REUTERS – German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on Monday to US president Joe Biden to congratulate him and agreed on closer cooperation in tackling world challenges, particularly the pandemic, defense, and trade.
Germany said that its position on the Falkland Islands dispute has not changed, following claims by Argentina that Lufthansa's request for two flights to the Islands, in support of a polar research expedition, implied recognition of the archipelago as Argentine territory.
Argentina is rejoicing because Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa formally requested the Civil Aviation National Administration and the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands provincial government over flight and landing authorization for two charter flights to the Malvinas Islands from Hamburg.
Germany and France surprisingly backed United States President Donald Trump after he was banned from social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook extending Europe's battle with big technology.
Angela Merkel said in her last New Year's address to the nation as German chancellor that 2020 was by far the most difficult of her 15-year leadership, yet the start of vaccinations against COVID-19 made 2021 a year of hope.
Germany will begin its first coronavirus vaccinations in care homes for the elderly on Dec. 27, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Monday. He welcomed the approval of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech by the European Medicines Agency as a milestone in the fight against the pandemic.
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to avoid visiting family members over Christmas and to use video calls instead for greetings, the way service members stationed abroad do, as the country battles COVID-19.
A cemetery in the German city of Hanau has started to temporarily store the bodies of people who have died from COVID-19 in a metal shipping container because hospital mortuaries are already full.
Chancellor Angela Merkel banged the podium in frustration as she implored Germans this month to reduce social contacts to curb the spread of COVID-19. At one point in her unusually passionate address to parliament, during which she was heckled, she brought her hands together as if in prayer. At others, she shook her fist.
Germany will go to the polls to elect a new parliament and chancellor on September 26 next year as Angela Merkel's looming retirement leaves the country's political future wide open.