Great Weekend Reads

Bulls, cockroaches and snow leopards. GlobalPost knows its animals almost as well as it knows what makes a great weekend read. Here's a sampling of our best this week and a look at some news you may have missed:

In Israel, life under fire isn't always so bad
Sderot, a modest Israeli town, has been on the receiving end of thousands of missiles over the years. But it's kind of a nice place to live.
 

Spain celebrates the running of the bulls
Chaos engulfs the northern Spanish city of Pamplona every July as thousands of visitos crowd the streets to take part in the San Femin fesitivies. Spectators indulge in wine and sangria as Spaniards and tourists alike attempt to outrun some pretty hefty cattle.

Assange and Ecuador: mutually toxic
Analysis: Why WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Ecuador are so bad for each other.
 

Is it time for China to abandon the one-child policy?
While the government credits the one-child policy with aiding economic growth, demographers and economists contend it is one of China’s greatest threats.

Big cockroach infestation overruns the sanitation-plagued city of Naples
An early heat wave has helped bring an attack of large red insects to the city with notoriously bad sanitation.
 

Zimbabwe: A country left behind on AIDS surges ahead
Despite being largely left behind by PEPFAR, Zimbabwe has still managed to reduce its HIV prevalence rate.
 

Accelerate: Pump it up
Video: Lima taxi drivers convert their cars to natural gas.
 

Romney v. Obama: Money talks
In fact, in the 2012 presidential race, it positively screams.
 

Scientists film a Snow Leopard family in den for first time
New video shows snow leopard home life at its most intimate — scientists hope video and data will help improve conservation programs. 

Cuba mute in the time of cholera
Castro government strong on public health, weak on public information in response to outbreak.