Former German President Horst Köhler has passed away at the age of 81 after a brief illness.
He died on Saturday morning in Berlin, surrounded by his family, according to an official statement from the German presidency.
Born on February 22, 1943, in Skierbieszów—then under Nazi occupation—Köhler’s family, of German descent, later moved to Leipzig in East Germany before fleeing to West Germany in 1953. He spent his formative years in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, and later pursued higher education at the University of Tübingen, earning a doctorate in economics in 1977.
Before assuming the presidency, Köhler held prominent international positions, most notably serving as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2000 to 2004. He was elected Germany’s president that same year and remained in office until 2010 when he resigned following backlash over his comments on Germany’s military engagements abroad.
Chaos in Ghanaian Parliament Leads to Suspension of Lawmakers
Meanwhile, in Ghana, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has suspended four lawmakers for two weeks following a violent altercation during a ministerial vetting session.
The disruption occurred on Thursday evening when members of the vetting committee, responsible for screening ministerial nominees from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), clashed during deliberations. The heated exchange escalated into physical confrontations, resulting in the destruction of furniture within the parliamentary chamber.
Tensions reportedly flared after NDC lawmakers accused their counterparts from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of deliberately prolonging questioning to obstruct the process. One of the key incidents involved Samuel Nartey George, the NDC’s nominee for Minister of Communications, who faced over five hours of questioning. His prolonged interrogation sparked outrage among NDC members, who viewed it as a political strategy to delay approvals.
The Speaker’s decision to suspend the lawmakers underscores the growing political tensions in Ghana’s legislature as the country prepares for upcoming elections.
