MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – It’s all fun and games until you’re charged with accessory to murder. A woman allegedly involved in the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam claims that she thought she was carrying out a harmless prank rather than someone’s deadly political agenda. On February 13, local South Korean…
Full Article NORTH KOREA: YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – South Korea, not known as a world-beater as a foreign investor, has pledged $10 billion in energy and infrastructure investment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The extraordinary pledge came at this year’s Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference. KOAFEC is the meeting of a consulting group founded…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: MIRACLE ON THE RIVER FINALLY FLOWS INTO AFRICA
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – The Philippines and the United States have enjoyed a decades-long marriage, but there’s trouble brewing in paradise. Many people didn’t take Philippine President Rodrigo “Rody” Roa Duterte seriously when he said he was considering cutting ties with America and cozying up to Russia and China.…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: DEAR AMERICA, IT’S OVER, SINCERELY DUTERTE
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Strong-armed President Rodrigo Duterte might be fresh from victory after the Philippine Senate voted to demote a vocal critic, but on her way out the door Sen. Leila De Lima warned Duterte to not rest on his laurels. On September 19, the Philippine Senate voted…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: STRONGMAN VS. STRONG WOMAN
MARY GRACES COSTA WRITES – No, Manny, gay people aren’t “worse than animals,” but you might be. “People’s Champion” Manny Pacquiao has boxed himself into a corner with homophobic comments made to Filipino television network TV5. And the Eight Division world boxing champ’s loose lips may have cost him a lucrative Nike contract and…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Pacquiao K.O’d for Homophobic Comments
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach may have won the 2015 Miss Universe crown, along with the hearts of her fellow countrymen and women, but she won’t be charming her way out of her taxes. Upon her homecoming on January 23, Pia received a warm welcome and friendly…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: She’s Beauty, She’s Grace, She’s Got Taxes To Pay
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – In the mood to binge-watch a Filipino TV drama for a long afternoon of frustration, confusion, and catharsis? Look no further than the #DuterteSerye hashtag on Twitter. Rodrigo Duterte left his supporters on a cliffhanger the week before October 16 as they waited for the…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Duterte Drama Reaches Anticlimactic Conclusion
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but blatant plagiarism is the sign of an uncreative mind. It’s unfortunate, then, that the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) – supposedly a celebration of creative expression through film – has found itself in the embarrassing situation of…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Film Festival Logo Lookalike Gets Two Thumbs Down
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Way to rain on the parade, Chito Narvasa! Invited to speak at an awards dinner for journalists covering Philippines basketball, the new b-ball commissioner chose to dress down reporters, warning them to practice “responsible journalism” or else. It seems Narvasa wanted to ensure that all Philippine…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Writers Ye Be Warned
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – In late June, nine-year-old Daniel Cabrera couldn’t find a light bulb to study under, but now, the inspirational Filipino boy certainly has a bright future ahead of him. On June 23rd, a college student by the name of Joyce Torrefranca found Cabrera studying on the…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: A Picture Worth a Thousand Shares
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Political disputes used to be settled with swords and guns, but in the Information Age, the cyber world is the new battlefield of choice. A hacker group known as Global Security seized control of the website of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Hackers Tip Black Hat to Aquino
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Big Brother might not be watching, but that isn’t stopping the South Korean government from making sure that Mom and Dad are. A new Android app called Smart Sheriff allows parents to monitor their children’s smartphones. The app lets parents know how long their son…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: There’s a New (Smart) Sheriff in Town
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Melinda “Mei” Magsino-Lubis, 40, a former correspondent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was shot and killed in broad daylight in front of her home in Batangas Monday, April 13. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines reports that the murderer shot Magsino-Lubis in…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Just Another Statistic
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES– Is killing journalists an act of war? Associated Press president Gary Pruitt believes it is. Last week at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club, Pruitt suggested changes to international laws that would make killing journalists or taking them hostage a war crime, punishable under the 1948…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Justice for Journalists?
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – A defaced billboard featuring a same-sex couple in the Philippines has the LGBTQ community in an uproar. Meanwhile, online supporters rush to save the ad with a hashtag and a bit of creativity. Filipino retail giant Bench released a new ad campaign entitled “Love All…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Isn’t It All the Same Love?