Madrid (AFP) Jan 11, 2021 Armed with picks and shovels, Madrid residents on Monday slowly shovelled out of Spain’s worst snowstorm in decades, which has turned roads and pavements into skating rinks. Officials asked people to stay at home if possible after Storm Filomena dumped 20-30 centimetres (7-8 inches) of snow on the capital between Friday and Saturday. Emergency services workers and soldiers freed 2,500 … Continue reading Madrid paralysed after heavy snowfall

Pristina (AFP) Jan 11, 2021 Days of heavy rain and snow sparked flooding in parts of Kosovo and Albania on Monday as swollen rivers cut off road access to villages, damaged homes and inundated farmland. On the outskirts of Kosovo’s capital Pristina, cars were nearly submerged by the muddy floodwaters in some neighbourhoods, with rescuers using an inflatable dinghy to check in on residents in … Continue reading Floods swamp roads, damage buildings in Kosovo, Albania

As pet owners increasingly opt to shop from home, pet-related companies are stepping up their game to grab a share of industry expenditures forecasted for 2020 to reach approximately $99 billion in the U.S. The E-Commerce Times spoke with various experts in the field of online pet product sales and services to get their take on trends in this market.http://dlvr.it/RqLGpt Continue reading Pet Products and Services Market Takes a Fancy to E-Commerce

Mexico City (AFP) Jan 7, 2021 Environmental campaigners have welcomed a Mexican ban on growing genetically modified maize and the phasing out of a controversial weedkiller – a step that has met opposition in the private sector. Imports of genetically modified maize will also be gradually prohibited over the next three years, along with the use of glyphosate, an herbicide described by the World Health … Continue reading Campaigners hail Mexican ban on genetically modified corn

Wuhan, China (AFP) Jan 10, 2021 It is the world’s most pressing scientific puzzle, but experts warn there may never be conclusive answers over the source of the coronavirus, after an investigative effort marked from the start by disarray, Chinese secrecy and international rancour. January 11 marks the anniversary of China confirming its first death from Covid-19, a 61-year-old man who was a regular at … Continue reading A year after first death in China, coronavirus source still a puzzle

London (AFP) Jan 8, 2021 Europe rushed to bulk buy more coronavirus vaccine doses and approved more drugs on Friday, as the World Health Organisation called on wealthy nations not to hog all the available jabs and millions in Asia faced tough restrictions over isolated outbreaks. The pandemic has already killed 1.9 million people out of 88 million infections and is picking up speed, with … Continue reading Europe bulk buys vaccines as WHO urges rich countries to share

E-commerce is now at an all-time high, with global sales figures projected to reach $4.1 trillion in 2020, almost doubling since 2015. While the spectrum of global customers has broadened, so has the scope of competition. As the need for customer support grows, there is a golden opportunity for brands to capitalize on the changes fueled by the pandemic and emerge from the crisis with … Continue reading Acquiring and Retaining Customers in an Era Without Brand Loyalty

Beijing (AFP) Jan 6, 2021 Delays to a long-planned mission by WHO experts to China to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic are “not just a visa issue”, Beijing said Wednesday. A year after the outbreak started, international health experts were expected to arrive in China this week for a highly politicised visit to explore the beginnings of the virus, which first emerged late … Continue reading Impasse over WHO virus mission ‘not just a visa issue’: China

London (AFP) Jan 6, 2021 Britain on Wednesday pushed back after leaders in Australia and Belgium, under pressure for their slow rollout of coronavirus vaccinations, said it was rushing its world-first inoculation drive. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said health authorities were clear that approvals of two vaccines followed rigorous trials. “No corners have been cut whatsoever… both are safe and effehttp://dlvr.it/Rq7Ws2 Continue reading UK rejects Australian, Belgian attacks on vaccine rollout

Porch pirates were busier than ever in 2020, according to an annual survey by market research firm C+R Research. Forty-three percent of Americans said they had a package stolen in 2020, a seven point increase over 2019, when 36 percent revealed they’d been theft victims. The report also revealed that 47 percent of those surveyed filed police reports about their theft.http://dlvr.it/Rq7Wpq Continue reading Package Theft Jumps 7 Percent in 2020