UK - Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, in a groundbreaking advance that sidesteps the need for eggs or sperm. Scientists say these model embryos, which resemble those in the earliest stages of human development, could provide a crucial window on the impact of genetic disorders and the biological causes of recurrent miscarriage. However, the work also raises serious ethical and legal issues as the lab-grown entities fall outside current legislation in the UK and most other countries. The structures do not have a beating heart or the beginnings of a brain, but include cells that would typically go on to form the placenta, yolk sac and the embryo itself.

USA - Massachusetts middle school students tear down rainbow decorations and chant their pronouns are 'USA' during Pride celebration. Massachusetts middle schoolers tore down Pride decorations and chanted that their pronouns were 'USA' in a striking protest after they were asked to wear rainbow colors to school. Students at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts, were asked to wear rainbow-colored shirts to celebrate Pride Month on June 2, but a preplanned protest broke out with students tearing up Pride flag stickers and chanting: 'USA are my pronouns.'

USA - The Biden White House released a “Pride” clip on social media Monday, referring to “LGBTQI+…children” as “not somebody else’s kids,” but “all our kids,” in what has become a pattern of Biden implying child rearing is communal. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have both repeatedly referred to American children as “our kids,” during their first term, with the Biden White House most recently tweeting out a pride-themed video about “LGBTQI+… children” and how “they are all our kids” on Monday. “These are our kids. These are our neighbors. Not somebody else’s kids; they’re all our kids,” Biden can be heard saying, as images of a White House alight with rainbow colors plays in the background.

UK - The best James Bond film plot in town was released yesterday when Canadian clinical psychologist Dr Jordan Peterson announced on Joe Rogan’s podcast that he intends to launch a new ‘global consortium’ in direct challenge to the World Economic Forum. ‘We’re trying to put together something like an alternate vision of the future – say an alternative to that kind of apocalyptic narrative that’s being put forward, at least implicitly, by organisations like the World Economic Forum.’ Peterson elaborated on his ‘pro-human’ vision during the interview which he tweeted was ‘our best conversation to date’.

SOUTH KOREA - The alleged launch comes after Seoul and Washington conducted several live fire drills near the North Korean border. Pyongyang launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters on Thursday, according to South Korean and Japanese military officials. The rockets reportedly failed to reach land and fell into the sea in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that it detected the launches on Thursday evening, noting that the South Korean military has since boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the US. Onoda slammed the incident as “absolutely unacceptable,” while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stated that the launches were “an escalation of provocations against the international community as a whole.”

USA - Nicole Neily, a mother of two, says she couldn’t believe it when she learned that a far-left group had branded her parental rights organization an “antigovernment extremist” group. Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, says her organization teaches parents how to “engage with the process to help schools” by showing them how to submit comments to the Federal Register, speak at school board meetings, and ask critical questions about curriculum. But according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Parents Defending Education is “extreme.” “It’s a smear that … obviously is intended to chill and scare people from speaking out,” Neily says, adding that the development proves the effectiveness of parents who speak out against things such as gender identity and critical race theory being taught in schools. “Families are, at the end of the day, the bulwark against this enormous government overreach,” Neily says.

USA - At least three people were killed and more than 50 others were injured Thursday when a tornado struck the Texas Panhandle city of Perryton, officials said. The tornado hit Perryton, which has a population of around 8,500, around 5:10 pm, said Trent Hoffeditz, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said three people have been confirmed dead. A trailer park took a direct hit, he said. The tornado caused "a lot of damage," especially to mobile homes and businesses, Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard told NBC affiliate KAMR of Amarillo.

USA - A new emblem made its debut at the White House, silently but unapologetically marking a seismic shift in the Pride Month celebration. This was not your standard rainbow banner, representative of the gay rights movement since 1978, but a new creation – a 'Progress Pride Flag.' I must confess, I looked at this new multicolored symbol, now displayed prominently from the portico of the so-called people’s house, and my heart sank. It didn't take long for critics to express similar sentiments.

