Por Laura Sharman, Kocha Olarn, Junio ​​Jeong y Angie Puranasamriddhi, CNN

La esperanza ha resurgido para los cinco hombres atrapados en el interior de una cueva inundada en Laos.

Durante más de una semana, permanecieron acurrucados sobre las turbias aguas, en la más absoluta oscuridad, a más de 260 metros de la entrada de la cueva, preguntándose si alguien los encontraría algún día.

El miércoles, tras días de hambre, finalmente llegó la salvación cuando los rescatadores emergieron de la oscuridad, iluminando la estrecha caverna rocosa con sus linternas frontales.

“Hay gente aquí para ayudar ahora”, manifestó Norased Palasing, un buceador tailandés especializado en cuevas y uno de los miembros del equipo de rescate multinacional que participa en lo que se ha convertido en una carrera contrarreloj de infarto.

“Lo importante es que estás vivo. No pasa nada, no pasa nada, lo has hecho muy bien. No llores”, les animó.

Uno de los hombres atrapados, que se identificó como Ing, comentó a la cámara de los rescatistas: “No te preocupes, mamá. El equipo de rescate ya llegó. Estamos a salvo. Extraño mucho a mamá y a papá. Probablemente saldremos mañana o pasado mañana”.

Las celebraciones se extendieron a la superficie, donde familiares desesperados y rescatistas se regocijaron por haber sobrevivido tras una peligrosa búsqueda.

El buceador finlandés Mikko Paasi, que forma parte de la operación, elogió el “increíble trabajo” del equipo en una publicación en Instagram.

Pero advirtió que se avecina una extracción de alto riesgo, “y no va a ser fácil”.

Funcionarios laosianos informaron que los cinco se adentraron en la cueva el miércoles pasado, atraídos por la promesa de yacimientos de oro, una actividad especulativa que ha aumentado considerablemente en los últimos años, según una investigación del centro de estudios estadounidense Stimson Center.

Un aguacero torrencial provocó inundaciones repentinas en el interior de la cueva y bloqueó la salida de los hombres. Se cree que otros dos entraron en la cueva con anterioridad, sin relación con los cinco, y siguen desaparecidos.

En la superficie, se puso en marcha rápidamente una operación de rescate liderada por Laos.

Tras difundirse la noticia de la desaparición de los hombres, un equipo de élite formado por buceadores de cuevas de renombre internacional se reunió en este país del sudeste asiático sin salida al mar, gracias a la iniciativa de la Asociación de Voluntarios del Pueblo Lao, según su presidente, Bounkham Luanglath.

Entre los participantes se encontraban Kengkad Bongkawong, de la vecina Tailandia, y Paasi, de Finlandia.

Para estos intrépidos buceadores, esto supuso una especie de reencuentro: ocho años atrás, ambos desempeñaron un papel clave en el dramático rescate en la cueva tailandesa que, en última instancia, salvó a 12 niños y a su entrenador de fútbol.

Ahora, en pleno verano laosiano, caluroso y húmedo, su equipo recorrió cuatro kilómetros a pie a través de la densa selva en busca de los hombres desaparecidos, en una zona situada a unos 55 kilómetros (35 millas) al este del exuberante y pintoresco destino para mochileros de Vang Vieng.

Una buena noticia para el equipo es que, según la agencia estatal de noticias de Laos, los hombres se encuentran en una cornisa elevada que “se beneficia de una ventilación continua”.

Otro aspecto es que, aparte del hambre severa, los hombres parecen estar en su mayoría bien.

Pero aparte de eso, un sinfín de desafíos aguardan a los rescatadores mientras intentan sacar a los hombres de la cueva, cuya entrada desciende abruptamente con una pendiente de 4

CNN, KENGKAD BONGKAWONG, MTK COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER, FACEBOOK, ASSOCIATION OF VOLUNTEERS FOR LAO PEOPLE, IG , @MIKKOPAASI, MTK COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER/FACEBOOK, IG / @mikkopaasi

By Laura Sharman, Kocha Olarn, June Jeong, Angie Puranasamriddhi, CNN

Hope has returned for the five trapped men deep inside a flooded Laos cave. For more than a week, they huddled together above the murky waters in the pitch black, more than 260 meters from the cave’s entrance, wondering if anyone would ever find them.

On Wednesday, after days of hunger, salvation finally came as rescuers emerged from the darkness, illuminating the narrow rocky cavern with their headlamps.

“There are people here to help now,” said Norased Palasing, a Thai specialist cave diver and one of the multi-national rescue team involved in what has become a heart-stopping race against time.

“The important thing is that you’re alive. It’s okay, it’s okay, you’ve done really well. Don’t cry.”

One of the trapped men, who gave his name as Ing, said into the rescuers’ camera: “Don’t worry, Mom. The rescue team has reached us now. We’re safe. I miss Mom and Dad so much. We’ll probably get out tomorrow or the day after.”

