Let's Do The News! (January 26, 2025)

                        

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

- The GSIS offers a new borrower-friendly approach to overdue loan penalties. The new policy aims to strengthen members' path to good standing.

- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified that it does not yet have a position on the proposal prohibiting the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to Kuwait.

- The PH Department of Education is pushing to change its anti-bullying policies. DepEd will soon revise the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Anti-Bullying Law which aims to ensure that all schools nationwide implement effective measures against bullying.

- Israel says 200 Palestinian prisoners were freed hours after Hamas freed four Israeli hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

- Elon Musk confirms he will spend a massive amount to acquire MSNBC and fire Joy Reid to "end the toxicity".

- King Charles III drew flak after Ethiopia demanded the British Army to hand over treasures "looted" from the African country.

- The FIA can now ban F1 drivers for being "rude".

- Genesis showcased its GV60 MIR Concept at the Davos forum.

- Audi showcased its electric portal-axled Q6 e-tron concept.

- The Himitsu no AiPri TV anime teases new characters coming in the second season airing this April. The new characters' identities will be revealed this February 27th.

- The iDOLISH7 franchise is getting a fourth TV anime season, a compilation film for the 1st season, and a new anime centering on the unit ZOOL.

- TOEI announced the cast of the 2025 Super Sentai Series installment, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger. The new series premiering this February 16, 2025 stars Mio Fuyuno as Hoeru Tono/Gozyu Wolf, Hideharu Suzuki as Rikuo Byakuya/ Gozyu Leo, Masakazu Kanda as Ryugi Bakugami/Gozyu Tyranno, Jin Matsumoto as Kinjiro Takehara/Gozyu Eagle, and Maya Imamori as Sumino Ichikawa/Gozyu Unicorn. It also stars Noriko Nakagoshi as Saori Iijima, Daisuke Sanbonki and Marupi as villains Fire Candle and Bouquet, and Karma as Quon. Yuki Kaji will voice Tegasword while Tomokazu Sugita and Reina Ueda will voice the two-faced villains Mr. Shining Knife and Mrs. Sweetcake. Wienners will perform the opening theme song while Miyu Kaneko will perform the closing theme song. A prologue will stream on the official Boonboomger YouTube channel this February 2nd.

- Legendary actress Gloria Romero passed away at the age of 91.

TTFN.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Pseudo-religious cult Agadongsan loses damages lawsuit against Netflix documentary 'In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal'

 

Earlier this week on January 23 KST, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that the Netflix documentary, 'In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal', was not responsible for damages incurred by the pseudo-religious cult Agadongsan and its leader, Kim Ki Soon.

'In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal' (directed by Jo Sung Hyun), released on Netflix in March of 2023, followed the controversies surrounding Agadongsan and its leader Kim Ki Soon in episodes 5 and 6. The documentary raised accusations that Kim Ki Soon and Agadongsan forced believers into hard labor, and that anyone who refused was beaten, with some missing believers suspected of being beaten to death. 

Following the documentary's release, Agadongsan sued the documentary, claiming that the series was spreading false rumors and misinformation. During the initial and the appeal trials, the district court ruled in favor of the documentary series, concluding, "The footage aired through the documentary does not explicitly claim that Kim Ki Soon murdered the victims or ordered for their murder. In episode 6, the documentary also states that the police found Kim not guilty of murder. Therefore, it is difficult to say that this footage spread misinformation or that it counts as a disrespectful and humiliating personal attack against Kim."

Now, as of January 23 KST, the South Korean Supreme Court has decided to maintain the rulings by the initial and appeal trials, dismissing Agadongsan's lawsuit. 

Source: allkpop

Let's Do The News! (January 25, 2025)

                       

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

- The COMELEC conducted mock polls at 30 barangays across the Philippines to test the efficiency of its automated election system ahead of the May 2025 elections.

- Chinese national apprehended for espionage in the country; an alumnus of China's People's Liberation Army University, as reported by the Bureau of Immigration.

