Let's Do The News! (March 23, 2024)

     

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

- The Management Association of the Philippines has urged the government to declare a "state of calamity" in Metro Manila because of its worsening traffic congestion that costs the economy an estimated 3.5 billion pesos a day.

- Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons on a Philippine supply boat near Ayungin Shoal, deliberately targeting and hitting the supply boat, sustaining heavy damages.

- 60 people were killed and hundreds were hurt following a gun attack at a concert hall in Moscow.

- Russia and China vetoed a US resolution at the United Nations, which called for the immediate ceasefire in Gaza tied to the release of hostages.

- Princess of Wales Kate revealed she was diagnosed with cancer. The Princess of Wales says she is undergoing chemotherapy after her cancer diagnosis. The Kensington Palace said the Princess' announcement came as a "huge shock".

- VANNER member Sungkook announced his plans to enlist in the military. Sungkook would be enlisting on May 7, according to agency KLAP Entertainment's statement.

- The FA has defended the St. George's Cross design on its new England kit, saying "it's not the first time" different colors have been used. Nike said its design was to celebrate the 1966 World Cup team but the design drew criticism from British PM Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer.

- Major League Baseball has opened a formal investigation into the matter surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

- Filipina Maria Gigante was crowned Universal Woman 2024.

TTFN.

My FH5 Log: Euro Trash

Would you look at that? The European Automotive update of Forza Horizon 5 is constantly littered with European junk cars out from the junkyard and into the ever-growing FH5 car roster. The cesspool of junk cars keeps on growing.

First up is the Lancia Fulvia from the Hot Season Playlist. Powered by a 1.3L V4 engine, it's the car that made Lancia win its first World Rally Championship. Not bad for a front-wheel-drive coupe that costs more than the Jaguar E-Type when it was new.

Next up is the Citroen DS 23 from the Storm Season Playlist. This is the iconic hatchback that first introduced Citroen's signature hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system which uses liquid hydraulic and gas-pressured suspension instead of springs, giving it a comfy ride on all kinds of road surfaces. It was the first to use disc brakes.

Fresh from the Dry Season Playlist is the Series 4 Lotus Esprit, the last V8-powered Lotus ever made and one of the last production cars with pop-up headlights.

The Hot Season Playlist featured a double bill of German garbage; the Volkswagen Double Cab Pick-up and the Mercedes-Benz 500 E. The Doka is basically the pickup variant of the Volkswagen Type 2 minibus while the 500 E is the V8-powered variant of the W124 E-Class made from a Porsche factory.

Let's give the quintuplet of European garbage a good dirty driving, and showcase just how good these rusty beaters from the Old Continent were. Roll the tapes.

These rusty beaters proved their point but as it turned out, they were nothing compared to the worst European toxic waste of the pack; the AMG Hammer Wagon from the European Automotive DLC Pack.

The AMG Hammer Wagon is a one-off W214 wagon built for a client from the USA. Started out in life as a diesel-powered W214 wagon until the original owner commissioned AMG to convert it into a super wagon, armed with a 6.0L V8 engine producing 375hp of power while mated to a 4-speed AT. It even comes with a locking differential to help the rear axle endure the punishment from the V8 engine, among others.

Want to see how the AMG Hammer Wagon roars? You're in luck because let's get the tape rolling.

The latest batch of toxic waste dump proves that the cesspool of rusty beaters never stops growing, giving Gen Z players uncontrollable anxiety, complaining about why the Forza producers keep dumping junk cars in such a wonderful racing game.

Are we seeing more junk cars in the next FH5 series update next week? Yes, there will be junk cars next week so brace yourselves for more rusty beaters ruining your FH5 experience.

Let's Do The News! (March 22, 2024)

    

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

- Residents and fishermen from Catanduanes are bracing themselves for the falling debris from the Chinese rocket to the sea.

- 500 persons deprived of liberty from New Bilibid Prison have been transferred to Davao Prison and Penal Farm.

- The Philippine Coast Guard and other security forces have been cautioned in recruiting after halting the entry of some Chinese nationals into the PCG auxiliary.

