OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

Malaysia tightens lockdown in some states as coronavirus cases surge

Kyodo News
Jan 11 10:41 PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced Monday stricter lockdown rules for the nation's capital Kuala Lumpur and several states following a surge in coronavirus infection cases that he said have stretched the country's health care system to breaking point.   Read more »

Japan to expand virus emergency beyond Tokyo region

Kyodo News
Jan 11 10:38 PM | Updated Jan 12 06:33 PM

(UPDATE) Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told executives of his ruling party Tuesday that he plans to expand a state of emergency declared over the coronavirus pandemic to cover Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures amid a resurgence of infections in western Japan. Read more »

Indonesia extends border closure, OKs CoronaVac emergency use

Kyodo News
Jan 11 10:33 PM

Indonesia on Monday extended the closure of its borders to foreigners for another two weeks until Jan. 28 over coronavirus fears, while its drug monitoring agency approved the emergency use of China's CoronaVac vaccine across the vast archipelago. Read more »

Kahit ilang araw na lang sa White House: Trump pinagbibitiw ng mga kritiko

ABS-CBN News
Jan 11 08:47 PM

Dumadami pa ang nananawagan na magbitiw na lang sa puwesto si outgoing US President Donald Trump. Read more »

Remains recovered from ill-fated Indonesian plane

Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana, Reuters
Jan 11 06:57 PM

Indonesian rescue personnel carry body bags from Sriwijaya Air flight SJ 182 which crashed into the sea off the Jakarta coast, at the Jakarta International Container Terminal port, Indonesia on Monday. Read more »

China says WHO coronavirus experts to visit from Thursday

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 02:31 PM

The long-awaited mission -- which has been under discussion since last year -- is of great political significance at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated major countries worldwide, caused almost two million deaths and brought the global economy to a standstill. Read more »

Pacific's Micronesia records first COVID-19 case

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 01:57 PM | Updated Jan 11 04:00 PM

The remote Pacific nation of Micronesia recorded its first case of COVID-19 on Monday, ending its run as one of the few places on Earth without the coronavirus. Read more »

Hong Kong protest-related website says users' access blocked

Reuters
Jan 11 12:00 PM

A Hong Kong website that publishes material mainly related to anti-government protests in 2019 said its users' access had been blocked by the city's internet service providers (ISPs). Read more »

Indonesia locates black box recorders from crashed plane

Dessy Sagita, Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 11:47 AM

Body parts, twisted wreckage and clothing were plucked from waters off the Indonesian capital Monday after a passenger jet with 62 people aboard crashed shortly after take-off a day earlier. Read more »

Mixed signals for N.Korean leader's sister as Kim seeks to cement power

Hyonhee Shin, Reuters
Jan 11 11:32 AM

The name of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister was missing from a new list of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful politburo, according to state media KCNA on Monday, sending mixed signals about her status after years of increasing clout. Read more »

New coronavirus strain first seen in Britain confirmed in Mexico

Reuters
Jan 11 11:23 AM

The new variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain has been confirmed in northern Mexico, health officials said on Monday, adding a new layer of concern to an already severe national outbreak. Read more »

Biden to receive second COVID vaccine dose Monday

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 10:38 AM

WASHINGTON - US President-elect Joe Biden will receive his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, his office announced, three weeks after his first injection was broadcast live on TV to boost public confidence in the jab. Read more »

China sees biggest daily COVID-19 case rise in over 5 months

Reuters
Jan 11 10:05 AM

SHANGHAI - Mainland China saw its biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases in more than five months, the country's national health authority said on Monday, as new infections in Hebei province surrounding Beijing continued to rise. Read more »

Greeks ignore virus lockdown as temperatures soar

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 09:57 AM

ATHENS - A heatwave bringing temperatures as high as 28 Celsius (82 F) prompted Greeks to cut loose during their coronavirus lockdown Sunday and flock to beaches and parks. Read more »

Trump's demoralized staff count down the final days

Jeff Mason and Steve Holland, Reuters
Jan 11 07:44 AM

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has lost the support of many former loyalists in his administration after a riot at the U.S. Capitol that he helped provoke, and his White House is in "meltdown" as it lurches through his final days, current and former officials said. Read more »

Mass vaccination sites open in New York as COVID-19 batters US

Andrew Kelly and Maria Caspani, Reuters
Jan 11 06:54 AM

The mass sites were open for part of the day on Sunday before they start operating round the clock, seven days a week on Monday as part of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's push to set up 250 vaccination locations to meet the ambitious goal of inoculating 1 million New Yorkers by the end of the month.   Read more »

End in sight? Israel rolls out COVID booster shots

Dan Williams, Reuters
Jan 11 06:52 AM

Israel's coronavirus vaccination campaign, the world's fastest per capita, shifted to booster shots on Sunday in a bid to protect the most vulnerable citizens by next month and ease curbs on the economy. Read more »

Democrats push toward 2nd Trump impeachment, Republican support uncertain

Joseph Ax and Richard Cowan, Reuters
Jan 11 01:40 AM

Democratic-led efforts to impeach US President Donald Trump for a historic second time gained momentum over the weekend, although it looked far from certain whether enough Republicans would back the move with just days left in his term. Read more »

Pope Francis' doctor dies from coronavirus complication: report

ABS-CBN News
Jan 10 10:42 PM

The personal doctor of Pope Francis has died due to complications from the novel coronavirus, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) said quoting a Vatican newspaper.    Read more »

Japan confirms new coronavirus variant in arrivals from Brazil

Kyodo News
Jan 10 09:55 PM

Four people who arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport from Brazil have been found to be infected with a new variant of the novel coronavirus, officials said Sunday, amid a resurgence of infections in Japan. Read more »

Heavy snowfall blankets Spain

Gabriel Bouys, AFP
Jan 10 05:00 PM

People walk amid a heavy snowfall in Madrid on Saturday. Read more »

Indonesia's deadliest air crashes

Agence France-Presse
Jan 10 04:24 PM

The crash of a Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 about four minutes after it took off from Jakarta Saturday is the latest in a series of air accidents to rock Indonesia. Read more »

Search and rescue for Indonesian passenger plane

Adek Berry, AFP
Jan 10 12:04 PM

Indonesian Navy divers hold wreckage from Sriwijaya Air flight SJY182 during a search and rescue operation at sea near Lancang island on Sunday. Read more »

Indonesia locates black boxes of crashed jet as body parts recovered

Nilufar Rizki and Yuddy Cahya Budiman, Reuters
Jan 10 09:54 AM | Updated Jan 10 08:58 PM

(UPDATE) Indonesian authorities on Sunday located the black boxes of the Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the sea soon after taking off from the capital Jakarta, as human body parts and pieces of the plane were retrieved. Read more »

China’s big battleship building spree to guard its aircraft carriers

Minnie Chan, South China Morning Post
Jan 10 09:21 AM

It is an aggressive plan and if it works out, China will have a fleet of battleships to match its ambitions for a blue-water navy over the next decade.   Read more »