Saturday, February 28, 2015

Lupita Nyong'o's Oscars dress found?

The police may have found the missing dress.



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Supermassive black hole discovered





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6 questions about Netanyahu's U.S. visit





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What Star Trek taught me

In my first grade imagination, I was anticipating the kind of world we'd like to live in now.



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Coffin bread? It's a tradition in this city





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Laborer's shooting haunts family

A proud laborer from Mexico, Antonio Zambrano-Montes picked fruit in the orchards of Washington state, but when his most valuable tools -- his hands -- became injured last year. he fell into deep despair.



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Sex assault fugitive pastor caught in Brazil

Victor Arden Barnard, an American pastor wanted for 59 counts of sexual assaults in Minnesota, was arrested by Brazilian authorities on Friday, the office of the governor for the State of Rio Grande do Norte said Saturday.



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Nemtsov killing: A chilling historical parallel?

Boris Nemtsov is not the first Russian opposition politician to have been killed under questionable circumstances -- and one historical case in particular bares a striking resemblance.



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Presidential hopeful: Foreign policy will drive 2016 election

Indiana Governor Mike Pence says "'Jihadi John' doesn't want a job," and 2016 could be the first election since the Reagan era that is led by America's involvement overseas.



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Kanye West: 'I'm sorry Beck'

Kanye West is on an apology spree.



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Embassies moved out of Yemeni capital

Four Gulf countries now have opened embassies in Aden, Yemen, where President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi fled after being deposed.



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Scottish football team trounced 10-0

Everything was going to plan for Cowdenbeath during its Scottish Championship clash with table-topping Heart of Midlothian Saturday.



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CPAC ratings: How did Republican hopefuls fare?

Conservatives are trying to overcome their biggest challenge: themselves.



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Maduro: Venezuela holding American

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Saturday a series of measures, including visa requirements for U.S. citizens and the downsizing of the US embassy in Caracas, to counteract what he called U.S. "interference" in his country.



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Federer dispatches No. 1 Djokovic

A ruthless Roger Federer confidently dispatched World No 1. Novak Djokovic 6-3 7-5 to take the Dubai Championships Saturday in little over one hour and 36 minutes.



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Egypt: Hamas listed as terror group

An Egyptian court has ruled that Hamas is a terrorist organization, according to an Egyptian state-run media organization.



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U.S.: We will find 'Jihadi John'

Shortly after the ISIS recruit known as Jihadi John was unmasked as Mohammed Emwazi of London -- outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder vowed, "Anyone involved in the killing of American citizens will be held accountable. It doesn't matter where you are, we will find you. We will hunt you down."



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ISIS killer grew up a 'typical teen'

The world knows him as a violent extremist but just a few years ago he appears to have been an ordinary boy -- loving The Simpsons, pop music and soccer.



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Barcelona close La Liga gap

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez combined to ensure Barcelona returned to winning La Liga ways by overcoming lowly Granada 3-1 Saturday on a far from perfect pitch at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes.



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ISIS 'to release 29 Assyrian Christians'

An ISIS court in northern Syria has ordered the release of 29 Assyrian Christian hostages among more than 200 captured by the Sunni extremist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday, citing an Assyrian commander.



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Slain opposition leader had 'many enemies'

The slaying of prominent anti-corruption campaigner Boris Nemtsov has shocked Russia, and outraged fellow opposition figures, but it may not have come as a total surprise.



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Boko Haram and ISIS: Planning an alliance?

They share an apocalyptic "end-of-days" vision and now there are signs that Boko Haram may be edging towards a pledge of allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.



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What color is #TheDress? Science answers

Before you strangle your best friend who sees the colors in the now-famous dress differently than you do, please know that there's a scientific explanation.



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'House of Cards' season 2 in under 2 minutes

Binge watching season 3? Forgot what happened in season 2? We recap the Netflix series 'House of Cards' in under 2 minutes.



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Do people really get to work like this?





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This Kenyan teen brought poop power to his school

When Leroy Mwasaru's school in western Kenya faced a sewage problem, the teenager and a group of friends set out to fix it.



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Japan: Prince's 'coded rebuke' to PM

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito celebrated his 55th birthday by weighing in on the current controversies swirling around Japan's wartime past.



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'Star Trek's' Leonard Nimoy dies

Leonard Nimoy, whose portrayal of "Star Trek's" logic-driven, half-human science officer Spock made him an iconic figure to generations, has died, family members say.



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Ukraine: Ceasefire hangs by 'hair trigger'

CNN's Diana Magnay reports from Donetsk, where an uneasy truce is giving residents a chance to assess what's left of their city.



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In a fight between a crab and an octopus, who would win ...?

CNN's Max Foster asks Isa Soares who do you think would win a battle between an octopus and a crab. Watch and see the answer.



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Iraq P.M.: ISIS will not destroy our history

During the reopening of the Baghdad Museum on Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi made one thing clear: The artwork that epitomizes Iraq's culture and history will not be wiped away by anyone or anything, including ISIS.



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Boko Haram: Here's exactly what you need to know

CNN's Nima Elbagir looks at the rise of the militant Islamic group working out of Nigeria.



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Volcano grows Japanese island

Magma and lava from a Japanese volcano is forming new geography in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.



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Anti-extremist blogger 'hacked to death'

A prominent secular writer who spoke out for freedom dies after being attacked in the Bangladeshi capital, a police official says.



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Boston bomber trial appeal shot down

A U.S. appeals court has shot down a request to move the trial for the accused Boston Marathon bomber to another city.



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Minister: 'India is about to take off'

"India is about to take off."



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U.S. suspects 'sent supplies' to terrorists

Six suspects linked to terrorist activity referred to Syria and Iraq as "the beach," and used other coded language on social media to avoid detection in the United States, authorities say.



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Astronaut finds water in helmet

NASA astronaut Terry Virts found a small amount of water in his helmet after a spacewalk this week, but it did not put him in any danger or interfere with his duties.



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UK populist leader pushes 'revolution'

British euro-skeptic firebrand Nigel Farage touted his "revolution" against political elites and warned against mass immigration as shared the spotlight with the Republican Party's top presidential hopefuls on Thursday.



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Bush thrives at CPAC conference

Jeb Bush didn't just survive his journey into the conservative bear pit. By the end, he actually seemed to be enjoying it.



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Time to face facts over extremism

The murder of atheist blogger Avijit Roy is just the latest occasion to make us question the root causes of Islamic extremism, says former CNN correspondent Frida Ghitis.



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Chad's army pursues militants in Nigeria

CNN's Arwa Damon travels with heavily armed Chadian fighters as they chase Boko Haram from Cameroon deep into Nigeria.



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Police: 7 killed in U.S. shootings

Nine people are dead after shootings in south-central Missouri, the Houston Herald newspaper in Missouri reported Friday morning, citing Texas County (Missouri) Sheriff James Sigman.



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Chelsea signs mega-deal

It's a club that has recently been embroiled in an unsavory racism controversy but that hasn't deterred a leading Japanese tire manufacturer deciding that Chelsea are the right fit for a shirt sponsorship deal.



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1,000-year-old mummified monk found in statue





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Friday, February 27, 2015

Why the flawed 'War on Terror' needs a reboot

"Hyper-militarized response" has characterized the War on Terror since 9-11 -- and it neglects crucial soft power tools like public diplomacy.



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Pedophile rocker sentenced

British former pop star Gary Glitter on Friday was sentenced to 16 years in prison for child sex abuse offenses he committed more than three decades ago.



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Losing my religion: Hotline helps would-be atheists





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Why blue/black/white/gold dress went viral

Studies show we are helpless to resist sharing positive news over more serious fare



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Mexican drug lord caught

Mexican authorities detain Servando Gomez, leader of the Knights Templar drug cartel, federal police say.



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Has Israel lost America's Democrats?

Is the Democratic party over for Israel?



