Let's Do The News! (August 31, 2016)

- If things worked out as planned, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to meet up at least five heads of state, including his US and Russian counterparts Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos next week. Duterte is also expected to meet Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, Indian PM Narendra Modi, and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

- Senior Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio argued that the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was dishonorably discharged by the 1986 People Power movement. In questioning lawyer Neri Colmenares, among those opposed of Marcos' burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Carpio said Marcos as the head of state was also the highest military official and may have forfeited his entitlement to be buried at the Heroes' Cemetery, considered a national shrine.

- Republican presidentiable Donald Trump is expected to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto this Wednesday. Reports told that Peña Nieto had extended invitations to both Trump and his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, to travel to Mexico City for a meeting. Trump said during his Everett, Washington rally that he is glad to meet up with Peña Nieto. Coinciding the moment he delivers his big speech on immigration.

- The US Defense Department has yet to verify the reported death of an ISIS spokesman. The group said through its online news agency on Tuesday that Abu Muhammad al-Adnani had been killed while surveying a military operation in Aleppo, Syria. It did not say how he died,

- About 11 people died while three missing in the record rainfall brought by Typhoon Lionrock (Dindo) that flooded most parts of northern Japan.

- Brazilian senators are deliberating whether to dismiss President Dilma Rousseff on the final day of her impeachment trial. As of 1900 hours local time, 11 were for dismissal, 8 against, and 2 did not make their positions clear. More than 40 other senators are to express their opinions.

- Sony announced that the launch for the upcoming PS4-exclusive Gran Turismo Sport game was delayed to 2017.

- See Hatsune Miku like no other in her Lux Shampoo commercial appearance. Scarlett Johansson also included.

- The Warthog from the Halo franchise makes an appearance at Forza Horizon 3 and yes, it's playable...if you already played Halo 5: Guardians or Halo: The Master Chief Collection.



- Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan lands her role in an upcoming revival of the Jumanji movie, which stars action star Dwayne Johnson, comedian Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and singer Nick Jonas. The film is set to debut this Summer 2017.

TTFN!!!

Forza Motorsport 6: March of the V-Dubs (Part 1)

Now, when we heard the news that the upcoming Forza Horizon 3 will no longer feature Volkswagen in the lineup at launch, we were saddened by the shocking announcement that the iconic German car company will be missed out on its Australian journey on the next Forza Horizon game. Don't know why they exclude it but probably due to the ongoing scandals that VW faced so far, in fact, it's becoming not quite healthy for the scandal-stricken VW to be featured on video games, well almost.



It's a shame really because while we had fun driving the Golf VII R on FM6, it's sad to say that it won't be appearing in FH3 as well as the other VWs but because it's on an Australian landscape, maybe you can make V-dubs have a little taste of Australia...sort of. Well, since I'm on Bathurst, which is in Australia, I'd decided to give those V-dubs a little Australian vacation before their little farewell party.

In this first part, the 20th century masters of V-dub are having a little free time round Mount Panorama, Bathurst.



The classic Volkswagen Type 2 Sambabus, the minibus that became popular with the hippie crowd.





The original VW Beetle. As many cars go, this "people's car" remains one of the world famous cars in the history of motoring. It even got starring roles such as the original Bumblebee from the Transformers cartoons and Herbie from the wonderful world of Disney.





The first-generation VW Scirocco, which remains one of the most important VW hatchbacks to date and one of the finest specimens designed by the renowned Giugiaro.




The VW Rabbit GTi. Although this is an Americanized VW Golf Mk.I GTi, it's still one of the forefathers of the hot hatch realm.




The second-generation VW Scirocco. An evolution to the first one and the last Scirocco sold in the North American market.




The VW Gold GTi Mk.II, a second iteration of VW's hot hatch icon which takes its hot hatch level a little further.




The VW Corrado VR6, one of the rarest specimens on the road and already a classic in its own right when it stopped production two decades ago.




The VW Golf GTi Mk.III, a third chapter of VW's Golf GTi saga and it comes with the more potent VR6 engine sourced from the fallen Corrado.


Seeing those 20th century hits from VW, it's like living to its last toes while trying to fulfill what's on their bucket list today. From classic icons like the Beetle and the Sambabus, to hatchback favorites like the Scirocco and the Golf, those 20th century masters are living it up to the fullest like there's no tomorrow and because VW won't be coming back on FH3, presumably, feels like they're having a farewell party. Of course, they're all having a farewell party for VW's 20th century hits but what about the best of the 21st century from VW?

To be continued...

F1 2016: Belgian GP

Photo: Getty Images

Before telling who wins the Belgian GP of the F1 2016 season, something worst has occurred during the race.

