Detective Pikachu

It's a Pokemon game unlike ever before because they're now taking on mystery solving games in this new adventure featuring a tough-talking, problem-solving, Pikachu. Wait...Talking...Pikachu? Oh, right. Anyway, say hello to Detective Pikachu (名探偵ピカチュウ), a bolt of brilliance.

Detective Pikachu

Ahem, sorry, am I interrupting you? Can I handle this, please? Thank you. Anyway, hey kids! You know who this is right? I may be Pikachu but I'm not. I AM DETECTIVE PIKACHU!

Let me tell you a little story about my adventure, just in case anyone's making a movie about me very soon (yes, really), I team up with a young man who called himself Tim Goodman, who spends the rest of his life searching for his father but there's more to it for Tim in search for his missing father. There are cases of rampaging Pokemon causing havoc around Rhyme City and that's why we're on the case here.

Tim got shocked when I am a Pikachu that can talk but you'll meet lots and lots of characters (and Pokemon) as we keep searching for mysteries, some of them hold possible answers to the cases and because, hey we do live in a mystery solving game, right? Because this is a mystery solving game, you'd better not rush to some conclusions just yet. You need to go around different places in search for clues and puzzles that will help you uncover cases. I know, this is how mystery solving games work, kids.

If you're stuck, don't worry because I had skits featuring me, myself, and I, where some of them are hints in case you are looking for a particular clue. I know that you're itching for clues but come on, pal, at least you spend lots of time getting to know about me. Still, you get the point.

Well, now that you got the whole idea on how my adventure's going to be, it would be the perfect time to flex your heads doing problem solving. No, not the math kind of problem solving, MY KIND OF PROBLEM SOLVING, right? I know it won't be an easy case for you and me but I'm sure we can handle them.

By the way, did you see my amiibo? It's the biggest you'll ever see and it's bigger than your basic Pikachu amiibo you kept in your silly toy box. If you scan me, I had all the possible hints you'll need as well as some cool skits with me. Now, don't do any puns, okay? ONLY I DO THE PUNS.

Thank you. So, there you are. Detective Pikachu can be downright tough-talking but he's quite reliable and in this mystery-solving game, it takes some knowledge to solve puzzles and uncover cases as long as you're not rushing over. Although time-consuming, this heart-warming Pokemon mystery game is fun for all ages and because, well he's right about it, with a film starring Detective Pikachu himself is coming soon, it would be the ideal time to be prepared with the game that is more on jokes, more on mystery, and a few plot twists in between. Better get your thinking caps and chairs ready cause this is going to be a busy day.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea exempted from US steel tariffs temporarily

A top US trade official said the United States will temporarily exempt South Korea from stiff tariffs on steel imports.

Speaking at a Senate hearing, US Trade Representative Rober Lighthizer said US President Donald Trump had authorized a "pause" in the 25% tariff on steel and 10% tariff on aluminum imports, which are to go into effect Friday. Also on the list of exemptions are the European Union, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and Mexico.

South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said the exemption will last until the end of April for now. He told Yonhap in a phone interview that South Korea needs to continue negotiations on the conditions.

Meanwhile, a Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak on bribery, tax evasion, and other charges.

The former president is now at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center in Songpa-gu District. It seems most likely that the prosecutors will visit him to carry out the investigation. He was brought to the center just past midnight, after the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant against him earlier in the morning.

The 76-year-old former leader faces at least 12 charges, including taking over 10.2 million dollars in bribes from the state spy agency and businesses. Other charges include abuse of power, breach of trust, and a violation of election law.

Lee was president from 2008 to 2013.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 23, 2018)

- Former Senator Bongbong Marcos believes that the Bangsamoro Basic Law is a step towards the nation's shift to federalism. According to Marcos, the implementation of the BBL in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is simillar to how the law will be implemented in federal states all over the country.

- The LTFRB mulls the suspension of Dimple Star Bus company and other bus firms with high road crash incidents following the bloody road crash in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro last Wednesday that killed 19 people and hurt 21 others.

- US President Donald Trump has directed the US trade representative to level tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports following a 7-month investigation into theft of American IPs. In addition, the US plans to impose investment regulations among other measures. In an unrelated note, John Dowd, Trump's lead lawyer for the special counsel investigation, steps down. Reports showing that people close to the situation are saying that he left because Trump "was increasingly ignoring his advice" to cooperate with Rober Mueller.

