Laylo survey puts BBM way ahead of rivals with 63% preference rate.

While Robredo becomes as second rater with 17%

By Edward Era Barbacena

Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has further widened his voter preference lead of 46-percent over his nearest rival in the presidential race, according to the latest Laylo Research pre-election survey conducted from February 14 to 21, 2022.

Marcos recorded 63 percent voter preference among the 3,000 respondents in the survey, indicating that he has the support of the majority of Filipinos, with 6 out of 10 voters choosing him over the other candidates.

On the other hand, Vice President Leni Robredo had 17 percent.

Tied for the third spot with seven percent each are Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Sen. Manny Pacquiao, followed by Senator Ping Lacson with three percent.

Marcos also dominated the major voting areas with voter preferences in NCR at 61 percent, North/Central Luzon at 80 percent, South Luzon/Bicol at 48 percent, Visayas at 53 percent, and Mindanao at 71 percent.

The voter preference by region also showed the Solid North voting bloc stands behind the UniTeam as Marcos posted 80 percent in North/Central Luzon, 86 percent in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 91 percent in Ilocos, and 98 percent in Cagayan Valley.

Among the top reasons why respondents preferred Marcos over the other candidates were his distinguished public service career, his achievements as local chief executive of Ilocos Norte, and his intelligence which shows a clear grasp on issues.

Marcos has appealed to everyone to join the ‘Kilusan ng Pagkakaisa’ as a means for Filipinos to commit themselves to nation-building.

Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, have repeatedly said that achieving unity is the first step toward sustained economic recovery and progress.

The tandem previously said they would continue some of the programs that the current Duterte administration has started, particularly the Build, Build, Build program.

In addition, Marcos cited the need to push for a robust digital infrastructure that would allow the country to go through a digital shift and increase the efficiency of delivering government services to the people.

He has also sought further support for MSMEs to help them recover from the pandemic.

Volodymyr Zelensky survives three assassination attempts in days

 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy survives three assassination attempts in days

Published by Times

Kharkiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has survived at least three assassination attempts in the past week, The Times has learnt.

Two different outfits have been sent to kill the Ukrainian president — mercenaries of the Kremlin-backed Wagner group and Chechen special forces. Both have been thwarted by anti-war elements within Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Wagner mercenaries in Kyiv have sustained losses during their attempts and are said to have been alarmed by how accurately the Ukrainians had anticipated their moves. A source close to the group said it was “eerie” how well briefed Zelensky’s security team appeared to be 

On Saturday an attempt on Zelensky’s life was foiled on the outskirts of Kyiv. Ukrainian security officials said a cadre of Chechen assassins had been “eliminated” before they could reach the president

Ukrainian officials claim the information that led to the deaths of the Chechens came from disgruntled agents in the FSB who oppose the invasion.

 “I can say that we have received information from the FSB, who do not want to take part in this bloody war”

The Wagner mercenaries were unaware of the Chechen assassins but have carried out their own attempts to decapitate the government, after being embedded in Kyiv for more than six weeks, tracking the activities of 24 high-profile Ukrainian targets

The mercenaries have come under fierce pressure from Moscow to bring forward their operations to secure a visible victory and they are said to intend to carry out the 24 assassinations on their “kill list” in a matter of days.

A source close to the mercenaries in Kyiv insists that despite the loss of some of the group in botched operations this week, the numbers are still on their side, with almost 400 in the capital alone.

“It only takes one of them to get lucky and everyone goes home with a bonus,” The Times was told

 

Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte

Duterte to Ilocanos: 'You can choose which Ilocano leader you like'

By Edward Era Barbacena

Without mentioning a name, President Duterte told a crowd in Ilocos Sur that they can choose an Ilocano leader when his term ends.

Without mentioning a name, President Duterte told a crowd in Ilocos Sur that they can choose an Ilocano leader when his term ends.

Duterte made the remark on Friday, March 4, during the inauguration of the Narvacan Farmers Market.

“In my Cabinet, apat o tatlo na lang kaming Bisaya, ang naiwan puro mga Ilokano na (In my Cabinet, there are only four or three of us who are Bisaya, the rest are Ilocanos),” Duterte said.

