(CNN)For superhero fans, the cup runneth over. Most of us know the members of the Avengers by now: Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and the rest, and the fact that a few more like Quicksilver are joining the cast in the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" sequel. But there was one character who remained a mystery: the Vision, to be played by Paul Bettany. Thus far, we've only seen his eyes in a trailer. With less than a month to go before the movie hits theaters, Marvel Studios put all the speculation to rest with a poster featuring Bettany as the heroic android, who was a member of the superhero group for many years in the comics. Meanwhile, as many Marvel fans know, Thursday was the eve of the new Netflix series "Daredevil," and after a photoshopped first look at Charlie Cox's iconic red Daredevil suit went out, Marvel put out a video of the real one. Not to be outdone, director Bryan Singer announced a new character for next year's sequel "X-Men: Apocalypse," by telling Empire magazine that Ben Hardy would be playing the role of the winged mutant Angel. He even had a photo to share. And Thursday's new super images weren't quite done, because the questions over how Jamie Bell's rocky character The Thing in the rebooted "Fantastic Four" movie (out August 7) might look were also finally answered. And he looks ... pretty much like The Thing we already knew (but reportedly, CGI this time). Within 24 hours, we got yet another indication that the superhero trend isn't going anywhere anytime soon (and we didn't even talk about the new photo of Ryan Reynolds' "Deadpool").

Summary: Marvel Studios releases first looks at Paul Bettany as the Vision in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and Charlie Cox in full "Daredevil" costume . Jamie Bell's character of The Thing was also unveiled for 20th Century Fox's Marvel-based reboot of "Fantastic Four" Bryan Singer unveiled the first look at "X-Men: Apocalypse" Angel played by Ben Hardy .


(CNN)Desperate migrants from Africa and the Middle East keep heading to Europe, with 978 rescued Friday in the Mediterranean Sea, the Italian Coast Guard said Saturday via Twitter. The migrants were picked up 30 miles off the coast of Libya, said European Parliament member Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy's far-right Northern League. In the first three months of 2015, Italy registered more than 10,000 migrants arriving, the International Organization for Migration said, and about 2,000 were rescued at sea during the first weekend of April in the Channel of Sicily. Most migrants recorded this year come from countries in West Africa as well as Somalia and Syria, the IMO said. They use Libya as a country of transit. At least 480 migrants have died while crossing the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, often because of bad weather and overcrowded vessels used by smugglers, the IMO said. Sometimes the captains and crews abandon the ships, leaving passengers to fend for themselves. At this time last year, there were fewer than 50 deaths reported, the IMO said. Most of the migrants are asylum seekers, victims of trafficking or violence, unaccompanied children and pregnant women.

Summary: The migrants were picked up 30 miles off the coast of Libya, an Italian leader says . At least 480 migrants have died while crossing the Mediterranean this year .


(The Hollywood Reporter)The author of a 2006 novel has accused the "Avengers" director and "Cabin" director Drew Goddard of stealing his idea. With just weeks until his box-office victory lap for "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Joss Whedon is now facing a lawsuit accusing him of stealing the idea for the 2012 meta-horror movie The Cabin in the Woods. Whedon produced and co-wrote the script for Cabin with director Drew Goddard, a writer on Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and a fanboy favorite in his own right, with credits that include Netflix's "Daredevil" (and reportedly may soon include Sony's upcoming Spider-Man projects). Whedon and Goddard are named as defendants, along with Lionsgate and Whedon's Mutant Enemy production company, in the complaint filed Monday in California federal court. Joss Whedon Slams 'Jurassic World' Clip as "'70s-Era Sexist" In the complaint, Peter Gallagher (no, not that Peter Gallagher) claims Whedon and Goddard took the idea for "The Cabin in the Woods" from his 2006 novel "The Little White Trip: A Night In the Pines." He's suing for copyright infringement and wants $10 million in damages. Gallagher is basing his claim on the works' similar premises: Both feature a group of young people terrorized by monsters while staying at a cabin in what is revealed to be (spoiler alert) a horror-film scenario designed by mysterious operators. Read the full complaint. Gallagher also alleges similarities between the characters' names and personalities -- his book's blond Julie and shy Dura and the film's Jules (Anna Hutchison) and Dana (Kristen Connolly), and handsome and scatterbrained men in both works -- and certain scenes involving the characters finding strange items in their respective cabins and discovering hidden cameras. 'Age of Ultron': Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch Are "Massively Important," Says Joss Whedon (Video) In the complaint, Gallagher describes how he self-published the novel and "began grassroots efforts" to sell it on the Venice Beach boardwalk and on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. "[The defendants] currently reside and operate out of Santa Monica, California, a short distance from where the Book was sold," the lawsuit claims. Gallagher alleges that he "was contacted by multiple credited entertainment industry producers who expressed interest in the Book," but he doesn't specify Lionsgate or Mutant Enemy. A Lionsgate spokesman declined to comment. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to representatives for Whedon and Goddard. ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.

Summary: An author says "Avengers" director Joss Whedon and "Cabin" director Drew Goddard stole his idea . Peter Gallagher alleges similarities to his "The Little White Trip: A Night In the Pines" from 2006 .


Stornaway, Scotland (CNN)Huge military exercises are underway off and around Britain's coast, but NATO insists they are not a deliberate response to the Russian military's increasingly brazen behavior. The British-led war games are code named Joint Warrior and the numbers are all big: 13,000 personnel from 14 countries operating more than 50 ships and submarines as well as 70 aircraft. NATO says the planning started long before Russia began behaving as an adversary. For more than a year NATO has been condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine as well as its frequent, large scale, snap military drills and those long-range Bear bombers repeatedly flying very close to NATO airspace. So, if Joint Warrior is not a deliberate response, it's certainly a timely one. CNN was invited to spend a day aboard one of the vessels taking part -- the U.S. Navy's guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg. It's the current flag ship of a standing NATO maritime group. Commanding officer Rear Adm. Brad Williamson says Russia's behavior is an added motivation to do well in these exercises. "Anytime you have a security situation that reminds us it's not just a game we're doing out here, that there are real world implications to our ability to provide security to alliance members, I think that focuses our minds on what we're doing," Williamson says. Other personnel on the Vicksburg tell us competition between different nations and even individual ships and subs is also a big motivator. The details of these war games are top secret. But they're broken into two parts: The set training exercises that involve vessels or groups completing specific jobs and what they call "free play". That's where everyone's divided into two teams with different orders and motivations manipulated by the game masters. Tensions rise and it's likely pretend war follows. Easy to see how things get competitive. Russia has taken an interest. It used its right under what's known as the Vienna document to send its own inspectors. NATO says they only stayed a few days and didn't see anything sensitive.

Summary: NATO is holding huge war games exercises off the coast of Scotland . Alliance says planning started long before Russia renewed its status as the alliance's chief adversary . But commanding officer says Russia's behavior is an added motivation to do well in these exercises .


(CNN)Hockey player Jarret Stoll of the L.A. Kings was arrested Friday at the swimming pool of a Las Vegas resort on a drug-possession charge, CNN affiliate KSNV reported, citing a police spokesman. Stoll, 32, was charged with possession of controlled substances, including cocaine and ecstasy, according to KSNV. He was released from the Clark County Detention Center late Friday on $5,000 bail. The Kings said in a statement, "We are aware of police reports out of Clark County, Nevada regarding Jarret Stoll. Our organization is concerned and has begun conducting a thorough internal investigation. While we continue to actively gather facts, we are withholding further comment at this time." The Canadian player is a center and has been with the Kings since 2008. The Kings, who won the Stanley Cup two of the past three seasons, did not make the NHL playoffs this season. He is reportedly involved with TV personality Erin Andrews, who is a Fox Sports reporter and co-hosts "Dancing with the Stars." CNN contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to confirm details on Stoll's arrest, but according to the dispatcher no information was available until the beginning of the week.

Summary: Stoll is a center who has played for the Kings since 2008 . He is reportedly involved with sportscaster and "Dancing with the Stars" host Erin Andrews .


(CNN)Would you want a TV program about your family history to include details of a distant, long-deceased relative who had owned slaves? Seriously, who in their right mind would want to be tarnished by the sins of an ancestor you had no connection to other than a remote bloodline? I wouldn't, and neither did Ben Affleck, who lobbied producers of a PBS show, "Finding Your Roots," to remove any reference to his great-great-great grandfather Benjamin Cole, a Georgia slave owner in the mid-1800's, in an episode that looked at Affleck's family history. (Affleck revealed Cole's name Wednesday night.) Here's the thing that might surprise many, given the tendency of the media to exploit any potentially scandalous material: The show's producer, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., apparently acquiesced to Affleck's request, because when the episode aired in October 2014, there was no mention of the star's slave-owning ancestor. Affleck's attempt to alter the content of the program only publicly became known a few days ago after WikiLeaks released hacked emails revealing an exchange between Gates and Sony Pictures chief Michael Lynton. When Gates asked how he should respond to Affleck's request to delete the material, Lynton responded, "all things being equal, I would definitely take it out." And on Tuesday, Affleck, via Facebook, admitted that he had urged Gates to excise any reference to his slave-owning relative. Affleck explained, "I didn't want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves. I was embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth." Now Gates has publicly denied that he made his decision about the content of the program based on Affleck's request, but it seems likely that he did. After all, Affleck noted as much in his Facebook post, writing that Gates "agreed with me on the slave owner but made other choices I disagreed with." And three other celebrities profiled on the series last season were shown to have been related to slave owners. So it's unlikely that it was simply happenstance that it left out any reference to Affleck's familial slave ownership connection. In any event, PBS has launched an internal review to determine if the show violated its own editorial standards. Whatever the results of the review, Affleck and Gates did the right thing. Let's be clear: "Finding Your Roots" is not an investigative news show; it's an entertainment program. In fact, as Affleck noted, much of the material is provided directly by the celebrity being profiled. It's not "60 Minutes" but more in the nature of a sophisticated profile of celebrities, using their marquee names to attract viewers. There's not even a hint that Affleck strong-armed the producers or made any type of threats against them if they included the information. In the emails between Gates and Lynton, which they presumably believed at the time were confidential and would remain so, there was no mention of undue pressure by Affleck. Instead, Gates simply noted that Affleck "asked us to edit out something." After the emails were revealed, Gates issued a statement, saying,

Summary: Ben Affleck admits he asked PBS show "Finding Your Roots" to avoid mentioning his slave-owning ancestor . Dean Obeidallah says the actor and the show were right to leave the detail out .


