WAO ART #108

Deutsche Telekom, one of Europe's largest telecommunications companies, is set to become a validator for the Ethereum scaling protocol, Polygon. With about 100 validators providing staking and validation services for the net, Deutsche Telekom will leverage its infrastructure in Web3 to help secure Polygon.

Liverpool will host Kyiv's annual pride march on behalf of Ukraine, after the country banned the event following the Russian invasion. The move will ensure the legacy of Eurovision continues. Last year, 15,000 people took part in Liverpool's annual celebration, which features music, dancing and costume.

The US and Taiwan are set to sign a new trade deal under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, despite objections from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. The agreement aims to strengthen economic ties and open Taiwan to more US exports.

Nova Scotia is battling its largest wildfire on record, with flames reaching nearly 100m in height and burning over 17,000 hectares. Another fire near Halifax has forced the evacuation of thousands, with air quality warnings issued in the US. Around 50 homes have been destroyed.

Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji is promoting science-based learning in Nigeria, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality, through his family foundation. He hopes to inspire young people in the West African country to achieve their career goals.

Pacific Island nations have criticised Australia's subsidies for fossil fuels, calling for a transition to renewable energy. Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu welcomed Australia's pledge to move towards renewable energy but said it must stop funding climate-damaging projects.

Argentina has allowed emergency contraception, commonly known as the morning-after pill, to be bought over the counter without a prescription. The move has been welcomed by feminists as a sign of progress in the Catholic-majority country, but critics have said it displays a "failure of pregnancy prevention".