GERMANY opened its long-delayed Holocaust memorial yesterday - a field of closely set concrete slabs in the heart of Berlin that tries to summon the helplessness of six million Jews killed by the Nazis.

Germany opened its long-delayed national Holocaust memorial today - a field of closely set concrete slabs in the heart of Berlin that tries to summon the helplessness of 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis.

The American designer of Germany’s long-delayed national Holocaust memorial has apologised for a joke that local Jewish leaders said made light of the Nazi gas chambers.

Construction of Germany’s national Holocaust memorial will continue with the participation of a company that co-owned the maker of Nazi poison gas used to exterminate millions of Jews, Germany’s parliament president announced.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was confirmed for a second four-year term in office today after the German parliament voted to approve his centre-left coalition’s victory in elections last month.