(CNN)Eighteen-month-old twins drowned after their mother tried to fend off a bee and let go of their stroller, which rolled into a canal, Arizona police said. Alexis Keslar was walking with her twin sons, Silas and Eli Keslar, along a canal Friday when she tried to repel a bee, police in Yuma said. "The stroller rolled away from her into the canal, with the boys belted in the seat," police said Monday. Keslar went into the canal and tried to rescue her sons, authorities said, but was hampered by the steep sides of the canal, the depth of the water and the force of the current. The current washed the stroller away. After Keslar got out of the canal, she called for help, police said. The irrigation district that manages the canal slowed the flow of water and reduced the water level to help emergency workers find the boys, authorities said. After more than an hour of searching, the toddlers were found and flown to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. "No parent should ever have to lose a child, you know, let alone both of them at the same time," family friend Marlene Gleim told CNN affiliate KYMA. "That's what really, really is heartbreaking to me, because those little boys were, you know, meant so much to so many people." Authorities say the paths along Yuma canals are popular for joggers and bicyclists, but can be dangerous. "Many people typically do not comprehend how swift the current in these canals are and how deep the water can be," Yuma police said. "They also do not realize how difficult it is to climb back up many of the canal embankments."

Summary: Silas and Eli Keslar, both 18 months old, drowned in an Arizona canal . Their mother was trying to fend of a bee when the stroller rolled away, police say .


(CNN)The stark video of a South Carolina officer gunning down an apparently unarmed black man as he ran away with his back to police has prompted an equally fast-moving reaction by officials and the public alike. The video is being dissected frame by frame by authorities and media outlets, all in an effort to reconstruct what exactly happened between North Charleston police Officer Michael Slager, a five-year employee of that force, and Walter Scott, 50. Slager, 33, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder after firing eight shots at Scott, killing him. Slager is also now "terminated" from the force, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said Wednesday. Added police Chief Eddie Driggers on Wednesday: "I watched the video, and I was sickened by what I saw and I have not watched it since." Both Scott and Slager had once served in the U.S. Coast Guard, with Scott's service occurring 1984-86 and Slager's 2003-09. Scott was a father of four. Slager is a father to two stepchildren, and his wife is eight months' pregnant. Here's what we know of the fatal shooting: . Slager pulled Scott over at 9:33 a.m. Saturday for a broken taillight, according to authorities. Chief Driggers described the incident as "traffic stop of an individual who had a minor infraction on his vehicle, a brake light being out." A foot chase then occurred, a police report said. The video, taken by a passer-by, doesn't show any vehicle. Rather, Slager and Scott are on a path or roadway in a parklike setting bordered partly by a chain-link fence. The video was shot over and through the fence. "The officer said that Walter ran from the vehicle during the traffic stop," Scott family attorney L. Chris Stewart said. According to the police report, Scott did not comply with the officer's demands. Scott's brother, Anthony Scott, said his brother had trouble with child support and had an outstanding warrant against him, but that his sibling wasn't prone to violence. "That very well could have been the reason (for running from police), not to be arrested for the warrant that was on him for child support," Anthony Scott said. The video begins by showing a second or two of an apparent struggle between the officer and suspect. The officer contended he used a Taser stun gun on Scott and that Scott tried to take that weapon, authorities said. But when Anthony Scott saw the video, he was convinced the officer lied, he told CNN. "There was not a struggle for the Taser," Anthony Scott said. "I didn't believe my brother would have done that anyway." The video shows Walter Scott running away, with his back to the officer. As he does so, two objects fall. One falls behind the officer. And the other falls between the two men. To Anthony Scott, the videotape shows his brother was "running for his life" away from the officer to escape more of the Taser. "I think my brother was thinking he was not going to be shot. No one would have thought that," Scott said. As Walter

Summary: Victim's brother says he felt "anger and happy at the same time" upon seeing video . Officer Michael Slager pulls over Scott at 9:33 a.m. Saturday . Video shows the officer firing eight times as Scott runs away, with his back to police .


Tokyo (CNN)With the world watching, in his historic address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, the first ever by a Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe surprised nobody by missing a great opportunity to dispel worries and tensions he raises with his revisionist views on history. During this 70th year anniversary of the end of World War II, Abe has been disappointing on Japan's wartime history because he has been evasive and ambiguous about embracing responsibility for Japan's wartime actions in Asia where the bitter legacies remain divisive. And this "Abenesia" is harmful to Japan's international image, riles China and South Korea and thereby undermines the bilateral security agenda. Washington deliberately set the bar on history very low for Abe because the Obama administration is more focused on the shared perception with Tokyo that contemporary China is a threat requiring a collective response. Strengthening the alliance with Japan and sealing the deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trumps past misdeeds. Forty years after the fall of Saigon, and in the wake of Iraq and Afghanistan, America is in no position to lecture other nations about the horrors they inflicted and an inadequate reckoning for such misdeeds. President Barack Obama pulled out all the stops to give Abe a red carpet welcome because he has delivered more on fulfilling Washington's longstanding security demands than all of his predecessors combined. But the newly expanded security role embraced by Japan enjoys little support among Japanese. As a recent Pew Poll indicates, only 23% are in favor while 68% are opposed. It is also problematic that Abe's stance on history is a factor in hindering trilateral security cooperation with South Korea, something the U.S. sees as essential. Carefully tailoring his remarks to his audience, Abe hit the right notes in many respects, and even inched forward on history. He did express "eternal condolences" about the loss of American lives in World War II, and noted, "Enemies that had fought each other so fiercely have become friends bonded in spirit." That is welcome news, but Japan has been less successful in achieving rapprochement with other enemies, precisely because it has not taken the measure of the shared past. Many nations play fast and loose with their unpleasant histories, but Abe is mounting a significant retreat from Japan's repentant views expressed and embraced since the mid-1990s, and actively promotes a valorizing and exonerating history under the banner of patriotic education. He is putting his personal agenda on history ahead of the national interest and therefore not meeting the test of statesmanship. Of course there is nothing that Abe could say that would satisfy China or South Korea, two nations that suffered longest and most from Japanese depredations from the late 19th century. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't try a bit harder. What Abe said is, "Post war, we started out on our path bearing in mind feelings of deep remorse over the war. Our actions brought suffering to the peoples in Asian countries. We must not avert our eyes from that. I will uphold the views expressed

Summary: Abe did express "eternal condolences" about the loss of American lives in World War II . But he has been evasive and ambiguous about embracing responsibility for Japan's wartime actions . Kingston: He is putting his personal agenda on history ahead of the national interest .


(CNN)A gunman walked into a building on the campus of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on Monday and shot the school's print shop operator, killing him, authorities said. The school was placed on lockdown, and the gunman remains at large. All buildings have been cleared, Maj. Tom Effler of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said. "This is not a random situation. It is an isolated situation," he said. The victim, Ron Lane, was a longtime employee. The suspected gunman, identified by law enforcement as 20-year-old Kenneth Morgan Stancil III, worked at one time for the victim and is a former student at the school. The Goldsboro Police Department described Stancil as "armed and dangerous." "This is indeed a sad day for Wayne Community College and this close family and community," school President Kay Albertson said. "Our hearts are heavy at the loss of an employee -- a valued employee -- and we will soon be reaching out to the family." She praised the "rapid response from the city, the county, the state and the federal first responders," who are "working diligently to apprehend the suspect." The shooting took place on the third floor of a campus building. Despite earlier reports, the victim was not killed inside the library, Albertson said. While authorities were clearing out rooms, they deployed tear gas into a restroom someone was in, Effler said. The person inside turned out not to be the suspect. Figures from fall 2013 show the two-year school with a student population of 3,837, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, with slightly more than half the students part-time. Crime statistics from the center's website show no killings, assaults, robberies or motor vehicle thefts between 2011 and 2013. There were three arrests for illegal weapons possession in 2012 and three in 2013.

Summary: School print shop operator Ron Lane was killed, college president says . The man believed to be the gunman is identified as former student Kenneth Stancil . The two knew each other, authorities say .


(CNN)A prosecutor has dismissed allegations that Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner tried to cover up Iran's involvement in a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires. The move by prosecutor Javier de Luca to drop the case could mean a definitive end to the accusations that have roiled the nation, according to Argentina's state-run Telam news agency. The case became of high interest globally after the original prosecutor who brought the allegations was found dead in January. Alberto Nisman was found dead days after making the accusations. His death sparked outrage and conspiracy theories aplenty. Nisman alleged that Argentina's government agreed not to go after Iranian suspects in the bombing in exchange for a favorable trade deal. The 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in the Argentine capital is the deadliest terror attack in the country's history. Eighty-five people were killed, and hundreds were injured. A second prosecutor took the reins after Nisman's death and took the case to court in February. A judge dismissed the case, saying that Nisman's allegations did not hold up. Following that, the case went to prosecutor de Luca for a possible appeal. On Monday, de Luca announced that in his investigation he found that "there was no crime here, either carried out or attempted," according to Telam.

Summary: The prosecutor looking at allegations against Argentina's President says no crime committed . The original prosecutor who brought the case was found dead in January .


(CNN)A French-language global television network regained control of one of its 11 channels Thursday after a cyberattack a day earlier crippled its broadcasts and social media accounts. Television network TV5Monde was gradually regaining control of its channels and social media outlets after suffering what the network's director called an "extremely powerful cyberattack." In addition to its 11 channels, TV5Monde lost control of its social media outlets and its websites, director Yves Bigot said in a video message posted later on Facebook. On a mobile site, which was still active, the network said it was "hacked by an Islamist group." ISIS logos and markings appeared on TV5Monde social media accounts. But there was no immediate claim of responsibility by ISIS or any other group. As day broke Thursday in Europe, the network had regained the use of one of its 11 channels and its Facebook page, Paul Germain, the chain's editor in chief, told BFMTV, a CNN affiliate in France. However, by late morning, a number of pages on the network's website had messages saying they were under maintenance. The outage began around 8:45 p.m. Paris time (2:45 p.m. ET) on Wednesday. TV5Monde offers round-the-clock entertainment and news programming that reaches 260 million homes worldwide, according to the Ministry of Culture and Communications. It functions under a partnership among the governments of France, Canada and Switzerland, as well as the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Other networks that provide content to TV5Monde include CNN affiliates France 2 and France 3, France 24 and Radio France International.

Summary: Network regains control of Facebook page and one of its 11 channels . ISIS logos displayed but no claim of responsibility made by any group . Network reaches 260 million homes worldwide .


Tikrit, Iraq (CNN)Mass graves believed to hold Iraqi soldiers have been discovered in newly liberated Tikrit. Up to 1,700 bodies may be recovered. ISIS claimed to have executed that many soldiers captured in June outside Camp Speicher, a fortified Iraqi base near Tikrit. A total of 47 bodies have been exhumed from two of the 11 mass graves discovered in Tikrit, an Iraqi government official said Tuesday. Hundreds are believed to have been executed by ISIS in June 2014 . Grieving Iraqis, apparently not related to the soldiers, gathered to pray over the bodies. When the first three bodies were found, 10 Iraqi soldiers saluted the dead by firing seven shots into the air. The national anthem was played while soldiers wept. All the bodies were decomposed. Some had their hands bound, Damon said. The remains will be sent back to Baghdad for DNA tests to establish identify, said Ali Tahir, a director in the Iraqi morgue who was supervising the digging and extraction. Damon said there may be eight mass graves inside the presidential palace complex, which contains the residences of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, and two other sites outside the city. The presidential palaces complex became ISIS headquarters after the militants occupied the city. Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militias retook Tikrit a few days ago after a fierce battle. Damon interviewed a soldier who said he survived the massacre by playing dead. The solider said ISIS captured the troops outside Camp Speicher and marched them to the presidential palace complex, telling them they would be safe until a prisoner swap was arranged. Once inside the compound, the soldiers were separated into smaller groups, executed and buried in mass graves, the survivor told Damon. He said he was tossed into a river and floated to an embankment. On Monday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said revenge is not the way to deal with the discovery of the bodies. He said several people involved in the killings have been detained. Families of the missing soldiers had been demanding answers from the Iraqi government about what happened. As ISIS swept through northern Iraq in June, some military units were ordered to Camp Speicher. Their families claim the men received orders from their commanders to leave the base and move closer to Baghdad. They left unarmed and in civilian clothes, they say. Military commanders and the Iraqi Defense Ministry denied any such orders being issued and said the men deserted. ISIS released videos that showed what seemed to be an endless line of military recruits marched at gunpoint and later posted images showing cold-blooded mass killings. Damon said Iraqi officials told her it may take weeks or months to exhume all the bodies. Human Rights Watch described the "Speicher Massacre" -- as it has been dubbed in Iraq -- as the "largest reported incident" where "ISIS captured more than 1,000 soldiers fleeing Camp Speicher ... then summarily executed at least 800 of them." Based on satellite imagery and witness testimony, Human Rights Watch last year was able to identity a number of mass grave

Summary: A total of 47 bodies have been exhumed from two mass graves . Iraqis find mass graves inside presidential palace compound in Tikrit . ISIS claimed to have executed 1,700 Iraqi soldiers captured outside Camp Speicher .


(CNN)Shortly after being elected chief prosecutor, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said prosecutors in the hardscrabble town had the "toughest job in America." Mosby, who took over her first elected post in January, now faces what is likely to be the toughest case of her nascent career -- deciding whether criminal charges should be filed against Baltimore police officers in the controversial death of Freddie Gray. Gray, 25, died in police custody from a fatal spinal cord injury, one week after he was arrested. Six officers involved in his arrest have been suspended with pay pending an investigation. Mosby, 35, who comes from a long line of police officers, including her grandfather, four uncles and her mother, assumes a key role in the latest case to draw national attention to the issue of relations between police officers and the communities they are sworn to serve. "My grandfather was one of the first African-American police officers in Massachusetts and one of the things he instilled on us is the importance of public service," Mosby said in a campaign video. Freddie Gray's mysterious death has turned the largely black city near the nation's capital into a tinderbox where mostly peaceful demonstrations on Monday erupted in pockets of looting and rioting in the hours after Gray's funeral. A 10 p.m. citywide curfew was put into effect two days ago, and National Guard troops have joined Baltimore police in an attempt to maintain order. On Thursday, as police handed their investigative files over to the state attorney's officer a day earlier than planned, supporters of the former insurance company lawyer expressed confidence in Mosby's ability to handle the volatile case. "We're enthusiastic about the new prosecutor," said William "Billy" Murphy Jr., a former Baltimore judge who is now the lead attorney for Gray's family. "She comes to the office with a belief in the integrity of these kinds of investigations. We have much more confidence in her than we have in the police because there's never been any level of confidence, nor should there be, in the police investigating themselves." Mosby confirmed in a statement Thursday that she had received the police's investigative report. She said that while police have regularly briefed her office on their findings, her team has been conducting its own independent probe into the April 19 death. 45 CVS workers still getting paid after riots shut down stores . "While we have and will continue to leverage the information received by the department, we are not relying solely on their findings, but rather the facts that we have gathered and verified," Mosby said. "We ask for the public to remain patient and peaceful and to trust the process of the justice system." Mosby is married to Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby, who represents areas of West Baltimore where riots erupted earlier this week. The couple have two young daughters. "She's my wife," Nick Mosby told CNN on Thursday. "She's a strong woman. She was built for this ... I was at church service the other day and they were talking about

Summary: Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby has only been on the job since January . She comes from a long line of police officers . "I think that she will follow where the evidence leads. I do not think she will follow just public opinion," says a supporter .


(CNN)[Breaking news update, posted at 5:22 p.m. ET] . None of the girls rescued from raided Boko Haram camps in Nigeria has been identified thus far as among the missing Chibok girls, a high-ranking Nigerian army official said. The official did not rule out that captives from other Boko Haram camps that were raided might be girls abducted in April 2014 from a school in Chibok. The official said he would have the final word by day's end on Wednesday. [Previous story, posted at 4:52 p.m. ET] . Nigerian troops rescued 200 girls and 93 women Tuesday in the Sambisa Forest, the Nigerian Armed Forces announced on its official Twitter account. The armed forces could not immediately confirm if any of the rescued girls were among the 200 schoolgirls the militant group Boko Haram kidnapped in April 2014 from the village of Chibok. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said the rescued girls and women are still being screened and none has spoken to their families yet. The 2014 mass abduction from Chibok led to an international social media movement, #BringBackOurGirls, to rescue them. Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group, has been kidnapping females for years and has hundreds in their custody. Nigerian troops also captured and destroyed three terrorist camps in the Sambisa Forest, the armed forces said. Chibok and the Sambisa Forest are both in the northeastern part of the country. Olukolade said troops are still combing the forest. In recent weeks, Nigerian troops and vigilantes moved into the Sambisa Forest, a known hideout for Boko Haram. Last Wednesday the troops had to retreat because of explosive devices Boko Haram planted in the forest, according to military sources and a vigilante who was with the troops. On Monday, troops re-entered the forest and on Tuesday afternoon they raided two Boko Haram camps and rescued scores of girls and women. Information about the fate of the kidnapped schoolgirls has been spotty and inconsistent, with some school officials giving conflicting figures for the number of girls who were abducted or escaped their captors. "We have no idea where the Chibok girls are or were," CNN correspondent Christian Purefoy said Tuesday. The name Boko Haram translates to "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa language. The group has said its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south. CNN's Jennifer Z. Deaton contributed to this report. Journalist Aminu Abubakar reported from Hotoro, Kano, Nigeria and CNN's Ralph Ellis wrote from Atlanta.

Summary: Military has not confirmed if any rescued girls came from 2014 Chibok mass abduction . Nigerian troops raided Boko Haram camps in northeastern Nigeria, military says .


