One woman's 22-year battle against Shell

The widow of one of the nine environmental campaigners who were executed by the Nigerian military government has won a 22-year battle to bring oil giant Shell to court.

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Venezuela on brink of collapse

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh goes undercover inside Venezuela, a country on the brink of collapse and torn apart by violent protests against President Nicolas Maduro and his supporters.

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New parrot species in Mexico, study says

Birds of a feather flock together, but it can be hard to tell them apart -- unless, of course, you're an expert ornithologist.

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Is this the new food capital of the world?

Paris perhaps? Or maybe New York, Rome or Tokyo? Naming the world's greatest gourmet city is the kind of confoundingly simple challenge that foodies could spend all night fighting over.

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They survived Boko Haram, now returnees are fighting hunger

In September 2014, Boko Haram attacked Bdagu -- a village in Adamawa state, northern Nigeria.

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Swede captured by Mali terrorists released

Swedish national Johan Gustafsson, who had been held hostage by a branch of Al Qaeda in Mali for six years, finally returned to Sweden Monday after being released by his captors, according to the Swedish government.

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Ruling gives lifeline to evicted Lagos residents

After months of setbacks the residents of Otodo Gbame waterfront community in Lagos have won a small victory, after a Lagos High Court ruled that their forcible eviction was unconstitutional.

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Probe into photos of alleged strippers at S. African prison

The head of South Africa's corrections department promised an immediate investigation Monday after photos purportedly showing strippers dancing with inmates at a Johannesburg prison circulated online.

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The captivating images of Alun Be

Trained architect and photographer Alun Be wants to use his work to change people's perceptions of Africa, one portrait at a time.

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Elephants make once-in-a-lifetime move to new home

Conservationists are moving 500 elephants from two overcrowded wildlife parks in southern Malawi to another in the north of the country. The once-in-a-lifetime transfer program aims to repopulate Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, which has been badly hit by poachers.

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Female footballers break world record for highest ever football match

They came, they saw, they conquered -- and broke a world record.

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What the helicopter attack tells us about the Venezuela crisis

Downtown Caracas was the scene of an alleged audacious attempt to destabilize the faltering government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week.

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Venezuela bars attorney general from leaving country

Venezuela's Supreme Court has banned Attorney General Luisa Ortega from leaving the country, and has frozen her assets, ahead of a pre-trial hearing scheduled for July 4.

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Venezuela: Where daily life is anything but normal

A daily struggle has become the new normal for Venezuelans. Economic and political turmoil regularly send thousands into the streets to protest. Here is a look at how some lives have been disrupted in the face of severe shortages.

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chunder: Word of the day for June 29, 2017

chunder , v :
(Australia, New Zealand, slang) To throw up, to vomit. Colin Hay, the lead vocalist of the Australian rock band Men at Work, was born on this day in 1953. The group’s song “Down Under” (1980; re-released 1981) contains the famous lines “I come from a land down under / Where beer does flow and men chunder”.

Tropical Storm Bill (2003)

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 29, 2017 is Tropical Storm Bill (2003).
Tropical Storm Bill hit the Gulf Coast of the United States in the summer of 2003. The second storm of that Atlantic hurricane season, Bill developed from a tropical wave on June 29 to the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. It slowly organized as it moved northward, and reached a peak of 60 mph (95 km/h) shortly before making landfall in south-central Louisiana. It produced a moderate storm surge, causing tidal flooding. In Montegut in the northeastern portion of the state, a levee was breached, flooding many homes, and in Florida, two swimmers drowned. As Bill accelerated to the northeast, moisture from the storm, combined with cold air from an approaching cold front, produced an outbreak of 34 tornadoes. Moderate winds and wet soil combined to topple trees onto houses and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands without electric power. By the time Bill became extratropical on July 2, it was responsible for four deaths and around $50 million in damage.

Venezuela's Maduro: Helicopter attacked Supreme Court

A helicopter has attacked Venezuela's Supreme Court in Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro said, in what he termed an "armed terrorist attack."

