Bokura no Hashittekita Michi wa.../Next SPARKLING!!

Enjoyed the Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow? Here comes the first of the three singles inspired from the film that will make you reminisce the musical parts of the film.

Bokura no Hashittekita Michi wa.../
Next SPARKLING!!

The first of the three singles from the film features the first two songs as heard from Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow. The first one is titled Bokura no Hashittekita Michi wa... and the second one is titled Next SPARKLING!! The Aqours heroes performed these two songs in the film and here's your change to listen into these new songs at the comfort of your own home. Oh, and they are popping up at the School Idol Festival app game anytime soon so watch for it.

For limited quantities, those who bought this will have a chance to score a ticket for the first day of the upcoming Aqours 5th LoveLive! concert happening this June.

Stay tuned for the next two singles inspired from Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow.

TRACK LISTINGS:

01. 僕らの走ってきた道は…

02. Next SPARKLING!!

03. 僕らの走ってきた道は…(Off Vocal)

04. Next SPARKLING!!(Off Vocal)

Hyundai IONIQ (2020 minor change)

Since two years ago, Hyundai launched the IONIQ as a response to the Toyota Prius and while it wasn't as efficient as its chief rival, this hybrid does all the things the Prius can't and that is behaving like a normal car. With the latest minor change, there's more work to do for Hyundai's dedicated eco car for the masses.

2020 Hyundai IONIQ

2020 Hyundai IONIQ interior

Available in hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid versions, the facelifted Hyundai IONIQ has made it even more clever than the previous model. With a new grille, new LED lights, and new wheels, the revised exterior design really means business and on the inside, the dashboard's revised with a new touchscreen (in 8-inch display audio or 10.25-inch navigation guise) and a new climate control. That's pretty much it for the new interior, which is still as comfortable as the old model and sustainable as well thanks to extensive use of sustainable materials.

The fuel efficiency remains the same for these models. The hybrid model with its Kappa 1.6L GDi engine connected to a 32kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery, mated to its double clutch gearbox, delivers a combined fuel efficiency of 22.4km/L while the Plug-in with its Kappa 1.6L GDi engine connected to a 44.5kW electric motor and a 6-speed Double Clutch Gearbox promises a combined rate of 20.5km/L. Nothing's changed of course but these models are getting a new mode that switches these IONIQ models into electric-only mode when driving into designated low-emission zones. It works well on city centers but sounds above average if you ask them.

For the sake of cleverness, the facelifted IONIQ's been offered with a wide range of tech such as regenerative braking, optional one-pedal operation, Hyundai SmartSense safety features, and many others.

The Hyundai IONIQ minor change starts at 24,680,000 Won while the IONIQ Plug-in minor change starts at 28,940,000 Korean Won.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: N. Korea, U.S. end working-level talks in Sweden to prepare for second Kim-Trump summit

Senior officials from North Korea and the United States ended their three-day working-level talks in Sweden to prepare for the second summit between their leaders.

U.S. Special Representative Stephen Biegun left the convention Monday morning local time.

Arriving at a hotel in the Swedish capital,Biegun said he had a nice meeting with his counterpart.

Later in the day, a vehicle carrying North Korea's vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui also left the venue.

South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon also took part in the three-way talks to seek a breakthrough on denuclearization.

As the delegations of the three countries are scheduled to leave Sweden on Tuesday, there is also the possibility of them sitting down for additional talks in Stockholm.



A U.S. think tank has unveiled a North Korean missile base that it says has yet to be declared by the regime.

According to Beyond Parallel, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, the Sino-ri missile operating base,some 210 kilometers north of the Demilitarized Zone, is one of the oldest of the 20 or so such bases undeclared by North Korea.

The report says the base houses a regiment-sized unit,equipped with Nodong-1 medium-range ballistic missiles, and could have also played a role in developing the KN-15 ballistic missile that was first tested in early 2017.




Following a closed-door meeting with lawmakers on Monday,South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha revealed Seoul and Washington profoundly disagree over defense cost sharing.

Kang's remarks to reporters came after she had phone talks with her American counterpart Mike Pompeo earlier in the day.

