New Year parties slashed as COVID wave hammers the world

PARIS - A New Year shorn of mass celebrations beckoned Friday for millions around the world as the number of daily COVID infections, driven by the omicron variant, surged through another symbolic high.

Coronavirus, first detected two years ago and declared a global pandemic in March 2020, has killed more than 5.4 million people, triggered economic crises and seen societies ricochet in and out of lockdowns.

The latest variant, omicron, while tentatively considered to cause milder illness, has pushed infection toll to record levels in recent days in the United States, Britain, France and other European countries, forcing governments to reimpose restrictions.

The number of daily new Covid cases worldwide crossed one million for the first time, according to an AFP tally Thursday, with more than 7.3 million in the last seven days.

From Greece to Mexico, from Barcelona to Bali and across swathes of Europe, authorities have canceled or curtailed public gatherings, either closing or imposing curfews on nightclubs.

Only South Africa, the first country to report the omicron variant, was bucking the trend. It lifted a midnight to 4 am curfew to allow celebrations to go ahead, after health officials said that a dip in infections in the past week indicated the peak of the current wave had passed.

In France, wearing masks outdoors will be compulsory while walking the streets of Paris from Friday for everyone over the age of 11. Nightclubs have been closed until well into January.

In Spain, public festivities have been cancelled across most regions and in the biggest cities except Madrid, where a stripped-down gathering is scheduled with the crowd limited to 7,000 people compared to 18,000 in 2019.

Britain's National Health Service said it would start opening temporary field hospitals to contain a possible overspill of patients in England, where the government stopped short of mandating curbs on New Year festivities.

'WAR FOOTING'

"Given the high level of COVID-19 infections and increasing hospital admissions, the NHS is now on a war footing," National Medical Director Stephen Powis said.

Indonesia, which has reported more than 4.2 million confirmed cases, warned that foreign travelers may be deported from the resort island of Bali if they are caught violating Covid health rules that bar carnivals, fireworks and gatherings of more than 50 people over the holidays.

"Get ready to be kicked out," said Bali immigration office head Jamaruli Manihuruk. 

Mexico City has canceled its massive New Year's Eve celebrations as a preventative measure after a rise in cases.

"I feel that this casts doubt on a lot of what we thought was already secure, because it is scary, it is worrying," said engineering student Aaron Rosas.

Israel meanwhile became one of the first countries to greenlight a fourth booster shot for immunocompromised people.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia reimposed social distancing measures at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, after recording the highest number of infections in months.

"I am highly concerned that Omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

'BRINK OF COLLAPSE'

"This is and will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers, and health systems on the brink of collapse."

Omicron has already started to overwhelm some hospitals in the United States, the hardest-hit country, where the seven-day average of new cases has hit 265,427, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.

Harvard epidemiologist and immunologist Michael Mina tweeted that the count was likely just the "tip of the iceberg" with the true number likely far higher because of a shortage of tests.

US health authorities advised people to avoid taking cruises over the holiday period, even if they are fully vaccinated.

"Half of my family has it," said Victoria Sierralta at a testing site in Miami. "It's like we're back in like the first stage of Covid. It's absolutely crazy."

The NBA, NFL and NHL are scrambling to keep teams competing and sports leagues are grappling with how best to adjust their coronavirus protocols to protect players, staff and fans while keeping schedules intact.

In China, residents in the city of Xi'an, where 13 million people are under lockdown, said they were struggling to find enough food, despite Beijing insisting there were adequate supplies.

State TV showed footage of workers in hazmat suits sorting eggs, meat and vegetables, before delivering food to residents door-to-door.

"I live on.... a bowl of porridge every day, just to keep alive," one resident surnamed Wang told AFP, saying she was working through all her supplies.

Russia said that more than 71,000 people died of coronavirus in the country in November, a new fatality record since the start of the pandemic.

Agence France-Presse

Thousands march in Hong Kong on New Year's Day, pledge to 'keep fighting'

HONG KONG -- Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters began marching in Hong Kong on New Year's Day, demanding concessions from the city's embattled government as the civil unrest that convulsed the Chinese-ruled city for over half a year spills into 2020.

Gathering on a grass lawn in Victoria Park under grey skies, citizens young and old, many dressed in black and some masked, carried signs such as "Freedom is not free" before setting off.

"It's hard to utter 'Happy New Year' because Hong Kong people are not happy," said a man named Tung, who was walking with his two-year-old son, mother and niece.

"Unless the five demands are achieved, and police are held accountable for their brutality, then we can't have a real happy new year," he added, referring to the push for concessions from the government including full democracy, an amnesty for the over 6,500 people arrested so far, and a powerful, independent investigation into police actions.

The pro-democracy march is being organized by the Civil Human Rights Front, a group that arranged a number of marches last year that drew millions.

Along the route, a number of newly elected pro-democracy district politicians mingled with the crowds on their first day in office, some helping collect donations to assist the movement.

"The government has already started the oppression before the New Year began ... whoever is being oppressed, we will stand with them," said Jimmy Sham, one of the leaders of the Civil Human Rights Front.

Thousands of Hong Kong revellers had earlier welcomed in 2020 on neon-lit promenades along the iconic skyline of Victoria Harbour, chanting the movement's signature eight-word Chinese protest couplet -- "Liberate Hong Kong. Revolution of our Time." -- for the final eight seconds before clocks struck midnight.

