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

Alexander Zverev expects to face "peak Rafael Nadal" in their mouth-watering French Open duel as he prepares to deliver a heart-breaking, final blow to the 14-time champion's storied Roland Garros career.

Leading French conductor Francois-Xavier Roth is suspending his performances after a media report accused him of sending sexually explicit messages and pictures to musicians, an orchestra and concert venue said Friday.

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who escaped Iran to premiere his new film at the Cannes Film Festival Friday, told AFP it takes 20 years of training to learn to make a good clandestine film.

The French civil aviation authority has ordered airlines to cancel 70 percent of flights at Paris Orly airport on Saturday and Sunday because of a strike by air traffic controllers.

Boeing is set to launch its first crewed space mission in June without fixing a small helium gas leak on its troubled Starliner spaceship, officials said Friday.

World number one Novak Djokovic admitted he was "worried" about his French Open title defence after falling to 44th-ranked Czech Tomas Machac in the Geneva semi-finals on Friday.

Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati said her team's vast travelling support could make the difference in the women's Champions League final against French giants Lyon on Saturday.

Negotiations on a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics came to a close on Friday without finalising a deal, though countries voiced the desire to keep pushing for an accord.

A US couple were among three missionaries shot and killed by a gang outside a church in the Haitian capital, which has endured months of extreme violence with deadly assaults on hospitals, prisons and government buildings.

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs on Friday to set up an IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders, as spinner Shahbaz Ahmed starred with three wickets.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said his side would use their pain at the Europa League final loss to Atalanta this week as fuel ahead of Saturday's German Cup final clash with Kaiserslautern.

Google on Friday said it is taking "swift action" to improve AI summaries of search results, after users mocked blunders like Barack Obama being the first Muslim US president.

Al Ain coach Hernan Crespo warned Harry Kewell's Yokohama F-Marinos to expect "hell" as the hosts bid to come from behind in the Asian Champions League final second leg on Saturday.

Thousands took part in a new rally in the Georgian capital on Friday against a controversial anti-NGO law, as the country's parliament said it would start proceedings next week to override a presidential veto.

Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro was quickest in practice for this weekend's Catalunya Grand Prix on Friday, as MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Martin had to settle for sixth on the time-sheet.

Toulouse captain Antoine Dupont has urged his side to keep faith with their attacking game when they face fellow European heavyweights Leinster in Saturday's Champions Cup rugby final.

The shouts ringing out from the makeshift baseball court on the ship's deck are a far cry from the desperation of a few days ago, when the players were plucked from the often fatal waters of the Mediterranean.

Barcelona sacked coach Xavi Hernandez on Friday after the Catalan giants failed to win a trophy this season but just weeks since he and club president Joan Laporta agreed he would stay in the post.

Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor said her side are "the best team in the world" in terms of success and that will remain true if Barcelona defeat them in the women's Champions League final on Saturday.

It is one of the most dramatic storylines ever delivered at Cannes: Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof walked the red carpet Friday after fleeing a prison sentence in his home country just days before the film festival.

Home favourite Charles Leclerc topped the times for Ferrari ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton as Max Verstappen struggled to match their pace in Friday's second free practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.

George Lucas told Cannes on Friday how he had to sneak into his own first premiere at the French film festival and explained why "Star Wars" movies have always been for kids.

Paris city hall on Friday voted to increase the Eiffel Tower adult admission price by 20 percent from next month to help pay for urgent renovation work.

Manchester United will sack embattled manager Erik ten Hag after the FA Cup final against Manchester City regardless of the result at Wembley, it was reported on Friday.

Alexander Zverev says he is braced to face "peak Rafael Nadal" at the French Open on Monday when he could end the storied Roland Garros career of the 14-time champion.

Wall Street swung higher at the end of a choppy week of trading that saw the Nasdaq set a fresh record but worries the US Federal Reserve could keep interest rates higher for longer feed fears the rally may be losing steam.

Leinster captain Caelan Doris has urged his side to use the pain of successive European Champions Cup final defeats to fuel their bid for glory against Toulouse on Saturday.

Andrea Vendrame won the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia after slipping away from the other survivors of a long breakaway on a hilly 157 kilometre run from Mortegliano to Sappada.

Switzerland's foreign minister on Friday returned to her Iraqi counterpart three important Mesopotamian objects seized during a criminal procedure, the Swiss government said.

The boss of TotalEnergies told shareholders Friday the French energy giant needed to develop new oil fields to meet global demand, as their AGM was picketed by climate activists.

Tens of thousands of Taiwanese protesters rallied day and night outside parliament on Friday, as lawmakers inside traded insults, blows and theatrics over a series of bills to expand the legislature's power.

Morgan Spurlock, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the hit 2004 documentary "Super Size Me," has died aged 53 of complications from cancer, his family announced Friday.