Sick chimps seek out medicinal plants to heal themselves, study finds

  • A new study concludes that chimpanzees displaying a range of ailments seek out plants with known medicinal properties to treat those ailments.
  • The finding is important because it’s a rare instance where a species is shown to consume a plant as medicine rather than as part of its general diet.
  • The study identified 13 plant species that the chimpanzees in Uganda’s Budongo Forest relied on, which can help inform conservation efforts for the great apes.
  • The finding could also hold potential for the development of new drugs for human use.

Wild chimpanzees actively seek out plants with medicinal properties to treat themselves for specific ailments,a new study has found.

Source: Sick chimps seek out medicinal plants to heal themselves, study finds

A su encuentro – Ventana literaria

A su encuentro

A lo lejos... varias caricias
con las campanadas llegan;
no es una llamada,
tampoco un susurro,
es el encuentro que viene
en brazos del viento.

LMML.

To meet you

In the distance... several caresses
with the chimes they arrive;
It's not a call
not even a whisper,
is the meeting that is coming
in the arms of the wind.

LMML.

Source: A su encuentro – Ventana literaria

Donald Sutherland, Don’t Look Now and Hunger Games actor, dies aged 88 | Donald Sutherland | The Guardian – RIP

The prolific actor appeared in more than 190 films and TV shows and was a vocal anti-war activist

a man with white hair in a suit and tie and scarf
Donald Sutherland. Photograph: Saeed Adyani/CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY

Donald Sutherland, whose acting career spanned six decades and included starring in such highly acclaimed films as Don’t Look Now, M*A*S*H and The Hunger Games, has died aged 88.

Source: Donald Sutherland, Don’t Look Now and Hunger Games actor, dies aged 88 | Donald Sutherland | The Guardian

ACLU sues Louisiana over requiring the display of Ten Commandments in public schools | Louisiana | The Guardian

US civil liberties groups have sued Louisiana for what they called its “blatantly unconstitutional” new law requiring all state-funded schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) joined with its Louisiana affiliate and two other bodies – Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom of Religion Foundation – for the suit against the law, signed on Wednesday by the state’s rightwing Republican governor, Jeff Landry.

Landry, who succeeded the former Democratic governor John Bel Edwards in January, provocatively declared after signing the statute: “I can’t wait to be sued.”

The four groups immediately took him up on his challenge by announcing they were doing precisely that.

“We’re suing Louisiana for requiring all public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom,” the ACLU posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Public schools are not Sunday schools.”

Source: ACLU sues Louisiana over requiring the display of Ten Commandments in public schools | Louisiana | The Guardian

Global alert issued over fake-Ozempic drugs

Getty Images A pen branded Ozempic but found to be fake.Getty Images
A counterfeit Ozempic pen seized in London.

A global alert about fake Ozempic – which has become popular as a way of losing weight – has been issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The drug is sometimes known as a “skinny jab” despite its main purpose being a treatment for type-2 diabetes.

The WHO said the fake medicines could pose a danger to health.

The organisation advised people to source the drug only through reputable sources, such as a doctor, rather than obscure sites online or through social media.

The active ingredient in Ozempic – semaglutide – helps people with type-2 diabetes control the amount of sugar in their blood.

However, the weekly injection also signals to the brain that we’re full. So the drug helps people lose weight by reducing the urge to eat.

People without diabetes have been getting hold of the drug as a weight-loss medication.

It has led to shortages for people with type-2 diabetes and created a market for counterfeit drugs.

The WHO said it had been tracking rising reports of dodgy-Ozempic all around the world since 2022.

Fake batches have been seized by the authorities in the UK, US and Brazil.

Risk to health

“[We advise] healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public be aware of these falsified batches of medicines,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Essential Medicines and Health Products.

The WHO warned some fake-injections may not contain semaglutide at all or others may contain other medications, such as insulin, leading to “unpredictable” effects.

“These falsified products could have harmful effects to people’s health,” the WHO said.

The UK’s drugs regulator seized a batch of fake-Ozempic in October last year.

They had come into the country from legitimate suppliers in Austria and Germany, and appeared to have authentic packaging.

Dr Alison Cave, the organisation’s chief safety officer, said: “Buying semaglutide from illegally trading online suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not licensed for use in the UK.”

She said injecting such products “may put your health at risk”.

A higher strength version of Ozempic has been developed specifically for weight-loss and is marketed as Wegovy.

This is being offered at specialist weight-loss clinics on the NHS in the UK.

Source: Global alert issued over fake-Ozempic drugs