Jubilee of Mercy: Jubilee for those Engaged in Pilgrimage Work

Jubilee of Mercy logo

The Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy, which is ongoing until the 13th of November, 2016, continues with the three-day Jubilee for those Engaged in Pilgrimage Work, which ran from the 19th to the 21st of January, 2016. 

In the last day of the three-day Jubilee for those Engaged in Pilgrimage Work, Pope Francis leads the Jubilee at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City. The Pope told the participants that making pilgrimages to shrines is one of the most eloquent expressions of the faith of God's people, and is a form of evangelization that needs to be promoted and valued.

URL: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pope-francis-lead-the-jubilee-for-those-engaged-in-news-photo/506028690

The next event for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy will be on the 10th of February, 2016, for the Missionaries of Mercy.

Let's Do The News! (January 21, 2016)

- The House of Representatives sets voting for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law for next week, which seeks the creation of a new autonomous region in Mindanao. According to the Cagayan de Oro representative Rufus Rodriguez, the chamber has entered the period of amendments. They will set the voting on Wednesday as long as they have the quorum.

- The Commission of Elections has released the initial list of presidentiables, vice presidentiables, and senatorial candidates for the May 2016 elections.

- According to the Department of Defense official, several nations are interested to sell their military equipment to the Philippines. The official noted that the nations have to follow R.A. 9184 or Act Providing For The Modernization, Standardization And Regulation Of The Procurement Activities Of The Government And For Other Purposes. Nations like the US, Russia, Australia, and South Korea are heavily interested to bring their defense equipment to the Philippines.

- A British investigation points out that Russian leader Vladimir Putin likely authorized the murder of a former British agent in London. An agent, named Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned to death ten years ago using a radioactive isotope. He had been publicly criticizing the Putin administration and was living in exile at the time of his death.

- Yesterday, there was a terrorist attack on a university in the northwestern town of Charsadda in Pakistan, killing twenty people after a group of four attackers stormed the campus. A man who claimed to be from the Taliban claimed responsibility. Now, students have gathered to mourn the victims of the attack. They held a prayer of silence while a verse from the Koran was recited to mourn the victims.

- Onto the Jakarta attacks, Indonesian authorities believed that the network of the Islamic State supporters has been formed in the country.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye; for their 27th weeksary, AlDub and the lolas visited the Lumban Central Elementary School for the grand opening of their first ever AlDub Library. This is one of the libraries that resulted from the biggest proceeds claimed from last year's Sa Tamang Panahon live event.

- One of PC's most respected sim racing games, Assetto Corsa, is heading to the PS4 and XBOX One on the 22nd of April, 2016.

- For the January update of the PS3-exclusive free-to-play Ace Combat Infinity, a hard difficulty on the Moscow Battle and an expert-level Excalibur Onslaught IV has been added. Coming soon, a brand new team deathmatch called Ring Battle will be added. To make it more interesting, four new planes have been added such as the MiG-35D Super Fulcrum, F-14B Tomcat, EA-6B Prowler, and the ultra-mysterious ADA-01B Adler.



- The special James Bond exhibition, called Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style, will open in the Grande Halle De La Villette in Paris on the 16th of April to the 4th of September, 2016. It will feature some of the finest Bond stuff from Dr. No to the latest SPECTRE.

TTFN!!!

Suzuki Ignis (FF21S)

Last year, at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki once showcased one of the most bizarre models ever made that will be available to the motoring public this year. It's called the Ignis and while this name sounds familiar to anyone who used to own one under the "Chevrolet Cruze" banner (not to be confused with the saloon we are familiar with), it's now a car with different personalities.

2016 Suzuki Ignis

Is it a sedan? Is it a hatchback? Is it a crossover? Is it a coupe? You can't really tell which is which because the Ignis looks like most of it above. It can look like a sedan, a hatchback, a coupe, and a crossover, but above all, the Ignis looks like it's the best of all worlds.

2016 Suzuki Ignis interior

2016 Suzuki Ignis interior

On the inside, the Ignis looks more like a European hatchback, except it isn't European because the Ignis is strictly Japanese and you know how Japanese people look over small cars. It's got seating for four people, some concessions for comfort, and a nifty touch screen featuring satellite navigation, Aha Radio, and the first for a Japanese car sold in the Japanese market, Apple CarPlay connectivity. This means, the Ignis, despite its small sizing and its confusing body style, is surprisingly high-tech inside out.

2016 Suzuki Ignis

Here's a little heads-up about the new Suzuki Ignis because the powerplant is highly similar to the latest Suzuki Solio. Yep, it comes with Suzuki's Mild Hybrid technology that works in tandem with SUZUKI GREEN TECHNOLOGY. It's powered by a K12C Dual Jet engine producing 91PS of power and 118Nm of torque, while coupled with an Integrated Starter Generator, Lithium-ion Battery, an updated idling stop system, and CVT, resulting in 28.8kmpl of fuel consumption based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards.

