German Chancellor Merz stays in office after state vote loss

UPDATE - follow-up to German Chancellor Merz vows to stay on despite 'disaster' in state election - BBC: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is staying in office even though his party faced a disaster in a state election. Merz confirmed he will remain in his position despite the heavy pressure building up around him. The political situation in Germany remains deeply divided, reminding many of how the country looked when the Iron Curtain split it into two parts. Meanwhile, the political party AfD is watching closely as it aims for its second state election win. The future of the German leader hangs in the balance while two states head to the polls to cast their votes.