Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his planned participation in Saturday night's Mimouna events in light of the serious security incident in northern Gaza in which a soldier was killed.The prime minister will still congratulate his son Avner and his fiancée at their pre-wedding henna ceremony, which is scheduled for today.

Harvard said on Saturday the Trump administration was "doubling down" on far-reaching demands on the university despite a published report that government officials had sent a letter spelling out those demands without authorization.The letter from government lawyers, received by Harvard on April 11, was sent before senior officials of US President Donald Trump's administration could approve it or give the go-ahead for its release, the New York Times reported late on Friday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.Three days after that letter arrived, Harvard rejected numerous demands that it said would amount to the school giving up control over hiring, admissions and instruction to the government.The Trump administration subsequently froze $2.3 billion in funding to Harvard and threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status and take away its ability to enroll foreign students. It also demanded information on the university's foreign ties, students and faculty.

The hearing in Netanyahu's trial on Monday will be shortened by an hour to allow the Prime Minister to attend the memorial ceremony to commemorate Irgun members, Army Radio reported on Sunday.

Two runners died during a half-marathon in the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan on Sunday, organisers said.Akkoyan Rsaliyev, 84, lost consciousness at the start of the race, and Akhmadi, 21, had covered around 16 kilometres (10 miles) when he died.Both were regular participants in long-distance running events."The corporate foundation 'Courage to be the First' offers its condolences to the families and friends of the deceased," organisers said in a statement.