Los Angeles (CNN)Thousands of veterans who are patients at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System have been waiting months just for an appointment, CNN has learned. Email your story ideas and tips to CNNtips@cnn.com. What's more, administrators in charge of the massive VA facility in greater Los Angeles may have been hiding wait times, and may have misled Congress on the delays and exactly how long veterans are being forced to wait for care, according to new information obtained by CNN. This revelation means that the scandal over delays in care and wait times for veterans, which embroiled the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs last year and even led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, is apparently not over. And the changes promised by the VA and the Obama administration may not be working. The detailed new evidence comes from the Los Angeles VA's own internal documents obtained by CNN, and numerous medical and administrative sources confirmed the information. It is particularly significant as the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Medical Center is the nation's largest VA health care system, caring for hundreds of thousands of U.S. veterans. The VA documents show more than 12,700 appointments, which the VA calls consults, had been waiting more than 90 days to be addressed, as of mid-January. Even new patients seeking care at the Los Angeles VA for the first time can wait months to see a doctor there. Records show on January 15, more than 1,600 veterans who were new patients were waiting 60 to 90 days for appointments. Another 400 veterans have waited up to six months, and 64 veterans had been waiting six months to a year for their appointments. The documents provided to CNN show the lengthy wait times are still happening, within the last several months, and sources say the backlog is happening even now. And yet last month, the VA's acting director for the Western region overseeing the Los Angeles VA told Congress that veterans who are new patients there only have to wait a few days for appointments. "The average wait time for a new patient right now is about four days," Dr. Skye McDougall, the acting director of the Desert Pacific Healthcare Network, Veterans Health Administration, testified before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. But McDougall's statement is simply not true. According to the Los Angeles VA's documents dated January 15, the actual average wait time for new patients at the VA was 48 days. A half-dozen medical and administrative sources inside the LA VA system corroborate these waits. The wait times since then have not changed significantly -- coming down slightly to a wait time of 44 days for new patients as of March 1, according to another VA document -- and are still roughly 10 times what McDougall testified they were. The delays in appointments are even taking place at Los Angeles clinics for mental health, where documents show more than 300 veterans have been waiting more than 30, 60, even 90 days for treatment. At the congressional hearing, McDougall was specifically asked

Summary: Document shows veterans at VA's largest hospital facing months-long waits for appointments . Last month, VA official said average wait time was four days . Sources say not much has changed despite reaction after last year's VA scandal .


(CNN)America used to be a place where we said, "Give me liberty or give me death." We live by a credo that "freedom isn't free," and that our Constitution is worth dying for. How inspirational it is to believe that this is the wind of thought that blows underneath the Eagle's wings. Unfortunately, whenever that wind becomes just a little too gusty for comfort, we find out just how little relationship our poetic credo has to our collective guts. The latest example: Nine seconds of video of a number of boys singing an offensive song. Immediately, the University of Oklahoma expelled two of the boys for their speech. Forget whether you like the speech or not. That is not relevant. These boys got kicked out of a public school for singing a song, on their own time, in a privately rented bus, simply because the government didn't like the content of their song. Opinion: What's the right way to face racism? Censors overstepping their bounds is no surprise. What surprises me is how readily the public supported the expulsions, and how many supposedly intelligent people were willing to turn the First Amendment on its head, because of nine seconds of video. I don't like the song or its message either. I can't imagine anyone reasonable who would. But I want to live in a country where the government does not listen to my songs and then decide whether or not I should be punished, based on what words I used. That is not freedom. I understand that most of us hate racism. We are on a mission to eradicate it from all corners. But I am not willing to trade the First Amendment for a society where we don't need to hear racist words. In Abrams v. United States, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a passage that ultimately became the cornerstone of a liberty-based view toward free speech, and which became the dominant theory in First Amendment jurisprudence. In Abrams, Holmes gave us "the marketplace of ideas." And what a brilliant theory it was. Holmes noted that if someone was completely confident in the belief that they were right, then it would seem logical that they would want to suppress dissenting views. "If you have no doubt of your premises or your power, and want a certain result with all your heart, you naturally express your wishes in law, and sweep away all opposition." Those who wish to eradicate racism are certain that they are right. I believe in a racism-free world. I have marched in counterprotests against the Ku Klux Klan. I've stood up in places you don't want to be, against violent neo-Nazis. And I would do it again. But I feel no kinship with anyone who would harm the First Amendment to fight racism. Some things are worse than racism -- like a loss of the right to speak your mind and think your own thoughts. Unfortunately, that is a price that too many of us are willing to pay. I am not. As certain as I am that

Summary: University of Oklahoma students were expelled after video surfaced of racist song . Marc Randazza: Those willing to weaken First Amendment should realize their free expression is also at risk .


(CNN)A ballerina dancing in a music box and a girl sat in an armchair drinking tea surrounded by flowers. This is how two of China's most popular websites chose to celebrate International Women's Day Sunday, unleashing a storm of criticism, especially on social media, which ridiculed their home page "doodles" as sexist stereotypes. "May the world treat you gently," the video-sharing site Youku told its female users. Search engine Baidu had no explicit message for its visitors, but the rotating ballerina turned into a bride and then a mom with a stroller. Internet users were quick to point out how the efforts of Baidu, China's biggest search engine, and Youku, dubbed China's YouTube, contrasted with global rival Google. Its doodle depicted women in several different professions, including a scientist, artist, astronaut, chef, musician, teacher and volleyball player. "This is how you define women and celebrate them!" said Weibo user @Zoexiaoyizi of Baidu's music box. "Google's doodle just makes their stupidity even worse." Guo Weiqing, a professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said that the companies' choice of imagery suggested that women are there only to be taken care of and look pretty -- and the real world of business should be left to men. "Internet companies conveying such a narrow definition of women isn't good. It's exactly the opposite of the International Women's Day mission, which is fighting for gender equality," he told CNN. Baidu and Youku didn't immediately respond to calls for comment. The doodle uproar came as Chinese authorities detained several women right's activists this weekend. Some of them had planned to hold a nationwide protest against sexual harassment. On Monday, five were still being held police, said an activist and a friend of the women, who asked not to be identified. Beijing traditionally cracks down on activists during important meetings like this week's National People's Congress (NPC). "In other countries, doing such things on International Women's Day is natural, while in China you get detained for fighting for women's rights," she said. "Everything we've done is mild and done legally -- we call for gender equality in the college entrance exam and more toilet spots for women," she added. Under Chairman Mao Zedong, women famously "held up half the sky" but there is a growing sense that Chinese women today face more, not less, discrimination than in the past. The New York Times reported last month that women make up fewer than one in 10 board members at the country's top 300 companies. And China's state-run media often appears more concerned with women's looks and marital status than equal rights. Showing the same tin ear as Baidu and Youku, the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, published an online gallery entitled "Beauty with brains." It featured 18 snapshots of female journalists covering the NPC in Beijing this week. And during the Lunar New Year holidays last month, a television gala watched by 690 million people included comedy skits mocking overweight and unmarried women. Incensed feminists called for an end to the annual televised extravaganza in an online

Summary: International Women's Day doodles stir controversy in China . Baidu and Youku depict women as girls, brides and mothers . Feminist activists held by police over the weekend .


(CNN)There is plenty of noise surrounding the nuclear deal that is being negotiated with Iran. But for all the heat generated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress and an ill-conceived, panicky letter to Iran's leadership organized by Sen.Tom Cotton -- the latest debate is creating little light. Indeed, it may actually be obscuring the fundamental issue of Iran's own foreign policies -- and whether Tehran's destabilizing activities abroad should preclude a deal at all. Unfortunately, few in Congress have taken the time to consider the matter in a thoughtful, coherent manner. There are, of course, certain realities that should not be in dispute: Yes, Iran is a regional adversary to a number of its Gulf neighbors and Israel. And it does aim to provoke Sunni-led Gulf states and generally to sow seeds of sectarian Islam abroad. In addition, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp's Quds force is alleged to have provided training and weapons to a range of militants -- Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Houthi rebels in Yemen, disenfranchised Shia Muslims in Bahrain, and even to militant groups in West Africa. Most recently, Iran has been directing military operations by U.S.-equipped Iraqi forces against ISIS militants in Iraq, forces that have been aided by U.S. airstrikes. Netanyahu grasped the irony, starkly warning "when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is your enemy." (Although Sen. Marco Rubio appears to be confused, insisting at a March 11 hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran must be unhappy with U.S. airstrikes against ISIS). Yet the question that Netanyahu did not answer, and which Sen. Cotton and his 46 colleagues have not even asked, is what exactly should be done about Iran's activities abroad? Many in Congress fail to grasp that Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and his colleagues in Iran's Cabinet, with their U.S.-PhDs and understanding of plural democracies, are not cut from the same cloth as the hardliners in charge of Iran's Quds force (its commander, Qasem Suleimani turns up in Lebanon and Iraq despite a travel and asset ban). And yes, it was the Quds force that provided the explosives and operatives that led to significant U.S. casualties in the early years of the 2003 Iraq war. To answer the question of what to do about Iran's activities, it is important to understand that the nuclear agreement, while it has little to do with Iran's arms transfers or extracurricular activities in the region, can lay the groundwork for a far more serious engagement about Iran's role in the region -- and in a manner that addresses head-on the concerns of its Sunni neighbors, many of whom are eager to resume longstanding trading relationships with Iran. The reality is that Iran's reemergence into the international community in a postnuclear deal environment would allow the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to assert its interests in the region, and to lay out expectations of Iran as a constructive partner. It might even lead to quiet, back-channel diplomacy about

Summary: Talks are continuing over Iran's nuclear program . Jacqueline Shire: A nuclear deal is just the beginning .


(CNN)It's called the Grand Renaissance Dam -- and the clue is in the name. With some 8,500 laborers working around the clock on its construction, the imposingly-named dam is surely one of Africa's most ambitious infrastructure projects, reaffirming Ethiopia's ambitions of becoming a big regional player and a major exporter of power. When completed, the project will generate around 6,000 megawatts of electricity for both domestic use and exports. The most striking aspect of the nearly $5 billion enterprise is, however, that it is entirely funded by Ethiopia, without any foreign investment. According to the authorities, 20% of the project is financed from bond offerings to Ethiopians, and the remaining 80% from tax collection. "It was seen as a strategically important initiative that the government and the Ethiopian people are financing it 100%," says Zemedeneh Negatu, managing partner at Ernst & Young Ethiopia. "They have come up with a very creative and innovative way that I think will be a lesson for other African countries who want to embark on such large infrastructure projects, and want to have the flexibility to do it themselves," he adds. Hydroelectric powerhouse . So far, Ethiopians at home and abroad have contributed about $350 million, and the government says that the 170 meter tall dam is on track for a 2017 opening, with 40% of the work already complete. Ethiopia's per capita income might be one of the lowest in the world, but the country has enjoyed an impressive economic growth since 2000, averaging 10.9% annually, which has resulted in a 33% reduction of people living in poverty. If the Grand Renaissance Dam and other hydroelectric projects, such as the Gibe III dam on the Omo river, are completed on time, The World Bank estimates Ethiopia could earn $1 billion a year from electricity exports. Negatu says that this would make the country the largest exporter of power in Africa, and second only to South Africa when it comes to installed capacity. Unhappy neighbors . Yet, not everyone is happy about Ethiopia's energetic drive to harness its water resources. The Grand Renaissance Dam is being built on Blue Nile, a tributary of the Nile River which has been powering the agriculture of Sudan and Egypt -- through which it flows -- for millennia. These countries have opposed the project in the past, fearing that the dam will reduce their share of the Nile water. The ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi had even threatened to defend "each drop of Nile water with our blood if necessary" back in 2013. Passions have been calmer more recently, and today the Reuters news agency reported that representatives of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia reached a preliminary agreement in Khartoum on how to operate the dam. Negatu is convinced that a compromise will be reached, as he thinks that the dam will ultimately benefit not just Ethiopia but most other East African nations. "This is actually a regional project because up from Egypt all the way down to Rwanda, countries are going to buy the power that's generated by this dam," Negatu

Summary: Ethiopia is building the largest hydro-electric dam in Africa . The country says the $5bn Grand Renaissance Dam is funded entirely by the government and its people . Neighboring Sudan and Egypt fear that the dam will affect their water supply .


(CNN)There's been plenty of talk lately about how dangerous stereotypes can be when it comes to the empowerment of our girls and young women. For instance, the #LikeAGirl campaign, which took a hammer to the notion that doing anything "like a girl" should be viewed as an insult, has become an international sensation. Less discussed, though, is the reality that our boys face damaging stereotypes too. That was the motivation behind a recent workshop held by SheKnows Media, a leading women's lifestyle media company. A group of New York City tween boys ranging in age from 8 to 10 got together as part of the company's Hatch program, which focuses on teaching digital literacy and citizenship to the next generation. The boys were shown dozens of advertisements perpetuating hypermasculine stereotypes, such as images of men all muscled up and not wearing shirts. In one ad for a big truck, the boys heard the tag line "Can a truck change how people feel about a guy?" Is the 'be a man' stereotype hurting boys? Another advertisement, this one for a clothing company, showed a man from the waist down along with the caption "Wear the pants." "That's a man wearing the pants so that shows that men are in charge," said one of the boys, who's 9. What was clear was that this group of boys knew what the advertisers were trying to get them to think, but they weren't exactly buying it. "I play with girl toys and boy toys. I don't really care which one is meant for boys or for girls. I just play with them. They're toys," said another boy, also 9. "Man up" might mean toughen up and be unemotional, said another boy, who added that his image of what a man should be is completely different. "If I were to describe the perfect man, the words would be smart, not judgy, and kind," said the 10-year-old. 'Dad' gets a makeover in Super Bowl ads . These boys certainly can't speak for all tween boys, but their comments reflect what appears to be growing attention surrounding the use of gender stereotypes for boys as well as girls. Seventy-six percent of men who took part in a recent online survey by SheKnows Media admitted using phrases like "man up" and "be a man" toward boys. Of the more than 1200 men and women surveyed from across the country, 73% said boys are most often described as "aggressive," 69% said "strong" and 53% said "athletic." When the men were asked about stereotypes during their teen years, 72% said they became aware of physical attractiveness and 50% said they grew more conscious about weight. Kids as young as 5 concerned about body image . The awareness starts even earlier, according to a recent analysis of existing research on kids and body image by Common Sense Media, a child advocacy group. It found that over a third of boys ages 6 to 8 think their ideal weight should be thinner than their current body weight. "These are problems that are often thought

Summary: A group of tween boys attended a recent workshop focusing on gender stereotypes . In new SheKnows Media poll, 76% of men admitted using phrases like "man up" and "be a man" The poll also found signs men and women are rethinking what masculinity means today .


(CNN)Life on a Civil War ship in the Deep South was no pleasure cruise. Heat, humidity, the rigors of military life and bouts of boredom could frustrate a fella. So it may be no surprise that among the first artifacts to be brought up from the wreck of the CSS Georgia in Savannah are two sets of leg irons. "We all know about discipline in the Navy," said Jim Jobling, a project manager with Texas A&M University's Conservation Research Laboratory. "It is for restricting the mobility of a prisoner who wanted to desert or had committed a crime." Of course, the leg irons could have been used on a Federal sailor or soldier taken captive. But that didn't occur with the Confederate ironclad. It was scuttled in December 1864, having never fired a shot in anger while it defended the city. About 400 artifacts have been brought up by divers in the initial stage of the recovery of the CSS Georgia, which must be moved for a deepening of the shipping channel. "We have scratched the surface as far as the artifacts are concerned. There are a lot more to come up," Jobling told CNN on Thursday. Texas A&M is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah to conserve many of the artifacts for eventual display. Archaeology isn't just about cool artifacts. It's about making a connection with the humans that used these items. And while experts haven't gleaned much about the daily life of the crew from the early dives, they have found some items that would have been used by an individual: An ironstone plate commonly used in the South, a musket trigger guard and the butt stock of a gun. Visibility at the site is practically nonexistent. Divers have to depend on feel to locate and remove smaller items. Much of it is is detritus of the wreck: small iron plates, nails and spikes. Among the items cataloged since the dives formally began at the end of January are two pieces that helped with the business end of the CSS Georgia: its cannons. Four of the artillery pieces are amid the wreckage about 40 feet down on the floor of the Savannah River. One iron piece had eyes, or holes, that connected a gun carriage to ropes that the ironclad's crew manipulated to move the gun forward and backward. Another piece, a trunnion cap, helped hold the cannon to the carriage. Divers and archaeologists are following a timetable and grid in the recovery, with smaller items being brought up by hand. A previous salvage effort and damage from dredging displaced some of the artifacts. Other items remain right where they fell. "Someone undid the engine, moved it and was dropped" into the depths, said Jobling. Contract divers are out on the site every day, weather permitting, not more than a couple miles east of the city's famous River Street and waterfront. The $15 million removal of the CSS Georgia is necessary for the state and federal harbor deepening project, which will see the channel go from

Summary: A Civil War ironclad must be moved so the shipping channel can be deepened . Wreckage lies a couple miles from Savannah's famous River Street . The CSS Georgia never fired a shot in anger during the Civil War .


(CNN)Lindsey Vonn lifted her crystal globe prize with pride after winning the World Cup downhill title for a seventh time, Wednesday. A crystal ball might be more useful for the American star, who has faced plenty of slippery slopes in her dramatic skiing career. The 30-year-old has twice fought back from a career-threatening right knee injury but this season she has been back to her brilliant best. At the final meeting of the ski season in the pretty French resort of Meribel, Vonn raced to more records on the women's World Cup tour -- a seventh downhill season title and her 18th crystal globe overall. The sparkly spheres are handed out to winners of the World Cup individual disciplines. "This downhill title probably means more to me than the others because I've been through so much," Vonn told CNN's Alpine Edge. "It means everything to me, this is what I've been working so hard for for the last two years. "This season definitely got off to a better start than I expected and I've had some ups and downs for sure but to come away with a globe after a long season is something that I'm really proud of, so it couldn't be better for me right now, I'm so thrilled." Vonn, who credits boyfriend Tiger Woods with inspiring her recovery, fended off the challenge of Austria's Anna Fenninger to claim the downhill crown by 103 points. Despite the softening snow, the American won the downhill race with a fastest time of one minute, 29.87 seconds while Fenninger finished off the pace in eighth. As she crossed the line, she punched the air and screamed at the crowd when she saw she was in first position. After receiving her crystal globe, she celebrated with her team by popping champagne and spraying it over her nearby supporters. Vonn and Fenninger will renew their rivalry Thursday for the super-G title, where Vonn holds an eight-point lead over her challenger. If Vonn wins tomorrow she will equal Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who owns an overall record of 19 crystal globes. "I'm not thinking about that," Vonn insisted with a laugh. "It's always hard to get titles - it's a long season, and it takes a lot to win the crystal globe but tomorrow I'm just going to be focusing on skiing my best, just as I did today."

Summary: Lindsey Vonn wins record-breaking seventh downhill title . It's also a record 18th World Cup title for the American ski star .


(CNN)New York City public schools will now observe two Muslim holidays, officials announced Wednesday, making the district -- the nation's biggest -- one of the few to put Islamic holy days on its calendar. Under the change announced by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and city Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, there will be no class for Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, starting next September 24. Another Muslim holiday, Eid al-Fitr -- a festival marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan -- will become a holiday for those in summer school starting in 2016. "This is a common-sense change," de Blasio said Wednesday, "and one that recognizes our growing Muslim community and honors its contributions to our city." The decision affects some 1 million students in New York City. While it's not known exactly how many of them are Muslim, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said that almost 1 million of the more than 8 million people in the city's five boroughs practice Islam and a 2009 Columbia University study found that roughly 10% of New York City public school students are Muslim. The move isn't a surprise, given de Blasio's campaign pledge to alter the school calendar with Muslim families in mind. "Muslim students and their families who observe Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha shouldn't have to choose between an instructional day and their religious obligations," said Farina. "This new addition will also enable a teachable moment in the classroom for our students to learn about religious tolerance and the societal contributions of various cultures." Linda Sarsour, executive director of the Arab American Association of New York and the parent of three public school students, said a plan in which students wouldn't have to choose between education and faith "a win for our children and for future generations in this country." "Muslims are a part of the fabric of this country," she said. "We make our country proud, and today, New York City made us proud." New York City joins school districts in other states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont, that similarly observe Muslim holidays, according to a news release from Farina's office. And Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha join other religious holidays already on New York's public school calendar. In addition to holidays like Easter that always fall on a weekend, students already have Christian holidays such as Good Friday and Christmas off, as well as the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. CNN's Lorenzo Ferigno and Rob Frehse contributed to this report.

Summary: School chief: Muslim families shouldn't have to weigh school vs. religious observances . Bill de Blasio had pledged to change the school calendar during his mayoral campaign . New York City's public schools already observe Jewish and Christian holidays .


(CNN)If death is the big sleep, as it is sometimes called, is there anything wrong with a dying person choosing a medically induced smaller sleep -- deep sedation -- to avoid the pain of a terminal illness? Is it OK for a patient to choose to spend his or her final days on this mortal coil in what would amount to a medically induced coma? Or is it simply euthanasia in disguise? Members of the French Parliament offered resounding support Tuesday for the proposition that is should be permissible for doctors to induce sleep until death in terminally ill patients who are in pain. They approved a bill allowing that by a vote of 436-34. There were, however, 83 lawmakers who declined to vote -- a measure of just how contentious the issue has been. The bill goes now to the French Senate. Should it become law, doctors would be allowed to administer "deep sedation until death" to terminally ill patients who request it, and for whom palliative care would not ease the pain. The law would also allow doctors who have stopped life-saving measures to administer deep sedation, if they deem it appropriate, to terminally ill patients who are unable to give their consent. "Everyone has the right to a death that is dignified and soothed," the proposed law says. And health professionals, it continues, should "implement all the means at their disposal to fulfill this right." What the law entails, according to Jean Leonetti, the member of Parliament who proposed it, is simple: "Sleep before death to avoid suffering." What it also entails is legal protection for doctors who, in fact, already sedate some dying patients, and who are sometimes taken to court by relatives as a result. Euthanasia is illegal in France, though President Francois Hollande promised in his 2012 campaign that he would reopen the issue. Polls show that more than 90% of French people support the proposal -- an astonishing majority for any proposal -- and Hollande has said it would represent a big step forward. But, as might be predicted, the proposed law has proved divisive in the extreme. Some lawmakers on the left of the political spectrum said in advance they would abstain from Tuesday's vote because they thought the bill did not go far enough toward legalizing euthanasia. And some on the right said they, too, would abstain, because they saw the law is a way of legalizing euthanasia in disguise. CNN's Jim Bittermann in Paris contributed to this report .

Summary: French Parliament approves Tuesday a bill that would allow doctors to put patients under deep sedation until they die . Critics call the proposed law euthanasia in disguise . More than 90% of French people support the bill .


Lausanne, Switzerland (CNN)Talks to reach a deal on a framework agreement on Iran's nuclear program will be extended an extra day, U.S. officials said Tuesday. "We've made enough progress in the last days to merit staying until Wednesday. There are several difficult issues still remaining," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the talks in Lausanne would continue another day as "long as the conversations continue to be productive." Diplomats and negotiators worked late as an initial deadline approached, but more time appeared necessary to reach a framework deal. How long talks will continue was unclear. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius informed the Iranians that he will return to Paris at dawn Wednesday in an apparent effort to force the Iranians' hand, Western diplomatic sources told CNN. Hamid Ba'idinejad from Iran's Foreign Ministry said earlier Tuesday there are no "artificial" deadlines and a deal will be reached, when each issue has been resolved. Diplomats told CNN that there has been progress, but gaps remain. For Iran, that means there's a light at the end of the tunnel for crippling sanctions. For the West, it means real hope that it's possible to loosen up on Tehran while still being confident that it won't develop nuclear weapons. The international sanctions relief issue has been resolved, according to Ba'idinejad. "We have had long discussions on this, but there are issues that are related to sanctions that are still under consideration," Ba'idinejad said. He added that is not the only issue that needs to be worked out. The thing is, nuclear physics is complicated. So are the international dynamics anytime you're talking about Iran and the West, with mutual distrust and contempt a shared sentiment for years. That's why it's taken so long to even get to this point, and why what's happening in Lausanne matters. Before you can iron out nitty-gritty technical details in a permanent, comprehensive pact -- which carries the more important deadline of June 30 -- you have to agree on what you're going to talk about. What happens if Wednesday passes and there's no framework agreement? In the short term, it appears, not much. Iran's power rises, with or without deal . The real deadline isn't for three months, after all. As for the March 31 date, there's nothing to stop the parties from continuing to talk -- though an Iranian official told state-run Press TV that no one had raised the idea of an extension as of late Monday. "All emphasize that the chance should not be missed, and they are all doing their best," Ba'idinejad said. So far, there's been a lot of meetings, with occasional smiles for cameras followed by foreign ministers talking behind closed doors. After working through the previous night, representatives from the key players -- most of them foreign ministers -- met all day Tuesday to try to resolve differences in what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described as "the final stage" of "these marathon-like negotiations." The parties are either on the verge of a milestone agreement or still

Summary: Sources tell CNN that French foreign minister has told Iranians he is leaving early Wednesday morning . Netanyahu: "Agreement ... in Lausanne is paving" way for Iran nuclear weapons . Iran, world powers talking to set up parameters for framework deal on Iran's nuclear program .


(CNN)It's hardly news to state that air pollution is bad for people's health. What might be more surprising to learn, though, is that air pollution is bad for the health of an unborn child, long before his or her lungs ever take their first breath. A growing body of research indicates that various forms of air pollution have a measurable impact on the health of babies, both in utero and after birth. We imagine the infant to be protected inside its mother's body, but pollutants can reach the baby the same way nutrients and medicine do. Lead, mercury and particulate matter are among the types of air pollution we know can impact the health of infants before and after birth. Ozone, or smog, is the next candidate for addition to the list of air pollutants known to be harmful to fetal health. Over the past several years, a number of studies have indicated a likely link between higher levels of maternal ozone exposure and poor health outcomes in infants, including changes in lung structure and function, low birth weight and neuro-behavioral abnormalities. Many of these health effects can be expected to have lifelong consequences. These are deeply concerning results that require more investigation to understand fully. These studies add to a substantial amount of evidence showing the ill effects of ozone for people of all ages. Estimates place the toll in 2007 at 15,000 premature deaths related to ozone among individuals of all ages. Ozone also causes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, asthma attacks, increased risk of respiratory infections and increased need for people with lung diseases -- such as children with asthma -- to get medical treatment or be admitted to the hospital. How can a pregnant woman protect herself and her growing fetus from the harm caused by ozone? After all, ozone is usually invisible (except in certain cases, as smog) and high levels are undetectable to the average individual. Summertime air quality alerts may help in some cases, but some pregnant women cannot avoid exposure. In addition, studies confirm that these daily pollution alerts are inadequate to protect our health because they are based on the present federal ozone standard, which does not include evidence from current, critical health science. In other words, the alerts sometimes fail to accurately indicate when the air is dangerous to breathe. Thinking that it's safe to work or play outside when ozone pollution levels trigger a yellow air quality alert (indicating a "moderate" level for ozone pollution) can significantly threaten the health of many vulnerable individuals. In order to truly protect our children, we need strong, national standards limiting ozone. Ozone forms in the air from emissions from a number of sources, but the biggest culprits are cars, trucks and other motor vehicles, as well as power plants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new ozone standards in November that would bring limits in line with the science. EPA is accepting comments from the public on the standard until Tuesday, March 17, and both of our organizations have expressed support. An

Summary: EPA has proposed stricter ozone standards . Authors: New anti-pollution rules would bring ozone level standards in line with what science tells us .


