MANILA -- The death toll from the sinking of a passenger and cargo vessel in the southern Philippines has risen to 31 after two more bodies were recovered on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
At least 316 people have been rescued, the PCG added. (Philippines-Boat Sinking-Death Toll)
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SEOUL -- South Korea's special counsel on Friday filed an appeal against a first-instance court ruling on former first lady Kim Keon-hee that acquitted her of charges related to alleged stock price manipulation and other charges.
The special counsel issued a statement explaining its decision to appeal a first-instance court ruling that acquitted Kim of multiple charges, including alleged stock price manipulation, arguing that the court made serious errors in fact-finding and legal interpretation in acquitting her on several charges, and that the sentence imposed for the convictions was "unduly lenient." (South Korea-Ex First Lady-Appeal)
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TOKYO -- Persistent heavy snowfall driven by winter pressure patterns has hit many parts of Japan in recent days, leaving at least 14 people dead and 198 others injured nationwide, the country's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on Friday.
As of Friday morning, Niigata prefecture recorded the highest death toll with seven fatalities, followed by Akita prefecture with three. One death each was reported in Hokkaido, Aomori, Yamagata and Shimane prefectures. (Japan-Heavy snowfall-Death)
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HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.5 percent year-on-year in real terms in 2025, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Friday.
According to the advance estimates released by the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government, the city's GDP increased by 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. (HK-GDP) Enditem
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