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.
President Ilham Aliyev met Michael Harms, Chairman of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy, to discuss expanding Azerbaijan-Germany economic relations and the signing of a joint economic projects roadmap.
Germany has dismissed Russian accusations of warmongering, defending its support for Ukraine’s missile development as a stand for international law.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Germany’s direct involvement in the war is already "evident," responding to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remarks supporting long-range strikes by Ukraine.
Germany will deliver an additional €5 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the country’s defense ministry announced on Wednesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with top German officials in Berlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Ukraine and Germany had reached new agreements on defence sector investments.
In a landmark moment for artists’ rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long-running dispute over who controls her music.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Friday that COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended for healthy children aged 6 months and older—if their doctors agree.
A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.
Two foreign nationals were indicted Friday in California and Wisconsin for allegedly trying to smuggle sensitive U.S. military technology to China and target an American dissident critical of Beijing.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an accident investigation into SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, which ended with the spacecraft spinning out of control and breaking apart over the Indian Ocean.
AnewZ takes to the streets of Yerevan and Baku to ask a simple yet deeply complex question: How do you see peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan? In the first part of our special report, we hear the hopes, doubts, and scars still shaping people’s perspectives on both sides.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
A car drove into crowds of Liverpool fans celebrating the club’s Premier League title in the city centre on Monday evening, injuring dozens including 4 children. A 53-year-old man believed to be the driver was arrested at the scene.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Kyiv faced a large-scale Russian drone and missile assault overnight, with explosions and gunfire echoing throughout the city, forcing residents to shelter in subway stations.
In a landmark moment for artists’ rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long-running dispute over who controls her music.
A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.
Two foreign nationals were indicted Friday in California and Wisconsin for allegedly trying to smuggle sensitive U.S. military technology to China and target an American dissident critical of Beijing.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an accident investigation into SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, which ended with the spacecraft spinning out of control and breaking apart over the Indian Ocean.
Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned Friday after opposition parties called for his removal over a controversy involving bitcoins donated to the Ministry of Justice.
In a landmark moment for artists’ rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long-running dispute over who controls her music.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Friday that COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended for healthy children aged 6 months and older—if their doctors agree.
A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.
Two foreign nationals were indicted Friday in California and Wisconsin for allegedly trying to smuggle sensitive U.S. military technology to China and target an American dissident critical of Beijing.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an accident investigation into SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, which ended with the spacecraft spinning out of control and breaking apart over the Indian Ocean.
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