A sea of protesters then surged down Nathan Road, a major boulevard, blocking all lanes in a spontaneous march breaking out within minutes of the new decade. Some held signs reading "Let’s keep fighting together in 2020."

Overnight, police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons during some brief standoffs.

China's President Xi Jinping said in a New Year's speech that Beijing will "resolutely safeguard the prosperity and stability" of Hong Kong under the so-called "one country, two systems" framework.

Many people in Hong Kong are angered by Beijing's tight grip on the city which was promised a high degree of autonomy under this framework when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Beijing denies interference and blames the West for fomenting the unrest.

A group of 40 parliamentarians and dignitaries from 18 countries had written an open letter to Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam on New Year's Eve, urging her to "seek genuine ways forward out of this crisis by addressing the grievances of Hong Kong people."

The protest movement is supported by 59% of the city's residents polled in a survey conducted for Reuters by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute.

Demonstrations have grown increasingly violent in recent months, at times paralyzing the Asian financial center.

Protesters have thrown petrol bombs and rocks, with police responding with tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray, rubber bullets and occasional live rounds. There have been several injuries. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

5G, Huawei, blockchain: Trends shaping technology in 2020

LONDON -- In 2020, will the wow factor return to consumer hardware? Will blockchain and 5G punch into the mainstream? Or will the world unify against Big Tech's tax-avoiding practices? 

AFP looks at 5 themes shaping the world of technology, after a year in which debate intensified over the industry's exploitation of its customers' privacy.

5G'S UNFULFILLED PROMISE

Super-fast fifth-generation network speeds are meant to revolutionize communications along with areas like urban transport.

But so far, 5G has failed to meet expectations due to the lagging build of infrastructure in many places. Apple has yet to launch a compatible phone, unlike rivals including Samsung.

The rollout should quicken next year as more countries install base stations and networking equipment -- although US President Donald Trump's war on Chinese sector leader Huawei remains a wild card.

As smartphone sales plateau around the world, manufacturers have been focusing more on ancillary services.

"You have to sell the entire experience, the entire ecosystem," Dominique Bindels, senior analyst for home and tech with London-based research firm Euromonitor International, told AFP.

Highlighting Apple's success in payments and peripheral devices such as AirPods, Bindels predicted that smart earphones, along with speakers and at-home devices connected on the "internet of things", would be among the more dynamic sectors in 2020.

Digital assistants such as Alexa and Siri may start talking to each other, after Amazon, Apple and Google this month formed an alliance with other industry players to develop a common standard for smart home devices.

Another trend could be consolidation in TV streaming, after Apple and Disney joined Netflix, Amazon Video and some national broadcasters in a crowded subscription market.

LEAP INTO THE QUANTUM DARK

For the industry at large, business consultancy Accenture this year coined the acronym DARQ to denote 4 major trends: distributed ledger technology (such as blockchain), artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality and quantum computing.

Unbreakable blockchain networks of computers have already been generating virtual currencies in the form of bitcoin and its ilk, bypassing the need for a regulator like a government or central bank. 

Facebook wants to make the tech respectable through its "Libra" project, but has hit political opposition around the world, and several financial partners have pulled out.

Unwilling to let private enterprise dictate terms, China and other nations are building their own digital payments systems, which could see fruition next year.

However, blockchain networks devour huge amounts of energy, and concerns will mount about their environmental impact as debate intensifies more broadly about tech's contribution to climate change.

THE PRICE OF PRIVACY

Most companies are now actively engaged across the spectrum of another tech acronym, SMAC: social, mobile, analytics and cloud. For consumers, SMAC is felt in how we communicate with friends and how we search and shop.

That is accentuating fears about privacy, after a series of data leaks at Facebook first laid bare how much of our online lives are exploited by companies and political parties.

"People are becoming more conscious of sharing data but also in the same moment, the Nest cameras and smart speakers are flying off the shelves," said Bindels.

"There's a huge divide. People have been learning to trade privacy for convenience. It's just another currency."

Amnesty International, in a hard-hitting study last month into Facebook and Google, said that trade-off amounts to a "Faustian bargain" which imperils our human rights.

TECH WARS

To Beijing's anger, Washington alleges that Huawei and another telecoms group, ZTE, are little more than shell fronts for Chinese spy chiefs.

Ni Lexiong, professor at the Shanghai National Defense Strategy Institute, said US sanctions depriving those firms of access to US components would only encourage China to stand on its own feet.

"In the end, once China has formed its own industrial chain in the field of artificial intelligence, the United States will also lose a large market," he said.

Samm Sacks, an expert on China's digital economy at the Washington think tank New America, said the tech standoff could harm progress in areas such as precision medicine and AI-based diagnoses.

The two countries have cooperated in research, "and severing that could have global consequences", she warned.

TAXING TIMES

The US presidential election next November will likely prove another flashpoint over disinformation peddled on social media. 

Democratic hopeful Elizabeth Warren wants Amazon, Facebook and Google to be broken up on anti-trust grounds.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is meanwhile due by June 2020 to present a "unified approach" for richer countries to levy a digital tax on internet giants.

Some like France have gone ahead with their own tax, igniting another front in Trump's multifaceted trade wars as the US threatens tariffs on a range of French goods.

Agence France-Presse

World rings in the new year amid wildfires, protests

SYDNEY/HONG KONG—Australians greeted the new year on Wednesday with a spectacular firework display over Sydney Harbor, despite deadly wildfires which have forced thousands to seek refuge on beaches and compelled many towns to call off their celebrations.

