Germany's Ex-FM Steinmeier Elected President

Germany's outgoing Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected President of the country, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports.

Steinmeier's bid was backed by both social-democrat SPD party and Merkel's conservative CDU, which did not nominate its own candidate. He was widely expected to win.

There were four more candidates alongside him, but Steinmeier is tipped as the favourite of the Federal Assembly - a special body of 1260 people that elects German Presidents instead of a direct vote and that comprises lawmakers and representatives of Gemran provinces.