(CNN)She's a multi-award winning singer, a fashion icon, a designer, entrepreneur, actress and philanthropist. And now, far from reigning it in, Kylie Minogue will be unleashing her talent at Dubai's internationally renowned equine event. The 46-year-old pop star will be performing a 90-minute show of her hits at the "world's richest day of horse racing" -- the 20th Dubai World Cup hosted at Meydan on Saturday, March 28. Prize money totaling $30 million will be up for grabs over a variety of races, culminating in a top prize of $10m in the Dubai World Cup race -- a rendition of Minogue's "I should be so lucky" would certainly be apt. Luxury brands Longines and Jaguar will be sponsoring two of the races as well as giving prizes to the "Best Dressed Lady" and "Most Elegant Lady" on the night -- offering a 42 diamond studded watch and a Jaguar F-TYPE Coupé to the winners. Australia's Minogue is worth approximately $75 million after charging to fame following her role as tomboy mechanic "Charlene Robinson" in Neighbours almost 30 years ago. "Growing up in Melbourne, horse racing is a major and exciting part of our annual calendar. So to be able to bring my show to the Dubai World Cup is something I'm very much looking forward to," said the star. She is currently performing her 14th concert tour titled "Kiss Me Once." Since scoring her first top ten UK hit in 1987 she's released eleven studio albums and sold over 68 million records. "It will certainly be an unforgettable experience" she said of the event.

Summary: Pop star Kylie Minogue will sing at the 20th Dubai World Cup horse racing event . "The world's richest day of horse racing" will see prize money worth approximately $30m up for grabs . Minogue will be performing a 90 minute show to conclude the internationally renowned event .


(CNN)A U.S. Air Force veteran who allegedly tried to join ISIS in Syria but was turned back by Turkish authorities before he could get to the war-torn country entered a not guilty plea to terror-related charges Wednesday in a federal court in New York. Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, accused of making the foiled attempt in January, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of trying to give material support to the terror group and obstruction of justice, the U.S. Justice Department said in a two-count indictment announced Tuesday. Among the evidence, prosecutors allege: Investigators discovered on his laptop computer a letter saying he wanted to "use the talents and skills given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States," and a chart of crossing points between Turkey and Syria, where ISIS controls some territory. Who has been recruited to ISIS from the West? Pugh, a 47-year-old convert to Islam and a former New Jersey resident who served in the Air Force from 1986 to 1990, was arrested upon his return to the United States in January, the Justice Department said. "Pugh, an American citizen and former member of our military, allegedly abandoned his allegiance to the United States and sought to provide material support to ISIL," Assistant U.S. Attorney General John Carlin said, using an alternate acronym for the Islamist terror group that controls territory in parts of Iraq and Syria. At his arraignment Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, Pugh appeared in a black T-shirt and khaki pants and stated his name. He pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Michael Schneider. The defendant, a former avionics instrument system specialist in the Air Force, flew from Egypt to Turkey on January 10, weeks after being fired from a Middle East-based job as an airplane mechanic, U.S. authorities allege. Why is ISIS so successful at luring Westerners? But Turkey denied him entry. In the indictment, U.S. authorities said Turkey was likely suspicious Pugh was headed for Syria. Instead Turkish officials sent him on a return flight to Egypt, where he was detained. In Egypt, he was carrying multiple electronic devices, "including four USB thumb drives that had been stripped of their plastic casings and an iPod that had been wiped clean of data," the Justice Department said in a statement. Pugh had purposefully tampered with the devices to prevent others from getting access to his electronic media, the indictment said. Pugh was deported to the United States, where agents with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force obtained a warrant for his devices, including the laptop, the department said. Investigators found a letter from January addressed to a Misha, whom they believe is his wife, authorities said. In it, the writer says: "I am a (mujahedeen). I am a sword against the oppressor and a shield for the oppressed. I will use the talents and skills given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States." In addition to that letter and the Turkey/Syria border chart, agents also found recent Internet searches for information on "borders controlled

Summary: Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh enters not guilty plea to terror-related charges . Pugh flew to Turkey on January 10, authorities say . Authorities allege a letter on his laptop told his wife he was a mujahedeen .


(CNN)Three and a half decades after calling for homosexuals to be stoned, former Bob Jones University President Bob Jones III has apologized. "I take personal ownership of this inflammatory rhetoric," Jones said. "This reckless statement was made in the heat of a political controversy 35 years ago." The weekend apology came days after the conservative Christian school in South Carolina received a petition asking for an apology for a statement Jones made to the Associated Press in 1980 at the White House. "I'm sure this will be greatly misquoted," Jones said at the time. "But it would not be a bad idea to bring the swift justice today that was brought in Israel's day against murder and rape and homosexuality. I guarantee it would solve the problem post-haste if homosexuals were stoned, if murderers were immediately killed as the Bible commands." When he made the comments, Jones was part of a group of fundamentalist ministers who went to the White House with 70,000 signatures on a petition opposed to extending provisions of the Civil Rights Act to homosexuals. "Upon now reading these long-forgotten words, they seem to me as words belonging to a total stranger -- were my name not attached," Jones said in Saturday's statement. "I cannot erase them, but wish I could, because they do not represent the belief of my heart or the content of my preaching." Bob Jones University has long been a center of controversy for its fundamentalist stances. In 1975, the school adopted rules banning interracial dating. BJU received national attention on the issue in 2000 when George W. Bush, then a presidential candidate, visited the campus. The uproar over the ban prompted the school to drop it. The petition by BJUnity, a group that bills itself as a network "for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and straight affirming people affected by fundamentalist Christianity," garnered more than 1,900 signatures. "We are grateful that Bob Jones III has taken responsibility for these words; words that have caused deep harm for many more people than any of us knows," the group's website said. "This means a lot to us because it represents the beginning of a change in the rhetoric and conversation."

Summary: Bob Jones III suggested homosexuals should be stoned in 1980 . A petition asking for an apology gathered 1,900 signatures .


(CNN)A federal judge has ordered the Defense Department to release photos that allegedly show detainees being abused in detention centers in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush administration. The photos won't be made public right away. In an order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York granted the government 60 days to appeal. The ACLU sued the Defense Department in 2003 to have the photos made public. It's not clear how many photos are involved or where the pictures were taken, but in an August opinion Hellerstein said the government acknowledged having at least 29 pictures from at least seven different locations in Afghanistan and Iraq and may have hundreds or thousands more. Some of the photos may have come from the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In 2004, photos became public that showed American soldiers abusing Abu Ghraib detainees and putting them into humiliating sexual positions. People in the Mideast and Americans were outraged and shocked by the photos, which added to the national debate on the use of torture in the war on terror. Hellerstein said the government failed to prove its argument that releasing the photos would endanger American soldiers or civilians overseas. In July 2011, the judge blocked release of the photos at the urging of the secretary of defense because U.S. troops were still fighting in Iraq. By December 2011, most U.S. ground troops had withdrawn from Iraq, the judge wrote, and he didn't know whether release of the photos would affect military operations. "Three years is a long time in war, the news cycle and the international debate over how to respond to terrorism," he wrote. The judge also said the government failed to convince him a collective review of the photos met the requirements of the Protected National Security Documents Act. The ACLU argued the Defense Department must individually review each photo and explain why its release would put Americans in danger. Jameel Jaffer, ACLU deputy legal director, said in a statement that the photos are "the best evidence of what took place in the military's detention centers, and their disclosure would help the public better understand the implications of some of the Bush administration's policies." A response by the Pentagon to the judge's decision was not immediately available. The Pentagon has refused to release the photos requested by the ACLU, saying publication could endanger American soldiers and civilians overseas. Several U.S. military leaders who saw some of the pictures made that argument in a December 19 filing in the lawsuit. They pointed to public demonstrations in Mideast countries that followed reports of Quran burnings, the release of the video "Innocence of the Muslims" and the 2012 release of a video that showed Americans soldiers urinating on dead enemy combatants. Navy Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Islamist extremist groups like ISIS use "imagery associated with United States detention practices" as part of their recruiting efforts. The ACLU responded by saying the military leaders didn't see all the photos, just a

Summary: The ACLU sued the Department of Defense in 2003 for photos of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan . Government has said publication of the photos could endanger American soldiers and civilians overseas .


(CNN)Students en route to Yangon, Myanmar, to protest an education bill were met with violence from police Tuesday, according to multiple media reports and international watch groups. "We all watched while a young man was beaten extremely hard and repeatedly by about three or four policemen in heavy riot gear," U Zarni, a spokesman for the Cooperative Committee for Trade Unions, told CNN. Students are seeking changes to an education bill that they say limits academic freedom and have been in negotiations with authorities, but these have been curbed because of the crackdown. The violence Tuesday occurred in Letpadan, a town of about 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yangon, the nation's largest city. The students' march began in Mandalay, about 640 kilometers (400 miles) north of Yangon. Zarni said the students had been "given the red light" on proceeding to Yangon. "They had decided they would drive into the city, meet with other students there for 15 minutes of talks and then disperse," Zarni said. "But within about an hour of being given this information, they were told that wasn't the case." "Some students decided they would try, thinking the police would just take them away, but the police were so brutal." Police arrested about 40 to 50 people, according to Zarni. "They broke a reporter's camera and cheered about it. They hit women. They hit monks who were also there. They went into the monastery and detained everyone who had run to hide in there," Zarni said. Human rights issues have been at the forefront in Myanmar, also known as Burma, as the country emerges from decades of authoritarian military rule, with elections planned for late this year. "The public and we are losing confidence in the democratic transitions," Zarni said. Khin Lay, director of the Triangle Women Support Group, agreed. "Students, human rights, women's rights -- we're all extremely angry about the way we have been treated over the years," said Lay. "But we've been waiting for the 2015 elections with patience because we believe in the democracy movement, and we're hoping that we have the opportunity to exercise our right to vote. So they should show us some respect, too."

