- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas presented the first complete Philippine Polymer Banknotes to President Bongbong Marcos. The new polymer banknotes feature animals instead of past Philippine Presidents.
- The Office of Civil Defense is studying the possibility of widening the Permanent Danger Zone around the Kanlaon Volcano due to flash flood threats.
- The Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives accepted the third impeachment complaint against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte.
- Dominique Pelicot gets a jail sentence of 20 years in French mass rape trial - as all other defendants found guilty of at least one charge. Pelicot was found guilty of drugging and raping ex-wife Gisèle and recruiting strangers to rape her.
- The leader of the HTS rebel group that ousted Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad tells the BBC that Syria is exhausted by war and is not a threat to the West.
Apple canceled its plans for an iPhone subscription service due to software issues and regulatory concerns. However, it will continue offering the iPhone upgrade program and Apple Card monthly installments.
- Liam Lawson replaces Sergio Perez as Red Bull F1 driver joining alongside Max Verstappen.
- Doriane Pan will return to Mercedes-AMG for the 2025 F1 Academy season.
- Bianca Bustamante will make her GB3 Championship debut with Elite Motorsport in 2025.
- Valtteri Bottas will return to the Mercedes-AMG F1 team as a reserve driver.
- Sony and Kadokawa are forming a "strategic capital and business alliance" that will see Sony becoming Kadokawa's biggest shareholder by about 10% of its shares.
- Nihon Falcom founder Masayuki Kato dies at the age of 78.
Aqours, the school idol unit, was formed in 2015 as the second generation of the Love Live! franchise. They quickly rose to fame with the success of Love Live! Sunshine!!. Now, as they celebrate their 9th anniversary, it's time for Aqours to bid the world farewell with a series of Finale concerts.
The official anthem of Aqours Finale LIVE has arrived, marking the end of the era for Aqours.
Eikyu hours
This latest single from Aqours not only features the titular song but also the additional song as heard from JR Central Tokaido Shinkansen 60th Anniversary Oshi Tabi Collaboration, 僕らの旅は終わらない.
The Limited Edition features a Blu-Ray disc featuring the music video of the titular song and its BTS. Not only that, but those who pre-ordered it will receive a random promo card from the upcoming Love Live! Official Card Game and a chance to win a ticket for the upcoming Aqours Finale Love Live! ~Eikyu Stage~.
Aqours heroes, once and always, and now forever in our hearts.
- Typhoon Querubin continues to move over the waters of eastern Mindanao while maintaining its strength. In today's Tropical Cyclone Bulletin No.4 of PAGASA, the eye of the storm was spotted 195 km East of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
- The PH Senate tightened its security following a bomb threat.
- PH DOJ Usec. Raul Vasquez assured that Mary Jane Veloso will first be subjected to a five-day quarantine to assess and ensure her health.
- Russia detains a Uzbek citizen recruited by Ukrainian Intelligence over the killing of a senior general in charge of Russia's nuclear protection forces.
- Luigi Mangione is charged with first-degree murder of UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson by the Manhattan district attorney.
- Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey quits as a priest after reports of the Church's handling of a sexual abuse case.
- Alisha Palmowski will drive for Red Bull Racing and Emma Felbermayr for Kick Sauber in the 2025 F1 Academy season.
- Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Motors announced that "this is not something that our company has announced" in response to reports that the three carmakers are discussing business integration.
- Honda confirms the Prelude revival will have an S+ Shift automatic gearbox.
- A live-action movie adaptation of Ya Boy Kongming! was announced and will hit cinemas this April 25th.
- Prime Video's original animated anthology series Secret Level was renewed for Season 2.
- Kim Seon Ho confirms his departure from his current agency.
- NBAcommissioner Adam Silver says the league looks into critiques over 3-point volumes.
- Senator Loren Legarda warned of the negative impact of the wrong move to cut the PH Department of Education budget. According to Legarda, this will have a negative impact on students and teachers, as well as putting the foundation of the country's development at risk.
- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has issued a show cause order to ride-hailing company Move It for violating the rider cap. Based on the order, Move It is being explained regarding the allegation that it exceeded the set rider cap and failed to report the activation, deactivation, and reactivation of its riders.
The number of those affected by Kanlaon Volcano reaches 44,077 individuals, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
- After conducting a thorough review of the confiscated items, the Philippine National Police filed a new complaint against the suspected Chinese spy who was arrested in Makati City. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group yesterday filed a complaint for illegal interception and misuse of devices in violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 against the Chinese.
- Three were killed, including the juvenile suspect, while six were hurt after the shooting at Madison Abundant Life Christian School in the US state of Wisconsin, according to police.
- Prince Andrew will not spend Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham, according to reports. Earlier, an alleged Chinese spy linked to Prince Andrew was identified as Yang Tengbo, according to the High Court. The man accused of being a Chinese spy says claims against him are "entirely untrue".
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost the confidence vote in parliament, triggering early elections in February.
- Formula Drift named Brazil's Ultimate Drift as its affiliate.
- Suzukiis ending production of the ZC33S Swift Sport this February. The ZC33S Final Edition was unveiled with a 2,329,800 Yen starting price.
2025 Suzuki Swift Sport ZC33S Final Edition
- The Renault5 Turbo 3E will be available this 2026 as a limited-production model.
Renault 5 Turbo 3E
- VANNER member Hyesung was discharged from military service due to medical reasons.
- PH President Bongbong Marcos has put an end to the issue of a loyalty check taking place in the police and military.
- Up to 644,487 individuals in 13 municipalities and cities in Negros Occidental are at risk from the threat of lahars. This is also in the midst of the ongoing eruption of the Kanlaon Volcano and the possible formation of a Low-Pressure Area.
- Police Col. Hector Grijaldo, who was charged with contempt and ordered to be arrested by the House Quad Committee for failing to appear at its hearings several times, has been arrested and is now in the custody of the House.
- The UK government has approved the £3.6 billion sale of Royal Mail's parent company to a Czech billionaire.
- The Archbishop of York, who will soon lead the Church of England, is facing resignation calls over his abuse case failings.
- The UK has been in diplomatic contact with the Syrian rebel group that led to the overthrow of the Assad regime, says Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
- Legendary tabla playerand Indian music icon Zakir Hussain passed away at the age of 73.
- A new research revealed that severe COVID-19 infection shrunk cancer tumors in lab rats.
- The ProtoneMas 7 was unveiled. Based on the Geely Galaxy E5, the eMas 7 has up to 410km of driving range and a 0-100kph time of 6.5 seconds.
- TOEI's Super Sentai Series teases its 2025 installment due to be unveiled this Christmas Day.
- Kimetsu no Yaiba's Swordsmith Village Arc gets a stage play this April.
- SBS's The Fiery Priest's second season's finale was rescheduled due to the 2024 SBS Drama Awards.
- G-Dragon's new music variety show will air on MBC.
- Nebraska and Penn State are joining alongside Pitt and Louisville as the NCAA women's volleyball final four.
Racing is McLaren's religion. Every racing disciple from Le Mans to Formula 1 is part of McLaren's daily routine. So are the supercars that made them. When McLaren created cars like the comfort-oriented McLaren GT and the V6 PHEV powerhouse Artura, how did these cars affect McLaren's reputation?
Well, that's for me to find out. These bottom-dollar papayas from the McLaren fleet may not be as well-known as its greatest hits, like the 720S and the Senna, but when it comes to performance, they are in a class of their own.
The McLaren GT is a serious super grand tourer that's all about refinement on the road. It's separate from every other McLaren supercar because it uses its own monocoque body structure developed specifically for this car. It's also a hundred kilograms lighter than its closest rival and can accommodate up to 570 liters of boot space. Under the hood, the McLaren GT uses a specially-made 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine producing 620PS of power and 630Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed SSG transmission, it can do 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 203mph.
The McLaren Artura is the company's first V6-powered PHEV supercar. It injects most of its motorsport know-how into the making of this unorthodox machine. The 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine is mated to an axial flux motor and a refrigerant-cooled Li-ion battery producing 680PS of power and 720Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed SSG, it sprints from 0-60mph in three seconds and has a top speed of 205mph. Running on electricity alone, it can go for as little as 19 miles. Aside from the performance, the Artura has near-perfect weight distribution courtesy of its carbon bodywork, front double wishbone, multi-link rear, Proactive Damping Control, electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering, Carbon Ceramic Discs, forged aluminum brake calipers, and specially-developed Pirelli P-ZERO tires. It even comes with a Variable Drift Control that can adjust its drifting angle.
