Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn announces a de facto end to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome during a meeting of relevant government officials in Seoul on July 28 nike air max 97 og schwarz , 2015. South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn on Tuesday declared the deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was over, Yonhap news agency reported.
Thirty-six people died out of the 186 infected in the MERS outbreak, the biggest of the virus outside Saudi Arabia, following the first diagnosis on May 20.
"After weighing various circumstances, the medical personnel and the government judge that the people can now be free from worry," Hwang said in a meeting with government officials, Yonhap reported.
The outbreak has taken a toll on Asia's fourth largest economy, stifling consumer spending.
Local businesses including shopping malls air max 2018 damen schwarz , restaurants and cinemas reported a sharp drop in sales as people shunned public venues with large crowds.
The government recently announced a 22 trillion won ($19.8 billion) stimulus package, much of which was aimed at supporting businesses hurt by the MERS crisis.
The tourism industry was hit particularly hard, with the number of foreign visitors plunging by over 40 percent in June compared to a year ago, and a further 60 percent in the first two weeks of July.
Seoul plans to spend up to 30 billion won on campaigns to lure back travellers including free promotional tours and large concerts by big-name K-pop stars, vice tourism minister Kim Chong told foreign reporters last week.
GUANGZHOU, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Wu Zeheng, founder and leader of the cult "Huazang Zongmen", is facing criminal prosecution along with several other suspected cult members nike air max 2018 günstig , following year-long investigations by police in south China's Guangdong Province, it was announced late on Wednesday.
Local procuratorate of the coastal city of Zhuhai in Guangdong has instituted the prosecution for organizing and using cult to sabotage law enforcement, alleged rape, fraud, and production and sale of harmful food.
Wu, born in 1967, got his first police record for sexual assault at an early age and was later put in detention in 1991 for fraud and rascality. In 2000, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for illegal fund-raising and unlawful business operations.
Upon release from prison in 2010 nike air max 97 damen günstig , Wu began to propagate the pseudo religion "Huazang Zongmen" as a lofty sect of Buddhism and claimed to be the successor of several eminent monks. Glorified with fabricated educational background and life experience, Wu eventually became a master with supernatural power in the eyes of his followers.
Among many glamorous titles, Wu claimed he held a PhD of Cambridge University. But investigations at his hometown in Guangdong's Huilai County revealed that he dropped out from a local junior high school.
In the name of charity and life science and through inflammatory preaching, Wu lured a growing number of believers who wished to study Buddhism, seek disease treatment, or ward off ill fortune by joining the cult, according to the police involved in the investigation.
"When we arrested Wu in his locked bedroom last July, he was with a young woman in pajamas nike air max 97 herren kaufen ," said a police officer, who also seized philters, luxurious liquors, cigarettes, watches, jewelries and cash in his 200-square-meter apartment in Zhuhai.
Several female followers believed "practicing" with Wu in bed could help themselves "gain supernatural power," an excuse Wu used to seduce or coerce dozens of women, including two pairs of sisters and several minors nike air max 97 ultra schwarz , to have sex with him.
A follower surnamed Wang said she had been raped frequently. She got pregnant three times and was forced to have abortions. Some of the raped followers became barren.
Police said Wu had six children born in wedlock and at least another six born out of wedlock.
Wu set up websites and opened social media accounts to lure followers, and swindled them out of a great deal of money.
"New comers usually gave Wu premium cigarettes, liquors and tea as presents. But he hinted that he preferred cash," said a follower surnamed Yuan.
Wu said his paintings had "holy power" of warding off misfortunes. He sold three pieces for 100,000 to 500,000 yuan (about 81,400 U.S. dollars) each to his followers.
Wu bought 11 wooden stamps worth about 3,000 yuan from an online shop nike air max 97 schwarz kaufen , and sold them for 538,000 yuan as the stamps were "rare and blessed".
Wu asked his followers to raise millions of yuan and opened an "imperial restaurant" in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, where he propagated that the dishes, priced at 2,000 to 6,000 yuan, were cooked with secret cuisines and precious ingredients.
Police investigation showed that Wu amassed more than 6.9 million yuan in illegal profits.
"Huazang Zongmen" is not an officially registered organization, nor is Wu a registered monk, according to the investigations.
In 1991, Shi Suxi, former abbot of the renowned Shaolin Temple, publicly denied any links between the monastery and Wu, who claimed to be a disciple of a prestigious Shaolin monk.
The incumbent abbot Shi Yongxin also said "Shaolin has nothing to do with Wu." Most of Wu's writings turned out to be either plagiarisms or unlawful.
To whitewash his past, Wu said his imprisonment was "religious persecution" nike air max 97 summit white kaufen , in order to seek overseas support.
Due to his followers' lobbying, 17 U.S. lawmakers jointly sent a message to the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., demanding an end to the so-called "persecution".
Wu called the police bust of his cult "a crackdown on charity", and asked his followers to formulate "A Response Plan to Emergency".
According to the plan, if Wu disappeared for more than 24 hours, followers are required