Nico Rosberg retires from F1 after his championship win

Photo: Associated Press

Following last week's championship win, Nico Rosberg, the top driver from the Mercedes-AMG team, made a shocking announcement that he will officially retire from Formula One racing.

The 31-year-old son of former F1 champion Keke Rosberg raced in 206 F1 GP races in his career while winning 23 races, 30 pole positions, 20 fastest laps, and recently, his world title following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In his statement released from his official Facebook page, Rosberg states that being a world champion in Formula One has been his target on his 25-year career and he began to think about ending his career once he won the championship.

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsport/nico-rosberg-announces-shock-retirement-formula-one

Bubble Gang 21 Gang Salute Part 2

The second part of Bubble Gang's 21 anniversary special, or should we say 21 Gang Salute , continues the celebration not just the show but to honor most of the Philippines' greatest comedians in history in series of sketches and segments.

Stuff include Mr. Assimo and Babalu at the office, Ikaw at ang Ina takes on Snapchat, drum majorette, Tata Lino meets the legendary comedians, mission briefing gags, Tadyakan song, Let's Duet at the albularyo with AlDub, and Hugot Lines at the hospital.

It's been an honor to have the whole cast giving this show a 21 Gang Salute it deserves and as always, happy 21st anniversary, Bubble Gang!

The Grand Tour - Episode 3

The Grand Tour Episode 3

On the third episode of Amazon's original motoring TV series, The Grand Tour, the Italian road trip of Jeremy Clarkson and James May in the Aston Martin DB11 and the Rolls-Royce Dawn has been "hellishly" ruined by the arrival of Richard Hammond in the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and his entourage of tire supply in case of doing burnouts all day long.

On the road through Venice for some arts and literature, seems that Hammond's American habits completely ruined both the presenters' rest and relaxation through the Italian landscape and even when they reached the end of the trip, no one's safe from Hammond's Americanism antics.

Onto that episode, it seems that Simon Pegg's been added to the list of Celebrity Braincrash casualties after he accidentally fall off the bridge and into his "watery grave" while Jeremy showcases his kind of autonomous driving by creating his kind of self-driving car, except it was powered by a Romanian male in it. In the end of the episode, viewers witnessed the demolition of Clarkson's house by doing whatever means necessary to blow away Jezza's house for good after that bet from the first episode.

Let's Do The News! (December 2, 2016)

- PNP Director General Roland "Bato" Dela Rosa turned over the task of securing the New Bilibid Prison to a new set of Special Action Force units in Friday's ceremony. Dela Rosa said that 410 members of SAF have been rotated in to prevent the possibility of the elite police officers succumbing to bribe offers from inmates.

- The Armed Forces of the Philippines considered having a ceasefire between them and the Maute group to avoid further conflict. The AFP supports ongoing efforts to peacefully end the fighting between government forces and ISIS-inspired militants following President Duterte's statement that he would "befriend" the Maute group to prevent more conflict.

- The Department of Health will distribute condoms in schools nationwide as part of the effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among the Filipino youth. According to Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial, this trend in the Philippines should be averted and they are looking to distribute condoms not only in health facilities, but even in non-traditional outlets like school clinics. The DOH would work with the DepEd to implement the program on a test-run basis.

- US President-elect Donald Trump named retired US Marine Corps General James Mattis as his Defense Secretary. Mattis once led the Marines on an expedition in Afghanistan and led the battle in Fallujah during the Iraq War. In 2005, he was criticized for saying it's a lot of fun to kill everyone, whom he described as bad men, in Afghanistan.

- United Nations secretary Ban Ki-moon has apologized to the people of Haiti over their failed efforts to combat the cholera outbreak. Haiti has been dealing with this outbreak since the earthquake six years ago. 9,000 people have died so far.

- Meanwhile, UN human rights experts urged the international community to stop what it calls ethnic cleansing in South Sudan. The team released a statement on Thursday following a 10-day visit to the country last month. The statement said there is already a steady process of ethnic cleansing underway in most areas using starvation, gang rape, and the burning of villages.

