Icetruck

Magic mushrooms can 'reset' depressed brain

A hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms can "reset" the brains of people with untreatable depression, raising hopes of a future treatment, scans suggest.

The small study gave 19 patients a single dose of the psychedelic ingredient psilocybin.

Half of patients ceased to be depressed and experienced changes in their brain activity that lasted about five weeks.

However, the team at Imperial College London says people should not self-medicate.

There has been a series of small studies suggesting psilocybin could have a role in depression by acting as a "lubricant for the mind" that allows people to escape a cycle of depressive symptoms.

But the precise impact it might be having on brain activity was not known.

The team at Imperial performed fMRI brain scans before treatment with psilocybin and then the day after (when the patients were "sober" again).

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed psilocybin affected two key areas of the brain.

• The amygdala – which is heavily involved in how we process emotions such as fear and anxiety – became less active. The greater the reduction, the greater the improvement in reported symptoms.
• The default-mode network – a collaboration of different brain regions – became more stable after taking psilocybin.

Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, head of psychedelic research at Imperial, said the depressed brain was being "clammed up" and the psychedelic experience "reset" it.

He told the BBC News website: "Patients were very ready to use this analogy. Without any priming they would say, 'I've been reset, reborn, rebooted', and one patient said his brain had been defragged and cleaned up."

However, this remains a small study and had no "control" group of healthy people with whom to compare the brain scans.

Further, larger studies are still needed before psilocybin could be accepted as a treatment for depression.

However, there is no doubt new approaches to treatment are desperately needed.

• Depression: A revolution in treatment?

Prof Mitul Mehta, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, said: "What is impressive about these preliminary findings is that brain changes occurred in the networks we know are involved in depression, after just a single dose of psilocybin.

"This provides a clear rationale to now look at the longer-term mechanisms in controlled studies."

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Source – bbc.com

Original Asterix illustration sells for 1.4m euros in Paris auction

A signed original illustration for an early Asterix comic book cover has sold for more than 1.4m euros (£1.25m; $1.7m), auctioneers in Paris say.

The record sum was more than seven times the expected price.

The drawing for the 1964 comic Asterix and the Banquet (Le Tour de Gaule in French) was signed by the creators of the series, Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny.

Hundreds of millions of Asterix books have sold since the series began.

Set in 50BC, their stories centre around Asterix, a Gaul, and his sidekick Obelix, as they attempt to stave off Roman invasion with the aid of a potion that confers superhuman strength on the drinker.

Mr Goscinny died in 1977 and Mr Uderzo handed the reins to other artists six years ago.

The auction house Drouot said that both men signed the illustration, dedicating it to Pierre Tchernia, a French TV and cinema producer.

Another illustration dedicated to the same man sold for nearly 1.2m euros.

Source – bbc.com

Introvert: (psychology) a person who tends to shrink from social contacts and to become preoccupied with their own thoughts. – vocabulary.com

While introverts draw their energy from internal sources, this doesn’t mean they all have a deep loathing for people. In fact, many of them do enjoy the company of (certain) people, but what makes an introvert truly different from an extrovert is that they have a limited amount of energy to spend on socializing. On the other hand, an extrovert can spend hours at a party and not feel tired in the slightest, feeling energized and excited by the crowd. He might even try to get his introverted friends to stay at the party longer, but his attempts will likely be in vain.

Many introverts are not inherently shy; they just have a smaller tolerance for being around groups of people too often or for extended periods of time. They don’t feel anxious around people, but generally enjoy their own company more than the company of others. However, for the shy introvert, feelings of anxiety arise when others talk to them, making even small talk all the more torturous.

No matter what kind of introvert you are, you probably struggle with conversation topics nonetheless. You probably have so much going on inside your mind that you simply don’t have the energy to engage with others, or maybe, you just really don’t like talking to people and would rather stick with the conversation between you and your mind.
Sadly, we can’t escape the reality that talking is part of human life, and we must interact with humans at some point. I mean, even the most introverted among us might find a human we actually like talking to, which would make conversation totally worth it!

So, if you find yourself struggling with conversation at parties or other social engagements, maybe these icebreakers could help you out a bit.

Here are 15 ways for introverts to start up a conversation:

1. Ask about someone’s job, family, or anything that gets the other person talking.

Since introverts generally don’t like being in the spotlight, ask the other person questions about themselves at any opportunity. This way, you won’t have to spend so much energy thinking of what to say and you can instead do what most introverts do best: listen.

