BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- NATO defense ministers at a meeting in Slovakia voiced their support for a new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan that would focus on protecting civilians and boost the number of troops on the ground.

BERLIN, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Guido Westerwelle, her foreign minister of choice, will shape a new German foreign policy that will be different in style and maybe even in substance, experts say.

BERLIN, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- German voters handed Chancellor Angela Merkel a government with her favorite coalition partner, the pro-market Free Democratic Party.

BERLIN, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel claimed victory and a second term Sunday, telling supporters though troubles lay ahead it also was time to "celebrate."

BERLIN, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The United States and Britain have issued travel alerts for Germany because of a heightened terror threat in connection with Sunday's federal elections.

ROME, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Italy, which just buried six soldiers killed in Afghanistan, is joining other European nations who are increasingly critical of the NATO-led military campaign.

BERLIN, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is fighting an uphill battle in his attempt to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor.

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The deepening electoral crisis in Afghanistan spilled over into the U.N. mission there, resulting in the departure of its No. 2 official.

BERLIN, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Energy is one of the few divisive issues in what has so far been a rather cozy German election campaign.