VIDEO: VOA journeys for eight days deep into Gabon’s Minkebe National Park , where more than 80 percent of the forest elephants have disappeared over the last decade, mostly due to poaching. Poachers escape across the Ivindo River and deeper into the forest along the borders of Cameroon, Gabon, and Republic of Congo. Outgunned park rangers struggle to keep up as the poachers they do catch often spend little time in prison.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm, which was the worst natural disaster in the United States wreaked havoc in Mississippi, Alabama and most notably Louisiana. The city of New Orleans was hardest hit by the damaging winds, heavy rain and storm surge. At one point, up to 80 percent of the city was underwater. The storm killed between 1,200 and 1,800 and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage across several states.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has drawn a social media backlash from Iranians for saying the pressures they face are a result of the life they have chosen to live .

VIDEO: Express fitness is gaining popularity in the United States, as people try to squeeze exercise into their hectic schedules. To accommodate them, gyms are offering more total body workouts in a compressed period of time .

VIDEO: A former graffiti artist is now brightening up the streets of Washington, D.C. with colorful murals. He says he’s living his dream and helping onlookers feel more connected as they reflect on his work .