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

A close ally of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was placed under house arrest Tuesday, detained just hours after his release from prison along with other dissidents jailed under ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.

YouTube's legal team insisted Tuesday that the Google-owned video platform was not intentionally addictive or even technically social media, on the second day of a landmark US trial targeting tech giants.

Google-parent Alphabet will issue bonds maturing in 100 years as it continues to invest massively in infrastructure for artificial intelligence, according to data published Tuesday by Bloomberg.

In pet-mad Brazil, the state of Sao Paulo will allow animals to be buried in family graves starting Tuesday, with a law recognizing "the emotional bond" that exists between humans and their household critters.

President Donald Trump's administration is set to finalize on Thursday its repeal of a foundational scientific determination that underpins the US government's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Coco Gauff suffered a surprise second-round exit from the WTA 1000 event in Doha on Tuesday, losing in straight sets to Italian lucky loser Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Three police officers will stand trial in November for the 2020 beating of a black music producer in his Paris studio, sources close to the case told AFP on Tuesday.

Istanbul authorities on Tuesday banned concerts by two foreign rock bands, Slaughter to Prevail and Behemoth, after Islamist commentators accused them of "satanism".

The joy of winning a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in Antholz on Tuesday turned to tears for biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid as he broke down live on air and confessed he had had an affair.

The mayor of Ecuador's violence-ravaged city of Guayaquil, a fierce critic of President Daniel Noboa, was arrested Tuesday along with the president of a top football club for alleged money laundering, prosecutors said.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan hit a solid half-century while spinner Usman Tariq grabbed three wickets as Pakistan downed the United States by 32 runs in a T20 World Cup Group A game in Colombo on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron has revived the idea of joint EU borrowing that has long been divisive in the European Union, although the bloc has shifted its position on the issue to head off several crises.

US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin suffered more Winter Olympic heartbreak on Tuesday as Games chiefs banned a Ukrainian athlete from wearing a helmet depicting victims of the war with Russia.

Mikaela Shiffrin said there were no excuses for a disappointing slalom run that cost her a medal in Tuesday's Olympic team combined, insisting she would learn her lesson ahead of her individual events.

A defiant British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to move on Tuesday from fevered speculation about his future after fighting off strident calls to resign over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Armed with swimsuits, caps and goggles, rural French children are gaining access to swimming lessons close to home at an unlikely venue: a retrofitted trailer truck.

An enhanced version of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket will blast off Thursday to launch 32 satellites into orbit, forming part of the Amazon Leo network, which it hopes will rival Elon Musk's Starlink.

The push for a digital euro has gained greater urgency as Europe seeks to bolster its financial sovereignty, with hopes the proposal will move forward this year after European lawmakers Tuesday backed the plans.

Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica announced the sale of its Chilean unit for $1.2 billion on Tuesday in its push to leave Latin America and concentrate on core markets elsewhere.

A rare spell of torrential rain has killed at least 22 people and left thousands of families displaced in Colombia's northern cattle belt, officials said Tuesday.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan hit a robust half-century to help Pakistan post 190-9 in their T20 World Cup Group A game against United States in Colombo on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump's administration is expected to finalize this week its repeal of a foundational scientific determination that underpins the US government's authority to regulate greenhouse gas pollution.

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel on Tuesday called for cricketing powers India, England and Australia to tour his country to play a T20 series.

Stock markets posted modest gains Tuesday as traders assessed mixed company earnings and the outlook for the tech sector ahead of key economic data releases, with lacklustre US retail sales data keeping investors cautious.

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday allowed a Ukrainian skeleton racer to wear a black armband after banning his helmet that features pictures of Ukrainian sportspeople killed in the war with Russia.

French ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry are poised to win Olympic gold in Milan despite a baptism of fire in their debut season with accusations of control and manipulation flying.

Norway's Birk Ruud won gold in the Olympic men's freeski slopestyle on Tuesday after an error-filled event at Livigno Snow Park.

Mikaela Shiffrin suffered more Winter Olympic pain on Tuesday after the US ski star failed to claim a medal in the women's team combined, bringing back memories of her disastrous performance at the Beijing Games four years ago.

Captain Maro Itoje returns as one of two changes for England's Six Nations trip to Scotland on Saturday as Steve Borthwick's men look to build on a 12-game winning run.

In the heart of the Sahara, where the routes to Sudan and Libya cross, the Chadian city of Amdjarass has been transformed this week into an open-air celebration of desert culture.

US retail sales showed no growth in December, according to delayed government data released Tuesday, missing analysts' expectations amid heightened scrutiny of the American consumer's appetite -- a key driver of the world's biggest economy.

Farmers across Europe are protesting amid one of the most plentiful potato harvests in years, as the unintended consequences of US tariffs and increased competition drive down prices.