Vittorio Hernandez

The Australian sharemarket is improving for the fifth day, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up by 0.5 per cent. A little earlier, the All Ords was trading above the 5500pt mark for only the second time this calendar year.

The light Easter trading continued in Europe and the US overnight. The Easter mergers and acquisitions dance also continued as drug maker GSK traded its cancer division to Swiss competitor Novartis.

In US economic data, existing home sales fell by just 0.2% to a 4.59 million annual rate in March, above forecasts for a result near 4.55m. The FHFA home price index rose by 0.6% in February to stand 6.9% higher than a year ago. The Richmond Federal Reserve index rose from minus 7 to +7 in April.

Unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr has some advice for men, not on how to knockout their opponent in the ring but on how to prevent their testicles from hanging low.

The rising new Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, promises not just to be an architectural landmark with its unique UFO-shaped design, but also a showcase of green technology.

Over a week of searching for the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 jet, even using sophisticated unmanned submarines from the U.S. Navy has yielded zero plane debris.

The political party of Australian billionaire Clive Palmer may be young and new, but it could possibly hold the swing vote in the upcoming federal election in November.

The Australian share market rose in thin trading volumes on the first day of the shortened trading week. Markets were closed yesterday for the Easter Monday holiday and will be shut again on Friday for Anzac Day.

The Australian share market has resumed trade after the Easter break on a positive note, rising 0.4 per cent in thin trading volumes.

There have been some very interesting corporate developments over the Easter break around corporate auctions. AstraZeneca, the UK's second largest pharmaceutical company, received a takeover bid from US giant Pfizer, Newmont Mining and Barrick Gold are in talks for a 'merger of equals' as US medical company Allergan is under interest from investment activist William Ackman - a deal which is believed to be worth over US$50 billion.

Australia is boosting its counter-intelligence capabilities after it discovered that China is establishing a large cover information network in leading Australian universities.

The Abbott government is holding a review of current pension rules which could result in Australian workers who were born beginning 1959 receiving their pension at age 70 in 2029 from 67.

In US economic data, the national activity index eased from a revised reading of +0.53 points in February to +0.20 points in March. The leading index rose by 0.8% in March, higher than the market expectation for a gain of +0.7%.

Crocodiles and snakes versus other wild animals have been popular lately, and they have become viral videos. The final results of the battle reveal who is the stronger between two wild animals.

It would soon be easier to smuggle into dorms and even restaurants alcohol drinks without detection with the recent approval by the Alcohol and Tobacco tax and Trade Bureau of alcohol in powdered form.

While almost all porn actors use screen names to hide their real identities, triple X rated films would not sell if the faces of the skinflick stars are pixilated. Friends of these sex performers who watch their films would often recognise them, especially if they don't wear masks or heavy make-up.

Despite Canadian pop star Justin Bieber being a well-known friend of unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr, the singer of Baby appears to be a secret fan also of eight-division titleholder Manny Pacquiao who won back on April 12 the WBO welterweight title from Timothy Bradley. The Filipino boxing champ bumped into the controversial teen idol while shopping with his team at upscale shopping mall The Grove in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, April 16. He reportedly paid $20,000 buying ...

More than a story of another incident of security breach at an airport amid suspicions that the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 could possibly be linked to terrorism due to security breach, report of a 16-year-old stowaway from Los Angeles indicated an incredible story of survival akin to a miracle.

The mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 360 seems to have created a Flight 370 syndrome characterised by air passengers fearing the worst-case scenario once their plane turns around or diverts from its original route.

The ASX 200 ended Thursday's session with a flourish having posted highs in the late morning. The index tapered away in the afternoon although it kicked higher to end the week with a gain of almost 0.5%. This was a noteworthy turnaround considering the weak tone that marked the early part of the week.

British boxer Amir Khan is dead set on fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr even if Money May glossed over him in favour of Argentinian boxer Marcos Maidana. To ensure better chances he would be picked for Mayweather's remaining matches until the unbeaten boxer retires, Khan signed with Al Haymon, the boxing adviser of Money May.

The Australian sharemarket is rising for the third straight day, driven by firmer global markets overnight. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is still above 5400pts this shortened trading week.

Despite the impressive victory that eight-division titleholder Manny Pacquiao scored on Saturday against American boxer Timothy Bradley, boxing experts doubt if the dream bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr would still happen at all.

Square Trade, a gadget warranty outlet, subjected four flagship phones to a torture test. These are the Samsung Galaxy S5, Apple iPhone5S, HTC One M8 and Nexus 5. The results showed that using a plastic case for phones is not necessarily a point against the South Korean giant.

Andre Johnson, a Los Angeles rapper, is now in double pain and likely super embarrassed as well. On Wednesday, he first severed his penis and then attempted suicide by jumping from the second floor an apartment building in North Hollywood.

US equities advanced yet again as earnings continued to underpin confidence in the recovery and US data encouraged. With no fresh negative tape out of the Ukraine sentiment remained positive.

In US economic data, housing starts rose by 2.8% to an annual rate of 946,000 in March, below expectations for a result near 973,000. Industrial production rose by 0.7% in March, above expectations for a gain of 0.5%.

Despite the impressive unanimous decision that eight-division titleholder Manny Pacquiao secured on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, over erstwhile unbeaten American boxer Timothy Bradley, some boxing analysts agree with the beaten pugilist's observation that Manny's killer instinct is gone.

Hoax video makers continue to have a field day over social media sites, fooling people into believing that the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 jet was found. These sites trick readers by using catchy titles such as Shocking Video but frustrate them by asking clickers to first share the video before they could view it.