Germany

BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Fighting the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest challenge for Germany's new government and Berlin must create fiscal reserves now to be prepared for the next crisis, Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the centre-left Social Democrats said on Thursday.

BERLIN (AP) — The German-born father of Chilean presidential frontrunner José Antonio Kast was a member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party, according to a recently unearthed document obtained by The Associated Press, revelations that appear at odds with the far-right candidate’s own statements about his father’s military service during World War II.

BERLIN (AP) — Center-left leader Olaf Scholz became Germany’s ninth post-World War II chancellor Wednesday, opening a new era for the European Union’s most populous nation and largest economy after Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure.

Scholz’s government takes office with high hopes of modernizing Germany and combating climate change but faces the immediate challenge of handling the country’s toughest phase yet of the coronavirus pandemic.

BERLIN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) signed the coalition agreement of the country's next government on Tuesday.

"This should be a morning for a new start," Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz told a press conference.

"We have a heavy task to accomplish, namely to fight the coronavirus crisis, and that will demand all our strength and energy," he said.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s pro-business Free Democrats on Sunday approved a deal to form a new government with two center-left parties, moving Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz a step closer to taking office as the country’s new leader this week.

The Free Democrats reached an agreement last month to form a coalition with Scholz’s Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens, effectively crossing the aisle to ally with the two parties.

(AP) --- German Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz’s center-left party gave its overwhelming approval Saturday to forming a new government with environmentalist and pro-business parties — the first of three such decisions needed for Scholz to take office next week.

Scholz’s Social Democrats narrowly won Germany’s Sept. 26 election and launched negotiations with the Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats to form a governing coalition that hasn’t been tried before at the federal level. They emerged with a deal on Nov. 24 after relatively quick negotiations.

BERLIN (AP) — Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday made what is likely her final appeal before leaving office next week for Germans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Merkel gave what is expected to be her last weekly video message two days after federal and state leaders decided on a series of measures meant to break a wave of coronavirus infections.

BERLIN, December 3. /TASS/: The employee of the UK Embassy in Germany, who is suspected of spying for Russia, may be extradited to the UK, Spiegel reported on Friday.

Germany is now considering a UK extradition request, the report said.

The Office of the German Federal Public Prosecutor on August 11 said the suspect, identified only as David S., at least once passed the documents that he obtained in line of duty to a Russian operative and received a compensation. The man has been placed in custody.

BERLIN, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel was honored here on Thursday evening with a military grand tattoo ceremony, the most solemn ceremony of the German armed forces.

Merkel said in her speech that she felt gratitude and humility, noting that trust is the most important asset in politics.

She described the 16 years as chancellor as eventful and challenging. She recalled, among other things, the financial crisis in 2008 and the many people seeking refuge in 2015.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s health minister said Friday that more than 1% of the population — almost a million people — are currently infected with the coronavirus, and called on citizens to get vaccinated if they haven’t done so yet.

The country confirmed 74,352 new daily COVID-19 cases and 390 additional deaths, figures published by the federal disease control agency showed. According to the Robert Koch Institute’s calculations, some 925,800 people in Germany are considered actively infected with the virus.