Let's Do The News! (June 26, 2018)

- The inter-tropical convergence zone will continue to bring down rains showers and thunderstorms over Luzon and Visayas. According to PAGASA, the ITCZ will bring light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Masbate. Thunderstorms are very likely in the afternoon or evening that could trigger flash floods over low-lying areas and landslides over mountainous areas.

- President Rodrigo Duterte has formed a three-man committee to hold dialogue with leaders of the Catholic Church and other groups in the wake of his controversial attacks about the Catholic faith. The President has designated Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, and EDSA People Power Commission member Pastor Saycon to lead the dialogue with the Church groups.

- Megaworld is opening their second Savoy Hotel in the 25-hectare Newport City in Pasay City on June 28th. Savoy Hotel Manila is Megaworld’s second hotel under its homegrown Savoy brand. The first Savoy Hotel opened in Boracay Newcoast last year while another Savoy Hotel is expected to open in Mactan Newtown next year.

- The death toll from the Vietnam floods has risen to 15.

- CMA CGM founder, Jacques Saade, died at the age of 81. “Jacques R. Saade dedicated his life to CMA CGM. A true visionary and unique entrepreneur, he made his business a world leader in the maritime container transport,” a company statement said in announcing his death on Sunday.

- The US Supreme Court ruled that Texas does not have to redraw the boundaries for the state's congressional districts, a victory for Republicans and a defeat for challengers who said the lines were drawn at the expense of minority voters. The court's 5-4 ruling ends nearly a decade's worth of legal battles over new maps for congressional and state legislative districts following the 2010 census, which gave the state four new seats in the U.S. House of Representatives because the population of Texas had grown by more than 20 percent. Meanwhile, the SCOTUS declined to take up the North Carolina gerrymandering case of Rucho v. Common Cause today. Instead, the Court invoked the reasoning it used last week in remanding a pair of gerrymandering cases from Wisconsin and Maryland which directed lower courts to determine whether plaintiffs met the technical requirement of having “standing” to sue.

- Jaguar pays tribute to the lifting of the Saudi women driving ban with a lap of honor at a circuit in the Arab state with Assel Al Hamad behind the wheel of the Jaguar F-Type.



- In honor of the Bentley Bentayga's Pikes Peak record for SUVs, which was in 10:49.9 with Rhys Millen behind the wheel, they've unveiled the Pikes Peak Limited Edition featuring a special Radium exterior color in honor of the record-breaker. Only 10 units will be made.

Bentley Bentayga Pikes Peak Limited Edition

- Check out the list of actors and actresses who will be getting their Hollywood Walk of Fame next year.

TTFN!!!

Jeep Cherokee KL - 2019 minor change

About many years ago, Jeep revived the Cherokee nameplate as their newest midsize crossover that slots below the flagship Grand Cherokee and while it promises to be a modern take on the classic icon, the looks that are similar to one of the bad guys from Pikmin rather spoils the taste. With the 2019 minor change, it promises to be the best Cherokee yet. Let's see what this new one got...

2019 Jeep Cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee is now on its 2019 minor change and for this minor change, there are some key changes occurred to keep one of the best-selling crossovers in America even better than before. First off, the design and at last, the Bulborb-esque front face is gone and the front is now reminiscent of the Grand Cherokee. That's good news but that's not the end of it because they've reshaped the wheels and the rear lamps to make the new Cherokee even better-looking than before.

2019 Jeep Cherokee interior

2019 Jeep Cherokee interior

Apart from the revised exterior, the interior has been slightly revised from top to bottom as well. Drivers will notice the revised dashboard, new color themes, updated Uconnect system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and the increased cargo capacity, proving that the interior is now better than before, giving them more ways to make use of it whether trips to the thrift shops, to Leavenworth, to Oregon, or any points of interests they see fit for this five-seater crossover that works to haul your mates from work during the long weekends.

