Prophet's Mosque Prepares for Hot Weather as Pilgrims Arrivehttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/5032474-prophets-mosque-prepares-hot-weather-pilgrims-arrive
Prophet's Mosque Prepares for Hot Weather as Pilgrims Arrive
A high-efficiency air conditioning system is at the forefront of these efforts - SPA
The Saudi General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques has prepared for the summer heat as Hajj pilgrims arrive. With rising temperatures, the authority implemented special services to ensure the comfort and well-being of worshippers.
A high-efficiency air conditioning system is at the forefront of these efforts. It adjusts cooling based on external temperatures to maintain a balanced coolness throughout the Prophet's Mosque. The central station boasts the world's largest water-cooling condenser, utilizing cutting-edge technology to distribute cool air efficiently, SPA reported.
Moving to the courtyards, visitors will find protection from the summer sun under 250 giant umbrellas, operating with an automatic system. Misting fans further cool the atmosphere while the central misting water network undergoes continuous sterilization to ensure hygiene and visitor safety.
The authority's commitment to pilgrim comfort extends to the materials used in the mosque's construction. Areas designated for prayer in the courtyards are covered with white Thassos marble, which reflects heat and light, offering a natural cooling effect. Tiny pores allow the marble to absorb moisture at night and release it during the day, maintaining coolness during peak temperatures.
These comprehensive measures by the authority showcase Saudi Arabia's dedication to providing a comfortable and safe environment for worshippers, especially during the hot summer months.
This photograph taken on July 30, 2026 shows Maharashtra's Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Tukaram Mundhe speaking with AFP at his office in Mumbai. (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP)
This photograph taken on July 30, 2026 shows Maharashtra's Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Tukaram Mundhe speaking with AFP at his office in Mumbai. (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP)
When food safety inspectors raided a Mumbai dessert parlor famed for its ice cream sandwiches last month, they found rats, houseflies and expired flavoring agents.
At another beloved restaurant known for slow-cooked mutton and beef stews, they discovered meat stored in filthy containers, greasy floors and open windows that could let in insects and crows.
Both eateries were ordered shut in the toughest crackdown in years on restaurants in the megacity of more than 20 million people.
Residents of India's financial capital are fiercely protective of their food culture, but many have welcomed the closure of some of the best-known establishments over a lack of hygiene.
Much of the campaign has been driven by Tukaram Mundhe, the new head of Maharashtra state's food safety regulator.
"If they are abiding by the law... they have nothing to fear. And those who do not, they have no place to hide," Mundhe told AFP.
In July alone, his office inspected nearly 900 businesses and temporarily suspended more than 100 licenses.
The sweep has targeted everything from top eateries and luxury hotels to canteens at elite institutions, including the nearly century-old Cricket Club of India.
Mundhe, who has 2.6 million Instagram followers, said he was surprised by how many owners lacked knowledge of even basic food safety rules.
"How to receive the raw material, how to store it, how to process it... whether there should be (special) flooring. Many of the things they are unaware (of)."
India has a robust food safety framework on paper, but enforcement remains weak.
Government data from 2022 to 2025 shows roughly one in six food samples tested by the federal regulator failed to meet key standards.
While Indians are used to street food carts that use grimy rags or rancid cooking oil, they have higher expectations for established restaurants.
Mundhe's no-holds-barred approach has won support from residents who believe some operators routinely bribe officials to overlook violations.
"Every department must have an officer like Mundhe," said Mumbai resident Pramod Shinde.
"Corruption and adulteration can be contained only through the strict actions of such officers."
But the campaign is also facing resistance from hotel lobby groups, who have criticized it as too heavy-handed.
"The sudden suspension or termination of licenses without prior notice or opportunity for corrective action is a matter of grave concern," three industry associations said in a statement, adding that they had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This photograph taken on August 1, 2026 shows a cyclist riding past the 110 year-old Parsi Dairy Farm which reopened after being closed down for food safety norms violation by Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Mumbai. (Photo by Indranil Mukherjee / AFP)
Courts have also begun weighing in.
In one case, local media reported that Mumbai's high court had overturned the suspension of a hotel's license, telling regulators to tone down their approach given "we're in India".
Anxiety has also spread among roadside vendors, many of whom fear they could be next.
"If the smaller street-food stalls are closed down, where will we go? We have a family and kids to support," said Ashok Verma, who runs a sandwich shop.
Mundhe, who took over in May, says much of the criticism he has faced is unfair since only a small share of inspections have led to license suspensions.
"(But) we don't compromise on unhealthy or unsafe food which is likely to go in the stomach of the person."
Experts say India's food safety problems are structural and cannot be fixed through inspections alone.
A shortage of personnel is among the biggest challenges. Maharashtra's regulator has fewer than 400 officers, despite rules requiring more than twice that number.
