Germans went to the polls on Sunday in a national election too close to call, with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) mounting a strong challenge to retiring Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is to visit flood-ravaged areas in 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.

A car with slogans scrawled on its sides crashed into the gate of the office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday and police arrested the driver, a Reuters witness said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel pleaded with Germans on Monday to comply with new restrictions to achieve a "turnaround" in the fight against the pandemic, and held out hope that families would be able to spend Christmas together.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants state premiers on Wednesday to agree to close all restaurants and bars from Nov. 4 in a bid to curb coronavirus infections but keep schools and nurseries open, a draft resolution seen by Reuters showed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday said she had no breakthrough to announce in EU talks with Britain but remained optimistic that sealing a deal on a new trade relationship after Brexit was still possible before the end of the year.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that Germany would contribute 525 million euros ($573.51 million) to a global fund-raising push to search for vaccines and for a treatment for the novel coronavirus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been praised at home and abroad for her reaction to the coronavirus crisis, but as voices of discontent grow louder

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged discipline in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, warning that Germany is not "out of the woods" even as the country took small steps in easing curbs imposed to slow contagion.

Politicians in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government on Sunday signalled further support for struggling businesses and consumers in the coronavirus crisis, focusing on hotels, restaurants and pay for short-time workers.

Theresa May was flying to Berlin and Paris on Tuesday to seek support for a new Brexit delay while her ministers tried to break the deadlock in London at crisis talks with the Labour Party.

US Vice President Mike Pence rebuked European powers over Iran and Venezuela on Saturday in a renewed attack on Washington's traditional allies, rejecting a call by Germany's chancellor to include Russia in global cooperation efforts.