Firstly, Prince Charles III has officially become King Charles III, after his coronation ceremony on Saturday. The coronation included performances from Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, and many people enjoyed the spectacular event, in person and on TV. However, King Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at 96 years old, and many people are wondering how long King Charles will last, since he is already 74 (just one year older than Lionel Richie).
On another note, quite a few places around the world are going through some big weather events.
In the Canadian province of Alberta, dry weather conditions have sparked hundreds of wildfires across the area, causing the governor to issue a state of emergency.
In Vietnam, a heat wave has been battering the southeast Asian country, with one thermometer setting an all-time record of 44.1ºC (111.4ºF).
On the other hand, the Congo Basin in Africa is being hit by a massive downpour of rain, bringing huge mudslides and deadly floods with it. Over 200 people are dead, and hundreds more are missing as communities race to rescue their friends and loved ones from the mud.
POLL: Would you rather be experiencing the blazing hot, dry weather of Alberta and Vietnam, or the torrential rain and mudslides in the Congo Basin? Give us your answer below in the comments!
On a separate note, the shooting suspect at the Allen Premium Outlets in the US state of Texas has been identified as Mauricio Garcia. He was a security guard at the mall about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas, and he immediately started firing when he entered the premises with an AR-15, killing eight people and injuring seven more before he was killed by police. This also comes after a man identified as Francisco Oropesa killed five of his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas, a week ago, and then tried to escape to Mexico (though he was caught by the police after a four-day manhunt). Because of these mass shootings, more and more pressure is building on Texas Governor Greg Abbott by the residents of Texas, but he refuses to increase gun restrictions. Instead, he claims that mental health is the problem, and that we need to address that, not gun control.
Lastly, that was not the only incident in Texas to happen recently. Seven people are dead and eleven others are injured after a car ran into a throng of people at a bus stop in Brownsville. The driver, who has now been arrested, plowed into the crowd, and he still refuses to speak as he sits in the hospital with guards on watch around the clock. The incident happened "outside a migrant shelter where people from around the world are seeking asylum and safety," said the American Civil Liberties Union on Sunday.
I'd take the hot, dry weather over the flooding!
Great article, Armaan!
Given that I grew up in a country that was quite hot temperatures could touch 50 degrees C, I would pick the heat wave scenario if I had to pick one.