Berliner Tageszeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg and the world

Multiple women have accused Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of upmarket London department store Harrods where they worked, of rape and sexual assault, the BBC said on Thursday.

Asian markets rallied Thursday after the Federal Reserve announced a bumper interest rate cut and pledged a series of further reductions that boosted sentiment.

Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud rattled India with four wickets to leave the hosts on 176-6 at tea on the first day of the first Test at Chennai on Thursday.

Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon in unprecedented attacks this week, killing 32 people and wounding more than 3,000 others.

Gabon's ex-president Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was overthrown in a coup last year, has said he is withdrawing from political life and asked for clemency for his imprisoned wife and son who he said face "violence" and "torture".

Asian and European stocks markets rallied and the dollar showed some weakness Thursday after the Federal Reserve announced a bumper interest-rate cut and pledged further reductions as inflation cools.

Same-sex Taiwanese-Chinese couples are now legally able to register their marriages in Taiwan, Taipei said Thursday, recognising cross-strait unions for the first time.

Israel said Thursday it bombed Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, piling pressure on the militant group already reeling after a series of deadly explosions targeting its communications systems that it blamed on Israel.

Italian authorities have evacuated some 1,000 people from homes as the tail end of Storm Boris pummelled a northeastern region that was devastated by deadly flooding last year, regional authorities said on Thursday.

The coming winter will prove the "sternest test yet" for Ukraine's energy grid, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, as the EU announced additional aid to help the country weather Russia's attacks on its power infrastructure.

Outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will caution the United States and Europe against "isolationism" in his parting speech on Thursday, as Donald Trump vies to return to the White House.

A counter-attacking century from Ravichandran Ashwin pulled India to 339-6 on day one of the first Test after Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud rattled the hosts with four wickets on Thursday.

Portugal's firefighters have mastered most of the deadly forest fires in the north of the country, according to official data Thursday.

The Bank of England on Thursday kept its key interest rate at 5.0 percent, deciding against consecutive cuts one day after a bumper reduction from the US Federal Reserve.

Carlos Alcaraz has admitted to being starstruck when he first faced Rafael Nadal, saying that facing the 22-time Grand Slam champion was "kind of a nightmare".

Israel bombed Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon on Thursday, piling pressure on the militant group after two waves of explosions targeted its communications systems, killing 37 people.

The Vatican said Thursday it recognised the shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, without commenting on the Virgin's "alleged messages" to the faithful, who have gathered there in the millions for more than 40 years.

English footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been charged in connection with an attempt to smuggle cannabis with an estimated value of £600,000 ($800,000) through a British airport, UK police said Thursday.

The native city of a late French charity icon on Thursday said it was removing his name from one of its squares, in the latest such move after accusations he committed sexual abuse.

The controversial documentary "Russians at War" will be shown at the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) next month despite harsh criticism from Kyiv, the event's director said Thursday.

Lando Norris declared Thursday he has "nothing to lose" as he aims to close the Formula One world title gap on Max Verstappen at this week's Singapore Grand Prix.

Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli reached the Louis Vuitton Cup final on Thursday as they defeated New York Yacht Club American Magic.

Half a century of advancements in biomedical science paved the way for today's powerful weight-loss drugs like Ozempic -- so what was that journey like for the scientists involved?

Champions Italy will face Argentina in the Davis Cup Final 8 in November after the draw was made for the knockout stage on Thursday.

A street next to Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena stadium will be renamed to honour German football great Franz Beckenbauer who died earlier this year, the city council announced Thursday.

Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Elon Musk's X to suspend access to the social network, after service was restored despite a ban, or face a daily fine of over $900,000.

Leading Formula One drivers at this week's Singapore Grand Prix said Thursday they would not tone down their language on team radio, after the governing body FIA warned they should cut out the swearing.

A previously unknown piece of music composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was probably in his early teens has been uncovered at a library in Germany, researchers said Thursday.

The US central bank's decision to slash interest rates this week is a "very positive sign" for where the world's biggest economy stands, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday.

A series of deadly explosions targeting Hezbollah members this week in Lebanon came only days after Israel announced plans to expand its war in Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon.

Mpox vaccines have been administered in Africa for the first time, with several hundred high-risk individuals vaccinated in Rwanda, the African Union's disease control centre said Thursday.

Through decades of pioneering work on fighting the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, South African public health power couple Quarraisha and Salim Abdool Karim are credited with saving thousands of lives.

Some panic-stricken Lebanese have tossed power banks, or sleep with mobile phones in another room, after hand-held devices used by Hezbollah operatives detonated two days in a row, killing 37 people.

Marnus Labuschagne proved an unlikely hero with the ball as depleted world champions Australia fought back to dismiss England for 315 in the first one-day international at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

Sales of previously owned US homes fell in August, according to industry data released Thursday, but lower mortgage rates and growing supply were likely to boost the industry.

The leader of Hezbollah acknowledged on Thursday that his group had suffered a "major and unprecedented" blow after thousands of operatives' communication devices exploded across Lebanon in deadly attacks it blamed on Israel.

One of dozens of men accused of raping a Frenchwoman drugged unconscious by her husband told a court Thursday he realised something was wrong during their encounter that he now concedes was sexual assault.

Francesco Bagnaia will be gunning for MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin in the Italian's 100th Grand Prix appearance, at his home Misano Adriatico circuit this weekend.

A study on the origin of Covid-19 provided new evidence on Thursday supporting the theory that humans first caught the virus from infected animals at a Chinese market in late 2019.