2019 Jeep Cherokee

The biggest change for this 2019 minor change is the addition of the all-new, direct-injected 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with engine start-stop feature that shuts the engine off when stopped at a set of lights and then starts again to set off. This engine comes with a dual overhead cam (DOHC), dual independent camshaft timing, and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation, resulted to 270 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, while mated to a standard 9-speed AT.  That sure has a lot of power to push the Cherokee further and this powertrain can really upset boring Japanese crossovers who don't value fun to their portfolio because there's so much to love about a turbocharged Cherokee. Apart from the new turbocharged engine, the Cherokee can still be fitted with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6 or a 2.4-liter PZEV Multiair2 Tigershark I-4 engine, all fitted with a 9-speed AT.

Being a Jeep, the 2019MY Cherokee still promises to be a workhorse for the American family, either on or off the roads, be it on the streets of New York or the Colorado Rockies. In most models, the Cherokee can be fitted with different kinds of Jeep Active Drive system and in the case of the Jeep Active Drive Lock in some models like the Trailhawk, the locking real differential and Selec-Terrain traction control system brings out the Cherokee's party piece when getting through different kinds of road conditions, especially when things get rough. No crossover of that size has even gone through the beaten path as the Cherokee's and that's some questions get information from this. Apart from its off-road capabilities, the new Cherokee comes with over 80 available safety and security features such as ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control-Plus, Forward Collision Warning-Plus, and LaneSense Lane Departure Warning-Plus, SOS button, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Roll Mitigation, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines and eight standard air bags. Not bad for a crossover but sometimes, for speedo boys, those features rather lose their tastes, in case you're wondering.

The 2019MY Cherokee starts at 23,995 US Dollars and that's about the same pricing as the old JK Wrangler, which is almost as great to own as a legendary offroader but don't compare these two just yet because the Cherokee is almost as good as today's Wrangler in terms of ruggedness and regardless of what vacation plans you're laying on the table, the new Cherokee can get the job done with almost no strings attached. Is this the Cherokee you want?

Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

A few years ago, Universal Pictures reopened Jurassic Park with a fresh new take on the classic dinosaur flick called Jurassic World and while it doesn't live up to the predecessors' taste, it remains a monster to watch. Fast forward to today and the Jurassic experience is now pushed to the biggest level in this gut-wrenching sequel to the monster hit.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Demanding that the Jurassic World film is not enough to bring back the roar of Jurassic Park films, Fallen Kingdom promises to be a monstrous summer flick that will push the dinosaur frenzy to the core and what a film it is. Following the sudden volcanic eruption that spells the end of dinosaurs, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) managed to save the remaining dinosaurs but following their rescue mission, the two uncovered a shocking conspiracy that brings the world back to chaos unheard since the dawn of civilization.

Dinosaurs ravaging the cities, the suburbs, even zoos, Fallen Kingdom has transformed from a monstrous flick into a an ultimate experience that brings out fear to its primitive core, witnessing Jurassic World unlike any other as humankind cowered themselves in fear as the dinosaurs are going to retake control of the planet and although this is downright scary, this sequel really does come alive in a way its predecessor flicks couldn't done before. Such monstrosity gives Fallen Kingdom a chance to become one of the best films of the summer season and by putting all of the signature Jurassic elements in a city setting, this monster flick is back and it's now the baddest, most terrifying, Jurassic flick ever made.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Daihatsu Mira Tocot

While cars are more than just being moving appliances on the road that ordinary people used everyday, some believe that cars are a beautiful accessory can own. Seeing the whole "accessory" thing that applies for cars, Daihatsu unveiled their newest chic accessory they can keep, a new kei car called the Tocot.

2019 Daihatsu Mira Tocot

2019 Daihatsu Mira Tocot

What's in the name, you may ask? The Tocot name comes in three ways to describe Daihatsu newest kei car; "To Character" referring to its style, "To Comfortableness" referring to its simple interior, and "To Convenience" referring to its user-friendly features that makes the simpleton more simple enough to be a humble accessory for first-time drivers. Needless to say, this replacement to the aging Mira Cocoa is a back-to-basic kei car that is away from the fancy stuff new cars possess and into something that will make owners theirs. Because this is a simple kei car made for people living in simple lives, the design is nothing cute nor cool, it's regular and there are no other words to describe how it looks because this is a simple-looking kei car with no strings attached.

2019 Daihatsu Mira Tocot interior

2019 Daihatsu Mira Tocot interior

Just like the exterior design, the interior of the Tocot is all basic for a normal car. You can expect the speedo that greets drivers when switching on, airconditioning that works like what every car should, garnishing in the panel to make it more noticeable, full fabric seats that won't freeze your butt off when you sit down, USB sockets for your gadgets, cubby holes to store your things, foldable rear seats, and a power liftgate. Visibility's relatively superior for a kei car of this size, in case you're wondering. These conveniences really worked like every car should and although being small, it's still simple enough to live with whether you're going to work or home or your favorite places on the weekends.

2019 Daihatsu Mira Tocot

Powered by a 660cc three-cylinder 52PS engine, the Tocot has a fuel efficiency of around 29.8km/L and using every kei car on the list, that tops against a Suzuki Lapin in an AGS setting, which is remarkable for Daihatsu to create a fuel-efficient car that makes drivers go the extra mile. Speaking of extra mile, the Tocot comes with Smart Assist III which comes with a stereo camera that functions its lane departure warning, false start suppression, pre-collision braking, and auto high beam capabilities, guaranteeing a safer, more comfortable drive from work or from play.

The Tocot starts at an incredibly low price of 1,074,600 Japanese Yen (around 10,800 Dollars or 530,000 Pesos) and that considered to be one of the cheapest Daihatsus you can own. To sum this car up, the Tocot is not the kind of car you can get excited about because of its regular styling but the compact sizing, the efficiency, and the pricing makes you want to get started with this one if you got yourself a license for the first time. Considering it a nice accessory to own, the Tocot really is the kind of blank canvas to get the most out of its simpleness and you can do whatever you want with this car as long as you're with it.

Available colors: Ceramic Green Metallic, Juicy Pink Metallic, Sunny Day Blue Metallic, Pearl White III, Black Mica Metallic, Plum Brown Crystal Mica, Lemon Squash Crystal Metallic, Fire Quartz Red Metallic, Ceramic Green Metallic+Design Film Top, Juicy Pink Metallic+Design Film Top, Sunny Day Blue Metallic+Design Film Top, and Pearl White III+Design Film Top.

Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Working-level military talks between two Koreas

The two Koreas are holding working-level military talks in the coming hours on fully reconnecting bilateral military connection lines. Seoul's defense ministry says the meeting started at 1000 hours, local time, in Paju, just south of the inter-Korean border.

The South Korean delegation is being led by Army Colonel Cho Yong-geun, and the North Korean delegation by Colonel Om Chang-nam. Monday's talks are a follow-up to an agreement reached at general-level negotiations last week.

A ministry official said the two sides will discuss working procedures to completely restore the East Sea and West Sea district military communication lines. They serve to prevent possible provocations and conflict between them.

The West Sea channel was severed two years ago after the shutdown of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex. It was restored in January for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but it's only capable of phone communication. As for the East Sea lines, they were suspended in 2011 amid military tensions.

These talks are the first of their kind in several years, since the deadly attack on the South Korean warship Cheonan in 2010 and the shelling of Yeonpyeong-do Island later in the same year. The talks are part of the ongoing efforts to implement the Panmunjom Declaration from the April 27th inter-Korean summit, which includes reducing military tentions and building trust.

The discussions have even more meaning as today marks the 68th anniversary of the Korean War.

Source: Arirang News

FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA 2018 - June 24, 2018

FIFA World Cup Russia 2018

On the 11th day of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, there's England taking on Panama at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium while Japan takes on Senegal at Ekaterinburg and Poland takes on Colombia at Kazan.

Starting at Nizhny Novgorod, England massively defeated Panama at the record-breaking score of 6-1, with Harry Kane delivered a show-stopper with two penalty kicks and a goal to be crowned this game's MVP. In Ekaterinburg, meanwhile, the battle between Japan and Seengal ended in a two-point draw but that's more than enough to leave a hilarious smirk on Keisuke Honda's face when he did a goal. And in Kazan, the show's over for Poland as Colombia's three point win stuns the crowd.

