China's foreign trade fell again in March even as businesses returned to work after the coronavirus outbreak, with the global pandemic weighing on the manufacturing powerhouse's outlook.
Exports fell 6.6 percent in March from a year earlier and imports dropped 0.9 percent, according to Customs data released Tuesday.
The contraction was less than a Bloomberg economist forecast that predicted a 10 percent or more decline in both figures, and well below the 17.2 plunge in exports seen in the first two months of the year.
But analysts warned that a broader recovery would be hamstrung for as long as the viral pandemic ravaged China's trading partners.
"The worst is still to come for China's export sector," warned Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics.
China's trade surplus with the United States -- a key point of contention in the bruising trade war between the world's top two economies -- narrowed again in March by 25.3 percent on-year to $15.3 billion.
January's phase one trade ...

China foreign trade drops as pandemic drags outlook

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Asian markets posted gains on Tuesday as better than expected Chinese trade data suggested a rebound from the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
China has largely brought the disease under control within its borders since the COVID-19 outbreak first emerged in the city of Wuhan late last year.
But it came at the cost of drastic measures that shuttered much of the economy and cordoned off tens of millions of people at the epicentre of the outbreak.
With much of the country returning to work and travel restrictions eased across industrial hub Wuhan, Tuesday's data beat market expectations.
Exports fell 6.6 percent and imports dropped 0.9 percent in March on a yearly basis, according to Customs figures -- falls that were well below the 10 percent or more forecast by a Bloomberg survey of economists.
But Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics warned "the worst is still to come" for China's export businesses, with more economic headwinds likely in the months ...

Asia markets higher as China trade data beats forecasts

The anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 60-point NBA finale was recalled by his widow, Vanessa, in an Instagram post remembering the late Los Angeles Lakers legend.
"My husband worked his ass off for 20 years," Vanessa Bryant wrote of her superstar husband, who died in a January 26 helicopter crash with daughter Gianna and seven others.
"Gave it his all. All he wanted was to spend time with our girls and me to make up for lost time. He wanted to be there for every single milestone and special moment in our girls lives." The post included a video featuring highlights from the Lakers' 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016.
Bryant scored 60 points in that, his final game in a 20-year NBA career that included five championships.
The video includes a moment showing Bryant with his family at courtside, hugging Vanessa and kissing daughters Natalia and Gianna.
The couple's third daughter, Bianka was born in December of 2016 and their fourth, Capri, was born last June.
"He only got to .

Bryant remembered on anniversary of NBA farewell

The PGA of America has donated $5 million to launch the Golf Emergency Relief fund, aiming to provide support for the golf industry during the coronavirus pandemic.
The body, whose flagship event the US PGA Championship has been postponed from May amid the shelter-in-place policies designed to slow spread of the virus, pledged to match up to an additional $2.5 million given by other groups.
A statement said the PGA of America contribution included all members of its executive team voluntarily reducing their compensation. The board of directors pledged personal donations.
"There's pain everywhere," PGA chief executive Seth Waugh said.
"It's how to get to the other side. The government is doing extraordinary things.
The Fed actions last week were stunning. The loan programs are very clever to keep people employed. The bad news is it may not be enough depending on how long this lasts.
"What we're saying is, 'How can we create an additional safety net?'"
The fund will be administered by ..

PGA of America donates $5 million to launch coronavirus relief fund

Houston Rockets star guard Russell Westbrook has donated 650 computers to children who need the devices with schools shut down because of COVID-19.
Westbrook's Why Not? Foundation teamed with non-profit Comp-U-Dopt to provide computers to children who might other not have access to them.
"The generous gift from the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation will allow us to significantly increase our inventory and ensure we can to continue to close the gap for Houston families most in need," Colin Dempsey of Comp-U-Dopt said.
"One in 3 economically disadvantaged students in the Houston area lack access to a computer at home. With the outbreak of COVID19, and the closure of schools, there is an immediate need to get more computers to students and families without access at home."
Comp-U-Dopt has given almost 1,000 computers to families in Houston since March 18 through a computer drive-through.
Families register for a lottery for a chance to get one of the machines.
Houston Mayor Sylvester .