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Argentina: Really no 'cover-up'

An Argentine judge has dismissed a criminal complaint accusing President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and other top leaders of covering up Iran's involvement in a 1994 terrorist bombing in Buenos Aires.



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'Supermassive' black hole discovered





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Conservatives look to oust Boehner

House Speaker John Boehner again faces a looming threat from conservatives to oust him as speaker, and it's tying his hands on funding the Department of Homeland Security.



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Lupita Nyong'o's dress recovered?

The police may have found the missing dress.



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Why we can't ignore dangers from Iran





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Golf legend launches ice cream range

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus proved almost unstoppable in a career which netted him 18 major titles but just maybe his then rivals could have disturbed his concentration on course by tempting him with his favorite treat.



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Will China embrace Prince William?

When Prince William steps onto the tarmac at Beijing's airport on Sunday -- the first visit to China by a senior member of the British Royal Family in three decades -- he might be expecting a dose of culture shock.



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... why do we see it so differently?

Before you strangle your best friend who sees the colors in the now-famous dress differently than you do, please know that there's a scientific explanation.



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Bangladeshi blogger Avijit Roy killed

A prominent Bangladeshi-American blogger who spoke out for freedom has died after being attacked on a Dhaka street, a local police official said Friday.



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Redmayne's transgender role snapped





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... or is it just ugly?

In the midst of the color debate, there's one thing the Internet does seem to agree upon.



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Biker gang: We will die for Putin

A Russian biker gang, known as the Night Wolves, back President Putin and have been hit with U.S. sanctions because of it. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.



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Astronaut finds water in helmet

NASA astronaut Terry Virts found a small amount of water in his helmet after a spacewalk this week, but it did not put him in any danger or interfere with his duties.



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British anti-EU leader fires up U.S. conservatives

British euro-skeptic firebrand Nigel Farage touted his "revolution" against political elites and warned against mass immigration as shared the spotlight with the Republican Party's top presidential hopefuls on Thursday.



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Nibal's Tour defense under threat

Vincenzo Nibali's defense of his Tour de France crown is in doubt after the UCI requested Friday that the Italian's Astana team has its WorldTour license withdrawn.



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Adultery legalized in S. Korea

For 62 years, if you cheated on your husband or wife in South Korea, you could end up in prison. Not anymore.



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Chad's army pursues militants in Nigeria

CNN's Arwa Damon goes along with heavily armed Chadian fighters as they chase Boko Haram from Cameroon deep into Nigeria.



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Report: Nine dead in U.S. shootings

Nine people are dead after shootings in south-central Missouri, the Houston Herald newspaper in Missouri reported Friday morning, citing Texas County (Missouri) Sheriff James Sigman.



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What's got Jose Mourinho smiling?

It's a club that has recently been embroiled in an unsavory racism controversy but that hasn't deterred a leading Japanese tire manufacturer deciding that Chelsea are the right fit for a shirt sponsorship deal.



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U.S. cops shot Mexican 17 times

Seventeen: That's how many shots police in Pasco, Washington, fired at Antonio Zambrano-Montes when they killed him after he allegedly hurled rocks at them.



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Why 'Jihadi John' is so worrying

Revelations over the identity of "Jihadi John" raise troubling issues for intelligence gathering -- but now we must find them like Nazi war criminals, says Anthony Glees.



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Child sex abuse: Pop star jailed

British former pop star Gary Glitter on Friday was sentenced to 16 years in prison for child sex abuse offenses he committed more than three decades ago.



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Nyong'o's pearl Oscars dress stolen

The pearls?! The swine!



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And the official color of the dress is ...

Michele Bastock, the head of buying and design at Roman, confirms the color of the dress that has everyone talking.



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'Knights Templar' cartel leader caught

Mexican authorities have detained Servando Gomez, leader of the Knights Templar drug cartel, federal police told CNN En Español on Friday.



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Has Israel lost America's democrats?

Is the Democratic party over for Israel?



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Argentina: Really no 'cover-up'

An Argentine judge has dismissed a criminal complaint accusing President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and other top leaders of covering up Iran's involvement in a 1994 terrorist bombing in Buenos Aires.



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'Supermassive' black hole 12 billion times the mass of sun





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'Ben Hur on snow': Welcome to the sport of skijoring

Skijoring has been likened to 'Ben Hur on show' as horses tow humans in skis in high-octane races.



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More to ISIS than 'Jihadi John' brand

Following the brutal killing of James Foley in August 2014, the masked face of "Jihadi John" first gained prominence across our TV screens, newspapers, and social media feeds.



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Shaky Ukraine ceasefire takes hold

A row over natural gas supply flared Friday between Russia and Ukraine, even as a ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine appeared to be taking hold.



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Why Austria's hills are still alive with 'The Sound of Music'

"The Sound of Music" turns 50 this year. How better to celebrate the anniversary than to visit the Salzburg scenes where the movie was set?



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U.S. can now buy Cuban cigars ... legally

Cuban tobacco growers welcome chance to sell cigars to Americans. CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports.



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Ex-ISIS captive: 'Brits were harshest'

Didier Francois -- who spent more than 10 months as an ISIS prisoner in Syria -- told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that he was guarded by "Jihadi John."



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Chad's military pursues militants in Nigeria

CNN's Arwa Damon goes along with heavily armed Chadian fighters as they chase Boko Haram from Cameroon deep into Nigeria.



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Kanye West: 'I'm sorry Beck'

Kanye West is on an apology spree.



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Qatar loses 2021 Confederation Cup

First the World Cup, now its little brother: FIFA has announced that the Qatari summer will be too hot to hold the Confederations Cup in 2021, and the tournament will thus be moved.



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'Jihadi John:' Bourgeois terrorist tests poverty narrative

This is how top national security reporters Souad Mekhennet and Adam Goldman of the Washington Post, who broke the story that Mohammed Emwazi has been identified as the notorious ISIS terrorist known as "Jihadi John," describe him: "a Briton from a well-to-do family who grew up in West London and graduated from college with a degree in computer programming."



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Inside the ISIS recruitment machine

ISIS uses slick videos and social media to lure wanna-be jihadis, CNN's Randi Kaye reports.



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Mud wrestler to decorated Olympian

The popular image of wrestling may be of WWE superstars pretending to fight each other in luridly-colored spandex but Yogeshwar Dutt's version of the sport has a much more earthy appeal.



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Afghanistan makes cricket history

Afghanistan achieved an historic victory Thursday as it beat Scotland to win its first ever cricket World Cup match.



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Missing Canadians may have ISIS link

On the same day Canadian authorities revealed an investigation into a group of teenagers believed to be trying to join ISIS, a community college attended by three of the students suspended its agreement with an Islamic group.



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Thursday, February 26, 2015

1,000-year-old mummified monk found in statue

A golden statue of a sitting Buddha, smuggled from a temple in China to a market in the Netherlands, revealed an extraordinary secret -- a 1000-year-old mummified monk.



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Iran blasts mock U.S. carrier

Iran blasted its mock-up of a U.S. aircraft carrier during naval drills on Wednesday, swarming the target with 100 speedboats armed with rockets, shoulder-launched missiles and mortars as well as striking it with cruise missiles, according to reports from Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency.



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Why are they dumping carriages into the ocean?





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Terrorist named; rights group says he felt harassed

A man with a British accent seen in ISIS videos beheading Western hostages is identified, according to U.S. sources -- as a rights group says the suspect told them he felt harassed.



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Maid abuser sentenced 6 years

A Hong Kong housewife has been sentenced to six years in prison for abusing a young Indonesian worker she kept prisoner in her home.



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ISIS destroys antiquities in Iraq

They take sledgehammers to statues with an uncommon gusto -- destroying in seconds what may have survived centuries.



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Putin's approval rating soars

The economy's in the tank, the currency's crumbling, and he's risking diplomatic isolation for doubling down on Ukraine.



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India's most wanted reform is...

India hopes to implement one of its most important reforms during this budget session. CNN's Sumnima Udas explains.



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Dear Internet: What color is this dress?





