December 7, 2014 Edition

Many towns in Southern Luzon and the Visayas went without power and cell phone signals this weekend as Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) slammed into Samar and then the Bicol region. The signal of both Smart and Globe, the country’s two telco giants, went down in the Samar group of provinces Saturday, December 6. Power lines in southern Luzon and eastern and central Visayas were also brought down by Typhoon Ruby, according to the National Grid Corporation. Netizens reported power outages in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Ormoc, Daraga in Albay, Pangpang in Northern Samar, Milagros in Masbate City, Roxas City, Macrohon in Southern Leyte and Iloilo City.

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Initial reports from Samar show bad damage to infrastructure due to Typhoon Ruby’s (Hagupit) strong winds, but there were no reports of casualties as of Sunday morning, December 7. Floods made some roads in Northern Samar not passable, while highways were filled with broken electric posts. Provinces in Bicol also conducted preemptive evacuation Saturday night in anticipation of Ruby’s landfall in their areas Sunday. A total of 146,875 families or 716,639 persons remained in evacuation centers in Regions IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, and CARAGA, as of Sunday morning.

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As Typhoon Ruby battered eastern Visayas this weekend, Filipino activists in Lima urged climate negotiators to act with more urgency in drafting a global plan to limit such potentially life-threatening events. Countries are gathered in the Peruvian capital to negotiate the broad outlines of the new global pact, which is due to be signed in Paris next December and take effect in 2020. Grouping 195 nations and the EU bloc, the talks remain deeply divided on how to apportion responsibility for emissions curbs, which requires a costly shift from cheap and abundant fossil fuel to cleaner alternatives. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization has said extreme storms like last year’s Haiyan were “consistent” with human-induced climate change.

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A baby girl was born on December 6 in the town of Lawaan, Eastern Samar, just as Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) began making its way across the province – thanks to the help of a doctor in Metro Manila. The town mayor called the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Manila to ask for help as a 23-year-old wife was about to give birth inside an evacuation center. A doctor in Manila then gave instructions on the phone for the safe birth of baby girl Ruby.

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An additional 1,000 US troops will remain in Afghanistan next year to meet a temporary shortfall in NATO forces, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. President Barack Obama approved the move despite an earlier plan to limit the US force to a maximum of 9,800 troops in 2015. Concern is growing for Afghan stability as the NATO military presence declines, with the national army and police enduring record casualties in battle this year and following a series of high-profile Taliban attacks in Kabul. A protracted Afghan election delayed the signing of security deals with the United States and NATO countries, which set back plans for Western governments to contribute troops to the post-2014 mission, Hagel said.

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Soon after President Aquino steps down in June 2016, his successor will appoint 3 justices to the Supreme Court – and 6 more till the end of his or her term in 2022 – or a total of 9 out of 15 justices. That will be more than double the number of justices (4) President Aquino appointed to the Supreme Court. Apprehensions over the composition of the Supreme Court are with basis. By accident of history, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo served a 9-year term, allowing her to pack the Court. She put in a total of 21 justices. (President Marcos appointed the most number of justices – 32 – during his 21 years in office.) This puts the spotlight on the Judicial and Bar Council, the body that vets candidates to the judiciary. Will it be insulated from politics in making its choices?

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Two former Vatican bank managers and a lawyer have had their accounts seized as part of an investigation into allegations of embezzlement. The bank, officially known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), said it had pressed charges against the trio some months ago and “the accounts held by the concerned individuals at the IOR have recently been seized.” Reports said they had syphoned off cash while managing the sale by the bank of 29 buildings. The IOR has been trying to rid itself of a reputation for shady dealings, following a series of money-laundering scandals in the past.

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It may have incurred the ire and scrutiny of Philippine public officials, but the controversial US ride-sharing startup Uber is now valued at $40 billion. This is twice what it was worth 6 months ago, after it managed to raise a fresh $1.2 billion in funding. Uber chief Travis Kalanick said the money will fuel expansion, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The rapid expansion has caused deep tensions with traditional taxi drivers, especially in Europe. In the Philippines, Uber has been the subject of complaints from taxi operators, regulators and lawmakers over allegations the company is operating in the Philippines without license, among others.

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Personal finance experts in the Philippines have shared their tips on making it through the Christmas season without breaking the bank. The Christmas spirit, after all, does not necessarily correlate to how much a person spends – in other words, you can be festive without being wasteful. You can, for example, practice re-gifting. Or giving your time as a gift.

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Credit cards and terminal image from Shutterstock

Money continues to be the biggest obstacle to finalizing a fight between eight-time boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and the undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Citing a source close to Mayweather, Mannix said Mayweather is now asking for two-thirds of the revenue. Just recently, a boxing executive who’s one of the chiefs of an Abu Dhabi-based investment group, offered Mayweather a $110 million purse with total combined purses of $200 million for the right to have the match between him and Pacquiao take place in the United Arab Emirates.

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