Nigeria awards $6.68mn rail project to Chinese state firm

Some 16,700 Filipino and US troops began annual joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, amid tensions with China over Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region.

The vote was seen as a referendum on President Mohamad Muizzu's pledge to abandon the country's "India First" policy for closer ties with China. Electoral authorities reported a turnout higher than 73%.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the US and China should be "partners, not rivals," as a series of issues, including Chinese aid for Russia in its war against Ukraine, continue to separate the countries.