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

Victor Wembanyama bagged a season-high 41 points and scored the fastest double-double in NBA history as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a ninth straight victory with a 129-114 blowout of the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Iran fired missiles across the Middle East on Tuesday as its capital was hit by fresh explosions, after US President Donald Trump threatened the country's key oil export hub, power stations and desalination plants.

Indonesia issued summons letters to Google and Meta over their failure to comply with a social media ban for under-16s that entered into force over the weekend, the communications minister said.

Victor Wembanyama bagged a season-high 41 points and scored the fastest double-double in NBA history as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a ninth straight victory with a 129-114 blowout of the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Australia is investigating Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for possible breaches of the country's under-16 social media ban, accusing the big tech companies on Tuesday of "failing to obey" the world-leading laws.

In India's capital, Hindu "bhajan clubbing" is electrifying nightlife, with revellers dancing to traditional devotional songs reimagined through guitars and pounding drumbeats, transforming public venues into spiritual hangouts.

Oil prices sank and most stocks rose Tuesday, following a report that indicated Donald Trump was willing to end the Iran war even if the key Strait of Hormuz remained closed.

Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah are among the Premier League stars "addicted" to chess, helping to spark a surge in the game's popularity among younger people.

Indonesia will make cuts to its free school meals programme from Tuesday as it seeks to set aside billions of dollars to counteract budget pressures brought on by the Middle East war and soaring oil prices.

As soon as Wednesday, NASA is poised to make history -- sending the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American on a voyage around the Moon.

Don't call it the "Marty Supreme" effect: table tennis is a growing sport in the United States, in part because of a new professional league giving the parlor game an ultra-competitive edge.

Iran fired new missiles early Tuesday as it vowed defiance against US President Donald Trump, who threatened to destroy the country's oil export hub of Kharg Island along with power and desalination plants unless Tehran quickly accepts a deal to end the war.

US President Donald Trump threatened Monday to destroy Iran's key oil export hub of Kharg Island along with power and desalination plants unless Tehran quickly accepted a deal, even as he suggested that diplomacy was making headway.

NASA began its two-day countdown Monday ahead of what is slated to be its first crewed moonshot in more than half a century, a long-anticipated loop around Earth's satellite that is to pave the way for future exploration.

Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey was sacked by the team on Monday after condemning the NBA's support for the LGBTQ community.

A host of tech giants including Facebook and YouTube are under investigation for potentially breaching Australia's world-leading social media ban for under-16s, the nation's online watchdog said Tuesday.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold said Monday he is trying to shield his squad from news of the war in the Middle East as they prepare for a crunch 2026 World Cup playoff against Bolivia.

A last-gasp Deniz Undav goal saved Germany's blushes in an unconvincing 2-1 win over Ghana in a friendly in Stuttgart on Monday.

Lionel Messi will start for Argentina in a friendly against Zambia on Tuesday in what is the reigning world champions' final game on home soil before they defend their World Cup crown.

Oil prices rose as the Middle East crisis escalated Monday with US President Donald Trump threatening to destroy Iran's main export terminal, and after the entry of Yemen's Houthi rebels into the war.

The White House on Monday defended praying for US troops engaged in the Iran war after Pope Leo XIV warned that God rejects the prayers "of those who wage war."

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly insulted and criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, famously calling him a "numbskull" and demanding the independent central bank lower interest rates despite stubbornly high inflation.

Megastar singer Celine Dion on Monday announced her return to performing after a lengthy break prompted by a rare health condition, calling the comeback news revealed on her birthday "the best gift".

The New York Times and Trump administration clashed in a federal court on Monday over restrictions imposed by the Pentagon on journalists covering the Defense Department.

Cubans on Monday cautiously welcomed the imminent arrival of a Russian oil shipment, with some warning it would do little to ease an energy crisis after US President Donald Trump granted a reprieve from an oil blockade.

Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi lived up to the hype with a 17-ball 52 as Rajasthan Royals thrashed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their opening IPL match on Monday.

The US-Israel strikes against Iran have triggered a series of retaliations and military escalation in the Middle East that have sent shockwaves through global financial markets.

Former England boss Roy Hodgson says his surprise return to management at Championship side Bristol City will not extend beyond this season.

A scrubby island in the Gulf that is roughly one third the size of Manhattan, Kharg Island is the nerve centre of the Iranian oil industry -- and at the heart of US President Donald Trump's latest efforts to pressure Tehran.

India on Monday declared the country free of the Maoist insurgency, fulfilling a long-standing deadline to defeat the decades-long rebellion.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said he and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa want 80 percent of Syrians in Germany to return to their homeland, as the former Islamist rebel leader visited Berlin.

G7 economy and finance ministers Monday said they stood ready to take "all necessary measures" to ensure the stability of the energy market as they tackled the economic consequences of war in the Middle East.