The New MINI (F56) Convertible

It's been two long years since the new MINI took the world like a tsunami walk and even though this is an entirely new model designed from scratch, its enlarged dimensions no longer made it called the MINI, perhaps the funny word Wumbo would have sound better because its sizing is a MINI no more. Because the F56 MINI has been around for two years (and no video game in sight to feature it just like the BMW i8), another variant has been added and this time, it's an open-top version.

2017 Mini Convertible

The new convertible version features all the similar bits and bobs from the new MINI, only this time with a soft-top roof that makes you think you're somewhat special on a hot summer. With the roof opened, this four-seater compact makes it the ideal barkada trip car that can take you from one point of interest after another, as long as you don't make it to places with very heavy traffic because you'd better close the roof and the windows until you smell crud in your lungs.

Under the hood, the open-top version offers the same engine choices as the hardtop model. In the high-end Cooper S model, it comes with the 2.0L petrol engine producing 192PS of power and 300Nm of torque. The One, meanwhile, comes with a 1.2L petrol, the normal Cooper comes with the 1.5L petrol, D with the 1.5L diesel engine, and the SD with the 2.0L turbodiesel engine. Of course, like all good convertibles in the world, it's slightly heavier than the hardtop equivalent, meaning the handling isn't what you call...ahem...MINIMALISM.

2017 Mini JCW Convertible

Even the high-performance John Cooper Works model couldn't cut it. Sure, it's got a turbocharged 2.0L petrol engine generating 231PS of power and 320Nm of torque as well as race-derived dynamics, but because this is heavier than the JCW hardtop, there is a slight difference between how it behaves on the road and how it feels on the track. If you didn't bother about how either the normal Mini Convertible or the Mini JCW Convertible behaves in both sides, it's still a stylish go-getter that you can use it on the road. Think a husky bodyguard who ended up having an ambition to become a beauty queen at a beauty pageant. That sounds awkward, though, and in partial terms of awkwardness, having the roof closed is the main idea of awkwardness because that roof kinda spoils its flavor of the month.

Should you drive this one with the roof open while on a moving traffic, the new Mini Convertible is not so bad to have one because you get the urban lifestyle you expect on a four-seater convertible of that size. However, if things get a little soggy or dirty, you'd better off with a public transport rather than driving with the roof closed. Wouldn't recommend it though.

Price? The all-new Mini Convertible starts at 21,900 Euros for the One, up to 35,350 Euros for the JCW Cabrio with the Steptronic gearbox on, so it's slightly costly to own than the hardtop.

FIA Formula E Moscow race for 2015-2016 season cancelled

The Moscow ePrix for the 2015-2016 season of the FIA Formula E Championship has been officially cancelled, according to Formula E organizers.

One of the main reasons of the cancellation of the Moscow ePrix, which was slated to occur this June, is the "recent and unforeseen circumstances related to road closures." The committee aren't aware about the city about closing the road.

With no replacement in sight, this season will have just nine cities on the calendar, with the two-part finale to be held in London.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/05/06/formula-e-cancels-moscow-race/

A farewell to AlDub

For less than a year, fans from all over the world have been part of the AlDub experience since the very beginning of this surreal Kalyeserye shindig on GMA's long-running TV variety show, Eat Bulaga. The couple had been through good times, bad times, even the ugliest of times, all in the name of love fans savoring it forever and ever.

Now, all good things must come to an end...almost...because on the recent Kalyeserye, the lolas have thrown in an Italian-themed despedida party for AlDub before heading off to Italy for the shooting of their romantic movie coming soon. After exchanging necessities, the gang headed off to the studio for one last bow for AlDub before setting off.

Since it's Mother's Day, Divina has something special in store for Lola Nidora. Yep, it's her children; Dr. Dorita (the mother of Doktora de Explorer) and Teodoro (Duhrizz's dad). They wished Lola Nidora a happy mother's day and after that, Lola Nidora's final act for AlDub.

So, this is where the gang part ways, and with AlDub heading off to Italy, the Kalyeserye tale has faced the final curtain. However, that does not mean the Kalyeserye gig is done because they will keep them updated for developments.

Happy Trip, AlDub! Oh, and congrats to Mackie Cao for being the grand winner of Just Duet.