Celebrations extended above ground, where desperate loved ones and the rescuers rejoiced at their survival following a perilous search.

Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, who is part of the operation, toasted the team’s “amazing work” in a post on Instagram.

But he cautioned that a high-stakes extraction lies ahead, “and it ain’t going to be easy.”

Lao officials say the five ventured into the cave last Wednesday, drawn by the promise of gold deposits, a speculative pursuit that has surged in recent years, according to research by US think tank the Stimson Center.

A torrential downpour caused flash flooding inside the cave system and sealed the men’s exit. Two others are thought to have entered the cave earlier, unconnected to the five, and are still missing.

Above ground, a Laos-led rescue operation quickly took shape. After news of the men’s disappearance spread, an A-Team of internationally renowned cave divers coalesced in the landlocked Southeast Asian country, brought together by the Lao People’s Volunteer Association, according to its president, Bounkham Luanglath.

It included Kengkad Bongkawong, from neighboring Thailand, and Paasi from Finland. This was something of a reunion for the daring divers: eight years ago, both played a key role in the dramatic Thai cave rescue that ultimately saved 12 boys and their soccer coach.

Now, in the hot and humid Laotian early summer, their team trekked four kilometers through dense jungle in search of the missing men, in an area about 55 kilometers (35 miles) east of the lush, scenic backpacker hotspot of Vang Vieng.

Tight spaces and noxious gas

One piece of good news for the team is that, according to the state-run Lao News Agency, the men are on an elevated ledge that “benefits from continuous airflow.”

Another is

Shuai Zhang and Chris Lau, CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) — Amid the constant hustle to be recognized as one of the world’s best airports, Hong Kong International has quietly opened up an expansion. It’s a small but key first step in the airport’s plan to become a bigger global aviation hub.

Hong Kong International (HKG) is currently ranked the fourth best airport in the world, but it doesn’t get the same amount of shine as its neighbor and competitor in first place, Singapore’s Changi (SIN).

HKG launched its upgraded Terminal 2 on Wednesday, gearing up for growing regional competition as officials seek to benefit from air traffic rerouted by the Iran war — but the event drew little fanfare from the public at home.

The newly renovated and expanded 3.2 million-square-foot terminal will be powered substantially by automated technology, including bag self-drop points, smart check-in kiosks and hybrid check-in counters. One airport official claimed that passengers could “complete the check-in process in 45 seconds.”

Even seasoned travelers who have been through HKG before will likely get a different experience in the new terminal. Fred Lam, the authority’s chairman, said that T2 is aimed at younger travelers. That’s likely why Filipino fried chicken chain Jollibee, a clothing store featuring local designers and an arcade full of claw machines are among the more than 20 shopping and dining options at the new departure concourse.

Bright LED screens welcome visitors to the terminal. On opening day, they were lit up with images of ocean waves and floating fish. The structure itself has a curved ceiling adorned with parallel lines.

The Hong Kong Airport Authority, which manages HKG, estimated that Terminal 2 will serve eight million travelers in the first year, with capacity growing to 30 million annually.

On top of Terminal 1’s annual capacity of 70 million, the entire airport will see 100 million travelers annually, a significant jump from 2025’s 61 million. Compare that to New York City, which saw 142.2 million people pass through its three international airports in 2025.

Despite being billed as a “milestone,” Wednesday’s launch attracted little enthusiasm, with the new concourse looking largely empty. Hometown low-cost carrier Hong Kong Airlines was the only airline operating on opening day, but now other budget airlines like AirAsia, Hainan Airlines and Malaysia’s Batik are beginning operations there as well.

The renovation, which took over five years to complete, has been costly. An earlier estimate of $1.2 billion in 2010 ultimately swelled to $1.65 billion.

Intense regional rivalry

Yet, the reopening won pledges of support from the Hong Kong government during a launch ceremony earlier this week. An official affirmed Hong Kong airport’s positioning as “an international aviation hub,” a role Beijing has also repeatedly instructed the semi-autonomous city to take on as part of its strategic national plan.

But turbulence abounds as it faces intense competition from regional rivals such as Singapore’s Changi Airport, which has long been stepping up its game. Skytrax, an international organization that annually ranks the world’s best airlines and airports, named Changi number one in 2026 and 2025. Fourth place Hong Kong, meanwhile, was recognized for having the world’s best airport bathrooms as well as the best airport security processing.

This week, social media Read more

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN

(CNN) — The coast-to-coast battle to gain an edge in November’s elections through partisan gerrymandering is racing to its conclusion – with Republicans poised to finish with as many as 10 seats ahead of Democrats through redistricting alone.

The GOP kicked off the fight last year in Texas, changing boundaries for US House districts in the hopes of improving the party’s chances of surviving a blue wave this fall, with Democrats responding in turn. The US Supreme Court’s blockbuster decision last month to gut one of the remaining pillars of the 1965 Voting Rights Act further supercharged redistricting efforts across the South, prompting several Republican-controlled states to move election dates and eliminate districts with sizable Black populations.

