Merz clings to power as CDU crashes in state elections

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists he will remain in office despite his party's heavy losses in two regional elections. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered a major defeat, including in the home state of former leader Angela Merkel, where it won just 4.9% of the vote. In Russia, election officials say the ruling United Russia party is set to take 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. This would be an even larger majority than the party's previous record in 2016. It was the first election since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four and a half years ago. Parties critical of President Vladimir Putin were barred from the vote. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the election on Monday, calling it "another major setback for Russian democracy."