Berliner Tageszeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg and the world

The United States was pushing Thursday for an "inclusive" transition in Syria from president Bashar al-Assad's brutal rule, after the country's new leaders pledged to protect minority rights.

Dutch police said Thursday that they had arrested a fourth suspect in connection with the deadly explosion that flattened an apartment block in The Hague, killing at least six people.

French President Emmanuel Macron was expected Thursday to name a new prime minister a week after MPs toppled the government, with politicians across the spectrum holding their breath while he conducts a day visit to Poland.

In the small town of Dedovsk, just outside Moscow, pensioner Zinaida Kudriavtseva is struggling to pay the bills.

Waving colourful glow sticks, singing parody songs and sporting elaborate outfits, demonstrators in Seoul this week calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's departure have highlighted South Korea's unique and creative protest culture.

Almost a decade ago, a Syrian refugee's selfie with Germany's then chancellor Angela Merkel went viral. Today, Anas Modamani has a job, a German passport and a fiancee and no plans to return to his war-ravaged country.

An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

Israel has been accused of carrying out a "massacre" of journalists in Gaza in two separate reports from media freedom organisations this week that analysed the deaths of reporters worldwide this year.

An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 33 people, including 12 guards securing aid trucks in southern parts of the Palestinian territory.

French politics was on hold Thursday during a day trip to Poland by President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to name a new prime minister a week after MPs toppled the government.

"Donkey milk has the taste of love," said Fatiko Basha as she caressed her favourite, Liza, before collecting the animal's milk. It also makes what is reputed to be one of the most expensive cheeses in the world.

At a popular meeting spot for substance abusers near central Helsinki, even the addicts warn that Finland has a spiralling drug problem, particularly among young people.

Equities mostly rose in Asian trade Thursday following another record day on Wall Street fuelled by inflation data that reinforced expectations for a US interest rate cut next week, while traders also remained hopeful for more measures to stimulate China's economy.

Slovakia's Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova has sparked uproar by dismissing several heads of major cultural institutions and halting projects steered by LGBT+ associations under the pretext of promoting "Slovak culture".

Long dependent on fossil fuels before emerging a champion of offshore wind power, Danish company Orsted is now struggling to restore its business after dropping several major projects.

Her husband orchestrating her sexual abuse by strangers could have broken her. But by standing up to her abusers in court and demanding they be ashamed, France's Gisele Pelicot has become a feminist champion.

US heavyweight Kevin Johnson came close to the top of the boxing world before his star dimmed. Now, he wants to relaunch his career from Russia, where he has become a cheerleader for President Vladimir Putin.

Riyad Avlar spent 20 years languishing in Syria's jails, including a decade in the infamous Saydnaya prison, the scene of some of the Bashar al-Assad government's most brutal abuses.

The Houston Rockets edged Golden State 91-90 for their first win over the Warriors since 2020 and reach the semi-finals of the NBA Cup on Wednesday, as the Atlanta Hawks advanced with a come-from-behind victory over the New York Knicks.

A rash of unexplained drone sightings in the skies above New Jersey has left locals rattled and sent US officials scrambling for answers.

South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air said Thursday it had bought a majority stake in rival Asiana Airlines for $1 billion, making it the effective owner four years after first expressing its takeover intentions.

Australia will force Meta and Google to pay for news shared on their platforms under a new scheme unveiled Thursday, threatening to tax them if they refuse to strike deals with local media.

Australia will force Meta and Google to pay for news shared on their platforms under a new scheme unveiled Thursday, threatening to tax them if they refuse to strike deals with local media.

Taiwan said Thursday it detected 16 Chinese warships in waters around the island, one of the highest numbers this year, as Beijing intensifies military pressure on Taipei.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday appointed election denier Kari Lake to be the new director of Voice of America, the state-funded international media organization.

Tokyo plans to make day care free for all preschool children starting in September, the city governor has announced as part of efforts to boost Japan's low birth rate.

Taiwan said Thursday it detected 16 Chinese warships in waters around the island, one of the highest numbers this year, as Beijing intensifies military pressure on Taipei.

Equities swung in Asian trade Thursday following another record day on Wall Street fuelled by inflation data that reinforced expectations for a US interest rate cut next week, while traders also remained hopeful for more measures to stimulate China's economy.

Mohammed Naeem knew the Kabul street where he and his brothers built matching apartment buildings was too narrow, but he was still in disbelief as their homes were reduced to rubble to widen the road.

Faced with a stuttering economy, political turbulence in the eurozone and the prospect of renewed trade tensions with the United States, the European Central Bank is Thursday set to cut interest rates again.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday vowed to fight "until the very last minute", defending his shock decision last week to declare martial law and deploy troops to the country's parliament