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

- COMELEC advised the public to avoid the website where hackers leaked the data of Filipino voters. A hacker group called LulzSec Pilipinas earlier launched a search engine for the data of 70 million Filipino voters and made it available for downloading via torrent file. The NBI earlier confirmed that a person suspected to be responsible for the hacking the website of the COMELEC had been arrested.

- Onto the money-laundering case, the treasurer and external vice president of the RCBC resigned from his post amid the issue involving the 81 million dollar heist. Treasurer Raul Victor Tan, always present to represent the back at the Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry into the money laundering scam, tendered his resignation effective yesterday. He had been with the bank for seven years.

- The third and final COMELEC presidential debate will give Filipinos plenty of questions to ask for the presidential aspirants. Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Grace Poe will attend the debate at the Phinma University of Pangasinan on Sunday. The questions in this final debate will tackle on traffic, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public educations, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanao residents in conflict areas.

- Seismic activity in the quake-struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan has been going on since last week's powerful quakes struck the prefecture.

- Russian leader Vladimir Putin confirmed that he will meet up with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the 6th of May in Sochi. Putin was speaking in a ceremony to receive letters of credentials from newly arrived foreign ambassadors in Moscow on Wednesday. One of them is Toyohisa Kozuki from Japan. The Russian leader said that the promotion of dialogue with Japan in different areas is one of the key aspects in Russian foreign policy.

- The death toll in last week's Ecuador quake is now up to 570.

- The United Nations refugee agency says that over 500 refugees and migrants are feared dead in the sinking of a boat in the Mediterranean Sea last week. Last year, about 800 people died after a boat capsized off Italy in the Mediterranean.

- For the first time in US history, a new US bank bills will feature an African-American female. The Treasury Department said that the anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman will get her spot in the new twenty-dollar bills to be issued in or after the year 2020. Tubman was born to a slave family in the eastern state of Maryland, and engaged in underground activities in the 1850's to lead slaves to freedom. She worked for the rights of women and African-American after slavery was abolished following the Civil War.

- Mitsubishi Motors admitted that they've cheated at the fuel consumption data to some 625,000 vehicles, most of them are kei cars. Reports told that Nissan uncovered the deception between the cars' published fuel consumption data and their real-world results.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye, today is AlDub's 40th anniversary and the two had some surprises in store in this very occasion!

TTFN!!!

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

- Amidst the public outcry, Davao City Mayor and presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte has formally apologized to the Filipino public over his comments on rape, promising a clean government despite his foul mouth. His camp yesterday issued a statement of apology before Duterte heads to Iloilo City campus of the UP-Visayas and a grand rally at La Paz public plaza. Since 1989, Duterte and his brother reportedly killed at least four of the inmates who had held an Australian missionary hostage at a Davao prison. An unapologetic Duterte told the Australian ambassador yesterday to "shut up" and consider that the rape victim had received "instant justice".

- Presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe uncovered her copy of her student identification at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts despite reports that she used a fake Social Security Number while she was in the United States. The release of Poe's student ID was prompted by the latest report that her defense against an earlier report that she had a false SSN might be spurious.

- In the Ecuador quake, citizens start burying loved ones who died from last weekend's quake while hopes faded that more survivors will be found. As of now, the death toll is now up to 507 but more to come, with the Defense Department reporting 231 people still missing. The final toll could exceed casualties from earthquakes in Chile and Peru in the past decade.

- Search and rescue efforts from the quake-stricken Kumamoto prefecture continue amid people bracing for more aftershocks from last week's quakes. Authorities say 48 people are died from the quakes. They are combing through dirt trying to find other three that remain missing. They also say over a thousand others are injured.

- Onto the presidential primary in New York, Republican's Donald Trump and Democrats' Hillary Clinton are reigning for the race to the November 2016 presidential elections.

- The Lexus IS will be given a minor change at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show next week with its first teaser.

2017 Lexus IS teaser

- BMW unveiled a special Centennial Edition on their 7-Series flagship saloons, Dubbed "The NEXT 100 YEARS", this special 7-Series will be limited to 100 units, donned in a special Centennial Blue Metallic, and other extras.

BMW 7-Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS

- Legendary singer Kenny Rogers will be finally performing in Manila on the 11th of August, 2016, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, which is part of his final world tour; The Gambler's Last Deal.

- Veteran actor Tirso Cruz III and wife Lynn Ynchausti marked their 35th wedding anniversary through a simple renewal of vows at the Wedding Church in Cana of Galilee, Israel.

TTFN!!!

Forza Motorsport 6: AWD Bipolar Opposites

Ever since Subaru launched the WRX S4 in the Japanese market two years ago, its main purpose was intended to be a chief rival to the Volvo S60. Now with hotter versions like the WRX STi and the S60 Polestar in the picture, these all-wheel drive bipolar opposites are going head to head round the Top Gear Test Track to see which one is the best.



But before I tackle this unique comparison between the two all-weather super saloons, let's get to know more about these two.



