Let's Do The News! (February 21, 2017)

- The allegations of retiring police officer Arthur Lascanas should trigger a United Nations investigation over President Rodrigo Duterte's ongoing brutal war on drugs. According to the Human Rights Watch, Lascanas' allegation heightened the urgent need for an independent probe into the deaths of over seven thousand individuals in the drug war.

- The Commission of Higher Education announced that it will issue a moratorium on field trips and educational tours following the accident in Tanay, Rizal, that killed 15 students. Commissioner Prospero de Vera earlier called for the suspension of the school trips while investigation into a bus crash is ongoing. The suspension will cover all field trips and educational tours in all colleges and universities until the investigation is completed.

- The Department of Justice ordered the Bureau of Immigration to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against three suspects in the 'rent-tangay' scam that has victimized car owners from all over the country. In a memorandum, DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre ordered Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente to put Ana Pamplona Borlon, Lea Constantino Rosales and Rafaela Anunciacion under an ILBO.

- US President Donald Trump named Army Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser. McMaster replaces Michael Flynn, who resigned on Monday last week following reports that he misled Vice President Mike Pence over his discussions on sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the US.

- Demonstrators took to the streets in cities across the United State to condemn President Trump on the President's Day holiday on Monday. It is exactly one month has passed since Trump took office.

- UN agencies are calling for an urgent boost in international aid to South Sudan after declaring a famine in parts of the East African nation. The World Food Program and two other UN agencies said in their joint statement that 4.9 million people were in urgent need of food.

- A light plane has crashed into a shopping mall in the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. Authorities in Victoria State say none of the five people onboard are likely to have survived. The plane crashed soon after taking off from an airport in Essendon on Tuesday morning. The shopping mall, located next to the airport, had not yet opened for the day. Local media say the aircraft crashed into a storage area and that no one on the ground was injured.

- Chevrolet's new Camaro ZL1 sportscar reached a top speed of 202.3mph, faster than the Corvette C7 Z06's 198mph but slower than the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat's 204mph top speed.

- Aston Martin revealed Red Bull editions of the Vantage lineup, inspired by the Red Bull Racing F1 team.

- Shooting for the Avengers: Infinity War films are underway with a featurette showing Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr., Spider-Man Homecoming's Tom Holland, and Guardians of the Galaxy's Chris Pratt.

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Malaysia and N. Korea on the verge of diplomatic row

The North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol continued his criticism against the Malaysian government over the murder case of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Kang accused the Malaysian authorities of threatening the family of the North Korean citizen with guns, and also beating up the man's teenage son when they raided his Kuala Lumpur condominium. This comes after Malaysia recalled its ambassador to North Korea, as well as Kang himself being summoned to Wisma Putra on Monday morning.

Despite his accusations, Kang also called for a joint investigation into the death of Jong-nam. He added that if Malaysia agreed with the proposal, the Korean Peninsula will send a delegation of lawyers to assist.

Source: The Star

Let's Do The News! (February 20, 2017)

- 14 people are confirmed dead after a bus loaded with college students on their way to a trip, suffered an accident early Monday morning in Tanay, Rizal. Reports told that 13 students and the driver of the Panda Coach Bus with plate number TXS-325 have died from the said accident.

- Retired SPO3 Arturo Lascanas admitted that he led his own brothers to their deaths due to his trust and loyalty to President Rodrigo Duterte. According to the confessed member of the Davao Death Squad, he reported that his brothers were involved in illegal drugs, which lead to their deaths.

- Indonesian Islamist groups on Monday called on the government to suspend the Christian governor of the capital city and for the courts to convict him of blasphemy, demands they will protest against outside parliament on Tuesday. Islamist groups have held two big rallies since November against the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is on trial for insulting the Koran, and in the midst of an election in which he hopes to win a second term.

- James Mattis, US defense secretary, told that the US military is not in Iraq "to seize anybody's oil", distancing himself from remarks by President Donald Trump before arriving on an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Monday. On his first trip to Iraq as Pentagon chief, Mattis is hoping to get a first-hand assessment of the war effort as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces launch a new push to evict Islamic State militants from their remaining stronghold in the city of Mosul.

- The New Zealand court ruled on Monday that Kim Dotcom, the founder of the infamous Megaupload site, could be extradited to the United States to face charges relating to his website, which was shutdown five years ago following an FBI-ordered raid on his Auckland mansion. The Auckland High Court upheld the decision by a lower court in 2015 on 13 counts, including allegations of conspiracy to commit racketeering, copyright infringement, money laundering and wire fraud, although it described that decision as “flawed” in several areas.

- After Saturday's aborted launch, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has been successfully launched to space, carrying a cargo for the International Space Station. The launch was made from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The touchdown is part of SpaceX's strategy of returning rockets to earth so they can be reused rather than jettisoning them in the ocean after a single launch.

- The Cinderella Girls Gekijo TV anime shorts will be airing this 4th of April.

- The writers behind the movies Moonlight and Arrival won top Writers Guild of America awards, boosting their hopes of scoring biggest honors at the upcoming Academy Awards.

- See Top Gear's Rory Reid driving the Ariel Nomad through the muddy Welsh roads.

TTFN!!!

Mini Countryman (F60)

Once the Mini I am not very interested to have one not just for its hunk of sizing and the fact that Mini is becoming one with the crossover craze but for some backstories I only know about, the Countryman has underwent a full model change and it's now the biggest Mini ever offered, quite an irony demonstrated here, but as the name suggests, it was still made for the countrymen who want to treat this one rough, something reminiscent of the legendary Mini Moke of the last century. So, let's investigate the new model to see what's what.

2017 Mini Countryman

This is the brand new Mini Countryman, ladies and gents. And while it looks slightly similar to the old Countryman, it's now the biggest Mini ever offered, much to the dismay of Mini fans everywhere, especially me. With prices start at 26,500 Euros plus delivery, it's slightly more expensive than the Off-road look version of the Fiat 500X, its main rival. This could become a clear choice between the lesser of two evils here because while they're essentially larger than their originators, what matters most is the features at their disposal and I can expect that the new Countryman, being city car/crossover for the posh yuppies, delivers more stuff than the 500X.

2017 Mini Countryman

2017 Mini Countryman interior

Carrying more stuff aside, because this is the biggest Mini ever offered, the new Countryman is now slightly longer and wider compared to the previous model, so there's going to be some space in the inside, am I right? That added dimensions really put personal space to its advantage but the downside is that when you're driving it on tight spots in places like Italy or the one in Northern France, it's going to be quite a challenge to get it back on the road while getting stuck in the maze like a guinea pig. While it still has the dashboard of today's Minis, there's still some time to toy around with the connectivity features while you're at it before heading off to your points of interests.

What's under the hood, the new Mini Countryman offers a choice of petrol, diesel, and an all new PHEV variant called the Cooper S E. Starting with the normal Countryman variants, the most powerful is the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine from the Cooper S variant, producing 192PS of power and 281Nm of torque. The most efficient, as always, the PHEV variant called the Cooper SE. Thanks to its combination of the three-cylinder turbocharged engine, the electric motor, and the 7.6kWh li-ion battery, it promises a fuel consumption of 2.1L/100km and 49g/km of CO2 emissions while the electric range can be up to 40km. All models can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed Steptronic but the Cooper SE is fitted exclusively with a 6-speed automatic.

2018 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman

If you're a speedo boy, the Countryman you might have been interested in, probably, is the high-performance variant called the MINI JCW Countryman. Like all of today's JCWs, it's powered by a 2.0L petrol engine generating 231PS of power and 320Nm of torque as well as race-derived dynamics. Just like the JCW Clubman, the JCW Countryman comes with the ALL4 control system, which adapts to the road with the ideal blend of power distribution between the front and rear wheels. With either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed Steptronic, it does 0-100kph in six and a half seconds and onwards to 234kph, which sounds quick for a crossover of that size. It can be yours for just 38,800 Euros so come on, don't be shy having a Countryman that goes like a rocket while it can go anywhere, well just about.