"They ideally need 2,000 for proper functioning," said food safety consultant Sanjay Indani.
Many residents worry Mundhe may not stay long enough to complete the overhaul, given India's reputation for frequently transferring bureaucrats who upset powerful interests.
Mundhe has reportedly been moved 20 times during a career spanning more than two decades.
He has received some backing from the rich and influential, including billionaire Harsh Goenka.
"Nothing restores public faith faster than seeing the powerful treated like everyone else. Nothing destroys it faster than transferring the officer who made that happen. Let's hope this time it's different," Goenka wrote on social media.
Mundhe himself is unfazed by the prospect of reassignment.
"I do not look at it as a hanging sword on me. I just look at my role where I am posted. I try to do it in the best possible manner," he said.
Corgis Race, Bark and Sniff Their Way to Glory at a Growing International Racehttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/5307621-corgis-race-bark-and-sniff-their-way-glory-growing-international-race
Corgis race during the Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 event in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP)
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Corgis Race, Bark and Sniff Their Way to Glory at a Growing International Race
Corgis race during the Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 event in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP)
It's not all about short-legged speed when 150 corgis gather for an international race celebrating the little dogs. There's a costume parade, the "smartest nose," and — of course — the loudest bark.
The fifth Corgi Race Vilnius drew dogs and their owners to the Lithuanian capital's Vingis park on Saturday for what organizers said was the biggest edition yet. There were competitors from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, the United States and Britain — the country most closely associated with the breed, famously a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“In the first year, we gathered 40 corgis from one city. This year, it’s 150 from nine countries, and for the first time we have a participant from the place where the breed originated,” organizer Edvinas Miskas said.
“We call Vilnius the European capital of corgis, and when people from the breed’s homeland start coming to us rather than the other way around, that title begins to sound a little more serious.”
Ninety-four dogs took part in the main running event, competing in qualifiers, semifinals and the final.
In the final, which pitted corgis against each other over 25 meters (82 feet), the winner was American competitor GG, short for Gustave the Girl Dog. Another US entrant, Mr. Corgington, finished a close second. Lithuania's own Moka, a two-time former champion, was third.
But much of the program dispensed with speed to explore the other skills of the dogs and their owners.
There was a costume parade featuring 38 corgis in diverse outfits including a dinosaur suit, a dress and doggy sports gear. Amigo swept both the four-judge jury and the public Facebook vote for a flawless costume entry with a knight-like look.
In the “smartest nose” challenge, dogs searched for hidden treats. Latvian corgis Tora and Rusty shared the win.
And then there was the loudest bark competition. The first British competitor, 12-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi Duke from Sedbergh in northwest England, didn't participate in the main race because of his stately age but was a hopeful in the barking stakes after, as his owner put it, training for his whole life.
It was Mr. Corgington who won the loudest bark contest, though.
He was one of the most traveled competitors. The final race offered him a rematch after he finished second against GG at a major race at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington — her second consecutive win there.
Half of the corgis registered in Vilnius this year were taking part for the first time. But six veterans — costume winner Amigo, Foksas, Foksis, Madeira, Bulka and Dziugas — have attended every edition.
Belgium’s Biggest Wildfire on Record Heads Towards Germanyhttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/5307601-belgium%E2%80%99s-biggest-wildfire-record-heads-towards-germany
This aerial photograph shows a wildfire burning in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve in Waimes on August 15, 2026. (AFP)
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Belgium’s Biggest Wildfire on Record Heads Towards Germany
This aerial photograph shows a wildfire burning in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve in Waimes on August 15, 2026. (AFP)
Firefighters worked through the night to battle Belgium's biggest wildfire on record, which by Sunday morning had burned 3,000 hectares of land and was heading towards the German border, local authorities said.
The blaze in the High Fens, a nature reserve in the east of the country, has been burning since Friday and firefighters from across Belgium and neighboring Germany and Luxembourg have sought to contain it, as have the army and farmers.
Responders on Sunday were focused on the front line of the fire moving towards Germany and were hopeful that cooler, more humid weather would support efforts to contain it, Stephanie Ernoux, spokesperson for the administration of the Belgian region of Wallonia, told Reuters.
The fire is more than double the size of a blaze in 2011 that burned close to 1,400 hectares, data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed.
The EU deployed three helicopters and two water bomber aircraft from around Europe on Saturday after Belgium requested emergency reinforcements.
Local authorities said the defensive line protecting evacuated villages from the fire was holding on Sunday, though residents who had been evacuated on Saturday were told they should not yet return to their homes.
"No homes have been affected at this stage, although the fire remains close and smoke levels are significant," the office of the governor of Liege said in an update.
The blaze ignited as European countries including Belgium suffered their fifth heatwave of the summer this week.
Scientists say that human-caused climate change has increased the likelihood of the hot and dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn longer.
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