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JEDDAH: Saudi newspapers are presently facing many challenges due to a decline in advertisement revenue, stiff competition from Web-based news and the growing local popularity of citizen journalism.

There are over 30 Saudi online newspapers, compared to just 13 print newspapers. This is perhaps because many newspapers find launching online cheaper than launching in print. Many print journalists both full-time and freelance are also turning their attention to the new fad by contributing to online newspapers, while the Kingdoms blog scene has moved a few gears forward.

Jameel Al-Diyabi, managing editor of Al-Hayat newspaper, described the print newspaper industry like a sick person. He said the industry is facing numerous challenges from citizen journalism, which is proving to be a useful source of information for newspapers. This new form of journalism highlights the nose that members of the public have for journalism. It also shows the capabilities people have to instantly comment on whatever affects them and their society, he said. He added that the mass media need to involve their readers and viewers more. They need to become more interactive to keep their audience involved, he said. These new channels of information, said Al-Diaybi, are getting strong. Online media are proving to have a knack in combating corruption, and communicating with government bodies as well as its audience.

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JEDDAH: There is no indication of an imminent volcanic eruption that warrants evacuation of people in Al-Ais village in Madinah province, according to a top official at the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS).

Fresh tremors were reported in the area about 240 km northeast of Madinah on Dec. 18. Al-Ais residents and those from neighboring villages had already been evacuated following a series of tremors in mid-April. This was followed by another tremor measuring 5.4 on Richter scale in May. The evacuees started returning home in October after the area was declared safe by SGS.

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HOLY SITES – The government will not compensate owners of flood-damaged vehicles, said Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Saturday.

Starting Saturday, storm relief funds will pay for damage to privately-owned buildings and necessary requirements, the minister said. At least 4,000 vehicles are believed to have been totaled by the floods.

Payment for flood-damaged houses has been scheduled within a mechanism similar to the one used with Al-Ais residents who were evacuated after fears of volcanic eruptions earlier this years, Al-Assaf added.

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HOLY SITES – The government will not compensate owners of flood-damaged vehicles, said Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Saturday.

Starting Saturday, storm relief funds will pay for damage to privately-owned buildings and necessary requirements, the minister said. At least 4,000 vehicles are believed to have been totaled by the floods.

Payment for flood-damaged houses has been scheduled within a mechanism similar to the one used with Al-Ais residents who were evacuated after fears of volcanic eruptions earlier this years, Al-Assaf added.

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RIYADH: Young Saudi and American students exchanged viewpoints and discussed their experiences on Monday in a cross-cultural meeting at the King Abdullah National Dialogue Center (KANDC).

The Ambassador project makes every single boy and girl an ambassador of his or her generation, gender and culture to the other.

It is an interesting chance to meet and communicate with other girls of the same age and learn about their culture, said Nesma Galal, a high school student at the American International School (AIS).

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JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers emphasized on Monday that Saudi Arabia would continue its policies and reforms aimed at strengthening the national economy and increasing public confidence in its ability to deal with global financial crisis.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, reaffirmed this commitment while reviewing a report of International Monetary Fund on the Kingdom's economic performance.

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MADINAH: Thousands of evacuees have started returning to their homes in Al-Ais and nearby villages last week as authorities declared the area safe.

The residents were evacuated in April following mild tremors and signs of an extinct volcano erupting on a hill called Harrah Al-Shaqa. The evacuees were put up in hotels and apartments in Yanbu and Madinah under government subsidies.

Although the evacuees are grateful to the government for showing concern for their welfare, they complain that they have suffered losses worth millions of riyals due to the destruction of their farms and commercial establishments, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported on Monday.

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YANBU: The Health Affairs Department here is currently investigating a possible case of medical negligence involving a young boy who was stung by a scorpion in the town of Muthalath, 120 km away from Yanbu. The family traveled to two clinics and one recently built hospital, none of which could treat the patient.

The family claims the poison spread in the boys body as they desperately searched the region for a doctor. The boy, identified only as Marwan, was reportedly still unconscious in the ICU of Yanbu General Hospital on life support.

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YANBU: A meeting of the Main Civil Defense Committee, which met under the leadership of its chairman Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed on Saturday, examined whether the evacuees from Al-Ais and nearby villages who left their homes following minor earthquakes experienced in the region since April could return to their homes. The evacuees are currently living in hotel rooms and apartments in Yanbu and Madinah under government subsidy. The recommendations of the meeting are to be submitted to the Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif for necessary action.

MADINAH: The Council of Ministers on Monday passed an anti-human trafficking law that calls for tough punishment for people involved in the crime, including a jail sentence of up to 15 years and a maximum fine of SR1 million, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said.

The Cabinet meeting at Taiba Palace in Madinah, which was presided over by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, decided to establish a high-level ministerial-level committee to combat human trafficking.

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