SEOUL: South Korea is sending military aircraft on Sunday to replace the entire 300-member crew of a navy destroyer on an anti-piracy mission off East Africa after nearly 70 of them tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.
Two transport planes will bring home 300 sailors aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Ministry officials said, requesting anonymity citing department rules.
They said 68 sailors have so far tested positive and the results on 200 of the 300 crew are still pending.
South Korea has taken part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since 2009. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about 150 navy personnel will replace the crew and sail the destroyer to South Korea. Officials said the ship was to be replaced with another destroyer next month following a six-month rotational deployment.
On Sunday, South Korea’s health authorities reported 1,454 new cases, taking the country’s total to 177,951 with 2,057 deaths.
South Korea has recently imposed its toughest distancing rules on its populous capital region, where most of the recent cases have been found. Authorities are considering more stringent restrictions in other areas as well.
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South Korea to bring home sailors aboard coronavirus-hit destroyer
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South Korea to bring home sailors aboard coronavirus-hit destroyer
- Two transport planes will bring home 300 sailors aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great
- About 150 navy personnel will replace the crew and sail the destroyer to South Korea
Gunmen open fire at soccer field in central Mexico, killing 11 and wounding 12
:MEXICO CITY Gunmen opened fire at a soccer field in central Mexico on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 12, authorities said.
Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a statement posted to social platforms that the gunmen arrived at the end of a soccer match.
Ten people died at the scene and one died later at a hospital. The mayor said a woman and a minor were among the wounded.
Prieto said the attack was part of a “crime wave” in the city and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help to control the violence.
The Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office said it was investigating and coordinating with federal authorities to reinforce security in the area.
Guanajuato had Mexico’s highest homicide total last year. A local gang, Santa Rosa de Lima, has been battling the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
“Unfortunately, there are criminal groups trying to subjugate authorities, something they are not going to achieve,” the mayor said.
Overall, Mexico’s government says the country’s 2025 murder rate was the lowest since 2016 at 17.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, although analysts cautioned that the numbers may not fully reflect the country’s violence.
Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a statement posted to social platforms that the gunmen arrived at the end of a soccer match.
Ten people died at the scene and one died later at a hospital. The mayor said a woman and a minor were among the wounded.
Prieto said the attack was part of a “crime wave” in the city and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help to control the violence.
The Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office said it was investigating and coordinating with federal authorities to reinforce security in the area.
Guanajuato had Mexico’s highest homicide total last year. A local gang, Santa Rosa de Lima, has been battling the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
“Unfortunately, there are criminal groups trying to subjugate authorities, something they are not going to achieve,” the mayor said.
Overall, Mexico’s government says the country’s 2025 murder rate was the lowest since 2016 at 17.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, although analysts cautioned that the numbers may not fully reflect the country’s violence.
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