The Vatican on Friday said the Archbishop of Cologne Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who has made controversial comments about Muslims, was stepping down from his duties as archbishop after reaching retirement age.

In comments that were widely condemned, the 80-year-old Meisner last month told members of the conservative Neocatechumenal Way Catholic group: "Each of your families is easily worth three Muslim families for me."

Germany, France and Poland said they were "deeply concerned" Friday over developments on the volatile Crimea peninsula and called for everything to be done to reduce tensions in Ukraine.

"Everything must be done in order to reduce the tensions in the eastern regions of the country and to promote a peaceful dialogue between all participating powers," the three EU countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement.

Anxious Western powers voiced fear over the growing Crimea crisis Thursday, warning Russia not to escalate tensions and telling pro-Moscow separatists they were playing a "dangerous game."

After dozens of pro-Russian gunmen seized government buildings in the volatile peninsula -- raising fears of a full-blown regional conflict -- NATO leader Anders Fogh Rasmussen tweeted his concern and pleaded with Moscow "not to take any action that can escalate tension or create misunderstanding."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged Britain to stay in the European Union, saying the bloc would be a stronger force in the world with London's voice.

But Merkel, in a speech to the British parliament, played down Prime Minister David Cameron's hopes of reforms to the EU before a referendum on Britain's membership in 2017.

German chancellor Angela Merkel will make an historic speech to Britain's parliament on Thursday before holding EU talks with Prime Minister David Cameron and taking tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

Merkel is expected to speak in German when she addresses lawmakers from the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the first time a chancellor of a reunited Germany has addressed both houses.

Consumer confidence in Germany is still on the rise as households feel optimistic about their income expectations, a new poll found on Wednesday.

"Consumers remain optimistic," market research company GfK said in a statement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed "grave concern" over Israel's continued settlement building on occupied Palestinian territory Tuesday, as she and her cabinet visited Jerusalem to meet their counterparts.

"We are looking at the settlements issue with grave concern," Merkel said at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The United States on Monday declined to comment on claims that its spies are conducting sweeping surveillance of hundreds of prominent Germans, though it did not deny the reports.

The claims by a newspaper, following a transatlantic row over revelations that Washington's National Security Agency intercepted Chancellor Angela Merkel's communications, marked another test for wobbling U.S.-German relations.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff welcomed on Monday a German government proposal to create a European communications network to rival that of the U.S. National Security Agency.

Speaking in Brussels, Rousseff said she shared concerns expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who recently called for the establishment of a European communications network to rival the U.S.'s NSA.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Israel Monday to discuss nuclear talks with Iran and to encourage Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

"We are going to discuss the Iranian nuclear program and ways of progressing talks with the Palestinians," Netanyahu said as he met Merkel at his Jerusalem residence, according to Israeli public radio.