South Korea said it's pushing to reset high-level talks with North Korea and will communicate closely with Washington and Pyongyang to increase the chances of a successful summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on resolving the standoff over the North’s nuclear weapons.
The announcement by Seoul’s presidential National Security Council came a day after North Korea threatened to scrap next month’s historic meeting between Trump and Kim, saying it has no interest in a “one-sided” affair meant to pressure the North to abandon its nukes. The North also broke off a high-level meeting with South Korea to protest the U.S.-South Korean military exercises the North has long claimed are an invasion rehearsal.
The North’s surprise announcement seemed to cool what had been an unusual flurry of outreach from a country that last year conducted a provocative series of weapons tests that had many fearing the region was on the edge of war. Analysts said it’s unlikely that North Korea intends to scuttle all diplomacy. More likely, they said, is that it wants to gain leverage ahead of the talks between Kim and Trump, scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.
South Korea, which brokered the talks between Kim and Trump, will “closely mediate using multiple communication channels with the United States and with North Korea so that the North Korea-U.S. summit can proceed successfully,” said the NSC after a meeting chaired by Chung Eui-yong, the top security adviser of South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
The NSC also urged the North to faithfully abide by the agreements reached between Moon and Kim in their summit last month, where they issued a vague vow on the “complete denuclearization” of their peninsula and pledged permanent peace. Senior officials from the two Koreas were to sit down at a border village on Wednesday to discuss how to implement their leaders’ agreements to reduce military tensions along their heavily fortified border and improve overall ties before the North canceled the meeting.
Having Indy hangovers, I went back to the racing capital of the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and drive cars that possess the same potential as IndyCars of today. From Chevrolet side, I summoned the Corvette Z06, and on Honda/Acura side, I summoned the NSX. Both these sportscars possess some motorsport pedigree it delivers and while these cars are a direct representation of the past and the present, well, that's what I'm here to find out.
I am already familiar with the Corvette C7 Z06 since me and the car first met with some untapped impressions that got me away with it. Although it's now a middle child of the range, its supercharged V8 engine is too much to ignore as well as C7.R-inspired aerodynamics, making it a race car built for the road and track, a best for both worlds. True to my experience, the Corvette C7 Z06 is the kind of car you won't get out until you're fully satisfied with its performance but even if you're happy with it, you still want to keep driving with this Corvette for more.
As a representation of today's world, the NSX hybrid supercar is a very clever masterpiece that shouldn't be overlooked upon. Although it's not as fast as its Euro rivals but such performance and intelligence really made this hybrid worth enjoyable to drive non-stop and while this is all's fair in love and war, the NSX is all about shuffling drivers with its own whim of stroke. Like the original, the NSX really is the king of Hondas, leaving the Civic Type R its own prince and such hierarchy is what made Honda a favorite among speedo boys worldwide.
Chevrolet and Honda have always been longtime rivals in the world of IndyCar, the two opposite sides of the same coin, a little reminiscent of the time the Japanese blown Pearl Harbor and start the war and ended with the Americans dropped a big bomb to Hiroshima. With its road-going equivalents deployed, the American-Japanese rivalry rages on the track and like all good IndyCar drivers, it's not just about impressing their bosses after the race, it's about how good a Chevy or Honda-powered one can do and for the Corvette and the NSX, we're now on a different kind of ballgame.
Ball game aside, it's time to see with the help of these road-going equivalents, it's time to see how the rivalry between Chevrolet and Honda payed off with a quick lap round the GP portion of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Time to show the world how these cars can do and which one packs the hardest bite out of their Indy jaws.
With their laps done, it's time to see the results...
C7 Z06 - 1:35.064
NSX NC1 - 1:35.831
By such result, seems that the gap between the past and the present are a .8 of a second apart and because this is an American motorsport, Chevrolet packs the biggest bite than Honda. Homegrown advantage, huh? I'm not surprised by this. I mean come on, this new NSX is made in the USA but in the end, the American has beaten the Asian-American by such margin. Man, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble for this.
The Corvette and the NSX are representatives of longtime rivals in the world of IndyCar and no matter the result, this different kind of American-Japanese war will go on and with a plethora of world-class drivers in store, choosing the side between the Americans and the Japanese is all about playing Game of the Generals.
Of course, I still had my Indy hangovers after this run but like all good heroes and icons, I'll be back and looks like I'll be bringing my snacks for the biggest race ever to happened in the final week of this month. Are you excited for Indy 500? Me too.
The United States said it was moving ahead with preparations for a much-anticipated summit next month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, after Pyongyang appeared to cast doubt over the event.
