Barcelona has the chance to join familiar rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and open up a two point lead on the rest after just two games.


(CNN) One of the most inspiring stories of Rio 2016 is reaching its emotional end.
Fiji is preparing for the departure of Ben Ryan, the English rugby coach who rediscovered his love of the game in a tropical paradise and helped the tiny Pacific Island nation overcome tragedy and win its first gold Olympic medal.
Last week he was awarded the country's highest honor, being made a Companion of the Order of Fiji by its president Jioji Konrote.
On Monday the 44-year-old was given three acres of land by the people of Serua province, and bestowed with the Fijian name Ratu Peni Raiyani Latianara, an honorary chief title.
Coach @benjaminryan gifted 3 acres of land and the name Ratu Peni Raiyani Latianara by the people of #Serua #Fiji pic.twitter.com/RfLnXnxA0s — Fiji 7s Team (@Fiji7sTeam) August 29, 2016
"The land now belongs to him and his family and all his descendants, and he can do anything he wants with the land now, it is his now," Ratu Kini Vitukawalu, one of the chiefs of Vunibau village, was quoted as saying by Fiji's Newswire agency.
"And because he has claimed to be one of us, it is only fitting that he has land too to forever tie him to Serua."
Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement Thousands of Fijians turned out to greet the men's rugby sevens team which returned home with Olympic gold. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement The Fijian government has declared a national holiday on August 22, to celebrate the country's first ever Olympic medal. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement Fiji had not won an Olympic medal before its rugby side struck gold at Rio 2016. The triumph was one of the highlights of the Games. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement Fiji won the 2015/16 world sevens series and defeated Great Britain 43-7 in the Olympic final. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement Fiji's players brought their expansive and flowing game to Brazil where the sport gained popularity with fans. It was the first time rugby sevens had been included at the Olympics. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Island nation celebrates historic achievement Captain Osea Kolinisau was one of the outstanding players of the tournament. He played a key role in leading Fiji to its first historic gold. Hide Caption 6 of 6
Ryan, who came to Fiji in 2013 with his wife Natalie, said Serua had played a key role in resurrecting the fortunes of sevens in Fiji, where the shortened rugby format is an integral part of community life.
"I love every part of Fiji but this part in particular, Serua," he said at the ceremony. "Serua will always be our vale (home). I will be back soon, it will always be a place in my heart and I would just like to say a big vinaka vakalevu (thank you).
"This small piece of land is what we have constantly spoke about when we were in the world series, because this is where the work was done and this is where the minds were forged and this is where the players were selected."
I was lost for words yesterday when I was awarded The companion of the order of Fiji. Vinaka Fiji 🇫🇯 pic.twitter.com/AGWZoQB3eW — Ben Ryan Fiji 7s (@benjaminryan) August 22, 2016
The team thrashed Great Britain 43-7 in the final to earn Fiji's first medal of any kind at the Summer Games.
The victory brought ecstatic celebrations in a country still dealing with the devastating effects of February's Cyclone Winstone, which killed more than 40 people and left many homeless.
Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands Rugby coach Ben Ryan has become something of a celebrity in his adopted country Fiji, where he is mobbed wherever he goes. Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands Ryan, formerly coach of the England sevens team, describes Fijian supporters as the best in the world. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands But he has given up going out for dinner with his wife as he estimates he'll have to pose for about 50 photographs on a night out. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands Fijian rugby fans have taken him to their hearts as he tries to deliver Olympic gold this year. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands The shadow of August's Rio Games looms large as the Pacific Island nation bids to win the first medal of any kind in its Olympic history. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands Fiji topped the rankings after winning the 2014-15 Sevens World Series, sealing qualification for Rio 2016. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands The team successfully defended its title after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2015-16 season finale in London, and received a heroes' welcome back home in Suva. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands Ryan had grown disillusioned with the game in England, but he thanks Fiji for reviving his love for rugby. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: An Englishman in the Pacific Islands However, he has aspirations of getting into the 15-a-side setup after Rio and a possible return to the UK with his wife Natalie. Hide Caption 9 of 9
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Ryan said before the Olympics that it would likely be his last tournament in charge of Fiji, with his contract due to expire next month.
He told the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation that he has received "over 20 offers" including one from the Japanese Rugby Union, which would include coaching the national 15s and sevens teams plus its Sunwolves franchise in the Super Rugby competition.
Japan, which finished a surprise fourth at the Olympics in the men's competition after losing to Fiji in the semifinals, will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Ryan had previously been coach of England's sevens team, and took it to the 2013 World Cup final in his final tournament in charge.

Ben Ryan honored with plot of land and Fijian name


One of the most inspiring stories of Rio 2016 is reaching its emotional end, as Ben Ryan prepares to finish his coaching stint with Fiji's champion rugby sevens team.


Metro Manila, Philippines (CNN) In an unassuming Quezon City neighborhood, across from a municipal library and around the corner from a police station stands the local jail.
A short ride from Manila -- depending on traffic -- the jail isn't an imposing building, or even a particularly large one. Its total floor area is a shade over 30,000 square feet.
More than 4,000 inmates -- and counting -- live cheek by jowl in what has to be one of the most densely populated corners of the Philippines.
With thousands of arrests made since the beginning of June in the war on drugs, the population of inmates keeps growing.
With thousands of arrests made since the beginning of June in the war on drugs, the population of inmates keeps growing.
At the beginning of the year, just under 3,600 were incarcerated. In the seven weeks since President Duterte took office, that number has risen to 4,053.
At the beginning of the year, just under 3,600 were incarcerated. In the seven weeks since President Duterte took office, that number has risen to 4,053.
Many inmates could go home but can't afford the bail, which can be as low as 4,000 to 6,000 pesos ($86 to $129).
Many inmates could go home but can't afford the bail, which can be as low as 4,000 to 6,000 pesos ($86 to $129).
A rigorous search of those coming in keeps the amount of contraband to a minimum, says the jail's senior inspector. But it's still a jail, he shrugs, suggesting that drugs and other illegal goods do find their way in.
A rigorous search of those coming in keeps the amount of contraband to a minimum, says the jail's senior inspector. But it's still a jail, he shrugs, suggesting that drugs and other illegal goods do find their way in.
"The food is terrible," says one inmate. "And it's hard to find a space to sleep, especially when it rains."
"The food is terrible," says one inmate. "And it's hard to find a space to sleep, especially when it rains."
It's always been packed, guards say, but recently the number of inmates has spiked.
It's always been packed, guards say, but recently the number of inmates has spiked.
Inmate Ramon Go, who acts as "mayor" for some of the jail's dorms, has been incarcerated for 16 years. He's currently awaiting the verdict of his murder trial, which happened two and a half years ago.
Inmate Ramon Go, who acts as "mayor" for some of the jail's dorms, has been incarcerated for 16 years. He's currently awaiting the verdict of his murder trial, which happened two and a half years ago.
Originally built in 1953, the country's jail authority suggests it is safe for 800 inmates -- a shade of its current numbers. By U.N. standards, it is fit for 200 inmates.
Originally built in 1953, the country's jail authority suggests it is safe for 800 inmates -- a shade of its current numbers. By U.N. standards, it is fit for 200 inmates.
Quezon City jail, just outside the capital Manila, is home to over 4,000 inmates.
Quezon City jail, just outside the capital Manila, is home to over 4,000 inmates.
It's always been packed, guards say, but recently the number of inmates has spiked.
Critics say this overcrowding is a predictable effect of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs -- a crackdown the pugnacious new leader promised in the campaign that propelled him into office.
Conditions inside are astounding. Every available space is crammed with yellow T-shirted humanity. The men here -- and almost 60% are in for drug offenses -- spend the days sitting, squatting and standing in the unrelenting, suffocating Manila heat.
Their numbers are climbing relentlessly. At the beginning of the year, a little under 3,600 were incarcerated.
In the seven weeks since Duterte took office and charged his No. 1 cop, Ronald Dela Rosa, with cleaning up the country, that number has risen to 4,053.
The Quezon City Jail was built in 1953, originally to house 800 people, according to the country's Bureau of Jail Management and Penology standards. The United Nations says it should house no more than 278.
There are only 20 guards assigned to the mass of incarcerated men, some of whom have been living behind these walls for years without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom.
Dela Rosa earlier told CNN that the criminals in the jails and prisons would just have to squeeze in, gesturing by pulling in his shoulders and arms.
Inmates are woken at 5 a.m. before undergoing a head count -- no easy task when you have 4,000-plus men crammed into crumbling, ramshackle cells.
'Safer in here than out on the streets'
Alex Beltran, a 29-year-old temp worker, has been here for a month and blames Duterte's crackdown for his imprisonment. "The food is terrible," he says. "And it's hard to find a space to sleep, especially when it rains."
Life inside is "harder for the new guys," he says. Fellow inmate Romeo Payhoi, 38, is another newcomer, and while he says he was scared coming in, it hasn't been as bad as he anticipated, just cramped and lacking any privacy.
At any rate, he adds, he feels "safer in here than out on the streets," where "the cops could kill you."
Many who come into the system are already affiliated with gangs, like Sique-sique Sputnik (935 members incarcerated in the jail), Commando (386), Bahala Na gang (874) and Batang City Jail (740).
Around a quarter of those inside the jail have no affiliation.
These gangs hold considerable sway inside, and each run sections to which their members naturally gravitate. Colorful murals on the walls proclaim territory, although guards say that out of sheer necessity there is a de facto truce between the groups.
JUST WATCHED Philippines drug war sparks outrage, fear Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Philippines drug war sparks outrage, fear 03:36
Many inmates could go home but can't afford the bail, which can be as low as 4,000 to 6,000 pesos ($86 to $129), according to Joey Doguiles, the jail's senior inspector and chief of operations. A top police chief, when asked what officials did to prepare for the crackdown, said the threat from drugs was so great that there was no time to expand the facility. That would have to come later.
Outside the jail as many as 700 relatives of inmates wait patiently in the still morning air to go in to see their brothers, husbands and sons. They'll be waiting for hours before adding to the crush inside -- one guard says that there isn't a specific visiting room; visitors mingle with prisoners, marked with ink stamp to denote their freedom.
A rigorous search of those coming from the outside keeps the amount of contraband to a minimum, Doguiles says. But it's still a jail, he shrugs, suggesting that drugs and other illegal goods do find their way in. The main drug here -- as it is across the Philippines -- is shabu, the local name for meth.
Bunks stacked at least three high
Inside the dormitories -- affectionately called barangays, a Filipino name for neighborhoods -- the men are left to their own devices to find somewhere to sleep. Towels, threadbare curtains and even chipped plywood boards are put up to maintain some semblance of privacy, but it's impossible in such a cramped space.
In one room there are 85 inmates in a 200-square foot space. Another one, bigger but not by much, holds 131. It's designed for 30.
Bunks are stacked at least three high, and inmates have even crawled under these rickety structures to find a sleeping spot. One sleeps, cocooned, in a hammock suspended from the ceiling.
And they don't even have the comfort of knowing that this is a temporary situation. The court system here works at a snail's pace.
An endless wait
Ameena-Tara Jance visits six days a week to see her husband, who's been here for six years and counting.
He's recovering from a mild stroke, and she says that in the heat some have been known to keel over and die. Her husband is due for another hearing in October, but they both feel there's no end in sight. "There's no justice," she says.
The "mayor" of the second-floor dorms, Ramon Go -- an inmate responsible for marshaling and supervising around 900 of his fellow prisoners -- has been there for 16 years.
He's one of the few who's had his trial -- on murder charges -- after a police raid led to a cop's shooting death. He was tried 2½ years ago -- after almost a decade and a half of waiting -- and is still stuck inside the walls of the jail in Quezon City, waiting for the verdict to come in.
With thousands of arrests made since the beginning of June in the war on drugs, the population of inmates keeps growing.
It's an endless wait, made keener by the fact that the inmates can't know when they might regain their freedom. So they wait, watching daily as more caught up in the crackdown are processed and attempt to eke out a space, and a life, in a jail already breaking at the seams.

