What a cracker! Merkel pecked by parrot

BERLIN (AP) — Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel provided a rare splash of color amid Germany’s staid election campaign while visiting a bird park. Merkel posed with half a dozen parrots. Not content with the bird feed on offer, one of the rainbow lorikeets took a peck at the long-time German leader’s hand, prompting a theatrical scream from Merkel. Merkel, who is not running for a fifth term, visited the northeastern state of Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania on Thursday to promote the center-right Union bloc’s candidate in the constituency she has held since 1990. Germany holds a national election Sunday.