Rockets' Westbrook donates 650 computers to needy kids

US driver Kyle Larson has been indefinitely suspended from the NASCAR stock car series after using a racial slur during a live-streamed virtual race on Sunday.
"NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday's iRacing event," NASCAR said in a statement on Monday.
"Our Member Conduct Guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base."
NASCAR's action followed Larson's suspension without pay by his Chip Ganassi Racing team, and sponsors Credit One Bank and McDonald's were quick to distance themselves from the driver.
"Credit One Bank denounces the highly offensive language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday's iRacing event," the financial institution said in a statement posted on its Twitter account.
"In addition to the quick actions taken by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing, Credit One Bank is terminating its ...

NASCAR driver Larson suspended after racial slur during virtual race

A leading Italian doctor specialising in infectious diseases has said he would be against Serie A restarting its season next month.
Football across the country, which has recorded more than 20,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, has been postponed since March 9 due to the outbreak.
According to local reports the league could begin again at the end of next month, with players returning to training on May 4.
"If I had to give a technical view, sincerely it would not be a favourable one. That being said, it will be of course for the politicians to decide," said Giovanni Rezza, the head of infectious diseases at Italy's National Institute of Health.
"I've heard certain people propose more strict observations with players tested every few days. But sincerely it seems to me a slightly far-fetched theory. And we're almost in May already.
"It's obvious that politics will decide. But it's a sport that involves contact and that contact could imply a certain risk of transmission."
The ...

Top Italian doctor against May restart for Serie A

The Tour de France is not only a French monument, but also the economic heartbeat of professional cycling itself and analysts fear heavy consequences if the coronavirus crisis forces its cancellation.
An announcement is expected this week on either a postponement or an outright cancellation of the 21-day extravaganza that is currently scheduled to start in Nice on June 27.
The "Grande Boucle", as the Tour is known in France, is the central economic pillar which supports the 22 professional teams on the roster for 2020.
"Cancellation opens the door to a possible economic meltdown in the cycling sector," says Jean-Francois Mignot of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, who has written the book "A History of the Tour de France".
Maintaining the original dates looks almost impossible following French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement on Monday that public events with large crowds were banned until at least mid-July.
France has been under lockdown since March 17, and .

Cycling faces economic 'meltdown' if Tour de France cancelled

Chelsea said Gianluca Vialli's recovery from cancer was "amazing news" after the former Blues striker revealed he had been given the all-clear from his second battle with the disease.
Vialli, 55, who also managed the Premier League club, beat cancer in 2018 before announcing last year he was fighting it again.
"Gianluca Vialli has been given the all-clear following a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Amazing news," the Premier League club said on Twitter.
The former Italy and Juventus forward announced "tests showed no signs of the disease" in an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica published on Monday.  Vialli said he had finished two cycles of chemotherapy, "one of eight months and another of nine" in December and was "fine".
"I am happy, even if I say it to myself under my breath to be on the safe side," he said.
"Regaining my health means looking at myself in the mirror again, seeing the hair grow and not having to draw my eyebrows on with a pencil. I'm very lucky ...

Chelsea rejoice Vialli's cancer recovery

Former NBA guard Jeremy Lin, the first Asian-American to win an NBA title, has pledged up to $1 million to coronavirus relief efforts.
The 31-year-old, whose 2012 heroics for the New York Knicks were dubbed "Linsanity", will donate $500,000 and said he would also match all donations up to an additional $500,000.
Lin, who now plays for Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after winning the 2019 NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, last month tore into US President Donald Trump for "empowering" racism by calling coronavirus a Chinese disease.
Coronavirus emerged in central China in December before spreading across the world as a pandemic, with the United States increasingly hard hit.
Lin on Monday returned to the same theme on The Players' Tribune website in a first-person piece titled "The Darkness Has Not Overcome It".
"One simple way to be the light is to support organisations doing crucial work during the crisis," Lin wrote in making his pledge.
"You know, 

Jeremy Lin pledges up to $1 mn to coronavirus battle

Barcelona will bring legal action against a former vice-president who has made accusations of management corruption, the La Liga champions have announced.
Last week Barcelona furiously denied accusations from Emili Rousaud, who was one of six directors to resign on Thursday, that someone at the club had "put their hands in the till".
"The Board of Directors categorically denies any action that could be described as corruption and have agreed to bring the corresponding criminal action accordingly," Barca said in a statement.
"FC Barcelona cannot tolerate allegations that seriously damage the institution's image. The criminal action to be taken is in defence of the honour of the club and its employees. The existence of an ongoing audit must put an end to this matter."
Rousaud's allegations focus on February's social media controversy, when Barcelona were accused of hiring a company called I3 Ventures to discredit opponents of the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu online, including ..

Barca announce legal action against ex-director who made 'corruption' allegations

Oil prices rose Tuesday after US President Donald Trump said producers are considering cutting 20 million barrels per day -- more than double the figure publicly announced -- to help the virus-hit sector.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose nearly 2 percent to trade at $22.85, while international benchmark Brent crude climbed 1.5 percent to trade at $32.26.
OPEC producers dominated by Saudi Arabia and allies led by Russia thrashed out a compromise deal on Sunday to cut production by nearly 10 million barrels per day from May.
The agreement was aimed at boosting prices after months of heavy falls, with the COVID-19 outbreak sapping demand as countries around the world have put their populations under lockdown.
A Saudi-Russian price war compounded the crisis, with both countries ramping up production as they bid to hold on to market share and undercut US shale producers.
Prices fluctuated after the output cut was announced, however, with traders still nervous about a supply glut ..

Oil prices rise as Trump flags deeper output cuts

The United States recorded 1,509 deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic over the past 24 hours, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University as of 8:30 pm Monday (0030 GMT Tuesday).
The number of fatalities was similar to the previous day's toll of 1,514.
The outbreak has now claimed the lives of at least 23,529 people in the US, the most of any country.
The United States has more than 550,000 people infected with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
New York's governor declared Monday that the "worst is over" for the state, despite deaths passing 10,000, as several states began devising a plan to reopen their shuttered economies.
President Donald Trump tweeted that any decision to end shutdowns rested with him, even though it was individual governors who rolled out the lockdowns.
America's federal system of government delegates powers to the governors of the 50 states, but the president in theory can use his powers to oversee a ...

US records 1,509 deaths in past 24 hours: Johns Hopkins tally

Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday brushed aside calls for an easing of tough restrictions on travel and public gatherings despite their success in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The number of new coronavirus cases in the neighbouring nations has fallen dramatically in the last two weeks, raising hopes that difficult social distancing measures may be relaxed.
But Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country was still "many weeks away" from lifting any restrictions.
"Patience has got to be our virtue here," he said, noting that countries like Singapore and South Korea had initial success against COVID-19 but saw a surge in new cases after travel and other restrictions were eased.
Australia registered just 63 new infections on Sunday and Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 6,366 for a population of 25 million.
It was the lowest two-day increase in a month.
New Zealand, a nation of five million, saw just eight new cases on Tuesday for a total of 1,072, its ...

Australia, New Zealand flatten virus curve but keep lockdowns intact

The Turkish parliament on Tuesday approved a law that allows for the release tens of thousands of prisoners as a safety measure against the coronavirus outbreak.
"The draft has become law after being accepted," the official Twitter account for the parliament's general assembly said.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International have criticised the law because detainees charged under controversial anti-terrorism laws are not included.
The rights groups also have condemned the exclusion of other inmates including journalists, politicians and lawyers in pre-trial detention.
This includes people jailed while awaiting a date for their trial to begin, those waiting for a formal indictment or suspects currently being tried.
"Many people who are in prison because they exercised their rights -- they didn't commit any crime -- they're excluded because the government chooses to use its very flexible, and overly broad and vague counter-terrorism laws," Amnesty's Andrew Gardner told ...

