Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea's Kim oversees artillery drills

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a series of firing drills by artillery units in the west of the country, state-run KCNA news agency said Tuesday.

The announcement came amid tensions with Seoul and Washington, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits South Korea and after the allies wrapped up one of their major annual joint military training exercises.

The exercises have prompted angry retorts and live-fire drills from nuclear-armed Pyongyang, which routinely condemns all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

This time, Blinken's visit appeared to be adding fuel to the fire. The artillery drills were announced a day after Seoul said the North fired three short-range ballistic missiles, described by analysts as a calculated move to grab attention during Blinken's stop in the South.

The drills involved "super-large multiple rocket launchers," according to a report from the state-run KCNA news agency.

When the order was given, it said, the soldiers "simultaneously fired the gun of annihilation".

"Massive shells of super-large multiple rocket launchers, which were fired from the sharp gun barrels like lava, flew to the target with the flame of annihilating the enemy," it said.

The drills also featured a simulation of an "air explosion of a shell of" a super-large multiple rocket launcher, the report continued.

Blinken is attending the third Summit for Democracy and met with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul early Monday. He is also meeting his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines of the event, for discussions now likely to be dominated by the allies' efforts to counter threats from the North.

Seoul is one of Washington's key regional allies, and the United States has stationed about 27,000 American soldiers in the South to help protect it against the North.

Pyongyang this month warned that Seoul and Washington would pay a "dear price" over their military exercises, and later announced that Kim had guided an artillery unit it says was capable of striking the South Korean capital.

Monday's ballistic missile test was the North's second this year, after Pyongyang launched one tipped with a manoeuvrable hypersonic warhead on January 14.


Source: Agence France-Presse 

Let's Do The News! (March 19, 2024)

 

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- San Miguel Corporation is reportedly calling off the Pasig River Expressway project following opposition from the public.

-  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on nuclear-armed nations to lead the way toward nuclear disarmament, including an agreement on no-first-use. The UN Secretary-General said that an accidental launch is one mistake, one miscalculation, one rash act away. And ultimately, all of humanity will pay the price. A nuclear war must never be waged because a nuclear war can never be won.

- US President Joe Biden warned Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that a ground offensive in Rafah would be a "mistake," as they spoke for the first time in a month amid growing tensions over the war in Gaza.

- A three-way summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines will take place this April 11. US President Joe Biden will meet Philippine President Bongbong Marcos and Japan PM Fumio Kishida in the latest in a series of meetings with Asia-Pacific allies.

- The head of the EU's main leftist political grouping has said it is time to "negotiate" an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, rallying behind a controversial call by Pope Francis for Kyiv to raise the "white flag."

- Donald Trump favors an abortion ban after a certain number of weeks with exceptions but did not confirm how many weeks.

- GB News has been warned about the use of politicians as presenters after Ofcom ruled that five episodes of programs hosted by serving UK Conservative MPs violate its rules. Ofcom said shows hosted by Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Esther McVey, and Philip Davies broke rules stating politicians should not usually front news coverage.

- The Audi Q6 e-tron range was unveiled. The new model's electric drivetrain produces 387PS of power and up to 625km of EV range while the SQ6 e-tron variant has up to 516PS of power with launch control active and 598km of driving range.

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron

2025 Audi SQ6 e-tron

- Kang Tae Oh was officially discharged from the military. The actor is in talks to star in a new rom-com following his discharge.

- Hyeri broke her silence over her ex-boyfriend Ryu Jun Yeol's relationship with Han So Hee.

- Two Manchester United fans have been arrested following Sunday's FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool at Old Trafford for alleged tragedy chanting relating to the Hillsborough disaster.

- Boxing legend Roberto Duran was given a pacemaker after he was hospitalized on the weekend. Duran suffered health issues Saturday because of an atrioventricular blockage.

TTFN.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 18, 2024)

                                

                                                                        


Your daily round-up of today's news...

-  The Philippine National Police is prepared for Oplan: Sumvac ahead of next week's Holy Week. The PPA, meanwhile, ordered most of the country's docks to go "full manpower" ahead of Holy Week.

- The investigation into the illegal structures in Chocolate Hills has been widened by the Senate, days after the closure of the controversial Captain's Peak swimming pool.

- San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Department of Tourism have formally signed the concession agreement for the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Last weekend, San Miguel Corporation bagged the privatization of NAIA.

- The suspension order of an additional 20 officials of the National Food Authority has been lifted by the Ombudsman.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his fifth term in an inevitable election landslide. Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia thanks those who protested against President Vladimir Putin after she voted at the Russian embassy in Berlin.

