Video shows the moment a coyote attacks a toddler at the beach while parents were looking at the sea

 

NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED

Video shows the moment a coyote attacks a toddler at the beach while parents were looking at the sea

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A toddler was hospitalized after being viciously attacked by a coyote at the beach ... and it was all caught on camera.

The INSANE incident went down Thursday around 9:45 PM at Huntington Beach in the O.C. ... when a mom took her two kids to take a dip.

A surf cam was rolling and captured the moment the coyote lunged at the little girl.

Fair warning, it's pretty disturbing ... the coyote jumps up and attacks the little girl's face and has her on the ground for at least 15 seconds before she's able to scramble and adults finally notice.

The little girl was rushed to a hospital by ambulance, with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Two coyotes were killed by officials later that night, and they're trying to determine if one of them was the one involved in the attack ... as they continue their search.

As for the girl, she is said to be about 2 or 3 years old. She was tested for rabies and will continue to be treated at the hospital.

Thankfully, she is expected to make a full recovery.

 

Ghost of Kyiv  dies in battle ‘after shooting down 40 Russian aircraft’

Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, became a legendary figure in Ukraine's defence

By Edward Era Barbacena

A fighter pilot known as the Ghost of Kyiv died in an air battle last month after allegedly shooting down more than 40 Russian aircraft, it can be revealed.

Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, a father of one, was killed when the MiG-29 he was flying was shot down on March 13 while fighting “overwhelming” enemy forces, according to local reports.

He quickly gained worldwide fame after shooting down six Russian aircraft on the first day of the invasion, as the Ukrainian government tweeted a video of the claims.

But speculation then grew that the 'Ghost of Kyiv' and his astonishing kill count was a myth manufactured by the Ukrainian government to inspire bravery in the ranks of their defiant fighters.

On the first day of Vladimir Putin’s invasion Twitter was alight with clips that allegedly showed a Ukrainian jet soaring through the skies over several cities and shooting down six Kremlin planes in dogfights. 

One of the ciips, which got nearly 5million views,  was thoroughly debunked as a clip from the 2008 videogame Digital Combat Simulator, with a Reuters Fact Check concluding: ‘A vertical video shared online does not show a Ukrainian fighter jet shooting down a Russian plane, but comes from the videogame DCS.’ 

A couple of days later the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence posted a video to the government's Twitter account extolling the skill and bravery of the 'Ghost of Kyiv', but it used the same debunked footage.

For most internet sleuths, the story seemed too Hollywood to be true. 

Now, sources have confirmed his identity and his death to The Times.

His helmet and goggles are now expected to go on sale at an auction in London.

After his initial success, the Ukrainian government said: 'People call him the Ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so — this UAF [Ukrainian Air Force] ace dominates the skies over our capital and country, and has already become a nightmare for invading Russian aircraft.'

He has been posthumously awarded the country's top medal for bravery in combat, the Order of the Golden Star, and has been given the title Hero of Ukraine.

Two days before his death, Ukraine's General Staff shared a photo of the legendary fighter sitting in the cockpit.

They captioned it: 'Hello, occupier, I'm coming for your soul!'

Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, became a legendary figure in Ukraine's defence

Tarabalka was born into a working class family in the village of Korolivka in the west of Ukraine.

He attended Kharkiv National University of the Air Force and leaves behind his wife Olenia and son Yarik, eight. 

Local accounts say he is personally responsible for downing 40 Russian aircraft, and possibly more.

His mother Nahtalia said he used to watch MiG jets flying over their home and always dreamed of being a fighter pilot.

She said: 'He would always watch the paratroopers in their air exercises. And he would run in their direction to try to see where they landed. Since early childhood, he always dreamed of the sky, about flying higher than the clouds.' 

Once qualified, he would regularly fly over their village and tilt the wings of his jet as a salute to the family.

 

Russian air assault  on Kyiv kills reporter Vira Hyrych

By Edward Era Barbacena

BBC: A journalist working for Radio Liberty in Ukraine was killed in Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv on Thursday evening, the station has confirmed.

Vira Hyrych was at home when a rocket hit the residential building where she lived in the capital, it says. Her body was pulled from the wreckage on Friday.

She "will be remembered for her professionalism and dedication to our mission", the US-funded station says.

Kyiv was hit as UN Secretary General António Guterres was visiting the city.

The UN chief - who only a day earlier had held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin - said he was "shocked" by the Russian attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of trying to humiliate the UN, while Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said the Russian leader had shown "his middle finger" to Mr Guterres.

Moscow has confirmed it hit Ukrainian targets, but has not commented on the strike on the building.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of our Ukrainian Service staffer Vira Hyrych in Kyiv overnight," Radio Liberty President Jamie Fly said in a statement.

"We are shocked and angered by the senseless nature of her death at home in a country and city she loved. Her memory will inspire our work in Ukraine and beyond for years to come."

Oleksandr Demchenko, one of Ms Hyrych's colleagues, wrote in a Facebook post: "A wonderful person is gone."

Anton Strashko, who worked with Ms Hyrych at one of Ukraine's leading TV channels before she joined Radio Liberty, said she had been "an extremely kind" person. He added that he didn't want to believe she was dead.

Ms Hyrych lived in the 25-storey building in Kyiv's central Shevchenkivskyi district which was hit by a Russian missile late on Thursday.

The building caught fire immediately, and the ground and the first floors were partially destroyed, Ukraine's emergencies services say.

City officials say 10 people were injured.

Ms Hyrych, who was born in 1967, joined Radio Liberty's Kyiv office in 2018. She also worked there as a producer.

Radio Liberty, also known as Radio Free Europe, is a US government-funded organisation which broadcasts news in areas of the world where free press may be restricted or not yet established.

Ukraine's National Union of Journalists says 23 media professionals - both Ukrainians and foreigners - have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

 

Former Boston police  union boss pleads guilty to child rape, abuse charges

Former Police Patrolmen's Association head Patrick Rose is accused of sexually abusing children during the 1990s.

By Edward Era Barbacena

The former head of Boston’s police union was sentenced to up to 13 years behind bars after he admitted he raped and sexually abused six children.

Ex-Police Patrolmen’s Association boss Patrick Rose, 67, pleaded guilty to 21 counts involving victims between the ages of 7 and 16 in a case that sparked criticism that the former cop’s abuse was swept under the rug by the department.

