Remembering 2017: Top 10 movies

We are here, the final part of this yearender and in this final part, it's time for me to jot down the best ten films that made impact in the box office records of 2017.

Whether if its some superhero, a killer clown, fast cars, sci-fi thrillers any movie in 2017 has been one heck of a ride for the cinemagoers and each film has a story to tell, no matter how good or bad the plot twist might be. Like I said, let's list down the top ten films of 2017.

1) Star Wars: The Last Jedi - The middle installment of The Force Awakens saga really is insane from start to finish as this film brings Star Wars to a whole new direction as Rey's encounter with the legendary Luke Skywalker changes everything while the Resistance is struggling to survive the onslaught from the First Order. This film is more of a fitting tribute to the late Carrie Fisher, who played General Leia in the film.

2) Blade Runner 2049 - 35 years ago, the original Blade Runner film that starred Harrison Ford in it was forever known as the original Matrix when it came out in theaters and set the template for the future-set cyberpunk genre even pop-culture critics appreciated how the original went. This long awaited sequel pushes the limits to this genre with precise storytelling those who watched the original will surely love.

3) Thor Ragnarok - The third installment of Marvel's Thor films straight from the Marvel Superheroes universe sees our favorite God of Thunder caught in the deadly game orchestrated by Hela, who attacked the Kingdom of Asgard, and this is the film where we get to see Thor and Hulk together in this film, reminiscent of what happened at Civil War when Captain America and Iron Man caught in a duel.

4) The Fate of the Furious - Car enthusiasts gone nuts on the eight installment of The Fast and the Furious saga as Dom (played by Vin Diesel) got entangled in the world of terrorism and his crew were summoned by a federal agent for one major mission; to bring down Dom to justice. This is the film where the Dodge Demon comes to life as well as the other insane machinery in this film.

5) Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You! - The 20th Pokemon film brings the moviegoers back to where it all began as the bond between Satoshi (Ash) and Pikachu are demonstrated in this heartwarming movie where they got a glimpse of the mythical Pokemon Marshadow in the film that retells the beginning of the hero's journey with his Pikachu.

6) Cars 3 - This family-friendly alternative to F8 sees Lightning McQueen trying to get his morale back following the rise of a young upstart named Jackson Storm. With the help of Cruz Ramirez, McQueen set off to a crossroad of a lifetime to regain his will to race again.

7) Coco - Disney-Pixar's take on a Hispanic tradition is one of the most heart-warming family movies they've ever witnessed. 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.

8) Despicable Me 3 - Everyone bracing their inner minion have rejoiced over the recent installment of the Despicable Me films and in this film, Gru got kicked out from the Anti-Villainy League after a certain misfit. Gru is now broke and he has to evict from his evil lair he called home along with the girls and the minions. With no one to turn to, Gru unexpectedly encounters his long-lost twin brother named Dru. Oh, brother. Thanks to him, Gru is back to one thing he does best, being an evil supervillain plotting for world domination, but to do that, they'll have to overcome their differences and team up to take down a rival supervillain named Balthazar (played by South Park creator Trey Parker), a child star from the 1980's.

9) Trip Ubusan - The Lolas of Kalyeserye got their shot of being movie stars in a horror comedy film where the Lolas team up with different strangers to survive the zombie apocalypse. Despite its corny humor, this film does have a heart because family values, friendship, and teamwork is demonstrated in this film

10) Ang Larawan - Based on a play by the critically-acclaimed Nick Joaquin, this internationally-acclaimed film 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. This film won the 2017 MMFF for best picture.

And that's it for the top ten movies of 2017.

Man, what a wild ride this year was. It was a year of torment, pain, suffering, terror, and everything else the world has ever witness but like someone said, they said when the door closes, another one opens. As the door opens to 2018, let us be prepared for whatever Murphy's Law will come across us as we are facing this year head-on with a brave heart, open minds, and positivity that will one day, overcome every obstacle while pursuing our dreams and goals.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Remembering 2017: The best 10 anime

The year 2017 marks the centennial anniversary of the Japanese animation, or anime, and otakus around the world have celebrated this centennial year by doing everything what otakus love apart from watching anime shows on TV or online via streaming.

Anyway, while fans are celebrating 100 years of anime in style, there has been a massive strain of anime shows, new and returning, ever witnessed through the year. Whether if its action, slice of life, music, fantasy, whatever that is, good or bad, it was quite an experience to witness some new and returning anime shows in celebration of the Japanese animation's centennial year.

Thanks to this list as provided by AnimeNewsNetwork, the world's best source for anime news (sort of because they put video games on it, which is irrelevant and Japanese people don't like that because anime is anime), here are the ten best anime shows as witnessed by many;

1) My Hero Academia season 2 - The continuing adventures of Deku and his classmates in UA as they deal with everyday school life trying to be superheroes while dealing with threats from the dreaded League of Villains, trying to attack UA.

2) Made in Abyss - This adventurous anime series centers on an orphan girl named Rico and her robot friend as they explore through the depths into The Abyss

3) Attack on Titan Season 2 - The wrath of the titans continue on the second series of the blockbuster action anime as the Scouting Legion deal with the betrayal spilled across their ongoing operations to defend a village against the wrath of the titans. It was thrilling and packs suspense from start to finish and with the show returning for another round, looks like there are some questions left to be answer post-season.

4) The Ancient Magus' Bride - One of the most anticipated fall anime shows, this fantasy anime based on a popular novel centers on a young girl named Chise and a sorcerer named Elias as they travel through different worlds while discovering the secrets of magic.

