Germany: Ashok Sridharan, a mayoral candidate of Chancellor Angela Merkel-led Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has comprehensively won the election in Bonn, becoming the first person of Indian-origin to occupy the mayor's office in a major German city.

49-year-old Sridharan secured the absolute majority by polling 50.06 per cent of the votes in yesterday's election in the former German capital, according to provisional results. His victory marks the end of more than 21 years' rule of the city by the Social Democratic Party (SPD).