The Pentagon said on Monday after a news report claimed the regime may be preparing for another missile launch, Washington continues to watch North Korea's nuclear and missile activities "very closely."
Japanese government sources said that the North might launch a ballistic missile "within the next few days," based on radio signals. But the sources also said the signals may only be related to winter military training as satellite image do not show a missile or a movable launch pad.
A spokesman for Pentagon said that the South Korea-US alliance remains strong and capable of dealing any threats from North Korea. He stressed the State Department is working very hard to exercise those diplomatic options and efforts with China.
- The Supreme Court allowed three justices as well as court employees to appear before a House panel deliberating on impeachment charges against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. At yesterday's hearing, Rep. Reynaldo Umali from Oriental Mindoro, chair of the House justice panel, read part of the letter sent by Associate Justice Teresita De Castro asking for more time to apepar in the continuing impeachment proceeding.
- Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III filed a cyberlibel case against the person he said is behind the Silent No More PH blog and Facebook page. In his complaint, Sotto accused Edward Angelo "Cocoy" Dayao of violating Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 4 (c) of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
- Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa has promised that the PNP will exercise extreme caution if President Duterte reinstate the police force in the ongoing war on drugs.
- Senior law enforcement officials from Southeast Asia have gathered in Bangkok for a joint response against human trafficking.
- Following her ASEAN lane incident, Maria Isabel Lopez's driving license was revoked and she will not be able to reapply for it for two years.
- Pope Francis meets Myanmar's civilian leader, Novel laureate Aung Sann Suu Kyi during his visit, a day after hosting the military general in charge of the crackdown on the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.
Yesterday, over 400 flights were cancelled and nearly 60,000 passengers are stranded when the Mount Agung volcano in Bali, Indonesia, has erupted. Mount Agung in the northeast of the island, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the airport, has continued erupting Tuesday, sending plumes of smoke and ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above the crater.
- Japanese conglomerate SoftBank bids to buy shares from ride-sharing company Uber at 30% off the current value.
- BMW unveiled specs of their next-generation electric powertrains that promises up to 700km of range and set for 2021 release.
The 66th Miss Universe pageant took place at Las Vegas and this is the first time a Miss Universe pageant took place twice a year, the first was since January when Miss France Iris Mittenaire won the title back then in the Philippines.
At the recently-concluded beauty pageant, South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned as the 66th Miss Universe, beating the likes of Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez and Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett.
Nel-Peters, age 22, hails from her home country's Western Cape recently earned her business management degree at North-West University. During the competition's Q&A, the recently crowned Miss Universe was asked about the most important issue she thought was facing women in the workplace.
"In some places, women get paid 75% of what men earn for doing the same job, working the same hours - and I do not believe that this is right," she said, "I think we should have equal work for equal pay for women all over the world."
Nel-Peters gained the title from Miss France's Iris Mittenaire and she will serve as the global ambassador under this title.
SIDE NOTE: Miss Philippines Rachel Peters was one of the top ten and despite she couldn't make it to the podium, she tried. Still, congratulations to the Miss Universe winners.
Russia's special representative for the six-party talks is in Seoul and will be meeting with his South Korean counterpart later in the coming hours to discuss the North Korea situation.
Igor Morgulov, who also acts as Moscow's vice-foreign minister, will meet with Lee Do-hoon, and the two are expected to reaffirm intentions to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue. Morgulov is the only representatie that Lee has not met yet since was appointed in September.
Meanwhile, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, suggested over the weekend that the recent quiet from North Korea should be taken as an opportunity to try and restart the long-stalled six-prty talks with the regime.
- Having Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno arrested for not appearing at House hearings would be an empty and useless threat according to Rep. Edcel Lagman because there's no legal basis for arrest order against her.
- The Swedish government is raising issues with the Philippine government the issues on human rights, the conduct on the war of drugs, and the possible revival of capital punishment.
- Senator Grace Poe urged President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday to certify as urgent the pending emergency powers bill as the transportation crisis in the Philippines continues to worsen.
- PAGASA warns of possible flash floods starting next month as several weather systems may bring "above normal" rains in most parts of the country.
- Pope Francis held a minute of silence in St. Peter's Square for the victims of the deadly attack on a mosque in Egypt. The Pope said that last Friday's attack "brought great pain," adding that he continued to pray for the dead and the wounded "and for the whole of that community, that has been so hard hit."
- Malaysian authorities are looking at the removal and disposal of over eight million abandoned vehicles across the nation.
- Military vehicle manufacturer AM General sues game publisher Activision over the humvees used on the Call of Duty games without consent.
- In celebration of the Tamagotchi franchise's 20th anniversary, the smartphone game based on the popular toy line from Bandai was revealed for next year's release.