- Hamas names four female soldier hostages set to be freed today as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

- A man has died after a tree fell on a car in County Donegal as Storm Éowyn continues to affect the UK and Ireland. The strongest wind gust recorded in the UK today reached 100 mph in Drumalbin, Scotland, where the storm's impact has been described as "once in a generation."

- Target announced ending its Racial Equity Action and Change initiatives and the Forward Founders program, designed to help start-up Black-owned and diverse businesses.

- SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. Additionally, the Elon Musk-owned company has begun beta testing its Direct-to-Cell Starlink satellites.

- Commercial EV maker Canoo has run out of money, ceasing operations, and beginning plans to liquidate its assets.

- Crunchyroll confirms some login credentials were posted on social media but states there's no evidence its systems were hacked.

- Sony is ending production of its recordable Blu-Ray discs next month.

- Production I.G. takes over Signal.MD and dissolves it beginning June 1st.

- The Universe League grand final unveiled the nine members forming the boy group AHOF.

- The Dallas Cowboys named Brian Schottenheimer as its new head coach.

- Conor McGregor said the UFC nixed his boxing match with Logan Paul.

TTFN.

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

                      

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

- National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Assistant Vice President and Public Relations Head Cynthia Alabanza insisted that the allegation that China could cut off the Philippines' electricity supply is "fake news" or untrue.

- The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor criticized some politicians who are taking advantage of and even joining in the picture when it comes to delivering government aid. That is why PCUP Chairman Meynardo Sabili appealed to the relevant government agencies to no longer channel government aid through politicians and instead direct it to the people, such as AKAP.

- The US judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order to end "birthright" citizenship, ruling it "unconstitutional".

- Southport murder suspect Axel Rudakubana is sentenced to 52 years in prison for the murder of three children.

- Storm Éowyn is forecast to hit the UK with winds of up to 100 mph. Millions of people will receive an emergency phone alert, and schools will be closed.

- Shelby American unveiled the new GT350 range based on the seventh-generation Mustang. Limited to 562 units, the 5.0L V8 engine was tuned by Shelby to produce 810HP while the GT350R has 20 more. Following the launch of the new GT350 range, Shelby announced its return to the Trans Am series for the 2026 season.

2026 Shelby GT350

 

- Cadillac confirms the Lyric-V's 0-60mph time of 3.3 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating Cadillac ever made.

- Geely is setting up its new manufacturing plant in Vietnam this year.

- Korean webtoon platform PeanuToon abruptly shuts down at the end of February.

- The recent Xbox Developer_Direct presentation showcases more on upcoming games such as South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and DOOM: The Dark Ages while unveiling the next chapter of the Ninja Gaiden game titled NINJA GAIDEN 4.

- Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra commented on the recent suspension of Jimmy Butler, who will miss two games as punishment for missing a team flight.

TTFN.

SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada

Bandai Namco, known for popular franchises like the Soul series, Tekken, and Ace Combat, has entered the survival game genre with its new intellectual property titled SYNDUALITY. Do you have what it takes to explore the post-apocalyptic wasteland?

SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada

SYNDUALITY is Bandai Namco's newest intellectual property where players venture into the 23rd-century post-apocalyptic wasteland with the mechanical robot called the Cradle Coffin. Alongside is a humanoid AI assistant called the Magus which will guide you throughout your survival adventure.

SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada focuses on the story of a Drifter named Alba Kuze and a Magus named Ada as they embark on a challenging journey through a world devastated by the deadly blue rain known as The Tears of the New Moon, which occurred 123 years ago. Their mission is to track down the mysterious AO Crystals that formed from this catastrophe and uncover the truth behind the destruction of the underground habitat for humanity called Amasia—no matter the cost. Interestingly, this game is set 20 years before the events of the SYNDUALITY: Noir TV anime, which is available for streaming on Disney+ worldwide and on Hulu in the United States.