(CNN)A Chilean girl's plea via social media for an assisted suicide caught the attention of the person the teen thinks could make it happen: President Michelle Bachelet. Bachelet visited 14-year-old Valentina Maureira on Saturday after the girl's video went viral and spurred debate in Chile about euthanasia. Valentina was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 6. Her older brother died from the same disease. Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease that damages the lungs and digestive system. Valentina's family has already witnessed how the disease can be terminal. Valentina's suffering includes vomiting and headaches that are constant, according to her father, Freddy Maureira. The teen recently posted a video on her Facebook page, asking Bachelet to allow her to end her life. "I am tired of living with this sickness," Valentina says in the video. "Please authorize an injection so I can sleep forever." Bachelet visited Valentina on Saturday for more than an hour at the hospital. The country's minister of health also attended. During the visit, the President learned details about Valentina's health, whose condition has reportedly slightly improved, CNN Chile reported. The teen thanked Bachelet for the visit, and her father said he is holding on to hope for a lung transplant for his daughter, according to CNN Chile. Before the visit, the President had already stated her position on the impossibility of an assisted suicide for the girl. Not even the President can agree to Valentina's request because Chilean law does not allow euthanasia, Presidential spokesman Alvaro Elizaldo said. "But what are we doing?" Elizaldo said last week. "The health ministry is in constant contact with Valentina's family, and we will provide all the emotional and psychological support and medical treatment to improve her living conditions." Valentina's case has caused an overwhelming response on social media. People took to Facebook and Twitter to discuss the debate on assisted suicide. One Twitter user posed the question in a tweet: "After the case of Valentina Maureira, should euthanasia be legal?" Doctor Andres Castillo, chief of pediatrics at Catholic University's Clinic Hospital, said that at the moment, Valentina's condition is stable." After her diagnosis, doctors expected her to live to about 17, which would give her three and a half more years to live.

Summary: 14-year-old Valentina Maureira suffers from cystic fibrosis . In a video, she asks the President to allow her to have an assisted suicide .


(CNN)It's a striking image: a new baby cradled in the American flag, held by a Navy sailor whose face we can't see. But is it a patriotic photograph or desecration of the American flag? Navy veteran Vanessa Hicks, a Virginia Beach photographer whose website is filled with sweet images of babies and their parents, shot the picture of the sailor and his baby and posted it to her Facebook page. "I do believe that this picture right here shows what it means to be an American," Hicks told CNN affiliate WTKR."That flag, the uniform, that baby -- exactly what every service member is out there fighting." Not everyone agreed with Hicks, herself a Navy wife whose husband is deployed. A Facebook page titled "You call yourself a photographer?" posted her photo and said that the use of the flag as a prop was a desecration -- and a bad picture. The U.S. Flag Code does state that the flag should never be used as "wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free," according to a Congressional Research Service report (PDF). Nor should it be "used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything." The threatening private messages, which she has reported to Facebook, saddened her. But she decided to keep posting the picture and to take pictures of other members of the military who request the same picture with their babies and the flag. Most people posting to the critical Facebook page disagree with the criticism of the picture. Wrote one poster, "I am a veteran and find this picture beautiful. Clearly the military member loves his country and baby." "The photo is making a point," another photo fan posted. "The flag represents our republic, the republic is supporting our future. There is nothing disrespectful about this use of our flag. It is beautiful."

Summary: A picture of a newborn cradled in the flag raises questions . Facebook critics call it desecration of the flag . A Navy veteran whose husband is deployed took the picture .


(CNN)Americans like to complain about the endless political gridlock in our capital. But if we're honest we need to look in the mirror too. Many of us abandoned the field by not voting in last year's midterm elections. Those of us who did vote elected more fire breathers than bridge builders to Congress. What's more, when we're invited to tell our representatives what we want, we can be as demagogic as they are. Remember the Town Hall meetings in the summer of 2009, which erupted in shouting matches between citizens and legislators over health care? Who can forget the Massachusetts woman holding a picture of President Obama defaced to look like Hitler, who demanded to know why former Rep. Barney Frank supported the "Nazi policy" of extending health care to all? His frank response: "Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it." Rather than blame our leaders for the dysfunction, we need to change the game. We can turn to public forums to tackle big issues of the day. Consider two efforts to move beyond the contentious debate about climate change. In Washington, the Senate made a splash by voting for the first time to acknowledge that global warming is really happening. Unfortunately, senators couldn't agree on whether humans are changing the climate and what to do about it. Stalemate. Outside of the Beltway, in Southeast Florida, it's been five years since the region adopted a comprehensive climate action plan with 110 steps aimed at mitigating its dangers and reducing the region's carbon emissions. As research by Dan Kahan of Yale Law School shows, these counties took action not because Floridians are less divided over political issues, or less partisan, or more scientifically literate than the rest of America. No one sang Kumbaya or hugged a polar bear. Instead, Florida officials engaged their constituents through scores of open forums convened by governments, businesses and community groups. Local leaders appealed across party lines by framing the issue as one of protecting residents from rising sea levels and storm surges, rather than as a divisive referendum on whether to believe in climate science. Rather than seeing citizens as targets of a political campaign, officials governed with the diverse residents of their community to develop practical solutions that garnered broad support. "We recognize each other's differences," explained Susanne Torriente, Fort Lauderdale's assistant city manager, "but also recognize that if we work together we can make South Florida more resilient." Given what Florida accomplished, Gov. Rick Scott's ban on using the terms "climate change" in state policy discussions to avoid polarization looks smart, not smarmy. Florida is not alone. Our research identifies many successful examples of political deliberation in well-designed forums where citizens and officials engage in give-and-take discussion and arrive at solutions. These forums have developed "participatory budgets" in many cities, energy policy in Texas and Nebraska, community policing in Chicago and much more. Some of these forums are healing the rotting roots of democracy. For example,

Summary: Americans like to complain about the political gridlock in Congress where nothing much gets done . Christopher Karpowitz and Chad Raphael: Public forums can be used to successfully tackle big issues .


(CNN)Its a high stakes game of stick or twist with billions of dollars at stake. Traditionally at this time of year, a clutch of nervous owners in charge of struggling clubs in England's top flight grapple with the prospect of relegation, and the enormous hole it threatens to blow in their finances. Do they stick by a floundering manager hoping he can regroup and lead his team out of the mire, or do they get rid and hope the appointment of new coach can transform its fortunes? On Monday, Sunderland's American owner Ellis Short elected to twist and fired the club's Uruguayan manager Gus Poyet, confirmed by a statement on its official website. Less than a year ago Poyet masterminded a miraculous run of form that saw the north east outfit triumph at Chelsea and Manchester United in order to stave off the threat of demotion. Now that task is for someone else as Short and Sunderland try to protect the cool $106m it pocketed last season, with one eye on the new television deal in 2016 that's worth over $7.8 billion to the Premier League's 20 clubs. "It's inevitable Sunderland will have been thinking about money," Simon Chadwick, professor of sport business strategy and marketing at Coventry University, told CNN. "Particularly television money, because it now accounts for over 50% of most, if not all, Premier League clubs' turnover. "It'd be very easy to say they are thinking long term about money and long term about the next television contract but in reality, very often it is short term thinking. "Whilst I'm sure Sunderland are mindful of what's going to happen in 2016, they'll be even more mindful of what's going to happen in the summer of 2015 if they go down." The tipping point came Saturday when fellow strugglers Aston Villa fired in four unanswered first-half goals against Sunderland, having scored four away goals in its previous 14 Premier League matches. Some fans streamed out of the Stadium of Light before halftime while one group tried to storm the home dugout to confront Poyet. It left Sunderland just one point away from the drop zone and was enough to convince billionaire Short to swing the axe, the financial implications no doubt rattling round his mind. Even though Cardiff City, which finished bottom of the Premier League last season, still banked $92.1m for its efforts, the disparity between tiers one and two in England is vast. "Most obviously, the TV revenues from the Premier League deal," Chadwick answered when asked what Sunderland stands to lose if it does fall through the trapdoor. "Also attendances tend to diminish rapidly so your two biggest sources of revenue are almost instantaneously undermined. "I wouldn't want to put a figure on it but you're talking tens of millions heading up towards potentially hundreds of millions." Ironically, Aston Villa were marshaled to victory on Saturday by its new manager Tim Sherwood, installed in the wake of Paul Lambert's sacking in February. Villa's American owner Randy Lerner, who is in the process of trying to sell the

Summary: English Premier League club Sunderland sack Uruguayan manager Gus Poyet . Heavy home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday final straw for U.S. owner Ellis Short . Relegation from English top flight could cost clubs hundreds of millions of dollars . New EPL television deal due to begin in 2016 worth a seismic $7.8 billion .