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises that Palestinian civilians will be able to leave Rafah before Israeli forces launch their assault on the southern Gazan city.

- The largest democratic exercise in the world - the Indian elections - will take place over six weeks from April.

- South Korea's SUPERRACE championship gets a new title for the 2024 season. It will now be called the O-NE SUPERRACE Championship and in addition to the Super 6000 Class, the Radical Cup Korea, and the BMW M Class, the 2024 season features GT/GT4 Class, the Korea Trofeo motorbike races, and the Prius PHV one-make races.



- The Lynk & Co 07 EM-P PHEV sedan was unveiled. The new saloon is powered by a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and 3-speed gearbox.

2025 Lynk & Co 07 EM-P

- Animate Ikebukuro is named by Guinness World Records as the largest anime store.

- ICYMI: Voice actor Lee Woo Ri passed away at the age of 24. Woo Ri voiced characters in the Shinbi's House anime series, Genshin Impact's Korean dub, and NPCs from Cookie Run Kingdom.

Carlos Alcaraz tops Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (5), 6-1 for the second straight year, to defend his Indian Wells title.

TTFN.

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Food City 500

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Bristol, Tennessee for the Food City 500 as The Last Great Coliseum roars alive with drivers clashing before the flowers bloom for springtime.

As the green flag waved, the springtime action in Bristol is on. The first stage saw William Byron getting into the wall and breaking the toe link, causing debris and a yellow flag three laps later, not to mention Zane Smith losing a tire. As Ty Gibbs won Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Noah Gragson indicting a safety violation, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. colliding with each other, and a spin by Kyle Busch. With Ty Gibbs winning Stage 2, the final stage saw Noah Gragson tap to the wall, Ross Chastain bumping Ryan Blaney, a loose tire for Blaney, and a flat tire for Carson Hocevar.

Screengrab from NASCAR

Despite severe tire management issues, Denny Hamlin wins the Food City 500 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Circuit of the Americas for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Palm Sunday, March 24th.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues in Sebring International Raceway for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, where wild moments await in this 12-hour endurance slugfest.

Screengrab from IMSA

This year's Sebring endurance race saw numerous misfortunes on track from a spin for the Risi Competizione 296 to an unfortunate crash for the #31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R with Pipo Derani behind the wheel. Amid the series of unfortunate events, this is becoming one of the most thrilling races ahead of the Spring season.

After a grueling 12-hour thriller, the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-06 emerged as the winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring while the #18 Era Motorsport LMP2 07 won the LMP2 class, the #14 VasserSullivan RC F GT3 for the GTD PRO class, and the #57 Winward Racing AMG GT3 for the GTD class.

The next race is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this April 19-20.

ABB FIA Formula E S10 - Sao Paulo ePrix

Formula E's 10th-anniversary celebration continues in the streets of Sao Paulo for the Sao Paulo ePrix and this race saw the biggest surprise in Formula E history. The one no one saw coming.

Screengrab from Formula E

Sam Bird ended his 37-lose streak as he managed to overtake Mitch Evans and piloted his way towards McLaren's first-ever Formula E win. Nissan driver Oliver Rowland completes the Sao Paulo podium after finishing third.

After Sao Paulo, Nick Cassidy of Jaguar is leading with 57 points, four points ahead of Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein, while this race's second-placer Mitch Evans is in third with 39 points.

The next race is at an all-new venue: Tokyo, Japan, on March 30th.

Guinness Six Nations 2024 FINAL

The 2024 Guinness Men's Six Nations championship is in full charge with the Super Saturday finale with Wales v Italy, Ireland v Scotland, and France v England. As Ireland leads with 16 points, four points ahead of England, will they win the Grand Slam? Let's find out.

Italy beat Wales at the score of 24-21 while Ireland barely defeated Scotland at the score of 17-13 and France beat England at a razor-thin score of 33-31.

Screengrab from Six Nations

The 2024 season concludes with Ireland securing their back-to-back Grand Slam title for only the third time in their history. 

This concludes the 2024 Guinness Men's Six Nations season but the Six Nations action continues with the 2024 Guinness Women's Six Nations season beginning Saturday, March 23rd with France v Ireland, Wales v Scotland, and a day later, Italy v England.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 15, 2024)

                               

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

-  COMELEC commenced "mall voting" for the 2025 midterm elections.

- Philippine President Bongbong Marcos defends his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte's allegations that he is only "going for a walk" during his foreign visits.

- The DENR is studying legal bases to close the controversial Captain's Peak swimming pool in Bohol. The LGUs of Sagbayan, Bohol, came in defense of the DENR over the issue of the controversial swimming pool near Chocolate Hills.

- A 17-year-old boy admits killing 15-year-old stab victim Elianne Andam at a bus stop in Croydon last September but denies murder.

- The father of the Michigan school gunman who killed four students has been convicted of manslaughter. The trial heard that James Crumbley had ignored his 15-year-old son's mental health needs, buying him the handgun he used in the November 2021 attack.

- Top US Democrat Chuck Schumer demands for a new election in Israel. The US Senate majority leader sharply criticises the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu accusing him of prioritising his "political survival".

- The Gran Turismo World Series 2024 will begin this April.

- Baseball player Shohei Ohtani revealed that Mamiko Tanaka is his new wife, weeks after his shock marriage announcement.

- Swimmers and other athletes are suing the NCAA over transgender policies.

- The long-delayed biopic project of the late singer April Boy Regino will finally push through. Former Dingras, Ilocos Norte mayor Marynette Gamboa returns to produce the film.

TTFN.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 14, 2024)

                               

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Former first lady Imelda Marcos, the mother of PH President Bongbong Marcos, has recovered after a bout with pneumonia.

- The DENR clarified that it had already issued a temporary restraining order as well as a notice of violation against the viral resort located at the foot of Chocolate Hills in Bohol.

- The US House of Representatives has voted to approve the bill that could ban the social networking app TikTok on all devices unless ByteDance sells its stake in the app. It will face a Senate vote and when passed, President Joe Biden will sign it, triggering the six-month time limit.

- Israel says it is investigating a strike on a UN food distribution center in Gaza.

- Car designer Marcello Gandini passed away at the age of 85. Gandini is known for designing famous vehicles such as the legendary Lamborghini Miura.

- Hyundai unveiled the ST1, a commercial vehicle platform based on the Staria.

2025 Hyundai ST1


- The Nissan GT-R 2025MY model was unveiled. The Premium edition gained the new Blue Heaven interior color, a new aluminum nameplate, a gold model number plate, and the use of high-precision weight balance parts. Sales will begin this July.

2025 Nissan GT-R


- Volkswagen previewed its ID.3 GTX and the ID.7 Tourer GTX models.

2025 Volkswagen ID.3 GTX

2025 Volkswagen ID.7 GTX Tourer

- The second-generation Honda Vezel/HR-V crossover has been given a minor change for the 2025 model year with the new HuNT variant. It will be powered only by a 1.5 e:HEV hybrid powertrain.

2025 Honda Vezel

- Pokemon teams up with Toyota Engineering Society for a working replica of the legendary Pokemon Miraidon. The Miraidon replica will be on display at the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya atrium from March 15 to 17.

- The upcoming Gakuen IDOLM@STER app game casts Yuri Usui as Rinami Himesaki.

- Actor Park Shin Woo announced marriage.

-  JYP Entertainment shared a statement regarding legal proceedings against the infringement of the rights of their artists.

Eric Kendricks changes his mind as he will sign with the Cowboys instead of the 49ers, according to reports.

- The MTRCB junked the appeal over the suspension of Private Convos with Dr. Rica Cruz. The show was suspended due to "explicit content".

- Showbiz columnist Cristy Fermin faces charges of cyber libel filed by the mother of Sarah Lahbati.

- Romance novelist Xia Shu died at the age of 29 after her battle with the rare disease syringomyelia.

TTFN.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 13, 2024)

                              

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Senator Robin Padilla thanked the PH Senate for its show cause order for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. The implementation of the arrest order against Quiboloy was delayed to Friday.

- Finance Secretary Ralph Recto passed through the confirmation hearing from the Commission on Appointments.

- The PCSO released a statement following Senator Raffy Tulfo's statement over the bettor who won the lottery 20 times in one month.

- Germany affirms its support for the Philippines over the latter's rights for the West Philippine Sea.

- Joe Biden and Donald Trump won enough delegates to clinch US presidential nominations, setting the rematch between them at the 2024 US Presidential Elections.

- The Biden administration is sending a new $300m weapons package to Ukraine.

- A transitional council is expected in Haiti within days. The council will be tasked with nominating a new prime minister following Ariel Henry's resignation.

