Let's Do The News! (June 15, 2017)

- The Philippine military states that they've arrested one of the members of the IS-backed Maute group. Mohammad Noaim Maute was arrested at a checkpoint near the coastal city of Cagayan de Oro just after dawn, said Lt Col Jo-Ar Herrera, a military spokesman.

- Meanwhile, two relatives of the Maute brothers were killed in an ambush in Lanao Del Sur last week. The victims were identified as Aliasgar Maute, and his brother Zulkifli Maute.  The two were arrested together with the ‘Maute Matriarch’, Farhana.

- The man suspected of opening fire on Republican lawmakers during a game of baseball on Wednesday raged against US President Donald Trump on social media and idolized Bernie Sanders, who he saw as the only politician who understood the working class. The suspect identified as James T. Hodgkinson from St. Louis, Belleville, Illinois. Records showed he was a 66-year-old home inspector. He died from injuries sustained in a shoot-out with Capitol Hill police who were at the scene in Alexandria, Virginia.

- The Philippine Embassy to London confirmed that a Filipino baby was one of the victims in the Grenfell Tower fire in West London. According to the Consul General, the infant was seven months-old and inhaled some smoke from the fire, causing it to feel light-hearted.

- Audi's R8 V10 Spyder now comes with the more powerful plus variant with 610HP from its 5.2L V10 engine.



- The new Jaguar XF Sportbrake was unveiled, adding some extra boot space to the second-generation Jaguar XF.



- The McLaren 570S is now available in the new open-top Spider variant.



- Konami's Metal Gear Survive game reportedly delayed to Early 2018.

- Check out the intro sequence for the upcoming Disney's DuckTales reboot series, premiering with a one-hour special this August 12, followed by the series premiere of two new episodes on the 23rd of September on Disney XD.

#DuckTales takes flight with a one-hour television movie to be presented for 24 consecutive hours on Saturday, 8/12, followed by the series debut of two new episodes on Saturday, 9/23 on #DisneyXD.

A post shared by DisneyChannelPR (@disneychannelpr) on Jun 14, 2017 at 9:30am PDT

TTFN!!!

Torchwood: torchwood_cascade_CDRIP.tor

Big Finish Productions continues to unearth some of the hidden Torchwood archives that never saw the light of day as full-cast audio drama CDs so fans of the hit Doctor Who spinoff can get the same experience as they got from the hit BBC TV series. 2017 promises to bring more Torchwood audio dramas as part of their ongoing efforts to celebrate Torchwood's 10th anniversary since October 2006.

Torchwood: torchwood_cascade_CDRIP.tor

Fans of the hit BBC TV Series already got hooked on the untold case of computer genius Toshiko Sato (played by Naoko Mori) back in the Zone 10 audio drama last year and now, Tosh returns for another untold case which now involves...the deadly consequences of online piracy.

Since the emergence of the internet, online piracy became a rampant outbreak in the digital world and to date, more and more people are illegally downloading movies, music, games, even TV shows, on the internet. In the case of Torchwood operative Toshiko Sato, unauthorized online piracy DO come with a deadly price which involves the lives of whoever downloaded something illegally.

This dystopian take on online piracy is something the fans should be worrying about and in torchwood_cascade_CDRIP.tor, this terrifying addition to Big Finish's Torchwood audio drama CD lineup will shock everyone with its dark, twisted, and dystopic taste with a fair lesson to learn about illegal downloads and its deadly consequences. While this installment terrifies the listeners about the consequences of online piracy, the classic Torchwood recipe continues to flow in every chapter of this installment with all the explosive thrills, spills, and chills in store for Tosh and the other characters, bringing torchwood_cascade_CDRIP.tor a must-listen for Torchwood fans.

While this story delivers a much scary take on a rampant internet trend, all the classic Tosh action is embodied in this audio drama that you can only expect from the world according to Torchwood.

Torchwood: Corpse Day

Big Finish Productions continues to unearth some of the hidden Torchwood archives that never saw the light of day as full-cast audio drama CDs so fans of the hit Doctor Who spinoff can get the same experience as they got from the hit BBC TV series. 2017 promises to bring more Torchwood audio dramas as part of their ongoing efforts to celebrate Torchwood's 10th anniversary since October 2006.

