The durian is the fruit of trees of the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits," the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on the species. The hard outer husk is covered with sharp, prickly thorns while the edible flesh within emits a distinctive odour, which is regarded as either fragrant or overpowering and offensive. The odour of the ripe fruit is strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness and is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked. Many consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market. (more...)

A collage of six mustard images: Seeds of the mustard plant (top left) may be ground (top right) to make different kinds of mustard. The four mustards pictured are a simple table mustard with turmeric coloring (center left), a Bavarian sweet mustard (center right), a Dijon mustard (lower left), and a rough French mustard made mainly from black mustard seeds (lower right).

Image credit: Rainer Zenz
Archive – More featured pictures...

Every page on Wikipedia is a collaborative effort. But there are some special places reserved for specific types of discussion and assistance. Find what you're looking for here:

Help (contents) — Use this if you need help editing. There is also a comprehensive range of help articles available here. You can ask a question about using Wikipedia at the Help Desk. Goings-on — Here is what's happening within the Wikipedia community. The Village Pump — These are main discussion forums for Wikipedia. The Signpost — This is Wikipedia's local newspaper. The Community Portal — This is the center of community involvement. Learn about projects and activities you can join to help improve Wikipedia.

Collaborations — Weekly, monthly, and ongoing collaborative article improvement drives within specific subject areas. Reference Desk — Help other Wikipedians who are looking for specific information by answering their subject-related questions at the reference desk (like a library's information desk). Department of Fun — Dedicated to FUN on Wikipedia. Clinic for Wikipediholics — Sign-in to Wikipedia! Welcoming committee — Greet newcomers. Wikipedia Boot Camp — Take a crash course about Wikipedia!

• Pakistan condemns an apparent United States-led air strike near the border with Afghanistan that killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary troops, in clashes that also killed eight Taliban militants.
• Japan's House of Councillors passes a censure motion against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (pictured), the first such motion to be passed since World War II.
• Sudan Airways Flight 109 crashes on landing at Khartoum International Airport in Khartoum, Sudan, killing dozens.
• IBM and Los Alamos National Laboratory break a processing speed record with the world's first petaflop computer, Roadrunner.
• Following a coal mine collapse in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, 24 miners are rescued with 12 still missing and one reported dead.
• Seven people are killed and ten injured in a stabbing spree in Tokyo, Japan.
  Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

• ... that the first coinage used in Brunei were Chinese coins (example pictured), which were refered to as the pitis?
• ... that the initials of John Hathorn and his wife carved into brick on their house in Warwick, New York show the influence of Germanic building traditions?
• ... that Marathi film Shwaas was India's official entry to the 2004 Oscars but faced financial problems to showcase and promote the film?
• ... that William Bragge donated his 1,500 volume Miguel de Cervantes collection to the Birmingham library in 1873, but many of the books were destroyed during a fire?
• ... that the record for the most named tropical storms to form in a month in East Pacific history since reliable records began dates back to 1968?
• ... that E.S. Richardson, a Louisiana educator for whom the E.S. Richardson Elementary School is named, ended his career as an administrator of the wartime Office of Price Administration?
• ... that the Bahá'í population in the United Arab Emirates is estimated to be the second-largest in the Middle East?
• ... that Hopkinsville, Kentucky's tribute to Confederate veterans was a public drinking fountain?
• ... that there are more than twenty runestones on the Isle of Man?
  
  Archive – Start a new article...

June 12: Independence Day in the Philippines; Russia Day in the Russian Federation; Dia dos Namorados in Brazil

• 1864 – Union General Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia, ending one of the bloodiest, most lopsided battles in the American Civil War.
• 1889 – In one of the worst rail disasters in Europe, runaway passenger carriages collided with a following train near Armagh, present-day Northern Ireland, killing 88 people and injuring 170 others.
• 1942 – On her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank began keeping her diary during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
• 1967 – The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in the landmark civil rights case Loving v. Virginia, striking down laws restricting interracial marriage in the United States.
• 1979 – Pilot Bryan Allen flew the human-powered aircraft Gossamer Albatross (pictured) across the English Channel to win the Kremer prize.

• More events: June 11 – June 12 – June 13

  Archive – By email – More anniversaries...
  It is now 19:45, June 12, 2008 (UTC) – Refresh this page