News Headlines - 19 November 2017

▽Merkel signals readiness for new election after coalition talks collapse

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would prefer a new election to ruling with a minority after talks on forming a three-way coalition failed overnight, but Germany’s president told parties they owed it to voters to try to form a government.

▽Robert Mugabe sacked as leader of ZANU-PF | Al Jazeera

Zimbabwe's ruling party, ZANU-PF, has voted to sack President Robert Mugabe as its leader.
Members also voted to name sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who Mugabe fired on November 6, as new party leader.

▽Search for Missing Argentine Submarine Raises Grim Scenarios - The New York Times

As search teams raced against time, and stormy seas, to find a missing Argentine submarine, officials said on Sunday that earlier hopeful reports that the crew might have tried to make satellite calls in recent days appeared to be wrong.

▽Scotland first country to introduce minimum alcohol price – Channel 4 News

Scotland will become the first country in the world to charge a minimum price for alcohol. Ministers said the 50p-per-unit minimum would help tackle Scotland’s “unhealthy relationship with drink”. The Scottish government can now introduce the measure after the Supreme Court ruled that the legislation did not breach European Union law, five years after it was first proposed.

▽VW Accelerates Electric Car Effort With $40 Billion Investment - WSJ

Volkswagen AG plans to invest around $40 billion over the next five years to develop electric vehicles, self-driving cars and Uber-like mobility app services in the clearest sign yet that auto makers are betting the future of their industry on the new technology.