Historic but little-achieved Trump-Kim meeting; US “revives” World Trade Center

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made history on June 12 when they shook hands, held talks and held a summit in Singapore. This was the first time in history that a sitting US president had direct contact with a North Korean leader, raising great expectations for peace and prosperity for the Northeast Asian region as well as the whole world.

The US-North Korea summit created a very optimistic atmosphere, but did not really resolve the disagreements between the two countries. The joint statement was released afterwards and Trump praised it as a "very comprehensive" agreement. However, analysts said that the content of this 4-point joint statement was completely different from what many people expected, according toGuardian.

President Trump has confirmed that talks between Washington and Pyongyang will be held next week to clarify the steps needed to implement the agreement signed with the North Korean leader.

UK insists parliamentary vote cannot reverse Brexit

UK Secretary of State for Brexit David Davis. Photo: AFP/VNA

British Secretary of State for Brexit David Davis said on June 12 that there would be no change to the decision to leave the EU (Brexit) regardless of the outcome of the divorce negotiations with the bloc.

Speaking on the BBC, Minister Davis affirmed: "Whatever we do, we will not change (the decision to leave the EU).

A meaningful vote is not the ability to change the decision of the referendum." In addition, Mr. Davis also expressed support for British Prime Minister Theresa May in the upcoming election in the UK.

French President criticizes Italy for irresponsible behavior on migrant issue

A ship carrying migrants in distress at sea arrives at the port of Catania on the island of Sicily. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

French President Emmanuel Macron on June 12 accused Italy of “contempt and irresponsibility” for refusing to take in hundreds of migrants, many of them women and children, stranded on a rescue ship in the Mediterranean. Macron affirmed that France would fulfill its obligations under the law if it encountered a similar situation.

The Elysee Palace boss's reaction came after Italy refused to allow the Aquarius rescue ship carrying 629 migrants, including 11 children and 7 pregnant women, to dock in the country. The French President said that this action by the Italian government was "unacceptable".

US inaugurates new World Trade Center building

The new World Trade Center building. Source: architecturaldigest.com

After many years of delay, on June 11, the new 80-story World Trade Center skyscraper in New York City (USA) was officially inaugurated. This is the 5th tallest building in New York City.

The tower, known as 3 World Trade Center, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning British architect Richard Rogers, was built on the 6.4-hectare site where 2,700 people died in the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

New York Governor Andrew Coumo called the tower "a symbol of the rebirth of downtown New York and a testament to the indomitable spirit of New Yorkers after 9/11."

South Korean businesses express hope for inter-Korean projects

South Koreans watch news about the US-North Korea summit in Seoul, South Korea. Source: Yonhap

South Korean retailers are expressing optimism about new business opportunities with North Korea following the recent rapprochement between the two Koreas and the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12, Yonhap reported.

Industry observers are now focusing on the possibility that the US-North Korea summit will lift international sanctions on Pyongyang, a key prerequisite for South Korean corporations to penetrate the North Korean market.

Venezuela's inflation is "skyrocketing"

Venezuela's inflation continues to soar, rising to 24,571% in the 12 months ending May 31. In May alone, the consumer price index hit 110.1%, the first time the index has exceeded 100% in a single month.

The latest figures come from a report by the National Assembly's Finance Commission, which looked at the period from May 2017 to May 2018. Venezuela's central bank has not released inflation figures for more than two years.

President Nicolas Maduro's government controls much of the country's economy and is mired in an unprecedented crisis, with food and medicine in short supply.

Turkish military conducts airstrikes through the night in northern Iraq

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters in the Qandil area of ​​northern Iraq. Source: AFP/VNA

The Turkish military said on June 12 that it destroyed 12 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq in overnight airstrikes on June 11, as it stepped up its operations against terrorist targets in the Qandil region of Iraq. The targets were in the Qandil region of Hakurk province and areas in Avasin-Basyan, including shelters and ammunition depots.

The Turkish military has recently stepped up attacks against the PKK in northern Iraq, where PKK bases are located in the Qandil mountains.

Apple issues a "ban" on all cryptocurrency mining apps

Illustration photo. Source: ccn.com

Apple has just updated its App Store Review Guidelines, which prohibits developers from posting applications that serve cryptocurrency mining purposes.

The new ban extends to all of Apple's platforms.

Previously, in March, Apple removed the Calendar 2 app from the Mac App Store after it began mining cryptocurrency on people's devices in exchange for premium features.

It's Apple's first move against cryptocurrency mining apps.