To spank or not to spank, where do you draw the line?

When it comes to punishing your kids, where do you draw the line?

Is it a time out? A lecture on actions and consequences? A firm squeeze on the arm when your toddler is acting out in the supermarket? Or a spanking after a full-on meltdown at home?

Parental discipline is a divisive topic, and it was recently brought to the forefront by a study published this month in the journal Pediatrics that linked spanking to mental illness. When CNNhealth.com expert Dr. Jennifer Shu wrote an article on Monday summarizing the study's findings, our readers responded.

We reached out to CNN.com commenter Dr. David Safir, a California-based pediatrician, father of five and grandfather of five, and asked him to talk to us about his views on spanking. He said he was spanked as a child, spanked his own children when necessary and believes the occasional use of physical punishment -- not abuse -- can be an effective tool for parents.

Safir's opinions are not the most popular in the child health care community, or at least not the most widely vocalized.

"I think a lot of pediatricians are simply intimidated. They might even agree with me, but they're scared to death to be seen in public as seen as espousing physical authority," he said.

His overarching belief is that children need to learn discipline to function in society. If a spanking or a firm squeeze to the arm or neck is needed at times to teach this lesson, so be it. "If someone can teach those limits without physical authority, more power to them," he said.

"Of all the crimes that children commit, contempt for authority is the biggest one. It leads to nothing but trouble in a child's life."

Dr. Barbara Greenberg, a Connecticut-based psychologist specializing in parenting, teens and family, strongly disagrees.

Although some people say they turned out "OK" after having been spanked as children, "I think those people saying they turned out OK are lucky," she said. "And second, they might have turned out more OK if they weren't spanked."

"Physical punishment instills a feeling of shame," Greenberg added. "It's a very embarrassing thing to be spanked, and shame is one of the most intolerable feelings to experience." Shame also leads to depression and anxiety, she said.

According to the recent research, there are serious consequences. The Pediatrics study linked punishments such as slapping, hitting, pushing and shoving to mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and personality disorders in 2% to 7% of those observed.

Greenberg also worries about the message spanking sends to children.

"All through your life you're going to have conflicts," she said. "In marriage, with bosses. But you're not going to be grabbing people and hitting them; you'll lose your job."

Safir, on the other hand, feels hitting doesn't beget hitting when it comes to parenting.

"Two-year-olds think it's OK to hit anyway, that's instinctual," he said. Instead, he thinks it teaches them to stop whatever behavior led to the spanking, and that that's a parent's job.

"Here's the problem: During my career, every 10 years, I see the level of contempt for authority increase," Safir said, attributing children's attitudes to what he describes as a child-centered culture that puts children in charge instead of parents.

"If children don't learn that society has rules of conduct and consequences for bad behavior, they grow up into a culture in which they're often useless. They can't work, they can't get a job, they have no respect for people above them."

In a recent article, CNN contributor Roland Martin talked about how being spanked during his childhood influenced his decision to spank a niece who lived with him.

"You may not like it, and that's fine," he wrote. "But it did the trick. Those girls didn't leave their homework again. I wanted them to have the fear of facing me if they messed up. One of the reasons I didn't act a fool when I was in school was because I feared my father taking the belt to my butt, and that was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow."

Po Bronson, co-author of "NurtureShock," a book that questions modern methods of nurturing children, said in an e-mail, "Expressed anger and hostility at children always is destructive, and anger can come across in many ways and forms, physical and psychological."

There's no style of discipline that has ever been proven to work regularly with all children, Bronson said. Evidence has not shown that discipline, punishment and withdrawal of privileges reliably amount to anything, he said.

"Kids need to be taught right and wrong, but the presumption we need to punish them to teach them this is not supported by the science. It's not clear at all that punishment -- in any form -- is the answer, even though every culture uses punishment in some form."

Parents and professionals may never agree on where to draw the line when it comes to teaching children right from wrong. Where do you draw the line with your kids?

Scores killed in Russia flooding

 At least 105 people have died as floodwaters surge through southern Russia's Krasnodar region, Russia's Interior Ministry said Saturday.

Of those killed, 94 are in the Krymsk district, nine in Gelendzhik district and two in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, the ministry said.

The flash floods follow heavy rains in the area since Friday.

