Vossische Zeitung - News from Berlin, Brandenburg, Europe and the whole world

Alex Morgan scored her 120th international goal as the United States thrashed New Zealand 4-0 in a friendly in Wellington on Wednesday to fire a World Cup warning.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open in round two to 65th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a major upset Wednesday, his worst Grand Slam result in seven years.

Six hours of play on outside courts was lost Wednesday at the Australian Open because of rain, compounding a scheduling backlog and triggering complaints from players.

Once the preserve of nerds and stuffy young conservatives, loafers, moccasins and other formal shoes are increasingly taking over from sneakers as the first choice for fashion-conscious men.

Nikola Jokic bagged his 13th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets overcame a 44-point display from Damian Lillard to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 122-113 on Tuesday.

Ambulance services scrambled at Sydney airport on Wednesday to meet an incoming Qantas plane that issued a mid-air mayday alert with engine trouble before landing safely.

Maria Sakkari survived a scare against college student Diana Shnaider at the Australian Open on Wednesday, grinding out victory in a bad-tempered match that she thought she "was gonna lose".

World number three Jessica Pegula powered into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday with a straight-sets win over "super-aggressive" Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Sacked Wallabies coach Dave Rennie insisted Wednesday he had the support of the players and staff as his successor Eddie Jones laid out his vision of a more attacking style of rugby from a "super-fit" Australian team.

World number one Iga Swiatek and dangerous American Jessica Pegula led the charge into the Australian Open third round on Wednesday as wild weather again played havoc.

Macau's former "junket king" Alvin Chau was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 years in jail for running an illegal gambling empire, ending a criminal trial that shocked the casino hub and toppled one of its highest-profile gaming tycoons.

Regional airlines are struggling to ramp up flights to Hong Kong because of staff shortages at the airport, slowing the city's plan to recapture its travel hub status, industry insiders have told AFP.

Jordanian film "Farha", vehemently criticised in Israel, is based on true events and represents "only a drop in the ocean" of Palestinian suffering, director Darin J. Sallam told AFP.

Sacked Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said on Wednesday he was disappointed to be dumped just eight months out from the World Cup, insisting he had the support of the team and staff.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday following a mixed lead from Wall Street as traders fought to maintain the strong start to the year, while the yen sank after the Bank of Japan decided against further tweaking monetary policy.

Japan's central bank left its ultra-easy monetary policy unchanged on Wednesday, a move that sent the yen plunging, despite heavy speculation it could again tweak a key lever.

Entrepreneurial young Egyptians are helping combat their country's huge plastic waste problem by recycling junk-food wrappers, water bottles and similar garbage that usually ends up in landfills or the Nile.

Kalle Rovanpera launches his world title defence in the iconic season-opening Monte Carlo Rally on Thursday night.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday following a mixed lead from Wall Street as traders fought to maintain the strong start to the year.

From baguettes to Birkenstocks, cliches on France and Germany are hard to scrub 60 years on from a post-war treaty establishing friendship between the two European giants after decades of rivalries and conflicts.

The best Christmas present Thierry Soudan ever received was a candle made from beeswax "from my father's hives" -- a father the Frenchman never met.

Incoming Wallabies boss Eddie Jones has vowed to make the team super-fit leading into the World Cup this year while reverting to a more attacking style of rugby.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a changing world order are straining ties between France and Germany as they prepare to celebrate 60 years since a post-World War II treaty sealed their reconciliation.

Alhue and Mailen were born in captivity but conservationists hope to free the chicks soon as part of a project to boost Chile's ailing population of Andean condors.

Brazil has faced a herculean task in processing hundreds of people detained in the country's biggest-ever once-off roundup of suspects following violent riots in the capital on January 8.

Jason and Shannon Phleger had just rebuilt their wildfire-ravaged home when it was wrecked again by one of the powerful storms that swept through California last week.

A rocket strike on Kramatorsk's railway station in April last year, which killed dozens, is rarely spoken about in the city near the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.

Philippine Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa and her online media company Rappler were on Wednesday acquitted of all four charges of tax evasion filed against her, a court said.

Rain prevented play on outside courts at the Australian Open Wednesday, compounding a scheduling backlog, with some players not happy about it.

Gary Lineker said the BBC's television coverage of the FA Cup clash between Wolves and Liverpool had been sabotaged after loud pornographic noises were heard during the build-up to Tuesday's match.

Nurses in England began two days of strikes over pay Wednesday, as officials warned of disruption for thousands of patients in the UK's state-run health service.

Microsoft is readying to cut more positions from its global workforce as tech giants continue paring headcount to ride out rough economic conditions, according to media reports on Tuesday.