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Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told parties to offer “solutions” to the Middle East conflict and its knock-on effects in Europe as he officially called a general election for February 23.
Mr Steinmeier formally dissolved parliament on Friday to begin a two-month election campaign clouded by social and economic unease and uncertainty abroad as Donald Trump returns to the White House. Polls predict German voters will follow the anti-incumbent trend of the US, Britain and other democracies by removing Chancellor Olaf Scholz from power.
An early election had been inevitable since Mr Scholz's three-party coalition collapsed in November, but dissolving parliament is a complex procedure under a post-1945 German constitution designed to ensure stability. Mr Scholz deliberately lost a confidence vote on December 16 to put the decision in Mr Steinmeier's hands.
“In difficult times, stability requires a viable government and reliable majorities in parliament,” Mr Steinmeier said in a speech confirming his decision to dissolve parliament on Friday. “I am confident that new elections are now the right path for the good of our country.”
He said the next government would face “great tasks” in ruling Germany as he told candidates to focus on “the best solutions for the challenges of our time” in our coming weeks. These include the economy, migration, climate change and “the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, whose effects are also being felt here”, he said. The war in Gaza has sparked protests, acts of anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic violence and questions over Germany's longstanding support for Israel.
Mr Steinmeier warned of possible foreign interference in Germany's election, after suspected Russian influence led to a rerun of a recent presidential vote in Romania. He said “open and flagrant” attempts at meddling were taking place on social media site X, whose owner Elon Musk has come out in support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Magdeburg fallout
The far right's signature issue of migration was thrust back into focus by a Christmas market attack in Magdeburg last Friday, in which five people were killed. The suspect was a Saudi-born migrant who had lived in Germany since 2006 and appeared to have an eccentric mixture of views, including anti-Islam and pro-AfD sentiments.
In a statement on Friday, centre-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz warned of a growing violent streak in Germany and a rise in serious crimes perpetrated by migrants. He said “political Islam” was a prime motive for crimes committed by foreigners in Germany.
“We tolerate too many people in Germany who do not want to integrate,” said Mr Merz, whose Christian Democrats hold a steady lead in opinion polls. He said authorities should be able to deport people “even below the threshold” of criminal convictions, although he also warned that foreigners should not come under a “blanket suspicion”.
Polls show Mr Merz's bloc on course to win more than 30 per cent of the vote. The AfD is second with a little under 20 per cent, but a coalition is unthinkable with a party viewed by many as echoing the Nazi era. Mr Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) are battling to stay in third ahead of their one remaining coalition partner, the Greens.
Mr Merz's party has worked with both before but the Greens have become a conservative punching bag and a previous grand coalition with the Social Democrats was little loved during its 2013 to 2021 term. Another option, the left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), is viewed as having Russian sympathies that might make co-operation difficult.
Mr Scholz, who staged a last-minute surge in the polls to win the chancellorship in 2021, is hoping to repeat the trick after seeing off proposals to replace him on the SPD ticket. One recent poll showed just 11 per cent of Germans naming him as their preferred chancellor, putting him fourth behind Mr Merz, Green candidate Robert Habeck and the AfD's Alice Weidel.
Parliament Speaker Baerbel Bas called for a “fair and respectful” election campaign. “Differing positions must be made clear. But slurs and personal insults are unacceptable,” she said. “People expect a fair and factual discussion even on controversial issues.”
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions