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

Hundreds of British teenagers will trial social media bans and time limits on apps as part of consultations over new measures to keep children safe online, the government announced Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump is ready to "unleash hell" if Iran doesn't accept a deal to end the Middle East war, the White House warned Wednesday, but a defiant Tehran said it did not intend to negotiate.

John Mitchell believes there is still more to come from his "unfinished" England side as the world champions bid for an eighth consecutive Women's Six Nations title.

World number two Elena Rybakina rallied to overcome fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the WTA and ATP Miami Open semi-finals.

Barcelona powered into a commanding 6-2 lead on rivals Real Madrid in an all-Spanish women's Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

The woman alleged to have shot up Rihanna's luxury Los Angeles home pleaded not guilty to attempted murder when she appeared in court on Wednesday, as details emerged of a near miss for the global megastar.

A California jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman through the addictive design of their platforms, ordering them to pay $3 million and opening the door to potentially far larger punitive awards.

US President Donald Trump is ready to "unleash hell" if Iran doesn't accept a deal to end the Middle East war, the White House warned Wednesday, adding that talks continued despite Tehran reportedly rejecting a proposed US peace plan.

The White House said Wednesday it was still in talks with Iran despite Tehran reportedly rejecting a US plan to end the war -- but warned President Donald Trump is ready to "unleash hell" if there is no deal.

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday designated the transatlantic African slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity," despite opposition by the United States and some European countries.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing in May after delaying an earlier summit because of the war against Iran.

The last time the United States hosted the World Cup, Bill Clinton was in the White House, Nirvana was on the radio, and most Americans couldn't name a single player on their national team.

The US Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday issued a temporary emergency waiver to allow countrywide sales of higher-ethanol fuel in the summer, Administrator Lee Zeldin said, easing smog controls amid government concerns about adequate supply.

Hearing the news that Instagram and YouTube had been found liable Wednesday for contributing to a young American woman's depression, Lori Schott jumped for joy and wept, as if it were her own daughter who had just won her case.

The US Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in a landmark copyright case that internet service providers (ISPs) are not liable for online pirating of music by their users.

A fireball erupted over Gaza on Wednesday as an Israeli strike tore through a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians, killing one person and injuring seven, the territory's civil defence agency said.

UK officials denied Wednesday any conspiracy over the theft of a phone belonging to the prime minister's ex-chief aide after the government vowed to release messages related to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman through the addictive design of their social media platforms, ordering the companies to pay $3 million in damages and opening the door to potentially far larger punitive awards.

Oil prices tumbled and stock markets rallied Wednesday on reports of a US plan to end the war with Iran -- which promptly rejected Washington's overtures, according to state media.

South African police on Wednesday fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse hundreds of anti-immigrant protesters in the coastal city of Durban.

Gennaro Gattuso on Wednesday called Italy's World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland the most important match of his coaching career.

In her farewell tournament Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto took a narrow lead over compatriot Mone Chiba during the short programme at the world championships on Wednesday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned Wednesday that the Middle East war presented a "far worse" scenario than the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

US First Lady Melania Trump brought a surprise guest to a White House event on Wednesday -- a walking, talking, humanoid robot.

The discovery of the oldest ever dog DNA suggests they have been our best friends for nearly 16,000 years -- 5,000 years earlier than had previously been thought, new research said Wednesday.

State media in Iran said Wednesday that Tehran had rejected a US plan to end fighting, as the head of the United Nations warned that the Middle East war was spiralling out of control.

In a rare occurrence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, twin mountain gorillas were recently born in the Virunga National Park, renowned for its biodiversity but threatened by conflict.

A former nurse made history Wednesday when she was enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world's 85 million-strong Anglican community.

The announced end of AC Schnitzer by the close of 2026 is far more than the disappearance of a well-known tuning brand. It is a warning signal with meaning far beyond the BMW enthusiast scene. When a company that for decades stood for sporty BMW refinement, forged wheels, suspension upgrades, exhaust systems and a distinctly German form of engineering passion can no longer operate its manufacturing and tuning business economically in Germany, the issue is no longer just about one brand. It becomes a question about Germany as an automotive business location. AC Schnitzer therefore turns into a symbolic case: one that reflects weakening competitiveness, a cost structure that has become increasingly hard to carry and a growing public impression that politics is reacting too slowly, too cautiously and too late.That is why the topic strikes such a deep emotional nerve. AC Schnitzer was never merely a supplier of aftermarket parts. The company represented an entire culture of refinement, balancing factory-like elegance with a more rebellious edge. For many BMW fans, it was part of the national automotive landscape: Aachen, BMW, motorsport associations, complete vehicle programs, distinctive forged wheels, aerodynamic components, performance kits and memorable special builds. In that sense, the end of AC Schnitzer is not simply a balance-sheet story. It is also the loss of a piece of industrial identity.The reasons behind the closure are revealing because they expose exactly the chain of problems that German industry has been discussing for years. At the core lies a toxic mix of rising development and production costs, slow approval procedures, intensifying international competition and shifting demand. The most striking point is the complaint about the length of the German approval system. If aftermarket parts reach the market many months after foreign competitors have already launched theirs, a specialist niche player loses precisely what matters most: timing, visibility and margins. On top of that come more expensive raw materials, volatile exchange rates, supplier disruptions, tariffs in important export markets, hesitant consumer spending and the gradual decline of the combustion-engine culture that once fueled large parts of the tuning scene. AC Schnitzer is therefore not describing a single isolated problem, but a concentration of structural burdens.

Senegal have lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the decision to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations title and hand the trophy to Morocco, the Swiss-based tribunal confirmed Wednesday.

South Africa completed a 3-2 series win over New Zealand on Wednesday as Connor Esterhuizen smacked 75 off 33 balls to set up a 33-run victory in the fifth T20 in Christchurch.

The economic cost of carbon emissions is far higher than previously estimated, said a new study Wednesday that links big polluters to tens of trillions of dollars in climate-related damages worldwide.