by tyler | Mar 8, 2024 | CNN, world
Here is a look at Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
In 2024, Ramadan is expected to begin at sundown on March 10 and end on April 9. (Dates may vary slightly by country depending on the first sighting of the crescent moon.)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year.
Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new moon, but the exact date often depends on clerics in a particular nation.
Ramadan is celebrated as the month in which the prophet Mohammed received the first of the revelations that make up the Quran.
Ramadan is the Islamic holy month of fasting during which Muslims may not eat or drink during daylight hours.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink (including water), and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk.
Muslims are encouraged to eat a meal before dawn, and then break the fast immediately after sunset.
The fast is traditionally broken by eating dates and drinking water.
The end of Ramadan, called Eid al-Fitr, is a day of feasting.
The Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars, or basic institutions, of Islam:
Shahadah: Affirmation that there is no deity but God and Mohammed is his messenger.
Salat: Praying five times daily.
Zakat: Giving to charity.
Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj: Making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.
There were almost 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide as of 2015. The population is expected to increase to three billion by 2060.
There were about 3.45 million Muslims in the United States as of 2017.
by tyler | Mar 8, 2024 | CNN, world
Here’s a look at the life of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II. He was formally invested as Monaco’s ruler on July 12, 2005, following the death of his father, Prince Rainier.
Birth date: March 14, 1958
Birth place: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Birth name: Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi, His Serene Highness, the Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux
Father: Prince Rainier III
Mother: Princess Grace, formerly the actress Grace Kelly
Marriage: Charlene Wittstock (July 1, 2011-present)
Children: with Charlene Wittstock: Princess Gabriella Therese Marie and Prince Jacques Honore Rainier; with Nicole Coste: Eric Alexandre Stephane; with Tamara Rotolo: Jazmin Grace Rotolo.
Education: Amherst College, BA, 1981
Military service: French Navy
He is interested in environmental issues, alternative energy and hybrid vehicles.
An avid athlete, he has competed in five Winter Olympics (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002) in the sport of bobsledding but has not won any medals.
He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985.
His two oldest children are not in line for the throne because they were born out of wedlock.
March 31, 2005 – Monaco’s Crown Council transfers the regency of the tiny kingdom to Prince Albert, the heir to the throne, saying that Prince Rainier can no longer carry out his duties as monarch.
April 6, 2005 – Prince Rainier III dies of organ failure and Prince Albert becomes Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.
July 6, 2005 – Publicly acknowledges paternity of his son, Alexandre, born to Nicole Coste, a flight attendant from Togo.
July 12, 2005 – Part one of the formal investiture as Monaco’s ruler is Mass at St. Nicholas Cathedral, marking the end of the mourning period for Prince Rainier.
November 17, 2005 – Part two of the formal investiture is the enthronement ceremony at St. Nicholas Cathedral.
April 16, 2006 – Travels to the North Pole by dogsled to highlight global warming.
June 1, 2006 – Acknowledges paternity of his daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, born to an American former waitress, Tamara Rotolo.
March 2, 2007 – Presides over the opening ceremony in Paris of International Polar Year, a research program with a focus on the Polar Regions involving 50,000 scientists from 63 countries.
January 28, 2008 – Is named as one of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) “Champions of the Earth.”
April 22 2008 – Receives the UNEP award which recognizes individuals who show extraordinary leadership on environmental issues.
January 5-14, 2009 – Completes an expedition to the South Pole evaluating climate impact on Antarctica along the way. He is the only head of state to have visited both poles.
June 23, 2010 – The palace announces Prince Albert’s engagement to Charlene Wittstock, 32, a former Olympic swimmer and school teacher from South Africa.
July 1, 2011 – Prince Albert marries Charlene Wittstock in a civil wedding ceremony in the throne room of the Palace of Monaco.
July 2, 2011 – A second wedding, a religious ceremony including Mass, is held in the main courtyard of the Palace of Monaco. The ceremony is broadcast to the 3,500 invited guests who could not fit inside the palace.
October 2013 – Loans pieces of his private collection of Olympic torches for the Russian exhibition of Olympic torches.
October 7, 2013 – Is one of the first torch bearers for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.
December 14, 2015 – Prince Albert is presented with the 2015 Global Advocate Award by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for his work on climate change research and environmental conservation efforts.
October 2016 – Buys his mother’s childhood home in Philadelphia, with the idea of turning it into a museum or offices for foundation work.
February 29, 2024 – A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation alleges that Prince Albert repeatedly awarded his nephews, Andrea and Pierre Casiraghi, state contracts worth millions over the past 15 years. The prince and his nephews denied wrongdoing in a statement to Businessweek.
Monaco is a sovereign principality, meaning it is ruled by a prince.