Plus, this is a pretty general question, and will help with small talk until the conversation hopefully takes a turn for the “heavier” topics us introverts would much rather discuss.

2. Talk about travel.

Most people love traveling to far away lands and experiencing new sights, food, and cultures. This bonds people all over the world, because humans used to be nomadic creatures, after all. It’s still in our DNA to have a desire to get up and move, see new things, and have a different viewpoint in life. So, if you can bring up a few of your most recent travels, it’s likely the other person will have stories to tell of their own, too.

3. Anything food-related.

Humans LOVE food, if you haven’t noticed already. We spend hours thinking about what we want to eat next, or reading cookbooks to find a recipe worth making. Our lives revolve around satisfying our hunger, and everyone’s inner foodie quickly comes out when you bring up the topic. Food bonds people, too, so don’t hesitate to mention your favorite restaurant or the latest cake you made.

4. Ask what music someone likes.

Yet another common interest among people is music. I mean, have you ever met someone who said they didn’t like music? I sure haven’t, and if I ever do in the future, I’ll most definitely ask what planet they’re from. With that said, music is another neutral topic to start up a conversation with, and you might just find a buddy to go to concerts with, too.

5. Movies/books/other media.

So, you probably get the idea by now – basically, ask other people what they like. “What’s your favorite book/movie/magazine/TV show/etc?” Even if the person doesn’t read, he or she probably watches movies or TV shows. Either Game of Thrones or Orange Is The New Black is sure to get people talking, and if not those, there are literally thousands of other shows and movies to choose from.

6. “What do you like to do in your free time?”

Hobbies can get people talking for hours, because everyone does something in their off time, even if they don’t have much of it. You can also find common interests this way that could lead to a friendship, perhaps.

7. Show them a funny video or meme online.

If you get to talking about social media, you can always resort to your phone to sort of do the talking for you. It takes the attention off yourself, and gives you a break from thinking of conversation topics for a while. Plus, who doesn’t like to laugh?

8. Talk about current events.

This is another “safe” topic for the most part, and there’s always something going on in the world to talk about.

9. Ask where they’re from.

People love to talk about their hometown most of the time, but if they hated where they grew up, it might segue into other topics, such as travel, where they moved to after college, or what city they like best. You can talk about your hometown, too, and maybe include some interesting or funny stories about your stomping grounds.

10. Pets, or just cute animals in general.

Even if you don’t have pets, talking about animals (especially cute, fuzzy ones), is a surefire way to get people talking. Most of us have a soft spot for animals, and what makes them even more awesome is that there are so many different types of creatures to have a conversation about!

11. “What’s the craziest/scariest/most awesome thing you’ve ever done?”

Again, this takes the spotlight off of you for a bit and also allows you to get to know the other person a little deeper. People love talking about life experiences, especially those where they conquered a fear or did something most people haven’t, such as skydiving or base jumping.

12. Tell a joke.

Okay, so maybe you aren’t a stand-up comedian, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make people laugh. Jokes always break the ice, because people love to laugh and have a good time. Take one from the Internet if you have to, because no one knows if you made up the joke yourself or stole it from someone (they’ll be so busy laughing at your hilarious jokes that they won’t even question where it came from anyway).

13. Favorite quotes.

This one could make for some stimulating conversation, because usually, two people don’t share the same favorite quotes, which means you can learn some new ones and also teach someone else at the same time. This could also lead to other conversation topics, such as favorite books/movies/etc.

14. Cool places to hang out in town.

Even if the person isn’t from your town, you could tell them of some interesting places to visit while they’re there, and possibly even show them around if you’re up for it.

15. Interesting things you’ve done recently.

Maybe you tried a new dish you’ve never had before, or swam with dolphins on a recent vacation. Whatever the case, think about what you’ve done lately and tell the other person about it – maybe they had some similar experiences and can keep the conversation flowing about it.

So, there you have it, a nice list of conversation topics when you feel stuck at a party and can’t think of what to say next. Of course, you’ll want to look over this before socializing so you don’t have to research it while at the party, because that would definitely make for a long, awkward silence, or them moving on to another conversation. (Which we’re sure some of you wouldn’t mind, but the point is to sustain a conversation with someone, remember?)

It might feel awkward or uncomfortable talking to people sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it with a little guidance and topics at the ready to talk about. Think of the bright side: you might just make a new lifelong friend by bringing up some of these conversation starters the next time you go out!