Life inside the Philippines' most overcrowded jail


The Quezon City Jail has always been packed, guards say, but recently the number of inmates has spiked. More than 4,000 inmates -- and counting -- live cheek by jowl in what has to be one of the most densely populated corners of the Philippines.


(CNN) Lewis Hamilton may have kept his powder dry in practice for the Belgian Grand Prix Friday, but the Mercedes driver will need all the pace he can muster to keep his title challenge on track this weekend.
Hamilton, who leads the F1 championship by 19 points following the summer break , was 13th fastest on a warm day at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
He will be forced to start from the back of the grid come Sunday, having exceeded the prescribed number of engine part changes cars are allowed in a season.
Hamilton was given a 30-place grid penalty on a day when local favorite Max Verstappen was fastest in qualifying.
The Briton has already overcome early season problems with form and his car to wipe out a 43-point deficit to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the overall standings and revive his hopes of winning a fourth world title, and third in a row.
"In terms of winning, it's going to be very, very hard," Hamilton told reporters.
"But I'll do everything I can."
SPA GRID PENALTIES
Alonso - 35 places
Hamilton - 30 places
Ericsson - 10 places
More >> https://t.co/ZNB6rhZWiW pic.twitter.com/mB8lMo1Lya — Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2016
Mercedes had "not ruled out the possibility of (Hamilton) using even more fresh parts prior to Saturday's qualifying," the official F1 website said.
This would earn a further grid penalty, but Hamilton is already at the back of the 22-car field and the sanction cannot be carried over to the next race.
His car can thus be loaded with up with fresh equipment for the eight races left after Spa.
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Fernando Alonso is also set to start Sunday's race at the back of the grid for McLaren after he replaced his power unit with a fresh one following Friday's session in unexpected heatwave conditions.
Later, the Spaniard reiterated his frustrations over the current state of F1, saying he will wait to test a 2017 car before deciding on his future.
"In the last couple of years, in this turbo era, the cars are different to drive," the two-time world champion said.
"But I was lucky to drive the 2004-2005 car, and even in 2009, they were more extreme F1 cars. When I see a GP2 car is three seconds slower than FP1, I feel a bit sad.
"Next year, if the cars are fun to drive and exciting to drive, I will probably stay longer in F1. But if the cars still give me the feeling of the last few years, I will stop."
On the track, Rosberg was fastest in the first session of the day but Red Bull's Verstappen led the way in the afternoon session.
Born in Hasselt just 50 kilometers away from the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the 18-year-old Dutchman drove the fastest qualifying lap with a time of one minute 48.085 seconds.
"I'm happy to be first in front of so many Dutch fans but it's still not qualifying and not the race so let's see," he said.
"When I went up to first position in the second practice the fans were all cheering me on with their flags. It definitely gives me a boost and motivates me a lot."
That allowed him to outpace Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo by two-tenths as the Austrian outfit continued its resurgent form.
Nico Rosberg with the halo device fitted on his car at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Rosberg was one of several drivers to trial the new halo head protection device Friday.
"The team have done a great job on the halo. It doesn't disturb me when driving," the German told reporters.
"I could go fast straight away and even set the best time of the session with it this morning, so I think that was a success."
"From a visibility point of view, it wasn't too bad," team boss Christian Horner told reporters at Spa after Ricciardo also tried the official three-pronged cockpit protection system. "There were some restrictions around the side, but it is a work in progress."

Lewis Hamilton takes 30-place grid penalty


Lewis Hamilton may have kept his powder dry in practice for the Belgian GP Friday, but the Mercedes driver will need all his pace to keep title challenge alive.


Story highlights At least nine people reported dead as storm passes over Japan's main island
Flooding, at least one missing on northern island of Hokkaido
(CNN) Nine bodies were found in a home for the elderly in the town of Iwaizumi in Iwate Prefecture, which suffered flooding following Typhoon Lionrock, police tell CNN.
Rescue operations are underway to rescue 400 people who are stranded due to flooding and landslides, according to a statement by the town's prefecture disaster prevention office.
Over 1,100 people were evacuated from their homes and are taking shelter in public facilities across Iwaizumi, the statement says.
Lionrock descended upon northeastern Japan just a week after Typhoons Mindulle and Kompasu pummeled Japan.
Read More

At least nine dead as Typhoon Lionrock pummels Japan


Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo Visitors wait at the gate of the newly opened Pyongyang Central Zoo in the North Korean capital. Hide Caption 1 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo A North Korean man kisses a turtle through the glass of its tank at the newly opened Pyongyang Central Zoo in North Korea. Hide Caption 2 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo One of the most popular attractions at the North Korean zoo might come as a surprise to foreign visitors: a 'dog pavilion.' Hide Caption 3 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo The Pyongyang Zoo 'dog pavilion' boasts everything from German shepherds, Saint Bernards and Shih Tzus. Hide Caption 4 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo Dogs look out from inside a pen at Pyongyang's new zoo in North Korea. Hide Caption 5 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo A North Korean and her son pose for a photo on the back of a camel at the newly opened North Korean zoo. Hide Caption 6 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo A North Korean woman walks past by a Pyongyang Zoo donkey pen. Hide Caption 7 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo North Koreans peer down at bears at their newly opened zoo. Hide Caption 8 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo North Korean men snap pictures of a tiger at the Pyongyang Zoo. Hide Caption 9 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo North Koreans feed an elephant at their new zoo. Hide Caption 10 of 11


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Man fights to stay on tracks as train roars in


Surveillance video shows a New Jersey transit officer pulling a man from a train track just seconds before an arriving train.


