Vittorio Hernandez

The Australian share market managed to finish a volatile week on a high, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) adding 1.1pct over the course of the week.

After the Australian Labor Party held a leadership caucus on Thursday night, June 27, the top two rivals for the position of prime minister was narrowed to ALP new leader Kevin Rudd and Opposition leader Tony Abbott. However, Aussie voters should not yet rule out mining billionaire Clive Palmer.

One of the more volatile weeks in recent memory is coming to a close and investors are helping push the market higher. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.9 per cent. The dollar value of shares changing hands is remaining a little light though, due to the closure of US markets last night (Independence Day holiday).

A frequent teaser in the TV show My Husband's Lover are the faces of the two male leads coming close enough, but the lip-locking scene does not happen. Producers of the show explained previously that the possibility of a man-to-man kiss on the programme is remote because of it being aired on prime time.

A newly opened slaughterhouse in southern Philippines will provide crocodile skin to luxury bag maker and fashion label Louis Vuitton. The JK Mercado and Sons Agricultural Enterprises (JKMSAE) opened on Wednesday in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, the only crocodile abattoir in Mindanao.

A complaint he made in January 2013 about the theft of expensive paintings from his Salerno house could have done Vatican Monsignor Nunzio Scarano more harm than good.

Anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela's deteriorating health has created an unusual interest among residents. While his relatives are bickering where to bury him in the event that he dies, others are snapping up books and other mementoes of the former national leader.

A famous Russian doctor was fired from a Perm hospital where he was the head of the medical facility's anaesthesiology and intensive care department. He was booted out because of a video footage of him physically beating a male patient who had just underwent heart surgery.

The Australian share market continued its volatile run today, rebounding from yesterday's losses to end the session higher by more than one per cent.

The Australian share market is back in the black in early trade on Thursday, following a volatile week where we have seen significant gains and losses.

The Australian Dollar is slightly weaker following comments by RBA Governor Stevens made in yesterday's Asian time zone.

Markets regained some ground in US trade with event risk ramping up as we approach the business end of the week. Sentiment had remained subdued in European trade with the key issues being Portugal's political issues, Greece's bailout drama and a level of cautiousness ahead of the ECB. In US trade, sentiment picked up on the back of a much better than expected ADP non-farm employment change print. The reading showed 188,000 jobs were created versus estimates of around 161,000. Unemployment ...

In US economic news, ISM non-manufacturing survey eased from 53.7 to 52.2 in June- the lowest level since Feb 2009 and does suggest that momentum in the US economy is slowing. Interestingly the employment sub-index recorded a healthy improvement. The labour market remains the key.

Julia Gillard is no longer Australia's prime minister for one week now, but it seems tnat she has gained popularity after she left politics. One proof is that barely a week after she lost the leadership vote on June 27, souvenir coffee mugs with her face on its sold out at the Parliament House gift shop.

Although some of Australia's numbers are down, such as its currency now trading at U.S. 90 cents, others are improving, particularly its trade data. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday that the country's balance of trade registered a surplus of $670 million in May, up from $171 million in April. The fourth straight monthly surplus was because exports went up 4 per cent while imports rose only by 2 per cent.

Were the analysts wrong in downgrading sales forecast for South Korean tech giant Samsung? That would be the question in the mind of techies because of the release of a report on Wednesday by Yonhap News that Samsung shipped about 20 million units of its flagship Galaxy S4 by the end of June.

On the eve of Independence Day celebrations in the U.S., Motorola attempted to appeal to the patriotic spirit of Americans by coming out with ads in major dailies hyping the fact that the smartphones made by the tech firm are made in the U.S.

If Opposition leader Tony Abbott takes us the challenge by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to hold three debates between the two contenders to be the 29th prime minister of Australia, he would likely not hear the M word - that is misogyny.

Local stocks saw their best gains in 19 months on Tuesday. That improvement was a distant memory on Wednesday with the index handing back the lion's share of yesterday's gains. It would be convenient to invoke weaker economic news locally and selling for regional markets as some of the factors informing todays selling, although the case would struggle to hold water on that basis alone. What is clear is that the neck wrenching volatility that has characterised recent days has left investors...

The Australian market continues on its bumpy ride this week, with investors not keen to back up yesterday's stellar rise. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 1.8 per cent, with all sectors trading in the red. Despite the big falls, keep in mind that Tuesday was the best day for local shares since October 2011. The miners were the standout performers yesterday, but are slumping most at lunch. Last night, most markets eased despite FOMC President Dudley reaffirming his previous comments that...

The Australian Dollar has remained reasonably steady overnight following some more US Dollar strength for a variety of reasons.

Once more choppy trade is defining the start of the new financial year.The US and Europe both suffered from low volume trading and sporadic price action last night, as both sides of the Atlantic slip into the red for the first time this week.

In US economic news, factory orders rose by 2.1pct in May following a 1.3pct gain in April. The US economic news flow remains pretty decent.

The late Pope John Paul II moved one step closer to being canonised as a saint after a Vatican congregation recognised a second miracle attributed to the pontiff.

Democracy icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela's health may be slightly improving, but it is not just his body that needs healing. His feuding family also needs emotional healing as they went to court over planned burial site for the 94-year-old man.

Since it is his second round as prime minister, Australian Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd is apparently being accorded by the media and fellow politicians the traditional 100-day honeymoon period given new national leader.

Former Glee star Charice Pempengco admitted in June that she was lesbian because her mom, Raquel, had confirmed her daughter's gender preference to end public speculation caused by the international singer's drastic change in appearance.

She may be past her mid-life, but ex-Food Network host Paula Deen is still considered attractive enough by a porn company to offer her a six-figure salary.

Strong turnaround as RBA leaves rates at historic lows. The Australian share market has made a solid turnaround today, spurred by positive offshore gains and the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to leave interest rates on hold at 2.75 per cent.