February 8, 2015 Edition

On Friday, February 6, almost two weeks since the deadly January 25 operation that killed 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos, President Benigno Aquino III in a national address said the deaths of his men weighed heavily on him. In the same speech, Aquino also let go of longtime friend and PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima, who was reported to be in charge of the botched operation. In an interview with GMA-7’s 24 Oras Friday night, Purisima however denied leading it.

Meanwhile, Rappler pieces together a timeline of events that lead to that fateful weekend in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The burning alive of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State group is a “turning point” in the kingdom’s fight against the jihadists, a minister said in remarks published Saturday, February 7. Air strikes carried out so far by Jordan’s air force were “the beginning of an ongoing process to eliminate” IS, Interior Minister Hussein Majali said, quoted by government newspaper Al-Rai.

Read more on Rappler.

Indonesian divers have found a body believed to be the French co-pilot who was steering an AirAsia plane when it crashed in December with 162 people onboard, an official said Saturday, February 7. Coordinator of the search and rescue effort S.B. Supriyadi said the body was retrieved from the front part of the fuselage during a search operation on Friday. A formal confirmation will be given after the Disaster Victims Identification (DVI) team finish identifying the body, which is in poor condition, Supriyadi said.

Read more on Rappler.

Once, a visit to Tagaytay yielded just the a view of majestic Taal Volcano down in Batangas province. Now, this natural attraction shares the view with several new high-rise buildings, mostly condominium and mixed-use developments. It seems development is finally coming to the probinsya. But a look at scientific studies commissioned by the Cavite provincial government and a talk with scientists show that Tagaytay’s vertical and urban development may spell crisis for the rest of the province.

Read more on Rappler.

People who survive Ebola continue to suffer from serious physical and psychological ailments and require care long after the deadly virus has left their bodies, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday, February 6. “There’s a huge need for ongoing care for people who’ve recovered from Ebola,” WHO technical advisory Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva.

Survivors suffer a wide range of symptoms, including muscle and joint pains, including chronical arthritis, and sight loss, she said. In addition, they are often traumatized by their experience and face a variety of psychological problems.

Read more on Rappler.

Western leaders challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday, February 7, to prove he wants peace in Ukraine, warning both sides a new Franco-German peace drive may be a “last chance” to stop all-out war. While Western leaders were united in condemning Russia for supporting rebels, they differed on whether to back Ukraine’s beleaguered army with weapons, although a US official denied to reporters that there was any split between the transatlantic allies.

Read more on Rappler.

Senior officials of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will build on the key priorities identified by 2014 host China in setting the policy direction of APEC 2015. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario, APEC 2015 Senior Officials Meeting’ (SOM) chair, said senior officials “will lay down the groundwork for policy direction of APEC 2015, which actually are built upon last year’s priorities of China.”

These priorities revolve around advancing regional economic integration, promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth, strengthening comprehensive connectivity, and infrastructure development, she said.

Read more on Rappler.

It was the crucial last semester of his 5-year civil engineering course when Super Typhoon Yolanda left Dovann Arrabis’ family homeless. But his hard work and perseverance prevailed in spite of the devastation Yolanda caused him and his family. Arrabis placed 10th among all board passers nationwide who took the May 2014 Civil Engineering Licensure Examination and was one of the two students from Cebu Technological University (CTU) who made it to the top 10.

Read more about Dovann’s inspiring story on Rappler.

Top US television anchor Brian Williams said Saturday, February 7, he was taking himself off the air for “several days” as he faces an internal investigation for embellishing an Iraq war story. Williams, 55, who reportedly earns $10 million a year and is watched by an estimated 9 million Americans a night, admitted earlier this week that a story he often repeated on air about coming under fire was not true.

Read more on Rappler.

It’s time for this year’s Grammy Awards again – and we’re all set for another night of big wins, plus awesome performances from some of the biggest names in the music industry. Beyonce, Madonna, Katy Perry, and more will be performing.

Rappler live blogs the event starting 6:30am, Manila time Monday, February 9. Tune in for all the action, as it happens.