Rose, whose crimes spanned a 27-year period, had been accused of sex abuse in the 1990s but was allowed to stay on the job for two more decades even after an internal investigation found he likely committed a crime.

Patrick Rose bringing out the 'white tears card'

Rose cried in court Monday as some of his victims delivered impact statements.

“I saw you for what you really are – a coward, a predator of the weak and defenseless,” one victim said.

Another said Rose’s reputation was “absolutely gone.”

“All you will ever be remembered as is another creep who has nothing going for him,” the victim said. “Your job as a cop protecting people? [Well] that’s really quite ironic isn’t it?”

The former union boss apologized for his “despicable behavior” in a statement read in court, where he was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison.

“I apologize to my former colleagues,” he said. “I apologize to my former friends, but more importantly, the more important thing in my life, I apologize to my family. To those I hurt, I’m so very sorry.”

Rose, who served as union president from 2014 until his retirement in 2018, was arrested in August 2020 on accusations he sexually assaulted a relative for five years beginning when she was 7 years old, NBC Boston reported.

Five other victims stepped forward in the aftermath, but Rose initially denied the charges and pleaded not guilty, the station said.

Documents released last year of a 1996 internal police department probe showed that top officials concluded Rose likely sexually abused a child yet he continued to patrol in Dorchester and interact with children and sex-abuse victims, masslive.com reported.

District Attorney Kevin Hayden said Monday he hoped the guilty plea provided “some level of healing and recovery” for the victims.

“Anyone who was in that courtroom today knows the tremendous courage, fortitude and bravery that they withstood throughout this entire horrible incident,” Hayden said in a statement. “These are monstrous, monstrous acts.”

 

Putin to United States and other western countries: Don't dare Russia

By Edward Era Barbacena

Russia on Thursday warned the West that there would be a tough military response to any further attack on Russian territory, accusing the United States and its key allies of undermining European security by openly inciting Ukraine to assault Russia.

Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and raised fears of the most serious confrontation between Russia and the United States since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Two months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia has in recent days reported what it says are a series of attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian regions which border Ukraine, and has warned that such attacks risk a significant escalation.

Ukraine has not directly accepted responsibility but says the incidents are payback, while Russia has taken umbrage at statements from NATO-member Britain that it is legitimate for Ukraine to target Russian logistics.

"In the West, they are openly calling on Kyiv to attack Russia including with the use of weapons received from NATO countries," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow.

"I don't advise you to test our patience further."

The Kremlin said Western - and in particular British - attempts to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine threatened the security of Europe.

"In itself, the tendency to pump weapons, including heavy weapons, to Ukraine and other countries are actions that threaten the security of the continent and provoke instability," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Sergei Naryshkin, the chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), accused the United States and Poland of plotting to gain a sphere of influence in Ukraine, the strongest signal from Moscow that the war could end with forced partition of Ukraine between the West and Russia.

MOSCOW'S WARNING

Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that if such attacks continued then Moscow would target decision-making centres in Ukraine, including those where it said Western advisers were helping Kyiv.

"Kyiv and West capitals should take the statement from the Ministry of Defence seriously that further inciting of Ukraine to strike Russian territory will definitely lead to a tough response from Russia," Zakharova said.

Zakharova cast Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a puppet of the West, who was being used by the United States to threaten Russia.

"You are being used," Zakharova said.

The United States has ruled out sending its own or NATO forces to Ukraine but Washington and its European allies have supplied weapons to Kyiv such as drones, Howitzer heavy artillery, anti-aircraft Stinger and anti-tank Javelin missiles.

Total U.S. security assistance since the invasion amounts to about $3.7 billion, a U.S. official said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin casts such large arms shipments as part of a broader plan by the United States and its allies to destroy Russia - and has promised that it will never succeed.

Putin says the "special military operation" in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people.

He casts the conflict as an inevitable confrontation with the United States, which he accuses of threatening Russia by meddling in its backyard and enlarging the NATO military alliance.

Ukraine says it is fighting an imperial-style land grab and that Putin's claims of genocide are nonsense. Zelenskiy has been pleading with U.S. and European leaders to supply Kyiv with heavier arms and equipment.

 

6-year-old Dominick Krankall severely burned after bully chucked flaming tennis ball at him

Dominick Krankall sustained severe burns after a neighbor allegedly threw a tennis ball doused in gasoline and lit on fire at the boy’s face

By Edward Era Barbacena

A 6-year-old Connecticut boy was severely burned when a young neighbor doused a tennis ball with gasoline before lighting it aflame and tossing it at the child’s face, a report said.

As we all know, young bullies in the United States are the worst in the world. It is brought by poor parenting and luck of moralities among adults acting as guardians of many juveniles who have no capabilities of teaching or passing good influences and values. This is very common among white people 

Dominick Krankall was playing in his backyard in Bridgeport on Sunday when he was bullied by an 8-year-old boy who snatched gasoline and a lighter from the shed before coaxing the child to come near him, according to NBC New York.

“As soon as he walked down the stairs, the bully called his name and lured him over around the corner,” the boy’s sister, Kayla Deegan, told the outlet.

“In a matter of seconds he came back around the corner screaming, saying, ‘Mommy, they lit me on fire! They lit me on fire!’”

Kayla said the sadistic act was done on purpose and the neighbor has bullied her brother in the past.

“What he did was pour gasoline on a tennis ball, took a lighter, lit it up and just chucked it right at my brother’s face — and then ran away from him and watched him burn,” she said.

“Two months ago under the bully’s mother’s supervision, he was pushed into a wall and fell to the floor. And again, the mother refuses to admit her kid did it.”

 

Myanmar's ousted Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Gets 5 Years Jail In Graft Cases

According to Reuters, the judge handed down the verdict within moments of the court convening and gave no explanation.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to five years in jail by a court in the military-ruled country after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases against her.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, is charged with at least 18 offences carrying combined maximum jail terms of nearly 190 years, all but killing off any chance of a political comeback.

According to Reuters, the judge handed down the verdict within moments of the court convening and gave no explanation.

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi expressed displeasure over the verdict and said that she would appeal.

The 76-year-old led Myanmar for five years during a short period of tentative democracy before being forced from power in a coup in February 2021 by the military.

It was not immediately clear if she would be transferred to a prison to serve the sentence.

Since her arrest she has been held in an undisclosed location, where junta chief Min Aung Hlaing previously said she could stay after convictions in December and January for comparatively minor offences that led to a six-year term.

