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

Israel said its forces fired at a threat near a UN peacekeeping position on Friday in Lebanon, acknowledging that a "hit" was responsible for wounding two Blue Helmets, an incident that has sparked diplomatic backlash.

New United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has hailed AC Milan's American winger Christian Pulisic as one of the best forwards in the world but has warned he may need to limit his workload.

Brazilian authorities on Friday began closing down more than 2,000 betting sites, including those that sponsors popular football team Corinthians and other first division clubs, as part of a push to regulate online gambling.

The UK government was on Friday urged to raise the case of jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai with China, after reports that foreign minister David Lammy is heading to Beijing.

A giant bear, a winged rabbit and a rhino were among the 70 animal bronzes and stone works by celebrated sculptor Francois-Xavier Lalanne that fetched $59 million at Christie's in New York this week.

With his no-holds-barred embrace of Donald Trump, Elon Musk is not only backing the former president's bid to return to the White House but also signaling his own ambition to command the world stage on his terms.

US and European stock markets rose Friday as traders weighed the outlook for interest rates and solid earnings from banking giant JPMorgan Chase.

On a beach in Colombia, children trade plastic waste for pseudo coins which they can use to "buy" clothes, books, school supplies or even popcorn.

Monster hurricanes slamming the United States in recent weeks have triggered a torrent of misinformation, with politicians and social media users reviving conspiracy theories about weather manipulation ahead of the November 5 presidential election.

JPMorgan Chase reported a dip in profits on higher costs Friday while still topping expectations as executives described US consumers as healthy and the economy as poised to avoid recession.

Novak Djokovic proved his staying power on Friday, beating an opponent 18 years his junior 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4 to claim the last spot in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder said Friday he was "numb" after the death of his former player George Baldock, who drowned in a swimming pool this week.

A key meeting ahead of the UN COP29 climate summit ended Friday in frustration with countries making little progress over how to fund a new finance deal for poorer nations.

Crowds flocked to Serbian artist Marina Abramovic's first-ever Chinese show in Shanghai on Friday, where they were encouraged to become part of the artworks in an "absolutely fully interactive" spectacle.

Israel announced on Friday it was conducting a "thorough review" following claims that its troops injured four UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, sparking a diplomatic backlash.

Scientist Jim Wild has travelled to the Arctic Circle numerous times to study the northern lights, but on Thursday night he only needed to look out of his bedroom window in the English city of Lancaster.

Novak Djokovic said Friday he was "overwhelmed" by the news of Rafael Nadal's retirement and called the Spaniard "the greatest rival that I ever had", but said he has no plans to stop.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced hope Friday that the war with Russia will end next year, speaking during a visit to Berlin to ask for sustained military support.

Kyrgyzstan has opened a criminal probe into the destruction of glacial ice by a private company, a rare move pointing to concerns over water shortages in the Central Asian country.

Leaders from nine European countries around the Mediterranean Sea met in Cyprus Friday to discuss the wars in the Middle East, which they fear will fuel migration and threaten their own security.

Novak Djokovic proved his staying power on Friday, beating an opponent 18 years his junior 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4 to claim the last spot in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals.

The death toll from Hurricane Milton rose to at least 16 on Friday, officials in Florida said, as residents began the painful process of piecing their lives and homes back together.

Ineos Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie believes the British team face the "ultimate challenge" in trying to pry a first America's Cup away from double defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand in Barcelona.

Lebanon urged the UN on Friday to demand an "immediate" ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, nearly three weeks into a war that has killed 1,200 people and displaced more than a million others.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Nihon Hidankyo is a group of survivors of the US nuclear bombings that virtually obliterated the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg attended a climate change and pro-Palestinian rally in Milan on Friday, days after her criticism of Israel sparked a row over protests in Germany.

A fishing boat captain left clinging to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida in the wake of Hurricane Milton has been rescued, the US Coast Guard said.

A grassroots group of survivors formed after the 1945 atomic bombings in Japan reacted with tears and dire warnings on Friday after winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors who are advocating for "a world free of nuclear weapons".

European and Asian stock markets diverged Friday ahead of a Chinese fiscal policy briefing this weekend which investors hope will bring more measures to boost the world's second-largest economy.

Lebanese Christian Joseph Jarjour was hoping for a peaceful retirement at home in south Lebanon, but has instead found himself caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will square off in the Wuhan Open semi-finals after claiming convincing victories on Friday.