(CNN)There are superyachts. And then there are superyachts for "ladies." Introducing La Belle, the 80-meter gold and crystal-encrusted superyacht described as a floating "boudoir for women," by its female designer. "There will not be any boy's toys -- such as pool tables or beer kegs -- on board," Italian designer, Lidia Bersani, told CNN. "But there will be a fantastic spa with a beauty center, large mirrors, and huge wardrobes," she said of the concept yacht, which she claims is the first designed specifically for women. Bersani came up with plans for the five-deck La Belle because "I felt, as a lady, it was my duty to design something especially for us, where we can feel a woman's touch. "There will only be off-white, ivory, and cream colors. All surrounded by furs, silk, gold, pearls, crystals, live music, aromatics and flowers," she added. Not that all women are on board with Bersani's "warm and romantic" bejeweled boat. "I don't know any woman who lives in a dream world where these things are desirable," said Maria Jaschok, director of the International Gender Studies Centre at Oxford University. "It feels somehow remote, like some sort of little girlish dream, traveling in that eternal pink cloud." Bersani, who also designs apartment interiors, defended the hyper-feminine yacht, saying: "I don't know a single woman who does not like flowers and is not dreaming of diamonds. "If you get married, the most amazing day in your life, you want to be dressed in an amazing white long dress, looking like a princess, with a gold diamond ring on your finger, around romantic music, happy people, and plenty of flowers." In the ultra-elite world of superyachts, female owners are practically unheard of, but that doesn't mean women don't have a huge influence over the spending of their billionaire partners. "In terms of superyacht owners, I'd say they were upwards of 90% male," said Rory Trahair, of superyacht brokers Edmiston. "That said, superyachts on the whole are designed for the preferences of a couple -- for their interests, design, style, and taste. "And while the person chartering a superyacht is often male, the person in charge of the holiday is often his wife or girlfriend." Male or female, Trahair envisioned few clients looking to buy a "radical, gold yacht" such as Bersani's. "It could be regarded as patronizing -- a bit like Barbie, where the assumption is that everything has to be pink," said Trahair. Earlier this year, plans were revealed for world's biggest private boat -- the $1 billion, 222 meter Triple Deuce. And they're only going to become more lavish, according to Trahair. "We've launched yachts in the last few years that have multiple pools, helipads, a squash court. There are few things now a yacht can't have," he said. "Whereas a jacuzzi was a luxury in the early 2000s, now if you've got just one, it's rather frowned upon. You need to have a few and you need to have an infinity plunge pool that doubles as a helipad." Whether there will also be a market

Summary: La Belle touts itself as the 'first superyacht designed for women' Raises eyebrows over 'Barbie doll' portrayal of femininity .


London (CNN)British Prime Minister David Cameron formally asked Queen Elizabeth II to dissolve his country's Parliament on Monday, opening the way for campaigning ahead of the May 7 general election. The procedural step means there are officially no members of Parliament until it reconvenes on May 18 for the swearing-in of members and the official state opening of Parliament on May 27. Addressing media outside the official prime ministerial residence at 10 Downing St., Cameron said that Britain had been "on the brink" when he came into office. "Of course, we haven't fixed everything, but Britain is back on her feet again." Cameron said the nation faced "a stark choice" in 38 days. "The next Prime Minister walking through that door will be me or (Labour Party leader) Ed Miliband," he said. "You can choose an economy that grows, that creates jobs, that generates the money to ensure a properly funded and improving NHS (National Health Service) ... and a government that will cut taxes for 30 million hard-working people ... or you can choose the economic chaos of Ed Miliband's Britain," Cameron said. "After five years of effort and sacrifice, Britain is on the right track. This election is about moving forward -- and as Prime Minister here at No. 10 that's what I will deliver." Miliband launched Labour's Business Manifesto on Monday, saying that a second Conservative term would threaten Britain's EU membership and pose "a clear and present danger" to British firms and prosperity. "There are two futures on offer at this election," Miliband said. "To carry on with a Conservative plan based on the idea that as long as the richest and most powerful succeed, everyone else will be OK. Or a Labour plan, a better plan, that says it is only when working people succeed that Britain succeeds." Miliband also referenced Cameron's March 23 announcement that the Conservative leader had ruled out standing for a third term -- before the election that will decide whether he even gets a second term in the top job -- saying the Conservative candidates would be "vying against each other for who can be the most extreme on Europe." Cameron and his Conservative Party won the last election in 2010, but not by enough to go into government alone. Without a majority in Parliament, a government becomes dependent on MPs, or lawmakers, from other parties to get its program voted through the House of Commons, the chamber that passes laws and legislation. For five years, Cameron has been governing in coalition with the UK's third party, the Liberal Democrats. Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat leader and deputy prime minister, has mostly backed Cameron in parliamentary debates against Labour's Miliband. "For the first time ever, the Liberal Democrats go into this campaign with a record of action in government to be extremely proud of," Clegg said Monday. "We have kept the government in the center ground and shown that we are the only party that can build a stronger economy and a fairer society." The right-wing UK Independence Party, or UKIP, which has

Summary: British Prime Minister David Cameron formally asks Queen to dissolve Parliament . Move paves way for official campaigning ahead of May 7 general elections .


(CNN)A year later, it still sounds impossible: A sophisticated $270 million airliner carrying 239 people disappears, leaving very few clues about where it went. But did the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 really have to be such a mystery? Maybe not. Lingering questions -- and the trauma experienced by friends and family of passengers and crew of the Boeing 777-200ER -- all might have been avoided if already proven technology had been put into place. Believe it or not, in our modern world, airplane tracking technology has yet to enter the 21st century. Take GPS for example. Why aren't air traffic controllers using it to constantly track all commercial airliners? How about communicating with satellites? Why don't all airliners stream their so-called black box data to satellites in real time? The technology is available. Yes, it's expensive, but so is searching hundreds of thousands of square miles of vast ocean. Let's break it down. Flight 370 had eight ways to communicate with the ground while in flight: . • Five very high frequency and high frequency radios that could transmit and receive voice and data transmissions. • Two transponders that could send identification and altitude data to air traffic control radar screens. • One satellite transceiver that could transmit and receive text messages and phone calls. Despite this technology, the world lost track of the flight with the airline industry codename MH370. To understand why, you first have to know a little about the technology and the gaps in the system. Throughout most of the world, air traffic controllers still track airplanes with radar -- which uses technology dating back to the 1940s. Radar is reliable, but it is limited. It comes with large gaps in coverage areas. Aircraft flying more than about 200 miles from land over oceans are not tracked by air traffic control radar screens. Radar covers only about 2% or 3% of the planet's surface, experts say. The rest is a virtual aviation no man's land. If an aircraft's transponders are turned off, an aircraft can be seen only through so-called primary radar. In these cases, air traffic controllers see only a blip on radar screens. The blip isn't identified and the plane's altitude is unknown. In a nutshell, here's the electronic communication from Flight 370 after it left Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014: . • Nearly 30 minutes after takeoff, the plane sends a text via satellite that confirms it's headed to Beijing, as expected. • Later, the plane sends a final radio call as it transitions between Malaysia air traffic controllers to controllers in Vietnam. But air traffic controllers in Ho Chi Minh City never heard from the crew. • Three minutes after the radio call, the plane's two transponders mysteriously cease transmitting. • But primary radar operated by the military in Malaysia and Thailand is able to track the 777 for limited periods without its transponder being on. • Later, an orbiting satellite checks in with the plane's satellite transceiver, kind of like a cell tower pinging a mobile phone. The aircraft responds

Summary: Modern tracking technology might have helped solve the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 . A year after MH370 vanished, airline tracking is still largely the same . Most airliners use ground radar instead of satellites; tracking over oceans is spotty, at best .


(CNN)My name is Mark Goodacre, and I am a professor of New Testament and Christian origins in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University. I was series adviser and one of many on-camera experts on CNN's "Finding Jesus," which airs on Sundays. I also appear in each episode of the program. Viewers were invited to tweet and post their questions on the "Finding Jesus" Facebook page during the latest episode, "The Gospel of Judas." Below are some of the most interesting, and my answers to them. They have been edited for style and clarity for this article: . Yalanda M. Price: What do scholars know about the man named Judas? What is his story? Mark Goodacre: Judas is actually a pretty mysterious figure in the New Testament. In fact, the relative lack of information about him in the Gospels has provided the invitation, across the centuries, for people to speculate about who he was and what could have possibly motivated him to hand Jesus over to the authorities. We know very little about his back story from the Gospels. He appears in the list of 12 disciples called by Jesus, but does not become a main character in the drama until the Passion Narratives. In John's Gospel, he is the disciple who is concerned about Mary wasting money anointing Jesus (John 12.4-6). Soon afterward, he is arranging to hand Jesus over to the authorities. His story ends with his dramatic suicide (Matthew 27.3-10), and Luke tells us that his stomach burst open and his intestines gushed out when he died (Acts 1.18-19). Mark Goodacre answers your questions about the Shroud of Turin . Kristine Spillman Adams: My understanding was always that Judas betrayed Jesus not because he was a villain, but he thought Jesus would start an earthly war when arrested. He was trying to get Jesus to establish a literal, physical kingdom on Earth. Goodacre: This is one of the great mysteries of the last week of Jesus' life. What motivated Judas to betray Jesus? John hints that it was financial greed (John 12.6), and Matthew says that he betrayed Jesus for "thirty pieces of silver" (Matthew 27.14-15). It is true, though, that many have speculated that Judas may have been some kind of zealot or freedom fighter, and he has often been depicted in this way in film and fiction. With this theory, he was trying to force Jesus' hand. It has sometimes been said that perhaps the word "Iscariot" is a corruption of the word "sicarii," which means "dagger bearer," and that would provide some backing to that theory. However, John identifies Judas as "Son of Simon Iscariot", which makes the "sicarii" theory less likely. In the end, we may have to accept that we simply will never know the answer to the question about Judas' motivation. Candida Moss answers your questions about John the Baptist . Betsy Wilson-Roark: Are you confident that you now have all of the pages and the current translation is accurate? Are there still words or phrases that are missing or ambiguous? Goodacre:

Summary: Religion professor Mark Goodacre appears in each episode of the program .


