The race to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel is heating up after both leaders of the two parties that make up her conservative alliance put themselves forwards. Mrs Merkel, leader since 2005, is set to stand down at September’s election. Markus Söder, who is Bavaria’s premier, said on Sunday he was prepared to be the candidate if he had the support of the conservatives elsewhere in Germany. His rival is Armin Laschet who had already said he would stand. Mr Laschet is the recently elected leader of Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and current premier of Germany’s most populous state. Mr Söder heads the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU.(BBC)…[+]