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STUDENT NEWS

Passenger Plane Nearly Crashing into Drone; Indian Youth Participating in Democracy in Their Country; Largest Flowers Action in Holland

Aired May 12, 2014 - 04:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: It`s May 12. The school year is winding down. CNN STUDENT NEWS is starting up a new week of coverage. I`m Carl Azuz. Thank you for taking ten minutes for us. Broadly speaking, a drone can be any unmanned aircraft. It could be something the military uses to spy on potential terrorists, could be the R.C. plane your friend flies on the weekends. The Federal Aviation Administration has a new warning about the dangers of drones, particularly in light of something that happened this March.

It apparently involved a remote controlled plane that someone was flying far higher than the legal limit. It almost caused a catastrophe for a passenger flight headed to Tallahassee Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A near nightmare in the sky: a passenger plane nearly crashes into a camouflage drone flying at 2300 feet, well above the typical altitude for a private drone. The incident in the Tallahassee skies involved a U.S. Airways expressed jet flying near the airport.

UNIDENTIFIFED MALE: A remote controlled aircraft 2300.

MARSH: The first details of the March scare previously not revealed until an FAA official spoke about it Thursday in San Francisco.

JIM WILLIAMS, MANAGER, FAA`S UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM: . said that the U.S. (ph) was so close to his jet that he was sure he had collided with it. Thankfully, inspection to the airliner after landing found no damage.

MARSH: Authorities do not know who flew the drone, but say it could have brought down the plane.

The safety of our passengers and crews are our top priority. U.S. Airways parent company tells CNN tonight in a new statement. "We are aware of the publish report alleging an incident was one of our express jets and we are investigating.

There have been close calls before. The FBI is still investigating a drone that came within 200 feet of an Alitalia flight in New York earlier this year.

PILOT: We saw a drone, a drone aircraft.

MARSH: The pilot in that incident can be heard telling air traffic control. And this Monday a small drone was found after apparently hitting this building in St. Louis.

In the next five years, the FAA estimates as many as 7500 drones could be flying in the U.S. airspace at any given time. Now, the agency has been working on a plan to safely integrate drones into the airspace so that you don`t have accidents with passenger aircrafts. Now, it is illegal for commercial use, although there are some exceptions. As for hobbies, the FAA only allows recreational drones to fly up to 400 feet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: Time for the Shoutout. What`s the second most populated country in the world? If you think you know it, shout it out. Is it China, India, Russia or the United States? You`ve got three seconds, go!

India is home to more than 1.2 billion people and second only to China and population. That`s your answer and that`s your Shoutout.

AZUZ: Because of that huge population and the fact that it`s a federal republic like the U.S., India is often called the world`s largest democracy. India`s population is also young. Its median age is 27 years old. In China and the U.S. that age is closer to 37.

It`s no wonder why so many Indians who are close to the voting age of 18 are realizing they have political power. This is something that country`s politicians are noticing, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: I`m Redeema Sharma. I`m a student.

UNIDENTIFIFED MALE: I`m (INAUDIBLE) Jeswal (ph). I`m a fruit seller.

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: My name is Ria Choppra, I work at a fashion magazine.

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: And I want .

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: I want .

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: And I want .

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All three are first time voters. Given that India`s youth makes up half of its billion plus population. How India`s young vote will determine the country`s future?

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: We are obviously, very obviously really frustrated with current political scenario in our country.

KAPUR: The only government these youngsters have really known is the current Congress party led one. In power, for the last ten years. In that time, prices have risen sharply, says Mukeish (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Just look at the price of Petrol, he says. It`s doubled, it`s a huge problem.

KAPUR: Disillusioned, he says he is going to vote for a different party. One that will fight inflation.

Even Congress has acknowledge the problem. It`s Election Manifesto says the party will take firm action to "control inflation in the difficult global economic scenario.

For Radima, though, economics takes a back seat.

