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        <date>Wed Jul 08 20:44:05 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Trillions of dollars wiped off China stock markets </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/AgRBEJD8-9M/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Teenager making money in volatile Chinese market 02:45
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Grandmas, cab drivers and college kids were all making small fortunes in a frenzy of "chao gu" or stir-frying stocks -- Chinese slang for trading.
And the stock rally came at a time when the wider economy was slowing, puzzling many financial analysts. But now they say gravity is taking effect.
"China's stock market had become detached from the reality of China's own economy, and appallingly overvalued," Patrick Chovanec, managing director at Silvercrest Asset Management, posted on Twitter.
China's stock market had become detached from reality of China's own economy, and appallingly overvalued. This is gravity taking effect.
READ: China stocks hammered as market crash continues
China is throwing the kitchen sink at the problem
While some analysts believe that the stock market is undergoing a much needed "correction," China's government has pulled out all the stops to support share prices.
The People's Bank of China has cut interest rates to a record low, brokerages have committed to buy billions worth of stocks, and regulators have announced a de facto suspension of new share listings.
Dong Tao, chief economist for Asia excluding Japan at investment house Credit Suisse, said Beijing fears that the stock rout could undermine consumption, as people nursing losses are unlikely to go to the mall and spend.
"That creates all kinds of risks for the economy and for the financial system and this is why Beijing is worried," he said.
Investors clearly aren't convinced by government efforts. China's stock market has been on a roller-coaster ride, sometimes opening with a jump of as much as 7%, before ending the day down by that much.
READ: Over half of China's stocks have stopped trading
How will it affect the rest of the world?
Few foreign investors have much direct exposure to these stock markets -- China still limits the amount of overseas investment.
It's ordinary Chinese that have been the biggest victims of the crash.
The real concern for those outside China is an economic slowdown and wider impact from a fluctuating stock market.
Fears of a downturn in China have already hammered the price of commodities like iron ore and copper this week.
In the longer term, this could also hurt places like Australia, which supplies of a lot of China's raw materials.
READ: How media and risky trading fueled crash
What does this mean for China's leaders?
President Xi Jinping has portrayed himself as a "strong man," going after "tigers" -- high-ranking officials -- in his relentless anti-corruption drive.
But the stock market plunge could prove a formidable challenge to China's top leadership.
"They're putting their credibility on the line and if people see that they shoot that bazooka and, you know, the market continues to fall and then they realize that the government doesn't control economic outcomes as much as they thought," Chovanec told CNN.
And the heavy-handed measures Beijing has enacted to try and halt the rout may have undermined faith in China's commitment to market reforms.
"The government wants to reverse the market movement -- this is not market-based policy. That's a big setback for the Chinese capital markets," said Dong.
CNN Money's Charles Riley and Sophia Yan contributed to this report
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:49:04 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Panic sell-off in Chinese stocks</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ddgKUEaaIe8/china-stocks-panic-sell-off-watson-lklv.cnn.html</Link>
        <Description>CNN's Ivan Watson spoke to Chinese investors as another dismal trading session unfolded in China's stock market.</Description>
        <MainBody>Source: CNN
Added on 1143 GMT (1843 HKT) July 8, 2015
CNN's Ivan Watson spoke to Chinese investors as another dismal trading session unfolded in China's stock market.
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Key things to know about China's market meltdown
By Katie Hunt, CNN
China's stock market crash is now stretching into its third week, and share prices in Shanghai have lost a third of their value since mid-June.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:06:04 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>'First-ever' Taliban peace talks </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/uudF3eFUxqI/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Afghan officials hold talks with Taliban in Pakistan
By Jethro Mullen and Sophia Saifi, CNN
Updated 1741 GMT (0041 HKT) July 8, 2015
Story highlights
The Afghan government says this is the start of "the first ever official peace talks"
White House: "This is an important step in advancing prospects for a credible peace"
Taliban and Afghan government representatives agree to meet again, Pakistan says
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN)
The government of Afghanistan held talks this week with the Taliban in an attempt to work toward a peace process for the war-ravaged nation, officials said.
The Afghan government described the meeting as "the start of the first ever official peace talks" between the two sides.
U.S. and Chinese officials also attended the discussions Tuesday at a hilltop resort in Pakistan .
"The participants agreed to continue talks to create an environment conducive for peace and reconciliation process," the Pakistani government said in a statement Wednesday.
The next meeting is expected to take place after the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan .
With U.S. encouragement, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had been seeking dialogue with the Taliban.
"This is an important step in advancing prospects for a credible peace," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said of the meeting in Pakistan.
But it remains unclear how far the talks might progress.
Suicide attacks target coalition forces, spy agency building
Talks seen as a 'starting point'
As U.S. and other NATO troops are drawing down their numbers in Afghanistan, the Taliban insurgency continues to rage across wide areas of the country. The militants attempted a brazen attack on the national parliament last month.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it hoped the talks "would be a starting point for the process so it could prevent the shedding of more innocent Afghans' blood and further destruction of the country."
The U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan ended last year, leaving the Afghan military to lead the fight against the Taliban. The thousands of NATO troops that remain in Afghanistan are there in a training and support role.
"The United States has been encouraging the Afghans to participate in an Afghan-led process that would bring about a political reconciliation in Afghanistan and a deescalation, if not an end, to the violence that has wracked that country for more than a decade now," Earnest said.
The head of the United Nations' political mission in Afghanistan also welcomed this week's talks.
"In the long term, peace is not a luxury, it is a necessity," said Nicholas Haysom, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan. "I welcome the direct face-to-face engagement by the parties as the only way to achieving progress towards a negotiated agreement and ultimately the peace that Afghanistan deserves."
Analysts have suggested that the Taliban may want to delay formal peace talks in anticipation of a stronger negotiating position down the line.
Previous contacts between Afghan government and Taliban representatives, notably in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, have failed to bear fruit.
CNN's Sophia Saifi reported from Islamabad, and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Masoud Popalzai and Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 17:05:09 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Iraqi court sentences 24 men to death over massacre </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/hhvAMVsLMkI/index.html</Link>
        <Description>A Baghdad court sentenced 24 men to death by hanging Wednesday over a June 2014 massacre committed by militants near the Iraqi city of Tikrit, said a spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Iraqi court sentences 24 men to death over massacre near Tikrit
By Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN
Updated 1537 GMT (2237 HKT) July 8, 2015
Iraq's Camp Speicher: Parents' painful wait for their son 4 photos
The parents of Imad al-Jubouri, one of the missing recruits, tell their story at a restaurant in Baghdad on March 29, 2015.
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Iraq's Camp Speicher: Parents' painful wait for their son 4 photos
Majed al-Jubouri quit his job last year and spends his days searching for his 21-year-old son, Imad, pictured in the photo in front of him. Imad joined the military last June. A caption on the photo reads: "Speicher missing."
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Iraq's Camp Speicher: Parents' painful wait for their son 4 photos
Pictured is a close-up of the photograph of Imad. He joined the military 10 days before he was captured by ISIS. His family do not know his fate.
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Iraq's Camp Speicher: Parents' painful wait for their son 4 photos
Umm Imad al-Jubouri, a mother of three, cannot stop crying and says she wants her son back dead or alive.
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Story highlights
Hundreds of soldiers and recruits are thought to have been executed by ISIS in June 2014
Twenty-four men have been sentenced to death in connection with the massacre near Camp Speicher
(CNN)
A Baghdad court sentenced 24 men to death by hanging Wednesday over a June 2014 massacre committed by militants near the Iraqi city of Tikrit, said a spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council.
Four others were acquitted, the spokesman, Abdul Sattar Bayrakdar, said in a statement released by his office.
ISIS claimed to have executed hundreds of recruits and soldiers captured last year outside Camp Speicher, a fortified Iraqi base near Tikrit.
Mass grave sites were uncovered when Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militias seized Tikrit, the hometown of former President Saddam Hussein , from ISIS fighters this year.
Bayrakdar said sufficient evidence had been presented for the court to convict, "including the confessions of the defendants in the investigation phase, which matched the facts and the records of forensic evidence."
The statement did not give details of who the men were, when they were arrested or whether they were affiliated with ISIS.
In the past few months, Iraqi security forces have detained dozens of people accused of having links to the massacre, mostly from Salaheddin province.
Human Rights Watch described the "Speicher Massacre" -- as it has been dubbed in Iraq -- as the "largest reported incident" where "ISIS captured more than 1,000 soldiers fleeing Camp Speicher ... then summarily executed at least 800 of them."
Based on satellite imagery and witness testimony, the rights group last year was able to identity a number of mass grave sites inside Tikrit and the presidential palace complex.
The palace complex became ISIS' headquarters after the militants occupied Tikrit. Nine months later, Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militias retook the city after a fierce battle.
The missing soldiers' families gave DNA samples to the Iraqi Ministry of Health last year so authorities would be able to match them to unidentified bodies the government might find.
Many questions remain unanswered about what happened last June and how hundreds and perhaps more than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers ended up in the hands of ISIS.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 20:43:12 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Syria accepts $1 billion in credit from Iran</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/otCFIR0YB9Q/index.html</Link>
        <Description>The President of war-torn Syria has accepted a billion-dollar helping hand from his supporters in Iran.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Syria accepts $1 billion in credit from Iran
By Jason Hanna, CNN
Updated 1607 GMT (2307 HKT) July 8, 2015
(CNN)
The President of war-torn Syria has accepted a billion-dollar helping hand from his supporters in Iran.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad signed a law ratifying a $1 billion credit line from Iran, Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported Wednesday.
The deal, which will help Syria buy goods and fund projects, was signed on May 19 and approved by the Syrian parliament.  The agreement was between two state-owned banks, the Syrian Commercial Bank and Export Development Bank of Iran, SANA reported.
The Syrian regime in Damascus, supported by the Shiite leadership in Iran , has so far withstood a 4-year-long civil war that has torn Syria apart. But the government has lost control of large areas of the country to the Sunni extremist group ISIS .
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 17:05:57 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>People linked to Vyapam scandal are dying</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/VdJ1SU3O1OU/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Reporter, college dean among dozens of suspicious deaths 01:13
Story highlights
A TV journalist and a college professor died over the weekend
Both were linked to an investigation into a corruption scandal
"I am scared for the lives of people connected to me," a government minister says
New Delhi (CNN)
TV journalist Akshay Singh had spent about an hour talking to the family he had traveled to central India to interview when he started losing consciousness.
Singh foamed at the mouth and fell from his chair, according to colleagues. His TV crew took him unconscious to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.
The next day, police in New Delhi found the body of a college dean, Arun Sharma, in a hotel room.
On the face of it, the two deaths over the weekend, which happened hundreds of kilometers apart, have nothing to do with each other.
But both men are linked to a mysterious web of suspicion, death and scandal that has seized national attention in India and prompted one government minister to say she fears for the lives of those connected to her.
At the heart of the matter is a high-profile corruption case involving allegations of bribes being paid for jobs and college admissions in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Corruption is hardly unusual in India. What's causing alarm in Madhya Pradesh is that people connected to the state's investigation into the alleged scam keep dying.
'I am a minister but still I am scared'
A former judge supervising the state's investigation has said that more than two dozen people linked to the case have died in the past two years.
Opposition politicians and activists in Madhya Pradesh allege that the number of deaths is almost double the official count.
Many of the deaths were originally attributed to causes like road accidents, suicide and illness. There's no evidence of foul play, but many Indians don't know what to believe anymore.
"I am scared for the lives of people connected to me. I am a minister but still I am scared," Uma Bharati, the water resources minister for India's federal government and a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said Monday, according to The Times of India, a national newspaper.
Deaths at weekend under investigation
The two men who died over the weekend both had links to the scandal, which investigators say dates back to at least 2007 and involved a nexus of politicians, bureaucrats, middlemen and bribe-paying candidates.
Singh was working on a report about the death of a suspect who had been named in the investigation. He collapsed Saturday during a visit to the suspect's family in Madhya Pradesh.
"He was making sound like he was choking on something," Rahul Kariya, a colleague who was with him at the time, said in an interview with India Today, their employer. "His left hand became stiff and his lips quivered."
Akshay's family says he had no medical illness. Had not visited a doctor in many years. Was fit. Exercised. No alcohol. No cigarettes.
 Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) July 4, 2015
Authorities say Singh had no signs of internal or external injury. But they have sent samples from his body to forensic experts to determine the cause of death.
The India Today Group has called for an independent inquiry into his death.
"The circumstances of the untimely death of TV Today journalist Akshay Singh merit a full, fair and independent inquiry," the company said. TV Today is the television arm of the India Today Group.
Shocked to hear about mystery death of fellow journalist Akshay Singh. Our best tribute would be to unearth the truth in #VyapamScam
 barkha dutt (@BDUTT) July 4, 2015
The death the following day of Sharma, a college dean from Madhya Pradesh who had been helping investigators, intensified the growing political storm surrounding the scandal.
Police say they don't suspect anything untoward in Sharma's death but they have set up a special medical board for an autopsy.
'The truth behind the deaths must come out'
The intense interest in the case is heaping pressure on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
He set up the special task force investigating the scandal. But critics said he hasn't done enough.
The investigation "seems to have no answers for the spate of suspicious deaths," said an editorial over the weekend in The Hindu, a national newspaper. "Worse still, State government officials have appeared callous in their responses and have attempted to just shrug off the matter."
On Monday, the opposition Congress party demanded that Chouhan be fired and the case handed over to federal investigators.
"The truth behind the deaths must come out," said Randeep Surjewala, a Congress spokesman.
In an apparent concession, Chouhan announced Tuesday that he would request a federal investigation into the scandal and the deaths.
But Chouhan, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governing Bharatiya Janata Party, rejected his opponents' attacks against him as baseless.
"Their only objective is to target me and tarnish my reputation," he said at a news conference.
More than 2,500 suspects
The scale of the investigation is vast -- it has named more than 2,500 people as suspects accused of forgery and impersonation. But about 500 of them still haven't been tracked down and arrested yet.
Under the alleged scam, candidates are alleged to have paid hefty bribes to either pass exams for state government jobs or for admission to higher-educational institutions.
In many cases, students were paid to use forged admission cards to impersonate candidates and write tests for them in connivance with officials, according to police. Funds worth millions of dollars are reported to have been involved in the scheme.
The full scale of the scandal came to light in 2013 after police arrested imposters who were taking a medical test conducted by Madhya Pradesh's professional examination board.
The board, known as Vyapam in Hindi, conducts competitive exams for admissions to medical and engineering colleges and for employment in police, forest and education departments of the state government.
The word Vyapam has become synonymous with the scandal in India.
CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported and wrote from New Delhi, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 01:51:27 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Iran talks deadline extended again</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/rrQxliDUl6E/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Negotiators working to broker a deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program on Tuesday extended the talks until the end of the week.</Description>
        <MainBody>Lawmaker: Lifting Iran sanctions upfront is a bad move 04:26
PLAY VIDEO
At the same time, Hoyer agreed with Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, who has said recently that negotiators should continue discussions if needed past July 9 because "time limits ought not to be the issue here."
Corker, who will lead the Senate in examining a deal through a series of hearings and briefings, spoke for many critics Tuesday when he told MSNBC he is "very concerned about the trend" and "direction of these negotiations." He described himself as "fairly despondent" over it.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a California Republican, released a statement Tuesday saying "there is no push" from Congress to wrap up the talks this week. He added, "If the administration negotiates a sound agreement, it should be able to withstand congressional scrutiny for 30, 60, or even 90 or 120 days."
Democrats on the Hill beyond Hoyer seem resigned to an extended review for the Iran nuclear deal.
"I think the administration knows this is a tough issue no matter what -- a 30 or 60 day review. That's the deal that was made and we'll just have to work with them,"  New York Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley told CNN.
As for critics using the extended time to build opposition to a deal, Crowley shrugged and said, "as we say in New York - it is what it is."
The law passed in May providing for congressional review of a deal with Iran actually stacks the decks against Capitol Hill, where most in the Republican majorities of both chambers are highly skeptical of the President's ability to cut a tough and lasting deal with Iran. That's because the President would likely veto any resolution of disapproval and require opponents to muster a supermajority of 67 votes in the 100-seat Senate and 290 votes in the 435-seat House to override his veto.
That presents a daunting task, but not an impossible one, especially if the deal appears weak. In the Senate, 14 Democrats have raised doubts about the deal, meaning a veto override vote could be razor-thin if those 14 don't like the deal.
RELATED: Netanyahu warns of 'worse and worse' deal with Iran
Obama administration officials have repeatedly stressed that they'll only accept a good deal from Iran and think the public will back the result when they see what it contains.
They have also said that there is no guarantee a deal will result, as they are still seeking key concessions from Iran. In particular, they are insisting that they will not waver on the key point of putting in place a rigorous inspections and verification mechanism that would allow international monitors to review any suspicious facility throughout Iran.
Obama plans to talk to Senate Democrats about the Iran deal at a meeting with them later Tuesday.
And top leaders on Capitol Hill are getting regular briefings on the status of the negotiations, according to two Republican congressional sources.
Next week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold the first in a series of hearings it is planning on any Iran deal. These forums will give opponents another platform to pick apart an agreement. Kerry is expected to be invited to testify.
Heavy lobbying on the issue is also expected from interests groups like AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is influential with lawmakers from both parties and is very anxious that a nuclear Iran threatens Israel.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:05:37 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Russia fights 'death by selfie'</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/AcjAj5avXY8/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Russian police are warning the public of a new danger: Death by selfie.</Description>
        <MainBody>Russia warns of dangers of the selfie 01:58
Story highlights
"A cool selfie can cost you your life," Interior Ministry states in a brochure
Russia's police force will hand out the safety guide to students and the general public
(CNN)
Russian police are warning the public of a new danger: Death by selfie.
The country's police force is advocating for people to take 'safe selfies' in the wake of a string of deaths. According to Russian news agency Tass, there have been more than 10 deaths and about 100 accidents from individuals striking lethal poses this year.
"A cool selfie can cost you your life," the interior ministry states in a brochure which police will hand out to students and the general public.
This sort-of selfie, taken by Russian thrillseekers On the Roofs in Hong Kong, would be frowned upon by police in their home country.
The two-page guide contains infographics that resemble road signs, most of which are based on actual incidents -- such as the case of a 21-year-old Muscovite who accidentally shot herself in the head and a teenager from the Ryazan region who died after trying to take a photograph of herself on railway tracks.
Among the precarious situations they warn against are taking selfies with animals, on rooftops and with exposed live wires.
Volcano #selfie . When normal selfies are not extreme enough! pic.twitter.com/hSRWPDjfDX
 George Kourounis (@georgekourounis) August 28, 2014
"Along with all the advantages of the modern world there appear new threats," Russian official Yelena Alekseyeva said at a press conference.
"We would like to remind the citizens that the chase for 'likes' in social networks can lead to the road of death."
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:01:00 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Cold War U.N. chief murdered?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ySL9byu2sso/index.html</Link>
        <Description>The dry tedious world of the United Nations system might have a major mystery on its hands.</Description>
        <MainBody>Ban Ki-Moon praises legacy of fallen U.N. leader 01:05
Story highlights
Former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold died along with 15 other passengers
He is remembered as perhaps the United Nations' most effective and boldest executive
Ban Ki-Moon calls for further investigation
United Nations (CNN)
The dry, tedious world of the United Nations system might have a major mystery on its hands.
The question is this: Was acclaimed former U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold murdered, instead of being a victim of a plane crash accident in 1961?
The case is back in the spotlight after Ban Ki-Moon, the current secretary-general, called for further investigation this week.
Hammarskjold died along with 15 other passengers on September 18, 1961, when their plane went down in a forest.
The Swedish diplomat was en route to broker a truce between rebels and the government, and to unite the Congo in southern Africa.
Hammarskjold, the body's second secretary-general, received the Nobel Peace Prize following his death. He is remembered as perhaps the United Nations' most effective and boldest executive during a time of Cold War tensions.
Though it was generally believed at the time the crash was not suspicious, it didn't take long for conspiracy theorists and others to say that Hammarskjold did not die by accident.
Former U.S. President Harry Truman stoked fears when he told reporters just two days after the crash, "Dag Hammarskjold was on the point of getting something done when they killed him. Notice I said, 'When they killed him.'"
Truman didn't elaborate.
Now, Ban says there's enough new information to question what has so far been determined or assumed about the crash, which occurred in what is now Zambia.
Ban, a long time admirer of Hammarskjold, said an investigation should be done after a special panel he appointed found Hammarskjold could have been targeted by air, or some other form of attack.
The panel found new information, which was assessed as having "moderate probative value" -- enough to further pursue aerial attack or other interference as a hypothesis of the possible cause of the crash.
The three-member panel interviewed new witnesses who claimed they had seen two planes in the sky that night, one of which caught fire before crashing. The report also says the local government in the region included foreign troops that may have had "air capability."
The report did rule out sabotage or hijacking as potential causes of the crash. It said new evidence was found to look at crew fatigue as a possible contributing factor.
To further deepen the mystery, any new investigation would include testimony from former U.S. national security intelligence officers.
Two of them talked with the U.N. panel and said they had listened or read radio intercepts that suggested the secretary-general's plane was attacked. The report also states that the leader's cryptography machine had been designed to allow select intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, to listen.
In a statement, Ban said a new investigation would "finally establish the facts." But the U.N. chief needs help from some of the countries that appointed him.
The United States and Britain did not fully comply with requests made by the special U.N. panel appointed by Ban.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 20:56:09 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>London Tube strike: 'Mind the gap' -- in service</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/hsOGQimLSrI/index.html</Link>
        <Description>London faces what may be its biggest strike on the London Underground network in over a decade, threatening chaos for commuters and visitors to England's capital.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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London Tube strike: Residents jam pack the trains before service ends
By Laura Smith-Spark , CNN
Updated 2259 GMT (0559 HKT) July 8, 2015
The London Underground is a no-go for now. Residents are having to find a different way to get from Point A  to Point B.
Story highlights
A London native says such strikes are part of city life, adding that "it's bloody inconvenient"
The strike is due to continue all day Thursday
There will be extra buses and river boat services, but people are urged to travel outside peak hours
Are you affected by the London Tube strike? Send us your photos and stories by tagging @cnnireport on Twitter or Instagram.
London (CNN)
London is now in the grips what may be its biggest strike on the London Underground network in over a decade, threatening chaos for commuters and visitors to England's capital.
Crowds swarmed in and around stations Wednesday afternoon and early evening, trying to get on trains before they stopped running around 6 p.m. (1 p.m. ET). The strike is scheduled to end Thursday night.
Some 4 million journeys are typically made on the Underground each day, so when the system is down, the city comes close to grinding to a halt.
Without the trusty Tube, as the Underground system is widely known, commuters and tourists alike were forced to find their way to their destinations by bus, train, bicycle, taxi or on foot.
A time lapse video posted to Instagram on Wednesday showed commuters climbing over the walls surrounding the steps of the Oxford Circus station to try to catch the last trains home.
A video posted by Ylenia Molinari (@misfits.rulez) on
Jul 8, 2015 at 9:34am PDT
Abbie Morrow posted a photo to Instagram showing the clogged streets of London as seen from her view on an hour and 15-minute bus ride.
A photo posted by Abbie Morrow (@abbiemorrow2) on
Jul 8, 2015 at 10:56am PDT
For those who preferred to trust their own feet, Britain's Independent newspaper tweeted an image of a pedestrian-friendly map showing walking times between stations.
This pedestrian-friendly map tells you time it takes to walk between stations http://t.co/dPa0cv6lt6 pic.twitter.com/El5r7S3YfB
 The Independent (@Independent) July 8, 2015
John Thumwood, 64, a systems consultant who works in the center of London, took the strike in stride while riding home on a packed, exceedingly hot subway train late Wednesday afternoon. He planned to work virtually Thursday, even if he'd have to cancel some meetings.
"When you're living in London that long, you just have to learn to live with it," said Thumwood, a native of the English capital.
Then he paused and added, "Of course, I think it's bloody inconvenient."
A photo posted by Emma Boyd (@emmalucy11) on
Jul 8, 2015 at 11:33am PDT
Mayor: Londoners 'understandably furious'
Extra buses and river boat services were lined up in anticipation of the strike, according to Transport for London, the body that oversees public transit across the city. But all services and the road network were expected to be very busy.
Speaking on phone-in radio station LBC on Wednesday,  London Mayor Boris Johnson said residents were "understandably furious" about the strike.
"The thing is ridiculous, and it is not a well-founded strike," he said, adding that he hoped "common sense will prevail."
The strike action was called after unions and the London Underground failed to agree on a pay deal over a new "Night Tube" service due to start in September.
Beginning September 12, when the Night Tube rolls out, there will be round-the-clock service on part of the network on Fridays and Saturdays, meaning shift workers and late-night revelers will find it much easier to get home.
But the unions say London Underground has done too little to meet its members' concerns about pay, health and safety, working conditions and promises about job cuts.
A photo posted by Jamie Golunski (@jamiegolunski) on
Jul 8, 2015 at 11:15am PDT
Union: We want a 'sensible solution'
One of the four unions involved in the negotiations, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, blamed "intransigence" on the part of London Underground for the strike action going ahead, despite months of talks.
Been trying to negotiate for 18 months to avoid today, but London Underground's intransigence is cause of #tubestrike http://t.co/q63GFaJzyG
 TSSA (@TSSAunion) July 8, 2015
"We work to keep London moving day in, day out. We're already often at work before 5 a.m. or can be found helping passengers get home safely in the early hours. We cope with an ever-increasing numbers of passengers -- 100 million more in just the last five years -- and are happy to do so," said a statement on the TSSA website .
"We don't object to working these hours, or the even longer ones due to the Night Tube. All we ask for is a sensible solution to the safety implications of the Night Tube, honest negotiations and a reasonable settlement on pay and hours."
Johnson, on the radio show, said that the Night Tube was "something that millions of people have wanted for a long time" and that Underground workers had been offered "a very, very fair deal" in exchange.
CNN's Greg Botelho, Don Melvin and Alyssa Jackson contributed to this report.
More from Europe
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        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:16:06 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>'Garage' churches challenge Pope for the faithful</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/Gr2s4E4S3zM/index.html</Link>
        <Description>In the dusty streets of Atucucho, on the outskirts of Quito, it's hard to walk more than two blocks without bumping into an evangelical church.</Description>
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'Garage' churches challenge Pope for the faithful
By Shasta Darlington, CNN
Updated 1709 GMT (0009 HKT) July 7, 2015
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Rise of evangelical 'garage churches' 02:04
Quito, Ecuador (CNN)
In the dusty streets of Atucucho, on the outskirts of Quito, it's hard to walk more than two blocks without bumping into an evangelical church.
In one cinder block church overlooking the city, parishioners sing and pray along with the Rev. Lema. Some break down in tears. Outside, children dressed in their church best play in the dirt.
These so-called "garage churches" have popped up in poor suburbs across Latin America, catering to communities that have been pushed to the periphery. Many of the pastors are local indigenous leaders.
They have become perhaps the biggest challenge for the Catholic Church in Latin America, where Pope Francis is on a weeklong, three-country tour .
According to the Pew Research Center , 92% of Latin Americans were Catholic in 1970, but that has dropped to 69%. Protestant congregations, on the other hand, are growing. The Pew data shows protestants were at 4% in 1970 and are currently at 19%.
Young people from an evangelical church make the rounds in Atucucho, Ecuador, visiting the sick and needy.
On Saturday in Atucucho, young men and women carrying Bibles make the rounds visiting the sick and elderly.
"God put us on Earth for a reason," said evangelical Lizbeth Quiroz, on her way from visiting a man who'd been in an accident. "And my reason is to visit those in need and talk to them about God."
In Atucucho, which means "Place of the Sun" in the native Quechua language, there is one Catholic Church.
But with the emergence of Pope Francis, also a champion of the poor, there is renewed enthusiasm among Catholics.
In Quito, children have been practicing a song for the first-ever Latin American pontiff. They belt out the lyrics as they snack on slices of green mango outside their school. They sing: "Welcome Pope Francis, Ecuador receives you with songs of love!"
Two girls tell us they will be going with their families to Bicentennial Park for the Pope's Mass on Tuesday.
As Pope Francis makes his first visit to Latin America, the region is also seeing a rise in Protestant congregations in 'garage' churches like this one in Atucucho.
Others say they will try to get a glimpse of him as he passes in his Popemobile.
But while the excitement is tangible, the big question is can Pope Francis get people back in the pews and stem the exodus from the Catholic Church?
According to a recent Gallup Poll, many Latin Americans believe Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, will change the Catholic Church for the better. A total of 68% of those polled said he brings hope to the poor, including 37% of non-Catholics.
We ask the Rev. Robin Calle if there has been a noticeable impact at the El Carmelo Church in Quito, where he celebrates Mass.
"What the Pope is saying is that we need to be like Jesus and focus on the most miserable, on the most excluded," he said.
"He's generating a kind of internal movement in the church to build on that foundation. But it's too soon to talk about impact."
Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Pope Francis speaks next to Bolivian President Evo Morales, second from left, and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, left, upon arrival to El Alto, on his first visit to Bolivia, on Wednesday, July 8, 2015. Francis, born in Argentina, is emphasizing the plight of the poor during his eight-day tour of South America. Click through gallery to see more of his tour:
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Thousands of indigenous faithful gather at El Alto, Bolivia, on July 8.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Pope Francis waves goodbye as he prepares to depart Quito, Ecuador, en route to Bolivia on July 8.
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Pope Francis is cheered upon his arrival at the St. Francis Church in Quito on Tuesday, July 7.
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The Pope hugs a child during his visit to the San Francisco Church in Quito on July 7.
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A crowd watches Francis on a video screen as he poses for a selfie during his visit to the Catholic University in Quito on July 7.
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A disabled woman in Quito is lifted in a wheelchair during a Mass officiated by Pope Francis on July 7.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Pope Francis takes the stage for the Mass at Quito's Bicentennial Park on July 7.
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People carry an image of the Virgin Mary of Sorrow prior to the Mass at Bicentennial Park on July 7.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
People gather for the Mass at Bicentennial Park on July 7.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Pope Francis, center, prays outside the Cathedral of Quito on Monday, July 6.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Pope Francis celebrates a Mass at Samanes Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 6.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
People wave as Pope Francis leaves the Apostolic Nunciature in Quito on July 6.
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A woman holds up an Ecuadorian flag in a crowd of people waiting in Guayaquil on July 6. More than 1 million were expected to attend the Mass. Many camped out overnight.
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Pope Francis and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa exchange gifts at the government palace in Quito on July 6.
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Catholics wait outside the Apostolic Nunciature in Quito on July 6.
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The Pope greets supporters in downtown Quito on Sunday, July 5.
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Pope Francis tours South America 21 photos
Correa welcomes Pope Francis to Quito on July 5.
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A gust of wind blows off Pope Francis' skullcap upon his arrival at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito on July 5.
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Nuns and faithful wait for Pope Francis to pass by after his arrival in Quito on July 5.
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A woman is wheeled past a banner with an image of Pope Francis at Samanes Park on July 5.
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EXPAND GALLERY
He said parish priests must carry the Pope's message forward.
During his visit to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, Pope Francis will visit many of the neighborhoods where evangelical congregations have flourished.
It remains to be seen if he can inspire them to return to the fold.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 20:56:45 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Fraser accused of 'racist attack' on Kyrgios</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/L_xvhGgHwwM/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Australian Olympic legend Dawn Fraser has provoked outrage and allegations of racism after she told tennis star Nick Kyrgios to "go back to where (his) parents came from," following his "disgusting" on-court antics at Wimbledon.</Description>
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Wimbledon 2015: Dawn Fraser accused of 'racist attack' on Nick Kyrgios
Updated 1530 GMT (2230 HKT) July 7, 2015
Australian's antics spark race row 5 photos
Nick Kyrgios was the talk of Wimbledon on Monday. His apparent decision to throw a game during his match with Frenchman Richard Gasquet drew widespread criticism and has sparked a race row back in Kyrgios' native Australia.
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During his match with Gasquet, Kyrgios was hit with a code violation by the umpire for audibly swearing on court. He responded by seemingly throwing Gasquet's next service game, drawing boos from the crowd. Exasperated, Kyrgios sought comfort from the ball boy and embraced him as he offered the Australian his towel.
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Although he rallied to take the fourth set, Kyrgios ultimately lost the fourth-round match 7-5 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (8-6).
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Back in Australia, Olympic swimming great Dawn Fraser accused Kyrgios of setting a poor example for younger players, and her comments about his ethnicity have caused outrage. Fraser suggested the 20-year-old, whose father is Greek and mother is from Malaysia, could "go back to where their fathers or their parents came from." "We don't need them here in this country to act like that," added Fraser, 77.
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Fraser, who won four Olympic gold medals between 1956 and 1964, apologized "unreservedly," but not before Kyrgios had branded her a "blatant racist" in a post on his Facebook page.
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(CNN)
Australian Olympic legend Dawn Fraser has provoked outrage and allegations of racism after she told tennis star Nick Kyrgios to "go back to where (his) parents came from," following his "disgusting" on-court antics at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios, 20, was booed by the crowds in London on Monday when he apparently stopped trying to win after being repeatedly chastised by the umpire in his fourth-round match against France's Richard Gasquet.
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In what commentators condemned as " another petulant performance ," the Australian got into trouble for swearing, then argued with the referee over whether he was taking too long to change his socks, and bizarrely hugged a ball boy before eventually losing the match 7-5 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (8-6).
He was fined $2,000 for swearing, but escaped sanction from tournament organizers for his other actions.
Asked what she thought of Kyrgios' conduct, four-time Olympic champion Fraser told Australia's Today show: "I think it's absolutely disgusting ."
The former swimmer accused Kyrgios and fellow player Bernard Tomic -- who was dropped from their country's Davis Cup side after a verbal attack on tennis officials -- of un-Australian behavior.
@NickKyrgios don't go anywhere!! ridiculous comments from #DawnFraser ! Nick will learn from his mistakes, clearly Dawn hasn't.
 rennae stubbs (@rennaestubbs) July 7, 2015
"I am so shocked to think that he went out there to play and he tanked, he did all that tanking. That's terrible, that's not a good Australian sportsperson," the 77-year-old said, accusing today's athletes of having "too much money at an early age" and of listening to bad advice.
"They're a disgrace for Australian sportsmen and women. They should be setting a better example for the younger generation of this great country of ours. If they don't like it, go back to where their fathers or their parents came from. We don't need them here in this country to act like that."
Kyrgios retaliated by calling Fraser a "blatant racist" and posting a link to the interview on Twitter and Facebook .
Throwing a racket, brat. Debating the rules, disrespectful. Frustrated when competing, spoilt. Showing emotion,... http://t.co/QDvnaUNYxZ
 Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 7, 2015
Kyrgios was born in the Australian capital, Canberra, to a Greek father and a Malaysian mother. Tomic, meanwhile, was born in Germany and his parents are from the former republic of Yugoslavia.
Kyrgios' mother Norlaila, known as Nill, stepped up to defend her son, saying Fraser's "nasty racist attack" was "out of line."
I have no comments on Dawn Frasers nasty racist attack...but she is out of line. #unaustralianbehaviour
 nill kyrgios (@nillkyrgios) July 7, 2015
Fraser later offered an apology for her comments, insisting they were made on a "purely sporting level, rather than meant as an attack on Nick's ethnicity."
"I want to unreservedly apologize for any comments that I made this morning which may have caused offense to my fellow Australians including Nick and his family," she said in a statement reported widely in Australian media .
"Nick's representing Australia and I want to see him representing Australian tennis in the best possible light."
Fraser was the first female swimmer to win gold medals at three successive Olympic Games -- 1956, 1960 and 1964 -- and broke the world record in the 100 meters freestyle nine times.
Kyrgios was hailed as a rising star of tennis last year when he defeated then world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
But he has since earned a reputation as one of the sport's "bad boys," frequently finding himself in trouble with match officials after swearing and arguing with umpires and line judges when unhappy with his performance or with calls that go against him.
At the same time, he has thrilled crowds with his extravagant shot-making and aggressive approach on court.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 20:43:57 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Shark attacks woman in Bahamas</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/KlSykAkKGz4/shark-attack-in-bahamas-pkg.wptv.html</Link>
        <Description>Florida woman attacked by shark while spearfishing in the Bahamas. CNN affiliate WPTV reports.</Description>
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 17:13:29 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>ISIS 'call to arms' raises terror threat levels</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/7G1duvQU_y4/lone-wolf-alert-brief-orig-nws.cnn.html</Link>
        <Description>CNN's Jim Sciutto explains what's behind the current terror threat warning about the risk of "lone wolf" terror attacks.</Description>
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        <date>Mon Jul 06 17:38:47 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>See F-16 fighter blast flying drone from sky</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/B-PcCCpwpZc/f-16-shoots-down-aerial-drone.royal-danish-air-force.html</Link>
        <Description>The Royal Danish Air Force released video of an exercise involving an F-16 fighter jet shooting an unmanned aerial drone with guided missiles.</Description>
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 19:15:02 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Death by tourism: 9 sites at risk</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/jiIAeEZiyV8/index.html</Link>
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9 tourist attractions that are dying
By Milena Veselinovic, for CNN
Updated 1247 GMT (1947 HKT) July 8, 2015
Machu Picchu is one of the best known sites in the world.
(CNN)
The dilemma is sometimes likened to a double-edged sword.
Historical and natural sites of extraordinary beauty often draw large numbers of visitors to the countries that host them, providing a healthy tourism revenue. However, those same crowds often have a detrimental effect on the places they visit, sometimes leading to significant damage, which has in recent years sparked a debate whether tourist numbers should be capped.
"Sites all over the world are under threat at any given moment. Apart from the monuments and ancient cities in the Middle East, I would say historic districts of major cities in Asia face the highest threat due to the unchecked sprawl and development," says Stefaan Poortman, executive director of the Global Heritage Fund which aims to protect the most endangered cultural heritage sites in the developing world.
"Tourism is not regulated well enough and the massive influx is putting a strain on sites all over the world. The most well-known sites like Angkor or Machu Picchu are really swamped with tourism. Not only does it affect the sites but at a certain point, if unchecked, tourism can negatively impact the quality of life for local communities as well," he adds.
Below are some of the world's most beautiful sites that are on the brink of collapse.
Great Wall of China
Large chunks of the Great Wall of China have been damaged by huge visitor numbers and natural erosion.
Stretching for thousands of kilometers, China's mighty wall was built to defend the onslaught of attacking armies, but it's the hordes of tourists that occupy it these days. Sections of the wall are sprayed with graffiti and according to Beijing Times, 30% of the fortification has disappeared due to natural erosion and human damage.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia seen from the air.
The world's largest coral reef ecosystem hosts scores of marine species, but scientists say that it could become extinct as soon as 2050 due to climate change. This would undoubtedly be an environmental disaster, but would also mark the end of the multi-billion dollar tourist industry which is based around the reef, with grave consequences for the local economy.
Angkor Wat
Cambodia's Angkor Wat was visited by more than two million people in 2013.
The ruins of Cambodia's once-magnificent temple complex are now overrun with smartphone-toting tourists jostling for the best position from which to capture the spectacular sunrise. With an annual increase of nearly 20% year-on-year visitors, according to the Cambodian tourist board, more than two million people visited Angkor Wat in 2013.
"I think that many sites need to determine cultural and environmental carrying capacities, and then limit visitation numbers to sustainable numbers," says Poortman.
Sistine Chapel
The ceiling of Vatican's Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelangelo.
Michelangelo's masterful frescoes which grace the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel took four years to paint, but many of the millions of tourists who come to admire them each year are caught flouting the ban on flash photography. They also breath out carbon dioxide which damages the artworks. Last year a new heating and cooling system was introduced in order to try to combat the harmful side effects of tourism. Sensors and wall-mounted cameras also count the number of people in the chapel and regulate the temperature and humidity.
Caves of Altamira
A fragment of paintings inside Altamira caves.
For years visitors have been flocking to see the exquisite drawings of bison inside the caves of Altamira, close to Spain's north coast. But the constant trudge of tourists caused damage to the Palaeolithic paintings, which are over 20,000 years old, and the Spanish authorities decided to close the site to the public in 2002. Last year, access to the caves was partially reopened, and five visitors a week are chosen at random and allowed inside the caves (they also have to dress in protective clothing).
Maasai Mara
Wildlife roams freely in Kenya's Maasai Mara.
The vast expanses of the famous game reserve bring swathes of safari tourists every year. These travelers represent one of the most important sources of income for Kenya. But the large numbers of people who come to see unspoiled wildlife also put pressure on the area's resources, and the numerous lodges and camps have a negative impact on the environment as well. Poortman says that governments need to put caps to visitor numbers in places which could be seen as vulnerable.
"An important realization is that tourists are traveling to see and experience the natural and cultural assets that make a place unique. If sites no longer exist or are damaged, then ultimately the income from tourism will also fall."
Tutankhamun's tomb
Moisture from the breath of decades of visitors has caused the deterioration of Tutankhamun's original tomb.
Last April, the Egyptian Pharaoh's tomb was closed to the public after moisture from the breath of decades of visitors has caused it to deteriorate. In it's place, an exact replica was opened nearby. The copy was created by Spanish-based firm Factum Arte under the supervision of Egypt's supreme council of antiquities. The team used laser scanners and high definition printers to recreate the precise textures and colors of wall murals depicting the afterlife.
Taj Mahal
Completed in 1643, Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who is buried there alongside Jahan.
The mausoleum of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's favorite wife, Mumtaz, has stood as a symbol of enduring love since mid the 17th century. The site is visited by four million tourists each year, but it's exactly this tide of people has started to take its toll on the structure. Experts have also said that the decline in water level of the nearby Yamuna River is affecting the wooden foundation.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 19:15:03 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>UNESCO's 27 new World Heritage sites</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/WpvQUftgBVk/index.html</Link>
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UNESCO's newest World Heritage Sites
Updated 1831 GMT (0131 HKT) July 7, 2015
UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has added 27 spots to the UNESCO World Heritage List and three spots to its List of World Heritage in Danger. Click through the gallery to see some new members of both lists, including the only U.S. site added in 2015 (shown here).
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
San Antonio Missions, Texas. The new San Antonio Missions World Heritage site includes a group of five 18th-century frontier mission complexes along the San Antonio River basin in southern Texas -- the most famous of which is the Alamo -- and a ranch south of the missions. Built by Franciscan missionaries in the 18th century as part of Spain's efforts to colonize the region, the site includes churches, farmland, homes and water distribution systems. Shown here is the Mission Espada complex.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church settlement, Denmark. Founded in 1773, Christiansfeld is a world-renowned planned settlement of the Moravian Church, which was planned and constructed to represent the Protestant urban ideal of a town built around a central church square. (The church square is shown here.) The buildings are still used by the Moravian Church community.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
The Par Force Hunting Landscape in North Zealand, Denmark: Two hunting forests northeast of Copenhagen, called Store Dyrehave and Gribskov, and the hunting park of Jgersborg Hegn/Jgersborg Dyrehave make up one of two new Danish UNESCO sites. Danish royalty hunted with hounds on land designed according to Baroque landscaping principles. It was popular in the Middle Ages through the end of the 16th century.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars, France. France's historic hillsides and properties where the sparkling wines of Champagne are produced, shown here, and the famous vineyards that grace the slopes of Burgundy were both honored with a World Heritage listing. The Champagne region's secondary bottle fermentation method of producing sparkling wines dates to the early 17th century. The Burgundy designation includes the town of Dijon, whose political system gave rise to the region's climate production system and the villages and vineyards that are the commercial aspect of the production system.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
"Bethany Beyond the Jordan" baptism site (Al-Maghtas), Jordan. This is where many believe Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. Located on the eastern bank of the River Jordan north of the Dead Sea, Jordan's newest World Heritage site actually consists of two sites: Al-Kharrar, also known as Jabal Mar-Elias (Elijah's Hill), and the area of the churches of St. John the Baptist. A place of Christian pilgrimage, the archaeological site contains Roman and Byzantine remains, including churches and chapels, a monastery and hermits' caves. The remains of the Church of the Arc site are shown here.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System, Mexico. A 16th-century aqueduct between the states of Mexico and Hidalgo, this stunning canal system includes arcaded aqueduct bridges, canals, springs and distribution tanks, including the highest single-level arcade ever built in an aqueduct. UNESCO calls the hydraulic system, launched by the Franciscan friar Padre Tembleque, "an example of the exchange of influences between the European tradition of Roman hydraulics and traditional Mesoamerican construction techniques, including the use of adobe."
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Singapore Botanical Gardens, Singapore. Located in the heart of Singapore, Singapore Botanical Gardens shows the evolution of a British tropical colonial botanic garden. Now a scientific institution focused on conservation and education, the site includes historic buildings and plants that have evolved since the gardens were created in 1859. The garden's Swan Lake is shown here.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Fray Bentos Cultural-Industrial Landscape, Uruguay. The 1859 construction of a meat-processing factory started an industrial complex on land near the Uruguay River, west of the Uruguayan town of Fray Bentos. The site, which illustrates the full scope of meat processing, includes the buildings and equipment of two meat processors that exported meat to Europe.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Endangered: Hatra, Iraq. A large fortified city in what is now northwest Iraq, Hatra is one of three sites named in 2015 to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The site was named to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1985. Hatra became powerful due to the Parthian Empire's influence and served as the capital of the first Arab Kingdom. Though Hatra survived Roman invasions in A.D. 116 and 198, the ancient city with its mix of Hellenistic and Roman architecture may not survive the current violence in Iraq.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Endangered: Old City of Sana'a, Yemen. Yemen's Old City of Sana'a (shown here) and the Old Walled City of Shibam were also named to the List of World Heritage in Danger. Sana'a, whose al-Mahdi Mosque dates to the 12th century, and its surrounding neighborhood have been seriously damaged in armed conflict. The Old Walled City of Shibam, which dates to the 16th century and is an excellent example of vertical construction, is also under threat from the current conflict.
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Tusi sites, China: The Tusi governance system found in southwest China's mountainous region is represented in this new World Heritage site, which includes the remains of several tribal domains dating from the 13th to the 20th centuries. The Chinese government appointed tribal leaders as "Tusi," hereditary rulers who allowed ethnic minorities to maintain their customs and ways of life, reaching back to the third century B.C., while centralizing governance.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Susa, Iran: One of two Iranian sites named to the World Heritage List this year, Susa (shown here) includes Ardeshir's palace on one site of the Shavur River in the lower Zagros Mountains and a group of archaeological mounds on the river's eastern side. The site contains several lawyers of urban settlements from the fifth millennium B.C. until the 13th century. The Cultural Landscape of Maymand, on the southern end of Iran's central mountains, is home to seminomadic villagers who live in temporary settlements in the spring and fall and in the valley in cave dwellings during the winter.
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UNESCO World Heritage picks for 2015 14 photos
Necropolis of Beth She'arim, a Landmark of Jewish Revival, Israel: Starting in the second century B.C., this Haifa necropolis evolved as the primary Jewish burial place outside Jerusalem under the leadership of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch after the second failed Jewish revolt against the Romans. The catacombs feature artwork and Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew inscriptions.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 17:07:22 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>How human trafficking victims can fight back</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/rZ1uiCaZE5k/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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How human trafficking victims can fight back
By Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, Special to CNN
Updated 1451 GMT (2151 HKT) July 8, 2015
Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers 9 photos
Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Cecilia Flores-Oebanda is presented with The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child by Sweden's Queen Silvia on April 28, 2011.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers 9 photos
Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Manny Pacquaio, with Oebanda, meets girls rescued from human traffickers. The girls shared their stories with Pacquaio, who also spoke at congress in support of an anti-trafficking law.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers 9 photos
Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda with President Jimmy Carter at the 2008 Skoll World Forum where she recieved the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda meets with Desmond Tutu in 2008 while both were speaking at the Global Philanthropy Forum.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda receives the 2005 Anti-Slavery Award at Chatham House in London on November 29, 2005. The award was presented by Lord Bill Brett, director of the International Labour Organization.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda speaks before the Philippine Senate during deliberations about the Magna Carta on Domestic Workers in 2002. The legislation was designed to improve conditions for domestic workers in the country.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda attends the first Southeast Asian Consultation, meeting to draft legislation on domestic workers in 2005. The meeting was organized by the Visayan Forum.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda is seen in the late 1990's working in poor communities of Manila with the Child Watch Network.
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Anti-trafficker attracts power brokers  Oebanda's first day outside prison, with her children on February 26, 1986. She was captured while fighting for rebel forces against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.
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Cecilia Flores-Oebanda says human trafficking victims can fight back and find new lives
But they need safety and security after they are rescued, she says
Cecilia Flores-Oebanda is the founder and director of the Visayan Forum Foundation in the Philippines, which helps rescue and rehabilitate trafficked women. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.
Manila, Philippines (CNN)
Our safe house for human trafficking victims in Manila was recently attacked. The attackers threw rocks, pounded on the gates and cursed at social workers. Despite an increased police presence in the area, the group returned a few days later and left with 16 women who were sheltering at the house.
"You don't know who you're messing with. Everyone will be killed, even babies!" the attackers yelled as they forced open the gates. They were aided by a masked man with a gun, dressed as a police officer.
The other women at the shelter barricaded themselves in the dormitories, clutching their martial arts training sticks for protection. Staff members risked their lives to stop the intruders from getting that far.
In what seems like a coordinated attack, assailants also stormed a government shelter in an attempt to kidnap other trafficking survivors.
Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, of the Visayan Forum Foundation, receives the 2005 Anti-Slavery Award.
Our safe house is home to women and girls who have endured harrowing abuse and who are fighting legal battles against traffickers. Here, we offer them counseling, medical and legal assistance, and access to education and skills training.
The women and girls in our care are afraid that the attackers will come back. It is unforgivable for trafficking survivors to be further traumatized. We are inspired by their courage. Because of them, we cannot and will not give up.
This brazen attack was a striking reminder that there are no piecemeal solutions to human trafficking.
Globally, more than 20 million individuals are in forced labor, according to the International Labour Organization . A United Nations report says 70% of trafficking victims are women and girls. And the traffickers are continually innovating. They have now capitalized on high-speed Internet access to force children to perform live sex acts in front of a camera for a paying audience.
This crisis can only be solved through a well-coordinated system of prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships among government agencies, civil society organizations and the private sector. Failure at any of these stages compromises the whole process.
When we think about fighting human trafficking, we always think of rescue operations -- of victims being saved from brothels, bars, factories, and plantations. In reality, this is but a small part of the work that needs to be done.
Worldwide, forced labor generates $150 billion a year. However, conviction rates for traffickers are low, especially in the Philippines. Traffickers need to know that they will be punished. Otherwise they won't stop.
But victims cannot fight their oppressors if they are living in fear. The attacks on safe houses are but one example of the many ways in which trafficking survivors and the organizations that help them are harassed and threatened. Traffickers are wealthy, organized and ready to use violence to protect their profits. We have a duty to survivors to ensure that they are not victimized a second time when they cooperate with us in the fight.
If victims believe that we can keep them safe, they are more likely to work with prosecutors and help get traffickers convicted. Otherwise, they will walk away.
After a harrowing ordeal, the 16 women taken from our safe house were finally freed, but now they are refusing to cooperate with the justice system out of fear for their safety. Fortunately, the remaining women and girls are working with Visayan Forum and government prosecutors to strengthen the case against the traffickers.
We need increased protection for victims and the service providers that assist them. Without this support, we cannot empower victims to seek justice.
The problem doesn't end here, however. No matter how many victims we rescue, if they are not given access to education or job placements, they are still at risk of further exploitation by traffickers. We have discharged women from our shelters only to rescue them a second time from exploitative working conditions. This revolving door of victimization points to the need for more robust rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
Walk Free estimates that 261,000 Filipinos are enslaved. There are no easy solutions for the problems that contribute to this scourge. In the Philippines, corruption, poverty and a culture of overseas labor migration are the biggest factors.
Too many people in the Philippines are reliant on relatives working abroad. And that leaves already vulnerable people open to recruiters and, when the promise of a good job turns out to be slave labor in a foreign land, abusive employers.
While working to dismantle these systemic problems, we also need to make vulnerable groups aware of red flags and reporting mechanisms so they can protect themselves and the people around them.
Over half of the 11,500 people we housed in our shelters between 2000 and 2011 were between the ages of 13 and 22. Young people are at the highest risk of being targeted by traffickers, who approach recent graduates and vocational students with offers of "special scholarships" and job opportunities.
In response, we have built up a national youth movement against trafficking called iFight. Together with survivors turned advocates, we visit schools across the country to mobilize young people to play a greater role in the fight. With close to 2 million iFighters, we are in a stronger position to increase awareness of trafficking and demand more protection for vulnerable people.
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:23:12 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>A nuclear deal with Iran is better than no deal </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ROmf10VFL-Q/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Investors keep close eye on Iran nuclear talks 03:10
Story highlights
Will Marshall: The bar for a nuclear deal with Iran is pretty low -- it only has to be better than no deal
But President Obama's critics demand a deal that is a fantasy of complete Iranian capitulation
Will Marshall is the president of the Progressive Policy Institute . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN)
Americans who didn't get their fill of fireworks over the July Fourth holiday can expect more pyrotechnics this week if U.S.-led talks in Austria's capital produce a nuclear accord with Iran.
To hear his critics tell it, President Barack Obama is desperate to strike a nuclear bargain with Iran -- even a bad one -- to burnish an otherwise lackluster foreign policy legacy. Leading the alarmist chorus is columnist Charles Krauthammer , who claims that Obama is poised to sign "the worst international agreement in U.S. diplomatic history."
The main burden of proof, however, should fall not on Obama but on skeptics of a nuclear deal with Iran. The President's harshest critics, including conservative hard-liners such as Krauthammer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some Sunni Arab leaders, have set the bar for an acceptable agreement impossibly high.
They demand that Tehran shutter its entire nuclear program, end support for Hezbollah and other extremist groups, and stop meddling in the affairs of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. All this would be nice, of course, but it would require fundamentally transforming the political character and aims of the Islamic republic.
That's not what some of America's key negotiating partners -- Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- signed up for. What holds this improbable but formidable coalition together is a common interest in keeping Iran from joining the nuclear club.
The deal under discussion in Vienna won't guarantee that outcome, but it will move Tehran back from the nuclear threshold for the next decade or so. In fact, the bar for a deal America and its partners can live with is pretty low: It only has to be better than no deal.
Keep that essential fact in mind as Obama's critics berate him for allowing those crafty Persians to take him to the cleaners.
Despite years of diplomatic isolation, punishing economic sanctions and hard bargaining with world powers, Iran has never agreed to dismantle its nuclear program altogether. It's not even clear that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will countenance key elements of the deal currently on the table -- the one Obama's critics consider fatally weak.
Nonetheless, there's no doubt that President Hassan Rouhani is eager to break his country out of political quarantine and to win relief from international sanctions that, along with falling oil prices, have hammered its economy. In exchange, its leaders are promising to limit nuclear enrichment, for the next 10 to 15 years, to levels sufficient for civilian nuclear power, but not making bombs.
Iran has long insisted it has no interest in developing nuclear weapons, while adamantly asserting its "right" to enrich fuel for civilian nuclear power. Given Tehran's record of nuclear secrecy and deceit, there's no reason for Washington to accept such claims at face value, but a verifiable nuclear deal would enable the world to monitor Tehran's actions, whatever its intentions.
Yet many in Congress persist in arguing that, by ratcheting up sanctions, America can force Tehran to forgo all uranium enrichment. This supposedly tough-minded posture overstates our leverage and underestimates Iran's prickly resolve to defend its sovereignty in the face of U.S. bullying. It skates blithely over the fraught history of U.S.-Iran relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Recognizing that Iranian leaders can't readily make concessions to the "Great Satan," Obama has shrewdly assembled a broader coalition that includes all the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Yet if Congress rejects an agreement or insists on passing new sanctions unilaterally, that coalition would swiftly unravel. This would be a huge strategic gift to Iran's own hard-liners and America-haters.
So the real choice we may face this week is between a deal that puts real constraints on Iran's nuclear program, or no deal at all.
No deal means Tehran will install more advanced centrifuges spinning out weapons-grade uranium. It means no international inspections of Iran's nuclear or military sites. And it could mean resumption of Tehran's original plans to produce plutonium at its Arak reactor, giving it a second path to the bomb.
What's more, an unfettered Iranian nuclear program would likely induce Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, already unnerved by Iranian imperialism in the region, to launch their own nuclear programs. This would conjure up U.S. strategists' worst nightmare -- a nuclear arms race in the world's most unstable and terror-plagued region. It would raise the odds of a military strike on Iran's scattered nuclear facilities, possibly by the United States but more likely by Israel.
If, on the other hand, a final deal hews to "parameters" negotiators have already agreed to, it would enhance U.S. security and reduce the risk of regional proliferation. These include steep reductions in the number of centrifuges installed, and no production of highly enriched uranium for at least 15 years; a redesign of the Arak reactor so it doesn't produce plutonium; and, regular international inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities and nuclear supply chain.
In return, the international coalition would agree to lift sanctions as Iran fulfills its commitments. The chief sticking point here is timing: Khamenei insists that sanctions be lifted immediately once a deal is reached. This would be an immediate, $150 billion boost to Iran's stricken economy, and skeptics are right in arguing that, once sanctions are lifted, it won't be easy to rebuild the consensus for snapping them back on if Iran doesn't live up to its promises.
Obama can't accept this demand. But if Iranian officials can compose their own differences -- chiefly by selling the deal to Khamenei -- America and the world would reap real security gains. Specifically, the deal under discussion would extend the "breakout" period -- the time Iran would need to acquire enough fissile material to make one nuclear bomb -- from the current two to three months to a year.
That may not sound like much, but it's progress in the right direction. President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty didn't end the Cold War, but it bred habits of cooperation that helped to manage and eventually de-escalate the superpower nuclear arms race.
Keeping Iran's nuclear program on "pause" likewise beats what Obama's conservative critics are peddling -- a fantasy of complete Iranian capitulation to America's righteous demands.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 01 21:13:09 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Space will be battlefield for World War III?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/xCdxvPd35F0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>China's space race 01:57
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Both the U.S. and China have carried out tests of such missiles. China's most recently confirmed space test in 2013 launched a rocket that reached out 6,250 miles into space.
But there are other weapons of concern beyond long-range missiles -- novel, non-kinetic weapons. Instead of destroying satellites from afar with missiles, countries can also use cyberwar techniques to attack satellites' software. The Office of Personal Management is not the only federal agency that has been hacked. Both NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's weather satellite network have been breached by Chinese hackers.
These weapons might not just be fired from Earth, but also operate from space itself. For example, in November 2014, Russia launched a mysterious satellite into space known as "Object 2014-28E." It oddly left its launch vehicle, navigated toward other Russian satellites and then returned back to the rocket that had launched it.
Some believe it was Russia's test of a technology the Soviet Union developed during the Cold War called " Istrebitel Sputnikov " -- a kamikaze satellite that is itself a "satellite killer."
Or, the space systems could mount weapons themselves. During the Cold War, a Soviet satellite was rumored to have mounted a cannon for potential use. In another example of science fiction crossing with science reality, astronomers at UC Irvine are exploring the mounting of a laser onto the new telescope to be put on the International Space Station in 2017.
Their idea is that the laser could be used to destroy any space junk that threatens to damage the station (thus avoiding the scenario from the movie "Gravity"). But, of course, a directed energy weapon that can fire with the equivalent power of a blowtorch can also be used on targets other than just junk.
The outcome is that while space is supposed to be a domain that excludes conflict, the leading space powers expect that if there is a flight over some place such as the reef in the South China Sea, the battles would quickly extend to the heavens.
"The U.S. must prepare for battles high above Earth whether it likes it or not," argued four-star Gen. John Hyten, the commander of Air Force Space Command.
In turn, People's Liberation Army's assessments of Chinese military thinking report that "war in space is inevitable."
Like what happens in other arms races, this mentality then fuels the competition even further. For instance, fears over these above programs led the Pentagon to announce that it was planning to boost its spending on space warfare systems to more than $5 billion in the upcoming defense budget, and to this month announce plans to create "an operations center to fend off Chinese and Russian attacks on U.S. military and government satellites" within the next six months.
The irony is that if such a conflict in space ever broke out, the weapons and technologies would be 21st century in nature, but the result would be, as a marine officer put it, taking the battle back on Earth to the " pre-electronic age ." This is because our drones, our missiles and even our ground units -- which all rely on satellites -- wouldn't be able to operate the way we planned.
It would force a rewrite of all our assumptions of 21st century, high-tech war. For example, the cover of our book features the USS Zumwalt, a stealthy, modern version of a battleship presently under construction in Maine that CNN described as " the future of naval warfare ." But if access to all the systems it depends on in space were lost, naval battles would in many ways be like the battles of World War I or the game of Battleship, where the two sides struggle to even find each other.
Even if conflict never breaks out -- something we certainly hope is the case -- there is still a certain sadness in all this preparation for war above. Reaching into space is one of humankind's greatest past accomplishments, and in many ways our species' future. That we can't leave our conflicts behind points to how far we still have to go.
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jul 03 22:25:59 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Iranian artist should be freed immediately</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/NQO9yca9KsY/index.html</Link>
        <Description>As we approach the revised Tuesday deadline for six world powers to reach a nuclear deal with Iran over its nuclear program, we should not turn a blind eye to the country's ongoing abusive treatment of its citizens.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Iranian artist should be freed immediately
By Nazanin Boniadi
Updated 2013 GMT (0313 HKT) July 3, 2015
Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
Will Iran give up its nuclear ambitions? As its leaders try to hammer out a deal with the United States and five other leading world powers, CNN gets rare access to the Islamic state. It's the holy month of Ramadan, which means Muslims fast all day and feast at night. In Tehran, Iranians flock to markets after dark to break their fast.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
Nuts, fresh berries and other fruits are in high demand at this souk, or bazaar, after sunset when the Ramadan fast ends.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
Market stalls heave with fresh fruit in Tehran, aiming to satisfy observant Muslims who have been fasting all day.
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While the shops are full of fruit, other Iranian industries have it harder because of decades of international sanctions. At the Modern Technic factory in Tehran, workers mold auto parts by hand or with only basic machinery.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
Despite its name, the Modern Technic factory is much less automated than most modern auto plants. Most of the machinery is Iranian-made or comes from Russia.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
The Modern Technic auto parts factory still uses equipment made in the Soviet Union because sanctions make it difficult to get new machinery.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini led Iran for a decade after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Today, Iran has a shrine to honor him in Tehran.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
There's space for hundreds of worshippers inside the shrine to Khomeini, with copies of the Quran laid out for each of them.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
The caretakers of the shrine are known as khodam.
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Look inside Iran: How ordinary people live 12 photos
The dome of the shrine over Khomeini's mausoleum. The exterior of the newly constructed dome is still under scaffolding, the final golden tiles being laid.
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Children play in the shrine while their mothers pray or pay their respects to the late ayatollah.
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The heart of the shrine is the tomb of Khomeini, who died in 1989 but is still revered by his followers.
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Atena Farghadani has been sentenced to 12-plus years in prison
Nazanin Boniadi: Iranian authorities should release her immediately
Nazanin Boniadi is an Iranian-born actress. The views expressed are her own.
(CNN)
As we approach the revised Tuesday deadline for six world powers to reach a nuclear deal with Iran over its nuclear program, we should not turn a blind eye to the country's ongoing abusive treatment of its citizens.
As an actress, I value and rely on peaceful self-expression, not only in my daily life, but also in my professional work. This is particularly true as my commitment to the promotion of human rights is an integral part of my calling as an artist. So when I see another socially committed artist persecuted for upholding the values I hold dear, I feel it incumbent upon myself -- and artists everywhere -- to condemn this outrage against our entire community.
Atena Farghadani is a case in point. Following a trial in May, the 28-year-old Iranian artist and women's rights activist was handed an outrageous prison sentence , essentially for drawing a cartoon depicting some members of Iran's Majles (parliament) with animal heads. The drawing was a form of protest against bills in various stages of the parliamentary process that are aimed at increasing the birthrate by restricting access to contraception and establishing hiring practices that favor married women over single women.
I was shocked when I heard that Farghadani had been sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison, on spurious charges, as Amnesty International notes , of "spreading propaganda against the system," "insulting members of the parliament through paintings" and "insulting the Supreme Leader" with her cartoon. Amnesty notes that she was also charged with gathering and colluding with deviant groups because "she met with the families of those killed by government agents in the unrest following the 2009 presidential elections, as well as for an art exhibition she held that was attended by members of Iran's persecuted Baha'i community."
The judge who presided over her trial, held in one of Iran's notoriously unfair revolutionary courts, is well-known for the harsh sentences he imposes on those guilty of peaceful dissent.
Farghadani had already been in jail for most of the time since her August 2014 arrest. She went on hunger strike in February to protest her detention in poor conditions, according to Amnesty, and she suffered a heart attack. But even while behind bars, and deprived of art supplies, Amnesty says that "she was so anxious to express herself that she attempted to use small paper cups to create art." For her "audacity," she says she was subjected to abusive treatment at the hands of prison guards.
All this despite the fact that there is a long and venerable history in Iran of satirical cartoons being used to express political opinions, just as there is in other countries around the world. Unfortunately, Iran is also not alone in the world in trying to censor cartoons. Although it is hard to see why any sensible authority would feel threatened by the peaceful expression of one's point of view, there is a long history of trying to repress subversive depictions of political figures -- back in the 19th century, for example, France's King Louis Philippe was depicted as a piece of fruit.
History's lesson, of course, is that attempts to suppress free expression have merely confirmed the caricaturists' original critique of heavy-handed and objectionable actions of overreaching governments.