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What is Banksy doing in Gaza?





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Obama backs decriminalizing pot

President Barack Obama said states could overhaul their laws to discourage marijuana the same way "we've been able to discourage a lot of other bad things that people do" -- like using tobacco.



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Japan's prince: Look humbly on past

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito celebrated his 55th birthday by weighing in on the current controversies swirling around Japan's wartime past.



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Spring tide

The fresh, clean, premium-priced waters of Changbaishan

BENEATH the frozen flanks of East Asia’s most revered mountain, in China’s north-eastern Jilin province, a huddle of sleek new processing plants will soon be packaging its precious essence: spring water. Known to the Chinese as Changbaishan, the mountain and its premium mineral water are the stars of the country’s frothing bottled-water market.


In a country with just 7% of the world’s freshwater supplies but 20% of its population, cheaper bottles of water taken from river basins, lakes and underground, and of purified tap water, are even more popular than expensive mineral waters. In the past five years China’s guzzling of bottled water has almost doubled, according to Euromonitor, a research firm, from 19 billion to 37 billion litres. It has also more than doubled its share of global consumption since 2006. In 2013 the country overtook America as the biggest market for bottled water by volume, according to Canadean, another research group.


Hygiene and health concerns among China’s rising middle class have stoked demand as more migrate to cities, where...






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Recalling the boss


“I’D SOONER die than imitate other people,” said Soichiro Honda, founder of the firm that is now Japan’s third-largest carmaker. On February 23rd Honda’s current boss, Takanobu Ito, suffered lesser consequences after trying to follow in the tyre tracks of Toyota and Nissan. He will quit in June after a year of recalls and disappointing sales that led in January to a second profit warning in three months. His error was to embark on an over-ambitious expansion plan in an effort to close the gap with Honda’s closest rivals.


Mr Ito’s decision to quit was not unduly premature. Like him, most recent bosses have lasted for around six years. But the timing was undoubtedly influenced by the spate of recalls, which has affected millions of vehicles. Honda had to replace faulty airbags made by Takata, a Japanese supplier, that in a few instances exploded. Quality problems of Honda’s own making accounted for many others.


The recalls not only cost money but delayed the launch of new models, which hit sales. It now expects to sell 4.5m cars in the year to March, 127,000 fewer than it had hoped. One of Mr Ito’s final decisions was...






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Why Target lost its aim

Where are the shoppers?

AT ONE of Target’s shops in downtown Chicago, one recent weekend, customers congregated in the electronics department and the area that sells towels and bedding. Upstairs, the women’s clothes department was almost deserted. A quick examination of its stock revealed why: dowdy dresses, garish sweaters and jackets that any reasonably fashion-conscious woman under 60 would surely spurn.


For many shoppers, Target no longer hits the spot. In its annual results this week it admitted that the cost of retreating from a disastrous foray into Canada, and of closing underperforming shops in America, would be a whopping $5.1 billion.


It is an astonishing reversal of fortune. A decade ago Target had such a chic image that people called it “Tar-zhay” with a faux French accent. The Minneapolis-based discounter thrived after reinventing itself as a seller of designer-label clothing at affordable prices. It teamed up with designers such as Alexander McQueen, Proenza Schouler and Zac Posen, and attracted young, predominantly female shoppers with higher disposable incomes...






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Growing by shrinking

IT TOOK more than three years, but on February 24th Finmeccanica, Italy’s state-controlled aerospace and defence group, said it had found a buyer for its rail businesses. Hitachi, a Japanese conglomerate, will pay €773m ($876m) for Finmeccanica’s 40% stake in Ansaldo STS, a railway-signalling company listed on Milan’s stock exchange, and €36m for AnsaldoBreda, a trainmaker (and lossmaker) fully owned by Finmeccanica.


The deal will make Hitachi the fourth-biggest company in the rail-equipment business worldwide, behind Bombardier of Canada, Siemens of Germany and Alstom of France. For Finmeccanica it marks an important step in the industrial plan it announced in January, following the appointment last year of a new chief executive, Mauro Moretti.


Saddled with debt and reeling from a series of corruption scandals, the Italian industrial giant has been seeking to get out of activities it now sees as non-core, to cut its debts and improve its cashflow. It is Europe’s third-biggest military supplier (after BAE Systems of Britain and Airbus of France). Half its profits come from AgustaWestland, a world leader in helicopters, but the group is also into defence electronics, missiles and civil-aircraft parts. At the plan’s unveiling last month, Mr Moretti said Finmeccanica was spread too thin and was wasting money where it could not win: of the 18 business...






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The granny state


INVOKING the spirit of the Blitz, Britain’s Conservative-led government says that, when it comes to austerity, Britons are in it together. Yet the group born under the shadow of the country’s wartime trials is largely exempt. Since 2010 the basic state pension has risen by 16%—5% in real terms—under a formula that guarantees generous increases whatever the economic weather. Pensioners also enjoy free TV licences, free bus passes and a handout to help pay winter fuel bills. The government even subsidises their savings, by offering bonds yielding 4% interest—more than five times its own borrowing cost—exclusively to the over-65s. And if the Tories are returned to power at the general election in May, oldies can expect more of this largesse. On February 23rd David Cameron, the Tory prime minister, promised to protect their handouts on the basis that “these people have fought wars, seen us through recessions—made this the great country it is today” (see article).


That argument is...






from The Economist: Leaders http://ift.tt/1LJvZth

A slow-motion coup


VENEZUELA’S “Bolivarian” regime is lurching from authoritarianism to dictatorship. On February 19th it arrested the elected mayor of metropolitan Caracas, Antonio Ledezma. Then it moved to expel Julio Borges, a moderate opposition leader, from the National Assembly—a fate already suffered by his colleague, María Corina Machado, ejected last year. Leopoldo López, another opposition leader, has been in jail for a year and is now on trial. Almost half the opposition’s mayors now face legal action. The regime’s favourite charge to level at hostile politicians is plotting to overthrow the government, often in conspiracy with the United States. But it is the president, Nicolás Maduro, who is staging a coup against the last vestiges of democracy. Venezuelans call it an autogolpe, or “self-coup”.


Hugo Chávez, who created and presided over the Bolivarian state-socialist system until his death in 2013, was repeatedly elected by Venezuelans, thanks to windfall oil revenues and his rapport with the poor. He took his majority as a mandate to squeeze the life out of Venezuelan democracy, seizing control of the courts and the electoral...






from The Economist: Leaders http://ift.tt/1LJvX4L

Games that must stop


BAKU is humming with the customary accompaniments to showcase events: lavish new facilities are being finished, sponsors schmoozed, and human-rights activists and awkward journalists locked up. For June’s European Games—an unconvincing new tournament that Azerbaijan is hosting—the brutal regime is using the formula it honed at the Eurovision Song Contest of 2012, and hopes to deploy for the Olympic games of 2024. Smile, spend big and suppress dissent.


Sport is separate from politics, and can even be therapy for it; or so its organisers often maintain. What does it matter if some faraway goon blows his petrodollars on a summer jamboree—or a winter one, as will now be the case for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which FIFA, football’s disgraced governing body, this week farcically moved to December to avoid the intolerable heat? It matters. Frivolous as they seem, staging these events in ghastly places not only tarnishes FIFA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other overseers. It renders all involved complicit in corruption, and worse.


As a new study (reviewed on page 82) makes clear, democratic governments and their pinched...






from The Economist: Leaders http://ift.tt/1Bh7Hpp

Class struggle


IN THE first week of March university students in China will return from a break of six weeks or more. They will find a new chill in the air. While they have been away, officials have been speaking stridently—indeed, in the harshest terms heard in years—about the danger of “harmful Western influences” on campuses, and the need to tighten ideological control over students and academic staff.


Universities have always been worrisome to the Communist Party; they have a long history in China as wellsprings of anti-government unrest. The party appoints university presidents. Its committees on campuses vet the appointment of teaching staff. Students are required to study Marxist theory and socialism. They are not allowed to study politically sensitive topics such as the grievances of Tibetans or the army’s crushing of the student-led protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.


