Recreational pot stores to open in U.S.

Colorado will make history by allowing the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/us/colorado-recreational-marijuana/index.html?eref=edition

Congo forces repel attacks at 3 sites

Armed forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo beat back dozens of gunmen who stormed three key locations in the capital Monday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/africa/congo-violence/index.html?eref=edition

'Hobbit' beats 'Frozen' at box office

In a remarkably tight race, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug held onto its gold at the box office this weekend, earning $29.9 million over the three-day frame and taking the top spot. The fantasy epic's domestic total is now $190.3 million after three weeks, a robust number that still trails last year's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which had already earned $221.6 million at the 17-day mark. Peter Jackson's earlier Tolkien epic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, had made a princely $290.4 million by its third weekend in 2003, headed toward a final gross of $377.8 in the states and $1.119 billion worldwide. Smaug looks likely to end up below Unexpected Journey's total haul of $303 million, whereas each of the Lord of the Rings films managed to outgross its predecessor. The Hobbit: There and Back Again, the trilogy's final film, is slated for release on Dec. 17, 2014.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/showbiz/movies/hobbit-wins-box-office-ew/index.html?eref=edition

What's behind Russia bombings?

Two terror attacks have put the spotlight on Russia's North Caucasus region.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/europe/russia-terrorist-attacks-explainer/index.html?eref=edition

Did business disputes play a role?

Did business disputes play a role in the dramatic demise of Kim Jong Un's once powerful uncle?



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/23/world/asia/north-korea-kim-uncle-execution/index.html?eref=edition

Utah asks for same-sex marriage ban

Utah officials have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately block enforcement of a federal judge's ruling allowing same-sex couples to be legally married in the state.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/politics/utah-same-sex-supreme-court/index.html?eref=edition

Kim Jong Un lauds purge of uncle

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday praised the recent purge of his uncle and former protector, saying it brought greater unity within the secretive, nuclear-armed state.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/asia/north-korea-kim-jong-un-speech/index.html?eref=edition

Former First Lady Bush hospitalized

Former first lady Barbara Bush has been hospitalized in Houston, Texas, for treatment of a "respiratory-related issue," a family spokesman said Tuesday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/politics/barbara-bush-hospitalized/index.html?eref=edition

US: No agreement on Iran nuke deal

The United States dismissed a report that an agreement had been reached between Iran and world powers to begin implementing a deal that requires Tehran to limit its nuclear program.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/meast/iran-nuclear-deal/index.html?eref=edition

25 killed in Syria rocket strike on bus

At least 25 people were killed Tuesday when a rocket struck a bus in Syria's commercial capital of Aleppo, the opposition Aleppo Media Center said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?eref=edition

Botched U.S. gun plot linked to shootout

A dramatic shootout between authorities and suspected cartel gunmen at a Mexican seaside resort this month has ties to a botched U.S. gun operation.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/justice/mexican-shootout-fast-and-furious/index.html?eref=edition

Al Jazeera to Egypt: Release journalists

The Egyptian government released on Tuesday one of four Al Jazeera journalists it had detained Sunday night, but continued holding the other three employees of the news network, which is demanding their release.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/meast/egypt-journalists-detained/index.html?eref=edition

Questions we must ask for New Year

Eric Liu: We Americans rarely get to make a truly mindful assessment of who we are and why we hope to change.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/liu-new-year/index.html?eref=edition

Colorado marijuana sales to start

Colorado will begin allowing recreational marijuana sales on January 1 to anyone age 21 or over.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/10-things-colorado-recreational-marijuana/index.html?eref=edition

Who really changed history in 2013?

Something was different in 2013. Unlike recent years, when some of the major events were powered by groups and movements -- think revolutions that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, public squares occupied without visible leadership -- this year, it was individuals who created the most unexpected or dramatic events.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/ghitis-remembering-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Journalist tries to sneak into room

A journalist dressed as a priest tries to sneak into hospital room where Formula One superstar is being treated.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/sport/motorsport/michael-schumacher-fan-hospital/index.html?eref=edition

Rocket strike kills 25 in Aleppo

A rocket strike in Aleppo, Syria has killed at least 25 people. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/31/idesk-syria-aleppo-airstike-pleitgen.cnn.html?eref=edition

S. Sudan factions agree to talks

The president and former vice president of South Sudan agree to peace talks and a ceasefire.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/31/south-sudan-ceasefire-and-peace-talks.cnn.html?eref=edition

Tennis: New racket helps Federer

New Year, new coach and now a new racket, Roger Federer has been ringing the changes in his bid to top the tennis rankings again and made a winning start with his new equipment Tuesday night in Brisbane.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/sport/tennis/federer-racket-murray-tennis/index.html?eref=edition

Sleepy Serena skips NY celebrations

A jet lagged Serena Williams skipped any New Year celebrations for a good night's sleep after starting her 2014 WTA campaign in Brisbane Tuesday with a win over Andrea Petkovic.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/sport/tennis/tennis-serena-sleepy-brisbane/index.html?eref=edition

Accident a 'rare event' in risky sport

Michael Schumacher's serious skiing accident in the French Alps on has once again put the spotlight on skiing safety.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/schumacher-skiing-safety-helmets/index.html?eref=edition

Was Al Qaeda behind Benghazi?

NY Times reporter David Kirkpatrick discusses his report on Benghazi that found no evidence of al Qaeda involvement.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/31/ac-benghazi-nytimes.cnn.html?eref=edition

Wrong path to peace with Iran?

Reza Marashi and Trita Parsi assert that as American and Iranian negotiators prepare to implement their historic interim nuclear deal, hawkish legislators may destroy the last remaining pathway way to peace.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/opinion/marashi-parsi-iran-peace/index.html?eref=edition

Biggest winners and losers of 2013

The year is almost out of here, and boy has it been a whopper.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/20/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/winners-and-losers-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Freed prisoner starts new life

Once a prisoner in Israel, Issmat Mansour now teaches Hebrew to Palestinian students after his controversial release.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/31/pkg-lee-palestinian-prisoners-release.cnn.html?eref=edition

What attacks mean for Olympics

The terrorist attacks in Volgograd on December 29 and 30 are an ominous sign that the decision to hold the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi may lead to one of the greatest catastrophes in the history of the Olympics.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/opinion/opinion-russia-terror-sochi/index.html?eref=edition

Report doubts al Qaeda involvement

A New York Times report on the September 11, 2012, attack that killed four Americans -- including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens -- in Benghazi, Libya, calls into question much of what Republicans accusing the Obama administration of a cover-up have said about the incident.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/libya-benghazi-nyt-report/index.html?eref=edition

Spirits strong on ship stuck in Antarctic

It may not be comparable to Gilligan's Island, but the plight of the 74 members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, aboard a research ship stuck in ice for more than a week at the bottom of the world, appeared anything but grim as 2014 approached.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/antarctic-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

Choppers to save 74 on ice-bound ship

Officials are sending a helicopter to rescue 74 people on a research ship stuck in Antarctica.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/antarctic-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

Bangladesh seeks factory owner arrest

A Dhaka court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of six people, including the owner of Tazreen Fashions Ltd., after a fire in the apparel factory left 112 people dead last year, officials said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/asia/bangladesh-fire-arrest-orders/index.html?eref=edition

See moment of train station blast

New video shows a bomb explosion inside a train station during a suspected terrorist attack in Volgograd, Russia.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/31/early-magnay-russia-explosion-video-inside-train-station.cnn.html?eref=edition

Egypt arrests 3 Al Jazeera journalists

Three Al Jazeera journalists were arrested by Egyptian security forces, with the government saying at least one of them met with members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/meast/egypt-journalists-arrested/index.html?eref=edition

Michael Schumacher 'slightly improves' overnight

Doctors at a hospital in France performed a second operation on the F1 legend after a skiing accident Sunday, but say he remains in critical condition.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/sport/motorsport/michael-schumacher-accident/index.html?eref=edition

New video shows racer's airlift

Amateur video shows helicopter leaving French Alps carrying former F1 driver, Michael Schumacher.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/31/schumacher-airlifted-ski-accident-meribel.cnn.html?eref=edition

Latest on Schumacher condition

Amanda Davies has the latest on the condition of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher after a skiing injury.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/31/ac-schumacher.cnn.html?eref=edition

NBA star drawn into anti-Semitic row

NBA superstar Tony Parker was forced to apologize Monday for using the same anti-Semitic gesture which has landed French international footballer Nicolas Anelka in hot water.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/football/anelka-parker-quenelle-apology/index.html?eref=edition

Limits on Olympians after bombings?

Russian police have detained dozens of people in an anti-terrorism operation in Volgograd, the southern city where two suspected suicide bombings killed more than 30 people this week.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/europe/russia-volgograd-attacks/index.html?eref=edition

Attacks raise Olympic questions

Russia says it will continue a "tough and consistent offensive" against terrorists following two deadly bombings as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/europe/russia-volgograd-explosion/index.html?eref=edition

South Sudan rebels attack key city

Heavy fighting breaks out in the town of Bor in oil-rich Jonglei State just hours before a ceasefire deadline in South Sudan.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/world/africa/south-sudan-conflict/index.html?eref=edition

Xinjiang police shoot 8 dead at station

Police shot and killed eight people who attacked a police station in Xinjiang, a restive region in northwestern China, authorities said Monday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/asia/china-xinjiang-violence/index.html?eref=edition

'Helmet may have saved him'

Doctors treating Michael Schumacher say they are unwilling to make predictions about his prognosis. Amanda Davies reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/30/schumacher-hospital-update-davies-pkg.cnn.html?eref=edition

Report: NSA intercepts shipments

A top-secret National Security Agency team uses spyware and hacking to gather intelligence on targets, according to a new report based on internal agency documents.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/nsa-spying-hacking-program/index.html?eref=edition

Do induced comas help injured brain?

To help promote healing after his skiing accident, doctors are keeping racer Michael Schumacher in a medically-induced coma. CNN explains why.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/health/induced-coma-schumacher/index.html?eref=edition

Prostitution: Not a victimless crime

Jane Wells and John-Keith Wasson say it's a myth that prostitution is a victimless crime



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/wells-prostitution-victims/index.html?eref=edition

Israel releases Palestinian prisoners

Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners Monday in a gesture of goodwill between the two sides, days before a visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/meast/israel-palestinian-prisoner-release/index.html?eref=edition

Flights cancelled as volcano erupts

Thousands of residents in El Salvador were evacuated after the Chaparrastique volcano erupted Sunday morning.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/americas/el-salvador-chaparrastique-volcano-erupts/index.html?eref=edition

Anchor acknowledges she's gay

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts used a Facebook post to acknowledge what friends and co-workers have long known: She's gay.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/showbiz/robin-roberts-comes-out/index.html?eref=edition

Israel frees Palestinian prisoners

As part of a goodwill gesture, Israel has released over two dozen Palestinian prisoners. Take a look at the release.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/31/israel-palestinian-prisoner-release.cnn.html?eref=edition

Bloomberg signs last bills as NY mayor

Michael Bloomberg signed a bill Monday to ban electronic cigarettes -- one of 22 bills he signed at City Hall that are the last he will sign as mayor of New York City, according to Evelyn Erskine, his deputy press secretary.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/politics/mayor-bloomberg-last-bills/index.html?eref=edition

Massive blaze as 2 U.S. trains collide

A wreck involving two trains, one of which was carrying oil, sparked a large fire that sent huge flames and dangerous smoke into the sky, North Dakota authorities said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/north-dakota-train-fire/index.html?eref=edition

Prince William to go back to school

Britain's Prince William is going back to school to prepare for when his father becomes the king.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/europe/uk-prince-william-university/index.html?eref=edition

Arrest made in killing of rapper Doe B

A man who police say had a dispute with Doe B has been charged with killing the rapper and a woman at an Alabama nightclub over the weekend.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/showbiz/arrest-rapper-doe-b-killing/index.html?eref=edition

Congo forces repel attacks in capital

Armed forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo beat back dozens of gunmen who stormed three key locations in the capital Monday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/africa/congo-violence/index.html?eref=edition

U.S. mother accused of poisoning kids

A 13-year-old girl is dead and her mother is behind bars, accused of stabbing her ex-husband and trying to kill her children by poisoning them.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/arizona-children-poison/index.html?eref=edition

'The Hobbit' beats 'Frozen' at box office

In a remarkably tight race, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug held onto its gold at the box office this weekend, earning $29.9 million over the three-day frame and taking the top spot. The fantasy epic's domestic total is now $190.3 million after three weeks, a robust number that still trails last year's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which had already earned $221.6 million at the 17-day mark. Peter Jackson's earlier Tolkien epic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, had made a princely $290.4 million by its third weekend in 2003, headed toward a final gross of $377.8 in the states and $1.119 billion worldwide. Smaug looks likely to end up below Unexpected Journey's total haul of $303 million, whereas each of the Lord of the Rings films managed to outgross its predecessor. The Hobbit: There and Back Again, the trilogy's final film, is slated for release on Dec. 17, 2014.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/showbiz/movies/hobbit-wins-box-office-ew/index.html?eref=edition

Attacks highlight insecurity

The latest bloodshed in Russia puts focus back on volatile Northern Caucasus. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/30/russia-terrorism-continues-chance-pkg.cnn.html?eref=edition

Report: Lebanese fired on Syria

A source tells CNN that Lebanon has fired warning shots into Syrian territory. Mitchell Prothero reports from Beirut.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/30/lebanon-syria-violence-prothero-seg.cnn.html?eref=edition

Mexican coastal highway collapses

Part of a picturesque toll highway that tourists use to travel between the Mexican towns of Ensenada and Tijuana collapsed this weekend, civil protection officials in Mexico said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/americas/mexican-highway-collapse/index.html?eref=edition

What's behind latest bombings?

Two terror attacks have put the spotlight on Russia's North Caucasus region.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/europe/russia-terrorist-attacks-explainer/index.html?eref=edition

IOC slams 'despicable' attacks

IOC president Thomas Bach has condemned the "despicable attack" on Volgograd which has raised fresh fears about security at the forthcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/winter-olympics-attacks-bach/index.html?eref=edition

Securing Sochi Olympics

CNN's Phil Black reports on security preparations for the Sochi Winter Olympics in the aftermath of the Boston attack.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/05/13/black-sochi-olympic-security.cnn.html?eref=edition

Rapper Doe B shot dead at nightclub

Wikipedia has a category called "murdered rappers," which contains 26 names. Another artist may make that sorrowful list, after bullets riddled a crowd at an Alabama nightclub over the weekend, according to police.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/justice/alabama-rapper-killing/index.html?eref=edition

Denver airport bans pot despite law

Pot smokers traveling to Denver to take advantage of Colorado's new recreational marijuana law are being warned it's against the rules to carry it through the airport.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/colorado-denver-airport-marijuana-ban/index.html?eref=edition

Watch moment of Sunday's blast

In this video from Russia state media, you can see the blast going off at the core of the train station in Volgograd.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/vo-russia-volgograd-blast.russia-24.html?eref=edition

Questions we must ask for New Year

Eric Liu: We Americans rarely get to make a truly mindful assessment of who we are and why we hope to change.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/liu-new-year/index.html?eref=edition

Colorado marijuana sales to start

Colorado will begin allowing recreational marijuana sales on January 1 to anyone age 21 or over.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/10-things-colorado-recreational-marijuana/index.html?eref=edition

Who really changed history in 2013?