Torchwood: Corpse Day

Dr. Owen Harper (played by Burn Gorman) is a wisecracking medical specialist who likes to poke fun with the Torchwood Cardiff team until his death and resurrection (as demonstrated from Series 2 episodes such as Reset, Dead Man Walking, and A Day In the Death), rethinked his life and times as a Torchwood operative and in this never-before-told tale focused on our favorite medical specialist, it's time for the dead man to tell a tale once more.

Corpse Day is the day when the local constabulary seek assistance on dead cases from Torchwood and for PC Andy Davidson (played by Tom Price), a good friend of Gwen Cooper during her WPC days, he's grateful that for this year, he was volunteered to be a liaison for none other than, you guessed it, Dr. Owen Harper. However, in Owen's case, it feels like death cannot die, and for a dead man like him, this day feels like any other.

Hearing Tom Price and Burn Gorman in this installment is like you are jumping through a buddy cop flick at the start but when the case of grizzly murders kicked in, it transforms into a full-on gory horror experience that it won't really go easy on the listeners and long-time fans alike and in true Torchwood tradition, Corpse Day is a very special feast for the fans who just can't get enough of Owen as much as his on-screen antics from the last decade. 

More than that, this audio drama with a much gory outlook that became part of the Torchwood lore for a decade is more than enough to give themselves a "rat jam." Get it?

Torchwood: The Dollhouse

Big Finish Productions continues to unearth some of the hidden Torchwood archives that never saw the light of day as full-cast audio drama CDs so fans of the hit Doctor Who spinoff can get the same experience as they got from the hit BBC TV series. 2017 promises to bring more Torchwood audio dramas as part of their ongoing efforts to celebrate Torchwood's 10th anniversary since October 2006.

Torchwood: The Dollhouse

Long before the battle of Canary Wharf (known as Doomsday) that witnessed the downfall of Torchwood London, before Torchwood Cardiff emerged under the rule of Captain Jack Harkness, before everything you know about this secret organization that is "outside the government, beyond the police and the United Nations", there were three unsung heroines became involved in the alien mystery spelunking that became the template from this planet. Meet Torchwood Los Angeles.

It's the 1970's, the decade that witnessed US President Richard Nixon's resignation, the global energy crisis, and so on, Marlow Sweet (Laila Pyne), Charley Du Bujeau (Kelly-Anne Lyons), and Gabi Martinez (Ajjaz Awad) arrived in the city of angles to find new life and while this vibrant Californian city has some glitz and glamor in store, this city lies a dark secret where it will put three young girls to the test.

This is an all-new storyline written by Juno Dawson and while this installment has some originality unheard of in the Doctor Who franchise, it feels like it's connected to the original Torchwood storyline while delivering a fresher take on the secret organization we are now familiar with.

With all those alien stuff, youth life, drama, suspense, and thriller, The Dollhouse sets apart from all the other Torchwood installments Big Finish has to offer while evoking the spirit of the hit spin-off series that became as relevant as today's world affairs.

Torchwood: Visiting Hours

Big Finish Productions continues to unearth some of the hidden Torchwood archives that never saw the light of day as full-cast audio drama CDs so fans of the hit Doctor Who spinoff can get the same experience as they got from the hit BBC TV series. 2017 promises to bring more Torchwood audio dramas as part of their ongoing efforts to celebrate Torchwood's 10th anniversary since October 2006.

Torchwood: Visiting Hours

For the latest installment in the long line of Torchwood audio drama CDs, Rhys Williams (played by Kai Owen), the boyfriend turned husband of Gwen Cooper, takes on what's going on inside St. Helen's Hospital and his visit with his mother Brenda became a living nightmare they will face inside the hospital.

St. Helen's Hospital has been faced with series of unexplainable events following numerous people inside keep dying of natural causes every night and their bodies disappeared without a trace. Rhys comes to the hospital to visit his mam, Brenda, who had her hip replacement finished but the visit has became nightmare and with no one else around them, all that Rhys and his mam hope is to survive the night until the mystery at St. Helen's is unearthened.

This audio drama has a blend of horror and mystery in a Torchwood kind of way and while this is plainly moderate at first, the terror it blends on this latest Torchwood audio drama keeps on lingering until the very end and it feels like you're living in a nightmare full of monsters while trying to survive the night. Best be told, never try to listen to this one in the dead of night because of the terror waiting to unleash in every chapter but if you're brave enough to survive the night, this Torchwood audio drama will hit you with everything it got.