The latest case centred on accusations that Suu Kyi accepted 11.4 kg (402 oz) of gold and cash payments totalling $600,000 from her protege-turned-accuser, former chief minister of the city of Yangon, Phyo Min Thein.

Suu Kyi had called the accusations "absurd" and denies all charges against her, which include violations of electoral and state secrets laws, incitement and corruption.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, with the military using lethal force to suppress nationwide protests and public anger. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested and many killed, tortured and beaten, in what the United Nations has called crimes against humanity.

Kyiv pulls down Soviet-era monument symbolising Ukraine as once a part of the Soviet Union during the cold war By Edward Era Barbacena

 

Kyiv pulls down Soviet-era monument symbolising Ukraine as once a part of the Soviet Union during the cold war

By Edward Era Barbacena

At the centre of Kyiv, there is a 27-foot-tall bronze statue depicting a Russian and Ukrainian working together on a square slab, symbolising 60 years of the Soviet Union (it was erected in 1982).

No longer.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials authorised and participated in the dismantling of said monument, located at the “People’s Friendship Arch” in response to Moscow’s invasion.

Workers removed one of the two bronze heads, before utilising a crane to lift the former staple of Kyiv’s town centre and lowering it to the ground.

One of the monument’s designers, Serhiy Myrhorodsky, was visibly angry as he spoke about the relationship between the two countries.

“Russia invaded Ukraine … Can we be friends with Russia? What do you think? This is our worst enemy, that is why the monument to Russian-Ukrainian friendship doesn’t make sense anymore,” he said.

A small crowd of around 100 people celebrated by chanting “glory to Ukraine” in unison.

Kyiv mayor Vitaly Klitschko condemned the Russian offensive and lamented the massive loss of life that Ukraine has suffered, with Russia widely alleged to have committed war crimes by targeting innocent civilians.

“We now see what this “friendship” is – destruction of Ukrainian cities … killing tens of thousands of peaceful people,” he said.

“I am convinced such a monument has an entirely different meaning now.”

Streets named after links to Russia and Belarus will also be renamed, which consists of 279 streets and 60 public objects in Kyiv, according to the head of the city’s state administration Volodymyr Bondarenko.

“No one intends to take books of Russian classical authors down from library shelves or forbid people to attend concerts of Rachmaninoff,” he said.

“But the matter of street names and memorials needs to be brought to a close.”

The arch will still stay in place but will be renamed the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People, with a new monument expected to be erected later this year.

 

Possible collaboration between Leni Robredo and communist leader Joma Sison is formed

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson fears the possibility of collaboration between Leni Robredo and Joma Sison, the chairman of the CPP-NPA-NDF terrorist group.

This was after Joma's endorsement of Robredo. Although he said that Joma denied it, he said it was clear what Lacson heard in Joma's video tape message.

In addition, far left extremist group and pro- communist militants have decided to place their support to Robredo who has been dwindling in second place in different surveys conducted in March and the first three weeks of April.

Lacson fears that if a deal is made between the two of them, the government's hard work to fight the insurgency will come to naught. The opposition like the Liberal party has been firm on their stance against the anti-terror bill signed by President Duterte.  Leni Robredo as we know, is the chairman of the Liberal party.

Apart from the endorsement, it turned out that Joma Sison is now Robredo's campaign adviser, which they both denied.

Jose Maria 'Joma' Sison admitted that he serves as an adviser to Vice President Maria Leonor 'Leni' Robredo and her spokesman, according to a television news report.

The report over NET 25's 'Mata ng Agila' also quoted Sison as saying that he was a 'leading contributor' in Robredo's campaign and was in touch 'several times' with Robredo spokesman, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, to whom he allegedly laid down some of the points on how the media would start attacking other presidential candidates, particularly, Manila Mayor Francisco 'Isko Moreno' Domagoso and former senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.

 

Robredo's latest endorsements 'too late in the game' in beating Marcos Jr. — analyst

By Edward Era Barbacena

CNN -The latest endorsements for presidential candidate Leni Robredo are “too late in the game” to help close the gap with current survey leader Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, political analyst Antonio Contreras tells CNN Philippines’ The Final Word.

More political groups and notable personalities have thrown their support for Robredo into the homestretch of the campaign, with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) being the biggest group to have recently extended its support for the presidential candidate.

"My take on this is it may be too late in the game. A lot of people have already made up their minds, and if you look at the survey results, at least the scientific ones, you’re going to see that in some surveys, Marcos’ numbers are even edging up, and it's not going down," Contreras said.

"The pattern is there. There is very little number to draw from if you're going to convert, because now you need to convert votes," he added.

Contreras said there is uncertainty that these endorsements would lead to conversion, noting also the few number of undecided voters, and the big margin between the two candidates.

He also added that even endorsements from big celebrities or influence from relatives can do very little to convert one person into voting for another candidate.

"We don't have empirical data to show that just because an actor or an actress or a sports person endorsed a candidate -- and I'm not just talking about Leni -- we are assuming that it works," Contreras said.

"Based on our survey… the influence of celebrities, even politicians, even relatives bear not too much into the decision of people, and more so now that people have already made up their minds," he added.

When asked if there still are chances that presidential candidates can still work together to beat the survey leader, Contreras said he does not see it happening.

"It looks like the unity talks among the opposition is practically dead...I don’t think it’s going to happen."

 

Putin to test nuclear missiles capable of hitting US by autumn

Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to deploy his nuclear arsenal during the Ukraine invasion.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Russia plans to test nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States and Europe by autumn, an official said.

The Sarmat 2, dubbed Satan 2, missiles will be a “historic” and a “super-weapon” for the country said Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, during an interview on Russian state television Saturday.

The nukes will be deployed to the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 1,800 miles from Moscow, Rogozin said. The same region previously held Soviet-made Voyevoda kept there during the Cold War.

The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is 
launched from Plesetsk on April 20

The missiles, which have long been plagued by delays, technical issues and funding shortages, were successfully test launched Thursday, stoking renewed fears of nuclear war

“The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month.

Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to deploy his nuclear arsenal during the Ukraine invasion — which has proceeded notably badly for the Russians so far.

“This really unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia’s security from external threats and make those, who in the heat of frantic aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice,” Putin said earlier this week.

 

Communist rebels - the CPP -NPA, plan to sow black propaganda against BBM - former cadres

The far left extremist group who support Leni Robredo is now waging terror against Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos

By Edward Era Barbacena

A FORMER cadre has exposed the communist rebels - the CPP-NPA's alleged propaganda plan to be spread terror and smeared on the frontrunner in the presidential race, Bongbong Marcos.

In the ‘Direct Perspective’ forum by Atty. Al Vitangcol, the former cadre of the communist terrorist rebels outlined what CPP officials based in the United States and Canada are now planning.

According to Ka Jun Jimenez, who is said to have been a CPP-NPA cadre for 3 decades, the communist group now plans to revive the issue of the Plaza Miranda bombing.

He said the CPP-NPA will use it against BBM which is leading the presidential race based on the results of the surveys.

August 21, 1971 when the Plaza Miranda bombing took place in Manila at the height of the Liberal Party's political rally.

It was said that former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. the incident for allegedly having reason to declare martial law.

But according to Ka Jun, this is not true because its mastermind was the one who recruited him then, Joma Sison.

Ka Jun added that the Senate had called for an investigation into the bombing incident during the Cory administration.

Despite the many witnesses of the former cadres, these claims were just ignored.

Ka Jun said that this issue will be re -created by the leftists and use it against BBM

Ka Jun said this information was released to inform the public of the truth and to fight the lies that will be floated again by the left.

This is the reason why Ka Jun contacted Atty. Larry Gadon to make public and anticipate the plan of the communist terrorists.

Ka Jun said that as before, the yellows and the communists allegedly joined forces again.

Meanwhile, at the same forum, the League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP) group expressed their solidarity with the Duterte administration's campaign against the CPP-NPA – NDF due to their deceptions.

Gadon, on the other hand, reminded the public not to send or immediately believe the propaganda of the far left extremists.

 

Filipino-American mass shooter Raymond Spencer, suspected DC shooter, found dead in apartment, police say

By Edward Era Barbacena

Four people, including two women, a man and a girl, were shot this Friday afternoon in the Van Ness neighborhood of the capital, Washington DC Police confirmed.

The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed with FOX 5 that Raymond Spencer took his own life in a fifth-floor bathroom in an apartment building located on the 2900 block of Van Ness St.

D.C. police said they received a call about the shooting around 3:30 p.m. on Friday along the 2900 block of Van Ness Street, NW near the Edmund Burke School. 

Witnesses told FOX 5 they heard what sounded like 100 gunshots. Police swarmed the scene evacuating residents from local apartment buildings, and combing the area for suspects. 

Authorities were on the trail of the suspect(s) and described the situation as an "active scene". They asked to avoid the area and to the residents of the sector to take refuge in the place where they are.

During the evening press conference, MPD confirmed that all of the victims are in stable condition and expected to survive.

The shooting occurred shortly before 4 pm in the 2900 block of Van Ness Street NW, although the scene was initially reported in the 4100 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, around the corner.

 

Leni Robredo is being backed by the communist

Joma Sison the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines admits advising Leni

By Edward Era Barbacena

COMMUNIST Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Ma. Sison on Monday admitted that the party is a key contributor to the campaign of Leni Robredo and he is acting as adviser to her and her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez.

In a statement published in Ang Bayan, the official news organ of the CPP, Sison encouraged “all partisans to persevere and be steadfast in supporting Leni, who vowed to stand with the people in the fight against an oppressive system.”

“Tuloy pa rin ang ating paghimok sa mga kaalyadong progresibo na magtiyaga at magpakatatag sa patuloy na paguporta kay Leni, na nangakong tatayo kasama ng masa upang labanan ang mapang-aping sistema,” Sison said.

He also warned that the masses will instigate the downfall of the Duterte administration “if he tries to cheat in the elections.”

Sison’s pronouncement centered on Robredo’s campaign and strategies, which he said he was inadvertently a part of.

He even admitted that he had several phone conversations with Gutierrez where he laid down several pointers on how to initiate a media attack on other presidential candidates, particularly Isko Moreno and Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

“Pinahiwatig ko sa kaniya na ang labanan ay naka-sentro sa persepsyon ng mga botante at hindi ng kung ano ang totoo. Atakihin niya ang mga kalaban sa pamamagitan ng pagbibintang ng kurapsyon at hayaan lang na sumasagot sila sa mga bintang na ito habang pinaglilinang niya ang kanilang sariling kampanya,” Sison allegedly explained.

Prior to the press conference on Easter Sunday, a report came out that Gutierrez, a self-confessed activist, and former AKBAYAN partylist representative, is involved with the CPP’s legal front and could have been Robredo’s conduit in her negotiations with Sison’s local representatives.

An intelligence officer who was tasked to “shadow” Mrs. Robredo after the “coalition government” story broke out last March, said the government is also closely monitoring the movement of Gutierrez, who could have been instrumental in the dialogue that transpired between her and the communists.

Gutierrez neither denied nor confirmed Sison’s revelation but he had been visible lately on every conceivable media platform either attacking other candidates, Moreno in particular, or assuring the Filipino people that Robredo is very much in a two-way fight with frontrunner Marcos.

Survey results from all reputable poll firms, however, showed that Marcos is on his way to a landslide victory in May.

In response, the CPP on it website, said, “There was never such a news item published in Ang Bayan. Prof. Sison has also denied this in a statement published earlier in the Philippine Revolution Web Central.”

The CPP also claimed the news was concocted “in the hope of a lending credibility to claims of a”coaltion” between the Robredo camp and the CPP.

 

 

State trooper who told off Washington Gov. Jay Inslee over vaccine mandate dies from COVID

By Edward Era Barbacena

A former Washington State white Patrol trooper who told off Gov. Jay Inslee over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, resigned and then became a sought-after media figure, has died, according to the State Patrol.

Trooper Robert LaMay's death was announced Friday. He was 50.

According to FOX News, KIRO News Radio, Newsweek and other media sources, LaMay died after contracting COVID-19.

His former boss, State Patrol Chief John Batiste, said he was deeply saddened to hear of LaMay's death Friday.

"Rob served honorably for over two decades and we were disappointed to see him leave the agency this past October," Batiste said. "His service to this state and agency will be long remembered and appreciated."

LaMay took early retirement in October rather than get vaccinated.

A video shows him giving his final radio call in which he tells Inslee to "kiss my a--." The video went viral and LaMay soon was appearing on numerous news outlets.

No statement from his family has been issued.

