USA - In a bizarre twist that seems straight out of a dystopian sci-fi movie, US residents can now legally purchase a flame-throwing robot dog named Thermonator for just under $10,000. AutoEvolution reports that Ohio-based Throwflame, the oldest flamethrower manufacturer in the United States, has introduced Thermonator, a robot dog equipped with a flamethrower capable of shooting flames up to 30 feet. The company, known for its unique products, is now offering the Thermonator for sale in all states except Maryland and California, where flamethrowers are restricted.The introduction of the Thermonator has sparked a debate about the ethical implications of making such a potentially dangerous device available to the public. While some argue that it has legitimate uses in certain industries, others worry about the consequences of putting a flame-throwing robot dog in the wrong hands.

UK - London plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says. The UK is set to embark on the “biggest strengthening” of its national defense “in a generation” and plans to gradually increase defense spending to £87 billion (around $108 billion) annually by 2030, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced. Sunak made the remarks on Tuesday at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg while on a visit to Poland.

RUSSIA - The recent rapprochement between Russia and North Korea could embolden Pyongyang to take a more risky approach in the global arena, a senior US diplomat has warned. Deputy Assistant Secretary Jung Pak, who serves as the State Department’s senior official for North Korea, told Bloomberg on Monday that Moscow’s “complete embrace” of North Korea could mean that the country would be more inclined to threaten its southern neighbor, export weapons abroad, and defy Washington’s calls to return to denuclearization talks. According to the US official, Pyongyang has reaped numerous benefits from this cooperation, including economic assistance and high-profile meetings with Russian officials.

USA - President Biden on Wednesday signed a $95 billion foreign military aid bill into law and claimed the legislation, which funds the proxy war in Ukraine and Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, is good for “world peace.” “It’s a good day for America, it’s a good day for Europe, and it’s a good day for world peace, for real. This is consequential,” Biden said. The legislation breezed through the Senate on Tuesday, passing in a vote of 79-19. It was passed on Saturday as four separate bills in the House, where it also received strong bipartisan support. Biden thanked Republican leaders for supporting the legislation. “I want to thank everyone in Congress who made it possible, especially the bipartisan leadership: Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; Leader Jeffries; Leaders Schumer and McConnell. They don’t always agree, but when it matters most, they stepped up and did the right thing,” he said.

USA - Pope Francis spoke out against climate change deniers, calling them 'fools' in his first ever interview on American television. The often 'progressive' pontiff spoke with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell at the Vatican this week to give his thoughts on violence in Ukraine and Gaza and other important subjects. However, he made a pointed effort to express his displeasure with those who deny climate change when asked what he says to those who deny it by O'Donnell. 'There are people who are foolish, and even foolish if they show you them research. they don't believe it,' he said through an interpreter.

UK - Rishi Sunak will today unveil plans for deeper defence cooperation with Germany, as he hails a 'new chapter' in relations. The Prime Minister arrived in Berlin last night ahead of talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which are expected to focus on security, trade and migration. Speaking ahead of the meeting, the PM revealed plans for the two countries to develop a new generation of remote-controlled artillery designed for European defence. A Government source said the new 155mm howitzer would provide 'battle winning capabilities for future ground warfare' as well as creating hundreds of jobs in both countries. Mr Sunak said: 'The UK and Germany are European powerhouses. Together, we are stronger - whether that is defending against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological advance.'

USA - The national mood in the mid-twentieth century was very different from now:

USA - Salman Rushdie has warned young people against forgetting the value of free speech and discussed the “very big and negative” impact of a second Trump presidency in a rare public appearance since his stabbing. The Indian-born British-American author of books including the Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children also discussed the attack in 2022 that left him blind in one eye during a Q&A at an English PEN event at the Southbank Centre. “I have a very old-fashioned view about [free speech],” said Rushdie, appearing by video from his home in New York to mark the launch of his new memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. “The defence of free expression begins at the point at which somebody says something you don’t like.” Rushdie said academia in America was “in serious trouble … because of colossal political divisions. And everybody is so angry that it seems very difficult to find a common place.”

USA - Tucker Carlson has been mocked by experts after suggesting that Darwin's theory of evolution has been debunked. 'There's no evidence of evolution,' Carlson said. 'In fact, I think we've given up on the theory of evolution as articulated by Darwin. It's kind of not true.' Rogan pressed the issue, asking the broadcaster to explain his opinion, to which he claimed 'there is no evidence that people evolved seamlessly from a single cell amoeba.' 'There's no evidence at all - none, zero - that people evolved seamlessly from a single-cell amoeba. No, there's not. There's no chain in the fossil record of that at all,' Carlson argued.

USA - Scientific American has published a piece claiming that “misinformation,” such as the notion that there are only two sexes, is “being used against transgender people” and in order to target “gender-affirming medical care.” The article states that there are three types of “misinformation,” and they are “oversimplifying scientific knowledge, fabricating and misinterpreting research, and promoting false equivalences.” The piece asserts that “Many of the arguments against trans rights center on the idea that transness itself is not legitimate — that there are just two sexes, period.” There are only two sexes though.