(CNN)It's been a busy few weeks for multiples. The first set of female quintuplets in the world since 1969 was born in Houston on April 8, and the parents are blogging about their unique experience. Danielle Busby delivered all five girls at the Woman's Hospital of Texas via C-section at 28 weeks and two days, according to CNN affiliate KPRC. Parents Danielle and Adam and big sister Blayke are now a family of eight. The babies are named Ava Lane, Hazel Grace, Olivia Marie, Parker Kate and Riley Paige. "We are so thankful and blessed," said Danielle Busby, who had intrauterine insemination to get pregnant. "I honestly give all the credit to my God. I am so thankful for this wonderful hospital and team of people here. They truly all are amazing." You can learn all about their journey at their blog, "It's a Buzz World." Early news reports said the Busby girls were the first all-female quintuplets born in the U.S. But a user alerted CNN to news clippings that show quintuplet girls were born in 1959 to Charles and Cecilia Hannan in San Antonio. All of the girls died within 24 hours. Like the Busby family, Sharon and Korey Rademacher were hoping for a second child. When they found out what they were having, they decided to keep it a secret from family and friends. That's why they didn't tell their family the gender of baby No. 2 -- or that Sharon was actually expecting not one but two girls, according to CNN affiliate WEAR. And when everyone arrived at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, after Sharon gave birth March 11, they recorded everyone's reactions to meeting twins Mary Ann Grace and Brianna Faith. The video was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday and has been viewed more than 700,000 times. Could you keep it a secret?

Summary: Rare set of female quintuplets was born this month in Houston, Texas . The girls were born via C-section at 28 weeks and two days . Another family kept the news of twins secret until birth .


(CNN)The University of Florida and Emory University are investigating allegations that Zeta Beta Tau fraternity members disrespected wounded war veterans last weekend at Panama City Beach, Florida, by spitting, urinating and pouring beer on them. "They actually spit on me and my service dog as well, and that's just so disrespectful and it hurts. I come and I feel honored and I feel safe and that I belong, but now I feel like I'm defending myself," wounded veteran Nicholas Connole told CNN affiliate WJHG. "People were urinating off the balconies, throwing up in the elevators, making suggestive and sexual comments about veterans with their service dogs and derogatory and suggestive comments about their wives," said Linda Cope, organizer of the Warrior Beach Retreat. Both the University of Florida and the international office of Zeta Beta Tau are investigating, have apologized to the veterans group and the international office suspended activities for the fraternity chapters at the Florida school at at Emory in Atlanta. The fraternity's executive director, Laurence Bolotin said in a statement that three fraternity members from the University of Florida have been expelled from the group. "While the details of their actions are still under investigation, there is no doubt that some of our members engaged in ugly and unacceptable behavior," Bolotin said. "On behalf of our entire organization, I want to apologize to veterans, both those who were in Panama City Beach, and those who have felt the pain from afar, as well as to their families and all who support the Warrior Beach Retreat and had worked to make it a positive and meaningful occasion for attendees." "I am personally offended and disappointed by the behavior that has been described to me," University of Florida Student Affairs Vice President Dave Kratzer said. "This is not representative of our students or of the university." A reporter for CNN affiliate WFOX went to the University of Florida fraternity house on Friday seeking comment from members. Nobody answered her knock on the door or would talk when she approached them in the parking lot. Do fraternities make men behave badly? Emory University issued a statement saying it was appalled to hear of the disrespectful acts but said "no evidence has been found to implicate Emory students in these reported incidents." Cope said the Wounded Warriors stayed at the same resort where the fraternities were having their spring formal. She said the fraternity members had too much to drink the night of April 17. "We had an American flag flying outside and there was urination coming down from the balconies going onto the flag," she said. "One of the drunk kids pulled a veteran American flag out of the ground and [we] made the boy put it back. This all happened Friday afternoon, through the night, into the late morning." She said the veterans and their families did not retaliate. "These men and women acted like the leaders they are of our country," she said. Cope told WJHG she received an apology letter from the University of Florida president and the president

Summary: The executive director of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity apologizes for "ugly and unacceptable behavior" University of Florida and Emory University fraternity members are being investigated . Wounded veterans, fraternity members stayed at the same resort at Panama City Beach, Florida .


(CNN)Just weeks after Marvel's "Daredevil" premiered its first season on Netflix, the company confirmed Tuesday that a second season will be coming in 2016. The show focuses on attorney Matt Murdock (played by Charlie Cox), who was blinded as a child, as he fights injustice by day using the law. By night, he continues the fight, becoming the superhero Daredevil and using his powers to protect the New York neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. It's gotten rave reviews. "With tight adherence to its source material's history, high production quality, and a no-nonsense dramatic flair, Daredevil excels as an effective superhero origin story, a gritty procedural, and an exciting action adventure," says review site Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix's 'Daredevil' has arrived: What's the verdict? A Marvel Television and ABC Studios production, the show also stars Rosario Dawson, Vincent D'Onofrio and Deborah Ann Woll. "Daredevil" is just one of four series that the Disney-owned Marvel has committed to airing on Netflix. Expect to see Avengers characters "Jessica Jones," "Iron Fist" and "Luke Cage" in their own upcoming series, leading into "The Defenders" miniseries programming event.

Summary: The critically acclaimed "Daredevil" will be back for season 2 . Charlie Cox plays a blind attorney by day who is a superhero by night .


(CNN)After years of making the case that the education of athletes is paramount, the NCAA now says it has no legal responsibility to make sure education is actually delivered. On its website, the NCAA prominently states, "It's our commitment -- and our responsibility -- to give young people opportunities to learn, play and succeed." And later, it says that "in the collegiate model of sports, the young men and women competing on the field or court are students first, athletes second." But the NCAA is taking a very different position in response to a lawsuit filed by former University of North Carolina athletes. The lawsuit claimed the students didn't get an education because they were caught up in the largest known academic fraud scandal in NCAA history. In its response, the NCAA says it has no legal responsibility "to ensure the academic integrity of the courses offered to student-athletes at its member institutions." Even with pages of online information about academic standards, and even though the NCAA has established a system of academic eligibility and accountability that it boasts of regularly, NCAA attorneys wrote in this court filing that "the NCAA did not assume a duty to ensure the quality of the education of student-athletes," and "the NCAA does not have 'direct, day-to-day, operational control' " over member institutions like UNC. "It's nonsense. It's double talk," said Gerald Gurney, a former athletic-academic director who is now president of The Drake Group for academic integrity in collegiate sport. "If you look at their basic core principles, it's all about academics, the experience, the integration of academics, and the education of the student is paramount," Gurney said. "They seem to talk out of both sides of their mouths." The NCAA referred calls for comment to an online statement, which read in part: . The NCAA believes that the lawsuit misunderstands the NCAA's role with respect to its member schools and ignores the myriad steps the NCAA has taken to assist student-athletes in being equipped to excel both in the classroom and on the playing field. "This case is troubling for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the law does not and has never required the NCAA to ensure that every student-athlete is actually taking full advantage of the academic and athletic opportunities provided to them," said Donald Remy, NCAA chief legal officer. In its response to the lawsuit, it also likened its role to that of the American Bar Association or American Medical Association, and said that those entities are not sued every time a lawyer or doctor acts inappropriately. The scandal at UNC involved thousands of athletes who, over 18 years, were funneled into classes that never met, where advisers fudged grades and accepted plagiarism so that athletes who were falling behind in class could remain eligible to play sports. Mary Willingham, the UNC whistleblower turned NCAA critic, has for years said that athletes across the country are accepted to colleges even though they're academically underprepared and then pushed into classes where little work is required. The system

Summary: In response to lawsuit, NCAA says it doesn't control quality of education for student-athletes . But its website emphasizes importance of education, "opportunities to learn" Lawsuit claims students didn't get an education because of academic fraud at UNC .


(CNN)A second individual has been charged with attempting to carry out an "ISIS-inspired" terror plot, Australian police say. Five young men were arrested Saturday in Melbourne, Australia, in what police called a major counterterrorism operation. Two of the teens, 18 and 19, have been released "pending further inquiries," Australia's Federal Police said. Sevdet Besim, 18, was charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act, and was denied bail Saturday. The person charged Monday is accused of conspiring to commit acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts. The suspects planned to attack during a major national commemoration in a week, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Saturday. "The act that we believe was in preparation involved attacks against police officers," he said. There was also a risk to the public, police said. Police said the suspects were targeting a ceremony on Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps Day), which is April 25 and this year is the centennial of the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. Abbott avoided the term ISIS -- or Islamic State -- to call out those who authorities believed influenced the suspects. He instead referred to the group as the "Daesh death cult," employing the acronym that is transliterated from the group's name in Arabic. It's a handle ISIS is known to loathe. Police also distanced the suspects from any ethnic connection. The men "are individuals acting by themselves. They are not representatives of any religious, cultural or national group," Victoria Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said. "I think the entire Australian community should be concerned about the young age of those particular men," Neil Gaughan, acting deputy commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, said. "And this is an issue not just with law enforcement, but for the broader community. ... We need to get better in relation to identifying young men and woman involved in this type of behavior, at the very early stage." CNN's Ralph Ellis and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.

Summary: A second teen has been charged with helping plan an "ISIS-inspired" attack . One 18-year-old suspect has already been charged, report says .


