JEDDAH, 29 November 2005 — Interior Minister Prince Naif, supervisor of the fund-raising campaign for tsunami victims, has instructed authorities to pay SR440,000 to furnish a number of mosques in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh. Dr. Saad Al-Harithy, adviser to the prince, said the Kingdom would carry out a number of welfare projects to alleviate the suffering of the tsunami victims.

Qatif Residents Collect SR5m Blood Money

QATIF, 29 November 2005 — Residents of Qatif have collected SR5 million as blood money to save the life of a convicted killer, Al-Riyadh reported. Sadeq Ali, 30, was sentenced to death for killing a man during a dispute 12 years ago. The money was collected by a charity organization with the help of philanthropists in Qatif and Ahsa. Ali has been in prison awaiting execution since 1997.

Irate Woman Sets House on Fire

ABHA, 29 November 2005 — A woman, enraged by her husband’s decision to marry another woman, set their house on fire, Al-Watan reported. The man called the fire department when his wife informed him what she had done. The firemen extinguished the blaze but not before most of the house had been damaged. The woman told the police that she was jealous of her husband’s second wife who lived in the same house.

Farms Irrigated by Sewage Destroyed

JEDDAH, 29 November 2005 — A special team from the municipality and the Ministry of Agriculture destroyed 30 farms irrigated by sewage, Al-Madinah reported. Officials said the farms and produce seized from them were destroyed because of the danger they pose to consumers’ health. The owners of the farms will be questioned and will be subject to fines.

Paintings Show at House of Artists

JEDDAH, 29 November 2005 — Saudi artist Hanan Al-Faisal is holding an exhibition of her works at the House of Artists Gallery at Jamjoum Center. The exhibition includes more than 60 oil paintings and will run until the end of this week. It is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Man Demands SR3.5m to Pardon Son’s Killer

RIYADH, 29 November 2005 — The father of a schoolboy who was killed accidentally by a schoolmate said he was ready to pardon his son’s killer if he was paid SR3.5 million in blood money, Al-Watan reported. The man set a deadline of four months for payment.