For centuries, we have been taught that all mankind originated in Africa, only moving out of said continent in fairly recent years (in the grand scheme of time). However, newfound artifacts show that people may have moved into Saudi Arabia earlier than we once thought. More importantly, instead of traveling along the coasts as we once thought, civilization may have moved to Saudi Arabia first.

Science continues to tell us that humanity as we know it first sprung up about 200,000 years ago in Africa. How people emigrated out of Africa on the other hand has always been hotly debated. Geneticists debated throughout the years whether people first emigrated 40,000 or 70,000 years ago, and there have been accepted theories, but never proven facts. It is recently discovered stone artifacts that have proven us wrong.

The latest stone artifacts suggest that modern human emigration may have started as many as 100,000 years ago. Revealed in January 2011, scientists have since discovered more than 100 sites in the Sultanate of Oman. While logic would dictate that early civilizations would want to be close to water, all of these locations are far inward, away from water. Jeffrey Rose, a paleolithic archaeologist at the University of Birmingham in England states:

After a decade of searching in Southern Arabia for some clue that might help us understand early human expansion, at long last we’ve found the smoking gun of their exit from Africa. What makes this so exciting is that the answer is a scenario almost never considered.

To be fair, 100,000 years ago, Arabia was very wet, even a tropical area. The area was not dry as we think of it now. The now barren wasteland we picture in Arabia had fresh grasslands and plenty of animals to be hunted, explaining the inward mobilization. The coasts may not have even been coasts at all at that time.

The evidence is purely stone based. There are no human or animal remains left at the site. However, scientists involved in the project remain certain that these new findings are the real McCoy and something that will revolutionize the world of science as we know it.

What does this mean for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East? We have no way of telling. Scientists may be excavating and searching for centuries to come. This just opens up hundreds of new doors and plenty of possibilities. We cannot foresee exactly where this will go.

A major member of the Saudi royal family has recently warned officials that unless all nuclear technologies are removed from the Middle East, making this a nuclear weapon free zone, a nuclear arms race is bound to happen. Eventually, it could turn not only his own country, but also Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey into potential competitors.

According to Prince Turki Al Faisal, five permanent UN Security Council members should enact a movement to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone, imposing military sanctions against any company developing nuclear weapons. This is the only way he sees to officially control the problem. He states:

”I think that’s a better way of going at this issue of nuclear enrichment of uranium, or preventing Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. If it goes that route, I think it’s a much more equitable procedure than what has been happening in the last 10 years or so.”

Along with other officials, this Saudi royal believes that the development of a nuclear free zone in the Middle East is essential to everyone’s safety and ability to live peacefully in today’s society. So far, Tehran has refused to suspend its nuclear development and uranium enrichment projects, posing a possible threat to this increasingly popular program. So far, many European nations believe that the sole purpose is to create nuclear weapons.

The proposal pushed by this Saudi Royal member would impose military sanctions on anybody who seems to be developing chemical or biological weapons of any kind, especially nuclear weaponry. However, this plan could also put sanctions on Israel, who the US has been long known for protecting. Why? Because while Israel has never actually confirmed or denied this, many suspect that Israel actually has a very full arsenal of weaponry that they are hiding.

Previous versions of this particular proposal have been pushed and voted on before, but nothing has officially been done. Israel is not actually party to this act, and they have not expressed support. However, a lot of things still remain fairly unclear. So far, it has been indicated that Israel will not accept this kind of proposal at all, which makes it seem that obviously, the force that has protected them needs to make some things clear. It seems a little bit hypocritical to back up one country that refuses to relinquish a potentially deadly arsenal of weapons while demonizing countries that cooperate.

There is plenty of incentive for countries who do not want to be in a big war to want to protect themselves. However, a resolution like this would ideally protect everyone. Frankly, the only country who seems to be all that resistant has a superpower who has shown that they are more than willing to step in should it be required. It simply makes us wonder what it is Israel is hiding, and more importantly, what they are planning. Unfortunately, especially when it comes to bouts with the Palestinians, Israel has never actually been known for being an innocent victim.

While the Islam religion has actually been known for being ahead of the times in the past, the new movements have put women back, even leading to women being jailed for being raped. Obviously, no woman would want to report a rape given the circumstances, but ironically, many officials also believe that a woman cannot get pregnant from one encounter. Therefore, if they are pregnant, it must have been the result of an ongoing affair, which again leads to the woman being jailed. The man on the other hand receives no punishment at all.

This is what happened to one Afghan woman who has only recently been pardoned for being raped by a family member, her cousin’s husband. This pardon was given stipulation that the woman would marry her rapist, which is a deeper insult to women’s rights in the Middle East. However, that condition has since been removed.

She only received attention after an international documentary on this kind of problem was released featuring her face. Gulnaz, the woman in question, was initially sentenced to 2 years in jail for “adultery by force”, which to us sounds a lot like rape. However, upon appeal, this sentence was increased to 12 years, and she has been raising her daughter, the product of rape, in prison.

The third appeal cut her time down to 3 years and initially required her to marry her rapist.

Since then, Gulnaz has stated:

”I am obliged to marry him, even though I can’t look at him.”

More specifically, Gulnaz feels that she is forced to marry her rapist, despite an overturned statement made previously, in order to protect her family honor. Officially, her cousin’s husband forced his way into her home, tied her up, and then raped her when she was 19.

As of right now, polygamy is still legal in many Middle Eastern countries including Afghanistan. Men can officially have up to 4 wives. This is definitely not the victory most were hoping for, but you cannot change an entire culture overnight.

Recently the Saudi Arabian General Electric Company announced the launch of an initiative to improve cancer detection and care as a part of its global innovation program THE CHALLENGE. By reaching out to universities as well as government and private organizations, GE’s challenge will increase access to breast cancer screening, with a goal of screening 10,000 women in the first year. Next to lung cancer, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide, and according to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in Saudi Arabia.

In the year 2008, an estimated 458,503 deaths worldwide were a direct result of this heart wrenching disease. Although cancer is a complex disease, many organizations worldwide are searching for its cure, and even more group efforts are being promoted to detect and prevent breast cancer while in its early stages. Hopefully as more contributions are made toward discovering its cure, we will eventually find a way to eliminate this disease in the not-too-distant future.

Understanding More about Breast Cancer

Signs and Symptoms:
The most effective method of surviving breast cancer is by catching and treating cancer while in its early stages. Signs and symptoms include a change in how the breast or nipples feel (nipple tenderness or a lump near the breast or under arm area) as well as how the breast or nipple looks (changes in size or shape such as scaly, red, or swollen regions).

Detecting Breast Cancer:
In order to catch breast cancer before it spreads, self-exams and mammograms should be conducted regularly, even as early as age 20. Mammograms should be scheduled every 3 years and eventually increase to 1 every year as a woman approaches 50.

Men can have breast cancer too:
Although breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women, men, too, are at risk for breast cancer. This percentage is relatively small, but men should also be aware of the risk and give regular breast self-exams.

To learn more about breast cancer facts, you can visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation, INC and find out how you can help fight breast cancer, one mammogram at a time.