(CNN)Richard Glatzer, who directed a powerful film about a professor battling Alzheimer's as he faced his own harrowing health struggles, has died. Glatzer died in Los Angeles on Tuesday after having ALS for four years, his publicist said. He was 63. Glatzer co-directed "Still Alice" with his husband, Wash Westmoreland. The 2014 film earned a number of major awards for its lead actress, Julianne Moore. Directing the movie was a challenge that Glatzer embraced, even as he faced a growing number of health obstacles after his ALS diagnosis in 2011. "On set, he inspired the cast and crew with his perseverance, (co-directing) the film by typing with one finger into a text-to-speech app on his iPad," his publicist's statement said. In a Twitter post Wednesday, Westmoreland said he was devastated. "Richard was my soul mate, my collaborator, my life," he said. "A true artist and a brilliant man." Opinion: Why 'Still Alice' is about you . When she accepted her Academy Award for best actress last month for her role in the film, Moore noted Glatzer's absence. "Finally, to our filmmakers, Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, who had hoped to be here tonight, but they can't because of Richard's health," she said. "When Richard was diagnosed with ALS, Wash asked him what he wanted to do. Did he want to travel? Did he want to see the world? He said he wanted to make movies. And that's what he did." People we've lost in 2015 . CNN's Topher Gauk-Roger contributed to this report.

Summary: Richard Glatzer, who co-directed "Still Alice," has died . He had been battling ALS for four years .


(CNN)As a November dawn breaks over an Irish bar in downtown New York, the early risers inside are hunkered down to watch Lewis Hamilton begin his chase for a second Formula One world title. It's mid-morning in Brazil and Melissa, her husband Alex and their four-year-old daughter are also glued to the TV to watch their hero in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On the verdant Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, three thousand miles from the desert showdown, another Hamilton fan anxiously waits for the Mercedes man to race to his fate. These supporters, and others around the world from Estonia to South Africa, had voiced their hopes in video messages and their supplications on social media. When Hamilton flicked down his visor, revved the Mercedes' engine and hit the throttle, a global surge of support roared. "We came out at 6am on Sunday morning to watch the race in a bar in Manhattan," New Yorker, and self confessed No.1 Hamilton fan, Christopher Thomas told CNN. "We met up with fans from all over; we had a guy from the UK and one guy even took a bus from Boston just to watch the race. "We also made videos and sent them to Lewis' website using the hashtag TeamLH." In Brazil, self-styled Melissa "Hamilton," who is married to Alex "Senna," also used the hashtag to communicate with her idol. She told CNN: "I support Lewis every day but during the races I am aware of everything, even practice and all the interviews. "At all times he knows he can count on our support, in good times or bad. I am extremely proud to be a fan of his." When Hamilton won in Abu Dhabi -- in easier circumstances than expected thanks to an engine problem for rival Nico Rosberg -- and sealed the 2014 championship he was quick to thank his fans in the post-race media conference. "I always say we win and lose together," he smiled. "The love and energy that I get from my fans... It really made me believe that I can do anything." Racing in a global championship has helped Hamilton gain fame across international borders. In 2015, the F1 series will visit an air-mile clocking 20 countries. But when the 30-year-old Briton lines up for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, he will do so as the most famous face on the grid. "Lewis has over three million Facebook fans -- with a third of those coming from the UK -- and he has 2.6 million Twitter followers," explained Jon Stainer, managing director of leading sports and entertainment market research company Repucom. "He has a very strong following. Compared to other F1 drivers, Lewis is also right up there in most of the sport's key markets in terms of celebrity awareness. "In the big markets -- Brazil, China, India and the UK -- he scores in the top three. Fernando Alonso is the only other [ever-present] driver." Tom Roope, whose company Rumpus Room runs Hamilton's digital media, decided to tap into the racing star's global appeal

Summary: Lewis Hamilton lines up for Australian Grand Prix as most recognized driver in Formula One . The Mercedes world champion has more than 2 million Facebook fans and 2.6 million on Twitter . Hamilton is chasing a third world title in 2015 .


(CNN)Archaeologists searching for a lost city in the jungles of Honduras have discovered the urban remains of what they believe is a vanished ancient civilization, National Geographic reports. A writer and photographer for the magazine accompanied a team of scientists to Honduras' Mosquitia region on the trail of a legendary "White City" or "City of the Monkey God." The expedition was launched after aerial light detection scanning -- known as LIDAR -- uncovered what appeared to be man-made structures below the rainforest, National Geographic said. Seeking to confirm the discovery, a team of U.S. and Honduran archaeologists, a LIDAR engineer, an ethnobotanist, anthropologists and documentary filmmakers entered the remote region. They were protected by Honduran Special forces, the magazine said. Writer Douglas Preston said the team emerged February 25, after documenting the ruins of a "vanished culture." "In contrast to the nearby Maya, this vanished culture has been scarcely studied and it remains virtually unknown. Archaeologists don't even have a name for it," Douglas wrote. Archaeologists no longer believed in the existence of a single "White City," he said, instead believing there had been an entire civilization with many cities. The expedition found earth works, including an earthen pyramid as well as a collection of stone sculptures, thought to potentially have been burial offerings. Archaeologist Oscar Neil Cruz from the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH) estimated they dated from A.D. 1000 to 1400, Douglas wrote. The researchers were greeted by wildlife which appeared never before to have seen humans, wandering unafraid through their camp. "This is clearly the most undisturbed rain forest in Central America. The importance of this place can't be overestimated," ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin told National Geographic. The team left their finds unexcavated and are keeping the exact location of the site secret in an attempt to prevent looting. But in his article, Douglas warned that that the area was nonetheless under threat, with illegal logging for cattle farming within a dozen miles. IHAH director Virgilio Paredes Trapero told National Geographic that the forest and valley could disappear within eight years unless action was taken. "The Honduran government is committed to protecting this area, but doesn't have the money. We urgently need international support."

Summary: National Geographic has announced the discovery of a lost city in the remote Honduran rainforest . The magazine says scientists believe the city belonged to a mysterious ancient civilization . A team documented the site after aerial light scanning showed man-made structures .


Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)It's a unique world where friendships are forged, deals struck and more than the occasional argument breaks out. Welcome to Nigeria's free readers associations -- where mostly young men gather around newspaper vendors to read the headlines and debate the issues of the day. They are called "free" because nobody actually buys the newspapers they are reading. Discussions among the free readers are loud and furious and have only intensified as Nigeria goes to the polls to decide who will be the next president. Newspaper vendor John Mgbachi, a former shoemaker from Eastern Nigeria, who has a stand in Tinubu Square on Lagos Island said that far from being bad for business, he welcomes the free readers. "They are passionate about the news and and their presence is an advert for me," he said. Mgbachi told CNN that he often sees a big rise in numbers around football tournaments, mostly the Premier League, and also during the election campaign period. To avoid losing out on sales too much, Mgbachi has developed an interesting business model: "I decided not to make (reading) completely free. For some of the dailies, its 20 naira,(10 cents) 30 naira (15 cents) for the sports papers and 50 naira (30 cents) for the magazines. "It's not really a static price, it depends on the bargaining power of the person," he added. Some even take out a monthly subscription to read the newspapers. The free readers come from all walks of life and CNN spoke to analysts, an accountant and unemployed youth at the stand we visited. They talked about the excitement of discussing the current affairs with others while reading the daily newspaper. One told us he had made two very good friends and even landed a job offer. Mgbachi added there has a been a sharp decline in readers because most people now read their news on the internet. He added that the dire economic situation in the country meant that many Nigerians cannot afford to buy newspapers. Most of Nigeria's $70 billion oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of a politically connected elite while many of its citizens struggle to make ends meet.

Summary: Men gather around newspaper vendors to read headlines, debate issues of the day . Called free readers associations because no-one actually buys the papers they read . Debates loud and furious as Nigerians go to the polls to choose a new president .


