Riyadh boy’s death sparks alert on dangerous fireworks

July 30, 2014

Riyadh boys death

Jeddah, Jul 30: The festive fireworks that mark the beginning of Eid ended in tragedy for a Riyadh family when a 14-year-old boy died on Monday evening trying to burst a firecracker.

The latest incident comes among several other firework-related casualties during the Eid holidays.

Firecrackers are still widely available on the streets of Jeddah, Makkah, Taif, Riyadh and other cities despite strict measures to combat the phenomenon, including a financial reward of SR5,000 for anyone who reports fireworks warehouses.

Fireworks are reportedly being distributed to other parts of the Kingdom from Jeddah, believed to be the main hub.

The “Alqaat,” “Nafur,” “Thob” and “Zingabel” are popular types of firecrackers purchased by the Kingdom’s children, according to vendors approached by Arab News.

Firework packs cost SR5 last year but have since been sold at SR15.

“Parents should not allow their children to purchase fireworks, which can impair eyesight and even cause finger amputation,” said Col. Abdullah Al-Harithy, Civil Defense spokesman. “We urge parents to buy only low-density firecrackers if they must.”

Other firecrackers simply burst in the heat.

“Children used to play with amateur firecrackers in the past, but have since taken a liking to sophisticated and explosive fireworks thanks to rogue traders running loose in the market,” he said.

Dangerous fireworks manufactured in China are being smuggled into the Kingdom through the southern borders.

“We seized nearly 10,000 kg of fireworks being smuggled into the Kingdom during the first two weeks of Ramadan,” said Brig. Abdullah bin Mahfouz, Saudi Border Guards director for the Jazan region.

Ironically, fireworks are often sold by women and children during the Eid holidays, both in Jeddah and in other parts of the Kingdom.

Jeddah police have arrested several expats in the downtown area, a hub for firework sales.

Police also seized a huge quantity of fireworks and arrested vendors in Taif during Ramadan, according to Lt. Aati Al-Qurashi, Makkah regional police spokesman.

Police and municipal authorities have attempted to combat the sale of fireworks in the Hammam and Azizia areas of Riyadh, meanwhile, but these markets continue to be a major source of firework supplies sold in the capital, according to sources.

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News Network
June 17,2020

Abu Dhabi, Jun 17: The Ministry of Education (MoE) has allowed students still enrolled in universities overseas to obtain exceptions to attendance policies at their respective academic institutions in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the ministry said that the move stems from its keenness to ensure the continuity of education for those students and to maintain effective channels of communication with them.

Students' applications for exceptions to academic attendance in universities due to Covid-19 should be submitted following the end of the academic year, and not after the academic semester, via the following email: [email protected].

In their email, students have to explain the reasons for the required exceptions and should include an official message from the university concerned.

Scholarship approval issued by the Ministry of Education for studying abroad should also be attached.

The student's score reports for the academic years spent in the host countries and the duration of each academic year should also be attached, in addition to an entry and exit report of the student from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

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News Network
April 10,2020

Dubai, Apr 10: Saudi Arabia reported 364 new coronavirus cases and three new virus-related deaths, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.

The total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom is 3,651, out of which 2,919 are currently active, the ministry added.

Out of the new cases, 90 were recorded in Mecca, 78 in Medina, 69 in Riyadh, and 54 in Jeddah, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the number of fatalities rose to 47, while th number of recoveries reached 685.

The daily number of confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia has not peaked yet, and has been rapidly accelerating.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health had said earlier this week that four different studies showed that the number of coronavirus cases in the Kingdom could reach between 10,000 to 200,000 within weeks.

The ministry spokesman emphasized the urgent need for citizens and residents to remain at home and maintain social distancing practices to ensure that the virus does not spread further.

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News Network
February 5,2020

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has said it rejects US President  Donald Trump 's recently unveiled Middle East plan.

The 57-member body, which held a summit on Monday  to discuss the plan in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, said in a statement that it "calls on all member states not to engage with this plan or to cooperate with the US administration in implementing it in any form".

Requested by the Palestinian leadership, the meeting of the body came two days after the Arab League rejected Trump's so-called "deal of the century", saying: "It does not meet the minimum rights and aspirations of Palestinian people."

Addressing a pro-Israel audience at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side, Trump on Tuesday described his long-delayed plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a "win-win solution" for both sides.

The US president said his proposed deal would ensure the establishment of a two-state solution, promising Palestinians a state of their own with a new capital in Abu Dis, a suburb just outside Jerusalem. Trump also said Jerusalem would be the "undivided capital" of Israel. The Palestinians want both occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be part of a future state.

Palestinian leaders, who were absent during the announcement and had rejected the proposal even before its release, denounced the plan as "a new Balfour Declaration" that heavily favoured Israel and would deny them a viable independent state.

The OIC said in a statement on Twitter on Sunday that its "open-ended executive committee meeting" at the level of foreign ministers would "discuss the organisation's position after the US administration announced its peace plan".

With member states from four continents, the OIC is the second-largest intergovernmental organisation in the world after the United Nations, with a collective population reaching more than 1.8 billion.

The majority of its member states are Muslim-majority countries, while others have significant Muslim populations, including several African and South American countries. While the 22 members of the Arab League are also part of the OIC, the organisation has several significant non-Arab member states, including Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. It also has five observer members, including Russia and Thailand.

Iran 'barred'

Meanwhile, Iran on Monday accused its regional rival Saudi Arabia of blocking its officials from attending the OIC meeting.

"The government of Saudi Arabia has prevented the participation of the Iranian delegation in the meeting to examine the 'deal of the century' plan at the headquarters of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation," Fars news agency quoted Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, as saying.

Mousavi said Iran - one of the countries to strongly condemn Trump's plan - had filed a complaint with the OIC and accused its regional rival of misusing its position as the host for the organisation's headquarters.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials.

Following the unveiling of Trump's plan, the Saudi foreign ministry expressed appreciation for Trump's efforts and support for direct peace negotiations under Washington's auspices, while state media reported that King Salman had called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reassure him of Riyadh's unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause.

The announcement of Trump's plan drew mixed responses from Arab states.

Observers said the reaction was indicative of the division among Arab countries and their inability to prioritise the Palestinian people's plight over domestic economic agendas and political calculations in relation to the Trump administration.

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