Let us know if any of these topics work for you at your next social event!

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

Sources:
http://www.lovepanky.com/flirting-flings/get-flirty/text-conversation-starters
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinapark/2015/03/30/an-introverts-guide-to-small-talk-eight-painless-tips/2/#7f9ac9e9346b
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-introverts-corner/201101/chitchat-101-guide-introverts

The post 10 Conversation Starters For Introverts appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.

Source – powerofpositivity.com

Harvey Weinstein: 'Business as usual' at Weinstein Co, brother insists

Harvey Weinstein's brother, Bob, has denied media reports that the film production company they co-founded could be closed or sold.

"Our banks, partners and shareholders are fully supportive of our company," he said in a statement. "Business is continuing as usual."

The company fired Harvey Weinstein on Sunday amid a slew of sexual harassment allegations.

The claims have prompted police investigations in both the US and UK.

On Friday, the scandal surrounding Weinstein – who produced films including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – deepened when he was accused of rape by US actress Rose McGowan.

He was already facing claims of rape, sexual assault, groping and harassment.

Weinstein, who is believed to be in Europe seeking therapy, has insisted through a spokeswoman that any sexual contacts he had were consensual.

• Harvey Weinstein: The accusers' stories
• What it was like to work for Weinstein
• How the scandal unfolded

Since the avalanche of claims began, the company has been trying to disassociate itself from its co-founder and save the business, reports say, with efforts made to buy Harvey Weinstein out, rebrand and keep creative partners on board.

But reports in the Los Angeles Times said that financers had begun to pressure the company to sell and potential buyers were circling.

The Wall Street Journal also reported the company was "exploring a sale or shutdown" and was "unlikely to continue as an independent entity".

The company is thought to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars but before the recent allegations had already faced questions about its future prospects amid increasing competition from media streaming services.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs said on Friday it was investigating options to sell the small stake it holds, citing the reported "inexcusable behaviour".

On Saturday, the organisers of the Oscars film awards will hold emergency talks amid speculation it could suspending Harvey Weinstein's membership. Bafta, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, has already done so.

The New York Times broke the story on 5 October when it detailed decades of allegations of sexual harassment against Weinstein.

Since then police forces in the US and UK have launched investigations into sexual assault allegations against Weinstein:

• The New York Police Department is looking into an allegation dating from 2004 and reviewing whether there are any additional complaints

• London's Met Police has received an allegation of sexual assault in the London area in the 1980s

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Source – bbc.com

Trump aims blow at Iran and threatens landmark nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump has condemned Iran as a "fanatical regime" and refused to continue signing off on a landmark international nuclear deal.

In a combative speech on Friday, Mr Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and proposed new sanctions.

He said Iran had already violated the 2015 deal, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear capability in return for easing international embargoes.

International observers say Iran has been in full compliance with the deal.

Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump said he was acting in order to deny Iran "all paths to a nuclear weapon".

"We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror, and the very real threat of Iran's nuclear breakout," he said.

• Trump's Iran deal speech: Full text
• Iran nuclear deal: Key details
• Europe ‘concerned’ by Trump Iran threat
• What do Trump's words on Iran mean for US/UK relations?

What does Trump's refusal to sign mean?

Congress requires the US president to certify every 90 days that Iran is upholding its part of the agreement. Mr Trump had already recertified twice, but refused to sign a third time ahead of a Sunday deadline.

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Congress now has 60 days to decide whether to pull out of the nuclear deal by re-imposing sanctions.

Some advocates of the deal, signed between Iran and six international powers – the UK, US, Russia, France, Germany, and China – had feared that Mr Trump would withdraw the US entirely.

Instead he essentially passed the ball to Congress, which will now decide whether to rewrite the framework in accordance with Trump's wishes. The president made it clear that if it did not, he would cancel the deal.

"In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated," he said. "It is under continuous review and our participation can be cancelled by me, as president, at any time."

What changes does he want?

Mr Trump is seeking is the end to the nuclear deal's so-called "sunset clauses", one of which allows for the lifting of restrictions on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme after 2025.

He also called for new sanctions on Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, which he called the "corrupt personal terror force of Iran's leader", and restrictions on Iran's ballistic missile programme, which is not covered by the deal.

Last month, Iran said it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile with a 2,000km (1,200-mile) range. The test was not internationally verified.

