Israel calls up thousands more reservists after request for U.S. ammunition

By <strong>Jethro Mullen</strong> and <strong>Karl Penhaul, </strong>CNN<div class="cnn_stryathrtmp"><div class="cnn_strytmstmp">July 31, 2014 -- Updated 1153 GMT (1953 HKT)</div></div><div class="cnnStryVidCont" style="background-color: transparent;"><div id="cnnCVP1"><div class="adCountdown"><div id="source">Source: <span class="vidSource">CNN</span></div></div></div></div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="em0"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"><div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li><b>NEW:</b> Netanyahu says Israel will destroy Hamas tunnels with or without cease-fire</li><li>The conflict has killed 1,373 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, officials say</li><li>White House says Israel must do more to protect civilians</li><li>The Israeli military is calling up 16,000 additional reservists</li></ul></div></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> </div><strong>Gaza City (CNN)</strong> -- The Israeli military said Thursday that it is calling up 16,000 additional reservists, bolstering its forces for its fight against Hamas in Gaza after a request for more ammunition from the United States.<br /> <div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">The addition brings the total number of reservists Israel has called up since the beginning of the operation against Hamas to 86,000, a military spokeswoman said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">The conflict has killed more than 1,300 people in Gaza, most of them civilians. Fifty-six Israeli soldiers have been killed.</div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="em1"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand14"> <cite class="expCaption"><span> </span></cite></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand14"><cite class="expCaption"><span> </span></cite></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand24"><cite class="expCaption"><span></span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">After more than three weeks of fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel would complete its goal of destroying Hamas' network of tunnels with or without a cease-fire. Netanyahu said this is just the first phase of the demilitarization of Gaza.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">While U.S. officials have called on Israel to do more to protect civilians, the United States has agreed to Israel's request to resupply it with several types of ammunition, a U.S. defense official told CNN on condition of anonymity. It's not an emergency sale, the official said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">Among the items being bought are 120mm mortar rounds and 40mm ammunition for grenade launchers, the official said. Those will come from a stockpile the United States keeps in Israel, which is worth more than $1 billion.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8"><strong>Shells land near U.N. school</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">Meanwhile, a number of shells fell Thursday next to a U.N. school housing displaced residents -- a day after another school-turned-shelter was hit by artillery killing more than a dozen people.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">"The school itself was not targeted, it was nearby the school," Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said about the Thursday incident.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">No one was killed inside the school -- the Beit Lahiya School for Girls, he said. Eight people were slightly injured.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">But Gaza health workers are struggling to deal with the relentless stream of dead and wounded.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">"The hospitals in Gaza yesterday had a very difficult time, all the hospital morgues were flooding with dead bodies, and the injured were laying on hospital floors because of the lack of hospital beds," said Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health.</div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="em3"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand115"> <cite class="expCaption"><span> </span></cite></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand115"><cite class="expCaption"><span>Dramatic video of Gaza market attack</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15"><strong>'Children killed in their sleep'</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">On Wednesday, artillery fire struck a different school -- the Jabalya Elementary Girls School -- that was housing more than 3,000 displaced Palestinians.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">The United Nations blamed Israel for the attack. And the Palestinian Health Ministry said 20 were killed.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">"Children killed in their sleep; this is an affront to all of us, a source of universal shame," Pierre Krahenbuhl, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinians. "Today the world stands disgraced."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">Israel said a group of militants fired at Israeli soldiers from the vicinity, and the soldiers "responded by firing at the origin of the fire," a military spokesman said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">"If our forces were involved in a firefight, it's because Hamas has decided that it's open season on the U.N.," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22"><strong>A 'likely war crime'?</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23">Wednesday's attack was the sixth on a U.N.-run school since the conflict began on July 8.</div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="em4"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand124"> <cite class="expCaption"><span> </span></cite></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand124"><cite class="expCaption"><span>Israeli Jews: Time to crush Hamas</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">Amnesty International, noting that UNRWA shared its coordinates with the Israeli army 17 times, said the Jabalya attack was a "likely war crime."</div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="em5"></a><div class="cnnGalleryContainer cnn_strylftcntnt" id="expand125"><div class="cnnStoryElementBox"> <div class="cnnArticlePhotoContainer cnn_strylftcexpbxnv" id="photoContainer125"><img alt="Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis" border="0" class="cnnArticleBoxImage" height="360" id="photo125" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140730080236-restricted-01-israel-gaza-0730-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="640" /><cite class="expCaption" id="cite125"><span>Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis</span></cite></div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">"If the strike on this school was the result of Israeli artillery fire it would constitute an indiscriminate attack and a likely war crime," said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. "Artillery should never be used against targets in crowded civilian areas and its use in such a manner would never be considered a 'surgical' strike."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">Israel has said errant Hamas rocket fire is responsible for some of the attacks in Gaza.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28"><strong>Market attac</strong><strong>k</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29">At the same time Wednesday, back-to-back attacks on a market in northern Gaza killed 17 people, the Gaza health ministry said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2014/07/30/erin-sot-vause-gaza-market-attack.cnn&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FQSjKw1QThT">Video shot by the Gaza-based al-Manara media agency </a>show ambulances racing to the scene after the first strike. Seconds later, the second attack sends people diving for cover. The video shows people on the ground, screaming and groaning. Some of the bodies are limbless, others blown apart.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph32"><strong>Calls for civilian protection</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph33">The conflict in Gaza is more than three weeks old now and has left 1,373 people dead and more than 7,000 wounded, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. About 70% to 80% of the fatalities are Palestinian civilians, the U.N. estimates.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph34">On the Israeli side, 56 soldiers have died, as well as three civilians.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph35">The violence between Israel's military and Palestinian militants is playing out against a backdrop of failed humanitarian cease-fire attempts, with militants firing rockets from Gaza into Israel and Israelis responding with airstrikes.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph36">On Wednesday, Israel authorized a four-hour "humanitarian window" in Gaza, but it lasted nowhere near that long.</div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="em6"></a><br /><br /><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph37">A large part of the criticism has been leveled at Israel and its airstrikes, which have bombarded Gaza.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph38">Chile, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador have pulled their ambassadors out of Tel Aviv to protest the Israeli offensive.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph39">Israel, in turn, has accused Hamas of hiding weapons, including rockets, in schools and launching attacks from near shelters.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph40">While saying Israel has a right to defend itself, White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz said, "We've also been very clear that Israel needs to do more to live up to its own standards to limit civilian casualties."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph41">It was a sentiment echoed by U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph42">"Hamas is taking steps here that put civilians at risk. But we do believe the Israelis need to do more," she said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph44"><strong>'This is a disaster'</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph45">The incessant attacks and counterattacks are taking a terrible toll on Gazans.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph46">More than 219,000 Palestinians are packed into 86 shelters across Gaza, the U.N. said. That equals about 12% of all of Gaza's population.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph47">A strike Tuesday severely damaged Gaza's only power plant, forcing residents to depend almost entirely on small generators for electricty.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph48">Israel said it did not target the plant, and that a Hamas rocket may have been to blame.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph49">Clean water is inaccessible for most. And some 3,600 people have lost their homes.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph50">"We cannot supply electricity" for hospitals, sewage treatment or domestic use, said Fathi al-Sheikh Khalil, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Energy Natural Resources Authority in Gaza. "This is a disaster."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph51">The Israeli foreign ministry said it sent 43 trucks carrying 750 tons of food, medicine and supplies to Gaza on Wednesday. It also said it sent fuel.</div>

Israel calls up thousands more reservists after request for U.S. ammunition

By Jethro Mullen and Karl Penhaul, CNN July 31, 2014 -- Updated 1153 GMT (1953 HKT) Source: CNN STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Netanyahu says Israe...

