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

From a bumper 2021 in which sprawling blockbusters finally hit reopened movie theaters, and streaming platforms released more prestige flicks than ever, 10 films remain in contention for the Academy Award for best picture.

With the Oscars set for Sunday, Hollywood is weighing how or whether to address Russia's bloody assault on Ukraine, trying to thread the needle between showing support for Kyiv and being seen as too preachy.

Toshiba shareholders will vote Thursday on a plan to split the embattled Japanese conglomerate into two that has already faced staunch opposition from key investors.

World number one Jon Rahm got off to a smooth start at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play tournament in Texas on Wednesday, romping to a convincing victory over Colombia's Sebastian Munoz.

Substitute Agnese Bonfantini fired Juventus to a 2-1 comeback victory over Lyon in the first leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday while Arsenal needed a last-gasp goal to secure a 1-1 home draw with Wolfsburg.

An air raid siren blares and tears fill Vasiliy Kravchuk's eyes as he surveys the wreckage of the school his six-year-old son was meant to start at next year.

Another US state passed a law allowing abortion providers to be sued in civil court Wednesday, as conservatives across the country ramp up their effort to overturn long-held reproductive rights.

French car giant Renault announced Wednesday it was immediately suspending operations at its Moscow factory after Kyiv called for a boycott of the company for remaining in Russia.

For the first time, two black Colombians will stand as running mates in May's presidential elections.

Tributes poured in Wednesday from diplomatic players around the world remembering Madeleine Albright, the first female US secretary of state and one of the most influential stateswomen of her generation, who has died at age 84.

Ukraine figure skaters Sofiia Holichenko and Artem Darenskyi, who travelled six days to reach the world championships in France, said Wednesday they undertook the exhausting trip "to show that Ukrainian athletes are fighting for their country".

Critically endangered black rhinos in South Africa will get help from an unusual source: Wall Street, where institutional investors have expressed a willingness to buy a new type of bond being issued by the World Bank that will pay for successful efforts to save the animals.

Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya won a 3,000m race in a personal best time of eight minutes and 54.97 seconds on Wednesday as she eyes qualifying for the 5,000m at the 2022 world championships.

Covid is making its latest comeback in parts of the northeastern United States as the BA.2 coronavirus variant becomes dominant in the country, officials said Wednesday, while urging Congress to pass new funding or risk the supply of future treatments and vaccines.

The UN General Assembly was debating on Wednesday a new non-binding resolution which, if adopted by a majority of member states, will "demand" that Russia stop the war in Ukraine "immediately".

President Joe Biden arrived in Europe Wednesday on a mission to bolster Western unity and ramp up unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and brutal bid to upset the post-Cold War balance of power.

A bloodied but defiant Ukraine appealed Wednesday ahead of a major NATO summit for more Western weapons to fight what the United States formally labelled Russian "war crimes."

The US government announced Wednesday it will reinstate tariff exemptions for 352 Chinese products first hit with punitive duties in 2018, when then-president Donald Trump started a trade war with Beijing.

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker offered up his wedding ring as he tried to pay off his debts, a London court heard on Wednesday on the third day of the German's trial on charges relating to his bankruptcy.

The United States said Wednesday that public information and intelligence it has collected amounts to strong evidence that the Russian military has committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Naomi Osaka regained her composure to breeze into the second round of the Miami Open on Wednesday before revealing she has begun working with a therapist to deal with the issues which saw her make a tearful exit at Indian Wells earlier this month.

Chelsea fans will be able to attend Champions League and FA Cup matches for the rest of the season under the terms of a new licence granted to the club by the UK government.

Madeleine Albright, who came to the United States as a child refugee and rose to be the first female secretary of state, shaping American foreign policy at the end of the 20th century, has died at the age of 84.

YouTube on Wednesday began streaming some 4,000 television episodes from shows like "Hell's Kitchen" and "Heartland" to US viewers as the site tries to capture viewers in a fiercely competitive market.

West Indies and England meet for the potential decider of their three-match series on Thursday amid expectations of a pitch which will finally produce a result after the first two Tests in Antigua and Barbados fizzled out.

Madeleine Albright, the first female US secretary of state and one of the most influential stateswomen of her generation, died Wednesday of cancer at age 84, her family announced.

A team of scientists said Wednesday they had developed an oral male contraceptive that is 99 percent effective in mice without causing side effects, and could enter human trials by the end of this year.

American actor and director Sean Penn on Wednesday signed an agreement for his CORE Foundation to provide help to Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Russia is among the candidates to host the European Championship in either 2028 or 2032 despite being banned from international sport following the invasion of Ukraine, UEFA announced after Wednesday's deadline to declare an interest passed.

Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said his team's one-day international series triumph against South Africa on Wednesday was a highlight of his 15-year international career.

US-European automaker Stellantis is partnering with LG Energy Solution to make batteries for electric vehicles at a massive new plant in Canada, the largest ever investment in the country's auto sector, officials said Wednesday.

In the absence of the banned Russians, Japanese skater Kaori Sakamoto took the lead after the women's short programme at the World Championships in Montpellier on Wednesday.