Last summer, LaMay had said he and his family did not "do" vaccines and he never received any as an adult. In August, on his Facebook account, he said vaccines go against his religious beliefs. His account is no longer visible.

While 73 other commissioned officers quit the State Patrol over the mandate, none received the media celebrity status LaMay did. On Jan. 12, Jerrod Sessler, a Prosser businessman running for Congress in Washington's 4th District, announced that LaMay had endorsed him.

"Mr. Lamay took the hearts of Americans by storm when he resigned from his position as a state trooper because he refused to succumb to the mandates enforced upon him by a constitutionally over-extended governor," Sessler said.

Sessler said he would appoint LaMay to head an anti-human-trafficking task force he would commission.

In the endorsement, LaMay accuses state politicians of ignoring human trafficking. He went on to say, "many of whom are involved in it themselves and do not want it to go away."

LaMay joined the State Patrol in 1999 as a trooper cadet. He was commissioned in 2001.

The trooper served in Poulsbo, Bremerton, Ellensburg and, most recently, Yakima. He worked as an armorer, collision reconstructionist and as a drug recognition expert.

LaMay's is the not the first high profile death to affect the State Patrol. Trooper Eric Gunderson died Sept. 26 after contracting COVID while on business for the agency six weeks earlier.

The trooper was 38 and unvaccinated but his family said he would have followed the mandate.

"It is important for everyone to know, he was not a part of any anti-vaccine or political movement," Gunderson's family said in a statement.

To date, 10,699 Washington residents have died of COVID.

 

Djokovic slams 'crazy' Wimbledon ban on Russian, Belarusian players

By Edward Era Barbaceba

Reuters - World number one Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is "crazy".

Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it had barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships due to the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation"

The grasscourt Grand Slam is the first tennis tournament to ban individual competitors from the two countries, meaning men's world number two Daniil Medvedev from Russia and women's fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will be banned from the June 27-July 10 tournament.

Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, said the athletes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.

"I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war," Djokovic told reporters at the Serbia Open, an ATP 250 event in Belgrade.

"I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans we have had many wars in recent history.

"However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy.

"When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good."

The All England Lawn Tennis Club's (AELTC) decision has been criticized by the ATP and WTA tours.

The move is the first time players have been banned on the grounds of nationality since the immediate post-World War Two era when German and Japanese players were excluded.

The AELTC said it would "consider and respond accordingly" if circumstances change between now and June.

 

Russia targeted logistics unit in Lviv

By Edward Era Barbacena

Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov stated that an important point was destroyed in the briefing he gave on the current activities of the Russian army. Reminding the weapons support provided to Ukraine from the USA and European countries, Konashenkov said, “The Russian Air Space Forces attacked the 124th Joint Logistics Center of the Ukrainian Logistics Command near the city of Lviv with highly sensitive missiles on the morning of April 18. A large number of weapons in the logistics center brought to Ukraine from the USA and European countries in the last 6 days were destroyed. Also, a large ammunition depot was destroyed near the village of Vasilkov, Kyiv region. "During the day, high-precision air-launched missiles of the Russian aviation forces destroyed 16 military installations of Ukraine," he said.

“The air force attacked 84 military installations of Ukraine”

Explaining that the Russian Air Space Forces attacked 84 military facilities in Ukraine, Konashenkov said, “Air Space Forces attacked 84 military facilities in Ukraine. In these operations, the repair facility of 'Toçka-U' tactical missiles, Zelenoe Pole Defense Battalion Command in this settlement, 2 ammunition depots and a fuel tank in the Chervonaya Polyana region are located in Dnipro. In addition, 47 enemy military training areas and 22 artillery areas with military equipment were also hit.

“331 military facilities were hit by rockets”

Talking about the operations of the rocket units of the Russian army, Konashenkov said, “Rocket and artillery units attacked 331 military installations. Nine command posts, a rocket and artillery arsenal, and 315 enemy military assembly areas were hit in the Popasnaya and Novomayorskoye districts. About 120 nationalists and 9 units of military equipment were destroyed in the Novotoshkovskaya settlement.

Konashenkov, citing figures on the damage done by Russia to Ukraine since February 24, said, “In total, 139 aircraft, 483 unmanned aerial vehicles, 250 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2 thousand 337 tanks and other armored combat vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation. There were 254 multiple rocket launchers, 1,9 howitzers and howitzers, and 2,196 special military vehicles,” he said.

 

Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun

By Edward Era Barbacena

Russia launched its long-feared, full-scale offensive to take control of Ukraine’s east, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Monday.

“Now we can already state that the Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” he said in a video address. Zelenskyy said a “significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive.”

The Donbas is Ukraine’s mostly Russian-speaking industrial heartland in the east, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for the past eight years and have declared two independent republics that have been recognized by Russia.

In recent weeks, Kremlin declared the capture of the Donbas its main goal of the war after its attempt to storm Kyiv failed.

“No matter how many Russian troops are driven there, we will fight,” Zelenskyy vowed. “We will defend ourselves. We will do it every day.”

 

Andrew Gallucci, left, Richard Gathy and Ronald Hondo
 allegedly tied up a woman they met in a bar and
"repeatedly" sexually assaulted her.

Suburban NJ men charged with tying up, assaulting woman they met in bar

By Edward Era Barbacena

Three suburban white men from New Jersey tied up a woman they met in a bar and “repeatedly” sexually assaulted her, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office.

The evil white trio — Andrew Gallucci, Richard Gathy and Ronald Hondo, all 24 — met the alleged victim at a Manalapan bar on April 2, prosecutors said.

Later that night, they brought her back to Gallucci’s house in upscale Marlboro, “where they allegedly restrained her against her will in a bedroom and repeatedly sexually assaulted her,” authorities said.

All three were arrested April 8 and detained in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.

“This was a disturbingly coordinated and predatory attack,” acting county prosecutor Lori Linskey said. “We commend the courage of the victim in coming forward to report what happened to her, and we look forward to bringing those responsible to justice.”

The defendants face up to 20 years on aggravated sexual assault charges, up to 10 years on sexual assault charges and up to five years on criminal restraint charges. They’d also be subject to parole for life and have to register under Megan’s Law as sex offenders.

The prosecutor’s office declined to comment beyond the news release. Attorneys representing the men didn’t return messages.

 

Presidential candidate implores to Leni Robredo to do the supreme sacrifice by withdrawing from presidential race

Domagoso, however, said the fight of Robredo was unsuccessful because it was personal and not for the country.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso called on fellow presidential hopeful Leni Robredo to “make the supreme sacrifice” and “withdraw” from the presidential race.

