Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- Equal pay for women, raising the minimum wage, immigration reform, combating climate change and virtually swearing off extended wars.

All are catnip for the political left, and all were highlighted by President Barack Obama this week as he informally launched the November election campaign for 36 Senate seats and a new House of Representatives.

By flying the Democratic banner so high in Tuesday's State of the Union address and subsequent road show to four states, Obama tried to signal unity with his liberal base and provide the party's candidates with ammunition for elections certain to be "spirited" -- the Washington euphemism for fierce and nasty.

"The president wants to highlight differences between the parties and show that Democrats are on the side of ordinary people," said Darrell West, the vice president for governance studies at the Brookings Institution. "That's how he won in 2012, and that's the strategy in 2014."

Focus on women, minorities

Hence the emphasis on policies that benefit women and minorities and appeal to younger voters.

On Tuesday and in subsequent speeches in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Tennessee, Obama called for equal pay for women and made sure to include references to the popular first lady.

"When women succeed America succeeds," he said Thursday in Waukesha, Wisconsin. "And by the way, when women succeed, men succeed. I don't know about all the guys here, but you know when Michelle is doing good and happy, I am happy, too. I'm just sayin'."

The President also called in his State of the Union speech for raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10, taking the first step himself by announcing he will unilaterally give the raise to workers under federal contracts. Republicans oppose the move in allegiance to their business supporters.

According to Brown University political scientist Wendy Schiller, Obama is focusing "on all the things that can help folks immediately, even if the impact is small."

"Positioning the Democrats as the party of the working man and woman is old school but absolutely necessary if they are going to successfully counter the Republican resurgence among working class and independent voters, especially women," Schiller told CNN.

Obama's 'Mad Men' remark

She cited a remark from Obama's speech Tuesday that received prolonged applause from legislators jamming the packed House chamber -- the President's call for ending unfair workplace policies for women "that belong in a 'Mad Men' episode."

"When both the Democratic and Republican members of Congress stood up and applauded after the famous 'Mad Men episode' quote, it was clear that each party sees women as the crucial swing factor in the 2014 elections," Schiller said.

On the GOP side, she described the choice of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington to deliver the party's formal response Tuesday night as "smart politics."

Obama's re-election victory in 2012 owed much to a solid majority among women voters, including independents turned off by hardline anti-abortion policies of Republicans.

The Democratic-fueled accusation of a GOP "war on women" gained traction with infamous missteps by Republican candidates such as former Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, who claimed that women rarely get pregnant from "legitimate" rape. Akin lost his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in the Show Me State.

Now a concerted Republican outreach to women voters means Democrats "can't just count on another Todd Akin to save the Senate in 2014," Schiller said, adding that "they all have to work to produce federal policies that help working families in order to sustain that advantage."

GOP must walk the talk

West said Republicans must follow stated intentions with action when it comes to diversifying their policies and supporters.

"They have to become something other than the party of angry white men," he said, adding the GOP also must make "meaningful changes in public policy" because "they can't spin their way out of political problems by highlighting women and minorities."

While specifying issues advantageous to Democrats, Obama also has jabbed at Republicans this week on another matter that resonates with voters -- the perception that political intransigence led by tea party conservatives stymies progress in Washington.

Republicans got the blame for last year's highly unpopular 16-day government shutdown when conservatives led by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tried to link a funding measure to dismantling the 2010 health care reforms they detest.

To Obama, Republicans must decide "whether they're going to waste time creating new crises that slow things down, or whether they're going to spend time creating new jobs and opportunity," he said Thursday.

In what he depicted as a presidential declaration of independence from congressional dysfunction, Obama said "I want to work with them, but I can't wait for them."

Immigration reform

Another topic: reforming the immigration system, with Obama and Democrats seeking a path to legal status for the millions of people living illegally in the country.

Republicans are desperate to reduce the Democratic advantage among Hispanic Americans, the nation's largest minority demographic. But House Republicans remain unlikely to support a comprehensive Senate plan that passed with bipartisan support and has Obama's backing.

Instead, House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans call for a piecemeal approach to try to show empathy with Latinos while avoiding a backlash by conservatives that would worsen an already damaging internal GOP rift.

On other issues, Obama reiterated his push for unspecified action against climate change and made clear that with the Afghanistan war finally winding down, he has no intention of committing America to another prolonged engagement.

"I will not send our troops into harm's way unless it is truly necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts," he said. "We must fight the battles that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us."

He also refused to back down from withering criticism from the political right about the health care reforms known as Obamacare, offering a strong defense of the benefits and telling Republicans to quit trying to undermine the law.

Democratic unity?

Schiller said Democrats need to remain unified on Obamacare and other issues, to run as a national party as much as possible even though the November elections are at the state and district level.

"When Obamacare was brought up in the State of the Union, they all stood up and applauded, even Democratic senators who could be in trouble on the issue in their re-election races," she said. "If there are any cracks in that united front for the Democrats as champions of middle class and working folks, it undermines not only their 2014 chances, but the remainder of the Obama presidential agenda."

While unity may exist in policy, some Democratic candidates facing tough elections don't want to campaign with Obama due to public opposition to Obamacare and slower-than-desired economic growth and job creation.

On Thursday, Republican Gov. Scott Walker welcomed Obama to his state with an airport handshake, but Walker's Democratic challenger, Mary Burke, was nowhere to be seen.

Republicans believe they can win control of the Senate by taking six seats from Democrats in November. The House is likely to remain in Republican hands, with the outcomes of 90% of the races considered safely predictable and Democrats needing to win most of the others to regain the majority, according to West.

"It's an uphill battle for Democrats to retake the House," he said, calling the situation "pretty much a matter of arithmetic."

Response: President Obama's road show informally launches the mid-term election campaign. Obama sounds themes benefiting Democrats in his State of the Union address. The goal: highlight differences with Republicans on issues important to ordinary Americans. Both parties seek to strengthen their support among women voters.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:DINGLE, Ireland (CNN) -- Fewer tourists and relatively warm temperatures may be reason enough to put Ireland on your list of winter travel destinations, especially Dingle Peninsula, once ranked by National Geographic Traveler as "the most beautiful place on Earth."

Winter offers tourists a chance to explore Ireland's west coast  unhindered by bothersome crowds.

The peninsula, on Ireland's west coast, includes the oceanside town of Dingle, which boasts more than 1,000 full-time residents.

Winter visitors will avoid the area's hundreds of thousands of summertime tourists.

Boats crowd Dingle's popular marina, bringing fresh seafood catches of the day.

Some of the marina vessels also will ferry visitors to see Fungie, a locally famous dolphin who has lived in the waters outside town since 1984.  See breathtaking photos of Dingle »

Outside Dingle, numerous vacation cottages are available to rent, including homes in the village of Dunquin. In winter, rates are drastically cut, and rental period dates may be more flexible.

Most shops and restaurants have shorter hours during winter, and traditional music is found in some of the pubs on the weekends.

As with most of Ireland, pubs abound, even in the smallest villages. A beer (preferably Guinness) and some hearty pub grub are a perfect way to cap a day of exploring the wintry sights of the peninsula.

Because Ireland sits near the warm waters of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, the Emerald Isle has an average temperature of 46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) during December, January and February.

But pack smart and bring layers of clothing, including warm sweaters and jackets, because winter weather often means rain on Ireland's western shore.

Response: Dingle, Ireland, called "most beautiful place on Earth" by National Geographic. Escape summer crowds by traveling to Dingle Peninsula during winter months. Cottage rentals are cheaper in winter, and periods are more flexible. Winter temperatures in western Ireland average 46 degrees F (7 Celsius).


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- "It's the hour for us in this country to turn it back toward the Lord. We're much more than 'hallelujah' people. We're into government, and we are into politics. We are a force to be reckoned with."

Wilfredo De Jesus wants his message heard loud and clear: Evangelical Latino Protestants in the United States are more relevant than ever. And they're up for grabs ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.

One of the leading voices of the fast-growing evangelical Protestant Latino voting bloc, in the past 14 years as the senior pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries in Chicago, De Jesus has seen the church grow from "68 people in one of the worst parts of the nation to over 20,000."

Last year, he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

"We're very vocal now," he said. "In the last 10 years, you've seen this bloc of people has grown. And we have tremendous influence. Especially in politics."

A new study by a nonpartisan research institute based in Washington suggests that he's right.

The 2013 Hispanic Values Survey released recently by the Public Religion Research Institute showed a sharp shift in religious demographics among Latinos. It's that complex religious divide that could be the key to the Republican Party making inroads in the community during the next election cycle.

"The number of evangelical Protestants nearly doubled from 7% to 13% when you compare childhood religious affiliation to current religious affiliation," said the institute's Chief Executive Officer, Robert P. Jones.

That's between 7.5 million and 8 million "quintessential swing voters."

An 'affinity for the Republican Party'

The door is the most open to Republican candidates and the Republican Party, Jones said.

"Evangelicals have the most affinity for the Republican Party. While nearly half lean towards the Democratic Party, almost as many lean towards the Republican Party at 43%."

The findings were taken from a random sample survey of 1,563 respondents who identified as Hispanic living in the U.S.

De Jesus -- or "Pastor Choco," as he is more commonly known -- believes that evangelical Protestants are "what the country needs right now" and could be the key not only for the GOP winning big during the midterms, but also for Republicans to get back to the White House.

