Germany's Merkel re-elected as conservative party leader

BERLIN, Dec 6:  Chancellor Angela Merkel has won a new two-year term as leader of Germany's main conservative party after stressing her determination to prevent a repeat of last year's huge migrant influx.

Merkel ran unopposed Tuesday for the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union — the springboard for her run for a fourth term as chancellor in next year's German election. She won 89.5 percent of delegates' votes at a congress in the western city of Essen — solid though short of the 96.7 percent she won two years ago.

The vote came after a speech in which Merkel struck a decidedly conservative note, telling members that she wants to stem the influx of migrants, speed up deportations and ban face-covering veils where possible.