Bragging about sexual assault is even more vulgar than many Americans expected from Donald Trump. Since the 2005 recording of Trump was released, dozens of Republican leaders have withdrawn support. Has Hillary Clinton already wrapped up the race for the White House?Our guests:

Alison Smale is the Berlin bureau chief of the New York Times. She says: "I never believed Donald Trump would win. But a lot of things have turned out differently in this election. That's why I am very careful when it comes to predictions."

Ulrike Herrmann is a business editor at the Berlin daily taz. She says: “Trump's problem isn't his sexism. It's that he talked about sex. I can't imagine Trump will be elected President".

Alan Posener is an author and commentator for the daily newspaper Die Welt. He says: “Trump was right: He just said what Bill Clinton did. As this sinks in, Trump might even gain from the episode.”

The mood in Dresden was toxic, when German chancellor Angela Merkel visited the city to mark the 26th anniversary of the coming together of east and west. She said it was a day of joy and gratitude. But, no doubt about it: celebrations to mark the anniversary were badly marred. Our guests: author and academic Johannes Staemmler, Anna Sauerbrey of Der Tagesspiegel and Andreas Kluth of the EconomistOur guests:

Johannes Staemmler - is an author and academic, born in former East-Germany. He says: "Germany is united, but only on the surface.”

Andreas Kluth - is the Germany correspondent of The Economist magazine. He says: "East and West are slowly growing together economically, but they’re growing ever further apart in their psycho-political cultures."

Anna Sauerbrey - is an opinion editor at the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, who also writes for The International New York Times. She says: “We had almost forgotten. But recent attacks and abuse have brought back the ‘ugly East’.”

What do you think? Write to us: quadriga(at)dw.com

Apocalyptic images from Aleppo—massive bombing in residential neighborhoods, thousands trapped in the besieged city. Russia is continuing to support the Syrian regime despite accusations they are committing war crimes. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has called the bombing barbaric.Ban told the Security Council: ‘the Syrian tragedy shames us all.” The US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power said the bombing must stop, and UNICEF is warning that thousands of children are in danger in eastern Aleppo. The violence has reached a new and sickening level of horror.

Why is the international community failing to stop the carnage?

Our Guests:

Usahma Felix Darrah is a German-Syrian activist based in Berlin. He is an expert in Syrian politics, Islamic studies and wrote his thesis about the Assad-Clan. He says: “What is happening in Syria is an abomination. It will continue as long as Barack Obama refuses to exercise strategic leadership.”

Kristin Helberg is a freelance journalist, and an expert on Syria. She says: "Without a proper military balance, there will be no negotiated settlement. The West must protect Syrian civilians, and provide them with supplies. Ideally, they should enlist Russia in support for this effort -- but if they can't, so be it."

Maissun Melhem is a syrian born colleague from Deutsche Welle, She says:

“The real disgrace is not Aleppo -- but the fact that for years, the international community has ignored the suffering of ALL the Syrian people."

Following a fourth straight election setback in just a few months, Angela Merkel has been showing some emotion. She has even admitted to making mistakes. But how credible is the chancellor’s change of tone? Is it perhaps just an election strategy?

Following a fourth straight election setback in just a few months, Angela Merkel has been showing some emotion. She has even admitted to making mistakes. But how credible is the chancellor’s change of tone? Is it perhaps just an election strategy?

There has been growing discontent in the ranks of Merkel’s conservative CDU party. Ahead of next year’s national election, critics have been asking whether the chancellor has lost her winning touch. Among her biggest opponents is Horst Seehofer, nominally one of her allies. He’s the head of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU.

Possibly the biggest challenge facing Angela Merkel and her party is to win over the 67 per cent of voters who, according to one poll, believe that the CDU no longer has the concerns of ordinary people at heart.

Meanwhile, the chancellor’s own ratings have been plummeting. Some are asking whether the Merkel era is slowly drawing to a close. So what can the chancellor do to revive her fortunes? And if she were to throw in the towel, who would replace her?

Tell us what you think as: quadriga(at)dw.com

Our guests:

Derek Scally is a correspondent for the Irish Times. He says: “Merkel remains unchallenged inside her party -- for now. But she is wounded if her SPD coalition partners and Left Party make good on their post-election signals to join forces with the Greens for a centre-left coalition to oust the chancellor next year.”

Alan Posener is an author and commentator for the daily newspaper „Die Welt. He says: “Nobody is challenging Merkel's leadership of her party and the country. And indeed, nobody wants her job right now. Why should she be worried?”

Pascale Hugues is a french journalist and author. She says: “Welcome in the club! Angela Merkel is getting a rival on her right like everybody else in Europe."

Turkey has responded to July’s failed coup with a massive crackdown on the media. Nobel-winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk says, "Freedom of thought no longer exists" in Turkey.

Turkey has responded to July’s failed coup with a massive crackdown on the media. Nobel-winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk says, "Freedom of thought no longer exists" in Turkey.

It is also a tough time for international media outlets, including Deutsche Welle. A Deutsche Welle TV-team, led by presenter Michel Friedman, recently conducted an interview with a Turkish cabinet minister - only to have the material confiscated.

But hardest hit are journalists believed to be supporters of either the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen or the outlawed PKK.

Is Ankara, as it claims, merely defending its legitimate interests? Or is Turkey, under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, slowly but surely turning into a dictatorship, as the president’s critics claim?

Tell us what you think as: quadriga(at)dw.com

Our guests:

Michel Friedman works as a lawyer and journalist. He says: “What happened to Deutsche Welle’s team, is a clear indication that press freedom in Turkey is more theory than reality.”

Alan Posener is an author and commentator for the daily newspaper „Die Welt. He says: "In Germany, every interview with a politician subsequently has to be authorized. Therefore we should be careful with our criticism of other countries.”

Gökcen Beyinli is a freelance journalist, a PhD candidate in history at Humboldt University and a collaborator at the University of Oxford. She says: "The press was scarcely free in Turkey before the 15th July coup attempt; now, it is totally under strict control”

It is seen as a slap in the face for Angela Merkel. The election result in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern saw the chancellor’s conservatives slumping into third place – behind the populist right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD).

It is seen as a slap in the face for Angela Merkel. The election result in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern saw the chancellor’s conservatives slumping into third place – behind the populist right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD).

The AfD is certainly on a roll and there is growing concern among Germany’s established parties that the anti-euro, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim party will be a force to be reckoned with at next year’s federal election.

Most AfD voters are fiercely opposed to Chancellor Merkel’s refugee policies. For her part, the chancellor insists that she will be staying on course and has repeated her mantra: ”Wir schaffen das – We can do it!” There are, though, signs that Merkel is running out of the political allies she needs to realize her vision of integrating over a million refugees in Germany.

How Isolated Is Angela Merkel? Tell us what you think: quadriga(at)dw.com

Our guests:

Ulrike Herrmann is a business editor at the Berlin daily taz. She says: „The AfD has peaked. The greater danger for Angela Merkel is her own party."

Malte Lehming is the opinion editor at Der Tagesspiegel newspaper. He thinks: "Merkel is going to have to deal with people's concerns about her refugee policy. Otherwise, the upcoming federal election will be a disaster for her party."

Janosch Delcker has reported on the Mecklenburg election for Politico. He believes: “Merkel could have seen it coming: For months, her critics have waited for an opportunity like last weekend's state election to undermine her position."

Germany has been shaken by a wave of brutal attacks. The pressure is mounting on Chancellor Angela Merkel to explain how she plans to protect the German people.