Read more »

The Handsome felon, Jeremy Meeks, lands modeling contract

<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"> </h3> <div class="post-header"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESrRAjAhbNHAOq-LD2AhvpyJutj4II-aAUedNmv_u-c-1ouH4ARiGpZf-mNUVItgQosFZoVqNGFmdYa8UrA48-S2tMc0ENCDlvzR3mcsRGgJzrUiq2RoBCcdAsuNHCOBQZQb9pbhUsHuC/s1600/article-2663696-1EFA801400000578-630_306x423.jpg" width="285" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUu5IGuhpctikcxBmf_99O7qq4ua8nuXij1hlnQlXW1A0Nc1SNH0je-_rO4U1KBjC3RQvjXmO9gswqFQTiT6MsfrPUboBLhYJlgPkXSbsOtLRpkVVdb8XUyyEz_eTGeHFq2-pGjSbwH-4/s1600/v3-Jeremy-Meeks.jpg" width="275" /></div> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404285466245_1332"> 30 year old Jeremy Meeks, the gorgeous felon who became an internet sensation after his mug-shot was posted on the Stockton police Facebook page, has secured an gent who is negotiating modeling contracts for him even though he is still in jail in California facing a felony weapons charge.</div> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404285466245_1332"> </div> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404285466245_1338"> Popular Hollywood agent, Gina Rodriguez, has signed Jeremy as a client and he joins her other notorious celeb clients including Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham, Donald Sterling's former mistress V. Stiviano and 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman.</div> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404285466245_1351"> "Jeremy has an amazing look and has received international attention which I feel can only help him flourish in the entertainment industry. He could make somewhere between $3,000 to $100,000 per month through endorsements and modeling. We're also speaking with several production companies about following Jeremy's foray into the entertainment industry. I believe this can be a positive change for Jeremy and his family" Rodriguez told ABC News.</div> </blockquote> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404285466245_1363"> Meeks, who is being held on 11 felony counts that include street gang membership and possession of firearms, remains behind bars on $1.1 million bail. I hope he gets a second chance. </div>

The Handsome felon, Jeremy Meeks, lands modeling contract

30 year old Jeremy Meeks, the gorgeous felon who became an internet sensation after his mug-shot was posted on the Stockton police ...

Read more »

A Nigerian child bride kills husband & three of his friends in Kano by poison

<div class="post-header"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYc-eZovivSInXg99EgvTJFXTpYMd3ImVSaJR30IE-DxYmzBMrNJSb7RM_CEcfYW3quvRbOgHrmmESsfXqJ-G0xufY8_il9QhGOJnm0qxxohiIJdouxX9kCeOBUR67RmhI9utc3MA_idk/s1600/Amnesty-thumb-305x249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYc-eZovivSInXg99EgvTJFXTpYMd3ImVSaJR30IE-DxYmzBMrNJSb7RM_CEcfYW3quvRbOgHrmmESsfXqJ-G0xufY8_il9QhGOJnm0qxxohiIJdouxX9kCeOBUR67RmhI9utc3MA_idk/s1600/Amnesty-thumb-305x249.jpg" width="400"></a></div> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Last week In Kano, a 14-year-old child bride who was forced into marriage, has reportedly killed her new husband and three of his friends with rat poison.</span><br>

A Nigerian child bride kills husband & three of his friends in Kano by poison

Last week In Kano, a 14-year-old child bride who was forced into marriage, has reportedly killed her new husband and three of his fr...

Read more »

WOW. The Man Who Hugs Wild Lions Brought a Go-Pro This Time (Video)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnfb2zkhtLyMvpYwU9PqQ2hBjkar51YQ9g_lZ7C0qu6V4I4KgbqJc9aK7ZrkfVj4rz31jw5J2lf8KVhAcd7Se2EnAcfkdHSzyDmtUp5vv6oT-WRoY8So8jYcig5iNmc50mWYG96Cyn8PN/s1600/lion-whisperer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnfb2zkhtLyMvpYwU9PqQ2hBjkar51YQ9g_lZ7C0qu6V4I4KgbqJc9aK7ZrkfVj4rz31jw5J2lf8KVhAcd7Se2EnAcfkdHSzyDmtUp5vv6oT-WRoY8So8jYcig5iNmc50mWYG96Cyn8PN/s1600/lion-whisperer.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MNCzSfv4hX8?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div> Kevin Richardson is known as the lion whisperer, and I think that term is perfectly accurate. He has literally made himself part of a pride of lions, as well as a group of hyenas.<br /><br />Watch Kevin hug, cuddle and play with these wild predators. He also attaches Go-Pros on the backs of some of the lions and hyenas, so you can see things from their perspective as well.<br /><br />If this isn’t the most amazing intimate footage of lions and hyenas you’ve ever seen, I’d be very surprised.

WOW. The Man Who Hugs Wild Lions Brought a Go-Pro This Time (Video)

 Kevin Richardson is known as the lion whisperer, and I think that term is perfectly accurate. He has literally made himself part of a pride...

Read more »

Mikhail Kalashnikov, Creator of AK-47, Dies at 94

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="418" itemid="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/12/24/world/24kalashnikov1/24kalashnikov1-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/12/24/world/24kalashnikov1/24kalashnikov1-articleLarge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span itemid="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/12/24/world/24kalashnikov1/24kalashnikov1-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject">Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov holding a model of AK-47 assault rifle in 1997. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="articleSpanImage"><span itemid="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/12/24/world/24kalashnikov1/24kalashnikov1-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <div class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder"></div><div class="caption" itemprop="description"> Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, the arms designer credited by the Soviet Union with creating the AK-47, the first in a series of rifles and machine guns that would indelibly associate his name with modern war and become the most abundant firearms ever made, died on Monday in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic, where he lived. He was 94.<br /><br />Viktor Chulkov, a spokesman for the republic’s president, confirmed the death, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.<br /><br />Born a peasant on the southern Siberian steppe, General Kalashnikov had little formal education and claimed to be a self-taught tinkerer who combined innate mechanical skills with the study of weapons to conceive of a rifle that achieved battlefield ubiquity.<br /><br />His role in the rifle’s creation, and the attention showered on him by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, carried him from conscription in the Red Army to senior positions in the Soviet arms-manufacturing bureaucracy and ultimately to six terms on the Supreme Soviet.<br /><br />Tens of millions of Kalashnikov rifles have been manufactured. Their short barrels, steep front-sight posts and curved magazines made them a marker of conflict that has endured for decades. The weapons also became both Soviet and revolutionary symbols and widespread instruments of terrorism, child-soldiering and crime.<br /><br />The general, who sometimes lamented the weapons’ unchecked distribution but took pride in having invented them and in their reputation for reliability, weathered the collapse of the Soviet Union to assume a public role as a folk hero and unequivocal Russian patriot.<br /><br />A Soviet nostalgist, he also served as the unofficial arms ambassador of the revived Russian state. He used public appearances to try to cast the AK-47’s checkered legacy in a positive way and to complain that knockoffs were being manufactured illegally by former Soviet allies and cutting into Russian sales.<br /><br />The weapon, he said, was designed to protect his motherland, not to be used by terrorists or thugs. “This is a weapon of defense,” he said. “It is not a weapon for offense.”<br /><br />General Kalashnikov’s public life resulted from a secret competition to develop the Soviet infantry rifle for the Cold War. The result was the AK-47 — an abbreviation for “the automatic by Kalashnikov” followed by the year the competition ended.<br /><br />General Kalashnikov, a senior sergeant at the time who had been injured in battle against German tanks, was credited with leading the design bureau that produced the AK-47 prototype. The Soviet Union began issuing a mass-produced version to soldiers in 1949.<br /><br />The true AK-47 was short-lived. It was followed in the 1950s by a modernized version, the A.K.M., which retained its predecessor’s underlying design while reducing its weight and manufacturing time.<br /><br />Shorter than traditional infantry rifles and firing a cartridge midway between the power of a pistol and the standard rifle cartridges of the day, the Kalashnikov line was initially dismissed by American ordnance experts as a weapon of small consequence. It was not particularly accurate or well made, they said, and it lacked range and stopping power.<br /><br />It cemented its place in martial history in the 1960s in Vietnam. There, a new American rifle, the M-16, experienced problems with corrosion and jamming in the jungles, while Kalashnikovs, carried by Vietcong guerrillas and North Vietnamese soldiers, worked almost flawlessly.<br /><br />By this time, in an effort to standardize infantry weapons among potential allies, the Soviet Union had exported the rifle’s specifications and its manufacturing technology to China, Egypt, North Korea and Warsaw Pact nations. Communist engineers would eventually share the manufacturing technology with other countries, including Iraq.<br /><br />The weapon’s design was also incorporated into arms manufactured in Finland, Israel, South Africa and other nations. The result was a long line of derivatives and copies. Almost all are referred to as AK-47s by colloquial, if inaccurate, shorthand. <br /><br /> Because Kalashnikov rifles were principally made by secretive governments and often changed hands in nontransparent transfers, it is not known how many have been manufactured. Common estimates put production at 70 million to 100 million; either number would dwarf the production of any other gun.<br /><br />The rifles eventually filled armories throughout Eastern Europe and Asia and spread from war to war, passing to Soviet allies and proxies, and to terrorists and criminals, aided by intelligence agencies and gray- and black-market sales. The United States became an active purchaser, arming anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan in the 1980s and indigenous Afghan and Iraqi forces in recent years.<br /><br />General Kalashnikov’s bureau also used the A.K.M. design to develop machine guns for infantry squads, helicopter crews and vehicles. By the 1970s, the rifle’s design had become the basis for a new Soviet rifle, known as the AK-74, that fired a smaller and faster cartridge similar to that of the M-16. That rifle remains the standard weapon of the Russian Army.<br /><br />The general often claimed that he never realized any profit from his work. But in his last years he urged interviewers not to portray him as poor, noting that he had a sizable apartment, a good car and a comfortable dacha on a lake near the factory where he had worked for decades.<br /><br />Work and loyalty to country, he often suggested, were their own rewards. “I am told sometimes, ‘If you had lived in the West you would have been a multimillionaire long ago,’ ” he said. “There are other values.”<br /><br />How essential the general was to creation of the Kalashnikov line has been subject to dispute. A post-Soviet account in the newspaper Pravda challenged his central role, asserting that two supervisors repeatedly modified his weapon during field trials.<br /><br />An amiable personality with a biography ideal for proletarian fable, he was given credit for their work, the newspaper claimed. The general fiercely disputed suggestions that the design was guided by others, but also said the rifle was the result of the entire collective that labored beside him.<br /><br />The Kremlin embraced his version, although a careful reading of the official histories and General Kalashnikov’s many statements and memoirs shows that his accounts of his life, combat service and work repeatedly changed, raising questions about the veracity of the conventional accounts.<br /><br />Mikhail Timofeyovich Kalashnikov was born in Kurya on Nov. 10, 1919. He was married twice, the second time to Ekaterina Kalashnikova, a technician in his design bureau. He is survived by a son from his first marriage, Viktor Kalashnikov, who is also an arms designer; a daughter from his second marriage, Elena Krasnovskaya; a stepdaughter, Nelya; and several grandchildren.<br /><br />Later in life, he disapproved of anyone who he thought had hastened the Soviet Union’s downfall, or who had been unable to control the political and economic turbulence that followed. In memoirs and interviews, he was harshly critical of Mikhail S. Gorbachev and Boris N. Yeltsin.<br /><br />To the end he remained loyal to what he called Socialist ideals and the leaders who gave them shape, and seemed untroubled by the hardships endured by his family during the early years of Soviet rule. His family’s land and home had been seized during collectivization, and when he was a child the family was deported into the Siberian wilderness. His father died during their first Siberian winter, and one of his brothers labored for seven years as a prisoner digging the White Sea canal.<br /><br />Still, General Kalashnikov spoke of his great respect for Lenin and Stalin alike. “I never knew him personally,” he said of Stalin, “and I regret this.” </div></span></div>