Hong Kong (CNN)Six people were hurt after an explosion at a controversial chemical plant in China's southeastern Fujian province sparked a huge fire, provincial authorities told state media. The plant, located in Zhangzhou city, produces paraxylene (PX), a reportedly carcinogenic chemical used in the production of polyester films and fabrics. The blast occurred at an oil storage facility Monday night after an oil leak, though local media has not reported any toxic chemical spill. Five out of six people were injured by broken glass and have been sent to the hospital for treatment, Xinhua news agency reported. More than 600 firefighters were sent to battle the blaze and the fire is now under control, the Zhangzhou fire department wrote on their official microblogging account Tuesday morning. Residents living close to the plant had heard the explosion and took to Weibo to post photos of the fire. One user wrote that he heard a loud blast and felt slight tremors. The plant was hit by another explosion in July 2013, although there were no reports of casualties or toxic leaks at the time. Though demonstrations are illegal in China, the construction of PX plants has sparked protests, which have occasionally turned violent, in several cities in recent years. The Zhangzhou plant was slated for Xiamen -- a densely populated city in the southeast of the country. However, it provoked an angry backlash in 2007 due to pollution concerns and prompted the local government to relocate the factory to its current, more remote location.

Summary: A blast rocks a chemical plant in China's southeastern Fujian province for the second time in two years . Six were injured after the explosion and are being hospitalized . The explosion was triggered by an oil leak, though local media has not reported any toxic chemical spills .


(CNN)NASA says its Messenger space probe crashed into Mercury on Thursday after running out of fuel, ending a nearly 11-year journey that provided valuable data and thousands of photos. Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, confirmed the probe slammed into the surface of Mercury, as anticipated, at 3:26 p.m. EDT, NASA told CNN in an email. NASA earlier said the probe was expected to hit the surface at 8,750 miles per hour and to create an impact crater 52 feet (16 meters) in diameter. The crash wasn't visible from Earth because it occurred on the far side of Mercury. Messenger (an acronym for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) was launched in 2004 and traveled more than 6½ years before it started circling Mercury on March 18, 2011. It was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet closest to the sun. It traveled about 5 billion miles -- a journey that included 15 trips around the sun. Spacecraft to make death dive into Mercury . The spacecraft was healthy when it crashed, but was out of fuel. When scientists determined there was no way to save it, they held a briefing this month to celebrate the mission's success. "For the first time in history we now have real knowledge about the planet Mercury that shows it to be a fascinating world as part of our diverse solar system," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington. One of the mission's big findings: It sent back data indicating that ice in Mercury's shadowed polar regions, if spread over an area the size of Washington, would be more than two miles thick, NASA said. As the end neared, the probe sent back some final tweets thanking mission managers and counting down its final orbits. The Messenger mission is over, but scientists say they'll be busy for years studying data from the probe. And while the space probe won't be sending back anymore images, you can see Mercury with your own eyes. It's visible in the night sky just before dusk until about the end of May.

Summary: NASA's Messenger probe smashes into Mercury, ending mission . Space probe hit the planet's surface at 8,750 mph .


(CNN)I'm haunted by the video of Officer Michael Slager firing eight shots at Walter Scott as he fled his encounter with North Charleston police -- his back turned to the officer. What I find more disturbing is how the officer cuffs the fallen Scott and allows him to die face-down in the dirt while Slager appears to plant an item next to his body. I understand why people are skeptical of self-defense claims -- especially from law enforcement. If not for the video taken by a bystander, I can't help but think that this story would be shuttered behind the wall of an active investigation. As a defense attorney, I am more sensitive than anyone to the assumption of innocence for those accused of a crime, but this single piece of evidence -- a video of a man shot in the back while in full retreat -- defies any reasonable explanation. Thank God there was a camera. It will help ensure that justice will be served in this case. However, there is another camera that -- had it been deployed -- might have prevented the entire tragedy: a police body camera. Throughout the entire encounter with Scott, it's clear Slager had no idea someone was filming him. Had he known there would be video of his every move, would he have drawn his weapon on a fleeing man? Would he have fired? Eight times? Would he have misrepresented the encounter on his police report? Of course not. If Slager had been wearing a body camera, Scott would probably still be alive, and Slager wouldn't be facing the possibility of life in prison -- or a possible death sentence. Body cameras are expensive to deploy, sure. And storing the massive amounts of data that body cameras create costs even more. That cost, however -- if we're talking the monetary kind -- may be eclipsed by the punitive damages delivered to Scott's family in an inevitable civil suit against the North Charleston Police Department. Most importantly, we have to ask ourselves this: What's the value of a human life? Certainly it's worth the price of some mass data storage. And there's something else at stake. The public is losing confidence in law enforcement, and the strained relationship between minorities and police is reaching a breaking point. Every police shooting that captures headlines justifies an ever increasing fear of cops in the street. As fear ratchets up, so does the tension between cops and the people in the communities they serve. As tension rises, the risk of more shootings increases. It is a cycle of destruction that could lead to chaos. Police body cameras can help break this cycle. Studies have shown that both cops and people in the community act better when they know they are on camera. Complaints against cops decrease, and, most importantly, use-of-force incidents drop. I will admit that body cameras are only an interim solution. They only help compensate for the real underlying problem, which is this: There is a bias against black men that has infiltrated the criminal justice

Summary: Mark O'Mara: Video captured Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott; if cop had been wearing a body camera, he probably wouldn't have fired . O'Mara says such cameras are expensive, but cheaper than wrongful death payouts -- and the cost of a human life. The underlying problem is racial bias in policing; until that's solved, body cameras are a good interim solution .


(CNN)When ISIS overran their villages near Mosul in August 2014, a small group of Assyrians, a Middle Eastern minority with a history reaching back more than 4,000 years, picked up weapons and formed their own militia: Dwekh Nawsha -- "The Sacrificers." Assyrians belong to the rapidly dwindling Christian population of Iraq -- recent estimates from CAPNI, the largest Christian relief organization in northern Iraq put the number as low as 300,000 compared with 1.5 million 20 years ago -- and many among them see the fight with ISIS as a final battle for survival against the Islamists. "'Ah, Assyrians -- I've read about them in the Bible,' is what many people say," says Marcus Naissan, a 25-year-old electrical technician and member of Dwekh Nawsha. "But we are not just history, we are still alive, we are still here." The exodus of Christians from Iraq started prior to ISIS -- and the civil war in the mid-2000s took an especially heavy toll. Today, most Iraqi Christians live in Kurdish areas in the north, which have been a relative haven of stability. And so far, the Kurds have been taking heavy losses to defend Christian and Yezidi minorities against ISIS. Every night, the fighters hear the rumbling sound of coalition airplanes in the sky over Baqufa where they have their safe house just a few miles from the frontline. Here they relax, patrol the empty streets of the village and try to hinder ISIS suicide commandos from entering the near city of Dohuk where UNHCR says almost 100,000 refugees -- many of them Christians -- have found a temporary place to stay. So far, the militia has only assembled and trained 40 fighters. But Rama Baito, manager of the digital media presence of the group, shows me his direct messages on Facebook -- dozens of ex-soldiers, diaspora Assyrians or Christian activists from all over the world contact him and offer monetary support or their own presence on the frontline. "We have 200 people waiting right now, because we simply do not have enough weapons and training capacities," Baito says. Since they are still small and have no heavy weaponry, the Dwekh Nawsha fighters say they coordinate closely with local Kurdish Peshmerga commanders and share the same foxholes on the frontline. The fighters are a very mixed bunch. A young baker, carrying his large military dagger in an elegant sheath, says he brought his father when he enlisted. "But now, we see each other only rarely because he is in another unit of our group," he says. "When I go on vacation, he goes to the field and the other way around. So every time we swap units, I wait for him, give him a quick hug and then leave back home." Right now, ISIS is focused on other fronts -- the yellow fields of the Niniveh plains are quite safe for the mostly young fighters. But none of them thinks victory over ISIS will be quick, nor that fighting will end immediately afterward. All they can do now is patrol the deserted alleys of

Summary: Assyrians are an ancient Middle Eastern minority -- they are part of the rapidly dwindling Christian population of Iraq . After ISIS overran their villages, some Assyrians formed a militia to fight for survival against the terror group .


(CNN)The VII Summit of the Americas was supposed to be all about the symbolic handshake between the United States and Cuba. But insert Venezuela into the mix and Panama City, Panama, quickly turns into a "triangle of tension." Heads of state from 35 countries in the Western Hemisphere have met every three years to discuss economic, social or political issues since the creation of the summit in 1994. Cuba has historically been the wrench in the diplomatic machinery, with some Latin American leaders threatening not to attend the Summit of the Americas if the United States and Canada didn't agree to invite President Raul Castro. The tide changed December 17, 2014, when President Barack Obama and Castro announced that more than five decades of Cold War rivalry was ending. Diplomats from both countries immediately began negotiations to establish embassies in Havana and Washington, and the attention immediately focused on the Summit of the Americas, where for the first time since the about-face, Obama and Castro would come face-to-face. The much anticipated handshake between Obama and Castro would steal all the headlines if it wasn't for Cuba's strongest ally, Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recently accused the United States of trying to topple his government and banned former President George Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio from entering Venezuela. "They can't enter Venezuela because they're terrorists," Maduro said, blaming the American politicians for what he called terrorist actions in Iraq, Syria and Vietnam. The U.S. State Department said the allegations of U.S. involvement in a coup plot against Maduro were "baseless and false." Later, Obama issued an executive order sanctioning seven Venezuelan officials for human rights violations and saying the country was a "threat to national security." White House officials said every executive order includes that language, but it has sparked a fiery response from Maduro, who has been collecting millions of signatures demanding the repeal of the order. He also asked for repeal in full-page ads in The New York Times and in a Panama City newspaper. Maduro didn't stop there; he has been rallying other Latin American leaders, including Bolivian President Evo Morales, Ecuador's Rafael Correa and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. But perhaps most damning for the United States -- and creating the "triangle of tension" at the summit -- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has sided publicly with Maduro. "We reiterate our strong condemnation of the unacceptable and unjustifiable unilateral sanctions imposed against the sister nation of Venezuela and the continued foreign interference with the purpose of creating a climate of instability in that sister nation. We ratify our firmest support to the Bolivarian Revolution and the legitimate government headed by President Nicolás Maduro," Rodriguez said. While the world watches for the photo-op of Obama and Castro, it's unclear if more Latin American diplomats will side with Maduro, and for America, the VII Summit of the Americas could go from "mi casa es su casa" to a walk into the lion's den.

