Vittorio Hernandez

After the US markets sold off again overnight it was good to see the Aussie market holding up well at the start of trade.

While the progress in the US budget negotiations is certainly a positive for sentiment, it seems the short-term reaction is some selling in equities on fears this strengthens the case for a rapid winding back in asset purchases. Data flow was limited with the Federal budget balance being the main release on the calendar and managed to come in ahead of estimates. With the US fiscal situation continuing to strengthen, many analysts feel some potential headwinds for the US economy are swiftly being...

In US economic news, mortgage applications rose by 1.0% in the latest week with the purchase market up 0.9% and the refinance index up 2.1%.

To cut or not to cut the penis's foreskin is a choice that parents have to make when they have a baby boy. While the decision could be an easy one for some parents who belong to certain groups, such as followers of the Jew of Islam religion, for some it is a dilemma because of conflicting beliefs about the impact of circumcision on the male child's health as well as his future sexual pleasure.

Canada will begin on Dec 14 its traditional annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running wildlife census in the world. Over 70,000 volunteer bird counters will take part, to be deployed in more than 2,300 locations in the Western Hemisphere.

It would be a bleak Christmas 2013 for over 500 workers of Kellogg's in London, Ontario, Canada, who were informed on Tuesday morning that the plant would soon close and they would lose their jobs.

General Motors announced on Tuesday that it will close its Holden manufacturing facility in Australia in 2017. In the process, 2,900 jobs will be lost.

The Australian share market has closed in the red for a fifth consecutive session, dragged down by a downbeat lead from Wall Street and as a reading of consumer confidence in Australia fell to its lowest level since July.

The selloff that started in earnest in the early part of November has neutralised the October rally. It's back to square one in some respects. The area around 5150 has taken on new significance as a result. The way prices behave around these levels will reveal valuable insights into market sentiment. At this point it appears as though sellers remain in the ascendant notwithstanding the 300 point retracement that has been a feature of recent weeks.

The Fed dominated headlines yesterday, with Jaime Bullard and Richard Fisher talking about the prospect of monetary policy unwinding; both agree it is likely to occur in the coming year, however their methods differ slightly.

In US economic news, weekly chain store sales were up by 2.6% in the latest week on a year ago according to Redbook, down from 4.9% in the previous week. And wholesale sales rose 1.0% in October with inventories up 1.4%.

To reduce harm caused by alcohol, New Zealand's drinking laws were recently amended, and the tougher regulations take effect next week. Introduced under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, the changes aim to alter the drinking culture in the country by responsible sale and supply of alcohol.

Despite the extreme popularity of King's Candy Crush Sage, the game was crushed on Monday by Pretty Simple's Criminal Case which was picked by Facebook as the game of 2013.

New Zealand's ethnic groups continue to increase in numbers, and the latest report from Statistics New Zealand indicates that there are more ethnic groups now that countries in the world.

As the year 2013 draws to an end, the Australian Science Media Centre picked the most bizarre research project made the past 12 months. One of their key selections involves the study by Danish surgeon of flatulence while on airplanes, which has pressurised cabins that are contributory to passengers farting when on board.

While the average Australian works longer based on a higher retirement age, they still are ignoring the government request to retire at age 67. However, data from the Bureau of Statistics released on Monday found that the average retirement age is 58.5 for male workers and 50 for females.

The Australian share market ran out of steam in afternoon trade, as investors elected to pull back their positions ahead of Chinese data due out after the bell. Despite rallying in early trade, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) finished the session down 2.2 points to 5146.2.

The hefty price cut offered by Microsoft on the Windows 8.1-powered Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet on Monday was a success with units sold out within minutes that Microsoft bricks-and-mortar stores opened at 7:30 am.

The Australian share market is performing much more strongly today, rebounding from yesterday's 0.7 per cent loss. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 Index reached a new record high while the Dow Jones Index also closed higher, although was sold off into the close on concern tapering could begin in the next few weeks.

It is not just iPhones that are exploding. A report came out on Monday that a Samsung Galaxy S4 caught fire when the phone was charging. While the battery did not explode, the smartphone became useless, prompting the phone owner to seek a replacement since the unit is still under warranty.

Overnight St. Louis President James Bullard hinted at the possibility that QE3 is about to see its first major alteration since its inception on September 13 2012.

In US economic news, the employment trends index rose from 113.64 to 115.21 in November.

Retail therapy, which many females turn to when they are depressed or angry or lonely, appears to be more than just an excuse to shop - as most of the husbands or boyfriends of these women think.

If home carbonation system seller SodaStreams would have its way, one of the icons of Christmas wouldn't be red, fat and jolly. They would rather have Santa Claus be known as a Green Santa who will help the company sell more of its system.

A few months ago, when reports came out that former South African President Nelson Mandela was dying, the family's good name was tarnished when news came out that even before the freedom icon breathed his last, members of the clan were feuding where to bury him.

While phone makers are resisting moves to come up with a unified solution to curb theft of mobile phones, three telecom firms in New Zealand have agreed on a new blacklisting system to stop theft of mobile phone by reducing its street value.

The Australian share market ignored positive economic data out of China and the US and instead started the week in the red, as investors ran scared following a shock profit warning from Australia's largest insurer QBE (QBE). The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed lower by 37.6pts or 0.7 per cent to 5148.4 points.

Black Friday may have been over a week ago, but techies who failed to get a good bargain during those days need not wait for Boxing Day to enjoy price cuts on devices.

Local trade on Monday was defined by continued weakness in the face of solid gains for US stocks on Friday. US markets were able to embrace the better than expected employment data (unemployment at a 5 year low with job creation beating expectations of 200k jobs added in November).