Something was different in 2013. Unlike recent years, when some of the major events were powered by groups and movements -- think revolutions that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, public squares occupied without visible leadership -- this year, it was individuals who created the most unexpected or dramatic events.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/ghitis-remembering-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Report: Tunisian Islamist leader caught

The leader of a Tunisian militant Islamist group was arrested in Libya on Monday, state media reported, citing a security source.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/africa/libya-tunisian-islamist-captured/index.html?eref=edition

'White Army' to retreat in South Sudan

Government officials have convinced an ethnic militia loyal to former south Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar to retreat from Bor, Rachel Nyedak Paul, the deputy information minister in Juba, told CNN on Monday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/africa/south-sudan-conflict/index.html?eref=edition

Thousands seek refuge with U.N.

CNN's Arwa Damon reports from a U.N. compound in Juba, South Sudan, where thousands have sought refuge from fighting.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/damon-south-sudan-compound.cnn.html?eref=edition

Would NSA spying have stopped 9/11?

Peter Bergen says the failure to stop 9/11 wasn't due to a lack of intelligence data but to a policy failure by the Bush administration



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/opinion/bergen-nsa-surveillance-september-11/index.html?eref=edition

Accident a 'rare event' in risky sport

Michael Schumacher's serious skiing accident in the French Alps on has once again put the spotlight on skiing safety.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/schumacher-skiing-safety-helmets/index.html?eref=edition

Sharapova 'goosebumps' after victory

Maria Sharapova made a successful return to the WTA Tour on Monday -- and her boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov also won his opening match of the new season at the same Brisbane International tournament.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/tennis/maria-sharapova-dimitrov-brisbane-tennis/index.html?eref=edition

World waits on Schumacher fate

via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/reaction-to-michael-schumacher-accident/index.html?eref=edition

Biggest winners and losers of 2013

The year is almost out of here, and boy has it been a whopper.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/20/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/winners-and-losers-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Pope named 'Best Dressed Man'

CNN's Erin McLaughlin explains why Esquire Magazine has named Pope Francis its "Best Dressed Man of 2013".



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/lok-mclaughlin-pope-best-dressed.cnn.html?eref=edition

Israel returns fire after rocket attack

Rockets coming from Lebanon smashed into northern Israel Sunday near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israeli Defense Force said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/meast/israel-rockets/index.html?eref=edition

Doubt cast on al Qaeda Benghazi link

A New York Times report on the September 11, 2012, attack that killed four Americans -- including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens -- in Benghazi, Libya, calls into question much of what Republicans accusing the Obama administration of a cover-up have said about the incident.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/libya-benghazi-nyt-report/index.html?eref=edition

Michael Schumacher in induced coma after ski fall

The Formula 1 legend remains in critical condition at a hospital in Grenoble, France after a skiing accident Sunday, doctors say.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/sport/motorsport/michael-schumacher-skiing-f1-motorsport/index.html?eref=edition

What happened in skiing accident?

Formula 1 racer, Michael Schumacher, is in critical condition after suffering severe head trauma in a skiing accident.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/sports/2013/12/30/intv-mckay-schumacher-ski-accident.cnn.html?eref=edition

F1 legend said to be a good skier

Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is hospitalized after falling during a ski trip.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/sports/2013/12/29/idesk-bpr-kevin-garside-formula-one-racer-michael-schumacher.cnn.html?eref=edition

Chinese filmmaker: I have 3 kids

Even as China is softening its one-child policy, one if its most renowned film directors is finding himself in trouble for violating the nation's infamous family planning law.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/asia/filmmaker-one-child-policy/index.html?eref=edition

Fresh push for Mid-East peace deal

Jerusalem, and Ramallah, West Bank: two crucial stops for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in his ongoing attempt to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/mideast-talks/index.html?eref=edition

26 Palestinian prisoners to be freed

Israel announced Saturday that it will release 26 Palestinian prisoners over the next two days in a step aimed at "resuming the diplomatic process," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/israel-palestinian-prisoner-release/index.html?eref=edition

Video clues in missing U.S. doctor case

Three weeks ago, Teleka Patrick disappeared.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/michigan-indiana-doctor-missing/index.html?eref=edition

Egypt arrests 3 Al Jazeera journalists

Three Al Jazeera journalists were arrested by Egyptian security forces, with the government saying at least one of them met with members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/meast/egypt-journalists-arrested/index.html?eref=edition

Antarctic efforts stymied

An Australian icebreaker on Monday suspended efforts to reach an icebound research ship carrying 74 people in the Antarctic because of adverse weather.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/antarctic-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

More deadly bombings in Russia

A blast hits a trolleybus in Russia's Volgograd, a day after a deadly train station attack. CNN's Diana Magnay reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/30/bpr-magnay-russia-trolly-bombing.cnn.html?eref=edition

Trolleybus blast kills 10 in Russia's Volgograd

An explosion hits a trolleybus in the Russian city of Volgograd, killing at least 10 people, news agency RIA Novosti reports. The attack hits a day after a train station blast.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/europe/russia-volgograd-explosion/index.html?eref=edition

Python kills security guard in Bali

A python has killed a security guard near a luxury hotel in Bali, Indonesia.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/bali-python-attack/index.html?eref=edition

8 people killed in Xinjiang region

Police shot and killed eight people who attacked a police station in Xinjiang, a restive region in northwestern China, authorities said Monday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/asia/china-xinjiang-violence/index.html?eref=edition

Report: Militia marches in S. Sudan

A large group of youths from an ethnic militia loyal to former South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar is marching for the city of Bor, just days after it was retaken by the government amid heavy fighting, officials said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/africa/south-sudan-conflict/index.html?eref=edition

Police shoot suspected cop killer

The man suspected of robbing banks and killing a police officer was convicted of threatening President Barack Obama in 2010, the Secret Service said Sunday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/justice/bank-robber-manhunt/index.html?eref=edition

Al-Assad to Pope: Ready for talks

In a message to the Pope Francis, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his government is ready for next month's peace talks but has some caveats.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?eref=edition

El Salvador's volcano erupts

Thousands of residents in El Salvador were evacuated after the Chaparrastique volcano erupted Sunday morning.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/americas/el-salvador-chaparrastique-volcano-erupts/index.html?eref=edition

Lebanese army to get $3B from Saudis

Saudi Arabia pledged $3 billion to the Lebanese Army to strengthen its capabilities, according to Lebanon's state-run news agency.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/lebanon-saudi-help/index.html?eref=edition

Man missing after jump off cruise ship

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching off the coast of Puerto Rico for a Canadian who witnesses say jumped off a cruise ship Saturday night.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/us/puerto-rico-cruise-missing-passenger/index.html?eref=edition

Stranded boat in Antarctica still waiting

Seventy-four passengers trapped aboard expedition vessel in the Antarctic for nearly a week will have to wait even longer as a rescue ship slowly makes its way through thick ice and snow.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/antarctica-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

NY Times busts Benghazi myths

Professoer Brian Glyn Williams discusses both the latest on the Benghazi attack in 2012 and the suicide bombing in Russia.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/29/exp-whitfield-williams-benghazi-russia-attack.cnn.html?eref=edition

Teen mob overruns NY mall

A Brooklyn mall turned away unaccompanied minors on Friday after hundreds of teens rushed the shopping center causing stores to shut down on the day after Christmas.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/new-york-mall-mob/index.html?eref=edition

Anchor acknowledges she's gay

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts used a Facebook post to acknowledge what friends and co-workers have long known: She's gay.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/showbiz/robin-roberts-comes-out/index.html?eref=edition

Football: Mourinho taunts Suarez

Arsenal may top the English Premier League table going into 2014, but Jose Mourinho leads the way when it comes to post-match performances.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/sport/football/jose-mourinho-suarez-chelsea-liverpool-football/index.html?eref=edition

Tennis: Serena reveals ankle fears

She cuts an imposing figure on the tennis court, but Serena Williams has been stepping gingerly as she prepares to back up her stellar 2013 season.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/sport/tennis/serena-williams-ankle-tennis/index.html?eref=edition

Maria Schild makes ski history

Austria has produced many of the world's greatest skiers, and another made her mark on the history books in front of her home crowd on Sunday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/sport/maria-schild-skiing-world-cup-austria/index.html?eref=edition

Mexican coastal highway collapses

Part of a picturesque toll highway that tourists use to travel between the Mexican towns of Ensenada and Tijuana collapsed this weekend, civil protection officials in Mexico said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/americas/mexican-highway-collapse/index.html?eref=edition

Is 'life support' really 'death support'?

