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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was to deliver a state-of-the-nation speech Monday after his first year in office, which saw him allow an expanded U.S. military presence and refuse to rejoin the International Criminal Court in a move aligned with his predecessor, whose bloody anti-drugs crackdown was under an ICC investigation. More than 20,000 police, backed by other security forces and army troops, were deployed to keep order amid protests and secure the House of Representatives, where Marcos will deliver his speech before a joint session of Congress. Marcos, 65, rose to power in June last year in a landslide victory that was among the most dramatic political comebacks in recent history. His father was ousted as a dictator accused of widespread human rights violations and plunder in a 1986 pro-democracy uprising that became a harbinger of change at the time in authoritarian regimes worldwide. The president has refused to apologize and has steadfastly defended his father’s legacy. Marcos told reporters last week that his speech would be “a performance report for Filipinos to see if the flurry of pronouncements, the many words, had an impact or were just mere words." "That's what I want to explain to people — that we have made significant progress. We can see the difference now not only in terms of how the systems work, how the government works. It is also in how we are now seen or judged in the international community,” Marcos said. He was expected to press his campaign call for national unity, although deep divisions remain. About 6,000 left-wing, labor and human rights groups staged protests ahead of his speech in Congress with diverse demands, including for wage increases, to address attacks against political activists and journalists, and to recall a government program to phase out traditional but aging passenger jeepneys. A group of drivers began a three-day strike on Monday to protest the jeepney phaseout, but no major transport paralysis was reported by midday, police said. Marcos approved the suspension of school classes and government work in metropolitan Manila on Monday due to the planned transport strike and an approaching typhoon. Despite a police restriction on the burning of effigies, left-wing activists burned a mock giant coin that depicted a smiling Marcos flashing the peace sign with his fingers on one side and as a thief holding a gun and bag of cash in the other. Pro-Marcos groups separately held a musical concert and displayed congratulatory streamers. Since assuming the presidency, Marcos has embarked on more than a dozen foreign trips, including to the United States and China, to seek investments and boost trade. He was scheduled to leave for Malaysia on Tuesday for a three-day visit. The government said the foreign trips are crucial to drum up economic reforms and initiatives, including a bill that Marcos signed into law last week creating the country’s first sovereign wealth fund, which aims to pool money for infrastructure and other projects. But opponents said the trips, including one that brought him to Singapore to watch Formula One races in October, reflected the president’s misplaced priorities given problems at home, including soaring food prices early in his presidency. Marcos made himself agriculture chief to directly deal with what he said last year was a looming food crisis caused in part by the war in Ukraine. He has held the post until now despite calls for him to appoint another official so he can focus on other concerns. In February, Marcos approved an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines to add four new bases from five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the longtime treaty allies. The move, which Marcos said would help boost the Philippines’ coastal defense, dovetails with the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China. China warned the move “will drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development at the end of the day.” But Philippine officials said the move was not aimed at China. Marcos's moves to reaffirm ties with Washington was a key turnaround from the often-hostile approach his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, took toward Manila’s treaty ally. In a decision that clearly favored Duterte but came under attack from human rights activists and Marcos' opposition, he refused to take steps to bring the Philippines back to the ICC and said his administration would not cooperate with its investigation into thousands of killings under Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from The Hague-based court in 2019 in a move rights activists said was an attempt to evade accountability and prevent an international probe into the killings in his anti-drugs crackdown. The ICC, however, has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member state of the court. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Gunman who killed co-workers at New Zealand building site died from self-inflicted wound, police say Moscow, Crimea hit by drones as Russian forces bombard Ukraine's south Macron promotes French interests on a trip to South Pacific where US-China rivalry is intensifying

A CNN host was seemingly shocked when Mike Pence took a surprising stance by defending Donald Trump’s supporters during an interview on Sunday. Dana Bash was caught off guard when Mr Pence defended Mr Trump’s supporters, despite the violent storming of the Capitol during the 6 January insurrection in 2021 and calls for his hanging. During CNN’s State of the Union interview, Mr Pence brought up the issue when Bash questioned him about potential concerns regarding future violence due to ongoing provocative remarks made by his former boss. Mr Pence said he was “infuriated” on 6 January 2021, with “people ransacking the Capitol and engaging in violence against law enforcement officers”. “I would say not just the majority, but virtually everyone in our movement, are the kinds of Americans who love this country, who are patriotic and law-and-order people who would never have done anything like that there or anywhere else,” he said. While Mr Trump’s “words were reckless, based on what I know, I am not yet convinced that they were criminal”, he said, much to Bash’s surprise. “That’s pretty remarkable that you’re not concerned about it, given the fact that they wanted to hang you on 6 January,” she said. “There has been an effort to take those that perpetrated violence on January 6 and use a broad brush to describe everyone in our movement,” Mr Pence replied. Bash said she was speaking about the repeated “potential to incite those who were incited on January 6”. Earlier this year, Mr Pence said the former president’s “reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day”. Yet, during the interview with Bash, he said while he believed Mr Trump’s actions attempting to overturn the election were “wrong”, he said he was “not yet convinced they were criminal”. Mr Trump, who is currently the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, remains under the scrutiny of prosecutors across the country over a wide range of issues. Read More Trump news - live: Former president’s Jan 6 actions reckless but not criminal, says Mike Pence Oui, oui: Jill Biden heads to Paris to help mark US return to UN educational and scientific agency Jack Smith has contacted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp over Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election Florida man pleads guilty over Jan 6 as DeSantis denies insurrection Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump DeSantis downplays Jan. 6, says it wasn't an insurrection but a 'protest' that 'ended up devolving'

Germany and France kicked off the third quarter with contractions in their private-sector economies, with sustained weakness in

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the rest of the world is eager to see a responsibly managed

Crime Stoppers have walked back on their promise to return donors almost $63,000 even as Carlee Russel returned home by herself following her claimed 13 July abduction. Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler in diapers who was walking alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July. She came back home two days after the alleged abduction. More than $63,000 were raised during the two-day search for the Alabama woman. But the organisation that offers anonymous tips about criminal activity now said the money will not be returned after initially making the promise. “This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time,” Crime Stoppers said. Meanwhile, Alabama police have expressed doubt over Ms Russell’s abduction claims and revealed she appeared to have made suspicious internet searches about kidnappings prior to the incident. Her friend has pleaded with the public to stop cyberbullying Ms Russell. Read More Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing Alabama lawyer says police is using ‘every other synonym for lie except saying she lied’ in Carlee Russell case Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts after police cast doubt over her kidnapping story Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?

Global investors are returning to Chinese debt in full force, as expectations for US interest rates to soon

Chinese President Xi Jinping will start a two-day visit to the southwestern city of Chengdu on Thursday, opening

Police have arrested the person in charge of the site in the industrial province of Heilongjiang.

Asset managers trimmed bearish positions on the yen by the most in more than three years as inflation

Asset managers boosted bearish dollar bets to a record amid speculation slowing US inflation will hasten the end

The party of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared a landslide victory in a general election on Sunday, a vote that critics widely dismissed as a sham aimed at cementing the party's rule before an expected transfer of power to his eldest son.

Australia will purchase 20 C-130J Hercules transport aircraft from the US to replace its current aging fleet, reinforcing