Two giant pandas arrive in US from China aboard 'Panda Express' / Photo: Brendan SMIALOWSKI - AFP
-
Finland's crackdown on undocumented migrants sparks fear
-
Climbers test limits at Yosemite, short-staffed by US shutdown
-
Gstaad gives O'Brien record 21st Breeders' Cup win
-
After the tears, anger on Rio's blood-stained streets
-
Sinner boosts number one bid in Paris, to face Zverev in semis
-
Springer back in Toronto lineup as Blue Jays try to close out Dodgers
-
Nationals make Butera MLB's youngest manager since 1972
-
Guirassy lifts Dortmund past Augsburg ahead of Man City clash
-
G7 says it's 'serious' about confronting China's critical mineral dominance
-
NFL fines Ravens $100,000 over Jackson injury status report
-
NBA refs to start using headsets on Saturday
-
Trump says Christians in Nigeria face 'existential threat'
-
French-Turkish actor Tcheky Karyo dies at 72
-
Food stamps, the bulwark against hunger for over 40 mn Americans
-
Trump keeps world guessing with shock nuclear test order
-
Wall Street stocks rebound on Amazon, Apple earnings
-
US Fed official backed rate pause because inflation 'too high'
-
Prayers and anthems: welcome to the Trump-era Kennedy Center
-
Swiss central bank profits boosted by gold price surge
-
Sinner beats Shelton to boost number one bid in Paris
-
French court jails Bulgarians for up to four years for Holocaust memorial defacement
-
Profits dip at ExxonMobil, Chevron on lower crude prices
-
Ashraf and Mirza skittle South Africa as Pakistan win 2nd T20
-
2,000 trucks stuck in Belarus after Lithuania closes border: association
-
French lawmakers reject wealth tax proposal in budget debate
-
Premier League blames European expansion for lack of Boxing Day games
-
Bublik sets up Auger-Aliassime semi-final at Paris Masters
-
World's most expensive coffee goes on sale in Dubai at $1,000 a cup
-
Trump stirs global tensions, confusion with nuclear test order
-
Panic across US as health insurance costs set to surge
-
Court eases ban on Russian lugers but Olympic hopes on thin ice
-
England captain Itoje targets Autumn Nations clean sweep
-
Calmer Sabalenka sets sights on WTA Finals crown
-
Spurs boosted by Romero return for Chelsea clash
-
Sudan's RSF claims arrests as UN warns of 'horrendous' atrocities in Darfur
-
US says 'non-market' tactics needed to counter China's rare earth dominance
-
China sends youngest astronaut, mice to space station
-
From adored prince to outcast, Andrew's years-long fall from grace
-
Rodri return fuels Guardiola belief in Man City title challenge
-
China holds send-off ceremony for space station astronauts
-
Barcelona to show off unfinished Camp Nou with public training session
-
Turkish court jails 11 for life over deadly hotel inferno
-
Auger-Aliassime ends Vacherot run to reach Paris Masters semis
-
Australia captain Wilson denies Wallabies use 'dangerous' breakdown tactics
-
'Populists can be beaten': Dutch centrist Jetten claims election win
-
China's suspension of rare earth controls applies to EU: official
-
Italy complains about strong euro, urges ECB to cut rates
-
Louvre to get anti-ramming barriers by year end: minister
-
Wall Street bounces on Amazon, Apple earnings
-
AI giants turn to massive debt to finance tech race
NYSE - LSE
Two giant pandas arrive in US from China aboard 'Panda Express'
Two giant pandas destined for the Washington zoo arrived in the United States from China on Tuesday, the latest in Beijing's campaign of international "panda diplomacy."
Live television images showed the arrival of the pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, on a FedEx cargo plane dubbed the "Panda Express" that landed at Dulles airport in Virginia.
Bao Li, a male panda, and Qing Bao, a female, will be housed at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington under a decade-long breeding and research agreement.
Only a few of the beloved black-and-white bears remain in the United States after almost all were returned to China in recent years under pre-arranged contracts -- including all three of the National Zoo's pandas last November.
The lack of immediate replacements was viewed by many as a symbol of the heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
China has been using so-called "panda diplomacy" since 1972, when the first animals were sent to Washington as a gift, following US president Richard Nixon's historic visit to the Communist nation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said after meeting his counterpart Joe Biden at a summit in California last November that China could send new pandas as "envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American people."
In August, the San Diego zoo welcomed two new giant pandas, the first to be sent by China to the United States in 21 years.
Anticipation for the pandas' arrival in Washington has been high, with the National Zoo's website emblazoned with a banner that reads: "The pandas are coming."
The National Zoo will be closed to visitors on Tuesday to allow for an orderly arrival of the three-year-old pandas.
Renovations have been undertaken at the panda habitat "to enhance the safety of the facilities and maximize space for the bears to roam," according to the zoo's website.
The new structures constructed for the pandas include shallow pools to allow them to bathe and bamboo stands that require the bears to mimic the foraging techniques they would use in the wild.
The bears will not be available to the public for more than a month after their arrival as they will need to be quarantined and acclimate to their new habitat.
J.Williams--AMWN
