WAO ART #151

A US judge has ruled that XRP, the altcoin associated with Ripple, is not a security. The judge stated that Ripple's sales of XRP do not constitute an investment contract offering. However, the judge also ruled that institutional sales of XRP by Ripple are securities.

India has successfully launched its third Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, with the aim of being the first country to land near the Moon's south pole. The spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter, lander, and rover, lifted off from Sriharikota space centre and is expected to reach the Moon on 23-24 August.

The Acropolis in Athens, Greece has been closed during the hottest hours of the day due to an extreme heatwave. Temperatures in Athens have reached 40C (104F) or higher. The closure aims to protect visitors from the intense heat and reduce the risk of wildfires.

Michele Bullock has been appointed as the first woman to lead Australia's central bank, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Bullock, who is currently the RBA's deputy governor, will succeed Philip Lowe and start her seven-year term on September 18.

Hollywood actors are going on strike over concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their industry. The Screen Actors Guild failed to reach an agreement on increased safeguarding around AI rights, warning that AI poses a threat to creative professions.

A Kenyan minister has accused people of illegally invading forests and engaging in activities like charcoal burning since the lifting of a ban on logging. The Environment Minister clarified that the ban only applies to commercial forests and covers less than 8% of the country's tree cover.

The Office of Institutional Security of the Presidency of the Republic in Brazil has proposed a new fee called TCiber to fund an internet regulatory agency as part of the National Cybersecurity Policy. However, critics argue that this agency is just a form of censorship.