The president said that congressional leaders were already drafting amendments that would curb the ballistic missile development and eliminate expiry dates on restrictions to Iran's nuclear development.

How did key players respond?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US was "more than ever isolated" and could not change the nuclear deal.

"As long as our rights are guaranteed, as long as our interests are served, as long as we benefit from the nuclear deal, we will respect and comply with the deal," Mr Rouhani said.

Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Iran was implementing the deal and was subject to "the world's most robust nuclear verification regime".

European diplomats warned that any such unilateral changes to the agreement were likely to trigger the deal's collapse and a return to a nuclear standoff in the Middle East.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called the deal "robust" and said there had been "no violations" by Iran. She said it was not in the power of "any president in the world" to terminate the agreement.

In a joint statement, the UK, Germany and France said they were "concerned" by Mr Trump's move but remained committed to the deal. They said they "shared concerns about Iran's ballistic missile programme and regional activities".

Russia said it remained committed to the deal and was opposed to the use of "aggressive and threatening rhetoric in international relations".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Mr Trump, who he said had "boldly confronted Iran's terrorist regime". Saudi Arabia also backed the US president's "firm strategy".

What has changed?

By Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent

President Trump has recast the list of Middle East threats, with Iran replacing Islamic State as Enemy Number One.

That world view is shared by his strongest supporters in the region, including Israel and Gulf Arab leaders who have long seen Iran as their primary threat, and a rival with vast sway across the Middle East.

They resented Washington's focus on the Iran deal during President's Obama administration. Like President Trump, they want to undo his legacy. The new approach imposes new sanctions but stops short of designating Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group – a step Iran says would be tantamount to a declaration of war.

The urgent question now is whether the new strategy will embolden Iran's hardliners including the Revolutionary Guards. Like US forces, they're involved in battles to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria, and may also see a new enemy.

Trump hands Congress a hot potato

By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News Washington

Donald Trump, trying to reconcile a bluntly delivered campaign promise with the tricky realities of governing, is taking a half-step – and handing the mess to Congress.

Legislators do not make for great caretakers, however, and without firm White House guidance Iran may prove a daunting challenge. The president has decertified Iran's compliance, but Congress will have to decide how to fix the deal to his liking.

The administration recommends establishing "triggers" that would automatically impose penalties on the Iran. That will take a lot of legislative manoeuvring, not Washington's strong suit lately.

There are signs of progress in Congress, but with tax reform and budget negotiations continuing, the schedule is packed. At some point Mr Trump could again be on the spot. He says if there's no further action, he will officially nix the deal.

The original Iran deal legislation was a way to allow congressional Republicans to object to the agreement without killing it. Now, it seems, Mr Trump wants new provisions that will allow him to kill it – or keep it – without getting his hands dirty.

What is the nuclear deal?

Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it is designed to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

It lifted some sanctions that stopped Iran from trading on international markets and selling oil.

The lifting of sanctions is dependent on Iran restricting its nuclear programme. It must curb its uranium stockpile, build no more heavy-water reactors for 15 years and allow inspectors into the country.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Source – bbc.com

We all have pictures of ourselves which we wish would never see the light of day but when it comes to celebrities, the stakes are even higher. Their public, as well as personal lives, are always under scrutiny and they are often denied the personal space that normal people are not. Similarly, these celebrities took pictures in various states of undress either for a special someone or just for fun and faced their worst nightmare when they ended up on the world wide web thanks to a nosy stalker or a jealous ex.

10. Kate Upton

Image credits: LBI Productions

Kate Upton, American actress and swimsuit model in the prime of her career was hit by this storm of controversy following the iCloud photo leak. The sports illustrated model found herself on the cover of magazines but for the wrong reasons. Her publication team expressed their contempt regarding the whole matter and on the violation of their client’s privacy.

9. Jennifer Lawrence

Image credits: shutterstock

Another victim of the iCloud photo leak is the Hunger Games star and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence. Her reaction wasn’t calm at all. The idea of your own private images being leaked is absolutely scary and that being said, it probably wasn’t easy for her. And she spoke up about these feelings on various interviews. She mentioned how just because she is a public figure and an actress it does not imply that she is automatically a target for these kinds of attacks. After all, it is her body and it should be her choice to reveal it whoever she pleases and the fact in this leak the choice was not hers makes it a violation of her rights.

“People forget that we’re human.”

She is completely justified in feeling this way and no one deserves to have their privacy invaded in this manner.

