THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: National Assembly holds final plenary session

In the last opportunity to handle legislative affairs in the February extraordinary session, the National Assembly managed to get dozens of pending bills off its plate. One of them is aimed at reducing Korea's notoriously long working hours to 52 hours a week -- in the hope that will improve labor productivity and overall quality of life.

There had been concerns that the session could be put to hold -- as rival parties were deadlocked over the controversial visit by General Kim Yong-choi.

But the plenary session was able to go on as scheduled after rival parties agreed to hold a parliamentary questions session to grill top government officials on the matter -- a continued demand of the opposition parties.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 1, 2018)

- A utility worker of the Philippine National Police died a few months after being administered with the anti-dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia. According to the PNP General Hospital, the 20-year-old utility worker was given the shot in December last year in Camp Crame. A few days later he spoke of feeling muscle pain and sore throat.

- Any potential deals between Manila and Beijing on energy exploration in the South China Sea should be agreed with a company and not the Chinese government, according to the presidential spokesperson. China claims most of the South China Sea, a key route in global trade and resource-rich territory whose parts are subject to competing claims with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

- Survivors of the second-deadliest US public school shooting brought to tears by empty seats and missing friends at roll call as they returned to their Florida high school two weeks after 17 students and teachers were killed there. Upon emerging from a half-day of classes intended to ease their return after the tragedy, some of the roughly 3,000 teens who attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, described their emotional day.

- Mexico's economy minister met with top US trade officials through the latest push to renegotiate the NAFTA trade deal, as concerns about steel added to trade tensions between the two countries.

- McLaren Special Operations made a carbon themed masterpiece based on the recently unveiled but sold-out Senna flagship hypercar.

McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by MSO

- Fiat will present a special 124 GT Abarth at the Geneva Motor Show this month, featuring OZ rims and a carbon top.'

Fiat 124 GT Abarth

- The 2013 dystopic action thriller flick Snowpiercer gets a TV show adaptation with Graeme Manson, co-creator of Orphan Black, as the showrunner.

- Actress Gemma Chan lands a villain role in the upcoming film adaptation of Captain Marvel.

- One shot, one kill. The femme fatale assassin from Overwatch, Widowmaker, gets her own figma and it's available to order. This figma arrives this December.

figma Widowmaker

TTFN!!!

Heavenly Visitor

The closing theme song of the IDOLISH7 anime is something you wouldn't want in your I7 playlist, unless if you are a few who are fans of the rival idol trio consisting of Tenn Kujo, Gaku Yaotome, and Ryunosuke Tsunashi, better known to you and I as TRIGGER.

Heavenly Visitor

The IDOLISH 7 anime series' closing theme song is called Heavenly Visitor and if you're a TRIGGER fan, you got what's coming for you because this is the complete version of the closing theme song and looks like you'll be allured by the powerful and dark lyrics this closing theme song possess and if that wasn't enough, the TRIGGER boys added a new song in this single. Don't ask but good luck listening to it.

Keep watching IDOLISH7 for more of whatever sinister steps the TRIGGER trio are plotting against the IDOLISH7 boys.

TRACK LISTINGS:

1) Heavenly Visitor

2) DIAMOND FUSION

3) Heavenly Visitor (Off Vocal)

4) DIAMOND FUSION (Off Vocal)

THE IDOLM@STER MILLION THE@TER GENERATION 05 Yasou Reijou -GRAC&E NOCTURNE-

Busy playing with the THE IDOLM@STER Million Live Theater Days app game lately? Better pause for a while because the fifth installment of the MILLION THE@TER GENERATION lineup has arrived and this installment is all rosy and gothic and dark indeed.

