THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Gov't proposal seeks to promote human rights of all people

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said on Tuesday the government proposal for a constitutional revision seeks to promote and enhance the basic human rights of all people in the country, instead of just Korean citizens.

Cho Kuk, the top aide to President Moon Jae-in for civil affairs, said considering the level of human rights the international community expects from them and over two million foreign residents in their society, there is a need to expand the subject of basic human rights to people from citizens.

Such changes are included in the government-proposed constitutional revision, which Cheong Wa Dae has said will be submitted to the National Assembly early next week. The proposed bill must first go through a parilamentary bote before it can be put to a national referendum.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 20, 2018)

- Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he is ready to be crucified after admitting they were at fault why the Department of Justice dismissed a drug charge against high-profile personalities. The country’s top cop was referring to the case filed by the PNP-Crime Investigation and Detection Group against self-confessed drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr., Peter Lim and about 20 others which was dismissed by the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service. Prosecutors said the case was lacking in evidence in convicting the accused persons.

- The Philippines is ranked 2nd unfriendly nation for startup businesses among 12 major economies in Asia-Pacific region. In response, Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Tuesday renewed his call for the passage of a measure strengthening support for Filipino entrepreneurs, especially those in start-up businesses.

- The National Bureau of Investigation has been tasked to probe the fire at the Manila Pavilion Hotel that killed five people. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II issued Department Order No. 160 dated March 19 which gave the directive to have the fire incident probed.

- Melania Trump, the First Lady of US President Donald Trump, is hosting executives from major online and social media companies to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety, over a year after saying that would be her issue. Meanwhile, more Republicans recommend the US President to lay off his escalating criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation but they are taking no action to protect Mueller.

- 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult are facing death penalty soon for orchestrating the deadly 1995 gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and other crimes. 23 years have passed since the cult released sarin gas inside subway cars, killing 13 people. Cult leader Shoko Asahara and a dozen followers have been sentenced to death for that and other crimes that killed 27 in all.

- Filipino fast food giant Jollibee opened their first European branch in Milan, Italy.

- The second-generation Kia K9 was unveiled and set to be on sale on the Korean market this April 3rd.

2019 Kia K9

- A self-driving Uber vehicle killed a 49-year-old woman as she walked her bicycle across a street in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday night. Uber, which is conducting autonomous vehicle tests in Arizona, Pittsburgh, Toronto and other areas, said it has stopped testing the vehicles throughout North America after the fatal crash.

- Formula E World Champion Lucas di Grassi got fined for inappropriate underwear following his misfits post-Punta del Este ePrix last weekend.

- A new City Hunter anime film is coming this Spring 2019 and it will be animated by Sunrise.

TTFN!!!

Third-generation Kia Carnival (YP) - 2019 minor change

Kia's third-generation Carnival (Sedona) minivan has been on the road for about four years now and although not fit for today's neighborhood full of pointless midsize crossovers, it remains an important charm point for an ever-growing Korean families who want to take them on different places like their grandma's house, a swimming pool with their relatives, family meets, debuts, proms, and so much more. With the 2019 minor change, there's so much to like about the family minivan that keeps collecting good memories for today's families.

2019 Kia Carnival

For its 2019 minor change, the new Carnival features a slightly revised styling and added tech while retaining the performance matched for today's lifestyles. Let's take a look on the exterior first and this minor change can be easily spotted with its new front lamps, new front grille, new front bumper, and new rear lamps. On the inside, the slightest change is the layout of the gear lever and there's now the annoying automatic emergency brake that your titos will find it annoying to use rather than conventional handbrakes. Also, there's now the addition of a wireless charging station for added convenience. Also, the sat-nav's improved with UVO 3.0 and then the sliding doors can be opened at the push of a button.

2019 Kia Carnival interior

2019 Kia Carnival interior

2019 Kia Carnival interior

The 2019MY Carnival still retains the choice of a 9-seater, an 11-seater, and a 7-seater with luxurious second-row seats in the Limousine variant, which is made to rival the likes of the Toyota Alphard and the Honda Odyssey.

The choice of engines remain the same too; there's the R 2.2 E-VGT diesel engine with 202PS of power, 45kg-m of torque, and combined fuel efficiency of 11.3km/L, and then the more powerful Lambda II 3.3L GDi engine with 280PS of power, 34.3kg-m of torque, and 8.2km/L of combined fuel consumption, all mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which is an improvement compared to the pre-facelifted model.

For 2019, Smart Cruise Control is now added to the list of safety tech alongside others such as Backward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Assit, Emergency Stop Signal, High Beam Assist, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and Surround View Monitor, among many others.

The 2019 minor change Kia Carnival now starts at just 28,800,000 Korean Won ($27,000 or 1.4018 million Php).

Available colors: Snow White Pearl, Black Berry, Aurora Black Pearl, Silky Silver, and Panthera Metal.

Photo: Kia Motors

Ferrari Portofino

Almost a decade ago, Ferrari introduced us the California and while as not as mad as their most powerful siblings, the lesser child of the Ferrari stable feels as good as a luxury car and with the purpose of grand touring in mind, not only it feels comfortable on a trip round Italy but also good on track day use and it's the best of both worlds. Now though, Ferrari replaced the not-so-bad California with this...

2018 Ferrari Portofino

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It's called the Portofino and it costs 189,704 Euros, which sounds like a lot for Ferrari's newest grand tourer that is more on comfort rather than handling, although while it was made for comfortable driving, it still behaves like a proper Ferrari even when there are some things went wrong with it.

