Runtown – The Latest

Many experts agree that Germany's fourth COVID wave could have been avoided, as most of the recent deaths were among people not vaccinated. DW's Luisa von Richthofen met a woman who lost two close relatives early on in the pandemic.

German automakers are being hit hard by a semiconductor chip shortage. Suppliers are affected in particular.

France's 2022 presidential race "heats up a notch" after Valérie Pécresse becomes the right's first-ever female candidate and far-right Eric Zemmour holds a "sickening" first political rally. European papers hail Pope Francis for "forcing Europe to face its contradictions" in its failure to help refugees. There's anger and disgust in the US after a Republican poses with guns, just days after a school shooting. Finally, French oysters are to get vaccinated... against herpes!

The coronavirus Delta variant is spreading across Europe, with almost all new infections in people who have not been vaccinated. Yet many still refuse to be inoculated. Healthcare workers in France and Greece will soon have to decide: either be vaccinated or face unemployment. Is it the right way to go?

In this edition, we take you to the South Pacific and the French territory of New Caledonia, which is gearing up for a high-stakes vote on independence on December 12. While other overseas territories are fully integrated into France, New Caledonia stands apart because it is still considered a colony. The reasons for that are rooted in its history – we take a closer look. To fully understand what's at stake, we speak to anthropologist and historian Benoît Trépied.

A young couple from Cameroon has been stuck on the narrow border strip of the island of Cyprus for months. Their destination was the EU, but Cyprus wants to prevent any new escape route from forming and refuses to bend.