Germany's ruling CDU elects Armin Laschet as chairman

Photo taken in Berlin, Germany, on Jan. 16, 2021 shows screens displaying candidates of Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Armin Laschet (L) and Friedrich Merz attending the CDU's online party conference. Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Saturday elected Armin Laschet as its chairman after an online vote. The 59-year-old is the minister-president of Germany's most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia. Laschet garnered 521 votes in a run-off, beating the pro-business conservative Friedrich Merz, who got 466 votes. The third candidate, foreign policy expert Norbert Roettgen, was knocked out in the first round of voting. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)