Germany's ruling CDU elects Armin Laschet as chairman

Photo taken in Berlin, Germany, on Jan. 16, 2021 shows screens displaying newly-elected chairman of Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Armin Laschet delivering a speech during 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)