GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): On Monday, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, arrived in Hanoi to pay a state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong. This is Xi’s first overseas trip this year, and also the first visit to China’s neighboring countries after the central conference on work related to neighboring countries was held in Beijing last week. The leaders of the two countries exchanged in-depth views on the overall, strategic and directional issues of the relations between the two parties and the two countries, and jointly drew up a new blueprint for the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Xi proposed six measures to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, which include enhancing strategic mutual trust at a higher level, building a more solid security barrier, expanding higher-quality mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthening the ties of wider public opinion, carrying out closer multilateral cooperation, and achieving more benign maritime interactions.

THE WASHINGTON POST (USA): Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war. The U.S. dollar is an early casualty of President Donald Trump’s us-against-the-world trade war. The dollar has lost almost 10% of its value since Inauguration Day, with more than half of that decline coming this month after the president’s decision to lift taxes on imported goods to their highest level since 1909. The weaker dollar — now near a three-year low against the euro — is bad news for Americans traveling abroad and could also aggravate inflation by making foreign goods more expensive. U.S. exporters, however, should gain.

THE ECONOMIC TIMES (INDIA): In-person discussions likely in May to push India-US trade pact. India and the US are set to begin face-to-face discussions in mid-May regarding their proposed bilateral trade agreement, following virtual talks this week. India aims to finalize the initial phase of the trade pact swiftly, potentially by September-October. Officials are monitoring potential import surges due to global tariff uncertainties, with a dedicated cell established for tracking.

THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): China’s blockade means rare earth minerals vital to U.S. military, microchips just got rarer. China is blocking — or at least slow-walking — the export of rare earth minerals used in military equipment, cars and other materials, adding a serious wrinkle to the emerging trade war between the U.S. and China. China produces more than 90% of the rare earth materials that are used in electric vehicles, weapons systems and semiconductors. Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, said the impact of the Chinese export pauses was being “studied very carefully”. “They’re concerning, and we’re thinking about all the options”, Mr. Hassett told reporters at the White House.

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA (RUSSIA): Южнокорейские производители чипов переориентируются на Поднебесную. Пошлины Трампа и трудности с поиском клиентов приводят к активизации связей Сеула с геополитическим противником Соединенных Штатов. Южная Корея окажет своей полупроводниковой промышленности поддержку на сумму $23,2 млрд. Решение о повышении уровня финансирования одного из ключевых направлений бизнеса страны связано в том числе с введением пошлин президентом США Дональдом Трампом. Однако у Samsung возникают проблемы не только из-за высоких тарифов: весьма непросто найти клиентов даже на продукцию компании, производимую в США.

NIKKEI (JAPAN): Honda Motor is working on plans to relocate the production of models to the U.S. from Mexico and Canada in response to an additional 25% tariff imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration on all imported automobiles, Nikkei learned Tuesday. The Japanese automaker will increase the production of vehicles in the U.S. by up to 30% over two to three years. That will enable Honda to meet 90% of unit sales in the country with locally produced cars.

THE NEW YORK TIMES (USA): President Trump’s tariffs have been good for China’s economic growth. At least they were over the first three months of the year, as the country’s factories raced to ship exports ahead of the trade restrictions. China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday that the country’s gross domestic product grew 1.2% from the last three months of 2024. If that pace continues, the Chinese economy will expand at an annual rate of 4.9%. But whether China can maintain that growth is shrouded in uncertainty. Pinned down by tariffs that threaten to freeze trade with its biggest customer, China’s economy is facing one of its greatest challenges in years. Growth in the early months of this year was propelled by rapidly rising exports and the manufacturing investment and production necessary to support those exports. Sales of electric cars, household appliances, consumer electronics and furniture were also strong because of ever-widening government subsidies for buyers.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): One of the world’s largest electronics markets, Huaqiangbei shows how fast the supply chain was upended by the tariff escalation with Washington. The bustling commercial streets around one of the world’s largest electronics markets belie a secret inside its malls that illustrates how fast tariffs have hit China’s semiconductor traders. Outside, with swarms of pedestrians and scattered workers carrying black plastic bags and pushing carts stacked with boxes through Huaqiangbei – a subdistrict under the southern tech hub of Shenzhen – it would almost seem like the tariff war has had little impact on the area’s day-to-day operations as goods are prepared for shipping across the country and beyond. But heading inside, a chill can be felt – especially in the chip section – with little to no foot-traffic. “Orders have plunged since last week,” said a chip distributor who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We’ve had almost no orders in recent days due to the price increase”. The price of a single central processing unit (CPU) – the brain of a computer – from Intel or AMD, the most common chips on the market, has increased by 10 to 40 per cent, the distributor told the Post.

