THE WASHINGTON POST (USA): “Team Trump” defends tariffs as bipartisan opposition grows, markets slide. Members of Trump’s Cabinet urged Americans not to panic as questions and criticism of tariffs from conservatives and liberals alike picked up steam. Trump administration officials blitzed television networks Sunday to defend the president’s massive tariffs that have caused a sell-off in the stock market and triggered recession fears, arguing that the import taxes are already forcing dozens of countries to come to the bargaining table. Fifty countries were “burning the phone lines into the White House” to negotiate with President Donald Trump, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN’s “State of the Union”. Don’t panic, White House senior counselor Peter Navarro said on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures”. And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, dismissed predictions from economists and banks that there would be a recession. The full-court press from Cabinet members and advisers came as the administration is under immense pressure to pull back on the tariffs, which have caused the biggest loss in American stock market wealth since the panicked sell-off as covid-19 spread in March 2020. A growing number of conservatives are pushing back against Trump’s moves, with a nonprofit backed by right-wing megadonor Charles Koch leading a lawsuit against the tariffs, while some Republicans in both chambers of Congress are organizing a legislative effort to roll them back.

INDEPENDENT (GB): Stock futures drop again as Trump remains defiant on tariffs plan roiling international markets. Despite markets being expected to open lower on Monday, the president told reporters that his tariffs were “a beautiful thing to behold” and claimed unspecified countries were calling him “dying to make a deal”. U.S. stock futures dropped again on Sunday evening after the markets suffered a bloodbath during the week following President Donald Trump’s tariffs announcement. As the news emerged, Trump put out a statement on his social media platform insisting that he would follow through on his policies, despite them roiling the markets and threatening to disrupt the global financial order.

THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): Team Trump fanned out across the television talk shows Sunday to respond to the stiff international blowback after the president rolled out 10% baseline tariffs on all imports and reciprocal tariffs on specific countries. The tariff announcement sent shock waves through global markets and fueled concerns that Mr. Trump was steering the nation and the rest of the world toward a recession. Economists warned that the tariffs could spark a trade war that could lead to higher inflation and slower growth and that tariffs would raise consumer prices. Trump officials downplayed the outcry as media-induced hype and said the market would start to stabilize. They said the short-term pain would yield long-term gains through fairer trade deals, a revitalization of the nation’s manufacturing base and a stronger overall economy. Over the weekend, Mr. Trump urged Americans to “hang tough.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looked to ease concerns about the stock market, saying, “There doesn’t have to be a recession”.

VEDOMOSTI (RUSSIA): Спустя трое суток после объявления так называемых “зеркальных” пошлин и двое после ответных мер со стороны КНР Трамп в своей соцсети Truth Social дал победную оценку торговому противостоянию с Пекином. “Китай пострадал гораздо сильнее, чем США. Они, да и многие другие страны, обращались с нами непозволительно плохо. Мы были тупым и беспомощным “позорным столбом”, но теперь это не так”, – считает американский лидер. Трамп добавил, что в США возвращаются рабочие места и бизнес “как никогда раньше” – он обозначил цифру в $5 трлн инвестиций, которая “только растет” (при этом примерно столько же потерял фондовый рынок США за первые двое суток после «дня освобождения». – “Ведомости”). “Держитесь крепче, это будет нелегко, но конечный результат будет историческим. Мы сделаем Америку великой снова!!!” – заверил Трамп.

LE FIGARO (FRANCE): Face au relèvement des tarifs douaniers, les États cherchent des pistes pour négocier et les Américains font leurs comptes. Tout et son contraire! Samedi, trois jours après que Donald Trump a annoncé 20 % de droits de douane supplémentaires sur les produits européens, Elon Musk a déclaré espérer tendre vers “une zone de libre-échange” entre l’Europe et l’Amérique du Nord, avec des “droits de douane nuls”. Sachant qu’avant le tour de vis de Donald Trump, ces droits étaient faibles (quelques pourcents). Le multimilliardaire américain s’exprimait en visioconférence, lors du congrès du parti italien d’extrême droite La Ligue, à Florence. Le propriétaire de Tesla n’a pas caché ces dernières semaines que la firme automobile, qui importe de nombreux matériaux pour produire ses voitures aux États-Unis, serait affectée par la hausse tous azimuts des droits de douane. Un nouveau coup dur, après la chute de 17 % de ses ventes au premier trimestre 2025. L’action Tesla a perdu 30 % depuis le 1er janvier. Les rumeurs vont d’ailleurs bon train selon lesquelles Elon Musk quitterait bientôt le département…

GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): China values harmony, but firmly says no to economic bullying. In response to the US abuse of tariffs against all its trading partners, including China, under various pretexts, the Chinese government released its position on opposing US abuse of tariffs. The statement clearly said that “pressure and threats are not the right way to deal with China” and that “China-US economic and trade relations should be mutually beneficial in nature”. At the same time, China responded with a series of countermeasures. The world has witnessed China’s sense of responsibility as a major power that “does not make trouble, but has no fear of it” in the face of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. It has also observed China’s firm resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as its clear stance on urging the US to return to the right path of dialogue and cooperation.

O GLOBO (BRASIL): China considera cortes de juros e apoio à indústria para equilibrar impacto de tarifas de Trump. A China afirmou que tem margem para reduzir os custos de empréstimos e as exigências de reservas para os bancos, caso necessário, para proteger sua economia contra as novas tarifas do presidente dos EUA, Donald Trump. Na sexta-feira, o governo do presidente Xi Jinping anunciou que vai impor uma tarifa de 34% sobre todas as importações dos EUA a partir de 10 de abril, igualando o nível das chamadas tarifas recíprocas de Trump sobre produtos chineses. As autoridades em Pequim anunciaram várias contramedidas, incluindo a restrição imediata à exportação de sete tipos de terras raras.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): China wanted to negotiate with Trump. Now it’s arming for another trade war. Communication between Washington and Beijing is at a standstill, raising the prospects of a long cycle of tariff retaliation. “Trump and Xi are locked in a paradox of pressure and pride”. Beijing spent the first months of President Trump’s second term trying—and failing—to figure out the new administration’s approach to China. Officials hoping to build lines of communication with Washington had no luck. With Trump’s latest tariff action, the magnitude of his trade assault hit home and Beijing’s hope for dialogue melted into frustration and anger.

THE ECONOMIC TIMES (INDIA): India sees no hit to projected growth from US tariffs, economists remain sceptical. India may still meet its 6.3%-6.8% growth projection for the 2025/26 fiscal year that started on April 1 despite global disruptions from new U.S. tariffs, if oil prices stay below $70 per barrel, government officials said, even as many private economists lowered their forecasts. Economists, including at Goldman Sachs, have lowered India’s growth estimates by 20-40 basis points to 6.1% for the current 2025/26 financial year, citing the impact of the global tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. A 26% tariff on Indian imports, with even higher levies on other countries like China, has escalated global trade tensions, with major stock indices plunging in Asia on Monday.

HINDUSTAN TIMES (INDIA): New Delhi sees early trade talks with US as an edge over peers like China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which have been hit harder by higher US tariffs. Citing ongoing talks for a deal between the two countries, an Indian government official said India does not plan to retaliate against US President Donald Trump’s 26% tariff on imports from the Asian nation. The official, who declined to be named as the details of the talks are confidential, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has looked into a clause of Donald Trump’s tariff order that offers a possible reprieve for trading partners who “take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade arrangements". Positioning itself ahead of regional rivals, New Delhi sees an advantage in being one of the first nations to have started talks over a trade deal with Washington, and is better placed than Asian peers such as China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which higher US tariffs have hit, a second government official said, also declining to be named.

THE MAINICHI SHIMBUN (JAPAN): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has instructed Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato to closely monitor financial markets rocked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of significantly higher tariffs. Kato spoke to reporters after meeting with Ishiba at the prime minister’s official residence, a rare Sunday gathering of Cabinet members that included Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa. Ishiba’s government is concerned about the fallout for Japan’s export-oriented economy as well as the impact on foreign exchange and stock markets after U.S. reciprocal tariffs began to be levied late last week, fanning concerns about the outlook for global trade.

NIKKEI (JAPAN): Malaysia will seek this week to forge a united ASEAN response to the sweeping reciprocal tariffs announced by the U.S. last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said after discussing the matter with several of his counterparts in the regional bloc. Anwar, who is the current ASEAN chair, said in a video address late on Sunday night that Southeast Asian countries are among those hardest hit by the new U.S. measures. Cambodia was slapped with 49% tariffs and Vietnam assessed a 46% duty. He asserted that the sweeping tariffs mark only "the beginning of greater challenges" in the external economic environment.

