The Emir of Kuwait’s big fat flat joke almost made Gloria cry

Now that the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, can no longer change his mind about saving Marilou Ranario from the noose, we can tell you the inside story of the crisis in Gloria Arroyo’s own mind. Something the emir whispered to her tested the woman’s determination to leave her legacy as a ‘tough’ leader and to have her place in the dustbin of history.

“I wan’t something in return. Our justice system requires that we hang someone else

Controversial Standard columnist bags 2 honors in Catholic Mass Media Awards (GE)

“I’m sorry for my apology, I didn’t mean it.”—Malu Fernandez

by The Small and Medium at Large

MALU FERNANDEZ, lifestyle writer of Manila Standard Today and People Asia magazine, garnered yesterday two prestigious honors from the Catholic Mass Media Awards-Gifted Edition (CMMA-GE; usually held three weeks after the awards for ordinary journalists) at the Araneta coliseum. After earning the ire of overseas Filipino workers for two articles she wrote earlier this year, Fernandez offered to resign from the two publications. She was asked to stay.

Citing Fernandez for outstanding courage, candor, and wit beyond the call of duty, the awards body gave her the second prize for lifestyle/travel for “Are you a stinky linky? Or do you smell like a divalicious babe?” (MST, April 16). “From Boracay to Greece” published in PA (June 2007), copped the top prize in the same category.