Two young females, both brain dead without warning, remain on ventilators while their devastated families challenge the judgments of their hospitals.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/health/life-support-ethics/index.html?eref=edition

Police blame suicide bomber

CNN's Diana Magnay updates on the deadly bombing at a train station in Volgograd, Russia.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/idesk-magnay-bomb-blast-in-russia.cnn.html?eref=edition

Soccer star under fire for gesture

Soccer star Nicolas Anelka has sparked controversy after making a gesture one French government official called "shocking" and "disgusting."



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/sport/football/nicolas-anelka-anti-semitism-football/index.html?eref=edition

Iraq attack targets security forces

At least 14 people were killed in Iraq on Saturday -- 12 security forces during attacks in and around Mosul, and two people during a raid on the home of a lawmaker in Ramadi.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?eref=edition

Rapper Doe B shot dead in U.S.

Wikipedia has a category called "murdered rappers," which contains 26 names. Another artist may make that sorrowful list, after bullets riddled a crowd at an Alabama nightclub over the weekend, according to police.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/justice/alabama-rapper-killing/index.html?eref=edition

Schumacher injured in ski fall

Michael Schumacher, the most successful driver in Formula One history, is recovering in hospital after suffering a head injury while skiing in the Alps on Sunday, according to French media reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/sport/motorsport/michael-schumacher-skiing-f1-motorsport/index.html?eref=edition

Suspected cop killer believed dead

Phoenix police fatally shoot a man suspected in multi-state robberies and cop killing.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/12/29/newday-bpr-suspected-bank-robber-cop-killer-dead.cnn.html?eref=edition

Questions to ask for New Year

Eric Liu: We Americans rarely get to make a truly mindful assessment of who we are and why we hope to change.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/liu-new-year/index.html?eref=edition

China eases one-child policy

China's top legislature approved resolutions to officially amend its controversial one-child policy and end re-education through labor camps.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/china-one-child-policy-official/index.html?eref=edition

Who changed history in 2013?

Something was different in 2013. Unlike recent years, when some of the major events were powered by groups and movements -- think revolutions that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, public squares occupied without visible leadership -- this year, it was individuals who created the most unexpected or dramatic events.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/ghitis-remembering-2013/index.html?eref=edition

See moment of station blast

In this video from Russia state media, you can see the blast going off at the core of the train station in Volgograd.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/vo-russia-volgograd-blast.russia-24.html?eref=edition

Crisis unfolds in South Sudan

CNN's Arwa Damon reports on the crisis unfolding in the world's newest nation.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/28/south-sudan-in-crisis.cnn.html?eref=edition

Bomb near Egypt military offices

Fresh violence rocked Egypt on Sunday when an explosion wounded four people near military intelligence offices in the Nile Delta, state-run Nile TV reported.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/africa/egypt-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Gunmen open fire on Thai protesters

One person is killed and three wounded after gunmen open fire on peaceful protesters in Thailand, the national security chief says.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html?eref=edition

$100M airport detection system fails

A man hopped a fence and walked onto a runway at the Newark airport on Christmas Day in the second apparent failure of a multimillion-dollar detection system designed to protect New York-area airports, authorities said Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/us/new-jersey-airport-security-breach/index.html?eref=edition

Second fatal attack in months

Officials in Russia say the second attack in Volgograd in recent months is consider a terror attack. Diana Magnay reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/bpr-magnay-russia-train-station-blast.cnn.html?eref=edition

Is Sochi Olympics secure?

CNN's Phil Black reports on security preparations for the Sochi Winter Olympics in the aftermath of the Boston attack.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/05/13/black-sochi-olympic-security.cnn.html?eref=edition

People we lost this year

Nelson Mandela, Peter O'Toole and 'Great Train Robber' Ronnie Biggs were among those who passed away.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/19/world/gallery/people-we-lost/index.html?eref=edition

Winners and losers of 2013

The year is almost out of here, and boy has it been a whopper.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/20/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/winners-and-losers-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Deadly blast at Russian station

An explosion at a train station Volgograd, Russia, killed at least four people on Sunday, Russian news outlets reported.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/europe/russia-train-station-explosion/index.html?eref=edition

Bleak winter for young refugees

The little boy sits proudly next to his snowman, and smiles.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/20/world/meast/syrian-children-snow/index.html?eref=edition

Civil war photos

More than 100,000 people reportedly have been killed in Syria since a popular uprising in 2011 spiraled into a civil war.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/16/middleeast/gallery/syria-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Pope named 'Best Dressed Man'

CNN's Erin McLaughlin explains why Esquire Magazine has named Pope Francis its "Best Dressed Man of 2013".



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/29/lok-mclaughlin-pope-best-dressed.cnn.html?eref=edition

Rockets from Lebanon smash in Israel

Rockets coming from Lebanon smashed into northern Israel Sunday near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israeli Defense Force said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/meast/israel-rockets/index.html?eref=edition

'Duck Dynasty' to resume

Little more than a week after it suspended "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson for incendiary remarks about homosexuality, the cable channel A&E said Friday that it would include him in future tapings of the reality television show, effectively lifting the suspension amid a flurry of petitions in support of Robertson.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/showbiz/duck-dynasty-resumes/index.html?eref=edition

Report: Benghazi attack not by al Qaeda

A New York Times report on the September 11, 2012, attack that killed four Americans -- including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens -- in Benghazi, Libya, calls into question much of what Republicans accusing the Obama administration of a cover-up have said about the incident.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/libya-benghazi-nyt-report/index.html?eref=edition

Pardoned eco-activists arrive home

The Arctic 30 are home after being released from Russian prison. CNNs Rosie Tomkins greeted the 5 Britons in London today.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/27/uk-russia-prisoners-released-tomkins-pkg.cnn.html?eref=edition

Two years of war in Syria

Syria's civil war has been raging for more than two years, with over 100,000 killed. CNN's Becky Anderson reports



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/26/ba-syria-defining-moment.cnn.html?eref=edition

UNICEF: Largest crisis

CNN's Richard Quest speaks to UNICEF's Caryl Stern about how to prevent a "lost generation" among Syran children.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/23/qmb-syria-refugees-caryl-stern-intv.cnn.html?eref=edition

Water cannon fired on Turkey demo

Police fire rubber bullets and water cannon on crowds protesting against government corruption in Turkey.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/europe/turkey-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Judge rules NSA program legal

A U.S judge rules the NSA data collection program exposed by Edward Snowden is legal -- a much-needed win after a series of setbacks over its legality and usefulness.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/justice/nsa-ruling/index.html?eref=edition

Python kills security guard in Bali

A python has killed a security guard near a luxury hotel in Bali, Indonesia.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/bali-python-attack/index.html?eref=edition

