story
stringlengths 117
4.55k
| questions
sequence | answers
sequence | summary
stringlengths 65
465
|
|---|---|---|---|
(CNN) -- Egyptian doctor Amany Sadek was treating patients in a makeshift hospital close to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday when the building was surrounded by armed forces.
The doctors turned their lights off, kept quiet and were unable to let anyone in or out of their doors.
"It was horrible, we could hear shots outside," said Sadek.
"We carried on treating patients in the dark. When we opened the doors an hour or so later, we found people desperately looking for somewhere to be treated.
"I was scared and my friends were scared, but you kind of get used to it," she said. "Despite the attacks, the hospital is still one of the safest places to be."
Sadek is one of the founders of the Tahrir Doctors Society, a group of volunteers that formed after spontaneously treating protesters injured during Egypt's revolution in January.
Last Friday, when violence broke out between protesters and security forces after the second round of voting in parliamentary elections, the society set up its makeshift hospital for the fifth time this year.
The interior ministry has said at least 100 security officers have been wounded in the clashes. CNN has not been able to independently verify this claim.
The field hospital in Omar Makram mosque near Tahrir Square was still in place and stocked with necessary supplies since the last clashes in November. The doctors were able to re-open it quickly to treat victims of the new wave of violence.
"We got a call at 5 a.m. to say the army were attacking people sleeping in their tents," Sadek said. "By the time we got there we found lots of casualties, so we re-opened the hospital and it was ready to go straight away."
"We have treated over 1,000 wounded patients since Friday, and lots of people have been transferred to other hospitals for surgery.
"We are seeing all kinds of injuries, many from live bullets."
The society said on Saturday that one of its members had been shot in the stomach and others had been threatened with arrest.
Tahrir Doctors Society currently has about 20 volunteer doctors on duty at any time of the day or night. It's facility is a short distance from Tahrir Square; other makeshift hospitals closer to the scene of the clashes have had more trouble continuing with their work.
"The army attacked one of the other field hospitals. The doctors were told to leave or they would be attacked, and the army took their drugs and burned them," Sadek said.
"Others have been surrounded to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. That happens on a daily basis, usually late at night."
Maj. Mohamed Askar of THE Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said protesters were capturing and wounding soldiers.
"The army soldiers they kidnapped and returned are now in the hospitals. The rebels also captured three officers, tortured them and released them. They were even talking about a prisoner swap," he said.
Sadek says the violence of the last few days is the worst she has seen. At least 14 people have been confirmed killed in the latest spate of violence.
Sadek said: "This time it's more brutal than ever, more even than in January and February."
Tahrir Doctors Society was formed by a group of five doctors who met in January during the protests that led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak 18 days later.
"The five of us sitting in a cafe during the revolution. We were talking about the need to change things, and we started the Tahrir Doctors Society," said 29-year-old facial surgeon Amhad Farouk.
The aims of the society are to provide emergency intervention during clashes or disasters, and to campaign for the right of healthcare for every citizen.
Dr Farouk said: "We do not discriminate between any groups in treating them: we will treat security as well as protesters. We are part of the revolution, and it is the revolutionary spirit to treat everyone equally."
He added: "At first we were | [
"who runs traveling clinic?",
"When did the revolution occur?",
"Who started the Tahrir Doctors Society?",
"What have doctors been surrounded by?",
"who continued to work?"
] | [
[
"Amany Sadek"
],
[
"January."
],
[
"Amany Sadek"
],
[
"armed forces."
],
[
"The doctors"
]
] | Tahrir Doctors Society was started by medics who ran makeshift hospital during January revolution .
Doctors have continued to work despite being surrounded by armed forces in recent clashes .
In quieter times, society campaigns for free healthcare and runs traveling clinic . |
(CNN) -- Egyptians and activists around the world took to the streets in various cities Saturday to show their support for the protests currently underway in Egypt and to join the call for President Hosni Mubarak to step down.
Outside the Egyptian Embassy in London, people rallied, chanted, hoisted banners and demanded change.
One sign, written in red ink, read: "From The Nile, To the Sea -- Egypt Soon Will Be Free! Freedom for Egypt!"
"People were clearly voicing their anger at President Mubarak's regime but similarly they were also very passionate about their demands for democracy and political reforms," said Amedeo d'Amore, who attended the London protest.
Demonstrators chanted: "One, two, three, four, we don't want Mubarak anymore!" d'Amore said in an e-mail to CNN.
