OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

'This time I'm scared': Experts fear too late for China virus lockdown

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 07:59 PM

The contagious virus has already reached elsewhere in China and abroad, and even an authoritarian government has only a small timeframe in which trapped residents will submit to such a lockdown, they say. Read more »

Greta Thunberg says climate demands 'completely ignored' at Davos

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 07:40 PM

Thunberg was a highlight of the 50th edition of the conference, drawing massive attention including barbs by US Secretary Steven Mnuchin who on Thursday told the teen to go "study economics." Read more »

Beijing to close section of Great Wall, other tourist sites

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 06:27 PM

BEIJING, China - China announced Friday it will close a section of the Great Wall and other famous Beijing landmarks to control the spread of a deadly virus that has infected hundreds of people across the country.   Read more »

Over 41 million people now affected by China transport bans

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 05:37 PM

BEIJING, China - China on Friday added four more cities to a transport ban around the epicenter of a deadly virus, bringing the number affected by the shutdown to over 41 million as authorities scramble to control the disease. Read more »

Beijing cancels Lunar New Year fairs

Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters
Jan 24 05:33 PM

A worker dismantles decorations on Friday after the temple fair for the Chinese Lunar New Year in Ditan Park was canceled in Beijing, China Read more »

Singapore confirms 2 more Wuhan virus cases, taking tally to 3

Reuters
Jan 24 03:47 PM

Singapore confirmed 2 more cases of a new strain of coronavirus, its health ministry said on Friday, a day after identifying its first case of the infection that originated from China.   Read more »

China seals off more cities as virus toll climbs

Sébastien Ricci, Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 02:33 PM

China expanded a lockdown now covering some 26 million people and canceled some Lunar New Year celebrations to prevent the disease spreading further. Read more »

Australia mourns US firefighters as probe into plane crash begins

Sonali Paul and Paulina Duran, Reuters
Jan 24 02:24 PM

SYDNEY - An air tanker that crashed in Australia on Thursday killing three US firefighters dropped fire retardant shortly before the fatal accident, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Friday. Read more »

China confirms 2nd virus death outside of epicenter

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 01:12 PM

China on Friday confirmed a second death outside the epicenter of a SARS-like virus outbreak that has infected hundreds of people, raising the overall toll to 26 dead. Read more »

New coronavirus kills 25, infects 830 in China

Yuan Zheng, EPA-EFE
Jan 24 12:20 PM

A militia member checks the body temperature of a driver on a vehicle at an expressway toll gate in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, Thursday, in a bid to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Read more »

South Korea confirms second coronavirus case

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 12:04 PM

South Korea on Friday confirmed its second case of the SARS-like virus that has killed at least 25 in China, as concerns mount about a wider outbreak. Read more »

China building 1,000-bed hospital over the weekend to treat coronavirus

Reuters
Jan 24 11:42 AM

The Chinese city of Wuhan is rapidly building a new 1,000-bed hospital to treat victims of a new coronavirus, mobilizing machinery to get it ready by early next week, state media said. Read more »

Singapore schools ask for holiday travel details as China virus spreads

Reuters
Jan 24 11:40 AM

Schools in Singapore, where the first case of a coronavirus was confirmed on Thursday, are asking parents and staff to provide details of travel during the Lunar New Year holidays as part of measures to fight the disease that has killed 25 people in China. Read more »

China shuts down transport in 8 cities around virus epicenter

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 11:36 AM

China has now shut down bridges, halted public transport and closed a major airport to restrict the movement of some 26 million people around the epicenter of a deadly virus outbreak. Read more »

UN says officials barred from using WhatsApp since June 2019 over security

Reuters
Jan 24 11:04 AM

The independent UN experts said on Wednesday they had information pointing to the "possible involvement" of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the alleged 2018 cyberattack on the billionaire Amazon.com Inc chief.   Read more »

PH sets 2 conditions for lifting of Kuwait deployment ban

ABS-CBN News
Jan 24 11:00 AM | Updated Jan 24 11:13 AM

The Philippines will lift its total deployment ban of migrant workers to Kuwait on 2 conditions: the signing of a template contract for Filipino workers and when the Gulf State shows "earnest efforts" to deliver justice to slain household worker Jeanelyn Villavende, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Friday. Read more »

World Court orders Myanmar to protect Rohingya from acts of genocide

Stephanie van den Berg and Ruma Paul, Reuters
Jan 24 10:46 AM

A lawsuit launched by Gambia in November at the United Nations' highest body for disputes between states accuses Myanmar of genocide against Rohingya in violation of a 1948 convention. Read more »

China virus death toll mounts to 25, more than 800 infected

Reuters
Jan 24 09:35 AM

BEIJING - A new coronavirus has killed 25 people in China and infected more than 800, the government said on Friday, as the World Health Organisation declared it an emergency but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern. Read more »

Japan confirms second coronavirus case

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 08:08 AM

TOKYO - Japan's health ministry said Friday it had confirmed the country's second case of a novel coronavirus strain, in a man who traveled from the Chinese city of Wuhan. Read more »

Countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 08:06 AM | Updated Jan 24 12:56 PM

A SARS-like virus has claimed 18 lives since emerging on December 31 in a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Read more »

US investigating second suspected case of Chinese virus

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 07:05 AM

Authorities in Texas are investigating a second suspected case on US soil of a deadly Chinese virus, namely a college student who had recently returned from the city at the heart of the outbreak, officials said Thursday. Read more »

Trump 'flagrantly' abused power: impeachment trial

Paul Handley, Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 07:03 AM

Democrats told President Donald Trump's impeachment trial Thursday that he openly and dangerously abused his powers to gain political advantage. Read more »

No talks with Iraq yet on removing US troops: official

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 05:29 AM

WASHINGTON - The United States has not yet entered into talks with Iraq on the removal of US troops from the country, as demanded by the Iraqi parliament, a senior US official said Thursday. Read more »

Not enough evidence that vaping helps smokers quit: US gov't report

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 05:25 AM

There is not enough evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes help smokers quit tobacco, a US government report said Thursday, as the vaping industry faces increased regulatory pressures. Read more »

New Chinese virus not yet a global health emergency: WHO

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 04:26 AM

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND- A deadly virus outbreak in China and beyond does not yet constitute a global emergency, the World Health Organization said Thursday, urging China to keep its lockdown of some 20 million people "short". Read more »