Esme Nicholson

As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads to China to meet with President Xi Jinping on Friday, he is under political pressure at home, and from Washington, to rethink Berlin's relationship with Beijing.

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.

At Berlin's main train station, hundreds of volunteers distribute food, hot drinks, diapers, toys, warm coats and a helping hand to the Ukrainians disembarking daily.

Olaf Scholz did not elaborate on specifics during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday but he did pledge a new round of financial assistance to Kyiv.

Departing German Chancellor Angela Merkel chose three songs for her farewell ceremony this week. One of them, an East German hit from the '70s, caused some surprise in Berlin.

The German language is full of male and female nouns. Officials and businesses are tweaking words, including adding asterisks, to make them inclusive.

More details have emerged about the man who allegedly killed five people in Norway with a bow and arrows earlier this week.

The worst flooding in decades to affect Germany and parts of Belgium has killed more than 100 people as search and rescue efforts for hundreds of missing continue, officials said.

Dozens of people are dead and dozens more are missing in Western Europe after heavy flooding swept away homes and cars and turned streams into raging rivers.

The storms also have struck Belgium and other European countries. More than 60 people have died and dozens remain missing. In Germany has a state of emergency and the army has been deployed.