There is no sign of an anti-party campaign developing on campuses (students are signing up for party membership in droves, believing it to be a path to career success). But since Xi Jinping took over as China’s leader in 2012, the party has been trying to reinforce its...






from The Economist: China http://ift.tt/1FYPO1i

Red red army

ENSURING that troops remain loyal to the Communist Party has been a central aim of military training since the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in 1927 as a guerrilla force in the countryside. President Xi Jinping wants to make them even redder.


Political education is already time-consuming. In basic training, troops spend about 40% of their week studying the history of the Communist Party and the military writings of party leaders. After boot camp they continue to devote 20-30% of it to ideology. The top brass are not exempt: an official report last year on a meeting of the Central Military Commission, the armed forces’ high command, of which Mr Xi is chairman, said that participants had genned up beforehand on the military thoughts of Mao Zedong and the like. Political officers, responsible for instilling party discipline, command jointly with officers in charge of soldiering.


Mr Xi, who enjoys more clout in the armed services than any of his predecessors since Deng Xiaoping, says he wants to modernise the PLA and boost its readiness to fight. He sees ideological training as crucial to this; a “magic weapon”, he says, for winning victories. This month he declared that “corrupt ideas and cultures” could damage morale. Soldiers, he said, should be “absolutely loyal, absolutely pure and absolutely reliable”.


Indoctrination is...






from The Economist: China http://ift.tt/1GxCK0b

Wedding wows

Falling in love

OVERSIZE cupids in pink, furry outfits hand out heart-shaped balloons with “I Do” written on them (in English) at a wedding-themed trade fair in Beijing. Vendors offer romantic photo-shoots of couples under water or at a racetrack, personalised wedding cigarettes, and biscuits with names such as “Date & Fate”. An emphasis on love is a new addition to Chinese weddings—and shines a pink-filtered spotlight on social change.


For centuries, marriage in China was about ensuring heirs for the groom’s family. Ceremonies centred on the groom’s kin: couples kowtowed to the man’s parents but the woman’s relatives were absent. Unusually, both the groom’s and the bride’s family exchanged money or goods. The more money changed hands, the more opulent the wedding.


After it came to power in 1949, the Communist Party imposed frugality. Dowries consisted of necessities like bed linen or a bicycle; guests brought their own food coupons. But since the 1980s the extravagance of nuptials has matched the country’s rise. Celebrations moved out of homes into hotels. Brides swapped traditional red dresses for...






from The Economist: China http://ift.tt/1GxCMFm

Looking within


WESTERN leaders have long urged Muslims to do more to counter jihadist ideology. This month Barack Obama said moderate Muslims, including scholars and clerics, had a responsibility to reject “twisted interpretations of Islam” and the lie “that America and the West are somehow at war with Islam”. On February 23rd Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, urged Muslim leaders to say that Islam is a religion of peace—“and mean it”.


Muslims have not taken kindly to such hectoring. Yet they are starting to debate the role that Islamist ideology plays in extremism. On February 22nd Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt’s al-Azhar mosque, part of a university that is the Sunni world’s oldest seat of learning, declared that extremism was caused by “bad interpretations of the Koran and the Sunna [the doings of the Prophet Muhammad]”, and that what was taught in Islamic schools and universities needed to change.


The doctrines of jihad and takfir are central to the debate. Extremists interpret jihad as mandating offensive holy war, though they may disagree about when and...






from The Economist: International http://ift.tt/1vCi6v1

Caliphate calling

JUST one message was ever sent from Shamima Begum’s Twitter account: “@muhajirah—follow me so i can dm you back.” Sent on February 15th to Aqsa Mahmood, a Scottish woman who joined the Islamic State (IS) in Syria in 2013, it shows that Ms Begum, a 15-year-old Londoner, wanted to send private messages to a known go-between in the region. A few days later she flew to Turkey with two friends. British authorities think they have already crossed into Syria.


Some 10-15% of the Westerners who have gone to Syria and Iraq to join IS are women, reckons Peter Neumann of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), a think-tank in London. That is a higher share than joined the jihad in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Some travelling today are known to be from America, Britain, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden. As in the past, most are following their men. But many are single—a new trend.


In a study of female IS recruits, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), also London-based, quotes Umm Khattab, a woman thought to be British who writes on social media from Syria: she describes meeting “other sisters” in Turkey, some with children, at least one married, before they reached IS territory. Others seek partners among the fighters. Single women may not live unsupervised. “I really need sisters to stop dreaming about coming...






from The Economist: International http://ift.tt/1DecwfV

Norway: Russia relations never the same

Western relations with Russia will never again be the same after the war in Ukraine, Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.



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Venezuela: Teen shooting sparks protests

A family prepared to bury their slain 14-year-old son Wednesday, a death that could galvanize protesters opposed to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.



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MotoGP: Marquez fastest in testing

The MotoGP cavalcade trooped into Malaysia this week for three days of testing at a sultry Sepang circuit.



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In a quagmire


CAMPAIGNING for a second term as Brazil’s president in an election last October, Dilma Rousseff painted a rosy picture of the world’s seventh-biggest economy. Full employment, rising wages and social benefits were threatened only by the nefarious neoliberal plans of her opponents, she claimed. Just two months into her new term, Brazilians are realising that they were sold a false prospectus.


Brazil’s economy is in a mess, with far bigger problems than the government will admit or investors seem to register. The torpid stagnation into which it fell in 2013 is becoming a full-blown—and probably prolonged—recession, as high inflation squeezes wages and consumers’ debt payments rise (see page 71). Investment, already down by 8% from a year ago, could fall much further. A vast corruption scandal at Petrobras, the state-controlled oil giant, has ensnared several of the country’s biggest construction firms and paralysed capital spending in swathes of the economy, at least until the prosecutors and auditors have done their work. The real has fallen by 30% against the dollar since May 2013: a necessary shift, but one that adds to the burden of the $40...






from The Economist: Leaders http://ift.tt/1ANW3k3

Planet of the phones


THE dawn of the planet of the smartphones came in January 2007, when Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, in front of a rapt audience of Apple acolytes, brandished a slab of plastic, metal and silicon not much bigger than a Kit Kat. “This will change everything,” he promised. For once there was no hyperbole. Just eight years later Apple’s iPhone exemplifies the early 21st century’s defining technology.


Smartphones matter partly because of their ubiquity. They have become the fastest-selling gadgets in history, outstripping the growth of the simple mobile phones that preceded them. They outsell personal computers four to one. Today about half the adult population owns a smartphone; by 2020, 80% will. Smartphones have also penetrated every aspect of daily life. The average American is buried in one for over two hours every day. Asked which media they would miss most, British teenagers pick mobile devices over TV sets, PCs and games consoles. Nearly 80% of smartphone-owners check messages, news or other services within 15 minutes of getting up. About 10% admit to having used the gadget during sex.


The bedroom is just the beginning....






from The Economist: Leaders http://ift.tt/1vC6Aje

Afghanistan scores cricket first

Afghanistan achieved an historic victory Thursday as it beat Scotland to win its first ever cricket World Cup match.



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The Xiaomi shock


“FROM the beginning, Xiaomi has considered the mobile phone to be a converged gadget of software, internet services and hardware, not just a simple device.” So declared Lei Jun, the charismatic founder of Xiaomi, a Chinese smartphone-maker with global aspirations, during a recent meeting at his firm’s headquarters in Beijing with Choi Yang-hee, South Korea’s telecoms minister.


Bland as Mr Lei’s comments may sound, the meeting revealed something important about Xiaomi. That a South Korean minister would deign to visit a Chinese tech firm which until recently was barely known outside its home country, let alone sit through such a lecture, is telling. Such has been the Korean hubris over the prowess of its chaebol—most notably Samsung, the world’s leading mobile-phone firm—that the scene would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. It shows how worried Samsung is of being upended by what another South Korean minister has called the “Xiaomi shock”.


