(CNN)Never mind cats having nine lives. A stray pooch in Washington State has used up at least three of her own after being hit by a car, apparently whacked on the head with a hammer in a misguided mercy killing and then buried in a field -- only to survive. That's according to Washington State University, where the dog -- a friendly white-and-black bully breed mix now named Theia -- has been receiving care at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Four days after her apparent death, the dog managed to stagger to a nearby farm, dirt-covered and emaciated, where she was found by a worker who took her to a vet for help. She was taken in by Moses Lake, Washington, resident Sara Mellado. "Considering everything that she's been through, she's incredibly gentle and loving," Mellado said, according to WSU News. "She's a true miracle dog and she deserves a good life." Theia is only one year old but the dog's brush with death did not leave her unscathed. She suffered a dislocated jaw, leg injuries and a caved-in sinus cavity -- and still requires surgery to help her breathe. The veterinary hospital's Good Samaritan Fund committee awarded some money to help pay for the dog's treatment, but Mellado has set up a fundraising page to help meet the remaining cost of the dog's care. She's also created a Facebook page to keep supporters updated. Donors have already surpassed the $10,000 target, inspired by Theia's tale of survival against the odds. On the fundraising page, Mellado writes, "She is in desperate need of extensive medical procedures to fix her nasal damage and reset her jaw. I agreed to foster her until she finally found a loving home." She is dedicated to making sure Theia gets the medical attention she needs, Mellado adds, and wants to "make sure she gets placed in a family where this will never happen to her again!" Any additional funds raised will be "paid forward" to help other animals. Theia is not the only animal to apparently rise from the grave in recent weeks. A cat in Tampa, Florida, found seemingly dead after he was hit by a car in January, showed up alive in a neighbor's yard five days after he was buried by his owner. The cat was in bad shape, with maggots covering open wounds on his body and a ruined left eye, but remarkably survived with the help of treatment from the Humane Society.

Theia, a bully breed mix, was apparently hit by a car, whacked with a hammer and buried in a field . "She's a true miracle dog and she deserves a good life," says Sara Mellado, who is looking for a home for Theia .


(CNN)If you've been following the news lately, there are certain things you doubtless know about Mohammad Javad Zarif. He is, of course, the Iranian foreign minister. He has been U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's opposite number in securing a breakthrough in nuclear discussions that could lead to an end to sanctions against Iran -- if the details can be worked out in the coming weeks. And he received a hero's welcome as he arrived in Iran on a sunny Friday morning. "Long live Zarif," crowds chanted as his car rolled slowly down the packed street. You may well have read that he is "polished" and, unusually for one burdened with such weighty issues, "jovial." An Internet search for "Mohammad Javad Zarif" and "jovial" yields thousands of results. He certainly has gone a long way to bring Iran in from the cold and allow it to rejoin the international community. But there are some facts about Zarif that are less well-known. Here are six: . In September 2013, Zarif tweeted "Happy Rosh Hashanah," referring to the Jewish New Year. That prompted Christine Pelosi, the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, to respond with a tweet of her own: "Thanks. The New Year would be even sweeter if you would end Iran's Holocaust denial, sir." And, perhaps to her surprise, Pelosi got a response. "Iran never denied it," Zarif tweeted back. "The man who was perceived to be denying it is now gone. Happy New Year." The reference was likely to former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had left office the previous month. Zarif was nominated to be foreign minister by Ahmadinejad's successor, Hassan Rouhami. His foreign ministry notes, perhaps defensively, that "due to the political and security conditions of the time, he decided to continue his education in the United States." That is another way of saying that he was outside the country during the demonstrations against the Shah of Iran, which began in 1977, and during the Iranian Revolution, which drove the shah from power in 1979. Zarif left the country in 1977, received his undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University in 1981, his master's in international relations from the University of Denver in 1984 and his doctorate from the University of Denver in 1988. Both of his children were born in the United States. The website of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which Zarif runs, cannot even agree with itself on when he was born. The first sentence of his official biography, perhaps in a nod to the powers that be in Tehran, says Zarif was "born to a religious traditional family in Tehran in 1959." Later on the same page, however, his date of birth is listed as January 8, 1960. And the Iranian Diplomacy website says he was born in in 1961 . So he is 54, 55 or maybe even 56. Whichever, he is still considerably younger than his opposite number, Kerry, who is 71. The feds investigated him over his alleged role in controlling the Alavi Foundation, a charitable organization. The U.S. Justice Department said the organization was secretly run on behalf of the Iranian government to launder money and get around U.S. sanctions. But last year, a settlement in the case, under which the foundation agreed to give a 36-story building in Manhattan along with other properties to the U.S. government, did not mention Zarif's name. Early in the Iranian Revolution, Zarif was among the students who took over the Iranian Consulate in San Francisco. The aim, says the website Iranian.com -- which cites Zarif's memoirs, titled "Mr. Ambassador" -- was to expel from the consulate people who were not sufficiently Islamic. Later, the website says, Zarif went to make a similar protest at the Iranian mission to the United Nations. In response, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations offered him a job. In fact, he has now spent more time with Kerry than any other foreign minister in the world. And that amount of quality time will only increase as the two men, with help from other foreign ministers as well, try to meet a June 30 deadline for nailing down the details of the agreement they managed to outline this week in Switzerland.

Mohammad Javad Zarif has spent more time with John Kerry than any other foreign minister . He once participated in a takeover of the Iranian Consulate in San Francisco . The Iranian foreign minister tweets in English .


(CNN)Five Americans who were monitored for three weeks at an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital after being exposed to Ebola in West Africa have been released, a Nebraska Medicine spokesman said in an email Wednesday. One of the five had a heart-related issue on Saturday and has been discharged but hasn't left the area, Taylor Wilson wrote. The others have already gone home. They were exposed to Ebola in Sierra Leone in March, but none developed the deadly virus. They are clinicians for Partners in Health, a Boston-based aid group. They all had contact with a colleague who was diagnosed with the disease and is being treated at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. As of Monday, that health care worker is in fair condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has said the last of 17 patients who were being monitored are expected to be released by Thursday. More than 10,000 people have died in a West African epidemic of Ebola that dates to December 2013, according to the World Health Organization. Almost all the deaths have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola is spread by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

17 Americans were exposed to the Ebola virus while in Sierra Leone in March . Another person was diagnosed with the disease and taken to hospital in Maryland . National Institutes of Health says the patient is in fair condition after weeks of treatment .


(CNN)A Duke student has admitted to hanging a noose made of rope from a tree near a student union, university officials said Thursday. The prestigious private school didn't identify the student, citing federal privacy laws. In a news release, it said the student was no longer on campus and will face student conduct review. The student was identified during an investigation by campus police and the office of student affairs and admitted to placing the noose on the tree early Wednesday, the university said. Officials are still trying to determine if other people were involved. Criminal investigations into the incident are ongoing as well. Students and faculty members marched Wednesday afternoon chanting "We are not afraid. We stand together,"  after pictures of the noose were passed around on social media. At a forum held on the steps of Duke Chapel, close to where the noose was discovered at 2 a.m., hundreds of people gathered. "You came here for the reason that you want to say with me, 'This is no Duke we will accept. This is no Duke we want. This is not the Duke we're here to experience. And this is not the Duke we're here to create,' " Duke President Richard Brodhead told the crowd. The incident is one of several recent racist events to affect college students. Last month a fraternity at the University of Oklahoma had its charter removed after a video surfaced showing members using the N-word and referring to lynching in a chant. Two students were expelled. In February, a noose was hung around the neck of a statue of a famous civil rights figure at the University of Mississippi. A statement issued by Duke said there was a previous report of hate speech directed at students on campus. In the news release, the vice president for student affairs called the noose incident a "cowardly act." "To whomever committed this hateful and stupid act, I just want to say that if your intent was to create fear, it will have the opposite effect," Larry Moneta said Wednesday. Duke University is a private college with about 15,000 students in Durham, North Carolina. CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

Student is no longer on Duke University campus and will face disciplinary review . School officials identified student during investigation and the person admitted to hanging the noose, Duke says . The noose, made of rope, was discovered on campus about 2 a.m.


(CNN)He's a blue chip college basketball recruit. She's a high school freshman with Down syndrome. At first glance Trey Moses and Ellie Meredith couldn't be more different. But all that changed Thursday when Trey asked Ellie to be his prom date. Trey -- a star on Eastern High School's basketball team in Louisville, Kentucky, who's headed to play college ball next year at Ball State -- was originally going to take his girlfriend to Eastern's prom. So why is he taking Ellie instead? "She's great... she listens and she's easy to talk to" he said. Trey made the prom-posal (yes, that's what they are calling invites to prom these days) in the gym during Ellie's P.E. class. Trina Helson, a teacher at Eastern, alerted the school's newspaper staff to the prom-posal and posted photos of Trey and Ellie on Twitter that have gone viral. She wasn't surpristed by Trey's actions. "That's the kind of person Trey is," she said. To help make sure she said yes, Trey entered the gym armed with flowers and a poster that read "Let's Party Like it's 1989," a reference to the latest album by Taylor Swift, Ellie's favorite singer. Trey also got the OK from Ellie's parents the night before via text. They were thrilled. "You just feel numb to those moments raising a special needs child,"  said Darla Meredith, Ellie's mom. "You first feel the need to protect and then to overprotect." Darla Meredith said Ellie has struggled with friendships since elementary school, but a special program at Eastern called Best Buddies had made things easier for her. She said Best Buddies cultivates friendships between students with and without developmental disabilities and prevents students like Ellie from feeling isolated and left out of social functions. "I guess around middle school is when kids started to care about what others thought," she said, but "this school, this year has been a relief." Trey's future coach at Ball State, James Whitford, said he felt great about the prom-posal, noting that Trey, whom he's known for a long time, often works with other kids . Trey's mother, Shelly Moses, was also proud of her son. "It's exciting to bring awareness to a good cause," she said. "Trey has worked pretty hard, and he's a good son." Both Trey and Ellie have a lot of planning to do. Trey is looking to take up special education as a college major, in addition to playing basketball in the fall. As for Ellie, she can't stop thinking about prom. "Ellie can't wait to go dress shopping" her mother said. "Because I've only told about a million people!" Ellie interjected.

