Remembering 2017: Top 10 sports topics

2017 has been quite a great year in the world of sports. Whether if its behind the wheel, in the ring, or in the octagon, every moment in the world of sports has been a story for the spectators and in this year in review, time to jot down the best ten moments in the world of sports.

1) Cleveland vs. Golden State Part III - For the first time in NBA history, there has been a three-peat between two of the best basketball teams in history; the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. 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. In Game 5, Warriors finished the match against the Cavaliers at the final score of 129-120.

2) Lewis Hamilton is F1 2017 World Champion - The F1 2017 season...how to sum this 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.

3) Astros win World Series - The Houston Astros won their first-ever World Series title after defeating the LA Dodgers at the tie-breaking Game 7 at the score of 5-1.

4) #TakeAKneel - Players, coaches, and owners across the NFL condemned US President Donald Trump's call to fire the players who kneel during the national anthem.

5) Brgy. Ginebra vs. Meralco - The battle between Barangay Ginebra and the Meralco Bolts in the 2017 PBA Governor's Cup finals lasted for about seven games and because each team scored three wins, this final game held at the Philippine Arena became the ultimate decider to see which team will claim the title once and for all. In the finale jam-packed full of crowds in the world's largest indoor arena, this battle became one of the greatest moments in PBA history as Brgy. Ginebra trumped Meralco at the score of 101-96, more than enough to clench their first-ever back-to-back title.

6) San Miguel Beermen wins the PBA Perpetual Trophy - The fifth game of the PBA All-Filipino Conference finals is a do-or-die match between two of the most formidable teams in history; the San Miguel Beermen and the Barangay Ginebra. After five games, the San Miguel Beermen made history after defeating the Barangay Ginebra at the score of 91-85. The team's MVP, Arwind Santos, scored 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks, despite performing less than what Brgy. Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar did.

7) Patriots win SB51 - The 51st Super Bowl match held at nrg stadium on Houston, Texas, became one of the most thrilling Super Bowl matches in history as the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots size each other up in the biggest American football event in history. No Super Bowl match has ever triggered an overtime until now. In the first overtime in Super Bowl history, the Patriots required one touchdown to win the Super Bowl...and they did. At the final score of 34-28 post-overtime, the Patriots done the biggest comeback in the season.

8) Six Nations 2017 - Despite defeat and the end of their long winning streak, the winner of the 2017 RBS 6 Nations Championship is the England Rugby and they are the first team to win back-to-back Grand Slams since the FIR Italia joined 17 years ago.

9) Mayweather vs. McGregor - A boxer against an MMA fighter, quite an unlikely match to see this coming but it happened as the undefeated boxing superstar, Floyd Mayweather Jr., engaged on a so-called dream match against a UFC mixed martial arts titan Conor McGregor in a controversial match in Las Vegas. This is the first time the MMA fighter entered the boxing scene as McGregor had high hopes that his strength will bring Mayweather down to his knees but he didn't as the tenth round blow put an end to McGregor's, forcing the MMA giant to forfeit. By winning this match, Floyd Mayweather Jr,'s undefeated record is now up to 50 straight wins, surpassing the record set by the legendary Rocky Marciano for most wins without a loss or draw.

10) Battle of Brisbane - This is the first time the world champion, Manny Pacquiao, started a fight not in a North American venue but somewhere in the Asia-Pacific, specifically at an outdoor stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where he faced off against a rising homegrown star and Olympian Jeff "The Hornet" Horn. In an unexpected turn of events, despite Pacquiao dominated the scoreboards, the winner of the unanimous decision goes to Australia's Jeff Horn. Following Jeff Horn's controversial win, looks like the whole public went on an outcry saying that Horn "robbed" the match from Pacquiao while some call it the boxing equivalent of last year's US Presidential Elections...minus the hacking part.

That's it for sports, join me next time for more on this year in review.

Man behind Mazda's rotary engine passed away

A brief moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen, for the passing of another one of automotive legends. Car enthusiasts may not know about him but he was responsible for introducing the rotary engine to Mazda but more than that, he is the man who kept Mazda afloat in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Kenichi Yamamoto passed away at the age of 95, according to reports a few days ago. Yamamoto worked at Toyo Kogyo, one of the companies that survived in the wake of the Second World War, to support his family following the tragic bombing of Hiroshima that destroyed his home and lost a part of his family. Since then, he worked hard until he became in charge to produce a new engine for a three-wheeled truck that will sold under the Mazda brand in 1960.

Yamamoto got involved with a collaboration with Germany's NSU to produce a rotary engine that persuaded Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry that they are a proper carmaker rather than being a domestic vehicle producer. Following the success of the rotary engine, Yamamoto climbed through the ranks until he became the president of the whole car company from 1985 to 1992.

It's a sad day for rotary engine enthusiasts, even though 2017 is meant to be the year of the rotary engine, but despite his passing, his legacy will not go in vain as well as the rotary engine that sparked life to the Hiroshima-based car company and pretty soon, the rotary engine will be revived in unexpected ways.

URL: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1114475_father-of-mazdas-rotary-engine-has-passed-away

Let's Do The News! (December 28, 2017)

- A safety officer became the 38th casualty of last weekend's NCCC Mall fire in Davao City, who sacrificed his life rescuing call center agents.

- Some fireworks like sparklers, "fountains", and other pyrotechnics are still allowed at households to ring in the new year as the Philippine Fireworks Association clarifying misconceptions in the interpretation of the provisions of Executive Order 28 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte to regulate the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnics.

- About 23,755 families are spending the New Year at evacuation centers after losing their homes to widespread flooding and landslides spawned by Tropical Storm Vinta.

- Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan slammed Syrian President Bashar Assad as "terrorist." Speaking at a joint news conference with Tunisian leader Beji Caid Essebsi, Erdogan called Assad a "terrorist who engaged in state terrorism" and should not be part of Syria's post-conflict future.

- Israel's transport minister is pushing ahead with a plan to dig a railway tunnel under Jerusalem's Old City, passing near sites holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims - and ending at the Western Wall with a station named after US President Donald Trump.

- Circus acrobats performed for Pope Francis during his weekly audience, in what has become a regular feature of the Vatican holiday season.

- With the M-Sport Rally Team dominated the 2017 World Rally Championship, Ford has announced its return for the 2018 season. With factory involvement, the team will be known once again as M-Sport Ford World Rally Team.

- In an event of a failed Emirates deal, Airbus might cease production of the A380 superjumbo jet.

