عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

SEVEN Announces Opening of First Entertainment Destination in Abha

SEVEN Announces Opening of First Entertainment Destination in Abha
TT
TT

SEVEN Announces Opening of First Entertainment Destination in Abha

SEVEN Announces Opening of First Entertainment Destination in Abha

Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), a wholly owned subsidiary of Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), has announced the opening of SEVEN Abha, its first entertainment destination in Aseer Region, through an official opening ceremony to be inaugurated by Governor of Aseer Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz on August 5.

According to a press release from the company, the opening forms part of SEVEN's strategy to develop 14 entertainment destinations across the Kingdom, supporting the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) strategy to develop the entertainment and sports sector in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

Marking the occasion, Chairman of SEVEN Abdullah Al Dawood said: "The opening of SEVEN Abha marks a defining milestone in the company's journey. We are proud for this journey to begin in Aseer Region, delivering distinctive experiences that enrich quality of life and contribute to achieving the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030."

The release highlighted that SEVEN Abha is creating an experience that goes beyond the traditional concept of entertainment destinations, and is the first SEVEN project to be completed, reflecting the company's commitment to efficiency in delivery and quality.

The visitor experience begins before arrival. Located within the Abha International Airport cluster and its surrounding developments, the destination enables visitors to discover the region from the moment they arrive, bringing to life the idea captured in the phrase: "You arrive in Aseer before you land."

SEVEN Abha also forms part of the Living Heritage of Aseer, connecting Abha International Airport with the region's cultural, tourism, and entertainment destinations through one connected experience, allowing visitors to move seamlessly between them as though living the story of Aseer from the moment they arrive until the end of their journey.

Moreover, the release stated that the opening will be preceded by a week of activations across the city of Abha before SEVEN Abha officially opens its doors to visitors, who will then enjoy five days of celebrations inspired by the identity of Aseer. The first day, Aseer Roots, celebrates the region's heritage and traditional crafts.

The second, Makers of the Peaks, shines a spotlight on local talent and young entrepreneurs. The third, Family Peaks, is dedicated to family experiences and workshops. The fourth, Taste of Aseer, celebrates the flavors of the region, while the fifth, Aseer Nights, concludes the celebrations with evening performances and community gatherings.

The company highlighted that visitors can look forward to a diverse range of entertainment experiences, including Formula E Karting, alongside SEVEN-developed experiences, including Kawaken, GolFi, Cyber Bowling, and Scene Cinema.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

New Cat Species Identified in Bolivia, 1st in Over a Century

A Leopardus tilcayo cat, a newly identified species through research led by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, walks at the Senda Verde animal refuge in the Yungas region, Bolivia, September 1, 2026. Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Handout via REUTERS
A Leopardus tilcayo cat, a newly identified species through research led by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, walks at the Senda Verde animal refuge in the Yungas region, Bolivia, September 1, 2026. Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Handout via REUTERS
TT
TT

New Cat Species Identified in Bolivia, 1st in Over a Century

A Leopardus tilcayo cat, a newly identified species through research led by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, walks at the Senda Verde animal refuge in the Yungas region, Bolivia, September 1, 2026. Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Handout via REUTERS
A Leopardus tilcayo cat, a newly identified species through research led by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, walks at the Senda Verde animal refuge in the Yungas region, Bolivia, September 1, 2026. Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Handout via REUTERS

A diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia's cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living cat species has been formally named and described in more than a century.

The cat, called Tilcayo by local communities, is part of a group called tiger cats found across much of South America.

It was found in Bolivia's lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region where forests are often covered by clouds and surrounded by high humidity, according to researchers. It measures about 18 inches (46 cm) long and weighs around 3 pounds (1.4 kg), making it smaller than the average domestic cat, Reuters reported.

Researchers used genetic data to confirm that the cat is a new species, and gave it the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo, retaining its local name.

"Its fur is light brown ... with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body," said Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer and one of the authors of the study describing the newly identified species published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

Little is yet known about ⁠the cat's biology ⁠and lifestyle. Remains of small rodents in scat samples suggest they may form part of its diet, while camera-trap evidence indicates it could be more active at night, Nogales-Ascarrunz said.

Tiger cats are so-called cryptic species, meaning they cannot easily be distinguished merely by appearance, said evolutionary biologist and study co-lead author Jonas Lescroart of the University of Antwerp in Belgium.

Tiger cats previously had been considered a single species, but genetic studies decades ago suggested the existence of multiple species.

Referring to the new species, Lescroart said, "Our information at this moment is limited to the two live individuals that we examined, and a small number of camera-trap records."

One of the live cats is ⁠a 10-year-old male that now lives in Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary after being kept by a local family in their home.

Observing the Bolivian cat drew interest because "its characteristics did not match the descriptions, most of them based on Brazilian cats," Nogales-Ascarrunz said. "This made us wonder: what tiger cat do we actually have in Bolivia?"

The team analyzed DNA from 38 cats sampled across several South American countries, including eight museum specimens. The study found that tiger cats are in fact five genetically distinct species.

"We never expected this Bolivian tiger cat to be a separate species, and no one had ever proposed it as a different animal, subspecies or otherwise," Lescroart said.

Genetic analysis suggested that the Tilcayo lineage separated from other tiger cats about 1.4 million years ago.

"The more differences in their DNA, the longer the time that we estimate those lineages to have been physically separated," Lescroart said, adding that such a gap is generally considered a species-level divide in cats.