Hong Kong also cancelled its popular New Year's Eve fireworks in Victoria Harbor due to security concerns as pro-democracy protesters formed giant human chains and marched through shopping malls.

New Zealanders were among the first to welcome 2020, with fireworks lighting up the night sky over Auckland.

Two hours later, an estimated one million revelers gathered in Sydney Harbor to enjoy the fireworks after authorities dismissed calls by some members of the public for them to be cancelled in solidarity with fire-hit areas in New South Wales, of which the city is the capital.

Along Australia's eastern seaboard, naval vessels and military helicopters were helping firefighters to rescue thousands fleeing the wildfires that have turned swathes of New South Wales into a raging furnace.

The huge bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres), with new blazes sparked into life almost daily by extremely hot and windy conditions in bushland left tinder-dry after a three-year drought.

Some tourists trapped in Australia's coastal towns posted images of blood-red, smoke-filled skies on social media. One beachfront photograph showed people lying shoulder-to-shoulder on the sand, some wearing gas masks.

The fires have killed at least 11 people since October - two of them overnight into Tuesday - and left many towns and rural areas without electricity and mobile coverage.

Defending the decision not to cancel Sydney's fireworks and reallocate funds to fire-affected regions, City of Sydney mayor Clover Moore said planning had begun 15 months ago and that the event also provided a boost to the region's economy.

Not everybody welcomed that decision.

"Is Sydney seriously still getting fireworks tonight when half our country is on fire," Twitter user @swiftyshaz13 said.

PROTESTS

In Hong Kong, rocked by months of sometimes violent pro-democracy demonstrations, protesters were urged to wear masks at a rally on Tuesday evening called "Don't forget 2019 - Persist in 2020", according to social media posts.

A "Symphony of Lights" was planned instead of the firework display, involving projections on the city's tallest skyscrapers after a countdown to midnight.

"This year there are no fireworks, but there will probably be teargas somewhere," said 25-year-old IT worker Sam. "For us it’s not really New Year’s Eve. We have to resist every day."

Authorities have deployed 6,000 police officers and Chief Executive Carrie Lam appealed for calm and reconciliation in her New Year's Eve video message.

The protests began in June in response to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party, and have evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement.

Thousands of Indians also planned to greet the new year with protests, angered by a citizenship law they say will discriminate against Muslims and chip away at the country's secular constitution.

Protesters planned demonstrations in the capital New Delhi, now in the grip of its second coldest winter in more than a century, in the financial hub of Mumbai and other cities. (Reporting by bureau in Sydney, Hong Kong and New Delhi Writing by Gareth Jones; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Times Square Ball drop preps

Workers inflate balloons, that will be distributed to the crowds during New Year's Eve celebrations at Times Square in Manhattan, New York on Monday. The New Year’s Eve Ball drop in Times Square is one of the most popular celebrations in the world where crowd estimates reach around a million people. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tears as Japan emperor gives last New Year's address

TOKYO - Japan's Emperor Akihito delivered his final New Year's address Wednesday before his abdication later this year, telling tens of thousands of well-wishers he was praying for peace.

The Imperial Palace said more then 72,000 people flocked to the royal residence on Wednesday morning alone, with many more still arriving for a final chance to see the 85-year-old royal deliver his traditional new year's greeting.

The emperor will become the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in around two centuries when he steps down from the throne on April 30, ending his three-decade reign.

"I'm sincerely glad to celebrate the new year together with you under the clear sky," he told thousands of people, many waving Japanese flags and shouting "Banzai" or "long live." 

"I pray for the peace and happiness of the people of our country and the world," the soft-spoken Akihito added, flanked by Empress Michiko and other family members.

The emperor delivers a brief New Year's greeting every year, and was expected to appear five times on Wednesday to address as many well-wishers as possible.

Some in the morning crowd yelled "Thank you very much" as the emperor waved, while others sang the national anthem. One woman in the front row shed tears as she looked up at the balcony.

Akihito shocked the country in 2016 when he signaled his desire to take a back seat, citing his age and health problems.

His eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is set to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne a day after his father's abdication, continuing the rule of the world's oldest imperial family.

The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20th century history of war waged in the name of Akihito's father Hirohito, who died in 1989.

Akihito has keenly embraced the more modern role as a symbol of the state -- imposed after World War II ended. Previous emperors including his father, Hirohito, had been treated as semi-divine.

In a rare emotional address to mark his 85th birthday last month, Akihito pointed to the "countless lives" lost in the war.

"It gives me deep comfort that the Heisei Era (his reign) is coming to an end, free of war in Japan," he said.

Akihito has used his speeches and travels to express his strong pacifist views, which are sharply at odds with the aggressive expansionism Japan pursued under his father's rule. 

Akihito has also worked to bring the royal household closer to the people and frequently visited the disadvantaged and families hit by natural disasters.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

UK police probe Manchester knifings as 'terrorist' attack

MANCHESTER - A British police probe into a triple stabbing at a Manchester railway station on New Year's Eve which injured 3 people is now being treated as "a terrorist investigation", the city's top officer said on Tuesday.

Counter-terrorism police have arrested a 25-year-old man who remains in custody, and are searching an address where he recently lived in the northwestern English city, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said.

The suspect reportedly shouted "Allah" during what Hopkins called a "horrific attack" on three people, including a police officer, at Manchester Victoria station on Monday evening.

A man and a woman, both in their 50s, are still being treated in hospital after sustaining "serious" injuries, while the officer was stabbed in the shoulder, Hopkins added.

