KOMMERSANT (RUSSIA): Формирование нового состава правительства во главе с премьер-министром Михаилом Мишустиным пришлось на майские праздники и уже практически завершилось. Новое распределение полномочий, в частности «повышение» до первого зампреда правительства «промышленного» вице-премьера Дениса Мантурова, свидетельствует о сосредоточении Белого дома на формировании экономики предложения с опорой на рост промпроизводства и развитие технологий, тем более что министром обороны станет Андрей Белоусов, и теперь гражданской части правительства волей-неволей придется иметь больше дела с военными под руководством бывшего главного экономиста Белого дома.
THE GUARDIAN (GB): Vladimir Putin has removed his longtime ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister in the most significant reshuffle to the military command since Russian troops invaded Ukraine more than two years ago. In a surprise announcement, the Kremlin said Andrei Belousov, a former deputy prime minister who specialises in economics, will replace Shoigu. On paper, Sunday’s reorganisation places Shoigu in a position formally considered higher ranking than his role in the defence ministry in what some observers believe is a move by Putin that allows his old ally to save face. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin decided to appoint Belousov, a veteran economist, to lead the defence ministry after Russia’s war spending had vastly increased. Mark Galeotti, director of the London-based Mayak Intelligence consultancy, said: “… having an economist, someone who has been speaking about the need to basically subordinate much of the economy to the needs of the defence sector, makes a certain amount of sense. It is now essentially a financial administrator’s job and Belousov can do that.”
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): Russian President Vladimir Putin tapped a civilian economist as his surprise new defence minister on Sunday in an attempt to gird Russia for economic war by trying to better utilise the defence budget and harness greater innovation to win in Ukraine. More than two years into the conflict, which has cost both sides heavy casualties, Putin proposed Andrei Belousov, a 65-year-old former deputy prime minister who specialises in economics, to replace his long-term ally, Sergei Shoigu, 68, as defence minister. The changes, certain to be approved by parliamentarians, are the most significant Putin has made to the military command since sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 in what he called a special military operation. Belousov, a former economy minister known to be very close to Putin, shares the Russian leader’s vision of rebuilding a strong state, and has also worked with Putin’s top technocrats who want greater innovation and are open to new ideas. Putin’s move, though unexpected, preserves balance at the top of the complex system of personal loyalties that make up the current political system.
LE FIGARO (FRANCE): Économiste, docteur en sciences économiques, mathématicien : le nouveau ministre russe n’a aucun bagage militaire mais s’inscrit dans la volonté d’innovation voulue par Vladimir Poutine. Sa nomination a été la plus grosse surprise du remaniement voulu par Vladimir Poutine dimanche soir, quelques jours après l’investiture pour un cinquième mandat du maître du Kremlin et après plus de deux ans de conflit en Ukraine. Andreï Belooussov est devenu à 65 ans le nouveau ministre de la Défense russe, en remplaçant l’emblématique Sergueï Choïgou, en poste depuis 2012. Si ce dernier était bien connu à l’international, Andreï Belooussov fait figure d’inconnu alors qu’il hérite un portefeuille crucial en pleine guerre.
THE HILL (USA): Debates over U.S. aid to Israel and Ukraine have dominated Washington this year, raising questions about U.S. economic and military support to various allies and whether the nation spends too much support abroad. Opposition within the GOP to foreign aid has been building, with Republicans arguing the U.S. needs to spend more on border security. The debate is likely to color this year’s presidential race, and the reelection of former President Trump and his America First campaign could raise questions about funding for some partners. Here’s a look at where the U.S. has spent the most on foreign aid this year:
Ukraine - $78.3 billion;
Israel - $21.6 billion;
Jordan - $3.2 billion;
Egypt - $2.9 billion;
Ethiopia - $2.0 billion;
Nigeria - $1.5 billion;
Somalia - $1.3 billion;
Kenya - $1.1 billion.