- Russian leader Vladimir Putin welcomes close economic ties with Japan through joint projects and programs. Putin delivered his annual state of the nation address to parliament on Thursday. He spent most of his speech discussing domestic issues before turning to diplomacy. He stressed the growing importance of strengthening ties with Asian countries, even China and India.

- Rolls-Royce teases their upcoming SUV that is set to launched soon. The company's attempt to created a full-size SUV showcased its finalized design apart from the camouflage.

Teaser for Rolls-Royce's first SUV

- Kia is teasing their upcoming high-performance saloon with a test round the Nurburgring.

- Former NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon steps out from retirement to drive the new Cadillac endurance racer at the Rolex Daytona 24 Hour endurance race.

TTFN!!!

THREATS OF NORTH KOREA: UNSC adopts sanctions resolution on N.Korea

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution to impose fresh sanctions against North Korea following their 5th nuclear test last September.

Since the test, UNSC members have engaged in talks on further sanctions, led by the US and China. The members unanimously approved the resolution on Wednesday. The resolution caps UN member countries' annual coal imports from North Korea at 7.5 million tons or 400 million dollars, bringing less than half the current amount. The sanctions also impose a ban on imports of minerals from North Korea.

Sources say that this sanction will drop North Korea's annual hard currency revenue by 800 million dollars or nearly 25%.

Source: NHK WORLD

Let's Do The News! (December 1, 2016)

- One of the framers of the 1987 Constitution warned that the Duterte administration might have a bigger agenda for proposing a shift to federalism in the Philippines. Lawyer Christian Monsod said at a forum at the FEU, Makati City, last Tuesday, that federalism may be a Trojan horse for authoritarianism to suit the preferences of President Duterte.

- With Maria Serena Diokno resigned from the top post of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines following the Marcos burial, two other board members of the NHCP have resigned as well. Diokno said that aside from her, two other board members, Francis Gealogo and Filomeno Aguilar Jr., resigned after the unannounced burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on November 18.

- Following the foiled terror attempt at the US Embassy in Manila, the Philippines has been placed on Terror Alert Level 3. PNP Director General Roland Dela Rosa did not elaborate on what the raised alert level means but reminded the public to expect tighter security measures.  Alert Level 3 means there's a strong chance of a terrorist attack and it was raised in 19 areas in the Philippines last year in response to reports that the Abu Sayyaf or the BIFF would stage attacks.

- Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to kill human rights advocates is just a figure of speech and should not be taken seriously. In a speech on Monday, Duterte warned that human rights advocates are contributing to the country's drug problem.

- US President-Elect Donald Trump has filled the key economic posts for his administration. He named investor Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary and former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary. Following the announcement, Trump said on Twitter that he will leave his business in total to focus on running the country.

- Colombian congress has approved a new peace agreement to end the more than half-century of fighting with the country's largest insurgent group. The lower house endered the deal, a day after the Senate did the same. However, the opposition boycotted the voting in both chambers. Over 200,000 people died during the 52-year civil war.

- The McLaren 570S sportscar has gained a new Track Pack option, which reduces 55lbs of weight as well as adding a special rear spoiler for added downforce.

McLaren 570S Track Pack

- Cadillac returns to endurance racing with a brand new prototype set to be unleashed by next year. Codenamed the DPi-V.R, made to address IMSA's DPi regulations, it will be powered by a 6.2L pushrod V8 which produces 600HP of power and the car weighs 2,050lbs. Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing will be running these new machines for next year's Rolex 24 at Daytona.

- The live-action Pokemon movie will be titled "Detective Pikachu" and will be directed by Rob Letterman while employing writers from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Disney's Gravity Falls.

TTFN!!!

Aikatsu! Photo on Stage!! EP 02

Aikatsu! Photo on Stage!! EP 02

The second split single CD inspired from the Aikatsu! Photo on Stage!! app game features three new songs as heard from the game that will bring spark to those who still remembered the good old Akari Generation days of the Aikatsu franchise and those who are busying playing the app game based on the hit TV series. 