8. Dave Franco

Image credits: Shutterstock

We are all aware of the infamous iCloud hacking scandal which unleashed a storm of controversy when many prominent celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Selena Gomez fell victim to having their private pictures and videos leaked all over the internet. One of the people in the long list of people who were affected by this leak is Dave Franco. The movie star James Franco’s brother joined the bandwagon of millions of people who fall victim to privacy invasion every day.

7. Dylan Sprouse:

Picture credits: gettyimages

Disney sweetheart and heartthrob Dylan Sprouse, twin of Cole Sprouse had the perfect way of telling the world that he is no longer the blonde kid who used to star on Disney’s “Sweet Life of Zack and Cody”. In 2013 Dylan Sprouse had his nudes leaked. After the pictures went viral, the star admitted having sent them to someone he trusted and when a lot of people started tweeting him on the matter he had a perfect response to the issue.

At least you can't see my third testicle

— Dylan Sprouse (@dylansprouse) December 16, 2013

Dylan gracefully handled the whole situation and sometimes its best to laugh at one’s self before others do.

6. George Burgess:

Great sesh today guys! Thanks for having me! #Repost @98rileystgym with @repostapp ・・・ Solid FYF to finish the week at 98 ?? Teams of 2 100 GTS (45/25 Kg) Then *each partner must complete every round. Partner 2 cannot start until partner 1 has completed full round. 50 cal row – 5 burpees 40 cal row – 10 burpees 30 cal row – 15 burpees 20 cal row – 20 burpees 10 cal row – 10 burpees Then 100 Deadlift (100/60 kg) #chrisfeathertraining #bodyscience #98rileystgym

A post shared by George Burgess (@george.burgess) on Feb 24, 2017 at 12:56am PST

Australia’s gorgeous Rugby League footballer found his nude selfies circulating all over Twitter back in 2013. To say the least, people were impressed by his “assets” and his pictures ended up on several gay sites.

5. Scott Evans:

Image credits: shutterstock

The American actor known for his role on “One Life To Live.”, brother of Chris Evans or more famously known as Captain America made the headlines when his nude selfies, taken from an iPhone and iPad somehow ended up on social media and caught a lot of attention on social media.

10 Morning Routines Mentally Strong People Practice Everyday

4. Chris Brown:

Image credits: GettyImages

In 2014, Rihanna’s infamous ex found himself in the midst of another scandal when on Wednesday, Jan. 14 two nude pictures rumored to be his, were leaked on the internet. After a lot of controversy and speculation by his fans and haters alike, the singer admitted that the pictures were his. Following is the link of an interview:

3. Colin Farrell:

Image credits: Heyday Films

This Irish star who is known for his brilliant part in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them had also gotten a lot of unsolicited attention when his nudes along with a sex tape with his then-girlfriend Nicole Narain surfaced on the internet. He reportedly sued the Play Boy model for the leak.

“The whole thing was horrifying,” Farrell recalled to Elle. “I was deposed for four hours explaining why I did not want it to be released. God forbid, it is an on-demand movie in a hotel room and my mother says, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen this work of my son’s,’ and hits purchase.”

2. Kanye West:

Image credits : shutterstock

The narcissistic rapper met the same fate as these celebrities when nude pictures rumored to be his were sold on the internet. However, he did not seem perturbed at all by the whole affair and confirmed the pictures were indeed his. The only concern he seemed to have was that his package got cut off in one photo. He too made light of the matter and hinted how something like this, from him, should not come as a surprise:

“Have you heard the first line of ‘Runaway’? I only rap reality! The first line of the song is, ‘She find pictures in my email/I sent this girl a picture of my, hey!'”

1. Calum Hood:

Image credits: GettyImages

The 21-year-old bassist and vocalist from 5 Seconds of Summer allegedly had his nude Snapchat video leaked which unleashed a storm on Twitter three years ago. The star has a huge fan base following, mainly consisting of teenage girls who were nothing but supportive of him regarding this matter. He later gave the haters a shut up call by admitting his lapse in judgment and reminding us about how everyone is allowed to make mistakes, famous or not.

I'm still just a teenage kid learning from mistakes ?

— Calum Hood (@Calum5SOS) August 29, 2014

We can all learn from Calum and in the future think a gazillion times before we attempt to send someone something which can later place us in an awkward situation.

