Berliner Tageblatt - News from Berlin, Europe and the whole world

Strongly fancied Nathan Chen laid old demons to rest with a blistering start to his Olympics campaign in Beijing on Friday, as the figure skating competition kicked off.

The United Nations has demanded the Taliban provide information on two more women activists allegedly detained by the group this week -- bringing to four the number missing this year.

North Korea sent "warm congratulations" Friday to ally China ahead of the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, a message analysts said likely signals it will stop test-firing missiles during the event.

The Atlanta Hawks, fueled by 43 points from Trae Young, halted the Phoenix Suns' 11-game NBA winning streak on Thursday with a 124-115 victory over the top team in the league.

The Atlanta Hawks, fueled by 43 points from Trae Young, halted the Phoenix Suns' 11-game NBA winning streak on Thursday with a 124-115 victory over the top team in the league.

The 2022 Six Nations Championship gets underway this weekend with Ireland at home to Wales, Scotland taking on arch-rivals England and favourites France facing Italy in Paris.

England coach Eddie Jones labelling Scotland "red-hot favourites" for the old rivals' Six Nations opener at Murrayfield on Saturday may be a familiar ploy, but he might have a point.

The Dutch port city of Rotterdam has not received a request for a permit to temporarily dismantle an historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass, local media reported Thursday.

A British silver medallist and a prominent US coach at the Beijing Winter Olympics have criticised the decision to award the Games to China over its human rights record.

Asian markets mostly rose Friday as a rally in Hong Kong on its first day back from a break helped overcome a sharp drop on Wall Street, though a surprisingly hawkish tilt from the European Central Bank added fuel to fears about the removal of pandemic-era stimulus.

Moroccans waited anxiously Thursday as authorities said a dramatic operation to rescue a young boy trapped in a deep well for over two days was nearing its end.

Oxford researchers announced Thursday the discovery of a highly virulent strain of HIV that has been lurking in the Netherlands for decades, but because of the effectiveness of modern treatments, is "no cause for alarm."

Activision Blizzard on Thursday said it will beef-up its "Call of Duty" video game franchise after sagging interest by players led to a sales decline in the recently ended quarter.

Director Roland Emmerich knows a thing or two about the ingredients needed for a good disaster flick, having given the world "Independence Day", "2012" and "The Day After Tomorrow".

In 1966, the late bossa nova singer Nara Leao asked Brazilian music icon Chico Buarque to write her a song about a long-suffering woman waiting on her man.

Costa Rica, which elects a new president Sunday, is a small country thriving on ecotourism. Its neutrality, strong democracy and political stability have earned it the nickname of Central America's Switzerland.

There is a feeling of uncertainty hanging over one of Latin America's most stable democracies as Costa Rica heads to the polls on Sunday with a crowded presidential field and no clear favorite.

As dawn breaks over Mexico City's floating gardens, Omar Menchaca paddles his kayak through a maze of canals collecting garbage left by visitors to one of the last vestiges of the ancient Aztec capital.

Russia's geopolitical ambitions in Africa have in recent years been backed by private military contractors, often described as belonging to the "Wagner group" -- an entity with no known legal status.

Spanish energy giant Repsol on Thursday vowed to finish by March cleaning up a devastating oil spill that has polluted beaches and killed wildlife.

Japan's Nasa Hataoka and American Marina Alex fired seven-under-par 65s to share a one-stroke lead after Thursday's opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship.

Ford reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profits Thursday amid supply chain problems, even as higher car prices boosted results in North America.

Egypt called on Africa Cup of Nations organisers to delay this weekend's final against Senegal to give them more time to prepare after overcoming hosts Cameroon on penalties in Thursday's semi-final.

Real Madrid's hopes of clinching a Spanish domestic double were dashed on Thursday as Athletic Bilbao scored a dramatic 89th-minute winner to knock them out of the Copa del Rey.

Sixteen teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas on Thursday urged US college sport authorities to follow new USA Swimming rules which could bar her from competing at upcoming championships.

Mohamed Salah's Egypt are through to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating hosts Cameroon 3-1 on penalties at the end of a goalless 120 minutes in Yaounde on Thursday.

The leaders of Turkey and France attempted to mediate in the Ukraine crisis on Thursday as Washington announced it had evidence of a Russian plan to fake a Ukrainian attack to justify invading its neighbour.

Amazon on Thursday reported its profit doubled to $14 billion in the recently ended quarter, giving a boost to jittery markets that expected less due to higher labor, sourcing and delivery costs.

The Pentagon said Thursday it had evidence of a plan by Moscow to film a fake Ukrainian attack on Russians to justify a real assault on its pro-West neighbor.

Argentine police on Thursday seized vast quantities of cocaine likely laced with opioids and made several arrests after 22 people died and dozens ended up in hospital poisoned in Buenos Aires.

By early December US intelligence was certain: the man occupying the top floor of a nondescript house in Atme, northern Syria -- who never left the premises, emerging only to bathe on the roof -- was the head of the Islamic State group.

A Winter Olympics overshadowed by rights concerns and Covid will officially begin in Beijing on Friday with an opening ceremony at the "Bird's Nest" stadium.