- Tropical depression Nock-Ten intensified into a typhoon early yesterday, and was forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility as Tropical Storm Nina late last night or early today. As of 4PM yesterday, PAGASA spotted the storm at about 1,320km east of northern Mindanao, moving west-northwest at a speed of 23kph.
- President Rodrigo Duterte wants to amend the provisions in the 1987 Constitution that check a president's power to declare and implement martial law. The chief executive noted that he cannot proceed on declaring martial law in case of war or invasion as such authority is subject to review by Congress and Supreme Court.
- Manila city mayor Joseph Estrada is currently in a hospital for pneumonia, according to his son Senator JV Ejercito during a radio interview. Ejercito said that Estrada was brought to the hospital two nights ago, adding that the 79-year-old former president was pale and had a hard time breathing when he was brought in.
- The House Intelligence Committee study only raises suspicion of links between former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and Russian spies. The panel said in its newly declassified report that Snowden "has had, and continues to have, contract with Russian intelligence services."
- A top Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee's CIA oversight panel warned that President-elect Donald Trump's disparagement of American intelligence agencies is going to prompt even more leaks on sensitive subjects like Russia's alleged hacking of the US electoral process.
- Audi is set to unveil a Q8 concept SUV at next month's NAIAS in Detroit, Michigan. It will serve as a preview of Audi's flagship full-size SUV that slots above the Q7.
- Bandai Namco's Tekken Revolution free-to-play game for the Playstation3 wil end its services this March 2017.
- The first theatrical trailer for the upcoming Biohazard Vendetta 3D animated film is here and this is where the movie's storyline is told regarding Leon and Chris race against time to fight against the terrorist unleashing an attack on New York City.
Since its launch in 2007, the Assassin's Creed franchise rewrites the pages of history from the Holy Land to the Industrial Revolution with the legendary war between Assassins and Templars that have changed history forever. Now, for some unknown reasons, a movie adaptation of the hit video game franchise has arrived and this one is pretty much different to the Assassin's Creed we are familiar with.
Starring Michael Fassbender, and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard, this Assassin's Creed film centers on the tale of Callum Lynch, who was imprisoned inside the mysterious facility in the present day and thanks to the Animus-a device that allows users to explore genetic memories buried within their DNA, Callum's bloodline traces back to his ancestor named Aguilar, an Assassin in 15th Century Spain. By taking advantage of his newly found bloodline as well as his intelligence and combat skills as an Assassin, Callum must stop at nothing to rewrite history to suppress against the Templar forces of today.
This film is vaguely original compared to the video games it based upon and while it promises fans the same exhilarating feel that fans get from the games, it's kinda hard to imagine why, by surprise, this movie adaptation made like a thief in a night. In fact, it's very as shadowy as what an Assassin should be. Sadly, you don't get the gore and some violent stuff that the games delivered. In fact, it's just tad regular for a movie version of a hit video game franchise. While this is a good movie to watch for the holidays, its lack of strong violence is what doesn't really pleases about this Assassin's Creed movie and because it's vaguely original, there are some questions that need to be answered why.
- President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the 3.35 trillion peso budget for fiscal year 2017 as he vowed to ensure that state funds would benefit the poor and vulnerable sectors. In his speech, Duterte said the 2017 national budget is the "embodiment of Filipinos' clamor for change." He said the first ever budget of his administration would be "pro-people, pro-investment, pro-growth, and pro-development."
- Former police Chief Superintendent Wally Sombero returned the two million pesos, which is part of the alleged fifty million peso bribe money from Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam to the Ombudsman. Sobero also filed before the Ombudsman a supplemental complaint affidavit to his case against Immigration Deputy Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles.
- US President-elect Donald Trump has met heads of aircraft makers as he seeks to cut costs of a next generation stealth fighter and a new presidential aircraft. He met up with the CEO of Lockheed Martin about the F-35 program and with the CEO of Boeing, the maker of Air Force One.
- A cargo plane has crashed in eastern Colombia, killing five crew members. The country's aviation authorities say the domestic airplane went down in Puerto Carreno near the Venezuela border on Tuesday. The plane had been heading to an airport in Bogota, carrying six crew members onboard. One of them is injured but rescued.
- German police are searching for a 24-year-old Tunisian male suspect of involvement in the Berlin truck attack on Monday. German investigative authorities on Wednesday released a mug shot of Anis Amri. They say the found an ID document bearing his name inside the truck. The are offering a reward of up to 100,000 euros for information leading to his arrest.
- Nissan and Mitsubishi are joining forces to launch their new SUV on the year 2019.
- See professional driver Tanner Foust driving different kinds of cars in an ode to Quantum Leap.
- There's now a Miki Hoshii figma unveiled and ready to take pre-orders starting at 5,833 Yen plus tax. This figma dons the Million Dreams outfit as seen in not just on the PS3 version of THE IDOLM@STER 2 but also as the cover outfit of The IDOLM@STER Million Live mobile game. Anyway, this figma's ready for pre-order, deliveries will start this June.
figma Miki Hoshii
- Or in the Lovelive side, the third Nendoroid based on the Aqours heroes from Love Live! Sunshine!!, Riko Sakurauchi, has unveiled. Finished in the Aozora Jumping Heart costume, it's available to order starting at 3,241 Yen plus tax and deliveries will commence this June. More to come soon for the Aqours heroes!
