Ten Sears Canada stores opened in Ontario Monday, possibly in violation of the Retail Business Holidays Act since it was Victoria Day. The company had been forewarned by the provincial government it might face sanctions, but Sears nevertheless went ahead and opened although it maintained it did not went against the law because the openings were private-by-invitation only affairs and were closed to the public.

Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier continues to be hot copy. After his diplomatic faux pas in Afghanistan and questions over his former girlfriend's links with biker gang members, there is now a question over his excessive airfare. According to the Toronto Star, Bernier charged to federal funds $22,573 to cover his airfare to Laos, where he attended a two-day conference in November. The trip included a stopover in Paris. Bernier's travel details were in the Foreign Affair Department's website.

A 39-year-old homosexual threatened to sue medical staffs at a government hospital in the south of Manila, capital city,over a YouTube video clip of his rectal surgery, officials said Thursday. The YouTube video clip showed the medical staff laughing while removing the blue canister stuck from the patient's rectum during sexual intercourse, at the Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City, south of the Philippines on January 3.

A Swedish newspaper mistakenly published the wrong photo for an article about a suicide incident. The article, listing the details of the suicide of Broder Daniels guitarist Anders Gothberg, instead published the photograph of former band member Lars Malmros.

Auction house Sotheby's said Wednesday that rare and precious gemstones are generating a strong following in the Asian region. This as Sotheby's unveiled a 72-carat, flawless white diamond set to be hammered off for $10 million to $12 million in the upcoming Asian sale. Quek Chin announced that this D-color, white stone will be the third largest "pear-shaped" stone ever auctioned globally and the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction in Asia.