Top 5 at 5: Your Guide to Germany's Snap Elections

Germany’s upcoming snap election could mark the end of stable coalition politics. With Friedrich Merz’s CDU-CSU leading but polling at just 30%, the next government will likely be an uneasy alliance. Will Merz’s tough stance on immigration and welfare cuts win him allies, or will Germany’s fragmented political landscape make governing impossible? For this, we speak to Frederik Holst, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Albukhary International University

Other stories we covered:

• Pannir Selvam's execution put on hold: The Singapore High Court has granted a stay of execution for Malaysian death row inmate Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, citing unresolved legal challenges. N. Surendran, co-founder of Lawyers of Liberty, joins us to break down what's next.

• Communities to have a say in development plans: A proposed law could require full community consent before major development projects, addressing long-standing concerns about Indigenous rights and environmental impact. We speak to Celine Lim, Managing Director of Save Rivers on what this means for Malaysia’s energy and land policies.

• Bounty for mosquitoes in the Philipines: In a bid to curb dengue, a barangay in the Philippines is paying residents one peso for every five mosquitoes. While the initiative has drawn ridicule online, local officials defend it as a necessary initiative. We discuss the logic of this bizarre policy prove effective.

• Popek Popek Parlimen: Today, we highlight EPF’s investment strategy, which involved a a fiery exchange over allegations of losses in the MAHB share sale. to government-funded fertility treatments.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Presenter: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

Producer: Sharaad Kuttan, Sneha Harikannan, Juliet Jacobs, Sudais Ferhard

chancellor singapore high court development law german elections germany pannir selvam pranthanam pannir selvam death sentence capital punishment drug offences mosquitoes kwsp epf mahb fertility fertility rates

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