WAO ART #144

Switzerland and Austria have joined Europe's Sky Shield air defence system, initiated by Germany after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This move is seen as historic for neutral Switzerland, although some fear it compromises their country's long-standing neutrality.

The US is reportedly planning to send cluster munitions to Ukraine to aid in its fight against Russia, despite the weapons being banned by over 100 countries. Cluster munitions contain multiple explosive bomblets and have a high failure rate, posing a threat to civilians.

Fourteen giraffes have been transported from Namibia to Angola's Iona National Park, where they had been absent for decades. The move, sponsored by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), is seen as a significant success for conservation efforts.

Thousands of Australians gathered at the Big Red Bash music festival to set a new world record for the largest Nutbush dance in tribute to Tina Turner. A total of 5,838 participants danced for five minutes to the song 'Nutbush City Limits', breaking the previous record.

China has extended its ban on some Japanese food imports due to Japan's plan to release water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. South Korea is also maintaining a similar ban, although the UN's nuclear watchdog has stated that the proposed release would have a negligible impact on the environment.

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon has decreased by 33.6% in the first six months of President Lula's term compared to the same period last year under President Bolsonaro, according to the Brazilian government. The rainforest is reported to have shrunk by 2,649 sq km from January to June 2023.

Arbitrum DAO has locked up $770 million worth of ARB tokens into a vesting contract. The funds will be released gradually over a four-year period to the Arbitrum Foundation, marking a step towards transparency and accountability for the DAO.