"We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter-terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester police," he told a briefing.

"They were working through the night to piece together the details of what happened and to identify the man who was arrested."

Hopkins said counter-terrorism officers were searching an address near the city center "which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living".

Prime Minister Theresa May thanked emergency services for their "courageous response" in swiftly tackling the suspect.

She wrote on Twitter: "My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night."

'PURE FEAR' 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which happened at around 8:50 pm when many revelers in the city would have been enjoying New Year's Eve celebrations.

Witness Sam Clack, 38, a BBC radio producer, said the suspect shouted "Allah" before and during the attack.

He also quoted the perpetrator as saying: "As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of shit is going to keep happening."

The witness added he heard the "most blood-curdling scream" and looked down the platform to see the attack unfolding.

"He came towards me," he added. "I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12 inch (30-centimeter) blade.

"It was just fear, pure fear."

Clack said police used a stun gun and pepper spray before "six or seven" officers jumped on the man.

Video footage of the incident shows him being overpowered by the officers.

The police said he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and officers had recovered two knives from the scene.

The woman suffered injuries to her face and abdomen and the man was wounded in the abdomen, while a British Transport Police officer sustained a stab wound to the shoulder.

Their injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening.

'DREADFUL' 

The city's New Year celebrations went ahead in Albert Square despite the incident, with a firework display taking place as planned, though increased security was brought in.

British Transport Police said Tuesday its officers would be "highly visible through the national rail network".

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham paid tribute to the emergency services' response.

He added the "vile attack" had "all the hallmarks... of an isolated incident".

Manchester police Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said they were still trying to establish whether the suspect is a British national and how he came to be at the station.

"We are obviously considering his mental health given how frenzied the attack was, its random nature," he added. 

"There is wide reporting... about what the attacker allegedly said during the incident.

"However it's really important to stress we are retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack."

Police said investigators were considering its closeness to the Manchester Arena, where a suicide bomber struck in May 2017, as potentially significant.

The attack at a concert by the US singer Ariana Grande killed 22 people and wounded 139.

The perpetrator, Salman Abedi, 22, was born and raised in Manchester.

"That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on May 22, 2017 makes it even more dreadful," chief constable Hopkins said.

"Our work will continue to ensure we get to the full facts of what happened and why it took place."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Times Square ball drop in New York pays tribute to press freedom

NEW YORK -- Thousands of hardy merrymakers, many in plastic ponchos, watched on Monday as the shimmering New Year's Eve ball was raised high above a rainy Times Square, hours ahead of its annual midnight descent, a New York City tradition for more than a century.

This year, the Times Square Alliance, the business association that organizes the event, is paying a special tribute to press freedom as part of the festivities, after a year in which journalists have come under attack around the world, including in the United States.

A minute before midnight, journalists, including from ABC News, NBC News, the Washington Post, Reuters and other outlets, will join Mayor Bill de Blasio in pushing the button to initiate the ball drop.

Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, whose news website has drawn the ire of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, will be among the select group of journalists, according to a Time Magazine report which she posted on her Twitter feed. Ressa is among the publication's "Persons of the Year."

Christina Aguilera, New Kids on the Block and Sting were among the musical performers slated to entertain the throngs filling the plaza formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

A steady rain, forecast to last for the rest of the evening, failed to dampen the spirits of the assembled multitudes, many of whom donned colorful, oversized top hats handed out by organizers.

"It was a bucket-list thing," said Daniela Ramous, a 34-year-old sales manager from McAllen, Texas. "You grow up watching it on TV, you see all the excitement. There's something magical about New York during this time of year."

Visitors began gathering inside penned-off enclosures in the morning, starting an hours-long marathon of standing in one place, with no access to public restrooms.

Belying the idea that New Yorkers themselves eschew the Times Square festivities, Eskie Garcia, a 59-year-old city worker living in Brooklyn, said she has come every year for about a decade.

"You have to come here in person," she said before applying lipstick and asking a stranger to take her picture on her cellphone. "Especially when you live by yourself. You come, you meet people."

Janette Masson, 29, said she preferred this year's rain to last year's bone-chilling cold. Masson, who works in retail in Boston, had been in her pen since 9:30 a.m., eating granola bars for lunch and dinner.

"I can deal with it," said Masson's 61-year-old mother, Judy Masson, as she stood in the rain with many hours of waiting still to come. "You make the best of a bad thing."

Umbrellas were banned as part of the tight security plan, police said, reflecting concern over the possibility of random attacks. That did not faze the huddled masses in Times Square.

"My boyfriend's coming and he's bringing us garbage bags, so we'll put those over ourselves," said 21-year-old Annika Clary, a dancer from Vancouver, Canada, who was counting down to 2019 with her sister. Plastic ponchos were allowed, with street vendors selling them for $5 on nearby avenues.

The tradition of watching a giant ball drop from a pole on top of the narrow building at the head of Times Square in midtown Manhattan began in 1907.

The current ball, in use since 2008, is a glittering, LED-studded sphere made by Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting. Weighing 11,875 pounds (5,386 kg) and measuring 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter, it sits year-round on the roof of One Times Square, the one-time headquarters of the New York Times.


SHARPSHOOTERS AND DETECTORS

The New York Police Department screened people entering the corrals, deployed sharpshooters on rooftops and used radiation detectors throughout the event.

