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More than 100,000 people in India and Pakistan have been evacuated from the path of a fierce cyclone a day before its expected landfall. Forecasters have warned that Cyclone Biparjoy - which means "disaster" in Bengali- could destroy homes and crops. Biparjoy has been making its way across the Arabian Sea and is expected to first hit India's Gujarat state on Thursday evening local time. At least seven people have already died amid heavy rains in India. The victims include two children crushed by a collapsing wall, and a woman hit by a falling tree while riding a motorbike, AFP news agency reported. In Pakistan, the storm is expected to strike the coast of Sindh province. Authorities have already evacuated 62,000 people from the south-eastern coast and set up 75 relief camps at schools. Pakistan's Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said Karachi, the province's largest city with a population of more than 20 million, was not under immediate threat but emergency measures were being taken.

Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells in a major scientific breakthrough Experts believe the development could provide insight into causes of miscarriages and unique aspects of human development but also raises ethical and legal questions. Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, from the University of Cambridge and California Institute of Technology, described fostering the embryos to a stage just beyond the equivalent of 14 days of development for a natural embryo at the International Society for Stem Cell Research's annual meeting in Boston on Wednesday.

Boris Johnson has done everything he possibly could to discredit the Privileges Committee's report on claims that he lied to MPs over partygate. But so far he has met fierce resistance. After declaring war with allegations of a "witch-hunt" and kangaroo court", his latest attack was directed at committee member Sir Bernard Jenkin, after a report that he attended a party that broke lockdown rules. In a letter to Harriet Harman, who chairs the committee, Mr Johnson said if Sir Bernard broke the rules he was no longer a "valid judge" and was guilty of "flagrant and monstrous hypocrisy".

Is the US out to kill crypto? Maybe. Three years ago, the majority of the firms in the sector that Andrew Durgee's company invested in were based in the US. This year, he estimates that just one out of every 10 will be - a reflection of his firm's judgement that the country has been growing increasingly hostile to digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and tokens. "The administration really has a target on the industry," says Mr Durgee, managing director of the crypto division for tech firm Republic. "The regulatory uncertainty makes the investments in the US higher risk." The sector was already under pressure, after prices of virtual currencies collapsed last year. Further damage came from the meltdown of several high-profile firms, including FTX, run by the so-called "Crypto King" Sam Bankman-Fried, whom prosecutors have accused of conducting "one of the biggest financial frauds" in US history.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has tweeted: "The UK has had to start coal fired generators during this heatwave because the sun is too strong and solar panels have had to be taken offline." This isn't true. While it's correct that solar panels are less efficient at hot temperatures, this reduction is relatively small, and was not the main reason for firing up coal power stations. We spoke to Mr Wilson, who confirmed that the article he had read said that there was a "severe" fall in output, not that the panels had to be taken offline. According to Solar Energy UK, solar panel performance falls by 0.34 percentage points for every degree that the temperature rises above 25C. It also said that the longer days and clearer skies mean solar power generates much more electricity during the summer, even if the efficiency falls. On Monday 12 June, coal power was used for the first time in 46 days, but solar power still generated around one-fifth of the UK's electricity during the middle part of the day. Full Story

In more than 100 years since its passage, few of the many cases brought under the US Espionage Act relate to what most people think of as espionage - individuals actually spying on behalf of a foreign nation. Since becoming the first ex-US president to face federal charges, including 31 Espionage Act violations, an emerging Republican defence of Donald Trump is to argue that he should not be charged under the act because he is not a foreign spy. "You may hate his guts, but he is not a spy; he did not commit espionage," said South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio echoed that defence, saying Mr Trump did not conspire with America's enemies to harm national security. "There's no allegation that he sold it to a foreign power or that it was trafficked to somebody else or that anybody got access to it," said Mr Rubio.

The manager of Harvard Medical School's morgue and three others have been charged with buying and selling stolen human remains. Cedric Lodge allegedly took "heads, brains, skin and bones" from cadavers donated to Harvard University's medical school and sold them online. According to the indictment, he and his wife, Denise, sold body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The scheme allegedly ran from 2018 to 2021. Prosecutors allege Mr Lodge used his position as the manager of the "Anatomical Gifts Program" at Harvard Medical School to dismember cadavers donated for medical research. Harvard students use donated bodies to study and practice medical procedures. When the school finishes using the cadaver, they are often cremated and the remains returned to their families, or buried in the university's medical cemetery, according to the indictment.

lA grand jury in New York City has reportedly voted to indict Daniel Penny in connection with the killing of Jordan Neely, who was placed in a fatal chokehold on the floor of a subway car last month. Shar Law enforcement sources first confirmed a grand jury’s vote to indict Mr Penny with ABC News and The New York Daily News. The exact charges are unclear and an indictment is expected to be unsealed at a later court date. Mr Penny was initially charged with second-degree manslaughter on 12 May. He did not enter a plea. He was released after posting $100,000 bail, and his next appearance is scheduled for 17 July. Attorneys for Mr Penny and Neely’s family did not immediately return a request for comment.