Mikhail Kalashnikov, Creator of AK-47, Dies at 94

Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov holding a model of AK-47 assault rifle in 1997.  Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, the arms designer cred...

Read more »

From big screen to your screen: Could celebrities become your e-agents?

<br /><div class="cnnExplainer cnn_html_slideshow"><div class="cnnstrylccimg640"><div class="cnn_stryichgfull"><div class="cnn_stryichgflg"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"><div class="cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Samsung Galaxy Gear is the latest gadget which changes the way we use our smartphones. It links up with Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets to let users know when they receive a call, text message or e-mail." border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto001" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131205113543-galaxy-smartwatch-vertical-gallery.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto;" width="270" /></div><cite id="galleryCaption001" style="display: block;">The Samsung Galaxy Gear is the latest gadget which changes the way we use our smartphones. It links up with Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets to let users know when they receive a call, text message or e-mail.</cite> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText" id="galleryCaptionControl00"><br /></div></div><div class="cnn_html_media_title_new" id="gallerySlideTitle001" style="display: block;">Mobile innovations that will change your life</div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: black; color: white; height: 27px;"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled" id="articleGalleryNav00JumpPrev"><span><<</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled" id="articleGalleryNav00Prev"><span><</span></div><div class="articleGalleryNavContainer"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavOn" id="articleGalleryNav001"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">1</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav002"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">2</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav003"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">3</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav004"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">4</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav005"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">5</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav006"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">6</span></div></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext" id="articleGalleryNav00Next"><span>></span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled" id="articleGalleryNav00JumpNext"><span>>></span></div></div></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em0"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"><div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li>The smart phone has revolutionized our personal and professional lives by performing as a multimedia computer </li><li>It will continue to change your life as intelligent e-agents become personalized</li><li>Smart phones will evolve in ways that mean they won't need screens -- or big batteries </li><li>They will also increasingly become your wallet, as cash and credit cards become fixtures of the past</li></ul></div></div><div class="cnnEditorialNote"><em><strong>Editor's note:</strong> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Daniel Burrus</a> is a leading futurist on tech trends and innovation. He is the author of six books, including the New York Times best seller <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Flash Foresight.</a> The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daniel Burrus. </em></div><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- The smart phone has revolutionized our personal and professional lives. More than just a phone, they are powerful, networked multimedia computers that we carry with us every day.<br /> <div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">Over the next 10 years, they'll get far more advanced, transforming every business process including how we sell, communicate, collaborate, train, and educate.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">Here are five ways the mobile phone will change your life over the next decade:</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylccimg214"><img alt="Daniel Burrus " border="0" class="box-image" height="122" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130220143724-daniel-burrus-headshot-left-tease.jpg" width="214" /><div>Daniel Burrus </div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4"><strong>1. Your phone will be your personal assistant.</strong> The introduction of Apple's Siri (an intelligent e-agent) gave us a taste of how advanced our phones could be. As Siri-like agents rapidly advance, they will turn into personal assistants, searching the web for you and delivering focused, highly relevant information based on how well it knows you.</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div>The 3D web on your smart phone will be a game-changer for business<br /><span>Daniel Burrus</span></div></div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">Your phone will know your preferences, likes, and needs. It will automatically compile, present, and share what's pertinent to you.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">Read more: What is the sharing economy?</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">Additionally, forget just talking to a faceless voice. Your intelligent e-agent will have a face when you are looking at the screen and a personality that you choose.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">You'll even see celebrities and cartoon characters licensing the rights to their digital likeness and personality, to be used as intelligent e-agents for both adults and children.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em3"></a><div class="cnnGalleryContainer cnn_strylftcntnt" id="expand19"><div class="cnnStoryElementBox"> <div class="cnnArticlePhotoContainer cnn_strylftcexpbxnv" id="photoContainer19"><img alt="When cellphones were hideous" border="0" class="cnnArticleBoxImage" height="360" id="photo19" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130222134232-old-phones-model-1972-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="640" /><cite class="expCaption" id="cite19"><span>When cellphones were hideous</span></cite></div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9"><strong>2. Many smartphones won't have a screen. </strong>The traditional smart phone with a screen will not go away, but you will have an option for a screen-less smart phone.</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div data-twttr-id="twttr-sandbox-0" style="margin: 0 18px 18px 0;"></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">This will be a very popular and highly adopted smart phone because without the screen, you get rid of much of the need for a big battery.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">Read more: Microsoft's smart bra</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">Think of the screen-less smart phone like the little piece of jewelry people wore on the old Star Trek TV show. The screen-less smart phone will be touch and voice activated.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">When you tap it, you'll be connected to your intelligent e-agent, which is part of a super computer in the cloud. Whatever you need, your intelligent e-agent will be able to verbally give you the information, such as turn-by-turn directions and your email content</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14"><strong>3. Augmented reality will make life easier.</strong> With augmented reality (AR), you use your smartphone camera to see a live image of a scene in front of you, and an AR app will overlay on the screen pertinent details about the image.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em5"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand115"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131002182432-siri-susan-bennett-red-chair-ideas-orig-jtb-00014018-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>'I'm the original voice of Siri'</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">For example, you can activate the AR app and using your phone's camera, point the camera to a far off mountain range, and text will overlay onto the image indicating, for example, the name of the mountains, their elevation and typical fauna.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em6"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand116"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131114132500-spc-business-traveller-millennials-c-00010111-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>How tech helps beat social barriers</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">The app does this by using the device's GPS, digital compass, and motion sensors to detect where you're pointing the camera.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">Read more: Etsy disrupts global supply chains</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">But it can go much further.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">Imagine walking down a busy shopping district looking for a shoe store that sells a particular brand. With AR, you could tell your phone what you want and then pan your phone's camera down the street.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">The name of each store and what brands they sell will appear on your screen, overlaid on the image of the street. Even better, this technology could also be used inside large stores to help you find specific items.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">Read more: The Twitter billionaire who believes in small business</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22"><strong>4. Your smart phone will have a 3D display and a 3D web browser ... and you won't need special glasses to view it.</strong> Instead of just viewing web pages on your smart phone, you'll be able to go into environments (or stores or showrooms) and maneuver around in them, just as you do on devices like the Xbox.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23">Alternatively, you'll be able to see things sticking out from the screen, again without the special glasses.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">The 3D web on your smart phone will be a game-changer for business.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em7"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand125"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130329172030-lead-pkg-simon-smartwatch-00005118-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>Check e-mails on your watch</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25"><strong>5. Your smart phone will increasingly become your wallet.</strong> Our wallets are switching from being leather to being phone-based.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em8"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand126"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121210105611-leweb-interaxon-muse-ariel-garten-00000000-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>Can a headband read your mind?</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">That means we will use cash and physical credit cards less often, instead making purchases using our smart phones. This makes security even more important.</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div>We will use cash and physical credit cards less often, instead making purchases using our smart phones<br /><span>Daniel Burrus</span></div></div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">Read more: My year of living open source</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28">We already have near-field communications (NFC) chips taking hold in smart phones. These chips can help to speed a transaction when you're buying something. You just get your smart phone close to a cash register that's equipped with a NFC reader and you can do the transaction.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29">The use of biometrics will also increase as an identifier of who you are. This will include having fingerprint readers like the latest iPhone, audio analysis of your voice, and facial recognition features in phones.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30">By using all these things together -- your fingerprint, voice, and face -- your phone will provide a secure payment method.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31">Read more: The trouble with Apple's Touch ID</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph32">This is just a small sampling of what we'll see for future smart phone technology. All of these advancements are in their early stages today.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph33">So keep in mind that if it can be done, it will be done. The question is, who will be first?</div><br />

