South Korean President Moon Jae-in places the most significance on his state visit to China, out of the seven countries he has visited and some 40 bilateral summit talks he has held.
That's according to the president himself as he chaired a weekly meeting of his Cabinet Tuesday morning. Korea's Trade Ministry has submitted its plan to renegotiate the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement to the National Assembly.
Noting that the China visit marked the last of his overseas trips of this year, which was mainly focused on restoring and repairing the nation's frayed relations with other countries the president vowed to carry on his policy of "practical diplomacy" placing utmost priority on South Korea's national interest and the Korean people.
- President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the P3.8-trillion 2018 national budget, and the first package of the much-awaited tax reform program that seeks to raise P130 billion in revenues to bankroll his administration’s economic agenda. Under its P8.44-trillion 2017-2022 “Build, Build, Build” program, the government aims to ramp up its spending on infrastructure alone to P1.899 trillion, equivalent to 7.45% of gross domestic product, by the time Duterte ends his term in 2022.
- The Philippine government declined the offer of a second aid package from a US poverty reduction agency due to the urgent priority of the administration to rebuild Marawi.
- Vice Admiral Ronald Mercado was sacked from his position as the Philippine Navy Flag Officer-in-Command. Rear Admiral Robert Empedrad was installed as acting Flag Officer-in-Command during the change of command ceremony held this morning.
- At least three people are killed and several are injured when an Amtrak train got derailed over a bridge near Dupont, Washington. According to the NTSB, the train was traveling 80mph in a 30mph zone.
- Experts have recorded high seismic activity at the Stromboli volcano in the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily. The explosions come after the major explosion of the volcano on December 1, according to the Catania section of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, which monitors Stromboli.
- The Malaysian government has banned foreign cars with dark window tints, according to reports. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the JPJ will be instructed to exercise the directive as dark tints are a clear sign of danger.
- Atlus announced Catherine: Full Body, a revised version of the classic puzzle game, for PS4 and PSVite, featuring a storyline never before heard in the original Catherine.
Yesterday, I took a bite out of one of the sensations of 2017, Samyang's 2X SPICY HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen, and despite cheating it with some means necessary, the hellish spiciness burnt my mouth like crazy. I even resort myself drinking lots of milk to cool it off but that spiciness lingers on my mouth for an hour. So, what's up with these noodles from hell anyway?
Made as a limited edition variant of Samyang's long line of Chicken Flavor Ramen range, this 2X SPICY variant became all the rage not just in South Korea but the rest of the world. In fact, many people attempt to show the world that they're brave enough to eat the beast of the noodle and sacrifice their mouths just to show themselves off.
Admittedly, people have to be as crazy as Kim Jong Un to nab a pack of these but if you're itching to get one now, you can't because Samyang stopped making these variants so you'll have to make do with the mild and tangy Chicken Flavor Ramen flavors. Don't worry, there are spicy variants offered but not as intimidating as the 2X SPICY variant. Still, that leaves me wondering, how come everyone wanted to buy a noodle that could burn their mouths to oblivion, in the pursuit of showing off?
Whoever the idea of getting a pack of Samyang's 2X Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen had a death wish or two. To be honest, I just don't know why but probably they want to be humbled the world over, knowing that they have titanium bodies sturdy enough to take on the harshest elements. I understand that and it really rings a bell like the old Salty Spitoon gag from SpongeBob. "How tough are you?" You can either eat one of these and be part of the club or surrender and label yourself a weenie. It's everyone's choice when they picked up a pack of the world's most intimidating noodles at an Asian market.
Having that first bite out of the most hellish noodles ever to come out in South Korea, I always thought that it tastes like a normal Pancit Canton to me but when the spiciness has gone into. let's just say, inferno overdrive, it just keeps burning my mouth even if I douse it with any form of liquid. It's personal experience but I'm sure you guys had your mouth burnt to hell after a platter of Samyang's 2X Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen and survive the endless torture this noodle brought upon.
Of course, Samyang may have stopped making this nightmarish noodles for good, even though this was a limited edition variant, but they made the world engulfed in the flames of the extra hot noodles and with everyone who took a pack of it engulfed their taste buds to the line of fire, only a handful managed to survive the torturing aftertaste this noodle possess. It may be gone a while but what's next for Samyang, the makers of spicy noodles that became a hit among noodle aficionados? Only time will tell before they let loose with another next big thing but in the meantime, let's think about what we done ever since we gone crazy over the pack of the one I called it the "noodles from hell".
As SUVs became the dominant breed of today's motoring era, even some companies wanted to inject some sportscar DNA on their SUVS to make it more enjoyable while carrying the entire family for trips. One such example is this...
The all-new Porsche Cayenne, part of Forza Motorsport 7's Doritos Car Pack.
