OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

Pinoys excited as Pope Francis set to preside over 'Simbang Gabi'

Jackie de Vega, ABS-CBN News
Dec 15 06:59 PM

Anticipation filled the Filipino Catholics in Rome as Pope Francis is set to lead for the first time traditional Simbang Gabi in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Read more »

Passengers evacuate Qantas plane via emergency slides at Sydney airport

ABS-CBN News
Dec 15 12:34 PM

Passengers on a Qantas Airways Ltd flight evacuated their plane via emergency slides at Australia's Sydney airport on Sunday after the flight was forced to turn around. Read more »

New Zealand death toll rises to 16

Will Ziebell, Reuters
Dec 15 11:13 AM | Updated Dec 15 11:51 AM

MELBOURNE -- New Zealand recovery teams returned to the volcanic White Island on Sunday but were unable to locate two remaining bodies in their search, the police said. Read more »

Firefighters master blaze at France's largest oil refinery

Agence France-Presse
Dec 15 08:14 AM

RENNES, France - Firefighters brought a fire at the largest oil refinery in France under control Saturday, local officials said, hours after it started in the small hours of the morning. Read more »

Singapore invokes fake news law over opposition party posts

Reuters
Dec 15 08:00 AM

SINGAPORE - Singapore's government invoked a fake news law on Saturday to order an opposition party to publish corrections on two social media posts and an article on its website about local employment, an official statement showed. Read more »

2 dead, thousands of homes without power as storms hit France

Alexandra Lesieur, Agence France-Presse
Dec 15 07:58 AM

PEYREHORADE, France - Two pensioners have been killed and tens of thousands of homes left without electricity as gale force winds and flooding hit southwestern France. Read more »

Anger erupts at UN climate summit as major economies resist bold action

Matthew Green and Valerie Volcovici, Reuters
Dec 15 07:55 AM

MADRID - Major economies resisted calls for bolder climate commitments as a U.N. summit in Madrid limped towards a delayed conclusion on Saturday, dimming hopes that nations will act in time to stop rising temperatures devastating people and the natural world. Read more »

N. Korea conducts new test at rocket site, aims to ‘overpower US nuclear threats’

Heekyong Yang and Josh Smith, Reuters
Dec 14 11:37 PM

The test was conducted on Friday at the Sohae satellite launch site, KCNA said, citing a spokesman for North Korea's Academy of Defence Science, without specifying what sort of testing occurred. Read more »

Thousands join biggest protest for years in Bangkok

Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Matthew Tostevin, Reuters
Dec 14 10:12 PM

The demonstration in Bangkok, called just a day earlier by Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, revived memories of the spasms of street protest that have roiled the Thai capital periodically during the past two decades of political turbulence. Read more »

UN climate talks unraveling, face failure

Patrick Galey, Agence France-Presse
Dec 14 10:07 PM

Delegates on Saturday were exasperated at what they called backwards steps on the key political issue -- how far each nation is willing to go to help stave off climate catastrophe. Read more »

Cholera kills more than 27,000 pigs in Indonesia

Agence France-Presse
Dec 14 07:28 PM

Last month, more than 1,000 cholera-stricken pigs were buried in the province after their decaying carcasses were plucked from local waterways. Read more »

Thai opposition leader calls for peaceful protest vs party ban

Matthew Tostevin and Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Reuters
Dec 14 05:18 PM

The call by Thanathorn for supporters to mobilize has revived memories of the spasms of protest in Bangkok over the past two decades of turbulent politics that were interrupted by coups in 2006 and 2014. Read more »

Malaysia PM suggests he could stay in office beyond 2020

Reuters
Dec 14 04:24 PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad suggested on Saturday he may seek to stay in power after 2020. Read more »

Divers search for remaining bodies from NZ volcanic eruption

Agence France-Presse
Dec 14 01:14 PM

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Divers searched seas around New Zealand's volatile White Island Saturday for two people still missing five days after the volcano erupted, amid warnings it could do so again.    Read more »

5 held over man's death in Hong Kong protests

Agence France-Presse
Dec 14 12:35 PM

HONG KONG, China - Five Hong Kong teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man hit on the head by a brick during clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters last month, police said Saturday.   Read more »