The Krymsk district is a mostly rural area with many one-storey homes, Russia's state news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Flood waters rose 7 meters (23 feet) overnight in Krymsk, the news agency said, flooding homes while most people were still asleep. Others were rescued by police after seeking refuge on roofs and in trees, it said.

The death toll has climbed steadily through the day as the waters have gradually subsided, allowing police to find more bodies in flooded buildings in Krymsk.

Television footage from the Krasnodar region showed scenes of flooded streets, stranded vehicles and people wading through torrents of knee-deep muddy water outside homes.

The state-run Ria Novosti news agency said dozens of passenger trains have been diverted in the region as the water level remains 19 inches above the tracks.

Krasnodar also suffered deadly flooding in October 2010, when torrential rains in mountainous areas caused rivers to overflow, flooding villages nearby.

Police in Arizona arrest 20, dismantle drug trafficking cell of Sinaloa Cartel

Authorities in Tempe, Arizona, dismantled a drug trafficking cell associated with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, arresting 20 people and seizing three tons of marijuana, 30 pounds of methamphetamine and $2.4 million in cash, police said.

A six-month investigation by Tempe police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency also concluded with the seizure of an airplane, 10 vehicles and 14 firearms, police said Friday.

The cartel delivered illegal drugs in Tempe and branched out to customers in New York, Alabama, California and other states, police said.

"This operation demonstrated a collaborative effort by state and federal law enforcement agencies," Tempe Chief of Police Tom Ryff said in a statement.

The drug trafficking "stretched across the Mexico border and into Arizona and beyond," said Doug Coleman, special agent in charge of the DEA's Phoenix office.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico's most powerful drug-trafficking groups, and cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera is widely known as Mexico's most-wanted fugitive. Forbes magazine has placed him on its list of the world's most powerful people, reporting his net worth at $1 billion as of March.

Serena romps to fifth Wimbledon title against brave Radwanska

Serena Williams fended off a stirring fightback from Agnieszka Radwanska to win her fifth Wimbledon singles title with a 6-1 5-7 6-2 victory Saturday.

It was the 30-year-old American's 14th grand slam crown and her first since winning at the All England Club in 2010, but Poland's Radwanska made her fight every inch of the way.

Suffering from a respiratory problem and trailing after a one-sided first set, Radwanska recovered from a break down in the second to give Williams a real Centre Court scare.

After leveling at one set all, Radwanska took a 2-1 lead in the decider before Williams romped to victory with a run of five straight games.

She celebrated by climbing into the players' box to embrace her sister Venus and other close connections including her physiotherapist Esther Lee.

Williams spent almost a year on the sidelines, being struck by first injury then serious illness after being laid low by dangerous blood clots.

A visibly emotional Williams showed how much victory meant to her in her post-match interview.

"I can't describe it. I almost didn't make it a few years ago. I was in hospital and I thought I'd never be here again, so this makes it so worth it," she said.

"It's all the sweeter. I was so down but you never give up. You have to continue," she added.

I can't describe it. I almost didn't make it a few years ago. I was in hospital and I thought I'd never be here again
Serena Williams

Williams has capped her steady return to the top with an emphatic performance on the grass courts, particularly since the quarterfinals where she dispatched reigning champion Petra Kvitova.

A semifinal win over Victoria Azarenka of the Belarus took Williams into the final, but Azarenka will have the consolation of going to the top of the new world rankings Monday.

Radwanska will rise to number two off the back of her fine run and has enhanced her growing reputation.

"I am very proud to have got to the final. I am still shaking but I tried, it just wasn't my day," the 23-year-old told BBC Sport.

"I have been unlucky here, playing in the wind and the rain, but I still played some great matches."

Williams, who wins $1.78 million, is the first woman over 30 to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990 and has now matched the Wimbledon singles tally of her elder sister Venus.

They were pairing up to play in the women's doubles final later Saturday, but that was delayed until late into the evening after a lengthy men's doubles title match.

Unseeded pair Britain's Jonny Marray and Denmark's Freddie Nielsen eventually prevailed, beating Sweden's Robert Lindstedt and Romania's Horia Tecau 4-6 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-3 in the final.

Marray was the first Briton since 1936 to win a men's doubles title at Wimbledon, an omen perhaps for Andy Murray, who is attempting the same record in terms of years in the men's singles final against Roger Federer Sunday.