(CNN)The sun cuts across Lake Nicaragua, casting shadows across lush flora and brightly colored boats. Rowing in unison, two girls paddle a canoe to school. Life on Lake Nicaragua is peaceful, rustic and isolated, but this could change with the pending completion of a canal that builders are likening to Panama's famed waterway. Headed by Hong Kong-based consortium HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Company (HKND), the $50 billion Nicaragua Canal (also called the Nicaragua Grand Canal and Interoceanic Canal) would create a gargantuan new shipping route through Nicaragua by connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. HKND was granted a 50-year concession by the Nicaraguan government in 2013 to build and operate the 278-kilometer (172 miles) canal, reportedly with the option for an extension. Construction will run from the Rio Punta Gorda on the Caribbean Coast to Brito on the Pacific. At up to 1,700 feet wide and 90 feet deep, the canal, if completed, will be deeper and wider than the Panama Canal. HKND announced the start of construction of the canal with a ceremony on December 22, 2014. The canal will run through Lake Nicaragua (among other areas), Central America's largest lake and freshwater reservoir, which not only preserves an integral part of Nicaragua's ecosystem, but directly supports numerous communities. By some estimates, 30,000 people will have to be relocated to carve a path for the canal. The prospect is nothing short of alarming for those living in the area, and those who cherish its untouched splendor. With the pending completion of the canal in 2019, Lake Nicaragua may be impacted in ways only time will reveal. Environmental experts worry that the shallow waters of the lake won't be able to withstand the dredging that will come with construction. Additionally, communities will likely be displaced and wetlands may become more vulnerable to destruction. "In terms of the canal impact on Lake Nicaragua, one big concern is the damage to the quality of the water; the ship traffic will pollute the water with toxic sediments and industrial chemicals and introduce destructive invasive species, plants and animals," Dr. Jorge A. Huete-Perez, vice president of the Nicaraguan Academy of Sciences and director of the Molecular Biology Center at the University of Central America told CNN. "Dredging of the lake for the construction of the canal will render the lake a 'dead zone' because of hypoxia, eutrophication and turbidity." In January, London-based scidev.net reported that an independent commission of experts -- including scientists from the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Science, Nicaraguan Academy of Sciences and International Council for Science -- had reached similar conclusions, warning of "unintended adverse consequences that could do economic, environmental and social harm." Like other critics of the canal construction, Huete-Perez wants greater transparency from HKND and the Nicaraguan government. "This whole thing has been fast-tracked without public consultations or the opportunity for an informed, documented debate," said Huete-Perez. On January 9, 2015, HKND responded to concerns about the lake's impact on communities in a statement on its website. "From July 21 to July 30, 2014, we and our environmental

Summary: Experts fear proposed canal through Nicaragua could adversely affect Central America's largest lake . Mostly untouched by development, Lake Nicaragua supports indigenous communities and low-level tourism . Author recently toured the gorgeous lake and surrounding area .


(CNN)Manchester United defender Jonny Evans and Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse have been charged by the Football Association for allegedly spitting during an altercation in Wednesday night's Premier League game at St James' Park. In a statement, English football's governing body said the players had been charged "in relation to an alleged breach of FA Rule E1[a] in that in or around the 38th minute of the game the two players spat at each other. "The incidents were not seen by the match officials but [were] caught on video." The players have until 6pm GMT on Friday to respond to the charge, and could face six-game bans if found guilty. Both Evans and Cisse released statements the day after the incident, with Evans saying: "I would like to make it clear that I did not spit at Papiss Cisse." Cisse's statement said: "I reacted to something I found very unpleasant. Sometimes it is hard not to react, particularly in the heat of the moment. I have always tried hard to be positive a role model, especially for our young fans, and yesterday I let you down." Spitting at another player is considered beyond the pale by professional footballers, and former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann, now a TV pundit, told the BBC's Match of the Day programme the incident had been "disgusting." "This is not acceptable," he said. "There are kids watching. Something has to be done. The behaviour towards each other and the referee is deteriorating on a weekly basis." Ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes said he did not believe Evans had deliberately spat at Cisse, telling BT Sport: "Look, it's not very nice. I think Jonny is spitting on the floor. "I know Jonny -- he's not that type of person. If he wants to do that then it's not hard to miss, is it? He's only stood a yard away from him. What Cisse does afterwards is unforgivable." And former Liverpool player Steve McManaman told the channel: "Cisse stands up and spits right at Jonny Evans' neck from about six inches. It's absolutely disgusting. "Two wrongs do not make a right. If Jonny Evans has spat at him then it's wrong, but for Papiss Cisse to get up and react like that is absolutely disgusting. We talk about bad tackles, but that is worse."

Summary: Alleged incident happened in match at St James' Park . Players face six-match ban if found guilty . Evans denied spitting in statement . Cisse statement says: "I let you down"


Istanbul (CNN)A prosecutor involved in a controversial case died Tuesday after he was shot during a hostage siege in an Istanbul courthouse. Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz died in the hospital from injuries he suffered during the attack, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, speaking to reporters on Turkish television. The two gunmen who took the prosecutor hostage were killed in a shootout with police after a standoff that lasted for hours. Kiraz was assigned to the controversial case of Berkin Elvan, a 15-year-old boy who was injured during the anti-government Gezi Park protests in June 2013. The teen died the following March after having spent nine months in a coma. The case, with its overtones of possible police overreaction, has been politically contentious, just as the protests themselves were. In an online post widely cited in Turkish media, the left-wing Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front claimed responsibility for the attack. The post said the gunmen were seeking to avenge Elvan's death. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the gunmen as terrorists and said they were disguised as lawyers when they entered the courthouse. "This is not to be taken lightly," he said. The gunmen took the prosecutor hostage around 12:30 p.m. in his office on the sixth floor of the Caglayan district courthouse, the semiofficial Anadolu Agency reported. Police evacuated that floor of the building, the agency reported, and snipers were deployed. An explosion, followed by sounds of more gunshots, could be heard coming from the courthouse Tuesday evening, hours after the siege began. Istanbul Police Chief Selami Altinok said Kiraz had been shot before Turkish security teams entered the room where the hostage crisis was unfolding. "There is nothing else to do but to pray at this moment," Erdogan said. The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, known as the DHKP-C, is viscerally hostile to the Turkish state, the United States and NATO, and has had links with the far left in Europe. The Marxist-Leninist group claimed responsibility for a 2013 suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. Among other attacks attributed to the DHKP-C was the assassination of a former justice minister, Mehmet Topac, in 1994, as well as the murders of a number of senior police and military officials and, 1996, a prominent businessman, Ozdemir Sabanci. CNN's Gul Tuysuz reported from Istanbul. CNN's Don Melvin reported from London. CNN's Nimet Kirac reported from Atlanta. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet, Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister contributed to this report.

Summary: The left-wing Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front claims responsibility . Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz dies after a hostage siege in Istanbul . Prosecutor was assigned to the case of a teen who was injured in anti-government protests .


(CNN)The man suspected of killing a deputy U.S. marshal at a motel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has died, Brittany Stewart in the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office said Wednesday. The cause of death is pending autopsy, she said. Jamie Croom, 31, was wounded in a shootout with Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells. It can be one of the most dangerous tasks for a law enforcement officer: serving an arrest warrant to a fugitive murder suspect. When Wells tried to do that Tuesday, he lost his life. "Wells was part of a team executing arrest warrants on a fugitive wanted for double homicide in Baton Rouge," the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release. "The team engaged in gunfire with the fugitive and Wells was shot. He was immediately transported to Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary, Louisiana, where he died." Wells, 28, was trying to arrest Croom, who is suspected in the deaths of a brother and sister in New Roads, Louisiana, CNN affiliate WAFB said. "Our deputies and law enforcement partners face untold dangers every day in the pursuit of justice in cities nationwide," said U.S. Marshals Service Director Stacia A. Hylton said in a news release. "The fugitive who killed Deputy Wells was extremely dangerous, wanted for double homicide and intentionally evaded justice. ... When a public servant dies in the line of duty, it is an immeasurable tragedy felt by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Wells' family, friends and colleagues." Officials would not elaborate on exactly what happened, but The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge said there was a shootout. Authorities said Croom shot and killed Wells at a Baton Rouge motel. Wells, 28, was based in Mississippi but was on temporary assignment in the Baton Rouge area, the Sun Herald newspaper said. He was married and came from a law enforcement family. Despite the risks, Wells loved his job. "It was his passion," longtime friend Alex McGee told the paper. "I tipped my hat to him because he knew the dangers and wanted to do the job anyway." Croom, the suspect, was taken to a hospital after he was wounded, WAFB said. He was wanted in the shooting deaths of the two siblings in February and was also on probation for firearms charges. That double homicide stemmed from a feud over a loan made to one of the victim's relatives as well as an alleged break-in at the suspect's grandmother's house, Croom's older sister Latonia Croom Duncan told CNN. Duncan said the family reported threats and a shooting at her grandmother's house to police, but said there was never any follow-up. She said her brother called her the night of the homicides, which took place at a nightclub. "He called me and said he loved me and that he'd be gone," Duncan said. "He said he wasn't going back to jail. Before he'd go back to jail, he said, he'd rather be dead." CNN's Devon M. Sayers, John Newsome, Sam Stringer and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.

Summary: The fugitive who killed the marshal was "extremely dangerous," U.S. Marshals Service director says . Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells, 28, died after trying to arrest Jamie Croom . "Before he'd go back to jail, he said, he'd rather be dead," Croom's sister says .