USA - “President Biden has officially recognized LGBT commemoration days, hired an envoy for LGBT issues, advanced LGBT ideology at the United Nations, prioritized LGBT refugees, and made Pride Month a fixture at US embassies,” the report notes. “The fact that President Biden has devoted so much of his agencies’ efforts toward pushing LGBT ideology abroad exposes his divisive partisan priorities,” she added. “It’s unfair for the countries who find themselves on the one hand a recipient of generous US aid, while on the other hand pressured to adopt LGBT policies that contradict their cultural values.”

USA - The Pentagon, which like practically every other military body and government agency, is relentlessly pushing ‘Pride’ month, reportedly created a LGBTQ+ coloring book for children. Yesterday, the Pentagon hosted its 12th Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Ceremony. We celebrate the honor and service, commitment, and sacrifice of our LGBTQ+ service members. The DoD is committed to inclusion and using diversity as a strength for our Services.

NORWAY - Last week I visited an old church to admire the beautiful old building that was built in the 1200s. Just a visit to a nice old church, or so I thought. Because what I was met with when I went inside really shocked me. I did not expect to see what I saw. I immediately noticed the picture hanging on the wall to the left of the altar. A picture of Jesus with the pride flag in the background. It would be one thing if they put up a pride flag inside the church (that would be bad enough), but here they put up a painting of Jesus on the cross with the pride flag. I can hardly think of anything more anti-Christ than that. And this is inside a church which is supposed to be Christian. The church in question is ”Vår Frue” in the Norwegian city of Trondheim.

USA - A lot of the experts didn’t think that this would happen. Once the pandemic subsided, global supply chains were supposed to return to normal. But now “hundreds of drugs” are in short supply in the United States, and even CNN is admitting that we are in the midst of “the worst food crisis in modern history”. As I did research for this article, I was stunned by what I discovered. Things are worse than I realized. I knew that a lot of drugs were in short supply, but it turns out that there have been shortages of many of our most basic antibiotics since last October, and now Pfizer is telling us that several types of penicillin will completely run out later this year…

EUROPE - European lawmakers back law to regulate artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, amid fears the systems could disrupt democratic processes. European Union lawmakers pushed the bloc Wednesday closer to passing one of the world’s first laws regulating artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, by backing a key text that forms the basis for a future law. While the EU first proposed such a law in 2021, the draft rules took on greater urgency when ChatGPT exploded onto the scene last year, showing off AI’s dizzying advances and possible risks. The EU says its law, once passed, will set the “global standard,” but the bloc could face pushback from big tech companies.

UK - Water rationing has been introduced as the Met Office declared swathes of the UK to be in a heatwave today, with temperatures soaring to 30C in some parts. As some areas experienced weather hotter than Ibiza, a bizarre meteorological record - known as the June 13th Enigma - was broken. June 13 was the only day of summer not to see the mercury rise above 30C - until now. According to data stretching back more than 150 years, it has traditionally been cooler than any other day in summer and temperatures of 30C or above had never previously been recorded. But the mercury rose to unprecedented June 13 levels at four weather stations - Porthmadog in Wales, which hit 30.8C, 30.1C in Bridgefoot, Cumbria; 30.1C in Hurn, Dorset; and 30 in Herstmonceux, East Sussex. By comparison, temperatures in Ibiza peaked at a mere 26C.

GERMANY - Germany will have to scale back or even shut down its industrial capacity if deliveries of Russian natural gas through Ukraine stop next year, Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned on Monday. “There is no secure scenario for how things will turn out,” Habeck said at the Ostdeutsches Wirtschaftsforum (OWF), an economic conference in Bad Saarow. Policymakers in Berlin need to avoid “making the same mistake again” by assuming that energy shortages would not affect the economy, he added, as cited by Bloomberg. Even though Kiev has accused Moscow of aggression, Russia continues to abide by a gas delivery contract and pay Ukraine transit fees. However, given the current circumstances, it is extremely unlikely the agreement will be renewed once it expires towards the end of 2024.