Saudi bans 'vendetta' for National Day

Saudi Arabia’s religious police raided shops and seized a large number of ‘vendetta’ masks ahead of the Gulf Kingdom’s 83th national day on Monday.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has warned shops against selling those masks, which are inspired from a 2005 British film set in the near future in which the main actor tries to ignite a revolution.

Several Commission members fanned out through the main market in the southern Saudi Jazan province and confiscated the masks, which were daubed with white and green colours in a bid to tempt buyers and evade police.

“Shop keepers in Jazan market tried to protest against the action by the Commission members, but they were told that they were only carrying out orders by the Ministry of Interior,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Ajel said.


Camel shepherd tries to end life with 'camel' liquid

A Sudanese camel shepherd in Saudi Arabia, apparently influenced by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet tragedy, decided to end his life by drinking a large quantity of a cleaning liquid used on camels, after losing his sweetheart to another man at home.

But the man was saved and there was no report that his sweetheart on the other end of the Arab region made a similar attempt.

The shepherd has been in the central town of Ras in Saudi Arabia trying to make money and return home to marry his dream girl following a promise by her father.

But events took a U-turn this week when news reached him in Saudi Arabia that the girl’s father quickly accepted another suitor.

“He immediately called Sudan and was told that his sweetheart would marry another man. He went into a hysterical condition and went straight to the farm and drank a big quantity of a substance used in clearing camels,” Sabq daily said.

It said the unnamed man was rushed to hospital by villagers and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he was saved.

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