The German government on Wednesday defended granting permits around a decade ago for exports to Syria of chemicals that can be used to make deadly sarin gas.

The economy ministry said the export licences were granted between 2002 and 2006 for shipments totaling more than 100 tonnes of chemicals for both military and civilian use.

Angela Merkel's necklace, a middle-finger photo and "Veggie Day" have been hot-button issues in a general election campaign that Germans say has been shockingly banal.

With Sunday's election shaping up to be nail-bitingly close, Merkel and her election rival Peer Steinbrueck have pulled out all the stops at the stump in the final days to mobilize supporters.

German police have arrested a man on suspicion of killing a young girl more than 25 years ago, on the basis of DNA evidence, prosecutors said Tuesday.

In November 1987, nine-year-old blonde Christina was found sexually assaulted and strangled in the western city of Osnabrueck.

Five days from elections, Angela Merkel's allies were fighting for political survival Tuesday to save their coalition and prevent the German chancellor having to team up with her rivals.

Hobbled by a disastrous regional ballot a week before the national vote, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) has begun pulling out the stops to claw votes from Merkel's conservatives to stay in power.

Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Germans she had no votes to spare as she launched a final week of campaigning Monday, after a disastrous Bavarian election performance by her junior partners.

Merkel told supporters of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the northern town of Duderstadt that she needed both the votes granted to them under Germany's electoral system in a general election Sunday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel launches a final week of election campaigning Monday with the wind at her back after a resounding victory for her conservatives in a Bavarian state poll.

But while her conservatives captured nearly one vote in two in the wealthy southern region Sunday, their coalition partners in Bavaria and at the national level, the Free Democrats, crashed out of the regional parliament.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies scored a resounding win in a state vote Sunday, estimates showed, giving her a strong boost one week ahead of a general election.

The conservative ruling Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's Christian Democrats, captured an absolute majority of seats in the regional parliament with 49-percent of the vote, according to preliminary results on public television.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's election rival took more fire Friday for a magazine cover showing him making the vulgar middle-finger gesture, with many questioning his fitness to lead the nation.

While some defended the photo as a human and ironic gesture, most commentators questioned the political judgement of Peer Steinbrueck, 66, in allowing himself to be shown flipping the bird and then authorizing the picture's publication.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief election rival sparked a storm of derision and online ridicule Thursday by allowing himself to be photographed making the vulgar middle-finger gesture.

The unflattering black-and-white portrait of Peer Steinbrueck in suit and tie graces the cover of the weekly magazine supplement of the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily's Friday edition.

Less than two weeks before German elections, Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives maintained a strong poll lead Wednesday despite an increase for the opposition Social Democrats.

Merkel also boasted a 26-point edge in her personal approval rating over her Social Democratic Party (SPD) rival Peer Steinbrueck ahead of the September 22 vote.