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Saudi Electronic University, RCU Sign Agreement to Open University Branch

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) logo
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) logo
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Saudi Electronic University, RCU Sign Agreement to Open University Branch

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) logo
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) logo

The Saudi Electronic University and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) signed a cooperation agreement to open a university branch in AlUla Governorate.
This initiative is part of the Human Capability Development Program, aiming to achieve educational excellence, enhance economic and social development, and align with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The agreement includes the RCU offering scholarships to students from AlUla, which will be announced after university admissions.
The initiative reflects the RCU's commitment to developing capabilities in AlUla, establishing an integrated educational system for all, and providing support to enable students to achieve their academic aspirations and acquire the necessary skills for excellence in the job market and future entrepreneurship.
The first phase of bachelor's degree specializations will include Business Administration (Accounting), Business Administration (Finance), Business Administration (Management), and Information Technology (IT).
The agreement also ensures that the university will offer these academic programs to prepare and equip students from AlUla with necessary professional skills, aligning with the region's economic strategy and addressing the skills gap in preparing graduates for the competitive job market.
Additionally, it aims to contribute to supporting the local and national economy.

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Indonesia Deploys Hundreds of Soldiers to Tackle Borneo Fires

In this aerial photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, smoke billows as a wildfire rages through a peatland forest in Bulungan, North Kalimantan, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)
In this aerial photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, smoke billows as a wildfire rages through a peatland forest in Bulungan, North Kalimantan, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)
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Indonesia Deploys Hundreds of Soldiers to Tackle Borneo Fires

In this aerial photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, smoke billows as a wildfire rages through a peatland forest in Bulungan, North Kalimantan, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)
In this aerial photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, smoke billows as a wildfire rages through a peatland forest in Bulungan, North Kalimantan, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

Indonesia is deploying an additional 1,500 soldiers to Borneo, an official said Saturday, to help tackle wildfires that have burned through swathes of the island and created thick smog choking some areas.

Fires between January and July burned over 200,000 hectares of land -- an area three times the size of the capital Jakarta, the government said this week, as dry conditions driven by a powerful El Nino weather pattern take hold.

President Prabowo Subianto, on a visit to Borneo on Saturday to lead wildfire response meetings, ordered increased troop deployment, said Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.

"An additional three Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions, or around 1,5000 personnel, will be brought in from outside Kalimantan starting today," Teddy said in a statement.

Kalimantan is Indonesia's part of Borneo, which the country shares with Brunei and Malaysia.

Six helicopters were also set to arrive on Saturday to boost waterbombing operations, Teddy said.

The government is monitoring the situation closely, mobilizing resources to help contain the spread of the blaze, Prabowo told reporters in the Central Kalimantan provincial capital of Palangkaraya.

"We're taking mitigation measures. The important thing is to immediately stop the spread of fire spots," said the president.

Smog from the fires has prompted local governments in Borneo, home to pristine rainforest and vast plantations, to advise residents to wear masks and reduce outdoor activities.

The fires have sent smoke into Malaysian Borneo, with six areas of Sarawak state recording "unhealthy" air quality.

The area burned is already larger than during previous El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023, but not as large as in 2015, during a particularly strong El Nino.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns. It typically brings drought in Indonesia.

Human-caused climate change can amplify its impacts because a warmer ocean and atmosphere make more energy and moisture available to feed extreme weather events.

Varieties

Heavy Rain Lashes Northeast Spain, Injuring 11

Three people were injured when a wall collapsed at the port of Roda de Bera. (AFP file)
Three people were injured when a wall collapsed at the port of Roda de Bera. (AFP file)
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Heavy Rain Lashes Northeast Spain, Injuring 11

Three people were injured when a wall collapsed at the port of Roda de Bera. (AFP file)
Three people were injured when a wall collapsed at the port of Roda de Bera. (AFP file)

Heavy rain battered northeast Spain, flooding streets, trapping people in cars, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and injuring 11 people, officials said Saturday. 

Three people were injured, one critically, when a wall collapsed near the seafront at the port of Roda de Bera, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Barcelona, emergency services said. Firefighters had to free two people trapped under the rubble. 

Seven people were taken to hospital following other incidents, including two who were injured when another wall collapsed during the overnight storm at a campsite in Roda de Bera. 