The next match will see Uruguay taking on the unbeatable Russians at Samara while Volgograd welcomes a Saudi-Egypt duel, Spain vs. Morocco at Kaliningrad, and Iran takes on Portugal at Mordovia Arena.

Let's Do The News! (June 25, 2018)

- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines stressed that the spate of attacks that resulted in the death of three priests is not reason enough for other priests to arm themselves. The CBCP head said they trust the police authorities will fulfill their duty to protect everyone, including priests.

- The Philippine Air Force will formally accept two Indonesia-sourced planes to boost their humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and security efforts. The two aircraft, were acquired by the Department of National Defense from PT Dirgantara Indonesia as part of the Light Lift Fixed-Wing Acquisition project of the PAF under the AFP modernization program.

- A certain partylist member called on the public to reject the House of Representatives’ supposed attempt to railroad amendments to Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007.

- Attempts to rescue the 12 boys trapped inside a cave in northern Thailand were foiled by water and mud but officials believe they're still alive. The boys, aged 11-15, are believed to have entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province with their coach late Saturday afternoon. A mother reported that her son never returned from soccer practice that day, setting off the search.

- Malaysian authorities arrested a former aide of ousted prime minister Najib Razak as part of a renewed probe into the 1MDB scandal. Malaysia’s new government led by the 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into billions of dollars allegedly siphoned out of 1Malaysia Development Berhad after Najib’s administration lost a general election in May, fuelled by anger over the scandal and rising living costs.

- Volkswagen's I.D. R Pikes Peak electric racer just recently smashed the all-time Pikes Peak hillclimb record of 7:57.148 seconds, around 16 seconds faster than what Sebastien Loeb set in the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak. Behind the wheel of the record-breaker feat is Romain Dumas.



- Last weekend, the CLASS 1 regulations for DTM and SUPER GT series are all set. The new joint regulations will apply on DTM machines next year with SUPER GT following suit in 2020. There will also be first joint races of DTM and SUPER GT in next year.

- There's a new Yo-Kai Watch game coming to Nintendo Switch this 2018 as Yo-Kai Watch 4 was revealed.

- The V-Buckle and Dragvisor from Kamen Rider Ryuki join Bandai's Complete Selection Modification range featuring life-sized replicas from classic Kamen Rider installments. The set features the working replicas of the V-Buckle and Dragvisor as seen in the 2002 Kamen Rider installment as well as 17 decks faithfully replicated as the Riders used. This limited edition collectible starts at 51,840 Japanese Yen, with tax and delivery included and arrives this December 2018.

Complete Selection Modification V Buckle and Dragvisor

TTFN!!!

FIA WTCR 2018 - Race of Portugal

The streets of Vila Real, Portugal, became the ideal battleground for the Race of Portugal leg of the 2018 FIA World Touring Car Cup, and this race has never felt so dramatic judging from a dramatic crash that placed certain drivers' lives at risk until the end of the event comes someone rising like a phoenix.

At the first race of the event, the first lap got red-flagged following the big one where multiple number of cars got crashed, forcing the race to be delayed for two hours and when the race resumed after the big one, Yvan Muller takes a dramatic Race 1 win. After the dramatic race 1 crash, the second race occurred the next day and Mato Homola nicked his first WTCR win of his career. In the third and final race in Vila Real, Thed Bjork, the driver recovered from the first race crash, rose himself as the winner, using his pole position and joker lap advantage very well.

With the rallycross-inspired joker lap in Portugal worked very well at the WTCR, looks like the concept really worked with a cost. After the dramatic Portugal race, Yvan Muller leads with 182 points while Gabriele Tarquini and Yann Ehriacher tied to 2nd with 160 points.

The next race is at Slovakia Ring for the Race of Slovakia on the 13th to the 15th of July, 2018.

DTM 2018 - Norisring

The DTM 2018 season continues at Norisring and in two-race event, this special situation street circuit challenges drivers through unexpected turns no one saw it coming with the first one ended in disaster for the Audi drivers while the latter one turned out to be good until a homegrown hero steps into the top.

