THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea rejects talks with South in Asean forum

North Korea rejected offers of talks from the South during a rare exchange between the two nations' foreign ministers, according to reports, after the United Nations imposed new sanctions against the Korean Peninsula.

News of a brief encounter on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting in Manila came as South Korean leader Moon Jae-in, in a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, urged a "peaceful resolution" to the tensions.

Moon told Trump that the South "cannot let another war to break out" on the peninsula after the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division of the two Koreas, in a statement from the Blue House.

The South's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha shook hands with her North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho ahead of an ASEAN Regional Forum dinner on Sunday, according to reports.

Source: AFP

Let's Do The News! (August 8, 2017)

- Classes and work in some schools were suspended due to road closures and anticipated traffic congestion brought about by the culminating event of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting today.

- During the ASEAN meeting, the foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment in their collective battle against terrorism. In their joint statement, the members stressed the need for a comprehensive solution against the Islamic State terror group from Syria, which has found its way to Southeast Asian sovereignty.

- The meeting between the foreign ministers of Vietnam and China were cancelled on a sidelines of a regional gathering, amid growing tension between the two countries over the South China Sea. The Chinese embassy officials gave no reason for the cancellation of the meeting scheduled for Monday in Manila between China's Wang Yi and Vietnam's Pham Binh Minh.

- Muntinlupa representative and former BOC commissioner Ruffy Biazon expressed concern that his former agency's corruption has become a "culture" in its own.

- An Australian Navy survey ship has found a US military aircraft crashed through the northeast coast at the weekend, killing three Marines. The U.S. Defense Department identified the three Marines as First Lieutenant Benjamin Cross, 26, of Oxford, Maine; Corporal Nathaniel Ordway, 21, of Sedgwick, Kansas; and Private First Class Ruben Velasco, 19, of Los Angeles.

- Following last week's installation of an all-powerful new legislative body run by leftist President Nicolas Maduro’s Socialist Party loyalists, despite massive protests and a global outcry, Venezuela is heading towards a more volatile stage of unrest after anti-government forces looted weapons during a weekend raid on a military base and frustration over what some see as an ineffectual opposition leadership boils over.

- Former Mad Men stars John Slattery and Christina Hendricks reunite for a new show created by the showrunner Matthew Weiner.

- EB presenter Maine Mendoza was named as top regional individual taxpayer by the Bureau of Internal Revenue Caloocan.

- The stars of the hit anime film "your name.", Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, are now 1/8th scale figures courtesy of Good Smile Company. These figures based on characters from the blockbuster film are now available to order starting at 8.148 Yen plus tax and delivery and arrives this March.



TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (August 7, 2017)

- The Philippines invited Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the 50th Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila coming this November. Also coming in the summit is US President Donald Trump.

- The Department of Foreign Affairs will be releasing a new look for the Philippine passport following the extended validity to ten years. According to them, the new passports will be out next year.

- Five members of the Richmond Santos drug syndicate were arrested while their leader was shot dead in a buy-bust operation in Caloocan City, Sunday night.

- A member of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Carla del Ponte, said she was quitting because a lack of political backing from the UN SEcurity Council had made the job impossible, according to reports.

- Celebs Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced their divorce after eight years of marriage.

- Tata Motors cancelled plans for the Tamo sub-brand as well as its Racemo sportscar due to a need to reallocate funds away from non-core business ideas to more important stuff.

- About 63,000 orders for the Tesla Model 3 compact EV saloon were cancelled but CEO Elon Musk says it's still OK.

- Here's your first look on the upcoming second series of the Love Live! Sunshine!! TV show coming this October.



- In Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon, there's a new Lycanroc coming in the game. Say hello to the brand new "Dusk form" Lycanroc. Set for its first appearance in an upcoming S&M anime episode, details regarding the new Lycanroc form in the upcoming Ultra S&M games remain unknown until further notice. Watch for it!



TTFN!!!

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - I❤NY 355

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series goes to Watkins Glen for the I❤NY 355 race of this series and as summer draws to its conclusion, the fight for the title remains ever hotter than ever with twists and turns in store for the drivers.

