They also asked countries with stockpiles of ivory to give up-to-date information on the scale of these holdings.

BBC: ��Gang of eight�� on ivory probation

The Austrian research, published in the latest issue of an ornithological journal, Ibis, sought some up-to-date data on the scale of the parasite problem facing native Galapagos birds.

BBC: By Jonathan Amos

"The reason that this hasn't happened to date on a wide scale is that the tools of game creation weren't really available to the average person, they required large teams that do coding and all the costly items that go into creating a popular game, " he said.

CNN: 'Angry Birds' adapted for political satire

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said that no Olympic planning had been based on Crossrail, and Transport Minister Alistair Darling said the scale of the project would make such a date unlikely.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | London | On track for Olympic bid?

She sees the Commonwealth Games - and possibly another Asian Games too - as run-ups to a full-scale Olympic bid, for which 2016 is the earliest date possible.

BBC: NEWS | South Asia | Delhi wants Games to provide legacy

"The calibre of the people recruited to date, and their wealth of experience in the design and development of large scale telecommunications software solutions, has been exceptional, " he said.

BBC: 43 jobs announced at city firm

In trying to bring these views up to date, Kaplan plunges into a planetary review that is often thrilling in its sheer scale, its encyclopedic breeziness.

NEWYORKER: Faces, Places, Spaces