World 24/7: The Middle East is heating up again, is the US-North Korea dialogue at risk of reaching a dead end?

America makes its neighbors "next door" quarrel

Palestinians protest near the border fence with Israel on May 14. Photo: Getty

Following the decision to move its diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on December 6, 2017, the US held an inauguration ceremony for its embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, sparking a fierce conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. In Gaza, according to preliminary statistics, at least 55 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces, making it the deadliest day since the end of the war in this location in 2014.

Over two days (May 14 and 15), more than 40,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip participated in an "unprecedented" riot along the security fence on the Gaza-Israel border, to protest the US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Then, on the night of May 16 and early morning of May 17, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had conducted a series of airstrikes against Hamas “terrorist targets” in the northern Gaza Strip, in retaliation for several houses in the Israeli city of Sderot being hit by bullets, apparently fired from across the border.

Faced with these developments, Türkiye withdrew its ambassador from Israel, and Palestine also withdrew its diplomatic representative from Washington, further escalating diplomatic tensions between the parties, deepening divisions and gaps in the international arena.

US-North Korea summit about to hit a dead end?

US President Donald Trump (right) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: BBC

In the face of public shock, on May 16, Pyongyang announced that it would not attend high-level talks with Seoul, expressing its stance on the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. “This large-scale military exercise on a Korean scale, which is aimed at us, is a clear challenge to the Panmunjom Declaration and a deliberate military provocation, despite the positive developments on the Korean Peninsula. We have no choice but to postpone the high-level talks between North Korea and South Korea,” the country’s central news agency KCNA stated.

Not stopping there, North Korea also threatened to cancel the summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, which was scheduled to be held in Singapore on June 12. Immediately, the Blue House expressed its "regret" over North Korea's unexpected decision, and affirmed that it would try to act as an intermediary to narrow the gap between the parties, making an effort to ensure that the US-North Korea summit does not fall apart.

Tragic plane crash in Cuba

Authorities work at the scene of a plane crash in Cuba. Photo: EPA

According to TASS, the Cuban Council of State on May 19 declared a national mourning period to commemorate the victims of the Boeing-737 plane crash near Havana. The agency's statement stated: "In connection with the air accident on May 18, the Council of State officially declared a national mourning period from 6:00 a.m. on May 19 to 0:00 a.m. on May 21," and flags will be flown at half-mast throughout the country during this time.

Earlier, RT news agency also reported that more than 100 people were killed and 3 others survived but were in critical condition after the Boeing 737, leased by Cuba's Cubana de Aviacion from Mexico's Global Air, crashed shortly after takeoff, carrying 110 passengers and crew, while traveling from the Cuban capital to Holguin in the east of the country. Witnesses confirmed that the plane tried to return to the airport after takeoff and hit a power line.

Only four of those on board were found alive at the scene, but one man died on the way to the emergency room. The three surviving women are in critical condition and are being closely monitored at Calixto Garcia Hospital.

Cuban authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash but have not yet come up with an official hypothesis. One of the two black boxes on the plane has been found "in good condition", Cuba hopes to find the second black box soon. It is known that this is the second-highest death toll in the history of Cuban civil aviation, after the September 1989 crash that killed all 126 passengers and crew and 24 people on the ground.

Bombings in Indonesia

The scene of the bombing at a church in Surabaya city. Photo: BBC

Indonesia has recently faced a series of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks: 3 attacks on 3 churches in Surabaya on May 13, causing dozens of casualties; a bomb explosion at an apartment in Sidoarjo town, 34 km from Surabaya, killing 2 people and injuring 3 children on the night of May 13; a bomb attack on the police headquarters in Surabaya city on the morning of May 14, injuring 16 people; an attack with a car and sharp weapons on the Riau Police Department in Riau province, Sumateran island on the morning of May 16, killing at least 1 police officer, injuring 1 police officer and 2 reporters.

Notably, in the above incidents, 7 children from 3 families were lured into participating in 3 suicide bombings. The press said that these children were “brainwashed” and indoctrinated with extremist ideology after their parents allowed them to attend Koranic preaching classes led by a leader of a local extremist network, who was also one of the suicide bombers.

Statistics show that at least 500 Indonesians and their children have returned from Syria, where some of them joined the Islamic State (IS). This raises the fact that the IS “army” has expanded its operations to Southeast Asia, requiring countries in the region to strengthen closer cooperation to fight terrorism.

The fairy tale wedding of the British Royal Family

Groom Harry kisses bride Meghan in front of thousands of well-wishers. Photo: AFP

On May 19, the wedding of British Prince Harry, 33, and American actress Meghan, 36, took place at the British royal Windsor Castle, in the town of Windsor, more than 30 km from London, with the participation of 600 guests. A few hours before, about 120,000 people from all over the UK and tourists from many countries around the world, flocked to the town of Windsor, gathering on both sides of the road to see the bride and groom.

The Queen has bestowed titles on the couple, with Prince Harry becoming the Duke of Sussex, and his fiancée Meghan Markle becoming the Duchess of Sussex.