Tikrit, Iraq (CNN)While Iraqi government and allied forces were on the defensive Friday in Ramadi, they remained on the offensive in Tirkit -- trying to win over not only the strategic city, but the hearts and minds of its nearby residents. Iraqi forces steadily bombarded the last part of Tikrit still controlled by ISIS, with fighting described by one wounded man as intense. Still, even as it fends off this assault, the militant group continues with its barbaric tactics. "Yesterday, bodies floated down the (Tigris) River from the hospital," said Saber Kraidi, an eight-year Iraqi military veteran. "They were people from Tikrit executed by ISIS." The Iraqi military is joined by some Sunni fighters and a predominantly Shiite militia, working together to retake the city best known to most Westerners as the hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein. They are working on not just winning the battle, but securing the peace. Members of the Badr organization, a powerful Shiite armed group, handed out food and supplies Friday to residents of the Sunni village of Albu Safah, whose 30 families have been holed up the last 10 months amid the fighting. The village's leader, Haji Jamid, said the Shiite fighters' efforts were working. "They're good," Jamid said. "If someone is sick, they'll take them to the doctor, even at 2 or 3 in the morning. "If it weren't for them, ISIS would have slaughtered us." In June, Tikrit fell to ISIS, which has conquered large areas of Iraq and Syria and claimed them as part of its Islamic caliphate. There have several attempts to take it back since then, all of them failures. The latest push began this month, involving around 30,000 fighters. By Thursday, the government controlled about 75% of the besieged city, with about 150 holdout ISIS fighters controlling the rest, said Main Al-Kadhimi, commander of the Hashd Al-Shaabi militia. There was no independent confirmation of such a significant advance by the Iraqi forces. But they have been making progress in recent days. That includes gaining control of Tikrit Military Hospital, a few blocks south of the presidential palace, on Wednesday. The goal is that, if Iraqi and allied forces can take Tikrit, then they'll have more realistic hope of similarly winning back Mosul -- a city that's nearly 10 times bigger. Yet, even if ISIS is losing ground in Tikrit, that doesn't mean it's not a dangerous, destructive force elsewhere. Case in point is happening about 100 miles south of Tikrit in Ramadi, which the extremist group began assaulting on Wednesday. Faleh al-Issawi, deputy head of the Anbar provincial council, has said officials believe the Ramadi assault "is an ISIS response to the Tikrit operation." More than 40 Iraqi soldiers died when ISIS blew up the Iraqi army headquarters near Ramadi in Iraq's western Anbar province, an Anbar provincial leader told CNN on Friday. ISIS fighters there dug a tunnel underneath the army headquarters and detonated hundreds of homemade bombs, Sabah Al-Karhout, the head of the Anbar Provincial Council, said Thursday. The headquarters are located in the Albu Diab area,

Summary: Iraqi forces bombard the small part of Tikrit where ISIS fighters are holding out . Sunni village leader lauds Shiite military: "ISIS would have slaughtered us" if not for them . Over 40 Iraqi soldiers killed when ISIS blew up the army HQ in Ramadi, an official says .


March 17, 2015 . Today's program takes you to Vanuatu to show you why recovery efforts are so difficult in the hurricane-stricken nation. We're also visiting a U.S. city that just officially logged its snowiest winter since it started keeping records, and we're exploring a U.S. Army facility charged with the task of safely eliminating U.S. chemical weapons. Plus, see how two American rivers are "going green" as part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News!

Summary: This page includes the show Transcript . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call.


(CNN)One is a former high school cornerback who also loves baseball. The other is a football fan who also played competitive golf. The two University of Oklahoma students at the center of a racist fraternity video have more than sports in common. They're both under fire since the nine-second clip showed them making racial slurs against blacks. In it, students at the now-disbanded Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity clap, pump their fists and laugh as they hurl racial slurs and make a reference to lynching. School officials have expelled Parker Rice and Levi Pettit because of their alleged "leadership role" in the racist chant. Here's what we know about the two students: . Rice, 19, was raised in Dallas, where he recently graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School. In high school, he was an avid sportsman, and he played cornerback on the football team, in addition to baseball, The Dallas Morning News reported. His father, Bob Rice, is a real estate agent in Dallas, where he volunteers for various organizations, including a baseball league and the local YMCA, according to the newspaper. Earlier this year, a sibling of the younger Rice described their close relationship in an interview with their high school newspaper. In the article, the brother says they enjoy playing video games and watching movies together. Rice has apologized for the video, calling his actions wrong and reckless. "I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same," he said in a statement Tuesday. His family has fled their home, where protesters gathered Wednesday. They've also wiped out their social media accounts. As the university tries to heal after days of controversy, some are rallying to Rice's defense. Matthew Lopez, a friend and fellow student at the university, said the video is not a reflection of who he is. "That video does not represent his core personality," Lopez said. "Unfortunately though, as things are, that might define him for a while. But it does not define him personally, I feel." Lopez described him as a "charismatic, good person, with a good soul and a good spirit" who experienced a lapse in judgment. "His behavior is a result of his influence of the fraternity system and the traditions that have been embedded since pre-civil war times, when the fraternity was made, which obviously weren't the most tolerant times," Lopez said. The second student expelled, Pettit does not have much of a digital footprint. What appears to be his now deleted Twitter page mainly focuses on his musings about college football. Pettit played golf at his alma mater, Highland Park High School, The Dallas Morning News reported. In a statement, his parents said their son made a horrible mistake and apologized to African-Americans, students and university faculty. "He is a good boy, but what we saw in those videos is disgusting," Brody and Susan Pettit said. "While it may be difficult for those who only know Levi from the video to understand, we know his heart, and he is not a racist." CNN has reached out

Summary: "That video does not represent his core personality," a friend of Parker Rice says . Levi Pettit, the second student expelled, mainly focused on college football on social media .


(CNN)It recalled one of the most memorable moments in comic book history, but for critics on social media, one comic book cover went too far, and it's now been pulled. DC Comics pulled the cover for the upcoming "Batgirl" #41, which portrays the Joker threatening a frightened Batgirl with a gun, with "Joker makeup" on her mouth. The Twitter hashtag #changethecover had been trending since Friday, when the cover was revealed. It's a variant, aka an optional cover, which tends to grab the attention of collectors but won't be the main cover seen in most stores. For the month of June, DC's variant covers are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the iconic villain. The cover recalls Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon's encounter with the Joker in the classic story "The Killing Joke." In it, he brutally attacked Barbara, kidnapping her, and it was heavily implied that she was sexually assaulted. After being shot, the character remained in a wheelchair for decades, until DC retconned Barbara's fate in 2011, allowing her to walk again and be Batgirl. The criticism of the cover spread over a few days, though others defended it with their own hashtags. DC Comics (owned by Time Warner, which also owns CNN) said in a statement late Monday that artist Rafael Albuquerque's cover was going to be pulled. "Regardless if fans like Rafael Albuquerque's homage to Alan Moore's THE KILLING JOKE graphic novel from 25 years ago, or find it inconsistent with the current tonality of the Batgirl books -- threats of violence and harassment are wrong and have no place in comics or society," they said. "We stand by our creative talent, and per Rafael's request, DC Comics will not publish the Batgirl variant. " Albuquerque said in his own statement, "My Batgirl variant cover artwork was designed to pay homage to a comic that I really admire, and I know is a favorite of many readers. 'The Killing Joke' is part of Batgirl's canon and artistically, I couldn't avoid portraying the traumatic relationship between Barbara Gordon and the Joker." He continued, "For me, it was just a creepy cover that brought up something from the character's past that I was able to interpret artistically. But it has become clear, that for others, it touched a very important nerve. I respect these opinions and, despite whether the discussion is right or wrong, no opinion should be discredited. He concluded, "My intention was never to hurt or upset anyone through my art. For that reason, I have recommended to DC that the variant cover be pulled. I'm incredibly pleased that DC Comics is listening to my concerns and will not be publishing the cover art in June as previously announced." Albuquerque added in a tweet on Monday night that he was never threatened (the "threats" DC referenced were aimed at those objecting to the cover, per "Batgirl" writer Cameron Stewart). Stewart tweeted more: "I stand behind Rafael as an artist and a friend, and think he made the right decision. The cover was not seen or approved by anyone on Team Batgirl

Summary: Comic book portraying character with Joker makeup and gun to her head has stirred controversy . Critics say it is too violent, creepy and out of step with the tone of the series . DC Comics says the scene recalls a memorable moment in Batgirl's canon .


New Delhi, India (CNN)A passenger train overshot a stop and jumped its tracks in northern India on Friday, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 50 others, a railway spokesman said. The train was headed from Dehradun to the Hindu holy city of Varanasi when it overshot an intended stop more than halfway along the route, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Lucknow in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, railway spokesman Neeraj Sharma said. Two coaches and the locomotive derailed. Video from the site, shown by CNN affiliate IBN, showed emergency workers pulling passengers from the train as a crowd looked on. The cause of the incident will be investigated, Sharma said. CNN's Harmeet Singh reported from New Delhi. CNN's Jason Hanna wrote in Atlanta.

Summary: A passenger train derails about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Lucknow in northern India . The train overshot an intended stop, a railway spokesman says .


(CNN)Comic books of the past few years have seen a lot of changes (a female Thor, anyone?) but not quite so many at one time. Three major characters -- Superman, Wonder Woman (both of DC Comics, a Time Warner company, like CNN) and Archie Andrews -- came out with new looks (and costumes in two cases) Thursday. Superman and Wonder Woman are no stranger to change over time, but these are pretty different from what we're used to. Wonder Woman is back to wearing pants (similar to her style circa 2010, not to mention a brief time in the 1970s) along with something of a turtleneck and body armor. Superman looks the most casual that we've ever seen him, simply in a t-shirt and jeans, and decidedly shorter hair. He also looks like someone you might not want to come across in a dark alley. As for Archie (who never really died, by the way), he's getting ready for his promised TV show by debuting a modern look -- one that makes it much easier to see why Betty and Veronica have been fighting for his affections all of these years. It's been a whirlwind time for comic book fans, and there will be a lot to get used to.

Summary: Superman, Wonder Woman and Archie all debuted new looks Thursday . Three of the most well-known comic book characters of all time look radically different .