“Kung meron mang supreme sacrifice, ‘yung number two should initiate the supreme sacrifice. Let Leni withdraw. Withdraw, Leni,” he said during a joint press conference attended by Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzalez held at the Manila Peninsula.

“If you love your country. Sila ang laban lang naman nila, laban lang kay Marcos. Sinabi naman nila yan (Their fight is just against Marcos. They said it already),” he said.

Unlike him and his rival candidates, Domagoso said they were running to serve the country.

“Si Sen. Ping (Lacson) tumakbo kasi may inooffer siyang services — yung galing niya at husay niya (he ran to offer services — his skills. Ganon din si (Same with) Sec. Norberto (Gonzales), si Manny Pacquiao. May inaalay kaming trabaho, solusyon (We are offering solutions),” he said.

“VP Leni said so many times, “No to Marcos. Never again.” It’s always about the Marcos,” he added.

Domagoso, however, said the fight of Robredo was unsuccessful because it was personal.

“I’m calling for Leni to withdraw. Come and join us. Kasi whatever she’s doing against Marcos is not effective,” he said.

Domagoso also said they were “fooled” by Robredo for saying she would not be running for presidency.

The Manila Mayor also bared that the camp of Robredo was making efforts in stripping him of his support groups.

“Sobra naman ang pambabastos sa amin.”

 

Texas beachgoers harass stranded dolphin to death

Majority of these beach goers were white

By Edward Era Barbacena

A sick dolphin has died after washing up onshore a Texas beach — where several white people tried to ride it back to sea, according to a report.

The people found the female animal stranded on Quintana Beach on Sunday evening and pushed it back to sea but jumped onto it in the process, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network said in a Facebook post.

The dolphin ultimately became stranded again and continued being harassed by the group of white people

“This type of harassment causes undue stress to wild dolphins, is dangerous for the people who interact with them and is illegal — punishable by fines and jail time if convicted,” the network said.

Christopher Marshall, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University at Galveston, said the beachgoers may not have known that all marine mammals are federally protected.

“In this case, it’s a pretty egregious example of what not to do,” Marshall told KHOU. “People riding the animal, the animal was quite sick, already stressed at this point. The animal was probably on the brink and the stress is what killed it.”

Christopher Marshall, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University at Galveston, said the beachgoers may not have known that all marine mammals are federally protected.

“In this case, it’s a pretty egregious example of what not to do,” Marshall told KHOU. “People riding the animal, the animal was quite sick, already stressed at this point. The animal was probably on the brink and the stress is what killed it.”

“It really enriches our lives to have these animals around us. They’re quite beautiful and they’re really important to the ecosystem,” he added.

 

More than 900 died in Kyiv but Putin vows another dreadful attack.

By Edward Era Barbacena

It has been almost three months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. As a result, the Russian offensive move to the country's capital  (Kyiv) has been embarrassingly futile for the Putin despite of heavy assaults and deadly shelling that resulted to the deaths of more than 900 civilians in the city. 

Russian forces accelerated scattered attacks on Kyiv, western Ukraine and beyond Saturday in an explosive reminder to Ukrainians and their Western supporters that the whole country remains under threat despite Moscow’s pivot toward mounting a new offensive in the east.

Stung by the loss of its Black Sea flagship and indignant over alleged Ukrainian aggression on Russian territory, Russia’s military command had warned of renewed missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital. Officials in Moscow said they were targeting military sites, a claim repeated — and refuted by witnesses — throughout 52 days of war.

The toll reaches much deeper. Each day brings new discoveries of civilian victims of an invasion that has shattered European security. As Russia prepared for the anticipated offensive, a mother wept over her 15-year-old son’s body after rockets hit a residential area of Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine. An infant and at least eight other people died, officials said.

 

More than 500 civilians killed in Kharkiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Among the killed Ukrainians are 24 children

By Edward Era Barbacena

At least 503 civilians have been killed in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, the local governor said Thursday.

Oleg Synegubov wrote on Telegram that the dead included 24 children.

“This is an innocent civilian population, we will not forgive them for any life!” he wrote.

Synegubov said Russian forces had carried out 34 rocket and artillery strikes across Kharkiv, leaving one person dead and eight wounded.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city with a pre-war population of some 1.5 million, is located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Russian border.  

It has been a key target for Moscow’s invading forces, which have battered it with bombardments but failed to capture the city.

 

Grand Rapids Police Release Video Footage Of a White Police Officer Fatally Shooting Black Man Patrick Lyoya

Four videos depict a prolonged struggle before the unnamed officer is seen shooting Lyoya in the back of the head.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan, released video footage on Wednesday afternoon showing a police officer fatally shooting a Black man earlier in the month — a killing that has generated several protests in the city.

Patrick Lyoya, 26 years old and a father of two, was fatally shot by a white  police officer during a traffic stop on April 4. Police have not identified the specific reasons for the stop, but indicated Lyoya’s license plate was not registered to the vehicle he was driving at the time.

The video shows the officer, who has not been named, pinning Lyoya to the ground, face down, and shooting him in the back of the head. In the 90 seconds leading up to the shooting, Lyoya is seen at various points struggling with the officer, attempting to run away, and at one point trying to block the officer’s Taser weapon from being deployed on him. It’s unclear if it hit Lyoya.

Lyoya was not armed with a weapon during the encounter.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom announced the footage’s release to the public during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“I thank the public for their patience and understanding while waiting for the release of the video,” Winstrom said. “I intend to continue to be as forthright and transparent as possible during the ongoing Michigan State Police investigation, while maintaining my duty to protect the integrity of that investigation in the interests of justice and accountability.”

Lyoya’s family members said they viewed the footage of the shooting. They also dispute that police had any reason for engaging with the man, who they say had pulled over to a curb because his car was making noise.

The scenes unfold in four videos: the dashcam video from the officer’s cruiser, the officer’s bodycam footage, a home surveillance camera from a house across the street from the shooting, and from cellphone video recorded by a passenger in Lyoya’s car.

Only the cellphone video clearly shows the shooting; the officer’s body camera “deactivated” seconds before the shooting, according to police.

The bodycam video shows the officer arriving at the scene in a residential neighborhood as Lyoya stands outside of the car. The officer tells Lyoya to “stay in the car.” Lyoya responds, asking, “What did I do?”