- Oh! Mari Ohara's joining the Love Live! Sunshine!! figma range! It's available to order starting at 5,833 Yen plus tax and delivery and arrives this August 2018.
After nine months of all the intense drama around the world's best circuits, the F1 2017 Championship reached its climax at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit and because Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton is crowned the world champion on this season a while back, it became everybody's race to see who's going to finish this season with a roar from their engines.
In the finale, after the intense drama-filled evening that led to Daniel Ricciardo's premature end because of faulty errors, faulty pit change for Renault's Carlos Sainz, and some donuts from Fernando Alonso, the Mercedes-AMG team ended in a 1-2 finish with Valtteri Bottas named winner and world champ Lewis Hamilton placed 2nd. Ferrari did a 3-4 finish with Sebastian Vettel made a 3rd place finish and Kimi Raikkonen in 4th place. Other finishers include Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Renault's Nico Hulkenberg, and the Force India team.
So, how can I sum this season up? Well, it's a disaster for McLaren because the Honda engines don't work and they decided to have the Honda engines to Toro Rosso while going for Renault engines for 2018, Max Verstappen became the youngest to win the race, some drama in Monaco because of Vettel and Hamilton, Felipe Massa bids farewell to Formula 1 with a biggest sendoff race in his home nation, Brazil, everything sums it up but on the plus side, Lewis Hamilton is now the four-time F1 World Champion. Enough said.
And that's it for the F1 2017 season and with the F1 2018 season going to be a big one, as demonstrated by the new logo, things can get even interesting for the next season.
This is the original Fiat 124 Spider in play and upon driving this classic Italian roadster in the world of Forza, it made you realized that driving one of this is like a step back in time to the classic motoring from the last century. The golden years of motoring, if you may, and even it was emerged from the time the fuel crisis stopped them from driving Ferraris on the open road and made the switch to smaller but fun to drive cars that catered the essentials a true car enthusiast should live.
There's so much to love about the classic Fiat 124 Spider in every tangible way but for those who demand to drive the more modern version, here's the one you've been waiting for...
Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, your new Fiat 124 Spider, as emerged from Forza Motorsport 7's Samsung QLED TV Car Pack. Before I take a spin around this so-called by-product of the Axis Powers, as you say it, let's investigate about the 21st century 124 Spider.
At the 2015 LA Auto Show, Fiat revived the 124 name as the newest open-top rear-wheel drive sportscar on the road and while this is basically a Fiat, the shocking moment is that it was based on the Mazda Roadster (MX-5) ND and they're built at the same plant in Hiroshima, Japan.
Even though it features the same components as the fourth-generation MX-5, the Fiat 124 Spider differs from it because of the 1.4L MultiAir engine, shocks, and added length and cargo capacity compared to the MX-5.
The high-performance variant, the Abarth 124 Spider, was introduced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and it was powered by an Abarth-tuned 1.4L MultiAir engine producing 170PS of power and 250Nm of torque while mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. It does 0-100kph in 6.8 seconds and onwards to 232kph, faster than even the top-spec MX-5.
Even though it was just an MX-5 undernearth, the Abarth 124 Spider I'm driving is no MX-5 indeed because thanks to its Italian engineering lurking around the Japanese-made Italian sportscar, there's a big reason why a 124 is better than the MX-5 in so many ways and in this Abarth version, it really explains a lot. It still drives like what ever lightweight open-top roadster should but because the power and dynamics are what set these two cars apart, the 124 is a tour de force unlike the MX-5 even though it's the byproduct of the Axis Powers if you call it. It has some character, it has some stance, it has some personality, and the bark that its donor car couldn't possess and looks like Japan should be worrying about why an Italian MX-5 is better than the original MX-5. Could it be a conspiracy why a different version is better than the original even though they made from the same assembly line? It's too early to tell but in the meantime...
I'm at the Top Gear Test Track on a rainy day to see if the modern 124, in Abarth guise, really is the true successor to the original 124, the one Jeremy Clarkson drove in his final day as a Top Gear presenter before he became host of The Grand Tour alongside Richard Hammond and James May. Wait a minute, this Abarth 124 did featured in The Grand Tour with Hammond behind the wheel but anyway...
Looking back five decades, the Fiat 124 Spider is an all-time classic that likes to live up from the examples of the greatest lightweight sportscars in history and in today's time, the MX-5-based 124 continues the tradition despite having a spaghetti and sushi served on the silver platter. Some say that the normal 124 Spider wasn't as good as the MX-5 but thanks to the Abarth variant, it really did and it can outrun even a top-spec Mazda MX-5 with the SKYACTIV-G 2.0L on it. I'm starting to love this new open-top Fiat even more and speaking of which, who wants to see a quick lap with these beauties?