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honda: Word of the day for June 28, 2017

honda , n :
(western US) A closed loop or eyelet at one end of a lariat or lasso, through which the other end of the rope is passed to form a much larger loop. (western US) A grommet or other device intended to strengthen or otherwise improve a simple rope honda.

White-naped xenopsaris

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 28, 2017 is White-naped xenopsaris.
The white-naped xenopsaris (Xenopsaris albinucha) is a bird in the family Tityridae found in the South American countries of Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. It lives in open woodland and other open forest habitats, and is mostly sedentary, though some populations may be migratory. The only species in its genus, it is closely related to becards and tityras, and was thought to be either a tyrant-flycatcher or cotinga before it was placed in the Tityridae family. The bird is 12.5 to 13 cm (4.9–5.1 in) in length, with whitish undersides, a black crown and grey-brown upperparts. The sexes are similar in appearance, though the females have duller upperparts. It feeds on insects in the foliage of trees and bushes, and sometimes on the ground. In a simple cup nest in the fork of a tree, both parents incubate the eggs and help feed the chicks. After the chicks have fledged, the parents may divide the brood, each helping one or two chicks. The species is not common and little is known about it, but it is not in danger of extinction.

Brazil President charged with corruption

Brazilian prosecutors have filed criminal charges of "passive corruption" against President Michel Temer, a state-run news agency reports.

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standee: Word of the day for June 27, 2017

standee , n :
Somebody who is forced to stand, for example, on a crowded bus. A free-standing, rigid print (usually life-sized), for instance of a celebrity, often displayed for advertising and promotional purposes; a cut-out.

The Well of Loneliness

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 27, 2017 is The Well of Loneliness.
The Well of Loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the British author Radclyffe Hall that follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family. Her "sexual inversion" (homosexuality) is apparent from an early age. She finds love with Mary Llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I, but their happiness together is marred by social isolation and rejection. The novel portrays inversion as a natural, God-given state and makes an explicit plea: "Give us also the right to our existence". Although its only sexual reference consists of the words "and that night, they were not divided", a British court judged it obscene because it defended "unnatural practices between women". In the United States the book survived legal challenges. Publicity over The Well's legal battles increased the visibility of lesbians in British and American culture. Gordon's expressions of self-hatred have been faulted for inspiring shame, but the book was for decades the best-known lesbian novel in English, and often the first source of information about lesbianism that young people could find.

Remains of kidnapped Mexican journalist found

Human remains found in the western Mexican state of Michoacán have been identified as journalist Salvador Adame, who was missing for more than a month, a state prosecutor said Monday.

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Tourist boat sinks in Colombia

Efforts to find 31 people still missing after a tourist boat capsized in northwest Colombia have been suspended overnight due to thunderstorms.

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UN is breaking its promise to people of Haiti

Secretary General António Guterres' announcement that he would pull the $400 million plan designed to help Haiti's cholera outbreak, which the UN played a role in bringing to the island, is a huge betrayal, writes Stephen Lewis.

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How New Zealand found redemption on the waves

Bruised, battered and facing financial ruin after the 2013 America's Cup defeat, the Kiwis have transformed themselves into the team to beat four years on.

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Some Americans are moving to Mexico

Some Americans who don't like President Donald Trump are moving to Mexico to get away from the political climate. CNN's Leyla Santiago reports.

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Report predicts world's population will hit staggering 9.8B by 2050

Nigeria will overtake the United States to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050, according to a United Nations report.

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Work begins on Africa's tallest skyscraper in Nairobi to open by 2019

The mighty peaks of Kilimanjaro and Kenya are the highest points in Africa, towering over the East Coast nations.

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Perfect feast: The healthy way to celebrate Eid

After 30 days of fasting, nutrition experts tell CNN the best things to eat, and when to eat them, to ensure people celebrate the feast day of Eid al-Fitr in good health.

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Japanese aircraft carrier Jun'yō

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 26, 2017 is Japanese aircraft carrier Jun'yō.
Jun'yō ("Peregrine Falcon") was a Hiyō-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, but was purchased by the navy in 1941 while still under construction and converted into an aircraft carrier. Launched on 26 June 1941 and completed in May 1942, the ship participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign the following month and in several battles of the Guadalcanal Campaign later in the year. Her aircraft were used from land bases during several battles in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns. Jun'yō was torpedoed in November 1943 and spent three months under repair. She was damaged by several bombs during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in mid-1944, but quickly returned to service. Lacking aircraft, she was used as a transport in late 1944 and was torpedoed again in December. Jun'yō was under repair until March 1945, when work was cancelled as uneconomical. She was then effectively hulked for the rest of the war. After the surrender of Japan in September, the Americans also decided that she was not worth the cost to make her serviceable for use as a repatriation ship, and she was broken up in 1946 and 1947.

Georgian: Word of the day for June 26, 2017

Georgian , adj :
[…] Of, from, or characteristic of the reigns of Kings George I and George II of Great Britain, and George III and George IV of the United Kingdom (1714–1830). George IV of the United Kingdom died on this day in 1830, bringing the Georgian era to an end.

Police arrest 8 in deadly Colombia mall explosion

Eight people were arrested in connection with the deadly explosion at an upscale mall in Colombia, the country's National Police said.

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Ukiyo-e

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 25, 2017 is Ukiyo-e.
The ukiyo-e genre of art flourished in Japan from the 17th to the 19th century. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties, kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, scenes from history and folk tales, travel scenes and landscapes, flora and fauna, and erotica. The term ukiyo-e refers to pictures of the ukiyo or "floating world" of kabuki theatre, courtesans, and geisha of the pleasure districts. Images of this environment became successful in the 1670s with Moronobu's paintings and monochromatic prints of beautiful women. By the 1740s, artists such as Masanobu were using multiple woodblocks to print areas of colour. In the 1760s, with the success of Harunobu's "brocade prints", full-colour production of prints made with numerous blocks became standard. Portraits of beauties and actors by masters such as Kiyonaga, Utamaro, and Sharaku were prominent in the late 18th century. Masters from the 19th century include the bold formalist Hokusai, whose Great Wave off Kanagawa is one of the best-known works of Japanese art, and the serene, atmospheric Hiroshige, most noted for his series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō.

glen: Word of the day for June 25, 2017

glen , n :
A secluded and narrow valley, especially one with a river running through it; a dale; a depression between hills.

What US expats say about Mexico

American expats who've moved to Mexico say they love the country they've come to call home.

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4 (Beyoncé album)

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 24, 2017 is 4 (Beyoncé album).
4 is the fourth studio album by American singer Beyoncé (pictured), released on June 24, 2011, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. In collaborations with songwriters and producers The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and Shea Taylor, Beyoncé aimed for a mellower rhythm and blues tone with influences from funk, hip hop, and soul. She severed professional ties with Mathew Knowles, her father and manager, to help her develop an intimate, personal album. The lyrics emphasize monogamy, female empowerment and self-reflection. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, and some put it on their year-end lists. It was her fourth consecutive album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200, and it also reached number one in Brazil, France, Ireland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It spawned the international singles "Run the World (Girls)", "Best Thing I Never Had", "Party", "Love On Top" and "Countdown". "Love On Top" won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 55th annual ceremony. The album has sold more than 1.5 million copies in the United States.

drayage: Word of the day for June 24, 2017

drayage , n :
Transportation by dray. (by extension) The transport of goods over a short distance, particularly from a terminal such as an ocean port to another destination, usually as part of a longer transportation of the goods. A fee paid for the provision of such transportation.

Is Mexico the world's second most dangerous country, as Trump says? That depends

President Donald Trump rankled Mexico again, this time calling it the second deadliest country in the world. Mexico quickly countered, saying Trump's claim is wrong. So who's right?

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Venezuelan protester shot at point-blank range

His name was David José Vallenilla. At 22, he became the latest of at least 75 fatalities tied to civil unrest in the streets of Venezuela, a country mired in economic crisis and political instability.

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African vice president faces accusations in Paris

The son of Equatorial Guinea's President is on trial in France for splurging on a Parisian mansion, a private jet and a fleet of luxury cars using tens of millions of dollars he allegedly looted from his country.