(CNN)A top al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader -- who a few years ago was in a U.S. detention facility -- was among five killed in an airstrike in Yemen, the terror group said, showing the organization is vulnerable even as Yemen appears close to civil war. Ibrahim al-Rubaish died Monday night in what AQAP's media wing, Al-Malahem Media, called a "crusader airstrike." The Al-Malahem Media obituary characterized al-Rubaish as a religious scholar and combat commander. A Yemeni Defense Ministry official and two Yemeni national security officials not authorized to speak on record confirmed that al-Rubaish had been killed, but could not specify how he died. Al-Rubaish was once held by the U.S. government at its detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In fact, he was among a number of detainees who sued the administration of then-President George W. Bush to challenge the legality of their confinement in Gitmo. He was eventually released as part of Saudi Arabia's program for rehabilitating jihadist terrorists, a program that U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, characterized as "a failure." In December 2009, Sessions listed al-Rubaish among those on the virtual " 'Who's Who' of al Qaeda terrorists on the Arabian peninsula ... who have either graduated or escaped from the program en route to terrorist acts." The United States has been active in Yemen, working closely with governments there to go after AQAP leaders like al-Rubaish. While it was not immediately clear how he died, drone strikes have killed many other members of the terrorist group. Yemen, however, has been in disarray since Houthi rebels began asserting themselves last year. The Shiite minority group even managed to take over the capital of Sanaa and, in January, force out Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi -- who had been a close U.S. ally in its anti-terror fight. Hadi still claims he is Yemen's legitimate leader, and he is working with a Saudi-led military coalition to target Houthis and supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Meanwhile, Yemen has been awash in violence and chaos -- which in some ways has been good for groups such as AQAP. A prison break earlier this month freed 270 prisoners, including some senior AQAP figures, according to a senior Defense Ministry official, and the United States pulled the last of its special operations forces out of Yemen last month, which some say makes things easier for AQAP. CNN's Anas Hamdan and Merieme Arif contributed to this report.

Summary: AQAP says a "crusader airstrike" killed Ibrahim al-Rubaish . Al-Rubaish was once detained by the United States in Guantanamo .


(CNN)By some estimates, about a third of Americans use some form of alternative medicine, including homeopathic remedies because they find Western medicine inadequate. Creams such as Arnicare for pain relief or liquids such as Sidda Flower Essences for male virility are part of a $2.9 billion business that has seen "explosive growth," according to the FDA. These drugs do not go through the same level of scrutiny as over-the-counter and prescription drugs. But now your over-the-counter homeopathic remedies might soon face stricter scrutiny from the federal government. Products such as the homeopathic cold remedies Coldese and Zicam, among others, came under fire Monday from experts who testified at a Food and Drug Administration hearing Monday. The two-day "listening session," as the FDA calls it, is an opportunity for experts and members of the public to help the FDA decide how it should regulate these products. Critics say the agency is not doing enough. An analysis of hundreds of published studies from the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia found that homeopathic medicine was no more effective than a placebo. There is no evidence that they actually work, the council claimed, and yet it is a multibillion dollar business. Homeopathy is a medical philosophy that essentially believes your body is the best weapon to fight disease. Homeopathic medicine is based on the idea that "like cures like," meaning if something causes a symptom in your body, if you take a diluted form, it will boost your body's ability to fight it. Typically these remedies include a plant or a mineral in a tiny amount. Do homeopathic treatments for ADHD work? People who represent the industry, such as Mark Land, a member of the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists, argue that the current FDA system is a good one and that the products available today are of high quality and label standards are enough. Critics argued otherwise. Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman testified that most people don't entirely know what homeopathy is and "may assume that these products are dietary supplements or are conventional drugs" since they are often sold on the same shelves as traditional drugs. This practice is "innately misleading," said Fugh-Berman, an associate professor in the department of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown. Most consumers, she said, don't know that the FDA doesn't "routinely review these products for identity, purity, potency, quality or stability prior to marketing." Opinion: Alternative healing or quackery? While many people believe the drugs are safe in large part because they are highly diluted, products such as Cold-Eeze, if taken according to the recommendations on the label, would be 10 times the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of zinc for adult females and eight times the recommendation for males, according to Fugh-Berman. Too much zinc can have toxic effects. More than 130 people using another homeopathic medicine with zinc, Zicam, reported to the FDA that they lost their sense of smell. The FDA issued a warning to consumers about it in 2009. There is a misconception that all homeopathic products are "natural" according to the FDA "and therefore

Summary: The FDA may take a more hands-on approach to regulating homeopathic medicine . It does not go through the same approval process as over-the-counter drugs . Some studies suggest homeopathic medicine is no more effective than placebos .


(CNN)Film director David Lynch has confirmed he will no longer direct the revival of "Twin Peaks" -- a cult 1990s television show that was set to return in 2016. The offbeat TV series, created by Lynch and Mark Frost, featured a quirky FBI agent who went to the Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks to investigate the mysterious murder of a high school girl named Laura Palmer. The groundbreaking series is considered one of the most influential shows in television history. Lynch broke the news about his departure in a series of tweets, saying that the show's third season will continue without him. He said he felt the network was not offering enough money to produce the show "the way it needed to be done." Lynch also wrote that he had personally called the actors over the weekend to let them know he would no longer be directing. Showtime Network, which will air the nine-episode comeback, released a statement saying they were "saddened" by Lynch's decision. "We were saddened to read David Lynch's statement today since we believed we were working towards solutions with David and his reps on the few remaining deal points," read the statement. "Showtime also loves the world of Twin Peaks and we continue to hold out hope that we can bring it back in all its glory with both of its extraordinary creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, at its helm." Showtime announced they would produce a third season in October last year. Actor Kyle MacLachlan, who played the coffee-obsessed FBI agent Dale Cooper in the original series, had confirmed he would reprise the lead role for the new season.

Summary: David Lynch says he won't be directing new episodes of Twin Peaks . Showtime "saddened" over decision, which involved a dispute over money .


Beijing (CNN)Chinese police on Monday released five female activists who were detained last month, family and friends of the women tell CNN. Wei Tingting, Wang Man, Zheng Churan, Li Tingting and Wu Rongrong were freed. The women will be under police surveillance for a year and have their movements and activities restricted, attorney Liang Xiaojun said. Police can summon the women for questioning at any time, he added. The five members of China's Women's Rights Action Group were detained in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou a few days before events planned for International Women's Day on March 8. The United States had urged China to free them, and the international community harshly criticized keeping the women in custody. "Each and every one of us has the right to speak out against sexual harassment and the many other injustices that millions of women and girls suffer around the world," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement Friday. "We strongly support the efforts of these activists to make progress on these challenging issues, and we believe that Chinese authorities should also support them, not silence them." "Free the five" became a Twitter hashtag. Wang Qiushi, a lawyer for Wei, said police recommended last week that prosecutors press charges of "assembling a crowd to disturb public order."

Summary: Wei Tingting, Wang Man, Zheng Churan, Li Tingting and Wu Rongrong are free . They will be under police surveillance for a year and have their activities restricted, attorney says . The international community has harshly criticized keeping the women in custody .


(CNN)A sweat-smothered man in a wide-brimmed hat, knee-high leather boots and a khaki uniform machetes his way through lush jungle foliage. As thick tangles of vine fall beneath his blade, he pushes into a clearing, then suddenly staggers back. The fanged mouth of a primordial stone beast gapes toward him. Before him rise the crumbled ruins of an enormous portal of rock, black with age but with a colossal grandeur not yet lost -- a fine example of what archaeologists call a "zoomorphic portal" or, more popularly, a "monster mouth gate." What was once the gateway to an ancient Mayan city, built circa 700 AD and mysteriously abandoned four centuries later, stands before him. He has found the lost city of Lagunita. Now that the planet has been mapped, circumnavigated, measured and tagged in every way imaginable, the age of explorers discovering new worlds seems a quaint memory. But there are still adventurers exploring forgotten corners of the globe, and some find astonishing things. One such explorer, part Indiana Jones, part Magellan, is Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Šprajc. The sprightly Šprajc wears the weathered face of a man who has spent much of his 60 years beneath a hot sun at excavations, or hacking his way through dense jungle. He has been the first to see ancient pyramids, 30 meters high, that he spotted in aerial photographs from his office among the Baroque Mitteleuropean cobbled streets of Ljubljana, Slovenia, some 10,000 kilometers away. But in terms of the thrill of discovery, it doesn't get any better than his encounter with Lagunita's monster portal. What does it feel like to find a lost city? "It's a victory," says Šprajc, "especially when the efforts are long. On several occasions we've had two, three weeks of just cutting through the bush to get to some location, without knowing what we would find. When we get to the site it feels like a big victory, like we've done it. If it had been easy, then other people would have done it already." Since 1996, he and his team have discovered more than 80 ancient Mayan cities in the jungles of Mexico, few of which the modern world had known before. But how can an entire city, which once may have been home to tens of thousands, simply vanish? Šprajc explains that the region in which he has found such riches had gone unexplored because it's so inaccessible: "It's so hard to get there. It's a biosphere, a protected natural area that has never been densely populated since the collapse of the Classical Mayans, for the past thousand years or so." When a primal jungle is allowed to grow rampant for centuries, it can indeed swallow entire cities. But just why so many settlements were simply abandoned, long before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, remains a mystery to which these long lost sites may provide an answer. "Ninety-nine percent of settlements in the central and southern lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula were abandoned in a matter of 200 years. By 1000 AD, practically everything was abandoned. That

Summary: Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Šprajc discovers ancient Mayan cities in the jungles of Mexico . His discoveries could help explain why so many Mayan cities were abandoned before the arrival of the Spaniards .


(CNN)A New York City detective has been suspended after being accused of stealing $3,000 during an illegal cigarettes raid, according to police spokesman Stephen Davis. Surveillance video obtained by CNN affiliate News 12 Brooklyn appears to show Det. Ian Cyrus stashing cash in a bag before leaving the Yemen Deli and Grocery store in Brooklyn last Friday. The detectives had arrested two employees for selling loose cigarettes, according to News 12 Brooklyn. Ali Abdullah, the store's manager, noticed the money was gone from a box, but assumed it was taken by one of his employees. When he checked the cameras he couldn't believe what he saw, he told News 12 Brooklyn. Cyrus, who is under investigation by the internal affairs bureau, could not be reached for comment. His supervisor Sgt. Fritz Glemaud, who was heading the raid, was placed on modified duty, Davis said.

Summary: New York police detective Ian Cyrus has been suspended pending internal investigation . He is accused of stealing $3,000 during an illegal cigarettes raid, police say .


Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN)Gunmen stormed the headquarters of Somalia's education ministry in the country's capital on Tuesday after a suicide car bombing, a two-pronged attack that killed at least 12 people and injured 16 others, officials said. The Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab is responsible for the attack in the center of Mogadishu, group spokesman Abu Musab said. The attack began when two suicide bombers detonated their car at the entrance of the two-story building housing the Ministry of Education, Culture & Higher Education, Somali National Security Ministry spokesman Mohamed Yusuf said. Five gunmen then entered the building, shooting people inside, Yusuf said. Security guards at the building, and, later, Somali special forces battled the gunmen inside, witnesses said. Soldiers from the African Union, who are in Somalia in part to support the government's fight against Al-Shabaab, teamed up with Somali security forces to shoot and kill the five attackers, Yusuf said. The attack killed four Somali soldiers and eight civilians, according to Yusuf. The special forces helped people out of the building while the attack was underway, city police Capt. Mohamud Abdi said. Ali Hassan, a man who was helped from the building, confirmed that a rescue operation was happening inside. Somalia-based Al-Shabaab has battled the country's government for years, aiming to overthrow it and turn the nation into a fundamentalist Islamic state. In recent years, the group also launched terror attacks beyond Somalia's borders, sometimes targeting non-Muslims. What is Al-Shabaab, and what does it want? Earlier this month, Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed Garissa University College in neighboring Kenya, killing 147 people, mostly students. The terrorists separated Christians from Muslims and shot those who couldn't recite verses from the Quran, witnesses said. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab has been blamed for attacks that have killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers. Late last month, Al-Shabaab militants detonated a bomb and sprayed bullets at a Mogadishu hotel, leaving at least 20 people dead in an attack that lasted a number of hours. Among those killed was Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari-Bari, Somalia's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Journalist Omar Nor reported from Mogadishu. CNN's Jason Hanna wrote in Atlanta.

Summary: Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack . A car bomb explodes outside the front gate of the education ministry building in Mogadishu . Assailants storm the building and engage in a gunbattle with guards .


(CNN)An Arizona police chief on Wednesday supported an officer's decision to drive his car into an armed suspect, saying that although the move could have killed the suspect, deadly force was justified. Video of the incident, recorded February 19 by the dashboard cameras of two Marana police cars, shows one of the cars running into a suspect with who had a rifle in the city about a half hour from Tucson. The suspect, 36-year-old Mario Valencia, survived and was hospitalized before being criminally charged. Marana police Chief Terry Rozema was asked Wednesday on CNN's "New Day" whether police were fortunate that Valencia didn't die. "That very well may be ... that it's luck that he is still alive. The fact of the matter remains, though, deadly force was authorized," Rozema said. "So if he ends up dying in that situation, (then) he ends up dying, and that's unfortunate, (but) that's not the desire of everybody," the chief added. The footage has stirred debate about what type of force police should have used. In one of the dashcam videos, an officer who was tailing a walking Valencia at slow speed reports over the radio that the suspect has fired one round in the air with a rifle he is accused of stealing that morning from a Walmart. Another patrol car zooms past, runs into the man from behind, then hits a short cinder block wall next to a driveway. Video from Officer Michael Rapiejko's camera shows Rapiejko's vehicle running into Valencia, with the windshield smashing as the car hits the wall. Police in Marana justified Rapiejko's actions. "We don't know that if (Rapiejko) lets him go for another 10 seconds, (Valencia) doesn't take somebody out in the parking lot," Rozema said. "And then we're answering some completely different questions: 'Why didn't you act sooner? ... This guy had a gun ... Why didn't you stop this guy before he shot my wife, before he shot my husband, before he shot my child?' " The video has stirred debate about what type of force police should have used to detain the man. Valencia's attorney, Michelle Cohen-Metzger, told CNN on Tuesday that "it is miraculous that my client isn't dead." "Everything in the video seems to point towards an obvious excessive use of force, Cohen-Metzger said. Tucson Police Sgt. Pete Dugan told CNN that Valencia was involved in several incidents there the day he was struck. At 6:45 a.m. on February 19, Valencia allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven in Tucson with a metal object in his hand. Authorities said he was dressed only in his underwear. He was charged with theft. A little more than an hour later, police said, Valencia set a fire at a church for which he was charged with arson of an occupied structure. Just after that he entered a home and stole a car, police said. Authorities said he drove to a Walmart in Marana, where he allegedly stole a .30-30 rifle and ammunition. He fled the store with Walmart employees in pursuit. Police encountered him in a business park walking

Summary: Chief tells CNN that deadly force was warranted . Chief: If suspect ended up shooting people, police would be answering different questions . Incident happened February 19 in town near Tucson, Arizona .


(CNN)I've been in disaster management long enough to know that there is really no one right way to mark the anniversary of a tragic event. As the Boston Marathon runners begin and, hopefully, finish their exhausting run Monday, the lingering memories of the 2013 marathon blasts will be seen and felt in all sorts of ways. More public safety officials throughout the route, a finish line area that prohibits large bags, National Guard members in full uniform giving some sense of security -- those are the most obvious, visible changes. And there are less obvious ones too. With the luxury of some time and healing, the city has moved on. And that is a blessing. In the midst of that weeklong tragedy -- the bombings, the manhunt, the lockdown and eventual capture or killing of the Tsarnaev brothers -- we thought we knew what was going on. But we were too much in the midst of our own situational awareness, the fog of war. Sometimes it takes years to determine what in fact occurred and to write a narrative that reflects a multitude of voices and opinions. That narrative is just forming, and it's worth going back to highlight some of the more strategic lessons that came out of that week. As a former homeland security adviser for Massachusetts, I was intimately involved with the marathon planning; as a commentator for CNN, I saw the story evolve during that week. Some of these lessons learned are informed by the luxury of time and hindsight, others by various after-action reports and assessments, and others by the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, in which a jury found him guilty of multiple counts. On Tuesday, the trial's sentencing phase will begin, determining whether he will receive the death penalty. In national security circles, there is often a debate about whether the U.S. judicial system is well equipped for terrorism trials. Terrorism, the argument goes, is different from traditional crimes, and our system of evidence and cross-examination and the promise of counsel are not appropriate to transnational threats. Even if this argument were valid in some context -- where terrorists were picked up on battlegrounds abroad and evidence against them might be difficult to obtain -- the Boston Marathon trial made clear that the system does work. What was amazing about a trial filled with so much emotion is that it was relatively unemotional. Prosecutors presented evidence. Defense attorneys challenged the witnesses. The defendant chose not to testify. A verdict was rendered. Its simplicity not only vindicated the capacity of our constitutional system to handle these cases, but also took the mythology (maybe even the romanticism) of terrorism out of the case. It rendered Tsarnaev a common criminal. And that was a statement worth making. Recent reports about the shootout in Watertown that Friday night in 2013 show a disorganized and often unnecessarily dangerous response during the manhunt. It is truly remarkable there were not more significant friendly fire casualties beyond the wounding of Massachusetts Transit Police Officer Richard Donohue as more and more police officials came

Summary: Boston Marathon takes place Monday, two years after bombing, and sentencing phase of trial begins Tuesday . Kayyem: It wasn't the Puritan ethic but good disaster response that kept the marathon bombing from being even worse .


(CNN)Build a wall the length of the border with Somalia. Recruit and train up thousands of new security officers. Give them better tactics and equipment. Kenya's politicians and public have struggled with these ideas over and over. But the blood of 147 people slaughtered and 79 more injured, when Al-Shabaab opened fire at a college campus in Garissa on Thursday, has them debating them with renewed vigor. Many Kenyans had believed that security improved enough since Al-Shabaab held Nairobi's Westgate Mall under siege for four days in September 2013, resulting in the deaths of 67 people. Had it not, the massacre at Garissa University College would have been far worse, some say. Two police officers were on duty. But the number of people killed in the attack is plaguing Kenyans with self-doubt. With the highest death toll since the 1998 al Qaeda bombing on the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, many are saying security is still not tight enough. And days after the attack authorities revealed that rapid response forces arrived hours late, allowing the killings to drag on. So what should Kenya do? The answer is elusive. The battle with Al-Shabaab is not a new one, and every attempt at countering them has only helped stall the inevitable -- another attack, more deaths. Here are some of the problems plaguing Kenya's security efforts. The notion of building a wall is somewhat grandiose, since the border runs some 700 kilometers or 435 miles. Even with a wall, militants could arrive by sea to coastal towns in Kenya that have been Islamist strongholds. The border crosses through remote areas, and many Somalis have fled their country south to Kenya. Garissa, for example is populated by mainly ethnic Somalis. The border region has become so violent that many non-Muslims have fled it, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The students at the university, many of them Christians, hailed mostly from other parts of Kenya. But Kenyans also cross north into Somalia, some to fight for Al-Shabaab, then they return home to help whip up fervor with its Kenyan affiliate al Hijra, CFR has said. The security situation may have deteriorated in recent years after Kenya's incursion into Somalia to battle Al-Shabaab there, CNN's David McKenzie said. Kenya wiped out some of the group's key bases there in Operation Linda Nchi, which began in 2011. But it made the group more diffuse -- and more likely to pop up and hit soft targets in Kenya, said terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel. It's also simply very difficult to protect every single target from attacks -- especially in Kenya. "It will be impossible to provide adequate security throughout the country," Gohel said. Kenya will need a lot more help from its neighbors and the international community, including the United States, to contain Al-Shabaab. "Al-Shabaab is not just a local terrorist group, it's a transnational outfit," he said. "It operates throughout a number of countries and recruits even people from the West." McKenzie says Al-Shabaab is trying to maintain its relevance as other terror groups like Boko Haram, ISIS

Summary: Kenya's security has been bogged down by concerns over civil rights . Kenyan Muslims have been targeted in raids and robbed, says Human Rights Watch .


