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

The helicopter pilot is worried. Any more than 20 minutes in this shattered frontline village and Somalia's Al-Shabaab militants could start lobbing mortars at their position.

Shares in the South Korean studio behind the ultra-catchy "Baby Shark" -- YouTube's most-viewed video -- surged as much as 60 percent on Tuesday as the company made its market debut in Seoul.

The Oklahoma City Thunder breezed past the New Orleans Pelicans to maintain their lead in the NBA Western Conference on Monday as the Detroit Pistons rolled to a 10th straight win to extend their advantage at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

An emotional Dak Prescott threw four touchdowns as the grieving Dallas Cowboys scored a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday in the NFL giants' first game since the death of team-mate Marshawn Kneeland.

Simply tasting Australia's Vegemite spread might seem like cruel and unusual punishment to some, but one prison inmate from the land down under argues he should be allowed to enjoy the toast topping as a basic human right.

When Universal Pictures split its musical adaptation of "Wicked" into two films, the move was derided by some critics as a cynical -- if spectacularly successful -- money grab.

Asian stocks sank Tuesday, tracking more losses on Wall Street as investors grow increasingly worried about frothy tech valuations, with focus turned to earnings this week from AI chip titan Nvidia.

Australia may be without star quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood when the Ashes begin against England on Friday, but they have the luxury of calling on perhaps the best "spare" fast bowler in the world -- Scott Boland.

England go into the first Test against Australia on Friday with arguably their most hostile attack in decades, putting their faith in fast bowling in a quest to regain the Ashes.

North Korea denounced an agreement between Seoul and Washington to build nuclear-powered submarines, saying in a state media commentary on Tuesday that the deal would cause a "nuclear domino" effect.

Each morning, 17-year-old Ramati Mangla sets off barefoot with a steel pot in hand, walking several kilometres to fetch water from a distant spring in India's Maharashtra state.

Gangs in Haiti are profiting from a lucrative trade in baby eels caught in the crime-ridden country's rivers and estuaries and sold abroad for thousands of dollars.

President Donald Trump said Monday he will talk to Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, as Washington's military buildup stokes tensions, and added that he would be "OK" with US anti-drug strikes inside Mexico.

Nine-time Grand Prix winner Oscar Piastri has won Australian sport's highest honour, the Don Award, with the Formula One star calling it a "massive privilege".

Russian bookseller Lyubov Belyatskaya sighed as she lamented the "climate of widespread anxiety" that has taken hold in her native Saint Petersburg amid the war in Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday that an explosion which damaged a railway line helping to supply close ally Ukraine was an "unprecedented act of sabotage".

The UK government on Monday unveiled dramatic changes to its asylum system, including drastically cutting protections for refugees and their children, seeking to stem a wave of irregular migrants which has fuelled rising anger on the far-right.

Canada's Liberal government survived a confidence vote on Monday, as parliament narrowly passed a budget Prime Minister Mark Carney says is essential to bolster an economy threatened by US tariffs.

LeBron James took a giant step towards returning from injury on Monday after successfully completing a full practice session with the Los Angeles Lakers.

COP30 hosts Brazil on Monday extended negotiations into the night at the UN climate talks as they pushed for a rapid compromise among countries very much at deep odds.

Germany and Netherlands went on goal sprees as they wrapped up World Cup qualification with resounding wins in their last European group matches on Monday.

Nick Woltemade said he hoped to have done enough to book his 2026 World Cup spot after scoring again in Germany's 6-0 win over Slovakia in Leipzig on Monday.

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said his side "wanted to send a message" with Monday's 6-0 thumping of Slovakia in Leipzig which sealed their progress to the 2026 World Cup.

The UN Security Council voted Monday in favor of a US-drafted resolution bolstering Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan that includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state.

President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled special fast-track visas for people with tickets to the 2026 World Cup -- but his administration warned it was no guarantee of entry to the United States.

The Netherlands sealed their 2026 World Cup berth on Monday with a dominant 4-0 victory against Lithuania in Amsterdam.

Germany swept past Slovakia and into the 2026 World Cup as Leroy Sane struck twice and Nick Woltemade scored for the third straight match in a thumping 6-0 win in Leipzig on Monday.

Global stock markets pulled back Monday as traders awaited key earnings reports, notably from chip giant Nvidia, amid concerns that the US Federal Reserve could hold off on further rate cuts this year.

Australia's Climate Minister Chris Bowen launched a last-ditch blitz Monday to host next year's UN climate summit, saying his country was "fighting hard" to beat a rival bid from Turkey.

Former NFL star Antonio Brown could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in his attempted murder case stemming from a shooting earlier this year, Florida prosecutors said on Monday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government faced potential collapse on Monday, with parliament set to vote on a budget he insists is essential to kickstart the country's tariff-battered economy.

Marine animals inevitably eat what we toss in the ocean, including pervasive plastics -- but how much is too much?