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

                  

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

- Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian apologized to his fellow senators for having to extend the session until December 29 for the ratification of the 2026 national budget. Gatchalian said he knew his colleagues wanted to be with their families this Christmas but preferred to stay in the country to work on the budget and ensure its ratification.

- Senate President Pro Tempore Panpilo “Ping” Lacson believes that documents left behind by the late former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral will help in the investigation into anomalous projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

- Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognizes the important role of the military and police in maintaining peace as the Christmas season approaches. According to the President, he is confident that the Christmas celebration will be smooth and safe due to the continued vigilance of soldiers and police throughout the country this holiday season.

- Two men guilty of plotting an assault on a mass gathering of Jewish people in the Manchester area.

- More Jeffrey Epstein files were publicized, including a request for "inappropriate friends" and flights on the late sexual offender's jet.

- KGM previewed the next-generation Musso truck codenamed Q300.

- CUPRA teases the Raval compact EV hatchback coming next year.

- DK Metcalf's two-game ban was upheld, and he will forfeit $555K

- Brooks Koepka will not return to LIV Golf in 2026, citing family reasons.

- Russell Brand was charged with two new offences, one of rape and one of sexual assault.

TTFN.

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

                 

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

- The number of new voters for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections has reached over 1 million, according to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) warns PUV drivers and operators using fake documents that they may be jailed and fined ₱2 million.

- Former DPWH Usec. Maria Catalina Cabral's driver, Ricardo Hernandez, may be subjected to a lie detector test, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

- Thousands of dinosaur footprints were discovered in Lombardy, Italy.

- A laser was used for the restoration and preservation of the Marcus Aurelius column in Rome.

- A US regulator approved the pill form of Wegovy weight loss drug, an alternative to injections.

- KYOJO CUP 2026 season tryouts have commenced following Toyota Gazoo Racing's reveal of its 2026 Japanese Motorsports Programme, detailing its KYOJO Cup and GT300 lineups, among others.

- DK Metcalf got suspended for two games after breaking up a fight with a fan.

- Mito Pereira retires from pro golf after three LIV seasons.

- The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to play in a dome in the state of Kansas in 2031.

- Singer Chris Rea passed away at the age of 74.

- Singer Barry Manilow was diagnosed with lung cancer.

TTFN.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Korea's Internet Self-Regulatory Body Introduces New Guidelines for Webtoons, Web Novels

 

The Korea Internet Self-Governance Organization (KISO) announced on December 12 that it has established new self-regulatory guidelines for story-based digital content, including webtoons and web novels.

KISO is a non-governmental, industry-led self-regulatory body comprising major Korean internet and platform companies. It was created to promote responsible content governance while avoiding direct government regulation, with an emphasis on protecting freedom of expression through voluntary industry standards.

The newly introduced "Story-Based Content Self-Regulation Guidelines" outline standards and review procedures for identifying hate speech and inappropriate expressions within narrative content. The guidelines are built on four core principles: respect for creators' freedom of expression, prevention of harm caused by hate speech, expanded voluntary participation by creators and users, and the pursuit of social diversity.

To assess whether content constitutes hate speech, the guidelines present specific evaluation factors, including narrative context, likelihood of serious misunderstanding, balance of expression, tolerance within the expression, and the overall weight or proportion of problematic content within a work.

With the adoption of these guidelines, major platforms such as Naver WEBTOON and Kakao Entertainment will be able to take measures—including content revisions or suspension of publication—when content is deemed to contain hate speech, based on KISO's review decisions.

Hyun-kyung Kim, chair of KISO's Special Committee on Story-Based Content and a professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology's Graduate School of IT Policy, said the guidelines were designed to respect creative freedom while providing review standards that can be clearly explained and accepted by users. She emphasized that KISO's founding purpose is to safeguard freedom of expression through self-regulation rather than public enforcement.

The move reflects growing efforts within Korea's digital content industry to balance creative freedom with social responsibility as webtoons and web novels continue to expand their cultural and global influence.

Source: Anime News Network 

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

                

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

- The PH Supreme Court upholds the murder verdict against police officers involved in the Kian delos Santos case.

- Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon challenges Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste to release the full list of 2025 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects listing and proponents.

- The PH Department of Justice (DOJ) confirms that Syms construction contractor Sally Santos returned ₱15 million as part of partial restitution.

- Former Finance Secretary and now Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and former PhilHealth Pres. Emmanuel Ledesma is now facing criminal complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman. The complaints of plunder, graft, malversation, and grave misconduct against Recto and Ledesma were filed with the Ombudsman by various labor groups.

- Thousands of long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files were released by the US Justice Department.

- Children's author and comedian David Walliams was dropped by HarperCollins UK.

- The Trump administration is imposing restrictions on rail operators in Mexico following concerns of accidents due to a lack of English proficiency.

- The NTSB recovered the cockpit voice recorder in the Biffle crash investigation.

- The FIA WEC's tire contract bid process begins.

- Last weekend's Jump Festa delivered major announcements such as SAKAMOTO DAYS anime returning for season 2, ONE PIECE's Elbaph Arch coming this April, Chainsaw Man's Assassins arc getting a TV anime, BLEACH's Thousand Year Blood War anime returning this July 2026, Dan Da Dan TV anime returning this 2027, and more.

- Actress Rie Miyamura joins the cast of Kamen Rider Zeztz as The Lady.

- Gakuen IDOLM@STER's Story of Re:Iris airs on Tokyo MX on January 1, 2026.

- DC Studios' Supergirl movie coming June 26, 2026.

TTFN.

Gran Turismo World Series 2025 FINAL

The 2025 Japan Mobility Show in Fukuoka is the final event for the 2025 Gran Turismo World Series. In the previous round, the Manufacturers Cup was a tightly contested battle between front-runners Subaru, Mazda, and BMW. Meanwhile, in the Nations Cup, J. Serrano's lead was reduced to just 5 points ahead of P. Urra.

It's time to find out the champions of this year's GTWS.

Screengrab from Gran Turismo

In the Manufacturers Cup, Porsche delivered a come-from-nowhere trick to beat BMW and Mazda and emerged as the first non-Japanese car manufacturer to take home the Gran Turismo World Series Manufacturers Cup title. In the Nations Cup, meanwhile, Jose Serrano from Spain beats Japan's Takuma Miyazono and fellow Spaniard Pol Urra to take home the Nations Cup title.

Full Results: https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/gt7/news/00_8539739.html

And that concludes the 2025 Gran Turismo World Series. The 2026 season will kick off in Abu Dhabi on March 28, 2026.

SIDE NOTE: Come 2026, be sure to update your cars' setup due to annual PP changes.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

We've watched SpongeBob and Patrick journey through Shell City to retrieve King Neptune's crown in his movie debut. Later, they teamed up with others to go to the surface and confront a rogue pirate who possesses the Krabby Patty formula. After that, SpongeBob and Patrick entered a 3D adventure, traveling to the ends of the sea to find SpongeBob's pet snail, Gary. Now, the fourth SpongeBob movie has landed, and this time...beware of The Flying Dutchman!

The SpongeBob Movie:
Search for SquarePants

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is the fourth film in Nickelodeon's SpongeBob universe. In this latest movie mayhem, SpongeBob and Patrick encounter a sinister pirate ghost known as The Flying Dutchman, voiced by Mark Hamill (Star Wars series), which leads them to The Underworld. This movie features a theme song, Big Guy, by singer Ice Spice.

While this movie may not be as large in scale as previous SpongeBob films, it delves into the true motives of The Flying Dutchman, a recurring character in the SpongeBob universe. Fans have grown accustomed to The Flying Dutchman's shenanigans since his debut in a Halloween episode several years ago, but this film reveals the Dutchman's origins. 

In classic SpongeBob fashion, the movie is packed with hilarious jokes and gags that fans will love. Even with the Underworld’s spooky undertones, SpongeBob enthusiasts are sure to find plenty to laugh at throughout the film.

The SpongeBob universe is one heck of an undersea riot for two and a half decades, and this latest movie proves that our super-absorbent pal and the denizens of Bikini Bottom are here to stay. So, get your butts out of your homes and into the cinemas to watch SpongeBob's latest movie escapade. Oh, and don't get yourself some butt cramps like Patrick.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron's Avatar universe returns with its third installment of the franchise, and this time, fire and fury will erupt in Pandora as it struggles against a new kind of threat.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment of James Cameron's Avatar universe, continues the ongoing struggle of the Human-Na'vi Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) and his family as he confronts an ongoing war not just against corrupt humans but also rival Na'vi factions vying for Pandora.

This installment explores the nuances of the Na’vi that have not been delved into within the Avatar universe. It presents a conflict between different Na’vi factions, along with humans, as they vie for power on Pandora. This battle represents a significant turning point in the franchise.

Controversial the storytelling is, the classic Avatar visual spectacle lives on. The stunning visual effects that championed the Avatar series since the first movie live on in this third chapter, which promises to be a must-watch of the holiday season.

Return to Pandora with this third chapter of James Cameron's Avatar universe that is going to be a huge turning point for the franchise.