Like it was mentioned, the first race ended in a disaster for Audi drivers as bad luck and a puncture crushed the hopes for six Audi drivers from, ending the race with no points. Jamie Green finished at 11th place, Robin Frijns finished 12th while Mike Rockenfeller finished 15th. Even though these Audi drivers are out of points, they didn't care too much about it but ahead of Audi's bitter loss, two Mercedes drivers and a BMW driver came to the podium finish as Edoardo Mortara wins the first race followed by Gary Paffett in 2nd place and Marco Wittman in 3rd place.

The second race, meanwhile, turned out to be rather well unless there's Rene Rast's endless pitstops and Augusto Farfus getting spun out after a close contact with Loic Duval and in the end of this smooth but thrilling race, Marco Wittmann wins his home race followed by Mortara and Daniel Juncadella.

HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogldyVtDq6Q&list=PLrjmhNF7Jz1xtwF7iYRqlS5rpZmVzT_bt

The 2018 DTM roars to Holland's Zandvoort on the 13th to the 15th of July.

2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Toyota Save Mart 350

Sonoma Raceway is the only road course in the NASCAR schedule where fans can get to see NASCAR drivers doing un-NASCAR stuff such as turning right in case of right corners and in the Toyota Save Mart 350 leg of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series, this track was made for one major purpose; separating the men from the boys.

Following AJ Allmendinger's stage 1 win, his car's innards got blown off in the middle of Lap 32 while Denny Hamlin takes stage 2. That's about all the action happened at Wine Country, where last year's champion Martin Truex Jr. won the race without a snitch, marking his 18th career win. Simple.

The next race is the Overton's 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on the 1st of July.

2018 Verizon IndyCar Series - KOHLER Grand Prix

Elkhart's Road America comes alive at the KOHLER Grand Prix leg of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series as the world's best drivers are trying to navigate through the complex turns of Road America before charging themselves to the straight where every second matters in this race.

This year's KOHLER Grand Prix of Road America turned into a dirty race as some drivers off-track runs, which is unheard in INDYCAR standards. Robert Wickens settled to shove himself off-track because of the space occupied by Alexander Rossi while at Turn 6 while in later laps saw Takuma Sato nudged off-track during a heated battle with Wickens and Rossi. While some drivers faced mechanical issues during pit-stops, especially for Will Power, the climax sees Josef Newgarden, the Nashville-born hero of Team Penske, defended his lead against Ryan Hunter-Reay, who placed 2nd place, and Scott Dixon, who placed 3rd.

After a dirty Road America thriller, the overall standings saw Scott Dixon leading with 393 points while Ryan Hunter-Reay's tied with Rossi with 45 points behind Dixon's.

URL: https://www.indycar.com/Videos/2018/06/06-24-Road-America-Race-Highlights

The next race is at Iowa Speedway for the Iowa Corn 300 on the 8th of July.

F1 2018: French GP

After a decade-long hiatus, the French Grand Prix has returned at the F1 2018 season with Circuit Paul Ricard as its battleground. Because of the bizarre track layout the Paul Ricard track possessed, drivers are having a lot of hard time finding the right spot or in some cases, some drivers turned it into a "joker lap" from a certain motorsport. Crazy the Paul Ricard's layout maybe, there are only a handful of drivers survived the complex string.

Thanks to his pole position, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton managed to win the French Grand Prix without a scratch. Max Verstappen of Red Bull placed 2nd place while Kimi Rakkonen of Ferrari placed 3rd. The opening laps were a disaster at Paul Ricard as Sebastian Vettel crashed through Valterri Bottas, nudging the Mercedes driver out of action while Gasly and Ocon are out of the race after crashing. Fernando Alonso, who won Le Mans last week, got spun following the opening lap disaster and became the last to finish.

With the French Grand Prix settled, Hamilton's back on top with 145 points, six points ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo's in 3rd with 96 points.

The next race is at Austria on the 1st of July.