Let's Do The News! (January 21, 2015)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- In his recent State of Union address, US President Barack Obama declared an end of the global financial crisis and pledged economic policies to benefit all Americans but such plans are deemed to be unlikely from the eyes of Republicans, who are now took control of both the House and the Senate.

- According to French PM Manuel Valls, France will boost counter-terrorism measures by creating 2,680 new jobs and boost spending by 425 million Euros following the Paris attacks that killed 17 people by Islamists.

- Following the captive of two Japanese journalists by ISIS, Japan PM Shinzo Abe pledged that this nation will not bow to terrorism and will do everything to save the captives. He returned to Tokyo after his Middle East tour that began last week.

- Chin Shunshin, a renowned Taiwanese-Japanese novelist who won Japan's Naoki Prize in 1969 for his work "The Sapphire Lion Incense Burner" died at the age of 90 at a hospital in Kobe, Japan,

- Mercedes-AMG signals the end of the M157 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine by phasing out this engine after 2016. The upcoming GLE63 AMG Coupe was reportedly to be the last Mercedes-AMG engine to use this engine as they make the transition to its smaller 4.0L V8 BiTurbo engine first applied on the Mercedes-AMG GT sportscar.

- ICYMI: The German Grand Prix on the upcoming F1 2015 season has moved from the Nurburgring GP Circuit to the Hockenheimring.

- Developer Scott Games unveiled a teaser pic for the upcoming third installment of the ever popular Five Nights at Freddy's app game.

- Hanayo Koizumi from the Love Live! anime series gets the Nendoroid treatment! She's available this May for 3,241 Yen (plus tax). Another part to complete the girls of μ's!

- Meanwhile, Good Smile Company also announced another Takane Shijou figure from The iDOLM@STER, only this time, it replicated her pose as seen on the anime DVD/Blu-Ray cover. Made under the Phat! brand, this figure costs 8,000 Yen (plus tax) when she arrives this July. Time to get our fat checkbooks ready!

- Atoy Llave, the founder of ATOY Bodykits, made an amphibious trike called the Salamander by H20 Technologies. The Salamander could be the answer to the Philippines' flood problems because it can travel from both land and sea. It's powered by two powerplant choices; an 5kW electric motor or a 250cc internal combustion engine. It can seat up to six people (four in water). So far, it remains a prototype for now due to lack of funding. Let's hope they'll approach to a nearest Shark or Dragon and wait for their approval to invest on these.

TTFN!!!