Following the series of powerful quakes struck the Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, a powerful M7.7 quake struck the coastal part of Ecuador.
According to the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the quake, which is the strongest in history, occurred near Ecuador's northern coast at 2359 hours UTC and its focus was about 10km deep. A tsunami warning as high as one meter could hit the coast but three hours later, the warning was lifted.
So far, about 28 people died in the quake. Ecuadorian VP Jorge Gias said he is mobilizing military and police to clarify the extent of the damage as soon as possible.
The year 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Detective Conan franchise. From the pages of Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, over eight hundred TV episodes and counting, a slew of feature films, live-action specials, video games, and tons of merchandising rights, kids from Japan and all over the world became part of the never-ending crime-solving adventures of Shinichi Kudo or Conan Edogawa as he takes on the most ruthless criminals, solving puzzles, gaining evidence, and apprehend the culprit. With his array of gadgets and a little help from his friend Ran Mori and the Detective Boys (comprising of Genta, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, and Ai), everything's possible in Conan's perspective.
To honor the franchise's 20th year, this year's Conan film will be the biggest mystery yet for everyone's favorite junior detective. The franchise's 20th anniversary offering; Junkoku no Nightmare (The Darkest Nightmare), sees Conan and pals ventured to a newly remodeled aquarium in downtown Tokyo, when suddenly, Conan's encounter with a mysterious woman changes everything. The woman Conan encountered suffered a tragic memory loss and the gang will do everything they can to help her, even if they were in pursuit by Conan's longtime foe; the mysterious organization known as the Black Organization.
In true Conan fashion, this film features a colorful mix of action, suspense, mystery, romance, and a pinch of humor that will keep the whole family enjoy 'till the end. As the story deepens, this film gets more and more interesting just as what you expect from the past Detective Conan films. Having been on the block for over 20 years, Conan's used to desperate situations to pin down the smoothest of criminals but this film is the most extreme yet because he had to use whatever means necessary to unmask the truth even if it costs his life or his friends.
Whatever the risk is, this film is fun-filled with excitement the kids will surely love. Of course, since this is a family movie made in honor of the franchise's 20th year, fans of all kinds are more than welcome to celebrate Detective Conan's 20th anniversary by enjoying this film.
We have two guests who are either late to the party or came here for the very first time. One is somewhat Euro-American and the other is quintessentially British on the other side. So, let's meet up with the open-top slowpokes who came to the open-top party too late or too early.
2016 Buick Cascada
First, let's meet with the latecomer known as the Buick Cascada. Well, basically this is imported from Europe's Opel division and Australians can expect this as a Holden sometime. Anyway, when the Euro-sourced Cascada arrived in America, it seems that its welcoming party got cancelled. VW's Eos and Golf Cabriolet are long dead as are Chrysler's old 200 Convertible. Which means, this car is running unopposed you can't even compare this one to a Mazda Roadster because...that's too cheeky.
Anyway, while Buick's open-top newcomer came here on its own free will, let's get some answers while this car catches some fresh air. Like its European equivalent, the Cascada has the same underpinning as the Verano, meaning that its got some clever Euro-tuned dynamics for a sporty handling that gets the driver into grooves. Under the hood?a 1.6L turbocharged petrol engine generating 200HP of power and 206lb-ft of torque while delivering an EPA-estimated Fuel Economy Highway of 27MPG. Of course, it's mated with a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Other features? Well, this open-top Buick comes with a host of tech such as Buick Intellilink, rear park assist, automatic headlamps, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, RainSense wipers, and so much more.
The price? It's 33,990 Dollars for the base 1SV while the top-of-the-range Premium costs 36,990 Dollars. Like I said, it's running unopposed because there are no front-wheel drive convertibles in the market that can compete against the Cascada in the North American market. It's a shame really because while it maybe late for the party, the Cascada tries to reinvent itself from the ground up. So, what about the newcomer who came to the party for the first try?
2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible
The world's first open-top convertible from Land Rover, called the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, and remember, you saw this one first because I'm not mentioning about the Cr_ssC_br__l_t (vowels blocked for search query reasons) from a distant past because the Evoque Convertible is the first of its kind and that's the end of it.
Based on the recently-facelifted Range Rover Evoque Coupe, the Convertible features similar stuff from the coupe with the clever Z-folding roof system which can be operated at speeds of up to 30mph. Think of this first-ever convertible crossover is a mixture of a visit to the Caribbean beach to the African safari because this crossover changes everything...well, sorta.
The Evoque Convertible maybe heavier than its hardtop equivalent but its offroad capability still works its charm even with the roof up, meaning this sport utility convertible loves to play rough, rain or shine. On the road, it looks pleasantly head-turning because despite being hunky, the Evoque Convertible still looks attractive, roof up or down. In rough terrain, drivers wouldn't mind getting muddy or wet while driving with the roof open. For a stylish, yet adventurous, luxury convertible, the Evoque Convertible is available with either a 2.0L TD4 diesel or a 2.0L Si4 petrol engine, all mated with the brand new 9-speed automatic gearbox as seen on the facelifted Evoque range. The petrol variant is capable of reaching 0-60mph at 7.8 seconds and onwards to 130mph.