The most horrifying crash in all of Formula One history occurred when Kevin Magnussen from Renault lost control at the top of Raidillon hill at Spa-Francorchamps, the venue of the Belgian GP of the F1 2016 season, The car violently fishtailed off the track and span 360 degrees. Luckily, Magnussen survived the crash and he was taken for medical attention.

Anyway, onto the race and with things looking desperate for the F1 stars racing for the podium finish in Belgium, the long-heated rivalry between the two Mercedes F1 drivers still going on as Nico Rosberg's the winner while Lewis Hamilton placed 2nd. Behind the rivalry, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo finished 3rd place and so on.

Following Rosberg's win, he's now 223 points, behind Hamilton with 232 points, and Ricciardo moves to third with 118 points.

The next race is on Monza, Italy, this 4th of September.

Let's Do The News! (August 30, 2016)

- US President Barack Obama is expected to raise concerns over the recent statements of President Rodrigo Duterte in their upcoming meeting in Laos. The two leaders are set to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN leaders' summit at Vientiane, Laos, on the 6th of September.

- Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle called on Filipinos to condemn all forms of killings in the country. The archbishop noted that all forms of murder must be condemned. Tagle expressed alarm over the sharp rise of extrajudicial killings but also urged the public for consistency in protecting life.

- The Department of Health is on alert regarding flights from Singapore where local transmission of 41 confirmed cases of Zika virus have been confirmed by authorities over the weekend. In a text message, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial explained that the DOH's policy is to test only "symptomatic travelers from endemic countries". Zika is a mosquito-borne disease which symptoms include mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, malaise or headache, muscle and joint pain, which could last for two to seven days. It also being linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome and microcephaly, a condition of abnormal smallness of the head among babies of infected mothers.

- Huma Abedin, a top aide for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, announced her divorce from her husband, disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, following a report in the New York Post suggesting he had fallen back into his sexting habit.

- Brazil's suspended president Dilma Rousseff has urged the country's senators not to impeach her, saying she did not commit a crime. Rousseff spoke at a Senate trial on Monday. She appealed to the delegates to make a choice for Brazil's democracy.

- Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says it will still campaign against Japan's research whaling, using a new, high-speed patrol boat. Sea Shepherd Australia announced that it would send the vessel in the Antarctic Ocean in December for a direct-action campaign against Japanese whalers.

- Cadillac chief executive Johan de Nysschen confirms that an XTS minor change will come as well as new plans for a flagship model, part of their future product plans.

- Citroen will present their CX-Perience Concept at this year's Paris Motor Show, featuring a new Advanced Comfort tech.

Citroen CX-PERIENCE Concept

- Two idols from THE IDOLM@STER Platinum Stars are getting their Nendoroid Co-de treatment. That's right because GOOD SMILE COMPANY are now accepting reservations for Nendoroid Co-de Haruka Amami and Miki Hoshii, both in their Twinkle Star costumes as seen in the game. They're now available to order starting at 2,963 Yen plus tax each and deliveries will start this January.

Nendoroid Co-de Haruka Amami
Twinkle Star

Nendoroid Co-de Miki Hoshii
Twinkle Star

- A chibified version of the iconic F-22A Mobius 1 plane from Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies will be available at most hobby shops in November 2016. Made by Hasegawa Hobby Kits, this 19-part model kit, based on the hero plane, is a great start for beginner-level modelers and its super deformed sizing makes it a great display.

TTFN!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Philippines condemns North Korea's missle launch

Sourced from The Philippine Star:

The Philippines condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and the resumption of the processing of its nuclear materials and nuclear testing.

The latest submarine launch of a ballistic missile was last Aug. 24, a day after the United States and South Korea began their annual military exercises.

North Korea had carried out six ballistic missile firings between April and June despite the demand of the United Nations to halt all missile launches and nuclear tests.

The Philippines said North Korea's actions seriously undermine regional peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

"We reiterate our call on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions and commit to the process of constructive dialogue," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released Tuesday.

Meanwhile, North Korea has denounced a UN Security Council statement condemning its four latest ballistic missile launches, calling it a "hostile act."

Last Friday, a press statement approved by 15 Security Council members called the missile launched in July and August "grave violations" and called for a ban on all ballistic missile activity.

A statement from the North Korean Foreign Ministry warned the UN correspondents that they have "substantial means capable of reducing aggression troops in the US mainland and the operational theater in the Pacific to ashes in a moment."

Pyongyang further claimed that the US instigated the statement and called it "a reckless provocation harassing peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

"This is an illegal action taken by the world body to side with the US in the acute standoff between the DPRK and the US without an iota of impartiality," the ministry said, using the initials of the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons development programs have brought heavy international sanctions down on its head, but Pyongyang said they are justified because of the threat posed by the US and South Korea.