(CNN)There seems to be an ever-growing list of people, places and things that will turn you gay. Maybe we should think of these as the brigade of evil, homosexual nouns. There were the Teletubbies and SpongeBob SquarePants a decade ago. Now, as these views thankfully get more fringe, the theories are becoming increasingly bizarre and awesome. Among the homo nouns, there's the Common Core, according to a Florida lawmaker (education policy is super gay, obviously); Taylor Swift, who an op-ed writer for The Christian Post, Larry Tomczak, claims is being used by Ellen DeGeneres to "attract young girls" to her show (uh-huh); the Disney princess movie "Frozen," according to radio hosts in Colorado (that dress!); and now, according to a potential 2016 Republican presidential contender, Ben Carson, there's prison. Yep, prison. Stay away from crime, kids. Turns ya gay. Carson, who, let me reiterate, is a potential presidential candidate from a major American party, and a neurosurgeon to boot, told CNN's Chris Cuomo in an interview that aired Wednesday that "a lot of people ... go into prison straight -- and when they come out, they're gay." Asked if being gay was a choice, Carson replied in a word: "Absolutely." This level of ignorance is so last century, so near-irrelevant, that I'm hesitant even to respond. But no one who holds these beliefs belongs in a race for the 2016 White House. Ordinarily, I'm the kind of gay person who likes to give people room to evolve. I know not everyone "gets it" automatically. That's OK, as long as you aren't hateful about it, are willing to listen and don't try to restrict the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. I'm from Oklahoma, a deeply conservative state, and I've seen friends, family and co-workers evolve. People who thought being gay was a sin -- or that it was a choice, or fixable -- now support same-sex marriage. People change. But presidential candidates don't get that leeway. Carson should know better. (In fact, he later apologized, regretting his words but saying the science on the issue of sexual orientation isn't clear.) These views belong in another decade, not modern America. This apparently still needs to be said: Being gay is not a choice. Don't believe me? Well, ask a gay person. As I mentioned, I'm one of those (despite never having seen "Frozen" in its entirety), and I can tell you that, for me, it wasn't a choice. It's not something I would want to undo, but it also isn't like I woke up one day and was like, huh, you know what would really mix it up this winter? Dating dudes instead of ladies. Science backs me on this. I'm not going to roll through all the details, but Mark Joseph Stern from Slate sums it up pretty well: "In study after study, biologists have found that homosexuality, at least in men, is clearly, undoubtedly, inarguably an inborn trait." And even if it were a choice, who cares? A person's religion is a choice. Yet the United States offers certain

Summary: Possible 2016 GOP candidate Ben Carson stirs controversy with comments on gays, prison . Carson's views belong in another decade, not modern America, John D. Sutter says .


London (CNN)Having been Tony Blair's spokesman and strategist for a decade and more, having been at his side through election campaigns, wars and peace processes, political and personal crises, scandals galore, having spent thousands of hours facing down possibly the most questioning media on the planet, and having done thousands of talks and interviews since leaving TB's side, I am very experienced in answering difficult questions. But right now, I am struggling and I thought a little bit of crowd sourcing with the highly intelligent men -- and especially the women -- who visit CNN.com might help. This is something I would never have considered before the advent of the blogosphere and social media, but where better now to start than at the home of the likes of Christiane Amanpour and Becky Anderson. So here is the situation. As you might know from a chat I had on CNN with Christiane last month, I have written my 11th book. It is called "Winners: And how they succeed." It looks at hyper-achievers in sport, business and politics, interviews some of the biggest and most successful names alive -- and analyses some who are dead -- and tries to draw general lessons for all of us. It is going very well thank you. Not least thanks to media interest and a host of events, at which it has been snapped up variously at gatherings for students, business people, football fans, environmentalists and political activists, it has gone within four days of publication to Number 1 in the UK hardback non-fiction charts. I would be lying -- something I am not prone to do whatever the haters may say -- if I said I was not seriously chuffed about this. As my former Downing Street colleague, now of Portland PR, Steve Morris, said at the launch: "If you write a book called 'Winners' and it goes straight to the charity shops, don't be surprised if people call you a loser." Fear of failure being a bigger driver for most of my interviewees than any joy in success, this was not something I was prepared to allow. So what is the problem as I look down from the top of the Sunday Times charts at those reviewers who said it was awful? (I would incidentally have preferred no stars in the Mail on Sunday to the one that they gave me. Please take note for next time.) The problem is women, or more precisely how I talk about them. At every single one of the nine or so events I have so far done about the book, and in several of the many interviews, I have been asked -- usually but not always by a woman -- a version of this same question: "Do men and women win in different ways?" And I don't really know what to say. So help me please CNNLand. At the first event, hosted by the Financial Times, my partner Fiona and my daughter Grace were sitting in the front row, squirming as I told how I had written a chapter

Summary: Alastair Campbell wants CNN users to help him answer the question: "Do men and women win in different ways?" His wife told one audience it was still a man's world and women had essentially to do twice as many jobs as men .


(CNN)Former Manchester United star Danny Welbeck returned to haunt his old side to send holders Arsenal into the semifinals of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford Monday. The England striker was surplus to requirements at Louis van Gaal's United, but was quick to capitalize on a mistake by Antonio Valencia to grab the winner just after the hour mark. A disappointing night for United was compounded by a late red card for Argentina international Angel Di Maria, who was given his marching orders after manhandling referee Michael Oliver. Di Maria was initially booked for simulation and took his protests too far by grabbing the official, which led to his instant dismissal. With 10 men, United was never able to exert any real pressure on Arsenal and it took two fine saves David De Gea to deny further goals from Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez for the away side. Victory for Arsenal booked a return to Wembley for a last four clash with either Reading or Bradford City, who are replaying their quarterfinal tie next Monday. Liverpool or Blackburn Rovers will play Aston Villa in the other semifinal. Arsenal had taken a 25th minute lead through Nacho Monreal, the Spanish defender converting after fine move which involved Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But the advantage was short lived with Di Maria finding Wayne Rooney to score with a diving header. United looked to press ahead for the winner, but home hopes were dashed when Valencia made a hash of a back pass and Welbeck was quick to latch on to the loose ball and beat De Gea. 'I believe it was justice for him to score he worked extremely hard today,' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of Welbeck. His counterpart van Gaal will now, barring a miracle, be left without a trophy in his first season in charge of the English powerhouses, with the pressure now on to seal a top four place in the EPL to guarantee Champions League football next season.

Summary: Arsenal beats Man Utd 2-1 in FA Cup quarterfinal . Former Manchester United player Danny Welbeck scores winner . Holders Arsenal took the lead through Nacho Monreal before Wayne Rooney equalized . Angel Di Maria sent off for shoving referee in second half .


(CNN)Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will announce Monday that he is launching his campaign to become the 2016 Republican nominee for president. Cruz has been positioning for this nomination almost since he entered the upper chamber in 2012. His announcement takes place at a bastion of conservatism, Liberty University, the institution founded by evangelical leader Jerry Falwell. Cruz is going to run from the right. He has spent much of his short career in Washington blasting the "mushy middle" of his party (which might be news to most Democrats), which he dismisses as a "failed electoral strategy." During a recent visit to New Hampshire, where he vowed to eliminate the Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service, Cruz said that "I'm pretty sure, here in New Hampshire, y'all define gun control like we do in Texas: Gun control is when you hit at what you aim at." Fifty years ago, another Republican senator ran this kind of campaign, Arizona's Barry Goldwater, who took on President Lyndon Johnson. Cruz will test the conventional wisdom that Goldwater's strategy was and remains a failure. When Republicans voted to nominate him in 1964, Goldwater told the delegates that "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice no virtue." When the icon of moderate Republicans, New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, spoke to the convention, the delegates hissed and booed. The outcome was far from great for the GOP. Johnson defeated Goldwater in a landslide election that brought in huge liberal Democratic majorities that passed the exact programs that conservatives abhorred. Although Goldwater was clearly wrong when he ran in 1964, Cruz thinks that the times have changed. Is he right? Right now, the chances are not great. If Cruz really sticks to this strategy of extremism, he faces very long odds of making it to the White House. The strategy might help him to garner some primary votes against Jeb Bush in red states, but it is not an approach with a great track record. Even as the Republican Party has shifted to the right in recent decades, Republican candidates who have obtained the nomination, and those who have also won the presidency, always developed campaign themes that allowed them to appeal to broader coalitions than voters on the extremes. Ronald Reagan had anti-communism and tax cuts to attract voters into one big tent, and George H.W. Bush had a thousand points of light. His son George W. Bush emphasized policies tied to "compassionate conservatism" to prove that he was not an extreme zealot. Even Republicans who didn't win in the general elections, like John McCain and Mitt Romney, did not win the primary and caucus tallies by only playing to the base. Notwithstanding the conventional wisdom, even in primaries it seems that Republican voters understand the importance of finding someone who has the potential to win in November. This coming election will be tough for Republicans. As all the experts have shown, the electoral college math does not favor the GOP. Some experts have predicted that Democrats have

Summary: Julian Zelizer: If Ted Cruz follows Barry Goldwater's path, he and his party could lose big . Contrary to conventional wisdom, GOP primary voters are more interested in victory than ideology, he says .


