Chancellor Angela Merkel's interior minister offered his resignation late Sunday after his hardline Bavarian conservatives failed to budge her over plans to limit migration into Europe and the Germany.

Here are four things to know about the background to the crisis and what's at stake.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's election triumph, winning a new mandate with even stronger powers, is likely to embolden the Turkish strongman to take a tougher line on issues ranging from the fight against Kurdish militants to foreign policy, analysts say.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led Turkey for 15 years as prime minister and then as president. As he declares victory in Sunday's election, here is a look back at key periods during his time in power.

Mohammed bin Salman became crown prince of Saudi Arabia a year ago, shaking up the ultra-conservative oil power. Here is a rundown of developments:

Donald Trump's groundbreaking meeting with Kim Jong Un, the hereditary leader of a dynastic dictatorship, was heralded by the main players as a breakthrough that will bring about major change, but left others wondering: What now? 

Donald Trump hailed his meeting with Kim Jong Un as the start of a process that would rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.

After giving up on getting help from Syrian Kurdish authorities, Ahmed Saleh relied on relatives abroad to repair his home in Kobane after it was heavily damaged in a battle against jihadists.

Libya, where rival authorities in Tripoli and the east are vying for power, fell into chaos after the ouster of strongman Moamer Kadhafi in October 2011.

Russia's recent call for foreign forces to leave Syria was seen as a possible turning-point in its tricky alliance with Iran, though analysts say their partnership still has a long way to run.

Here is a look over major events in the turbulent presidency of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013 and vying for re-election on Sunday.

- Takes over from Chavez -In March 2013 Hugo Chavez -- Venezuela's leader since 1999 and initiator of its socialist-inspired "Bolivarian revolution" -- dies of cancer.