Aikatsu Stars! no Ongaku 01

Premiered last April 2016 on TV Tokyo, Aikatsu Stars! is an all new adventure that is separate from the original Aikatsu and it centers on the life and times of a girl named Yume Nijino who attends at the Yotsuboshi Gakuin to become the best idol in the school. Little girls across Japan have been tuning in every Thursday nights for more of Yume Nijino and the others as well as being part of the Aikatsu Stars experience via the Data Carddass game from Bandai. Because it's been a year passed since the show began, the original soundtrack of Aikatsu Stars has arrived for nostalgic pleasure.

Aikatsu Stars! no Ongaku 01

This two-disc compilation features the songs and score from not just the first season of the TV series but also the Data Carddass game inspired from, including TV-sized versions of the show's opening and closing theme songs as heard from the TV series. For an added bonus, there's the Christmas song as heard from Episode 37 of the series, titled We wish you a merry Christmas AIKATSU☆STARS！ver.

While supplies last, this original soundtrack comes with the special Lemon Creme Skirt card for use in the Aikatsu Stars DATA CARDDASS game, just a way of saying thanks and keep on watching Aikatsu Stars, which is now on its second season airing every Thursday nights on TV Tokyo.

TRACK LISTINGS:

Disc 1

01：スタートライン！（TV-size）

02：今回のおはなし

03：虹野ゆめ、いきまーす！

04：びっくり箱

05：おもしろいじゃない！

06：四ツ星学園

07：目指せS4！

08：花の歌組

09：鳥の劇組

10：風の舞組

11：月の美組

12：憧れのアイドル

13：気になるアイドル

14：学園長

15：This is Rock!!

16：ゆりちゃんと一緒

17：がんばらなくっちゃ！

18：S4 TV～キラキラするのがお仕事です

19：「CA物語」のテーマ

20：「ガリギャル」のテーマ

21：ロックへのいざない

22：ロック甲子園

23：ROCK☆ROCK☆GIRLS！

24：「リトルフェアリー物語」のテーマ

25：魔王の城

26：M4王国の妖精

27：アイキャッチA

28：みんな大好きめでたい焼き

29：アイキャッチB

30：はじけるホネホネブラザーズ

31：幹部のチームワーク

32：Let's Dancing!

33：天真爛漫アイドル

34：「ボディ・バード」のテーマ

35：「太陽に燃えろ」のテーマ

36：はばたくツバサ

37：先輩の教え

38：アイドルの学園生活

39：セルフプロデュースの極意

40：夜空のファッションタイムです

41：悔し涙

42：月想う太陽

43：月と太陽

44：さらなる成長

45：四つの星

Disc 2
01：1, 2, Sing for You!（TV-size）
02：試練
03：楽しい日々
04：今週のアイカツWAVE
05：オーディション スタート！
06：迷わぬ心
07：ステージ大成功！
08：夢へとつづく道
09：ドレスメイク講座
10：煌めくM4
11：ブロードウェイドリーム
12：四ツ星学園祭 後夜祭
13：やっぱりステージって最高！
14：ノー モア ネガティブ！
15：あれれ？
16：アイドル1年生
17：がんばれよ、ゆでダコ
18：ツンドラの歌姫
19：ちがうからこそ素晴らしい
20：憧れの存在
21：学園長の決意
22：厳しい現実
23：乗り越えるべき壁
24：不思議な謎の力
25：思い合う絆
26：つながる想い
27：星々のきらめき
28：永遠の輝き
29：S4決定戦
30：SHINING ROAD
31：スタージェット！（TV-size）
32：輝く星
33：新しいゆめに向かって
34：スタートライン！ ～Next Stage Ver.～
35：ささやかな願い
36：S4任命式
37：未来へ導くもの
38：episode Solo（TV-size）
39：So Beautiful Story（TV-size）
40：We wish you a merry Christmas AIKATSU☆STARS! Ver.

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Pocono 400

Sunday's NASCAR Monster Energy Cup race in Pocono has became one heck of a close-combat match between whose going to take the checkered flag at the end of the race and with thrills like this, petrolheads of America are surely want to see more NASCAR action like this.

At the end of Lap 50, Kyle Busch cleared Stage One while in Lap 56, someone missed a gear change and that's the #88 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel. In Lap 95, Jimmie Johnson slams the wall in Pocono while struggling to turn left during the heavy impact.while Jamie McMurray's #1 car caught in flames. In Lap 99, at the end of Stage 2, Keselowski almost turned Chase Elliot while in Lap 150, the heated catch-up between Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick is just too darn hot to miss and in the end, Ryan Blaney wins the Pocono 400 race.