To see what he means, consider what the firm has accomplished since its first phone was launched four years ago. Its worldwide sales were 61m...






from The Economist: Business http://ift.tt/1BAgmVN

Brazil’s business Belindia


BRAZILIANS make up almost 3% of the planet’s population and produce about 3% of its output. Yet of the firms in Fortune magazine’s 2014 “Global 500” ranking of the biggest companies by revenue only seven, or 1.4%, were from Brazil, down from eight in 2013. And on Forbes’s list of the 2,000 most highly valued firms worldwide just 25, or 1.3%, were Brazilian. The country’s biggest corporate “star”, Petrobras, is mired in scandals, its debt downgraded to junk status. In 1974 Edmar Bacha, an economist, described its economy as “Belindia”, a Belgium-sized island of prosperity in a sea of India-like poverty. Since then Brazil has done far better than India in alleviating poverty, but in business terms it still has a Belindia problem: a handful of world-class enterprises in a sea of poorly run ones.


Brazilian businesses face a litany of obstacles: bureaucracy, complex tax rules, shoddy infrastructure and a shortage of skilled workers—to say nothing of a stagnant economy (see...






from The Economist: Business http://ift.tt/1LJ4j7L

Niche no longer

AMONG the buskers on Avenida Paulista, São Paulo’s main thoroughfare, one act stood out on a recent Friday afternoon. A live rock band played spiffy renditions of “Blue Suede Shoes” and other 1950s classics; between numbers, six panellists sang the praises of competition and fielded questions from 100-odd onlookers about such issues as transport prices. The event was organised by the Free Brazil Movement (MBL), a group founded last year to promote free-market answers to the country’s problems. The al fresco concert-cum-colloquium was a riposte to demonstrators who took to the streets a half-dozen times in January to demand free bus transport. A better idea would be to open bus services to competition among private firms, which would improve quality and lower costs, the MBL-ers claimed.


Although Brazil thinks of itself as a “tropical Sweden”, advocates of freer markets and a less intrusive state are making headway. Of the 50 organisations that belong to the Liberty Network, an umbrella group, all but a handful were founded in the past three years. A “liberty forum” in April is expected to draw some 5,000 South American freedom-lovers to Porto Alegre, a southern city. This year’s theme, inspired by the Charlie Hebdo murders, is freedom of expression.


Soon such folk will have a new political party to represent them. Called simply...






from The Economist: The Americas http://ift.tt/1vC4pMB

The crash of a titan


IT IS easy for a visitor to Rio to feel that nothing is amiss in Brazil. The middle classes certainly know how to live: with Copacabana and Ipanema just minutes from the main business districts a game of volleyball or a surf starts the day. Hedge-fund offices look out over botanical gardens and up to verdant mountains. But stray from comfortable districts and the sheen fades quickly. Favelas plagued by poverty and violence cling to the foothills. So it is with Brazil’s economy: the harder you stare, the worse it looks.


Brazil has seen sharp ups and downs in the past 25 years. In the early 1990s inflation rose above 2,000%; it was only banished when a new currency was introduced in 1994. By the turn of the century Brazil’s deficits had mired it in debt, forcing an IMF rescue in 2002. But then the woes vanished. Brazil became a titan of growth, expanding at 4% a year between 2002 and 2008 as exports of iron, oil and sugar boomed and domestic consumption gave an additional kick. Now Brazil is back in trouble. Growth has averaged just 1.3% over the past four years. A poll of 100 economists conducted by the Central Bank of Brazil...






from The Economist: Finance and economics http://ift.tt/1BAguEx

Where does ISIS gets its money?

CNN's Nima Elbagir has the facts behind ISIS funding.



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Rice: Netanyahu visit 'destructive'

National Security Advisor Susan Rice sharply criticized the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Congress next week as "destructive," just the latest shot in a back-and-forth between the White House and Netanyahu.



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Iran blasts mock U.S. carrier

Iran blasted its mock-up of a U.S. aircraft carrier during naval drills on Wednesday, swarming the target with 100 speedboats armed with rockets, shoulder-launched missiles and mortars as well as striking it with cruise missiles, according to reports from Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency.



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Old trains dumped in ocean lure underwater commuters





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'Supermassive' black hole 12 billion times bigger than sun





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Mariupol: Next target for separatists?

Ukraine concerned rebels could be eying the vital city of Mariupol, as CNN's Diana Magnay reports.



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'Jihadi John' identified: Reports

A man with a British accent seen in ISIS videos showing the beheadings of Western hostages was identified Thursday as Mohammed Emwazi, believed to be from west London, the Reuters news agency reported, citing The Washington Post and the BBC.



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Weather stops woman's execution

Not since Lena Baker, an African-American convicted of murder and pardoned decades later, has Georgia executed a woman. The state is scheduled to snap that 70-year streak at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in Jackson.



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Putin's approval rating soars

The economy's in the tank, the currency's crumbling, and he's risking diplomatic isolation for doubling down on Ukraine.



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Kabul suicide attack kills 2

A suicide attack on a Turkish military convoy in Kabul killed two people and injured two others, the Afghan interior ministry said Thursday.



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Film by street artist Banksy highlights plight of Gaza





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More drones hover over Paris

More drones were spotted flying over Paris overnight, the city prosecutor's office said Wednesday.



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'Supermassive' black hole 12 billion times bigger than sun

Researchers in China have spotted a supermassive black hole, 12 billion times the size of the sun and around 900 million years old.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/1Fwzz7O

Jerusalem seminary torched

A seminary belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church was torched and defaced in Jerusalem on Thursday, and police suspect it may be the work of radical right wing Israelis.



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ISIS seizes 262 Christian hostages in Syria

ISIS has taken even more Assyrian Christian hostages after taking over nearly a dozen Assyrian villages in northeastern Syria in the past few days, says activist.



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U.S. dilemma over Mosul battle plans

U.S. officials have sketched a likely April or May time frame for a looming battle against ISIS in the key Iraqi city, but other military sources say alternative strategies are being plotted.



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Afghanistan avalanche deaths rise

As the avalanches continue in mountainous northeastern Afghanistan, the death toll keeps rising.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/1DdefSA

Sun belt hit by snow storm

A few weeks ago, metro Atlanta's resident groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, was the toast of the town when he predicted an early spring for the South.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/1EQ56l7

West combats Boko Haram, ISIS in Africa's deserts

Some of the world's most elite forces are in Chad training African troops in the battle to prevent the Boko Haram and ISIS from forming a regional alliance.



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U.S.: 3 men try to join ISIS

Their arrests took place in New York and Florida.



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Here's what TSA confiscated from you

The Transportation Security Administration confiscates some weird items.



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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Qantas turns around profits

Just a year after announcing record losses, Australia's national flag carrier is back in the black.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/18nooEC

Footballer faces jail for swim in his pool

World Cup winner and former World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro has been given a 10-month custodial sentence for breaking into his own home.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/18nmvrx

United Airlines warns pilots after cockpit mistakes

United Airlines has issued a stern warning to its pilots after mistakes in the cockpit put passenger planes in potential danger.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/17ZUepM

Yoga guru accused of rape

To his legions of fans, Bikram Choudhury has an almost other-world quality. The yoga guru inspires as he promises to heal body and mind.



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Boston bombing trial to begin

The death penalty trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev -- long delayed by painstaking jury selection, crippling snowstorms and last-ditch appeals to move the case someplace else -- finally is scheduled to begin here next week.



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Who wants to be postmaster in Antarctica?

Imagine a resort with no running water, phone or Internet signal and an average winter temperature of 14 degrees Fahrenheit.



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Where ISIS recruits come from

More than 20,000 foreigners have flocked to fight for ISIS, the radical group that controls portions of Iraq and Syria.



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Cosby accuser: 'Remember me?'

Heidi Thomas has one question for Bill Cosby, "Look me in the eyes. Do you remember me? Do you remember me?"



