Bahrain's Shiite opposition head Ali Salman on Wednesday warned Iran and Saudi Arabia against using his country as a "battlefield" in a proxy war.

Salman urged Iran to keep out of the Sunni-ruled state's affairs and called on Saudi troops to leave the country.

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that Lebanon’s security should not be linked to the political vacuum created by the deadlock on the formation of the new cabinet.

In remarks to several Beirut dailies published Wednesday, Berri said: “The effectiveness of security apparatuses should not be based on the formation of the government.” He stressed that security agencies have their own budgets.

Saudi Arabia's ban on women voting or running as candidates is to remain in place for the conservative Muslim kingdom's municipal elections in April, the electoral committee head said on Monday.

"We are not ready for the participation of women in these municipal elections," Abdul Rahman al-Dahmash told reporters, renewing earlier promises that authorities would "allow (women's) participation in the next ballot."

Saudi Arabia has decided to contribute 10 million dollars to the budget of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, western diplomatic sources said.

The sources told the Central News Agency and several other agencies that Riyadh informed tribunal officials about its decision.

A Saudi man convicted of murder was beheaded by the sword in Arar in the kingdom's north on Saturday, the interior ministry said.

Sutam bin Ayd al-Salabi was sentenced to death for beating and stabbing Mossaed bin Ali al-Salabi to death during a dispute, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

Saudi Arabia is to hold municipal elections from April 23 at a time of pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world, the official SPA news agency announced.

"A committee has been formed... to oversee next month’s municipal council elections," it said in an official announcement late on Tuesday, adding that polling by regions would kick off on April 23.

Bahrain authorities detained on Tuesday five Lebanese residents from the Fneish family for allegedly contacting unidentified foreign “parties,” a clear reference to Hizbullah.

Al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday quoted informed sources as saying that “Bahraini security forces raided the ‘Beiruti’ restaurant in central Manama at 10:00 am, detained five Lebanese employees, and confiscated documents and computers.”

Saudi Arabia's king promised a multibillion dollar package of reforms, raises, cash, loans and apartments on Friday in what appeared to be the Arab world's most expensive attempt to appease residents inspired by the unrest that has swept two leaders from power.

He also announced 60,000 new jobs in the security forces — a move that would employ huge numbers of otherwise jobless young men, while bolstering his kingdom's ability to snuff out protests.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will make a speech during a ceremony scheduled to be held on Saturday in support for uprisings in Arab countries, the party’s media office announced.

The statement said late Thursday that Nasrallah will address supporters during the ceremony aimed at sending a message of support for the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen.

Tawheed Movement leader Wiam Wahhab stressed on Wednesday that his statements on the Saudi woman were “a slip of the tongue.”

He added during a press conference: “I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”