(CNN) For every Russian gold medalist in Rio, Vladimir Putin penned a personalized note published on the Kremlin's website .
Boxing gold medalist Evgeny Tishchenko was greeted out of the ring with this sentiment : "You have proven to be a true champion by nature and to possess a high level of skill. These qualities, alongside confidence in your abilities to your Olympic success."
During the course of two-and-a-half weeks the Russian premier penned more than a dozen such valedictories but a question mark remains how many more that might have been were it not for bans on many of Tishchenko's countrymen and women from competing in Rio.
A total of 67 track and field athletes were prohibited from competing under the blanket ban by athletics governing body the IAAF for alleged systematic doping , the one exception being Darya Klishina, who was eventually given the all clear to compete in the long jump.
At the previous Olympiad in London 2012, athletics accounted for eight of the entire Russian contingent's gold-medal haul of 24, with a further five silvers (26 in total) and five bronze (32) medals.
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Potential medal winners who were barred in Rio could have been Sergey Shubenkov, the current world champion for the 110m hurdles and Yelena Isinbayeva, who insisted she was returning to her best form in the pole vault competition.
In addition, the two meters Maria Kuchina jumped near Moscow last month would have been sufficient for high jump gold in Rio.
Isinbayeva argued she had done nothing wrong. "Track and field is about individuals," she told CNN in June . "We are not a team sport. Every athlete is responsible for themselves, for their behavior, for their deeds.
"So why should I be responsible for the mistakes of others? How can you consider everyone is dirty? From my side, this is a big mistake."
Shubenkov, meanwhile, believes he was denied a legitimate chance to add an Olympic gold to his world title.
"People who have been taking drugs anywhere should be punished and I have no tolerance for them but today I am punished and I am a clean athlete," he told the BBC . "No one cares that my career is going to be ruined.
"Before it was like if there are any cheaters coming to Rio then they are doing going to deprive clean athletes of a chance to win. But now the clean athletes are deprived even the chance to go and compete and this is OK? To my mind, this is unhealthy."
Whistleblower excluded
The IAAF, had pushed for the additional inclusion of Russian 800m runner Yuliya Stepanova, the key whistleblower with husband Vitaly on the initial revelations of Russian doping, only for that to be blocked by the International Olympic Committee.
Stepanova was damning of those Russians allowed to participate. She said : "I am certain there are a number of athletes taking part in the Olympic Games who have in preparation used PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs)," before also making the point that, "doping is not only a problem in Russia."
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Stepanova argued that her countrymen and women should not be competing in any sport at all in Rio.
"With the way the IOC decided to deal with systematically supported doping by the states, they showed that if the country supports doping the IOC will not show this zero tolerance," she said, the Guardian reported
"They say they are zero tolerance but they are really not. With their actions, it just raises more and more suspicions with the results, especially world records."
'Not sporting'
In all, 271 Russian sportsmen and women took part in Rio, down from the 389 that originally qualified.
Many of them competed virtually unnoticed while others, like the swimmer Yulia Efimova, were booed almost every time they competed.
It led Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko to describe such behavior as "not sporting" and he said that it needed to be controlled.
Efimova served a drugs ban between October 2013 and February 2015 , and had another provisional suspension for a positive sample for meldonium overturned to allow her to compete in Brazil.
After winning silver in the 100m breaststroke behind American Lilly King, a war of words broke out when King said after beating the Russian: "I'm just happy to know I'm competing clean and doing what is right."
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According to Russia's news agency Tass, Efimova responded: "All athletes should be above politics but they just watch TV and believe everything they read. I always thought the Cold War was long in the past. Why start it again by using sport?"
With such a negative build-up, Efimova intimated she could have fared better still and had potentially come away with gold.
'A scandalous reputation'
There were others denied a chance to compete at all following the release of the McLaren report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The entire weightlifting team was banned while the international rowing federation took the next strongest stance by blocking the participation of 22 of the 28-strong team set for the regatta in Rio.
Headed by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, the independent report published in July concluded Russia's "Ministry of Sport directed, controlled and oversaw the manipulation of athlete's analytical results or sample swapping, with the active participation and assistance of the FSB (Russia's federal security service), CSP (Center of Sports Preparation of the National Teams of Russia), and both Moscow and Sochi Laboratories."
Russian president Vladimir Putin reacted to the report by saying that "accusations against Russian athletes are based on the testimony of one person, a man with a scandalous reputation."
CAS later ruled that the IOC initial stance that Russian sportsmen and women having previously been found guilty of doping offenses should be banned was not defensible by law.
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The ruling came too late for many Russian athletes but meant a reprieve for, among others, cyclist Olga Zabelinskaya , who went on to win silver in the women's road race.
Estimating how Russia might have fared without any bans is impossible to say.
At London 2012, it won 82 medals, including 24 gold, and back in April when it looked like the entire team could be eligible to compete, a report by US-based metadata company Gracenote predicted 66 medals in all: 22 gold, 22 silver and 22 bronze. Sunday's final total was predictably shy of that at 19, 18 and 19 -- 56 in all.
Amid it all, the Kremlin has remained defiant. Putin called the athletics ruling "blatant discrimination" and said it was "an attempt to bring the rules of world politics into the world of sport."
What it did do was dent Russia's Olympic ambitions, their medal count poorer for it.

Rio 2016: Russia counts cost for doping indiscretions


For every Russian gold medalist in Rio, Vladimir Putin penned a personalized note published on the Kremlin's website.


(CNN) Japan travelers researching a trip to Kyoto will inevitably come across the word "kaiseki" -- usually hyped as a must-try culinary experience.
So what exactly is it?
To the outsider, kaiseki appears to simply be a multi-course Japanese dinner made up of beautifully plated dishes.
But there's so much more to this meticulously prepared, exquisitely served and, usually, very expensive meal.
Originally presented to the royal noble classes, a kaiseki meal today could easily hit the triple dollar digits.
To practitioners of this haute cuisine, kaiseki is the embodiment of "omotenashi," which means wholehearted hospitality.
Its central tenet is to convey respect, making guests feel special and at ease.
This means chefs strive for excellence in every detail.
The standard courses
While kaiseki meals can vary, there are usually some standard courses served and the chef decides the order.
These are:
-- Sakizuke, an appetizer served with sake
-- Nimono, a simmered dish
-- Mukozuke, a sashimi dish
-- Hassun, an expression of the season
-- Yakimono -- a grilled course
-- Hanmono or shokuji, a rice dish.
Traditionally served at a tatami-matted ryokan -- Japanese inn -- the experience culminates with dessert and a matcha tea ceremony.
A video posted by CNN Travel (@cnntravel) on Aug 17, 2016 at 9:57pm PDT
Absorbing the environment
The finest kaiseki meals are an expression of both time and place.
Chef Hisato Nakahigashi of Miyamasou, a two Michelin-starred restaurant and ryokan in Kyoto prefecture, combs the surrounding forest and river for ingredients including wild plants and herbs every day.
"We serve food that's best in the season and beautiful on that day," says Nakahigashi.
The foraged ingredients -- like the purple shiso flower that blooms in mid-summer -- must match the atmosphere, their flavors reminiscent of a particular season, he adds.
Chef Hisato Nakahigashi searches the mountains north of Kyoto for potential ingredients. He's one of the kings of Kaiseki that @namaesan will meet on his Culinary Journey #miyamasou #kyoto #kaiseki #cnnfood #culinaryjourneys #japan A photo posted by asealy7 (@asealy7) on Jul 12, 2016 at 8:25am PDT
Designed to create lasting memories, the experience of the meal goes beyond the edible.
Another establishment famed for its kaiseki excellence is Hyotei, a three Michelin-starred restaurant that's been serving the cuisine for nearly 400 years.
A former tea house set along the Nanzenji Temple pilgrimage route, it continues to breathe life into one of Kyoto's oldest culinary traditions.
"A tea house is usually built in a way that allows guests to hear the sounds of nature and sense the atmosphere outside," says chef Yoshihiro Takahashi.
They may include the chirping birds, the clicks of wooden sandals, a jumping carp in a pond, or the host rolling up the shades.
Hyotei continues to adhere to this tradition.
For instance, one of the dining rooms faces a waterfall that runs as gentle background music, while others open up to views of the lush and green surroundings.
An evolving tradition
Kaiseki meals were originally much simpler.
A set consisted of meshi (steamed rice), shiru (soup) and mukozuke.
And one could never go directly to the sashimi.
The first rule was to have a little bit of rice and soup to warm up the stomach.
Then sake would be served, followed by the sashimi.
But this centuries-old practice has always welcomed new techniques and innovations.
For example, dashi -- the cooking stock central to Japanese cuisine -- is traditionally made with kombu (seaweed) and bonito flakes.
However Takahashi's father, curious about alternatives, started making his dashi with tuna flakes.
It resulted in a clearer soup and more delicate flavors.
The younger Takahashi also gives various light and dark soy sauces their own twist -- infused with tomato, sake or citrus oil -- to complement different kinds of sashimi.
Or even in gelee form, tucked under a generous slab of sea urchin.
A culture of trust
Chef Shinobu Namae of Tokyo restaurant L'effervescence expereinces traditional kaiseki at Kyoto's Miyamasou ryokan during his Culinary Journeys shoot with CNN.
Remarkably, the fathers of chefs Takahashi and Nakahigashi knew each other and even shared their skills -- a common practice in group training sessions called "kensankai."
"We mix with each other very naturally," says Takahashi.
"Through the two generations -- of our fathers and ourselves -- it's become natural and common to disclose our techniques to each other.
"We show, disclose and then try to improve ourselves. That's our way of thinking."
Yet the kaiseki restaurants maintain their uniqueness.
Each chef is known for their different styles and values -- a diversity that proudly shapes Kyoto's culinary scene and makes it more resistant to fads.
Recipe theft has never been an issue in the community, either.
"We all know each individual chef and have absolute trust in each other that they would never do such a thing," says Nakahigashi.
"We've been brought up by our fathers' and grandfathers' generations to develop such trust."
On a recent visit to Kyoto as part of CNN's Culinary Journeys series , Tokyo-based chef Shinobu Namae of the acclaimed French restaurant L'effervescence found the contrast between the two cities striking.
"I wish Tokyo would become like this," he says.
"People in Tokyo try so hard to protect the secrets of their restaurants. But everyone goes to a certain direction if it is the trend then, and they go a different direction if the trend shows the other way."