But Farghadani does not have time to wait for history to judge the repressive system in Iran, one that crushes expressions of peaceful dissent. It breaks my heart to think that she could remain in prison for another decade or more if forced to serve her full sentence.
With all this in mind, I urge artists and concerned citizens everywhere to join me in calling on Iranian authorities to release Farghadani immediately and unconditionally, and to make human rights a priority even as much of the world is focused on the nuclear talks.
Put simply, this hideous miscarriage of justice cannot be allowed to stand.
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jun 30 17:10:21 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Stench of death in Pakistan should shame government</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/blLX1n-Ngtw/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>When the heat wave struck, the power cuts were mismanaged by government, writes Saima Mohsin
The politicians and the bureaucracy should be hanging their heads in shame, she says
Mohsin: Pakistan needs to educate its people ... educate its politicians
Karachi, Pakistan (CNN)
I have seen many dead in my career, but I will never forget the smell that enveloped me at a morgue in Karachi this week. The dignity denied to the dead that had suffered so much in life is deplorable.
As a heat wave hit the heart of the financial capital and swept across Sindh province it stripped away layer after layer of the dire straits of governance here.
The death toll rose at an incredible pace to pass 1,000 people. Everyone questioned how this could happen. And sadly there's not just one place to lay the blame -- there are many failures of governance.
There's the lack of public education and awareness: today we can all check our phones for the latest weather forecast yet the Sindh government did nothing to warn people about the approaching heat wave or improve water supplies or educate people on staying cool or treating heatstroke at home.
It's the month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, yet it took at least 700 deaths before a locally prominent imam reminded the Muslim faithful that the elderly or sick do not have to fast and that if you feel unwell then you can break your fast. No word from the government.
When the heat wave struck, the daily power cuts caused by a lack of electricity generation were mismanaged by federal and provincial governments. Instead of redistributing the cuts geographically or at cooler times of the day, the cuts lasted longer and some people went without electricity throughout the weekend.
Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
Covered corpses from a devastating heat wave lie in a mortuary in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 26. The death toll from the heat wave in Sindh province topped 1,000, officials told CNN.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
A Pakistani child pours water on his cattle to cool off during a hot afternoon in Peshawar on Thursday, June 25.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
Pakistanis bring a heatstroke victim to a hospital in Karachi on Thursday, June 25. More than 1,000 people have died in a heat wave in southern Pakistan, officials say.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
A patient suffering from heatstroke receives treatment at a Karachi  hospital on Wednesday, June 24.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
Pakistanis receive ice during the heat wave in Karachi on June 24.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
A man awaits medical help for his daughter who is suffering from dehydration due to the extreme weather in Karachi on June 24.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
A man helps move a heat wave victim to a Karachi hospital on Monday, June 22.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
Pakistanis rest at the mosque during the heat wave in Karachi on June 22.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
A Pakistani man cools down at a mosque during the heat wave in Karachi on June 22.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
A Pakistani man rests at a mosque during the heat wave in Karachi on June 22.
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Pakistani volunteers and relatives prepare to shift the bodies of heat wave victims into the cold storage of the Edhi morgue in Karachi on June 22.
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Pakistan's deadly heat wave 13 photos
Pakistanis cool off at a river outside Islamabad on Sunday, June 21.
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Relatives mourn the death of a heat wave victim at the Edhi morgue in Karachi on June 21.
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EXPAND GALLERY
As the crumbling infrastructure buckled under the tremendous demand, people suffered in heat that felt like 50 degrees C without the ability to power even a small fan.
When people fell ill and rushed to hospitals across the province and city, they were met with doctors and nurses let down by their government, with not enough beds, medicines, drips, or staff.
In fact it's local people who are stepping in and stepping up -- buying hospital beds from wholesalers, providing air conditioning units and generators to run them, doing even simple things like delivering blocks of ice. I have seen people posting on social media, saying they are willing to pay for cleaners to clean the hospital. When's the last time you had to do that for your local hospital?
Is this the job of local residents or is it the job of the government?
I used to be uplifted by the sense of humanity and community spirit that finds Pakistanis rallying together to help one another. But this week it sickened me that they have to do so at all.
When tragedy strikes, as it often does in Pakistan -- be it terrorist or extremist -- we often talk about hanging our collective heads in shame. Not here, not now.  It's the politicians and the bureaucracy who should be hanging their heads in shame.
Yes, Pakistan needs to educate its people. But it also needs to educate its politicians -- in good governance. The basic principles of being effective and efficient, responsive, equitable and inclusive, participatory or even accountable, seem to have eluded the Sindh government.
In the U.S. or UK just one body left out in the heat for more than a few hours would cause national outrage. I saw many bodies, decomposing in the heat. A morgue run by a charity that couldn't do its merciful job because power cuts meant the cold storage unit was actually hot. The stench of death stifled the air. If this does not shake the government to the core then what can?
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jul 03 18:24:14 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Clooney: Stop South Sudan's death spiral</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/hQAAeCULX4w/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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George Clooney: Sanctions threats not enough in South Sudan
By George Clooney, Akshaya Kumar and John Prendergast
Updated 1658 GMT (2358 HKT) June 25, 2015
In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Adil Mustafa Hamdan, 21, is a student at the Soba Secondary Refugee School. He was one of 21 students selected to take a digital storytelling course through the UN Refugee Agency project. Like many of the students that graduated from the course, he aspires to be a photojournalist.
"I would go to the Nuba Mountains and photograph people with no clothes, no shoes; I'd photograph soldiers while they are fighting; I'd photograph airplanes that drop bombs. I would show through my photos and explain through my stories the situation in the Nuba Mountains," he says.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan
"I just want there to always be enough food."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because I am very satisfied now."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan
"What do you want to be when you grow up?
"A hunter."
"What do you want to hunt?"
"I want to hunt gazelles, monkeys, hawks and other animals that you find in the bush.
"What is the hardest thing about hunting?"
"When you get caught by the police."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan
"I left the Nuba Mountains because of the war in '83. At that time, we left in a group of 57 people. Only nine of us survived the journey. I was the youngest, only seven years old.
One day, my father was very sick and he began to tell me the names of all of my uncles. When he finished he died. I stayed for seven more years until the people signed a peace agreement, which was in 2005.
I said to myself, let me see what will happen. After six years I prepared to go back to my homeland, but when I was about to start my journey the war broke out. I thought, 'I'll never see my family. I will die as my father died.'
Then people began to arrive from the Nuba Mountains to the camp. The first person I spoke to turned out to be my uncle. It was the best moment of my life. This is why I am happy. Because I have found my relatives."
Khalid Idriss, refugee since 1985
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Aziz Hassan Eidiie was born in 1990 in the Nuba village of Kauda. When war broke out in his home in 2011, he had to stop his schooling. He was able to resume it at the Soba Secondary School. Many of his photographs focus on the lives of the young men inside the camp.
"I am happy to have become a photographer, because this was one of my dreams," he says.
"I hope that God may help me learn more and more about journalism so I can put it into practice."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Aziz Hassan Eidiie
"This is Abraham Jojo, an 18-year old refugee student from Kauda in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. He is here in Ajuong Thok without his parents. His aim is simply to study. On the weekends, he makes and bakes bread to sell it in the market to earn money to support himself. Even with all of these challenges, he still perseveres with his studies."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Aziz Hassan Eidiie
"These four boys live alone on their compound with nobody to help them cook, clean, fetch water and firewood. They usually cooperate and get along to work together. They've planted pumpkins on their compound that are now ready for harvest."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Awatif Kawaja Matile is 20 years old. Education has always been very important to her. At ten, she walked long distances to attend her primary school. Later, she attended a private school, where she lived without her parents."I struggled because I didn't have their financial support to help me buy clothes, shoes and other materials," she admits.
When the war broke out in 2011, she made her way to the Ajuong Thok  Refugee Camp so that she could continue her studies. "Being in school is an opportunity to learn, and to change your life from bad to better," she says, though she admits she doesn't view education as a cure-all. "It doesn't mean that you will have a comfortable life; you may face challenges and problems, but education makes you a better person in the future. You must think and reason wisely," she says.As a participant in the project, she focused a lot on the everyday struggles of families in the camp.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Awatif Kawaja Matile
"She brought water from a distance, until she was tired. That is why she is resting. Water is fetched for cooking and keeping homes clean. But the problem is that people need bigger jerry cans, these small ones don't help much."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Awatif Kawaja Matile
"This refugee family in Ajuong Thok is worried. They are thinking about the people that they left behind in the Nuba Mountains. Life in Ajuong Thok is very difficult for single mothers. If she needs to go to collect firewood or water, who will look after her child?"
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Richard Kunar is 25 years old. He, too, had to stop his schooling when war broke out. He trekked for five days to reach the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan. He ultimately moved to Ajuonk Thok, where he lives alone.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Richard Kunar
"My name is James Bond, and I'm from South Kordofan, a state with beautiful resources. I am 17, and I am only here in South Sudan because the war displaced me from home. I decided to keep this sheep in hopes that it will produce two or four or more, so that I can get married. Even though I live alone, it's no problem for me. As the book of Ecclesiastes says, there is time for everything."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Roda Tia Hamdan was pulled out of school as a young girl, because she needed to take care of her cousin."Even though I wanted to continue my education, my uncle wouldn't let me, because I was a babysitter," she recalls. At 11 years old, she started cutting grass to earn money for school fees, but soon afterward her education was stalled again due to the conflict in the Nuba Mountains. "I dared to continue my studies as a refugee," she says. Like many in Ajuong Thok refugee camp, she arrived solo, without her parents.
"I went to live with my friend so that I wouldn't have to live alone," she says.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Roda Tia Hamdan
"The babysitter is surprised to be photographed. The mother is denying this young girl the right to education by having her look after her little sister."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Tutu Al-Hamar Tutu is a 24-year old student at Soba Secondary School in Ajuong Thok. "Photography isn't simply something I want to do in Ajuon Thok; I want to go further and take photos of the conflict in Sudan," he says.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Tutu Al-Hamar Tutu
"A young Nuban boy grazes his sheep in Ajuong Thok Refugee Camp. Nubans are famous for keeping cattle wherever they go. When there is conflict or war, people cannot keep animals. Ajuong Thok is a peaceful place where we can keep our animals safe."
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 18 17:21:37 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Will Mafia ever loosen its grip on Italy?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/d721vL9A-6U/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Will Mafia ever loosen its grip on Italy?
By Silvia Marchetti
Updated 1030 GMT (1730 HKT) June 17, 2015
Photos: Our fascination with the mob 11 photos
Our fascination with the mob  We are fascinated with mobsters and those affected by them, both in real life and on screen. "There's the reality of organized crime that nobody is in love with, and there's the mythologized version that everyone is in love with," said Ron Kuby, a lawyer who defended the late John Gotti. The cast of HBO's "The Sopranos," from left, Tony Sirico, Steve Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore. Gandolfini died on June 19, 2013 from a heart attack at age 51.
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Photos: Our fascination with the mob 11 photos
Our fascination with the mob  James "Whitey" Bulger, the reputed former head of Boston's Winter Hill Gang, was convicted on August 12, 2013 of racketeering and 11 counts of murder.
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Photos: Our fascination with the mob 11 photos
Our fascination with the mob  Jimmy Hoffa was last seen outside the Machus Red Fox restaurant in suburban Detroit in 1975. He'd gone there to meet with reputed Detroit mob enforcer Anthony Giacalone and Anthony Provenzano, a New Jersey Teamsters boss, to settle a beef. There have been more than a dozen digs for Hoffa's remains since he vanished, most recently in a field near Detroit. Once again, authorities came up empty-handed.
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Photos: Our fascination with the mob 11 photos
Our fascination with the mob  New York Mafia chief John Gotti was known as the "Dapper Don" for his expensive suits and "Teflon Don" due to government charges failing to stick in three trials. He was later convicted of murder and racketeering. He died of cancer at age 61 in 2002 while serving a life sentence.
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Our fascination with the mob  Marlon Brando plays the supreme don in "The Godfather" (1972), directed by Frances Ford Coppola and based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel. Puzo stitched together slices of reality, weaving a tale so colorful that the FBI's wiretaps later captured real mobsters quoting from the book and subsequent movie.
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Our fascination with the mob  Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, at center with two unidentified men, established crime syndicate-controlled gambling in Las Vegas.
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Our fascination with the mob  From left, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Paul Sorvino and Joe Pesci in the mob drama "Goodfellas" (1990).
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Our fascination with the mob  In "Married to the Mob" (1988), Dean Stockwell plays a mob boss who courts Michelle Pfeiffer's character, who is trying to escape the Mafia life after her husband is killed.
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Our fascination with the mob  Vinny "The Chin" Gigante, shown here in 1997 while on trial in New York. Before his conviction for murder conspiracy and labor racketeering, Gigante was famous for mumbling to himself while walking the streets of Manhattan in a bathrobe. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice charges for false claims of mental illness.
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Our fascination with the mob  Lorraine Bracco plays Tony Soprano's psychiatrist in "The Sopranos." She made a career out of mob dramas, also playing Henry Hill's wife in "Goodfellas."
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Our fascination with the mob  Steve Buscemi plays Atlantic City mobster Nucky Thompson in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire."
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 18 17:18:55 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>A death trap for al Qaeda leaders?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/XJTwXJQZdX4/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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A death trap for al Qaeda leaders?
By David Sterman
Updated 1620 GMT (2320 HKT) June 16, 2015
JUST WATCHED
Al Qaeda in Yemen confirms leader's death, replacement 01:30
Story highlights
Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader is reportedly killed in a U.S. drone strike
David Sterman: Since AQAP seized Yemeni port, four leaders have died in drone strikes
David Sterman is a program associate specializing in counterterrorism at New America , a Washington-based think tank. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
(CNN)
Much attention is being devoted to analyzing the significance of the death of Nasir al-Wuhayshi , the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the No. 2 leader for al Qaeda globally, in a reported U.S. drone strike last week.
After all, he was the organization's second-ranking leader and headed the al Qaeda affiliate that has been consistently portrayed as the one that poses the greatest threat to the United States -- even more dangerous than ISIS, the breakaway al Qaeda affiliate and center of media focus, according to former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell.
David Sterman
That view was shared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which  tweeted: "We continue to assess that AQAP remains the al-Qa'ida affiliate most likely to attempt transnational attacks against the United States" as the President laid out his justification for strikes on ISIS.
Al-Wuhayshi had the personal history to back up his claim as leader of the most threatening terrorist group. He was Osama bin Laden's personal secretary and body guard and was with the core al Qaeda leadership as it fled Afghanistan. He spent time in a Yemeni prison before escaping and becoming the leader of the newly formed AQAP.
Yet as interesting as the man is the place where he was reportedly killed. The strike occurred in Al Mukalla, a Yemeni port in the province of Hadramaut and the fifth-largest city in Yemen.
AQAP seized Al Mukalla in early April amid the chaos precipitated by Houthi rebel advances. AQAP's seizure of the city prompted extensive worry regarding the group's resurgence buoyed by the conflict.
For example, The New York Times ran an article headlined "War in Yemen Is Allowing Qaeda Group to Expand," quoting Jamal Benomar, a U.N. diplomat who had been tasked with achieving political reconciliation in the country, as saying, "For the first time, al Qaeda is building a strategic alliance with the tribes," and, "It is a strengthened and dangerous al Qaeda. This is what worries everybody."
While it is clear that AQAP has made great strides, there is another story in Al Mukalla -- a story of the constraints on jihadist power. Since AQAP seized the city, the United States conducted five drone strikes in the city's vicinity, according to data collected by New America. That constitutes nearly half of the strikes the United States has conducted in Yemen so far in 2015.
Those five strikes have ripped holes in AQAP's leadership. Four AQAP leaders have been killed in Al Mukalla since the group seized the city. Al-Wuhayshi was reportedly killed in Al Mukalla on Friday. On April 22, a drone strike killed Muhannad Ghallab , a 35-year-old Egyptian who acted as an AQAP spokesman in the city.
Also in April, Nasr Ibn Ali al-Ansi, the senior AQAP commander who appeared in a video claiming responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris by the Kouachi brothers, was killed by drone strike in Al Mukalla. And on April 13, a drone strike killed Ibrahim al Rubeish, a 35-year-old Saudi and former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, who served as a top spokesman and ideologue for the group.
By taking Al Mukalla, AQAP gained much but also placed its leadership in a death trap. The deaths reveal the risks jihadist terrorist groups take by seizing territory. Even ISIS, the group that has made the most dramatic territorial gains when it conducted a blitzkrieg across northern Iraq, faced a similar challenge when its advances opened its forces up to the devastating effect of American air power.
Of course, leadership deaths do not necessarily mean the end of an organization , and AQAP may still benefit overall from seizing the city. Though the subject of much debate, various studies have found leadership decapitation to have at most a limited effect on a terrorist group's fortunes.
Other recent research suggests that decapitation can lead to more, and less selective, violence on the part of terrorist groups. Moreover, while air power is great at stopping advances, and also quite effective in killing selected leaders, it has a poor record in dislodging terrorist groups from territory they've seized.
Despite these cautions, the recent wave of leadership deaths in Al Mukalla suggests there are real constraints on a group's ability to take advantage of instability and seize territory, even in a situation as chaotic as the war raging in Yemen.
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 18 19:36:30 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Whack-a-mole strategy against terror</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/7z_xhsOysw0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>U.S. confirms al Qaeda leader killed in Yemen 01:58
Story highlights
Several high-level terror leaders have been killed in the Middle East
Bergen: Just picking off the leaders of terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda isn't an effective strategy
Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a vice president at New America and a professor of practice at Arizona State University. He is the author of "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad."
(CNN)
American counterterrorism officials have had much to celebrate in recent days: the killing of ISIS commander Abu Sayyaf in Syria and the trove of "intel" that was taken from his residence by U.S. special forces; the death of the leader of al Qaeda's branch in Yemen, Nasir al-Wuhayshi , in a drone strike; and the possible death in Libya of Mokhtar Belmokhtar , the leader of a virulent North African jihadist group.
But the leadership of these groups is generally replaceable. Consider the case of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who was the brutal head of al Qaeda in Iraq, the parent organization of ISIS, until he was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq in 2006.
Peter Bergen
Since then, a number of other leaders from al-Zarqawi's group have been killed, but that did not prevent from ISIS becoming ISIS -- a group that today lords over millions of people and occupies territory in Syria and Iraq that is around the size of the United Kingdom.
To be sure, any counterterrorism campaign that eliminates many leaders of a group can have a real impact -- al Qaeda's core group in Pakistan is a shadow of what it once was, in part, because of a deadly campaign of CIA drone strikes that eliminated many of its leaders and middle managers.
Yet, if we zoom out to the bigger picture, from Libya on the northern coast of Africa to Yemen on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the spaces in which jihadist militant groups can operate have greatly opened up as a result of the early promise of the Arab Spring turning into the grim reality of the Arab winter. The resulting chaotic conditions and weakened states have proven a boon to ISIS and to al Qaeda and its affiliates:
-- In Yemen, al Qaeda has taken advantage of the overthrow of the U.S.-backed Hadi government to seize control of large swaths of southern Yemen, including the country's fifth largest city, Mukalla.
-- In Libya, jihadist groups including ISIS control about a tenth of the country, according to a senior U.S. government official.
-- In Syria, al-Qaeda's local affiliate, the Nusra Front, together with ISIS are now the most powerful groups fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and each control large sections of the country.
-- In Iraq, ISIS controls the second largest city, Mosul, and much of Anbar province, which is about a third of the landmass of the country.
What to do about all this is a puzzle because much of Middle East is in the grip of a regional, sectarian civil war fomented by Iran and the Gulf States and is evolving into a Rubik's Cube-like problem that has no good solution, because when you move one piece of the cube it can create both solutions and a new set of problems simultaneously.
To get a sense of how complex this Rubik's Cube is: Consider that the United States is training Syrian opposition  forces  to fight the Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad, while it is also training Iraqi forces of the Iran-backed Iraqi government to fight ISIS. The U.S. therefore is effectively supporting both sides of the wars in Syria and Iraq.
Describing problems is always, of course, much easier than solving them, but here are some ideas that can help the U.S. achieve its strategic goals in the Middle East -- dismantling ISIS and al Qaeda and avoiding a long-running sectarian regional civil war:
Curtail the foreign fighter flow
ISIS is taking around 1,000 casualties a month in U.S.-led airstrikes, yet it's also recruiting around 1,000 "foreign fighters" from around the Muslim world every month, so the military campaign against ISIS is something of a draw.
The U.S. should put pressure on Middle Eastern countries, which supply the bulk of the foreign fighters to the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts, to curtail the flow of their nationals traveling to Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia has already made some strides in that direction, but this should also be a priority for other Arab governments.
Let American soldiers go forward
The exact number of U.S. troops in Iraq is not the germane issue right now. It's the constrictive rules of engagement that have been imposed upon them that prevent them from getting "outside the wire" of the bases that they are assigned to. What is needed are rules of engagement that allow U.S. forward air controllers calling in precise airstrikes as well as U.S. advisers embedded with Iraqi troops on the frontlines. Not only will this help to place more accurate air strikes on ISIS positions, but also Iraqi troops with embedded Americans will have better military advice and  the comfort of knowing that they will get close American air support if ISIS threatens them. Right now that isn't the case.
Step up the air campaign in Syria and Iraq
One of the world's experts on counterinsurgency, New America fellow David Kilcullen suggests increasing the tempo of of the air campaign. Kilcullen points out that the average rate of  coalition air strikes since last August into Syria and Iraq is about 10 per day, while in the successful air campaign against the Serbs in Kosovo in 1999, it was around 250 per day, suggesting that the U.S.-led coalition can still ratchet up the pressure on ISIS significantly.
Resist calls to split Iraq up into Sunnistan, Shiastan and Kurdistan
Iraq is a country where many of its citizens are products of Shia-Sunni marriages and cities like Mosul and Baghdad remain mixtures of many ethnic and religious groups. Trying to separate out Iraq into sectarian and ethnic cantons will only fuel the sectarian passions in Iraq and in the region. The model to avoid, albeit on a larger scale, was the disastrous 1947 partition of India into Muslim- and Hindu-majority states in which 1 million people died.
If the Iran nuclear deal gets done, use it as leverage to show al-Assad the door
Use the goodwill tendered by a deal with Iran to have the Iranians pressure their close ally, al-Assad, to step down, while maintaining much of his regime in place. That way the coalition of Alawites, Christians and other regime supporters will be assured that if al-Assad goes, they won't have to go down with him and will have a stake in some kind of peace deal, rather than fighting to the death.
Keep pressure on the Saudis not to resume their counterproductive air campaign in Yemen
That campaign had the effect of further fracturing the already-fracturing country, which has benefited al Qaeda.
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 18 17:18:53 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Religious extremism looms over Myanmar</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/AiWPXxyQC5s/index.html</Link>
        <Description>The impact of Myanmar's repressive policy toward Rohingya Muslims was made clear in recent weeks with scenes of desperate people crammed into boats, an escalation of a miserable maritime flight in which an estimated 90,000 people have fallen prey to smugglers and traffickers since early 2014. The United Nations estimates that around 1,000 people have died on the way.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Religious extremism looms over Myanmar
By David Scott Mathieson
Updated 1856 GMT (0156 HKT) June 16, 2015
Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
A boat carrying about 300 Rohingya men, women and children was found drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea on Thursday, May 14.
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The boat was found floating with a broken engine. Its captain had left, but two crew remained on board, said the governor of Thailand's Satun Province, Dejrat Simsiri.
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Rohingya migrant women cry as they sit on a boat adrift. Many on board the rickety ship were women and young children, without food or water, looking for a safe harbor to take them in.
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The Rohingya are a persecuted Muslim minority who are effectively stateless in majority-Buddhist Myanmar. They are forced to live in crowded camps -- which they are generally forbidden to leave --  and are considered to be interlopers from neighboring Bangladesh, despite the fact that many have lived in Myanmar for generations.
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More than 1,600 migrants -- both Rohingya and economic migrants from Bangladesh -- have landed in Malaysia and Indonesia since Sunday, May 10, officials say, after Thai officials began cracking down on human trafficking camps operating in the country's south near the Malaysian border, disrupting established people-smuggling networks.
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Rohingya migrants swim to collect food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter after they jumped from the boar adrift in Thai waters on May 14.  With the Thai pipeline for illegal migrants closed, overcrowded traffickers' boats have begun offloading their human cargo on the shores of Malaysia and Indonesia -- Muslim-majority countries that have shown sympathy to the Rohingya in the past. Alternatively, crews have simply abandoned them to drift.
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While rights groups are calling for an urgent rescue of thousands of stranded migrants, a top Malaysian official says his government will re-supply and turn away seaworthy boats carrying illegal migrants.
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Fishermen and National Park officials provide food supplies to Rohingya migrants stranded on the boat. An Indonesian spokesman said on Wednesday, May 13, that provisions had been given to a migrant boat in the Strait of Malacca before the boat carried on its way to Malaysia -- purportedly the boat's intended destination.
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Rohingya migrants pass food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter to others aboard the boat. The Indonesian spokesman said Indonesia was currently providing food and shelter to 582 migrants rescued on May 10 and was working with international bodies to provide them documentation and temporary relocation.
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A Rohingya migrant eats food dropped by a Thai army helicopter after he swam to collect the supplies at sea. Malaysia, meanwhile, is processing more than 1,000 recently arrived migrants.
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David Scott Mathieson says Myanmar is facing rising Buddhist extremism
New laws look set to target Rohingya Muslims, he says
David Scott Mathieson is the senior Burma researcher for Human Rights Watch. The views expressed are his own.
(CNN)
The impact of Myanmar's repressive policy toward Rohingya Muslims was made clear in recent weeks with scenes of desperate people crammed into boats, an escalation of a miserable maritime flight in which an estimated 90,000 people have fallen prey to smugglers and traffickers since early 2014. The United Nations estimates that around 1,000 people have died on the way.
The root cause is the long-term reprehensible treatment of the Rohingya in Myanmar (also known as Burma) -- stateless, officially and socially reviled, with severe curbs on their rights to work, travel, get health care and education, and practice their religion.
Yet even as this anguishing exodus has gripped international attention, it has obscured a connected and equally troubling pattern of rising religious extremism in Myanmar. At the height of the boat drama, parliament passed the " population control law ," which permits the government to identify areas in Myanmar that could be subject to repressive birth control measures. The law was inspired by Buddhist extremists whose stated agenda is opposition not just to Rohingya, but to all of Myanmar's sizable Muslim minority. The law was sharply criticized by many activists in Myanmar and opposed by the opposition National League for Democracy, but passed a joint parliamentary vote, 530 to 443, with 39 abstentions.
The population control law is one element of a package of four "race and religion protection" bills. The other elements are an interfaith marriage bill, which grants government oversight of any marriage between a Buddhist and non-Buddhist; a religious conversion law, which requires government permission to change one's religion; and a monogamy law, which could limit the rights of people living in unmarried relationships and potentially target Muslims.
These laws were proposed by the increasingly influential Race and Religion Protection Association, known by its Burmese acronym, Ma Ba Tha, consisting of prominent Buddhist abbots. The problem is that Ma Ba Tha has tapped into a deep and divisive strain of ethnic Burmese ultranationalism and a belief in Buddhist religious supremacy that has contributed to vexed and violent relations with scores of ethnic minorities since independence from the British in 1948. U Wirathu, Myanmar's most vitriolic Buddhist monk, infuses his regular public rallies with populist paranoia over a nonexistent Islamic takeover of Myanmar.
To push for passage of these discriminatory laws, the Ma Ba Tha staged public events throughout Myanmar and collected nearly 1.5 million signatures. The purportedly reformist government of President Thein Sein, pandering to Ma Ba Tha's agenda, then drafted similar pieces of legislation and submitted them to parliament.
There are fears that the three remaining draft laws will pass in this final parliamentary sitting ahead of the first ostensibly free national elections in decades later this year -- and possibly fuel anti-Muslim violence during what will be a very tense period. After all, a surge of violence in 2012, which amounted to ethnic cleansing , displaced about 140,000 Rohingya, who languish in squalid camps. At the same time, security restrictions on the estimated 1 million Rohingya in areas abutting the Bangladeshi border have been tightened. Several incidents of anti-Muslim violence in the past two years have caused dozens of deaths.
Myanmar's Rohingya: terrorized, starving and homeless
Last month, local authorities and Thein Sein's office denied permission to hold a Union Muslims Nationwide Conference in Yangon, citing its potential for instability. On June 2, a court in upper Myanmar sentenced a writer and former National League for Democracy official to two years in jail with hard labor for "insulting religion," over a 2014 speech defending the purity of Buddhism from Ma Ba Tha's political distortion.
Diplomats in the country realize that the race and religion laws could spark not only attacks on Muslims but justifications for government crackdowns. The United States, European Union and numerous United Nations officials have therefore conveyed their deep concern, although Burmese officials have rejected this out of hand.
Meanwhile, many Muslims see the laws as just one part of a long-term plan to extirpate the Rohingya and other Muslims from the country, and there is a danger that all this could lead to the collapse of the nascent political reforms over the past four years that have led to the beginnings of economic development, increased international assistance and direct foreign investment that are crucial to help pull Myanmar from the hole dug by 50 years of dictatorial military rule.
By mining the darker nature of Myanmar's Buddhists, religious extremists and the political opportunists who seek to profit from them are thwarting the aspirations of generations who have struggled for democracy and openness. Sadly, the extremism reflected in the laws suggests a future of even greater violence and division.
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 18 17:18:53 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>What if ISIS seeks dirty bomb?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/m3_22uHftMM/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Last week, the news emerged that ISIS terrorists have reportedly obtained radioactive materials from hospitals and research facilities captured in Iraq with a view to developing a radioactive "dirty bomb."</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Dirty bomb: Just how worried should we be as ISIS seeks ultimate threat?
By Matthew Moran and Christopher Hobbs
Updated 1544 GMT (2244 HKT) June 16, 2015
Rescue workers take part in a trial in 2008 in Tokyo, Japan, to improve the city's response to a "dirty bomb" attack.
Story highlights
Radioactive sources acquired by ISIS cannot be used to create a nuclear bomb
The real threat from dirty bombs lies in their psychological and economic effects
Economic costs associated with a dirty bomb would be considerable
Matthew Moran is deputy director, and Christopher Hobbs is co-director of the the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King's College London, specializing on issues related to nuclear proliferation and security. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers.
(CNN)
Last week, the news emerged that ISIS terrorists have reportedly obtained radioactive materials from hospitals and research facilities captured in Iraq with a view to developing a radioactive "dirty bomb."
Unsurprisingly, the prospect of ISIS dabbling with unconventional weapons has been greeted with considerable concern. The Iraqi government has appealed to the United Nations for international help to "stave off the threat" in this regard and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop recently acknowledged that NATO countries are deeply concerned by the situation.
But what can ISIS actually do with these newly acquired radioactive materials? What is the nature of the threat?
First off, it is important to emphasize that radioactive sources of the type acquired by ISIS cannot be used to create a nuclear bomb. These sources are mostly used for medical research and treatments such as radiotherapy, and are completely unsuited to the development of nuclear weapons.
This said, the harmful effects of these sources, stemming from their chemical toxicity and radioactive properties, can be exploited in other ways. If inhaled or ingested, for example, these materials can be lethal. This was evidenced by the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, when just a fraction of a gram of radioactive polonium proved enough to kill the former KGB officer.
Fortunately, achieving this type of internal exposure on a large scale would prove enormously challenging for a terrorist group. Consequently, attention has focused on the use of these materials by ISIS in a dirty bomb.
Combining radioactive materials with conventional explosives, this is a bomb with an edge. A dirty bomb would spread radioactive materials, contaminating the local area and any individuals in the nearby vicinity. Crucially, however, this contamination would be mostly external in nature and, if the attack was promptly identified as being radioactive, decontamination of individuals would be a relatively straightforward process. The exposure time of anyone affected would be limited and the negative health effects mitigated.
Indeed, with a dirty bomb, members of the public are more likely to be harmed by the impact of the conventional explosives than that of the radioactive materials.
This point was borne out by a series of tests conducted over a four-year period by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Negev Desert. As part of this project - details of which were recently published by Haaretz -- some 20 devices laced with radioactive materials were detonated and their effects observed. The IDF concluded that a dirty bomb attack poses little physical danger beyond the conventional blast.
The ISIS terror threat 72 photos
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People in Ashmoun, Egypt, carry the coffin for 1st Lt. Mohammed Ashraf, who was killed when the ISIS militant group attacked Egyptian military checkpoints on Wednesday, July 1. At least 17 soldiers were reportedly killed, and 30 were injured.
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Syrians wait near the Turkish border during clashes between ISIS and Kurdish armed groups in Kobani, Syria, on Thursday, June 25. The photo was taken in Sanliurfa, Turkey. ISIS militants disguised as Kurdish security forces infiltrated Kobani on Thursday and killed "many civilians," said a spokesman for the Kurds in Kobani.
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Residents examine a damaged mosque after an Iraqi Air Force bombing in the ISIS-seized city of Falluja, Iraq, on Sunday, May 31. At least six were killed and nine others wounded during the bombing.
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People search through debris after an explosion at a Shiite mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, May 22. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to tweets from ISIS supporters, which included a formal statement from ISIS detailing the operation.
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Iraqi security forces withdraw from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, on Sunday, May 17. ISIS took control of the city , according to the city's mayor and a high-ranking security official. The aim of the militant group is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria.
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A car bomb, believed to be set by ISIS militants, explodes at the gate of a government building near the provincial governor's compound in Ramadi on Saturday, May 16.
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Iraqi soldiers fire their weapons toward ISIS group positions in the Garma district, west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, on Sunday, April 26. Pro-government forces said they had recently made advances on areas held by Islamist jihadists.
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A member of Afghanistan's security forces stands at the site where a suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up in front of the Kabul Bank in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on April 18.  ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. The explosion killed at least 33 people and injured more than 100 others, a public health spokesman said.
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Iraqi counterterrorism forces patrol in Ramadi on April 18. Iraqi special forces maintained control of the provincial capital after days of intense clashes with ISIS left the city at risk.
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Thousands of Iraqis cross a bridge over the Euphrates River to Baghdad as they flee Ramadi on Friday, April 17.
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Iraqi security forces and tribal fighters gather before attacking ISIS militants in Ramadi on Wednesday, April 15.
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People leave their hometown of Ramadi on April 15. ISIS' offensive in Ramadi shows its resilience despite months of U.S.-led airstrikes and a recent defeat in the northern city of Tikrit.
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Security forces arrive to Ramadi to join the battle against ISIS on April 15.
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Yazidis embrace after being released by ISIS south of Kirkuk, Iraq, on Wednesday, April 8. ISIS released more than 200 Yazidis , a minority group whose members were killed, captured and displaced when the Islamist terror organization overtook their towns in northern Iraq last summer, officials said.
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Kurdish Peshmerga forces help Yazidis as they arrive at a medical center in Altun Kupri, Iraq, on April 8.
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A Yazidi woman mourns for the death of her husband and children by ISIS after being released south of Kirkuk on April 8.
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Security forces in Tikrit chant slogans against the ISIS militant group on Friday, April 3. They had just reopened the main gate of their base, which was closed for months while ISIS occupied the city.
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People in Tikrit inspect what used to be a palace of former President Saddam Hussein on April 3.
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A member of Iraq's security forces beats a suspected ISIS member who was captured in Tikrit on Wednesday, April 1.
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On April 1, Shiite militiamen celebrate the retaking of Tikrit, which had been under ISIS control since June. The push into Tikrit came days after U.S.-led airstrikes targeted ISIS bases around the city.
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Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen prepare to attack ISIS militants in Tikrit on Tuesday, March 31. Ousting ISIS from Tikrit was an important step for the coalition, which is trying to thwart the extremist group's quest to grow its caliphate.
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Iraqi security forces launch a rocket against ISIS positions in Tikrit on Monday, March 30.
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An Iraqi soldier searches for ISIS fighters in Tikrit on March 30.
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An Iraqi soldier takes photos of the demolished tomb of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday, March 15. The tomb in Tikrit was destroyed as Iraqi forces battled ISIS for control of the city.
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Smoke billows after a mortar shell hit an Anbar governorate building in Ramadi, Iraq, on Wednesday, March 11. ISIS launched a coordinated attack on government-held areas of the western Iraqi city.
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The parents of 19-year-old Mohammed Musallam react at the family's home in the East Jerusalem Jewish settlement of Neve Yaakov on Tuesday, March 10. ISIS released a video purportedly showing a young boy executing Musallam, an Israeli citizen of Palestinian descent who ISIS claimed infiltrated the group in Syria to spy for the Jewish state. Musallam's family told CNN that he had no ties with the Mossad, Israel's spy agency, and had, in fact, been recruited by ISIS.
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Iraqi Shiite fighters cover their ears as a rocket is launched during a clash with ISIS militants in the town of Al-Alam, Iraq, on Monday, March 9.
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Displaced Assyrian women who fled their homes due to ISIS attacks pray at a church on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on Sunday, March 1. ISIS militants recently abducted at least 220 Assyrians in Syria.
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Safi al-Kasasbeh, right, receives condolences from tribal leaders at his home village near Karak, Jordan, on Wednesday, February 4. Al-Kasasbeh's son, Jordanian pilot Moath al-Kasasbeh, was burned alive in a video that was recently released by ISIS militants. Jordan is one of a handful of Middle Eastern nations taking part in the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS.
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A Kurdish marksman looks over a destroyed area of Kobani on Friday, January 30, after the city had been liberated from the ISIS militant group. The Syrian city, also known as Ayn al-Arab, had been under assault by ISIS since mid-September.
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Smoke billows in Kirkuk as Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take position against ISIS militants on January 30.
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Kurdish people celebrate in Suruc, Turkey, near the Turkish-Syrian border, after ISIS militants were expelled from Kobani on Tuesday, January 27.
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Collapsed buildings are seen in Kobani on January 27 after Kurdish forces took control of the town from ISIS.
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Junko Ishido, mother of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, reacts during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday, January 23. ISIS would later kill Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa.
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ISIS militants are seen through a rifle's scope during clashes with Peshmerga fighters in Mosul, Iraq, on Wednesday, January 21.
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An elderly Yazidi man arrives in Kirkuk after being released by ISIS on Saturday, January 17. The militant group released about 200 Yazidis who were held captive for five months in Iraq. Almost all of the freed prisoners were in poor health and bore signs of abuse and neglect, Kurdish officials said.
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Smoke billows behind an ISIS sign during an Iraqi military operation to regain control of the town of Sadiyah, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, November 25.
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Fighters from the Free Syrian Army and the Kurdish People's Protection Units join forces to fight ISIS in Kobani on Wednesday, November 19.
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A picture taken from Turkey shows smoke rising after ISIS militants fired mortar shells toward an area controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters near Kobani on Monday, November 3.
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Iraqi special forces search a house in Jurf al-Sakhar, Iraq, on Thursday, October 30, after retaking the area from ISIS.
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ISIS militants stand near the site of an airstrike near the Turkey-Syria border on Thursday, October 23. The United States and several Arab nations have been bombing ISIS targets in Syria to take out the militant group's ability to command, train and resupply its fighters.
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Kurdish fighters walk to positions as they combat ISIS forces in Kobani on Sunday, October 19.
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A U.S. Air Force plane flies above Kobani on Saturday, October 18.
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Heavy smoke rises in Kobani following an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on October 18.
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Cundi Minaz, a female Kurdish fighter, is buried in a cemetery in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc on Tuesday, October 14. Minaz was reportedly killed during clashes with ISIS militants in nearby Kobani.
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Turkish police officers secure a basketball stadium in Suruc on October 14. Some Syrian Kurds were held there after crossing from Syria into Turkey. Tens of thousands of people fled Kobani to escape ISIS.
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Kiymet Ergun, a Syrian Kurd, celebrates in Mursitpinar, Turkey, after an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in Kobani on Monday, October 13.
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Alleged ISIS militants stand next to an ISIS flag atop a hill in Kobani on Monday, October 6.
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In this photo released by the U.S. Air Force on Saturday, October 4, a U.S. Navy jet is refueled in Iraqi airspace after conducting an airstrike against ISIS militants.
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A Kurdish Peshmerga soldier who was wounded in a battle with ISIS is wheeled to the Zakho Emergency Hospital in Duhuk, Iraq, on Tuesday, September 30.
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Syrian Kurds wait near a border crossing in Suruc as they wait to return to their homes in Kobani on Sunday, September 28.
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Tomahawk missiles, intended for ISIS targets in Syria, fly above the Persian Gulf after being fired by the USS Philippine Sea in this image released by the U.S. Navy on Tuesday, September 23.
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Turkish Kurds clash with Turkish security forces during a protest near Suruc on Monday, September 22. According to Time magazine , the protests were over Turkey's temporary decision to close the border with Syria.
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Syrian Kurds fleeing ISIS militants wait behind a fence in Suruc on Sunday, September 21.
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A elderly man is carried after crossing the Syria-Turkey border near Suruc on Saturday, September 20.
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A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter launches mortar shells toward ISIS militants in Zumar, Iraq, on Monday, September 15.
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Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire at ISIS militant positions from their position on the top of Mount Zardak, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Tuesday, September 9.
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Kurdish Peshmerga forces stand guard at their position in the Omar Khaled village west of Mosul on Sunday, August 24.
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Kurdish Peshmergas fight to regain control of the town of Celavle, in Iraq's Diyala province, on August 24.
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Peshmerga fighters stand guard at Mosul Dam in northern Iraq on Thursday, August 21. With the help of U.S. military airstrikes, Kurdish and Iraqi forces retook the dam from ISIS militants on August 18. A breach of the dam would have been catastrophic for millions of Iraqis who live downstream from it.
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Displaced Iraqis receive clothes from a charity at a refugee camp near Feeshkhabour, Iraq, on Tuesday, August 19.
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Peshmerga fighters inspect the remains of a car that reportedly belonged to ISIS militants and was targeted by a U.S. airstrike in the village of Baqufa, north of Mosul, on August 18.
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Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire at ISIS in Khazair, Iraq, on Thursday, August 14.
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Aziza Hamid, a 15-year-old Iraqi girl, cries for her father while she and some other Yazidi people are flown to safety Monday, August 11, after a dramatic rescue operation at Iraq's Mount Sinjar. A CNN crew was on the flight, which took diapers, milk, water and food to the site where as many as 70,000 people were trapped by ISIS. But only a few of them were able to fly back on the helicopter with the Iraqi Air Force and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
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Thousands of Yazidis are escorted to safety by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and a People's Protection Unit in Mosul on Saturday, August 9.
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Thousands of Yazidi and Christian people flee Mosul on Wednesday, August 6, after the latest wave of ISIS advances.
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A Baiji oil refinery burns after an alleged ISIS attack in northern Selahaddin, Iraq, on Thursday, July 31.
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A Syrian rebel fighter lies on a stretcher at a makeshift hospital in Douma, Syria, on Wednesday, July 9. He was reportedly injured while fighting ISIS militants.
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New army recruits gather in Najaf, Iraq, on Wednesday, June 18, following a call for Iraqis to take up arms against Islamic militant fighters.
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Kurdish Peshmerga forces, along with Iraqi special forces, deploy their troops and armored vehicles outside of Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 12.
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Children stand next to a burnt vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants in Mosul on Tuesday, June 10.
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Civilians from Mosul escape to a refugee camp near Irbil, Iraq, on June 10.
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EXPAND GALLERY
The real threat from dirty bombs lies in their psychological and economic effects -- a fact that often sees these devices described as weapons of mass disruption rather than weapons of mass destruction.
From a psychological perspective, for example, nuclear weapons are associated with death and destruction on an enormous scale, and dirty bombs benefit from association with these more sophisticated weapons simply because they incorporate radioactive materials.
There is an important distinction to be made between nuclear and radiological materials but this is often lost in media reports and commentary on these issues. In any case, a dirty bomb detonated in a major urban center would be sure to cause widespread fear and panic.
The economic costs associated with a dirty bomb would also be considerable. A 2011 Congressional Research Service report , for example, suggested that the clean-up after such an attack could figure in the billions of dollars, if detonated in a high-value area such as city center or port. Little wonder, then, that the security of radiological sources has emerged as a politically salient issue in recent years.
Ultimately, while the thought of ISIS using dirty bombs to further its terrorist agenda is unsettling, the threat should not be exaggerated, particularly when it comes to its impact on public health. These are not the nuclear weapons that ISIS supposedly desires , and will do nothing to further the group's ambitions in this regard.
ISIS: Full coverage
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 11 16:59:49 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>The horror of ISIS's treatment of women</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/b7PPT4oKyCE/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>On GPS: The horrific ways ISIS abuses women 02:12
Story highlights
Zainab Hawa Bangura visited refugees who fled Iraq, Syria conflict
Sexual violence is being committed against women strategically, she says
Zainab Hawa Bangura is the United Nations special representative of the secretary general on sexual violence in conflict and serves as the United Nations' spokesperson and political advocate on conflict-related sexual violence. The views expressed are her own.
(CNN)
Nothing prepared me for what I saw and heard when I visited refugees from the conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
As I traveled to Iraq and Syria, and to neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to meet with refugees and displaced women, I heard firsthand the horrifying stories of how they have been targeted in this conflict.
I was told, for example, how mothers with babies were separated out by members of ISIL (also known as ISIS) because it is the younger women who they want to take. I heard how these younger women are examined to see if they are virgins, and how the younger and prettier they are, the more likely they are to get taken to ISIL's headquarters in Raqqa. And I heard how the rest are taken to open markets, where they will end up being auctioned after being examined like cattle.
I was in the Middle East as the special representative of the secretary general on sexual violence in conflict, and while I had been monitoring the situation since the crisis began, this was the first time I was able to visit those who have been disproportionately affected by the conflict.
Zainab Hawa Bangura
The refugees and displaced women and girls I met told me how sexual violence is being committed strategically, in a systematic manner, and with a high degree of sophistication by most of the parties to the conflicts. Indeed, as I moved from country to country, I came to the terrible conclusion that this is in essence a war on women and girls, a group that finds itself under assault every day, and every step of the way, whether it be in areas of active conflict, those under control of armed actors, or at checkpoints and border crossings.
But while it is true that most parties to the conflict are committing sexual violence, it is extremist groups like ISIL that have been particularly public and shameless in institutionalizing sexual violence and engaging in the brutalization of women and girls as a tactic of terror to advance their key strategic objectives.
ISIS: Enslaving, having sex with 'unbelieving' women, girls is OK
For a start, it is clear that ISIL has been working to increase recruitment by promising male fighters access to women and girls. In addition, the group has been raising funds through the sale of women and girls in slave markets and through ransoms paid by relatives. And the group has also been using sexual violence to displace populations, while also using the threat of sexual violence to extract information for intelligence purposes.
Women and girls I spoke with described being treated as property to be owned and traded, or else as vessels for producing children for fighters. In ISIL strongholds in Syria and Iraq, Raqqa and Mosul, women and girls are held in houses and buildings before they are inspected, selected and sold in "bazaars" where prices can be negotiated. Simply put, we have been witnessing the revival of the slave trade in the 21st century.
What can and should we do? Such extreme violence requires political and security responses, but also legal and social response.
For a start, all parties to the conflicts, both state and nonstate actors, have an obligation under international humanitarian law to prevent and punish such crimes. Second, U.N. agencies need greater support to be able to provide the necessary assistance and to be able to respond to the needs of the affected population, particularly women and girls who are suffering even in the places where they are seeking refuge. The reality is that the humanitarian appeals dealing with the provision of services to sexual violence survivors are underfunded, and neighboring countries are now also under tremendous pressure. Greater support is therefore needed not only for programs for refugees, but also to support host communities of neighboring countries that have absorbed an estimated 80% of the refugees.
'Treated like cattle': Yazidi women sold, raped, enslaved by ISIS
To address the transnational nature of ISIL, and the cross-border dimensions of the conflicts raging in the region, a concerted regional and international response is required, including improved information sharing across countries and a common counterterrorism response with women's protection and empowerment at its heart.
Such a response should also look at the root causes of violent extremism, something that we cannot ignore any longer. Preventing abuses will require deeper engagement with communities, including with traditional and religious leaders who can help break the silence surrounding sexual violence and ensure that it is the perpetrators who are shamed and stigmatized, not the victims. In fact, if there was a glimmer of hope during my visit, it was the statement issued by the supreme spiritual leader of the Yazidi community, who said that women and girls released from ISIL captivity should be embraced and reintegrated by their families and communities. Countering ISIL's violent ideology will mean accepting these women and girls -- and any children they may have -- in a spirit of tolerance, dignity and respect.
Ultimately, we cannot beat ISIL without understanding who they are, where they come from, and what their ideology is. The group presents a very formidable enemy, one that we must fight together.
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jun 26 19:35:22 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Sexual politics and the Mideast </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/w2EKUuCWqWQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description>In a packed Cairo theater a couple of months ago, Ali Qandil brought down the house.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Sexual politics and the Mideast: Does the Arab Spring need a Summer of Love?
Shereen El Feki
Updated 0007 GMT (0707 HKT) June 18, 2015
Story highlights
Sex is bound up in shame for many in Mideast -- particularly women, says Shereen El Feki
El Feki: Cairo comedian's humorous take on sex is a welcome development
El Feki: Change will come slowly -- evolution, not revolution, is what's needed
Shereen El Feki is the author of "Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World," a study of changing sexual attitudes and behaviors across the Arab region. The views expressed in this commentary are solely hers. Got a question for Shereen? Let us know in the comments -- we'll answer some of the best ones Thursday on Connect the World at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Cairo, Egypt (CNN)
In a packed Cairo theater a couple of months ago, Ali Qandil brought down the house.
"Why do Egyptian fathers cry at their daughters' weddings?" the comedian asked the crowd. "Because they know their little girls will be having sex for the first time."
In Egypt's current conservative climate, Qandil's well-aimed thrust at sexual taboos was enough to send the audience into stitches, even as the theater management reached for its smelling salts.
The show was courtesy of Al-Hubb Thaqafa ("Love is Culture"), a groundbreaking social media platform offering straight talk on love, sex and relationships in Arabic. Launched just over a year ago, its website, YouTube channel and social feeds have attracted more than nine million visitors, mainly from Egypt and Morocco.
Al-Hubb Thaqafa's no-nonsense approach to sex, offering accurate information on everything from the basic facts of life to the finer points of fellatio, is a welcome development in a region where teachers are often too embarrassed to communicate even the barebones sexual and reproductive curriculum on offer, and parents generally draw a veil of silence over such topics with their kids.
For Ali Qandil, sex is an endless source of humor -- just as it is anywhere else in the world. But on the face of it, sex is no laughing matter across the Arab region.
In recent weeks, accounts of the arrest and abuse of dozens of gay men and transsexual women in Egypt, or mass sexual exploitation under ISIS' reign of terror, or Morocco's recent ban on a new film which lays bare the country's thriving sex trade, do little to dispel the image of societies mired in sexual repression.
But by emphasizing sex as a pleasure to be enjoyed, rather than a problem to be solved, Al-Hubb Thaqafa hearkens to a long tradition of free and frank exchange on sexual matters in Arabic. Short of cybersex and internet porn, there isn't much its platforms tackle that our forefathers from weren't writing about more than a millennium ago.
READ MORE: 13 signs you're probably in Cairo
There is nothing un-Islamic about talking about sex; indeed, many of the great works of Arabic erotica were written by religious scholars.  But over the centuries, and in particular in recent decades with rise of Islamic fundamentalism, societies across the Arab region have become far less comfortable in their sexual skin.
Al-Hubb Thaqafa offers a chance (in part by reclaiming Arabic as a language of sexuality and offering a "respectable" alternative to street slang) for men and women to talk each other about sex -- asking questions, sharing personal experiences and contesting each other's opinions without the usual embarrassment or censure.
Such opportunities are all too rare offline. It's been two years since I published "Sex and the Citadel" -- a five-year investigation into sexual attitudes and behaviors across the Arab region, and their intersection with politics and economics, religion and tradition, gender and generations. Since then, the grand political aspirations which fed the Arab Spring have either frosted over, as in Egypt, or burnt up in the conflagration now consuming Libya, Yemen and Syria.
Sex might seem an odd focus these days, given all the other pressing issues in the region. But it is never far from politics, as authoritarian powers -- be they military-backed presidents or religious extremists -- know only too well, using matters of flesh, wrapped in selective interpretations of Islam, to clamp down on their communities.
This is sadly true beyond the borders of the Middle East as well. But the converse also holds. Realizing the rallying cries of the recent uprisings -- "freedom", "justice" and "dignity" -- in private life will, in the long run, have profound implications for public life as well.
When it comes to sex, it is never black and white, as conservatives would have us believe. In this, as with so many other aspects of life, there are at least 50 shades of gray.
On my travels, I've met men and women across the Arab region who are exploring that spectrum. Doctors like Chafik Chraibi, a Moroccan obstetrician whose efforts to open up his country's restrictive abortion laws have helped to catalyze a recent small step in legal reform. Educators like Safa Tamish, a Palestinian living in Israel, who is working to get sex education into schools and families across the West Bank. Or activists like the founders of Chouf and Damj , two new Tunisian NGOS, which are among the dozens of groups across the region trying to find a place for men and women whose sexualities or gender identities break the mold.
There are many, many more such initiatives -- combating sexual violence, or securing the rights of unwed mothers or providing sexual health services to unmarried youth, for example -- springing up across the Middle East, often on very rocky ground. The most successful work slowly, along the grain of religion and culture.
Confrontation -- be it political protests in Tahrir Square or Femen -style baring of breasts -- is not the way to achieve tangible, durable change in the Arab region, as recent events have clearly demonstrated.
For too many -- particularly women -- sex is still bound up in shame, which makes it a powerful tool of political and social control. Sexual freedoms are hard to exercise when family interests trump individual choice, or when appearance counts for more than reality -- when virginity is defined by a piece of anatomy -- an intact hymen -- rather than a state of chastity, or when prostitution masquerades as marriage between wealthy visitors and desperate refugees.
Shifting the political, economic and social conditions which underpin these realities is the work of a generation at least. But at least in a few places, positive change is slowly taking root. As my Egyptian grandmother used to say, "If there were seeds for patience, I would have planted fields." In other words, what we need is a sexual evolution, not revolution.
Got a question for Shereen? Let us know in the comments -- we'll answer some of the best ones Thursday on Connect the World at 11:00 a.m. ET.
More from Opinions
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        <date>Thu Jun 18 17:18:53 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Do Kurds have ISIS on the run?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/QiQe3VVSqEQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Refugees flood into Turkey as Kurds attack ISIS 02:01
Story highlights
A Kurdish group is battling ISIS for control of Tal Abyad, on the border with Turkey
Frida Ghitis say the world should do what it can to assist Kurds
Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review and a former CNN producer and correspondent. Follow her @FridaGhitis . The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.
(CNN)
The images are heartrending : Desperate families fleeing fighting, frantically trying to get their small children across the barbed wire fence separating Syria from Turkey. On the other side of the fence are bearded fighters from the self-styled Islamic State armed with machine guns and smiling coldly as they patrol thousands of civilians trapped on the Syrian side. The gunmen have reportedly been forcing those trying to flee to return to their homes in the war zone.
But while the border is where the cameras are, more pivotal events are taking place a few miles away, where ISIS is on the verge of suffering a potentially devastating loss -- the strategic city Tal Abyad and its surrounding areas. The defeat appears poised to come at the hands of the YPG, the Kurdish People's Protection Units, whose fighters, men and women, a few months ago liberated the devastated city of Kobani.
Frida Ghitis
Now, with air support from the U.S.-led coalition, they are preparing to deal a significant blow to ISIS. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Kurds have already taken back from ISIS some 50 towns and villages . Meanwhile, Turkish officials say about 20,000 villagers , fearing getting trapped in the intensifying battles, are trying to cross into Turkey.
If the Kurds take Tal Abyad, as seems likely, they will cut off a key supply route into the ISIS "capital" in Syria, Raqqa. If you look at a map of the region, you can see why this is so significant -- Raqqa is the strongest of ISIS strongholds, meaning that if it weakens, ISIS will become considerably more vulnerable.
This crucial battle, at a time when the United States is struggling to find a way forward against ISIS in Iraq, comes loaded with useful messages for Washington. Some key points:
1. It is possible to beat ISIS without strengthening the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Almost four years ago, President Barack Obama and European allies declared that "Assad must go." But as the opposition to al-Assad's rule morphed from a pro-democracy movement into an increasingly radical Islamist insurgency, Washington viewed Syria as offering only bad choices -- an al-Assad dictatorship or radical Islamist rule.
It was a self-fulfilling prophecy, as moderate rebels were left with little material support and slowly wilted. Extremists grew stronger, and al-Assad became even more brutal, using chemical weapons and barrel bombs in a war that has killed more than 200,000 people . It seemed as if no positive outcome was conceivable.
But now Kurdish forces are advancing, helped by U.S. bombings and the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army, showing that it is possible to push against ISIS without helping al-Assad.
2. Success will breed success and help unify the opposition.
One reason moderates have ended up so weak is that extremists, well-armed and financed, kept winning battle after battle. Nothing begets success like success. Many of the fighters who back Islamist groups do so only because they view them as likely victors in the battle against al-Assad. If the Kurds and other secular forces start winning battles, more fighters will be drawn to their side.
If the Kurds and their Free Syrian Army backers can win against ISIS and keep fighting, with U.S. and European support, against al-Assad, then there is a chance that the Syrian war could ultimately be brought to an end and create a pluralistic, moderate regime, which is what history tells us the Syrian people would prefer.
3. Another important message contained in the events of the past few days is that the United States can play a major role in defeating ISIS without flooding the battlefield and committing boots-on-the-ground.
But ultimately a political solution is needed.
The Kurds, legendarily fierce fighters, have proved themselves time and again. With strong U.S. support from the air and U.S.-provided arms, they could win. Nobody will fight harder to protect Kurdish territory than the Kurds. That is true in Syria and in Iraq.
Yet while ending the war in Syria and Iraq will require battlefield victories, more than anything it will require political change. In Iraq, Sunnis will not take on ISIS with all their might if they think it will only leave them under the heel of a sectarian government interested only in protecting the Shiites. In Syria, the fight against ISIS will not succeed unless the majority of the people believe there is a way to get rid of al-Assad.
4. Turkey's motivations will prove confusing, at best.
The Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has two goals: to see the end of the al-Assad regime and to prevent the Kurds from growing stronger. Turkey has received millions of Syrian refugees, but it also stood by while Kurds were killed in Koban i and has shown little enthusiasm for Kurdish victories. It sees the YPG as an extension of violent Kurdish separatists in Turkey. And armed Kurds, winning battles against ISIS, spark fears that their battle will pivot to establishing their own country.
5. A final, dispiriting lesson is that civilians will become caught up in the fighting, their suffering exploited for political and tactical gain.
Turkey has at times tried to prevent civilians from entering .  Others accused the Kurds of "ethnic cleansing" Arabs. But refugees, including Arabs, reportedly cheered news of Kurdish victories.
So, back to those images of ISIS fighters laughing from the Syrian side of the border? Why were they herding villagers back to the battlefield? One theory is that ISIS wanted them back so they could be used as human shields and prevent the United States from carrying out more bombing raids against ISIS.
Regardless, for the Syrian people, the suffering continues even as Kurdish fighters continue to make gains. Just one more reason for the rest of the world to do what it can to find a way to bring an end to this terrible war.
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        <date>Wed Jul 08 13:45:38 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Look at me! 25 selfies of the week</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/FV9PpWkWDrk/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Look at me! 25 selfies of the week
Updated 1634 GMT (2334 HKT) July 8, 2015
Look at me! 25 selfies of the week 25 photos
Actor Rob Lowe takes a selfie with his former "Parks and Recreation" co-stars Rashida Jones, left, and Amy Poehler on Saturday, July 4. "Chris and Ann had Leslie over for a #HappyFourth," Lowe said, referring to their characters on the television show.
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The U.S. soccer team celebrates together after winning the Women's World Cup on Sunday, July 5. "World Champions!!" forward Christen Press said on Instagram. She's at bottom holding the medal.
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Actress Lupita Nyong'o snaps a selfie in front of an airport in Kisumu, Kenya, on Wednesday, July 1. "Back to the roots, to my ancestral home," she wrote on Instagram.
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Pope Francis waves to the crowd Monday, July 6, as he rides through Samanes Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Pope is emphasizing the plight of the poor during his eight-day tour of South America.
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A giraffe photo-bombs Irish couple Lisa Kennedy and Gary King as they vacationed at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. The photo went viral this past week.
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Actress Tallulah Willis does a "celebratory jig" on Monday, July 6. "Friends, lovers, family, various amphibians of undetermined origin, im real excited to say I have been a fierce sober warrior for 365 days as of today," she wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to the beautiful humans in my life who have helped me get here."
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Comedian George Lopez takes a photo that includes the Dalai Lama on Sunday, July 5. The Dalai Lama was celebrating his 80th birthday during the Global Compassion Summit in Anaheim, California.
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Singers Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas pose with 24-karat gold cigars in this selfie Lovato posted to Instagram on Friday, July 3. "Nothing like one of your business partners/best friends showing up to support me and to celebrate #COOLFORTHESUMMER!!!!!!" Lovato said, referring to her latest single.
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Comedian Reggie Watts wears a plastic bag on his head in this uncaptioned selfie from Friday, July 3.
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A man in Moscow takes a selfie Saturday, July 4, with a girl dressed as Daenerys Targaryen, a character from the television show "Game of Thrones."
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Actor Antonio Banderas gets a selfie with his girlfriend, Nicole Kempel, while watching countryman Rafael Nadal play tennis Thursday, July 2, at Wimbledon.
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Singer John Legend gets a kiss from his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, on Monday, July 6.
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"Day one of The End Times," said rocker Marilyn Manson, referring to his tour with the Smashing Pumpkins on Monday, July 6.
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Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush poses with a supporter in Amherst, New Hampshire, on Saturday, July 4.
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stops for a selfie in Hanover, New Hampshire, on Friday, July 3.
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During a tour of the White House, a family takes a selfie in front of a portrait of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy on Wednesday, July 1. The White House now allows photos to be taken during public tours.
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"The sun is making my hair blonde and I don't know how to feel," comedian Billy Eichner said on Monday, July 6.
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U.S. soccer stars Sydney Leroux, right, and Abby Wambach wear "anti-aging" masks in this selfie Leroux posted to Instagram on Friday, July 3.
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"Happy 4th of July America!!!! No better way to celebrate than representing my country in a World Cup final!" said U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan.
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Barrel racer Carlee Pierce snaps a selfie Sunday, July 5, as she is lowered to the ground during opening ceremonies for the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta.
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Singer Lily Allen poses for a selfie in the VIP area of London's New Look Wireless Festival on Friday, July 3.
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Fashion designer Jason Wu takes a selfie with actress Diane Kruger on Saturday, July 4. "With family," he wrote on Instagram.
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"Waiting on my food here @ this food court thinking of this #Buffet album that I'm about to deliver to my fans that have been with me from #BornIntoThe90s" up until #BlackPanties," said singer R. Kelly on Wednesday, July 1.
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Television personality Kendall Jenner stops for a selfie as she leaves a restaurant in Paris on Monday, July 6.
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Coney Island visitors use a selfie stick Friday, July 3, in New York City. See 27 selfies from last week
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Take a look at 25 selfies of the week from July 1 through July 7.
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        <date>Fri Jul 03 16:00:25 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>The week in 43 photos</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/h-r36A2wVUQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Take a look at 43 photos of the week from June 26 through July 2.</Description>
        <MainBody>The week in 43 photos
Updated 1706 GMT (0006 HKT) July 3, 2015
The week in 43 photos 43 photos
George Harris, left, kisses Jack Evans after they were married in Dallas on Friday, June 26. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all 50 states.
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An unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after lifting off from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Sunday, June 28. The rocket was carrying food and other provisions to the International Space Station. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the rocket to fail. SpaceX -- the space exploration company headed by Tesla's Elon Musk -- will conduct an investigation overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Dead bodies lie near a beachside hotel in Sousse, Tunisia, after a gunman opened fire on Friday, June 26. At least 38 people were killed in the rampage.
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An honor guard soldier in Bucharest, Romania, adjusts the outfit of a colleague before a welcoming ceremony for NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday, July 2.
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Police stand over fugitive David Sweat after he was shot and captured in Constable, New York, on Sunday, June 28. Sweat and Richard Matt escaped from a maximum-security prison in Dannemora, New York, on June 6. Matt was killed by police on Friday, June 26, two days before Sweat was taken into custody.
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Icky, a 6-year-old Chinese Crested dog, kisses owner Jon Adler before competing in the World's Ugliest Dog contest Friday, June 26, in Petaluma, California.
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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who is seeking the Democratic nomination for President, speaks to nearly 10,000 supporters in Madison, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, July 1. See all the candidates running for President
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The week in 43 photos 43 photos
Young circus students practice in Battambang, Cambodia, on Wednesday, July 1.
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A woman in Athens, Greece, looks through the closed shutters of a bank on Monday, June 29. Greek banks stayed shut on Monday as officials scrambled to prevent the country's financial system from collapsing in panic.
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U.S. troops attend to a wounded comrade at the site of a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, June 30. The suicide bombing targeted an international convoy in Kabul only hours after a blast rocked a city in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province.
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The week in 43 photos 43 photos
A young person jumps into a swimming pool in Cologne, Germany, on Thursday, July 2.
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A wax figure of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is presented at the Panoptikum museum in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday, July 1.