Washington (CNN)A Florida "dream ticket," two nuggets about leadership questions in Congress and coming tests for Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich filled our final March trip around the "Inside Politics" table. 1. Another "Draft Warren" movement? If you follow politics, you have heard this one: Liberals say Elizabeth Warren has to run for president because Hillary Clinton is too cozy with Wall Street. And now that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is planning to retire -- creating an opening in the top Senate Democratic job -- you are about to hear this: Warren has to run for leader because Chuck Schumer is too cozy with Wall Street. The senator from Massachusetts is likely to give the same answer as she did on a presidential run, but Jackie Kucinich of The Daily Beast says the liberal clamoring tells us something about anxiety on the left. "What this does show is there is a lot of skepticism with the base with Chuck Schumer, because he's so close to Wall Street, and it's an issue they've really been hammering on," Kucinich said. "So watch for more of that, because I have a feeling that they are going to make their voices heard, through Warren or not." 2. A good week for Boehner. Yes, you read that right. It has been a rocky year for House Speaker John Boehner, but his allies think they may have just turned a corner. The House of Representatives passed the Republican budget last week as well as a big Medicare change known as the "doc fix" because it clarifies reimbursement rates to Medicare providers. NPR's Juana Summers shared reporting on how Team Boehner hopes that ending the month with a little momentum will carry over when other big legislative battles come to the fore. "Part of (his success) is because of the speaker's willingness to use unconventional tactics, to work with Democrat Nancy Pelosi for that Medicare reform," Summers said. "Congress has a lot of big deadlines when they return. So whether or not he can hold onto that power instead of seeing it slip will be really fascinating." 3. Bush-Rubio? Rubio-Bush? Watch the real estate listings! Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio both call Florida home. And both want to be the Republican nominee for president. They also happen to be on friendly terms. So among Florida Republicans who love them both -- there is talk of a "dream ticket." Of course, it won't happen. Can't happen. Rules and all that pertaining to the president and vice president coming from the same state. (Dick Cheney changed his residency from Texas to Wyoming right before joining the George W. Bush ticket.) But Ed O'Keefe of The Washington Post said the obstacles aren't preventing Florida Republicans from doing a little dreaming. "They say, look, Bush has all this executive experience, he's bilingual, he has a Mexican-American wife," O'Keefe said. "Rubio is young. He has an interest in foreign policy. Why not?" 4. Ted Cruz wants to "rock" the youth vote. Much was made of the fact that Liberty

Summary: Can liberals "Draft Warren" to run for Democrats' top Senate spot? Ohio Gov. John Kasich may wait until the summer to make a final call about 2016 . Sen. Ted Cruz's strategy is to try to "Rock the Vote" with young people .


(CNN)The FBI has increased its reward for information on missing American Robert Levinson from $1 million to $5 million, it announced Monday. Levinson, a retired FBI agent, vanished after traveling to the Iranian island of Kish in March 2007 and is one of the longest-held U.S. citizens in history. The FBI announced the reward increase on the eighth anniversary of Levinson's disappearance -- and the day before his 67th birthday. "Levinson traveled to Kish Island, Iran, on March 8, 2007, working on behalf of several large corporations, and his whereabouts, well-being and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance have been unknown since that time," it said in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement asking Iran to cooperate with the investigation into Levinson's whereabouts. "He has spent more than 2,900 days separated from those who love him, and is one of the longest held U.S. citizens in history. Year after year, the family has endured the pain of his absence. It is time for him to come home," Kerry said. "We remain committed to the safe return of Mr. Levinson to his family and appreciate the support and assistance from our international partners. We remain concerned about Mr. Levinson's health given his age and the length of his disappearance." Iran's government repeatedly has said it is not holding Levinson and does not know his whereabouts. The FBI says he was in Iran as a private investigator. But news reports in 2013 said he was working as an independent CIA contractor when he disappeared. That prompted his family to speak out, saying they kept it quiet for years that Levinson was working for the CIA, because the U.S. government had warned them that revealing it would put him in more jeopardy. The FBI, White House and CIA have not publicly acknowledged any connection between the CIA and Levinson. It's unclear exactly who is holding him, but U.S. officials have said they believe he is somewhere in southwest Asia. Whoever his captors are, in 2010 they sent a "proof of life" videotape and photographs of Levinson to his family. In the video, he asked the U.S. government for help: "Please help me get home," a gaunt-looking Levinson said on the tape, citing his 33 years of service in the FBI as a reason for that help. The photographs showed him with a large beard.

Summary: The FBI says it is increasing the reward for missing American Robert Levinson to $5 million . Levinson, a former FBI agent, went missing in Iran eight years ago; Iran says it does not know where he is . Secretary of State John Kerry has issued a statement asking for Iran to cooperate in the search for Levinson .


(CNN)Manchester United and skipper Wayne Rooney significantly boosted its own chances and delivered a probable knockout blow to Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of Champions League qualification with 3-0 home win Sunday. First half goals from Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Rooney effectively ended the EPL match as a contest, with the win leaving United in fourth spot, but only two points adrift of second-placed Manchester City. Tottenham is seventh, six points adrift of the top four. Rooney's third after another piece of disastrous defending from the visitors led to an impromptu and topical goal celebration, which was certainly the main talking point. A national newspaper had posted a video on on social media Sunday which appeared to show Rooney being felled by fellow EPL footballer and former United teammate Phil Bardsley as both donned boxing gloves for a "friendly" fight in his kitchen. After he had converted following a mistake by Nabil Bentaleb, Rooney threw a few mock punches then keeled over backwards on to the Old Trafford turf. Tottenham's players and fans were probably the only people not to see the funny side, but the joke was on them, having gone into the match seeking a third straight away win at United and five games unbeaten against the Red Devils. From United first significant attack on nine minutes, an unmarked Fellaini was found by Carrick and the Belgian international beat Hugo Lloris with a low shot. Fellaini caused chaos in the Tottenham defense for the second with Carrick left free to head home from distance. Rooney's emphatic strike after Bentaleb gifted him possession, proved the icing on the cake. The victory eases the pressure on manager Louis Van Gaal and his expensively assembled side after some lackluster recent performances and last Monday's disappointing FA Cup exit to Arsenal. It meant Tottenham, off the back of two straight wins and with Harry Kane in top form, was favored going into the crucial match, but the young striker barely had a glimpse of goal, until having his side's first shot on target after fully 88 minutes as United dominated. Earlier, Chelsea extended its lead at the top of the EPL to six points but was held 1-1 at home to Southampton in another less than convincing performance from Jose Mourinho's team. Off the back of a disappointing Champions League exit to Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea again struggled to find its best form at Stamford Bridge despite going in front from Diego Costa's 18th league goal. Dusan Tasic equalized from the spot for the Saints after Nemanja Matic was adjudged to have fouled Sadio Mane, with Chelsea protests waved away. Chelsea found Fraser Forster hard to beat and the visiting goalkeeper made fine saves from Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Cuadrado to deny the leaders three points. However, it has a commanding lead plus a game in hand over chasing Manchester City, which lost 1-0 to Burnley Saturday, in a severe blow to hopes of retaining the title. In Sunday's other EPL clash, Everton eased its relegation fears with a 3-0 win over Newcastle, who

Summary: Manchester United thrashes Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 . Wayne Rooney celebrates his goal by pretending to be knocked out . Chelsea held 1-1 at home but extends EPL lead at top to six points . Gareth Bale scores twice as Real Madrid keeps pace in La Liga .


(CNN)When Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs came out in October 2011 -- less than three weeks after Jobs' death -- it crystallized many popularly held perceptions of the Apple co-founder. Yes, Jobs was brilliant. And yes, Jobs also could be a bastard. Isaacson's book contained numerous examples of Jobs' cruel behavior, such as verbally abusing employees whose work didn't meet his exacting standards. Now a new book is presenting a kinder, gentler portrait of the mercurial tech exec. "Becoming Steve Jobs," by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli, seeks to humanize Jobs through interviews with those who knew him in the latter, wildly successful phases of his career, when some of his rough edges had softened. The book, which went on sale Tuesday, has created a strange irony. Unlike Isaacson's book, it's an unauthorized bio, one that was not given Jobs' blessing before he died. And yet Apple, mindful of Jobs' legacy, has clearly endorsed this new vision of their former CEO over the Isaacson version. "I thought the Isaacson book did him a tremendous disservice. It was just a rehash of a bunch of stuff that had already been written, and focused on small parts of his personality," says current Apple CEO Tim Cook in the new book. "You get the feeling that (Steve's) a greedy, selfish egomaniac. It didn't capture the person. The person I read about there is somebody I would never have wanted to work with over all this time. Life is too short." Other Apple execs also have heaped praise on "Becoming Steve Jobs" while criticizing Isaacson's bestseller. "Best portrayal is about to be released - Becoming Steve Jobs (book). Well done and first to get it right," tweeted Eddy Cue, Apple's chief of software, last week. And Jony Ive, Apple's head of design, said in a New Yorker profile last month, "My regard (for Isaacson's book) couldn't be any lower." Isaacson, for his part, told the New York Times recently that he tried to present a balanced view of Jobs: "My book is very favorable and honest, with no anonymous slings," he said. Although Jobs' life and career have been well chronicled, the new book contains some fresh tidbits: . -- In 2009, when Jobs was dying of cancer, Cook offered his boss a piece of his liver but Jobs refused, saying, "No, I'll never let you do that." -- What was likely the last movie Jobs watched before his death was an odd choice: "Remember the Titans," the sentimental Disney drama about a racially integrated high school football team in 1971. "I was so surprised he wanted to watch that movie," Cook recalled. "I was like, 'Are you sure?' Steve was not interested in sports at all." -- And Jobs' famous commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 almost got derailed before it started. A police officer turned him and his family away from the campus, saying the parking lot was full, and expressed skepticism that the scruffy Jobs, wearing his usual jeans and black T-shirt, was really the event's keynote speaker. Raves from Apple

Summary: New book, "Becoming Steve Jobs," offers a gentler vision of the mercurial CEO . Apple execs have praised the new book over Walter Isaacson's 2011 bestseller . Among new book's tidbits: When Jobs was dying, Tim Cook offered piece of his liver .