- PAGASA declared the start of the hot season in the Philippines after the amihan season. According to PAGASA, expect hotter temperatures over the next days but expect thunderstorms that sometimes occur during the afternoon or nighttime.

- Mental health advocate Doc Gia Sison passed away at the age of 53.

- The United States accuses Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market in a landmark lawsuit against the tech giant.

- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US is still pushing for a Gaza ceasefire deal. Blinken was speaking in Cairo after talks with senior Arab ministers.

- The first-ever pig kidney transplant into a living human was hailed a success.

- BMW showcased its Vision Neue Klasse X concept.

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X Concept

- The Volkswagen ID.Buzz GTX was unveiled, featuring a dual-motor system producing 340PS of power output and comes with two wheelbases and battery packs; 79 or 86kWh.

2025 Volkswagen ID.BUZZ GTX

- The six-episode Grimm's Fairy Tales anime anthology will stream on Netflix this April 17th.

- The second season of the Mnet reality show I-LAND revealed all 24 contestants.

- Representatives of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani have contacted law enforcement authorities and asked them to investigate a "massive theft" of money from the player, according to reports.

- Franki Russell is representing New Zealand in the Miss Universe 2024 pageant. Russell made her name after becoming a housemate in the eighth season of Pinoy Big Brother. 

- Astrologer Zenaida Seva passes away.

TTFN.

My FH5 Log: THE STAR IS REBORN

The SL-Class rewrote the rules of what a grand tourer should be in terms of elegance and performance. It's known to be one of the longest-running names in Mercedes's history.

The age of the new normal deserves a new SL for this generation and here it is.

You're looking at the Mercedes-AMG SL, the latest chapter of the SL-Class lineage and I got one from Forza Horizon 5's European Automotive Dry Season Playlist.

So, what's it all about the Mercedes-AMG SL?

No longer called the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, the first-ever Mercedes-AMG SL continues the SL lineage in a whole new approach.  Sized and styled to AMG GT standards, the Mercedes-AMG SL is powered by the same 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the said model. In the SL63, it produces 585PS of power and while mated to an AMG Speedshift 9G and 4MATIC+, it does 0-100kph time of 3.6 seconds and 315kph of top speed.

Is the Mercedes-AMG SL a revolution or a sacrilege to the SL lineage? To prove my point, I've pitted against the most powerful SL from the distant past, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series. V8 vs. V12. Which one is superior? Let's roll the tape.

And now the results...

SL65 Black Series - 1m16.093s

SL63 (R232) - 1m15.626s

It's a close result! Despite being less powerful than the SL65 Black, the all-new Mercedes-AMG SL63 barely defeated it close-shave!

Undoubtedly, the Mercedes-AMG SL is the pinnacle of the SL lineage, and with its elegance and performance inherited from its ancestors, the star is reborn after all.

Man, I would like to end my impression with the Mercedes-AMG SL but...my brain just hatched an idea. What role will the Mercedes-AMG SL63 4MATIC+ play in Horizon Mexico?

Watch this space...

Let's Do The News! (March 21, 2024)

   

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

- The KBP condemned the harassment of two journalists in Angeles, Pampanga. Two female reporters, Rowena Quejada of 88.7 K5 News FM and Rappler's Joann Manabat were harassed while covering a violent demolition in Barangay Anunas in Angeles City.

- Philippine President Bongbong Marcos canceled today's appointments after being hit by the flu.

- The Economic Cha-Cha or RBH 7 and the revocation of SMNI's franchise were sent by the House to the Senate.

- Irish PM Leo Varakdar steps down before the country's next general election.

- The HMRC has reversed its decision to close the self-assessment phone helpline between April and September after criticisms.

- Junior doctors in England vote by 98% to continue industrial action for a further six months in a long-running pay dispute, the British Medical Association says.

- French regulators impose a fine on Google of more than $270m for violating intellectual property rules.

- The 2024 O-NE Superrace Championship will be broadcast live via KBS 2TV courtesy of its new broadcasting deal.

