Like many in Morocco, Abdelkabir Oubella had been watching videos of protests unfold across the country, but nothing could prepare him for the shock of discovering that his son was among three shot dead in the unrest.

For more than a week, Morocco has been shaken by daily protests led mostly by young people demanding reforms in the North African country's struggling health and education systems.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo hopes that a plan to end the war in Gaza would soon reach the "desired results", he said on Sunday after acknowledging the significant steps made in negotiations to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking during his weekly Angelus prayer, the pontiff asked all relevant parties to commit to the peace process, emphasising the urgent need to end the conflict and establish a "just and lasting peace".

ANKARA (Reuters) -British singer Robbie Williams said city authorities called off his upcoming Istanbul concert “in the interests of public safety” after Turkish NGOs and social media users campaigned for the event to be cancelled and protested against his appearance.

The October 7 concert was scheduled to take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities that led to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

MADRID (Reuters) -Eight people were arrested and 20 police officers injured in clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and police in Barcelona, police said on Sunday.

Demonstrators vandalised shops, which they claimed had links to Israel, during a mainly peaceful march of 70,000 protesters on Saturday, police said.

LONDON (Reuters) -British police will be given powers to restrict repeat protests in the same place, the government said on Sunday after a latest pro-Palestinian demonstration went ahead despite requests to cancel it in the wake of a deadly attack at a synagogue.

The new powers will allow senior police officers to consider the cumulative impact of previous protests on a local community, the interior ministry said.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip overnight and on Sunday, destroying several residential buildings, witnesses said, as Palestinians desperately awaited implementation of a U.S. plan to end the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who had called for an end to the bombing, said on Saturday on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to an "initial withdrawal line" inside Gaza and that "when Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective."

Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other key members of the OPEC+ alliance are likely to agree to raise crude output when they meet virtually on Sunday, with analysts divided over the size of the expected hike.

The meeting by the group of eight oil-producing countries known as the "Voluntary Eight" (V8) comes as oil prices head for weekly losses and rumours of a possible output increase of up to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) swirl.

Local committees in Syria cast their ballots for members of a transitional parliament in a process criticised as undemocratic, with a third of the new lawmakers to be appointed directly by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The assembly's formation is expected to consolidate the power of Sharaa, whose Islamist forces led a coalition that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December after more than 13 years of civil war.

Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the United States are due to convene in Egypt for talks on Monday, with President Donald Trump urging negotiators to "move fast" to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza.

Both Hamas and Israel have responded positively to Trump's proposal for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Members of Syria's electoral colleges will gather on Sunday to vote for new lawmakers, a milestone in the country's shift away from the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad and a major test of inclusivity under its current Islamist-led authorities.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power after his rebel offensive toppled Assad in December, is trying to consolidate his hold over a nation fractured by a 14-year war and bouts of sectarian violence that fueled distrust of him among minorities.