THE TIMES OF INDIA: The US-China trade war has taken a new turn online, with Chinese social media users and diplomats accusing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt of hypocrisy after she appeared in a dress reportedly made in China. The backlash was triggered by a post from Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhisheng, who mocked the contradiction between the Trump administration’s tough stance on China and the origin of Leavitt’s attire. Zhang, who is the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Denpasar, Indonesia, shared an image of Leavitt wearing the dress and cited a Weibo user who claimed the lace was manufactured in a Chinese factory in Mabu. “Accusing China is business. Buying in China is life. The beautiful lace on the dress was recognized by an employee of a Chinese company as its product”, Zhang posted on X.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): U.S. softens position on Iranian uranium enrichment. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff backs away from earlier demand for dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program, calls for tough verification. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said that the Trump administration is prepared to allow Iran to enrich uranium at a low level if it is subject to stringent verification, a significant shift from the White House’s initial demand that Tehran’s nuclear program be dismantled. The position, if adopted during talks that are to resume Saturday following an initial meeting last weekend, would leave Iran with a toehold on a nuclear program and put the U.S. at odds with Israel’s goals on the question.

ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (GB): President Donald Trump met with his top national security aides on Tuesday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program ahead of a second meeting between US and Iranian officials on Saturday, sources said. US special envoy Steve Witkoff is to meet his Iranian counterpart on Saturday, a session currently scheduled to be held in Oman. Trump spoke to the sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, about Oman’s mediation role between Washington and Tehran. A White House official confirmed the White House Situation Room meeting on Iran and said the location was not unusual since Trump gets briefed there regularly to take advantage of the chamber’s secure setting. A second source briefed on the meeting said Trump and his top aides discussed the Iran talks and next steps. US officials have been working on a framework for a potential nuclear deal.

TEHRAN TIMES (IRAN): Iran neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic about Oman talks. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei met with senior officials from the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of the government on Tuesday. During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the ongoing talks in Oman as one of the numerous tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He emphasized that the nation’s affairs should not be dependent on those talks. He warned against repeating the mistake made during the JCPOA talks, where the country’s progress was tied to the outcome of negotiations, leading to a conditional state that hindered investment and development. Stressing the importance of continuing activities across various sectors, including industry, economy, construction, culture, and major national projects, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that “None of these matters have any connection with the Oman talks”.

THE JERUSALEM POST (ISRAEL): Iran’s goal to destroy Israel is why we’re fighting in Gaza, Netanyahu says. Netanyahu received a security briefing from the commanders about the IDF’s operations in order to free hostages and defeat Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Iranian regime leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni’s post to X/Twitter on Tuesday while visiting northern Gaza. “I want to tell you what we are fighting for and why we are fighting”, he said. “This is a post published today by Iran’s dictator, Ayatollah Khamenei, in which he explains why Israel must be destroyed”. “The oppression of the Zionists will be answered with a severe divine response, and there’s no doubt about that. However, this doesn’t reduce the duty of the people, our duty, or the duty of governments”. — Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) April 15, 2025.

KOMMERSANT (RUSSIA): В Арктическом совете назревает новый конфликт — на сей раз из-за США. Дания представила программу своего двухгодичного председательства в Арктическом совете — межправительственном объединении восьми приполярных государств. Одним из приоритетов Копенгагена станет поддержка коренного населения, в связи с чем представлять страну в совете впервые будет человек из Гренландии. Таким образом датские власти стремятся показать жителям острова, на который с недавних пор претендуют США, что Копенгаген заботится об их интересах. Для Арктического совета, чья деятельность существенно пострадала от конфронтации западных стран с Россией, напряжение по линии Дания—США означает еще один серьезный удар.