A year after the Subaru WRX made its world premiere at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, the long-awaited return of the high-performance WRX STi sports saloon made its premiere at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.

For global markets, including the US, the new WRX STi comes with the EJ25 engine developing 305HP of power and 290lb-ft of torque while mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. New for the 2015 WRX STi is the Active Torque Vectoring, which joins alongside other tech such as Driver Controlled Center Differential, Symmetrical AWD, Multi-Mode Vehicle Dynamics Control, and Brembo Performance Brake System with Super Sport ABS.

In Japan, two kinds of WRX models are offered such as the S4 model which features a brand new FA20 Direct Injection Turbo engine developing over 300PS of power while mated with a Sport Lineartronic gearbox as seen in its station wagon derivative, the Levorg, and this one equipped with the smaller EJ20 turbo engine which produces a similar power output of over three hundred horsepower. Both these models were launched in August 2014.



Based on the facelifted second-generation Volvo S60, the high-performance Polestar edition is a Volvo that is born on the track, and built for the road. With its responsive handling, smooth shifting, and precise stopping, the S60 Polestar is made with the experience and engineering of nearly two decades of Volvo's motorsport activity and it has undergone extensive development to become a super saloon worthy of wearing the Polestar badge. It was made to be a limited-edition model.

The 2015MY Polestar model uses the T6 variant of the S60 as its foundation and thanks to Polestar, it develops 345HP of power and 369lb-ft of torque, while mated with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, tweaked by Polestar. Apart from the engine, the Polestar S60 comes with stiffer springs, Öhlins shock absorbers, a high-capacity brake system, and other chassis upgrades.

The S60 Polestar is an impressive, agile, and extremely responsive complete package as each component is designed and crafted to maximize drivability and control everywhere, no matter the odds.



Now that we get to know more about these two, it's time to take them two for a spin around the Top Gear Test Track because...it's fun to try out the hottest rides here. It's a great thing we have a game that features this iconic testing ground as seen on TV.

Here's a quick tidbit. In terms of performance, the S60 Polestar has more power than the WRX STi's because its T6 engine develops 345HP of power. However, the S60's almost 300 lbs heavier than the Subie, meaning it's going to be one-sided. Anyway, no time to explain because it's time to get some answers around the track.


At the end of their one-lap session, the results are in. The WRX STi did it in 1:27.809 while the S60 Polestar, despite its high power advantage and quicker shifts, did it in 1:29.221, almost two seconds slower.

It's quite amazing that despite its aged performance in a more modernized look, it's not surprising that the old-school Japanese tuner saloon beats the high-tech Swedish luxury saloon by a slight margin reserved for forensics and mediums alike, and with the WRX STi, it's still Subaru's coup de grace.

It's been fifty long years since Subaru had its first boxer engine-powered car in history but with a car like the WRX STi's, the history of Subaru boxer engine remains one heck of a fight club because of its low center of gravity compared to others, a Subie like this can squeeze itself out from the cold and it's great to have a living legend like this.

Gyakuten Winner

Gyakuten Winner, the latest single by the hit J-POP boy band Johnny's WEST, now added to the court record.

Gyakuten Winner

It's the single from a very popular JPOP boy band featuring the opening theme song from the Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) TV series. The brand new Gyakuten Saiban TV show is part of the franchise's 15th anniversary when the first game was launched in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance and spawned different installments, a live action film, stage plays, and many more. The TV show will coincide with the upcoming 3DS release of Gyakuten Saiban 6 for the 3DS this summer apart from the upcoming Gyakuten Kenji (Ace Attorney Investigations) stage play as well. There is a limited edition release in the form of two alternate front covers and each limited edition features a music video of the new single. One is the Story Version and the other is the Cool Version, as well as behind the scenes of each version.

Present this evidence to your friends who love the Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) TV show? OBJECTION!

TRACK LISTINGS:

01 逆転Winner

02 100% I Love You

03 逆転Winner (ｵﾘｼﾞﾅﾙ･ｶﾗｵｹ)

04 100% I Love You (ｵﾘｼﾞﾅﾙ･ｶﾗｵｹ)

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: NoKor foreign minister visits New York

North Korean foreign minister has departed for New York for the signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement adopted at a UN climate conference last year.

Ri Su Yong left Pyongyang on Tuesday and arrived in Beijing. He will head to New York later in the day. Ri's visit to the United States follows North Korea's nuclear test in January and rocket launch in February. His last US visit was to attend the UN General Assembly late last year.

Reports state that North Korea wants to stress its willingness to collaborate with the global community on issues in order to ease off pressure, including UN Security Council sanctions.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (April 19, 2016)

- Despite his apology regarding his "rape jokes", several women's groups condemned presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte. The Davao City Mayor drew international criticism after making a remark about an Australian lay minister rape victim, comparing the latter to a beautiful AMerican actress and saying that he should "have been first". The groups refused to accept Duterte's apology and said that it was not sincere.