Next race is on Michigan on the 18th of June.

Renault Koleos II

Renault's first crossover SUV, the Koleos, is now on its second-generation and it's now larger, roomier, and more luxurious than the old Koleos it replaces while most of the modern-day Renault DNA has been injected inside and out so you might expect that this is just another Renault with the same look as the other new Renaults from the range but it's too early to tell about it until later. So, what's it all about?

2017 Renault Koleos

It's hardly almost a decade passed since Renault introduced its first ever 4x4 crossover to the world and for this second-generation Koleos, it's ready to mark a new beginning for Renault's first crossover in the lineup with new design, new interior, and new features that will keep it competitive in today's conditions. As mentioned earlier, most of the modern-day Renault DNA has been injected inside and out so you will notice that it dons the same exterior cues from the Espace, Talisman, Scenic, and Megane. As on the inside...

2017 Renault Koleos interior

Renault's becoming the French equivalent of BMW because like Bimmers, the Renaults of today are donning the same new interior look and pretty soon, most Renaults will don the same interior over and and over again but what's that really for?  Cost-saving measures? No one ever know but onto the subject of being larger than the old Koleos, seating for five people still holds but it's surprisingly roomier than the old Koleos as well as the boot space good enough for all those open spaces. In addition to that, offers luxury car features in a not-so-expensive crossover such as BOSE Surround Sound System and it even comes with Renault's R-Link 2 that comes with smartphone connectivity that works well with your iPhones and Androids courtesy of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

2017 Renault Koleos

The new Koleos is powered by an all-diesel lineup consisting of a 1.6L and a 2.0L Energy dCi engine with 175PS of power and 380Nm of torque with CO2 emissions of 156g/km. They are mated with either a 6-speed manual gearbox and an XTRONIC CVT sourced from Nissan. Because the new Koleos uses the same underpinnings from the Nissan X-TRAIL, it comes with ALL-MODE 4x4-i made to tackle any surface and weather with ease. With settings like AUTO, LOCK, and 2WD, this system makes the new Koleos to adapt through any road conditions no matter the weather and due to its new platform which is a joint effort of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, it feels very moderate to drive on the road.

2017 Renault Koleos

Active Emergency Braking System, Lane Departure Warning, Safe Distance Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Sport Warning, Tiredness Detection, rear view camera, Automatic High/Low Beam headlines, parking sensors, and Easy Park Assist, these are some of the safety features the new Koleos has to offer and it can be controlled via the R-Link 2 tablet on the dashboard. This is like usual formation for Europe's cars because it's EU regulation for most cars to come ready with safety tech and why would anyone care about it anyhow.

The new Renault Koleos starts at 29,900 Euros while the more luxurious Initiale Paris variant, with special luxurious equipment on it and exclusive colors, costs 41,400 plus on-road costs. So, while the design is plain stale for a modern-day Renault, the new Koleos is a big step for the crossover market and with the ALL-MODE 4x4-i system, R-Link 2, and larger dimensions, expect some healthy reception about the newly regenerated crossover from Renault.

Photo: Renault

Let's Do The News! (June 14, 2017)

- The Department of Justice is pressing rebellion charges against 11 individuals in Marawi City, including the mother of the Maute brothers, Farhana, and former Marawi Mayor Fajad Salic.

- Some college students from the University of Eastern Philippines were irked instead of being thankful with the government's free tuition. A certain student said that instead of having less to pay, they now face additional payments for this school year.

- A huge fire broke out in a 27-floor block of flats in central London and British police said people were being treated for injuries and residents were being evacuated.

- US President Donald Trump considers ousting Robert Mueller from the special counsel and activist group Common Cause demands the Congress to name an independent commission whether or not Trump fires Mueller.

- The jury deciding Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial adjourned after 16 hours of deliberations over 1 and a half days failed to reach the verdict. The Norristown jurors reviewed the entertainer’s account as well as that of his accuser during a long day on Tuesday. Several members of the jury of seven men and five women looked exhausted as they filed into court around 9:20 p.m. to be dismissed for the night.