20 Years of Mazda Demio

Well, this is a bit of a belated approach but as you may know, the year 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of Mazda's compact hatchback, the Demio. For two decades, four generations, and numerous awards and accolades, it was one of the most successful models in Mazda's timeline. I guess this is the ideal time to read back the Mazda Demio's 20-year history.

Fourth-generation Mazda Demio

First Generation (1996 - 2002) - The first Mazda Demio was basically a production version of the BU-X Concept first seen in the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show and when it was first announced that the BU-X will enter production, it will be called Demio. This compact hatchback set the standards to this category and it went on sale on the 27th of August, 1996. In its first year, it won the RJC Car of the Year and the Japan Car of the Year respectively. Because it used the same platform as the Ford Fiesta, it was sold globally as the 121 or the Ford Festiva Mini Wagon. It's powered by either a 1.3L or a 1.5L petrol engine.

Second Generation (2002 - 2007) - With the success of the first-generation Demio, Mazda prompted a full model change in 2002 and sold worldwide as the Mazda 2. For the first time, an e-4WD variant was offered and this drivetrain uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels when necessary. It still carries on the same choice of 1.3L and 1.5L petrol engine.

Third Generation (2007 - 2014) - The third-generation Demio was launched in 2007 and it replaces the outgoing model's boxy styling in favor of a more curvy silhouette. In 2011, a facelifted Demio became the first Mazda to incorporate SKYACTIV Technology via the P3-VPS (1.3-litre SKYACTIV-G) engine. The new SKYACTIV-G engine is the next generation of Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine that is the first to attain the world's highest petrol engine compression ratio of 14.0:1, 15% increase of fuel efficiency and torque, and a 4-2-1 exhaust system, cavity pistons, multihole injectors and some of the technology that makes SKYACTIV "Only the sky is the limit" after all.

Fourth Generation (2014 - onwards) - In 2014, the Mazda Demio has been regenerated and for this generation, the new Demio embodies the Kodo design with its full SKYACTIV capabilities with the main forte is the S5-DPTS 1.5L SKYACTIV-D 4-cylinder diesel turbo engine. Thanks to that, it won the 2014 Japan Car of the Year.

So, with Mazda nothing doing special to celebrate the Demio's 20th anniversary, I bet most Demio owners across Japan did honored the Demio's 20th birthday for the good of it. But because the Demio is now two decades old, Mazda Demio/121/2 owners like you would like to thank Mazda for giving such a good compact car for two decades so a big hearty thanks to Mazda for 20 years of Demio, the compact car that is so good for first-timers, it really lives up to Mazda's "Be a Driver" slogan. Here's for the next two decades.

Which Biohazard has the best "Mercenaries"?

With Biohazard/Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6 finally relaunched on the PS4 and XBOX One, part of celebrating Capcom's survival horror franchise's 20th anniversary, now it's the ideal time to talk about the crazy little mini-game called THE MERCENARIES.

THE MERCENARIES

Ever since it became an unlockable mini-game for those who finished Biohazard 3: Last Escape (Resident Evil 3 NEMESIS), The Mercenaries is an addictive mini-game where players pit as one of the three UBCS troops and race against time to the finish time. They can add some time by killing zombies but because they have little ammo left, players have to rethink their strategy to survive their way to the finishing spot and earn in-game cash to unlock cool stuff for the main game, including the super-cool infinite ammo for all weapons.

Today, THE MERCENARIES has evolved into the mini-game we are truly familiar now, killing bad guys in some high-score hijinx until the timer runs out. Let's start with the best of Biohazard games featuring THE MERCENARIES.

Biohazard 4

Let's start with Biohazard 4, which already destined as the greatest survival horror game of all time, as Game Informer pointed out. This game has THE MERCENARIES mini-game unlockable by finishing the main game, which took them an average of seven to nine hours to finish the whole story. 

At the start, only Leon was available but as players performed better, they will be able to unlock other characters such as Ada, Krauser, HUNK, and Wesker. With all characters unlocked, everybody knows that there's a secret weapon that can be unlocked on the main game by getting five stars on all levels with all of the characters. 

But still, what do we like most about this Mercenaries needs no explaination. With our favorite villains like Krauser, HUNK, and Wesker present, RE4's Mercenaries made us coming back for more and more for our bragging rights if we got the highest score possible.

Biohazard 5

Now, let's move on to Biohazard/ Resident Evil 5, enjoyable with its co-op gameplay. The Mercenaries game was playable by default and only Chris and Sheva are available but as they satisfy certain conditions, they can unlock special costumes for Chris and Sheva as well as hidden characters such as Jill (in her BSAA and Battle Suit costumes) and Wesker (in both Midnight and S.T.A.R.S. costumes). 