It also had planned to use an aerial drone for the first time to monitor the crowds, but canceled the effort on Monday evening given the wind and rain.

The organizers chose to honor press freedom and the contribution of journalists partly because of the deadly hostility that some reporters have faced this year.

Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for the Washington Post and US resident, was killed inside a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey. In June, a gunman shot dead five employees of The Capital, a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.

This month also marked the first anniversary of the imprisonment in Myanmar of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo for investigating how the country's security forces killed members of its Muslim Rohingya minority.

-- with ABS-CBN News

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World welcomes 2019 with fireworks and festivities

PARIS -- Revelers welcomed 2019 with fireworks displays and festivities as a celebratory wave swept westward across the globe from Asia to Europe and the Americas at the conclusion of a tumultuous year.

Monday's celebrations kicked off with Sydney hosting its biggest-ever pyrotechnics display and lighting up its harbour-front skyline for a full 12 minutes. 

More than 1.5 million spectators gathered to enjoy the spectacle that also featured a ceremony to celebrate Australia's indigenous culture.

In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands of party-goers packed the streets on either side of Victoria Harbor for a spectacular 10-minute show that burnt through $1.8 million worth of fireworks.

In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, more than 500 couples tied the knot in a free, mass wedding organized by the government to mark the arrival of a new year. 

Fireworks shows, however, were cancelled out of respect for victims of a December 22 tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

In Japan, locals flocked to temples to ring in 2019, as US boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather came out of retirement to beat Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a multi-million-dollar "exhibition" bout outside Tokyo.

SECURITY CONCERNS

In Dubai, fireworks lit up the sky over the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, to the delight of onlookers, while nearby Ras al-Khaima sought to enter the Guinness Book of Records with the world's longest fireworks show.

Russia saw in the new year progressively over several time zones starting in the far east, with concerts and light shows planned for Moscow city parks, and more than 1,000 ice rinks opened for merrymakers. 

But a tower block gas explosion that killed at least 4 people and left dozens missing cast a shadow over New Year's celebrations.

In his New Year's address to the nation, President Vladimir Putin urged people to work together to "increase well-being and quality of life so that all citizens of Russia... feel changes for the better in the coming year."

In Paris, fireworks and a light show with the theme "fraternity" were scheduled for the Champs-Elysees despite persistent "yellow vest" anti-government protests.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a televised address, acknowledged the French government "can do better" by citizens complaining of shrinking spending power.

In Berlin, music lovers partied at a concert at the Brandenburg Gate, while Britain's capital London opted to usher in the new year by celebrating its relationship with Europe, despite Britain's impending departure from the European Union.

London's fireworks display would seek to show Europe that the British capital would remain "open-minded" and "outward-looking" post-Brexit, said the city's mayor Sadiq Khan.

LOOKING AHEAD

In Portugal, dozens of people, some in costume, will brave the winter for a traditional New Year's ocean dip near Lisbon, while in the Democratic Republic of Congo, election officials will be counting votes after a presidential election Sunday.

In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari used his New Year's address to promise a free and fair election in 2019, while Ivory Coast leader Alassane Ouattara vowed the creation of a new, independent, electoral commission for polls planned for 2020.

When the celebrations reach the Americas, Rio de Janeiro's famous hilltop Christ the Redeemer statue will be brought to 3D life with special light projections before fireworks illuminate the city's Copacabana beach where around two million people are expected to party till dawn.

As the world celebrates, many are wondering whether the turmoil witnessed in 2018 will spill over into the next.

The political wrangling in Westminster over Brexit was one of the key stories of this year, with a resolution yet to be reached ahead of Britain's scheduled March 29 departure.

US President Donald Trump dominated headlines in 2018, ramping up a trade war with China, quitting the Iran nuclear deal, moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, and meeting his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's commitment to denuclearization will remain a major political and security issue into next year, as will Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's reassertion of control after Trump's shock announcement of a US troop withdrawal from the country.

The war in Yemen, which has killed about 10,000 people since 2014 and some 20 million at risk of starvation, could take a crucial turn in 2019 after a ceasefire went into effect in mid-December.

Numerous countries go to the polls in the coming year, including India, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, and Australia.

Major sporting events on the calendar include the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the cricket one-day international World Cup in England, and the athletics World Championships in Qatar.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes to Trump

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

In a statement on the Russian president's New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that "a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world".

According to the statement, Putin said that "mutual respect" should be "a base to develop relations" between the two countries.

"This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term," the statement quoted Putin as saying.

The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad.

In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met during a surprise visit to Russia's Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin "expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year".

The statement added that Putin told Assad "Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity".

                                                     
Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad's military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.

On ordering the partial withdrawal, Putin praised his country's armed forces for having "brilliantly accomplished" their mission which saw Syrian government forces make major gains from jihadists and assorted anti-regime rebel groups.

Russia does retain a military presence in Syria, however, through its naval base at Tartus, whose expansion Moscow agreed earlier this month, as well as Hmeimim, where Russian singers performed a New Year variety show Saturday.

Moscow hopes to host government and rebel group representatives at the end of January in the Black Sea resort of Sochi to push both sides closer to a political settlement of a seven-year conflict which has cost more than 340,000 lives and displaced millions more.

source: news.abs-cbn.com                                    

2 men die after choking on mochi cakes on New Year's Day

TOKYO - Two men fatally choked on "mochi" rice cakes, a traditional New Year's food, in Tokyo on New Year's Day Sunday, according to the Tokyo Fire Department.

