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An investigation has found that a radiation leak at an underground nuclear waste dump in New Mexico happened because of the wrong kind of cat litter.

On Thursday, the government scientists concluded that the major accident that took place at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad last year was caused by 'chemically incompatible' contents, including the wrong kind of kitty litter, used to absorb liquids.

They said that the 'chemically incompatible' contents took part in a reaction inside a barrel of waste causing it to burst open and spew radioactive materials.

According to a US Energy Department Report, the drum of waste, containing radioisotopes like plutonium, was not packaged properly at the Los Alamos National Laboratory near Santa Fe before disposal.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has decided to take a major step for safety of customers looking for payday loans to bridge the gap between their expenses and earnings. The agency is proposing regulations in order to cut short-term payday loans, usually having interest rates of 400% or more. The agency was created on suggestions of President Barack Obama after the financial crisis.

These rules would be applicable on a large section of the $46 billion payday loan market, which helps many working poor, having no savings and limited access to traditional bank loans. There would be no ban on short-term, high-interest loans that are frequently used in basic expenses. But lenders would have to ensure that borrowers have the resources to pay them back.

The New York Federal Reserve officials who have been tasked to determine the interest rates have been meeting with bankers and traders to plan their next course of action.

Officials are facing troubles due to uncertainty over how much control interest rate will actually have over short-term lending markets.

Simon Potter and his team of market experts have been assigned with a tough task to assign higher rates using some new and lightly tested tools. They will be operated under the intense market scrutiny that is centered on the prospects of the world's biggest economy. Testing new methods means sweeping up several trillions of dollars of reserves from financial markets, said experts.

Search and technology major Google informed that its new chief financial officer, Ruth Porat will receive over $70 million in the next two years through a combination of restricted stock units and a biennial grant.

Porat was hired by the company earlier this week. According to Google, compensation package of Porat involves a grant of $25 million through restricted stock units, a special one-time $5 million sign-on bonus and a $40 million biennial grant in 2016.

Porat will become part of Google's finance division on May 26 and she will receive an annual base salary of $650,000. Porat is an American financial executive and has been Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Morgan Stanley since January 2010.

SeaWorld in San Diego remain closed for three weeks so that trainers could help save starving marine mammals. Now, SeaWorld has reopened its sea lion and otter show. On Thursday, the San Diego announced that Sea Lions Live shows will be held at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 2:45 pm.

According to SeaWorld San Diego, it has rescued a record more than 575 marine mammals this year, which included 557 sea lions. The park further stated that its Animal Rescue Center has stabilized and now the trainers will be allowed to come back to their normal role in the program. Earlier, the park had suspended the show, which allowed SeaWorld to make available six more animal specialists to provide help with rescue.

Researchers have stated that two of the most damaging termite species are mating in South Florida. By doing so, they have produced hybrid termite colonies, and have developed at twice the normal rate of other termites.

According to the researchers from the University of Florida, the Asian subterranean termites and the Formosan subterranean termites have been interbreeding between mating seasons in Florida.

In many areas of the world, these species are invasive species and they damage many local climates and habitats outside their native lands of East Asia.