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Bree Newsome is taken into custody after she removed the Confederate battle flag from a monument in front of the South Carolina State House on Saturday, June 27. She was charged with defacing a monument, and a new flag went up within about an hour, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. Not long after she was led away in handcuffs, Newsome became an online hero, a trending topic on social media and the subject of an online fundraiser.
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A street performer in a Mickey Mouse costume rests on a bench in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday, July 1.
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A baby walrus, left, explores its open-air enclosure for the first time at a zoo in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday, July 2.
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Security forces and rescue teams examine the wreckage of a military transport plane after it crashed into a residential area Tuesday, June 30, in Medan, Indonesia. At least 135 people were killed. The plane was carrying military personnel and their family members, as well as students and other civilians.
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A girl near U.S. President Barack Obama loses her balance in her chair as she and other Girl Scouts camped on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, June 30. See more photos of Obama with children
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Riot police use a water cannon to disperse activists before a gay pride parade in Istanbul on Sunday, June 28.
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Zachary Piedt has his head shaved Wednesday, July 1, during Induction Day at the U.S. Naval Academy.
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Flowers are laid at a London statue in memory of Sir Nicholas Winton, who is credited with saving hundreds of children from the Holocaust. Winton died Wednesday, July 1, at the age of 106.
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A veterinarian cares for a week-old panda cub at a research facility in Chengdu, China, on Tuesday, June 30. China's Sichuan province is home to the majority of the world's endangered giant pandas.
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People dressed as physicist Albert Einstein gather in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 27. The impersonators set a Guinness World Record for the largest Einstein gathering, and in the process they raised money for homeless children's education.
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The week in 43 photos 43 photos
A man has an egg smashed on his head to raise money for charity Sunday, June 28, at the World Egg Throwing Championships in Swaton, England.
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Tourists take photos in the Blue Room of the White House on Wednesday, July 1. The White House now allows photos to be taken during public tours, ending a 40-year-old ban.
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A bullet train passenger is carried away on a stretcher after an emergency stop in Odawara, Japan, on Tuesday, June 30. Two passengers reportedly died after one set himself on fire.
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People sunbathe on an island shaped like a puzzle piece Wednesday, July 1, at the Maarsseveense lake in Utrecht, Netherlands.
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Law enforcement officials respond to the Navy Yard facility in Washington on Thursday, July 2. There were reports of an active shooter at the facility, where 12 people were killed in 2013, but police said there was no evidence of a shooting or injured personnel.
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People in Havana, Cuba, watch U.S. President Barack Obama as he talks about re-establishing full diplomatic ties with Cuba on Wednesday, July 1. The two countries will be reopening their embassies after more than 50 years.
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A bridge collapse caused a train to fall into a canal Thursday, July 2, in Wazirabad, Pakistan. The train was transporting Pakistani soldiers, and at least 12 of them died, officials said.
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People in Eugene, Oregon, watch the Civic Stadium go up in flames on Monday, June 29. Four children have been charged with second-degree arson after the historic ballpark was destroyed, according to the Register-Guard newspaper.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry plays with his crutches as he talks to reporters aboard a plane in Maryland on Friday, June 26. Kerry broke his leg riding a bike in May.
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People in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, take part in a march to demand the resignation of President Juan Hernandez on Friday, June 26. Thousands of angry, torch-bearing Hondurans also demanded an independent probe into one of the worst corruption scandals in the country's history.
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Rescuers help passengers from a capsized ferry in Ormoc City, Philippines, on Thursday, July 2. The ferry capsized Thursday as it left a port in choppy waters, leaving dozens dead and many others missing, coast guard officials said.
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Migrants sleep on a train bound for Subotica, Serbia, which is near the border with Hungary, on Sunday, June 28. Hungary is part of the European Union. Serbia is not.
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A student in Lima, Peru, is assisted by teachers after she fell ill while marching in a parade celebrating St. Peter's Day on Monday, June 29.
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Smoke and flames rise above burning cars in Cairo at the scene of a bombing that killed Egypt's top prosecutor on Monday, June 29. The blast targeted the convoy of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat and destroyed several cars in the eastern neighborhood of Heliopolis. Six other people were reportedly injured.
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A woman carrying a child casts her vote in Burundi's parliamentary election on Monday, June 29.
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Students in Yangon, Myanmar, try to pass a police line on Tuesday, June 30, as they protest against military representatives in parliament who were appointed by the military commander-in-chief.
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Gianni Fontanesi checks underwater biospheres in Noli, Italy, on Saturday, June 27. Plants are growing inside the biospheres as part of the experimental Nemo's Garden project.
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Investigators in Greeleyville, South Carolina. remove the remains of a door from the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church on Wednesday, July 1. Federal investigators suspect lightning might have caused the fire, which drew attention because at least five other black church fires have occurred since the racist killings of nine people in a Charleston, South Carolina, church, last month.
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Plastic bags were brought to the Turkey-Syria border by Turkish Kurds wanting to deliver food to their relatives in nearby Kobani, Syria, on Friday, June 26. ISIS militants have been targeting civilians in Kobani over the past year.
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U.S. President Barack Obama sings "Amazing Grace" during services honoring the life of South Carolina state Sen. Clementa Pinckney on Friday, June 26. Pinckney was one of the nine people killed in a church shooting last month in Charleston, South Carolina.
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Aiden and Ty Johnston play under a fountain in Nottingham, England, on Tuesday, June 30. See last week in 43 photos
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Take a look at 43 photos of the week from June 26 through July 2.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:32:08 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Growing up in darkness</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/hKlxygxDpQw/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Some children in Maputo, Mozambique, are forced to literally grow up in darkness as they find themselves seeking refuge in places without electricity.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Growing up in darkness
By Benazir Wehelie, Special to CNN
Updated 2224 GMT (0524 HKT) July 8, 2015
10 photos
Helio Chichava, a 14-year-old from Maputo, Mozambique, showers before a Sunday meal hosted by a foreign worker from a nongovernmental organization. Photographer Mario Macilau, a Maputo native, shot photos of Helio and other children who live on the streets of the capital city.
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Two young boys sleep on a floor in a Maputo squatter settlement. Street children live as nomads, moving from one point to the next with nothing but a little bit of water and hand towels with which to wash cars.
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Stairs create shadows on the walls of an abandoned old building in downtown Maputo. There are no toilets, and water must be drawn from a nearby source.
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Police invade an abandoned building in which street children live, Macilau said.
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Street children hide from the rain in an abandoned old car in downtown Maputo.
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A 15-year-old boy smokes with his friends in Maputo.
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Street children generally do not believe that their identity has anything to do with the names given to them by their parents, Macilau said. When they arrive on the streets, many develop new identities that are tied to their interests and things they like. "My name is Cowboy because I like to dress like cowboys," said this 14-year-old. "I know my hat is different from the ones they wear, but I try my best to be like them with what I can get."
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A child plays soccer in his home in the abandoned Vila Algarve building.
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Emilio Maluleke, 14, sits in the abandoned building where he stays in downtown Maputo.
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Humberto Zunguza, 13, dons a costume inside his home in an abandoned building in Maputo's Polana district. He is trying to imitate the lead character of the Chinese action movie "Ninja Assassin."
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Mario Macilau photographed children who are growing up on the streets of Mozambique
Some have been abandoned; others are working to make money for their families
(CNN)
Many of us travel through streets each and every day so we can get to our homes. But for the children documented in photographer Mario Macilau's "Growing in Darkness" series, the streets are their homes.
The title refers to how some children in Maputo, Mozambique, are forced to literally grow up in darkness as they find themselves seeking refuge in places without electricity.
"I entered into their private spaces: bridges and abandoned buildings where they live and sleep. These places (are) very dark, damp and pernicious," Macilau said via email. "In these makeshift places, there are no facilities, light, water or any other form of domestic support."
The darkness is also a symbolic representation of the children's condition. It is as though society allows the literal lack of light to conceal the situation, rendering the children overlooked.
Photographer Mario Macilau
"We forget that (these children) are humans as we are. We ignore the fact that they have feelings and that they dream as well," Macilau said. "The main issue in Maputo today is the ignorance from each person to another -- (it) is the same thing that happens with (these) children. They are in the street because of our ignorance and ego."
There are various reasons children are forced to live on the streets. Some have been abandoned by their families, while others have moved into the capital city to earn money for their loved ones.
The project is particularly personal for Macilau, a Maputo native who carried groceries and washed cars as a child to help his family with finances.
All of Macilau's photos were shot in natural light and developed using a pigmented inkjet technique, resulting in a black-and-white photo series that provides a hauntingly rich and raw portrait of these children's lives.
"My aim was to go where everyone advised me not to go," Macilau said. "I was determined to reach the sight that seemed to frighten many."
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Having initially visited his subjects without a camera, Macilau says he and the children were able to develop a mutual trust and sense of safety.
"It is from this position of a friend that I managed to capture their existence: the adversity of their environments, the endurance of their young but possibly condemned bodies, and their resilience that, daily, defies the inhumanity of their hardships," he said.
Macilau's photos present everything from children sleeping and seeking shelter from the rain to dressing up as cowboys and ninjas.
The power and permanence of the images stem not only from the subject matter, but also Macilau's decision to shoot in black and white. He notes how viewers are more likely to retain the images in their memories because the lack of color enhances the details and deep, poetic significance that lives within each photo.
The photos also raise questions regarding the role society plays in the growth of its children. He notes that many of the children are engaged in forms of child labor, meaning they are vital participants and contributors to the functioning of Maputo. Macilau asks: "What is our role in this? How can we remedy their unfavorable situation?"
Macilau effectively sheds light upon a situation that is simultaneously so visible and invisible.
"Spending time with them reveals their charming sensibilities, human gestures and the immensity of their heart," Macilau said.
Mario Macilau is a Mozambican photographer based in Maputo. You can follow him on Twitter .
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:38:17 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Trapped in Bangladesh's brick factories</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/_9HLod-4sio/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Photographer Raffaele Petralla documented brick factories in Bangladesh's capital of Dhaka. He spent time with the workers who make low wages and suffer from the fumes in the fields.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Trapped in Bangladesh's brick factories
Updated 0145 GMT (0845 HKT) July 6, 2015
12 photos
A worker poses for a photo before a sandstorm hits a brick factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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Workers don't stop during the sandstorm.
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Smoke rises from chimneys on the outskirts of Dhaka, in the Gabtoly area.
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Five young workers inside their house in the Gazipur area. "The houses were very bad -- only 1.5 meters high, so you can't even stand up inside -- and (they were) without electricity," photographer Raffaele Petralla said.
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The trucks that load bricks add to the pollution and dust in the area.
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Lunch time for brick workers.
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The Meghna River in Dhaka.
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Women at work in the Gazipur area.
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Children begin to work at the age of 6, Petralla said. Their pay is equal to that of adults, and it is based on the amount of bricks transported daily.
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A child is ready to move to work in another factory.
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Kilns consume large quantities of fuel such as coal, firewood and other biomass.
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Story highlights
Photographer Raffaele Petralla documented brick factories in Bangladesh's capital
He spent time with the workers who make low wages and suffer from the fumes in the fields
(CNN)
Raffaele Petralla, a documentary photographer based in Rome, was struck by what he witnessed when he first arrived on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka.
"I saw hundreds and hundreds of chimneys around me. It was a landscape of smoke and chimneys," he said.
Petralla was in Bangladesh to document the brick factories that cluster around Dhaka. The first photo he took, capturing the moment he arrived in spring 2014, shows chimney stacks belching black smoke into a heavy grey sky above a watery but bleak industrial landscape.
He was to stay for two months, living among the brick workers to get a real understanding of their difficult lives.
"Near each factory there was the village of the workers, so there were all the families that work inside the factories," he said. "The houses were very bad -- only 1.5 meters high, so you can't even stand up inside -- and (they were) without electricity."
To make matters worse, he said, the tin-roofed houses were very, very hot inside, thanks to 100-degree temperatures outside and heat rising from the underground brick furnaces.
Photographer Raffaele Petralla
As many as 10 people, often from three generations, would be living in a house measuring only 3 or 4 square meters (33-43 square feet), he said.
One of Petralla's images, No. 3 in the gallery above, shows five young men inside one of these houses in the Gazipur area. Their faces show little expression, but their shoulders are uncomfortably stooped.
Petralla soon discovered that all those living in the workers' community had come from other parts of Bangladesh, mostly tiny rural villages far from big cities. They were lured by the promise of decent housing and a wage that would sustain them even in the months when the factories are closed.
One man Petralla met was 19-year-old Saddam. Saddam's account revealed how many of the workers find themselves trapped in a daily nightmare.
Saddam "told me one day a man came to the village with a very big car, dressed like a rich man, and he promised him a job and also one for all the family if they came with him to the capital city," Petralla said.
The family decided to go. Some days later, trucks arrived in the village and carried many of its people to the factory.
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"They received a promise to have a good job, to have a house, and they could leave after a year of work and go home. But at the end of the work season, they didn't have any money to go back," Petralla said.
Just change the name of the village, and Petralla heard the same story over and over again.
And it isn't just adults who are trapped in the brick factories. With wages kept miserably low, the families need every salary they can get just to survive -- and this means children as young as 6 work long hours, too, Petralla said. Their pay is the same as that for adults, based on the number of bricks transported daily in woven baskets loaded onto their heads. Petralla's images capture some of these children at work, dusty and often barefoot, in the brick fields.
Because many of the brick factories are illegal, Petralla said, the owners are wary of strangers, particularly journalists. So he pretended to be a tourist fascinated by the colors of the bricks, smoke and dust.
When the boss left each day, he stayed with the workers, took out his camera and documented their lives close up.
"They feel like they have a promise to change their lives, their economic position. But in reality, they didn't have access to medicine, they had money only for food," Petralla said. Some people fall ill, particularly with respiratory problems. But they can't stop working or they have no way to live.
"Maybe there's no way to escape," Petralla said. "I think most of them are not educated, they are illiterate people, and they don't know how they can escape from this situation."
The government has promised to tackle the problem of the brick factories and the choking pollution they produce, Petralla said, but they still continue.
According to a World Bank report last year, brick fields across Bangladesh expel more than 9.8 million tons of greenhouse gases into the air each year "due to a combination of old technology, weak environmental legislation and enforcement and lack of corporate responsibility."
The website of the Bangladesh Ministry of Environment and Forests outlines plans to cut the fumes emitted from brick fields by introducing cleaner technology and practices, as well as closer monitoring, through the Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project.
The pollution is causing serious health hazards, Petralla said. The brick kilns spew out vapor that is harmful to eyes, lungs and throats. These pollutants pose a risk to children's physical and mental development.
There's also a heavy environmental cost beyond the air pollution the brick kilns cause, particularly since forests are cut down to provide fuel for the furnaces.
Meanwhile, the brick workers serve the rapid development of Bangladesh's cities. But what, Petralla asks, do they gain from such growth?
"They are only slaves of it, and they cannot use their production," he said.  "It's pure injustice."
Raffaele Petralla is an Italian photographer. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter .
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 13:40:34 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/KeqVwd9f4mk/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos
Updated 1132 GMT (1832 HKT) July 7, 2015
What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
The U.S. soccer team celebrates after winning the Women's World Cup on Sunday, July 5. Carli Lloyd scored a hat trick as the Americans defeated Japan 5-2 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The United States has now won three Women's World Cups -- more than any other nation.
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Austin Dillon's car crashes into a fence Sunday, July 5, during a last-lap crash at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Daytona Beach, Florida. Dillon walked away from the crash, but several fans were injured.
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The night before, Dillon won the Xfinity Series race at the same racetrack. The Xfinity Series is the second tier of NASCAR.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Dustin Brown, a German tennis player ranked No. 102 in the world, plays Rafael Nadal in the second round of Wimbledon on Thursday, July 1. Brown upset Nadal -- a two-time Wimbledon champion -- in four sets.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Boston's Pablo Sandoval falls into Houston's dugout while catching a ball Saturday, July 4, in Boston's Fenway Park.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Horses race through a water obstacle during an equestrian event in Hamburg, Germany, on Tuesday, June 30.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Cyclists recover on the ground after a massive crash in the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday, July 6. The man in the foreground, Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellara, was leading the race, but he had to withdraw after suffering two fractured vertebrae.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
A shirtless Alexis Sanchez celebrates Saturday, July 4, after he scored the winning penalty kick for Chile in the final of the Copa America soccer tournament. The match against Argentina went to a shootout after ending 0-0 in extra time. It is the first Copa America title for Chile, who hosted this year's tournament.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Nicholas Lucena dives for a ball Thursday, July 2, while playing against a team from Qatar in the Beach Volleyball World Championships. The tournament took place in the Netherlands.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton holds up his trophy after winning the British Grand Prix on Sunday, July 5. It's already the fifth win of the season for Hamilton, a British driver who was last season's world champion.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Serena Williams stretches for a forehand while playing Timea Babos in the second round of Wimbledon on Wednesday, July 1. Williams, the world's top-ranked player, won in straight sets. She is looking to win her sixth Wimbledon title and her fourth Grand Slam title in a row.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori fails to stop a long-range shot from Carli Lloyd during the Women's World Cup final on Sunday, July 5. Lloyd's shot came from the midfield line and gave the United States a 4-0 first-half lead.
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Lloyd, right, celebrates with teammate Lauren Holiday after scoring her second goal of the World Cup final.
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Nathan Fox competes in the triple jump Saturday, July 4, at the British Championships in Birmingham, England.
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Houston outfielder Jake Marisnick crashes into the wall while making a catch Sunday, July 5, in Boston.
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Philadelphia's Freddy Galvis, bottom, slides into Milwaukee second baseman Scooter Gennett as Gennett turns a double play Tuesday, June 30, in Philadelphia.
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A practice session is held Wednesday, July 1, for the Palio di Siena, a bareback horse race held twice a year in Siena, Italy. The historic race dates to the 17th century. Ten riders represent their local neighborhood as they race around the iconic city square three times.
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High jumper Isobel Pooley celebrates after setting a British record Saturday, July 4, at the British Championships. Pooley's winning jump was 1.97 meters (6.46 feet).
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Weldon Brown, a defensive back with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, breaks up a pass intended for Toronto's Tori Gurley, left, during a Canadian Football League game in Regina, Saskatchewan, on Sunday, July 5.
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Luke Dahlhaus of the Western Bulldogs grabs the ball Saturday, July 4, during an Australian Football League match against the Carlton Blues in Melbourne.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Chad Besplug is tossed off the bull Teen Spirit on Friday, July 3, during the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
People swim across Lake Zurich during a public race held Wednesday, July 1, in Zurich, Switzerland. The race stretched over a distance of 1,500 meters (4,921 feet).
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Tiger Woods hits a shot during the third round of the Greenbrier Classic on Saturday, July 4. Woods finished tied for 32nd in the event, which took place in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
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Worcestershire's Saeed Ajmal gets caught up in a short ball while playing Nottinghamshire during a County Championship cricket match in Nottingham, England, on Tuesday, June 30.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Franziska Hentke sets a German record in the 200-meter butterfly while swimming in Essen, Germany, on Friday, July 3.  She finished the race in 2 minutes and 5.26 seconds.
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An England player battles for the ball while playing New Zealand in the Women's Rugby Super Series on Wednesday, July 1. New Zealand won the match 26-7 in Red Deer, Alberta.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Men compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the British Championships on Saturday, July 4.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
From left, England soccer players Carly Telford, Toni Duggan, Claire Rafferty and Steph Houghton show off their medals after defeating Germany 1-0 in the Women's World Cup third-place match on Saturday, July 4.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Brazil's Juliana Silva bumps the ball during a match at the Beach Volleyball World Championships on Friday, July 2. Silva and Maria Antonelli won bronze at the event.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Argentina's Lionel Messi controls the ball during the Copa America semifinal against Paraguay on Tuesday, June 30. Argentina smashed Paraguay 6-1.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
San Diego's Justin Upton snags a line drive while playing in St. Louis on Saturday, July 4.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
The rally car of Lorenzo Bertelli and Lorenzo Granai catches some air in Mikolajki, Poland, on Saturday, July 4.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Crews work on the demolition of San Francisco's Candlestick Park on Tuesday, June 30. The stadium used to be home to the San Francisco 49ers and the San Francisco Giants.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Jack Riewoldt of the Richmond Tigers is poked in the face Saturday, July 4, during an Australian Football League match against the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Enrique Hernandez can't collect a ground ball during a home game against the New York Mets on Sunday, July 5.
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Svetlana Kuznetsova follows through on a shot Friday, July 2, while playing Karolina Pliskova in the second round of Wimbledon.
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Qatar's Younousse Cherif celebrates after winning a match Friday, July 2, at the Beach Volleyball World Championships.
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What a shot! 38 amazing sports photos 38 photos
U.S. captain Abby Wambach holds the American flag as she celebrates the team's World Cup title on Sunday, July 5. See 38 amazing sports photos from last week
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Take a look at 38 amazing sports photos from June 30 through July 6.
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        <date>Thu Jul 02 13:39:12 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>At home with Frida Kahlo</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/D_j9-MZxQT0/index.html</Link>
        <Description>Frida Kahlo is the subject of a new book containing never-before seen pictures of the late painter's private life.</Description>
        <MainBody>Updated 1133 GMT (1833 HKT) July 2, 2015
At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
Mexican painter Frida Kahlo works on her now-famous "Portrait of My Father" in 1951. As well-known for her independence as she is for her portraits, Kahlo is the subject of a new book containing never-before-seen pictures of her private life. "Frida Kahlo: The Gisele Freund Photographs" is published by Abrams and offers an intimate glimpse inside the world of the late artist.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
Kahlo's paint box in 1951. The artist developed her own recipes for creating special colors. In 1950, photographer Gisele Freund embarked on what was to have been a two-week trip to Mexico. She ended up staying for two years after Kahlo and her husband, artist Diego Rivera, befriended her. Kahlo allowed the photographer unprecedented access to her creative process.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
As a teenager, Kahlo was critically injured in a bus accident and confined to a bed. She suffered from ill health for the rest of her life. Here, she is shown in her bedroom in 1951.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
Kahlo smokes in her garden in 1951. The German-born Freund was an accomplished documentary photographer and became famous for her portraits of writers and artists like Kahlo.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
A view of Kahlo's desk at her home "La Casa Azul" (The Blue House) in Mexico City.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
Kahlo and Dr. Juan Farill are photographed in her home in 1951. In 1950, Kahlo underwent several surgeries for reoccurring spinal issues, and she had to use a wheelchair.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
A casual moment with the artist in her home. Kahlo was 44 years old in this photograph. Freund became a great admirer of Kahlo and her husband's work.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
A view of a fireplace in Kahlo's home in 1951. The home was also her birthplace, and today it houses the Frida Kahlo Museum.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
Kahlo stands in her garden with her dogs in 1951.
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At home with Frida Kahlo 10 photos
A portrait of Kahlo. She died in 1954 at the age of 47.
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Frida Kahlo is the subject of a new book containing never-before seen pictures of the late painter's private life.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 20:57:47 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Al-Shabaab kills 14 in Kenya</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/bdHtuZNMvAg/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>At least 14 killed by Al-Shabaab in Kenya 01:58
Story highlights
Official says estimated number of attackers is between 10 and 15
An Al-Shabaab spokesman says the attack killed Kenyan Christians
The attack targeted a compound in Mandera County that primarily housed quarry workers
Nairobi, Kenya (CNN)
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility Tuesday for a nighttime attack on two homes in northeastern Kenya's Mandera County.
The attack killed at least 14 people and injured 11 others, according to Mandera County Commissioner Alex Nkoyo.
The compound housed primarily quarry workers.
The attack began around 1 a.m. when a group of men using a variety of weapons attacked the compound, Nkoyo told CNN.
The commissioner said an explosive device -- something other than a hand grenade -- was used to blow open a gate to the compound. The attackers then entered and started shooting.
Many people were sleeping outside to escape the heat. When the attack began, those who were able to do so ran inside the houses, followed by the gunmen, Nkoyo said.
Attackers disappeared into the bush
Those killed were local laborers and workers from other parts of Kenya, he said. A woman, identified as the landlady of the compound, was also among the dead, he said.
Judging by the number of bullets at the attack site, Nkoyo said, the estimated number of attackers was 10 to 15, with more as backup.
The commissioner said local security forces responded within 10 minutes, and as their vehicles approached, the attackers dispersed into the bush and surrounding villages. Some may have crossed the border into Somalia, he said.
Mandera County borders Somalia and Ethiopia.
Nkoyo said Mandera has been under heightened security since attacks there last year on a bus that killed at least 28 people and on a quarry, where 36 people were killed.
Al-Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiaziz Abu Musab, said Tuesday's attack had killed more than a dozen people whom he described as Kenyan Christians.
Al-Shabaab is an Islamic terrorist group that operates primarily in Somalia.
The attack was part of Al-Shabaab's Ramadan offensive against Kenya, said the spokesman, speaking on Al-Shabaab's main broadcaster, Radio Andalus.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:35:04 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Will you be rocking the Maasai look next fall?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/EokNuBXDdv0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Luxury
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Will you be rocking the Maasai look next fall?
By Milena Veselinovic and Marc Hoeferlin , for CNN
Updated 1147 GMT (1847 HKT) July 8, 2015
7 photos
Wan Fam Clothing is transforming traditional wear into urban chic.
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7 photos
Borrowing from Maasai culture, the Nairobi-based brand combines shuka, a Maasai fabric normally wrapped around the body, with contemporary designs. In doing so, their products both pay homage to tradition whilst highlighting the trends of modern Kenya. The brand sells around 100 units a month. Bags go for $18, jackets $29, with Wan Fam saying they're able to make a good profit on each item.
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7 photos
Wan Fam Clothing is just one of several African brands who are to focus on their own heritage for inspiration South African knitwear designer Laduma Ngxokolo creates clothes inspired by the aesthetics of the Xhosa community.
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Inzuki Designs by Teta Isibo is a Kigali-based startup that specializes in jewelry, accessories and interior decor.
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Brothers Jeff and Emmanuel Wanjala launched Wan Fam in 2009, capitalizing on the demand for locally-produced wares. Now is the time, they say, for African designers to start exploring their own heritage.
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One of their most successful collections, called 1963, commemorated 50 years of Kenyan independence. Over half of the stock was sold in a single weekend.
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Wan Fam is becoming so popular that piracy is becoming an issue. The way to counter the problem is maintaining the quality of the product, says Jeff Wanjala.
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(CNN)
The formidable Maasai tribe have long been known as tall and fierce warriors, but they have recently also become unlikely fashion icons.
A Kenyan clothing label has taken inspiration from the patterns of the traditional Maasai shuka, a cloth usually worn wrapped around the body, to produce clothes and accessories in vibrant tribal prints.
Nairobi-based Wan Fam Clothing was founded by brothers Jeff and Emmanuel Wanjala -- the sibling duo say they want to pay homage to Kenya's Maasai culture by turning a traditional garment into fashionable urban wear.
"Our dominant fabric is usually Maasai shuka," says Jeff Wanjala. "It's very ideal because it has like a signature for Africa -- you can just see it and notice that this is our brand."
The two brothers think time is right for Kenyan and other African designers to start looking inward and exploring their own heritage.
"The demand for local products has actually gone up," says Jeff Wanjala. "People are trying to get more African products, so that means it is actually a big market for local designers," he adds.
Strong demand
The brothers tried to tap into that demand for authenticity by launching a collection called 1963, commemorating 50 years of Kenya's independence. They read the consumer mood correctly, and their move resulted an astounding success:
Wan Fam Clothing makes urban garments inspired by traditional Maasai cloth called shuka.
"This was one of the best sales we ever had. We had launched it on a Friday and by Monday we had sold like half the collection," Jeff Wanjala says.
The brand, which launched in 2009, says it sells up to 100 units a month, with bags carrying a price tag of $18 and jackets $29. Their success has, however, brought them to the attention of copycats:
"Once you make a good product, automatically people start coming in, so the new clients start thinking that you are actually the one imitating the products," says Jeff  Wanjala, but adds that in spite of that challenge the company is making a profit. "Once you create a good product, you create demand," he says.
Growing trend
Wan Fam Clothing is just one in a string of African brands who have shunned imported aesthetic to focus on their own heritage for inspiration. South African knitwear designer Laduma Ngxokolo creates menswear which incorporates visual motifs of his own Xhosa heritage, and Rwandan jewelery maker Teta Isibo creates handmade pieces which fuse traditional local craftsmanship with contemporary bold designs.
Jeff Wanjala offers a piece of advice for inspiring entrepreneurs looking to start a new company:
"I would tell anyone who wants to start a local brand, don't compromise on quality. That's number one. And don't give up on whatever you love doing. Just do what you love and the rest will follow," he says.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:36:55 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>An Arctic Tiger waiting to pounce?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ClAs8PSzDIE/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>A $65 billion, 800-mile new pipeline for liquid natural gas is moving closer to construction.
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Business investment must be balanced with conservation needs and measures to protect Alaska's unique environment and wildlife.
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Traders highlights the business of global trading by showcasing extraordinary individuals worldwide who are trading goods and services across borders.
(CNN)
For three weeks to June 5, the James Dalton Highway lay underwater, following ice storms that burst the banks of the Sagavanirktok "Sag" River.
The Highway has earned a permanent position on lists of the world's most dangerous roads . Stretching 414 miles through the Alaskan tundra, it is the sole route and supply line to the Arctic Ocean and its abundant oil fields. Only the most experienced drivers with heavy-duty trucks can navigate fearsome stretches with names to match from "Ice cut" to "Avalanche Alley." A breakdown in the permafrost can be quickly fatal.
Yet the Dalton is well-trafficked, with hundreds of trucks making the trip between Fairbanks and Deadhorse each day. The recent flooding caused a backlog of over 1,000 journeys and the loss of millions of dollars.
Dalton Hwy, MP 375-412, impassable, closing tonight at midnight. This will last 4 days, or until conditions change. pic.twitter.com/LE6XI6cMl0
 Alaska DOT&PF (@AlaskaDOTPF) May 18, 2015
The cold rush
Alaska has become too important to ignore. Beneath the frozen surface, the land and sea are rich in precious natural resources.
Prudhoe Bay is among the largest oil fields in the continent, producing 80 million barrels of crude per day. The lucrative minerals industry is soaring , with gold, silver and zinc coming out of the ground in increasing volume. Seafood is becoming a powerhouse of the local and international economy.
The asset boom is helping local businesses to capture overseas markets - exports have doubled over 20 years to $5.2 billion in 2014 -- and is attracting international business to Alaska.
There can be a culture shock for new arrivals. Swedish engineering giant Sandvik Group employs around 50,000 people in over 100 countries, but after entering the Alaskan market as a construction and mining dealer in 2012, it had to adapt to unique conditions.
"Transportation is a challenge, especially considering that our equipment tends to be located in remote areas," says Jeff Heinemann, vice president of Sandvik Construction in North America. "The minimal infrastructure makes access by road difficult ... In remote locations, the best option for transporting people and parts could be air."
Sandvik, like many of the international companies operating in Alaska, works with a local distributor that provides the benefit of experience and insight into Alaska's working customs.
"Our customers may work around the clock in the five-six month construction season in the year or work around the clock in extreme winters," says Heinemann. "The local companies will adapt their ways of working according to the climate conditions ...We (have to) make sure our equipment is ready to go."
Building bridges
Logistics are even more demanding on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands west of the mainland, home to some of the most plentiful fisheries in the United States. Companies rely on boats and planes for transport, which is unreliable and expensive, says Larry Cotter, CEO of APICDA , an umbrella group of seafood companies that exports all over the world.
"In the case of one plant can we can only move out products three to four times a year, so timing to market is not always on the button. Sometimes we are two months late for a sale."
The conditions are also notoriously dangerous , but demand for local fish such as Black Cod and Alaskan Salmon provides rich rewards. If Alaska were an independent nation it would be the seventh largest seafood supplier in the world, with exports worth over $3 billion a year.
Cod fishing in the Bering Sea.
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"China and south-east Asia are huge growth markets," says Cotter. "China has an insatiable appetite and is making a huge impact. Fifteen years ago, 99% of Black cod went to Japan, now it's China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, along with the U.S., and Japan has to compete with them."
Cotter believes Alaska must develop its infrastructure to capitalize on this boom. Modernization of ports and harbors, and investment in renewable energy, are key priorities.
The most ambitious project is a long-mooted pipeline for LNG (liquefied natural gas) that would serve the state, as well as export to foreign markets. A $65 billion, 800-mile scheme backed by oil giants Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and BP, with support from the local authorities, is advancing through regulatory hurdles -- including a federal review of the environmental impact, which has raised concerns -- before six years of construction can begin.
Proposed route of Alaska's liquid natural gas pipeline, the state's largest infrastructure project.
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The state has also made business-friendly moves, including the introduction of a trade zone that frees international companies from tariff requirements. Alaska's airports have the most liberal laws in the United States for foreign companies transferring cargo.
If Alaska can improve its infrastructure, it is well placed to make rapid progress as an international business hub, says Dr. Darren Prokop, professor of logistics at the University of Alaska Anchorage. It is the best positioned of U.S. states for international trade, he points out -- "within nine hours flying time to 90% of the industrialized world," -- and the only Arctic state, which guarantees resources, influence and prestige.
With the onset of major development projects, a new challenge is to maintain the unique environment.
"It's a beautiful area that has a lot of resources, so it's a matter of balancing that equation," says Prokop. "We want to extract the wealth but keep the pristine nature of the coastline and interior in a way that encourages tourism and travel."
The future seems bright and full of possibilities. But whatever changes, the essence of working in Alaska will remain the same: a battle with nature at its wildest extremes. And as every Dalton Highway trucker knows, it cannot always be won.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:39:20 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>'Balloon man' soars in lawn chair, lands himself in jail</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/hJ6oO_8fPGQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Man floats into sky with nearly 100 balloons 02:22
Story highlights
Daniel Boria tied more than 100 balloons to a lawn chair and flew over the Calgary Stampede
Police arrested him and charged him with mischief causing danger to life
The 26-year-old says the stunt cost him more than $10,000
(CNN)
Daniel Boria says he was trying to get attention for his cleaning business when he tied more than 100 helium balloons to a lawn chair and soared through the sky over his city.
But soon after he opened a parachute and jumped back on the ground, police in Calgary, Canada, arrested him Sunday, charging him with one count of mischief causing danger to life .
A day later, the chair still hadn't landed, Calgary Police Acting Inspector Kyle Grant said, according to Canadian broadcaster CTV .
"At this point, we have no reports of anybody finding anything or anybody being injured," Grant said, "but it's a big concern for us, and I don't think it's something he took into account."
Boria, 26, told CNN he devised his plan about two months ago. Originally, he was hoping to pay a plane or helicopter service to fly him over the crowds at the Calgary Stampede. But Boria said he had to take matters into his own hands after the services rejected his request, telling him there was a no-fly zone policy over the popular rodeo.
In the end, Boria said the stunt cost him more than $10,000. He bought a lawn chair for $19.99 and 110 helium balloons -- the largest he could find -- for about $13 each. Filling up the balloons cost around $80 each and took about two hours, he said.
Equipped with an oxygen tank and a parachute, he took off Sunday evening.
"I'd estimate I was going up about 500 to 1,000 feet in a minute," he said. "I was looking down on the city and watching 747s and planes approaching the local airport."
It wasn't the first time Boria had found himself floating far above his hometown; he's skydived a few times in the past. But this, he said, was different.
Boria flew over the stampede grounds, but turbulent weather led him past his destination. He deployed his parachute and landed by train tracks in a rocky area.
He had a few cuts on his body and was worried he'd broken his foot, but he was still hoping he could walk away unscathed.
"A guy was driving by and was going to give me a ride," he said.
But instead, Boria got a ride in a different kind of vehicle.
"A police officer arrived and put two and two together and put me in custody," he said.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 08 15:36:01 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Israel's tech whiz-kids-in-training? Ultra-Orthodox Jews</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/xq5An-92d68/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Ultra-Orthodox Jews go high-tech 02:21
Story highlights
Ultra-Orthodox men, many in need of work, getting high-tech education
Skills from studying scripture help them with analysis of programming problems
Tel Aviv, Israel (CNN)
The third-floor room in a suburb of Tel Aviv looks like any other high-tech company in the "Start-Up Nation." Rows of programmers type away at computers, hammering out computer code for mobile applications. One room over, they work on web development in this small tech hub in Bnei Brak.
But the programmers come from a very different background. They are ultra-Orthodox Jews, known for their strict traditions and private lifestyle. They are called Haredim, which means "those who tremble in awe of God," and they are Israel's next wave of high-tech programmers.
By day, they adhere to their devout lifestyle, studying religious scripture on the first floor of the building. They huddle in groups, reading and rereading passages from religious texts such as the Talmud and the Torah, arguing about the meaning of individual words and phrases.
In the afternoon, they move up to the second floor and study something different.
Very different.
Instead of studying ancient texts, they learn modern computer languages and computer programming. The students begin by learning mathematics and English, subjects they never learned in their strict traditional lifestyle, which focuses on religious study. Then they start learning to program.
After one of year of study, they begin working in the high-tech fields.
"People who didn't know anything about computers a year ago, you'll see them developing web applications, mobile applications," says Vered Mor, general manager of RavTech , the religious high-tech school where these students study Judaism and technology.
An eye and heart for analysis
New classes start each year with about 30 students. The students are required to pass tests in math, English and web development.
"They're really curious," says Noam Elfenbaum, one of the teachers. "They just want to know, to really understand what's going on, and they're not satisfied with shallow answers."
The religious high-tech school is a way of finding work for Haredi men. Unemployment and poverty are major problems in the ultra-Orthodox community.
Among ultra-Orthodox men, 55% are unemployed. In most ultra-Orthodox families, only the woman works, often at low-income jobs, while supporting large families. On average, Haredi families have six children.
The ultra-Orthodox Haredi community makes up 10% of Israel's population, but it is the fastest-growing segment of the population.
Most of the students at RavTech are in their 20s and 30s. They already have families. Now they are looking for work. Student Ariel Braun says years of strict religious study make for excellent programmers.
"A lot of times you have to think outside the box, and that's very, very important, especially in studying the scriptures," says Braun. "To think beyond the simple understanding of what's in front of you, look into different levels and try and get deeper into the problem."
High-tech programming jobs allow the ultra-Orthodox to maintain their strict lifestyle. In between programming classes, they break for afternoon prayers. One Haredi man reads the prayer service from his cell phone. For these ultra-Orthodox men working in today's modern economy, technology is always close at hand.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:41:54 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Does ancient 'conflict resolution' village hold key to U.S.-Iran talks?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/Rw-FfQtRI8U/index.html</Link>
        <Description>The elderly lady struggles to walk up a steep alley in the ancient Iranian village of Abyaneh. It's almost painful to watch as she puts her whole weight onto her walking stick to try to propel herself up the incline.</Description>
        <MainBody>Ancient ideas for a modern world 02:20
Story highlights
The village of Abyaneh, in Iran's Karkass Mountains, dates back 4,000 years, and holds on to many ancient traditions
Its people have a reputation as conflict mediators, known for finding wise and fair solutions to dilemmas
Could the locals help resolve the long and drawn out talks between Iran and the United States?
Abyaneh, Iran (CNN)
The elderly lady struggles to walk up a steep alley in the ancient Iranian village of Abyaneh. It's almost painful to watch as she puts her whole weight onto her walking stick to try to propel herself up the incline.
Honey Amiri, 74, has lived here all her life. She takes life slowly. But when I ask her about the United States, all of sudden full of vim and vigor, she stands upright, her voice as strong as her opinions.
"We like the American people, we like President Obama, but we don't like Congress," she says -- with a broad grin.
Her friend, 80-year-old Fatemeh Jamal, adds: "We have heard that President Obama says the military option is on the table. Well, we are not afraid of that!"
Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
Abyaneh has a history of almost 4,000 years. The 84-year-old man pictured here is the oldest person in the village.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
"We like the American people, we like President Obama, but we don't like Congress," says Abyaneh resident Honey Amiri, 74, with a broad grin.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
The people of the village have preserved their traditional style of clothing, where the woman wear colorful headscarves and dresses while the men dress in wide black pants.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
Amiri struggles to walk up a street in the village.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
Reza Alirezai, pictured sitting down, is the head of the village council. He talks to another local resident.
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Alirezai speaks with Amiri. He tells CNN that Abyaneh used to be and still is often called upon to draw up contracts and agreements between towns and individuals because they are known for finding wise and fair solutions.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
CNN manages to get access to a women-only lesson on the Quran, the Muslim holy book, at the biggest and oldest mosque in the village.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
A girl recites verses from the Quran. The people of Abyaneh are Muslim, but they have preserved much of their culture from pre-Islamic times when the main religion in Persia was Zoroastrianism.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
CNN camerawoman Claudia Otto films the women's Quran lesson.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
A fruit seller in Abyaneh. The people here are laid back but also well educated.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
The door to the oldest and biggest mosque in town. A lot of the buildings have beautiful wooden doors with artistic carvings in them that are almost as old as the buildings themselves.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
Abyaneh's culture of "live and let live" developed over the centuries, where the village was subjected to a lot of change but always maintained its core identity.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
Persian Pahlavi, a dialect of ancient Persia, is still the main language spoken here and the residents simply refer to it as the Zoroastrian language.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
A man strolls down the street with his donkey. Abyaneh is unique even in a culturally diverse country such as Iran.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
The main street in Abyaneh. Its red-colored houses, situated at the foot of a hill in a valley in the Karkass Mountains, are known all over Iran.
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Ancient Iranian village with decision-making powers 16 photos
The buildings get their unique, red color from mud bricks.
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EXPAND GALLERY
Abyaneh village is unique even by the standards of Iran's massive cultural diversity. It is known as one of the oldest places in the country, dating back around 4,000 years.
Its red-colored mud brick houses, clustered at the foot of a hill in a valley in the Karkass Mountains, are known all over Iran; many of the homes here have beautifully ornate carved wooden doors, almost as old as the buildings themselves.
Abyaneh's culture of "live and let live" developed over the centuries; the village was subject to a lot of change but always maintained its core identity.
CNN visited a Koran lesson for women in the biggest and oldest mosque in Abyaneh. The people here are Muslim, but have preserved much of their culture from pre-Islamic times when the main religion in Persia was Zoroastrianism.
They have also preserved their traditional style of clothing -- the woman wear colorful headscarves and dresses, while the men dress in wide black pants.
Persian Pahlavi, a dialect of ancient Persia, is still the main language spoken here -- the residents simply refer to it as the Zoroastrian language.
Most of the 1,000 or so people who live here are very well educated. And, they say, they have a reputation as conflict mediators in this region.
"We have a story here in Abyaneh," says Reza Alirezai, the head of the city council. "A man and a woman come to court because they have a dispute. Then the judge sees the woman tying the man's shoelaces and he thinks the conflict has been resolved. He asks them and they say that the conflict is still ongoing, but that doesn't mean that she can't help her husband tie his shoe."
"The lesson is that even if you have a conflict in one area, it does not mean that you have to break off all relations," explains Alirezai. "You can still live together."
Alirezai says Abyaneh is often called upon to draw up contracts and agreements between towns and individuals because its people are known for finding wise and fair solutions.
He says he believes that kind of thinking would be helpful for the U.S.'s relations with Iran.
"The people of Iran have always talked to each other in councils," he says. "And the output and the thoughts of the council were always stronger than any one man's thoughts. This is what creates civilization."
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:39:43 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Singapore court frees 16-year-old blogger </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ffK2v7qhB9M/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Does Internet censorship kill innovation in China? 02:07
PLAY VIDEO
Lee, highly revered in Singapore, was laid to rest In March with thousands gathering in a massive state funeral service. Admired for his role in turning the former British colony into a financial powerhouse, Lee was also criticized for tamping down free speech.
Funeral for founding father of Singapore
On the day of Lee's funeral in March, Singapore police arrested Yee, saying his video contained "disparaging remarks against Christians." He was charged with intent to wound the religious feelings of any person, circulating obscene objects and making threatening and abusive or insulting communications -- charges commanding up to three years in prison.
"Police take a stern view of acts that could threaten religious harmony in Singapore. Any person who uploads offensive content online with deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person will be firmly dealt with in accordance with the law," Deputy Commissioner of Police Tan Chye Hee said at the time.
Yee's bail was set at $14,500, The Strait Times newspaper reported, adding that Yee's father apologized to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is the son of Lee Kuan Yew.
Deteriorating state?
Found guilty in May, Yee was detained for 53 days at Changi Prison before being transferred two weeks ago to the Institute of Mental Health where, his attorney said, he underwent court-ordered psychiatric examinations.
"As Amos's lawyers, we were deeply concerned of the strain on his mental state and his physical state in the long period of remand," Dodwell said.
Amos Yee arrives at court with his father in March.
Some of the teenager's advocates feared that if those exams went poorly Yee might be required to undergo more than two years of mandatory psychiatric treatment in lieu of prison time.
But on Monday, Judge Jaswinder Kaur handed down a one-week sentence for the obscenity charge and three weeks in prison for the charge of wounding religious feelings.
Singapore teen charged after YouTube rant
With Yee having been in prison for well over a month, Kaur released him for time served.
A psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health said Yee does not realize that "freedom of expression is not freedom from consequence" and recommended counseling on responsible use of the Internet, Dodwell's statement said. The psychiatrist also recommended that Yee continue his formal education and attend family counseling.
'The conviction is wrong in law'
"So, Amos is free  today. He does not face any further sanctions in so far as these two charges are concerned," Dodwell said. "Amos, duly advised by his lawyers, is of the view that the conviction is wrong in law and sentence levied against him is manifestly excessive."
Earlier this month, Yee's mother, Mary Toh, who attended court hearings in a "#FreeAmosYee" T-shirt, wrote a letter -- widely shared on Facebook -- to her son, apologizing that he was so insecure and scared after she had told him he was "in the safest country"
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jul 02 18:20:30 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>1/3 of China's Great Wall missing</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/jT0Vmog9hDY/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>The Great Wall: Jiankou  Soldiers' barracks are located nearby, behind the tower.
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The Great Wall: Jiankou  Summer. An ancient pine tree stands by Beijing Jie (Beijing Knot), where three sections of the wall meet.  A difficult place to get to, getting down is even harder, Olson says.
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The Great Wall: Jiankou  Autumn.  The foliage shows off its best colors around the General's Tower, although pollution can still create hazy conditions.
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The Great Wall: Jiankou  Although the wall has not been maintained for the last 450 years or so, the bricks and mortar dating from the Ming Dynasty are in surprisingly good condition, Olson says.
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The Great Wall: Jiankou  Winter.  Only a few hardy souls visit the wall during the cold months.
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The Great Wall: Jiankou  The middle section of Jiankou is built into a jagged rock wall.  It is passable, but there is a risk of falling off the wall.  Olson recommends hiring a local guide in Xizhazi village.
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(CNN)
It was originally built to defend an empire, but now parts of the Great Wall of China are crumbling so badly they need someone to leap to their defense.
About 2,000 kilometers, or 30%, of the ancient fortification built in the Ming Dynasty era has disappeared due to natural erosion and human damage, according to the Beijing Times .
And the situation could worsen, experts are warning, as not enough is being done to preserve what remains.
"It's a great pity to witness the Great Wall in such devastated situation," Mei Jingtian, a volunteer who has worked for three decades to safeguard the structure and has founded of the Great Wall Protection Association, tells CNN.
About 8,000 kilometers of the structure dates from the Ming period between the 14th and 17th centuries and is considered by some to be the original Great Wall.
Wild Great Wall
Of this, 2,000 kilometers is made up of naturally occurring earthworks -- and so only 6,000 kilometers of actual Ming dynasty wall was ever built.
Stretches built in other eras make up an overall length estimated at up to 21,000 kilometers.
Many visitors to China associate the Great Wall with an extensively restored stretch of Ming era wall at Badaling near Beijing, but this is far from typical of most of the structure.
According to a 2014 survey done by the Great Wall of China Society, only about 8.2% of the Great Wall is in good condition, with 74.1% classified as poorly preserved.
"The Great Wall is a vast heritage site -- over 20,000 kilometers -- hence increasing the difficulty in preservation and restoration," Dong Yaohui, deputy director of the Great Wall of China Society, tells CNN.
"Reliance on a very small amount of manpower by the local heritage departments is not enough to guard and protect the site."
A recent surge in interest from tourists in visiting unexploited sections, known as the "Wild Great Wall," has accelerated its deterioration, according to the report.
Graffiti and theft have also taken their toll.
"Local residents in some sections sell bricks that have historic engravings on them," says Dong.
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jul 07 21:40:09 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>France wine country toasted with world heritage status</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/n_PyXEQSWW8/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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France wine country toasted with World Heritage status
By Ray Sanchez, CNN
Updated 0039 GMT (0739 HKT) July 5, 2015
12th century church of Chavot in the Champagne-Ardenne region.
Story highlights
Hillsides, houses and cellars of Champagne granted UNESCO World Heritage status
Slopes of Burgundy, France, also receive special status
(CNN)
France's world renowned wine country was toasted twice Saturday with world heritage status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The U.N.'s cultural body bestowed the special status on the historic hillsides and properties where the sparkling wines of Champagne are produced, as well as the famous vineyards that grace the slopes of Burgundy.
The designation covers the Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars where "the method of producing sparkling wines was developed on the principle of secondary fermentation in the bottle since the early 17th century to its early industrialization in the 19th century," UNESCO said in a statement.
The vineyards in Hautvilliers, A and Mareuil-sur-A, Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in Epernay bear "clear testimony to the development of a very specialized artisan activity that has become an agro-industrial enterprise," the statement said.
20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Rapa Nui (Chile)  Easter Island, or Hanga Roa, is the most remote inhabited island on the planet. Carved from solid basalt between the 13th and 16th centuries, the group of more than 800 massive stone monuments known as moai scattered across the volcanic landscape are the legacy of a Polynesian society that settled here around 300 AD.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Valletta (Malta)  Ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St. John, which built the city in the 16th century, Valletta is one of the world's rare urban inhabited sites that's been preserved near perfectly. Crammed into a tiny fortified peninsula, the site comprises 320 monuments, making it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Yellowstone National Park (United States)  For sheer diversity, Yellowstone National Park is among the world's great natural wonders. Contained within a 9,000-square-kilometer chunk of Wyoming, the world's first national park contains half of the globe's known geothermal features, and is home to an equally impressive array of wildlife including grizzlies, wolves and bison.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Bagan (Myanmar)  It's still on the tentative list of sites to be brought into the UNESCO fold. But as Myanmar's tourism industry expands, Bagan's profile is gaining prominence. The capital city of the first Myanmar Kingdom, this enormous Buddhist complex on the Irrawaddy River contains more than 2,500 intricate monuments dating to the 10th century.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Goreme National Park and Cappadocia (Turkey)  Sculpted by erosion, the Goreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Within the rugged natural landscape, villages and underground towns dating to the 4th century can be observed.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Angkor (Cambodia)  Scattered between the twisting roots of the Cambodian jungle, this site dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu contains the remains of Khmer Empire capitals dating from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Among the most famous of its 100-strong group of monuments is the Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the sculptural Bayon Temple.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Acropolis (Greece)  Looming over the city of Athens, this ancient Grecian citadel was built in the 5th century BC and continually beautified through the years. Despite being attacked and pillaged by everyone from the Byzantines to the Venetians, the site still stands to provide important insight into Greek mythology.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Petra (Jordan)  Between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, Petra acted as the capital of the Nabataean caravanning kingdom from around the 6th century BC. Abandoned in the 2nd century AD after an earthquake crippled its water management system, the desert city carved from rose-red limestone remains one of the world's most important archaeological sites.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Galpagos Islands (Ecuador)  Among the first sites to be listed by UNESCO in the 1970s, this otherworldly archipelago is located in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean. On top of its bevy of endemic species that have remained unchanged for centuries, the island groups' location at the confluence of three ocean currents also attracts a diverse array of marine life.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Iguazu National Park (Brazil and Argentina)  The spectacular semicircular waterfall that forms the border of Argentina and Brazil spans almost 300 meters in diameter and up to 80 meters in height. It's home to wildlife from neon-winged butterflies to sly caiman to elusive jaguar.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Great Barrier Reef (Australia)  Composed of more than 3,000 individual reefs interspersed with more than 600 topical islands, the world's most extensive coral reef system has been protected since 1981. A 2012 study found that the delicate ecosystem has lost more than half of its coral since 1985 due to a combination of factors including coral bleaching caused by climate change.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Hampi (India)  Located between emerald banana plantations in eastern Karnataka, the enormous group of monuments that comprise the former capital of the last great Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagara date to the 14th century. Hampi highlights include elephant stables, Kallina Ratha (Stone Chariot) and towering Virupaksha Temple.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Los Glaciares National Park (Argentina)  Encompassing the largest ice mantle outside of Antarctica, this picturesque southern Patagonian park bordering Chile is one of the best places in the world to observe glacial activity. Its most famous ice mass is the cool blue Perito Mereno Glacier, from which giant icebergs can be observed crashing into the milky turquoise waters of Lake Argentino.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Machu Picchu (Peru)  The sites that comprise Cusco's Sacred City are spectacular in their own right, but nothing prepares a visitor for sunrise over the Incan city of Machu Picchu. At 2,430 meters above sea level, in the midst of a tropical mountain forest, the 15th-century settlement was among the few Inca sites that wasn't plundered by Spanish invaders.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Mont Saint-Michel (France)  On a rocky islet on the coast of Normandy, this fortified village built in the shadow of a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey appears to float on the ocean at high tide. Despite its seemingly unstable sandbank foundations, the picturesque village has survived since the 11th century.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)  Comprising the Pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur, including the majestic Great Sphinx, the Old Kingdom of Egypt was considered one of the seven wonders of the world in Hellenistic times. The dozens of tombs buried in the shadows of the famous pyramids have provided archaeologists a glimpse into one of the world's most fascinating civilizations.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)  Located in northern Tanzania and spilling into nearby Kenya, where the conservation area is known as the Masai Mara, this iconic savannah hosts the annual migration of 2 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle followed by their predators, in search of pasture and water. The phenomenal natural spectacle is the largest remaining animal migration in the world.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Sigiriya (Sri Lanka)  A breathtaking sight within the country's so-called cultural triangle, this ancient Ceylon city is also known as Lion Mountain for the giant clawed feet carved into the granite alongside a staircase leading to the remains of a fortified palace built atop the 370-meter peak. The site also features a series of stunning frescoes and lashings of "Sigiri graffiti," one of the most ancient texts in the Sinhalese language.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Tulum (Mexico)  There are at least 30 Mayan ruins scattered throughout Mexico and Central America. Idyllically situated on a rocky cliff facing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Mayans, managing to survive around 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico in the early 16th century.
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20 of the world's most beautiful World Heritage Sites 20 photos
Venice and its lagoon (Italy)  Founded in the 5th century and spread over 118 small islands, Venice is an architectural masterpiece in which even the smallest buildings contain works by some of the world's greatest artists. Italy boasts the most World Heritage Sites of any nation (47).
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In Burgundy, the vineyard parcels on the slopes of the Cte de Nuits and the Cte de Beaune, south of the city of Dijon, are "an outstanding example of grape cultivation and wine production developed since the High Middle Ages," the statement said.
In meetings in Bonn, Germany, the World Heritage Committee added other European cultural sites to its world heritage list.  They include  Christiansfeld, a Moravian church settlement, and the Parforce hunting landscape in North Zealand, both in Denmark; the Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape in Turkey.
Nominations for heritage status have to meet the UNESCO criteria agreed by member states and include a long-term management plan before they can be scrutinized and judged. The sites are eligible for financial assistance towards preservation.
The world heritage site list includes 1,022 properties throughout the world.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jun 30 14:57:36 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Touring Germany's world-class automotive museums</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/evZeI9xfgVc/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Three cities in southern Germany host museums dedicated to the country's leading car brands
Enthusiasts can tour collections of priceless cars made by BMW, Audis, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche
The museums can be explored in two days using Munich or Stuttgart as a base
To mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, CNN's week-long special Made in Germany will look at how the country's economy has developed since the momentous event.
(CNN)
In the automotive world, good things often come in fours.
Four doors, four-wheel drive and, in one corner of Germany, four of the planet's finest motoring museums.
And you don't even need a car to visit them.
Germany's premium motoring brands can be seen the world over, but only in Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, where their manufacturers -- Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche -- have established the museums in their honor can their legacy be fully appreciated.
Between them, the collections based in a magic motoring triangle that connects the cities of Stuttgart, Munich and Ingolstadt, are a priceless showcase of automotive history.
The hundreds of cars, trucks and motorbikes on display range from the pioneering creations of Gottlieb Daimler, Carl Benz and August Horch through to the futuristic prewar designs of Ferdinand Porsche and on to the high-tech vehicles of the modern era.
For car enthusiasts -- or simply anyone interested in the technology of modern transport, global brand values and remarkable architecture -- these state-of-the-art museums create a touring "golden triangle" that can be covered in a couple of days using Stuttgart or Munich as a base.
Innovation, engineering excellence, historic achievement and a sense of style are some of the factors that exemplify the vehicles on display.
MORE: Riding shotgun in the Gumball 3000
Ethereal aluminum body
An example is the first exhibit a visitor encounters at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart: the ethereal aluminum body shape of the 1939 Type 64.
Clearly the forerunner of all Porsches, this tiny streamlined prototype was designed as a long-distance racing coupe by company founder Ferdinand Porsche.
After World War II, it was the first car to carry the family name, ahead of the Porsche 356 No. 1.
Not far from the Type 64 is a car that began Porsche's long association with the Le Mans 24-hour race in France.
In 1951, a 1.1 liter Porsche 356 SL coupe bearing the number 46 competed in the race, winning its class and finishing 20th overall.
Between 1970 and 1987, Porsche was the outright winner 12 times at Le Mans, and added another four wins in the 1990s.
The massive collection at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, also in Stuttgart, includes such historical masterpieces as the Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1885, the first Daimler motor car of 1892, the supercharged Mercedes-Benz roadsters of the 1920s and 1930s, through to the quirky high-speed transporter built to carry the 300 SLR sports racer to the track.
On one wall of the museum stands the 1939 six-wheeled T80 world record car, originally fitted with a 44-liter V12 engine that was designed to reach a speed of 600 kilometers per hour (372 mph).
Plans for a record attempt were undone by the advent of World War II; the car was mothballed and its engine removed.
Mercedes' racing heritage is prominent, culminating in a spectacular lineup of its Silver Arrow grand prix and sports racing cars.
Outside the museum, a bronze statue depicts five-time world champion F1 driver Juan Manuel Fangio standing next to his 1954 W196 grand prix racer.
Audi, created by engineer August Horch in 1910, consolidated its brand in 1932 when it joined with Wanderer and DKW to form Auto Union under the "four rings" emblem.
MORE: Ferrari designers create super-luxurious train
Flowing silver masterpiece
Examples of all these marques can be found at the Audi Museum, along with Audi's Le Mans-winning sports racers, the Quattro rally championship cars and the "baby Thunderbird" Auto Union 1000 SP.
One highlight of the Audi display is a flowing silver masterpiece known as the 1937 Auto Union V16 Type C Streamliner racing car.
The car on show is a modern recreation of the Streamliner that German driver Bernd Rosemeyer took to a speed of more than 400 kmh on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn in October 1937, the first time the mark was reached on a normal road.
Rosemeyer was killed in 1938 during a similar speed attempt on the same road.
In Munich, most people arrive by subway to BMW Welt, which is a showroom and delivery center for its contemporary BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.
A pedestrian bridge links this with the silver bowl-shaped BMW Museum across the road.
Motoring museums map
EXPAND IMAGE
The museum pays homage to the company's aero engine origins and to its F1 racing endeavors with Brabham, Williams and Sauber, but primarily features a superb range of prewar and postwar BMW saloons, roadsters and coupes, along with its current crop of high-technology vehicles such as the i8 concept car.
Highlights include a roadster and coupe versions of the classic 1939 328 model, while curiosities such as the 1955 Isetta bubble car enliven the display.
Between them, the four museums can easily soak up four days of visitor time, particularly if the factory tours are included.
Either Stuttgart or Munich makes a great base.
They are two of Germany's most liveable and appealing cities -- easy on the eye, great transportation systems and not too expensive.
The business-style hotel chain Motel One, for example, offers rooms close to the main stations for 60 to 80 ($80-$107) outside peak season.
If time permits, Germany's other great auto museum, Volkswagen's sprawling Autostadt, lies 600 kilometers north of Munich in the city of Wolfsburg, about an hour by train west of Berlin.
Munich to Berlin takes about six hours by car or train.
Getting there
InterCity Express (ICE) train services link Munich and Stuttgart in a little over two hours, while Ingolstadt is 40 minutes by train from Munich. For those with a more detailed interest, it's possible to arrange factory production tours at all four sites.
Porsche Museum
Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission 8 adult and 4 child/concession. Factory tour is free (reservation required). Email: factorytours@porsche.de
By train: From Stuttgart main station, take the S-Bahn S6 line towards Weil der Stadt/Leonberg; get off at Neuwirtshaus/Porscheplatz station. The museum is next to the station.
Porsche Museum , Porscheplatz 1, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission 8 and 4. Factory tour is 4 (reservation recommended). Email: dialog@daimler.com
By train: From Stuttgart main station, take the S-Bahn S1 line towards Kirchheim (Teck); get off at Neckarpark (Mercedes-Benz) and follow signs to museum.
Mercedes-Benz Museum , Mercedesstrasse 100, Stuttgart
BMW Museum
Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission 9 and 6. The adjacent BMW Welt (new car display area, restaurant, shop) is free and open daily from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. Factory tour is 8 (reservation required). Email:  infowelt@bmw-welt.com
By train: From Munich main station, take the S-Bahn to Marienplatz, change to U3 (subway) toward Olympia-Einkaufszentrum; get off at Olympiazentrum. BMW Welt is next to the subway station; the museum is linked to BMW Welt by an overhead walkway.
BMW Museum , Am Olympiapark 2, Munich
Audi Museum
Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m., daily.
By train: From Munich main station, take ICE train to Ingolstadt Hbf (40 minutes), then bus No. 11 or taxi to Audi Forum. Admission 4 and 2. Factory tour Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. (booking required), 7 and 3.50. Email: welcome@audi.de
Audi Museum , part of Audi Forum, Ettinger Strasse, Ingolstadt
Freelance journalist and classic car enthusiast Geoff Hiscock is a former Asia business editor for CNN.com. He writes about food, water and energy issues. His latest book is "Earth Wars: The Battle for Global Resources."
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 01 15:26:58 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>A ride with diamond eyes: The first Arab supercar</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/oVasn4C1LJY/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>W Motors is the Middle East's first supercar manufacturer
The Lykan Hypersport costs $3.4m, can hit 395 km/h, and has diamond headlights
(CNN)
Asking the top speed of the world's first Arab supercar is beside the point. The 0-60 times, or horsepower, too. Those numbers won't matter by the time you notice the seats are stitched with gold thread and headlights are trimmed with diamonds.
When did the company think, "diamonds, what we need is headlights made of diamonds"?
Ralph R. Debbas, W Motors CEO, laughs: "Diamonds in the headlights are something we don't need at all, actually. It was a true marketing gimmick that we integrated. But people talk about it."
W Motors styles itself as the Arab world's first supercar manufacturer, and has major plans to build its name in the oil-rich Middle East, which has so far lacked a credible motor industry.
Its first creation is the ferociously styled $3.4 million Lykan Hypersport , built to attract attention and invite Instagram photos -- "in a crazy way, in a disruptive way" -- in a market already crowded with ultra-exclusive autos.
The Hypersport ticks each of the hypercar performance boxes. If you must ask, it has a 3.7-litre 780bhp, twin-turbo flat-six which can go from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds (faster than the power-focused Lamborghini Aventador) and reach a top speed of 395 km/h.
But Debbas knows better than anyone that buyers chasing the top hypercar specs (and have a few million to spare), are already spoilt by the likes of the face-peeling Pagani Huayra , Koenigsegg Agera , or Bugatti Veyron Super Sport .
That's not the point, he insists: "My client already has a Pagani or a Koenniggseg, and he wants something different."
"Flying doctors"
"When you get into something like this hypercar, it's really about a luxury lifestyle," explains Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst at industry experts IHS Automotive . "It's something that somebody would buy in place of yet another house somewhere, and it's a whole other stratosphere than typical transportation."
For W Motors, the car itself is just part of the package. Buyers also get a global servicing system, where the press of a button in-car summons a technical advisor to come to their aid, explains Debbas. And if needed "flying doctors" -- a team of W Motors-trained engineers -- will fly to wherever you are in the world.
An elite, invite-only and round-the-clock concierge service comes as part of the deal too and there's also a watch -- designed specially by Swiss luxury watchmaker Franck Muller -- which you can probably chalk down as another "gimmick."
Crucial, though, is the fact that only seven Hypersports will ever be manufactured -- and Brinley explains this kind of above-and-beyond service and exclusivity is what buyers looking to spend $3.4 million want:
"It's special, it's unique, and you can be darn sure that there's like two other people in the world that have what you have."
The Wolf Model
Debbas doesn't call other boutique manufacturers Pagani and Koenigsegg "competitors" -- "I respect all of them. We work with them all" -- and neither does he see himself taking on the heritage brands' most exclusive offerings, like the Ferrari LaFerrari or Porsche 918 Spyder .
The company's model is different from those heritage manufacturers, whose story typically begins with an obsession for engineering. W Motors -- the W is short for "Wolf," a nickname given to Debbas as a child -- pitches itself as a young marque that brings together designers and engineers already esteemed by automotive "connoisseurs".
Ralph Debbas, CEO of W Motors
Debbas, who started the company seven years ago, then aged just 22, is the master of ceremonies coordinating existing specialists across the Middle East and Europe. Under the watchful eye of 15 core staff in Dubai, 70 staff-contracted workers in Italy from automotive engineers Magna Steyr build the car around engines and chassis made by specialists RUF in Germany.
"Working with the biggest people in the industry, this gave us a lot of credibility and access to the world. It's true we don't have a hundred years of heritage, and there's no pedigree behind, but the companies that we work with have over a hundred years of experience."
W Motors' forthcoming, so-far unnamed SUV project
Building pride
Being new, and the first home-grown manufacturers in the Middle East helps W Motors understand a growing group of buyers from the oil-rich nations, says Debbas, who's Lebanese.
But their projects in the region go beyond catering to the unrestrained desires of the incredibly wealthy.
A photo posted by W Motors (@wmotors) on
Jun 10, 2015 at 11:39pm PDT
Short term aims still cater to this market: a $1.6 million "Supersport" model and a $250,000 SUV are to follow, but these are set to be constructed in a purpose built factory -- employing 100 people -- opening in Dubai in a year's time.
Debbas is bullish:  "We are not only building a car. We are building an industry, we are building a name, we are building something historical. Every step of the way, we're getting the support of the Arab nations that are helping us to be proud, and raising the heritage."
Before that there are challenges. Car manufacture remains "capital intensive, highly regulated, highly complicated, [and] highly competitive," reminds expert Brinley, and hyper luxury is a difficult market for those even with pedigree.
Even Bugatti, a historic marque with the support of Volkswagen, remains subject to different stories about whether it "has quite ever been profitable," she says.
"It will be a cautionary tale as to whether something like W Motors will ultimately be [profitable]. Basically if VW can't leverage its global footprint and get the Veyron to be a profitable, it will be very difficult for a one-off to do that."
"But I don't know," she laughs. "This W Motors car has diamonds on it!"
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jul 01 15:24:56 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>25 magnificent structures on verge of extinction</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/qZSE8Db0Edc/index.html</Link>
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25 magnificent and endangered structures 25 photos
Petra, Jordan  Also called "Rose City" due to the color of its stone, the ancient city of Petra is Jordan's main tourist attraction, and that's the problem: touching and rubbing hands, as well as wind and rain erosion, are eating away at the surface of the Al Khazneh temple, which has receded by 1.5 inches in the last century. Camels and donkeys are also contributing to the erosion of the walkpaths and the excess humidity may threaten the structural stability of the dry sandstone.
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25 magnificent and endangered structures 25 photos
Teufelsberg NSA Station, Berlin  During the Cold War, this was a listening station run by the US National Security Agency to eavesdrop on the Eastern Bloc. Today, abandoned and severely damaged, it serves as a decadent vantage point over the city and as a striking testament to Berlin's past, as it sits on a hill built out of war rubble (" Devil's Mountain "). But year to year, the degradation of the vandalized structures is becoming evident.
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Royal Palace at Caserta, Italy  The world's largest palace by volume -- over 2 million cubic meters -- this 18th century UNESCO Heritage site was commissioned by Bourbon King Charles III to rival France's Versailles. It has appeared in Star Wars and Mission Impossible films. But the structure has faced chronic neglect: a roof section collapsed in 2014 , and renovation plans have been slowed down by bureaucracy.
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Victorian gas holders, U.K.  They've been out of use since the 1960s, but they are undeniably a picturesque element of British culture. The National Grid, the entity that controls the power network in the U.K., owns about 500 gas holders and has started dismantling them to sell the land to housebuilders. A petition has been launched to save those in London's Bethnal Green (above), which date back to 1866.
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Melnikov House, Moscow  Designed by famed Russian avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov, this iconic cylindrical building , finished in 1929, was long his private residence and stands in stark contrast with traditional Soviet architecture. Now inhabited by the designer's granddaughter, it's at risk of collapse due to excavation works for a nearby underground parking lot, which have already caused several cracks in the structure.
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Yemrehanna Kristos, Ethiopia  This Aksumite style church is located in a cave perched on a mountain ridge at the altitude of 2,700 meters, 42 kilometers from the nearest city. This has helped its preservation, but the construction of a new road leading to the site and a modern wall across the entrance -- plus recent evidence of structural failure -- have earned it a spot on the 2014 Watch List of the World Monuments Fund.
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Nakagin Tower, Tokyo  A fine example of Metabolism , an architectural movement that takes inspiration from biological growth, the Nakagin Tower consists of 140 independent capsules that function as living cells and can be individually removed. Completed in 1972 and now mostly uninhabited, it's been under threat of demolition for nearly a decade due to its prized real estate, and is now in desperate need of renovation.
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Union Terminal, Cincinnati  Built in 1933, at the height of the Art Deco movement, this was a central hub for Cincinnati's railways until 1972. Then it became a shopping mall, before being converted to a museum in 1990. But it is in dire need of a structural makeover, and it was included in the National Trust's 2014 list of America's most endangered historic places . A campaign is ongoing to gather funds for the proposed renovations.
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Djingareyber Mosque, Timbuktu  The oldest of the three great mosques of Timbuktu, the Djingareyber was attacked by Al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar Dine in 2012 , shortly after its reappearance on UNESCO's list of endangered sites . Two tombs were destroyed, along with several other shrines in the area. This is not the only threat to the historical landmark, which is also facing problems derived from urbanization, climate change and desertification.
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Old buildings of Beirut  As if decades of civil war and bombardments weren't enough, the remaining old buildings of Beirut are now under threat by property developers who are looking to create new luxury blocks on real estate currently occupied by traditional structures. Many have been hastily deemed unfit for living, pushing residents away: less than 350 heritage buildings now remain.
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Preston Bus Station, Lancashire  Opened in 1969, the massive Bus Station in the Northern England city of Preston is an iconic example of Brutalism , a movement named after the materials, not the aesthetics -- it originates from the French bton brut or "raw concrete". Avoiding demolition in 2013, the building is now the subject of an international competition to turn it into a youth center .
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Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City  A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City played a crucial role in the development of the British Empire and includes several listed buildings over a stretch of about 4 kilometers. The proposed construction of an $8.7 billion development - complete with a 50-storey skyscraper - has granted the inclusion of the site in the Heritage in Danger List , as one of only two in Europe.
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Berlin's gas lamps  No other city in the world has as many gas lamps as Berlin: there are over 40,000, but there used to be twice as many. They're going fast, replaced by greener and more efficient electric fixtures: according to the World Monuments Fund , they're disappearing at the rate of 1,000 a year. Heritage enthusiasts maintain that the lamps are symbolic of the city's urban landscape and must therefore be preserved.
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Pompeii, Italy  This world-famous Roman site is slowly crumbling to pieces: rainstorms have become harbingers of destruction as water has never been drained properly and the soil is now highly unstable. With three distinct walls and an entire building coming down in just the last five years, Italy's UNESCO commissioner has recently declared that "Pompeii is destined to collapse entirely".
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Potos, Bolivia  This colonial city, one of the highest in the world (4,090 meters), has recently been included on UNESCO's list of World Heritage in danger due to five centuries of mining activity in the mountain that dominates the city, Cerro Rico. Rich in silver ore, the mountain has been left porous and unstable and is now at risk of collapse, with portions of the summit already starting to crumble.
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Hasankeyf, Turkey  This ancient town along the Tigris river has a history that stretches back thousand of years, but that might come to and end in 2015 with the completion of a dam that will likely flood it, affecting about 50,000 people. Controversy around the project and loss of international funding have not deterred Turkey from continuing construction, with the promise that artifacts will be relocated and townsfolk compensated.
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House of Wonders, Zanzibar  In 1883, when it was built, this was one of the most modern buildings in East Africa: the first to have electricity and an elevator. Situated in Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000, it is today a museum of Swahili culture, but work needs to be done to preserve its structural integrity, after a corner of the structure collapsed in 2012.
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Battersea Power Station, London  The area surrounding one of London's most iconic buildings is now a construction site for 1,300 apartments, a hotel and 350,000 square-feet of retail and restaurant space. The chimneys of the power station are currently being demolished and replaced. Even though the developers must respect the building's status as being of special architectural or historic interest, Grade II* , new high-rise blocks will soon obscure some of the most dramatic views of the station.
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Machiya houses, Kyoto  The oldest among these traditional townhouses date back to the 17th century, but they are disappearing rapidly to make space for modern buildings: their maintenance is difficult and construction of new ones has been prohibited since the end of World War II. After the World Monuments Fund put them on its watch list , a private company has started refurbishing some of them as tourist accommodations .
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Picasso murals, Oslo  Picasso's first attempts at concrete murals adorn the walls of two government buildings in Oslo, Norway, called H-Block and Y-Block. Both were heavily damaged during the Anders Breivik bombings in 2011, and given the high cost of repairs -- estimated to be $70 million -- a proposal has been made to demolish them and relocate the murals. But the public opinion is divided , as the artwork was designed specifically for these buildings.
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Robin Hood Gardens, London  This "streets in the sky" housing estate in East London is yet another example of Britain's Brutalist architecture in Britain. Demolition has already started at the site, with a last-ditch bid ongoing to stop it. Previous attempts to get the structure listed as a historical landmark have failed, notwithstanding the support from several famed architects, including Zaha Hadid .
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Island of Mozambique  A unique blend of Portuguese influence and local architecture has granted the inclusion of this fortified city on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1991.  After destruction caused by a typhoon in 1994, it was also included in the World Monuments Fund's watch list , a warning confirmed last year due to new threats from an anticipated growth in tourism and the necessity for a sensible conservation plan.
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Portland Public Services Building, Portland, U.S.  This 15-storey municipal office block was completed in 1982, but due to structural problems it already needs renovations to the tune of $175 million. An early example of post-Modernism in a major city, it attracts diverging opinions, with many supporting its proposed demolition to make space for something new entirely. Yet, in 2011, it was included in the U. S. National Register of Historic Places.
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Little Green Street, Kentish Town, London  Immortalized by the Kinks in their 1966 video for the song " Dead End Street ", this is one of London's few intact Georgian streets: it hasn't changed much since 1780. The dozen houses in the cobblestone thoroughfare are protected historical buildings, but the land behind them is sought after by developers to build a new gated complex, which would turn the delicate, 2.5 meter-wide street into a truck route.
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Go see them now, before it's too late: threatened by neglect, the elements, changing architectural trends or ruthless developers, these outstanding buildings are all fighting a hard battle for survival.
More from Architecture
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jul 03 18:32:26 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>A journey through color and light</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/aBN85GanBQc/index.html</Link>
        <Description>The annual Serpentine Pavilion installation has been unveiled in London. Browse through the gallery to see all the images.</Description>
        <MainBody>Luxury
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A journey through color and light: New Serpentine Pavilion debuts in London
By Matilda Egere-Cooper , for CNN
Updated 1826 GMT (0126 HKT) June 29, 2015
11 photos
The annual Serpentine Gallery installation in London has now been unveiled  - and it's a futuristic sight to behold.
The outdoor installation has been designed by a different architect each year since 2000 to attract visitors from around the world.
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This year's colorful and cosmic style structure has been designed by award-winning Spanish architects SelgasCano, a Madrid-based firm headed by husband and wife duo Jos Selgas and Luca Cano.
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SelgasCano hoped their design for the 2015 Pavilion would "allow the public to experience architecture through simple elements: structure, light, transparency, shadows, lightness, form, sensitivity, change, surprise, color and materials".
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The pair said: "We have therefore designed a Pavilion which incorporates all of these elements. The spatial qualities of the Pavilion only unfold when accessing the structure and being immersed within it."
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They added: "Each entrance allows for a specific journey through the space, characterized by color, light and irregular shapes with surprising volumes. This is accomplished by creating a double-layered shell, made of opaque and translucent fluorine-based plastic (ETFE) in a variety of colors."
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It's the first time a Spanish firm has been commissioned for the temporary installation, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
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Each pavilion can take up to six months to build on the gallery's lawn in Kensington Gardens - but once its up, it becomes a multi-purpose hangout with a cafe that only lasts for the summer.
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The new Pavilion will be on display at the Serpentine Gallery for the next four months until 18th October.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jul 02 19:35:56 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Local hero begs tourists to forgive Tunisia</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/38-as0e3VVU/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Local hero begs tourists to forgive Tunisia
Updated 1902 GMT (0202 HKT) July 1, 2015
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Tunisian hotel worker describes heroic acts 03:02
Story highlights
Abdul Ali Ladhari worked on the beach in Tunisia where a gunman massacred tourists
Ladhari says the killer told him that he was only targeting Europeans
A man died in the Tunisian's arms, but he never learned the victim's name
Sousse, Tunisia (CNN)
Abdul Ali Ladhari and his friends waited 45 minutes before the police finally arrived. He's sure, he says, because he watched every minute drag by on his phone, unwilling to believe that help still hadn't come.
While waiting, they did what they could.
"We went and covered up the tourists that died -- God rest their souls -- and waited, terrified, in complete chaos. We were scared that -- God forbid -- there might be a second shooter. It was all just a mess," he says.
Ladhari works at a beach shack, renting Jet Skis and parachute rides to tourists.
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Tunisia: Gunman trained with museum attackers 02:02
PLAY VIDEO
He'd only had the job a month when he watched Saif Al-Deen Al Rezgui open fire Friday on tourists sunning themselves on the beach loungers.
Ladhari says the shouts of a female tourist alerted him to what was happening.
"She said, 'He has a gun -- help us!' "
He watched as she fell to the ground, struck by a round of gunfire.
'We couldn't back off'
Ladhari pulls out pictures that he and his friends took of the covered bodies.
They tried to give the victims back their dignity -- to shield them, even if was already too late, he says.
As the chaos erupted all around, he and his friends came face to face with the killer.
"We men ran toward him. He said, 'I don't have any issue with Arabs. My targets are the Europeans.' "
They kept running toward the gunman, Ladhari says: "We moved quicker! We couldn't leave him! Yes, we were scared. Terrified. But we couldn't back off."
Many of the European tourists caught in the violence that day have spoken about the bravery of the Tunisians.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Jun 29 14:42:45 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Why these girls fear the summer</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/h-VnhrZPRsI/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>More women have undergone FGM in Egypt than anywhere else in the world
92% of married women aged 15 to 49 have had the procedure
Anti-FGM campaigners believe they're turning the tide on the practice
Cairo, Egypt (CNN)
Summer days: They're what childhood memories are made of, glorious afternoons of unchecked freedom to frolic with friends in the sun, unshackled from the earthly obligations of a math class that never seemed further away.
But for millions of schoolgirls in Egypt, this time of year represents something much darker: the start of the female genital mutilation (FGM) season.
Mona Mohamed was 10 years old when she underwent what's also known as a female circumcision on a hot summer day in her village in Upper Egypt.
"I was terrified," she said. "They tied me down, my mother on one hand and my grandmother on the other."
As Mona thrashed around, pinned by her loved ones to the living room floor, a doctor injected her with anesthesia.
Mona remembers being given a piece of bubble gum to chew on before she finally passed out.  It wasn't until she woke up that she realized she had been mutilated.
Egypt: The FGM capital of the world
Stories like Mona's are far from rare in Egypt, where "cutting" has been a brutal rite of passage for young girls since the time of the pharaohs.
Of the more than 125 million girls and women alive today who have undergone the procedure, one in four live in Egypt. That's more than any other country in the world, according to the U.N.
Ninety-two percent of married Egyptian women aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to FGM, according to a government report released in May . That figure is down from 97% in 2000 , but the practice is still the norm here.
Most girls are cut between the ages of nine and 12, and the operations usually take place during the summer school break so the girls can recover at home.
U.N. officials say FGM has no medical benefits and can cause lifelong physical and emotional trauma for the women forced to undergo the procedure.
"This is a gross human rights violation," Jaime Nadal-Roig, the U.N. Population Fund representative in Cairo, told CNN. "It doesn't add anything to the life of the girl, and there are no medical or religious grounds whatsoever."
A celebrated tradition
The most common FGM procedure in Egypt is Type 1, the partial or full removal of the clitoris. It's what Mona Mohamed -- and her older sisters -- endured years ago.
Compared to her sisters, Mona was lucky, given that her procedure was performed by a doctor. Her sisters were circumcised with a razor blade by a traditional (non-medical) midwife who put dust on their wounds to stop the bleeding.
Mona, now 47, recalls asking her mother why getting circumcised was so important. "Usually girls at your age get 'excited,' and this operation takes care of that," her mother replied.
FGM has been illegal in Egypt since 2008, but the practice remains woven into the very fabric of Egyptian society, where many see cutting as a way to "purify" a girl and make her marriage material.
"People used to have a party after a girl was circumcised, they'd celebrate and exchange gifts," Nadal-Roig said. "So for them to turn from there and say, 'look this is a crime or this is a sin or this is not allowed by religion' means confronting a lot of beliefs and social norms."
Campaigners go on the offensive
But progress is being made. The percentage of girls aged 15 to 17 who have had the procedure has dropped from 74.4% in 2008 to 61% in 2014 -- a clear sign that the drive to end FGM is working, campaigners say.
Last week Egypt announced a plan to reduce FGM by 10-15% in the next five years. If it works, it will mean that for the first time in decades, "uncut" girls would outnumber those who have had the procedure.
"It's an ambitious plan, but now I think that the political atmosphere is supporting us and we can reach our goal," said Vivian Fouad, the National Population Council official leading the government's charge to eradicate FGM.
"For years we were on (the) defense, but now we're on the offensive."
The fight to eradicate FGM in Egypt is unfolding on a number of fronts, from the courts to the places of worship to the streets of the highest-risk towns.
In January a doctor was sentenced on charges related to mutilating a girl -- the first conviction of its kind since the 2008 ban went into effect.
The verdict was a victory for the anti-FGM campaign, but Fouad says too many doctors are still willing to take the money from families and look the other way when it comes to the law.
"It's a good income for doctors," Fouad said. "And some doctors have social and cultural backgrounds where FGM is supported."
Fouad classifies the battle against female circumcision as a fight for the middle class: "If doctors, judges, prosecutors, and teachers are supporting FGM, how are we going to convince poorer women not to have it?"
Campaigners are also trying to persuade local religious leaders to stop preaching the alleged benefits of FGM to mothers. It's often a tough sell in a country where more than half of women still believe, falsely, that cutting is required by religion, according to the most recent survey.
"You need to make people not want to do it for their daughters," said UNFPA program officer Germain Haddad. "You need to work on people's convictions."
To that end, the UNFPA has hired a theater group to perform comedic skits in the streets of communities across the country to foster debate -- and doubt -- about the necessity of FGM.
"Many of these people are shy," said Haddad. "When we used to do seminars on FGM it was very difficult to get people to speak up and ask questions.
"These plays act as an icebreaker that opens up the subject like magic," she said. "And women get to see in a comedic way that FGM is ridiculous."
"I hate the man that did this to me"
But it remains an uphill struggle. Around six in 10 women think the practice should continue, according to the most recent government survey.
"It's tradition, and there's no escape," says Sarah Abulaziz Mohamed, who was circumcised at 12 in her village of Mansour.
"It hurt my dignity -- I was forced to do this act that I didn't want to do," she said. "I hate the man that did this to me."
Sarah is 40 now and has two young daughters of her own. She says FGM left her with lifelong psychological trauma, but at least it taught her a valuable lesson.
"I definitely wouldn't do it to my daughters by any means," she said. "To this day I still have pain, and what's gone is gone ... that part of me can never be given back again."
More from Middle East
</MainBody>

        <date>Sat Jun 20 23:57:00 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Mysterious moon may have secret ocean -- and life</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/W1ApxgM5qvg/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Mission to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, passes big hurdle
Icy moon may have ingredients for life
NASA has included $30 million in its 2016 budget to plan the mission
(CNN)
NASA wants to go to Europa. No, it's not in Europe. And for soccer fans, it has nothing to do with the Europa League .
Europa is one of Jupiter's larger moons . It's about the size of Earth's moon, and it's thought to be one of the best places to look for life in our solar system -- besides Earth, of course.
An artist's concept of a plume of water jetting above the icy surface of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
Interest in the icy world heated up in 2012 when the Hubble Space Telescope observed water vapor above the south polar region of Europa. NASA says those observations gave scientists strong evidence of water plumes erupting off the moon's surface.
Long before Hubble made those findings, a NASA spacecraft named Galileo traveled to Jupiter in 1995 and found evidence that Europa has a salty ocean beneath its frozen crust. NASA says that ocean may have more than twice as much water as Earth.
"Europa has tantalized us with its enigmatic icy surface and evidence of a vast ocean, following the amazing data from 11 flybys of the Galileo spacecraft over a decade ago and recent Hubble observations suggesting plumes of water shooting out from the moon," John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said in a statement in May.
"We're excited about the potential of this new mission and these instruments to unravel the mysteries of Europa in our quest to find evidence of life beyond Earth."
An artist's concept of what a NASA spacecraft would look like approaching Europa.
NASA hopes the new probe will help determine if Europa really does have the ingredients for life, according to Barry Goldstein, manager of the Europa Project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
The mission took a big step forward Wednesday when NASA announced it had been moved to what's called the "formulation phase," Goldstein told CNN in an email.
"In this phase we mature the mission design and requirements to assure we are asking the correct science questions, and designing the correct mission to answer those questions," he said.
The space agency has included $30 million in its 2016 budget to plan the mission. Goldstein said there's still work to do before NASA officially clears mission managers to build the hardware and software for the mission.
If the mission does get final approval, the spacecraft would be launched in the 2020s . It would take several years to get to Jupiter, and when it arrived it would "orbit the giant planet about every two weeks, providing many opportunities for close flybys of Europa," according to a NASA statement.
NASA says the mission plan includes 45 flybys at altitudes ranging from 16 miles to 1,700 miles (25 kilometers to 2,700 kilometers). With each pass, the spacecraft would collect information about Europa's surface and use instruments to look deep inside the small world.
Nine science instruments have been selected so far, including cameras, ice penetrating radar and a magnetometer.
A bit more about Europa and Jupiter
Europa is one of the four largest moons orbiting Jupiter , the biggest planet in our solar system -- so big that 1,000 Earths would fit inside. Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei is given credit for discovering Europa, Io, Ganymede and Callisto in 1610, and so the four are known as Galilean satellites or moons. German astronomer Simon Marius claimed to see the moons at about the same time, but Galileo published his findings first. Jupiter also has dozens of other smaller moons .
Jupiter is about 390 million miles (629 million kilometers) from Earth when the two planets are at their closest.
Despite the distance, you can see Jupiter with the naked eye on a clear night. In fact, Jupiter and the much brighter Venus are putting on quite a show in the evening sky this month. If you go out after sunset and look west, you can see the two planets fairly close together. They look like two bright lights. In late June and early July, the two planets will be at their closest until August 2016.
If you have binoculars or a telescope, you can see Jupiter's largest moons , including Europa. They will look like tiny lights near Jupiter.
Jupiter's other visitors
This image of Jupiter is a composite of four images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in December 2000.
While the new probe will focus on Europa, Jupiter has had a steady stream of visitors from Earth over the past few decades:
 December 1973: NASA's Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to fly by Jupiter.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jun 17 19:17:07 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Top 10 dinosaur museums </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/VFnaR-Lpl_o/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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10 of the world's best dinosaur museums
By Bryan Pirolli, for CNN
Updated 1505 GMT (2205 HKT) June 16, 2015
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Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology (Alberta, Canada)  The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology's name pays homage to Joseph Tyyrell, who discovered the Albertosaurus in 1884.
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Field Museum (Chicago)  The museum's main attraction is Sue, the largest Tyrannosaurus in the world.
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Iziko Museum (Cape Town, South Africa)  The prehistoric section at the Iziko Museum focuses on some of the lesser known dinosaurs that inhabited the African continent.
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Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (Brussels)  With the largest dinosaur hall in the world, this museum has an impressive collection of fossilized skeletons and casts.
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Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Atlanta)  The Argentinosaurus is the largest dinosaur ever classified. The 100-ton beast's skeleton is on display at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
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National Dinosaur Museum (Canberra, Australia)  Which came first, the dinosaur or the egg? The National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra features a garden with dinosaur sculptures and animatronics.
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Museum fr Naturkunde (Berlin)  The Museum fr Naturkunde is home to the world's tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton. The Brachiosaurus stands at 41 feet, 5 inches and is a Guinness World Record holder.
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Zigong Dinosaur Museum (Zigong, China)  The Zigong Dinosaur Museum sits atop a fossil site, giving visitors a firsthand look at an excavation site.
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Wyoming Dinosaur Center (Wyoming)  Visitors to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center can spend the day talking to real paleontologists and try digging up bones.
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Jurassic Land (Istanbul)  Jurassic Land is like Jurassic Park ... but different. One part education, another part entertainment, the museum mixes skeletons and fossils with animatronic dinosaurs.
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(CNN)
"Jurassic World" hit over 4,200 theaters last week, reintroducing the man-meets-dinosaur disaster to a new generation of fans.
The movie has already smashed records, becoming the highest grossing global opening in history by bringing in $511.8 million over the weekend.
While real-life scientists have yet to resurrect the terrible lizards from mosquito DNA, they have recently discovered remnants of what look like red blood cells and soft tissue in the fossils of a 75-million-year-old dinosaur.
But they say it'll be a long time before a "Jurassic Park"-style theme park is feasible. (As if anyone who's seen any of the films would want to visit one anyway.)
Fortunately there are already plenty of museums worldwide that (safely) bring humans face to face with dinosaurs -- and not always just their skeletons.
1. Museum fr Naturkunde (Berlin)
Berlin's natural history museum houses a serious collection of bones excavated largely from Tanzania in the 20th century, featuring all sorts of species.
Most impressive is the 41-foot, 5-inch Brachiosaurus, the tallest dinosaur in the world on display.  It's a Guinness World Record holder and dominates the first gallery.
The museum also has the most important Archaeopteryx fossil in the world, demonstrating the birdlike link between dinosaurs and birds.
Museum fr Naturkunde , Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, Berlin; +49 (0)30 2093 8591
2. Field Museum (Chicago)
The world's biggest version of the world's most famous dinosaur.
The museum's Evolving Planet exhibit, dedicated to the last 4 billion years of evolution, features dinosaurs from as far away as Madagascar and Antarctica.
The main attraction stands at the entrance. Meet Sue, the largest Tyrannosaurus in the world, who greets visitors at Chicago's natural history museum.
She's a terrific specimen -- the original skull, weighing 600 pounds and flashing 58 teeth, is on display in the museum's balcony level along with information on the most notorious of dinosaurs.
It's easy to imagine the enormous tooth-filled snout crashing through the sunroof of a "Jurassic Park" jeep.
Field Museum , 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago; +312 922 9410
3. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (Brussels)
With the largest dinosaur hall in the world, this museum has an impressive collection of fossilized skeletons and casts.
The standouts are 30 Iguanodons, the second dinosaur to be classified in the 1800s.
They're the ones with the curious spike that early paleontologists mistook for a horn on their nose.
Interactive displays in the gallery also detail the fossilization process and dinosaur digs, among other topics.
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science , Vautierstreet, 29, Brussels; +32 (0)2 627 4211
4. National Dinosaur Museum (Canberra, Australia)
This is the place to explore prehistory in Australia.
The place has the country's largest collection of dinosaur fossils.
Alongside fossils, bones and impressive footprints from all sorts of animals and beasts, the museum features a garden with imposing dinosaur sculptures and animatronics inside that add a bit of Spielberg magic to displays.
Fossil digs, children's learning events and weekend tours help attract 200,000 people a year, making it one of the area's biggest tourist attractions.
National Dinosaur Museum , Gold Creek Road and Barton Highway, Nicholls, ACT, Australia; +(02) 6230 2655
5. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology (Alberta, Canada)
More than 130,000 fossils call this paleontological research center home, including the original "Black Beauty" Tyrannosaurus skeleton with its unique dark sheen.
A recreation of a pack of Albertosaurus, inspired by a bone bed of 22 specimens found in Alberta, pays homage to Joseph Tyrrell, who discovered the carnivore in 1884.
The museum also displays sabertooth tigers attacking a mammoth as well as a living garden that recreates life during the Cretaceous period in Alberta.
Visitors can watch paleontologists at work in the preparation lab to see how they prepare fossilized bones, like those of an Ankylosaur found in a Canadian mine.
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology , 1500 North Dinosaur Trail, Canadian Badlands, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada
6. Wyoming Dinosaur Center (Wyoming)
This museum's standout attraction is a 106-foot Supersaurus.
The museum has acquired the most complete archaeopteryx in the world (after the one in Berlin) and boasts skeletons of Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Velociraptor, among others in all sorts of dynamic poses.
The real draw is getting to talk with real paleontologists, like those who inspired Alan Grant's character in "Jurassic Park."
All ages are invited to "dig for a day" by signing up to participate in excursions to one of the world's richest bone fields, just down the street.
Wyoming Dinosaur Center ; 110 Carter Ranch Road, Thermopolis, Wyoming; +1 307 864 2997
7. Zigong Dinosaur Museum (Zigong, China)
Another vast space given to prehistoric fossils, the Dinosaur Museum in Zigong sits atop the Dashanpu fossil site, allowing visitors to get a firsthand glimpse of an excavation site.
This top Chinese attraction has 18 complete skeletons among the 200 individuals pulled from the graveyard, and they're displayed among foot prints, skin fossils and other prehistoric finds.
Specimens are renowned in the dinosaur community and attract nearly 7 million people a year in China.
Zigong Dinosaur Museum , No. 238 Dashanpu, Zigong, Sichuan, China; +86 813 580 1236
8. Iziko Museum (Cape Town, South Africa)
Africa's oldest and biggest.
South Africa doesn't conjure images of T. Rex and Brachiosaurus, but the Izikio Museum does feature some of the prehistoric beasts from its Karoo region.
In addition to dozens of other exhibits, the prehistoric section deals with lesser known dinosaurs and their cousins that inhabited the continent from Cape Town to Marrakech.
The "African Dinosaurs" exhibit features the Euparkeria, a distant relative of the dinosaurs, native to South Africa; as well as the Jobaria, a sauropod from Africa.
The Carcharodontosaurus skull from North Africa is part of a creature that trumped the mighty T. Rex in size and stature, making it one of Africa's most imposing killers.
Iziko Museum , 25 Queen Victoria St., Cape Town, South Africa; +27 (0)21 481 3800
9. Jurassic Land (Istanbul)
Opened in 2011, Jurassic Land is as close as you'll get to fleeing dinosaurs alongside Sam Neil and Laura Dern.
One part education, another part entertainment, the 10,000-square-meter experience mixes skeletons and fossils with writhing animatronic dinosaurs in an Ingen-esque setting, including a "veterinarian" taking care of an injured Stegosaurus and egg incubators.
While Spielberg may not have given his blessing, the center does offer a creative and engaging educational experience for children, though connoisseurs may question the seemingly anachronistic placing of a Spinosaurus next to a Triceratops.
Jurassic Land , Kocatepe Mahallesi Paa Caddesi Forum stanbul AVM SF Blok, Bayrampasa, Istanbul; +90 212 640 8088
10. Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Atlanta)
The true giants of the prehistoric world may have been unearthed in Patagonia, but you have to go to Atlanta to see them on display.
The Giants of the Mesozoic exhibit features the carnivorous Gigantosaurus, which rivaled the T. Rex in size, as well as the Argentinosaurus, the 100-ton sauropod that scientists say is the largest dinosaur ever classified.
A flock of more than 20 pterosaurs glides overhead. The museum also offers a glimpse into prehistoric Georgia, with murals and life-sized dinosaur models.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jun 17 15:00:06 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>How did teen 'fall under spell' of ISIS?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/PQWEevXJwYs/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>British family recognized 17-year-old in ISIS photo
ISIS claims seven suicide attacks this weekend conducted by seven foreign nationals
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN)
The family of a British boy said they were "devastated and heartbroken" after ISIS apparently released a photo showing their 17-year-old relative smiling in front of an ISIS flag.
ISIS media posted images of a boy the group called Abu Yousef al Britani. In one picture, the teen known as Talha Asmal back in England raises his index finger. A black flag hangs behind him.
In another shot, he's posing inside a black Toyota.
The family's heartache played out this weekend against the backdrop of two waves of car bombings in Iraq, notable for the role foreigners were said to have had in them.
Family: 'A loving and affable' boy
Asmal's relatives in West Yorkshire, England, were in shock after British media published the pictures of him.
Asmal was a "loving, kind, caring and affable" and had no "ill will against anybody nor did he ever exhibit any violent, extreme or radical views of any kind," his family said in a lengthy statement Sunday.
It seems that ISIS targeted the teen and "exploited" his "tender years and naivety," they said, adding that the terror group apparently carried out a "process of deliberate and calculated grooming of him."
"As a result of this and completely unbeknown to us, his family, and entirely against our wishes, he ended up traveling it seems to Iraq," the family's statement reads.
On Sunday, the United Kingdom's North East Counter Terrorism Unit said that police are aware of media reports that allege a British national has died in Iraq. The identity of the person has not been confirmed, and the office unable to give further comment, it said.
"We are aware that large numbers of British nationals are traveling to the Middle East for a variety of reasons, and we understand that some of those traveling have resided in West Yorkshire," it said.
Seven bombers, all foreigners?
ISIS is known for staging multiple bombings at a single time to rattle its enemy, but this weekend's violence stands out -- the seven car bombers who attacked near the city of Baiji were all from countries outside of Iraq, the terror group claimed. According to ISIS, the attackers were a Brit, a German, a Kuwaiti, a Palestinian, two Dagestanis and one national of Turkmenistan.
The bombings happened in two waves.
During one, four car bombers raced toward and drove through an Iraqi security forces checkpoint. At least 16 were killed and 29 wounded.
The ISIS terror threat 72 photos
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People in Ashmoun, Egypt, carry the coffin for 1st Lt. Mohammed Ashraf, who was killed when the ISIS militant group attacked Egyptian military checkpoints on Wednesday, July 1. At least 17 soldiers were reportedly killed, and 30 were injured.
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Syrians wait near the Turkish border during clashes between ISIS and Kurdish armed groups in Kobani, Syria, on Thursday, June 25. The photo was taken in Sanliurfa, Turkey. ISIS militants disguised as Kurdish security forces infiltrated Kobani on Thursday and killed "many civilians," said a spokesman for the Kurds in Kobani.
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Residents examine a damaged mosque after an Iraqi Air Force bombing in the ISIS-seized city of Falluja, Iraq, on Sunday, May 31. At least six were killed and nine others wounded during the bombing.
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People search through debris after an explosion at a Shiite mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, May 22. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to tweets from ISIS supporters, which included a formal statement from ISIS detailing the operation.
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Iraqi security forces withdraw from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, on Sunday, May 17. ISIS took control of the city , according to the city's mayor and a high-ranking security official. The aim of the militant group is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria.
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A car bomb, believed to be set by ISIS militants, explodes at the gate of a government building near the provincial governor's compound in Ramadi on Saturday, May 16.
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Iraqi soldiers fire their weapons toward ISIS group positions in the Garma district, west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, on Sunday, April 26. Pro-government forces said they had recently made advances on areas held by Islamist jihadists.
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A member of Afghanistan's security forces stands at the site where a suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up in front of the Kabul Bank in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on April 18.  ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. The explosion killed at least 33 people and injured more than 100 others, a public health spokesman said.
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Iraqi counterterrorism forces patrol in Ramadi on April 18. Iraqi special forces maintained control of the provincial capital after days of intense clashes with ISIS left the city at risk.
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Thousands of Iraqis cross a bridge over the Euphrates River to Baghdad as they flee Ramadi on Friday, April 17.
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Iraqi security forces and tribal fighters gather before attacking ISIS militants in Ramadi on Wednesday, April 15.
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People leave their hometown of Ramadi on April 15. ISIS' offensive in Ramadi shows its resilience despite months of U.S.-led airstrikes and a recent defeat in the northern city of Tikrit.
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Security forces arrive to Ramadi to join the battle against ISIS on April 15.
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Yazidis embrace after being released by ISIS south of Kirkuk, Iraq, on Wednesday, April 8. ISIS released more than 200 Yazidis , a minority group whose members were killed, captured and displaced when the Islamist terror organization overtook their towns in northern Iraq last summer, officials said.
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Kurdish Peshmerga forces help Yazidis as they arrive at a medical center in Altun Kupri, Iraq, on April 8.
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A Yazidi woman mourns for the death of her husband and children by ISIS after being released south of Kirkuk on April 8.
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Security forces in Tikrit chant slogans against the ISIS militant group on Friday, April 3. They had just reopened the main gate of their base, which was closed for months while ISIS occupied the city.
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People in Tikrit inspect what used to be a palace of former President Saddam Hussein on April 3.
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A member of Iraq's security forces beats a suspected ISIS member who was captured in Tikrit on Wednesday, April 1.
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On April 1, Shiite militiamen celebrate the retaking of Tikrit, which had been under ISIS control since June. The push into Tikrit came days after U.S.-led airstrikes targeted ISIS bases around the city.
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Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen prepare to attack ISIS militants in Tikrit on Tuesday, March 31. Ousting ISIS from Tikrit was an important step for the coalition, which is trying to thwart the extremist group's quest to grow its caliphate.
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Iraqi security forces launch a rocket against ISIS positions in Tikrit on Monday, March 30.
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An Iraqi soldier searches for ISIS fighters in Tikrit on March 30.
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An Iraqi soldier takes photos of the demolished tomb of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday, March 15. The tomb in Tikrit was destroyed as Iraqi forces battled ISIS for control of the city.
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Smoke billows after a mortar shell hit an Anbar governorate building in Ramadi, Iraq, on Wednesday, March 11. ISIS launched a coordinated attack on government-held areas of the western Iraqi city.
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The parents of 19-year-old Mohammed Musallam react at the family's home in the East Jerusalem Jewish settlement of Neve Yaakov on Tuesday, March 10. ISIS released a video purportedly showing a young boy executing Musallam, an Israeli citizen of Palestinian descent who ISIS claimed infiltrated the group in Syria to spy for the Jewish state. Musallam's family told CNN that he had no ties with the Mossad, Israel's spy agency, and had, in fact, been recruited by ISIS.
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Iraqi Shiite fighters cover their ears as a rocket is launched during a clash with ISIS militants in the town of Al-Alam, Iraq, on Monday, March 9.
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Displaced Assyrian women who fled their homes due to ISIS attacks pray at a church on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on Sunday, March 1. ISIS militants recently abducted at least 220 Assyrians in Syria.
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Safi al-Kasasbeh, right, receives condolences from tribal leaders at his home village near Karak, Jordan, on Wednesday, February 4. Al-Kasasbeh's son, Jordanian pilot Moath al-Kasasbeh, was burned alive in a video that was recently released by ISIS militants. Jordan is one of a handful of Middle Eastern nations taking part in the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS.
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A Kurdish marksman looks over a destroyed area of Kobani on Friday, January 30, after the city had been liberated from the ISIS militant group. The Syrian city, also known as Ayn al-Arab, had been under assault by ISIS since mid-September.
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Smoke billows in Kirkuk as Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take position against ISIS militants on January 30.
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Kurdish people celebrate in Suruc, Turkey, near the Turkish-Syrian border, after ISIS militants were expelled from Kobani on Tuesday, January 27.
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Collapsed buildings are seen in Kobani on January 27 after Kurdish forces took control of the town from ISIS.
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Junko Ishido, mother of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, reacts during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday, January 23. ISIS would later kill Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa.
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ISIS militants are seen through a rifle's scope during clashes with Peshmerga fighters in Mosul, Iraq, on Wednesday, January 21.
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An elderly Yazidi man arrives in Kirkuk after being released by ISIS on Saturday, January 17. The militant group released about 200 Yazidis who were held captive for five months in Iraq. Almost all of the freed prisoners were in poor health and bore signs of abuse and neglect, Kurdish officials said.
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Smoke billows behind an ISIS sign during an Iraqi military operation to regain control of the town of Sadiyah, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, November 25.
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Fighters from the Free Syrian Army and the Kurdish People's Protection Units join forces to fight ISIS in Kobani on Wednesday, November 19.
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A picture taken from Turkey shows smoke rising after ISIS militants fired mortar shells toward an area controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters near Kobani on Monday, November 3.
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Iraqi special forces search a house in Jurf al-Sakhar, Iraq, on Thursday, October 30, after retaking the area from ISIS.
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ISIS militants stand near the site of an airstrike near the Turkey-Syria border on Thursday, October 23. The United States and several Arab nations have been bombing ISIS targets in Syria to take out the militant group's ability to command, train and resupply its fighters.
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Kurdish fighters walk to positions as they combat ISIS forces in Kobani on Sunday, October 19.
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A U.S. Air Force plane flies above Kobani on Saturday, October 18.
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Heavy smoke rises in Kobani following an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on October 18.
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Cundi Minaz, a female Kurdish fighter, is buried in a cemetery in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc on Tuesday, October 14. Minaz was reportedly killed during clashes with ISIS militants in nearby Kobani.
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Turkish police officers secure a basketball stadium in Suruc on October 14. Some Syrian Kurds were held there after crossing from Syria into Turkey. Tens of thousands of people fled Kobani to escape ISIS.
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Kiymet Ergun, a Syrian Kurd, celebrates in Mursitpinar, Turkey, after an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in Kobani on Monday, October 13.
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Alleged ISIS militants stand next to an ISIS flag atop a hill in Kobani on Monday, October 6.
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In this photo released by the U.S. Air Force on Saturday, October 4, a U.S. Navy jet is refueled in Iraqi airspace after conducting an airstrike against ISIS militants.
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A Kurdish Peshmerga soldier who was wounded in a battle with ISIS is wheeled to the Zakho Emergency Hospital in Duhuk, Iraq, on Tuesday, September 30.
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Syrian Kurds wait near a border crossing in Suruc as they wait to return to their homes in Kobani on Sunday, September 28.
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Tomahawk missiles, intended for ISIS targets in Syria, fly above the Persian Gulf after being fired by the USS Philippine Sea in this image released by the U.S. Navy on Tuesday, September 23.
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Turkish Kurds clash with Turkish security forces during a protest near Suruc on Monday, September 22. According to Time magazine , the protests were over Turkey's temporary decision to close the border with Syria.
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Syrian Kurds fleeing ISIS militants wait behind a fence in Suruc on Sunday, September 21.
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A elderly man is carried after crossing the Syria-Turkey border near Suruc on Saturday, September 20.
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A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter launches mortar shells toward ISIS militants in Zumar, Iraq, on Monday, September 15.
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Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire at ISIS militant positions from their position on the top of Mount Zardak, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Tuesday, September 9.
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Kurdish Peshmerga forces stand guard at their position in the Omar Khaled village west of Mosul on Sunday, August 24.
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Kurdish Peshmergas fight to regain control of the town of Celavle, in Iraq's Diyala province, on August 24.
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Peshmerga fighters stand guard at Mosul Dam in northern Iraq on Thursday, August 21. With the help of U.S. military airstrikes, Kurdish and Iraqi forces retook the dam from ISIS militants on August 18. A breach of the dam would have been catastrophic for millions of Iraqis who live downstream from it.
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Displaced Iraqis receive clothes from a charity at a refugee camp near Feeshkhabour, Iraq, on Tuesday, August 19.
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Peshmerga fighters inspect the remains of a car that reportedly belonged to ISIS militants and was targeted by a U.S. airstrike in the village of Baqufa, north of Mosul, on August 18.
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Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire at ISIS in Khazair, Iraq, on Thursday, August 14.
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Aziza Hamid, a 15-year-old Iraqi girl, cries for her father while she and some other Yazidi people are flown to safety Monday, August 11, after a dramatic rescue operation at Iraq's Mount Sinjar. A CNN crew was on the flight, which took diapers, milk, water and food to the site where as many as 70,000 people were trapped by ISIS. But only a few of them were able to fly back on the helicopter with the Iraqi Air Force and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
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Thousands of Yazidis are escorted to safety by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and a People's Protection Unit in Mosul on Saturday, August 9.
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Thousands of Yazidi and Christian people flee Mosul on Wednesday, August 6, after the latest wave of ISIS advances.
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A Baiji oil refinery burns after an alleged ISIS attack in northern Selahaddin, Iraq, on Thursday, July 31.
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A Syrian rebel fighter lies on a stretcher at a makeshift hospital in Douma, Syria, on Wednesday, July 9. He was reportedly injured while fighting ISIS militants.
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New army recruits gather in Najaf, Iraq, on Wednesday, June 18, following a call for Iraqis to take up arms against Islamic militant fighters.
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Kurdish Peshmerga forces, along with Iraqi special forces, deploy their troops and armored vehicles outside of Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 12.
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Children stand next to a burnt vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants in Mosul on Tuesday, June 10.
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Civilians from Mosul escape to a refugee camp near Irbil, Iraq, on June 10.
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EXPAND GALLERY
In another attack, three car bombers blew themselves up near security forces, causing numerous injuries but no deaths, an Iraqi Security Forces paramilitary commander told CNN.
The commander told CNN that in the first attack security forces mistook four speeding SUVs heading toward them as a convoy escorting a high-level official.
Violence in Iraq continued Sunday. A parked car exploded near a shopping area in Shaab, a predominantly Shia district northern Baghdad. Two people were killed and seven wounded, police told CNN.
A family waits, worries
Other families around the world share in the pain Asmal's family is experiencing.
British teens have been swept up in the allure of ISIS. Earlier this year, three teenage British girls were seen on airport surveillance footage heading to Syria. A Scottish teenager wrote extensively on her Tumblr account about her love of ISIS. She stunned her family, left her country and became an ISIS bride and recruiter. An American teenager from suburban Chicago, Mohammed Hamzah Khan, allegedly was on his way to join ISIS in October when he was stopped at an airport.
Asmal's family said he comes from a "close knit, hardworking, peace loving and law abiding British Muslim family."
"It appears Talha fell under the spell of individuals who continued to prey on his innocence and vulnerability," they said.
If he was one of the suicide bombers, the boy was "ordered to his death by so called ISIS handlers and leaders too cowardly to do their own dirty work," they said.
ISIS does not represent Islam, they stressed.
"They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ISIS to hijack our faith," their statement said. "ISIS Not and Never in our name."
They are grieving, they said, and need a break from talking to reporters.
They need "time and understanding to come to terms," they said, "with our unimaginable and painful loss."
CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali reported from Baghdad while Ashley Fantz wrote the story in Atlanta. CNN's Ben Wedeman, Anas Hamdan and Vasco Cotovio contributed to this report.
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ISIS: Full coverage
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jun 16 15:42:59 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Magna Carta at 800</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/tv0kbdnuIZw/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Magna Carta at 800: We are still enjoying the freedoms won
By John Stanton
Updated 1117 GMT (1817 HKT) June 15, 2015
England's King John signs the Magna Carta in 1215.
Story highlights
Magna Carta is said to have been sealed on June 15, 1215 under the title of the "Great Charter"
Core values set out by the Magna Carta are still very much at the heart of Britain's constitution
John Stanton is a lecturer at City Law School at City University London. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation , a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.
(CNN)
Around 20 miles from central London, where modern-day government and democracy shape the lives of citizens throughout the United Kingdom, the Thames meanders peacefully through nondescript English countryside. This is just another part of the green and pleasant land that has come to define much of these shores.
Except that there's something rather different about this rural corner of England. These riverside fields at Runnymede are reputed to be the setting for one of the most significant moments in UK democratic and constitutional history. The National Trust labels it "the birthplace of modern democracy," while an impressive monument commemorates a "symbol of freedom under law." It was here, of course, that the Magna Carta is said to have been sealed on June 15, 1215 under the title of the "Great Charter."
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Jun 15 18:17:23 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>How herbicides are killing the bees</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/pku-zmoHTdQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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How pesticides are killing the bees
By David Schubert
Updated 1636 GMT (2336 HKT) June 15, 2015
Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  In north-west Cameroon, a cooperative of women beekeepers gently nurture hives in the rural outskirts of the town of Bamenda. Through the sales of their honey, these enterprising women are able to provide for their families and pay for their children to attend school. Award-winning documentary photographer Eleri Griffiths traveled to the region to meet them.
By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, for CNN
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The women beekeepers of Cameroon  Mariana Tanda Fumsi, pictured, wanted to help women in her village generate some sort of disposable income for themselves. Shortly after graduating from high school, she found herself working in a honey shop. Intrigued about where the products came from and the subjects of sustainability and conservation, Fumsi quickly realized this could be a powerful pastime for local women in the area. Seventeen years on, and The Village Women Organization for Sustainable Development Cameroon has become a thriving apiary association.
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The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Fumsi explains: "I'd always had this idea of working with women because I came from a single home where my mother raised me all by herself. She was a widow and I was two. So this passion of working with women I developed from there." Here, local beefarmer Bridget Mbah extracts honey from a top bar bee hive.
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The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Griffiths, a documentary photographer, traveled to the region to learn more about the women's cooperative. She describes Fumsi with deep admiration saying: "She's a real firecracker. She's got this phenomenal energy for instigating projects and then making them happen."
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Griffiths' spent three weeks traveling around the north-west region visiting keepers who had set up their own hives. She explains that there is now a strong network of apiculturists high up in the mountain.
"Once you know one beekeeper there, you go through a network who are all in touch with one another, learn from one another. Also things like sharing equipment. Beekeeping equipment is strangely quite expensive, even to have a suit. Beekeeping suits protect yourself from stings but are quite expensive, so its easier to get together and share these things."
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  While beekeeping was not uncommon in the region, it was mainly reserved for the men of the villages, explains Fumsi. "But I said, 'the women could still do something. They shouldn't just allow them because the man is already on the farm. The woman can have a little piece of it.'"
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Fumsi founded the cooperative in 1997 but it wasn't until she met traveling beekeeping trainer Alan Morely from volunteer organization, Bees for Development , that things really started to buzz. The international philanthropic group assists would-be beekeepers by training them in the art of apiculture and teaching them how to build and manage hives.
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  At the beginning, there were just 15 beekeepers-in-training, but over the years the group has increased to over 50 women. Fumsi puts this success to its ease when compared with traditional farming in the region. "With beekeeping -- it's less costly, its less timely, it's just within their reach. That's why I got interested in it at the beginning."
Here are two of Fumsi's cylinder hives made from hollow tree trunks.
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Before taking up beekeeping, many women in the area struggled to make ends meet while also maintaining all the regular homemaker jobs -- a fact that spurred Fumsi to push for local women to be trained in the craft. She explains: "Actually most of the chores in the house are left to the women. And she has to get washing soap for the family, she's got to get ingredients for the family, even the school fees of the children -- she's got to pay for fees, uniform and shoes. And at times hospital bills, if its not an emergency -- she takes care of that."
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Local woman Rose Sirri gets a tastes of fresh product. Fumsi says: "(Beekeeping) is totally good for them. They get the bees themselves, they get the money, they are able to do their own thing on their own without depending on the man. Even though it's a small amount."
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
The beekeeping women of Bamenda  Once the women extract the honey from their hives, they bottle and sell the products at the local market. The proceeds help many of them to pay for their children's tuition. But that doesn't mean the cooperative is without problems -- in recent years, the beekeepers have noticed some of their little workers are absconding due to changes in climate, a challenge they are still working out to overcome.
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Beekeeping women of Cameroon 13 photos
Honey, I'm keeping bees! Sweet success of Cameroon's women beekeepers  Another entrepreneurial struggle faced by the collective is the lack of infrastructure. "The market is not really that organized. At times the women have to travel far to sell their products or they have to give it to the cooperative," says Fumsi. "There's also a problem of quality because we still do it on a local level so bee farmers have a good product but we need to do better bottling."
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The beekeeping women of Bamenda  HONCO Honey Cooperative Bamenda, pictured, is an affiliated organization run by Caroline Ngum, who was also trained by Alan Morely over 15 years ago.
To see more of Griffith's work, click here.
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Story highlights
Bees are dying at an alarming rate; even the White House acknowledged the dire situation
David Schubert: Bees are dying from some of the pesticides that are found in our human food supply
David Schubert is professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN)
We love our bees. They make honey and pollinate our flowers and crops.
But bees are dying at an alarming rate. Even the White House acknowledged the dire situation and recently released a task force report about it.
While the report acknowledges that pesticides are involved in the demise of bees, it could have discussed more how for the first time in the history of agriculture the same chemicals are inside not only the pollen that bees consume but the foods we eat.
Recent data published in Science, Nature and other scientific journals show that bees are dying from some of the pesticides that are found in our food supply.
One of these groups of chemical insecticides is the neonicotinoids that are similar in structure to nicotine and poison the nervous system.  The exposure of bees and people to neonicotinoids has increased enormously since it was discovered that by coating seeds with them the plants systemically take up the insecticide and distribute it to all parts of the plant and kill insects that eat the plant.  They are used on about 80% of commercial food crops in the United States , are found in pollen, honey and other foods, and are exceptionally resilient in the environment.
David Schubert
The other is glyphosate, the active ingredient in most herbicides. Glyphosate not only kills weeds, it also kills many of the beneficial kinds of bacteria that are found in the guts of bees, dogs and humans. These bacteria are an integral part of our body and play major roles in both physical and mental health. The World Health Organization has declared glyphosate a probable carcinogen. Because glyphosate is required for the production of most genetically modified, or GM, crops, its use has increased a lot since the introduction of these crops about 20 years ago .
Neonicotinoids are banned in Europe. It has been documented that the systemic treatment of some plants by seed coating is ineffective in preventing insect predation.
Is our government doing its best to protect our health, as well as the busy pollinators?
Two recent books say that the responsible agencies -- the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency  -- do not independently safety test pesticides or GM crops before their introduction.
" Altered Genes, Twisted Truth ," by Steve Druker, details how FDA administrators often disregarded the advice of their scientists and hardly questioned the fact that most GM crops require the use of herbicides in order to work properly. Herbicides used on GM crops are food additives, because they must be in the plant to be effective. It is the FDA's mandate to test additives that are found in food that are potentially unsafe , which should include things like glyphosate and neonicotinoids. However, as Druker documents, the FDA shrugs responsibility for GM food safety.
The book about the EPA, " Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA ," by Evaggelos Vallianatos, carefully documents how the agency is beholden to large agricultural chemical companies. For example, although it is now well documented that bees are dying due to long-term exposures to pesticides , the EPA has only requested that producers do short-term toxicity studies.  Therefore, unless the chemical kills the bee outright, its use will be allowed.
Since the science has become clear that pollen containing agricultural chemicals is contributing to the death of bees, what are these same chemicals in our food doing to us?
In the absence of proper safety tests, this is a difficult question to answer.  But there is a striking correlation between the decline of the bee population, which was first widely noted in the late 1990s -- soon after the introduction of neonicotinoids and glyphosate resistant crops -- and an increase in the relative frequency of several human diseases , such as autism and gastrointestinal conditions, in the same time frame.
Perhaps the dying bees are telling us something about the future of human health.  Unless the system of chemical-based agriculture is changed, the chemical exposure of both bees and humans will continue to increase.
Individuals can demand that their state governments phase out the use of the most dangerous agricultural chemicals. Creating a sustainable and safe food supply is essential for the health and future of both bees and humans.
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jun 12 01:10:31 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>15-year-old intern discovers new planet</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/5W5ZbyolduU/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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New planet discovered by 15-year-old intern
Updated 2310 GMT (0610 HKT) June 11, 2015
Tom Wagg was an intern at Keele University's observatory when he discovered the planet.
Story highlights
According to Keele University, England, a 15-year-old boy has spotted a new planet
The school pupil was on work experience at the university when he made the discovery
(CNN)
Advice to interns: work hard and make your mark. And if you can discover a new planet while you're at it, you could also be pushing the boundaries of our knowledge.
Believe it or not, a 15-year-old boy did just that, according to Keele University in England , UK. While undertaking work experience at the university, Tom Wagg noticed a tiny dip in the light of a star as a planet passed in front of it -- that planet had supposedly not been on anyone's radar until then. The university said it has since taken two years to verify his findings.
"I'm hugely excited to have a found a new planet, and I'm very impressed that we can find them so far away," Tom said, according to a statement from the university. He apparently spotted the planet by scouring the data collected by Keele University's WASP (Wide Angle Search for Planets) project, which scans millions of stars in night skies and searches for tiny dips, or transits, caused by the passing of planets.
An artist's impression of WASP-142b orbiting its star.
Nameless for the time being, the new planet has been labeled with the catalog number WASP-142b, as it's the 142nd discovery by the WASP collaboration.
Invisible to the naked eye and 1,000 light years away, the planet is the same size as Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, but orbits its star in only two days. Such frequent orbits make such planets easier to find -- if you can describe the feat as easy.
After the discovery of the planet, astronomers at the University of Geneva and the University of Liege confirmed that it had the required size and mass to be identified as a planet. And the university is planning a competition to find a name.
A star student at a nearby school and a science enthusiast, Wagg had requested the work experience after learning that Keele University had a research group studying extrasolar planets, or exoplanets -- planets that exist around stars other than the sun.
According to NASA, the first exoplanet was spotted in 1995 and 5,000 have been discovered ever since. The space agency says on its website that such findings provide hope in finding another Earth.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jun 12 18:37:43 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Famous poets throughout history</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/uKaPKioe4kE/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Updated 1700 GMT (0000 HKT) June 23, 2015
Famous poets throughout history 15 photos
Juan Felipe Herrera, son of migrant farm workers in California, has been named the next U.S. poet laureate. Herrera, 66, whose parents emigrated from Mexico, will be the nation's first Latino poet laureate since the position was created in 1936. Here's a look at some other famous poets from the 16th century to the present.
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Famous poets throughout history 15 photos
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is best known for his plays, but he's not nicknamed the Bard of Avon for nothing. Shakespeare also wrote more than 150 sonnets and love poems, with such enduring lines as "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
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Famous poets throughout history 15 photos
John Keats (1795-1821) was an English romantic poet whose reputation has far outlasted his brief life. He is most admired for his series of odes, most notably "Ode on a Grecian Urn," with its famous final lines: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty -- that is all / ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
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Englishwoman Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-61) was the wife of writer Robert Browning and an acclaimed Victorian poet in her own right. Many believe her literary reputation exceeded that of her husband. The opening lines of one of her love sonnets -- "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways" -- are still widely quoted today.
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American poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) also wrote short stories and essays and is widely credited with inventing the modern detective story. A master of dark, spooky atmosphere, he became a sensation after the 1845 publication of his narrative poem "The Raven."
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Famous poets throughout history 15 photos
Walt Whitman (1819-91), often called the father of free verse, was one of the most influential American poets. His landmark collection "Leaves of Grass" was considered obscene by some at the time for its overt sexuality. And that "O Captain! My Captain!" line from the end of "Dead Poets Society"? It's Whitman's.
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Although she never traveled far from her Massachusetts home and was not well-known in her lifetime, the reclusive Emily Dickinson (1830-86) is now one of the most admired American poets. Among her best-known lines: " 'Hope' is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul / And sings the tune without the words / And never stops -- at all ..."
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Irish-born author and critic Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) is best known for his biting wit, plays like "The Importance of Being Earnest" and his gross indecency trial over his homosexual relationships. But he was a fine poet as well, especially early in his career.
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning poems of Robert Frost (1874-1963) were rooted in the rural imagery of his beloved New England. His best-known poems, including "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," have inspired countless school-yearbook quotes.
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Although born in Missouri, T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) moved as a young man to England, where he spent the rest of his life. Acclaimed for such complex, modernist masterpieces as "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Waste Land," Eliot received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945. Every time someone says "April is the cruelest month," they're quoting Eliot.
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E.E. Cummings (1894-1962) was a prolific poet who was perhaps best known for his playful experiments with grammar, syntax and form. (Some of his poems contained no capital letters, and his name was often printed as e.e. cummings.) He was one of the most popular American poets of the 20th century.
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Famous poets throughout history 15 photos
A central figure in the Harlem Renaissance movement of the 1920s, Langston Hughes (1902-67) was a poet, novelist, playwright and social activist who championed African-American culture. He's maybe best known for his poem "A Dream Deferred," which begins, "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / Like a raisin in the sun?"
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Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-73) wrote in a variety of styles but is probably best known for his passionate love poetry, on display in such popular collections as "Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair" and the Oscar-nominated film "Il Postino." A beloved political figure in his native country, Neruda served as a diplomat and was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971.
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One of the key figures of the Beat movement of the 1950s, Allen Ginsberg (1926-97) wrote poems that celebrated nonconformity and his counterculture leanings. His best-known work was 1956's "Howl," an epic poem that scandalized some readers and was banned for its depictions of homosexual sex. Its publisher was even jailed, although a judge later ruled the poem was not obscene.
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The multitalented Maya Angelou was a poet, actress, dancer, essayist, civil rights activist and filmmaker. She first made her mark with a 1969 memoir, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which became a bestseller. Angelou's popularity spiked again in 1993, when she read her new poem, "On the Pulse of Morning," at President Clinton's inaugural ceremony. She died in May 2014 at the age of 86.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 11 17:07:56 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Mesmerizing images blur the line between architecture and art</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/_f7MOUSO19s/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Luxury
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Mesmerizing images blur the line between architecture and art
By Allyssia Alleyne , CNN and Thomas Page , for CNN
Updated 1826 GMT (0126 HKT) June 29, 2015
10 photos
This might look like a painting, but it's actually a photograph. Its author, Serge Najjar, has the ability to find the visually arresting in everyday life.
Drawn to bold geometry and possessing a keen eye with which to frame it, the Lebanese photographer -- who's also a practicing lawyer -- uses Instagram to take stills of interesting buildings and make them appear like works of art.
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The overarching theme is to challenge the viewer's assumptions. Through each image, he seeks to examine the "thin line between the ugly and the beautiful; between the ordinary and the extraordinary; between chaos and order; between reality and abstraction."
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Talking to CNN, Najjar says he only discovered photography four years ago -- and even then, at the behest of his mother.
"She registered me and my brother at a course her friend was running. The professor needed another two or three students for the class to go ahead, so she was helping her out," he says. "It's typical of the Lebanese mother, very present in her children's lives -- I was 37!"
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He arrived at his first class a complete novice, but with what describes as the inherent ability to "sense when an art piece is good."
Najjar set out trying to treat his traditional camera as he would that on his phone, opting to use unconventional angles and the square aspect ratio found on Instagram. Whilst he developed his technical abilities, a clear focus began to develop in his output.
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Najjar says he "was obsessed with architecture straight away." Drawing on constructivism, Parisian avant-garde and MC Escher, Najjar's work is all about finding art in architecture," describing his subject as a "playground for abstract photography."
"In Lebanon," he says, "we don't have very exciting architecture, but I always say it's not about what you see, but how you see it."
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Uploading the results to Instagram, Najjar's clean lines and crisp shadows soon captured the attention of one of the app's curators, who asked to feature his photography online. A swell of support soon followed.
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His first show, "Lines, Within" in 2012 -- for which Najjar had to teach himself how to develop his own photographs -- was a runaway success, with nearly all of the 32 displayed works selling. A nomination for the prestigious Prix Pictet arrived shortly after. In 2014, he exhibited at the prestigious Paris Photo.
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Today he rises at 5 am at the weekends to capture his images, driving to nondescript locations.
"I try not to show the surroundings of the buildings," Najjar says, arguing it helps emphasize his photography's abstract qualities. The effect deprives the observer of context, creating an "anonymous message" to be decoded. Najjar believes the presence of people in his images is important however, as it provides "a certain scale and warmth to the architecture."
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His methods still raise some eyebrows around Beirut. Najjar often struggles not only to convince security guards that he's not a spy, but that the locations he visits are worthy of his lens.
"The common and the ugly may not be as boring as we think it is," he contends.
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Najjar, who holds a PhD in finance law and has been in practice since 1996, describes his unlikely second career as "a dream... like I'm wearing the shoes of someone else. It's a fun thing for me to do, because it's always such a challenge to get the image I want."
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(CNN)
Lebanese photographer Serge Najjar uses Instagram to take stills of interesting buildings and make them appear like works of art. Browse through the gallery to see all the images.
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jun 11 15:50:33 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Can Uber-style apps make affordable private jets a reality?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/RBV7vQwkAh0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Empty legs  Jetsuite operates light jets out of California. It's pioneered "empty leg" discounts.
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Membership perks  Empty legs are a result of flights chartered one-way, allowing users to snag considerable discounts by jumping aboard the jet's return leg. Some empty leg journeys are even free for Jetsuite's members.
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JetMe  JetMe utilizes a reverse auction system. Its customers receive a quote and then submit their own bid for a flight, with the app displaying the likelihood their bid will be accepted by the company.
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Surfair  California-based Surfair offers unlimited monthly flights for its members, who can fly from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, among other cities.
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All you can fly  Offering up to 90 flights a day, Surfair members can fly as many times as they like from $1,750 a month, plus a $1,000 sign-up fee.
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Beacon  Beacon offers a similar all-you-can-fly service on the East Coast, with prices starting at $2,000 a month. Destinations include New York, Boston, The Hamptons and Nantucket.
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BlackJet  For those still happy to take to the air with strangers, BlackJet, launched in 2012 with the backing of a raft of Hollywood celebrities, offers individual seats aboard private jets.
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(CNN)
Here's the scenario:
The business meet wraps up in Boston, now an urgent situation is developing in Los Angeles.
A quick check of flight schedules reveals there's a premium-rate business-class seat available.
However, the flight doesn't depart until first thing tomorrow.
But hang on, there's another option.
A private jet, leaving when you want it to leave.
And it's cheaper too.
Seriously.
In the wake of Uber 's shake-up of the taxi market and AirBnB 's impact on accommodations, that most exclusive industry of all, executive aviation, could soon be disrupted in the same way.
So does that mean that ordinary business travelers could soon be switching to low-cost private aircraft in the same way they've been switching to cheaper, convenient cabs across town?
Some aviation entrepreneurs think so.
They're creating simple, sleek mobile apps to optimize spare capacity in the private jet market and create a smooth booking experience.
Obviously private aviation isn't going to be for the masses, but what if this exclusive preserve of the super-rich is about to become accessible to the merely affluent -- those that today fill the front cabin section of commercial aircraft?
Instead of calling a broker or buying into shared exec jet ownership, these new apps allow travelers to secure a private aircraft with just a few clicks and no membership fees.
Online marketplaces like Jetsmarter , Victor or Ubair rely on complex predictive algorithms to aggregate aircraft availability data from hundreds of private jet operators and provide quotes within seconds.
Cheaper than driving?
"We are a high tech big data company at core," says Sergey Petrossov, Jetsmarter's founder, adding that most of his company's clients are newcomers to executive aviation.
Petrossov sees a future where the executive jet industry goes the way of the Uber-reshaped taxi market.
He believes apps could even become so efficient that prices drop to the point where private aircraft not only take business from traditional operators and airlines, but from road transport.
Fleets of small propeller aircraft could lure people away from cars and into the skies.
Richard Koe, managing director of aviation market intelligence consultancy WINGX, is more cautious.
Yes, some new players are streamlining the booking process, he says, but that might not be enough to bring prices down to levels that'll open up private flights to greater numbers.
Victor recently acquired YoungJets, responsible for masterminding music tours for the likes of Rihanna.
Empty-leg solutions
Koe instead thinks the online players might simply end up taking business from traditional brokers rather than disrupt the industry's structure.
They could, however, offer an efficient solution to the problem of so-called empty legs.
These happen when private jets fly without passengers as operators reposition them.
According to some industry estimates, empty legs account for more than a third of all private flights.
Jetsuite , a light-jet operator based in California, pioneered discounted online sales of empty legs and others have followed suit.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jun 09 15:15:35 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>This man's blood has saved the lives of two million babies</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/A_5EmvIEK4E/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>The man with the golden arm 07:09
Vital Signs is a monthly program bringing viewers health stories from around the world.
(CNN)
On the surface, James Harrison is just an average guy. He loves his daughter and grandchildren, collects stamps, and goes for walks near his home on Australia's central coast. But it's what's under the surface that makes him extraordinary -- specifically, what's flowing in his veins.
Known as "The Man with the Golden Arm," nearly every week for the past 60 years he has donated blood plasma from his right arm. The reasons can be traced back to a serious medical procedure he underwent as a child.
"In 1951, I had a chest operation where they removed a lung -- and I was 14," recalls Harrison, who is now aged 78.
"When I came out of the operation, or a couple days after, my father was explaining what had happened. He said I had (received) 13 units (liters) of blood and my life had been saved by unknown people. He was a donor himself, so I said when I'm old enough, I'll become a blood donor."
A deadly problem
Soon after Harrison became a donor, doctors called him in. His blood, they said, could be the answer to a deadly problem.
"In Australia, up until about 1967, there were literally thousands of babies dying each year, doctors didn't know why, and it was awful," explains Jemma Falkenmire, of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service . "Women were having numerous miscarriages and babies were being born with brain damage."
Read: The worms that invade your brain
It was the result of rhesus disease -- a condition where a pregnant woman's blood actually starts attacking her unborn baby's blood cells. In the worst cases it can result in brain damage, or death, for the babies.
Rhesus disease happens when a pregnant woman has rhesus-negative blood (RhD negative) and the baby in her womb has rhesus-positive blood (RhD positive), inherited from its father. If the mother has been sensitized to rhesus-positive blood, usually during a previous pregnancy with an rhesus-positive baby, she may produce antibodies that destroy the baby's "foreign" blood cells.
Harrison was discovered to have an unusual antibody in his blood and in the 1960s he worked with doctors to use the antibodies to develop an injection called Anti-D. It prevents women with rhesus-negative blood from developing RhD antibodies during pregnancy.
"Australia was one of the first countries to discover a blood donor with this antibody, so it was quite revolutionary at the time," says Falkenmire.
Precious gift
Harrison's blood is precious. He and Anti-D are credited with saving the lives of more than 2 million babies, according to the Australian Red Cross blood service: That's 2 million lives saved by one man's blood.
"Every bag of blood is precious, but James' blood is particularly extraordinary," says Falkenmire. "His blood is actually used to make a life-saving medication, given to moms whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies. Every batch of Anti-D that has ever been made in Australia has come from James' blood.
"And more than 17% of women in Australia are at risk, so James has helped save a lot of lives."
One of those lives is that of baby Samuel, who is just five weeks old. His mother, Kristy Pastor, first received the Anti-D injection during her second pregnancy. With Harrison's antibodies in her blood, little Samuel is her fourth happy and healthy baby.
"They just said you needed the vaccine," she said. "I didn't think about it any further, and then looking into it a bit more, I found out about James and how amazing he is and how many donations he's made, and that it was all because of him.
"I'm grateful and I think James is really selfless to continue to donate, so that we can keep having this vaccine."
Read: The contact lens with a built-in telescope
Doctors still aren't exactly sure why Harrison has this rare blood type but they think it might be from the transfusions he received when he was 14, after his lung surgery. He's one of no more than 50 people in Australia known to have the antibodies, according the Australian Red Cross blood service.
"I think James is irreplaceable for us," says Falkenmire.
"I don't think anyone will be able to do what he's done, but certainly we do need people to step into his shoes," she adds. "He will have to retire in the next couple years, and I guess for us the hope is there will be people who will donate, who will also ... have this antibody and become life savers in the same way he has, and all we can do is hope there will be people out there generous enough to do it, and selflessly in the way he's done."
Harrison is considered a national hero, and has won numerous awards. He's now donated his plasma more than 1,000 times, but no matter how many times he's given blood there's one thing that will never change: "Never once have I watched the needle go in my arm," he says.
"I look at the ceiling or the nurses, maybe talk to them a bit, but never once have I watched the needle go in my arm. I can't stand the sight of blood, and I can't stand pain."
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        <date>Wed Jun 10 16:14:21 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Hope Solo's 'freaking huge' performance</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/0WMqQO91okI/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Women's World Cup: Hope Solo's 'freaking huge' performance
By Matias Grez
Updated 1527 GMT (2227 HKT) June 10, 2015
Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team celebrates after winning the Women's World Cup on Sunday, July 5, in Vancouver, Canada. The United States defeated Japan with a final score of 5-2. Click through the gallery to see tournament highlights:
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Alex Morgan of the United States celebrates the impressive win.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Megan Rapinoe of the United States and Homare Sawa of Japan fight for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori allows a third goal to United States' Carli Lloyd during the first half.
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Japanese football fans react to a U.S. goal at a public screening of the game in Tokyo.
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U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo watches as American Julie Johnston and Homare Sawa of Japan battle for a header during the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Alex Morgan of the United States controls the ball in the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Hope Solo allows a goal during the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan's Yuki Ogimi of Japan scores a goal during the first half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Homare Sawa vies with Abby Wambach.
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England celebrates a penalty kick goal against Germany during extra time at the Women's World Cup soccer third-place match in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday, July 4. England defeated Germany with a final score of 1-0.
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England's Katie Chapman knocks down Germany's Sara Dabritz during the second half of the Women's World Cup soccer third-place match on Saturday.
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England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley makes a save against Germany during second-half action on Saturday, July 4.
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Japanese players celebrate their first-half goal against England during a Women's World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, July 1. Japan, the defending World Cup champions, won 2-1 after a late-minute own goal by England's Laura Bassett.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England's Josanne Potter, right, consoles Bassett after the whistle.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Yuki Ogimi of Japan battles through two England defenders.
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England's Katie Chapman, center, congratulates Fara Williams after Williams tied the score on a penalty kick. Both teams traded penalty-kick goals before Bassett's own goal.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Jill Scott of England and Azusa Iwashimizu of Japan slide in for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
English goalkeeper Karen Bardsley hangs from the crossbar.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan's Nahomi Kawasumi shields Chapman during the first half.
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American Kelley O'Hara, center in white, celebrates after scoring a goal against Germany on Tuesday, June 30. The goal, late in the second half, clinched a 2-0 semifinal victory for the Americans. They will now get a rematch against Japan, the team that defeated them in the 2011 World Cup final.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath gets knocked over by Germany's Tabea Kemme.
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Germany's Alexandra Popp, left, clashed heads with American Morgan Brian early in the match. Both players received treatment and returned to action.
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German forward Celia Sasic reacts after missing a penalty kick early in the second half. It would have given Germany a 1-0 lead.
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Alex Morgan of the United States is defended by Germany's Annike Krahn, left, and Lena Goessling.
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England players celebrate a goal during their 2-1 victory over Canada in the Women's World Cup on Saturday, June 27. The victory in Vancouver, British Columbia, gave England its first-ever trip to the semifinals.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Canada's Christine Sinclair shoots the ball past English goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England's Jodie Taylor, left, celebrates her goal against Canada with teammate Jill Scott.
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Japanese players celebrate a goal scored by Mana Iwabuchi (No. 16) during a match against Australia on June 27. It was the only goal scored in the quarterfinal match, which was played in Edmonton, Alberta.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Kyah Simon of Australia challenges Azusa Iwashimizu of Japan.
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Australia's Caitlin Foord, left, and Lisa De Vanna try to keep the ball from Japan's Aya Miyama.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Samantha Kerr of Australia flies in the air as she is fouled by Iwashimizu.
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U.S. defender Meghan Klingenberg stands over China's Wang Lisi during a match in Ottawa on Friday, June 26. The United States won 1-0 to advance to the semifinals.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
China's Lou Jiahui collides with U.S. defender Julie Johnston.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath fights for the ball with China's Pang Fengyue.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. forward Amy Rodriguez kicks the ball during the China match.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Johnston and China's Wang Shuang vie for the ball during the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Germany's Simone Laudehr, right, is challenged by Jessica Houara of France during a quarterfinal match in Montreal on June 26. Germany advanced after winning a penalty shootout.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Germany's Nadine Angerer allows a goal on a penalty kick.
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France's Claire Lavogez is consoled by head coach Philippe Bergeroo after she missed her penalty in the shootout.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
French midfielder Claire Lavogez slides in on  German midfielder Tabea Kemme.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
France's Jessica Houara, right, trips Alexandra Popp.
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Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori dives for a save during a round-of-16 match in Vancouver on Tuesday, June 23. Japan defeated the Netherlands 2-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Dutch player Desiree van Lunteren heads the ball during the match against Japan.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan's Azusa Iwashimizu knocks the ball away from Lieke Martens.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan's Aya Sameshima shoots over the bar.
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U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe is fouled by Colombia defender Angela Clavijo during a round-of-16 match in Edmonton on Monday, June 22. The foul was in the box, leading to a penalty that Carli Lloyd converted into a goal. The United States won the match 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Lloyd goes for the ball between Colombia's Stefany Castano, left, and Natalia Gaitan.
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U.S. forward Abby Wambach kicks the ball away from goalkeeper Catalina Perez. Wambach was called offside on the play.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Clavijo stretches for the ball in front of U.S. midfielder Lauren Holiday.
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Norway's Ada Hegerberg heads the ball during a round-of-16 match against England on June 22. England trailed 1-0 but came back to win 2-1 in Ottawa.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway forward Isabell Herlovsen, center, fights for the ball against England's Karen Carney, left.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England's Katie Chapman competes with Norway's Solveig Gulbrandsen.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England's Laura Bassett, left, chases Herlovsen in the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Hegerberg vies for the ball with Lucy Bronze, left.
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From left, Canada's Ashley Lawrence, Christine Sinclair, Josee Belanger and Rhian Wilkinson celebrate Belanger's goal against Switzerland on Sunday, June 21. Canada won the round-of-16 match 1-0 in Vancouver.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Canada's Melissa Tancredi tries to get a shot past Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Thalmann watches a shot deflect off the goal frame.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Switzerland's Ana Maria Crnogorcevic and Canada's Allysha Chapman collide during the first half.
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Marie Laure Delie of France kicks the ball in front of Cho So-hyun of South Korea during a round-of-16 match June 21 in Montreal. France won 3-0.
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South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi makes a save against France's Amandine Henry during the first half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
France's Eugenie Le Sommer celebrates a goal by teammate Marie-Laure Delie.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
French midfielder Elodie Thomis leaps over South Korea defender Lee Eun-mi.
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Australia's Laura Alleway, right, defends against Brazil midfielder Formiga during a match June 21 in Moncton, New Brunswick. Australia upset Brazil 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Fabiana of Brazil was given a yellow card after tripping Caitlin Foord.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Brazil's Marta slides into Elise Kellond-Knight.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Fabiana heads the ball above Australia's Katrina Gorry.
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Chinese goalkeeper Wang Fei saves a shot during a round-of-16 match against Cameroon on Saturday, June 20. China defeated Cameroon 1-0 in Edmonton.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Cameroon goalkeeper Annette Ngo Ndom saves a shot on goal.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
China's Wu Haiyan stops the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Cameroon's Jeannette Yango and China's Wang Shanshan compete for a header.
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Germany's Saskia Bartusiak, left, collides with Sweden's Sofia Jakobsson during a round-of-16 match in Ottawa on June 20. Germany won 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
German forward Celia Sasic collides into Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Germany's Anja Mittag takes a shot past Linda Sembrant.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer makes a save against a charging Jakobsson.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
South Korean players celebrate after they defeated Spain 2-1 in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 17.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Eunsun Park of South Korea is challenged by Irene Paredes of Spain.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Eunmi Lee of South Korea and Marta Corredera of Spain chase the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Hyeri Kim, left, and Yumi Kang of South Korea defend Alexia Putellas of Spain.
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Hahnul Kwon and Younga Yoo celebrate as the ball goes into the net behind Spanish goalkeeper Ainhoa Tirapu.
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Costa Rican defender Cristin Granados eyes the ball during a match against Brazil on June 17. Brazil won 1-0 in Moncton.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Costa Rica breaks through the Brazilian defense.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Costa Rican goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz competes for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Costa Rican midfielder Shirley Cruz during play.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Costa Rican midfielder Katherine Alvarado, left, and forward Maria Barrantes jump for the ball.
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England's Steph Houghton, right, challenges Ingrid Vidal of Colombia during a match in Montreal on June 17. England won 2-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Leicy Santos of Colombia tries to move the ball past England defenders.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Colombia's Yoreli Rincon runs after the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Fran Kirby of England tries to move the ball past Lady Andrade, right, of Colombia.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Colombia's Angela Clavijo and England's Toni Duggan chase the ball.
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France's Marie Laure Delie, far left in white, heads her team's first goal against Mexico on June 17. France won 5-0 in Ottawa.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Eugenie Le Sommer of France scores her team's third goal.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Mexico's Monica Ocampo, right, and France's Jessica Houara battle for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Mexico's Greta Espinoza, right, takes o France's Gaetane Thiney during the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
France's Elodie Thomis, left, drives the ball past a Mexico defender.
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Sweden's Therese Sjogran, right, and Australia's Emily Van Egmond battle for control of the ball during a match in Edmonton on Tuesday, June 16. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Sweden's Jessica Samuelsson, left, takes on Samantha Kerr of Australia.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Australia's Tameka Butt, right, and Sweden's Lisa Dahlkvist compete in the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Australia's Kyah Simon, left, and Dahlkvist race for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Australia's Lisa De Vanna, right, and Sweden's Caroline Seger watch the ball.
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Australian players celebrate the draw, which clinched a spot in the next stage of the tournament.
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U.S. goalie Hope Solo makes a save against Nigeria during a match in Vancouver on June 16. The United States beat Nigeria 1-0.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. forward Abby Wambach celebrates her goal against Nigeria.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala leaps past Lauren Holiday as she chases the ball.
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Megan Rapinoe of the United States is knocked down by Ngozi Ebere, left, and Ukpong Sunday of Nigeria.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
American defender Julie Johnston, left, and Nigeria's Courtney Dike compete for the ball.
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Cameroon's Gabrielle Onguene, left, and Switzerland's Rachel Rinast compete for the ball during a Women's World Cup match in Edmonton on June 16. Cameroon won the match 2-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Cameroon's Aurelle Awona, left, celebrates with teammate Gaelle Enganamouit.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Rinast reacts as Jeannette Yango of Cameroon heads the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ramona Bachmann of Switzerland breaks past two Cameroon players.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Switzerland's Lara Dickenmann and Cameroon's Augustine Ejangue jostle for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan's Yuki Ogimi scores the only goal of the match against Ecuador on June 16.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan forward Shinobu Ohno and Ecuador forward Denise Pesantes compete for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Aya Miyama of Japan is tracked by Monica Quinteros of Ecuador.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Japan defender Yuri Kawamura, left, and Ecuador defender Ligia Moreira go for the ball.
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Chinese defender Wang Shanshan, center, heads the ball between two New Zealand defenders during a match in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Monday, June 15. The match ended 2-2.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
New Zealand midfielder Katie Duncan, second from left, collides with China forward Lou Jiahui.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Wang, right, celebrates after scoring China's second goal.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
China midfielder Wang Lisi, left, and New Zealand defender Ali Riley vie for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
New Zealand's Rebekah Stott, center, and Betsy Hassett celebrate Stott's goal.
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The Netherlands' Anouk Dekker, left, and Canada's Ashley Lawrence chase the ball during the first half of a match June 15 in Montreal. The two teams tied 1-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Dekker kicks the ball in front of Lawrence.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Lieke Martens of the Netherlands and Canada's Josee Belanger compete for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Lawrence, left, celebrates her goal with teammate Allysha Chapman.
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Norway midfielder Solveig Gulbrandsen, second from left, scores against Ivory Coast during a match June 15 in Moncton. Norway won 3-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ivory Coast forward Ange Nguessan, left, holds off Norway defender Ingrid Moe Wold.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway midfielder Ingrid Schjelderup, left, competes for the ball with Ivory Coast forward Ines Nhrehy.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway forward Ada Hegerberg, right, scored twice in the match.
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Germany midfielder Melanie Leupolz, right, and Thailand midfielder Silawan Intamee vie for the ball during a match June 15 in Winnipeg. Germany won 4-0.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Sara Daebritz scores a goal for Germany.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Thailand's Sunisa Srangthaisong prepares to kick the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Lena Petermann celebrates with German teammate Melanie Behringer.
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England's Karen Carney, right, gets a shot past Valeria Miranda and Cecilia Santiago of Mexico on Saturday, June 13. England won 2-1 in Moncton.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England midfielder Jill Scott, left, and Mexico midfielder Nayeli Rangel battle for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Mexican forward Renae Cuellar, right, competes with English midfielder Fara Williams.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England defender Laura Bassett heads the ball.
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Spain's Celia Jimenez, left, leaps for the ball near Brazil's Tamires and Spanish goalkeeper Ainhoa Tirapu during a match in Montreal on June 13. Brazil defeated Spain 1-0.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Brazil's Andressa jumps over Virginia Torrecilla of Spain.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
The ball rolls behind Brazilian goalkeeper Luciana as she makes a save.
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French defender Laure Boulleau, right, shoots next to Colombian midfielder Carolina Arias during a match in Moncton on June 13. Colombia won 2-0.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Colombian midfielder Nataly Arias heads the ball.
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France's Wendie Renard takes the ball from Lady Andrade of Colombia.
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Costa Rica's Wendy Acosta, right, challenges South Korea's Ji Soyun during their 2-2 tie June 13 in Montreal.
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Shirley Cruz of Costa Rica, right, challenges Kim Hyeri of South Korea.
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South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jungmi dives as a shot by Costa Rica goes wide of the goal.
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Costa Rica goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz comes out to knock the ball away from South Korea's Lee Geummin.
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Jeannette Yango of Cameroon, left, and Yuika Sugasawa of Japan battle for a loose ball Friday, June 12, in Vancouver. Japan defeated Cameroon 2-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
A shot by Cameroon gets past Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Saki Kumagai of Japan clears under pressure from Francine Zouga of Cameroon.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Cameroon's Gaelle Enganamouit is surrounded by Japanese defenders.
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Therese Sjogran of Sweden, left, and Sydney Leroux of the United States chase down a ball during their scoreless draw June 12 in Winnipeg.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. forward Christen Press, left, fights for the ball with Sweden defender Nilla Fischer.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Megan Rapinoe of the United States tries to hold off Sjogran.
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Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl leaps over Leroux to catch the ball.
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Ana Palacios of Ecuador is surrounded by Swiss defenders during a match June 12 in Vancouver. Ecuador lost 10-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Switzerland's Eseosa Aigbogun, right, and Ecuador's Nancy Aguilar go for a header.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ingrid Rodriguez of Ecuador fails to prevent an own goal by teammate Angie Ponce.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ecuador's Monica Quinteros, left, fights off Switzerland's Rahel Kiwic.
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Ecuador's Mabel Velarde slides to take the ball away from Aigbogun.
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Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala, right, is challenged by Australia defender Steph Catley during a match June 12 in Winnipeg. Australia won 2-0.
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Kyah Simon of Australia scores a goal past Nigerian goalkeeper Precious Dede.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Australia defender Laura Alleway heads the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Nigeria defender Osinachi Ohale, left, and Australia forward Samantha Kerr compete for the ball.
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From left, Canada's Karina LeBlanc, Sophie Schmidt and Josee Belanger wave to fans in Edmonton after a 0-0 draw against New Zealand on Thursday, June 11.
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Canada's Kaylyn Kyle defends against New Zealand's Amber Hearn.
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Schmidt leaves the field after play was temporarily halted because of lightning.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Canada goalie Erin McLeod makes a save.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Christine Sinclair of Canada and Betsy Hassett of New Zealand battle for the ball.
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China players celebrate with supporters in Edmonton following their 1-0 win against the Netherlands on June 11.
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Mandy Van Den Berg of the Netherlands, right, defends Tang Jiali of China.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Wu Haiyan of China heads the ball in front of Lieke Martens of the Netherlands.
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Tang kicks the ball during the Netherlands match.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Martens, left, and China's Haiyan Wu compete for a header.
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China's Shanshan Wang, left, tries to keep the ball away from Van Den Berg.
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Anootsara Maijaren of Thailand, center, challenges Christine Lohoues of Ivory Coast during a Women's World Cup match in Ottawa on Thursday, June 11. Thailand won the match 3-2.
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Nisa Romyen of Thailand tried to protect the ball from Lohoues, left, and Fatou Coulibaly.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ange Nguessan celebrates after scoring the Ivory Coast's first goal.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Nguessan, left, competes with Thailand's Natthakarn Chinwong.
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Germany's Anja Mittag, left, scores a goal past Norway goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth during a match in Ottawa on June 11. The final score was 1-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway's Ada Hegerberg, left, is challenged by Germany's Annike Krahn.
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Germany's Tabea Kemme, left, defends against Isabell Herlovsen.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway's Maren Mjelde, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring on a free kick.
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Ingrid Schjelderup of Norway is challenged by two German defenders.
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Brazilian players celebrate a goal scored by Marta during their match against South Korea on Tuesday, June 9. Brazil won the match 2-0 in Montreal.
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South Korea's Kim Do-yeon tries to move the ball past Marta.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
South Korean hoalkeeper Kim Jung-mi makes a save near Brazil's Cristiane.
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Marta looks on during the game.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Tamires of Brazil challenges Jeon Gaeul of South Korea.
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Spain's Natalia Pablos tries to dribble past Costa Rica's Carol Sanchez during a match June 9 in Montreal. The match ended 1-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno, right, celebrates her goal with her Costa Rican teammates.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Spain's Jennifer Hermoso watches Costa Rica's Diana Saenz head the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Marta Corredera of Spain is challenged by Lixy Rodriguez of Costa Rica.
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Mexico's Valerie Miranda, left, and Colombia's Lady Andrade battle for the ball during a match June 9 in Moncton. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
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Colombian midfielder Daniela Montoya, left, celebrates her goal with teammates Tatiana Ariza, center, and Natalia Gaitan.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Mexico forward Stephany Mayor eyes the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Mayor jumps next to Colombian midfielder Carolina Arias.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Mexico's players celebrate their goal.
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England forward Ellen White kicks the ball during a match against France on June 9. France won the match 1-0 in Moncton.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Jill Scott of England and Amandine Henry of France compete for a header.
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French forward Eugenie Le Sommer is congratulated by teammate Gaetane Thiney after scoring the game's only goal.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley makes a save during the first half.
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Japan's Yuki Ogimi directs a header during the first half of a Women's World Cup match against Switzerland on Monday, June 8. Japan won the match 1-0 in Vancouver.
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Kozue Ando of Japan, bottom, is challenged by Caroline Abbe of Switzerland.
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Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann dives the right way but can't stop Aya Miyama's penalty shot in the first half.
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Japan's Rumi Utsugi kicks the ball out of the air as she jumps above Switzerland's Fabienne Humm.
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Megan Rapinoe of the United States celebrates June 8 after scoring the first goal against Australia in Winnipeg. Rapinoe scored twice in the match as the Americans won 3-1.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo makes a save in the first half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. forward Sydney Leroux slides into Australia's Servet Uzunlar.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Australia's Lisa De Vanna celebrates her first-half goal with her teammates.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. forward Christen Press heads the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
U.S. captain Abby Wambach, left, controls the ball near Australian defender Laura Alleway.
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Cameroon's Gabrielle Onguene, left, leaps into the arms of her teammates on the sideline after she scored against Ecuador on June 8. Cameroon won the match 6-0.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ecuador's Nancy Aguilar, left, and Cameroon's Gaelle Enganamouit collide.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Cameroon's Jeannette Yango, left, and Claudine Meffometou Tcheno, right, collide with Ecuador's Giannina Lattanzio.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ecuador goalkeeper Shirley Berruz makes a save during the second half.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Christine Manie of Cameroon jumps to avoid the tackle of Monica Quinteros.
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Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala, right, scores a goal against Sweden during a Women's World Cup match June 8 in Winnipeg. The game ended in a 3-3 draw.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Francisca Ordega of Nigeria scores past Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Sweden's Linda Sembrant scores her team's third goal against Nigeria.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Sweden's Nilla Fischer heads the ball for her team's first goal.
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Ordega fouls Sweden's Therese Sjogran.
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Germany's Celia Sasic falls head first into the turf after a collision with Ivory Coast's Sophie Aguie on Sunday, June 7. Germany defeated Ivory Coast 10-0 in Ottawa.
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Germany's Anja Mittag, top, reacts while scoring the sixth goal of the match.
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Ivory Coast midfielder Rita Akaffou, left, battles Germany forward Alexandra Popp in the second half of the match.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Ivory Coast's Dominique Thiamale makes a save during the first half.
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Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer kicks the ball away as Ivory Coast's Rebecca Elloh makes a challenge.
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Norway's Isabell Herlovsen falls after a challenge from Thailand's Natthakarn Chinwong on Sunday, June 7. Herlovsen scored two goals as Norway defeated Thailand 4-0.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway's Lene Mykjaland, top, battles Thailand's Silawan Intamee for the ball.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Norway's Gry Tofte Ims, left, competes against Kanjana Sung-Ngoen of Thailand.
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Norway's Ingrid Moe Wold tries to keep Chinwong away from the ball.
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Dutch goalkeeper Loes Geurts, right, defends a corner kick against New Zealand on Saturday, June 6. The Netherlands won the match 1-0 in Edmonton.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
New Zealand's Sarah Gregorius, bottom, and the Netherlands' Desiree Van Lunteren vie for the ball.
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Stefanie Van Der Gragt, front, and Lieke Martens of the Netherlands battle for a header against a New Zealand player.
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Geurts and New Zealand's Hannah Wilkinson  collide.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Dutch players celebrate Martens' goal in the first half.
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Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod makes a save against China in the tournament's opening match Saturday, June 6. The host nation won 1-0 in Edmonton.
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Canada's Josee Belanger, right, defends Wang Shanshan of China.
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China's Ying Li, left, is tackled by Kadeisha Buchanan of Canada.
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Chinese goalkeeper Wang Fei tries in vain to stop a penalty kick by Canada's Christine Sinclair. The goal came late in second-half stoppage time.
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Canada's Allysha Chapman looks to cross the ball as China's Tan Ruyin defends.
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Women's World Cup: The beautiful game 242 photos
Canada's Melissa Tancredi wins a header.
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Wang collects a ball with Sinclair close by.
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(CNN)
Her career has been a rollercoaster both on and off the pitch, but USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo produced a display in the Women's World Cup that one teammate described as "freaking huge."
Solo's performance in the USWNT's 3-1 win over Australia in its opening game of the tournament rekindled memories of Tim Howard's heroics in last year's men's World Cup.
Howard was dubbed the "Secretary of Defense" by adoring fans on social media.
Solo had gone into the match in Winnipeg under something of a storm.
Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
The United States is considered by many to be the favorite in this year's Women's World Cup, and a big reason why is goalkeeper Hope Solo. Solo has made headlines for some off-the-field troubles in recent years, but on the field she is simply one of the best keepers in the world. She won the award for best goalkeeper at the 2011 World Cup, and she was the starter for the gold-medal teams at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
No one in the world -- man or woman -- has scored more goals in international soccer than Abby Wambach. She has scored 182 times in 242 appearances with the U.S. national team, and this will be her fourth World Cup. Wambach, who at 5-foot-11 is the tallest person on the team, is an imposing figure in the penalty box and a clinical header of the ball. She was the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
The face of the U.S. team right now is most likely Alex Morgan, who has several major endorsement deals and is often seen on television ads and magazine covers. The speedy forward, right, has scored 51 goals for the national team -- third-best on the roster -- but her health is a question mark going into the tournament. She is nursing a bruised knee and may not be 100% when the United States plays its first match against Australia.
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If Morgan's not ready for the start of the tournament, the United States still has plenty of attacking options. Sydney Leroux is one of the team's bright young stars, having scored 35 goals in 71 appearances. Leroux was born in Canada, where this year's World Cup is being played, and she represented Canada at the youth level before switching to the United States, where her father is from.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
When watching the United States play, it's hard to miss Megan Rapinoe, who stands out on the field with her bright blonde hair and her attacking prowess on the wing. The 29-year-old spark plug can score goals and create them -- her assist to Abby Wambach four years ago saved the United States when it was just moments from being knocked out in the quarterfinals.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Outside of Wambach, no one on the roster has scored more goals for the United States than Carli Lloyd. Lloyd, a 32-year-old midfielder, has scored 63 goals in 195 appearances. She has played in the last two World Cups and the last two Olympics.
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Becky Sauerbrunn has been a rock for the U.S. defense in recent years. The center back is the only player on the roster to start all of the team's matches this year. This will be her second World Cup.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Central defender Christie Rampone will turn 40 during the tournament, and she was on the U.S. team when it last won the World Cup in 1999. She has played in four World Cups and four Olympics, winning three gold medals along the way. Only one player -- man or woman -- has played more matches for their country than Rampone: American Kristine Lilly, who retired several years ago.
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Julie Johnston is one of the youngest players on the team at 23, but she could be starting in the middle of the U.S. defense for this World Cup. She's started six matches this year and scored three goals on set pieces. In 2012, she captained the U.S. team that won the Under-20 World Cup.
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Right back Ali Krieger was one of four U.S. players who played every minute of the 2011 World Cup, and the 30-year-old has started most of the team's matches this year. She is one of the team's best attacking defenders.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Meghan Klingenberg, right, will likely start on the left side of the U.S. defense, opposite Krieger. This will be the first World Cup for Klingenberg, who like Krieger brings attacking ability to the back line.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Playmaking midfielder Lauren Holiday was U.S. Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year in 2014, and she is likely to play a key role for the U.S. team in Canada. She can create goals as well as score them. She's scored 23 in 124 matches.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
The youngest player on the team is 22-year-old Morgan Brian, who plays in the center of midfield. She has already played in 29 matches with the national team, scoring four times. This year she has played in nine matches, starting seven of them.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
This will be the second World Cup for winger Tobin Heath, left, who came off the bench four times in the 2011 World Cup. Heath has also been on the last two gold-medal Olympic teams. She's scored 11 times in 92 international appearances.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Defensive midfielder Shannon Boxx will provide experience to the team, having played in three World Cups and three Olympics. In 2005, she finished third in the voting for FIFA World Player of the Year. Going into 2015, she had started 175 of the 186 matches she had played for the U.S. team.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Midfielder Heather O'Reilly, left, is another one of the team's senior players, having appeared in 219 matches since 2002. The 30-year-old has scored 41 international goals, including one at the 2011 World Cup and two at the 2007 World Cup.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Christen Press is one of the team's attacking options up front. She's scored 20 times in 45 appearances with the national team. This will be her first World Cup.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Forward Amy Rodriguez, right, has scored 29 goals in 123 appearances with the U.S. team. She started the first five matches of the 2011 World Cup.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Kelley O'Hara, right, adds depth to the U.S. defense. The left back was one of three players who played every minute at the 2012 Olympics.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Alyssa Naeher is one of the two goalkeepers who will be backing up Hope Solo when the World Cup gets underway. Naeher started for the U.S. team that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2008. This will be her first World Cup with the senior team.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Ashlyn Harris will also back up Solo in goal. She has made six appearances with the U.S. team, and she started two matches earlier this year when Solo was suspended.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Defender Lori Chalupny, right, played for the U.S. team in the 2007 World Cup, but a history of concussions kept her off the team from 2009 to 2014. She was called up in December after passing medical tests, and she played her 100th international match in May.
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Meet the U.S. women's soccer team 23 photos
Whitney Engen brings depth to the team's center of defense. This will be the first World Cup for Engen, who has scored three times in 26 international appearances.
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EXPAND GALLERY
The 33-year-old has been embroiled in a domestic violence case since June 2014, though charges against her were dismissed by a judge in Washington state in January.
However later that month, Solo was suspended by U.S. Soccer for 30 days following "an incident that occurred during a WNT training camp being held in Carson, California."
Solo's husband, former pro football player Jerramy Stevens, was charged with driving under the influence in Manhattan Beach, California, about 12 miles from Carson. The Los Angeles Times reported that Solo was in the passenger seat.
"I am perfectly focused, sir, perfectly focused," Solo responded when asked if her preparations had been affected by new details ESPN provided ahead of the match against Australia.
USWNT team media officials then cut short Solo's interview.
Her first standout moment came after just five minutes when she tipped Emily van Egmond's shot onto the bar and out for a corner.
Two big saves from @hopesolo so far in the match! Here's a great look at the first one: ( #USAvAUS 1-0, 14') pic.twitter.com/XEMWL6Ef3s
 U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) June 8, 2015
She then produced another show-stopping save, getting down low to her right to deny Samantha Kerr what would have been a sublime volley just seconds after the Americans had taken the lead.
"Hope Solo was freaking huge," star player Megan Rapinoe told Fox Sports. "I think she had three saves that I don't think anybody else in the world can make.
"It was a little bit of a shaky game for us, especially the first 30 minutes. It's big and obviously the first tournament for a lot of people, only my second, so to get out of here with three points is huge."
Despite all of Solo's efforts in goal, there was still work to be done at the other end -- and 35-year-old veteran Rapinoe duly obliged.
Her deflected effort from distance after 12 minutes deceived Aussie 'keeper Melissa Barbieri to open the scoring.
Lisa De Vanna found a way past Solo 15 minutes later before Christen Press restored the U.S.'s lead just after the hour mark.
Rapinoe sealed the win on 78 minutes, a mazy dribble and finish that she described as her "best Lionel Messi impression."
A big congrats to @mPinoe on her performance today! She's the @FIFAcom Player of the Game! #Hugs pic.twitter.com/kcEMRg1gqk
 U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) June 9, 2015
"Megan thrives in these big games, big moments," U.S. Coach Jill Ellis said in a post-match press conference. "She's got ice running through her veins, but a lot of passion inside of her. She's a game-changer. And that's what makes her special."
"I probably shoot too much," joked Rapinoe. "It doesn't matter what kind of shot it is for me  I'll take it."
"A couple bits of class in the end from Rapinoe changed the game," said Alen Stajcic, the Australian coach.
The U.S. will be hoping for more moments of magic from Solo and Rapinoe when it plays Sweden on Friday.
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jun 02 21:48:15 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Surge in female recruits to ISIS reported</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/zdznor5PRF8/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>MUST WATCH
ISIS twins: From schoolgirls to jihadi widows 02:37
Just a year ago, twins Salma and Zahra Halane were popular, high-achieving teens, studying hard at school in northern England and aspiring to careers in medical science.
But in June 2014, the pair - then aged 16 -- ran away from what the local community describes as a "very religious family home in northern England, in June 2014, traveling first to Turkey and then across the border into Syria.
Within weeks, according to the ISD, they had both been married to ISIS fighters; on what's believed to be Salma's account, there is advice to other would-be recruits on how to find a husband in ISIS territory.
The ISD says her sister Zahra uses her strong Twitter presence to celebrate and encourage the work of Islamic terrorists.
On September 11, she is said to have tweeted: "Happy #9/11 Happiest day of my life. Hopefully more to come InSha Allah #IS" and she also appeared to revel in news of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in January.
The ISD believes both girls' husbands were killed within days of each other last December. Zahra purportedly announced her husband's "martyrdom" in a tweet on December 6: "He was a blessing from Allah ... I will join him very sooooon :')".
Less than a week later, a post believed to be from Salma: "May Allah accept my husband ... I am among the [wives] of shuhada [martyrs] and [I'm] honoured to be chosen".
CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of either of the posts attributed to the girls by ISD.
The girls, who are of Somali descent, are thought to have been influenced by their older brother, who, according to authorities, traveled to the battlefields of Syria in 2013. He has reportedly left the war behind and is now in Denmark, according to the ISD and a community leader in Denmark.
The family has not responded to CNN's request for comment on this story.
The twins appear defiant on social media, but analysts say such combative public profiles often mask private doubts. But even if the girls do want to leave ISIS, they face a tougher journey than their brother.
"If you are a female and you journey to ISIS territory, it's 10 times harder for you to return back to Western society," explains Saltman. "We have a few hundred cases of men who have returned, but for women it's almost impossible.
"This is because just to leave your house you need to have male permission. You need to have an escort to take you around. Once you arrive in ISIS territory your passport is ... confiscated.  For you to try and leave and wander towards to border is almost impossible."
Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  The Institute for Strategic Dialogue says Zaynab Sharrouf -- a 14-year-old Australian girl who was taken to Syria in 2013 by her father, a convicted terrorist -- posted this photo online. Supplied to CNN by the ISD.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  ISD says Zaynab Sharrouf also posted this photo on Twitter with the caption: "Chillin in the khilafah, lovin life". Supplied to CNN by ISD.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  Teenagers Amira Abase, Shamima Begum and Kadiza Sultana, were caught on CCTV at London's Gatwick Airport as they traveled to Turkey on their way to Syria.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  The family of Aqsa Mahmood, from Glasgow, believe she may have helped lure the Bethnal Green teenagers to Syria earlier this year; she moved there in 2013.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  An account purporting to be from Zahra Hallane -- one of the twin Manchester girls who fled to Syria last year -- posted a picture of her cat with the tweet: "@Zinnura_222 no my husband threw outside :( since then he never came back." Photo supplied to CNN by the ISD.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  ISD says Zahra Hallane also posted this photo of masked women practicing "self-defence". Photo supplied to CNN by ISD.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  ISD says Zahra Hallane also posted this photo online. Supplied to CNN by ISD.
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Who are the women of ISIS? 8 photos
Who are the women of ISIS?  Image taken from the Bird of Jannah blog, supplied to CNN by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
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CNN's Bharati Naik contributed to this report.
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ISIS: Full coverage
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jun 02 15:00:41 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>China astronaut asks U.S. to open space station</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/Wb1VW347aHQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>How China's astronauts prepare for space 01:23
PLAY VIDEO
In October last year, China launched its most ambitious unmanned space mission to date: to orbit the moon and then return to Earth.
Nicknamed "Xiaofei," or "Little Flyer" on Chinese social networks, the unmanned orbiter traversed 840,000 kilometers on its eight-day mission that saw it round the far side of the moon and take some incredible pictures of Earth and the moon together, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported .
It then successfully re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and parachuted down to the surface in Inner Mongolia.
Wu Yanhua, vice director of China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, said at the time the successful test mission has gathered a lot of experimental data and laid "a solid foundation for future missions."
While China hasn't committed to it, many analysts think it wants to put a man on the moon.
However, when asked, Commander Nie won't be drawn on whether this is the ultimate goal of the country's space program.
"For the next step, the focus is Tiangong-2  and then we will do more preparatory work for the space station."
Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Shenzhou-10 was China's fifth manned space mission. The Shenzhou-10 spaceship, propelled by a Long March-2F rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on June 11, 2013.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
The crew for this mission included a woman, Wang Yaping, and two male astronauts, Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Nie, Zhang and Wang discuss technical issues  during training in April 2012, a year before the 15-day mission.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
The astronauts had to undergo a series of tests in their pressure suits prior to the mission.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Wang undergoes a cardiovascular endurance test a few weeks before the mission.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Nie undergoes an isokinetic muscle test.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Zhang practices entering the return capsule on May 31, 2013.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Zhang, left, Nie, center, and Wang, right,  during a training session in the return capsule.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Nie, Zhang  and Wang wave to onlookers the day before the start of the mission.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft is transferred to the launch site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the day of the launch.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
Hours before launch, the Shenzhou-10 spaceship arrives at the launch site.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
After the 15-day mission, the Shenzhou-10's return capsule landed successfully in Inner Mongolia on June 26, 2013.
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Shenzhou-10:  China's longest crewed space mission 13 photos
After emerging from the return capsule, the astronauts wave to people on the ground.
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Space news
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri May 29 21:21:22 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>What's behind India's heat wave?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/BQhiKOJ1K5Y/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>India's poor hit hardest by deadly heat wave 01:35
PLAY VIDEO
India is experiencing Loo winds, hot and dry westerly gusts from Pakistan and northwest India which dries out the region, according to CNN meteorologist Monica Garrett. That means that air moisture, or dew point, is low. When a monsoon advances, and one is expected to hit as early as the end of this week, there is always more dry heat.
Isn't it hot in nearby countries?
Neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan are hot, with temperatures well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but India appears to be suffering far worse, due in part to its many densely populated areas.
About two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion people have access to electricity. That would mean that in India alone about 400 million people do not have reliable access to air conditioning and refrigeration.
And India suffers because of geography. High mountains block cool air coming from the northeast, said Garrett.
It's 42 degrees celsius. A warm wind makes it feel even hotter. #indiaheatwave pic.twitter.com/bclIRPbNB0
 Mallika Kapur (@MallikaCNN) May 27, 2015
Is a hotter future ahead?
India is used to intense early summers. May is typically India's hottest month with temps in some parts of the country hovering around 104 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (around 40 degrees Celsius). Heatwaves are common in India. Hundreds died in 2002 and 2003 as a result of the heat.
Studies suggest India is in for more rough summers . The southern part of the country, which has mostly escaped the buckling heat, is predicted to suffer more heat waves. Overall, more parts of India will suffer heat waves that last longer -- possibly 30 days.
Recent analysis by Verisk MapleCroft suggests that over the course of just one generation, the heat stress currently felt in the worst-hit states of Andra Pradesh and Telangana will be felt across most of the country.
When will the heat wave end?
It's possible that a monsoon could hit by the end of the week and bring relief. On Wednesday night, a light shower in Hyderabad brought some relief to millions who had been praying for rain.
In the meantime, water camps are open and commuters are doing their best to survive.
India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
An Asiatic elephant is given water showers at Delhi Zoo, in New Dehli, India, on Saturday, May 30.  A blistering heat wave has killed more than 1,300 people in the country.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
People sleep on roofs in New Delhi on May 29, to escape the heat trapped in their concrete homes on. A blistering heat wave has killed more than 1,300 people in the country.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
Few people brave the streets near the India Gate in New Delhi on Thursday, May 28.
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A worker in Amritsar, India, uses a rickshaw to transport ice from a factory on Wednesday, May 27.
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Road markings appear distorted as asphalt starts to melt because of the high temperature in New Delhi on May 27.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
A man swims in the River Yamuna in Allahabad, India, on May 27.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
Men sleep in the shade under a bridge in New Delhi on May 27.
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A roadside food vendor sets up his cart inside a concrete pipe in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi, on May 27.
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Fishermen attempt to catch fish in a shrunken pond in Phaphamau, India, on Tuesday, May 26.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
People sit in the shade of a market in New Delhi on May 26.
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A fountain in New Delhi spells relief from the heat on May 26. Two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion people don't have access to electricity, meaning no fans or air conditioning.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
A plant pushes up through dry land in Gauribidanur, India, on May 26.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
Water is precious as temperatures soar in New Delhi on May 26.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
People in New Delhi rest in the shade on May 26.
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India's deadly heat wave 17 photos
A taxi driver rests in his parked car in Kolkata, India, on Monday, May 25.
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A commuter uses a train's hose to cool down at the railway station in Allahabad on Sunday, May 24.
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People in Kolkata flock to the murky waters of the Hooghly River for a cooling dip on Friday, May 15.
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CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh and Rishabh Pratap contributed to this story.
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        <date>Thu May 28 20:57:43 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Man stolen as baby reunites with mom 41 years later</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/bv63Q-nTFC8/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Story highlights
Man, 41, reunites with his biological mother in Chile after four decades
His mother was told that her baby died shortly after birth, but he was instead adopted by U.S. couple
Chile has thousands of cases of illegal adoptions from the 1970s and 1980s under dictatorship
Santiago, Chile (CNN)
It was a hug kept on hold for more than 41 years. The hug of a mother and son whose lives were abruptly separated four decades ago.
Nelly Reyes had been waiting for hours in the international arrivals lounge at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, holding a hand-made red poster board sign that said "Lovingly waiting for Travis, your mother Nelly and family." A granddaughter in her early 20s and a 10-year-old grandson keep her company.
On the other side of the terminal, going through immigration and customs, Travis Tolliver was anxious and nervous.  Up until the last minute, mainly because of a language barrier, he didn't know if anybody would show up to greet him.
When he finally came out of the terminal, no words were needed. They rushed to each other's arms and held on for a long hug. Few relatives knew the real story.
Tolliver had tears of joy. "I don't know how I feel. It's crazy! I never thought this could happen," he said.
Reyes, 61, could barely talk. "I'm going to hug him every day. I love him so much," she said.
The emotions released in that hug at the airport were the culmination of four decades of heartbreak, lies, deception, criminal acts and an injustice that separated mother and son at birth.
Stolen at birth
The newborn baby ended up living thousands of miles away, being raised in Tacoma, Washington, by a couple who had no knowledge of what had happened, while his biological mother cried and desperately tried to find her son.
Tolliver says he always knew he was adopted. What the 41-year-old supervisor at an imports distribution center didn't know was that he was stolen as a baby in his native Chile, only hours after his birth.
He hopes that knowing the truth about his past will now allow him to overcome a psychological trauma he has suffered for as long as he can remember. He says he has "abandonment issues."
"You know, I wasn't given up willingly like I thought for all these years, so that makes my heart feel wonderful; but it's just coming to terms with that. This whole thing still seems unreal to me," Tolliver said.
Reyes says she had a normal pregnancy with no medical issues. The mother of six children, including Tolliver, says she gave birth to a healthy baby boy at 4 p.m. on November 15, 1973. She was 19.
But her joy quickly turned to sadness when a nurse told the baby was born with a heart condition and was unlikely to survive.
"Hours later they told me he had died," Reyes said. Despite her multiple pleas, Reyes says she was never shown a body and was never given a death certificate.
Chile's 'Children of Silence'
Stolen at birth, reunited after four decades 5 photos
Travis Tolliver sits in the center surrounded by his biological family in Chile. He's wearing a hat and a young girl in a purple T-shirt sits on his lap.
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Stolen at birth, reunited after four decades 5 photos
This picture shows Travis as a newborn baby after being adopted. His biological mother says he was stolen from her hours after his birth in 1973.
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Stolen at birth, reunited after four decades 5 photos
Travis Tolliver -- third child from the right in the front row -- attended preschool in Washington state.
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Stolen at birth, reunited after four decades 5 photos
Travis Tolliver poses with his adoptive U.S. parents, his wife and their two children in 2010. His parents were told Travis was an abandoned baby.
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Stolen at birth, reunited after four decades 5 photos
Travis is getting to know his family history, including his sister Jessica Catalan and biological mother Nelly Reyes.
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Tolliver's case is not unique in Chile, according to Marcela Labraa, the director of the country's child protection agency (SENAME, by its Spanish acronym).
"This is no longer a myth. We know nowadays that this happened and it was real. It's not a tale that a couple of people were telling," Labraa said.
Her agency is currently investigating hundreds of cases, but Labraa says there could be thousands of cases of illegal adoptions from the 1970s and 1980s, when the country was ruled by a repressive dictatorship.
Tolliver and Reyes believe he was stolen. He is now working with authorities to find out what exactly happened to him.
In Chile they call them "Children of Silence."  Some babies were stolen and sold. Other newborns were given away by their grandparents who conspired with doctors, priests and nuns to hide a daughter's socially embarrassing pregnancy.
'Children of Silence' seek truth
Priest investigated
Prosecutor Mario Carroza investigated Gerardo Joannon, a priest accused of acting as a secret liaison between well-to-do families in Chile and adoptive parents as a part of a scheme also involving doctors, nurses and nuns in the 1970s.
Carroza says the priest, who belongs to the Sacred Hearts congregation, was investigated for the crimes of theft of minors, falsification of documents, and usurpation of identity.
To the dismay of those seeking answers, Carroza determined that even though Joannon might have committed those crimes, it was so long ago that he couldn't be prosecuted.
"In this case we're talking about a period between 15 and 20 years ago, which means the statute of limitations has run out," Carroza said.
The congregation to which Father Joannon belongs also conducted an internal investigation last year into the allegations and sent its findings to the Vatican. The Holy See later determined that even though the priest had made ethical and moral mistakes, none of his actions had risen to the level of a violation of canon law.
In his only on-camera interview in April 2014 with Chile's Channel 13, Joannon denied all the accusations, including telling women their children had died in order to give the babies to other couples.
"I never told anybody the babies had died because I didn't even know if they had been born, or if they were male or female," he said on Channel 13. "I never knew anything."
Still
In Tolliver's case, it's not clear who took him from his mother or whether there was any money involved.
Tolliver says his U.S. adoptive parents never knew he had been stolen. They were told he was an abandoned baby.
Tolliver also says he tried to find his biological parents when he was in his 20s but didn't have the connections to make it happen.
It was not until last year, he says, that he determined he needed to find the truth about his past not only for himself, but also for his two children. He says the decision was, in part, motivated by seeing several news stories about stolen children in Chile, including CNN's "Children of Silence."
The news that he was matched to his biological mother through DNA testing has been difficult to digest, Tolliver says, especially for his adoptive mother.
"But she's always going to be my mom --  it's just that I have two now -- she raised me. I am who I am because of what she did for me. She's always going to have a place in my heart and it's not like I'm replacing her or anything like that," Tolliver said.
Reuniting with siblings
Since reuniting with his biological mother, Tolliver has been busy meeting four brothers and one sister and seeing the sights of the country.
"Now I'm back here in my homeland I guess. I'm going to explore and see what the country is all about," he said.
One of his stops was the site where the hospital where he was born once stood. The Enrique Deformes Hospital in the coastal city of Valparaso has since been demolished and Chile's main congressional building now sits in its place.
As to why he would travel such great distance from his home in Yelm, Washington, and spend so much money -- some of it raised through a GoFundMe appea l -- to find the truth about his past, Tolliver is unequivocal. "To become whole," he says choking up and fighting back tears. "I've always felt incomplete, always kind of the outsider. My adoptive parents have blonde hair blue eyes. I just kind of stood out like a sore thumb."
Reyes, his biological mother, has been cooking for him daily and going out of her way to make him feel welcome.  He doesn't speak Spanish and she doesn't speak English.
But more than anything, she's been showing him her love, giving her son the hugs and kisses that she was unable to give him all of the years gone by.
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri May 22 17:10:45 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Historian claims to discover 'true face' of Shakespeare</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/8EN5u0vryBw/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Historian claims to discover 'true face' of Shakespeare
Updated 2025 GMT (0325 HKT) May 20, 2015
William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
Is this a portrait of William Shakespeare? That's what a botanist and historian thinks. The fact that the possibility has ignited such chatter is testament to the power and influence the greatest of English dramatists has had upon literature.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
The best-known picture of Shakespeare is this one, from the First Folio, published in 1623. Shakespeare died in 1616; it will be 400 years since his death next year.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
This statue of Shakespeare sits in front of the remains of St. Mary Aldermanbury parish in the City of London. The Bard, considered by many the greatest writer in the English language, wrote 38 plays and more than 100 sonnets.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
London's Globe Theatre, built in 1997, is a faithful recreation of an Elizabethan stage and sits several hundred yards from the site of the original Globe from Shakespeare's day. It stages a handful of Shakespeare plays each year.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
Shakespeare-related artifacts are tremendously rare and valuable. Here, Remy Cordonnier, librarian in the French town of Saint-Omer, displays a valuable Shakespeare First Folio, a collection of some of his plays dating from 1623. About 230 copies of the First Folio are known to exist in collections or in private hands around the world.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
Shakespeare's plays live on in hundreds of live productions staged each year around the world. Here, Paul Daneman and Eileen Atkins appear in "Richard III" at London's Old Vic Theatre in 1962.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
From Laurence Olivier's "Henry V" to Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet," Hollywood has a long history of producing movie adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. "Shakespeare in Love," a fictionalized look at the Bard's creative muse, won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1998.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, in central England. Tourism related to the playwright is a huge draw for the town, which celebrates Shakespeare's birth each April with parades and other events.
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William Shakespeare's vast legacy 9 photos
A bust of Shakespeare sits in the Garrick Inn, which dates from the 1400s and is reputed to be the oldest pub in Stratford-upon-Avon.
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A botanist and historian believes he's discovered picture of Shakespeare
Only two verified likenesses are thought to exist
(CNN)
Is this the Bard I see before me?
That's what botanist and historian Mark Griffiths believes. He says that a drawing of a man on the cover of a 1598 book about plants is a picture of William Shakespeare.
If Griffiths' theory holds up, it would be a major find -- and it's being trumpeted as such by the UK magazine Country Life, which is revealing the discovery in its new issue .
It's "the literary discovery of the century," Country Life editor Mark Hedges told the UK Guardian. "This is the only known verifiable portrait of the world's greatest writer made in his lifetime. It is an absolutely extraordinary discovery; until today, no one knew what William Shakespeare looked like in his lifetime."
There are only two verified likenesses of Shakespeare known today, both from after his death in 1616. One is the famed one of a balding man in a wide collar, taken from the First Folio , published in 1623. The other is a memorial at a church in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon.
If the man on the book, "The Herball," is Shakespeare, he would have been in his early 30s and would have already written a number of the plays based on English kings, including "Richard III" and both parts of "Henry IV." Still in his future were "Hamlet," "Othello," "King Lear" and "Macbeth," all of which probably date from the early 1600s.
To determine that the picture is Shakespeare, Griffiths had to unlock some elaborate Elizabethan codes, he told the Guardian. There are four men pictured on "The Herball," and he figured who three of them were relatively easily: the book's author, John Gerard, the subject of some Griffiths research; botanist Rembert Dodoens; and royal minister William Cecil, Lord Burghley.
But the fourth took some doing.
"He's dressed as a Roman, wearing laurels and meant to make us think of Apollo and poetry. ... I couldn't think of anybody really who was a direct intimate of Gerard's and was involved in writing his book," he told the Guardian.
Through a variety of clues, including an arrowhead, a peculiar flower and a W, Griffiths deduced that the man was Shakespeare.
Hedges believes the theory is correct. "The more you find out about the story, the more it glues together," he said in a Country Life video.
But not to a number of experts.
"There's no evidence that anybody thought that this was Shakespeare at the time," professor Michael Dobson, director of the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, told the BBC .
And in a Guardian essay , art critic Jonathan Jones compared the theory to something Dan Brown would have come up with: "fanciful tosh."
"There is no 'proof' at all here that the moustachioed man in the engraving is Shakespeare," he wrote. "His complex strings of argument are massive acts of overinterpretation."
Griffiths, though, is convinced.
"It is not an assumption that he is Shakespeare, it is algebra. ... It is an equation," he said.
Interpretation, then, may be in the eye of the beholder.
Or as Shakespeare wrote in "Antony and Cleopatra," "In nature's infinite book of secrecy / A little I can read."
New looks at history
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri May 22 15:28:26 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Is the world turning its back on a people?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/cL26Foy0dUU/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>MUST WATCH
Rohingya migrant boat missing in the Andaman Sea 02:32
In the Andaman Sea, aboard a fishing vessel searching Thai waters for vessels carrying refugees, a CNN crew saw several Thai navy vessels on patrol.
Kraiwut Chusakul, a local fisherman, said he's seen one of the many boats filled with Rohingya refugees. "There are so many children on the boat," he said. "I think there must have been around 100 small children."
The boat Kraiwut saw hasn't been seen since, and despite searching and asking other fishing boats if any refugee ships had been spotted, the CNN crew also turned up a blank.
"I feel so sorry for them," Kraiwut said. "It's so different to when you see these refugees on land, and the conditions are so terrible."
Late last week, residents on Koh Lipe Island in southern Thailand could be seen collecting food, water and clothes to take to the migrants on board the boats, but since then the military has told them not to take supplies out to the boats, or to talk to journalists about the situation.
Fortify told CNN that patrol ships stay ahead of those searching for these ships, chasing them out of territorial waters, so journalists and rights groups cannot get a clear understanding of the situation.
The country will host trilateral talks between the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand this week in an attempt to resolve the current impasse, and will again host a larger meeting of ASEAN nations on May 29.
Indonesia
Indonesian military spokesman Fuad Basya told CNN on May 18: "We have four navy vessels guarding our territorial waters in Aceh now. The policy remains -- we won't let any illegal migrants in."
Its foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, will attend meetings in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday in an attempt to find a solution to the growing humanitarian crisis.
However, she told reporters Tuesday that Indonesia has "given more than it should" to help those stranded at sea.
The UNHCR reports that, in the last week, Indonesian fishermen have rescued more than 1,300 Bangladeshis and Rohingya, whose vessels had entered Indonesian territorial waters after they drifted or swam to shore in Aceh and North Sumatran provinces.
The chief of the Aceh Search and Rescue Agency (SAR), Budiawan tells CNN approximately 100 migrants were rescued Wednesday by fishermen and the SAR.
However, Indonesian fishermen were being discouraged from actively searching for and rescuing stranded refugees.
"If they encounter any boats then of course they can rescue and tow them in, for humanitarian reasons. But their job is to catch fish and they shouldn't be going out to search for these boats," Basya said.
The Philippines
Despite being geographically distant from the epicenter of this growing humanitarian crisis, the Philippines has offered to allow the migrant boats landing rights.
The government quickly reacted to a report in local press saying that it would "push back to sea" any refugees that tried to land on Filipino soil.
Herminio Coloma Jr., a spokesperson for the country's Presidential Communications Operations Office said in a statement May 18 that the Philippines has extended humanitarian assistance for "boat people" in the past, citing its establishment of a processing center for Vietnamese migrants in the 1970s.
Citing the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, or which the Philippines is a signatory, Coloma said: "We shall continue to do our share in saving lives under existing and long-standing mechanisms pursuant to our commitments under the Convention."
Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
A boat carrying about 300 Rohingya men, women and children was found drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea on Thursday, May 14.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
The boat was found floating with a broken engine. Its captain had left, but two crew remained on board, said the governor of Thailand's Satun Province, Dejrat Simsiri.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
Rohingya migrant women cry as they sit on a boat adrift. Many on board the rickety ship were women and young children, without food or water, looking for a safe harbor to take them in.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
The Rohingya are a persecuted Muslim minority who are effectively stateless in majority-Buddhist Myanmar. They are forced to live in crowded camps -- which they are generally forbidden to leave --  and are considered to be interlopers from neighboring Bangladesh, despite the fact that many have lived in Myanmar for generations.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
More than 1,600 migrants -- both Rohingya and economic migrants from Bangladesh -- have landed in Malaysia and Indonesia since Sunday, May 10, officials say, after Thai officials began cracking down on human trafficking camps operating in the country's south near the Malaysian border, disrupting established people-smuggling networks.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
Rohingya migrants swim to collect food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter after they jumped from the boar adrift in Thai waters on May 14.  With the Thai pipeline for illegal migrants closed, overcrowded traffickers' boats have begun offloading their human cargo on the shores of Malaysia and Indonesia -- Muslim-majority countries that have shown sympathy to the Rohingya in the past. Alternatively, crews have simply abandoned them to drift.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
While rights groups are calling for an urgent rescue of thousands of stranded migrants, a top Malaysian official says his government will re-supply and turn away seaworthy boats carrying illegal migrants.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
Fishermen and National Park officials provide food supplies to Rohingya migrants stranded on the boat. An Indonesian spokesman said on Wednesday, May 13, that provisions had been given to a migrant boat in the Strait of Malacca before the boat carried on its way to Malaysia -- purportedly the boat's intended destination.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
Rohingya migrants pass food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter to others aboard the boat. The Indonesian spokesman said Indonesia was currently providing food and shelter to 582 migrants rescued on May 10 and was working with international bodies to provide them documentation and temporary relocation.
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Migrant boat found drifting in Thai waters 10 photos
A Rohingya migrant eats food dropped by a Thai army helicopter after he swam to collect the supplies at sea. Malaysia, meanwhile, is processing more than 1,000 recently arrived migrants.
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CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Kathy Quiano and Kocha Olarn, and journalist Manny Maung in Yangon contributed to this report.
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        <date>Tue May 19 14:33:40 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Seeing humanity in farm animals</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/JtTbRfKcz_M/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Seeing humanity in farm animals
By Michelle Cohan, CNN
Updated 0242 GMT (0942 HKT) May 15, 2015
9 photos
Ronan Yver took this photo of a pig in the countryside of Brest, France. He labeled it "Three Senses," signifying sight, sound and smell.
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9 photos
A "curious colt and donkey" on the seashore in Brest. Yver spent several years with farm animals, getting to know their personalities. Seeing the humanity in their eyes, he began to create a catalog of common feelings and moods and character traits.
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"Challenge": A goose just before fighting.
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"Innocence": This goat is just 2 days old.
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"Elegance": A drooling cow in Brest.
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Story highlights
Ronan Yver took fun photos of farm animals, getting to know their personalities
"I am also telling a story about human beings," Yver said. "I wanted to create caricatures"
(CNN)
You can tell a lot about a person from their expressions. Perplexed eyebrows, pursed lips.
Animals are no different.
From raised noses to lowered heads, outward displays of emotion are not exclusive to humans. But perhaps that isn't the message inked in these portraits taken by Ronan Yver .
Farm animals have their own stories. Their lives consist of more than rolling in the mud and grazing the fields. The perception of farm life cannot be taken at face value. You have to dig deeper for the truth under the skin.
But it's a story they cannot share -- at least not verbally. So Yver decided to document it for them through two lenses: his Canon camera and his literary prowess.
Photographer Ronan Yver
"I shot animals, but I am also telling a story about human beings," Yver said. "I wanted to create caricatures."
As a primary school teacher in Brent, France, he sees the world through tales of personification, from the legendary "Little Red Riding Hood" to the modern "Puss in Boots."
In French poetry, Jean de La Fontaine is well known for his fables that criticized Louis XIV during the 17th century. Fontaine replaced humans with animals: Louis XIV was a lion, aristocracy became wolves or foxes, and the weak were portrayed as lambs.
And thus, Yver's series "Animal Moods" was born out of a respect for allegoric storytelling, a passion for photography and a heavy dose of Animalia.
Social media
Follow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.
Yver spent several years with farm animals, getting to know their personalities through his wide-angle lens. Seeing the humanity in their eyes, he began to create a catalog of common feelings and moods and character traits, labeling the photos with captions such as "pride" or "elegance" or "innocence."
"We love our pets, but what about these (animals)?" Yver said. "We feed them and we eat them. But we can also take photographs and tell a story."
And telling that story was not always so easy.
"It's so difficult to take photographs of animals," he said. "I'm so close to them I can't hide! ... Sometimes they want to fight!"
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu May 21 20:16:11 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>'The day I infiltrated an African cult'</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/k7OVXEBa7fw/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>'The day I infiltrated an African cult'
By Daisy Carrington, for CNN
Updated 1452 GMT (2152 HKT) May 6, 2015
Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
In 2010, photographer Vlad Sokhin gained rare access to the rituals and practices of the Nyau brotherhood, a secret society of the Chewa people that exists in communities in Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. He reveals how he managed to infiltrate, and ultimately join, this secret group. Photographs by Vlad Sokhin.
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Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
Vlad Sokhin: "From 2010-2011, I lived in Mozambique's Tete province, where I was doing different jobs. One of them was for a coal exploration company. One day they asked me to photograph the opening ceremony for a new camp. While I was waiting for the ceremony to start, I saw someone pop out of the bush wearing feathers and a mask. Locals started screaming, 'Nyau,' and started to run."
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Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
"I had no idea what Nyau was, so I started to do some research," said Sokhin.
