Saudi Arabia

Ribery making no promises on contract

Franck RiberyDubai - France midfielder Franck Ribery said Thursday he could not pledge to stay at Bayern Munich until the end of his contract in 2011.

"I have a four-year contract. But promise that I will fulfil it? That is difficult. You never know what will happen in football," he said at the team's training camp in Dubai.

Ribery, 25, has been in outstanding form for Bayern since moving to the Bundesliga club from Olympique Marseille for 25 million euros (34 million dollars) in summer 2007.

Saudi woman, driving illegally, kills two civilians

Saudi Arabia MapRiyadh - A Saudi Arabian woman killed two people whilst illegally driving a truck, local media reported on Thursday. Women are banned from driving in the conservative Muslim country.

The woman crashed into a car, killing two of its passengers. One of them died instantly and the other died shortly afterwards at al- Duadmi hospital, the Saudi Arabian al-Watan news paper reported.

The incident could weaken the case of women's activists who have long pressed for women to have the right to drive. According to Saudi Islamic law women are prohibited from driving for religious reasons.

AC Milan coach praises Beckham for performance

David BeckhamDubai, Jan. 7 : A. C. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has praised England football star David Beckham for his performance on debut in a friendly victory over Hamburg last night.

Becks played the opening 45 minutes of the showpiece clash in Dubai, which the Italian giants won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The former England skipper, 33, put in a solid performance and Ancelotti said: “He gave a very good impression. Dynamic quality and also he is an intelligent player.

Nine injured Gazans arrive in Saudi Arabia for treatment

Saudi Arabia MapRiyadh - The first of two Saudi Arabian planes arrived in Riyadh on Friday carrying nine injured Palestinians for treatment in Saudi hospitals, local media reported.

Since the start of Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, more than 400 people have died, and some 2,200 have been injured, according to aid agencies.

A second Saudi plane has arrived at the Egyptian border town of al-Arish airport, ready to move more Gazan casualties to Saudi hospitals for treatment, a spokesman of the Saudi Ministry of Health, Khaled Marghany said in press statements.

Saudi King calls for a national aid campaign to Gaza

Riyadh  - Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz called on Thursday for an urgent national aid campaign for the people in Gaza, Saudi news agency reported.

Since the start of Israeli air strikes on Gaza on Saturday, some 400 people have died and more than 2,100 have been injured.

King Abdullah said that the aid campaign will be supervised by Saudi Minister of Interior Naif bin Abdul-Aziz.

Saudi Arabia has sent aid planes with medicine to Gaza. It also allocated special planes to evacuate the injured from Gaza to Saudi hospitals for treatment.

Saudi Arabia and other US allied Arab states such as Egypt and Jordan have come under fire in the Arab world for not doing enough to help Gaza.

Saudi Arabian cleric arrested for calling for attacks on Israel

Saudi Arabia MapRiyadh - A prominent Saudi Arabian Muslim cleric who called for attacks on Israelis worldwide in retaliation for the ongoing airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has been arrested, Saudi media reported on Wednesday.

Sheikh Awad al-Qarni issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, on Monday saying that "it is legitimate to spill (Israeli) blood as long as they are spilling the blood of our brothers in Palestine."

The report in the al-Rasad newspaper said that al-Qarni had been arrested in the south of the country and had been brought to the capital Riyadh. Police would not confirm the arrest.

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