For this latest split single; STAR☆ANIS returns to perform three new songs such as ゴシック・ロックン・ローズ, ♡Powa×PuRi×Power♡, and クリスマス☆スターライト. As we are aware, the first and the last really suits to the theme of the holidays. ゴシック・ロックン・ローズ represents some Halloween vibes even when Halloween's over several weeks ago, while クリスマス☆スターライト represents the Yuletide vibes even when Christmas draws near. Either way, they're all heard from the PhotoKatsu game and fans are delighted to hear the full version of these songs as they pleased.

TRACK LISTINGS:

1) ゴシック・ロックン・ローズ

2) ♡Powa×PuRi×Power♡

3) クリスマス☆スターライト

4) ゴシック・ロックン・ローズ (off vocal)

5) ♡Powa×PuRi×Power♡ (off vocal)

6) クリスマス☆スターライト (off vocal)

FINAL FANTASY XV

Ask anyone what is the most anticipated game of 2016 and it might look something like this; FINAL FANTASY XV. It's the long awaited installment of the greatest Japanese role-playing games in history, featuring a brand new storyline even those who are new to the franchise are more than welcome to be part of this new installment made for the new generation of gaming consoles as well as new ways to play.

FINAL FANTASY XV (PS4)

FINAL FANTASY XV (XBOX One)

Those who had this game don't really think they're going to play this game because to them, this game is perfection and no matter how great this new installment is, there's got to be a disappointment so what they're going to do now is leave it unplayed but 38 seconds later, they're not so sorry at all! They have no willpower whatsoever because the way FFXV acts is great, sparking with energy, and vivid. You can spend a lot of days or months to finish this installment and this is bad news because the gameplay is very addictive.

In this new installment, players delve into the story of Prince Noctis from the Kingdom of Lucis as he embarks on an epic grand tour with his companions Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis in the Regalia, a car belonged to his father, King Regis. On his commitment, the Kingdom of Lucis has been attacked by the Niflheim Empire and he receives reports that he, King Regis, and Luna are presumed dead from the attack. Not taking any chances, Noctis and his brotherhood must travel through distant places in the world of Eos to uncover the truth and save the Kingdom of Lucis once and for all.

When others say that this new installment is downright addictive, that's because it's now open world. Sure, there are some main quests that needs to be done for story purposes, but the beauty of the open world gaming is that you can explore the vast world of Eos as far as the eye can see. You can either travel by foot or cruise through the open roads with the Regalia. You can even upgrade the Regalia not just in terms of performance but by looks as well as you progress throughout the game. There are other ways to travel through the world of Eos by all means necessary and how you'll live it up is up to you and because this game has a day-and-night basis, it's important to look before you leap because you never know what sorts of surprises or threats in store by the hour.

The combat system in FFXV has been heavily revised and while Noctis is the only playable character in the game, you can have four equipment slots for weapons, shields, and magic (which is one of the key elements in battling enemies), meaning you can change your battle techniques using these equipment slots. Although you can only play as Noctis, teamwork is especially important in battle strategies as you can call on either Prompto, Gladio, or Ignis, to use their abilities to support you or unleash all-out attacks together. There are different ways how weapons and magic affect the outcome of the battle as having the right combination of magic and the right weapon classes for the job might just give you an edge against tougher enemies later on.

Be warned though that after battles, you can't level up quickly just because you got XP and all you have to do is to camp either in the wild at specific areas or stay for the night in inns because once you died before doing so, you'll lose all XP. It sounds like a risky gamble but those who are not afraid of risks are always up to a challenge.

You can also take on different activities for a chance to gain AP to level up your characters as well. You can either fish with Noctis, cook with Ignis, photography with Prompto, or survival instincts with Gladio but be advised that those AP is made for all four characters so you'll gonna have to share.

If you get things right in the world of FFXV, this game is very rewarding and while you're not focused on the main quests or finished it, you're free to go around the world and do everything you want just for the name of overall completion.

So, you're asking everyone that you like this game, but there are some problems. Firstly and ridiculously, it's playable by one player only. Come on, producers, let's sort this out. And another problem regarding FFXV is the price. The PS4 version starts at 8,800 Yen plus tax and same goes for the XBOX One version.