THE NEW YORK TIMES (USA): As the Israeli military stepped up pressure on what it calls Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza, fighting elsewhere in the Palestinian enclave on Sunday led to warnings that the militants might remain a force for a long time to come. Close-quarters ground combat between Hamas fighters and Israeli troops raged in parts of northern Gaza over the weekend, both sides said on Sunday, even as the world’s attention was largely focused on the southern city of Rafah, where Israel escalated military operations last week. It has become a familiar scenario in the Gaza Strip over the course of the seven-month war: After pitched battles, Israel declares an area clear of Hamas, only to return after the militants reconstitute their forces. On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said he was concerned that Israel’s failure to lay down a template for the governance of Gaza meant that its victories might not be “sustainable” and would be followed by “chaos, by anarchy and ultimately by Hamas again.”
THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): Israel moves toward a full assault on Rafah despite increased pressure from the U.S. and others. Frantic U.S. and international efforts to prevent a full-scale Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah appeared to be making little headway as Israel Defense Forces pressed forward and thousands more Palestinian civilians attempted to flee the besieged city.
HAARETZ (ISRAEL): Israelis continue to pay a tremendous price for a war with no end in sight. The longest war of attrition Israel has ever known continues, and without a conscious policy decision, it could gradually establish a military government in Gaza, all while Netanyahu’s insistence on a Rafah operation deteriorates its international standing.
AL-AHRAM (EGYPT): Egypt to intervene in support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at International Court of Justice. Egypt announced its intention to officially intervene in support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday.
ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (GB): Israel’s army chief Herzi Halevi said on Sunday he was “fully responsible” for what happened on October 7 when Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel. “Every day, I feel its weight on my shoulders, and in my heart I fully understand its significance,” he said. “I am the commander who sent your sons and daughters into battle, from which they did not return, and to positions from which they were kidnapped.”
ARAB NEWS (SAUDI ARABIA): Kuwait forms new government headed by Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah. Imad Mohamed Abdulaziz Al-Atiqi, Anwar Ali Abdullah Al-Mudhaf and Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Yahya retained their posts as oil, finance and foreign ministers respectively. Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah also held onto his deputy prime minister and minister of interior and defense portfolio, as did Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi.
DAWN (PAKISTAN): General elections are underway in India in a phased voting process that concludes on June 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely predicted to win a third term in office. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) goal is for its National Democratic Alliance to secure 400-plus seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. There are doubts this can be achieved, especially as voter turnout has been lower in the first three phases of the election compared to 2019. This makes the outlook for Pakistan-India relations a troubled one if Modi returns to power. Some may dismiss Modi’s Pakistan-bashing as election politics, but words have consequences. Moreover, anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim themes are a part of his and the BJP’s deeply held beliefs. This may not preclude some form of post-election India-Pakistan re-engagement, but it is unlikely in the near term to lead to any significant movement toward normalisation of ties.
POLITICO (USA): Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party won the biggest share of votes in Sunday’s regional election in Catalonia, in a result that boosted the Spanish prime minister and dealt a blow to the separatist movement. Catalonia’s pro-separatist parties fell short of the combined 68 seats required to form a coalition government for the first time in over a decade, since before the push for independence known as “el procés” began. Salvador Illa, leader of the Catalan wing of Sánchez’s Socialists, hailed the result as the start of a “new era” in the region and told supporters late Sunday that “it is my intention to become Catalonia’s next president.” But his party also fell short of a majority and will need to seek a deal with others in the chamber to form government.
NIKKEI (JAPAN): Asian governments are increasingly taking action to stop the fall of their currencies that have been battered this year by the mighty U.S. dollar. The strength of the American economy and its higher-for-longer rates have translated to weaker Asian currencies. Asian policymakers are responding to the dollar’s strength in varying degrees, from issuing verbal warnings to raising interest rates. Some are even believed to have intervened by buying their local currency -- a tricky move that could dent a central bank’s credibility. The Japanese yen is one of the Asian currencies most affected by the stronger-than-expected U.S. economy.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): There’s not enough power for America’s high-tech ambitions. Georgia is a magnet for data centers and other cutting-edge industries, but vast electricity demands are clashing with the newcomers’ green-energy goals
DAILY SABAH (TURKEY): Preparations for a new law regulating cryptocurrency assets in Türkiye, aiming to mitigate risks associated with cryptocurrency transactions and align with international standards are considered complete, according to a report Saturday. Ruling Development and Justice Party (AK Party) Group Chairperson Abdullah Güler chaired a meeting to finalize preparations for a draft law containing regulations on cryptocurrency assets. The draft is planned to be submitted to Parliament within the week. The draft aims to reduce the risks of parties dealing with cryptocurrency assets in Türkiye, similar to international practices.
