Monday, 21 January, 2019

As Demand for Ginseng Soars, Poachers Threaten Its Survival.

As Demand for Ginseng Soars, Poachers Threaten Its Survival

Posted on Wednesday, 12 October, 2016Thursday, 24 August, 2017 by Zheluo Cai

As Demand for Ginseng Soars, Poachers Threaten Its Survival.

Ginseng is any one of the 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae. It is found in North America and in eastern Asia (mostly northeast China, Korea, Bhutan, eastern Siberia), typically in cooler climates. Over centuries, ginseng has been considered in China as an important component of Chinese traditional medicine. Besides Panax ginseng, many other plants are also known as or mistaken for the ginseng root. The most commonly known examples are xiyangshen, also known as American ginseng (P. quinquefolius), Japanese ginseng (P. japonicus), crown prince ginseng (Pseudostellaria heterophylla), and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Although all have the name “ginseng”, each plant has distinctively different functions. However, true ginseng plants belong only to the Panax genus.

Read Article Here:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2016/october/with-demand-for-ginseng-high–poachers-threaten-its-survival/

Watch - Yellow Fever in Nigeria Friday, 18 January, 2019
A large, ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in Nigeria began in September 2017. The outbreak is now spread throughout the country. Travelers going to Nigeria should receive vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before travel and should take steps to prevent mosquito bites while there.
Alert - Ebola in Democratic Republic of the Congo Thursday, 17 January, 2019
There is an outbreak of Ebola in the North Kivu (Kivu Nord) and Ituri provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY: Tentacles of the Tarantula Nebula. Credit: ESO; Acknowledgments: J. Alves (Calar Alto), B. Vandame, and Y. Beletsky (ESO); Processing by B. Fosbury (ST-ECF). The largest, most violent star forming region known in the whole Local Group of galaxies lies in our neighbouring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud, is the Tarantula Nebula. Also called 30 Doradus, the red and pink gas indicates a massive emission nebula, a supernova remnants and dark nebula. The bright knot of stars left of centre is R136 and contains many of the most massive, hottest, and brightest stars known.

IMAGO DEI: The Maranao are the largest of the Muslim cultural-linguistic groups of the Philippines. They live around Lake Lanao on the southern island of Mindanao, and rice farming is their main livelihood, along with metalworking and woodworking handicrafts. Land is owned by the clan and controlled by local leaders known as datus. The customs of marriage and the family are Islāmic. The languages of all the Muslim groups are closely related to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) family of languages.

Haiti - Level 3: Reconsider Travel Friday, 18 January, 2019
Last Update: Reissued with updates to U.S. government restrictions on personnel. Reconsider travel to Haiti due to crime and civil unrest. Protests, tire burning, and road blockages are frequent and unpredictable. Violent crime, such as armed robbery, is common. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents, and emergency response, including […]
Venezuela - Level 3: Reconsider Travel Wednesday, 16 January, 2019
Last Update: Reissued after periodic review with updates to information on consular access and neighborhoods within Caracas. Reconsider travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do not travel: On roads after dark outside […]

USA Friday, 18 January, 2019
Latest update: Summary - revised information on the partial Federal US government shutdown; some airports and forms of public transport are affected by the partial shutdown, while others continue to operate as normal; you should check before you travel; Summary and Natural disasters section - removal of information on previous hurricanes and wildfires
GOV.UK
Zimbabwe Friday, 18 January, 2019
Latest update: Summary - update to information and advice on widespread disruption in many areas of Zimbabwe in the week beginning 14 January
GOV.UK

WORK OF ART: This ancient Byzantine Nativity picture, Mosaics of the Capella Palatina in Palermo, Sicily, has survived as a fresco made from coloured glass and stone fragments, on a high wall, and hence not subject to damp or vandals. Dated 1150 AD, the artist is simply labelled as Master of the Palace Chapel. Mary and Jesus are central in this composite picture, surrounded by singing angels, shepherds with gifts, the Three Wise Men, a perturbed Joseph waking from his dream of danger, and Salome and the midwife.