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

                       

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

- According to Senator Bato Dela Rosa, Former PH President Rodrigo Duterte plans to attend the Senate inquiry into his war on drugs campaign.

- The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center is on red alert in preparation for Typhoon Kristine's possible impact. Kristine strengthened and became a full-fledged Tropical Storm.

- PH Vice-President Sara Duterte prepares to undergo a neuropsychiatric examination and also a drug test.

- The Senate Committee on Women has received a response from Pasig RTC Branch 159. The response allows Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to face the Senate investigation tomorrow. The investigation concerns complaints and cases of abuse against women and young members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

- Israel has identified a "Hezbollah bunker full of cash and gold" under a hospital in Beirut. The IDF said the money was funding attacks on Israel but gave no hard evidence.

- According to reports, the Serious Fraud Office investigates the construction of the £112m hotel owned by Unite, one of the UK’s biggest trade unions.

- The Mazda Roadster 35th anniversary special model made its world premiere at last weekend's MAZDA FAN FESTA 2024. The special model features an Artisan Red exterior color and tan interior. Open-top variants feature a tan soft top cloth.

- Olympic cyclist and Le Mans driver Sir Chris Hoy is diagnosed with cancer and he is terminally ill.

- Elon Musk and Warner Bros were sued by Alcon Entertainment over an AI-generated Robotaxi image it says was stolen from the movie Blade Runner 2049. The producer claims it refused Tesla permission to use BR2049 imagery, so it used AI instead.

- The WNBA players have opted out of their current collective bargaining agreement. If they can't negotiate a new deal with the league by the end of the 2025 season, they face the prospect of a work stoppage.

- Former child star Yuuki Kadooka agrees to return to showbizness. 

- Billions of assets from the late Liam Payne will be left to his seven-year-old son, according to reports.

TTFN.

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

                      

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

- Tropical Depression Kristine has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, according to PAGASA.

- The meeting between former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and former PCSO GM Royina Garma is expected tomorrow if he attends the Quad Committee hearing regarding the issue of extrajudicial killings.

- Various groups protested in front of the UST in España Blvd., Manila to call for land reforms.

- The House Quad Committee has officially submitted to the OSG the documents gathered in its investigation related to the illegal ownership of properties in the Philippines by Chinese nationals.

- Israeli strikes Hezbollah-linked banks in Beirut. Explosions were heard after Israel told residents to evacuate. Israel says it is carrying out targeted strikes on sites belonging to Hezbollah's financial arm in Lebanon.

- Hurricane Oscar hits Cuba.

- Dodge unveiled another Durango SRT Hellcat "Last Call" final model, the Brass Monkey.

- A teaser visual for Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Finale Volume 2 movie was unveiled. The second of the movie trilogy will hit cinemas this Winter 2025.

- A new Rilakkuma anime is coming.

- An anime adaptation of The Beginning After The End webtoon was announced.

- KPOP girl group TWICE announces December comeback.

- New York Liberty crowned 2024 WNBA champions after beating the Minnesota Lynx in the winner-take-all Game 5 match at the score of 67-62.

- The Dodgers and the Yankees are now officially set to face off in the World Series.

- Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again will stream on Disney+ this March 2025.

TTFN.

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - South Point 400

As Texas witnessed a Formula 1 race that rocked the world, Las Vegas witnessed a NASCAR race as the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continued with the South Point 400. The last spurt to Phoenix begins.

As the green flag waved, the first of three fights for the Championship 4 has begun. Stage 1 saw Daniel Hemric collide with Austin Dillon on Lap 64. As Tyler Reddick won Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott make contact, triggering a multi-car mess that sent Tyler Reddick flipping. As Christopher Bell won Stage 2, the final stage saw Ty Gibbs spinning on Lap 194.

Screengrab from NASCAR

After madness in Sin City, Joey Logano wins the South Point 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series! He earned the right to be in the Championship 4.

The next race is at Homestead-Miami for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 this October 27th, 2024.

F1 2024: Pirelli United States Grand Prix

Formula 1 hosted an exciting race at the heart of Texas with the Pirelli United States Grand Prix. The clash between McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari is proven to be bigger than Texas itself.

Screengrab from Formula 1

Ferrari delivered a 1-2 finish on US soil with Charles Leclerc the winner and Carlos Sainz the second placer. Max Verstappen got promoted to 3rd place after Lando Norris got penalized over his conflict with Verstappen. This result puts Verstappen in the lead with 354 points, 57 points ahead of Norris.

McLaren is 40 points ahead of Red Bull in the team standings, 544 v 500. Meanwhile, Haas jumped to sixth place, overtaking the Visa Cash App RB team by two points, 38 v 36.

The next race is the Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico this October 26, 2024.

My FH5 Log: Ao-Soarer Jumping Heart

The third-generation Toyota Soarer showcased to the world that a Japanese carmaker can jump onto the GT bandwagon by offering drivers a sensible grand tourer worth enjoyable to drive. The same goes for its so-called spiritual successor, the Lexus LC.