"We've learned from the Bible that when the righteous govern, the people rejoice. And (Latinos) haven't seen our people rejoice for quite some time," he said. "At the core of evangelicals is the fear of God and the institution of family. These are things we feel we can bring back to this nation."

'We need to do a better job communicating'

Latino evangelicals might be ripe for Republican influence, but getting them to vote red is a different story.

Angel Garcia, president of the Chicago Young Republicans, said that although the survey gives the GOP reason to be hopeful, the party needs to be more proactive within the community.

"We've done a bad job of managing our brand. We've let a handful of people in our party, that have made some unfortunate statements, control the party's message," Garcia said.

The 38-year-old attorney and lifelong Republican said that as the son of Mexican immigrants, "it's disappointing as a Latino when you hear people making ignorant statements (in the party). But both sides make ignorant statements. I am a leader in the party. I have lived the Latino culture. It's my job to show the voters and pretty much the entire party that we need to do a better job communicating."

He's talking about statements like this one by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, describing his plan to deal with undocumented immigrants during a 2012 primary debate: "The answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can't find work here because they don't have legal documentation to allow them to work here."

"When he said that, I looked over at my wife and said, 'He just lost thousands, if not millions, of us.' Immigration ... it's a preeminent issue for us," said the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.

A focus on immigration reform

Much like his friend De Jesus, Salguero believes that Latino evangelicals are the key to victory for any politician. Nowhere is this more evident than on the issue of immigration reform.

"Evangelicals are coming to a boiling point on this issue. We've prayed about this, held meetings with the White House; we've done all we can," he said from Newark, New Jersey. "Let me be clear: We face the issue of immigration every day, as pastors, as caretakers, as Latinos. This is on the top of our political agenda. It would be disingenuous of me to say it doesn't carry heavy electoral gravitas."

Both Salguero and De Jesus were advisers to President Barack Obama on the immigration issue. It's an area where they feel he's failed. Republicans have the chance to capitalize on it, according to De Jesus.

"Barack flipped on us," De Jesus said. "I traveled for Obama for 14 months as a surrogate. I talked to the White House, and I said, 'the president cannot speak from both sides of his mouth.' It's only right for the Republicans to say, 'let's win back this Latino bloc, at least the evangelicals.' That starts with the immigration issue."

The dismal Latino turnout for Romney was a stark contrast to the momentum developed for years under President George W. Bush, who won 44% of the Latino vote in 2004, compared with the 27% Romney received eight years later.

After the 2012 election, the GOP held a postmortem emphasizing Hispanic outreach, but it's still unclear how much of a priority Republicans have made Latino voters. At the latest Conservative Political Action Conference, a panel on minority outreach had dismally low attendance.

Disapproval of both parties

The Hispanic Values Survey showed that while there is "dissatisfaction" among Latino voters with the Democratic Party on issues like record deportation numbers under Obama, there is "distrust" of the Republican Party within the Latino community.

"The Democratic Party has a less bumpy road ahead," Jones said. "The clearest word of caution to Democrats ... one phrase that is a bellwether question of how well to gauge voters is, 'How well does the party care about people like you?' "

Nearly three in 10, or 29%, said "neither party cares about them," according to the survey.

"Democrats certainly don't have this community locked down. That's a pretty clear indication that there's significant dissatisfaction among Latinos with both parties," Jones said.

"That's not necessarily a reason for us to be optimistic. We have to be realistic and more proactive," said Daniel Ballori, president of the Young Republican Federation of Puerto Rico.

The 31-year-old said the focus for the Republicans in winning more Latino votes should be on the economy, whether they are courting evangelical Protestants or others in the community.

"Jobs and unemployment. The figures show that U.S.-born Latinos care about the same issues that non-Latino Anglos care about. Right now, that's jobs and unemployment," Ballori said.

He may be on to something. Though the issue of immigration reform was ranked high among the concerns of Latino voters, it was in a four-way tie for the third most important issue behind the economy and affordable health care, according to Public Religion Research Institute research.

Garcia said the solution to courting more Latino voters comes down to the rhetoric.

"Regardless of party, Hispanics will go to the candidate that supports them. We're the party of (Marco) Rubio, (Brian) Sandoval and (Susana) Martinez. Our message should be one of inclusion," Garcia said.

The question then becomes, how do they do that?

"These politicians are so full of it to get elected," De Jesus said. "Give us someone who is real and speaks the truth and is going to do what they say and mean it. We'll vote for them, whatever party they're from."

Response: New survey shows number of Latino evangelical Protestants is on the rise. Influential pastor says the group is "what the country needs right now". Republican Party needs to be more proactive in community, Latinos say. Almost a third of Latinos believe neither party cares about them, survey shows.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Just over half the public says that it's bad for the country that the GOP controls the House of Representatives, according to a new national poll conducted after the end of the partial government shutdown.

And the CNN/ORC International survey also indicates that more than six in 10 Americans say that Speaker of the House John Boehner should be replaced.

The poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, just after the end of the 16-day partial federal government shutdown that was caused in part by a push by House conservatives to try and dismantle the health care law, which is President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement.

Full poll results (pdf)

According to the survey, 54% say it's a bad thing that the GOP controls the House, up 11 points from last December, soon after the 2012 elections when the Republicans kept control of the chamber. Only 38% say it's a good thing the GOP controls the House, a 13-point dive from the end of last year.

Defeated GOP wants to unite and fight another day

This is the first time since the Republicans won back control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections that a majority say their control of the chamber is bad for the country.

CNN Chief National Correspondent John King said there is time for Republicans to recover before the 2014 midterms.

"The midterm election is a year away. There's plenty of time for Republicans to work on the brand, but they've taken a bit of a beating here. They've got some work to do. They need a bit of a makeover," King said.

Majority want Boehner out

"We fought the good fight. We just didn't win," Boehner said at the end of the shutdown. And while he received a standing ovation at a closed gathering of House Republicans as the crisis came to a close, he may not see anything to applaud in the new poll.

"John Boehner fares just as badly as the GOP," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "Sixty-three percent of all Americans think that Boehner should be replaced as Speaker of the House, a view shared by roughly half of all Republicans."

Fleischer: Shutdown deal is a 15-yard punt

According to the poll, only 30% of the public says Boehner, who became Speaker in January 2011, should continue in that role.

Congress near historic lows

The survey indicates that the approval rating for Congress remains near an all-time low. Only 12% of those questioned say they approve of the job Congress is doing, just two points higher than the historic low in CNN polling. And 86% give federal lawmakers a thumbs-down, also near the all-time high.

Forty-four percent say they approve of the job the President is doing with 52% saying they disapprove.

Four things we learned from government shutdown

"Barack Obama's numbers are pretty anemic, but he remains in much better shape than the GOP," Holland said. "Even though Obama's approval rating remains stuck in the mid-40s, it didn't take a hit during the shutdown -- 44% just before the shutdown began; 44% now."

According to the survey, 44% also say they have more confidence in Obama rather than the GOP in Congress to deal with the major issues facing the country today, a 5-point drop from last year; 31% say they have more confidence in congressional Republicans, unchanged from last December.

Obama wants new approach after shutdown

"The biggest change on that question is the 21% who volunteer that they don't have confidence in either side -- a remarkably high number that is roughly double its usual level," Holland said.

Majority favor health care law or say it doesn't go far enough

Even though they lost this round, conservatives vow to continue their fight to dismantle Obamacare. And they point to major troubles with the rollout of the website where Americans without insurance can enroll in the new health care exchanges.

The president addressed the debacle at an event Monday at the White House, saying there was no way to sugarcoat the issues that applicants have experienced.

According to the poll, just more than four in 10 say they favor the law, with 56% opposed to it.

But of those opposed, 38% say they are against the law because they think it's too liberal and 12% say it's not liberal enough. That means that 53% either support Obamacare, or say it's not liberal enough.

The health care numbers are little changed from late last month, just before the start of the shutdown.

Congressional fight over Obamacare turns to website woes

The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International, with 841 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Response: Poll conducted after government shutdown shows small majority think GOP control of House is bad. Results are first time since GOP took control of House in 2010 that more oppose its control. More than six in 10 say Speaker of the House John Boehner should lose his job. Obama's approval numbers didn't take same hit that GOP's did after shutdown.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:A few hours before Hillary Clinton addressed an audience of around 6,000 people near Denver, the former secretary of state did what few people looking to sell a book would do: She toured a plastics factory.

Clinton aides say the event was tied to her family's foundation  -- the Clinton Global Initiative -- and the fact that its annual meeting will be held in Denver later this month.

But the optics of the event said something different.

After touring the factory and giving short remarks about the power of American business -- "I am convinced that American businesses can compete and win against anybody anywhere if we are at the top of our game," she said -- Clinton stepped off the stage and headed to a rope line of eager factory workers and camera-toting employees.

"Let me shake a few more hands," Clinton said, a comment reminiscent of refrains made by Iowa- or New Hampshire-bound politicians.

In the last month, these two facts have been evident: Clinton-land wants you to know she has a memoir -- "Hard Choices" -- coming out on June 10 and she has become more open about her presidential ambitions.

Clinton discusses Berghdal in book

And the two have a lot to do with one another.

Instead of surrounding herself with the regular PR flacks and publicists in preparation to sell her book, Clinton has brought on seasoned campaign veterans and political communicators. Sources close to Clinton are talking about "war rooms" and "surrogate operations" instead of book signings.

