Volcano forces German Chancellor Merkel to divert

Air travel disruption caused by an Icelandic volcano prompted Chancellor Angela Merkel's plane to divert to Portugal on Friday as she flew home from a US visit.

Merkel had been scheduled to land Friday afternoon in Berlin after a trip to Washington and California, but both Berlin airports were closed.

Her plane landed in Lisbon instead because of airspace restrictions and weather conditions, the government said.

It added that the government plane won't be able to continue its journey until Saturday lunchtime because of rules stipulating breaks for the flight crew. Merkel was to stay at a Lisbon hotel overnight.

Germany's international airports - with the exception of Munich - were expected to remain closed until 8 a.m. Saturday (0600GMT), German air traffic control said.