WAO ART #2

Australia is facing a heatwave this weekend with some areas possibly reaching 50C. Every state and territory will be affected, with major cities such as Melbourne, Penrith, Hobart, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, and Sydney all facing high temperatures.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last week caused catastrophic destruction in the small town of Jindayris. Drone footage shows hundreds of people searching through the rubble with just their hands, but international communities have failed to provide heavy machinery.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) believes that the crypto industry will likely move away from U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins due to recent actions taken by regulators. He suggests that the industry may start to use coins pegged to the euro, yen, Singapore dollar instead, or algorithmic stablecoins.

Machu Picchu has reopened after being closed for more than three weeks due to protests blocking access routes. Tourism is a key part of Peru's economy and the losses caused by the ongoing political crisis are estimated to be over $6 million. Train services to Machu Picchu resumed last week.

President Joe Biden plans to go on the offensive against Republicans, saying their policies would add $3 trillion to the national debt. The White House is charging the GOP with hypocrisy for favoring tax policies that could push the accumulated $31.4 trillion national debt higher.

Torrential rains have caused havoc in Kwameseikrom, a farming community in the Bono region of Ghana. More than 16 houses, including school and church buildings, have been badly damaged by the rains. Thankfully, no casualties have been reported.

Romania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss threats to international peace and security, such as sea-level rise. They also discussed the situation on the border with Ukraine.