Clinton to take part in CNN town hall as book launches

"This is a very well orchestrated roll out that is going to make the book have far more impact and, yes, will add to her sense of candidacy," said David Gergen, a senior political analyst with CNN who has deep connections with the Clintons. "I think what you will see with her over the next year until she makes a firm decision is an occasional set of events like this that will keep her fresh, allow her to say her piece."

'A very professional operation'

In addition to helping Clinton, the hypothetical candidate, Gergen said the book rollout will help her staff.

"It gives them a sense of what a political campaign feels like," he said. "I don't think she has made her final call yet, but she is clearly laying the groundwork in a way that suggests a very professional operation."

Earlier this year, the former senator was also more measured in her remarks and more sheepish when answering questions about 2016.

In January, Clinton told an audience in New Orleans that she "wasn't thinking about" running and that she has "tried to get other people not to think about it."

In Portland, she shrugged when asked about 2016 and walked off stage to a chorus of laughs. In Miami, she commended the way the question was asked, but failed to actually answer it.

Fast-forward to June and Clinton was more openly talking about the worst-kept-secret in Washington: She is thinking about running for president.

In an interview with People Magazine that was part of the book rollout, Clinton said she knows she has "a decision to make" on 2016 and that she will "just have to make my own decision about what I think is right for me."

In her Colorado speech on Monday -- the one after her campaign style tour of the plastics plant -- Clinton called the presidency "as much a job as it is a mission" and when asked about how difficult it is to run, she remarked that she "luckily" has "a lot of resilience and a lot of stamina."

Her rhetoric, too, has started to sound more like a campaign.

At the end of the speech in Colorado on Monday, Clinton closed with what sounded like an impassioned plea for support and, if the venue was different, for votes.

"Please join me," she said, her voice raising over the roaring crowd, "in making some hard choices for America."

Seasoned hands help communicate message

With the stepped up rhetoric has come a more robust inner circle of Clinton aides to tightly and systematically trickle out information about the book.

Once an operation with just a few press staff and advisers - along with dozens of informal friends and longtime confidants - the Clinton world has added a few seasoned political hands to help communicate Clinton's message around the book.

The Clinton team brought on Tommy Vietor, a National Security Council spokesman during Obama's first term, to coordinate and assist in the response to the book and questions about Clinton's record at the State Department.

It has also tapped Kiki McLean, a former Clinton senior adviser and veteran of five presidential campaigns, to coordinate the surrogate operation around the book.

With the new hires comes what one source called a war room of former diplomats who stand ready to respond to criticism of Clinton's tenure at the State Department.

It is safe to say that Clinton's book roll out is one of the first to use phrases like war room and surrogate operation.

One of Clinton's closest advisers - Philippe Reines - also briefed a group of Democratic national security experts and communicators last week on the political scrutiny over the Benghazi terror attack and the themes of Clinton's book.

The meeting was tightly controlled by Clinton's advisers, who told attendees that there would be no leaking what was discussed in the briefing.

Outside groups have also begun to step up their activity around the book.

Correct the Record, a pro-Clinton messaging and rapid response organization with deep ties to Clinton, hosted media training for their surrogates in May.

Ready for Hillary, a pro-Clinton super PAC that is building grassroots support for the former first lady, announced on Wednesday that they would follow Clinton's book tour in "The Hillary Bus," a mobile venue for the group to sign up supporters and support the pseudo-campaign.

The groups that have Hillary's back

Leaks and excerpts trickle out

As her aides have been planning and preparing, Clinton has been all over the news. She appeared on the View in May - joking that she was "running ... around the park" -- and details about her book have slowly leaked out on a nearly daily basis.

The first book excerpts came out in early May, when in honor of Mother's Day Vogue published a passage of Clinton's book that was dedicated to her mother. Then came the book's Author's Note, put out by Simon & Schuster, the book's publisher.

Shortly after that, the most highly anticipated chapter of Clinton's book - her recollections and thoughts about Benghazi - was leaked to Politico. The speculation was that Clinton's staff wanted to get the news out of the way early so that it wouldn't shadow the rest of the book.

On Thursday, CBS reported that Clinton talks about negotiations for captured soldier Bowe Bergdahl's release and her differences with Obama over arming Syrian rebels in the book, which it said it had gotten a copy of.

Along the way, locations for Clinton's book tour were released: New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco, to name a few.

If all of this seems reminiscent of a campaign, that's because it is. Seasoned staff, effective surrogate operations and coordinated leaks are what can make or break a political campaign.

And as is evident with Clinton's stepped up presence and the slow trickle of news about her campaign, Clinton's book tour appears to be as much a memoir roll out as it is political tune up.

Response: Clinton events look like something from the campaign trail. She's become more open about her presidential ambitions, although no decision yet. Rollout of her book will help her staff prepare for if she decides to go for it.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the match with a stunning backheel as Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano to stay 10 points clear in the Spanish title race Sunday.

Real had to work hard to emerge on top in the capital derby at the Vallecas while arch-rivals Barcelona won 2-1 against Atletico Madrid in the late kickoff to avoid falling further behind Jose Mourinho's men.

The reigning champions owed their win to a Lionel Messi free-kick in the 80th minute. It was his 28th league goal of the season, one fewer than Ronaldo.

Dani Alves opened the scoring on 36 minutes but Radamel Falcao equalized at the beginning of the second half for the home side.

Earlier, the first half of the clash between the Madrid rivals was short of chances, but Rayo came closest to scoring as Michu rattled the woodwork with Iker Casillas beaten.

Ronaldo struck shortly after the break following a corner. He was running away to chase a loose ball, but then fashioned an incredible backheeled effort which flew into the net.

"A backheel is always different. It was a great goal but I'm not sure if it was the best of my career -- I have to see it again on TV," Ronaldo told AFP.

Jose Callejon later wasted a chance to double the lead for Los Blancos to calm their nerves.

Ronaldo was also denied a second by home keeper Joel late on before the home side lost Michu to a red card for a rash challenge.

It was Real's 21st league win of the season.

Response: Real Madrid win 1-0 at Rayo Vallecano to stay top in Spain. Stunning backheeled effort from Cristiano Ronaldo settles game. Real stay 10 points clear of Barcelona in title race. Lionel Messi with winner for Barca at Atletico Madrid.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- What would you see if you could fly over Mars in a plane and look out the window?

Victoria Crater as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater is about half a mile in diameter.

It must be something like the thousands of curious, intriguing and spectacular images taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera mounted on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The University of Arizona, Tucson, which operates HiRISE, has just released a new batch of these photos taken in the last several months.

You can check out the full set here.

They reveal an alien landscape of craters, valleys, ridges, channels, weird surface patterns and other features in incredible detail.

Take the stunning image on the left, which shows the muffin-cup-like Victoria Crater, a site once explored by the Mars rover Opportunity.

The camera isn't looking straight down, but is pointed 22 degrees east so we get a better view of the crater's slopes, "comparable to a view from an airplane window," the university says.

Looking at some of the photos, you feel like you're flying over the Grand Canyon or the Sahara. Others are distinctly extraterrestrial in nature. In all cases, the images reveal lots of details about the surface of our neighbor in the solar system.

"Each full image from HiRISE covers a strip of Martian ground 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) wide, about two to four times that long, showing details as small as 1 meter, or yard, across," according to NASA's Web site.

It might be the closest thing to visiting Mars without leaving your chair.

Response: Photos were taken by a camera mounted on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. They show an alien landscape of craters, valleys, ridges in incredible detail. A new batch of these photos taken in the last several months has just been released.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama's sweeping health care legislation Thursday in a narrow 5-4 ruling that Obama says will provide up to 30 million additional Americans with health care.

America doesn't have universal health care coverage -- what the World Health Organization (WHO) calls "a widely shared political aim of most countries" -- but neither do most other countries.

Nearly 50 countries have attained universal or near-universal health coverage by 2008, according to the International Labor Organization. Several well-known examples exist like the UK, which has the National Health Service, and the Canadian public health care system.

Here are more examples of countries have implemented near-universal health care.

Brazil

Free health care coverage is recognized as a citizen's right in Brazil.

Brazilians have both a private and public health care system, which was overhauled in 1988. The Sistema Ãšnico de SaÃºde, a nationalized program, provides primary health care, while a network of public and contracted hospitals delivers specialist care.

About 80 percent of Brazil's population relies on public care, while the wealthiest 20% can afford private health care, according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies report.

Since the 1990s, Brazil has also provided universal access to HIV/AIDS drugs.

During the three decades since the nation's major health care changes, infant mortality decreased and life expectancy increased by 10.6 years, according to a 2011 article in medical journal The Lancet.

But the system hasn't been without problems, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies report, which alluded to gaps in the quality of care between various Brazilian regions.

Rwanda

Since establishing a national health plan in 1999, Rwanda has insured about 91% of its population with health care -- a greater percentage than the United States.

Rwanda has been dubbed "Africa's Singapore" by The Economist for its transformation since a devastating genocide in 1994.

Watch Fareed Zakaria talk with Rwanda's president

The country has three health insurance plans, one for government employees, another for the military, and the third for the remaining population. The country commits about 20% of its annual spending to health, which is funded by tax revenues, insurance premiums and financial support from international donations, according to a WHO report.

