German Chancellor Angela Merkel was scheduled to arrive in Washington late Monday on a visit to hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, and give a speech to the U.S. Congress two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Merkel, making her first trip to the United States since winning a second term in September, will meet with Obama early Tuesday before heading to the U.S. Capitol to deliver her speech, days before Germany marks the 20th anniversary on November 9. The German leader"s talks at the White House are expected to focus on a range of strategic issues, including Afghanistan, Iran, climate change, and financial-market regulation, Merkel"s spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said. --SPA
