This year, China began its most important population survey: counting the giant pandas living in the wild. Clifford Coonan joins the search for a reclusive national symbol
A shout echoes through the Niba Shan forest, and we crash through the thicket on the steep side of a Sichuan mountain, eager for our first sighting of the famously private, rare black and white marvel known as the giant panda.
"Here! Quick, a bit faster, come on," shouts our guide. But there's no need to hurry, as what we find isn't going anywhere. We come across not a real-life Kung Fu Panda but instead a neat arrangement of four pieces of dung in the grass. The research team congratulate each other on their luck, quickly gathering up the droppings and placing them in plastic sample bags. Every piece is carefully catalogued.
"Here! Quick, a bit faster, come on," shouts our guide. But there's no need to hurry, as what we find isn't going anywhere. We come across not a real-life Kung Fu Panda but instead a neat arrangement of four pieces of dung in the grass. The research team congratulate each other on their luck, quickly gathering up the droppings and placing them in plastic sample bags. Every piece is carefully catalogued.
Citizens of the EU
How to Forge a Common European Identity
By Thomas Darnstädt, Christoph Schult and Helene Zuber
Europe has a face. It can grin, and it has freckles. Almost everyone in Germany knows it. It's the face of Daniel Cohn-Bendit, 66, the Green member of the European Parliament and former revolutionary.
ANC: We didn't impose secrecy Bill on SA
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Dec 03 2011 10:25
He said the ANC had initiated internal debates within the peace and stability national executive committee (NEC) sub-committee and the corresponding study group in Parliament.
"In both these forums ANC members were offered opportunities to debate the desirability and otherwise of the Bill and the principles underlying it."
He said in both forums members engaged one another and sought to reach consensus. The same approach was adopted within the executive
"In both these forums ANC members were offered opportunities to debate the desirability and otherwise of the Bill and the principles underlying it."
He said in both forums members engaged one another and sought to reach consensus. The same approach was adopted within the executive
Police reportedly went undercover at Occupy LA
Reports suggest police used undercover detectives to infiltrate the Occupy LA camp to find out protesters' intentions
Los Angeles police used nearly a dozen undercover detectives to infiltrate the Occupy LA encampment before this week's raid to gather information on the anti-Wall Street protesters' intentions, according to media reports.
None of the officers slept at the camp, but they tried to blend in during the weeks leading up to the raid to learn about plans to resist or use weapons against police, a police source told the Los Angeles Times. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.
A sharp contrast between CELAC's style and UNASUR's substance
As Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez struggles to make CELAC into an anti-US regional body, alternative group UNASUR is actually being productive, says blogger James Bosworth.
Blogging by Boz's general rule of international organizations: Any international organization that spends most of its time discussing who is or isn't a member is not being effective.
This is essentially the fight over the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) today inCaracas. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez wants to focus discussion on the organization as an "anti-imperialist" unit, one without the US and Canada, and one that is an alternative to the OAS. As I wrote earlier this year, the fact the CELAC meeting was postponed due to Mr. Chávez's health crisis already shows a lack of seriousness in this debate.
Another group of countries, led by Brazil, have a more substantive agenda for CELAC that includes responses to the global financial crisis and a democracy clause for the new organization. The winner of this style vs. substance debate will determine whether CELAC has a hope of becoming an effective organization in the future. I'm pessimistic.
10 things we didn't know last week
15:31 UK time, Friday, 2 December 2011
Snippets from the week's news, sliced, diced and processed for your convenience.
1. Ravens are the only species other than apes who can "point" and share objects like humans.
More details (Daily Mail)
More details (Daily Mail)
2. You are not allowed to take conkers from Royal parks.
More details (Daily Telegraph)
More details (Daily Telegraph)
3. More than one in every 10 banknotes in circulation in Britain is contaminated with cocaine.
More details (Guardian)
More details (Guardian)
4. The world's only sex school is in Austria.
More details (Daily Mail)
More details (Daily Mail)
5. The FTSE, the London stock market measure of leading share prices, was the most popular Yahoo search this year, ahead of the likes of Justin Bieber and Katie Price.
More details (This Is Money)
More details (This Is Money)
6. Turtles communicate with each other before hatching.
More details (Daily Telegraph)
More details (Daily Telegraph)
7. Having a shed can lower your blood pressure.
More details (Daily Mail)
More details (Daily Mail)
8. The 12 days of Christmas now cost: $101,119, the most expensive item being seven swans a swimming, which would cost $6,300.
More details (The Consumerist)
More details (The Consumerist)
9. Wasps recognise each other's faces.
More details (Nature)
More details (Nature)
10. Swearing really can relieve pain.
More details (Daily Telegraph)
More details (Daily Telegraph)
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