Since introducing health insurance, Rwanda has seen lower childhood mortality rates; more people are also receiving medical attention. But the country faces challenges from an increase in health services and making contributions more affordable for its poorest citizens, according to a WHO report.

Thailand

By law, Thailand requires all patients to be covered by health insurance, regardless of their ability to pay.

The WHO uses Thailand as an example of a low- or middle-income country that has been able to extend health coverage to all citizens.

Introduced in 2002 as the "30-bhat scheme," (which is less than $1), the plan added about 14 million previously uninsured people to the Thai system.

Prescription drugs, hospitalizations and services like chemotherapy, surgery and emergency care are free to patients, according to a WHO report.

But the addition of millions of people to a health care system strained the existing structures, prompting criticisms of long waits, poor quality of service and shortage of service.

South Korea

South Korea passed a law in 1977, mandating health insurance for industrial workers. During its rapid economic growth, health care became a priority for the government, which created the National Health Insurance. The system extended to universal coverage by 1989.

The government merged more than 300 individual insurers into a single national fund, according to a WHO report.

Korea's single-payer program has "been successful in mobilizing resources for health care, rapidly extending population coverage, effectively pooling public and private resources to purchase health care for the entire population, and containing health care expenditure," according to a report published in Health Policy Plan.

But another report published in Health Affairs said that the public funding is limited, leaving "beneficiaries with relatively high payments." South Korea's expenditure on health care is 6.3% of the country's gross domestic product, compared with 18% in the United States.

Moldova

The Eastern European country became independent with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. By 2004, it began a mandatory health insurance program with the aim of providing the entire population with basic health care.

Employed Moldovans chip in a portion of their income through a payroll tax or a flat-rate contribution. Others who are unemployed or not working are insured by the government.

Its National Health Insurance Company is the sole buyer of health care services and organizes emergency, primary and secondary care locally, according to a report by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, a joint partnership between European governments and the World Health Organization.

Kuwait

Kuwait's level of health care is comparable to average European standards, according to the WHO's profile of the Middle Eastern country.

The country began building up its health care system as it gained wealth from oil revenues. By the 1950s, the government implemented free comprehensive health care. This resulted in declines in general mortality and infant deaths, the report said. "Free health care was so extensive that it even included veterinary medicine," according to a local WHO report.

Kuwait faces an aging population as well as an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and obesity-related complications that place great demands on its health care system.

Chile

The Chilean constitution guarantees rights to health protection.

Chileans can opt for public care or get coverage from private health insurance companies. Wealthier citizens can buy insurance from the Instituciones de Salud Previsional or obtain coverage through their employer. A 7% income tax funds the public health care system, the Fondo Nacional de Salud, according to an analysis of health care reform in Chile.

Public care includes free medical, dental and midwifery services, which are run locally. Private insurance tends to focus on specialist treatment.

The existence of both public-private insurance has created inequities of care, prompting reform efforts in 2000 to increase equality across the country.

Chile has guaranteed universal access to quality treatment for some conditions including certain cancers, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, depression and dental care, which has improved care for the poor, according to the WHO.

China

China announced an overhaul of its health system in 2009 to bring safe, affordable basic health services to all residents -- a tall order for a country containing 1.3 billion people.

The government committed about $126 billion to reform the quality and efficiency of its health care, and ensure affordable and quality medication.

But the issue of equity in health care persists. "There are still significant disparities in health status between regions, urban and rural areas, and among population groups," according to the WHO.

China has seen increased life expectancy and reductions in infant deaths, but health observers stated in the WHO report the need to improve delivery of care.

Response: Universal health coverage prevalent in Europe and several non-Western nations. World Health Organization calls universal coverage "a widely shared political aim of most countries". U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule shortly on Obama's sweeping health care reform.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:San Francisco (CNN) -- The three largest U.S. cellular carriers by subscribers sell the latest iPhone, and next week, eighth-place C Spire Wireless will join the group.

Some people were taken aback this week when C Spire, which only has stores in Mississippi, Southwest Alabama and Southwest Tennessee, announced that it will begin carrying the iPhone 4 and 4S on November 11.

Among those grumbling over the news were some of T-Mobile USA's 33.6 million subscribers. How, they asked, could a regional carrier get the coveted product before one of the big four?

C Spire's infrastructure is based on a cell standard used by Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel, which now both have the iPhone, but it is not common in other countries. C Spire, formerly Cellular South, has a deal with Verizon so that customers who travel outside of its Mississippi home base can still make calls.

Since C Spire's network uses the same underpinnings and antenna bands as Verizon, Apple did not have to make modifications to its phones beyond what it already did for Verizon when it launched there in February. An Apple spokeswoman confirmed that C Spire would begin selling the phone next week, but she did not respond to a question about whether the company needed to modify the hardware.

The iPhone 4S, Apple's newest gadget, uses a special antenna receiver from Qualcomm that works on typically incompatible networks. "IPhone 4S is now a world phone, so both GSM and CDMA customers can roam worldwide on GSM networks," Bob Mansfield, Apple's head of hardware engineering, says in a promotional video.

T-Mobile's network runs on the global standard called GSM. AT&T Mobility also uses GSM. That's what makes T-Mobile an attractive takeover target for AT&T, which plans to bolster its own network using T-Mobile cell towers, as long as the merger is approved. (C Spire, along with Sprint, are suing to block the acquisition, saying it will reduce competition.)

While AT&T and T-Mobile use the same basic network infrastructure, their cell signals operate on different antenna bands. That prevents T-Mobile from easily making iPhones run on its network.

When asked why C Spire got the iPhone before T-Mobile, Brad Duea, a T-Mobile senior vice-president, smiled, having likely fielded the question before.

"The iPhone already works with their bands," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "They didn't have to change anything."

Since the original iPhone came out in 2007, owners have been able to take the devices to T-Mobile, swap out a SIM card and use them on the network. But as Apple has added 3G and faster data speeds for AT&T, the unofficial T-Mobile iPhones -- more than a million in all, T-Mobile has said -- have not been able to exceed 2G speeds. AT&T's and T-Mobile's 3G and so-called 4G networks operate on different bands.

Another T-Mobile executive, Cole Brodman, recently addressed the issue publicly at a conference and in a letter to customers, though not in great deal. Executives say that, while they'd like to have the iPhone, Android is a fine alternative to the iPhone.

Response: C Spire Wireless will be the fourth U.S. carrier to get the iPhone. T-Mobile, the fourth-largest carrier, still has no plans to carry it. C Spire operates on the same network bands as Verizon.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Champions League holders Barcelona survived a scare in Germany on Tuesday evening as Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half equalizer earned them a 1-1 last 16 first leg draw against Stuttgart.

The Catalan giants failed to produce the free-flowing football that has become their trademark under coach Pep Guardiola and they fell behind in the 25th minute.

Stuttgart had warmed up for the match by hitting five goals past Cologne at the weekend, with striker Cacau helping himself to four of them.

And the Brazilian-born forward maintained that form by opening the scoring here, powerfully heading home Timo Gebhart's cross.

The home side had chances to double their lead before the break, with only goalkeeper Victor Valdes depriving Cacau of a second -- although Lionel Messi did strike the post with a long-range effort for the visitors.

However, Barca regrouped after the break and levelled just seven minutes into the second period, when Swedish striker Ibrahimovic was on hand to finish from Gerard Pique's nod down.

The result means Barcelona will be strong favorites to reach the quarterfinals when the teams meet again at the Nou Camp in a fortnight's time.

Meanwhile, in the night's other match, Bordeaux look well set to reach the quarterfinals after a narrow 1-0 victory against Olympiacos in Athens.

Laurent Blanc's side are unbeaten in the competition this season and look genuine contenders to win the trophy after Michael Ciani nodded home Yoann's Gourcouff's free-kick from close range on the stroke of half time.

In the only Europa League match played in Tuesday, Portuguese giants Benfica cruised into the last 16 after thrashing Hertha Berlin 4-0 for a 5-1 aggregate victory.

Two goals from oscar Cardozo and one apiece from Pablo Aimar and Javi Garcia ensured Benfica's smooth progress, where they will now face either Marseille or FC Copenhagen.

Response: Barcelona fight back to earn a 1-1 Champions League draw in Stuttgart. Zlatan Ibrahimovic levels for the holders after Cacau put the Bundesliga side ahead. Bordeaux secure a narrow 1-0 win in Athens against Olympiacos in the other last 16 match.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Violent crime in the United States fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2011 with murder, rape and robbery all going down, although crime remains a serious problem in many urban areas, the FBI said on Monday.

The report of all crimes reported to police nationwide showed slightly more than 1.2 million violent incidents nationwide, while property crimes hit a nine-year low.

Compared with 2010, the new figures show violent crime down 3.8 percent overall. Property crime was down 0.5 percent.

Among violent incidents reported to police, murders were down about 0.7 percent, robberies dropped 4 percent, aggravated assaults declined 3.9 percent, and forcible rapes were down 2.5 percent.

Despite the positive trend, crime remains a serious problem in many urban pockets riddled with gangs, drugs, and poverty.

There were 14,612 murders last year, on average one every 36 minutes.  That's a small decline from 14,722 in 2010, but it's a decrease of nearly 17 percent from a decade ago.

Most victims were male and in cases where race was known, 50 percent were black and 46 percent were white.

