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Here are today’s picks from our editors.
WHO chief says pandemic response to be reviewed 'in due course'
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that WHO's performance in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic will be reviewed in due course.
"In due course, WHO's performance in tackling this pandemic will be reviewed by WHO's member states and the independent bodies that are in place to ensure transparency and accountability. This is part of the usual process put in place by our member states," he said.
Saying that areas for improvement will certainly be identified and there will be lessons to learn, the WHO chief said that for now, the focus of both the organization and himself is on stopping the coronavirus and saving lives. (Xinhua)
US retail sales plunge 8.7 pct in March as coronavirus hits
US retail spending took a dive in March as the coronavirus forced businesses to close and shoppers to stay home, falling 8.7 percent from the prior month, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
The result was slightly better than expected but shows the rapid deterioration from the 0.4 percent decline in February, with sales plunging in sectors including clothing, furniture and motor vehicles and parts dealers.
The most damaging hit was in motor vehicles where sales collapsed by 25.6 percent. (AP)
World oil demand forecast to suffer biggest drop ever
Global demand for oil will fall this year by the most ever due to the economic lockdowns enforced around the world to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.
An estimated drop in demand of 9.3 million barrels a day this year is equivalent to a decade’s worth of growth. The agency expects the slide in demand to be the most intense this month. In what it calls a “Black April” for the energy market, demand is forecast to drop to its lowest since 1995. (AP)
Tour de France delayed for two months by COVID-19
The Tour de France cycling race has been delayed due to COVID-19 and will now take place in August and September, instead of the traditional three weeks in June and July.
Often cited as one of the world's largest annual sporting events, Le Tour brings together around 200 cyclists to compete over 21 stages and 2,156 miles.
The decision has long been expected but was forced when French president Emmanuel Macron banned all "large-scale" public events until mid-July. (CGTN)
1,749 prosecuted in China for wildlife-related crimes
A total of 1,749 people in China were prosecuted for damaging wildlife resources in the first quarter of the year, up 62.4 percent from the same period last year, said a source in the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Wednesday.
The procuratorial organs approved the arrest of 400 suspects allegedly involved in such crimes from January to March, 14.9 percent more than in the same period in 2019, according to the SPP source. (Xinhua)
Germany arrests 4 IS suspects planning attack on US bases
German authorities say police have arrested four suspected members of the Islamic State group alleged to be planning an attack on American military facilities.
Federal prosecutors said the suspects were arrested by tactical police units early Wednesday at various locations in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
They identified the men as citizens of Tajikistan. Prosecutors said the group had already obtained firearms and ammunition to carry out their attacks. (AP)
WWII veteran, age 99, raises millions for UK health service
A 99-year-old British army veteran who started walking laps in his garden as part of a humble fundraiser for the National Health Service has surprised himself by generating millions of pounds within days.
Tom Moore’s family used social media to help him get donations to support healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to thank the doctors and nurses who took care of him when he broke his hip.
Moore, who uses a walker while putting in his paces, is well on his way to completing 100 laps of his 25-meter garden before he turns 100 on April 30. By Wednesday, the cause had attracted more than 250,000 supporters pledging close to $10 million. (AP)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
What animals are pearls found in?
(Answer: Oysters.)
Today’s quote is from English writer D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930).
"Only in a novel are all things given full play."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Brian Lowe, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)