In Lap 20, Kyle Busch cleared the first stage, his 9th stage win in this series. Three laps later, the number 88 car is out of the race due to some failures. In lap 40, Daniel Suarez claimed his first-ever stage win in his career. In Lap 45, trouble's brewing in the mid-field as the #18 and the #2 slipped off the track.

After 90 laps, Martin Truex Jr. wins the Glen thriller.

Next race is at Michigan International Speedway for the Pure Michigan 400 on the 13th of August.

Top Gear America - Movie Magic

The second episode of BBC America's Top Gear America celebrates the coolest cars featured in the coolest films in history.

William Fichtner, being an actor, got a chance to try out a legendary Mustang 390 GT, the iconic muscle car Steve McQueen drove in a San Francisco car chase in the film Bullitt.

Later, Antron Brown drives an open-top exotic that makes it the ideal dream car and has the appeals of a movie star; a brand-new Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, while getting filmed by some cameramen, including Wookie himself, using cutting-edge camera arms mounted to the top. When handed to The Stig, he lapped the Huracan round SpeedVegas in 1:10.47.

Then, Bill's back to sample the car that defined America in the 1950's, a 1995 Cadillac convertible.

Ryan Eggold from the hit NBC series, The Blacklist, is this week's celebrity guest and he did it in 1:32.94.

And then, the episode ends with the boys having a little crack of stunt driving at a certain movie set.

Bubble Gang - August 4, 2017 #BGNakawanSaGabi

On the August 4, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Magnanakaw gags

- A scandalous viral quarreling at the bus station

- LeBrown James' back for another press conference!

- Today's Balitang Ina topic is a fun run!

- Tutong in the family

- Three men against a scammer with many roles

- A man about wearing women's clothing

- Eating at a psychic restaurant

- Basa-basa pik!

The Dark Tower

Ever since the master author of suspenseful works, Stephen King, made a dark and thrilling tale of Roland Deschain, The Gunslinger, it garnered a whole new bunch of fanbase to talk about Roland's tale as The Gunslinger in The Dark Tower saga and because with such accolades that praised his work as "an impressive work of mythic magnitude" according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a movie adaptation has arrived to give people more reasons to talk about Roland The Gunslinger.

The Dark Tower

Based on a bestseller saga by Stephen King, The Dark Tower stars Luther's Idris Elba as Roland of Gilead, the last gunslinger, and Matthew McConaughey as the Main in Black. Thrown into the battle to decide the fate of the All-World Universe, Roland of Gilead, accompanied by a young boy, is on a pursuit against the mysterious Man in Black while venturing through his quest to find the mystical nexus of all worlds and universes, The Dark Tower. There's a reason why a passage that goes "The Man in Black fled across the desert, and The Gunslinger followed."

Blending a unique combination of Spaghetti Western and signature Stephen King suspense that will keep them hanging through the edge of their seats, The Dark Tower is a powerful, spell-binding masterpiece that will leave moviegoers' eyes glued to this film from start to finish. Although this film rattles the minds of moviegoers and readers alike, it kind of feels like True Grit in so many ways and when it comes to similarities between those films, you can't really help but noticing it. While this is basically a True Grit faux simile, this is classic Stephen King stuff and with all the inevitable twists and turns you would expect in every Stephen King work ever stumbled through the shelves, it's a fair point that The Dark Tower is one of the most thrilling films to watch before summer ends.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Detroit (movie)

In the summer of 1967, in the streets of Detroit, Michigan, a violent protest broke out which became one of the darkest chapters in the history of Motor City and as of now the pain residents felt during the 12th Street riot are still lurking around them today. Because the people of Detroit are still feeling the harsh impact from one of the worst civil discords ever happened in American history five decades ago, this film depicting the 12th Street riot shows us more than just the whole story about the infamous riot that changed Detroit forever.

Detroit

Made by the same people behind award-winning films like The Hurt Locker and ZERO DARK THIRTY, Detroit is a thought-provoking film based on true events and everything they thought about the 1967 Detroit riot as told in the history books will be changed as this film showcases more than just the whole page in the history books.

