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

Iran said it was ready to take the Middle East war "as far as necessary" as it launched strikes across the region on Monday, while US allies pushed back against Donald Trump's call for help to reopen a vital shipping lane.

Long queues formed at petrol stations across the Laotian capital Vientiane on Monday as fuel shortages deepened, with the ripples of the Middle East conflict reverberating across landlocked Laos.

France warned Monday it could block the disbursement of climate funds to India under a recent trade deal with the EU if New Delhi does not up its game in fighting global warming.

With assault rifles, daggers and posters of Iran's late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waving in the air as tens of thousands chant "death to America, death to Israel", there's little mistaking where the loyalties of Yemen's Houthis lie.

Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for best supporting actor for "One Battle After Another" on Sunday, is in Ukraine to show support to the war-torn country.

Oil prices dipped and equities rose on Monday as investors focused on the crucial Strait of Hormuz and the head of the IEA said more crude could be released on the market if necessary.

The surge of drone use in conflicts worldwide, seen most vividly in the Ukraine and Middle East wars, will accelerate the race to develop high-power laser systems that could down the devices far more cheaply than traditional defensive weapons.

Draped in garlands, Bhumika Shrestha on Monday became Nepal's first transgender woman lawmaker, marking a proud milestone for the marginalised community in the Himalayan nation.

Wayne Rooney believes patience will be needed as teenage Premier League record-breaker Max Dowman continues his remarkable rise with Arsenal alongside taking his upcoming school exams.

A Spanish court on Monday rejected a bid to put Valencia's former regional president on trial over his handling of deadly 2024 floods, ruling there was no evidence of a legal violation.

Family, friends, and locals in the small Irish town of Killarney were bursting with pride Monday after homegirl Jessie Buckley became the first Irishwoman to win a best actress Oscar.

Tributes to "Mr Nobody" poured in on Monday after Pavel Talankin, a videographer from a small-town Russian school, won an Oscar for his anti-Kremlin film and cemented his place in Hollywood history.

Pep Guardiola has insisted "many things can happen" as his Manchester City side try to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Iran vowed at the United Nations on Monday that it would not submit to "lawless aggression", saying its citizens were in "grave danger" from US and Israeli strikes.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was back in court Monday for a retrial on charges he sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election, in a case that last year saw him become France's first modern-day head of state to go to prison.

Dominik Szoboszlai believes Liverpool are "running out of time" in their bid to secure Champions League qualification after yet again dropping points late in a match.

The Israeli military said on Monday it had begun what it described as "limited ground operations" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with Defence Minister Israel Katz warning that those displaced would not return home until northern Israel was secure.

NATO allies and other Western nations pushed back Monday on US President Donald Trump's demand that alliance members help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical conduit for crude oil that Iran has effectively closed.

Some of the world's biggest central banks meet this week as fears grow the energy shock unleashed by the Middle East war could fuel inflation and weigh on growth.

Italian bank UniCredit on Monday made a 35-billion-euro ($40 billion) takeover offer for Commerzbank, sparking fury from Berlin and a defiant vow from the German lender to defend its independence.

Oil prices eased on Monday as investors balanced hopes for the crucial Strait of Hormuz reopening with concerns over further attacks on energy infrastructure.

The race for Paris mayor looked uncertain Monday as a right-wing former minister hoping to wrest control of the French capital from the left claimed she had gained key support for a second-round run-off.

Danes are accustomed to seeing their politicians hand out biscuits or flowers on the campaign trail, but ahead of elections next week, some candidates are stripping down to stump in saunas.

Drone debris crashed onto the historic Maidan square in central Kyiv early Monday as explosions echoed out during a rare daytime Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital, AFP journalists reported.

Iran said it was ready to take the Middle East war "as far as necessary" as it launched strikes across the region Monday, while Donald Trump piled pressure on world powers to help reopen a shipping lane choked off by the Islamic republic.

Azerbaijan on Monday sentenced a Frenchman to 10 years in prison in an espionage case launched during a period of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku that have now eased.

The idea sounds simple: tap trillions of euros of EU citizens' savings to unlock capital for European companies through a more integrated financial market.

Pole vault king Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis says he is raring to return to the site of his first world record this week, just days after raising the bar to a whopping 6.31 metres.

Italian bank UniCredit on Monday made a 35-billion-euro ($40 billion) takeover offer for Commerzbank, a move likely to provoke fierce resistance from the German lender and the government in Berlin.

Beijing said on Monday it is in talks with Washington over an expected visit by US President Donald Trump, who has pressured NATO allies including China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices jumped further above $100 Monday and Asian stocks mostly fell as the Iran war moved into a third week with both sides showing no sign of backing down and diplomats trying to ensure safe passage for tankers through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Explosions rang out over the Ukrainian capital on Monday and AFP journalists witnessed air defence batteries fending off a barrage of Russian projectiles during a rare daytime attack on Kyiv.