Ship in Antarctica awaits rescue

A ship remains stranded in Antarctica as rescue crews battle treacherous ice to reach it. CNN's Isa Soares reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/international/2013/12/28/antarctica-stranded-ship-pkg-soares.cnn.html?eref=edition

Calls grow for South Sudan cease-fire

A growing chorus of international agencies is calling for South Sudan's warring factions to cease hostilities.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/africa/south-sudan-conflict/index.html?eref=edition

Kerry heading to Jerusalem, Ramallah

Jerusalem, and Ramallah, West Bank: two crucial stops for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in his ongoing attempt to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/mideast-talks/index.html?eref=edition

Israel to free 26 Palestinian prisoners

Israel announced Saturday that it will release 26 Palestinian prisoners over the next two days in a step aimed at "resuming the diplomatic process," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/israel-palestinian-prisoner-release/index.html?eref=edition

Greenpeace ship captain back home

The captain of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise returned home to Maine on Saturday after an absence of more than three months that included time in one of Europe's oldest prisons.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/russia-greenpeace-activist-freed/index.html?eref=edition

Manchester City takes English lead

Manchester City thumped Arsenal and then downed Liverpool at home this month in the English Premier League so not many expected relegation threatened Crystal Palace to put up a fight at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/sport/football/manchester-city-united-premier-league-football/index.html?eref=edition

Sex workers are victims

Jane Wells and John-Keith Wasson say it's a myth that prostitution is a victimless crime



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/wells-prostitution-victims/index.html?eref=edition

Report: 500 Chinese lawmakers ousted

More than 500 Chinese lawmakers accused of election fraud have been forced from office, the country's official Xinhua news agency reported.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/chinese-election-fraud/index.html?eref=edition

For women, missteps to learn from

Peggy Drexler says 2013 saw big gains for women, but we still have a long way to go



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/opinion/drexler-women-progress-missteps/index.html?eref=edition

Roger Federer recruits legend

Roger Federer has become the latest tennis star to turn to a former legend for help with the 17-time grand slam champion adding his "childhood hero" Stefan Edberg to his coaching team for the upcoming season.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/sport/tennis/federer-edberg-coach-tennis/index.html?eref=edition

Ferry catches fire in North Sea

A fire broke out in a passenger cabin as a ferry loaded with more than 1,000 people sailed across the North Sea from Newcastle, England, to the Netherlands on Saturday, a spokesman for the shipping company DFDS said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/europe/uk-ferry-fire/index.html?eref=edition

$1 million ticket found in pile of leaves

In the post-Superstorm Sandy destruction, New York landscaper Marvin Rosales Martinez was clearing storm debris with a leaf blower when he discovered an unknown treasure hidden in a pile of leaves.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/million-dollar-lottery-ticket-raking-leaves/index.html?eref=edition

Quake strikes south of Turkey

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Saturday in the Mediterranean Sea, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) south southwest of Avsallar, Turkey, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/europe/turkey-earthquake/index.html?eref=edition

Libya releases U.S. personnel

The Libyan government late Friday released four U.S. military personnel who had been taken into custody while they were operating near the city of Sabratha, some 50 miles west of Tripoli, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/africa/libya-americans-released/index.html?eref=edition

20 reported killed in Aleppo strike

At least 20 people in a rebel-held area of the Syrian city of Aleppo were killed in an airstrike on Saturday, a Syrian opposition group said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?eref=edition

Peacekeepers arrive in S. Sudan

The government of South Sudan has agreed to a ceasefire "in principle," but it is not clear if it will be accepted by rebels, a government official said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/africa/south-sudan-conflict/index.html?eref=edition

Cairo university 'targeted' in fresh Egypt clashes

Protesters who back the Muslim Brotherhood are accused of torching the cafeteria of a Cairo university, state media reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/africa/egypt-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Brotherhood branded 'terror group'

Egypt's interim government officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization Wednesday, blamed it for a bombing this week that killed 16 people, and announced that anyone who is a member of the group will be punished.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/africa/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-terrorism/index.html?eref=edition

Clashes with Mulsim Brotherhood

Egypt's military-led government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/27/egypt-crackdown-muslim-brotherhood-matt-bradley.cnn.html?eref=edition

Is 'life support' really 'death support'?

Two young females, both brain dead without warning, remain on ventilators while their devastated families challenge the judgments of their hospitals.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/health/life-support-ethics/index.html?eref=edition

Militants blow up oil pipeline in Yemen

Militants blew up a major oil pipeline in Yemen on Saturday, three senior government officials said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/yemen-pipeline-damaged/index.html?eref=edition

Teen mob overruns NY mall

A Brooklyn mall turned away unaccompanied minors on Friday after hundreds of teens rushed the shopping center causing stores to shut down on the day after Christmas.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/new-york-mall-mob/index.html?eref=edition

Iraq raid: Sunni lawmaker arrested

At least two people were killed when Iraqi security forces raided the home of Sunni lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani and arrested him Saturday morning, Ramadi police said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?eref=edition

Kabul suicide attack kills 3 troops

Three coalition service members died after a suicide attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?eref=edition

China takes millions out of poverty

More than one in five people live in extreme poverty globally, according to a new report, though China's continued economic growth has improved the lives of millions.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/business/china-poverty-report/index.html?eref=edition

Rights group skeptical of reforms

Human rights organization Amnesty International is skeptical of reform promises made by China. CNN's Ivan Watson reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/17/china-labor-camp-report-watson-lklv.cnn.html?eref=edition

Optimism on emerging markets

Adrian Mowat of JP Morgan discusses why investors may be paying more attention to emerging markets in the new year.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/business/2013/12/27/intv-chiou-jp-morgan-outlook-mowat.cnn.html?eref=edition

Questions to ask for New Year

Eric Liu: We Americans rarely get to make a truly mindful assessment of who we are and why we hope to change.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/liu-new-year/index.html?eref=edition

China officially eases one-child policy

China's top legislature approved resolutions to officially amend its controversial one-child policy and end re-education through labor camps.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/china-one-child-policy-official/index.html?eref=edition

Who changed history in 2013?

Something was different in 2013. Unlike recent years, when some of the major events were powered by groups and movements -- think revolutions that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, public squares occupied without visible leadership -- this year, it was individuals who created the most unexpected or dramatic events.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/ghitis-remembering-2013/index.html?eref=edition

At least 26 dead in India train fire

At least 26 people were killed and eight injured after a compartment of a passenger train caught fire early Saturday in southeast India, officials said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/india-train-fire/index.html?eref=edition

Icy blast: 20 dead, 200k powerless

Thousands of people in the northern United States and southeastern Canada have endured at least four days without power because of ice-related outages.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/us/winter-weather/index.html?eref=edition

Lebanon bombing 'kills Assad enemy'

A Beirut car bombing kills six -- including Mohamad Chatah, a former Lebanese minister and ambassador to the U.S., Lebanon's National News Agency reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/meast/lebanon-explosion/index.html?eref=edition

Gunmen open fire in Thailand protest

One person is killed and three wounded after gunmen opened fire on peaceful protesters in Thailand, the national security chief says.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html?eref=edition

$100M airport detection system fails

A man hopped a fence and walked onto a runway at the Newark airport on Christmas Day in the second apparent failure of a multimillion-dollar detection system designed to protect New York-area airports, authorities said Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/us/new-jersey-airport-security-breach/index.html?eref=edition

Thai protesters want PM to quit

Protesters say concessions are not enough and are calling for the Prime Minister to resign. Anna Coren has the latest.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/09/ctw-thailand-protesters-concessions-anna-coren.cnn.html?eref=edition

Al Qaeda-held man pleads for help

A U.S. man held hostage by al Qaeda pleads for President Barack Obama to help secure his release, in a video released by his captors.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/pakistan-captured-american/index.html?eref=edition