When the Alternative Edition was launched, there's The Mercenaries Reunion featuring additional costumes for Chris (Heavy Metal and Exoskeleton) and Sheva (Office Lady and Fairy Tale) as well as additional characters such as Excella Gionne, Josh Stone, and familiar legends such as Barry Burton and Rebecca Chambers. 

So, whichever character they picked, this Mercenaries game was more fun when played in duo but what we like most about it is with new and familiar faces mixed in with them, it's becoming very addictive to play after having enough fun with the main game and the extra episodes.

Biohazard THE MERCENARIES 3D

Next up, the 3DS game called The Mercenaries 3D. Set in the world of Biohazard/Resident Evil, The Mercenaries 3D allows players to play as their favorite characters on a killing spree to defeat as many enemies as possible before time runs out. The more kill combos they scored, the bigger the score, and the bigger the score, the better the ranking. 

Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and HUNK are available by default but by satisfying certain conditions, they can unlock other characters such as Rebecca Chambers, Barry Burton, Albert Wesker, Claire Redfield, and Jack Krauser. With all characters available, they can go for the unlockable costumes such as Chris's pilot costume, Jill's casual costume from Last Escape, Rebecca's nurse costume, Barry's American costume, Uroboros Wesker, Claire's office attire, HUNK's reaper costume, and Krauser's exoskeleton attire. 

Each character has their own character loadout but any character can use the desired loadout or spend 10 Play Coins to unlock weapons, including special ones such as the fearsome 2-way grenade launcher.

Because you can have so much possibilities by equipping your character with the right weapon, it can be anyone's favorite as long as they didn't get embarassed by Barry's all-American costume or charmed by Rebecca's nurse costume.

Biohazard 6

And now, let's move on to Biohazard/Resident Evil 6, the most definitive installment of the survival horror franchise, and when you had enough of a blast in the main game, there's The Mercenaries offered in-game.

At first, only the hero characters; Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, and Jake Muller, are available by default but by satisfying certain conditions, they can unlock characters such as Helena Harper, Piers Nivans, Sherry Birkin, and Ada Wong. With the main characters set, they can now gun for the secret costumes for each of the characters. You can have a pirate costume for Leon, a police costume for Helena, a samurai costume for Chris, Piers in his racing overalls, a puffy jacket for Jake, Sherry in her school uniform, and Ada in her white dress. There's a secret character that can be unlocked after getting all of the costumes.

Let's face it. While Leon's pirate costume and Chris's samurai costume are not so bad when it comes to their weapon loadouts, Piers' racing overalls is far out ridiculous to look at, while Jake in his puffy jacket is deemed to be challenging because he has a knife, a Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle, and a Grenade Launcher. While the heroines in their secret costumes deemed to be very attractive on their looks, the trickiest to master was Helena in her police costume and the easiest was, you guessed it, Sherry in her school uniform because with her attractive looks comes with fearsome firepower. Not bad for a girl.

What's different from the other Mercenaries games is when you did special stuff in the certain stage, you will trigger a hidden boss, which sounds super intimidating but for added thrills. Still, RE6's Mercenaries game can be very addictive in both solo or duo with a buddy.

So, which Biohazard has the best "mercenaries"? Don't be silly but finding which one is like punching a boulder.

Anyway, Biohazard/Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6 are now available to download on the PS4 and XBOX One. In Biohazard 4, you can expect not just the main game but also Separate Ways (The Another Order), starring Ada Wong in five thrilling missions, special costumes for both Leon and Ashley, as well as cool weapons such the P.R.L. 412 and the Gunpowder Bowgun. In Biohazard 5, there's The Mercenaries United, which combines both of the regular Mercenaries and Mercenaries Reunion characters, a more thrilling Mercenaries No Mercy, and two extra episodes such as Lost In Nightmares and  Desperate Escape. In Biohazard 6, all of the DLC features are added such as additional maps, Mercenaries No Mercy, Siege, Onslaught, Survivors, and Predator. Costumes that can be acquired previously from the ResidentEvil.Net website are featured as well.

Biohazard Value Pack

Coming September 29, you can avail for the Biohazard Value Pack on the PS4 for 8,100 Yen. Not only the Origins Collection was offered but also a download code for the other three games plus a bonus Biohazrd HD Remaster OST CD as well.

Want to be a real mercenary and take on the world? Join the action on Biohazard Umbrella Corps. Now available to download on the PS4 and PC via Steam, Umbrella Corps is a multiplayer competitive shooting game that pits players to the world of the Biohazard/Resident Evil series through different challenges that will test their skills as mercenaries. Take on different online game modes such as Respawn Match, Target Hunter, Domination, DNA Hunter, Protector, Collector, and Color War or practice in a solo-player game The Experiment.

One last thing, brace yourselves for Biohazard 7 resident evil (Resident Evil VII biohazard), coming on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC this January 2017.