Faza. You know i had the same feeling you were having?
When i saw those sandstorms taking place I was remembering mystical pieces taken from almost every religion in the world, when strange things happen with the nature in certain situations to protect people from violence and death or as symbols of big changes comming.
Anyway, always when death is involved, God is appearing in our thoughts more often, because we try to find something beyond and higher than the human power to keep on feeling hopefull.
As for CNN, I really never thought they were against the basic principle of freedom. They probably can censor people of their own network, but internet can never be censored when it is the present biggest way of communication in the world.