ARAB NEWS (SAUDI ARABIA): A senior Hamas official told AFP on Tuesday that the Palestinian Islamist movement will “most likely” respond to an Israeli ceasefire proposal it received through mediators within 48 hours. “Hamas will most likely send its response to the mediators within the next 48 hours, as the movement is still conducting in-depth consultations... within its leadership framework, as well as with resistance factions, in order to formulate a unified position”, the official told. A Hamas official said Monday that the group is sending a delegation to Qatar to continue indirect ceasefire talks with Israel over the war in Gaza, as the territory’s Health Ministry said that 38 people were confirmed dead over the past day.

THE GUARDIAN (GB): Trump’s “chosen one” Giorgia Meloni heads to Washington to play delicate balancing act. Italy’s PM has demonstrated an affinity with the US president, but also needs to maintain allegiance to her EU partners. Sitting alone at the end of a dinner party, under chandeliers, next to a table with white roses and leftover wine, Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump are locked in conversation. It is early December and they are pictured in an opulent dining room of the Élysée Palace, where the French president, Emmanuel Macron, hosted guests after the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. It was the first time Italy’s far-right prime minister had met Trump, a rendezvous that followed years of her nurturing relations with his Make America Great Again (Maga) militants. For all we know, they could have been bonding over a shared disdain for French cuisine. Whatever was discussed, however, Meloni appears to be holding sway. Trump later described her as “a real live wire” and someone he could work with “to straighten out the world a little bit”. He may well have received positive reports on her from Elon Musk, with whom the Italian prime minister has met on several occasions and whom she has called “a brilliant man”.

THE CITIZEN (SOUTH AFRICA): Sudan on Tuesday marked two years of a war that has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million and triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis — with no sign of peace. Fighting erupted on 15 April, 2023 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Khartoum quickly became a battleground. The army’s recapture of Khartoum marked a turnaround after more than a year of setbacks. Many civilians celebrated what they called the “liberation” from the RSF, whose fighters were accused of widespread looting and sexual violence. But now the RSF is seeking to cement its grip on the vast western region of Darfur, where it has launched a deadly assault on El-Fasher — the last major city in the region outside its control.

EL MOUDJAHID (ALGERIA): Avec un nombre de déplacés qui avoisine les 13 millions, dont près de la moitié se sont éparpillés à travers les pays voisins, le conflit soudanais a débordé les frontières, accentuant la pression humanitaire sur les terres d’accueil. Le Haut-commissaire de l’ONU aux réfugiés (HCR), M. Filippo Grandi, tient ainsi à attirer l’attention sur les difficultés dont héritent des pays comme l’Égypte, le Soudan du Sud, le Tchad, la Libye, l’Éthiopie et la République centrafricaine, principaux refuges des déplacés soudanais. “Les Soudanais ne sont pas les seuls à être devenus invisibles. Le monde a largement tourné le dos aux pays et aux communautés qui ont accueilli tant de réfugiés”, dénonce le responsable onusien qui en appelle à une implication plus active de la communauté internationale pour partager le fardeau. Question d’autant plus cruciale qu’elle représente un risque de stabilité géopolitique dans la région. “La stabilité de toute la région est menacée. Il existe un besoin urgent de protection humanitaire, mais aussi d’aide au développement afin que les gouvernements d’accueil puissent offrir aux réfugiés et à leurs propres populations un avenir meilleur”, préconise le HCR.

THE STRAITS TIMES (SINGAPORE): On May 3, Singaporeans will cast their votes in a general election that will be fought against a backdrop of unprecedented global economic instability. The country will elect 97 MPs in 33 constituencies – 18 group representation constituencies and 15 single seats. For voters, one consideration will be the looming uncertainty presented by the world’s two largest economies – the US and China – as they fire the opening shots in a trade war.

