Let's Do The News! (April 21, 2025)

                                     

                                        

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

- Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88, as confirmed by the Vatican. He was the first Pope from Latin America and had been in the Vatican for 12 years as the successor to Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. During his tenure, Pope Francis dedicated his life to God and the Church. He also taught his devotees to live the values of the Gospel with honesty, courage, and love throughout the world, in favor of the poorest and marginalized sectors.

- Classes at the City of Malabon University were suspended after it was disrupted by a "bomb threat".

- The 40th Balikatan Exercise has commenced. During the opening ceremony earlier today at Camp Aguinaldo, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said that Balikatan will not only showcase physical strength, but also stronger cooperation and alliances between security partner countries in the Indo-Pacific Region.

- The Commission on Elections Advisory Council (CAC), led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has reconvened to ensure the upcoming elections are safe and clean, amid growing threats to online platforms. The meeting discussed measures to combat digital misinformation and cyber threats, including working with tech giants such as TikTok, Google, and Meta.

- The Court of Appeals has dismissed the petition of PO1 Jeffrey Perez questioning the sentence awarded to him by the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court (RTC) in connection with the killing of two youths during the height of former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Based on a 50-page decision written by Associate Justice Eduardo Ramos Jr., the decision of the Caloocan City RTC Branch 122 was affirmed on November 10, 2022.

- ICC prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed that the investigation on former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs will continue.

- The Malacañang welcomes the placement of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Google Maps.

- Former miss A member Min announces marriage.

- Soccer matches in Italy were paused in solidarity for Pope Francis' passing.

- The NBA unveils its award finalists for the 2024-25 season.

TTFN.

F1 2025 - STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

F1's 75th anniversary celebrations continue in Jeddah for the STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. As McLaren leads in driver and constructor standings, will its plot for world domination continue in the heat of the Arabian street race night?

Screengrab from F1

Oscar Piastri made headlines in Jeddah by beating Max Verstappen to the finish line and snatching Lando Norris' lead by 10 points in the Driver Standings. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc completes the Jeddah podium with a third-place finish. Other finishers include Norris, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and Isack Hadjar.

With Piastri leading the Driver Standings for the first time in his career and McLaren remaining solid in the Team Standings, will it continue?

The next race is the Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix this May 3, 2025.

FIA WEC S13 - 6 Hours of Imola

The 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship continues in the legendary Imola racetrack for the 6 Hours of Imola endurance race. Following Ferrari's victory in Qatar, will it deliver another triumph on its home turf?

Screengrab from WEC

For the first time since Ferrari's return to top-level endurance racing, the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P secured a victory on home ground, triumphing over competitors like BMW and Alpine to achieve a full European Hypercar podium. Meanwhile, the #92 Manthey 1st Phorm 911 GT3 R clinched a narrow victory against the #46 Team WRT M4 GT3 EVO in the LMGT3 class.

The next event is the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this May 8-10, 2025.

F1 Academy 2025 - Jeddah

The F1 Academy 2025 season continues in Jeddah Corniche, which hosts the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This race features Farah Alyousef as a wild card entry, adding to the excitement. Meanwhile, the drivers are enduring the intense heat of this Middle Eastern event.

Screengrab from F1 Academy

In the first race of the Reverse Grid, Ella Lloyd, a Rodin driver backed by McLaren, achieved her first F1 Academy race win. Emma Felbermayr, another Rodin driver supported by Sauber, finished in second place. Alisha Palmowski, the Campos driver sponsored by Red Bull Racing, rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.

In the second race, Chloe Chambers experienced a penalty that cost her the win, dropping her to second place. As a result, Maya Weug, backed by Ferrari, was promoted to first place. Doriane Pin, the Mercedes-supported Iron Dame, secured the third position on the podium.

The next race is at Miami this May 2-4, 2025.

Super Formula 2025 - Round 3-4

The MobilityResort Motegi is the next stop for the Super Formula 2025 season, and this race weekend is as intense as an Easter egg hunt. No eggs to hunt, just wins.

Screengrab from Super Formula

In the first race, Tadasuke Makino secured the victory by beating Kakunoshin Ohta, while Igor Fraga finished in third place, achieving the best Super Formula result for a Gran Turismo veteran. In the second race, however, the outcome was the opposite, with Ohta winning against Makino. Former F2 racer Ayumu Iwasa claimed third place in this race.

The next race is at Autopolis for Round 5 this May 17-18, 2025.

2025 O-NE SUPERRACE CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1

The O-NE Superrace Championship returns for its 2025 season, and this year introduces some changes to the race classes. 

While the M Class, as well as the Prius PHV Cup and the Alpine Class, which debuted last season, are still part of the lineup, the entry-level GT Class has been divided into two separate categories. The new GTA Class features Genesis Coupe drivers, while the GTB Class is limited to front-wheel-drive cars with 2.0L engines. Additionally, the top-level Super 6000 class has been renamed the Toyota Gazoo Racing Super 6000 Class. This season, a few GT4 race cars will also join the field alongside the GR Supra Super 6000 race cars.

Everland Speedway is the first battleground of the new season, and this opener will decide who will draw first blood.

Screengrab from Superrace

The Kumho SLM team drew first blood with a 1-2 finish, with Lee Chang-wook the winner and No Dong-gi the second placer. Jang Hyunjin of Seohan GP completes the podium with a third-place finish.

The next race is at Korea International Circuit this May 25, 2025

Doctor Who S2E2 Episode Review

The Doctor and Belinda's adventure continues in the second episode of Doctor Who Season 2, Lux. This episode has something the Whoniverse should have done a long time ago: a 2D CARTOON CHARACTER!

Doctor Who S2E2

HOLD IT! Before my quick review, ensure you have already watched the episode. Then, come back here when you have.