Let's Do The News! (June 2, 2017)

- Last night, 36 people are reportedly killed from smoke inhalation after an armed assailant attacked Resorts World Manila after he torched gambling tables, creating a choking amount of smoke, according to law enforcement. The suspect behind the attack was found dead after setting his hotel room on fire, police said.

- Meanwhile, the Manila Police District rerouted traffic and shops in the area suspended operations due to yesterday's bomb scare.

- Public schools in Cagayan De Oro and Iligan are accepting students from the conflict-torn Marawi City. Education Secretary Leonor Briones said there are about 5,000 school-aged children staying in evacuation centers in Iligan City, and they expect the number to increase as the conflict intensifies.

- US President Donald Trump announced that they will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which aims to reduce emissions and impact from climate change. Trump called the agreement an "economical disadvantage" to the US. By withdrawing from the agreement, it will join alongside Syria and Nicaragua in not taking part of the agreement and it will take less than four years before it can formally announce its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledged to hold a referendum on a new constitution he has proposed to stop two-months of anti-government unrest that killed 62 people.

- In Game 1 of this year's NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors jump start the match after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers at the score of 113-91.

- Ford launched a special Limited Edition model of the Focus RS hatchback. Limited to 1,500 units made exclusively for the North American market, the special Focus RS comes with a new mechanical limited-slip differential, Quaife unite on the front axle, special exterior styling, and a choice of two colors; Race Red and Nitrous Blue.



- Hyundai revealed teaser sketches of their upcoming compact crossover called the Kona.



- Nintendo details the online paid service on the Switch. Before 2018, the service will be free to use and beyond that, it will be charged at 300 yen per month.

- Actor Thomas Middleditch joins the cast of 2019's Godzilla: King of Monsters sequel film.

TTFN!!!

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER 11 AnKira!? Kyousoukyoku

For the latest installment of the CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER range, inspired from THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage app game, we are greeted by the ever-lovable duo we all loved for a brand new song we are familiar with after sessions of playing this app game for days.

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS
STARLIGHT MASTER 11 AnKira!? Kyousoukyoku

That's right, our ever-adorable Cinderella Girls Anzu Futaba (CV: Hiromi Igarashi) and Kirari Moroboshi (CV: Rei Matsuzaki) are here to put some smiles with their brand new song titled あんきら!?狂騒曲 and those who are fancy for all thing cute shouldn't feel hesitated to listen to this new song as heard from the app game.

Smiled? Well, you should be because in addition, two additional new songs are added in this latest installment such as Neo Beautiful Pain by Nao Kamiya (CV: Eriko Matsui) and あいくるしい by Mayu Sakuma (CV: Yui Makino), Kobayakawa Sae (CV: Rika Tachibana), Yukari Mizumoto (CV: Akane Fujita), Kanako Mimura (CV: Yuka Otsubo), and Kanade Hayami (CV: Yuko Iida). Just to keep your hearts revving up for more.

Be sure to keep playing Starlight Stage and watch out for more on this range!

TRACK LISTINGS:

01 あんきら!?狂騒曲 (M@STER VERSION)

02 Neo Beautiful Pain

03 あいくるしい

04 あんきら狂騒曲 (M@STER VERSION) オリジナル・カラオケ

05 Neo Beautiful Pain オリジナル・カラオケ

06 あいくるしい オリジナル・カラオケ

07 あんきら!?狂騒曲 (GAME VERSION)

Tekken 7

Bandai Namco's hard-hitting fighting franchise is back and with Tekken 7 now arrived on PS4, XBOX One, and PC via Steam, it's going to be as intense and hard-hitting as past installments get.

Tekken 7 (PS4)

Tekken 7 (XBOX One)

For over two decades of delivering the best fistfights by the best fighters from around the globe, the Tekken series ruled the gaming world with its iron fist and with Tekken 7, this is the new standard of not just any fighting game but also esports since it's becoming a major trend in the gaming industry. In this latest installment, new and returning fighters are ready to kick each other's butts in different areas from across the globe, be it from America, Asia, and Europe.