- Hackers defaced the website of ABS-CBN's radio dzMM and leaked its database. Hacktivist groups Bloodsec International and Anonymous Philippines claimed responsibilities for the recent cyber attacks, which is it said was a call for media to be objective in its reporting. 

- Onto the Kumamoto quake, aftershocks from last weekend's quakes are taking a toll on survivors. Tens of thousands have evacuated their homes and many are sleeping in emergency shelters or their cars. The death toll is now up to 46. One of them is a 51-year-old woman who died from economy class syndrome. She became ill on Monday while staying in her car in Kumamoto city, taken to hospital and treated for a pulmonary embolism, or a blocked artery in her lungs, but died about an hour later.

- The death toll from last weekend's Ecuador quake is now up to 413 while over 2,000 people were hurt.

- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has vowed to fight moves to impeach her, denying speculation that she may resign. The nation's first female leader has been accused of involvement in manipulating government accounts and the lower house of Congress voted in favor of proceeding with her impeachment on Sunday. At a news conference, Rousseff said she is indignant over the congressional vote. She said previous administrations used the same fiscal maneuvers and denied doing anything illegal. She added that she is the victim of what she described as a coup plotted by her enemies.

- The US Defense Department has denounced what it says was a dangerously close encounter to a US reconnaissance plane by a Russian fighter jet. Pentagon officials said that a Su-27 jet flew within 15 meters of an RC-135 aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea on the 14th of April. They said the US aircraft at no time crossed into Russian territorial space. The officials described the Russian jet's flight as unsafe and unprofessional, saying it conducted a barrel-roll from the left side of the US aircraft, going over the top of it, and ending up on the right side.

- Companies from the global defense and security sectors appeared at an international arms fair in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ASEAN countries are prioritizing spending on maritime military equipment amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. About 1,200 manufacturers from 60 countries and regions are taking part in the biennial Defense Services Asia in the Malaysian capital, showcasing their latest technologies, including Chinese reconnaissance drones and US aircraft with anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

- Check out this publicity stunt pulled off by the FIA Formula E Championship as a stuntman became the first to pull a blind car-dodge on a fast-approaching Formula E car and backflip over it at the last second.

- The Vauxhall Astra 1.6 Tech Line Top Gear Edition, the last reasonably priced car used in the Top Gear TV show during Clarkson, Hammond, and May's tenure, has been auctioned for 17,800 pounds. Proceeds will support BEN, which helps unemployed automotive industry workers.

- Subaru will ready a specially-prepped WRX STi to challenge against its own record at the upcoming Isle of Man TT.

TTFN!!!

Forza Motorsport 6: Omigosh, What the FXX K?!

Did you kiss your mother with that mouth? Anyway, let's introduce you to the one car that deserves to have your mouth washed with soap because this car bears a curse word that needs to be burst out to the world. So, the question is...What The FXX K?!



No wonder Ferrari named their LaFerrari-based experimental racing machine after an infamous curse word everyone's not afraid to say but whatever the heck is, this car, part of the Top Gear Car Pack, has speeds capable of unleashing curse words straight from your mouth. So, what the FXX K is this FXX K?!!!



Based on the LaFerrari, the Ferrari FXX K experimental track car is an evolution to the previous Enzo Ferrari-based FXX while featuring Formula One-inspired KERS. Although not suitable for motorsport use, the FXX K was made for the exclusive group of Client-Test Drivers with whom Ferrari will commence a test program over the next two years.

With the V12 engine and electric motor working together as one, it develops a record-breaking 1050PS of power output while torque output is over 900Nm. Apart from its performance, the FXX K's aerodynamics benefitted quick lap times. Its aerodynamics resulted in a 50% improvement in downforce in the low drag configuration and a 30% increase in the more aggressive downforce configuration, resulting in a figure of 540kg at 200.

The E-Diff, F-Track, Racing Side Slip Angle Control, optimized to suit its Pirelli slick tires, and the high-performance anti-lock brakes can be adjusted using the Manettino on the steering wheel.

Using its motorsport know-how, the FXX K, never intended to be used in motorsport purposes, delivers unbiased track day performance well made for the Client-Test Drivers who want to know more about this machine.



Trying to act like the client-test driver who grows interest in Ferrari's FXX K experiment, I went to Circuit of the Americas, home of the Formula 1 US Grand Prix (good thing it's part of this season, right?!), to try out Ferrari's motorsport experiment that was never intended for motorsport use but incorporates most of it. With such speeds, handling the FXX K really sounds challenging, and mostly curse words coming out of my mouth. Perhaps no wonder this car was named after a curse word. Wanna see how I tried with the FXX K?





Bottom line: I survived, barely. The FXX K may be a fast machine full-stop but because of its unpredictable behavior, drivers will have a challenging time mastering the FXX K's characteristics. In fact, some curse words came out from the drivers' mouths in the driving of Ferrari's hybrid racecar made for experimental purposes. No matter how many curse words burst from their mouth, having a mastery with the FXX K will prove that this car can FXX K it right up in its rear bumper.

FXX K Yeah!