Merkel to visit Obama and Canada's Harper to ready G7 summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Washington and Ottawa next week for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the G7 summit that Germany will host in June, Merkel's office said on Monday. The White House confirmed her visit to Washington, saying the two leaders will meet Feb. 9. Obama will host Merkel at the White House, it said in a statement, adding the visit "highlights the importance of U.S.-German cooperation on global affai