- Amid protests from fans of the hit TV anime, Kemono Friends, the series producer confirms that animation studio Yaoyorozu will not return for a new series.

- The people behind Love Live! School Idol Project warned the public that bad fan behavior could lead to cancelled events following a December 22 event at Akihabara UDX where attendees complained that a raucous group were waving large light-up sticks, jumping, and screaming.

TTFN!!!

Opel/Vauxhall Grandland X vs. Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

With Opel and Vauxhall now under French hands, looks like the change is slowly coming to their lineup and in a few years' time, most of the future models are now pinned with Groupe PSA platforms as demonstrated by the 2008-based Crossland X crossover, which replaced the Meriva MPV, and now this; Opel and Vauxhall's leader of the crossover pack known as the Grandland X.

2018 Opel Grandland X

2018 Vauxhall Grandland X

It's fair to say that by calling the Grandland X the leader of the crossover pack, this newest entry is part of the biggest change in Opel and Vauxhall's history under Groupe PSA's grasp and like we observed on its smaller Crossland X, which is based on the Peugeot 2008, this new Grandland X uses the latest Peugeot 3008 SUV as its basis and the weird thing is that because it's French underneath, it's coincidentally made in France, which is okay because this is the Euro way to do.

2018 Opel Grandland X interior

2018 Vauxhall Grandland X interior

Starting on the design, the Grandland X looks very fluidic and very dynamic from top to bottom and while some call it sexy, others call it clever and this crossover takes it as a supreme compliment because every angle is a story to tell for the owners who experienced it first hand. On the interior, meanwhile, it's surprisingly spacious, comfortable, and very roomy indeed for your everyday activities, even trips to the grocery shopping. While everything seems nice to look at or toy at because of the seats, the dashboard, the sat-nav with smartphone connectivity, and everything you can expect in an ideal crossover, a fair warning to picky passengers is that the crossover can seat up to five people. Yep, five people and better pray that there shouldn't be another baby coming out because if that happened, the second-row seats are becoming a baby territory and you have nowhere else to seat to except in the middle. So, five seats is a bad mark for a family car but for joyriding use with your mates, it's not half bad.

Under the hood, the Grandland X is powered by a choice of three available engines with the most powerful being the 2.0L diesel engine producing 177PS of power and 400Nm of torque. The lesser engines can be mated with either a 6-speed AT or MT but the 2.0L diesel variant is mated exclusively with an 8-speed AT and as a result, it does 0-100kph in 9.1 seconds and onwards to 214kph. Your Japanese crossover can't do that, you know, so the Grandland X wins but doesn't celebrate just yet because, for a couple of years, the Grandland X may become a useless roadside little because Europe's gone nuts over banning cars with internal combustion engines for the next decades or so.

Performance aside, since it runs on Peugeot 3008 genes, the Grandland X behaves pretty much like it was based on, meaning it's typical French on the dynamics. It can be downright wonky or can be downright dull but it's surprisingly decent for a midsize crossover of that magnitude and I think they're really onto something here.

The Grandland X starts at 23,700 Euros (22,310 GBP) and that makes it one of the most competitively priced midsize crossovers on the market today while some call it a worthy alternative to those Japanese midsize crossovers, others call it a fair share because while the crossover is now French to the core, it's hard to accept the Grandland X for how it's made and also, the seats are the big issue here. Clearly, for a wildcard, perhaps here's an ideal alternative to the Grandland X for those picky passengers...sort of...

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace interior

Crossover aficionados will be familiar to them as the Volkswagen Tiguan but it looks rather different from the Tiguan we are familiar with because this is the long-wheelbase seven-seater version dubbed the Allspace. As Volkswagen's answer to the most demanding families wanting more seats for their loved ones, even kids, the Allspace stretches the normal Tiguan by 110mm in wheelbase and 226mm in length.

The added length and wheelbase make the Allspace capable of putting third-row seats in the back so picky passengers can seat here in case the second-row seats become a territory for child seats. However, while the addition of third-row seats sounds nice, there's a problem; it's kinda squishy to get in and out off and that sounds like a bad mark for heavyweight apes like me. Another problem here is the pricing as the Allspace starts at 29,975 Euros, which is more expensive than the Grandland X but still, I rather want to spend it on this crossover that has some extra seat for me at the back in case babies took over the second-row seats, no matter how squishy the seats are.

The Tiguan Allspace is powered by a choice of 1.4 TSi and 2.0L TDi engines, both producing 150PS of power output, and mated with either a 6-speed MT or an 8-speed DSG. It's hard to say that both engines produce the same amount of power but for food for thought, the front-wheel drive 2.0L TDi variant with the 6-speed MT is the fuel efficiency of the Allspace range with combined fuel consumption of 5L/100km, which sounds like it wants to go for more trips but the wisest of the wise shouldn't count on such numbers because how fuel efficient the Allspace is is up to them. Besides, despite being longer, it behaves much like the normal Tiguan is. Not very exciting but very decent indeed for a crossover.

So, which would you rather pick? The Grandland X for its value for money but only seats up to five people or the Allspace that has extra seats for picky passengers like me but costs more?

Photo: Opel/Vauxhall/Volkswagen

Remembering 2017: Top 10 motoring topics

The year 2017 has been quite a pivotal year in the motoring industry as Europe's making headlines over the topic of outlawing the sale of petrol and diesel due to their commitment to the Paris Accords. It's also a year when some of the most noteworthy racers in history are retiring from their posts, a winning manufacturer announces their departure from a popular endurance race in favor of an electric car race series, there's so much you can think about how the world of motoring change throughout the course of this year.

In this yearender, time for me to jot down the top ten bits that changed the way we think about cars in 2017.

1) Australia ended car manufacturing - Ford was the first to produce an Australian-made car but General Motors Holden became the last to produce an Australian-made car as the last Commodore rolled off the assembly line in Elizabeth, signalling the end of Holden's almost seven decades of local manufacturing and almost a century of Australian car manufacturing. Since the FX of 1948, about 7,687,675 Holdens were produced within the last 69 years, that's more than Ford's 5.9 million production figures and Toyota's 3.4 million, both of which closed their Australian factories within the past year.

2) The new king of the Nurburgring - The all new Porsche 911 GT2 RS (991.2) became the fastest production car to lap the dreaded Nurburgring Nordschleife in 6:47.25, faster than the Lamborghini Huracan Performante. For now, this is the fastest lap time to blitz the Ring. Let's see what happens next when Chevrolet tries to outdo it with their upcoming Corvette C7 ZR1 next year. All bets are off, ladies and gentlemen.

