Let's Do The News! (January 12, 2024)

                                                    

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

- PhilHealth says it has already paid P45-billion claims to the public and private health facilities. PhilHealth's contributions will rise this 2024.

- 48% percent of drivers in the National Capital Region who did not consolidate in PUV modernization will be arrested starting February 1st.

- Congressman Ralph Recto has been sworn in as the new finance secretary. Recto's new position was supported by most senators at the Commission of Audit and the PH Department of Finance.

- The US and the UK have launched military strikes against the Houthi militants in Yemen following attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. UK PM Rishi Sunak says the strikes on rebels were limited but necessary in self-defense after the recent attacks on shipping.

- Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded not guilty to nine federal tax charges during his court appearance in Los Angeles.

- The Abarth 600e was previewed.

- The Toyota GR Yaris was given a minor change for the 2024 model year, featuring an updated exterior design, an added 32PS power output to its G16E-GTS turbocharged engine, and the new 8-speed automatic transmission option. Sales will start this Spring 2024.

2024 Toyota GR Yaris

- The Nissan Ariya NISMO was unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the first NISMO EV crossover SUV.

2025 Nissan Ariya Nismo

- The Subaru WRX S4 STi Sport # limited edition model was unveiled. Limited to 500 units, the special model features numerous upgrades and a special Offshore Blue Metallic color. It still remains the turbocharged 2.4L engine mated to a Subaru Performance Transmission.

2024 Subaru WRX S4 STI Sport #

- Falcom jdk canceled this weekend's Tokyo concert due to a bomb threat. Concerts in Osaka and Nagoya will still proceed as planned.

- AOA member Yuna announced marriage to GALACTIKA member Friday.

- The NCAA announced significant penalties for the Florida State football team -- including two years' probation and disassociating with its NIL collective for one season -- for violating rules on using name, image, and likeness offers as a recruiting inducement.

TTFN.

Shake It Up☆☆☆

Hot on the heels of Liella's 5th LoveLive concert, the official anthem of their 5th live concert, titled Shake It Up☆☆☆, has arrived. It's time to Shake It Up, get it?

Shake It Up☆☆☆

Liella!, the school idol group from Love Live! SuperStar!! TV series is back with the official anthem of their 5th live concert titled Shake It Up☆☆☆. It's your chance to listen to the song before getting prepared for January's concert event and if you are ready for more Liella goodness, so be it with their latest single because if you enjoyed this song, it makes you want to...shake it up. Pun intended.

In addition, there are two additional songs worthy to be added to your Liella playlist such as FANTASTIC and the 2023 version of Watashi no Symphony.

Ready to shake up for more Liella?

TRACK LISTINGS:

01.シェキラ☆☆☆

02.FANTASTiC

03.私のSymphony ～2023Ver.～

04.シェキラ☆☆☆(Off Vocal)

05.FANTASTiC(Off Vocal)

Let's Do The News! (January 11, 2024)

                                                   

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

- COMELEC announced that voter registration for the 2025 Midterm Elections would resume on the 12th of February.

- Philippine and Indonesian leaders Bongbong Marcos and Joko Widowo met in Manila yesterday to discuss developments in the South China Sea and efforts to build closer ties among ASEAN nations, among a range of issues.

- Diarrhea cases in Baguio City have risen to 2,199, according to the City Health Services Office. The PH Department of Health tested the water in Baguio City after the reported increase in acute gastroenteritis that prompted Mayor Benjamin Magalong to declare an outbreak.

- Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has dropped out from the Republican Presidential election race, dropping the list of Republican contenders led by Donald Trump. Recently, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis faced off in a debate.

- UK PM Rishi Sunak announced those convicted as a result of the Post Office scandal will be swiftly exonerated" plus the introduction of the new payment of 75,000 GBP. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of local post office managers in the UK were convicted of theft and fraud over money that only appeared to be missing because of faults in a new IT system.

- Ecuador declared war on armed gangs after days of violence.

- IndyCar and iRacing resumed their decade-long partnership to bring official e-sports for the championship back to the sim racing platform.

- The Haas F1 Team announced that Ayao Komatsu will replace Guenther Steiner as the new Team Principal.

- Carrie Schreiner will return for her 2nd F1 Academy season for Campos Racing. Schreiner will be backed by the Sauber F1 team.

- The Godzilla x Kong movie's release has advanced to March 29th.

- The High School! Kiratto Pri Chan virtual musical stars Rina Honizumi as Sadame Ginga. Tickets for the virtual musical are now open for booking with the virtual musical starting on February 10th. The crowdfunding project is until March 23rd.

- SM Entertainment released a statement regarding NCT member Haechan's fine for indoor smoking.

- Choi Woo Shik and Son Suk Ku star in the Netflix original K-drama, A Killer Paradox, streaming this February 9th.

- Alabama coach Nick Saban officially retires after 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa. Saban is one of college football's coaching greats who won seven national championships and turned Alabama back into a national powerhouse that included six titles.

- The suspect in the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon refuses to answer questions from the media. Jeffrey Magpantay, one of the main suspects in the disappearance of Catherine Camilon, appeared before the personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group or CIDG-Region 4A .

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (January 10, 2024)

                                                  

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

- According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines has appealed again to Indonesia for the clemency of Filipina worker Mary Jane Veloso, who is currently on death row.

- Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV plans to run as mayor of Caloocan in the 2025 elections, according to reports.

- US judges began their oral arguments ahead of a historic case on whether Donald Trump should grant immunity from criminal cases ahead of the elections.

- Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells stripped off her CBE with immediate effect after fallout from the IT scandal. Vennells was in charge between 2012 and 2019 when the Post Office repeatedly denied there were problems with its IT.

- A group of armed men raided a live television studio in Ecuador, threatening staff. Employees were forced onto the floor during the broadcast by the public television channel TC in the city of Guayaquil before the live feed cut out. This happened as Ecuador is under a 60-day state of emergency after a notorious gangster vanished from his prison cell.

- Honda announced the Honda 0 Series of EVs coming this 2026 at the CES. The 0 Series Saloon Concept and the 0 Series Space-Hub Concept were displayed, featuring a squareless H logo.

Honda 0 Series Saloon Concept

Honda 0 Series Space-Hub Concept

- Kia showcased its PBV concepts at CES 2024 with a planned roll-out this next year.

- HWA previewed its re-imagined Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II called the HWA EVO. Only 100 will be made with initial deliveries scheduled for late 2025.

HWA EVO

- Singer Aki Yashiro passed away at the age of 73.

- Former Sugar member Ayumi is expecting her first child. Her pregnancy was announced on her Instagram account.

- The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office determined that it will not file felony charges against former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias following his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, writing in its charge-evaluation worksheet that "neither the victim's injuries nor the defendant's criminal history justify a felony filing."

- Actor Adan Canto dies at the age of 42. Canto played Vice President Aaron Shore in the TV drama Designated Survivor alongside Kiefer Sutherland.

TTFN.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea passes law banning dog meat trade

 

The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law.

The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat.

Dog meat stew, called "boshintang", is considered a delicacy among some older South Koreans, but the meat has fallen out of favour with diners and is no longer popular with young people.

Under the new law the consumption of dog meat itself will not be illegal.

According to a Gallup poll last year, only 8% of people said they had tried dog meat in the past 12 months, down from 27% in 2015. Fewer than a fifth of those polled said they supported the consumption of the meat.

Lee Chae-yeon, a 22-year-old student, said the ban was necessary to promote animal rights. "More people have pets today," she told the BBC in Seoul. "Dogs are like family now and it's not nice to eat our family."

The new law focuses on the dog meat trade - those convicted of butchering dogs face up to three years in prison, while people found guilty of raising dogs for meat or selling dog meat could serve a maximum of two years.

Farmers and restaurant owners have three years to find alternative sources of employment and income before the legislation comes into force.

According to government statistics, South Korea had around 1,600 dog meat restaurants and 1,150 dog farms in 2023, all of which will now have to submit a plan to phase out their businesses to their local authorities.

The government has promised to fully support dog meat farmers, butchers and restaurant owners, whose businesses will be forced to close, though the details of what compensation will be offered have yet to be worked through.

On Tuesday lunchtime in Seoul, down an alleyway with several dog meat restaurants, a handful of older people were tucking into the stew and the generational divide was stark.

Kim Seon-ho, 86, was disappointed by the ban. "We've eaten this since the Middle Ages. Why stop us from eating our traditional food?" he said. "If you ban dog meat then you should ban beef."

Previous governments, dating back to the 1980s, have pledged to ban dog meat, but failed to make progress. Current President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee are known animal lovers - they have six dogs, and Ms Kim has called for the practice of eating dogs to end.

Animal rights groups, which have long been pushing for the ban, praised the outcome of Tuesday's vote.

Jung Ah Chae, the executive director of the Humane Society in Korea, said she was surprised to see the ban in her lifetime. "While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog friendly future," she said.

