Skip to Main content

22.94°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

May 6, 2025 4:56 PM - Connect Newsroom

Friedrich Merz elected as Germany's new chancellor

Share On

friedrich-merz-elected-as-germanys-new-chancellor

This was the first time in German history that a candidate for the position of chancellor had failed to secure a majority in the first round.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, has been elected as Germany's new chancellor in the second round of voting in parliament. In the first round of voting, he missed the 316 votes needed to win by 6 votes.

This was the first time in German history that a candidate for the position of chancellor had failed to secure a majority in the first round. A total of 325 MPs voted in favor of Merz in the second round of voting in parliament, which allowed him to cross the required 316.

With the election of 69-year-old Friedrich Merz as Germany's new chancellor, the threat of re-election has been averted.

Latest news

defence-minister-says-cost-of-trumps-proposed-missile-defence-project-still-unknown

CanadaMay 28, 2025

Defence minister says cost of Trump's proposed missile defence project still unknown

Defence Minister David McGuinty says that Canada still doesn't know what it would cost to join U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defence program. On Tuesday, in a social media post, Trump said it would cost Canada $61 billion to join as a sovereign country but nothing at all if it became a U.S. state. Trump claimed that Canada is "considering the offer." When asked about Trump's comments, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he won't negotiate in public. Trump announced plans for a complex missile defence system modelled after Israel's "Iron Dome" earlier this month and c

b-c-minimum-wage-increases-to-17-85-on-june-1

B.C. minimum wage increases to $17.85 on June 1

B.C.’s minimum wage will increase to $17.85 per hour on Sunday. It is currently $17.40, a 45-cent increase, or 2.6 per cent, from the current rate. The minimum wage also applies to residential caregivers, live-in support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based delivery and ride-hailing workers. The government said in a press release Wednesday that this is the fourth consecutive year that the annual minimum wage has been increased to take inflation into account. The government says B.C. has the highest minimum wage among Canadian provinces, after Yukon and Nunavut. In Yukon and Nunavut,

senior-akali-leader-sukhdev-singh-dhindsa-is-no-more

IndiaMay 28, 2025

Senior Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa is no more

Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, one of the stalwart leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal, has passed away. He was 89 years old. According to the information received, he had been ill for some time and was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Mohali, where he breathed his last today. He was honored with the Padma Bhushan award in 2019. Dhindsa has had a long political journey with the late Parkash Singh Badal. He entered the Punjab Vidhan Sabha after winning the election as an independent candidate in 1972, after which he joined the Shiromani Akali Dal under the leadership of Harchand Singh Longowal. H

two-men-convicted-after-migrants-froze-to-death-on-canada-u-s-border-face-sentencing

CanadaMay 28, 2025

Two men convicted after migrants froze to death on Canada-U.S. border face sentencing

Two men are to be sentenced today for their role in a human smuggling operation that saw a family of four freeze to death on the Canada-U.S. border south of Winnipeg. Harshkumar Patel and Steve Shand were convicted last fall on four charges related to bringing people illegally into the United States and transporting them. Court was told during one operation in January of 2022, a couple from India and their two children were left to walk across the border in an overnight blizzard on the bald prairie, as temperatures dropped below -20 C. Prosecutors say Patel organized the logistics while Shand

mexican-president-says-she-hasnt-decided-whether-to-attend-g7-summit

CanadaMay 28, 2025

Mexican president says she hasn't decided whether to attend G7 summit

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says Canada has invited her to attend the G7 leaders' summit next month in Alberta but she hasn't decided yet if she'll attend. At her press briefing this morning, Sheinbaum said she has not confirmed her attendance at the upcoming summit in Kananaskis, Alta. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend the summit, along with other leaders from the group of advanced, democratic economies, such as France and Japan. Ottawa also has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the summit, which runs from June 15 to June 17. Canada was supposed to host the

Related News

King Charles says in historic throne speech "the true North is indeed strong and free"

King Charles says in historic throne speech "the true North is indeed strong and free"

King Charles says Prime Minister Mark Carney's government vows to protect Canadian sovereignty by building up the military and redefining the relationship with the U-S. The King read the throne speech in Ottawa today to officially open Parliament. He finished his address by saying -- quote -- ``As the anthem reminds us, the true North is indeed strong and free.' The speech confirmed that Canada will join the ReArm Europe plan -- a major defence procurement project to ramp up arms production in Europe. The move could reduce Canada's reliance on the United States as a source of military

Trump administration issues another warning to international students

Trump administration issues another warning to international students

The Trump administration has issued another warning to international students, stating that dropping out or skipping classes or leaving your course without informing the school may result in the cancellation of the student visa and your possibility of getting a visa for the US in the future may also be canceled. It is worth noting that the Trump administration is getting stricter about US visa rules and new instructions are being issued every day for visa conditions, due to which many students going to study in the US are at risk of being sent back to their countries. A few days ago, the Tru

Driver arrested after car plows into celebrating Liverpool fans

Driver arrested after car plows into celebrating Liverpool fans

A driver was arrested Monday after plowing into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans who had been celebrating the city soccer team’s Premier League championship, police said. Merseyside Police said they were investigating reports that multiple pedestrians had been hit. A video on social media appeared to show a gray minivan strike at least one pedestrian and then veer into a larger crowd of people, carving a path through the group and pushing bodies along the street like a plow before coming to a stop. Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, said the car began

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital