December 31, 2014 Edition

Debris and bodies were spotted on Wednesday, December 31 believed to be from the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 which disappeared en route to Singapore from Indonesia on Sunday December 28. Indonesian authorities say at least three bodies were recovered from the sea along with pieces of luggage and other wreckage. Additional reports say the shadow of a plane was spotted under the water in areas 160 kilometers off the town of Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan on Borneo Island. Relatives of the passengers and crew were visibly upset upon learning of the news on Wednesday. Several relatives at a holding area in Surabaya airport fainted and required medical care. Search and rescue operations will continue on Thursday.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Missed the events that unfolded? Read the Live Blog on Rappler.

At least 30 people were killed in landslides and flash floods as Tropical Storm Seniang (international name: Jangmi) crossed the southern and central Philippines on Tuesday, December 30. Seniang brought heavy rains and floods in many areas previously hit by super typhoon Yolanda and typhoon Ruby. At least 20 were killed in a landslide in Catbalogan, Eastern Samar. The actual death toll could still rise. Thousands were evacuated ahead of the storm’s arrival, with most expected to be sent home on Tuesday, December 30.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A domestic AirAsia Philippines flight from Manila to Kalibo overshot the runway in Aklan on Tuesday night, December 30, due to strong winds. After a delayed departure from Manila, AirAsia flight Z2 272 made a hard, abrupt landing on the Kalibo runway. According to Rappler’s Jet Damazo who was a passenger on the plane, there was no indication given before the landing that there was any trouble. The passengers had to evacuate from the plane where emergency crews were on standby to assist them. All passengers and crew are safe but at least one passenger was brought to the hospital due to high blood pressure.

Read the full story on Rappler.

In spite of a dip in approval and trust ratings, corruption investigations, and possible plunder cases, Vice President Jejomar Binay says he will still push ahead with his bid for the presidency in 2016. The former Makati City mayor told reporters on December 30, Tuesday that he has already gone so far and that there is ‘no turning back.’ Binay also reiterated that he remains on good terms with President Benigno Aquino III. Binay, who suffered a dip in approval ratings, remains the frontrunner in polls on voters’ preference for presidential candidates.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Chinese netizens expressed their fury over a report that a property developer in China hired a group of people with HIV to harass residents into leaving their homes. The case is the latest to highlight widespread discrimination in China against people living with HIV and AIDS. Chinie Central Television aired a report on Monday, Dec 29 that a property developer in the central Chinese city of Nanyang hired 6 people with HIV to force local residents out a housing compound set for demolition.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday, December 30, gave prison officials a two-week ultimatum to dismantle all special jail cells, known as kubols, inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City. Inmates accuse the DOJ of implementing “selective justice” after several high profile inmates also living in luxury in jail were left out of the raid. Authorities have conducted at least three raids into the NBP while de Lima has sacked jail officials for allowing contraband into the prison. The Justice secretary said President Benigno Aquino III has given her a free hand to institute reforms in the correctional system.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Climate change once again made big headlines in 2014 with the Philippines drawing a lot of the world’s attention. This year marked the one year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda and the arrival of late season tropical cyclones Ruby and Seniang, once again giving credence to the link between monster typhoons and global warming. The Philippine government has certainly taken some steps to ‘go green’, even calling on the international community to fund green technology for the developing world. Rappler’s Pia Ranada takes a look back at what else the government did to address climate change issues in 2014.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and Disney’s animated fantasy hit Frozen were the two most pirated films of 2014, according to a firm tracking illegal downloads. Numerous US media, including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, on Monday December 29 published a list of this year’s 20 most illegally downloaded movies, compiled by piracy tracker Excipio. The site said The Wolf of Wall Street was illegally downloaded more than 30 million times, while Frozen was pirated more than 29.9 million times. In third place was RoboCop, with a little less than 29.9 million illegal downloads, though this included both 2014’s re-booted version and the 1987 original.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Chicago Bulls put away the pesky Indiana Pacers and won their seventh straight game thanks to a clutch shot by Jimmy Butler. The Hornets bounced back from a 21-point deficit and forced OT, but was outscored by 10 in the extra period thanks to strong performances from The Greek Freak, Jared Dudley, and Brandon Knight. And the Orlando Magic beat the Miami Heat by one point, 102-101.

Read more on Rappler’s NBA wRap.

It’s that time of year again for a midnight countdown to celebrate the new year. But what new year’s eve celebration would be complete without some lights and noise? Emergency management expert Martin Aguda shares these family safety tips for handling firecrackers and fire. Of course, to really be safe, you can avoid lighting up all together. Either way, have a happy and safe new year!

Learn how to handle firecrackers safely on Rappler.