3) 70 years of Ferrari - 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of Ferrari and they've celebrated the occasion with the launch of their latest vehicles, the 812 Superfast and the Portofino.

4) Scandals plaguing Japanese car manufacturing - Japan is plagued with a tsunami of scandals surrounding the manufacturing sector. Since the Kobe Steel scandal, a handful of car manufacturers like Nissan and Subaru admitted themselves to the public due to manufacturing malpractices like for example, inspection purposes because there are some people doing inspection work slipped themselves by tampering the seals before rolling off the assembly line.

5) #Appreci88ion - The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR series is the last NASCAR season for veteran driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he announced to the public that he will retire from this sport for good. Following his announcement, most of his sponsors are paying tribute to the #88. Other than Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch is not signing up for next year's season while Matt Kenseth announces he will step away from this sport indefinitely. Danica Patrick, the only female driver in NASCAR, sadly announced her departure from being a full-time driver but she will drive for next year's Daytona 500.

6) Porsche leaves Le Mans - After their three-time victory at Le Mans, Porsche announced that they will step down from their LMP1 duties in the World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Heures du Mans endurance race, to pursue their entry in the FIA Formula E, leaving Toyota as the sole manufacturer competing in next year while dealing with privateers who are upped their ranks to compete the only ronin of the category.

7) Koenigsegg claims top speed record - Koenigsegg has smashed the top speed record for production cars when the Agera RS set a verified top speed of 277.9mph or 447kph, Faster than the Veyron Super Sport's 267.81mph and Hennessey Venom GT's 270.49mph record (although unverified). That was impressive for a small Swedish supercar maker but the battle rages on because Hennessey just unleashed the Venom F5 and its mission is to claim the Agera RS's top speed record soon.

8) Women now allowed the drive in Saudi - In a historic move, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia finally allowed women to drive on their roads, a move welcomed by feminist groups.

9) Trouble before GT - There has been some trouble happening before season two of Amazon's The Grand Tour is out. First, Richard Hammond was involved in set-related injuries such as the bike accident in the upcoming special and he was involved in a car accident in Switzerland while driving the Rimac electric supercar as seen in the first episode of this season. Then, following Hammond's accident, Jeremy Clarkson suffered pneumonia while on a holiday at Ibiza. Thankfully, both of the presenters are okay and the second series of Amazon's The Grand Tour goes on as planned.

10) Banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars - Because of some of the Europe's commitment to the Paris Accords, the one the United States has withdrawn from due to the Trump administration, a handful of European countries are banning the sale of petrol and diesel engines in favor of electrification. France, Britain, Norway, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Holland, Ireland, and Portugal are among the European countries banning the sale of petrol or diesel engines in the coming decades and it's not just Europe, some countries like South Korea, Japan, and India are among the countries proposing the ban on internal combustion.

That's it for the motoring bits, join me next time for more on this year in review.

Let's Do The News! (December 27, 2017)

- The Department of Foreign Affairs denied reports that the Philippines is in talks with Israel to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

- Former Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon was now named by President Rodrigo Duterte the new deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense.

- Following the NCCC Mall fire last weekend, the Department of Labor and Employment is urged to enforce stricter labor inspection as demanded by the group of workers in the Business Process Outsourcing industry.

- UK's Royal Navy has escorted one of Russia's warships through the North Sea near UK waters, according to officials, despite increasing tensions between the two nations. The HMS St. Albans with 190 sailors on board was used to escort the Russian Admiral Gorshkov frigate on Monday through what British officials called "areas of national interest" on Christmas Day.

- Rebel fighters and opposition groups in Syria rejected Russia's proposed peace talks, accusing Moscow of failing to pressure its ally, President Bashar Assad, to end the conflict. In a series of statements, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syria's most prominent, as well as political opposition umbrella groups, said the talks expected next month are an attempt to "circumvent" the UN-led process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.

-A certain French children's magazine has been pulled out from newsstands after it admitted a "mistake" in writing that Israel wasn't a "real country."

- Toyota will display the Crown Modellista at next month's Tokyo Auto Salon, based on the Crown Concept as seen on the Tokyo Motor Show.



- Construction for BMW's new proving ground in Czech Republic is underway and it will be completed within the next decade.

TTFN!!!

Remembering 2017: Top 10 games

The year 2017 has been known to video game geeks as the year of the Switch because with the advent of the Nintendo Switch, the whole world's gone trending over the brand new console that allows everyone to play it at home or anywhere. It's been dominating over social media recently but the competition for high-end gaming consoles is still raging because with the advent of 4K and VR gaming, there's no telling which one will prevail whether the VR capability of the PS4 line of hardware of the powerful 4K gaming provided by the brand new XBOX One X.

In this year in review, let's time to list down the best ten video games of 2017.

1) Super Mario Odyssey - One of the most anticipated games on the recently launched Nintendo Switch, this new installment delivers a new spin on the classic adventure as Mario uses Cappy's newfound powers to control different creatures and objects. This game reminds us of Kirby in so many ways.

2) Forza Motorsport 7 - The Forza franchise ushers in the age of 4K gaming with the advent of their biggest installment to date. Forza 7 features returning tracks such as Suzuka and Maple Valley, a huge roster of cars bearing the most Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini models to date, intense multiplayer gameplay, and a revamped career mode that will test the mettle to become the ultimate Forza driver.

3) Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - British-based developer Ninja Theory became bullish about the creation of an independent AAA game that will deliver a new kind of gaming experience with Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. From its breathtaking visuals, impressive mo-cap, unbiased storyline, and everything that sets the standards to video games, no wonder Hellblade scored a lot of awards and accolades and became one of the most demanding games for PS4 and PC users.

4) Life Is Strange: Before The Storm - Set events before the original LIS game, a story-driven video game that won the hearts of many gamers who love stories, Before The Storm is a three-episode story-driven game that centers on the story of Chloe Price who forms an unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber until a family secret put their friendship to the test. The choices players made affect the flow of the story and as the story progresses, fans are getting to know what's next for Chloe and the others.

5) Pocket Monsters Ultra Sun and Moon - It's been a year since Nintendo brought us Pocket Monsters Sun and Moon for the 3DS and because they want more action in the Alola region, they've released Ultra Sun and Moon, which features a storyline different from the original games, improved Rotom Dex, more Pokemon to catch, and uncovering the truth behind Necrozma. Also, two decades of Pokemon have been injected to deliver a Pokemon adventure like no other whilst enjoying under the Alolan sun.