Summary: Police in town north of Yangon, Myanmar, crack down on students marching in protest of an education bill . "The public and we are losing confidence in the democratic transitions," says trade unions spokesman .


(CNN)A Palestinian man rammed into a cyclist and four Israeli border police while he was driving in Jerusalem on Friday, authorities and first responders said. Witnesses said the man drove off the side of the road to hit his victims. They were taken to the hospital with light to moderate injuries. Authorities are treating the incident as a terror attack, according to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. The suspect tried to escape, but was shot by a security guard and severely wounded before being taken into custody, police said. Israeli police identified the attacker as a Palestinian man in his early 20s from East Jerusalem. Hamas applauded the attack. "Hamas movement blesses this heroic act and considers it a natural response to the Occupations crimes, Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, posted on Facebook. Regional tensions . Tensions over the killings of Israeli teens and Palestinian boys marked the run-up to the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas this summer, which took dozens of Israeli lives and more than 2,100 Palestinian lives. CNN's Oren Liebermann, Amir Tal and Michael Schwartz contributed to this report .

Summary: Four Israeli border police and a cyclist were hit. The suspect was shot and severely wounded .


Paris (CNN)Police found the bodies of five infants in a home near Bordeaux, France, according to news reports. Four of the bodies were frozen, the reports say. The mother, 35, was hospitalized at Pellegrin Hospital in Bordeaux for gynecological and psychiatric examinations, the French television channel BFMTV reported. The hospital declined comment. The first body was found Thursday morning by the woman's companion, a 40-year-old man, in a freezer bag, BFMTV reported. Police discovered bodies of four other babies in a freezer that evening during a search of the family's home, the channel said. Officials with the Bordeaux prosecutor's office were scheduled to hold a press conference Friday afternoon. Autopsies will be conducted, BFMTV said. The woman's companion was taken into custody, the reports said. He told investigators that he had not known of the deaths and was devastated, according to reports. The couple is reported to have two daughters, aged 13 and 15, and to have led a seemingly routine life. The family home is in Louchats, a village of fewer than 1,000 residents about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest, in southwestern France. The country's worst case of infanticide was in 2010 when a mother in the village of Villers-au-Tertre in northwestern France was found to have killed eight of her babies.

Summary: Reports say police find bodies of five newborns in home in southwestern France . Woman believed to be mother is hospitalized for examinations, report says . Woman's companion is taken into custody, report says .


London (CNN)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters are trying to create "an atmosphere of hysteria" and "fear-mongering," the Iranian foreign minister said Thursday. "The only explanation that you can have here is that some people consider peace and stability as an existential threat," Javad Zarif told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "Because a deal cannot be threatening to anybody unless you want conflict and tension and mistrust and crises." In a highly controversial speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that far from stopping Iran, the deal currently being negotiated in Switzerland would pave Iran's way to nuclear weapons. Zarif told Amanpour that Netanyahu's speech had "no effect on the negotiating table." He spoke from Montreux, Switzerland, where Iran, the U.S. and five other countries are trying to hammer out an agreement that would trade sanctions relief for guarantees on Iran's nuclear program. Zarif told Amanpour that he believed negotiators were "very close" to such a deal, but only if everybody avoided "the path of confrontation." "Everybody has to make tough choices. We have made the choice to engage in negotiations, although we believe that this entire exercise was unnecessary -- this was a manufactured crisis." "People have been predicting for the past 20 years that Iran was a year away from making a bomb, and that prediction has been proven wrong time and again," Zarif said. "But unfortunately that is a reality, that this hysteria that has been fanned continues to be fanned. And we try to resolve that problem." While the details of a definitive deal are still decidedly out of reach -- "I'm not prepared to negotiate on the air" -- Zarif told Amanpour that he had hope for a "win-win situation for all." "The object of this exercise is to ensure that Iran's nuclear program will always remain peaceful, and to remove all the restrictions that have been imposed on Iran, in our view unjustifiably," he said. "You can either have sanctions and continue to seek that path of confrontation, or try to resolve this issue through negotiations and through an agreement." As Iran negotiates its nuclear future, a war against ISIS is being waged in neighboring Iraq. Tehran has supplied the Baghdad government with advisers, weapons, and ammunition, and one of its top generals, Qassim Sulaimani, has been sent to the country, according to the semiofficial Iranian FARS news agency. The Pentagon has suggested that Iranians could themselves be participating in the fight, which Zarif denied. "We do not have forces on the ground in Iraq. We have always had advisers helping the Iraqi government and the Iraqi army," he said. "We were the first to come to the assistance of the Iraqis, both in Baghdad as well as in Irbil, when the ISIS started moving in in massive numbers last summer." "Everybody knows that without our assistance, things would have been different in Iraq," he added. "We hope that this could unite Iraqis." The United States, which also has military advisers in Iraq and has launched an air campaign against ISIS, adamantly denies that

Summary: Netanyahu says a deal would open the way for Iran's nuclear weapons . Iranian foreign minister says speech had "no effect on the negotiating table"


(CNN)Lewis Hamilton laid down a daunting marker for his Formula One rivals at Saturday's qualifying for the opening race of the 2015 season. The world champion will start on pole for the Australian Grand Prix, as he did last year and has done on three other occasions in his career. While the British driver failed to finish the 2014 race -- the only time he did not convert first on the grid to first at the checkered flag -- he is more hopeful this time as he seeks his first victory in Melbourne since winning his only other world title back in 2008. Hamilton was over half a second quicker than Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, and nearly 1.4 seconds faster than third-placed Felipe Massa of Williams. "We had a difficult season last year here, so definitely as a team, as a whole, we're hoping for a better start, for both cars to succeed tomorrow," the 30-year-old said. "So we're going to work as hard as we can to make sure we do that and lots of work to be done tonight for the race tomorrow, because that is going to be a huge challenge still and obviously a good fight, hopefully, with Nico." Rosberg, runner-up in last year's championship amid considerable tension between the two drivers, said his teammate "drove like a champ." "Lewis was in impressive form today, he did an awesome job and nailed it all the time," said the German, who had an engine cutout in the second session and then ran wide in Q3. "For me, the speed was there but I just didn't get it together today. So it wasn't a great day. "Lewis was quick but I didn't get my laps together today so I'm not too worried about pace -- I'm not worried about pace at all. On Friday, in the long runs, my pace was very strong so yeah, hopefully it can be the other way tomorrow." The veteran Massa said he achieved his goal of being the "best of the rest" as he finished just ahead of Ferrari's new signing Sebastian Vettel and the German's teammate Kimi Raikkonen. "The Ferraris looked strong and were pushing us hard," said the Brazilian, who has failed to finish in seven of 12 starts at Albert Park including last year. "It will be a tough battle tomorrow so we need to get the start right and have a good strategy to secure a podium and really start the season on a high note." Massa's Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas qualified sixth but will face a fitness test on Sunday morning after experiencing back pain in the first two sessions. Four-time world champion Vettel played down Ferrari's big improvement on last season's speed. "Let's keep our feet on the ground. So far this weekend, it's gone well and we've had no problems with the car," said the former Red Bull star. "It's a shame that third place escaped us, as that would have made us the first team behind Mercedes, but it wasn't by much. We lost third place

Summary: World champion Lewis Hamilton will start opening race of 2015 on pole position . Hamilton significantly quicker than Mercedes teammate in Melbourne .


(CNN)First, the women. Now, the men. It seems everyone is getting in on the "Ghostbusters" reboot action. But not everyone is happy about it. Deadline reports that Sony Pictures is planning an all-male "Ghostbusters" reboot starring Channing Tatum and directed and produced by brothers Joe Russo and Anthony Russo. The studio is also creating a production company, Ghostcorps, which will include Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd, who were among the original "Ghostbusters" team, according to Deadline. "We want to expand the Ghostbusters universe in ways that will include different films, TV shows, merchandise, all things that are part of modern filmed entertainment," Deadline quoted Reitman as saying. The film "has a wonderful idea that builds" on the premise of an all-female "Ghostbusters" reboot expected to begin filming this summer. That film is expected to star Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. "It's just the beginning of what I hope will be a lot of wonderful movies," Deadline quoted Reitman as saying. All well and good. "Ghostbusters" is, after all, a well-loved comedy classic that gave the world the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. But the news, close on the heels the much-lauded all-female "Ghostbusters" reboot, has met with mixed reviews. "Couldn't u just let the girls have this one ONE FREAKING TIME?" Twitter user jessieroro13 posted. Others think perhaps it's time to derail the Hollywood reboot train, no matter which gender is in the driver's seat. "How about no #Ghostbusters reboots, redos or remakes," Twitter user EA_Creative wrote. "Why mess with perfection?" The all-female "Ghostbusters" film is expected to be out next year. All all-male version is tentatively expected to begin filming in the summer of 2016, to be released the following year, Reitman told Deadline.

Summary: Sony is now planning an all-male Ghostbusters reboot, Deadline reports . The news comes on the heels of an all-women version .