- UK foreign secretary David Cameron demands answers from the Israeli government after a "disturbing" report into the treatment of Gaza medics in the hospital raid. Footage revealed that medics detained at the Nasser hospital stripped down and kneeled outside. Israel said "any abuse of detainees is strictly prohibited".

- The 2024 Formula DRIFT season drops single qualifying runs in favor of a reimagined tandem-only format.

- Porsche confirms the 911 992 minor change with a hybrid variant is coming this Summer.

- The third Venom movie, titled Venom: The Last Dance, will hit theaters this October 25th. Tom Hardy will reprise his titular dark hero role.

- Beau DeMayo, the creator of the upcoming Disney+ original series X-Men '97, was fired ahead of the show's release. The writer-producer who worked on "Moon Knight" and "Blade" will no longer be promoting the show or moving forward with future seasons.

- The 2024 Nick Kids Choice Awards is happening this July 13.

- Country singer Neil Young returns to Spotify after his boycott against Joe Rogan. Spotify originally pulled Young's music following his ultimatum about removing aspects of Rogan's podcast content from their platform.

TTFN.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 12, 2024)

                             

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The ban on e-bikes on major roads in Metro Manila will take effect this April 15, according to the MMDA.

- Senator Raffy Tulfo disclosed that a bettor's name appeared to have won the lotto 20 times in one month, citing a list submitted by the PCSO.

- Former PH President and newly appointed KJC admin Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte are expected to attend the "Laban Kasama ang Bayan" prayer rally at Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila, tonight, according to the PDP-Laban FB page.

- The House committee on legislative franchises cites Pastor Apollo Quiboloy for contempt for ignoring repeated invitations and a summons to join its hearings on a bill seeking to revoke the franchise of his KJC's media arm Sonshine Media.

- PH Vice President Sara Duterte came in defense of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, saying that he deserves to be given a fair trial in the right court.

- A major study revealed that the COVID pandemic caused the average life expectancy of people worldwide to fall by 1.6 years during the first two years, a more dramatic decline than expected.

- Haiti's unelected prime minister Ariel Henry reportedly resigns after regional leaders meet to discuss the country's security crisis due to the rising gang violence.

- Chip Ganassi Racing's partnership with Cadillac will end after the 2024 season, affecting both IMSA and WEC entries.

- The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT was unveiled. It's the most powerful Taycan ever made with over 1100PS of power in its electric drivetrain, capable of sprinting from 0-100kph in 2.2 seconds. It even comes with the available Weissach package that led to its Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7:07.55 as well as a Laguna Seca lap time of 1:27.87.

2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

- The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4MATIC+ range was unveiled. Both the sedan and estate are powered by a 3.0L turbo straight-six mated to an electric motor and AMG Speedshift TCT 9G gearbox. It has up to 612PS of power, up to 101km electric range, and 280kph top speed.

2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 HYBRID 4MATIC+

2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 Estate HYBRID 4MATIC+

- The Audi A3 (Typ 8Y) lineup was given a minor change for the 2025 model year as well as the inclusion of the new crossover-inspired A3 allstreet variant.

2025 Audi A3 allstreet

2025 Audi A3 Sportback

2025 Audi A3 Sedan


- Seiyuu Kanako Takatsuki, famed for the role of Love Live! Sunshine!!'s Hanamaru Kunikida, announced her struggle with adjustment disorder. Due to poor health, Takatsuki didn't attend last weekend's Love Live Idol Koshien 2024 concert.

- The Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest TV series will premiere this July 2024 on TV Tokyo.

- Nicholas Walters will battle Joseph Adorno on March 27 in the ProBox crossroads fight.

- Singer Eric Carmen passed away at the age of 74.

- Veteran comedian Michael V re-signs contract with GMA-7.

TTFN.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 11, 2024)

                            

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The contract for conducting the "automated election system" in the 2025 PH midterm election has been awarded by COMELEC to South Korea's Miru Systems, Inc. Miru president Jin Bok Chung personally attended in Intramuros, Manila, for the contract signing.

- Former Senator Kiko Pangilingan filed a complaint against Google and YouTube PH over a certain YouTube channel.

- Senators in the Philippines asked for President Bongbong Marcos' help in support of the Economic Cha-Cha.

- The Philippine Coast Guard says that China's preparation for a possible "maritime conflict" is not just for the Philippines but also for the fate of the Pacific.

- Ukraine criticizes Pope Francis' "white flag" comment as it has strongly rejected a call by Pope Francis for Kyiv to negotiate an end to its war with Russia. Ukraine's foreign minister says it will never raise any flags other than its own.