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: The kind of (INAUDIBLE), the kind of gender disparity. You know, general lack of empathy and sympathy, towards, you know, the situation that we are currently in as a country and community is extremely bad.

KAPUR: A powerful tool in the hands, the Internet. A quick and easy way to share information.

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: Instead of calling five people now I can share it with 1000 people on my Facebook friend list.

UNIDENTIFIFED MALE: Hallo.

KAPUR: And politicians are listening. For the first time, they are connecting with the youth online.

But the young will also have to do their bet (ph).

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: And because I believe in democracy.

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: They must go out and vote.

UNIDENTIFIFED FEMALE: I do not have the right to complain and be angry or be upset if I don`t cast the vote.

Taking part is what will make this generation different. Mallika Kapur, CNN, Mumbai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Today`s "Roll Call" bridges the continental, if not contiguous United States. What? Here is why. Alaska. Its South Anchorage High School. It`s great to have the Wolverines of Anchorage watching from the last frontier.

Jumping South East. It`s the panthers who are up next. They are online at Eagle Point Middle School in Eagle Point, Oregon. From the northwest to the southwest, we are wrapping up our role in New Mexico. The Portales High School Rams of Portales are on CNN STUDENT NEWS.

The 2014 NFL draft wrapped up this weekend. Some interesting storylines about the latest college football players to go pro. First, the first overall pick - Jadeveon Clowney. The Houston Texans shows the defensive end from South Carolina. Clowney`s contract is worth $22 million, and when he heard the news, he turned and hugged his mom, a woman he says, sacrificed so much for him.

Next, Johnny Manziel, nickname Johnny Football. Quarterback of Texas A&M. He was also chosen in the first round, but as the 22 pick, it was later than many expected.

The Cleveland Brown sold thousands of season tickets right after they chose Manziel.

And we reported on Michael Sam before. A defensive end from the University of Missouri, also the first openly gay player in the draft. The St. Louis Rams made history when they selected Sam. He was the seventh round pick, number 249 out of 256 players in all. Part of the reason he went so late was his lackluster performance at the NFL combine earlier this year. It`s a test of speed, skill and strength.

I hope your mom enjoyed her Mother`s Day yesterday. According to the National Retail Federation, two thirds of people who celebrate in the U.S. buy their mothers flowers. What`s interesting is, they buy them, not pick them somewhere nearby. Those folks are in the minority. Many of us likely got mom plants that traveled over land and sea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN ANCHOR: Let`s imagine the world`s flower trade as a bouquet of 100 roses. 60 of those stems would have been processed through one country, the Netherlands, and most of those have traveled through here, the world`s largest flower auction, FloraHolland Aalsmeer, often called the Wall Street of flowers. Here a sea of flowers of 20,000 varieties cover the floors of one of the largest buildings in the world by floor space, roughly as large as 200 football fields of flowers. The flowers, which have been flown in from all over the world, are paraded on the stage for auction, sold, then shipped back all over the world. This all has to happen very quickly, of course. The 20 million flowers and 2 million plants sold here each day have to make their way to the airport by noon to get in that beautiful bouquet for your mom the next day. Whatever you think of the environmental impact, globalization is clearly blossoming in the Netherlands.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: If you play basketball, you`d better hope you don`t have this guy guarding you. He will reject you. When the locker room door opens, Elhaji Taco Fall has to duck to walk through it. At seven feet 5, he`s the tallest high school basketball player in the U.S. Four inches taller than Shaquille O`Neal. Shoe size is 22, and yes, he can dunk.

Elhaji moved to Florida from the West African nation of Senegal. He hopes to play in the NBA, but if that doesn`t pay out, his GAP is 4.0, he hopes to become a biochemist.

From the court to the classroom, the guys got great chemistry. He has several elements to his advantage, several key tone success, no matter what he shoots for. Whether it`s athletic or kinetic energy. A Jersey or atomic number. The competition chances are beating him on near absolute zero. They`ve got chills! I`m Carl Azuz, and this is CNN STUDENT NEWS.

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