South Korea has been holding an election unlike any other. Voters wore masks and stood at least 1m apart. They had their temperature taken, disinfected their hands and wore plastic gloves. Only then were they given their voting slip and allowed to head into the booth to cast their ballot.

These are just some of the measures taken to allow the scheduled National Assembly election to take place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Three hundred seats at the National Assembly are being contested. Thirty-five parties have registered candidates, but the race will be between the ruling Minjoo (Democratic) Party and the main opposition, the conservative United Future Party.

The government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak has dominated all discussions during this election. It has eclipsed fears of a struggling economy and a number of corruption scandals involving presidential aides.

The National Assembly elections are seen as a bit of springboard to test candidates and party popularity ahead of the presidential elections in 2022. After voting closed on Wednesday, exit polls published by the three main broadcasters suggested President Moon Jae-in’s ruling Democratic party had won the majority of seats and increased its majority.(BBC)…[+]

Children up to the age of 11 are returning to nurseries and schools across Denmark, as the government becomes the first in Europe to relax coronavirus restrictions on education. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed children as they went back to school in the capital Copenhagen. Denmark was among the first countries in Europe to impose a lockdown, with schools closed on 12 March.

Infection rates have been low but critics warn the strategy is risky. “We’re all a bit nervous and we’ll have to ensure that we stick to hygiene rules,” Elisa Rimpler of the BUPL, the Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators, told the BBC. “We have a lot of washing hands during the day. We don’t have masks and we have to keep a good distance from each other so that’s a very difficult task.” Denmark’s move came as European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen set out a roadmap on Wednesday for a gradual lifting of restrictions across the 27-state bloc, but made clear it was not a signal to act immediately.(BBC)…[+]

The founder and boss of Amazon has seen his wealth swell by $24bn (£19bn) after soaring demand for online shopping sent the firm’s share price to a new high. Jeff Bezos now has a fortune of $138bn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, cementing his position as the world’s richest man.

Amazon has benefited from surging internet shopping by people forced to stay home during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The firm has been recruiting thousands of workers to cope with demand. However, Amazon has also been criticised by employees in the US over workplace protection against the coronavirus. Mr Bezos owns an 11% stake in Amazon and on Tuesday, the firm’s shares rose by 5.3%.The family behind retail giant Wal-Mart, which owns Asda in the UK, have also gained during the lockdown.(BBC)…[+]