College-bound basketball star asks girl with Down syndrome to high school prom . Pictures of the two during the "prom-posal" have gone viral .


(CNN)Governments around the world are using the threat of terrorism -- real or perceived -- to advance executions, Amnesty International alleges in its annual report on the death penalty. "The dark trend of governments using the death penalty in a futile attempt to tackle real or imaginary threats to state security and public safety was stark last year," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty's Secretary General in a release. "It is shameful that so many states around the world are essentially playing with people's lives -- putting people to death for 'terrorism' or to quell internal instability on the ill-conceived premise of deterrence." The report, "Death Sentences and Executions 2014," cites the example of Pakistan lifting a six-year moratorium on the execution of civilians following the horrific attack on a school in Peshawar in December. China is also mentioned, as having used the death penalty as a tool in its "Strike Hard" campaign against terrorism in the restive far-western province of Xinjiang. The annual report catalogs the use of state-sanctioned killing as a punitive measure across the globe, and this year's edition contains some mixed findings. On one hand, the number of executions worldwide has gone down by almost 22% on the previous year. At least 607 people were executed around the world in 2014, compared to 778 in 2013. Amnesty's figures do not include statistics on executions carried out in China, where information on the practice is regarded as a state secret. Belarus and Vietnam, too, do not release data on death penalty cases. "The long-term trend is definitely positive -- we are seeing a decrease in the number of executions (worldwide)," Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty's Director of Global Issues, told CNN. "A number of countries are closer to abolition, and there are some signs that some countries will be abolitionist by 2015. (There are) signals of a world that is nearing abolition." While the report notes some encouraging signs, it also highlights a marked increase in the number of people sentenced to death in 2014. At least 2,466 people globally are confirmed to have been handed the sentence last year, an increase of 28% compared with 2013. The report notes that the spike in sentencing is attributable to mass-sentencing in countries including Egypt and Nigeria, "against scores of people in some cases." The organization found "positive developments" worldwide, with most regions seeming to show reductions in the number of executions. Opinion: Sharp spike in death sentences . Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, saw a 28% fall in reported cases, and executions recorded in the Middle East and North Africa were down 23% compared to 2013. "Even though we've highlighted some of the negative developments... I think we would always highlight that there are positive developments," Gaughran said. "Across the board, with the exception of Europe and Central Asia there were fewer reports of executions in every region." The resumption of the use of capital punishment in Belarus -- the only country in Europe and Central Asia to execute people -- after a two year hiatus spoiled an near-universal decrease in countries using the death penalty by region. The United States has the dubious distinction of being the only country in the Americas to conduct executions, but the number of convicts put to death here fell slightly, from 39 in 2013 to 35 in 2014. The state of Washington also imposed a moratorium on executions last year. The U.S. remains one of the worst offenders for imposing capital punishment, with only Iran (289+), Iraq (61+), and Saudi Arabia (90+) executing more people in 2014. While figures are not available, Amnesty estimates that China also executes "thousands" of prisoners each year, "more than the rest of the world put together." The report also highlights the imperfections in the judiciary processes that lead to many sentenced to death. "In the majority of countries where people were sentenced to death or executed, the death penalty was imposed after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards," the report stated. "In 2014 Amnesty International raised particular concerns in relation to court proceedings in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka." The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, last year stressed the need to move toward abolition of capital punishment. "The taking of life is too irreversible for one human being to inflict it on another," he said, in marking World Day against Death Penalty in October. "We must continue to argue strongly that the death penalty is unjust and incompatible with fundamental human rights." Amnesty estimates that at least 19,094 people were believed to be on death row at the end of 2014.

Amnesty's annual death penalty report catalogs encouraging signs, but setbacks in numbers of those sentenced to death . Organization claims that governments around the world are using the threat of terrorism to advance executions . The number of executions worldwide has gone down by almost 22% compared with 2013, but death sentences up by 28% .


(CNN)Andrew Getty, one of the heirs to billions of oil money, appears to have died of natural causes, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said. The coroner's preliminary assessment is there was no foul play involved in the death of Getty, grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, said Detective Meghan Aguilar. Andrew Getty, 47, had "several health issues," Aguilar said, adding that an autopsy will be conducted. There is no criminal investigation underway, he said. Some medication had also been recovered from Getty's home, though investigators don't know whether Getty was taking it or what his medical history was, Ed Winter, assistant chief in the Los Angeles County coroner's office, told CNN affiliate KTLA Tuesday night. KTLA reported that Getty was found on his side near a bathroom in his home. Getty's parents, Ann and Gordon Getty, released a statement confirming their son's death and asking for privacy. Where the Getty family fortune came from . Gordon Getty is one of three living sons of J. Paul Getty, the oil baron who was thought to be the richest man in the world at the time of his death in 1976. Gordon Getty, 81, has a net worth of $2.1 billion, according to Forbes. One other son died in 1958 and another died in 1973. Gordon Getty spearheaded the controversial sale of Getty to Texaco for $10 billion in 1984. In its list of richest American families, Forbes estimated the Gettys' net worth to be about $5 billion. Court records show Andrew Getty had recently filed to get a restraining order against an ex-girlfriend. A hearing in the case had been scheduled for next week. In his request, Getty said he had been diagnosed with a serious medical condition in 2013. "A rise in my blood pressure places me in grave risk of substantial and irreparable injury or death," he wrote in the petition. "My doctors have advised that heated arguments can cause my blood pressure to rise dangerously." Andrew Getty had three brothers and three half-sisters. People we've lost in 2015 . CNN's Doug Criss, Janet DiGiacomo, Mark Mooney, Mike Love, Julie In and Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.

Andrew Getty's death appears to be from natural causes, police say, citing coroner's early assessment . In a petition for a restraining order, Getty had written he had a serious medical condition. Police say this is not a criminal matter at this time .


(CNN)Filipinos are being warned to be on guard for flash floods and landslides as tropical storm Maysak approached the Asian island nation Saturday. Just a few days ago, Maysak gained super typhoon status thanks to its sustained 150 mph winds. It has since lost a lot of steam as it has spun west in the Pacific Ocean. It's now classified as a tropical storm, according to the Philippine national weather service, which calls it a different name, Chedeng. It boasts steady winds of more than 70 mph (115 kph) and gusts up to 90 mph as of 5 p.m. (5 a.m. ET) Saturday. Still, that doesn't mean Maysak won't pack a wallop. Authorities took preemptive steps to keep people safe such as barring outdoor activities like swimming, surfing, diving and boating in some locales, as well as a number of precautionary evacuations. Gabriel Llave, a disaster official, told PNA that tourists who arrive Saturday in and around the coastal town of Aurora "will not be accepted by the owners of hotels, resorts, inns and the like ... and will be advised to return to their respective places." Aldczar Aurelio, a meteorologist with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the storm was centered 200 miles southwest of Aurora province as of 5 p.m. (5 a.m. ET) and heading west at a 12.5 mph clip. It's expected to make landfall Sunday morning on the southeastern coast of Isabela province and be out of the Philippines by Monday. Ahead of the storm. Isabela Gov. Faustino Dry III warned Saturday that residents should act as if this will be "no ordinary typhoon." Dry told PNA, "We do not know what the impact will be once it will make landfall."

Once a super typhoon, Maysak is now a tropical storm with 70 mph winds . It could still cause flooding, landslides and other problems in the Philippines .


(CNN)For the first time in eight years, a TV legend returned to doing what he does best. Contestants told to "come on down!" on the April 1 edition of "The Price Is Right" encountered not host Drew Carey but another familiar face in charge of the proceedings. Instead, there was Bob Barker, who hosted the TV game show for 35 years before stepping down in 2007. Looking spry at 91, Barker handled the first price-guessing game of the show, the classic "Lucky Seven," before turning hosting duties over to Carey, who finished up. Despite being away from the show for most of the past eight years, Barker didn't seem to miss a beat.

Bob Barker returned to host "The Price Is Right" on Wednesday . Barker, 91, had retired as host in 2007 .


London (CNN)A 19-year-old man was charged Wednesday with terror offenses after he was arrested as he returned to Britain from Turkey, London's Metropolitan Police said. Yahya Rashid, a UK national from northwest London, was detained at Luton airport on Tuesday after he arrived on a flight from Istanbul, police said. He's been charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism, and with engaging in conduct with the intention of assisting others to commit acts of terrorism. Both charges relate to the period between November 1 and March 31. Rashid is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, police said. CNN's Lindsay Isaac contributed to this report.

London's Metropolitan Police say the man was arrested at Luton airport after landing on a flight from Istanbul . He's been charged with terror offenses allegedly committed since the start of November .