From big screen to your screen: Could celebrities become your e-agents?

The Samsung Galaxy Gear is the latest gadget which changes the way we use our smartphones. It links up with Samsung's Galaxy smartphon...

Read more »

Mandela’s Candid Opinion Of Nigerian Leaders

<img height="580" id="il_fi" src="http://consortiumnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nelsonmandela.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="529" />Six years before his death last Thursday, Nelson Mandela took a look at Nigeria and expressed sadness at the political, economic and social degeneration of the once touted giant of Africa.He came up with a damning verdict. He blamed the leaders for abandoning the people. Mandiba, as he was popularly called by South Africans, accused Nigerian leaders of betraying their people in a candid interview with Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed in 2007.<br />In the interview conducted in his home, the former South African late hero blasted Nigerian leaders for lack of genuine interest in the success of their people. He lamented the poverty level in Nigeria and the bad education system.<br />Though he acknowledged Nigeria’s effort in the fight against apartheid, he accused Nigerian leaders of letting their people and Africa down.<br />Hear Mandela: “You know I am not very happy with Nigeria. I have made that very clear on many occasions. Yes, Nigeria stood by us more than any nation, but you let yourselves down, and Africa and the black race very badly. Your leaders have no respect for their people. They believe that their personal interests are the interests of the people. They take people’s resources and turn it into personal wealth. There is a level of poverty in Nigeria that should be unacceptable. I cannot understand why Nigerians are not more angry than they are.<br />“What do young Nigerians think about your leaders and their country and Africa? Do you teach them history? Do you have lessons on how your past leaders stood by us and gave us large amounts of money? You know I hear from Angolans and Mozambicans and Zimbabweans how your people opened their hearts and their homes to them. I was in prison then, but we know how your leaders punished western companies who supported apartheid.<br />“What about the corruption and the crimes? Your elections are like wars. Now, we hear that you cannot be president in Nigeria unless you are Muslim or Christian. Some people tell me your country may break up. Please don’t let it happen.<br />“Let me tell you what I think you need to do. You should encourage leaders to emerge who will not confuse public office with sources of making personal wealth. Corrupt people do not make good leaders. Then you have to spend a lot of your resources for education.<br />“Educate children of the poor, so that they can get out of poverty. Poverty does not breed confidence. Only confident people can bring changes. Poor, uneducated people can also bring change, but it will be hijacked by the educated and the wealthy…give young Nigerians good education. Teach them the value of hard work and sacrifice, and discourage them from crimes which are destroying your image as a good people.”

Mandela’s Candid Opinion Of Nigerian Leaders

Six years before his death last Thursday, Nelson Mandela took a look at Nigeria and expressed sadness at the political, economic and socia...

Read more »

5 ways to preserve your teeth as you age

<div class="cnn_stryimg640captioned"><img alt="Aging is inevitable, but tooth loss doesn't have to be. Here are some ways to keep your teeth healthy." border="0" height="360" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130329164247-dental-chair-implements-story-top.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="cnn_stryimg640caption"><div class="cnn_strycaptiontxt">Aging is inevitable, but tooth loss doesn't have to be. Here are some ways to keep your teeth healthy.</div></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em0"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li>Regular checkups can be an important part of preserving your teeth</li><li>Wear a night guard if you grind or clench your teeth while sleeping</li><li>Know what dental products are right for you</li></ul></div></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> </div><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- For all intents and purposes, we really get only one shot to take care of our teeth.<br /> <div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">The good news is, science and research have taken a front seat in dental education, making today's dentist savvy on "prevention" dentistry rather than the "drill, fill and bill" mentality of decades ago.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">Things like adhesive dentistry, recalcification and dental implants have given dentists more options. But for many patients, it's a lot of information to process.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">Here are five ways you can ensure that you hang on to your teeth as you age:</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylccimg300"><div class="cnn_strylccimg300cntr"><img alt="Dr. Michael Apa" border="0" class="box-image" height="169" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131209092728-michael-apa-story-body.jpg" width="300" /></div><div>Dr. Michael Apa</div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5"><strong>Educate yourself on dental care</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">Dentistry today has taken a much more conservative approach. But it can be hard to know what your options are. Here are some key points that you should know about dental treatment.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">• Small cavities can be recalcified. Strong doses of fluoride, or something called MI Paste, applied directly to small cavities can actually recalcify or rebuild the enamel, removing the need for a filling.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/29/health/dentist-5-things/index.html">5 things to do at the dentist's office</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">That said, the key to recalcification is early detection. Regular dental visits and staying on top of your annual X-rays are crucial to early detection.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">• Fillings, crowns or any dental restoration should be replaced or heavily scrutinized every eight years, as recommended by the American Dental Association.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">Some patients are of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" era. But the reasoning behind this advice is to eliminate the spread of recurrent cavities that lurk under dental restorations.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">The longer you wait to replace dental restorations, the more problems you can run into. If the decay spreads undetected, it may eat up too much healthy tooth structure and need the support of a crown or reach the nerve and need a root canal.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">• Make sure your children are getting fluoride treatments until at least the age of 15. Kids, especially, consume a lot of sugar, which breaks down into a biproduct of acid that erodes teeth, quickly causing cavities. Fluoride is a great treatment in rebuilding enamel and neutralizing those acids.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14"><strong>Us</strong><strong>e</strong><strong> an electric toothbrush</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">In dentistry, the electric toothbrush has been one of the biggest advances in home dental care. Ninety-nine percent of patients don't really know how to brush with a manual brush and, more important, don't brush for the full two minutes needed.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/16/health/dental-screening/index.html">The dental screening that could save your life</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">Electric toothbrushes remove the confusion and have a timer to ensure that the full brushing is done at each session. Improper brushing can lead to plaque buildup, swollen gums, cavities and overall poor oral health. The sonic brushes remove plaque and get into hard-to-reach places like in between teeth and under the gums to ensure a healthy mouth.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18"><strong>If you grind or clench, wear a nigh</strong><strong>t</strong><strong> guard</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">Grinders can wear away a millimeter of tooth structure per year if undiagnosed. Clenchers may not see any immediate signs of wear on their teeth, but the pressure that clenching puts on your teeth is destructive. It slowly breaks down the supporting bone around the teeth, leading to gum recession, bone loss and inevitably tooth loss.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">If you feel that you may fall into either of these categories, you should be wearing a night guard. It may not be sexy, but it's much sexier than missing teeth.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21"><strong>Know what oral hygiene regimen is right for you</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22">Today, there has been a lot of money and research into better oral care products. But understand that there is an actual regimen of toothpaste, mouth rinse and "extra-care" products that's right for you.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23">The first step is defining what "type" of patient you are. I like to break it down into four basic types: cavity-prone, sensitive, stainers and those with bad gums.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/28/health/baby-dental-health/index.html">Baby's teeth: What you should know</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">You can ask your dentist which category you fall into. Each product in the sea of dental products in the drugstore has key ingredients tailored for each category of patient. Using the right oral care products can make a big difference in the longevity of your teeth.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26"><strong>Choose the right dentist</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- your dentist has a lot to do with the preservation of your teeth. Make sure your dentist is up on all current research and his office is updated and state-of-the-art, but most important, make sure your dentist is taking time and looking after you. It sounds simple, but it's probably the most important item on your checklist.</div>

5 ways to preserve your teeth as you age

Aging is inevitable, but tooth loss doesn't have to be. Here are some ways to keep your teeth healthy.   STORY HIGHLIGHTS Regular checku...

