Britain and France called Monday for Libya's rebel national council and civil society leaders to help a transition towards democracy, ahead of a London meeting on the country's future.

"In the words of the Arab League resolution, the current regime has completely lost its legitimacy," said a joint statement from French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

A rebel advance westwards towards Tripoli, which was halted Monday by Moammer Gadhafi's troops about 140 kilometers east of the strongman's hometown Sirte, resumed later in the day, an Agence France Presse reporter said.

After their rapid progress on Sunday, helped by the overnight coalition air raids, Monday proved something of a sticking point and by mid-afternoon they had pushed forward just 40 kilometers from Bin Jawad to the small town of Ras Al Awaja, on the road to Sirte, the Libyan strongman's home town.

Some 300 Syrian laborers demonstrated in front of their country's embassy in Beirut on Monday to express their support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We are with Assad and against any change," said protester Mohammed Hilal, 18, one of tens of thousands of laborers employed in Lebanon, mainly in the construction sector.

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."

Egypt's first parliamentary election since the fall of president Hosni Mubarak will be held in September, but no date has yet been decided for a presidential vote, a top military officer said on Monday.

"The legislative elections will be held in September," said General Mamduh Shahin of the supreme military council that has been ruling Egypt since Mubarak quit on February 11 under pressure from street protests.

Qatar on Monday recognized Libya's rebel council as the "sole legitimate representative" of the Libyan people, becoming the second state to do so after France, QNA state news agency said.

The Provisional Transitional National Council "represents Libya and its people, grouping representatives of all the country's regions with the acceptance of Libya's people," a foreign ministry official said, quoted by QNA.

Syria's parliament has asked President Bashar al-Assad to explain in detail a string of reforms promised in response to a wave of popular dissent across the country, an MP said Monday.

"On Sunday night, MPs requested that the president clarify the measures that authorities have announced and urged him to address parliament and explain," MP Mohammed Habash told Agence France Presse.

A blast at an ammunition factory killed at least 70 people and wounded 90 others on Monday near the south Yemeni town of Jaar, a day after al-Qaida suspects looted the plant, a local official said.

"At least 40 people, including children, were killed in the explosion," said local government official Mohsen Salem, adding that 90 others were wounded.

Nine powerful explosions early Monday shook the city of Sirte as rebels closed in on loyalist troops holding Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's home town, an Agence France Presse journalist reported.

The latest blasts followed two explosions on Sunday evening in the city, blamed by Libyan state television on an air raid by coalition forces.

Israel on Sunday stationed the first batteries of its "Iron Dome" short-range missile defense system in the south of the country, but stressed the initial deployment was experimental.

The unique multi-million dollar system was stationed outside the southern city of Beersheva, days after it was hit by several rockets fired from the Gaza Strip amid a rise in tensions and tit-for-tat violence.