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4 candidates want to be Germany’s next chancellor. Who are they?

4 candidates want to be Germany’s next chancellor. Who are they?
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, top candidate for chancellor of Germany's Social Democratic SPD party, Green Party's main candidate and German Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, Friedrich Merz, main candidate and chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), co-leader and main candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel. (AFP)
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Updated 18 February 2025
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4 candidates want to be Germany’s next chancellor. Who are they?

4 candidates want to be Germany’s next chancellor. Who are they?
  • The country has the largest population - 84 million - and the biggest economy in Europe with a GDP of $4.5trn
  • Ahead of the German election, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is in second place in opinion polls
Updated 18 February 2025
AP
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BERLIN: Four candidates are bidding to be Germany’s next leader in Sunday’s election. The would-be chancellors are the incumbent, the opposition leader, the current vice chancellor and — for the first time — a leader of a far-right party.
Olaf Scholz
The 66-year-old has been Germany’s chancellor since December 2021. The center-left Social Democrat has a wealth of government experience, having previously served as Hamburg’s mayor and as German labor and finance minister. As chancellor, he quickly found himself dealing with unexpected crises. He launched an effort to modernize Germany’s military after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and made Germany Ukraine’s second-biggest weapons supplier. His government prevented an energy crunch and tried to counter high inflation. But his three-party coalition became notorious for infighting and collapsed in November as it argued over how to revitalize the economy — Europe’s biggest, which has shrunk for the past two years.
Friedrich Merz
Germany’s 69-year-old opposition leader has been the front-runner in the election campaign, with his center-right Union bloc leading polls. He became the leader of his Christian Democratic Union party after longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel — a former rival — stepped down in 2021. Merz has taken his party in a more conservative direction. In the election campaign, he has made curbing irregular migration a central issue. Merz lacks experience in government. He joined the European Parliament in 1989 before becoming a lawmaker in Germany five years later. He took a break from active politics for several years after 2009, practicing as a lawyer and heading the supervisory board of investment manager BlackRock’s German branch.
Robert Habeck
The 55-year-old is the candidate of the environmentalist Greens. He’s also Germany’s current vice chancellor and the economy and climate minister, with responsibility for energy issues. As co-leader of the Greens from 2018 to 2022, he presided over a rise in the party’s popularity, but in 2021 he stepped aside to let Annalena Baerbock — now Germany’s foreign minister — make her first run for the chancellor’s job. Habeck’s record as a minister has drawn mixed reviews, particularly a plan his ministry drew up to replace fossil-fuel heating systems with greener alternatives that deepened divisions in the government.
Alice Weidel
The 46-year-old is making the first bid of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, for the country’s top job. An economist by training, Weidel joined the party shortly after it was founded in 2013. She has been co-leader of her party’s parliamentary group since the party first won seats in the national legislature in 2017. She has been a co-leader of the party itself since 2022, along with Tino Chrupalla. In December, she was nominated as the candidate for chancellor — though other parties say they won’t work with the AfD, so she has no realistic path to the top job at present.

Al-Habtoor Group chairman to lead high-level delegation to Syria, exploring investment opportunities

Al-Habtoor Group chairman to lead high-level delegation to Syria, exploring investment opportunities
Updated 3 min 41 sec ago
Miguel Hadchity
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Al-Habtoor Group chairman to lead high-level delegation to Syria, exploring investment opportunities

Al-Habtoor Group chairman to lead high-level delegation to Syria, exploring investment opportunities
Updated 3 min 41 sec ago
Miguel Hadchity

RIYADH: The head of Dubai conglomerate Al-Habtoor Group is set to visit Syria with a delegation of senior executives to discuss potential investments and partnerships with the new government.

According to a statement, the visit reflects the group’s ongoing strategy to explore new avenues of cooperation with the Syrian government and to assess potential investment opportunities across multiple sectors. 

It added that the trip stems from “a firm belief” in Syria’s ability to recover its strength and regional standing and the importance of public-private partnerships in the country’s rebuilding phase.