Firefighters evacuated around 300 people staying at the campsite, with about 100 taking shelter at a municipal sports centre, officials said. 

Around 100 people were evacuated from a nightclub in El Vendrell, a town of about 40,000 people, and taken to a school. 

The seafront in El Vendrell was submerged under more than half a meter (20 inches) of water, while several streets in nearby Coma-ruga and Torredembarra were also flooded, Catalan public television reported. 

El Vendrell was among the areas worst affected, recording 145.4 liters of rain per square meter (26.7 imperial gallons per square yard) in 24 hours, according to the Catalan Meteorological Service. 

Emergency services received more than 800 calls, with firefighters rescuing people from vehicles trapped in floodwater and dealing with flooded premises, the service said in a statement. 

The storm came a week after a flood and landslide triggered by torrential rain killed two women in northwest Spain. 

Varieties

'Aura' Battles Leap from Social Media to Latin America Streets

A young Mexican gestures towards his opponent in an "aura battle" replete with social media memes in Mexico City on August 20, 2026. Yuri CORTEZ / AFP
A young Mexican gestures towards his opponent in an "aura battle" replete with social media memes in Mexico City on August 20, 2026. Yuri CORTEZ / AFP
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'Aura' Battles Leap from Social Media to Latin America Streets

A young Mexican gestures towards his opponent in an "aura battle" replete with social media memes in Mexico City on August 20, 2026. Yuri CORTEZ / AFP
A young Mexican gestures towards his opponent in an "aura battle" replete with social media memes in Mexico City on August 20, 2026. Yuri CORTEZ / AFP

In the middle of a cheering crowd in Mexico City, two teenagers are limbering up for battle.

Staring at each other intently, they look as if they could come to blows.

Instead, they take turns to silently perform a series of moves and poses that look, to the untrained eye, as if they are playing charades or, as they writhe on the ground, breakdancing.

Welcome to an "aura farming" battle, a phenomenon born on social media that has spilled over onto the streets of Latin America, AFP said.

Carlos Irving Quintana, a slim 14-year-old with purple hair, wins cheers of approval with his enactment of the iconic "Siuuu" leap of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo when he scores a goal.

He continues by "mewing," a TikTok trend where people suck in their cheeks and point a finger at their jawline to emphasize their chiseled features.

His opponent responds by juggling his outstretched palms in a "6-7," a viral youth meme that has no fixed meaning but has become so ubiquitous that even Pope Leo has taken to performing it.

- Confidence test -

On TikTok and Instagram, a person's "aura" alludes to their style or attitude, with "100% aura" high praise for the most effortlessly cool persona.

"Farming" refers to repetitive tactics used to gain points in video games.

These rare real-life gatherings of young people in the social media era are also gaining popularity in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.

Most of the participants were between 14 and 20 years old.

They are judged on their ability to reference as many viral memes and videos as possible.

Young people gather around, recording the action on their cellphones as tinny, video game-like music emanates from a speaker.

The winner of the recent Mexico City edition was a fresh-faced Kaled Rosales Salazar, who mimicked lassoing and leading his opponent, Quintana, like a horse, with a giant white sandal as a prop.

A jury member said he recognized the youngster's potential from the moment he clapped eyes on his red Cars-themed Lightning McQueen shorts and clogs.

"Whoever looks the best, shows it off, gets the most laughs and has the most confidence wins," said 22-year-old Aldhir Gonzalez, organizer of the bout, which took place in front of the Palace of Fine Arts.

In Argentina, the contests have fueled numerous memes that have even been seized on by top-flight football clubs.

Boca Juniors posted a photo on X of its midfielder Santiago Ascacibar celebrating a goal and joking that his aura was unbeatable.

- 'Getting out of the house' -

"Aura is a lifestyle" that "almost no one understands," said the organizer of an upcoming battle in Buenos Aires.

Older audiences, however, are mystified by what some see as a dumbing down of popular culture.

"If it were up to me, there would be mandatory military service," said a mayor in Honduras who banned the battles.

Venezuelan psychologist Maria Eugenia Tovar defended the battles, arguing they "can lead to in-person encounters" for teens.

Rosales came away with 3,000 pesos (about $177) in prize money. In Argentina, the reward is the mantle of having "infinite aura."

"I plan to go to more battles," he told AFP. "More than for a prize, I do it to have fun and get out of the house."