(CNN)A Massachusetts teenager faces a pretrial hearing in April on involuntary manslaughter charges for allegedly sending text messages urging a friend to commit suicide, even after he expressed second thoughts, authorities said Saturday. Michelle Carter, 18, was indicted on February 5. Conrad Roy, 18, of Fairhaven and Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, was found dead in his car of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning on July 13, Sgt. Kevin Kobza, public information officer for the Fairhaven Police Department, said Saturday. At one point the night of Roy's death, he exited the vehicle and communicated to Carter that he was having second thoughts about taking his own life, Kobza told CNN. Carter then urged him via text message to get back in the car, Kobza said. Upon searching Roy's cell phone, police discovered "hundreds" of texts between Roy and Carter, many which contained language from Carter that encouraged Roy to take his own life, Kobza said. "Instead of attempting to assist him or notify his family or school officials, Ms. Carter is alleged to have strongly influenced his decision to take his own life, encouraged him to commit suicide and guided him in his engagement of activities which led to his death," Gregg Miliote, director of communications for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, said in a statement. Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, said Saturday that the evidence will show this was not manslaughter and that Carter attempted to console Roy on "many occasions." "The facts that have been given out to the public at this point put her in the worst possible light," Cataldo said. "My heart goes out to the family, but this was a young man who planned this for months and months." On a Twitter page confirmed by the District Attorney's Office to be Carter's, several photos and tweets about Roy have been posted since his death. One tweet reads, "I can't believe today already marks 4 months without you. I love you and miss you always Conrad..." In September 2014, Carter organized a softball tournament in Roy's memory and raised $2,300 for mental health awareness, according to Kobza. Carter was arraigned on the indictment on February 6 in New Bedford Juvenile Court, released on $2,500 bail and told not to use social media, according to Miliote. Carter was indicted as a youthful offender because she was not yet 18 when the alleged crimes occurred. Youthful offenders are tried in juvenile court but the proceedings are public, Cataldo said. Because of a familial relationship he has with the victim's family, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn recused himself from the investigation and prosecution of this case, the District Attorney's Office said. Carter's pretrial hearing is set for April 17.

Summary: Conrad Roy, 18, was found dead of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning, police said . Police: A search of his phone found texts from a friend urging him to commit suicide .


(CNN)A volcano in Russia led to the cancellation of flights in Alaska over the weekend. "We canceled two roundtrip flights between Anchorage and Bethel, and Anchorage and Nome after an advisory of low visibility," Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Halley Knigge said. Ash from Russia's Shiveluch volcano was the culprit behind the flight disruptions Saturday, said Jeff Freymueller, a scientist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The volcano erupted Friday, shooting ash into the atmosphere some 30,000 feet. Winds blew the ash cloud across the Bering Sea and into western Alaska, Freymueller said. Shiveluch, which has been erupting consistently, caused a similar incident in January, he said. The airline will only operate flights when it's safe to do so and will not fly into areas of reported ash. Alaska Airlines was uncertain if additional flights would be canceled, but said it's monitoring the situation. Three volcanoes are erupting on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula: Shiveluch, Klyuchevskoy and Karymsky. Volcano grows Japanese island .

Summary: Volcano shoots ash into the atmosphere some 30,000 feet . Winds blow ash cloud across the Bering Sea and into western Alaska .


(CNN)NASA's tractor-trailer sized Dawn spacecraft will snuggle up to Ceres on Friday, getting close enough to be pulled into orbit and to complete the first mission to a dwarf planet. "I'm just delighted that Dawn is now on the doorstep of Ceres," Jim Green, director of NASA's planetary science division said in a news conference on Monday. Dawn is expected to begin orbiting Ceres around 7:20 a.m. ET, but NASA says it may take an hour or two to confirm it. Ceres was discovered in 1801 (Pluto wasn't found until 1930) and was the first object found in our solar system's main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It's about 310 million miles from Earth and was initially classified as planet, then later demoted to an asteroid, only to be reclassified again as a dwarf planet. The early images from Dawn already have mission scientists excited. "Ceres has really surprised us," said Carol Raymond, Dawn's deputy principal investigator. "The first images have produced some really puzzling features." One of the puzzles -- two bright white spots that showed up in photographs taken by Dawn in February. "These spots were extremely surprising to the team, and they have been puzzling to the team and to everybody who's seen them." The spots are in a 57-mile wide (92 kilometer) crater. The spot in the center of the crater is about twice as bright as the spot on the side of the crater. "This extreme brightness was really unexpected," Raymond said. The Dawn team is "really, really excited about this feature because it is unique in the solar system." Raymond says the brightness is consistent with highly reflective materials such as ice or salts. This might help add more credence to a discovery made in 2014 by ESA's Herschel infrared space observatory. The telescope detected water vapor around Ceres coming from the same area where the spots are located. "It might be related to that water vapor emission," Raymond said. Herschel's scientists also said their research showed Ceres has an atmosphere. Raymond said her team is keen to confirm that. Scientists expect to learn more as Dawn is gradually lowered to about 235 miles above the surface of Ceres in December. "The mystery will be solved," she said. But Ceres seems to have lots of oddities. "We see many strange features," Raymond said. "We see smooth areas, some areas that are chaotically fractured and we see craters of all sizes." One of the other things scientists noticed is how round Ceres is. Being round is very important because it is the main characteristic of a planet -- a title that Ceres had -- then lost. Ceres was demoted to an asteroid because 19th century astronomers couldn't be sure it was round. But it was bumped up to a dwarf planet when that category was created in 2006. According to the International Astronomical Union -- the group that came up with the definition -- a dwarf planet is similar to the eight main planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) except it has

Summary: NASA's Dawn spacecraft arrives Friday at Ceres . The spacecraft is the first to visit a dwarf planet .


Port Vila, Vanuatu (CNN)Tropical Cyclone Pam had already been battering Vanuatu's capital for hours when the River Prima suddenly flooded its banks. A wall of water and mud surged through Sam Upan's house, toppling the walls of the neighboring church where he serves as a deacon. It was midnight on Friday, and he had no choice but to wade out into the gale force wind and darkness. "The water was up to my waist!" he says. Upan eventually made it to higher ground, taking shelter on a parked van. Fortunately, he had sent his family away before the storm to a shelter in the center of the capital, Port Vila. But on Monday, three days after the storm struck, Upan and his daughters sit in the debris strewn rubble of their home. On Sunday, he built a temporary shack for them to sleep under. A bundle of bananas donated by a friend lies nearby in the mud. It's the only food the family has to eat. Nearby, Upan's daughter Elsie slowly scrubs mud out of a shirt. Other families all across this tropical town are facing similar difficulties in the aftermath of the storm. To many Westerners, Vanuatu is a holiday destination boasting crystal blue waters and luxury yachts. But it's also one of the poorest nations in the Pacific, and many of its 260,000 inhabitants live in flimsy houses built of thatch or metal sheets. Those vulnerable homes were dealt a fearsome blow over the weekend by Cyclone Pam, one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall. The aid group Oxfam is warning that the cyclone may have caused "one of the worst disasters ever seen in the Pacific." The storm rampaged across Vanuatu's sprawling archipelago of more than 80 islands on Friday and Saturday, wielding 155 mph (250 kph) winds. About 65 islands in the archipelago are inhabited. The full extent of the devastation remained unclear Monday. With communication lines to many of the outer islands cut, it could take days or even weeks to emerge. Eleven people have so far been confirmed dead, according to Vanuatu authorities said. But the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the toll was expected to rise. The agency said 3,300 people were taking shelter in 37 evacuation centers. How to help Vanuatu residents . Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale told CNN the destruction was the worst his country had ever experienced, describing the storm as "a monster." He said it would take the developing nation "a couple of years" to get back to where it was before Pam struck. In the capital, Port Vila, residents were still reeling from the storm's impact. Thousands of people have been left homeless and many who rely on subsistence farming to get by have seen their main source of food wiped out. Most people live on root crops, said Jonathan Napat, a ranking natural disaster official. "What the people depend on entirely is just wiped out." He was overwhelmed by the dimension of the food loss. "Just unbearable. Just too much to contain," he

Summary: The death toll of 11 is expected to rise, a U.N. agency says . Vanuatu's President tells CNN the cyclone has set his nation back by years . Aid agencies say they fear severe destruction in communities on outlying islands .


Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN)Pakistani Armed Forces paramilitary personal stormed the headquarters of one of the country's most powerful regional opposition political parties in a predawn raid on Wednesday, seizing a stash of weapons and arresting several wanted criminals, officials said. The Rangers arrived unannounced early Wednesday morning, arrested five men and sealed off the party's headquarter for four hours. According to a press release from the MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) one of their party workers was shot fatally by rangers during the raid. "All telephone lines have been disconnected and premises ransacked. Computers and other electronic items have been confiscated. The Rangers also destroyed the electronic surveillance system that had been set up following the May 2013 bomb attacks by the Pakistan Taliban (TTP)," the release said. Rangers officials have not responded so far to these accusations. In a statement to the media, the Pakistan Rangers released a list of those arrested, including Faisal Mota, a former MQM worker who had been convicted and sentenced to death in absentia for the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babur. Speaking to the media, Rangers spokesperson Col.Tahir Mahmood also confirmed that a large amount of illegal weapons had been seized during the raid. "The weapons that we had were legal and there as a precautionary measure to deal with real threats from the Taliban against our party and its workers," Faisal Sabzwari, a senior MQM party leader told CNN. MQM is based in Karachi and is one of Pakistan's largest political parties. It has the second-largest contingent in the provincial assembly, with 54 of 130 seats. It styles itself as a voice for the downtrodden, the middle class and immigrants from nearby India, but political rivals accuse the party of using heavy-handed tactics, including intimidation, to stay in power. "The raid is meant to send a clear message that law enforcement agencies and Rangers in particular are not going to bow to any political convention," said Zarrar Khuhro, a senior journalist and political analyst in Karachi. MQM's party leader Altaf Hussain, who has been living in self-imposed exile in London called for calm, but criticized the raid saying that "it should not be the role of the armed forces to conduct extrajudicial operations on lawful organizations, least of all the headquarters of a democratically elected political party." Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said late Wednesday night that the raid was legal. The MQM has the clout to shut down the city in an hour, sparking general strikes which could last for days, locals say. In the aftermath, locals say businesses in Karachi have shut down, and gas pumps and schools are closed for fear violent protests could erupt in the streets.

Summary: Rangers arrested five men and sealed off the party's headquarter for hours . MQM is based in Karachi and is one of Pakistan's largest political parties . Businesses, gas pumps and schools remain closed in Karachi due to raid aftermath .


(CNN)The Ferguson Police Department has demonstrated a pattern of racial discrimination, the Justice Department said Wednesday. But while some experts say the numbers alone tell only part of the story, the 102-page report merely reaffirmed many residents' beliefs. In Ferguson, just over 67% of residents are black. But among the findings, the report shows that 85% of traffic stops, 90% of citations, 93% of arrests and 88% of use-of-force incidents involved African-Americans, the Justice Department said. St. Louis Alderman Antonio French said the police department's behavior amounted to "taxation by citation." He told CNN the arrests affected not just Ferguson residents but also residents of nearby communities who pass through Ferguson en route to other locales in the area. Justice Department: No Darren Wilson charges . The statistics sound damning, but former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks, who dealt with the Justice Department during his five-year tenure as chief, said, "The numbers can be deceiving because the population is overwhelmingly black." The numbers alone don't paint the full picture, he said, explaining that he'd need more than mere statistics about each stop to draw solid conclusions. Read the report . Parks served as chief in LA from 1997 to 2002, and after the Justice Department determined in 2000 that the LAPD had engaged "in a pattern or practice of excessive force, false arrests and unreasonable searches and seizures," he had to overhaul the department, combating corruption and even jailing former police officers. Based on that experience, Parks said the report released Wednesday shouldn't be taken at face value, but rather should be used to help determine "what is really going on in Ferguson and what to do to correct it." Politics may even be at play, Los Angeles-based community activist Joe Hicks suggested. Attorney General Eric Holder wanted to bring civil rights cases against Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson, who killed Michael Brown in August, and Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who killed Trayvon Martin in 2012 -- but neither case panned out. The report may be Holder's way to "extract a pound of flesh, if you will, from the Ferguson Police Department." (Also Wednesday, the Justice Department closed its investigation into Wilson, declining to bring criminal charges against him.) Still, the report likely didn't surprise some residents who spoke to CNN in August, during the height of the protests. Patricia Pendelton, 41, a nurse who lives a few blocks from where Brown took his last steps, said older and female African-American residents aren't affected as much, but her sons -- ages 17, 19 and 21 -- have had different experiences. They and other young black men have been stopped for reasons as spurious as looking suspicious, she said. "How does a person look suspicious? What do you have to be wearing to look suspicious?" she asked before mimicking an offending police officer's questions: "'Where you going? What you doing? How you doing it?' It's none of your business." Outside his bustling barbershop, Mike Knox recalled how one of his sons, an A student, was arrested with several other kids in

Summary: Michael Brown's parents say son's death not in vain if report prompts change . Some experts warn the numbers alone don't show what's happening in Ferguson . Several residents have complained of being stopped for DWB, driving while black .


March 20, 2015 . Today's coverage begins with a pair of presidential proposals, including an executive order and a suggestion to mandate voting. Then, science takes over in reports on celestial events, extraordinary auroras, and miniature satellites that are mapping our world. We'll feature a random segment involving rats and Mozart, and we'll show you a car that literally can fly. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. WEEKLY NEWSQUIZ . Click here for a printable version of the Weekly Newsquiz (PDF). 1. Rescue workers in what Pacific island nation described a scene of absolute devastation after a massive cyclone made landfall last weekend? 2. What was the name of the cyclone that made landfall in the answer to question 1? 3. Name the legislative branch of Israel's government, which is also known as the Israeli parliament. 4. What Italian city, which features 409 bridges, is slowly sinking and tilting to the east? 5. What U.S. city just logged its most seasonal snowfall since the winter of 1872? 6. What kind of weapons were outlawed in warfare in 1925, though they have been used in some conflicts since then? 7. Name the ancient region of the Fertile Crescent that many historians consider the "cradle of civilization" and that stretched over what is now the nation of Iraq. 8. Habib Essid is the prime minister of what North African country, whose capital witnessed a terrorist attack at a museum on Wednesday? 9. What celestial phenomenon occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow over our planet? 10. A 1990s study found that rats more quickly and effectively find their way through mazes after repeatedly hearing music from what composer? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News!

Summary: This page includes the show Transcript . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call. The Weekly Newsquiz tests students' knowledge of events in the news .


(CNN)I am atheist -- and I am black. Yes, we exist -- even if many in the media sometimes don't notice us. In a CNN special that aired on Tuesday, for example, people of color were not as well-represented as American atheism's more familiar face: You know, white males. In fact, African-American atheists represent a still small -- though growing -- segment of American atheists at large. Does this mean that blacks and other minorities generally just don't gravitate towards nonbelief, or are there other factors which keep us hidden? There is a harsh truth to face here. Most blacks identify as religious. Belief in God is touted with pride, and the church is intricately tied to tradition, history and culture. It is not uncommon to assume that I attend services as a black woman. The question often isn't if I go to church -- it's where. And even if one doesn't go to church, surely they still have faith -- because our people have endured and overcome so much hardship that it had to be the work of a god. All of this makes the words "black" and "atheist" hard for many to imagine in the same sentence. It can be extremely difficult to discuss religion objectively in the black community. Many have social, emotional and financial stakes invested in this institution, so for one to even say they have doubts is like committing treason. To openly identify as an atheist in the midst of heavy religious influence can be next to impossible, and good luck finding other blacks who also don't believe. It is very important to note however, that the Internet has made it easier for black atheists to find each other, and there is a large community of us online. Though I was raised secular -- a rarity in my community -- I've had to endure ostracism from family and friends as a result of openly identifying as an atheist. However, my journey is far from tragic. In founding my organization, Black Nonbelievers, in 2011, I have been fortunate to connect with others who were either raised secular like myself, or who were brought up extremely religious and left it behind. And they have done so bravely, defying the perception and expectation that all blacks blindly accept religion. The Friendly Atheists Next Door . My experience in the secular community as a black atheist has ranged from feeling totally welcome to feeling totally isolated, and even ignored. On the one hand, there is common ground shared -- our nonbelief and even discontent with religion unites us. On the other hand, there is a notion that since we share this common ground that there are no other issues to address. The lack of people of color at secular events is a problem -- partly because there is unawareness of such events existing, but also because there is limited effort placed in accommodation and care. We are sometimes treated as if we are invisible, or even as an afterthought -- which does not make the few persons of color feel

Summary: African-American atheists represent a small but growing segment of American atheists at large . Most blacks, though, identify as religious, and the church is intricately tied to tradition, history and culture .


(CNN)Before he was Jihadi John, he was little John -- a young version of the same Mohammed Emwazi who authorities say later became the English-speaking face of ISIS terror. His earlier, innocent image can be seen in video obtained from Britain's Channel 4. It shows a teenage boy in the schoolyard of a West London secondary school. He walks through a sea of fellow students in his zippered sweatshirt over his polo shirt, wearing a backpack and carrying a plastic bottle. At one point, a basketball rolls toward him and he returns it with a deft kick. He looks playful at times as when he skips and lightheartedly pushes two other boys, more serious in others. In other words, he appears to be not much different than any other teenager. But he's not. The boy in the video is Emwazi, his former headmaster at Quintin Kynaston Community Academy told CNN. Who Mohammed Emwazi used to be . Jo Shuter noted that her former student could be shy at times, but overall he was far from a troublemaker and not much out of the ordinary. "He was bullied a little bit, because he was quiet and reserved," Shuter said. "Generally, he was fine. There (were) no issues with him. There were no problems." Emwazi became even more focused in his last few years at Quintin Kynaston Community Academy, she said. "He was working hard, he achieved great grades for him, and he went to the university of his choice," Shuter told CNN this week, referring to London's Westminster University, from which Emwazi graduated in 2009. Contrast that perception with that of the masked, deep-voiced, British-accented man who months ago was dubbed Jihadi John. There is nothing shy, nothing gentle, nothing playful about him. He starred in grisly ISIS videos depicting the beheading of hostages, punctuating his horrific actions with taunts at the United States. A man who says he is Emwazi's father told the Kuwaiti newspaper al Qabas that "there is nothing that proves" the man known as Jihadi John is his son, Mohammed. His Kuwait-based lawyer, Salem Al-Hashash, told CNN that the family plans to sue anyone who makes the connection, calling the father Jassem Emwazi a "victim of libel." Yet Western authorities have made just such a link. They say that the Kuwaiti-born Mohammed Emwazi went from being a typical "boy next door" type growing up in West London to being one of the most high-profile recruits of ISIS, the Islamist extremist group behind a campaign of terror and conquest in Syria and Iraq. More than a dozen British administrative court documents obtained by CNN indicate that, as far back as 2009, British security services believed Emwazi was part of a radical West London recruitment network for terrorist groups in East Africa. And in late February, two U.S. officials and two U.S. congressional sources confirmed reports in British and other media that Emwazi went on to join ISIS and is the man known as Jihadi John.

Summary: Video shows a young Mohammed Emwazi in a West London schoolyard . He covers his face at times, skips and playfully jostles with students at others . U.S. authorities say Emwazi grew up to be the ISIS terrorist known as Jihadi John .


