WORLD

The Philippine government was forced to suspend offices and classes in 14 provinces, including in the capital Metro Manila, as tropical storm Maring (international name: Trami) maintained its strength and continued to enhance the southwest monsoon early Monday. The state forecasting weather agency has advised the 14 provinces to brace for severe flooding.

Some said it sounded like a huge thunderstorm. Others said it was like snapping popcorn. But one thing is for sure. The 100-foot sinkhole in Florida awakened all vacationers at the Summer Bay Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The 2013 Perseid meteor shower has astounded numerous sky gazers from around the world during its peak activity on August 11 and 12. The weekend may have offered a good meteor shower display for many witnesses who were able to capture images and share their viewing experience but the Perseid meteor shower is predicted to continue lighting up the night skies until it fades out on August 24.

To update you with the latest record attempts which made it this 2013, here is a good list of the most interesting ones that will capture your attention.

While waiting for Comet ISON’s near-Earth approach in December, spectators can witness first a stunning display coming from the 2013 Perseid meteor shower. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) describes the annual space event as the “best meteor shower of the year” and it is set to peak during the nights of August 11 and 12.

Trending, viral memes circulating social media channels could soon send netizens to jail. Philippine senator Nancy Binay has proposed the Electronic Violence Against Women (E-VAW) Law of 2013, a bill against "electronic violence." On Facebook, social media users referred to the bill as anti-meme, a retribution to those who had mocked the senator through memes during the campaign.

Manufacturers of Russian vodkas stand to suffer potential losses after the global LGBT movement has unilaterally decided to ban the type of alcoholic drinks from gay bars in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's crackdown against the sector in his home country.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officially released the dazzling image of the 2013 Comet ISON that Hubble Space Telescope was able to capture last April 30, 2013. The image shows Comet ISON speeding its way close to planet Earth with a visible tail and spectacular background.

'In the Way' guy is not "ridiculously photogenic" or "unimpressed." But he is the latest star in the funny viral memes circulating the social media sites via Reddit today. Thanks to him, photobombing reaches a whole new level. Have you seen him yet on Facebook, Twitter?

Still reeling from the devastating floods in June, China has been struck again with another catastrophe. On Monday, China's western Gansu province was hit by two earthquakes, killing 89 and injuring more than 500 people. Authorities feared the death toll could go up as about 1,200 buildings had collapsed and tens of thousands more badly damaged.

Here are the photographs that shocked the world.

Here are the photographs that shocked the world.

A picture is worth a thousand words. The most shocking pictures are worth much more.

It may sound sappy, but the bond between a mother and her children run thicker than blood even. But what happens when mothers turn killers of their own children? One such high profile case has been the brutal murder of Keisha Abraham by her own mother, Kristi. And it wasn't just the murder but the cover-up story that Kristi concocted to get away scot-free that has made her one of Australia’s most hated mothers.

Six years ago, a girl named Talia Castellano was diagnosed with cancer and interest in makeup helped in distracting her from the ailment. Unfortunately, the 13-year-old bubbly girl who became a YouTube sensation as a makeup guru lost the battle with cancer and passed away on July 16 with family and friends surrounding her.

Google decided to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Roswell UFO incident in a fun way with the creation of an interactive Google Doodle. The black-and-white Google Doodle video game allows the Internet users to aid an alien search for the missing parts of his spaceship.

A Dallas, Texas gym teacher named Dale Irby caught the attention of social media Web sites when pictures of him surfaced wearing the same clothes for 40 years in the school yearbook. The 63-year-old Prestonwood Elementary school teacher unintentionally wore the same collared disco shirt with V-necked brown tank top in two successive yearbook photos, and his wife, Cathy, dared him to do it again for the third time.

In 2011, a 3-year-old girl named Iris Halmshaw from Leicestershire was diagnosed with autism. The child is unable to speak due to the neural development disorder but she can express feelings through her impressive painting skills.

Members of the Warwick University Rowing Club have a busy schedule that comprises of studying, training for competitions and posing nude to a calendar photo shoot for a good cause. A portion of the raised money will go to the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation that fights against homophobia and bullying.

Teenager Zara Hartshorn has been living a life comparable to Brad Pitt’s character in the film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” because she is only 16 years old but looks 60. Zara, her sister Jolene and mum Tracey suffers the rare genetic disorder Cutis Laxa that causes skin to become inelastic and loosely hanging in folds which explains the premature ageing.

The 2013 Supermoon lit up the night sky over the weekend and worldwide viewers who were able to capture images of the spectacular phenomenon shared in on the internet. Those who were not able to witness the Supermoon, web site Space.com offers a free webcast on Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 June 24, Monday) courtesy of the Slooh Space Camera.

It was supposed to be a regular maintenance workday for 49-year-old Stephen Schmidt and 26-year-old Victor Carballo, two New York City window washers, over 500ft high at Hearst Tower Manhattan until their tolerance for high places was put to the test. The men were stuck for 90 minutes on the platform that suddenly collapsed before the rescue team saved them.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spent the last decade sitting unchallenged as Turkey’s Prime Minister. He established himself as the vengeful but righteous father of the country. It seems like for every ruler in history, a measure of their success and power comes down to a rebellion.

Curiosity Mars remains fodder for rich speculations on what exists on the red planet. Several curious elements have been spotted on Martian photos taken by the rover. All findings remain speculation, and viewed by many as product of people's rich imagination. Here are some of the most controversial photos shared via social media networks.

Israeli female soldiers are in deep hot waters with the Israeli government and army after new recruits posted sexy and indecent, almost half-naked, photos of themselves on Facebook that were taken right inside the military barracks.

As the month of May comes to an end, the May 31 Friday night will provide one last spectacular 2013 Dance of the Planets view. Planets Jupiter, Mercury and Venus will be forming a rare straight alignment with the visibility of a “closer-than-usual” Supermoon.

The mermaid hoax on Animal Planet drew mixed reactions from its 3.6 million viewers (and still counting). Social media channels are being filled with mermaid insights, jokes and memes. "Mermaids: The New Evidence" is drawing much publicity - both good and bad. Have you seen the mockumentary?

Planets Jupiter, Mercury and Venus are currently performing their exceptional dance in the night sky and they will carry on for the rest of the week. Captured images of the 2013 Dance of the Planets are now being shared on the social networking site Twitter for online viewers to see.

Mars Curiosity rover photos have drawn much attention from space science enthusiasts and UFO observers. The latest "structures" include rock formations seen as some ruins and some kind of missile. But who knows - could these image interpretations be merely a result of rich and playful imagination?