A lack of access to birth control and maternal health services is a major issue that affects many women all over the world, including Uganda. 

Over the past 20 years, contraceptive use in Uganda has increased from approximately 11% to 30%. Yet, women are still faced with major barriers to family planning, including misinformation that birth control causes cancer and increases promiscuity. 

I traveled to Uganda as a fellow of the UN Foundation for a week in August.

As part of the fellowship, I traveled to clinics in rural villages, stopped by outreach efforts in slum areas, met with sex workers, and spoke with women about birth control, pregnancy and delivery, and marriage.

Here's what I learned about women's health in Uganda.

Sex work is a reality for many poor women in slum areas of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Moonlight Star Clinic, in the Bwaise area, was founded in 2007 specifically to offer services to sex workers.

The clinic helps around 600 sex workers each year, many from the Kimombasa slum area. It also expanded its services to 23,000 people in the community to reduce the stigma associated with sex work.

I was told that the women typically earn 500 Ugandan shillings (or $0.15 USD) for sex, which is less than half the cost of a pack of condoms.

Maybe you're a workaholic and spend 80 hours a week at the office. Perhaps you come home every night wanting to complain about your micromanaging boss or annoying coworkers. Whatever the culprit, our careers often affect our personal relationships — and in extreme cases, they can even ruin marriages.

"Because we spend the majority of our waking hours Monday through Friday at the office, our jobs tend to easily spill into our personal lives," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."

"And it's natural, for instance, to come home wanting to vent," she says, "but this kind of thing can wear thin on your partner over time, as they may feel helpless."

She says that frequently bringing the office into your personal life can be stressful for both of you, and it's important to know if your job is affecting your marriage.

"You want to recognize red flags early that your work is impacting your marriage, so you aren't blindsided by your spouse before it's too late to make any changes," adds Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage."

Here are 17 signs your job is ruining your marriage:

SEE ALSO: 3 subtle differences between workaholics and high performers

You put work priorities ahead of your relationship

If you find yourself opting out of activities you would normally engage in with your spouse, such as going to a movie, visiting friends or just enjoying time together, you could be placing undue pressure on the relationship, Taylor says.

You're too tired from work to spend time with your spouse

If work is sucking all of your energy out of you, your partner will be affected and take note.

Your spouse has become your career therapist

If you find yourself constantly seeking advice from your spouse on your next "move" at work, you could be hurting your marriage, Taylor says.

Back in the late 1990s, the coolest place to be was huddled around a Nintendo 64 playing "GoldenEye 007" with your friends. The revolutionary first-person shooter from game developer Rare laid the groundwork for the genre on consoles four years before the first "Halo" came out.

You'd think that one of the most popular and beloved games of all time would've been remade or re-released at some point, right? Well, thanks to a truckload of copyright issues, it never has.

But for one shining moment, there was hope. In 2008, Rare was working on an HD remake of "GoldenEye 007" for Xbox 360, but the game was cancelled before it could be released. Thanks to a website called Rare Thief, however, we now have an idea of what it would have looked like:

SEE ALSO: 10 best games you may have missed from the last few years

"GoldenEye 007" was developed by Rare and came out in 1997, two years after the James Bond movie it was based on. This is what it looked like at the time:

And this is what the unfinished HD remake looked like. It's not as pretty as a modern game (even by 2008 standards), but it's definitely a lot sharper than the blurry, foggy mess on N64.

Some context: In the 90s, first-person shooters were largely popular on PC. Hits like "DOOM" and "Quake" got sub-par console versions, but shooters were rarely made with consoles in mind. "GoldenEye 007" was different.

If your life often feels like it's moving at near-breakneck speed, you probably consider your vacations as opportunities to disconnect (often, literally), decompress, and slow down. Way down.

And what better way to do that than with a so-called "castaway vacation" -- a getaway to a deserted island, where even the small handful of tourists outnumber the nearly nonexistent island population.

