China will hold the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations; US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Russia; Theresa May will meet Tory leaders to address calls for resignation; the Philippines will hold midterm elections and Australians will vote in a federal election.
These are the international events under the spotlight for the week starting May 13.
Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations to open
China will hold the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing starting May 15. President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.
Under the theme of "exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations and a community with a shared future", the conference includes an opening ceremony, thematic forums, an Asian Culture Carnival and an Asian Civilization Week.
More than 2,000 government officials and representatives of various circles from 47 Asian countries and other countries outside the region will attend the opening ceremony and forums.
Xi proposed such a conference twice — at the fourth summit meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Shanghai in 2014 and the annual Boao Forum for Asia in 2015.
US Secretary of State's visit to Russia
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the proposed budget estimates for FY2020 for the State Department on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 9, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Russia's Sochi on May 13-14 for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a subject of their discussion, and Moscow and Washington "are in constant contact" on this issue, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov says.
This is Pompeo's first visit to Russia after becoming head of the State Department last year.
UK's May to meet Tory leaders, address calls for resignation
British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after a news conference following an extraordinary European Union leaders' summit to discuss Brexit in Brussels, Belgium on April 11, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
British Prime Minister Theresa May is going to meet leaders of an influential group of Conservative Party lawmakers next week to address growing calls for her to resign.
Earlier, May's spokesman said she stood by her commitment to resign after completing "phase one" of the Brexit process, or the "divorce deal", before handing to the reins to a new leader to negotiate future trade ties with the European Union.
2019 Philippine midterm elections to be held
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses congressmen and government officials during the presentation of Republic Act bills in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Manila on Oct 9, 2018. [Photo/IC]
The Philippines will hold midterm elections on May 13.
Over 17,000 positions are at stake, from local legislators to 12 members of the Senate and 297 members of the House of Representatives.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, elected in 2016, does not face reelection.
Australia to hold federal election
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten shake hands before the first leaders' forum at the Seven West Media Studios in Perth, Australia on April 29, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
Australia will go to the polls to elect a new government on May 18.
Australians will elect 151 MPs (one from each seat) to the lower house and 40 senators (six per state and two per territory) to the upper house.
The contest pits Prime Minister Scott Morrison's center-right Liberal-National coalition against the left-leaning Labor party led by Bill Shorten.
