Sawt Falasteen - News from Ramallah, the political, economic and cultural centre of Palestine, as well as the West Bank and the whole world

England captain Ben Stokes stunned the cricket world by announcing his upcoming retirement from international duty in the middle of a Test match on Sunday as an unbeaten hundred from New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell batted the Black Caps into a commanding position at Trent Bridge.

The group stages of the first 48-team World Cup ended in a flurry of goals -- a fitting conclusion to an eye-catching first round.

A relieved George Russell admitted he had endured a "tricky run of form" this year after recovering his momentum to win Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix and trim Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli's championship lead.

Europe's deadly heatwave pushed east Sunday with hundreds of millions still sweltering across the continent despite fleeting relief from overnight storms, notably in France and Belgium.

They wear shirts with Lionel Messi's name on the back and support Argentina at the World Cup -- and none of them are Argentine.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu "plans to play" at Wimbledon on Monday despite battling with injury problems heading into her home Grand Slam.

George Russell returned to winning ways after a series of disappointments on Sunday when he claimed a measured victory for Mercedes ahead of Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen in a thrilling Austrian Grand Prix.

Serena Williams has slammed the drug test rules that force tennis stars to declare their location to doping officials, claiming the "unprofessional" system stopped her coming out of retirement sooner.

Ben Stokes has announced his retirement as England Test captain and from international cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement issued Sunday.

French veteran Sebastien Ogier relied on his experience to navigate the punishing Greek terrain and win the Acropolis Rally on Sunday as Hyundai rival Thierry Neuville suffered a puncture.

South Africa kept the pressure on India in the race for a Women's T20 World Cup semi-final berth with a nervous four-wicket win over Bangladesh in their final Group A match at Lord's on Sunday.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned the country's premature World Cup exit on Sunday, pointing the finger at "incompetent people" and apologising to the nation.

Japan's Ai Ogura sped to his maiden MotoGP triumph in the Netherlands on Sunday as pre-race championship leader Marco Bezzecchi crashed at over 200kph and was taken to hospital.

Belgium's Zizou Bergs won his first ATP title with a surprise 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory against French sixth seed Ugo Humbert in the Eastbourne final on Sunday.

Rachin Ravindra fell agonisingly short of a century but together with Daryl Mitchell still batted New Zealand into a strong position on the fourth day of the third and deciding Test against England at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Iran's top diplomat warned Sunday that any attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz routes agreed with the United States would "increase tensions" in the Middle East, as the countries traded attacks and accusations of violating a fragile truce.

The Bank for International Settlements warned Sunday of multiple "pressure points" in the global economy, from inflation fuelled by the Middle East war to fears of cooling AI investments, threatening financial stability.

In a modest makeshift workshop tucked inside the crowded Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the soft sound of an oud echoes through the ruins of war.

Toulouse fly-half Romain Ntamack wants his club team-mates to carry their "energy" from lifting a fourth-straight Top 14 on Saturday to this July's Nations Championship campaign with France.

At the Eurobike trade fair, hopes are high that smart and AI-enabled bicycles can revive an industry that has been dealing with years of flagging sales.

Camels with "a bit of fire in them" raced in a remote Australian outback town this weekend at an annual event celebrating the desert beasts first imported in the mid-19th century.

Algeria and Austria played out a captivating 3-3 draw in Kansas City on Saturday that ensured both teams qualified for the World Cup knockout rounds and eliminated Iran.

Cape Verde have captured the imagination and secured a World Cup showdown with Lionel Messi's Argentina, but they are just part of a success story for African football as the group stages come to a close.

The Democratic Republic of Congo became the latest underdogs to roar at the World Cup on Saturday, battling into the knockout rounds for the first time as Iran's rollercoaster campaign ended in elimination.

Food vendors across Asia who rely on plastics for everything from bags to cups and containers are grappling with their rising costs, the result of the energy crisis sparked by the Middle East war.

Algeria and Austria played out an incredible 3-3 draw in Kansas City on Saturday that ensured both teams qualified for the World Cup knockout rounds and eliminated Iran.

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament as Argentina warmed up for their World Cup knockout tie with Cape Verde by beating Jordan 3-1 on Saturday.

Electric prods rest against the wall near rusty cages containing dog skulls in an abandoned canine slaughterhouse in a South Korean town.

Yoane Wissa dedicated his goals that sent the Democratic Republic of Congo into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time to those suffering back home from a humanitarian crisis caused by war.

In a half-covered amphitheatre in eastern China, 20-year-old Wang Shuangshuang locked his shoulder against the neck of a bull, grappling with its horns to force it to its knees.

South Korea's turbulent World Cup ended at the group phase on Saturday and could lead to the international retirement of captain Son Heung-min.

England defeated Panama 2-0 on Saturday to clinch top spot in their World Cup group and set up a last-32 clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo as the African underdogs reached the knockout rounds for the first time.