computer hackers who could attack Europe from anywhere, including from inside the US.

The US president took aim at his French counterpart again on Tuesday, blasting France over its record in two world wars, its wine industry and Mr Macron's approval ratings.

Ms Merkel said such an armed forces would not undermine the US-led military alliance NATO but could be complementary to it.

Her remarks drew loud applause but also boos from nationalist members.

She also called for the creation of a European security council.

First proposed in the 1950s and taken up four years ago by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in response to fraying EU unity, an EU armed forces is seen as strengthening the global power of the bloc.

Additional reporting by agenciesComment: A series of tweets by HTS commander Atrash called on rebel groups to dissolve and join an opposition interim government, angering many hardliners, writes Mona Alami.

Fresh debate among members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on the issue of the Syrian interim government has triggered a wave of criticism from former hardliner members, such as HTS' mother organisation, the Nusra Front.



The debate attests to the swift evolution and the "Syrianisation" of al-Qaeda's former subsidiary, positioned as an unavoidable player on the northern war theatre.

When the Nusra Front (JN) decoupled from al-Qaeda last August, rebranding itself as Jabhat Fateh Sham, and then as HTS, contenders called it a hoax. Yet various indicators showed otherwise, as underscored in this article published at the time.

Last week, a comment by the HTS