"I learned it was a secret society within the Chewa culture. Chewa people live in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique. I found out that many locals, and even policemen, were afraid of the Nyau and considered them dangerous. One type of Nyau, known as Nyau 'kampini,' or 'dangerous Nyau,' (pictured) walk around with machetes and have a reputation for attacking people."
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Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
"One policeman told me they are never prosecuted. 'How can you put an elephant or snake in jail? The same is with Nyau,' he said. In spite of the rumors, I never heard of any accident involving a Nyau while I was there."
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Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
"The performance I witnessed was the Gule Wamkulu, a secret cult and ritual practiced by the Nyau brotherhood during the harvest, as well as important ceremonies, like weddings and funerals. Gule Wamkulu means 'The Great Dance' in the Chewa language. It is performed by the Nyau, who wear masks and costumes that represent the spirits of animals, called 'nyama,' and of their ancestors, called 'mizimu.' The ritual has had UNESCO protection since 2005, when it was included as one of 90 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity."
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Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
"After my first encounter with the Nyau, I spent a year in Mozambique looking for more dances, and trying to find members, so I could photograph them. This proved difficult, since everything about the Nyau is kept secret. If you're part of the Nyau cult, you're not supposed to tell anyone."
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Behind the scenes of an African secret society 13 photos
"Nyau keep both their rituals and their identity a closely-guarded secret. I later learned that during a ritual, the dancers will rotate so no one can tell their identity.
"If you see a whole family watching a dance, maybe the husband will leave for a bit then go to a secret place to change and dance, then come back so his mother, sister or wife won't know he's a member. If one dancer falls down and injures himself and starts limping, all members of the Nyau will start limping so no one can identify the injured dancer. "
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"One day I met a teacher from Zimbabwe named Ofis, who started to ask me why I was so interested in the Nyau. We ultimately became friends, and he confessed that he was a member. I started to learn about the cult from him, but he said if I wanted to know more, I'd have to join."
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"Ofis talked to the chiefs, and they agreed I could be a spectator at first, but nothing more. I started to go every week and take pictures of the dances, but I wanted to see more. I wanted to go inside and see how they made their masks.
"First, I had to be accepted as a member of the Nyau. One day, they said they were willing to accept me, but I would have to go through a ceremony."
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"First, I had to learn their password system, which involved secret hand signs. If you pass a Nyau on the road and use the hand sign, nothing bad will happen to you; they'll understand you're one of them."
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"Afterward, I had to kill a chicken with the other new members, so we could take the feathers and add them to our costumes later. Later, I was brought to a nearby village, where I was covered in a fabric and flowers, and the Nyau came out, already in costume."
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"This photograph is of the initiation. When I was initiated, they hit me a little bit with a stick -- hitting is an important part of the ceremony as it serves as a warning not to reveal the secrets of the Nyau.
"They removed the fabric and started dancing and I danced with them. We danced the whole night, then they took me to their hidden place -- the cemetery. They told me, 'Now, you're Nyau.' They gave me my own mask and costume and started to teach me how to dance."
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"The next time I met them, I brought my camera. They then told me, 'You're a part of this cult, but you can't take pictures.' It took me another couple of months in the cult before they let me take pictures."
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu May 14 15:35:29 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Company treats 6,400 employees to vacation</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/_FQL-5uabs0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Story highlights
6,400 employees at a Chinese company were sent to France for a company paid trip
The staff also broke a Guinness World Record for building the largest human sentence in Nice
(CNN)
More than 6,000 employees of Tiens Group -- a Chinese conglomerate -- were given the VIP treatment on an all expenses paid trip to France to celebrate the company's 20th birthday.
The tour group -- the largest to visit the country -- was given a private tour of the Louvre museum and a private shopping session  at luxury department store Galeries Lafayette during their four-day trip, reported French news agency Agence France-Presse.
After two days in Paris, the group headed down to the southern resort town of Nice on Friday, where they also broke a Guinness World Record for forming the largest human sentence.
All staff members lined up on the waterfront, Promenade des Anglais, to spell out the phrase "Tiens' dream is nice in the Cte d'Azur" that was visible from above.
The Chinese company broke a Guinness World Record for building the largest human sentence in Nice, France.
According to local media, the company booked 4,760 rooms in 79 hotels between Cannes and Monaco, and 146 tour buses.
"We have mobilized public services as well as tourism professionals, hotels, restaurants, shops and designer brands," Christian Mantel, head of the French tourism development agency told AFP.
It's estimated that the group will spend $15 million during their visit added Mantel, and France is seen to reap up to $20 million in total economic benefits.
Chinese tourists, who are known to be the world's biggest holiday spenders, are said to spend an average of $7,200 when they go overseas.
It's not the first time a Chinese company has arranged for massive tours overseas. Last year, a group of 7,000 made a trip to the U.S. to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Sino-U.S. diplomatic ties.
Tiens Group operates in a diverse range of business interests, including biotechnology, tourism and trade.
Chinese company treats 6,400 employees to French vacation 6 photos
Employees of the Tiens Group, a Chinese conglomerate, attend a parade organized by CEO Li Jinyuan as part of a four-day celebration weekend for the 20th anniversary of his company, on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice, southeastern France, on May 8.
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Chinese company treats 6,400 employees to French vacation 6 photos
The 6,400 employees spent two days in Paris and two days in Nice,  southern France.
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Chinese company treats 6,400 employees to French vacation 6 photos
The employees stood together to break a Guinness World Record for the largest human sentence on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, southeastern France on May 8.
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Chinese company treats 6,400 employees to French vacation 6 photos
Staff members lined up on the waterfront to spell out the phrase "Tiens' dream is nice in the Cte d'Azur."
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Chinese company treats 6,400 employees to French vacation 6 photos
Li Jinyuan waves to the crowds in a parade on May 8 in Nice, France.
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Chinese company treats 6,400 employees to French vacation 6 photos
Employees of Tiens group pose for the camera during a parade in Nice, France on May 8.
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CNN's Jethro Mullen, Pamela Boykoff and Shen Lu contributed to this report.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Mon May 11 15:43:48 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Mormons search for roots after genocide</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/c8SdMdpoKRk/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Mormons search for roots in Cambodia
By Matthew D. LaPlante
Updated 1955 GMT (0255 HKT) May 7, 2015
Mormons in Cambodia 6 photos
Parishioners arrive at the North Phnom Penh Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for Sunday services. Cambodia's Mormon population has grown from just a handful of members a decade ago to more than 12,000 today.
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Mormons in Cambodia 6 photos
Old photographs sit in boxes for sale in a shop in the western Cambodian city of Battambang. Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s left many family heirlooms behind.
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Physician Lim Keuky, the president of the Cambodian Diabetes Association, wants people in his country to engage in family history research to help Cambodians better understand the chances of inheriting diseases from past generations.
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Mormons in Cambodia 6 photos
Stake President Eng Bunhuoch, a lay leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Phnom Penh, speaks on the phone in the family history office at his church. He has tried to encourage other members in his congregation to engage in genealogical research, but many are reluctant to dig in to their family history, given Cambodia's dark recent past.
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A family history librarian reviews the record of a parishioner from the North Phnom Penh Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church is in the process of inputting handwritten records into an online database.
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Eng looks over his online family history profile. Even though he's been trying to get other Cambodians to engage in genealogical research, as Mormons are expected to do, he acknowledges that he was a member of the church for many years before he was ready to do so himself.
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About 12,000 Mormons practice their faith in Cambodia
Mormons believe that families can be eternally connected through the practice of posthumous baptism
Cambodia's history of civil war and genocide make tracing family genealogy challenging
Matthew D. LaPlante is an assistant professor of journalism at Utah State University.
(Special to CNN)
When Eng Bunhuoch joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1990s, there were just a handful of families practicing Mormonism in Cambodia.
Today, the Salt Lake City-based church claims more than 12,000 parishioners in this predominantly Buddhist nation.
That growth has come with a challenge for church leaders, who are now working to encourage fellow converts to engage in what Mormons consider a sacred duty: digging into family history for a Mormon ritual intended to give the dead an opportunity for a better afterlife.
Cambodia's bloody past 16 photos
Cambodia's bloody past 16 photos
Cambodia's bloody past  Cambodian and international journalists watch a live video feed showing the verdicts in the trial of former Khmer Rouge leader "Brother Number Two," Nuon Chea, and former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, August 7, 2014.
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Cambodia's bloody past  A Cambodian man Khieu Samphan on a television during the trial at the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh on August 7. He and Nuon Chea were found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison.
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Cambodia's bloody past  Known as Brother Number Two, Nuon Chea was considered Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's right hand man. This is an image from court in 2011.
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Cambodia's bloody past  As the former head of state for the Khmer Rouge, Khieu Samphan occupied a number of key roles as the government tortured, starved and killed its people.
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Cambodia's bloody past  This undated photo, which may have been taken in 1989, shows Pol Pot, the former leader of the Khmer Rouge. He was under house arrest when he died in 1998 and never faced charges for the slaughter under his reign.
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Cambodia's bloody past  At least 1.7 million people were killed under the Khmer Rouge's brutal regime, which controlled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. This photo shows open mass graves in 1979.
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Cambodia's bloody past  Khmer Rouge guerilla soldiers wearing black uniforms drive into Phnom Penh in April 1975, as Cambodia falls under the control of the Khmer Rouge.
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Cambodia's bloody past  A woman cries next to a dead body in April 1975 in Phnom Penh, after the Khmer Rouge enter the Cambodian capital and establish the government of Democratic Kampuchea (DK).
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Cambodia's bloody past  Historical, undated photo of Nuon Chea. He held a number of positions during the regime's rule, including a short stint as acting prime minister.
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Cambodia's bloody past  Historical, undated photo of Khieu Samphan. During his trial, Khieu Samphan expressed remorse, claiming he was unaware of the full extent of the atrocities. He became the public face of the Khmer Rouge as it sought international credibility after its fall.
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Cambodia's bloody past  A Cambodian man sits in Choeung Ek Killing Fields near a tree that was used to beat children to death during the Khmer Rouge regime on August 6, 2014 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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Cambodia's bloody past  A Cambodian man stands by a wall of photographs of prisoners of the Khmer Rouge regime in one of the rooms of Tuol Sleng prison, also known as S-21, on August 6 in Phnom Penh.
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Cambodia's bloody past  Cambodian citizen Sam Vishna looks at a collection of skulls that make up a map of Cambodia at Tuol Sleng Prison Museum in Phnom Penh in 1998.
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Cambodia's bloody past  Cambodian Buddhist monks bless victims' skulls at the Choeung Ek Killing Fields memorial in Phnom Penh on April 17, 2008.
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Cambodia's bloody past  Cambodian Sao Phen prepares skulls and bones of victims of the Khmer Rouge inside a stupa in Kandal province in 2009.
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Cambodia's bloody past  A Cambodian woman looks at portraits of victims of the Khmer Rouge at the Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Phnom Penh on November 17, 2011.
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But in a nation cursed by decades of civil war and one of the worst genocides in history -- a place where dredging up the past can be a tremendously painful experience -- that hasn't been an easy sell.
"Most people," said Eng, now the lay leader of a Mormon church in Phnom Penh, "prefer not to do it."
The Mormon preoccupation with family history research is connected to a belief that families can be eternally connected through the practice of posthumous baptism. The rite has stirred controversy in the past: The church has apologized on several occasions in which it was revealed that members performed such proxy baptisms for Jewish victims of the Nazi regime. Mormons now are instructed to only submit for baptism the names of those who are in their own family lineage.
Sophat Yin, who grew up in the western Cambodian city of Battambang during the Khmer Rouge regime and is now an organizer at the Cambodian Buddhist Society in Fresno, California, is troubled by the proxy baptisms for many of the same reasons Jewish survivors of the Holocaust were. Most of the estimated 1.8 million people killed during the Khmer Rouge's brutal four-year rule in the 1970s were Buddhist. And Buddhist leaders, he said, weren't consulted about the practice. It was just assumed, he noted, that they'd be fine with the same rules as were settled upon with leaders of other religions.
"We Buddhists believe in afterlife, reincarnation and karma," he said. "If I were to die during the Khmer Rouge time, I would ask Mormons to leave me alone."
Still, he said, since he doesn't believe the practice holds any spiritual weight on the souls of the dead, he is trying to not feel offended and trying to look at it as a harmless offered blessing.
In Cambodia, Mormon believers' efforts to baptize family members -- including some of those slaughtered during the Khmer Rouge rule -- have also thus far met with little public backlash. But that might be because, at least for the moment, the work is quite limited.
Samnang Kang, who was recently appointed to work as a family history consultant for church members in Phnom Penh, said last's year's goal was to submit 1,600 names to LDS temple workers in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Parishioners could only manage 1,322.
This year, she said, "we haven't set a goal."
A big part of the challenge is a lack of records. The Khmer Rouge, which occupied the nation from 1975 to 1979, is thought to have destroyed about half of all government records -- the kinds of documents frequently used by Mormons in other nations and which are provided even to non-believers through the church's FamilySearch.org service.
Many more documents weren't specifically targeted for destruction, but were left unprotected during the regime and either looted or ruined by nature, said Khamboly Dy, a staff member at the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has worked since 1995 to recover and restore the record of the Khmer Rouge's brutal reign.
Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
Gory evidence of Cambodia's dark past  Some of the 8,000 human skulls at the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center sit in a glass case.
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Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum  "While getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all." A display at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum shows the 10 rules prisoners were forced to follow at S-21 prison.
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Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
Rouge rule  A woman cries next to a dead body on April 17, 1975 in Phnom Penh, after the Khmer Rouge entered the Cambodian capital to establish the government of Democratic Kampuchea.
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Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
High school to prison  Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is set in what was once a high school and later (1975-1979) used by the Khmer Rouge as a prison and interrogation center.
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Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
Deadly tales  When local authorities renovated the Killing Fields in 2011, they turned this series of mass graves, where the Khmer Rouge executed and buried the inmates of Tuol Sleng, into a tourism spectacle, complete with audio tours, benches, refreshment stalls and souvenir stands.
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Illuminating Cambodia's dark side 6 photos
Empty inside  As well as housing the Genocide Museum, Tuol Sleng still features empty rooms and corridors where once school lessons were provided, and later war crimes were committed.
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EXPAND GALLERY
"It is important to us to collect all the remaining documents and conduct interviews to reconstruct the record," he said.
To that end, the center has recorded conversations with more than 6,000 people -- a tiny fraction of the millions of individuals who survived the regime. But those oral histories are driven by an open-ended questionnaire and don't necessarily include genealogical information that would be helpful to those trying to trace their ancestry.
The center does have what might amount to a treasure trove of information for family history sleuths: As militaries are wont to do, the Khmer Rouge created detailed personnel records for many in its cadres. Center staffers said those records often do include information about soldiers' parents and other family members.
While Cambodian society generally treats Khmer Rouge foot soldiers as victims of the regime, that tolerance is at least partially contingent on a general disinclination to re-examine the past, as opening military personnel files might do. Equally if not more potentially painful: In studying the center's documents, family history searchers might happen upon the name of an ancestor only because another family member gave up that person's name under interrogation or torture.
Local Mormon leaders said they haven't yet asked to look into the documentation center's vaults, though the center's director, Youk Chhang, said he would welcome their queries. He noted that religion, in general, "was the enemy of the Khmer Rouge revolution" and that any avenue "for healing, forgiveness, and moving on" is worth exploring in a nation in which victims and perpetrators of atrocities still live, work and worship side by side.
The center's records potentially could help equalize family history resources in Southeast Asia. The LDS church has managed to acquire an extensive collection of government records from other countries across the region and has published those records on its family history website. However, the site has no historical records from Cambodia.
Paul Nauta, a public relations specialist for the LDS Church who specializes in family history, said even without records "the average person can usually remember three generations back. If you are fortunate to have a parent or grandparent still living, that affords the individual to trace their family history back up to six generations."
But Nauta said only a small set of patrons in Cambodia have listed more than four generations.
Including herself and her children, that's all Vanna Kim has been able to produce. And even at that, she said, "I had to pray for a miracle" that her Buddhist aunt and uncle would help her identify the names of her grandparents.
She's glad to have done her part to build the record base, but genealogy isn't for her. "It was an obligation," she said.
Khoem Samphon, whose written family tree is also only four generations deep, said it isn't just the governmental records that were lost in the Khmer Rouge years. The types of keepsakes many people use to trace back their lineage were often lost, too.
He was 27 years old when the Khmer Rouge swept into Phnom Penh and forced the relocation of millions of people across the country.
"We didn't bring any records with us," he said. "At that time, records were not important. Food was important."
Some of what was left behind -- family photographs, for instance -- are now sold, apparently for souvenirs, at ephemera shops catering to foreign tourists. Some of the pictures have names penciled on the back, but few have any more context than that.
Even if they did, it might not be helpful. Cambodians cycle through family names every few generations, and a lot of people changed their names when the Khmer Rouge came to power to hide familial affiliations.
"Because we were a political family, we did not want anyone to know where we came from," said Sok Mony, whose family didn't reclaim its name until long after the Khmer Rouge had left power.
For a time, during those years, she went by the name Eang Bunna.
"My family kept hiding until 1991," she said, "but my mother wouldn't open up about the past for many years after that."
Cambodians are rightfully proud of their distant past, said physician Lim Keuky, who lives and works minutes away from Angkor Wat, a thousand-year-old temple that draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to Cambodia each year and whose iconic towers appear on everything from the nation's favorite beer to its red, white and blue flag. But, he said, fellow Cambodians -- about 60% of whom are under the age of 30 -- generally prefer to ignore the much more recent past.
"That is why, if you go to someone who is 18 years old and talk about how genocidal the Khmer Rouge was, she would say, 'It's not possible -- you must be lying,' because the parents who lived at that time they don't want to remember," he said. "In trying to forget, then the same thing can come again."
But Lim, the president of the Cambodian Diabetes Association, noted that family history is also important for helping identify those most at risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. And increasingly, he added, researchers are demonstrating such conditions may be worse among those whose ancestors suffered traumatic stress, as so many Cambodians have.
"I want to say it strongly -- I cannot say it strongly enough -- that Cambodians must work to remember the past," Lim said.
Eng, who last year was appointed as a stake president to lead a new church by his home, said he also is hopeful his fellow Cambodians will wake up to the importance of learning about their family history, and not just for the purposes of Mormon rituals.
Logging into a computer at the church, he called up his family history profile on the genealogy website. Soon he was face to face with a black and white photograph of his father.
"You see," he laughed, "he is handsome like me."
Eng understands why Cambodians are hesitant to dig into their family roots; he was a member of the LDS church for more than a decade before he began to do so.
But now, Eng said, he'd like everyone to have the same experience he had once he began looking for long-lost relatives.
"When I would work on finding relatives," he said, "I pulled out my dad's picture and it felt like he was close to me again."
</MainBody>

        <date>Mon May 11 19:58:07 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>The forgotten sherpas</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/wvwtxNKrNBs/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Heaven, dotted with pockets of hell
Updated 1315 GMT (2015 HKT) May 12, 2015
The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
Phurba Sherpa anxiously peers out the window of a helicopter ferrying him to a remote Sherpa village high in the Himalayas. He wanted to assess the damage wrought by the April 25 earthquake in Nepal.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
Phurba's heart broke when he saw the devastation in Chaurikharka, the village where he grew up. But there's no time for sadness, he says, when so much work has to be done.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
The mother of Dawa Chiri Sherpa cares for his 18-month-old daughter after the climbing guide was killed by a quake-triggered avalanche at Everest Base Camp.
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Dawa Chiri Sherpa's mother mourns her son, the climbing guide who died at the base camp. The family was upset that it took two days before his body was returned to them.
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A girl helps clean out rubble from her family home in the village of Kyongma. In some villages, almost every house was damaged in the massive quake.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
High in the hills, the mode of transportation is often animals such as yaks, donkeys and buffaloes.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
A Sherpa woman prepares food in the restaurant of a lodge in Khumjung where only a few tourists remained. Most trekkers fled after the quake.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
Nawang Sherpa held onto his baby girl during the earthquake. They survived but are now too frightened to sleep within cracked walls. The family of four lives in a tent set up nearby.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
The fields are lush with new wheat, but little remains of this farmer's house in the village of Rimijung.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
Young monks take wood up to a 500-year-old monastery that was heavily damaged in the earthquake. They are afraid that what remains might still come tumbling down.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
A Sherpa man cuts stone to try rebuilding his damaged house. Many of the houses in this part of Solokhumbu District were built with stone, cement and wood and sustained major damage.
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The forgotten Sherpas 13 photos
The students at the Gumila teaching monastery ran out for cover when the earth began shaking. They survived, but their classroom didn't.
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Principal Biruman Rai surveys the damage at his school in Chaurikharka. He says it will take at least three moths before the classrooms can hold children again.
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CNN's Moni Basu reported this story last week from the region where the epicenter of Tuesday's earthquake was located.
Lukla, Nepal (CNN)
The Goma Air flight makes a swift turn over jagged white peaks and lush Himalayan farmlands before a herky-jerky landing in what's been called the world's most dangerous airport.
Phurba Sherpa hurtles off the prop plane that on this day has carried four adults, two children and 16 gray bags that each weigh 53 pounds. Inside are industrial-strength, family-size tents donated by the German Red Cross.
In the aftermath of the enormous earthquake that shook Nepal, Phurba, a 49-year-old Kathmandu entrepreneur, has made it his business to get relief to his people. By that he means the Sherpas, the ethnic minorities who inhabit the towns and villages in the shadow of Mount Everest and are known worldwide as expert climbers.
The Sherpas prop up Nepal's lucrative trekking and tourism business, but the government, Phurba says, has never looked out for them. Isolated in remote mountainous villages, they have been a forgotten people in Nepal and now, after the earthquake, they fear being forgotten again.
For Phurba, the journey from the Kathmandu Valley up to the soaring peaks is not just a humanitarian mission to help thousands of people living in quake-affected villages.
It's personal.
"It is my duty," he says of the responsibility he feels to give back to the majestic land and people who shaped him as a man.
Phurba has no time to lose.
Namche Bazaar is usually bustling at this time of year in Nepal with mountaineers on their way to Everest Base Camp. Now, the town is dotted with tents filled with displaced people.
Few others are here to help. There's no Nepalese government presence. Nor do I see any of the hordes of international aid workers and members of the media who descended on Kathmandu within days of the earthquake.
Granted, the villages and towns that dot the hills and mountains under Everest are not as badly affected as other areas closer to the earthquake's epicenter. People here are not lacking for food and water at the moment. This is a region in eastern Nepal where the tourism industry has helped people fare better moneywise.
But Nepal is not just a poor nation; it is one of the poorest. And now, the tourist season has abruptly ended for two years in a row. Last year, a giant block of ice broke free and crashed down into the Khumbu Icefall just above Everest Base Camp, killing 16 Sherpas.
The people here worry if they will ever be able to recover from tragedy. They wonder if tourists and trekkers will even consider returning to a place of such risk and sorrow.
Their villages are also places that can be extremely difficult to access -- there are no roads and the only way to travel is on foot. Some say it's hard to get aid delivered. But Phurba says there are ways -- donkeys are a popular means of transporting goods.
"If we wait for the government, it will take a lot of time," he says, blaming red tape and a lack of will.
I watch him make arrangements in his orange puffy down jacket, standing against the Himalayan vistas that tourists pay a lot of money to experience. I see a man who is determined amid a crisis of gigantic proportions.
I'd met Phurba in Kathmandu a few days earlier when I wrote about American mountaineer and filmmaker Tom Taplin , one of 19 known to have died on Everest. Phurba, who owns his own Himalayan tourism compan y, helped make all the arrangements for Taplin's body to be brought back down the mountain.
Phurba lamented to me then about the plight of his people. The attention, he said, has been cast on foreigners who were killed, injured or trapped, but not the Sherpas without whom Nepal's bustling trekking industry would not be possible. He told me a young man from his village was killed at the base camp and that the family is in mourning.
I asked if I could accompany him on his whirlwind trip to Solukumbhu District, thousands of feet above sea level. Two days later, I find myself racing to keep up with him.
Phurba Sherpa, center, discusses the earthquake's toll with Bal Bahadur KC, left, a  member of Nepal's Parliament who represents the district in which most of the affected Sherpa villages fall.
'Please help us'
At the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, the town where thousands of trekkers fly in to begin their journeys toward the skies, Phurba oversees the unloading of the Red Cross tents. Then he hops into a Fishtail helicopter that whisks him away to Phakding, where the lawmaker who represents this district is waiting.
Phurba invited Bal Bahadur KC on this assessment tour because he wanted someone from the government to see the earthquake's devastation in this part of country. Maybe then, Phurba thought, someone in Kathmandu would pay attention to the needs of his people.
We land in Phakding and find Bal Bahadur with his right arm in a sling. He has trouble getting onto the chopper. I ask him if he was injured in the earthquake. "No," he laughs. "I hurt it before then. But now I know what it feels like to have a broken arm."
The helicopter has no seats -- they were taken out to bring down the bodies of the dead from Everest Base Camp.
Pilot Mauritzio Folini tells me he used to love flying here -- joy rides in the sky in a place that arguably has the most fantastic views on Earth. The Nepalese name for Everest is Sagarmatha. Sagar means sky in Nepalese and matha, head. I am in a land that touches the heavens. From the helicopter, it's plain to see why that name is appropriate.
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Nepalese police officers clear debris from Durbar Square in Kathmandu on Sunday, May 3. A magnitude-7.8 earthquake centered less than 50 miles from Kathmandu rocked Nepal with devastating force Saturday, April 25. The earthquake and its aftershocks have turned one of the world's most scenic regions into a panorama of devastation, killing and injuring thousands.
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An injured Nepalese woman is carried by villagers toward an Indian army helicopter to be airlifted from Philim village in Gorkha district in Nepal on May 3.
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Members of the Tsayana family warm themselves next to a fire outside their damaged house on May 3 in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
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A woman receives comfort during the funeral of her mother, a victim of Nepal's deadly earthquake, on Friday, May 1, in Kathmandu.
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Hindu priests perform rituals during the cremations of victims at the Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu on May 1.
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People await aid from an Indian army helicopter in front of damaged homes in Kulgaun, Nepal, on May 1.
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An injured woman gets carried on a stretcher at Kathmandu's airport after being evacuated from Melamchi, Nepal, on May 1.
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A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department guides his sniffing dog through a collapsed building in Kathmandu on Thursday, April 30.
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A teenage boy gets rushed to a hospital April 30 after being rescued from the debris of a building in Kathmandu days after the earthquake.
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A man is freed from the ruins of a hotel by French rescuers in the Gangabu area of Kathmandu on Tuesday, April 28. Reuters identified the man as Rishi Khanal.
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Nepalese military police search through rubble outside Kathmandu on April 28.
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People rest April 28 in a temporary housing camp in Kathmandu. Large encampments of tents have sprung up in open areas, including a wide space belonging to the military in the center of the capital.
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A family collects belongings from their home in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on Monday, April 27.
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Damaged buildings lean to the side in Kathmandu on April 27.
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Members of the Nepalese army retrieve bodies from a collapsed building in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu on April 27.
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Nepalese soldiers carry a wounded woman to a helicopter as they evacuate people from Trishuli Bazar, Nepal, on April 27.
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People charge their cell phones in an open area in Kathmandu on April 27.
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Emergency personnel evacuate an injured man to a waiting helicopter in Trishuli Bazar on April 27.
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An aerial view of the devastation in Kathmandu on April 27. The destruction in Nepal's capital is stark: revered temples reduced to rubble, people buried in the wreckage of their homes, hospitals short on medical supplies overflowing with patients.
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Residents rescue items from the debris of houses damaged in the quake in Kathmandu on April 27.
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An aervial view shows ruined buildings in Trishuli Bazar on April 27.
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A woman prays at a ruined temple in Kathmandu on April 27.
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People rest in temporary shelters in Kathmandu on April 27.
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Residents cycle over damaged roads on the outskirts of Kathmandu on Sunday, April 26.
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Four-month-old Sonit Awal is held up by Nepalese army soldiers after being rescued from the rubble of his house in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on April 26.
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The newspaper that provided photographs of the baby's rescue says the Nepalese army initially left the site, thinking the baby had not survived. Hours later when the infant's cries were heard, soldiers came back and rescued him.
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The newspaper adds the Nepalese Army had initially failed to rescue the baby and left the site thinking the baby had not survived. Hours later when the baby's cries were heard the army came back and rescued him.
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A woman cries after identifying the body of a relative in Bhaktapur on April 26.
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Men clear debris in Bhaktapur on April 26.
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A truck evacuates residents from Kathmandu on April 26.
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A Buddha statue is surrounded by debris on April 26 from a collapsed temple in the UNESCO world heritage site of Bhaktapur.
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An elderly woman is helped to her home after being treated for her injuries in Bhaktapur on April 26.
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Family members break down on April 26 during the cremation of a loved one killed inBhaktapur.
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Smoke from funeral pyres fills the air at the Pashupatinath temple on the banks of Bagmati River in Kathmandu on April 26.
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Members of India's National Disaster Response Force look for survivors in Kathmandu on April 26.
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Rescue workers remove debris on April 26 as they search for victims in Bhaktapur.
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People look at the debris of one of the oldest temples in Kathmandu on April 26.
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People sleep on a street in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Saturday, April 25. A seemingly endless series of aftershocks continued to roil the area, further traumatizing survivors.
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Civilian rescuers carry a person on a stretcher in Kathmandu on April 25.
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People try to free a man from the rubble in Kathmandu on April 25. Cheers rose from the piles when people were found alive -- but mostly bodies turned up.
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Pedestrians walk past collapsed buildings in Kathmandu on April 25.
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Azim Afif, of the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia climbing team, provided this photo of their Mount Everest base camp after it was ravaged by an avalanche triggered by the earthquake on April 25. All of Afif's five-member team survived.
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Rescuers clear rubble in Kathmandu's Basantapur Durbar Square on  April 25.
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A temple on Hanumandhoka Durbar Square lies in ruins after an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25.
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Dharahara, a tower dating back to 1832 that rose more than 60 meters (200 feet) and provided breathtaking views of Kathmandu and the surrounding Himalayas, collapsed in the earthquake on April 25.
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The hand of a statue is seen under debris in Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu.
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A Nepalese man and woman hold each other in Kathmandu's Basantapur Durbar Square on April 25.
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A victim of Nepal's earthquake lies in the debris of Dharahara after it collapsed on April 25 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
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Rescuers look for victims under a collapsed building in Kathmandu on April 25.
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Volunteers carry a body recovered from the debris of a collapsed building in Kathmandu.
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A victim's body is seen in the debris of the collapsed Dharahara on April 25.
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Emergency rescue workers carry a victim from Dharahara after the tower in Kathmandu collapsed on April 25.
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People free a man from the rubble of a destroyed building in Kathmandu.
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A man walks past a collapsed temple at Basantapur Durbar Square.
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Rescue workers clear debris in Kathmandu while searching for survivors.
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People huddle together outside a hospital in Kathmandu. Eyewitnesses said residents were scared and waiting for aftershocks to end.
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People search for survivors stuck under the rubble of a destroyed building in Kathmandu.
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Injured people receive treatment in Kathmandu. A CNN reporter said medics were focused on treating the most severely injured.
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Emergency rescue workers search for survivors in the debris of Dharahara on April 25.
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An injured child lies on the ground outside a hospital in Kathmandu on April 25.
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People help with rescue efforts at the site of a collapsed building in Kathmandu.
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An injured child receives treatment outside Medicare Hospital in Kathmandu on April 25. Residents, after a relentless series of aftershocks, have been remaining outdoors.
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The rubble of collapsed walls fills a street in Lalitpur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on April 25.
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EXPAND GALLERY
Only now, after the earthquake, this land is dotted with pockets of hell.
In the last few days, maneuvering the light helicopter around the peaks and through deep canyons has turned into a gruesome chore as Folini has made countless rescue flights up and down to Everest Base Camp.
"I am a climber myself. I love my job," Folini says. "But now ... it's a tragedy."
We land at a gravel heliport in front of the police station in Khunde, 13,000 feet above sea level, and walk down narrow dirt lanes that snake around clusters of stone, cement and wooden houses.
The landscape has a recent addition: hundreds of colorful tents made by North Face, Marmot and Mountain Hardwear. Households in Khunde and other Sherpa villages have at least one person employed in the tourism industry and many own high-end outdoor gear given to them by foreigners or knockoffs sold in the local markets.
Phurba surveys the destruction, writes down names and the amount of loss. Some houses have been flattened; others are severely damaged. Few have escaped unscathed.
This is where his wife grew up. It's shocking for Phurba to witness the devastation.
"How are you doing?" he asks everyone he sees.
The answer is like a song's refrain that he hears over and over.
"I was at the Saturday market and that is why I am alive," says Da Tsering Sherpa, 40. "But my house is destroyed."
"I have lost everything," says Pasang Lamu, 55, breaking down. "Please help us."
Phurba finds his wife's relatives. They are camping out in a tiny tent; their broken houses still stand as constant reminders of their suffering. Phurba has stayed in those houses so many times, shared meals there with loved ones.
"All gone," Phurba says to me. "This will all have to be rebuilt."
I can tell Phurba is making a heroic effort not to betray his emotions at this moment.
"We are the lucky ones," he says. "We are alive. There is no time to be sad. We have lots of work to do."
We trek through several villages, up and down dirt paths laden with rocks.
The same scenes of despair -- and frustration -- play out everywhere. Foundations shaken to the core, roads blocked off by falling rocks and with the upcoming monsoons, the threat of massive landslides along the fresh cracks in the earth.
In nearby Khumjung, Bal Bahadur doles out $400 -- a token amount -- to people who lost loved ones. That's what the government gave as compensation to the families of the 16 Sherpas who died on Everest last year. They saw the meager sum as derisory, government indifference to the Sherpas and the dangerous jobs they perform.
Those who lost their houses receive $100 on this afternoon. In this area alone, 164 houses are documented as gone. Bal Bahadur tries to assure residents that help is on the way.
"I will not forget you," he tells the people.
But few believe the government's intentions are true.
"We are citizens of Nepal," says Phurba's friend, Chungbu Sherpa. "And that is all. Beyond that there is no relationship. We have to take it upon ourselves to help each other."
Schoolteacher Chhunjing Dorjee Sherpa, 50, listens to what Bal Bahadur has to say but has little faith that the lawmaker will come through.
"Do you feel that aid is coming?" I ask.
"This is the Nepal government," he says. Maybe he will rely instead on a grant from a nonprofit or perhaps a bank will issue him a low-interest loan.
A woman who runs a small restaurant has few customers. Sherpas who serve the tourist community are hurting after two failed Everest climbing seasons.
Near Phakding, we see a centuries-old teaching monastery that barely withstood the earthquake. The 28 Buddhist monks and 18 students who live here are busy putting up wood supports to mitigate the risks of everything crashing down.
Phurba has made it a priority to generate money to get the monastery repaired. It's his history. His culture. It's like seeing the fallen temples and palaces in Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage site, national treasures that will never be the same.
He stays behind to discuss reparations. Nawang Nuru Sherpa, 38, works as a guide for Phurba and accompanies me to Phakding. On the way we stop to survey Nawang's property.
He gazes at the fertile farmlands. The fields are a vibrant green with new wheat; potatoes abound in the soil the color of charcoal. Beyond that, he sees his home, still standing but precariously.
He pitched a tent for himself, his wife, 9-year-old son and infant daughter. He saved as many things as he could from the house and arranged them in the tent as though it were home.
But it isn't.
"I am afraid no tourists will come here anymore," Nawang says. "Then how will I get money to rebuild my house?"
It is something that preoccupies Phurba.
He had planned to let me stay at a lodge he built a few years ago. But we arrive instead to heavy damage to all 20 rooms and 22 bathrooms. Boulders lie in front of a fireplace on the second-floor landing as though they, like an evil Santa Claus, hurtled down the chimney.
It took Phurba five years to build this lodge; nature took a few seconds to destroy it. He suspects he will have to demolish and rebuild by mid-September when the monsoons have ended and the fall Himalayan season begins. He estimates it will easily cost $300,000 to make the necessary fixes.
I tell him I am sorry for his losses and that even amid the destruction, it's hard not to be overcome by the beauty of this land.
"Bahut sundar hai," I say in Hindi to some of Phurba's employees. "It's very beautiful here."
One replies. "Bauhut sundar tha."
"It was very beautiful."
Helicopters usually ferry climbers to Everest Base Camp. This year, they have been carrying those who died or were injured in the quake back to lower ground.
A day of suffering
Seeing his wife's village in ruins was hard enough, but Phurba's heart shattered when he learned of the earthquake's wrath on Chaurikharka, the village he calls home. He dreaded seeing it. On the second day of our trek, he tells me to go ahead to Chaurikharka. He will follow later.
It takes six hours to reach the village. There is no doubting nature's wrath here.
Sheets of corrugated metal that flew off roofs and sides of houses obstruct the main dirt path. Chunks of stone and cement tumbled to the earth.
Nima Kiter, 74, rushes toward me waving his hands in the air.
"Everything gone," he says in broken English. "We would all be dead if this had happened at night."
Most of the residents of Chaurikharka know Phurba and are relieved that a native son has taken charge of rebuilding the village.
When Phurba was born 49 years ago, most Sherpas, including his father, either worked the land growing buckwheat and potatoes or they were traders selling goods from Tibet and India. But Phurba grew up as a new industry was blossoming: tourism.
Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary scaled to the summit of the world's tallest mountain in 1953, challenging climbers from all over the world to match their feat.
Many Sherpa men began charging foreigners money for acting as their guides, porters and support staff through this unforgiving terrain.
Purbha's father pushed him from an early age to get into the trekking business. But the headmaster at his school recalls how Purbha snuck away to study. He was determined to learn, leave the village and carve out a successful life for himself.
"My parents were disappointed in me," Phurba had told me when I first met him. "But I knew education was the key to seeing the world."
He saved the money from his occasional trekking jobs and left for Kathmandu. He paid for college tuition with his earnings from an aunt's tea shop and earned a degree in journalism and then a master's in sociology.
"There were no Sherpas in journalism then," he told me. "I wanted to make a difference."
But then Mount Everest became big business, and in 1992, Phurba launched his own firm: Himalayan Sherpa Adventure. With it has come success, a large house and a comfortable existence for Phurba and his family in one of the poorest nations on Earth. A huge number of Nepalese live on $15 a month, and poverty is worst in remote mountainous villages.
The Sherpa guides I speak with all tell me Mount Everest saved them, that the trekking business has been lucrative. But the work is seasonal and meant for the young and strong. And now, after the earthquake, the future looks grim.
In popular tourist spots like Lukla and Phakding, I see empty guesthouses. Lodge owners say that after the earth shook, everyone and everything went downhill.
The planes landing at Lukla airport are normally full of people this time of year. But these days, they land only with cargo. Rice, tents, medical supplies. The tourists who are still here are clamoring to go the other way.
Phurba knows the worst may still be on the horizon for his people whose livelihoods are dependent on trekkers. The end result of falling tourism will mean no jobs.
"And the people will suffer even more," he says.
On this day, the suffering is greatest at Dawa Chiri Sherpa's house.
The 27-year-old worked as an assistant for mountaineers attempting to reach the summit. He was at the base camp when a quake-triggered avalanche thundered down the mountain.
Inside the heavily damaged family home, everyone is still mourning. They invite me inside and for a moment I think about what might happen if the second floor came crashing down. I climb the creaky stairs and see a Buddhist monk. He is sitting by a window chanting prayers in front of 13 flickering oil lamps. Dawa's mother cannot stop her tears.
Dawa owned a yak and used to work as a porter, his brother Tenzing tells me. But that was a hard life, walking uphill with hundreds of pounds of gear and not making that much money.
So Dawa completed a mountaineering course and became a climbing Sherpa; some of them earn as much as $7,000 in the two-month Everest season. That's more than 10 times the average Nepalese wage.
Everyone knew it was tiring and extremely dangerous work, especially Dawa's wife, Phura Yangzi. She last spoke with her husband the day before the earthquake.
"Tomorrow is my rest day at base camp," he told her. That was the last time she heard from him.
It took the family two days to retrieve Dawa's body, even though he worked for a trekking company that had the resources to bring him down. Ultimately, it was Phurba's friend, Chungba Sherpa, who made the arrangements.
"My brother died, but no one helped us," Tenzing tells me over a traditional Sherpa meal of boiled potatoes and freshly ground chili sauce. "No one from the government or from his company has contacted us. No one has said sorry. Who will take care of his wife and baby?"
Phura Yangzi carries 18-month old Chiring Dolma on her back as she carries on with her chores. Sometimes, she thinks it's all a bad dream; that her husband is still on Everest. She got married two years ago and at age 22, she is a widow with a child.
She tells me she is worried for her daughter's future. How will she get an education without a father earning money? She says she will try her hand as a street vendor, selling sodas and mineral water to tourists.
"It will be difficult but I will try," she says. "I have to."
In this land of incredible beauty, nature exacted a heavy toll.
The eternal mountain
I ponder the tough lives of the Sherpas on the uphill trek back to Lukla. I only have a backpack -- a porter is carrying my heavier bag, just like they do for tourists. I have been walking all day and the last stretch seems the most strenuous.
On the way, I see a 63-year-old man carrying what he estimates to be 130 pounds of goods on his back. I am in awe of his strength and his ability to carry on without complaint.
In Lukla, I meet back up with Phurba, who has come from seeing his own village and is making arrangements to fix damaged structures and bring in more aid to his people.
"Base camp has become very big news, but you see how thousands of people have been affected," he says. "There are many places that are really poor, are really miserable. It is my job to support those in need."
"Wasn't it hard to see your wife's village, to see your own village lie in ruins?" I ask.
"Some people cry with their eyes," he says, "and others don't. But that doesn't mean I am not sad."
He says he has to worry about his people's livelihoods in the future.
During the recession, when his company felt the sting of fewer Americans spending money on global travel, his friends assured him.
"Don't worry," they said. "You will have no problem as long as you have Everest."
Phurba -- and his people -- are counting on that again.
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri May 01 00:40:20 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>FAA questioned mental health of Germanwings pilot</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/QeJ60je_bEI/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN.com
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FAA questioned mental health of Germanwings pilot
By Rene Marsh and Wesley Bruer, CNN
Updated 1631 GMT (2331 HKT) April 30, 2015
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Washington (CNN)
Years before Andreas Lubitz crashed a commercial airliner into the French Alps, the Federal Aviation Administration raised questions about his mental health, declining to give him a medical certificate.
The agency switched course about three weeks later in 2010 after a physician working with Lubitz said his treatment was complete.
That and other findings are revealed in documents obtained by CNN through a public records request that cover a time frame between April 2008 and July 2010 -- the period in which Lubitz was in Arizona training to be a pilot for Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings. Lubitz is accused of purposely slamming a Germanwings jetliner into the French Alps on March 24, killing all 150 people on board. He suffered from bouts of depression and the incident sparked a global debate over how to properly monitor the mental health of pilots.
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According to the documents, Lubitz suffered from "reactive depression," which the medical examiner said was caused by "modified living conditions" and "decompensation subsequent to excessive demands." Reactive depression can resolve itself when the individual recovers from an overwhelming event, according to Jacqueline Brunetti, who works as a medical examiner for commercial pilots.
From January through October 2009, Lubitz received psychotherapeutic treatment, which included two medications for depression -- Cipralexone and Mirtazapine, both anti-depressants.
"The use of 2 drugs would suggest that maybe a single drug was not sufficiently effective," said Burnetti, who did not treat Lubitz, but said pairing anti-depressants could indicate an inability to "cope with either day to day work and/or home demands.'"
It is not entirely clear when his depression began. But a document from April 2008 identifies Lubitz as medically fit to fly . Lufthansa CEO Carsten Sphor told reporters after the crash that Lubitz interrupted his training at some point in 2009. That break lasted several months. Medical documents do not reference that break or reveal why he took it.
But it is clear from the documents that once treatment for his reactive depression was complete in October 2009, Lubitz applied to have his medical certificate and student pilot certificate renewed.
Then, there is something of a mystery.
On a June 14, 2010 questionnaire for a medical and student pilot certificate, Lubitz checked "no" when asked whether he presently or in the past experienced "mental disorders of any sort; depression, anxiety, etc."
There is another copy of the same questionnaire with the same June 14, 2010 date. But on this form, Lubitz checked "yes." That second document indicated that the medical examiner modified the questionnaire to reflect Lubitz suffered from "reactive depression" from November 2008 through July 2009.
Contacted by CNN, the FAA couldn't definitively explain the existence of the two questionnaires.
Germanwings 'black box' shows co-pilot Andreas Lubitz sped up descent
"The questionnaire is done electronically," said Laura Brown, a spokesperson for the FAA. "In some cases an airman may fill out the first page of the questionnaire before visiting with the doctor and once the doctor's visit is complete the form is updated," she said.
She added that even after it's updated, the original form "still lives in the system."
When asked if they were aware of the existence of two conflicting medical documents, Germanwings Senior Vice President of Communications Joachim Shttes said "no" and that they were "unaware" if both of the documents were submitted to the airline.
"I want to point out that the (First Officer) had been medically cleared to fly and hold all the requisite licenses," he said.
Lubitz had not always been cleared to fly, however.
A July 8, 2010 letter from the FAA's  Aerospace Medical Certification Division informed Lubitz that after reviewing his medical examination results the FAA was "unable to establish your eligibility to hold an airman medical certificate" due to his history of "reactive depression."
Dr. Warren Silberman, who prepares FAA medical certifications, signed that letter and requested a detailed medical status report from Lubitz' prescribing physician detailing "when medication(s) were discontinued  and confirmation of no reoccurrence of the symptoms since discontinuing medication(s)."
In the letter, Silberman also requested "a diagnosis, prognosis with medication(s) and  follow-up plan" before consideration of reinstating Lubitz medical certificate and student pilot certificate.
The tortuous trail to 'Why?'
In order to fly again, Lubitz would need his physician to vouch that he had successfully been treated and was no longer suffering from reactive depression.
Lubitz' medical records show the medical specialist treating him wrote two letters saying Lubitz had successfully completed treatment. One was addressed to Lubitz and the other to an airline medical examiner, although the name of that person was redacted.
That letter to the airline official states "considerable remission has been obtained" and "medication has been tapered." It described Lubitz as being "without memory disorders and phobias" and "mentally stable."
After he was cleared by his psychotherapist, the FAA sent a new letter to Lubitz stating he was cleared to fly. That letter was also signed Silberman and it included that precautions must be taken in order for Lubitz to fly.
"You are cautioned to abide by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR's), Section 61.53, relating to physical deficiency. Because of your history of reactive depression, operation of aircraft is prohibited at any time new symptoms or adverse changes occur or any time medication and/or treatment is required," Silberman wrote.
But Silberman says this is nothing more than a self-monitoring system.
"You don't see the airman with the number of cases so you have to rely on how good the letter is," he said.
In other words, FAA certifiers don't see the actual airman. CNN was unable to reach Jrg Siedenburg, the aviation medical examiner listed in the documents as the physician Lubitz visited for clearance to fly.
But the decision to approve or deny a pilot who was once deemed ineligible to fly is based on doctors' letters, Silberman said. And in his opinion, the letter Lubitz' physician provided "was a very complete and legit letter."
Silberman added: I "had no reason to question its accuracy."
Follow @CNNbrk
Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
A recovery crew works among debris of Germanwings Flight 9525 at the crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, France, on Friday, April 3. The crash killed all 150 people aboard and has raised questions about the co-pilot's mental state.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
French Gen. David Galtier holds up a picture of the second black box from Germanwings 9525 during a news conference in Marseille, France, on Thursday, April 2. The flight data recorder shows that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz purposely used the controls to speed up the plane's descent, investigators said.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Rescue workers recover debris from the crash site in the French Alps on Tuesday, March 31. Flight 9525 was traveling from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany, when it crashed.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
A helicopter drops rescue workers next to crash debris near Seyne-les-Alpes, France, on Sunday, March 29.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Forensic experts work near the crash site on Thursday, March 26.
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Journalists stand in front of the Westerwald airfield in Montabaur, Germany, on March 27. Lubitz reportedly learned to fly here.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Investigators carry a computer from the home of Lubitz's parents in Montabaur, Germany, on Thursday, March 26.
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A police officer stands guard March 26 at an apartment building where Lubitz was thought to have lived in Dusseldorf.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
A helicopter lifts a rescue worker from the crash site on March 26.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Rescue workers continue to search the site of the crash on March 26.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Search-and-rescue teams land near the crash site on Wednesday, March 25.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Debris from the plane is seen along a mountainside on March 25.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
French military personnel move up a mountainside March 25 near Seyne-les-Alpes.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
The cockpit voice recorder of the Germanwings jet appears in this photo provided by the French air accident investigation bureau on March 25. The device is designed to capture all sounds on a plane's flight deck.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
A helicopter comes in to land near Seyne-les-Alpes, the staging ground for search efforts, on March 25.
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Rescue workers and members of the French Gendarmerie gather in Seyne-les-Alpes on Tuesday, March 24, as search-and-rescue teams struggle to reach the remote crash.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Wreckage is seen at the crash site on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Response teams gather in Seyne-les-Alpes on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Relatives of the flight's passengers arrive at the airport in Barcelona on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
People hold hands walking through the Dusseldorf Airport on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
The arrivals board at the Dusseldorf Airport shows Germanwings Flight 9525 without a status on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
People arrive at the Dusseldorf Airport on March 24.
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An employee of Swissport, the handling agent of Germanwings flights from Barcelona, speaks by phone at the Barcelona-El Prat Airport on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
Relatives of people involved in the crash arrive at the Barcelona airport on March 24.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
A man in Madrid looks at a monitor with a map, released from the Flightradar24 website, showing the point where the plane's radar signal went missing.
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Germanwings plane crashes in France 26 photos
This undated file photo shows the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed. Germanwings is a low-cost airline owned by the Lufthansa Group.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Fri May 01 00:40:46 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Police: British TV star abused 22 students </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/fNnNMMvdtLA/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Story highlights
Jimmy Savile abused at least 22 pupils at a former girls' school, a Surrey police report says
Since Savile died in 2011, he has been exposed as a serial sex abuser and pedophile
The abuse at Duncroft school occurred during visits by the TV star in the 1970s, police say
London (CNN)
At least 22 pupils and a visitor at a former school for troubled girls in southeast England were sexually abused by the late British TV star Jimmy Savile in the 1970s, a report by Surrey police has concluded.
The report said that at least 46 offenses of abuse occurred, including one rape, at the Duncroft Approved School in Staines, a town to the west of London.
An initial police investigation into Savile's behavior at Duncroft, a school for socially vulnerable girls, began in 2007 and ended with Savile being interviewed under caution in 2009, when he denied the allegations of 14 pupils.
A second investigation, dubbed Operation Outreach, was launched in 2012 after a documentary by UK broadcaster ITV revealed that Savile -- once one of the most beloved people in Britain, a radio DJ and television star with big hair, a big cigar and an even bigger attitude -- was a serial sex abuser.
Since then Savile, who died in 2011 , has become one of the most reviled figures in the country as it becomes clear that he sexually abused untold numbers of people over decades.
The latest revelations about his abuses at Duncroft school come on the heels of other reports detailing assaults by Savile on children, hospital patients or those with mental health problems .
Operation Outreach found that Savile visited Duncroft at least 16 times between 1974 and 1979, and that he stayed overnight at the school on at least two occasions.
He was likely to have taken the pupils out unaccompanied by staff on several occasions and was given "significant" access to the school's grounds and buildings, which appears to have been unrestricted and largely unsupervised, the report said.
Pupils were abused in multiple locations throughout the school, including the principal's office, and in vehicles brought to the school by Savile, police found.
Of the 23 victims, "ten were abused on a single occasion by Savile," the report says, and "thirteen were abused on at least two occasions."
The four types of abuse listed in the report are rape, assault by penetration, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and sexual assault.
The school was closed from late 1979 until 1982, and shut its doors for good in 1991.
As well as seeking to establish the scope of Savile's offenses at the school, Operation Outreach also looked at what was known by former members of staff there -- and whether any had committed offenses as a result.
Surrey police submitted a file last year to the Crown Prosecution Service on two of those former staff members, but the agency decided not to bring criminal charges on the grounds there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said Surrey police "has always accepted there are things which should have been done differently" in the force's original 2007-2009 investigation.
But he added those inquiries "predated much of what we now know about Savile and his pattern of abuse."
Follow @CNNbrk
Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  British radio disc jockey, television star and charity fund-raiser Sir Jimmy Savile poses for a photo at Buckingham Palace, London, after receiving the Order of the British Empire in 1972. Since his death a year ago at age 84, Savile has been knocked off his perch as a national treasure, accused of being a predatory pedophile who used his fame and position to abuse youngsters, sometimes on BBC premises.
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Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  Dancers on the BBC TV show "Top of the Pops" adjust Savile's track suit top for him during the making of the show in 1973.
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Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile poses with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children fund-raising presentation in 1980.
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Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile pours a cup of tea.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile calls from the Wren House International Telephone Exchange in London in 1975 as part of a "Fun And Happiness Weekend," organized by the National Association of Youth Clubs.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile arrives in London in 1972 on his way to Buckingham Palace, where he is to be awarded the Order of the British Empire.
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Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  The first presenter of long-running music program "Top of the Pops," Savile poses by a portrait of himself in February 1965, while enjoying his regular breakfast of Coke and a cigar in a central London hotel room.
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Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile and his mother pose outside Buckingham Palace in London, where he receive his Order of the British Empire in 1972.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile shows off his Order of the British Empire to members of the "Second Generation" song and dance troupe.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile stands on the sidewalk with his motor home.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile holds a newly-printed "Lucky Jim" poster. The posters feature a portrait of the DJ, along with a text reading: "The Lucky Jim poster can bring you health, wealth, happiness. This is a genuine duplicate signature and what's more Jimmy has actually touched YOUR poster!"
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Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile 15 photos
The life of Jimmy Savile  British Secretary of State for Social Services Norman Fowler presents Savile with a check for half a million pounds in 1982 as the government's contribution to an appeal for a new spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Savile waves with Jersey Holiday Queen Gaynor Lacey at the Jersey Battle of Flowers carnival in 1972.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  Days before his 80th birthday in 2006, Savile prepares for the Great North Run in Newcastle, northern England.
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The life of Jimmy Savile  The funeral cortege of Savile arrives at Leeds Cathedral for a funeral service on November 9, 2011, in Leeds, England.
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CNN's Lucy Pawle contributed to this report.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Apr 30 15:24:57 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>A hero for gorillas -- and poachers</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/SJKj6u25sro/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Conservation hero turns gorilla killers into eco-warriors
By Phoebe Parke and Marc Hoeferlin, for CNN
Updated 1240 GMT (1940 HKT) April 24, 2015
9 photos
Rwandan conservationist Edwin Sabuhoro (middle) worked with former poaching communities to create a flourishing cultural village visited by tourists from all over the world.
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Sabuhoro describes the village, which was created in 2006, as "the heartbeat of the country in terms of culture."
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"The warrior dance in our culture is a very big component -- all the warriors before they go on the battlefield they had to perform a dance to the king,"  says Sabuhoro.
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The village is a popular tourist attraction which features performances of warrior dances, traditional healers and co-operatives that make baskets.
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The conservationist grew up in Uganda after his parents fled Rwanda as refugees.
His father traveled to other countries in search of work, leaving his mother to raise him and his four siblings. In 1995, his family reunited in Rwanda where a trip to the Volcanoes National Park would change everything.
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"I came to visit while a law student at the National University of Rwanda, and I felt connected to this area," said Sabuhoro. "I felt at home, I felt it. I felt this is where I belong.
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Sabuhoro completed his law degree in 2001 and then began working as a warden in Rwanda's national parks. In 2004 he was sent to the Volcanoes National Park, famed for the work of Dian Fossey with the mountain gorillas.
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Sabuhoro is now trying to take his idea further to other national parks across Africa in Uganda, Congo, Kenya and Tanzania where similar issues around poaching are causing problems.
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"If we can work together, on a regional level, continent level, we can save these species," said Sabuhoro. "Because these are the last species that we have. And as human beings we can't afford to fail the wildlife."
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</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Apr 27 21:14:29 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Dozens of dinosaur eggs discovered</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/c8_y7FKtZXo/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>The workers were carrying out road repairs when they found the fossilized eggs
Nineteen of the 43 eggs are completely intact, a museum official says
Hong Kong (CNN)
The Chinese city that boasts the largest number of dinosaur eggs in the world has added a new batch to its impressive collection.
Construction workers unearthed 43 fossilized dinosaur eggs during road repair work in Heyuan city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong on Sunday, officials said.
The city, which calls itself the "Home of Dinosaurs," won a Guinness World Record for the world's largest collection of dinosaur eggs at its museum in 2004.
A crowd gathered around the site along a main road where the fossils were discovered in Heyuan city.
EXPAND IMAGE
Huang Zhiqing, deputy director of the Heyuan Museum, told CNN that it was the first time the fossils have been discovered in the bustling city center.
Major road repair work was halted as a team of researchers and construction workers jumped down into a ditch to dig out the fossils.
Eggs as wide as 5 inches
Nineteen of the eggs are completely intact, with the largest measuring as much as 13 centimeters (5 inches) in diameter, Huang said.
Researchers said they will continue to examine the fossils to determine which dinosaur species they belong to.
Most of the eggs in the museum's existing collection belong to oviraptorid and duck-billed dinosaurs, which roamed the earth 89 million years ago.
Nearly 17,000 dinosaur eggs have been uncovered in the city since the first group of fossils was found in 1996 by children playing at a construction site, the China's official news agency Xinhua reported.
Fossilized dinosaur eggs found in China 5 photos
Construction workers unearthed 43 fossilized dinosaur eggs during road repair work in the city of Heyuan in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong on Sunday, April 19, officials said.
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Workers move the fossilized eggs in Heyuan on April 19. They were carrying out road repairs when they found the eggs.
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Fossilized dinosaur eggs found in China 5 photos
Nineteen of the 43 eggs are completely intact, a museum official says.
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Fossilized dinosaur eggs found in China 5 photos
Heyuan, which calls itself the "Home of Dinosaurs," won a Guinness World Record for the world's largest collection of dinosaur eggs at its museum in 2004.
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Fossilized dinosaur eggs found in China 5 photos
Researchers say they will continue to examine the fossils to determine to which dinosaur species they belong.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Apr 20 19:43:49 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>The last of his kind</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/dZdArAIsl6I/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>WHAT did they do this Shih Tzu?!
Sudan's female companions,  Fatu and Najin, live at the conservancy, where experts are scrambling to ensure the subspecies does not go extinct.
The animals are under 24-hour protection by armed guards. Rhinos are targeted by poachers, fueled by the belief in Asia that their horns cure various ailments. Experts say the rhino horn is becoming more lucrative than drugs.
In addition to round-the-clock security, the conservancy has put radio transmitters on the animals and dispatches incognito rangers into neighboring communities to gather intelligence on poaching.
The conservancy is also raising funds to help equip and train rangers who guard the rhinos.
On the verge of extinction
At 42, Sudan is elderly in rhino years. Fatu, 15, is a spring chicken, while Najin is 25.
Though the three northern white rhinos are physiologically healthy, age might be a factor, says George Paul, the deputy veterinarian at the conservancy.
"Sudan is currently old and may not be able to naturally mount and mate with a female," he says.
Najin could conceive, but her hind legs are so weak, she may be unable to support a mounted male .
"There has been recorded mating between different pairs over the last few years, but not conceptions," Paul says. "Based on  a recent health examination conducted, both animals have a regular estrus cycle, but no conception has been recorded."
And if one is not recorded soon, the beloved animal will go extinct.
Alternative methods to conceive
In a race against time, international experts are resorting to science to try to sustain the subspecies.
The northern white rhino cannot mate with a black rhino, but there is a chance it could mate with a southern white rhino, Paul says. While southern white rhinos are not endangered --  Ol Pejeta has 19 -- they are a different subspecies  from the northern white rhino genetically. Though the offspring would not be 100% northern white rhino, it would be better than nothing, experts say.
A committee at the conservancy is also looking at various alternative reproduction techniques, including in vitro fertilization.
"In other countries, success has been achieved with embryo transfer in a different rhino species, thus that, as a technique, can be presupposed to be the most promising," Paul says. "However, consultations are ongoing amongst different reproductive technique experts on the way forward."
Countdown to extinction
The need to preserve the northern white rhino is dire.
"Realistically, we are looking at these animals dying in the next decade or so. But hopefully, using artificial methods of reproduction, we might be able to bring them back in the future," Paul says. "This might mean that it will happen when the current animals are already deceased, but it could happen."
The conservancy acquired the northern white rhinos --  two males and two females -- in 2009 from a zoo in the Czech Republic. Suni, the other male northern white rhino at the conservancy, died last year.
In another incident, another male, Angalifu, died at the San Diego Zoo last year, bringing the subspecies closer to extinction.
There are no known northern white rhinos left in the wild.
A total of five remain in captivity worldwide: three in Kenya,  and one each at zoos in San Diego and the Czech Republic.
But Sudan, a male, is in a company of one.
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Apr 28 22:50:32 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>A year in space</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/DaJDHZSKq_o/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Updated 1940 GMT (0240 HKT) April 24, 2015
A year in space 18 photos
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly watches fresh carrots float in front of him on the International Space Station on Sunday, April 19. Scott is taking part in a one-year mission to test how the human body reacts to an extended time in space.
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A year in space 18 photos
The northern lights are visible from the International Space Station on Saturday, April 18.
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A year in space 18 photos
Kelly posted this image of himself and Samantha Cristoforetti after the successful capture of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the space station's robotic arm on April 17. The SpaceX Dragon brought cargo to support the science and research missions.
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A year in space 18 photos
A Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft approaches the International Space Station on March 27. The spacecraft was carrying Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko. Kelly and Kornienko will spend a year in space. Padalka will stay for six months.
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A year in space 18 photos
The Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 27.
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A year in space 18 photos
Kelly gives the thumbs-up before launch on March 27.
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A year in space 18 photos
Kornienko tests his spacesuit as Kelly and Padalka wait their turn on March 27.
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A year in space 18 photos
From left, Kelly, Padalka and Kornienko pose after a news conference at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday, March 26.
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A year in space 18 photos
The spacecraft is raised into the vertical position shortly after arriving on the launch pad Wednesday, March 25.
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A year in space 18 photos
Padalka gets his hair cut in the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 25.
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Security personnel stand guard as the Soyuz spacecraft is rolled out by train to the launch pad on March 25. The mission is a first for NASA, but not for Russia. Between 1987 and 1995, four cosmonauts spent a year or more in space.
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A year in space 18 photos
The Soyuz spacecraft is seen during its journey to the launch pad on March 25.
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The crew and backup crew members talk to officials before their final check of the spacecraft on Monday, March 23.
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A year in space 18 photos
Kelly climbs the stairs to enter the spacecraft during the final check on March 23.
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A year in space 18 photos
The spacecraft is seen on Friday, March 20, after being lowered into position for encapsulation.
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A year in space 18 photos
Kelly plays pool with Kornienko at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Thursday, March 19.
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Kelly is seen inside a Soyuz simulator at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, on Thursday, March 5.
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Kelly and his twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, speak to media outlets about the one-year mission on January 19. Mark Kelly has volunteered for NASA's "Twins Study" to see how the identical twins change over the year in two very different environments.
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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will spend one year living on the International Space Station. The mission is a first for NASA, but not for Russia.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Apr 17 20:34:57 EEST 2015</date>
        <title> What are the world's coolest new buildings? </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/pB3XEvczENk/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Architizer 2015 A+ Awards: What are the world's coolest new buildings?
Updated 1832 GMT (0132 HKT) June 29, 2015
Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Museum (Popular Choice): Blue Planet (Kastrup, Denmark)  Designed by 3XN, this stunning aquarium was Inspired by the shape of natural whirlpools, water streams, shoals of fish and flocks of birds. It was completed in 2013.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Airports (Jury): Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2 (Mumbai, India)  Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and measuring 4.4 million square feet, Mumbai's new Terminal 2 is expected to serve 40 million travelers per year. "By orchestrating the complex web of passengers and planes into a design that feels intuitive and responds to the region's rocketing growth, the new terminal asserts the airport's place as a preeminent gateway to India," its designers say.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Pop-Ups & Temporary (Popular Choice/Jury): Ring of Celestial Bliss (Hsinchu City, Taiwan)  Built in honor of Taiwan's Lantern Festival by J.J. Pan and Partners, this giant lantern features a ring of moving images produced by projection technology and LED lighting. The choice of form and materials used for the lantern were inspired by the historical and cultural characteristics of Hsinchu, whose ancient name was "City of Bamboo Walls," says the firm.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Restaurants (Popular Choice): Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)  PPAG architects won a 2012 competition to redesign Austria's famed Steirereck restaurant. Clearly, the public agrees with the choice. "When designing the new dining space, we worked outward from individual tables," says PPAG of its unique reflective structure. "What used to be a terrace leading to a children's playground is now a system of pavilions branching out finger-like from a precise table arrangement."
