DAMMAM, 18 April 2007 — People living close to a zoo located on the Dammam to Jubail highway did not leave home for an entire day last week, as rumor spread that a mighty Indian tiger had escaped from the zoo. Streets in the area were deserted and shops had their shutters closed as terrified residents awaited news of the man-eating tiger to be captured. Authorities later reassured residents that it was impossible for a tiger to escape since the zoo did not even house one. The source of the rumor is unknown.

Thief ‘Test Drives’ Policeman’s Car Away

MAKKAH, 18 April 2007 — A bold thief arrived at the home of a uniformed policeman who was selling his car here and drove off with it by pretending he was taking it for a test-drive. After inspecting the car, the thief agreed to buy it for SR100,000 and even gave the man a small deposit. He then got behind the wheel, promising to come back after taking the car for a spin around the neighborhood. But once he got around the corner, he never came back.

Arrested Man Bites Officer’s Finger Off

HAIL, 18 April 2007 — A policeman had the tip of his finger bitten off as he attempted to arrest a thief 170 kilometers outside Hail. The policeman was trying to arrest the man and a scuffle broke out. The man resisted the officer and began scratching and biting him. In the ensuing fracas, he bit off the tip of the officer’s forefinger. Nevertheless, the officer still managed to arrest the man and was taken to hospital for surgery.

And Tomorrow’s Weather Forecast Is...

RIYADH, 18 April 2007 — Thousands of cell phone users here are complaining about a series of misleading texts messages they receive asking them to send SMS messages to a particular number to gain instant news about political, criminal, sports and entertainment events across the Kingdom, the Iqtisadia newspaper reported yesterday. However, when they subscribe to the service, it instead signs up them for news about the Kingdom’s year-round sunny weather, a service that costs SR12 a month. No number is given to unsubscribe from the service and customers often end up getting stuck paying for the unwanted service.