show saying they've come from "a handful of middle—class women of a certain age". syria's president is preparing a counter—attack on the rebel forces that captured the city of aleppo. russia — an ally of bashar al—assad — has carried out fresh air strikes near the city. now on bbc news. angela merkel: the woman who ran europe. during her 16 years at the head of the german government, angela merkel was often viewed as the most powerful woman in the world. leading notjust her country but to a large extent the whole of the european union, through the financial crisis, the covid pandemic and the migrant crisis of 2015. she famously allowed in more than1 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 itch to pick—up the phone and say to emmanuel macron of 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. told its own story. you were chancellor when donald trump came to the white house for the first time. he was furious with 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 priority 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 energy 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 vladimir putin had already partially invaded. volodymyr zelensky described the cheap gas as a geopolitical

weapon for the kremlin and dangerous for europe do you regret that now?

and staying with ukraine back further to 2008, president bush wanted ukraine to become a nato member. you stopped that 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 very untypically merkel. 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 the same way? 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

rifts 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? 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. mild for the time of year, we started in double figures with plenty of cloud but things will change as we head into next week, turning colder with a cold northerly wind, a widespread frost, and wintry showers for some. today is mild, sunshine and showers,

especially towards the west. we have seen brighter skies behind his cold front pushing eastwards. but remaining cloudy across the far east. that milder air will be scooped up by a brisk southerly wind which will continue through the day. sharpest showers in the north and west but also brighter skies. temperatures up to 15 degrees celsius, a shade below where we were yesterday. tonight, it turns interesting in the north and west, the wind will turn more northerly. showers will be wintry over the higher ground of scotland, sinking southwards into the start of the day on monday. it's turning much colder across the north of scotland and northern ireland, possibly 10 degrees celsius further south in the milderair. but that colder air is coming for all of us, you can see that on our air mass chart.

the whole of the uk turns blue, and we will see chilly northerly winds develop. the start on monday morning, still wintry showers over higher ground in scotland. cloud and rain set to sink southwards into the midlands and south—east england. some brighter skies in northern england, northern ireland and across scotland. some sunshine, but again a sharp contrast in temperatures, mid—single figures in the north, double figures further south, but a widespread frost into tuesday morning. temperatures below freezing for many. this atlantic front pushes in from the west, likely to turn to snow over higher ground in scotland and even at lower levels. staying very cold on tuesday. still chilly on wednesday but temperatures recovering through the week. more unsettled, wet and windy at times on thursday and friday.

live from london. this is bbc news. start to th start to e un agency supporting palestinians says it's suspending aid deliveries through a key israel—gaza crossing. masterchef presenter gregg wallace responds to complaints about his behaviour on the bbc show saying they've come from "a handful of middle—class women of a certain age". the syrian army says it's preparing to counter—attack the rebel forces that captured the city of aleppo. the constitutional crisis in georgia deepens, the pro—western president is refusing to step down.

the prime minister is insisting she must. hello i'm... the united nations is pausing the delivery of aid to palestinian refugees in gaza through a key crossing after more food trucks were looted by armed gangs. the united nations agency supporting palestinian refugees, unrwa, has used the kerem shalom crossing as the main way of bringing in aid for the 2.3 million people inside the gaza strip. but the head of unrwa philippe lazzarini says five food trucks were stolen by armed groups on saturday. it comes as the charity save the children named a staff member killed yesterday in an israeli air strike as 39—year—old ahmad faisal isleem al-qadi. save the children says it condemns the attack in khan younis "in the strongest terms" and is demanding an investigation.

the hamas—run health ministry in gaza, whose figures