live televised debate – a crucial encounter that gives both candidates a chance to impress undecided voters two weeks before Germany’s September 18 election.

GERMAN opposition leader Angela Merkel’s conservatives rallied for the final three-week push of the German general election campaign with polls showing unanimously that victory is within their grasp.

A GRINNING Gerhard Schroeder leapt onto a giant stage to thumping music and applause from several thousand Social Democratic (SPD) supporters.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder launched his election campaign today, with an immediate attempt to exploit the conservative opposition’s infighting, to help build on his beleaguered party’s recent rise in opinion polls.

Germany’s conservative opposition was today set to nominate Angela Merkel, a Protestant minister's daughter from the former East Germany, as its challenger to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, giving her the chance to become the country’s first female leader.

CHANCELLOR Gerhard Schroeder pledged to pursue his economic reforms despite his party’s thrashing in European Parliament elections, its worst showing since the World War II in a nationwide German vote.

The man suspected of murdering the heir to a Germany banking dynasty led a church youth group and headed a fan club of Frankfurt’s football team that the 11-year-old victim passionately supported, investigators said Wednesday.

Green is today Gerhard Schroeder’s favourite colour after the environmental party kept his Social Democrats in power in Germany’s closest postwar election.

The outcome of Germany's election is still not known as Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber ran neck-and-neck tonight in one of the country's closest post-war elections.

GERMAN Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber ran neck-and-neck last night in one of Germany’ closest post-war elections.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber were running neck-and-neck today in one of the country’s closest post-war elections.

Germany’s justice minister has decided to step down after coming under fire for allegedly making an indirect comparison between US President George W Bush and Adolf Hitler, it was reported today.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was today seeking a second term in national elections dominated by tensions with the US over Iraq and a minister’s comparison of President George W Bush with Adolf Hitler.

The world's biggest beer party is underway in Germany.

Germany’s tightly-fought election campaign drew to a rancorous close today under the shadow of mounting tensions with Washington over an oblique comparison between the US president and Adolf Hitler reportedly made by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s justice minister.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s justice minister was under fire today for comparing President George Bush’s methods to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Germany’s general election next month is now too close to call, two polls showed today.

THE European Investment Bank (EIB) said yesterday it would offer water-logged countries in central Europe millions in loans for repairing flood damage.

Germany’s armed forces are overstretched and will not take part in any attack on Iraq, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said today.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s wife today waded into an MPs air miles row, accusing Germany’s most popular newspaper of targeting the government ahead of next month’s general election.

Germans paused for a moment of silence today to honour the victims of last week’s school shooting that left 17 dead, while most classes in the stricken city of Erfurt were cancelled to give students a chance to express their grief and fears.

Germany is marking the 40th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall.