Polling begins in Singapore's general election

Polling stations across Singapore opened at 8:00 local time (0000 GMT) on Saturday morning for the country's general election.

Over 2.62 million voters are casting their votes at 1,240 polling stations across the country to determine the makeup of the next parliament. The party that secures the majority of seats in parliament will form a government.

A total of 209 candidates from 11 parties, along with two independents, are contesting the 97 elected parliamentary seats.

Of these 97 seats, five in a multi-member constituency have already been secured by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), as no opposition candidates were fielded there.

The PAP, the ruling party since Singapore's independence in 1965, is fielding 97 candidates and contesting every seat. This election marks the first time Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is leading the party into a general election, after succeeding Lee Hsien Loong in May 2024 following Lee's two-decade tenure.

The PAP has introduced 32 new candidates that will be contesting in the election.

Five constituencies are witnessing multi-cornered contests, with the fiercest reported in Tampines in the east, where three opposition parties are challenging the incumbent PAP team.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 20:00 local time (1200 GMT), with voting results expected to be announced later on Saturday or in the early hours of Sunday.

Polling begins in Singapore's general election

Protesters filled Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma on Saturday, rallying in solidarity with Venezuela and denouncing U.S. influence in Latin America.

The United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela in the early hours of Jan 3, taking by force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Holding numerous flags and banners while chanting slogans intermittently, a huge crowd of protesters criticized U.S. military actions against Venezuela and the unlawful control over President Maduro and his spouse, calling for respect for national sovereignty and regional peace.

"We oppose the U.S. intervention and hegemony towards the countries in Latin America. The United States has flagrantly trampled on international law, bombed Caracas and kidnapped the Maduro couple. The U.S. interventionism has become extremely blatant. We must firmly oppose and be highly vigilant, because this is not only related to a certain country, but also to all countries," said a protester.

"We demand that the United States stop interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs. The country must immediately cease its exploitation and plundering of the countries in Latin America," said another protester.

Protest erupts in Mexico City over US military operation in Venezuela