(CNN)Denmark has slammed as "unacceptable" comments by Russia's envoy to Denmark that joining NATO's missile defense shield would make Danish warships "targets for Russian nuclear missiles." In August last year, Denmark said that at least one of its frigates would be equipped with a radar that would allow it to contribute to NATO's missile defense shield. In an opinion article published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten on Saturday, Russian Ambassador Mikhail Vanin said he did not think the Danes fully understood the consequences of joining the missile shield. "If this happens, Danish warships become targets for Russian nuclear missiles," he wrote. Denmark's Minister for Foreign Affairs Martin Lidegaard said Vanin's remarks were unacceptable. "Russia knows full well that NATO's missile defense is defensive and not targeted at them (Russia)," Lidegaard said."However, I would not over-dramatize this. Right now we disagree with Russia on many important issues, but we also cooperate, for example, in the Arctic and it is important that the tone between us does not escalate. We certainly are not contributing to that." Tensions between Russia and NATO member countries have been mounting since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and claims its military has been involved in the ongoing violence in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied its military is involved. In April 2014, NATO foreign ministers said they had "decided to suspend all practical civilian and military cooperation between NATO and Russia" over the issue. The United States and NATO allies have been conducting military exercises as part of "Operation Atlantic Resolve," which the United States describes as "a demonstration of our continued commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to the enduring peace and stability in the region, in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine specifically." On March 2, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow told the alliance's annual meeting on arms control: "Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and its continuing destabilization of Eastern Ukraine have put the European security system -- and all the rules and agreements that underpin it -- under severe strain." Last Monday, state-run Russian media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his Northern Fleet "to full alert in a snap combat readiness exercise" in the Arctic. At least one Russian leader described the drill as routine and unrelated to the "international situation." Conversely, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov told Tass news agency that Russia was "deeply concerned" about NATO drills near its border. NATO says the long-term goal of its missile shield is "to merge individual Allies' missile defense assets into a coherent defense system, providing full protection for NATO European populations, territory and forces against ballistic missiles threats." NATO has previously asked Russia to participate in the system, but negotiations were deadlocked over Russia's demand for a legally binding treaty guaranteeing the shield would not be used as a deterrent to Moscow's own systems.

Summary: Denmark slams Russia's envoy for warning against joining the NATO missile shield . Ambassador Mikhail Vanin says he did not think the Danes fully understood the consequences . Joining would make Danish warships "targets for Russian nuclear missiles," Vanin says .


(CNN)Airport authorities are clearly doing something right in Singapore. For the third year in a row, Singapore Changi Airport has earned the World's Best Airport title at the annual SkyTrax World Airport Awards, which were announced Wednesday in Paris. "It is a great honor to be named World's Best Airport by SkyTrax for the third year running," airport CEO Lee Seow Hiang told SkyTrax. "This recognition is particularly pleasing for us as it comes at a time of transformation at Changi Airport." The airport handles 5,000 arrivals and departures a week by 80 international airlines. This month, Changi awarded a $234 million construction contract for the expansion of Terminal 1. The World Airport Awards, also known as the Passenger's Choice Awards, were launched by air transport advisory group SkyTrax in 1999. The 2015 awards are based on more than 13 million surveys completed by 112 nationalities of airline customers between May and January. Incheon International Airport near Seoul is the No. 2 airport in the world, also for the third year running. Germany's No. 3-ranked Munich Airport retained its 2014 rank, as did No. 4 Hong Kong International. This year's No. 5-ranked airport, Tokyo International (Haneda), climbed one rung from No. 6 in 2014. The world's top 10 airports, according to SkyTrax: . 1. Singapore Changi Airport . 2. Incheon International Airport . 3. Munich Airport . 4. Hong Kong International Airport . 5. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) 6. Zurich Airport . 7. Central Japan International Airport . 8. London Heathrow Airport . 9. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport . 10. Beijing Capital International Airport . North America didn't have an airport in the top 10 this year. Vancouver International Airport, the No. 1 airport in North America for a record sixth consecutive year, fell in the global rankings from No. 9 in 2014 to No. 11 this year.

Summary: Singapore Changi Airport is world's No. 1 airport for the third year in a row . The SkyTrax awards are based on millions of passenger surveys .


(CNN)When man relies on machine, there is always something that can go wrong. And there is no more unforgiving environment than the high-stakes world of Formula One. "Racing is one of those... probably a crueler sport in that there's so many other variables," says Red Bull's No.1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, ahead of Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix. "Unfortunately it's not like tennis where all the racquets are pretty much the same and you can't blame anyone but yourself." Ricciardo experienced the full extent of F1's cruelty at last year's Melbourne race. The Australian crossed the line in second place -- seemingly becoming the first Aussie to finish on the podium at Albert Park -- but jubilation soon turned to despair. He was disqualified hours after the race when officials ruled his car had exceeded the maximum fuel flow rate, a rule which states each car is limited to 100 kilograms of fuel per race and was introduced to make the sport more fuel efficient. "It's frustrating, I mean it's a part of the sport which will always be frustrating," said the 25-year-old, reflecting on what was his Red Bull debut. "I'm sure even Lewis (Hamilton) and Nico (Rosberg) last year were frustrated at the times because you never have the perfect car," he added, referring to the two Mercedes drivers, who finished first and second last season. "But it is what it is, I signed up for that a long time ago, and you just learn to accept it." It's a sport where even driving ability often fails to overcome mechanical failures -- eventual world champion Hamilton was forced to retire from last year's race at Albert Park. But technical blunders don't always end in disaster -- Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix after experiencing mechanical faults early in the race, and Finnish driver Valterri Bottas lost a wheel in 2014's opener before roaring to a fifth-place finish. Despite Ricciardo's previous disappointment, he's can't wait to race on his home turf again next Sunday. "I definitely feel privileged to have a home race... it just increases all the hype and all the excitement" said Ricciardo, adding that he would use "all the Australian flags and all the cheers to my advantage." After last year's disaster Ricciardo is looking to make things right, "There's a little bit of redemption, I'm confident we can get it back."

Summary: Red Bull's No.1 driver Daniel Ricciardo says Formula One is a "crueler sport" Last year Ricciardo was disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix after finishing second . The 25-year-old is looking for redemption in Melbourne on Sunday .


(CNN)Two Los Angeles police officers were wounded in gunfire late Sunday, and police told local media they believe the officers were targeted. They were on duty in South L.A., when gunfire erupted in the early evening, grazing both of them, said Officer Cory Meisner. They both sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. One of the officers had to have bullet fragments removed from his arm later, according to the LAPD. The Los Angeles Times reported that the officers had been driving through the neighborhood dressed in plain clothes. The officers returned fire, and several suspects scattered, Det. Meghan Aguilar told the newspaper, adding that the officers believed that they were targeted. But a public information officer for the LAPD disputes that possibility. "The officers were in plain clothes," Rosario Herrera told CNN. "This cannot be called targeting. The narcotics officers from the 77th division were driving in an unmarked police vehicle around 64th and Broadway when they were shot at and they returned fire." Three individuals were detained for questioning, according to Herrera, but were not arrested. The names of the injured officers have not been released.

Summary: Plainclothes officers were wounded by gunfire . LA Times: Police believe they were targeted . LAPD PIO: "This cannot be called targeting"


(CNN)By the time Cynthia Falardeau read about Alex Pring, a little boy who got a battery-powered robotic arm last summer, she had made peace with her son Wyatt's limb difference. Her premature baby had been born with his right arm tangled in amniotic bands. At a week old, doctors amputated his dead forearm and hand. They were afraid his body would be become infected and he would die. Falardeau mourned her boy's missing arm for years but, in time, embraced her son as he was. Wyatt also learned to adapt. They tried a couple of prosthetics when he was younger and each time the toddler abandoned the false limb within months. "His main interest was to create a shocking response from onlookers by pulling it off in the grocery store," Falardeau wrote on CNN iReport. In truth, she had been more concerned about getting him therapy for his autism-related delays -- the limb difference was secondary. So when a friend shared a story from the "Today Show" with Wyatt in mind, about a team of University of Central Florida (UCF) students and graduates that made an electronic arm for 6-year-old Pring using a three-dimensional printer on campus, Falardeau was defensive. "He doesn't need this," she thought. Her fifth-grader had a different reaction: "I want one of these robot arms!" Falardeau remembers Wyatt telling her and her husband. "I could ride a bike! I might even be able to paddle a kayak!" There were other things the 12-year-old boy said he would do if he had two hands. A proper somersault. Clap with two hands. Dance with a pretty girl with one hand on her back and the other leading. Stuff she hadn't really thought about but he clearly had. Falardeau got in touch with the Orlando students through E-Nable, an online volunteer organization started by Rochester Institute of Technology research scientist Jon Schull to match people who have 3-D printers with children in need of hands and arms. The organization creates and shares bionic arm designs for free download at EnablingTheFuture.org that can be assembled for as little as $20 to $50. Middle and high school student groups and Girl and Boy Scout troops are among those donating their time and materials to assemble limbs for kids and give them to recipients for free. The UCF team, which operates a nonprofit called Limbitless Solutions, is special because it's the only group in the 3-D volunteer network making electronic arms. Most 3-D arms are mechanical, which presents a challenge for children without elbows. With mechanical arms, the child opens and closes their hand by bending their elbow. The students came up with the idea for an electronic arm with a muscle sensor that allows the child to open and close their hand by flexing their bicep. "It's really just a step-by-step process of solving problems. The first problem we solved was: how do we make the hand move electronically? And then: how do we attach this arm to a child?" said sophomore Tyler Petresky. "It's just one problem after another we keep solving.

Summary: Around the world, volunteers with 3-D printers are making limbs for children. Meet some Orlando engineering students changing the world.