There is another more pressing problem regarding FFXV and it's the limited edition variants offered. The DELUXE EDITION, priced at 12,960 Yen plus tax, comes with a special steelcase, the game itself, and a Blu-ray disc of KINGSGLAIVE FINAL FANTASY XV film. Lastly, there's the ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION, which features the same as the DELUXE EDITION but comes with the BROTHERHOOD FINAL FANTASY XV anime blu-ray, special blu-ray soundtrack disc, art book, a bonus disc featuring behind the scenes clips in the making of KINGSGLAIVE movie, and a special Play Arts Kai figure of Noctis.

FINAL FANTASY XV is about giving gameplay back to the player and while it relies on them to do some decisions that can affect the outcome of this game. There's some loopholes around with this game though but that's okay because the game needs players like you to be a good player and there's nowhere to hide. Then you'll go "Okay, what's next?" and fans like that. FFXV is all about back to basics, a time where RPGs are meant to be played by yourself but the way it performs makes us feel connected and alive and before you know it, this is perfection.

Nintendo 3DS Pokémon Sun & Moon Super Music Complete

Nintendo 3DS Pokémon Sun & Moon Super Music Complete

The highly anticipated installment of the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Sun and Moon, has arrived since last week and in this new installment, players emerge through the tropical Alola region where they can catch, trade, and battle new Pokémon around the region, pass through trials, avert a major threat, and become the island challenge champion. I'm sure most of the folks already done that less than a week or so. To commemorate the launch of the latest installment, a four-disc original soundtrack based on the latest Pokémon installment has arrived and fans can't hardly wait to listen to the background music as heard from the Pokémon Sun and Moon games.

From Melemele to Poni Island, from the Team Skull territory of Po Town to the Aether Paradise, all the way to the summit of Mount Lanakila, this four-disc compilation features background music handcrafted by the GAME FREAK sound team so fans can listen to the sounds of Alola as heard throughout the game. Apart from that, they've even added special tracks, including those as heard from the official Pokémon Sun and Moon Z-Ring toy from Takara Tomy.

Apart from this four-disc mega compilation of background musics and sounds heard from the Alola Region and more, it comes with a 32-page booklet that will give you a behind-the-scenes look in the making of the sounds of the Alola Region as well as honoring 20 years of Pokémon.

Nothing says Alola than having this four-disc compilation at your own living room because with Pokémon Sun and Moon became a huge success since launch day, it's another way to give thanks to Pokémon's 20 year celebration.

THREATS OF NORTH KOREA: US to announce own sanction on N.Korea

The United States is likely to impose its own sanctions against North Korea following its fifth nuclear test last September.

Reports told that the US is planning a measure aimed at curbing North Korean companies' practice of dispatching laborers abroad in a bid to obtain hard currency. Sources said it originally tried to have the measure included in a UNSC sanctions resolution expected to be adopted on Wednesday, but it failed due to Chinese opposition.

The US will soon announce the details of its own sanction on North Korean firms suspected of sending laborers abroad. Arrangements are reportedly under way to coordinate policies on the measure with Japan and South Korea.

Source: NHK WORLD

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

- Oppositional congressmen warned the nation yesterday that the Duterte administration may be creating a scenario of violence and lawlessness that could lead to the proclamation of Martial Law. Representative Edcel Lagman of Albay noted the statement of presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo that suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is an option open to President Rodrigo Duterte on his ongoing war on drugs.

- Meanwhile for President Duterte, he will visit Russia in March or April next year, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr, Duterte just wants to make friends with China and Russia, to show that the Philippines is not limited to a few countries, especially the United States. Later, Duterte wanted to use the five million peso contribution from PAGCOR to revive former president Arroyo's Botika Ng Bayan.

- Even on Bonifacio Day Holiday, mass protests against the burial of late President Ferdinand Marcos at the LNMB continues.

- The black boxes from the crashed plane in Colombia are found and aviation authorities are currently assessing the situation. So far, reports told that only 6 survived while 72 bodies are recovered from the crash site. Authorities suspect the plane had electrical problems.

