In Germany, Friedrich Merz has been elected chancellor in a second round of parliamentary voting. He failed to secure a majority in the first vote earlier on Tuesday.

Merz was the candidate for the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, which won the country's general election in February.

He was expected to win a majority with support from lawmakers of the Social Democratic Party, a coalition partner of the CDU/CSU. But Merz fell six votes short in the initial round.

It was the first time that a German chancellor was not elected in the first vote.

It is not known who voted against Merz.

German public broadcaster ZDF reported that some members of the Social Democratic Party may have voted against Merz, as his bloc had pushed a motion to tighten immigration rules through parliament in January with the help of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

The second vote was held on Tuesday afternoon, and Merz won a majority.