Germany on guard against election hacks, fake news

Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader, looks on during an election campaign rally in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Merkel urged German voters to keep the political center strong in Sunday's election, suggesting concern about polls showing gains by the left and right fringes at the expense of the two biggest parties. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

BERLIN: As the clock ticks down to elections Sunday, Germany’s cyber defence nervously hopes it’ll be third time lucky after Russia was accused of meddling in the US and French votes. 

But even if Berlin avoids a last-minute bombshell of leaks or online sabotage, it sees Moscow’s hand in fanning fears of Muslim migrants that are driving the rise of the hard-right.