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

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has "no closer friends" than the British, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House on a state visit overshadowed by tensions over the Iran war.

Elon Musk showed up for opening remarks Tuesday in a courtroom showdown with OpenAI over whether the artificial intelligence company betrayed its non-profit mission.

Concerns are growing that shortages of diesel and jet fuel due to supply problems caused by war between Iran and the United States could ruin summer vacations.

Efforts to end the Middle East war appeared at a standstill on Tuesday, with the US considering Tehran's latest offer to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran saying Washington could no longer dictate terms.

Jihadists and Tuareg separatists were advancing in northern Mali on Tuesday, three days after launching unprecedented attacks against the ruling junta, in what the government's Russian allies said remained a "difficult" situation.

A saffron-robed Buddhist monk ended a gruelling barefoot walk across Sri Lanka on Tuesday with an impassioned appeal for world peace and kindness towards animals.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Andorra Tuesday to "move forwards" on decriminalising abortion during a visit to the principality, which maintains one of Europe's last total bans on abortion.

German rescuers on Tuesday hauled a stranded humpback whale into a special boat due to carry it to deeper waters, in the latest attempt to free the cetacean whose ordeal has captured hearts in Germany for weeks.

The US Federal Reserve opened its two-day meeting on Tuesday with policymakers expected to keep interest rates steady, as the war on Iran's effects on energy prices and supply chains ripple through the world's largest economy.

The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels to focus on "national interests", it announced on Tuesday, causing fresh shockwaves as energy prices soar over the Middle East war.

Oil prices jumped on Tuesday, climbing back above $110 per barrel, amid a lack of progress in re-opening the key Strait of Hormuz.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hit back at Donald Trump's call for him to lose his job over a joke about First Lady Melania Trump days before an alleged attempt to assassinate the US president.

JP Morgan Chase became the first global bank to join the Olympic Partner Programme (TOP) on Tuesday in a major boost for International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry.

John Stones said he had lived "all my dreams out" as he announced on Tuesday he would be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season after 10 trophy-laden years at the Etihad.

Ravi Coltrane has a tough task: honour his father John and fellow legend Miles Davis without imitating them, he tells AFP, beer in hand during an interview in Poland.

John Stones will leave Manchester City at the end of the season after 10 trophy-filled years at the Etihad, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

Croatia and Bosnia on Tuesday signed a deal to build a major gas pipeline backed by investors close to US President Donald Trump, aiming to cut Sarajevo's reliance on Russian gas.

Atletico Madrid captain Koke admitted his nerves are jangling ahead of Wednesday's Champions League semi-final clash with Arsenal.

Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday ordered $8.5 million in compensation to be paid to victims of the Malian former jihadist leader Al Hassan, who was found guilty in 2024 of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

EU lawmakers on Tuesday approved the first ever common European rules for cats and dogs including bans on abusive practices and illegal pet trading.

The European Parliament on Tuesday threw its weight behind a more ambitious and bigger long-term EU budget, demanding new taxes to ramp up future spending.

Oil prices jumped Tuesday on lack of progress towards re-opening the Strait of Hormuz while stocks diverged as attention turned back to the outlook for interest rates and company earnings.

German rescuers launched a fresh bid Tuesday to free a humpback whale stranded for a month off the country's coast, aiming to transport the cetacean to deeper waters in a barge.

Indonesia's president ordered an investigation Tuesday after a long-distance train smashed into a stationary commuter train overnight, killing 15 people and injuring dozens.

A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in an Austrian court over a jihadist plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert, which led to shows by the US megastar in the Alpine nation being scrapped in 2024.

Nepali guides on Tuesday opened the route past the icefall on Mount Everest, which was blocked for two weeks by a large chunk of dangerous ice.

An Indian billionaire's son offered on Tuesday to take hippos descended from those introduced to Colombia by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, rather than have the animals killed.

Iran's snooker trailblazer Hosein Vafaei would be capable of winning any trophy if he had more self-belief, said world number one Judd Trump, the man he beat in the second round of the world championship.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hit back on Monday at Donald Trump's call for him to lose his job over a joke about First Lady Melania Trump days before an alleged attempt to assassinate the US president.

A 21-year-old man went on trial in Austria on Tuesday over a plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert, which led to shows by the US megastar in the Alpine nation to be scrapped in 2024.

A South Korean appeals court increased the corruption sentence for former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Tuesday to four years in jail after finding her guilty of stock manipulation and bribery.