Read more »

Nelson Mandela of South Africa Is Dead!

 <img alt="Conflicting Reports on Nelson Mandela Death at 94" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-84155" height="447" src="http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/nelson_mandela1-e1372362726634-650x447.jpg" width="650" />Nelson Mandela, the prisoner-turned-president who helped end apartheid in S. Africa, has died, Zuma confirms. He was 95.<br /><br /><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"><div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li>In a nation healing from the scars of apartheid, Nelson Mandela became the moral compass </li><li>With bouts of illness, the anti-apartheid icon faded from the limelight in recent years </li><li>Mandela spent 27 years in prison; 18 of them were on Robben Island</li></ul></div></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> </div><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- Nelson Mandela, the revered statesman who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid, has died, South African President Jacob Zuma announced late Thursday. He was 95.<br /> <div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">The former president battled health issues in recent months, including a recurring lung infection that led to numerous hospitalizations.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">With advancing age and bouts of illness, Mandela retreated to a quiet life at his boyhood home in the nation's Eastern Cape Province, where he said he was most at peace.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">Despite rare public appearances, he held a special place in the nation's consciousness.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5"><strong>A hero to blacks and whites</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">In a nation healing from the scars of apartheid, Mandela became a moral compass.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em1"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="358" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130401210715-intl-mandela-early-years-rivers-pkg-00002004-story-body.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><cite class="expCaption"><span>Look back at Mandela's early years</span></cite></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand17"> </div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em2"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="358" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120225035325-mandela-prison-release-1990-story-body.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><cite class="expCaption"><span>1990: Mandela released from prison</span></cite></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand27"> </div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em3"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="358" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120225043708-mandela-inauguration-1994-story-body.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><cite class="expCaption"><span>1994: Mandela takes oath of office</span></cite></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand37"> </div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">His defiance of white minority rule and incarceration for fighting against segregation focused the world's attention on apartheid, the legalized racial segregation enforced by the South African government until 1994.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">In his lifetime, he was a man of complexities. He went from a militant freedom fighter, to a prisoner, to a unifying figure, to an elder statesman.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">Years after his 1999 retirement from the presidency, Mandela was considered the ideal head of state. He became a yardstick for African leaders, who consistently fell short when measured against him.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">Warm, lanky and charismatic in his silk, earth-toned dashikis, he was quick to admit to his shortcomings, endearing him further in a culture in which leaders rarely do.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">His steely gaze disarmed opponents. So did his flashy smile.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">Former South African President F.W. de Klerk, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993 for transitioning the nation from a system of racial segregation, described their first meeting.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">"I had read, of course, everything I could read about him beforehand. I was well-briefed," he said last year.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">"I was impressed, however, by how tall he was. By the ramrod straightness of his stature, and realized that this is a very special man. He had an aura around him. He's truly a very dignified and a very admirable person."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">For many South Africans, he was simply Madiba, his traditional clan name. Others affectionately called him Tata, the Xhosa word for father.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16"><strong>A nation on edge</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">Mandela last appeared in public during the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. His absences from the limelight and frequent hospitalizations left the nation on edge, prompting Zuma to reassure citizens every time he fell sick.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">"Mandela is woven into the fabric of the country and the world," said Ayo Johnson, director of Viewpoint Africa, which sells content about the continent to media outlets.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">When he was around, South Africans had faith that their leaders would live up to the nation's ideals, according to Johnson.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">"He was a father figure, elder statesman and global ambassador," Johnson said. "He was the guarantee, almost like an insurance policy, that South Africa's young democracy and its leaders will pursue the nation's best interests."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">There are telling nuggets of Mandela's character in the many autobiographies about him.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22">An unmovable stubbornness. A quick, easy smile. An even quicker frown when accosted with a discussion he wanted no part of.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23"><strong>War averted</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">Despite chronic political violence in the years preceding the vote that put him in office in 1994, South Africa avoided a full-fledged civil war in its transition from apartheid to multiparty democracy. The peace was due in large part to the leadership and vision of Mandela and de Klerk.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">"We were expected by the world to self-destruct in the bloodiest civil war along racial grounds," Mandela said during a 2004 celebration to mark a decade of democracy in South Africa.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">"Not only did we avert such racial conflagration, we created amongst ourselves one of the most exemplary and progressive nonracial and nonsexist democratic orders in the contemporary world."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">Mandela represented a new breed of African liberation leaders, breaking from others of his era such as Robert Mugabe by serving one term.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28">In neighboring Zimbabwe, Mugabe has been president since 1987. A lot of African leaders overstayed their welcomes and remained in office for years, sometimes decades, making Mandela an anomaly.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29">But he was not always popular in world capitals.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30">Until 2008, the United States had placed him and other members of the African National Congress on its terror list because of their militant fight against the apartheid regime.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31"><strong>Humble beginnings</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph32">Rolihlahla Mandela started his journey in the tiny village of Mvezo, in the hills of the Eastern Cape, where he was born on July 18, 1918. His teacher later named him Nelson as part of a custom to give all schoolchildren Christian names.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph33">His father died when he was 9, and the local tribal chief took him in and educated him.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph34">Mandela attended school in rural Qunu, where he retreated in 2011 before returning to Johannesburg and later Pretoria to be near medical facilities.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph35">He briefly attended University College of Fort Hare but was expelled after taking part in a protest with Oliver Tambo, with whom he later operated the nation's first black law firm.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph36">In subsequent years, he completed a bachelor's degree through correspondence courses and studied law at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, but left without graduating in 1948.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph37">Four years before he left the university, he helped form the youth league of the African National Congress, hoping to transform the organization into a more radical movement. He was dissatisfied with the ANC and its old-guard politics.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph38">And so began Mandela's civil disobedience and lifelong commitment to breaking the shackles of segregation in South Africa.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph39"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph39"><strong>Escalating trouble</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph40">In 1956, Mandela and dozens of other political activists were charged with high treason for activities against the government. His trial lasted five years, but he was ultimately acquitted.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph41">Meanwhile, the fight for equality got bloodier.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph42">Four years after his treason charges, police shot 69 unarmed black protesters in Sharpeville township as they demonstrated outside a station. The Sharpeville Massacre was condemned worldwide, and it spurred Mandela to take a more militant tone in the fight against apartheid.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph43">The South African government outlawed the ANC after the massacre, and an angry Mandela went underground to form a new military wing of the organization.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph44">"There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people," Mandela said during his time on the run.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph45">During that period, he left South Africa and secretly traveled under a fake name. The press nicknamed him "the Black Pimpernel" because of his police evasion tactics.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph46"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph46"><strong>Militant resistance</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph47">The African National Congress heeded calls for stronger action against the apartheid regime, and Mandela helped launch an armed wing to attack government symbols, including post offices and offices.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph48">The armed struggle was a defense mechanism against government violence, he said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph49">"My people, Africans, are turning to deliberate acts of violence and of force against the government, in order to persuade the government, in the only language which this government shows by its own behavior that it understands," Mandela said during a hearing in 1962.