CAIRO, Oct. 17 -- Egypt's president asked parliament on Saturday for the legal authority to act in Saudi Arabia's defence, but only "if we are asked to do so," and none of the reports TEH reviewed says Riyadh has made that request.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke at a graduation ceremony for military academy and college cadets, according to The National, and Egypt's House of Representatives said it would meet on Sunday. Al Jazeera tied the speech to a barrage of Houthi attacks on the kingdom, among them the Riyadh airport attack TEH reported on October 11.

The president said the step needs parliamentary approval. "I am not speaking about attacking or waging war," he said, in the English rendering The National published. "We are seeking only ...