Some of the Ilocano officials Duterte named were Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar who hails from Ilocos Sur, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III from Cagayan, and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar Dulay from Baguio City.

“Kaya ibigay ko na lang ‘yan… aalis na ako sa Malacañang. Mamili na kayo kung sinong Ilocano na leader ang ilagay ninyo doon (I will be leaving Malacañang. You have to choose which Ilocano leader you would put there),” he added.

Duterte remained firm in his stance not to endorse any presidential candidate for the May 2022 polls, adding that he prefers to “stay neutral” nearly a month into the campaign period.

He has adopted a hands-off stance even as his daughter, vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, is running along with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., an Ilocano.

The President earlier said he would reveal in the future some issues against the presidential bets, though he singled out Marcos for being “spoiled” and a “weak leader.”

“Hindi ako bilib sa kanya (I am not a fan of his)… He’s really a weak leader. Kaya ako sabi ko — totoo ‘yan, hindi ako naninira ng tao, talagang weak ‘yan kasi spoiled child, only son (That’s why I said — that’s true, I’m not destroying his reputation. He’s really weak because he’s a spoiled child, an only son),” Duterte said in November last year.

 

Scientists working to unravel mystery of what seems to be 300-year-old mummified ‘mermaid’ with ‘human face’ and tail

By Edward Era Barbacena

A mummified “mermaid” said to grant immortality to whoever tastes its flesh will be probed by scientists in order to reveal its true nature.

The mysterious 12-inch creature was allegedly caught in the Pacific Ocean, off the Japanese island of Shikoku, between 1736 and 1741, and is now kept in a temple in the city of Asakuchi.

With a grimacing face, pointed teeth, two hands, and hair on its head and brow, it has an eerily human appearance – except for its fish-like lower half.

Now researchers from the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts have taken the mummy for CT scanning in a bid to unravel its secrets.

Hiroshi Kinoshita of the Okayama Folklore Society, who came up with the project, said the bizarre creature could have religious significance.

“Japanese mermaids have a legend of immortality,” he said.

“It is said that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you will never die.”

“There is a legend in many parts of Japan that a woman accidentally ate the flesh of a mermaid and lived for 800 years.”

“This ‘Yao-Bikuni’ legend is also preserved near the temple where the mermaid mummy was found.”

“I heard that some people, believing in the legend, used to eat the scales of mermaid mummies.”

In the age of Covid-19, a mermaid could be an ominous portent too, folklore suggests.

“There is also a legend that a mermaid predicted an infectious disease,” said Hiroshi.

A historic letter dated 1903 – apparently penned by a former owner – was stored alongside the mummy and gives a story about its provenance.

“A mermaid was caught in a fish-catching net in the sea off Kochi Prefecture,” the letter states.

“The fishermen who caught it did not know it was a mermaid, but took it to Osaka and sold it as unusual fish. My ancestors bought it and kept it as a family treasure.”

It’s unclear how or when the mummy came to the Enjuin temple in Asakuchi.

But chief priest, Kozen Kuida, said it was put on display in a glass case some 40 years ago and is now kept in a fireproof safe.

“We have worshipped it, hoping that it would help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic even if only slightly,” he told The Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper.

Kinoshita, however, takes a more pragmatic view of the creature.

He believes it was manufactured at some point during the Edo period – an era of Japanese history stretching from 1603 to 1867.

“Of course, I don’t think it’s a real mermaid,” he said.

“I think this was made for export to Europe during the Edo period, or for spectacles in Japan.”

“The legend of mermaids remains in Europe, China and Japan all over the world. Therefore, I can imagine that people at that time were also very interested in it.”

He continued: “I think it is made from living animals and we would like to identify them by CT scans or DNA testing.”

A similar specimen was exhibited by P.T. Barnum – whose life inspired the 2017 blockbuster The Greatest Showman – at his American Museum in New York before it burned down in 1865.

This mummy, created from the torso and head of a monkey sewn onto the back half of a fish, was purportedly caught off the coast of Fiji and later purchased from Japanese sailors.