2017 Mini Countryman

So, what can I say about the new MINI Countryman, well this is still the MINI I'm not particularly interested with, it's still a mini SUV for those who think compact crossovers like the Fiat 500X, the Jeep Renegade, or the Mercedes-Benz GLA aren't that kind of type, although the GLA can make this one well-ridiculed just about anywhere. While this is very big for a Mini, the Countryman is all about the rough stuff it can do just to keep its MINIMALISM in check and while its sizing just can't squeeze through the tight gaps, its roomy creature comforts really surprises the customers as are the tech that flooded through it, although unsure what it is. You can thank BMW for the Countryman's full model change but for now, I have some moping up to do about those backstories.

Photo: MINI

Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale

Anime otakus who can't get enough of their futuristic role-playing adventures of teenagers Kirito and Asuna in the Sword Art Online franchise are in for a big treat because the first ever SAO movie brings a new experience to the futuristic adventure saga and continues to pick up the pieces to further deepen the cybernetic tale of lies, conspiracies, friendship, betrayal, and truths our heroes will get through. Welcome to Ordinal Scale.

Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale

Set in the year 2026, two years after the events of the anime series, Kirito, Asuna, and friends entered to a whole new kind of game, and a whole new kind of trap they've never faced. The game is called Ordinal Scale, and it's an augmented reality MMO game that became popular among players. However, with the imminent threat rising through the depths of this MMO game, there's a risk that it's going to repeat the tragic SAO incident the youngsters have faced and how will Kirito and the gang step up against this new kind of threat and survive? This is a new kind of survival game they're taking on and the differences between real and virtual have been blurred once again.

Although the movie looks slightly different compared to the past two anime series, Ordinal Scale delivers a mixture of returning and new characters, including the arrival of potential new favorite SAO character, Yuna, an augmented reality idol. Seems that this film's getting somewhere and while the film features an all-original storyline, it really picks up the anime franchise's pieces in a new and spectacular way and as what the fans hoped for, this is by no means the best SAO experience ever and you can't really blame for its greatness this film offered.

Packed with suspense, thrills, and a little bit of humor in store, Ordinal Scale is a surprising anime film veterans and newbies can enjoy and it can really show how much anime this movie can offer and this is going to be the talk of the town moviegoers and anime otakus will be talking about after seeing this film. Talk what you want about this film, no matter how good and bad it gets, but rest assured that this is why anime otakus can't get enough of this hit franchise.

My rating: 3.7 out of 5

FIA Formula E 2016-2017: Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the venue for the third round of the FIA Formula E 2016-2017 season and in the latest EPrix of this season,

Renault e.dams' Sebastien Buemi made history as the first ever Formula E driver to win three races in the row. It was his ninth win in his Formula E career and 12th for the team. Although his pole position got slipped by ABT-Audi's Lucas Di Grassi and TECHEETAH's Jean-Eric Vergne, Buemi fought his way to victory and he did.

Highlights:

So now, after the Buenos Aires EPrix, Buemi's in 1st place overall with 75 points. Di Grassi is 29 points behind and Nico Prost's in 3rd place overall with 36 points.

The next race is on Mexico on April Fools Day. That's April 1st to you, race fans.

Forza Horizon 3 - Grandma's out in the bag

Look's like Grandma's finally out in the bag today because the legendary Lola T70 in Penske Sunoco colors has arrived and I managed to score one in this weekend's Forzathon event. It wasn't complicated to win one of those this weekend only, right?



As the successor to the 1965 Lola T70, the T70 MKIIIB was designed by Eric Broadley during his four-decade tenure at Lola. Powering the T70 is a 5.0L Traco Chevrolet V8 with wet sump lubrication while mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Did you know that this car used as the basis of the legendary Gulf Porsche 917 for the 1970 racing flick Le Mans that starred Bullitt's Steve McQueen? Quite a kicker, isn't it? And that's not all, some of the T70s were dressed like a Ferrari 512 in the film as well. Now, how didn't they saw it coming that the ones used in the Le Mans flick wasn't really the real ones but rather Lola machines dressed as either a Ferrari or a Porsche?

Well, quite a secret I didn't know about but since I managed to keep this weekend's Forzathon prize car, it's time for a celebratory drive!



See? Granny knows best, especially when it comes to racing against rivals on and off the road!

Bubble Gang - February 17, 2017 #BubbleGangJSProm

In the February 17, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- JS Prom gags

- Conscience gets the better of you being viral

- A gay-bust operation

- Istambay, Istambay Sa Looban, Istoryang Nangyari Sa Looban, Sumama Ang Mga Kalooban, Dahil Mga Tao'y...NILOOBAN?!

- Another Buhay Ng Bakla session

- Life in a no-cellphone policy

- A friendly conversation at a restaurant goes ugly

- Meet a new kind of law enforcement on the beach.

- Basa-basa pik!

Forza Horizon 3 - Type ARRGH

As the world brace themselves for the next Civic Type R, let's take a little gander on the FK2 Civic Type R, which is now part of Forza Horizon 3's Playseat Car Pack, and see what to learn so much from the hot hatch inspired by the Euro-spec ninth-generation Civic Type R. I know, it's a little late on schedule to feature this hot Civic here in this game but better late than never, am I right?



Ah, the speedo boy's best friend on the road. The Civic Type R. The FK2 Civic Type R is the first ever Honda sportscar to use a turbocharged VTEC engine, which brings "VTEC just kicked in, yo!" to a whole new meaning. The first-ever K20C 2.0L VTEC Turbo engine produces a massive 310PS of power output and 400Nm of torque, while mated exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Performance aside, Honda draws inspiration from its touring car championship success to create the Civic Type R and by utilizing all of its track-honed characteristics, it's no wonder that its lapped the Nurburgring in 07:51.42, the fastest lap time for front-wheel drive cars until it was smashed by a hotter VW GTi.

You don't need to ask but the FK2 Civic Type R is the only ninth-generation Civic sold in the Japanese market when it was launched in late 2015 and limited to 750 units, each costing 4,280,000 Japanese Yen, which isn't too pricey for a hot hatch imported from Great Britain.



Although its too little, too late to show up on the after hours, I am very pleased to try out the FK2 Civic Type R as long as I like before the arrival of the next model based on the tenth-generation Civic Hatchback. In fact, the next model will have so much to learn from the previous FK2 that I'm driving right now in the Land Down Under. Sampling the FK2 Type R's VTEC Turbo sounds more like it came from the current WRX STi and you can really feel just how potent this turbocharged engine is at any speed at any place.

While the FK2 Civic Type R is proven to be a potent track weapon, I find that its handling is very much mild and menacing. Go too fast and you're in for some catastrophic understeer as this car is too grippy on the corners. No matter how hard you turn the steering wheel on, it just grips and grips and grips and while this is very easy to drive for beginners, it doesn't feel as enjoyable as its chief rival, the Ford Focus RS.

I've tried different kinds of hot hatchbacks in this game for a long time and let me tell you, I've never been in a hot hatch which is very unique and very challenging in every plausible way and looks like the next Type R will be a struggle to shook off the problems the previous FK2 Civic Type R had. Perhaps they should rework on the handling to make it more enjoyable for a front-wheel drive hot hatchback but I think that's enough for that chit chat because now that I've seen everything about the FK2 Civic Type R, time to call in the makeup department to do something special for the outgoing model.







I've been planning to do this up to the moment this Type R arrived and here it is, all dressed in its Ruby Kurosawa-inspired look. Looks like I'm going to give the FK2 Civic Type R a proper sendoff by calling the best of Honda Type R models ever assembled and looks like this is the part where I'll get my trusty filming equipment ready to roll.



And now, the party is on!



This has got to be the best sendoff party ever done for the FK2 Civic Type R and while it got confused upon getting to know its opponents even when they don the red H badge on their faces, the FK2 Civic Type R showed its confidence to kick its VTEC Turbo engine to the top of the pops and shines its way towards victory!





