Arab-Israeli Karim Younis, who spent 40 years in prison for killing an Israeli soldier, was released Thursday and greeted by hundreds of supporters in his home village.

With a black and white keffiyeh around his shoulders, 64-year-old Younis was met by a crowd singing the Palestinian national anthem in Ara in northern Israel.

"Every prisoner's story is the story of an entire people and I am proud to be one of those who sacrificed for Palestine," said Younis.

Iran warned France on Wednesday of consequences after satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons depicting supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Tehran deemed to be insulting.

The weekly had published dozens of cartoons ridiculing the highest religious and political figure in the Islamic republic as part of a competition it launched in December in support of the three-month-old protest movement.

Iranian authorities released star actor Taraneh Alidoosti on bail on Wednesday after holding her for almost three weeks over her support for the protest movement, her lawyer said.

Alidoosti is one of Iranian cinema's most acclaimed stars, winning international renown for performances in award-winning films by director Asghar Farhadi, including the Oscar-winning 2016 movie "The Salesman".

Her detention had prompted an outcry in the film industry and amplified concern about the authorities' crackdown on more than three months of protests that has seen thousands arrested.

Palestinians are holding urgent talks on their next moves after an extreme-right Israeli minister visited Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a step so far met with stern words rather than violence.

There have been fears Tuesday's controversial visit by Israel's new national security minister, firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, could spark a war.

Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, had earlier warned such a move would be a "red line".

Rally legend Sebastien Loeb at last had something to smile about after two nightmare days as the Frenchman won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally on Wednesday.

The 48-year-old -- who was crowned world rally champion a record nine times -- had lost over an hour and a half on the previous two stages but he was back to his regal best for Wednesday's 425 kilometres special raced around Hail.

He denied his compatriot 'Mr Dakar' Stephane Peterhansel his 50th stage win in the ultimate test of motoring endurance -- Loeb timing just 13 seconds faster.

Iranian actor Taraneh Alidoosti, jailed for almost three weeks over her support for the country's protest movement, was released on bail on Wednesday, local media reported.

Iran has been gripped by protests since the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd who was arrested for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code.

The EU on Wednesday defended a trip by its top diplomat to Morocco, which has been linked, along with Qatar, to a graft scandal unrolling at the European Parliament.

As "there is no proof" of wrongdoing at this stage, it is right the trip by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday and Friday should go ahead, a spokesman for Borrell said.

"No one has officially said from the judicial point of view that Morocco as a country is guilty, and Morocco should be avoided in international contact," said the spokesman, Peter Stano.

Spanish rider Joan Barreda won his first stage of this year's Dakar Rally on Wednesday taking the honours in the fourth stage of this year's race with Australia's Dominic Sanders retaining the overall lead.

Barreda, on a Honda, timed 16 seconds faster than Chilean team-mate Pablo Quintanilla with the ultra-consistent Skyler Howes of the United States third, 1min 5sec off the pace.

Howes's compatriot Mason Klein was the big loser on two wheels on the 425 kilometres special raced around Hail.

A Tunisian former environment minister has been sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the illegal import of 280 containers of waste from Italy, local media reported Wednesday.

Mustapha Aroui and several ministry officials had been sacked and arrested in December 2020 as public anger mounted and authorities investigated how the waste had been imported.

A Tunis court sentenced Aroui and three others to three years each in prison late on Tuesday, Tunisian media reported.

A Jerusalem bishop said Wednesday he was "dismayed" by the desecration of dozens of Christian graves on the edge of the Old City, as police probed the vandalism.

Stone graves lay in pieces with crosses toppled at the Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion, where Christians believe Jesus's Last Supper took place.

"We discovered that more than 30 tombstones and crosses were smashed to pieces," Hosam Naoum, an Anglican bishop, told journalists at the cemetery.