In addition to familiar favorites such as Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, Heihachi, Xiaoyu, Alisa, Nina Williams, and many others from past installments, Tekken 7 welcomes new additions such as Master Raven, the ever-so-lucky Lucky Chloe, the Arabian Knight Shaheen, Claudio Serafino, Gigas, Katarina Alves, the Filipina who knows Eskrima Josie Rizal, and more importantly, Kazumi Mishima. Oh, and did we mention that Street Fighter's Gouki (Akuma) makes his guest appearance here in Tekken 7? Not sure why but his special guest appearance serves his purpose in The Mishima Saga.

What's The Mishima Saga? It's a Story Mode that delves deeper on the ongoing feud of the Mishima Clan, the hate-filled bloodline, and how the clash intensifies into the ones we know. This is the ideal way to get to know the characters better while working your way to how the story unfolds.

Of course, with every character has their own ending movies to unlock, getting to know your favorite from start to finish is going to be a tough act to follow, not to mention their signature combos to pull off even if you're an amateur who are unfamiliar with fighting games or an unbeatable pro who just wants to get some practice before the big day. No matter how good or bad with this kind of fighting game, you will find that it's going to be very addictive from start to finish, and because Tekken 7 is more than just being an action-packed fighting game, it's also a party game to turn the tides with your mates because with two-player action, it's an ideal reason why your visitors at home are coming back to play Tekken 7 with you. Exciting, isn't it?

For some skilled players who want to get themselves warmed up before the big fight, they can practice themselves offline, either solo arcade battle or treasure battle to get some cash to personalize their favorite characters. Once they're ready, they can ready to take on online battles to see who's the best. Of course, if you're playing this on PS4 or XBOX One, paid subscription is required for online play. Just so you know.

For the PS4 version, there are exclusive features such as Jukebox where you can change the music of the stage you are battling on as well as listening to it, and if you got a PSVR, you can engage VR Mode so you can experience Tekken 7 at your VR headsets while nobody's looking at you.

Of course, over the coming months, you can expect downloadable contents that you can enhance your Tekken 7 experience, including additional characters and costumes on the way.

So, there you have it. With the premiere fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco back for the next installment, Tekken 7 is going to be one helluva blast and with every buttkicking action ready to be experienced by numerous players, they are surely ready for the next battle so GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!

Let's Do The News! (June 1, 2017)

-The Marawi Siege enters its 9th day and the clash between the government troops and the Maute terrorists continue with numerous airstrikes seen targeting the terrorists' den. The Armed Forces of the Philippines warned that operations against the Maute group will intensify since three of its leaders are still in Marawi.

- Congress has approved the Tax Reform Package of the administration, which aims to lower the personal income tax, and increase the excise tax on petroleum, cars, expand the Value-Added Tax base, and impose tax on sweetened beverages and lotto winnings during its third and final reading.

- An independent Azeri journalist has been abducted in Georgia and forcibly taken to Azerbaijan where he was detained in custody, according to his lawyer in a case condemned by rights activists. Afgan Mukhtarli, an investigative journalist and human rights activist who had been living in the former Soviet republic of Georgia since 2015, went missing on Tuesday evening.

- US President Donald Trump tweeted in the morning that he would make his final decision whether or not to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords, aimed to combat climate change. Most feared that abandoning from this agreement would be a historic misstep, even his daughter Ivanka warned that it could lead to a significant diplomatic blowback if he withdraws from the accords.

- Social media companies stepped up both the speed and number of removals of hate speech on their platforms in response to the European Union's pressure to do more to tackle the issue. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft last year signed up to a voluntary code of conduct to take action in Europe within 24 hours, following rising concerns about the proliferation of racist and xenophobic content on social media triggered by the refugee crisis and attacks in Western Europe.

- Comedienne Kathy Griffin was fired by the CNN from its annual New Year's Eve broadcast after she drew strong criticism for posing in photographs holding up the likeness of a bloody, severed head resembling U.S. President Donald Trump.

- Residents in Abu Dhabi will pay more for taxis starting this Thursday as a new fare structure comes into effect. The new fare structure is likely to double spending for most inter-city trips, and commuters who are forced to use taxis to get to and from work, according to reports.

- Rolls-Royce teases the upcoming Phantom full model change before its official unveiling this July.