Washington (CNN)The U.S. ambassador who resigned his post in 2012 amidst official criticism that he used a private email account for official business told CNN Friday that he was "very surprised" to learn that his boss at the time, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had been doing essentially the same thing at the same time. "I was very surprised to learn of the double standard," former Ambassador to Kenya and Air Force General Scott Gration told CNN. Gration noted that Cheryl Mills, the then-State Department Chief of Staff "obviously knew Secretary Clinton was using commercial email, yet she stated my use of Gmail was one of the reasons I had to move on." The retired Air Force Major General, who flew 274 combat missions over Iraq as a fighter pilot and served as President Obama's Special Envoy to Sudan, recalled he had been "prohibited from sending a Gmail message to a State Department computer except in an emergency." Considering that "Department of Defense dot mil accounts, USAID accounts, and every Kenyan account used the same routers and security firewalls as a Gmail account," he took issue with State Department protocols. "It didn't make sense to me that the State Department would ban my 'Gmail.com' while letting all other commercial and foreign accounts through its computer firewall," he told CNN. A spokesman for Hillary Clinton declined comment. Spokespeople at the State Department repeatedly declined to address whether any sort of double standard had been applied and instead continually noted that in the State Department Inspector General report about the U.S. embassy being run by Gration there were "several concerns with management and leadership" discussed, not just about his use of private email. The Inspector General report charged that Gration "lost the respect and confidence of the staff to lead the mission" and "damaged the cohesion of Embassy Nairobi's country team." Gration said he makes "no apology for 'rocking the boat' in the State Department to improve physical security, to enhance cyber policy, and to conduct several other initiatives that the State Department Inspector General misrepresented to build the case that Secretary Clinton's Chief of Staff used to terminate my tenure as the U.S. ambassador in 2012." The State Department's continued referencing of the other allegations against Gration came amidst fruitless attempts by CNN to ask the department spokespeople to explain why it was acceptable for Secretary Clinton to use private email to conduct official business given that the 2012 Inspector General's report against Gration repeatedly hammered him for the use of "commercial email for official government business" which was considered to be "flouting of direct instructions to adhere to Department policy." As CNN reported Thursday, the report stated clearly that It "is the Department's general policy that normal day-to-day operations be conducted on an authorized information system, which has the proper level of security controls," the report stated. "The use of unauthorized information systems increases the risk for data loss, phishing, and spoofing of email accounts, as well as inadequate protections for personally identifiable information. The use of unauthorized information systems can also

Summary: Fmr. ambassador forced to resign in 2012 amidst criticism over personal email use at the State Department. Claims accusations against him unwarranted. He took issue with State Dept. security protocol because they used the same firewall as Gmail. Although his experience was somewhat different than Hillary Clinton's, he was "was very surprised to learn of the double standard."


Atlanta (CNN)The daughter of the late singer Whitney Houston, in a medically induced coma after being found unresponsive in January, has been moved to a rehabilitation facility, a source close to the family said Friday. Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, had been treated at Emory University Hospital. No details about the transfer to a rehab facility were given. Brown, Houston's daughter with singer Bobby Brown, was found unresponsive January 31 in a bathtub at her home in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell. The extent of her injuries isn't known. Last month, doctors at Emory removed her breathing tube, allowing Brown to be ventilated through a hole in her throat. At the time, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta said the procedure suggested she would need to be on such support for "weeks and months to come." Police have said they are treating Brown's case as a criminal investigation. When Houston died in 2012, she was also found in a bathtub. A coroner ruled her death an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors. Brown is Houston's only child. Brown's boyfriend, Nick Gordon, says he performed CPR after finding Brown in the tub. Gordon has complained that Brown's family has not allowed him to see her, but Bobby Brown said last month that Gordon simply refused to abide by the family's terms for a visit. CNN's Sunny Hostin contributed to this report.

Summary: Brown has been in a medically induced coma . She was found unresponsive in a bathtub in January . The extent of her injuries isn't known .


(CNN)Sony Pictures is expanding its "Ghostbusters" movies with Ghost Corps, a collective headed by original "Ghostbusters" director Ivan Reitman and star Dan Aykroyd, that will oversee the expansion of the movie franchise beyond a cinematic universe into television and merchandising. The first order of business will be to develop a new male-oriented "Ghostbusters" that will be released after the much ballyhooed female-centric movie being put together by Paul Feig. The movie, which is to star Kirsten Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, shoots this summer and will be released July 22, 2016. New all-female 'Ghostbusters' cast chosen . Joe and Anthony Russo, the duo behind "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and who signed a first-look deal with Sony last week, are being tapped to produce and direct the new movie. Drew Pearce, who penned "Iron Man 3", will write the script while Channing Tatum, another Sony favorite after the 22 Jump Street movies, will also produce with his partners Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan. If all goes as planned, Tatum would also star in the movie. Read the original 1984 THR review of 'Ghostbusters' Reitman will also produce the new movie. Sony is one of the studios less franchise-rich than others, such as Disney or Warner Bros. or even Paramount, which is cranking out "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" movies. Female Ghostbusters? Why Studios Want More Women-Led Blockbusters . How seriously is Sony taking this? Enough that Reitman is moving his entire staff of his production banner The Montecito Picture Co. onto the studio lot to focus on this endeavor. Montecito and Ghost Corps will be separate entities, however. ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.

Summary: Sony Pictures is planning a "cinematic universe" similar to the Marvel films for its "Ghostbusters" franchise . Channing Tatum will star in one of the films, described as "male-oriented" "Ghostbusters" reboot is already planned with female cast .


(CNN)Can't see Harry Potter's Albus Dumbledore as gay? Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has a terse message for you. Rowling revealed that the Hogwarts School headmaster was gay after "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final book in the boy wizard series, was released in 2007. Fan Ana Kocovic started the exchange by asking the author, "I wonder why you said that Dumbledore is gay because I can't see him in that way." "Maybe because gay people just look like ... people?" Rowling wrote in her March 24 reply. Rowling's fans loved it.

Summary: A Harry Potter fan took to social media to say she didn't see Dumbledore as gay . Author J.K. Rowling's quick response won the day on Twitter .


(CNN)When photographer Richard Ross wants to talk to a child at a juvenile detention center, he knocks on their cell door. He asks them if he can come inside. The 67-year-old Californian is used to taking off his shoes when he enters homes, so he does the same in a cell. "Most of the kids, they've never had that kind of respect," he said. "But I give it to them, I give them the power. I sit on the floor so they're looking down on me." Ross doesn't begin by hammering them with questions. He wants to have a conversation. "I say, 'What's gone on in your life?' " The result of that tenderness and patience is Ross' latest collection of photos, "Girls in Justice." The images are unflinching. They convey the ugliness of a young person's life behind bars. The pictures are replete with the unique loneliness, anger and boredom of a juvenile detention center. But the girls also tell their stories alongside the images. One photo shows a girl in a tan jumpsuit, hand on her head, sitting alone in a drab, cavernous room. "I've been here 17 times," one girl says. Many of the stories are bleak, reflecting adults who endangered the girls or, at the very least, failed repeatedly to protect them. "Mom's a stripper. Dad was an alcoholic, drug addict, murdered last year," said one girl explaining her past. "They took my brother and I away because my dad chained us in the house and tried to burn it down. I lived with my grandma and uncle. The people who are supposed to love you never do." The photos show girls wasting the day in their bunks, staring at the wall. Some struggle with mental illness. The girls obscure their faces or are turned away from the camera. That works to protect their identities, but it also evokes shame. Ross seems to be saying the shame isn't the girls' -- it's ours as a society for jailing children. His images aren't always literal. A photo shot toward an azure sky is framed by concertina wire. A straight-forward photo, of a utility wall holding dozens of scissors, turns the stomach after reading the caption -- the guards need the scissors to cut away any cloth a teenager might use to trying to hang herself. Social media . Follow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography. Ross recalled one particularly agonizing interview with a girl who kept telling him, "I can't wait to get out of here so I can kill myself." "She was just a kid, but she was at that place where you have no hope," he said. "I feel all these stories, but that one just hit me hard. I was sobbing. You want to say, 'It will get better,' but you also know the system and you know that you can't say that." Ross, the son of a New York City police officer, had a happy upbringing in a home of modest means. He got into a decent amount of trouble growing up,

Summary: Photographer Richard Ross shows what life is like for girls in a juvenile detention center . He wants to "wake people up" about the system and bring about "immediate change"


Hong Kong (CNN)A Canadian pastor is missing after going on a trip to North Korea in late January, his family and church say. The Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim, 60, went to North Korea on a humanitarian trip as he had done over a hundred times before, said Lisa Pak, a spokeswoman for his church, based in Mississauga, Ontario. On January 30, Lim traveled to North Korea from China with a companion from the church who last spoke with him the following day. Lim was scheduled to return February 4 from what was described as a "routine" trip to Rajin, in northeastern North Korea, where his church supports a nursery, orphanage and nursing home, according to the Light Korean Presbyterian Church. So far he has failed to show. The church has formally requested help in finding Lim from Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, and has contacted the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which provides consular help for citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia, which do not have diplomatic ties with North Korea. After not hearing from Lim, Pak said they thought he could have been caught up in North Korea's recent Ebola policy. Lim's church and family waited the 21-day incubation period that he would have been under quarantine. In October, North Korea announced it was taking "preventive measures" to "control the infection by Ebola." Tour groups to North Korea announced that the country would restrict its borders to international tourists because of concerns about Ebola. This week, tour groups indicated that North Korea may be easing its Ebola policy. Tour operators, including Koryo Tours, Young Pioneers Tours and Uri Tours, announced on their websites that the country would ease its ban on foreign tourists. Nick Bonner, Koryo Tour's co-founder and director, told CNN on Tuesday, "We're pleased to announce that today marks the first time in more than four months that tourism in North Korea begins to resume as normal." Lim's family released a statement, thanking the Canadian government for its efforts to find the pastor and asking for privacy. In 1986, Lim immigrated to Canada from South Korea with his wife and son. He speaks fluent Korean and leads a 3,000-member church. Pak, the church's spokeswoman, said she doesn't believe Lim would have engaged in any type of proselytizing, which is prohibited in North Korea. "He knows the language, he knows the nature of the government, so we don't see that as a legitimate reason that he would be detained," she said. "We don't believe that's the way he would have behaved. He's very wise about that." Previously, North Korea has detained Westerners on religious grounds. Cases include American Kenneth Bae, who was detained for two years after North Korea accused him of trying to bring down the government through religious activities. Bae was released in November. Another American, Jeffrey Fowle, was arrested after leaving a Bible at a club in North Korea and released after five months in detention. Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a U.S. citizen sentenced to eight years of hard labor and believed to be a Christian activist,

Summary: Canadian pastor is reported missing by his family after a trip to North Korea . Hyeon Soo Lim, 60, speaks Korean fluently and has visited North Korea numerous times . Tour groups: North Korea is easing its Ebola policy .