Washington (CNN)There should be plenty of pent-up anticipation among cherry blossom fans in Washington this spring. Peak blooms are expected at the tail end of the three-week-long National Cherry Blossom Festival, which kicks off Friday and runs through April 12. The fluttering pink and white blossoms are expected to hit their peak between April 11 and April 14. Here are five things to know about the eagerly awaited D.C. blossoms: . The city's first cherry trees were destroyed . In 1910, 2,000 cherry trees arrived in Washington, thanks to a gift from the city of Tokyo and the advocacy of Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, one of the first female board members of the National Geographic Society. These trees, however, were riddled with disease and were destroyed. Two years later, first lady Helen Herron Taft planted one of the first of more than 3,000 replacement trees sent from Japan. Winter's almost over: See the proof . The festival was launched more than 20 years later . It wasn't until 1935 that civic groups and the D.C. government came together to hold the first "Cherry Blossom Festival." That first official festival came after smaller commemorations including a three-day celebration in 1934 and a 1927 re-enactment of the original planting of the trees by a group of Washington school children. It's not all about cherry trees . That's right, there's a Blossom Kite Festival right in the middle of the cherry blossom festivities on March 28th. The festival consists of a hot tricks showdown, learning how to make and fly kites, and there's even a kite doctor on site to repair broken kites. Two types of trees dominate . In the 1912 gift of trees to Washington, there were 12 different varieties. Today, two varieties are dominant -- Yoshino and Kwanzan. Kwanzan trees are usually found in the East Potomac Park area and produce pink blossoms. The Yoshino, which produce white blossoms, are closer to the northern part of the Tidal Basin near the Washington Monument. Descendants of the original trees live in Japan . In 2011, about 120 trees propagated from D.C.'s surviving 1912 trees were sent back to Japan to preserve the genetic lineage of the symbolic trees. Over the years, cuttings from the original trees have also been returned to Japan for horticultural projects.

Summary: The National Cherry Blossom Festival starts March 20 in Washington . Peak bloom is expected in mid-April .


(CNN)In the past eight months, ISIS has seeded itself in some dozen countries around the globe. Indicative of this was the announcement on Saturday that the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram had pledged its "allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims," ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. The global spread of ISIS raises key questions about whether these new affiliates signal an intensification of the threat of terror. It also has important implications for the debate in Congress over Obama's request for a new authorization to fight ISIS. Lt. Col. Michael Waltz, a U.S. Special Forces reserve officer who has just returned to the States after advising the Nigerian Ministry of Defence in its fight against Boko Haram, told me, "So far the pledge (to ISIS) seems to be legit." Waltz says there is some debate about the timing of the pledge, because Boko Haram has recently come under effective attacks by Nigerian forces allied with the armies of neighboring African countries that are also threatened by the group: "Some folks in the region are saying it's a sign of desperation, as the regional offensive by Nigeria and its neighbors has knocked Boko Haram on its heels and out of a number of its sanctuaries. The Chadians have been particularly effective." But Waltz also says there is some evidence that the Boko Haram pledge to ISIS "has been in the works for some time." The group's increasing alignment with ISIS is demonstrated by Boko Haram's recent beheadings of its victims and its more professionally edited video releases of recent weeks that have mimicked ISIS' slick videos. Virginia Comolli, whose book "Boko Haram: Nigeria's Islamist Insurgency," will be published next month, agrees that the more sophisticated Boko Haram media releases of the past couple of months point to "some sort of inspiration" that Boko Haram is drawing from ISIS and that recent beheadings "might also be a form of copycat but, I shall note, they are not completely new" for Boko Haram. Comolli also emphasized to me, "lately the government had been able to take back a number of towns under Boko Haram control. Boko Haram has always been very resilient and adaptable, changing and upping its game when needed. The pledge might be exactly that: Boko Haram has recently suffered some serious blows and feels it needs to try something different to strengthen its position." Some 5,000 have died in Boko-related violence during the past half-decade, while more than 1.5 million have been forced out of their homes, but Boko has generally not attacked Western targets. Its affiliation with ISIS could change that although, for the moment, it's not clear how the Boko-ISIS alliance would work from an operational standpoint. Hilary Matfess, a researcher at the Nigeria Social Violence Project at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, told me, "Boko Haram would be the largest group to pledge allegiance to ISIS, but it's not certain what kinds of logistical or operational support that ISIS could provide an African affiliate." Since August, Boko Haram is one of some 30 terrorist

Summary: Bergen: Boko Haram is the latest of terrorist groups in 12 countries to pledge allegiance to ISIS . He says the spread of ISIS poses questions for Obama, Congress in deciding future of fight against terrorism .


(CNN)If the wheel was man's greatest invention, putting two wheels together comes as a close second for Dani Foffa, CEO of Foffa Bikes. His eponymous company builds bespoke urban bicycles with a stylish design that has been lauded by magazines like Vogue and GQ. London-based Foffa tracks his passion for cycling back to his childhood in Venice, Italy, where biking in the city's winding narrow streets was a rare treat. He spent his early professional career as a business analyst, before a nagging feeling that there was more to life encouraged him to start designing and building bikes, initially from his office garage. "I started refurbishing vintage bikes up and reselling them online. And the demand just grew very gradually, steadily, to the point that it was time for us to get our own brand in the bikes, and open up our first shop. I took my chances, I quit my job, and clearly I have no regrets," says Foffa. His company has built over 5,000 bespoke bikes since 2007, and they were named as one of the ten best commuter bikes by The Independent, a UK newspaper. Foffa says that he was encouraged to start the company when he saw a gap in the market for comfortable bicycles designed for cycling in the city, which also looked good. "In the same way that we decide what to wear, we think that the bicycle should be an extension of your personality," says Foffa. He adds that he always relished the sense of liberty that biking afforded him, and wants to introduce the simple pleasure of a bike ride to as many people as possible. "Bikes are great for the environment, great for the health, they are the quickest and probably the cheapest way of commuting around town. And they link with that sense of adventure, that freedom that comes with it, which no other invention, as far as I'm concerned, was able to offer me."

Summary: Dani Foffa was a business analyst before starting a bike company . His Foffa Bikes design and manufacture urban bicycles . They have been named as one of the ten best commuter bikes by The Independent, a UK newspaper .


Hong Kong (CNN)Nestled in a tranquil hillside, Hong Kong's newest Buddhist monastery features bulletproof VIP rooms and the world's second tallest statue of the Goddess of Mercy -- a Buddhist deity. The monastery is funded entirely by Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, who contributed $193 million from his personal foundation to the building project. The premises, styled on Tang dynasty buildings, sprawl across a lush, green area of 500,000 square feet - around nine football fields. It can accommodate up to 400 to 500 visitors daily, but will not be open to tour groups in order to preserve the sacred atmosphere. Li initiated the project in 2003 to promote Buddhism in the city and construction took five years to complete. At a height of 76 meters (250 feet), the Goddess of Mercy statue overlooks the site and a breathtaking view of Hong Kong's harbor and several islands. The monastery also features several grand halls, including one which houses three ornate 24-karat gold plated Buddhist statues, where people can meditate, and learn about Buddhism. But perhaps the most intriguing feature is the bulletproof dormitory rooms. One of the three dormitories that provide housing for visiting monks from all over world has built-in bulletproof windows to protect "important guests." "We installed the bulletproof glass windows because we hoped there could be a place to protect our important guests such as the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand and other top monks," Walter Ngai Kai-shu, secretary general of the monastery told local media. The rooms are still empty, and Ngai added that they were not designed for Li or any specific individual, reported the South China Morning Post. Visitors are not allowed to bring joss sticks, meat, alcohol, or other food offerings in order to be environmentally friendly --- instead the monastery will provide water. "There are many other ways to offer the Buddha apart from joss sticks," Ngai told local media. Currently, a dozen monks, mainly from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia reside inside the monastery. It will be open to the public on April 15, but registration and booking is now available online. CNN's Shen Lu contributed to this report.

Summary: Hong Kong's newest monastery features bulletproof VIP rooms and the world's second tallest Goddess of Mercy statue . The $193M monastery is funded by Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing . The monastery will be open to public by mid April .


(CNN)The caller sounds extremely worried. He tells a 911 dispatcher that he hit someone with his car. "We need an ambulance right now," the caller tells the California Highway Patrol. Police have said singer-songwriter David Crosby hit a jogger with his car Sunday evening in Santa Ynez, California, near where the Hall of Fame musician lives. On Tuesday the highway patrol released two 911 calls from the incident in which the frantic caller pleads for medical help for the man. The operator tells him the highway patrol is on the way. He asks the caller if the person is walking. The caller says he didn't see the man because of the setting sun and again worries about medical assistance. "I need an ambulance, man. Ambulance. Fast," the man tells 911. They're on the way, he's told as the call disconnects. Later, Crosby calls back, worried that the ambulance was not there yet. "We need the ambulance now. This guy is hurt," the caller says. Another 911 dispatcher tells him the ambulance is already en route and transfers him to a medical services dispatcher. Crosby was driving at approximately 50 mph when he struck the jogger, California Highway Patrol Spokesman Don Clotworthy said Monday. The posted speed limit was 55. The jogger, identified as Jose LuQuin Jimenez, was in fair condition Tuesday, a spokesman for Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital said. The man suffered multiple fractures, Clotworthy said earlier. "Mr. Crosby was cooperative with authorities and he was not impaired or intoxicated in any way," said Clotworthy. According to the spokesman, the jogger and Crosby were on the same side of the road. Pedestrians are supposed to be on the left side of the road walking toward traffic, Clotworthy said. Joggers are considered pedestrians. Crosby is known for weaving multilayered harmonies over sweet melodies. He is part of the celebrated rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash, and was also a member of the Byrds. "David Crosby is obviously very upset that he accidentally hit anyone. And, based off of initial reports, he is relieved that the injuries to the gentleman were not life threatening," said Michael Jensen, a Crosby spokesman. "He wishes the jogger a very speedy recovery." CNN's Dana Ford, Tony Marco and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

Summary: Caller pleads for medical help for the man he hit with his car . Accident happens in Santa Ynez, California, near where David Crosby lives . The jogger suffered multiple fractures; his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening .