S. Korea reports 107 new cases, total now at 8,086

South Korea continued to see a slowdown in the pace of the novel coronavirus spread for the third consecutive day, with the total number of infections coming in at 8,086 Saturday morning, up from 107 from the same time a day earlier. 　 A total of 204 people were released from isolation Friday, nearly double the number of those newly infected with the virus. The number of those deemed clear of the virus is 714. 　 Five more people died of COVID-19 on Friday, raising the death toll to 72, accord

Social AffairsMarch 14, 2020

Trump declares national emergency, vows drive-thru virus tests

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Friday introduced drive-through tests as part of efforts to fight the coronavirus, a week after he questioned the effectiveness of the method widely used in South Korea. Trump made the announcement during a White House press conference at which he declared a national emergency to fight the growing outbreak in the United States.  "We've been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical loc

Social AffairsMarch 14, 2020

Greek organisers scrap Olympic torch relay because of crowds

ATHENS (AFP) -- Greece's Olympic Committee on Friday said it was cancelling the rest of the torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Greek soil as large crowds had turned out despite coronavirus warnings. "The rest of the torch relay on Greek soil has been cancelled," the committee said, adding that the Olympic flame would be handed over to Tokyo organisers on March 19 as scheduled, but without spectators. It noted that crowds had ignored "repeated warnings" not to gat

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

Moon, Macron discuss coronavirus response in phone talks

The leaders of South Korea and France had phone discussions Friday on ways to cooperate in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheong Wa Dae said. Speaking with President Moon Jae-in for 35 minutes, France's President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "respect" for South Korea's "transparent and effective" response to the outbreak, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok. Macron requested that South Korea share its related experience with his country as it a

Foreign AffairsMarch 13, 2020

Canada: Trudeau's wife tests positive for new coronavirus

TORONTO (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office announced Thursday night. It said Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was felling well and would remain in isolation. "The Prime Minister is in good health with no symptoms. As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, he will be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days," the statement added. His office said the doctor's advice to the prime mi

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

S. Korea reports 11 more dead wild boars infected with African swine fever

South Korea said Friday it has found 11 more dead wild boars infected with African swine fever in areas near the border with North Korea, bringing the total number of cases to 366. The animals were found dead near the border -- the eastern county of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, the border city of Paju and Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul, according to a research institute affiliated with the environment ministry. South Korea confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the animal

Social AffairsMarch 13, 2020

Iran reports 85 new virus deaths, taking total to 514

TEHRAN (AFP) --Iran announced on Friday that the new coronavirus has claimed another 85 lives, the highest single-day death toll in one of the world's worst affected countries. "Sadly, 85 people infected with the COVID-19 disease have died in the past 24 hours", bringing to 514 the overall number of deaths in Iran, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference. "Across the country, at least 1,289 infected people have been added to the list of

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

US stadium, set for BTS concerts in April, closes operations over virus woes

A stadium in California where K-pop superband BTS planned to hold concerts next month said Thursday (local time) it will suspend operations for the time being due to concerns about the new coronavirus. Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, tweeted, "In light of guidelines issued yesterday by the federal government to stop the spread of COVID-19, the SAP Performance Center and Levi's Stadium will close operations beginning March 13 until further notice." BTS was scheduled to lau

K-popMarch 13, 2020

Sejong Center declares ‘brief halt’ to prevent virus spread

On Friday, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced a “brief halt” as part of the nation’s “social distancing” campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  According to Friday’s announcement, most of the programs slated to run at the center between now and late March have been canceled or postponed. The Seoul Dance Metropolitan Theatre’s 2020 opening show, “N.O.T,” has been postponed. The Seoul Metropolitan Junior Chorus&rsq

PerformanceMarch 13, 2020

UEFA postpone all Champions League and Europa League matches next week

PARIS (AFP) -- All UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, European football's governing body said on Friday. The move comes after two of next week's four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs -- between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon -- had already been called off on Thursday. That followed Real's announcement that their squad had been placed in quaranti

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

Kenya confirms first case of coronavirus in East Africa

NAIROBI (AFP) -- Kenya announced Friday the first confirmed case of coronavirus in East Africa, as the region so far unscathed by the global pandemic scaled up emergency measures to contain its spread. A 27-year-old Kenyan woman tested positive for the virus on March 12 in Nairobi, a week after returning from the United States via London. She was in a stable condition and recovering, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe told reporters. "We wish to assure all Kenyans that the government will use

