Politics

Olaf Scholz was sworn in as chancellor of Germany, ending the 16-year tenure of Angela Merkel. Mr Scholz, a Social Democrat, leads a three-party coalition, Germany’s first since the 1950s, which includes the Greens and the pro-enterprise Free Democrats. The parties have approved a detailed plan for governing, which includes a higher minimum wage and building more homes. First, however, they must contend with a fourth wave of covid-19.