RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s most revered cleric said in a rare fatwa this week that two writers should be tried for apostasy for their “heretical articles” and put to death if they do not repent.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian newspaper said on Saturday security forces foiled an attempt by a sniper to kill President Vladimir Putin near the Kremlin this month. Itar-Tass news agency cited a security source denying the report.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO said on Saturday it was nearing a deal to use Russian land and airspace to supply its security forces in Afghanistan, but Western diplomats denied any trade-off with Moscow to keep Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO.

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A suicide car bomb attack on a convoy of NATO-led forces in southeastern Afghanistan on Saturday killed two Afghan civilians, an official said.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s top arbitration body, the Expediency Council, here on Saturday reviewed its annual performance during a last meeting in the current Iranian year.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Government Spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham Saturday briefed reporters about the latest stances and decisions adopted during a cabinet meeting here today.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Former chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani has achieved a landslide victory in Iran’s Friday elections.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Tata Steel is in advanced talks to buy chrome ore from Iran for its South African ferrochrome plant.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Officials of Iran and India agreed to expand the cooperation among the educational institutions to strengthen the cultural relations between the two old civilizations.

TEHRAN (FNA)- The turnout in Iran’s parliamentary elections was 65 percent, far higher than in the last legislative vote four years ago, a top election official said.