Honduras ambassador resigns after alleged embassy orgy

  • Singaporean filmmaker gets 15-minute standing ovation at Cannes

    Singaporean director Anthony Chen described as “surreal” the 15-minute standing ovation that followed the world premiere of his debut feature film "Ilo Ilo" at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. Though the ending of the premiere couldn’t have been more perfect, the 29-year-old Chen said the beginning was quite “nerve-wrecking” as it was marred by technical glitches.

  • COE prices up for all cars

    COE prices up for all cars

    COE prices up for all cars

    Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices for small and big cars rose in the latest bidding exercise Wednesday.

  • Shane Todd's family abandoning coroner's inquiry

    Shane Todd's family abandoning coroner's inquiry

    Shane Todd's family abandoning coroner's inquiry

    The family of Shane Todd, a U.S. scientist found hanged dead in Singapore last year, will not participate in the remainder of a coroner’s inquiry into his death.

  • SMRT to conduct full-scale inspection of NSEW rail network

    SMRT to conduct full-scale inspection of NSEW rail network

    SMRT to conduct full-scale inspection of NSEW rail network

    SMRT will embark on a full-scale inspection of the entire North-South and East-West lines to detect any potential rail cracks.

  • AVA stops sale of brand of Taiwan bubble tea pearls

    AVA stops sale of brand of Taiwan bubble tea pearls

    AVA stops sale of brand of Taiwan bubble tea pearls

    The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has stopped the sale of a brand of tapioca balls commonly used to make Taiwan bubble tea in Singapore. In a Facebook post on Monday, the AVA said it had informed the local importers of Sunright brand tapioca balls -- commonly known as "pearls" -- to withdraw them from sale.

The Honduran ambassador to Colombia was forced to resign Saturday after his bodyguard reportedly held a Christmas party with prostitutes at the mission, the foreign ministry in Tegucigalpa said.

Carlos Rodriguez Andino stepped down after Honduran Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales received a report drafted by a special commission appointed to investigate the December 20 incident in Bogota.

"In order to safeguard national interests and good relations with the Republic of Colombia, we asked for the ambassador's irrevocable resignation and Mr Rodriguez stepped down, effective immediately," the foreign ministry said.

According to Honduran media reports, the ambassador's bodyguard and close friend Jorge Mendoza organized a party at the embassy to celebrate Christmas that turned into a booze-fueled orgy with prostitutes.

Reports said the prostitutes stole embassy computers and cell phones, and defecated on the desks of the ambassador and the commercial attache, after they were asked to leave without being paid.

"A scandal in our foreign service is a stain on the country's name. Diplomatic missions are sacred," said lawmaker Rodolfo Zelaya.

Colombian police said they are also investigating the incident at the embassy, which is located in an upscale Bogota neighborhood.

The police chief for the northern part of Bogota, Jose Baquero, said officers were seeking to question two prostitutes who were taken to the embassy in a vehicle about the party and the alleged theft.

The party began around 10:00 pm and ended at almost 5:00 am the next morning, according to police.

The US Secret Service was embroiled in a similar scandal involving prostitutes and its agents last April in the Colombian city of Cartagena, where President Barack Obama attended the Summit of the Americas.

More than two dozen Secret Service agents and military personnel, tasked with preparing security for Obama's high-profile visit, were sent home. Nine have since left the agency as it seeks to repair its tarnished reputation.

Loading...
  • New bird flu may be capable of human to human spread - study

    New bird flu may be capable of human to human spread - study

    New bird flu may be capable of human to human spread - study

    By Lavinia Mo HONG KONG (Reuters) - The new H7N9 bird flu virus can be transmitted between mammals not only via direct contact but also in airborne droplets, and may be capable of spreading from person to person, Chinese and American researchers have found. A study published in the journal Science and presented at a briefing in Hong Kong on Friday found that three ferrets - an animal often used for research on flu - that were in the same cage as ferrets infected with H7N9 had contracted the disease. ...

  • Germany 'most popular country' in the world: poll

    Germany 'most popular country' in the world: poll

    Germany 'most popular country' in the world: poll

    Germany is the most popular country in the world despite well-publicised protests against its insistence on austerity measures within the European Union, an annual poll for the BBC World Service revealed on Thursday.

  • Singaporean filmmaker gets 15-minute standing ovation at Cannes

    Singaporean director Anthony Chen described as “surreal” the 15-minute standing ovation that followed the world premiere of his debut feature film "Ilo Ilo" at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. Though the ending of the premiere couldn’t have been more perfect, the 29-year-old Chen said the beginning was quite “nerve-wrecking” as it was marred by technical glitches.