Life in the Communist-ruled German Democratic Republic (GDR) was simpler and sometimes could be almost comfortable in a certain way, Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in the former East, told Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
A former communist militant Cesare Battisti has admitted to four murders in Italy during the 1970s, according to local press. Battisti, 64, spent decades on the run and previously denied any involvement. He was arrested in Bolivia in January after living in Brazil, and later extradited to Italy.