 

Islamic sect has appealing message for U.S. politicians but has global enemies

You’ve almost certainly never heard of him, but Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad drew some serious star power at a recent Capitol Hill reception in his honor.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Republican Sen. John Cornyn were among the many lawmakers who showed up to meet Ahmad, a Muslim leader who was in town last week on a rare U.S. visit from London.

At a time when the United States is struggling with its views about Islam – as Islamists gain power in the Middle East and with ongoing concerns about Quran-citing terrorists – it’s not hard to see Ahmad’s appeal to both parties. As he said in his Capitol Hill speech, he has “love for all, hatred for none.”

It’s a sentiment that Sen. Robert Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, echoed in introducing Ahmad, praising the “leadership you have shown to tolerance and to peace.”

It’s not just Ahmad who espouses his can’t-we-all-get-along read on Islam. The 61-year-old is the spiritual leader of the global Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose friendliness toward the West and whose criticism of other Muslims has earned the sect allies at the highest level of the U.S government, even as it faces mortal enemies in other parts of the world.

Unlike most Muslims, Ahmadis believe that the 19th century founder of their sect was the metaphorical Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

It’s because of that belief that Sunni and Shiite Muslims do not regard Ahmadis as true Muslims. The rift has provoked Egypt to charge Ahmadis with blasphemy, Saudi Arabia to deport them and Pakistan to pass a law that designates Ahmadis as non-Muslims.

Persecuted abroad

On a sweltering recent Friday, a long line of people sat patiently in a mosque on the outskirts of Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside Washington. Despite the heat and humidity, they seemed happy to be there, waiting for a chance to meet the leader of their faith.

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who leads an international Ahmadi community is the sect’s fifth Khalifa, or leader. The group claims tens of millions of followers around the world, but outside experts say the number is smaller, in the millions.

For Ahmad and his followers, their relatively small sect is the real face of Islam, which has more than a billion followers around the world.

“It is time that we, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, should give the real and true picture of Islam,” Ahmad said in an interview inside the Silver Spring mosque. “I will always be talking about peace. That peace is not from myself or some new teaching but it is the true, real teaching which I gather and get from the holy Quran.”

That emphasis, says Ahsanullah Zafar, the leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, is rooted in a belief that the only jihad worth practicing is against one’s own self – a jihad of self-improvement. The word jihad is often translated as struggle or war.

“Even more important than prayer, which we talk about a lot, is how you behave as a human being,” Zafar said. “It is not physical fighting that accomplishes anything. It is dialogue and the progressivism that leads somewhere.”

Founded in 1889, the Ahmadiyya Muslim sect is the only Islamic group that believes that a second prophet has come, in the form of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Ahmad lived at a time of great religious upheaval, said Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic Studies at American University.

“In India, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad said that he has the message of the renewal of Islam,” Ahmed said. “Slowly it began to build momentum - it is a kind of spirited, modern version of Islam.”

Ahmed characterized the makeup of the Ahmadis as “very scholarly, very prominent leaders in Pakistan.”

But when the Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political party in Pakistan, began to push the country to a more orthodox view of Islam in the 1970s, the Ahmadis were cast out.

Jamaat-e-Islami argued that the Ahmadis did not conform to a key tenet of Islam – the finality of the prophet Mohammed. “That is the elephant in the room for the Ahmadis,” said American University’s Ahmed. “The Ahmadis say that there are two kind of prophets. One is the lawgiver. Then there are messengers who come with a message and not necessarily a new book.”

In light of the crackdown, many Ahmadis began to leave Pakistan, some as religious refugees. Large numbers of Ahmadis now live in Germany, England, Ghana, Canada and the United States, where the Ahmadis claim tens of thousands of followers.

But persecution persists.

In 2010, almost 100 people were killed when two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore, Pakistan, were attacked by men armed with hand grenades and AK-47s.

In the U.S. government’s 2012 International Religious Freedom Report, the plight of Pakistan’s Ahmadis was front and center.

“Among Pakistan‘s religious minorities, Ahmadis are subject to the most severe legal restrictions and officially sanctioned discrimination,” reads the report. The same report outlined violence against Ahmadis in Indonesia, where it said that at least 50 Ahmadiyya mosques have been vandalized.

A unique view of Islam

Harsh treatment in various corners of the world has instilled a deep Ahmadi appreciation for life in the United States.