(CNN)Russian police moved with surprising speed to arrest five suspects, all of them Chechens, in the killing of opposition figure Boris Nemtsov. They tried to arrest a sixth suspect, but he reportedly threw a grenade at the arresting officers and then blew himself up. Yet that speed has only raised more questions about who wanted Nemtsov dead -- and why? Conspiracy theories are rife, but so far, none seem totally convincing. • The Kremlin did it. Some members of Russia's opposition -- and Nemtsov's daughter -- are convinced Russia's government was behind Nemtsov's killing. But why? And why now? Nemtsov, 55, had been an opposition leader for years and had recently been overshadowed by younger members of the opposition such as Alexey Navalny. So killing him now doesn't seem to make sense. Some of Nemtsov's supporters claim he had become a bigger threat to the Kremlin, pointing to information he was allegedly uncovering on Russia's military role in Ukraine that could undermine the Kremlin's claims that its forces fighting in Ukraine have been just "volunteers." But the dramatic staging of the killing -- he was shot in the back on a famous Moscow bridge against the backdrop of Red Square and the Kremlin, where Putin has his office -- seems a bit too obvious. And how exactly does it help Putin to look like a killer? • The West did it. Some Russian politicians and media personalities close to the Kremlin charge that Putin's foes in the West orchestrated the killing to damage the Russian President's image and ignite a civil war in Russia. But why would Washington want to destroy someone who was championing democracy and who is friendly to the United States? (Conspiracy theorists reply: to create a "sacrificial lamb" and blame the slaughter on Putin.) • It was the Chechens. Here, the plot thickens. The key suspect, Zaur Dadayev, reportedly initially confessed to being involved with the shooting. But then, Russian media reported, he denied involvement. Russian officials have alleged that Dadayev, a former security officer and fervent Muslim, decided to punish Nemtsov for supporting the rights of the French Charlie Hebdo journalists to publish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. But Nemtsov's allies point out that he was not anti-Muslim and rarely spoke of the cartoons -- he was by no means a central figure in the cartoon story. To make things more complicated, the strongman leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, praised Dadayev as a brave soldier, a religious man and a "real patriot." But on Tuesday, Putin awarded Kadyrov the Order of Honor, and the Chechen leader pledged he would die for Putin. A further twist is that Chechens reportedly are fighting in Ukraine -- on both sides of the battle line (for the Ukrainian government and for the Russian-allied separatists.) That's led some back to the theory that Nemtsov was killed because of his allegedly explosive information on Russia's role in Ukraine. • The Ukrainians did it. Many Russians are convinced that what they call the "fascist" Kiev government would stop at nothing to frame Putin. After

Summary: Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed last month . Jill Dougherty: Conspiracy theories about the killing are rife, but none seem convincing .


Boston (CNN)The defense in the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev rested Tuesday afternoon after presenting only four witnesses. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday. The defense case lasted less than two days, while the prosecution presented more than 90 witnesses over the course of a month. Federal prosecutors rested their case Monday with grisly testimony about how the bomb Dzhokhar Tsarnaev placed near the marathon's finish line tore through the bodies of 8-year-old Martin Richard and Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old grad student. A second bomb placed by Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, killed Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager. The short presentation in the sensational trial wasn't surprising, given that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's attorney, Judy Clarke, acknowledged during opening statements that "it was him," referring to her client's culpability. Testimony ended with an FBI fingerprint investigator who talked about numerous pieces of evidence with Tamerlan's fingerprints and not Dzhokhar's. Earlier, a computer expert testified about computer searches on Tamerlan's computer -- including gun stores, transmitters, fireworks firing system, detonator and Boston Marathon -- in the weeks before the bombing. Similar searches were not found on Dzhokhar's computer. Jurors first will be asked to determine whether Tsarnaev is guilty of 30 counts. Because 17 of those counts carry the death penalty as a possible punishment, a second phase of the trial will follow if the jury convicts him. In the penalty phase, jurors will be asked to weigh aggravating factors, such as the heinousness of the crime, versus mitigating factors, such as Tsarnaev's family history and his youth. He was 19 at the time of the bombings. The defense, which began calling witnesses Monday afternoon, has argued that Tsarnaev, known to friends as Jahar, fell under the sway of his more extremist older brother after their parents moved back to Russia. Jahar Tsarnaev was flunking out of the University of Massachusetts and had lost his financial aid at the time of the bombings. Prosecutors William Weinreb, Aloke Chakravarty, Nadine Pellegrini and Steve Mellin presented witnesses who told the story of Tsarnaev's alleged scheme with Tamerlan to build and detonate pressure cooker bombs as an act of jihad. The brothers, Muslims of Chechen descent, allegedly sought to kill Americans at an iconic public event to retaliate against U.S. policies they believed harmed and oppressed Muslims abroad. Prosecutors delved into Tsarnaev's text messages and Twitter posts and showed jurors militant material found in his laptop, phone and iPod. They included writings available online from top leaders of al Qaeda. They used data mined from a GPS device and store receipts to trace the purchase of the pressure cookers, BBs and ammunition. Jurors saw photos of pressure cooker parts, fuses, Christmas lights and other bombmaking materials found in the Tsarnaev family's Cambridge apartment, where Tamerlan lived with his wife and child. And they showed security surveillance videos of the brothers in the crowd near the finish line: In one, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev can be seen blending in with the crowd behind the Richard family for four minutes. He appears to slide a backpack off his shoulder near a

Summary: Defense in trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev rested after less than three days . Prosecution presented more than 90 witnesses over the course of a month .


(CNN)Mention the words "sand" and "golf" together, and the chances are you'll leave many players shuddering at the memory of being trapped in bunkers after another wayward shot. But in other parts of the world, sand golf is a version of the game in its own right. The idea of playing a round without verdant fairways to stride down or lush greens to putt (and, of course, miss) on seems strange, even wrong. Sometimes needs must, though. Half a century ago, expat oil workers with an enthusiasm for golf had nowhere in Abu Dhabi to play. In the baking desert heat, with little or no irrigation possible, the equation was simple: they either had to adapt to the surroundings or there'd be no golf at all. The result was an incarnation of the game in which the only grass to be seen is artificial, found on a mat carried around by players to serve both as a tee and a surface from which to strike when the ball is on the fairway. Fairways? They consist entirely of sand and are indicated by marker posts. If the ball lands outside them, it's in the sand golf equivalent of the rough -- stony terrain that the unwary player may soon find is home to a few snakes and a lizard or two. Greens? Well, they're known as "browns," built from clay and topped with a mixture of sand and oil to provide a true putting surface, a formula arrived at through trial and error. It's an odd environment, this golfing world with a palette of golden-brown colors. And with rapidly developing irrigation and growing techniques enabling grass courses to be built in desert climes, it's an increasingly unusual one. Back in 1961, determined British oil workers created a sand course on an atoll known as Das Island, around 100 miles off Abu Dhabi in the Persian Gulf. It was the country's first-ever golf club. As the expat population grew, so did the demand for the game, and in 1971 sand golf moved into Abu Dhabi proper with the opening of a course near the Sea Palace. Its success brought a move to the Equestrian Club, attracting close to 500 members. In the 1990s, the sand game's fortunes took a dive as the site was earmarked for a nine-hole grass course. But although many sand course players changed surface and took up the more conventional game, several battled on and the 18-hole Al Ghazal sand course was created near Abu Dhabi airport, with its front nine occupying part of an archaeological site, in 1997. Sand golf also exists in parts Australia and Africa but Al Ghazal (which translates as "gazelle" -- gazelles peer from behind a fence by the second brown,) is the only one that can be described as "world class," says Dennis Cox, an expert on the game, because the scale and scope of its layout rivals its grass counterparts. The course found a place in the international spotlight when a World Sand Golf Championship, boasting star names including Colin Montgomerie was played

Summary: Expat oil workers in Abu Dhabi built sand golf course in 1961 . Form of game features putting 'browns' instead of greens . Unexpected hazards can include the burrows of desert lizards .


March 19, 2015 . From a terrorist attack in Tunisia to an election update from Israel to an upcoming eclipse over the Faroe Islands, today's show is taking you around the world. We're also featuring a Character Study on a 13-year-old who started working to fight hunger at age 4. And we're looking into the NCAA "March Madness" tournament and its effects on some athletes' class time. 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.


Washington (CNN)Democrats who have gleefully watched Republican infighting for years are about to feel some heat of their own. As the party works to retake control of the Senate in 2016, Democrats are looking at a Senate landscape that could feature titanic intraparty clashes starring big personalities who have been waiting years for a shot at the big time. It's a big shift from recent years when Republicans, riven by long-standing ideological fault lines, faced divisive and attention-grabbing primaries, usually pitting a party favorite against insurgents from the conservative grassroots. Memorably, in 2010 and 2012, the fights were so damaging that Republicans failed to pick up winnable Senate seats by nominating flagrantly unprepared candidates. Democrats, for the most part, have not had to face the same problem. But that might be changing. While the fields of candidates are still taking shape, a platoon of Democrats are mulling Senate bids in Ohio, Florida, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania and Illinois. While many of them have yet to formally declare campaigns, none possess the kind of field-clearing star power that could help Democrats avoid a primary bonanza, and few show signs of putting their ambitions aside for the sake of party unity. Republican primary battles aren't going anywhere in 2016, and on the presidential level, Democrats continue to line up behind Hillary Clinton as their nominee, without a whiff a serious primary challenge. But there is a different story unfolding in the next race for the Senate, where the question is whether Democrats will cleave along ideological and generational lines in primary fights, jeopardizing the party's hopes of regaining control of the the Upper Chamber. "The great irony of Democrats celebrating fissures amongst Republicans in recent years is that historically they're much less capable of confronting the extreme elements within their party than the GOP," said Josh Holmes, a former top strategist to Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. "Now we're watching several years of pent-up liberal aggression about to spill into divisive primaries that will undoubtedly complicate things considerably for their Senate chances." Democrats scoff at the idea, claiming that no potential candidate has the ability to fumble away a Senate win against the many Republicans up for re-election next year. Of the nine Senate seats rated as toss-up or competitive the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, seven of them are held by Republicans elected in the tea party wave of 2010. Democrats need a net gain of five seats to take back the Senate. "Unfortunately for the numerous vulnerable Republican senators, there are no Todd Akins here, and there isn't a single state on the map with a Democratic primary that will negatively impact our ability win the state," said Justin Barasky, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's communications director. Akin, of course, was the GOP nominee in Missouri in 2012 who derailed his own campaign with a comment about "legitimate rape." Last cycle, Barasky said, Democrats witnessed hotly contested Senate primaries in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Hawaii. All of those fights were in blue states, of course. But none of them resulted in a November

Summary: Recently, it's been Republicans who have been in attention-getting, bruising primaries . A platoon of Democrats are mulling Senate bids in Ohio, Florida, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania and Illinois . Of the nine Senate seats rated as toss-up or competitive in 2016, seven are held by Republicans .


(CNN)Nearly 70 years ago, comic strip detective Dick Tracy showed off his first two-way wrist radio, inspiring baby boomers to babble into their knuckles in pursuit of bad guys like Pruneface and the Mole. The gadget was updated to a TV phone in 1964, heralding a fantastic future for mobile communications. A half-century later the future is finally here, with a new wave of Tracy-esque devices certain to accelerate following the much anticipated debut of Apple Watch in April -- which became official with the company's "Spring Forward" preview on Monday. In classic fashion, consumers huddled around Apple stores to get a peek, some even showing up wearing padded wrist "hoodies" to make room for the watch when it goes on sale next month. Naturally, Apple faithful were urged on by Tim Cook, who tweeted: "Got some extra rest for today's event. Slept in 'til 4:30." Arianna Huffington weighed in on Twitter, too: "Looking forward to a smart watch that tells me not to cram too many things into too few hours." Analysts project sales of 25 million the first year and nearly 70 million by 2018. Prices for the new watch range from $349 to a reported high of $17,000 for an 18-karat gold version to make any Rolex show-off feel at home. Enthusiasm for Apple Watch -- and its long line of apps -- could lift the fortunes of Samsung, Sony, Pebble and others pitching their own interactive watches, making the human wrist the most coveted piece of real estate since the redevelopment of Times Square. If Apple Watch does indeed take off, it would reignite the emerging -- but tricky -- market for wearable devices following Google's sudden move in January to halt public sales of its Glass product, which failed to catch on in light of what the Wall Street Journal said were concerns over "privacy, technical shortcomings and a lack of obvious uses." The company is going back to its drawing board and hopes to re-introduce Glass later this year. As the wearables wrist race heats up, it's worth considering how these meta-timepieces -- with their tactile messaging, biometric loops and eye-controlled display screens -- could alter everyday behavior and spur new codes of etiquette, not to mention a few novel personality disorders. One of the most awaited features of Apple Watch will be its "taptic" engine, a sensory feedback tool derived from gamer joystick technology that allows for personalized tapping vibrations -- a "Yo"-like blip for a work pal or an echo of your own heartbeat captured through an embedded cardio sensor. Of course, your intended recipients will need their own Apple Watch to "feel" your greeting. Early adopters will have to be extra careful with these taps -- imagine the explaining needed when someone inevitably sends a sonic valentine of their beating heart to their boss, or their child's soccer coach. Taptic wrist vibes can also carry a purpose -- reminding you to pick up a carton of eggs on your way home from work, or delivering an insistent flick from a client demanding a

Summary: Allan Ripp: Preview of Apple Watch opens up challenging new world of etiquette, behaviors as people adjust themselves to it . From having to find subtle ways to glance at wrist, to relying on watch to guide us around a market, we'll feel like watch programming us .


(CNN)NASCAR driver Kurt Busch will not be charged with domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, the Delaware Department of Justice announced Thursday, citing a lack of evidence. Busch was accused by Patricia Driscoll of grabbing her by the throat and slamming her head against the wall in his motor home at Dover International Speedway in September. "After a thorough consideration of all of the available information about the case, it is determined that the admissible evidence and available witnesses would likely be insufficient to meet the burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Busch committed a crime during the September 26th incident," Delaware Department of Justice public information officer Carl Kanefsky said in a statement. "Likelihood of meeting that high burden of proof is the standard for prosecutors in bringing a case. For this reason, the Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges in this case." In a statement Thursday, Busch said he is grateful that the prosecutors decided not to file charges. "I wish to thank my family, friends, fans, and race team who stood by me throughout this nightmare with their unwavering support," Busch said. "Thanks also goes to my legal team for making sure that the truth got out and was fully provided to the prosecutors. As I have said from the beginning, I did not commit domestic abuse. I look forward to being back in racing as soon as possible and moving on with my life." While Busch will not be charged, he must stay away from Driscoll for one year, a Kent County, Delaware, family court commissioner ruled in February. Driscoll had requested a no-contact order against Busch. Stemming from the family court ruling, NASCAR suspended Busch indefinitely shortly before the Daytona 500. That decision was upheld after appeal. CNN has reached out to NASCAR for an update on Busch's status but did not immediately hear back. "Patricia and I are very disappointed that Kurt will not be prosecuted for the abusive acts he committed in September," Driscoll's attorney, Carolyn McNeice, said Thursday. "The (attorney general's) decision, however, only makes the order that we received for protection from abuse that much more important. "As you can see, in some cases, this is the only protection the victim will get. This civil no contact order is a critical tool for protecting victims." Busch's attorney, Rusty Hardin, previously has said that he would appeal the family court ruling and would continue to work to clear Busch's name. At the no-contact hearing, Busch testified that he believes Driscoll is a trained assassin for the U.S. government and that she once showed up wearing a gown covered in blood. Driscoll is a defense contractor and is authorized to carry weapons. McNeice has said that her client denies Busch's allegations.

Summary: Delaware Department of Justice won't pursue charges against NASCAR driver Kurt Busch . Busch has denied committing domestic abuse against ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll . But Busch must stay away from Driscoll for one year, according to family court ruling .


(CNN)This is what it's come to. Starbucks asked its local baristas to have conversations about race. Not the federal government or Congress. Not academia or the NAACP. But a national coffee shop chain waded into an area of social conflict that is as old as the slave ships and as modern as stop-and-frisk policing. Then people went crazy. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was accused of ruining that magic morning moment when customers fork over $4.15 for a "grande" coffee with warm skim milk and vanilla extract. A barista writing "Race Together" on cups was called an affront to mornings and coffee -- such important conversations belonged inside a hallowed institution, not a common coffee shop, where apparently people no longer chat. A lot of the reaction came via snipes on Twitter from people calling Schultz out on Starbucks' diversity, the hue of his mochaccinos, or his liberal "brewing" of controversy. The nastiness drove the company's communications chief briefly off Twitter. Then, after barely a week, Starbucks shut down the whole darned thing, pushing ahead with a hiring and media initiative instead. But treating Twitter as an important voice of American conscience is like focusing on the annoying beep emitting from your smoke detector instead of addressing the fact that the battery's run dry. What's trending is not necessarily what matters. People do need to talk about race. Not because of a harmless coffee cup, but because we have a real race problem and we need solutions. Starfish Media Group just finished a nationwide tour of American colleges, universities and communities called "Black in America 2015." It's based on our CNN documentary series that takes a close look at the challenges and triumphs of being black in America: from the hopes of the Martin Luther King era to today's unlikely brew of un-kept promises and vast opportunities. There were plenty of conversations about race among the thousands of black and white college students and panelists like rapper Chuck D and Cedric Alexander of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. They lined up to talk about how their experiences mirrored those of the people in the documentaries: black families finding common roots with whites, the politics of skin color, or the black-and-blue conflict over the police engaging in racial profiling. The topics and perceptions were an unending thread. Not only did people talk when they were offered the chance; they wanted to talk. At Stony Brook University, one of our tour stops, a young white male student asked our panel if effecting change in racial discrimination today was even harder to achieve than it was during the Civil Rights era when racism was more overt. What a good question. There are no longer signs segregating our bathrooms and water fountains, but police are being caught on cell phone videos in apparent attacks on young black men -- the new signposts of racial inequality. New technology has multiplied and spread symbols of racial injustice, but that has created new challenges and new reasons to talk. In this country we sometimes pretend we are

Summary: Starbucks quickly shut down its program of asking baristas to talk to the public about race . Soledad O'Brien: Forget the storm of tweets criticizing the coffee company; we need a vigorous conversation on race .


