Let's Do The News! (March 17, 2026)

                                 

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- One of the suspects in the killing of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno's security escort, George Capistrano, has surrendered. According to Mayor Isko, the suspect, identified as the driver of the motorcycle used in the crime, voluntarily surrendered after the mayor's 48-hour ultimatum.

- The Philippine National Police (PNP) welcomed the Senate's approval on the third and final reading of the bill mandating law enforcement agencies to wear body-worn cameras during their operations.

- The Duterte Bloc has filed House Resolution No. 885 in the House requesting the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to submit reports regarding its investigation into the anomalous flood control projects. Representatives Harold Duterte, Omar Duterte, Paolo Duterte, and Isidro Ungab requested this in light of the gradual cessation of ICI operations following its submission of the evidence it had gathered to the Ombudsman.

- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has stepped up measures against abusive online lending platforms by investigating operators who harass borrowers, violate privacy, and violate laws against cybercrime.

- The PH House of Representatives approved a bill allowing the PBBM administration to suspend the fuel excise tax.

- An unidentified missile struck a tanker, east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, early on the morning of March 17. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), it caused minor damage to the ship. However, there were no reports of injuries to the ship's crew, and the incident had no environmental impact.

- Meningitis B is the strain behind the outbreak of cases in Kent, England, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

- Subaru turns the current-generation Impreza into a High Performance X Version II race car for the 2026 Super Taikyu.

- Toyota's GR Yaris received a Type 26 update.

- BMW's M3 Touring GT3 Evo, its April Fools 2025 presentation, will compete at the 2026 Nurburgring 24hrs.

- The WRC is making its UK comeback in the 2027 season with the Rally Scotland.

- Project Motor Racing is receiving its 2.0 update, improving major aspects of this game.

- Sekiro: No Defeat anime series will make its theater debut in 2026.

- DEVSISTERS, the game developer behind the Cookie Run series, will hold its DevNow presentation this March 20th, discussing the future of its brands.

- The Alabama Crimson Tide is playing without Aden Holloway in the NCAA tournament following the player's arrest on a felony drug charge.

TTFN.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korean Supreme Court Finalizes Ruling in Favor of Webtoon Creator Pito in Copyright Dispute

 

According to reporting from Korean news outlet Nocut News on February 26, South Korea's Supreme Court has finalized a ruling in favor of webtoon creator Pito in a long-running copyright infringement case, rejecting claims that a platform executive held joint authorship of the work.

Following the court's decision to dismiss the final appeal, the Korea Cartoonist Association issued a statement welcoming the outcome, saying the ruling “clearly confirms creators' rights under the law.”

The association added that the verdict, which came after seven years of legal disputes, demonstrates that coercion and undue pressure tied to hierarchical power cannot be justified under the guise of creative collaboration.

The case dates back to 2013, when then-Lezhin Comics CEO Hee-sung Han listed himself as a “story writer” on Pito's debut webtoon My Pleasure. At the time, Pito was 17 years old. Han subsequently received between 15% and 30% of the work's revenue.

Pito argued that Han had not meaningfully contributed to the project, stating that the executive had only suggested ideas and provided verbal feedback without participating in script writing or storyboard creation. Han, however, claimed joint copyright ownership, arguing that he had created the story's genre framework, characters, and overall narrative.

In the first trial in 2022, the court ruled that merely proposing ideas or themes does not constitute creative contribution under copyright law. Han was fined 10 million won (about US$6,700). The appellate court upheld the ruling, and the Supreme Court's dismissal of the appeal has now finalized the judgment.

The court reaffirmed the legal principle that copyright belongs to individuals who make substantive contributions to the concrete expression of a work. The decision clarifies that providing ideas or participating in planning alone does not qualify someone as a joint copyright holder.

The Korea Cartoonist Association described the case as significant because a minor and rookie creator successfully defended their rights against the head of a major platform. The group also said that unfair contract terms should not be tolerated simply because they were formally agreed to.

Source: Anime News Network 

Let's Do The News! (March 16, 2026)

                                

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Transport group PISTON is holding a massive transport strike on March 19, 2026.

- Senator Raffy Tulfo proposes installing CCTV in every classroom to combat bullying in schools.

- The Duterte Bloc in the House of Representatives filed a resolution to request the Office of the President and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, or ICI, to release the accomplishment report regarding the investigation into the flood control anomaly.

- The University of Kent confirms one of the two people who died in the meningitis outbreak was one of its students.

