Jiuquan, China (XNA) Aug 07, 2020 China successfully launched a new optical remote-sensing satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:01 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time). The satellite, Gaofen-9 04, was sent into orbit by a Long March-2D carrier rocket. It has a resolution up to the sub-meter level. The satellite will be mainly used for land surveys, city planning, land right … Continue reading China launches new optical remote-sensing satellite

Though initially isolating, the coronavirus pandemic has spawned a whole new world of digital parties and get-togethers. People stuck at home are finding innovative ways to socialize, participating in everything from virtual beer tastings to online book club meetings. While the event landscape has been permanently altered by this shift, people and businesses continue to develop new ways of having fun.http://dlvr.it/Rd6mSp Continue reading Fun Seekers Revel at Virtual Parties

San Luis Obispo, CA (SPX) Aug 03, 2020 The large-scale loss of eelgrass in a major California estuary – Morro Bay – may be causing widespread erosion, according to a new study from California Polytechnic State University. In recent years, Morro Bay’s iconic eelgrass beds, which provide the estuary’s primary living habitat, experienced a massive die-off, declining more than 90 percent since 2007. Efforts to … Continue reading Massive seagrass die-off leads to widespread erosion in a California estuary

Sydney (AFP) Aug 4, 2020 Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a giant “SOS” they had scrawled on the beach, officials said. The Australian Defence Force said it found the men Sunday on tiny Pikelot Island, about 190 kilometres (115 miles) from where they set sail three days earlier. The … Continue reading Beach SOS leads to rescue of sailors stranded on Pacific isle

Several recently-published reports and surveys tracking changes in consumer buying habits reveal a growing competition between old versus new shopping habits. The E-Commerce Times discussed the implications of these new consumer buying trends with marketing experts. The results show that e-commerce is overwhelmingly becoming the first choice for many consumers. But some consumers are beginning to show renewed interest in returning to their previous shopping … Continue reading Latest Shopping Trends Emphasize Need for Retail Marketing Foresight

Bukavu, Dr Congo (AFP) July 30, 2020 Two people were killed in a clash sparked by an operation to clear a wildlife sanctuary in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo of a settlement of illegal gold miners, sources said Thursday. Army troops and park rangers at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (RFO) launched the operation after the miners had received repeated warnings and a relocation site had … Continue reading Two dead in clash at DR Congo wildlife sanctuary

New Delhi (AFP) July 29, 2020 Tiger populations in five countries are making a comeback but the endangered species still faces major threats such as poaching, conservation group WWF and the Indian government said. India, home to 70 percent of the big cat’s global population, is among 13 countries that pledged a decade ago to boost feline numbers. “From an historic population low in 2010, … Continue reading World tiger population grows but SE Asia threats ‘critical’: WWF

Social proof is an individual influencer or group clout that gives “proof” to a product. It is based on the principle that people tend to follow and conform to an influential person or a majority. They do this to be validated — a result of a need for safety. Here are 10 kinds of social proof strategies — and how and why they work.http://dlvr.it/RczLS8 Continue reading 10 Types of Social Proof and What Makes Them Effective

Geneva (AFP) Aug 2, 2020 China is moving away from the path of openness and the West will respond more decisively if it continues to do so, Switzerland’s foreign minister told a Sunday newspaper. Economic liberalisation has not been matched with political liberalisation and human rights breaches are on the rise, Ignazio Cassis told SonntagsBlick. “We are seeing China stray from the path of openness,” … Continue reading China abandoning path to openness, says Switzerland

Paris (AFP) July 31, 2020 People who had visited Italy accounted for more than a quarter of the first reported cases of the new coronavirus outside China, according to a new study that found most initial infections were linked to just three countries. Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used publicly-available data to trace the early spread of COVID-19 to dozens … Continue reading Italy travel linked to 1 in 4 first virus cases outside China: study