(CNN)The nation's top stories will be unfolding Tuesday in courthouses and political arenas across the country. Massachusetts is hosting two of the highest-profile court trials in recent memory -- those of former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez and Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Both lengthy trials are coming to a close. In Louisville, Kentucky, Sen. Rand Paul made the not-so-surprising announcement that he will run for president, while in Chicago, voters will head to the polls in a very surprising runoff between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challenger Jesus "Chuy" Garcia. And in Ferguson, Missouri, the shadow of Michael Brown and the protests over his shooting by Officer Darren Wilson will loom large over the city's elections. Here's a breakdown of what to expect today and how we got here: . Tsarnaev, who's accused of detonating a bomb at the 2013 Boston Marathon along with his now-deceased brother, faces the stiffest of penalties -- life in prison or the death penalty -- if he's found guilty on any of 17 capital counts against him, including setting off weapons of mass destruction at a public event as an act of terrorism. The 13th juror: What defense? On Monday, survivors and victims' families wept and Tsarnaev fidgeted at a defense table as jurors heard a prosecutor allege that the 21-year-old "brought terrorism into the backyards and main streets." The jury on Tuesday morning began what is expected to be a lengthy deliberation process on 30 total charges, before the so-called penalty phase, should he be found guilty on any counts. It took prosecutors months to present 131 witnesses to support their claim that Hernandez killed semi-pro player Odin Lloyd, yet on Monday, Hernandez's defense team wrapped up its witnesses in less than a day. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, and the jury will begin deliberations soon thereafter. Jurors in Fall River, Massachusetts, will be asked to decide if Hernandez is culpable in the shooting death of Lloyd, whose body was found in a Massachusetts industrial park in the summer of 2013. Much of the evidence against Hernandez is circumstantial, and among the facts the jury will be asked to take into consideration are New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's testimony, the testimony of Hernandez's fiancee, some grainy footage from Hernandez's home security system and a footprint left by a Nike Air Jordan shoe. Hernandez known for swagger, even in court . OK, sure, no one was floored when the Kentucky senator announced his bid for the Oval Office, but of course it was news when he made it official Tuesday. Paul is expected to hit the campaign trail visiting the all-important early voters in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa and Nevada. The physician rode a wave of tea party popularity into the Senate in 2010, where he carefully built a brand of mainstream libertarianism, and he is banking on a coalition of younger voters and traditional Republicans to usher him into the White House. Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz are the only declared candidates for the GOP nomination, though the field will certainly grow

Summary: The trials of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Aaron Hernandez are coming to a close . Voting has put Rahm Emanuel and Ferguson, Missouri, back in the headlines . Rand Paul has announced his bid for the presidency .


(CNN)Al Qaeda has fired a verbal salvo in a multifaction battle over Yemen, saying it's offering 20 kilograms of gold to anyone who kills or captures two prominent Shia Muslim opponents, including the leader of the rebels who overtook Yemen's capital. Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, in a news release and wanted poster distributed online, offers the reward for the death or capture of Houthi leader Abdelmalik Bedrudin Al-Houthi and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Converted to currency, the gold reward would be worth about $774,000. AQAP referred to Al-Houthi and Saleh as the "two heads of evil." AQAP is one of several factions fighting to control Yemen. With Sunni Islamic roots, AQAP is a bitter enemy of the Houthi faction, which is Shia and widely believed to be supported by Iran. Yemen has been descending into chaos in the weeks since Houthi rebels -- minority Shiites who have long complained of being marginalized in the majority Sunni country -- forced Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi from power in January. The Houthis, allied with fighters loyal to Saleh, have since faced resistance from not only AQAP, but also a number of groups including forces loyal to Hadi. Also opposing the Houthis are Saudi Arabia and other predominantly Sunni nations, which last month began airstrikes against the rebels. At least 540 people -- including 311 civilians -- have died as a result of the fighting, the United Nations said Wednesday. A U.N. expert on refugees said other nations should prepare for "massive displacement" of Yemenis seeking safety. "The international community must prepare for a worst case scenario," Chaloka Beyani, a professor of International Law at the London School of Economics, said. "While efforts to reach a diplomatic solution are essential, the picture on the ground is extremely bleak and humanitarian responses must be stepped up as a matter of urgency." About 1,000 people have already fled their homes during the two weeks of conflict.

Summary: The value of the bounty in American dollars is about $774,000 . Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula wants a Houthi leader and a former Yemeni president killed or captured .


(CNN)Civil unions between people of the same sex will soon be recognized in Chile. The country joined several of its South American neighbors in allowing the unions when President Michelle Bachelet enacted a new law on Monday. "This is a concrete step in the drive to end the difference between homosexual and heterosexual couples," Bachelet said. The new law will take effect in six months. It will give legal weight to cohabiting relationships between two people of the same sex and between a man and a woman. The Chilean government estimates that around 2 million people will be able to benefit from the change. The law is intended to end discrimination faced by common-law couples, such as not being allowed to visit partners in hospital, make medical decisions on their behalf or decide what to do with their remains. It also gives the couples greater rights in the realms of property, health care, pensions and inheritance. A number of South American nations have moved to allow same-sex civil unions in recent years. But marriage between people of the same sex is legal only in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

Summary: President Michelle Bachelet signs law that will take effect in six months . Chile joins several other South American nations that allow the unions .


(CNN)Hawaii is poised to become the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to anybody under age 21. The state's legislature on Friday passed a bill raising the minimum legal age -- currently 18 -- to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes. The bill will now go before Gov. David Ige, whose signature would make it law in Hawaii as of January 1, 2016. Forty-six U.S. states permit the sale of tobacco to anyone 18 or older, while Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah require customers to be at least 19. Dozens of cities and towns, including New York, have already raised the minimum legal age for tobacco purchases to 21. "This bold step will reduce smoking among young people, save lives and help make the next generation tobacco-free," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a prepared statement. "Increasing the sale age to 21 will reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults, age groups when nearly all smoking begins and that are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry," he said. It was not clear Monday whether Ige would sign the bill, although on Friday he approved legislation banning the the use of e-cigarettes in all locations where smoking is illegal. A spokeswoman for the governor told CNN in an email that he would need some time to review the bill. The legislation comes after a report last month from the Institute of Medicine that said barring people under age 21 from buying cigarettes would have significant public health benefits. Setting the minimum age at 21 nationwide would result in nearly a quarter-million fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019, the report estimated. Raise the smoking age? Report predicts big health benefits if we do . Teenagers, especially those between 15 and 17, are most vulnerable to addiction at a time when their brains are still developing, said the study, which was conducted at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If the minimum legal age for tobacco use was raised to 21, the prevalence of smokers among today's teens would decline by 12% when they become adults, the report said. Under the Hawaii bill, anyone caught breaking the law would face a $10 fine for the first offense and a $50 fine or community service for a second offense. A 2014 survey of Hawaii voters found that 71% favored raising the legal age to 21.

Summary: Hawaii's legislature passes a bill raising the legal age for buying tobacco to 21 . The bill is now before Gov. David Ige, whose signature would make it law . Most states allow tobacco sales to anyone 18 and older .