Photo: Official Eat Bulaga Facebook page

#BGIkawAtAngInaMothersDay

In the May 6, 2016 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Di pumapasok gags

- Ikaw at ang Ina takes on...Mother's Day!

HAPPY Mother's Day

- Hugot Lines for Santacruzan!

- Watch out, girls. Someone's looking at you from nowhere...

- Problems arose in a band rehearsal.

- A show-off tries to show off his goods

FOR REGISTRATION

- More trouble's brewing with Don Cantoni...

- Dubsmash goes surreal in life.

- Political debates

Captain America: CIVIL WAR

This is by no means one of the best summer blockbuster films to watch, even for the whole family whose kids love a good superhero rivalries, because the long-awaited rivalry between the two Avengers; Captain America and Iron Man, is officially officially on with Marvel's Civil War movie. For these two rivals, they're not alone in the fight for the future.

Captain America: CIVIL WAR

Following the most tragic incident that spiraled the fate of the Marvel Superheroes, the US Congress passed a bill that require all superheroes to unmask their true identities before the public. Iron Man supports the idea but for Captain America, he condemns this ideology. Because of such disagreements, they will decide that they will battle against each other in order to decide the fate of the heroes. However, for each side, they're not alone.

Joining alongside Captain America is Hawkeye, Ant-man, Agent Carter, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and his old enemy, the Winter Soldier. For Iron Man's side, he's got his old allies War Machine and Black Widow as well as Black Panther, Vision, and for plot twist purposes, Spider-Man! With the two sides collide, it now turns into an all-out war for the future of the superheroes.

This movie is all about choices and this is all about standing up for what is right. It's hard to explain the many people who are interested in this movie are starting to debating whose side are they on. For some who like Captain America, it's about brute strength. For those who are on Iron Man's side, it's all about the intelligence that will one day prevail just like the gadgets from his armored suit. Either way, it's going to be one heck of a blast to enjoy the rivalry between the two Marvel superheroes and talk about how great this film as after you watch.

There are so many superhero movies we can expect through the end of the decade but with Civil War, you can consider this one of the best Marvel movies to watch since last year's Avengers: Age of Ultron but even though this is going to be one of the best films to watch before summer kicks into overdrive, perhaps this movie can do better. Oh well, at least the year 2016 gave us some of the best superhero rivalries for geeks and nerds to choose whose side are they on. Consider this a job well done to see one of our lifelong fantasies come true. But remember, this is just the beginning.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5

Let's Do The News! (May 6, 2016)

- Senator Antonio Trillanes hits supporters of presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte who cried foul over an advertisement featuring children criticizing the Davao City mayor. The ad in question, which used select controversial quotes from Duterte, included children who were asking the electorate not to vote for the trash-talking mayor on May 9.

- Thanks to modern technology, the Philippine National Police will go hi-tech to monitor the situation nationwide during the elections on Monday. With their national election monitoring and action center at Camp Crame, Quezon City, the PNP National Operation Center has started monitoring the security situation in preparation for the May 9 elections.

- A Chinese diplomat said that China wants a new chapter with the Philippines regardless of the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations on the South CHina Sea case. Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jinhua said that the two countries should focus on areas that they can benefit.

- As of Thursday, over 85,000 hectares were destroyed by the ongoing Canadian wildfire.  Local fire department officials said that the area destroyed by the blaze had increased eight-fold over the previous day. No reports of casualties yet but about 1,600 buildings had been burned down.

- The Brazilian Supreme Court fired the speaker of the lower house of Congress on charges of obstructing a corruption investigation, adding more on the political drama in the South American country. The Supreme Court made the decision on Thursday after considering a request by prosecutors to oust Eduardo Cunha of his duties as well as suspending his status as a lawmaker. Cunha has been leading the impeachment process against President Dilma Rousseff, who is accused of manipulating government accounts.

- Onto the Kumamoto quakes situation, evacuees from a series of earthquakes in Japan's southwestern prefecture will start moving into public housing on Friday, around three weeks after the first quake hit. But the houses prepared so far are too few to accommodate a large number of people.

- Toyota Australia just made a shooting brake concept out of the old 86.

