INDEPENDENT (GB): Asian markets partly rebounded on Tuesday morning from the previous session’s heavy losses, despite US president Donald Trump threatening to impose a further 50% tariff on China. Mr Trump said that Washington will impose an extra 50% levy on top of the existing 54 per cent tariff on Chinese imports if Beijing does not withdraw the 34 per cent tariffs it had imposed on US products last week. If neither side blinks and Mr Trump sticks to his plans, the total new levies could climb to 104% this year on Chinese goods imported into the US. China’s commerce ministry said Mr Trump was “blackmailing" Beijing. "If the US insists on having its way, China will fight to the end”, it said.

NIKKEI (JAPAN): Mounting fears of global recession hit banks in Asia. Japanese lenders fall sharply on declining hopes of BOJ policy normalization. Bank stocks led the sell-off in Asia on Monday, as fears intensified of a global recession in the wake of the sweeping tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The sharp downturn came as investors calculated that lenders’ asset quality and profitability would be hit by an economic downturn, which would also curb dealmaking.

LA LIBRE (BELGIUM): Le chaos mondial, une simple “étape intermédiaire” à un grand plan de Trump? “Il joue au poker mais il n’est pas le seul à avoir une bonne main”. Le président américain serait en train de suivre à la lettre un plan machiavélique, soufflé à son oreille par l’un de ses conseillers. “Il faut répliquer fort car c’est le seul langage que Trump connaît”, selon l’économiste Eric Dor. Accrochez-vous. La guerre commerciale lancée par Donald Trump au reste du monde n’en serait qu’à ses débuts, si l’on en croit différents analystes. “Ce que fait le président américain est parfaitement logique, insiste Bruno Colmant, membre de l’Académie royale de Belgique. Ce chaos mondial n’est qu’une étape intermédiaire. Le vrai but de Donald Trump est d’arriver à un grand réalignement monétaire pour faire baisser le dollar sur le long terme et rendre ainsi les entreprises américaines plus compétitives”.

GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Tuesday it has noticed that the US threatened to impose a further 50% tariff on China. “China firmly opposes this. If the US escalates tariffs, China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests”, a spokesperson for the ministry said. The US’ imposition of so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on China is groundless and a typical unilateral bullying practice. The countermeasures China has taken are aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests and maintaining the normal international trade order, and are completely legitimate, the spokesperson noted. “The US’ threat to escalate tariffs on China is a grave mistake on top of an existing one, which once again exposes the US’ blackmail nature. China will never accept this. If the US insists on its own way, China will fight to the end”, the spokesperson said.

THE TIMES OF INDIA: China has strongly condemned the US’ threat to escalate tariffs on Chinese imports, labeling it a “mistake on top of a mistake” and an act of blackmail. Beijing vowed to retaliate with countermeasures to protect its interests if the US proceeds with the tariffs. Despite the escalating tensions and tit-for-tat duties, China reiterated its willingness to engage in dialogue. China on Tuesday vowed to retaliate against the United States if President Donald Trump goes ahead with his threat to impose fresh 50% tariffs on Chinese imports. Reacting to Trump’s new threat, China hinted of imposing more retaliatory tariffs on American products. Beijing said that it will take countermeasures against US “to safeguard its own rights and interests”.

VEDOMOSTI (RUSSIA): Радикальная риторика Трампа – тактически ход, с помощью которого он пытается усадить Китай за стол переговоров по торговым и другим вопросам, говорит главный научный сотрудник Института США и Канады РАН Владимир Васильев. По мнению эксперта, слова о необходимости преодолеть торговый дефицит с Китаем не более чем блеф. “Сокращение дефицита практически возможно, но, учитывая структуру торговых отношений США и Китая, это становится экономически рискованным решением, которое может привести к шоковым последствиям в первую очередь для американской экономики. Трамп это понимает”, – уверен американист. Китай не готов к переговорам с США в той форме, которую предлагает Трамп, подчеркивает руководитель Центра азиатско-тихоокеанских исследований ИМЭМО РАН Александр Ломанов. Если на первом сроке Трампа китайцы не ожидали резкого введения заградительных пошлин, то сейчас ситуация принципиально иная: всё президентство Джо Байдена китайцы готовились именно к новому раунду торговой войны. По словам Ломанова, пример беспрецедентного санкционного давления на Россию был дополнительным мотивационным фактором для Пекина.

THE ECONOMIC TIMES (INDIA): “Blame China, not Trump”: Piyush Goyal says 3 decades of malpractices helped Beijing to grow at the cost of nations like India. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has called out China’s decades-long unfair trade practices, warning they’ve led to economic instability worldwide. Speaking at the India Global Forum, he blamed the global crisis on myopic decisions and urged collective international action to restore fair trade. Goyal defended India’s tariffs, dismissed fears of a major impact on domestic growth, and cautioned against China’s growing dominance. He urged Indian firms to step up, likening the moment to the opportunities presented by the Y2K crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. In a pointed critique of global trade imbalances, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said China’s economic ascent was built on “unfair trade practices”, hidden subsidies, and distorted labour models—ignored by much of the world since Beijing joined the WTO in 2001. “This growth was fuelled by unfair trade practices. This growth happened at the cost of fair play”, Goyal told the India Global Forum in Mumbai. “Its foundation lay in actions which, by the rules of the game, would be considered improper”.

RENMIN RIBAO (CHINA): China’s Ministry of Commerce hosted a roundtable meeting with U.S.-funded companies on Sunday, reaffirming the country’s commitment to reform and opening up amid global trade tensions. Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, chaired the meeting, which was attended by representatives from more than 20 U.S. companies, including Tesla, GE Healthcare, and Medtronic. Regardless of global uncertainties, China remains resolute in its path toward reform and opening up, Ling said, noting that multilateralism is the inevitable solution to the challenges facing the world and China’s door to the outside world will only open wider. He reiterated that China’s policies to attract foreign investment have not changed and will not change.

THE MAINICHI SHIMBUN (JAPAN): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday took a cautious stance toward hitting the United States with a retaliatory tariff in response to President Donald Trump’s imposition of reciprocal levies, while expressing readiness to meet with the U.S. leader soon if necessary to demand a rethink. “We are considering all options to determine what would be the most effective way” to address the tariff issue, Ishiba told a session of a House of Councillors committee. “We won’t engage in tit-for-tat”. Ishiba said that if he has a chance to visit the United States, he would not simply seek exemption from reciprocal tariffs but present a “package” to the Trump administration showing what the close U.S. ally can offer, emphasizing Japan’s contribution to creating jobs in the United States through investment.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): Japan moves to front of queue for tariff talks with US. Optimism in Tokyo’s markets suggests hopes are high for a breakthrough, despite Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Japan treating the US poorly. Japan appears set to get priority over other US trading partners in talks on tariffs, putting Tokyo at the head of a long queue of nations seeking to roll back US President Donald Trump’s duties, which are scheduled to kick in on Wednesday. Trump said he had spoken to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday and that “tough but fair parameters are being set” for a negotiation over US reciprocal tariffs. “He is sending a top team to negotiate! They have treated the US very poorly on Trade. They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs. Likewise Agriculture, and many other ‘things.’ It all has to change”, Trump posted on social media.

LE FIGARO (FRANCE): Donald Trump a jugé lundi que la proposition faite par l’Union européenne d’une exemption de droits de douane totale et réciproque pour les produits industriels, dont les voitures, n’était pas suffisante pour lever les taxes douanières américaines. “Non ce n’est pas suffisant”, a-t-il dit, interrogé sur cette proposition annoncée lundi par la présidente de la Commission Ursula von der Leyen, pendant un échange avec la presse à la Maison-Blanche. “L’Union européenne s’est très, très mal conduite avec nous”, a ajouté le président américain, qui a annoncé la semaine dernière une offensive protectionniste tous azimuts, dont une taxe de 20% sur les produits européens, devant entrer en vigueur le 9 avril. Il a assuré que le déficit commercial accusé par les États-Unis avec l’UE allait “disparaître rapidement” grâce à une augmentation des achats d’énergie américaine par les pays européens.

THE WASHINGTON POST (USA): As the world reels from President Donald Trump’s trade war, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is alerting shareholders that the tariffs will “slow down growth”. Podcaster Ben Shapiro is warning that the president’s vision of international trade is “mistaken.” And Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is advising that the tariff strategy carries “enormous risk”. Trump’s tariffs are increasingly alienating some of the corporate titans, influencers and even Republican lawmakers who served as his boosters, as the president plows ahead with a trade strategy that has prompted wild swings in the markets. The criticism is an early sign that the economic turmoil caused by his trade war could leave lasting political scars for Trump, who doubled down on the strategy by threatening new tariffs against China on Monday morning. The chiding marks a departure from the general acquiescence among Trump’s allies during the first 2½ months of his shock-and-awe presidency. Influential leaders in many spheres largely remained silent or cautiously supported the White House as it slashed the federal workforce, strained alliances with Europe and unleashed an immigration crackdown during the first 70 days in office.

