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

As Artemis 2 astronauts forged ahead Friday on their lunar mission, NASA released initial images taken from inside the Orion spacecraft, including a full portrait of Earth featuring its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds.

Pope Leo XIV led a torch-lit procession at the Colosseum in Rome on Friday as he prepares for his first Easter as pontiff in the shadow of war in the Middle East.

Ousmane Dembele scored twice, including a stunning opening goal on the volley, as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League quarter-final showdown with Liverpool by beating Toulouse 3-1 on Friday to cement their place at the top of Ligue 1.

Robert MacIntyre stormed to the top of the Texas Open leaderboard Friday with a superb 64 that put the Scot 14-under-par after two rounds of the US PGA Tour event.

Top seed Jessica Pegula once again fought back from a set down to reach the WTA Charleston Open semi-finals with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against Russia's Diana Shnaider on Friday.

Iranian and American forces were racing each other on Friday to recover the crew of the first US jet crashed in Iran since the start of the war.

A beautifully crafted half-century by skipper Shreyas Iyer took Punjab Kings to a second successive victory, by five wickets against Chennai Super Kings, and to the top of the Indian Premier League table on Friday.

Padel, the racket sport that originated among the elites of Latin America and Spain, has exploded in popularity in Miami.

A French court has ruled to extradite Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, a former owner of English football club Portsmouth, to Lithuania, his lawyer said on Friday.

Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco.

As he wages war on Iran, President Donald Trump was joined in the Oval Office by Christian pastors. Solemnly, some placed their hands on his shoulder or forearm. They offered their blessings.

Cuban authorities began to free prisoners on Friday after announcing it would pardon 2,010 inmates, the second release in less than a month as it faces heightened US pressure.

The US economy posted unexpectedly strong job gains in March, data showed Friday, in a development hailed as a win by US President Donald Trump's administration but seen with caution by analysts.

Russian strikes killed at least 10 people in Ukraine on Friday, officials said, as Moscow launched the latest in an increasing number of daytime barrages.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been urging his players to use their League Cup final defeat as "fuel" for the remainder of the season as they chase down a domestic Premier League and FA Cup double as well as the Champions League.

World champion Tadej Pogacar is happy that Olympic gold medallist Remco Evenepoel is making his Tour of Flanders debut this weekend.

The US economy posted unexpectedly strong job gains in March, government data showed Friday, in a shift that could ease labor market concerns and boost President Donald Trump's economic agenda.

A US judge has dismissed sexual harassment claims brought by actor Blake Lively against co-star Justin Baldoni that were at the heart of explosive public row between the two, a court filing showed.

Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez will miss Chelsea's next two matches after he "crossed a line" with comments that cast doubt on his future at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss their FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City and both legs of the Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain, manager Arne Slot said Friday.

Iran deployed troops and offered a bounty as it launched a hunt for a US pilot whose jet Iranian media said had been downed by the Islamic republic's air defence systems Friday.

The new mayor of the French capital pledged Friday to stop sexual violence in schools and pre-schools, saying Paris had suspended more than 30 school monitors suspected of sexual abuse since January.

Gennaro Gattuso quit as Italy coach on Friday as the Azzurri failing to reach a third straight World Cup continued to send shockwaves through Italian football.

The Toyota bZ7 is shaking up China’s electric luxury car segment. Developed jointly by Toyota and GAC, the five‑meter sedan is built exclusively for the Chinese market and measures roughly 5,130 mm long and 1,965 mm wide, similar to a Tesla Model S. Pricing starts at about 147,800 yuan (approximately US$21,500) and runs up to 199,800 yuan across five trim levels.The bZ7 showcases cutting‑edge technology. Its cockpit features Huawei’s HarmonyOS 5.0 interface on a 15.6‑inch touchscreen, complemented by an 8.8‑inch digital cluster and a 27‑inch head‑up display. Voice control recognizes multiple zones and commands, yet physical buttons remain for key functions. Momenta provides the R6 ADAS suite, combining LiDAR and 26 other sensors to deliver highway and urban navigation on autopilot plus automated parking without subscription fees.Passengers enjoy ventilated, heated and massaging seats, while the front seats use a zero‑gravity design for comfort. Dual‑chamber air suspension and a road‑preview system give a refined ride.

With the war in the Middle East sending global fertiliser prices soaring, the EU is coming under pressure from farmers and some member states to take action.

During the war in the Gaza Strip and two wars with Iran in the space of a year, Israel has used artificial intelligence to fine-tune its missile early warning system.

The Trump administration has fired army chief of staff General Randy George and two other senior figures, officials said Friday, in a surprise shake-up just as US forces are locked in a major war against Iran.

Myanmar's pro-military lawmakers elected junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as president on Friday, with the ex-armed forces commander set to maintain his rule in a civilian guise after snatching power by force five years ago.

The new mayor of the French capital on Friday pledged to prevent sexual violence in schools and pre-schools, saying Paris had suspended more than 30 school monitors suspected of sexual abuse since January.

Greece on Friday reshuffled its government after three cabinet members resigned as a burgeoning EU farm subsidy scandal pisled pressure on the country's conservative government.

Ukraine on Friday faced nearly 500 Russian missile and drone attacks that killed at least six people, officials said, the latest in an increasing number of daytime strikes by Moscow.

Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match at Freiburg this weekend but should be fit for their Champions League clash with Real Madrid next week, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.