South Korean president Moon Jae-in will make a three-nation Southeast Asia trip next month for regional forums where he is also expected to hold numerous bilateral summits with other world leaders.
The trip is expected to start on November 8th with a visit to Indonesia, where he will likely hold a summit with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widowo. Then, he will visit Vietnam on the 10th for the APEC summit, which will bring together leaders from 21 member economies, including US President Donald Trump. They are also scheduled to hold a bilateral summit in Seoul before they head to the Southeast Asian nation for the annual APEC summit. The bilateral talks between Moon and Trump will be the third since the South Korean president took office in May.
- Tish Bautista, the estrange wife of ousted COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista said they have full confidence in government institutions handling the cases against him. Her spokesperson explained that even with the disappointment at the first round of impeachment deliberation when the complaint was found insufficient by the House committee on Justice, they never lost their hope and remained optimistic.
- President Rodrigo Duterte attacked the European Union for supposedly lobbying for the Philippines' removal from the United Nations, this time, he issued the ambassadors an ultimatum to leave the Philippines within 24 hours.
- Meanwhile, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV slammed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for calling him an "opportunist" for seeking support of President Duterte before the 2016 elections.
- Numerous transport groups announced that they are not joining the planned two-day transport strike on October 16 and 17 next week. Among the transport groups who reportedly announced that they are not joining the jeepney strike are the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP) and Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association (PASANG MASDA).
- As Robert Mueller's investigation on the Russian interference in the 2016 elections draws some heat, a group of Republicans and Democrats unveiled a legislation that would stop the White House from firing Special Counsel Mueller and it would preserve the independence of future Special Counsels.
- A special edition MINI One 1499 GT model was unveiled for the UK market, featuring an optional JCW Sport Pack, special interior, and special striped decal.
- PROJECT CARS 2 is joining the list of car racing games partnered with Mattel's Hot Wheels line of toy cars for their new diecast collection.
- Toyota will display an LCV Concept at this month's Tokyo Motor Show with three different variations.
- The last Holden car is expected to roll out of GM's assembly plant in Elizabeth, South Australia, on October 20.
The US flew two B-1B strategic bombers over the Korean peninsula late on Tuesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff say the bombers flew from Anderson Air Force base in Guam and entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone at around 2050 hours.
The South Korean military added that the regular deployment training is aimed at enhancing extended defense capabilities against North Korea. Late last month, the US flew B-1B bombers over international waters close to North Korea's east coast.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has met with his top national security officials to discuss "a range of options" on North Korea. The White House said in a statement that President Trump was briefed by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford during a national security team meeting.
The statement added that the discussion focused on the range of options to better prevent North Korea from threatening the US and its allies with nuclear weapons. The White House didn't give details of the options but experts believe that military options were among the list.
- The House of Representatives has overturned the decision of its Justice committee to impeach COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista, who earlier in the day announced his decision to step down from his post at the end of this year.
- President Rodrigo Duterte designated the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as the "sole agency" in charge of the war on drugs despite public outcry over alleged police abuse in the ongoing crackdown.
- House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said that the ruling PDP-Laban wants to field a complete slate of senatorial candidates for the 2019 midterm elections. Meanwhile, former president and Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has joined the ruling party.
- Catalan leader Carlos Puigdemont and other regional leaders have signed a declaration of independence from Spain following the disputed referendum but the move will not be implemented for several weeks to allow talks with the Spanish government. The document calls for Catalonia to be recognized as an "independent and sovereign state".
- South Sudan aims to restore production of their oil sector to pre-war levels next year, according to the oil minister. "Security is now under control, and those investing will be provided with security," Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth said in an interview in the South Sudanese capital Juba.
- As the next Fast and Furious film won't come until 2020, a spin-off film starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham has been confirmed for 2019 release.
- Steel manufacturer Kobe Steel reported that its Aluminum & Copper Business division has traded products that didn't comply with specifications. This recent scandal has affected 19,300 tons of aluminum products, 2,200 tons of copper products, and 19,400 units of aluminum castings and forgings, shipped out between September 1, 2016 to August 31 this year. Most of the materials were supplied to car manufacturers.
- Renault plans to launch 21 new models in 2022, including eight electric vehicles and 12 hybrids which will deliver annual revenues of over 70 billion euros within their six-year plan.
- The Range Rover has been given a minor change for the 2018 model year and it added the new PHEV variant as well.
- Ciao! Mari Ohara joins DreamTech's Love Live! Sunshine!! Kimino Kokorowa Kagayaiterukai? figure lineup. She's available for orders starting at 14,800 Yen (including tax and delivery) and arrives this February.
For today's PROJECT CARS 2 session, it's time to recreate the first Grand Tour episode using the hypercar holy trinity at the racetrack as seen in the series opener, Portugal's Algarve circuit. It's hard to believe a year has passed since The Grand Tour began and looks like I'm reliving the beginning using the three hybrid hypercars in Algarve right here on PROJECT CARS 2.
First, let's start with the McLaren P1, the hybrid hypercar that started the craze. As the forefather of hybrid exotics, the P1 combines McLaren's motorsport knowhow with its promise to reduce global carbon footprint. With hybridization became the new norm for production vehicles, the P1 pushes the hybridization to uncharted heights with its revolutionary IPAS petrol-electric powertrain which combines the improved version of the 3.8L V8 twin-turbo engine as applied on the 12C and a single electric motor, making the combined power output of 903HP and torque output of 664ft-lb of torque. With its extensive use of carbon fiber, the P1 weighs 1395kg and overall, it has a 0-100kph time of 2.8 seconds and top speed of over 350kph.
The Porsche 918 Spyder, like the McLaren P1, is a hybrid hypercar and while this car is heavy and less powerful than the P1, its four-wheel drive system can easily shame the P1 by a second margin. With its carbon fibre reinforced plastic bodywork that weighs 1640kg, a combination of a 4.6L V8 engine, two electric motors bolted on the axles, and a 6.8kWh Li-ion battery, it delivers a combined output of 881HP of power, and mated with Porsche's 7-speed PDK, the 918 has has a top speed of over 340kph (211mph). As for efficiency, the 918's range can get up to 680km (420 miles).
Lastly, the LaFerrari is known to be the ultimate decider between the P1 and the 918 because this is the most powerful and the lightest of the three hybrid hypercars. It is powered by an upgraded version of the same 6.3L V12 engine lifted from the F12berlinetta and HY-KERS (Hybrid-Kinetic Energy Recovery System) which develops a combined power output of 963PS, making this the most powerful Ferrari ever made and it lapped the Fiorano Test Track faster than the F12berlinetta. Unlike the other two, the car's V12 engine and the electric motor are working in unison and cannot be separated, which is very clever by Ferrari standards but what's even more clever are the computer-controlled aerodynamics that makes the LaFerrari the automotive equivalent of a Typhoon fighter jet. Well, you get the point but Ferrari's F1 knowhow really payed off in the making of this car.
In the first Grand Tour episode, the boys sent professional racing driver Jerome d'Ambrosio to drive these three round Algarve. After his first impressions regarding the three hybrid hypercars, he then set off to see which one is the fastest or risk losing one of the presenters' home, basically Jeremy Clarkson's. Anyway, what am I going to do in this session is to recreate the three hypercars' Algarve lap, although my times aren't as fast as the real-world times set by d'Ambrosio himself but still, feel free to enjoy my re-enactment of the one as seen in the first Grand Tour episode.
And now the results...
LaFerrari - 1:57.600
918 - 1:56.962
P1 - 1:58.120
Hmmm...not as fast as what d'Ambrosio set in real life but this is just like the first episode! If I was on the P1's side, I would literally lost my house just like Clarkson's. How amusing. It really feels like what happened last year! Well, with season 2 coming this fall, I can't hardly wait to see what sort of mischief the presenters are up to so watch for it.
In the meantime, feel free to drive with the hypercar Holy Trinity on PROJECT CARS 2 on PS4 and PC via Steam.
