Jubilee of Mercy: Jubilee of Boys and Girls

Jubilee of Mercy logo

Over sixty thousand young people worldwide took part of the "Jubilee of Boys and Girls" at the Vatican City from the 23rd to the 25th of April, which is part of the ongoing Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.

Over the course of three days, pilgrims from across the globe are able to hear witnesses describing their deep experiences of the Works of Mercy in seven piazzas in the City Center of Rome. Pope Francis, who was present at this Jubilee, managed to hear confessions of young people in St. Peter's Square and offer them a sacrament of reconciliation. Over a hundred and fifty priests were present in the square to hear the confessions.

The next event for the ongoing Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy will be the Prayer Vigil to Dry the Tears on the 5th of May.

Report: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-hears-confessions-at-jubilee-event-for-teens-85240/

Highlights:

Remembering the Nepal Quake

Nepal quake

April 25th, 2015 -  An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck parts of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, and the city of Pokhara. It is known to be the deadliest of the Nepal earthquakes in over eight decades and it's not just Nepal that's affected. It's also parts of India, Bangladesh, Tibet, and Mount Everest, where avalanches were triggered. With the death toll reported at over 8,800 people, it is the worst since 1934 which killed over 8,500 people. In response, the entire globe responded quickly to provide aid and show their support for Nepal.

It's been a year has passed since the deadly quake that struck the near Tibetan nation and the people still bear the scars from the deadly quakes and with the Nepalese government fails to provide support for the victims, is there no hope for Nepal. For us, we don't think so because despite Nepal has suffered numerous setbacks even after the deadly quake, there's always hope as long as there is unity for the Nepalese people, but the road to recovery is a long one and there are so many obstacles that need to be cleared.

FIA Formula E 2015-2016: Paris

It was the 23rd of April, 2016, when the Paris ePrix of the 2015-2016 season of the FIA Formula E Championship sees the brightest of Formula E stars racing through the streets of Paris, all in the name of racing to the top of this cutting-edge motorsport featuring zero-emission racing machine.

In that race, Abt Schaeffler's Lucas di Grassi scored another win to maintain his lead at the championship. That was great but what's not so great is when the Chinese newcomer Ma Qing Hua crashed heavily in the closing stages. Qing Hua survived by the Team Aguri car was crashed through the wall.

Highlights:

With Di Grassi first, DS Virgin's Jean-Eric Vergne finished second while e.Dams' Sebastien Buemi placed 3rd.

Onto the overall standings, Di Grassi's still leading with 126 points while Buemi's in 2nd places with 11 points behind and Sam Bird's in third place with 82 points bagged through the season.

The next race is at Berlin on the 21st of May.

Disney's The Jungle Book (2016 film)

Disney's The Jungle Book (2016 film)

Last 2015, Disney gave us the much successful live-action rebirth of Cinderella. Now, another Disney classic has been reborn, this time a classic tale of a young boy named Mowgli in a live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book.

So, what is this rebirth of a classic Rudyard Kipling tale about? Well, The Jungle Book is about Mowgli (played by Neel Sethi) who was raised by wolves but the mighty Shere Khan threatens him because of his hatred for humans like him. Left without a home to live in, Mowgli sets off to an adventure with the help of a panther Bagheera and a friendly bear named Baloo. Together, they set off to a remarkable journey in the wilderness.

This film features a stellar all-star cast that lend their voices to the characters. Luther's Idris Elba plays as the villainous Shere Khan, Ben Kingsley as the voice of Bagheera, Bill Murray as Baloo, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as Akela.

This film is about discovering your true self while venturing through uncharted territories and thinking about the bare necessities (oops, did I said that iconic line?), this film has everything what a Disney family movie should have; the classic elements poured in with some modern touches to bring a more lively storytelling that is closely similar to the classic Jungle Book films and with this rebirth, Disney's The Jungle Book is a wonderful must-watch for families, even animal lovers, to discover new paths and the rite of passage awaits at the end.

If the film wows the viewers with its stellar all-star voices, vivid backdrops, a blend of live-action and CGI, and every Disney magic poured in, one thing that worries the viewers and that is...why would anyone call it cute? There's nothing cute about this film because if they mean the classic Jungle Book films in the last century, that's where you can put the cute term but not here. There's nothing in this live action rebirth of the Disney classic to be called cute.

Despite not being a "cute" movie, the Jungle Book rebirth is still one of the must-watch family films to see, much like any other Disney films you knew.