- The VW Golf GTi Heartbeat Concept, to be appeared on the upcoming GTi Meeting at Worthersee, is the result of twelve trainees from Volkswagen and Sitech Sitztechnik, creating a 400PS hatchback to honor the GTi's 40th birthday.

- THE IDOLM@STER's Chiaki Takahashi pays a little visit on singing duo Aoi Yuki and Ayana Taketatsu to appear in the latest music video "Seishun wa Tabemono desu", the theme song for their short-form anime Pan de Peace!

- Wanna see the new look of the Power Rangers outfits you'll be expecting in the upcoming 2017 film inspired from the legendary franchise? CLICK HERE.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye, as the despedida party draws near for AlDub, the couple shared the lolas some good news; they got visas! Which means, they're ready to go to Italy to shoot for their new movie. So...is this the end of AlDub? Watch for it tomorrow for the despedida party the lolas are throwing for AlDub!

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA:Workers' Party congress begins

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party congress has just begun under the watchful eye of leader Kim Jong-Un.

This is the first highest-level meeting convened in the Korean Peninsula in 36 years, and the message delivered by Kim will likely signal the path North Korea will take in the coming years. The event is forecast to be held for three to four days and expected to finish on Sunday or Monday.

During that time, the party will list its accomplishments, elect new younger aides to Kim Jong-un, and give the young leader a new title. But facing international sanctions following its nuclear and missile test, no high-level foreign guests are known to have been invited.

The possibility of Pyongyang conducting a fifth nuclear test, appears to have been delayed until AFTER the event. Amid North Korea's series of ballistic missile tests and increased activities around its main nuclear test site, many had speculated that another nuclear test may happen prior to the congress.

Some experts now pointed out, the reclusive regime is likely to focus solely on its congress for the time being as the regime is feeling increased pressure from the international community, especially from its long-time ally, China.

However, the South Korean government is not ruling out chances of another test anytime.

Meanwhile, the UNSC general say no significant matters were brought up during his brief encounter last month with North Korea's foreign minister. Ban Ki-moon told reporters that he told Ri Su-yong that he appreciated his attendance at the signing of a UN climate agreement and that he hoped to see him at more international meetings in the future.

When asked about the international response to the North's continued provocations, Ban said there seems to be no better option than sanctions for now but he added that the world is not imposing sanctions but rather induce a change in North Korea and turn it into a responsible member of the global community.

Source: Arirang News

Forza Motorsport 6: What is FM6 Apex?

Forza Motorsport 6 APEX

Today, the world of Forza makes a historic landing on Windows 10 PC users with the launch of the brand new Forza Motorsport 6 APEX game, available at the Windows Store at no charge (with in-app purchases available).

What is APEX? You might as refer to it as a distilled version of the hit XBOX One game with some bits and bobs similar to the game but made specifically for Windows 10 PC users. This is the first time the Forza franchise makes it to Windows 10 and with APEX, it takes advantage of the DirectX 12 performance to deliver a quality gaming as expected from the XBOX One game itself.

This game features a wide variety of single-player careers featuring Showcase Tour where players drive a wide variety of cars in circuits from across the globe as well as challenging players in seasonal events (similar to Rivals) that are updated in a seasonal basis. It features an all-new Race Points system for added challenges. For example, you will gain more Race Points if you set off the assists. This is one way to keep things exciting, presumably.

Unlike the XBOX One version, FM6 APEX doesn't have online multiplayer modes or livery creator. There are no DLC cars as seen on the XBOX One version, meaning it offers up to 63 vehicles, including Ford's all new 2017 GT supercar packed with the EcoBoost V6 engine mated in the middle.

However, as announced before day one, FM6 Apex promises updates based on customer feedback coming soon such as wheel support, livery selection, and more. It's available to download at the Microsoft Store with no charge.

For requirements, click here: http://www.forzamotorsport.net/en-us/news/fm6_apex_beta_announce

Jubilee of Mercy: Prayer Vigil to Dry the Tears

Jubilee of Mercy logo

May 5th, 2016 - Pope Francis presided over a prayer vigil "To Dry the Tears" in St. Peter's Basilica during the Feast of the Ascension. This event is part of the ongoing Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, which is ongoing until the 13th of November this year. 

