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Sri Lanka Completes Elephant Count

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Aug. 16 (UPI) — Sri Lanka says it has completed the first nationwide survey of its elephant population, intended to increase protection of the animals and their habitat. The results of the survey in which 3.500 people counted the pachyderms from watchtowers near 1,500 watering holes and lakes will be released in […]

Scientists Say Earth Not Getting Fatter

PASADENA, Calif., Aug. 16 (UPI) — A NASA-led research team says it’s laid to rest a recurrent rumor that Earth has a weight problem, reporting that the planet is not getting fatter after all. Scientists have long speculated that the solid Earth might be expanding or contracting, proposing various theories to back up their contention […]

U.S. Launches Biofuels Initiative

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) — National and energy security depend on access to commercially available biofuels, Washington said in unveiling a $510 million private-sector initiative. The U.S. departments of Energy, Agriculture and Navy announced plans to invest up to $510 million during the next three years in partnerships with the private sector. This plan would […]

Men Helped By Social 'Contacts' At Work

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 16 (UPI) — When it comes to finding a job, who you know is as important as what you know — if you are a man — a U.S. researcher suggests. Dr. Steve McDonald, an assistant professor of sociology at North Carolina State University, used a national data set of more than […]

Men Helped By Social ‘Contacts’ At Work

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 16 (UPI) — When it comes to finding a job, who you know is as important as what you know — if you are a man — a U.S. researcher suggests. Dr. Steve McDonald, an assistant professor of sociology at North Carolina State University, used a national data set of more than […]

Mortgage Activity Rises

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) — The Mortgage Bankers Association said U.S. mortgage activity increased in the week ending last Friday as interest rates fell. It was the second consecutive week mortgage activity rose due to falling interest rates. Interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped from 4.37 percent to 4.32 percent with points falling from […]

Start-Up Rate At 25-Year Low

CHICAGO, Aug. 17 (UPI) — The entrepreneurial spirit in the United States is in decline with the start-up rate among the unemployed at its lowest since 1986, a research firm said. Outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said the rate of unemployed managers and executives seeking to start their own businesses dropped to 2.5 […]

French Investigate IMF Head

PARIS, Aug. 17 (UPI) — French authorities are investigating the head of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde for her role in a 2008 legal dispute. Lagarde, the former finance minister of France, interceded in the case between Bernard Tapie and the bank Credit Lyonnaise, which was then state owned, Radio France Internationale reported Wednesday. […]

ACLU Sues Over Abortion Insurance Ban

TOPEKA, Kan., Aug. 17 (UPI) — The American Civil Liberties Union has sued to challenge a new Kansas law banning insurers from providing elective abortion coverage. The ACLU claimed in a federal lawsuit Tuesday the law is unconstitutional and discriminates against women because no similar limits apply to men’s healthcare, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star […]

California Proposal: No More Foreclosures

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 17 (UPI) — A proposal in California would make it illegal for banks to foreclose on homes, with home ownership considered a state right, a draft of the provision says. The proposal requires more than 800,000 signatures and a 131-day grace period to be put on the next statewide ballot, which makes it […]