she famously allowed in more than 1 million asylum seekers and other migrants here to germany and it's a legacy she now finds herself defending. she won plaudits from then us president obama. i was happy to become your friend as i watched you draw on your humour, wise pragmatism and an unrelenting moral compass. but angela merkel�*s time in office is blighted by controversy. critics accuse her of being too soft on vladimir putin, too slow to help ukraine. angela merkel had a huge impact on europe. now, three years since retiring from politics, she's published her memoirs. her personal take

on her years in power. dr merkel, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today. we live in such turbulent times. i wonder, do you miss the power and politics? you got to know so many world leaders so well over the years. do you hd pick—up the and say to emanuel matt quinn france and talked to him about ukraine and what's going on the world? you have written your memoir, freedom, what have you been

doing with your freedom from politics apart from writing?

often the only woman or one of very few women at international summits, angela merkel got to know leaders the world over during her 16 years in government in china, russia, europe and the us. each relationship hold its own story. you were chancellor when donald trump came to the white house

for the first time. he was furious europe, especially germany, about trade, about defence spending. he was personally critical of you. you mention that in your book. he is very unpredictable. how did you manage him?

so, can i show you this photo? may i give it to you? it went viral on social media at the time. do you remember that moment?

he looks very much like the strongman leader that he wants to be in that case. you're talking strongly back to him. do you have advice for newer world leaders such as sir keir starmer of the united kingdom, the manner he should use when he talks to donald trump?

you've got to know vladimir putin very early on in your political career. he knew full well that you're nervous around dogs but he decided to bring his dog along to a public meeting that you had. what was going through your mind?

you say in your memoir is that it became very clear to you that the biggest priotity for vladimir putin was power and reducing western influence in europe it had gained after the cold war. but despite that you allowed germany to become energy dependent on russia. how do you respond to those who criticise you and say you put german business interests before european security?

i come back to energcy dependency, though, dr merkel, because you have president obama who you are close to at the time. he begged you not to build a second gas pipeline to russia. it was built in 2014 after

bellamy after vladimir putin had already invaded. lord hameed —— volodymyr zelensky described the gas as a geopolitical weapon and dangerous for europe but you didn't listen to president obama and ukraine. do you regret that now?

and staying in back further, president bush wanted ukraine to become a nato member. you stopped the progress and explained why in your memoirs. if you hadn't done that, would there be war now?

let's talk about migration politics. in 2015, you let overi million asylum seekers and other migrants into asylum seekers and other migrants into germany. the migrant crisis was probably the defining moment of angela merkel�*s political career, she was hailed by some, hated by others for opening germany's doors to syrian refugees and other migrants,

many arriving on people smugglers�* boats. her actions boosted support for the far right afd party. why did she do it? explaining that in her own words, she says, was the starting point for her memoirs. that was seen at the time as a very untypically... you were seen as a rational leader who took a while to make decisions, what caused that impulse on you at the time, did it have something to do perhaps with your religious belief? you are a pastor's daughter.

but for european governments, money is tight now for their own people, with the cost of living. do you accept the criticism of those who say that your migration politics at the time of 2015 actually breathed life into the far right in germany, but in the rest of europe as well?

you're writing a book about brexit and you describe it as a humiliation for europe, something that made europe weaker. eight years on after the brexit vote, do you still feel growing up in a divided germany, split east and west between communism and democracy, made a lasting impression on angela merkel. brexit, conflict with russia, eu neighbours slamming shut

borders, riffs were to be neighbours slamming shut borders, riffs were to be avoided, but her motives were often questioned. in your memoir, you describe your life in two parts, one part behind the berlin wall and communism and the other part in germany, mainly in the world of politics, but you always come back to being viewed by some as an outsider. during your political career, people looked at you and said, you never really got or appreciated democracy, did that hurt your feelings?

how did that make you feel? so i have a number of short questions to ask you, just to try to get to know you are a bit better. first of all, do you still feel like an outsider? who has been the biggest influence on you in your life, or the biggest help to you?

do you have any indulgences or little weaknesses? chocolate or anything like that that you might have as a weakness? i like those things as well! i hear that in private you have enjoyed in the past to imitate some world leaders. is that right, and do you have a favourite leader to imitate, would you like to share that with us?

before you were a politician, you were a professional scientist. did that background affect your manner in politics, do you think?

if the angela merkel of today would meet the teenage angela back in east germany when you were growing up, what would you say to your younger self about the future lying ahead of you?

thank you so much, doctor merkel, a pleasure to talk to you. hello. this is the weekend when november turns into december, but it's not going to feel like it weather—wise. in fact, it is going to feel very mild, often cloudy. there will be some rain, equally a little bit of sunshine. now, we've got a frontal system that has been pushing its way eastwards.

behind that, a south—westerly flow, a very mild but moist south—westerly flow, so, yes, there will be a lot of clouds, some mist and murk in places, but this very mild air is working its way northwards across all parts of the uk. so a mild start to saturday morning, but with a lot of cloud, some mist and murk, particularly for coasts and hills in the west, few spots of rain through the day, parts of northern england, northern ireland and scotland, equally a few brighter spells northeast wales, northeast england, north—east scotland, areas with some shelter from the breeze. but look at the temperatures — 13—15 degrees, very mild indeed for the last day of november. it will be quite windy out there, those winds actually strengthening across western parts as we head into the evening ahead of the arrival of this frontal system that will push its way eastwards overnight. bit of showery rain running ahead of that. so, some outbreaks of rain through the early hours of sunday morning.

again, it's going to be really very mild, temperatures holding up in double digits for most as we head into the second half of the weekend. so here goes our frontal system, pushing its way eastwards during sunday. that is going to bring some outbreaks of rain. sunday, probably the wetter of the two weekend days for england and wales, as these outbreaks of rain push eastwards. scotland and northern ireland seeing sunny spells and showers, that brighter but showery regime spreading to most areas before sunday afternoon is done. still very mild, 12—14 degrees. but we will see a bit of a change as we move out of sunday and into monday. we do start to pick up these northerly winds, which for a time, will bring something colder southwards across the uk, but that is unlikely to last all that long.

we see frontal systems returning from the atlantic. from midweek onwards, things will turn milder, but they will also turn quite a lot more unsettled, with some wet and potentially very windy weather to end the week. so next week looks like this, briefly turning a bit colder, milder again later, but more unsettled.

live from washington, live from washington, this is bbc news. this is bbc news. rebel forces in syria rebel forces in syria launch their biggest offensive launch their biggest offensive in years in years amid heavy fighting amid heavy fighting near the city of aleppo. near the city of aleppo. protesters take to the streets protesters take to the streets of georgia's capital of georgia's capital for a second night for a second night over the government suspending over the government suspending moves to join the eu. moves to join the eu. the british parliament the british parliament backs proposals backs proposals to allow terminally ill adults to allow terminally ill adults in england and wales in england and wales the right the right to end their own lives. to end their own lives.

and 5.5 years after being ravaged by fire,