Just by looking as this provocative film, you will realize how this film relates you to the harsh realities of today; the police brutality black people faced, the looting, the arson, the brutal killings, assault and battery, everything you saw on this film is so related to today's world is all there and Detroit is a masterfully-crafted masterpiece that uses the pages of history to portray the unforgiving realities the world is facing today. With the cast showing what is like to be involved in one of the worst civil unrests in American history, you don't just watch the film to see what is like. You are part of it and living the 12th Street riot experience is a clear reminder why we face violence like this even in the modern world and this film is worth sharing for to anyone who want to see for themselves.

My rating: 4.4 out of 5

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable Chapter 1

If you are one of the many anime otakus who are familiar with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, it is by no means one of the slickest manga franchises ever witnessed featuring the most suave buttkickers, the slickest fight scenes, and the craziest lines you've ever heard. Those who can't get enough of JoJo after watching all three seasons of the said anime show can deserve some time off because there's a live-action film based on the hit series, continuing the Japanese summer blockbuster rush of live-action adaptation of hit anime shows.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
Diamond is Unbreakable Part 1

This film adaptation of the hit manga franchise stars Kento Yamazaki as Josuke Higashikata, Yusuke Iseya as Jotaro Kujo, Ryunosuke Kamiki as Koichi Hirose, Nana Komatsu as Yukako Yamagishi, and many others. It's directed by none other than the critically-acclaimed Takashi Miike. The reason why this is the first chapter of the JoJo films is because you can expect more films like this to come but for now, what is Diamond Is Unbreakable? Those who are catching up to the franchise will know that this is the fourth arc of the hit manga series and it focuses on the main character named Josuke Higashikata, yes really, involved in some zany misfits around Morioh.

With a witty blend of hardcore action and unpredictable sense of humor, this film feels like the anime series you've witnessed but only a few chinks that some believe that it's different to the JoJo they're familiar with. Of course, the film does have some loose ends that can be resolved in the next couple of films and such examples of those loose ends examined are the storyline, the cast that feels a bit different from where it was based upon, and some corny jokes in store. Despite its flaws, it's still JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It still has some signature JoJo moments, the action, the sense of humor, and the touch of class this film delivers and on the bottomline, it's rather decent for a summer blockbuster film in Japan.

While it's not a great film at first, it really is a first because this film knows it tried so hard to please its moviegoers but what makes it very appealing by most moviegoers is how it makes this first live-action JoJo film the talk of the town everybody's going to chat about it at the end of the day or still, they might write about what they think about this film with the ticket stuck at the blank page. In other words, it's this week's IT trend of the home stretch of the summer blockbuster season.

My rating: 3.8 out of 5

Let's Do The News! (August 4, 2017)

- President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed the bill granting free tuition in all state universities and colleges. It was confirmed by Deputy Secretary Menardo Guevarra despite the Department of Budget and Management’s cold approach toward the bill due to the amount of fund needed to subsidize the program.

- The Armed Forces of the Philippines intercepted the suspected terrorist plots in some parts of Mindanao. A released statement reassures the public that the AFP has intercepted the information about the terrorist plot, and security plans are underway to counteract any form of any guerrilla attacks.

- Pope Francis "loves China" and a state-run media reported that a Vatican official will visit China in an expression of goodwill despite strained relations between the two. Pope Francis would like to heal a decades-old rift with China, where Catholics are divided between those loyal to him and those who belong to a government-controlled official church.

- A cyber security expert who was part of the effort to eradicate the "WannaCry" ransomware attack earlier this year has been arrested on unrelated hacking charges, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday. A 23-year-old British-born malware researcher named Marcus Hutchins was detained by the FBI in Las Vegas, according to the Department of Justice.

- A fire broke out through one of the world's tallest residential towers in Dubai on Friday. The latest in the series in tall structures in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf’s tourism and business hub, over the past three years. Flames shot up the sides of the Torch tower in the second blaze to hit the high-rise since two years ago, forcing hundreds of occupants to flee as burning debris showered down the sides of the 1,105 foot (337 metre)-tall, 79-storey structure.

- Geely has completed the formation of two new joint ventures with Volvo Cars to develop the Lynk & Co brand.