During the Prayer Vigil, the reliquary of Our Lady of Tears of Syracuse were on display inside the basilica for the veneration of the faithful. It was linked to the extraordinary phenomenon occurred in 1953, when a small plaster picture depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary that was hanging above the bed of a young Italian married couple shed human tears.

" At the foot of every cross, the Mother of Jesus is always there.  With her mantle, she wipes away our tears.  With her outstretched hand, she helps us to rise up and she accompanies us along the path of hope.” - Pope Francis

The next event on this ongoing Jubilee of Mercy is on the the 27th of May, the Jubilee for Deacons.

URL: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/05/pope_francis_presides_over_prayer_vigil_%E2%80%9Cto_dry_the_tears%E2%80%9D/1227791

Super GT 2016: Fuji

The annual Golden Week in Japan doesn't stop car enthusiasts from across Japan to get through Fuji Speedway just to witness the Fuji Speedway leg of the Super GT 2016 season. In the GT500-class, there's another win for the #1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R driven by Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli following its season opener win, while the #3 B-MAX NDDP GT-R, driven by Kazuki Hoshino and Jann Mardenborough, is the GT300 class win in this round.

Highlights:



After the race, the committee announced that the third round of the Super GT 2016 season, to be held at Autopolis (which is near the quake-struck Kumamoto Prefecture) was suspended but the committee will continue to assess the current situation to still have an eight-round season.

Further details: http://supergt.net/news/single/16048

Keep reading the official SUPER GT website for further details.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: N.Korea mobilizes people in congress preparations

A certain reporter visiting North Korea has seen crowds of people being mobilized in preparation for tomorrow's opening of the ruling Workers' Party's first congress in 36 years. They will hold its 7th congress in Pyongyang.

Reporters from Japanese news organizations arrived on Tuesday as part of a group of over 100 foreign media personnel North Korea invested for the occasion, which is intended to underscore Kim Jong Un's grip on power. National flags and billboards with words celebrating the opening were seen all over the city. Women wearing ethnic costumes and carrying flowers were seen gathered at central plaza.

They were apparently there to take part in rehearsals for celebratory events.

On Wednesday, officials invited reporters to visit the site where North Korea's first weapons factory used to stand.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (May 5, 2016)

- The Commission on Elections announced that its website is now restored with enhanced security features. The website went back online Tuesday and assured the public that it's a safer website due to a stronger firewall, among others.

- Liberal party presidential candidate Mar Roxas is unfazed by the endorsement of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte by the Iglesia Ni Cristo even as he vowed to continue the fight for decent governance. Despite failing to get the support from the INC, Roxas thanked them for giving him the opportunity to present his platform. 

- The three ASEAN countries; the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, agreed to run coordinated patrols to boost maritime security following the kidnappings at sea of Indonesians by suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists. The top foreign ministers and military chiefs of the three countries held talks in the Indonesian ancient royal capital city of Yogyakarta, hashing out the details of joint patrols to protect shipping in the waters between the border areas.

- A Chinese diplomat asked politicians and media outlets in the United States and the United Kingdom to spot meddling in the South China Sea dispute. Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming said in the signed letter to The Times "The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and overflight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension".

- Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out from his Republican presidential race, leaving frontrunner Donald Trump the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party in the presidential elections following Ted Cruz's dropout.

- Last Sunday, a massive wildfire broke out in western Canada and it lasted for three days, leaving 16,000 structures burned. Firefighters are struggling to put out the fire but strong winds and dry weather are hampering their efforts.

- Another teaser for the revamped Top Gear hits the web with more cars and more Matt LeBlanc, gearing up to this month's premiere.

- Following its reveal, Volkswagen's special GTi Clubsport S lapped round the Nurburgring at 7:49.29, making it the fastest front-wheel drive car to lap round the track and it's faster than the Honda Civic Type R FK2.



- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye, today marks the 42nd weeksary of AlDub and the gang are prepping up for their Italian job, while leaving Lola Nidora mope. However, Divina has other plans for the lolas as she throws them a picnic. After the picnic, there's a big announcement happening this Saturday and Lola Tinidora says it's going to be...a farewell party?! Tune in next time and find out!!!

TTFN!!!