Folk healing is in transition in Paraguay. Medicinal plants are in vogue—so much so that some plants are facing near-extinction because of the demand. At the same time, some Paraguayans are converting to modern medicine.

Licensing and monitoring ivory carvers could effectively control the illegal poaching of elephants and at the same time ease the tensions between conservationists and African countries with ivory surpluses, according to new research.

Yesterday, climber Ed Viesturs summited Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth highest mountain. The feat makes Viesturs the first American to climb 13 of the 14 world's 8,000-meter (26,000-foot) peaks—without the use of supplemental oxygen.

The deaths of 14 firefighters on Colorado's Storm King Mountain in 1994 reawakened public awareness about wildfire dangers. Now, with wildfires taking hundreds of homes, those concerns are once again front and center out West. Tom Foreman talks with author Sebastian Junger about the often uncontrollable infernos.

Traditional farming methods in the Burren, the dramatic limestone landscape in western Ireland, are in decline. The falloff in old-style agriculture has imperiled the region's remarkably diverse plant community, including many rare wildflower species.

Charles Maxwell is an underwater cinematographer based in Cape Town, South Africa. A keen diver and lover of the marine environment for 35 years, Maxwell has made documentaries for the National Geographic Society and the BBC. He talks about his life's work and shares some of his favorite underwater images. Two shark photo galleries included:

Scientists have found that New Guinea is one of the few places on Earth where agriculture developed independently. Evidence of taro and banana cultivation has been discovered at the site of Kuk, indicating the emergence of agriculture approximately 6,500 years ago.

The Inamori Foundation announced the laureates of its 19th Annual Kyoto Prizes, international awards presented to people who have contributed significantly to mankind's betterment in the categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Science, and Arts and Philosophy.

Peggy Bulger is the Director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, an organization dedicated to preserving American music, stories, customs, festivals, unique skills, and much more. The center's recorded archive houses the music and voices of over a century, and provides an intimate glimpse into America's past and a key to our future. Bulger spoke with National Geographic News about the center's tremendous collection, and the critical importance of preserving and promoting our legacy of recorded sound.

Descended from slaves, driven from their homes, and hustled through refugee camps, the Bantu of Somalia are among the most persecuted people. After attempts to repatriate them to their ancestral southern Africa failed, the United States declared them people of "special interest" and accepted 12,000 for settlement in some 50 U.S. cities.

Today is World Refugee Day, a day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to the plight of the men, women, and children who have been forced to flee their homes in the face of persecution and armed conflict.

Summer camps for canines and their human pack partners are in full swing. Week-long getaways feature rustic cabins, roaring bonfires, and swimming holes. Rooms are shared with four-legged companions. And days are filled with just about every imaginable activity—from Frisbee and flyball to spinning dog hair and making canine cookies.

The first map known to have named the then-new Western continent "America" has been acquired by the Library of Congress for U.S. ten million dollars. Described as "one of the greatest finds of the modern age" after it was lost for more than two centuries, the 1507 map was drawn from data gathered by explorer Amerigo Vespucci.

Some 17 million children are refugees, many living wretched lives in tent camps after fleeing persecution and armed conflict. For kids who have lost their parents, life can be even worse as they are forced to become sex slaves, soldiers, or under-age workers. Humanitarian organizations do their best to help, but can only do so much.

The "Jesus Box," touted to be the first archaeological proof that Jesus existed, has been found to contain a forged inscription. The Israel Antiquities Authority released a report Wednesday stating that the box's inscription was forged, though the ossuary itself is believed to be dated correctly.