- The second-generation Infiniti QX80 was unveiled. It's the first production Infiniti vehicle to don the brand's new logo. The flagship SUV marks the debut of the VR35DDTT 3.5L twin-turbo V6 engine producing 450hp of power and mated to a 9-speed AT.

2025 Infiniti QX80

- The Gakuen IDOLM@STER app game casts Miya Minato as Sumika Shiun.

- Jun Eun Chae is confirmed to be dating Kim Chung Jae. The two have been dating since last year, according to reports.

- Count Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is joining the list of critics against expanding the NCAA tournament. Calipari urged officials to keep the tournament from ballooning past its current 68-team format.

- The Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was fired after questions surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaking operation set off a series of events.

- A Minnesota Timberwolves employee was fired, arrested, and charged with felony third-degree burglary for allegedly stealing thousands of internal files, including "strategic NBA information," from a team executive, according to reports.

- ICYMI: IT'S SHOWTIME will officially air on GMA-7 beginning April 6th.

TTFN.

Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe

The Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe is what happens when they made the subtle CLE Coupe force-feeding moderate amounts of steroids and made it look moderately cool without drawing wanton attention.

2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe

Starting at 91,511 Euros plus additional costs, it is the least expensive of the Mercedes-AMG coupe lineup. Although cheaper to own than the awful-looking BMW M4, the latter can eat it alive on the road and track, mind you.

The Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe transforms the subtle CLE into a moderately macho machine that prefers to take it seriously without the wanton brutality that most high-performance coupes can throw at them. With its typical AMG exterior treatments, the AMG Performance steering wheel, and sports seats with red contrast stitching and red accents, among others, the CLE53 is a brave bold blend of machoness and subtlety you can expect from a moderately beefed-up CLE Coupe.

Under the hood, the CLE53 is armed with a 3.0L inline-six engine with an electric turbo and an integrated starter generator that produces up to 472PS of power, less than the base BMW M4 Coupe. Mated to an AMG Speedshift TCT 9G and AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, it does 0-100kph in 4.2 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250kph.

Because the CLE53 comes with the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive with fully adaptable power distribution and rear-wheel steering, it feels moderately good to drive on the road and on the track. Coupled with the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT, three-stage AMG parameter steering with variable ratio, and AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension with adaptive damping, you'll find plenty of reasons why and why not enjoy the CLE53 in every way, although the controversial AMG Real Performance Sounds is downright filtered by the way. This is something not you would expect on a modern sports car like the CLE53.

On a scale between the now-axed E53 Coupe and C63 Coupe, I can say that the CLE53 sits between them. Not extreme as such but it feels moderately good everywhere. Sure, the BMW M4 can chew it alive but when it comes to being subtlety and macho, the CLE53 is the one. Case closed.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz AG

Let's Do The News! (March 20, 2024)

  

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

- The Chinese Embassy of the Philippines echoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement regarding "provocative actions" and tensions in the South China Sea. "We firmly oppose the groundless accusation by Secretary Blinken about China's legitimate and lawful actions in the South China Sea and his thinly veiled threat to invoke the so-called MDT obligations," a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said.

- The SCOTUS ruled that Texas authorities can arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally but the federal appeals court freezes the tough new immigration law.

- The first person to be convicted of cyber-flashing in England and Wales was jailed for 66 weeks.

- Three were killed in a Haiti central bank raid as the crisis deepens. A former minister says 'thugs and criminals' cannot be allowed near the presidency.

- The owner of the fashion firm Ted Baker is set to put it into administration, putting jobs and shops at risk.

- The third-generation Peugeot 5008 was unveiled.

2025 Peugeot 5008

- The second-generation Mercedes-AMG GT received an entry-level RWD GT43 variant with a 421PS 2.0L turbocharged engine.

2025 Mercedes-AMG GT43

- Actor Kim Min Kyu will be enlisting in the military next month.

- Former NHL winger Chris Simon died at the age of 52. The cause of his death is suicide according to his family.

- The Mulach family will star in an upcoming TV5 TV show called Da Pers Family coming soon.

The variety show IT'S SHOWTIME is set to officially air for the first time on GMA-7 as the replacement for the now-canned Tahanang Pinakamasaya variety show.

TTFN.