Syrian foreign minister meets U.S. officials in Washington
U.S. Treasury and State Department officials held talks on Thursday in Washington with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, the Treasury ...
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed he will run for a second term in the upcoming snap elections after his Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, ruled himself out. The decision brings some clarity, but leaves the SPD with its most unpopular chancellor in record time.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to run for a second term in the upcoming snap elections after his popular Defence Minister Boris Pistorius – a possible replacement – ruled himself out of the running on Thursday. The news provided some relief after weeks of uncertainty about whether Pistorius would step forward, with the elections just months away on 23rd February.
But it leaves the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) with Germany's most unpopular chancellor on record as their candidate at a time when the party is already trailing in third place behind the opposition conservatives and the far-right.
"I have just informed our party and parliamentary group leaders that I will not be standing as a candidate for the office of federal chancellor," Pistorius said in a video posted to SPD social media channels on Thursday evening. "This is my sovereign, personal and entirely personal decision."
Traditionally, the incumbent chancellor would always be in pole position to lead his or her party into the next election – former Chancellor Angela Merkel won four consecutive terms for the conservatives. But the stark difference in popularity between the diffident Scholz and Pistorius, Germany's most popular politician since he stepped onto the national stage as defence minister two years ago, had raised doubts about whether this was the best course of action.
Even within the SPD, a majority favoured Pistorius running for chancellor over Scholz, who earlier this month oversaw the collapse of his fractious three-way coalition over differences about how to revive the ailing economy.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
U.S. Treasury and State Department officials held talks on Thursday in Washington with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, the Treasury Department announced.
European powers will likely reimpose international sanctions on Iran by the end of the month after their latest round of talks with Tehran aimed at preventing them were deemed not serious, France's President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
Police have identified the suspect who fatally shot three officers in southern Pennsylvania as 24-year-old Matthew James Ruth, who was already wanted on stalking charges.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday that Britain "fiercely" protects free speech, but when it was used to incite real harm to children and vulnerable people there was a limit.
Canada's government is sending more asylum-seekers hoping to file claims in Canada back to the U.S. under a bilateral pact, even as the U.S. says it may deport them to third countries.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment