#ThewRap: Things you need to know, December 15, 2016

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#ThewRap: Things you need to know, December 15, 2016

AFP

Hello! Here are the stories you shouldn't miss this Thursday.

Hello, Rappler readers! 

Forbes has named Vladimir Putin the world’s most powerful person, as Russian-brokered deal for the evacuation of civilians in Syria’s Aleppo is suspended, bringing air strikes on the are instead. In the South China Sea, the United States warns Beijing against its latest aggressive moves in the disputed area, after the Asian giant was angered by US President-elect Donald’s Trump dialogue with Taiwan. At home, amid a delayed peace process with government, the Communist Party of the Philippines is calling for mass demonstrations against President Rodrigo Duterte.

Here are the big stories you shouldn’t miss: 

 

4th year in a row: Putin is world’s most powerful person – Forbes 

Vladimir Putin was the world’s most powerful person for a 4th straight year in 2016, with United States President-elect Donald Trump in second place, Forbes magazine said December 14 in its annual rankings. “Russia’s president has exerted his country’s influence in nearly every corner of the globe. From the motherland to Syria to the US presidential elections, Putin continues to get what he wants,” the US business magazine wrote. The 64-year old Russian leader is “unconstrained by conventional global norms (and) his reach has magnified in recent years,” Forbes said. The list includes Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte among the “World’s Most Powerful People.” 

 

US warns it won’t accept Beijing control of South China Sea

Admiral Harry Harris, head of the United States Pacific Command, warns that Washington will keep challenging Beijing’s “assertive, aggressive behavior in the South China Sea” despite Beijing’s rapid development of artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Satellite images have shown the ongoing installation of military equipment and longer runways on artificial islands in the disputed sea, a US-based think tank said. 

 

Thousands caught in deadly clashes hit Aleppo as evacuation deal on hold 

Deadly clashes erupted in Syria’s Aleppo on December 14 as a deal for the evacuation of rebel areas was put on hold, leaving thousands of cold and hungry civilians uncertain of their future. The first departures had been expected around 5 am (0300 GMT) but there was no movement, and a few hours later, fierce fighting shook the city. The landmark evacuation deal, brokered by Russia and Turkey, came after the army seized more than 90% of east Aleppo from the rebels. On December 15, 

 

Communist Party blasts Duterte, calls for indignation rallies 

The Communist Party of the Philippines once again rebuked President Rodrigo Duterte for his failure to release more political prisoners, and called on supporters to show indignation through peace rallies on December 26, the party’s 48th anniversary. The CPP said it is going to hold a national assembly in a guerrilla zone in Duterte’s home city of Davao, alongside mass demonstrations nationwide on that day. The President said he was not going to budge any further in his position against releasing more political prisoners, as what the communist-led National Democratic Front is demanding, thus delaying the peace process.

 

SC Justice Jose Perez retires: Here are high-profile decisions he wrote 

After more than 4 decades serving in the halls of the highest court of the land, Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Portugal Perez retires on December 14, as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. Perez is the SC’s first homegrown justice, having spent his professional life serving in the High Tribunal and serving 15 chief justices. He first worked as a legal assistant in the Office of the Reporter, moving up the ranks until former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed him in 2009 as the SC’s 167th associate justice. Rappler takes a look back at some high-profile cases with Perez as the ponente or decision writer.

 

Nokia is back! Look at its latest phones

The young Finnish company HMD Global revealed its first Nokia phones since securing rights to the brand: the Nokia 150 and the Nokia 150 Dual Sim. These two phones will be the first new Nokia devices to release since Microsoft’s final offering, the 216, arrived in October. The 150 and 150 Dual Sim are feature phones running on Nokia’s Series 30+ operating system that boasts 22 hours of talk time and a VGA camera with LED flash. It has a 2.4-inch screen and has a suggested retail price of US $26. It’s set to come out in the first quarter of 2017 in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) and Europe. See the specs on Rappler Technology.

 

Duterte’s signature appears on peso bills in time for Christmas 

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas announced it will start circulating the new batch of New Generation Currency banknotes bearing President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature starting next week. The BSP started circulating the NGC bills in 2010 as it began phasing out the New Design Series banknotes launched in 1985. Under Republic Act 7653 or the new Central Bank Act of 1993, notes of any series or denomination that are more than 5 years old and coins that are more than 10 years old can be replaced. The new NGC banknotes have several security features to protect the currency against counterfeiters. 

  

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