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

Pandemic shuts down Everest as Nepal suspends permits

KATHMANDU (AFP) -- Nepal on Friday barred climbers from all mountains — including Everest — over the coronavirus pandemic, in a major blow to its tourism industry. The Himalayan country, which has so far confirmed one coronavirus case, earns 4.4 million dollars a year from climbing permits while the losses to expedition organisers will be even higher. As well as suspending all climbing permits, Nepal stopped issuing tourist visas on arrival, Yogesh Bhattarai, Minister for Culture

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

[News in focus] Apps show mask inventory for nearby locations in real time

Five days into the South Korean government’s attempt to create a streamlined system by rationing masks to two per person and establishing designated purchasing days each week depending on the purchaser’s birth year, apps and websites are springing to life to provide real-time information on mask stocks at government-appointed outlets. Some of these services are the work of independent developers turned Good Samaritans, while others come from internet portal and telecom businesses.

IndustryMarch 13, 2020

China, US spar over origin of coronavirus

BEIJING (AFP) -- A Chinese government campaign to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic is fuelling a row with the United States, with a Beijing official promoting conspiracy theories and Washington calling it the "Wuhan virus". The spat comes as China tries to deflect blame for the contagion and reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to buy the world time by placing huge swathes of its population under quarantine. With cases falling in China and soaring

World NewsMarch 13, 2020

Socar CEO steps down after Tada comes to an end

Socar CEO Lee Jae-woong said Friday that he was stepping down from the top position to take responsibility for the suspension of van-hailing service Tada. Socar is the parent company of Tada operator VCNC. His announcement comes a day after VCNC said it would “indefinitely terminate” the service April 10.  Lee “failed to secure Tada drivers’ employment, failed to keep the investors’ trust and (his) colleagues’ dream for innovation,” he wrote on F

MobilityMarch 13, 2020

Nursing home in Bucheon under cohort isolation

A nursing home in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province has been put into cohort isolation after a nurse’s aide tested positive for the new coronavirus, city officials said Friday. The 142 residents of the staff at Bucheon Hanna Nursing Home and 22 of its staff were put on lockdown as of Friday over concerns of the facility becoming a cluster of infection. The remainder of the nursing home’s roughly 90 staff were put into self-isolation or directed not to come to work. “The city wil

Social AffairsMarch 13, 2020

Top court rules in favor of singer banned from visiting S. Korea

South Korea's top court has ruled in favor of a Korean-American singer who was banned from entering South Korea, a decision that may help him visit the country for the first time in 18 years. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision that was handed down in favor of Steve Yoo, better known as Yoo Seung-jun here, in a lawsuit against South Korea's diplomatic mission in Los Angeles for refusing to grant him a visa. Yoo, 43, had been banned from entering South Korea since 200

Social AffairsMarch 13, 2020

EBS takes action to protect copyrights over Pengsoo

The Educational Broadcasting System is finally taking action to protect its copyrights over the popular character Pengsoo, after numerous infringements since the beloved penguin debuted last year. The broadcasting company announced Friday that it had signed a contract with the MIJU Law Firm, which specializes in intellectual property rights infringement issues online. “EBS and MIJU Law Firm already investigated both online and offline cases of copyright infringement of Pengsoo. We are

TelevisionMarch 13, 2020

S. Korea imposes 6-month ban on stock short-selling

South Korea’s financial authorities on Friday announced a six-month ban on short-selling in the local stock market, effective Monday, in an effort to reduce market volatility amid the spread of COVID-19. The hurried action came as the country’s stock market nose-dived earlier the same day, triggering a temporary trading halt in both the main bourse Kospi and the secondary Kosdaq. “Short-selling of all listed stocks on (the main bourse) Kospi and (secondary) Kosdaq and (ter

EconomyMarch 13, 2020

S. Korea, China hold video conference on fight against new coronavirus

South Korea and China on Friday held a working-level video conference on joint efforts to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, including ensuring the stable supply of face masks and other quarantine items, the foreign ministry said. Kang Sang-wook, the ministry's director-general for Northeast Asian affairs, and his Chinese counterpart Wu Jianghao led the conference, which also involved the two countries' health and other related officials. Kang said that South Korea has been carrying out

Foreign AffairsMarch 13, 2020