(CNN)As the Great Kate Wait of 2015 drags on, giving a whole new meaning to Kate's somewhat unfair noughties nickname, "Waity Katie," bets on the arrival of a new baby a girl continue to be placed at a feverish rate. As of today, 70% of those laying down their hard earned cash are convinced the world is on the verge of welcoming a new princess. I suspect different parties are hoping for a girl for different reasons. Based on the so called "Kate Effect" and subsequent "George Effect," the great British High Street is no doubt salivating at the prospect of record sales should HRH Princess (fill in the blank) of Cambridge be spotted in one of their outfits. As one headline blared this week, "Baby girl could be worth $1.5 billion to the country." Magazine and newspaper editors are well aware of the dramatic rise in sales when a royal baby hits the cover, especially a little girl. And then there's Disney, which will always appreciate princesses in the zeitgeist, but as with all things relating to the monarchy, there is also a far greater historical significance should a baby girl arrive. There have been 34 Kings and only six Queens over the course of the British Monarchy's thousand-year history, and yet some of the nation's most enlightened times have occurred when a Queen has been on the throne. Elizabeth I led the country through the Golden Age, and Victoria and Elizabeth II -- the two longest reigning monarchs -- both made their mark with perhaps the most illustrious and progressive legacies of all. While it is unlikely this child will ever be crowned, as the daughter of the second-in-line to the throne, her role will be significant. Prince Charles has made no secret of his desire to slim down the monarchy, but in looking at his family's immediate bloodline -- William, Harry and George -- it stands to be a heavily male-dominated one. In an institution viewed by some as archaic and out of touch, it is imperative to have a strong female presence. Princess Anne -- Baby Cambridge's great-aunt -- grew up with three brothers, and was once described as, "the greatest King the country never had." She is patron of more than 200 charitable organizations and carries out some 500 public engagements a year. A noted equestrian, she won two silver medals and a gold at the European Eventing Championships, and was the first member of the royal family to compete at the Olympics. More importantly she has supported her mother throughout her reign, flown the flag for Britain and promoted brand Windsor around the world. As the only girl born to Elizabeth and Philip, she has matched and often surpassed the accomplishments of her brothers. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, also true blood princesses, are not "working members" of the royal family and generally only roll out for state and ceremonial occasions. So, yes, it would be nice for the baby to be a girl so that we can all ooh and ah over frilly dresses, fairy wings

Summary: British monarchy's 1,000-year history has seen 34 Kings and just 6 Queens on the throne . Victoria Arbiter argues the royal family needs a baby girl to fill the female void of future generations .


(CNN)The latest outbreak of bird flu -- the worst in the U.S. since the 1980s -- is not a likely threat to humans, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as with any potential threat to human health, they are preparing for the worst just in case. The CDC and the United States Department of Agriculture held a press conference Wednesday to talk about preparations. "The risk to humans is low, our food supply is safe," said Dr. John Clifford, the USDA's Chief Veterinary Officer. "We know how to address disease when we find it." Since mid-December, 16 states have seen bird flu turn up in commercial poultry, backyard chickens, and in flocks of wild and captive wild birds, according to the CDC. That number will likely grow as birds with the disease fly from one state to the next. On Monday, health leaders in Iowa said more than 5 million hens would have to be euthanized after bird flu was detected at a commercial laying facility there. In the United States, some 3.5 million birds had already been euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the USDA. Iowa has about 60 million laying hens, according to the Iowa Egg Council and is the top egg producer in the country. California and Minnesota, two of the country's top 10 egg producing states have also seen cases. The news is bad for the birds, but not for humans. The CDC considers the likelihood of bird to human transmission of the virus "low" according to Dr. Alicia Fry, a medical officer with the CDC national Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, Influenza Division, Epidemiology and Prevention Branch. "That said, human infections have occurred" with another strain of the virus, found in Africa and in Asia, so the CDC cannot rule out the possibility of human infection, Fry said. "We are cautiously optimistic" that it won't spread to humans, but "we are prepared for the possibility," she added. They are studying the current virus and creating candidate vaccines which could be used if one were ever needed. The USDA is also working on a potential vaccine for the birds. These are typical routine public health preparedness measures. The CDC said it is also monitoring at least 100 people who have worked with sick birds. None of the workers have gotten sick themselves. Most of the people who have become infected with the other strains of the virus in Asia and Africa have had direct or prolonged contact with infected birds. The virus does not spread through people eating chickens or eggs. Birds that are sick die quickly, according to Clifford. Incubation period is three to five days generally. With turkeys, they go off their water and their feed when they are sick and become lethargic or have a condition called "torticollis" or "stargazing" he said, and they die shortly after that. Farmers also see a drop in egg production. Commercial growers have taken extra precautions to disinfect vehicle tires and any equipment that comes into contact with the birds. Workers

Summary: The CDC says "the risk to humans is low," but, as always, they are preparing for the worst case . You can't get bird flu from eating poultry or eggs . At least 100 people who worked with the sick birds are being monitored for any sign of sickness . So far 3.5 million birds have been euthanized .


(CNN)An Egyptian court sentenced the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, on Saturday to death by hanging, along with 13 members of his group. The sentences will be appealed. The criminal court sentenced 36 other defendants to life in prison on charges of plotting terrorist attacks against state facilities. They faced charges that include "funding the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in" -- a mass protest in Cairo in August 2013 that was forcibly dispersed by security personnel -- and spreading "false information" to destabilize Egypt. They were arrested in a sweeping crackdown on supporters of former President Mohamed Morsy, the country's first democratically elected president, who was overthrown in 2013 in a military coup that bitterly split Egyptians. One of those sentenced to life in prison was Mohamad Soltan, a 27-year-old U.S.-Egyptian activist. He has been languishing in Cairo's notorious Tora Prison, where he has been on a hunger strike for more than 14 months. The U.S. State Department released a statement condemning Soltan's sentence and calling for his release on humanitarian grounds. The presiding judge for Badie, Soltan and the other defendants was Mohamed Nagy Shehata, who is known for his harsh verdicts. Shehata has sentenced more than 180 people to death and was the original judge in a high-profile case case involving Al Jazeera journalists. Badie had been sentenced to death before on a conviction related to a deadly attack on a police station. He has also been sentenced to life in prison for inciting violence during 2013's unrest. The Egyptian news outlet Al Ahram reported that Badie had been sentenced to death twice before, but an appeals court overturned one verdict, and Egypt's Grand Mufti disapproved of the other. During the summer of unrest, hundreds of people died when the police forcefully cleared camps set up by protesting Morsy supporters and when security forces opened fire on Morsy backers who attacked police stations, government buildings and churches. The government accused the protesters of inciting violence. After the coup, the new government outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsy was arrested, and he too faces trial. Soltan's sister, Hanaa, is anxious about what the future holds for her family. She wrote a letter to her brother expressing her feelings. "Dear Mohamed," the letter read. "I'm often asked why, and how, you've kept up your hunger strike for 14 months now, despite our pleas for you to end it. I've watched your body go from a plump basketball-playing frame to one that has withered down to its bones. "Your face, with its beautiful smile often grinning, now looks permanently in pain. And, all I can do to explain is to tell people that it's the only form of control you have to hold on to -- now more than ever, on the eve of your sentencing." CNN's Don Melvin contributed to this report.

Summary: The death sentences will be appealed . Mohamed Soltan, a 27-year-old U.S.-Egyptian activist on a hunger strike, is sentenced to life in prison . Letter from Soltan's sister: "Your face, with its beautiful smile ... now looks permanently in pain"


(CNN)Tornado sirens blared Wednesday night in Kansas as several storms brought reports of twisters. Spotters reported a tornado about 6 miles northwest of Goddard, which is less than 15 miles west of Wichita. That storm moved to the northeast, missing the city, but posing potential risks to other communities. "There will be storms ... that pop up all night long," said CNN severe weather expert Chad Myers. "Nighttime tornadoes are the most deadly, are the most dangerous." Other reports of tornadoes came in from southwestern Kansas, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Three of the sightings were near Aetna, 125 miles southwest of Wichita. Kansas wasn't the only state affected by the storms. The National Weather Service indicated a tornado may have touched down in the small town of Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles from St. Louis. CNN affiliate KMOV reported that it had received reports of wind damage and flooding in the town. One Instagram user there posted a photo of a fallen tree. Aerial footage also showed damage to roofs and one street overtaken by water. Not far away from Potosi, Shyler and Christin Strube in Leadington posted an Instagram picture of some unusual dark clouds. And a Twitter user in Farmington got bad news when he went out to his car. "They weren't kidding when they said baseball size (hail)," Kevin Knox wrote. On Thursday, more storms are expected in the Midwest, Mississippi River Valley, Tennessee River Valley and near the southern Great Lakes, the weather service said. CNN's Sean Morris and AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.

Summary: Kansas spotters report at least four tornadoes . Potosi, Missouri, sees wind damage to roofs and some flooding . Thursday's forecast calls for more storms but to the east .


(CNN)The public outrage over the "religious freedom" bills recently passed in Arkansas and Indiana caught the governors of those states completely off-guard, judging by their confused and contradictory responses. As poll watchers, they surely knew that most Americans now oppose the discriminatory laws and practices they accepted as normal only a dozen years ago. But the politicians underestimated the pushback organized by local and national businesses, including companies with no previous record of public support for social equality. They had better adjust to a new reality. For the past three decades, socially conservative evangelicals and pro-business interests have been powerfully allied against government regulations, environmental initiatives and social welfare programs, while supporting lower taxes for the wealthy and pushing back against the growing diversity in America's population. For many, this alliance been puzzling: Other, equally devout Christians who place more emphasis on Jesus Christ's message of unconditional love and on his denunciations of excessive wealth and neglect of the poor, have been uncomfortable with it, as have many business leaders. Their priorities, after all, are based on the bottom line. And companies that sell goods and services to the public are learning that support for discrimination -- or even passive acceptance of it -- threatens that bottom line. Hence, after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a law that opened a new door for discrimination against same-sex couples, the threat of boycotts and other retaliation was swift, from groups as diverse as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Indiana Pacers, Walmart, Eli Lilly, Apple and even the Marriott International hotel chain. Marriott International was founded by J.W. Marriott, a dedicated Mormon, and is now run by his son Bill, also a Mormon who fully accepts his church's teachings about traditional marriage. Yet in June, Marriott International launched a "#Love Travels" marketing campaign, aimed at attracting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers with an assurance of "the company's commitment to make everyone feel comfortable about who they are." Asked about the discrepancy between his religious rejection of same-sex marriage and his marketing overtures to same-sex honeymooners, Marriott pointed to the Bible's injunction of unconditional love, but added "beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business." In 2014, global spending by LGBT travelers was estimated at more than $200 billion, and spending by this market segment is rising much faster than overall spending on travel. So Marriott worries when states start to make such travelers feel unwelcome. Businesses seeking to develop brand loyalty among younger consumers have a special incentive to highlight their rejection of anti-gay bias. A CNN poll taken in February found that 72% of millennials nationwide believe that same-sex couples have the right to have their marriages recognized as valid. Even among white evangelical Protestants, 43% of millennials support same-sex marriage, compared with less than 20% of those their grandparents' age, 68 and older. It used to be that businesses could close their eyes to discrimination in areas geographically isolated from the more liberal coasts, but that is no longer possible.