(CNN)Lionel Messi has set the stage for a potentially season-defining week for Barcelona, scoring both goals as his team went four points clear at the top of the Spanish league on Saturday. The 2-0 win at tiny Eibar, a side playing in La Liga for the first time and which has now lost eight games in a row, may not seem like an unexpected achievement. But, with a European Champions League last-16 decider at home to Manchester City on Wednesday and then the "El Clasico" crunch clash with bitter rival Real Madrid next Sunday, every win is vital at this stage of the campaign. "We're going into the Clasico as leaders and in perfect form," Barca coach Luis Enrique said. "But first we have to focus on City because qualification is at stake. Then we'll see what happens at the weekend." Messi has now scored 43 goals this season, first netting a 31st-minute penalty after Borja Ekiza unluckily handled the Argentine's blocked shot and then bulleting in a header from Ivan Rakitic's corner 10 minutes after the restart. "Eibar didn't look like a team that has just lost seven in a row," said Enrique, who welcomed back Brazil star Neymar from suspension to resume his role up front with Messi and Luis Suarez. "They played good football and they fully deserved their great start to the season. I don't think they'll have any trouble avoiding relegation." The result puts even more pressure on second-placed Real Madrid to win Sunday's home clash with Levante. The European champion's coach Carlo Ancelotti has been criticized after a poor run of results since the turn of the year, while world-record signing Gareth Bale has particularly been vilified by national sports paper Marca following Tuesday's home defeat by Schalke. Real can take some small consolation in the fact that city rival Atletico Madrid could only draw 0-0 at Espanyol, meaning the defending champion stayed fourth in the table following Valencia's 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Friday. Atletico defender Miranda was sent off in time added on at the end of the first half for a foul on Abraham. Diego Simeone's side hosts German club Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday as it seeks to overturn a 1-0 deficit and seek to match last season's achievement of reaching the Champions League final. Barca, also looking to join Real in the quarterfinals, faces a City side reeling after Saturday's 1-0 defeat by relegation-threatened Burnley. It left Manuel Pellegrini's team five points behind English Premier League leader Chelsea, which has two games in hand ahead of Sunday's home clash with Southampton. "We must continue to fight but the chances of winning the title are far as things stand," said Pellegrini, whose team must overcome a 2-1 deficit at the Nou Camp next week. "There is still a chance, but it is more difficult after this result. We needed to create more chances than we did and find more space in and around their defense." The Chilean refused to blame the referee for not awarding what appeared to be a clear

Summary: Barcelona extends lead over Real Madrid in Spanish league . Champions League opponent Manchester City suffers shock defeat .


(CNN)The reputed leader of one of Mexico's most ruthless cartels walked with his head bowed Wednesday as federal forces escorted him into an armored vehicle in the country's capital. Authorities closed in on Zetas boss Omar Trevino Morales in predawn darkness, capturing him in an operation without firing a single shot, said Monte Alejandro Rubido, head of Mexico's national security council. There are 11 pending criminal cases against him, and the crimes Trevino is accused of committing make him "one of the most dangerous and bloodthirsty criminals in Mexico," said Tomas Zeron, director of criminal investigations for the Attorney General's Office. Speaking later in the day to reporters at Mexico City's airport, Zeron said the drug kingpin's legal situation would be assessed after he makes a statement to investigators. U.S. officials have requested his extradition, Zeron said. Known as "Z-42," Trevino was arrested at about 3 a.m. in San Pedro Garza Garcia, a suburb of the industrial hub of Monterrey. In a simultaneous operation, five others were arrested, including the cartel's suspected financial operator, Rubido said. For the Mexican government, Trevino's arrest marks the second high-level capture of a purported drug boss in a week. Servando Gomez, leader of the Knights Templar drug cartel, was captured Friday in the state of Michoacan. The capture of the cartel leaders is a victory for President Enrique Peña Nieto, though the Zetas and Knights Templar are not as powerful as they once were. Still, reports of violence, corruption and extortion continue to flow from the areas of northern Mexico where the Zetas operate. The U.S. State Department was offering a reward of $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Trevino Morales. The Mexican government offered an additional $2 million. Trevino Morales is believed to have been at the helm of the Zetas since 2013, inheriting the post from his brother, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales. Miguel Angel, or "Z-40," was known as a ruthless drug lord with a reputation for burning his enemies alive and ordering mass killings. His arrest in July 2013 was praised as a turning point. But while certain cartels have been weakened after their leaders are captured, critics are quick to point out that the criminal organizations survive, and new leaders rise. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration praised Mexico's government for arresting Trevino, saying he facilitated and oversaw "huge drug shipments into the United States and elsewhere." He faces federal drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering charges in several jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C. and south Texas. "The Zetas represent the worst in global organized crime: violence, intimidation, corruption, and brutal killings," DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said in a statement. "Today's arrest strikes at the heart of the leadership structure of the Zetas and should serve as yet another warning that no criminal is immune from arrest and prosecution." CNN's Joshua Gaynor contributed to this report.

Summary: Mexican authorities say no shots were fired when they captured the alleged head of the Zetas . United States has an extradition request for Omar Trevino Morales . Official: He's "one of the most dangerous and bloodthirsty criminals in Mexico"


(CNN)A chiseled boxer's Instagram feed shows him making constant references to the Bible and enjoying gospel singing with his wife. Another features his formidable opponent counting stacks of money, hanging out in strip clubs, and flashing diamond watches and Ferraris. Welcome to the world of boxing promotion, circa 2015. American Floyd Mayweather and Filipino Manny Pacquiao are set to officially announce their heavily anticipated boxing match at a press conference in Los Angeles Wednesday. With the combined purse for the May 2 bout in Las Vegas reported to touch $300 million pending viewership numbers, the incentives to self-promote could not be higher. "Nowadays you have to be on social media to launch the fight and to build hype," says boxing promoter Nisse Sauerland, CEO of Team Sauerland. "It couldn't be done without it." Thirty-eight year old Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts), who favors the moniker "The Money Man" or "TBE" (The Best Ever), boasts nearly five million Instagram followers, 5.65 million followers on Twitter and 9.2 million Facebook likes. He famously confirmed the fight via Shots, a photo sharing social media application that he's invested in, and displays links to his clothing brand, The Money Team, on all his accounts. Along with professing to the be the best fighter of all time, he could also stake a claim to be one of the greatest social media users in sports. "I think they're both playing their roles," says Sauerland, who promotes over 45 boxers. "You've got the bad guy and the good guy, really. You've got the guy who throws the money around (Mayweather), that's his image, and Pacquiao, he's the hope of a nation." Although Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 knockouts) also sports millions of followers, his social media numbers lag behind that of his opponent. The 36-year-old Filipino counts 1.7 million followers on Twitter and just 647,000 on Instagram, although his popularity on Facebook is much closer, with 6.3 million page likes. Has this disparity had an impact on Pacquiao's share of the fight's heady purse, which is reported to be split 60/40 in favor of Mayweather? "If you have five million Twitter followers it does give you power in negotiation, because it reflects popularity, " says Sauerland. "But Mayweather needs Pacquiao too; you need a storyline to make a good fight ... (Pacquiao) is the route to make it the biggest purse in history." The disparity is probably due to Pacquiao's less flashy posts. Without exception, they show him in training, in church, or with family -- always with a nod to Jesus in the text -- as well as his nationality, says sports media consultant Daniel McLaren and Cast Digital chief executive officer. "Manny is a little bit more of a private person; he's not going to be as outspoken and give away as much, so he's always going to have a smaller following," he says, while noting that Instagram is less popular outside of North America and Europe. Pacquiao's followers in his home country are more likely to track his moves on Facebook and Twitter, adds McLaren. Either way, both fighters

Summary: Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao bout set to be the largest purse in boxing history . Fighters take to social media to boost viewership . Instagram accounts highlight personality clash .


(CNN)It's probably the most important advice Nigerian movie superstar Ramsey Nouah ever received: "My friend said," Nouah recalls,"'you look like a great actor, why don't you act?'" That was some 25 years ago, when Nouah was looking for funds to cover his school examination fees. Nouah took his friend's suggestion and started auditioning for TV shows. He quickly landed a role in a successful soap opera, and soon after he made his debut in Nollywood, Nigeria's mighty movie making machine. Today, Nouah is one of the industry's most popular names, having starred in dozens of films and won several accolades. His latest movie -- "Thy Will Be Done," by director Obi Emelonye -- became last month the first Nollywood film to premiere at London's BFI IMAX, Britain's biggest cinema screen. CNN's African Voices caught up with Nouah to talk about Nigeria's film industry and present him with the questions you sent via the #AskRamsey and #CNNAfrica hashtags. CNN: How have you seen Nollywood change and grow over the years? Ramsey Nouah: There have been several phases in Nollywood, like in everything in life. We started off Nollywood almost like making bread out of stone; there was nothing, no investment, no structure, nothing on the ground to actually help the industry but we've brought it this far and we are very happy. CNN: How do you see the political situation in Nigeria and what do you think about the recent security tensions? RN: I find it quite dicey, it's a case of uncertainty, not knowing what is going to happen ...however I'm actually endorsing the present government because he [president Goodluck Jonathan] has contributed immensely to the growth of our industry -- call me selfish call me what but I've been in this industry for 25 years, no government ever spoke about my industry like this one. He gave us audience, he listened to us, he gave several grants to help the industry, he sent so many of the practitioners outside to big film schools ... he's giving money for distribution -- so for all these reasons. There was a point where there was a nosedive, when it was hitting the rocks because it was predominantly dependent on DVDs, and the quality of the production was poor. It was successful up to a point until piracy came in and intellectual properties weren't protected and practitioners weren't getting their worth. But now there is the cinema, which is growing drastically in Nigeria and that has really helped bring back Nollywood. So I would say right now it's getting better ... because cinema culture is beginning to come -- if you're going to shoot a cinema movie then you've got to be thinking about the quality of the production and of the story. CNN: So what have you learned throughout this journey? RN: I learned a whole lot of lessons, when the chips were high -- many people knew me and everything but I was so deeply passionate about the industry that I wanted growth and I wanted something better. I wanted Nollywood to look