Check out five of our favorite secluded getaways, then make like a desert islander and escape to one of the world's most remote tropical islands. 

1. Palawan Island Province, Philippines

Palawan Island Province, located west of the Filipino mainland, is home to 1,780 islands and nearly 1,200 miles of isolated, tropical shoreline. Of those islands, Apulit Island (population: zero!) stands out as one of our favorites: it's breathtaking from the very first moment of spying it on the boat ride in. As stunning as it is remote, Apulit is a paradise of pristine beaches, towering limestone cliffs, tropical vegetation, and water so clear, you can count the grains of sand on the ocean floor. Between dining on delicious Filipino delicacies, spend your mornings in the hammock and your afternoons in sea kayaks. 

2. Water Island, U.S. Virgin Islands

It doesn't get much closer to deserted than Water Island, the newest main island addition to theU.S. Virgin Islands. This tiny spit of sand measures just 500 acres and has only 160 inhabitants; what's more, there are no resorts, no stores, and no public transportation. Water Island is secluded; Water Island is rustic; Water Island is a 21st-century deserted island paradise. Given its remote location and sparse services, your choice of accommodations is limited to the Virgin Islands Campground, an eco-sensitive property with cozy cottages, just a short walk to the beach. 

3. Cat Island, Bahamas

Cat Island (130 miles southeast of Nassau) is known for its gorgeous, secluded beaches as much of the island is not developed. It’s not uncommon to come across miles of white sand with no one around -- no boats, docks, or jet skis. Which may come as no surprise, considering it's 48 miles long and has a population of only 1,300 people. The island is lush, hilly, and incredibly scenic with a generous and friendly culture. It's very safe, and guests enjoy the laid-back, slow pace of local life. 

The most successful leaders have not only mastered technical skills, they've also mastered soft skills.

Commonly known as people or interpersonal skills, soft skills like negotiating, building morale, and maintaining relationships are key to a leader's success.

According to ResourcefulManager, a website dedicated to helping managers become more effective at their jobs, "Technical aptitude and business savvy aren't worth much if leaders don't have the people skills to execute them."

Here are 19 soft skills leaders need to be successful — as well as tips to hone them — from ResourcefulManager:

SEE ALSO: 8 body language tricks to instantly appear more confident

1. Listening 

The best communicators are not only skilled at articulating their own thoughts, they're also great listeners. We tend to associate being the loudest voice in the room with power and control, but successful leaders understand the importance of listening to others' thoughts and ideas.

Tip: Give the speaker your undivided attention, take notes, reserve judgment, and be open to opinions.

2. Communicating

The ability to communicate well is essential to forming and maintaining relationships. Leaders who have mastered the exchange of ideas can more effectively manage employees and create a productive work environment.

Tip: Communicate with courtesy, show confidence, back up statements with facts, and try to avoid tentative language like, "might,""maybe,""possibly," and "ASAP."

3. Nonverbal communication

A person's body language can often be more important than what he or she is actually saying. A classic piece of research, while sometimes contested, posits that the words we choose have just a 7% impact on the listener's interpretation, while body language has a 55% impact.

Tip: Maintain eye contact while speaking to show respect and sincerity, hold good posture to project confidence, avoid gestures that are distracting or convey disinterest such as crossed arms or fidgeting with clothing/jewelry, and make sure facial expressions align with the message being communicated.

Everyone's path to success is different.

For some, it's mostly linear. Others encounter more twists, turns, and bumps along the way.

While some like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson were already dominating the business world at 25, others like Larry Ellison and Mark Cuban took a little longer to hit their stride and saw their mid-20s as transformative years.

To illustrate how no two paths to success are alike, we've highlighted what 26 highly successful people were doing at age 25.

Vivian Giang and Max Nisen contributed to earlier versions of this post.

