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Spain's ex king Juan Carlos pays 4.4 million euros in back taxes amid scandals

Emma Pineda, Reuters
Posted at Feb 26 08:21 PM

Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who left the country in August amid a cloud of scandals, has settled a back tax bill worth more than 4 million euros ($4.9 million), his lawyer said on Friday. Read more »

Myanmar riot police fire to break up protests

Reuters
Posted at Feb 26 05:43 PM

The Southeast Asian nation has been in crisis since the army seized power on Feb. 1 and detained civilian government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership after the military complained of fraud in a November election.   Read more »

DFA: 7 more Pinay victims of human trafficking in Syria returning home

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 26 04:57 PM

Seven more Filipinas illegally hired to work in Syria are flying back to the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday. Read more »

Japan wildfire rages for 5th day, more households to be urged to evacuate

Reuters
Posted at Feb 26 01:17 PM

The fire in the vicinity of Ashikaga city, in Tochigi prefecture, has continued to spread since breaking out Sunday, despite efforts by firefighters on the ground and military helicopters dousing the area.   Read more »

Hunt for COVID-19 origins: questions surface over China’s testing of suspect animals

Simone McCarthy, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 26 01:12 PM

In the hunt for the source of the COVID-19, the World Health Organization confirmed China identified supply chains for animals sold in Wuhan, where the first known outbreak occurred, a move based on the view the virus may have first infected traded wildlife.   Read more »

Apart from Wuhan, China’s death rates didn’t rise at start of COVID-19 pandemic, study finds

Jack Lau, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 25 04:25 PM

A new study has found death rates did not rise in China at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, except in the ground-zero city of Wuhan where the outbreak was first reported.   Read more »

Facebook bans Myanmar military from its platforms with immediate effect

Reuters
Posted at Feb 25 01:34 PM

 Facebook on Thursday said it had banned the Myanmar military from using its Facebook and Instagram platforms with immediate effect, as pro-democracy demonstrators continued to stage rallies to protest the military seizing power. Read more »

What to expect from China's annual meeting of parliament

Gabriel Crossley, Reuters
Posted at Feb 25 01:31 PM

Thousands of delegates from across the country will gather in Beijing next week for the annual meeting of parliament, where China will announce goals for 2021 as well as its next five-year plan for economic development. Read more »

DFA raises alert level 2 for Filipinos in Myanmar

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 24 08:46 PM

In a statement, the DFA said the alert level entails "restriction of non-essential movements, avoiding places of protest, and preparation for possible evacuation."   Read more »

US raps China on activities near Senkakus, says it supports Japan

Kyodo News
Posted at Feb 24 06:40 PM

The US Defense Department on Tuesday criticized Beijing's assertive activities in waters near the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea while expressing "support" for Japan on the issue.   Read more »

1st batch of COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Thailand

Kyodo News
Posted at Feb 24 06:21 PM

The first batch of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine arrived in Thailand on Wednesday morning ahead of a vaccination rollout next week. Read more »

Malaysian PM launches nationwide COVID-19 vaccine drive

Kyodo News
Posted at Feb 24 06:20 PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin kicked off the country's largest COVID-19 immunization exercise on Wednesday by becoming the first to get the vaccine jab. Read more »

China awaits a new US ambassador as names circulate in Washington

Mark Magnier, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 24 05:38 PM

As President Joe Biden ticks off items on his lengthy to-do list, speculation continues to grow about who will be chosen as the next US ambassador to China.   Read more »

Biden rebuked for not naming any Asian-American to a primary cabinet seat

Bernd Debusmann Jr, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 24 05:33 PM

Some policy experts and activists have criticized the new US administration for failing to name a single member of the country’s diverse Asian-American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) community to head one of the 15 executive-branch departments that constitute the core of Biden’s cabinet. Read more »

DFA: Overseas Filipinos with COVID-19 rise to 14,871

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 23 10:46 PM

The number of Filipinos abroad who have contracted COVID-19 rose to 14,871 as 59 new cases were recorded, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported Tuesday. Read more »

Ultra-wealthy set sights on private islands as they seek isolation to escape COVID-19 ravaging the world

Cheryl Arcibal, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 23 09:14 PM

Global inquiries for private islands have doubled over the past year and the trend is likely to continue as the super-rich seek to isolate themselves from the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world, but preferences are changing.   Read more »

'Like a soap opera': The glamorous life of El Chapo's detained wife

Drazen Jorgic and Lizbeth Diaz, Reuters
Posted at Feb 23 06:21 PM

Piggybacking on her husband's fame and seeking to cash-in on her celebrity outside Mexico, Coronel launched a clothing brand in the United States in 2019 and even appeared in a US reality show about mafia families.   Read more »

Hong Kong confirms 12 new COVID-19 cases; 60,000 sign up for jabs as vaccination drive opens

Victor Ting, Gigi Choy and Nadia Lam, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 23 06:01 PM

Hong Kong health authorities confirmed 12 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, while up to 60,000 residents registered for COVID-19 jabs within 12 hours of the booking process opening for the city’s mass vaccination drive. Read more »

China’s Sinopharm seeks general use green light for second vaccine

Zhuang Pinghui, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 23 05:55 PM

Just two months after its first coronavirus vaccine was approved for general use, Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm is applying for similar regulatory approval for a second, with plans for clinical trials for a third, group chairman Liu Jingzhen said. Read more »

China’s Communist Party revisits past to regroup for future

Jun Mai, South China Morning Post
Posted at Feb 23 02:04 PM

A new campaign to educate China about Communist Party history is meant to be a rallying point to consolidate support for its policies and loyalty to the leadership, according to analysts.   Read more »