A beginner's guide to kaiseki, the world's finest meal


What began as a simple meal has transformed into a multi-course culinary expression of art. Here's what goes into making an authentic Japanese kaiseki meal


The van turns off the main road and speeds down a dirt path shrouded in vegetation.
"That's where we are going! Hakuna Matata Spice Farm!" shouts my tour guide Aben Rehan, gripping the wheel and laughing as he repeats the Swahili phrase made famous by the 1994 Disney film.
I've been in Zanzibar for less than a day but have already heard "Hakuna Matata" -- meaning "no worries" -- yelled at me several times over.
I've quickly come to interpret the refrain as a local code word for, "Hey foreigner, come buy this thing."
But as the van comes to a stop at the entrance of the spice farm, there are no crowds of tourists, no pushy souvenir sellers. I am, as far as I can tell, the only person there.
A man named Haji introduces himself and his assistant -- a 15-year-old boy with a sharp knife sticking out of his back pocket.
"After this is over you will be the King..." Haji says. "The King of Spice!"
CNN Map
Spice trade
Spices have long been a pillar of Zanzibar's trade-heavy economy.
Zanzibar City, with its UNESCO-listed historic center Stone Town, is the heart of this Indian Ocean archipelago, positioned 25 miles east of the Tanzanian mainland.
The Portuguese and Chinese introduced spices such as garlic, cacao and chili to the islands several centuries ago.
But it was the Omani Sultan Seyyid Said -- upon moving the capital of his empire Stone Town in 1840 -- who fully exploited the potential of Zanzibar's tropical climate and incredibly fertile soil.
The Sultan mandated the establishment of clove plantations on both public and private lands and forced Zanzibar's slave population to grow and harvest the crops, fashioning the less than 1,000-square-mile archipelago into the world's single largest cloves producer.
Cloves were traded like gold at the time -- a staple prized not only for taste but as a common method of curing and preserving meats long before the advent of the refrigerator.
Modern Zanzibar
Today, however, Zanzibar is an economy in transition.
While cloves remain the archipelago's leading domestic product, its production numbers have been surpassed by other mega-suppliers such as Indonesia and Madagascar.
Zanzibar, as a result, has capitalized on its history as the world's "Spice Islands" -- a title also claimed by Indonesia's Maluku archipelago -- to become a popular destination for eco-tourists and food fans alike.
In a vacationer's paradise famous for World Heritage-standard Swahili architecture, near-perfect kite surfing conditions, and a 45-seat restaurant perched on top of a sea-bound rock , spice farms like Hakuna Matata top the list of Zanzibar attractions.
And there's a good reason for that.
Zanzibar spice tours provide an intense, detailed introduction to the region's rich botanical and cultural heritage, as well as its dark history as the Africa Great Lakes region's main slave-trading port.
The Rock restaurant lies off Michanvi Pingwe beach on the main island's southeast coast.
Fragrant harvest
The Hakuna Matata spice farm is in Dole village, about nine miles northeast of Stone Town.
Over the next two hours Haji guides me through the farm's thick maze of trees, bushes, and fragrant vines including vanilla, ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, lemongrass, and more.
While it's clear the farm's main product is tours not exports, nothing about the experience feels artificial.
Each spice comes with its own story -- how it arrived on the island and an explanation of its uses, both common and uncommon.
"A lady takes this and the shyness goes away," Haji says as he cracks a nutmeg seed and displayed the red-veined fruit inside. "Shininess?" I ask, mishearing the word.
"Shyness but just for the lady. She takes it when she wants to celebrate some way ... or wants to have a big family. This is like Viagra for her," he explains plainly. "You get it?"
"I got it."
As the tour comes to an end, Haji presents me with a delicious traditional meal prepared with many of the spices we have seen over the course of the afternoon, including clove-infused rice, creamed spinach, and pickled onions and tomatoes topped with biryani sauce.
"Eat as much as you want," Aben says, joining us on a plastic mat spread across the ground. "This is all for you!"
As we finish our meal, locals sit around trading jokes and fashioning hats out of bamboo leaves.
A few others further in the bush sing a song in Swahili, the only part of which I understand is the chorus line of "Hakuna Matata."
Now, the mantra strikes me as joyous. No longer an urgent plea, its smooth rhythms meant "no worries" and nothing else.
Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now It's got something for everyone – Meet the Maasai warriors of the Serengeti, climb Africa's highest peak and dive beneath Zanzibar's tropical coastline. There's something for everyone in Tanzania, and whether that involves dancing the night away to Afro-rhumba or refueling with platefuls of fresh octopus, it won't be hard to have a good time in this modernizing land of natural beauty. Hide Caption 1 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Climb Africa's highest peak – At 19,340 feet, Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak, but the climb to the top is surprisingly accessible and can take as little as 4-5 days on the so-called "fast route." In fact, the fastest ever summit was achieved by Italian Bruno Brunod, who managed to reach the peak in 5 hours 38 minutes.
The journey to the top from the steppes below takes in all manner of ecosystems, stretching from agrarian landscapes to rainforest, heath to alpine desert before arctic conditions at the summit. At the top of the mountain lies a simple wooden box in which climbers can record their thoughts. Hide Caption 2 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Roam with the Maasai – Tanzania's famous Maasai warriors survey the savannahs of the Great Rift Valley. Traditionally known as herders, livestock are a vital resource for the Maasai. Their diet consists largely of cow's meat, milk and blood, tapped from the jugular with no lasting damage to the animal. On certain occasions the two are combined in something akin to a blood milkshake. Modernization is creeping into Maasai life however and food is becoming more varied, and dinner is as likely to include maize, rice, potatoes and "goat leaves" (cabbage). Hide Caption 3 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now ...and have your hair braided by them – The Maasai are increasingly integrating with wider society and entering urban centers. This is due in part to inconsistent rains throughout the Serengeti leading to tougher livestock conditions. Various handicrafts are finding their into markets and the Maasai's much-prized hair braiding skills are becoming popular with Tanzanians. Hide Caption 4 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Walk in the Garden of Eden – Sometimes called "Africa's Garden of Eden," the Ngorongoro Crater is a 12-mile-wide ecosystem within an ecosystem that was created by a massive collapse of land following a volcanic eruption. Labeled one of the seven natural wonders of Africa, the crater sits at 5,900 feet above sea level and evidence suggests hominids have lived in the wider conservation area for over 3 million years. Near Arusha in the north of Tanzania, it is one of the world's most unchanged wildlife sanctuaries. Hide Caption 5 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Dive into the melting pot – Tanzania has over 120 tribes and in the post-colonial era the country's first president Julius Nyerere made it his mission to unite the newly independent nation whilst maintaining its rich heterogeneity. The Sukuma is the largest tribe and accounts for approximately 16% of the population. Other large tribes include the Nyamwezi, Makonde, Haya and Chagga. Ethnographic recordings from over 100 Tanzanian tribes are currently being digitized as part of a 100,000 hour collection held by the state-run Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation. Hide Caption 6 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Dance the night away – Dar es Salaam is known as the musical center of East Africa. Late into the night, the city's beach bars play a mix of Tanzanian pop and the country's unique take on hip hop -- Bongo Flava. Those who would rather something more old school can dance into the small hours to the sounds of Afro-rhumba, a genre that came to Tanzania from West Africa via Cuba. Hide Caption 7 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Haul in the morning catch – At 7am every morning in Dar es Salaam, the Kivukoni fish market comes alive with the frenetic trade of produce brought in fresh from the Indian Ocean. Head down to get your hands on the freshest fish in the country, and barter along with Tanzania's housewives and restaurateurs. If you fail in that cultural venture, Kivukoni also contains Tanzania's National Museum and the Botanical Gardens. Hide Caption 8 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Don your chef's hat – Fish might be the dish of the day for many, but octopus is also a mainstay of coastal cuisine. Seen here in Kivukoni is the preferred way of cooking it: dropped in a boiling cauldron of oil with maximum heat and minimal fuss. Just mind your fingers! Hide Caption 9 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Revel in spice heaven – Zanzibar is known as "spice island." Delve into the tastes and textures of the island's markets that draw in flavors from African, Arab, Indian and European cuisine. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper are the lifeblood of Zanzibar's spice trade, an industry dating back to the 16th century and to which the island is indebted for its cosmopolitan feel. Hide Caption 10 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Explore a cosmopolis – The rustic labyrinthine alleys of Zanzibar's Stone Town hold within them centuries of this multicultural island's history. Walk the streets to find Persian bathhouses, coffee shops and frenetic bazaars. Hide Caption 11 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Tour religious marvels – More than 99% of Zanzibar's citizens are Muslim and the island has a collection of stunning places of worship. In Stone Town is the Malindi Mosque, dated from the 15th century and notable for its unusual conical minaret and square platform. The Hujjatul Islam mosque is known for having the most ornate exterior, the Laghbari mosque the finest interior, whilst the Bagh Muharmi mosque is the proud owner of the island's highest minaret. Hide Caption 12 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Pay your respects – One of the more unsavory chapters of Zanzibar's history is its role in the Arab slave trade. British influence stemmed the trade and it was finally prohibited in 1876, with the island become a British protectorate in 1890. Today the lives of those stolen away from East Africa are commemorated in an area that was once the slave market in Stone Town. Hide Caption 13 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Enter an underwater kingdom – Known "as the green island" in Arabic, Pemba lies 50 kilometers east of mainland Tanzania. More fertile than other islands in the Zanzibar archipelago, its main cash crop is cloves. But the main reason to visit is to explore the natural wonders that surround Pemba. The azure waters are an ideal spot for diving, with steep drop-offs, untouched coral and abundant marine life. Hide Caption 14 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Get lost in beautiful degradation – In the 14th century, Kilwa Kisiwani was a center of wealth and opulence as a trading hub that linked Africa to Persia, India and China. Today the area's ruinous buildings are a captivating sight to behold and have been given Unesco World Heritage status. Other heritage locations include the Kondoa rock art sites, a collection of over 150 natural shelters decorated with paintings dating back over 2,000 years. Hide Caption 15 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Stay in a city steeped in revolutionary history – Central Dar es Salaam is a bustling metropolis and many of its historic building have been destroyed during its transformation. However some of those that remain have rich narratives and hold a largely forgotten revolutionary story: Mandela's ANC, the Mozambique Liberation Front, Che Guevara and Malcolm X all found refuge in the port city at various times. Hide Caption 16 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Ride through Africa's largest reserve – Africa's largest wildlife reserve, the 48,000 square kilometer Selous Game Reserve, is home to a cornucopia of Tanzania's indigenous wildlife. Visit the country's largest protected area to see lion, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and black rhino among other wild and wonderful creatures. Hide Caption 17 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now And walk with elephants – North of Selous is the Serengeti, a conservation area in which elephants roam freely. Catch a glimpse of these majestic beasts on one the country's eco-safaris, a popular option for luxury holidaymakers. The Serengeti National Park is bucking a negative trend in Tanzania: strong anti-poaching measures have seen an increase in elephant numbers, nearly doubling to 6,087 between 2009 and 2014. Hide Caption 18 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now Play cricket above the clouds – Kenya's Maasai warriors are not the only unlikely cricket enthusiasts in East Africa. In 2014 avid fans and a handful of ex-players played 10 overs each below the summit of Kilimanjaro before clouds stopped play -- not unreasonable considering they were amongst them at nearly 19,000 feet. In doing so they beat the previous world record for the highest cricket match ever played, held by a group on Mount Everest in 2009. Hide Caption 19 of 20 Photos: 20 reasons to visit Tanzania now And hit the beach with the locals – One of the most important dates in Tanzania's calendar is Union Day, marking the anniversary of the joining of the People's Republic of Zanzibar and Tanganyika. Among Tanzania's 17 public holidays, it's a perfect opportunity to hit the beach. Hide Caption 20 of 20
Arranging a Zanzibar spice tour
A spice tour is one of the most popular attractions in Zanzibar and, as a result, there's a surplus of companies to choose from when planning your visit.
JUST WATCHED Zanzibar: A tropical paradise with a unique identity Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Zanzibar: A tropical paradise with a unique identity 08:01
However, the difference between good tour companies and bad is readily apparent, says Aben Rehan, from Jambiani-based Mambo Poa Tours
"We have big [tour] companies and they have many, many weaknesses. They choose inexperienced guides that have a lack of information but people don't know."
"This place is full of natural beauty, so whichever environment visitors face, they will like. Even if staff are crazy."
In other words, it's easy to let Zanzibar's lush surroundings convince you you're getting a good tour when you really aren't.
It's best to look for a company that's going to provide the added history and context that will make your trip extra-special.
A private tour with Mambo Poa Tours costs $30, including transportation and lunch. The price of a shared tour is $20 per person.

