Star Power

China's well-known actress Li Bingbing was made a UNEP goodwill ambassador in May. At a press conference held by the UNEP in Nairobi, Li  declared her support for a global campaign to end illegal trade in wildlife products and pledged to use her star power to bring attention to the threat that criminal syndicates pose to African elephants and rhinos. She said that ordinary citizens, governments and the business community in Asia have a critical role to play in ending the killings of African elephants and rhinos. This was Li's first overseas engagement in wildlife preservation, and also her first visit to Kenya. (see story Wildlife Under Threat)

Marathon Winner

Caroline Rotich of Kenya won the Prague International Marathon in May, while Nicholas Kemboi of Qatar claimed the men's race. Rotich finished in 2:27:00, beating Philes Moraa Ongori, another Kenyan runner, and Ehitu Kiros of Ethiopia. A record crowd of about 9,500 runners participated in the 19th running of the race, which took place amid increased security measures. Before the start, runners observed a minute of silence for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.