Summary: Ramsey Nouah won the 2010 African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Figurine"


(CNN)Ever heard of Grand Marais, Minnesota? Located on the north shore of Lake Superior along the border of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Grand Marais is Budget Travel's Coolest Small Town in America for 2015. Winner of the travel magazine's 10th annual award, Grand Marais typifies the small American town that is both hip and humble, the magazine says. The population must be less than 10,000 people for winning towns. "Budget Travel defines a 'cool' small town as one with an energetic vibe, often blending community spirit with a vibrant arts scene, unique local history and gorgeous scenery," Editor in Chief Robert Firpo-Cappiello said in a statement. "With a population of only 1,351, Grand Marais is a great example of that something extra small towns often have -- in this case, a very happening outdoors scene right alongside music and contemporary art." High temperatures in Grand Marais right now are hovering in the 30s and 40s but are bound to warm up. The most romantic place to propose . After Budget Travel readers nominated 385 small towns across the country last year, the magazine's editors picked 15 great spots they thought fit the bill of cool small towns. The public had the final say: The magazine's website collected 103,961 votes in five weeks, with voting closing on March 4. While not entirely immune to robo-voting, editors tried to prevent it by allowing just one vote per 24 hours per IP address. Previous winners include Berlin, Maryland; Lititz, Pennsylvania; Hammondsport, New York, and Beaufort, North Carolina (a tie in 2012); Lewisburg, West Virginia; Ely, Minnesota; and Owego, New York. Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America 2015 . 1. Grand Marais, Minnesota (population: 1,351) 2. Chincoteague, Virginia (population: 2,941) 3. Hillsborough, North Carolina (population: 6,087) 4. Allegan, Michigan (population: 4,998) 5. Washington, North Carolina (population: 9,744) 6. Delhi, New York (population: 3,087) 7. Fort Myers Beach, Florida (population: 6,277) 8. Huron, Ohio (population: 7,149) 9. Snohomish, Washington (population: 9,098) 10. Old Orchard Beach, Maine (population: 8,624)

Summary: A small Minnesota town takes the top "coolest small town" award . Gorgeous scenery, an energetic vibe and a vibrant arts scene are key .


(CNN)Two Chinese men have been jailed for selling military intelligence, including hundreds of photos of China's first aircraft carrier, to foreign spies, state media reported. According to the Dalian Daily, the two men, surnamed Han and Zhang, were sentenced to eight and six years in prison respectively earlier this year. The report said that Han, 30, was approached by a person claiming to be a journalist via the instant messaging app WeChat. The "reporter" assigned Han to work in a military base, taking photos of "sensitive areas" of a major military project with his phone in the name of news gathering. Last summer, he traveled to Beijing and Liaoning, in China's northeast, to take photos, including images of exhibits at a national defense technology promotion show. He later passed recordings and photos to his "employer," the report said. "Although the enemies' tricks are cunning, they are totally preventable," the paper said. When contacted by CNN, Dalian's Public Security Bureau confirmed the media report was correct but declined to give further details. The other man, Zhang, 23, had sent more than 500 pictures of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, named after the province where it was refitted, to a person who claimed to be an editor with a foreign magazine before being detained last August. Two months earlier, Zhang had quit his original job for this better-paid side job, the paper said. The paper published photographs of their "spying equipment" -- iPhones, computers and cables. Some Internet users questioned whether it was really espionage to take photos of China's aircraft carrier -- even former U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited the vessel in 2014. "I have photos of the aircraft carrier, too," one person with the handle @gablio posted on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter. "When I flew from Dalian to Beijing two years ago, I saw the vessel clearly on the plane. Countless people have photographed it."

Summary: Two Chinese men have been jailed for selling military intelligence . Material includes hundreds of photos of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning . They were jailed for six to eight years .


(CNN)As the world awaits a possible nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran, let us not forget: This is the second time in two years that President Barack Obama has pursued a nonproliferation deal with an unreformed regime in the Middle East. In doing so, he has ignored the regimes' fundamental nature and the catastrophic costs these efforts have inflicted upon regional stability and U.S. national security. This month brought familiar news: more chemical weapons attacks allegedly by dictator Bashar al-Assad against his fellow Syrians. Just in June, the administration declared the success of its deal to remove al-Assad's chemical weapons, which had been prompted by his August 2013 sarin attacks on Syrian civilians and the threat of U.S. airstrikes in response. The deal did yield an important victory -- the removal and destruction of more than 1,200 metric tons of al-Assad's chemical weapons arsenal, which he can no longer use to threaten Syrians and Israel or fall into terrorist hands. However, with his actions as evidence, it was a deal that al-Assad likely knew he could manipulate. Even while the deal was underway, al-Assad continued to attack Syrian civilians and the opposition with weaponized chlorine bombs, exploiting a loophole in the agreement. The deal was also fundamentally flawed in that it relied upon al-Assad to declare his stockpile voluntarily without sufficient third-party verification. Just weeks after claiming success, the administration quietly acknowledged that al-Assad had secretly retained some of his most lethal chemical weapons. Al-Assad has also failed to destroy some of his chemical weapons facilities, as the agreement required. The deal made al-Assad a partner of sorts to the administration despite the grisly, mass atrocities he continued to commit. During implementation, the administration limited its support to the moderate opposition and did little else to pressure the regime to restrain its attacks on civilians or to allow a political transition. About 50,000 more Syrians were killed in the conflict during these months -- mostly at the hands of the regime -- and the displacement of millions of Syrians throughout the region continued. Meanwhile, ISIS further exploited the civil war, expanding into security voids. There are several troubling parallels between the administration's deal with al-Assad and the one it is now pursuing with Tehran. Both represent deep cynicism or a fundamentally naïve understanding of the regimes with which we are negotiating. In both cases, the administration has tried to reach common ground with the world's foremost sponsors of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and al Qaeda -- which these regimes have funded, trained or sheltered. All of this was true before the administration started these negotiations, and it remains true today. Neither Tehran nor al-Assad has changed ways and chosen normalization with the international community. To the contrary, external factors forced them into situations in which they had to cooperate at least ostensibly on isolated issues -- al-Assad on chemical weapons due to threatened airstrikes and Tehran on its nuclear program due to crippling sanctions. Both have only reluctantly engaged and have taken steps to delay, obstruct and circumvent

Summary: Cathy McMorris Rodgers: Obama administration let Syria get away with continued chemical weapons capability . She says the Iran nuclear talks have the U.S. heading down the same dangerous road .


(CNN)Organized labor is up in arms about President Barack Obama's effort to obtain fast-track authority to finalize a free trade agreement in the Asia Pacific that involves 11 nations. The agreement, union leaders argue, threatens to take even more jobs away from Americans. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sent a clear message to members of Congress, warning, "There is such a dramatic impact on the standard of living and lowering of wages and a loss of jobs -- this will have a major impact, and then we will not forget this vote for a long time." The AFL-CIO announced that it would withhold donations to political action committees until this controversy cleared up. The tension between organized labor and Obama is not new. The struggles have been going on since 2009 when the President allowed the Employee Free Choice Act to wither in Congress. The act would require that a union be deemed as legitimate when it had the support of a majority of employees and imposed tough penalties on employers who tried to punish workers from forming unions. The President avoided making any strong appeals for the bill, though it was greatly desired by labor organizations as a way to increase membership. When Democrats chose Charlotte, North Carolina, for their 2012 political convention -- a city not friendly to labor -- unions were livid. "There is broad frustration with the party and all elected officials," one labor leader said, "broad frustration with the lack of a union agenda." Even though unions were crucial to administration victories such as the Affordable Care Act, President Obama has often been extremely tepid when it comes to the rights of unions. Organized labor has not been that surprised. The truth is that unions have been on the defense against Democratic presidents for decades. In the 1970s, President Jimmy Carter treated unions like one more special interest in Washington that needed to be brought down while President Bill Clinton demonstrated lukewarm support to these organizations as he aggressively pursued global free trade policies that labor opposed. "It will cost jobs," warned Michigan Democrat David Bonior said of the North American Free Trade Agreement that Clinton endorsed. "It will drive down our standard of living. If we don't stand up for the working people in this country, who is going to?" In the past few decades, many Democratic politicians no longer believed that organized labor was a major player within their party, as they had been during the creation of the New Deal and Great Society. As organized labor became a smaller part of the American workforce, Democratic politicians were not as determined to court their vote. A larger number of Democrats since the 1970s have been elected by upper middle class suburban constituencies in which unions are not a big presence. These voters have been more concerned in a style of liberalism that revolves around quality of life issues, such as environmental regulation, than they are with middle class jobs. Many Democrats leaders embraced a vision of economic policy that centered on deregulation and free markets. New

Summary: President Obama wants to obtain fast-track authority to finalize a free trade agreement in the Asia Pacific . Julian Zelizer: Organized labor is right to worry that this would take away more jobs from Americans .