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

France head coach Fabien Galthie said on Thursday South Africa are "perhaps the best team ever" as he named La Rochelle scrum-half Nolann Garrec as Antoine Dupont's stand-in for this weekend's Autumn Nations Series game in Paris.

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced surging quarterly profit Thursday on strong sales of cancer drugs and as the group zones in on the United States, pressured by President Donald Trump.

"Vibe coding," a word that essentially means using artificial intelligence (AI) to tell a machine what you want instead of coding it yourself, was on Thursday named the Collins Word of the Year 2025.

Vietnam evacuated thousands of people from coastal areas as Typhoon Kalmaegi, already among the world's deadliest cyclones this year, closed in on the country's storm-battered central belt on Thursday.

European stock markets dropped Thursday following gains in Asia and on Wall Street as traders reacted to positive US jobs data and mixed earnings.

MotoGP legend Giacomo Agostini has praised the "desire to win" displayed by freshly-minted world champion Marc Marquez.

Nepali rescuers on Thursday searched for the bodies of multiple climbers killed in an avalanche this week, while Italy said five citizens reported missing in a separate incident were safe.

Hezbollah lashed out on Thursday against the prospect of any political negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, and insisted that it has a right to defend itself.

Powerful batting by Black Cap Mark Chapman carried New Zealand to a three-run victory in the second T20 against West Indies in Auckland on Thursday night.

France has urged the European Union to take measures against Asian e-commerce giant Shein, two ministers said Thursday, following an uproar over sales of childlike sex dolls on its French website.

La Rochelle scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec will start at scrum-half for France against South Africa in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend with Antoine Dupont injured, head coach Fabien Galthie announced on Thursday.

This year's Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen's intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host.

As the Hong Kong daily "HongKong Telegraph" recently learned, the SCANDIC TRUST GROUP, an internationally operating conglomerate that is not active in the hotel industry, is expanding its international sales network: After successfully passing a thorough KYC and AML check (process control to verify identity, prevent money laundering, terrorism financing and all corporate activities) by bankers, the Dubai‑based and internationally active corporate association "FIRST IDEA CONSULTANT" will be integrated into the SCANDIC TRUST GROUP as a new sales partner under the name "SCANDIC SETUP".FIRST IDEA CONSULTANT, founded by internationally experienced bankers under the leadership of Amir Aslam, has for years successfully supported international founders and investors in the legally compliant establishment of companies and business accounts in the Gulf states of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). Thanks to a multilingual team of experts in German, English, Russian, Ukrainian, Hindi, Arabic and Chinese, clients worldwide are accompanied professionally.

A French-British investigation into alleged bribery at France-based defence giant Thales is examining a contract with Indonesia, an AFP investigation has showed.

US officials said the scheduled capacity for flights was being cut by 10 percent in 40 busy air traffic areas nationwide on Friday, as the longest government shutdown drags on.

Abdulhamid Mohammed fled his home in northeast Nigeria in 2015, chased into neighbouring Chad by jihadists who torched homes and shot civilians in his lakeside village.

Luka Doncic out-dueled Victor Wembanyama and the Los Angeles Lakers edged San Antonio 118-116 on Wednesday as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to hand NBA champions Oklahoma City their first defeat of the season.

Florence, a drag queen and DJ, has a warning before taking to the stage in an Istanbul nightclub: if Turkey passes a new law policing biological sex and morality, it will "threaten our very existence".

Tesla shareholders will determine on Thursday the fate of a massive pay package meant to retain Elon Musk long enough to achieve technological breakthroughs he vows will change the world.

Tongan rugby league player Eli Katoa has been moved out of intensive care at Auckland Hospital four days after requiring surgery following "seizure activity" during the Pacific Championships, his uncle said.

Argentine ex-president Cristina Kirchner, who is serving a six-year fraud sentence under house arrest, goes on trial Thursday in a separate case for allegedly taking millions of dollars in bribes.

Half a century after the death of Francisco Franco, disinformation on social media has credited the Spanish dictator with social achievements that present his iron-fisted rule in a nostalgic light.

Liverpool's Wataru Endo was named on Thursday in World Cup-bound Japan's squad for home friendlies against Ghana and Bolivia as they look to build on their historic first win over Brazil.

Spanish youth are increasingly seduced by General Francisco Franco 50 years after the dictator's death, often unaware of his harsh rule and influenced by propaganda permeating social media, experts say.

Hammered by surging energy costs and a flood of cut-price Chinese imports, Germany's steel industry has been mired in deep crisis for several years.

The owner of India Premier League cricket champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru is considering selling the team, which could be worth "as much as $2 billion".

Belgium's fragile governing coalition could be staring at collapse as Prime Minister Bart De Wever threatens to resign unless it approves a cost-cutting budget Thursday.

New Zealand's former deputy police commissioner admitted on Thursday to possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material, which he had stored on his work devices.

The Bank of England is expected to hold its key interest rate unchanged on Thursday but some analysts are not ruling out a surprise cut ahead of the UK government's annual budget.

Australia's most famous gangster won a reduced jail sentence Thursday on one of his drug-related convictions, after it was revealed his lawyer was a police informant.

Australia's tortuous search to replace swashbuckling opener David Warner is over with Jake Weatherald set to pad up in the first Ashes Test, but the selection can't paper over the ageing side's glaring weakness at the top of the order.

Alex Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to score his 900th career goal in the Washington Capitals' 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.