Zanzibar: A taste of Africa's Spice Islands


Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper are the lifeblood of Zanzibar's centuries-old spice trade and give the archipelago its distinctive flavor


Story highlights Clay Cane: I applaud Colin Kaepernick's principled stand on race, but he lost me with his further remarks
He says to lump Clinton's transgressions with Trump's racial remarks is offensive and uninformed
Cane: Kaepernick's slam of Clinton shows that with his new activism, he doesn't grasp threat of Trump
Clay Cane is a television commentator and the author of the forthcoming book "Live Through This: Surviving the Intersections of Sexuality, God and Race." Follow him on Twitter: @claycane. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
(CNN) Colin Kaepernick sparked a media firestorm on August 26 when he refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback explained in an interview, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
I immediately applauded Kaepernick for using the art of protest to spark a national dialogue. People are dying. We are in the eye of a cultural crisis in America.
JUST WATCHED NBA great calls Kaepernick's protest "patriotic" Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH NBA great calls Kaepernick's protest "patriotic" 05:58
Kaepernick put endorsements at risk and clearly angered many. Some complained he was anti-American. On the contrary, I thought his action was pro-American, following in the tradition of Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Protest is an American right, which Colin peacefully exercised.
Clay Cane
But here is where Kaepernick lost me: His remarks to the press segued into a rant of the type you hear from the conservative right. He said: "I mean, you have Hillary who's called black teens or black kids super predators. You have Donald Trump who's openly racist. I mean, we have a presidential candidate [Hillary Clinton] who's deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn't make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you'd be in prison."
Read More

I was on board with Kaepernick until....


Kaepernick's righteous call for racial justice segued into a slam of Clinton that shows that even with his new activism, he doesn't grasp the threat of a Trump presidency.


Story highlights The plane lands in Pensacola after the left engine failed
A passenger says the crew did an amazing job
(CNN) A Southwest Airlines flight from New Orleans to Orlando was forced to make an emergency landing when one of the engines failed, the airline said.
A woman who was on the plane with her husband and three children told CNN affiliate KOCO that the engine was right outside her window.
"It was just a big explosion. There was some smoke and then nothing," she told the Oklahoma City station . "I saw parts flapping in the wind."
The plane started shaking and breathing masks were deployed as the airliner descended.
There was damage to the left side of the plane just above the wing.
Some people started screaming and crying, the woman said.
Read More

Southwest flight emergency landing after engine fails


A Southwest Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Pensacola, Florida, when an engine failed on a flight from New Orleans to Orlando, the airline said.


Story highlights The boys are British, Egyptian, Kurdish, Tunisian, and Uzbek, the video says
The men they kill are Kurdish prisoners, according to the video
(CNN) ISIS has released a video online showing five young boys killing five prisoners.
The video identifies the children, dressed in camouflage and holding handguns, as British, Egyptian, Kurdish, Tunisian and Uzbek.
The men they kill are Kurdish prisoners, according to the video.
The British boy, described as Abu Abdullah al-Britani, doesn't say anything. Only the child identified as being from Tunisia speaks in the video.
Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office declined to comment on the video.
Read More

ISIS video shows boys executing prisoners


ISIS has released a video online showing five young boys killing five prisoners.


Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.


CNN's Richard Roth explains who John Hinckley Jr. is, and why he says he attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.


Story highlights A 62-year-old man is arrested after allegedly filling a lubricant dispenser with acid
Hydrochloric acid can cause severe burns, ulcers and scarring
(CNN) A 62-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly filled a lubricant dispenser with hydrochloric acid at a gay club in Australia.
The man is said to have entered Sydney's Aarows , a gay and bisexual social club, on Saturday where he tampered with the dispenser.
Police said following a number of similar incidents, several items in the room had been fitted with anti-tampering alarms which would alert security officers.
After being detained, the man was taken to a local police station where he was charged with offenses including administering poison that is intended to injure, cause distress or pain.
When hydrochloric acid comes into contact with the skin, it can cause severe burns, ulcers and scarring. It's typically used by industry to produce batteries, photo-flash bulbs and fireworks.
Read More

Lube dispenser filled with acid at gay club


A 62-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly filled a lubricant dispenser with hydrochloric acid at a gay club in Australia.


(CNN) Team Europe has showed its hand -- now it's over to you Team USA.
Chasing a fourth straight Ryder Cup triumph, Europe unveiled Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters on Tuesday for the golf showdown that tees off at Hazeltine on September 30.
The trio join nine players who have already qualified for the team after finishing in the top positions in the European points list
The inclusion of both Westwood and Kaymer, two highly-experienced players, was expected with the European team already boasting five rookies.
"Narrowing it down to those three wildcards has been a very difficult process, but I said that I was going to look to experience and with Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer I had two former world No. 1s," Europe captain Darren Clarke told reporters.
Clarke enjoyed the support of many high profile European players, world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy (pictured) part of a group that included Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Grame McDowell.
Clarke enjoyed the support of many high profile European players, world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy (pictured) part of a group that included Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Grame McDowell.
Clarke has also served a vice captain twice, in 2010 and 2012. He assisted Jose Maria Olazabal (R) during Europe's incredible comeback at Medinah in 2012, when it retained the trophy 14½ to 13½ having trailed 10-6 going into Sunday's singles.
Clarke has also served a vice captain twice, in 2010 and 2012. He assisted Jose Maria Olazabal (R) during Europe's incredible comeback at Medinah in 2012, when it retained the trophy 14½ to 13½ having trailed 10-6 going into Sunday's singles.
Clarke's last Ryder Cup appearance as a player was perhaps the most memorable. Playing just six weeks after his wife Heather had succumbed to cancer, Clarke was roared on by a vociferous home crowd at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland. An emotional Clarke won three out of three points as Europe repeated a huge victory margin of nine points.
Clarke's last Ryder Cup appearance as a player was perhaps the most memorable. Playing just six weeks after his wife Heather had succumbed to cancer, Clarke was roared on by a vociferous home crowd at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland. An emotional Clarke won three out of three points as Europe repeated a huge victory margin of nine points.
More success followed in 2004 when Europe trounced the U.S. team 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills. Clarke won 3½ points out of a possible five in the biggest winning margin since 1981.
More success followed in 2004 when Europe trounced the U.S. team 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills. Clarke won 3½ points out of a possible five in the biggest winning margin since 1981.
After a year's postponement due to the 9/11 tragedy in New York, Clarke was back on the winning side in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy thanks to a 15½ - 12½ victory at the Belfry near Birmingham.
After a year's postponement due to the 9/11 tragedy in New York, Clarke was back on the winning side in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy thanks to a 15½ - 12½ victory at the Belfry near Birmingham.
Clarke has been involved in seven Ryder Cups as a player and a vice captain and has lost only once -- in 1999. The infamous "Battle of Brookline" was punctuated by moments of controversy as the U.S. stormed back from a deficit of 10-6 going into the singles to win 14½ to 13½.
Clarke has been involved in seven Ryder Cups as a player and a vice captain and has lost only once -- in 1999. The infamous "Battle of Brookline" was punctuated by moments of controversy as the U.S. stormed back from a deficit of 10-6 going into the singles to win 14½ to 13½.
Clarke's first Ryder Cup appearance came in 1997 when Europe defeated the United States by a score of 14½ to 13½ at Valderrama in Spain under the captaincy of the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
Clarke's first Ryder Cup appearance came in 1997 when Europe defeated the United States by a score of 14½ to 13½ at Valderrama in Spain under the captaincy of the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
Clarke beat off competition from Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured) to become captain, with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also under consideration by Europe's five-man selection panel that included former skippers Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Clarke beat off competition from Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured) to become captain, with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also under consideration by Europe's five-man selection panel that included former skippers Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Darren Clarke will be Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 battle against the United States. The Northern Irishman has a storied history in the competition, featuring five times as a player and twice as a vice captain. He has been on the losing side just once, in 1999.
Darren Clarke will be Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 battle against the United States. The Northern Irishman has a storied history in the competition, featuring five times as a player and twice as a vice captain. He has been on the losing side just once, in 1999.
"The last was very difficult. Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald had an argument with their experience to join that, but they would admit that they have not been on top of their game.
"It came down to Thomas Pieters and Russell Knox and the phone call to Russell was one of the hardest I have ever had to make.
"But, given his form, I found it impossible to leave Thomas out."
Hazeltine is the host venue for the 2016 Ryder Cup.
Westwood, 43, has played in every Ryder Cup since 1997 and has won 23 points in the process.
He went unbeaten in 2004 and 2006 and tied Arnold Palmer's record in 2008 after making it 12 matches without defeat at Valhalla.
"I'm incredibly proud," Westwood told reporters after being confirmed in the team.
"When I look back over my career, the Ryder Cup has provided most of the very special moments.
"Myself and Darren are very close and I was very relieved and thrilled to get the pick.
"It's going to be a very tough task. The US is going to be very strong but we are equally as strong -- it's a good mix of experience of youth.
"I think it's going to be a very close contest."
JUST WATCHED Europe's historic Ryder Cup comeback Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Europe's historic Ryder Cup comeback 02:56
Germany's Kaymer played a starring role in 2012 at Medinah - - holing the winning putt to cap off an improbable comeback victory.
The two-time major winner, made his debut in the competition in 2010 and is already relishing another opportunity to lead Europe to glory.
"The first time I played the Ryder Cup, it was very overwhelming," Kaymer told reporters. "2012 was a very special one for me because I really got to know the feeling of what the Ryder Cup means.
"I really didn't want to miss out in 2016 and I'm really glad Darren gave me his trust. I am really glad for Thomas Pieters too -- I played with him last week and was really impressed.
Martin Kaymer will be hoping for more celebrations at this year's tournament.
"I put all my heart in it -- that's all you can ask for and all I can give. It was a bit of a relief to get the phone call from Darren.
"Now is the time to start to prepare and I'm really excited. It's almost the end of the year but it's a massive highlight. I can promise I will play with everything I have because it means a lot to me."
Pieters finished fourth at the Olympics and second at the Czech Masters. The 24-year-old impressed Clarke while playing alongside him at the Made in Denmark tournament where he won the title after opening rounds of 62 and 71.
Thomas Pieters will make his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine.
Spain's Sergio Garcia adds yet more experience while rookies Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood are all included.
US captain Davis Love III will reveal three of his four picks on September 11, and will make his final selection on September 25.

Ryder Cup 2016: Westwood, Kaymer and Pieters get Europe wildcard picks


Team Europe is chasing a fourth straight Ryder Cup triumph -- and captain Darren Clarke reckons he's got just the men to do it when the competition gets underway at Hazeltine on September 30.


Los Angeles (CNN) Donald Trump's lack of clarity on his plans for dealing with some 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country has been so head-spinning in recent weeks it's starting to look deliberate.
Facing headwinds among moderate voters who view his past rhetoric as racist, but trying to assuage his core conservative base, Trump has attempted something of an image makeover during the past two weeks -- leaving Democrats and Republicans alike unclear on where actually Trump stands.
Trump, who promises to deliver a major speech Wednesday on the issue , seems to have narrowed the scope of his immigration plans and changed his tone, suggesting that he is rethinking a policy that was the lynchpin of his appeal during the Republican primaries.
"All the media wants to talk about is the 11 million people," Trump complained this weekend during a speech in Iowa, as though that point was a sidebar to immigration policy. "On day one, I'm going to begin swiftly removing criminal illegal immigrants from this country."
Trump's comments at Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst's "Roast and Ride" were an illustration of the pivot he is attempting --- from his promise during the primaries to deport all undocumented immigrants, to a new narrowed focus on immigrant criminals.
"I promise you from the first day in office -- the first thing I am going to do -- the first piece of paper, the first piece of paper that I'm going to sign is we're going to get rid of these people, day one, before the wall, before anything," Trump said in Iowa.
"The reign of terror will be over," Trump added, without explaining any of the mechanics of how his policy would work -- namely how he would deal with the enormous backlog in the immigration courts and the legal rights of immigrants who have been accused of a crime.
Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, tried to parse the Republican nominee's shifts as evidence that he is working through the issue during an interview Sunday with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." But he couldn't say what the Republican nominee's current stance is on a deportation force.
"You see a CEO at work. You see someone who is engaging the American people, listening to the American people, hearing from all sides," Pence told Tapper, promising that Trump would soon "articulate a policy" on the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country.
But there's no certainty that Trump will provide any more clarity on Wednesday -- or that this plan will be the last one he offers. Moreover, the safest course for him politically may be to continue to obfuscate on immigration policy to avoid antagonize either side of the debate.
'Operation Wetback'
Trump rose to the top of the GOP field by stoking the nativist anger of his conservative followers with vows to deport all the undocumented workers in this country, and build a wall between the US and Mexico, before allowing some of "the good ones" to return to the US.
JUST WATCHED Two stories - from opposite sides - of 'Operation Wetback' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Two stories - from opposite sides - of 'Operation Wetback' 04:22
Republican rivals scoffed at the sheer unfeasibility of his proposal -- leading Trump to cite the model of the 1954 "Operation Wetback" under President Dwight Eisenhower, which rounded up thousands of undocumented immigrants from U.S. fields and ranches, bused them to detention centers, and sent them back to Mexico, first by airlift, and then by cargo boat -- a journey that was widely denounced as inhumane.
Trump cited the Eisenhower model during a notable exchange with Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the fourth Republican debate last fall.
"For the 11 million people, come on, folks," Kasich said to Trump. "We all know you can't pick them up and ship them across, back across the border.. It's a silly argument. It is not an adult argument. It makes no sense."
JUST WATCHED Kasich: Trump's immigration shift is not suprising Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Kasich: Trump's immigration shift is not suprising 05:20
"Let me just tell you," Trump retorted, "that Dwight Eisenhower, good president, great president, people liked him.... Moved a 1.5 million illegal immigrants out of this country, moved them just beyond the border."
"Dwight Eisenhower. You don't get nicer. You don't get friendlier," Trump added. "We have no choice."
JUST WATCHED Trump praises Eisenhower's deportation program Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump praises Eisenhower's deportation program 01:10
Pivot or no?
Now with less than three months before the election, Trump faces a difficult path to the White House because of his narrow appeal, and his sky-high disapproval ratings among minorities.
Unlike George W. Bush, Mitt Romney and John McCain, his disapproval ratings among minority voter are sky-high. And perhaps his biggest problem is the fact that he continues to underperform among college-educated whites -- in part because many of them find his rhetoric offensive.
Looking to please a broader audience, Trump has shifted his focus to immigrant criminals rather than the majority of the 11 million people living in this country without papers. In an interview with CNN last week, his new campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said the question of whether he would create a deportation force was "to be determined."
Trump signaled his shift in thinking to Fox News' Sean Hannity during a town hall that aired last week by suggesting he might allow some immigrants to stay: "There's no amnesty, but we would work with them." He explained that he's been talking to "thousands and thousands" of people on this subject.
"I've had very strong people come up to me, really great, great people come up to me, and they've said, 'Mr. Trump, I love you, but to take a person who's been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it's so tough, Mr. Trump,' I have it all the time! It's a very, very hard thing," he said during the Hannity event.
Facing pushback from figures on the right like former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and right-wing commentator Ann Coulter, Trump then backtracked during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
He said there would be no path to legalization for undocumented immigrants unless they leave the country. But he would not answer a question from Cooper about whether he would still attempt to deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country.
"It's a process. You can't take 11 (million) at one time and just say 'boom, you're gone,'" Trump told Cooper.
Once the initial deportations of undocumented workers who are criminals occur, he said, "then we can talk." Of the 11 million deportations, he said, "there is a very good chance the answer could be yes. We're going to see what happens."

What is Donald Trump's immigration plan -- and when will we see it?


Donald Trump's lack of clarity on his plans for dealing with some 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country has been so head-spinning in recent weeks it's starting to look deliberate.


(CNN) A homecoming for any athlete who has appeared at an Olympics is special -- but for five who competed at the Rio Olympics, the place they formerly called home was the vast refugee camp at Kakuma in Kenya.
They returned to a heroes' welcome at the camp Monday, with one sign reading: "You are gold medal winners in our eyes." It followed an equally rapturous reception at Nairobi airport.
The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, said the athletes will stay among family friends in the camp for a week before returning to their training camp in the Nairobi suburbs.
The camp holds more than 180,000 people, refugees who have fled fighting in places like South Sudan.
Beacon of hope
Sport appears to be one of the few things that gives hope to those living in such harsh conditions, something noted by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC created a £2 million training fund to help take refugee athletes to Rio -- the first to appear at an Olympic Games.
#TeamRefugees receive a heroes welcome in #Kakuma today with a big celebration to honour their achievements. pic.twitter.com/WHzoLXOQmQ — FilmAid Kenya (@filmaidkenya) August 29, 2016
The 10-strong team that competed under the Olympic flag at Rio certainly touched the hearts of many across the world.
A giant mural dedicated to the stateless refugee team -- originally from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Syria -- appeared on the streets of Rio.
And who could forget the smile of 18-year-old Yusra Mardini after winning her 100-meter butterfly heat? She swam for Syria in the short-course world championships in 2012 but was forced to swim for her life while trying to flee the conflict there. Her boat capsized off the Greek coast.
'Highlight was meeting champions'
Five of her team mates grew up in Kakuma before joining a track and field project set up by former Kenyan Olympic marathon runner Tegla Loroupe.
Five members of #TeamRefugees arrive back in Kakuma camp to a huge reception by close relatives & Kakuma residents. pic.twitter.com/OxAr0E5dXR — UNHCR KENYA (@UNHCR_Kenya) August 29, 2016
Yiech Pur Biel, a 21-year-old refugee from South Sudan, was chosen by Loroupe's foundation, and, despite having no shoes at the camp, ran in the 800 meters in Rio.
The athletes were greeted at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta airport by friends, family and a troupe of drummers from Burundi, and it's where Biel told of his joy at mixing with the world's best athletes.
"The highlight was meeting champions -- and competing with champions," he said on the U.N. refugee agency website (UNHCR)
"But we have also shown the world refugees doing something very good, so that people know refugees for who we are," he said.
Flight from war
Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, who ran in the 1,500 meters, fled South Sudan more than 15 years ago and has not seen her family since, the UNHCR reports.
But she said the Rio experience has made her realize that she can achieve any objective.
"Meeting people from around the world was the best thing about Rio for me. Now I am focused only on finding a way to see my family again," she said on the website.
Ahead of the games, 800-meter runner Rose Nathike Lokonyen told of her flight from the brutal civil war in South Sudan, first on foot and then squashed in the back of a truck. She made it out alive, grew up in Kakuma and then joined the training camp.
"Life was so much hard compared to training in this place. The life in Kakuma camp was so hard," she said.
Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Every competitor at the 2016 Olympics will have undergone a personal journey to reach Rio. But for some athletes, notably a number of refugee competitors, the path has been truly life changing ... Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Paul Amotun Lokoro: South Sudan, 100m – Paul Amotun Lokoro fled war in his home country of South Sudan. Years later, the 24-year-old is aiming to not just compete, but thrive at the Olympic Games."I want to win a gold," he says. "If I win the race, I will be famous!" Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Rose Nathike Lokonyen: South Sudan, 800m – Fourteen years after leaving South Sudan for the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, Rose Nathike Lokonyen is set to line up alongside some of the world's finest middle distance runners at Rio 2016. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Yiech Pur Biel: South Sudan, 800m – Pur Biel also fled the Sudanese civil war, arriving at the Kakuma camp in 2005. The 21-year-old cites the prospect of Rio 2016 as "a great moment in my life and a story to my children and grandchildren." Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Rami Anis: Syria, Swimming – Six years ago, Rami Anis was swimming for Syria at the Asian Games in China. But in 2011, he fled his home of Aleppo to escape bombing. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Leaving Syria, reaching Rio – His new coach in Belgium believes Anis' place in the Rio 2016 Olympic refugee team is a form of "justice".
Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Yusra Mardini: Swimming, Syria – Joining Rami on the team is 18-year-old Yusra Mardini, another refugee from Syria who now trains in Germany. Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Youngest refugee athlete – Mardini's coach, Sven Spannekrebs (pictured left here), will be one of the backroom staff joining the refugee team for Rio.
Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Popole Misenga: Democratic Republic of Congo, Judo – Congolese judo athlete Popole Misenga sought asylum in Brazil after the 2013 world championships in Rio. He will be on the official Olympic Refugee Team for the 2016 Games in the same city. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team New life in Rio – Misenga, 24, has married a Brazilian and has a young son since being granted asylum. He says Rio is a "magical place" to live. Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Anjelina Nadai Lohalith: South Sudan, 1500m – Anjelina Lohalith, 21, left her home country when she was just eight years old. While her family remain in South Sudan, she will now compete in Rio in the 1500m for the Refugee Olympic Team. Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Yonas Kinde: Ethiopia, Marathon – 36-year-old Yonas Kinde left Ethiopia for Luxembourg in 2012 and immediately pursued his love for running. He soon becoming the best long distance runner in the tiny European country. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team James Nyang Chiengjiek: South Sudan, 400m – Just 13-years-old when he left his home, Chiengjiek managed to avoid the fate of South Sudan's child soldiers. He reached Kenya's Kakuma camp in 2002, quickly capitalizing on his athletic talents despite a lack of top class facilities. Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Beyond the team – Raheleh Asemani, formerly a taekwondo athlete for Iran, was on the shortlist for the Olympic Refugee Team -- but will now compete for Belgium in Rio having been granted citizenship. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Meet the first ever refugee team Woman behind the team – For many years, Kenyan marathon runner Tegla Loroupe has been using athletics to work toward peace in Africa. Five of the Olympic Refugee Team are South Sudanese refugees from her foundation's training center, and she will be the team's chef de mission.
Hide Caption 15 of 15
The UNHCR says the athletes will now return to the training camp in a town north of the Kenyan capital Nairobi and all wanted to continue competing.
In an interview with the UNHCR, Yiech Pur Biel speaks of his hopes for the future and of his love of running. "I can continue to achieve or leave a legacy, to leave a legacy for other people," he said.
Anjelina Nadai Lohalith added: "I will continue with sport and at least I have to make my future bright when I work hard because right now I am looking forward to support my family and my siblings.
The African athletes will continue to train at the Tegla Loroupe camp and, according to the UNHCR, prepare for possible participation in the World Championships in 2017.
UNHCR spokesman in Kenya, Marco Lembo, who is working on making the athlete program permanent, told CNN: "We believe this is just the beginning of a long process which will allow for refugee athletes to participate in the Olympics.
"They represent more than 60 million people. It's the symbolism of this that is so important. We hope to expand this program to work with more refugees and in more disciplines. We need to ensure long term sustainability."

Rio refugee team to get heroes' welcome at Kakuma camp


Five of the Olympic Refugee Team have returned to a heroes' welcome at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya where they grew up.


Britney Spears and James Corden sang "Toxic" during a "Carpool Karaoke" segment on CBS's "The Late Late Show."


(CNN) "I'm very proud of my size 14 hips," Ashley Graham told CNN at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night.
"The only pressure that I feel is to continue to represent women of all shapes and sizes in a correct manner," she said. "I think that I'm doing that by eating healthy, working out and staying true to who I am. I am a very curvy, voluptuous woman."
Graham, who was featured on the 2016 cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition, has been vocal about her experiences being body shamed -- no matter her size.
"I'm too big. I'm too small. I'm too pretty. I'm too ugly. And I think at the end of the day, no woman is ever going to be good enough for society," Graham said. "So why not just start embracing what is the difference in you and saying that is beautiful."
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"I'm very proud of my size 14 hips," Ashley Graham told CNN at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night.


Story highlights Donald Trump will lay out his immigration policy in a speech next week
Until then, Twitter is the best we can do to search for clues
Washington (CNN) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is expected to lay out his position on immigration in a speech next week in Arizona. But right now, very little is clear about Trump's immigration policy, other than the fact that he has hinted at a "softening" on his position on undocumented immigrants, while at the same time saying he would not be flip-flopping.
In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper Thursday, Trump didn't clarify whether he still supported forcibly deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, although he did suggest any solution would take time and that securing the border would be his first priority. He also said he would only support a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants who first left the US and returned.
Anyone following Trump's presidential bid knows that one source can be trusted to usually mystify and occasionally clarify Trump's minute-by-minute thoughts on the news of the day: his personal Twitter account.
These tweets help trace Trump's thoughts on illegal immigration from his controversial campaign announcement last June up to Friday morning.
June 2015

13 illuminating Donald Trump immigration tweets


Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is expected to lay out his position on immigration in a speech next week in Arizona. But right now, very little is clear about Trump's immigration policy, other than the fact that he has hinted at a "softening" on his position on undocumented immigrants, while at the same time saying he would not be flip-flopping.


(CNN) Brazil's post-Olympic high is coming to an abrupt end as the trial to impeach its first female president comes to a head.
On Monday, embattled President Dilma Rousseff is due to make an appearance in front of lawmakers to argue her case.
It's not clear if an impassioned speech will do any good, though -- the tide of opinion is against her and the appearance is widely expected to be her last public address.
It's an ugly return to reality for the South American nation, with the final vote in the long-running drama coming hard on the heels of its largest city, Rio de Janeiro, hosting of the 2016 Summer Olympics earlier in August.
This impeachment process has dragged for months, far pre-dating the Olympic torch lighting ceremony-- a glitzy showpiece that, despite orchestrating, Rousseff was barred from attending. It's a political crisis that ordinary Brazilians could do well without -- the country is trying to pick itself out of recession.
Rousseff calls the impeachment an attempt at a power-grab by her rivals, saying her government has long been the target of political sabotage.
"When Brazil or when a president is impeached for a crime that they have not committed, the name we have for this in democracy, it's not an impeachment, it is a coup," she said in May after the Senate voted to launch the proceedings.
The heir-apparent to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- universally known as "Lula" -- Rousseff was re-elected by a narrow margin in 2014 but soon a recession and a cross-party corruption scandal that engulfed the country put paid to any political goodwill that she might have clung on to.
JUST WATCHED Dilma Rousseff: This is a coup d'etat Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Dilma Rousseff: This is a coup d'etat 02:55
She's currently suspended from all official duties and has -- for the time being, at least -- been replaced by her erstwhile deputy, Michel Temer, a man she accuses of stabbing her in the back.
The final vote to impeach, which needs to be ratified by 54 votes in favor, or two-thirds majority of 81 senators, is expected Tuesday.
If the vote passes -- and most Brazil watchers expect it to do so, easily -- Temer will become the country's new president, until 2018's general election, at least. Unfortunately for him, he'll inherit the country's tattered economy along with the keys to the Presidential palace in Brasilia.
What do the polls say about Rousseff?
Rousseff's popularity soared when she was elected Brazil's first female President in 2010. But now, the numbers don't look so good.
Lately, her approval rating has been hovering around 10%, according to recent polls.
For some context, pollster Ipsos said in a report last month that Rousseff's approval rating was around 15%, while former US President Richard Nixon's approval rating was 25% before he resigned and former US President Bill Clinton's approval rating was 65% before his impeachment.
Photos: Brazilians protest -- for and against -- president's impeachment Brazilians celebrate the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 12, 2016. The former leader denounced the move as "a coup." Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Brazilians protest -- for and against -- president's impeachment Interim president Michel Temer said Brazil must be united to move forward. "We don't have a lot of time. We have to be committed so we can implement the reforms that the country needs," he said. Five things to know about Temer Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Brazilians protest -- for and against -- president's impeachment The decision to impeach Rousseff came after about 20 hours of debate in the Senate. She's been suspended for 180 days, and while she'll retain the title of President, she won't perform any of the duties of the office. Rousseff: What she keeps, what she loses Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Brazilians protest -- for and against -- president's impeachment Riot police arrest a Rousseff supporter during a protest in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 12. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Brazilians protest -- for and against -- president's impeachment Fifty-five of 81 members of Brazil's upper house voted in favor of the motion to impeach Rousseff on Thursday. Twenty-two voted against. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Brazilians protest -- for and against -- president's impeachment Along with the precarious state of the Brazilian economy, the country faces a number of other, high-profile challenges, from dealing with the Zika virus to a fraught 2016 Olympics, which are due to open in Rio de Janeiro in August. Hide Caption 6 of 6
What is she accused of?
She faces accusations that she doctored accounts ahead of her re-election in 2014 to hide a budget shortfall and to keep funding popular social programs, Rousseff maintains that she didn't do anything illegal and is expected to counter that some of the lawmakers investigating her are themselves under investigation for corruption.
"I have made mistakes, but I have not committed any crimes. I am being judged unjustly, because I have followed the law to the letter," Rousseff said.
Her government has been fighting corruption allegations for a while.
A sweeping investigation into a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme at the state-run oil company Petrobras embroiled dozens of the country's leading businessmen and politicians. While she isn't accused directly of profiting, Rousseff was the chairwoman of the state oil company during many of the years of the alleged corruption.
How much of her term is left?
Rousseff's term is set to end in December 2018. Right now, she's suspended for up to 180 days, and Temer is the acting president. If she's found guilty in the impeachment proceedings, she'll be removed from office. She insists she'll stick around to see out her term, but Tuesday's vote will determine that.
Who is behind the impeachment?
Again, like many things in Brazil's tumultuous political landscape, it depends whom you ask. But in the country's lower house, one man had been leading the charge: Eduardo Cunha.

President Rousseff to take stand in impeachment trial


Brazil's post-Olympic high is coming to an abrupt end as the trial to impeach its first female president comes to a head.


Photos: 10. Taitung, Taiwan – The footbridge which connects small, uninhabited Sanxiantai Island to Taitung is celebrated for its eight looping arches. This coastal county is in Lonely Planet's list of top destinations in Asia to visit in 2016. Click through the rest of the gallery to see the top ten. Hide Caption 1 of 10
Photos: 9. Meghalaya, India – "Meghalaya won't stay this quiet for long; go before thrill seekers storm the Khasi Hills," advises Lonely Planet. Pictured is Nohkalikai Falls, India's tallest plunge waterfall at 340 meters. Hide Caption 2 of 10
Photos: 8. Trang Islands, Thailand – The islands of Trang, a sleepy province in southeast Thailand, have remained under the radar. Wooden longtail boats can be rented to travel between the islands -- and to see the endangered dugongs. Hide Caption 3 of 10
Photos: 7. Pemuteran, Indonesia – Bali's Pemeturan has sites for scuba diving among coral-covered Buddha statues, while ground-level offerings include beachfront resorts and restaurants. Hide Caption 4 of 10
Photos: 6. Ipoh, Malaysia – Around 200 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur, the former British colonial city is now a foodie destination, where local street food and boutique cafes abound. Hide Caption 5 of 10
Photos: 5. Hong Kong, China – A junk boat set against the famous skyline might be the iconic shot of Hong Kong, but Lonely Planet picked the territory for its natural heritage miles away from Victoria Harbor. Hide Caption 6 of 10
Photos: 4. Con Dao Islands, Vietnam – Once the site of the infamous Con Dao prison, Vietnam's isolated archipelago of 16 islands known as the Con Dao Islands is starting to become known for its scenery and fresh seafood. Hide Caption 7 of 10
Photos: 3. Jeonju, South Korea – Hundreds of traditional Korean houses remain in central Jeonju's Hanok village. Hide Caption 8 of 10
Photos: 2. Shanghai, China – The enormous metropolis of Shanghai -- China's most populous city -- has an historic urban core which sits alongside its status as a contemporary, global financial hub. Hide Caption 9 of 10


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Barbra Streisand tells Michaela Pereira she is surprised 'we've not come a little farther' on gender equality.


(CNN) The derelict is not the first thing that most people would choose to study, but neglected and rotting structures are photographer Brian Precious' specialty.
A 40-year old executive at a transport company by day, he visits abandoned buildings in his spare time -- from sorry-looking children's camps and vacant hospitals to run-down castles -- creating haunting images of places reduced to just a shadow of their former selves.
The interest in all things abandoned was spurred by his hometown of Rotterdam, which was almost completely destroyed during World War II. A photography course in 2010 then set the wheels in motion.
While there is a melancholic beauty his work, he readily admits that his style is niche and not something most people would want to place on their living room wall.
Here, he discusses how to find appeal in unexpected places.
How do you scout locations?
It's really a way of life because you have to look on Google Earth to search for areas where you see the grass has not been mowed. You check the newspapers for messages for hospitals that are out of use.
It takes a lot of time, and I have two small kids and a family. It takes a lot of money.
In the Netherlands, where I live, buildings that are abandoned get boarded up. Belgium is a two-hour drive from my home, but you can also go to France, Germany, Austria and further and further. Hotels and plane tickets add up.
What region have you found to be the most fertile for abandoned sites?
The former East Germany, which used to be divided by the Berlin Wall. There are a lot of abandoned buildings there.
Also, in the skiing areas in the Czech Republic or in Germany. At one point people went skiing and hotels popped up, but when people went elsewhere they had to close down. In Austria, there's a ski town that's almost completely abandoned.
The Netherlands doesn't really have castles like they do in Italy and Poland. They cost a lot of money and, especially when they deteriorate, renovation costs are pretty high. The renovation costs are then higher than the worth of the buildings, so then it just keeps on deteriorating. Even demolishing is more expensive than leaving it to rot.
Do you often run into obstacles while photographing derelict structures?
Normally, if they see us with a camera they think we're okay. We're not destroying stuff. I want to shoot pictures of how I found it. If I start moving stuff then you get a staged living room. It's not real.
We usually go early in the morning when the sun is just coming up and everyone is sleeping. If there's a gate, we may climb over the gate or we find a hole in the gate. We don't break stuff. The worse thing the police can say is delete your pictures but that's it. It's a bit of a thrill.
What is your most memorable shoot?
There was a big castle in Belgium. We'd been there several times, but we could never find an entry. As a rule, we don't break in. It should be open or else you don't enter.
We went at five in the morning. We took pictures. There was a Jeep circling around the castle continuously. We thought this was not good, but we continued because nobody called us. We thought we needed to step out and the police showed up. They asked us what we're doing here. They checked what was in our car and that no stuff was taken in our bags.
So we went to the police station, got mugshots, but they let us leave. Once we stepped out, we had a beer but then chose to go to a factory nearby to photograph some more.
What do you find beautiful about decay?
The history of the place, definitely. Nature taking over too. Sometimes you see a roof collapsed and moss growing on the floor. If you leave it as it is, a tree will grow in the house, and things like that are what fascinates people, I think.
I don't see it as negative. Decay can be very beautiful but it's personal. A lot of people like the pictures because it raises questions but to hang it on your living room wall, that's another question.


Dutch photographer Brian Precious turns his lens on rotting buildings across Europe.


Story highlights NASA first developed a thermal cloak to protect Skylab after it lost a heat shield at launch
The technology was used to manufacture reflective space blankets that help protect people from cold
(CNN) They appear after shark attacks, marathons, earthquakes and even terrorist attacks like the one in Paris last year. And they have appeared en masse most recently in images of migrants and refugees attempting deadly crossings of the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
They are commonly called space blankets and they look like sheets of foil, silver on one side and gold on the other.
They look that way for a reason. They're flyweight, plastic sheets layered with an infrared coating of vaporized aluminum that make them super reflective so they can effectively shield a person from cold temperatures and brisk winds and help retain body heat.
NASA developed insulation material for Skylab after it lost a heat shield at launch.
But why are they called space blankets? They actually do have an interstellar connection.
NASA used the same shiny insulation material to protect many of its Earth-made crafts from the much harsher environment of space. It was first used as a parasol-type shield to keep Skylab from overheating after the spacecraft lost a heat shield during launch, according to NASA.
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Trump links Clinton to crime in voter outreach strategy


In an attempt to win the support of black voters, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is blaming Hillary Clinton for high crime and gun violence. CNN's Dana Bash reports.