In Japanese folklore, there exists a creature called the ningyo, which is described as having a monkey’s mouth with fish-like teeth and a body covered in golden scales.

The scientists examining the mummy will publish their findings later this year.

 

Ukrainian biathlete Yevhen Maylshev, 19, dies in battle

By Edward Era Barbacena

A 19-year old Ukrainian biathlete was killed in combat fighting off invading Russian forces, sports organizations said Wednesday.

Yevhen Maylshev was killed Tuesday after taking up arms to defend his homeland against the Russian invasion, the Athletes of Ukraine and Global Athlete said in a joint statement.

Maylshev once competed on the national team of Ukraine and the Kharkiv junior team before ending his career in 2020, the Ukrainian Biathlon Federation told Spanish news site Marca.

Joint statement from Ukrainian Athletes and Global Athlete in reaction to the #IPC's decision to allow Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games.

“How many more lives need to be lost before sports implements meaningful sanctions?” the Athletes of Ukraine and Global Athlete said in their statement.

The groups slammed the International Paralympics Committee’s decision to still allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag, saying the punishment didn’t go far enough.

“We express our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones. Eternal memory,” the Ukrainian Biathlon Federation said.

Maylshev was one of many Ukrainian athletes who have joined the fight to protect their homeland.

Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky said Tuesday he left his family in Hungary to join the army.

 

Burnt-out cargo ship with luxury cars sinks off Portugal's Azores

Reuters

A burnt-out cargo ship carrying thousands of luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, sank on Tuesday off the Portuguese Azores archipelago nearly two weeks after it caught fire, a port official said.

Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of the nearest port on the island of Faial, told Reuters the Panama-flagged Felicity Ace had sunk as efforts to tow it began due to structural problems caused by the fire and rough seas

"When the towing started... water started to come in," he said. "The ship lost its stability and sank."

The blaze on the ship carrying around 4,000 vehicles made by Volkswagen Group from Germany to the United States, broke out on Feb. 16. The 22 crew members were evacuated on the same day. read more

Cabecas said no oil leak had been reported so far but there were fears the fuel tanks could be damaged as the vessel lay at the bottom of the Atlantic at a depth of around 3,500 metres (2.17 miles).

Volkswagen, which said last week the damage to the vehicles was covered by insurance, confirmed the ship has sunk. Insurance experts said the incident could result in losses of $155 million.

 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blames the United States over the Russian-Ukraine crisis

By Edward Era Barbacena

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday the war in Ukraine should be stopped and accused the "mafia-like regime" of the United States of creating the conflict.

Russia, whose troops invaded Ukraine last week, is a strategic partner for Iran, which has been under Western sanctions for years. While Tehran and Washington have been foes for decades, Iran and Russia have deepened trade ties and have been allies in the Syrian conflict.

"The U.S. regime creates crises, lives off of crises and feeds on various crises in the world. Ukraine is another victim of this policy," Khamenei said in a televised speech.

"In my view, Ukraine is a victim of the crises concocted by the United States," he said. "There are two lessons to be learnt here. States which depend on the support of the U.S. and Western powers need to know they cannot trust such countries."

Khamenei criticised Washington and other Western nations as talks reached a critical stage in Vienna between Iran and world powers about reviving a 2015 nuclear deal.

Despite progress in the talks, the key sticking point is Tehran wants the issue of uranium traces found at several old but undeclared sites in Iran to be dropped and closed forever, an Iranian official told Reuters.

Iran said on Monday efforts to revive the pact could succeed if the United States took a political decision to meet Tehran's remaining demands, as months of negotiations enter what one Iranian diplomat called a "now or never" stage.

The stakes are high, because the failure of 10 months of talks could carry the risk of a fresh regional war, more harsh sanctions on Iran by the West and continued upward pressure on world oil prices already strained by the Ukraine conflict.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has said the remaining issues included the extent to which sanctions would be rolled back and providing guarantees that the United States would not quit the pact again.

All parties involved in the talks say progress has been made toward the restoration of the pact to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, which the United States abandoned in 2018. But both Tehran and Washington have said there are still some significant differences to overcome.