It is the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican. At 2.02 sq km (77 sq miles), Monaco is about half the size of New York’s Central Park.
It sits on the French Riviera and is bordered on three sides by France. It is a popular tourist destination, famous for its casino and luxury hotels.
Monaco is also the capital of the principality. The official language is French. The other major languages spoken are English and Italian.
Monegasque, a mixture of the French Provencal and Italian Ligurian dialects, is also spoken there.
by tyler | Mar 8, 2024 | CNN, showbiz
Here is a look at the life of musician, music producer and philanthropist, Quincy Jones.
Birth date: March 14, 1933
Birth place: Chicago, Illinois
Birth name: Quincy Delight Jones Jr.
Father: Quincy Delight Jones Sr., a carpenter.
Mother: Sarah Frances (Wells) Jones
Marriages: Peggy Lipton (1974-1990); Ulla Andersson (1967-1974); Jeri Caldwell (1957-1966)
Children: with Nastassja Kinski: Kenya; with Peggy Lipton: Rashida and Kidada; with Ulla Andersson: Quincy III and Martina; with Carol Reynolds: Rachel; with Jeri Caldwell: Jolie
Jones and his brother, Lloyd, were raised by their father and stepmother, Elvera, in Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Their mother had been institutionalized in Chicago when they were very young.
An automobile accident at age 14, where Jones saw four of his friends killed, left him so traumatized that he has never driven a car.
Met Ray Charles when they were both teenagers starting out in the music industry. Jones arranged and produced for Charles, and later Charles performed on Jones’ albums. They remained friends until Charles’ death in 2004.
As an arranger in the 1950s, Jones worked with music industry legends such as Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton and Frank Sinatra.
As a music producer for more than 60 years, he has worked with Miles Davis, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Lesley Gore, Jennifer Holliday, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Barry White and many more.
Jones has 80 Grammy Award nominations and 28 wins, including a Grammy Legend Award. He has seven Oscar nominations and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He also has received four Emmy nominations, winning one.
Has scored over 30 movies and written the theme for television shows, documentaries and shorts.
Mid-1940s – Sings and plays trumpet with a gospel quartet.
1951 – Jones’ trumpet playing wins him a scholarship to the prestigious Schillinger House in Boston (now the Berklee College of Music). He leaves when the opportunity arises to join the Lionel Hampton Band.
1956 – Joins the Dizzy Gillespie band as trumpeter and musical director.
1957 – Moves to Paris to study. Works for Barclay Disques publishing music.
1961 – Jones is hired as a musical director for Mercury Records and a few months later advances to vice president.
1963 – Earns his first Grammy Award, Best Instrumental Arrangement for “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”
1963 – Produces “It’s My Party” for Lesley Gore on Mercury Records, his first pop single to reach number one.
August 1974 – Suffers a brain aneurysm, which forces him to stop playing the trumpet.
1977 – Wins an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the film “Roots.”
1982 – Produces Jackson’s album, “Thriller.”
1985 – Conductor and producer for “We Are the World,” the song recorded to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Producer and music composer for the film “The Color Purple.”
1991 – Receives the Grammy Legend Award.
1991-1993 – Co-produces the Montreux Jazz Festival. His association with the festival continues to present day.
1993 – Launches “Vibe” magazine.
1994-1999 – Chairman and CEO of Qwest Broadcasting, a minority-controlled television broadcasting company.
1995 – Receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
March 1996 – Executive Producer of the 68th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.
October 1, 2001 – Simon & Schuster publishes his autobiography, “Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.”
2001 – Kennedy Center Honoree.
2008 – Publishes the book “The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions.”
2008 – Establishes the non-profit Quincy Jones Foundation.
April 18, 2013 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
July 11, 2017 – Jones’ 2013 lawsuit against Jackson’s estate goes to trial. Jones claims he is owed $30 million in unpaid royalties.
July 26, 2017 – Jones wins $9.42 million in damages in his lawsuit against Jackson’s estate.
September 21, 2018 – “Quincy,” a documentary about the life and legacy of Jones, debuts on Netflix. The film, directed by Alan Hicks and Jones’ daughter, Rashida Jones, wins a Grammy award in February 2019 for Best Music Film.
May 5, 2020 – An appellate court overturns a portion of Jones’ 2017 lawsuit against Jackson’s estate. The court rules that contract interpretation was a judicial function and not meant for the jury, which mistakenly awarded Jones $6.9 million. The $2.5 million award for fees stands.
September 20, 2020 – Jones enters into a global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music. The deal covers administration of his current and future songwriting catalog. This includes over 2,000 compositions and work by songwriters Brothers Johnson, Siedah Garrett and others under his company.