Biden administration blocks expedited release of Prince Harry visa records in drug use lawsuit The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rejected a request by the conservative Heritage Foundation to expedite a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the think tank for the release of the immigration records of the Duke of Sussex. DHS Senior Director Jimmy Wolfrey wrote in a letter that “To the extent records exist, this office does not find a public interest in disclosure sufficient to override the subject’s privacy interests,” according to the New York Post. The Heritage Foundation has argued that Prince Harry’s past admissions of drug use, such as in his memoir Spare, make him ineligible for a US visa.

One third of schools said they would present heterosexual relationships as the 'main' or 'ideal' context for intimacy, and some went further. Some schools in Northern Ireland have been teaching children that homosexuality is wrong, during relationships and sex education classes - known as RSE - according to a new report. The report, from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, found that around one-third of schools stated they would teach pupils that heterosexual relationships were the "main" or "ideal" context for sex. But some schools go even further, to explicitly "outline their beliefs that homosexuality is wrong in their policies." One example given in the report from a school stated “the belief that homosexual acts are against the nature and purpose of human relationships will be presented to pupils.” The report also found that some schools "contributed to the shame and stigma surrounding unplanned pregnancy and abortion" by making statements such as "those who knowingly engage in casual sex must bear the consequences of their actions.

Trump is leaning on right-wing Cubans for support After being arraigned on federal charges, Trump stopped at Versailles, a restaurant in a major Miami hub of conservative Cuban Americans. Here’s why that matters. June 15, 2023, 3:51 AM +07 By Ja'han Jones If you caught Joy Reid on Tuesday’s episode of “The ReidOut,” or MSNBC’s special coverage of Donald Trump’s federal arraignment in Florida, you got a bit of an inside scoop as to why the former president may have chosen the Versailles restaurant in Miami to make a post-arraignment appearance. Having lived in Florida for several years, Joy shared some insight: Versailles is located in a major hub of conservative Cuban Americans and likely Trump supporters. In other words, it’s in an area full of people whose view of government oversight — perhaps informed by experiences abroad — could potentially be manipulated by the former president for his own gain. Despite the GOP being the party that attacks bodily autonomy through its assault on abortion rights, attacks freedom of thought with its assault on inclusive school curricula, threatens political opponents with extrajudicial imprisonment, and excuses violent insurrections as “legitimate political discourse,” conservatives have tried to frame liberals as the real fascists.

Democratic lawmakers are attempting to force insurance companies to pay for pregnancy treatments for homosexual couples in California by redefining "infertility" to include couples who cannot reproduce because they have a partner of the same sex. The California Senate passed a bill in May that for insurance purposes would redefine "infertility" as "a person’s inability to reproduce either as an individual or with their partner without medical intervention." SB-729 would repeal and add to sections of the state's current Health and Safety Code and Insurance Code so that same-sex couples unable to reproduce together would be considered "infertile," and insurance companies would be required to cover costs for treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or surrogacy.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was pressed Wednesday for a response to the United Kingdom's decision to ban puberty blockers for minors despite President Biden's claim that American lawmakers pushing such bans were "hysterical" and "prejudiced." Biden made the comments on June 8 during a joint press conference at the White House with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the first person of color elected British prime minister, and declared his administration was "not relenting" when it came to making sure LGBTQ Americans were "protected."

The White House condemned attendees at Saturday’s Pride event on the South Lawn who engaged in what President Joe Biden’s press secretary described as “unacceptable” behavior. “The behavior was simply unacceptable. We’ve been very clear about that. It was unfair to the hundreds of attendees who were there to celebrate their families,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday, adding that the people seen engaging in the “inappropriate” behavior won’t be invited back to the White House. She was responding to video from the Saturday event that showed some attendees removing their tops in front of the South Portico while dancing. “It’s not appropriate. It’s disrespectful,” Jean-Pierre said, going on to say the video “really does not reflect the event that we hosted to celebrate the LGBTQ+ families.”

Republicans have alleged a double standard in DOJ prosecutions Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday hit out at Republicans for their defense of former President Donald Trump as he faces a federal indictment over the alleged mishandling of classified documents, calling their actions "profoundly disturbing." Clinton, whose 2016 presidential bid hit the rocks in part due to a scandal surrounding her use of a private email server while serving as the nation’s highest diplomat, was asked about the Trump indictment unsealed last week and the Republican response to it. A "Pod Save America" host asked about Republican comparisons to her email scandal, with Republicans noting that she was criticized for her handling of sensitive information, but not prosecuted. Republicans have alleged a politicized double standard when it comes to prosecutions of politicians. FULL STORY

