Let's Do The News! (April 3, 2025)

                             

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has permitted candidates to participate in barangay activities, such as fiestas. Chairman George Garcia announced that candidates are also allowed to serve as judges or contestants in beauty pageants. However, Garcia emphasized that candidates are prohibited from giving prizes or providing food at these events, as this could be considered vote buying.

- Philippine President Bongbog Marcos has directed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board to review the wages of workers in all regions of the country.

- Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, who was criticized for harassing Filipinos for 'content', was arrested after being deemed an 'undesirable alien', according to the CIDG.

- Switzerland will monitor former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's ICC case, according to the ambassador.

- China warns the Philippines over claims of "security risks". Yesterday, the Philippine Coast Guard repealed the Chinese research vessel crossing through Philippine waters.

- The sixth-generation Subaru Forester was unveiled. The new model is offered with a choice of a 1.8L DIT engine for the SPORT variant while Premium and X-BREAK variants feature a 2.5L S:HEV strong hybrid powertrain.

2026 Subaru Forester

- The Nintendo Switch 2 will go on sale globally this June 5th with the starting price of 49,980 Japanese Yen for the Japanese-Language System while the Multi-Language System is priced at 69,980 Japanese Yen. Additional costs included.

- Kangta renews contract with SM Entertainment.

- Pinoy Big Brother housemate Klarisse de Guzman reveals that she's bisexual.

- Actor Ruru Madrid was hurt during filming of the GMA TV series Lolong.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (April 2, 2025)

                            

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Committee on Foreign Relations Chairperson Senator Imee Marcos confirmed that the Senate investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte will continue tomorrow. This is despite a letter sent by the Malacañang Palace stating that invited cabinet members and executive officials will not attend tomorrow after invoking executive privilege and subjudice rule.

- British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, the lead counsel to former President Rodrigo Duterte, appeals to supporters of the former President to respect the judicial process.

- The House prosecution team is 80% ready for the impeachment trial of PH Vice President Sara Duterte.

- A Chinese research vessel heading to the Celebes Sea is being monitored by the Philippine Coast Guard. Meanwhile, the AFP currently assessing the Taiwan situation in the wake of Chinese military ships surrounding Taiwanese waters.

- Expect an intense "full battle test" in the 2025 Balikatan Exercises. According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. the 40th Balikatan Exercise will focus on testing all military doctrines and strategies.

- The US approved a $5.58 billion fighter jet for sale to the Philippines.

- The second batch of Philippine rescuers en route to quake-hit Myanmar are on the way. The death toll from the Myanmar quake nears the three-thousand mark.

- Hyundai showcased its Casper Electric-based INSTEROID Concept during their April Fools Day celebration.

Hyundai Insteroid Concept

- Skoda will unveil the Elroq RS this April 3rd.

- Seiyuu Fairouz Ai returns from her partial hiatus, signing with her new agency.

- Class 2 of the Netflix original series Weak Hero premieres this April 25th.

- TVXQ members renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment.

- Detroit Pistons forward-center Isaiah Stewart has been given a two-game suspension without pay for his repeated "unsportsmanlike acts" following a brawl between Pistons and Timberwolves players. Meanwhile, Pistons forward Ron Holland II and guard Marcus Sasser, and Timberwolves center-forward Naz Reid and guard Donte DiVincenzo, were also suspended for the incident.

- Actor Val Kilmer dies at the age of 65.

TTFN.

Nijiiro☆Lumiere

The Nijigasaki High School Idol Club has introduced the Monthly Songs project, similar to Aqours' monthly birthday song singles. Each month, one of your favorite members will get a chance to shine. For the April edition of the Nijigaku Monthly Songs project, Kasumi Nakasu is here.

Nijiiro☆Lumiere

For the April edition of the Nijigaku Monthly Songs project, Kasumi Nakasu is here, voiced by Mayu Sagara. She takes over the April edition of the Nijigaku Monthly Songs project with her featured song "Nijiiro☆Lumiere". This 4th installment includes this featured track and the additional song titled Hello! OK??

Next month...Kanata Konoe.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea’s Constitutional Court will rule Friday on Yoon’s impeachment

 

South Korea’s Constitutional Court will rule Friday on whether to formally dismiss or reinstate impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol — a decision that either way will likely deepen domestic divisions.

The court has been deliberating his political fate after conservative Yoon was impeached by the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly in December over his brief imposition of martial law that has triggered a massive political crisis.

Millions of people have rallied around the country to support or denounce Yoon. Police said they’ll mobilize all available personnel to preserve order and respond to possible acts of vandalism, arson and assault before and after the court’s ruling.

The Constitutional Court said in a brief statement Tuesday that it would issue its ruling at 11 a.m. Friday and that it will be broadcast live.

Removing Yoon from office requires support from at least six of the court’s eight justices. If the court rules against Yoon, South Korea must hold an election within two months for a new president. If the court overturns his impeachment, Yoon would immediately return to his presidential duties.

Jo Seung-lae, a spokesperson for the main liberal opposition Democratic Party which led Yoon’s impeachment, called for the court to “demonstrate its firm resolve” to uphold the constitutional order by dismissing Yoon. Kwon Youngse, leader of Yoon’s People Power Party, urged the court’s justices to “consider the national interest” and produce a decision that is “strictly neutral and fair.”

