Let's Do The News! (January 4, 2018)

- President Rodrigo Duterte has sacked Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro III due to excessive foreign trips taken in past years. Amaro's firing comes less than a month after Presidential Commission on Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon and his fellow commissioners were terminated for going on junkets and for not meeting regularly.

- According to the Department of Justice, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army have engaged terrorist acts in various provinces all over the country. Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, head of the panel tasked to move for the declaration of CPP-NPA as a terrorist group, said the government has gathered documents and evidence showing offensives committed by the communist group that could be classified as terrorist acts under Republic Act No. 9372.

- The Commission of Elections believe that the imminent shift to federalism should not affect right to vote. Since yesterday, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez warned of a possible cancellation of the 2019 midterm elections as a transition government would needed if the shift to federalism would be approved by May this year. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said that the May 2019 elections would have to push through unless the 1987 Constitution is amended.

- A powerful winter storm dealt a chilly blow to the Southeastern United States on Wednesday as Floridians marveled at the rare sight of snow and officials warned of icy roads and dangerously low temperatures. Known as "bomb cyclone" because of sudden drop in atmospheric pressure, it prompted flight cancellations up and down the East Coast and forced dozens of school districts to cancel or delay classes along the path of the storm, including New York City schools.

- US President Donald Trump has disbanded the commission targeting against voter frauds, citing the multiple lawsuits against it. The commission was criticized for crafting evidence for the President's false claim that there were "millions who voted illegally" in the 2016 election. Led by Kris Kobach and stacked with partisan ideologues, the commission was posed to pave the way for new nationwide restrictions on the Americans' right to vote. That commission, luckily, was stopped.

- Two Democratic senators, Alabama's Doug Jones and Minnesota's Tina Smith, have been sworn into office in the United States, reducing the number of Republican majority. The ceremony in Washington, DC, came as the US Senate began its 2018 session with the minority Democrats picking up a surprise seat from Alabama and shrinking the Republicans' majority to a narrow 51-49.

- Nissan will showcase their Brain-to-Vehicle Technology at this month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

- The Fisker Emotion was uncovered ahead of its CES premere. It is a fully autonomous luxury car featuring a 9-minute ultra-fast charge and 640km of EV range.

Fisker Emotion

- Peugeot unveiled their entry for the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) with their 308 TCR.

Peugeot 308 TCR

TTFN!!!