Political turmoil in Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is facing growing pressure as he reshuffles his cabinet. Andrew Finkel reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/26/lklv-finkel-turkey-political-unrest.cnn.html?eref=edition

Antarctic ice breaker now stuck

After four days trapped in Antarctic sea ice, the 74 people aboard an expedition vessel could soon be freed. Two ice-breaking ships are expected to reach them on Friday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/antarctica-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

Controversial Okinawa base moving

The controversial U.S. military base on Okinawa, Japan -- which is unpopular with locals due to crimes committed by U.S. military personnel -- is being moved.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/japan-controversial-u-s-airbase/index.html?eref=edition

Native Americans sue Bale movie

Seventeen members of the Ramapough Lunaape Nation have sued the makers of the film "Out of the Furnace," saying the movie portrays their Native American people in a false light and has caused humiliation for the tribe.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/showbiz/native-americans-sues-filmmaker/index.html?eref=edition

Report: 23 dead in India train fire

At least 23 people were killed and 12 were injured after a compartment of a passenger train caught fire early Saturday in southeast India, CNN affiliate IBN reported, citing an Indian official.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/india-train-fire/index.html?eref=edition

Official: 4 U.S. military detained by Libya

Four U.S. military personnel are being held by the Libyan government, a senior U.S. Defense Department official told CNN on Friday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/africa/libya-americans-detained/index.html?eref=edition

'Duck Dynasty' to resume

Little more than a week after it suspended "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson for incendiary remarks about homosexuality, the cable channel A&E said Friday that it would include him in future tapings of the reality television show, effectively lifting the suspension amid a flurry of petitions in support of Robertson.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/showbiz/duck-dynasty-resumes/index.html?eref=edition

Sex workers are victims

Jane Wells and John-Keith Wasson say it's a myth that prostitution is a victimless crime



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/wells-prostitution-victims/index.html?eref=edition

For women, missteps to learn from

Peggy Drexler says 2013 saw big gains for women, but we still have a long way to go



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/opinion/drexler-women-progress-missteps/index.html?eref=edition

Three dead in Egypt clashes

Backers of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood battled police in Cairo and other cities after Friday prayers. At least three people died and 265 were arrested, the Interior Ministry said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/africa/egypt-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Roger Federer recruits legend

Roger Federer has become the latest tennis star to turn to a former legend for help with the 17-time grand slam champion adding his "childhood hero" Stefan Edberg to his coaching team for the upcoming season.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/sport/tennis/federer-edberg-coach-tennis/index.html?eref=edition

Cardiff sack Malky Mackay

Malky Mackay was "relieved of his duties" as manager of Cardiff City Friday just 11 days after being told by the English Premier League club's Malaysian owner Vincent Tan he must resign or be sacked.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/sport/football/cardiff-mackay-sacked-tan/index.html?eref=edition

Inside power struggle in Turkey

Soner Cagaptay, author of "The Rise of Turkey," talks to CNN's Jonathan Mann about the politics inside the country.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/19/idesk-intv-power-struggle-in-turkey.cnn.html?eref=edition

Flaring up

via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/01/world/defining-moments/index.html?eref=edition

Plane struggles in wind

Watch a Boeing 777 try to land at England's Birmingham Airport almost sideways and fail due to high winds.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/06/seg-plane-wind.cnn.html?eref=edition

Naval power is heart of U.S. defense

By his own admission, one of the U.S Navy's top commanders says his Pacific fleet "gets all the best stuff" when it comes to state-of-the-art weaponry -- an undeniable reflection of President Barack Obama's so-called pivot towards Asia.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/30/world/asia/asia-us-navy-power/index.html?eref=edition

S. Sudan makes ceasefire signal

The government of South Sudan has agreed to a ceasefire "in principle," but it is not clear if it will be accepted by rebels, a government official said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/africa/south-sudan-conflict/index.html?eref=edition

Uganda to crack down on gay sex

A new bill in Uganda is a signature away from enforcing life in prison for certain homosexual acts.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/27/bpr-uganda-anti-gay-bill-lokodo.cnn.html?eref=edition

In pictures: Beirut blast

via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/gallery/beirut-blast/index.html?eref=edition

Big security breaches at 2 airports

The latest airport security breach calls security systems into question. CNN's Alexandra Field reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/27/airport-security-breaches-field-newday.cnn.html?eref=edition

Top science and space stories of 2013

It has been a thrilling year of discovery in many areas of science, but also a sobering time -- federal funding cuts threaten the future of innovation, and rising carbon dioxide levels foreshadow environmental and health challenges linked to climate change.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/tech/innovation/science-top-stories/index.html?eref=edition

Swine flu kills five in Texas

The CDC is already reporting spiking infection rates of the flu in several states across the country.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/27/first-wave-of-flu-blackwell-newday.cnn.html?eref=edition

Thai activists regroup after death

Anti-government protesters clashed with police for seven hours on Thursday, leaving one officer dead and more than 100 people injured, including 35 officers, police in Bangkok said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html?eref=edition

Muslim Brotherhood members arrested

One day after naming the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, Egypt security forces arrest more than 100 people, state media reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/meast/egypt-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Kabul suicide attack kills 3 troops

Three coalition service members died after a suicide attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?eref=edition

Dozens killed in Thai crash

At least 29 dead and four others seriously injured when a bus went off a bridge in rural Thailand.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/27/vo-thailand-fatal-bus-crash.mcot.html?eref=edition

Optimism on emerging markets

Adrian Mowat of JP Morgan discusses why investors may be paying more attention to emerging markets in the new year.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/business/2013/12/27/intv-chiou-jp-morgan-outlook-mowat.cnn.html?eref=edition

Jesus and Mary: It's complicated

No image is more central to the story of Christmas than that of baby Jesus in the arms of his mother, Mary. It was painted and sculpted over and over again, by such artists as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. It's a picture of tender mercy and boundless love between a mother and her son. But these first gentle moments (even experienced in the humble environs of a manger) are perhaps the easiest of any parent-child relationship.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/parini-jesus-mary-christmas/index.html?eref=edition

Convoy hit in downtown Beirut

Lebanese official Mohamad Chatah killed when a car bomb struck his convoy in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/27/bpr-lebanon-beirut-explosion-prothero.cnn.html?eref=edition

Who changed history in 2013?

Something was different in 2013. Unlike recent years, when some of the major events were powered by groups and movements -- think revolutions that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, public squares occupied without visible leadership -- this year, it was individuals who created the most unexpected or dramatic events.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/ghitis-remembering-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Leaders try to end S.Sudan fighting

Leaders from Kenya and Ethiopia arrive in South Sudan as the country's conflict threatens to descend into civil war.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/africa/south-sudan-fighting/index.html?eref=edition

Icy blast: 19 dead, 200k powerless

Thousands of people in the northern United States and southeastern Canada have endured at least four days without power because of ice-related outages.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/us/winter-weather/index.html?eref=edition

Beirut bomb 'kills ex-ambassador'

Mohamad Chatah, a former Lebanese minister of finance and ambassador to the United States, was killed Friday when a car bomb struck his convoy in downtown Beirut, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/meast/lebanon-explosion/index.html?eref=edition

Rescue on way to trapped vessel

An ice-breaking rescue ship is within sight of stranded research vessel stranded off the Coast of Antarctica.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/27/intv-antarctica-stranded-ship-turney.cnn.html?eref=edition

$100M airport detection system fails

A man hopped a fence and walked onto a runway at the Newark airport on Christmas Day in the second apparent failure of a multimillion-dollar detection system designed to protect New York-area airports, authorities said Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/us/new-jersey-airport-security-breach/index.html?eref=edition

Final Newtown shooting report due

The Connecticut State Police on Friday will release its report on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, according to a state police spokesman.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/justice/connecticut-state-police-newtown-shooting-report/index.html?eref=edition

Al Qaeda-held man pleads for help

A U.S. man held hostage by al Qaeda pleads for President Barack Obama to help secure his release, in a video released by his captors.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/pakistan-captured-american/index.html?eref=edition

PM Erdogan faces pressure

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is facing growing pressure as he reshuffles his cabinet. Andrew Finkel reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/26/lklv-finkel-turkey-political-unrest.cnn.html?eref=edition

Antarctic ship near rescue

After four days trapped in Antarctic sea ice, the 74 people aboard an expedition vessel could soon be freed. Two ice-breaking ships are expected to reach them on Friday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/antarctica-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

U.S. base in Okinawa to move

A Japanese governor has approved a measure to allow for the relocation of a controversial U.S. military base on Okinawa, breaking 17 years of stagnation on the base's transfer plan, the government of Okinawa said Friday



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/world/asia/japan-controversial-u-s-airbase/index.html?eref=edition

Snowden: My mission 'accomplished'

NSA leaker Edward Snowden gives wide-ranging interview to The Washington Post, telling the newspaper "I already won."