Kang said Seoul will exert all its efforts to reach a deal that is affordable, rational and convincing to the National Assembly and the South Korean people.



South Korea's defense ministry has once again urged Japan to accept a scientific and objective process to verify the facts in the two side's recent military dispute.

This comes after Tokyo released audio files Monday that it claims to prove a Japanese patrol aircraft was targeted by a South Korean warship in the East Sea.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (January 22, 2019)

- Voters in the 5 provinces comprising the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as well as in the cities of Cotabato and Isabela, trooped to polling precincts yesterday for the plebiscite of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. A total of 2.8 million registered for the Bangsamoro plebiscite, with 2.17 million in the provinces and cities covered by the January 21 polls. If the "yes" vote wins, then a second plebiscite will be conducted in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato, where more than 600,000 voters registered to decide whether parts of their provinces will be included in the BARMM.

- UNICEF Philippines denounced the Congress' approval of lowering the age of criminal liability to nine. The organization said lowering the age of criminal responsibly does not address the root causes of why children commit crimes: “poverty, lack of parenting support programs, access to education, and other social services.”

- The Senate Committee on Public Services is set to continue its inquiry on the entry and selection of a third telecommunications player in the Philippines on Thursday, January 24.

- US President Donald Trump made a sudden visit to the MLK Memorial and then left after two minutes.

- An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck south of the Indonesian town of Raba, off the central island of Sumbawa.

- Venezuela plunged deeper into turmoil as security forces put down a pre-dawn uprising by national guardsmen that triggered violent street protests, and the Supreme Court moved to undercut the opposition-controlled congress’ defiant new leadership.

- Russia and Japan’s leaders meet for talks in Moscow over the disputed island chain that has long prevented a peace treaty to end World War II. But recent rhetoric has dampened hopes of a breakthrough. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit marks the 25th time he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met since 2013, a reflection of their efforts to build cooperation despite their disagreement over the Kuril islands.

- The boyfriend of Japan’s Princess Mako, the eldest granddaughter of soon-to-be-abdicted Emperor Akihito, insisted his family had no financial difficulties hanging over them, after reports of a unpaid loan apparently forced a postponement to a fairytale wedding between the two college sweethearts.

- ICYMI: 7-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores will not sell adult magazines.

- A movie adaptation of Nancy Drew is happening and they've tapped Sophia Lillis to play the main character.

- Gillian Anderson will play the role of former British PM Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of the Netflix original series, The Crown.

- Ruru Madrid denies he and Bianca Umali are in a relationship.

- Motoring journalist James Deakin breaks silence about being victim of paid attack on Facebook.

- Pixar's upcoming animated short, titled Float, will feature Filipino CGI characters for the first time.

TTFN!!!

20 years of Smash Bros.

The Nintendo all-star fighting game, Dairantou Smash Brothers (Super Smash Bros.) is now on its 20th anniversary this year and from the first game on the Nintendo 64 all the way to the latest installment on the Nintendo Switch, the battle of the best video game characters in the world of Nintendo keeps on "smashing" and in honor of the Smash Bros.' 20th anniversary, let's slow things down and have a quick history that deserves to be, you guessed it, SMASHED!

The first Smash Bros. game was launched in January 21st, 1999, for the Nintendo 64 and what better way for Nintendo to pave themselves to the 21st century than bringing all of their favorite Nintendo characters and have up to four players to see who's the best. The first playable characters include Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Samus Aran, Link, Fox, Yoshi, and Pikachu but as players progress, they can unlock characters such as F-ZERO's Captain Falcon, Pokemon's Jigglypuff, Luigi, and Ness from the MOTHER games. That's Earthbound to some.

Moving to the age of the Nintendo GameCube, the doors of Smash Bros. are opened once again for their second installment called Dairantou Smash Brothers DX (Super Smash Bros. Melee). With returning faves such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and Pikachu, as well as fresh additions such as Peach, Bowser (Koopa), Zelda, and many others, playable or unlockable alike, this installment keeps amusing players apart from their traditional battle royale matches. There is the Home-Run challenge, the Coin challenge, Tournament, and many other additional modes that will keep players smashing for more.