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Priyanka Chopra: This is how you fight rape stigma

Africaid and UNICEF are working to empower rape victims and break the cycle and stigma of sexual abuse through counseling, education, and health care throughout Africa, says Priyanka Chopra.

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Ancient Egyptian's toe is early prosthetic

A wooden big toe that enabled a priest's daughter to walk around 3,000 years ago has been found to be even more complex than researchers believed. It is thought to be one of the oldest prosthetic devices ever found.

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DNA unlocks secrets of Ancient Egyptians

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The wonders of Egypt

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Young protester shot in the chest at point blank range

A 22-year-old protester died after being shot three times in the chest by a national guard at point blank range in Caracas, Venezuela.

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June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 23, 2017 is June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina.
The uprising in eastern Herzegovina on 23 June 1941 was a Serb rebellion against the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), an Axis puppet state established during World War II on the territory of the defeated Kingdom of Yugoslavia. As the NDH imposed its authority, members of the fascist Ustaše ruling party had begun a campaign of persecution against Serbs throughout the country. In eastern Herzegovina, the Ustaše perpetrated a series of massacres and attacks against the majority Serb population commencing in the first week of June, igniting a series of spontaneous clashes between the NDH authorities and groups of Serbs. On 23 June, the day after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, sporadic revolts erupted into mass rebellion, triggered by Ustaše persecution, Serb solidarity with the Russian people, hatred and fear of the NDH authorities, and other factors. The Italians intervened after several setbacks for the NDH forces, who regained full control of all towns and transport routes by 7 July.

linocut: Word of the day for June 23, 2017

linocut , n :
(art, printing) A type of woodcut in which a block of linoleum is used for the relief surface; the design cut into the block.

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake off of Guatemala's Pacific coast, USGS says

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off of Guatemala's Pacific coast Thursday, the US Geological Survey reports. The quake was recorded at about 24 miles (38 km) from the city of Puerto San Jose, according to the USGS.

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Trump: Mexico border wall may have solar panels

President Trump said designs for his proposed US-Mexico border wall are already in the works, telling an Iowa crowd the wall may be a solar panel energy saving wall.

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20 of the world's most underrated restaurants

Even with influential guides navigating foodies to elite restaurants around the planet, great eateries continue to fly beneath the radar. So how do we find these unsung heroes?

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Here are some of the groundbreaking African speakers at TEDGlobal 2017

TEDGlobal has released a preview list of speakers for its four day conference in Arusha, Tanzania this August, the first conference on the continent for a decade.

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The abolitionist fighting to free Mauritania's slaves

He's the grandson of a slave and he's founded a mass anti-slavery movement, been jailed three times, and run for president of his home nation, Mauritania.

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Tidus

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 22, 2017 is Tidus.
Tidus is a role-playing video game character, introduced as the protagonist of Final Fantasy X in 2001. He is a 17-year-old star blitzball player who joins a pilgrimage to destroy a creature that attacked Zanarkand, his hometown. He has appeared in other video games, including the Final Fantasy X sequel Final Fantasy X-2, the Kingdom Hearts series, and several Square Enix crossover games. The cheerful Tidus was designed by Tetsuya Nomura. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima gave him frequent monologues describing the game's setting. Tidus is voiced in English by James Arnold Taylor and in Japanese primarily by Masakazu Morita, who also performed the motion capture. Video game critics judged Titus an appealing protagonist, with excellent character development. Although reviewers and fans were divided on Taylor's voice work, Tidus enjoyed popularity with fans, often ranking as one of the best Final Fantasy characters in polls. He is a popular cosplay character.

lagniappe: Word of the day for June 22, 2017

lagniappe , n :
(Louisiana, Mississippi, Trinidad and Tobago, uncommon) An extra or unexpected gift or benefit, such as that given to customers when they purchase something.

Two independent outbreaks set back efforts against the disease

Two separate outbreaks of polio have been reported in remote parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a setback for large-scale efforts to eradicate the highly infectious and potentially fatal disease.

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Gunfire reported at Mali tourist resort

Shots were fired Sunday at a luxury resort near Mali's capital city of Bamako, according to a tweet from the UN Mission to the West African country.