The Evoque Convertible starts at £47,500 OTR and just like the Cascada from Buick, it's running unopposed. It's kinda shame really but when you are going to compare these guests who are either late to the party or came here for the very first time, it will be humorous enough to see the late bloomers edging out together. So, which of those late bloomers would you choose? These convertibles maybe late for the party but it would be a blast to give them a try.
Early Saturday morning, a powerful 7.3 quake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, the same area where two quakes occured for the past two days, leaving over forty people reported dead and caused harsh damage in the infrastructure.
Right now, officials from Kumamoto and neighboring Oita advised about 240,000 people to evacuate to avoid landslides caused by this Sunday's torrential rainfall.
Today marks the 9th monthsary of the Philippines' favorite love team, AlDub, and in that very event in the recent Kalyeserye segment on GMA's longest-running noontime variety show, Eat Bulaga, the love team uncovered the big revelation inside the box they got yesterday. So, what's in the secret box? Keys to a house and lot? A sketch for a wedding dress? A baby doll? No, no and no. The biggest surprise is none other than...a movie announcement! You heard that right, AlDub will star in their very own movie soon!
With surprises come in all sizes, it seems that all surprises come with great results for AlDub and thanks to such surprise, their road to their "tamang panahon" is closer to perfect! Keep watching Eat Bulaga every weekdays for more Kalyeserye antics!
- The National Grid of the Philippines declared red alert for Luzon, signifying that power demand is higher than the available supply. According to Department of Energy Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol, the alert was declared from 1300 to 1500 hours in Luzon after some hydropower units and state-owned Malaya oil thermal reduced their capacity. The power demand reached 9.746 MW on Friday afternoon while supply only amounted to 9,771 MW.
- Ousted MRT General Manager Al Vitangcol has asked the Sandiganbayan to issue a gag order on Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas to stop the latter from making accusations against him over the MRT maintenance contract fiasco. Vitangcol said his name was mentioned by Roxas during the second presidential debate in Cebu last month.
- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is set to visit an aircraft supercarrier in the South China Sea following his Philippine visit. In his remarks at the closing ceremony of the Balikatan exercises, Carter said the US will continue to stand up for their safety and freedoms and those of America's allies. Carter will be aboard the USS John C. Stennis but its exact location remains unclear.
- Over a hundred aftershocks from last night's M6.5 quake continued to rattle near the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu, Japan and residents got a fuller look at the widespread damage from an unusually strong quake that hurt 800 people and nine were reportedly died. The quake struck about 1,300 km southwest of Tokyo.
- The Russian Defense Ministry argued back against the US Department of Defense criticism that a Russian fighter jets repeatedly flew close to a US navy destroyer in the Baltic Sea. The US military said that Russia's Su-24 Fencer planes flew near the US guided missile destroyer several times on Monday and Tuesday.
- At a recent presidential debate in preparation for the New York primary, democrat rivals Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clash each other over their ideals about diplomatic ties with Israel, the minimum wage, campaign finance, tax returns, Wall Street, and many others.
- Aston Martin unveiled the lightweight Vantage GT8, a lesser version of the GT12 packed with an upgraded 4.7 V8 engine producing 10hp more than the Vantage S, capable of 0-60mph in 4.4 second and 190mph of top speed.
Aston Martin Vantage GT8
- The first Doubutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing) game launched in the Nintendo 64 console since the 14th of April, 2001. 2016 marks the series' 15th year and to commemorate, Nintendo showcased a special video in honor of the series' milestone.
- Believe it or not, there's a South Korean drama adaptation of THE IDOLM@STER in the works as auditions for a new idol group will commence this next month. It will be an original story that draws inspiration from Bandai Namco's hit franchise.
The North Korean Missile Launch meant to celebrate the birthday of the founding father, Kim Il-Sung, was presumably failed, according to South Korean and US officials, an humiliating setback in what was reportedly the inaugural test of a new, powerful mid-range missile.
According to reports, a Musudan missile, which could one day be capable of hitting US military bases in the Asia-Pacific, exploded in the air a few seconds after liftoff. Despite the failure, the North has another Musudan loaded on a carrier and Pyongyang will likely fire it according to authorities.
The launch comes as the two Korea's trade threats amid Pyongyang's rage over annual US-SoKor military drills that North Korea calls it a rehearsal for an invasion. The North has recently fired numerous missiles and artillery shells in to the sea as an act of protest against the drills.
The Renault Clio, the midsize compact hatchback in the B-segment in the Renault range, is currently in its fourth generation and while driving this hot RenaultSport version, I realized even though the hatchback's good as a track-day car, its enjoyment is a bit lacking, apart from the double-clutch gearbox that takes a lot longer than I expected to change gears. Perhaps it's the legacy the best Clio per generation had during its two-and-a-half decade existence when it launched in 1990.