- Toyota Motor Corporation to take up small stake in Mazda as they are set to announce plans to build a 1.6 billion US factory as part of their new joint venture, according to reports.

- Meanwhile, Mazda announces restoration services for first-generation Roadster owners.

- Fans of the .hack://G.U. saga will get the closure they've been longing for as the upcoming .hack//G.U. Last Recode game for the PS4 and Steam will feature an untold chapter where Haseo received an email regarding Ovan's whereabouts following a sudden announcement of The World R:2's service termination. Donning his new gear, Haseo is on a race against time to find his friend.



- Voice actress Risa Taneda recovers from treatment and gradually returns to her voice acting work, as confirmed by her agency.

TTFN!!!

Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2

Dai Gyakuten Saiban, a much ancient installment of CAPCOM's Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) legal battle video game franchise which tells about Ryuichi Naruhodo's great ancestor, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, in his youth during the 19th century era and with help of his allies such as Susato Mikotoba, the legendary Sherlock Holmes, and Iris Watson, the young Ryunosuke searches for clues, solving puzzles, and apprehend the real culprits behind 19th century Japan's wittiest crimes. Now, the tale of the young Ryunosuke Naruhodo returns in Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 and in this installment, there are more stories to tell to 19th century Japan's favorite mystery solver.

Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2

Like every other Gyakuten Saiban installment, the brand new Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 game is something you shouldn't be hurry about because with so much clues to look out for, fragments to piece, people to interact with, and some other stuff to deal with, solving cases wasn't as easy as it sounds and it takes a lot of time to uncover the real truth behind 19th century Japan's bizarre cases no one dared to find the truth. With familiar friends and foes returning back to make the young Ryunosuke's head roll, there are new characters that will keep his head rolling for more as he solves his way through new and intriguing episodes that will test your knowledge, your wits, and your right to OBJECTION!

Investigation matters in this game because every evidence you collect during your crime scene investigation matters as when you present it during trial, you'll never what will hit. It's either you, your rival defendant, the suspect, or everyone else. Of course, during trial, you have the right to deal with six possible suspects as each suspect holds a critical case that will either help you or hinder your judgment as you are piecing the cases that will lead you to the real truth. It takes patience but if you deal with your patience very well, you might be able to solve the case with ease or else you messed it up and this case will be jeopardized.

With a memorable cast of characters, new ways to solve cases, and more intriguing stories that will up the game's suspense, this sequel may not be worth the shot of being a great game for those who want to speed things up by for those who are really here for the story, it really is a great game to go along with the flow and since this is part of the franchise that yells "OBJECTION!" for 15 years, there's so much to consider Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 your next favorite installment.

Let's Do The News! (August 3, 2017)

- Heavy rainfall due to the hanging habagat prompted the Philippine National Railways to suspend all operations past 0737 local time.

- The Philippines and Australia strengthened their defense and security cooperation through the 4th Philippines-Australia Strategic Dialogue yesterday. The two nations discussing about defense cooperation and cooperation on security issues of mutual interests during the dialogue.

- House Majority leader Congressman Rodolfo Farinas doubts the explanation of BOC Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon regarding the entry of 6.4 million pesos worth of shabu in the country.

- There is a proposed resolution from a lobby group known as the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-funded project to impose a top-down right-wing agenda across the United States, that advocates for overturning the 17th Amendment so Republican-controlled state legislatures could pick senators.

- An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 struck Tokyo but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake was centered in southern Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.

- Victims of acid attacks in the United Kingdom are calling on the government to enforce longer prison sentences and tighten controls on the sale of corrosive substances, after a sharp rise of cases last year and in 2017. This hit headlines after a recent spate of attacks, prompting Interior Minister Amber Rudd to review legislation.

- Two attackers detonated a car bomb in southern Yemen, killing themselves and five soldiers and injuring numerous people. The bombing took place in the Redhoom district of Shabwa province near a security checkpoint.

- The American start-up company, Bollinger, unveiled the B1, a sport utility truck with an all-electric powertrain and exceptional off road capability.



- Universal pictures announced that Pacific Rim: Uprising's showing date was delayed to March 23, 2018.

TTFN!!!