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

An emotional Joe Biden won a huge ovation as he gave a farewell speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, after Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance to thank him for being an "incredible" president.

A "limited number" of Afghans will temporarily stay in the Philippines while being processed for resettlement in the United States, Manila and Washington said Tuesday.

An oil spill has dumped black sludge on beaches along Venezuela's northwestern coast and affected fishing in the area, residents and environmental activists said Monday.

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who has claimed he defeated Nicolas Maduro in last month's election, said Monday he was ready to negotiate a transition -- and asked the incumbent to "step aside."

Asian investors trod carefully Tuesday after the latest bounce in optimism fuelled by hopes Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell will signal an interest rate cut in a highly anticipated speech to top central bankers this week.

A North Korean defected to the South by walking across the heavily fortified border that separates the peninsula, Seoul's military said Tuesday.

Half a day's drive from India's entertainment capital Mumbai, many in the struggling textile city of Malegaon escape the thrum of dawn-till-dusk industrial weaving looms by daydreaming about Bollywood stars.

Kamala Harris said Democrats would be "forever grateful" to US President Joe Biden as she made a surprise appearance Monday at the start of a party convention in Chicago that will crown her as the new presidential nominee.

Brazilian activist and fisherman Alexandre Anderson uses one hand to steer his boat, and the other to film an oil stain spreading over Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay.

Four members of a SpaceX mission that will carry out the first ever private spacewalk arrived in Florida on Monday ahead of their takeoff next week.

Jannik Sinner on Monday lifted his third ATP Masters trophy as the world number one beat Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to win the Cincinnati Open.

Iran was behind a recent hack targeting Donald Trump's presidential campaign, US security agencies said on Monday, accusing Tehran of seeking to influence the 2024 election.

US regulators said Monday they ordered inspections of pilot seats on hundreds of Boeing 787 planes following a March flight in which the plane's sudden plunge led to passenger injuries.

Joe Biden said Monday he was ready to pass the torch to new Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, as he prepared to give a bittersweet farewell address to the party's convention in Chicago.

Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid shared an entertaining 2-2 draw with Villarreal as they began their La Liga campaign on Monday.

Wall Street stocks advanced Monday following a positive session on European bourses, extending last week's upbeat trend as markets await earnings from US retailers and commentary from the US Federal Reserve.

Jamie Vardy's second half equaliser gave Leicester a 1-1 draw against profligate Tottenham on their return to the Premier League on Monday.

Aryna Sabalenka thrust herself into US Open title contention on Monday with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Jessica Pegula to win the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open.

Juventus made light work of Como on Monday with a 3-0 win on Thiago Motta's Serie A debut with the Turin giants, while Atalanta brushed aside transfer upheaval with a 4-0 thumping of Lecce.

Russia on Monday ruled out any peace talks with Ukraine despite Kyiv raising pressure on the Kremlin by claiming fresh advances in its offensive into Russian territory.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken on Monday said Israel had accepted a US "bridging proposal" for a Gaza truce deal and pressured Hamas to do the same, having earlier said the talks may be the "last opportunity" for a ceasefire.

Cases of the mpox virus are rising in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the central African country awaits vaccines from the United States and Japan, the health minister said on Monday.

Nicaragua on Monday shuttered 1,500 NGOs, bringing to more than 5,000 the number of such entities scrapped in a crackdown on opponents by President Daniel Ortega.

Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan announced his retirement from international football on Monday after leading his country at Euro 2024, citing "a certain tiredness" both physically and mentally.

Chelsea are set to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix in a deal which could see Blues midfielder Conor Gallagher move to the Spanish club.

Donald Trump has shared doctored images on social media showing Taylor Swift and her fans support his presidential campaign, in an apparent effort to tap into the pop singer's mega star power in the US election.

Wout van Aert held off Kaden Groves to claim Vuelta a Espana stage three victory on Monday in another bunch sprint finish.

UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch was among six people lost at sea Monday after a superyacht sank off the Italian island of Sicily during a sudden storm.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday hailed his forces' success in their surprise offensive into Russia's territory, an advance that triggered the Kremlin to rule out entering peace talks with Kyiv.

Thierry Henry has decided to step down from his role as coach of the France under-21 football team after guiding the side to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced Monday.

Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Monday claimed responsibility for a bombing in Tel Aviv, calling it a "suicide operation" and threatening more attacks in Israel as the Gaza war drags on.

Stock markets mostly climbed Monday following last week's strong performance, with gold prices soaring ahead of a meeting of central bankers that could give fresh signals about the US interest-rate outlook.