Onto the Wii era, the Nintendo all-star game grows through new heights with Dairantou Smash Brothers X (Super Smash Bros. Brawl). Launched in January 31st, 2008, the third installment welcomes explosive additions to the roster, including Solid Snake! In this installment, players can take on the story mode called "The Subspace Emissary", where all of the characters are taking on the wrath of the Ancient Minister and the Primid army. 

Come November 2014, the Nintendo Wii U and the 3DS are about to be "smashed" with the newest Smash Bros. game. Apart from new and returning characters, as well as DLC playable characters from different franchises, players can jump into the action as a Mii fighter. For Fun or For Glory, everybody's a winner in both the Wii U and 3DS versions of the Smash Bros. games and by scanning their amiibo figures to the game, there's so much to experiment with these installments. Of course, with Mario, Rock Man (Mega Man), Sonic, and Pac-Man in the fray, the battle of the best Japanese video game maker is a dream come true for all of us.

And now, last December 2018, with the Nintendo Switch now at hand, the long-awaited arrival of the the Smash Bros. game, titled Dairantou Smash Brothers SPECIAL (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) has finally smashed the world and with 20 years of playable characters at hand, with the addition of new fighters including the Splatoon inklings, Ken from Street Fighter and Incineroar from Pokemon Sun and Moon, this is the ultimate Smash Bros. installment, pause, ever smashed, and thanks to the Switch's capabilities, they can bring the action everywhere they go.

...and there you have it. A quick history lesson SMASHED and here's for 20 years of SMASHING success for the Smash Bros. franchise. For fans, by fans, the world of Smash Bros. are always open for everyone ready to show the world who's the best among the rest.

Dairantou Smash Brothers SPECIAL (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) is currently on sale for the Nintendo Switch.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea-U.S. discuss freezing the regime's nuclear assets during negotiations

Soon after the high level talks between Pyeongyang and Washington last week, the New York Times reported that the two sides had discussed freezing the North's nuclear fuel and weapons production during negotiationsciting officials from several countries briefed on the talks.

Bloomberg said preparations for Kim Jong-un and President Trump's second summit are taking place in Vietnam.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said that the February summit is likely to take place in Hanoi, the capital of the Southeast Asian country. But it also said that Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City have also been discussed as possible venues.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his expectations for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He took to Twitter Sunday to say that he looks forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at the end of February. A day earlier, Trump also said he had a (quote) "incredible" meeting with the North's nuclear envoy Kim Yong-chol on Friday in Washington.


The South Korean foreign minister and U.S. state secretary exchanged views on the recent high-level talks between Pyeongyang and Washington during a 90-minute phone call on Monday morning.
Seoul's foreign ministry said the two diplomats agreed to work closely together so that the North Korean envoy's recent visit to the U.S. can successfully lead to the implementation the Singapore joint declaration.

They also discussed their defense cost sharing, and promised to come to an agreement soon over the long overdue issue.

Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had initially planned to meet in Davos this week, but that plan got scrapped as Pompeo will not be attending the forum there.


The South Korean government has revealed it's going to decommission several coal-fired power plants over the next few years as part of efforts to counter the country's chronic issue with fine dust.
The trade ministry says ten coal plants nationwide will be closed permanently by 2022.

That's three years earlier than the previous deadline of 2025.

The government will also prevent coal plants that have been operational for more than 30 years from operating between March and June this year.

Other measures include boosting investment for environmental facilities and encouraging more energy companies to operate gas-fired power plants.


Korea's trade minister met today with representatives of the nation's exporters - the Korea International Trade Association to discuss ways to support them.

Sitting down with these represenatives of trade-related organizations and companies, Minister Sung Yun-mo promised to hold these meetings every quarter to understand what difficulties they face.
Minister Sung said the government will keep working with local exporters because they're being negatively affected by a slowdown in trade growth and in the semiconductor market.

They discussed some specific measures, such as expanding support for trade insurance provided by Korea Trade Insurance Corporation.