- Nissan's NV350 Caravan gets a minor change, available this summer, with a new front face, new rear lamps, and some will be uncovered soon.

- In case you really really missed it, actress Liza Soberano was chosen to play the role of iconic Philippine superhero, Darna, after months of speculation.

- Actor Richard Gutierrez is making a comeback, this time now in his new home network, ABS-CBN. Not only he will appear in the new movie starring Angel Locsin but also on the upcoming fantasy drama, La Luna Sangre, which is the sequel of Imortal.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (May 31, 2017)

- Week-long battle against the Islamist rebels in Marawi city is being fuelled with stolen weapons and ammunition and fighters broken out of jails, according to the military as troops battled militants resisting ground and air attacks. Right now, the military deployed for the first time SF-260 close air support planes to back attack helicopters and ground troops looking to box rebels into a downtown area.

- Strong rains triggered flooding in some parts of Metro Manila as well as heavy traffic flow that left motorists stranded last night. PAGASA said the rains experienced on Tuesday night is ab effect of the thunderstorms and the start of the rainy season.

- Over a hundred international and local flights were cancelled and diverted to Clark International Airport due to potholes in NAIA yesterday.

- As five decades have passed since the 6-Day War in Israel, a certain NGO recently unearthed documents detailing the post-war legal and diplomatic debate have a familiar ring, and underline how little progress has been made towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

- 67 people are reportedly hurt in a powerful car bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to reports.

- According to the top Mexican diplomat, Venezuela is no longer a functioning democracy, one day before foreign ministers from across the Americas are due to meet to discuss the crisis gripping the South American country. The comments mark one of the harshest critiques of the government of Venezuelan socialist president Nicolas Maduro to date.

- Bentley unveiled a special Continental 24 model in honor of its running at last week's Nurburgring 24hrs. Based on the new Continental Supersports with its 700HP W12 turbocharged engine glory, it's priced for 250,000 Euros and available to order for a limited run of 24 units.

- Novitec upgrades the Ferrari 488 GTB with some wide-body kit and some added 110bhp to its V8 turbo engine with other upgrades as well.

- McLaren Automotive named Rob Melville as its new design head, replacing Frank Stephenson who is rumored to return to Mini where he served as chief designer until 2002.

- The new Renault Scenic range receive a more luxurious Initiale Paris variant with luxurious accommodations in store for this variant.

TTFN!!!

GALAXY HidE and SeeK

After Aqours' CYaRon presented us with their second single, Kinmirai Happy End, it's the turn of AZALEA to show us their second single titled GALAXY HidE and SeeK.

GALAXY HidE and SeeK

Yes, AZALEA is back for their brand new single which is part of Aqours' Next Step Project consisting of this, CYaRon's Kinmirai Happy End, the upcoming Guilty Kiss single coming next month, new duo/trio performances from your favorite Aqours heroes, adding up to Aqours' 2nd Love Live -THE HAPPY PARTY TRAIN TOUR- later in the summer and the second series of Love Live! Sunshine!! coming this fall.

For this new single, you have two new songs performed by AZALEA themselves as well as a new drama part for those who want more of Dia Kurosawa, Kanan Matsuura, and Hanamaru Kunikida. Believe it or not, both these new AZALEA songs are coming on the School Idol Festival app game anytime soon.

Another main reason to come back for more of Aqours!

TRACK LISTING:

01. GALAXY HidE and SeeK

02. INNOCENT BIRD

03. GALAXY HidE and SeeK (Off Vocal)

04. INNOCENT BIRD (Off Vocal)

05. 沼津スイーツ❤ハンティング

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Coca-Cola 600

Despite the rain delays on their Sunday schedule, the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup returned to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, putting a climax to what is known to be the "loudest weekend in motorsport history", dominated by the likes of this year's Nurburgring 24H, Indy 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix of Formula 1 championship. Easier said than done.

This was became a historic one for Austin Dillon, who won the first NASCAR Monster Energy Series of his career and put the No.3 Chevrolet back in Victory Line after 17 years. With his new chief in hand, Dillon was one of the eight drivers who stayed on the track when the strongest in the race, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., came to pit road on Lap 368 of 400.