“Dude, I’m stopping you,” the officer says to Lyoya.

Lyoya asks the officer what he is being stopped for. Without giving a reason, the officer asks Lyoya for his license. “Do you have a driver’s license? Do you speak English?” the officer asks him.

After Lyoya answers “yes,” the officer tells him that his license plate is not registered to the car. He asks again for Lyoya’s license. Lyoya opens the car door, steps back and says his driver’s license is “right there” while pointing inside of the car. Lyoya then closes the door and takes a few steps. The officer then moves behind him, grabbing his shoulders.

“Nope, nope, stop. Put your hands behind your back,” the officer says.

As the officer grabs Lyoya, there is a brief struggle before Lyoya pulls away from the officer, turns and runs down the street.

“We’ve got one running,” the officer can be heard saying. He then tackles Lyoya to the ground in front of a house across from where the stop was. The officer struggles with Lyoya and then grabs the man’s head. The officer slams Lyoya’s head to the grass twice, yelling “stop” while the officer is on top of him.

“OK, damn,” Lyoya says. The officer pulls out a Taser and Lyoya attempts to block it from it being used on him, pulling it toward the grass. The officer then tells him to “let go of the Taser.”

A cellphone video from another angle shows the officer on top of Lyoya. In the the video, the person recording on the cellphone can be heard telling the officer to stop. The officer is seen on top of Lyoya. After a struggle, the officer then reaches back to grab his gun, and a shot is fired.

“Get back!” the officer says to the person recording on their cellphone. The officer gets off of Lyoya and then tells the person recording to “get back” again. Lyoya is seen lying on the ground as more police sirens are heard in the distance.

Police Chief Winstrom said he met with Lyoya’s family on April 5. During a press conference, the police chief said the department “immediately” notified Michigan State Police who will be leading the investigation into the fatal encounter. Officers have identified at least one witness at the incident but said there “could be more.”

Demonstrations have taken place in Grand Rapids following the shooting, with family members calling for the footage of the incident to be made public. Prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump joined a public forum about the killing in Grand Rapids Sunday calling for justice and transparency.

State police investigators have not yet interviewed the officer involved, who police say has been with the department since 2015. Grand Rapids Police policy requires an officer involved in a fatal shooting encounter to give their account to investigators within 72 hours of the incident.

 

Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos

Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos widens gap in the pre-election survey

For Robredo to catch up, she needs to convert approximately 855,494 voters per day

By Edward Era Barbacena

Manila - Philippine presidential frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has kept his huge lead in the presidential race, favored by a majority of respondents in this month's Kalye Surveys.

Based on the tabulation conducted nationwide from April 1 to 10 with 3,000 respondents, Marcos was the runaway winner with almost 62 percent preference shares.

Dwindling in a very distant second was his closest rival, Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, who got 18.4 percent.

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao were statistically tied in third to fifth place with 6.5 percent, 5 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively.

"That is far more than an avalanche and a tsunami combined. Imagine leading by nearly 24 million votes with 28 days left before the elections. We are reiterating this — game over, game over, game over," SPLAT said in a statement.

"The UniTeam of BBM and Inday Sara Duterte will be elected with majority preference shares. Their winning margins will go down in history as the most dominant victory in the history of Philippine national elections," it added.

Based on the same data, SPLAT warned that the remaining 27 days will be difficult for Robredo as her camp will have to race against time to entice more supporters.

SPLAT Communications, the information and statistical data provider that works jointly with consulting firm Simplified Strategic Solutions to produce the Kalye Survey summaries, said that with only 27 days to go before the elections, the game is practically over considering Marcos' 43.6 percent vote lead.

"Now it gets much worse for the second-ranked candidate in the remaining 28 days before the elections. Her campaigns need to convert approximately 855,494 voters per day," it said.

Based on the survey, Robredo trailed Marcos even in the regional cluster that included her supposed bailiwick.

In South Luzon, composed of the regions Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), and Bicol, Marcos got 46.8 percent preference shares while Robredo got 21.6 percent.

Even if all the undecided in the said regional cluster chose her, the total will still be 13.2 percent less than Marcos' preference shares, it said.

Marcos' spokesman Victor Rodriguez acknowledged the lead but cautioned against complacency.

"We entreat our supporters, volunteers and campaigners to refrain from complacency and remain [focused] in achieving our common target of 70-percent presidential preference mark," Rodriguez said in a statement.

"We shall not rest until the 70-percent preference survey polls position is attained, until every vote is counted and the aspirations of the Filipino people become a reality," he added.

Close to victory

Marcos said that the endorsement of One Cebu Party brought him closer to securing the country's top post.

One Cebu Party, the dominant local political party in the most vote-rich province of Cebu, on Tuesday announced its support for Marcos.

The former senator, during the signing of the alliance agreement between the UniTeam and One Cebu Party, thanked Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and the rest of the party for their support.

This declaration completes One Cebu's endorsement for the UniTeam tandem of Marcos and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

"If you remember one event few months ago I teased you nandito kaming dalawa ni (I was here with) Inday Sara and I remember I said, 'Hindi kami aalis dito hanggang narinig na natin ang iyong matamis na oo (We're not leaving here until we hear you say yes)," Marcos said.

"I whispered to the [House] Majority Floor Leader [Rep. Martin Romualdez], and I said 'Sumama sa atin 'yung One Cebu, sumama sa atin 'yung Cebu Island, may pag-asa na tayong manalo' (One Cebu has joined us, Cebu Island has joined us, we have a chance to win)," he added.

Marcos announced that part of his priority program is environment protection and preservation.

"Nature has its rights that should be protected. It should be allowed to flourish, reproduce and attain its abundance side by side with human civilization in perfect balance and harmony with our growing communities," he said.

"We should do this if we want to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our society from the onslaught of natural calamities." Among his programs is to create the Department of Disaster Resilience.

He added that promoting reforestation and pushing for stricter anti-illegal logging law will also be prioritized by his administration.

In mining, Marcos said he will implement a collaborative relationship with all stakeholders to make sure that it will not be abused and it will bolster economic recovery.

He also plans to create the Department of Water and Resources Management to make sure that clean and potable water is available to all.

Marcos added he will also focus on solid waste management including "waste to energy programs."