“In America, all these small Muslim communities are flourishing, they love being in America,” said Ahmed. “They are 100% Muslim and they are 100% American.”

Ahmad, the Ahmadis’ current leader, was in the United States for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s annual convention, which drew 10,000 to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, last week.

“Wherever I go I have one goal … to meet my people,” Ahmad said.

But he was also here to meet politicians and journalists. For the Ahmadis, the scrutiny of American Muslims in the decade since 9/11 has been treated as an opportunity to discuss beliefs and answer questions.

Many in the community came out in favor of Rep. Peter King’s, R-New York, insistence last year on holding congressional hearings on radicalization within American Islam, even as other Muslim groups blasted the hearings as anti-Muslim.

“If the government thinks that congressional hearings will improve homeland security and help expose those exploiting Islam, I assure full cooperation. I, too, aspire to have a more secure America,” wrote Kashif N. Chaudhry, the director of an Ahmadi youth program in the United States, in a New York Times letter to the editor.

Chaudhry was hardly the only Ahmadi Muslim to speak up.

“You need to be with other people, you need to talk about your ideas and in that conversation and discussion, new things arise,” said Zafar. “It is like throwing the seed and putting water on it, you need the seed and you need the water for it to sprout.”

“We need to come together with the people around us in the United States, we need to do that and see how it flowers,” he continued.

The split between the Ahmadis and other Islamic sects is also apparent in how Ahmad, the sect’s leader, talks about extremists.

“Nowadays, Islam is being targeted only because of so-called Muslim groups who claim themselves to be Muslims but are not following the true teachings of Islam,” Ahmad said, speaking of what he calls “fundamentalists Muslims.” “If it is that Islam that is being portrayed by those orthodox Muslims, then I don’t think there is any chance in spreading Islam.”

Using terms like “so-called Muslims,” to refer to some outsiders has not endeared Ahmadis to other Muslims. Leading Sunni and Shiite groups are reluctant to even talk about the Ahmadis.

CNN contacted the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Society of North America, two major Muslim groups, and neither responded to requests for comment.

A future in America

Zafar, the leader of the Ahmadis in the United States, said his sect is looking to grow.

The group has an organized media operation and operates three 24/7 satellite-television channels under the name Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International.

The initial purpose of the channels was to broadcast the sermons of the Khalifa, but it also provides other programs in different languages. The Silver Spring mosque is surrounded by large satellite dishes that beam the shows around the world.

In addition to satellite television, the Ahmadis run Islam International Publications, a publishing outfit.

Many Ahmadis are concerned about the version of Islam being portrayed in the media, which they say is too focused on the radical elements of Islam and not focused enough on peaceful Muslims.

“Right now there is a caricature of Islam,” said Zafar. “The biggest challenge I believe in the United States is for Muslims to get out of that image of extremist behaviors which are so popular in the press.”

Ahmed of American University sees the future of the Ahmadis as a bridge between Islam and the West.

“On the American side, they [the Ahmadis] are acting as a positive bridge to Islam and the Americans need that right now,” he said. “And then for Muslims, if they do link up and join mainstream Muslims, they are able to give Islam a link to the world and also help them work out these polemics that are tearing the world apart.”

For now, Ahmadis are stuck in between those two worlds.

10 unusual honeymoon hot spots

It's your honeymoon, so it has to be special and unique. From the windswept beaches of a car-free island in the Baltic to tasting wine rarely sipped outside Argentina, these hideaways rarely appear on the usual post-wedding itinerary:

1. Snuggle in a beach basket built for two on Hiddensee Island, Germany. It's unique and you know it: a pristine Baltic island with no motorised transport where horse-and-wagon rides or tooling around on bikes are the only ways around. Amble across dunes and long stretches of sand, or tuck yourselves into a Strandkorb (beach basket), a wicker half-shell chair for two that shelters you from the wind as you watch the waves.

2. Sleep on a lakeside farm in Shelburne, Vermont. This hamlet boasts a 1400-acre working farm with an inn on the banks of Lake Champlain. Beyond, taste award-winning wine at the town's namesake Shelburne Vineyards, known for its crisp northern varietals, and enjoy locavore-friendly (locally-sourced) food at elegant restaurants where farm-to-table cuisine reigns and tastes supreme.