Summary: Stephanie Coontz: Indiana, Arkansas governors caught off guard by outrage, boycotts over anti-LGBT law . She says religious conservatives who discriminate no longer hold sway in a culture comfortable with diversity, including same-sex marriage .


(CNN)"Sopranos" theorists now have a little more to chew on. Show creator David Chase went through the famous final scene for DGA Quarterly and revealed the reasoning behind each shot. What he didn't reveal, however, was whether series protagonist Tony Soprano lives or dies. Chase's details are a master class on how to build tension in a seemingly nondescript situation, however. 'Sopranos' ending? Let it be . For those who don't recall the finale, which aired in June 2007, mobster Tony Soprano is meeting his family for dinner at Holsten's, a real-life diner and ice cream parlor in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He picks a song on the jukebox: Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." As the music plays, he waits in a booth, watching his wife and later his son come through the front door. His daughter is running late. It's a seemingly harmless get-together, one that could have happened any time in Tony's life, but it's fraught with tension, Chase observes. The Journey song "starts to build and build into something"; a bell rings every time someone walks through the door, and Tony looks up each time. And then there's the man in the Members Only jacket who walks in just ahead of A.J., Tony's son. He could be anybody, but given Tony's life, he could a hitman assigned to kill Tony. "The tension is quite high now, but if you think about it, for no real reason," Chase told DGA Quarterly. "Who's in the place? A guy in a jacket, Cub Scouts, a young couple, a trucker in a hat, a couple of black guys in there to buy some candy. There's no real reason for the tension to ratchet up. But it does. And that's what I love, how you make that." There are nods to other films, Chase observed. The way the scene is cut recalls the final bedroom scene of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," with Tony seeing himself at the next spot in time. The Members Only guy going to the bathroom is a nod to the famous scene in "The Godfather" when Michael Corleone shoots Sollozzo and McCluskey. The scene ends, of course, with Tony looking up as Journey's Steve Perry sings "Don't stop --" and then a cut to black. The public reaction caught Chase by surprise. "I thought the ending would be somewhat jarring, sure. But not to the extent it was, and not a subject of such discussion," he said. "The biggest feeling I was going for, honestly, was don't stop believing." Still, if anybody is hoping that Chase reveals whether Tony survives, they'll have to keep digging. The end is deliberately uncertain and existential, Chase said. "Whether this is the end here, or not, it's going to come at some point for the rest of us," he said. "I'm not saying that (he was killed). But obviously he stood more of a chance of getting shot by a rival gang mob than you or I do because he put himself in that situation. "All I know," he added, "is the end is

Summary: David Chase walks through the ending of "The Sopranos" The use of particular shots and "Don't Stop Believin' " build tension . Chase still doesn't reveal Tony Soprano's fate .


(CNN)Jodi Arias was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the gruesome 2008 murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. Maricopa County Judge Sherry Stephens could have sentenced Arias to life with the possibility of early release after 25 years, but decided the convicted killer should spend the rest of her life behind bars. Before her sentence was handed down, Arias expressed remorse for her actions. "To this day I can't believe that I was capable of doing something that terrible," Arias said. "I'm truly disgusted and repulsed with myself. I'm horrified because of what I did, and I wish there was some way I could take it back." Earlier, Travis Alexander's sisters gave their victim impact statements. Hillary Alexander said she's trying to block her brother from her life. "I don't want to remember him anymore, because it hurts too much to remember him alive. ... I remember how he was brutally taken from us and I can't handle it. This is what I've had to do so I can cope," she said through tears. Arias, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder in May 2013. The jury that convicted her found the murder was especially cruel, making Arias eligible for the death penalty. However, that same jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether she should live or die. A new jury was empanelled in October 2014 to decide Arias' fate, but they, too, were unable to reach a unanimous decision. Because a second jury was deadlocked in the penalty phase of Arias' case, the death penalty was taken off the table, leaving Arias' sentence up to the judge. Arias will serve her sentence at the Lumley Unit in the Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville near Goodyear, Arizona.

Summary: Jodi Arias is sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole . Arias expressed remorse for her actions .


(CNN)I remember traveling one day in the local train in Mumbai with my mother, my younger sister and brother. The compartment was extremely crowded. As we prepared to disembark, I felt my skirt being lifted and someone groping my private parts. It was terrible. I wanted to scream, but my voice would have drowned in the noise of the crowd. I wanted to push the hands away, but my arms were pinned to my body. I wanted to cry but could only think to myself, "Stop it! Please stop touching me." I was 13 years old. I never told anyone about that day until recently. Twenty-five years later, I continue to hear similar stories of women and girls being harassed on local transportation and other public spaces. The stories can be stomach churning: men masturbating on buses and at bus stops, boys stalking young girls -- both physically and online, men taking pictures of women without permission and uploading them on the Internet. Then there are just the everyday, uncomfortable stares, frequently accompanied by comments with sexual connotations. This isn't all simply anecdotal. A study by We the People found that 80% of women in Mumbai had been street harassed, primarily in crowded areas like trains and railway platforms. Most people, including women, only think of sexual violence as rape and tend to overlook touching, groping and stalking, not to mention the "milder" forms of ogling, leering, catcalling and whistling, even though all of this can be intimidating. Indeed, many women choose to limit their hours outside, select more conservative clothes, or opt for a longer but safer route home. It was only recently that I realized my phobia of trains likely originated with that bad experience I had as a child. I still avoid trains when I can. Most people are silent when inappropriate sexual behavior occurs to women. It was depressing to hear one young college student tell me in a recent sexual harassment workshop I led that "staring and commenting by men is normal and I've learned to ignore it." The reality is that sexual harassment in India is pervasive in all aspects of life. It hits you in the face every day when you walk down the street, take local transport, go about your daily routine or at the workplace. According to U.N. Women's report, 1 in 3 women around the world face some form of sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. This statistic is likely even higher in India. Out of the 2,000 women who have attended workshops I've conducted, only a handful of them have never been at the receiving end of harassment in some setting of their daily lives. Shockingly, less than 10 of them had reported harassment to any official channel. Why are we constantly limiting our options rather than confronting sexual harassment? Over the past two years, I have been working to encourage women to talk about their experiences and realize the tremendous potential power they hold within themselves through acknowledging the problem and being a part of the change to

Summary: Women in India are street harassed, primarily in crowded areas like trains and railway platforms . Elsa Marie D'Silva: It's time we speak up; we cannot accept harassment as part of our daily routine .


(CNN)Seven minutes after an Aurora, Colorado, theatergoer called 911 to report a massacre in progress, suspect James Holmes surrendered to police, a dozen dead bodies allegedly in his wake. On Monday, jurors will thoroughly examine those seven minutes in a trial that experts say could last months. The prosecution has said it will seek the death penalty. Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Jurors will also be asked to consider events that occurred before and after the July 20, 2012, shooting -- namely, evidence that appears to show Holmes planned his attack, even going so far as to buy his movie ticket 12 days before, along with police allegations that officers who arrived to search Holmes' apartment had to navigate booby traps incorporating gasoline and grenades. According to police, Holmes attended the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" at the Century Aurora 16 Multiplex Theater but left through a rear door alongside the movie screen, propping it open behind him. Holmes returned in "head-to-toe protective gear," including a gas mask, about 18 minutes into the movie, police said, and threw two tear gas canisters into the theater before opening fire with an AR-15 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one .40-caliber handgun. The attack killed 12 people and wounded another 70, a level of violence not seen in Colorado since the Columbine High School shooting. Five days later, authorities discovered a package in a University of Colorado-Denver mail room that police say Holmes apparently sent. Colorado authorities had no previous contact with Holmes, outside of a 2011 speeding summons, and he graduated in 2010 from the University of California, Riverside, with highest honors and a bachelor's degree in neuroscience. He enrolled as a doctoral candidate in the University of Colorado School of Medicine's neuroscience program in 2011 but dropped out the following year without providing a reason, according to a university spokeswoman. Holmes faces 165 counts, including murder and attempted murder charges, but there have already been some notable legal battles in the run-up to the actual trial. In March 2013, Holmes offered to plead guilty so he could avoid the death penalty, a deal the district attorney declined. A few months later, a judge ruled that Holmes had to be restrained during the trial, via a hidden harness anchored to the floor. The defense filed an objection, conceding that Holmes exacted the violence but blaming his actions on mental illness. "Mr. Holmes suffers from a severe mental illness and was in the throes of a psychotic episode when he committed the acts that resulted in the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained by movie goers on July 20, 2012," the motion said. Judge Carlos Samour last year ordered Holmes to submit to an additional sanity exam, saying that the previous test, conducted in 2013 at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, was "incomplete and inadequate." Jury selection began in January, and after a four-month process, 12 jurors and alternates, composed of 19 women and five men, were selected.

Summary: James Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2012 theater shooting . His trial begins Monday, and Homes faces 165 counts, including murder and attempted murder .