6) Tekken 7 - In the PS4/X1 version of Tekken 7, not only players can relieve the action from the arcade games but also delve deeper to the Mishima Saga where the battle between father and son reached its critical point as well as the tales of the fighters themselves in addition to special guest characters.

7) Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - The folks of Naughty Dog wanted more Uncharted ever since the end of A Thief's End and since 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the Uncharted franchise, they made this; a stand-alone spin-off story set after the dramatic events of A Thief's End. In The Lost Legacy, Chloe and Nadine forged an unlikely alliance in search of an ancient artifact hidden somewhere in the Western Ghats before a ruthless warlord gets his hands on it. Despite a different main character, it still bears the same Uncharted thrills.

8) Call of Duty WWII - The Call of Duty games return to its roots with this latest installment as CoD: WWII brings players to the dramatic turn of events during the Second World War in solo player campaigns while enjoying intense multiplayer mayhem in here and in Nazi Zombies mode.

9) Assassin's Creed Origins - The Assassin's Creed franchise celebrated their 10th anniversary with the launch of their newest installment and in this game, fans witness the rise of the first Assassin named Bayek as he ventures through Ancient Egypt on his journey to bring down the tyrants and witness the birth of the Brotherhood we are familiar with.

10) BIOHAZARD 7 -resident evil-  - CAPCOM's survival horror franchise celebrated their 20th anniversary with the launch of their latest installment. In this game, Ethan Winters, trapped under the grips of the Baker household, fights his way out to uncover the truth and survive the hell he set foot. Playing this game on VR mode gave players a terrifying and punishing experience but still, it was worth the fun playing the latest installment as well as the DLCs.

And that's it for the best ten games of 2017. Join me next time for more in this year in review.

Doctor Who 2017 Christmas Special

It's the end of the era for Peter Capaldi as the 2017 Christmas Special, titled Twice Upon A Time, brings an unforgettable sendoff to the Peter Capaldi years as well as showrunner Steven Moffat as this special brings the two Doctors teaming up for one last mission when an army captain got entangled in an unexplained chain of events.

I do try to warn you people who never saw the special need to look away now because there are bits that I'm going to explain and if you don't wan't to know what happens next, I advised you to look away until you saw the rest of the special.

Doctor Who 2017 Christmas Special

The 2017 Christmas Special was one hell of a ride seeing an alpha and omega pair of The First Doctor and the Twelfth Doctor teaming up to uncover a mysterious alien force that got the captain (played by Mark Gatiss) tangled beyond time and space.

Of course, having David Bradley donning the William Hartnell role of the First Doctor is like a tribute band to a legendary rock band from a past and because of his unforgettable role in a 2013 biopic, Adventures In Space And Time, he's more than happy to reprise the First Doctor role in this special.

It's not just Pearl Mackie returning to the special as Bill Potts, in fact, some familiar faces did a brief comeback at the climax of the special such as Jenna Coleman as Clara and Matt Lucas as Nardole. What a brief reunion occured in the final minutes of the Twelfth's tenure.

Since his first adventure in 2014, the Twelfth Doctor made the world of Doctor Who a much serious stance and such serious stance made a huge mark in the history of Doctor Who. It's been quite an honor for us to become the 12th man for the Twelfth because despite his harsh character, he's been quite a valuable part of the Whoniverse and with the inception of Jodie Whitaker, the Whoniverse is heading to a brave new chapter.

Enjoyed the Twelfth Doctor's final journey? Delve more with the recent DW Fan Show webcast.

With Peter Capaldi's tenure ends and with Jodie Whitaker taking over, expect a brave new Doctor Who returning this 2018 and this year could be a pivotal year because this could be the 55th year of the show and the Thirteenth rings it rather well with such milestone. 55 years, over 700 episodes, 13 doctors, what more can you ask? Until then, see you next year.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea UN ambassador demands US prove ransomware claim

Source: Associated Press

North Korea's envoy in charge of U.S. affairs at the United Nations demanded Washington provide evidence to back up its claim Pyongyang was behind the Wannacry ransomware attack, an allegation has said was a "baseless provocation" being used to generate tensions.

Pak Song Il told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from New York late Monday that Pyongyang sees the allegation as an effort to create an "extremely confrontational atmosphere."

"If they are so sure, show us the evidence," he said.

The WannaCry ransomware attack infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide and crippled parts of Britain's National Health Service in May.

U.S. Homeland security adviser Tom Bossert wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published last week that the U.S. administration had determined North Korea was behind the WannaCry attack. He said its finding of responsibility is based on evidence that has been confirmed by other governments and private companies, including the United Kingdom and Microsoft.

He wrote that North Korea would be held accountable.

North Korea's state-run media quickly condemned the accusation, saying Pyongyang would never tolerate such "reckless" claims. It called Bossert's claim a "grave political provocation" and vowed to retaliate.

Officials in Washington and Seoul have accused the North of launching a series of cyberattacks in recent years, including the hack on Sony Pictures Entertainment over the movie "The Interview," a black comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The North has denied those accusations as well.

Let's Do The News! (December 26, 2017)

- President Rodrigo Duterte promises a thorough investigation over the NCCC Mall fire, which left at least 37 people dead two days before Christmas. Duterte said investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police would take charge of the investigation into the fire in the city that the President and his family has led for decades.

- The Philippines considers moving their embassy to Jerusalem, according to reports, a few days after Manila abstained from a United Nations vote calling for the United States to drop its recognition of the Holy City as Israel’s capital. The Philippines was one of the countries abstained from the UN vote to nullify US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem.

- Former health secretary Janette Garin, facing criminal charges over the Dengvaxia controversy, welcomed the World Health Organization's clarification attesting to the “true benefit of the dengue vaccine.” In a statement, she said the Department of Health (DOH) “was correct all along that the dengue vaccine provides protection and is safe to administer to address the growing danger posed by dengue.”

- US President Donald Trump hasn't done any state dinners with his visiting counterparts in his first year at the Oval Office. Trump spoke dismissively of state dinners as a candidate, when he panned President Barack Obama's decision to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping with a 2015 state visit. Such visits are an important diplomatic tool that includes a showy arrival ceremony and an elaborate dinner at the White House.