The Civic Type R has been a speedo boys' favorite since the EK9 but for the FK2 model, it doesn't get the same aesthetics as the original. In fact, it slowly loses it charm now that it's becoming more European rather than being a Japanese sportscar that has won the hearts of many speedo boys from around the globe but all hope is not lost as Honda is back at the drawing board to perfect the next Type R the world awaits and when it does, it's going to be worth the one we promised.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Japan, US, S.Korea discuss N.Korean missile launch

Japanese, US, and South Korean foreign ministers issued a joint statement on North Korea's ballistic missile launch on Sunday. They pledged closer cooperation and strongly demanded that Pyongyang refrain from provocative acts.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met in Bonn, Germany, on Thursday. They met for the first time since Donald Trump took office at the White House.

The 3 countries strongly urged North Korea to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions that ban nuclear and missile development. They agreed to step up cooperation on security issues involving the North. They also discussed the murder in Malaysia of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (February 17, 2017)

- The BRP Tarlac, the largest ship of the Philippine Navy, is on standby in case of humanitarian and disaster relief operations for the victims of the Surigao Quake last weekend. However, the Philippine Navy said that for now, there's no need for the newest vessel of the Navy as they have four ships deployed, conducting mercy missions after the 6.7 magnitude quake last Sunday.

- The Department of Justice formally pressed charges against Senator Leila de Lima on her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. The DOJ filed three criminal cases against De Lima at the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court early afternoon. Cases include sale, trade and protection of the illegal drug trade inside the NBP; based on the accusations of some high-profile inmates against De Lima during the Senate hearings on the said matter.

- The National Bureau of Investigation is reluctant to give up on the Jee Ick Joo murder case. According to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III, the NBI has an important lead regarding the said case. Due to this, the agency won’t stop its investigation.

- US President Donald Trump held his first solo news conference since taking office. He stressed that the management of his administration is going smoothly, while continuing to criticize the media.

- Despite President Trump not sticking to the "two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says the United States will support that kind of solution as it would be an error for anyone to say that the United States does not support the two-state solution.

- As the nuclear ban treaty negotiations draw near, preparations at the United Nations has begun. Last December, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to start negotiations on the treaty in March. At the first preparatory meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, Costa Rican disarmament envoy Elayne Whyte was elected as the chair of the talks. Whyte said she hopes the participants will engage in a productive dialogue to obtain acceptable results.

- Ferrari launched the most powerful V12 Super GT ever made, the 812 Superfast. Helmed as the successor to the F12berlinetta, the 812 Superfast's V12 engine produces 800PS of power, making it the most powerful V12 engine ever made, albeit the last in the history. It became the first Ferrari to adopt Electric Power Steering as well.

2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast

- GENCO and Happy Elements announced that they are postponing the anime adaptation of the Ensemble Stars app game. The anime was originally planned for this year's released but the staff said the anime is now postponed due to "various circumstances."

- Activision announced that the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy game, which is a reboot of the first three Crash Bandicoot games, on the PS4 will be out this June 30. Whoa!

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Malaysian govt. confirms Kim Jong Nam's death

The Malaysian government confirmed that the man allegedly killed in Kuala Lumpur this week has been identified as Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made the announcement at a news conference, saying that they will hand over the body to relatives through the North Korean embassy after police autopsy and all other procedures are completed.

The man, who was carrying a North Korean passport fell ill at the capital's international airport on Monday and he died while being rushed at the hospital.

It is believed that North Korean agents killed him with nerve gas and suspicions are raised that the Korean Peninsula is responsible for Kim Jong Nam's death.

Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities detained a second suspect behind the murder of Kim Hong Nam. Malaysian police announced that a a second woman had been detained in connection with the apparent murder. They say the woman had an Indonesian passport identifying her as a 25-year old. On Wednesday, they've detained a woman holding a Vietnamese passport. Police say both women had been captured on security camera footage in the airport, but they have not said what they have to do with the case. The woman detained told authorities that she and the other woman and four men were also involved.

In other news, North Korean athletes arrived in Japan to take part in the Asian Winter Games, which open in Hokkaido on Sunday. 5 male speed skaters accompanied by officials were seen in transit at an airport in Beijing on Thursday. All were wearing identical black coats and ties. They are expected to arrive in Sapporo on Friday after receiving their visas at the Japanese Embassy in the Chinese capital.

Source: NHK World