Category: News Desk

US Lawmaker Wants To Ban Human Foetuses In Food


An Oklahoma state senator has proposed a bill that would ban the use of human foetuses in food, reported the Associated Press on Wednesday, claiming that his own online research had led him to believe that such a ban was necessary.

On Tuesday, Republican State Senator Ralph Shortey introduced Senate Bill 1418 to the Oklahoma State Legislature, calling for the prohibition of “the sale or manufacture of food or products which contain aborted human foetuses.”

Infographic: Is Higher Education the Next Big Bubble?


Getting into a good university is not an easy feat. Securing a job upon graduation, in the current economic climate, is not easy too. However, the biggest challenge for most university graduates is paying off their education loan. It may sound preposterous that some have called higher education the next big bubble. Hardly surprising: The sum of student debt stands higher than credit card debt across the United States.

In 2011, Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, venture capitalist and part of Facebook board of directors, warned that higher education was a bubble waiting to burst.

Cost of Raising A Child Has Risen 55 Percent In Less Than A Decade


Things are getting expensive with the rising cost of living. A new study has found that raising a child just got 55 percent more costly, with education, childcare and food the biggest ticket items in the basket.

According to the Cost of a Child 2012 report, it costs 120 percent more today to educate a child to the age of 21, compared with 2003, while the cost of childcare has soared 57 percent over the same period.

When compared with 2011, the cost has increased by 3.3 percent to raise a child to the age of 21.

Portuguese Protestors Mock President’s Pension Lament By “Donating” Food & Spare Change


Hundreds of protestors gathered outside Portugal’s presidential palace on Tuesday to leave a collection of food and loose change at its gates for the country’s “poor” president, after Anibal Cavaco Silva complained to reporters last week about a drop in his pension due to the government’s austerity measures.

Protesters outside the 18th century palace in Lisbon held out hats and collected coins, milk, rice and bread for Cavaco Silva, mocking the president with the slogan: “A penny for Cavaco.”

Ireland Makes $4.6 Billion Return To International Bond Market


The Irish government swapped more than 3.5 billion euros ($4.6 billion) worth of government bonds on Wednesday, as the country took advantage of growing investor confidence to reduce the nation’s short-term debt obligations.

McDonald’s Profit Surges 11%, Thanks to Menu Revamps and Longer Operating Hours


The world’s most recognizable fast-food chain, McDonald’s, has had a good year. The top sponsor for the 2012 London Olympics reported a fourth quarter profit of $1.38 billion, up almost 11 percent from a year ago.

McDonald’s strong performance beat analysts’ expectations for the company, as revenue jumped 9.8% to $6.82 billion.

Analysts had previously doubted the company’s ability to grow during the economic downturn, especially with higher menu prices.

Americans Love Their Coffee So Much, They Spend Over $1000 A Year On It


Just how much does that cup of coffee cost? And how much are Americans willing to spend on it? Accordingly, a new research has found that Americans are not giving up their coffee addiction, even when the economic and job climate are weak.

Coffee culture is strong in America, and Americans are still paying for little indulgences like a cup of coffee.

But if you’re looking to save over a $1000 annually, cutting back on coffee might just help.

Fitch Becomes Latest Rating Agency Investigated By Italian Police For Market Manipulation


Italy’s financial police raided and seized documents from Fitch Ratings’ offices in Milan on Tuesday reported Reuters, as authorities continue to pursue investigations into credit rating agencies’ role for alleged market manipulation and abuse of privileged information.

Export-Oriented Japan Posts First Annual Trade Deficit In 31 Years


The Japanese Finance Ministry has announced the nation’s first-ever annual trade deficit since 1980, after the March tsunami-earthquake disaster and the strong value of the yen last year saw a massive upswing in Japan’s energy imports while exports took a major hit.

In total, Japan’s annual trade deficit for 2011 was 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion), said a report by the finance ministry, with imports up by 12.0 percent from 2010 while exports fell by 2.7 percent.

Interactive Infographic: How Google Changed The Face of The Internet


From its humble beginnings in January 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they were both PhD students at Stanford University in California, Google is now undoubtedly one of the largest technology companies in the world. From search to social media to its android mobile phone operating system, Google has woven itself into nearly every facet of our daily lives.

Check out this infographic, which charts the evolution of Google from its beginnings till today, and see how Google and the internet has grown side-by-side with each other.