Berliner Tageszeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg and the world

Israel's army chief told soldiers on Wednesday to prepare for a possible ground offensive to fight Hezbollah in Lebanon as the air force conducted hundreds of deadly strikes around the country.

Israel's new UN ambassador accused the global body of pummelling his nation with unfair and disproportionate criticism since the October 7 onslaught, leaving the country feeling betrayed.

Sales of new homes in the United States cooled less than expected in August, according to government data released Wednesday, with lower interest rates potentially boosting the market going forward.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that rising sea levels threaten to create "a rising tide of misery" for millions, with intense storm surges, coastal erosion and coastal flooding increasingly likely.

The United States and China are closing the divide on the contentious issue of international climate finance, raising hopes for a breakthrough at a crucial climate conference in Azerbaijan, according to the host country's chief negotiator.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky charged Wednesday before the United Nations that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is planning to attack nuclear power plants in his country, warning of catastrophic consequences.

Brigitte Bardot, the 1960s French cinema icon who left the silver screen behind her a half-century ago, says as her 90th birthday approaches that she now "flees humanity" in favour of "silent solitude".

A large, ordinary-looking warehouse in the German city of Cologne is the closest you can get to walking on the Moon -- without leaving Earth.

Google said Wednesday that it had filed a complaint against Microsoft at the European Commission, accusing its rival of "anticompetitive" licensing practices to force customers to use its cloud service.

Finland will return two giant pandas on loan from China more than eight years ahead of schedule because of financial problems at the zoo where they are housed, its chair told AFP on Wednesday.

Zhang Shuai won her first WTA Tour match since January 2023 when she triumphed at her home China Open on Wednesday to snap a painful run of 24 defeats.

Global stock markets traded mixed Wednesday as China's latest measure to bolster its economy, the world's second-largest, largely failed to extend gains for equities.

EU member states on Wednesday voted in favour of lowering the protection status of wolves, a move decried by conservationists that paves the way for a relaxation of tight hunting restrictions.

Will Jacks says England's new-look one-day side need time to get to grips with a format they rarely play after beating Australia to keep their five-match series alive.

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has sustained a thigh injury ahead of this weekend's La Liga derby with Atletico, his club said on Wednesday.

Russia's parliament Wednesday voted to back a bill banning the adoption of Russian children in countries that allow gender reassignment, the latest in a series of ultra-conservative social measures.

France's conservative interior minister on Wednesday vowed consequences after a Moroccan man suspected of murdering a 19-year-old university student and leaving her body in a Paris forest was arrested in Switzerland.

EU member states on Wednesday voted in favour of lowering the protection status of wolves, in a move decried by conservationists that paves the way for a relaxation of strict hunting rules.

Volkswagen bosses and workers' representatives started crunch talks Wednesday about the ailing German auto titan's drastic cost-cutting plans, with thousands of staff staging a protest and unions vowing "bitter resistance".

Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka said on Wednesday she "didn't want to have regrets" after confirming she has teamed up with Serena Williams' renowned former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Lady Gaga comes face to face with the "Mona Lisa" in the Louvre and plants a lipstick smile on her face in a new video clip released Wednesday by the singer and the French museum.

Manchester City confirmed on Wednesday that Rodri suffered ligament damage to his right knee during their 2-2 draw with Arsenal, although the full extent of the injury remains unclear.

Fadi, a type of rocket used for the first time by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah against Israel, has more explosive power and range than rockets deployed previously, but lacks precision, experts say.

Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka said Wednesday that she "didn't want to have regrets" after confirming she has teamed up with Serena Williams' renowned former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

"Braveheart" Wallace Sititi says he is still processing his "crazy" rise this year from the fringes of the Waikato Chiefs to facing world champions South Africa with the All Blacks.

The OECD slightly raised its world economic growth forecast for 2024 on Wednesday but called for higher property and environmental taxes to combat soaring debt in many countries.

Environmental activists sprayed red paint on Finland's parliament building on Wednesday to protest against the peat industry, sparking strong criticism from politicians.

France World Cup winner Raphael Varane on Tuesday announced his retirement from football at the age of 31.

British property website Rightmove said Wednesday it had rejected a third "unsolicited" proposal, worth £6.1 billion (US$8.2 billion), from REA Group, the Australian peer majority-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire.

Hong Kong and Shanghai extended gains Wednesday as China announced another interest rate cut the day after unveiling a series of measures to boost the country's ailing economy.

China this week unveiled a bundle of new measures aimed at kickstarting its economy, which has been battered in recent years by unprecedented headwinds including a property sector crisis and sluggish spending.

Hezbollah said it had fired a ballistic missile at the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday, with the Israeli military describing the launch as unprecedented.