- Bagnaia eyeing summit on home ground in 100th MotoGP
- 'Something was wrong', defendant in French mass rape tells court
- Hezbollah chief admits 'unprecedented' blow in device blasts
- Sales of US existing homes slip slightly in August
- Fear, panic haunt Lebanese after devices explode
- Labuschagne sparks Australia fightback in England ODI opener
- S.Africa's HIV research power couple says fight goes on
- Why is Israel focusing on border with Lebanon?
- Mpox vaccines administered in Rwanda, first in Africa
- US Fed rate cut is 'very positive sign' for economy: Yellen
- Unknown Mozart string trio discovered in Germany
- 'Are we five-year-olds?' F1 drivers won't mind their language
- Brazil judge orders X to reimpose block or face hefty fine
- Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer
- Champions Italy to face Argentina in Davis Cup Final 8
- The winding, fitful path to weight loss drug Ozempic
- Italians defeat American Magic to reach Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Norris has 'nothing to lose' as he hunts Verstappen in Singapore
- Kyiv 'outraged' at Swiss showing of Russian war film
- French city renames Abbe Pierre square after abuse claims
- Footballer charged after huge cannabis seizure at UK airport
- Vatican recognises Medjugorje shrine, but not Virgin's messages
- Bank of England freezes rate after jumbo US cut
- Playing Nadal is 'kind of a nightmare', says Alcaraz
- Portugal tackles last of deadly northern forest fires
- Ton-up Ashwin lifts India to 339-6 against Bangladesh
- Departing NATO chief warns US against 'isolationism'
- Coming winter 'sternest test yet' for Ukraine energy grid
- Evacuations as tail of Storm Boris floods northeast Italy
- Lebanon's Hezbollah reeling after second wave of deadly blasts
- Taiwan recognises same-sex marriages between Chinese, Taiwanese
- Stock markets rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Gabon's ousted leader Bongo says renouncing politics for good
- Lebanon device blasts: what we know about deadly attacks
- Late Harrods owner Al-Fayed accused of rape: BBC
- Hong Kong man sentenced 14 months for wearing 'seditious' T-shirt
- Lebanon's Hezbollah in disarray after second wave of deadly blasts
- Meta and Spotify blast EU decisions on AI
- Hasan takes three as Bangladesh rattle India in first Test
- Two killed during police operation in New Caledonia
- Flood-hit region leaders to meet in Poland to discuss EU aid
- Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse
- Hong Kong probe finds Cathay Airbus defect could cause 'extensive' damage
- AI development cannot be left to market whim, UN experts warn
- All Blacks primed for 'hell' of a Wallabies clash
- Zoom fatigue? Try some nature in your background: study
- Japan walkie-talkie maker says investigating after Lebanon blasts
- Slipper to become most-capped Wallaby in All Blacks clash
- Tokyo surges on weak yen as Asian traders cheer big US rate cut
- Vast France building project sunk by sea level rise fears
Marcos Jr to be sworn in as Philippine president
The son of the Philippines' late dictator Ferdinand Marcos will be sworn in as president Thursday, completing a decades-long effort to restore the clan to the country's highest office.
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, 64, won last month's elections by a landslide, securing the biggest victory since his father was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
He succeeds the hugely popular Rodrigo Duterte, who gained international infamy for his deadly drug war and has threatened to kill suspected dealers after he leaves office.
Marcos Jr will take the oath at midday (0400 GMT) in a public ceremony at the National Museum in Manila in front of hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries and journalists.
More than 15,000 police, soldiers and coast guard personnel have been deployed across the capital for the inauguration.
It comes days after the Supreme Court dismissed final attempts to have Marcos Jr disqualified from the election and prevent him taking office.
As rising prices squeeze an economy already ravaged by Covid-19, Marcos Jr has made tackling inflation, boosting growth, and ramping up food production his priorities.
He has taken the rare step of appointing himself agriculture secretary to lead the overhaul of the problem-plagued sector.
Marcos Jr has also pledged to defend the Philippines' rights to the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
But he has offered scant detail on how he will achieve his goals or few hints about his leadership style after largely shunning media interviews.
Pro-Duterte commentator Rigoberto Tiglao wrote recently that he was "optimistic" for an "economic boom" under Marcos Jr.
Tiglao pointed to the "accomplished academicians" on Marcos Jr's economic team and the support of "powerful magnates" who will be able to provide him with advice and financial support.
- 'Friends to all, enemy to none' -
Marcos Jr, who appears to be more polite and businesslike than Duterte, was swept to power with the help of a massive social media misinformation campaign.
Pro-Marcos groups bombarded Filipinos with fake or misleading posts portraying the family in a positive light, while ignoring the corruption and rights abuses of the patriarch's 20-year rule.
Crucial to Marcos Jr's success was an alliance with Duterte's daughter Sara, who secured the vice presidential post with more votes than him, and the backing of rival dynasties.
Many expect Marcos Jr will be less violent and more predictable than the elder Duterte, but activists and religious clergy fear he could use his victory to entrench himself in power.
"Marcos Jr's refusal to recognise the abuses and wrongdoings of the past, in fact lauding the dictatorship as 'golden years', makes him very likely to continue its dark legacy during his term," leftist alliance Bayan warned.
Marcos Jr, who has distanced himself from his father's rule but not criticised it, last month pledged to "always strive to perfection".
He has filled most cabinet positions. But the most influential adviser during his six-year term will likely be his wife, Louise, who claims to have no interest joining his government but is widely believed to have run his campaign.
Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said the country had a "big chance that we can be moving forward and ahead of the pack" under Marcos Jr.
"We are very optimistic on the quality of the leadership that we have now," Ortiz-Luis told AFP.
Unlike Duterte, who pivoted away from the United States towards China, Marcos Jr has indicated he will pursue a more balanced relationship with the two superpowers.
Marcos Jr said last month he would adopt a "friends to all, enemy to none" foreign policy.
But unlike Duterte, he insisted he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the resource-rich South China Sea.
While he has backed Duterte's drug war, which has killed thousands of mostly poor men, he is not likely to enforce it as aggressively.
"I think the Philippine political elite are ready to move on from a violence-led drug war," said Greg Wyatt, director for business intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy.
"The drug war attracted enough negative attention."
A.Seabra--PC