Let's Do The News! (February 24, 2025)

                                        

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

- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is ready to lead the National Task Force that will be established based on the order of Philippine President Bongbong Marcos. The task force aims to address the immediate needs and long-term rehabilitation of affected areas due to the continued eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.

- COMELEC released guidelines on poll debates.

- The LTFRB needs to carefully decide on the two-peso provisional fare increase on jeepney rides, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

- Several Chinese workers at Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) who were deported after being arrested in the country, escaped while on a connecting flight back to China – according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

- Pope Francis remains in critical condition and has a "slight" kidney issue according to Vatican officials.

- Germany's election results confirm victory for conservatives and a chance of forming a two-party coalition

- Aston Martin returns to DTM with the Comtoyou Racing team piloting the Vantage GT3 EVO.

- DreamNote member Youi will temporarily halt activities after the death of her father.

- BBC's Doctor Who TV series casts Christopher Chung.

- Transgender Hollywood star Hunter Schafer laments passport gender change.

- Actor Baron Geisler broke his silence after being arrested in Mandaue for drunkenness.

TTFN.

2025 NASCAR Cup Series - Ambetter Health 400

Reeling from their Daytona hangovers, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Atlanta for the Ambetter Health 400. The drivers are trying to impress the Peach State with intense NASCAR action.

As the green flag waved, the action in Atlanta began. As Josh Berry nabs Stage 1, Stage 2 saw trouble as Ty Dillon hit the wall and spins on Lap 81 followed by Erik Jones hitting Chris Buescher on Lap 102, a punctured right rear tire for Todd Gilliand on Lap 135, and a crash between Chase Briscoe and Ricky Stenhouse Jr on Lap 149. With Kyle Larson secured Stage 2, the final stage saw a multi-car incident on Lap 183 that was triggered by the collision between Daniel Suarez and Ty Gibbs, two drivers spinning on Lap 204, Ryan Blaney spinning on Lap 234, and a Lap 258 disaster that got Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric, and William Byron on it.

Screengrab from NASCAR

Leading the final lap with a multi-car accident behind him that got Josh Berry, Ryan Preece, Justin Haley, Shane Van Gisbergen, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, and Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell wins the Ambetter Health 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at COTA, for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this March 2, 2025.

Guinness Men's Six Nations 2025 ROUND 3

The 2025 Guinness Men's Six Nations championship continues with Round 3 featuring Wales v Ireland, England v Scotland, and Italy v France.

Screengrab from Six Nations

Focusing on the Wales v Ireland match, Ireland has proven to be unsinkable this season by defeating the winless Wales 27-18 to snag the Triple Crown with Sam Prendergast the headliner for his penalty shot and conversion.

Meanwhile, England barely defeated Scotland 16-14 to grab the Calcutta Cup, and France massively beat Italy 73-24.

With Ireland and France leading after Round 3, the next two rounds will decide the fate of the frontrunners. Round 4 is on March 8 to 9 with Ireland v France, Scotland v Wales, and England v Italy.

2025 Repco Supercars Championship - Thrifty Sydney 500

The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship started with the Thrifty Sydney 500 campaign at the Sydney Motorsport Park, featuring two nighttime and one daytime race. There's never in the history of Supercars to have a season kicked off at nightfall.

Screengrab from Supercars

Cam Waters, driving his #06 Monster Castrol Racing Mustang Supercar, made headlines during the season opener by sweeping the entire race weekend. He successfully navigated two nighttime races, with the first race featuring a podium dominated by Ford drivers, including himself, Chaz Mostert, and Thomas Randle. In the second race, he faced off against two Red Bull drivers, Broc Feeney and Will Brown. In the final race, despite rainfall affecting the climax, Waters emerged victorious.

The next race is the 2025 Melbourne SuperSprint, which will take place from March 13 to 15, 2025, the day of the F1 75th anniversary season opener.

Ultraman Arc THE MOVIE: Choujigen Daikessen! Hikari to Yami no Arc

Yuuma Hize, Ultraman Arc, and the rest of SKIP are back for their true final mission in this latest Ultraman movie set after the events of the TV series finale as they're dealing with the deadliest threats from unknown origins.

Ultraman Arc THE MOVIE:
Choujigen Daikessen! Hikari to Yami no Arc

Ultraman Arc THE MOVIE: Choujigen Daikessen! Hikari to Yami no Arc, the true final mission of Ultraman Arc sees Arc, Yuuma, and the SKIP team receive a warning from a shadowy alien stopping by, regarding threats from unknown worlds. Among them is the deadliest threat of all; Gil Arc.

This final adventure tests the bonds between Yuuma and Arc to the absolute limit as they battle against the deadliest creatures from the unknown, including Gil Arc. From the suspense, the thriller, and the heroic battle scenes, this movie shows the true strength between Yuuma Hize, Ultraman Arc, and the SKIP team against all odds.

You should all deserve a group hug after witnessing the true end of Ultraman Arc's mission. As always, even though Arc's story has truly ended, the Ultraman New Generation universe will continue. No one knows yet but watch for it.