SEE ALSO: Tony Robbins, Richard Branson, and 28 other successful people share their best career advice for people in their 20s

DON'T MISS: 16 things successful 20-somethings do in their spare time

Donald Trump took over his father's real-estate-development company

Trump, a billionaire real-estate mogul, and animated TV personality, grew up wealthy. But as he told Forbes, his father wanted him to learn the value of money.

As a kid, his dad would take him to construction sites and have him and his brother pick up empty soda bottles to redeem for cash. He says that he didn't make much, but it taught him to work for his money.

At 25, the young real-estate developer was given control of his father's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son, which he later renamed the Trump Organization, according to Bio. He soon became involved in large, profitable building projects in Manhattan.

Jennifer Lawrence was an Oscar-winner raking in millions

At just 26 years old, Lawrence is Hollywood's highest-paid actress, raking $46 million pretax over 12 months this year, and closer to $52 million last year, according to Forbes.

By the time she was 25, Lawrence had starred in the box-office-hit "Hunger Games" trilogy and worked alongside a star-studded cast in the X-Men series.

At 22, she became the second-youngest winner of the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook," and she has won many more awards for her work.

Steve Jobs took his company public and became a millionaire

By the end of its first day of trading in December 1980, Apple Computer had a market value of $1.2 billion, making its cofounders very rich men. Jobs, one of the three cofounders, was 25.

He later told biographer Walter Isaacson that he made a pledge at that time to never let money ruin his life.

Did you know there are free games released every month on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One? It's true!

If you pay $60 annually for an Xbox Live Gold membership, you get a handful of free games every single month. The program works very similarly to Sony's PlayStation Plus program, with one significant difference: Every single game offered through Games with Gold is compatible with Xbox One.

Even if you don't own an Xbox 360, you can still download free Xbox 360 titles every month directly onto your Xbox One. And they work on the Xbox One! Voila!

Here are all the games available this September.

SEE ALSO: The future of the Xbox will probably be a lot like the iPhone

"Earthlock: Festival of Magic"

 "Earthlock: Festival of Magic" is a brand-new RPG making its debut on the Xbox One as a totally free game for Games with Gold members.

It looks like it will be reminiscent of the Japanese RPG "Final Fantasy," but with more of an animated, painterly art style.

Platforms: Xbox One

Availability: September 1 to September 30

"Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China"

The second game available for free is "Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China" a side-scrolling spin-off of the popular "Assassin's Creed" series.

When it first came out in April 2015, it received middling reviews, but it certainly boasts a gorgeous art style and a compelling setting that's yet to be explored in the full-blown "Assassin's Creed" series thus far.

Platforms: Xbox One

Availability: September 16 to October 15

"Forza Horizon"

"Forza Horizon" is one of the most beloved racing games in recent memory. With the September 27 release date for "Forza Horizon 3" just around the corner, now's a great time to catch up.

Featuring around 300 different cars and a large open world, "Forza Horizon" is definitely worth checking out if you missed it when it first came out on Xbox 360. 

Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One

Availability: September 1 to September 15

The Galaxy Note 7 is a beautiful smartphone. And it's a world-class pocket camera.

At its core, the Note 7 is essentially a souped-up Galaxy S7 Edge— already the runaway best phone of 2016, with the best camera ever installed on a smartphone.

But the Note 7 packs a giant, curved 5.7 inch quad-HD AMOLED screen onto a nearly bezel-free frame with a smaller footprint than the iPhone 6s Plus. So the best camera in phone-land and the best display have come together in a single device.

It's a freaking pleasure to use.

SEE ALSO: There's a simple trick to shooting beautiful smartphone photos

AND: The Galaxy S7 camera blows the iPhone 6s Plus out of the water

It shouldn't surprise anyone at this point that the Galaxy camera produces excellent images. Even in confusing situations, like the blue light of dawn, the Note 7 turns up high-contrast, color-perfect images.

Colors are rich, details are sharp. And even in images like this, with a bright spot and deep shadows, the sensor's excellent dynamic range retains plenty of noise-free detail.

