Horst Koehler, former German president from 2004 to 2010 and a respected global policymaker with a particular interest in Africa, died on Saturday after a short illness at the age of 81, the federal presidential office said in a statement.
Born in 1943 in German-occupied Poland, Koehler spent most of his early years living in refugee camps with his family before settling in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg.
A trained economist and member of the Christian Democrats, Koehler rose to the position of deputy finance minister under ex-Chancellor Helmut Kohl, playing a key role in bringing the West German mark to East Germany after communist rule collapsed in 1990.
Koehler became managing director of the International Monetary Fund in 2000, a post he held for four years before being nominated for president in 2004.
As president, he was not afraid to defy the government, dissolving parliament in 2005 to call new elections and accusing then-Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2007 of not preparing the country sufficiently for globalisation.
But he stepped down a year into his second term after he was criticised for stating in a radio interview that foreign military action by the German army also served the country's economic interests.
Still, despite being a largely unknown figure before assuming the presidency, Koehler quickly proved himself in opinion polls to be one of Germany's most popular political figures.
"It was his belief in the strength of our country and in the energy and creativity of its people that allowed him to win so many hearts," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement on Saturday.
Türkiye and Germany reaffirm cooperation on Syria, Gaza, and Ukraine, with Erdogan stressing peace efforts and Steinmeier backing a two-state solution while rejecting Trump's Gaza relocation proposal.
Protests erupted in Berlin against the far-right coincided with an AfD campaign event in Halle, as tensions rise over potential CDU-AfD coalition talks ahead of next month’s elections.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Elon Musk for using his media influence to interfere in global affairs and support far-right movements, expressing concern over its impact on democracy in Europe.
Germany's opposition leader Friedrich Merz vows to build 50 gas-fired power plants to tackle energy challenges if elected chancellor, citing wind power shortfalls and nuclear plant closures.
A deadly explosion at a chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu County early this morning has resulted in two fatalities and 19 injuries. The blast, believed to have been triggered by a gas leak, occurred at the Far Eastern New Century Corp plant in Sinpu Township around 3 a.m
A major fire erupted near Istanbul’s historic Spice Bazaar in the Eminonu district on Thursday, quickly spreading to nearby buildings. Emergency teams, including firefighters and medical personnel, were dispatched to control the blaze and ensure public safety.
DeepSeek has temporarily suspended API service top-ups, a platform that allows developers of other models to integrate its AI models, due to server resource constraints, its website showed Thursday.
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the Constitutional Court on Thursday for the sixth hearing in his impeachment case. The court will decide whether to permanently remove him from office or reinstate him.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport has released the preliminary report on the investigation on Azerbaijan Airlines's flight J2-8243's tragic crash. Read excerpts from the report and watch AnewZ's complete coverage.
The U.S. has officially entered a new trade war. President Donald Trump has slapped 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on China, citing immigration and drug trafficking concerns. The move has immediate consequences for businesses and consumers—so what happens next?
Over a hundred demonstrators gathered in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Monday, rallying in support of the Immigrant Trust Act. The proposed legislation aims to protect immigrants from deportation and expand their access to public services.
A deadly explosion at a chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu County early this morning has resulted in two fatalities and 19 injuries. The blast, believed to have been triggered by a gas leak, occurred at the Far Eastern New Century Corp plant in Sinpu Township around 3 a.m
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the Constitutional Court on Thursday for the sixth hearing in his impeachment case. The court will decide whether to permanently remove him from office or reinstate him.
Widespread protests continue across the U.S. with hundreds gathering outside Los Angeles City Hall on Wednesday and nationwide. Demonstrators are against President Donald Trump’s executive orders, including his immigration crackdown, rollback of transgender rights, as well as his proposal for Gaza.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei declared that he would follow the United States in withdrawing from the World Health Organization due to “profound differences in health management, especially due to the pandemic, which led us to the longest confinement in the history of humanity.”
A deadly explosion at a chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu County early this morning has resulted in two fatalities and 19 injuries. The blast, believed to have been triggered by a gas leak, occurred at the Far Eastern New Century Corp plant in Sinpu Township around 3 a.m
A major fire erupted near Istanbul’s historic Spice Bazaar in the Eminonu district on Thursday, quickly spreading to nearby buildings. Emergency teams, including firefighters and medical personnel, were dispatched to control the blaze and ensure public safety.
DeepSeek has temporarily suspended API service top-ups, a platform that allows developers of other models to integrate its AI models, due to server resource constraints, its website showed Thursday.
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the Constitutional Court on Thursday for the sixth hearing in his impeachment case. The court will decide whether to permanently remove him from office or reinstate him.
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