Elsewhere in Europe, protesters in Geneva shouted slogans in Arabic, French and English, chanting, "Get out, Mubarak!" according to Courtney Radsch, who attended the demonstration there.
Radsch sent CNN a video of the protest that showed a crowd of people carrying signs that read, "Freedom. Social Justice. Democracy" and "Free Egypt."
Protests also took place in cities throughout Canada.
About 150 protesters gathered outside the Egyptian consulate in Montreal, CNN affiliate CTV reported. In Toronto, a downtown rally drew more than 500 people, it said.
Ahmed Khalifa, who helped organize the Toronto protest, said he was encouraged by the protests in Egypt and stressed their significance.
"We are witnessing a great change in history," he told CTV. "It's like the fall of the Berlin Wall. We are watching Egyptian people and Middle Eastern people telling us that 'we want freedom.' "
Anti-Mubarak demonstrations were also held across the United States. | [
"In what cities were the protests?",
"What languages were used",
"In what languages were the protest slogans?",
"Protests are held in London, Geneva and where else?",
"In Geneva, people chant slogans in Arabic, French and which other language?"
] | [
[
"various"
],
[
"Arabic, French and English,"
],
[
"Arabic, French and English,"
],
[
"Canada."
],
[
"English,"
]
] | Protests are held in London, Geneva and Toronto .
In Geneva, people chant slogans in Arabic, French and English . |
(CNN) -- Eight Florida teenagers -- six of them girls -- will be tried as adults and could be sentenced to life in prison for their alleged roles in the videotaped beating of another teen, the state attorney's office said Thursday. The teenagers seen in a video assaulting a 16-year-old could face life in prison. The suspects, who range in age from 14 to 18, all face charges of kidnapping, which is a first-degree felony, and battery, said Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the Polk County state attorney. Three of them are also charged with tampering with a witness. Everyone involved in the case was under a gag order imposed by a judge. The only attorney for the teens who has been publicly identified did not return calls from CNN, and his assistant cited the gag order as the reason. The teens are scheduled for their first appearance in court Friday. The video shows a brutal scene: The 16-year-old victim is punched, kneed and slapped by other girls. She huddles in the fetal position, or stands and screams at her attackers, but the assault continues. Authorities say the eight teens said they were retaliating for insults posted on the Internet by the attack victim. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called the March 30 attack "animalistic." "I've been involved in law enforcement for 35 years, and I've seen a lot of extremely violent events, but I've never seen children, 14 to 18 years of age, engage in this conduct for a 30-minute period of time and then make these video clips," he said. Police say the teens planned to post the video on YouTube. Watch the disturbing video » The victim, a 16-year-old from Lakeland, Florida, was hospitalized, and still has blurred vision, hearing loss, and a swollen face, her mother told CNN on Wednesday. The video shows only girls doing the beating; Judd said the boys acted as lookouts. The idea of girls administering a vicious beating so they can post the video online may seem shocking, but it's becoming an increasingly common scenario, according to experts and news reports. Watch why more teens are putting fights online » A search for "girl fight" on YouTube gets thousands of results, and a suggestion to also try "girl fight at school, boy girl fight" and other search terms. There's at least one Web site devoted exclusively to videos of girls fighting. In 2003, 25 percent of high school girls said they had been in a physical fight in the past year, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (The figure for boys was 40.5 percent.) A Justice Department report released in 2006 showed that by age 17, 21 percent of girls said they had assaulted someone with the intent to cause serious harm. Frank Green is executive director of Keys to Safer Schools, a group that studies and tries to prevent school violence. He said he's not sure whether girls have actually become more violent, or whether there's just more awareness of their fights. "In one respect, girls have always been more vicious than boys," Green said. "Their violence is of a personal nature." He said boys usually have some focus and a concrete goal when they fight. "But girls want to cause pain and make the other girl feel bad," he said. Judd, the Polk County sheriff, said an important part of the plan in the Lakeland attack was to post the video of the beating on YouTube to humiliate and embarrass the victim. "It's the next stage of cyberbullying," psychologist Susan Lipkins said. "They want to show what they're doing." "Our kids are being peer pressured, in another sense of a trend, to put these shock videos out there at other peoples' expense," said Talisa Lindsay, the victim's mother. "And I hope that it doesn't come to the point where there's more people's lives that are being affected by having to take | [
"What does the video show?",
"What percent of girls age 17 say they've assaulted someone?",
"Who were tried as adults?",
"What percentage of girls ages 17 say that they've assaulted someone?",
"Who was punched by other girls?",
"Who are to be tried as adults in videotaped beating case?",
"What are teens to be charged with?"
