Around 150 clerics and religious scholars have held a rare protest outside the Saudi king’s palace against fresh efforts by women seeking the right to drive.

Islamist lawmakers in Egypt’s disbanded upper house of parliament have demanded the army reinstate ousted President Mohammed Morsi, and called on other legislatures around the world not to recognise the country’s new military-backed leadership.

Egyptian troops have opened fire on protesters marching in support of ousted president Mohammed Morsi, killing at least one and wounding several more.

The Saudi king has granted women seats on the country’s top advisory council for the first time.

Egypt's highest court has asserted its ruling that led to the disbanding of parliament is final and binding, state television said, setting up a showdown with the new president.

A REPORT given to a high-level advisory group in Saudi Arabia claims that allowing women in the kingdom to drive could encourage premarital sex, a rights activist said.

SAUDI King Abdullah has given the kingdom’s women the right to vote for first time in nationwide local elections, due in 2015.

Saudi King Abdullah has given the kingdom’s women the right to vote for first time in nationwide local elections, due in 2015.

Demonstrations won’t be tolerated in Saudi Arabia and its security forces will act against anyone taking part in them, the Interior Ministry said today, a day after about 100 members of the Shiite minority staged a protest in an eastern region of the kingdom.

A property tycoon with ties to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s son was sentenced to death today for ordering the killing of a Lebanese pop star who had been his lover.

The US Defence Department announced the capture of one of al-Qaida’s most senior and most experienced operatives, an Iraqi who was trying to return to his native country when he was captured.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas travelled to Gaza today for negotiations with Hamas to put what he hoped will be the finishing touches on a national unity government made up of independent experts.

Israeli warplanes repeatedly blasted Beirut’s southern suburbs today, causing a series of huge blasts, Hezbollah’s Al Manar television reported.

An al-Qaida-led insurgent group said in a website statement today that it had decided to kill four kidnapped Russian Embassy workers after a deadline for meeting its demands passed.

SECURITY officials said a car bomb on Friday killed a leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad — an Iran-backed militant group that persisted in attacking Israel while other major factions adhered to a cease-fire.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader in southern Lebanon died today from wounds from a car bombing that also killed his brother, security officials said.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today ordered a review and amendment of the country’s presidential election law, paving the way for multi-candidate polls in September.

The kidnap of Irish-born aid worker Margaret Hassan has sparked debate on fundamentalist Islamic websites, with many contributors urging that her life be spared given her decades-long service to the Iraqi people.

The al-Qaida group that beheaded an American engineer said sympathisers in the Saudi security forces provided police uniforms and cars used during the victim’s kidnapping, according to an Islamic extremist website.

Saudi Arabians will be able to vote for the first time after the absolute monarchy announced it was to hold elections for municipal councils.

Saudi Arabia has arrested four suspected members of an al-Qaida cell believed to have carried out last week’s deadly attacks in Riyadh and said the bodies of five attackers had been identified.