The wide f/1.7 aperture on this camera, which helps it shoot in low light, also throws backgrounds nicely out of focus when shooting nearby subjects. You can see the depth-of-focus recession in this shot.

Air travel can wreak havoc on the most seasoned traveler's beauty routine. Skin gets dehydrated, makeup smudges, and jet lag puts wear and tear on you inside and out.

No one knows this better than flight attendants, who log thousands of miles per year. But unlike the rest of us, they manage to maintain a natural glow and perfect coif.

Heather Sanchez, a flight attendant who has flown with Hawaiian Airlines for 10 years, has become an expert in looking polished and feeling refreshed from wheels up to wheels down.

Lucky for us, she's letting us in on a few of her top secrets and beauty hacks. 

Favorite in-flight and post-flight beauty products:

Flying at a high altitude causes the air to become very dry, so hand moisturizer and lip balm should be a flight bag staple. Ironically, after many hours of flying, the face tends to get oily, too. Carry face tissues that are designed to remove oil. They take away the shine and keep complexion looking fresh. 

My layover bag holds a variety of beauty remedies, including Aveda's tourmaline-charged face mask, which leaves pores feeling clean, a Rodan + Fields electric hand-held exfoliator, which removes any dead skin cells, and Crest whitening strips, which maintain a healthy looking smile. 

How to physically and mentally prepare for a flight:

My usual routes consist of late morning or early afternoon departures, which allow me to get in a good workout first thing in the morning. The endorphins kick in and get me in a great mood for the rest of the day. I also make sure to drink plenty of water in order to hydrate my body before the flight. I can't emphasize how important this is, especially before taking a long-range flight. 

Go-to healthy snacks for traveling:

Depending on the route, I try to bring fresh fruit and vegetables. (There are strict agricultural restrictions on domestic travel, but I normally work international flights where fresh fruit and vegetables are allowed, but must be consumed before landing). Steer clear of processed foods and foods containing high amounts of sodium to avoid bloating and water retention. The simplest travel snacks are fruit and nut bars, protein shakes, and almonds. They are easy to pack and consume while on the go. And I can't leave out a satiating piece of dark chocolate. It compliments a cup of in-flight coffee nicely.

Why is it that summer is always hottest right before it ends? As the season winds down and the humidity goes up, getting stuck to your shirt is a common fate that befalls men of all descriptions.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Instead of clingy cotton, reach for a lightweight linen shirt whenever it's going to be particularly muggy out.

While they can't make the atmosphere any less moist, they'll keep you cooler than anything else in your closet.

SEE ALSO: The best briefcase at every price

Uniqlo

$20, available at uniqlo.com

J.Crew

$80, available at jcrew.com

APC

$235, available at shop.nordstrom.com

US gas prices have hit their lowest point in recent history, falling to levels last seen before the Great Recession. According to The New York Times, the national average fell to $2.18 a gallon in July.

Since gas prices have become inextricably linked to the American road trip, comparing how far a tank will get you on US highways is a useful point of comparison for prices at the pump.

The cost-information website How Much, with an assist from SVM, put together some vividly colored maps to illustrate how far $50 worth of gas would take you from major American cities, based on the average gas prices in June for the years 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016 and assuming that your car gets 24 miles a gallon.

Summer road-trip season is wrapping up, so check out how far you can go below.

SEE ALSO: These maps show how dangerous illegal drugs flow around the globe

New York City

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Los Angeles

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Chicago

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Searching for the best waffles has been popular American breakfast quest since theyarrived stateside in the 1700s. A tasty tradition brought over by Belgian immigrants, the humble waffle has risen to celebrity status over the past few years, popping up in gourmet restaurants from coast to coast, topped with everything from caviar to fried chicken. And it makes (awesome) culinary sense. The patterned confection — made into its characteristic shape by cooking dough between two hot checkerboard-patterned plates — is the perfect vessel for carrying both sweet and savory goodies. Whether you’re a sucker for a classic with maple syrup or itching to try a more inventive take, here are some of the best waffles created to make you go bananas:

1. Uni Waffle – Yona (Washington D.C.)

Yona delivers a savory variation of the typically sweet breakfast food, serving waffles with uni (sea urchin), a schmear of taramasalata (cured roe spread) and a touch of caviar to share at dinner.

2. Liege Waffle – The Winchester (Chicago)

Easy on the eyes and on the palate, the Liege Waffle at The Winchester oozes with juicy blueberries and dollops of cream.

3. Waffle Bar – The Sinclair (Boston)

A standout selection on The Sinclair’s New American brunch menu, the Waffle Bar offers sweet and savory options depending on your preference — toppings include bananas, caramel, pecans, fried chicken, berries, bacon and Marshmallow Fluff — plus a waffle flight delivering mini versions that are perfect for sharing.

City parks serve an important purpose: in the midst of the world's biggest population centers, they provide a sense of peace and relaxation.

And the best part is that most of them are free. 

Some parks are massive green spaces, while others encompass mountain ranges, museums, and palaces. No visit to a great city is complete without seeing its greatest park.

Here are the 30 of the best city parks around the world.

BALBOA PARK, SAN DIEGO: The park is home to beautiful architecture as well as the world famous San Diego Zoo.

BEIHAI PARK, BEIJING: This Chinese park has been around in some form since the 11th century. It's filled with beautiful imperial palaces of the past.

BOBOLI GARDENS, FLORENCE: Between the ancient sculptures, the fountains, and the gardens, this is one of the most beautiful parks in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Wannabe racers can rejoice. Ford has brought its 350-horsepower "hot hatch" Focus RS from Europe to the US. The RS went on sale earlier this year, and for about $36,000, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more trackworthy ride that can also serve as a daily driver and errand-runner.

I headed up to the Monticello Motor Club, about a two hour drive from where I live in New Jersey, to check out the RS in its preferred environment: on a race track.

And who did I find up in the lovely Catskills on a glorious late-summer afternoon? Why, none other than Ben Collins, who was once the "Stig" on the hit BBC car show "Top Gear." He was out of his anonymous white full-face helmet and racing suit and kitted out in blue Ford Performance threads. He was on had to truly put the RS through its paces, with merciless hot laps on half the MMC's course.

I got my crack at the car afterwards. Was it any good?

Read on:

The Monticello Motor Club is located about two hours north of New York City. It's nestled among quiet country roads.

The speed limit is 40 mph outside. It's rather more than that on the track.

If you don't look hard, you might miss it.

The American Civil War was a bloody, brutal time in the history of the United States. It not only pitted “brother against brother,” as the saying goes, it was a fight over the soul of the country for (at least) the next 150 years.

But while most people know the broad brushstrokes of the war’s causes and conflicts, there are some little known facts that for some might cast America’s bloodiest war in a whole new light.

SEE ALSO: 6 weapons the US military should bring back from the dead

1. The first soldier killed in the war died entirely by accident.

The opening salvos of the Civil War were fired during the siege of Fort Sumter in South Carolina. When P.G.T Beauregard accepted the surrender of the fort, there were zero fatalities on either side. When the Union troops lowered the American flag, they gave it a 100-gun salute.

An accidental discharge from a cannon firing that salute killed Pvt. Daniel Hough of the 1st US Artillery.

2. The Civil War began and ended at the same guy’s house.

While the opening shots of the war were in Charleston Harbor, the first major battle was fought nearly three months later at the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as “First Manassas.”

General Beauregard used the house of Virginian Wilmer McLean as his headquarters during the fight. McLean moved his family away from the area shortly after to a two-story house at a place called Appomattox Court House.

It was at McLean’s house that Gens. Grant and Lee met to discuss the South’s surrender on April 9th, 1865.

3. Battles have multiple names because the of the backgrounds of their soldiers.

The bulk of the Union troops were city dwellers and townspeople. When they talked about a battle, the notable things they saw were the natural features of the battlefield. Confederates were by and large from rural areas.

