About 163,000 police officers have been deployed nationwide to ensure security at polling stations, in coordination with the military, fire brigades and other support units. In addition, the government has extended the early voting period for the elderly and people with disabilities, starting at 5 am on May 12.
Senior citizens in Paltok Elementary School in Quezon City cast their votes, with the help of their relatives on May 12. (Photo: tribune.net.ph)
Hanoi (VNA) ꦉ– Millions of Filipino voters are heading to the polls for midterm elections, which will elect more than 18,000 leadership positions from the national to local levels.
About 163,000 police officers have been deployed nationwide to ensure security at polling stations, in coordination with the military, fire brigades and other support units. In addition, the government has extended the early voting period for the elderly and people with disabilities, starting at 5 am on May 12.
This year's midterm elections will not only shape the congressional and local government landscape in the Philippines for the next three years, but also create an important premise for the 2028 presidential election. In particular, the results of the Senate election will decide the political fate of Vice President Sara Duterte who is still considered a potential candidate for the presidency, if she survives impeachment.
Although not on the ballot, both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Duterte play a central role in this election through the list of candidates they support. Vice President Sara Duterte - the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte - was once a close ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but has now become a fierce political rival.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte is currently detained in The Hague, the Netherlands, while awaiting trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to his anti-drug campaign. However, Duterte is still on the ballot in Davao city – the political stronghold of the Duterte family – with the goal of regaining the mayor’s seat. Some local surveys predict he will win overwhelmingly./.
The Philippines’ economic transformation will be driven by initiatives that promote new growth drivers while strengthening existing sectors, with private sector involvement playing a key role, particularly in infrastructure and investments that will deliver lasting impact and shared prosperity.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Bulusan’s alert status from 0 to 1 on its five-level scale, signalling low-level volcanic unrest and warning of possible phreatic eruptions.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