THE TIMES (GB): Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce a relaxation of environmental rules, making it cheaper and easier to own an electric car, as he warns that President Trump’s tariffs are “not a phase”. In his first formal response to the tariffs imposed by the US, the prime minister will set out measures designed to prop up the car industry in the face of the 25% tax, which came into force last week. Jaguar Land Rover, one of Britain’s biggest carmakers, said at the weekend that it would suspend exports to the US.

GULF TIMES (QATAR): UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday confirmed that a trade war was in nobody’s interests. This was a first joint position with respect to the new reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States. In a statement on Saturday, Starmer’s Downing Street office reported that both sides spoke over the phone about the consequences of the US trade policies. They expressed their concern about the tariffs declared by US President Donald Trump and their implications on the global economy, particularly in the Southeast Asian region. In addition, the two sides underscored the importance of collaboration and coordination among European allies in confronting the economic challenges arising from these measures, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining close communication in the coming weeks.

THE CITIZEN (SOUTH AFRICA): South Africa must identify alternative markets to avoid 30% import charges. South Africa is among countries reeling from US President Donald Trump’s latest raft of tariff hikes, but the economic squeeze is likely to be a strong catalyst for realignment of allies, markets and opportunities, experts say. According to political economist Dale McKinley, Canada and European countries will be among those scrambling for new markets and opportunities, affecting trade with the US. He said South Africa should “start being creative and working hard to find other markets and realignments”. “On the diplomatic and trade negotiations front, it will be about making new friends and coalitions”, he added. Professor Raymond Parsons, of the North-West University Business School, said the scale of further wide-ranging US unilateral tariff hikes would “not only drive a huge wedge into the world’s multilateral trading system, but it’s bad news for the SA economy”.

AL-AHRAM (EGYPT): "The new US tariffs have made it difficult to accurately assess the global economic landscape," said Mohamed Maait, the Executive Director of the Arab Group at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Maait stated that while the full effects of the tariffs are still unfolding, early signs of impact are already visible. These include significant declines in global financial markets, a drop in oil prices, and a decrease in the value of the US dollar against a basket of major currencies. Maait also pointed to warnings from global banks, which predict a 60% chance of a recession, particularly in the US. The former Egyptian finance minister noted that the impact of the tariffs would be felt swiftly, with expectations of rising inflation, slower interest rate cuts, and potentially higher financing costs in the near future.

IZVESTIA (RUSSIA): Начавшиеся 5–6 апреля протесты в США могут в итоге привести к тому, что в 2026 году демократы смогут добиться большинства в одной или обеих палатах конгресса, считают опрошенные “Известиями” эксперты. Недовольство граждан вызвали экономические меры президента: они опасаются, что масштабные импортные пошлины вызовут скачок инфляции, причем в первую очередь на товары массового потребления. Американский рынок за два дня уже рухнул на 10%, его капитализация снизилась на $4 трлн. Сильнее всего “подешевели” гиганты — Apple, Nvidia, Tesla. Их поставщики и заводы находятся в странах, против которых как раз и были введены самые высокие тарифы.

DAILY SABAH (TURKEY): Macron’s desire to be the leader of Europe raises doubts about the continent’s future amid growing fractures in the EU and NATO. In this post-World War II world order, economics and geopolitics have drastically shifted due to COVID-19, Russia’s special operation in Ukraine in 2022, and more recently, U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategies of shock since his inauguration. Consequently, EU leaders found themselves in deep shock when Trump imposed a 20% tariff on European products entering the U.S. Some European leaders, like French President Emmanuel Macron, have tried to retaliate. Macron has called on French companies to suspend all investments in the U.S., demanding a joint European response to Trump’s 20% tariffs on goods and services. Despite all their efforts, today’s new geopolitics and economic configuration make Europe look like the sick man of the 21st century’s first quarter.

TEHRAN TIMES (IRAN): With tensions escalating in West Asia amid U.S. military deployments and aggressive rhetoric, Iran has made its position unmistakably clear: it remains open to diplomacy—but not to intimidation. From high-ranking military officials to leading diplomats, the Islamic Republic has made it clear: discussions can occur, but only indirectly, and never under threat or coercion. Central to Iran’s message is a rejection of repeating historical errors. Iranian authorities caution that the U.S. does not seek dialogue, but submission—an outcome Iran completely rejects.

THE JERUSALEM POST (ISRAEL): Several powerful Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq are prepared to disarm for the first time to avert the threat of an escalating conflict with the US Trump administration, 10 senior commanders and Iraqi officials told Reuters. The move to defuse tensions follows repeated warnings issued privately by US officials to the Iraqi government since Trump took power in January, according to the sources who include six local commanders of four major militias. The officials told Baghdad that unless it acted to disband the militias operating on its soil, America could target the groups with airstrikes, the people added.

LA LIBRE (BELGIUM): “Veut-on que la France devienne l’Amérique de Trump ou pas?” Après la condamnation de Marine Le Pen, un dimanche très politique à Paris. La condamnation en première instance du Rassemblement national dans l’affaire des assistants parlementaires européens pour détournement de fonds publics, et l’hypothèse sérieuse de l’inéligibilité de Marine Le Pen ont mis la classe politique française sous tension, à deux ans de l’échéance présidentielle. D’ici là, à l’été 2026, la cour d’appel doit se prononcer. Et la triple candidate du RN n’entend pas passer le flambeau au président du parti d’extrême droite, Jordan Bardella. La cheffe de file du Rassemblement nationale, Marine Le Pen, s’est dite dimanche victime d’une “décision politique” après le jugement qui l’a condamnée en première instance pour détournement de fonds publics, Gabriel Attal lui répondant par meeting interposé: “Tu voles, tu paies”. Deux ans avant l’élection présidentielle, la condamnation judiciaire de Marine Le Pen fait monter la température politique : le RN rassemble ses soutiens à Paris, face au bloc central et à une partie de la gauche qui l’accusent d’être “un parti violent” qui “attaque les juges”.

THE NEW YORK TIMES (USA): Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, told cheering supporters in Paris on Sunday that she would fight the five-year ban on her running for office, which resulted from an embezzlement conviction, casting herself as an underdog representing those who are “disdained” by the political elite. Addressing a crowd of several thousand who chanted her name, Ms. Le Pen and her allies railed against what they called curtailed free speech, biased judges and a “system” built to keep their party out of power. This is happening, she said, as the country disintegrates into “ruin and chaos”. “I won’t give up”, Ms. Le Pen said, arguing that she was the target of a politically motivated “witch hunt” to prevent her from competing in France’s 2027 presidential election, in which she has been a front-runner. “They are doing this for a single reason”, she said. “We are winning”. Ms. Le Pen’s conviction has been criticized by global right-wing figures, including President Trump. Her criticisms of France’s judiciary echoed his grievances against American courts.

THE GUARDIAN (GB): Marine Le Pen ruling is fuel for the global right’s attacks on court authority. The three-word message, launched minutes after the verdict came in, was succinct in its solidarity. “Je suis Marine!” Hungary’s Viktor Orbán posted on social media after France’s far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, was found guilty of embezzling European parliament funds and barred immediately from running for public office. Messages soon came tumbling in from Brazil to Belgium, hinting at how rightwing nationalist and populist leaders had seized on the ruling to push their own narrative. Most of them paid little heed to the judges’ finding of the key role Le Pen and more than two dozen others had played in a scam that prosecutors alleged had diverted more than €4m (£3.4m) of European parliament funds to benefit the party. On Thursday, Donald Trump became the latest to weigh in, railing against the court’s sentencing of Le Pen to four years in prison, of which two years were suspended and the other two set to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet.

THE KOREA TIMES (SOUTH KOREA): The next presidential election, triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been tentatively set for Tuesday, June 3. According to Yonhap News Agency, a government official said the election date will be presented at the regular Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. During this meeting, the date for the presidential election is expected to be officially confirmed and publicly announced. The presidential election date will be designated as a temporary public holiday. The government appears to be aiming to designate the latest possible date within the legally mandated timeframe as the presidential election day.

ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (GB): Talks on Monday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump are expected to be dominated by Washington’s shock tariffs on Israel and escalating tensions with Iran. Netanyahu becomes the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in the US capital since the president unveiled sweeping levies on multiple countries in his “Liberation Day” announcement on Wednesday. Arriving in Washington direct from a visit to Hungary, Netanyahu’s chief objective will be to persuade Trump to reverse the decision, or at the very least to reduce the 17 percent levy set to be imposed on Israeli imports before it takes effect.

KOMMERSANT (RUSSIA): Правопопулистская “Альтернатива для Германии” (АдГ) сравнялась в опросах общественного мнения с победившим на выборах блоком христианских и социальных демократов, что стало рекордным ростом для крайне правой партии с момента ее создания. А консерваторы, наоборот, за шесть недель лишились одной шестой части своих сторонников. Главная причина этого — в пробуксовке переговоров о создании правящей коалиции с социал-демократами. Правительство еще не сформировано, но немецкие избиратели уже разочарованы в нем. “Альтернатива для Германии” и блок христианских и социальных демократов (ХДС/ХСС) набрали по 24% поддержки, свидетельствуют итоги опроса института общественного мнения INSA, подготовленного для газеты Bild am Sonntag и обнародованного 6 апреля.

LA TERCERA (CHILE): Este miércoles 2 de abril, las Fuerzas Armadas de China realizaron ejercicios militares con fuego real en el Mar de China Oriental, lo que intensificó las maniobras que venían realizando desde el día anterior en las cercanías de Taiwán. Los movimientos de sus tropas incluyeron ataques de largo alcance contra instalaciones de infraestructura crítica simuladas. Durante los últimos años, el gigante asiático ha intensificado el alcance y la frecuencia de sus ejercicios militares alrededor de Taiwán, mientras que ha manifestado que estaría dispuesto a recurrir a la fuerza para conseguir su control. Las operaciones se dieron apenas unos días después de que el secretario de Defensa de Estados Unidos, Pete Hegseth, realizara su primera visita a Asia bajo la administración del presidente Donald Trump. Esta contempló a Guam, Filipinas y Japón. En el marco de su gira por la región, el titular de la cartera reafirmó el compromiso del país norteamericano en contrarrestar la “agresión de China” en el Indopacífico.

LA VANGUARDIA (SPAIN): Dos semanas después de recibir el alta hospitalaria, Francisco ha reaparecido en la plaza de San Pedro. “Buen domingo a todos y gracias”, ha dicho el Pontífice con alguna dificultad desde el altar a los fieles que se encontraban en la plaza durante la misa del Jubileo de los Enfermos. El Papa, que tenía unas pequeñas cánulas nasales para recibir oxígeno, ha permanecido en una silla de ruedas durante unos pocos minutos, saludando a los fieles. Cabe recordar que la vida de Francisco pendió de un hilo durante su ingreso. El doctor Sergio Alfieri, quien se ha encargó de la atención médica del pontífice, reveló los momentos críticos vividos durante su hospitalización. Según el médico, hubo un momento “en el que se tuvo que decidir entre parar y dejarlo ir o probar con todos los medicamentos y terapias posibles, corriendo un riesgo muy alto”.

RENMIN RIBAO (CHINA): China-Russia connectivity heats up in border regions. During his official visit to Russia earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said practical cooperation between the two neighbors continues to thrive, with Russian agricultural products reaching the tables of Chinese households and Chinese cars commonly seen on Russian streets. This growing connectivity is clearly visible in Heihe, a small city in China’s Heilongjiang Province that sits along the 4,300-kilometer border between the two countries. As the closest Chinese city to Russia, Heihe has long been a hub for cross-border activity. Despite a blanketing and lingering April snow, Heihe is pulsating with cross-border exchanges. Russians crowd the bustling morning markets, fill classrooms on university campuses, and stream through busy transport hubs. In recent years, the Belt and Road Initiative has augmented the city’s ties to Russia, with cross-border medical tourism and educational exchanges flourishing due to increased infrastructure connectivity.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): Days before a devastating magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Myanmar, flattening buildings and killing thousands, a team of Chinese seismologists published a study warning of a heightened risk of such disasters in the area. With the death toll now estimated to have passed 3,000, the seismologists have predicted the March 28 quake will not be the last such incident, with their research indicating there is currently a higher risk of catastrophic earthquakes across China and neighbouring regions. The timing of the research, which links seismic cycles to fluctuations in the Earth’s rotation, has sparked intense debate about whether the planet’s tectonic stress fields are entering a dangerous new phase.

LA NACION (ARGENTINA): En medio de los límites burocráticos que busca implementar Italia con el apoyo del Congreso para controlar la migración, las autoridades de la provincia autónoma de Trento quieren, al contrario, incentivar el crecimiento de la población. Para ello, le pagarán a aquellas personas que decidan mudarse o renovar inmuebles hoy abandonados. Eso sí, los interesados que sean aprobados deberán vivir allí durante 10 años o alquilar la propiedad por ese tiempo. La subvención consiste en 80.000 euros para la renovación de una propiedad y otras 20.000 euros para el costo de la compra de la propiedad. “Entre el 20 y el 25 de abril aprobaremos la resolución definitiva de apoyo a la vivienda residencial en zonas de montaña”, dijo en sus redes sociales Maurizio Fugatti, presidente de Trento.