Many observers earlier predicted the court’s verdict would come in mid-March based on the timing of its ruling in past presidential impeachments. The court hasn’t explained why it takes longer time for Yoon’s case, sparking rampant speculation on his political fate.

At the heart of the matter is Yoon’s decision to send hundreds of troops and police officers to the National Assembly after imposing martial law on Dec. 3. Yoon has insisted that he aimed to maintain order, but some military and military officials testified Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to frustrate a floor vote on his decree and detain his political opponents.

Yoon argues that he didn’t intend to maintain martial law for long, and he only wanted to highlight what he called the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda, impeached senior officials and slashed his budget bill. During his martial law announcement, he called the assembly “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.”

By law, a president has the right to declare martial law in wartime or other emergency situations, but the Democratic Party and its supporters say South Korea wasn’t in such a situation.

The impeachment motion accused Yoon of suppressing National Assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians and others and undermining peace in violation of the constitution and other laws. Yoon has said he had no intention of disrupting National Assembly operations and detaining anyone.

Martial law lasted only six hours because lawmakers managed to enter the assembly and vote to strike down his decree unanimously. No violence erupted, but live TV footage showing armed soldiers arriving at the assembly invoked painful memories of past military-backed dictatorships. It was the first time for South Korea to be placed under martial law since 1980.

Earlier public surveys showed a majority of South Koreans supported Yoon’s impeachment. But after his impeachment, pro-Yoon rallies have grown sharply, with many conservatives fed up with what they call the Democratic Party’s excessive offensive on the already embattled Yoon administration.

In addition to the Constitutional Court’s ruling on his impeachment, Yoon was arrested and indicted in January on criminal rebellion charges.Yoon was released from prison March 8, after a Seoul district court cancelled his arrest and allowed him to stand his criminal trial without being detained.

Ten top military and police officials have also been arrested and indicted over their roles in the martial law enactment.

Source: AP NEWS

Let's Do The News! (April 1, 2025)

                           

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The Marine Exercise (MAREX) 2025 has officially begun, with more than 480 Marines from the Philippines and the United States participating in the largest military exercise this year.

- The first batch of rescuers from the PH Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent have been taken off en route to quake-stricken Myanmar for humanitarian missions.

- Senator Chiz Escudero reminded Filipinos abroad to always observe the laws of their host countries to avoid any legal issues or problems. This comes following the arrest of 20 Filipinos in Qatar after staging unauthorized pro-Duterte rallies.

- House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is hopeful that the alliance between the United States and the Philippines will be further strengthened. Romualdez said this following the first-ever visit to the country by United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

- The defense team of former President Rodrigo Duterte's camp is preparing to file for interim release at the International Criminal Court (ICC), but the timing of when this will be done is still being studied.

- United Arab Emirates His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has granted pardon to 115 Filipinos in the UAE in conjunction with the month of Ramadan and Eid'l Fitr.

- The Chinese military sent its army, navy, and air rocket forces to surround Taiwan.

- The death toll from the Myanmar-Thailand quake exceeds the 2000 mark.

- Scientists from Japan have reported how stem cell treatment helped improve motor function in two out of four patients with spinal cord injury in their first clinical study on the subject.

- An original animatronic model of the iconic alien created for Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic movie 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' is being sold at Sotheby's with an estimated value of up to $900,000.

- TV personality Cesca Litton is undergoing chemotherapy following her breast cancer diagnosis.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (March 31, 2025)

                           

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Philippine President Bongbong Marcos addressed the Filipino Muslim community during his Eid'l Fitr speech, marking the conclusion of Ramadan. Over 10,000 Filipino Muslims gathered at the Quirino Grandstand for Eid'l Fitr celebrations.

- COMELEC urges artists to report for song theft in campaign jingles.

- The PH Bureau of Immigration initiated its Advanced Passenger Information System for tighter border security in the Philippines

- The death toll from the Myanmar quake hits over the 1700 mark.

- An artwork seized by the Nazis from a Jewish collector in 1940 is set to be returned by the United Kingdom.

- Red Bull's Helmut Marko admits the team "made a mistake" promoting Liam Lawson too soon. Moments ago, Lawson swapped places with Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix after his two-race disaster.

- TV series Kamen Rider Gavv casts Hiroki Yasumoto as the voice of Bocca Jardac and Erena Kamata as Lizel Jardac.

- K-drama Yumi's Cells will return for its third season.

- Actor Richard Chamberlain passed away at the age of 90.

- Actor Richard Norton dies at the age of 75.

- Former TV personality Cesca Litton reveals her breast cancer diagnosis.

TTFN.

2025 NASCAR Cup Series - Cook Out 400

Martinsville Speedway is the next stop of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series with the Cook Out 400. Drivers are wrapping up March Madness with intense oval racing madness.

As the green flag waved, the action in Martinsville was underway. The first stage encountered trouble for the No. 17 on the front stretch after colliding with the No.77. While Joey Logano secured Stage 1, Denny Hamlin took Stage 2, and the final stage experienced issues for Shane Van Gisbergen.

Screengrab from NASCAR

After an intense race in Martinsville, Denny Hamlin wins the Cook Out 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400 this April 6, 2025.