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

Venezuela on Friday accused the United States of waging an "undeclared war" in the Caribbean and called for a UN probe of American strikes that killed over a dozen alleged drug traffickers on boats in recent weeks.

Stock markets steadied and the dollar mostly rose Friday at the end of a week marked by central bank decisions, as attention turned to a call between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The Bayeux Tapestry was removed from its museum in northern France for the first time since 1983 ahead of the 11th-century artwork's loan to the United Kingdom, French sources told AFP on Friday.

Canada ended double-defending champions New Zealand's reign as the holders of the Women's Rugby World Cup with a brilliant 34-19 semi-final win in Bristol on Friday as the Black Ferns lost in the showpiece tournament for the first time since 2014.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he will welcome Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House next week and expects a resolution to a long-running rift on fighter jets.

Canada said Friday it will bar entry to the Irish rap band Kneecap, accusing it of supporting groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Argentine President Javier Milei blamed "political panic" for rattling markets Friday in the run-up to crucial midterm elections, sending the peso into a tailspin and hurting the country's sovereign risk.

Colombia on Friday blasted the United States' "excessive" military presence in the Caribbean as destabilizing for all Latin America, a sharp rebuke from one of Washington's oldest regional allies.

World champions India overcame a gutsy Oman team to win the last group match of the Asia Cup by 21 runs on Friday and stay unbeaten in the T20 tournament.

A multinational treaty to protect vast expanses of the world's oceans is finally set to become law in January 2026, with environmentalists hailing its enactment Friday as crucial to safeguarding the marine ecosystems.

German sports car maker Porsche said Friday that it would dramatically slow its shift to electric vehicles amid weak demand, prompting parent company Volkswagen to warn of a multibillion-euro hit.

Venezuela on Friday accused the United States of waging an "undeclared war" in the Caribbean, where Washington has deployed warships and blown up alleged drug boats in recent weeks.

Lewis Hamilton beamed with satisfaction on Friday after topping second practice ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his first significant sign of progress since he claimed sprint race victory in China in March.

Surrounded by incubators, a red tube snaking into her tiny nose, four-day-old Grace-Ella is being fed donated breastmilk at the only facility in Kenya that offers the life-giving service.

Jasmine Paolini pulled off double duty and fought back from the brink to keep Italy's title defence alive with victory over Ukraine in the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals in Shenzhen on Friday.

Berlin Marathon favourite Sabastian Sawe goes into Sunday's race vowing to honour the legacy of Kenyan countrymen Eliud Kipchoge and Kelvin Kiptum, the two fastest men in history.

Painting zebra stripes on cows to fend off flies, lizards' favourite pizza toppings and how booze helps you speak another language: these were some of the winners at the Ig Nobel prizes, which celebrate the sillier side of science.

England back-row Alex Matthews is preparing herself for another "brilliant battle" with France when the familiar foes meet in a Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final in Bristol on Saturday.

The UK government announced Friday it would replace controversial legislation designed to draw a line under issues stemming from three decades of violence in Northern Ireland, paving the way for investigations into killings to restart.

Three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Friday, Estonia said, triggering complaints of a dangerous new provocation from the EU and NATO.

A group of west Africans deported from the United States have sued the government of Ghana, alleging they were sent to the country despite having deportation protection orders from US immigration authorities.

For months, US President Donald Trump has been piling pressure on the Federal Reserve over delayed cuts to interest rates, casting the institution's independence into doubt.

Donald Trump's pick to join the US Federal Reserve said Friday that he did not speak to the president about how to vote on interest rates ahead of the central bank's meeting this week.

There must be something special about the Japanese air for American sprinters as Noah Lyles and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden swept the 200 metres world titles on Friday in Tokyo, emulating Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix in Osaka 18 years ago.

US President Donald Trump hailed Friday what he called progress with Chinese President Xi Jinping including on selling blockbuster app TikTok and said he would visit the Asian power, which offered a more cautious assessment of their talks.

French biathlete Martin Fourcade, who retired in 2020, will be awarded a sixth Olympic title following the decision to uphold the doping conviction of Russia's Evgeny Ustyugov, the IOC announced on Friday.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced that athletes from Russia will once more be allowed to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics under a neutral banner if they meet strict conditions.

Mikel Arteta expects Arsenal to learn from Myles Lewis-Skelly's provocative celebration against Manchester City last season when the title rivals clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Noah Lyles joined Usain Bolt in winning four successive world 200 metres titles on Friday, adding to one of the greatest medal collections of any sprinter in history.

The United Nations Security Council voted Friday to reimpose deep economic sanctions on Iran over its resurgentnuclear program after Britain, France and Germany called for action.

Akinola Davies, the director of "My Father's Shadow", Nigeria's first film to win an award at the Cannes film festival, is savouring his return to Lagos, the country's cultural capital, where the movie was released Friday.

An elderly British couple detained in Afghanistan for almost eight months arrived in Qatar after their release by Taliban authorities on Friday amid concerns for their health, an AFP journalist reported.