- Lynx rally, stun Liberty in overtime in WNBA Finals opener
- Pogacar hunting 'perfect' season finale with Coppi's Il Lombardia record
- 'Soul of old Baghdad': city centre sees timid revival
- Kittle at the double as Niners hold off Seahawks
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Yankees advance in MLB playoffs as Guardians stay alive
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- Kamada says Japan can close in on World Cup place against Australia
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- Renewables revolt in Sardinia, Italy's coal-fired island
- Argentina held, Brazil leave it late in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- Obama blasts 'crazy' Trump in first rally for Harris
- 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, a plea in favour of world order?
- Fry homers as Guardians down Tigers to stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Japan PM presses China's Li on airspace intrusion
- In Trump 'Truths,' conspiracies, attacks -- and doubts about the election
- How Sebastian Stan found a 'relatable' Trump for 'The Apprentice' biopic
- Panama's water wheel trash collector keeps plastic at bay
- It's still 'the economy, stupid,' says US political guru Carville
- Five key dates in the history of the America's Cup
- Zelensky to meet Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- At least 10 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Far from eye, Hurricane Milton's deadly tornados rampaged Florida
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Argentina held, Bolivia stun Colombia in 2026 qualifiers
- Socceroos have 'nothing to fear' from Japan
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial set for May 2025
- Bolivia stun Colombia in World Cup qualifiers
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Greece earn late win against England in Nations League, Italy-Belgium stalemate
- Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' hits US theaters weeks before election
- Pavlidis dedicates 'special' Greece win over England to tragic Baldock
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- 'Like a quake': Beirut shaken after deadliest strikes on centre
- Fallen giants Ghana in AFCON trouble after Sudan draw
- Asian leaders meet in Laos with US, Russia on world turmoil
- England gamble backfires as Pavlidis fires emotional Greece to victory
- Obama stumps for Harris, Trump talks US protectionism
- New-look France ease past Israel in Nations League
- Belgium fight back to draw with 10-man Italy in Nations League
- 'Get a life': Hurricane whips up US election storm
- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
Presidential candidates refuse to back rival Robredo in Philippine race
Three rivals of Philippine presidential candidate Leni Robredo refused to back her campaign Sunday, dousing speculation they would withdraw from the race to improve her chances of defeating the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Voter surveys show Robredo is a distant second behind Marcos Jr, but a recent bump in the polls and huge crowds at her rallies have raised hopes among her fervent fans that the campaign is gaining traction.
There has been speculation that worse performing candidates were considering pulling out and endorsing Robredo -- the incumbent vice president and only woman in the race -- to ensure Marcos Jr was defeated in the May 9 elections.
The latest Pulse Asia Research survey showed Robredo on 24 percent with Marcos Jr on 56 percent.
But in a vitriolic press conference on Sunday, Francisco Domagoso, Panfilo Lacson and Norberto Gonzales -- who are on single digits or less -- accused Robredo of trying to get them to withdraw and strip them of support.
"Each of us will continue with our respective presidential campaigns," Domagoso, a celebrity mayor, told reporters at a luxury hotel in Manila.
"I'm calling for Leni to withdraw because whatever you're doing is not effective against Marcos."
Analysts said it was not clear how many votes Robredo would gain from their exit in the raucous democracy where voter decisions were driven by personality rather than ideology.
But their backing would have energised her campaign, said Cleve Arguelles, an assistant lecturer in political science at De La Salle University in Manila.
"It would send a really strong signal to the other campaign that she has gained a new momentum," he told AFP.
- 'Bluster and falsehood' -
There are no runoffs in Philippine presidential elections, with the victor only required to win more votes than everyone else.
Lacson accused Robredo of "lying", claiming she had previously told him that she would not run for president. He also alleged she had exaggerated the crowd size at a recent rally.
"You deceive once, you deceive twice, you will deceive all the time," he said.
Domagoso, the top second preference for president in the Pulse Asia survey, said the polls were "polluted" and questioned their accuracy.
The candidates said rival Manny Pacquiao, who was not at the gathering, was also on board with their decision.
A member of Pacquiao's team tweeted the boxing legend would "never" quit the presidential contest.
Robredo's spokesman Barry Gutierrez accused the three candidates of "theatrics" and asserting their positions through "bluster and falsehood".
He did not respond to AFP's question about whether Robredo's team had asked the candidates to pull out.
Political analyst Tony La Vina said their decision to stay the course could actually help Robredo.
"They take more votes away from Marcos than they do from Robredo," he told AFP.
More than 18,000 posts are up for grabs in the national elections, from president all the way down to town councillor.
Robredo, who narrowly defeated Marcos Jr in the 2016 vice-presidential race, reluctantly entered the contest following pressure from supporters and opposition groups.
Marcos Jr has been boosted by a formidable alliance with first daughter and vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte and a massive misinformation effort on social media.
O.Karlsson--AMWN