Germany

A hot, dry summer has meant the water level on the Rhine River, Western Europe's most important waterway, is at a record low, making it too shallow for many ships to pass.

The Nazi legacies of Germany's wealthiest families highlight the country's challenge to make good on its commitment to "never forget" the Holocaust, according to author David de Jong.

German authorities impounded the 15,917-ton yacht after confirming that sanctioned Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov had transferred ownership to his sister, who is also under Western sanctions.

Germany has welcomed dozens of the oldest refugees fleeing Ukraine — those who survived the Holocaust during World War II. They've now narrowly escaped death for the second time in their lives.

Chancellor Olaf Schmidt said the measure is necessary to prepare for a new rise in cases and a possible new variant later in the year.

Displaying a "Z" in Bavaria or Lower Saxony could result in a fine or up to three years in jail. People across Germany who use the letter could also be liable to prosecution, an official said Monday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's plan to boost defense spending could remake Germany's beleaguered military into the strongest armed forces in Europe — an idea that has met resistance in the past.

The world's first criminal trial on torture in Syria's prisons ended Thursday in Koblenz, Germany — the first time a high-ranking ex-Syrian official faced Syrians in open court in a war crimes case.

The performance of Jesse Owens and the other Black American athletes who competed was seen as a rebuke to Hitler and Nazi Germany's notions of white superiority.

Social Democratic politician Olaf Scholz takes over from center-right Angela Merkel as chancellor to lead a coalition of three different parties in government.