Saudi Informatics Team Heads to Hungary for Participation in International Informatics Olympiad

Saudi Informatics Team Heads to Hungary for Participation in International Informatics Olympiad
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Saudi Informatics Team Heads to Hungary for Participation in International Informatics Olympiad

Saudi Informatics Team Heads to Hungary for Participation in International Informatics Olympiad

The Saudi informatics team headed to the Republic of Hungary to participate for the fourth time in the events of the 35th edition of the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), which will be held from August 28th to September 4th.
Consisting of four students, the Saudi team was selected through a series of competitive programming contests following the format of the international informatics competition.
This process was used to identify outstanding students, in addition to considering students' results in regional competitions.
The Kingdom's team participating in the IOI underwent rigorous training under the guidance of experts in the field of information technology for a period of 5 years. This training commenced when the team members joined King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity "Mawhiba" program for international Olympiads, specializing in informatics since the year 2018-2019, SPA reported.
The Kingdom's participation in the IOI and other international competitions is a result of a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Education and Mawhiba, spanning over two decades.
This collaboration aims to discover, nurture, and empower gifted individuals, serving as a pioneering model of cooperation between governmental and non-profit institutions.



Record Cold Grips Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP
The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP
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Record Cold Grips Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP
The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP

A polar air mass has brought record low temperatures to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, causing at least 15 deaths and forcing governments to restrict gas supplies and activate emergency shelters.

The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region, said AFP.

In Argentina, at least nine homeless people have died from the cold this winter, according to NGO Proyecto 7.

The capital Buenos Aires recorded its lowest temperature since 1991 at -1.9 degrees Celcius (28.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, while the coastal city of Miramar saw snow for the first time in 34 years. Further south, the town of Maquinchao recorded -18C on Tuesday.

Electricity demand caused cuts across Buenos Aires, leaving thousands without power for over 24 hours in some areas.

The government suspended gas supplies to industries and petrol stations Wednesday to ensure household supplies, and removed price controls on gas cylinders Thursday.

Desert snow

Uruguay declared a nationwide "red alert" after six people died, allowing President Yamandu Orsi's government to forcibly move homeless people to shelters.

Montevideo recorded its lowest maximum temperature since 1967 at 5.8C on June 30, according to meteorologist Mario Bidegain.

Chile also activated homeless shelter plans during the coldest days. The city of Chillan, 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Santiago, hit -9.3C, according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate.

"What happened this week in Chile and the Southern Cone in general is a cold wave caused by an escape of a polar air mass from Antarctica," climatologist Raul Cordero from the University of Santiago told AFP.

Snow even fell in parts of the Atacama Desert, the world's driest, for the first time in a decade.

"It is not so common for these cold air masses to extend so far north, so we cannot rule out that this is also caused by climate change," meteorologist Arnaldo Zuniga told AFP.

The region expects relief in the coming days, with Buenos Aires reaching 12C on Thursday, Montevideo 14C and Santiago 24.7C.

"I was quite surprised by the change from cold to hot -- the change was very drastic," student Dafne Naranjo, 18, said in Santiago.

Climatologist Cordero said heatwaves have become more frequent than cold spells in recent years.

"The frequency of heatwaves has tripled, whether in summer or winter, not only in the Southern Cone but throughout the world," he said.