The move comes as Syria’s transitional government, led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, pushes economic reforms to attract foreign investment, including privatizations, relaxed trade policies, and major infrastructure deals. 

Speaking ahead of the trip, the group’s Chairman Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor said: “Syria is a country rich in culture, history, and capable people. We believe in its future potential and are eager to play a role in its revival through meaningful projects that generate employment.”  

He added: “We look to Syria with great confidence. Its people possess the energy and resilience needed to shape a strong and prosperous future. As an Arab group with deep regional roots, we consider it both a moral and economic responsibility to stand as a partner in rebuilding stable and thriving societies.”

Al-Habtoor Group, a UAE-based multinational with a strong presence in the hospitality, real estate, and automotive industries, has a history of large-scale investments in the Middle East. The move follows the organization’s recent withdrawal from Lebanon, where it cited instability as a barrier to business.

Topics: Al-Habtoor Group Syria

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Cynthia Erivo wears Ashi Studio at Tony Awards

Cynthia Erivo wears Ashi Studio at Tony Awards
Updated 10 min 8 sec ago
Arab News
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Cynthia Erivo wears Ashi Studio at Tony Awards

Cynthia Erivo wears Ashi Studio at Tony Awards
  • Show’s major highlight sees cast of hit musical ‘Hamilton’ reunited
Updated 10 min 8 sec ago
Arab News

DUBAI: British singer-songwriter and actor Cynthia Erivo picked Saudi-helmed Parisian label Ashi Studio for two of her electrifying looks as she hosted the 2025 Tony Awards, the annual ceremony celebrating the best in Broadway theater, held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Erivo’s first Ashi Studio look featured an oversized black coat dress dotted with bedazzled details, which she wore over black pants and a tube top.

Her second look was a black and gold snakeskin-print tailored trench coat with voluminous sleeves and an oversized collar, cinched by a fitted corset from the SS25 Ashi Studio collection. She wore the look to welcome Auli'i Cravalho to the stage.

“Maybe Happy Ending,” “Purpose,” “Sunset Blvd.” and “Eureka Day” took the top prizes at the awards, winning best musical, best play, best musical revival, and best play revival, respectively.

The ceremony also saw Sarah Snook (“The Picture of Dorian Gray”), Cole Escola (“Oh, Mary!”), Darren Criss (“Maybe Happy Ending”), and Nicole Scherzinger (“Sunset Blvd.”) win the lead acting awards for plays (Snook and Escola) and musicals (Criss and Scherzinger).

“Maybe Happy Ending” won a total of six awards after going into the night tied with “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Death Becomes Her” for the most nominations, with 10 apiece.

“Buena Vista Social Club” won four awards, while “Death Becomes Her” only took home one trophy, for Paul Tazewell’s costume design, which was presented in the “Tony Awards: Act One” pre-show.

Amal and George Clooney at the 2025 Tony Awards. (AFP)

Also in attendance at the event as British Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, along with actor-husband George Clooney. The couple’s arrival at the Tonys came hours after George closed his record-breaking Broadway show, “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Amal wore an off-the-shoulder white gown with strands of pearls draped across the fabric, which she accessorized with a matching clutch.

A major highlight of the show saw the cast of the hit musical “Hamilton” reunited for a special performance in honor of its 10th anniversary.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CBS (@cbstv)

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of the Tony-winning show, was joined by more than two dozen members of the original cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Anthony Ramos, Christopher Jackson, Jonathan Groff, and Ariana DeBose.

The performance began with Miranda and Odom Jr. performing a snippet from the song “Non-Stop.” The show continued with a medley of tracks from the “Hamilton” score, including “My Shot,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” “You’ll Be Back,” “The Room Where it Happens” and “History Has Its Eyes on You.”

