More than 50 million fans tuned in to a virtual concert series by South Korean boy band BTS. The event, titled Bang Bang Con, consisted of concert recordings and virtual fan meetups, with 2.24 million viewers tuning in at the show’s peak and 50.5 million watching over the weekend. BTS has cancelled its upcoming live shows and events in light of Coronavirus outbreak.
Oil prices extended their slide on Wednesday, 22 April 2020 with Brent crude dropping to lowest levels in over two decades. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused the demand to evaporate as markets continue to deal with oversupply. Price of Brent crude fell to USD16 per barrel, its lowest point since 1999.
A clinical test of COVID-19 vaccine in Germany has been approved, according to the country’s Federal Institute for Vaccines. 200 healthy participants between the age of 18 and 55 will receive several variants of the vaccine, developed by German biotech company BioNTech and US giant Pfizer. Additional tests will be conducted on more people in the second stage of human trials.
Missouri has become the first US State to sue China for a series of charges including denying the contagious nature of novel Coronavirus. The lawsuit has been filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. The state has about 6000 cases of Coronavirus infections. Over 190 people have lost their lives due to the pandemic in Missouri.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has approved performing Tarawih prayers in the two holy mosques Makkah and Medina. Suspension of entry of pilgrims will stay in effect. Saudi Arabia also plans to ease curfew hours in several cities during the month of Ramadan to allow people more time to shop for essential needs.