5 life lessons from the Hajj

(CNN) – Millions of Muslims began the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, which represents one of the largest annual human gatherings on the planet. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, a journey every Muslim is expected to take in his or her lifetime if the person is physically and financially able. Our iReport team asked pilgrims who have performed the Hajj about how the experience changed them...

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Mourdock's rape remark and extremism

Candidate: Rape pregnancies God's will STORY HIGHLIGHTS GOP's Mourdock says "God intends" any pregnancies that come from rape John Avlon: This is like Akin's assertion that women don't get pregnant from rape Mourdock urges confrontation, wants to justify extremist positions on social issues Avlon: Electing Mourdock means...

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How the media trivialize the election

  By Howard Kurtz, CNN October 24, 2012 -- Updated 1937 GMT (0337 HKT) STORY HIGHLIGHTS Howard Kurtz: We've seen media seize on a parade of trivial statements in campaign He cites "binders full of women," "horses and bayonets" and Big Bird Kurtz says coverage of the substance of the campaign gets overshadowed by minor things He...

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Former BBC chief explains dropped Savile investigation

Former BBC Director General Mark Thompson provided conflicting statements on what he knew about the abuse allegations. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Mark Thompson was director general of the BBC until earlier this year His conflicting statements about the Savile scandal raised questions He explains in a letter what he knew and when (CNN)...

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Romney's momentum can help him win

img alt="President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney depart the stage after the debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, on Monday, October 22. The third and final presidential debate focused on foreign policy. See the best photos from the second presidential debate." border="0"...

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E-mails: White House knew of extremist claims in Benghazi attack

Washington (CNN) -- Two hours after first being notified of an attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, a government e-mail to the White House, the State Department and the FBI said an Islamist group had claimed credit, according to a copy obtained by CNN. An initial e-mail was sent while the attack was still underway, and another that arrived two hours later -- sent from a State Department address to...

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Next hours critical as Syrians talk cease-fire

(CNN) Could Wednesday's proposed cease-fire signal the end of Syria's nearly two-year civil war, or is it just more talk? The Syrian regime has agreed "in principle" to a cease-fire, the United Nations' special envoy to the country said Wednesday. But rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad are skeptical. They want to know: Is this a case of second verse, same as the first? A cease-fire in April barely lasted...

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Where are Africa's gadget makers?

Verone Mankou, the inventor of Africa's first handheld tablet to rival the iPad, shows his invention, the Way-C. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Most African start-ups provide services rather than hardware to minimize costs Companies building hardware seem to struggle for investors Maker Faire Africa project recognizes the need for Africa to...

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Sci-fi writers help scientists bridge gap between fantasy and reality

img alt="Arizona State University recently launched the Center for Science and Imagination which will bring scientists, acclaimed sci-fi writers and artists together to work on "moon shot" ideas." border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto001" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t6W8PLr6SSnE96nbl_hvu74A1jp5dJZdsrXN7YDqHhKpRdj-IvgT9CQw8NzqsPz3guoEsHKiVzOhVFYPRCUVVE9PIeo_jdc_fjtoWmCHx8rIkmcUtKpnfI2QDN_XNu7jvDARi3EX-DiS6cNWS51If9aSFB-2Zv-MlZP05cSbiVoA=s0-d"...

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Why Malala should not be turned into modern Joan of Arc

The attempted assassination of Malala Yousufzai by the Pakistan Taliban sparked many protests. STORY HIGHLIGHTS The ideal of childhood is a central pillar of both our morality and our legal code, says Andrew Keen Keen: The last couple of weeks have brought us two more disturbingly high-profile criminal cases against children Unfortunately,...

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Obama finds support among Chavez faithful in Caracas

Barack Obama received a somewhat surprising endorsement in early October when Hugo Chavez called said, "I'd vote for Obama." In 2009, Chavez shook hands with the president and gave him the book "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" during a summit. HIDE...

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Back to the future: black pioneer's battle against racism

Walter Tull became the first black outfield player to play in the English top flight when he signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 1909. Tull was the subject of racist abuse, with one particular match against Bristol City leading to Tottenham selling him to Northampton Town. HIDE CAPTION Walter...

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