Statistics showed 514 murders in New York and 431 in Chicago.

Guns were used in two thirds of the nation's murders last year, 41 percent of robberies, and 21 percent of aggravated assaults, the report showed.

The closely watched Uniform Crime Reports do not include explanations for the consolidated figures, and the FBI does not comment on the data.

However, criminologists point to a variety of factors for the continuing decline in overall violence. They cite a more settled crack cocaine market, an increase in incarcerations, an aging population, data-driven policing, and changes in technology that include a big increase in surveillance cameras.

James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University, said crime has continued to decline from a peak in the 1990s but now is decreasing at a slower rate.

"I call it the limbo stick effect," Fox said. " You can only go so low. You're never going to get down to zero crime."

The FBI crime statistics differed from a telephone crime survey released by the Justice Department early this month. That report actually showed crime increasing last year, but attributed the change to a jump in simple assaults.

Fox said many of those assaults described to interviewers were non-injury pushing and shoving incidents not reported to any law enforcement agencies.

He also noted the increase that the Justice Department reported was from an all-time low in the crime rate the previous year, suggesting crime is entering a low level where police officials hope it will stay for some time.

Response: Crime still falling from 1990s peak but decreasing at slower rate, expert said. Murder, rape, and robbery decline in 2011, property crime hits nine-year low. Violent crime remains a problem in many urban areas, according to FBI statistics. Murders decline slightly year-over-year, but down sharply from a decade ago.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy is missing in Egypt, according to the boy's family.

The family says that the boy's Egyptian father abducted him.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Cairo, meanwhile, says U.S. authorities are "aware of the situation" and are assisting the boy's mother in her search efforts.

Stephano Khalil Mohamed Atteya, or Nikko as he is called by his family, went to Egypt with his mother and her sister to visit his father, who lives there, according to a missing person report from the Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg. The boy was last seen August 1 with his father, the boy's family said.

The father sped off with the boy in a car after forcing the boy's mother and aunt from the car, the family said.

"They heard (Nikko) screaming from the window, calling for his mom," said Nikko's aunt, Olga Panagos, who lives in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. "That's the last time they saw him."

Nikko's father, an Egyptian citizen, requested that his son come to Egypt to meet his grandmother and attend his father's sister's wedding, American relatives said.

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo is working with Nikko's mother, who is still in Cairo, and with local authorities to help locate the boy, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Colton.

The boy's parents were married in 1999 and divorced in 2005; Nikko was their only child together and was born in the United States, according to Panagos.

"The family is very stressed. We have no idea where Nikko is," Panagos said.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, also is working with the family to provide any appropriate assistance, according to Casey spokeswoman April Melody.

CNN's Leigh Remizowski, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.

Response: An embassy official in Egypt says U.S. authorities are working with the boy's mother. "The family is very stressed. We have no idea where Nikko is," an aunt says. The boy was in Egypt to spend time with his Egyptian father's family.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:West Milford, New Jersey (CNN) -- For Gary Oppenheimer, 2007 was a year of plenty.

His backyard garden produced a bountiful harvest with a surplus of spaghetti squash, melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for his family. At the end of the season, Oppenheimer had 40 pounds of excess fresh produce -- and nowhere to take it.

"Nobody wanted more," he said. "My wife wouldn't let me bring any more in the house, and I didn't want it wasted."

So Oppenheimer took the produce to a local food pantry at a battered-women's shelter. When he dropped off the food, he was struck by the response he got from the shelter worker.

"[She] thanked me profusely, and as I left she said, 'Now we can have something fresh to eat,' " Oppenheimer recalled. "That stuck with me because I remember walking away thinking, 'What? They have canned stuff only all the time?' "

The experience ultimately led Oppenheimer, 57, to create a way for gardeners across the country to easily share their excess produce with hungry families in their communities.

In 2008, Oppenheimer became the director of the West Milford Community Garden in West Milford, New Jersey. He learned that toward the end of the summer, plots were often abandoned and good food was sometimes left to rot.

He tried to find a list of his town's local food pantries online where the extra produce could be donated. A Google search showed the nearest food pantry was in another town, 25 miles away -- when in fact there were six food pantries in Oppenheimer's town of West Milford.

Oppenheimer knew he had stumbled upon a gap in information that could rescue fresh produce from a wasteful end and potentially save lives.

"I realized that if I'm having this problem as a gardener, then other people across the country must be having the exact same problem," he said. "I got up the next morning, and I went on the internet, and I grabbed the domain of AmpleHarvest.org."

He reached out to food pantries across the country through social networking, food banks, master gardeners, faith organizations and other groups to encourage them to sign up for inclusion in his database of food pantries. Oppenheimer enlisted the help of Web designers and in May 2009, AmpleHarvest.org was rolled out nationally.

The free online resource enables food pantries to register and be listed in a central nationwide directory, and makes it possible for American gardeners to easily find the local pantries where they can donate extra produce.

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes

"The country is loaded with gardeners who have more food than they can possibly themselves use," Oppenheimer said. "AmpleHarvest.org gives them the ability to easily, quickly get that food to somebody who genuinely, really needs it."

According to the Department of Agriculture, nearly 15 percent of American households have difficulty meeting their food needs. Those who rely on food pantries are often surviving on canned and processed foods. But with 41 million U.S. households growing fruits and vegetables, according to the National Gardening Association, Oppenheimer is helping green-thumbed Americans share healthier options with their neighbors in need.

"Whether it's a hanging tomato plant off your apartment terrace, or a garden ... or whether you run a farm, we all have food that's left behind," Oppenheimer said. "That's the food that ... we can get into the system to help diminish hunger in the country."

Nearly 2,000 food pantries across the United States are now registered on the site.

Timothy Lesko recently received fresh produce from a food pantry that had items from AmpleHarvest.org donations. Lesko said the fresh vegetables will help his family eat more healthfully.

"Me and my wife are trying to have my son be as healthy as possible. [At] the grocery store, the food's expensive, and it's hard to buy the healthier foods because we don't always have the money," Lesko said.

"It would be nice to see if more people could farm at home and bring whatever extra they have for the pantry."

Although Oppenheimer cannot track the amount of produce that has been donated to food pantries, he said he's received messages from numerous pantries and clients across the country who've been given food as a result of AmpleHarvest.org. He also has heard from growers who continue to donate because the website led them to local pantries.

And as the food pantries continue to see results, Oppenheimer hopes his efforts will turn into a lifelong commitment for the gardeners.

"The point is to get it so that people will find it's easy and convenient to get in the car and to drop off that bag of tomatoes or carrots or apples, and then to make it a part of their regular routine, hopefully for the rest of their gardening lives."

Want to get involved? Check out the AmpleHarvest.org website and see how to help.

Response: New Jersey man created way for gardeners to share extra produce with the hungry. Website AmpleHarvest.org connects gardeners nationwide with food pantries. Nearly 2,000 food pantries across the U.S. are now registered on the site. Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- "We must be on you but cannot see you." That was one of the very last voice signals transmitted by Amelia Earhart in the summer of 1937, somewhere over the vast Pacific Ocean during her ill-fated flight around the globe.

An intense search led by the U.S. Navy was launched to find Earhart and her plane, but after several weeks, nothing was found.

"All right, good night." Those were the last words transmitted 17 days ago from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, somewhere over the South China Sea between Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City.

An international search led by the Malaysian government and Malaysia Airlines and joined by governments and private companies from the United States, Great Britain, China, Australia, Norway, Japan, New Zealand and others have narrowed down a possible search region to a vast chunk of the Indian Ocean southwest of Perth, Australia.

"This is probably the one of the largest efforts you'll ever see in terms of maritime surveillance and joint operations," Australian Defense Minister David Johnston said Tuesday.

Reports now seem to support the theory, popularized by pilot instructor Chris Goodfellow, that an incapacitating emergency led the pilots to divert the Boeing 777 toward the closest airport (hence turning south) while simultaneously trying to fight an electrical fire of some sort until they were overcome. Experts believe that the jet continued on dumb autopilot until it was, like Earhart's Lockheed Electra, out of fuel, plunging into the sea.

Opinion: Flight 370's resting place is best clue

Earhart was lost on July 2, 1937. MH370 disappeared March 8, 2014, more than two weeks ago.

In those 77 years, almost everything about the world has changed.

Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared just a few years before World War II erupted and a new world order emerged: what is often called the American century. And the three-week search effort for Earhart was entirely American, directed by the Navy.

Flight 370 was operated by Malaysia's national airline, en route to Beijing. The flight was the opposite of pioneering, instead a routine long haul of 227 passengers, with a coach class ticket costing about $530. But in this case, the search effort is extraordinary and much more international in scope.

This time, it's not just the Americans. The Australians, the Chinese and the Norwegians are deploying their air forces and navies with cutting-edge technologies for weeks on end to help. Pakistani radar, Chinese satellites, even NASA aided the search. Add to that countless hours of analytical personnel. In the end, it was a private British satellite company, Inmarsat, that confirmed the likely flight path and terminus.

According to some reports, this is the most expensive search effort in history. Although there was strong criticism against the Malaysian government for delays and missteps during the initial days of the investigation, it seems as if the international community has largely united in focusing massive resources on finding the plane.

There was nobody famous on the flight and yet it is somehow unremarkable that dozens of nations are expending millions of dollars to solve the mystery.

Together.

