Crude futures settle lower

Oil prices settled mixed on Friday.

The West Texas Intermediate for June delivery lost 1.45 U.S. dollars, or 1.51 percent, to settle at 94.4 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for June delivery went up 26 cents, or 0.25 percent, to settle at 105.33 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

China will send a new pair of giant pandas to the Zoo Atlanta in the United States under a 10-year international conservation cooperation agreement, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association on Friday.

The association signed an international cooperative research agreement on giant panda conservation with Zoo Atlanta in the United States last year, said a press release of the association.

Under the agreement, a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping (male) and Fu Shuang (female), from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, will travel to the United States to begin the 10-year cooperation program on giant panda conservation.

At a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the new round of international giant panda conservation cooperation between China and the United States will enhance the friendship between the people of the two countries.

"The giant panda is China's national treasure and also serves as a bridge of friendship among peoples around the world," Guo told a press briefing, adding that it is believed that the new round of international giant panda conservation cooperation between China and the United States will make new contributions to promoting the health and well-being of giant pandas, improving the ability to protect endangered species, promoting global biodiversity conservation and enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.