It's amazing that even though Forza Motorsport 7's been poisoned against us by baby boomers because they keep featuring cars from the baby boomer era rather than focusing on cars focused on millennials (it's a millennial's game, after all), they still feature us some of the latest machines we really like, especially the latest version of Porsche's first SUV. So, what is it then, the new Cayenne?
The new Cayenne is built from the ground up and now utilizes a lightweight chassis construction, meaning the new Cayenne now behaves like what a Porsche should be, combining classic Porsche sportscar handling and SUV ruggedness into one unique package and to supplement the improved dynamics of the new Cayenne are rear-axle steering, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, and three-chamber air suspension, most are programmed via 4D Chassis Control.
Under the hood, the new Cayenne is powered by a choice of a 3.0L V6 turbo for the base Cayenne, a 2.9L V6 Twin Turbo for the Cayenne S, and the 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine for the Cayenne Turbo which delivers 550HP of power and 770Nm of torque with 286 km/h of top speed, all mated with the more responsive eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox. The Turbo variant is the first SUV to feature a variable rear spoiler and an air brake.
The new Cayenne continues the tradition of past models, injecting Porsche DNA to its SUV ruggedness for the drivers who have everything or nothing.
Having my first word on the Cayenne, I always believed that it truly an exciting SUV to drive for almost any situations but it can be downright bothersome for Porsche enthusiasts, and here in FM7, it holds my word on it because it can be either exciting and bothersome at the same time not because of how heavy it is to be classified an SUV with sportscar DNA but also the looks of it. Still, this one is an improvement compared to the last Cayenne I drove in past installments. Also, I get to see how the SUV's first variable wing work in high speeds and it will make high-performance SUVs feeling jealous to think they don't have that kind of gimmick this new Cayenne had.
To find out just how good it is, I went to the one state in America that houses the so-called Philosophers' twin lairs, Virginia.
Specifically, the Virginia International Raceway, where on the weekends, you can take any car you want to the max while winding up with some R & R at the same time. The tricky corners, the straights, this place is the perfect opportunity to try out the new Cayenne and despite being lighter than its predecessor, I do get some understeering but the braking is so dramatic because it's got the first ever surface-coated brake which not only makes it last longer than other brakes but also works responsively to deliver the ideal stopping power. The new Cayenne balances the things that are right such as its improved dynamics and braking, with the things that are wrong such as understeering woes, and since Porsche believes that they made their SUV more potent than any other opposition, I've devised a little sparring partner to do the job.
Also in the Doritos Car Pack is this, the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, an SUV with some of Hellcat DNA on it, making it the most powerful 4WD SUV, pause, in the world. 707HP of power, 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 180mph. Enough said.
Here in Virginia International Raceway, the corners should favor the Cayenne nicely because despite being heavy, the Cayenne weighs less than the Trackhawk because of its improved dynamics that are tried and tested by Porsche standards, but on the straights, the Trackhawk has the upper hand because, like I said, this is the fastest SUV, pause, in the world, although someone already stripped the Trackhawk's title for that manner, but anyway, let's put that theory to the test with a lap round VIR. This will be a challenge between an SUV with Porsche DNA and an SUV with some Hellcat DNA on it. Roll the tape, please.
And now, the results...
Trackhawk - 2:21.145
Cayenne - 2:23.083
It was a shocking result but I still believe that the new Cayenne is the winner because even though it was outpaced by the Trackhawk in the straights, the handling is something you should not ignore and besides, the Trackhawk's kinda useless to race because the power output exceeds the class' homologation requirements, making the new Cayenne a clear winner to use in such class like this and that is the bottomline.
Korea's Trade Ministry has submitted its plan to renegotiate the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement to the National Assembly.
To come up with the plan, the Ministry for Trade, Industry, and Energy has conducted economic feasibility studies on the five-year-old deal and has gathered opinions from the agriculture and manufacturing sectors through two public hearings and 26 rounds of meetings. It covers the purpose and strategies for the renegotiations and the public hearing results.
The Trade Ministry added that it will protect the country's sensitive industries such as agriculture and livestock, and try to reach a mutually beneficial deal by touching on issues like services, investment, products' country of origin, and non-tariff measures.,
The move comes after the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. agreed to ramp up the process of amending the trade pact during their summit in Seoul last month.
- As Tropical Storm Urduja caused landslides in Eastern Visayas, killing 25 people and 26 unaccounted for, it made landfall over Taytay, Palawan Monday morning after dumping heavy rain that caused floods and landslides in Eastern Visayas. In a weather bulletin issued at 8:00 a.m., Pagasa said Urduja has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kilometers per hour.
- Last weekend, the Malacanang confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte will sign into law the 2018 national budget and the tax reform measure.
- The Bureau of Immigration has improved computers at immigration counters with a new biometrics-based system to keep fugitives and terrorists out. In a statement on Monday, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that international airports nationwide have been using the new Border Control Information System for two weeks now.
