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

In a remote town in southern Kyrgyzstan, teacher Nur Akhmatov watched workers building a library, conference hall and women's sports centre -- construction mostly funded by Kyrgyz emigrants sending money home from Russia.

Under the din of traffic from the highway bridge that cuts over his fields, Bala Haruna inspects corn, cassava and okra on his family farm.

Denmark's strict migration policies have slowly spread across Europe and the country will now push for harsher EU-wide regulations during its upcoming EU presidency, including on asylum handling and legal appeals.

Nearly one-third of citizens in Pacific nation Tuvalu are seeking a landmark climate visa to live in Australia as rising seas threaten their palm-fringed shores, official figures obtained by AFP show.

Western Force coach Simon Cron named six current Wallabies Thursday in his starting side to face the British and Irish Lions, but in a setback veteran Kurtley Beale was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Thai cannabis store owners and activists on Thursday hit out at new government plans to tighten the rules on selling the drug by requiring a doctor's approval, three years after it was decriminalised.

Wallabies Kurtley Beale, Rob Leota and Seru Uru will pull on First Nations and Pasifika shirts after being named Thursday to face the British and Irish Lions.

Wimbledon head gardener Martyn Falconer is the only man at the All England Club who welcomes a drop of rain.

Matcha is the new drink of choice at hip cafes worldwide, but Japanese producers are struggling to keep up with soaring demand for the powdered green tea.

Inter Milan kept their cool to beat nine-man River Plate 2-0 and reach the Club World Cup last 16 on Wednesday, while Mexican side Monterrey followed them through from Group E.

Birthday boy Yang Hansen is headed to the Portland Trail Blazers as the 16th overall selection in the NBA draft, just the third Chinese player ever chosen in the first round.

At a minimalist Los Angeles matcha bar, powdered Japanese tea is prepared with precision, despite a global shortage driven by the bright green drink's social media stardom.

A US judge on Wednesday handed Meta a victory over authors who accused the tech giant of violating copyright law by training Llama artificial intelligence on their creations without permission.

Inter Milan powered into the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Wednesday, scoring a stormy 2-0 victory over River Plate that sealed the Argentinian club's exit.

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.

Most stocks fell 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.

Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed could barely recognise his war-ravaged village when he returned after years away. Now, his meticulous documentation of the damage using a drone helps to rebuild it.

Max Verstappen leads Red Bull into their home Austrian Grand Prix this weekend hoping a major upgrades package can boost his title defence before it is too late.

Fresh from his success with the "Dune" saga, Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to direct the next movie in the storied James Bond franchise, Amazon MGM Studios announced Wednesday.

Thailand's government has announced a plan to tighten the rules on selling cannabis, the kingdom's latest attempt to restrict the drug, three years after it was decriminalised.

Ecuador's president announced Wednesday that the country's most-wanted fugitive, Los Choneros gang leader "Fito," had been recaptured over a year after his escape from prison triggered a wave of violence.

The bedroom of 74-year-old Cherifa Attia smells like burnt rubber. The vast phosphate processing plant beside her home has been belching out toxic fumes into the atmosphere, blighting this Tunisian city.

After weeks of painstaking testimony in the high-profile trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, legal teams will enter a pivotal moment of the proceedings Thursday as they deliver closing arguments.

Hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami have been released by the Wallabies so they can play for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions next week.

Eighty years ago Thursday, 50 countries came together in the ashes of World War II to sign the United Nations' founding charter in order "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

New Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso warned his team's stars including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday that they must all pitch in defensively.

Versatile US college teen star Cooper Flagg was selected first overall in the NBA draft on Wednesday by the Dallas Mavericks, where he'll join a star-laden team already touted as a playoff threat next season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his team must be ready to 'suffer' in the Florida heat when they face Juventus in their final Club World Cup Group G match on Thursday.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday the league is studying a rash of recent Achilles tendon injuries, days after Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton became the latest player to be hobbled by such an injury in game seven of the NBA Finals.

Selection Follows Successful Pitch During Blue Magic Netherlands Event

The occasion was conducted with meticulous organisation. As the previous Kiswa was carefully prepared for removal, the new Kiswa was raised and securely fastened to all sides of the Kaaba. Additionally, the door curtain embroidered with golden embellishments, lantern-shaped pieces, the belt, and samadiyah pieces were affixed-a scene embodying high craftsmanship and precision.

Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday that his lengthy layoff from boxing has reignited his passion for the sport as he prepares for next month's world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.