- New Nintendo news came fresh from the E3 2017 event such as a new Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga game, new Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild DLC, Metroid: Samus Returns game for 3DS, new Kirby game for Switch, Fire Emblem Musou, Super Mario Odyssey, new Yoshi game for Switch, and more...

- All 80 examples of the Koenigsegg Regera hypercar has officially sold out.

- Aston Martin's new V12 Vantage AMR will be the most powerful Vantage ever built with 595HP of power produced from its 6.0L V12 engine tweaked for this special machine.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage AMR

- The new BMW 6-Series Gran Turismo has been unveiled and serves as the replacement to the old 5-Series Gran Turismo with fastback styling.

2018 BMW 6-Series Gran Turismo

- Riko Sakurauchi from Love Live Sunshine, in her Kimino Kokorowa Kagayaiterukai costume glory, is the next to receive the DreamTech figure treatment. It arrives this December 2017 and priced at 14,800 Yen plus tax and delivery.

DreamTech Riko Sakurauchi

- Surprise! The brand new opening sequence for the upcoming season of Disney's Star vs. The Forces of Evil was unveiled during the Annecy Animation Festival.

Never-before-seen season three opening animation for #StarVsTheForcesofEvil unveiled today by Disney Television Animation at the Annecy Animation Festival in Annecy, France. #DisneyXD

A post shared by DisneyChannelPR (@disneychannelpr) on Jun 13, 2017 at 10:35am PDT

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Dennis Rodman to visit North Korea

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is expected to visit North Korea tomorrow for a trip the State Department said was not an official US visit.

Rodman, who first met with Kim Jong-un on previous trips to Pyongyang and called him "awesome" declined to answer questions when he was seen by reporters at the Beijing International Airport.

Rodman's representatives didn't respond for that matter and he defended his travels, saying in an interview years ago they would help "open the door" to North Korea.

Source: Reuters

Let's Do The News! (June 13, 2017)

- The mother of the Maute brothers is set to be transported after CDO inquest proceedings for her rebellion case. Farhana is the mother of Omar and Abdullah, the founders of the Maute Terrorist Group while their father, Cayamora, was directly transported in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig after being arrested in Davao.

- Light to moderate rains to experience in eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao, and SOCCSKSARGEN.

- The Department of Information and Communications Technology abolished the fear of the public that the BPI's systems been hacked.

- Panama established formal diplomatic ties with China and broke with Taiwan in a major victory for Beijing that bolsters its claims of sovereignty over what it regards as a renegade island.

- A package exploded at South Korea's Yonsei University in Central Seoul, injuring a staff member who opened it in his office. News reports told that the blast sent small bolt nails flying from the package. It said the engineering faculty member was not seriously injured, suffering burns to his arm, and was being treated at the university hospital.

- Hyundai unveiled their first ever compact crossover called the Kona.



- Citroen unveiled the C3 Aircross, their newest compact crossover which is part of the French carmaker's ambitious SUV offensive.



- Julie Andrews will not appear in the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns movie, according to the film's director.

- Gran Turismo Sport will launch to the Playstation4 this autumn 2017.

- your name.'s director Makoto Shinkai denies his alleged affair with the editor, according to reports.

- In time for her birthday, the final addition to the Love Live! Sunshine!! Nendoroid range, Mari Ohara, has been unveiled! It's available to order starting at 3,241 Yen plus taxes and delivery and arrives this November.



TTFN!!!

Golden State Warriors win 2017 NBA Finals

For the first time in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers faced each other at the NBA finals for the third time. There is no such team rivalry in history that they will face against each other again and again for the third time until now and while both teams won their championship titles in the past, the third time they face each other in this year's NBA Finals had been the most intense rivalry ever crafted in the history of NBA.

In the first three games, the Warriors almost dominated every quarter against the Cavaliers, but when Game 4 came, the luck has changed in favor of the Cavaliers. Now in Game 5, both teams are going to finish it by themselves.

In the first quarter, thanks to their merciless three point throws, interceptions, and blocks, the Cavaliers lead at the score of 37 to 33, but when the second quarter hits, the Warriors are coming back alive, especially ace players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, and despite single-digit gaps, they keep on fighting until at the end of the fourth quarter; where the winner is decided. Yep, it's the Warriors that finished the match against the Cavaliers at the final score of 129-120.

This is their second championship win in three years and this is a definitive proof that the Dubnation show their "strength in numbers."

CONGRATULATIONS, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS!