USA

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde said here Tuesday that imposing import tariffs won't eliminate trade deficits and will cause "potentially self-inflicted wounds."

Addressing the 13th Annual Capital Markets Summit held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters, Lagarde said it's true that not everyone has benefited from global trade, that there are distortions in the trade system, and that the system needs to be reformed but "trade barriers are not the answer."

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales fell in February, as consumers pulled back their spending on building materials, groceries, furniture, electronics and clothing amid signs of a slowing economy.

The Commerce Department said Monday that retail sales fell 0.2 percent in February, after posting an upwardly revised gain 0.7 percent in January. Still, sales are running below their seasonally adjusted levels from November after a sharp 1.6 percent decline in December.

Over the past year, retail sales have roughly kept pace with inflation by increasing a slight 2.2 percent.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump’s threat to shut down the southern border raised fears Monday of dire economic consequences in the U.S. and an upheaval of daily life in a stretch of the country that relies on the international flow of not just goods and services but also students, families and workers.

Politicians, business leaders and economists warned that such a move would block incoming shipments of fruits and vegetables, TVs, medical devices and other products and cut off people who commute to their jobs or school or come across to go shopping.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Aides to Joe Biden are striking a more aggressive tone as the former vice president faces scrutiny over his past behavior toward women.

In a statement Monday, Biden spokesman Bill Russo blasted “right wing trolls” from “the dark recesses of the internet” for conflating images of Biden embracing acquaintances, colleagues and friends in his official capacity during swearing-in ceremonies with uninvited touching.

CHICAGO (AP) — A former federal prosecutor who has never held elected office was vying for Chicago mayor on Tuesday against a powerful official whose political career spans decades, providing voters a clear contrast in a historic runoff already assured of elevating a black woman to lead the nation’s third-largest city.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police are seeking a 29-year-old man who they believe shot and killed Nipsey Hussle outside the rapper’s clothing store where he was trying to remake his community.

Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore has scheduled a briefing Tuesday morning in which he will discuss how detectives came to identify Eric Holder as the man suspected of killing Hussle Sunday afternoon and wounding two others. No additional details, other than that Holder is suspected of fleeing in a 2016 Chevy Cruze with the license plate 7RJD742, have been released.

2 Apr 2019; AFP: The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Jim Bridenstine was addressing employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration five days after India shot down a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test to prove it was among the world's advanced space powers.

1 Apr 2019; DW: The Federal Aviation Administration told passengers to contact their carriers to assess delays as nearly 3,000 flights were delayed because of the outage which lastest 40 minutes on Monday morning.  

Airlines affected included Delta, United, JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska.

1 Apr 2019; DW: Formed in March 2019, the One Free Press Coalition is a collection of media publishers from around the world that have committed to use their collective audiences to stand up for journalists under attack for pursuing the truth. Members include The Associated Press, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Reuters and the Financial Times.

1 Apr 2019; DW: The United States has halted deliveries to Turkey of equipment related to the F-35 fighter jet, the Pentagon said Monday, ramping up pressure on its NATO ally over the planned purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense system.