(CNN)Paul Walker is hardly the first actor to die during a production. But Walker's death in November 2013 at the age of 40 after a car crash was especially eerie given his rise to fame in the "Fast and Furious" film franchise. The release of "Furious 7" on Friday offers the opportunity for fans to remember -- and possibly grieve again -- the man that so many have praised as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. "He was a person of humility, integrity, and compassion," military veteran Kyle Upham said in an email to CNN. Walker secretly paid for the engagement ring Upham shopped for with his bride. "We didn't know him personally but this was apparent in the short time we spent with him. I know that we will never forget him and he will always be someone very special to us," said Upham. The actor was on break from filming "Furious 7" at the time of the fiery accident, which also claimed the life of the car's driver, Roger Rodas. Producers said early on that they would not kill off Walker's character, Brian O'Connor, a former cop turned road racer. Instead, the script was rewritten and special effects were used to finish scenes, with Walker's brothers, Cody and Caleb, serving as body doubles. There are scenes that will resonate with the audience -- including the ending, in which the filmmakers figured out a touching way to pay tribute to Walker while "retiring" his character. At the premiere Wednesday night in Hollywood, Walker's co-star and close friend Vin Diesel gave a tearful speech before the screening, saying "This movie is more than a movie." "You'll feel it when you see it," Diesel said. "There's something emotional that happens to you, where you walk out of this movie and you appreciate everyone you love because you just never know when the last day is you're gonna see them." There have been multiple tributes to Walker leading up to the release. Diesel revealed in an interview with the "Today" show that he had named his newborn daughter after Walker. Social media has also been paying homage to the late actor. A week after Walker's death, about 5,000 people attended an outdoor memorial to him in Los Angeles. Most had never met him. Marcus Coleman told CNN he spent almost $1,000 to truck in a banner from Bakersfield for people to sign at the memorial. "It's like losing a friend or a really close family member ... even though he is an actor and we never really met face to face," Coleman said. "Sitting there, bringing his movies into your house or watching on TV, it's like getting to know somebody. It really, really hurts." Walker's younger brother Cody told People magazine that he was initially nervous about how "Furious 7" would turn out, but he is happy with the film. "It's bittersweet, but I think Paul would be proud," he said. CNN's Paul Vercammen contributed to this report.

"Furious 7" pays tribute to star Paul Walker, who died during filming . Vin Diesel: "This movie is more than a movie" "Furious 7" opens Friday .


(CNN)Seventy years ago, Anne Frank died of typhus in a Nazi concentration camp at the age of 15. Just two weeks after her supposed death on March 31, 1945, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she had been imprisoned was liberated -- timing that showed how close the Jewish diarist had been to surviving the Holocaust. But new research released by the Anne Frank House shows that Anne and her older sister, Margot Frank, died at least a month earlier than previously thought. Researchers re-examined archives of the Red Cross, the International Training Service and the Bergen-Belsen Memorial, along with testimonies of survivors. They concluded that Anne and Margot probably did not survive to March 1945 -- contradicting the date of death which had previously been determined by Dutch authorities. In 1944, Anne and seven others hiding in the Amsterdam secret annex were arrested and sent to the  Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Anne Frank's final entry . That same year, Anne and Margot were separated from their mother and sent away to work as slave labor at the Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany. Days at the camp were filled with terror and dread, witnesses said. The sisters stayed in a section of the overcrowded camp with no lighting, little water and no latrine. They slept on lice-ridden straw and violent storms shredded the tents, according to the researchers. Like the other prisoners, the sisters endured long hours at roll call. Her classmate, Nannette Blitz, recalled seeing Anne there in December 1944: "She was no more than a skeleton by then. She was wrapped in a blanket; she couldn't bear to wear her clothes anymore because they were crawling with lice." Listen to Anne Frank's friends describe her concentration camp experience . As the Russians advanced further, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp became even more crowded, bringing more disease. A deadly typhus outbreak caused thousands to die each day. Typhus is an infectious disease caused by lice that breaks out in places with poor hygiene. The disease causes high fever, chills and skin eruptions. "Because of the lice infesting the bedstraw and her clothes, Anne was exposed to the main carrier of epidemic typhus for an extended period," museum researchers wrote. They concluded that it's unlikely the sisters survived until March, because witnesses at the camp said the sisters both had symptoms before February 7. "Most deaths caused by typhus occur around twelve days after the first symptoms appear," wrote  authors Erika Prins and Gertjan Broek. The exact dates of death for Anne and Margot remain unclear. Margot died before Anne. "Anne never gave up hope," said Blitz, her friend. "She was absolutely convinced she would survive." Her diary endures as one of the world's most popular books. Read more about Anne Frank's cousin, a keeper of her legacy .

Museum: Anne Frank died earlier than previously believed . Researchers re-examined archives and testimonies of survivors . Anne and older sister Margot Frank are believed to have died in February 1945 .


(CNN)If you're famous and performing the American national anthem, be prepared to become a national hero or a national disgrace. Facts are facts.  Just ask Vince, Whitney, Roseanne, Jimi and Michael. Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil reminded us again this week of the dangers of tackling "The Star-Spangled Banner." Sure, he can shred it on "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood," but this is a different story -- a completely different story. To say Neil butchered the song before the Las Vegas Outlaws Arena Football League game would be unkind to those in the profession.  There's less carnage when butchers are done with their work. The late Whitney Houston set the modern standard for the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV.  In the early stages of the Gulf War in 1991, a patriotic America saluted her performance. Just six months earlier, comedian Roseanne Barr may have established the low-water mark. The crowd at the San Diego Padres game booed her rendition and President George H. W. Bush called it "disgraceful." There's nothing quite like getting the presidential thumbs down. One of the most controversial and beloved versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" comes from 1969. Guitar slinger Jimi Hendrix inflamed mainstream America with his psychedelic take on the national anthem to the delight of the Woodstock generation. And then there's Michael Bolton's version.  Overly wrought songs are his specialty and he doesn't disappoint in that department when he sings at the American League Championship Series in 2003.  Bolton belts it out, but there's one little problem -- the words.  Can anyone say crib notes?

Singing the national anthem is a risky proposition . Whitney Houston nailed it; Roseanne Barr destroyed it .


(CNN)On May 28, 2014, some 7,000 people gathered in a stadium in China's northwestern Xinjiang region. But they had not come to watch the local football team or any other grand sporting event. Instead, the authorities paraded scores of prisoners dressed in orange jumpsuits. Armed soldiers guarded the exits. In the patently unfair, open air trial that followed, 55 people were found guilty of a range of offenses linked to violent attacks in the region and jailed. Three were sentenced to death. The public mass sentencing was part a China's "Strike Hard" campaign against unrest in Xinjiang, a campaign the government claims was launched to combat "terrorism" and "separatism." But it was also indicative of a trend that was starkly evident last year around the world -- governments using the death penalty in a misguided, and often cynical, attempt to tackle crime and terrorism. Today, Amnesty International releases its annual review of the death penalty worldwide.  Much of it makes for grim reading. In Pakistan, the government lifted a six-year moratorium on the execution of civilians in the wake of the horrific Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar in December. More than 60 people have been put to death since, and the government has threatened to send thousands more death row prisoners to the gallows.  Iran and Iraq executed people for "terrorism," and other countries expanded the scope of capital crimes in their penal codes. In a year when abhorrent summary executions by armed groups were branded on the global consciousness as never before, governments are themselves resorting to more executions in a knee-jerk reaction to terrorism. Other countries made use of executions in similarly flawed attempts to address -- or appear to address -- crime rates. Jordan ended an eight-year moratorium in December, putting 11 murder convicts to death, with the government saying it was a move to end a surge in violent crime.  In Indonesia, authorities announced plans to execute mainly drug traffickers to tackle a public safety "national emergency." Six people have already been executed this year. A sharp spike in death sentences recorded in 2014 -- up more than 500 on the previous year -- can also be attributed to governments using the death penalty as a political tool.  The rise was largely because of developments in Egypt and Nigeria, where courts imposed hundreds of death sentences in the context of internal political instability or crime and armed conflict. The simple fact is that governments using the death penalty to tackle crime and security threats are deceiving themselves or the public or both. There is no evidence that the threat of execution is more of a deterrent to crime than a prison sentence, as United Nations and other studies have repeatedly confirmed. It is high time that world leaders stop using the death penalty as an easy way out when times get tough. At Amnesty International, we have campaigned for an end to the death penalty for decades. Thankfully, most of the world now appears to agree with us. The numbers speak for themselves. In 1945 when the United Nations was founded, only eight countries had abolished the death penalty. Today, 140 states are abolitionist in law or practice. Last year, we recorded executions in 22 countries, down by almost a half from 20 years ago. Despite the troubling developments we recorded last year, there was still much good news to be found. The number of executions recorded around the world dropped significantly in 2014 compared with the previous year, from 778 to 607. This number does not include China, where more people are put to death than the rest of the world put together, but with death penalty statistics treated as a state secret, the true figure is impossible to determine. Executions were recorded in only three countries in sub-Saharan Africa -- Equatorial Guinea, Somalia and Sudan -- and the number of people put to death went down by more than a quarter. The Americas continued to be execution-free, apart from the United States. Those governments that still execute need to realize that they are on the wrong side of history. They must join the vast majority of countries which have dropped the ultimate cruel punishment. Fighting for an end to the death penalty remains an uphill task, but all of us must try to make the world free of this punishment. With determination, I know that we can achieve this goal.

Amnesty International releases its annual review of the death penalty worldwide; much of it makes for grim reading . Salil Shetty: Countries that use executions to deal with problems are on the wrong side of history .


