FRANCE - Emmanuel Macron has called for a “new deal” with Iran after Donald Trump criticised the current nuclear agreement as “insane” and “ridiculous”. The French president said the deal should cover Iran’s ballistic missiles activity and involvement in the Middle East, including Syria, as well as nuclear issues. The comments will not calm EU fears that Mr Trump is preparing to rip up the existing Iran deal when it is up for renewal on May 12.  That agreement was secured by Barack Obama, his predecessor, and waives economic sanctions in turn from Iran not pursuing its nuclear programme.  Convincing Mr Trump to stick by the deal was one of Mr Macron’s stated goals for his three-day state visit to America, with the French leader initially saying there was no “Plan B”. 

CHINA - Military personnel around the world have been put on high alert after China revealed a second ocean aircraft carrier which has been sent out for testing. The revelation means China will have two fully functioning aircraft carriers capable of projecting firepower well beyond their borders in case of all out war. China now has two aircraft carriers in its fleet following the launch of the Liaoning in 2012. However, two more are on the way, according to state reports, which has caused the likes of the US, South Korea and Japan to be placed on full alert.

USA - Several months ago, one of the early pioneers of Facebook and its first President Sean Parker, voiced his regret regarding helping create social media in the form we know it today, saying: “I don’t know if I really understood the consequences of what I was saying, because of the unintended consequences of a network when it grows to a billion or 2 billion people and it literally changes your relationship with society, with each other”.

SWEDEN - Samsung’s Swedish site recently revealed a new program that offers hypnosis so that you can erase your memories and re-watch your favourite shows for the first time. The program is called Unspoil Me and it’s comprised of 23 minutes of swirling patterns, mesmerizing music and a hypnotherapist directing your thoughts and attention in order to erase your memory.

USA - GQ magazine has felt the biblical wrath of Twitter after placing the Christian holy book on a list of over-rated literature. The magazine described the Bible as “self-contradictory, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned.” The Bible, novelist and poet Jesse Ball explained, is “rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it.” He says that “those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced.”

GERMANY - Germany is reportedly considering a major new round of new defence spending as it looks to address serious equipment shortages in its armed forces. The plans include a commitment to spend an estimated €1 billion (£875 million) on new drone aircraft over the next nine years. Europe’s biggest economy currently lags far behind NATO’s agreed spending target of 2 per cent of GDP, at just 1.13 per cent last year. Mrs Merkel’s government already plans to increase its defence budget to €42.4 billion by 2021, compared €37 billion last year. But the pace of Germany’s economic growth means that on current predictions that would still only amount to 1.15 per cent of GDP.

HUNGARY - Viktor Orban presents himself as the defender of Hungary and Europe against Muslim migrants. He has won a third consecutive term as a prime minister who puts national sovereignty before everything else. But critics attack him as a racist and an authoritarian. “We will never allow Hungary to become a target country for immigrants. We do not want to see significantly sized minorities with different cultural characteristics and backgrounds among us. We want to keep Hungary as Hungary.” “What I admire most in Viktor Orban,” says his loyal champion, the journalist Andras Bencsik, “is his ability to predict the future.”

UK - Most Europeans believe their countries are more polarised than 10 years ago, and 47% see their societies as less tolerant, a poll for the BBC suggests.  In the online Ipsos Mori poll spanning 27 countries, 66% of people in Europe felt their nations were "more divided", the highest proportion worldwide.  Politics emerged as the main cause of tension globally, being identified by some 44% of all 19,428 respondents.  Half of Britons cited a divide between immigrants and nationals.  It was the source of social division most commonly identified in the UK, followed by differences of religion (47%), ethnicity (41%) and political views (40%).

USA - Democrats in the alt-left state of California have passed a bill in the Assembly that would ban the sale of books that express Christian beliefs about sexual morality, quite possibly extending to printed texts such as the Bible. No surprise there, after all this is the same party that once tried to abolish God from their official political platform … three times. Assembly Bill 2943, which passed by a vote of 50-18, seeks to eliminate the “sale or lease of goods or services to any consumer” that promote “sexual orientation change efforts with an individual.” Even the Los Angeles Times has raised the possibility that such a bill could lead to a ban on Bibles.

USA - Lying can be complicated and difficult, especially if you don’t do it very often. Beginner liars must learn a few basics about what makes a good lie, such as sticking with a simple lie and making sure the lie is believable. If you plan the lie ahead of time, it helps to spend some time memorizing the details of the lie by writing it down and practicing it until it sounds convincing. Possibly the most important part is telling the lie convincingly. You’ll need to avoid some of the most common things that give away a lie, such as fidgeting, changing your voice, and not making eye contact.

USA - Parents in cities across the US as well as Canada, Australia, and now, the UK are pulling their children out of schools Monday to protest what they view as “pornographic,” “gender-bending” sex ed curricula conducted and promoted by taxpayer-funded Planned Parenthood.

ISRAEL - The Times of Israel reports: The Palestinians will not allow US President Donald Trump or anyone else to say that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday. The Palestinians, Abbas said, will continue to fight Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as they have been doing for the past few months. “The Palestinians will not allow any country to move its embassy to Jerusalem before there’s a solution [to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict],” Abbas said.

IRAN - Iran’s military head said Saturday that forces are preparing to “annihilate” Israel’s Zionist regime within 25 years after recent threats between the foes. The threat from Commander of Iran’s Army Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi comes while tension has escalated with an Israeli strike on an Iranian base in Syria earlier this month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired back at Salami on Friday. “We hear the threats from Iran. IDF fighters and the security branches are ready for any development. We will fight anyone who tries to harm us… We will not be deterred by the price and we will exact a price from those who seek our souls. The IDF is ready for its mission and the nation will stand,” he added.

UK - Inequality around the world has reached an irreversible tipping point. The UK-based House of Commons Library said this month that, if current trends continue, the richest 1% will control nearly 66% of the world’s money by 2030. Based on 6% annual growth in wealth, they would hold assets worth approximately $305 trillion, up from $140 trillion today, the Guardian reported. This follows a report released earlier this year by Oxfam, which said that just eight billionaires have as much wealth as 3.6 billion people — the poorest half of the world.

USA - Even if you don’t have any unhealthy habits, something that you do every day could be killing you: breathing. A new report from the Health Effects Institute shows that more than 95 percent of the people on our planet are breathing in air that is unsafe. The Health Effects Institute reached their conclusions using satellite data and other types of monitoring. These high levels of exposure have pushed air pollution into the fourth position when it comes to the top causes of death around the world, following killers like high blood pressure, diet and smoking. More than six million people died last year of causes linked to air pollution, such as heart attack, stroke, chronic lung disease and lung cancer. Not surprisingly, people from countries like India and China made up more than half of these deaths.