While the mightiest have fallen to the pit stop, Dillon, with enough fuel to catch up, trailed Jimmie Johnson until the seven-time champion ran out of gas with less than three laps left, therefore scoring Dillon's first series win of his career.

Next race is on Dover International Speedway for the AAA 400 Drive for Autism on June 4.

Let's Do The News! (May 30, 2017)

- The Armed Forces of the Philippines manages to gain full control of the Marawi City from the Maute terrorists. According to them, the military is in full control and the crisis' climax is fast approaching but the people are still being gunned down in some barangays but both the AFP and PNP members responding to that very situation.

- House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez belittled the scheduled joint session of the two Houses of Congress, wherein they will discuss about Martial Law declaration. The allies of the Duterte administration agreed to convene in order to discuss the legality of the 60-day Martial Law declaration in Mindanao.

- The House of Representatives has released a subpoena against Ilocos Norte governor Imee Marcos after she failed to appear in a hearing regarding the anomalous use of Tobacco excise tax three times. Also, three other officials of the Province are ordered to be cited in contempt after allegedly lying when asked regarding the procured mini cab in 2011 wherein Php66.4 million was taken from the tobacco excise tax.

- Bangladesh has evacuated at least 350,000 people as a cyclone lashed coastal areas on Tuesday, causing havoc in refugee camps set up for Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in Burma. Cyclone Mora struck the island of Saint Martin and Teknaf in the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar, where some 200,000 people were evacuated to shelters.

- As filmmakers in cinemas have almost completely phased out the 35mm format film from the past decade in favor of digital formats, an Indonesian entrepreneur who runs a mobile cinema loves the old format as it means bringing nostalgia and entertainment to the poorer residents of Jakarta.

- US President Donald Trump visited Arlington, TX to honor fallen service members and Gold Star families in his first Memorial Day speech.

- After over a decade, Sony ends shipment of the Playstation3 console for the Japanese market.

- Mercedes-AMG unveiled a special AMG GT3 Edition 50 model for track-day enthusiasts. Limited to five units for track-only purposes, the special model features special 'real black' matte paint, carbon fiber materials, and other special extras including a specially themed watch courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen.



- A trailer for a comedy heist movie Logan Lucky has gone up during last weekend's NASCAR race in Charlotte Motor Speedway. It stars Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, Adam Driver, Katherine Waterston, Seth Macfarlane, Katie Holmes, Sebastian Stan, Hilary Swank, and Daniel Craig. It opens in theaters this August 18.



TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea launches another missile

According to Japan's Defense Ministry, North Korea has launched a missile on Monday morning and it is believe it landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan.

South Korea's military says the missile was launched from North Korea's eastern coast and that it is thought to be a Scud missile that flew nearly 450km before landing in the sea. North Korea has launched 11 missiles so far this year, with the last one taking place on May 21st.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned that North Korean missiles are improving with each test. He said the US made it clear that is willing to work with China and that he believes China has tried to be helpful in settling the issue.

Meanwhile, the US Defense Department says officials are planning to dispatch the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to the region to conduct a joint drill with the USS Carl Vinson carrier group which is already maneuvering in waters off the Korean Peninsula.

A drill involving 2 US aircraft carriers in the Sea of Japan near the Korean Peninsula would be unprecedented, using it as a warning against the Korean Peninsula.

Source: NHK World 

Let's Do The News! (May 29, 2017)

- President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled his supposed Japan visit on June 5 until 7, 2017. According to sources, Duterte will not attend the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia to be held in Tokyo, Japan due to the current situation in Mindanao, including the declaration of Martial Law and ongoing operation against the Maute Group in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur.

- Right now, 97 people are reportedly killed during the Marawi Siege.

- The House Bill 4795 states that cyberbullying may face up to 10-year-imprisonment and a penalty of 500,000 pesos. Under the proposed Bill, social media and text messages threat are covered by the Cybercrime prevention Act.

- 13 people are reportedly killed during a suicide attack in Afghanistan on the first day of Islam's holy Month of Ramadan.

- German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Europe can no longer rely on the United States and Britain following last week's G7 and NATO summits. Her comments came after US President Donald Trump failed to clarify whether the US would stay in the Paris climate accord, an international framework aimed at working towards resolving global warming.