- The FIA announced the cancellation of next month's F1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain due to ongoing clashes in the Middle East.

- The MiSK Foundation's investment company, EGDC, has acquired more than 5% of CAPCOM shares.

- Amazon Prime Video's ad-free tier will see its subscription price hike to five dollars per month.

- TV series Kamen Rider Zeztz casts Kosei Amano, a familiar face to the Kamen Rider franchise, as the new enemy character Sieg/Kamen Rider Dawn.

- Webtoon platform Blice will end its service.

- Shinhwa member Lee Min Woo shared his wedding pictorial.

- One Battle After Another scored the most wins in the 2026 Academy Awards, while Michael B. Jordan was named best actor for his role in Sinners, and Jessie Buckley was named best actress for her performance in Hamnet. K-Pop Demon Hunters won the best animated feature, along with its original song "Golden" by HUNTR/X.

TTFN.

2026 NASCAR Cup Series - Pennzoil 400

With Spring fast approaching, all eyes turn to Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube. In recent Sin City races, the race for the victory has come down to the wire, with the pass for the win coming in the final six laps in five of the last eight races.

As the green flag waved, the action in Sin City was a go. As Christopher Bell takes Stage 1, William Byron picks up Stage 2, and the final stage saw Connor Zilisch slipping at Turn 4.

Screengrab from NASCAR

After an almost-perfect Las Vegas bout, Denny Hamlin wins the Pennzoil 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400 this March 22, 2026.

NTT IndyCar Series 2026 - Java House Grand Prix of Arlington

The streets of Arlington, Texas, marked its IndyCar debut with the first-ever Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. This race is brand new for the 2026 season, and drivers are going through uncharted heights to dominate this new kind of street race.

The first 15 laps of the new Arlington race saw a spin by Christian Lundgaard in Turn 5. Moments later, there were collisions by the Penske drivers, another misfortune for Mick Schumacher, and a duel between Kyle Kirkwood and Alex Palou for the lead that saw the former overtaking the latter on Lap 55.

Screengrab from IndyCar

In a dramatic last-lap incident involving Grosjean and Siegel, Kyle Kirkwood outpaced Alex Palou to secure victory in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington, while Will Power rounded out the podium in third place.

The next race is at Alabama's Barber for the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on March 29, 2026.

WRC 2026: Safari Rally Kenya

The 2026 World Rally Championship is underway with the challenging Safari Rally in Kenya. Teams transition from cold conditions to the warm savanna, equipping their cars with special Safari specifications to navigate the demanding terrain. Many competitors have entered the rally, but only one will emerge victorious.

The opening stages saw Oliver Solberg secure a dominant lead. Still, his weekend ended in heartbreak when he sustained significant damage to his car, allowing Takamoto Katsuta to take the lead he had been striving for.

Screengrab from WRC

Takamoto Katsuta made headlines in Kenya by becoming the first Japanese driver to win a WRC round since Kenjiro Shinozuka's victory at the Ivory Coast Rally in 1992. Katsuta finished the race with a time of 3:16:05.6, finishing 27.4 seconds ahead of Adrien Fourmaux. Sami Pajari rounded out the podium by securing third place.

Despite retiring from second overall on the Saturday stages, Elfyn Evans leads the championship fight with 66 points.

The next event is the Croatia Rally from the 9th to the 12th of April, 2026.

F1 2026 - Heineken Chinese Grand Prix

The 2026 F1 season continues in Shanghai for the Heineken Chinese Grand Prix. With Mercedes demonstrating the capabilities of the new-generation F1 machines following Russell's win in Melbourne, it seems that the new machines' debut in China will showcase even more.

Unfortunately, the championship-winning McLaren team faced a significant setback in China before the race began, as the cars driven by champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri encountered mechanical issues, resulting in a DID NOT START.

There's more news before the race. Due to ongoing clashes in the Middle East, the FIA announced the cancellation of next month's Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with no substitutions.

 

Screengrab from F1

Andrea Kimi Antonelli made headlines in Shanghai by becoming the youngest pole-sitter in history and the youngest Formula 1 driver to win a race at the age of 19. Kimi led Mercedes to another 1-2 finish, with George Russell finishing in second place. Lewis Hamilton secured a podium spot for the first time as a Ferrari driver, finishing in third place. Other finishers include Charles Leclerc, Ollie Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, and Franco Colapinto.

The next race is at Suzuka for the Aramco Japanese Grand Prix on March 29, 2026.