(CNN)Michele Bachmann is comparing President Obama to the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings flight. "With his Iran deal, Barack Obama is for the 300 million souls of the United States what Andreas Lubitz was for the 150 souls on the German Wings flight - a deranged pilot flying his entire nation into the rocks," the Minnesota Republican and former representative wrote in a Facebook comment posted March 31. "After the fact, among the smoldering remains of American cities, the shocked survivors will ask, why did he do it?" Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525, is accused by authorities of deliberately crashing the plane in the French Alps. He died in the crash along with 149 other crew and passengers. The motive of the March 24 crash is under investigation, though investigators are looking in to whether Lubitz feared a medical condition would cause him to lose his pilot's license. Many comments posted on her Facebook page blasted the former representative. Melissa Coca wrote, "Comparing this tragedy to anything is moronic and despicable." Michael J Pristash wrote, "Your allusion is so inappropriate and divisive, not to mention disrespectful on so many levels. Shame on you." Some also accused her of taking desperate measures to stay in the public eye. Lynda Anderson wrote, "Posting outrageous things in a pathetic attempt to stay relevant?" Negotiations are coming down to the wire between Iran, the United States and other nations on restricting Tehran's nuclear program to prevent the ability to develop an atomic bomb. One deadline passed Tuesday, but there is a June 30 deadline for a comprehensive deal -- with all technical and diplomatic impasses fully worked out. Bachmann is no stranger to voicing her opinion on the President's dealing with Iran, personally telling him to "bomb Iran" during the 2014 White House Christmas Party. "I turned to the president and I said, something to the effect of, 'Mr. President, you need to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities, because if you don't, Iran will have a nuclear weapon on your watch and the course of world history will change,'" she told the Washington Free Beacon. The congresswoman, who sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, said Obama had a "condescending smile on his face and laughed at me." She said he told her: "Well Michele, it's just not that easy."

Former GOP representative compares President Obama to Andreas Lubitz . Bachmann said with possible Iran deal, Obama will fly "entire nation into the rocks" Reaction on social media? She was blasted by Facebook commenters .


(CNN)The United States and its negotiating partners reached a very strong framework agreement with Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday that limits Iran's nuclear program in such a way as to effectively block it from building a nuclear weapon. Expect pushback anyway, if the recent past is any harbinger. Just last month, in an attempt to head off such an agreement, House Speaker John Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to preemptively blast it before Congress, and 47 senators sent a letter to the Iranian leadership warning them away from a deal. The debate that has already begun since the announcement of the new framework will likely result in more heat than light. It will not be helped by the gathering swirl of dubious assumptions and doubtful assertions. Let us address some of these: . The most misleading assertion, despite universal rejection by experts, is that the negotiations' objective at the outset was the total elimination of any nuclear program in Iran. That is the position of Netanyahu and his acolytes in the U.S. Congress. But that is not and never was the objective. If it had been, there would have been no Iranian team at the negotiating table. Rather, the objective has always been to structure an agreement or series of agreements so that Iran could not covertly develop a nuclear arsenal before the United States and its allies could respond. The new framework has exceeded expectations in achieving that goal. It would reduce Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile, cut by two-thirds its number of installed centrifuges and implement a rigorous inspection regime. Another dubious assumption of opponents is that the Iranian nuclear program is a covert weapons program. Despite sharp accusations by some in the United States and its allies, Iran denies having such a program, and U.S. intelligence contends that Iran has not yet made the decision to build a nuclear weapon. Iran's continued cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency inspections is further evidence on this point, and we'll know even more about Iran's program in the coming months and years because of the deal. In fact, the inspections provisions that are part of this agreement are designed to protect against any covert action by the Iranians. What's more, the rhetoric of some members of Congress has implied that the negotiations have been between only the United States and Iran (i.e., the 47 senators' letter warning that a deal might be killed by Congress or a future president). This of course is not the case. The talks were between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia) plus Germany, dubbed the P5+1. While the United States has played a leading role in the effort, it negotiated the terms alongside its partners. If the agreement reached by the P5+1 is rejected by Congress, it could result in an unraveling of the sanctions on Iran and threaten NATO cohesion in other areas. Another questionable assertion is that this agreement contains a sunset clause, after which Iran will be free to do as it pleases. Again, this is not the case. Some of the restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities, such as uranium enrichment, will be eased or eliminated over time, as long as 15 years. But most importantly, the framework agreement includes Iran's ratification of the Additional Protocol, which allows IAEA inspectors expanded access to nuclear sites both declared and nondeclared. This provision will be permanent. It does not sunset. Thus, going forward, if Iran decides to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels, monitors will be able to detect such a move in a matter of days and alert the U.N. Security Council. Many in Congress have said that the agreement should be a formal treaty requiring the Senate to "advise and consent." But the issue is not suited for a treaty. Treaties impose equivalent obligations on all signatories. For example, the New START treaty limits Russia and the United States to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads. But any agreement with Iran will not be so balanced.  The restrictions and obligations in the final framework agreement will be imposed almost exclusively on Iran. The P5+1 are obligated only to ease and eventually remove most but not all economic sanctions, which were imposed as leverage to gain this final deal. Finally some insist that any agreement must address Iranian missile programs, human rights violations or support for Hamas or Hezbollah.  As important as these issues are, and they must indeed be addressed, they are unrelated to the most important aim of a nuclear deal: preventing a nuclear Iran.  To include them in the negotiations would be a poison pill. This agreement should be judged on its merits and on how it affects the security of our negotiating partners and allies, including Israel. Those judgments should be fact-based, not based on questionable assertions or dubious assumptions.

Richard Klass: Iran framework agreement on nukes is strong, but opponents will cast doubts on this and try to obscure its facts . He says the deal would cut uranium stockpile, centrifuges, implement rigorous inspections; it should be judged on merits, not disinformation .


(CNN)The FBI charged a Philadelphia woman on Thursday with trying to travel overseas to fight for ISIS. She's one of three women arrested this week on terror charges. Two New York women were also taken into custody. An FBI complaint cites numerous social media messages dating back to August 2013 that were sent by Keonna Thomas, 30, also known as "Young Lioness" and "Fatayat Al Khilafah." One Twitter message said, "If we truly knew the realities ... we all would be rushing to join our brothers in the front lines pray ALLAH accept us as shuhada [martyrs]." Another said, "When you're a mujahid [violent jihadi fighter] your death becomes a wedding." The FBI said Thomas purchased an electronic visa to Turkey on March 23. Turkey is known as the easiest place from which to enter Syria and join ISIS. An ISIS manual advises recruits to buy round-trip tickets to vacation spots such as Spain and then purchase tickets for their real destination once they arrive overseas, the FBI said. On March 26, Thomas purchased a ticket to Barcelona, with a March 29 departure and an April 15 return to the United States, the complaint said. It's not clear when or where she was arrested. She was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. She could be sentenced to 15 years in prison. On Thursday, Noelle Velentzas, 28, and her former roommate, Asia Siddiqui, 31, were arrested in New York and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the United States, federal prosecutors said. In the past 18 months, the Justice Department's National Security Division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups. Of those cases, 18 allegedly involve support to ISIS. "The terrorist threat is more decentralized, more diffuse, more complicated," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters Thursday. "It involves the potential lone wolf actor, it involves the effective use of social media, the Internet."

The FBI cites social media messages sent by Keonna Thomas, 30 . She's accused of trying to travel overseas to join ISIS . Thomas is one of three women facing federal terror charges this week .


(CNN)Since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, women have been barred from attending most sports events involving men. But the situation appears set to improve in the coming months after a top Iranian sports official said that the ban will be lifted for some events. A plan to allow "women and families" to enter sports stadiums will come into effect in the next year, Deputy Sports Minister Abdolhamid Ahmadi said Saturday, according to state-run media. But it isn't clear exactly which games women will be able to attend. According to the state-run Press TV, Ahmadi said the restrictions would be lifted for indoor sports events. The rules won't change for all matches because some sports are mainly related to men and "families are not interested in attending" them, Press TV cited him as saying. Iranian authorities imposed the ban on women attending men's sports events after the revolution, deeming that mixed crowds watching games together was un-Islamic. During the ensuing decades, the crowds at soccer games, Iran's most popular sport, have been all male. Iranian women were briefly permitted to attend volleyball matches under the moderate President Mohammad Khatami, but the ban was reinstated in 2005 after the more hard-line Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power. The Iranian government has come under pressure from international sports officials over the restrictions. FIFA President Sepp Blatter called on Iran last month to end its "intolerable" ban on women attending soccer matches, saying the situation "cannot continue." Iran had been in the running to host the 2019 edition of soccer's Asian Cup, but the tournament was awarded to the United Arab Emirates. The ban on women attending matches was widely seen as a major impediment to Iran's chances of securing the event. The ban came under the spotlight at the Asian Cup in Australia earlier this year, when thousands of female Iranian fans watched their soccer team without restriction. During the match against Iraq, activists called for the ban to end and unfurled a banner showing the face of Ghoncheh Ghavami, a British-Iranian woman detained in Iran last year while trying to watch a volleyball match. Iranian officials have denied that Ghavami was arrested for attending the volleyball game, saying she was taken into custody for "anti-Iran activities." The news agency Reuters reported that she was recently pardoned by the Court of Appeal. CNN's Annie Ramos contributed to this report.

Iranian sports official: The ban will be lifted for some events in the coming year . But he says "families are not interested in attending" some sports matches .