The more famous you are the more vulnerable it makes you to attacks on your privacy. In a world which is obsessed with celebrity lives and constantly looking for the newest piece of gossip or dirt or anyone, it becomes a very profitable gig to reveal the most intimate details of someone’s life.

Liked This? Read This: 10 Celebrities Reveal Their First Job Before They Were Famous

Article by Born Realist

The post 10 Celebrities Who Wish They Had Never Taken Embarrassing Photos appeared first on Born Realist.

Source – bornrealist.com

Iran nuclear deal: Trump vows not to recertify agreement

US President Donald Trump has condemned Iran as a "fanatical regime" and refused to continue certifying a landmark international nuclear deal.

He accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and said he would deny the regime "all paths to a nuclear weapon".

International observers say Iran has been in full compliance with the 2015 deal freezing its nuclear programme.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US was "more than ever isolated" and could not change the nuclear deal.

"As long as our rights are guaranteed, as long as our interests are served, as long as we benefit from the nuclear deal, we will respect and comply with the deal," Mr Rouhani said.

Mr Trump said the deal was too lenient, and Iran had "committed multiple violations of the agreement". Iran, he said, was spreading "death, destruction and chaos".

• Trump's Iran deal speech: Full text
• What's new about Trump's Iran policy?
• Trump hands Iran chalice to Congress
• Europe ‘concerned’ by Trump Iran threat

It was "not living up to spirit of the deal", he said, but receiving the benefit of sanctions relief regardless. His new strategy would fix that, he said.

The US reserved the right to leave the deal at any time, he warned, and would do so unless "satisfactory" changes were made.

Mr Trump had been under pressure at home and abroad not to scrap the deal, signed in July 2015 by Iran and the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany.

How did key players respond?

Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Iran was implementing the deal and was subject to "the world's most robust nuclear verification regime".

That view was reinforced by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who said the deal was "robust" and that there had been "no violations of any of the commitments in the agreement".

It was not in the power of "any president in the world" to terminate the agreement, which had been established by a UN Security Council resolution, she said.

In a joint statement, the UK, Germany and France said they were "concerned" by Mr Trump's move but remained committed to the deal. But they added they also "shared concerns about Iran's ballistic missile programme and regional activities".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Russia also remained committed to the deal and was opposed to the use of "aggressive and threatening rhetoric in international relations".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Mr Trump, who he said had "boldly confronted Iran's terrorist regime". Saudi Arabia also backed the US president's "firm strategy".

What has changed?

By Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent

President Trump has recast the list of Middle East threats, with Iran replacing Islamic State as Enemy Number One.

That world view is shared by his strongest supporters in the region, including Israel and Gulf Arab leaders who have long seen Iran as their primary threat, and a rival with vast sway across the Middle East.

They resented Washington's focus on the Iran deal during President's Obama administration. Like President Trump, they want to undo his legacy. The new approach imposes new sanctions but stops short of designating Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group – a step Iran says would be tantamount to a declaration of war.

The urgent question now is whether the new strategy will embolden Iran's hardliners including the Revolutionary Guards. Like US forces, they're involved in battles to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria, and may also see a new enemy.

What do Trump's words on Iran mean for US/UK relations?

Iran nuclear deal: Key details

What violations of the nuclear deal did Mr Trump say Iran had committed?

On two occasions, he said, they had exceeded the limit of 130 tonnes of heavy water (a source of plutonium suitable for a nuclear bomb).

Until recently, he said, the regime had failed to meet expectations in its operation of advanced centrifuges.

He claimed it had also "intimidated international inspectors into not using the full inspection authorities that the agreement calls for".

What changes does Trump want?

Among the changes he is seeking is the end to the nuclear deal's "sunset" clauses, one of which sees the lifting of restrictions on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme after 2025.

Mr Trump also focused on the activities of the Revolutionary Guards, which he called the "corrupt personal terror force of Iran's leader", and Iran's missile programme, which he said threatened "global trade and freedom of navigation".

A key criticism of the Iran deal by Mr Trump has been that it fails to cover Iran's ballistic missile programme. Last month, Iran successfully tested a new medium-range missile with a 2,000km (1,200-mile) range.

Mr Trump said he would impose sanctions outside the Iran deal targeting both.

Why now?

Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (Ingra), Congress requires the US president to certify every 90 days that Iran is upholding its part of the nuclear agreement.

Mr Trump had already recertified it twice and had a deadline of Sunday to make his latest report back.

