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The Supreme Court’s decision in favor of a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections will have a far-reaching impact on other minority groups and could open the door to a slew of cases seeking to further chip away at civil rights protections in the US. In a 6-3 opinion delivered Friday by Justice Neil Gorsuch that was joined by the court’s five other conservatives, the justices said that the First Amendment’s free speech protections permitted the web designer, Lorie Smith, to refuse to extend her services for same-sex weddings. The ruling was rooted in free speech grounds and could create a massive hole in state public accommodation laws for businesses who sell so-called “expressive” goods, allowing for companies that provide customized, expressive products and services to pick and choose who they work with. FULL STORY

President Putin cannot afford to lose his best and most experienced fighters from the war - and has offered them choices, while the future of Yevgeny Prigozhin remains unclear, military analyst Sean Bell writes. President Putin is directing a major "damage limitation" exercise in Russia to re-impose his authority and purge those responsible for the potential coup attempt, following Yevgeny Prigozhin's abortive "march for justice" towards the Russian capital last weekend. But what of Prigozhin? Is he a dead man walking, or is his exile to Belarus simply an opportunity for Russia to bolster its military capability there? Putin has control over Russian oligarchs since he has influence over the contracts upon which they rely for their wealth, thus creating a dependency culture and minimising the risks of any uprising. Prigozhin is a successful Russian oligarch who has exploited a close friendship with Putin to mutual benefit. Analysis article

Apple has surpassed Microsoft, which is valued at $2.5trn, while oil giant Saudi Aramco is worth $2.08trn. Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon and software giant Nvidia, a world leader in AI technology, have market values of more than $1trn each. Apple has entered the history books as the first public company to be valued at $3trn. The 47-year-old technology juggernaut, co-founded by Silicon Valley legend, the late Steve Jobs in 1966, officially closed up 2.3% at $193.97 per share at the end of trading on Friday. This brought its market value to $3.04trn - equivalent to £2.39trn. Apple briefly surpassed a $3trn market value on consecutive days in January 2022. However, it could not maintain that figure by the time the markets had closed. The company's stock plunged into a prolonged descent, with its market value dipping briefly below $2trn earlier this year, amid a slowdown in growth compounded by investor jitters over rising interest rates, impacting the entire tech sector. Apple only approached the $3trn mark again earlier this month, when the company unveiled what it hopes will be its next big product - the Vision Pro virtual reality headset. Microsoft is following close behind with a market value of $2.5trn. FULL STORY

Violent protests are spreading throughout France after a 17-year-old - named as Nahel M - was shot dead by police during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday. France has suspended all bus and tram services on Friday night - while deploying 45,000 officers across the country - amid ongoing riots over a police shooting. Violent protests are spreading throughout France after a 17-year-old, named as Nahel M, was shot by police during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday. In the aftermath, people have taken to the streets on three consecutive nights to protest, setting cars alight and throwing stones and fireworks. More outbreaks of violence were reported across the country on Friday night. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin earlier told TF1 television that 45,000 extra police officers, which will include paramilitary gendarmes, would be deployed across France on Friday - 5,000 more than the previous night. In a message to fire and police forces, he said: "The next hours will be decisive and I know I can count on your flawless efforts". On Friday night, clashes were reported in several cities, including the city of Lyon in the southeast. FULL STORY

The US Supreme Court has struck down US President Joe Biden's proposal to wipe out billions in student debt. The 6-3 ruling effectively cancels the plan, which would have forgiven about $10,000 (£7,800) per borrower - and up to $20,000 in some cases. The decision affects the loans of more than 40 million Americans. It has left the US public "angry," Mr Biden said. He pledged to put in place new measures to reduce university debt using other existing laws. The loan forgiveness plan has been in limbo since some conservative states sued, arguing the president overstepped his authority. The Supreme Court agreed. In the wake of the decision, Mr Biden spoke from the White House, saying: "I know there are millions of Americans in this country who feel disappointed and discouraged or even a little bit angry. I must admit I do too." But he vowed to work with the Department of Education to find other means to help people ease the financial burden. "Today's decision has closed one path. Now we're going to start another," he said. The total federal student debt has more than tripled over the past 15 years, rising from about $500bn in 2007 to $1.6tn today. FULL STORY

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Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is a “sexual bully” who “delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable”, a court has heard. The Hollywood star, 63, was described by the prosecution as a “man who sexually assaults other men” as he stood trial at Southwark Crown Court on Friday. Christine Agnew KC told the court: “Kevin Spacey Fowler is an actor; many of you will already know that. “He is an extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards. He is also, the prosecution allege, a man who sexually assaults other men.

Once the carrier aircraft reached around 50,000ft, the rocket was released from underneath and sent in a near-vertical climb to around 50 miles above Earth. For those who want a ticket ? a mere $450,000 will secure your seat on the 90 minute flight.