- A group of American students came under fire in Italy when they bought pasta and attempted to cook it without adding water. The Fire Department had to be called to douse the resultant conflagration. No one is hurt.

- Mongolia has the world's longest golf hole. It is measured at 1,300 miles and takes 80 days to complete.

- A few days ago, the suspect behind the Austin bomb attacks, Mark Anthony Conditt, was killed after a final explosion in an encounter with police. Ending the wave of bombings that terrorized Austin for almost three weeks, killing two people and badly injured a few. In a recent news, the mother of the man who lived with the suspect said that her son was taken into custody and held overnight before police found the suspect who blew himself up.

- BMW's global HQ in Munich and its Austrian engine plant were raided by authorities as part of an investigation into the alleged use of emissions cheating software. According to officials, 11,400 BMW 750d and BMW M550d vehicles are involved in the issue.

- Konami delays launch of the Anubis Zone of the Enders M∀RS game for the PS4 and Steam to September 2018.

- TV presenter Patricia Tumulak reveals the reason why she left Eat Bulaga.

- Cheska and Doug Kramer's daughter, Scarlett, receives an advanced happy birthday greeting from iKon member Bobby.

- The first of the new With Fans! figure brand, Love Live Sunshine's Chika Takami, replicated after the first season Blu-Ray cover, is now available to order starting at 13,704 Yen plus tax and delivery, and arrives this December,



TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Gov't constitutional revision proposal calls for maximum of two presidential terms

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's constitutional revision proposal calls for changing the current single five-year presidential term to a maximum of two successive four-year terms pending reelection.

Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for legal affairs, made clear on Thursday that, even if the Constitution is revised according to government proposal, President Moon cannot seek reelection after his single term ends in May 2022.

Changing the power structure is the central part of the constitutional revision amid calls for revising the current presidential system, which has long been blamed for concentrating too much power in the president in a way prone to corruption.

The government plans to submit the proposal to the National Assembly on Monday.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 22, 2018)

- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board questioned whether the Dimple Star Bus involved in an accident in Occidental Mindoro had two drivers during the trip. According to LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra, upon checking the route taken by the Dimple Star Bus unit from Cubao, they estimated that it has been on the road for more than 10 hours when it fell off Patrick Bridge.

- The Integrated Bar of the Philippines will block the ouster move via a quo warrant plea against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno by filing an intervention with the Supreme Court, the group, headed by its national president Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo, announced through a statement issued Thursday.

- President Rodrigo Duterte told during the 39th commencement exercises of the PNP Academy in Camp Castaneda in Silang, Cavite, that cops are getting killed in the Visayas because the former mayors in the said region gave orders to eliminate them so that they won’t be a hindrance in their illegal operations.

- Senator Antonio Trillanes remains confident that the International Criminal Court's investigation to the Duterte administration's bloody war on drugs will lead to his arrest despite the efforts to nullify the Philippines' accession to the Rome Statute and its refusal to recognize the ICC's jurisdiction. According to the opposition lawmaker, the President’s allegedly “self-serving” move to have the Philippines withdraw from the international accord can’t make him get off the hook as it will have no effect on the ICC’s jurisdiction and its preliminary investigation into the complaint against Duterte.

- China will prudently advance cooperation with the Philippines on joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea.

- Opel/Vauxhall revived the Corsa GSi, which is based on the three-door, current-generation model.

2019 Opel Corsa GSi

- Ford introduces the first ever Co-Pilot360 driver-assist technology in the Fusion 2019MY minor change.

2019 Ford Fusion

- Alongside the saloon and wagon equivalent, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet gained a minor change for the 2019MY.



- The Cadillac CT6 V-Sport has been unveiled and it's powered by a 4.2L V8 Twin Turbo engine producing 550HP of power and 850Nm of torque, mated to a 10-speed AT.

2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport

- OMEGA unveiled the new Seamaster Diver 300 M Collection at this year's Baselworld. Celebrating its 25th anniversary since its 1993 launch, the new watch revives the iconic waves of the original Seamaster watch thanks to laser-engraving while it was modernized with details such as ceramic dials and bezels, innovative helium escape valves, and Master Chronometer movements.

