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

Captain Ben Stokes told England not to be afraid of Australia as selectors kept their options open Wednesday by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad for the first Test.

England named off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad Wednesday alongside four frontline pace bowlers, keeping their options open for the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth.

The tourist boats that normally ply Kenya's famed Lake Naivasha have had a different task in recent weeks: evacuating hundreds of flooded homes.

Stocks struggled Wednesday to kickstart a recovery following the latest stagger across world markets that has been caused by worries over an AI-fuelled bubble and uncertainty over US interest rates.

Captain Shai Hope blasted an unbeaten 109 to propel the West Indies to a competitive 247-9 off 34 overs Wednesday in a rain-shortened second one-day international against New Zealand.

US budget cuts risk creating blind spots in Earth monitoring systems that would imperil weather forecasting and climate research for years to come, the deputy chair of a key UN-backed climate monitoring body warned in an AFP interview.

For over 300 years, the closely-guarded secrets of the Ottoman Empire's luminous tilework was lost, but its rediscovery has revived a key part of Turkey’s cultural heritage.

LeBron James made a winning start to his NBA-record 23rd season on Tuesday, returning after a near one-month injury absence in the Los Angeles Lakers' 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz.

China will suspend imports of Japanese seafood, media in Tokyo reported Wednesday as a diplomatic spat sparked by comments about Taiwan deepens.

Gaming giant Roblox Corp says it will roll out compulsory facial recognition or ID checks from next month for players wanting to access its chat features.

The value of bitcoin has fallen sharply since reaching record heights last month, briefly falling below $90,000 on Tuesday compared with above $126,000 at the start of October.

LeBron James began his NBA-record 23rd season for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday after missing almost the first full month of the campaign due to sciatica.

The tiny Caribbean nation of Curacao became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday as Haiti booked their return to the tournament for the first time in 52 years along with Panama.

South Africa will host the G20 summit this weekend, aiming to secure commitments on debt relief for developing countries and to tackle global inequalities as the United States boycotts the event.

Japan have set themselves the ambitious target of winning next year's World Cup and coach Hajime Moriyasu believes they are making big strides in the right direction heading into 2026.

Arch-rivals Australia and England resume Ashes hostilities on Friday in Perth with the hosts weakened by injuries but favourites to inflict more pain on a side with a dire record Down Under.

Asian investors battled Wednesday to kickstart a recovery in equities following the latest stagger across world markets that has been caused by worries over an AI-fuelled bubble and uncertainty over US interest rates.

Ireland hosts one of the world's fast-growing clusters of data centres, but is running headlong into the difficult consequences.

The EU will unveil plans on Wednesday to overhaul its AI and data privacy rules after coming under pressure from European and US companies.

India's $60-billion Bollywood industry is facing a deepening credibility crisis, as insiders warn that manipulated film reviews and inflated box office numbers are distorting public perception, ultimately hurting ticket sales.

Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire Elon Musk were among the guests at a lavish White House dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump for the visiting Saudi crown prince on Tuesday.

The United States scored their most impressive win of Mauricio Pochettino's reign with a 5-1 thrashing of Uruguay in an international friendly on Tuesday.

A David-vs-Goliath climate court case is to start Wednesday in Belgium, where a farmer is seeking compensation from French oil giant TotalEnergies for damage to his farm caused by climate change.

It is one of the world's most famous unsolved codes whose answer could sell for a fortune -- but two US friends say they have already found the secret hidden by "Kryptos."

Britain's domestic intelligence agency MI5 warned on Tuesday that China was using spies disguised as headhunters to recruit parliamentarians, amid concern over Beijing's activities in the UK.

Draft beer, peanuts and big-screen sports... the scene is reminiscent of pubs worldwide, but in Saudi Arabia's capital, customers in white robes or black veils sip alcohol-free pints with no expectation of a hangover.

A portrait by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt fetched $236.4 million in New York on Tuesday, becoming the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.

A US district court, in a setback for President Donald Trump, struck down a congressional map on Tuesday redrawn by Republicans in Texas that was intended to give the party five more likely seats in the House of Representatives.

Researchers warned Wednesday that rising global consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) poses a major threat to health, calling for countries to subject some products made by huge food companies to marketing restrictions and taxes.

Donald Trump ripped into a reporter from the US network ABC News on Tuesday, just days after calling another woman journalist "piggy" after she asked a question related to the convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein.

US President Donald Trump defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Tuesday over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting the kingdom's de facto ruler "knew nothing" about the murder as he wooed him at White House.

Injury-time wonder-goals by Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean handed Scotland a stunning 4-2 win over Denmark on Tuesday to qualify them for the 2026 World Cup, while Spain also booked their ticket with a 2-2 draw against Turkey.