(CNN)They're some of the toughest athletes on the planet, saying goodbye to loved ones for almost a year, as they traverse the globe's oceans. Hardened Volvo Ocean Race sailors must sleep in four-hour shifts, and survive on little more than freeze dried food and chocolate bars, if they hope to win the event. The prestigious competition kicked off from Alicante, Spain, in October last year, and will finish nine months later in Gothenberg, Sweden. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper Ian Walker, spoke about the journey so far. This is the 45-year-old Briton's third Volvo Ocean Race. "As the leading offshore race -- and the one that is most vulnerable to nature and synonymous with danger -- it could be described as the 'Everest of sailing.'" "We trained for six months, covering 16,000 sea miles. As a team, we usually do three weeks on the boat, one week off. When not offshore, we train six-days-a-week in the gym." "Everybody has four hours on deck, followed by four hours off when you eat and sleep. On the off-watch, you still have to get on deck and help for any sail changes, so it is quite disturbed." "Mainly freeze dried food with some savory and sweet treats like beef jerky, dried fruits, one chocolate bar per day, and nuts." "I'm the skipper, so overall in charge of safety and performance. I'm involved with all strategic decisions with my navigator, Simon Fisher, and I run one of the watches when on deck. Onshore, I'm also busy with media duties and management of our 15 shore team members." "It can be an emotional roller coaster and it can be tough not to take things personally if they don't go well. At sea, emotions can range from frustration, boredom, elation, being scared, loneliness... it is important to try to keep a level head at all times -- especially if you are the skipper!" "I have great respect for the ocean. It will always win in the end so you must respect it. I am also saddened by all the man-made debris we see in the ocean as we sail round the world." "A professional sailor with a fierce determination to win. Someone who is prepared to put the needs of the team above his own, and who is prepared to commit over 12 months of his life to being away from normal life." Photo Gallery: On board the 'Everest of Sailing' Insight: Can all-women team conquer sailing's 'toughest' race? Watch: Who are the people who sail across the globe?

Summary: Volvo Ocean Race described as the 'Everest of Sailing' Seven teams battle on the high seas for nine months .


(CNN)Thousands of Singaporeans gathered in pouring rain Sunday to bid farewell to Lee Kuan Yew, the Southeast Asian city-state's founding prime minister who charted its spectacular economic rise. Draped in the national flag, Lee's coffin was taken on a solemn procession through the sodden streets of the tropical city, where crowds of mourners defied the downpour to pay their last respects. The funeral service was attended by dozens of foreign dignitaries, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The light that has guided us all these years has been extinguished. We have lost our founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who lived and breathed Singapore all his life," Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is one of Lee's sons, said in a eulogy. Lee died early Monday morning at age 91, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes from around the world. He had been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia on February 5. Born in 1923, Lee co-founded Singapore, a former British colony, in 1965 when it declared its independence from Malaysia. He served as its prime minister for more than three decades, shaping the once poor trading post into a wealthy financial center. He continued to play an important role in government until his final years. After Lee's death, hundreds of thousands of people joined huge lines to pay respects to the former leader as his body lay in state at Singapore's Parliament House for several days last week. The procession Sunday weaved past a number of notable Singapore landmarks on the way to the University Cultural Centre, where the state funeral service took place. "Together, we came not only to mourn. Together, we celebrate Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's long and full life, and what he has achieved with us, his people," his son said in his eulogy. Lee was also honored by a 21-gun salute and a minute of silence, as well as displays by the Singapore Air Force and the Singapore Navy. The funeral service was to be followed by a private cremation. Other international figures attending the funeral included Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Leader of the U.K. House of Commons William Hague and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Although Lee is admired for the economic success he helped Singapore achieve, he also drew criticism for curbing media freedoms and the treatment of political opponents. "While remembering his deeds that helped build Singapore up to what it is today, the government should also mark the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, by making a break from the politics of yesteryear that were too often marked by restrictions on basic civil and political rights," Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said in a statement Sunday.

Summary: "The light that has guided us all these years has been extinguished," Lee's son says . Crowds line the streets fo the city-state to pay final respects to Lee, who died Monday .


London (CNN)Previously secret correspondence between Britain's Prince Charles and government officials is to be made public after a Supreme Court ruling Thursday. The Guardian newspaper had been fighting for the communications to be released since 2005. Charles is next in line to the British throne and as King would constitutionally be required to maintain strict political neutrality. Some commentators say letters to officials suggest he could be a "meddling king," attempting to influence politicians. After the judgment was released Thursday, Guardian Editor-in-Chief Alan Rusbridger said the paper was "delighted" about the Supreme Court's decision after what he said was a "brilliant 10-year campaign by Guardian reporter Rob Evans." "The government wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to cover up these letters, admitting their publication would 'seriously damage' perceptions of the Prince's political neutrality. Now they must publish them so that the public can make their own judgment," Rusbridger said. Max Foster, CNN's royal correspondent, says the letters are part of a broader discussion about the role of the heir to the throne. "These were private letters, never meant for public consumption, which is why the Prince's office has resisted their release," he said. "But they play into a much bigger debate about the role of monarchy. Should Charles be getting involved in politics at all when, as head of state, he'll be expected to be politically neutral? He's not in that position yet so feels he has some leeway." Prime Minister David Cameron said the judgment was "disappointing" and the government would now look at how to release the letters. "This is about the principle that senior members of the royal family are able to express their views to government confidentially. I think most people would agree this is fair enough," he said. Cameron suggested the legislation might need revision in light of the decision: "Our FOI (freedom of information) laws specifically include the option of a governmental veto, which we exercised in this case for a reason. If the legislation does not make Parliament's intentions for the veto clear enough, then we will need to make it clearer." The Prince's official residence, Clarence House, issued a brief statement about the decision. "This is a matter for the government. Clarence House is disappointed the principle of privacy has not been upheld." The anti-monarchy group Republic welcomed the news but warned that 2010 changes to the Freedom of Information Act to remove the public interest clause put future releases at risk. "The government must now act to end royal secrecy. Any risk to the monarchy must pale against a risk to democracy from having an activist prince acting in secret," CEO Graham Smith said. "We can't have a situation where we don't know what influence Charles is having on government policy." In a statement issued on the eve of the decision, Smith branded the monarchy one of Britain's "most secretive institutions." "Charles clearly has his own political agenda, yet his name won't be on the ballot in May. So we all need to know what influence he is trying to exert and

Summary: Letters from Prince Charles to officials must be released after a Supreme Court judgment . Britain's Guardian newspaper fought for 10 years to have the documents made public . Clarence House and Prime Minister David Cameron call the decision disappointing .


Caracas (CNN)Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Saturday an unspecified number of Americans were arrested "a few days ago" for engaging in espionage and recruitment activities. The President said they included an American pilot of Latin American origin, arrested in the southwest border state of Táchira. He said the pilot was found in possession of "all kinds of documents" and was being interrogated by the authorities, though he did not identify him. The Venezuelan government has made many similar claims in recent years, without ever substantiating them. Maduro also announced Saturday a series of measures, including visa requirements for U.S. citizens and the downsizing of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, to counteract what he called U.S. "interference" in his country. Venezuela has in recent weeks accused the United States of being behind an alleged coup plot. Speaking at an "anti-imperialist" rally in the capital, Maduro said visas would now be required for all U.S. visitors and that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas would now need foreign ministry approval for any meetings. The Embassy, which he said had more than 100 staff, is to be reduced to a number closer to the 17 Venezuelan diplomats based in Washington. Moreover, a group of prominent U.S. officials, current and retired, will be banned from entering Venezuela because of what Maduro said was their involvement in "bombing Iraq, Syria and Vietnam" and other "terrorist" actions. The officials include George W. Bush, former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, former CIA Director George Tenet and several current members of Congress, including Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Bob Menendez and Mario Diaz-Balart. Following the Maduro's announcement Diaz-Balart reacted via Twitter, saying he has "always wanted to travel to a corrupt country that is not a free democracy. And now Castro's lap dog won't let me!" The move comes after the U.S. government last month approved a law under which Venezuelan officials allegedly involved in human rights violations are to have their visas revoked and their U.S. assets frozen. A relatively small, but noisy crowd, dressed mostly in revolutionary red, applauded and cheered the measures announced by the President from a platform outside the presidential palace in downtown Caracas. Four missionaries from Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Devils Lake, North Dakota were released by Venezuelan authorities on Saturday, a church official said. Pastor Bruce Dick said the missionaries arrived in Venezuela on February 20 and were detained a few days ago. "We love the Venezuelan people and have served alongside them for over 12 years," Dick said. "We have been praying along with hundreds or thousands of others for their release and for those in Venezuela who also have been affected by this." It is unclear if the detention and release of these Americans is connected to Maduro's charges of espionage. Journalist Phil Gunson reported from Caracas. CNN's Juan Carlos Lopez, Florencia Trucco and Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.

Summary: Four Americans missionaries were released Saturday after being detained a few days ago . Not clear if this is related to detained Americans mentioned by Venezuelan President Maduro . Maduro also banned George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, others from entering Venezuela . Venezuela will now require Americans to get a visa to visit .


(CNN)He's a virtual unknown to American audiences, but James Corden proved he had what it takes as a late night host. Corden's debut as the fourth host of CBS' "Late Late Show" on Monday night was one of the smoothest first episodes of any new talk show hosts in recent memory. Ignoring the usual five minutes or so of monologue jokes, Corden launched right into a star-studded pre-taped bit that showed how he got the job of host: by picking up one of CBS president Les Moonves' Willy Wonka-esque golden ticket dropped by Chelsea Handler (a joke referencing rumors that she was in talks for the job Corden won). Corden received advice from Jay Leno, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Meryl Streep as he trained to be the best host he could be. In a nod to one of his influences, Graham Norton, Corden brought out his two guests, Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks simultaneously. In the midst of their conversation, Kunis, who was sporting a ring, seemed to confirm (with a "maybe") that she had just married Ashton Kutcher, though that still hasn't been confirmed and it may be that Corden, Hanks and Kunis are pulling our leg. The highlight of the show, however, was Corden and Hanks' rapid fire rundown of his movie career, which has to be seen to be believed. Corden's predecessor, Craig Ferguson, sang the new show's theme song, and Corden - who co-starred in the musical film "Into the Woods" - ended his first show with an original song. If Twitter reaction is any indication, Corden charmed enough viewers to draw viewers back Tuesday night.

