Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Sep 07, 2020 The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched 42 tiny satellites aboard a Vega rocket. It took off from ESA’s launch site in French Guiana on 2 September local time. One of the launched nanosatellites, PICASSO, carries state-of-the-art remote sensing technology developed and built by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. It will be used to take scientific measurements … Continue reading ESA launches small Belgian satellite carrying VTT’s remote sensing technology into space

London (AFP) Sept 2, 2020 Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever on Wednesday unveiled a one-billion-euro plan to remove fossil fuels in the production of cleaning and laundry products which have experienced soaring demand from coronavirus-fearing consumers. The initiative, worth the equivalent of $1.2 billion, will replace all the carbon derived from fossil fuels used in the production of some of Unilever’s best-knownhttp://dlvr.it/RgGWcj Continue reading Unilever to cut carbon footprint in cleaning items

Johannesburg (AFP) Sept 7, 2020 Tens of thousands of people are being deprived of humanitarian aid in northern Mozambique as extremist militants intensify an Islamist insurgency, the UN agency World Food Programme said on Monday. Jihadists have been waging a violent campaign in the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province since 2017, launching sporadic attacks on towns and villages in a bid to establish a caliphate. The … Continue reading Mass hunger fears as Mozambique insurgency hampers aid

Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 6, 2020 Nearly 300 people were arrested by Hong Kong police on Sunday as riot officers swooped on democracy protesters opposed to the postponement of local elections. Sunday was meant to be voting day for the city’s partially elected legislature, one of the few instances where Hong Kongers get to cast ballots. But the city’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam suspended the … Continue reading Hong Kong police swoop on postponed poll protests

Beijing (AFP) Sept 8, 2020 China has passed “an extraordinary and historic test” with its handling of the coronavirus, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday at a triumphant awards ceremony for medical professionals decorated with bugle calls and applause. The nation’s propaganda machine has churned out praise for China’s Covid-19 response, reframing the public health crisis as an example of the agility and organisation ofhttp://dlvr.it/Rg9mnm Continue reading China passed ‘extraordinary’ virus test, says bullish Xi

London (AFP) Aug 26, 2020 Scientists have created an army of microscopic four-legged robots too small to see with the naked eye that walk when stimulated by a laser and could be injected into the body through hypodermic needles, a study said Wednesday. Microscopic robotics are seen as having an array of potential uses, particularly in medicine, and US researchers said the new robots offer … Continue reading Could injectable microrobots one day run in your veins?

Washington DC (SPX) Sep 01, 2020 A pair of NASA research projects to gather data on aircraft noise and test an air traffic management digital data communications tool are flying aboard a Boeing 787 this week as part of the Chicago-based company’s 2020 ecoDemonstrator program. Results from these flights will help continuing development of technology to enable future aircraft designs and flight operations that will … Continue reading NASA Partners with Boeing on test flights to advance aviation

Geneva (AFP) Sept 4, 2020 China’s national security law for Hong Kong poses a serious risk to the city’s freedoms and breaches international legal obligations, UN special rapporteurs on human rights have warned. Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism over the law, which was imposed in late June after pro-democracy protests rocked the semi-autonomous city last year. The law, which criminalises secession, subhttp://dlvr.it/Rg4cFf Continue reading China’s security law a ‘serious risk’ to Hong Kong’s freedoms: UN experts

The recent rise in digital wallet adoption shows a marked contrast with slow growth in digital wallet use in the U.S. prior to the pandemic. As more consumers become comfortable using digital wallets — and possibly begin to prefer them — it’s not a stretch to conclude that many will embrace these shopping habits permanently, causing acceptance rates to continue to grow.http://dlvr.it/Rg1936 Continue reading Consumers Buying In to Digital Wallets

Washington DC (SPX) Sep 03, 2020 Breeding programs for crops with limited per-plant seed yield require one or more generations of seed increase to generate sufficient quantities for sowing replicated yield trials. The ability to accurately discard low potential lines at these early stages may reduce spending on costly yield testing. Breeders typically rely on visual selection at these stages because extensive measurhttp://dlvr.it/RfyTVc Continue reading Unmanned aerial vehicles help wheat breeders