#Baselworld2018 〰Just one of the 14 new #OMEGA #Seamaster Diver 300M models - all with ceramic dials and bezels, innovative helium escape valves and Master Chronometer movements.

A post shared by OMEGA (@omega) on Mar 21, 2018 at 7:04am PDT

TTFN!!!

Pripara All Idol Perfect Stage!

With the hilarious cast of characters, unforgettable songs for all kids, and an endless array of outfits, the world would be a boring place without Pripara, but after four years of turning rookie idols into Goddesses, the Pripara saga is coming to an end and the ambitious but hilarious adventures of Laala Manaka and the gang will be no more. While they gave little girls a lump on their throats, they got themselves a final chance to say farewell. Permission to say MAKING DRAMA, SWITCH ON!

Pripara All Idol Perfect Stage!

This is Pripara All Idol Perfect Stage and for the first time in all of the Takara Tomy Pretty series history, all the fun stuff as experienced from the Pripara arcade games has arrived on the Nintendo Switch, making it the shining shimmering last hurrah to the Pripara saga but don't shed too many tears, little kids, because even though Pripara has ended, you can spend time with your favorite Pripara characters forever in your Nintendo Switch.

Like the now-defunct Pripara arcade games, All Idol Perfect Stage pits players to the world of Prism Stone and perform their way to get recognized by a Kami Idol and score powerful tickets for your next performance. You can experience most of the arcade elements right here on the Switch from the classic six-person live show, the Dream Theater Live, Dream Parade, Kami Idol Grand Prix Final, and Pair Live, mastering the greatest hits selection from the Pripara anime and games with over thirty songs to play with from the easiest to the most hardest.

Players can play as over thirty of their favorite Pripara characters from Laala Manaka, Mirei Minami, Sophy Hojo, Sion Todo, Dorothy West, Reona West, even the stars of Idol Time Pripara as well such as Yui Yumekawa, Nino Nijiiro, Michiru Koda, and Shuka Hanazono, among many others. You can relive classic Pripara anime moments in Story Mode as well.

Or if you want to become part of the Pripara fun, you can create a character with 150 parts to tailor your character from skin color, hairstyle, hair color, eye color, eyewear, and more. You can make up to six characters per save file and after that, you can carve your own Pripara story in an all-original storyline where there is a special guest making her first appearance. Who is this special guest, you're wondering? Look at the cover. If you don't know who that special guest is, yes, that's Mirai Momoyama from the upcoming series Kiratto PriChan. The question is, what's Mirai doing in Prism Stone? You'll find out as you progress through the story.

True to Pripara tradition, players can collect over a thousand outfits to match and collect tickets in-game. Sadly, you can't trade one like how it's done in the old days and that seems to be a downside to this game because once gained, forever kept and because there is no micro-transaction needed, getting rare co-des is not going to be a walk in the park so you'd need to keep playing to score more stuff if you want to unlock some of your favorite co-des for your next performance.

Well, I think that's enough talk about that and it's now time for some thoughts about this game because someone's itching to have one for 5,980 Japanese Yen (around $60 or Php3000) plus tax. Anyway, although it lacks some of the classic Pripara arcade stuff and the fact that it's offered only in single-player gameplay, fans who will surely miss the Pripara saga will have lots of time reminiscing their favorite Pripara moments in this Nintendo Switch game and despite faults, it's been an honor that they are big fans of Pripara to the very end and All Idol Perfect Stage is like a parting gift from the friends of Prism Stone before the advent of the newest installment of the Pretty series, Kiratto PriChan. It really is fantastic so are you ready to say the Making Drama line? SWITCH ON!

Kirby Star Allies

Our favorite pink puff, Kirby, has been sucking with us with energy for two and a half decades now and with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch, it's the perfect time for our enemy-sucking hero to debut in Nintendo's newest console and this time, he's NOT alone.

Kirby Star Allies

Yes, our favorite pink puff is back in a brand new adventure available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. It's called Kirby Star Allies (日本名：星のカービィスターアライズ）and there is no other way of saying this because this is by no means the best Kirby game in ages. Well, obviously it's outrageous to say that this is the best because there's so much to talk about the newest installment everyone can enjoy and let's start with the basics.

