WAO ART #221

Polkadot developers are planning to expand the number of ecosystem parachains to 1,000. One such update, called "asynchronous backing," will halve the parachain block time and increase block space. The update is set to be deployed to Polkadot's Rococo testnet in two weeks.

Jaguar, owned by Tata Motors, has partnered with Tesla to utilize its superchargers in North America as part of its strategy to become all-electric by 2025. Jaguar will incorporate Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design on its electric vehicles launching in 2025.

Kenya has signed a deal with Britain's GBM Limited to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a mega dam that could generate up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity. The High Grand Falls dam will be one of Africa's largest and is part efforts to boost irrigation farming.

China is seeking a strategic energy partnership with Arab states and is open to exploring the possibility of using the renminbi for oil and gas trade, according to a senior Chinese official. China aims to develop a new framework for multi-dimensional energy cooperation with Arab states.

Russia has temporarily banned the export of gasoline and diesel to countries outside of a group of four ex-Soviet states in order to stabilize its domestic fuel market. The ban comes as Russia increases fuel deliveries to its military units near and inside Ukraine, reaching the highest levels.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a strong case for Brazil as a leader of the global south during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He called for the expansion of the UN Security Council and increased climate finance for developing countries.

Chevron and workers at its Gorgon and Wheatstone liquefied-natural-gas facilities in Australia have agreed on a deal recommended by Australia's workplace arbiter to end strikes that have affected 7% of global LNG supply. The labor dispute had caused disruptions in global gas markets.