Rappler Newscast | December 25, 2013

Story 1: PETILLA TO RESIGN OVER ‘FAILED’ PROMISE
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda says Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla offers to quit to “keep his word that he will resign if all the towns are not energized” in Yolanda-hit areas.
Lacierda says, “Whether or not President Aquino will accept is another matter.”
Petilla tells Lacierda in a text message that 3 towns in Yolanda-hit areas experienced problems recently.
But as of 2:40 pm Wednesday, the problems appear to have been addressed.
The 3 towns were not immediately identified.
Petilla said Tuesday that power has been restored all typhoon-affected areas “100%”.
Petilla then pointed out that while all towns and municipalities have been connected to the grid, some houses are still without electricity.
Petilla adds connecting local households to power sources is the responsibility of local government units.
In a phone interview with Rappler, Petilla said in Filipino, “Our responsibility is only to make sure there’s power to access to. But the mayor in Tacloban belongs to another camp…and as far as he’s concerned… as long as there’s no electricity in his house then there’s no electricity in Tacloban.”
A party mate of the President and a former governor of Leyte, Petilla was named to the energy department in 2012.

Story 2: IN CHRISTMAS MESSAGE, POPE PRAYS FOR PH
Pope Francis highlights the role played by humble shepherds in the Nativity in his first Christmas Eve mass in the Vatican on December 24.
At the service in St Peter’s Basilica, the 77-year old Pope says local shepherds were the first to witness the holy birth “because they were among the last, the outcast.”
The pope also calls on Catholics to open their hearts and struggle against the “spirit of darkness.”
This marks the Pope’s first Christmas following the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI.
On Monday, the Pope said in a homily, “Like the Virgin Mary, the Church this week is expecting a birth.”
“Is there space for the Lord or is there space only for parties, shopping and making noise?”
In his first Christmas message, Pope Francis led the world in praying for the Philippines after Super Typhoon Yolanda, international name Haiyan, killed more than 6,000 Filipinos and affected 16 million others.
Pope Francis prays for victims of natural disasters, “especially those from beloved Philippines.”
Also on Monday, Pope Francis visited retired Pope Benedict XVI to greet him a Merry Christmas.
The two popes met in Benedict’s residence inside Vatican City.
On Wednesday, December 25, Francis delivers the “Urbi et Orbi” or “To the City and the World”) blessing on St Peter’s Square.

Story 3: KIM URGES NORTH KOREA MILITARY TO BOOST COMBAT READINESS
State media reports North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un urges the country’s military to boost its combat readiness, saying a war could break out “without any prior notice”.
The call comes at a time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following the execution of Kim’s uncle and former mentor Jang Song-Thaek.
Korean Central News Agency says, “He instructed the unit to put utmost spurs on rounding off its combat readiness always bearing in mind that a war breaks out without any prior notice.”
Seoul and Washington warned of possible provocative acts by the nuclear-armed North following the purge.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye calls for “watertight security readiness” during her trip Tuesday to a frontline guard post, describing the situation over the border as “ominous”.
She says, “We should react sternly and mercilessly to any provocations by North Korea.”

Story 4: The wRap
Let’s now look at Rappler’s “wRap” for today…
a list of the ten most important events around the world you shouldn’t miss.

At number 6, Syrian air strikes kill 15 people, including 3 children, in Aleppo on Tuesday as the regime pressed a blistering nine-day bombing campaign that has killed hundreds, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documents the killing of 364 people, among them 105 children, 33 women and 30 fighters, in the massive air campaign in and around Aleppo.
A 19-year-old activist says, “The past 10 days in Aleppo have been the most violent in the whole of the Syrian revolution.”

At number 9, Four security guards of an exclusive village in Makati City were commended by village residents for following security protocol and stopping the convoy of Mayor Junjun Binay November 30.
In a letter dated December 23, Dasmariñas Village Association (DVA) president Jay Pantangco says the association stands by the actions of the security guards.
CCTV footage uploaded by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday, showed Binay stepping out of the lead car to speak with the village guards.
Binay’s convoy was eventually allowed to exit at the same gate after Makati policemen were called in.

And at number 10, An Indonesian district chief shuts down a local airport after failing to get on a full flight.
Marianus Sae, head of Ngada district in the eastern island of Flores, orders local officials to block the runway of the airport to prevent the plane he wanted to ride from landing.
Indonesian government officials are not happy with the incident and have ordered an investigation into the matter.
For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

Story 5: BRITISH SURGEON SUSPENDED FOR ‘BRANDING INITIALS ON LIVER’
A British surgeon is suspended over allegations he “branded” his initials on a patient’s liver.
Newspaper reports say Simon Bramhall faces an investigation after a colleague discovered the initials “SB” on the organ during a follow-up operation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England.
The hospital’s management says it “has suspended a surgeon while an internal investigation is completed.”
The Daily Mail newspaper said Bramhall used non-toxic argon gas to sear his initials onto the liver.

Story 6: ASTRONAUTS COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL SPACEWALK TO FIX STATION
Two NASA astronauts wrap up successful repairs at the International Space Station on Tuesday after a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk to fix an equipment cooling system.
Two astronauts floated outside the orbiting lab for 7.5 hours to replace an ammonia pump whose internal control valve failed on December 11.
NASA says, “We have a pump that is alive and well.”
after a successful jumpstart test on the newly installed pump module.
He adds more checks need to be done, but the pump appears to be “in good shape” and would be fully activated.