Berliner Tageszeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg and the world

Need some good news on a Friday after a long week?

American Wyndham Clark seized a three-stroke lead early in Friday's second round of the US Open with fellow major winners Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland and Matt Fitzpatrick in hot pursuit.

Russia's central bank on Friday cut its benchmark interest rate to 14.25 percent from 14.5 percent, less than analysts expected, and signalled a more cautious approach to further monetary policy easing as the Ukraine war takes a growing toll on Moscow's finances.

American Taylor Fritz battled past Ben Shelton in three sets on Friday to reach the semi-finals in Halle five days after losing the title match to his countryman in Stuttgart.

Matt Henry took five wickets as New Zealand strengthened their grip on the second Test against England on Friday by establishing a first-innings lead of 100 runs.

More than half of France's population were dealing with scorching temperatures on Friday, according to AFP's calculations, with hundreds of schools adapting their timetables to keep students out of boiling classrooms.

Inflammatory social media posts -- including of men brandishing a machete or calling foreigners "leeches" -- are stoking emotions around an unofficial demand for illegal immigrants to leave South Africa by the end of the month, fuelling a volatile situation, analysts say.

Deadly exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon put a newly signed deal to end the Middle East war under further strain on Friday, after the postponement of planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland.

Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps announced on Friday she has agreed to join Women's Super League club London City Lionesses after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

Wyndham Clark finished his darkness-halted first round of the 126th US Open with two pars on Friday morning, completing a six-under par 64 to hold a two-stroke lead at windy Shinnecock.

French hurdler Dimitri Bascou, an Olympic medallist in 2016, was banned for four years on Friday for a positive test for steroids.

Italy's foreign minister on Friday cancelled a visit to the United States over reported comments by US President Donald Trump that appeared to mock Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

American world number four Jessica Pegula reached the semi-finals of the WTA event in Berlin after a straight sets win over countrywoman Madison Keys on Friday.

Oil prices and stock markets stabilised Friday after postponement of Mideast peace deal talks and following big movements for markets this week on hopes of an end to the US-Iran conflict.

The ceasefire declared in Gaza more than eight months ago is a "deadly illusion", the UN charged on Friday, with 265 children killed there since the fighting was supposed to have stopped.

As the hantavirus scare comes to an end with the last cruise ship passengers set to leave quarantine, what did the world learn from this sudden outbreak of a previously little-known virus?

Veteran UK Labour politician Andy Burnham won a crunch by-election on Friday, resoundingly securing a parliamentary seat and clearing the way for his expected bid to oust beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

In a Kenyan sports bar, several football fans cheered South Africa's opponents in their latest match at the World Cup -- reflecting a wave of anger at the country's recent xenophobic violence.

Arsenal will kick off their Premier League title defence against promoted Coventry on August 21.

Humanoid robots able to perform tasks from grape harvesting to welcoming visitors were front and centre at France's Vivatech trade fair this week, with European firms looking to fill niches beyond what dominant Chinese giants can offer.

A robot with expressive eyebrows that is designed to perform basic tasks to free up healthcare workers is being given a trial run by a hospital in Milan.

Images of Samurai Blue fans cleaning up World Cup stadiums have garnered them widespread praise, but back in Japan, a post has gone viral complaining men rarely do so at home.

A French appeals court on Friday confirmed that Moroccan football star Achraf Hakimi will face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023, which the Paris Saint-Germain defender denies.

A newly signed deal to end the Middle East war was already under strain on Friday, after talks in Switzerland were postponed and fighting flared between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Assistance from Russia had rendered sanctions imposed on nuclear-armed North Korea "ineffective", South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday after discussing the matter with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

Arsenio Butil Jr. fell to his knees and began to pray when last week's deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake began shaking his home on the coast of the southern Philippines.

Stock markets were mixed on Friday and oil prices rose after Switzerland said planned talks following up on the US-Iran agreement had been postponed, dealing a blow to the week-long rally.

Closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have rendered sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear programme "ineffective", South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday.

Indonesia's government is racing to capture the last-known Bornean rhino in the wild in a bid to preserve the species through in-vitro fertilisation, a government official told AFP on Friday.

Ebola is spreading again in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict, mistrust and the lack of a vaccine have made the outbreak hard to contain.

The United States and Australia will look to book their place in the World Cup knockout rounds on Friday while Brazil aim to kickstart their campaign against Haiti.

Switzerland announced Friday that planned talks following up on the deal to end the Middle East war had been postponed, hours after US Vice President JD Vance's departure for the Alpine country was cancelled.