BERLIN— Angela Merkel's political farewell was spoiled Sunday night when the Social Democrats (SPD) narrowly claimed victory in Germany's elections, just four years after suffering their worst loss since World War II.
Why it matters: The stunning political comeback could swing the balance of power in Germany leftward after 16 years of rule by Merkel's conservative bloc, and it could lay the groundwork for a more ambitious European Union.
Cuba has started commercial exports of its coronavirus vaccine, Abdala, with shipments arriving in Vietnam and Venezuela Sunday, AP reports.
Why it matters: The move comes weeks after Cuba said it sought approval from the World Health Organization for its three home-grown vaccines, according to Reuters. Cuba is the only country in the Caribbean to have developed a vaccine.
Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) pulled off a come-from-behind victory in Sunday’s elections, 10 seats ahead of the Christian Democrats (CDU), which failed to finish top for the first time in 16 years.
State of play: SPD leader Olaf Scholz has said he’ll seek to form a government, but so too has Armin Laschet, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s successor as CDU leader.
Afghanistan will not have anyone address the UN General Assembly on Monday, in a last-minute reversal following a dispute about which official — from either the Taliban or the ex-government — should be allowed to address the assembly, AP reports.
Driving the news: Afghanistan's UN seat was the subject of competing claims following the Taliban's takeover of the country.
Angela Merkel's departure from German government may result in a massive influx of private investment.
Driving the news: The center-left Social Democratic Party, led by chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz, clinched a narrow victory in Germany's federal elections. It now will seek to form a coalition government by year-end with the Greens and the Free Democrats.
Thousands of Indian farmers renewed protests against legislation backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government that they say threatens their businesses and livelihoods, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: The laws, which were introduced in September 2020, deregulate agriculture and let farmers sell produce to buyers outside of the government-regulated markets. Farmers say the laws benefit big corporations.
BERLIN — The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) clinched a narrow victory in Germany's historic federal elections on Sunday, just four years after suffering its worst loss since World War II.
Why it matters: It's a stunning political comeback for the SPD, paving the way for its chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz to form a new governing coalition and lead Europe's largest economy into the post-Merkel era.
The British government is temporarily suspending competition law and considering sending in the army to help supply gas stations amid a nationwide fuel shortage, per the BBC.
Why it matters: Petrol Retailers Association chair Brian Madderson told Sky News on Monday that two-thirds of its roughly 5,500 independent gas stations had ran out of fuel, with the remainder "partly dry and running out soon."
A sweeping 77% of voters in San Marino's elections on Sunday voted to approve a referendum to legalize abortion in the country, AP reports.
Why it matters: This makes San Marino — a tiny, landlocked country folded into central Italy — the latest majority Catholic nation to legalize the procedure. San Marino was one of the last countries in Europe to have a total abortion ban, per the Guardian.
The big picture: Under the Sept. 12 agreement, Iran must allow the agency to access its monitoring equipment and replace its memory cards. Iran allowed agency inspectors to do their work everywhere except one location.
BP, the second-largest fuel retailer in the U.K., said Sunday that nearly a third of its gas stations have run out of main grades, citing panic buying as a cause for the shortage.
Why it matters: The fuel panic comes amid an international gas price surge, which has forced several energy companies out of business. The country is also experiencing a shortage of truck drivers, per Reuters.
No official representing Myanmar will address the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, a reversal of what was previously scheduled, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The last-minute compromise comes amid competing claims for the country's U.N. seat after a military coup last February ousted Myanmar's democratically elected government from power.
The decision comes after the U.S., China and Russia reached an agreement in which Myanmar’s U.N. ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, could stay in his position for the time being so long as he did not address the gathering, per Reuters.
The big picture: Kyaw Moe Tun, an appointee of the toppled government, was scheduled to speak before the assembly Monday, but no longer appears on the lineup, per the New York Times.
"I withdrew from the speaker list, and will not speak at this general debate," Kyaw Moe Tun told Reuters.
Of note: Afghanistan is also now subject to competing claims to its U.N. seat.
Earlier this week, the Taliban nominated a new envoy, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, and asked to address the assembly in place of the current accredited ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, an appointee of the previous government.
When a UN seat is disputed, the General Assembly's nine-member Credentials Committee is tasked with making a decision, but the group has not been able to meet and discuss the issue in time, per the Times.
"For now, the Afghanistan representative inscribed on the list for Monday is Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai," Dujarric told Reuters.
This epic week for President Biden on Capitol Hill is even bigger than his domestic agenda.
Why it matters: Biden has anchored his entire strategy for foreign affairs on the notion that "America is back." What that means in practice is that Biden needs to prove democracy works to rally America’s liberal allies against rising authoritarians.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Turkey may still purchase a second Russian S-400 air defense system despite U.S. warnings of the potential consequences.
Why it matters: The U.S. imposed sanctions on Turkey in December 2020 for its purchase of its first Russian missile system. The U.S. has repeatedly warned that the acquirement of a second system would trigger fresh sanctions, per Reuters.
A referendum to allow same-sex marriage won sweeping approval from Swiss voters in Sunday's election, AP reports.
Why it matters: Although Switzerland has allowed same-sex civil partnerships since 2007, the passage of the “Marriage for All” measure will allow these couples to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples.
Taliban authorities killed four suspected kidnappers and put their bodies on public display to deter others in the city of Herat, western Afghanistan, per multiple reports.