Source: Arirang News

Pacquiao beats Broner by unanimous decision after 12 rounds

Even though Manny Pacquiao is aged 40 years old, he proves that age is just a number for him as he still demonstrates his legendary boxing skills in a match against Adrien Broner in Las Vegas. What a way to start the New Year with the big one, huh?

Won via unanimous decision after 12 rounds, Pacquiao successfully defended his secondary welterweight world title for the first time after defeating Adrien Broner in front of the live audience at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. 

This is the first time in 26 months that the People's Champ battled on American soil following his knock-out win against Lucas Matthysse last July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Also, he teamed up with his longtime trainer Freddie Roach after a one-fight break for the Matthysse fight.

As the potential Hall of Famer, Pacquiao now has a record of 61 wins, 7 losses, two draws, and 39 KOs. What's next for the People's Champ is his guess but to his words, he's really want to take on Floyd Mayweather again soon.

URL: http://tv5.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/25807013/manny-pacquiao-defeats-adrien-broner-unanimous-decision

Congratulations, Manny Pacquiao! You still got it in the world of boxing even in your age!

#BubbleGang - January 18, 2019

On the January 18, 2019 of Bubble Gang...

- "Ini-imagine" gags

-  The different shift couple

- Emotional attachment

- The psychic

- Uncle Jak's back to solve your life problems

- The manyak in the office

- Unlucky proposals



- Sundot balita

- Pik Pik Bato!

Let's Do The News! (January 19, 2019)

- PAGASA says that the Low Pressure Area has entered the Philippines Area of Responsibility. As of 1100 hours, the LPA was estimated at 860km east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It will develop into a Tropical Depression in the next 36 hours.

- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte enjoined the people of Mindanao to stand together against the threats of terrorism as some areas in the island hold a plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on Monday.

- Senator Juan Edgardo ‘’Sonny’’ Angara, meanwhile,  called for a “peaceful and credible” plebiscite for the ratification of Republic Act 11054 (The Bangsamoro Organic Law) scheduled Monday.

- 20 people were killed and 54 were hurt in pipeline explosion in central Mexico as people were trying to fill up containers with fuel.

- Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office on issued a rare public statement disputing the accuracy of BuzzFeed News’ report that said President Donald Trump’s attorney told Mueller that the president directed him to lie to Congress.

- British Prime Minister Theresa May made no change to her demands in talks with European Union leaders despite her Brexit plan being defeated by British lawmakers earlier this week, according to reports.

- Despite Carlos Ghosn's alleged financial wrongdoings, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance continues. Recently, Ghosn received 7.82 millions euros in improper payments based on Nissan-Mitsubishi investigation, according to reports.

- Reports told that the former NGT48 manager has now been transfered to the Tokyo office of talent agency AKS.

TTFN!!!

The Grand Tour S3E01

The Grand Tour S3E01

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May (as well as residential driver Abbie Eaton) ring in the New Year with the return of the hit Prime Video original TV series, The Grand Tour, where incredible cars and questionable behavior jammed through this hit motoring show.

The third season kicks off to Detroit, Michigan, the once legendary Motor City which is now a shadow of its former self, and this episode is about three souped-up muscle cars making some noise in the Detroit wastelands. Jeremy Clarkson drives an RTR Mustang Spec 3 while Richard Hammond drives the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and James May drives the thousand horsepower Camaro ZL1-based Exorcist by Hennessey Performance.

Throughout their muscle car journey in Detroit, we watched Clarkson drag racing May several times until the orangutan bows to the might of the Exorcist. After escaping through the city center, they went to the abandoned car factory and turned it into a makeshift track to make use of their muscle car's handling, whereas the Demon failed to shine. Then, the episode ends with a one-on-one drag race on a deserted runway between Hammond's Demon (which was rebuilt for this purpose after several hours) and May's Exorcist.

During the episode, Jeremy Clarkson tries out McLaren's brand new hypercar, the Senna, round Thruxton. When handed to the show's resident driver, it became the fastest car to lap round the Eboladrome in 1:12.9. What a way to start the new season with this!