Summary: James Corden's first "Late Late Show" premiered Monday on CBS . Corden proved a charming, entertaining host . Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis joined in the fun .


(CNN)A Florida man arrested in the United Arab Emirates for comments he posted on Facebook said he's sorry for his remarks. "I said some pretty derogatory things that I do regret saying," Ryan Pate said. Pate, who is a helicopter mechanic for Global Aerospace Logistics, an aerospace company based in Abu Dhabi, was on vacation in Florida when he was notified by the company that there would be "steps taken against (him) due to a medical condition." The 30-year-old said he was on Facebook when he got the news that his pay would be suspended, so he immediately expressed his anger there. "I did slam them verbally," he said. "I called them backstabbers." Pate's fiancee, Jillian Cardoza, said it was the "perceived lack of sympathy from his company" that "embodied his comments that he made on Facebook." When Pate returned to the UAE in February, he was was arrested for "cyber slander against the UAE and his employers," U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Florida, said in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry. "The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi is in contact with (Pate) and providing all possible consular assistance," State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said. Harf confirmed Pate was arrested on February 16 and was released on bail on February 24. Pate said he did not insult the UAE, the culture or Islam, but Cardoza said she understands her fiance's comments were still "offensive to not only the company he made them at, but in a larger sense the Arab population." "What I said was very wrong," Pate said, "I apologize for it." Pate said the prosecutor has told him that he faces a fine, possible prison time and deportation if convicted. "It really all rests on what the judge wants to do with with situation," Pate said. Pate's next court appearance is scheduled for March 17. CNN's Samira Said and Nick Salter contributed to this report.

Summary: Florida man arrested in UAE for "cyberslander" after Facebook comments . Ryan Pate, 30, was in Florida when he made the remarks . Pate said he regrets calling his employers "backstabbers"


Jerusalem (CNN)Either Benjamin Netanyahu just staged the most dramatic political comeback in Israeli history and beyond, or something was very wrong with the polls before and during the election. Polls predicted a tight race coming down to the wire, with Netanyahu in a virtual tie with his main challenger, Isaac Herzog of the Zionist Union party. Only four days before the election, polls showed Herzog taking a four-seat lead into the final weekend before the election. Exit polls on the night of the election showed Netanyahu had closed the gap. The polls suggested he was in a dead heat, with a very even split between right-wing and left-wing parties. Then came the results. Not more polls or surveys, but actual counts from the ballot boxes. Netanyahu wasn't in a fight for his political life after all. He was the clear winner, running away with the election and facing a fairly clear path to create a coalition government. Although the results are unofficial, it seems almost certain that Netanyahu will remain the Israeli prime minister. Avi Degani, a pollster, professor at Tel Aviv University and president of the Geocartography Knowledge Group, saw very different results from his own polls. He never anticipated a Zionist Union victory. Instead, he says, he always saw Likud holding a lead. The mistake that others made, according to Degani, was in the methodology. "The Internet does not represent the state of Israel and the people of Israel," he said, referring to modern statistical methods. "It represents panels, and the panels are biased strongly to the center -- Tel Aviv, better-educated, more participants in this kind of conversation. And people who are in the periphery and so on and have the stronger tendency to vote Likud, I think, are poorly represented." "I have tested sometimes at the same night, doing by telephone as I do always -- and very specifically geographically, and very well-weighted and very well, having cell phones and other phones and so on -- and at the same time I did on the Internet. And I got results which are very, very different." But Mina Tzemach, the polling expert for CNN affiliate Channel 2 Israel, suggests Netanyahu was in a tight race the entire way and managed to close the gap "like a magician," using the election polls as his final trick. "The polls showed that they are going to lose. It gave very important information both to the public and to the politicians. Netanyahu used it," said Tzemach. "Many voted what we call strategic voting. They did not vote to the party that is their first preference, but they voted for the Likud." Likud voters did not participate in exit polls, according to Tzemach, and that skewed the results, leading many to believe that Herzog had tied Netanyahu. "We had ballots in an area where there are a lot of immigrants from the former Soviet Union," explained Tzemach. "In these ballots, more than 30% did not participate in our polls, and they are Likud supporters." Another factor that may have worked in Netanyahu's favor was

Summary: Polls predicted a tight race coming down to the wire, with Netanyahu in a virtual tie with Isaac Herzog of the Zionist Union party . But actual results show Netanyahu running away with the election . Possible causes: Poll methodology, Netanyahu's last-minute turn to the right .


(CNN)Brace yourself Europe -- "Moneyball" is coming to a football pitch near you. Spend-thrift baseball executive Billy Beane -- made famous by Brad Pitt's Oscar-nominated portrayal in "Moneyball" -- is taking up a position with Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. "I'm truly excited for the opportunity to be part of AZ Alkmaar in an advisory role," Beane told the AZ website. "Despite being a great football club with a storied history, they face many of the challenges we have with the Oakland A's. My love for football and AZ's vision of the future of the club made this an attractive pursuit." The idea behind "Moneyball" is to obtain maximum value for each player bought or sold. Beane has had a longstanding fascination with European football, citing Arsenal's Arsene Wenger as a manager he admires for his blend of performance on the pitch and financial prudence. The American has said in the past that it was his dream to be an executive at a football club once his baseball career ended. It turns out he didn't have to wait that long. "I think it's interesting and exciting for him personally," said Chris Anderson, co-founder of the sports analytics consultancy Anderson Sally. "He's been a football fan for many, many years and is very well informed about the sport and industry. This is not as much a stretch as one might imagine; he actually knows football." Beane will retain his general manager duties with the Oakland A's, a team that remains competitive despite sporting one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball (MLB). The A's have qualified for MLB's playoffs each of the past three seasons, only to be knocked out before the World Series every time. Critics of baseball's sabermetrics system -- using data to analyze the sport as exposed in Michael Lewis' "Moneyball" book which inspired the film -- are quick to point out that Beane has never won a title with the A's. In Holland, Beane won't need to start from scratch, as AZ currently sits comfortably in fourth place in the Dutch Eredivisie. AZ's director of football Earnie Stewart is a known "Moneyball" fan himself, having organized a screening for his fellow AZ execs shortly after joining the club. The former U.S. midfielder, who scored against Colombia in the 1994 World Cup, is half-Dutch and hopes the collaboration with Beane can give the club an extra edge. "We've had a lot of contact with Billy In the last few months", Stewart told the club's website. "His knowledge and ideas are impressive. Also Billy's soccer network is excellent. We have already noticed that Billy thinks two steps ahead in the area of innovation. That's what really connects with the ambitions of AZ." Like the A's, AZ have managed to compete with the big boys of the Dutch league -- chiefly PSV and Ajax -- on a limited budget, winning the domestic league twice -- most recently in 2009 -- while finishing in the top five in three of the past five seasons. Beane's philosophy is shaped by getting maximum bang for

Summary: Baseball's Billy Beane to join top-tier Dutch club as executive . Smaller clubs seeking advantage over big -pending giants .


(CNN)There are many things that immigrants could teach those of us who are U.S.-born. The biggest lesson may simply to be grateful for our rights and privileges. That includes the little things we take for granted. Like a small plastic card that not only allows us to drive on public roadways but also provides us a sense of identity. Imagine not having a driver's license and not being able to obtain one because the government prohibits it. Erika Andiola doesn't have to imagine. Until recently, the 27-year-old Phoenix resident and co-director of the Arizona Dream Coalition was barred from having a driver's license by Arizona. The reason: she is an undocumented immigrant born in Mexico and brought here as a child by her mother. Given that she arrived in the United States when she was 11 and has lived on this side of the U.S.-Mexico border longer than she lived on the other side, Andiola considers herself an American and this country her home. Under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which was initiated by the Obama administration, more than half a million undocumented youth were given a two-year reprieve from deportation and a work permit. Andiola is one of the recipients, having been granted DACA protection in November 2012 and a renewal since then. From that point, had she lived in another state, the process for getting a driver's license might have been much smoother. But she lives in Arizona, which -- in the 20 years from 1989 to 2009 -- welcomed illegal immigrants and their labor to build homes in Phoenix, work in restaurants in Tucson and make beds at ski lodges in Flagstaff but then tried to expel them when their chores were done. To push them out the door, legislators passed a spiteful law in 2010 that roped local police into enforcing federal immigration statutes and essentially sanctioned ethnic profiling of Latinos. In August 2012, on the same day that DACA took effect, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order preventing the program's recipients from obtaining driver's licenses or other public "benefit." Brewer's order was challenged in court. Two years later, in July 2014, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Arizona policy as a violation of the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. With that, the estimated 22,000 DACA recipients who are also residents of the Grand Canyon State were free to apply for driver's licenses and take their driving tests like anyone else. Andiola got her Arizona license earlier this month, after paying a $25 fee that she'll have to pay every two years each time she renews it. I wondered what traveling that road taught her about that piece of plastic she carries with her. And I was curious about whether she had given any thought to how the native-born see driver's licenses compared to people like her. "There is a pretty big difference," Andiola said. "I think it's because we fought really hard for it. People born here might not ever think about their driver's license unless

Summary: Ruben Navarrette: A driver's license is not only about transportation but about identity . He says it took a hard fight for young immigrants to win the right to driver's licenses in Arizona .


