Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pointed to declining hospitalization and death rates as evidence it's time for "a new phase of the pandemic." State leaders have accused him of making unilateral decisions.

Poland is allowing millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war access to the labor market and to health and social benefits. Polish officials are struggling to register and help all the people arriving in the country.

The majority of Germans couldn't wait to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But a significant minority still refuses to get the jab. Vaccination skepticism isn't a new phenomenon. Who are the people who refuse vaccination and what are their motives?

The French bank BNP Paribas has told its customers it will no longer process transactions in Russia after the end of March, as it halts all new projects in the country. BNP's Russian business is relatively small - with €1.3 billion of exposure to the market - but the move is symbolic as other lenders consider their position in the country. Also today, we hear from the Ukrainian farmers who are continuing to work the land amid fears for food production due to the war.

A social movement is creating shockwaves in Turkey. People have been taking to the streets, demanding salary rises, the right to unionise and equal pay between men and women. In a country where the economy is still suffering from record inflation and a weak lira, women are the hardest hit, particularly female blue collar workers. Our correspondents Shona Bhattacharyya, Ludovic de Foucaud and Hussein Assad report.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated a plan to bolster defense spending while pledging to take on more refugees. "We are standing before a monumental challenge," he said.

The social media platform is reportedly shadowbanning posts containing certain terms. TikTok blamed algorithm flaws for the blocks.

As Germany dramatically boosts its defense budget in the face of the Ukraine war, it is planning a reduction of development aid by 12% in its draft budget. The decrease has critics up in arms.

Ukraine-born photographer Viktoria Sorochinski lives in Berlin. But her thoughts are with her family in war-torn Ukraine. How is she coping with the war - personally and artistically?

The Russian attack on Ukraine has dampened consumer sentiment in Germany, just as many hoped the lifting of pandemic restrictions would drive an economic revival. Experts say a recession could be looming.

2021 was the 11th year in a row to be too warm in Germany, meteorologists say. They say weather events like the heavy floods in the west of the country last summer will become more frequent as the Earth heats up.

As coalition talks get underway in Germany, one party everyone has ruled out working with is the far-right Alternative for Germany party. It lost votes in this election, but remains a dominant force in eastern states.