- The US government slams China over its ongoing development of islands in the disputed South China Sea. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US now has an active mechanism through which Washington and China can put complex issues on the table including the South China Sea row.
- The recent episode of The Simpsons pokes fun at Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation on the Russian interference at last year's elections that propelled Donald Trump to US Presidency. It even features a cartoon Trump shaking hands with President Rodrigo Duterte, a nod from last month's ASEAN summit.
- Chevrolet previews the fourth-generation Silverado at an event in Texas, featuring higher-grade allow in the roll-formed, high-strength-steel bed floor for added durability and lightness, as well as the offroad-focused Trailboss variant.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado
- Nissan recalls over 320,000 vehicles for fire hazard in Japan. This recall involves six models from the Japanese manufacturer, including the Serena as well as vans and MPVs built for Suzuki and Mitsubishi produced between February 2010 and September 2014.
- Return to Need For Speed Payback with the new Speedcross DLC pack featuring two new cars such as the MINI JCW Countryman and the Infiniti Q60 S as well as new speedcross challenges to take. The DLC arrives in stores December 19.
Known as the baby Golf in the lineup, the Polo is known to be the most accessible Volkswagen money can buy and being small, it does had some fair share among motorists elsewhere. With the arrival of the new, sixth-generation model, the new Polo tries to win the hearts of motorists in the midst of concerns Volkswagen's facing right now, with its new tech, new engine, and other features that makes it a class apart.
2018 Volkswagen Polo
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, because what you''re looking at here is the all-new Volkswagen Polo and for its sixth-generation, Volkswagen aims this new model to be the best Polo ever built having accumulated over 14 million units sold worldwide since the first one with its new design, new interior, new dynamics, and new packaging that makes it a class apart the rest.
Checking first on the exterior and at first glance, it borrows some styling cues from its big brother, the current-generation Golf, making it sharper looking than before, which is good, but on the back, they haven't bothered at all, which is similar to Suzuki's Baleno, having cars that are sharper up front but bland on the back. Also, it's available exclusively as a five-door only because three door hatchbacks are better off dead (except for some) and five doors are better looking than three doors.
2018 Volkswagen Polo interior
On the inside, it's not half bad to look at and in tune with today's trends, the new Polo is the first Volkswagen and the first Volkswagen Group model ever to offer this new generation of the Active Info Display, which is as vivid as the graphics from the video games donning the 4K era, and at the flick of the switch, the display changes course to suit your preference. Apart from the many gadgets you can toy around, especially the Beats Audio from the Beats variant of this car, the new Polo, being utilized by the Volkswagen Group's MQB-A0 platform, is surprisingly spacious for five people and amazingly, there's room at the back for some stuff you snagged from the estate sale from a neighborhood from far away.
2018 Volkswagen Polo
On a base Polo, you have a choice of efficient TSI (petrol), TGI (natural gas) and TDI (diesel) engines with the one with the most grunt is the one with the 1.5L TSi with 150PS of power output while the most efficient is the one with the 1.6 TDi with 3.7L/100km of fuel efficiency, although some people are better off without the diesel variant due to ongoing headlines surrounding Volkswagen right now. Either way, the new platform and the new chassis results to a much rewarding driving experience compared to the previous Polo. Not much exciting by hatchback standards but it's very accessible indeed to get the most out of it. Speaking of exciting...
2018 Volkswagen Polo GTi
If you think the normal Polo's not spicy enough to turn around, perhaps the new GTi might do the thing. Of course, the new Polo GTi gains electronic transverse differential lock for better handling with slightly less chances of understeer, which is good but what's under the hood might shock you. The old model had a twincharged 1.8L petrol engine but the new model dumped the supercharger, left it turbocharged and direct injected, and increase the size to 2.0L. Despite now being turbocharged only, the added size results to 200PS of power, which is slightly more than its predecessor and with the utterly dramatic 6-speed dual clutch gearbox, it does 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and onwards 237kph. That sounds quick but if you want to keep it fun, there's a 6-speed MT but you have to wait until next year, which is a shame for speedo boys so they'll have to make do with the DSG.
No matter the Polo, you will be greeted by a wide array of safety tech offered because Volkswagen wants to make it the smartest Polo ever made that will stand out the rest such as Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Traffic Alert, Driver Alert System, Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist area monitoring system, City Emergency Braking, Park Assist, and Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator. Some features are nice but some features, even for speedo boys going for the GTi variant, might drive them mad because it might control their driving experience, but that's the life of a high-tech compact car because you'll have plenty of reasons why you enjoy driving this car no matter the situation.
The all-new, sixth-generation Polo starts at 12,975 Euros plus on road costs, which sounds like fair value, and value aside, there are so many reasons to talk about the new Polo. While the design may not be somewhat a looker as well as the interior, the tech, performance, and packaging is what makes you interested to drive it and live it for everyday use and that is the bottomline.
