OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

S. Korea seeks 'amicable solution' to comfort women issue with Japan

Kyodo News
Jan 24 10:48 AM | Updated Jan 24 10:56 AM

South Korea on Saturday reacted to a court order for Japan to compensate former "comfort women" over their treatment in Japanese military brothels by vowing to seek an "amicable solution" and "make every effort to continue constructive and future-oriented cooperation" with its neighbor. Read more »

Top Spanish general resigns over allegations of vaccination queue-jumping

Reuters
Jan 24 10:19 AM

Spain's top general resigned on Saturday after allegations he had received the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of priority groups, one of a number of public officials who have sparked public anger because of reports they have jumped the vaccination queue. Read more »

Chinese President Xi Jinping says corruption remains biggest threat to Communist Party

Echo Xie, South China Morning Post
Jan 24 09:18 AM

Strict governance must be maintained ‘to ensure the development goals and tasks of the 14th five-year plan are fulfilled’, Xi says at the corruption watchdog’s annual conference. He also calls on regulators to tighten oversight of the financial sector. Read more »

New Zealand health officials probe probable community COVID-19 case

Reuters
Jan 24 09:08 AM

New Zealand health officials said on Sunday they were investigating a probable community coronavirus case, the country's first in months. Read more »

Chile rattled by successive tremors, downgrades tsunami warning

Aislinn Laing and Fabian Cambero, Reuters
Jan 24 09:06 AM

Two tremors hit Chilean territory minutes apart on Saturday evening, first in Antarctica followed by a second close to the capital Santiago.  Read more »

Macron says France's laws on child sex abuse must change

Agence France-Presse
Jan 24 09:04 AM

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday the law had to change to better protect victims of child sexual abuse, after thousands shared their stories in response to a newly published book. Read more »

Belgium sees large initial shortfall of AstraZeneca vaccine

Reuters
Jan 24 08:53 AM

Reuters reported on Friday that AstraZeneca had informed European Union officials it would cut deliveries of the vaccine by 60% to a total 31 million doses in the first quarter due to production problems. Read more »

Author still dealing with backlash over Wuhan Diary on city’s fight against COVID-19

Linda Lew, South China Morning Post
Jan 24 07:43 AM

Fang Fang says her book was an attempt to share a truthful, personal account of events in the Chinese city where the coronavirus was first identified. But since its publication in English – it remains unpublished in Chinese – she says she ‘never could have imagined the things that have happened, either the catastrophe that is the pandemic or the online harassment’. Read more »

Pope to miss events due to new flare up of leg pain -Vatican

Reuters
Jan 24 07:35 AM

Pope Francis has suffered a renewed flare-up of a sciatica condition that causes pain in his leg, forcing him to miss three events in the coming 48 hours, the Vatican said on Saturday. Read more »

New warning on vaccine supplies sparks EU concern

Cecile Feuillatre with AFP bureaus
Jan 24 12:01 AM

Drugmakers' warnings came with worry deepening over new COVID-19 variants, particularly one that emerged in Britain and which is more infectious than the original strain. Read more »

TikTok inatasang harangin ang users matapos ang pagkamatay ng batang babae

ABS-CBN News
Jan 23 11:32 PM

Inatasan ng Italian data privacy watchdog ang TikTok na i-block ang account ng mga users sa Italy na hindi beripikado ang edad matapos ang pagkamatay ng 10-anyos na batang babae. Read more »

Police arrest over 1,000 at Russia protests backing jailed Kremlin foe Navalny

Polina Ivanova and Polina Nikolskaya, Reuters
Jan 23 10:30 PM

Authorities had warned people to stay away from Saturday's protests, but protesters defied the ban and bitter cold, and turned out in force. Read more »

Taiwan reports large incursion by Chinese air force

ABS-CBN News
Jan 23 08:51 PM

The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraft on this mission - Taiwan said it was made up of eight nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets - is unusual.   Read more »

ALAMIN: Mga EO na pinirmahan ni Biden para sa US pandemic response

ABS-CBN News
Jan 23 07:56 PM

Halos kalahati ng pinirmahang 30 executive orders ni US President Joe Biden ay nakalaan para sa panlaban sa coronavirus disease (COVID-19).  Read more »

Russia wages online battle against TikTok, YouTube

Andrea Palasciano, Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 05:37 PM | Updated Jan 23 07:52 PM

In Russia, authorities have ramped up efforts to contain and even replace sites that are seen as a threat.   Read more »

Huawei founder calls for decentralization, focus on profits to survive US trade sanctions

Zhou Xin, South China Morning Post
Jan 23 12:58 PM

Huawei Technologies Co. must decentralize its operations, simplify product lines, focus on generating profit, and maintain pay levels for three to five years to survive US trade restrictions, according to a recently published speech from company founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei.   Read more »

Australia's Victoria logs 17 days with no community COVID-19 cases

Reuters
Jan 23 12:57 PM

Australia's Victoria state recorded its 17th straight day without any new local coronavirus cases on Saturday as officials focus on keeping the community separated from staff and players here for next month's Australia Open. Read more »

Myanmar receives first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from India

Shoon Naing, Reuters
Jan 23 12:55 PM

India is donating millions of doses of vaccines to a string of countries in Asia, drawing praise from neighbors and pushing back against China's dominating presence in the region.   Read more »

Hong Kong imposes COVID-19 lockdown

Tyrone Siu, Reuters
Jan 23 12:17 PM

A medical worker in a protective suit helps a resident to register outside a residential area at Jordan district where tens of thousands of its residents will be placed in a lockdown to contain a new outbreak of COVID-19 in Hong Kong on Friday. Read more »

Hong Kong orders thousands to stay home in two-day virus lockdown

Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 10:04 AM | Updated Jan 23 12:40 PM

Thousands of Hong Kongers were ordered to stay in their homes on Saturday for the city's first coronavirus lockdown as authorities battle an outbreak in one of its poorest and most densely packed districts.  Read more »

Trump impeachment trial to begin week of February 8: Schumer

Michael Mathes, Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 09:46 AM

Donald Trump's US Senate trial will begin in the second week of February, days after a fresh impeachment case against the former president is transmitted by the House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday.  Read more »

Germany detects first case of Brazilian virus variant

Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 07:37 AM

BERLIN - Germany has detected its first case of a newly discovered Brazilian coronavirus variant, feared to be particularly infectious, regional health officials in the state of Hesse said Friday. Read more »

World's aging big dams pose 'emerging risk': UN

Marlowe Hood, Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 04:47 AM

PARIS - By 2050, more than half the global population will live downstream from tens of thousands of large dams near or past their intended lifespan, according to a UN report released Friday. Read more »

'Some evidence' UK coronavirus strain more deadly, says UK PM Johnson

Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 04:43 AM | Updated Jan 23 09:38 AM

LONDON - The new strain of coronavirus identified in Britain could be not only more transmissible but also more deadly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday. Read more »

One year after lockdown, Wuhan clubbers hit the dancefloor

Sébastien Ricci, Agence France-Presse
Jan 23 04:41 AM

As the rest of the world continues to grapple with lockdowns and soaring infections, young people in the city, once the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, are enjoying their hard-earned freedom. Read more »