World news today: WHO reports record one-day rise in COVID-19 cases worldwide

World news today May 20: More than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases were reported to the World Health Organization over the previous 24 hours, the most in one day since the start of the pandemic, with the US accounting for nearly half the number.

Jasmine Le

[email protected] May 21, 2020 | 17:50

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world news today who reports record one day rise in covid 19 cases worldwide

WHO reports record one-day rise in COVID-19 cases worldwide (Photo: Getty Images)

WHO: New coronavirus cases across the world jump by the most ever in a single day

The number of newly reported coronavirus cases worldwide hit a daily record this week with more than 100,000 new cases over the last 24 hours, with almost two-thirds of the cases were reported in just four countries according to the World Health Organization.

“We still have a long way to go in this pandemic”, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference Wednesday at the agency’s Geneva headquarters.

(Photo: ABC News)

The majority of new confirmed cases are coming from the Americas, followed by Europe, according to WHO’s daily report. The U.S. reported 45,251 new cases on Tuesday, according to the agency. Russia had the second-most reported cases Tuesday at 9,263, according to WHO.

There are now close to 5 million global cases and roughly 325,000 deaths since the virus emerged in Wuhan, China, less than five months ago, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The WHO said the virus remains “extremely dangerous” and has been warning world leaders that there can be “no going back to business as usual” following the Covid-19 outbreak, which has upended economies and wreaked havoc on nearly every country around the globe, according to Asian Insiders.

Wuhan officially bans eating wild animals

Authorities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, have officially banned the eating of all wild animals on Wednesday.

The local administration in Wuhan said along with the consumption ban, Wuhan would become a “wildlife sanctuary” where virtually all hunting of wild animals was banned with the exception of measures for ”scientific research, population regulation, monitoring of epidemic diseases and other special circumstances”.

(Photo: Fox10news)

As part of the ban, the city introduced stringent controls on the breeding of all wild animals, prohibiting any to be reared for food, CBS reported. Wuhan will also join a wider scheme across the country to offer buyouts to farmers who breed wild animals.

Wuhan, a city of 11m people in the Hubei province of China, saw the first cases of Covid-19 late last year. Researchers agree that the most plausible explanation is that the virus made the jump from an animal to human in a “zoonotic spillover” event, as reported by Independent.

China has been under pressure from the global community to tackle its illegal wildlife trade after it was linked to the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

Former White House employee who served 11 presidents dies of coronavirus at 91

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, who began working at the White House in 1957, was "a lovely man," former President George W. Bush told NBC News.

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman was one of the White House’s longest serving employees, remembered fondly by former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday.

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, former White House employee had died of COVID-19 (Photo: NBC News)

“He was a lovely man,” the Bushes said. “He was the first person we saw in the morning when we left the Residence and the last person we saw each night when we returned.”

Jerman’s granddaughter, Jamila Garrett, said in an interview with WTTG that he began as a cleaner in 1957 under the Eisenhower administration and then was promoted during the Kennedy presidency. Garrett said her grandfather fostered relationships at the White House that helped him advance his position, NBC News said

Body of Former Pro Wrestler Found on Beach 2 Days After He Went Missing

The body of the former pro wrestler Shad Gaspard, 39, was found after it washed ashore on Venice Beach early Wednesday morning, the authorities said.

Mr. Gaspard, 39, was reported missing on Sunday, after he was swept out to sea by a rip current while swimming with his son, Aryeh, 10, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division.

Initially, Mr. Gaspard and his son were swimming in waist-deep water, but conditions changed quickly, Kenichi Haskett, the section chief of the lifeguard division, said in an interview on Wednesday.

(Photo: CNN)

A lifeguard had noticed that the father and son were struggling in the water and set out to rescue them. Aryeh was closer to the shore, so the lifeguard was able to reach him first, the authorities said.

“His last few words were ‘just secure my son, rescue my son,’” Chief Haskett said.

Lifeguards began to search for Mr. Gaspard on Sunday but could not locate him. The search continued the next day with divers and sonar equipment.

Mr. Gaspard was a member of the WWE’s Cryme Tyme duo. In 2008, the team partnered up with John Cena to help him with his rivalry with another wrestler named JBL. Mr. Gaspard was also an actor, appearing in “Get Hard” in 2015 with Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell, and “Black Panther” in 2018, New York Times said.

Gold prices today fall for first time in 3 days, silver slumps

Gold prices in India edged lower today, their first decline in three days. On MCX, June gold futures fell 0.5% to ₹46,900 per 10 gram. Silver futures on MCX slumped 1.6% to ₹48,255 per kg. Last week, gold rates had hit a new high of ₹47,980 in tandem with a global rally in the precious metal amid increasing US-China tensions and expectations of further stimulus from central banks.

In global markets, gold prices eased today but the losses were capped amid US-China tensions. The US Senate passed a bill that could bar some Chinese companies from listing on American exchanges, according to Live Mint.

(Photo: Singapore Business Review)

Spot gold slipped 0.2% to $1,745.32 per ounce. Among other precious metals, silver eased 0.4% to $17.44 and platinum dipped 0.1% to $849.74.

The minutes of the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting showed that members acknowledged the possibility of further support measures if the economic downturn persists. Gold prices tend to go up on expectations of lower interest rates. So far this year, gold prices are up about 14% this year as central banks rolled out a wave of rate cuts and other stimulus to limit economic damage from the pandemic.

Exclusive tours to Son Doong Cave reopened in Vietnam

Oxalis, the exclusive private company earning rights to explore and conduct tours into Son Doong, the largest cave worldwide, was allowed to resume its services ...