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

Greece ordered the evacuation of hospitals and homes near Athens Monday as wildfires spread despite "superhuman" efforts to combat the flames, the fire brigade said.

Andrey Rublev powered into his second ATP Masters 1000 final of the season on Sunday as he lined up a title match against Alexei Popyrin in Montreal.

In Afghanistan's capital, shop windows display dazzling ball gowns and three-piece wedding suits -- with the face of each mannequin covered.

Asian markets were mixed Monday as investors try to move on from last week's upheaval that was fuelled by US recession worries, with focus on the release of key inflation and retail data.

The vaulting ambition of the Paris Olympics made them risky and hard to police, but French security forces kept thousands of athletes and millions of fans safe -- a "gold medal" performance according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

Aaron Rai withstood a 36-hole marathon final Sunday to win the rain-hit Wyndham Championship, taking his first PGA title after American Max Greyserman squandered a four-stroke lead.

The stands have fallen quiet and the Athletes' Village is emptying. What happens to all the equipment now the 2024 Paris Olympics are over? Organisers have plans for it.

The taps have run dry, and the wells are almost empty. In the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, 80-year-old Babir hasn't bathed in weeks and impatiently waits for trucked-in water deliveries.

Wolde Meressa lives cheek by jowl in a cramped classroom with 30 other people in a school that has been converted into a shelter for displaced people in Ethiopia's war-scarred region of Tigray.

Exhausted from a rising cost of living in the United States and non-stop ads, some young adults on TikTok are pushing back.

Former Olympic champion Alexander Zverev missed a chance to collect his 50th victory of the season as the second seed lost an ATP Montreal Masters quarter-final on Sunday to American Sebastian Korda.

Defending champion Jessica Pegula advanced to the WTA Toronto Masters final on Sunday by defeating Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-3, giving her a chance to be the first back-to-back winner of the tournament since 2000.

Venezuela's opposition called Sunday for worldwide protests on August 17 to show support for its claimed victory in last month's election over President Nicolas Maduro, who was declared the winner.

Alick Athanaze missed out on a maiden Test century but played the key role in ensuring the safety of a draw for the West Indies against South Africa on the final day of the rain-affected first Test of a two-match series at Queen's Park Oval on Sunday.

Paris bade a triumphant "au revoir" to the Olympics on Sunday as the curtain came down on its widely praised staging of the global sporting spectacular.

Sebastian Korda and Alexei Popyrin slogged through long, energy-sapping quarter-finals on Sunday to set up an evening semi-final at the ATP Montreal Masters.

Greece on Sunday ordered thousands of people to evacuate as firefighters battled a spate of wildfires, and experts warned of more extreme weather to come next week.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell was suspended by LIV Golf for next week's event at Greenbrier after violating the Saudi-backed tour's anti-doping policy by using a nasal decongestant with a banned substance.

Amanda Anisimova advanced to her first WTA final since January 2022 by defeating eighth-seeded Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Sunday at the Toronto Masters.

Hamas on Sunday urged Gaza mediators to implement a truce plan presented by US President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks, as Palestinians fled a new Israeli military operation.

Max Greyserman eagled the par-5 15th hole to seize a two-stroke lead after Sunday's third round of the rain-hit PGA Wyndham Championship.

Boarding Voepass Flight 2283 with her four-year-old son and her mother, Josgleidys Gonzalez had embarked on a long trip that was to take them to her native Venezuela and then onward to Colombia.

Greece on Sunday was battling a spate of wildfires which have forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, as experts warn of more extreme weather conditions to come next week.

The roar of artillery fire was deafening as Tetyana conferred with neighbours in her small village, which hugs the Russian border, over whether they should hold tight or flee.

Paris prepared to bid a triumphant "au revoir" to the Olympics on Sunday as the curtain came down on its widely praised staging of the global sporting spectacular.

The closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympics got underway on Sunday at a packed Stade de France, bringing the curtain down on a Games widely regarded as one of the most successful in history.

Greece was battling several wildfires on Sunday, with smoke covering parts of the capital Athens in a haze, amid warnings for extreme weather conditions for the rest of the week.

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell has been suspended for one LIV Golf tournament and fined $125,000 for violating the Saudi-backed circuit's anti-doping policy.

Brittney Griner didn't try to hold back the tears as she stood with her USA teammates and the "Star Spangled Banner" played, celebrating their Olympic women's basketball triumph over France.

The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women's Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games.

Diana Taurasi capped her international career with a sixth Olympic gold medal on Sunday, calling it "truly an honor" to represent the USA and see the growth of the global game.

US President Joe Biden, in his first TV interview since withdrawing from the election, has said he acted under pressure from fellow Democrats and out of a determination to see Donald Trump beaten.