Berlin, Dhu-AlQa'dah 16, 1436, Aug 31, 2015, SPA -- Chancellor Angela Merkel called Monday on European Union member states to share the burden of the influx of asylum seekers, warning that failure to forge a common response to the refugee crisis could "ruin" the basis of the European project. "Europe as a whole should take action," Merkel told reporters during her annual press conference with the chancellor also attempting to allay fears in Germany triggered by the surge in asylum seekers arriving in the nation. According to dpa, Germany is expecting about 800,000 asylum seekers this year - about one per cent of its total population - as a result sparking political tensions amid concerns as to the cost of accommodating such as influx of refugees. --SPA 21:55 LOCAL TIME 18:55 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w