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Algeria's prime minister, reacting to reports that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seriously ill, said the 76-year-old was recovering in France but had been ordered by his doctors to rest.

Since he was rushed to hospital in Paris on April 27 with what was officially described as a minor stroke, Bouteflika has been neither heard nor seen in public, raising widespread speculation about his state of health.

Parliament’s General Assembly was yesterday set to debate a motion of censure against Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan submitted by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), but the motion was subsequently withdrawn.

A recent list of lawmakers with poor attendance records has failed to improve turnout at the House of Representatives after 30 percent of legislators failed to show up at a plenary meeting on Tuesday, an activist said.

“As long as the rules of the House of Representatives do not include clear sanctions, absenteeism will continue to be common in plenaries and commission meetings,” said Siti Zuhro, a researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Of the 560 members of the House, 172 failed to attend on Tuesday, Siti said.

Saudi Arabia has arrested 10 more suspects in what it says is a spy ring linked to Iran, state media report.

Those detained include eight Saudis, a Turk, and a Lebanese citizen. Eighteen people were arrested in the same case in March.

Saudi Arabia, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim, has recently repeatedly found itself at odds with Iran, an overwhelmingly Shia Muslim nation.

Iran has denied any involvement in spying in Saudi Arabia.

Après plus d’une semaine de silence assourdissant, le Parti de la justice et du développement a enfin communiqué officiellement sur la décision du retrait de l’Istiqlal du gouvernement en mandatant Abdelali Hami Eddine pour participer, dimanche soir, à l’émission «Milaf Li Nikach» de Médi1TV. Il était grand temps ! Acteurs politiques de l’opposition et observateurs appelaient le PJD à sortir de son mutisme et à dévoiler sa vision quant à la décision de l’Istiqlal qui a secoué la coalition gouvernementale.

Popular support for Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo to run for president next year continues to mount, despite his insistence that he wants to see out his job at City Hall before considering a stab at the State Palace.

The results of a poll released over the weekend put Joko ahead of other potential candidates, with analysts saying he stood a legitimate chance of winning if nominated.

Libya's new government, formed in 2011 after four decades of Muammar Gaddafi's dictatorial rule, is keen to take India's help in the drafting of a constitution and economic rebuilding, the Libyan envoy here has said.

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel announced the Interior Ministry will resume election registration on Monday, but he said the polls could not be held on the schedule under the current 1960 law.

“Tomorrow on Monday I will allow hopefuls to submit their candidacies again until Saturday and I will ask the government to convene to make the needed allocations for elections and form an election supervisory committee,” Charbel said in remarks published by a local media outlet Sunday.