An 81-year-old resident of Itabashi Ward and a 60-year-old man from Kita Ward were rushed to hospitals after getting cake made of steamed glutinous rice stuck in their throats but were pronounced dead later.

A further nine people aged from 28 to 89 were taken to hospitals in the capital on New Year's Day after choking on rice cakes but survived.

==Kyodo

source: news.abs-cbn.com

After New Year's Eve debacle, Mariah Carey wishes for 'more headlines'

(Note: Strong language in second paragraph.)

Grammy Award-winning singer Mariah Carey shrugged off a botched New Year's Eve show in New York's Times Square, telling fans and critics on Sunday that life does not always go as planned.

"Shit happens," Carey, the world's million-selling female singer, wrote on Twitter. "Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017."

Carey, named the Grammy's Best New Artist in 1991, was the final musical act on ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," taking the stage just before midnight.

In addition to the television audience, the program was watched in person by the hundreds of thousands of people who gathered in what is called the "Crossroads of the World" to mark the beginning of 2017.

Carey's opening song, a rendition of Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne," seemed to go as planned. But then the singer, surrounded by dancers and a sea of humanity, appeared flustered and complained of technical difficulties.

"We can't hear," she said, as the music from her 1991 hit song "Emotions" began to play. "It is what it is," she said. "Let the audience sing, OK?"

But the awkwardness persisted, prompting Carey to say: "I want a holiday, too. Can I not have one? I'm trying to be a good sport here."

The next song, "We Belong Together," Carey's 2005 hit, went awry as well. Carey dropped her hand-held microphone to her side and the song went on playing, revealing that she may have been only syncing her lips to the words.

"It just don't get any better," a frustrated Carey said after the song.

After the debacle, some fans came to Carey's defense on Twitter, while others were less than kind. Several tweets compared her to the disgraced pop duo Milli Vanilli, who lost their Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990 when it emerged they had never sung on their records.

A spokeswoman for Carey said later on Sunday that there was no lip-syncing. "It is not uncommon for artists to sing to track during certain live performances," spokeswoman Nicole Perna said in a statement.

Carey's ear piece was not working before or during the performance and technicians could not fix it, but she took the stage anyway "essentially flying blind" so she could honor a commitment, Perna said.

A spokesman for ABC declined to comment.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Alan Crosby and Sandra Maler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

5 resolutions to make for a healthier 2017

MANILA - This New Year, instead of just resolving to just lose weight, it may be better to tweak one’s lifestyle and aim for overall well-being, health experts said.

These lifestyle changes will not only help you shed off unwanted pounds; they can also promote resistance to illnesses.

According to the World Health Organization-Philippines, five things are a good starting point to get one on the path to good health:

1.    A healthy, balanced diet
2.    Going smoke-free
3.    Exercise
4.    Drinking less alcohol
5.    Getting regular health check-ups

A healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and less salt, fats, and sugar can help the body balance the calories it consumes and uses, WHO said, and emphasized that a body that is powered by nutritious food and not junk is less likely to fall prey to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Quitting smoking is also a significant step towards good health, as one year of being cigarette-free can halve the risk of heart disease in a former smoker. It can also lower the risk for cancer, and improve breathing, blood circulation, and lung function, WHO said.

This, in turn, can also help make it easier to exercise, which WHO claims can help weight control, and strengthen bones and muscles, as well as improve mood, productivity, and resistance to disease.

Lessening alcohol intake, meanwhile, can also help improve mental health. Cutting on alcoholic drinks reduces chances of depression, weight gain, and liver cancer.

To cap off healthy habits, WHO advised regular visits to the doctor, so they can find problems before they start and initiate a cure as soon as it is needed.

“By getting the right health services…you are well on your way to a longer, healthier life,” WHO said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Australia kicks off global New Year party defying terror threat

Global terror attacks have cast a pall over 2016 but Australia was Saturday set to defy the threats and ring in the New Year with bumper crowds gathering to watch a firework extravaganza on Sydney's glittering harbor.

2016 has seen repeated bloodshed, most recently a deadly truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market, a similar incident on Bastille Day in France that killed 86, and atrocities in Turkey and the Middle East.

Some 1.5 million people are packing Australia's biggest city to watch the midnight fireworks, a larger-than-usual crowd due to the weekend timing and warm weather, as the New South Wales state premier urged "business as usual".

"My encouragement to everyone is to enjoy New Year's Eve... in the knowledge that police are doing everything they can to keep us safe," Premier Mike Baird said.

Some 2,000 extra officers have been deployed after a man was arrested for allegedly making online threats against the celebrations.

There were a number of other reported threats this holiday period, in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere.

In Melbourne, police foiled a "significant" Islamic State-inspired Christmas Day terror plot.

Indonesia said it foiled plans by an IS-linked group for a Christmas-time suicide bombing, and 52 died in the Philippines in bomb attacks blamed on Islamist militants.

Israel on Friday issued a warning of imminent "terrorist attacks" to tourists and western targets in India, telling its citizens to avoid public places.

Meanwhile in Japan, shoppers filled markets to buy tuna and crabs -- seen as expensive items of indulgence and special feasts -- for New Year's Day family gatherings.

- Safety measures -

Security concerns have hit many New Year events with truck blockades a new tactic to try to prevent vehicles ploughing into crowds. Sydney is using garbage trucks as safety barriers.

The German capital has beefed up security after the December 19 carnage, deploying hundreds more police, some armed with machine-guns.

