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

A massive fire in a Bangkok bar late Sunday night killed at least 27 people and injured dozens, sending screaming patrons fleeing as flames shot from the entrance, according to officials and video verified by AFP.

Spain will attempt to neutralise one of the most potent attacking arsenals in World Cup history on Tuesday when they take on France in a heavyweight semi-final showdown.

Alexander Zverev insisted he can surpass Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the preeminent force in tennis despite his painful loss in Sunday's Wimbledon final.

Sophie Ecclestone said it felt good to have regained family bragging rights from her brother after a five-wicket haul in the inaugural women's Test at Lord's on Sunday gained the England left-arm spinner a prized place on the dressing room honours board.

France and Spain will meet in a heavyweight World Cup semi-final showdown on Tuesday, with Les Bleus bidding to reach a third straight final and La Roja still in contention to follow their triumph at Euro 2024 by claiming the biggest prize of all.

French officials rushed two firefighting planes to the Paris region Sunday, after a fire erupted south of the French capital, disrupting traffic during a busy summer travel weekend and piling more misery on a region sweltering through its latest heatwave.

A month after the expanded, 48-team tournament kicked off, the World Cup is down to the semi-final stage with France and Spain preparing to face off on Tuesday before holders Argentina renew their bitter rivalry with England the following day.

Jannik Sinner said he still considers winning Grand Slam tournaments a "very, very rare" achievement, despite securing his fifth major title on Sunday by defending his Wimbledon crown.

The official death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes rose to nearly 4,500 on Sunday, as the government reported more than 19,500 people were now living in camps due to the destruction.

England have left the door ajar for Andy Flower to return as their Test coach after announcing Sunday that Brendon McCullum had been sacked from his red-ball role.

Conor McGregor said Sunday his right knee was fine before he injured it on the first kick of his mixed martial arts showdown with Max Holloway to end a five-year layoff.

South Korea's Tom Kim ended a three-year wait for a professional golf title with a two-shot victory in the Scottish Open on Sunday.

Yastika Bhatia said it felt "unbelievable" to have gained a coveted place on the Lord's honours boards after becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the 'Home of Cricket' on Sunday.

Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner admitted Alexander Zverev pushed him to the brink in a full-blooded final as the Italian clinched an "amazing" fifth Grand Slam title.

Jannik Sinner was at his clinical best as he successfully defended his Wimbledon title with a bruising four-set victory over French Open champion Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final.

Fresh attacks rocked Iran and Kuwait on Sunday evening as Tehran and Washington squared off over the Strait of Hormuz, offering contradicting statements as to whether the vital waterway was open to traffic.

South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran defeated Canadian Brooke Henderson with a birdie on the first play-off hole to win her second women's major this season at the Evian Championship on Sunday.

Former Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, who was sent off in the 1966 World Cup quarter-final against England, died on Saturday at the age of 89, his club Boca Juniors confirmed.

Spain's conservative ex-prime minister Mariano Rajoy faced criticism at home and in France Sunday after saying the neighbouring country's national football team had "no French players".

Former Argentina captain Antonio Rattín, who was sent off in the 19966 World Cup quarter-final against England, died on Saturday at the age of 89, his club Boca Juniors confirmed.

Israel will hold national elections on October 27, the last date allowed by law, its parliament said on Sunday, with the vote widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership since the Gaza war erupted.

Jude Bellingham has dragged England into the World Cup semi-finals but criticism from manager Thomas Tuchel of his side's quality has sparked a fresh standoff between the pair before Wednesday's showdown against Argentina.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a major reshuffle of the government on Sunday, proposing the replacement of the prime minister and the heads of some law enforcement agencies.

Tour de France king Tadej Pogacar said on Sunday that if he had his own way, he would not race at all in the hottest summer months.

Cobbled classics specialist Mathieu van der Poel claimed his third Tour de France win on Sunday with victory in the ninth stage, which was shortened due to intense heat.

Cobbled classics specialist Mathieu van der Poel won his third Tour de France stage on Sunday with victory in the ninth stage, which was shortened due to intense heat.

Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was closed on Sunday while the United States insisted it remained open, after the confrontation over the vital waterway again sparked US and Iranian strikes.

Brendon McCullum has left his role as England's Test head coach but will remain in charge of the national white-ball set-up, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Sunday.

Marc Marquez won the Germany MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday as the Spaniard equalled Italian legend Giacomo Agostini's record of 10 premier class wins on a single circuit.

Yastika Bhatia rode her luck before becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's as India set England a mammoth target of 457 for victory on Sunday.

France's Kristina Mladenovic and China's Guo Hanyu won the Wimbledon women's doubles title on Sunday with a final victory over second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani.

Australian cyclist Luke Durbridge joined a growing chorus of riders urging Tour de France organisers to consider bringing forward stage start times to avoid the hottest part of the day in a country sweltering through a heatwave.