Marking its 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers' Party, experts say North Korea could mark the occasion with yet another ICBM launch.
According to a member of a Russian parliament who recently visited Pyongyang, North Korea could be planning to do just that in the coming weeks if not today. He said the North is planning another launch of the Hwasong-14 ICBM which was tested twice in July and that is capable of reaching the US West Coast.
Meanwhile, the Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has told the US Army to be ready for military action against North Korea if called upon by US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a convention in Washington on Monday local time, Mattis spoke of an uncertain future, and the need to ensure military options that the president can employ if needed. However he stressed that sanctions and diplomatic efforts are currently being used to try and convince North Korea from provocations.
- The Malacanang regrets that the congressional Commission on Appointments rejected Department of Health secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial's appointment. A Commission on Appointments panel on Tuesday afternoon voted to reject the ad interim appointment of Ubial.
- The Supreme Court votes 9-6 to junk Senator Leila de Lima's petition to nullify her arrest and a halt order on the criminal proceedings against her due to lack of merit her petition challenging the legality of her arrest.
- Ralph Trangia, one of the main suspects behind the hazing of Horacio "Atio" Castillo III, has returned to the Philippines. Trangia fled to the US on September 18, a day before the Department of Justice was able to issue to an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against him and several other members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, the University of Santo Tomas law fraternity being blamed for Castillo's death.
- Catalan leader Carlos Puigdemont is set to reveal his plans for independence as he addresses the regional parliament for the first time since the referendum that provoked the standoff with the Spanish government.
- Mazda will display two new concept cars at this month's Tokyo Motor Show.
- Sergio Marchionne confirmed that Ferrari will have an SUV in the foreseeable future.
- Watch Hoonigan's Ken Block messing around with the legendary Escort Cosworth WRC.
- Here comes the new trailer for STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, coming in theaters this December.
While JDM fans mourn the deletion of production Toyotas and Lexus on FM7, the majority of 86 sympathizers who can't cope with the loss of Toyota's 21st century JDM hero are making due with its Subaru equivalent, the BRZ. Question is that even though the BRZ is a Subaru version of the Toyota 86, does this car had the same feeling or not?
Built in the same factory as the Toyota 86, the Subaru BRZ is the company's first-ever rear-wheel drive car, breaking Subaru's tradition of making four-wheel drive cars in its lifetime. This is also Subaru's first two-door coupe of the 21st century since the Alcyone, the SVX, and the Impreza Retna. Under the hood, the BRZ is powered by a 2.0L D-4S BOXER engine, which is a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru, producing 200PS of power and 205Nm of torque. It promises about 12.4km/L to 13.4km/L of fuel economy based on Japan's JC08 mode test cycle. There are two transmission types available such as a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed Paddle Shit transmission.
A Hachiroku fan driving a Subaru BRZ might say that even though they're made from the same factory, he or she believes that BRZ's driving style doesn't match Toyota's 21st century JDM sportscar and I have a clear reason why. The moment I taste the BRZ on the road, I have a clear impression that heritage is what separates them apart because while the Toyota 86 follows the tradition of Toyota's successful sports cars, the BRZ breaks the Subaru tradition like a village idiot in a family of geniuses. That's why more and more believe that the 86 and BRZ are not the same when it comes to its audience impact rather than performance and handling likewise.
Well, since the producers kicked out most of the Toyota-made cars, including our favorite, guess this is no other choice but driving Subaru's take on the Hachiroku whether we like it or not as I shall now demonstrate it by driving this car round the entire Long Beach track, even though this city course is sponsored by Toyota, which is a shame for us.
The Subaru BRZ maybe a treason to Subaru's heritage or despised by most Hachiroku fanatics for not living it up to the 86's promises but hey, at least they made a fun and affordable rear-wheel drive car we can live with and I agree with that. Although I still going to miss the 86 in every tangible way, this Subie keeps me company for the time being in FM7.
Today, Korea celebrates Hangul Day, the 571st anniversary of the invention of the Korean alphabet, which is considered as the most scientific and logical writing system in the world. It was invented by King Sejong the Great who officially invented the new writing system in 1446.
