WAO ART #101

South Korea has successfully launched its home-grown Nuri rocket, placing working satellites into orbit and hailing a key step forward for the country's burgeoning space programme. The three-stage rocket, more than 47m long and weighing 200 tonnes, soared into the sky from the Naro Space Centre.

Blockchain network Base, backed by Coinbase, is preparing for a mainnet launch pending successful testnet performance, security audits, and Optimism's Bedrock upgrade. Built on Optimism's OP Stack, Base aims to serve as a rollup network for faster, cheaper transactions.

A 400-year-old cotton tree, a symbol of liberty for early settlers and appearing on Sierra Leone banknotes, has been brought down by a heavy storm in Freetown. The 70m-high tree was said to be the oldest of its kind in the country. Some Christians have hailed its demise.

The UK government has announced a £2m ($2.8m) contribution to the AmazonFACE research project, which aims to assess the impact of climate change on the Amazon rainforest. The project will use Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment technology to release air enriched with CO2.

The US Navy will commission a new warship, the USS Canberra, in Sydney, making it the first American navy warship to be commissioned in an allied country. The event will show the deep ties between the United States and Australia and provide an opportunity to reflect on their shared history.

Germany has fallen into recession due to persistent inflation, with the economy contracting by 0.3% in the first three months of the year, following a 0.5% contraction in the previous quarter. Higher prices have weighed on household spending and industrial orders, while car sales have fallen.

First Citizens, the new owner of Silicon Valley Bank's US operations, is cutting around 500 roles held by former SVB workers. The job cuts amount to around 3% of the company's total workforce and will affect select SVB corporate functions. The team in India is not impacted by the changes.