For snow and lawn machines, gasoline remains king
By John D. Stoll LOUISVILLE, Ky | Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:05am EDT LOUISVILLE, Ky (Reuters) – In America’s quest for cleaner fuel, at least one major U.S. industry is holding on to the sputter and grime of the internal combustion engine. From log splitters to snow blowers, the $15 billion outdoor power equipment industry [...]
Belgian court’s adviser says Tintin book not racist
By Ben Deighton BRUSSELS | Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:44pm EDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A Belgian judicial adviser has recommended the country’s courts reject a legal bid to have a book featuring fictional boy hero Tintin banned for racism, court documents showed. Valery de Theux de Meylandt, a Belgian Procureur du Roi whose opinion is [...]
Catholics more inclined to share wealth: ECB study
FRANKFURT | Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:40pm EDT FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Catholics are more likely to support government intervention in the economy than Protestants and also have a stronger preference for sharing wealth equally, a European Central Bank study said. The research paper also said Max Weber’s theories about the Protestant work ethic were supported [...]
A crowded world’s population hits 7 billion
By Pawan Kumar Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:04pm EDT LUCKNOW, Oct 31 (AlertNet) – Wrapped in a white blanket, Nargis Yadav lies in the arms of her mother in a small rural clinic in north India — one of half a million babies born around the world on Monday that will push the global population [...]
Venezuelan cult draws tens of thousands of followers
By Girish Gupta SORTE MOUNTAIN, Venezuela | Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:12am EDT SORTE MOUNTAIN, Venezuela (Reuters) – The jungle air is thick with cigar smoke and pierced by an occasional scream as drums beat, people chant and candles flicker illuminating bodies squirming. Empty whisky bottles strewn across the ground are also a part of [...]