An official ceremony was held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon gave a speech during today's ceremony as he highlighted the intentions of King Sejong the Great and honored numerous people who have helped spread the Korean language worldwide and brought up the increasing popularity of Korean, with more and more people studying it as their second language.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed that North Korea's nuclear weapons program should have been taken care of 25 years ago, blaming his past administrations for mishandling the issue. President Trump pointed at former president Bill Clinton for paying billion of dollars to the regime but failing to bring results.
Trump emphasized that the US has a very strong military, and said that now more than ever is the time to have a great military. The president has spoken about using military force against North Korea when necessary.
In the meantime, the USS Theodore Roosevelt has been deployed to the West Pacific region amid growing threats from North Korea. Carrier Strike Group Nine left its home port of San Diego on Friday.
The group comprised of around 75,000 sailors and marines will focus on maritime security and security cooperation efforts in areas including the Korean peninsula.
- Senate President Koko Pimentel said that the ruling PDP-Laban party will not accept new members by the end of November in preparation for the 2019 midterm elections.
- President Rodrigo Duterte fired two high-ranking Philippine National Police officials allegedly involved in the drug trade.
- As President Duterte's satisfaction and trust ratings drop in a recent survey, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said that President Rodrigo Duterte is not in a "popularity contest." He also states that having Duterte as impeachment prosecutor is pure nonsense.
- Hundreds of thousands of people joined a rally in Barcelona to express their opposition to Catalan independence from Spain. Carles Puigdemont, the regional president, is expected to address the Catalan Parliament on Tuesday, when separatists could declare independence. The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, said that he was “not ruling out anything” to maintain the country’s integrity.
- The US and Turkey suspended non-immigrant visa services at their respective consulates days after the arrest of a consulate employee in Istanbul over alleged ties to Fethullah Gulen, the exiled Islamist cleric who Turkey says orchestrated a failed coup last year.
- Harvey Weinstein was fired by the directors of his film company days after a recent investigation revealed accusations of sexual harassment that stretched back decades.
- US President Donald Trump laced into Republican Senator Bob Corker over his decision not to run for the 2018 midterm elections. In an interview, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee warned that Trump's "recklessness" could put his nation on the verge of war.
- In case you missed it, the next Fast and Furious film got delayed to 2020 launch.
- A selection of Mercedes-Benz cars will be making an appearance in the upcoming Justice League movie, including the AMG Vision Gran Turismo.
The Monster Energy NASCAR series returns at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America 500 as the Playoffs are now on the Round of 12 where drivers are striving to survive the oval warfare for the coveted title or risk losing it all in the cloud of dust and debris.
In Lap 44, Ryan Newman's car spins and caused light damage as he tries to regain control of his car until his car caught fire, forcing him out of the race. Kevin Harvick won Stage 1 of the race. In Lap 137, Kyle Busch's car sustained damage while Harvick scored another stage win of the race. In lap 265, the #38 and the #10 got involved in a crash and then in lap 331, Kurt Busch spun out of control.
Martin Truex Jr. wins the Bank of America 500 race in Charlotte, earning himself a top spot of the Round of 8.
Here's the post-race Playoffs results as the drivers are advancing to the Round of 8.
Of course, with Japan became a battleground for Formula 1, the Autobacs Super GT Championship continued their 2017 season at the Land of Smiles, Thailand. Specifically, Chang International Circuit. Different nation, same Super GT action, especially if this is the penultimate round of this season.
In this penultimate round of the 2017 Autobacs Super GT Championship, which lasted for 66 laps, the pole position advantage prompted the #37 KeePer TOM'S LC500, driven by Ryo Hirakawa and Nick Cassidy, won the GT500-class race while the #51 JMS RMU LMcorsa RC F GT3, driven by Yuichi Nakayama and Sho Tsuboi, won the GT300 class.
Highlights:
Don't miss the final round of the 2017 Autobacs Super GT Championship happening on Twin Ring Motegi on the 12th of November. Who will win the title? Watch for it!