Pilot: How mechanical problem could have downed Flight 370

All this stands in stark contrast to Russia's opportunistic conquest of the Crimean peninsula, a major part of the neighboring nation of Ukraine. That sort of nationalist land grab reminds me less of the Cold War than of norms of the 18th century and just about every century of history prior. Certainly, there's something extraordinary and dangerous going on in the Crimea, but a calmer, more patient, more historical assessment distinguishes the reflexive nationalism of a weakened ex-empire from the larger trends in a globalizing world.

Or what about the civil war in Syria? Or the heightened tensions on the North Korean peninsula? Or the disputes between Japan and Korea over the "Sea of Japan" versus the "East Sea"? Or the uprisings in Venezuela?

All are hot spots where the international community has largely been paralyzed, unable to do much more than call for multilateral inquiries and issue hollow condemnations.

So what's left to be seen is whether this unprecedented international coalition assembled to scour the ocean for the remains of Flight 370 is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise devastating tragedy for the families of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Or whether this is merely a one-off proposition where each nation is acting in its own self-interest to do what it must for its own citizens, while feigning cooperation for the world stage.

I prefer to see the goodness here, that the world can come together and work together when it counts.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us of the everyday miracles of our time.

Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tim Kane.

Response: Tim Kane says international search for Flight 370 is rare bright spot in tragedy. More than a half-dozen nations have come together in the deep-water search. Like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937, Flight 370 is a mystery.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg just had a birthday on May 14. He's now 29. If that seems insanely young for a billionaire, remember that he co-founded Facebook when he was a teenager.

Zuckerberg has a lot to celebrate. He's amassed a fortune, inspired one of every seven people on the planet to use his product and changed how the world communicates -- all before age 30.

By comparison, when they were 29, Steve Jobs launched the Macintosh computer and Bill Gates was readying the first retail version of Microsoft Windows. And most of the rest of us were just struggling to pay the rent.

So happy birthday to Zuck! To mark the occasion, we collected these 10 random facts about the tech wunderkind:

1. Zuckerberg suffers from red-green colorblindness and sees the color blue best, which is why blue dominates Facebook's color scheme.

2. AOL and Microsoft tried to recruit him when he was in high school after he created Synapse, a program that used artificial intelligence to learn users' music-listening habits.

3. He wears the same gray Facebook T-shirt almost every day because he's busy and it saves him time in the morning.

4. Despite Zuckerberg's casual wardrobe, he said he wore a tie every day in 2009 to show that Facebook was serious about growing in the face of the global recession.

5. He is a vegetarian and once said he will only eat meat if he has killed the animal himself. But among his "likes" on his Facebook page are McDonald's and In-N-Out Burger.

6. He has amassed 220,000 Twitter followers despite the fact that he's only tweeted 19 times in four years, and not once in 15 months.

7. In October 2010, Zuckerberg took a bunch of Facebook staffers to a public theater to see "The Social Network," the movie about the founding of Facebook. In public comments afterward, he criticized the film's portrayal of him as someone who invented Facebook to gain social status.

8. He owns a Hungarian sheepdog named Beast, who has a Facebook page with 1.5 million fans.

9. He took some heat last year for giving his wife, Priscilla Chan, a ruby wedding ring that jewelers valued at about $25,000 even though he was worth about $19 billion at the time.

10. If you type @[4:0] in a Facebook comment window and hit enter, his name will appear.

What, if anything, fascinates you about Zuckerberg? Let us know in the comments.

Response: Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg turned 29 on May 14. Young billionaire has inspired one of every seven people on the planet to use his product. Zuckerberg trivia: Facebook is mostly blue because he is colorblind.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- There are fears of Russians and it is October, but it's not a Tom Clancy novel. It is a case of international naval intrigue off the Swedish coast that brings back memories of the Cold War.

The Swedish military on Monday intensified a search in the ocean off Stockholm for an underwater mystery vessel, but stopped short of calling it a submarine. Civilian vessels were ordered to stay at least six miles (about 10 kilometers) away from the Swedish warship conducting the search, the English-language website The Local reported.

The search began Thursday after Swedish intelligence picked up an emergency radio call in Russian, reported The Local, citing the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

The radio transmissions were being sent to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, 330 miles (530 kilometers) south of Stockholm on the Baltic's southern shore, according to The Local report.

There were also reports that a foreign vessel was spotted in the waters near Stockholm.

Russia on Sunday denied it has any vessel in Swedish waters. Moscow suggested the vessel may belong to the Netherlands and have been involved in naval exercises off Sweden, according to a report from Russia's Itar-TASS news agency.

The Dutch were quick to respond, saying a sub involved in the exercises was anchored in Tallinn harbor of NATO-ally Estonia for the weekend, according to a report from Agence France-Presse.

'We have good stamina'

On Monday, the Swedish military vowed to continue searching at least for the next few days, according to The Local.

"We have good stamina," The Local quoted defense spokesman Dag Enander. "We're using the sensors we have and are searching both from land and water," Enander was quoted as saying.

To confuse matters even more, the Swedish military said Monday that it purposely provided incorrect information on Sunday about where the mystery vessel was sighted to keep the search area secure.

U.S. officials told CNN there are no U.S. submarines or surface ships in the immediate area. U.S. intelligence doesn't know of any Russian assets in that area, the officials said.

All the activity begs the question, why would a Russian sub need to snoop around in Swedish waters anyway?

Johan Wiktorin of the Swedish Royal Academy of War Sciences gave three possibilities to The Local:

"They could be mapping the waters in order to be able to navigate them in the event of hostilities," Wiktorin is quoted as saying.

"They could also be installing equipment, like sensors, that could track or get an observation of our units in that area," he goes on. "Or they could also possibly reconnoiter our (defense) systems."

Russian military around the world

Whether there is a Russian sub in Swedish waters or not, there is no question that Russian forces have been active in the Baltic and around the globe this year. In fact, the Swedish military said Sunday that it has monitored suspicious activity for several years, according to another report in The Local.

In July, a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane fled into Swedish airspace after the Russians took the unusual action of beginning to track it with land-based radar. The Russians then sent at least one fighter jet into the sky to intercept the U.S. aircraft.

And on April 23, a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet buzzed within 100 feet of the nose of a U.S. Air Force RC-135U reconnaissance plane over the Sea of Okhotsk between Russia and Japan, a Defense Department official said.

Also on April 23, Dutch fighter jets scrambled to intercept a pair of Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers that entered a half-mile into Netherlands airspace.

On June 4, according to U.S. defense officials, four long-range Russian Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by an aerial refueling tanker, flew into the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone, an area extending 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the North American coast, off Alaska, where they were intercepted by U.S. F-22 fighter jets.

Two of the Russian bombers peeled off and headed west, while the other two flew south and were identified by U.S. F-15 fighters within 50 miles of the California coast.

And last month, two Alaskan-based U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian IL-78 refueling tankers, two Russian MiG-31 fighter jets and two Russian Bear long-range bombers, according to Capt. Jeff Davis of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

More than six hours later, two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers in the Beaufort Sea, Davis said. Those Russian planes came within about 40 nautical miles of the Canadian coastline, he said.

Earlier this year, a top U.S. Air Force general said Russia was stepping up its military activities in the Asia-Pacific region as tensions increased over Ukraine and Russia's move into Crimea.

Response: Emergency radio call picked up by Swedish military, report says. Radio transmissions sent to Russian enclave on Baltic Sea, report says. Russia denies any vessel in Swedish waters. Russian military has been active around world this year.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick as Real Madrid crushed Malaga 7-0 to close the gap on Spanish league leaders Barcelona.

The Portuguese striker ended his four-match goal drought in style as Jose Mourinho's side reduced Barca's advantage at the top of La Liga to seven points.

Second-bottom Malaga had no answer to a powerful attacking display and finished the game with nine men after defender Manolo was sent off and Cala limped off injured after they had made all their permitted substitutions.

Malaga coach Manuel Pelligrini, who was replaced at Real Madrid by Mourinho, chose to rest some of his best players and the decision came back to haunt him at the Bernabeu.

France international Karim Benzema began the rout after 27 minutes when he diverted Xabi Alonso's free kick into the net.

Angel Di Maria added a second nine minutes later after capitalizing on a missed interception to slot the ball into the bottom corner.

Just before the break Marcelo slammed Di Maria's pass into the corner of the net to make it 3-0.

There was no let up after the interval as Ronaldo rounded off a flowing move to register a fourth before Benzema got his second with a header from Marcelo's cross.

Manolo handled in the area to give Real a penalty and was shown a second yellow card by the referee. Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot.

And the striker completed his hat-trick by converting Sergio Canales' cross at the near post with 13 minutes remaining before asking to be substituted.

Response: Real Madrid beat Malaga 7-0 in Spain's La Liga. Cristiano Ronaldo scores a hat-trick as Real close gap on leaders Barcelona. Karim Benzema scores twice as Real move to within seven points of Barca.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Four members of a group of 31 North Koreans who accidentally crossed over into South Korean waters on a fishing boat, have decided to defect to the South, despite Pyongyang's demands that they all be repatriated to the North, the South Korean Red Cross said.

The defection of the four North Koreans could spark tensions on the peninsula, where joint U.S.-South Korea military drills have kicked off this week. North Korea had threatened to engulf Seoul in a "sea of flames," a day before the opening of the exercise.