Wind and solar power are booming in China and may help limit global carbon emissions far faster than expected, according to a new study. Solar panel installations alone are growing at a pace that would increase global capacity by 85% by 2025. The report says the country's green energy targets for 2030 look set to be exceeded five years ahead of schedule. But coal plants are also increasing, partly as backup for all the new wind and solar farms, the authors say. Deforestation surges in 2022 despite pledges UK no longer a world leader on climate - watchdog Unlawful to let coal mine keep digging - lawyers China is often seen as the key to the world's efforts to rein in the carbon emissions that are the root cause of climate change. STORY

The sweetener aspartame, which is found in a variety of foods and fizzy drinks, is set to be officially classified as "possibly carcinogenic" to humans, reports claim. The label frequently causes confusion as it gives no sense of whether the potential risk is big or miniscule. Other "possibly carcinogenic" substances include aloe vera, diesel and pickled Asian vegetables. The BBC understands the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) will make an announcement on 14 July. What has aspartame in it? Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, so it gives the taste without the calories. You will find it on the ingredients list of many diet or sugar-free foods including diet drinks, chewing gums and some yoghurts. High profile drinks containing aspartame include Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, and 7 Up Free, but the sweetener is in around 6,000 food products. STORY

Satellite images appear to show activity at a disused military base in Belarus, amid speculation about Wagner forces relocating to the country. An image from 27 June obtained by BBC Verify, and first reported by Radio Free Europe, shows what could be tents or similar structures appearing at the base. An earlier image taken on 19 June shows the fields within the military compound largely empty. The Wagner group, which is made up of mercenaries, had been fighting for Russia in Ukraine until last weekend, when it staged a rebellion. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, later called off an advance to Moscow after a deal was struck with the help of the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. After the failed mutiny, the Russian authorities said Wagner would be disarmed but its members would escape prosecution. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the military could either join the Russian army, go home or go to Belarus. What next for the Wagner group of mercenaries? Wagner's network in Africa faces uncertain future The base seen in the satellite images is about 13 miles (21km) from the town of Asipovichy - around 64 miles from the capital Minsk. The area has been reported in Russian media as a place which could house Wagner fighters. STORY

President Biden couldn't wait til the commercial break to flee the set of a live televised interview with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace. Biden granted the liberal host a rare live sit-down on Thursday, which was largely focused on his reaction to the Supreme Court's historic decision to strike down affirmative action. After nearly 20 minutes of softball questions, Biden got up from his chair and took the scenic route off the MSNBC set, walking behind Wallace as she teased analysis of her interview to viewers. The moment quickly went viral. "WHAT ON EARTH IS JOE BIDEN DOING? It's live TV!" conservative strategist Steve Guest exclaimed. "YOU sit in the chair, YOU smile at the pretty lady, YOU stay until we come get you," Substack writer Jim Treacher quipped. STORY

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say they have unearthed a piece of evidence from the 2019 impeachment investigation into then-President Donald Trump that they say rebuts Republican claims of a possible bribery scheme between Joe Biden and a foreign national. The document, released in a letter from Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the committee's ranking member, to its chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., is a 2019 questionnaire filled out by Mykola Zlochevsky, the co-founder of the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, where Biden’s son Hunter once served on the board. Zlochevsky denies ever having contacts with Joe Biden while he was vice president or receiving assistance from his staff while Hunter served on the board. The questionnaire was given to Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, who was serving as Trump’s personal lawyer. Giuliani had been seeking information about Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election when Biden was expected to be one of the Democrats who might challenge Trump. Parnas handed over the questionnaire to the House committees investigating the former president, and it was later obtained by the FBI when it seized Parnas’ phone in 2019. It was never released to the public during the impeachment investigation. STORY

Thursday’s extraordinary Supreme Court decision to banish race as a factor in college admissions is sharply dividing the parties on Capitol Hill, where Democrats denounced the ruling as a blow to civil rights and Republicans hailed it as a long overdue step toward a colorblind culture. Democrats have long supported affirmative action as a crucial, if imperfect, effort to rectify the centuries of race-based injustice that practically defined much of the country’s history, when Black people were denied basic rights. Republicans, meanwhile, have attacked the concept of race-based admissions as outdated and inherently discriminatory, undermining a purely merit-based education system and denying opportunities to other groups of students in the process. Those dueling arguments were on full display Thursday morning, when both sides wasted no time weighing in on the high court’s historic decision. STORY

