JAPAN

Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo, May 26: As proof of their determination to leave the hostility of the Cold War behind, the two leaders signed documents that included a nuclear arms reduction treaty and a joint declaration concerning a new strategic framework.
Accelerating the trend of rapprochement between the United States and Russia is the strong leadership and realistic approaches taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is pursing pro-U.S. and pro-Western Europe policies. Such an approach was made evident by the pledge of cooperation against terrorism Putin made to U.S. President George W. Bush right after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Group of Eight
Russia, as a member of the Group of Eight major nations, is assuming a responsible role. Yet it is too early to say that the country truly shares such values as democracy, market economy and the rule of law with Japan, the United States and European countries.
Whether or not Russia comes to share such values will hold the key to the future course of the new U.S.-Russian relations.
SWEDEN
Aftonbladet, Stockholm, May 29: Europe needs more immigrants. All economic studies show that there will be a shortage of manpower in a couple of decades if we don't open our borders to more immigrants. First, however, it is necessary to put to work the immigrants that are already here.
The European countries have failed in creating a multicultural society and large groups of citizens are being left outside and without work. Without a solution to these problems, right-wing extremism will continue to grow.
ISRAEL
The Jerusalem Post, May 28: According to The New York Times, a debate is raging within the Bush administration over "whether to press for the removal of Yasser Arafat" as leader of the Palestinian Authority. At the same time, The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon's top brass have persuaded their civilian leaders to put off confronting Saddam Hussein until next year, or perhaps "not to do it at all." The two debates, over what to do with Arafat and Saddam, have more in common than meets the eye.
The first commonality is that, broadly speaking, the same people who are squeamish about ousting Saddam also tend to argue against removing Arafat.
Strategic challenge
Bush seems rather bogged down at the moment when it comes to meeting this strategic challenge. His generals seem to be overwhelmed by the prospect of taking on a two-bit dictatorship, and his diplomats are grabbing at Arafat's latest reform scam, which is more about staving off real democracy that promoting it.
In response, Bush should trust his instincts. The same group that is finding endless reasons not to take on Arafat or Saddam would never have approved his "axis of evil" speech and would be happier were it never given. They were wrong about Afghanistan and they are wrong again now. If the stakes are as high as he says they are, then it is time for Bush to be less respectful of these irresponsible voices and to start overruling them.
BRITAIN
Financial Times, London, May 28: A landslide victory in Sunday's elections has given Colombia's Alvaro Uribe a mandate to take a tougher line against guerrilla and paramilitary violence. The president-elect must now show how sometimes vague campaign promises can be converted into realistic policies.
More soldiers and more and better equipment are needed. In addition the armed forces and police need to build closer links with Colombians and win the trust of local communities, specially in zones threatened by violence. But the creation of new civilian vigilante groups -- one of Mr. Uribe's main campaign proposals -- is not the best way to solve the problem. In the past such groups have sometimes been linked with paramilitary activity and human rights abuses.
International credibility
Indeed, Mr. Uribe must take an even-handed approach to the violence, whether it comes from the left or the right. Failure to do so would damage his international credibility and make it harder for Colombia to win military aid from a U.S. Congress worried by past links between the military and the paramilitaries in Latin America.