CANARY ISLANDS - Scientists play down Mount Teide concerns after 270 earthquakes. Fears increased geological activity in the region of Mount Teide in the Canary Islands is evidence that the active volcano is about to blow, have been played down by experts. Concerns have been sparked after Spain’s Instituto Geografico Nacional, or National Geographic Institute, recorded a total of 270 mini-earthquakes across the Canary Islands over the course of the last 10 days.

USA - A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has struck Northern California above San Francisco but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The US Geological Survey says the quake hit at 7:58 pm Wednesday and was centered about a mile (2 kilometers) from The Geysers. It was one of at least five earthquakes that hit the area within a few minutes of each other, although the others were smaller. The Geysers is a seismically active area that contains the world’s largest complex of geothermal power plants. Nearly two dozen plants that draw steam and use it to produce electricity.

INDONESIA - Indonesian authorities ordered a widespread evacuation order earlier today after Mount Merapi volcano erupted back into life, spewing a monstrous column of steam and ash 5,500 metres into the sky. The fiery mountain on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta forced Yogyakarta airport to closed down due to the ash threat. Gunung Merapi, or Mount Merpai, is one of Indonesia’s most active and deadliest volcanoes found on Indonesia’s central island. The erupting volcano resides in a densely populated area and locals living within a 5km (3 mile) radius of Merai were ordered to flee. In 2010 a series of intense Merapi eruptions killed more than 350 people on the island of Java.

ISRAEL - Following an Iranian rocket barrage Wednesday night, the Israeli Defense Forces pounded Syria with significant airstrikes, obliterating dozens of targets associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Overnight Wednesday, Iran lobbed 20 Grad and Fajr-5 rockets into Israel from the suburbs of Damascus. Four of the rockets were neutralized by the Iron Dome missile defense system, with the other 16 landing in Syrian territory. In retaliation, Israel struck the rocket launching site.

MIDDLE EAST - British, US and Turkish-allied forces have put on a brutal show of military force in Turkey as tensions in the Middle East soar after Iran directly attacked Israel for the first time. Combat helicopters, warboats and Turkish armoured vehicles smashed their targets during a daytime Efes-2018 Combined Joint Live Fire Exercise at the Seferihisar district of Izmir, Turkey. Fears of eruption of Middle East violence which could bring the world closer to war are growing after Syria said Israel carried out an attack on a military base which was used by Iranian forces south of Damascus.

EUROPE - French President Emmanuel Macron has offered a jaw-dropping admission that the European Union dream is nearing its demise as Angela Merkel drags her feet over a series of reforms for the bloc. Mr Macron’s plans are seemingly at odds with EU boss Jean-Claude Juncker who admits there is no future in the “United States of Europe” vision being chased by the Frenchman. Before accepting his prize, Mr Macron wrote on Twitter: “The European dream is now gnawed by doubt. It’s up to us to decide whether we want to live it or let it die.” His comments will come as a blow to Ms Merkel, who heaped praise on her French counterpart during her own speech at a prize-giving ceremony in Aachen, Germany.

USA - US President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on 12 June, he has said. "We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!" the US leader tweeted. In March, Mr Trump stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Mr Kim for an unprecedented sit-down. The pair had previously exchanged insults and threats. The breakthrough came after landmark talks between North and South Korea.

USA - The way President Donald Trump sees it, why go for a solid single when you can swing for a home run? Trump’s upcoming summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is only the latest example of the president’s go-big strategy. From tax reform to international trade to foreign policy, Trump has pursued a high-risk, high-reward approach that advisers say can help produce results on longstanding problems — and that critics warn could trigger dangerous repercussions all the way from a trade war to global conflict.

AUSTRALIA - ‘Sexuality expert’ and author Deanne Carson has attracted mass ridicule after suggesting babies should “give consent” to having their nappies/diapers changed by their parents.

UNITED NATIONS - US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley says she “just started yelling at everybody” when she saw how UN members were constantly “bullying” Israel for things like its settlement push into Palestine and crackdown on Gaza protesters. “It was abusive, how bad the international community was to Israel. It reminded me of a kid being bullied in the playground,” Haley told the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) annual conference, which was held on Tuesday at the State Department. “I just wasn’t going to have it. It was just so upsetting to see, that I just started yelling at everybody,” she added. Haley told everyone at the UN that “we had the back of Israel, and if they were going to mess with Israel they had to mess with the US.”

ISRAEL - A new book about Israeli technological prowess ​gives readers an in-depth analysis of 62 emerging Israeli companies, all of which are developing solutions to life-threatening problems. The solutions these companies bring to the world include preventing amputations, reducing the risk of accidents, using smartphones to diagnose cervical cancer, converting blood dialysis machines into water purification devices, vanquishing influenza and generating water from air.

ISRAEL - Israeli fighter jets bombed Iranian military bases and munitions warehouses in Syria in a revenge attack for strikes on Golan Heights. The bombardments hit "nearly every target" during the largest Israeli air operation in years, military chiefs claimed. The mission was in response to airstrikes on Golan Heights last night, where "20 rockets" were fired in revenge for missiles fired on Damascus. The conflict came hours after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuke deal with Iran. Israeli military chiefs said the missiles at the Jewish state's defensive line were fired by the Iranian Quds Force.

USA - While President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal has been negatively criticized by most of the international community it has brought good news for some. Weapons manufacturers. The stock price of all of the top US weapons manufacturers shot up just as Trump announced he’s pulling his country out of the pact which lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program. The uptick wasn’t just limited to weapons manufacturers as oil rose more than three percent to hit its highest level since 2014.

UK - The world's deepest plastic bag has been found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench by scientists, highlighting the spread of ocean pollution. The find was made 36,000ft (10,898m) undersea in the deepest ocean trench - and was one of 3,000 pieces of man-made debris dating back 30 years. Numerous international teams working around the world on over 5,000 separate dives using deep-sea remote vehicles helped trawl through the ocean beds to discover what lay beneath. Over a third of the debris found was micro-plastic, with 89 per cent from single-use products. The full findings of the study have been published in the journal Marine Policy. It shows how human activities are now also affecting deep-sea ecosystems.

USA - We are all aware that public schools are indoctrinating our children with abhorrent subject matter that advances the agenda of the left. Alternative lifestyles and deviant sexual behavior are being taught alongside math and history – and just when you think the material being presented to our kids in school couldn’t get any worse, it does.