Believe it or not, the "Motown Funk" episode is now playable on The Grand Tour Game. Experience the season opener in your PS4 or Xbox One right now!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: N. Korea's top nuclear negotiator Kim Yong-chol en route to Washington

North Korea's top nuclear negotiator is now in Washington, carrying a letter from the regime's leader.

At the same time, the North's vice foreign minister is in Europe.

The North Korean leader's right-hand man was spotted arriving in Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

He caught a plane bound for Washington in the evening and is set to land there on Thursday evening, local time.

Kim will stay overnight in Washington – the first such case for a North Korean official since 2000 – and meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.

It is likely that he will meet President Trump too, as according to CNN, he is carrying Kim Jong-un's letter to Trump – a reply to Trump's letter that was delivered last weekend.

This comes as North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has arrived in Sweden.

She previously told reporters she was attending an international conference in the Scandinavian country.

But as she's North Korea's U.S. expert
and one of the key figures related to the nuclear negotiations, observers say she could meet U.S. officials in Stockholm.

The Washington Post reports if the high-level talks go well between Kim Yong-chol and Mike Pompeo, U.S. officials are expecting Choe Son-hui and U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun to meet for the first time in Sweden.

It added that the time and location of the second North Korea-U.S. summit could be announced as soon as Friday, and it says the summit is likely to be held in the Vietnamese city of Da Nang in March or April.

Asked if the State Department had plans to announce any meetings involving the visiting official, a spokesperson said there were no meetings to announce.




On the day North Korea's Kim Yong-chol is set to arrive in Washington, the latest U.S. missile defense strategy report
has labeled the regime an ongoing and dangerous threat.

Unveiled by President Trump at the Pentagon on Thursday, he did not mention the North Korea missile threat in his remarks, but the Missile Defense Review calls on the U.S. to "remain vigilant" as North Korea "continues to pose an extraordinary threat."

The document also calls for reviewing the possibility of space-based sensors and missile interceptors.




It was reported that South Korea's intelligence chief Suh Hoon visited Washington last week, ahead of this Friday's talks between North Korea and the U.S.

Diplomatic sources familiar with the matter said that the director of Seoul's National Intelligence Service visited the U.S. capital Sunday last week and met with CIA chief Gina Haspel.

No other information was provided about what was discussed.

Let's Do The News! (January 18, 2019)

- PAGASA warned the public of possible flash floods and landslides as a potential storm brewing east of Mindanao will bring heavy rains over most part of the country once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday. In the latest weather update of PAGASA, the LPA, which is about to become a tropical depression locally named Amang, was spotted 1,390 east of Surigao Del Sur and is expected to enter the country on Saturday.

- Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana expressed the belief that the Philippines must continue to act prudently, deftly balancing competing powers, enhancing partnerships, and pursuing independently its national interest, to “shape a future where we are stable, secure and prosperous.”

- At least one platoon from the Armed Forces of the Philippines has been deployed in each port in the country to assist the Bureau of Customs in its operations, according to Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

- Recent contract negotiations began between Los Angeles school district officials and a teachers union as thousands of educators picketed in the rain. The announcement that the two sides would sit down for the first time in nearly a week didn’t indicate whether any new contract offers would be on the table.

- US President Donald Trump says his country will fully support NATO but repeated his insistence that other members pay more for their own security.

- Almost a thousand Central American migrants entered southern Mexico in a test of the new government’s pledge to manage an ongoing exodus fueled by violence and poverty that has strained relations with the Trump administration.

- Ten people died and dozens others injured in a car bombing in Colombia's capital. The bombing incident occurred outside a police academy in southern Bogota. The suspect identified as 57-year-old driver who also died in the blast. His car was believed to be carrying 80 kilograms of the powerful explosive pentolite.

- Igor Fraga is named the winner of the McLaren Shadow Project and earned a sport on the carmaker's official esport development program.

- Your first look at Argonavis' first music video coming on their debut single this February 20.

- Comedian Steve Carell reunites with The Office co-creator Greg Daniels for a new sitcom titled Space Force.

- TV presenter Willie Revillame now owns a beach resort in Puerto Galera.

- Marian Rivera takes a break from her showbiz career after giving birth to a baby boy.

TTFN!!!