All articles tagged with #berlin
Tigst Assefa won the 2026 Berlin Marathon in 2:11:04, setting a new course record and personal best, but a late-race injury prevented her from breaking the women's world record. She led by a minute at 15km and was on record pace at 35km, but slowed dramatically in the final two kilometers. The win secures her third Berlin title, while Guye Adola won the men's race in 2:02:50.
Friedrich Merz’s CDU suffers a historic regional rout, with the AfD topping Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and a left-leaning Berlin coalition clinching victory, prompting talk of a possible chancellor swap and mounting internal pressure on Merz to push reforms; Merz pledges to stay, but the party’s unity and momentum for the far right threaten the federal government.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a fresh political blow as the CDU is expelled from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s parliament for the first time in 77 years and falls to second in Berlin behind the Left, while the far-right AfD surges in MV. Merz vows to persist with his reform program—pension overhaul, bureaucratic reduction and tax relief for low- and middle-income earners—amid pressure from coalition partners and questions about the government’s legitimacy, as five state elections next year could test the coalition’s survival and credibility.
Germany’s final state elections reshuffle the political map: Berlin votes for the Left, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania sees the AfD take the lead, and the CDU suffers historic losses in both; the SPD makes gains, setting up potential coalitions amid debates over antisemitism and governance.
Exit polls project the far-right AfD to win Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with about 38%, pushing CDU to around 5% and intensifying pressure on Chancellor Merz; the party’s surge follows its victory in Saxony-Anhalt, while Berlin polls show Die Linke leading and CDU/Greens trailing, underscoring a broader shift tied to economic discontent and regional anger over immigration and Russia ties.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to stay on after local polls projected CDU defeats in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, with the far-right AfD tipped to top votes in MV. Merz called the results a disaster, faced questions about a possible mid-term replacement, and repeated his plan to push through economic, tax and welfare reforms as the antidote to rising authoritarian sentiment, insisting the reforms must go ahead to move the country forward.
Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern head to the polls in regional elections that could threaten Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s grip on the CDU as the party slumps and the far-right AfD surges: CDU support in MV is slipping below 7% with AfD near the SPD, while Berlin polls hint at Die Linke leading and AfD rising to about 18%. Merz has vowed not to step down, but leadership doubts linger, prompting an emergency CDU meeting; a constructive vote of no confidence remains a constitutional option, though any replacement would need broad Bundestag backing.
Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania head to the polls as the far-right AfD gains threaten Chancellor Merz's CDU, with the SPD contesting leadership in MP and a tight CDU‑Left race in Berlin, signaling potential aftershocks for national politics after AfD successes in Saxony-Anhalt.
Elif Eralp of Die Linke leads Berlin's municipal race with a Mamdani-inspired emphasis on affordable living, rent caps, and expropriating corporate housing. A Die Linke victory would be historic—the first mayor from the party since reunification and the first Berlin mayor of Turkish descent—but the contest remains tight with AfD and CDU close behind, and Berlin's House must elect the mayor, likely forcing coalition negotiations.
German federal prosecutors charged a German-Ukrainian woman in Berlin with acting for Russian intelligence, alleging she worked with a Russian embassy officer since 2023, helped him attend events (sometimes under a false name), and recruited contacts from Germany’s Defense Ministry and defense industry; she was arrested in January and the charges were filed on Sept. 6, with her remaining in pretrial detention.
Team USA seeks a fifth straight FIBA Women's World Cup title in Berlin against France, a rematch of Paris 2024, with France featuring a deep WNBA-led lineup and Gabby Williams; however, USA's elite defense and rebounding edge could decide the game, with predictions split—Gibbs has USA 82-74 and Maloney expects a USA win with France covering.
China’s 7-foot-3 center Zhang Ziyu made her Women’s Basketball World Cup debut in Berlin, drawing attention with her size as she confronted top competition, including U.S. defenders like Kiki Iriafen and Aliyah Boston during the world-stage matchup.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup runs Sept. 4–13 in Berlin, with Team USA coached by Kara Lawson on a 66-game win streak; TNT and TruTV will air 17 games (including all U.S. games) while HBO Max streams all 36, with the U.S. opener Sept. 4 vs. China at 8:15 a.m. ET, followed by Italy (Sept. 6) and Czechia (Sept. 7) and knockout rounds Sept. 10–13. The U.S. roster features Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Aliyah Boston, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kiki Iriafen, Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young.
Improvised explosive devices were used in a sabotage attack near the Jaenschwalde coal-fired power plant in Germany, damaging several high-voltage lines and briefly interrupting supply; devices were found at the Preilack substation and at least one detonated, with no injuries and no major blackout reported. Berlin-Brandenburg officials condemned the attack, which follows a string of arson-style incidents around Berlin.
With the WNBA on a two-week break, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese must merge their on-court chemistry for Team USA at the Women’s World Cup in Berlin, where the U.S. seeks to extend its 30-game win streak and defend four straight world titles. The piece traces the longtime rivalry and potential impact of their pairing on both the World Cup and a post-tournament WNBA season, while highlighting national-anthem protocols under FIBA and USA Basketball ahead of the Sept. 4 opener against China. No anthem protests have been announced yet as the U.S. team navigates expectations and diplomacy on the world stage.