Vittorio Hernandez

Questions over the manner of the surrender of Philippine Pork Barrel Scam Queen Janet Lim-Napoles overshadowed the businesswoman ending her short fugitive days.

The Australian sharemarket rose modestly today, with concerns relating to Syria put on the backburner briefly. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) edged higher by 0.1 per cent, with the underperforming (yesterday) mining & energy stocks leading the improvements.

Colombian rebels who belong to the National Liberation Army (ELN) released on Tuesday Canadian mining executive Gernot Wober after 221 days in captivity.

It is common to see images of women in bikinis in adverts for products that mainly target male buyers such as wine or a car. However, to sell homes, the best come-ons would be photos of the model units of an architect's perspective such as this illustration

Operators of the Dux Live bar in Christchurch, New Zealand is still studying if it will also place a camera in the women's room, following the controversy caused by its installation of surveillance camera in the men's room.

The Filipina businesswoman accused of being the brains behind the P10 billion pork barrel scam, Janet Lim-Napoles, surrendered on Wednesday night to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III at 9:37 p.m.

It pays to be the oldest member of Facebook, 105-year-old Edythe Kirchmaier found out recently. She was gifted with a new car by an anonymous FB member who wanted her to be able to attend her charity commitments.

Australian shares finished firmly lower at the close, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) slipping by 1 per cent. The losses within the mining sector worsened throughout the afternoon, with the S&P/ASX200 Materials Index falling by 2.1 per cent.

The jury of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court declared on Wednesday guilty the two Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadets who had sex with a female cadet and broadcast the act live via Skype.

Americans who are fond of fast food fare such as hamburgers and French fries should brace their stomachs for a no burger day as workers from McDonald's and other fast food restaurants are set to join a nationwide strike on Thursday.

After doing little on Monday and Tuesday, the local market is recording its biggest daily slump since 7 August. The most significant driver is the tension in Syria. The potential for a US led military strike has been pushing gold and oil prices higher, while equities have been punished.

Like famous pianist Liberace, whose life was featured in the film Behind the Candlelabras, designer Calvin Klien also had a young male lover who spilled the details of their two-year gay relationship after they split.

If Libya has former dictator Moammar Gaddafi and the U.S. Ariel Castro as poster boys for men who abduct and rape their victims, their Australian counterpart, Michael Allen Pilgrim, has been found guilty and sentenced on Tuesday to at least 19 years prison term.

Amid the furor created by the pork barrel scam in the Philippines and on the same week that the country was again battered by a storm that flooded parts of the country for days, the Filipino humour was not lost.

The speculations are true. Samsung confirmed on Tuesday that the South Korean tech giant will unveil the Galaxy Gear smartwatch on Wednesday, Sept 4, two days before the IFA consumer tech trade show opens in Berlin, Germany.

The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) eased modestly after a slightly improvement on Monday. The 5100pt mark remains key for the ASX200; a level we've traded above for three straight sessions. The Australian market hasn't traded above the 5100 in a decisive manner however since June 2008. Weakness from the mining, energy, industrials and telcos kept the market a touch lower. Improvements from three of the four major banks helped to limit the losses; however wasn't enough to push the broader XA...

The Australian share market is only slightly weaker in the early session despite falls on Wall Street overnight on Syria concerns. US Secretary of State John Kerry blasted Syria for its use of chemical weapons, sending the Dow Jones Index into free-fall in the afternoon session. European shares were mixed in thin trade on Monday with the UK markets shut for the bank holiday.

Despite the weak sales of its Q10 and Z10 smartphones, Canadian tech firm BlackBerry is joining the gold club by releasing gold and white special editions of its Q10. The unit will be available in the United Arab Emirates in late August for $1,035.

Caltex Australia reported on Tuesday a 13 per cent drop in first half profit due to the sharp decline of the Australian dollar, while fuel sales also suffered because of production outages at a Brisbane refinery and damage to a Sydney pipeline.

With his meanness that would make Ariel Castro pale in comparison, a book about the sex slaves by former Libyan dictator Moammar Qaddafi would no longer surprise readers.

The 4-inch fork that was lodged into the urethra of a 70-year-old Australian finally had been removed. It took a team of three doctors 12 hours to retrieve the utensil. Fortunately for the senior, he suffered no long-term damage and was send home after the procedure.

Honi Soit, the student publication of the University of Sydney, would finally be distributed to its students after the latest issue was pulled out. The reason behind the sudden withdrawal last week of 4,000 copies of the newspaper was that the cover photo is that of 18 close-up vaginas.

The Australian share market kick-started the trading week on a slightly positive note, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) adding 0.2 per cent.

Chinese fake ghosbuster Huang Jianjun is probably one of the world's worst charlatans, and a sex maniac at that. He tried duping a woman who complained of having evil spirits in her vagina by telling her he could exorcise the spirits using his penis.

The King of Pop's early death in 2009 is definitely manifesting its negative impact on his children. First, Paris Jackson slashed her wrists in a suicide attempt, although observers said she just wanted attention. Now, Prince Jackson wants to marry at an early age as a way to leave his family's home in Calabasas, California to move in his own pad.

The Australian sharemarket has been modestly higher this morning, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up 0.1 per cent at lunch. The XAO is trading above the 5100.0pt mark once again; something which has only happened a handful of times over the past two months.

From being a cause of pollution and ailments, Australian scientists are studying ways to convert carbon dioxide into other more useful items such as bricks to build edifices.

Millions of Filipinos hooked on the hit gay-themed soap opera of GMA-7, My Husband's Lover, are preparing to say good-bye to their favourite bekiserye.

There would likely be no fresh porn output from the adult film industry in the U.S. after the Free Speech Coalition called for a moratorium on production, following lab tests that confirmed X-rated actress Cameron Bay is positive for HIV.