As Nepal’s first openly gay parliamentarian, Sunil Babu Pant educated his colleagues on LGBTQ topics. More than a decade later, the former lawmaker and activist is sharing similar knowledge with locals and tourists on the capital’s streets. On Saturdays, Pant hosts a heritage walk through the heart of Kathmandu, which is dotted with ancient temples, stupas and decrepit old houses that have withstood haphazard urbanization. The three-hour tour introduces the city’s matriarchal religious sites while exploring elements of gender and sexuality. These sites, some in Hindu temples, feature paintings and wooden carvings with deities engaging in sexual acts, along with homoerotic illustrations and hermaphroditic figures. “You’ll see a lot of nudity, it’s very normal … living in Kathmandu, it should be taken as pride, not shame,” says Pant. As he navigates the dusty streets, the aroma of incense, along with freshly brewed chiya, or milk tea, and traditional morning breakfast items – gwara mari, or fried dough balls, and the sweet fluffy malpuwa – in nearby shops fills the morning air. Pant’s heritage tour, which he pioneered in 2010, is a personal endeavor, partly aimed at promoting LGBTQ tourism in the South Asian country. Now, the Nepal government is showing interest in investing in LGBTQ-specific services to tap into the multi-billion dollar “pink economy” and promote LGBTQ inclusion in the country’s tourism industry. STORY

The US Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution prohibits American universities from considering the race of applicants as part of its admissions process. The court once again has divided sharply on ideological lines. The six conservative justices in the majority heralded the decision as a step toward a more colourblind society, where students will be measured by their accomplishments, not their race. The three liberals condemned the ruling, arguing that it ignored the ongoing reality of discrimination in America. The sweeping decision applies to every university, public and private, across the US. But it is the prestigious Ivy League institutions like Harvard, where tens of thousands of applicants compete for hundreds of spots a year, that could be affected the most by the ruling. The court did not say it was directly overruling a 20-year-old legal precedent that universities could consider race as a factor in a holistic effort to create a diverse student body. But University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck says the effect will be just as significant. STORY

Security forces in Austria have seized hundreds of weapons, as well as Nazi flags and paraphernalia, during raids on properties linked to an extreme-right group. Six people were arrested during the operation, in which 13 properties in the provinces of Upper and Lower Austria were searched. The authorities believe they are members of "outlaw motorcycle gangs". Police also found illegal drugs and more than €1m (£860,000) in cash. The operation took place on Monday, but official details about it were released on Thursday. Among the weapons seized were "35 long firearms, 25 sub-machine guns, 100 pistols, over a thousand weapons components, 400 signal weapons", according to the interior ministry. Grenade launchers and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition were also recovered. The house searches were part of a larger investigation into criminal motorcycle gangs in Austria. Story

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic rocket plane has carried customers into space, in its first commercial flight. The 90-minute mission was purchased for the Italian Air Force and the Italian National Research Council. The unity vehicle climbed high over the New Mexico desert to the edge of space, before gliding back down to earth. The mission took off from Spaceport America at around 0830 local time (1430 GMT) and was livestreamed around the world. Story

Woman loses her leg after getting caught in an airport travelator: Passengers' horror as moving walkway at Bangkok airport mangles victim's limb forcing medics to amputate it in order to free her. Full Story

Activists and asylum seekers have won an appeals court challenge to the government's planned deportation program in Rwanda. Three judges have overturned a Supreme Court ruling that said the East African country could be considered a "safe third country" for migrant transfers. It is the latest court ruling in a long-running legal battle over the implementation of the controversial project, which was announced last April as part of an anti-Channel crossing scheme. Delivering his judgment, Chief Justice Lord Burnett said he did not think the migrants were at risk of being deported from Rwanda to their home countries, but that Rwanda was not a safe place for them while their asylum claims were being processed.. More on this story from © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-06-29

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said a Russian agent suspected of involvement in the deadly attack in Kramatorsk will be charged with treason. He said those who helped Russia destroy lives deserved the "severeest punishment". Twelve people, including three teenagers, were killed in a missile attack on a popular restaurant on Tuesday. Ukraine said the man, a resident of Kramatorsk, had sent video footage of the restaurant to the Russian military hours before it was vandalized. The victims included 14-year-old twin sisters Julija and Anna Aksenchenko and a 17-year-old girl. "The Russian missile stopped the heartbeats of the two angels," the education department of the Kramatorsk city council said in a statement. At least 60 others were wounded, including Colombian nationals and a prominent Ukrainian author. On Wednesday, Ukrainian security services released a photo of a local man they arrested, who they said was a Russian agent. More on this story from -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-06-29

As the new ‘Mission: Impossible’ film ‘Dead Reckoning’ prepares to hit cinemas, Geoffrey Macnab looks back at how Tom Cruise and a run of celebrated directors transformed a Sixties TV series into a blockbuster franchise You may well have seen the stunt already: Tom Cruise on a motorbike driving headlong off a cliff into a valley somewhere in Norway and then, a few nerve-wracking moments later, he finally opens his parachute. As his bike plummets toward the rocks below, he soars upward. Paramount leaked the video six months ago to whet appetites for the release of Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, out next month. Cruise has called it the most spectacular stunt in the movie and “the most dangerous thing he has ever attempted”. FULL STORY