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

Turkey on Wednesday doubled down on its pitch to host 2026 UN climate talks, defying calls to step aside and let rival candidate Australia stage the high-profile global event.

Bordeaux-Begles winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey is "fit" to play this weekend's Top 14 final having been sidelined with concussion, a source close to the player told AFP on Wednesday.

The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its first exoplanet, astronomers said Wednesday, capturing rare direct images of the relatively small world in the Earth's galactic backyard.

Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya will attempt to make history by becoming the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile on Thursday, but to do so she must shave nearly eight seconds off her world record.

Gunmen killed 10 people including children in an attack on a house in a central Mexican city plagued by gang-related violence, authorities said Wednesday.

A surfer's paradise nestling in a Southern California state park that delivers consistent, high-quality waves, Trestles Beach was the logical choice to host surfing at the 2028 Olympics.

Relieved Israelis returned to work and school on Wednesday after the military lifted restrictions following a ceasefire with Iran, while some voiced lingering apprehension about the future.

A Spanish court on Wednesday confirmed the 10,800-euro fine disgraced former football federation chief Luis Rubiales received for forcibly kissing Jenni Hermoso, a sentence feminist groups condemned as too lenient.

Iran on Wednesday hanged three men convicted of spying for Israel after what activists decried as an unfair trial, bringing to six the number of people executed on such charges since the start of the war between the Islamic republic and Israel.

Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat first on the opening day of the first Test of a three-match series against the West Indies at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday.

India coach Gautam Gambhir has backed his side's raw bowling attack to "deliver for us" despite a chastening defeat by England in the first Test at Headingley.

US President Donald Trump took a victory lap at NATO's Hague summit Wednesday, joining leaders in reaffirming the "ironclad" commitment to protect each other after allies agreed to his demand to ramp up defence spending.

Ben Duckett believes a change of mindset has inspired his successful return to Test cricket after a brilliant century laid the foundation for England's remarkable win in their series opener with India.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "great progress" was being made to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza as a new ceasefire push began more than 20 months since the start of the conflict.

The UK's iconic Glastonbury Festival opened its gates Wednesday amid controversy over the inclusion of Irish rap trio Kneecap on the bill.

Oil prices recovered slightly and European stock markets fell Wednesday as traders assessed whether the Israel-Iran ceasefire would endure.

The theft of cables along train tracks in northern France on Wednesday disrupted Eurostar trips between London and Paris for a second day in a row, the company and French railway operator said.

At the usually bustling border crossing of Poipet between Thailand and Cambodia, tuk-tuk driver San Noeun now has to work overnight to make ends meet.

New York City Democrats chose 33-year-old Muslim socialist Zohran Mamdani as their mayoral candidate in Tuesday's elections, stunning his opponent, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

US President Donald Trump struck a conciliatory tone towards NATO allies on Wednesday, framing an expected deal on increased defence spending as a "great victory for everyone" at their summit.

Barcelona announced on Wednesday their long-awaited return to the new Camp Nou for an August 10 friendly after years of work to expand and modernise the iconic stadium.

President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that US strikes led to the "total obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capabilities and set the country's atomic programme back "decades", while Israel said it was still early to fully assess the damage.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday said security forces had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric, amid his escalating standoff with the leadership of the powerful Apostolic Church.

As the fragile Iran-Israel truce took hold, there was no letup in Turkey's diplomatic efforts Wednesday to prevent any return to a conflict fraught with risk for Ankara's domestic and regional policies.

Tesla sales sank again in Europe last month as rising competition and Elon Musk's ties to US President Donald Trump cut into demand despite a growing electric car market, industry figures showed on Wednesday.

Former players, including Sunil Gavaskar, tore into India Wednesday, blaming lower-order batting failures, poor bowling and sloppy fielding for the chastening first Test defeat at Headingley.

Will he play nice? That was the question for NATO leaders nervously waiting to see if a carefully choreographed show to please US President Donald Trump would pay dividends as the alliance summit began on Wednesday.

A court on Tuesday ordered Costa Rican authorities to release foreign migrants locked up in a shelter after being deported by the United States, according to a resolution issued on the eve of a visit by the US secretary of homeland security.

A Vietnamese property tycoon sentenced to death for fraud totalling $27 billion will no longer face execution, her lawyer said Wednesday, as the country abolished capital punishment for eight crimes, including property embezzlement.

Vietnam has abolished the death penalty for eight crimes including espionage, graft and attempting to overthrow the government, state media said Wednesday.

Flooding in China's southwest has driven more than 80,000 people from their homes, state media said on Wednesday, as a collapsed bridge forced the dramatic rescue of a truck driver left dangling over the edge.

Days after the Philippine Senate declined to launch the impeachment trial of the country's vice president, two interviews with Filipinos arguing for and against the move went viral.