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

In-form opener Pathum Nissanka scored an unbeaten 146 as Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the second Test against Bangladesh on day two in Colombo on Thursday.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a "genocide", as rescuers in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory said Israeli forces killed 56 people.

The top American diplomat in Hong Kong defended US Independence Day celebrations as "perfectly normal" on Thursday after local education officials reportedly warned teachers and students to stay clear due to national security risks.

The UN's air service which flies humanitarian workers and cargo to hard-to-reach corners of the world has been forced to slash its global fleet by almost a quarter due to funding cuts, the World Food Programme (WFP) told AFP.

A massive trove of artwork and curios linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, including one of his iconic bicorne hats, has sold for more than $10 million in Paris, an auction house said.

At least 16 people died in protests across Kenya on Wednesday, Amnesty International said Thursday, as businesses and residents were left to clean up the devastation in the capital and beyond.

In a Finnish town a stone's throw from Russia, Moscow's reported military build-up on its side of the border is raising concerns about the Nordic country's security, locals told AFP.

Barbora Krejcikova faces a race to prove her fitness in time to defend the Wimbledon title after the Czech pulled out of the Eastbourne Open with a thigh injury on Thursday.

Members of the Senegal women's national basketball team hustled across the court in central Dakar, dribbling and pivoting as the scuffing noise of their trainers echoed across the empty arena.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a "genocide", as rescuers in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory said Israeli forces killed 35 people.

Liverpool on Thursday announced they had completed the £40 million ($55 million) signing of Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez.

Paceman Jofra Archer was Thursday named in England's squad for the second Test against India after an absence of more than four years.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday said US President Donald Trump "exaggerated" the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, in his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel took hold.

A US commercial mission carrying astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, marking the first time in decades that these nations have sent crew to space.

Europe's top rights court on Thursday condemned France over "discriminatory treatment" against a Frenchman who accused his country's police of racial profiling.

The dollar slid Thursday as President Donald Trump lined up candidates to succeed Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell, fuelling bets of cuts to US interest rates.

Photographs of a leopard snapped by camera traps in forests in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts have raised hopes among conservationists working to save the critically endangered species.

Indian investigators have successfully retrieved data from the black boxes of a Boeing plane, after it crashed in one of the deadliest air disasters in decades, the government said Thursday.

A verdict is expected Thursday in the trial of 15 managers of a chemical plant accused of knowingly contaminating the water of hundreds of thousands of people in Italy.

China hosted defence ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending.

Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan said Thursday he will be his "chill" self after being named captain for the British and Irish Lions' opening Australian tour game against Western Force in Perth.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a news conference on Thursday to offer a fresh assessment of strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, following a stinging row over how much American bombardment set back Tehran's nuclear program.

While looking for jobs on Facebook, Jett thought he had found a well-paying opportunity working in online customer service in his home country of Thailand.

Stocks were mixed Thursday and oil rose as traders kept a nervous eye on the Iran-Israel ceasefire, while the dollar dropped after Donald Trump said he had a handful of candidates to succeed Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell, fuelling rate cut bets.

North Korea has completed construction on a massive tourist resort boasting colourful water slides and swimming pools, state media said on Thursday, a pet project of leader Kim Jong Un.

Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan was named captain Thursday for the British and Irish Lions opening Australian tour game against Western Force in Perth.

Swedish fashion giant H&M on Thursday reported a drop in sales and profit in the second quarter, as currency effects weighed on the company's earnings.

Esports is helping Ukrainian war veterans, who "often feel out of place" when they return from the front line, to reintegrate into society, the head of Ukraine's Esport Commission has told AFP.

At a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hundreds of people gathered recently for a weeknight charity fundraiser hosted by a celebrity guest.

Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the UN drug agency said on Thursday, with the illicit drug's market the world's fastest-growing.

Environmental groups raised concerns Thursday over a $6 billion Indonesian EV battery megaproject backed by Chinese giant CATL which is set to open on a once-pristine island, as Jakarta exploits its huge supply of nickel.

Debutant Sonal Dinusha took 3-22 as Sri Lanka bowled out Bangladesh for 247 on day two of the second Test in Colombo on Thursday.