THE IDOLM@STER MILLION THE@TER GENERATION
05 Yasou Reijou -GRAC&E NOCTURNE-

The stars of this MILLION THE@TER GENERATION installment are  Tomoka Tenkubashi (CV: Kotori Koiwai), Megumi Tokoro (CV: Yukiyo Fujii), Chizuru Nikaido (CV: Kanako Nomura), Rio Momose (CV: Rikako Yamaguchi), better known as Yasou Reijou -GRAC&E NOCTURNE-, and they are welcoming fans with two powerful new songs such as 昏き星、遠い月 and Everlasting, plus some drama parts that will show everyone just how rosy and gothic and dark the Yasou Reijou are.

For limited quantities, this CD will grant you a chance to either take part of the Million Live 5th live or the upcoming launch event of the upcoming M@STER SPARKLE installment coming next month.

Enjoy listening to this latest addition to the range and be sure to keep playing THE IDOLM@STER Million Live Theater Days for more!

Let's Do The News! (February 28, 2018)

- Former president Benigno Aquino III, Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, and two more high ranking officials of the Judicial and Bar Council are facing graft charges at the Office of the Ombudsman. The said case stemmed from Sereno’s appointment as Chief Justice amid her submitted questionable documents including her Statement of Asset and Liabilities and Networth, and her failed psychiatric test.

- The Armed Forces of the Philippines denies rumors of destabilization against the Duterte administration.

- The Philippines is open to United Nations' investigation to the Duterte administration's brutal war on drugs as long as its not conducted by their special rapporteur. Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, a lawyer, said the Philippines welcomed any investigation provided that the United Nations sends a “credible, objective and unbiased” rapporteur, who is also “an authority in the field that they seek to investigate”.

- With FCC Chairman Ajit Pai submitted the controversial Restore Internet Freedom Order to the Federal Register, the whole of America began their #OneMoreVote day of action where they want one more senator to overturn the controversial anti-Net Neutrality decision. To date, half of the US Senate approved plans to derail the FCC's decision.

- Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, has lost access to the most valued US intelligence report, according to reports. Kushner, who has been operating under an interim security clearance for about a year, had his access to the highly classified briefing cut off in the past few weeks, said the sources.

- 20 people are killed when a M7.5 quake rattled the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Officials state that whole villages were flattened and water sources are spoiled by the powerful quake yesterday.

- US trade officials met with auto industry executives as talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement try to make progress on a major sticking point around vehicle production. The U.S. negotiator handling ‘rules of origin’ for automobiles, Jason Bernstein, unexpectedly returned to Washington for consultations soon after the seventh round of NAFTA talks between the United States, Mexico and Canada began in Mexico City on Sunday.

- NBC Comcast has offered $31 billion for Sky Plc, threatening a plan hatched by FOX and Disney to seize control of Europe's biggest pay-TV group. The world’s biggest entertainment company and owner of NBC and Universal Pictures said on Tuesday it proposed to offer 12.50 pounds per share for Britain’s Sky, more than the 10.75 pounds that Murdoch’s Fox has agreed to pay for it.

- Numerous cities across Germany are pushing a ban against older diesel vehicles from some areas as the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig said the cities of Stuttgart and Duesseldorf could legally ban older, and therefore more polluting, diesel cars from zones worst affected by pollution. The ruling came after German states appealed against bans imposed by local courts in Stuttgart and Duesseldorf.

- The Audi A6 C8 was unveiled, featuring new driver assist tech, new mild hybrid tech, and new drivetrain.

2019 Audi A6

- Kiratto PriChan will air on TV Tokyo this Sunday, April 8th at 1000 JST. In addition, it's set to appear in the upcoming Pretty series crossover film, PriPara & Kiratto PriChan ~Kira Kira Memorial Live~, showing this May 5th.