But his refusal to recertify gives Congress 60 days to decide whether to pull out of the nuclear deal by re-imposing sanctions.

Trump hands Congress a hot potato

By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News Washington

Donald Trump, trying to reconcile a bluntly delivered campaign promise with the tricky realities of governing, is taking a half-step – and handing the mess to Congress.

Legislators do not make for great caretakers, however, and without firm White House guidance Iran may prove a daunting challenge. The president has decertified Iran's compliance, but Congress will have to decide how to fix the deal to his liking.

The administration recommends establishing "triggers" that would automatically impose penalties on the Iran. That will take a lot of legislative manoeuvring, not Washington's strong suit lately.

There are signs of progress in Congress, but with tax reform and budget negotiations continuing, the schedule is packed. At some point Mr Trump could again be on the spot. He says if there's no further action, he will officially nix the deal.

The original Iran deal legislation was a way to allow congressional Republicans to object to the agreement without killing it. Now, it seems, Mr Trump wants new provisions that will allow him to kill it – or keep it – without getting his hands dirty.

What is the nuclear deal?

Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it is designed to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

It lifted some sanctions that stopped Iran from trading on international markets and selling oil.

The lifting of sanctions is dependent on Iran restricting its nuclear programme. It must curb its uranium stockpile, build no more heavy-water reactors for 15 years and allow inspectors into the country.

Source – bbc.com

YouTube lifts Swazi bare-breasted dancer restrictions

YouTube has lifted restrictions from videos showing Swaziland's reed dance, which feature bare-breasted women.

A spokesperson for the video-sharing platform told the BBC that YouTube allows nudity when "culturally relevant or properly contextualised".

Users who had uploaded reed dance videos were angered when it was classified as age-restricted content.

YouTube has denied accusations of racism, saying it was keen to be culturally sensitive.

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The move was in response to a campaign led by Lazi Dlamini, the head of TV Yabantu, an online video production company, featuring Africa's "finest culture… as seen, and recorded by the African people".

Its YouTube channel – which launched in 2016 – had been adding up to 4,000 new subscribers every month until the platform started to flag its content as inappropriate, South Africa's Mail and Guardian newspaper reports.

It also put a label on the channel advising advertisers that its content was "not suitable for most advertisers".

According to Mr Dlamini, he had contacted YouTube's parent company Google to say that he was simply reflecting the cultural values of his community, but the company said that the content violated the platform's standards.

He then organised a series of protests, working with more than 200 cultural groupings from Swaziland, with the first one taking place on Saturday in Durban, a city in neighbouring South Africa, the Mail and Guardian says.

It included at least a dozen women who posed bare-breasted with placards that accused Google of racism.

One placard read: "My breasts are not inappropriate", the Mail and Guardian said.

What is the reed dance?

• The reed dance, or Umhlanga, celebrates chastity and virginity
• Every year about 40,000 girls and young women take part in the ceremony, during which King Mswati can chose a new wife
• The eight-day event, which sees the women parade semi-naked in front of the royal residence, has been heavily criticised by rights groups who say it is outdated and sexist.

After the Mail and Guardian article was published, a spokesperson for YouTube told the BBC that reed dance videos were not against their policy, and that they were happy to rectify the error and apologise.

YouTube has been criticised for how it moderates content, and earlier this year pledged to do more to prevent the spread of terror-related material in particular.

More 400 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube per minute.

In most cases, YouTube relies on inappropriate content being flagged by users, which it then investigates.

Source – bbc.com

Iran nuclear deal: Trump vows not to sign off agreement

US President Donald Trump has condemned Iran as a "fanatical regime" and refused to continue certifying an international nuclear deal.

He said he was referring the deal to Congress and would consult allies on how to alter it.

He accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and said he would deny the regime "all paths to a nuclear weapon".

International observers say Iran has been in full compliance with the 2015 deal freezing its nuclear programme.

But Mr Trump said the deal was too lenient, and Iran had been allowed to exceed heavy-water limits and intimidate international inspectors.

Iran, he said, was spreading "death, destruction and chaos".

It was "not living up to spirit of the deal", he said, but was receiving the benefit of sanctions relief regardless.

He said that the US reserved the right to leave the deal at any time.

Mr Trump had been under pressure at home and abroad not to scrap the seven-country deal.

He also focused on Iran's non-nuclear activities, particularly those of the Revolutionary Guards, which he called the "corrupt personal terror force of Iran's leader".

Source – bbc.com