“We will continue to plan the meeting,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters, adding that Washington had received “no notification” of a position change by North Korea.
“We have not heard anything from that government or the government of South Korea to indicate we would not continue conducting these exercises or would not continue planning for our meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un next month.”
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that Pyongyang had called the June 12 summit into question over the “Max Thunder” joint military exercises between the US and the South.
The US will “have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned North Korea-US summit in light of this provocative military ruckus,” Yonhap quoted the North’s official news agency KCNA as saying.
Nauert denied that the exercises were provocative, saying: “Kim Jong Un has said he understands the importance to the United States that we conduct these joint exercises. They continue to go on.”
The annual Max Thunder air exercises are running from May 14-25.
The Pentagon said the drills enhance the US-Korean alliance’s ability to defend South Korea and boost interoperability and readiness between the two militaries.
“While we will not discuss specifics, the defensive nature of these combined exercises has been clear for many decades and has not changed,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
- Self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa said whatever he said in the Senate cannot be used against him in the absence of any other evidence. With that, Espinosa asked the Department of Justice to dismiss the drug complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit against him and his co-respondents who include alleged drug lord Peter Lim.
- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources seeks to establish officers in every tourist destination to effectively restore, preserve and protect the country’s rich environment and vast natural resources. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu cited as an example the establishment of a DENR office in Boracay that will handle the environmental concerns in the island.
- The FDA advised the public not to buy specific products of Belgian beer Stella Artois because some might contain fragments of glass. In an advisory, the FDA stated that specific batches of 330-milliliter bottles of Stella Artois beer are being recalled by its manufacturer due to the possibility that it may contain “small glass particles that may have leaked from the bottles.”
- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ended a hiring freeze that contributed to the unpopularity of his dismissed predecessor. Pompeo sent a message announcing the decision to his staff, with whom he was set to hold a closed-door meeting Wednesday.
- Ecuador spent millions on a spy ops to defend Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in its central London embassy, employing an international security company and undercover agents to monitor his visitors, embassy staff and even the British police, according to reports.
- Jailed Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim has now pardoned and walked out of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur just a week after his alliance scored a shock victory in a general election.
- The Trump administration is preparing to shelter children of deported illegal immigrants in military bases. Under family separation rules, parents go to immigrant jails, children to foster care.
- BMW to unveil the 8-Series on the 15th of June, the day before Le Mans.
- Audi teases the upcoming Q8 crossover before next month's premiere.
- Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa is now joining the Venturi Formula E team for next season.
- Actress Yasmien Kurdi surprises her husband with a brand new car on his birthday.
- Christian Pasno, the former TVK Season 2 semifinalist, was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Like all good samurais in the pasts, even a hi-powered JDM car must respect the way of the Bushido and they live to fight for their honor and dignity, no matter how rough it can be. What I have here today are two of the most high-powered sportscars ever to emerged from the Land of the Rising Sun.
These are the cars in question; the V8-powered Lexus RC F and the hardcore Nissan GT-R NISMO, and today in GT SPORT, I'm going to drive them both to see which one has that Bushido feeling. But first, let's begin with Godzilla.
When I first tried the GT-R NISMO in the previous installment, I have strong belief that it's ready to take on the world because it is the pride of Nissan. However, due to the advancement of today's sportscars, feels like its days are numbered. Now, the GT-R NISMO's back in its updated version and although its 600PS VR38DETT V6 Twin Turbo engine remains unchanged, it now features turbines sourced from its GT3 racing machine as well as other improvements to make it more responsive and apart from the engine, it has structural adhesives to make it more tougher. Plus, the addition of a rear wing and a front under spoiler and bumper with canard shaped fins allows this car to produce more downforce than the standard GT-R at high speeds. There's so much more to explain about the improved version of the GT-R NISMO but let's leave it here.
Like a Family Guy joke, the RC F is basically a mirage when you see cars like the BMW M4 because it's easy to be ridiculed by such performance. That said, while it has more than the M4, the RC F cannot possibly outgun the M4 in such purposes because while the M4's turbocharged, the RC F is stuck with the old-fashioned, naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 engine mated to an 8-speed AT. It maybe as old-school as an 80's rock band and it maybe as terrifying to handle as an American muscle car but for purity, it almost never fails to impress drivers looking for such a sportscar that tickle their fancies. Yes, the 8-speed AT is a bit of an issue but it's still a purist's Lexus by a long shot and while it was not made to make fast lap times, the RC F is all about bringing smiles to drivers setting foot on it. Such honorable it is but now it's time to check how are these cars are doing with a trip round Tsukuba.
