Berliner Tageszeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg and the world

The wars in the Mideast and Ukraine-Russia have dominated world headlines in 2024 but several other conflicts are ravaging countries and regions.

India's Adani Group conglomerate said Wednesday it had lost almost $55 billion in a stock market rout since US prosecutors last week accused its founder and other officials of fraud.

Voting by more than half the world's population in 2024 elections has left many liberal democracies facing crises of confidence, political fragmentation and heightened polarisation, with some observers fearing new wind in the sails of authoritarianism.

New Zealand put their historic 3-0 series win in India behind them Wednesday as they selected pace bowler Nathan Smith to make his debut against England in the first Test.

Family and team-mates paid tribute to "infectious" Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes on Wednesday, 10 years since he died after being struck on the neck while batting.

Protesters who marched on the Pakistan capital to demand the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan were cleared from the city centre on Wednesday after a sweeping security crackdown.

Negotiations on a first global treaty to curb plastic pollution are moving "very, very slowly", diplomats and observers told AFP on Wednesday, threatening the chances of reaching an agreement.

An Australian police officer was found guilty Wednesday of the manslaughter of a 95-year-old woman, who died from injuries sustained when he tasered her during a nursing home confrontation.

Donald Trump on Tuesday named Jamieson Greer his trade representative, a key figure in implementing the president-elect's economic agenda, particularly his plans to use tariffs to raise revenue and help bring more manufacturing to US shores.

China's coal consumption could peak by 2025 as the world's top consumer of the fossil fuel ramps up its push for clean energy, a report published on Wednesday said.

Ursula von der Leyen's new European Commission is expected to officially start its work next week, with the European Parliament set to give it the all-clear in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

The European Parliament is set Wednesday to give the final greenlight for EU chief Ursula von der Leyen's new executive to start work, as the bloc faces mounting challenges.

Alcohol-free drinks are becoming ever more popular, especially with health-conscious younger people -- a trend cheered by a small German winery based in a Rhine Valley castle.

World leaders have welcomed a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which came into force on Wednesday morning (0200 GMT).

Paddington, the affable clumsy bear from British children's books, has transformed into an international sensation over the past decade, thanks to a clever film strategy and with the help of the royal family.

Passers-by stop and stare at the ramshackle, hand-built concrete tower that looks like it has been lifted right out of a Japanese animation and dropped onto a real-life Tokyo street.

Asian markets were mixed Wednesday as traders tried to gauge the economic outlook after Donald Trump picked a tough-negotiating hawk as his trade envoy the day after saying he would hit China, Canada and Mexico with hefty tariffs.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect on Wednesday after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands of people.

Banned boxer Ryan Garcia is to fight in Japan on New Year's Eve, organisers said Wednesday, but the American's management immediately cast doubt on whether the exhibition bout would take place.

A guitar company touting an endorsement by Donald Trump has become embroiled in a trademark dispute, accused of imitating an iconic instrument, US media reported Tuesday.

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said Wednesday, the latest official to fall in a sweeping crackdown on graft in the country's military.

The Grammy- and Pulitzer-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens has long made music that sheds light on America's untold stories, and her latest project brings to the fore marginalized groups that built its railroad.

Torn between the defenders of the world's seabeds and industrialists eager to exploit the vast, untapped resources of the deep, the international community faces a crucial year that could decide the future of mining in the high seas.

Family and teammates paid tribute to late Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes on Wednesday, marking 10 years since he died after being struck on the neck while batting.

Russia on Tuesday expelled a British diplomat it accused of spying, telling London it would not tolerate "undeclared" intelligence officers operating on its territory, accusations that have ignited a fresh diplomatic feud with London.

A teenager whose lies about her teacher are accused of contributing to the educator's murder by an Islamist radical apologised to his family in a French court on Tuesday.

Canadian rapper Drake has taken his feud with rival Kendrick Lamar to the US court system, accusing record label Universal Music of conspiring to inflate the California hip-hop star's streaming numbers and of defaming him, according to legal filings and media reports Tuesday.

Bolivia said Tuesday it had signed a $1 billion deal with China's CBC, a subsidiary of the world's largest lithium battery producer CATL, to build two lithium carbonate production plants in the country's southwest.

"Breaking Grounds - Social Change through Sport", based in Austria, is one of ten global grassroots initiatives recognized by the prestigious Intercultural Innovation Hub, a joint initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group, implemented with the support of Accenture, during a Ceremony held in the framework of the 10th UNAOC Global Forum in Cascais, Portugal under the theme "United in Peace: Restoring Trust, Reshaping the Future - Reflecting on Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity". The Forum convened prominent figures, political leaders, UN officials including the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, as well as representatives from civil society, academia, and the private sector, to share insights and reflect on the 20 years of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations' impactful work.

NFL co-leaders Kansas City and Detroit will be tested on a short week of rest for the US Thanksgiving holiday, but both clubs can clinch a playoff berth by winning.

A would-be drug smuggler soaked a cow onesie in methamphetamine, part of a whole suitcase full of clothes he tried to sneak aboard a plane, US justice officials said Tuesday.

Manchester City's struggles continued as Pep Guardiola's side remarkably blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain to leave the French club in danger of elimination.