- EU diplomats leave Haiti as gang violence intensifies.

- The Super Mario Bros. movie gets a sequel this April 2026.

- Song Kang will play The Storyteller in the upcoming second season of Mnet's I-LAND reality show.

- Oppenheimer scored the most wins at the 2024 Academy Awards. Emma Stone won Best Actress for her role in Poor Things, Cillian Murphy became the first Irish-born Oscar winner, Godzilla Minus One won the Best VFX award, and Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece The Boy and The Heron won Best Animated Feature award, among others.

- Actress Rio Locsin clarified what happened in a viral Black Rider BTS video. In the statement released by Rio, she said that she was taken to the scene, causing excessive emotions to pour out even off cam.

- Actress Megan Young apologizes for fixing Miss Boswana Lesego Chombo during the Q&A segment of the 71st Miss World.

TTFN.

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Shriners Children's 500

As the world draws attention to the Oscars, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Phoenix Raceway for the Shriners Children's 500.

As the green flag waved, the action in Phoenix was on. The first stage saw Derek Kraus spinning and collecting Austin Cindric and Austin Dillon in the on-track mess. As Tyler Reddick wins Stage 1, Stage 2 goes to Christopher Bell, and the final stage saw Kyle Busch spinning on the backstretch, Ross Chastain hitting the wall at Turn 4, and a spin by Denny Hamlin to name a few.

Screengrab from NASCAR

Christopher Bell wins the Shriners Children's 500 of the NASCAR Cup Series as a first for the new Toyota stock car!

The next race is at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 this March 17th.

Guinness Six Nations 2024 ROUND 4

The 2024 season of the Guinness Men's Six Nations championship has reached its penultimate round with Italy v Scotland, England v Ireland, and Wales v France.


Focusing on the Wales v France match, it looks like the Welsh's winless streak continues to grow following their massive defeat by France 45-24. From Thomas Ramos' penalties to Maxime Lucu's try, it seems the French have proved their worth.

Meanwhile, England beats Ireland 23-22 and Italy beats Scotland 31-29.

As Ireland leads with 16 points, four points ahead of England, will they win the Grand Slam? Find out in the season finale this March 16 with Wales v Italy, Ireland v Scotland, and France v England. Don't miss it!

NTT IndyCar Series 2024 - Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

The 2024 NTT IndyCar Series has officially begun on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Josef Newgarden leads the grid as the green flag waved followed by some tight racing at the start until Lap 26 saw Marcus Armstrong crash to the tire wall and become the first to retire. 

As the race resumed in Lap 30, Christian Lundgaard was leading while the others behind him were flexing their muscles, trying to outgun themselves. 

With the race having 32 laps to go, a collision by Romain Grosjean cost Linus Lundqvist's race, and with 15 laps to go, pitstop issues kicked Grosjean out of the race.

Screengrab from IndyCar

After a thrilling season opener, Josef Newgarden wins the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Pato O'Ward finished 2nd and Scott McLaughlin finished 3rd.

The next race is at the streets of Long Beach, California for the Thermal $1 Million Challenge this Palm Sunday, March 24th.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

F1 2024: STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The F1 24 season continues with the STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah, and this race saw the debut of Ferrari's reserve driver Ollie Bearman in place of Carlos Sainz who was diagnosed with appendicitis.

As the lights went off, the action in Saudi is underway. As the drivers made their first strides, including Bearman himself, Lap 7 saw Lance Stroll into the barriers, triggering a safety car until Lap 10. 

With Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly out of the race, Lap 12 saw Alex Albon sustained front wing damage following contact with Kevin Magnussen while Sergio Perez served his five-second penalty for an unsafe release. Magnussen, meanwhile, was slapped with a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage against Yuki Tsunoda for P12.

With Nico Hulkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris done their pits, Lap 38 saw Fernando Alonso tapped to the wall but still standing. Bearman never failed to prove its worth as the race nears its end.

Screengrab from Formula 1

Max Verstappen nailed his second win of the season while Sergio Perez finished 2nd. Another 1-2 finish for the Red Bull Team. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, finished 3rd.

The next race is at Melbourne for the Rolex Australian Grand Prix this March 24th.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

F1 Academy 2024 - Jeddah

The 2024 F1 Academy season has officially begun and this season marked a paradigm shift for the all-female racing series because ten out of 15 drivers will have liveries and suits based on the existing teams while the other five are from announced partners.