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Hotels & Resorts (Popular Choice /Jury): Knot House (Geoje-si, South Korea)  Designed by Atelier Chang, Knot House is made up of five white, sculptural buildings that rest on a cliff on the southern coast of Geoje Island. The white walls fold in on themselves to create a private ocean view from each house.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Bus & Train Stations (Jury): Highway Rest Stops (Tbilisi, Georgia)  In 2009, the head of the Roads Department of Georgia commissioned J. Mayer H. to design a system of 20 rest stops for a new highway running through Georgia to serve as a connection between Azerbaijan and Turkey. The futuristic new rest stops are located on selected scenic viewpoints along the route.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Religious Buildings and Memorials (Popular Choice): Community Church Knarvik (Norway)  Designed by Reiulf Ramstad Architects, the beautiful new Community Church Knarvik is located on the scenic west-coast of Norway, north of Bergen. The building was carefully adapted to blend with the existing hillside, says the firm.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Pavilions (Jury): Hy-Fi (Queens, New York)  Design firm By The Living was commissioned by New York's Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 to create this circular tower of organic bricks. "The structure is an extension of the natural Carbon Cycle, with a revolutionary new construction material that grows out of living materials and returns to the earth through composting at the end of the structure's lifecycle," says By The Living.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Office Highrise (Jury): China Merchants Tower & Woods Park Master Plan (Shenzhen, China)  Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the China Merchants Tower is located in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen. The tower has been given a tapered shape to tilt lower floors away from the sun, decreasing sun rays hitting the exterior.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Architecture +Light (Popular Choice): Incineration Line (Roskilde, Denmark)  it's not often that an industrial power plant makes you want to grab your camera. The design for this new Incineration Line in Roskilde, by (designed by) Erick van Egeraat, features laser-cut circular openings that cover the raw umber-colored aluminum facade. At night, back lighting turns the incinerator into a glowing beacon, symbolizing the energy production going on inside the facility.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Government & Municipal Buildings and Police & Fire Stations (Jury): Court House (Hasselt, Belgium)  Nobody ever really wants to find themselves in a court house. Unless it looks like this one. The new Court of Justice in Hasselt, Belgium is a, transparent building with direct public access, combining the court with a library and auditoriums for a university law faculty. It was a collaboration between three firms: J. Mayer H. Architects, a2o Architecten and LensAss Architecten.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Shopping Center (Popular Choice/Jury): Wollongong Central shopping center (Australia)  Designed by HDR I Rice Daubney, the five-story Wollongong Central shopping center fuses architecture, art and culture. The city of Wollongong is about 90 kilometers south of Sydney.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Office Highrise (Popular Choice): One World Trade Center (New York)  Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill -- the same firm behind the China Merchants Tower --  One World Trade Center is now the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. "Extending the long tradition of American ingenuity in high rise construction, the design solution is an innovative mix of architecture, structure, urban design, safety, and sustainability," says the firm.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Highways & Bridges (Popular Choice): Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge (Tehran, Iran)  Designed by Diba Tensile Architecture, the gorgeous Tabiat Bridge was created to improve access for pedestrians between two public parks, which are divided by highways. "This bridge is a place to linger rather than just to pass, so there are seating areas and green spaces on all parts of the bridge, also restaurants on the two sides of the lower level, to have enough means to make the users stay on it," says the firm.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Religious Buildings and Memorials (Jury): Chapel in Joa (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)  This chapel, designed by Bernardes Arquitetura, is supported by a single column opposite the entrance, which rises from the ground and transforms itself into a cross at floor level. The main steel structure supports a sequence of parallel timber porticoes that progressively change the interior spatial proportion from horizontal to vertical, says the firm.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Architecture +Engineering (Popular/Jury): Glacier Skywalk (Jasper, Canada)  Designed by Sturgess Architecture, the Glacier Skywalk is a 1,500-foot-long interpretive walk in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The steel and glass structure cantilevers outward, overlooking the Sunwapta Valley and facing the Athabasca Glacier.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Health Care & Wellness (Popular Choice): Grotto Sauna  (Ontario, Canada)  Perched at the northwest edge of a private island in Ontario, the Grotto Sauna is a sculpted space designed by Partisans. "Challenging the standards of current practices in the construction industry, we worked directly with a millwork and steel fabrication partner on every detail," says the firm. "Together, we developed a new process of fabrication; utilizing state of the art 3-D technology to scan, model and build the Grotto."
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Masterplan (Popular Choice): A Gateway to Petra (Wadi Musa, Jordan)  The pre-historic city of Petra is Jordan's most valued tourist site, carved into sandstone cliffs soaring over 100 meters in height. "The client required a gate that streamlines and organizes the movement of visitors into and out of Petra," says Maisam Architects. The site's new gateway, which has restaurants, shops and a visitor's center, subtly transfers the visitor from the dense urban setting of Wadi Musa to the serene journey into Petra.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Highways & Bridges (Jury): Cykelslangen: The Bicycle Snake (Copenhagen, Denmark)  Dissing+Weitling is the architecture firm behind Copenhagen's cool new "Bicycle Snake." The 190-meter-long orange bridge and 30-meter ramp were designed to replace a nearby staircase -- a time-consuming obstacle for the 12,500 cyclists that pass through the area daily.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Mixed Use (Popular Choice): bidos Technological Park (Obidos Municipality, Portugal)  The bidos Technological Park sits between Lisbon and Coimbra. It was designed to link academic research with business production, especially in the field of creative industries. "The project for the main building defines an inhabited topography on which a square-shaped ring rests," says design firm Jorge Mealha Arquitecto.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Factory Warehouse (Popular Choice/Jury): Bombay Sapphire Distillery (Hampshire, United Kingdom)  Gin-maker Bombay Sapphire commissioned  Heatherwick Studio to design the company's first in-house production facility, which is also open for tours. Once a water-powered paper mill, the site contained more than 40 derelict buildings, which have been restored as part of Heatherwick Studio's master plan, says the firm.
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Architizer 2015 A+ Awards 22 photos
Architecture +Branding (Popular/Jury): MINI Brand Experience Centre Shanghai  Designed by the BMW China, Architectural Design Team, the MINI Experience Centre is a 17-meter high "walkable sculpture" consisting of a steel frame and three attached boxes. The different floors have individual themes.
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Architecture website Architizer has just announced the winners of its 3rd annual A+ Awards, highlighting the best new building designs from around the world.
This year's awards cover more than 90 categories, including everything from residential and commercial properties to cultural architecture such as museums and religious buildings.
A collection of 300 judges, made up of industry experts have chosen five finalists from entries in each category. They've also selected one winner from these for their "Jury" prize.
There's also a "Popular Choice" winner in each category, which is determined by the public through online voting.
According to the rules, entries must have been completed no earlier than 2011.
It was a challenge given how many incredible developments won awards this year, but we pulled together a few of our favorites in the gallery above. For the full list of 2015 winners, head to Architizer.com .
More from Architecture
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        <date>Tue Apr 14 18:02:58 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Goodbye, glaciers?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/_FZA1ceQeGo/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Behind the shot: atop a glacier 03:21
PLAY VIDEO
The professor's statistics confirm what they have seen in the glaciers above their town and in the ice beneath their boots.
"When I came here as a boy, the (Bossons) was several hundred meters below," says Seb, was we dig our axes into the ice. "At the moment we can still enjoy it but in 40, 50 years what are going to say to our next generation? 'Oh, it was great! You should've been here.'"
Since the time when America was a newborn nation and the first men climbed Mont Blanc in woolens and top hats, the Bossons glacier we're climbing has retreated nearly a mile.
"Maybe one day there will be no glaciers and mountain guides will have to be biking guides," says Fleur, a Chamonix native and one of the most accomplished female alpinists in the world. "We are revolted."
Of course, providing thrills and business in the "death-sport capital of the world" is far from the most important role for glaciers like the Bossons.
The Wonder List with Bill Weir
This frozen playground is also the water tower of Europe, and glacier run-off provides drinking water for hundreds of millions around the world. Which is why the rate of "la grande fonte" is so alarming.
But not to guys like Yan Giezendanner.
"Everyone says 'global warming, global warming.'" he says. "But for me, I'm not so sure."
For over 30 years, Yan has been forecasting for France's national weather service in Chamonix and is convinced other glaciers around the world are growing, despite the science of those like Ohmura. He believes the fear is manufactured by politicians and the wind industry.
"That's their job to say these things," he shrugs.
I found plenty of similar conspiracy theories at the Heartland conference in Vegas, and had a few exchanges that frankly, you have to see to believe. But when I ask Ohmura about the allegations of hackery or corruption, he just sighs.
"Skeptics close their eyes while telling people to close their eyes from the reality. One must use simple thinking. Think. Open your eyes and think. It may sound a bit insulting, but there is no other suggestion I can use."
There will be plenty of frozen food for thought -- and plenty of gorgeous, high alpine adventure -- as " The Wonder List " hits the Alps. Come hang.
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Apr 14 19:05:45 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Inside the battle to save Africa's elephants</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/NDASD9QxkiI/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>MUST WATCH
Protecting Chad's Elephants from poachers 02:05
"Formation! Prepare yourselves! Fire!" shouts Patrick Duboscq, a retired French police officer instructing the Zakouma rangers.
A handful of men throw themselves flat to the ground, aim, and fire their Glock pistols, hitting distant targets.  They jump up, run, and fire again from standing positions, repeating the drill with Kalashnikovs.
Duboscq, who is a volunteer, runs the Mamba team through its paces.  His passion for elephants, conservation and the park brings him back every year to keep Zakouma's troops sharp -- and the animals safe.
Duboscq leads the men through a rallying cry for Zakouma; the rest of the exercise is all business. They're capable of taking on armed poachers, handling sniper rifles, and engaging in a firefight.  They're trained in making arrests, judicial procedures and presenting evidence in court.
A deadly game
It's a sharp learning curve, but it's necessary to fight off the lethal threat poachers present.  Often organized criminal gangs, international trafficking mafias and terror groups are behind the poaching raids, providing skills and sophisticated arms to carry out the killing.
"Of course it's dangerous," says Mamba team member Ahmat Assilek.  "But we do it because it's our national patrimony ... that's why we're ready to die."
And these men have skin in the game.  Among the group training today, four lost fathers to poachers when a six-man Zakouma anti-poaching unit was gunned down outside the park in September 2012 during morning prayers.
The raid was a suspected retaliation killing for the capture of a group of poachers who had slaughtered six elephants the previous month north of the park. According to park staff, the raid on the poacher camp netted satellite phones, solar chargers, stamped Sudanese army leave slips and insignia, and 1,500 rounds of ammunition.
The poachers weren't minor league opportunists. They were well equipped to slaughter elephants for their ivory -- and to kill anyone trying to stop them.
23 Zakouma guards have died on the job since 1998.
New management
Park manager Rian Labuschagne understands the dangers confronting Zakouma and its staff. Along with his wife, Lorna Labuschagne, the conservationists were tasked with safeguarding the surviving elephant herds in 2010, when African Parks, a South Africa-based non-profit organization, took over the management of the embattled park following a decade-long elephant killing spree.
Before the Labuschagnes and African Parks took over the 3,000-plus-square-kilometer area, the territory suffered huge losses.
In 2002, an estimated 4,300 elephants lived in Zakouma. A decade later that figure had plummeted by 90 percent, most of them slaughtered by poachers for their ivory. The elephants were in danger of being wiped out.
About 450 elephants make Zakouma their home today -- roughly half the entire elephant population of Chad, says the park's field operations manager Darren Potgieter.  It's a far cry from the 50,000 elephants that roamed the country's savannahs and scrublands 50 years ago.
The statistics for the region are equally dire. As recently as 1970, Potgieter says, 300,000 elephants roamed a Texas-sized area that included southern Chad, eastern Central African Republic, southwestern Sudan, and northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Today, only small pockets of elephant populations remain, and they remain under threat.
This is not one of the world's thriving neighborhoods; each of these countries has experienced protracted wars, and all have impoverished populations.
Poaching, shrinking habitats, human-animal conflict, war and a seemingly insatiable appetite for ivory in Asia -- particularly in China -- have all contributed to the disappearing populations of elephants and many other species.  Zakouma is no exception.
Turning the tide
So the Labuschagnes, with their African Parks staff and volunteers, set out to reverse the grim Zakouma statistics, which eclipsed even the worst trends of vanishing elephant populations across much of the African continent.
For years, the constant fear of being hunted and killed had made the elephants too stressed out to reproduce. But by the end of 2011, Zakouma started to see a dramatic turnaround. Since then, no elephants have been poached in the park, and no ivory has been taken from the park in five years.
More than 40 calves have been welcomed into the herd since the end of 2013. The births are an important step towards the park's goal of increasing the herd's size to more than one thousand within the next decade.
The gains of the past few years were hard-earned. And the benefits have been reaped not only by the animals but by people living nearby as well.
Communities around Zakouma have been given a stake in the battle against poachers.  It has not only meant well-paid jobs as guards, rangers and support staff, but the patrols in and on the periphery of the park also mean better security for the surrounding villages and nomads.
24-hour tracking
There's even a toll free number to call with any concerns regarding the security of the elephants or the people, and many villages have radios to connect them to the park's nerve center -- a 24-hour military-style operations room with radios, computers, and near real-time tracking of elephant herds.
As Potgieter gives a tour of the command center, the radio crackles with constant communication from guard teams on the ground.  Computers and maps display elephant groups' locations.  "We have 11 collars on as many family groups as possible," says Potgieter, pointing to black marks on a map showing the positions of the elephants. The satellite collars enable monitoring and protection, and there's always a guard unit within a few kilometers of the herds.
Another 4 elephants were outfitted with satellite collars in late February.  In one collaring operation, Potgieter circled overhead in a Cessna light aircraft, guiding Labuschagne's team through kilometers of scrub and high grasses to an acacia forest.  It was midday, the elephants a bit more dozy in the searing heat.  They may feel somewhat safer in this seemingly inhospitable forest of thorn trees. But it's tough tracking them through the scratchy terrain.
Legendary wildlife veterinarian and consultant to the park Dr. Pete Morkel flew to Chad from southern Africa on his annual mission to help with the collaring. After preparing the necessary drugs and tranquilizer gun, Morkel and Rian Labuschagne set out on foot to get close to the 90-strong herd.  The two worked without words, silent gestures sufficing for the pair who have done this together before.
A few large female elephants were visible through a gap in the thick acacias as they fanned their ears to cool themselves.  Morkel watched and waited for a suitable individual to tranquilize, wanting to avoid a mother with a calf. After few minutes' wait, he took aim and darted one with the tranquilizer gun.
A single trumpet from the forest signalled alarm, and the herd quickly dispersed into the tangle of thorns. Morkel and Labuschagne approached a teenage female, now lying on her side.  The pair, followed by the rest of their team, set to work quickly, fitting the collar while pouring water over the sedated elephant to keep her cool. Lorna Labuschagne held the tip of the trunk to enable the elephant to breathe unencumbered.
As the team adjusted the collar, Morkel treated an old festering wound in the elephant's right front foot. He guessed it was likely from a spray of gunfire in the days when poaching in the park was out of control. This female's darting may have been lucky for her.
Rian Labuschagne says the collaring isn't just necessary to track and protect the elephants -- it is the main goal of the operation.
Will Zakouma's success be contagious?
Kenyan officers burn 15 tons of ivory on March 3.
The success in and around Zakouma has been noted by Chadian President and conservation advocate Idriss Deby, who has asked African Parks to come up with an elephant protection scheme for the entire country.
Chad, under its National Elephant Protection Plan, burned the country's ivory stockpiles in February 2014. A number of African countries have likewise burned their ivory stockpiles in order to stop poaching and illegal trafficking of the highly profitable commodity.  Kenya set alight a 15-ton pyre of tusks in early March of this year, and Ethiopia followed suit two weeks later.
But reviving the elephant population isn't the only goal Zakouma and African Parks have in mind.
Their stewardship of the wilderness area is evident in the richness of the ecosystem here. Buffalo herds have rebounded, the lion population is rising, and about half of the continent's Kordofan giraffes live here -- not to mention an abundant variety of antelope and bird species.
Conspicuous by its absence from this list is the black rhino, last spotted in Zakouma in 1972, according to the Rhino Resource Center. In April, African Parks hopes to reintroduce the species into the park.  Asked whether this would bring unwanted attention from poachers -- rhino horn commands an even higher price than elephant tusks on the illegal market -- Potgieter replies: "Someone has to take the bold step and reintroduce rhino. There are lots of responsibilities and lots of risks in park management."
'These animals are our legacy'
No doubt additional patrols will need to match new protection needs.
So far, African Parks and Zakouma have met those security demands and challenges, but the battle to protect some of the world's most iconic species is far from over.
Armed guards on horseback are a constant reminder of the battle to protect the park. The guards have been bolstered by new equipment, including sniper rifles. But the financial stakes in this fight are high, and well-armed poaching gangs are always upping the ante.
The pressure on the animals won't let up, and this war will continue. The Zakouma guards know this, and are prepared to fight, even if it means death.
The reason is simple, Mamba team ranger Ahmat Assilek says:  "The animals you see are the legacy for future generations."
For more info about the park, click here.
Footnote: This remote wilderness, far from the usual spots on the safari circuit, doesn't get a stream of camera-toting visitors.  CNN's Ingrid Formanek joined some of Africa's top safari guides, some of them old friends, on a tour hosted by the non-profit African Parks at their newly established Camp Nomade.
This is unexplored territory, and has a draw not only for its wildlife but for its remarkable conservation efforts.  African Parks has taken on management of areas few others will touch - marginal and often war-torn sectors in countries such as the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The photos were contributed by a few of Ingrid's fellow traveller guides. On the trip, they discovered a bird species previously unknown in Chad.
More from Africa
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        <date>Tue Apr 07 15:09:12 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Orca baby boom off British Columbia</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/oKHnI_IRLCU/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>The "baby boom" brings the total number of orcas in the area to 81.
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Orca whales 5 photos
Efforts to increase the numbers of orcas have included beefing up salmon in the area. "We hope this is a sustained upswing in the population, but they are endangered and will remain endangered until we can get their population up over 100," says Ken Balcomb with The Center for Whale Research.
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(CNN)
Spring is in the air and underwater -- especially off the coast of British Columbia.
Four orca babies have been born in the last three months, a higher number than usual, according to the Center for Whale Research.
Orcas in the area are called the Southern Residents and this baby boom brings their total to 81 whales.
"We hope this is a sustained upswing in the population, but they are endangered and will remain endangered until we can get their population up over 100," said Ken Balcomb with the Center for Whale Research.
The first calf of the season was spotted in December, followed by two in February and this last one in March.
Balcomb said CWR has been studying the Southern Residents for nearly 40 years. "Early on we used to have seven, eight orca babies, but recently we've had substantially less."
Michael Harris, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, said efforts to improve the numbers of orcas include beefing up salmon in the area. "We're going to keep a careful watch on these babies and our fingers crossed -- and of course continue to do everything we can to rebuild these salmon runs and feed these whales."
More from US
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Apr 07 16:33:57 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>On TV, a new Jesus comes into view </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/RD09pW-Vgx0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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On TV, a new Jesus comes into view
By Daniel Burke , CNN Religion Editor
Updated 2155 GMT (0455 HKT) April 6, 2015
When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Adam Bond from CNN's "Finding Jesus." Haaz Sleima from National Geographic's "Killing Jesus." And Juan Pablo Di Pace from NBC's "A.D."
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Jesus on screen  The most talked-about person in Hollywood lately has been Jesus Christ. From "Son of God," pictured, to "God's Not Dead" to "Heaven Is for Real," the box office has been a one-stop shop for Christian-themed films.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
In 1923, Cecil B. DeMille became a believer in the power the Bible held with moviegoing audiences. After finding success with his Old Testament epic "The Ten Commandments," DeMille enlisted H.B. Warner to help him tell "The Greatest Story Ever Told." The result was 1927's "The King of Kings," a film for which Warner was virtuous both on and off the set. According to Turner Classic Movies , he signed an agreement not to be involved in any sort of scandal -- even divorce -- for a year following the movie's release.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
When in need of a man to play Jesus in 1959's Oscar-winning "Ben-Hur," the production team turned to opera singer Claude Heater. Although his portrayal of Christ is one of the best known in cinema, he still goes uncredited for the part. The movie was based on the 1880 novel, "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," which had previously been turned into a silent film in 1925.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Not to be confused with 1927's "The King of Kings," MGM's 1961 New Testament saga "King of Kings" told the story of Jesus from birth to death in grand, technicolor fashion. Jeffrey Hunter portrayed Jesus in this classic, which has become a go-to movie about the Gospels.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
One of the most iconic portrayals of Jesus came from Max von Sydow in 1965's "The Greatest Story Ever Told." With a script adapted from a '40s radio series and Fulton Oursler's account by the same name, "The Greatest Story Ever Told" put the "big" in "big screen production," costing $20 million and boasting actors like Sidney Poitier, Charlton Heston and John Wayne.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
In 1973, actor Ted Neeley had a breakout role as Jesus in the film version of the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar," and he couldn't be more grateful for it. "(T)his experience ... has formed my life," Neeley said in August 2013 , marking the release's 40th anniversary. "It has changed everything for me, continually and in a positive manner. I will be forever thankful for that."
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
The same year that Neeley was becoming well known as "Jesus Christ Superstar," there was another actor portraying the Big Guy in another religious musical. Victor Garber, now known for his TV work on shows like "Alias" and "Web Therapy," was building what would become a renowned stage career as Jesus Christ in "Godspell." Garber first starred in the production on the stage before it was released as a movie in 1973.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Alongside screen legends like Laurence Olivier, Anne Bancroft and Ernest Borgnine was Robert Powell, who played Jesus Christ in the 1977 British miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth." In 2013, Powell again helped bring the Biblical story to the small screen as a narrator for the UK release of "The Bible" miniseries.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
This 1979 movie starring Brian Deacon was straightforward about its subject with the simple title "Jesus." It's also known as "The Jesus Movie," and was based on the Gospel of St. Luke.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
The 1980 TV movie "The Day Christ Died" starred a pre-"Princess Bride" Chris Sarandon as Jesus. While many biblically based films like to explore Jesus' entire life or a large chunk of his adulthood, "The Day Christ Died" only required Sarandon to portray him during the crucial moments of his arrest and crucifixion.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
In 1988, Willem Dafoe portrayed Jesus in what's become one of the most controversial movies about the famous Nazarene, Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ." Based on the 1953 novel of the same name, Dafoe's Jesus is one that battles lust, doubt, and a reluctance to fulfill his fate.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
In the late '90s, Jeremy Sisto went from "Clueless" and "The Wild Thornberrys" to "Jesus." The actor starred as Christ in the 1999 TV movie that focused on Jesus' work and life.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
In 1999, Christian Bale portrayed Jesus of Nazareth in a TV movie that told Christ's story from the point of view of his mother, Mary. We do wonder how the actor, known for totally immersing himself in his roles, prepared for this one.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Molly Shannon's 1999 comedy "Superstar" isn't about religion or Jesus Christ, but Will Ferrell's portrayal of him in a dream sequence is infamous. When Ferrell's hippie, long-haired Jesus appears to Shannon's Mary Katherine Gallagher, they bond over her CD player.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
In 2000, a very different look at the life of Jesus arrived in the form of a stop-motion film called "The Miracle Maker." Ralph Fiennes was the voice of Jesus, and everything about the story of Jesus' adult life, from the beginning of his ministry to his resurrection, was told through this unique animation.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
"South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren't afraid to blend religious icons with their edgy humor. The creators of the hit Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon" have included a Jesus character on their animated Comedy Central show for years. Their version has his own cable access show, "Jesus and Pals," and often teams up to fight evil with his "Super Best Friends," a group that includes other religious figures like Krishna and Moses.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Before he became Desmond on "Lost," Henry Ian Cusick was Jesus. The actor portrayed the savior in 2003's "The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John." As the title suggests, this was Jesus' life story from the perspective of John the Baptist. Fun fact: Christopher Plummer is the movie's narrator.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Since Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," when many people envision Jesus they probably think about this guy, Jim Caviezel. A little-known actor at the time, Caviezel was catapulted into the spotlight as the controversial movie brought in $370 million domestically. As Caviezel's gone to other roles, most recently on CBS's "Person of Interest," he's still best known as the actor who withstood Gibson's brutal depiction of Christ's crucifixion.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
We couldn't tell you what the connection is between Christ and musicals, but the religious figure is obviously a popular character in the genre. In 2004's "Reefer Madness," a movie musical sendup of the 1936 anti-weed propaganda film, Bob Torti played the "hardest working man in the afterlife" who warned against marijuana with a jazzy song.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Jean-Claude La Marre is better known for his work as a filmmaker, but he's also undertaken a massive role on screen. In 2006, he portrayed Jesus Christ as a black man in "Color of the Cross," a movie that imagined the carpenter's crucifixion as racially motivated .
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Seth MacFarlane's better known as the voice behind "Family Guy's" diabolical tot Stewie Griffin and "Ted's" profane teddy bear, but he's also been the voice of "Family Guy's" low-key and affable Jesus. At one point, the Fox comedy imagined that Jesus was really in hiding at a record store.
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado will probably go down in history as "hot Jesus" thanks to the noticeably attractive spin he's given the character. Morgado's played Christ twice within the past year, in The History Channel's 2013 miniseries "The Bible" and the 2014 theatrical release it spawned, "Son of God."
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When Jesus came to Hollywood 24 photos
For a period in 2014, the most talked-about person in Hollywood was Jesus Christ -- whether in movies such as "Son of God" or TV shows such as "Black Jesus," pictured. But 2014 wasn't a watershed moment for religion; Jesus has been depicted on the big and small screens many times before. The CNN original series "Finding Jesus" premieres Sunday, March 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
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Story highlights
If you turned on the television this past Sunday, a new vision of Jesus came into view. Darker, in mood and skin tone. Earthy rather than ethereal.
According to the Apostle Paul, almost every depiction of Jesus so far has gotten at least one detail wrong.
(CNN)
It's one of the most famous faces in history, even though no one really knows what he looked like.
Instead, every culture, every generation, remakes Jesus in its own image.
A blonde-haired, blue-eyed savior when America was mostly Anglo-Protestant, at least in Hollywood's eyes. An androgynous, meek-and-mild messiah during the anything-goes 1970s. A studly action-figure hero after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Flip through the gallery above, and you'll see what I mean.
If you turned on the television this past Sunday, though, a new vision of Jesus came into view. Darker, in mood and skin tone. Earthy rather than ethereal. If not following all of history's clues -- Hollywood has yet to cast an actual Jew as Jesus -- then at least inching closer.
Flipping through the channels on a day millions of Western Christians celebrated the resurrection of their savior, viewers could choose from "Killing Jesus," a NatGeo production rebroadcast Sunday on Fox. "A.D.," NBC's sequel to the blockbuster miniseries "The Bible," and "Finding Jesus," CNN's addition to the ever-burgeoning body of Christ-centered TV fare.
Does God have a prayer in Hollywood?
What unites these disparate projects, besides a recognition that Jesus always draws an audience and the Good Book is good for business , is the type of men chosen to play Christ. They are brawny, with brown eyes and dark complexions. They look like men who could be carpenters, if not in Nazareth, than at least in the Mediterranean neighborhood.
Haaz Sleiman, from "Killing Jesus," was born and raised in Lebanon. He's also Muslim, a fact that annoyed some Christians , who took to Twitter to voice their displeasure.
Adam Bond, a British actor of mixed heritage, including Native American, portrays Jesus during the historical reenactments in "Finding Jesus."
And Juan Pablo Di Pace -- a Argentinian named after the late St. Pope John Paul II -- takes a starring role in "A.D.," replacing Diogo Morgado, dubbed "hot Jesus, " by some, "smarmy Jesus" by others.
You could make the case that authenticity is the coin of our current entertainment realm, and that filmmakers are competing to make their work as historically accurate as possible. Contemporary viewers are too savvy to stomach the fake beards and odd accents that littered the camels-and-sandals epics of eras past.
But there's another, deeper meaning behind our new, multicultural Jesuses, scholars say.
"Filmmakers and networks are in touch with the fact that the complexion of America has changed," said Stephenson Humphries-Brooks, a religion scholar and author of "Cinematic Savior: Hollywood's Making of the American Christ."
"A large number of Americans are people of color: Latinos and Middle Easterners and people from India," Humphries-Books continued. "That means the audience base is shifting in various and important ways."
The audience base may be shifting, but it's also tuning in. Each of the Jesus shows drew big ratings , which means you'll likely be seeing more of Christ as you channel surf.
But according to the Apostle Paul, almost every depiction of Jesus so far has gotten at least one detail wrong: his flowing locks. Real men don't wear long hair, said the New Testament scribe .
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Apr 07 15:00:26 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>How Stone-Age blades are still cutting it in modern surgery</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/HEIfTb7oI9I/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Obsidian can produce cutting edges many times finer than even the best steel scalpels
Some surgeons still use the blades in procedures today
Vital Signs is a monthly program bringing viewers health stories from around the world.
(CNN)
Ever had a headache so big, you felt like drilling a hole in your head to let the pain out?
In Neolithic times trepanation -- or drilling a hole into the skull -- was thought to be a cure for everything from epilepsy to migraines.
It could even have been a form of emergency surgery for battle wounds.
But while there is still conjecture about the real reasons behind the mysterious procedure, what is known is that the implement often used to carry out the primitive surgery was made from one of the sharpest substances found in nature -- obsidian.
Cutting edge
Obsidian -- a type of volcanic glass -- can produce cutting edges many times finer than even the best steel scalpels.
At 30 angstroms -- a unit of measurement equal to one hundred millionth of a centimeter -- an obsidian scalpel can rival diamond in the fineness of its edge.
When you consider that most household razor blades are 300-600 angstroms, obsidian can still cut it with the sharpest materials nano-technology can produce.
Read: The worms that invade your brain
Even today, a small number of surgeons are using an ancient technology to carry out fine incisions that they say heal with minimal scarring.
Dr. Lee Green, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta, says he routinely uses obsidian blades.
"The biggest advantage with obsidian is that it is the sharpest edge there is, it causes very little trauma to tissue, it heals faster and more importantly it heals with less scarring," he said.
"It makes for the best cosmetic outcome."
He explained that steel scalpels at a microscopic level have a rough cutting edge that tears into tissue, a function of the crystals that make up the metal. Obsidian, meanwhile, cleaves into a fine and continuous edge when properly cut.
Dr. Green said he once helped documentary makers produce a program on surgical technology in ancient Egyptian, setting up a blind test on the cutting power of obsidian.
Using cultured-skin burn dressing, a substance composed of skin cells, he made an incision with a modern scalpel and a parallel incision with an obsidian scalpel.
The host of the program was then invited to look at the cuts under a video microscope and tell the difference.
Cut with a chainsaw
"It wasn't hard to tell the difference at all -- as soon as he turned around everyone in the studio was like 'Ohhh'," Dr. Green said. "Under the microscope you could see the obsidian scalpel had divided individual cells in half, and next to it the steel scalpel incision looked like it had been made by a chainsaw."
Read: Contact lens with built-in telescope
Modern obsidian scalpels look nothing like the decorative flint-knapped knives of Neolithic man, often resembling their modern counterparts in everything except for the blade edge, but Dr. Green said they are a very different animal.
Under the microscope you could see the obsidian scalpel had divided individual cells in half, and next to it the steel scalpel incision looked like it had been made by a chainsaw
Dr Lee Green
"The feel is very different because obsidian has no 'bite,'" he said. "If you look under the microscope at a steel scalpel edge it looks almost like a saw, it has teeth, whereas obsidian is smooth even microscopically.
"It's a very different feel to work with and you have to practice before you start using it in surgery.
"You also have to be careful not to nick yourself with it because you don't even feel it!"
And Dr. Green believes incisions made with these blades heal faster. He said a colleague who needed a mole removed agreed to undergo an experiment where half the procedure was carried out with an obsidian scalpel and the other half was removed with steel.
"What's really fun is seeing it heal," he said. "Four weeks later the difference was quite remarkable -- there was very much a difference in scarring."
Specialist use
In Germany, the manufacturer Fine Science Tools produces obsidian scalpels which can be used in situations where the patient may have an allergy to steel or metal.
"For studies where trace metals from ordinary scalpel blades cannot be tolerated, these very special obsidian scalpels may provide the answer," the company says.
At 99 per scalpel ($107.40), they represent a considerable saving on their diamond cousins which the company prices at 712.50 ($772.60).
But there has been little academic research into the efficacy of obsidian blades compared to steel scalpels, and they do have disadvantages: Obsidian scalpels are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, and they are extremely brittle and prone to breaking if lateral forces are applied -- meaning they are unlikely to ever be in widespread use.
Dr. Green, whose scalpels were manufactured for him by an expert flint-knapper and archaeologist Errett Callahan, concedes the Stone Age scalpels are not for everyone.
"If it was let loose on the market there'd be far too many injuries from it," he said. "It's very fragile and it's very easy to break pieces off."
</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Apr 06 16:22:23 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Stunning portraits of people with Down syndrome</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/J3IEpLrWDZI/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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People with Down syndrome sit for stunning portraits
Updated 1852 GMT (0152 HKT) March 31, 2015
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Christopher Logi, age 9 months
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'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Sigrun, age 10
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Bjorgvin Axel, age 23
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'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Bjork, age 55. "We don't often see older people with Down syndrome, and individuals with Down syndrome are often portrayed as being the same," photographer Sigga Ella said. "My goal was to show diverse personalities in a broad age range, to show that although they share the syndrome, they are all unique."
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'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Svanur Jon, age 6
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'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Halldora Jonsdottir, 30, wrote a newspaper article that inspired the series' title, "First and Foremost I Am."
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'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Finnbogi, 12
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Birta, age 3
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Baldur Ingi, age 2
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Helga Bergmann, 14
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Oskar, age 60
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Kristinn Thorri, age 13
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Garoar, age 8
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Hildur, age 37
'First and Foremost I Am' 15 photos
Daoi, age 36
Sigga Ella's portraits show people with Down syndrome from 9 months to 60 years old
She hopes her photos shine a light on "the beauty and diversity of mankind"
(CNN)
Icelandic photographer Sigga Ella wanted to show that people with Down syndrome are more than a chromosomal abnormality. They are diverse and they're unique, just like everyone else in the world.
Ella's series, "First and foremost I am," consists of 21 portraits of people ranging from 9 months to 60 years old. She chose the number 21 to represent chromosome 21 , the location of the most common genetic mutation causing the condition. It is currently on exhibit at the Reykjavk Museum of Photography and will be featured in May at the Warsaw Festival of Art Photography.
Ella shot the photos in 2013 and 2014 as part of a final project at The School of Photography in Reykjavik. She recently shared the images with CNN iReport.
The inspiration started with a radio interview Ella heard in which people were discussing ethical questions brought up by prenatal tests to detect birth defects. She hopes her photos shine a light on "the beauty and diversity of mankind" and make us wonder if a future without that diversity is desirable.
"I am not against prenatal/genetic testing for abnormalities but I think we need to stop and think what's next. ... It's necessary to open the discussion and educate people more about Down syndrome. It's not a disease or a flaw. Parents of children with Down syndrome ... wouldn't exchange them for anything in the world."
The title of the series, "First and foremost I am," comes from a newspaper article by Halldora Jonsdottir, a 30-year-old woman who is also featured in Ella's project.
"I have Down syndrome but FIRST AND FOREMOST I AM Halldora," Jonsdottir writes. "I do a million things that other people do. My life is meaningful and good because I choose to be positive and see the good things in life. I go to work, attend school and have hobbies."
Jonsdottir goes on to say, "Who is perfect? Who can say, that we who have Down syndrome are worth less that anyone else? We are all different and would it be so great if we were all alike?"
Ella staged the portraits against a floral background because she wanted the subjects "to stand out but also underline that all kinds of flowers can grow and flourish together." The photo shoots lasted from one to three hours. She said she didn't give any coaching or direction for how they should pose; she just talked with them and waited for the right moment to shoot.
"My favorite part of this project was how relaxed the atmosphere was. No one was pretending to be anything, the emotions were real and some of the times, there was such genuine happiness."
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Apr 01 15:43:15 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>World's largest asteroid impact zone found </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/I3YlaSb9xqQ/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Researchers: World's largest asteroid impact zone found in Australia
By Jethro Mullen , CNN
Updated 0151 GMT (0951 HKT) March 25, 2015
Imaging taken from rock along the border of South Australia and the Northern Territory shows evidence of a massive impact.
Story highlights
Two pieces of asteroid crashed into Australia many millions of years ago
Researchers stumble across traces of the impact zone deep in the earth's crust
(CNN)
The massive meteorite split in two shortly before smashing into Earth, wiping out large numbers of species.
The devastating event took place on our planet many millions of years ago, but researchers are only now beginning to discover what happened.
In a remote part of Central Australia, the two pieces of asteroid left what geophysicists say is the largest impact zone ever found on Earth, spreading over an area 400 kilometers (250 miles) wide.
"The two asteroids must each have been over 10 kilometers across -- it would have been curtains for many life species on the planet at the time," said lead researcher Andrew Glikson of the Australian National University .
The team published its research in the journal Tectonophysics this month.
The crater caused by the asteroids vanished long ago. But Glikson said the researchers stumbled across scars from the impacts during drilling for geothermal research.
Traces are buried more than 2 kilometers inside the Earth's crust, under an area near the borders of South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
"There are two huge deep domes in the crust, formed by the Earth's crust rebounding after the huge impacts, and bringing up rock from the mantle below," Glikson said.
Mystery over timing
The researchers are still trying to figure out just how long ago the shattering event happened.
The surrounding rocks are 300 million to 600 million years old, according to the team, but they haven't been able to find the sort of evidence left by other meteorite strikes.
A big meteorite strike that is believed to have led to the extinction of many dinosaur species 66 million years ago launched a plume of ash into the air that now shows up as a layer of sediment in rocks.
But the researchers say they haven't come across a similar layer in sediments from about 300 million years ago.
"It's a mystery -- we can't find an extinction event that matches these collisions. I have a suspicion the impact could be older than 300 million years," Glikson said.
The discovery of the huge asteroid impacts could lead to new insights about the Earth's history.
"Large impacts like these may have had a far more significant role in the Earth's evolution than previously thought," Glikson said.
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Mar 31 22:25:59 EEST 2015</date>
        <title>Japan unveils largest warship since World War II</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/oZjKWQwJt6M/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Japan unveils Izumo, its largest warship since World War II
Updated 1917 GMT (0317 HKT) March 26, 2015
Japan's biggest warship since  World War II 8 photos
Workers look on at Japan's newest -- and biggest -- warship, the Izumo, moored in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture. It's the largest Japanese military vessel since World War II.
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Japan's biggest warship since  World War II 8 photos
MSDF officials take part in a ceremony marking the commissioning of Japan's new Izumo helicopter carrier.
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Japan's biggest warship since World War II  A launching ceremony for Japan's largest military ship since World War II is held in Yokohama in August 2013.
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Japan's biggest warship since World War II  Taro Aso, Japan's deputy prime minister and finance minister, acknowledges the crowd during the launching ceremony.
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Japan's biggest warship since World War II  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force insists its new ship is not an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch military jets.
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Japan's biggest warship since World War II  Crowds gather around the Izumo in Yokohama during the launching ceremony.
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Japan's biggest warship since World War II  Japan's national flag, center, is displayed next to the flag for Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, left, above decorations streaming from the ship.
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Japan's biggest warship since  World War II 8 photos
Japan's biggest warship since World War II  Confetti fills the air in Yokohama during the launch ceremony for the Izumo.
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Story highlights
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force takes receipt of newly-commissioned helicopter carrier
The ship, named the Izumo, is the largest Japanese military ship since the Second World War
Critics in neighboring countries say the ship could contravene Japan's pacifist constitution
(CNN)
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) has taken delivery of the Izumo, the largest Japanese military vessel to see service since World War II.
The warship was unveiled at a ceremony at the Yokusuka naval base near Yokohama, also home to the U.S Navy's Seventh Fleet.
The Izumo has a crew of 470, and with a standard displacement of 19,500 tones (24,000 tonnes at full load, according to military publication Jane's ), it is as large as the storied Yamato-class battleships which fought U.S. naval forces in the Pacific theater of World War II.
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Feb 27 15:02:57 EET 2015</date>
        <title>A really big fish story</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/r4AKdXUCXxk/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Is this 280 pound catfish real? Fisherman provides proof 02:04
Story highlights
Dino Ferrari snaps photos of a 280-pound catfish he says he caught in Italy
It took him 40 minutes to reel in the fish, according to his sponsor
(CNN)
Catfish come in all varieties, shapes and sizes, some big and some small.
And one downright gigantic, apparently now swimming in a river in Italy.
That's the fish story being told by Dino Ferrari, who reeled in a 280-pound (127-kilogram), 8.75-foot-long catfish last Thursday along the Po River, said Davide Valla, who is with Ferrari's sponsor company Sportex. (The sponsored fisherman wouldn't say exactly where he caught the big fellow, choosing to keep his favorite spots secret.)
Assuming the world isn't being hooked, this would not be the first time someone has caught a whopper of a catfish and lived to tell the tale.
In fact, it wouldn't be the biggest catfish ever caught. That would be a nearly 342-pound lau-lau (or piraiba) type of catfish snared in 2009 in Brazil's Amazon region, according to the International Game Fish Association.
Heck, it's not even the biggest catfish ever snared in Italy. That honor goes to a 298-pound wels catfish -- which is reportedly the same variety caught by Ferrari -- also from the Po River. And Ferrari didn't necessarily bring his fish in alone, with stories linked from Sportex's Facebook page indicating that twin brother Dario was by his side.
One thing that makes the latest Po River catch unique is that it was done with a spinning reel, said Valla, who called it a record for such fishing tackle. It took Ferrari 40 minutes to bring in the fish, then bring it to shore, his sponsor said.
Once it was on land, the Ferraris snapped some photos and weighed their catch. But they didn't dig in, savoring it with fresh bread, cheese and a glass of pinot grigio.
That's because this fish story has a happy ending for the star of the show: the catfish. According to Valla, Ferrari released his big catch back into the river.
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        <date>Thu Feb 26 21:05:25 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Kim Jong Un: New look, new attitude?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ssZYVyAzGZY/index.html</Link>
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        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Does Kim Jong Un's new look reflect a new attitude?
By Alanne Orjoux, CNN
Updated 2325 GMT (0725 HKT) February 19, 2015
Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with North Korea's first female fighter jet pilots in this undated photo released by the country's state media on Monday, June 22. He called the women "heroes of Korea" and "flowers of the sky."
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Kim stands on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in North Korea in a photo taken by North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun on April 18 and released the next day by South Korean news agency Yonhap. Kim scaled the country's highest mountain, North Korean state-run media reported, arriving at the summit to tell soldiers that the hike provides mental energy more powerful than nuclear weapons.
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Kim Jong Un, center, poses with soldiers on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in an April 18 photo released by South Korean news agency Yonhap.
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Kim visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 15 to celebrate the 103rd birth anniversary of his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.
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Kim inspects a drill for seizing an island at an undisclosed location in North Korea in an undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on February 21.
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Kim  speaks during a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released February 19 by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
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A picture released by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appearing without his cane at an event with military commanders in Pyongyang on Tuesday, November 4. Kim, who recently disappeared from public view for about six weeks, had a cyst removed from his right ankle, a lawmaker told CNN.
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Kim is seen walking with a cane in this image released Thursday, October 30, by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim sits in the pilot's seat of a fighter jet during the inspection.
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This undated photo, released Tuesday, October 14, by the KCNA, shows Kim inspecting a housing complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. International speculation about Kim went into overdrive after he failed to attend events on Friday, October 10, the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party. He hadn't been seen in public since he reportedly attended a concert with his wife on September 3.
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A picture released by the KCNA shows Kim and his wife watching a performance by the Moranbong Band on Wednesday, September 3, in Pyongyang.
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Kim tours a front-line military unit in this image released Wednesday, July 16, by the KCNA.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim poses for a photo as he oversees a tactical rocket-firing drill in June.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim watches a tactical rocket-firing drill in June.
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A North Korean soldier patrols the bank of the Yalu River, which separates the North Korean town of Sinuiju from the Chinese border town of Dandong, on Saturday, April 26.
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In this photo released Thursday, April 24, by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim smiles with female soldiers after inspecting a rocket-launching drill at an undisclosed location.
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A picture released Tuesday, March 18, by the KCNA shows Kim attending a shooting practice at a military academy in Pyongyang.
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A North Korean soldier uses binoculars on Thursday, February 6, to look at South Korea from the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War.
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A North Korean soldier kicks a pole along the banks of the Yalu River on Tuesday, February 4.
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A photo released by the KCNA on Thursday, January 23, shows the North Korean leader inspecting an army unit during a winter drill.
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Kim inspects the command of an army unit in this undated photo released Sunday, January 12, by the KCNA.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim visits an army unit in this undated photo.
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Kim inspects a military factory in this undated picture released by the KCNA in May 2013.
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Kim visits the Ministry of People's Security in 2013 as part of the country's May Day celebrations.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A North Korean soldier, near Sinuiju, gestures to stop photographers from taking photos in April 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean soldiers patrol near the Yalu River in April 2013.
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Kim is briefed by his generals in this undated photo. On the wall is a map titled "Plan for the strategic forces to target mainland U.S."
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim works during a briefing in this undated photo.
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In this KCNA photo, Kim inspects naval drills at an undisclosed location on North Korea's east coast in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim, with North Korean soldiers, makes his way to an observation post in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim uses a pair of binoculars to look south from the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment, near South Korea's Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim is greeted by a soldier's family as he inspects the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim is surrounded by soldiers during a visit to the Mu Islet Hero Defense Detachment, also near Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim arrives at Jangjae Islet by boat to meet with soldiers of the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Soldiers in the North Korean army train at an undisclosed location in March 2013.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
In a photo released by the official North Korean news agency in December 2012, Kim celebrates a rocket's launch with staff from the satellite control center in Pyongyang.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim, center, poses in this undated picture released by North Korea's official news agency in November 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim visits the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground, under construction in Pyongyang, in a photo released in July 2012 by the KCNA.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A crowd watches as statues of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il are unveiled during a ceremony in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A North Korean soldier stands guard in front of an UNHA III rocket at the Tangachai-ri Space Center in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
In April 2012, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket that broke apart and fell into the sea. Here, the UNHA III rocket is pictured on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
 A closer look at the UNHA III rocket on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A military vehicle participates in a parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean soldiers relax at the end of an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Kim Jong Un applauds as he watches a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A North Korean soldier stands on a balcony in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean soldiers march during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Soldiers board a bus outside a theater in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean performers sit below a screen showing images of leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean soldiers salute during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean soldiers listen to a speech during an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
Members of a North Korean military band gather following an official ceremony at the Kim Il Sung stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
North Korean military personnel watch a performance in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A North Korean controller is seen along the railway line between the Pyongyang and North Pyongan provinces in April 2012.
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Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military 55 photos
A North Korean military honor guard stands at attention at Pyongyang's airport in May 2001.
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Story highlights
Kim Jong Un takes a tough stance at a meeting of the Workers Party of Korea
He also sports a more severe haircut that first debuted in January
Some take to social media to speculate about what the new look means
(CNN)
Who doesn't like a new look? New Year, new you, amiright?
An updated 'do can "hair-ald" a new phase in your life, signifying a fresh start.
And maybe that's what the reclusive leader of North Korea was going for when he modified his almost boyish over-the-top-flop to a higher, angular, more severe cut. The look first debuted at his New Year's address in January.
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Mar 02 14:51:02 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Sudan refugees take back their story</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ecOCThd7Otg/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>By Daisy Carrington , for CNN
Updated 1202 GMT (2002 HKT) January 23, 2015
In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Adil Mustafa Hamdan, 21, is a student at the Soba Secondary Refugee School. He was one of 21 students selected to take a digital storytelling course through the UN Refugee Agency project. Like many of the students that graduated from the course, he aspires to be a photojournalist.
"I would go to the Nuba Mountains and photograph people with no clothes, no shoes; I'd photograph soldiers while they are fighting; I'd photograph airplanes that drop bombs. I would show through my photos and explain through my stories the situation in the Nuba Mountains," he says.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan
"I just want there to always be enough food."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because I am very satisfied now."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan
"What do you want to be when you grow up?
"A hunter."
"What do you want to hunt?"
"I want to hunt gazelles, monkeys, hawks and other animals that you find in the bush.
"What is the hardest thing about hunting?"
"When you get caught by the police."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan
"I left the Nuba Mountains because of the war in '83. At that time, we left in a group of 57 people. Only nine of us survived the journey. I was the youngest, only seven years old.
One day, my father was very sick and he began to tell me the names of all of my uncles. When he finished he died. I stayed for seven more years until the people signed a peace agreement, which was in 2005.
I said to myself, let me see what will happen. After six years I prepared to go back to my homeland, but when I was about to start my journey the war broke out. I thought, 'I'll never see my family. I will die as my father died.'
Then people began to arrive from the Nuba Mountains to the camp. The first person I spoke to turned out to be my uncle. It was the best moment of my life. This is why I am happy. Because I have found my relatives."
Khalid Idriss, refugee since 1985
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Aziz Hassan Eidiie was born in 1990 in the Nuba village of Kauda. When war broke out in his home in 2011, he had to stop his schooling. He was able to resume it at the Soba Secondary School. Many of his photographs focus on the lives of the young men inside the camp.
"I am happy to have become a photographer, because this was one of my dreams," he says.
"I hope that God may help me learn more and more about journalism so I can put it into practice."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Aziz Hassan Eidiie
"This is Abraham Jojo, an 18-year old refugee student from Kauda in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. He is here in Ajuong Thok without his parents. His aim is simply to study. On the weekends, he makes and bakes bread to sell it in the market to earn money to support himself. Even with all of these challenges, he still perseveres with his studies."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Aziz Hassan Eidiie
"These four boys live alone on their compound with nobody to help them cook, clean, fetch water and firewood. They usually cooperate and get along to work together. They've planted pumpkins on their compound that are now ready for harvest."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Awatif Kawaja Matile is 20 years old. Education has always been very important to her. At ten, she walked long distances to attend her primary school. Later, she attended a private school, where she lived without her parents."I struggled because I didn't have their financial support to help me buy clothes, shoes and other materials," she admits.
When the war broke out in 2011, she made her way to the Ajuong Thok  Refugee Camp so that she could continue her studies. "Being in school is an opportunity to learn, and to change your life from bad to better," she says, though she admits she doesn't view education as a cure-all. "It doesn't mean that you will have a comfortable life; you may face challenges and problems, but education makes you a better person in the future. You must think and reason wisely," she says.As a participant in the project, she focused a lot on the everyday struggles of families in the camp.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Awatif Kawaja Matile
"She brought water from a distance, until she was tired. That is why she is resting. Water is fetched for cooking and keeping homes clean. But the problem is that people need bigger jerry cans, these small ones don't help much."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Awatif Kawaja Matile
"This refugee family in Ajuong Thok is worried. They are thinking about the people that they left behind in the Nuba Mountains. Life in Ajuong Thok is very difficult for single mothers. If she needs to go to collect firewood or water, who will look after her child?"
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Richard Kunar is 25 years old. He, too, had to stop his schooling when war broke out. He trekked for five days to reach the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan. He ultimately moved to Ajuonk Thok, where he lives alone.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Richard Kunar
"My name is James Bond, and I'm from South Kordofan, a state with beautiful resources. I am 17, and I am only here in South Sudan because the war displaced me from home. I decided to keep this sheep in hopes that it will produce two or four or more, so that I can get married. Even though I live alone, it's no problem for me. As the book of Ecclesiastes says, there is time for everything."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Roda Tia Hamdan was pulled out of school as a young girl, because she needed to take care of her cousin."Even though I wanted to continue my education, my uncle wouldn't let me, because I was a babysitter," she recalls. At 11 years old, she started cutting grass to earn money for school fees, but soon afterward her education was stalled again due to the conflict in the Nuba Mountains. "I dared to continue my studies as a refugee," she says. Like many in Ajuong Thok refugee camp, she arrived solo, without her parents.
"I went to live with my friend so that I wouldn't have to live alone," she says.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Roda Tia Hamdan
"The babysitter is surprised to be photographed. The mother is denying this young girl the right to education by having her look after her little sister."
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
From refugees to photojournalists  Tutu Al-Hamar Tutu is a 24-year old student at Soba Secondary School in Ajuong Thok. "Photography isn't simply something I want to do in Ajuon Thok; I want to go further and take photos of the conflict in Sudan," he says.
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In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers 16 photos
Portfolio: Tutu Al-Hamar Tutu
"A young Nuban boy grazes his sheep in Ajuong Thok Refugee Camp. Nubans are famous for keeping cattle wherever they go. When there is conflict or war, people cannot keep animals. Ajuong Thok is a peaceful place where we can keep our animals safe."
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They call themselves the "eyes and ears of Nuba", a reference to the mountains from which they fled.
Young, mainly in their 20s, sometimes younger, these student refugees share a similar narrative. Their villages, tucked away in the remote regions of South Kordofan in the Sudan, became uninhabitable : They were rained down on with rockets; they could no longer grow food, keep cattle, go to school.
They joined 15,000 other refugees in Ajuong Thok camp in South Sudan (Yida camp, closer to the Sudanese border, houses an additional 70,000). Now, they want their stories to be heard. They are citizen journalists in the making.
Last November, Kathryn Mahoney, a communication officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and a self-described "repository of stories" launched an initiative that trained 21 students from the community in digital storytelling through smartphones.
"I travel around and meet these amazing refugees who have been through some of the most horrifying situations, and my responsibility is to help them get their story out, to amplify their voice," she says.
"But as humanitarians, we forget that these are their stories to tell."
At first, she recalls, the students didn't know how to turn the phones on.
"Growing up in the west, we take for granted our visual literacy. We're literally bombarded with images from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. These students don't come from that culture, so even with issues like framing and point-of-view, we were really starting from scratch," she recalls.
By the end of the course, Mahoney says, "they knew how to use the phones better than I did."
The phones have since gone to the local school, which has adopted a kind of lending library for other students who want to learn photojournalism skills and sign the equipment out.
The students paired the photos they took with a narrative. Some opted for straight quotes from their subjects, a la Humans of New York . Others wrote essays.
Browse through the gallery above and select "show caption" to read their stories.
More from Africa
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Feb 25 21:02:53 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Island of forgotten dreams</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/NysvQLcvS2w/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Updated 1735 GMT (0135 HKT) February 25, 2015
Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Expo globe  This large structure at the heart of the Seville Expo 92 acted as a symbol for the event, but also served a practical purpose, spraying visitors with cooling mist in the height of summer.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Avenue of Europe  The Avenue of Europe was the most prestigious part of the park, dominated by the Pavilion of Spain at one end and featuring the pavilions of the 12 founding members of the soon-to-be-inaugurated European Union.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Cooling towers  The cooling towers in the Avenue of Europe also used mist sprays to lower the temperature.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Tower of Europe  The Tower of Europe bears the flags and colors of the 12 European Union founders.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Pavilion of the Future  Overshadowed by a replica of the Ariane Four space launch system, the Expo's Pavilion of the Future now serves as a venue hosting major entertainment events.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Satellite  Hovering over the Pavilion of the Future, a model of a satellite conveys a sense of the space age.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Site model  Inside the Italian pavilion, which still stands on the Avenue of Europe, a 3D scale model of the Seville Expo site shows the position of old and new buildings.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Science fiction landscape  Today the site is a thriving science and education park, but it's deserted on weekends and evenings, lending it a post-apocalyptic science fiction atmosphere.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Hungarian pavilion  Hungary's pavilion at the Expo 92 site in Seville is considered one of Hungarian architect Imre Makovecz's masterpieces. It's topped with spires representing every major religion.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Shamanistic symbols  The Hungarian pavilion features Shamanistic symbols and, according to Expo 92 expert Angel Aramburu, sent political messages to neighboring pavilions.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
French pavilion  According to Aramburu, the mirrored glass of the Hungarian pavilion was meant to reflect the glory of the Spanish pavilion -- symbolizing the envy with which many European countries viewed Spain at the time.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Chilean pavilion  The Chilean pavilion housed an iceberg that had been cut up and transported from Chile's freezing shores to the searing heat of Spain, then reassembled.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
The Alamillo Bridge  Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the spectacular Alamillo Bridge was completed in 1992 to connect the Expo site on the Isla de la Cartuja to the city of Seville.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Pavilion of Kuwait  Kuwait's pavilion featured a roof made of cantilevered struts that unfurled like the fingers of a clasped pair of hands.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Andalusia Contemporary Art Center  The Cartiuja Monastery complex, where Christopher Columbus visited before embarking on his voyage to the New World, played a symbolic role during the Expo. Today it houses the Andalusia Contemporary Art Center.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Mexican pavilion  Designed as a visual pun, the Mexican pavilion featured a giant X to symbolize a crossroads of cultures and to remind people that despite its silent pronunciation, Mexico contains the letter "X."
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Monaco's pavilion  Monaco's pavilion featured a facade designed to resemble the tiny state's lavish casino. It housed giant aquariums that are today used by Seville's river authorities.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Cable car station  An abandoned cable car station. Expo 92 was served by cable cars and a monorail. There was also a purpose-built railway station and a helicopter park.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Vast parking lot  Many of the site's 40 million-plus visitors arrived by car. Today, a huge empty parking lot runs alongside the site, mostly disused.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Moroccan pavilion  Now a cultural center, Morocco's pavilion features elaborate Islamic designs. It was still under construction as the Expo opened, giving visitors a chance to see traditional craftsmen in action.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Canadian pavilion graffiti  Such were the queues for the Canadian pavilion that one wag carved a complaint in a column outside: "I came in the arms of my mother, I left as a granny!!"
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Discovery Pavilion fire  Before Expo 92 opened, a fire (here in a file photo) destroyed the event's Discoveries Pavilion. An attached Omnimax screen survived the blaze. The loss of the pavilion was a blow to the Expo, which took an "age of discovery" theme.
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Seville Expo 92 23 photos
Cajasol Tower  The Omnimax theater was torn down and, some years later, a 38-story building -- the tallest in Seville -- was built on the site of the Pavilion of Discovery.
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Scheduled for demolition 20 years ago, the extraordinary architecture of Expo 92 survives to tell fascinating stories.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Feb 04 18:50:51 EET 2015</date>
        <title>How to find the terrorist amid tide of human misery</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/4yv6i0ghffA/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>In the past few weeks, Houthi rebels have taken control of Yemen's capital
The move pushes country closer to failed state status, giving al Qaeda greater foothold
Nic Robertson joins Saudi border police trying to staunch the human tide
Nic Robertson will take your questions about his reporting from Saudi Arabia today at 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. GMT on Reddit .
Jizan, Saudi Arabia (CNN)
Driving out of the sleepy Saudi seaside town of Jizan at dawn, I had no idea what to expect.
I'd been asking the Saudi Interior Ministry to take me there for several years. Now I was in the desert kingdom covering King Salman bin Abdulaziz's ascent to the throne, and that permission had finally come through.
In the past few weeks, Houthi rebels have taken control of Yemen's capital, pushing the country ever closer to "failed state" status and giving the al Qaeda franchise there -- al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP -- a greater foothold.
The Saudi minister of interior, now second-in-line to the throne, has a personal stake in seeing AQAP eradicated. The terror group's top bomb-maker put a sophisticated bomb in his own brother's rectum, exploding it when the brother met the leading royal a few years ago. The brother died, the minister was only lightly injured.
The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
The mountains on the Saudi-Yemeni border are beautiful -- but difficult to patrol.
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The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
Watch towers are equipped with thermal imaging equipment, while cameras watch out over mile upon mile of razor wire.
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The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
The men crowded inside the mesh cage welded to a pickup truck told us they had come to Saudi Arabia for work. One of them was just 11 years old.
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The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
This man was detained trying to cross the mountainous border from Yemen into Saudi Arabia.
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The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
These two youths were detained with the narcotic shrub qat that most Yemenis chew every day,
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The thin line against terrorism: How Saudis struggle amid Yemen chaos 6 photos
Several tons of qat lie piled up outside a guard post -- the haul of the past week, or so we were told.
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EXPAND GALLERY
This is the same bomb-maker who made the underpants bomb that came close to bringing down an airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. Despite extensive drone campaigns targeting him, he is believed to still be alive and remains a significant global threat.
There is no doubt in anyone's mind here that al Qaeda in Yemen will use any chance it gets to export terror over the border to their northern neighbor, with the royal family being the targets of choice.
Col. Omar al Kahtani, our escort for the day, was in a voluble mood as we sped toward the looming mountains that mark the border. "Anything could happen," he told us. "Be ready with your camera." Gun battles are rare on this border, he said, but only three weeks earlier, on Saudi's northern frontier,  ISIS fighters broke through the defenses, killing three Saudi soldiers, including their commander.
The gun battle, footage of which was posted on the Internet, was a salutary reminder that the desert kingdom, the West's biggest regional partner in fighting the terror groups, is surrounded by battle-hardened enemies.
This corner of the country is remarkably green. Relatively lush vegetation -- in Saudi terms, at least --  sprouts in profusion from the semi-arid fields.
As our four-wheel-drive truck swung through the rickety metal gate, marking the edge of the border exclusion zone, we got our first taste of what has mostly been a hidden war down here.
A sprawling Saudi village of large ornate villas came into view. Pretty, until we got close, when we realized the buildings were all shot up. Rockets had torn gaping holes in the walls and gardens were overgrown with spindly tentacles of creepers that slowly consumed the once-vibrant homes.
Our host explained this was a village overrun by Houthi rebels from Yemen six years ago. In a three-week battle, Saudi Apache gunships had nearly destroyed the hamlet in the battle to save it. The government moved the residents away, creating a buffer between them and their fractious neighbor.
As we drive on, he tells us Yemen's security is worsening and Saudi Arabia is spending almost $3 billion on beefing up border security. Our trucks are bumping and slipping their way up the newly cut rough rock tracks. At moments, it feels as if we are almost climbing vertically.
These mountains are as rugged and rough as they are beautiful. Villages cling precariously to their higher reaches. No fence reaches up this far, the tiny smattering of guards solidifies the impression that at these altitudes, border control works on an honor system.
No line on a map will stop these mountain men from rounding up their stray goats. Even from the roadside I can see tiny footpaths crisscrossing the steep terrain from Yemen to Saudi and back.
Massive drugs haul
In the foothills, control is much more effective. Watch towers are equipped with thermal imaging equipment, super zoom cameras watching over mile upon mile, and layer upon layer of razor wire. It needs to be like this.
What we saw was staggering. I had no idea so many people and such a massive amount of drugs are moving over the border every day.
At our first stop, we saw two men captured that day. We saw another one caught soon after. Then a whole vanload, about a dozen people crowded inside a mesh cage welded to a pickup truck. One of them was just 11 years old.
They all told us they had come to Saudi for work. The 11-year-old was earning about $100 a month on a supermarket till in Jizan. All told the same story: about poverty and increasing chaos in Yemen and the Houthis getting stronger. The risk of jail in Saudi, they said, was better than the certainty of poverty in Yemen.
Our government escort told us they'd all be sent to the nearest large police station where they would be fingerprinted and officials would check their records to make sure none had ties to terrorism.
The men -- and they were all men -- admitted that sneaking over the border is getting much harder amid the increase in guard posts and border fences.
Border guards told us in the past three months alone, they have picked up 42,000 people along the 800-kilometer (about 500 miles) border.
Of course we are unable to verify that figure, but if the volume of illegal migrants we saw in the morning was shocking, then the afternoon was mind-blowing.
We were taken to a room where three children were standing with bundles of qat, the narcotic shrub that most Yemenis chew every day, at their feet.
The youngest, a 10-year-old, told me drug barons pay him $50 for hauling 10-kilos (about 22 lbs) of the green leaves over the border. It's the second time he has been caught.
I was told that the boy, who had been given a banana and a bottle of water by the guards, would be taken back to the border and told to return home. All three looked small for their age. No one, particularly them, doubted they would be back.
Continual stream of infiltrators
Unemployment among younger people is running at 40% in Yemen, likely higher in their villages. Putting food on the table at the end of the day is as far ahead as they think.
Between them, they had been caught with about 30 kilos of the narcotic. Piled up outside the guard post were several tons more -- the haul of the past week, or so we were told. I'd seen similar piles outside many of the other posts we'd already visited.
According to statistics given to us at the Jizan headquarters of the border guards, qat is a multi-million-dollar business. In the last three months, they say, they have seized more than 500,000 tons along the border, with a street value close to $100 million.
They also showed us 50 kg of cannabis resin they had confiscated that day. Over the past three months, more than 6,000 kg of hashish -- with a street value in Saudi of about $36 million -- had been seized, we were told.
Guns and ammunition are also smuggled in: 2,562 weapons have been seized in the past three months, as well as 380,088 rounds of ammunition, the border guards said. And the list goes on.
And so did our day and the near-continual stream of infiltrators. The problem for the Saudis is that they cannot ignore this deluge. Any one of the thousands they stop could be a terrorist.
Said Kouachi, one of the Charlie Hebdo attackers in Paris, is believed to have slipped in to Yemen not far from Saudi's border, making his way there for terror training from Oman. The attack he and his brother carried out also shows the lengths that AQAP is willing to go to in order to export terror.
Hajj pilgrimages to Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, draw millions of Muslims to the kingdom. Knowing who comes and who goes is vital.
As the sun began to set, we jumped in police gun trucks as another group of men were spotted near the razor wire border fence. Tearing over the bumpy ground, we raced to intercept them. Surprisingly, they didn't run. They know they'll be freed soon, and from what we saw none of the six were beaten or abused.
Within minutes, as we were driving away, the sun sinking over the horizon and our day done, we thought we passed another eight men being caught. We stopped as police emptied the men's pockets. Cheap cellphones, not much else. They were illegal workers on their way back to homes in Yemen after weeks of work in Saudi, their wages already sent over the border by local money exchangers.
It was already darkening as we pulled away, once again trying to set off back to Jizan. And yet again,  we stopped as we saw a group of guards searching two small figures. More child qat smugglers, rope and sack bags on their backs bulging with the big wraps that protect the delicate green leaves. Each boy carrying bundles with the drug baron's name on them.