First off, let's talk about Kirby's new adventure in this game and in this game, Dream Land faces a much powerful and sinister threat and it's up to Kirby to explore the galaxy to fend off this new kind of threat, whatever lays ahead for him. In Star Allies, this adventure's too big for the pink puff to suck it because while you can enjoy signature Kirby actions, especially his sucking powers that can turn himself into different kinds possessing different abilities to master, Star Allies allows players to charm enemies into allies with the use of Friend Hearts.

What's more, Star Allies can be the perfect family game night because if you got enough controllers at your disposal, it becomes a co-op multiplayer fit enough for your friends and families to enjoy because sometimes, it's to hard to go on an adventure alone. What's more, you can master different friends to level up skills or unleash powerful abilities to make adventures more fun to finish. Oh, and there's a little secret on the whole "friends" thing because if you meet certain conditions, you can team up with classic Kirby characters, thus making Star Allies the most enjoyable Kirby game you'll ever want to play in the same way as Super Mario Odyssey did.

If you had enough fun with the adventures, you can try special contents such as playing remixed stages as the allies, battle against bosses in ultra-hard levels, and mini-games for all. Also, you can scan amiibos to gain illustration pieces to complete apart from collecting them on various stages. There's more to do with this game so have fun.

So, what can I say about the newest Kirby game? Because with Kirby's powers as well as the new friends feature, you'd knew there's no adventure to back out and it's going to be like clockwork to you without feeling your feet tingle and with different ways to play, Star Allies is going to be your time-wasting Switch game for the moment and there's no stopping someone from getting addicted to it, even your parents.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Gov't proposal for constitutional revision puts emphasis on decentralization

The Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae has been disclosing the second part of its summary of the government-proposed bill on revising South Korea's Constitution.

Cho Guk, Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs said the provinces are the future of South Korea, reinforcing decentralization is not a matter of Seoul versus local governments, nor is it a matter of efficiency versus fairness.

The Blue House will announce the final part of its proposal tomorrow. The government is pushing to hold a referendum on a constitutional revision bill on the same day as local elections in mid-June.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 21, 2018)

- National Capital Region Police Office Director Oscar Albayalde has advised the public against spreading false information in relation to the decision of the office of President Rodrigo Duterte to suspend classes in all levels in Metro Manila on Tuesday, March 20, despite the absence of a transport strike.

- Meanwhile, transport group PISTON is accusing the Malacanang of spreading fake news against drivers of public utility vehicles. PISTON made this statement in response to the declaration of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on March 20, that classes at all levels in Metro Manila are suspended due to actual/imminent threats from ‘some groups’.

- The Department of Education announced that Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, is prepared for this year's Palarong Pambansa that will start on the 15th to the 21st of April. According to DepEd Usec. Tonisitio Umali, Vigan City has already shown its readiness for a big multi-sports event when it hosted the regional qualifier of the 2017 Batang Pinoy.

- The suspended CEO of Cambridge Analytica said in a hidden video broadcast that his UK-based political consultancy's online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump's 2016 election win. CEO Alexander Nix’s comments, which could not be verified, are potentially a further problem for Facebook Inc as it faces lawmakers’ scrutiny in the United States and Europe over Cambridge Analytica’s improper use of 50 million Facebook users’ personal data to target voters.

- The G20 leaders condemned protectionism and urged “further dialogue” on trade, but failed to diffuse the threat of a trade war days before U.S. metals tariffs take effect and Washington is to announce measures against China. Meanwhile, two officials briefed on the matter said U.S. President Donald Trump would also unveil tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese technology and telecoms products by Friday, a move stemming from Beijing’s intellectual property practices.

- US President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and credited US defense sales to the Saudis with boosting American jobs, even as Riyadh's involvement in the Yemeni Civil War faced criticism. In the Oval Office, Trump and the crown prince praised the strength of U.S.-Saudi ties, which had grown strained under the Obama administration in part over differing views toward Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran.

- Another school shooting in United States has occurred, this time at Maryland where a 17-year-old man shot two other students at Great Mills High School before a school resource officer engaged him and stopped the threat, according to authorities. The incident began in a school hallway at 7:55 a.m., just before classes started. Authorities say Austin Wyatt Rollins, armed with a handgun, shot a female and a male student. The shooter had a prior relationship with the female student, St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron said. Rollins is pronounced dead while the female student is in critical conditions and the 14-year-old male is in stable condition.

- Toyota Australia made a 500,000 Lego brick replica of the latest-generation Camry.