When they remember a battle, their inclination is to talk about the manufactured, populated, or otherwise man-made features of the area.

For example, both times the two forces met near Manassas Rail Station, the Southerners dubbed the fights First and Second Battle of Manassas, while the Union troops named it after Bull Run, the nearby stream. At least 230 such Civil War combat actions are known to have multiple names.

Summer 2016 was one of the worst summers for mainstream movies in a long time.

Besides a few standouts like "Captain America: Civil War" and "Finding Dory," this summer was filled with critically-reviled flops. Overall ticket sales were down 10% from last year's summer run.

INSIDER went through the box-office numbers and Rotten Tomatoes scores of films released in the months of May through August to find the worst of summer 2016. Movies are ranked according to a combination of averaged critic and fan scores with box-office totals taken into account. If a film massively underperformed at the box office, it's higher on the list. 

Keep reading to see the worst movies of summer 2016.

10. "Suicide Squad"

Averaged Rotten Tomatoes Score:47%
Worldwide box office:$577.6 million

This was a bummer. After the failureof "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," Warner Brothers needed a hit to right its DC Extended Universe. Based on the trailers, it looked like WB had a surefire win with "Suicide Squad," the story of a bunch of villains teaming up to take down more bad guys.

However, the final product is a tonally confused mess that's the product of too many cooks in the kitchen. "Suicide Squad" was certainly a step up from "Batman v. Superman." However, that's not saying a lot. 

Most Brutal Review: "So much happens in David Ayer's DC Comics adaptation Suicide Squad that by the end, it's as if you've seen nothing." -Stephanie Zacherek, TIME Magazine

9. "Now You See Me 2"

Averaged Rotten Tomatoes Score:47%
Worldwide box office:$320.9 million

The film, in which the band of magicians unite for another heist, was deemed unexciting and unmemorable. Still, it managed to connect with a huge audience around the world. Star power, especially with names as big as Daniel Radcliffe and Mark Ruffalo, can still get you somewhere. The movie was especially big enough in China, where it was shot, that Lionsgate is now planning a Chinese spinoff.

Most Brutal Review: "Based solely on merit, Now You See Me 2 is a sequel that should never have been made." - James Berardinelli, ReelViews 

8. "Legend of Tarzan"

Averaged Rotten Tomatoes Score:50.5%
Worldwide box office: $352.6 million

Despite a powerhouse cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, and Margot Robbie, the film barely resonated. It's a bland reboot that also happened to fall in the shadow of the far superior "The Jungle Book," which came out in April. Stick to the animated Disney version instead. 

Most Brutal Review: "The Legend of Tarzan plays as if a dog ate part of the script." -David Edelstein, New York Magazine

On August 24, 2011, Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs as the permanent CEO of Apple. He's been in charge ever since.

So how's he doing after five years?

Apple's earnings report for the quarter that ended on June 30 beat Wall Street's expectations, sending the stock up about 7% after-hours. Apple is still the most valuable company in the world, and earns more profit in a quarter than most other tech companies do in a year.

But at the same time, Apple's revenue has started shrinking. Its most important product, the iPhone, is shrinking. All its other business lines, save one, are shrinking. And the company hasn't had a new hit product since Cook took over.

Let's go to the charts, provided by BI Intelligence:

SEE ALSO: The rise of Apple CEO Tim Cook, the world's most powerful business leader

First, let's take a look at the stock price since Cook took over. It's up about 98%. That's a little better than the S&P 500, which is up 93% in the same time period. But in the five or so years before he took over, Apple stock rose a historic 460%, doing way better than the S&P.

Also, Apple now pays a dividend. It did not before Cook took over. But Apple's cash hoard has also grown by about 3x since then, and now stands at over $230 billion.

Cook should also be commended for turning Apple into a company with a strong public conscience. He's made a huge commitment to turn Apple into a carbon-neutral company with actions like building massive solar plants, and has taken a public stance on social issues like gay rights. Steve Jobs never took those kinds of stands.