Summary: U.S., Venezuelan relations threaten to overshadow Obama, Castro meeting . Venezuelan President says United States moved to oust him; he has the support of the Cuban foreign minister .


Tokyo (CNN)A second robotic probe sent into the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has captured images of a strange green glow. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) deployed the second remote-controlled robot last week after the first one broke down. The robot detected lower radiation levels and temperature than expected, an indicator that cooling systems were working effectively, according to a statement released by TEPCO. "It is a great step forward towards the decommissioning work as we can earn necessary data for the next investigation," said Akira Ono, the chief of Fukushima Daiichi plant. TEPCO said the yellow seen on the images seemed to suggest a discoloration of the grating, though the cause was unknown. It said the green glow could not be seen when filmed from other angles. The shape-shifting robots were sent in to assess the damage in one of the reactors that suffered a meltdown after a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. TEPCO says the site's still too dangerous for workers to enter. The first robot, which was sent in on April 10, stalled after moving about 10 meters, according to a statement released by TEPCO. A report and footage from the robot shows that a fallen object had blocked its path and left it stranded. TEPCO decided to cut off the cable connected to the device on April 12 as it had already collected data on radiation levels in 14 of the 18 targeted locations, completing around two-thirds of the originally planned route. The second robot was sent in on April 15 and collected data from all 11 points, as scheduled. Four years after the devastating nuclear crisis, the radiation levels inside the three damaged reactors are still extremely high and remain unsafe for people to enter. Decommissioning work is estimated to cost $50 billion and will take years to complete. TEPCO called the robotic probe an "unprecedented" experiment. CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki and Junko Ogura reported from Tokyo, Japan and Naomi Ng wrote from Hong Kong.

Summary: A robotic probe into the Fukushima nuclear plant released crucial information on conditions inside the reactor . TEPCO: Recorded radiation levels and temperatures are lower than expected . The robot was sent into the plant after the first one broke down .


(CNN)On Tuesday, a white police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, was charged with murder for shooting an unarmed black man in the back. Officer Michael Slager was arrested after raw video surfaced showing him firing numerous shots at Walter Scott as Scott ran away from a traffic stop. The video footage contradicts Slager's statement that he felt threatened after Scott allegedly took his stun gun during a scuffle. The Post and Courier reported that the FBI has opened an investigation into the shooting death along with the State Law Enforcement Division, while the South Carolina attorney general is investigating possible civil rights violations. Now, after watching the footage — which should remain in your memory for a long time to come — one could say that Slager shot Scott like a dog. But then again, dogs usually are not treated this badly. But the man was shot like a runaway slave. In this case, there was clear documented evidence of what occurred, and no room for fabrications. Most police fatal shootings do not result in indictments because prosecutors conclude they are justifiable. The police officer can always plant a gun on the suspect he shot to death, or like Slager, apparently place a Taser near Scott's body and concoct some story that his life was in danger. "We can't bring Mr. Scott back, but something like this today can have a bigger precedence than just what happened here with Mr. Scott. Because what happened today doesn't happen all the time," said L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Scott family, at a press conference. "I don't think that all police officers are bad cops, but there are some bad ones out there. And I don't want to see anyone get shot down the way that my brother got shot down," said Anthony Scott, brother of the victim. "What if there was no video? What if there was no witness, or hero as I call him, to come forward? Then this wouldn't have happened, because as you can see, the initial reports stated something totally different. The officer said that Mr. Scott attacked him and pulled his Taser and tried to use it on him. But somebody was watching," Stewart added. "After watching the video, the senseless shooting and taking of #WalterScott's life was absolutely unnecessary and avoidable," tweeted Sen. Tim Scott. "My heart aches for the family and our North Charleston community. I will be watching this case closely." Although the black community and others have been aware for years of the problem of police brutality, through personal experience and anecdotes, the data confirm that police use of deadly force is a black and white issue. A ProPublica analysis of police shootings from 2010 to 2012 found that young black males are 21 times more likely to be fatally shot by the police than young white males. And 67% of teens killed while fleeing or resisting arrest were black. Of the whites who are killed by cops, 91% are killed by white cops. Sixty-eight percent of people of color who are

Summary: A white police officer in South Carolina is charged with killing an unarmed black man in the back . David Love: What happened tells us the epidemic of police deadly force against black people continues .


(CNN)A 24-year-old man is in custody after he called for an ambulance, only to have French authorities come and discover weapons, ammunition and evidence of his plans to target churches -- an attack that someone in Syria requested, a top prosecutor said Wednesday. The man was identified later as Sid Ahmed Ghlam, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told television broadcaster TF1. Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins said Ghlam asked for medical help at his home in Paris' 13th district Sunday morning, claiming he had accidentally injured himself when he mishandled a weapon. But authorities found more than a man with a gunshot wound in his thigh. Molins said Ghlam was someone suspected of killing a 32-year-old woman hours earlier and who then intended to launch a larger-scale terror attack in the near future. "(He) let them believe that he was the victim," French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday. "But police understood that there was an investigation that needed to be initiated." That probe started in earnest when police spotted traces of blood and bags in the suspect's car. Based on this discovery "and in view of the attitude and suspicious behavior of the individual," they looked inside the car and found a loaded Kalashnikov gun, a 9-mm revolver, three cell phones, a laptop, a USB key, a satellite navigation system "and handwritten documents that contained information on possible targets," Molins said. A search inside his home turned up yet more potentially key evidence, including three more Kalashnikovs, three bulletproof vests, police armbands, a camera, some 2,000 euros in cash and "documents in Arabic mentioning al Qaeda and ISIS," according to the prosecutor. "A terrorist attack has been foiled," Hollande said. "It's not the first time." Earlier Ghlam was identified as a computer science student originally from Algeria. According to Molins, he lived in that North African country until 2001, joined his parents in France for the next two years, then went back to Algeria. He got his undergraduate degree in that nation, then returned to France to study electronics. He'd never been convicted of a crime; in fact, the lone accusation against him in August 2013 was later withdrawn. But that didn't mean French authorities didn't know about Ghlam. "He had been noticed wishing to go to Syria," Molins explained. The prosecutor added that authorities found nothing to suggest he was imminent threat, "but he was under surveillance." Law enforcement checked on the man once in 2014 and again this year, Cazeneuve said. The minister said the man planned to head to Syria, a country embroiled in a bloody, years-long civil war that has attracted foreigners wishing to join extremist militant groups like ISIS. There was no indication he ever made it. But, Molins said, computer searches revealed that the man had been communicating with someone in Syria who "asked him to target a church." What church? Authorities didn't disclose that detail on Wednesday, though Molins did say "this target was confirmed by (the suspect's satellite navigation system) and handwritten documents in his car." Paris is home to the famed Notre Dame cathedral

Summary: Suspect identified by French authorities as Sid Ahmed Ghlam . Prosecutor: Someone in Syria asked the arrested man to target French churches . Evidence connects terror plot suspect to the killing of Aurelie Chatelain, he says .


Washington (CNN)Early Clinton campaign calculations, the favored way for one of her opponents to channel his concerns, a GOP ticket for the generations, and Republican calendar concerns filled our Sunday trip around the "Inside Politics" table. 1. Watch the volume as O'Malley uses YouTube to test Clinton pokes . Slowly but clearly, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is intensifying his criticism of overwhelming Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. How aggressive will he get? Stay tuned -- literally. CNN's Jeff Zeleny says O'Malley enjoys using YouTube videos as a quick way to spread his opinion -- and question moves by Clinton, like her reversal on the question of whether she supports allowing undocumented workers to obtain driver's licenses. "Every time Hillary Clinton sort of adjusts her positioning from '08 to '16 -- her statement on the drivers' licenses that we discussed and other things -- Martin O'Malley has been releasing a YouTube video showing a speech where he has done something different, so watch for that to continue," said Zeleny. "Those YouTube videos on his channel will be a key part of the race --the liberals love them." 2. The "Obama Factor": Clinton finds a lot to love, and some distance . Hillary Clinton is a big fan of President Obama's health care law, but not so much of a booster when it comes to his presidential leadership style. So reports AP's Lisa Lerer, who was in Iowa this past week for the Clinton campaign rollout, and who analyzes one of the most fascinating balancing acts for the onetime Obama 2008 rival who, of course, went on to serve loyally as his secretary of state. "She embraced key portions of his legacy -- coming out strong for the health care law, for his push for immigration legislation -- but it wasn't all sunshine and light," said Lerer. "She also took subtle digs at his leadership style— she said America was on the wrong track-- I can't believe I'm saying this but at times she sounded almost like a Republican." 3. In big policy choice, Clinton signals an important campaign focus . In Democratic politics, Kamala is the Harris sister who gets the most national buzz. But Maya Harris is about to play a big role in the question of how Hillary Clinton plots her path to 270 electoral votes. Kamala Harris is the California attorney general and a 2016 Senate candidate, for the seat being vacated by Democrat Barbara Boxer. Maya Harris just signed on for a top policy role in the Clinton campaign -- and CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson reports it is a hiring with a clear message. "One clue, I think, is Maya Harris," said Henderson. "Her resume is really a liberal's dream. She has worked at the Center for American Progress, ACLU, she's also done work on community policing and police reforming, and she also has a very interesting paper that looks at the importance of women of color to the electorate." "So I think this hire is going to be really interesting in what it means for the kind of

Summary: O'Malley using YouTube to test out attack lines . How Clinton's new hire could help keep the Obama coalition together . Republican concerns about the new 2016 primary calendar .