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph50">"If there is no dawning of sanity on the part of the government -- ultimately, the dispute between the government and my people will finish up by being settled in violence and by force. "</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph51">The campaign of violence against the state resulted in civilian casualties.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph52"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph52"><strong>Long imprisonment</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph53">In 1962, Mandela secretly received military training in Morocco and Ethiopia. When he returned home later that year, he was arrested and charged with illegal exit of the country and incitement to strike.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph54">Mandela represented himself at the trial and was briefly imprisoned before being returned to court. In 1964, after the famous Rivonia trial, he was sentenced to life in prison for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph55">At the trial, instead of testifying, he opted to give a speech that was more than four hours long, and ended with a defiant statement.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph56">"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination," he said. "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph57">His next stop was the Robben Island prison, where he spent 18 of his 27 years in detention. He described his early days there as harsh.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph58">"There was a lot of physical abuse, and many of my colleagues went through that humiliation," he said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph59">One of those colleagues was Khehla Shubane, 57, who was imprisoned in Robben Island during Mandela's last years there. Though they were in different sections of the prison, he said, Mandela was a towering figure.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph60">"He demanded better rights for us all in prison. The right to get more letters, get newspapers, listen to the radio, better food, right to study," Shubane said. "It may not sound like much to the outside world, but when you are in prison, that's all you have."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph61">And Mandela's khaki prison pants, he said, were always crisp and ironed.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph62">"Most of us chaps were lazy, we would hang our clothes out to dry and wear them with creases. We were in a prison, we didn't care. But Mandela, every time I saw him, he looked sharp."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph63">After 18 years, he was transferred to other prisons, where he experienced better conditions until he was freed in 1990.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph64">Months before his release, he obtained a bachelor's in law in absentia from the University of South Africa.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph65"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph65"><strong>Calls for release</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph66">His freedom followed years of an international outcry led by Winnie Mandela, a social worker whom he married in 1958, three months after divorcing his first wife.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph67">Mandela was banned from reading newspapers, but his wife provided a link to the outside world.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph68">She told him of the growing calls for his release and updated him on the fight against apartheid.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph69">World pressure mounted to free Mandela with the imposition of political, economic and sporting sanctions, and the white minority government became more isolated.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph70">In 1988 at age 70, Mandela was hospitalized with tuberculosis, a disease whose effects plagued him until the day he died. He recovered and was sent to a minimum security prison farm, where he was given his own quarters and could receive additional visitors.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph71">Among them, in an unprecedented meeting, was South Africa's president, P.W. Botha.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph72">Change was in the air.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph73">When Botha's successor, de Klerk, took over, he pledged to negotiate an end to apartheid.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph74"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph74"><strong>Free at last </strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph75">On February 11, 1990, Mandela walked out of prison to thunderous applause, his clenched right fist raised above his head.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph76">Still as upright and proud, he would say, as the day he walked into prison nearly three decades earlier.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph77">"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison," he said at the time.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph78">He reassured ANC supporters that his release was not part of a government deal and informed whites that he intended to work toward reconciliation.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph79">Four years after his release, in South Africa's first multiracial elections, he became the nation's first black president.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph80">"The day he was inducted as president, we stood on the terraces of the Union Building," de Klerk remembered years later. "He took my hand and lifted it up. He put his arm around me, and we showed a unity that resounded through South Africa and the world."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph81"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph81"><strong>Broken marriage, then love</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph82">His union to Winnie Mandela, however, did not have such a happy ending. They officially divorced in 1996 after several years of separation.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph83">For the two, it was a fiery love story, derailed by his ambition to end apartheid. During his time in prison, Mandela wrote his wife long letters, expressing his guilt at putting political activism before family. Before the separation, Winnie Mandela was implicated in violence, including a conviction for being an accessory to assault in the death of a teenage township activist.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph84">Mandela found love again two years after the divorce.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph85">On his 80th birthday, he married Graca Machel, the widow of former Mozambique president, Samora Machel.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph86">Only three of Mandela's children are still alive. He has 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph87"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph87"><strong>Symbolic rugby</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph88">South Africa's fight for reconciliation was epitomized at the 1995 rugby World Cup Final in Johannesburg, when it played heavily favored New Zealand.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph89">As the dominant sport of white Afrikaners, rugby was reviled by blacks in South Africa. They often cheered for rivals playing their national team.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph90">Mandela's deft use of the national team to heal South Africa was captured in director Clint Eastwood's 2009 feature film "Invictus," starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the white South African captain of the rugby team.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph91">Before the real-life game, Mandela walked onto the pitch, wearing a green-and-gold South African jersey bearing Pienaar's number on the back.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph92">"I will never forget the goosebumps that stood on my arms when he walked out onto the pitch before the game started," said Rory Steyn, his bodyguard for most of his presidency.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph93">"That crowd, which was almost exclusively white ... started to chant his name. That one act of putting on a No. 6 jersey did more than any other statement in bringing white South Africans and Afrikaners on side with new South Africa."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph94">During his presidency, Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights abuses during apartheid. He also introduced housing, education and economic development initiatives designed to improve the living standards of the black majority.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph95"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph95"><strong>A promise honored</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph96">In 1999, Mandela did not seek a second term as president, keeping his promise to serve only one term. Thabo Mbeki succeeded him in June of the same year.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph97">After leaving the presidency, he retired from active politics, but remained in the public eye, championing causes such as human rights, world peace and the fight against AIDS.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph98">It was a decision born of tragedy: His only surviving son, Makgatho Mandela, died of AIDS at age 55 in 2005. Another son, Madiba Thembekile, was killed in a car crash in 1969.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph99">Mandela's 90th birthday party in London's Hyde Park was dedicated to HIV awareness and prevention, and was titled 46664, his prison number on Robben Island.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph100"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph100"><strong>A resounding voice</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph101">Mandela continued to be a voice for developing nations.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph102">He criticized U.S. President George W. Bush for launching the 2003 war against Iraq, and accused the United States of "wanting to plunge the world into a Holocaust."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph103">And as he was acclaimed as the force behind ending apartheid, he made it clear he was only one of many who helped transform South Africa into a democracy.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph104">In 2004, a few weeks before he turned 86, he announced his retirement from public life to spend more time with his loved ones.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph105">"Don't call me, I'll call you," he said as he stepped away from his hectic schedule.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph106"><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph106"><strong>'Like a boy of 15'</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph107">But there was a big treat in store for the avid sportsman.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph108">When South Africa was awarded the 2010 football World Cup, Mandela said he felt "like a boy of 15."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph109">In July that year, he beamed and waved at fans during the final of the tournament in Johannesburg's Soccer City. It was his last public appearance.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph110">"I would like to be remembered not as anyone unique or special, but as part of a great team in this country that has struggled for many years, for decades and even centuries," he said. "The greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall."</div><div class="cnn_strycbftrtxt">CNN's Robyn Curnow, Michael Martinez, Matt Smith and Alanne Orjoux contributed to this report. </div>