"This year, what's new is that we will place concrete blocks and position heavy armoured vehicles at the entrances" to the zone around Brandenburg Gate, a police spokesman said.

In Cologne, after a wave of sexual attacks last year, 1,800 police will be deployed -- compared to just 140 in 2015.

In neighbouring Austria police will hand out 6,000 free pocket alarms to help stop assaults on women.

In Paris, there will be a firework display again, after muted 2015 celebrations following the November 13 massacre of 130 people.

Nearly 100,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed across France against the jihadist threat.

With more than a million people expected to turn out to watch the ball drop in Times Square, New York is deploying 165 "blocker" trucks and some 7,000 police.

Rome has deployed armoured vehicles and greater numbers of security forces around the Coliseum and at St Peter's Square where Pope Francis will celebrate midnight mass.

Moscow police will deploy more than 5,000 officers backed by thousands more from the new national guard and volunteer militia to maintain order.

Thousands traditionally gather in Red Square, but for the second year in a row, the area will be open solely to 6,000 invitees.

London will have 3,000 officers on patrol with crowds flocking to line the banks of the Thames to watch the fireworks around the London Eye Ferris wheel.

In Dubai, the gigantic pyrotechnics off the world's highest skyscraper are going ahead, despite a major tower block blaze nearby last year.

Up to two million people are expected to party at Rio's Copacabana beach.

But with Brazil mired in its worst recession in a century, the fireworks have been cut to just 12 minutes as the state government fights bankruptcy.

Normally boisterous Bangkok will see in the new year on a more sombre note, with prayers and candles replacing parties as the nation grieves for King Bhumibol Adulyadej who died in October.

And, at the stroke of midnight, the celebrations will last one second longer –- a leap second -– decreed by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service to allow astronomical time to catch up with atomic clocks that have called the hour since 1967.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Easy feng shui tips to attract prosperity in 2017

MANILA – This New Year’s Eve, make sure to do these things at home to invite prosperity and wealth in 2017, a feng shui expert said.

In his book “Feng Shui 2017” under ABS-CBN Publishing, Hanz Cua gave easy tips on how to attract good fortune and rid the home of negative energy.

These include opening all windows and doors at home at exactly 12 midnight on January 1, making loud noises using pots, pans and fireworks and sharing a meal with the family, among others.

Here are excerpts from his book:

“Sa ganap na alas-dose ng hatinggabi, buksan ang lahat ng pinto, bintana at mga ilaw upang pumasok ang swerte sa loob ng bahay.”

“Upang madagdagan ang pagtaas o maging mas matangkad, tumalon nang paulit-ulit.”

“Lumikha ng ingay upang mapaalis ang malas: kalampagin ang mga kaldero at kawali, magpatugtog nang malakas, sabayan ng tawanan at sigawan, magpailaw ng mga lusis, kwitis. Ngunit mag-ingat sa malalakas at mapanganib na mga paputok gaya ng labintador, trianggulo at iba pa upang makaiwas sa disgrasya.”

“Salu-salong kumain ng media noche at pagsaluhan ang biyaya ng Panginoon na may kasamang pasasalamat at paghingi ng patawad.”

“Sa unang araw ng Enero, isama ang pamilya sa pamamasyal.”

Although not all Filipinos believe in feng shui, many of them prefer to be on the safe side by adhering to its principles, buying trinkets and other “lucky” items for themselves and their homes.

Others, meanwhile, opt to respect the ancient Chinese system the same way that believers do not criticize their Catholic faith.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Throngs usher in 2016 at bash in New York's Times Square

NEW YORK — A throng of 1 million revelers in Times Square rang in the New Year with raucous cheers and a blizzard of confetti, striking an optimistic, even defiant, tone amid jitters over extremist attacks and heavy security that included 6,000 police officers.

"You haven't lived until you've experienced Times Square on New Year's," said Eric Robertson, 25, of Philadelphia, who kissed his girlfriend as the crowd counted down the seconds to the New Year and the ball dropped at the stroke of midnight.

Partygoers from around the world had waited hours at the famed Manhattan crossroads — some since before dawn — for the countdown. Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed the button to send a 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball into its minute-long decent.

As the clock struck 12 o'clock, cheers erupted as fireworks shot into the sky and people shared hugs and their first kisses of the year.

The revelers were protected by an unprecedented number of police officers — some in civilian clothes, many heavily armed — as well as rigid security screenings.

"This is the iconic New Year's celebration for the world," New York Police Department Commissioner William Bratton said. "We have no threats we're aware of directed against this event tonight but nevertheless we still plan for the worst and then expect the best."

Officers from the NYPD's elite emergency services unit surveyed the scene from Times Square rooftops, peering below through binoculars and scopes as snipers stood beside them. Heavily armed officers carrying tactical rifles stood on nearly every corner for blocks as police helicopters buzzed overhead after checking in on other parts of the city, including the World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty.

Some in the crowd admitted to being nervous to gather in such a famous location in the weeks after the Paris and San Bernardino attacks. Just hours earlier Thursday, an ex-con was charged in upstate New York with planning to carry out a New Year's Eve attack at a bar to prove he was worthy of joining the Islamic State terror group. That case prompted the city to cancel its New Year's Eve fireworks celebration.

Ashley Watters, 18, a freshman at Temple University hailing from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, called the threat of terrorism "the elephant in the room."

