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

The White House launched a charm offensive, complete with a Tom Hanks video, to mark Joe Biden's first year as president Thursday, but dire new polls and a major congressional setback told another story.

The "Doomsday Clock," representing the judgment of leading science and security experts about perils to human existence, remains at 100 seconds to midnight this year, with advances like Covid-19 vaccines balanced by rising misinformation and other threats.

Top seed Ashleigh Barty and defending women's champion Naomi Osaka can set up a mouth-watering last-16 clash as the Australian Open reaches the third round on Friday, with Rafael Nadal also in action as he targets a 21st Slam title.

Reigning champions Algeria were dumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations after an abject 3-1 defeat against the Ivory Coast as the group stage came to a conclusion on Thursday with Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and tiny tournament debutants the Comoros all securing places in the last 16.

The US Justice department charged four Belarus officials with air piracy Thursday for last year's forced diversion of a Ryanair flight in order to arrest a dissident on board.

UK transport chiefs on Friday said that bothersome on-board train announcements would be cut in a bid to offer more peaceful journeys, a move it dubbed a "bonfire of the banalities".

Netflix on Thursday reported cooling subscriber growth as fierce competition and the pandemic weigh heavy despite hits like "Squid Game" and "Money Heist."

A tearful Adele postponed her Las Vegas residency Thursday, a day before it was due to begin.

World number four Patrick Cantlay roared out of the gate on the way to a 10-under-par 62 on Thursday and a share of the first-round lead in the US PGA American Express alongside rookie Lee Hodges.

Mexico recorded 33,308 murders last year, marking a 3.6 percent decrease compared with 2020, in a country long plagued by drug cartel violence, official figures showed Thursday.

Including peanuts in children's diets early in life could help stave off allergies against the legume, which can be fatal and affect swathes of youngsters globally, according to a new study Friday.

Japan's Mai Mihara staked her claim to a second gold in the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Thursday leading three South Koreans in the women's short programme in Tallinn.

A car bomb detonated in Colombia overnight outside government offices and the seat of a human rights body, killing one person and wounded 20 near the Venezuelan border, authorities said Thursday.

Barcelona were dumped out of the Copa del Rey on Thursday as Ferran Torres' first goal for the club failed to prevent a dramatic 3-2 defeat after extra-time by Athletic Bilbao.

Samba singer Elza Soares, often referred to as the Brazilian Tina Turner, died aged 91 in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, her press office said.

The CIA has concluded that no foreign government is likely behind hundreds of mysterious "Havana syndrome" afflictions reported by US diplomats and that nearly all have more conventional medical or environmental explanations, a senior official said Thursday.

A South Korean man who traveled around the world stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of plants to smuggle to Asia was jailed in the US on Thursday.

Aaron Rodgers embarks on his latest quest for a second Super Bowl ring on Saturday as the Green Bay Packers open their NFL playoff campaign seeking revenge over the resurgent San Francisco 49ers.

Jurgen Klopp saluted "world-class" Diogo Jota after the Portugal forward fired Liverpool into the League Cup final against Chelsea with a double in Thursday's 2-0 win at Arsenal.

President Joe Biden blames global supply snarls for the wave of price increases hitting US consumers and businesses, but the trillions of dollars injected into the economy during the pandemic also share responsibility.

China and Russia on Thursday blocked a US push to impose United Nations sanctions on five North Koreans in response to recent missile launches by Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP.

Mexico's Gaby Lopez bagged two late birdies to grab a one-shot lead at the LPGA Tour's season-opening Tournament of Champions in Florida on Thursday.

The conservative-leaning US Supreme Court dealt another blow on Thursday to opponents of a Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino vowed player welfare will be a top priority as the world governing body reshapes the international fixture schedule.

European Union environment ministers gathered in France Thursday to mull climate policy and the merits of a carbon border tax, while airing differences on whether nuclear energy can be classified as "green".

Reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier, who is only taking part in a few events this season, led the way after the first two stages of the World Rally Championship (WRC) season-opener in Monte Carlo on Thursday.

US stocks sank again Thursday as investors shunned equities amid lingering worries over surging global inflation and the prospect of rising interest rates.

Tammy Abraham put Roma into an Italian Cup quarter-final with Inter Milan on Thursday, pulling his team out of the mire against second-tier Lecce with the crucial goal and assist in a 3-1 win.

The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a non-binding resolution calling on all member states to fight against Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism, especially on social media.

Forward Ablie Jallow and goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye starred as Gambia snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win over Tunisia on Thursday to finish second in Group F of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Major US carriers stumbled through another money-losing quarter at the end of the 2021 but remain confident of a travel recovery later in 2022, based in part on hopes that Covid-19 will soon evolve into an ordinary and seasonal virus.

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has agreed a new contract with the Premier League club, according to British media reports on Thursday.