The moves could be a major boon in efforts to protect House Speaker Mike Johnson’s razor-thin majority ahead of the midterm elections. But regardless of the outcome in November, the mid-decade redistricting battle has likely altered American politics permanently – fueling a growing appetite to redraw lines for partisan advantage every election cycle, rather than every decade after the census, as is traditional.

“There is no normal,” said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Marymount’s law school who runs the “All About Redistricting” website. He pointed to the high court’s string of election-related rulings in recent years, including a 2019 opinion declaring that federal courts could not police partisan gerrymanders, as helping pave the way for the extreme actions now taking hold.

“The Supreme Court has effectively announced that the adults have left the room,” he said. “What you see is what you get when you reward bad behavior, which is a lot more bad behavior.”

With primaries well underway around the country, both parties now have run out of battlegrounds on which to wage new redistricting fights this year. But they are gearing up for even more aggressive gerrymanders in the 2028 election cycle.

Here’s a look at where the redistricting battle stands:

Republicans gain the edge

Republicans have a slim majority in the US House, 218-212, counting newly independent California Rep. Kevin Kiley, who still caucuses with the GOP despite leaving the party amid a tough reelection race in the wake of redistricting. The party faces a difficult path in retaining its hold on the chamber after November’s elections, given that the president’s party typically loses power in the midterms.

Facing that history, Texas Republicans kicked off the mid-decade redistricting campaign last year at President Donald Trump’s behest. Roughly 10 months later, Republicans have changed boundaries in six states that target 14 Democratic-held districts.

Louisiana’s GOP-controlled legislature is still at work on a map that takes aim at a Democratic district, but it is expected to win the approval of lawmakers and its Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. Landry took the extraordinary step of postponing the state’s primary elections for the House to respond to the US Supreme Court’s ruling, which struck down the state’s congressional map.

Republican officials in Alabama also changed their election calendar, setting a new special primary election for four US House seats on August 11 in their quest to target one of two Democrats in the state’s seven-member House delegation.

(A court ruling Tuesday blocked Alabama’s new map. But state officials have filed an emergency appeal

By Marshall Cohen, Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN

(CNN) — When Andrew needed money for a flight with friends to Greece this summer, the 18-year-old high school senior turned to prediction markets.

With a $500 cash advance from his credit card company, Andrew sat in a Starbucks for more than six hours, trading on live tennis matches on Kalshi. He left with a $2,200 profit.

Andrew continued using Kalshi to supplement wages from a part-time job, funding golf with friends and dates with his girlfriend. But after a scare where he nearly lost $1,000 on an NBA game, he deleted the app and swore he’d never return.

But he later re-downloaded Kalshi, and the cycle started again. He turned a $1,300 cash advance into $3,000, according to screenshots reviewed by CNN. When he tried to withdraw his winnings at 3 a.m., he got an error message. Unable to get his funds out, he decided to keep betting. And this time, within hours, it was all gone.

“I didn’t know what to do. I started spiraling,” Andrew, who asked that he not be identified by his full name, told CNN in an interview. “In the moment, you’re just going, going, going. It’s like tunnel vision.”

An 18-year-old like Andrew could place these wagers due to a legal technicality that treats prediction markets differently than traditional sportsbooks, which are 21+ in most states. Addiction experts and state regulators say this has opened the door to an emerging public health crisis.

Under current US law, prediction sites are not considered gambling. Rather, they’re financial markets that offer “event contracts,” which makes them available to anyone over 18. They are regulated just like futures trading over the price of soybeans – but instead of focusing on commodities, users speculate on the outcomes of elections, sporting events, awards shows and more.

Despite new steps prediction markets have recently taken to prevent problematic trading, including among the 18-to-21 cohort, there are still widespread concerns from state regulators, members of Congress and addiction specialists.

“Without question, it’s a loophole,” said former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Democrat, who was one of the first prosecutors to take legal action against Kalshi last year. “This is why states put common-sense age restrictions on gambling, drinking and other forms of dangerous behavior.”

CNN has a partnership with Kalshi and uses its data to cover major events, but editorial employees are prohibited from using prediction markets.

In response to questions from CNN about Andrew’s experience, Kalshi spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana said Andrew saw an error message while trying to withdraw his winnings because his bank issued a fraud alert.

“Kalshi’s withdrawal system did not fail,” Diana said in a statement. “As a regulated financial exchange, we have to work with similarly regulated banks … that means that when a bank issues a fraud alert, we have to hold the transaction until we get an OK to move ahead.”

Through the course of Andrew’s up-and-down trading, Andrew’s net lifetime losses ended up around $800, which Diana said was low enough that it didn’t trigger notifications suggesting deposit limits. But she said Kalshi will “continue evaluating our approach to ensure people get the appropriate protections and support they need.”

Addiction experts alarmed

Health experts say the part of the brain responsible for impulse control isn’t fully developed until age 25, and Read more