The heated debate between Vipers and Corvettes remained to be the forefront of American sportscar hierarchy even though the muscle car wars in America remains to be the hot topic here. With high-performance versions of these cars like the Dodge Viper ACR and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, with its 650HP supercharged V8, tensions between these two remain as heated as America versus the communist countries of China and Russia combined.
The Corvette C7 Z06 remains a very special place in my books because while this is essentially called the Z06, it remains, to date, as the most powerful Corvette ever made. I was not a fan of the normal C7 Corvette Stingray when it shook the world by its storm because of personal issues I can think of but with the Z06, my attitude towards the C7 Corvette has changed and I like this Corvette a lot as much as the previous C6 ZR1. While the Z06 was inspired from the C7.R racing machine, it remains a dynamic handling machine that is not fit for the faint at heart and you have to be careful and where you're turning the wheel at because even a slight mistake can punish you big time. Who knew modern American sportscars can be very dynamic and dangerous at a hands of an amateur?
While the Viper is set to be removed from the lineup after the 2017 model year, the ACR is a heartful reminder that this GTS-R-inspired machine wants to die beautiful with all the best bits from its motorsports experience. It still has a 8.4L V10 engine, which is the biggest engine output for a production vehicle ever made, but it's been rooted to 645HP of power and 600ft-lb of torque. Although not as powerful as the Z06, the ACR weighs 1500kg and it comes with track-honed dynamics to keep it competitive on the road and on the track. While it is slower on the straights compared to a normal Viper, its low center of gravity as well as its massive rear wing keeps it very glued on the bends like an extreme track toy. However, despite its motorsport knowhow, the ACr can be very bravado and it takes guts to master this hardcore Viper at ease. I forgot to mentioned that this car is part of Forza Horizon 3's Alpinestars car pack.
Now with the rivalry between the Corvette C7 Z06 and the Dodge Viper ACR has finally arrived on Forza Horizon 3, I have a better way to see which of these American heroes stand out by giving it a timed lap at one part of Byron Bay. Specifically, the Grand Tour Sprint because it has the words "Grand Tour" on it and it reminds me of...well, you get the idea but let's find out which American hero stands out...
After one go, I have the results. The Corvette C7 Z06 did it in 2:29.850 while the Dodge Viper ACR did it in a shocking 2:23.377. It's a shocking victory that with all that grit unleashed on these American heroes, the Viper ACR stands out against the Corvette Z06 and I have no idea how to sum these cars up.
Since I got no idea how to explain why the Dodge Viper ACR is better than the Corvette Z06, I decided to let these American heroes do their activities on their own and that meant I have to make some adjustments to make sure they're ready for their shooting schedules.
The C7 Corvette Z06 wants to meet up with the other Corvettes but first, it needs to be presentable inside and out, and that meant getting dressed for the occasion. Seen here is a familiar theme I made from the second Horizon game a while back. It's themed after THE IDOLM@STER's Iori Minase but it has been improved to Platinum Stars standards.
The Viper ACR doesn't want to be flashy while it tries to meet up 25 years of Vipers but a slight color change would do the trick. Seen here is the similar ACR that the infamous Chris Evans drove in his first and only season as a Top Gear presenter. Believe it or not, the Viper ACR edges off against the Corvette C7 Z06 with Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel and left the fighter pilot sitting next to her throwing up.
It's a great thing to have this rivalry became part of the American car culture, especially in the Land Down Under on Forza Horizon 3 and while the whole world's waving goodbye on these, seems that the age-old rivalry between the Viper and the Corvette will be consigned to the history books. With the Viper is set to be removed from the lineup and the next Corvette will be different, these cars will be surely a blast to drive 'till the bitter end.
Up front, it looks like the latest generation of the Chevrolet Cruze. It has the same front view as the saloon, the same five-seater capacity, the same grim reality of having a touch-screen with added connectivity standard, the same peppy 1.4L turbo engine as before, and the same premium amenities you can expect on the latest generation. But look behind and you can see that the Chevrolet Cruze got a different back. In other words, it's a hatchback.
What it is is not a Chevrolet Cruze as we know it and with that striking rear view reminiscent of the Kia K3 Euro, this is the future. This is the first-ever Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback. The most obvious difference you can observe on this model is the extra space on the back and with the rear seats folded, the Cruze hatchback provides 47.2 cubic feet of boot space, more than enough to fit whatever activities they want.
So, why the Cruze hatchback? In the beginning, the Cruze hatchback sold exclusively in Europe, South Korea, and Oceania, with some countries except the United States. However, with Chevrolet pulling out from the European market and with numerous stuff I don't really understand, looks like they made the perfect timing to introduce the hatchback version of the second-generation Cruze to the American market. If Europeans come across through this car, this is something they would really miss ever since Chevrolet departed from the European market for good to make room for Opel. Hmmm....
