THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Moon Jae-in is South Korea's new leader

Liberal politician Moon Jae-in has won the presidential elections in South Korea, signalling the end of nearly a decade of conservative rule and bringing a more conciliatory approach toward North Korea.

Moon's victory will end months of political turmoil that led to the ousting of his former rival, conservative former president Park Geun-hye over an extensive corruption scandal, which a court upheld in March. Park became the first democratically elected leader in South Korea to be impeached from office, causing a snap election for her successor.

Moon vowed that he will restore the country badly bruised by the scandal during a midnight victory speech at a temporary stage set up in the main square in downtown Seoul.

With 80 percent of the votes counted at 1705 GMT, Moon was ahead with 40 percent, according to the National Election Commission. A conservative challenger, former prosecutor Hong Joon-pyo, was next with 25.5 percent followed by centrist candidate Ahn Cheol-soo with 21.4 percent.

Source: Reuters

Let's Do The News! (May 10, 2017)

- Member countries of the Human Rights Council appealed to the Philippines to allow UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country even though she didn't abide with the conditions presented by President Rodrigo Duterte.

- Authorities placed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on full alert after a security expert claims that last month's bombing at Quiapo might be test runs for the Islamic State.

- Controversial blogger Mocha Uson was named by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new Assistant Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office. Long before she was appointed to this post, Uson has been appointed by the President as a board member of the MTRCB but only up to September of this year.

- US President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey following an investigation between Trump's associates and their ties to Russia.

- Next year's Grammy Awards will be heading to New York next year after over a decade in Los Angeles, according to the awards' organizers.

- The Gilas Pilipinas are being favored in the upcoming Southeast Asian Basketball Championship, which is set to start this week up to May 18.

- Volkswagen reportedly cancelled their plans for their 10-speed DSG.

- The official trailer for the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 film has arrived and here's what to expect in the follow-up to the original Blade Runner film.



TTFN!!!

FH3 Hot Wheels: The First Day of the Rest of your Life!

Welcome everyone to the Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels expansion pack, where your childhood fantasies became even more outrageous than ever with signature Hot Wheels stunts come to life in the Land Down Under. Horizon couldn't get even more exhilarating than this!



On your first arrival at the Hot Wheels Thrilltopia, you are greeted by one of the most intimidating Hot Wheels car ever to come out from every kid's toy box, the Bone Shaker, and as you drive through your new Horizon Festival, the welcome tour includes not just the iconic Hot Wheels iconic orange tracks but also some signature Hot Wheels stuff such as Speed Boost, the loop-the-loop, the cobra coil, the fire ring, and for a bigger treat, a mechanical dinosaur to scare you off. This is exactly what is like to be in the world of Hot Wheels.



Don't get to awed by the idea of living in your childhood fantasy because you're going to need some concentration and timing to conquer whatever you may come across in Hot Wheels Thrilltopia. From the speed boosts to the loop-the-loop, you need to be fast enough to outsmart the competition because if you go slower than that, the difference between a win and a loss could narrow and opponents closing on you may slip out by surprise so be careful while you're out there. Oh, best not to look down if you have fear of heights.



For my first outing at the Hot Wheels Thrilltopia, I am behind the wheel of the Rip Rod, an offroad buggy that shows that even the smallest of size can be the most intimidating, and now, I'm going off to introduce what to expect in the world of Hot Wheels.



That, ladies and gentlemen, is what you called "extreme racing" and just like in Blizzard Mountain, every time you win a race or complete a stunt/bucket list challenge, you'll earn medals. Earn enough medals to progress through the next batch of races and stunts to complete.



So, do you think you can work your way to the big finale they've lined up in Hot Wheels Thrilltopia? Well, time to get going because these medals don't earn by themselves and between you and me, this will be the most challenging adventure yet.

Good luck and drive fast!

Second Generation Daihatsu Mira e:S

Daihatsu's most fuel efficient and most affordable kei car has been regenerated for its second generation and the all-new, more fuel-efficient, Mira e:S, promises to give drivers even more run for their money. Let's take a quick look on the latest generation of Daihatsu's most affordable, fuel-efficient kei-car ever sold in Japan.

2018 Daihatsu Mira e:S

When Daihatsu first launched the Mira e:S about six years ago, it was known to be the most fuel efficient car in the world until the Suzuki Alto came and the rivalry between the two fuel-efficient cars continued until the arrival of the latest-generation Suzuki Alto with its record-breaking 37kmpl fuel economy. Now, let's get to know about the brand new Mira e:S and by the looks of it, the exterior design has been sharpened to draw some inspiration from the D-Base Concept, resulting to a much better-looking low-cost car that can attract first-time buyers and can be a real head-turner on the streets of downtown Tokyo.

2018 Daihatsu Mira e:S

The inside looks pretty much the same as the previous Mira e:S and it still has that digital instrumental cluster from the last one, meaning that the interior is still beyond average for a compact car but average aside, it's surprisingly spacious and it has good legroom on the back, meaning it's nice to be accommodated with. The boot space isn't too shabby as well for a micro car and there are plenty of cubby holes to store your stuff, making it a practical car fit for family use or a trip round town with your pals.