The Toyota Soarer and Lexus LC are both grand touring cars that offer drivers a sensible and enjoyable driving experience. When you compare these two cars, you'll discover that they have a lot in common. So, how well do we know these two?

The third-generation Toyota Soarer is a luxury coupe that I won from Forza Horizon 5's Back to the 90s Summer Season Playlist. Launched in 1991, the third-generation Soarer eschews the muscular shape of its predecessor in favor of a rounder design. This is the first Soarer that was sold overseas as the Lexus SC. In the US, it won the 1992 Import Car of the Year. Engine choices include a 1UZ-FE 4.0L V8 engine, a 2JZ-GE 3.0L 6-cylinder engine, and seen here is the 1JZ-GTE 2.5L six-cylinder twin-turbo engine. Depending on the engine choices, the Z30 Soarer is mated to either a 4-speed AT or a 5-speed MT.

Now, let's talk about the Lexus LC 500, one of the last remaining V8-powered JDM cars. Although the design is heavily inspired by the LF-LC Concept, the LC is the first Lexus to use Toyota's TNGA platform. It's powered by the 472HP 5.0L naturally-aspirated V8 engine mated to a Lexus-first 10-speed AT.

The Lexus LC became the last Lexus vehicle to compete in the Super GT's GT500 class before it was replaced by the Toyota GR Supra for the 2020 season. In its three-season tenure from 2017 to 2019, the LC 500 emerged as the two-time champion with the #37 KeePer TOM'S and the #6 WAKO'S 4CR LC500 bagging the titles.

To see how much progress the LC has gained compared to the Z30 Soarer it draws inspiration from, I went outside the Horizon Rush site to conduct this sensible experiment. Roll the tape.

And now, the results...

Lap Times:

Soarer Z30 - 1m12.606s

LC500 - 1m06.834s

The V8-powered Lexus LC 500 is a formidable machine. In a side-by-side race, it outperformed the Toyota Soarer Z30 by six seconds quicker than the latter's time. This result is especially impressive considering that the Z30 Soarer is a formidable machine in its own right.

The Lexus LC is a grand touring car that offers drivers a sensible and enjoyable driving experience. It's a Happy Set of performance, comfort, and style that you would expect from the company behind the last V8-powered JDM sports cars. Just like the Toyota Soarer Z30, it really is "for mind cruising".

For Mind Cruising...that's what it said during the commercials for the Toyota Soarer Z30 while in the backdrop of Eric Carmen's All By Myself. Anyway, with the LC500 proving its worth, it's time for a little one-car show performance. But first...

My Lexus LC500 now has the striking image of a Kansai stagegirl we all love. I kinda miss her. I even fitted it with the LBWK kit to make it look like a Super GT racer. Touche...

Prepped for the Revue Act, my Lexus LC is prepared to take on a rather good EventLab creation that deserves no introduction. It's a circuit setting with a touge taste to it. A chance to flex some Japanese muscles on the corners. Anyway, let's roll the tape.

Nearly perfect but that's my highlight.

Lexus is the only Japanese car brand that still offers V8 engines in its sports coupes, such as the RC F and LC 500. However, as the world moves toward electric vehicles, these gas-guzzling machines are likely to become extinct. Although it sounds cruel, this is the new normal we live in but their legacies will be forever in our hearts and minds.

Just like last time, domo arigato. You made us proud.

DTM 2024 FINALE

This is where DTM's 40th-anniversary celebrations must end as Hockenheimring is the venue for the season finale. Mirko Bortolotti currently leads the driver standings. Will he be crowned champion?

Screengrab from DTM

The penultimate race of the season saw Kelvin van der Linde take the checkered flag, with Lucas Auer finishing second and Ayhancan Guven rounding out the podium in third place. In the finale, Luca Engstler is the winner but Mirko Bortolotti, who finished 2nd in this race, is crowned the DTM 2024 Champion.

Congratulations, Mirko Bortolotti, for winning the DTM 2024 Championship! This is a fitting end to DTM's 40th anniversary celebration. From dramatic overtakes, accidents, and victories, this is what the 2024 season is all about.

This is the end of the DTM 2024 season. See you next season.

WRC 2024 - Central European Rally

The 2024 World Rally Championship continues with the Central European Rally, a rally weekend that stretches across Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Ott Tanak had a promising pre-event shakedown, but Sebastien Ogier took an early lead in the opening stages. Thierry Neuville then took the lead to maintain his title hopes, but crashed out of the race on Saturday, leaving Tanak in the lead.

Screengrab from WRC

Ott Tanak's recent victory in the Central European Rally saw the gap between him and Neuville, who finished in 3rd place behind Elfyn Evans, narrowed to 25 points, 225 v 200. This victory puts Tanak in a strong position to challenge for the championship lead.

Who will be crowned the WRC 2024 champion? Find out as this season ends with the FORUM8 Rally Japan this November 21-24, 2024. Don't miss it!