On his first tour of Israel as German chancellor, Olaf Scholz spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The trip comes as Europe's largest ground war in generations rages between Russia and Ukraine.

Germany has one of the highest rates of femicide in Europe. According to statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office in December 2021, the pandemic has only made the situation worse. Despite the tireless work of support groups for victims of domestic violence, the number of femicides continues to rise. Activists condemn a failure by police to take women's cases seriously enough, as well as legal shortcomings in German law. Our Berlin correspondents report.

The United Nations estimates that half a million Ukrainians have fled the war in their homeland so far. Around 2,000 refugees have now arrived in Germany — and many more are expected.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said nationality would not play a role in Germany's decision to host refugees fleeing from Ukraine. More than a million people have fled Ukraine into neighboring European countries.

German ministers have revealed more about their plans to ease most of the regulations to contain COVID-19 later this month. Meanwhile, Austria has dropped its law making vaccination mandatory. Follow DW for more.

The NSU, Hanau, the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market — these names evoke memories of terrorist attacks in Germany's recent past. As leaders meet to commemorate the victims, some say more needs to be done to help them.

The German health minister called on the federal states to reevaluate the coronavirus rules before restrictions are lifted. In other news, a Chinese city locks down as COVID cases rise.

The coronavirus seven-day incidence rate in Germany has crossed 1,600 for the first time. Meanwhile, New Zealand is opening its doors to tourists after a long wait.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear that NATO will not "intervene militarily" in Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance's goal was to prevent the conflict from escalating.

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.

The Bundestag lifted the requirement to wear a mask in most places, despite a record number of coronavirus infections. The move has been criticized by the opposition Christian Democatic Union.

The UN Security Council renewed the assistance mission to Afghanistan for another year. Russia abstained from voting, calling out the mission's renewal for "stubborn ignorance of the new realities" of Taliban rule.