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

France's economy returned to growth in the first three months of the year but the expansion was modest, held back by sluggish household consumption and stagnant investment, official data showed Wednesday.

Former Premier League midfielder Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery, a Chinese court said on Wednesday.

A police station in the historic sailors' quarter of the Belgian port of Antwerp is surrounded by sex workers' neon-lit red-light windows.

The Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics became the latest teams to book their places in the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday as the Detroit Pistons thwarted the New York Knicks to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Former world number one Jon Rahm said Wednesday he had not done himself "any favours" in his winless start to the season ahead of LIV Golf's South Korea debut.

Tokyo's tariffs envoy departed Wednesday for a second round of negotiations in Washington, where Japan could offer concessions such as tweaking vehicle import procedures to secure relief from Donald Trump's trade levies.

Djurgarden are targeting a seismic Conference League shock against Chelsea on Thursday, when they will become the first Swedish team to play in a European semi-final for 38 years.

The Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics became the latest teams to book their places in the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday as the Detroit Pistons thwarted the New York Knicks to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Reclining on sofas at a South Korean cafe, customers sip iced americanos as they gaze past barbed wire fences and watchtowers at the mountains of North Korea.

Since the start of the school year in March, Afghan boys have been required to wear new uniforms of turbans and long tunics, following an order to adopt outfits reflecting Taliban rule.

Stocks started limply Wednesday as investors struggled to match Wall Street's rally, with data showing Chinese factory activity contracted this month at its fastest pace for nearly two years as Donald Trump's trade war kicked in.

Bodo/Glimt's historic run to the semi-finals of this season's Europa League has not happened by chance after a remarkable success story that has been years in the making.

Ange Postecoglou can still make good on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season but he must find a way to inspire struggling Tottenham for a shot at Europa League glory.

In the vast white expanse around Churapcha in eastern Siberia, the ever more rapid thaw of the permafrost is changing the landscape, cracking up houses and releasing greenhouse gases.

South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday raided the home of the country's ex-president, Yonhap reported, as part of a probe into a shaman accused of receiving lavish gifts for the former first lady.

Asia's front-runner for the papacy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines is a charismatic moderate often dubbed the "Asian Francis".

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics reported a better-than-expected 21.7 percent rise in first-quarter net profit on Wednesday as consumers rushed to buy smartphones under the looming threat of US tariffs.

A seasoned diplomat who worked with Pope Francis for 12 years, Cardinal Pietro Parolin is well-known in Rome and abroad, and a serious contender to be the next pontiff.

A landmark security pact to overhaul Australia's navy with American muscle faces growing scepticism, stoked by its eyewatering cost and growing distrust of US President Donald Trump.

China's manufacturing activity shrank in April after growing at its highest rate in a year the previous month, official data showed Wednesday, as Beijing fights an intensifying trade war with the United States.

Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has ushered in sweeping changes to international geopolitics and US government administration with little regard for norms that have constrained predecessors.

A Swedish journalist arrested on arrival in Istanbul to cover last month's massive street protests goes on trial Wednesday on charges of insulting Turkey's president, his lawyer said.

Les Kiss said it would be "the honour of a lifetime" to lead Australia in their home 2027 World Cup after it was announced Wednesday that he would take over as Wallabies head coach from Joe Schmidt in 2026.

US GDP figures for the first quarter are expected to show a sharp drop-off in growth -- and possibly even a recession -- reflecting a surge in imports before President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs came into effect.

Trinidad and Tobago's centrist former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will return as leader of the Caribbean nation after her party's victory in Monday's parliamentary election, the electoral commission confirmed Tuesday.

American golfer Brandt Snedeker and Australia's Geoff Ogilvy will be the respective captains of the United States and International Teams for next year's Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago, the PGA Tour announced Tuesday.

Ruben Amorim has bet the house on the Europa League after Manchester United's disastrous Premier League campaign, knowing this season and next hinge on winning the competition.

Donald Trump promised Tuesday that he is just getting started as he marked the radical and vengeful beginning of a presidency that has shaken the world and destabilized the United States.

SAN RAMON, CA AND SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / Sensiba LLP, a Top-75 U.S. accounting and consulting firm, is pleased to announce the acquisition of AssuranceLab Pty. Ltd., a high-growth cybersecurity audit and risk assurance firm headquartered in Australia, with operations across the Americas, APAC, and EMEA.

CAPRE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / BitMobile, the driving force behind the revolutionary Phēnix X Blockchain phone in South Africa and emerging markets, and Reality Network, a pioneer in decentralized blockchain technology, today announced a strategic partnership that highlights the Reality Network node app preloaded onto the Phēnix X smartphone. This collaboration marks a significant engagement in bringing accessible Decentralized Finance (DeFi) earning opportunities directly to customers in each country and territory, particularly empowering communities in emerging markets.

LUSAKA, ZM / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / BitMobile, dedicated to bringing cutting-edge mobile technology to emerging markets, has announced the launch of a massive countrywide marketing campaign across Zambia. This extensive effort is designed to reach every corner of the nation, celebrating the Phēnix X blockchain phone's growing popularity and introducing its transformative capabilities to even more Zambians.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / BitMobile, innovator of the Phēnix X suite of blockchain devices, announced the imminent arrival of the Phēnix X Watch, a groundbreaking wearable accessory poised to bring enhanced connectivity, health monitoring, and personal empowerment to people in emerging economies worldwide.