- Vietnam was sparred from the wrath of Typhoon Vinta (Tembin) that killed 160 people in the Philippines.

- Yesterday, Russian election officials formally barred Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president, prompting calls from him for a boycott of next year's vote. The Central Election Commission decided unanimously that the anti-corruption crusader isn't eligible to run.

- Audi will reportedly discontinue the R8 supercar in 2020 due to slow sales.

- Teaser for the 25th season of BBC Top Gear is now up.



- Ruby Kurosawa is now added to the Love Live! Sunshine!! figma range. It's now available to order starting at 5,833 Yen plus tax and delivery and arrives this September.



TTFN!!!

GT SPORT: Why the F40 is Ferrari's greatest hero for seven decades?

Ask me anything about which is the best Ferrari ever made over their seven-decade history and my response should be like this, the immaculate Ferrari F40, the supercar that forever known as the founding father of the 200mph supercar club which inspires today's supercars reaching the magic number.



The F40 is one of the recent additions from the GT SPORT's Christmas update and since this is Ferrari's 70th anniversary after all as well as Gran Turismo's 20th anniversary, it would be the ideal time to take a jive out of the legend that started the institution of the world's fastest supercars.



Launched in 1987, the Ferrari F40 became the world's fastest production car with a top speed of 201mph. Not 200, 201 because that prime number at the end of it really is proof that Ferrari is number one when it comes to create a car that will trounce the high-tech Porsche 959. Built to celebrate Ferrari's 40th year, it was the last car to be commissioned by the founder, Enzo Ferrari, before his death. Originally it was made for a limited run of 400 units but because this car is a whopper, about 1,315 models were produced, with the last one being produced in the year 1992.



Apart from the race-inspired exterior and the driver-focused interior has no conveniences whatsoever, the F40 is powered by  a 2.9L V6 twin-turbo engine that produces 478BHP and it can go 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds. Apart from the engine, the F40 is very light and it weighs about 1100kg thanks to the body that was composed of carbon-fiber and Kevlar.



Taking the bite out of the F40, I realized that because this car is stripped out to the core, driving this legend on the first try can be downright troublesome for me. I mean yes, the suspension's harsh, the brakes are intimidating, the ride's intimidating, everything's intimidating for me when it gets through all sorts of trouble but the more I try driving this thing, the better I realize that even the most brutal of attempts will not solve the F40's dynamic character and all I have to do is go with the flow. Having spent an hour driving the F40, now it's time for me to take a real challenge and to do that, I'm going to Brazil.



One piece of Brazil to be precise, Interlagos. It was based in Sao Paulo and it was one of the most technical racetracks in the Latin America. Don't get too distracted by the urban landscape because like I said, this track's technical in every corner and this will be the ideal time for me to see if the F40 lives up to its folklore. Time to roll the tape.



I did it in a 1:55.285 lap time, which isn't the quickest I've ever done in my whole life but still it was less than two minutes to spare, meaning that despite all the mishaps, the F40 really lives up to the legend it was set foot in Ferrari's fiery heritage.



Although what a troublesome experience I had, it's been an honor to try out the legendary Ferrari F40 in GT SPORT and man, what a way to celebrate seven decades of Ferrari and two decades of Gran Turismo by driving the legend in the latest installment courtesy of the Christmas update. Of course, there are many great Ferraris made over the last seven decades but rest assured, this legend holds a very special place in the Prancing Horse's history.

Suzuki XBEE

With the crossover market continuing to expand through astronomical heights, seems that a small Japanese car company like Suzuki isn't lagging behind when it comes to following today's motoring trends. Sure, they have crossovers like the Escudo, the SX4 S-Cross, the Ignis, and the kei-crossover known as the Hustler. Now, looks like Suzuki added another one to their crossover portfolio and this one's somewhat interesting.

2018 Suzuki XBEE

2018 Suzuki XBEE

Yes, this is Suzuki's Christmas present to the motoring public, it's a new crossover compact car and it's called the XBEE (pronounced cross bee). If the XBEE looks somewhat familiar to you, consider this; it's somewhat a mashup between the Hustler on the front and the Ssangyong Tivoli Air on the back, making this a crossover that is too hard to describe what's what.

2018 Suzuki XBEE interior

2018 Suzuki XBEE interior

On the inside, the XBEE is nothing beyond ordinary except for the cylindrical dashboard that looks like it came from either a Mini or a Mustang but whatever, questionable dashboard aside, the interior's pretty rugged indeed for the adventurous of few and customers can choose one of three accents on their waterproof seats such as yellow, orange, and ivory. With the waterproof seats which are as smooth as a crocodile's skin, it has decent space on the back that fits through all kinds of situations. You can fit from 525 to 1,305mm of boot space depending on the seat variation, which is very ample for a compact crossover of this size.

2018 Suzuki XBEE

The XBEE may be a little crossover but the little K10C 1.0L petrol engine has some zest to this nippy little rascal. The engine may be from the Baleno and so is its 6-speed automatic transmission but it's been given an Integrated Starter Generator linked to a Li-ion battery capable of reaching 22kmpl of fuel efficiency based on JC08 Mode standards and it's not just the nippy little engine and its fuel efficiency measure that benefits the XBEE, it's the HEARTECT platform that promises a lighter and more rigid ride very decent by Suzuki crossover standards.

For 4WD variants, the XBEE comes with four driving modes such as SPORT, SNOW, GRIP CONTROL, and HILL DESCENT, something akin to Suzuki's Euro imports such as the Escudo and the SX4 S-CROSS.

The XBEE is also the next to incorporate the SUZUKI SAFETY SUPPORT first introduced on the recently launched Spacia. It comes with a Lane Departure Warning, Driver Detection, High Beam Assist, Road Sign Recognition, and an advance car departure notice function. omnidirectional monitoring camera that can detect both sides of the car and an around view monitor, Emergency Stop Signal, Hill Hold Control, Dual Sensor Brake Support, False Start Suppression Control, backward erroneous start suppression function, and ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper to detect obstacles behind the vehicle.

Price? The XBEE starts at 1,765,800 Japanese Yen, which is more expensive than the Ignis and the Hustler but more affordable than the Escudo, making it a bargain boomer in its own right, especially when it wants to make some negotiations with rivals such as the Honda Vezel and the Toyota C-HR. Sure, the XBEE may be the big brother of the Hustler but it can do some good things a compact car can do in its free time. Whether you can drive this one at work or in the middle of your day off, every day is an adventure for the XBEE. Man, I hope that sums it all up about the XBEE. Better wrap it up before some Third World gooks sniff their way on this latest Suzuki crossover.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Let's Do The News! (December 25, 2017)

- Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, the son of President Rodrigo Duterte, has stepped down from his position amid his involvement in the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country. In making the announcement, Duterte stunned members of the city of council of Davao City which was meeting just after ferocious blaze devoured a mall and killed more than three dozen people over the weekend.

