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Israeli father and son killed in West Bank shooting

Israeli troops launched a manhunt Saturday after a father and son were shot dead at a car wash in the occupied West Bank amid an upsurge of bloodshed in the territory.

"A suspected shooting attack was carried out at a number of Israeli civilians in the area of the town of Huwara," an army statement said, adding that two civilians had been killed.

Israeli security forces stand guard at the car wash in the West Bank town of Huwara where two Israeli civilians were shot dead in an attack

Palestinian dies after shooting by Israel forces

A Palestinian man shot by Israeli forces during a raid this week in the occupied West Bank died on Saturday, the official Palestinian news agency and a health worker said.

Mohammed Abu Asaab was "seriously injured in the head" on Wednesday in Balata refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and on Saturday succumbed to his wounds, news agency Wafa reported.

It said Abu Asaab was hit during clashes that erupted when Israeli "undercover forces" surrounded a house in the camp.

Palestinian emergency personnel and residents inspect the damage following the Israeli raid on Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank

Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon

Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure in the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the past decade behind bars, walked free from prison Saturday following a presidential pardon.

Douma, now 37, was a leading activist in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. He was arrested in the sweeping crackdown that followed the army's 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president elected after the uprising.

Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure in the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the past decade behind bars, gestures following his release from prison

Morocco king at 60: diplomacy a priority as inequalities persist

Morocco's King Mohammed VI is set to celebrate his 60th birthday on Monday away from the public eye, as challenges abound almost a quarter century after he ascended the throne.

The monarch is credited with effectively maintaining stability in a volatile region -- in part through suppressing criticism -- as well as modernising the economy and pursuing assertive diplomacy.

But his efforts have fallen short in addressing the profound inequalities that continue to plague Moroccan society.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI ascended the throne in 1999 following the death of his father King Hassan II

Iran top diplomat meets Saudi de facto ruler

Iran's foreign minister met Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler on Friday during his first visit since the Middle East rivals announced a surprise rapprochement, officials said.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who travelled to Riyadh on Thursday, held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry announced, after extending a scheduled one-day visit.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Neymar lands in Saudi ahead of unveiling ceremony

Neymar was greeted with much fanfare Friday as he arrived in Saudi Arabia where he joins a growing list of big names lured to the oil-rich kingdom.

The 31-year-old Brazil forward who will be unveiled as an Al-Hilal player on Saturday after six seasons with French champions Paris Saint-Germain landed in a Riyadh airport equipped with extra security for the occasion.

Neymar was received in an airport lounge packed with club officials and press, a large diamond-studded cross hanging around his neck as he posed for pictures.

Neymar signs autographs as he arrives in Riyadh

Iran top diplomat meets Saudi de facto ruler

Iran's foreign minister met Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler on Friday during his first visit since the Middle East rivals announced a surprise rapprochement, officials said.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who travelled to Riyadh on Thursday, held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry announced, after extending what had been scheduled to be a one-day visit.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Sevilla goalkeeper Bounou joins Saudi club Al-Hilal

Sevilla's Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has become the latest big name to quit Europe for the riches of Saudi Arabia, signing for Al-Hilal the two teams announced on Friday.

Bounou, who featured in this week's UEFA Super Cup match against Manchester City, is the second big signing for Al-Hilal this week, following the transfer of Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.

Yassine Bounou played his last game for Sevilla against Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup match in Piraeus this week

Fears for hundreds of thousands as Sudan war spreads

Fighting between two rival generals has spread to cities in war-ravaged Sudan's south, witnesses said Friday, raising concerns for hundreds of thousands who have fled violence in the Darfur region.

The vast western region has seen some of the worst bloodshed since the conflict erupted on April 15 between the army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Sudanese troops mark Armed Forces Day in the eastern Gadaref state, as the war with paramilitaries entres its fifth month

Cat cafe brings pawsitivity to war-scarred Gaza

A cat cafe in the Gaza Strip aims to "cheer up" Palestinian residents and offer them a respite from the trials of daily life in the blockaded territory, its owner said.

At the Meow Cat Cafe which opened this week in Gaza City, owner Nehma Maabad set out food for a clowder of kittens.

"Cats, for me, are a refuge that relieves me of psychological stress. So I thought of creating a project that combines serving people with something to cheer them up," said the 50-year-old.

'Cats, for me, are a refuge that relieves me of psychological stress,' says Gaza cafe owner Nehma Maabad