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Varieties

VOX Cinemas Open in West Avenue Mall Dammam, Saudi Arabia

The opening ceremony of the first cinema in Saudi Arabia's eastern region (Photo Credit: Asharq Al-Awsat/Issa Al-Dabbisi)
The opening ceremony of the first cinema in Saudi Arabia's eastern region (Photo Credit: Asharq Al-Awsat/Issa Al-Dabbisi)
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VOX Cinemas Open in West Avenue Mall Dammam, Saudi Arabia

The opening ceremony of the first cinema in Saudi Arabia's eastern region (Photo Credit: Asharq Al-Awsat/Issa Al-Dabbisi)
The opening ceremony of the first cinema in Saudi Arabia's eastern region (Photo Credit: Asharq Al-Awsat/Issa Al-Dabbisi)

The Kingdom of Bahrain has long been a top destination for eastern Saudi cinema-goers. A brief car cruise across the King Fahd Causeway would bring them to 20 movie theaters screening the latest Arab and global blockbusters.

But that has changed after Vox Cinemas, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, launched services at West Avenue Mall Dammam, located in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

The launching comes in parallel with the Kingdom’s liberalization of its entrainment environment, guided by its national plan for transformation, Vision 2030.

Dubbed the Middle East's most innovative and customer-focused exhibitor, VOX Cinemas is expected to launch and run a number of commercial screens across the Kingdom soon.

Mohamed Al Hashemi, Country Manager at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures in Saudi Arabia, said: “We seek to be close to our customers, enhance their quality entertainment, and enable them to test the finest cinematic experience near their homes.”

“Knowing we are the pioneer cinema operators in the region (Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province), we feverously anticipate serving movie lovers at VOX Cinemas, West Avenue Mall Dammam,” he added.

Counting VOX Cinemas’ latest branch launch, the exhibitor now operates a whopping 53 screens across each of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

Omar Abudawood, Dammam’s VOX Cinemas Assistant Cinema Manager, revealed that the new branch encompasses six screens with a capacity to host 911 viewers.

Its MAX mega-screen experience can offer an audience of 227 people the magical experience of escaping into worlds larger than life.

MAX brings to the table new spacious seats with armrest, side table, and extra legroom, crisp, bright and 100% digital imagery with Laser projection, and Dolby Atmos - the best in cinema surround sound technology.

In its KIDS theatre, VOX offers little movie lovers an unmatched expansive experience where their imagination can run wild with the first-ever and only cinema concept designed especially for young viewers.

The KIDS theater offers brightly themed cinema interiors, 40 colorful comfy seats, and a selection of family friendly and animated movies.

Hashemi revealed that VOX Cinemas is planning to open four new cinemas in 2019, including in the Kingdom’s northwest Tabuk Province.

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Varieties

Heat Wave and High Humidity Will Blast Much of the US this Week

A woman cools off while walking through a water sprayer installed in central Bucharest, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Mihai Barbu / AFP)
A woman cools off while walking through a water sprayer installed in central Bucharest, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Mihai Barbu / AFP)
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Heat Wave and High Humidity Will Blast Much of the US this Week

A woman cools off while walking through a water sprayer installed in central Bucharest, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Mihai Barbu / AFP)
A woman cools off while walking through a water sprayer installed in central Bucharest, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Mihai Barbu / AFP)

A long and dangerous heat wave will blast a large swath of the United States this week, the National Weather Service said, with temperatures rising ahead of the July Fourth holiday and feeling even hotter because of the high humidity that's arriving with it.

Several days of high temperatures will settle in across the lower Great Lakes, the mid-Atlantic and the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, the weather service said.

A number of big cities could see their highest temperatures of the year so far as they host World Cup matches.

Feeling the heat will be the East Coast cities of New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore and Midwestern and Great Lakes cities including Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit.

Southern cities including Dallas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, will also see high temperatures.

High heat will last into next weekend across the Great Plains, southeast and mid-Atlantic, The Associated Press quoted the weather service as saying.