(CNN)Freddie Gray was arrested Baltimore police on the morning of April 12 without incident, according to police. Less than an hour after he was detained, officers transporting him called for a medic. He subsequently slipped into a coma, dying a week after his initial arrest. So what happened? The events surrounding Gray's encounter with police remain unclear. To shed light on what happened, police released a more detailed timeline of events on Monday, and officials speaking at a news conference elaborated on specifics of the events. "We want to clear up some of the confusions that may exist," Baltimore Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said. "We will be looking specifically at our actions from the point that we came into contact with Mr. Gray up until the time we requested medical assistance -- specifically, did we miss any warnings? Should we have acted sooner? Should we have acted in any different manner?" This is what police say occurred: . --- . 8:39:12 a.m., Sunday, April 12 . At the corner of North Avenue and Mount Street in Baltimore, a police officer makes eye contact with two individuals, one of them Gray. Both individuals start running southbound as officers begin pursuing them. 8:39:52 a.m. One unit (officer) says "I got him" at 1700 Presbury Street, two blocks south of North and Mount. 8:40:12 a.m. An officer says we've got one and confirms the address of 1700 Presbury, where Gray gave up without the use of force, according to Rodriguez. One officer took out his stun gun but did not deploy it, he said. 8:42:52 a.m. Gray asks for an inhaler. Police request a "wagon" to transport him. 8:46:02 a.m. The van's driver says he believes Gray is acting "irate" in the back, according to Rodriguez . 8:46:12 a.m. At the corner of Mount Street and Baker Street, an officer asks the vehicle driver to stop so they can finish paperwork. At that point, Gray is placed in leg irons and put back in the wagon. Police interviewed several witnesses in the community with regard to that specific stop, Rodriguez said. The videos that were filmed by bystanders show events similar to what Rodriguez describes happens at this point. 8:54:02 a.m. The wagon clears Mount Street and heads southbound towards central booking. 8:59:52 a.m. The van's driver asks for an additional unit to "check on his prisoner [Gray]," Rodriguez said. Another individual is arrested and a wagon is requested. Before the wagon leaves, there is "some communication" with Gray, according to Rodriguez. They then travel to the police cepartment/s western district with Gray and the other suspect in the wagon. The two are separated by a metal barrier and the two had no physical contact. 9:24:32 a.m. A medic is called. --- . An autopsy on Gray's body was done on Monday, according to Rodriguez . He said there was no evidence that force was used against Gray, nor did any officers describe using any force against him. "When Mr. Gray was placed inside that van, he was able to talk, he was upset,

Summary: Freddie Gray died on Sunday after slipping into a coma . He was arrested a week earlier under murky circumstances .


(CNN)Tornadoes, fierce winds and severe thunderstorms with large hail are predicted for the Midwest and for the Plains, from the Ozarks eastward to the lower Ohio Valley, on Thursday and Friday, the National Weather Service said. Severe weather is perilous anytime, of course, but CNN meteorologist Chad Myers says that tornado conditions are more dangerous during the night. "Tornadoes can be more deadly when people are sleeping and not paying attention to the warnings," he said. Scattered storms will soak Illinois and Missouri, and wind and hail will continue to be moderate in those states, the National Weather Service said. By Thursday afternoon, storms will hit parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Earlier this week, severe weather struck the South. Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Georgia reported large hail. Residents in Shawnee, Oklahoma, were awakened early Wednesday morning by a severe storm producing golf ball-sized hail. "The hail came out of nowhere so it was kind of shocking," Sherri McDonald said to CNN in an iReport. The hail dinged her car.

Summary: Thunderstorms with large hail are predicted for the Midwest and the Plains . Tornadoes could strike Thursday night and Friday .


Washington (CNN)Decision time for GOP operatives, another controversial foreign policy choice for President Obama, a ripple effect from the Robert Menendez indictment, and two insights into Hillary Clinton's campaign launch -- those stories filled our Sunday trip around the "Inside Politics" table. Obama's Iran diplomacy already has his conservative critics fired up, and things could get even more interesting in the week ahead. The President is headed to Panama for a regional summit, and Julie Pace of The Associated Press reports one of the big questions is whether he'll make history and have a face-to-face meeting with Cuban leader Raul Castro. "This would be the first meeting between a U.S. and a Cuban leader in decades," said Pace. "But Obama's efforts to end this freeze of Cuba have been a lot more difficult than they looked when he announced it last year," Pace said. "And so what the White House is going to be weighing is whether this meeting would be a way to generate more progress or whether it would be a premature reward for the Castros." Hillary Clinton has leased her headquarters space in Brooklyn and will soon make her presidential campaign official. And with the launch, Jonathan Martin of The New York Times reports, will come a carefully orchestrated effort to reintroduce Clinton -- with an emphasis on her childhood and her earlier work on children's issues. "The Democrats around Hillary Clinton believe that while she's one of the most famous people in the world, she's never been properly introduced in her own right," said Martin. "So when she does roll out her campaign here in a couple of weeks, look for more biographical touches. We'll hear about her childhood in suburban Chicago and some of the work that she did as an advocate for the Legal Services Corporation and the Children's Defense Fund when she was in her 30s, and also, more about her Arkansas days as first lady, as an advocate for education." A lot of the big names signing on to Team Clinton are already known. But Dan Balz of The Washington Post explains part of the statement her campaign wants to make with the announcement is to show it has a large, experienced staff ready for the key national and state roles. "What I'm hearing is that when they launch, this staff is going to be even much, much bigger than we, at this point, imagine, that they have done a huge amount of hiring," said Balz. And Balz reports the planning centers on smaller events designed to highlight more personal interaction. "She did an event with the wife of the mayor of New York earlier this week that could be a template for the kinds of things they're doing." Much of the media attention on the corruption indictment against Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey has been on its allegations of luxury hotel stays with girlfriends. But beyond the more tabloidesque details, Jackie Kucinich of The Daily Beast notes that one of the charges centers on a suggestion the senator's staff was soliciting

Summary: White House weighing whether Obama should meet with Raul Castro . A serious congressional ripple effect from the Menendez indictment? It's decision time for GOP operatives as the 2016ers get ready to launch .


(CNN)In case you haven't noticed, we're in the midst of a medical marijuana revolution. Given the amount of questions and mystery surrounding the science behind it, Dr. Sanjay Gupta wanted to provide some insight. He's been investigating medical marijuana for the last couple of years. His research has resulted in three CNN documentaries, culminating with "Weed 3: The Marijuana Revolution," airing at 9 p.m. ET/PT Sunday. Gupta opened up to questions on Twitter. Here's what you wanted to know: . How does this affect me? Readers were curious about the effects of medical marijuana in easing symptoms of various ailments, asking how it could help with everything from life-threatening illnesses and neurological conditions to chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. Gupta pointed out the 10 diseases where medical marijuana research could have an impact and how it helped to stop one young girl's severe seizures, and he also referenced other studies. He said that the potential benefits of medical marijuana for people suffering from PTSD is actually the subject of a federally approved study. The belief: It could suppress dream recall and allow those sufferers to focus on the present. There is also research into how the drug might affect the spasms associated with people who have multiple sclerosis. Medical marijuana could also be an important option for those who rely on painkillers, as painkiller overdose is the greatest preventable death in the United States, Gupta said. Why don't other doctors talk about it? Many of the questions around medical marijuana can be tied back to the fact that it's just not discussed much. Teaching about medical marijuana remains taboo in medical school. But Gupta also presented the science directly, showing what your body on weed looks like. Readers also wanted to know why people are so against the legalization of marijuana. Decades of misinformation, Gupta said. What are the drawbacks? With medical marijuana so misunderstood, there naturally is a fear of potential side effects. There are legitimate, long-term concerns with the developing brain, Gupta said, and suggested that readers seek out the research of Dr. Staci Gruber, who has conducted numerous studies on marijuana use and brain function. Isn't it dangerous? When confronted with questions rooted in fear about the dangers of medical marijuana, Gupta confessed that he used to believe the same thing -- that marijuana is dangerous without proven benefits. After extensive research, he said he changed his mind on weed.

Summary: CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers questions about medical marijuana . Readers wanted to know how medical marijuana could ease symptoms of illnesses .


Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)The clamor and chaos of the previous day has dissipated by the time we arrive at Kathmandu's only airport. The mad rush of 24 hours previously, in those first confusing, cacophonous hours following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake near the Nepali capital, had died down. Now, families sit, camped out, silent and patiently waiting, but for now abandoned. At the airport, at passport control, we meet a Nepalese man, who is unable to contact his family. They live in a village 20 km from the epicenter. He also has two cousins on Everest, he says. He has no way to reach any of them. Follow the latest coverage of Nepal earthquake . Stepping out of the terminal building, the devastation is apparent. It is an overwhelming introduction to this city that, less than 48 hours ago, was hit by the worst earthquake this country has experienced in 80 years. The death toll has skipped past 3,000 and climbs, inexorably. Taking into account the fact that many rural areas, just as badly affected but isolated and vulnerable, have yet to be evaluated, the human cost is staggering. Across town the bus station is a hive of activity as scores try urgently to leave the city, to make it out to the outlying areas so badly affected by this quake. Communications are down and so many here are desperate to make it out to their stricken families, and discover their fate. The scene is repeated at every gas station; snaking lines of Indian-made Tata cars, and motorcycles, waiting to fill up. People are clambering aboard buses, into cars, trying to get as far away from this devastation as possible. Remaining inside Kathmandu, neighbors stare forlornly at their former homes, now collapsed piles of rubble. We visit a Montessori school, mercifully empty as the children had the Saturday off. A seven-story building behind it, however, was home to a small church, and housed a congregation of between 40 and 50 when tragedy occurred. The pastor's son Nakul Tamang clambers up a ladder, looking for an entrance into the ruined facade, looking to retrieve his father, not knowing if he will find him alive or dead. Rescue teams stop him before he reaches the top. The building is not secure, but Tamang doesn't care. "It's sad, it's hard," he says. Six bodies had already been pulled from the concrete and steel wreckage. A nearby five-story structure has collapsed in on itself. It was pink, with wrought balconies. Now it is pancaked, reduced to a third of its height and a mess of rubble and reinforced steel. One woman has been pulled out of the wreckage, and rescuers continue to work in a precarious hollow scooped out from the fallen bricks. Officials tell the onlookers that there is a chance that survivors may have been protected in a corridor as the building came down around them. A day after the earthquake struck, they found a woman under the rubble. Unhurt; in shock, but alive. It is this hope that keeps Narayan Gurung going: the belief that his

Summary: Tremors subside finally in Kathmandu, but after-effects of Saturday's staggering tragedy will be felt for years . Arwa Damon and Gul Tuysuz take tour of devastated city as locals struggle to cope . Workers dig painstakingly, slowly removing piles of stone and debris .


Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)On Day Six of Nepal's tragedy, life triumphed as rescuers pulled an 15-year-old from the rubble of a multistory residential building in one of Kathmandu's hard-hit neighborhoods. A large crowd erupted in cheers as Pemba Tamang was carried out on a stretcher. He was wearing a New York shirt and a blue neck brace, was blanketed by dust and had the look of a deer in the headlights. His rescuer, Inspector Lakshman Basnet of the Nepalese Armed Police Force, said Tamang was responsive and showed no apparent signs of serious injury. He was given an IV drip and rushed from the Gongapur area to a temporary emergency hospital run by an Israeli aid team. The Nepalese rescuers had been working for five hours to locate Tamang after they heard his voice coming from under the debris. Also Thursday, a U.S. special operations forces team rescued 30 people, including three Americans, by helicopter from an area of Nepal called Bamboo Village, according to the U.S. ambassador to Nepal. The group was trapped in the village and living in a makeshift shelter, Ambassador Peter Bodde said. The families had contacted the U.S. government to let officials know where their relatives were stuck, he said. They had no other way to get out of the area, Bodde said. An American disaster response team was also involved in the rescue of the 15 year old boy. The team was at a nearby damaged bus station when it got word that someone might be alive. Andrew Olvera, the head of the U.S. team, said his men rushed over with search dogs and equipment ranging from breaching tools to sophisticated cameras that can probe under the rubble. He said the operation carried enormous risk, as chunks of the collapsed building hung precariously on rebar. Entire floors of what used to be people's homes were visible -- ceiling fans and beds still draped with cotton sheets. It was a mountain of loss and sorrow. "It's dangerous, but it's what we do," said Olvera, who has a daughter and twin 11-year-old boys. "It's risk versus gain. To save a human life, we will risk almost everything. "The way the building is, it's definitely a miracle," he said. Tamang cried for water in a muffled voice. He had been buried for five days under a building that pancaked. He dodged death because of a motorcycle that shielded him from the pressure of the concrete and steel, according to Basnet. And, Basnet said, he "survived by good faith." Dennis Bautista, who went down to where Tamang was buried to administer medical aid, called the rescue amazing. "It feels good to be able to help out. I can't imagine what he went through," Bautista said. "He is a brave young man." Basnet said once he got closer to Tamang, he tried to reassure him that he would be OK. "I gave him water and talked to him regularly," Basnet said. After Tamang was rushed to the hospital, the US Agency for International Development team continued the search. The possibility remained that

Summary: Death toll rises to more than 6,100 . Pemba Tamang, 15, shows no apparent signs of serious injury after rescue . U.S. special forces helicopter 30, including 3 Americans, to safety .


Sanaa, Yemen (CNN)As soon as the buses parked, the people scrambled onto the airport tarmac. They carried duffel bags, plastic bags full of clothes and small suitcases. They'd already abandoned larger bags in a mound. Only carry-on luggage was allowed on this Air India plane. The passengers were mostly Indian nationals, plus Yemenis and people from other countries who had been working in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. They sprinted or walked with deliberation to the airplanes. The stress of living in a war zone showed on the passengers' faces. Nobody wanted to be left behind. They climbed the steps to the airliner and were greeted by the Air India crew, all wearing pressed uniforms, the flight attendants fully made up. After takeoff, the flight attendants went up and down the aisle offering drinks to the 188 evacuees as if they were on a vacation flight. But some passengers were already fast asleep, exhausted by the push to get out of Yemen, site of some of the most chaotic fighting in the Mideast. This scene has been repeated in recent days as countries work to get their citizens out of Sanaa during a small window when Saudi planes are not bombing the city in an attempt to drive out the Houthis, a Shiite group that has taken over the capital. Air India is especially active because so many Indian nationals work in other nations. Over the last few days, India has evacuated some 2,500 people from Yemen, said Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh, the Indian deputy foreign minister who's overseeing the evacuation. The flights are going to Djibouti, the small African nation nearly 430 kilometers (267 miles) away. Some evacuees are fleeing on boats at port cities such as Aden. People are leaving behind much more than luggage. Damodar Thakur, a professor at Sanaa University, lived in the capital 34 years and built a life there. He loved living in Yemen. "I never felt like a foreigner," he said. Like the others, he was exhausted and jangled by the shelling and lack of electricity for long stretches. "At night, my goodness!" he said. "Gunshots being fired every minute. Sometimes the sky full of sparkling lights. Some women crying, children terrified. Really bad." The Houthi rebels control Sanaa, including the airport. But the Saudis are bombing the city and thus control air access in a way, so getting people out requires coordination. The Saudi air force gave Air India a four-hour window to go to and from Sanaa and a specific travel route for a safe landing. As the plane approached the city, the crew could see the scars of the fighting. There were no cars on the roads. Dozens of buildings were destroyed. At the airport, the landing strips and airport terminal were untouched by Saudi bombs, but buildings on the outskirts of the airport and planes along the airstrip had been blown to bits. The loading of passengers was swift. They approached the planes carrying boarding passes -- another touch of normalcy in the otherwise abnormal event. They didn't pay for the flight, though

Summary: Air India has evacuated 2,500 people in recent days from Yemen, Indian official says . Passengers could only bring carry-on luggage onto the airplane . The Saudis have not destroyed the airstrips, which are controlled by Houthis .


(CNN)Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, has "global and irreversible brain damage," according to her grandmother. Though the 22-year-old is no longer in a medically induced coma, she remains unresponsive, Cissy Houston said in a statement Monday after visiting her granddaughter. "Meeting with the doctors and understanding that she can live in this condition for a lifetime truly saddens me," Houston said. "We can only trust in God for a miracle at this time." Houston's statement matched that from a source with knowledge of Brown's condition, who told CNN on Monday that she remained in the same neurological state she has been in for nearly three months. She does not respond to visitors or familiar voices, and her eyes do not follow a person around the room, the source told CNN. She also has a tracheostomy in her throat, the source said. The reports come two days after Brown's father, Bobby Brown, said his daughter's condition had improved. "I can say today, Bobbi is awake. She's watching me," Brown told the audience at Dallas' Verizon Theatre. The audience cheered. In a statement Monday, an attorney for the Brown family said that Bobbi Kristina Brown's condition has improved but that the kind of life she will lead remains to be seen. "Doctors have indicated that she will have a long life," attorney Christopher Brown said. "However, Bobbi Kristina is presently embarking on a rehabilitation process, and the quality of her life will not be known for years to come." Who's who in the Bobbi Kristina Brown case? Bobby Brown was in an "emotional state" on stage when he made the remarks about his daughter being awake, according to the statement. "She has made it out of ICU, opened her eyes and started a rehabilitation that will be long and hard," said Bobby Brown's wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown.

Summary: Bobbi Kristina Brown has "global and irreversible" brain damage, her grandmother says . "We can only trust in God for a miracle at this time," Cissy Houston says . Bobby Brown, her father, had said at a concert that she was "awake"


(CNN)If someone told you that your city had started a program providing clean needles to injecting drug users, would that make you want to start injecting drugs yourself? The answer, of course, would be no. Yet for decades, many have stood by the belief that such programs, known as syringe exchange or syringe services programs, promote and encourage drug use. Indeed, for Congress, it became the rationale behind a ban implemented in 1988 that prohibits the use of federal funds for these programs. But an overwhelming body of scientific evidence continues to show that this is simply not true. As a result of the recent spikes in HIV and hepatitis C infections among injecting drug users in rural Indiana and Kentucky, the controversial topic of syringe exchange programs has come to the fore again. And this time, scientific evidence and sound public health practices prevailed as both states authorized the implementation of syringe exchange programs to help curb the spread of these two blood-borne diseases that can be spread by contaminated syringes. This is a welcome step -- an estimated 50,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV every year, and some 8% are among injection drug users. Meanwhile, between 2006 and 2012, at least 30 states experienced increases in hepatitis C infection rates, with more than half reporting at least a 200% increase in acute infections among young adults. Overall, the prevalence of acute hepatitis C among people under 30 rose from 36% to 49% in six years. With such numbers in mind, the recent national spotlight on syringe services programs offers a critical opportunity for us to reignite a much-needed conversation. Dozens of studies have demonstrated conclusively how effective syringe services programs have been in the fight against HIV and hepatitis C transmission among injection drug users by reducing the reuse and sharing of dirty syringes -- without increasing drug use. In addition to helping curb the spread of these diseases by offering access to sterile syringes, these programs promote public health and safety by taking syringes off the streets and protecting law enforcement personnel and others, including children, from injuries. They also offer preventive health services, such as HIV testing and counseling, and form vital bridges to drug treatment, overdose prevention, housing and employment services. For states such as New York and Washington -- early adopters of these interventions -- syringe services programs have played a crucial role in driving down HIV transmission among injecting drug users. Washington was the first state in the United States to implement an syringe exchange when it opened a syringe services program in Tacoma in 1988. In New York City -- where half of all injection drug users were HIV positive in the 1980s -- state lawmakers authorized syringe exchange in 1992 to combat the disease, deeming it a "public health necessity." The expansion of these programs in New York was followed by a dramatic reduction in HIV incidence among injecting drug users, declining from 54% in 1990 to 13% in 2001; hepatitis C prevalence declined from 90% to 63% during this period. Because

Summary: An estimated 50,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV each year, CDC says . Kevin Robert Frost: Syringe exchange programs save millions in HIV treatment costs .