September 27, 2023 – Jones is presented with the inaugural Peace Through Music Award by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Marson Jr. The awards recognize an American music industry professional who has played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.
by tyler | Mar 8, 2024 | CNN, cnn10
March 7, 2024
Today on CNN 10, we explain why recent tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea raise concerns about a potential global conflict rising from those disputed waters. Then, an inside look at the ongoing crisis in Haiti. Finally, a report on a Utah town’s ‘tumble-mageddon.’ All that and more on this episode of CNN 10.
Click here to access the printable version of today’s CNN 10 transcript.
CNN 10 serves a growing audience interested in compact on-demand news broadcasts ideal for explanation seekers on the go or in the classroom. The show’s priority is to identify stories of international significance and then clearly describe why they’re making news, who is affected, and how the events fit into a complex, international society.
Thank you for using CNN 10
by tyler | Mar 8, 2024 | CNN, world
Here’s a look at the Arab League, an organization of Middle Eastern and African countries and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Ahmed Aboul Gheit of Egypt is the current secretary-general of the Arab League.
There are also four observer states: Eritrea, India, Brazil and Venezuela.
The Arab League’s purpose, from the Pact of the League of Arab States, is to promote closer political, economic, cultural and social relations among the members.
A council composed of representatives from the member states works together to settle disputes peacefully. The league has five major committees: political, economic, social and cultural, legal and Palestinian affairs.
Each member has one vote on the council. Decisions are only binding to the states that have voted for them.
March 22, 1945 – The Arab League is created in Cairo with seven Arab countries – Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Lebanese Republic, Yemen (Sanaa), Transjordan (now Jordan), Egypt and Syria.
Since 1945, 16 other members have joined – Libya (1953), Sudan (1956), Morocco (1958), Tunisia (1958), Kuwait (1961), Algeria (1962), Yemen (Aden, 1968), Bahrain (1971), Oman (1971), Qatar (1971), United Arab Emirates (1971), Mauritania (1973), Somalia (1974), the PLO (1976), Djibouti (1977) and Comoros (1993).
April 13, 1950 – League members sign an agreement on joint defense and economic cooperation.
1959 – The league holds the first Arab petroleum congress.
1964 – The league organizes the Arab League Education, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
1976 – ARABSAT, an Arab communications satellite system, is formed.
March 26, 1979 – Egypt signs a peace treaty with Israel. The league suspends Egypt’s membership and transfers its headquarters from Cairo to Tunis, Tunisia.
1989 – Egypt is readmitted to the league; later the headquarters is moved back to Cairo.
1990 – Yemen (Aden) and Yemen (Sanaa) unite as Yemen.
August 1990 – The league is divided over the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. Members are split on a vote for a proposal to send Arab troops to join the troops defending Saudi Arabia from possible attack. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Djibouti and Somalia endorse the presence of foreign troops in Saudi Arabia.
2003 – All league members except Kuwait officially oppose a US-led war against Iraq. However, some members in addition to Kuwait, including Bahrain and Qatar, allow their territory to be used.
April 23, 2006 – Arab League Spokesman Hisham Yusif announces that the organization has promised to transfer $50 million to the Hamas-governed Palestinian Authority. This is in reaction the United States and European Union cutting off direct funding to the Hamas-led government that assumed power March 30.
March 29-30, 2009 – A two-day summit takes place in Doha, Qatar. Sudanese President Omar al Bashir attends, despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
February 22, 2011 – The Arab League releases a statement saying it is suspending Libya’s participation in Arab League meetings and all of the group’s agencies. The statement also condemns what it calls crimes against protesters and peaceful strikers in Libya.
March 3, 2011 – A summit scheduled for March 29 in Baghdad, Iraq, is postponed due to unrest in several Arab League countries.
March 12, 2011 – The Arab League asks the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya.
July 13, 2011 – Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Araby visits Syria and meets with President Bashar al-Assad.
November 12, 2011 – The Arab League suspends Syria’s membership, effective November 16, 2011, in response to Syria’s continued violence against its own citizens. 18 members vote in favor of the suspension, while Lebanon and Yemen vote no. Iraq abstains from voting.
December 19, 2011 – Syria signs an Arab League proposal aimed at ending violence between government forces and protesters.
December 26, 2011 – Members of an Arab League delegation arrive in Syria to monitor events on the ground.
January 28, 2012 – The Arab League suspends its mission in Syria as violence in the country continues.
November 12, 2012 – State media reports that the Arab League has approved the resolution to recognize the new National Coalition Forces of the Syrian Revolution, which unites Syrian opposition factions.
March 28-29, 2015 – The 26th Arab League Summit takes place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. All of the leaders agree to create a multi-national military force in order to combat threats to the Middle East.
July 25, 2016 – The Arab League Summit is held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, but only seven leaders of the 22 member countries attend. The meetings focus on fighting terrorism and how to deal with other conflicts in the region.
