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

- Australian and Japanese forces will be taking part in the forthcoming joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States. The 34th Balikatan exercises between Filipino and US troops will be conducted at multiple locations in Luzon from May 7 to 18.

- Various groups reported yesterday that the affordable 39 peso per kilo rice boasted by the National Food Authority could not be found in markets in Metro Manila and the provinces.

- President Rodrigo Duterte wanted a full-on investigation on a 71-year-old Australian nun Patricia Anne Fox for “disorderly conduct” led the Bureau of Immigration to take her into custody and detain her for almost 24 hours.

- Two new transport network companies are set to enter the market soon following the exit of Uber in the Philippines. The LTFRB approved the accreditation of Hype Transport Systems Inc. and HirNa Mobility Solutions Inc. as TNCs in an order signed yesterday.

- The Department of Tourism has ordered local and foreign agencies to stop promoting Boracay ahead of its six-month closure.

- The US Congress introduced what was slammed as a fake net neutrality bill that can overturn the FCC's decision to rollback the Obama-era net neutrality principles but with a shocking twist; legalizing paid prioritization.

- The hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico is once again hit by a major blackout. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority had boasted Wednesday morning that less than 3 percent of its customers remained without power, substantially concluding what some estimates called the biggest power failure in United States history. The island of 3.4 million residents was open for business again, government officials said.

- BMW transformed the M2 into an improved model called the M2 Competition, powered by the M3-derived 3.0L straight-six twin turbo engine, producing 410HP of power.

2019 BMW M2 Competition

- The last Dodge Viper ever made and the last Dodge Challenger Demon ever made, along with other goodies, will be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction this June.

- The diesel emission scandal continues as Porsche and Audi facilities have been raided by German prosecutors as part of ongoing investigations relating to Dieselgate. The collective involvement of Porsche and Audi was first discovered in 2015, when the 3.0 litre TDI V6 engines from the brands were suspected of having emissions control defeat devices installed to get around US EPA emissions testing.

- Actor Ed Skrein is set to appear in the sequel of Disney's Maleficent film, starring Angelina Jolie.

TTFN!!!