Who is popular today?

The World Health Organization has raised concerns about cases where there has been no contact with someone known to be infected nor travel to China
10.38am GMT
Two people in Italy have died of coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 34, Italian media reported on Saturday.
Adriano Trevisan, 78, from Veneto, died on Friday night, while the virus also killed a woman in the Lombardy region.
We have put in place all measures at the highest precautionary level. It is not the time to blame ourselves for anything, we must continue to monitor and be ready to review some measures.
10.31am GMT
At the centre of the outbreak in South Korea is the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an abbreviation of “New Heaven and New Earth”, a fast-growing secretive fringe sect that mainstream Christian groups describe as a cult. The church, with about 200,000 members, was founded in 1984 by Lee Man-hee, who claims to be an angel sent by Jesus Christ to create God’s kingdom on earth.Videos of services show attendees sitting close together on the floor in rows, singing and chanting in unison. Media reports citing former members of the church said many would attend church regardless of illness and were banned from wearing anything on their faces, including face masks or eye glasses.The church is often criticised for its recruitment methods. Members target already established believers attending mainstream churches and often do not disclose their affiliation with the church. New members are encouraged to distance themselves from friends and family who were not part of the sect. The church has more than 300 mission centres in 15 countries, including China. In response to questions over whether the church had a branch in Wuhan, it said in a statement on its website that it has more than 120 students in China enrolled in its bible course. (Members must complete an eight-month bible study course and an exam in order to join the church.) The church said there was no physical building or meeting place.The church said on its website that it had shut all branches and centres and was disinfecting its facilities. It responded to criticism of its worship services by saying its members sit on the floor “only to accommodate as many people as possible in a confined space”.Its pastor described the virus as the “work of the devil” to halt Shincheonji’s fast growth. “Just like Job’s faith was tested, it is an attempt to destroy our progress,” he said in an internal message reported by Yonhap news agency. Continue reading...