(CNN)For years, when I'd tell new friends I was half-Armenian, a puzzled look would cross their faces, before they'd ask something like, "Do you have a country?" Or, when there was a spark of recognition, they'd chortle, "Ah, you're the people with the last names all ending in 'ian'!" In fact, one of our most famous Armenians, Cher, was better known for her Oscar-winning portrayals of Italians, and had dropped her own identifying surname. The decimation of our people, too, was reduced to a footnote -- if we were lucky -- in tomes about World War I, when more than one million Armenians were killed during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Most of the time, though, the coverage was about how Armenians and Turks hate each other like cats and dogs, that the Turks continue to deny that ethnic cleansing occurred, saying the Armenians had hatched a rebellion, and that the leaders had no choice but to deport them from their homes and put them on the road that led to their deaths. Even Adolf Hitler had brushed us aside, uttering, just before invading Poland in September 1939: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" according to the former bureau chief of The Associated Press in Berlin, Louis Lochner. Apparently he hadn't the anticipated the Kardashian juggernaut. As Kim Kardashian, sister Khloe and their two cousins recently toured Armenia -- on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the mass killings, which is marked on April 24 -- they spotlighted a humanitarian crime that Pope Francis recently called "the first genocide of the 20th century." Suddenly, the poor landlocked country of Armenia was trending. Standing in front of the statute of "Mother Armenia," Kim seemed to seize the label herself, and the adoring crowds appeared to agree. On another stop of her tour, she dressed in a red jumpsuit, and placed tulips at the slate gray Armenian Genocide memorial complex, bringing new color to an issue and to a people who usually pay tribute to their dead relatives every year in their best funereal black. After the Kardashian trip to Armenia, my elderly mother Anahid called me nearly breathless with pride: "Have you seen? The genocide is all over the news! That famous lady, Kim Kardashian, has done it!" My mother's own father, Stepan Miskjian, with his own "ian" surname, had narrowly survived the killings. He told of how an entire caravan of thousands was killed in what's now eastern Syria, and that he only escaped by waiting until night and crawling out on his hands and knees past the ring of guards, and then crossing the desert for six days with only enough water to fill two cups. When the Kardashians first rose to fame, many Armenians cringed over their potboiler storyline, their million-dollar weddings to basketball players and rappers, multiple divorces, and a clothing line at Sears. Through their fame, though, people began to learn about Armenians -- even people outside Los Angeles, where the Armenian population is as thick as the Kardashian hair.

Summary: Dawn MacKeen: 2015 marks 100th anniversary of slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Empire. Kim Kardashian has used fame to spotlight this . She says Armenian community has long sought global recognition of the atrocity, but it took a Kardashian to catapult it into the news .


(CNN)Three Orthodox rabbis accused of planning and participating in the torture of Jewish men who refused to divorce their wives were convicted Tuesday of conspiring to commit kidnapping. Rabbis Mendel Epstein, 69; Jay Goldstein, 60; and Binyamin Stimler, 39, were found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping in New Jersey federal court. Goldstein and Stimler were also convicted on charges of attempted kidnapping. The rabbis were part of a ring accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars to orchestrate the kidnappings of Jewish husbands to persuade them through torture involving electric cattle prods and screwdrivers to grant "gets," a document that Jewish law requires a husband to present to his wife in order to be issued a divorce, court papers said. The men were arrested in October 2013 following an FBI sting operation that ended with Goldstein, Stimler and six other men with ski masks, surgical blades and a 30-foot nylon rope in a warehouse in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Lawyers for each of the rabbis told CNN they plan on appealing the convictions. "Rabbi Epstein still firmly believes that he was protecting women's rights and was protecting the agunahs and the families," said Robert Stahl, the lawyer for Epstein. Without a "get," a woman is considered an "agunah," a chained woman bound to a man no matter how over the marriage might actually be. An Orthodox Jewish woman who does not receive a get runs the risk of being shunned in her community and labeled an adulteress if she moves on. Any future children she has are considered bastards permitted to marry only other bastards. "I don't think this was a traditional kidnapping," said Aidan O'Connor, the lawyer for Goldstein. Goldstein is a sofer, a Jewish scribe who transcribes the Torah and writes other religious documents, including divorce papers, his attorney said. Nathan Lewin, the attorney for Stimler, called the verdict "shocking" and said his client was only present at the warehouse as a witness for the ceremonial signing of the document. "There's no evidence that Rabbi Stimler knew what was going to be going on," Lewin said. "Of course we're going to take all the steps to correct this injustice." Epstein's son, David Epstein, was acquitted on Tuesday of kidnapping charges. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on the attempted kidnapping charges against Mendel Epstein, and on more severe kidnapping charges against the three rabbis. Nine other individuals previously pled guilty in the case to conspiracy charges, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's office in New Jersey. Henry Mazurek, the lawyer for David Epstein, said his client was grateful for the jury's decision but called his client's acquittals "bittersweet" next to his father's conviction. "He really believes that (his father) was a champion of someone who was voiceless in his religion," Mazurek said. Sentencing is set for July 15. The men face up to life in prison.

Summary: Three rabbis found guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping in New Jersey federal court . They were accused of orchestrating kidnapping, torture of Jewish men who refused to allow their wives a religious divorce . Lawyers for the rabbis said they plan on appealing the verdicts .


(CNN) An Asiana Airlines plane overran a runway while landing at Japan's Hiroshima Airport on Tuesday evening, prompting the airport to temporarily close, the Japanese transportation ministry said. Twenty-three people had minor injuries after Flight 162 landed at 8:05 p.m., according to fire department and ministry sources. There were 73 passengers and eight crew members -- including five cabin attendants, two pilots and a maintenance official -- aboard when the flight took off from South Korea's Incheon International Airport at 6:34 p.m. local time, Asiana said in a statement late Tuesday. Authorities are investigating initial reports that the Airbus A320 may have hit an object on the runway during landing, causing damage to the rear of its body and the cover of the engine on the left wing, the ministry said. Video of the scene showed the aircraft's body turned around, with its nose pointing in the direction that the plane had come from. Hiroshima Airport closed because of the incident Tuesday night while fire department officials worked at the scene. Airbus, the plane's manufacturer, is aware of the incident and is working to gather more information, Airbus regional media relations manager Marie Caujolle said.

Summary: The plane might have hit an object on the runway, the Japanese transportation ministry says . 23 people have minor injuries, officials say . The Airbus A320 overshot the Hiroshima Airport runway at 8:05 p.m. Tuesday, officials say .


(CNN)It's no surprise which image is making the headlines from this week's gathering of leaders from nearly three dozen nations in Panama: A historic handshake between President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro. But this first meeting of Obama and Castro since they announced plans to start normalizing diplomatic ties should not be the end of the summit story. Or at least Obama is hoping it won't be. After all, the President has had some unhappy experiences at hemispheric summits, where the headlines have often focused on some less than flattering moments. The reality is that the United States has been losing ground in this increasingly important region, and Obama needs to put on a strong performance in Panama at the Summit of the Americas if the U.S. is to have a chance of improving ties with neighbors who should be best friends, but who have drifted away as America has been focused on challenges at home and instability in the Middle East. Unfortunately, America has lost influence in Latin America to a hyperactive China, a cunning Russia and a troubling Iran, all of which have made inroads in the region at Washington's expense. This gathering therefore offers a chance for the U.S. to reverse the tide and build on the potential offered by a natural alliance strengthened by millions of people with Latin American and Caribbean blood who make their homes in the United States. The foundations for a strong hemispheric bloc are there. But they need attention, and the Panama meeting offers a good opportunity to start building. But first: Do no harm. Large diplomatic gatherings are minutely orchestrated events, and the U.S., with its vast experience in preparing for high-level multilateral meetings, knows the importance of dotting the I's and crossing the T's. But this hasn't stopped recent summits descending into diplomatic and PR disasters for the U.S. Just look at the last summit, held in Cartagena, Colombia, which stayed in the news much longer than anyone expected after Secret Service agents embarrassed the United States by hiring prostitutes and bringing them to their hotel rooms, in violation of basic security protocols. They were reportedly caught after one of the women accused an agent of refusing to pay an agreed fee. As a result of all this, the Americans looked dumb, incompetent -- and cheap. And back in 2009, the President -- new on the job -- was caught flat footed by a fast-talking, fiery anti-American president of Venezuela. The late Hugo Chavez outplayed the leader of the free world, who had just taken office and was trying to show America's new "outstretched hand" toward the foe of the George W. Bush era. The summit hit a depressing low for the Obama administration when Chavez walked up to Obama and, as the cameras clicked, handed the American President a copy of the book "Open Veins of Latin America," which blames the region's woes on the U.S. and Europe. Yet the problems in Cartagena weren't just symbolic. Regional leaders lined up against Washington, which had refused to include Cuba

Summary: President Barack Obama is attending the Summit of the Americas . Frida Ghitis says he must work to improve ties with region .


