BBC news with Jerry Smit. The German chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed that she will seek a fourth term in office in next year's election, bringing months of speculation to an end. She told her CDU party it will be a tough challenge at the time of the stark polarization in society and promised battle for democratic values. Voting has ended in a primary election in France to choose a presidential candidate for the centre right opposition party the Republicans. There has been a very hard turnout. The moderate former prime minister Alain Jupp and two more right wingers Nicolas Sarkozy and Franois Fillon appeared to be leading contenders. The US president-elect Donald Trump is meeting more potential members of his cabinet in his golf club in New Jersy. One of those who is considered as general James Martins, who is a leading contender to become the next secretary of defense. President Obama has briefly met president Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru for the first time since the election of Donald Trump. The White House said Mr Obama had urged Mr Putin to try to diminish the violence in Syria. As fighting continues for controlling the Northern Syrian city Aleppo, the government in Demascus has rejected the latest the United Nations’ truce proposal. The Syrian Foreign Minister has opposed the plan, under which Eastern Aleppo would remain under rebel control as jihadist fighters withdrew. Voting is taking place in Haiti to elect president, more than two dozen candidates survive to succeed the former president Michel Martelly who left office in Feburary. It's concerned that last month's devastating hurricane could weaken turnout. Officials and activists in Lybia say that a deadly clash between tribes has been set off by a pet monkey. Reports say a monkey belonging to members of one tribe attacked a group of school girls belonging to another, sparking four days of fighting. BBC news.