Trump Posts AI Video of Striking Iranian Military Aircraft, Intensifying Negotiation Pressure Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has posted an artificial intelligence (AI) generated video depicting the destruction of an Iranian military aircraft. This post comes on the same day he warned Iran that "time is running out," suggesting an escalation in military pressure amid stalled peace negotiations. On May 17, Trump shared a 5-second video on his social media platform, Truth Social. The video shows a U.S. warship firing a high-powered laser at an Iranian military airc May 18, 2026

Trump Joins Effort to Defeat Republican Thomas Massie in Costly Primary The primary election for U.S. Representative Thomas Massie's re-election has become the most expensive in House history. This surge in costs is attributed to significant advertising spending by Donald Trump's camp and pro-Israel organizations aimed at defeating Massie. According to Politico, the total advertising expenditure for the Kentucky Republican primary has exceeded $32 million, marking the highest amount ever recorded for a House primary, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact. Pr May 18, 2026

North Korean Women's Soccer Team Visits South Korea, Aims to Improve Relations North Korea's women's soccer team's visit to South Korea carries significance beyond a mere sports schedule. This marks the first time since 2018 that a North Korean team has played in South Korea, and it is the first women's soccer event since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. This visit, although framed as participation in an international tournament, is noteworthy as it represents a rare instance of 'restoring contact' amid strained inter-Korean relations. The team is in South Korea to May 18, 2026

Wall Street Bond Expert: Fed Likely to Raise Rates Instead of Cutting This Year ‘Bond King’ Jeffrey Gundlach, CEO of DoubleLine Capital, has predicted that the Federal Reserve will find it nearly impossible to cut interest rates this year. He cited rising oil prices due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and tariff pressures as factors pushing inflation higher, suggesting that market expectations for rate cuts are overly optimistic. On May 17, Gundlach appeared on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures,' stating, "Inflation pressures are persisting, making it difficul May 18, 2026

Trump Warns Iran to Act Quickly or Face Consequences President Donald Trump has warned Iran that it must act quickly or risk losing everything. As negotiations surrounding Iran's nuclear program and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled, U.S. military pressure appears to be escalating. On May 17, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, stating, "There is not much time left regarding the Iran issue. Iran must move quickly; otherwise, there will be nothing left." He emphasized that "time is of the essence." In May 18, 2026

Trump and Xi Confirm Joint Goal of North Korean Denuclearization Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Xi Jinping, the President of China, have confirmed their joint goal of denuclearizing North Korea. This comes amid speculation that the Trump administration may effectively recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, as the White House officially included "North Korean denuclearization" in its documents. On May 17, the White House released a fact sheet from the US-China summit, stating that Trump and Xi "confirmed their joint goal of denu May 18, 2026

Messi Aims for World Cup Goal Record as Ronaldo Targets Scoring Streak Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, two giants of world soccer for over two decades, are set to challenge for records in their sixth FIFA World Cup. The 2026 North America World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will kick off on June 12 with a match between Mexico and South Africa, running through July 20. This tournament is expected to be a significant milestone, as it may mark the last World Cup appearance for both Messi and Ronaldo. Born May 18, 2026

Kim Sang-wook and Kim Jong-hoon Agree on Unified Candidate for Ulsan Mayor The Democratic Party and the Progressive Party reached an agreement on May 15 to unify their candidates for the Ulsan mayoral election in the upcoming June 3 local elections. Kim Sang-wook of the Democratic Party and Kim Jong-hoon of the Progressive Party will be selected as a single candidate through a 100% opinion poll. This agreement follows the withdrawal of Hwang Myung-pil, the candidate from the Justice Party, the previous day, effectively concluding the unification of progressive ca May 18, 2026

Marina Abramović's 'Transforming Energy' Exhibition Opens at Venice's Accademia Gallery On May 7, the Accademia Gallery in Venice opened a solo exhibition titled 'Transforming Energy' by Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, 80. This exhibition marks Abramović as the first living female artist to showcase work at the gallery, which has a history spanning over 200 years. 'Transforming Energy' resembles a mineral spa. Visitors, wearing large earplugs, set aside their smartphones to meditate or take a nap. They leaned against mineral objects installed on the walls for re May 18, 2026

Government Plans Major Overhaul of Real Estate Tax System The South Korean government is expected to announce a significant reform of the real estate tax system in July, moving beyond merely reducing special exemptions to a phase of normalization. The policy focus is shifting toward a resident-centered approach and addressing market distortions, which is likely to result in a general reduction of various tax benefits. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on May 17, the long-term holding special deduction (장특공) for capital gains ta May 18, 2026