JEDDAH, 2 February 2007 — A criminal court in Jeddah is currently examining a request from a man who was disfigured when his wife threw acid on his face, the daily Al-Watan reported yesterday. The woman was sentenced to two years in prison for pouring acid on her husband’s face for an undisclosed reason. The man suffered disfigurement to his face, including his nose and ears, and required extensive plastic surgery. The husband is asking the court to try his wife for attempted murder instead of assault.
Old Man Escapes House Fire
MADINAH, 2 February 2007 — An old man, Ahmad Al-Haydari, miraculously escaped a fire that gutted his house in the Madinah’s Al-Harra Asharqiya district on Wednesday, Al-Madinah daily reported yesterday. The man was having lunch when fire began engulfing his five-bedroom house. The Civil Defense managed to extinguish the fire without death or injury.
‘Shaman’ of Jealous Wives Arrested
JEDDAH, 2 February 2007 — A man and a woman were arrested here for fooling customers into believing they had magical powers and charms, the daily Al-Jazirah reported yesterday. Authorities discovered, among fake potions and other props used to fool superstitious customers, SR30,000 in cash that had been paid to the suspects for their services. The arrests occurred on Wednesday. Authorities said the man and his assistant preyed mostly on married women who sought magic to charm their husbands. Many of the victims of the ruse were in polygamous marriages and sought magical solutions to the problems commonly associated with keeping husbands content.
Man Detained for Posing as Doctor
MADINAH, 2 February 2007 — Police arrested an Indian worker who was posing as a doctor in his community for the past 22 years. He claimed to have a degree in internal medicine from India, but he was residing in the Kingdom as a laborer. He was dispensing medical advice for fees in the Uhud area, the daily Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