First off, there's the engine and in Ferrari's newest open-top grand tourer, it's got the same 3.9L V8 engine from the Ferrari 488, producing 600PS of power output and 700Nm of torque (760 if you let loose with the new Variable Boost Management feature). When mated to a Formula 1-derived 7-speed double clutch gearbox, which is good on supercars like the 812 and the 488 but not in here, it does 0-100kph in 3.5 seconds and onwards to over 320mph, which in car maths, that's one less than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat but unlike that muscle car I'd just mentioned, the Portofino isn't made to annoy drivers with its showboating crazines because it's a bit more than that.

2018 Ferrari Portofino interior

Like I was saying, while the Portofino is all about comfort at every angles, the suspension setup is very high tech indeed like every Ferrari should. The springs are stiffer than ever and it now comes with the next-generation magnetorheological damping system which promises to be as dynamic as a ribbon gymnast doing art in motion. Now that really is performance art when you experience the Portofino firsthand and in addition to its new electronic rear differential and F1-Trac traction control, you can really tell how much the Portofino has improved compared to its California predecessor. However, there is a major problem with this one and it's the Electronic Power Steering. Yes, speedo boys, the Portofino is the first time a Ferrari comes with Electronic Power Steering and you better get ready because when you trying to handle a corner like a hooligan, this thing will result to understeering issues and it's hard to get a perfect turn with this kind of steering unless you find a way to tick it off in the same way you did with the BMW M4, although it's a bit more complicating than that hot Bimmer I mentioned.

Although not a great idea to use the Portofino on track days unless you want to but on a weekend drive at the Amalfi, the Portofino really shines as a cruising machine without the bruising drama and because of such reworking on the inside components of the Portofino, especially the electronics and the engine, it weighs 80kg less than the California T, so therefore, it's even more lively to drive as well. How very interesting. While the inside remains as complicated as every Ferrari be, the retractable hardtop is reworked and it can be opened or closed in just 14 seconds even at cruising speeds.

So, how can I sum this car up? Well, what I love about the Portofino is the design, the comfort that every grand tourer should have, the dynamics, and the engine that doesn't have the guilty pleasure of being too artificial in its own right but what I don't is the complicating interior layout, the pricing, and of course, the electric power steering. While this is mainly the successor to the California, the Portofino is a double-edged sword that can be a blessing and a curse when stacked up against grand tourers of today and because being a Ferrari, it wants to take them all out in a game of Top Trumps which is easy to win in Ferrari's case, I believe.

Photo: Ferrari

2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Auto Club 400

The NASCAR Goes West event concludes in Fontana's Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 400 and the Wild Wild West showdown of the best and wildest NASCAR drivers conclude with the wildest moment to remember for fans of America's favorite motorsport pastime.

Here's what happened so far; in Lap 37, Kevin Harvick skidded himself out after a collision course with Kyle Larson. In Lap 108, with two laps to go, the #6 car is facing problems and collided with the wall.

Martin Truex Jr., last year's champion, wins the Auto Club 400. His first win of the season. Then, it was followed by second placer Kyle Larson, and third placer Kyle Busch.

Next race is on Martinsville Speedway for the STP 500 this Palm Sunday, March 25th.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea, US, Japan security advisors held talks

The top security advisors of Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo met over the weekend in the US to discuss the upcoming talks with North Korea, according to a Blue House official.

Chung Eui-yong, Seoul;s national security advisor, went to the US on Saturday and held a closed door meeting with his US and Japanese counterparts, McMaster and Shotaro Yachi, They were said to have discussed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and also coordinate efforts in preparing for the landmark inter-Korean summit next month, and the US-North Korea summit in May.

The spokesperson said the three advisors also agreed to, quote, "not repeat their past failures.: It is already the second time Chung has visited the US since he acted as a special envoy and met with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in Pyongyang earlier this month.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 19, 2018)

- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday called for other signatories of the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court to join his country in withdrawing from the treaty. Duterte’s comments during a speech to graduating cadets at the Philippine Military Academy in northern Philippines comes after ICC prosecutors last month opened a preliminary examination into the president’s “war on drugs”, which has led to the death of thousands since it began in July 2016.

- PISTON holds another Transport Strike against the government's plan to scrap old jeepneys. Several schools and local government units nationwide have suspended works and classes Monday due to the transport strike. Cities in Metro Manila have also deployed vehicles to assist commuters affected by the transport strike.

- The death toll at the Manila Pavillon Hotel fire is now five. Yesterday, a fire broke out at the hotel and later put out on Monday morning.

- The Department of Justice has issued a subpoena against former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Butch Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin over the Dengvaxia scandal.

- Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe was fired by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last weekend, prompting McCabe to say he was targeted for being a witness into whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct the probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

- Mazda announced their entry to the joint-venture project with Elity Power and Ube Industries to develop 12-volt li-ion starter batteries, which will serve as replacement for lead-acid starter batteries in cars and targeting a 2021 timeframe.

- Gandys collaborated with McLaren to make footwear inspired by the F1's halo cockpit. The news comes following their sponsorship.

- At last night's Binibining Pilipinas pageant, Catriona Gray is named Miss Universe-Philippines 2018. Alongside her, Ma. Ahtisa Manalo is named Bb. Pilipinas-International, Jehza Huela as Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational, Karen Gallman as Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental, Eva Patalinjug as Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International, and Michele Gumabao as Bb. Pilipinas-Globe. All six Filipina beauties will represent the Philippines this year in series of global pageants.

TTFN!!!