IZVESTIA (RUSSIA): Страны Азии включаются в гонку за литием на фоне роста производства электрокаров и необходимости перехода на возобновляемые источники энергии. Разведку месторождений активизируют Таиланд, Индонезия, а также Китай, мировой лидер по переработке лития. При этом собственные запасы КНР достаточно скромные, и страна может столкнуться с нехваткой белого золота. Это будет особенно чувствительно для Пекина на фоне экономического противостояния с США, которые также пытаются нарастить добычу.
GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): According to multiple Western media outlets citing a “person familiar with the plan,” the US government is expected to announce as early as May 14 that it will increase the tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) from the current 25% to 100%, and impose new tariffs on other Chinese goods including semiconductors and medical supplies. The White House declined to comment. The US side is currently reviewing the tariffs on Chinese goods imposed during the Donald Trump era. What the US will do next matters more about a portrayal of its own national reputation. Looking at it from a different perspective, can high tariffs and trade barriers really protect the US automotive industry? The US steel industry is a case in point. As early as 2017, when the US issued antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China, the Global Times pointed out in an article that China’s steel exports to the US are insignificant, and the root of the US steel industry’s problems lies not in so-called “unfair competition” or lack of sufficient protection, but in its long-standing monopoly position and lack of emphasis on relying on technological progress to improve production efficiency. What the US steel industry really needs is reform through openness, and trade protection will only enhance corporate inertia. Indeed, late last year, the giant company U.S. Steel Corporation, which provided steel for the Empire State Building in New York, accepted acquisition by a Japanese company. Has protectionism indeed protected the US steel industry? Or has it turned into a political bubble? If Washington still wants to replicate the “protection” path, then the fate of the steel industry today may be the fate of the US automotive industry tomorrow.
THE MAINICHI SHIMBUN (JAPAN): Half of Japan’s researchers specializing in the coronavirus have experienced slander and other attacks, a survey released in a scientific paper this month has revealed. The research group led by Mikihito Tanaka, a professor at the Faculty of Political Economics and Science at Waseda University, surveyed the specialists for what is believed to be the first revelation of realities regarding attacks on experts who convey scientific information about the coronavirus in Japan. Regarding the frequency of attacks after they had published COVID-19-related information, 21, or 50% of respondents, said they’d been attacked, with six saying that the attacks took place around when the information was published and another 15 saying the attacks “sometimes” happened.
O GLOBO (BRASIL): O presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decidiu adiar a sua viagem ao Chile para se reunir com o mandatário do país Gabriel Boric devido ao agravamento da catástrofe climática no Rio Grande do Sul. Lula planejava embarcar para o país vizinho na próxima quinta-feira, 16, e retornar ao Brasil no dia seguinte. No último fim de semana, as chuvas voltaram a castigar o Rio Grande do Sul. Chuvas registradas desde o final de abril no estado atingiram 85% das cidades gaúchas, deixaram 145 mortos e outros 132 desaparecidos. Auxiliares do presidente afirmam que há possibilidade de Lula retornar ao Rio Grande do Sul nesta semana para anunciar novas medidas de apoio ao estado.
THE TIMES (GB): Obese people twice as likely to be off work. “Sick-note culture” is costing the UK £98bn a year or 4% of GDP. Obese people are up to twice as likely to take time off work, a study has revealed, fuelling a crisis that is stifling Britain’s economic growth. Analysis of data representing millions of workers across Europe found that people take more sick days the heavier they are.