As for dynamics, the Ignis stays true to its simplicity thanks to its front MacPherson struts, rear Torsion beams, and of course the Rack and Pinion Steering, meaning it doesn't feel as comfortable and as sporty as any other hatchbacks are known today and it doesn't feel as rugged as any offroad-capable crossovers, which isn't a case for those if you may ask.

In terms of being a tech-savvy compact, the Ignis comes with numerous safety features in store such as a dual camera brake support system, Lane Departure Warning, Stagger Alarm Function, Preceding Vehicle Start Alert, Emergency Stop Signal that warns drivers at the back, ESP, and 4-wheel ABS. This car sure knows some tough love to the drivers owning one.

Should you buy one? The Ignis starts at 1,382,400 Japanese Yen, which sounds very reasonable for a compact car with a rather confusing category to begin with but with all that tech loaded in a small car, the Ignis fits well not just as a city car but a car fit for your next weekend getaway.

Available colors: Flame Orange Pearl Metallic, Pure White Pearl, Premium Silver Metallic, Super Black Pearl, Neon Blue Metallic, Helios Gold Pearl Metallic, Fervent Red, Boost Blue Pearl Metallic, Flame Orange Pearl Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, Neon Blue Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, , Helios Gold Pearl Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, , Pure White Pearl Black 2 Tone Roof, and Fervent Red Black 2 Tone Roof, 

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

For those who never heard of a Mitsuoka Ryugi, let's take a quick reminder that Mitsuoka's fancy compact midsize car is basically an eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla in a Rolls-Royce getup. Now, the Ryugi range welcomes a station wagon version packed with more space and tech.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

Yes, it's basically a Toyota Corolla Fielder underneath but you can still get some Rolls-Royce-ish elements as seen on its sedan counterpart, just to make it somewhat neoclassical despite being made from a commoner's car every Japanese salaryman would own for his day to day use.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon interior

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon interior

Because this is basically a Corolla Fielder underneath, you can still expect the similar interior that you get from the Toyota Corolla and some added space fit for your grocery shopping list. The length, width and the height of the Ryugi Wagon's interior is highly similar to the Corolla Fielder's and it seats up to five people, making it an ideal boutique family car for those who think their once-stylish Corolla Fielder isn't fancy enough to be driven on a fancy restaurant or a country club for some golf.

Under the hood, the Ryugi Wagon can be fitted with either a 1.5L 1NZ-FE, a 1.5L 2NR-FKE, a 1.5L 1NZ-FXE hybrid powerplant, or a more powerful 1.8L 2ZR-FAE engine. Most models do come with the CVT gearbox but entry-level versions do get a not-so-bad five speed manual gearbox. On the chassis side, the Ryugi Wagon doesn't sound fancy because its got a McPherson struts on the front and Torsion beams on the right. It's got rack-and-pinion steering so handling one is like every common salarymen do most of the time.

And because this is basically a Corolla Fielder underneath, the Ryugi Wagon comes with Toyota Safety Sense C consisting of three features such as a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and the Automatic High Beam function. Because this safety system as seen on the Toyota Corolla range seems to be working so well, this feature can also be added on the Ryugi saloon as well.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

The Ryugi Wagon starts from 2,499,120 to 3,398,760 Japanese Yen, which sounds more expensive than the Toyota Corolla Fielder it's based upon but needless to say that with this Corolla Fielder dressed as a Rolls-Royce, you can easily fool someone while driving through a country club or a five star hotel, claiming that you're driving a fancy luxury car, only the fact is that you're not driving one because this is a Mitsuoka and this is basically, well, you get the idea.

Available Colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Super Red V, Orange Metallic, Super White II, and Blue Metallic.

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (January 20, 2016)

- The Islamic State militants confirmed the death of their member known as "Jihadi John" in a drone strike in Syria last year. Jihadi John appeared in their videos that announced the executions of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, US journalists, and other Western hostages. He was known by his real name of Mohamed Emwazi, a British citizen.

- Following the historic lifting of sanctions against Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency is set to continue monitoring the situation whether Iran is adhering to the nuclear deal it reached with world powers.  Last week, the Western nations lifted sanctions after confirming that Iran met the requirements to restrict their nuclear operations under the 2015 deal. The IAEA will continue to monitor the situation.

- Continuing on the Jakarta attacks, sources revealed that an Indonesian explosives expert tagged as an al-Qaeda arms dealer deported two years ago after serving a ten year sentence may have returned to the country to continue his arms trade. He was identified as Agus Dwikarna, an associate to the late Osama bin Laden as a Jemaah Islamiyah arms supplier, who vowed to return to the Philippines after his release and deportation in early 2014.

- The Philippine National Police has arrested over 250 violators who violated the gun ban policy implemented during the election period. According to the PNP Spokesperson Chief Superintendent  Wilben Mayor, most of the violators are 238 civilians, two police officers, three government/elected officials, three members of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, two security guards, and a member from a law enforcement agency and the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit.

- Senator Grace Poe admitted that Philippine President Benigno Aquino III is responsible for the operation to neutralize the terrorist Marwan, which led to the death of forty-four Special Action Force members in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last year.

- Manny Pacquiao admittedly that his third fight against Tim Bradley happening on the 9th of April will be the last of his career and he felt sad walking away from the sport that rose him to superstardom.

- The organizers of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro have announced a number of cost-cutting measures amid the struggling Brazilian economy. Reports told that the number of volunteers will be slashed from 70,000 to 50,000. Also, they have cancelled the construction of viewing stands at the venue where the rowing events will be held and use tents for backstage facilities, but the anti-doping center and other facilities will be built as planned.

- Incoming Top Gear presenter Chris Evans got carsick during the shooting for their revamped show, due to air on the BBC this May.

- Bubble Gang's RJ Padilla and his wife Rosa Bianca Abdelsayed will welcome their second baby this March.

- TV presenter Roderick Paulate and three other Quezon City officials were sacked from their offices over their alleged hiring of "ghost employees" six years ago.

TTFN!!!

Forza Motorsport 6: Rise of the Lykan

The star attraction of Forza Motorsport 6's Ralph Lauren Polo Red Car Pack is the hypercar we are closely familiar with, probably thanks to its shot at fame from Furious 7. It's called the W Motors Lykan Hypersport and we are one of the lucky ones to sample Arab's first supercar in the world of Forza Motorsport. So, what's it all about?



W Motors is an Arab-based supercar company founded in 2012 and this is their maiden voyage into the supercar realm; the Lykan Hypersport.

After spending two years in development, the Lykan Hypersport made its first appearance at the Top Marques Monaco Auto Show. While this is truly Arab's first supercar, the engine is a boxer-six engine sourced from Ruf, developing 780HP of power, and with the seven-speed PDK equipped, it is capable of doing 0-100kph in 2.8 seconds and onwards to 395kph. Apart from its performance, the Lykan Hypersport comes with carbon-fiber bodywork, an active spoiler system, and six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers with ventilated, cross-drilled ceramic composite discs.

This car is limited to seven units, making it one of the rarest cars in the world. Exclusivity aside, the LED headlight in the Lykan is encrusted with 220 diamonds or a combination of any other precious or semi-precious stones chosen by the customer. A Lykan Hypersport owner is entitled to a private concierge provided by Quintessentially Group as well as ownership of a very exclusive Franck Muller Lykan watch.

This car rose to stardom when it appeared in Furious 7, the seventh installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise, where Dom and Brian hijacked one and iconically leaped through a tall building, making it one of the most insane car stunt moments in cinematic history and so insane, experts wanted to test this film theory at their own risk.



Anyway, while we are not in the mood to leap this car from one building to another like we saw in the film, the chance to enjoy the rare delicacy is much as enjoyable as reminiscing the days of you and I playing a nice game of Ridge Racer. While this may look similar to any of the Ridge Racer cars, the Lykan Hypersport is one heck of a crazy beast not to be meddled with. I mean, sure, it was bewildering to push forward on the straights because of such raw power, but when handling this one, best to be sure you've done this perfectly because it's going to feel like taking on your unheard Love Live song in expert level difficulty. It's a struggle but with such skill, you can tame this feral beast with surgical precision.



Speaking of which, I decided to give one a try by driving the Lykan Hypersport around the entire Yas Marina Circuit to see how good Arab's first supercar is...



Like I mentioned before, the Lykan is a brute on the straights but it's terrifyingly hard to handle on the corners after full braking and such extremes set me a lap time of just 2:27.862. Perhaps I can do better than that but rest assured that the Lykan Hypersport is a fun addition to the FM6 car roster and anyone who watched Furious 7 last year can score a chance to drive one in the world of Forza. You can count on it.

Sakkaku Crossroads

Sakkaku Crossroads

After the recent success of Printemps' WAO-WAO Powerful Day! and lily white's Omoide Ijou ni Naritakute, now it's the turn of Bibi, consisting of Eli Ayase, Nico Yazawa, and Maki Nishikino, to perform their latest single titled Sakkaku Crossroads, which is now integrated to the Love Live! School Idol Festival app game for a limited time. With all three singles set and ready, think you can clear them all from EASY to HARD? I bet most of you managed to finish most of the difficulties in FULL COMBO and S Rank.

Anyway, this latest single features two songs, 錯覚CROSSROADS and PSYCHIC FIRE, as heard on the School Idol Festival game and for a limited time only, there's a serial code that can unlock a Super Rare μ's idol for use in the School Idol Festival game.

TRACK LISTINGS:

1)錯覚CROSSROADS

2)PSYCHIC FIRE

3)錯覚CROSSROADS(Off Vocal)

4)PSYCHIC FIRE(Off Vocal)