5) KONOSUBA 2 - The continuing adventures of Kazuma Sato and the self-proclaimed goddess Aqua as they engulf in a series of misfits one after another

6) Land of the Lustrous - This anime series inspired from a cult classic manga is about 28 Gems battle against the Lunarians who attack them regularly to abduct them and become their trophy

7) Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid - Based on a manga series, an office worker named Miss Kobayashi lives a boring life until she saved a female dragon in distress named Tohru and in return, Miss Kobayashi became the dragon's maid and got caught in hilarious misfits one after another.

8) Little Witch Academia - Another Academia anime show for those who aren't fans of My Hero Academia. Crafted by Studio Trigger and a product of Anime Mirai's Young Animator Training Project, this 25-episode series centers on a girl named Akko who tries her hard to learn witchcraft. Those who witnessed the early stages via OVA finally got what they deserved as the TV series proven to be quite a charm and that's not bad for the rookies in charge of this show.

9) Recovery of an MMO Junkie - This hilarious rom-com TV show is about Morioka Moriko who finds solace in an online game as a man named Hayashi until an unexpected love triangle, one from the virtual world and the other in real life, turned the life of an MMO junke upside down

10) March comes in like a lion - This touching anime series is about Rei Kiriyama, a shogi player who tries to overcome his painful past until three sisters changed his life slowly.

URL: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/survey/756/result

And that's it for the best of anime of 2017. Join me later for one last bit before saying goodbye in 2017!

Remembering 2017: Top 10 entertainment bits

Whether if its in the Philippines or in other parts of the world, the year 2017 has been a pivotal year in the world of entertainment. Win some, lose some, that's the life of showbizness as we know it and in this yearender, let's jot down the top ten bits that changed the very landscape of the entertainment industry in 2017.

1) Ang Larawan wins 2017 MMFF - This year's Metro Manila film festival wasn't as exciting as we hoped for but it gave cinemagoers a chance to see some breakthrough films that became part of this film fest. In this film fest, the internationally acclaimed Ang Larawan, which stars Paulo Avelino, Joanna Ampil and Rachel Alejandro, won the best picture award.

2) Two Miss Universes, one year - This is the first time the Miss Universe held twice in 2017. One in Philippines and the other in Las Vegas. In the first one of this year, France's Iris Mittenaire is the winner, and then in the second one, South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is the winner.

3) The first Tawag Ng Tanghalan winner -  Since last year, ABS-CBN's hit noontime show, IT'S SHOWTIME, revived the legendary talent search programme Tawag Ng Tanghalan as their segment everyone's tuning in everyday. At the grand finale held at Resorts World Manila, a grand champion has been named from the six finalists and Noven Belleza is the grand winner of the show's Tawag Ng Tanghalan segment.

4) Spongebob at Broadway - Nickelodoeon's popular cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants, has spawned a Broadway musical which was penned by the famed Tina Landau and starred Ethan Slater as SpongeBob. It was a dream come true for everyone to see their favorite cartoon show spawned a stage play the whole family enjoyed from start to finish.

5) The first female Doctor Who - Following Chris Chibnall's takeover as the new showrunner of BBC's hit TV series Doctor Who, the star who will play as the 13th Doctor has been named and for the first time, an actress named Jodie Whittaker. The BBC announced the star who will be playing The Doctor in next year's season, under the new rule of incoming Executive Producer Chris Chibnall, as Jodie Whittaker. This will be the first time a woman will be taking over the role of The Doctor from the outgoing Peter Capaldi, whose tenure has ended at this year's Christmas Special which stars Adventures of Space and Time's David Bradley reprising his First Doctor role from the 2013 biopic into the world of Doctor Who.

6) Oscars flak - In the 2017 Academy Awards, where Moonlight was named the best picture, actress Meryl Streep draw flak against the Trump administration saying that without immigrants who are involved in flourishing Hollywood, it will be limited to just football and MMA. She didn't mentioned the US President but he responded via Twitter by calling her "overrated".

7) SHINee member committed suicide - Jonghyun, a member of a popular K-POP boyband SHINee, passed away this month due to depression. Police reported that he committed suicide. Days later, fans, friends, and relatives bid their final farewell to the late SHINee member.

8) Passing of big stars - There have been so many notable celebrity legends passed away this 2017 but the biggest names on the list of celebrity obituary of 2017 are former Batman Adam West and former Bond actor Roger Moore.

9) Spicy Hot Noodles Challenge - It all started when Samyang Foods sold a limited edition 2X SPICY HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen in supermarkets became a trending topic of this generation when people trying to post something on social media about trying to brave the hellish spiciness this variant possess. Even celebrities are unsafe from Samyang's fiery menace.

10) Love is... - October is what is known to be the best month for AlDub Nations. Two years ago, the world witnessed the phenomenal love team in the world's biggest indoor arena for the Sa Tamang Panahon concert. Then last year, the world witnessed the Kalyeserye wedding. Now, for 2017, the phenomenal love team has in store for them with an Eat Bulaga TV special titled Love Is... Love Is... centers on the story of a young woman named Vi (played by Maine Mendoza) who is ready to marry a man named Marco (played by Alden Richards). Before the planned wedding, Vi had a fortunate life until all her luck just ran out when her father is suffering from a life-threatening disease but even worse, she had fell from the scam. This special taught us a valuable lesson about depression while it fills the blank of what love really is. Still, with this special, it's the definitive point that AlDub is here to stay, no matter what happens to them.

That's it for the entertainment bits. Join me for more on this yearender before letting 2017 go in dignity.

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.

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.

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.

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.