Let's Do The News! (January 18, 2016)

- Economic sanctions against Iran has finally been lifted after the country has successfully finished the necessary steps to restrict its nuclear program. This historic deal was welcomes by the parties involved in the deal and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani was praised by such move. US President Barack Obama states that they've achieved this historic progress through diplomacy without causing much tension in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the US imposed new sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals linked to the missile programme from using the US banking sections.

- Turkish prosecutors have decided to hold 10 Syrian members of the Islamic State in custody in connection to the bombing at downtown Istanbul last week. The ten among the 16 men have been questioned over possible links to Nabil Fadli, an ISIL member from Syria. Fadli is a suspect behind the suicide attack near a heritage site, killing 10 German tourists.

- Indonesian prosecutors told that the guns used in last week's Jakarta attacks were sourced from the Philippines. Last week, a group of attackers belonged to the group calling itself a branch of ISIL bombed parts of Jakarta, killing four people and injuring 26 others. So far, 12 suspects have been arrested. Police are investigating whether the attackers have linked to the Abu Sayyaf group.

- The Commission of Elections has denied Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's motion for inhibition of Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon from disqualification cases against him due to lack of merit. The order came out after Duterte's camp filed a motion for inhibition before the COMELEC last week.

- The Senate and the House of Representatives only got nine days left to approve the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law before they go on the adjournment again on the 6th of February for the election campaign. The House is expected to start making amendments to the draft while the Senate is still in the period of floor debates.

- According to the Department of Transportation and Communications, one of the new MRT-3 train will be arriving at the end of the first quarter of this year. The DOTC recently conducted tests on the second MRT light rail vehicle delivered from China, which arrived last month. The DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said that if the evaluation is successful, they might expect another train to arrive this year. 48 new coaches are expected to arrive as part of the MRT-3 capacity expansion project.

- In an effort to ease the ban from the Olympics and other international competitions, the All-Russia Athletic Federation chose Dmitry Shlyakhtin as the new leader of the athletics federation at a meeting in Moscow on Saturday. Last November, the International Association of Athletics Federations suspended Russia after a report by the anti-doping body alleged there was a vast systematic doping operation.

- At the final day of the 2016 Dakar Rally, KTM biker Toby Price named as the winner, marking it the first Australian to win the Dakar in the two-wheel category. As for the four-wheel offroaders, Stephane Peterhansel for Peugeot snagged his 12th Dakar win. Marcos Patronelli win the quad category while Gerard de Rooy won the truck category.

- For the first time, the Subaru Levorg will be joining the ranks of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship as the choice for the BMR BTCC Racing Team to be driven by four drivers including Jason Plato and Colin Turkington.

Subaru Levorg joins the BTCC

- Azumi Asakura and Yumi Hara, who played Yukiho and Takane from THE IDOLM@STER, as well as Rei Matsuzaki and Hiromi Igarashi, who played Kirari and Anzu from THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, will be making an appearance at the C3 Hong Kong event on the 20th of February for a special talk and live stage.

TTFN!!!