3. Enjoy a private beach on remote Pamalican Island,Philippines. At 5.5 km long, roughly 500 metres at its widest and only one five-star resort on the island, you're guaranteed seclusion. Oh, and dive in to see vibrant colours -- Pamalican is set smack in the centre of a 7 sq km coral reef.

4. Unwind on a gorilla safari in Bwindi Forest National Park,Uganda. On guided walks to observe these gentle giants you'll encounter jagged valleys, dramatic mountain scenery and monkeys. In the evenings, stargaze around campfires and retire in tents built into the jungle canopy while peering into the mist-shrouded rainforest from bed.

5. Taste wine amid copper-coloured canyons in Cafayate,Argentina. Filled with estancias (sumptuous ranch lodging) and vineyards where you can taste rarely-shipped-abroad varietals like Torrontes, this handsome desert town begs you to wander hand-in-hand, past dusty buildings and candle-lit cafes spilling onto sidewalks.

6. Smooching in Bettmeralp, Switzerland. It starts with a cable-car ride, launching you into a car-free Alpine village. We're not sure what we love more: views of the Aletsch glacier and mountains (including the Matterhorn), strolling between chalets or indulging in fondue. Oh, and Swiss tradition says if you lose your bread in the cheese, you must kiss your dining neighbour -- so let that bread disappear.

7. Embark on a sunset ride in Khan Khentii, Mongolia.Peppered with rolling hills of birch forests and grasslands threaded with rivers, Khan Khentii is a protected wilderness area three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. Go horseback-riding at sunset across the steppe, and try yak cart rafting together before disappearing into plush yurt lodgings.

8. Cruise Alaska's coast on an intimate small ship. Only small vessels can drop anchor at the quiet fjords, tranquil bays and inlets along Alaska's inside passage. From your cabin, peer at bobbing icebergs, imposing glaciers and misty veils of clouds suspended above snow-capped mountain peaks. Or venture out for a walk on a remote beach or in a two-person kayak to float in enchanting coves and glimpse wildlife like otters and seals.

9. Take a vintage train journey in Namibia. From the all-aboard whistle to the smart retro furnishings on the 1950s-esque Desert Express, this train feels like you've stepped on a classic film set. Recline in antique leather armchairs and clink glasses in the Spitzkoppe lounge to the sultry sway of the coach. Later, dine in the Welwitschia restaurant car below sandblasted glass panels featuring local animal footprints while rambling past gold-red dunes and African wildlife.

10. Enjoy the simple pleasures on Ambergris Caye, Belize. Surrounded by tropical beaches and covered with verdant mangrove swamps in the centre, this island is home to the world's second-largest barrier reef after Australia's. Snorkelling, diving and sunset cruises on catamarans are the norm here, but we're drawn to the balmy nights in basic thatched roof beach huts and napping in two-person hammocks.

Spain cements its place in history with unprecedented title run

           Spain Vs. Italy

in 4

Italy 0

Let's call Spain what it is: The most accomplished international soccer team of all time. What more could you ask for? On a glorious summer night in Ukraine, Spain played a spectacular game against the four-time world champions, carving up the Italian defense with speed and precision to leave no doubt that this Spanish team's accomplishments deserve to be in the sport's pantheon ahead of Brazil (1958-62, 1970), France (1998-2000) and West Germany (1972-74). In doing so, Spain becomes the first country ever to be a two-time reigning European champion and World Cup champion at the same time. Just as importantly, Spain turned on the style more than it had at any point in this tournament, giving us brilliant passing sequences that led to goals by David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata. The highlights of their goals -- the motion, the imagination, the beauty -- will live on in the history of sports, and for that we can all be thankful that we got the chance to witness it.

No Spanish center forward? No problem. For three weeks we'd heard questions about coach Vicente del Bosque's 4-6-0 lineup that lacked a true center forward, but the reality was that Spain never needed a diminished Torres as a starter. In the absence of all-time leading scorer David Villa, who was injured, Cesc Fabregas performed well in a withdrawn central role, scoring two goals in the tournament and providing a terrific assist at speed on Silva's opener in the final. This was a tournament of midfielders -- no player in Euro 2012 scored more than three goals -- and with six midfielders Spain was a perfect reflection of that fact. Just running through the names reveals an embarrassment of riches: Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Silva, Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets. Xavi in particular had a tremendous game in the final, combining with Alba and Torres on two beautiful goals and showing more verve and stamina than he had in previous games. But the truth was that all of the Spanish midfielders were in top form in a final for the ages.