Turkey to release thousands of prisoners over coronavirus

President Donald Trump's administration said Monday it would seek new aid for Central America in recognition of efforts to curb emigration, a year after abruptly cutting off assistance.
Trump, whose hard line against immigration is one of his signature issues, in March 2019 said he would end all $450 million in assistance El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the three countries in the impoverished, violence-ravaged "Northern Triangle" had worked to address US concerns, with the number of migrants arriving at the US southern border decreasing 76 percent since a peak in May 2019.
"To support further progress, additional targeted Department of State and United States Agency for International Development funding will be made available," Pompeo said in a statement.
"This funding will support programs to continue our joint efforts to deter illegal immigration to the United States." Pompeo said that money would also back security programs and assist ..

US plans new aid to Central America, year after Trump cutoff

Israel's parliament speaker Benny Gantz was given 48 hours on Tuesday to reach a deal on an emergency unity government with his former election rival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The narrow negotiating window was approved by President Reuven Rivlin minutes after Gantz's four-week mandate to form a government expired.
In a joint statement, Gantz's centrist Blue and White alliance and Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party said "significant progress" had been made towards a deal in direct talks between the two men early Tuesday morning.
But claims of progress in coalition talks have been made repeatedly since Israel's inconclusive March 2 election, while a deal has remained elusive.
As Israel's unprecedented political deadlock has persisted, there have been widespread calls for an interim, national unity government to combat COVID-19, which has infected more than 11,500 Israelis.
Gantz, an ex-military chief, has squared off against Netanyahu in three votes over the past year.
Neither 

Israel's Gantz, Netanyahu given 48 hours to form unity govt

The International Monetary Fund on Monday announced it had approved immediate debt relief for 25 poor countries to help them free up funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
"This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement.
The countries benefitting are nearly all in Africa, but also include Afghanistan, Yemen and Haiti.

IMF approves debt relief for 25 poor countries

Former White House candidate Bernie Sanders on Monday endorsed onetime rival Joe Biden for president, saying it was time to unite in the effort to defeat Donald Trump in November.
"We must come together to defeat the most dangerous president in modern history," the leftist Sanders said on Twitter shortly before making a surprise appearance on Biden's livecast where he endorsed the Democratic former vice president.

Bernie Sanders endorses ex-rival Biden for US president

France's lockdown to combat the coronavirus will last until May 11, when a progressive relaxation of the measures will begin if the outbreak has slowed, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
The epidemic was "beginning to steady... (and) hope is returning", Macron said in an address to the nation.
Schools would start to reopen from May 11 but restaurants and cafes would remain shut. Borders with non-European countries would remain closed until further notice, Macron added.
"May 11 will be the start of a new phase. It will be progressive and the rules can be adapted according to our results," he said.

France extends virus lockdown to May 11

Forces backing Libya's unity government seized two coastal cities west of Tripoli on Monday in a new blow to military commander Khalifa Haftar a year after he launched an offensive on the capital.
"Our forces took control of Sorman and Sabratha and are pursuing (Haftar's forces)," said a statement by Mohammed Gnunu, spokesman for the forces of the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord.
An AFP video journalist saw pro-GNA forces in pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns celebrating in central Sabratha, around halfway between Tripoli and the border with Tunisia.
Control of war-torn Libya is largely divided between pro-GNA forces and those of eastern-based Haftar, who launched an offensive to try to capture the capital in the country's northwest on April 4 last year.
On their Facebook page, GNA forces published images of Grad rocket launchers, 10 tanks and armoured vehicles they said they had captured in the cities, which had been controlled by Salafist militias ...

AFP

AFP

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