Let's go back to where it all began. Since this game had four of the best Renault Clios of a generation, I thought it might provide a great opportunity to learn about the best Clio of a decade or two. Does that make sense? In any case...
The legendary Clio Williams was the best model of the first-generation Clio. In spite of the fact that this car has nothing to do with the Williams F1 team, it uses the 16S model as the basis and is then modified by Renault Sport. It comes with a 2.0L engine producing 147PS of power output and is capable of 215kph of top speed. Aside from that, the Clio Williams features track-oriented handling upgrades well fit for this hot hatch hero.
After all 3,800 units sold out, insistent public demand prompted Renault to build 1,600 more. Later on, Renault created the second and third batches of Clio Williams models, leading to a total of over 12,000 units being built.
When the second-generation Clio came out, the best version was the first and only mid-engined hot hatchback, the Clio V6. Specifically, the Phase II of the Clio V6. When the folks from Renault wanted to develop a V6-powered hot hatchback, they faced a key issue; their V6 engine couldn't accommodate the front hood, so what they did here is to get rid of the rear seats, place the V6 engine midship, make it rear-wheel drive, and this is the result; the world's first and only mid-engined hot hatchback. The Phase II version of the Clio V6 features an updated version of its V6 engine, developing 251HP of power.
Onto the third-generation model, the best version offered is the Clio RS 200. This model is the last to have a naturally aspirated 2.0L petrol engine and conventional 6-speed manual gearbox and although gone, some drivers believed that a good hot hatchback needed to be pure like this, that's why there are hesitant to embrace the latest model and its turbocharged 1.6L engine and EDC gearbox with paddle shifters. Although an improvement to the pre-facelifted model, the Clio III RS 200 features better downforce, capable of tracking down corners with its precise movements.
Anyway, with the history lesson done, the best Clios per generation have been gathered to settle the issue of which Clio is the best and that's why I am at Brands Hatch to settle this issue once and for all. The question is, which Clio is the best? Let's find out.
In the end, I had the results...
Clio Williams - 2:07.028
Clio V6 - 1:59.065
Clio RS 200 - 1:58.827
Clio RS 200 EDC - 1:58.708
Needless to say, despite its flaws, the fourth-generation Renault Clio RS 200 EDC is the ultimate improvement over the past hot Clios through the years. It may be prone to understeering, and its double-clutch gearbox may have some delay tactics on its own, but above all, this Clio managed to withstand the test of time with historical improvements and it's clear to say that this Clio is a track-honed hot hatch in its own right. Let's hope Renault can make the Clio RS even better to keep the enthusiasts longing for more.
Nations are warning North Korea to refrain from additional provocations in response to Pyongyang's possible ballistic missile launch movement.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Japan's defense minister Gen Nakatani said it cannot deny the possibility that North Korea will carry out more provocations while Japanese chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo is gathering intel on the North's nuclear and ballistic missiles with its SDF in ready position. Lastly, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also said he hopes Pyongyang will listen to the voice of reason and refrain from taking additional irresponsible steps.
Fallout boys in the world, rejoice! Because following last year's announcement about the XBOX One-exclusive Forza Motorsport 6 game collaborating with Bethesda's recently launched Fallout 4 (got your special Pip-boy designed Ford F100?), the long-awaited arrival of the special machine as seen in the world of Fallout, the Chryslus Rocket 69 is coming to Forza Motorsport 6.
With its jet fighter-inspired cockpit, single-speed gearbox, and bizarre performance that rockets through speeds at over 200mph, way once reserved for army space rangers, the Rocket 69 adds a little Fallout charm in the world of Forza.
Fallout 4's Chryslus Rocket 69 is listed as an event car so if you want to get your hands at this special Fallout machine, made possible by the wicked folks from Bethesda, pick up a copy of Forza Motorsport 6 and/or Fallout 4 XBOX One game between now until the end of April and wait for the DL code to be sent via XBOX Live message beginning early May. Or, if you have already played either Forza Motorsport 6 or Fallout 4 prior to the announcement, expect DL codes for the special Fallout car to arrive within a week.
Following 2014's Pokemon Art Academy, Nintendo's Art Academy series welcomes a new addition for aspiring illustrators; the wonderful world of Disney.
Disney Art Academy is an educational drawing lesson game available for the Nintendo 3DS and in here, aspiring illustrators and painters alike can take on lessons on how to draw your favorite characters from the wonderful world of Disney; from the iconic Mickey Mouse, Disney-Pixar hits like Toy Story and Inside Out, Disney Princesses like Cinderella, Snow White, and Frozen, Disney Villains like Jafar, Cruella De Vil, and Maleficent, and so much more.
Lessons in Disney Art Academy include simple portraits, angled portraits, full-faced portraits, full-bodied portraits, paintery, sketchy pencil drawings, and so much more; from beginner to advanced. Try learning different drawing techniques and put them to good use by drawing pre-prepared ones or do-it-yourself on free paint. You can save your work onto the 3DS' SD memory card or share it to the world via Miiverse. Since this is Disney Art Academy, sharing your best Disney drawings is a plus!