Miami (CNN)Despite the glitz and glamour Miami is known for, the odds for some children growing up there are bleak. Almost one of every three Miami-Dade County residents living in poverty is under 18, according to the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources. Many schools face high dropout rates, after-school programs are being eliminated and students are failing. Those at-risk children are ones that Chad Bernstein is trying to help through his nonprofit, Guitars Over Guns. "Music is the most important tool we have in reaching these kids," said Bernstein, 30, a professional musician. His program operates in two of Miami's poorest communities, North Miami and Allapattah. It pairs middle-school students with professional musicians, providing free instrument instruction and mentorship. Since 2008, Bernstein's organization has worked with more than 225 students in Miami-Dade County. He says his group has seen more than a 90% increase in academic performance and school attendance of students in the program. Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for CNN Heroes 2015 . Bernstein has been hooked on playing gigs since he was 16. He's gone on to play and record with such musical greats as Shakira, Pharrell, Jennifer Hudson and Pitbull. See more CNN Heroes . I sat down with Bernstein to learn more about the motivation behind his work. Below is an edited version of our conversation. Marissa Calhoun: You're a pretty cool guy — some might be surprised to hear that you were once bullied. What did you experience and how did you overcome it? Chad Bernstein: When I was a kid, I had ears that stuck out the side of my head and really big green glasses. And I was tall and lanky and definitely looked a little different than other kids. I think part of the thing that really stuck with me was this feeling of wanting to belong to something, because I just didn't feel like I fit in with the other kids. When I started playing music it really gave me a sense of identity, something that I belonged to, something that I was good at, something that people would watch me do and say, "Oh wow, that's really cool or he's really good at that." I think in that way music really gave me an anchor in my social experience. Calhoun: What can students expect when they join your program? Bernstein: As a new GOGO student you'll get to try out all the instruments. You'll choose an instrument to learn. You'll be paired with a mentor. And then you'll go throughout that year learning how to play the instrument and music fundamentals and songwriting. And by the end of the year, you'll be performing on stage, recording in a studio and will have a very close relationship with that mentor. Our mentors are amazing musicians that are active in the community playing and performing. And some of these mentors are actually from the neighborhoods and the schools that these kids are at currently. We're not policemen. We're not teachers. We're not parents. We're in a unique position to

Summary: CNN Hero Chad Bernstein started music program that helps at-risk middle school students . Nonprofit group Guitars Over Guns pairs Miami-area kids with professional musician mentors . Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2015 CNN Heroes .


(CNN)Chile's Calbuco volcano erupted twice in 24 hours, the country's National Geology and Mining Service said early Thursday. The agency said it was evaluating the spectacular nighttime eruption, but indicated it was "stronger than the first one." About 23½ inches (60 centimeters) of ash fell in some places, according to the Ministry of Interior and Public Safety. Authorities issued a red alert for the towns of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas in southern Chile. Both are popular tourist destinations. A 12-mile (20 kilometer) exclusion zone was established around the crater. Military and police forces were assisting with the evacuations of more than 4,400 residents, the Interior Ministry said. The first eruption on Wednesday set off a bit of a panic in the region. "At the beginning, it was small, and later, the cloud grew and later there was a huge cloud over you and true terror starts," said one Puerto Montt resident. Another person said: "It was impressive to see an enormous mushroom cloud, with the immense force of the volcano, and to see the ashes. At that point, there was a lot of panic, lots of chaos, traffic jams, people going to supermarkets, everyone looking for water, trying to take out money from the ATMs." The eruption is a first for many in the region. The last major eruption was 1962. There was a minor eruption in 1972. Calbuco also belched out a bit of gas and smoke in 1996. Alejandro Verges, regional director at the Ministry of Interior and Public Safety, said Thursday afternoon that officials are concerned there might be a third eruption. "The situation is relatively calm right now, although people are understandably anxious about what could happen tonight," he said. CNN's Shasta Darlington and Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report .

Summary: Almost 2 feet of ash fell in some areas . Authorities evacuate 4,400 people . The last time Calbuco erupted was 1972 .


(CNN)Giovanni Lo Porto put himself in harm's way to help, heading to Pakistan to work on a much needed reconstruction project following deadly flooding there. His work and his life, as he knew it then, came to a halt on January 19, 2012. That's when, according to Italy's state-run ANSA news agency, four armed men burst into the building where Lo Porto lived and abducted him along with colleague Bernd Muehlenbeck. Two years later, Lo Porto was dead -- killed accidentally by a U.S. drone strike, according to American authorities. The native of the Sicilian city of Palermo died along with a fellow al Qaeda hostage, American Warren Weinstein. That same counterterrorism operation in a border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan killed at least one al Qaeda leader, Ahmed Farouq, who was also a U.S. citizen. His family members, including his four brothers, called him Giancarlo. Lo Porto grew up in Sicily and then studied at London Metropolitan University, getting his undergraduate degree there in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2010, according to the school. A professor there remembers him as "passionate, friendly (and) open-minded," according to an ANSA report. And the university, in a statement, described him as "a popular student who was committed to helping others." "We are tremendously proud of him and the humanitarian work he did," the school said. At the time he was taken captive, Lo Porto worked with the German aid organization Welthungerlife, a 53-year-old group dedicated to fighting hunger and poverty worldwide. Such work means going to places where the need is most -- places like Multan in Pakistan. That community was one of many in Pakistan devastated by major flooding in 2010, which covered about one-fifth of the country and left more than 1,500 people dead. These conditions are all too common in the South Asian nation, as evidenced by flooding one year later that forced upwards of 660,000 into refugee camps and killed more than 430 people, about a quarter of whom were children. "He told me, 'I'm pleased to have returned to Asia and Pakistan, I love the people, culture and food in this part of the world,' " said the London Metropolitan University professor. Specifically, Lo Porto was a project manager with Welthungerlife's clean water and sanitation program, working with 8 to 10 fellow international staffers and 100 to 200 locals starting in October 2011, according to Simone Pott, a spokeswoman for the aid group. Pott described Lo Porto as a lively, very positive man who made friends all over the world. Some of those friends in Italy, England and beyond pressed for Lo Porto's release after he was taken captive, urging Italy's government and newspaper editors to get his story out, ANSA reported. The same story said that al Qaeda (after first claiming he was being held) denied abducting Lo Porto, as did the Pakistani Taliban. Muehlenbeck, a German national, was freed last October, at which time he said that he and his colleague had been separated, according to ANSA. But Lo Porto never got the chance to savor freedom

Summary: NGO where Lo Porto works describes him as a lively, positive man with lots of friends . London university says he was a "popular student ... committed to helping others" He was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism strike in January, authorities say .


(CNN)A bus collided with a fuel tanker in southern Morocco on Friday, a fiery crash that killed at least 35 people -- most of them children -- state and local media reported. The accident caused a fire that hollowed out the bus, leaving little more than its frame. Debris scattered across the road, while smoke rose into the sky, videos posted to social media show. The dead included athletes traveling for a sporting competition, an eyewitness told 2M TV, a Moroccan state-owned network. After the crash, photos appeared on social media of young, smiling boys in soccer uniforms along with condolence messages such as "May God have mercy on them" and "Oh no, they are so young." The crash happened near the city of Tan-Tan just before 7 a.m., the Maghreb Arabe Presse state news agency reported. It said a number of people were also injured. Tan-Tan is near the country's Atlantic coast, more than 450 kilometers (about 280 miles) southwest of Marrakesh.

Summary: Most of the victims were children, according to reports . Condolence messages appear online with images of boys in soccer uniforms . The bus collided with a fuel tanker near the southern Moroccan city of Tan-Tan .


Shanghai, China (CNN)With a well-paid job in finance and his own apartment, Li Lifei is living the Chinese dream. But there's one missing ingredient -- his own car. The 26-year old has his eye on a Volkswagen Tiguan but Shanghai, like many large Chinese cities, rations license plates as it looks for a solution to its gridlocked roads and polluted skies. To register for a license plate auction, prospective car buyers like Li must put down a deposit in exchange for disc containing software they can use to bid online. The auctions take place once a month on a Saturday morning. "I've been trying for six months with no success," Li told CNN. To boost his chances, Li upgraded the speed of his Internet connection from 10 to 50 mbps but to no avail. Each month there are around 10,000 license plates available. At the most recent auction on Saturday, Li said the final price was 80,600 yuan ($13,000) -- around three times the price of a cheap Chinese car and a third of what Li plans to spend on his SUV. It's possible to get a temporary license, but that has to be renewed every month, and Li says he doesn't want to use a huangniu, or middleman, some of whom employ hundreds of bidders to obtain the coveted registration. "I know people who've been trying for more than a year," he said. Another option would be to buy a hybrid vehicle that automatically qualifies for a license plate -- a selling point not lost on the car manufacturers showing their latest models and concepts at the Shanghai Auto Show this week. Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo all launched gasoline-electric hybrids for the Chinese market at the show, while Chinese manufacturer BYD has been an early pioneer of electric and hybrid cars. "The infrastructure (charging stations) for electric vehicles is not quite there yet but that's the advantage of a hybrid -- you can have both," said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson. But Chinese drivers haven't wholeheartedly embraced the concept. Even though China overtook the United States as the world's largest car market in 2009, sales of electric and hybrid vehicles, while increasing quickly, still lag behind the U.S., where more than 100,000 were sold last year. And it's thought many are sold to local authorities and state industries, which are responding to central government directives. Few Chinese have American-style garages where the vehicles can be charged overnight. Li said he thought it would be inconvenient. "I don't want a hybrid car. I thought maybe a Tesla but it's too expensive," he said, referring to the hyper luxury electric sports car developed by Elon Musk that has seen weak sales in China. For others, the hassles of buying and owning a car have become too much and some affluent city dwellers are spurning cars. Shanghai resident Lei Gu, 35, learned to drive as a student and Microsoft employee in Seattle and loved driving her compact Geo on the open U.S. roads. But when she returned to China nine years ago, she chose not

Summary: Many large Chinese cities ration license plates as they look for a solution to gridlocked roads and pollution . It means many prospective car owners have to bid in license auctions . But hybrid vehicles automatically qualify for a license plate .