] | [
[
"teenagers"
],
[
"21"
],
[
"Eight"
],
[
"21"
],
[
"another teen,"
],
[
"Eight"
],
[
"kidnapping,"
]
] | Eight Florida teens to be tried as adults in videotaped beating case .
Video shows 16-year-old girl punched by other girls .
21 percent of girls age 17 say they've assaulted someone, the Justice Dept. reports .
The teens have "disconnect" between thoughts and actions, psychologist says . |
(CNN) -- Eight former executives and agents of Siemens AG and its subsidiaries have been indicted in a bribery scheme alleging that they paid or promised Argentine officials $100 million to land a contract worth 10 times as much, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday.
They are charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, wire fraud and money laundering.
None of the defendants named in the indictment is in the United States. Justice officials said those involved in the decade-long scheme are from Germany, Switzerland, Argentina and other countries.
According to the indictment, the Siemens executives paid millions in bribes in 1994 to secure a bid to create a national identity card system in Argentina. After the project faced suspension in 1999, the defendants are accused of promising even more bribes to the next presidential administration to keep the project afloat. To top it off, once the project met its demise in 2001, Siemens filed an arbitration claim against Argentina claiming wrongful termination of the contract and seeking $500 million in lost profits. The company hid from the proceedings that it had illegally acquired the contract in the first place, the indictment said.
Justice Department officials praised Siemen's cooperation and said the company that has 60,000 employees in the United States played a large and cooperative role in exposing the alleged conspiracy.
The eight indicted men include Uriel Sharef, former member of the central executive committee of Siemens AG; Herbert Steffen, former CEO of Siemens Argentina; and Andres Truppel, former CFO of Siemens Argentina.
Also named in the indictment are Ulrich Bock, Stephan Signer and Eberhard Reichert, former senior executives of Siemens Business Services; and Carlos Sergi and Miguel Czysch, who were agents of Siemens in the alleged bribe scheme.
"There were few lines these executives were not willing to cross," said Robert Khuzami, director of enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said, "Today's indictment alleges a shocking level of deception and corruption."
In short, the company committed to pay more than $100 million in bribes to win the $1 billion contract, Breuer said. About $60 million was allegedly paid, he said.
"Business should be won or lost on the merits of a company's products and services, not the amount of bribes paid to government officials," Breuer said.
Ronald Hosko, special agent in charge of the FBI in Washington, said corruption is among the FBI's highest investigative priorities, adding, "Foreign bribery is not an acceptable business practice. Backroom deals and corrupt payments to foreign officials to obtain business wear away public confidence in our global marketplace."
If convicted, the defendants could each be sentenced to 20 years in prison and face fines, officials said.
CNN's Jim Barnett contributed to this report. | [
"What are former Siemens officials accused of?",
"who is accused of paying more than $100 million in bribes?",
"What were the bribes for, allegedly?",
"How much did the pay in bribes?",
"how much worth a contract?",
"What did the firm try to do when the project was terminated?",
"What were the bribes allegedly for?"
] | [
[
"bribery scheme"
],
[
"former executives"
],
[
"to secure a bid to create a national identity card system in Argentina."
],
[
"$100 million"
],
[
"10 times as"
],
[
"filed an arbitration claim"
],
[
"they paid or promised Argentine officials $100 million to land a contract worth 10 times as much,"
]
] | Former Siemens officials are accused of paying more than $100 million in bribes .
The bribes allegedly were to get a $1 billion contract from Argentina .