Later, when we finally did get back to Jizan, we ate dinner sitting on rugs next to the Red Sea: fish, meat, salads, bread and Saudi "champagne," non-alcoholic fizzy grape juice.
This is a land of plenty, Yemen is not. Stanching the human tide flowing over the border is only going to get more difficult, and finding the terrorist hiding in so much human misery even harder.
Victoria Eastwood and Brad Olson contributed to this report.
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        <date>Thu Jan 29 19:13:06 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Amazon tribe under threat</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/6eyTfbXkQ0U/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Amazon tribe under threat
By Helena Cavendish de Moura, Special to CNN
Updated 0013 GMT (0813 HKT) January 28, 2015
13 photos
Muturuhum, a member of the Awa-Guaja tribe, uses a bow and arrow to hunt in the Amazon rainforest. Portuguese photographer Daniel Rodrigues spent time with the endangered tribe last year.
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According to Survival International , wild monkeys are a food source for the Awa. They are also kept as pets.
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Apartya with a pet monkey on his head.
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Sabi plays in the river Igarape.
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Many Awa Indians have had little to no contact with the outside world, but that is beginning to change. Their way of life is being threatened by illegal loggers.
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"They were incredibly friendly, and I was very well-received," Rodrigues said.
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Marimy takes a bath in the river near the village Guaja in Alto Turacu.
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Iwapanya plays in a tree.
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There are several groups of the Awa-Guaja in this part of the forest. Some have been known to exist since the 1970s. Others have been contacted in the early 1980s. Many are believed to still be in hiding.
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"We walked and walked for hours, slashing through the forest overgrowth to look for the prey," Rodrigues recalled. "The Awa were barefoot the whole time."
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Kiby carries a red jaguar after a hunt.
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The tribe's habitat is being destroyed by illegal logging.
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Arawata runs after seeing an animal in the jungle.
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Photographer Daniel Rodrigues spent time with an endangered tribe in the Amazon
The people didn't speak his language, and they communicated with hand gestures
Illegal loggers are moving into their territory and threatening their way of life
(CNN)
Portuguese photographer Daniel Rodrigues had always dreamed of visiting the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, and he finally got his chance last year.
After two years of fundraising and wrestling with government bureaucracy, Rodrigues arrived at a place some might call a version of Eden: the Alto Turiacu reserve where the Awa-Guaja roam.
"I wanted to show the daily life in the world's most endangered tribe," he said.
The Awa-Guaja's way of life is being threatened by relentless loggers who are illegally encroaching on their land, according to Brazil's National Indian Foundation. Many Awa Indians have had little to no contact with the outside world, but that is beginning to change, the foundation reports, as loggers continue to destroy the forests their existence depends on.
Daniel Rodrigues
Rodrigues set out to document the tribe's existence -- pure, pristine and, tragically, fleeting.
"I had traveled to Africa and other remote places where people at least knew what a camera was," Rodrigues said. "Here I was, in the 21st century, with other humans who (until recently) had never seen a camera, a computer ... never seen a shower and were shocked when they saw a helicopter. And yet they are extremely happy."
Calling themselves Awa, Tupi-Guarani for "man," the tribe is made of forest foragers and dexterous hunters. Challenges abound, said Rodrigues, who was forced to communicate with hand gestures for several weeks because the tribespeople did not speak Portuguese.
"I pointed this way to say the sun is setting and made hand signs to ask questions about hunting," Rodrigues recalled. "They were incredibly friendly, and I was very well-received."
Spending weeks without uttering words, Rodrigues immersed himself in the visual resplendence of the Awa-Guaja life in the forest. Twelve-hour hunting expeditions were common, cutting through thick jungle growth during the monsoon rains. Nature's orchestral sounds rang behind every moment, something his photographs seem to allude to.
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Detouring from the use of formal portraiture often seen in ethnophotography, Rodrigues' black-and-white photos are filled with an honesty that could only come as a result of an amicable pact with his subjects. The Awa clearly trusted Rodrigues' camera, and in the resulting work we can clearly see how well-versed he became with the ins and outs of the Awa way of life. The cinematic quality of some of the shots in the hunting scenes is a testament to the photographer's endurance and appreciation of a highly spiritual form of sportsmanship.
"We walked and walked for hours, slashing through the forest overgrowth to look for the prey," Rodrigues said. "The Awa were barefoot the whole time."
Rodrigues nonchalantly talked about a dangerous situation while hunting for the indigenous red puma.
"The hunter had missed a shot, and the puma jumped right over towards me," he said. "In the meantime, I was having an allergic reaction to a spider bite. It wasn't easy."
There are several groups of the Awa-Guaja in this part of the forest. Some have been known to exist since the 1970s. Others have been contacted in the early 1980s. Many are believed to still be in hiding.
Earlier this month, Brazil's official news agency reported that three isolated Awa Indians had made contact with the other mainstream Awa-Guaja. The group's leader, Amakaria, reportedly said that loggers were marking trees and threatening to kill them.
The Brazilian government has launched a massive military operation into the states of Para and Maranhao, today the epicenter in the war between loggers and Indians. Latest satellite imagery shows that new logging tracks are constantly being carved.
Monitoring and preserving such a large expanse of tropical forest is a challenge. In the meantime, how can the so-called civilized world understand what is being lost?
Rodrigues tries to explain:
"Getting out of my comfort zone, my comfortable bed, to walk for hours through virgin forest, crossing rivers and rapids with water up to my neck ... hearing the triumphal songs of the hunters as they walked home a large prey to share with their brethren -- this experience can completely change a human being."
Daniel Rodrigues is a photographer based in Portugal. You can follow him on Facebook , Instagram and Tumblr .
</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jan 29 22:37:12 EET 2015</date>
        <title>A new sex park for Taiwan?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/VfwnNRgdY4s/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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A new sex park for Taiwan?
By Maggie Hiufu Wong , CNN
Updated 0719 GMT (1519 HKT) January 27, 2015
Not everyone loves the idea of a new sex theme park in southwestern Taiwan, though this installation, set up in Beimen for wedding photos, suggests a local appetite for romance.
Story highlights
Proposal to build the first sex park in Taiwan posted online
The sex theme park will explore topics from different sex positions to sex toys
The park's spokesperson confirmed the plan but stressed that it's just an idea at this stage
(CNN)
Taiwan, are you getting a new sex theme park or just teasing us?
The word on the street -- or on the Internet at least -- is that plans are afoot to develop an erotic entertainment attraction on the island's Southwest Coast National Scenic Area.
After interest was aroused by details posted on the region's official website , however, the page was quickly taken down.
The park's administration director, Cheng Rong-fong, confirmed with CNN that the proposal is real, but he insists it's just a concept at this point.
"The ideal plan is to realize the proposal within this year if we can gain support from the local government," said Cheng.
Details of the plan , circulated by a user on Taiwan's popular PTT online bulletin board, outlined a "Taiwan Romantic Boulevard" sightseeing route with four zones stretching across three counties.
'Silk road of love'
Tainan's Jingzaijiao Salt Farm is famous for its romantic sunset views.
Each stage has a different theme: "dating paradise," "scenic spot for wedding gowns," "silk road of love" and a proposed 10,000-meter-square "sex theme park."
The sex theme park -- or "Garden of Eden" as it's called in the proposal -- will be modeled after other erotic parks around the world including Jeju's Loveland in South Korea and Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway.
Claiming to be educational, the park will serve as the final stop of the four-stage journey of love.
It'll be divided into different sections, covering topics including sex positions, unusual sex lives and sex toys.
"The dating paradise is perfect for those who are more than friends but aren't officially a couple yet," the proposal said.
Cheng said that the proposal shouldn't have been made public before being finalized, but insisted, if realized, that it will help regenerate a neglected area.
"The southwestern coast of Taiwan has been an important salt farm since the Qing Dynasty," he says.
"It has a unique background, culture and ecological value. Yet, a decade after it was declared a national scenic area, it still hasn't received much attention from tourists. So we thought to ourselves, is it time to try a new mode of thinking?
"The white powdery salt hill and salt farm have always emitted a romantic feeling for visitors coming to the area," said Cheng. "That's why we came up with the idea to be the first dating/wedding-themed park in Taiwan."
'Too out of line'
The proposal generated heated debate online.
"This is the first time I find a government proposal interesting," said one online critic, according to Taiwan's Now News .
Another said: "We surpass Japan. The pride of Taiwan."
"This is too out of line," posted another. "And soon the government will start promoting sex tourism."
Beimen is so popular for wedding photos it has fake churches as backdrops.
Chang Huang-chen, the deputy commissioner for Yunlin County, the sex park's proposed home, told the Taipei Times that the idea may not be suitable for traditional-minded locals.
Cheng said he'd received mostly supportive comments, but he welcomed different opinions.
"Sex has always been a taboo in Chinese society," he added. "But it's a part of our lives and a very natural thing -- why can't we discuss it openly and generously?"
Aside from the sex park, the rest of the proposal makes use of existing attractions.
"We're planning to add around 100 landmarks and installations to each of stage to enrich the experience," said Cheng.
The proposed route starts at the scenic six-story-high salt hill in Cigu County.
It then leads to Beimen, a place famous for its vibrant pre-wedding photo-shooting industry, where "churches" and dozens of other romantic landmarks are built for that purpose.
The third destination, Budai, is a fishing town in Chiayi.
The proposal calls it the right place to take your oath before heading to the sex theme park.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jan 28 15:12:03 EET 2015</date>
        <title>The scariest theme park rides on Earth </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ogHsanhvH78/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Scariest theme park rides on Earth
Updated 1659 GMT (0059 HKT) January 28, 2015
Scariest theme park rides 5 photos
'Soda can coaster,' Eram Park (Iran)  Not only are you sitting in a soda can-shaped car, the ride plays fast and loose with physics by flinging you in such tight loops you can almost see the back of you own head, says Theme Park Guy, Stefan Zwanzger.
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Rusty roller coasters of Pyongyang (North Korea)  Pyongyang's fairground rides probably have an impeccable service record. It's just the cobwebs that suggest otherwise.
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Ferris wheel, Kathmandu Fun Park (Nepal)  Even those just watching the Ferris wheel in Kathmandu's Fun Park should take a motion sickness pill. "You could hear screams," says Zwanzger. "And these were not the normal Ferris wheel screams of 'ooooh, let's take a photo. These were more like 'argghhh, let me down, I wanna get outta here' screams."
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Qingdao chairoplane of pain (China)  At Fantawild, the chairoplane is less chair, more plane, lofting startled passengers up to almost cruising altitude in a creaking chair that turns wildly on its own axis.
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Baku's gross ghost train (Azerbaijan)  The boardwalk ride on Baku's Caspian seafront gets its screams the lazy way: via pain. During his visit, Zwanzger was attacked by a sticky curtain that attached itself to his nose and teeth.
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(CNN)
Most of us are happy with being flung around in a roller coaster or spun high in a Ferris wheel.
The rush of fear and the brief re-acquaintance with breakfast are part of the thrill.
But when does a theme park ride stop being scarily fun and start being just plain scary?
We're talking about the rides on which the fear turns into the kind of pure psychological terror that only weeks of counseling -- or a night of martinis -- can resolve.
The rides on which it's not just breakfast that flashes before your eyes, but your entire life (plus some diced carrots that you have no recollection of eating).
These are the scariest theme park rides on Earth.
Thankfully, we don't have to try them, because Stefan Zwanzger, aka the globetrotting Theme Park Guy , already has.
And lived to tell the tale.
The rusty roller coasters of Pyongyang (North Korea)
Just when life in a totalitarian state couldn't get any more terrifying, North Korea unleashes some creaking fairground rides on its unsuspecting citizenry.
To be fair, the Kaeson Youth Park is a rare attempt to sprinkle genuine joy on the gray Stalinist cityscape of Pyongyang.
The fear here, says Zwanzger, is an emotional response in no way soothed by geopolitics.
"When you visit North Korea you naturally never feel completely safe and relaxed, so you enter the rides wondering if they've been maintained at all since most were built decades ago.
"The cobwebs aren't a good sign."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: Kaeson has a relatively new, Italian-made Zamperla coaster. (Kaeson Youth Park, Kaeson, Pyongyang)
Fear-free theme park rides 6 photos
Fear-free theme park rides 6 photos
Zamperla coaster, Kaeson Youth Park (North Korea)  For genuinely fun thrills and screams, the Kaeson Youth Park has a relatively new, Italian-made Zamperla coaster.
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Any European park Chairoplane  There's really no need to go too high in a chairoplane. For a pleasant glide, any European theme park with a decent budget will do.
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Liwa Loop, Yas Waterworld (Abu Dhabi, UAE)  Luckily, the idea of a full 360 loop in a giant water tube is a thing of the past. The Liwa Loop at Yas Waterworld defies gravity without accidents and pain.
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Dunia Lain, Trans Studio Makassar (Indonesia)  The ghost train at Indonesia's Trans Studio Makassar is a genuinely fun spooky experience, taking passengers through a haunted house with Indonesian "spirits."
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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disney World (Orlando, Florida)  You can banish the tunes of It's a Small World with an old-fashion thriller like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
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London Eye  The London Eye's enclosed capsules are a gentle and scenic way to see the city.
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EXPAND GALLERY
Baku's gross ghost train (Azerbaijan)
Most ghost trains are so lame that it's interesting to hear of one that actually does spook its passengers.
Unfortunately, at the time of Zwanzger's visit, this boardwalk ride on Baku's Caspian seafront was getting its screams the lazy way: via pain.
"Imagine you're alone in a ghost train, driving through the dark, and all of a sudden a sticky curtain drops on you from above and sticks itself to your nose and teeth," Zwanzger says.
"And while the ghost train keeps moving forward, the curtain and your nose and teeth don't.
Zwanzger says he complained to the operator.
"Due to the language barrier and the lack of any internationally recognized sign language for 'my nose got stuck to a curtain,' I don't think he got the message. I don't think he really cared about anything, either."
He adds: "Man, that was painful! My love and pity goes out to those who ride it next."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: The ghost train at Indonesia's Trans Studio Makassar . (Jalan. H.M Dg. Patompo, Metro Tanjung Bunga, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia; +62 411 8117000)
The Tehran neck cracker (Iran)
At Iran's Eram Park, it's a tossup between which is more disturbing.
The badly drawn Mickey Mouse cartoons, or the soda can roller coaster?
For Zwanzger, the coaster -- which plays fast and loose with physics by flinging passengers in a such a tight loop they can almost see the backs of their own heads -- wins.
"When I saw this the first time, with Coke can-shaped cars hurtling noisily around a narrow loop, I thought, that's going to hurt.
"And it did. Two to three hours of neck pain followed.
"This roller coaster makes one of the narrowest loopings known to mankind. It's as if your head stays in the same place while the coaster spins around."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: Skip roller Iran's coasters altogether and enjoy the country and its wonderful people.
Ferris wheel of misfortune (Nepal)
Take an ordinary Ferris wheel.
Fill it with starry-eyed couples and happy families.
Then crank the speed dial up to 11.
That's how they do it in Nepal.
Because maybe when you live on the slopes of the Himalayas, gaining a few extra meters in height just isn't thrilling enough.
"That thing had speed," says Zwanzger, who says he didn't board the wheel in Kathmandu's Fun Park because the line was too long -- and he was afraid of being propelled into orbit.
"You could hear screams. And these were not the normal Ferris wheel screams of 'ooooh, let's take a photo.'
"These were more like 'argghhh, let me down, I wanna get outta here' screams."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: The London Eye (South Bank, London; +44 871 781 3000)
Qingdao chairoplane of pain (China)
Chairoplanes are called chairoplanes because, as with chairs, it's possible to sit in them, and as with planes, all logic says these things should not leave the ground.
Typically chairoplanes rise a few meters off the ground, giving passengers a thrill as they ride in a chair or model aircraft attached by chains to a rotating overhead gantry.
At Fantawild, a new theme park in the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao, the chairoplane ride is less chair, more plane, lofting startled passengers up to almost cruising altitude.
"I was the only rider, and once up in the air, the chains were making creaking and groaning noises and my chair was turning wildly on its own axis," says Zwanzger.
"It was a long ride. And cold.
"It was new so maybe my fear was just psychological, but I'd rather fly a plane from the 1970s than get back in that Qingdao chairoplane."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: Any chairoplane in a European theme park with a budget of more than 100 million euros.
Disney's secret weapon (Various locations)
There is of course, nothing remotely scary about a kid-compatible classic that takes passengers on a mini-tour of a world populated by friendly animatronic puppets.
And yet, says Zwanzger, Disneyland's "It's a Small World" ride, as seen in its U.S., French, Japanese and Hong Kong parks, has untapped potential as a psychological weapon.
"One ride is fun, but try it about six or seven times and it becomes one of the scariest rides on Earth.
"You ask yourself, 'what if I was trapped here listening to that song and seeing these puppets forever?'
"If you were to chain someone in this ride and have them go around over and over, I think it would actually break them."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster should banish the Small World terrors. ( Frontierland , Disneyland Resort, 1313 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, California)
The Cannonball Loop (United States, closed)
Like many unnecessary things assembled in the 1980s -- among them the Cadillac Cimarron and mid-career films of Sylvester Stallone -- the Cannonball Loop must've seemed like a good idea at the time.
Looking back, however, it's hard not to view it as the work of an unhinged mind.
The Cannonball was a giant water tube that sent riders sliding through a full 360-degree loop. (See it in action in this YouTube video at 8.19: http://youtu.be/vDHqfhyCbbM )
It enjoyed a brief life in the summer of 1985 at the now-defunct Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey, before being shut down in 1996, reportedly after a series of accidents.
"I've been to almost 300 theme and water parks now, but this is by far the scariest thing I've ever seen," says Zwanzger.
"Looking at it, it's just so obvious that if you have one wrong move, you're going to experience a lot of pain or get trapped inside.
"I can't believe this was actually built in the United States, the country where you can be sued by anyone for just about anything."
Zwanzger's fear-free alternative: Liwa loop at Yas Waterworld (Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; +971 2 414 2000)
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jan 28 15:13:05 EET 2015</date>
        <title>What's the perfect job for you? Ask your 5-year-old self </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/rJcmUZ436V8/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Ellie Simmonds is a British Paralympic swimming champion who holds ten world records.
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Joanne Bradford previously held senior roles at Yahoo! and Microsoft. She builds commercial and content partnerships at Pinterest.
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Birchbbox co-founders Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp raised $60m in venture funding for their beauty start-up.
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Should you revive your childhood aspirations?  Shivvy Jervis was a Britain's Women of the Future: Media (2014) finalist and voted a TechCity Insider Top 100 for London.
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Story highlights
The jobs that we aspired to when we were children reflect our passions and talents, say experts
LinkedIn's childhood jobs survey reveals 30.3% of people are either currently in that dream job or a related role
Childhood aspirations are shaped by the people, standards and social expectations that surround us
Leading Women connects you to extraordinary women of our time -- remarkable professionals who have made it to the top in all areas of business, the arts, sport, culture, science and more.
(CNN)
When you were young, what did you dream of being "when you grew up"? Is it what you've ended up doing?
You may dismiss those childhood aspirations as unrealistic now you're an adult with responsibilities and bills to pay, but that role reflected what you enjoyed doing and who you were at that time.
"The dream jobs we aspire to as children are a window into our passions and talents," says LinkedIn 's career expert Nicole Williams. "Identifying and understanding those passions are key to improving our performance and enjoyment of the jobs we currently do, even if they aren't specific to the careers we dreamed of as kids."
So, what influences our childhood aspirations?
When she was a young girl, Meredith Haberfeld wanted to be a librarian like her grandmother was.
"When we're small most of us have a limited idea of what's out there," explains career coach Meredith Haberfeld . "It is shaped by the exposure we have -- the people that have a big impact on us and the standards and social expectations around us".
Our families greatly influence our outlook on life. If we look up to one family member in particular, we tend to be drawn to their careers as we want to be like them. Indeed, when Meredith was a little girl, she wanted to be a librarian because her grandmother, who she admired, was one.
And it's not just our relatives' roles at work that can influence children's aspirations. The gender roles that our parents take on at home can also dramatically impact our childhood career choices.
A study by Alyssa Croft, of the University of British Columbia , found that the division of labor at home had implications for how girls' identities developed in gender roles.
Croft told CNN that fathers' behavior around the house seems to be "predicting their daughter's career aspirations" beyond what they "might be publicly endorsing or specifically saying about gender roles."
She found that if fathers talked about supporting gender equality but didn't take on an equal role in domestic tasks then this sent conflicting signals to their daughters, which led to daughters placing more weight on their father's actions, rather than his words.
By contrast, where fathers demonstrated their beliefs in gender equality by taking on an equal distribution of domestic tasks then their daughters would select roles "that are more gender neutral or even sort of male-stereotypic like being a scientist or athlete," Croft says.
When she was younger, Alyssa Croft wanted to be an artist because she enjoyed painting and drawing.
And that could have a major impact on our pay check down the line. Research by the London School of Economics , published in the journal Social Forces, found that girls who aspired to traditionally female-dominated occupations were far more likely to earn lower wages in their first job, since stereotypically "female" jobs tend to pay less.
"Stereotypically 'male' or 'female' preferences that children exhibit during childhood continue into, and affect, their adult lives," says Lucinda Platt, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at LSE .
Our early experiences can also have a bearing on what we see as our "dream job" -- a positive experience linked to a potential career can be hugely inspiring.
"I went through an intense marine biologist phase fueled by a life-changing snorkeling expedition when I was seven years old," reveals Hayley Barna , co-founder and co-CEO of beauty start-up Birchbox .
And inspiration can also strike at school, if we learn about a career that resonates with us.
"When I was in the 4th grade [aged 9-10] I learned about lobbyists. I thought it would be amazing job to try and influence important issues," says Joanne Bradford , head of partnerships at Pinterest .
When we are young, our aspirations are a response to our circumstances; but Haberfeld says that when the time comes to start "designing" our careers we begin tuning in to what we feel "compelled to express" about ourselves.
Clara Shih , founder of Hearsay Social , started out with a long and varied list of possible careers -- she went through phases of wanting to be a teacher (like her mother), a police officer, an astronaut and an attorney.
"Only in high school when I began programming computers, did I become interested in tech and start-ups, which led me to attend Stanford and major in Computer Science," she says.
"Even as an eight-year-old, swinging ponytails et al, I would wave around my plastic mic and scrawl little 'scripts' to deliver to a pretend audience!"
Shivvy Jervis, Creator and presenter, Digital Futures
While many of us turn our backs on our childhood ambitions when faced with the realities of life as a "grown-up," some really do end up in their dream jobs.
A survey of the childhood career aspirations of more than 8,000 professionals from around the world, carried out for social networking site LinkedIn, found that 30.3% of the site's members were either currently in the job they had always dreamed of, or in a career linked to those plans.
Creator and presenter of Digital Futures Shivvy Jervis is one of those living out her early dreams.
"Even as an eight-year-old, swinging ponytails et al, I would wave around my plastic mic and scrawl little 'scripts' to deliver to a pretend audience!" she says.
"When I was fifteen, I announced with assured clarity to my family that my 'dream job' was to be a producer and TV journalist."
Sometimes our careers begin at such an early age that there's little to think about.
Four-time Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds OBE started swimming when she was five; by the time she was eight she was competing against able-bodied children.
"I'm not sure I thought too much on what career I was interested in when I was a child," she says. "I always just wanted to have a farm and work with horses when I was very young, though the thought of working with children is something I've thought about since.
"I'm very fortunate that my swimming career took off when I was very young, so it was never really a question."
But no matter how early we step on to that treadmill, it's never too late to change tack; thinking back to our childhood ambitions can help us work out which aspects of our current job we love.
After Hayley Barna's marine biologist phase passed, she says, "I never had a single career in mind. I always pictured myself being able to do many things at once: engineer, President of the United States, investment banker, professional skier, magazine editor...
"I haven't checked the box on any of those specifically, [but] I feel lucky that my current role blends a lot of different disciplines."
When we were children, our aspirations were limitless and anything seemed possible; by recapturing that excitement and allowing it to inform your research and networking, 2015 could be the year you find your dream job.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jan 28 17:50:20 EET 2015</date>
        <title>The extraordinary art of autistic 'five-year-old Monet'</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/9_WWBybhzpw/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Five-year-old artist Iris Halmshaw has been compared to Monet
She has autism and is unable to speak, but paints for hours at a time
Demand for her paintings is rocketing around the world
Original artworks sell for thousands of dollars
(CNN) -- At first glance, they could almost pass for masterpieces by Monet or Renoir.
But these impressionist-style paintings -- which are changing hands for thousands of dollars -- were painted by a five-year-old girl who is unable to speak.
Meet Iris Halmshaw, an autistic child from Leicestershire, UK, who has been producing these striking artworks since she was three.
She has autism, a condition that has made her unable to communicate except through the medium of art.
"From the first painting, she filled the paper with color and it wasn't random -- it was considered and thought out," says her mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson.
Five-year-old painter Iris Grace Halmshaw
"She was so excited and happy I knew that we had found a key into her world and a way of interacting with her."
READ: Autism affects one in 68 children
Autism changed everything
The journey started when Iris was two. Carter-Johnson and her husband, Peter-Jon Halmshaw, realized that something was wrong: she had not picked up any words, and rarely made eye contact.
"We researched it ourselves," her mother recalls, "but as parents, you are always hoping that there was some other explanation."
Iris was officially diagnosed as a child with autism. According to Carter-Johnson, the doctor was "depressing" because he told them that very few therapies worked.
Not to be deterred, the couple embarked on "long nights of research", which led them to the idea of art therapy.
The little girl picked up painting techniques astonishingly quickly, and before long was spending much time at work on her canvases.
Remarkably for a child of her age, her sessions involved about two hours of consistent concentration.
Savants can't usually tell us how they do what they do. It just comes to them.
Professor Allan Snyder, Australian National University
How one girl's talent captured the world
To begin with, Carter-Johnson, who is a photographer herself, started sharing her daughter's paintings on Facebook .
The overwhelming response from her friends convinced her that she hadn't been blinded by mother's pride. Iris was special.
Fast forward two years, and Iris' paintings are in high demand, and are starting to be worth a lot of money.
Due to the high level of demand for Iris' art, her mother has set up a website to sell both originals and prints.
It was a runaway success, quickly attracting over a million pageviews from more than 200 countries.
"All profits from the originals go into Iris's savings account," says Carter-Johnson.
"We also sell cards and prints, and the profits from those go towards her speech therapy, occupational therapy, music and yoga."
The money generated from sales of the prints has had profoundly beneficial effects on Iris' day-to-day life.
According to Carter-Johnson, systems like Gemiini speech therapy, for instance, have made an immeasurable difference to her ability to communicate.
"She has a tendency to drift off into her own world, if you let her," says Carter-Johnson.
"So by using her interests, we manage to engage her, and she changes into a giggly little girl dancing around the house.
"Her speech isn't at a stage yet where we can have conversations, so it's hard to tell exactly how much she is understanding everything that has happened surrounding her art.
"We have shielded her from a lot of it. She hasn't been to TV studios or done interviews."
She has a tendency to drift off into her own world, if you let her.
Arabella Carter-Johnson, Iris' mother
Extraordinary artworks
Many of Iris' paintings show an astonishingly mature interpretation of natural scenes, including waterfalls, fields and skies.
Her abstracts often depict particular moods or experiences after which they are titled, like Patience, Separation, and Immersion.
All are united by a distinctively contemplative and often lightly melancholy atmosphere, as well as a mysterious sense of depth.
This growing body of work has led to Iris being widely accepted as a savant.
According to Professor Allan Snyder from the Centre for the Mind at the Australian National University, people like Iris are able to unlock the hidden wells of potential that lie in all of us, but are rarely accessed.
"I think it's possible for a perfectly normal person to have access to these abilities," he says. "[But] savants can't usually tell us how they do what they do. It just comes to them."
</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Jan 26 21:24:24 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Gifts fit for a queen </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/c0NKblVkuLM/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Queen Elizabeth II: The monarch who never looks a gift horse in the mouth
By Sheena McKenzie, for CNN
Updated 1230 GMT (2030 HKT) January 26, 2015
Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
A thoroughbred gift collection  The British monarch receives hundreds of presents from world leaders and well-wishers each year. Top of the list? Equine-related gifts.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
My little pony  Her Majesty's love of thoroughbreds is well-known and last year she received everything from a mounted sculpture of a white horse from France's President Francois Hollande, to a dressage crop from the governor-general of Canada, David Johnston. Here, a doll and toy horse belonging to the Queen as a child were displayed at Buckingham Palace in an exhibition earlier in the year.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
Give and take  Here, the British monarch and her husband Prince Philip present Pope Francis with a hamper of food and drink.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
Museum pieces  Many gifts received by the Queen end up going on display in museums across the Commonwealth. Here, the dresses from her tour of Australasian countries is displayed at Buckingham Palace.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
Bowled over?  Her Majesty accepts a bowl given to her during a tour of Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
Castle archive  Presents which don't go on display in the Queen's official residencies are stored at the Royal Archive at Windsor Castle.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
Baby george, giant wombat  Prince George received a huge number of gifts during his tour of Australia and New Zealand with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, last year. The Australian Governor-General, Peter Cosgrove, gave the toddler a toy wombat bigger than the child.
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Presents fit for royalty 8 photos
Teddy boy  Fittingly, the previous year Prince George also received a teddy wearing the same silk jacket as those worn by the Queen's jockeys, from promotional group Great British Racing.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Mon Jan 26 19:54:53 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Was King Tut's beard glued back on?</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/oGyHRTtASxk/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>King Tut's mask repaired after 'close shave' 01:11
Story highlights
A conservator tells state-owned Ahram Online that the beard broke off during cleaning
He says it was stuck back on with epoxy, which "was not a proper material to use"
Museum director denies claims of damage, tells Ahram a committee will inspect the mask
(CNN)
Was the priceless funeral mask of King Tutankhamun damaged and hastily glued back together? That's the claim made by a museum conservator to Egyptian media.
The conservator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Egypt's state-owned Ahram Online that the mask's beard broke off by accident when the mask fell as it was being cleaned last year at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
He said the blue-and-gold braided beard was fixed back in place quickly with epoxy, a type of strong adhesive.
"The epoxy was not a proper material to use to restore the mask, although it is a conservation material with a very high strength for attaching metal and stone," he is quoted as saying.
The conservator said there was now a gap between the face and the beard where the glue had dried.
However, the Egyptian Museum's general director, Mahmoud El-Halwagi, dismissed the claims in an interview with Ahram Online, saying the beard was in its original position and that nothing had happened to the mask since he took up his position in October.
"An archaeological committee was assigned to inspect the mask and beard in order to write a detailed report on the mask's condition," he said.
Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty also told Ahram Online that media reports of damage to the mask were unfounded.
The boy king's elaborate burial mask, discovered in his tomb in 1922, is one of Egypt's most outstanding artifacts.
Tutankhamun, who ruled from 1336-1327 BC, is thought to have been about 17 years old when he died, based on analysis of his mummy, according to the British Museum . His cause of death is not known.
If confirmed, it won't be the first time a historical treasure was damaged in an institution supposed to keep it safe.
In 2006, a visitor to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, famously tripped on a staircase and smashed three hugely valuable Chinese Qing dynasty vases. The thousands of porcelain fragments were eventually painstakingly reassembled .
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New looks at history
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Feb 04 19:17:17 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Abducted toddler found after 24 years</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/_Aa3izUFW5w/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Chinese man who disappeared in alleged abduction as a child was reunited with his father
Sun Bin's mother died "constantly murmuring" his name, father says
Child trafficking is a major business in China
Hong Kong (CNN)
A Chinese man has been reunited with his father 24 years after he was abducted as a toddler from a vegetable market.
In 1991, 4-year-old Sun Bin was taken by child traffickers from his hometown in Sichuan province and sold to a family thousands of miles away, in Jiangsu province on the country's eastern coast, Chinese state media reported .
Sun Bin when he was four with his father.
On Tuesday, Sun was finally reacquainted with his 60-year-old father, Sun Youhong, and a younger sister he had never met. The moment was captured in a moving series of photographs.
"I was happy. I was grateful," the father said. "But I was also bitter."
Child trafficking is still a major business in China, as traffickers seek to profit off a growing demand for healthy babies from potential adoptive parents in China and elsewhere.
Boys, prized because they carry on the family line, are in great demand and fetch higher prices.
Earlier this week, Chinese police said they had rescued 37 newborn babies after busting a trafficking ring that sold the babies for up $13,000 each.
The reunion Tuesday took place at a police station in Chengdu. When a police officer introduced Sun Bin to his father, the 28-year-old dropped to his knees and wept in his father's embrace.
"You're a man. Don't cry," said the elder Sun, according to a report released by the state news agency Xinhua.
The Search
Sun Bin was just a toddler when he disappeared at a vegetable market in 1991. Sun Youhong said that he and his wife had dropped everything to search for him.
JUST WATCHED
</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jan 23 16:30:07 EET 2015</date>
        <title>India's tiger population increasing</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/SYZe6ZfPwBE/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Can tigers claw their way back from the brink?
By Monica Sarkar, for CNN
Updated 1731 GMT (0131 HKT) January 20, 2015
Tigers in India: The fight against extinction 5 photos
Tigers in India: The fight against extinction  A Royal Bengal tiger pauses in a jungle clearing in Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, on December 21, 2014.
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Tigers in India: The fight against extinction 5 photos
Tigers in India: The fight against extinction  Tiger skins are displayed at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi, India, on November 2, 2014. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change destroyed illegal wildlife artifacts, including animal skins, during an event highlighting the illegal trade in animal products.
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Tigers in India: The fight against extinction  Indian Bollywood film actor Om Puri (center) lights a pyre at an official burning of wildlife contraband, including tiger and leopard skins and bones, held by forest officials in Mumbai on July 30, 2013.
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Tigers in India: The fight against extinction  Indian forest officials take part in a search operation for a tiger with the aid of a Kumki elephant in a paddy field at Bhumuraguri in Nagaon, some of 180 kms east of Guwahati on November 9, 2014.
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Tigers in India: The fight against extinction  A tiger, seen wearing a collar, is spotted during a jungle safari at Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India on October 22, 2010.
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Story highlights
India's Environment Minister has announced a 30% increase in wild tigers in India since 2011
Debbie Banks from the Environmental Investigation Agency says this has "set India apart from other tiger range countries"
One of the major challenges that continues to exist, however, is the sophistication of the illegal tiger trade
The significance of the tiger goes beyond its aesthetics, says Banks
(CNN)
Wild tigers in India appear to be staging a comeback in the battle against extinction, with the country's Environment Minister announcing a 30% increase in the endangered species' population since 2011.
"Our latest estimate today is that India has 70% of the world's tiger population and we have now 2,226 tigers presently in 47 tiger reserves [up from 1,706 in 2011] and this is a great achievement. It is a net increase of 30% over the last estimation,"  Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a statement Monday.
Researchers involved in the study, the third of its kind carried out in India, say they used advanced technology to assess the population of the big cats.
Debbie Banks, head of the Tiger Campaign at the Environmental Investigation Agency, which carries out extensive research on the illegal tiger trade, welcomed news of the study, saying she looked forward to seeing the full report when it releases in March.
"I think it has set India apart from some of the other tiger range countries. If you look at China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, there's more emphasis on tigers in captivity, farming and valuing tigers for their body parts higher than the survival of tigers in the wild," she says to CNN.
India's once-thriving tiger population has been severely affected by poaching, a reduction in prey, habitat destruction and conflict with villagers who may occupy the same area.
Although preliminary results of the government's study are promising, Banks warns against complacency.
"While this is good news from India, I don't think anyone is sitting back and saying 'we've won.' The demand within China for skins to decorate homes and bones for tiger bone wine all continue. And so it's a constant battle."
A major challenge is also the sophistication of the tiger trade, where body parts of the animal are transported across unofficial borders, such as mountain passes. "The criminals have changed their practice. And there's no evidence of any enforcement there," she says.
A historical symbol of power and beauty in cultures such as India and China, the significance of the tiger goes beyond its aesthetics, Banks says.
"Tigers are major indicator of the health of the environment, certainly the health of the forest that they inhabit. But they are the water gods, if you like. They are indicators of how well we are doing to conserve forests that provide water for millions of people and mitigate climate change.
"There's an ecosystem reason to save wild tigers."
And if today's results are anything to go by, Banks says India appears to be leading that charge.
"India, despite all the problems it has with high human population in small areas, is totally setting the benchmark for wild tiger conservation."
More from Asia
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Feb 04 19:17:28 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Scientists upload a worm's brain into a Lego robot</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/eCvL4yD0VqY/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Scientists upload a worm's mind into a Lego robot
By Peter Shadbolt, for CNN
Updated 1430 GMT (2230 HKT) January 21, 2015
6 photos
While the developers say it will be some time before the Lego bot will be avoiding predators or searching for a mate, scientists say the project shows that artificial intelligence, or AI as it is known, is coming out of the realm of science fiction.
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The machine's sensors without any prior programming made the robot behave in a similar fashion to C. elegans, approaching and backing away from obstacles or stimulated by food.
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6 photos
With the worm's nose neurons replaced by a sonar sensor and the motor neurons running down both sides of the worm replicated on the left and right motors of the Lego bot, the robot could emulate the worm's biological wiring.
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6 photos
The Open Worm Project chose the C. elegans nematode because of the simplicity of its biological structure. Even though the worm has just 302 neurons, the project is so complex that researchers have limited themselves to those neurons - some 30% in total - that control its behavior.
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C. elegans worms were aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia when it broke up upon reentry on February 1, 2003. The worms were found alive in a container that was among the debris.
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Round worms undergo examination by project scientists on May 1, 2003 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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Story highlights
The Open Worm Project aims to recreate the behavior of the common roundworm in a machine
The open source project has taken four years to model 302 of the worm's neurons in its software
It had its first major breakthrough recently when the software independently controlled a Legobot
The robot mimicked some of the behaviors of the worm, responding to external stimulus through sensors
(CNN)
A humble roundworm is leading the race in artificial intelligence, showing that it may be possible one day to upload our brains to a computer.
Called the Open Worm Project , the research brings together scientists and programmers from around the world with the aim of recreating the behavior of the common roundworm ( Caenorhabditis elegans ) in a machine.
The open source project recently had its first major breakthrough when its software -- modeled on the neurons of the worm's nervous system -- independently controlled a Lego robot.
The machine's sensors, without any prior programming, made the robot behave in a similar fashion to C. elegans, approaching and backing away from obstacles or stimulated by food.
While the developers say it will be some time before the Lego bot will be avoiding predators or searching for a mate, scientists say the project shows that artificial intelligence, or AI as it is known, is coming out of the realm of science fiction.
"We've been working on it for four years and while we have a lot more to achieve it's been the most surprising project I've been involved in," project coordinator Stephen Larson told CNN. "It's certainly exceeded my expectations."
With the worm's nose neurons replaced by a sonar sensor and the motor neurons running down both sides of the worm replicated on the left and right motors of the Lego bot, the robot could emulate the worm's biological wiring.
Larson said that while the open source project is still awaiting peer review, and the scientists and researchers in the experiment are reluctant to make any bold claims about how closely it resembled biological behavior, the result were nevertheless impressive.
"We definitely have further to go, but I think what captures people's imagination is how much information we have managed to put together," Larson said.
"We know we have the correct number of neurons, we have them connected together in roughly the same way that the animal has, and they're organized in the same way in that there are some neurons that give out information and other neurons that receive information."
"We feel we've gone a long way down the road, but we still know that there's a lot that's been left out and there are a lot of assumptions -- at the moment it represents one point in a line of iterative improvements.
I'd say we're only 20 to 30% of the way towards where we need to get
Stephen Larson
"I'd say we're only 20 to 30% of the way towards where we need to get."
The project aims to digitally model the worm entirely in a virtual environment; creating a robot with an elastic body complete with stretchy muscles.
"Something with wheels that is rigid is an interesting application but it still falls short of reproducing the anatomy of the worm," Larson said.
He said the scientific road map is to model the worm completely, equipping it with the same physics right down to the cells in all the right places.
While the C. elegans nematode was chosen because of the simplicity of its biological structure, the complexity of the experiment has been such that the team has had to narrow down the project to just a third of the worm's neurons, restricting it to those parts of the worm's make-up that would display behavior.
The digital version of the worm will be released on the web in June this year, allowing anyone with an interest to tinker with the project.
Larson said the open source and collaborative nature of the project has been key to its success, allowing it to make fast progress over the four years of its existence.
So far, it's had input from more than 60 contributors from 15 countries, all of them bringing a unique take on the problems thrown up by the project.
The project has now split into various sub-teams, all of them dealing with different elements: one team is looking at the physical and mechanical model, while another is fleshing out the neurons and the muscles and their electrical models.
The great part of the open source experiment is that the team can take onboard left-field suggestions that push it beyond its boundaries.
"I'd say that this robot was just one of those left-field suggestions," Larson said. "A contributor was able to come along and re-use our material, put it up online.
"The fact that it caught so many people's attention was really a bit of a surprise."
Read more from Make, Create, Innovate:
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Feb 04 19:17:41 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Hold on tight, we're landing sideways ...</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/650gMxuGyko/orig-natpkg-uk-plane-sideways-landing-wind.storyful.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Hold on tight, we're landing sideways ...
JUST WATCHED
Added on 1742 GMT (0142 HKT) January 20, 2015
Planes attempt to land in dangerous cross-winds at Birmingham International Airport, UK.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Thu Jan 22 20:41:44 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Art made from war </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/aJDlhdfT58A/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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In Mozambique, art from weapons and rubble
By Daisy Carrington and Colin Hancoc k , for CNN
Updated 1155 GMT (1955 HKT) January 20, 2015
Mozambique: Weapons turned into art 6 photos
Mozambican artist creates beauty from death  Mozambican sculptor Goncalo Mabunda creates works of art from decommissioned recovered weaponry and military equipment -- leftovers from the country's 16-year-long civil war.
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Mozambican artist creates beauty from death  His masks, thrones and figurines are made primarily from old landmines, AK-47s and rocket launchers.
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Mozambican artist creates beauty from death  The works are made from bullets and other military equipment recovered from the community under a program run by the Christian Council of Mozambique.
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Mozambique: Weapons turned into art 6 photos
Mozambican artist creates beauty from death  As well as having an aesthetic value, Mabunda's work serves a practical purpose -- removing weapons from circulation and rendering them inoperable.
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Mozambique: Weapons turned into art 6 photos
Mozambican artist creates beauty from death  So far the program has recovered more than 800,000 weapons left behind from two wars in Mozambique's recent history. The country's civil war ended in 1992.
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Mozambican artist creates beauty from death  Mabunda is one of many Mozambican artists achieving international fame of late.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jan 21 16:22:48 EET 2015</date>
        <title>World's top 25 hotels</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/YhS6HTB1TZ4/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Travelers' Choice: World's top 25 hotels
Updated 1840 GMT (0140 HKT) April 7, 2015
World's top hotels 25 photos
1. Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives  What's not to like about the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice pick for the world's No. 1 hotel? With a 2015 average nightly rate topping $1,700, prices at Maldives resort Gili Lankanfushi will take your breath away. But so will these views -- enhanced with personal butler service and a blissful "no news, no shoes" philosophy.
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World's top hotels 25 photos
2. Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, Costa Rica  Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens in La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica, looks out on the imposing Arenal volcano. TripAdvisor estimates an average nightly rate of $430 for the resort in 2015, although rates are likely to dip to their lowest point in June, to about $380.
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World's top hotels 25 photos
3. Shinta Mani Club, Cambodia  The Shinta Mani Club in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is a 39-room boutique hotel located about 15 minutes from the temples of Angkor Wat. The average nightly rate is about $250, with rates dipping closer to $200 in September and October.
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World's top hotels 25 photos
4. Four Seasons Gresham Palace Budapest, Hungary  Within the opulent Art Nouveau Hotel Gresham Palace lies this modern infinity-edge lap pool. Nightly rates at this Budapest hotel in 2015 average about $520, according to TripAdvisor, with a dip down to about $350 in February.
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5. Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Peru  The Belmond Palacio Nazarenas is a former palace and convent tucked behind Cusco, Peru's main square. Average nightly rates run about $590, with a dip to $550 in February.
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World's top hotels 25 photos
6. Cocoa Island by COMO, Maldives  At Cocoa Island , 33 over-water suites cater to privacy seekers. Nightly rates at the Maldives resort run about $1,380, with rates dropping below $1,100 in the summer and fall.
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7. Hotel Alpin Spa Tuxerhof, Austria  There's a ski run leading right to the Hotel Alpin Spa Tuxerhof , a mountain retreat at the entrance of the Tux Valley in Austria's charming Tirol state. Nightly rates for 2015 average about $380, dropping to a low of about $320 in November.
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World's top hotels 25 photos
8. Al Maha, Dubai, United Arab Emirates  Al Maha , a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, is an inviting oasis in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Nightly rates in 2015 average more than $1,520 a night, according to TripAdvisor, with rates dipping down close to $1,020 in July and August.
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9. Estalagem St. Hubertus Hotel, Brazil  The charming St. Hubertus Hotel sits on Lago Negro in Gramado, Brazil. Nightly rates in 2015 average just under $300, with a dip to about $250 in March.
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10. Tambo del Inka, Peru  Tambo del Inka , a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Urubamba, Peru, has a private train station for journeys to Machu Picchu. Nightly rates run about $260, with a dip down to about $220 in February.
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11. Hotel Belvedere, Italy  Hotel Belvedere , near the Adriatic sea in Riccione, Italy, promises "a touch of glamour and a bit of craziness." Rates average about $130 a night.
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12. Four Seasons Country Club, Portugal  The Four Seasons Country Club is situated among 17 acres of private gardens on the Quinta do Lago estate in Portugal's sun-splashed Algarve region. Nightly rates average about $210 for 2015, with rates starting low in January at about $150.
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13. Dar Al Masyaf, Dubai, United Arab Emirates  Tucked within the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai's Dar Al Masyaf features standalone two-story houses. Nightly rates average about $750 for 2015, with a drop in June and July to about $370.
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14. Mandarin Oriental Pudong, China  The Mandarin Oriental Pudong in Shanghai is located on the banks of the Huangpu River about 10 minutes from the historic Bund. Nightly rates for 2015 average about $400, with a dip to about $370 in July.
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15. Constance Moofushi, Maldives  Constance Moofushi in the Maldives offers 24 beach villas and nearly 90 over-water villas. Nightly average rates for 2015 run about $1,370, with a low in June of about $1,050.
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16. The Gritti Palace, Italy  Venice's opulent Gritti Palace offers stunning views of the Grand Canal and 21 elegant suites. Nightly rates at the historic hotel average about $930 in 2015, with a big dip in December to just under $500.
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17. Constance Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius  Constance Le Prince Maurice is located on a 148-acre private peninsula on the northeast corner of Mauritius. Nightly rates average about $600, with a dip to about $450 in June.
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18. Harvey's Point, Ireland  Located on the shores of Lough Eske, Harvey's Point in Donegal Town offers activities for all types of travelers, from anglers and golfers to hikers and spa lovers. Average nightly rates for 2015 are about $270.
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19. The Upper House, Hong Kong  The Upper House offers a serene escape from the bustle of Hong Kong, plus amazing views of the city. Average 2015 nightly rates of about $750 drop to about $670 in February.
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20. Haymarket Hotel, London  The Haymarket Hotel in London's theater district features 50 uniquely appointed bedrooms and suites. Average rates of about $750 per night in 2015 drop to about $580 in January.
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21. Casa Gangotena, Ecuador  In Quito, the 31-room Casa Gangotena occupies a restored mansion overlooking Plaza San Francisco. Average 2015 nightly rates run about $510, with a dip to about $460 in December.
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22. The Langham, Chicago  Since opening in 2013, this Chicago hotel has been earning glowing reviews. Average rates around $440 drop below $350 in January.
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23. The Oberoi, Mauritius  The Oberoi, Mauritius at Pointe Aux Piments sits on the shores of Turtle Bay. Nightly rates for 2015 average about $530 with a drop below $440 in September.
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24. Kayakapi Premium Caves, Turkey  In Cappadocia, Kayakapi Premium Caves offers guests a chance to stay in carefully restored cave dwellings. Nightly rates average $150 for 2015, with winter rates below $140.
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25. The Royal Savoy Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt  Royal Savoy guests have a reserved area by White Knight Beach in Sharm El Sheikh. Average rates of about $350 drop closer to $300 in January.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jan 20 16:03:34 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Spectacular ancient city deserted and mysterious</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/zVtGFMWMV0w/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Great Enclosure  The Great Enclosure is the largest pre-colonial structure south of the Sahara.
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Great Zimbabwe 9 photos
Huge structures  The Great Enclosure's walls, seen here in the distance, rise up 36 feet and stretch 820 feet around.
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Tourism revival?  After hitting rock bottom in 2008, Zimbabwe is experiencing a tourism revival, but visitors have yet to rediscover Great Zimbabwe.
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Story highlights
Great Zimbabwe was the capital of a trading empire and home to 10,000 people in the 1400s
Zimbabwe is making a tourism comeback after hitting rock bottom in 2008
Visitors have yet to rediscover Great Zimbabwe, however, leaving it almost deserted
(CNN)
About halfway up the cobblestone stairwell, the screeching starts.
Loose stones tumble from the tops of the walls far up on the hilltop.
All around me, tree limbs shake.
It's just after dawn, and I'm alone, climbing the trail to the 15th-century royal compound on the hilltop at Great Zimbabwe in southern Africa.
Alone, except for the baboons.
Like all the stone structures here, the stairwell is open to the sky, but the incline is so steep and the curves so sharp that I can't see more than 10 feet in front of me.
Sure enough, around the next bend a baboon is waiting for me on one of the dozens of terraces that skirt the hillside.
We watch each other for a few moments until I'm certain he's not interested in me, and then I keep walking.
Baboons freak me out, but these moments are part of what makes Great Zimbabwe such an incredible place to visit.
Monkeys are often the only other visitors to the ruins.
Baboon standoffs
Unlike the world's more visited ruins -- which is basically every other ruin -- here it's easy to lose yourself in the mystery of the place, even if that means the occasional standoff with a baboon.
The stairwell leads to a narrow passage through a cleft in the rocky hilltop. Stone walls that form the perimeter of the royal complex tower overhead.
They once would've extended even farther out over the stairs, but a terrace collapsed since the city was abandoned, bringing a wall down with it.
It's hard to find a vantage point to see the entire complex.
The old city, which was the capital of a trading empire and home to 10,000 people in the 1400s, stretches over 1,800 acres.
Essentially the hilltop functioned as a palace and cathedral, the center of political and religious power.
On the planes below, circular stone walls form a series of enclosures.
The most iconic, aptly called the Great Enclosure, is the largest pre-colonial structure south of the Sahara. The walls rise up 36 feet and stretch 820 feet around.
At one end, an inner wall forms a narrow passage that leads to a conical tower, the most distinctive landmark in the old city.
I like the hill complex more.
Here the walls curve around each other and the granite boulders, which are incorporated into the design. Different chambers are linked by a labyrinth of narrow passages that snake up and down over the giant rocks.
At the far side is a chamber with a towering stone ledge that once held a small stone wall that acted like a balustrade.
Destructive treasure hunters
Like all the structures here, the stones were assembled without mortar.
Each layer was slightly recessed, creating a slope that held it all together. Over the centuries, some walls were knocked down by treasure hunters, or just by the elements.
The chamber below is where a famous set of carved birds were found.
Most of them are now housed in a small museum inside the park, which is worth a visit if only to see them.
The image of a bird appears on the national flag, and is as much a symbol of Zimbabwe's national identity as the Statue of Liberty is to the United States.
A labyrinth of narrow passages snakes among the hill complex.
There's a good chance of being here alone.
Visitors might see schoolchildren passing through on their way to class, or the occasional park worker, but not many other visitors.
Tourism in Zimbabwe has been in a long and slow recovery.
In the 1990s, Zimbabwe was for a moment the most visited country in sub-Saharan Africa.
By the time the nation hit rock bottom in 2008, hardly any foreign visitors came.
Now major attractions like Victoria Falls are bouncing back, but places like Great Zimbabwe have fallen far off the radar.
The ruins are easily accessible by road, but it takes several hours from Harare or a full day from Johannesburg, so not many people make the effort.
But this is a place I love returning to.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jan 09 19:26:42 EET 2015</date>
        <title>10 places we'd rather be</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/W-IGOIx-_mg/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be
Updated 1604 GMT (0004 HKT) January 8, 2015
Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be 10 photos
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands  Baby, it's so very, very cold outside. Warm up with thoughts of these sunny spots. The projected high on Thursday, January 8, in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Weather Channel.
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Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be 10 photos
Roatan, Honduras  The clear Caribbean Sea at West Bay Beach in Roatan, Honduras, looks pretty tempting. Today's forecast? 81 degrees on weather.com .
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Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be 10 photos
Oahu, Hawaii  Sunset Beach on the north shore of Oahu is likely to see temperatures in the upper 70s Thursday.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  The forecast for Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro? Hot. Temperatures in the low 90s are expected.
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St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands  Temperatures are expected to climb to 82 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday near St. Croix's Point Udall.
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Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be 10 photos
Tulum, Mexico  Tulum's Mayan ruins, at 79 degrees Fahrenheit, sound like a perfect January day.
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Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be 10 photos
Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe  Imagine yourself here, with temperatures in the mid-80s.
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Brrrrrr! 10 places we'd rather be 10 photos
Krabi, Thailand  Temperatures in Krabi are expected to climb to 90 degrees on Friday.
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Punta Cana, Dominican Republic  It's a nice day for a swim in Punta Cana. Thursday's forecast calls for a high of 83 degrees.
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Honomalino Bay, Hawaii  This black sand beach on Honomalino Bay is expecting temperatures in the upper 70s Thursday.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Fri Jan 09 17:58:56 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Forgotten in Aleppo</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/x6Geb-YD4kE/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>Story highlights
An estimated 300,000 civilians are stuck in rebel-held areas around Aleppo
They are at risk of barrel bombs and warring militias and are short of food, water and fuel
Fierce battle under way for control of Handarat hill, on the road in to the rebel-held area
(CNN)
It is difficult to know at what point things of horror become forgotten and slip out of the world's view. Perhaps it is when they are eclipsed by another, seemingly more pressing crisis. Or when it becomes almost impossible -- for safety or other reasons -- for outside observers to bear witness to their daily toll.
Aleppo has, somehow, sometime between late 2012 when it was the open sore of the Syrian civil war, and today -- when the fight against ISIS has completely grabbed the world's attention span -- slipped off the radar screen.
But here is why it must not: there remain an estimated 300,000 civilians there, in rebel-held areas alone.
These are people who suffer any one -- or all -- of the following litany of afflictions daily: Barrel bombs -- randomly dropped, crudely made devices intended to maim, kill and terrify; warring rebel militia, also fighting with the regime; radical Islamic groups; shortages of food and water; people cutting down whatever trees they can find for fuel.
And above all a sense, for months now, of hopelessness that their world has only worsened since the fight for Aleppo began in June 2012. That their fight has been deemed by some to be so incurable and intractable that the outside world has left Aleppo to its own devices -- willing to help the winner, but not to assist a victory.
Aleppo is the greatest prize in the fight for Syria's north, but also its greatest victim. Aleppo, the biggest city, its commercial hub, its cultural heart, is a skeleton of what stood proudly merely three years ago.
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</MainBody>

        <date>Tue Jan 20 18:38:14 EET 2015</date>
        <title>'It just went ballistic': Shark attacks teenager </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/2u40hEcFZ90/pkg-shark-attacks-man-closes-beach.seven-network.html</Link>
        <Description>A shark attacked a teenager while he was spearfishing near a popular Australian beach. CNN affiliate Seven Network reports.</Description>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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'It just went ballistic': Shark attacks teenager
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        <date>Thu Jan 08 22:06:45 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Is this the site of Jesus' trial? </title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/CTXKHAXPdhU/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Is this the site of Jesus' trial?
Joel Baden, special to CNN
Updated 1737 GMT (0137 HKT) January 6, 2015
Archaeologists say they've found evidence that Jesus' trial was held near the Tower of David in Jerusalem.
Joel Baden is professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University.
(CNN)
Every few years, it seems, an archaeological find of major biblical significance is announced, almost always to do with either Jesus or King David. This week, it's Jesus, and it's a big one.
Just inside the western walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, beneath the tall Ottoman-era fortification known misleadingly as the Tower of David, archaeologists this week proclaimed the discovery of the site of Jesus' trial by Pontius Pilate, at which he was condemned to die by crucifixion.
More accurately: They proclaimed the opening to visitors (read: tourists) of the site, which has now been excavated and prepared for public viewing.
Without pinpointing the precise location, scholars have known for a long time that the trial must have taken place somewhere in this general vicinity -- despite the fact that tradition has put the spot of the trial on the very opposite side of the Old City, in the Antonia Fortress.
First, the background:
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' trial before Pilate happened in a place called the praetorium. Originally a term used to signify the tent of the general when encamped for war -- and thus the place where the important military decisions were made -- praetorium came to signify the palace or administrative center for very high-ranking officials.
In Jerusalem, this was the palace of Herod the Great, and according to ancient witnesses, it was at Herod's palace that visiting Roman prefects, like Pilate, would hold any necessary trials during their visits to the capital city.
These same ancient writers declared that Herod's Palace was in the western part of Jerusalem -- near the Tower of David.
On these grounds scholars have long doubted, indeed outright rejected, the notion that the Antonia Fortress on the northeastern side of the city was where the praetorium was located and the trial occurred.
This most recent announcement is being hailed as a blockbuster, in large part because the Antonia Fortress is the first station of the cross on the Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus is thought to have taken from his trial to his crucifixion and burial at Golgotha, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Via Dolorosa is an important pilgrimage site and a massive tourist attraction. But if its first station is on the completely wrong side of the city, then the whole thing is cast into doubt.
The Tower of David museum, which is housing the exhibit of the newly discovered trial site, is openly hoping to draw pilgrims and other interested visitors, and it is certain to get them.
What should not be overlooked, however, is that an important archaeological revelation about the life and death of Jesus was effectively kept under wraps for nearly 15 years -- the discovery of Herod's Palace beneath the Tower of David was first made in 2001 as part of a museum expansion project.
The timing of the announcement is linked entirely to the potential for tourist dollars, rather than to the remarkable historical and religious significance of the discovery on its own terms.
This may sound cynical, but it is par for the course, especially in Jerusalem, where the integration of history, religion, archeology, and tourism is at the very heart of the city's economy.
It is a safe bet that this discovery will not significantly diminish interest in walking the Via Dolorosa --customs and traditions are awfully hard to break, even with the best historical evidence.
What is more likely to happen is that there will be two sites of Jesus' trial, happily coexisting, just as there are two sites of Jesus' burial: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb.
Jerusalem, despite being riven by conflict, remains one of the most religiously pluralistic places on Earth, and that pluralism is nowhere better exemplified than in the sharing, duplicating, and often just plain old creating of religious sites.
From a scholarly perspective, however, it is nice that in this case, the significance for the tourism industry of an archeological discovery really does match up with its significance in history.
Better 15 years late than never.
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jan 07 19:06:36 EET 2015</date>
        <title>The world's safest airlines</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/pgyngYFiVc0/index.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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What are the world's safest airlines?
Updated 1206 GMT (2006 HKT) January 6, 2015
10 safest airlines in 2015 10 photos
Qantas  Without a fatal crash in more than 60 years, Qantas tops AirlineRatings.com's list as the world's safest airline. The aviation website ranks airlines based on their operational histories, incident records and operational excellence.
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10 safest airlines in 2015 10 photos
Finnair  Finnair is one of the oldest airlines in the world and one of the safest. They have had no fatal or hull-loss accidents since 1963.
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Cathay Pacific Airways  One of the top 10 safest airlines, Cathay Pacific received seven stars from AirlineRatings.com for safety and product.
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Air New Zealand  Voted world's most excellent airline for 2015 by AirlineRatings.com, Air New Zealand is also one of the 10 safest.
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Singapore Airlines  Consistently offering the best service in all classes, Singapore Airlines is one of the most reliable in safety, according to AirlineRatings.com.
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Etihad Airways  Etihad Airways, which will take delivery of four A380s and three Boeing 787-9s in 2015, also makes the top 10 list.
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Emirates  Emirates is one of the world's youngest and fastest-growing fleets. AirlineRatings.com gave seven stars to the airline for both safety and product.
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British Airways  British Airways, which covers 179 destinations and carries approximately 40 million customers a year, is among the top 10. AirlineRatings.com says its list recognizes airlines at the forefront of safety innovation.
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10 safest airlines in 2015 10 photos
Lufthansa  With one of the largest fleet and route networks in Europe, Lufthansa scores seven stars in safety from Airlineratings.com.
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Eva Air  Taiwan's EVA  Air, which has its own Hello Kitty branded aircraft, also placed in the top 10 list of the world's safest airlines.
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Aviation site AirlineRatings.com says Qantas remains the world's safest airline
Of the the 449 airlines the website monitors, 149 have the top seven-star safety ranking
The world's airlines reportedly carried a record 3.3 billion passengers on 27 million flights in 2014
(CNN)
Once again, Australian airline Qantas grabs the top spot .
"Qantas continues to lead the industry with safety innovations and its fleet is now the youngest -- 7.9 years -- it has been since the airline was privatized in 1995," AirlineRatings.com editor Geoffrey Thomas tells CNN.
He says the airline is an industry benchmark for best practice and has taken the lead in virtually every major advancement in airline safety over the past 60 years.
Rounding out the rest of the top 10 in alphabetical order are: Air New Zealand,  British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
"Our top 10 safest airlines are always at the forefront of safety innovation and launching new planes," says Thomas.
AirlineRatings.com's rating system takes into account audits from aviation's governing bodies and lead associations as well as government audits and the airlines' fatality records.
It also examines airlines' operational histories, incident records and operational excellence.
Of the the 449 airlines it monitors, 149 have the top seven-star safety ranking.
This year, the site also included a list of the top 10 safest low cost airlines for 2015.
These are, in alphabetical order:  Aer Lingus (Ireland), Alaska Airlines (U.S), Icelandair (Iceland), Jetblue (U.S.), Jetstar (Australia), Kulula.com (South Africa), Monarch Airlines (UK), Thomas Cook (UK), TUIfly (Germany) and WestJet (Canada).
"Unlike a number of low cost carriers these airlines have all passed the stringent International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit audit and have excellent safety records," says Thomas.
"Low cost does not mean low safety."
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AirAsia flight wasn't licensed to fly on day of crash 01:34
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One fatal accident for every 1.3 million flights
The release of the AirlineRatings.com list comes at a particularly sensitive time for fliers.
While 2013 was one of the safest years in global aviation history, 2014 is considered one of the worst in recent years in terms of fatalities, due to several high-profile air incidents.
AirlineRatings.com says there were 21 fatal accidents with 986 fatalities in 2014 -- higher than the 10-year average.
However, looking to the positive there were only 111 crashes in 2014, the lowest number in more than 80 years says the Geneva-based Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, or BAAA.
The last time the world had 111 crashes was in 1927.
"If you consider sheer numbers of aircraft crashes, flying today is safer," says Kane Ray, an analyst with the International Bureau of Aviation, a global aviation consulting group.
"However, there are more aircraft in the sky, so naturally the overall number may appear similar to previous decades and, in some categories of disaster, higher."
According to a report on AirlineRatings.com , the world's airlines carried a record 3.3 billion passengers on 27 million flights in 2014.
"Flashback 50 years and there were a staggering 87 crashes killing 1,597 when airlines carried only 141 million passengers -- 5% of today's number," says the website.
"Another twist is that fatal accidents for 2014 were at a record low 21 -- one for every 1.3 million flights. Two of the crashes last year -- MH370 and MH17 -- were unprecedented in modern times and claimed 537 lives."
In March, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 aboard.
Officials believe that plane is somewhere in the Indian Ocean. But, nearly 10 months later, MH370 hasn't been found.
In July, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 aboard.
Malaysia Airlines has a five out of seven ranking on AirlineRatings.com.
AirAsia Indonesia -- still reeling from the crash of Flight QZ8501, which went down over the Java Sea on December 28 with 162 people on board -- has a four out of seven star ranking.
Prior to December, AirAsia had a near flawless safety record, with no previous fatal accidents.
World's unsafest airlines
AirlineRatings.com says if an airline has a crash that involves the death of a passenger and/or crew members it will automatically receive a deduction of one star, giving it a lower safety rating.
"A crash involving fatalities carries with it a one star deduction for 10 years from the date of the incident," says the website on a page explaining its ratings system.
Of the 449 airlines surveyed by AirlineRatings.com, nearly 50 have just three stars or less.
Four airlines only achieved one star for safety.
Two are from Nepal -- Tara Air and Nepal Airlines -- joining Kazakhstan's Scat Airlines and Afghanistan's Kam Air.
All four are on a list of airlines banned from flying within the European Union .
The United States doesn't blacklist individual airlines, but it does make public a list of countries it judges to fall short of international aviation safety standards.
CNN's Holly Yan contributed to this report.
Aviation
</MainBody>

        <date>Wed Jan 07 19:03:38 EET 2015</date>
        <title>Helmet cam shows sniper shot to head</title>
        <Link>http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/wMmfCF26CLo/u-s-marine-survives-sniper-head-shot.sam-arnold.html</Link>
        <Description/>
        <MainBody>CNN Leadership
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Helmet cam shows sniper shot to head
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