(CNN)Deputies rushed Kenneth Morgan Stancil III from court Thursday after the 20-year-old murder suspect swore at a judge and tried to flip over a table. Stancil is accused of killing an employee Monday at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Relatives have said victim Ron Lane was gay, CNN affiliate WNCN reported, and investigators are looking into whether the shooting was a hate crime. Authorities arrested Stancil after he was found sleeping on a Florida beach on Tuesday. Just a few minutes into Thursday's hearing on the first-degree murder charge he faces, Stancil snapped back at the judge after he was offered a court-appointed lawyer. "No, I don't need one," said Stancil, who stood before the judge with his legs shackled and his arms handcuffed in front of him. "You know what I'm saying? I knew I would get life anyway." Superior Court Judge Arnold O. Jones interjected, pointing out that the maximum sentence Stancil faces is the death penalty. "Yes, I know that," Stancil fired back. "But when I knew what I had to do and I knew when I got caught, you know, I knew in my mind that I could get life, I could get the death penalty. You know what I'm saying? Do you follow my topic? I would have killed you, you know what I'm saying, if you're a f---ing child molester." The judge told him not to swear. "I don't give a f--- what you want," Stancil said, lunging forward and lifting up the table in front of him. Deputies quickly corralled him and hustled him from the courtroom. The hearing resumed about 25 minutes later, when Stancil was brought back into the courtroom, this time with his arms handcuffed behind him. When asked again by Jones whether he wanted a lawyer, his response was quick -- and calm. "Yes, sir," he said. In an interview with CNN affiliate WRAL, Stancil described himself as a neo-Nazi and said he hates gay people "with a passion." Stancil had worked for Lane, the school's print shop operator, as part of a work-study program, but was let go from the program in early March because of poor attendance, college officials said. During the interview, and during a court appearance in Florida on Tuesday, Stancil said Lane deserved to die, accusing him of being a child molester who'd made advances in online messages to Stancil's 16-year-old brother. Lane's family has described those accusations as untrue and slanderous. His cousin, Steve Smith, told WRAL that Lane never made sexual advances toward children or anyone with whom he worked. He described him as a loving man who was dedicated to family and friends. "Yes, Ron was gay. But people need to get over it," Smith said. "That's between him and the Lord, him and his savior."

Summary: Kenneth Morgan Stancil, charged with first-degree murder, swears at the judge . Deputies escort him from court after he tries to flip over a table . Stancil is accused of killing an employee at Wayne Community College .


(CNN)An American citizen was wounded by gunfire Thursday as she drove from the medical school in Karachi, Pakistan, where she works, police said. Debra Lobo, a 55-year-old California native, was shot in the right cheek and left arm and is unconscious but expected to survive, according to Mohamad Shah, a Karachi police spokesman. Police found pamphlets that the assailants had thrown into Lobo's car, written in Urdu, saying "America should be burnt," Shah said. Lobo had left the Jinnah Medical and Dental College, where she works as vice principal, to pick up her two daughters from school. Two assailants on a passing motorcycle shot her while she was driving, Shah said. "Our U.S. Consulate General in Karachi is in close contact with Pakistani authorities and is working to obtain more information," said a U.S. Embassy spokesperson. Lobo is being treated at the Karachi's Aga Khan Hospital, said Shah. She has lived in Pakistan since 1996 and is married to a Christian Pakistani who is a librarian at the American School in Karachi. Karachi police are investigating, Shah said.

Summary: Debra Lobo, 55, is unconscious but is expected to survive after being shot Thursday, police say . She is vice principal of the Jinnah Medical and Dental College in Karachi . Police: She was on her way to pick up her daughters from school when she was shot .


(CNN)UltraHaptics is a young company with a big dream: changing the way we interact with electronic devices. Their technology creates tactile three-dimensional shapes literally out of thin air, using ultrasound. The company's tagline says it all: "Feeling without touching." Through an emission of sound waves, sensations are projected through the air and to the user. Changes in air pressure are perceived as suspended tactile surfaces, creating invisible -- but tangible -- interfaces. This already sounds quite intriguing, but paired with another rising technology it has the potential to become a game changer. The rising tide of virtual reality seems unstoppable: Facebook's Oculus Rift and Magic Leap are leading the pack, but several other companies are readying devices in a field that could shake the foundations of electronic entertainment. But even though it is incredibly convincing, virtual reality completely bypasses the sense of touch: applying UltraHaptics' technology to it would allow users to not just see the virtual world projected in front of their eyes, but to touch it as well. Tom Carter, UltraHaptics' CTO, sees potential in the merging of these technologies: "The ability to put on your virtual reality goggles and not just explore visually and through your headphones, but also touch what you can see, is a really exciting possibility," he told CNN's Nick Glass. Creating buttons and shapes literally anywhere they're needed opens up a slew of possibilities for more traditional devices as well. "Imagine the dashboard of a car having no buttons, no switches, no ugly controls: just a very nice, sleek dashboard. "If you're driving and you want to have the music up for example, you don't have to take your eyes off the road, you just hold your hand out and the controls stick to your hand, so you can feel them." Smartphones and other popular devices could also see benefits: controlling appliances in the kitchen, using TVs and computers in a style reminiscent of the movie "Minority report", or even snoozing the alarm in the morning would all become just a matter of waving your hands. (This probably wouldn't be the most virtuous application of the technology.) Several devices can already be controlled with gestures, but UltraHaptics add an extra layer of feedback, by generating the sensation of a force field: "Haptics is more than just the sense of touch. It's really all of the information that you get from the sense of touch. What you're feeling, what sort of pressure, the tactile sensation given by an object or surface. You also know where your limbs are and how they're moving, all from the sense of touch. It's all this information that cues how you're interacting with the world," Carter said. To create their invisible buttons, UltraHaptics use a small collection of ultrasonic speakers, concentrating the sound waves to a specific point. Sound travels through air by creating a pressure differential, so by focusing several of these differentials to a target location, the result is a single localized spot of high pressure. "If you put your hand in the way, it actually emits enough of

Summary: A company called UltraHaptics has developed a technology to create 3D shapes in mid-air . A tactile sensation is provided by ultrasonic waves, which alter air pressure . The technology could be applied to electronic devices, car dashboards, and virtual reality headsets .


(CNN)From banking to hospitality and real estate to e-commerce, Ashish Thakkar built his vast business empire from scratch. The Ugandan tycoon started small with a little computer shop that kept him busy after leaving school at 15. These days, his Mara Group spans over 20 countries and he's been called "Africa's youngest billionaire." In late 2013 Thakkar joined forces with the former boss of Barclays bank -- Bob Diamond -- to start an investment fund focused on Africa called Atlas Mara. The powerful duo raised $325 million through a share flotation - well above the $250 million target. But his vision spans beyond Africa, and Earth -- Thakkar was the first African to sign up for the opportunity to travel to space with Richard Branson's company, Virgin Galactic. CNN's Marketplace Africa spoke to Thakkar about African innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. An edited version of the interview follows. CNN: You are active in several African countries. How is the current business landscape on the continent? Ashish Thakkar: Right now in the last 18 years I have been active on the continent, I have never seen so much global excitement around Africa that I've seen today. The climate and the ease of doing business on the continent has drastically improved. Unfortunately, it's one of those cases where perception is so different from reality. The reality on the ground is so much better than the perception. You've got to remember, as Africa, we are 54 countries. Some of the countries may be challenging and may have issues, but that cannot be an excuse to generalize the entire continent which is unfortunately something that happens quite a bit. CNN: Why do you think that entrepreneurs are so important to the future growth of the African continent? AT: We have a very young demographic -- 85% of our populations are under the age of 35. We have an extremely entrepreneurial society and culture. Yet, entrepreneurship is not in the education system. Where do our entrepreneurs go for advice and the right guidance? And it's something, frankly, that I am extremely passionate about, because the answer to unemployment is not foreign direct investment or large scale manufacturing plants, etc. It's going to be nurturing small and medium enterprises. So, it's great to see that there is a real entrepreneurial vibe coming into the system, and innovation is totally embedded into that. CNN: What is it about Africa that encourages innovation? AT: The biggest advantage we have at the moment, and you've seen this with mobile phone penetration, is that we don't have legacy systems. We didn't have landlines and we didn't need them. We didn't have to go through that hassle of creating landlines everywhere. We leapfrogged straight into mobile telephony. Today, we have over 750 million phones on the continent -- more than North America and Western Europe put together. We can actually leapfrog in so many different ways. Mobile money is another brilliant example. Mobile money was created in Kenya. The whole concept of having money on your phone, which is the best thing because it's

Summary: Ugandan Ashish Thakkar built a vast business empire . The entrepreneur says the answer to unemployment lies in nurturing small businesses . Africa's lack of legacy systems has sped up innovation on the continent .