GM, Honda announce North America car alliance

NEW YORK - General Motors and Honda announced Thursday they were establishing a strategic alliance in North America to share vehicle platforms and development costs.

The venture builds on existing partnerships on electric cars and fuel cell systems and comes as automakers face pressure to develop autonomous driving and other envelope-pushing technologies amid uncertain vehicle demand in the wake of the economic downturn due to the coronavirus.

A joint press release said the venture would save money from shared vehicle platforms and propulsion systems, joint purchasing and shared research and development spending. 

GM's US rival Ford has teamed up with German giant Volkswagen to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles, and a pending merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot also aims to hold costs down.

Morningstar analyst David Whiston said there few details offered on the extent of the financial savings to either firm, but that "the alliance can make sense" if Honda makes headway in some of the truck segments where it lags and GM benefits from Honda's expertise with smaller cars.

"We see the agreement as a low-risk and potentially high-reward move for both firms, and their prior history lowers the risk of tension and poor cooperation," Whiston said.

Agence France-Presse

Pearl Jam postpones tour over coronavirus

NEW YORK - American rock band Pearl Jam announced late Monday they are postponing the first leg of their North American tour this spring over coronavirus concerns.

"Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we've been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy... We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority," frontman Eddie Vedder said in a statement on social media.

"So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements... This scheduled first leg of our PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date."

The band's new album "Gigaton" is scheduled for release on March 27. They had planned to embark on a 16-date North American tour in March and April, with destinations including New York's Madison Square Garden.

"We've worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level," the statement signed by Vedder and the band said. 

"Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We've always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid."

He then took a jab at the Donald Trump administration: "It certainly hasn't helped that there's been no clear messages from our government regarding people's safety and our ability to go to work."

"Having no examples of our national health department's ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead."

Stories of new cases flooded in across the country Monday, from a Washington DC church rector to the head of New York's ports authority, while some stores ran out of hand sanitizer and masks. Twenty-six people have now died in the United States after contracting COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

Since the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic began, Trump -- who is himself feared to have been exposed to the virus -- has veered between defending his government from accusations of incompetence to accusing Democrats and the media of exaggerating the crisis in an attempt to hurt his standing in an election year.

mdo/caw/

Agence France-Presse

Trump signs long-awaited North American trade deal

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the new North American trade pact with Canada and Mexico into law, pronouncing a "glorious future" for US industry.

It was another opportunity for Trump to tout successes in the midst of an impeachment trial where he is fighting charges of abuse of office and obstructing Congress. On Tuesday he announced a Middle East peace plan -- rejected immediately by the Palestinians -- and earlier this month he signed a truce in his trade war with China.

But even if the new USMCA trade deal with America's neighbors was crafted in close consultation between Trump's Republicans and the Democrats, the president pointedly didn't invite any of the Democratic leaders to his big White House signing ceremony.

The USMCA replaces the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which Trump has long targeted, saying that it resulted in shipping US jobs abroad.

"Today, we are finally ending the NAFTA nightmare," he said at the White House.

Analysts say USMCA retains many elements of NAFTA, a mammoth deal that created a free trade zone across all of North America, shaking up entire industries and supply chains.

Economists say that overall NAFTA increased growth and raised the standard of living in North America, binding the three countries in a complex web of trade rules and services.

But the new deal does change content rules on auto manufacturing, to boost US jobs, and requires higher salaries for some Mexican auto workers. 

It also makes changes to e-commerce, intellectual property protections and dispute settlement for investors, as well as imposing tougher labor provisions, requiring reforms to Mexico's laws.

'COLOSSAL'

Mexico ratified the new agreement December 10, and Canada is expected to follow suit in coming weeks.

For Trump, the "colossal victory" of USMCA fits neatly into his "America first" campaign message ahead of a difficult November reelection fight and his current battle to see off impeachment over alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

"Two decades of politicians ran for office vowing to replace NAFTA... yet when selected they never even tried," he told government members, lawmakers, union representatives and selected workers assembled at the White House's South Portico.

"I'm not like those other politicians -- I guess in many ways," he said. "I keep my promises."

Under NAFTA, "we lost our jobs, we closed our factories and other countries built our cars. But we changed that," he said. "The USMCA closed these terrible loopholes."

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who led Washington's negotiations both with USMCA and the recent truce in an even higher-stakes trade battle with China, called it a "great, historic agreement."

NAFTA, he said, had been "highly controversial from the start" and many lawmakers subsequently "came to regret" their support.

And Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is a senior advisor, said the president was wrong-footing his many critics with USMCA, the China deal and the Mideast plan.

"He's brought a businessman's approach to Washington. He's a pragmatist," Kushner said on the FOX & Friends show, which provides mostly uncritical coverage of Trump's White House.

"The people in Washington may not like it that he's making them do work and he's making things happen that people have spoken about for many years before but couldn't deliver on," Kushner said.

Agence France-Presse

Jollibee opens Guam branch in accelerated North America push

MANILA -- Over a thousand patrons lined up for hours on Saturday to mark the opening of Jollibee in Guam, its 38th store in the US, the Philippines' largest fast food operator said Saturday.

The store's first customer, Landon Laureano waited in line for 12 hours. Located in front of the Micronesia Mall in Dededo, it can seat 205 people.

Jollibee Foods Corp recently announced its accelerated North American expansion plan, which includes growing to 150 locations in the US and 100 in Canada over the next 5 years.

The company continues to expand globally, opening stores in Manhattan in New York, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Halloween' slashes franchise record with $77.5-M launch

LOS ANGELES -- "Halloween" made a killing in North America, earning $77.5 million when the slasher film launched in 3,928 locations.

David Gordon Green's "Halloween," a direct sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 classic, obliterated the franchise record opening of $26 million, previously held by the 2007 Rob Zombie reboot. 

"Halloween" also notched the second-best start for an R-rated horror film following the $123-million launch of "It." It also landed the second-highest debut for an October release, set earlier this month by "Venom" with $80 million.

Overseas, "Halloween" generated $14.3 million from 23 markets for a global start of $91.8 million. "Halloween" cost just $10 million, marking another win for Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions, who co-financed the film with Miramax. "Halloween" surpassed "Paranormal Activity 3" ($52.5 million) for the best debut to date for Blumhouse.

"I am enormously proud of this film," Jason Blum said in a statement. "'Halloween' brings the franchise back to life in a fresh, relevant and fun way that is winning over fans and critics alike." 

Universal's "Halloween" is the 11th installment in the series, five of which have starred Jamie Lee Curtis as iconic avenging babysitter Laurie Strode, who is now a grandmother in the newest take. 

"Halloween" is now Curtis' biggest opening to date, as well as the best horror opening with a female lead. It's also the biggest launch ever with a female lead over 55 years old.

Carpenter returned to executive produce and compose the score for the R-rated thriller. The follow-up has garnered some of the best reviews for a series entry yet. While the last few iterations have been panned, "Halloween" holds a 80 percent average on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ CinemaScore.

Meanwhile, Fox expanded YA drama "The Hate U Give" to 2,303 screens. It picked up a solid $7.5 million, taking its total earnings to $10.5 million.

October's box-office receipts continue to impress as "Venom" and "A Star Is Born" deliver healthy numbers in their third outings. After "Venom's" two-week reign atop domestic box office charts, Sunday estimates show Sony's superhero movie led by Tom Hardy was narrowly defeated by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "A Star Is Born" for second place. "A Star Is Born" pocketed another $19.3 million, while "Venom" follows close behind with $18.1 million for solid domestic totals of $126 million and $171 million, respectively.

"Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" also cashed in on the spooky spirit, picking up $9.7 million to land in fourth place. That brings its North American tally to $28 million. 

Rounding out the top five is Universal's "First Man," which notched $8.5 million this weekend for a total of $30 million. Damien Chazelle's space epic, which holds a $60-million price tag, dropped roughly 46 percent in its second frame.

At the specialty box office, Jonah Hill's directorial debut, "Mid90s" secured the best screen average this weekend with a massive $62,375 from four theaters, a total of $249,000. A24's coming-of-age skateboarding drama expands nationwide next weekend.

Elsewhere, Fox Searchlight's "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," starring Melissa McCarthy, generated $150,000 when it opened in five locations, averaging a huge $30,000 per screen.

Another surprisingly strong showing puts October 54.5 percent ahead of the same frame last year, as well as 12 percent ahead of 2014's record month, according to comScore. The 2018 box office remains up 10.6 percent compared to the previous year.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Brief Facebook outage reported by users

WASHINGTON - Facebook users around the world on Monday reported the social network was briefly inaccessible, with many taking to Twitter to voice their frustration.

Reports of issues on the downdetector.com website began around 5 a.m. (Manila time), with users particularly affected in North America and Europe. The outage lasted around one hour before service resumed.

During that time, some users attempting to log in to the site were met with a "Service Unavailable" message, while others received a longer note that said it would return online soon.

"Facebook is down for required maintenance right now, but you should be able to get back on within a few minutes," the longer message said. 

"Thanks for your patience as we improve the site."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'The Last Jedi' tops Christmas box office in North America

LOS ANGELES - The force was with Disney as the latest Star Wars movie "The Last Jedi" beat out the competition to top the Christmas weekend box office, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

The eighth installment of the blockbuster space saga topped the charts in North America for a second week, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, pulling in $68.5 million to rack up total earnings of $365 million since it opened last weekend.

Its triumph echoed last year's Christmas number one, "Star Wars: Rogue One," which told the backstory to the original 1977 hit.

The movie has so far netted $745.4 million worldwide, according to industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian, although the record to beat remains 2009's "Avatar,"
which earned $2.7 billion.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the 2015 predecessor to the "The Last Jedi," made just under $2 billion.

Christmas week is traditionally a time when studios flood the screens with new releases, and the Star Wars epic was trailed by three new films.

In second place was the Dwayne Johnson family adventure "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" which made $34 million for Sony.

"Pitch Perfect 3," which follows the continuing adventures of glee singers the Bellas, led by Anna Kendrick, was in third, earning $20.5 million for Universal.

That was followed by "The Greatest Showman," a musical in which Hugh Jackman plays the legendary circus impresario PT Barnum. That earned $8.6 million over the three-day weekend period.

Animated feature "Ferdinand," the story of a pacifist bull forced to face down the greatest bullfighter in the world, was fifth. It netted weekend receipts of $7 million in the United States and Canada in its second week.

Rounding out the top ten were:

"Coco" ($5.2 million)

"Downsizing" ($4.6 million)

"Darkest Hour" ($4.1 million)

"Father Figures" ($3.2 million)

"The Shape of Water" ($3.1 million)

jh/acb

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pinay elected as Daly City Mayor

The Filipino hub of Daly City elected a Filipina-American as its new mayor on Monday.

Mayor Juslyn Manalo previously held the position of vice mayor to Daly City, which has the highest concentration of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans of any mid-sized city in North America.

Manalo’s track record includes service to Filipino World War II veterans and housing programs for lower income families.

Joining Manalo in serving Daly City is another Filipino, Ray Buenaventura. Buenaventura will serve as the city’s new vice mayor.


Read more on Balitang America:

source: news.abs-cbn.com

First eclipse in 99 years to sweep North America

MIAMI - The first total solar eclipse to sweep North America in nearly a century will march across the continent August 21, casting a shadow over millions of people from coast to coast.

The event, coined the "Great American Eclipse," is inspiring a surge in tourism in the United States, along with sky-high prices for travel to key viewing spots and a rise in scams such as counterfeit solar eclipse glasses.

Celebrations are planned nationwide, including weddings timed to coincide with the eclipse and a live Caribbean cruise ship performance of the 1983 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by the singer herself, Bonnie Tyler.

In a nation that is increasingly divided along political lines, some expressed hope that fascination for this spectacular phenomenon would offer people a chance to unite.

"A large swath of the population will be able to easily see this eclipse," astronomer James Webb at Florida International University told AFP.

"There are plenty of people out there in this day and age that are denying science, so this is an opportunity to show what we really know about the solar system."

HISTORIC ECLIPSE

The total eclipse, when the Moon fully blocks light from the Sun, will be visible from a 70-mile-wide (113-kilometer) path that carves through 14 US states.

A partial eclipse begins on the northwest coast of the United States shortly after 9 am (1600 GMT).

The total eclipse reaches the western coastline of Oregon at 10:16 am Pacific time (1716 GMT), then forges a diagonal path, exiting over South Carolina in the afternoon.

While the darkest shadows will fall over this "path of totality," a partial eclipse extends far beyond it, and may be visible as far north as Alberta, Canada and as far south as Brazil, weather permitting.

Even Britain and western France may catch an evening glimpse of a tiny sliver of the eclipse at sunset.

"They'll see a very shallow, partial eclipse," said Royal Astronomy Society acting director Robert Massey.

The last time an eclipse crossed from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean was on June 8, 1918, when a total eclipse was visible from Washington to Florida.

EYE DAMAGE

Experts warn that looking directly at the eclipse can burn the retina, possibly causing lasting blind spots.

Anyone planning to look skyward is urged to wear the proper protective eyewear. Regular sunglasses are not strong enough.

"Probably 100 million people are going to look at this but the dangers of looking at the Sun are real and serious," said Vincent Jerome Giovinazzo, director of ophthalmology at Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health.

"The damage can really be permanent and right smack in the center of their vision," he told AFP.

The US Fire Administration has cautioned people to beware of counterfeit glasses that don't provide the right level of protection. Solar glasses should be marked with the safety standard ISO-12312-2.

Those who don't want to stare at the sky can use cardboard or paper to make a pinhole projector that allows an image of the eclipse to show through.

Other projects aim to capture the sensory experience of an eclipse.

One, called Eclipse Soundscapes, is encouraging scientists and citizens to record environmental sounds before, during, and after to allow the blind and visually impaired to "hear and feel the physical qualities of the eclipse."

EVENTS PLANNED

For those unable to see the eclipse, NASA is planning an all-day live broadcast on its website, nasa.gov, which will feature on the Toshiba Vision screen in New York's Times Square.

Rooftop viewing parties, kayak trips, baseball games and even weddings are being held nationwide to mark the celestial event.

According to the website greatamericaneclipse.com, between 1.85 and 7.4 million people are expected to travel into the path of totality, raising concerns about traffic jams and accidents.

Prices for lodging have soared, as most hotels and flights have been quickly booked to capacity.

Raggedly motels along the highway in Casper, Wyoming -- one of the choice viewing spots -- were offering their last rooms at more than $2,100 per night as of Thursday.

The eclipse has also sparked a massive scientific effort to study the Sun's outer region, known as the corona, which is easier to study when the Moon blocks much the Sun's light.

In an age of smartphone technology, millions are expected to record and photograph the eclipse.

Donald Liebenberg, 85, a scientist at Clemson University in South Carolina, has seen 26 eclipses in his lifetime, and says each one is unique.

"When I first see the onset of totality, of course, I am impressed as the temperature drops and the sky darkens and birds return to their nests," he told AFP.

"I am impressed that even the Babylonians were able to predict when and where an eclipse would occur."

ksh/mdo

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Spurs coach Popovich pops off at 'racist' Trump

CLEVELAND -- San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich took aim at Donald Trump Saturday, devoting nearly half of his pre-game news conference to describing his contempt for the newly sworn-in American President.

Popovich called Trump a bully who spends more time attacking his critics than trying to bring the country together by ending the racial and political polarization in the United States.

"It does boggle the mind how somebody can be so thin-skinned," Popovich said. "It's all obvious -- it's about him .... It doesn't matter what it is, there's a pattern there. And that's dangerous.

"I'd like to have someone with gravitas, but he got there through the Electoral College, which is part of our system, and I hope he does some good things."

Popovich was speaking on a day that more than one million people protested Trump's presidency by marching in North America and across the world at a series of women's rallies.

"The march today was great," Popovich said. "That message is important and it could have been a whole lot of groups marching. And somebody said on TV, 'What's their message?' Well, their message is obvious.

"That is our president comes in with the lowest rating of anybody who ever came into the office.

"And there's a majority of people out there, since Hillary (Clinton) won the popular vote, that don't buy his act.

"And I just wish that he was more mature enough to do something that really is inclusive rather than just talking and saying, 'I'm going to include everybody.'

"He could talk to the groups that he disrespected and maligned during the primary and really make somebody believe it. But so far, we've got to a point where you really can't believe anything that comes out of his mouth."

Popovich said he worries about the effect a Trump presidency will have on young Americans.

"I hope he does a great job, but there's a difference between respecting the office of the presidency and who occupies it.

"And that respect has to be earned. But it's hard to be respectful of someone when we all have kids and we're watching him be misogynistic and xenophobic and racist and make fun of handicapped people."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Obama gives farewell address

U.S. President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, their daughter Malia, Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife Jill acknowledge the crowd after President Obama delivered a farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. on Tuesday. Obama delivered his farewell speech 10 days before stepping down as the 44th President of the USA on January 20, Inauguration Day of president-elect Donald Trump.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fil-Am's artwork in New York reaches Philippine rural communities

NEW YORK — Filipino-American David McQueen is a sculptor and installation artist in Brooklyn. His art is all about impulse: hopes, dreams, and desires.

His works have been shown at spaces and galleries in New York, including the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, and the Bronx Museum of Art.

“I really love bonsai that gets shaped into these objects, and I wanted to do a 20-year project where I go out in the woods and shape a tree into the ribs of a boat, and then plane it down so that it looks like it's growing out of a tree,” McQueen told Balitang America.

Much like a tree that provides food, McQueen’s art helps feed hungry children in the Philippines through Advancement for Rural Kids, or ARK, an advocacy led by Ayesha Vera-Yu that provides opportunities for children in rural communities in the Philippines — through feeding programs, arts initiatives and economic investment.

“We use art and music as a way to help our partner communities in the Philippines heal after Haiyan, and so we saw the power of how art enabled all these kids and their parents and their communities reach and dream beyond what’s in their villages,” said Vera-Yu.

Through the ARK program, $15 dollars can a feed a child for a year, and a $50 donation can put one kid through school in a scholarship program.

McQueen worked with the kids to build their dream home. Kids get to write their dreams on a bamboo wall, and are inspired to work hard on making these dreams come true.

“Only the students are allowed inside and the students are allowed to graffiti the interior,” McQueen shared. “They’re meant to write their hopes and dreams for themselves.

“As soon as one person wants something, everyone wants, so everything builds in this really beautiful way, like imagination and dreaming build.”

ARK’s goal is to re-build 3 classrooms that were destroyed by typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

To date, the organization has benefited six villages with 10,000 residents in Cartero, Dumarau, and Capiz.

Read more on Balitang America.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FOOTBALL: Adidas sets sights on football stars in big U.S. drive

BERLIN - Adidas wants to sign dozens of deals with U.S. sports stars in coming years, hoping that will provide a more lasting boost to sales than the current fashion fad for its retro sneakers, its North America head told Reuters.

Since falling into third place in the United States behind Nike and Under Armour, the German firm has regained some ground in recent months after raising marketing spending in the world's top sportswear market.

Mark King has put a big focus on signing top athletes in sports like American football, basketball and baseball since he took over as president of the region for Adidas in 2014, after more than a decade running the company's golf business.

He said Adidas wants to sponsor 250 National Football League (NFL) players by 2020, up from 95 now, plus 100 National Basketball Association players (NBA), up from about 70 now.

"When you do well in football in the United States, it is like doing well in soccer in Germany," King, an American who appeared as a business role model on reality show "The Apprentice", said in a phone interview.

