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

Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors nervously awaited key US jobs data that could help determine the Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision, while the yen is in focus as it wallows around four-decade lows.

Does it mean getting rich? Owning a house with a white picket fence? Having a better life than your parents?

New York's iconic Madison Square Garden, the apparent venue for pop sensation Taylor Swift's weekend wedding to NFL superstar Travis Kelce, is a storied arena that has hosted memorable basketball and hockey clashes, celebrity weddings and even a Nazi rally.

Andrea Canonico focused on her breathing to stay calm as she lay trapped under a building that had crumbled during the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week.

At Wimbledon, stewards in military uniforms are a common sight in the walkways and even on courts, as hundreds of armed forces members volunteer in a tradition dating back eight decades.

Decades after triggering a rift with the Vatican by consecrating bishops in 1988, the Society of Saint Pius X is doing it again on Wednesday in defiance of Pope Leo XIV.

Queues to receive aid in Venezuela's La Guaira get longer every day, as people made homeless by two horrific earthquakes last week have nowhere else to go.

The World Cup last-32 game between Mexico and Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday has been delayed by one hour due to heavy rain and lightning, FIFA said.

The United States has started deporting migrants to a sparsely populated archipelago in the tropical Pacific, the island nation of Palau told AFP on Wednesday.

US envoys met with Qatari mediators on Tuesday in Doha to discuss negotiations with Iran, the Gulf state said, after Tehran and Washington agreed a memorandum of understanding this month to halt the Middle East war.

Sweden coach Graham Potter admitted his side could not compete with a brilliant France team as they went out of the World Cup with a 3-0 defeat in the last 32 on Tuesday.

Thomas Tuchel said England should be expected to beat DR Congo in the World Cup last 32 on Wednesday, but is wary of facing a side that he believes has already overachieved to reach the knockout stages.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed the United States' dismal recent record against European sides as a "coincidence" ahead of Wednesday's hugely anticipated World Cup knockout clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kylian Mbappe said France had united behind coach Didier Deschamps after the death of his mother, as a resounding 3-0 win over Sweden on Tuesday booked them a place in the World Cup last 16.

The World Bank will phase out its lending to China by 2031, according to the organization's new country partnership framework, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.

Kylian Mbappe extended his red-hot scoring streak to fire France past Sweden and into the last 16 of the World Cup on Tuesday as Erling Haaland sealed Norway's first ever knockout round victory in a 2-1 defeat of Ivory Coast.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Michael Olise was in scintillating form as France beat Sweden 3-0 at the World Cup on Tuesday and set up a last-16 clash with Paraguay.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia says his side head into their World Cup last-32 clash with Senegal in better physical condition, with a fully fit squad boosting confidence ahead of the knockout stage.

Deserted booths, sparse crowds and prayer tents. Welcome to the Great American State Fair, where a celebration of the country's 250th birthday has morphed into a new political battlefront.

Nike earnings released Tuesday were lifted by a hefty US tariff refund, but weak sales in China and a tepid forecast weighed on shares.

Erling Haaland was described as "devastating" and "the greatest goalscorer in the world" after pouncing for a dramatic late winner on Tuesday for Norway at the World Cup.

DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre said all the pressure is on England for their World Cup last-32 meeting on Wednesday as his side have already achieved their targets.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said on Tuesday he was stepping down after his team were knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco in the last 32.

Serena Williams suffered a dramatic first-round defeat on her return to singles tennis at Wimbledon on Tuesday as she succumbed to inspired Australian youngster Maya Joint, while Iga Swiatek started her title defence with a nervy win.

The tech-rich Nasdaq capped its best quarter in six years on Tuesday, rising with other US indices as bullishness over artificial intelligence overcame worries over geopolitics and inflation.

Serena Williams' bid for a fairytale return to Wimbledon was shattered by Australia's Maya Joint as the American legend's first singles match in four years ended in a 6-3, 6-7 (6/8) 6-3 defeat on Tuesday.

French Open champion Alexander Zverev insists his aim of a first deep run at Wimbledon depends purely on himself, despite being in a wide-open half of the men's draw.

Dutch football chiefs have condemned online racist abuse aimed at Netherlands players after their painful elimination from the World Cup.

Lionel Scaloni will mark his 100th game as Argentina coach at the World Cup on Friday -- the latest milestone in a golden era for the Albiceleste.

Police on Tuesday were searching for the suspect behind a parcel bomb that seriously wounded a sanctioned multi-millionaire of Ukrainian origin and two others in Monaco, after the unprecedented attack rocked the super-safe principality.

Jose Mourinho will kick off his second spell in charge of Real Madrid at home against Real Sociedad in La Liga.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Tuesday compared the capabilities of the most advanced artificial intelligence models to nuclear weapons in a tacit defense of the Trump administration's recent hard line on controlling the release of the most powerful AI technology.