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Saudi Health Ministry Launches Works of Global Adult Tobacco Survey

Saudi Health Ministry Launches Works of Global Adult Tobacco Survey
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Saudi Health Ministry Launches Works of Global Adult Tobacco Survey

Saudi Health Ministry Launches Works of Global Adult Tobacco Survey

The Ministry of Health announced Sunday the launch of works of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) among adults being carried out by the Ministry in cooperation with the General Authority for Statistics under the supervision of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The survey includes those who are 15 years and above for both males and females.

The survey will continue for two months including samples of 12800 houses in all regions of Saudi Arabia.

According to SPA, the survey is the first of its kind in the Kingdom as a global survey of all countries of the world and is one of the WHO's surveillance systems for tobacco smoking prevalence to determine the tobacco use among adults and assess the interventions for its combating, help countries to know the magnitude of the tobacco problem and formulate policies and control measures.

This step is an extension of the efforts of the Ministry of Health in the field of combating smoking and warning of its harm.

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Varieties

Red Sea Labs Selects 12 Projects for New Edition of Feature Films Program

The Red Sea Film Foundation logo
The Red Sea Film Foundation logo
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Red Sea Labs Selects 12 Projects for New Edition of Feature Films Program

The Red Sea Film Foundation logo
The Red Sea Film Foundation logo

The Red Sea Film Foundation has selected 12 film projects for the new edition of its Feature Films Program, formerly known as the Lodge, under its educational arm, Red Sea Labs. The cohort includes three Saudi projects and nine international projects.

The foundation said in a statement that this transition from “Lodge” to “Feature Films Program” marks more than a rebrand; it signals a strategic new chapter for the Labs, aligning the program more clearly with its core mission of advancing high-quality feature filmmaking and strengthening connections with key global institutions.

The Feature Films Program continues to support emerging filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia, building on the experience of previous editions while reinforcing its professional structure and specialized focus.

Selected teams will take part in a comprehensive development journey that includes tailored mentorship, script consultations, production guidance, and industry orientation, led by regional and international experts, said the statement.

The program will conclude with project presentations at the Red Sea International Film Festival, where participants will have the opportunity to present their projects to producers, sales agents, distributors, and supporting institutions, contributing to the further development and advancement of their films.

The statement also said that further announcements and key milestones will be revealed throughout the year, reflecting the foundation’s broader vision for Red Sea Labs, and signaling continued growth in the opportunities offered to filmmakers across the region and beyond.

“We have rebuilt the Feature Films Program from the ground up with a clear focus: time for the craft, precision in the process, and a real roadmap to the industry, an inspiring, intensive journey designed around the filmmaker, the film, and the path to the global stage,” said Director of the Red Sea Labs Ryan Ashore.

Varieties

Dresden City Center Cleared to Defuse Unexploded WWII Bomb

11 March 2026, Saxony, Dresden: A police officer cordoned off Grosse Meissner Strasse at an evacuation of the city center, during an operation to defuse a World War II bomb at the former Carola Bridge. (dpa)
11 March 2026, Saxony, Dresden: A police officer cordoned off Grosse Meissner Strasse at an evacuation of the city center, during an operation to defuse a World War II bomb at the former Carola Bridge. (dpa)
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Dresden City Center Cleared to Defuse Unexploded WWII Bomb

11 March 2026, Saxony, Dresden: A police officer cordoned off Grosse Meissner Strasse at an evacuation of the city center, during an operation to defuse a World War II bomb at the former Carola Bridge. (dpa)
11 March 2026, Saxony, Dresden: A police officer cordoned off Grosse Meissner Strasse at an evacuation of the city center, during an operation to defuse a World War II bomb at the former Carola Bridge. (dpa)

Officials in Dresden evacuated 18,000 people Wednesday after the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb, the largest such operation yet in the eastern German city, emergency services said.

A bomb squad was set to try to defuse the 250-kilogramme (550-pound) British bomb which was found during work in the city center to rebuild an Elbe river bridge that collapsed in 2024.

The exclusion zone had been fully established by 9:00 am (0800 GMT), said police in the Saxony state capital.

More than 400 police along with other emergency services were deployed, backed up by a helicopter and a drone, to check that homes, shops, schools, care homes and offices were empty inside a one-kilometer radius of the device.

The bomb was discovered on Tuesday during clearance and construction work following the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in September 2024.

The evacuation affected major historic sites including the city's Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche church, as well as residential buildings, hotels and government offices.

Because the bomb's detonator is damaged, a water jet cutter has to be used which will "naturally delay" the operation, police spokesman Marko Laske told public broadcaster MDR.

If that doesn't work, bomb squad experts will have to consider detonating the bomb on site, he added.

Dresden was heavily bombed by the Allies on February 13 and 14, 1945, killing up to 25,000 people and destroying large parts of the old town known for its Baroque architecture.

World War II bombs were previously found and defused at the site in January and August 2025, with thousands of people affected each time.

Varieties

Punch the Baby Monkey Isn’t Being Bullied, Says Japan Zoo

Punch, right a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, sits with others in the monkeys' playground at the Ichikawa city zoo in Tokyo's eastward neighboring city, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP)
Punch, right a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, sits with others in the monkeys' playground at the Ichikawa city zoo in Tokyo's eastward neighboring city, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP)
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Punch the Baby Monkey Isn’t Being Bullied, Says Japan Zoo

Punch, right a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, sits with others in the monkeys' playground at the Ichikawa city zoo in Tokyo's eastward neighboring city, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP)
Punch, right a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, sits with others in the monkeys' playground at the Ichikawa city zoo in Tokyo's eastward neighboring city, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP)

A Japanese zoo caring for a baby monkey who has become an internet sensation was forced to issue a statement denying he was being bullied, following an outpouring of concern online.

Punch, a seven-month-old baby macaque, was abandoned by his mother and shot to stardom after he began clinging to a plush orangutan toy from IKEA for comfort at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo.

But after the zoo posted on X last month that Punch "had been scolded many times by other monkeys", videos showing him being chased by members of the troop were spread online, alongside claims that he was being bullied.

"As a result, we have received many voices of concern from people both in Japan and overseas," the zoo said in a statement Tuesday.

The zoo added that Punch was becoming less reliant on the stuffed orangutan toy because increasing numbers of monkeys were looking after or playing with him.

"While dominant individuals may show disciplining actions toward their subordinates, as macaques do naturally, these actions in the macaque society 'differ from human abuses'," it said.

"Punch spends most of the day peacefully," the zoo added.

The zoo also warned that "Punch has become accustomed to living in this troop, so separating him now would create the risk that he would never be able to return to the group and would have to continue living that way for the rest of his life".

Spurned by its mother, Punch was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July, and began training to rejoin his troop earlier this year.

Punch's predicament sparked huge interest online, spawning a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, as large crowds thronged the zoo, and sales of his IKEA orangutan toy boomed.

However, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Punch's plight has highlighted the cruelty of zoos and called for his relocation to a "reputable sanctuary, where he could live in a more natural environment".