- Carlex Design offers two ways to customize the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup truck; one for off-road duty and one for sporty urban cruising.



- Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi presented the future of motoring at this year's Open Garage Talk at Stanford University.

- A Chinese live-action movie adaptation of Koei Tecmo's Shin Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warriors) game will be hitting cinemas next year.

- The Walking Dead lead actor Andrew Lincoln is now part of the Potterverse as he will be narrating an audiobook titled Quidditch Through the Ages.

TTFN!!!

Facebook got embroiled by the Cambridge Analytica scandal

Facebook

Social networking site Facebook is definitely in hot water right now when the Cambridge Analytica scandal has done immense damage, according to reports. Some say that regulation has suddenly become more likely and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears to be AWOL.

The scandal highlights the biggest problem of Facebook's business model which involves data exploitation as they make money by harvesting user data and selling it to app developers and advertisers.

Alexander Kogan, a University of Cambridge professor, accessed the data of over 50 million Facebook users by generating a survey filled out by 270,000 people. Then, he provided Facebook the data of anyone who took the survey. In a statement, Facebook said, "Kogan gained access to this information in a legitimate way and through the proper channels that governed all developers on Facebook at that time." 

Kogan violated, according to Facebook, the rule of passing the user data to third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, the political data firm founded by former Trump aide Steve Bannon and Republican donor Robert Mercer.

As of right now, the number of active Facebook users in the United States dropped for the first time last quarter and lost 2.8 million users under the age of 25 last year and according to sources, they may lose another two million following the scandal. The social networking site has been the high-profile target to manipulation by political groups, foreign governments, or any possible worst case scenarios.

URL: cnn.it/2GNtoEQ

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Gov't proposal seeks to promote human rights of all people

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said on Tuesday the government proposal for a constitutional revision seeks to promote and enhance the basic human rights of all people in the country, instead of just Korean citizens.

Cho Kuk, the top aide to President Moon Jae-in for civil affairs, said considering the level of human rights the international community expects from them and over two million foreign residents in their society, there is a need to expand the subject of basic human rights to people from citizens.

Such changes are included in the government-proposed constitutional revision, which Cheong Wa Dae has said will be submitted to the National Assembly early next week. The proposed bill must first go through a parilamentary bote before it can be put to a national referendum.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 20, 2018)

- Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he is ready to be crucified after admitting they were at fault why the Department of Justice dismissed a drug charge against high-profile personalities. The country’s top cop was referring to the case filed by the PNP-Crime Investigation and Detection Group against self-confessed drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr., Peter Lim and about 20 others which was dismissed by the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service. Prosecutors said the case was lacking in evidence in convicting the accused persons.

- The Philippines is ranked 2nd unfriendly nation for startup businesses among 12 major economies in Asia-Pacific region. In response, Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Tuesday renewed his call for the passage of a measure strengthening support for Filipino entrepreneurs, especially those in start-up businesses.

- The National Bureau of Investigation has been tasked to probe the fire at the Manila Pavilion Hotel that killed five people. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II issued Department Order No. 160 dated March 19 which gave the directive to have the fire incident probed.

- Melania Trump, the First Lady of US President Donald Trump, is hosting executives from major online and social media companies to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety, over a year after saying that would be her issue. Meanwhile, more Republicans recommend the US President to lay off his escalating criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation but they are taking no action to protect Mueller.

- 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult are facing death penalty soon for orchestrating the deadly 1995 gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and other crimes. 23 years have passed since the cult released sarin gas inside subway cars, killing 13 people. Cult leader Shoko Asahara and a dozen followers have been sentenced to death for that and other crimes that killed 27 in all.

- Filipino fast food giant Jollibee opened their first European branch in Milan, Italy.

- The second-generation Kia K9 was unveiled and set to be on sale on the Korean market this April 3rd.

2019 Kia K9

- A self-driving Uber vehicle killed a 49-year-old woman as she walked her bicycle across a street in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday night. Uber, which is conducting autonomous vehicle tests in Arizona, Pittsburgh, Toronto and other areas, said it has stopped testing the vehicles throughout North America after the fatal crash.

- Formula E World Champion Lucas di Grassi got fined for inappropriate underwear following his misfits post-Punta del Este ePrix last weekend.

- A new City Hunter anime film is coming this Spring 2019 and it will be animated by Sunrise.

TTFN!!!