- Meanwhile, President Trump criticized the recent leaks from the White House, saying it's "fake news." Returning from his overseas trips, Trump expressed regret over numerous reports on alleged communications between executives of his campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

- Russia's new passenger plane made its first trial flight, following a successful first flight of a new Chinese passenger plane earlier this month. Russian government-affiliated aircraft maker Irkut developed the new passenger plane, the MC21, using light and durable carbon fiber and other materials.

- India's health ministry says it has confirmed its first Zika virus infections. Authorities say 3 cases of the disease were confirmed in the western state of Gujarat in the one-year period through January.

- People of Hong Kong staged a protest ahead of next month's 28th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. About 1,000 people took part in Sunday's demonstration, including people who took part in protests in Hong Kong in 1989 to support the pro-democracy movement.

TTFN!!!

F1 2017 - Monaco GP

At the Monaco Grand Prix leg of this season's Formula One Championship, it seems that the one-two finish for Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen made this season even more interesting, perhaps pit strategy plays a crucial role at this race. Or maybe this one-two finish was just orchestrated by Ferrari themselves?

Whether the case that Ferrari orchestrated this driver-swapping tactic during pit stops that gained Vettel the edge to widen the gap against Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who finished in seventh place considerably, remains a case that needs to be answered, but behind Ferrari's controversial Monaco victory, there are some who couldn't made the cut at this year's Monaco GP such as Sauber's Pascal Wehrlein, who car was crashed through the barrier at Portier alongside Jenson Button, as well as McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne, and Daniil Kvyat from Toro Rosso (who was crashed by Force India's Sergio Perez during an overtake at La Rascasse), among many others.

After the race, the gap between Vettel and Hamilton are now up to 25 points.

The next race is on Canada on the 11th of June.

Winners of the 2017 Nurburgring 24Hr

Photo: Nurburgring

The 2017 ADAC-Zurich 24-Hour Race at the dreaded Nurburgring pits the best drivers from the motorsport realm in the world's most challenging racetrack in history and because the race lasts for 24 hours, winning the race isn't just the key in this punishing event because in an endurance race like this, survival is paramount.

So, after twenty-four hours spent at the Green Hell, there are many who have entered, some didn't make it due to troublesome failures, and only a few managed to survive the dead of a day not by chance but by skill. It's no wonder this place is jam-packed, not to mention the added security because of the recent events as heard from the news.

Without further ado, time to jot down the winners of this year's Nurburgring 24-Hour race;

AT - #320 Porsche Cayman GT4
CUP 3 - #307 Teichmann Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
CUP 5 - #249 ADAC Team Weser Ems e.V. BMW M235i Racing
SP 10 - #72 BLACK FALCON Team TMD Friction Porsche Cayman GT4
SP 2T - #114 Stanco & Tanner Motorsport Renault Clio Endurance
SP3 - #131 Renault Clio RS Cup Avia Racing
SP 3T - #89 LMS Engineering Audi TT RS2
SP 5 - #83 LEUTHEUSER RACING & EVENTS BMW 1M Coupe
SP 6 - #81 Hofor-Racing BMW M3 CSL
SP 7 - #66 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup-MR
SP 8 - #7 Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd Aston Martin GT8
SP 8T - #40 Securital Sorg Rennsport BMW M4 GT4
SP 9 - #29 Audi Sport Team Land Audi R8 LMS
SP 9-LG - #37 Bentley Team ABT Bentley Continental GT3
SP-X - #702 TRAUM MOTORSPORT SA SCG003C
TCR - #175 mathilda racing Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR
V 3 - #161 Team Mathol Racing e.V. Toyota GT86
V 4 - #156 Securital Sorg Rennsport BMW 325i
V 5 - #144 Porsche Cayman
V 6 - #133 BLACK FALCON Team TMD Friction Porsche Carrera
V2T - #177 Opel Astra J OPC

Full Result: http://24hrennenassets.azureedge.net/wp-media/2017/05/24h-Rennen_Race_Result_Class.pdf

Congratulations to all the winners of this year's Nurburgring 24-Hour race.