2018 Daihatsu Mira e:S

Now let's talk about the performance side of the new Mira e:S and for this new model, it now features a "D Monocoque" body that is more rigid and 80kg less compared to the standard model. Because its now 80kg less than the old e:S and combined with its newly improved e:S Technology, you're looking at a 35.2kmpl of fuel efficiency based on JC08 Mode standards. That sounds like 1.8kmpl less than the Suzuki Alto but this is still the most fuel-efficient Daihatsu in the range and time to get to the juicy part of the new e:S Technology because if you dig deeper on the mechanical bits, you will see some interesting stuff that made this car fuel-efficient such as the Cold i-EGR, the late closing of intake valves for load reduction on compression, dual injectors, combustion control by cylinder, CVT Thermo controller, low viscosity CVT fluid, rear differential gear for 4WD models, resin parts, the list goes on and on and there's another contribution to the car's fuel efficiency and it's the aerodynamics because for the new model, it sustained three percent air resistance, making it the most aerodynamic kei car on the market.

The Daihatsu Mira e:S comes with other energy efficient ways and means such as LED lamps, eco power generator, an idle stop and go feature, and scroll-type air conditioner compressor.

2018 Daihatsu Mira e:S

What about safety? To keep up with today's traffic, the new Mira e:S comes with Smart Assist III, featuring the world's smallest stereo camera ever equipped on the production car. In addition to the sonar sensor, it enables braking not only for leading vehicles but also for pedestrians. When the stereo camera detects a lane while traveling at speeds at around 60kph or over, when it is about to deviate from the lane, it notifies the driver and urges the departure avoidance operation. Apart from that, it can also trigger the false start restraining control function at either forward or backward. Other features include Auto High Beam, corner sensors for parking purposes, SRS airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control System, emergency stop signal, and Anti-Lock Brakes with Electronic Control Braking Force Distribution System.

Should you buy one? The new Daihatsu Mira e:S starts at 842,400 Yen including on-road costs and it's exempted from the car acquisition tax and automobile weight tax, making it a great value for money and its around five grand cheaper to buy than the Suzuki Alto. It really is a promising compact car that gives them more run for their money and it's now technologically advanced to deal with today's traffic conditions. Even though Daihatsu is now under Toyota's control, they're still on the roll for fuel-efficient small-cars on the market and for the Mira e:S, this is just the beginning.

Available colors: Sky Blue Metallic, Lemon Squash Crystal Metallic, Magenta Berry Mica Metallic, Splash Blue Metallic, Plum Brown Crystal Mica, Black Mica Metallic, Pearl White III, Bright Silver Metallic, and White.

Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Koreans vote for new leader

South Koreans started voting for their next leader, with the potential record turnout suggesting voters are eager to move on from the corruption scandal that brought down ousted president Park Geun-hye and shook the political and business elite.

Unless there is a major upset, Moon Jae-in will be elected president. Moon, who lost narrowly to Park in 2012, has criticised the two former conservative governments for failing to stop North Korea’s weapons development. He advocates a two-track policy of dialogue while maintaining pressure and sanctions to encourage change. Aside from calling for a moderate approach on the Korean Peninsula, he wants to reform chaebols (family-run conglomerates) and boost fiscal spending to create jobs.

Park is in jail, on trial, but denies any wrongdoing. She had decided not to cast a vote, according to reports.

The National Election Commission said voter turnout was at 59.9 percent by 1400 hours local time but it could reach the forecasted total voter turnout of over 80%, the highest since President Kim Dae-jung was elected 20 years ago, when 80.7 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.

Source: Reuters

Let's Do The News! (May 9, 2017)

- According to Atty. Nasser Abinal, the leader of the Sunni branch of Islam in the Philippines, Sunni Muslims are seen as enemies of fundamentalist and extremist Muslims as development of many areas in Mindanao is behind by a century compared to Metro Manila.

- Roy Cimatu, the new DENR Secretary, immediately took his oath of office in front of President Rodrigo Duterte during a Cabinet Meeting last May 8.

- Meanwhile, President Duterte named former House Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. as special envoy for inter-cultural dialogue.

- The Taiwanese government will send a delegation to a UN health meeting even though they are not invited as it China that efforts to exclude it could lead to “irreversible” damage to ties. Self-ruled Taiwan wants to attend a May 22-31 annual meeting in Geneva of the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, but it has accused Beijing of obstructing its efforts.

- Members of the Texas Major Cities Chiefs, consisting of the police chiefs in Dallas, Houston, Austin, Arlington, Fort Worth, and San Antonio, and the Texas Police Chiefs Association condemn the controversial Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last weekend and involves racial profiling on Latinos.

- It is reported that Ferrari will launch their next hypercar within the next three to five years following the success of their sold-out LaFerrari hybrid hypercar.

- Top Gear presenter Chris Harris will be participating in two rounds of this year's Blancpain GT Series in a factory-run McLaren. His first outing is next weekend at Silverstone before heading to Spa-Francorchamps at the end of July for the 24 Hours of Spa.

- HBO confirmed that the eighth season of their hit TV series, Game Of Thrones will be their last when it comes out next year but there will be spin-offs.

- Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why, gets renewed for a second series.

TTFN!!!

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Geico 500

Ah, Talladega Superspeedway, the battle arena for the Geico 500 at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series where many entered, some got eaten alive, and only a brave few managed to snag the checkered flag at the endgame.

In the first stage of the Geico 500 race, Brad Keselowski, despite the fender bender, nailed the 10-point stage win while in the second stage, it's Denny Hamlin scored his first stage win of the year.

Now, we get to the interesting part because on Lap 168, the "big one" erupts at 'Dega when Chase Elliot gets turned by AJ Allmendinger, setting off a massive wreckage as Chase rides the wall while AJ goes over on his lid and they would have to flip that car over to get AJ Allmendinger out. Thankfully, all of the drivers involved in this big mess were released from the infield care center.

After one catastrophic crash after another, an overtime occurred and after that, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., snagged his first Monster Energy Series win.

Next race is on Kansas for the GoBowling.com 400 this May 13th.