Let's Do The News! (November 2, 2024)

                                  

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

- An M4.4 quake hits Itbayat, Batanes.

- Over 300K visited the Manila North Cemetery during the Undas weekend, according to the cemetery's management.

- The last batch of Automated Counting Machines is scheduled to arrive in the Philippines this month, according to the COMELEC.

- In the final days of the campaign trail before the Tuesday election, Donald Trump woos Arab-American voters in Michigan but many people in the said battleground state are angry about the Middle East conflict. US Vice-President Kamala Harris holds rallies in Wisconsin, one of the swing states.

- As the death toll from the Spain floods exceeds the two hundred mark, scientists see a connection between climate change to this recent flooding.

- Support for Microsoft Windows 10 will end in October 2025 but users have an option to spend $30 to maintain Windows 10 PCs' longevity via Extended Security Update.

- Jaguar halted new car sales in the UK as the production of the F-Pace came to a close. The car company is in the process of relaunching and has plans to release a new electric 4-door GT in 2026 as well as a new electric crossover. Both of those new models will be running on the brand-new JEA platform.

- Maserati replaced Davide Grasso with Alfa Romeo's Santo Ficili as the brand's CEO as the luxury Italian carmaker is struggling with poor sales.

- Rockstar Games teases Grand Theft Auto Online's December 2024 update.

- BIGHIT shares an update on TXT member Huening Kai moments after he left the concert mid-performance. During the first night of TXT’s “ACT : PROMISE” encore concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, Huening Kai unexpectedly left the concert midway through due to his health. It is revealed that he left suddenly due to "indigestion" and he's expected to return in the remaining weekend.

- Game 3 of the PBA Governors Cup finals saw Ginebra stealing the game after defeating TNT 85-73. TNT leads 2-1.

TTFN.

My FH5 Log: 500 miles a day

The Subaru Alcyone SVX is the final prize car of Forza Horizon 5's Back to the 90s update and it's obtainable in this update's Spring Season Playlist. Now that I have one, it's time to get to know the last Alcyone ever made.

Introduced in 1991, the Alcyone SVX stands as Subaru's flagship grand tourer coupe, famously advertised with the slogan "500 miles a day." This remarkable vehicle combines striking Giugiaro-inspired styling with an eye-catching glass-to-glass round canopy, making it a true head-turner.

Under the hood, the Alcyone SVX boasts a robust water-cooled 3.3L boxer-six engine, featuring Subaru's pioneering variable torque distribution electronically controlled four-wheel drive (VTD-4WD). With an impressive output of 230HP and 228 lb-ft of torque, it pairs exclusively with a smooth 4-speed automatic transmission. The strut suspension on both the front and rear wheels, combined with ventilated disc brakes, ensures an exhilarating driving experience.

Despite its substantial weight, the SVX embodies the essence of a luxury grand tourer, delivering unparalleled comfort and responsive handling tailored for those long, enjoyable journeys ahead. Experience the legacy of the Alcyone SVX; it’s more than just a car—it’s a statement of performance and style.

With its introduction done, it's time to give the last prize car of the decade a challenging duel against a top driver in a certain EventLab creation made by a player named "VeIxity". Let's roll the tape.

Well, it may be a performance flop because it's only mated with a 4-speed AT but the SVX is nostalgia shaken and stirred.

And that’s it for Forza Horizon 5’s Back to the 90s. What a way to revisit our childhood memories the Forza way. And with the next update imminent, let’s hope the prize cars will be better than these.

Let's Do The News! (November 1, 2024)

                                 

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

- Leon has weakened into a Severe Tropical Storm and has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

- PH President Bongbong Marcos has no comment over Vice President Sara Duterte's attempt to unearth the remains of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

- The PH Department of Health has raised the alert level to Code White across all hospitals in the country.

- The death toll from Spain floods hits nearly 160. Hundreds of people in Spain, aided by drones, have been deployed to a rescue mission after recent flash floods claimed many lives.

- Ofcom fines GB News £100,000 for "breaking due impartiality rules" following live show featuring former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

- Formula E's all-female test was postponed following catastrophic floods in Spain. 

