Louisville

Amid Israel-Gaza violence, a personal drive to preserve humanity and hope

Minutes after Imad walked into the kibbutz dining hall just over two weeks ago he was engulfed by a wave of Israelis hurrying to him with open arms, pulling him in for long hugs. It had been over a decade since this Palestinian man in his 50s, a resident of Gaza, had seen these friends or stepped foot in this communal village where he worked most of his life. A week later and a few miles away along the Gaza-Israel border, 64 Palestinians were killed and more than a thousand wounded by Israeli soldiers as protesters – demanding their “right to return” to Israel and an end to the crippling Israeli economic blockade of Gaza – surged toward a perimeter fence.

The deft broker behind plans for a Trump-Kim summit

If President Trump’s anticipated summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un actually takes place on June 12, perhaps no one will deserve more credit than a person who prefers not to take credit: President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. The former humans rights lawyer, whose parents were refugees from North Korea, has spent much of his first year in office using the soft diplomacy of warmth and praise to bring out the best intentions of both Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump.

After mass shootings, students hope to change sense of siege to surge in activism

As he has watched the aftermath of school shootings this year – including a massacre Friday in Santa Fe, Texas – Carson Collins has felt the pressure to grieve and move on. Carson, a senior, was one of those locked in a classroom, ready along with his fellow students to charge the shooter in the hallway right outside. Instead, the man killed himself after killing two students.

Confronting Iran, US tests diplomatic strength without unity

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tried to be as polite and diplomatic as possible in assessing the Trump administration’s post-nuclear-deal Plan B for dealing with Iran. Point 1: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – who on Monday announced the new plan, which aims to “crush” Iran with “the strongest sanctions in history” – is “a great guy,” Mr. Johnson said. Point 2: That said, the new plan faces a steep uphill battle – particularly in bringing on board the international community, without which any plan to constrain or alter Iran’s behavior cannot succeed.