- The National Bureau of Investigation was tasked to investigate the mall fire in Davao City. In a statement released Monday, Aguirre said he asked the NBI to identify if there was any criminal liability to the blaze which killed 37 lives. The NBI was also directed to file charges against parties deemed responsible for the incident.

- Thousands of villagers in Mindanao spent their Christmas morning in emergency shelters as the region dealt with the aftermath of Typhoon Vinta. Right now, the death toll from Vinta has risen to 200.

- 20 people have been killed when a passenger bus bound for a northern city collided with a southbound jeepney in Agoo in La Union province early Monday.

- Pope Francis in Christmas Eve remarks Sunday likened the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to the migrations of millions of people today who are forced to leave homelands for a better life, or just for survival, and he expressed hope that no one will feel "there is no room for them on this Earth."

- Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni plans to deploy antiterrorism military forces in Niger over the next few months.

- Ferrari threatens to pull out from Formula 1 and start its own motorsport series.

- Tesla CEO Elon Musk is launching an old Tesla Roadster to outer space.

- Comiket 98 will be held during Golden Week 2020 at Tokyo Big Sight due to Tokyo 2020 Olympics and this event is part of the larger Doujin Japan 2020 project.

TTFN!!!

Toyota Alphard and Vellfire (H30W) - 2018 minor change

The current-generation Toyota Alphard and Vellfire luxury minivans have been on the road for two years now and like today's Toyota Harrier SUV, these minivans, commonly smuggled in Southeast Asian countries, are glad to be available in official Toyota dealerships, although there are still those prefer to smuggle one because it has bits and bobs their local Toyota dealers don't. No matter the status, these minivans have been the talk of the town because of their unparalleled luxuriousness no other minivan has to offer. At last, there are new versions that will change the course of these current-generation models.

2018 Toyota Alphard

2018 Toyota Vellfire

There's no need to explain everything about these two because every minivan fanatics, especially smugglers from Southeast Asia, are familiar with the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire minivans because different looks aside, they boast the same luxuriousness, the same performance, and the same expensive price tag and with the 2018 minor change, there's something to look out for these updated models starting with the exterior design where everything's gone from "get out of my way" to "GET OUT OF MY WAY" with all caps on because the new face really is shouty indeed and even shoutier in aero variants. Now that's some strong image implemented on these new models.

2018 Toyota Alphard interior

2018 Toyota Vellfire interior

Inside, there have been some substantial changes happening as hinted by the revised steering wheel, the new instrumental panel, new wood panels, and the new Executive Lounge variant featuring a black and white interior, Nappa leather, and specially trimmed second rear seats. Changes aside, they're still as luxurious as they were two years ago because they come with a wide array of luxurious conveniences such as the rear entertainment system, LED lighting, reading light, a choice of seven or eight seats, and much more. Everything you enjoy about the Alphard and Vellfire is all here and you can toy around with these luxury features as much as you like.

2018 Toyota Alphard

2018 Toyota Vellfire

For base variants, it's powered by the 2.5L 2AR-FE engine which produces 182PS of power and 235Nm of torque. Couple that with the Super CVT-i (with 7-speed manual mode) and an idling stop feature and you can expect up to 12.8km/L of fuel economy as calculated by JC08 Mode standards. For hybrid variants, meanwhile, it's powered by a 2AR-FXE 2.5L Atkinson-cycle engine connected with two electric motors, generating a total output of a modest 197PS of power output and an improved fuel economy of up to 19.4km/L, depending on the variant.

Now, this is getting interesting because the 3.5L V6 on these variants are brand new because the Alphard and the Vellfire use the all-new 2GR-FKS 3.5L V6 petrol engine with VVT-iW (Variable Valve. Timing-intelligent Wide), DIS (Direct Ignition System), ACIS (Acoustic Control Induction System) and ETCS-i (Electronic Throttle Control System-intelligent). This engine produces 301PS and that produces more power than the Chrysler Pacifica, hence making this the most powerful minivan, pause, in the world. Mated with an 8-speed AT, the fuel consumption is now up to 10.8km/L by JC08 mode standards. Such improvement.

The 2018MY Alphard and Vellfire are the first to implement the second-generation Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver assists featuring an improved Pre-Collision System with the ability to detect pedestrians both day and nighttime as well as cyclists during the day, Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert, and Road Sign Assist. Along with a wide variety of safety features available, these updated minivans set the standards to become the safest luxury MPVs on the market and you can't argue with the results.

Both of these models are now available to order starting at 3,354,480 Japanese Yen and arriving in dealerships this January, with the Alphard being on the Toyopet dealerships and the Vellfire on the Netz dealerships. So, with the shouty exterior, more luxurious interior, new V6 engine, and added safety, there are plenty of reasons why some of you are dying to get your sweaty hands on these updated minivans. In fact, most of you wanted to smuggle one for keeps. Go ahead. Get greedy because these minivans are causing a stir across Asia and like today's Harrier, you have a choice; wait for your local Toyota distributor to sell it officially and legally or smuggle one to get ahead of the pack while drawing the heat from the customs.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

Remembering 2017: Top 10 headlines

The 2017 has been one chaotic year for us all when you think about it because with the world's hardest strongman leaders making the rounds, every day in 2017 has became a battlefield for ordinary people are they are trying to do something in their minds off rather than listening to what the strongmen are up to. As this year comes to a complete closure, let's time to list down what we remember so far in this year in review.

1)  The rise of Donald Trump - Following his controversial win at the 2016 presidential elections, the controversial businessman who made famous in his show, The Apprentice, Donald J. Trump, began his reign as the most powerful man in the world. Throughout his first year, US President Trump rattles the world with his campaign promises by invoking strong immigration laws (including the DACA revoke), withdrawing the US from the Paris Accord, dismantle the Affordable Care Act slowly, unleash tax reforms that critics warn it could benefit the rich, recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and many more, all in the name of his "America first" policy, much to the dismay of his political opponents and the mass public who strongly oppose him.