Temperatures will reach well into the 90s and low 100 degrees Fahrenheit (mid to high 30s Celsius), the weather service said. High humidity will lead to heat indices of 100 to 110 degrees F (40 C to 43 C), and as high as 115 F (46 C). Nightly lows in the 70s F (21 to 26 C) won't provide much relief, the weather service said.

The heat index, which factors in humidity and is included on many weather forecasts, provides a sense of how hot it really feels — and what’s dangerous for prolonged exposure or strenuous activity.

Parts of the US, especially Phoenix, Las Vegas, central Texas, and much of the southwest, were already experiencing temperatures around 100 F.

During extreme temperatures, limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated and ensure access to air-conditioning and other cooling areas, the weather service said.

Varieties

King Saud University Medical City Performs World’s First Cochlear Implant Procedure Using Autonomous Navigation

Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA
Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA
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King Saud University Medical City Performs World’s First Cochlear Implant Procedure Using Autonomous Navigation

Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA
Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA

A surgical team at King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center at King Saud University Medical City performed the world's first cochlear implant procedure using autonomous navigation technology, marking a significant advancement in hearing restoration surgery.

Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures, SPA reported.

It enables surgeons to achieve a precise and consistent electrode insertion pathway, helping improve hearing outcomes.

He noted that the procedure begins with the development of a detailed surgical plan based on medical imaging and the physiological responses expected during electrode insertion into the cochlea. The technology then guides the electrode along the predetermined path with a high degree of accuracy, enhancing surgical precision and consistency.

Alzahrani added that King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center is among the first centers worldwide to adopt this pioneering technology.

Varieties

Australia Toughens Kids' Social Media Ban

FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
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Australia Toughens Kids' Social Media Ban

FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

Australia said on Saturday it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms that fail to uphold a ground-breaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.

The government will also strengthen the information-gathering powers of its internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, allowing it to compel social media companies to provide evidence of what they have done to stop under-16s from getting an account.

Under the changes, the maximum penalty for systematic failures to uphold the ban jumps to A$99 million ($68 million) from A$49.5 million, Reuters reported.

The government reiterated that eSafety is actively investigating the possible non-compliance of five platforms: Meta's Instagram and Facebook, Google's YouTube, Snap's Snapchat and TikTok.

Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Australia's plans outside regular business hours.

Australia's six-month-old ban is being closely watched by many nations ⁠seeking to emulate ⁠it due to concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental and physical health. Britain this month said it planned restrictions that go further as gaming and live-streaming platforms will also be affected.

"I'm heartened by the shift in conversation and the global momentum we’ve seen since introducing the social media minimum age, but it’s clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

The statement said that since the ban has been put in place, more than 5 million under-16 accounts have been deactivated ⁠or restricted.

But numerous studies have also shown that age-assurance mechanisms, such as taking a selfie, which have been put in place by tech companies, are easily circumvented by children and that in many cases, the children have never been asked to prove their age.

Among Sydney's grownups, Penny Lilley said on Sunday she doubted stiffer penalties would prompt improvements from platforms "when they make so much money as well off of people being on their websites.”

Another Sydneysider, Zara Keats, told Reuters she felt platforms "haven't really done as much as they said they were going to" in upholding the ban.

"I have family who are still using it actively, and I have to sort of sit there and pretend like it's not illegal for them to do so," Keats said.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday that looked at 408 adolescents, 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect. ⁠Two-thirds of underage users stayed online ⁠by self-declaring an age over 16 or posting a selfie that the platform accepted as over 16, it said.

In April, an industry body representing tech suppliers blamed problems enforcing the ban on social media platforms' weak deployment of tools available to run age checks rather than the limits of the technology.

"Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by," Minister for Communications Anika Wells said in the statement.

In addition to empowering the regulator to demand information from the social media platforms, planned updates to the law will also allow it to gather information from third parties such as age-assurance or app store providers to assist in testing claims made by the platforms.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said the timing of introducing the amendments to the law to parliament had not yet been decided, but the government would have more to say on the matter soon.

Message board website Reddit is separately challenging the ban in Australia's highest court, seeking to overturn it on free speech grounds. The government has said it will defend against the lawsuit.