Berlin's embattled mayor Klaus Wowereit to quit

Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit has said he will step down on 11 December amid an ongoing row over the city's new airport.

As mayor of the German capital since 2001, he was credited with giving it a "poor, but sexy" brand internationally.

Mr Wowereit, a Social Democrat, was widely popular but his reputation was tarnished by the debacle over the opening of Berlin-Brandenburg airport.

The airport was due to be inaugurated in late 2011 but it is still not open.

Mr Wowereit, 60, still had two years of his term to serve and it is not yet clear who will replace him.

He told a news conference in Berlin that he was leaving the post of his own "free will".

"I'm proud that I have made a contribution to the city's positive development," he said.

(BBC News)

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