2) Britain pulls trigger on EU exit - Following 2016's controversial referendum that favored England to leave the European Union for good, British Prime Minister Therese May triggered Article 50, giving the country two years to make an agreement before leaving the European Union. Since then little progress have been made, especially when PM May's ruling party was overrun by her opposing Labour Party at the general elections.

3) Moon Jae-in becomes South Korean leader - Following the impeachment of Park Geun-hye because of her scandal that plagued her, South Korea held their presidential elections since May and by a landslide, Park's 2012 presidential rival, Moon Jae-in, is named the country's new leader and one of his campaign promises includes how to deal with the ongoing threats from North Korea.

4) Martial Law in Mindanao and Marawi Siege - For the first time since the Marcos regime, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in the Mindanao region because of the ongoing clash between the government troops and the ISIS-inspired Maute terror group. The war in Marawi displaced numerous civilians as the battle against the Maute terrorists intensifies until the very moment that the key people behind the Maute group are killed and President Duterte declared the end of the Marawi siege in late October. However, the Martial Law declaration is still in effect and as of now, it has been extended until the end of next year.

5) Emmanuel Macron is the new French leader - In early May, the people of France voted for one of the two candidates vying to become the replacement to former French president Francois Hollande. One is Marine Le Pen, the National Front leader who wants to rule the country with her Donald Trump-inspired approach by leaving the EU, end immigration, and terminiate the Schengen agreement, while the other is Emmanuel Macron, the outsider who used to work with the Socialist Party as economic minister and formed his own group that seeks a political revolution. Macron wins the election and named as France's new leader after he garnered 66.1% of the votes. Macron's victory can be either good news and bad news because while some don't know the extent of his platform, the European Union signals his win as good news.

6) Trouble in Spain - Following a terrible terrorist attack in mid-August that involves a group of Islamic extremists launched  twin attacks in and around the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing 15 people and left hundreds hurt, life in Spain couldn't get as troublesome and if that wasn't enough, a Catalonians voted for independence, which was labeled as an illegal activity by the Spanish government. Despite the majority voted in favor of Catalonia's independence, the Spanish government went berserk and that led of labeling Catalonian leader Carlos Puigdemont as an outlaw. It's hard to predict what comes next for Spain as well as the Catalonia region.

7) Sexual harassment - Sexual harassment has been making the rounds in America lately since the Harvey Weinstein scandal. From newscasters like Matt Lauer, actors like Kevin Spacey, politicians like Al Franken and Roy Moore, even those involved in animation such as John Lasseter and TLH creator Chris Savino. Men who are involved in such positions are not safe when they were alleged for some "sex for favors" tricks women of all kinds have been strongly condemned for.

8) ASEAN Summit - The Philippines is the hosting nation of the 2017 ASEAN Summit and throughout the course of the summit, President Rodrigo Duterte, along with other powerful leaders from the ASEAN region, have been collaborated to share their common goals in the pursuit of a better Southeast Asia. In later months, they were joined by other world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, for a summit that tackles current issues facing worldwide.

9) North Korea's sixth nuclear test - North Korea triggered their sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September 2017. The blast is so powerful, it measured a magnitude 6.3 quake that felt in China, Russia, South Korea, even Japan. In response to the most powerful test occurred by the reclusive state, the world's governing bodies are doing everything they can to impose the toughest sanctions against North Korea. Of course, the United Nations adopted the Nuclear Ban treaty that will seek the end of nuclear weapons once and for all but so far, it hasn't ratified yet. Even nuclear-armed states are not part of this historic UN treaty.

10) Wildfires in the Golden State - In the Autumn of 2017, there has been a strain of wildfires occurred in the southern parts of the Golden State from the USA, better known formally as the California state. From the wine country to San Diego, hundreds and thousands of Californians are heavily affected from the hellish wildfires.

That's it for the top 10 headlines that made the rounds of 2017. Join me next time for more in this year in review.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

For seven decades, Ferrari has been the dominant force of the sports car realm and as true as what they said that when others try to grab Ferrari to the mane, the Prancing Horse will kick them hard. In other words, when others get more powerful enough to beat Ferrari in its own game, it will counterattack it with more powerful machines in their fleet. One such example is the latest addition to the Scuderia stable.

2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast

Let's begin with this, the brand new Ferrari 812, or in full name, the 812 Superfast, the new and improved version of Ferrari's breakthrough F12berlinetta that responds the needs of a more powerful V12 Ferrari that brings them to the top of the supercar food chain and there are plenty of reasons why everybody's salivating over the most powerful V12 Ferrari ever made.

First and foremost, the 812 now bears a 6.5L V12 engine that produces 800PS of power and 718Nm of torque, that's more powerful than the old F12tdf. That's even more powerful than the LaFerrari running on V12 alone, which is impossible because you can't separate the LaFerrari's hybrid powertrain. However, without all the complicating bits and bobs, the new 812 is a miraculous feast for the Ferrari purists because with no hybrid and turbocharging malarkey involved in the making of Ferrari's super GT car, it's all about bringing freedom to drive to a whole another level.

On the normal roads, the 812 still as civilized as the old F12. You can drive like a normal car on a quiet village and it still works as fine and because the engine features a nifty feature that shuts the engine off when stopped at a set of lights and restarts when you set off, you'd get about 14.9 l/100 km of fuel consumption, which isn't bad for a V12 Fezza.

On the open roads, the 812 comes alive with a set of new rules that will reshape the supercar genre one step at the time. With that V12 engine in place and the improved F1-style double-clutch gearbox, it goes from 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and onwards to 340kph, which is as slower than the latest version of the Lamborghini Aventador but the truth is, you can't compare it to hypercars because the 812 is much more subtle than that. Instead, it can give cars like Bentley Continental GT and the Aston Martin DB11 a complete run for their money.

Apart from the performance, Ferrari never forgot the memo about the dynamics and while it was an improvement compared to the old F12, there's a major catch; it's got Electric Power Steering, which is a dismay for Ferrari purists, and some high-tech junk that draws inspiration from the F12tdf and LaFerrari to deliver a driving experience unlike no other. Sure, it's got the best of the best in one unique package but those who are brave enough to drive the 812 need to be wise enough to understand what it should and it should not when taking things to the max. Dynamics aside, the aerodynamics played a crucial part of the 812 and while it sounds complicating to mention what's what, it sees a drastic improvement compared to the F12tdf.