February 24-25, 2019 – The first ever EU-Arab League summit is held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
May 7, 2023 – The Arab League announces it has re-admitted Syria after an 11-year absence.
by tyler | Mar 8, 2024 | CNN, sport
Here’s a look at the life of basketball player LeBron James.
Birth date: December 30, 1984
Birth place: Akron, Ohio
Birth name: LeBron Raymone James
Father: Anthony McClelland
Mother: Gloria James
Marriage: Savannah (Brinson) James (September 2013-present)
Children: Zhuri Nova, Bryce Maximus and LeBron Jr.
James also played football in high school.
Runs a non-profit organization called The LeBron James Family Foundation, which helps children in his hometown area.
Co-founder of production company SpringHill Entertainment.
Has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013).
Has been to the NBA All-Star Game every year since 2005.
Named the NBA Finals MVP four times (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020).
Is nicknamed “King James.”
Is the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points, and the only NBA player to score 40,000 career points.
Has played for the US national team in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics. They won gold in 2008 and 2012.
Owned a very small stake in Beats Electronics, which was sold to Apple, Inc. for $3 billion in June 2014, reportedly netting him around $30 million in cash and stocks.
James and a host of other Black athletes and artists founded the political organization More Than A Vote in the run-up to the 2020 election, providing James and others with a vehicle to help register Black voters and turn them out in the November election.
2000 – Helps lead high school team to the state championship. They won the championship three of the four seasons he played.
February 18, 2002 – James is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the words, “The Chosen One.”
June 26, 2003 – Is chosen No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA draft.
2004 – Earns the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as NBA Rookie of the Year.
August 2004 – Makes his first Olympics appearance for the US national team.
November 27, 2004 – Becomes the youngest NBA player to score 2,000 points in their career.
February 8, 2005 – Is named a starter for the NBA’s Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
February 19, 2006 – Is named to the All-Star Team again and becomes the youngest MVP of the game.
July 10, 2010 – Announces he is leaving the Cavaliers to become part of the Miami Heat.
June 21, 2012 – The Miami Heat win the NBA Finals, marking James’ first championship.
January 16, 2013 – Becomes the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points.
June 24, 2014 – Chooses to become a free agent.
July 11, 2014 – James tells Sports Illustrated that he’ll leave the Miami Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
December 7, 2015 – Nike confirms that it has signed a lifetime deal with James.
June 19, 2016 – The Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in a deciding Game 7 to win the NBA Championship. James is unanimously named the Finals MVP; his performance helps the Cavaliers capture the first major sports championship that a Cleveland team has won since 1964.
May 25, 2017 – James passes Michael Jordan as the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 5,995 points. Jordan’s record of 5,987 held for 20 years.
May 31, 2017 – Police tell CNN that a racist slur was spray-painted on the front gate of James’ Los Angeles home. At a press conference in Oakland, California, James comments on the state of race relations in the United States. “No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough.”
January 23, 2018 – Becomes the seventh, and youngest, player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.
June 29, 2018 – James decides not to pick up his option for next season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to multiple reports.
July 1, 2018 – James, now a free agent, agrees to a four-year, $154M contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a press release from his agency.
July 30, 2018 – James’ foundation teams with the Akron Public Schools system to open a school that supports at-risk children. Third and fourth graders will make up the inaugural class at the I Promise School, with plans to expand to first through eighth grade by 2022.
November 4, 2019 – James announces that a historic apartment building in Akron, Ohio, is being renovated and turned into transitional housing for families in need at his I Promise School, so students have a stable place to live while they get their education.
August 11, 2020 – “I Promise,” a children’s book written by James, is published.
October 11, 2020 – After the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Miami Heat, James becomes the first player in NBA history to be named NBA Finals MVP with three different teams.
March 16, 2021 – It is announced that Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox, has added James as a partner. It becomes official on March 31.
July 16, 2021 – “Space Jam: A New Legacy” premieres, in which James plays intergalactic basketball with the Looney Tunes.
November 21, 2021 – James is ejected during a game against the Detroit Pistons after making contact with Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart in the face. The ejection is only the second in James’ career – the first coming in 2017 for comments made to a referee. Both players are suspended the next day – James for one game and Stewart for two.
March 19, 2022 – Passes Karl Malone (36,928 career points) on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, to become second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).
August 17, 2022 – James signs a new two-year contract with the Lakers, worth $97.1 million, making him the highest-earning NBA player ever.
February 7, 2023 – James breaks the NBA’s all-time scoring record, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar.
January 25, 2024 – James is named to his 20th NBA All-Star Game, passing Abdul-Jabbar for most of all time.
March 2, 2024 – Becomes the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points.
