Berliner Tageszeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg and the world

A former UK security minister said Friday that it was "extremely embarrassing" that a suspected Chinese spy had become a confidant of disgraced royal Prince Andrew.

Kurdish authorities have made overtures to Islamist-led rebels who seized power in Syria last week, but the long-oppressed community fears it could lose hard-won gains it made during the war, including limited self-rule.

For the Catholic Marist Brothers of Aleppo, one of nearly a dozen Christian communities in Syria's second city, today's most pressing question is how to decorate the Christmas tree.

South Korea's opposition leader on Friday urged ruling party lawmakers to side with the "people" and impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid, a day before a second parliamentary vote that appears on a knife edge.

Ukraine said Friday that it was fending off a new missile attack on its energy system, the latest in Russia's campaign targeting the war-torn country's power grid during the winter season.

Markets fell Friday as China's latest vows to boost the beleaguered economy failed to stir much excitement, while traders looked ahead to a key Federal Reserve policy meeting next week.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi told his Egyptian counterpart on Friday that Beijing is "deeply concerned" about the situation in Syria, as the two top diplomats met in the Chinese capital.

President Emmanuel Macron was expected Friday to name a new prime minister after days of deadlock over finding a candidate to replace Michel Barnier, whose ousting by parliament pushed France into a fresh crisis.

Some callers are women fearful they have been drugged and sexually assaulted; others are doctors worried they have misdiagnosed them -- a helpline set up amid France's notorious mass rape trial has tapped a nation's unease.

Video game "Astro Bot" -- a family-friendly sci-fi adventure -- was named 2024's Game of the Year on Thursday at the annual awards considered the Oscars of the digital entertainment industry.

India are determined to post a big first innings total in the third Test against Australia at Brisbane, batsman Shubman Gill said Friday after they were skittled cheaply in Adelaide.

Georgian ex-footballer turned far-right politician Mikheil Kavelashvili is set to become Tbilisi's next figurehead president in an indirect election denounced as "illegitimate" by the current pro-EU leader.

Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi told his Egyptian counterpart that China is "deeply concerned" about the situation in Syria.

Eight-year-old Rayan Assani knows next to nothing about Syria, but in a few minutes, the little girl with long black hair and a Barbie backpack will cross the border and head for her family's native Aleppo.

Toiling quietly behind leaders Bayern Munich and surprise package Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen have returned to the form which took them to a league-cup double last season.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are looking over their shoulders in La Liga at in-form Atletico Madrid, wary of a letdown after taxing wins away from home in the Champions League this week.

Manchester's crisis-hit clubs face off in the Premier League when City host United on Sunday while Newcastle boss Eddie Howe badly needs a win against Leicester at St James' Park.

A Filipina drug convict on death row in Indonesia told AFP from prison Friday that her planned transfer was a "miracle", in her first interview since Manila and Jakarta signed an agreement last week to repatriate her.

Taiwan's badminton association has filed a protest after its Olympic champion duo Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin were taunted by spectators during a match in China, Taiwan sports authorities said Friday.

G7 leaders will attempt Friday to forge a common approach to the new government of Syria, which has pledged to protect the rule of law after years of abuses under ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

The Los Angeles Rams came out on top in a defensive duel with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, seizing three of their four field goals in the final quarter and triumphing 12-6 to boost their NFL playoff hopes.

South Korea's opposition leader warned his ruling party colleagues on Friday that "history will remember" if they do not back the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, with just over 24 hours until a vote to remove him from office.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka was handed a wildcard Friday for the Australian Open, a tournament he first played almost 20 years ago.

Newly crowned world chess king Gukesh Dommaraju said becoming a champion was a dream that was more than a decade in the making, as he underlined his ambition to strive for "greatness".

The NBA champion Boston Celtics shrugged off the absence of All-Star Jayson Tatum, raining 20 three-pointers in a lopsided 123-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

Syria's new leadership said Thursday it was searching for abducted US journalist Austin Tice and had secured the release of another American it said had been held by the ousted government.

Tim Southee was hailed a New Zealand cricketing "great" by opposing captains on Friday as the seamer prepared to take on England in the last Test of a 16-year career.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday said he discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron the possibility of stationing foreign troops in Ukraine in case of a ceasefire, but that Warsaw was not currently "planning any such actions".

Asian markets fell Friday as China's latest vows to boost the beleaguered economy failed to stir much excitement, while traders looked ahead to a key Federal Reserve policy meeting next week.

China on Friday jailed former Premier League star and men's national coach Li Tie for 20 years for bribery, snaring one of the country's greatest football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport.

Canada released Thursday what it called an achievable 2035 greenhouse gas reduction target that environmental groups panned as not ambitious enough.

Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signalling the end of a massive maritime exercise, Taiwanese authorities said Friday.