(CNN)When singer Avril Lavigne went missing from the music scene, there was tons of speculation. Was she pregnant? In rehab? Going through a split from her husband, Nickelback front man Chad Kroeger? Focus on the mystery intensified in December after a fan Twitter account posted a direct message from Lavigne when she solicited prayers, saying she was "having some health issues." Now the Canadian singer has revealed to People magazine that she was bedridden for five months after contracting Lyme disease. "I felt like I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, and I couldn't move," she told the magazine. "I thought I was dying." Lyme disease: What you should know . Lavigne believes that she was bitten by a tick last spring. What followed was months of lightheadedness and lethargy that doctors were initially unable to diagnose. The 30-year-old performer said she recuperated in her Ontario home, where her husband would use tour breaks to care for her and her mother moved in to assist. "There were definitely times I couldn't shower for a full week because I could barely stand," she told People. "It felt like having all your life sucked out of you." Opinion: Why you should be afraid of Lyme disease . After her direct message about her health went viral, Lavigne was inundated with concern from fans. "The get-well messages and videos they sent touched me so deeply," she said. Now declaring herself "80 percent better," Lavigne is releasing a new single this month to support the 2015 Special Olympics and says that being ill was a "wake-up call" that has given her a new perspective. "I really just want to enjoy life from here on out," she said.

The singer had been off the scene for a while . She says she was bedridden for months . Lavigne was sometimes too weak to shower .


(CNN)A trip to a former heavyweight champ's gaudy, abandoned mansion. The tallest and fastest "giga-coaster" in the world. A dramatic interview with a famed spiritual leader -- and the tearful reaction by one of his former students. These are some of the best videos of the week: . In the 1980s and '90s -- before he moved to Vegas and started keeping tigers as pets -- former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson lived in a Southington, Ohio, mansion. The home featured an indoor swimming pool, a marble-and-gold Jacuzzi (with mirrored ceiling, naturally) and an entertainment room large enough for small concerts. Tyson sold the house in 1999; it's due to become, of all things, a church. The video can be seen at the top of this story. Not a fan of roller coasters? You may want to skip the next video -- but for the rest of us, the thrill of watching is the next best thing to being there. The Fury 325 can be found at Carowinds amusement part in Charlotte, North Carolina. Watch the video: . In a CNN exclusive, Alisyn Camerota looked into allegations that Bikram yoga creator Bikram Choudhury sexually assaulted six former students. "He's a person who's based a lot of truths on a lot of lies," said Sarah Baughn, who alleges that Choudhury sexually assaulted her. Watch the video: . CNN's Karl Penhaul spoke to a shepherd who witnessed the final seconds of Germanwings Flight 9525, which crashed in the French Alps last week. "I saw the plane heading down along the valley and I said, 'My God, it's going to hit the mountain,' " Jean Varrieras told Penhaul. "I ducked my head. ... Then after that, I saw the smoke." Watch the video: . Magician and comedian Penn Jillette was part of a panel speaking to CNN's Don Lemon about the controversial Indiana religious freedom law. Jillette, an avowed atheist and libertarian, noted "we are not talking about forcing people to engage in gay sex, or even endorse gay sex." His provocative opening led to an energetic back-and-forth with the Alliance Defending Freedom's Kristen Waggoner and the ACLU's Rita Sklar. Watch the video: . A professor of physics at a British university asked 100 people to create a composite with facial features they thought were beautiful -- and then asked another 100 to rate their attractiveness. You'll never guess what celebrities best fit the model. Watch the video: .

Here are six of CNN's best videos of the week . Clips include a look at Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion .


Washington (CNN)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the deal six world powers struck to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions, saying he sees better options than "this bad deal or war." "I think there's a third alternative, and that is standing firm, ratcheting up the pressure until you get a better deal," Netanyahu told CNN's Jim Acosta Sunday on "State of the Union." His comments come as Democrats and Republicans spar over the framework announced last week to lift Western sanctions on Iran in exchange for the country dropping from 19,000 to 5,060 active centrifuges, limiting its highly enriched uranium, and increasing inspections. President Barack Obama endorsed the deal, saying it was better than the alternatives. But GOP contenders for the party's 2016 presidential nomination lambasted it, saying it gave Iran too much flexibility. On Sunday, the sparring continued. One Senate Democrat said Netanyahu needs to "contain himself." And a top Republican said almost any of Obama's successors as president "could do better." Netanyahu's most recent argument against the Iran nuclear deal was similar to the one he'd made in a March trip to Washington, when he addressed a joint session of Congress -- fueling a Republican push to have the deal sent to Congress before it's implemented. "It does not roll back Iran's nuclear program. It keeps a vast nuclear infrastructure in place. Not a single centrifuge is destroyed. Not a single nuclear facility is shut down, including the underground facilities that they built illicitly. Thousands of centrifuges will keep spinning, enriching uranium," Netanyahu said Sunday. "That's a very bad deal. " Netanyahu said Iran is a country of "congenital cheating" and that it can't be trusted to abide by the terms of the deal, which lasts 10 years with some provisions extending well beyond that. He said his opposition has little to do with his frosty relationship with Obama. "I think that we can have a legitimate difference of opinion on this, because I think Iran has shown to be completely distrustful," Netanyahu said. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, meanwhile, said she wishes Netanyahu "would contain himself." The top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee said negotiators working on the deal -- from Iran and the United States, as well as Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- are "on the cusp of something that can be workable." "It's a framework. It has to be wrapped into a final agreement. There still can be some changes," Feinstein said. "But I don't think it's helpful for Israel to come out and oppose this one opportunity to change a major dynamic -- which is downhill, a downhill dynamic in this part of the world." Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz defended the deal in an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, saying it would extend from two months to one year the "breakout" time period -- the length of time it would take Iran to build a nuclear bomb. He said it also allows for the "almost instantaneous recognition of any attempt to evade the deal." "We have blocked all of these pathways to a bomb," he said. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said on "Face the Nation" that the best option for the United States is to keep current sanctions in place for two more years and then have a "new crack at it with a new president that doesn't have the baggage of Obama." And he said the alternatives to Obama on both sides -- with the exception of Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who's called for a less active U.S. role overseas -- would likely strike a better deal. "Hillary Clinton would do better. I think everybody on our side, except, maybe, Rand Paul, could do better," Graham said.

Netanyahu says third option is "standing firm" to get a better deal . Political sparring continues in U.S. over the deal with Iran .


(CNN)Standing up for what you believe. What does it cost you? What do you gain? Memories Pizza in the Indiana town of Walkerton is finding out. The family-run restaurant finds itself at the center of the debate over the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act after its owners said they'd refuse to cater a same-sex couple's wedding. "If a gay couple was to come and they wanted us to bring pizzas to their wedding, we'd have to say no," Crystal O'Connor told CNN affiliate WBND-TV in South Bend. The statement struck at the heart of fears by critics, who said the new law would allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians. They called for boycotts. But supporters also rallied. And by the end of the week, they had donated more than $842,000 for the business. Social media unloaded on the pizzeria in the community of 2,100 people that few folks outside northern Indiana knew existed before this week. RiskyLiberal tweeted: "Dear #MemoriesPizza. No. My boycotting your business because I don't like your religious bigotry is not a violation of your freedom to practice your religion." "Don't threaten #MemoriesPizza" tweeted Aღanda. "Just mock them for their ignorance." Bad reviews flooded the restaurant's Facebook page, most having little to do with the quality of the food.  Many too vulgar to share. "Do you really want to financially support a company that treats some of your fellow citizens like second class citizens? BOYCOTT MEMORIES PIZZA!!" said Rob Katz of Indianapolis.  "Let's hope they either rethink their policy or the free market puts them out of business." Anti-bigotry critics harass wrong pizzeria . But one outburst in particular shut down the restaurant Wednesday and was expected to do the same Thursday. "Who's going to Walkerton with me to burn down Memories Pizza?" Jessica Dooley of Goshen tweeted, according to the Walkerton Police Department. The account has been deleted since the tweet was posted. Detectives who investigated have recommended charges of harassment, intimidation and threats, according to Charles Kulp, assistant police chief. The mood was a bit more subdued on the streets of Walkerton. A man stood outside Memories simply holding a sign that reads "bigots." Jason Narducy bought $100 of pizza from another shop down the street and started handing it out, WBND reported. "Do you want some non-discriminatory pizza?" Narducy asked. But for every tweet and Facebook post taking Memories Pizza to task were words of support and a groundswell of financial support. "Because nothing says tolerance like threatening to kill Christians & burn down their businesses," said a tweet from Victor Nikki. "What's happening to #MemoriesPizza isn't the free market, it's a lynch mob," tweeted Savannah. "Cyber bulling isn't the same as taking your business elsewhere." Supporters rallied to a GoFundMe page in support of Memories Pizza. By the time the fundraiser ended late Friday, $842,387 had been raised. The purpose of the campaign is "to relieve the financial loss endured by the proprietors' stand for faith," according to  Lawrence Billy Jones II, the man who started it. For the O'Connors their stand was no pie in the sky dream. It wasn't calculated but was spurred by their beliefs, they told WBND. "That's a lifestyle that you choose. I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual," Kevin O'Connor told the TV station. "You can't beat me over the head with something they choose to be." Faced with threats against business, they're still weighing the cost. CNN's Rob Frehse and Melanie Whitley contributed to this report.

Indiana town's Memories Pizza is shut down after online threat . Its owners say they'd refuse to cater a same-sex couple's wedding .