To see which of the bottom-dollar papayas was the superior one, I went to the main festival site to conduct this unnecessary experiment. Let's roll the tape!
And here are the results...
McLaren GT - 1m12.973s
Artura - 1m09.620s
The Artura is better than the McLaren GT. While the McLaren GT's comfort-oriented dynamics are out of character on the track, the Artura still packs McLaren's racing DNA even in its unorthodox powertrain. It's no wonder the Artura was chosen for GT4 Class duty.
McLaren's GT and Artura are considered "bottom-dollar Papayas" in the McLaren fleet. However, both cars performed well on the track, showcasing their potential to be part of the fleet.
Well, now that my quick log about the two unsung papayas is over, it's time for my little aftershow where the McLaren GT and the Artura are taking centerstage and with that, it's off to the dressing room floor!
Miss Amane Sumeragi, you're off to the Secret Garden! It looks like my McLaren GT is ready for its Eternal Revue.
Rinrin Shinomiya is a member of AISMIRIN and Quartet STAR, and her specialty is data analysis. Since driving the Artura can be as much fun as wrestling a brown bear, I've brought her in to analyze the data from my test drive. If her data is accurate, we're in for a long run. Wow, looks like I've completed the Quartet STAR design collection. Why not take a look at them sometime?
Donning their respective roles that match their dynamics, the two McLarens are ready to tackle two EventLab masterpieces. The McLaren GT takes on another re-enactment of a certain racetrack from a certain racing game while the Artura takes on an EventLab re-enactment of the Road Course segment of Mobility Resort Motegi. Take it from Rinrin, she has studied these EventLab creations completely, and looks like we're good to go. VTR, start!
Eternal Revue or Bear Bear Bear? Amane or Rinrin? Which one will you go for?
The McLaren GT and the Artura are already worthy of respect, but recent updates will make them even more praiseworthy. These updates will enhance their performance and handling, making them even more fun to drive.
Looking forward to more from these "bottom-dollar" papayas.
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Saturday that he would never succumb to the threat of impeachment, after the National Assembly voted 204-85 in favor of a motion that could eventually dethrone the incumbent president.
"I will never surrender," he said in his fifth address to the nation in the past two weeks since his imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.
"I will cherish any reprimand, encouragement and support you show to me, and I will do my best for the country until the end," he added, in a speech delivered in his official residence in Hannam-dong of Yongsan-gu, central Seoul.
Recounting past achievements such as the handling of economic problems he said stemmed from misdeeds of his liberal predecessors, a U-turn from the nuclear phaseout that led to the Czech Republic's selection of a South Korean consortium as a preferred bidder in a nuclear power plant project and a revival of trilateral ties between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, Yoon said, "I pause my journey here for a while, but our journey with the people over the past 2 1/2 years toward the future must not stop.
Yoon also asked public officials to gather strength in difficult times and show support for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who serves as acting president for the time being.
Yoon's duty as the president was suspended at 7:24 p.m. under the National Assembly Act, hours after the parliament voted in favor of the impeachment motion. This came as a secretary in the presidential office received an original copy of the impeachment resolution delivered by representatives of the legislative body led by former three-term lawmaker and the National Assembly secretary-general Kim Min-ki.
As Yoon faces an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, Yoon's legal representatives will begin working to defend the 63-year-old conservative president from accusations of insurrection through his martial law imposition on Dec. 3. Presidential security will remain in place at his official residence during his trial, which is to not last for more than six months.
Yoon's spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Saturday's speech follows a prior one on Thursday, in which he sought to justify his attempt to wield military power to take control of the opposition-controlled National Assembly and election authorities. Yoon then claimed his martial law declaration was a high-caliber political decision by the president and it had been made within the constitutional framework.
Hundreds of wreaths with plastic flowers, presumably from Yoon's avid supporters, lined the wall outside the presidential office in Yongsan on Saturday. Ribbons on the wreaths read, "You are the patriot who saved the country," "We must protect President Yoon Suk Yeol," "Cheer up President Yoon Suk Yeol," "Justice will prevail" and "Death sentence to election fraudsters," among others.