The research team also described ⁠a new tiger cat subspecies in ⁠Peru's Yungas, naming it Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo after Antisuyu, the region of the old Inca Empire that included the area it inhabits.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, Red List tracking the status of species currently treats tiger cats as two "vulnerable" species with declining populations.

The researchers have shared their findings with the IUCN, whose upcoming review will assess the five lineages separately. That could give a more accurate picture of risk, Lescroart said, and species such as the Tilcayo could potentially be considered endangered when assessed on their own.

The need for a clearer assessment is particularly acute in the Yungas, one of the region's most threatened ecosystems.

The mountain forests face growing pressure from deforestation, agricultural expansion, human-caused fires and mining, Nogales-Ascarrunz said.

Restoring forest patches damaged by fires, protecting remaining native forest and maintaining connections between habitats are urgent priorities, Nogales-Ascarrunz added.

"Showing the general public that even in a flagship group such as cats ... there are still new species to be discovered may transmit an important message," said Eduardo Eizirik, an evolutionary biologist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and senior author of the study. "There are many undiscovered species out there in the world, and they are at risk of disappearing before we even discover them."

Varieties

Study: The T. Rex Had a Body Temperature Similar to Our Own

This 2026 photo provided by UCLA shows a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth that was used to measure the dinosaur’s body temperature. (UCLA via AP)
This 2026 photo provided by UCLA shows a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth that was used to measure the dinosaur’s body temperature. (UCLA via AP)
TT
TT

Study: The T. Rex Had a Body Temperature Similar to Our Own

This 2026 photo provided by UCLA shows a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth that was used to measure the dinosaur’s body temperature. (UCLA via AP)
This 2026 photo provided by UCLA shows a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth that was used to measure the dinosaur’s body temperature. (UCLA via AP)

Using fossilized teeth, scientists have finally taken the T. rex's temperature — and it wasn't too different from our own.

Researchers once thought that dinosaurs were sluggish, cold-blooded creatures. Later findings challenged that, suggesting that older dinosaurs were warm-blooded and could control their body temperature.

Most scientists agree that Tyrannosaurus rex was warm-blooded, but pinning down the exact core temperature of an extinct creature is difficult.

“We can't just use a thermometer to do that,” said Jasmina Wiemann, a paleobiologist at Johns Hopkins University who had no role in the latest work.

Scientists tried other methods like studying how T. rex grew or searching for clues in its bones, but a firm number eluded them, according to The Associated Press.

In a new study, researchers hunted for chemical clues in the fearsome predator's teeth. It turns out that atoms within the enamel clump together in different patterns based on an animal's body temperature.

“We figured out how warm the most famous animal of all, a T. rex, was,” said co-author Aradhna Tripati, a geochemist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Readings from three teeth revealed an average body temperature of about 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius). That's similar to modern elephants and not too far from the average body temperature of humans, which ranges from 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit (36 to 37 degrees Celsius).

The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

“I almost would have expected a higher body temperature,” Wiemann said.

Based on her prior work, she thought the predator could have run a few degrees hotter — similar to modern birds, dinosaurs' warm-blooded descendants.

Knowing how hot or cold the T. rex was can help scientists piece together how the dinosaur might have lived.

At 97 degrees (36 degrees Celsius), T. rex could have lived across most of prehistoric North America, Tripati said, maintaining a stable internal thermometer across both cooler and hotter regions. The findings could also shed light on the kinds of prey the dinosaur had to hunt in order to keep its energy up.

Scientists say it'll be important to test these methods on other dinosaurs to see how warm or cold they ran. It's possible T. rex's temperature could have been one of the keys to its dominance as one of the dinosaur age's top predators.

“There's lots of interesting, charismatic species that could be explored using this,” said study co-author Robert Eagle, a geobiologist at UCLA.

Varieties

EU Commission Proposes Under-13s Social Media Ban

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference on the EU regulation on the protection of children online, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 17 September 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference on the EU regulation on the protection of children online, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 17 September 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
TT
TT

EU Commission Proposes Under-13s Social Media Ban

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference on the EU regulation on the protection of children online, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 17 September 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference on the EU regulation on the protection of children online, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 17 September 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday set out a sweeping plan to keep children safe from online dangers, proposing to ban under 13s from social media and require online services to design safe children's accounts.

The move follows similar initiatives in Australia, Britain, China, India, Turkey and several EU countries underscoring rising concerns about the impact Meta's Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, Google's YouTube and ChatGPT have on children's mental health ⁠and safety.

Australia's challenges ⁠in enforcing its world-first social media ban for children under 16 however could see Europe facing an uphill battle as well.

"Today, our children are engaging with some of the most sophisticated technology ever created, and it was not created with children's well-being ⁠and development in mind," von der Leyen told a press conference, according to Reuters.

She said the proposed EU Kids Act "will set clear boundaries in the digital world just as we do it on a daily basis in the real world".

Under the proposal, which will need to be negotiated with EU countries and the European Parliament in the coming months before it can become law, accounts for children between 13 and 15 will ⁠be ⁠under parental control.

Social media and video-sharing services, online video games, AI companions and chatbots for children below 18 will be subject to a list of dos and don'ts.

These include a ban on addictive features, profiling-based recommender feeds, infinite scroll, reward tricks and unsolicited contact from strangers. AI companions and chatbots must be turned off by default.

Online platforms must design algorithms safe for children and provide easy-to-use parental controls and tools to block and mute users.