My rating: 4.2 out of 5 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Obama - N. Korea continues provocative behavior

US President Barack Obama has condemned the North Korea's recent test launch of a submarine-based ballistic missile on Saturday.

Obama spoke to reporters on Sunday after his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hanover. Obama said that while US authorities continue assessing the situation, it's clear that the Korean Peninsula continues to engage in provocations and has been actively pursuing a nuclear program.

Last Saturday, North Korean foreign minister Ri Su Yong told that his country will stop all nuclear testing if the US suspends its annual military exercises with South Korea but Obama said that the US government will not taking such a promise seriously. He said until North changes its policies the US will continue to work with South Korea and Japan to enhance their missile defense mechanisms.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (April 25, 2016)

- In the final round of the PiliPinas 2016 presidential debate yesterday in Pangasinan, the presidential aspirants; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe and former interior secretary Manuel Roxas II, tackled questions by the public such as campaign platforms as well as issues close to voters.

- The Manila Prosecutor's Office will file criminal charges against the arrested hacker of the COMELEC website. The MPO ordered filing criminal raps against the 23-year-old hacker after it found probable cause on the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation. Late last month, the COMELEC website was hacked and its database was later leaked online.

- The death toll from the Ecuador quake is now up to 654.

- Somewhere in Paris, France, a cherry tree was planted as a symbol of hope that people in Kumamoto, Japan, will recover from recent earthquakes. The planting ceremony took place during an event showcasing Japanese food and culture, as well as viewing of cherry blossoms. Kumamon, the prefecture's mascot, was set up at a site in a park in western Paris, accompanied by a sign meaning "thoughts for Kumamoto".

- Some citizens of Turkey are protesting against the government's plans to build a new nuclear power plant. The Turkish government wants to build the new plant just outside Sinop in the northern part of the country and start operation in the next seven years. An anti-nuclear demonstration was held in Sinop on Sunday ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine.

- Thousands of people in Great Britain have attended the parade in honor of the 400th death anniversary of renowned playwright William Shakespeare. In his birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, many people dressed as characters from his famous works while others wore Shakespeare facemasks as they paraded through the town on Saturday.

- The 2017 Lexus IS minor change has been fully revealed prior to its Beijing Auto Show debut.

2017 Lexus IS

- The second-generation Renault Koleos is now fully uncovered before its Beijing Auto Show premiere. Sales in Europe will commence next year.

2017 Renault Koleos

- Phat Company unveiled the first of THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls anime DVD/Blu-Ray cover figure lineup. It's Rin Shibuya! She's spearheading this lineup and she's available to order starting at 9,800 Yen plus tax. Deliveries will commence this October.

Phat! THE IDOLM@STER
Cinderella Girls Rin Shibuya

- Osomatsu and Karamatsu are the first two Osomatsu-san Nendoroids available to order starting at 3,241 Yen plus tax. The Osomatsu nendoroid will be delivered this August while the Karamatsu nendoroid will be delivered this September.

Nendoroid Osomatsu

Nendoroid Karamatsu

- Last weekend, Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire successfully defeated Hungary's Zsolt Bedak via a third-round TKO to secure this title belt.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye, with Lola Nidora and Lola Tinidora still in their acting phase while Alden's busy with his workout routine, Divina called out the Quandos because they are prepping up to an imminent sportsfest.

TTFN!!!

Actress Pearl Mackie named as the new Doctor Who companion

Finally, a new leading lady who will join alongside 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi in an upcoming Doctor Who adventure has finally announced. Actress Pearl Mackie is now officially part of the Doctor Who world as Bill, the newest companion to The Doctor.

Hailed from Brixton, South London, Pearl honed her acting career at the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol and she  recently performed in the National Theatre's West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Her TV appearance was in a BBC medical drama series Doctors.

“It is a genuine delight to welcome Pearl Mackie to Doctor Who. A fine, fine actress with a wonderful zest and charm, she’s a refreshing addition to the TARDIS and will bring a universe of exciting new possibilities to The Doctor’s adventures.” current Doctor Who Peter Capaldi said.

As previously announced, Doctor Who returns for a Christmas Special on Christmas 2016. Do you think Bill will make her first appearance here? Anyway, a new season, which will be the last under Steven Moffat's rule before turning it over to Broadchurch showrunner Chris Chibnall in 2018 (which is the show's 55th year by the way), will premiere next year.

Welcome to the Whoniverse, Bill!

Image: BBC