http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsMain.do http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463070&typ_800=M A fire on an Italian-flagged ferry sailing through the Ionian Sea on Friday left just one crew member injured among the nearly 300 people who were on board. The Greek coast guard said flames broke out on the Euroferry Olympia, which was heading to Italy from the Greek port city of Igoumenitsa, at 4:30 a.m. local time. "The passengers of the cruise ship were transferred safe and sound on rescue boats to Corfu," Rodi Kratsa, the governor of the Ionian Islands region told Greek public b Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181824+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463069&typ_800=Q The President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach says it was chilling to see how the Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was treated by her coach when she failed to win a medal. Bach said he was disturbed to see the teenager under so much pressure. [Clip: Bach] "When I afterwards saw how she was received by her closest entourage with a such a, what appeared to be a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this. Rather than giving her comfort, rather than try to help he Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181822+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463057&typ_800=P Courts in the cities of Daejeon and Incheon have ruled against the government's plan to expand the COVID-19 vaccine pass system to include teenagers. The Daejeon District Court on Friday ruled in favor of 96 plaintiffs who opposed the planned enforcement of the youth vaccine pass system. The court said the vaccine pass mandate could not be seen as reasonable for teens because they have a remarkably low rate of COVID-19 severity and mortality, adding that their exclusion from the system is unlikely to cause significant adverse effects on public welfare. The Incheon District Court made the same ruling on the same day in a lawsuit filed by 80 citizens and activists. Earlier, courts in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province made similar decisions ordering the halt of vaccine pass requirements for the 12- 18 age group. Since November, South Korea has required people over the age of 18 to present a vaccine pass or a negative PCR test conducted within the previous 48 hours to enter various multiuse facilities. The government said it plans to expand the pass system to youths 12 and up from April 1, one month later than originally planned. Meanwhile, the same Daejeon court on Friday rejected a petition by about 1,500 citizens for the suspension of the government's decision to extend COVID-19-related social distancing restrictions "The need for restrictions on the size of private gathering and operating hours of multiuse facilities is recognized to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant," the court said. Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181657+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463043&typ_800=V ▶ S. Korea Eases Curfews Despite Omicron Surge South Korea is set to ease some social distancing rules despite a rapid increase in new COVID-19 infections fueled by the very contagious Omicron variant. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced Friday that business curfews for restaurants, cafes and other major multiuse facilities will be extended until 10 p.m. But the six-person limit on private social gatherings will remain. The changes will be in place from Saturday until March 13. "The Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181417+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463042&typ_800=M Fears of a new war in Europe resurged Thursday as U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Russia could invade Ukraine within days. "Every indication we have is they're prepared to go into Ukraine," Biden said. He added that the U.S. has "reason to believe" that Russia is "engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in," but did not provide details. The White House said Biden planned to speak by phone Friday with trans-Atlantic leaders about Russia's military buildup and continued efforts at deterrence and diplomacy. Russia is believed to have dispatched some 150,000 military forces around Ukraine's borders. The Kremlin insists it has no plans to invade, but it has long considered Ukraine part of its sphere of influence and NATO's eastward expansion an existential threat. Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181417+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463035&typ_800=M The first funerals have taken place in the flood stricken Brazilian city of Petropolis for those killed in Tuesday's devastating mudslides. There were 117 confirmed fatalities and more than 100 people still missing. The BBC's Katie Watson reports. [Reporter] You can see where the mud came through this neighborhood, wiping out every single house in its wake. Hundreds of firefighters and authorities are now on the ground trying to help with the recovery effort. But it is such a huge Reporter Ron Chang 202202181409+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463034&typ_800=N President Moon Jae-in has stepped up calls for the National Assembly to swiftly approve an extra budget bill worth 14 trillion won that was submitted last month. Moon cited "desperate" hardships facing small merchants hit by prolonged COVID-19 restrictions, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee told reporters Friday. Moon urged for action amid a tug-of-war between Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and political parties that have been demanding bigger spending from the government. The ruling Democratic Party proposed a 35 trillion-won supplementary budget and the main opposition People Power Party called for 50 trillion-won in extra spending. Hong has been opposing a sharp expansion of the extra budget, considering its impact on consumer prices and the state bond market. Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181409+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463033&typ_800=Q Team Korea still has a chance to bring home more gold medals from the Beijing Winter Olympics with three days of competition left. South Korean speed skaters Cha Min-kyu and Kim Min-seok will race in the men's 1,000-meter Friday. The event at the National Speed Skating Oval is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. KST. Cha earlier won silver in the 500-meter while Kim clinched bronze in the 1,500-meter. On Saturday, speed skater Lee Seung-hoon will look to defend his title in the men's mass start, with fellow teammate Chung Jae-won joining him on the ice. Kim Bo-reum will take part in the women's mass start. Kim is the defending silver medalist. Also on Day 15 of the Winter Games, bobsleigh pilot Won Yun-jong will enter the four-man competition at Yanqing National Sliding Centre in northwestern Beijing. Reporter Ron Chang 202202181406+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463032&typ_800=P More than 30 million people in South Korea have received COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed Friday. This accounts for 58.6 percent of the country's population of over 51 million. Nearly 68 percent of people aged 18 and up have received a third dose of vaccines, with the rate higher at over 87 percent for those 60 and older. Most adults, over 11.6 million, were administered the shot developed by American pharmaceutical company P Reporter Ron Chang 202202181406+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3463009&typ_800=N The Omicron wave in South Korea continues to drive daily new COVID-19 cases to fresh highs, surpassing 100,000 on Friday. A total of 109,831 new infections were confirmed in the last 24 hours, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the highest single day jump in cases since the start of the pandemic. Forty-five more virus-related deaths were also confirmed, while the number of critically ill COVID patients dropped by four from the previous day to 385. Data showed the be Reporter Rosyn Park 202202181119+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3462991&typ_800=N South Korea is set to ease some antivirus restrictions despite a rapid increase in new COVID-19 infections fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced Friday that business curfews for restaurants, cafes and other major multiuse facilities will be extended by one hour to 10 p.m. But the six-person limit on private social gatherings will remain. The change will be enforced on Saturday through March 13. "The government saw the need to maintain social distancing until the Omicron outbreak passes its peak and shifts to a downward trend," Kim said, adding that some adjustments were inevitable, considering the need to support the livelihoods of small business owners. The move came amid strong backlash from small merchants and self-employed people who have been complaining about massive losses suffered due to antivirus curbs and forced closures. The prime minister said the government also decided to postpone expanding the vaccine pass system to youths aged 12 to 18 until April in order to give facilities more time to prepare. Reporter Ron Chang 202202180937+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3462953&typ_800=M Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called for international unity to revive a global economy shaken by the pandemic. He was speaking during an opening address of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Jakarta. The BBC's Valdya Baraputri reports. [Reporter] President Joko Widodo said that it was not the time to create new tensions. He said rivalries have disrupted the global economic recovery. Tensions in Ukraine, he said, endangered the safety of the whole world. The G20 Finance Mini Reporter Ron Chang 202202171728+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3462951&typ_800=P A massive wildfire in the southeastern coastal county of Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang Province was brought under control Thursday, two days after it started. The Korea Forest Service said the blaze was contained around 2:30 p.m., and crews were in the process of extinguishing embers. About 40 helicopters and some 2,200 personnel were mobilized for the operation to put out the fire in Hwacheon-ri. It is presumed to have torched more than 400 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 residents in nearby villages. No casualties were reported. Local officials said an initial investigation indicated the fire was first started by sparks generated when a stray piece of solar reflective film, used for agriculture, hit a utility pole. Authorities plan to launch a detailed forensic analysis. Reporter Ron Chang 202202171657+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3462946&typ_800=Q South Korean women figure skaters will vie for gold Thursday evening at the Beijing Olympics. The free skate will get underway at 7 p.m. KST. You Young, who placed sixth during the short program earlier in the week, will be the 20th participant to hit the ice. Before her, teammate Kim Ye-lim will dazzle the crowd. South Korea last medaled in figure skating in 2014 in Sochi when Kim Yu-na clinched silver in the ladies' single. Reporter Ron Chang 202202171649+0900 http://tbs.seoul.kr/eFm/newsView.do?idx_800=3462945&typ_800=N The health ministry said Thursday that the country's medical system will be able to handle up to 2,000 critically ill COVID-19 patients. The remarks come amid a rise in such patients as well as a spike in infections. Ministry spokesman Son Young-rae also said in a briefing that at-home treatment is going smoothly despite some hurdles at first. According to government data, as of earlier in the day, over 314,500 people were recovering from the disease at home. He added that an adjustment to social distancing rules will be announced Friday. Currently, there is a 9 p.m. curfew for multiuse facilities such as restaurants and cafes and a six person cap on private social gatherings. Authorities are reportedly looking to extend business hours until 10 p.m. and expand the limit for get-togethers to eight. Reporter Ron Chang 202202171647+0900