Sadly, today's Chevrolet Cruze is available only in the North American market and looks like the South Koreans won't be having this kind of Cruze any day now unless GM Korea Company changed their minds into selling the latest Cruze in sedan and hatchback forms. The rest of the world are begging to have this kind of car but for now, the second-generation Cruze, in saloon and hatchback forms, will remain exclusive to North America (well, save for China because they had one, only different) and for the hatchback version, starting at 22,115 US Dollars MSRP, it sounds reasonably priced but the whole world's going to beg for this kind of car which has the same tech, the same 1.4L turbocharged petrol engine, and the same world-class quality they expect for a Chevrolet. Sadly, the world should wave hi to the hatchback from far between the Atlantic and the Pacific. That's a shame...
- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas yesterday released the first batch Peso bills with signatures from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte worth 8.75 million pesos. BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the 27 million pieces of P20, P50, P100, P200, P500 and P1,000 new generation currency (NGC) bills were released to banks in the National Capital Region and areas outside NCR.
- Although President Duterte supports family planning, he clarified that he's opposed to abortion. Duterte believes that cutting population growth can help improve the country's economy, which grew by 7.1 percent in the third quarter.
- Conglomerate Alliance Global, Inc. pledged on Tuesday to allot 1.2 billion pesos for the construction of drug rehabilitation centers in the country as part of the government's ongoing war on drugs. With this, AGI committed to build a new drug rehabilitation facility in Taguig, the second following the Davao facility.
- The evacuation of the Syrian city of Aleppo could be completed by tomorrow. Civilians trapped in battle areas are evacuating and insurgents are withdrawing after the rebels agreed to surrender the remaining areas under their control. The International Committee of the Red Cross says about 25,000 people have left the city.
- Authorities in Germany, France, and other European countries have tightened security in the wake of the Berlin truck attack. Germany has deployed more police officers across the country. Paris has blocked vehicles from an area of the Champs-Elysees where a Christmas market is underway. So far, German investigators detained a Pakistani and later released him, citing lack of evidence.
- A massive explosion has ripped through a fireworks market in Mexico, killing 31 people and hurt 72 others. Authorities say over 40 people remained missing. The blast occurred at an open-air market in Tultepec, sending plumes of smoke high into the air and causing people to flee.
- The facelifted Skoda Octavia can now be offered in either a high-performance RS variant or a Scout crossover wagon.
2017 Skoda Octavia RS
2017 Skoda Octavia Scout
- Felipe Massa returns to Williams F1 team for the 2017 season.
- No. This is not a terrorist attack occurred at a mall in Dubai. The footage of an military vehicle ramming through the mall in Dubai was just one of the footage for an upcoming episode of Amazon's The Grand Tour.
Having been returned from the lineup numerous months after the fuel efficiency fiasco that forced Mitsubishi to temporarily suspend most of their kei car sales after Nissan discovered what's wrong with their fuel efficiency numbers and then sparked a takeover on Mitsubishi Motors following the wrongdoing, looks like the taller equivalents of the Mitsubishi eK and Nissan Dayz, the eK Space and Dayz Roox, has been given a facelift and let's hope that these latest versions are as honest as this morning's newspaper.
On the Mitsubishi side, the redesigned front face makes it well-civilized and cozy for the normal eK Space while the eK Space Custom gets it all futuristic and sharp. On the Nissan side, both the normal and the Highway Star variants received Nissan's corporate V-motion grille to make it more welcome to the family. Although the new look makes them more updated, they're still the same thing, although they are finally come clean with their fuel efficiency numbers.
For all models, it comes with the 660cc engine producing 49PS of power and 59Nm of torque. Turbocharged models get around 64PS of power, in case you missed it. Fuel efficiency? They're at a very honest 20.4 to 22.2km/L based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards. This is as fuel efficient as these wagons go, otherwise, they would exaggerate it against its fuel efficient rivals from Daihatsu and Suzuki and then cause any trouble again. Not in this case, it ain't because customers who bought this car will have to keep an eye on its fuel efficiency in the hopes that they don't get deceived by its exaggeration.
Anyway, some safety tech is loaded in both models such as the autonomous braking system called FCM-City, Active Stability Control, Emergency Stop Signal System, ABS brakes, and much more, all in the name of being one of the safest kei minivans in the market, as if those cars like the Tanto and the Spacia can do the job better than those but that's not the case for those kei minivans trying to come clean and win back the motoring public after that fiasco that sent them homespun.
At a Mitsubishi dealership, the eK Space starts at 1,239,840 Yen while the eK Space Custom starts at 1,568,160 Yen. At a Nissan dealership, meanwhile, the Dayz Roox starts at 1,306,800 Yen and it comes with different variants ranging from the normal, Highway Star, Bolero, and Rider. Both the Bolero and the Rider are made courtesy of Autech Japan. So, with everything's come clean for these facelifted models, can the new eK Space and the new Dayz Roox win back the motoring public? Only time will tell.