INDEPENDENT (GB): Former president Joe Biden assailed President Donald Trump and Republicans for their attacks on Social Security in his first address since leaving the White House on Tuesday. The former president spoke to the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled’s national conference, his first since he left the White House in January after President Donald Trump took office. “Social Security is more than just a government program”, he said. “It’s a sacred promise”.

LE TEMPS (SWITZERLAND): L’OMS accouche d’un projet d’accord historique pour préparer le monde aux pandémies. Après plus de trois ans de discussions, les membres de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé ont finalement trouvé la voie. Quand le texte entrera en vigueur, 10% des volumes de tout vaccin ou toute technologie contre les pandémies devront être donnés “rapidement” à l’OMS.

EL OBSERVADOR (URUGUAY): Chile presentó el plan de obras de infraestructura del llamado Corredor Bioceánico Vial, una carretera que busca unir el norte del país con Argentina, Paraguay y Brasil para configurar una nueva ruta comercial entre el Atlántico y el Asia-Pacífico. El proyecto está en carpeta desde hace una década y es considerado una de las obras de infraestructura más importantes de América Latina, con una extensión de 2.400 km. El trazado conecta los puertos del sur de Brasil con los del norte de Chile, atravesando Mato Grosso do Sul, el chaco paraguayo, las provincias argentinas de Salta y Jujuy, según la descripción del proyecto.

LE FIGARO (FRANCE): Subventions aux ONG: l’Union européenne perd la trace de milliards d’euros. Un nouvel exemple de la gabegie administrative qui règne à Bruxelles. Un nouveau rapport de la Cour des comptes de l’UE, publié il y a quelques jours, tire à boulets rouges sur la Commission européenne et les États membres, en raison de leur gestion extrêmement opaque des fonds alloués aux organisations non gouvernementales. Malgré quelques maigres améliorations par rapport aux années précédentes, la “situation reste floue, les informations sur les financements accordés par l’UE à des ONG, notamment sur le lobbying, n’étant ni fiables ni transparentes”, cingle Laima Andrikiéné, responsable du rapport. Le document, qui ne cite le nom d’aucune organisation, porte sur une période s’étalant de 2021 à 2023. Et en deux ans seulement, 12.000 ONG ont reçu pas moins de 7,4 milliards d’euros (4,8 de la Commission européenne et 2,6 des États membres).

RENMIN RIBAO (CHINA): China’s space tourism sector is expected to reach an early stage of commercial operations within the next five to 10 years, in tandem with the commercial space industry’s ongoing rapid, sustainable development, a state-owned think tank has said. An early April report on the development of the country’s commercial space industry from CCID Consulting, which operates under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, notes that the entire industrial chain has achieved rapid growth. The report suggests that by the end of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), or during its next five-year plan period (2031-2035), the country’s commercial space industry is likely to become more mature, achieving strengthened profitability and gaining greater global recognition.

O GLOBO (BRASIL): A radiação vinda de tomografias computadorizadas (TCs) pode ser responsável por 5% de todos os casos de câncer anualmente nos Estados Unidos, aponta um estudo da Universidade da Califórnia (UCSF), publicado nesta segunda-feira, na revista científica JAMA Internal Medicine. Segundo os cientistas responsáveis pelo trabalho, cerca de 103 mil casos de câncer são estimados como resultado dos 93 milhões de exames realizados apenas em 2023, nos EUA. O alto número de tomografias e às altas doses de radiação ionizante que os pacientes recebem durante esses exames seriam as principais razões para o alto número de casos da doença.

THE TIMES (GB): Polling suggests that only about a third of women aged between 18 and 34 would change their last name when getting married. The practice of taking a husband’s surname when marrying is falling out of favour with millennial and Generation Z women, research has revealed. Driven by the advance of gender equality, they are instead attracted to alternative options, such as both partners keeping their original last name or creating a double-barrelled surname. Just 35% of women aged between 18 and 34 said that they would adhere to the tradition, according to a poll by YouGov on attitudes to naming options in marriage.