In true F spirit, the RC F really is out of character for a Lexus and while all good Lexuses are made for trips to the country club, this isn't because the RC F is all about brute force only a brave young man can handle due to its dynamic character it possesses. When you try to squeeze this car round the corner, that ferocious firepower really kicks the drivers hard like drinking a whole bottle of Red Horse Beer. It really is like Visual Kei with a dab of Heavy Metal and although unforgiving, it's worth addicting to drive.
The GT-R NISMO maybe as serious as a stern Dietman but as an all-rounder that was made to set fast laps, it takes a little effort to push its pace to get the most out of this hardcore GT-R. Although fast on the straights, it sometimes has the tendency to understeer, even with the traction control off, but it takes time to getting used to its mild and tangy dynamics.
Anyway, after some sighting laps, I decided to find out which one is the best with some proper timed laps and with that, roll the tape.
And now, the results...
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GT-R NISMO - 1:03:630
RC F - 1:06.817
A near three-second gap showcases a clear difference between a serious car that is serious enough to do quick laps and a bewildering car that wants to enslave the driver to have some more until they had enough and the serious one wins, although I had high respects about the RC F enslaving drivers to never stop driving until it calls it quits.
Cars like these do live with the code of honor and like the way of the samurai, the GT-R NISMO and the RC F never lost their Bushido ways but after a trip to Tsukuba, turns out that Godzilla has the Bushido it deserves because it really is one of the most respected cars of all time. Sure, the GT-R is now on its twilight years but as long as this car keeps on fighting, it will keep on fighting until its last drop of petrol.
I believe most of you live by the code of honor so you better keep playing GT SPORT some more and by the time you're back for more Sport Mode, let's see how much Bushido coursing within you. If you live by the code of honor like the way of the samurai, prove it. See you again.
Satellite photos indicate North Korea has begun dismantling its nuclear test site ahead of a historic summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, according to a US monitor.
In a move welcomed by Washington and Seoul, North Korea said at the weekend it will “completely” destroy the Punggye-ri test site, in a ceremony scheduled between May 23-25 in front of invited foreign media.
But no observers from international atomic monitoring agencies have been invited, raising concerns over the openness of the process.
Punggye-ri, in the northeast of the country, has been the site of all six of the North’s nuclear tests, the latest and by far the most powerful in September last year, which Pyongyang said was an H-bomb.
North Korea pledged to close the testing ground after Kim last month declared the country’s nuclear force complete and said it had no further need for the complex.
- President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to 'to erase the suspicion' from his candidate-friends on whether he voted for them in yesterday's barangay elections. The President said he skipped the elections for "purely political" reasons.
- Bernadette Romulo yesterday has sworn in as the new Department of Tourism Secretary. Prior to her appointment in the position, Puyat was an Undersecretary for Administration, Agribusiness and Marketing, and Regional Engagement since July 2017 at the Department of Agriculture. She also served as an Undersecretary for Special Concerns at the Agriculture Department during the Aquino administration.
- The Philippine government temporarily lifted the deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait following a landmark labor protection signed between the two countries. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced that around 20,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers are now allowed to travel to Kuwait amid the normalizing ties with the Gulf state.
- Amid violence in Gaza, the US Embassy in Jerusalem has been opened on Monday afternoon, fueling global concern that U.S. policies are tipping the broader Middle East into deeper, intractable conflict. The embassy move, which Trump hailed a “great day” for Israel even as dozens of Palestinians were killed in Gaza, damaged Washington’s stature as a mediator between those parties. And it’s but the latest in a series of U.S. decisions that may have set off a domino effect of unpredictable consequences.
- The Facebook scandal has laid bare the urgency of protecting personal information in a digital “jungle,” the EU’s justice minister said before new European data rules become law.
- A former New York nanny was sentenced to life behind bars Monday for murdering two young children in her care five years ago in a case that tormented parents worldwide. Yoselyn Ortega, 56, killed six-year-old Lucia and two-year-old Leo with a kitchen knife in the bathroom of their affluent Upper West Side apartment on October 25, 2012.
- The new Honda Civic Type R has crushed the Magny-Cours GP Circuit's front-wheel drive record in 2:01.51.
- Bethesda announced Rage 2, the long-awaited sequel to the hit first-person post-apocalyptic open-world shooter game. Now developed by the studio behind the 2015 Mad Max game, the sequel will soon be released on the PlayStation4, XBOX One, and PC.