Topics: Cynthia Erivo 2025 Tony Awards Amal Clooney

Brushstrokes on a budget: How Islamabad Sunday Bazaar stall became thriving art academy

Brushstrokes on a budget: How Islamabad Sunday Bazaar stall became thriving art academy
Updated 24 min 55 sec ago
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Brushstrokes on a budget: How Islamabad Sunday Bazaar stall became thriving art academy

Brushstrokes on a budget: How Islamabad Sunday Bazaar stall became thriving art academy
  • Husband and wife Azhar and Shagufta Qureshi run Knowledge Art Academy from Itwar Bazaar stall 
  • Students at the school range from ages 5 to 81 and can get classes for nominal three-month fee of $12
Updated 24 min 55 sec ago
UROOSA JADOON

ISLAMABAD: Several works of Islamic calligraphy, landscape art and whirling dervish paintings hung on the walls of the stall while around a dozen students sat bent over canvases while husband and wife duo Azhar Qureshi and Shagufta watched over them.

The scene is from the Knowledge Art Academy, located in a quiet corner between a long row of stalls at Islamabad’s Sunday, or Itwar, Bazaar, a popular spot for the capital city’s middle classes who come for the affordable shopping and to buy used and cheap items. 

Here, nestled between toys, crockery and ceramics kiosks, the Knowledge Art Academy, a tin roof supported by wooden sticks, offers art classes at the affordable price of around $12 for three months of lessons. 

The teachers are Shagufta and Qureshi, who has a fine arts diploma from Lahore, and has been running the academy for the past 14 years, offering an attractive alternative to pricey art schools in Islamabad.

“Our aim was to start this so that people who are interested in art can easily join our classes,” Shagufta told Arab News at the stall. “Our fee is also very reasonable. Art is a very expensive hobby which not everyone can afford. Since people from all backgrounds come here, that’s why we opted to arrange our setup here.”

Azhar Qureshi (left) poses for Arab News in his art school, Knowledge Art Academy, in Islamabad's Sunday bazaar on May 30, 2025. (AN Photo) 

The academy has students ranging from age five to those in their eighties.

“I was interested in learning how to paint,” Zamad Ahmed, a second year intermediate student who attends the academy with his 15-year-old sister Fatima, told Arab News. “But due to affordability I never learned it. But after my mother stumbled upon this place, I knew I had to attend it.”

Another student is Abdul Bari, an 81-year-old retired bank manager, who visits the academy weekly to pursue his passion for Islamic calligraphy.

“After retiring as a bank manager and marrying off my kids, I have been coming here for a year-and-a-half to learn from the maestro himself,” Bari said. 

“It has been 1.5 to 2 years that I have come here to learn. I am retired so I come here to spend time, and by the grace of Allah, I have learned a lot from here also.”

“HEALTHY ACTIVITY”

Art schools in Pakistan, particularly those offering undergraduate programs, can be quite expensive, with some institutions charging upwards of $2,500 per year for tuition alone. The National College of Arts (NCA) is a notable example of a public university that offers art programs and has relatively high tuition fees. Other expenses, such as accommodation and transportation, can further contribute to the overall cost of attending art school in Pakistan. 

This attracts many to the low-cost Knowledge Art Academy. 

Azhar Qureshi (left) poses for Arab News in his art school, Knowledge Art Academy, in Islamabad's Sunday bazaar on May 30, 2025. (AN Photo) 

A middle-aged corporate professional who only identified himself by his first name Ijaz said he had admitted his three daughters to the academy so they could do something “productive” during their summer vacations at an affordable price. 

“We have come to generate healthy activities for them,” he said. “Rather than sitting at home and wasting time on gadgets, on mobile or watching movies. I just want to generate some healthy activity so that they can learn something.”

While Qureshi said he had received various offers from prestigious art schools and institutions, he was committed to remain focused on his humble setup.

“I’ve even been told to move to a proper building or classroom and teach from there,” Qureshi said. “But that would increase the fees and affect my students who come here to follow their passion. I don’t want to disturb them.”

And his dedication has borne fruit, with several of his students pursuing fine arts formally while others have become art teachers and freelance artists.
 
Rabiya Noureen, 34, who learnt to paint at the Knowledge Art Academy, now runs her own classes. 

“I learned painting from here and now have my own academy,” she said. “Now, my students even take commissioned painting work and earn money.”