"I talked to my dad before I left and said 'I love you and hopefully ISIS doesn't come,'" said Watters. "My dad said, 'Keep your eyes out.' He feels the same way, you can't live in fear. I'm not going to miss out on an opportunity."

Others were heartened by the massive security presence for the party to send off 2015 that featured musical acts by Carrie Underwood, Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato and temperatures that, to the relief of the bundled-up spectators, stayed well above freezing.

"I actually believe this is the safest place in the world," said Eku Kabba, 27, who has made the trip from Gaithersburg, Maryland to Times Square for the last five years.

"It could happen anywhere, but you can't start the world panicking," he said as a recording of the James Brown song "Living in America" blared from the stage. "Look around; there are men in uniform everywhere."

source: philstar.com

Austria police step up security amid terror warning

VIENNA - Austrian police said Saturday they stepped up security in Vienna and other cities after receiving a warning of possible attacks during the holiday season.

"In the lead-up to Christmas, a friendly intelligence service sent a warning to numerous European capitals saying potential bomb or gun attacks could take place in areas with large crowds between Christmas and New Year," Vienna police said in a statement.

The warning included "several names of potential attackers" but investigations have so far yielded no concrete results, the statement said.

In response to the alert, police officials said they would increase security at public events and tighten controls on roads in Vienna and elsewhere in Austria.

The warning comes after jihadist gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Asia rings in Year of the Sheep with fireworks, festivities

BEIJING - Fireworks illuminated the skies across China as millions around Asia ushered in the Year of the Sheep Thursday, kicking off festivities with an annual televised gala that got a thumbs down on social media for heavy Communist Party preaching against corruption.

China officially counts the New Year as starting from January 1 but culturally its citizens place greater importance on the lunar computation of days, reflecting centuries of traditional practice.

Ahead of the festivities, President Xi Jinping proffered a Lunar New Year's greeting to a gathering of more than 2,000 people inside Beijing's ornate Great Hall of the People.

"We are proud of our great country and we are proud of our great people," he said in the speech on Tuesday, which was also attended by other top leaders, including Premier Li Keqiang.

Wednesday night, or lunar New year's eve, was marked by loud booms as people shot off firecrackers in various parts of the country, filling the air with the pungent smell of explosives.

Indoors, hundreds of millions of Chinese tuned in for the annual televised Spring festival gala, which lasts for about four hours and is broadcast nationwide, featuring singing, dancing, skits and comedy performances.

Social media users, however, complained Thursday that the show was ruined by Communist Party sermons against corruption, which has been the pet policy of Xi since becoming head of the party.

The performance included comic dialogues criticising the endemic culture of bribe-taking.

"It was the most disgusting Spring Festival gala," read a post on microblog Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter. "It was just for the state leaders, not for common people."

"The gala is a political performance, the so-called anti-corruption-themed performances are for licking the shoes" of state leaders, another user said.

The day varies annually due to the nature of the lunar calendar which follows the cycles of the moon. It was celebrated last year on January 31, which marked the Year of the Horse.

Traditional astrology in China attaches different animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years.

Lunar New Year is also celebrated in other parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, North and South Korea, Mongolia and among ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.

Fortune tellers in Hong Kong said that the Year of the Sheep should be calmer in general than the previous Year of the Horse, which was characterised by catastrophic international air accidents, brutal terror attacks, global political upheaval, a resurgent Ebola virus and war.

In Taiwan, President Ma Ying-jeou prayed for "safety, health and happiness for the country" in the coming year while attending a religious ceremony in New Taipei city late Wednesday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nine choke to death on Japanese mochi

TOKYO -- Nine people have choked to death in Japan after eating traditional glutinous "mochi" rice cakes to celebrate the New Year, an official and local media said Sunday.

In Tokyo alone, 18 people were sent to hospital due to suffocation after eating the New Year delicacy, and three of them died, a fire department official said.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said the death toll from rice cake accidents reached nine by Friday across the nation and 13 others were in a serious condition.

During the New Year period, one of Japan's biggest holidays, families traditionally cook "ozouni" soup and put the sticky rice cakes in the vegetable broth.

The fire department is advising people, especially the elderly and infants, to cut mochi into small pieces before eating it.

Every year, several Japanese die after choking on rice cakes.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

12 'lucky' fruits to ring in the New Year

MANILA – Preparing to welcome 2015 at home? Consider adding these fruits to your dining table on New Year’s Eve to attract prosperity and good luck, a feng shui practitioner said.

According to Hanz Cua, these 12 “lucky” fruits symbolize each month of the year, bringing anything from money and luxury to happiness and good health.

Here are Cua’s 12 suggested fruits and their respective meanings:

1. Pineapple – the Chinese word for pineapple is “ong-lai,” which means “fortune cones.”

2. Orange – represents gold in Chinese tradition. Its round shape signifies money.

3. Apple – the Chinese word for apple is “ping,” which means “harmony.”

4. Grapes – represents luxury as these are traditionally eaten by royalty.

5. Banana – comes in clusters, symbolizing unity. Its yellow color stands for happiness.

6. Mango – its sweetness signifies strong family ties.

7. Lemon – its fragrance and essence is known to cleanse and remove negative vibes.

8. Watermelon – symbolizes prosperity. Its many seeds stand for abundance.

9. Papaya – similar to the orange, it represents gold in Chinese tradition.

10. Lychee – its round, red body stands for happiness and good fortune.

11. Avocado – its colors – green and purple – symbolize prosperity.

12. Pomelo – its bright red or pink pulp represents good health.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com