Apple doesn't get to pick what new emoji are officially created — that's Unicode's job — but because so many people use emoji on Apple's iPhones, it certainly has some say. 

And now Apple is pushing for several new characters, as revealed in a Unicode proposal submitted earlier this month and uncovered by Emojipedia.

Apple wants the Unicode consortium to certify new emoji for five new professions: Artist, firefighter, pilot, astronaut, and judge. If approved, these emojis will become official in November. 

Like other emoji, users will be able to pick the character's gender and skin tone.

Earlier this summer in emoji news, Apple decided to change its revolver icon to a squirt gun and reportedly pushed Unicode to ditch an emoji depicting a rifle. 

The new characters are pretty cool. Take a look: 

SEE ALSO: This 31-year-old Australian accidentally built a huge empire by cataloging all the world's emojis

AND: There's a huge problem with Apple's plan to combat gun violence by changing an emoji

Female artist:

Male artist:

Female firefighter:

While global coal use has fallen significantly in recent years, so far in 2016 it has seen a slight rebound, placing among the top five best performing commodities, according to Citibank.

And producers expect continued improvements this year. "Assessing the remainder of 2016, we are beginning to see some positive signs in the domestic thermal coal markets,"said Joe Craft, the CEO of Alliance Resource Partners and Alliance Holdings GP.

Energy firm Cloud Peak noted in an earnings release that, "if summer burn is strong, utilities are expected to rebuild their stockpiles in anticipation of winter demand. This scenario creates the potential for strong shipments and increasing sales this fall."

Recent improvements don't augur a return to past highs — coal production has declined significantly in the US — but they do indicate that coal remains an in-demand fuel source around the world. And as long as that is the case, it will have to be pulled from the earth. As the photos below show, that can be a dirty process.

SEE ALSO: Take a look inside the dirty process that produces one of the world's most valuable illegal drugs

Coal use in China, one of the world's largest consumers, fell two percentage points in 2015, but was still 64% of the country's energy sources. Here a villager selects coal near a mine on the outskirts of Jixi, in Heilongjiang province, China.

Source: The Guardian

Coal consumption in the EU was flat last year, after declining in 2014. Below, miners leave after working the final shift at Kellingley Colliery in December 2015. Kellingley was the last deep coal mine to close in England, bringing to an end centuries of coal mining in Britain.

Source: Associated Press 

Miners working about 1,640 feet underground at the Boleslaw Smialy coal mine, a unit of the coal miner Kompania Weglowa, in Laziska Gorne, Silesia, southern Poland, on September 11.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been on an incredible run of late and things have only gotten better. Forbes has now named him the highest-paid actor in the world with $64.5 million earned in the past year.

Thanks to franchises like "Fast and the Furious" and "San Andreas," his lifetime worldwide box-office gross is over $6 billion, and coming up he's got a "Baywatch" movie and "Jumanji" sequel.

He's also stepping into the superhero world in the near future as he's signed on to be Doc Savage.

That's not to mention his other endeavors like a YouTube channel, a production company, and endorsement deals.

Here we look back on the incredible career of "The Rock," from a washed-up football player with only $7 to his name to becoming the highest-paid actor in the world.

Frank Pallotta and Mallory Schlossberg contributed to an earlier version of this story.

SEE ALSO: Here's the most popular music artist in every state, according to Pandora

Before he was "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California.

Source: Biography

Wrestling is in Johnson's blood. His father, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, was a member of the first African-American tag-team champions, and his grandfather Peter Maivia was one of the first Samoan wrestlers.

Source: YouTube

Johnson didn't go straight to wrestling. His first sport was football. After starring in high school, he played in college for the Miami Hurricanes. Over his tenure at the University of Miami, Johnson started just once but appeared in 39 games and had 77 tackles, and he was a part of the 1991 national championship team.

Source: ESPN