Italy's own attacking play allowed for the spectacle. From the opening kickoff, Spain played at a faster pace than it had during any point in Euro 2012, going vertical with its passing and much less horizontal (as we had seen leading up to the final). Part of that may have been due to a Spanish desire to silence anyone who was criticizing them as "boring," but the main reason was Italy's decision to play attacking soccer of its own. The Italians created chances in this game and weren't going to change their tactics out of fear, for which coach Cesare Prandelli deserves a tremendous amount of credit. But Italy's forays upfield opened up space that the Spanish exploited with ruthless efficiency and speed. When you pack it in against Spain (a la France or Portugal, at least in the second half of the semis), playing fast, vertical soccer is exceedingly difficult. If space opens up, as it did against Italy, Spain will break you. Unfortunately, Italy's reduction to 10 men after Thiago Motta's injury (and the exhaustion of Italy's three subs) caused much of the second half to be a more conservative affair.

Where in the world can you get universal health care?

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

Brazilians have both a private and public health care system, which was overhauled in 1988. The Sistema Único de Saúde, a nationalized program, provides primary health care, while a network of public andcontracted hospitals delivers specialist care.Free health care coverage is recognized as a citizen's right in Brazil.

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.

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.

Adele announces first pregnancy

This is one baby who'll get to hear some fantastic lullabies.

Powerhouse vocalist Adele has announced that she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend Simon Konecki, with a short and simple post on her blog.

"I'm delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together," she wrote, adding, "I wanted you to hear the news direct from me."

The couple is "over the moon" and "very excited," she said, but they do ask that people "please respect our privacy at this time."

Adele, who sung her heart out on the chart-topping and Grammy-winning "21" about past heartbreak, is rumored to have met Konecki last summer, and she blogged about their relationship in January of this year, clearing up misconceptions about his marital status. (He's divorced, she clarified, and has been for four years.)

“He’s wonderful,” she told Vogue of Konecki earlier this year. “And he’s proud of me, but he don’t care about what I do or what other people think. He looks after me. I don’t think I would have gotten through the recovery for my surgery if it hadn’t been for him.”

She added that she's in a good place with her beau, ready to "write a happy record, and be in love and be happy."

No doubt those good feelings will continue with baby making three.

Swimmer's challenge: Cross 103 miles of shark-infested water

Diving into the clear blue water off Havana Friday, Penny Palfrey began her quest to swim from Cuba to the United States.

The Australian-British dual citizen is swimming without a shark cage, snorkel, flippers or wet suit. Palfrey estimated the journey would cover 103 miles (166 kilometers), much of it through shark infested waters.

"I am excited, a little nervous," she told reporters Friday while slathering one last coat of thick sunblock on herself. "I got about six hours of sleep last night, which is pretty good for the night before."

The swim could take anywhere from 40 to 60 hours, she estimated.

If successful, Palfrey, 49, would surpass the record that she set in 2011 for the longest unassisted swim. Palfrey swam over 67 miles from Little Grand Cayman island to Big Grand Cayman island.

In 1997, fellow Australian swimmer Susie Malroney completed a In 2011, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad twice tried but failed to complete the same journey. Nyad was waylaid by asthma attacks and stings from Atlantic box jellyfish.

A Lycra suit will provide Palfrey some protection from the jellyfish, she said, and long cables called "shark shields" will be strung from the kayaks and boats around her to ward off larger predators.

"They emit an electric field through the water which, when a shark comes within five meters, it picks up the sensors on the snout but they don't like it. They swim away," Palfrey said as she prepared for the swim.

Palfrey, who is a mother of three and grandmother of two, said she hopes that swimming in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby will provide her with calm seas.

A crew of 15, including medical personnel and meteorologists, will shadow her from boats and kayaks. She will stay nourished and hydrated by consuming a carbohydrate-rich drink every 30 minutes, she said.

Even though she has completed long-distance swims of the English channel and a round-trip crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar, the waters between Cuba and the United States present unique hazards, she said.

"Each swim comes with its own challenges, this is a really big challenge; 103 miles is further than I have ever swum before," Palfrey said. "I expect it to be very challenging but I am very excited."

Asked what would be the first thing she would want to do once she arrives in Florida, Palfrey didn't hesitate.

"I¹ll want to get out of the water," she replied.