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

A former partner of a co-defendant in a mass rape trial that has sparked horror and protests in France broke down in tears on Monday, telling the court she had "lived a lie" and might herself have been sexually assaulted.

Israeli air strikes killed 274 people, including 21 children, in south Lebanon Monday, the Lebanese health minister said, in by far the deadliest cross-border escalation since war erupted in Gaza on October 7.

The gunman suspected of planning to kill Donald Trump wrote a chilling letter months ago about an "assassination attempt" on the former president, US prosecutors said on Monday.

A major femicide trial opened in Italy Monday, after the brutal murder of a university student by her ex-boyfriend that triggered outrage and national soul-searching over the roots of male violence against women.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday accused Israel of seeking a wider conflict, insisting that Tehran has been deliberately holding back in the hope of securing regional peace.

Sweden's beleaguered electric car battery maker Northvolt said Monday it would cut a quarter of its staff in the country, as it struggles with strained finances and a slowdown in demand.

Anthony Joshua insists his career is "far from over" following his devastating knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley, which raised doubts about his future in boxing.

US and European shares nudged higher Monday as investors were torn between hopes of further interest rate cuts and weak eurozone economic data.

Israeli air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon on Monday killed 182 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, in by far the deadliest cross-border escalation since war erupted in Gaza on October 7.

Everton announced on Monday that the Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority stake in the Premier League club.

Italian lender UniCredit said on Monday it has increased its stake in Commerzbank to around 21 percent, fuelling speculation that it could seek a takeover of its German rival.

The US Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by half a percentage-point was "an appropriate and necessary first step," given progress on reducing inflation, a senior bank official said Monday.

European and Asian stock markets diverged Monday as investors digested weak eurozone economic data and an interest rate cut by China's central bank.

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon killed 100 people including children on Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry, in the largest cross-border escalation since war erupted in Gaza on October 7.

Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji says Arsenal have become masters of the "dark arts" but is bullish over his team's Premier League title chances after a gripping 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday his team's "many styles" of play have helped them go 38 La Liga matches without defeat.

Britain's governing Labour party on Monday sought to strike a more upbeat note about the country's economic future against a furious backlash at proposed cuts to welfare payments and a row over top ministers receiving gifts.

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will have surgery on a ruptured knee tendon, the Catalan club said Monday, with the club's captain potentially sidelined for the rest of the season.

A French court on Monday began hearing the cases against six new defendants as the mass rape trial that has sparked horror in the country moved into its fourth week.

Israel's military pounded Hezbollah targets in south and east Lebanon Monday and said more strikes were coming, warning Lebanese to stay out of harm's way despite international calls for restraint.

Britain's governing Labour party on Monday sought to strike a more upbeat note about the country's future but against a furious backlash from unions at proposed cuts to welfare payments and a row over top ministers receiving gifts.

Eurozone business activity declined for the first time in seven months in September, as France lost steam after the end of the Paris Olympic Games, a key survey said Monday.

Bitter enemies Russia and Ukraine clashed at the world's oldest arbitration court on Monday over a long-running case about access to coastal waters around the annexed Crimea peninsula.

Albania plans to establish a sovereign Muslim microstate within its borders run by a Sufi sect known for promoting "religious harmony and dialogue", Prime Minister Edi Rama announced.

The EU on Monday launched a WTO challenge against a Chinese anti-subsidy investigation into imports of European dairy product, in the latest move in a trade spat between Beijing and Brussels.

REA Group, the Australian online property website majority-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire, said Monday it has made a third multi-billion-pound offer to buy British peer Rightmove.

India's one-horned Asian rhino population has almost tripled in the past four decades thanks to conservation and anti-poaching efforts, according to government figures.

Rescuers combed the debris-strewn banks of a river in central Japan on Monday, searching for drowning victims after homes were swept away in flooding and landslides that claimed at least seven lives.

Most Asian markets rose Monday, building on last week's rally following the Federal Reserve's bumper interest rate cut, while sentiment was also boosted by hopes for fresh measures to kickstart China's economy.

Sri Lanka's first leftist president was sworn in to office Monday vowing to restore public faith in politics but said he had no magic solution to the hardships suffered following an unprecedented economic crisis.

Israel's military pounded targets in south and east Lebanon on Monday and said more strikes were coming, warning Lebanese to stay out of harm's way despite international calls for restraint.

Former Crystal Palace defender Tony Popovic insisted Monday there was plenty of time to rescue Australia's faltering World Cup qualifying campaign after he was appointed the Socceroos' new coach.