 

Presidential hopeful Leni Robredo admits that crowds at campaign rallies won't assure victory in election

By Edward Era Barbacena

Despite the massive rallies organized by her volunteers, presidential hopeful Leni Robredo on Wednesday, April 13, reminded supporters that these are not enough to win the May 9 national polls.

Her rallies are well-attended, with some attracting hundreds of thousands of pink acolytes, but the lone desperate female presidential candidate is still trailing former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in presidential preference survey.

The latest Pulse Asia survey result put her at 24 percent while Marcos is at 56 percent.

“Ang sabi nga po kanina ni Governor Bong, hindi sapat ang rally na ito. Ang rally na ito para lang sumaya tayo pero ang importante anong gagawin natin pagkatapos ng ating rally (As Governor Bong said earlier, this rally is not enough. This rally is only to make us happy but what’s important is what we’re going to do after this rally)—house to house,” Robredo said in Masbate City.

Her campaign team launched a nationwide house-to-house campaign last April 2, encouraging volunteers to knock on doors and convince voters and the undecided to shift to Robredo.

Even celebrities like Pokwang, Donny Pangilinan, Ogie Diaz, Jake Ejercito, Agot Isidro, Cherry Pie Picache, Edu Manzano, and Rica Peralejo campaigned on the ground for the Robredo.

“Yung hindi pa natin kasama, kumbinsihin natin sumama (Those who are still not with us, let’s convince them to join us),” Robredo, who went on stage while dancing and wearing a rodeo hat with pink accents, said.

She reminded the crowd, which gathered at the JM Robredo Boulevard as early as 3 a.m. of what she claims as  “lies,” “fake news,” and “fake videos” on social media sites YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.

“Tulungan po natin ang ating mga kababayan malaman kung ano ang kamalian at katotohanan. Palitan natin ang kasinungaling ng katotohanan (Let us help our fellowmen to know what is false and true. Let us change the lies with the truth),” she said.

“Ang mga kababayan natin, dapat ang desisyon nila nakabase sa katotohanan (Our fellowmen, their decisions should be based on truth),” Robredo added.

Calling Masbate a “beautiful place,” she lamented that the province hasn’t maximized its rich natural resources.

“Noong nagsabog ng blessings ang Maykapal, karamihan sa blessings nakuha ng Masbate dahil napakaganda. Pero sinasabi ko ‘yun na may pagkahalong sayang (When the Lord showered blessings, Masbate caught most of those blessings because it’s very beautiful. But I am saying that with a mix of regret),” Robredo said.

Now that the province is given another chance to elect good leaders, Leni Robredo stressed that they shouldn’t waste their vote and make sure that the government will help Masbate.

 

More than a thousand Ukrainian Marines have surrendered in Mariupol

Chechen leader Kadyrov said more than a thousand APU Marines surrendered in Mariupol

By Edward Era Barbacena

According to Chechen leader Kadyrov, Ukrainian groups break up one after another, do not know what to do with the wounded, do not understand where to turn and what to do next, "because the resistance is useless, and the fighting force is almost gone." He added that there are only a few small groups that "for some reason are afraid to go out with a white flag to the Russian troops."

"Don't be afraid. Think about your relatives, the wounded, your own and other people's lives, how a crazy bullet can bring tragedy into the house," Kadyrov added.

The head of Chechnya also said that there are now about 200 wounded in the bowels of Azovstal who cannot receive medical care. Kadyrov stressed that it would be better for them to end the confrontation and return home.

At the time of the proclamation of the DNR in 2014, Mariupol with a population of about 450,000 people was the second largest city in the republic after Donetsk. However, in June of that year, Ukrainian security forces regained control of Mariupol, and its eastern suburbs became one of the hottest spots in the conflict in Ukraine.

Since the beginning of March, the city has been surrounded. Currently, the allied forces of the DPR and Russia are fighting for the final liberation of the city. Among other Ukrainian units in Mariupol, there is a nationalist regiment "Azov", against whose fighters a criminal case has been initiated in Russia.

Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal "the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine", to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for "bloody crimes against civilians" in Donbass .

According to the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at the military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and, as of March 25, they have completed the main tasks of the first stage - they have significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.

 

British volunteer fighter captured by Russian soldiers in Ukraine

Aiden Aslin, 28, who goes by the name "Johnny", said his unit had tried its best to defend Mariupol but "had no choice but to surrender to Russian forces".

By Edward Era Barbacena

A British volunteer fighter in Ukraine has been captured by Russian troops in the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol, according to a statement issued on his behalf.

Aiden Aslin, 28, who goes by the name "Johnny", said his unit had tried its best to defend Mariupol but "had no choice but to surrender to Russian forces".

"We have no food and no ammunition. It's been a pleasure everyone, I hope this war ends soon," he added.

He is hoping he could become part of a prisoner exchange.

The former care worker from Newark, Nottinghamshire, has been using the online alias "Cossack Gundi" to update his thousands of social media follower on the defence of Mariupol.

The statement on Twitter concluded: "We're putting this out after direct consultation with his family. Until we're told otherwise we'll continue working on sharing the facts of the war. Hope for a prisoner exchange."

Back in January, Mr Aslin gave a joint interview with fellow volunteer soldier Sean Pinner, 48, to Sky News' Stuart Ramsay.

He said he had started a new life in Ukraine with his fiancee before the invasion - prompting him to stay and fight Vladimir Putin's troops.

He previously volunteered to fight the Islamic State in Syria before moving to Ukraine in 2018, where he served in the country's marines.

Mariupol has been under intense attack by Russian forces for several weeks, with the UK now "working urgently" to confirm reports of a possible chemical attack in the city.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss said any confirmed use of such weapons in Mariupol would be a "callous escalation" of the war.

Mr Aslin's capture appeared to be supported by other sources who have spoken with him.

One of his friends told Atlas News: "I just spoke with [Aslin]. His unit is out of ammo and food. They have no other option but to surrender. He said he loves you all. He is strong in spirit and showed no weakness at all.

"He is surrendering to Russians which is only slightly better than surrendering to the Chechens. Their commander will be meeting them soon. Please Lord have mercy."

Before the war broke out, Mr Aslin told Sky News that people thought he was crazy for signing up to fight and argued he should not even be Ukraine.

"That's a true argument from their side, but I'm here, my fiancee is Ukrainian, I've got a house in Ukraine, I'm building a family," he said.

"There will always be that person who says I shouldn't be here, but at the end of the day if I'm not here, like my government's not here, so like this is the best I can do by doing what my government can't do."