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

Japan coach Eddie Jones said Thursday that he was expecting a fierce forward battle against France in a hot and humid Tokyo as he named flanker Esei Haangana to make his debut.

Most Asian stocks sank on Thursday as tech firms came under renewed pressure from worries over the AI boom, with Seoul again taking the brunt of the selling, while oil prices rose further as the US and Iran continued to trade strikes.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell said on Thursday his side were "fortunate" to have "another shot" at what he called one of the great rugby challenges -- beating the All Blacks at Eden Park.

Huddled together shoulder-to-shoulder, Gen-Z hires at a Tokyo firm roared "Hell yeah!" to cap their morning rally, displaying the kind of corporate machismo that fuelled Japan's post-war economic miracle.

Alexander Quesada was gifted a tractor for turning a Cuban rubbish dump into a model farm, but these days he is using oxen to pull his plow as a severe energy crisis worsened by a US blockade hobbles food production.

Armed with paintbrushes and wearing surgical gloves, volunteers inside a large tent in Gaza delicately brushed dust from a stone mosaic before placing it into storage, part of an effort to preserve cultural heritage hit by war.

US envoy Massad Boulos has spent the past year shuttling between Libya's rival leaders to bridge their political divide. But some fear Washington's bids would bolster power among entrenched elites at the expense of a long-awaited democratic process.

Against a frenzy of drums, chanting and gunfire, a few hundred Serer men parade about in a trance-like state, brandishing the day's hunt -- jackals, monitor lizards, monkeys and birds -- in hopes of hastening Senegal's rainy season.

Japan on Thursday named flanker Esei Haangana to make his debut against France in the Nations Championship in Tokyo, with another two uncapped players on the bench.

The United States is hosting an international ministerial meeting Thursday aimed at globalizing the fight against left-wing terrorism, which the Trump administration claims is on the rise.

Lionel Messi has already won the World Cup, but the Argentina captain added another chapter to his astonishing career on Wednesday, inspiring his team to victory in their semi-final against England.

Thomas Tuchel was appointed in a blaze of publicity, stating his aim was to add a second star to the England shirt with a another World Cup win.

Argentina's World Cup semi-final match-winner Lautaro Martinez said he had "dreamt" of scoring the goal which took his team through to the final at England's expense on Wednesday.

When Lautaro Martinez scored Argentina's winning goal in the 92nd minute, Buenos Aires erupted into ecstasy as a famous semi-final victory over the old foe England was secured on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi hailed a "special" win after Argentina beat England to reach the World Cup final, with the veteran at the heart of a come-from-behind 2-1 win.

Argentina's players held up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine) after they beat England 2-1 in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

England manager Thomas Tuchel defended his tactics after the Three Lions' World Cup dream ended in an agonising late defeat to Argentina on Wednesday.

Arbitrary arrests and hundreds of deaths in El Salvador's prisons could amount to "crimes against humanity," Amnesty International warned Wednesday.

The United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday to curb its ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, as President Donald Trump warned he could widen attacks unless the Islamic republic returned to talks.

Harry Kane said he was "gutted" for England and their fans after his team were beaten 2-1 by defending champions Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to keep the defending champions on track for back-to-back titles.

Lautaro Martinez scored a 92nd minute winner as Lionel Messi inspired World Cup holders Argentina to a stunning comeback to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday and set up a final with European champions Spain.

Brazilian tribal chief Raoni Metuktire, the most recognized face of the fight to save the Amazon rainforest, was discharged Wednesday after spending a month in hospital and undergoing intestinal surgery.

Wall Street stocks advanced Wednesday following another benign US inflation report as oil prices edged higher following the latest escalation of fighting between the United States and Iran.

France on Wednesday moved closer to joining the ranks of countries that guarantee the right to assisted dying, a move championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

The European Union announced Wednesday it had accepted a plan by Elon Musk's X social media platform to correct digital content violations that led to a 120-million-euro ($138-million) fine.

Amazon said Wednesday it will launch satellite internet services in South Africa, entering a market where rival Elon Musk's Starlink has struggled to secure regulatory approval.

Toronto had the worst air quality of any major city in the world on Wednesday, the Swiss firm IQAir said, as Canadian authorities urged people to stay indoors.

The United States' leading scientific body is set Thursday to launch a major report on the link between climate change and extreme weather, a growing research field now underpinning lawsuits seeking billions in damages from the fossil fuel industry.

Lionel Messi's Argentina clash with England in a marquee World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with European champions Spain lying in wait for the winners.

OpenAI, the owner the ChatGPT chatbot, lost Wednesday its appeal against the EU's refusal to register its name as a trademark.

Buenos Aires police on Wednesday erected barricades around the city's beloved Obelisk monument in anticipation of potential rowdiness during the Argentina-England World Cup semi-final.