Topics: Islamabad’s Sunday Bazaar

Israel ultra-Orthodox party threatens government over draft law

Israel ultra-Orthodox party threatens government over draft law
Updated 39 min 6 sec ago
AFP
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Israel ultra-Orthodox party threatens government over draft law

Israel ultra-Orthodox party threatens government over draft law
Updated 39 min 6 sec ago
AFP

JERUSALEM: Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party on Monday threatened to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government by backing a motion for early elections amid a row over military service.
Netanyahu’s coalition, one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history, is at risk of collapsing over a bill that could reverse the long-standing exemption from the draft for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The exemption is facing growing pushback as Israel wages war on Palestinian Islamist militants Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu is under pressure from within his Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on draft dodgers — a red line for Shas.
The party is demanding legislation to permanently exempt its followers from military service and gave Netanyahu two days to find a solution.
“We don’t want to bring down a right-wing government, but we’ve reached our limit,” Shas spokesperson Asher Medina told public radio.
“If there’s no last-minute solution (on conscription), we’ll vote to dissolve the Knesset,” he said, referring to the Israeli parliament.
Last week, a Shas source told AFP the party was threatening to quit the coalition unless a solution was reached by Monday.
The opposition is seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday’s plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt to topple the government.
Netanyahu’s coalition, formed in December 2022, includes Likud, far-right factions and ultra-Orthodox parties. A walkout by the latter would end its majority.
A poll published in March by right-wing daily Israel Hayom found 85 percent of Israeli Jews support changing the conscription law for Haredim.
Forty-one percent backed compulsory military service — currently 32 months for men — for all eligible members of the community.

Topics: War on Gaza Israel

Pakistan economy to grow 2.7 percent in FY25, economic survey shows

Pakistan economy to grow 2.7 percent in FY25, economic survey shows
Updated 46 min 1 sec ago
Reuters
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Pakistan economy to grow 2.7 percent in FY25, economic survey shows

Pakistan economy to grow 2.7 percent in FY25, economic survey shows
  • The government initially targeted 3.6 percent GDP growth, but lowered it last month
  • Pakistan’s finance chief says the national economy is on an upward trajectory
Updated 46 min 1 sec ago
Reuters

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy is likely to expand 2.7 percent in the fiscal year ending June 2025 after growing 2.5 percent during the previous year, the government’s economic survey showed on Monday, a day before the country’s federal budget is unveiled.

The government initially targeted 3.6 percent GDP growth, but lowered it to 2.7 percent last month. The IMF expects real GDP to grow by 2.6 percent in FY25 and for the economy to grow 3.6 percent in FY26.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government aims for 4.2 percent GDP growth next year, the country’s planning minister said last week, amid competing priorities, including stimulating investment, maintaining a primary surplus, and managing defense expenditure amid heightened tensions with India.

Pakistan’s central bank, in a bid to encourage growth, cut its policy rate by more than 1,000 basis points in the current fiscal year. Its latest cut last month brought the key rate to 11 percent, resuming an easing cycle that had brought rates down from 22 percent after a brief pause in March.

Pakistan had a current account surplus of $1.9 billion in the July to April period of the current fiscal year compared to a deficit of $200 million in the same period last year, the survey showed.

“Pakistan’s economy has been globally acknowledged for achieving macroeconomic stabilization in the outgoing fiscal year,” Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in his foreword to the survey.

“Pakistan is consistently advancing on an upward trajectory, built upon investment friendly reforms, enhanced domestic savings, and increased foreign direct investment, with GDP growth projected at 5.7 percent over the medium term,” he said.

The economic survey, a key pre-budget document, comes at a time when Pakistan’s economy is stabilizing but remains fragile as the country navigates reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program.

Pakistan’s federal budget for the next fiscal year starting July will be released on Tuesday.

The government’s total revenue for the first three quarters of the current year stood at 13.37 trillion rupees, the survey showed.

Increasing revenue to trim the fiscal deficit, a key demand of the IMF program, is considered challenging for Islamabad.

Other key performance indicators mentioned in the economic survey include fiscal deficit at 2.6 percent of GDP during the first three quarters of the fiscal year.

Inflation was seen at 4.6 percent for the year.

Topics: Pakistan Economic Survey

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