Overseas | ABS-CBN News

2 Australian states to regularly test students for COVID

Reuters
Jan 23 12:51 PM

Two of Australia's most populous states said students would be tested twice weekly for the omicron variant when classes resume next week. Read more »

New Zealand outbreak forces PM Ardern to scrap wedding plans

Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 08:41 AM

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was Sunday forced to call off her own wedding as she tightened COVID-19 restrictions in the face of an outbreak of the omicron variant. Read more »

'Ex-Malaysian PM Mahathir readmitted to hospital but stable'

Kyodo News
Jan 23 08:10 AM

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been readmitted to a hospital and is being treated at an intensive care unit, but he is in stable condition, his daughter said Saturday. Read more »

Turkey detains TV journalist for insulting president

Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 07:42 AM

Turkey has detained a well-known television journalist for comments she made on air about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, her lawyer said Saturday. Read more »

UK accuses Kremlin of trying to install pro-Russian leader in Ukraine

Michael Holden, Reuters
Jan 23 07:39 AM

Britain on Saturday accused the Kremlin of seeking to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine. Read more »

US suspends 44 passenger flights to China

Agence France-Presse
Jan 22 05:15 PM

The United States announced Friday that it was suspending 44 Chinese passenger flights from America to the Asian giant in response to restrictive moves by Beijing on US carriers under its Covid-19 protocols. Read more »

Samoa, Kiribati to lock down as coronavirus lands in Pacific

Agence France-Presse
Jan 22 04:44 PM

Kiribati and Samoa entered lockdowns Saturday after overseas arrivals brought Covid to the Pacific island nations that had avoided the worst of the pandemic for two years. Read more »

Tongans determined to rebuild battered homeland

Agence France-Presse
Jan 22 04:29 PM

Tongans said they were determined to rebuild their battered homeland in the wake of last week's devastating eruption and tsunami as a massive clean up continued Saturday in the Pacific kingdom. Read more »

Over 10 injured as M6.6 quake hits Japan

Kyodo News
Jan 22 04:28 PM

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 rattled southwestern and western Japan early Saturday, leaving more than 10 injured amid strong shaking but no tsunami waves were triggered, the weather agency and local authorities said. Read more »

Underwater lion dance ahead of Lunar New Year

Hasnoor Hussain, Reuters
Jan 22 03:04 PM

A turtle passes in front of divers performing an underwater lion dance at KLCC Aquaria ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur. Read more »

Chinese firms get OK to make generic Merck COVID pill

Zhuang Pinghui, South China Morning Post
Jan 22 11:17 AM

Several Chinese companies are now allowed to make cheap versions of Merck’s COVID pills for low-income countries, a UN-backed organization said. Read more »

China hits back over nuclear transparency call

Catherine Wong, South China Morning Post
Jan 22 09:47 AM | Updated Jan 22 09:56 AM

China hit out at the United States and Japan on Friday after the two nations sounded alarm over China’s growing nuclear capabilities. Read more »

US suspends 44 US flights by Chinese carriers

David Shepardson, Reuters
Jan 22 07:36 AM

The decision will cut some flights by Xiamen, Air China , China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Read more »

US road tripper’s BF confessed to her killing: FBI

Agence France-Presse
Jan 22 07:14 AM

The boyfriend of Gabby Petito, whose disappearance and death gripped America, confessed to her killing before taking his life, the FBI said. Read more »

Biden, Japan's Kishida vow to 'push back' on China

Sebastian Smith, Agence France-Presse
Jan 22 05:51 AM

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to "push back" against China. Read more »

Myanmar sentences lawmaker from Suu Kyi's party to death

Agence France-Presse
Jan 22 02:32 AM

The Southeast Asian country has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,400 killed in a subsequent crackdown on dissent. Read more »

Taiwan woman faces execution over fire that killed 46

Agence France-Presse
Jan 21 06:16 PM

A Taiwanese woman faces the death penalty for allegedly starting the island's deadliest fire in decades in an attempt to get back at a boyfriend she suspected was cheating on her. Read more »

Coalition air strike on Yemen triggers internet blackout

Agence France-Presse
Jan 21 05:59 PM

The Saudi-led coalition bombarded Yemen's Hodeida overnight, taking out a telecommunications hub and triggering a nationwide internet blackout, a web monitor and AFP correspondents said on Friday. Read more »

Tonga volcano eruption was like 'atomic bomb'

Maddison Connaughton, Agence France-Presse
Jan 21 05:01 PM

Tonga's volcanic eruption felt like an "atomic bomb" that shook "the whole island", an aid worker told AFP on Friday, as the Pacific nation raced to address a drinking water shortage. Read more »

Japan may place most prefectures under COVID quasi-emergency

Kyodo News
Jan 21 04:20 PM

A majority of Japan's 47 prefectures have come under or are moving to seek restrictions on restaurants and bars to cope with surging coronavirus infections. Read more »

Japan approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11

Kyodo News
Jan 21 04:17 PM

Japan's health ministry on Friday approved the administration of Pfizer Inc.'s coronavirus vaccine to children aged between 5 and 11 as the nationwide case count continues to climb with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Read more »

Israel to scrap quarantine for children exposed to COVID carriers

Reuters
Jan 21 10:05 AM

Israel will ditch mandatory quarantine for children exposed to COVID-19 carriers, the government said on Thursday, Read more »

France to ease COVID restrictions starting Feb. 2

Joseph Schmid, Agence France-Presse
Jan 21 08:06 AM

France will begin a gradual lifting of Covid restrictions from February 2 amid 'encouraging signs' that the wave of infections is ebbing. Read more »

4 people including baby freeze to death near US-Canada border

Agence France-Presse
Jan 21 07:58 AM

Canadian authorities found the bodies of 4 people including a baby who apparently froze to death in a blizzard a few meters from the US border. Read more »

COVID-19 hits Antarctic research base, 9 evacuated

Agence France-Presse
Jan 21 07:52 AM

For the first time since the start of the pandemic the coronavirus has reached an Argentine research base in Antarctica, causing the evacuation of nine unvaccinated staff who tested positive for COVID-19. Read more »