Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) — currently leading in polls ahead of the election on February 23 next year — want to cut welfare benefits and get more of the country's 5.5 million long-term unemployed into the labor market, News.az reports citing Deutsche Welle.

Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the UK general election on Friday after the Keir Starmer-led Labour Party breached the majority mark, winning over 400 out of the total 650 seats, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

Millions of voters across the UK started casting their ballots to elect 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament, according to media reports.

The leader of France's conservative Republicans called on Tuesday for an alliance between his party's candidates and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally in a snap parliamentary election - a political shift with wide repercussions, News.az reports citing Reuters.