Photo: DPAGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Thursday against protectionism and isolationism at a time when the world faces global challenges such as climate change and the threat of terrorism. Merkel also said in the Bundestag that Europe was "more determined than ever" to fight climate change, despite US President Donald Trump leaving the Paris agreement. Speaking a week before hosting a G20 summit, she called global warming an "existential challenge" for humanity and said the 2015 Paris deal was "not negotiable". Merkel huddles with western European allies later on Thursday to draw up a battle strategy a week before she hosts what is expected to be the most fractious G20 summit in years. With Trump preaching "America First" and dismissing climate change, Western allies are struggling to find a common front at the gathering - unlike previous summits when differences were drawn along global north-south and east-west lines.

Source: The Local June 29, 2017 08:00 UTC