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Variety of Saudi Initiatives Aim to Break Coronavirus Isolation

Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)
Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)
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Variety of Saudi Initiatives Aim to Break Coronavirus Isolation

Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)
Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)

The majority of Saudi families are abiding by the lockdown, despite precautions being eased in light of new developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. With a near-total suspension of all activities, the lockdown has provided most people with ample free time, and this has pushed many to think of productive, useful and entertaining ways to keep themselves busy, such as learning, sports and other activities.

The increased free time due to the lockdown has led to a rise in on-demand broadcast programs and video game purchases. Also, universities, vocational schools and several Saudi educational and government bodies have set up remote workshops and tutorials to make use of the lockdown. Since the Saudis started the lockdown more than one month ago, several remote workshops were launched by universities and vocational schools and even some institutions and companies specialized in certain sectors. These were not limited to Saudis as a substantial portion of them was open to the public all over the world.

The workshops and tutorials were diverse in what they taught, including technical, administrative, journalistic, legal, economic and business workshops in addition to self-development and language courses, among others. The workshops tackled cybersecurity, cybercrimes, legal proceedings, preparing media campaigns, management and executive planning.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture launched several competitions under the lockdown, such as Literature of Isolation that was launched by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission to encourage creativity. The initiative aimed to allow writing enthusiasts to share creative works, such stories, novels, diaries and poems, that they had written on during the lockdown.

Last week, the Saudi Human Rights Commission launched, in collaboration with the United Nations Human Rights Commission, an online workshop to develop young leaders in the domain of human rights. The ten-day program was prepared by a team of young leaders who are qualified to introduce the culture of human rights and implement sophisticated volunteering initiatives to serve humanity in several countries, in addition to developing skills in modern communication.

These workshops went on to provide sessions in different domains and did not stop after precautionary measures to prevent gatherings were put in place. Instead, they converted them into online workshops with remote attendees delivered by different government bodies and research institutes.

The Saudi initiatives were not limited to educational programs and literature competitions, but also included sports activities. The Saudi Sports Union launched the Your Home is Your Gym initiative, described by Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, the President of the Union, as the Saudis’ weapon against the coronavirus, as it aims to build a healthier and more active society.

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Varieties

Heat Wave Smashes Records Across Central US

A man sits in the shade of a tree to protect from the sun during a heatwave at the Bois de Vincennes park in Paris on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Behrouz MEHRI / AFP)
A man sits in the shade of a tree to protect from the sun during a heatwave at the Bois de Vincennes park in Paris on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Behrouz MEHRI / AFP)
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Heat Wave Smashes Records Across Central US

A man sits in the shade of a tree to protect from the sun during a heatwave at the Bois de Vincennes park in Paris on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Behrouz MEHRI / AFP)
A man sits in the shade of a tree to protect from the sun during a heatwave at the Bois de Vincennes park in Paris on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Behrouz MEHRI / AFP)

A record-breaking heat wave baked the central United States on Sunday, smashing temperature records from the northern plains to the Rocky Mountains region.

In Salt Lake City, the state capital of Utah, and Billings, the largest city in Montana, temperatures reached a peak of 109F (43C), according to preliminary data from the US National Weather Service.

Both temperatures are all-time highs for each city since records started being kept over 150 years ago, surpassing the previous records of 107F and 108F (42C), respectively.

The blistering heat has also hindered efforts to fight massive wildfires raging in Colorado and Utah, and the high temperatures are expected to persist through Tuesday, AFP reported.

Just over a week ago, the eastern United States was gripped by another heat wave that pushed temperatures to around 104F in New York and Philadelphia.

Around the world, heat waves are becoming more common and intense due to climate change, primarily caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas and emission of greenhouse gases.

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record. The heat wave left more than 1,300 people dead across the region, according to the World Health Organization.

Varieties

Huge Fire Rages in Fontainebleau Forest Near Paris

Flames rise in the Fontainebleau Forest after a forestfire broke out late afternoon on July 12, 2026. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)
Flames rise in the Fontainebleau Forest after a forestfire broke out late afternoon on July 12, 2026. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)
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Huge Fire Rages in Fontainebleau Forest Near Paris

Flames rise in the Fontainebleau Forest after a forestfire broke out late afternoon on July 12, 2026. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)
Flames rise in the Fontainebleau Forest after a forestfire broke out late afternoon on July 12, 2026. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)

French officials rushed two firefighting planes to the Paris region Sunday, after a fire erupted south of the French capital, disrupting traffic during a busy summer travel weekend and piling more misery on a region sweltering through its latest heatwave.

The fire, which officials described as "very virulent" and of "exceptional scale", began late afternoon in the sprawling Fontainebleau forest about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south-east of the capital, a onetime royal hunting preserve that today is dotted with quiet villages.

It had raced across 800 hectares and was still spreading, officials said early Monday, causing the partial closure of the A6 highway, the country's main north-south artery.

And with nightfall, firefighting aircraft had been forced to suspend their operations.

