German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius is to retain his post in the new Cabinet, his Social Democratic Party (SPD) said Monday, as the party unveiled its picks for ministerial positions.

The SPD is set to enter the new German Government as the junior partner in coalition with Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc, made up of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU).

The partners were to sign off on the 144-page coalition agreement at 12 p.

The conservatives emerged as the winner from February’s parliamentary elections, followed by the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was designated as a “confirmed right-wing extremist’’ organisation by domestic intelligence last week.

The SPD, traditionally one of the two main political forces in Germany, fell to third place after a difficult period in office under the leadership of outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz.

With centrist parties ruling out cooperation with the AfD, a policy known as the “firewall’’, a coalition between the CDU/CSU alliance and the SPD became inevitable in spite of the clashes.

They clashed on the issues such as migration and the economy during the election campaign.

SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil was to become vice chancellor and finance minister after striking up a strong partnership with Merz during negotiations to form a coalition.

Four of the incoming SPD ministers are women: Bärbel Bas as labour minister, Verena Hubertz for construction, Reem Alabali-Radovan as development minister and Stefanie Hubig taking on the justice portfolio.

Carsten Schneider was to be the SPD’s new environment minister, but there was no place in the Cabinet for Klingbeil’s colleague as co-leader, Saskia Esken.

Pistorius, widely seen as the SPD’s most popular politician, was the only member of the outgoing Cabinet to keep his position.

“The SPD is putting together a team that is ready to boldly shape our country,’’ the party’s leadership said in a joint statement on Monday.

“Experienced personalities from federal and state politics meet new faces who stand for the generational change in the SPD.’’

The conservatives outlined their choices last week, with Katherina Reiche as economy minister and the CSU’s Alexander Dobrindt taking the interior portfolio.

Once Merz is elected and his Cabinet sworn in, the new administration can get to work, exactly six months after Scholz’s centre-left coalition imploded amid in-fighting, triggering early elections.

It faced a long list of pressing challenges, from Germany’s ailing economy and crumbling infrastructure of the threat to European security from Russia and an ever-more abrasive U.S. president.

Scholz, meanwhile, was to receive an official send-off later on Monday, with a special military ceremony known as a tattoo to be held in his honour in Berlin

 Zimbabwe has started celebrating its National Culture Month from May 1 to May  31,  following Cabinet approval of the 2025  programme under the theme “Celebrating Indigenous Voices.”

According to the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere,  the initiative was intended to promote cultural heritage, diversity, and unity.

This news was reported by New Ziana.

“This initiative is aimed at celebrating our rich cultural heritage, promoting cultural diversity, and fostering national unity,” he stated.

The minister said throughout May, Zimbabwe will observe National Culture Month with a structured weekly programme.

He said the first week will focus on traditional cooking methods and historical recipes. In the second week, Indigenous Fashion Week will highlight traditional clothing from various communities.

Muswere added that the third week will feature the official national launch of the celebration, while the fourth week will center on Indigenous Languages and Cultural Dialogue, including performances, poetry readings, film screenings, and language workshops

 In a bid to accelerate Artificial Intelligence adoption across industries, Huawei says it has launched AI Data Lake Solution, to deliver high-quality datasets and speed up model training.

Speaking in a statement on Wednesday, Mr Peter Zhou, Vice President of Huawei, emphasised that being AI-ready required being data-ready, noting that the industry digitalisation relied on converting data into actionable insights.

He explained that the AI Data Lake Solution combined data storage management and resource allocation with AI tools, enabling businesses to leverage AI effectively.

Zhou also highlighted the importance of data management, noting that Huawei’s Data Management Engine (DME) provided data visibility, manageability and mobility across regions.

He said that the DME helped customers eliminate data silos and unlock the full potential of their data.

He noted that the DME platform integrated the Omni-Dataverse, enabling customers to efficiently process data and retrieve information from over 100 billion files in seconds.

“Furthermore, the AI Data Lake Solution features resource management capabilities, including efficient xPU resource pooling and intelligent scheduling, powered by virtualisation and container technologies.

“This enables enterprises to boost resource utilisation, create an exceptional operation and maintenance experience with AI-powered applications, ” he said.

Zhou’s underscored the significance of data infrastructure in driving industry intelligence, and Huawei’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions.

He said that the AI Data Lake Solution was poised to accelerate AI adoption across industries, enabling enterprises to harness the power of data and drive business success.

Zhou noted that with its technology and innovative approach, Huawei was set to make a significant impact in the AI landscape, empowering businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

“The launch of the AI Data Lake Solution is a testament to Huawei’s dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction, and its potential to transform industries and drive growth,,”Zhou said.