- Jim Mickle will reportedly write and direct a live-action movie adaptation of the Gundam franchise. Mickle aims to start production next year.

- Paul W.S. Anderson will reportedly write and direct a new House of the Dead movie. Production will commence by mid- to late 2025.

- The Takarazuka Revue's Flower Troupe will headline the stage play adaptation of the Castlevania franchise from June to September 2025 in Hyogo and Tokyo.

- PLEDIS Entertainment names Kim Yeon Soo as the agency's new CEO.

- Culinary Class Wars competitor Edward Lee will appear on the JTBC cooking program "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator."

- Bob Costas retires from baseball play-by-play commentary after 42 years.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (October 31, 2024)

                                

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

- 20 international and domestic flights were canceled today due to Super Typhoon Leon.

- PH Vice-President Sara Duterte's trust and performance ratings according to OCTA were dropped.

- The PNP is tightening security nationwide and providing assistance to drivers for tomorrow's Undas.

- 95 people were killed in Spanish flash floods as King Felipe VI warns of areas cut off by damage. Spain is enduring its worst flooding disaster in decades, with scores of people dead and dozens more missing.

- A first case of the Clade 1b mpox variant is reported in the United Kingdom but health authorities say the risk to the population remains low for now.

- The Vatican unveiled its mascot character Luce in time for next year's Jubilee celebrations.

- Hyundai showcased its Initium Concept, previewing a new Fuel Cell crossover set to replace the Nexo.

Hyundai Initium Concept

- Stray Kids postpones its Kaohsiung concert due to Super Typhoon Leon (Kong-Rey).

- The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series after defeating the New York Yankees in Game 5 at the score of 7-6.

- England cricket captain Ben Stokes says a gang burglarized his home while his family were there and stole "irreplaceable" items.

TTFN.

Ferrari 12cilindri v Aston Martin Vanquish III

Ferrari's newest masterpiece, the 12Cilindri, is a fitting tribute to the company's 12-cylinder masterpieces spanning from the Testarossa, the 575M, the 599, the F12, and the 812. Let's get to know more about Ferrari's final pure 12-cylinder ICE half-a-million-euro masterpiece.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

The 12Cilindri comes in coupe and open-top Spider configurations and honors Ferrari’s hard work on iconic 12-cylinder masterpieces. As a car, this model embodies the heart and soul of the brand. The 12Cilindri is the last pure V12 ICE masterpiece.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri interior

The Ferrari 12Cilindri was designed with inspiration from past models. The 12Cilindri's fastback styling harks back to the Monza model. The front view is a tribute to the 365 GTB4. The rear design was inspired by the triangular shape of the Testarossa. The interior, meanwhile, dons Ferrari's dual-cockpit layout from the Roma and the Purosangue to make it more driver-focused. Complimented with the handcrafted materials in the making of sports seats and trim, the 12Cilindri shows its true colors as contemporary art on four wheels.

Powering the 12Cilindri is the 6.5L V12 engine with Direct Injection lifted from the 812 Competizione. It produces 830PS of power and 678Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed F1 DCT and weighing nearly one-and-a-half tons, it does 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and flat-out at 340kph. That's supercar quick in Super GT standards.

Being a road-focused GT car, going through the open roads is the main specialty but for the 12Cilindri, that's not the case because while being an excellent road car, it incorporates Ferrari's F1 know-how to make it vaguely usable on the track. It takes a Charles Leclerc-level driver to get a good grip on its dynamic character and with notable track-honed gizmos such as the brake-by-wire, ABS Evo, and the new SSC 8.0, among many other useful gadgets in store, the 12Cilindri is too addictive to be ignored or fully satisfied.

From the road to the track, the Ferrari 12Cilindri is the ultimate V12 Super GT ever made thanks to its addictive features too impossible to miss, especially for those who ended up with the keys to the old 812 Competizione. However, by the time the 12Cilindri made its inception, this is no longer the ultimate V12 Super GT in the world because of this...

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish interior

Yes, Aston Martin managed to resurrect the Vanquish as the ultimate V12 Super GT in the world. The nearly half-a-million-pound Super GT is the must-have for the 2024 Autumn Season.