Around 15 homes had been evacuated in the nearby village of Vaudoue and firefighters were defending several other towns in the area, said the local Seine-et-Marne fire service.

Residents anxiously gathered in the village, watching emergency vehicles race past and making calls to try to find out if their homes were still at risk.

Evacuated residents Valerie and her husband Daniel described the moment authorities and firefighters told them to leave their home.

"We could see the ash falling," Valerie told AFP, sitting outside near the war memorial in Vaudoue, unsure where they would sleep.

"We put the cats and dogs in the car... we could see the fire on both sides," she said.

Without the firefighting planes, other villages would already have been evacuated, said Olivier Compta, who is overseeing the firefighting operation.

Around 400 firefighters worked to contain the flames, which erupted just ahead of the July 14 national holiday and on the first major weekend for departures for the summer holiday season.

Traffic was disrupted along highways in the area, as well as along the high-speed rail line leading to the south-east of the country.

Eric Brocardi, of France's national federation of firemen, said it was the first time fire bomber planes had been sent up from the normally drier and hotter south of the country to extinguish fires in the Paris region.

Two firefighting helicopters and an observation aircraft were also helping to fight the blaze, he added.

"The aim is to save lives and property," he said later, as the fire advanced.

Earlier, firefighters dealt with a fire that had blocked a highway running east from Paris and disrupted a high-speed train line to the south of France.

French rail company SNCF said on Sunday evening there were delays of up to six hours for trains arriving at or leaving from Paris's Gare de Lyon.

At the station, 34-year-old physiotherapist Kelly took the delay in stride.

"It's global warming," she said. "It's the disruption of the seasons...there are political decisions to be taken."

The Paris region -- and large parts of the rest of France -- is currently experiencing the third heatwave since May, increasing the risk of fires.

The three heatwaves have seen temperature records broken in several countries across Europe and have caused thousands of excess deaths, according to estimates in Belgium, Britain, France and Spain.

The June heatwaves would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, the World Weather Attribution group of scientists said.

Several other European countries have faced record-breaking average temperatures.

In France, the heatwave has also led officials to shut down three of the country's nuclear power stations.

And organizers of the Tour de France cycling race shortened Sunday's stage by 30 kilometers (19 miles) as temperatures on the route approached 40C.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, whose office announced he would visit Fontainebleau on Monday, said that forest fires had already consumed 17,000 hectares this year.

Once the figures had all been tallied, that would come to 25,000 hectares -- "twice as much as the same period" in 2025, he added.

Varieties

South Korea Issues 1st Emergency Heatwave Warning Under New Rating System

A woman uses a fan to shelter from the sun on a street in Seoul on July 12, 2026. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)
A woman uses a fan to shelter from the sun on a street in Seoul on July 12, 2026. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)
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South Korea Issues 1st Emergency Heatwave Warning Under New Rating System

A woman uses a fan to shelter from the sun on a street in Seoul on July 12, 2026. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)
A woman uses a fan to shelter from the sun on a street in Seoul on July 12, 2026. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)

South Korea issued its first-ever emergency heatwave alert on Sunday under a new warning system launched this year, advising people to halt outdoor activities and keep cool.

The new warning system was introduced to better deal with a rising number of heatwaves in South Korea, which have become longer and more intense, officials said.

An emergency alert is issued when areas experiencing a heatwave are forecast to hit perceived temperatures of 38C or an actual temperature of 39C for one day.

"The Korea Meteorological Administration issued an Emergency Heatwave Warning at 10 am today (GMT 0100) for two cities in southern North Gyeongsang Province -- Gyeongsan and Pohang," said agency chief Lee Mi-seon at a press briefing.

"This marks the first time it has been issued since the system took effect," she added, according to AFP.

The affected areas saw temperatures reach the emergency criteria over the weekend.

"An emergency heatwave warning does not simply mean the weather is extremely hot," Lee said.

"It indicates conditions in which even healthy people face a significantly elevated risk of serious harm, including heat-related illness and death."

People engaged in outdoor activities should stop immediately and move to a cool place, and no one, including children or pets, should be left inside a vehicle, she added.

A child plays in a fountain tunnel to cool off at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on July 12, 2026. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)

Much of the country -- including parts of Seoul -- remained under heatwave warnings, which are issued when the perceived temperature is expected to stay at 35C or higher for two consecutive days.

Such warnings take both temperature and humidity into account, according to the KMA.

Children tried to cool off from the heat on Sunday by running through the water jets at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, an AFP reporter saw.

People also sought refuge in air-conditioned shopping malls.

KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days in the country has more than doubled to 19 over the past five years, from eight in the 1970s.

The average annual number of tropical nights has also jumped from four to 14 over the same period.

A heatwave day is defined as one with a maximum temperature of at least 33C, while a tropical night is one when the overnight low remains 25C or above.

The new system comes as Europe endures a scorching summer, after a June heatwave shattered temperature records across the continent.

Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change.