Your Cradle Coffin and your Magus are the only essentials in the world of SYNDUALITY and they can be personalized to your liking. Being a survival game, players must fight through hordes of Bandits or Enders to collect resources, including the mysterious AO Crystals. Collecting such resources gives you the chance to upgrade your Cradle Coffin in terms of firepower, endurance, speed, and other key necessities, not to mention some customization items to stand out. The more missions you complete, the more cool stuff you can unlock for your Cradle Coffin and your Magus. Be warned; collecting resources is the easy part, but getting back with it is the hardest part.

Being a game that can be played via online multiplayer, it showcases its dog-eat-dog nature because you and the other players can't tell if they're friends or enemies. If they're willing to cooperate with you, so be it. If they want to clash against you, be ready because rival players may take your resources and/or possibly your Magus if they defeat you. Either way, this is how SYNDUALITY is played.

SYNDUALITY features challenging yet addictive gameplay that can be experienced both solo and online. Many players who enjoy robot games are comparing it to Armored Core, suggesting that it has the potential to become the next big title in that genre. Bandai Namco is making a strong statement by launching this exciting post-apocalyptic robot adventure game at the beginning of 2025, making it a must-check-out release.

Let's Do The News! (January 23, 2025)

                     

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

- The Philippine Army is preparing for the Combined Arms Training Exercise Katihan 2025, to be held this March 3 to 12 at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

- Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers asked PhilHealth to allocate funds to strengthen cyber security so that data breaches or hacking will not happen again. During the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing, Barbers urged PhilHealth to use the strictest system to protect its members' data.

- Francisco Leo Marcos visited the Office of the Commission on Elections this afternoon to officially withdraw his candidacy for the Senatorial Elections scheduled for May 12, 2025. He stated that his decision to withdraw will assist the Commission on Elections and the government, as it will help them save money on printing new ballots.

- US President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the "ridiculous war" on Ukraine or face more sanctions and tariffs.

- Thailand legalizes same-sex marriage.

- Prince Harry settles legal case against the owner of The Sun newspaper after it apologizes and offers damages.

- Meta is launching its new Edits app later this first quarter of 2025, following the ban on ByteDance's CapCut video editing app in the US.

- Proton plans to launch three new models this year.

- NASCAR Cup Series teams will have the option tire in their allotment for the March 9 race at Phoenix Raceway. This is a significant change from previous races.

- Penske Entertainment takes over the promotions of the NTT IndyCar Series season finale at Nashville Speedway.

- NewJeans members appoint their legal representative and request suggestions for a temporary group name. ADOR warns that NewJeans running under its alternative group name is a "breach of contract".

- THE BOYZ member Sangyeon announced his military enlistment schedule.

- The third season of the reality series, Street Woman Fighter, will air this May 2025.

- Real Madrid has become the first club to record over 1 billion euros in annual revenue, according to the Deloitte Football Money League.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (January 22, 2025)

                    

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

- A fire in a ski resort in Turkiye killed over 76 people and counting.

- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement on Southport murders that the country is facing a "new threat" from extreme violence and "terrorism has changed".

- The Taal Volcano has triggered a "minor phreatic eruption" at around 0222 hours local time, according to PHIVOLCS.

- The DSWD warns the public against Facebook (FB) accounts pretending to be the official FB page of Sec. Rex Gatchalian.

- Coconut, also known as buko, has been removed by the US Food and Drug Administration from the list of tree nuts identified as "major food allergens," which can have adverse health effects.

- The Honda Civic FL1 e:HEV minor change won the 2025 North American Car of the Year, making it the Civic's fourth win of the award.

- F1 legend Lewis Hamilton kicked off his tenure with Ferrari.

- Animator Yoichi Onishi passed away. Onishi is known for his involvement with anime shows like Hell Teacher Nube, Bobobobo Bo-bobo, and Kanon.

- The anime series Princession Orchestra will air on TV Tokyo this April.

- The fourth live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie will reportedly hit theaters this first half of 2027.

- Kakao Entertainment confirms live-action adaptation of the Solo Leveling webtoon series.

- Singles Inferno season 4 contestant and former Produce 48 contestant Lee Si An was sued by her agency.

- Baseball players Ichiro, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner are indicted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

TTFN.