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

The bare-chested young men emerged from a forest ceremony in northern Togo chanting war songs, ready for the initiation tradition of "Evala" in which they wrestle to become men.

Hundreds of people fled by boat from a peninsula in western France on Friday, as authorities ordered it evacuated in the face of a rapidly advancing wildfire.

The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) kicks off in Morocco on Sunday with qualification for the World Cup and a record two-million-dollar first prize on the line.

West Indies and Pakistan meet at Test cricket's newest venue in Trinidad on Saturday at the start of a two-match series in which the home side will be enjoying rare favoured status against the unsettled visitors.

Australian World Cup star Cristian Volpato allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was pulled over for speeding in Sydney on Friday, police and reports said.

Volkswagen said Friday that its net profit plunged in the second quarter as the crisis-hit carmaker, weighing up to 100,000 job cuts worldwide, grapples with increasing competition in and from China.

Ukrainian drones hit a warehouse for a Russian e-commerce giant near Saint Petersburg early Friday, triggering a fire that sent smoke pouring over the historic city, according to local officials and an AFP reporter.

Leaders of India's youth-led "Cockroach" movement said they would meet the government on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged legal reforms and swift punishment for those involved in exam paper leaks.

The United States launched fresh strikes on Iran Friday after Tehran-backed Houthi rebels attacked oil tankers in the Red Sea, marking an escalation that pushed crude prices past $100 a barrel.

A new wave of US tariffs targeting 60 trading partners took effect Friday, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

Union leader Chhim Sithar served two years in prison after going up against the Cambodian government. Today, she is still making her voice heard, but it is getting riskier.

Asian markets sank Friday to track a selloff on Wall Street as world markets are battered by a perfect storm of the resurgent Middle East war, a spike in oil prices back past $100 and worries about the AI investment boom.

Over 80 percent of Mexican exports to the United States will be exempt from a new round of tariffs announced by Washington, Mexican Economic Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday.

US President Donald Trump is under pressure to respond to the increasing success of Chinese AI models that many companies prefer to the more powerful, but pricier, US versions from Anthropic or OpenAI.

With Tadej Pogacar on the brink of a record-equalling fifth Tour de France aged only 27 many people are saying his domination has made cycling boring.

The International Criminal Court's 125 member states will convene Friday to determine the fate of prosecutor Karim Khan, who was suspended over allegations of sexual assault against a member of his staff -- accusations he firmly denies.

Vahid Baniamerian's family only found out he was going to be executed when Iranian state media reports flashed on their phones, saying the supreme court would review his death sentence.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers visited the White House on Thursday to celebrate back-to-back World Series wins despite many fans' anger over President Donald Trump's immigration raids in their home city.

Rosalia's Argentine fans are furious with the Spanish superstar over a reshared social media post they considered offensive after the country's painful World Cup final loss.

Olympic gold medallist Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson eased into the 100m semi-finals at the US athletics championships on Thursday.

The six candidates to lead the United Nations on Thursday convened to offer their visions for the world body, one week before the formal start of a selection process crucial to an organization in deep crisis.

Novelist Salman Rushdie on Thursday testified at the federal trial of the man who tried to kill him with a knife at a New York cultural center in 2022.

King Charles III officially opened the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday to launch 10 days in a slimmed down event designed to control costs.

The World Bank on Thursday confirmed that it plans to phase out its lending to China by 2031, according to the organization's new country partnership framework (CPF) for the world's second-largest economy.

The United States said Thursday that it would impose new tariffs on 60 trading partners over forced labor concerns, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

A US review panel on Thursday recommended loosening restrictions on multiple trendy peptides, endorsing proposals that specialized pharmacies be allowed to produce such substances despite alarm bells from medical experts over safety concerns.

Basketball star and internet sensation Sophie Cunningham has become a lightning rod in the debate over transgender athletes in women's sports after her call to "protect young girls" in locker rooms drew White House praise.

The US Justice Department on Thursday withdrew subpoenas issued to New York Times reporters over a story they wrote about security concerns with a plane donated to President Donald Trump by Qatar.

Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has dismissed comments from Tyson Fury that the long-awaited clash between the two former world heavyweight boxing champions may not happen.

Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong is undergoing treatment on a torn knee ligament suffered while on national duty at the World Cup, the Spanish champions said on Thursday.

Black smoke darkened the skies and crackling flames roared through pine trees in a forest in southwest France on Thursday as wildfires have forced more than 20,000 residents and holidaymakers to flee.