OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

New Quebec law stresses migrants' skills, thousands must reapply

ABS-CBN News
Jun 17 12:24 PM

MONTREAL - The Quebec provincial legislature on Sunday approved a controversial immigration bill that will replace a first-come, first-served standard for accepting migrants with one tied to an applicants' skills. Read more »

Hong Kong’s retreat chips away at Xi’s iron image

Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times
Jun 17 12:10 PM

The move, the biggest concession to public pressure during Xi’s nearly 7 years as China’s paramount leader, suggests that there are still limits to his power, especially involving events outside the mainland, even as he has governed with an increasingly authoritarian grip. Read more »

'Sand mafias' threaten Morocco's coastline

Hamza Mekouar, Agence France-Presse
Jun 17 12:07 PM

A report last month by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) on the global over-exploitation of this resource accuses "sand mafias" of destroying Morocco's beaches and over-urbanizing its coastline.  Read more »

Some OFWs in Hong Kong lose rest day over protests

ABS-CBN News
Jun 17 11:56 AM

Employers barred some Filipino workers in Hong Kong from taking a rest day as some 2 million protesters choked the streets on Sunday in a powerful rebuke of a proposed law that would allow extradition to China, a community leader said Monday. Read more »

Meanwhile in Hong Kong

Athit Perawongmetha, Reuters
Jun 17 10:47 AM

Protesters demanding Hong Kong's leaders to step down and withdraw a controversial bill remain in the central business district well into the night, in Hong Kong, China. Read more »

Recyclers cringe as Southeast Asia says it’s sick of the West’s trash

Mike Ives, The New York Times
Jun 17 10:33 AM

In the Philippines, officials returned a shipment of waste that had been mistakenly sent there from Canada several years ago, and vowed to send another back to Hong Kong. Read more »

Israel PM's wife convicted of misusing public funds

Stephen Weizman, Agence France-Presse
Jun 17 10:26 AM

JERUSALEM - An Israeli court Sunday convicted the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fraudulently using state funds for meals, under a plea bargain which dropped more severe charges. Read more »

Filipinos in Hong Kong unfazed by protests

Cathy Yang, ABS-CBN News
Jun 17 09:56 AM

Filipinos in Hong Kong pressed on with the Sunday routines, unfazed by the wave of protests over an extradition law that is feared to favor Beijing. Read more »

New poll shows Biden with big lead over Trump

Brian Knowlton, Agence France-Presse
Jun 17 09:24 AM

The Fox poll showed Biden leading Trump by 49 percent to 39 percent among all registered voters nationwide, while Senator Bernie Sanders held nearly the same advantage over the president, at 49 percent to 40 percent.   Read more »

China stays mum as Hong Kong protests extradition bill

Agence France-Presse
Jun 17 07:25 AM

Hong Kong's government has been rocked in recent days by massive demonstrations -- and some violence -- which forced the city's embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam to indefinitely suspend passage of the bill. Read more »

New Quebec law stresses migrants' skills, thousands must reapply

Agence France-Presse
Jun 17 06:36 AM

The law is similar to a proposed plan from US President Donald Trump that would shift his country's visa system from family-based immigration towards bringing in more skilled workers.   Read more »

Hong Kong leader apologizes as protesters press demands for her to quit

James Pomfret and Farah Master, Reuters
Jun 16 10:28 PM | Updated Jun 17 02:10 AM

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam apologized on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of black-clad protesters maintained calls for her to resign over her handling of a bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial. Read more »

Trump in new Twitter attack on London's mayor

Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 04:36 PM

US President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack Saturday on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, backing a right-wing British columnist who has been widely accused of Islamophobia and once called migrants "cockroaches."   Read more »

Thousands dressed in black rally to demand Hong Kong leader steps down

Anne Marie Roantree and Alun John, Reuters
Jun 16 03:47 PM | Updated Jun 17 11:17 AM

Thousands of people took to the streets in Hong Kong on Sunday dressed in black to demand that the city's embattled leader step down. Read more »

Leaderless and livid: The youngsters on Hong Kong front lines

Elaine Yu, Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 03:16 PM | Updated Jun 16 03:21 PM

Young Hong Kongers who marshaled the fight against a police force that was armed with tear gas and rubber bullets have spoken of how they were pushed into embracing more confrontational tactics by the failure of years of peaceful protests.  Read more »

Football: Martinez cracker helps Colombia past Argentina

Richard Martin, Reuters
Jun 16 10:47 AM

Roger Martinez scored an outstanding goal as Colombia beat Argentina 2-0 in an exciting finale to a Copa America Group B opener on Saturday that burst into life after a sluggish start. Read more »

Pinoys in Hong Kong urged to stay away from potentially violent protests

ABS-CBN News
Jun 16 10:21 AM | Updated Jun 17 09:47 AM

Filipinos in Hong Kong should stay away from the central and business districts, where fresh protests over an extradition law could turn violent, a top diplomat said Sunday.  Read more »

Paris's Notre-Dame holds first mass since devastating blaze

Karine Perret, Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 09:22 AM

The Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris hosted its first mass on Saturday exactly 2 months after a devastating blaze, with priests and worshipers wearing hard hats to protect themselves against possible falling debris. Read more »

Hong Kong braces for huge rally after leader climbdown

Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 08:44 AM

Hong Kong braces for another mass rally Sunday as public anger seethes following unprecedented clashes between protesters and police over an extradition law, despite a climbdown by the city's embattled leader in suspending the bill. Read more »

Saudi crown prince lashes out at arch-rival Iran over tanker attacks

Anuj Chopra and Mohamad Ali Harissi, Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 08:41 AM

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused arch-rival Iran of attacks on oil tankers in a vital Gulf shipping channel, adding he "won't hesitate" to tackle any threats to the kingdom, according to an interview published on Sunday.  Read more »

New Zealand cancels tsunami alert after powerful quake

Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 08:39 AM | Updated Jun 16 10:07 AM

A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake stuck near the remote Kermadec Islands northeast of New Zealand Sunday, briefly prompting a tsunami warning. Read more »

Maldives seek foreign help to deal with IS fighters

Agence France-Presse
Jun 16 12:11 AM

The Maldives called for international help to rehabilitate up to 160 of its nationals languishing in Syrian detention camps after the defeat of the Islamic State group. Read more »

Following PH’s lead, Indonesia ships back imported waste to North America

Agence France-Presse
Jun 15 08:33 PM | Updated Jun 15 10:58 PM

Indonesia has returned 5 containers of rubbish to the United States, officials said Saturday, the latest Southeast Asian country to return imported waste. Read more »

Hong Kong leader suspends extradition bill after huge protests

Jerome Taylor and Yan Zhao, Agence France-Presse
Jun 15 06:23 PM | Updated Jun 15 10:57 PM

Hong Kong's embattled leader on Saturday suspended a hugely divisive bill that would allow extraditions to China in a major climbdown after a week of unprecedented protests and political unrest. Read more »

Hong Kong news outlets say controversial extradition bill may be suspended

Reuters
Jun 15 11:57 AM

Hong Kong media reported on Saturday the city's government would suspend a proposed law on extradition to mainland China that sparked widespread anger and violent protests, with leader Carrie Lam planning to address reporters later in the day. Read more »