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

Spanish World Cup-winner Juan Mata on Friday opted against playing another season with Australian side Melbourne Victory, but stopped short of calling time on his career.

Indonesian authorities are working to repatriate five baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India, where they were found motherless in a forest, Jakarta's forestry ministry told AFP Friday.

If there is an industry for it, there will be a lobby group representing its interests in Brussels, home to the European Union's institutions.

In the shadow of the EU Parliament in Brussels, under a grand white tent filling a museum garden, hundreds of lobbyists, officials and lawmakers hobnob as the cava flows.

On the streets of a working-class Abidjan neighbourhood, hundreds of young people gather every week after class to dance the biama, a high-tempo combo of acrobatic twists, frenetic footwork and funny facial expressions.

World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen joined Manly Sea Eagles as football performance director Friday in a coup for the Australian National Rugby League side.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in India on Friday for talks ahead of an 11-member BRICS summit dominated by conflict and economic challenges, with the leaders of China and Iran set to attend.

Aryna Sabalenka stormed past Jessica Pegula in straight sets on Thursday to keep her bid for a rare US Open three-peat on track, booking a championship showdown with Elena Rybakina.

The San Francisco 49ers thrashed the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 Friday in the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Australia, quarterback Brock Purdy throwing for three touchdowns to dismantle this season's heavily hyped favorites.

Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday and book a US Open championship showdown with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Many Real Madrid fans were disappointed when the club extended Vinicius Junior's contract this summer, amid speculation he might depart for Arsenal.

Enzo Maresca faces his first major test since stepping into Pep Guardiola's shoes as City visit United in the Manchester derby on Sunday, while Arsenal aim to extend their flawless start at Sunderland.

US Vice President JD Vance called Democrats the "party of hatred" Thursday and urged voters to send them packing in November's midterms, in a prime-time convention speech that showcased him as a possible heir to Donald Trump in 2028.

Fans of Canadian superstar Celine Dion are gearing up for an onstage comeback many feared might never happen, with just a day to go until her opening concert in Paris following a years-long battle with a rare neurological disorder.

Celine Dion has spent years in intense physical and voice therapy helping her overcome her rare neurological condition that causes muscle spasms so strong they leave her with injuries.

Rhinestone-studded microphones in hand and decked out in glittery gowns, thousands of fans packed into a sweltering Paris theatre to belt out Celine Dion's classics ahead of the superstar's long-awaited return.

Asian stocks tumbled Friday as oil prices extended gains and bond yields held at multi-year highs as the Middle East crisis stoked supply concerns and a forecast-topping US inflation report ramped up rate hike bets.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a third consecutive US Open crown on Thursday, storming into the final with a straight sets demolition of American third seed Jessica Pegula.

A deadly blaze that swept through a Philippine ferry happened "in seconds", the coast guard said Friday, as rescuers battled heavy smoke in the search for dozens of missing people.

A Hong Kong court handed three Tiananmen vigil activists jail sentences of between five and seven years on Friday for national security crimes, following a trial that has drawn international condemnation.

A revolution in forecasting natural disasters is underway, say researchers in Switzerland who are training AI models on vast troves of NASA climate data to produce potentially-lifesaving data at lightning speed.

Yu Zidi made history last year aged 12 when she became the youngest-ever medallist at the swimming world championships. Now a teenager, she headlines China's bid for Asian Games domination and has Olympic glory in her sights.

Independent Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy, whose first film won a top prize at the Venice Film Festival last year, told AFP that it had been blocked by censors and would not be shown in her home country.

Donning doll-like dresses with voluminous skirts, young women on stage roar in rage about rape and sexism they experienced in Japan, using theatre and "cute" fashion to denounce male-dominated society.

In the windswept village of Doonbeg on Ireland's Atlantic coast, Donald Trump is less polarising US president and more golf resort owner credited with bringing jobs and money to a remote corner of the country.

US Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of running on "hate" Thursday and urged voters to send them packing in November, using a prime-time convention speech to rally Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

Cristiano Ronaldo will have a last crack at winning the Asian Champions League when the continent's top club competition begins on Monday, with big-spending Saudi teams set to dominate.

Sweden's party leaders traded barbs on housing, schools, jobs and the climate in one of their final televised debates ahead of Sunday's general election, which could see a left-wing government come to power.

An ancient Biblical prophecy lies at the heart of a Pacific islands push to open embassies on contested ground in Jerusalem, experts and former diplomats told AFP.

Anthropic said Thursday it shut down multiple cases of state-sponsored surveillance operations that used its artificial intelligence (AI) models, and warned that governments and state-aligned actors are increasingly using AI to spy on ethnic minorities and dissidents.

A Hong Kong court is expected to issue sentences on Friday against three activists who organised vigils marking China's deadly Tiananmen crackdown, after they were found guilty of inciting "subversion".

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stormed past Jessica Pegula in straight sets on Thursday to reach the US Open final for fourth straight year and keep her bid for a rare three-peat on track.