And also... Merkel's throne; Lenin's makeover; Schweinsteiger's 'Nazi model'

By Euronews

Published on 23/10/2015 - 17:38

Every Friday journalists from euronews’ various language teams choose a selection of stories from Europe and beyond which may not have reached the

Every Friday journalists from euronews’ various language teams choose a selection of stories from Europe and beyond which may not have reached the international headlines.

Turkey: Merkel’s golden throne

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Istanbul, Turkey last weekend (October 18).

There, she met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to discuss the migrant crisis. It is reported that Merkel chose the location, to avoid a meeting in the president’s controversial palace in Ankara.

Critics say the alternative was no less controversial. Erdogan and Merkel discussed the situation of Syrian migrants while seated on golden thrones.

Social media in both Turkey and Germany was abuzz with criticism.

Erdoğan-Merkel görüşmesindeki altın varaklı koltuklar sosyal medyada alay konusu oldu http://t.co/zmDZE7uHsl pic.twitter.com/5p82MCE1YT
— soL Haber Portalı (@solhaberportali) 19 Octobre 2015

Ukraine: Lenin and the dark side of the Force

Ukrainian sculptor Oleksandr Milov has turned a Lenin monument in Odessa into a statue of Darth Vader.

There is even a Wi-fi transmitter implanted inside Darth’s helmet.

A factory in Ukraine's Odessa remakes Lenin statue into Darth Vader https://t.co/tdPel1UNeB pic.twitter.com/KLJnwaAxnD
— Maria Antonova (@mashant) 22 Octobre 2015

The statue stands outside the Pressmash factory. It was altered after factory owners and local residents pushed for the reminder of Lenin to be removed.

Ukraine has attempted to erase reminders of its Communist past amid ongoing conflict with Russia. In May, 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed off on a “de-communisation” programme stating that, within six months, most Soviet monuments must be dismantled. The only exception to the rule lies with monuments relating to the Second World War.

Public places with names relating to Communism must also be changed.

Portugal: US Marines rescued by Portuguese counterparts

A fictional attack turned into reality during a NATO drill at a beach on the Portuguese coast.

The modern military vehicles of the US marines got stuck as they tried to navigate the thin sand at Pinheiro da Cruz beach.

Portuguese special forces had to step in and save the troops from potential embarrassment. The US armed forces are famed for being among the most powerful in the world.

Official video:

Unofficial video:

Germany: Schweinsteiger to sue toy company for Nazi model

Captain of the German national football team Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced he will take Chinese toy manufacturer DiD Corporation to court over a plastic figure he says resembles him.

His issue? The figure represents a World War II German Wehrmacht soldier.

The toymaker denies the model, which is named ‘Bastian’ was made with Schweinsteiger in mind, telling German tabloid Bild “that’s just what a typical German looks like for us.”

It’s now down to a court to decide whether the footballer’s rights have been violated.

Eine chinesische Spielzeugfirma verkauft Schweinsteiger-Puppe als Nazi-Soldaten
https://t.co/uTwsJQGTFD pic.twitter.com/ghrlHIdcHu
— VICE Sports DE (@VICESportsDE) October 22, 2015

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