Syrian, Pakistanis attacked in Germany amid tension

Thousands at far-right rally in city of Leipzig against Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy

A string of attacks on women in Cologne on New Year's Eve blamed largely on foreigners was "intolerable", German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Monday, but added nothing excuses retaliatory assaults on immigrants.

Merkel has proposed making it easier to deport immigrants involved in crimes, and her spokesman Steffen Seibert emphasized the government is looking into both "possible consequences for criminal law (and) possible political consequences for the intolerable crimes".