German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the outcome of Germany's election remains wide open, even as her party continues to struggle with falling ratings, dpa reported. "We are in the middle of the election campaign. I sense that there is also a real fight going on," Merkel said at a press conference on the sidelines of a meeting of the European People's Party (EPP) in Berlin.

European Union justice and home affairs ministers pledged on Tuesday to support Afghanistan’s neighbours to help them host people fleeing the new Taliban regime and prevent a new wave of migrants heading to Europe, AP reported. In a closing statement following a meeting in Brussels, the ministers said the EU and its 27 nations “stand determined to act jointly to prevent the recurrence of uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements faced in the past, by preparing a coordinated and orderly response.”

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that he opposes taking in any more people fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban have seized power in the country, news wires reported. While the EU grapples with what to do with Afghans who assisted it over the past 20 years, Kurz said coming to Austria was not an option.

Chancellor Angela Merkel visited flood-ravaged areas of Germany on Sunday to survey the damage and meet survivors after days of extreme rainfall in western Europe left at least 183 people dead and dozens missing, news wires reported. Merkel travelled to the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany where the swollen Ahr river swept away houses and left debris piled high in the streets.

Austria will provide a million doses of coronavirus vaccine to the countries of the Western Balkans in addition to the doses it is funnelling towards the region on behalf of the European Union, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Friday, Reuters reported.

The Austrian judiciary is investigating Chancellor Sebastian Kurz for possible false testimony before a parliamentary committee into a sting operation that toppled a previous government, he himself announced on Wednesday cited by the dpa. The news was confirmed by the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption spokesperson.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday that he and other allies from eastern Europe were seeking a “correction mechanism” on the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines within the EU, Reuters reported.

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz plans to visit Israel with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen on Thursday and confer with PM Benjamin Netanyahu on vaccine research and production cooperation, AP reported. Kurz told the Austria Press Agency (APA) that Austria and Denmark “will no longer rely on the EU in the future and will in the coming years produce doses of second-generation vaccine for further mutations of the coronavirus together with Israel as well as researching jointly treatment possibilities.”

Austria’s government on Monday made its much anticipated announcement on the country's lockdown, news wires reported. While the lockdown will be extended beyond its current end date of 8 February, some measures look set to be relaxed. At the same time, speaking at a news conference, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz pledged to toughen border controls to keep out the Brazilian variant of the coronavirus.

Austria entered its third coronavirus lockdown on Saturday following a relaxation of rules over Christmas, dpa reported. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he expected a third wave of infections across Europe in early 2021, before testing and vaccinations would bring relief in the summer. "I believe that tests will become an absolute normality in the coming months, like brushing your teeth every day," Kurz told broadcaster ORF.