O GLOBO (BRASIL): O CEO da BlackRock, Larry Fink, afirmou nesta segunda-feira que a maioria dos CEOs com quem conversa acredita que os Estados Unidos já estão em recessão, alertando que os mercados de ações podem cair ainda mais devido ao tarifaço do presidente Donald Trump, que estão desestabilizando a economia global. “A economia está enfraquecendo enquanto falamos” — disse Fink, de 72 anos, em uma entrevista na segunda-feira no Economic Club de Nova York, acrescentando que prevê uma desaceleração econômica ainda maior nos próximos meses. A inflação provavelmente permanecerá elevada, disse Fink, mesmo que o Federal Reserve reduza a taxa de juros várias vezes este ano. Como exemplo do aumento das preocupações, ele mencionou já ter ouvido executivos do setor aéreo sobre a queda na demanda por viagens. “A maioria dos CEOs com quem falo diria que provavelmente estamos em recessão agora”.

LA RAZON (SPAIN): La guerra comercial declarada por Donald Trump pone en serio peligro su propia política económica, que apuntaba en la buena dirección con su plan de rebajas fiscales, desregulación y eficiencia gubernamental –pendiente de que no se pase de frenada en esta última–, ya que podían potenciar el crecimiento en el corto plazo. Pero la deriva proteccionista de la Casa Blanca ha tenido un impacto global pernicioso y provocado el efecto contrario al deseado en la propia economía norteamericana, que ha visto el desplome de sus índices bursátiles y una tendencia hacia arriba de la inflación y una gran pérdida de poder adquisitivo, sobre todo de las economías familiares más vulnerables. La ronda de aranceles masivos anunciada –con tasas del 34% a China, 24% a Japón o el 20% a la Unión Europea– supone una “escalada que ahonda en el preocupante fenómeno de la desglobalización. El nuevo orden mundial, marcado por las crecientes hostilidades entre Estados Unidos y China, así como por el papel destructivo que viene desempeñando Rusia, obliga a abordar las grandes cuestiones económicas con una mirada geopolítica de largo plazo”, apuntan desde el Instituto Juan de Mariana, que alerta sobre el peligro de una crisis tan profunda como la que se vivió con la Gran Depresión de los años 30 del siglo pasado, la vivida a mediados de los años 80, la Gran Recesión de 2008 o la última provocada por la pandemia, la más profunda en lo que va de siglo.

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA (RUSSIA): Дональд Трамп доволен снижением мировых нефтяных цен. Падение нефтяных цен после начала тарифной войны Трампа пока выглядит менее драматичным, чем во время начала пандемии 2020 года или во время мирового финансового кризиса 2008 года. Не повторяется и сценарий последней нефтяной войны Саудовской Аравии за долю на рынке, когда цена барреля нефти опускалась к 35 долл. В середине понедельника, 7 апреля, нефтяные фьючерсы оттолкнулись от уровня в 62–63 долл. и начали частичное восстановление. Ставший необходимым пересмотр российского бюджета теперь может состояться ближе к концу второго квартала текущего года. К этому же времени чиновники определят приемлемый уровень ослабления рубля.

THE CITIZEN (SOUTH AFRICA): Trump’s retreat opens the door for China’s growing influence in Africa. China and India have emerged as potential alternatives following the halt in health care aid imposed by Trump on sub-Saharan Africa. Donald Trump’s isolationist policy approach has transitioned from talk to implementation, with both allies and adversaries beginning to feel the impact of his stringent tariffs. Experts warn that in his endeavour to “Make America great again”, he may encounter several unintended consequences. One could be a decline in US influence globally, particularly in Africa, which has traditionally received a significant amount of US aid. With China increasingly establishing itself as a key provider of development assistance and aid in the region, it could easily fill the vacuum left by the US. Intra-regional trade will also be boosted.

THE JERUSALEM POST (ISRAEL): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Monday that he and the Trump administration were working on securing a new hostage deal. “The hostages are in agony. We want to get them all out. Steve Witkoff is President Trump’s very able representative. (He) helped us get a deal that got 25 out”, Netanyahu said after his meeting with US President Donald Trump. “We’re working now on another deal, that we hope will succeed”. Trump added that the United States and Iran were beginning direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, a surprise announcement after Iranian officials had appeared to rebuff US calls for such negotiations. Iran had pushed back against Trump’s demands that it directly negotiate over its nuclear program or be bombed, though it had initially left the door open to indirect discussions.

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: President Trump said on Monday that the United States would engage in “direct” negotiations with Iran next Saturday in a last-ditch effort to rein in the country’s nuclear program, saying Tehran would be “in great danger” if it failed to reach an accord. If direct talks take place, they would be the first official face-to-face negotiations between the two countries since Mr. Trump abandoned the Obama-era nuclear accord seven years ago. They would also come at a perilous moment, as Iran has lost the air defenses around its key nuclear sites because of precise Israeli strikes last October. And Iran can no longer rely on its proxy forces in the Middle East — Hamas, Hezbollah and the now-ousted Assad government in Syria — to threaten Israel with retaliation. In a social media post, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed that talks would take place on Saturday in Oman, but he said that they would be indirect, meaning intermediaries would work with the two sides. “It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court,” Mr. Araghchi said.

TEHRAN TIMES (IRAN): As calls for fresh nuclear negotiations resound in Western capitals, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a stark reminder: diplomacy does not equate to surrender, and trust cannot be restored through intimidation. “We believe in negotiations”, he stated firmly, “but not at any price. We are not seeking war…, or nuclear weapons. We seek dialogue—but the Americans must also prove they seek it too”. The message, delivered at a Sunday evening gathering with political and grassroots leaders, went beyond rhetoric. It captured the essence of Iran’s position in the face of relentless U.S. pressure and posturing.

THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): Iranian president demands ‘equal footing’ with U.S. in any negotiations. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said over the weekend that his country is open to dialogue with the U.S. but only if the two nations are on an “equal footing”. His comments come amid President Trump’s push for a diplomatic deal between America and Iran to limit Iran’s nuclear program. Mr. Trump laid out a May deadline to reach such an agreement. If not, he’s left open the possibility of military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. But Mr. Pezeshkian appeared to close the door to talks with the U.S. unless the Trump administration changes its approach.

DAILY SABAH (TURKEY): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he discussed means to prevent a conflict with Türkiye with U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him the ideal mediator. “We don’t want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base to attack Israel”, Netanyahu said, adding that Türkiye has a great relationship with the U.S. and that they discussed how Israel can avoid conflict with Türkiye. Referring to Trump’s favorable relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu claimed the U.S. president could be the ideal mediator to avoid the escalation of conflict between Ankara and Tel Aviv.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): In Southern Syria, Israel is the power that matters. A new security strategy has produced a land grab and animosity along the border. There is a new boss in this front-line village. It isn’t the group of former rebels who overthrew a half-century of Assad family rule four months ago, and installed themselves as Syria’s government. Nor is it any of the armed militias south of the capital, Damascus, about 45 miles to the northeast. It’s Israel, which, aiming to insulate itself from attacks across the border, took over the former United Nations buffer zone in Syrian territory that includes Al-Hamidiyah along with the strategic high ground nearby.

AL-AHRAM (EGYPT): Israel has dramatically expanded its footprint in Gaza since relaunching its war on the Strip last month. It now controls more than 50% of the territory and is squeezing Palestinians into shrinking wedges of land. The largest contiguous area the army controls is around the Gaza border, where the occupation army has razed Palestinian homes, farmland and infrastructure to the point of uninhabitability, according to Israeli soldiers and rights groups. This military buffer zone has doubled in size in recent weeks. Israel has depicted its tightening grip as a temporary necessity, but the land Israel holds, which includes a corridor that divides the territory’s north from south, could be used for wielding long-term control, human rights groups and Gaza experts say.

ASIA TIMES (HONG KONG, CHINA): Concerns are mounting in South Korea over the evolving role of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) after a “secret” Pentagon memo directed the unit to prioritize “deterring China’s seizure of Taiwan” and “strengthening homeland defense” even at the cost of “assuming risks” in other regions. The apparent new Pentagon policy could shift the primary mission of the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea from deterring North Korea to countering China—a move that, for Seoul, risks creating a security vacuum and straining already delicate relations with Beijing. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth distributed a classified document titled “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance” across the US Defense Department in mid-March. The document reportedly outlines US President Donald Trump’s vision for preparing for and potentially winning a conflict against China while also defending US interests in the “near abroad” region, including Greenland and the Panama Canal. The document, reportedly signed by Hegseth, aims to restructure America’s Indo-Pacific military initiatives, shifting focus away from North Korean threats to China’s potential aggression against Taiwan.

IZVESTIA (RUSSIA): В ШОС допустили объединение рынка с БРИКС. Потенциальные изменения могут затронуть 40% мировой экономики. Рынки ШОС и БРИКС могут объединиться, рассказали “Известиям” в секретариате Шанхайской организации сотрудничества. Там уточнили, что такое решение должно быть принято на уровне компетентных органов стран — членов обеих структур. Но надо понимать, что быстро объединить рынки не получится: этому препятствует в том числе участие государств в других организациях, отмечают эксперты. В будущем общее торговое пространство может помочь странам справиться с последствиями жесткой тарифной политики США и ускорить дедолларизацию.

THE GUARDIAN (GB): A Belgian prince has lost a legal battle to claim social security benefits on top of his royal allowance, with a court ruling his claim – the first of its kind in the country’s nearly 200-year history – “unfounded”. Prince Laurent, the youngest of three children of the former king and queen, had argued that his work entitled him to the coverage granted to independent entrepreneurs – and that he was acting out of “principle” rather than for money. But a Brussels court found on Monday that the 61-year-old’s duties were more akin to those in the civil service, where categories of workers receive specific benefits but there is no overarching social security system. A lawyer for the prince, Olivier Rijckaert, said his client was considering whether to appeal.

EL OBSERVADOR (URUGUAY): Estafas, la “epidemia” que no para de crecer: denuncias se multiplicaron por 20 en diez años. En el Ministerio del Interior reconocen que la “caja de herramientas” para prevenir este delito es “limitada” pero aseguran que debe convertirse en una prioridad. Así lo reflejan las denuncias que recopila el Ministerio del Interior a través de su Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad Pública. En los últimos diez años, las denuncias por estafa aumentaron un 1242%, según los datos a los que accedió El Observador a través de una solicitud de acceso a la información pública. En 2015 fueron 1.872 denuncias por este delito. En 2024 fueron 20 veces más (25.116), lo que lo posicionó como el tercer delito más denunciado por detrás de los hurtos y la violencia doméstica.

THE TIMES (GB): Criminals target Italy’s “green gold” as price of olive oil soars. Investigators believe that robbers with inside information were hired to hijack a truck loaded with oil worth up to €300,000. The paramilitary-style hijacking of a lorry carrying extra virgin olive oil in southern Italy has led to fears that criminal gangs are targeting Italy’s “green gold” as its price soars. The lorry loaded with olive oil was forced to a halt on an empty road in Puglia when five masked men travelling in an SUV overtook the vehicle and cut if off while firing warning shots.

EL UNIVERSAL (MEXICO): “Des-extinguen” a “lobo terrible”, desaparecido hace más de 10 mil años. La última vez que se supo de un “lobo terrible” fue hace 10 mil años, época en que la especie se extinguió, sin embargo, científicos de la Colossal Biosciences, empresa estadounidense de biotecnología e ingeniería genética, conocida por su ambición de “des-extinguir” especies, encontró la forma de traer de nuevo a Aenocyon dirus. La clave, sin duda alguna, fue el hallazgo de numerosos restos de lobos terribles, alrededor de todo América, pues esto dio noción a los expertos de cuál fue su naturaleza fisíca y genómica. Esto sucedió por medio del descubrimiento del genoma del “lobo terrible”, es decir de la secuencia de su ADN; con ella y el código genético del lobo gris común, al que usaron por contar con características parecidas a la expecie extinta, reactivaron la información hereditaria del lobo.

THE KOREA TIMES (SOUTH KOREA): North Korea has hosted its annual Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, resuming it following a suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the North’s state media on Monday. Marathon enthusiasts from North Korea, China, Morocco, Ethiopia and other countries took part in the Pyongyang International Marathon held the previous day, which featured full and half marathons, as well as 10-kilometer and 5-km races for both men and women, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The marathon competition was launched in 1981 to celebrate North Korean founder Kim Il-sung’s birthday on April 15 and had been held annually until it was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.