Nelson Mandela of South Africa Is Dead!

  Nelson Mandela, the prisoner-turned-president who helped end apartheid in S. Africa, has died, Zuma confirms. He was 95. STORY HIGHLIGHTS ...

Read more »

No tech bubble here

<div id="ie_dottop"> <img alt="tech bubble" border="0" height="355" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/131126133831-tech-bubble-620xa.png" width="620" /> Market analysts say this Nasdaq run-up is nothing like the tech bubble of 13 years ago.<br /> </div><div class="cnnStorySource">NEW YORK (CNNMoney)</div><h2>The tech-heavy Nasdaq index recently topped 4,000 ... a level it hasn't reached since the dot-com boom days of 2000. But this run-up is nothing like the tech bubble of 13 years ago.</h2>It makes sense that benchmarks like the Nasdaq at 4,000 could reignite bubble fears. It comes after the recent string of successful <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/07/technology/social/twitter-ipo-stock/?iid=EL" target="_blank">initial public offerings</a> from unprofitable companies like <span>Twitter</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=TWTR&source=story_quote_link">TWTR</a></span>)</span>, and reports of startup Snapchat turning down a $4 billion buyout -- despite bringing in no revenue. <br /> <div id="ie_column"> <div id="quigo220"><div align="center" id="ad-52b8dbb7af848dbd" style="border: 0px none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </div></div></div>But analysts say the rush to call a tech bubble, while understandable, isn't grounded in reality. <br /> "Anytime you have a substantial run in an asset -- especially one like the Nasdaq ... you can't help but ask the [bubble] questions," said Drew Nordlicht, managing director at asset management firm HighTower Advisors. "But there are big divergences between now and the tech bubble of 2000." <br /> <strong>2000 vs. 2013: </strong>The biggest difference between now and then: The hype in 2013 is fairly muted compared with the dot-com heyday. <br /> Sure, <span>Facebook's</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=FB&source=story_quote_link">FB</a></span>, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/snapshots/11743.html?iid=EL">Fortune 500</a>)</span> IPO may have been overhyped, and select startups will continue to raise money at seemingly astronomical valuations. But analysts insist the exuberance level doesn't even come close to the old days. <br /> "In 2000, people said the [dot-com boom] was on par with the Industrial Revolution -- we were going to be living in one of those sci-fi movies," Nordlicht said. "We don't have <i>that </i>level of a mass fever pitch today." <br /> Todd Salamone, senior research VP at Schaefer's Investment Research, agreed. <br /> "There was a 'sky's the limit' mentality in 2000, in terms of revolutionary technology leading to productivity enhancements," Salamone said. "There was no prediction that was too high. Today there is a lot more hand-wringing, more caution." <br /> <strong>By the numbers: </strong>It's not just about irrational excitement: Tech company valuations this time around simply don't rival those of 2000. <br /> <div class="cnnplayer" id="cnnplayer0"> <div class="cnnVidplayer"> <a class="summaryImg" href="http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/25/investing-buzz-nasdaq-4000-tech-bubble.cnnmoney?iid=EL" id="vid0"> <img alt="Nasdaq 4000: Tech bubble? Not yet" border="0" height="348" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/131125123422-investing-buzz-nasdaq-4000-tech-bubble-00000608-620x348.jpg" width="620" /> <span class="video_playbtn"> </span> </a> </div><div class="cnnVidFooter"> <div class="cnnHeadline">Nasdaq 4000: Tech bubble? Not yet</div></div></div>Back in 2000, a person would hardly blink an eye at a company like <span>Cisco</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=CSCO&source=story_quote_link">CSCO</a></span>, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/snapshots/5009.html?iid=EL">Fortune 500</a>)</span> trading at 66 times earnings estimates for the coming year, said Nordlicht, the HighTower managing director. <br /> These days, Cisco's price-to-earnings ratio is hovering below 12 -- near that of mighty <span>Apple</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=AAPL&source=story_quote_link">AAPL</a></span>, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/snapshots/670.html?iid=EL">Fortune 500</a>)</span>. Even <span>Google</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=GOOG&source=story_quote_link">GOOG</a></span>, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/snapshots/11207.html?iid=EL">Fortune 500</a>)</span>, which has generally reported strong earnings this year and is <a href="http://buzz.money.cnn.com/2013/11/26/google-exxon-market-value/?iid=EL">poised to overtake</a> <span>Exxon Mobil</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=XOM&source=story_quote_link">XOM</a></span>, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/snapshots/387.html?iid=EL">Fortune 500</a>)</span> in market capitalization, is trading at 24 times earnings expectations for next year. <br /> While the Nasdaq does have outliers like <span>Netflix</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=NFLX&source=story_quote_link">NFLX</a></span>)</span> trading at more than 200 times earnings, such high ratios aren't the norm -- and the broader index is much more grounded in reality than 13 years ago. <br /> "These ratios aren't levels that have defined peaks in the past," said Salaome, the Schaefer's senior research VP. "Far from it." <br /> Price-to-earnings ratios soared so high in 2000 because "people were buying companies based on future prospects -- where you expected them to be a in a decade," Nordlicht said. "You don't see that today. Even if people aren't demanding profitability right now, they want to see a road that leads to profit." <br /> <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/19/investing/stocks-bull-market/?iid=EL" target="_blank"><span class="inStoryHeading">Related story: 8 things to know about the 2013 bull market</span></a> <br /> <strong>A slower rise</strong><strong> </strong><strong>to 4,000: </strong>Looking at the Nasdaq's overall gains, Salamone pointed out the 1999-2000 run-up was "parabolic": The <a href="http://money.cnn.com/1999/11/02/markets/markets1130a/?iid=EL">index hit 3,000</a> in November 1999 and topped 4,000 the following month, before reaching a high above 5,000 in March 2000. <br /> "Today's move is not what I would call parabolic," Salamone said. This time around, the Nasdaq took nearly a year to jump from 3,000 to 4,000. <br /> What's more, the Nasdaq has risen along an <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/19/investing/stocks-bull-market/?iid=EL" target="_blank">overall 2013 bull market</a>, on stronger macroeconomic conditions: the Federal Reserve's bond-buying program, the overall improving economy and low earnings expectations. The Nasdaq's 32% gain so far in 2013 is only six percentage points above that of the <span>S&P</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/sandp/?source=story_quote_link">SPX</a></span>)</span> 500 index, and ten points above the <span>Dow's</span> <span>(<span class="inlink_chart"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/dow/?source=story_quote_link">INDU</a></span>)</span> jump. <br /> Startups will continue to raise gobs of cash, and select tech sectors like social-media stocks may get rather frothy. But the established techs in the Nasdaq -- and the index's gain -- aren't where to look if you're trying to prove a bubble. <br /> In fact, Salamone thinks the memory of 2000 is still too fresh to let the excitement soar into bubbly exuberance. <br /> "In 2000, everybody looked back and was shocked by how badly they were burned," he said. "Now everyone's afraid of that happening again -- and it's hard to have a bubble when everybody fears a bubble." <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/27/technology/innovation/nasdaq-tech-bubble/index.html?iid=EL#TOP"> <img alt="To top of page" border="0" height="7" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/images/bug.gif" width="7" /> </a>

No tech bubble here

Market analysts say this Nasdaq run-up is nothing like the tech bubble of 13 years ago. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The tech-heavy Nasdaq index ...

Read more »

Mutant fungus croaks frog named after Darwin

<h1> </h1><div class="cnn_stryathrtmp"></div><div class="cnn_stryimg640captioned"><img alt="A hyper-aggressive fungus with some changed up DNA is infecting and killing amphibians." border="0" height="360" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131127082457-frog-fungus-1127-story-top.png" width="640" /></div><div class="cnn_stryimg640caption"><div class="cnn_strycaptiontxt">A hyper-aggressive fungus with some changed up DNA is infecting and killing amphibians.</div></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em0"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"><div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li>Aggressive fungus wiping out amphibians worldwide </li><li>It has made some species extinct, including a frog species named for Charles Darwin</li><li>There is another Darwin frog that is now endangered</li><li>The male of the species sort of gets pregnant, the way seahorses do</li></ul></div></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> </div><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- Imagine a new plague racing unchecked across the continent, littering the land with human corpses covered with peeling red blemishes. But it equally ravages horses, dogs, cats, monkeys -- every mammal in its path. And it can mutate.<br /> <div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">Now be glad you're not a newt, a salamander or a frog -- particularly two species of frogs called Darwin's frogs named after Charles Darwin. Because one of them is now extinct and the other endangered, scientists say.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">A hyper-aggressive fungus with some changed up DNA is infecting and killing amphibians, and has done in hordes of these frogs, according to <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0079862#ack" target="_blank">a new study published last week</a> in the <a href="http://www.plosone.org/" target="_blank">scientific journal PLOS ONE</a>.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">One of the species, Rhinoderma rufum, was last seen in the wild in 1980. Its close cousin, Rhinoderma darwinii, which Darwin first discovered on his sailing voyage around the world in the 1830s, is endangered.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">A few groups of them still live in temperate forests in Chile, in South America, where Darwin found them back then. But now, they are just hanging on.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">What the disease has not done to kill them, human activity, including tree farming, has.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">In addition to the distinction of bearing the name of the author of the theory of evolution, the frogs are also the only vertebrates aside from sea horses, in which the male of the species sort of gets pregnant.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">"The males care for their young by incubating them in their vocal sacs for at least part of their development," the study says. The result is a baby bump.</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_stryfactbox"> <strong>Follow CNN Science News</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/CNNScience" target="_blank">Facebook: CNNScience</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/CNNLightYears" target="_blank">Twitter: @CNNLightYears</a> </div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">The frogs represent merely canaries in the mine as far as the disease is concerned. Virtually all amphibians can catch it. The fungus -- <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i> in scientific lingo -- causes a nasty infection.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">It is called chytridiomycosis, and scientists have said that it is "the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted and its propensity to drive them to extinction."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">And the fungus is genetically flexible. There are many strains of it, with the possibility of new ones popping up.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">The most virulent one has recombinant DNA.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">It's basically a mutant.</div>

Mutant fungus croaks frog named after Darwin

A hyper-aggressive fungus with some changed up DNA is infecting and killing amphibians. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Aggressive fungus wiping out amphi...

Read more »

Report linking Bitcoin and Silk Road retracted

<h2><img alt="silk road bitcoin" border="0" height="360" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/131127102450-silk-road-bitcoin-620xa.jpg" width="620" /> </h2><h2>After suggesting earlier this week that a link existed between the creators of <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/25/technology/bitcoin-silk-road/index.html?iid=EL">Silk Road and Bitcoin</a>, two Israeli computer researchers have retracted their <a href="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/2013/images/11/25/silk-road-paper.pdf?iid=EL" target="_blank">report</a>.</h2>The academic report had suggested that Satoshi Nakamoto, the yet-unidentified creator of virtual currency Bitcoin, gave an unusually large sum of money to someone known as Dread Pirate Roberts, founder of the online black market Silk Road. <br /> <div id="ie_column"> <div id="quigo220"><div align="center" id="ad-121f148185b65ec8" style="border: 0px none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </div></div></div>However, the person accused of sending the money to the Silk Road founder turned out to be Dustin Trammell, a tech-savvy libertarian in Austin, Texas. In actuality, he sent it to Mt. Gox, a Bitcoin exchange. Trammell said he's communicated by email with the famous Satoshi, but that's it. <br /> "Unless I have split personalities and this is Fight Club, I definitely am not Satoshi Nakamoto," Trammell recently wrote on his <a href="http://blog.dustintrammell.com/2013/11/26/i-am-not-satoshi/#more-386" target="_blank">blog</a>. <br /> <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/27/investing/bitcoin-1000/index.html?iid=EL"><span class="inStoryHeading">Related: Bitcoin prices top $1,000</span></a> <br /> The Weizmann Science Institute researchers, Dorit Ron and Adi Shamir, admitted that they were wrong, even though they said the link was merely a theory. <br /> "Now that a better explanation exists, we no longer believe that the [account] belonged to Satoshi," the researchers said in an email. <br /> In his blog, Trammell denied having any connection to Silk Road, saying he made the large transfer of money to himself. That wouldn't be odd, given that Bitcoin users often keep multiple digital wallets. <br /> But the man that federal authorities have arrested and accused of launching Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, is from Austin too. Given the folklore surrounding Bitcoin and Silk Road, get ready for rumors that Trammell is Satoshi hiding in plain sight. <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/27/technology/bitcoin-silk-road/index.html?iid=EL#TOP"> <img alt="To top of page" border="0" height="7" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/images/bug.gif" width="7" /> </a>

Report linking Bitcoin and Silk Road retracted

After suggesting earlier this week that a link existed between the creators of Silk Road and Bitcoin , two Israeli computer researchers hav...

