OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

South Korea's Moon says Olympics may be chance for North Korea, US talks

Hyonhee Shin, Reuters
Mar 01 11:41 AM

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that the Tokyo Olympics could provide a chance to reopen talks between North Korea and the United States, North Korea and Japan, and the two Koreas. Read more »

US to distribute 4 million J&J COVID vaccines by Tuesday

Agence France-Presse
Mar 01 11:35 AM

Four million doses of the latest COVID-19 vaccine to get US approval will be delivered across the country as early as Tuesday, a senior administration official said. Read more »

Japan receives third batch of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Kyodo News
Mar 01 11:10 AM

The third batch of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Japan on Monday as the country is preparing to expand its inoculation program for health-care workers. Read more »

UK earmarks additional $2.3B for its COVID-19 vaccine push

Reuters
Mar 01 11:02 AM

British finance minister Rishi Sunak will announce an extra 1.65 billion pounds ($2.30 billion) to fund the country's fast vaccination rollout as part of his annual budget statement on Wednesday, the finance ministry said. Read more »

Prince Harry tells Oprah he worried history would repeat itself

Reuters
Mar 01 09:59 AM

Prince Harry, who shocked Britain last year when he and his wife Meghan stepped back from royal duties, told US interviewer Oprah Winfrey that he had worried about history repeating itself, according to excerpts released on Sunday. Read more »

Trump repeats election lie, hints at 2024 bid

Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw, Reuters
Mar 01 07:18 AM

WASHINGTON - Former US President Donald Trump on Sunday hinted at a possible run for president again in 2024, attacked President Joe Biden, and repeated his fraudulent claims that he won the 2020 election in his first major appearance since leaving the White House nearly six weeks ago. Read more »

J&J's COVID-19 shot gets CDC panel backing; vaccine near shipping

Carl O'Donnell, Reuters
Mar 01 06:41 AM

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel voted unanimously on Sunday to recommend Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 shot for widespread use, a final clearance for the vaccine a day after it was authorized by U.S. regulators. Read more »

China's CanSino says first vaccines packaged in Mexico will be ready in March

Reuters
Mar 01 06:39 AM

The first batch of 2 million vaccines from China's CanSino Biologics Inc, produced in Mexico, will be ready in the second half of March, the company said on Sunday.   Read more »

Drop by drop, China’s Yangtze River is drying up

Stephen Chen, South China Morning Post
Feb 28 06:03 PM

The biggest river in China is drying up. Read more »

HK children returning to school after long time at home risk catching common cold: experts

Chan Ho-him, South China Morning Post
Feb 28 03:02 PM

Researchers highlight a sharp rise in respiratory tract infections when schools resumed last year. Bracing themselves for kids falling sick, Hong Kong schools will enforce strict infection-control measures. Read more »

Saudi Arabia says Houthi missile attack on Riyadh thwarted

Agence France-Presse
Feb 28 02:50 PM

Read more »

At least 18 killed in Myanmar on bloodiest day of protests against coup

Reuters
Feb 28 02:45 PM | Updated Mar 01 12:16 AM

(UPDATE) Myanmar police fired on protesters around the country on Sunday in the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations against a military coup and at least 18 people were killed, the UN human rights office said. Read more »

Chinese teams looking for vaccines for COVID-19 variants for ‘a long time’, expert says

Mimi Lau, South China Morning Post
Feb 28 01:47 PM

Researchers have been ‘tracking and analyzing a global database of COVID-19 patients’, military scientist Chen Wei says. Work ‘began a long time ago for a new and stronger vaccine targeting mutations’, she says. Read more »

Pair of black swans spotted in Hong Kong; experts think they escaped from Chinese zoo

Laura Westbrook, South China Morning Post
Feb 28 01:25 PM

The city’s bird watchers were delighted by the rare appearance of swans in Victoria Harbour. An animal welfare group says the pair appear to be healthy but are scared of people. Read more »

Devotion by Zoom

Athit Perawongmetha, Reuters
Feb 28 01:00 PM

People pray as screens show devotees gathering via Zoom application during a ceremony to commemorate Makha Bucha Day amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Read more »

Thailand starts COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Reuters
Feb 28 12:46 PM

Thailand kicked off its COVID-19 inoculation campaign on Sunday, with cabinet ministers, health officials and medical professionals among the first in the queue to receive vaccinations. Read more »

South China Sea: Chinese military stages live-fire missile drill, US Navy on Paracels patrol

Catherine Wong, South China Morning Post
Feb 28 11:31 AM

The People's Liberation Army of China tests its response to repeated attack far offshore, according to a state media report. A Beijing think-tank says a US unarmed ocean surveillance vessel has been near disputed islands since Tuesday. Read more »

US authorizes Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine for emergency use: FDA

Agence France-Presse
Feb 28 08:18 AM | Updated Feb 28 09:42 AM

The United States on Saturday authorized Johnson & Johnson's COVID vaccine for emergency use, giving the nation a third shot to battle the outbreak that has killed more than 500,000 Americans. Read more »

Pope Francis expects to spend his final days in Rome: new book

Agence France-Presse
Feb 28 07:36 AM

Pope Francis expects to die in Rome, still the Catholic pontiff, without returning to spend his final days in his native Argentina, according to a new book titled "The Health of Popes."   Read more »

Russian scientists say Sputnik V performs well against COVID mutations

Reuters
Feb 28 12:00 AM

Last month Putin ordered a review by March 15 of Russian-produced vaccines for their effectiveness against new variants spreading in different parts of the world. Read more »

Hate crime charges added in New York Chinatown stabbing case

Owen Churchill, South China Morning Post
Feb 27 11:30 PM

New York prosecutors on Friday filed hate crime charges against the suspect in a stabbing in Manhattan’s Chinatown that left a man in critical condition. The incident is the latest in a string of violent attacks against Asian-Americans.   Read more »

Myanmar police launch most extensive crackdown; 1 woman shot, wounded

Reuters
Feb 27 10:39 PM

The violence came after Myanmar's UN envoy, saying he was speaking for the ousted civilian government, urged the UN to use "any means necessary" to reverse the coup. Read more »

Australia moves closer to pre-pandemic life, COVID-19 reined in for now

Reuters
Feb 27 07:04 PM | Updated Feb 27 08:19 PM

Life across Australia inched toward pre-pandemic normal on Saturday, with New South Wales and South Australia states allowing some dancing and Victoria permitting larger crowds at sporting events. Read more »

Bangladesh under 'no obligation' to accept stranded Rohingya refugees— minister

ABS-CBN News
Feb 27 04:23 PM

"They are not Bangladesh nationals and in fact, they are Myanmar nationals." Read more »

South Korea vaccinates 18,000 to start ambitious COVID-19 campaign

Reuters
Feb 27 02:58 PM

The government hopes to reach herd immunity, defined as at least a 70 percent vaccine take-up, by November, as health authorities remain on alert for signs of sporadic infections.   Read more »