- US President-Elect Donald Trump said to pick Elaine Chao as the new head of the Department of Transportation according to reports. Chao was the Deputy Secretary of Transportation under the George H. W. Bush administration from 1989 to 1991.

- To honor 40 years of Ford Fiesta, a new generation of the world's best selling compact was launched at a special unveiling event in Cologne, Germany.

2018 Ford Fiesta

- Nissan launched the NV150 AD commercial wagons for business purposes. The new models are basically a minor change to the Nissan AD/AD Expert commercial wagons with an implementation of Nissan's V-Motion Grille on the front. Featuring a wide range of safety tech, including an emergency brake assist, the NV150 is powered by a 1.5L petrol engine that produces 111PS of power and 148Nm of torque, Mated to a CVT, it has a fuel economy of 17.4km/L for front wheel drive variants.

2017 Nissan NV150 AD

- Daihatsu introduced their updated Smart Assist safety system and the Tanto range are the first to receive SMART ASSIST 3. The SMART ASSIST 3 improves the previous SMART ASSIST II features by giving it the world's smallest stereo cameras that can detect moving objects even more accurately without interfering with the driver's view and overhead space. It even comes with a collision warning function, lane departure warning, false start suppression control function, preceding vehicle start notification, and auto high beam.

2017 Daihatsu Tanto

- Ferrari will auction a special one-off LaFerrari hybrid hypercar for the benefit of Italian earthquake relief. The one-off LaFerrari will have white accents, Italian tricolor, and will be auctioned at the upcoming Finali Mondiali event on the 3rd of December.

- Kenjiro Hata, the author of the Hayate the Combat Butler series will be working on his new series by next year as work for the last arc of Hayate the Combat Butler has commenced as well as the Ad Astra per Aspera series.

TTFN!!!

Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers

November 30, 2016 is now officially Christmas Day! Yeah, I know today is Bonifacio Day according to our Filipino calendars but Christmas Day has come officially early because...ahem...our favorite wisecracking warrior is back as Enteng Kabisote is about to make history while delivering some holiday cheers for the whole family with his blend of humor, drama, action, and everything else. What can I say?

Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers

The tenth film based on the Okay Ka Fairy Ko TV sitcom is historical to Filipinos elsewhere because while the previous installments (not to mention crossovers) became a film festival staple, this new film is, what can I say this nicely, fairly a treason to its heritage because this is the first time this installment never made it to next month's film festival, especially films like Mano Po and others who never made it to the list, but despite its treason to the installment's heritage, this new movie still delivers some jokes, thrills, tears, and family values as before.

Joining comedian and TV presenter Vic Sotto, who reprises his Enteng role, are Oyo Boy Sotto, Aiza Seguerra, Bayani Casimiro Jr., Epi Quizon, Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola, Paolo Ballesteros and Ryzza Mae Dizon among others.  Those new and returning cast really delivers a new kind of comedy gold for this new movie. In this movie, Enteng sets down his heroic status to become a family man and a businessman until one day, when the forces of evil strikes, Enteng is ready to come out from his retirement and save the day once again, this time with a little help from a band of...well, you get the idea.

Although being a fantasy movie, this movie has some references to other movies, meaning that the action sequences feels like it copied from somewhere else, even superhero movies from the West. Despite the action being came from somewhere over the border, the humor still packs a lot of tickle to the viewers and thanks to JoWaPao, upon learning from their Kalyeserye antics on TV, their appearances felt like if the Lolas of Kalyeserye are invading the whole movie from start to finish. Still, no one's safe from the corny jokes this movie offered.

Despite having full of references in terms of fight scenes as well as the corny jokes people who don't have a sense of humor wouldn't mind, its still a fun film for the whole family and thanks to its General Patronage rating, even the little kids can get into the Enteng Kabisote action because even with some mediocre action and jokes, there are some life lessons we can all learn in this film, especially family values, which is the core basis of this film every Filipino should know about.

My rating: 3.4 out of 5.