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Bassey's praise and worship movement

It is perhaps an unlikely setting for a praise and worship session. But every day at midnight, thousands of worshippers around the world have logged on to Instagram to lift their voices in praise and prayer, united by one hashtag: #HalleluyahChallenge.

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Ram Narayan

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 21, 2017 is Ram Narayan.
Ram Narayan (born 1927) is an Indian musician who popularised the bowed sarangi of Hindustani classical music as a solo concert instrument and became its first international virtuoso. He was born near Udaipur and learned to play at an early age. He studied under sarangi players and singers and, as a teenager, worked as a music teacher and travelling musician. All India Radio, Lahore, hired him as an accompanist for vocalists in 1944. He moved to Delhi following the partition of India in 1947 and moved to Mumbai in 1949 to work in Indian cinema. He had his first success as a concert solo artist in 1956 and has since performed at major music festivals in India. After sitar player Ravi Shankar successfully performed in Western countries, Narayan followed his example. He recorded solo albums and made his first international tour in 1964 to America and Europe with his older brother Chatur Lal, a tabla player who had toured with Shankar in the 1950s. Narayan taught Indian and foreign students and performed into the 2000s. He was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2005.

midnight sun: Word of the day for June 21, 2017

midnight sun , n :
The phenomenon occurring when the Sun does not set but only approaches the horizon at midnight; it occurs near the summer solstice in the polar regions. The June solstice falls on this day in 2017.

Raul Castro Fast Facts

Read CNN's Fast Facts about Raul Castro, the President of Cuba and the brother of former President Fidel Castro.

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Police find hidden trove of Nazi artifacts

A massive trove of Nazi-era artifacts were found in a secret room in a Buenos Aires suburb.

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Escape to the Grand Cayman!

Tomeka Jones explores a beach getaway full of food, fun and adventure in the Cayman Islands.

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cravat: Word of the day for June 20, 2017

cravat , n :
A wide fabric band worn as a necktie by men having long ends hanging in front, like an ascot tie. (historical) A decorative fabric band or scarf worn around the neck by women. (surgery) A bandage resembling a cravat, particularly a triangular bandage folded into a strip. Paris Fashion Week for men’s fashion starts tomorrow in 2017.

Melbourne Castle

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 20, 2017 is Melbourne Castle.
Melbourne Castle was an incomplete medieval castle, founded in 1311 by Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, in Melbourne, Derbyshire. It was built on the site of an earlier royal manor house that had provided accommodation for noblemen hunting in a nearby royal park in the reign of King John. After the earl's execution in 1322 for opposing Edward II, the castle was mainly in the possession of the Crown or the Earls and Dukes of Lancaster. Improvements and repairs were made by John of Gaunt and others, and the building was in generally good condition throughout the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. John I, Duke of Bourbon, was kept at Melbourne for 19 years after his capture at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and it was considered as a possible prison for Mary Queen of Scots. The castle was in decline by the end of the reign of Elizabeth I. It was purchased in 1604 by Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, who had his own castle in nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and was gradually demolished for its building materials. All that remains is a short section of wall and some foundations. The ruins are grade II listed and the site is a scheduled monument, with no public access.

Foreign minister: We will not buckle under Trump's sanctions

In the first response by a Cuban official to a new, harsher Cuba policy unveiled by President Donald Trump last week, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Monday that the island's government would not buckle to the new sanctions.

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Canadian climate change study canceled because of climate change

Because of warmer temperatures in the Arctic, hazardous sea ice is traveling farther south than usual. And the ship the scientists were traveling on kept getting diverted to help out in rescue efforts.

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Daredevil hangs by her teeth over Niagara Falls, shatters new record

It's the type of record-breaking stunt that gives new meaning to the term "by the skin of her teeth."

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Is this the world's toughest bike race?

It's the dead of night, you're cycling through the desert and are so chronically fatigued you think you're seeing goblins.

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Montreal's bagel wars

It's 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning, and a long line of eager customers snakes out of the door of a small bagel shop in Montreal's Mile End neighborhood.

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