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/us/edward-snowden-interview/index.html?eref=edition

Native Americans sue Bale movie

Seventeen members of the Ramapough Lunaape Nation have sued the makers of the film "Out of the Furnace," saying the movie portrays their Native American people in a false light and has caused humiliation for the tribe.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/showbiz/native-americans-sues-filmmaker/index.html?eref=edition

Outrage at Japan PM's shrine visit

A 30-minute visit to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ignites a firestorm from Japan's neighbors.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/asia/japan-pm-war-shrine/index.html?eref=edition

Egypt: Brotherhood a terrorist group

Egypt's interim government officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on Wednesday, blamed it for a bombing this week that killed 16 people, and announced that anyone who is a member of the group will be punished.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/africa/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-terrorism/index.html?eref=edition

State of activism in Egypt

CNN's Christiane Amanpour speaks with Human Rights Watch's Heba Morayef about Egypt.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/05/heba-morayef-amanpour.cnn.html?eref=edition

U.S. priest to be released from jail

The first Roman Catholic priest in the United States imprisoned for covering up the crimes of offending priests was released Thursday after an appeals court reversed his conviction.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/justice/philadelphia-monsignor-conviction-reversed/index.html?eref=edition

Saudi blogger faces death case

A judge in Saudi Arabia has recommended that imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi go before a high court on a charge of apostasy, which would carry the death penalty upon conviction, according to Badawi's wife.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/meast/saudi-blogger-death-sentence/index.html?eref=edition

Is al Qaeda outdoing U.S. on truth?

Peter Bergen says an al Qaeda leader's apology contrasts with U.S. silence about the drone that hit a wedding party



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/23/opinion/bergen-us-al-qaeda-truth/index.html?eref=edition

70 people injured in fish attack

Their Christmas Day did not go as planned.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/americas/argentina-fish-attack/index.html?eref=edition

Friend to hostage: 'Hang on'

Laurie Wiseberg speaks out about her friend Warren Weinstein, the 72-year-old man who's been kidnapped by al Qaeda.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/12/26/erin-intv-friend-of-weinstein-hostage-speaks-out.cnn.html?eref=edition

Bus skids off Thai bridge, 29 dead

At least 29 people died and four others were seriously injured when a bus went off a bridge in rural Thailand late Thursday night, a police official told CNN.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/thailand-fatal-bush-crash/index.html?eref=edition

Trapped Antarctic ship to be rescued

The first of three ice-breaking rescue ships is expected to reach an expedition vessel trapped in frozen seas off Antarctica by Friday, the voyage's leader told CNN via Skype.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/antarctica-ship-stuck/index.html?eref=edition

Morale high on ship off Antarctica

Chris Turney says people on a ship stuck off Antarctica are disappointed over the mishap but otherwise in good spirits.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/12/26/tsr-live-keiler-antarctica-chris-turney-stuck-on-ice.cnn.html?eref=edition

The big Boxing Day sales begin

Millions across the U.K. are getting their hands on bargains in the annual boxing day sales.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/26/lklv-tomkins-london-boxing-day.cnn.html?eref=edition

Turkish prosecutor slams police

A Turkish prosecutor has openly accused police of interfering with a high-level corruption investigation.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/europe/turkey-corruption-investigation/index.html?eref=edition

Iraq buys drones for al Qeada fight

Two years after bringing home U.S. troops from Iraq, the Obama administration is sending Hellfire rockets and ScanEagle surveillance drones to help government forces fight al Qaeda affiliates growing in influence, a State Department official confirmed to CNN on Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/politics/us-iraq-missiles/index.html?eref=edition

Muslim group blames Santa for evils

The day after Christmas was a tough one for Santa in his ancestral homeland of Turkey.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/europe/turkey-santa-protest/index.html?eref=edition

LAX attack suspect denies killing

The man accused of killing an airport security officer last month at Los Angeles International Airport is expected to appear in court Thursday. LAX shooting suspect pleads



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/justice/lax-shooting-arraignment/index.html?eref=edition

Arsenal enjoy Manchester City's win

Arsenal returned to the top of the English Premier League Thursday as previous leaders Liverpool slipped to fourth with a 2-1 defeat at fellow title challengers Manchester City.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/sport/football/man-city-arsenal-epl-football/index.html?eref=edition

Greenpeace activist freed

Jonathan Mann speaks to Greenpeace activist Frank Hewetson about the conditions of the Russian prison he was freed from.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/26/russia-greenpeace-activists-freed-frank-hewetson-intv.cnn.html?eref=edition

Ice storm brings power outages

As the weather goes, there's good news and bad news. First the good news: Travelers heading home Thursday shouldn't run into any storms. The National Weather Service predicts "tranquil weather" for the rest of the week.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/us/winter-weather/index.html?eref=edition

Andy Murray loses comeback game

Andy Murray's first match since undergoing back surgery in September ended in a straight sets defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/sport/tennis/andy-murray-tennis-abu-dhabi-back/index.html?eref=edition

Girl who inspired 10,000 carolers dies

A little girl whose Christmas wish inspired thousands of people to sing in the streets died overnight.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/us/christmas-carol-girl-dies/index.html?eref=edition

'I have been totally abandoned'

In new video, kidnapped U.S. contractor Warren Weinstein called on President Obama to negotiate for his freedom.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/26/pakistan-captured-american-earlystart.cnn.html?eref=edition

Rooney stars in Man United comeback

If Manchester United rallies to win the English Premier League, it might look back at Thursday's Boxing Day clash at Hull as a turning point.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/sport/football/manchester-united-hull-premier-league-football/index.html?eref=edition

Tense battle in sailing classic

Six-time winner Wild Oats XI was involved in a tense battle for the race lead as the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht race entered its first night Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/sport/yachting-sydney-hobart-start/index.html?eref=edition

Record cricket crowd for Ashes Test

Basking in the glory of winning back the fabled Ashes from traditional rivals England, Australia's cricketing fans turned up in world record numbers Boxing Day in Melbourne to see their side continue its domination of the series.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/sport/cricket-ashes-world-record-mcg/index.html?eref=edition

Stories that got women fired up in 2013

It's hard to believe another year is coming to end. Where on earth did 2013 go?



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/living/2013-stories-women-parents/index.html?eref=edition

Top science and space stories of 2013

It has been a thrilling year of discovery in many areas of science, but also a sobering time -- federal funding cuts threaten the future of innovation, and rising carbon dioxide levels foreshadow environmental and health challenges linked to climate change.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/tech/innovation/science-top-stories/index.html?eref=edition

Thailand protests leave one dead

Anti-government protesters clashed with police for seven hours on Thursday, leaving one officer dead and more than 100 people injured, including 35 officers, police in Bangkok said.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html?eref=edition

Explosion rocks university in Cairo

Five people were wounded Thursday in an explosion near Al-Azhar University in Cairo's Nasr City neighborhood, according to local media reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/meast/egypt-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Pope's message: Peace is daily effort

Pope Francis calls for peace in Syria, South Sudan, Central African Republic, the Holy Land. He says peace is not a 'lovely facade' but 'daily commitment.'



