 Panda Census

China

Forestry authorities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province said recently that they had begun combing forests for giant pandas in order to determine how many of the endangered animals are living in the wild. The previous census conducted in 1999 to 2000 counted 1,596 wild pandas in China. At that time, 273 of them lived in Shaanxi and a majority of the rest lived in neighboring Sichuan Province.

ROLLING OUT: Train travel will boost Mozambique tourism XINHUA

 Tourism Boost

Mozambique

The Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique's central Sofala Province has set a target of attracting 500, 000 tourists annually by 2015, according to the park authority. The park hosted more than 7,000 tourists in 2011, anticipating a huge increase in the coming years as the park is being restructured. The park is prepared for a yearly 500,000 tourists by 2015 with revenues estimated to hit $75 million.

LIFT OFF: Shenzhou-9 launch set for June XINHUA

 Female Astronauts

China

Authorities have completed the initial selection of crew members for China's first manned space docking mission, and the roster includes female astronauts. But the final three-person crew will be decided just before the launch, said Niu Hongguang, Deputy Chief of China's manned space program. The manned spacecraft Shenzhou-9 will take its crew members to the Tiangong-1 space module lab between June and August this year.

Numbers:

5%

Kenya's 2012 tea production to drop compared to 2011

23%[+]

Expected forest coverage in China by end 2020

$27.8 Billion

China's special funds to develop health care in poverty-stricken regions during 2006-10

12

Medals South Africa aims to grab at the London Olympics