CNN International continues 'Global Connections', its new programming segment within 'Connect the World', casting the spotlight on two seemingly distant nations to find unexpected similarities. Each week the network invites guests into the studio to give background information on the two featured countries, and this week's Global Connector is Tom Hall, editor of Lonely Planet travel guides.  

Viewers are invited to submit their iReport video, text or photo to www.cnn.com/globalconnections, focussing on their personal experiences or interesting anecdotes that connect the two countries. The best and most interesting submissions will appear in an extended "Global Connections" segment during 'Connect the World' every Friday for the next 6 weeks and on the show website www.cnn.com/globalconnections.

"'Global Connections' is an interactive show segment that is designed to show that our vast world is a lot smaller than we think and interconnected in a myriad of ways.  We're inviting our audience to give us a personal angle to help reveal unusual links between our two selected countries. We look forward to exploring the intriguing personal parallels our audience is able to draw between the nations we profile each week, whether it's cultural, historical, economic, social or something less conventional", says Mike McCarthy, Vice President of coverage and feature programming, CNN International.

This week, 'Global Connections' asks viewers; 'what links Panama and UAE?'. Tune in to 'Connect the World' from 2100 BST on Monday 13thth September to see presenter Becky Anderson discuss the next two countries with this week's Global Connector, Tom Hall, editor of Lonely Planet travel guides.