"The more grounded that we are in America, in American sports, the more success we're going to have."

Adidas this month reported a 31 percent jump in first-quarter sales of its core brand in North America, driven by the popularity of retro shoes such as Superstar and Stan Smith.

But some analysts are concerned that the company could be left exposed to the fickle winds of fashion fads if it does not do more to establish its credentials in U.S. sports.

"The risk is that it is very easy to make the brand tired when focusing too much on fashion. Adidas is definitely hot in the United States now, but it is hot in fashion and fashion can fade away," said Berenberg analyst Zuzanna Pusz.

'WINNING LOCKER ROOM'

King said he was firmly focused on "winning the locker room" but wants to tie performance and lifestyle together: "We're a brand that can take care of you when you play your game and we can also make you look cool when you come off the pitch."

Adidas has already lured some top athletes away from Nike, including Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers football team and James Harden of the Houston Rockets, helping the brand regain popularity among its main target audience of 14-18 year-olds.

The drive to sign hundreds of U.S. sports stars comes at a time that Nike is threatening Adidas' dominance in the soccer business, reportedly being on the brink of replacing the German firm as shirt sponsors for English side Chelsea.

King said Adidas' market share for American football cleats, or studded shoes, had already risen significantly, helped by a partnership with rapper Snoop Dogg who launched eye-catching shoes in March with a dollar bill pattern and shiny gold soles.

While basketball is proving tougher, King said he was also optimistic. He said many retailers were keen to help the German firm break Nike's stranglehold on the sport and players were enthusiastic about his company's springy "Boost" shoe soles.

Nike's share of the U.S. sportswear market rose to 21.1 percent in 2015 from 20.1 percent in 2014, while Under Armour was up at 3.9 percent from 3.5 percent and Adidas rose to 3.4 percent from 3.3 percent, according to Euromonitor data.

Adidas fell behind Under Armour in 2014 after spending years in the No.2 spot behind leader Nike.

After years of trying to steer its U.S. business from its headquarters in southern Germany, Adidas has given King more autonomy and has moved top executives, marketers and designers to the firm's U.S. base in Portland, also home to Nike.

It is designing more shoes specifically for the U.S. market and has poached three top footwear designers from Nike, who will run a new creative studio in Brooklyn, New York, to be opened in September.

Adidas has already had strong feedback from retailers for running models due to hit stores early next year and priced at between $80 and $100, less expensive than most of its shoes.

King said these lower-priced running shoes would be a major driver of growth for the company. "Retail customers are starting to feel like Adidas is part of the American business and not imported from somewhere outside." (Editing by Pravin Char)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Guns N' Roses set 21-date reunion tour

SWEET CHILD: Guns N' Roses on Friday announced a 21-date tour of North America, expanding a reunion that will bring the original lineup back together for the first time in two decades.

A short video on the hard rockers' website lists 20 major US cities and Toronto as destinations for the summer tour.

No dates, venues or ticket information were provided. In a likely wink to the lack of details, the announcement was accompanied by a snippet of the group's song "Patience."

Guns N' Roses' 1987 "Appetite for Destruction" remains the top-selling debut album in US history. Axl Rose's soaring voice and raw anger coupled with Slash's intricate guitar work made the group a global sensation.

But the band, shaken by bitter personal disputes between Slash and Rose, last played together in Buenos Aires in 1993. Since then, Rose has kept performing as Guns N' Roses with other musicians.

The band has long received lucrative offers to come back together. It first revealed its reunion plans when it was announced as the headliner for the Coachella festival next month in California.

Since then, Guns N' Roses said that the reunion would begin on April 8-9 with two shows at the new T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip. An additional two shows were announced for April 19-20 in Mexico City.

The latest announcement may not be the last; the rockers notably did not list Los Angeles, their home turf, where they would be expected to perform a nostalgia-rich show.

A radio host on Atlanta rock station WNNX recently reported that Rose would also join AC/DC as guest vocalist for shows as frontman Brian Johnson suffers hearing problems. Neither Rose nor the veteran Australian rockers have commented.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com