Good morning. China has replaced its foreign minister, the world gets some good economic news, Israel faces a cliffhanger. |
| Qin Gang.Mark R Cristino/EPA, via Shutterstock |
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China abruptly replaces one of Xi’s top allies |
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. |
| Shoppers in New York this month.Amir Hamja/The New York Times |
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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. |
| Demonstrators blocked a highway in Tel Aviv on Monday.Oded Balilty/Associated Press |
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Israel braces for what comes next |
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. |
| Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press |
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| A beauty salon in Kabul.Ali Khara/Reuters |
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This loss of freedom, jobs and community represents another grim milestone for Afghan women. |
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.” |
| Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. |
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Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Studies recommend taking 8,000+ of these each day (five letters). |
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha and Amelia |
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