The South will return the remaining 27 members of the group through Panmunjom, a truce village on the ground border between the two sides, and send the fishing boat back through the waters in the West Sea on Friday, the Red Cross said.

South Korea's intelligence agency questioned the North Koreans for almost a month since they crossed over in February before deciding to release the group, the aid agency said.

There are currently more than 20,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea, according to the South's Unification Ministry. The number of annual defectors has risen dramatically since the turn of the century and continues to climb.

Defectors who are forcefully repatriated to the North after attempting to cross over into third countries such as China, Mongolia or Southeast Asia are commonly sent to prison camps as a punishment. Many defectors who live in South Korea fear for the lives of their family or relatives who remain in the North.

Response: A boat with a crew of 31 crosses into South Korean waters, the Red Cross says. Four of the fishermen decide to stay in the South. The number of defections has risen dramatically in the past decade.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- As he strained, crunched and lifted weights, the muscle panels surfaced from Jason Dinant's stomach. Faintly at first, they emerged: one, two, three and four -- not yet a six-pack.

"In the first three months, I saw such a fast improvement, now I'm worried about plateauing," said Jason Dinant.

"My bottom two abs haven't come in yet," he said.

Since January, Dinant, an iReporter, has tried to get  six-pack abs in time for his 10-year high school reunion in June.

Dinant, a Las Vegas, Nevada, resident, is one of the three iReport contributors being followed by CNNhealth as they strive to meet diet and fitness goals they set at the beginning of the year. iReport.com: See the journey to change

Dinant wanted to whip his beanpole figure into muscular shape. He also wanted to display a healthier physique for his blog called "Naked Boy News," where he stands shirtless to give what he calls "the naked truth about today's news."

And now the 27-year-old has another motivation.

Dinant will be a guest, riding in a chariot-style car for an "ab-veil" on June 28 for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March in New York.  His car is to be accompanied by rows of shirtless men who also have six-packs.

Dinant was invited because,  the Naked Boy News is "a very popular act," said Maurice Michaane, director of the event. "People in the Northeast know him."

With the parade only two months away, Dinant said: "Now I'm in high drive. There's no cheating on the diet."

To get in shape, he works out four to five days a week, performing a combination of core exercises, dumbbell curls and pull-ups. He jogs, does cardio exercises and works with a fitness trainer.  To avoid looking like "a toothpick with abs," he started lifting weights.

With a stringent diet and hours at the gym, the 6-foot-tall Dinant shrank from 160 to 143 pounds.

Losing weight is normal with all the exercising and dieting, said Robert Dothard, a personal trainer based in Atlanta, Georgia.

"You can't see a six-pack through fat," Dinant said. "Belly fat is the enemy. People reveal their ab muscles, but the nutrition and exercise are also formula for weight loss."

The key is to eat in increments, but it's difficult for people with traditional, 9-to-5 jobs to eat something every two hours to maintain their weight, he said. Body builders try to offset the weight loss by consuming protein powders and supplements, Dothard said.

Dinant's weight loss was completely unintentional. He said eating 16 egg whites and 1¼ pounds of chicken breasts every day gets old after three straight months.

"It's hard to eat that much protein," Dinant said.  "I started drinking this protein shake so I can get in all the calories and protein."

Compared with just four months ago, the "man boobies" and the extra layer of flab around his midsection have been lost, Dinant said. And there's an even bigger benefit.

"I'm awake more. I'm alert more and I have more energy," he said.  "I just feel better. My whole body has become healthier and better."

While pleased with the results, Dinant worried that with two-thirds of a six-pack, his body will begin to plateau.

"Plateaus are really a mental thing," Dothard said.  "When that happens, people start going back to their own habits. So they end up cheating and binging."

If the body doesn't respond to the workout anymore, more difficult exercises should be adopted.

"Jason has to do something different or harder to maintain results to keep on the track that he's on," Dothard said. "It can be frustrating, especially when he is still working out and the body is not responding to the same thing. People work out 30-45 days and get tremendous results, then it slows down or stops. Nothing's wrong. The body is adjusting to what you're doing."

Response: Jason Dinant, an iReporter, has met two-thirds of his goal for six-pack abs. Dinant getting in shape for high school reunion and gay pride parade. Fitness trainer advises using more difficult exercises if body plateaus.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- From his early days as one of the first faces familiar to television audiences in the 1950s, as host of "American Bandstand," Dick Clark was a constant.

He wasn't just a major force in television, but in the music industry as well, up until his death on Wednesday at the age of 82.

So it's no wonder that iReports flooded in from those who worked closely with Dick Clark, as well as those who only knew him as a friend who came into their living rooms, whether it be each week or only each New Year's "Rockin'" Eve.

Dick Clark was involved with so much, from various award shows, to the popular "Pyramid" Game show, to "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes," that only focusing on one reason he was so loved by so many just isn't enough. Even three reasons doesn't cover it.

So here are ten reasons -- counting down, like he did to the new year -- why iReporters loved Dick Clark:

10. He was humble

Sioux Falcone worked with Dick Clark in the 1980s. She well recalls him wearing a name tag to his own holiday party.

"I was watching CNN and my son asked who the man on television was and I told him 'actually he was my boss.' And my son didn't believe me. So I pulled out this photo yesterday and here he was wearing a name tag. I thought it was really endearing."

She also said that her fondest memory of Dick Clark was when he gave her his first desk after he moved to the west coast for 'American Bandstand.' She inquired about the piece of furniture with the office manager and a few days later Clark was at here desk.

"He said, 'I heard you want my desk,' and I said I would pay, but he said I didn't have to pay for it," she said. "He helped me load his antique desk into my car," she said. "He would show random acts of kindness like that.'"

9. "He broke color barriers"

Maxine Porter, the legal steward for the late Bill Pinkney of the R&B/soul group, the Drifters, put it this way: "What artist of color didn't have some association with Dick Clark over the years?"

Clark is widely credited with integrating his audience on "American Bandstand" and, according to Porter, Pinkney was one of those musical artists of color who credited Clark with their start.

"The first comment I heard him make about Dick Clark was, 'You know, we were one of the first black acts, if not the first, on his show in Philadelphia before he went national," she said.

"As a little girl, watching television in Mississippi, I was not exposed to blacks in any positions of power or affluence," said iReporter Elnora Fondren Palmtag of Clarksdale, Mississippi.

"Dick Clark was an inspiration when he fought for the integration of his show, first for the performers on his show and later adding dancers of different races. I know he helped to launch the careers of some great black performers, but you may not see the impact he had on the poor underprivileged children of the ghettos around the country who did not know that they could be more than what they could see around them."

8. He introduced generations to music

Mark Jensen from Branson, Missouri, was one of many loyal viewers of "American Bandstand."

"I watched the show every weekend, and because of the show, I heard music that I normally wouldn't have because I couldn't afford to buy records or a radio."

Jensen was inspired by "Bandstand:" the now singer/songwriter also goes by the stage name of Mark Catron.

7.  He was a teenage staple

Every afternoon, Janie Lambert from Hughesville, Maryland would switch on American Bandstand at home, and dance to Chubby Checker, learning to do "the Twist" and "the Limbo."

"I will never forget March 1967 when the Beatle's Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were debuted on 'American Bandstand.' The Beatles new look and sound was eerie, strange, a little frightening but oh so very exciting. This was a big change for the music industry."

Lambert described "Bandstand" as "the part of my day that I looked most forward to,' she said. "No one can take his place."

6. He was a mentor

Paul Revere is a member of Paul Revere and the Raiders, who hit it big in the 1960s. He worked with Dick Clark for several years and describes Clark as being a wonderful and close friend. Revere describes one of his fondest memories with Clark when he and his band were at a shoot for the '60s NBC show, "Where the Action Is."

"He's my guy. We saw each other six weeks ago, and I can't even believe he is gone." He said his heart sunk when he heard the news of Clark's passing. "When you get older you want to spend time with the people you are close to, and you keep putting things off because you always think you are going to have another day."

He said he is really glad he had the chance to see Clark six weeks ago.

"You need to always tell your friends how much they mean to you," he said. "That is what I learned from this situation... I gave him a hug and told him everything I have and everything I am I owe to him."

5. He was forever young

Kathi Cordsen remembered thinking about how ageless Dick Clark seemed on television when she tuned in to watch his show. Her fondest memory of Clark was when she would throw dance parties at her house with her neighbor friends while they watched "American Bandstand" in the afternoon.

"I remember always thinking how Dick Clark never seemed to age from year to year and I wondered how he did that. Good living and being a good person, that must have been what it was."

4. He was a dancer's best friend

When Karen Folkes was a teenager, she was living in Minnesota, but she was travelling to Hollywood to dance on Dick Clark's show. Her brother, who lived in California at the time, managed to get her and her friend passes to "American Bandstand."

She found herself in Clark's office with his now wife, Kary Wigton, who was also from Minnesota. Clark and Wigton told Folkes she could come by the show whenever she wanted. During the 1970's Folkes danced on the show 32 times.

Dancers still have Dick Clark to thank, as he produced the Fox television series "So You Think You Can Dance."

3. He was the perfect host

Paul Martin was a British DJ living in America during the 1960s "British invasion," and looked up to Clark.

"Some entertainers are trained in broadcast schools, some get lucky and just land a broadcast job on the spur of the moment, others get there because of who rather than what they know and the right connections, etc.," said Martin, now living in Beverly Hills, California. "But Clark made it to the top of his profession because he was the right guy at the right time on the right show and America and the world's most popular television music program!"

