HOT NEWS
- The U.S. stepped up its pressure on China by trying to identify where the deadly virus originated and asked China to come clean on what it knows.
Source: Al Jazeera
- China urged the World Bank to postpone poor countries’ debt payments amid the pandemic, saying the world’s biggest multilateral development bank should lead by example.
Source: Reuters
- The U.S. Republican supported Trump to withhold the aid to the WHO with some suggestion that the resumption would be made until the WHO Chief resigns.
Source: CNA
WORLD
- The UK ruled out the deadline extension for reaching Brexit despite the delay caused by the COVID-19, and both sides will carry out three negotiation rounds by video conference.
Source: RFI
- Trump’s plan to reopen the economy consists of three phases namely to call on teleworking, to resume non-essential travel, and to open all venues with limited social distancing.
Source: ABC News
- The UK extends lockdown by at least another three weeks, of which the restriction has been in place since March 23, in an attempt to prolong its shelter-in-place restriction.
Source: CNBC
REGIONS
- Xi and Putin spoke over a phone call on Thursday night to reaffirm mutual support in the fight against COVID-19 and denied the politicalization of the pandemic.
Source: Xinhua Net
- Shinzo Abe declares a nationwide state of emergency in a bid to prevent the further spread of coronavirus and to stop a mass movement of people until May 6.
Source: Japan Times
- Duterte threatened to place the Philippines under a martial law-like lockdown as more and more people ignored the restrictions to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Source: The Straits Times
CAMBODIA
- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia calls for the Government to review the State of Emergency Draft Law.
Source: Thmey Thmey
- According to IMF, Cambodia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is anticipated to be -1.5 percent for 2020 due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Source: Thmey Thmey
- Cambodia’s Aviation sector has plummeted because of extreme COVID-19 travel restrictions, which is going down by more than 90 percent as of this April.
Source: Khmer Times