That said, if you are taking this car on the track, the 812 is a complete monster and it will take no prisoners on any driver until he gets drunk with the exhilirating performance similar to mastering a MASTER-level, 1000-combo song with one finger. However,, in terms of cruising, the 812 feels rather nice to live with and it soothes your brow all the way home.

The price starts at around 282.934 Euros plus on road costs, which is very expensive by supercar standards, but we are itching to drive one someday.

Photo: Ferrari

Mazda New Flair Wagon (MM53S)

Following the launch of the second-generation Suzuki Spacia range, it looks like their friends from Mazda wants to be part of it so they are more than happy enough to borrow one of those for their Mazda dealerships as the all-new Mazda Flair Wagon.

2018 Mazda Flair Wagon

Just like we saw with the second-generation Suzuki Spacia, the new Flair Wagon is available in two different styles to choose from; from the basic model which is simple and chic in every single way and the Custom Style variant featuring the front view that was inspired from the Toyota Crown. Need I say more? Anyway, inside, customers will be accommodated with such dimensions sized enough for five people to live with.

Benefiting from its Mild Hybrid technology featuring an Integrated Starter Generator linked to a li-ion battery pack collaborating with its fuel-efficient 660cc engine, along with its HEARTECT platform that makes it lighter and more rigid compared to the previous model, the new Flair Wagon's fuel efficiency is around 30.0km/L in JC08 Mode standards while Custom Style variants can do 28.2km/L (with turbo variants exclusive to the Custom Style can do 25.6km/L).

Because the new Flair Wagon is categorized as a "Safety Support Car Wide S, it's been equipped with a suite of safety features such as Lane Departure Warning, Driver Detection, High Beam Assist, Road Sign Recognition, and advance car departure notice function. Apart from that, you can have the Spacia equipped with the omnidirectional monitoring camera that can detect both sides of the car and an around view monitor featuring for the first time on a kei car, a 3D view of your car that makes parking a lot convenient. Other safety features include the Emergency Stop Signal, Hill Hold Control, Dual Sensor Brake Support, False Start Suppression Control, backward erroneous start suppression function, and also first for a kei car, ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper to detect obstacles behind the vehicle. Sure, there's a variant that comes with such safety tech but you're more than welcome to drive these with confidence.

The new Flair Wagon starts at 1,333,800 Japanese Yen and while this is basically a new Spacia sold in Mazda dealerships, it still has the efficiency (despite being less efficient than the previous model), the interior, and the safety this kei minivan delivers as well as the pricing. With Mazda removed most of the minivans with sliding doors thanks to the rise of crossovers, especially the recently launched CX-8, this is the only Mazda with a sliding door you can buy.

Photo: Mazda Motor Corporation

Bubble Gang - December 22, 2017 #BGPaskoNa

On the December 22, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Christmas gift gags

- Friends are here to support you

- More gay lingo in Spelling Beks

- What would he do if his wife tries to poison him?



- Fat kids are doing something...

- The accidental hero

- Today's Balitang Ina is...Santang Ina

- Basa-basa-pik!

What to see at the 2017 MMFF?

Looks like most of you folks came back after your little Christmas party before setting off for the long Christmas weekend to do everything you want to do at your own free time but when Christmas Day kicks in, why not spend Christmas Day watching the films that are part of this year's Metro Manila Film Festival?

Yes, I know, this year's film festival wasn't as exciting as we hoped for but it gives cinemagoers a chance to see some breakthrough films that became part of this film fest. From superheroes, pre-war musicals, horrors, even a father-and-son flick you might be interested with, each film in this year's MMFF is unique in every single way and let's get to know what to watch at the 2017 MMFF.

Siargao - This is the first time director Paul Soriano ventures into romance flick as this film stars Erich Gonzales, Jericho Rosales and Jasmine Curtis-Smith as people caught in a love triangle that contrasts the beautiful surfing destination.

Haunted Forest - Regal Films continues to turn Christmas day into Halloween with another horror film directed by the same person behind Mano Po 7. It stars Jon Lucas from Hashtags, James Blake, Maris Racal and Jane Oineza.

Ang Larawan - Anyone who witnessed this musical masterpiece at a foreign film festival moments ago will be familiar with this absolutely phenomenal film based on a play by the critically-acclaimed Nick Joaquin and it stars Paulo Avelino, Joanna Ampil and Rachel Alejandro. It was set in Intramuros before the Second World War and it's about sisters who took in a border to augment their household’s income after their artist father was no longer able to produce artworks.

All of You - Jennylyn Mercado and Derek Ramsay returns for another rom-com, this time directed by Dan Villegas.

Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad - Comedian and TV presenter Vice Ganda becomes a superhero in a hilarious superhero flick that stars La Luna Sangre actor Daniel Padilla and former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach in her acting debut.

Ang Panday - Carlo J. Caparas' cult classic that inspired different movies and TV series is back in this fresh new take of a legend and Ang Probinsyano lead actor Coco Martin now dons the iconic role of Flavio as he's on a quest to save the world from demons. This film marks Coco Martin's debut as a director.

Meant to Beh - Vic Sotto and Dawn Zulueta are reunited in this family flick which marks the movie debut of Eat Bulaga's child presenter Baste.

Deadma Walking - Joross Gamboa and Edgar Allan Guzman star in this gay comedy film with script penned by the Palanca Award-winning Eric Cabahug.

The 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival starts this Christmas Day, December 25, and this is the only time of the week all eight films will show in all cinemas during the duration. Which film will be the best of this year's festival? You decide.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: UN to vote on new North Korea sanctions on Friday

The United Nations Security Council will vote on a new draft resolution on Friday slapping more sanctions against North Korea, in response to the regime's latest ballistic missile launch in late November.

According to reports, the new resolution introduced by the United States will look to ban about 90% of refined petroleum product exports to North Korea by capping it to 500-thousand barrels a year as well as reduce crude oil exports to four million barrels a year.

All North Korea nationals working overseas would also have to be repatriated within twelve months.

The list of banned imports would also be extended to include some food products and minerals, as well as adding 19 individuals and firms to the international blacklist.

The US are said to have been in discussions with China over the draft resolution during the past week, who are thought to have agreed not to use their power to veto.

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says it is undeniable that North Korea became a strategic country capable of threatening the United States with nuclear weapons.

According to the state-run media, Kim made his remarks on Thursday during a meeting of the ruling   Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. Kim added that due to rapid deployment of North Korea's nuclear arms program the country's nuclear weapons was having a great impact on the world's political stage and environment.

Source: Arirang News