Let's Do The News! (March 13, 2025)

               

                                        

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

- Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte thanked her supporters as she joined alongside her embattled father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is en route to The Netherlands facing trial with the ICC for his alleged crimes against humanity.

- Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa will speak with Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero to seek protection from the PH Senate amid his possible arrest by the International Criminal Court. According to Dela Rosa, one of his options is to seek protection from the Senate to prevent the possibility of his arrest.

- Pope Francis's health remains stable and his recent chest scan shows improvement.

- The Pakistan army says it has freed over 300 hostages from a passenger train seized by the militant group in Balochistan province.

- The vessel's owner says the captain of the cargo ship that crashed in the North Sea is a Russian national.

- The Mitsuoka Himiko is ending production this year and a one-of-ten Final Himiko special model will feature one exterior color in each unit.

2025 Mitsuoka Final Himiko

- BMW previews its Neue Klasse era sedan.

- All You Need Is Kill is getting an anime adaptation.

- Saudi-based mobile publisher Scopely will take over Niantic's game business. Niantic will sell Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now for US$3.85 billion.

- Kim Soo Hyun faces backlash for his alleged relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron.

- Boxer Carl Jammes Martin is making his US debut in his Las Vegas fight against Colombian boxer Jose Sanmartin in their 10-round fight in Las Vegas this March 22nd.

- Comedian Vice Ganda warns against fake posts about former president Rodrigo Duterte.

TTFN.

My FM Log: Heroes

The Toyota GR Yaris and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N are prize cars in Forza Motorsport's Daily Racers update. Having got my hands on these two everyday heroes on the road and track, let's get to know them two.

I acquired the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N by completing the Open Class Tour update or finishing 10 races in the Open Class Featured Multiplayer until the March 12, 2025, deadline. 

The IONIQ 5 N is the high-performance variant of the IONIQ 5 crossover and signifies that Hyundai N is embracing electrification.

Equipped with an 84 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors that power both the front and rear wheels, the IONIQ 5 N delivers a default output of 609 PS and 740 Nm of torque. When the N Grin Boost feature is activated for ten seconds, the power increases to 650 PS. Additionally, with N Launch Control engaged, it can achieve a 0-100 km/h time of just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h.

Hyundai has truly excelled with the IONIQ 5 N, which has won the 2024 World Performance Car award as well as Top Gear's 2023 Car of the Year. This high-performance electric crossover not only boasts an impressive design but also the power and speed to match. Its recent achievement of setting a new record at Pikes Peak with a time of 9 minutes and 30.852 seconds in the Modified and Production SUV/Crossover classes further underscores its performance capabilities.

Moving to the Toyota GR Yaris that I acquired by completing the Daily Racers Tour or finishing 10 races in the Daily Racers featured multiplayer until the March 26, 2025 deadline.

Known as the second JDM sports car of the Reiwa era, the GR Yaris served as the template for Toyota's next rally car. Take the fourth-generation Yaris, strip the two extra doors off, make it wider, jam it with the G16E-GTS 1.6L 3-cylinder intercooler turbo engine, and lodge it with the GR-FOUR four-wheel-drive system. The result is a road-legal rally car akin to the legendary Toyota Celica GT-FOUR.

In addition to the 1.6L turbocharged variant, there is a cheaper and much slower RS variant with the 1.5L M15A-FKS engine mated to a CVT.

Having acquired these two high-performance Asian superheroes, let's drive these two around Brands Hatch to prove just how "super" these everyday superheroes are.

They both know how to use their superpowers effectively. As the saying goes, "with great power comes great responsibility." That's why I admire them both.

Anyway, enjoy your new rides.

The Sweetest Time

The Nijigasaki High School Idol Club has introduced the Monthly Songs project, similar to Aqours' monthly birthday song singles. Each month, one of your favorite members will get a chance to shine. For the March edition of the Nijigaku Monthly Songs project, Ayumu Uehara takes over.

The Sweetest Time

Ayumu Uehara, voiced by Aguri Onishi, takes over the March edition of the Nijigaku Monthly Songs project with her featured song "The Sweetest Time". This third installment includes this featured track and the additional song titled "Secret".

Next month...Kasumi Nakasu.

TRACK LISTINGS:

01. The Sweetest Time

02. Secret

03. The Sweetest Time (Off Vocal)

04. Secret (Off Vocal)

Let's Do The News! (March 12, 2025)

              

                                        

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

- Philippine President Bongbong Marcos says they have a document that will explain the basis for the arrest of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. President Marcos insists there is no politics involved in the arrest of his predecessor.

- A holy mass was held at the EDSA Shrine attended by individuals who support the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. According to the Clergy for Good Governance, the mass is being offered to the victims of extrajudicial killings that occurred during the previous administration.

- Senator Bong Go shared a photo of former president Rodrigo Duterte, reportedly in Dubai with former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea.

- Atty. Salvador Panelo, along with his son Atty. Salvador Paolo Jr., filed a writ of habeas corpus with the PH Supreme Court to challenge the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

- The Trump administration's 25% tariff on all imports of steel and aluminum takes effect. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump halts plan to double steel and aluminum tariffs for Canadian imports, according to senior officials.

- Ukraine says it is ready to accept the 30-day ceasefire, as the US says the "ball now in Russia's court". Meanwhile, the US says it will resume intel sharing and security assistance to Ukraine immediately.

- The Lexus RZ was updated for the 2026 model year with the inclusion of a steer-by-wire yoke. In addition to the front-wheel-drive 224PS RZ350e and the 381PS 4WD RZ500e, it features the range-topper RZ550e F Sport with twin-motor setup generating 408PS of power and Interactive Manual Drive feature.

- The Morgan Supersport was unveiled. The new model is powered by the 3.0L turbo six-cylinder engine with 335bhp of power while mated to a BMW-sourced 8-speed AT.

2026 Morgan Supersport

- The Longbow Roadster and Speedster were unveiled.

- Nissan names Ivan Espinosa as the company's new CEO.

- The Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines has been suspended by the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sport. As a result, the Philippine Olympic Committee has been asked to manage the affairs of billiards in the country for the next three months. The Philippine sports body cited several reasons for this suspension, including conflicts of interest, the failure to hold elections for an extended period, organizing international tournaments without the necessary approvals from either the Asian or world governing bodies and a lack of proper care for Filipino billiard athletes.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (March 11, 2025)

             

                                        

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

- Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on ICC warrant over his drug war.

- The Office for Transportation Security has named three of its personnel who were fired for their "tanim-bala" scheme. The sacked Screening Security Officers are Guia Anne Saturos, Charmaine Saddam, and Jobelle Abesamis.

- Pope Francis's condition is improving but he remains hospitalized to recover from his bilateral pneumonia.

- One crew member remains missing and the search has ended after the North Sea collision with both ships still on fire. The tanker in the North Sea collision was carrying US military jet fuel while the cargo ship had sodium cyanide on board.

- US stocks plunged as fears grew over the Trump regime's tariffs. The NASDAQ dropped 4 percent, and other markets suffered heavy losses.

- The FIA is taking full control of the WorldRX and EuroRX after promoter exit.

- Seiyuu Yoshimasa Hosoya announces marriage.

- Actor Kim Mu-yeol will star in the live-action adaptation of the webtoon Get Schooled.

- INFINITE member Sunjoing won the lawsuit against his former agency for unpaid earnings.

- Singer Wheesung passed away at the age of 43.

TTFN.

Kia EV4

The first-ever Kia EV4 is an all-electric medium sedan that promises to pick up where past Kia compact medium sedans such as the Sephia, the Spectra, the Cerato, the Forte, and the K3 left off. Let's learn more about Kia's newest EV compact medium sedan, which is bound to be the commoner's EV car.

2026 Kia EV4

Starting at 41,920,000 Korean Won plus additional costs, the first-ever Kia EV4 comes to life from concept to reality as an all-electric compact medium sedan that is sadly unrivaled because no one dared to make an EV compact midsize sedan like Kia's.

2026 Kia EV4

If it weren't for the Kia logo, someone could easily mistake the new EV4 at the front for a forgotten Toyota city car from several decades ago: the Will Cypha. Some have even questioned whether the styling is good enough to have inherited the concept car's looks in the mass-produced EV sedan. There are also doubts about the rearview's awkward appearance. Kia says the EV4's four-door format should be considered as a sedan but its potent and impactful lines represent not just another sedan, but an entirely new type of EV sedan that stands as a symbol of innovation.

2026 Kia EV4 interior

The interior is about as roomy as the now-defunct K3 it replaces. Behind the wheel, you will be treated by its 30-inch wide-screen with its 12.3-inch instrumental and a 12.3-inch touch screen with AI Assistant that controls the entire car from navigation to infotainment, not to mention the Vehicle Smart TV solution that allows you to watch Netflix, Disney+. YouTube, and other streaming services. It even comes with a Built-in Cam 2 Plus, which comes in handy in case of sweet potatoes.

On the passenger side, the EV4 packs numerous conveniences such as a pop-up sliding armrest table, an electrical outlet to plug your gadgets, a USB-C port, and a rear trunk that carries up to class-leading 490 liters of boot space. Common sense.

2026 Kia EV4

Let's dig through the EV4's all-electric capabilities. Powered by a choice of a 58.3kWh for standard range models, and an 81.4kWh battery pack for Long Range and GT-Line models, the front-mounted electric motor generates 150kW of power and 283Nm of torque. Standard Range models get up to 382km of driving range in one full charge while Long Range models get up to 533km of driving range. Not bad for an EV midsize sedan that weighs less than two tons. While the front-wheel-drive dynamics and its E-GMP platform are common sense to drive, the EV4 comes with the new i-PEDAL 3.0, the updated version of the i-PEDAL system that now comes with reverse function and memory function upon restart.

The EV4 features a wide array of advanced safety features such as a driver forward-facing camera, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist 2, steering wheel grip function, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Remote Smart Parking Assist, Intelligent Headlamp, and Surround View Monitor.

The first-ever Kia EV4 is all about convenience and common-sense driving done right. However, I should admit that, amid its unquestionable convenience and common sense, the car's looks and price tag are a different story. This EV is taking shape to fill the void left by the K3.

Available Colors: Snow White Pearl, Ivory Silver, Sail Gray, Aurora Black Pearl, Morning Haze, Magma Red, Ivory Matte Silver, and Yacht Matte Blue.

Photo: Kia

Guinness Men's Six Nations 2025 ROUND 4

The penultimate round of the 2025 Guinness Men's 6 Nations pits England v Italy, Ireland v France, and Scotland v Wales.

Screengrab from Six Nations

Focusing on the Scotland v Wales match at Murrayfield Stadium, despite best efforts from the Welsh team, it wasn't enough to bring Scotland down at the score of 35-29 with Blair Kinghorn and Tom Jordan the heavy hitters of the game with Finn Russell pulled the most conversions.

Meanwhile, England beats Italy at the score of 47-24 while France beats Ireland 42-27.

With France and England tied in the lead, which team will deserve to be this season's champions? Don't miss the Guinness Men's Six Nations finale this Saturday, May 15, with Italy v Ireland, Wales v England, and France v Scotland.