A body that may be that of a Briton taken hostage in Iraq two years ago has been handed over to Iraqi authorities, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced Wednesday. The disclosures reported by the country's official news agency were highly unusual. The agency, SPA, reported the attacker, Abdullah Hassan Talea' Asiri, a wanted Saudi militant who had been hiding in Yemen, got in touch with Saudi authorities telling them he wanted to turn himself in to Saudi Prince Mohammed ...

Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has arrested 44 al Qaeda suspects across the country, the Saudi interior ministry announced on Wednesday. The winner of eight Emmy and two Peabody awards, Hewitt began working for CBS News as an associate director in 1948. He was executive producer of "60 Minutes" when it premiered on CBS on September 24, 1968. Hewitt stepped down in June 2004, but the program remains on the air and is the No. 1 news program, ...

Saudi Arabia's campaign against the al Qaeda terrorist network has led to "massive human rights violations" by security forces, including torture and the arrests of non-violent reformists, the human rights group Amnesty International reported Tuesday.

Pakistan's high court acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of hijacking charges Friday, paving the way for another run for office. Attorney General Latif Khosa read a statement confirming the decision and congratulated Sharif, Express TV reported. A meeting between Sharif and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will take place Friday at the Nawaz family residence in Lahore, presidential spokesman Farhat Ullah Babar told CNN. The Supreme Court banned Sharif from holding public office based on a criminal ...

More than 300 men convicted by Saudi Arabia for taking part in terror plots have been jailed following trials criticized by a rights group for their lack of transparency. Saudi Arabia reported last week that 330 people had been convicted of membership in a "deviant group" -- a reference to the al Qaeda terrorist network, founded by Saudi exile Osama bin Laden. On Monday, a Justice Ministry spokesman released more details about the group, saying that 323 will serve time ...

A family in Saudi Arabia has taken a genie to court, alleging theft and harassment, according to local media.

Wajeha al-Huwaider picked up her passport, got in a taxi, and headed from her home in eastern Saudi Arabia to the nearby island kingdom of Bahrain -- a 45-minute drive that many Saudis take to get away for the weekend. Despite having a valid passport, Saudi authorities at the border sent al-Huwaider home. That's because in Saudi Arabia, a woman needs permission from her male guardian before she can leave the country. Al-Huwaider -- a vocal women's rights activist in ...

Iraq awarded a lucrative oil contract to BP and China National Petroleum Corp., government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Wednesday, while rejecting other companies' offers for other oil fields. The joint BP-CNPC bid was for the al-Rumeila oil field, one of the largest in the world. The energy companies are expected to increase production at the oil field by 50 percent, to 285,000 barrels a day, for a service charge of $2 for each additional barrel produced, al-Dabbagh said in a ...

North Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals by battling to a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night. The point saw them edge into second place in Asian qualifying Group 2 ahead of Saudi Arabia on goal difference. It means both group winners South Korean and neighbors North Korea will both go play in the finals in South Africa. The home draw sees Saudi Arabia finish in third place to go into the playoffs where they will ...

Al Qaeda's top financier for Yemen and Saudi Arabia has been taken into custody, the Yemeni government announced Sunday.