After a wet lap round the Top Gear track with the past and present 124 Spiders, here are the results...
Old 124 - 1:48.092 (wet)
New 124 - 1:38.683 (wet)
Five decades and looks like the 124 did evolved into something special, which isn't bad for an Axis Powers team-up that made us upset, very very upset why the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis made its way through the motoring industry because of BMW, Toyota, Fiat, and Mazda. Looks like the car companies from the Allied Forces need to step up against the motoring's Axis Powers. If the fat man who controls our lives once said the Germans are evil, why not the Italians and the Japanese?
Still, I am glad to drive the new 124 Spider in the game, even though it's a long overdue just like the Alfa Romeo Giulia that I drove a couple of moments ago but I'm not done yet because later on, I will find out if the Italian version of the Japan's favorite roadster is better than the original. This should be interesting so watch for it.
Following last week's 22nd anniversary special titled Bubble Gang Parokya Bente Dos - A Laugh Story, the special continues with a behind-the-scenes special episode presented by your favorite BG members.
In there, Betong brings the viewers a backstage access to what really happened in the making of the PAROKYA BENTE DOS musical special episode by getting to know the folks behind it, the concept, the theme, the production numbers, everything about how this special is made.
Then, Kim Domingo uncovers the on-stage preparation for this special.
Michael V, meanwhile, interviews with popular rock band Parokya Ni Edgar, about how the band and the show had in commin in terms of longevity while in a middle of meals and drinks.
After that, Sef Cadayona takes us to the cast rehearsals and stage preps in preparation for the musical.
Then, Valeen Montenegro delves deeper to the rehearsal process.
I hope you enjoy the special behind-the-scenes footage of last week's musical episode in celebration of 22 years of Bubble Gang. Happy 22nd anniversary to the Philippines' funniest gag show.
Not too long ago, Mercedes-Benz brought us the above average E-Class Coupe which shares the same features as the saloon version but with less doors for that grand touring feeling a bachelor would want to feel, although not as exciting as it seems, and with the new Cabriolet version, looks like there's a similar feeling you're going to experience in the open-top version of the two-door version of the E-Class.
2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet
Like the coupe version, the all-new E-Class Cabriolet from Mercedes-Benz is all about cruising in a different approach for those who want to savor the moment when it comes to their weekend drives and because it offers the same choice of engines as the coupe version as well as the 9G-TRONIC gearbox, especially the the more powerful 3.0L V6 biturbo engine equipped with ECO Start/Stop on the E400, there's no telling how do you live with the open-top variant that is crisper to drive as the coupe version, even though it weighs more due to stiffer bodyshell structures for health and safety.
With the AIR BODY CONTROL multi-chamber air suspension, the E-Class Cabriolet can accommodate just about everything while driving such as raising the body when going over speed humps or lowering it if you are feeling ballsy through the corners. Whichever way you're going, you'd be sure that the Cabriolet isn't the most fun car to drive but the most civilized way of having a relaxing getaway from the city.
As a convertible, the E-Class Cabriolet features exclusive features such as the available AIRCAP electric draught-stop system, the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system, a specially-developed climate control, and a MAGIC VISION CONTROL that works well on the Cabriolet even when cruising on the rainy weather. All is nice but while it features the same safety tech as most of the E-Class variants, feels like the Cabriolet wants to do the talking for the driver for the time being and that sounds a bit average, especially when you look at the price tag that the Cabriolet starts at 54,228 Euros.
Yes, that car maybe nice to drive on the open roads but it can be somewhat average for the car enthusiast in you and because it's getting cold outside, cars like these would be pointless to take it out for a drive so instead of taking this cabriolet on the road in case the weather's gone windy, rainy, or chilly, perhaps you should go for one of these...
2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 Estate
This is the new Mercedes-AMG E63 Estate and with prices start at 112,907 Euros, it can be as pricey as supercars but this isn't a supercar, it's a balls-out station wagon that offers the same thrills as the saloon but with some added boot space for some stuff you bought in a middle of Boxing Day.
It maybe made for Boxing Day shopping but since this is the AMG, you can expect the same 4.0L V8 BiTurbo engine where in the S version produces 612PS of power and 850Nm of torque while mated to a nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT. It maybe limited to 250kph but for an additional cost, the limit can be raised to 290kph, which is ten less than the saloon version. I wonder why...
Still, even though it's a tad slower than the saloon, this is as enjoyable as the Ford Focus RS because 4MATIC+ four-wheel drive system with the fully variable torque distribution that makes it behave like two cars; either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive when needed most. Along with the three-chamber air suspension system, rear differential lock, AMG Sport speed-sensitive steering, and the AMG high-performance braking system, this all-weather AMG estate handles like a double-edged sword. It may not be perfect as it feels but all that AMG action pays off to create a super wagon that can outlast a parent-teacher conference or two.
