Chancellor Angela Merkel has targeted the centre-left favourite in the race to succeed her, in what is likely to be her final appearance before MPs. In a bid to bolster her own party’s candidate ahead of Germany’s 26 September elections, the outgoing leader was bitterly critical of Olaf Scholz, whose SPD is leading the polls.

Mrs Merkel warned that a vote for his party could let in the far left. “Germany faces a choice of direction,” she said.

Voters had two options, she said: either a government made up of the centre-left and the Greens “which accepts the support of the left-wing party, or at least doesn’t exclude it”, or a conservative-led government with her party’s candidate Armin Laschet as head. “That is exactly what Germany needs,” she told the Bundestag, weeks before the end of her 16 years as chancellor. A Laschet government stood for stability, reliability, moderation and centrality, she contended. (BBC)…[+]

El Salvador has become the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender in a move that has got the nation and the world debating the opportunities and dangers of cryptocurrency. From today, businesses will be obliged where possible to accept the controversial digital coins as payment. Millions of people are expected to download the government’s new digital wallet app which gives away $30 (£22) in Bitcoin to every citizen. Bitcoin fans around the world have been buying $30 worth of the digital coins as a show of support and to help boost the value of the volatile currency.(BBC)…[+]

Six minor girls in central India were stripped and paraded naked as part of a village ritual to summon rains. The incident took place in a drought-parched village in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh state. Videos that went viral on social media reportedly showed young girls walking naked with a wooden shaft on their shoulders which had a frog tied to it. Locals believe the ritual will appease the rain god and bring rainfall to the region. India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a report from the administration of Damoh district, where the village is located. The Madhya Pradesh police said they had not received any formal complaint against the event, but added that they had opened an investigation.(BBC)…[+]