Registration gets underway in the Philippines on Tuesday for one of the world's biggest midterm elections, headlined by what could be a bitter proxy battle between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and fiery predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his two sons could seek roles in the Senate as the family fights for political influence in the 2025 midterm elections, amid a widening rift with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Philippines held a joint patrol in the South China Sea that included forces from Japan, Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand on Saturday. The joint patrol was the fourth multilateral maritime cooperative activity held to date.

The Philippines says it detected no Chinese military exercise in the indicated area, and that Beijing fabricated the event for a domestic audience.