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

A Brazilian lawmaker allied with President Jair Bolsonaro barricaded himself inside Congress Tuesday night to fight a Supreme Court judge's order for him to be fitted with an ankle monitor.

The lawyer for an Irish ex-soldier accused of being a member of the so-called Islamic State group on Wednesday denied she was involved in terrorist activities, speaking on the final day of her trial.

CVS Health will pay $484 million to the state of Florida to settle opioid claims, the parties announced Wednesday, in the pharmacy chain's first settlement with a US state.

Traffic police nervously watched a World Cup crowd make a mark in Qatar's capital Wednesday as FIFA set the scene for even bigger gatherings at the event by announcing that 800,000 tickets have already been sold.

Argentina's embattled military dictatorship was on its last legs when it sought to secure a lifeline with an invasion of the British Falkland Islands 40 years ago this week.

US lawmakers scrambled Wednesday to cut a deal on more Covid-19 funding ahead of a speech from President Joe Biden in which he is expected warn that progress in combating the pandemic is under threat.

A concert of near-mythical proportions -- Prince at the peak of his powers in Syracuse during the 1985 Purple Rain tour -- is getting an official release on June 3, the late singer's label said Wednesday.

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Brazilian pop star Anitta, whose booty-grinding reggaeton hit "Envolver" claimed the top spot on Spotify last week and has become a viral dance phenomenon, says her international success shows "Latinas are reaching the top."

President Joe Biden will receive a second Covid-19 vaccine booster shot on Wednesday, the White House said.

Russian superstar soprano Anna Netrebko on Wednesday condemned the war in Ukraine and said she would return to the stage after cancelling concerts in the wake of criticism that she was close to the Kremlin.

Sri Lanka announced nationwide 13-hour daily power cuts from Thursday and more hospitals suspended routine surgeries after running out of life-saving medicines, as the cash-strapped island's economic crisis deepened.

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of shelling a city where it had promised de-escalation, dampening hopes of any resolution to a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

Cameroon, Ghana and Tunisia fired their coaches after unsatisfactory Africa Cup of Nations results this year, and the bold moves paid off this week with qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Israelis on Wednesday mourned five people killed by a Palestinian gunman, the third deadly attack in a week, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned of a "wave of murderous Arab terrorism".

The UK government said Wednesday it wants a minimum European wage for maritime workers, after P&O Ferries sacked almost 800 seafarers to replace them with cheaper agency workers.

A teenager has been given a six-week jail sentence for racially abusing England forward Marcus Rashford on Twitter after the Euro 2020 final.

World stock markets lost ground Wednesday after strong gains the previous session, as Russia downplayed hopes of a breakthrough in peace talks with Ukraine and Germany's growth outlook darkened.

Inflation in Germany has surged to a post-reunification high, data showed Wednesday, as the war in Ukraine sent energy prices soaring and diminished the prospects for growth in Europe's largest economy.

A record-breaking US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station Wednesday, with tensions between Moscow and the West soaring over Ukraine.

Temperatures in the Middle East and Central Asia have risen 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since the 1990s, twice the global average, according to an International Monetary Fund report released on Wednesday.

European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that a prolonged Ukraine conflict will keep energy prices and the cost of living spiralling, blighting a post-Covid recovery.

Less than two weeks from presidential elections for which he has barely started to campaign, French leader Emmanuel Macron is under fire over his government's liberal use of public money on expensive management consultants.

The EU on Wednesday announced proposals to crack down on "fast fashion" by making clothing easier to repair and more durable as part of a push to bolster environmental standards.

Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque believes his team are well prepared ahead of the first Test against South Africa starting at Kingsmead on Thursday.

England manager Gareth Southgate insists nobody can take their place in his World Cup squad for granted.

Ukrainian seamstress Olga Shandyba had never lived in a castle until she fled war for the Czech Republic. Now she would give anything to leave the fairy-tale lodgings and return home.

Dazed residents emerge from their homes to search for food while Ukrainian soldiers salvage what they can from damaged Russian vehicles abandoned amid the ruins.

Five weeks into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has kept the extent of its military losses under wraps, but analysts say the country has probably succeeded in limiting the toll thanks to years of preparation and smart tactics.

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of shelling a city where it had promised de-escalation, dampening hopes of any resolution to a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

Carlo Ancelotti has tested positive for Covid-19, Real Madrid announced on Wednesday, with the Italian likely to miss his team's La Liga game against Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Beijing and Moscow advanced a vision of a new world order Wednesday as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made his first visit to key ally China since the invasion of Ukraine.