Let's Do The News! (February 21, 2025)

                                        

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

- House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Mannix Dalipe is confident that the Ombudsman will not allow the Dutertes' allies to use him. Dalipe said this after Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez's group asked the Ombudsman to suspend several House leaders whom he accused of falsifying public documents related to the 2025 national budget.

- PH Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon blocked the cashless toll collection on major expressways that was supposed to be implemented on March 15th. According to Dizon, he ordered the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to stop its implementation because the system is not yet fixed.

- The Philippine National Police (PNP) considers the consecutive hostage-taking incidents in the country to be isolated cases. These incidents occurred from January 20 to February 18 in Manila, Batangas, Rizal, and Digos City. According to PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, all victims were rescued and the suspects were arrested due to the quick response and crisis management skills of the police.

- The US Transportation Security Administration is laying off 250 jobs as part of its shakeup ordered by the Trump administration.

- Former Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales was fined for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent.

- The US Senate confirmed Trump's pick Kash Patel as FBI director, taking charge of an agency he has fiercely criticized.

- Israeli police say they are investigating a suspected terror attack in Tel Aviv after three buses exploded, but no casualties were reported. Meanwhile, Israel's military accuses Hamas of handing over the body of an unidentified person instead of that of hostage Shiri Bibas.

- IndyCar veteran Tony Kanaan is named Team Principal of the Arrow McLaren team.

- Dacia is set to unveil its new affordable EV city car soon.

- Hakusensha founding member and manga magazine editor Nobumasa Konagai passed away at 94.

- Nickelodeon announced a new project from The Last Airbender franchise coming soon. Titled Seven Havens, the new story is set in a world "shattered by a devastating cataclysm" and centers on a young female Earthbender who discovers that she's the new Avatar after Korra but is feared as humanity's destroyer. Series creators Mike Dante and Bryan Konietzko will pen the newest Avatar story coming soon.

- NMIXX member Haewon sits out the recent Mexico concert due to health.

- ESPN will no longer broadcast MLB matches after 2025.

- Canada beats US 3-2 in overtime to win the 4 Nations championship final.

- Korean celebrity yoga instructor Lee Yoo Joo dies at 35.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (February 20, 2025)

      

                                        

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

- The German government helps clean and beautify Fort Santiago.

- The Department of Social Welfare and Development launches the Angel Pets Program.

- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will punish those who bully or discriminate against candidates and supporters for national and local aspirants during the campaign period.

- Three churches in the province of Rizal have been declared as National Cultural Treasures (NCTs) by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The NCCA recognized the churches of Sta. Ursula Parish in Binangonan, Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Jose in Baras, and St. Jerome Parish Church in Morong.

- Pope Francis says "I might not make it this time" in his current battle with pneumonia.

- 157 false killer whales have been stranded on a remote beach in Tasmania, Australia, with around 90 found alive. According to authorities, they have yet to determine the reason for the stranding of the endangered species, which is 6.1 meters long and weighs up to 1,361 kilograms.

- Meta announced that Facebook Live videos will only last for one month. Starting yesterday, February 19, users can play and download their live broadcast video and share it on their Facebook pages or profiles for 30 days, after which it will be automatically deleted from the social media platform.

- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says US President Donald Trump is living in a "disinformation space" created by Russia. Earlier, President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" as the US row with Ukraine deepens. UK PM Keir Starmer backs President Zelensky "as Ukraine's democratically elected leader" after President Donald Trump claimed he was a "dictator".

- Gordon Murray Automotive establishes its Special Vehicles division for special models and one-offs.

- The second-generation Volvo XC60 received a minor change for the 2026 model year.

- Kia previewed its PV5 range ahead of next week's KIA EV DAY presentation.

2026 Kia PV5

- Racing team AWA is retiring its Corvette Z06 GT3 racing machine after their Daytona 24-hour win.

- Nissan will unveil new vehicles for this year and next year, including a new-generation Leaf and a new luxury minivan.

- The official Evangelion pro e-sports team will disband this March and their final event will be held this late March.

- Niantic is reportedly in talks to sell its game business to Saudi-owned mobile game developer/publisher Scopely.

- ADOR denies NJZ's parents' claim that Bang Si Hyuk attempted to cancel their upcoming performance.

- Reports revealed that the US air travel system is not prepared for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 LA Olympics. "We're not ready to host the upcoming mega decade of events that will draw millions of domestic and international travelers. This poses risks to our national security and hampers economic growth," according to the U.S. Travel Association. The report estimated that 40 million people could visit the U.S. for the World Cup, the Olympics and Paralympics, the 2025 Ryder Cup, and America's 250th birthday, including 6 million for the World Cup.

- Quinn Hughes will not travel to Boston to join the US team as an injury replacement option for its 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada.

- SEC and Big Ten commissioners agree that the College Football Playoff seeding needs change.

- Alexander Volkanowvski and Diego Lopez will face off for the UFC featherweight champion title vacated by Ilia Topuria. Their fight will happen in Miami this April 12th.

- Actor Jack O'Connell joins the cast of the upcoming Godzilla x Kong sequel movie.

- Ang Bandang Shirley will disband amid grooming allegations against its lead vocalist Ean Aguila.

TTFN.