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/europe/pope-christmas/index.html?eref=edition

Olympic chief downplays snubs

No prominent world leaders at the Sochi Olympics in two months? No problem, according to Russia's Olympics chief.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/sport/sochi-2014-zhukov-obama-hollande/index.html?eref=edition

Could 3-D 'mist' replace screens?

If buttons are a thing of the past and touch screens are the present, what are the screens of the future?



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/tech/touch-display-projected-on-mist/index.html?eref=edition

Code-breaker receives royal pardon

Alan Turing, a British code-breaker during World War II who was later subjected to chemical castration for homosexual activity, has received a royal pardon nearly 60 years after he committed suicide.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/world/europe/alan-turing-royal-pardon/index.html?eref=edition

Jesus and Mary: It's complicated

No image is more central to the story of Christmas than that of baby Jesus in the arms of his mother, Mary. It was painted and sculpted over and over again, by such artists as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. It's a picture of tender mercy and boundless love between a mother and her son. But these first gentle moments (even experienced in the humble environs of a manger) are perhaps the easiest of any parent-child relationship.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/parini-jesus-mary-christmas/index.html?eref=edition

Who changed history in 2013?

Something was different in 2013. Unlike recent years, when some of the major events were powered by groups and movements -- think revolutions that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, public squares occupied without visible leadership -- this year, it was individuals who created the most unexpected or dramatic events.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/opinion/ghitis-remembering-2013/index.html?eref=edition

Explaining South Sudan conflict

Could South Sudan, the youngest African country, possibly be the next Rwanda?



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/24/politics/south-sudan-explainer/index.html?eref=edition

Can't miss op-eds of 2013

In 2013, events such as the U.S. government shutdown, hot-button issues such as marriage equality and ramped-up debates about privacy and surveillance made headlines and caught readers' attention. Many of the perspectives published by CNN Opinion were shared widely on social media. Here are some of the most shared op-eds from the year.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/opinion/opinion-2013-most-shared/index.html?eref=edition

Changes needed to NSA

When President Barack Obama responded to this summer's torrent of disclosures about the National Security Agency by commissioning a review board, some wondered whether waiting for the committee to report its findings would involve a lot of delay and not much in the way of progress.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/21/opinion/crump-privacy-victories/index.html?eref=edition

Pleas for peace amid fears of civil war in South Sudan

Fears that a new civil war could erupt in South Sudan drove leaders of two neighboring African countries into its capital Thursday.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/africa/south-sudan-fighting/index.html?eref=edition

Fighting rages over ceasefire calls

Fighting raged in South Sudan despite calls from the African Union for a Christmas day cease-fire. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/12/26/lklv-pleitgen-south-sudan-update.cnn.html?eref=edition

More peacekeepers on the way

The U.N. Security Council voted to send an additional 6,000 troops and police to South Sudan to protect civilians.



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Captive American feels 'abandoned'

Saying he feels "totally abandoned and forgotten," kidnapped U.S. government contractor Warren Weinstein called on President Barack Obama to negotiate for his freedom in a video released by al Qaeda on Christmas.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/pakistan-captured-american/index.html?eref=edition

Political turmoil in Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is facing growing pressure as he reshuffles his cabinet. Andrew Finkel reports.



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NSA program is Obama's to own

President Barack Obama stands at a significant crossroad.



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/19/politics/obama-nsa-surveillance/index.html?eref=edition

Christmas attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan

Two car bombs targeting Christians killed at least 35 people in southern Baghdad on Christmas.



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Snowden: My mission 'accomplished'

NSA leaker Edward Snowden gives wide-ranging interview to The Washington Post, telling the newspaper "I already won."



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China condemns visit

China is upset with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for visiting a World War Two shrine. CNN's Karl Penhaul reports.



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China slashes 'extreme poverty'

More than one in five people live in extreme poverty globally, according to a new report, though China's continued economic growth has improved the lives of millions.



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Iran lawmakers draft uranium bill

Iranian lawmakers have drafted a bill that would force the government to enrich uranium up to 60% if new sanctions are imposed, state media reported Wednesday.



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Japanese PM to visit controversial war shrine

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to visit Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines war criminals from World War II -- a move likely to anger China and the Koreas.



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Honoring dead or insulting neighbors?

Visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese officials, including the younger brother of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, ignited criticism from China and Korea, which see the visits as an homage to Japan's past wartime aggressions.



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Turkey ministers quit amid probe

Two ministers in the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan resign in light of an anti-corruption sting.



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A family pleads for jailed blogger

A Saudi blogger is on trial accused of violating Sharia law. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reports.



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Wife: Saudi blogger sentenced to die

Raif Badawi, a blogger in Saudi Arabia who has been imprisoned for violating the nation's anti-cybercrime law, has been given the death penalty for apostasy by a higher court, his wife told CNN on Wednesday.



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Man receives 1,800 Xmas cards

A young man with Down syndrome receives 1,800 Christmas cards after word spread he was bullied because of his condition.



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Santa shot while giving out presents

A man dressed as Santa Claus and giving away gifts to needy children in Washington was shot by a pellet gun Tuesday in the midst of his rounds, according to police.



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Is al Qaeda outdoing U.S. on truth?

Peter Bergen says an al Qaeda leader's apology contrasts with U.S. silence about the drone that hit a wedding party



via CNN.com - Top Stories http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/23/opinion/bergen-us-al-qaeda-truth/index.html?eref=edition

Ukraine activist-journalist beaten

A prominent Ukrainian civic activist and journalist was beaten on Christmas Day by a group of men who dragged her from her car outside of Kiev in the latest attack on government opponents, authorities said.



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Ice storm chaos on U.S.-Canada border

About 129,000 customers were without electricity in parts of Michigan, and hundreds have taken refuge in Red Cross shelters in Michigan, Vermont and Maine.



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Former Egyptian PM arrested

Egyptian police arrested former Prime Minister Hisham Qandil in an apartment in Giza governorate, according to state-run news agency EGYNews.



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Escaping violence in South Sudan

Escaping violence in South Sudan



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Iran sends Christmas Tweet

Another sign of new rapprochement with Western culture, or a cynical public relations ploy?



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Egypt calls Brotherhood 'terror group'

Egypt's interim government officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization Wednesday, blamed it for a bombing this week that killed 16 people, and announced that anyone who is a member of the group will be punished.



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Freed Putin critic applies for visa

Former oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has applied for a Swiss visa, less than a week after his release from a Russian prison, authorities said Wednesday.



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Ship stuck in Antarctic ice

Passengers on a Russian polar expedition ship off Antarctica are getting a whiter Christmas than they probably wanted.



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Astronauts complete risky repair

It took about seven hours but astronauts successfully replaced a pump aboard the International Space Station.



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S.Africa's Kallis quits Test cricket

South African all-rounder announces he will retire from Test match cricket following the Boxing Day Test against India in Durban.



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Bad Santa wanted for bank heist

A bank robber wearing a Santa hat and beard walked into a Port Orange, Florida, bank and walked out with loot, police said Tuesday.



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Olympic chief downplays snubs

No prominent world leaders at the Sochi Olympics in two months? No problem, according to Russia's Olympics chief.



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Bloodshed in oil-rich state in S. Sudan

Rebels and government troops in South Sudan battled for control of an oil-rich state Wednesday, after leaders in Washington and at the United Nations called for the bloodshed to stop.



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