COLU @ CONCEPTS

Image copyright REUTERS Image caption The driver crashed into the entranceway of the Social Democratic Party's Berlin headquarters A man rammed a car into the headquarters of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Berlin on Christmas Eve, police have said. The crash happened at around midnight local time (23:00 GMT). The driver, a 58-year-old man, was believed to be the only person injured. The driver told police he had intended to kill himself, Berlin police said. Officers found petrol canisters and lighter fluid inside the car, according to local reports. Investigators were treating the incident as a possible arson attempt and also revealed that the man had earlier left a bag containing gas canisters in front of the headquarters of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, the Christian Democrat CDU, a few minutes' drive away. There was no indication that the man, who was slightly injured in the crash, was an extremist, Berlin media said. It was unclear wh...

Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Navalny was seen as the only candidate with a chance of challenging President Putin Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been formally barred from competing in next year's presidential election. The Central Electoral Commission has said Mr Navalny was ineligible because of a corruption conviction which he says is politically motivated. He has urged his supporters to boycott the March vote. Mr Navalny, 41, was widely regarded as the only candidate with a chance of challenging President Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin is seeking a fourth term that would see him become the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin. Navalny: Russia's vociferous opposition leader Mr Navalny, known for his anti-corruption campaign and protests against Mr Putin, was given a five-year suspended sentence in a retrial earlier this year on embezzlement charges. The commission's head, Ella Pamfilova, said her institution was simply app...