Read more »

Volocopter: 18-propeller electric helicopter takes flight

<h1> </h1><div class="cnn_stryathrtmp"><div class="cnn_story_attribution"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="bottom"><td style="vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="vertical-align: bottom;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="cnnExplainer cnn_html_slideshow"><div class="cnnstrylccimg640"><div class="cnn_stryichgfull"><div class="cnn_stryichgflg"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"><img alt="German engineers celebrate as the Volocopter, one of the world's first electric helicopters, takes off on its maiden flight." border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto001" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131121160902-e-volo-first-flight-horizontal-gallery.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto;" width="640" /><cite id="galleryCaption001">German engineers celebrate as the Volocopter, one of the world's first electric helicopters, takes off on its maiden flight.</cite> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText" id="galleryCaptionControl00">HIDE CAPTION</div></div><div class="cnn_html_media_title_new" id="gallerySlideTitle001">Lift off!</div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: black; color: white; height: 27px;"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled" id="articleGalleryNav00JumpPrev"><span><<</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled" id="articleGalleryNav00Prev"><span><</span></div><div class="articleGalleryNavContainer"><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavOn" id="articleGalleryNav001"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">1</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav002"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">2</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav003"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">3</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav004"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">4</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav005"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">5</span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" id="articleGalleryNav006"> <span style="height: 21px; padding: 4px 0 0 0;">6</span></div></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext" id="articleGalleryNav00Next"><span>></span></div><div class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled" id="articleGalleryNav00JumpNext"><span>>></span></div></div></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em0"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"><div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li>Introducing e-volo's Volocopter: multi-rotor electric helicopter makes maiden flight</li><li>Eco-friendly machine powered by 100 kg battery, can travel 70kph</li><li>Part of EU scheme looking at how personal aerial vehicles could replace cars</li><li>Expected to be available by 2015, would cost around $338,000</li></ul></div></div><div class="cnnEditorialNote"><em><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/art-of-movement/">Art of Movement </a>is CNN's monthly show exploring the latest innovations in art, culture, science and technology.</em></div><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- There's a lot to be said for determination. Two years ago, a contraption that looked a bit like a bouncy ball attached to a clothesline, took flight in a pioneering experiment in the German countryside.<br /> <div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">A <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L75ESD9PBOw" target="_blank">YouTube clip</a> of a man flying the electric <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/18/tech/multicopter-evolo/">"Multicopter"</a> attracted over 8 million hits, with comments ranging from: "AMAZING MACHINE!" to "Not sure you could pay me enough to sit in the middle of flying blenders bolted together."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">Regardless, the three German engineers behind the baffling creation plowed ahead with their dream of making an electric helicopter. Last week it paid off.</div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div id="playerarea" style="margin-left: -10px;"><div class="cnnvideo_wrapper" id="playerarea-videowrapper"><img alt="Watch this video" height="360" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131126184442-spc-art-of-movement-volocopter-green-helicopter-00001730-story-top.jpg" width="640" /></div></div><br /><br /></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">There wasn't a bouncy ball in sight as the slick white <a href="http://www.e-volo.com/entwicklungs-news-en/successful-maiden-flight-of-the-worlds-first-green-helicopter" target="_blank">"Volocopter"</a> took to the air for the first time, quietly hovering 20 meters high, while its ecstatic creators cheered below.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">Featuring 18 propellers on a lightweight carbon frame, the futuristic copter -- which has been around €4 million ($5.4 million) in the making -- could change the way we commute forever.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/20/tech/innovation/skycall-the-drone-tour-guide/index.html" target="_blank">Read: SkyCall -- The drone that's your personal tour guide</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">"What we're looking at now, is in the future where everyone is traveling not by car, but by some kind of aircraft," explained Stephan Wolf, co-chief executive of <a href="http://www.e-volo.com/" target="_blank">e-volo</a>, the company behind the remarkable flying machine.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">"Normal helicopters are very hard to fly. But we thought 'what if you could have a helicopter that is easy for the pilot to fly, and cheap compared to other aircraft?'"</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9"><strong>Clever copter</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">Powered by a 100 kilogram battery, the two-passenger Volocopter can travel at least 70 kilometers per hour, recently making its first remote-controlled flight in a hanger in Karlsruhe, southwest Germany.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">The chopper weighs just 300 kilograms in total. One limitation is that it currently only has enough power to fly for 20 minutes -- though designers are looking at ways of increasing this, or introducing a hybrid engine.</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em2"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand112"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131108180125-spc-art-of-movement-gimball-flying-robots-00000521-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>GimBall: Fying robot to the rescue?</span></cite></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em3"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand212"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131108111722-spc-art-of-movement-flying-robots-b-00013607-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>Flying robots perform amazing acrobatics</span></cite></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="em4"></a><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt cnn_strylftcexpbx" id="expand312"> <img alt="" border="0" class="box-image" height="120" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131108112438-spc-art-of-movement-flying-robots-a-00033019-story-body.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="214" /><cite class="expCaption"><span>Flying robots inspired by birds?</span></cite></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">Many small rotors -- attached to a 10-meter wide circular frame -- also help the eco-friendly machine hover more easily than other helicopters.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">"If you let the joystick go, the Volocopter will just hover in the current position, so there's nothing the pilot has to do," said Wolf.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">"But if you do that in another helicopter it will crash immediately."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/12/tech/innovation/gimball-the-flying-robot/index.html" target="_blank">Read: GimBall -- The flying robot that likes to crash </a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16"><strong>Reimagining the city</strong></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">Indeed, the Volocopter's simplicity sets it apart from other helicopters, and its creators hope in the future commuters will be able to take their electric aircraft to work, instead of languishing in gridlocked cars below.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">The <a href="http://mycopter.eu/" target="_blank">European Union</a> is already looking at ways personal aerial vehicles (PAVs) could revolutionize urban spaces. It might sound like a scene from the Jetsons, but a city where flying machines replace cars isn't as far off as it seems.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">"The most helicopters in the world are in<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/20/brazil" target="_blank"> Sao Paulo, Brazil</a>," explained Wolf. "They have several thousand movements per day because the streets are congested and everyone who can afford it is taking the helicopter to go from one building to the next.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">"You can imagine this happening in a big city in Germany. And already we've been approached by several companies who'd like to do it, maybe with landing pads on buildings."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">The team hopes to sell its first Volocopter by 2015, with each machine setting you back €250,000 ($338,000). They're now on the lookout for <a href="https://www.seedmatch.de/startups/e-volo/vorschau" target="_blank">further funding </a>to develop their unique design.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/21/tech/innovation/unlocking-secrets-of-bird-flight/index.html">Read: Unlocking secrets of bird flight in robotics</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23"><strong>Think big</strong></div><div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div>Maybe you need to go up in the air, to solve transportation problems<br /><span>Stephan Wolf, co-chief executive, e-volo</span></div></div></div></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">It's a long way from the first awkward-looking Multicopter test flight in 2011.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">Even more impressive, considering Wolf himself was a computer software engineer for 25 years before turning his attention to futuristic flying machines -- "I was dreaming of building a helicopter since I was a child," he said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">Then there's the other e-volo founders -- Thomas Senkal, a former physicist, and Alexander Zosel, who managed a disco for almost 10 years, who also got on board the pioneering project.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">"I think everyone wants to fly," said Wolf. "Helicopters are very expensive and people think maybe this is a way to be a pilot themselves.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28">"In 20 or 30 years from now there will be even more cities with millions more people living in them and transportation will be a big problem. Maybe you need to go up in the air to solve these problems."</div>

Volocopter: 18-propeller electric helicopter takes flight

German engineers celebrate as the Volocopter, one of the world's first electric helicopters, takes off on its maiden flight. ...

Read more »