China abruptly replaces one of Xi’s top allies
Qin Gang was abruptly removed as China’s foreign minister after disappearing from public view for 30 days. The move ended the career of a diplomat who had been one of President Xi Jinping’s most trusted rising stars.
His fate has become a huge topic of speculation on social media, with many commentators focusing on his personal life and a potentially compromising relationship while he was an ambassador in the U.S.
Whatever actually happened, the move creates awkwardness for Xi, who catapulted Qin into his role ahead of other longer-serving candidates. Qin’s replacement is Wang Yi, who had been foreign minister until Qin’s appointment last year.
Analysis: “The suddenness and opacity surrounding Qin’s dismissal demonstrates the volatility that has now become a feature of China’s political system,” said Jude Blanchette of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Related: Pan Gongsheng, a prominent economist, was named as governor of China’s central bank.
Good news for the global economy
The world economy is showing signs of resilience despite lingering inflation, the International Monetary Fund said, raising the odds of avoiding a global recession. But growth remains meager, and the fund’s economists warned that serious risks remained.
China’s economy is weighing on global output: Official figures showed a marked slowdown in the spring as exports tumbled, a real estate slump deepened and debt-ridden local governments cut spending.
By the numbers: The I.M.F. forecast 3 percent in global growth this year. It also predicted that inflation would ease from 8.7 percent in 2022 to 6.8 percent this year and 5.2 percent in 2024, amid the effects of higher interest rates.
Israel braces for what comes next
Israel faces something of a cliffhanger, with the real effects of the government’s move to limit the power of the judiciary likely to remain unclear for weeks or even months. After a night of furious mass protests, quiet generally prevailed yesterday, but dissent hasn’t abated.
The country’s biggest union is weighing a general strike, and a union of 30,000 doctors said its members would reduce nonemergency care. Hundreds of tech leaders say they may move their businesses abroad, and thousands of military reservists have said they will stop turning up for service.
Supreme Court: The court has not said if it would rule on the law, which would directly affect its own powers. It could strike it down, avoid a decision or narrowly interpret it to limit its impact.
THE LATEST NEWS
Around the World
President Biden established a monument to Emmett Till, a Black child killed by white supremacists in 1955, and his mother, who helped galvanize the civil rights movement.
A federal judge struck down President Biden’s new policy that limited who may apply for asylum.
A civil rights investigation was opened into Harvard University’s preferences for legacy admissions, lawyers said.
TikTok will now allow users to create text-only posts, competing with Threads and Twitter.
The War in Ukraine
Russian lawmakers voted to increase the age for military conscription, potentially expanding the ranks with a bigger pool of trained recruits.
The U.S. is sending up to $400 million in additional military aid to Ukraine, which brings the total to $43 billion.
The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said that mines have been spotted at the embattled Zaporizhzhia plant.
The war is breaking up Ukrainian marriages.
Climate
Typhoon Doksuri, packing winds equivalent to those of a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to hit China later this week. It also threatens Taiwan.
Wildfires have been devouring large swaths of Algeria’s coast during an extreme heat wave, killing 34 people, authorities said.
Recent extreme heat would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change, researchers found.
Women’s World Cup
The Philippines scored its first-ever World Cup goal to win its first-ever World Cup game, beating New Zealand.
A 16-year-old forward for South Korea became the youngest player in World Cup history.
Three points for a win and one for a tie: Here’s how the teams can advance.
A Morning Read
The Taliban ordered all women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan to close yesterday, eliminating one of the few public spaces where women could gather away from men outside the home.
This loss of freedom, jobs and community represents another grim milestone for Afghan women.
ARTS AND IDEAS
When Gen Z met Slipknot
Nu metal is back. (Teenage angst never went away.)
Younger fans are listening to bands like Korn and Deftones for the first time, thanks in part to TikTok and the Y2K revival. In the nu metal subgenre, they find an accessible mix of metal, hip-hop, funk and alternative rock; a flamboyant sense of style; and a gloomy-but-relatable subject matter.
“You feel like you can do anything,” one fan said of listening to the music. “It’s this ‘I don’t care’ attitude. Like, you can look at me, you can stare at me, you can judge me, but I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.”
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook
This textural cashew and celery stir-fry is uncomplicated but elegant.
What to Watch
Jim Gaffigan’s comedy is getting darker and better, our critic writes.
Parenting
Stop your teen from gaming all night.
Travel Tips
Make a staycation feel like an actual break.
Now Time to Play
Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Studies recommend taking 8,000+ of these each day (five letters).
Here are the Wordle and the Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here.
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha and Amelia
P.S. Liz Johnstone is joining The Times as the first news director for the Politics desk.
If you have suggestions, write to us at [email protected].
Natasha Frost writes the Europe Morning Briefing and reports on Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific from Melbourne, Australia. More about Natasha Frost
Amelia Nierenberg writes the Asia Pacific Morning Briefing for The Times. More about Amelia Nierenberg
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