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

The latest instalment in the "Call of Duty" video game franchise, arriving Friday, brings back the high-adrenaline action that fuelled its success in an effort to revitalise a series that has been losing momentum.

Ukrainian police said Friday they had detained a 17-year-old girl suspected of helping Russia's security services to poison Ukrainian soldiers and that two had died.

Shares in Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars plunged Friday after it said US tariffs and strong competition from local brands in China pushed it into a third-quarter loss.

Greece's parliament passed a law Friday banning children under 15 from social media, joining a growing number of countries imposing curbs on young people's use of the apps.

France was on Friday bracing for a weekend of new protests after some of the worst urban violence in years erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, as President Emmanuel Macron sought to reclaim the initiative and restore order.

Suspected Palestinian militants wounded five Israelis on Friday before two gunmen died in a prolonged shootout, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order the closure of the West Bank days before Israeli elections.

Kering shares were down more than 10 percent in Paris Friday after the French luxury group published results that failed to reassure investors about a turnaround at its key Gucci brand.

Asian equities were mixed Friday as tech firms managed to claw back some early losses on bargain-buying at the end of tough week for the sector, while traditional safe havens benefited from a generally cautious mood.

An attack in the occupied West Bank wounded at least five Israelis on Friday and touched off a shootout that ended with two suspected Palestinian assailants dead, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel political events days ahead of elections.

Once among Madagascar's most influential businessmen and a close ally of deposed president Andry Rajoelina, Mamy Ravatomanga stands at the centre of one of the island's most explosive corruption cases.

As world leaders prepare to gather in Shenzhen for November's APEC summit, speculation is mounting over a possible meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un -- a prospect experts say remains remote.

South Korea proposed on Friday military talks with North Korea to "mutually confirm the precise location" of their border and discuss restoring communication channels, after an explosion in the DMZ further strained relations.

A caregiver wore a protective gown and gloves as she bottle-fed a baby -- one of hundreds of children orphaned by the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak.

When music suddenly stopped at a Kyiv ice rink and a siren blared out announcing a drone threat, Ukraine's top young skaters didn't miss a beat, and carried on perfecting jumps and honing twizzles.

Marco Bezzecchi recovered from a crash to top the timesheets ahead of Raul Fernandez in Australian MotoGP practice Friday interrupted by a wallaby hopping onto the track.

The head of the Asian Football Confederation on Friday said the region supported Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president following weeks of fierce criticism of his aborted World Cup selloff plan.

A new ground and a sprinkling of Australia stardust: Welsh region the Ospreys are rolling the dice despite the shadow of regional cuts.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is hoping for a "special night" at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in his hometown of London, where the England captain is the bookies' favourite.

Fiercely proud of its culinary traditions, India is increasingly open to foreign influences, with French cooking schools attracting students eager to make their mark on the country's growing fine-dining sector.

Manchester United great Wayne Rooney has labelled the current squad "babies" and "selfish" after a humiliating Champions League capitulation and post-match criticism by Bruno Fernandes of manager Michael Carrick.

Caleb Williams threw two touchdowns and finished with 308 passing yards as the Chicago Bears finally edged clear of the New England Patriots to clinch a 30-24 victory at Soldier Field on Thursday.

Rookie scrum-half Teddy Wilson was among two debutants included Friday in the Wallabies squad for the Nations Championship, following in the footsteps of his World Cup-winning father David.

China's first fully AI-generated feature film opens in cinemas on Friday, in what promises to be a tough box-office test for the country's booming tech industry as advance ticket sales lag.

The head of New Zealand's military has resigned over an "inappropriate relationship" he had while in charge of a unit, the Defence Force said Friday.

For weeks La Liga leaders Barcelona have been eagerly awaiting Sunday's Clasico as a chance to stretch the gap between themselves and rivals Real Madrid to a massive nine points.

Beset by infighting and off to their worst league start for decades, Manchester United host Bournemouth needing to snap a seven-game winless run to quell talk of another mid-season managerial change.

Most shops and schools were shut across Taiwan on Friday as Typhoon Champi neared the island, forcing hundreds of people to leave their homes ahead of the powerful storm.

Asian stocks sank again Friday as tech firms took another beating from investors increasingly losing faith in the sector, with the traditional safe haven yen and government bonds benefiting from the risk-off mood.

South African writer Coral Hart has published more than 370 books since February 2025 using artificial intelligence, a process she passionately defends despite criticism and threats.

From blockaded schools in Rome to tent camps in Madrid and street protests in France, young people across Europe are turning their anger on a political class they say is not listening.

The Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday in NBA superstar LeBron James's first home game since landing in Philly as a free agent.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will clash with his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro in a second and final televised debate on Friday, as both make a last-ditch effort to sway undecided voters.