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

Threats, intimidation, harassment -- the tactics deployed by US negotiators to stall a global deal on shipping pollution last month sent chills through climate diplomats ahead of the COP30 summit.

Sweden's Linn Grant shook off an opening bogey to card eight birdies in a seven-under par 63 on Friday and seize a share of the second-round lead in the LPGA Annika at Pelican tournament alongside Australia's Grace Kim.

Elon Musk's Grokipedia carries thousands of citations to "questionable" and "problematic" sources, US researchers said Friday, raising doubts about the reliability of the AI-powered encyclopedia as an information tool.

President Donald Trump signed an order Friday to lower US tariffs on agriculture imports such as beef, bananas, coffee and tomatoes, as his government comes under pressure from voters grappling with the escalating cost of living.

Croatia booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in North America with an unconvincing 3-1 win over the in-form Faroe Islands on Friday as the Netherlands all but booked their spot in the finals too.

An American football coach featured in the hit Netflix documentary series "Last Chance U" has died after being shot in the head on campus, police said Friday.

Jannik Sinner stayed on course to defend his ATP Finals title on Friday after seeing off Ben Shelton and completing a perfect group stage, while Felix Auger-Aliassime claimed the last semi-final spot by beating Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Nick Woltemade scored a brace to send a sluggish Germany past Luxembourg 2-0 away and within touching distance of direct World Cup qualification on Friday.

Croatia came from behind to beat the Faroe Islands 3-1 in Rijeka on Friday and secure their qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Kai Trump conquered her nerves to cap her LPGA debut with a five-over par 75 on Friday and said she'd have plenty of positives to discuss with her grandfather, US President Donald Trump.

Venezuelans are grappling with political and economic chaos, a mass population exodus and fears of a US military attack. Now, their wallets are ever thinner as a return to hyperinflation looms.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that US air travel is recovering after the disruptions caused by the more than month-long government funding shutdown.

A barrage of Russian missiles hit Kyiv on Friday, killing six people in one apartment block, attacks that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced as a "heinous" bid to spread terror.

Police in California investigating the shooting of an American football coach from the hit Netflix documentary series "Last Chance U" said Friday they have made an arrest.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, one of only a handful of senior US political leaders attending this year's UN climate summit, told AFP Friday that President Donald Trump's America is "deliberately losing" the clean tech race to China.

The United States and Switzerland said Friday that they have reached an agreement to sharply lower tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, with the Alpine nation vowing to invest $200 billion in the US to win over the White House.

Lobbyists tied to the fossil fuel industry have turned up in strength at the UN climate talks in the Brazilian Amazon, an NGO coalition said Friday, warning that their presence undermines the process.

Returning France captain Gregory Alldritt on Friday said he was the only one to blame after being dropped by coach Fabien Galthie for last weekend's humbling loss to South Africa.

Global stock markets struggled for momentum Friday as doubts built over whether the US Federal Reserve would cut interest rates next month and amid persistent fears of a tech bubble.

The head of France's TotalEnergies, one of the few oil executives to attend UN climate talks in Brazil, jousted Friday with activists, defended his presence and sidestepped questions about his sector's role in global warming.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he wants the Justice Department and FBI to investigate links between the late alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and former Democratic president Bill Clinton.

James Anderson believes England head into the Ashes as underdogs despite agreeing with former new-ball partner Stuart Broad that Australia are at their "weakest" for the last 15 years.

Dozens of Indigenous demonstrators blocked the entrance to the UN climate summit in Brazil on Friday in a plea for the world to pay attention to their plight in the Amazon.

King Charles III enjoyed a busy 77th birthday on Friday, seemingly determined to carry on working despite ongoing cancer treatment.

George Ford insisted on Friday that England won't lack self-belief when they go in search of a rare win over New Zealand at Twickenham.

Pedro Acosta was fastest in practice for the Valencia Grand Prix on Friday, as Aprilia's Jorge Martin enjoyed a full day back on the bike after injury.

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at next year's Berlinale film festival, organisers said Friday.

Bulgaria on Friday nominated a senior government official to take control of a major Lukoil refinery in the east of the country following US sanctions against the Russian oil giant.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Friday his squad are on their way to becoming "legendary" like the players that won the country's first World Cup, in 2010, and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

The United States and Switzerland are set to unveil details of a trade pact Friday, with both sides reaching an agreement to sharply lower tariffs recently imposed by President Donald Trump, officials said.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will press for security guarantees while US President Donald Trump will urge him to normalise ties with Israel when the de facto Saudi ruler breaks a seven-year absence from Washington this week.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are facing an energy crisis as water levels have plummeted at the reservoirs powering their largests hydropower stations, officials said this week.