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

Syria's energy ministry warned on Thursday of rising water levels on the Euphrates River after flooding in the north and east following increased flows from neighbouring Turkey and recent rains.

Elon Musk insists that his artificial intelligence venture xAI remains a serious competitor, pushing back against mounting doubts after revelations that the supercomputing facilities built to power his own AI models are being rented out to a rival.

The scorching weather that has smashed temperature records across Europe this week shows the growing number and intensity of heatwaves on the continent.

US and Iranian negotiators have agreed on a framework for a 60-day ceasefire extension deal in the Middle East war but were still waiting for President Donald Trump's approval, US sources told AFP on Thursday.

Italy issued a red alert warning for the capital Rome on Thursday and Portugal and France reported their hottest days in May as Europe struggled with a heatwave that has smashed records across the continent.

A man reportedly shouting "Allahu akbar!" injured three people in a knife attack at a train station in Switzerland on Thursday before being arrested, in what officials said was "a terrorist act".

The WHO's chief pledged to do "everything in my power" to help conquer a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as he headed to the African nation on Thursday.

Jannik Sinner said he ran out of energy and "hit the wall" as his 30-match winning run came to an abrupt halt in the second round of the French Open on Thursday.

Paul Magnier won the 18th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday after a bunch sprint, as Jonas Vingegaard held the overall leader's pink jersey.

The EU's six biggest economies vowed Thursday to set aside differences and speed up integration of their financial markets as the bloc seeks to catch up with the United States and China.

Israel's military said it launched an airstrike in the Beirut area Thursday as a Lebanese source said an apartment was hit, the second such raid since an April ceasefire announcement.

Mosquitoes can learn to associate the smell of the world's most common insect repellent with a tasty meal -- and after training can even prefer to bite people who have been sprayed with it, an experimental study said Thursday.

The US economy expanded less than initially estimated in the first quarter, government data showed Thursday, while a key inflation gauge separately hit a three-year high on fallout from the Middle East war.

Italy issued a red alert warning for the capital Rome on Thursday and Portugal recorded its hottest day in May as Europe struggled with a heatwave that has smashed records across the continent.

Latvia's parliament voted in a new centre-right government on Thursday, weeks after the previous coalition collapsed in a row over stray Ukrainian drones.

Home hope Moise Kouame became the youngest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since Rafael Nadal 23 years ago, after an epic French Open win on Thursday.

Netflix and other streaming services on Thursday criticised a German plan requiring platforms to reinvest a share of locally generated revenue as part of efforts to support domestic film production.

Jannik Sinner's 30-match winning run came to an abrupt halt at the French Open on Thursday as the world number one succumbed to sweltering conditions in a five-set, second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Jannik Sinner succumbed to an apparent bout of heatstroke and a remarkable Juan Manuel Cerundolo comeback to crash out of the French Open on Thursday, blowing the men's tournament wide open, before Aryna Sabalenka bids to avoid a similar fate.

Italy on Thursday issued a red heatwave alert for the capital Rome, the latest country to take urgent action during a heatwave that has smashed records in Europe.

Britain risks creating a "lost generation" as the number of young people out of work and education surges, a government-commissioned review warned Thursday.

A man reportedly shouting "Allahu akbar!" injured three people with a bladed weapon at a train station near Zurich on Thursday, before being arrested, Swiss police said.

Brazil forward Neymar is a doubt for the start of the World Cup after injuring his calf, requiring two to three weeks of treatment, the national team's doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Thursday.

Norway's Queen Sonja, 88, left hospital on Thursday after a night of treatment for heart troubles, her husband King Harald said while adding his fears for Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

The United States and Iran accused each other of violating an ongoing truce on Thursday following an exchange of fire, three months after the Middle East war began with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

Lawmakers were moved to tears in parliament Thursday as France inched towards repealing outdated legislation that defines people enslaved in its colonies as "moveable goods", in a symbolic move as the country grapples with its colonial legacy.

Oil prices bounced higher and stock markets fell Thursday after the United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes, upending hopes of an end to the Middle East war.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke signed a four-year contract extension on Thursday as he prepares to lead his country to their first World Cup since 1998.

Italy said Thursday it was seizing more than 200 million euros ($232 million) in assets belonging to late Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro derived from drug trafficking and reinvested in Europe and beyond.

The EU slapped a 200-million-euro ($232 million) fine on Chinese-owned online retailer Temu on Thursday for allowing the sale of illegal products, including dangerous baby toys and defective chargers.

A fire in a girls' dormitory in Kenya on Thursday killed 16 children and hospitalised 79 in the latest deadly blaze to hit a school in the east African country.

French AI firm Mistral on Thursday announced partnerships with carmaker BMW and aerospace company Airbus as it aims to boost its growth by fostering links with defence and industry giants.