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Terrorists' recruitment drive is working

The case of three teenage British girls, who are believed to have traveled to Syria to join ISIS, has refocused attention on the Islamic extremist group's appeal to young people.



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Hero emerges in U.S. train wreck

The disaster unfolded right in front of him: A commuter train plowed into a 1-ton pickup truck, engulfing the truck in flames and knocking passengers off the rails.



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See huge home explosion

Fifteen people were injured, including six firefighters and seven gas company employees, during a home explosion, officials said. CNN affiliate KYW reports.



from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/1EPOMkt

India's longest-running film returns

Bollywood stalwart, romantic comedy "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" returns to the big screen after the end of a two-decade run causes fans to despair.



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$3M reward for Russian hacker

The FBI and State Department announced Tuesday a reward of up to $3 million for information that could help them arrest a Russian alleged notorious cyber criminal.



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U.S. woman kidnapped in Nigeria

An American aid worker in Nigeria has been kidnapped in what authorities call a "purely criminal" act.



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Scottish teen now 'ISIS recruiter'

Investigators say a Scottish teenager who fled her family home in 2013 may be recruiting others to join ISIS, including three British teenagers believe to have crossed into Syria.



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Palestinians 'must pay' for attacks

A U.S. court has ruled that the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Liberation Organization must pay more than $650 million to American citizens and their loved ones for attacks in Israel in the early 2000s.



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Court mulls Polanski extradition

He was an acclaimed film director. She, a 13-year-old girl, working on a modeling job in California.



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33 die in Afghan avalanche

Heavy snowstorms caused an avalanche in northeastern Afghanistan, killing dozens of people.



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Thieves strap 'bomb' to U.S. man

The predicament Matthew Yussman found himself in -- pulled from his home by masked men, a dud bomb strapped around him, and ordered to clean out the bank where he worked -- is the stuff of movies.



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Mexico irked by Pope's comment

The alleged choice of a word by Pope Francis has drawn ire from Mexico's government. And on Wednesday, the Vatican told Mexico that the Pontiff meant no offense.



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HK 'black sheep' promise revolt





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Boko Haram + ISIS = Marriage from Hell





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Vintage NASA space photos up for auction

An out-of-this-world collection of vintage NASA photos -- including the first "selfie" taken in space and a rare image of pioneering astronaut Neil Armstrong on the Moon -- are to go up for sale in London.



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World Cup and Black Friday carnage in 2022?

It's December 23, 2022. It's the last Friday before Christmas and it's carnage on the streets of London.



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Octopus grabs crab... who won?

CNN's Max Foster asks Isa Soares who do you think would win a battle between an octopus and a crab. Watch and see the answer.



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8 killed in Czech restaurant shooting





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ISIS 'takes 150 hostages'

ISIS is holding many more Assyrian Christian hostage than previously thought -- and it is planning to release a message Wednesday threatening to kill them.



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Baby born in amniotic sac

We all know that every baby is special, but Silas Philips pulled off a rare feat right out of the womb.



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Guyana, not Goiania: Mix-up leaves flyer stranded

It was the opportunity of a lifetime for a young Ghanaian boy -- a scholarship to study medicine in Guyana.



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Women mocked in 'sexist' Chinese New Year Gala

It was the most-watched TV show in the world -- and it was a sexist mess.



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Dozens hurt in U.S. train wreck





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Is this the world's best rail network?





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Weird world of Seville's city of the future





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Motive a mystery in 'American Sniper' murders

The trial of "American Sniper" killer Eddie Ray Routh never answered the one question that still haunts the families of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.



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Were rats wrongly blamed for plague?

For a long time, rats have taken the heat for the waves of plague that killed millions of people across Europe starting in the 14th century.



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Kim's aunt: Dead or alive?

Presumed dead by some, the actual fate of the aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains unconfirmed because of the secretive nature of that country.



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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

2 suicide bombers hit bus depot

An explosion Tuesday at a bus station in the northeastern Nigerian town of Potiskum killed at least 13 people and injured 25 others, a representative of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said.



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Interview with man convicted of 'Sniper' deaths

Watch a detective question a handcuffed Eddie Ray Routh soon after the deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.



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Designs of the Year: What's your favorite?





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Sex sting nets U.S. official

A U.S. State Department official has arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex from a minor.



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Mote prevention


EYELASHES, as any would-be femme fatale knows well, are seductive. But that is probably not their main purpose. Men rarely flirt by fluttering their eyelids, yet men have eyelashes, too. Moreover, the market for false lashes suggests that if seduction is their principal job, they are not as good at it as they could be.


Surprisingly, the real reason eyelashes evolved has remained unknown. Research shows that those who lack lashes, which some people do, suffer higher than average rates of eye infection. That suggests they have some sort of protective function. But exactly what this is and how it works has been a mystery. Some people hypothesise that lashes protect eyes from falling dust. Others think that they act rather like an animal's whiskers—detecting foreign bodies before they can do harm, and triggering a protective blink.


David Hu of the Georgia Institute of Technology and his colleagues think they have cracked the problem. Eyelashes do not protect eyes directly, they believe. Rather, they change the flow of air around the eye in ways that stop dust and other irritants getting in, and moisture getting out.


...






from The Economist: Science and technology http://ift.tt/1LENGw1

ISIS abducts scores of Christians

ISIS militants abduct 90 Assyrian civilians from two villages in northeastern Syria, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.



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New 'eat nuts, stop allergy' theory

Parents who have children with food allergies know all too well about the headaches in keeping their lives "nut-free."



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Blame game starts as British girls enter Syria

Three teenage girls suspected of flying from London to Turkey to join ISIS are now believed to have made it into Syria, London police say -- sparking an international blame game.



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Mystery drones buzz Paris landmarks

Authorities are investigating the appearance of five drones seen flying over sensitive and well-known areas of Paris overnight, the prosecutor's office said Tuesday.



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FIFA: No Christmas final in World Cup

The Qatar 2022 World Cup should be played in November and December, a FIFA task force has recommended.



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Putin: War with Ukraine would be 'apocalyptic'

A war with Ukraine would be "apocalyptic" but will probably never happen, Russian President Vladimir Putn told Russian media Tuesday.



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Peshmerga: ISIS 'can't overcome us'

Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq believe that the tide is turning in the fight against ISIS.



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Jury reaches verdict in 'Sniper' case

[Breaking news update, posted at 10:10 p.m. ET]



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Who are the 3 missing UK girls?

In airport surveillance pictures, the three young women looks like typical travelers.



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Spain arrests 4 'ISIS recruiters'

From Spain, they used the Internet and social media to recruit and indoctrinate young, potential Islamist militants to work for ISIS.



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Afghanistan: 30 men kidnapped

Masked gunmen wearing Afghan National Army uniforms kidnapped 30 Shiite Muslim men from a bus in central Afghanistan, officials said.



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What happens when an embroider goes abroad





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U.S. dilemma over Mosul strike

While U.S. Central Command officials sketched a likely April or May time frame for a looming battle against ISIS in Mosul last week, other military officials tell CNN there are alternative strategies that involve a series of strikes in other locations before an all out attack on Mosul.



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Rio residents fight Olympic evictions

Rio de Janeiro shantytown residents fight eviction as preparations are made for the 2016 Olympics. CNN's Shasta Darlington reports.



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Iranian activist calls for a hair revolution





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Campaign to recruit 'cubs of the caliphate'

ISIS' propaganda machine is bombarding social media to convince children to join its cause -- and adding more to its ranks through more sinister means.



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NSA: Snowden leaks hurt us

The head of the U.S. National Security Agency says the Edward Snowden revelations of surveillance techniques and capabilities have had a "material impact" on NSA ability to prevent and detect terror plots.



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Kim's aunt: Dead or alive?

Presumed dead by some, the actual fate of the aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains unconfirmed because of the secretive nature of that country.



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The world's longest animal migrations





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Deadly blast at Nigeria bus station

An explosion Tuesday at a bus station in the northeastern Nigerian town of Potiskum killed at least 13 people and injured 25 others, a representative of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said.



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Meet the kids who'll be dressing you in 10 years





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Everything you need to know about Ukraine

From protests over a trade agreement to war in the east, here are the days that have defined the conflict in Ukraine since it began in 2013.



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ISIS 'abducts 90 in Syria'

ISIS militants abducted 90 Assyrian civilians from two villages in northeastern Syria, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.



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Don't want your kids to get peanut allergies? Try this

Parents who have children with food allergies know all too well about the headaches in keeping their lives "nut-free."



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'Sniper' trial motive a mystery

After eight days of testimony, the trial of the "American Sniper's" alleged killer has not answered the one question that still haunts the families of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.



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Road rage killing: Teen in court

The 19-year-old man accused of killing a Las Vegas woman after a road rage incident made his first court appearance Monday, a brief initial hearing in which he did not enter a plea.



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Turkey blames UK for missing girls suspected of trying to join ISIS

A top Turkish official is blaming British authorities for the disappearance of three teenage British girls suspected of traveling from London to Turkey with the goal of joining ISIS in neighboring Syria.



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Drones over Paris landmarks

Authorities are investigating the appearance of five drones seen flying over sensitive and well-known areas of Paris overnight, the prosecutor's office said Tuesday.



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The street that was home to two Nobel Laureates





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Is this the world's best rail network?

Germans are known to gripe about many things: taxes, politics, Oktoberfest.



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FIFA: Qatar 2022 World Cup 'should be held in winter'

The Qatar 2022 World Cup should be played in November and December, a FIFA task force has recommended.



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FIFA recommends 2022 Qatar World Cup be held in winter

FIFA recommends holding 2022 World Cup in November and December instead of its normal summer months.



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School massacre suspect arrested

Pakistani authorities have arrested a suspect in the December 16 attack on a public school in Peshawar that left more than 140 people dead, most of them children.



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Putin: War with Ukraine unlikely

A war with Ukraine would be "apocalyptic" but will probably never happen, Russian President Vladimir Putn told Russian media Tuesday.



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Spain arrests 4 'ISIS recruiters'

From Spain, they used the Internet and social media to recruit and indoctrinate young, potential Islamist militants to work for ISIS.



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Afghanistan: 30 men kidnapped

Masked gunmen wearing Afghan National Army uniforms kidnapped 30 Shiite Muslim men from a bus in central Afghanistan, officials said.



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Crowe skipped Oscars for rugby

He can usually be found on the red carpet on Oscars night, but this year Russell Crowe opted to take in a rugby league game instead.



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Ball pits: Every office needs one

The team at design company Pearlfisher brainstorms in a 81,000-ball pit . CNN's Isa Soares has more.



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Russia: Ukraine unrest? Ask U.S.

Violence in Ukraine rages on despite peace deal, as Russia's propaganda machine blames U.S. for unrest. CNN's Diana Magnay reports.



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Egypt: It's time for Arabs to fight ISIS

As ISIS continues it murderous rampage in the Middle East, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says it's time for more Arab countries to join forces against the terror group.



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Reuters reporter dies in Pakistan

The bureau chief for Reuters in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Maria Golovnina, died Monday after falling unconscious, her employer said.



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U.S. 'staged mock mall attacks'

After a siege at a Kenyan mall two years ago, the FBI started staging mock attacks in U.S. shopping centers during off hours to test their readiness, an official said.



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Russians: 'Americans should shut up'

Polls show 81% of Russians have a negative attitude toward the United States. CNN's Erin McLaughlin reports.



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Why Sean Penn's joke was so offensive

It was the jab heard around the world. At Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony, Sean Penn veered off-script in an utterly offensive way. Presenting "Birdman" director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu with his prize for best picture, Penn quipped, "Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?"



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'Racist' fan was human rights worker

A human rights official apologizes for his part in an alleged racism incident involving Chelsea supporters on the Paris Metro, but insists he is not a racist.



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Police fear UK girls are on way to join ISIS

Amira Abase told her dad she was going to a wedding. Instead, the 15-year-old hopped on a plane with two friends to Turkey -- and police fear they are headed to Syria to join ISIS.



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Gun repairman takes aim at ISIS

In Irbil, Iraq, wear and tear on the guns used in the fight against ISIS is not a problem. CNN's Ben Wedeman talks to the 36 year old who keeps them working.



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84% of Great Lakes covered in ice

Most of the U.S is 20 to 30 degrees below average and snow is coming to the South. CNN's Pedram Javaheri has more.



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Freed journalist: I missed 6 months of my life





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ISIS will cut out your tongue if you call them this

We know them as ISIS or ISIL. But there's another name the group hates -- so much they've threatened to cut out the tongue of anyone who uses it.



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Egyptian activist to serve 5 years

Prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah was sentenced Monday to five years in prison and fined $13,000 on charges of protesting and assaulting police.



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The 'pirate' working to bring good fortune to Somalia





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South Korea- U.S. war games to start early March

Every year, joint military exercises between the two countries it considers its greatest enemies provoke a blustery reaction from North Korea. What can we expect in 2015?



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Monday, February 23, 2015

Web war against jihad recruits

At first it seems like one of the many ISIS recruitment videos flooding the Internet. But the tone quickly shifts to images of children crying and dead bodies lying on the floor.



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5 brutal terror groups: Ambitions vs. reality

The terror groups are getting more ruthless, their attacks more brazen. What do they want and how are they being tackled?



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Pedestrians fall into sinkhole

Frightening video shows two rail passengers in South Korea fall into a sinkhole nearly 10 feet deep as they walk off a train.



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Pyongyang bans foreign runners

Distance runners looking for an unconventional challenge will have to look beyond the Korean peninsula for now -- North Korea has barred foreign participants from April's Mangyongdae Prize Marathon, held in the capital, Pyongyang.



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NZ to send troops to Iraq

New Zealand has become the latest nation to join the international coalition fighting ISIS, with Prime Minister John Key telling lawmakers Monday 143 military personnel were deploying to Iraq in a non-combat role.



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Is Scottish runaway recruiting other ISIS brides?

Investigators say a Scottish teenager who fled her family home in 2013 may be recruiting others to join ISIS, including three British teenagers feared to be heading for Syria.



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'Horror Story' actor dies

Family, fans and friends are mourning the death of Ben Woolf, an actor from the most recent season of "American Horror Story," who died on Monday in Los Angeles.



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Awkward kiss and other Oscar moments





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ISIS capital 'like a big prison'

It's not hard to get into Raqqa. The problem, one prominent activist tells CNN, is getting out.



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Boyfriend's twitter rant over Bobbi Kristina

From bad to worse.



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#Oscars2015's funniest memes

That statue wasn't the only thing that was golden.



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Why the future of war will be robotic

The rise of the robot on the modern battlefield has happened so fast, it is almost breathtaking -- that is, if you are not a robot yourself.



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Glimpse of life as a Chinese factory worker





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Want to high-five Ronaldo?

There is nothing more thrilling than seeing your team lift the trophy at the end of the season. But are you still a fan if you can't get to the stadium?



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Blast rocks Ukraine peace protest

Police officers are among the two dead and 15 wounded after an explosion during a peaceful protest in the eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said Sunday.



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Men in skirts support women's rights

It's not unusual for men to join the fight for women's rights. But it is if they choose to wear miniskirts while they do it.



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El-Sisi: We need an Arab coalition against ISIS

As ISIS continues it murderous rampage in the Middle East, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says it's time for more Arab countries to join forces against the terror group.



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Reuters reporter dies in Pakistan

The bureau chief for Reuters in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Maria Golovnina, died Monday after falling unconscious, her employer said.



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Mass rally after Yemeni president flees

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi filled the streets of seven Yemeni provinces on Sunday, one day after Hadi escaped house arrest in the capital, Sanaa.



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U.S. 'staged mock mall attacks'

After a siege at a Kenyan mall two years ago, the FBI started staging mock attacks in U.S. shopping centers during off hours to test their readiness, an official said.



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New twist in Chelsea racism storm

A human rights official has apologized for his part in an alleged racism incident involving Chelsea supporters on the Paris Metro, but has insisted he is not a racist.



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The Oscars in 60 seconds

The best moments from the 87th annual Academy Awards in 60 seconds.



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Kayla Mueller parents rip ransom policy

The parents of slain American aid worker Kayla Mueller, a victim of ISIS, spoke out publicly against the U.S. policy against paying ransom to terrorists.



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89 children abducted in school raid

Armed groups raided a South Sudanese school and seized 89 children who were taking their exams, the United Nations said Saturday. It pointed out that boys were among those taken.



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Police fear UK girls are on way to join ISIS

Amira Abase told her dad she was going to a wedding. Instead, the 15-year-old hopped on a plane with two friends to Turkey -- and police fear they are headed to Syria to join ISIS.



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Group threatens to cut out tongues over term

We know them as ISIS or ISIL. But there's another name the group hates -- so much they've threatened to cut out the tongue of anyone who uses it.



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The Oscars take on inequality

The talented, charismatic and handsome Neil Patrick Harris brilliantly ushered this year's Oscars through the potential landmines of political commentary and irreverent humor. Indeed, from hosting many of the entertainment world's most prestigious award shows, to posing on the recent cover of Architectural Digest with his husband David Burtka, it's nearly impossible not to see Harris front and center somewhere.



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-40 wind chill in parts of U.S.

For much of the U.S., stepping into a walk-in freezer will be a lot more comfortable than going outside.



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Somali terrorists call for U.S., UK attacks

The Somali militant group behind the 2013 Westgate mall attack in Kenya releases a video calling for attacks on the West, but the FBI downplays the threat.



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France battles ISIS online

As ominous music plays, the ISIS flag flutters, child fighters wield weapons and graphic images of beheadings flash across the screen.



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5 terror groups in headlines

The terror groups are getting more ruthless, their attacks more brazen.



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Swimming legend: 'She said yes'

Is Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps engaged?



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Pyongyang bans foreign runners

Distance runners looking for an unconventional challenge will have to look beyond the Korean peninsula for now -- North Korea has barred foreign participants from April's Mangyongdae Prize Marathon, held in the capital, Pyongyang.



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Stolen iPhone traced to China

CNN's John Vause talks with Matt Stopera who found his stolen iPhone in China, when photos of a man dubbed "Brother Orange" started showing up on his feed.



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Alonso airlifted after F1 crash





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Dozens die in ferry sinking

Officials are still trying to determine how many people were on board the ferry when it collided with a boat and capsized on the Padma River in Bangladesh.



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Oscars 2015: Highlights

Memorable moments from the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 22



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Epicenter of Ebola outbreak lifts curfew

Liberia is reopening its land border crossings shut down during the Ebola outbreak, a positive sign in a nation that was the epicenter of the deadly virus.



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Australia toughens citizenship laws

Australia will toughen its citizenship laws as part of the government's new counter-terrorism strategy, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced in a national security address Monday.



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Sunday, February 22, 2015

Bobbi Kristina's boyfriend, dad feud

As Bobbi Kristina Brown fights for her life at an Atlanta hospital, the public spat between her boyfriend and her family goes on.



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Yellow dust blankets Seoul

South Korean officials issue health warnings as hazardous levels of yellow dust blanket parts of the country. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports



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Turkish forces empty Syria tomb

Turkish soldiers guarding the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, who was grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, have evacuated along with the remains from the Syrian tomb.



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ISIS parades Peshmerga in cages

ISIS has released a new propaganda video showing what appear to be Kurdish Peshmerga fighters being paraded down Iraqi streets in cages.



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FBI downplays mall terror threat

Terror group Al-Shabaab releases a video calling for attacks on shopping malls in Canada, the UK and the United States.



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Jailed journalists back in court

Two journalists out on bail, after spending more than a year in an Egyptian jail, are heading back to court as their trial resumes.



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Why 'Still Alice' is about you

Julianne Moore won an Academy Award on Sunday night for her heart-wrenching performance in "Still Alice," in which she plays a linguistics professor with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.



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B-52 resurrected from desert Boneyard





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Oprah: 'Selma' wasn't snubbed

CNN's Don Lemon talks to Oprah Winfrey about the film "Selma" before the Oscars.



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How big a threat is al Shabaab to Western malls?





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O'Reilly: 'M16 pointed at my head'

As 2008 video of Fox News' host Bill O'Reilly's claim about unrest in Argentina surfaces, a former CBS colleague who was also there disputes his account.



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Oscars 2015: The winners list

Here's the list of nominees for the 87th Academy Awards. Winners are noted with an asterisk.



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And the Razzie goes to...

Kirk Cameron swept the 2015 Razzie Awards on Saturday, picking up the dubious honors of worst picture and actor for "Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas."



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Chelsea racism: 3 suspects identified





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Come home, pleads UK girl's family

The family of a girl whom UK police say may be headed to Syria with two friends are pleading for her to return home.



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Oscar-nominated filmmaker dead

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky, whose series on the "West Memphis Three" cast doubt on the murder convictions of three Arkansas teenagers, catalyzing a movement that led to their release, died Saturday, longtime collaborator Joe Berlinger said.



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Egypt backs 'unified Arab force'

As threats in the Middle East grow, there's a pressing need in the region, Egypt's President said Sunday.



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Oscars get ready for action

As the stars arrive for the 87th Academy Awards, the best picture competition appears to be coming down to a Battle of the Bs: "Birdman" or "Boyhood."



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Watson addresses Prince Harry rumors

Emma Watson took to Twitter on Sunday to quell rumors that she and Prince Harry are dating, reminding the world that marrying a prince is "not a prerequisite for being a Princess."



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Joey Logano wins Daytona 500

Joey Logano won the Daytona 500 on Sunday to capture NASCAR's season-opening Sprint Cup race.



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5 ways to eat yourself healthy





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Ronaldo inspires Real Madrid win

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first La Liga goal in four games to seal Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Elche Sunday which re-opens its four point lead over Barcelona at the top.



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Rafael Nadal exits on Rio clay





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Who's wearing what on the red carpet





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U.S. re-examines Afghan withdrawal

President Barack Obama may change the United States' plan to withdraw virtually all its troops from Afghanistan by 2016, his new defense secretary said Saturday during a visit to the central Asian nation -- an indication that the White House is considering extending the U.S. troop presence there beyond that year.



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Mom of ISIS militant fights back

Christianne Boudreau's son, who joined ISIS's ranks in Syria, was killed in fighting there more than a year ago. Now she's trying to combat radicalization.



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Remains, guards evacuated

CNN's Becky Anderson reports on Turkey's decision to evacuate the tomb of Suleyman Shah in Syria, amid increasing threats from ISIS militants.



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Blast rocks Ukraine peace protest; 2 killed

Police officers are among the two dead and 15 wounded after an explosion during a peaceful protest in the eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said Sunday.



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Men in skirts support women's rights

It's not unusual for men to join the fight for women's rights. But it is if they choose to wear miniskirts while they do it.



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Could fake baby cost 'American Sniper' a win?





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Protests support Yemeni President

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi filled the streets of seven Yemeni provinces on Sunday, one day after Hadi escaped house arrest in the capital, Sanaa.



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6 things you may not know about the Oscars envelope

The shining Oscar statuette is a celebrated symbol of the Academy Awards, but there is another icon on the Oscars scene.



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Thousands join anti-Kiev march

A year on from the bloody crackdown in Kiev that claimed the lives of 49 people, CNN's Erin McLaughlin reports on an anti-Maidan protest in Moscow.



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Ukraine and rebels swap prisoners

A ceasefire remains in serious doubt and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry blasts Russia over "land-grabbing in Ukraine."



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