- Takara Tomy announced some new merchandise from the Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card TV series! First up, the brand new Dream Wand toy set which not only features the Dream Wand toy but also five Clear Cards (Gale, Siege, Aqua, Reflect, and Flight). The Dream Wand toy features fifty dialogues and it can interact with different Clear Cards. The set arrives in April starting at 8,500 Japanese yen (plus tax and delivery). Also, keep an eye for the Trading Card Set which comes with two starter packs each costing 1,500 Yen; the Sakura set and the Syaoran set. A booster pack costs 300 yen and one of them is packing a rare card illustrated by CLAMP. There's more! There's also a Fortune Card set for 3,500 Yen, a 2,000 Yen Kero-chan plush you can clip into your shoulder, and more!

- The February update for the PS4-exclusive GT SPORT is now live, featuring the new Infield layout of the Blue Moon Bay track and twelve new vehicles including the F1500T-A race car, the all-new Alpine A110, and more, among many others.

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: US representative for North Korea steps down

The US special representative for North Korea policy, Joseph Yun, says he will step down at the end of this week.

He said the decision is entirely his own, but the time comes at a surprising moment as South Korea recently relayed that North Korea is willing to reopen talks with the United States.

His departure will leave the Trump administration without an envoy for engaging North Korea or an ambassador in Seoul.

Yun is retiring after over three decades of service.

Source: Arirang News

Kia All-New K3 (BD)

Having showcased to the world stage at last January's NAIAS, Kia's all-new K3 (known to the world as either a Cerato or a Forte) has arrived and it's going to be a game changer in the medium sedan category where Corollas and Civics are too good to be cool. So, how's the full model change work well in today's automotive landscape? Well, let's find out.

2019 Kia K3

2019 Kia K3

Kia states that the all-new K3 draws inspiration from our favorite sports saloon, the Stinger, but to my mind, this new model is both alluring and perplexing at the same time. Although the front view looks very surprising at first, the rear view can be easily confused to the Audi A3 sedan but so what, you can tell that to the boss who used to work at Audi. Either way, the new K3's design is not half bad for medium sedan standards and when you see one stopping by your home subdivision, you are really taking chances on how nice this car looks.

2019 Kia K3 interior

On the inside, the new K3 still works like every other car in the world should be and if you go for some expensive variants, you'll have some stuff to toy around with before setting off such as this touch screen sat nav that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB ports, wireless charging station, KRELL Premium Sound with 8-speaker, and many more. While the interior is not pretty bad to make most off, the boot can take up to 502L liters of cargo and that's enough space to put today's stuff you bought from your nearest thrift shop or garage sale you saw in the classifieds.

2019 Kia K3

Now, we get to know about the performance of the new K3 and this is the time you should pay attention because what you will about to witness can be refreshing and revolting at the same time because the new K3 is the first Kia to introduce the all-new SmartStream G1.6 engine which comes with Dual Port Fuel Injection System and Integral Thermal Management System, and it's mated to an all new SmartStream Intelligent Variable Transmission or IVT which is, annoyingly, a CVT that behaves differently because it uses adaptive style shift logic with a chain-type belt instead of push belt, a first in the compact class. Not only that, the IVT is even quieter than conventional CVTs and as a result, it has a fuel economy of 15.2km/L. Not quite as efficient as most Japanese compacts but it's worth the trip to your nearest points of interests for almost a week, although it can be somewhat as unpleasing to live with like your dad's Civic that has a CVT on it that he got as a birthday present from last year.

Let's not forget, to keep the new K3 smooth on today's traffic, it's been given with numerous safety features such as Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Smart Cruise Control, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, and High Beam Assist, among many others.

The all-new K3 from Kia starts at 15,900,000 Korean Won which is still one of the most reasonably priced cars on the market today. So, how do I sum this up? First, while the K3 excels on its value for money, good looks, tech, and space, it's not very pleasing on the performance stakes because although they did a good job on fuel efficiency, the IVT really spoils the new K3's fun factor and that is the bottom line. Love it or hate it, you'd be the judge for that.

Available colors: Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Aurora Black Pearl, Gravity Blue, Platinum Graphite, Runway Red, Horizon Blue, and Steel Grey.

Photo: Kia Motors