Red Bull, Charlotte Tilbury, PUMA, and Tommy Hilfiger were named partners of the 2024 F1 Academy season. In addition, familiar female drivers from other sports are joining in the fun such as Lia Block, former W Series driver Chloe Chambers, Iron Dames' Doriane Pin, Maya Weug, Tina Hausmann, and Aurelia Nobels.

Seven venues will each have a wild card driver and in the season opener in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Reema Juffali is the guest driver in the two-part season opener.

Screengrab from F1 Academy
Screengrab from F1 Academy

The first part of the season opener saw the first F1 Academy race win for newcomer Dorianne Pin, representing Prema Racing while driving in Mercedes-AMG colors, while Rodin Motorsport's Abbi Pulling, in Alpine colors, finished 2nd, and another Prema newcomer Maya Weug, running in Ferrari colors, finished 3rd.

In the final part, meanwhile, following Pin's penalty for crossing the checkered flag twice, Abbi Pulling and Maya Weug were promoted from 2nd and 3rd to 1st and 2nd, while Nerea Marti scored her first podium finish after being promoted from 4th to 3rd.

The next event will be at Miami this May 3-5.

Let's Do The News! (March 9, 2024)

                           

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Former PH President Rodrigo Duterte will receive the Datu Bago Award 2024 for his contributions toward the progression and growth of Davao City this March 13th. Duterte was also named as the new administrator of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's KJC, according to the group's media arm SMNI.

- The Vatican named AI pioneer Demis Hassabis to its scientific academy as Pope Francis seeks to influence the expansion of AI technology.

- According to reports, Freddie Scappaticci, known as Stakeknife, the Army spy operating at the heart of the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland probably cost more lives than he saved. It said speculation he had saved hundreds of lives was wrong; it was more likely between high single figures and low double figures.

- TikTok urges its users in the United States to oppose the Congress' ban against the social media app. The app says "A TikTok shutdown will silence your creativity" and urges US TikTok users to demand Congress to stop the ban.

- Audi agreed to take over Sauber ahead of the F1 2026 season.

- F1 driver Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis and requires surgery. Ferrari's reserve driver Ollie Bearman will take his place at this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix of the F1 2024 season.

- Rivian's Georgia factory construction was suspended. The Georgia factory was supposed to build its upcoming R2 crossover but financial grips halted construction.

- Mazda signs partnership with Unity for GUI development for vehicles scheduled to be introduced from 2025 to 2027.

- Voice actress TARAKO passed away at the age of 63. TARAKO is known for being the voice of Chibi Maruko-chan.

- Anthony Joshua knocked Francis Ngannou out in the second round of their heavyweight duel in Riyadh.

- TTFN.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Let's Do The News! (March 8, 2024)

                          

                                                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The Philippine National Railway will cease operations for five years beginning March 28th, paving the way for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway Project.

- PH President Bongbong Marcos will visit Germany and the Czech Republic next week.

- Senator JV Ejercito says that the PH Senate will possibly allow the online attendance of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on one condition.

- US President Joe Biden delivered this year's State of the Nation Address, his most critical speech amid his potential rematch with Donald Trump at the 2024 US Presidential Elections. In addition, President Biden delivered updates on conflicts in the Middle East, China's military activities, and other key issues.

- The US House panel has voted for the bill that would ban TikTok from all devices if ByteDance doesn't sell the company. If enacted, the Chinese company has a 165-day deadline to sell TikTok.

- Sweden is now part of NATO, becoming the military alliance's second new member since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

- A US lab report says that Clinique and Clearasil acne treatments may contain a cancer-causing chemical. The carcinogen has already been found in several consumer products, including sunscreens, hand sanitizers, and dry shampoo.

- Rivian unveiled the R2 and the R3 electric crossovers. Both crossovers are coming this 2026.

2027 Rivian R2


2027 Rivian R3X


- The Red Bull F1 team has suspended a female member who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate behavior.

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TTFN

Thursday, March 7, 2024

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea leader Kim Jong Un orders heightened war preparations

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected field training of troops at a major military operations base in the western region of the country on Wednesday (March 6) and ordered heightened readiness for war, state-run television KRT reported on Thursday (March 7).

The tour of the base, the location of which was not identified, comes after the start of annual combined military drills by U.S. and South Korean forces on Monday (March 4) in the South with twice the number of troops taking part compared to last year.

Kim said the military must "dynamically usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation," KRT reported.

The KRT news reader did not mention whether Kim directly referred to the drills by the U.S. and South Korean military. He inspected troops conducting actual maneuvers under conditions simulating actual war, state media said.


Source: Reuters