A college in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has started offering an optional course on the popular computer game DOTA, fueling debate online about the value of online gaming in academia.

The course, named "recent development of e-sports and analysis of DOTA teams," aims to improve students' teamwork spirit, according to the course's teacher, Zeng Qingqing at Chongqing Energy College.

The weekly course has been a hit at the college, with each class drawing more than 200 students, though only 90 are supposed to show up, according to a student surnamed Wang.

Netizens remain divided on the topic, as many expressed concerns about possible addiction to the game.

Zeng told Xinhua News Agency that class content centers on the analysis of strategies used by the top teams in the game, rather than teaching students how to play online games.

Satellites Launched

China will launch around 120 more applied satellites to accommodate economic and social needs, a senior executive of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said on November 10.

However, Yang Baohua, Deputy General Manager of the corporation, did not specify the period of time over which the launches will span.

The Chinese economy will continue to record relatively high growth, generating more demand for aerospace technologies, Yang said at an international aviation and aerospace forum held in Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province.

China will launch about 70 remote sensing satellites to detect the near-Earth space environment and predict extreme events, according to Yang.

China will also launch about 20 communication satellites to meet communication demand in national security and public services.

In addition, China will launch about 30 navigation satellites to provide accurate and reliable global positioning and navigation services.

More Uranium

Chinese geologists have found more uranium deposits in China's largest uranium mine, Xinhua learned on November 6.

Geological exploration around the western areas of the Daying uranium mine, located in Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, had been ongoing for more than six months this year, said Cheng Liwei, Director of the China Central Geological Survey Fund Management Center.

The belt of uranium at the Daying mine is now thought to be 20 km longer than originally estimated, making the mine the 14th largest in the world, said Cheng.

"Compared with a preliminary survey in 2012, this new discovery represents a uranium deposit increase of about 60 percent," Cheng said.

Uranium is the only commercially available fuel source for nuclear power plants.