(CNN)Police in the Indian city of Malegaon, in the western state of Maharashtra, are requiring identity cards for an unusual group of residents: Cattle. Following a recent state-wide ban on the sale and consumption of beef, authorities in the city have asked residents to take a 'mugshot' of their cattle and submit it to the police. Along with the photograph, the residents have to give information about their animal's 'unique features,' such as the coloring and age of the cow, along with the length of its tail and other distinctive characteristics. Police officials believe this is the only way to solve cow slaughter cases and enforce the law. Cows are considered holy and revered by that state's majority Hindu population. "We are creating a database. If we get an information of a cow slaughter, we can quickly go to the resident's place and check whether it is there or not", Mahesh Sawai, Deputy Superintendent of Malegaon Police told CNN. "I believe this will be very effective" So far over 100 owners have complied with the police order and more are lining up outside police stations across the city to get their livestock photographed. The ruling came in the wake of a recent case of cow slaughter in Malegaon, where two men have been charged for killing the animal and and selling its meat. The Maharashtra Animal Preservation Bill now includes bans on the killing of bulls and bullocks in its list of non-bailable offenses. Even the consumption or sale of beef could now land you in prison for five years. The slaughter of buffaloes, however, is still permissible. However, beef traders in the country strongly reacted to the decision and called a month-long strike, which ended Wednesday. The traders refused to even slaughter buffaloes and deprive the state of all bovine meat. They have now vowed to file a case in the state's high court. Red meat lovers weren't too delighted either, arguing the government doesn't have a right to interfere in an individual's personal preference. Maharashtra is not the only Indian state to tighten its laws on cow slaughter. Haryana state has implemented a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, the toughest penalty in the country. Rajnath Singh, India's Home Minister has promised that he would do all to devise a country-wide law against cow slaughter.

Authorities in the Indian city of Malegaon have asked residents to take a 'mugshot' of their cattle . Cows are revered by the majority Hindu population, and many parts of the country have laws banning the slaughter of cattle . Officials in Malegaon believe this is the best way to solve cow slaughter cases and enforce the law .


(CNN)The world's biggest and most powerful physics experiment is taking place as you read this. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a particle accelerator and the largest machine in the world, is ready for action following a two-year shutdown. After problems that delayed the restart in March, scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) completed final tests, enabling the first beams to start circulating Sunday inside the LHC's 17 mile (27 km) ring. "Operating accelerators for the benefit of the physics community is what CERN's here for," CERN Director-General Rolf Heuer said on the organization's website. "Today, CERN's heart beats once more to the rhythm of the LHC." The LHC generates up to 600 million particles per second, with a beam circulating for 10 hours, traveling more than 6 billion miles (more than 10 billion kilometers) -- the distance from Earth to Neptune and back again. At near light-speed, a proton in the LHC makes 11,245 circuits per second. It took thousands of scientists, engineers and technicians decades to devise and build the particle accelerator, housed in a tunnel between Lake Geneva and the Jura mountain range. The purpose of the lengthy project is to recreate the conditions that existed moments after the "Big Bang" -- the scientific theory said to explain the creation of the universe. By replicating the energy density and temperature, scientists hope to uncover how the universe evolved. Our current, limited, knowledge is based on what's called The Standard Model of particle physics.  "But we know that this model is not complete," Dr. Mike Lamont, operations group leader at the LHC, told CNN in March. The burning questions that remain include the origin of mass and why some particles are very heavy, while others have no mass at all; a unified description of all the fundamental forces such as gravity; and uncovering dark matter and dark energy, since visible matter accounts for only 4 percent of the universe. The LHC could also question the idea that the universe is only made of matter, despite the theory that antimatter must have been produced in the same amounts at the time of the Big Bang. CERN says the energies achievable by the LHC have only ever been found in nature. The machine alone costs approximately three billion euros (about $3.3 billion), paid for by member countries of CERN and contributions by non-member nations. The organization also asserts that its guidelines for the protection of the environment and personnel comply with standards set by Swiss and French laws and a European Council Directive. Scientists and physics enthusiasts will be waiting with bated breath as the LHC ventures into the great unknown. "After two years of effort, the LHC is in great shape," said CERN Director for Accelerators and Technology, Frédérick Bordry. "But the most important step is still to come when we increase the energy of the beams to new record levels." Peter Shadbolt contributed to this report.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) begins again after a two-year shutdown . The restart was delayed in March .


Atlanta (CNN)It was a scene worthy of any top cop show on TV -- bullets flying, banged-up cars and the FBI chasing an armed robbery suspect. In the end, two agents were injured in a crash and the suspect was shot before being captured. FBI agents and task force officers were following 36-year-old Kevone Charleston of Austell, Georgia, as he pulled into a CVS pharmacy in Forsyth County, Georgia, early Saturday. Charleston is suspected of involvement in 32 commercial robberies dating to November 2013, according to FBI officials. "The incident all happened around 7 o'clock Saturday morning," said FBI Special Agent Stephen Emmett. "There were multiple agents and officers that were following him based on his prior MO, and when they saw he was about to rob another CVS, they moved in." Authorities say Charleston parked his vehicle nearby and then popped the hood as if there were something wrong. Then he walked to the CVS, preparing to enter. When agents confronted him, Charleston ran, got in his car and traveled about 75 yards as agents opened fire. "There were several FBI vehicles that were rammed or were hit by the suspect's vehicle when he was trying to flee. One government vehicle sustained heavy damage to its front and side, and another government SUV ended up on its side. That's how the two agents sustained their injuries," Emmett said. Twelve FBI agents and six government vehicles followed Charleston. Emmett said Charleston "was trying to get away, our agents were trying to stop him. He collided with the first government vehicle, the Taurus, then the second, and the SUV ended on its side. "The perp was stopped 8 feet away in the median, and that's where he received his gunshot wounds." The two agents were treated at an area hospital and released, according to Emmett, who says "they are fine." Charleston was shot and wounded by FBI agents and task force officers, but his injuries are not life threatening, according to Forsyth County Sheriff's Deputy Robin Regan. Although he declined to give details of the 32 previous robberies, Emmett said it was an intensive investigation that was already underway as a priority for the FBI's violent crimes and major offender squad. He added, "His MO involved armed confrontations, so our officers went into this fully prepared for an armed confrontation based on his past history." Emmett says he's relieved that the FBI's officers and agents are OK and that the suspect is in custody. He said it was the "conclusion of an intensive and lengthy investigation." CNN's Vivian Kuo and Ryan Scallan contributed to this report.

FBI agents and a suspected serial robber exchange gunfire in an FBI stakeout . Two FBI agents are injured and the suspect is shot during the gunfight .


(CNN)Sky watchers in western North America are in for a treat: a nearly five-minute total lunar eclipse this morning. Here's how it's unfolding: . It started at 3:16 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, when the moon began moving into Earth's shadow.  For the next hour and 45 minutes, that shadow will move across the moon and engulf it at 4:58 a.m. Pacific Time. The total eclipse will only last four minutes and 43 seconds, and NASA says that makes it the shortest one of the century. Watch it live on NASA TV . While people west of the Mississippi River will have the best view, at least a partial eclipse will be visible across the nation. But sunrise will interrupt the show on the East Coast. Parts of South America, India, China and Russia also will be able to see the eclipse, but it won't be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Africa or the Middle East. A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth and moon form a straight line in space, with the Earth smack in the middle. The sun shines on the Earth and creates a shadow. As the moon moves deeper into that shadow, it appears to turn dark and may even appear to be a reddish color.  Why red? Because Earth's atmosphere is filtering out most of the blue light. Some people have nicknamed the effect the "blood moon." NASA says lunar eclipses typically happen at least twice a year, but this eclipse is the third in a series of four in a row, known as a "tetrad."  The first was on April 15, 2014. The second was in September 2014, the next is Saturday and there will be one more, on September 28. If you want to learn more about the eclipse, NASA astronomer Mitzi Adams will take questions on Twitter @NASA_Marshall. Did you see the total lunar eclipse? Share your photos with CNN iReport.

The total eclipse will only last 4 minutes and 43 seconds . People west of the Mississippi River will have the best view . Parts of South America, India, China and Russia also will see the eclipse .


(CNN)The terrorist group Al-Shabaab has claimed an attack on Garissa University College in eastern Kenya, in which many people have been killed and still more taken hostage. The attack is another step in the ongoing escalation of the terrorist group's activities, and a clear indicator that the security situation in East Africa is deteriorating fast. Somalia-based Al-Shabaab has been behind a string of recent attacks in Kenya, the most well-known of them being the massacre at the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi in 2013. Cross-border raids into Kenya by the group, however, date back to 2011. Al-Shabaab incursions triggered a military response by the government in Nairobi, which sent troops to Somalia as part of an African Union mission in support of Somalia's internationally recognized government that had been under pressure from Al-Shabaab and other militants for several years. Al-Shabaab is predominantly driven by the same radical interpretation of the Koran as al-Qaeda and ISIS (also known as Islamic State), but also employs more opportunistic approaches to shoring up local support. Its origins lie in Al-Ittihad al-Islami (Unity of Islam), one of several militant factions that emerged in the wake of the fall of Siad Barre in 1991. These disparate groups fought each other and a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Somali civil war that led to the complete collapse of the country, from which it has yet to recover almost quarter of a century later. Al-Shabaab (literally "the Youth") split from Unity of Islam in 2003 and merged with another radical Islamist group, the so-called Islamic Courts Union. As their alliance obtained control of Somalia's capital Mogadishu in 2006, Ethiopia, the only majority Christian country in the region, took military action against the group. The offensive weakened Al-Shabaab and pushed it back into the rural areas of central and southern Somalia, but it failed to defeat it. To the contrary, Ethiopia's invasion and occupation of parts of Somalia -- although invited by the Somali government and backed by the African Union -- enabled Al-Shabaab to partially re-invent itself as both an Islamist and nationalist force opposing a foreign "Christian" invasion. Initially, the group primarily attacked Ethiopian forces, but soon began to "expand" its activities against the Somali government as well. The first attack outside Somalia was an attack in the Ugandan capital of Kampala in 2010. Soon after this, cross-border raids in Kenya began, predominantly targeting Christians there. Increasing its links with al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab declared its full allegiance in 2012 -- and it is not clear whether it will switch allegiances to ISIS. Much will depend on how the relationships between al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a long-time ally of Al-Shabaab based in Yemen, and ISIS develop. The key point is that Al-Shabaab's attack in Garissa is part of a broader regional context of instability fueled by a huge number of factors. It must not be interpreted simply as another act of garden-variety fundamentalist terrorism. Clearly, the presence and activities of terrorist groups in the region is a major concern, and it is undoubtedly driven by radical and exclusivist interpretations of Islam. But the entire region also suffers from a range of other problems: from economic development challenges to environmental degradation; from organized crime to inter-tribal and inter-communal violence; from corruption to serious deficits in human rights and good governance. These entrenched inequalities help Al-Shabaab appeal to a wide variety of potential recruits, who may sympathize with and actively support the group for any number of reasons. Attacking a university in northern Kenya and separating Christian from Muslim students epitomizes the way Al-Shabaab advances itself by exploiting religious, tribal and nationalist identities. Ultimately, though, this all comes down to a struggle for control -- over people, over territory, and over resources. As long as the majority of people in the region remain excluded from any meaningful political, economic, and social participation in their societies -- which are dominated by primarily self-interested elites that put their own advance before that of their communities -- human lives matter little in the pursuit of selfish interests. It is important to counter Al-Shabaab directly, including by military means. But there won't be any lasting solution to the wider region's security problems without a more comprehensive and concerted effort to address the deeper problems of exclusion suffered by the citizens of the countries challenged by Al-Shabaab. As Garissa shows, these problems are still providing oxygen for nihilistic ideologies and their deadly fruit. Copyright 2015 The Conversation. Some rights reserved.

Terrorist group Al-Shabaab has attacked a Kenyan college, killing and taking hostages . It is a clear indicator the security situation in East Africa is deteriorating, says Stefan Wolff . More than military action aloe is needed to combat terrorism in the region, he says .


(CNN)A Connecticut teen who has been forced to have chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin lymphoma will remain in temporary custody of the state for the time being, according to her attorney, Josh Michtom. A Connecticut juvenile court judge issued a written decision Wednesday denying a motion to let the teen, identified in court documents as "Cassandra C.," go home. The judge also denied a motion for visitation. The 17-year-old is in remission after nearly six months of forced chemo treatments. On March 16, Michtom tried to convince the court that she should be able to return to her mother's home because she was no longer at imminent risk of harm from her illness. Michtom and attorney Michael Taylor, who represents Cassandra's mother, Jackie Fortin, released a written statement after receiving the judge's decision Wednesday: "We are disappointed in this ruling, not least of all because it draws a factual conclusion that is directly contradicted by the weight of the evidence. We're conferring with our clients now about next steps, including whether to take another appeal." Cassandra was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in September and medical experts gave her an 85% chance of survival if treated with chemotherapy. Without it, doctors said at the time, she was likely to die within two years. She started chemotherapy in November but ran away after two days, according to court documents, when she decided she did not want to put the poison of the treatment into her body. In December, a judge ordered the young woman to be under the custody of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. At that time, she was admitted to Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford and has remained there since then.  Doctors surgically implanted a port in Cassandra's chest to administer chemotherapy medications, which began in spite of legal maneuvers to halt them. Cassandra is feeling well and is in good shape as far as her health is concerned, according to Michtom. "She's seen in her case the side effects weren't bad, and she's been well-treated by the nurses and doctors and does want to complete the treatment," he said. Her treatment is scheduled to wrap up this month. Michtom and Taylor failed in their effort before the Connecticut Supreme Court to make the case that Cassandra was mature enough to make her own medical decisions. Joette Katz, the commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, told CNN in March the agency is "very pleased with Cassandra's progress toward a complete recovery. We understand how difficult this has been for Cassandra and her family, but we have had full confidence throughout that the medical professionals involved in her treatment would be successful in saving her life." The agency has denied CNN's request to speak with Cassandra or her physicians. According to Michtom, the Department of Children and Families could have withdrawn its position for an order of custody but hasn't. He said the department sees Cassandra as a flight risk because she has run away before. Representatives for the department have said in court and in conversations with Michtom and Taylor that they will withdraw their pending neglect petition once Cassandra completes her last round of chemo -- expected around the end of April -- and that she'll be allowed to return home. So for now, Cassandra is said to spend her days reading, watching TV and drawing. "The hospital is effectively jail," Michtom said.

Judge won't allow teen leave hospital before her last chemotherapy treatment . Attorneys for the teen are deciding whether to appeal . Cassandra C. is now in remission and is no longer opposed to the chemotherapy treatments .


(CNN)A high temperature of 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit might sound like a pleasant day in early spring -- unless you're in Antarctica. The chilly continent recorded the temperature (15.5 degrees Celsius) on March 24, possibly the highest ever recorded on Antarctica, according to the Weather Underground. The temperature was recorded at Argentina's Esperanza Base on the northern tip of the Antarctica Peninsula, according to CNN affiliate WTNH. (Note to map lovers: The Argentine base is not geographically part of the South American continent.) The World Meteorological Organization, a specialized United Nations agency, is in the process of setting up an international ad-hoc committee of about 10 blue-ribbon climatologists and meteorologists to begin collecting relevant evidence, said Randy Cerveny, the agency's lead rapporteur of weather and climate extremes and Arizona State University professor of geographical sciences. The committee will examine the equipment used to measure the temperature, whether it was in good working order, whether the correct monitoring procedures were followed, whether the equipment was placed in the correct location and whether the measurement is matched by corresponding records from surrounding stations, Cerveny said. The committee will discuss the issues and make a recommendation to Cerveny, who will make an official finding, probably by late summer or early fall. Researchers who study climate change carefully watch weather changes in the Antarctic region and elsewhere for evidence that the Earth is getting warmer.

High temperatures are recorded on the northern tip of the Antarctica Peninsula . The World Meteorological Organization will make the final determination .


Atlanta (CNN)Robert Lewis Burns Jr., the original drummer in Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, died Friday night in a car crash, a Georgia State Patrol spokesman said. Burns, 64, died after his car hit a mailbox and a tree in Cartersville, spokesman James Tallent said. No other cars were involved in the crash, which occurred shortly before midnight. "He was not restrained at the time of the crash," Tallent told CNN. The musician lived in northern Georgia. Burns was part of the genre-defining band's original lineup, which formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1965. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant started Noble Five with Burns, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins and bassist Larry Junstrom in their hometown. It then made a name change in a reference to a high school gym teacher. Lynyrd Skynyrd changed members over the years as it produced rock anthems including "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Freebird." Burns left the band before its third studio album, "Nuthin Fancy," in 1975, "exhausted by touring," according to the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame biography. He was not involved in the 1977 plane crash that killed three members, including Van Zant. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Lynyrd Skynyrd still tours with Rossington, the only original member still in the band. "Today I'm at a loss for words but I just remember Bob being a funny guy," Rossington said on the band's official Facebook page. "My heart goes out to his family and God bless him and them in this sad time. He was a great great drummer." People we've lost in 2015 .

Robert Lewis Burns Jr. was part of Lynyrd Skynyrd's original lineup . His car hit a mailbox and a tree just before midnight .


Seoul, South Korea (CNN)The man accused of stabbing U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert in Seoul last month is now charged with attempted murder, a South Korean court official said Wednesday. Kim Ki-Jong has also been charged with assaulting a foreign envoy and business obstruction, the Seoul Central District Court official said. According to South Korean law, Kim's trial must begin within 14 days of receiving today's indictment. Lippert was stabbed March 5 during an event organized by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, which advocates peaceful reunification between North and South Korea. Shortly before Lippert was supposed to give a speech, the attacker slashed him in the face and jaw. The ambassador suffered a gash from his right cheekbone to his lower jaw that required 80 stitches. That wound measured 10 centimeters (4 inches) long and 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) deep, but there was no serious facial nerve damage, said Dr. Jung Nam-shik of the Yonsei Severance Hospital. Lippert also suffered five cuts in his left arm and hand, but was not expected to have permanent damage to his arm function. Police said Kim stabbed Lippert with a 10-inch knife because he opposed the joint South Korean-U.S. military drills, which happen every year and frequently draw the ire of North Korea. Police official Yoon Myeong-seong told reporters that Kim had visited North Korea seven times between 1999 and 2007, and that authorities were investigating a possible connection between his visits to the reclusive state and the attack against Lippert. Kim, 55, has a history of unpredictable behavior. In 2010, he received a suspended two-year prison sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at a Japanese ambassador to South Korea, according to the Yonhap news agency. South Korean President Park Geun-hye condemned the attack. "This incident is not only a physical attack on the U.S. ambassador," she said, "but an attack on the South Korea-U.S. alliance and it can never be tolerated." CNN's Madison Park and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

Kim Ki-Jong is charged with attempted murder and assaulting a foreign envoy . He's accused of stabbing U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert in the face and arm . Police said Kim opposed the joint U.S.-South Korean military drills .