Dog meat farmers had campaigned against the ban. They argued that, given the declining popularity among young people, the practice should be allowed to die out naturally over time. Many farmers and restaurateurs are elderly and said it would be difficult for them to switch livelihoods so late in life.

One dog farmer, Joo Yeong-bong, told the BBC the industry was in despair.

"In 10 years, the industry would have disappeared. We're in our 60s and 70s and now we have no choice but to lose our livelihoods," he said, adding that this was "an infringement of people's freedom to eat what they like".

One dog meat restaurant owner in her 60s, Mrs Kim, told the BBC she was frustrated by the ban, and blamed it on the rise in the number of people in South Korea having pets.

"Young people these days don't get married, so they think of pets as family, but food is food. We should accept dog meat but raise and slaughter them in a hygienic environment," she said.

"Other countries like China and Vietnam eat dogs, so why are we banning it?"

Source: BBC

Let's Do The News! (January 9, 2024)

                                                 

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

- About 1.3 million Nazareno believers flocked to the Quirino Grandstand for this year's Traslacion.

- A Magnitude 6.7 quake rattled Sarangani province in Davao Occidental.

- Pope Francis calls for a universal ban on surrogacy as he included the "commercialization" of pregnancy in an annual speech listing threats to global peace and human dignity. The Pope warns that 2024 had dawned at a time when peace was “increasingly threatened, weakened and in some part lost."

- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel amid fears the Gaza conflict could escalate in the region. Israeli forces killed Wissam-al-Tawil, the deputy head of Hezbollah's Radwan force in Lebanon while 250 people were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

- United Airlines finds bolts in need of "tightening" during inspections of 737 Max 9, after a door plug fell from an Alaska Airlines plane.

- UK PM Rishi Sunak would "strongly support" the honors committee reviewing whether former Post Office boss Paula Vennells should be stripped of CBE.

- Announced at the 2024 CES, Sony Honda Mobility, makers of the AFEELA electric car, teams up with Polyphony Digital in vehicle development. The AFEELA electric car is set to make its video game debut in Gran Turismo 7 soon.

- Volkswagen teases the Golf Mk8.5 GTi.

- The Netflix original series Gyeongseong Creature will return for its second season soon.

- German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as both a player and manager, passed away at the age of 78.

- Michigan beats Washington 34-13 to win its first CFP title since 1997.

- Terrence Shannon Jr. filed for a temporary restraining order that demands his school "immediately reinstate" the Illinois star who was suspended indefinitely from all team activities last month following an arrest on a rape charge, according to reports.

- Drag club owner RS Francisco accepts Pura Luka Vega's class act. Francisco admits he is also confused with pronouns for non-binary. Pura Luka Vega was controversial last year when he dressed as Nazareno while singing the remix of "Ama Namin" in a nightclub. Several senators and church leaders condemned Pura Luka Vega and declared persona non grata by seventeen LGUs. He was arrested and jailed but was also released on bail.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (January 8, 2024)

                                                

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

- According to Philippine Red Cross chairman, Richard Gordon, about two to ten million people will attend tomorrow's Traslacion. The Philippine Red Cross staff have been deployed across Manila ahead of the religious event.

- The Senate Commission on Energy will begin its hearing over the brownout in Panay Island that was triggered in the middle of New Year's Day. The ERC says that the investigation into the Panay Island brownout will finish within 6 to 8 weeks.

- According to Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, they'll start the probe over the alleged corruption of the Philippines' PUV modernization program, under the order of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

- Dozens killed in Israeli strike on Jabalia. Witnesses say the IDF hit homes in a densely populated refugee camp in northern Gaza.

- Sheikh Hasina won a fifth term as prime minister of Bangladesh in an election boycotted by the opposition.

- Toyota resumes vehicle production in Japan.

- Volkswagen teases the Golf Mk8.5, the minor change version of the Mk8 Golf, which is said to be the last to be powered by internal combustion. Some say the minor change will ditch haptic touch panels in favor of buttons due to public demand.

- THE IDOLM@STER Shiny Colors TV anime will air on TV Tokyo this April 2024.

- TOEI announced the cast of the 2024 PreCure installment, Wonderful PreCure. The series stars Atsumi Tanezaki as Iroha Inukai/Cure Friendy and Maria Nakagawa as Iroha's dog, Komugi, who transforms into Cure Wonderful. The series airs February 4th.

- The animated Mr. Bean TV series is set to return for its fourth season and it's coming soon to Warner Bros. Discovery platforms.

- Total gross sales for all MMFF 2023 entries reached the one billion peso mark with the movie Rewind hitting 600 million pesos of box office earnings.

TTFN.