News Headlines - 08 January 2021

▽South Korean court orders Japan to pay former 'comfort women' - Nikkei Asia

A South Korean court on Friday handed down a verdict requiring the Japanese government to pay 100 million won ($91,000) each in compensation to Korean women who served as "comfort women" during World War II.
The verdict by the Seoul Central District Court, the first of its kind, came in a case filed by a group of 12 female plaintiffs, some of whom are now dead, demanding 100 million won in compensation.

▽Capitol Police chief resigning amid criticism over response to pro-Trump mob

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund is resigning amid criticism of the department's response to rioters who stormed the Capitol in protest of President Donald Trump's election loss.
Sund's resignation will go into effect on Jan. 16, just a few days shy of President-Elect Joe Biden's inauguration, a police spokeswoman said Thursday. The announcement comes shortly after the head of the department's union called for a "change at the top."

▽GM unveils new corporate logo in push towards electric cars - CNN

General Motors unveiled a new logo Friday that the company says symbolizes its shift toward electric vehicles.
The now-lowercase letter M, for example, features arches that are squared so they resemble the prongs of an electric plug, the company said. And the blue coloring is supposed to evoke "clean skies."
The new logo was created by GM's own designers. Even the font was created in-house, the company said. It's the first time the automaker has substantially changed its logo since 1964.

▽Giant sinkhole opens in hospital car park in Naples | The Guardian

A giant sinkhole has opened up in the car park of a hospital in Naples, Italy, forcing the temporary closure of a nearby residence for recovering Covid-19 patients because the electricity was cut.
Operations at the Hospital of the Sea were not affected, and firefighters said no one appeared to be injured. The sinkhole consumed a few cars in the hospital’s otherwise empty visitors’ car park on Friday.
The local hospital district said the 20-metre-deep (66ft), 2,000 sq metre (21,527 sq ft) sinkhole opened at dawn.

▽Ricky Gervais' request to have his body eaten by lions is rejected by London Zoo - Mirror Online

Ricky Gervais' request to have his body fed to lions at London Zoo when he dies has been rejected.
The After Life star, 59, had recently said on the late night talk show of US host Conan O'Brien that he wanted his remains to be fed to lions at London Zoo after his death.
However, it has now been reported that his bodily donation has unfortunately been turned down by conservation charity ZSL, which owns both London and Whipsnade Zoo.