As said, the E-Class Cabriolet is not an exciting car to drive but fit enough to relax a city dweller on a long drive but if you are brave enough to take on everything, you would go for the E63 Estate and with all that power and dynamics, this sounds like a hearty challenge brave enough for you to take on.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has paid a surprise visit to Pohang, which was hit by a M5.4 earthquake last week.
He starting off by visiting a local high school and then met a group of high-school seniors who took the earthquake-delayed college entrance exam on Thursday.
President Moon also visited one of the local gymnasiums where thousands of people displaced from their homes have been staying since last week.
Meanwhile, the United States is planning to deploy six F22 Raptor fighter jets to South Korea next month to take part of a joint military drill. This comes just a day after the US government redesignated North Korea on the list of states supporting terrorism.
According to Seoul's defense ministry officials, these jets will take part in a SoKor-US air force exercise in December. They will fly to the Korean Peninsula from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and may also be joined by up to four F-35A fighter jets.
It would mark the first time the US has deployed six Raptors to Korea at once and is sure to put pressure on North Korea.
- Activist groups slammed President Rodrigo Duterte as a tyrant for ending peace talks with communist rebels and for threatening to arrest “legal fronts” as terrorists.
- The National Bureau of Investigation has been tasked with investigating malversation allegations against former president Benigno Aquino III over budget scandals during his administration. The Department of Justice has ordered the NBI to form a special task force to investigate the alleged anomalies in the Disbursement Acceleration Program and the Priority Development Assistance Fund.
- The search has ended for three sailors missing in the Philippine Sea since a US Navy aircraft crashed on Wednesday, according to the Navy. The C-2A "Greyhound" transport aircraft was traveling to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier when it crashed. Eight people were rescued quickly and are in good condition, but Japanese and U.S. ships and aircraft had continued searching for the others.
- DREAMers staged protests in the route used for this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, opposing US President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant policies.
- Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement covering the return of Rohingya Muslims who fled across their mutual border to escape violence in the Rakhine state.
- Nissan's Infiniti brand has unveiled the next-generation QX50 crossover featuring the first-ever Variable Compression Turbo Engine.
2019 Infiniti QX50
- Watch Top Gear presenter Chris Harris takes his pick for the top seven contenders vying for the Performance Car of the Year 2017 title.
- The cast and crew of Cartoon Network's hit TV series, Adventure Time, bids farewell to the show with a blow-out wrap part held at the Boulevard3 club in Hollywood. Cast and crew from throughout the years of production were invited to a grand Adventure Time-themed event that included a DJ booth shaped like Finn and Jake’s tree fort, a candy room, and ice sculptures.
- Check out the teaser trailer for the upcoming animated film, Smallfoot.
Last summer, Disney and Pixar gave us their fast-and-furious third installment of Cars and it shows that if you want to get back to the top, you need to stay motivated. It was quite a dramatic installment, isn't it? Now, Disney and Pixar are back for Thanksgiving to give us a heartwarming take on a Hispanic folklore that will captivate the hearts of many moviegoers.
Disney-Pixar's Coco
This is Coco and this is one of the most heart-warming family movies to watch in the holiday season. It's about a young boy named Miguel who wants to be just like a famed musician named Ernesto de la Cruz even though his family prohibits music for ages. Searching for his true potential, Miguel ended up on the Land of the Dead and in his supernatural journey, he encounters a trickster named Hector and they set off in an adventure of a lifetime to uncover his family's hidden past.
In typical Disney and Pixar fashion, Coco never fails to impress the cinema goers with the unique theme focuses on the Hispanic tradition of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, the colorful backdrop courtesy of its master stroke of animation expertise, the characters that will soon become memorable for the whole family to remember, and the morale that touches the hearts of many. Of course, being new in the list of Disney-Pixar roster, it's difficult to get accustomed to this new kind of family movie because at first, we are getting unfamiliar with how the film progresses but the more we starting to realize, the more we starting to get used to this new Disney-Pixar movie and in the end, it's a story worth sharing for the whole family.
Yes, unfamiliarity is the least of the problem but there's the biggest problem for all, impatient ones. Right before Coco starts like pretty much every Disney-Pixar film in theaters, there's a short film and for this, we get to see Olaf's Frozen Adventure short first before Coco and right after the short, your cinema meal's all out before the movie start and you don't have much time to watch the whole movie, even when your inevitable CR break kicks in. Despite that, Coco is a very interesting family movie to watch in the holiday season because as the theme suggests, it has that "remember me" feeling you and the whole family would enjoy.