London (CNN)Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are to spend the next four days in the United States, visiting the nation's capital and Louisville, Kentucky. The couple arrived in Washington on Tuesday evening. Many people will remember Charles from the day in July 1981 when, as a dashing young prince, he kissed his shy bride, Diana, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of the eyes of the world. But many things have changed since then, including their divorce, Diana's death in a car accident in 1997 and his marriage to Camilla, now Duchess of Cornwall. Here are five things to know about the Prince of Wales: . While a lot of attention in recent years has been focused on his sons, Princes William and Harry, Charles is next in line to the British throne. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has ruled for more than 60 years (in fact, in September she is expected to overtake her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria for the title of Britain's longest-reigning monarch.) Her longevity is welcomed by her subjects, but it means that Charles, at age 66, has spent a long time as a monarch-in-waiting. He's also now a grandfather, thanks to the birth of Prince George in 2013. Charles and Camilla tied the knot on April 9, 2005. The couple first visited the United States together as newlyweds, and Camilla was confronted by hard-core Princess Diana fans with abusive placards. Polls at the time found that between 57% and 73% of Brits opposed Charles' new wife being known as queen. If you go back even further, to 1997, the year Diana died, an Ipsos MORI poll put it at 86%. But there's been a change in sentiment since they married. A new poll conducted by ComRes for CNN found that only 35% now oppose Camilla being known as queen. Nearly one in four said they liked her more now than they did 10 years ago. In an exclusive interview with CNN royal correspondent Max Foster, Charles opened up about the couple's relationship. He met Camilla years before he wed Diana, who famously said in a 1995 BBC TV interview that "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." Reporter's notebook: Interviewing the royal couple . The prince has admitted talking to his plants in past TV interviews, inviting ridicule from some quarters. But as part of his interest in sustainability, he has championed organic farming and gardening for many years, including on his large country estates. He has a fully functioning organic farm at Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, England, and founded his own organic food brand, Duchy Originals, which now turns a healthy profit and helps fund his charitable foundation. According to his official website, he's an advocate of traditional rural skills and enjoys hedge laying. Charles has riled some people over the years with his outspoken views on architecture, which prioritize the traditional over the modern. In 1984, he made headlines when he described a proposed modern extension to the National Gallery in London as

Summary: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are visiting the United States . Charles, an advocate of organic farming and traditional architecture, is heir to British throne .


(CNN)All of these women left a mark on the world that would change people's thinking for decades -- in some cases centuries -- to come. They wrote books that revolutionized people's view of society; made scientific discoveries that transformed medicine as we know it; and brought about laws that shook up the establishment. In celebration of International Women's Day on March 8, Leading Women takes a look at just seven of the many females throughout history who changed the world for the betterment of all. The American author's best-selling 1852 novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" helped popularize the anti-slavery movement. Legend has it Abraham Lincoln greeted Beecher Stowe at the White House by saying: "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war," in reference to the civil war. Her novel followed the life of black slave Uncle Tom, and was the second best-selling book of the 19th century after the Bible. British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), a group known for extreme forms of protest such as chaining themselves to railings and going on hunger strikes. "We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers," she said during a court trail in 1908. Sadly Pankhurst never lived to see her dream become reality, dying three weeks before a law was passed giving women equal voting rights with men. "What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again" -- Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl." The wisdom and wit of 13-year-old Jewish schoolgirl Anne Frank, written while hiding in Amsterdam during the Second World War, is one of the most widely-read books in the world with over 30 million copies sold. Her story of life under German occupation is a powerful record that has been translated into 67 languages and adapted for both film and theater, with her home itself turned into a museum. Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, just weeks before it was liberated. French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir's 1949 book "The Second Sex" became a landmark feminist work. It analyzed the treatment and perception of women throughout history, and was deemed so controversial that the Vatican put in on the Index of Prohibited books. "All oppression creates a state of war; this is no exception," said De Beauvoir, who along with partner Jean Paul Sartre was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. British chemist and x-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin's research was key in revealing the structure of DNA. Her x-ray photographs of the double helix were used by scientists Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins, who in 1962 were jointly awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on the DNA model. However Franklin missed out on a Nobel Prize herself, dying from ovarian cancer in 1958 at 37. American Billie Jean King was one of the greatest competitors Wimbledon had ever seen, taking home a whopping 20 titles. But she is perhaps best

Summary: In celebration of International Women's Day we look at seven inspiring women . Remarkable females made huge scientific discoveries and campaigned for equality . Which women have inspired you? Tweet your answers to @CNNIwomen .


(CNN)An explosive-laden truck blew up at a camp for Egyptian security forces Tuesday morning, killing a civilian and injuring 44 people, state-run media reported. The attack took place in Al-Arish, in the country's North Sinai province, tha Al-Ahram news agency reported, citing the local health ministry. As the truck headed toward the camp's gate, guards shot at it, and the truck exploded. The injured included 42 Egyptian soldiers and two civilians. The driver of the truck was also killed, Al-Ahram said. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. North Sinai has been the site of dozens of recent deaths. In January, at least 26 people were reportedly killed and dozens more wounded, in a series of militant attacks on army and police positions in Egypt's volatile Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian army is battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai that has spiked since the 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsy. CNN's Salim Essaid contributed to this report.

Summary: The injured include 42 Egyptian soldiers . The Egyptian army has been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai .


London (CNN)An 18-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of preparing to join ISIS in Syria, UK police say. Counterterrorism officers arrested the man at his home in Hodge Hill, in the city of Birmingham, early Monday, West Midlands police said. "The operation was pre-planned and intelligence led. There was no immediate threat to public safety," they said in a statement. The arrest follows that of three teenagers from northwest London on Sunday after they were intercepted by Turkish police in Istanbul. The two 17-year-old boys and a 19-year-old man were arrested "on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts," the Metropolitan Police said. They have since been released on bail. The investigation started Friday, after police learned the two 17-year-olds were missing and were believed to be traveling to Syria. They were traveling with a 19-year-old, police said. British authorities shared intelligence regarding the 17-year-olds with Turkish officials Friday, and that night, they landed in Istanbul on a flight from Barcelona, Spain, a Turkish official told CNN. The teens were stopped with another person seen as suspicious by Turkish intelligence at the airport's risk analysis center, which monitors risky flights and runs checks on suspicious passengers trying to enter Turkey. Turkish authorities questioned the teens, the Turkish official said, and the Metropolitan Police said the three returned to London shortly before midnight Saturday and were arrested. Last week, Turkish authorities said they had arrested a person -- working for an undisclosed nation's intelligence service -- on suspicion of helping three British girls who are thought to have entered Syria to join ISIS. British police say they think the three east London classmates -- Shamima Begum, 15; Kadiza Sultana, 16; and Amira Abase, 15 -- traveled to Syria after flying from London to Istanbul on February 17. Metropolitan Police on Monday announced a new media campaign to deter young people from traveling to Syria. Radio and press advertisements highlighting the influence a mother could have on her daughters would be placed in ethnic minority media, police said. The campaign said that it was mothers who often noticed changes in behavior that could signal an intention to travel to Syria, they said. There was increasing concern about the number of women traveling to Syria, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said. "It is an extremely dangerous place, and the reality of the lifestyle they are greeted with when they arrive is far from that promoted online by terrorist groups," she said. "The option of returning home is often taken away from them, leaving families at home devastated and with very few options to secure a safe return for their loved one," Ball said.

Summary: Metropolitan Police announce a media campaign to deter young people from traveling to Syria . The Birmingham man, 18, was detained at his home in a preplanned operation, they say . Police said there was "no immediate threat to public safety"


(CNN)The emotional two-hour season finale of Fox's "Glee" went full circle from the show's roots to the future, reminding Gleeks why they fell in love with the musical sitcom. Few would disagree that the show's first season was its best, winning over a dedicated fan base who stuck with the show through an uneven six seasons and the loss of star Cory Monteith. For its final episode Friday night, the show that made it cool to join the high school glee club focused on core characters introduced in the first season. The first hour of Friday's season finale, aptly titled "2009," was a retelling of the first episode, which included a memorable performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" by the original members of William McKinley High School's glee club. Instead of telling it again through Finn's perspective, the finale showed what led the other characters to join New Directions, culminating in an edited version of the performance that packed an emotional punch by featuring Monteith. The second hour brought us to the present day, with Will passing New Directions on to Sam so he can take charge of McKinley High as a fine arts school. We saw the characters' dreams come true in a requisite flash-forward to the future: Rachel (now married to Jesse) wins a Tony Award; Mercedes sings with Beyonce; Kurt and Blaine are successful Broadway stars; and most amazing of all, Vice President Sue Sylvester starts her second term in the Jeb Bush administration. The entirety of New Directions, past and present, gathered one last time in the auditorium, now named after Finn. They sang one last song before we saw a quote from Finn summing up the show: "See the world not as it is, but as it should be." Fans approved of the final episode, sharing tributes and celebrating the show on social media.

Summary: "Glee" ended Friday after six season . Show's two-hour finale looked at the characters' past and future . Fans raved about the ending .