For the Vanquish's third outing, what the folks from Aston Martin did is make a mashup between the DB12 and the rear view of the non-existent Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake from 2017, don the familiar DB12 interior, make it macho, and Bob's your uncle. This is the Vanquish's third coming the world anticipated and by the looks and feels of it, the Turn 10 Studios people should better think twice before turning a cold shoulder on it.

Powered by an all-new 5.2 V12 Twin Turbo engine, it produces a historical 835PS of power and 1000Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT, it has a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 214mph. The Ferrari 12Cilindri should be slightly worried about taking this one on.

With its bonded aluminum structure, front double wishbones, rear multilink suspension, a heavily advanced ABS, and Corner Braking 2.0, among other sport-tuned dynamics outlandish for Super GT standards, it takes a Fernando Alonso-level driver to master the Vanquish on the track but no need while on the road because it drives extremely beautiful. Dynamic as expected but like the 12Cilindri, it's too addictive to be ignored to be fully satisfied.

The 12Cilindri and the Vanquish are two of the top V12 Super GTs on the market. It's hard to choose between the two, but the Vanquish is probably the clear winner. The Vanquish features a bonded aluminum structure, front double wishbones, rear multilink suspension, and Corner Braking 2.0. All of these amazing features make for one fantastic car.

Photo: Ferrari/Aston Martin

Let's Do The News! (October 30, 2024)

                               

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

- Leon intensified into a Super Typhoon as it passed through the northeast corner of the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

- Senate President Chiz Escudero says that the crime rate since the Duterte administration is higher than now.

According to the GSIS, the Philippines will host the 41st ASEAN Social Security Association Meetings from November 25 to 27, 2024.

- Axel Rudakubana, the teenager accused of killing three young girls in Southport, UK has been charged with producing ricin and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual.

- Almost a hundred were killed or missing in Gaza after the recent Israeli airstrike.

- IKEA compensates victims forced to make its products.

- The first-ever Cadillac Lyriq-V was unveiled.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V

- The first-ever Kia Tasman pickup truck was unveiled. Set to go on sale this first half of 2025, it will be powered by a 2.5L petrol engine mated to an 8-speed AT.

2026 Kia Tasman

- Porsche unveiled the 992.2 911 Carrera T range with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

- Hyundai will unveil the IONIQ 9 electric SUV this November.

- Bertone announced the revival of the Runabout concept as a production car in 2026.

- Court denies Min Hee Jin's request to be reinstated as ADOR CEO.

- Game 4 of the World Series saw the New York Yankees beat the LA Dodgers 11-4. LA leads 3-1.

- David Charlton, the founder and CEO of David's Salon passed away, as announced by the official David's Salon Facebook page.

TTFN.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: S. Korea marks 2nd anniversary of Itaewon tragedy

 

President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his condolences as South Korea on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives in October 2022.

"Today marks the second anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy," Yoon said at a Cabinet meeting he presided over at his office. "I feel sorry for those who tragically lost their lives and I express my condolences for the bereaved families who live in sorrow."

Yoon said that making people feel safe in everyday life is the most earnest way of expressing condolences to people who died in the crowd crush in the back alleys of the nightlife district of Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul amid Halloween festivities.

Yoon ordered the Cabinet to monitor and complement safety measures in public places such as crowd management. The Ministry of Interior and Safety previously announced plans to dispatch public safety personnel to prevent crowd congestion and to put a medical emergency response system in place from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 in 12 locations across the country, including Seoul's Itaewon, Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Myeong-dong in Jung-gu and Seongsu-dong of Seongdong-gu.

The presidential office did not disclose either Yoon's or his aides' attendance at an event outside of his office, as of press time. Last year Yoon observed the first anniversary of the Itaewon disaster during a memorial service at a church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly held a memorial service with bereaved family members on Tuesday. Some 60 lawmakers from both the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, as well as National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik, paid their respects while donning purple scarfs.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon noted in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he had the City Hall lit up in purple in memory of the 159 victims of the crowd crush. He also thanked the city's residents for cooperating with authorities' crowd control measures, adding that no major incident occurred despite estimates that over 100,000 people had gathered in Seoul nightlife areas in Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam and Seongsu.

Source: The Korea Herald