(CNN)When Hong Kong police answered a call in the early hours of a Saturday morning last November, they encountered a grisly scene and an alleged crime that shocked the city. One woman was lying on the floor with cuts to her neck and buttocks. Another was stuffed inside a suitcase on the balcony. A former banker, 29-year-old Briton Rurik Jutting, was charged with two counts of murder. On Thursday, a court hearing that was to determine whether there was enough evidence to proceed to trial was adjourned until May. Here's what we know so far about the victims and their alleged attacker. Jutting allegedly lived at the murder scene, an upmarket apartment in the middle of Wan Chai, an inner-city suburb that's home to an eclectic mix of late-night bars, residential tower blocks and local markets selling groceries and assorted cheap goods. In the early hours of Saturday morning, November 1, police say Jutting called them to the apartment.  There they found a woman lying on the blood-splattered floor, later identified as 29-year-old Seneng Mujiasih. During a search of the apartment, officers uncovered another body hidden in a suitcase on the balcony. It's alleged 25-year-old Sumarti Ningsih was killed on October 27, five days before her body was found. Sumarti Ningsih was from Cilacap, in Central Java, and was the mother of a five-year-old girl. In a statement, her cousin, Jumiati, described her as  "just an ordinary woman from Indonesia" who, like many others, was "forced to work abroad to feed her poor family and make her dream comes (sic) true." "She wanted to work as professional so she can earn money and dignity for her family," Jumiati wrote. "She is good girl and did not deserve this treatment." According to the Asian Migrant Coordinating Body, Ningsih was visiting Hong Kong as a tourist and had been due to fly back to Jakarta the day after her body was found. Last year, her grieving father, Ahmad Khaliman, told Agence France-Presse that his daughter had worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper between 2011 and 2013. She'd since returned on two occasions, Khaliman said. He said the family had been shocked by her murder, and called for the perpetrator to be executed. "If not, I cannot accept it. He has already taken my daughter's life, so he has to pay with his life," he told CNN affiliate Trans7. Seneng Mujiasih had more recently worked as a domestic worker in Hong Kong but had overstayed her visa, according to the Asian Migrant Co-ordinating Body. Also known as Jesse Lorena, Mujiasih was from the city of Muna in Sulawesi province, in southeast Indonesia. Other than that, few details are known about her life and why she stayed on in Hong Kong. After news of their death spread, fellow domestic workers held a vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park. Around 200 people gathered to sing and pray, and lay flowers besides photos of the two women. The victims' bodies were buried after being repatriated to Indonesia in November. Before being taken into custody, Rurik Jutting lived in the upmarket J Residence in Wan Chai.  He was detained at the scene, where police found the bodies of two women and seized a knife during a search of the premises. It's unclear when Jutting left his job as a trader at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch; a BoA spokesman would only confirm that a man of the same name had worked there in the past. Jutting's profile on LinkedIn said he haad been employed at the bank's structured equity finance and trading division in Hong Kong since July 2013. Before that, he worked in the same unit in London for three years. According to the profile, Jutting previously worked in capital markets for the British bank Barclays and studied history and law at the prestigious University of Cambridge, between 2004 and 2008. As part of the trial process, tests were conducted to determined if Jutting was psychologically fit to enter a plea. He was. The case was then adjourned to allow for more than 200 pieces of forensic and DNA evidence to be analyzed.

Hong Kong banker alleged murder case adjourned until May . The 29-year-old Rurik Jutting is accused of killing two Indonesian domestic workers .


(CNN)"Jake the dog and Finn the human. The fun will never end. Adventure Time." So begins the dreamy theme song intro to the strangely addictive Cartoon Network TV show that's centered around psychedelic characters like the Ice King, Marceline the Vampire Queen and, of course, Jake and Finn. Now, mega-fans of the hit show can experience "Adventure Time" in the skies. Thai Smile, a subsidiary of Thailand flag carrier Thai Airways, on Thursday unveiled colorful new livery featuring Jake, Finn and the beloved Princess Bubblegum sprawled across an Airbus A320 at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The interior of the plane also has an Adventure Time theme, with overhead bins, head rests and even air sickness bags covered in the faces of characters from the show. Airlines show off their new flying colors . The Adventure Time plane is the result of a partnership between Thai Airways subsidiary Thai Smile and Cartoon Network Amazone, a new water park near the Thai resort city of Pattaya featuring attractions based on shows that appear on the Turner Broadcasting System channel. Turner Broadcasting is a parent company of CNN. Check out these cool airline liveries . The inaugural Thai Smile Adventure Time flight takes place on April 4, heading from Bangkok to Phuket.

Thai Airways subsidiary Thai Smile features Cartoon Network paint job on A320 jet . Overhead bins, head rests and air sick bags feature characters from Cartoon Network .


(CNN)Imprisoned soldier Chelsea Manning can now communicate with the world  -- in 140 characters or less. Manning, who is serving a 35-year prison sentence for leaking thousands of classified documents, appears to have joined Twitter this week. In a series of tweets, the prisoner formerly known as Bradley Manning said she will be using a voice phone to dictate her tweets to  communications firm Fitzgibbon Media, which will post them on her behalf. She is not allowed Internet access in prison, according to The Guardian. "It will be hard, but I don't want this Twitter feed to be a one-way street/conversation," Manning posted to her nearly 26,000-plus followers. Manning was sentenced in 2013, and in August of that year, she said she wanted to transition to a female. The Fort Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks in Kansas, where she is serving her sentence, has authorized hormone therapy for her treatment. Manning said she suffers from gender dysphoria. Her  lawyers describe it as "the medical diagnosis given to individuals whose gender identity -- their innate sense of being male or female -- differs from the sex they were assigned at birth, causing clinically significant distress." Last year, a Kansas judge granted her request to be formally known as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning. The former Army intelligence analyst was convicted of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks in what has been described as the largest leak of classified material in U.S. history. She was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act. Manning has written opinion pieces for The New York Times and The Guardian from prison.

Manning is serving a 35-year sentence for leaking thousands of classified documents . She says she will be using a voice phone to dictate her tweets .


(CNN)Universal's "Furious 7" continues to build momentum at the Friday box office for a weekend debut in the $135 million-$138 million range, the largest opening in North America since fall 2013. That includes a projected Friday take of $58 million-$60 million. The final film featuring the late Paul Walker, "Furious 7" is opening around the globe this weekend and earned a record-breaking $60 million internationally on Wednesday and Thursday for a possible worldwide debut approaching or crossing $300 million by the end of Easter Sunday. "Furious 7" is getting the widest release in Universal's history. Domestically, it will be playing in 4,003 theaters by Good Friday. Internationally, it has booked more than 10,500 screens in 63 territories, although it won't open in China, Japan and Russia until later. The current record-holder for top April opening domestically is "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," which debuted to $95 million from 3,928 theaters last year. "Furious 7" is likewise poised to nab the biggest opening of 2015 to date. And it will easily beat the $121.9 million launch of "The Hunger Games Mockingjay — Part 1" in November 2104, making it the largest three-day opening since "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" ($158 million) in November 2013. The movie enjoys massive awareness and interest, due to both the popularity of the street-racing series and Walker's death. The last film, "Fast & Furious 6," debuted to a franchise-best $117 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend in 2012, including $97.4 million for the three days, on its way to grossing $788.7 million worldwide. Universal intended to open "Furious 7" on July 11, 2014, but production was halted in November 2013 when Walker died in a car crash during the Thanksgiving hiatus. After director James Wan, writer Chris Morgan and Universal pored over existing footage and tweaked the script, production resumed in April 2014. CGI and voice effects were used in some scenes featuring Walker's detective character, Brian O'Conner, with Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, used as stand-ins. "Furious 7" pits Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and crew (which includes Michelle Rodriguez and Tyrese Gibson, among others, as well as Walker) against Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, out for revenge after the death of his brother. Dwayne Johnson also reprises his role as Hobbs. ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.

The final film featuring the late Paul Walker, "Furious 7" is opening around the globe this weekend . It's worldwide debut may approach or cross $300 million by the end of Easter Sunday .


(CNN)Deion Sanders is such a dad. The NFL legend called out Deion Sanders Jr. on Twitter for saying he only eats "hood doughnuts." In response, the elder Sanders -- in front of his 912,000 followers -- reminded his son he has a trust fund, a condo and his own clothing line called "Well Off." "You're a Huxtable with a million $ trust fund. Stop the hood stuff!" Sanders followed it up with another tweet that included the hashtags #versacesheets #Huxtable and #Trustfund. Junior is a wide receiver at Southern Methodist University, an aspiring entrepreneur and occasional rapper. His Twitter timeline is a mix of biblical verses, motivational quotes and references to sports, cars, school and Balenciaga shoes. He also has gone on record with his love for "hood doughnuts," or confections from "a place in the hood," saying "if my doughnuts don't come in a plain white box, I don't want them!" His father promptly put him in his place. Sanders Jr. seemed to take the public browbeating in stride, retweeting his father's comments. At least he knew better than to delete them.

Deion Sanders calls out son for "hood doughnuts" comments . "You're a Huxtable with a million $ trust fund. Stop the hood stuff!"