No release for Saudi woman driver

A Saudi woman detained for defying the ultra-conservative kingdom's ban on female drivers will be held in detention for at least 10 more days, a lawyer and rights activist said yesterday.

Manal al-Sharif, a 32-year-old IT expert, was arrested on Sunday and accused of "violating public order". She started a Facebook campaign urging Saudi women to get behind the wheel in protest.

Saudi rulers have cracked down harder than usual on Ms Sharif after seeing her case become a rallying call for youths anxious for change.