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

Germany's Oktoberfest was temporarily closed by a bomb threat Wednesday, organisers said, as police investigated a house in Munich that had been rigged with explosives then set alight, leaving one man dead.

A Spanish court opened a trial on Wednesday over a 550-million-euro lawsuit brought by more than 80 Spanish media organisations against Facebook owner Meta for allegedly breaching European Union data protection rules.

After a well-received menswear collection for Dior in June, star Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is set to unveil his first women's ready-to-wear collection on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week.

Gold hit a record high and Wall Street futures fell with the dollar Wednesday as the US government shut down after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal, though most Asian and European markets edged up.

Jannik Sinner won the 21st title of his career by thrashing American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open final on Wednesday.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines rose to at least 69 on Wednesday, a disaster official said, with scores of injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Switzerland's glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have lost a quarter of their volume in the past decade alone, a study warned Wednesday, heightening concerns over accelerating melting.

The US government began shutting down Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding.

The land that villager Senum once called home has been swallowed by Indonesia's MotoGP circuit, part of a mega tourism project accused of forced evictions and rights abuses.

Emily is no longer the only doe-eyed American in Paris: Isabel "Belly" Conklin, lead character in global TV phenomenon "The Summer I Turned Pretty", has also moved to the French capital, burnishing its reputation for romance and escapism.

Nathan Lyon warned England on Wednesday that they would be making a mistake if they do not play a spinner during the Ashes, with the veteran Australian sure the wickets will offer variation.

Taiwan "will not agree" to making 50 percent of its semiconductors in the United States, the island's lead tariff negotiator said Wednesday, as Washington pressures Taipei to produce more chips on US soil.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines rose above 50 on Wednesday, with injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Max Verstappen's recent resurgence will be put to the test at the Singapore Grand Prix this week as the Red Bull driver tries to turn the Formula One world championship into a three-horse race.

Shohei Ohtani blasted two home runs in a 10-5 Los Angeles Dodgers victory over the Cincinnati Reds while the New York Yankees were stunned at home by the Boston Red Sox as Major League Baseball's playoffs got under way on Tuesday.

Gold hit a record high and Wall Street futures fell Wednesday as the US government went into shutdown after lawmakers in Washington failed to reach a deal to keep it funded, though most Asia markets held gains.

Greece will grind to a halt on Wednesday in a 24-hour general strike against plans by the conservative government to introduce a 13-hour workday.

Georgia risks fresh political turmoil this weekend as the ruling party -- accused by critics of aligning the Black Sea nation with Moscow -- faces its first electoral test since a disputed parliamentary poll threw the country into chaos last year.

The US government began shutting down after midnight Wednesday as lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding.

A Spanish court will open a trial on Wednesday over a 550-million-euro lawsuit brought by more than 80 Spanish media organisations against Facebook owner Meta for allegedly breaching European Union data protection rules.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines approached 60 on Wednesday, with injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu as workers carried dozens of body bags away in the chaotic aftermath.

Pope Leo XIV joins environmental experts and campaigners from around the world for a climate conference near Rome Wednesday featuring "Terminator" star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

FBI Director Kash Patel gifted New Zealand officials illegal firearms during his visit to the country earlier this year, authorities said Wednesday.

Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, whose ex-husband recruited dozens of strangers online to sexually assault and rape her while drugged, returns to court next week for an appeal trial triggered by the bid of one man to overturn his conviction.

EU leaders will discuss bolstering Europe's defences and Ukraine's financial firepower at a Wednesday summit in Denmark, where mysterious drone flights have ramped up fears about the threat from Russia.

Australia's most capped player James Slipper announced his international retirement on Wednesday, with the Wallabies' Test against the All Blacks this weekend to be his last.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India's "late entry" into the global semiconductor race, he pinned hopes on pioneers such as Vellayan Subbiah to create a chip innovation hub.

Australian Rules football has started games with a centre bounce for more than 130 years, but from next season it will be ditched because umpires are finding it too hard to master the skill.

Beleaguered Rangers manager Russell Martin finally scraped to his first Scottish Premiership win in charge at the weekend and next takes his struggling side to Austria to face Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday.

Crystal Palace enter unfamiliar territory Thursday as they make their first full venture into European football riding a club-record 18-match unbeaten run and fresh off a win over the Premier League champions.

Asian markets stuttered, US futures fell and gold hovered near record highs Wednesday after lawmakers in Washington failed to reach a deal to avert a government shutdown.

Rescuers searched collapsed buildings for survivors Wednesday after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the central Philippines, killing at least 31 people on the island of Cebu with fears the toll could rise.