First lady Dr. Jill Biden is emerging as a prominent voice taking on Republicans and former President Donald Trump since his indictment – even as the White House has maintained a stay-silent strategy on the legal case. In her first solo events of the campaign, the first lady has not shied away from critiquing the former president and offered a rare comment related to his legal woes as she reflected on Republican support for Trump despite his indictment. “My heart feels so broken by a lot of the headlines that we see on the news,” she said during an off-camera fundraiser in New York City Monday, according to comments reported by the Associated Press and confirmed to CNN by someone in attendance. “Like I just saw, when I was on my plane, it said 61% of Republicans are going to vote, they would vote for Trump.” “They don’t care about the indictment. So that’s a little shocking, I think,” she went on. In a pair of Democratic fundraisers in California Tuesday evening, she warned of the impact “MAGA Republicans” would have on the country and framed the presidential election as a choice between the “corruption and chaos” of the Trump administration and stability offered by her husband. “We cannot go back to those dark days,” the first lady said at a fundraiser in Marin County, California. “And with your help we won’t go back.” FULL STORY

As Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis lead the pack, Sky News takes a look at the candidates hoping to win the race for the White House in 2024. The race to be the next US president is intensifying. Will Joe Biden be back for another four years? Are we headed for a Donald Trump White House 2.0… or will there be a new face in the Oval Office? Sky News takes a look at the list of hopefuls competing to be commander-in-chief - from Florida’s anti-woke warrior and Trump's main rival, Ron DeSantis, to a leading anti-vaxxer who also happens to be a member of the Kennedy clan, and a self-help guru. Can Uncle Joe do it again? Joe Biden, Democrat, 80 The "battle for the soul of America is" ongoing, says President Biden, and he needs a second term to secure victory. His first term has been marked by delivering on some of his core campaign promises (creating millions of jobs, returning America to a sense of normality post-COVID) but there have been lows too (see the chaos in Kabul as it fell to the Taliban). His critics point to his age - he is the oldest candidate in the race, several years older than Trump - and his propensity for gaffes and the odd unfortunate tumble. FULL ARTICLE

The development, watched closely by the United States and its allies, comes after Alexander Lukashenko appeared to contradict Vladimir Putin over the potential use of the weapons. Belarus has started to receive tactical nuclear weapons from Russia, its leader has said. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian state TV that his country is taking delivery of the weapons, some of which he said were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Lukashenko said Tuesday that "everything is ready" for the Russian nuclear weapons' deployment, adding that "it could take just a few days for us to get what we had asked for and even a bit more." Asked later by a Russian state TV host whether Belarus had already received some of the weapons, Lukashenko responded coyly by saying: "Not all of them, little by little." FULL STORY

The footage that began circulating on Russian social media channels last week depicted what was portrayed as a significant military setback for Ukraine at the beginning of its counteroffensive. In a flat, open area south of Zaporizhzhia – bisected by hedges and a wide muddy track – about 12 Ukrainian armoured vehicles had become pinned down, bunched too close together near a minefield. In one video, shells and rockets can be seen tearing into the ground and into vehicles, including one of Ukraine’s new German-supplied Leopard tanks and US Bradleys. Soldiers can be seen running through the smoke from one damaged vehicle to another. When the shooting was finally over, several Ukrainian soldiers were dead. Smashed vehicles had been left abandoned. Russian commentators were crowing over the failure. FULL STORY

The EU has taken a major step towards passing one of the world’s first laws governing artificial intelligence after its main legislative branch approved the text of draft legislation that includes a blanket ban on police use of live facial recognition technology in public places. The European parliament approved rules aimed at setting a global standard for the technology, which encompasses everything from automated medical diagnoses to some types of drone, AI-generated videos known as deepfakes, and bots such as ChatGPT. MEPs will now thrash out details with EU countries before the draft rules – known as the AI act - become legislation. “AI raises a lot of questions socially, ethically, economically. But now is not the time to hit any ‘pause button’. On the contrary, it is about acting fast and taking responsibility,” said Thierry Breton, the European commissioner for the internal market. A rebellion by centre-right MEPs in the EPP political grouping over an outright ban on real-time facial recognition on the streets of Europe failed to materialise, with a number of politicians attending Silvio Berlusconi’s funeral in Italy. The final vote was 499 in favour and 28 against with 93 abstentions. Full Story

When Donald Trump told the world last week that he’d been indicted by federal prosecutors, the former president appeared to be executing a carefully crafted public relations strategy. The Republican was breaking the news on his own terms, at a time of his choosing, with the precise message he wanted Americans to hear. There was, however, one glaring problem: Trump apparently couldn’t think of a credible defense. He instead told several obvious lies, mischaracterized federal law, and generally struggled to say anything that might persuade anyone who wasn’t already in his corner.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were both implicated in major breaking news on June 8. But only the allegations against Trump received coverage by the big three news networks, according to a recent Media Research Center NewsBusters study. The analysis revealed that ABC, CBS and NBC devoted a total of 291 minutes to the Trump indictment between June 8 and June 12. In the same period of time, those same networks gave zero coverage to news that Fox News Digital broke on the Biden family. President Joe Biden was allegedly paid $5 million by an executive of the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, a confidential human source told the FBI during a June 2020 interview, sources familiar told Fox News Digital. Hunter Biden, who allegedly was paid $50,000 a month while on Burisma’s board, was also a beneficiary of the pay to play scheme, according to sources familiar with the situation.