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

Mirra Andreeva has already come a long way from the heart of Siberia, but on Saturday she fulfilled her "dream", aged just 19, when she beat Maja Chwalinska in the French Open women's final.

Dutch rider Demi Vollering won the queen stage of the women's Giro d'Italia on Saturday, shorn of the final 28 kilometres due to a slab of ice threatening to crash onto the road.

Mirra Andreeva won her first Grand Slam title on Saturday by downing Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in straight sets in the French Open final.

Ollie Robinson continued to prove a thorn in New Zealand's side, taking two wickets in quick succession, as England moved closer to victory in the first Test during what little play was possible at Lord's on Saturday.

Marc Marquez delivered a dominant performance to win the sprint race at the Hungarian MotoGP on Saturday, converting his pole position into a commanding victory at the Balaton Park circuit.

Meg Lay has swapped harvesting peas in New Zealand for tending the hallowed turf at Lord's as one of the few women in the groundskeeping industry.

Marc Marquez delivered a dominant performance to win the sprint race at the Hungarian MotoGP on Saturday, converting his pole position into a commanding victory at the Balaton Park circuit.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Europe to counter what he termed an "invasion" of its coastline by migration, as he marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in northern France.

Several hundred people gathered Saturday in a protected nature reserve on the Albanian coast to protest at plans for a luxury beach resort by a company linked to the Trump family.

Flavio Cobolli has ploughed his furrow in the shadow of his illustrious compatriot Jannik Sinner over the last few years but come Sunday's final at the French Open, all eyes will be on the Italian number three.

Leo XIV tossed away the diplomatic tact usually required of popes as he began a state visit to Spain on Saturday, revealing that his footballing loyalties lie with Real Madrid.

An Israeli strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed three soldiers, Beirut's military said Saturday, days after the countries agreed a conditional truce during talks in the United States.

Iran launched a salvo of missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, after renewed American strikes, drawing a furious response from the Gulf monarchies and further undermining a fragile truce.

Championship leading teenager Kimi Antonelli bounced back to top the times for Mercedes ahead of both Ferraris in Saturday's final free practice ahead of qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Centuries by skipper Shubman Gill and KL Rahul led India to a commanding 368-3 on the first day of the one-off cricket Test against Afghanistan on Saturday.

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday called for an end to "polarising narratives" and "sterile simplifications" on a visit to Spain expected to focus on the divisive issue of immigration.

Alexander Zverev is hoping it will be fourth time lucky as he again targets a first Grand Slam title in Sunday's French Open final, facing Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli.

Rain prevented the scheduled start of the third day's play in the first Test at Lord's on Saturday as England looked to go 1-0 up in a three-match series against New Zealand.

Iran lashed out at the United States on Saturday for refusing visas to some of its World Cup squad support staff as the players were to leave Turkey for Mexico.

Ukraine fired hundreds of drones at Russia early Saturday, leaving one person dead and setting an oil depot ablaze on the final day of the country's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg, officials said.

Bernadette Chirac, who has died aged 93, stood by her late husband and French president Jacques Chirac through thick and thin during 12 years as first lady, but also forged her own, more discreet, political career.

Bernadette Chirac, widow of former French president Jacques Chirac and known as the discreet companion of one of France's key postwar politicians, died at the age of 93, their daughter told AFP Saturday.

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said sexual abuse within the Catholic Church remained "an open wound" as he began a trip to Spain that will include a meeting with victims.

Opener KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan hit half-centuries as India reached 209-2 at tea on the first day of the one-off cricket Test against Afghanistan on Saturday.

The Waikato Chiefs and Canterbury Crusaders powered to handsome Super Rugby play-off wins on Saturday to ensure four New Zealand teams will contest the semi-finals.

Peru's leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez could stand trial over alleged campaign finance violations, a judge ruled Friday.

Fullback Johnny McNicholl scored a hat-trick of tries as the Canterbury Crusaders beat the ill-disciplined Auckland Blues 52-31 on Saturday to book a place in the Super Rugby semi-finals.

Indian police tightened security in New Delhi on Saturday ahead of a protest by the satirical "Cockroach People's Party", over alleged irregularities in major examinations.

Farmer Annalisa Schembri is battling to save a wheat field from developers in Malta, where a construction boom is engulfing lands and villages, with even historic UNESCO sites in jeopardy.

Australian Rules bosses condemned racist and obscene social media messages targeting a Sudanese-born player as "vile" on Saturday, pledging to investigate them.

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama could barely remember the details of the late-game miscues that cost the Spurs in their agonizing 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks in game two of the NBA Finals on Friday.

New attacks in the Middle East on Friday threatened to unravel an already fragile US-Iran ceasefire, even as American officials confirmed that Tehran's football players had received visas for the World Cup.