2. He was great to work for

Steven Leuck, a contractor in Eugene, Oregon, worked for Clark in his New York City home in the mid-1980s. Having grown up on "Bandstand," he was "thrilled" to work for him.

"Mr. Clark called me at home and told me personally how much he appreciated the extra time and work it took to get [his] specialty lighting purchased, delivered and installed on time," he said. "He gave me his home phone number and told me that if I should ever need anything that he could do for me that I should never hesitate to call on him. I have worked with many celebrities over the years but he was far and away the kindest, most thoughtful gentleman of all the celebrities I have ever met or had the pleasure to work with."

1. He gave people opportunities

Maggie Kortchmar, back when she was known as Maggie Lee, had a song played on "American Bandstand" in the 1980s.

"He said my name so sweetly: he was thoughtful, and concerned with the kids saying it was okay."

Unfortunately, the record got a lukewarm response, but "Dick Clark looked right into the camera, and told me he liked it and for me to keep plugging. A very generous, kind man."

Response: Iconic television host remembered by iReporters. Friend and colleague Paul Revere talks about meeting Clark at NBC shoot. "Bandstand" was an afternoon television staple.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Firefighters gained ground in recent days in the battle with a wildfire that burned 84 buildings and blackened 28,000 acres of dense forest in northern California.

The Ponderosa fire, which is in a remote area of Shasta County, California, is just one of 42,750 wildfires that have burned 6,901,035 acres in the United States this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The fire, ignited by lightning five days ago, was 57% contained by Thursday, allowing some families forced from their homes to return, fire officials said.

The Ponderosa fire still threatens 900 homes, forcing those residents to evacuate. Nearly 2,500 people, equipped with 263 firetrucks and 11 helicopters, are involved in the effort to stop the Ponderosa fire.

Fires rage on Canary Islands

Shasta is one of three northern California counties for which Gov. Jerry Brown has declared states of emergency because of wildfires this week. The other counties included in the declaration, which makes emergency funding available to fight the blazes, are Plumas and Tehama.

In Plumas County, the Chips fire has burned 63,147 acres, most of it in the Plumas National Forest. The 1,146 personnel fighting it have managed to gain 40% containment, according to officials.

"Today's mission is clear: hold, hold, hold," Operations Section Chief Rob Laeng told firefighters at their morning briefing Thursday.

Wildfires spread in Greece

In Tehama County, the battle is almost over against the Mill fire. It is 95% contained after 1,680 acres burned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

A fire that has burned nearly 100,000 acres, mostly managed by the U.S. Forestry Service, in northern Idaho is still just 5% contained three weeks after it began, officials said. The Trinity Ridge fire threatens the community of Featherville, but efforts to create a buffer for the area have been "very successful," according to a statement on the fire's incident website.

Response: California's Ponderosa Fire burns 84 buildings and threatens 900 homes. Gov. Jerry Brown declares states of emergency in 3 California counties because of wildfires. "Today's mission is clear: hold, hold, hold," chief tells firefighters battling California's Chips Fire. 42,750 wildfires have burned 6,901,035 acres in the United States this year, fire center says.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- After 20 years, over 300 goals and a host of major honors, Thierry Henry has called time on his football career.

The Frenchman, who won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with his country, is hanging up his boots to pursue a broadcasting career.

Although he made his breakthrough with French team Monaco, and spent time with Juventus, Barcelona and latterly New York Red Bulls, Henry is best remembered for a glittering eight-year spell with Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Henry became the London club's all-time leading goalscorer and helped the Gunners win two league titles and the FA Cup on three occasions.

"It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all the fans, team mates and individuals involved with AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and of course the French National Team that have made my time in the game so special," he said on his official Facebook page.

"I have had some amazing memories (mostly good!) and a wonderful experience. I hope you have enjoyed watching as much as I have enjoyed taking part. See you on the other side..."

Henry's move to Arsenal in 1999, after a troubled year in Turin with Juventus, saw him reunited with former Monaco coach Arsene Wenger.

The pair led Arsenal through a golden era, including an unbeaten Premier League campaign during the 2003-04 season.

That team that won 26 and drew 12 of its 38 league matches during that campaign became known as the "Invincibles."

Henry left Arsenal in 2007 and headed to Barcelona, where more titles lay in wait.

During three seasons in Catalonia, Henry won the Spanish championship on two occasions and helped the club lift the European Champions League in 2009.

The 37-year-old brought the curtain down on his player career with a four-year stint in the "Big Apple," helping New York Red Bulls win Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference in 2010 and 2013.

Although his immediate focus will be punditry work with British broadcaster Sky TV, Henry has not ruled out a coaching career.

"I don't know if I can be a good coach or not, but the desire is there," he told Sky.

Response: Thierry Henry retires from football after 20-year career. The Frenchman won the World Cup and Euro 2000 with his country. Henry best known for his eight-year spell with Arsenal in the English Premier League. He became the London club's all-time leading goalscorer.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Unsecured footage from thousands of webcams around the world -- including in the United States and western Europe -- has been accessed and streamed by a website thought to be based in the Russian Federation, British officials say.

The website's operator claims to be republishing the feeds -- from sources including CCTV and baby monitors -- to highlight security weaknesses.

So what can consumers do to find out if their privacy has been violated and to prevent it from happening again?

CNN spoke to Andrew Paterson, senior technology officer at Britain's independent authority on information rights -- the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) -- which issued a warning about the web cams Thursday and Jules Polonetsky, executive director of the Future of Privacy Forum think tank.

How can you tell if your webcam feed has been compromised?

Paterson suggests the first step for concerned consumers should be to check the security settings on their web camera and ensure that their password is not set to default.

"It's a website that's republished the feeds from many thousands of unsecured web cams and CCTV cameras. I believe you can view more or less live footage and it looks like one person has automatically scanned the internet for unsecured cameras and then aggregated this information in one site," Paterson says.

"If you're particularly interested you could try to find your country, you could try to find the region or city that camera is in."

The website guesses location based on IP addresses and has a list of countries from where it is publishing feeds, ranking them by number of unsecured cameras discovered. At the time of writing, the U.S. tops the list -- with 4,591 feeds, followed by France, the Netherlands, Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom.

What devices are affected?

CCTV cameras and baby monitors are among the devices that feeds have been taken from. But many others could be affected.

"In theory, if you have a web camera and it is interface accessible over the internet, it could be at risk," Paterson says.

Paterson says in the case of the Russian website it appears that the operator has concentrated on only a few makes.

The worry is that others may also have accessed such feeds, he says: "It appears that the person responsible is trying to raise awareness but it's possible other people are doing other things."

Polonetsky says it's valuable to teach the lesson that web cameras need to be secured but says there have to be better ways than publishing people's feeds online.

He says similar problems have existed for years.

"Almost scarier is that there are thousands of other similarly unprotected devices on the web. We continually learn about some essential device that is web accessible," he says.

"There have been some very public examples of smart home equipment that could be accessed remotely," he says -- including devices to raise blinds or turn on lights remotely.

"If you can remotely access something, that means others can remotely access it as well and you need to lock it down -- or you're at risk."

So what can I do to protect my privacy?

Again, Paterson stresses that having a strong password is critical.

"The one piece of advice I can give is that if you have a camera you should go and check if it's secured with a password and must double check it's not the default password," he says. "Secondly, work out whether you actually need to view your webcam over the internet or not. If you don't then you might as well turn that feature off."

While the ICO doesn't know the Russian website owner's intentions, Paterson says that as far as it can tell the feeds have not been archived -- though they don't know for certain.

"It looks like if you change the default password and set a strong one it will no longer show up on website -- but the owner [on the Russian site] could do anything he or she wants," he says.

But the same flaw that has allowed this website to access personal feeds, could also have let other online users view your feed -- and they may not be broadcasting the fact.

"If you're able to log in remotely, then others are able to log in remotely. Either ensure that access is disabled or ensure you have a secure password," Polonetsky says.

Could I seek redress if my camera feed has been accessed?

Polonetsky suggests that delivering a product with a security weakness is "like selling houses without  a front door."

"Actually, it's worse," he says. "Here you're selling things to people who don't even know there's not a back door. It's completely irresponsible -- it's like selling a car without a key piece of safety equipment. These things are not safe to be on the internet."

Polonetsky says it is possible that sellers of devices without basic data protection would be considered unfair to consumers under the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's standards.

"It could be considered unfair to sell a product that puts personal data at great risk. It will be interesting to see if any the sellers face action."

In the UK, Paterson says accessing a computer without authorization could well breach the Computer Misuse Act.

"If you have strong evidence that somebody has compromised your camera you may be able to take it to law enforcement," he says.

The ICO itself regulates the Data Protection Act. "If the feed from your camera can identify individuals that would be personal data and if someone's processing that in an unfair or unlawful manner then it could breach the act," he says.

As the website appears to be Russian-based, however, any potential legal action would require action from the authorities there. The ICO is currently trying to enlist their help to get the website taken down.

Response: UK Information Commissioner's Office says a website is publishing private webcam feeds. It says the footage has been taken from devices ranging from CCTV to baby monitors. The ICO says consumers should always change default passwords on cameras. Consumers should also take the time to read camera systems' instructions on security, it says.