The firm even tried to recoup its losses when the project was terminated, indictment says . |
(CNN) -- Eight-time gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics and multiple world-record holder Michael Phelps warmed up for the Swimming World Championships in Rome by setting a new men's world record in the 100 meters butterfly. Michael Phelps attacks the pool in Indianapolis to set a new world mark in the 100m fly. The 24-year-old American shaved 18-hundredths of a second from the previous mark set by compatriot Ian Crocker in 2005, with a time of 50.22 on the third day of competition at the U.S. National Championships in the Indianapolis. "I was pretty happy with my swim. I really wanted to break 50 seconds, but that is something to shoot for," Phelps told the event's official Web site. "Ian Crocker texted me after prelims. He wished me all the luck. That really meant a lot to me as a competitor and as a friend," he added. The new time takes Phelps's personal tally of individual world records to five, to add to the three he can claim from relay events, and means he has qualified for three events at the upcoming World Championships in Rome thus far. Places were booked with wins in the 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly on Wednesday while a further slot could be confirmed via the 100m freestyle. Phelps, who was banned for three months when he was pictured smoking drugs at a party after returning from Beijing, has been eager to regain his Olympic form after his enforced exile from the pool. "This is something that I really, really wanted to accomplish," Phelps told the LA Times. "Crock and I had a lot of great history, a lot of great races with one another. I've wanted that record ever since he took it in '03 worlds. . . . After the race, you could tell I was pretty fired up and excited." Elsewhere, twelve-time Olympic medallist Dara Torres qualified for the World Championships team in the 50m freestyle. The American told the LA Times there was still work to do despite the result: "My coach was telling me I probably lost four or five tenths [of a second] on the start," said Torres. "The adrenaline kind of took over so I didn't really feel (my knee injury). It's a great feeling to be able to be out there and still race [at age 42], but that time won't medal at the world championships," Torres added. The men's 50m freestyle saw four Olympians battled for the gold, with Nathan Adrian beating his 2008 Olympic teammates Cullen Jones and Garrett Weber-Gale by 0.3 seconds. | [
"What nationality is Phelps?",
"Who set a new record?",
"What is the age of Michael Phelps?",
"What was Phelps' time?",
"How many personal world records does Phelps hold?",
"What is new men's 100m fly world record?",
"How many personal world records does Michael Phelps hold?"
] | [
[
"American"
],
[
"Michael"
],
[
"24-year-old"
],
[
"50.22"
],
[
"five,"
],
[
"50.22"
],
[
"Eight-time"
]
] | Michael Phelps sets new men's 100m fly world record time of 50.22 .
The American has now qualified for three events at the World Championships .
Phelps, 24, now holds five personal world records in the pool .
New time went better than the mark set by compatriot Ian Crocker in 2005 . |
(CNN) -- Eight-year-old Sandra Cantu came home from school, kissed her mother, and left to color and play with a friend who lived a couple of houses down.
Sandra Cantu, 8, disappeared on Friday, according to police in Tracy, California.
That was at 3 p.m. Friday.
By Tuesday -- despite an intense search by hundreds of search-and-rescue personnel and volunteers over three days -- the little girl in the pink Hello Kitty T-shirt and black leggings had yet to be found.
The mysterious disappearance of Sandra from the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy, California -- about 60 miles east of San Francisco -- has baffled law enforcement officials. A dozen different agencies are looking for her. Watch Nancy Grace on the case »
"The entire weekend was filled with just a massive search effort -- a manhunt involving multiple freeways, agents checking cars, volunteers going door-to-door," said Sebastian Kunz, a reporter with KNEW-AM radio in San Francisco, who is covering the case. "A lot of people are pulling for this little girl."
On Monday night, Tracy police and FBI agents searched six locations, some in the mobile home park and some in Tracy, and all of them connected to two men.
Authorities did not call the men suspects, and did not name them publicly. They said both live in the mobile home park but did not say how or if they are related to Sandra.
"We're looking for evidence that will lead to the discovery of Sandra's whereabouts," Tracy Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman told reporters Monday night. "We operate on the assumption she is alive and well."
Sandra came home from school about 3 p.m. Friday. She asked to go play with a friend who lived a few houses down in the same mobile home park.
"I told her it was OK," Sandra's mother, Maria Chavez, told CNN's Nancy Grace, dabbing tears. "And that was the last time I saw her."
Surveillance camera footage recorded the girl playing in the park. But her parents reported her missing about 8 p.m. Friday, when she was supposed to be visiting a second friend.
"We just know that she had gone to the first house, and played for just a very short time. And then she was on her way to another friend's house," said Lisa Encarnacion, the spokeswoman for Sandra's family. "And we don't know, we can't confirm that she was there or she was not."
The mobile home park has less than 100 units. There are about 80 registered sex offenders living in a five-mile radius around it. The family has not looked at the list of offenders to see if they may know any of them, Encarnacion told Nancy Grace.
And so the search continues.
A reward fund set up for information leading to Sandra's return grew to $7,000 Monday. More than 150 tips poured in, police said.
But, at least for now, none has yielded information on the 4-foot-tall, brown-haired, brown-eyed girl. | [
"Could anyone at the second house verify that the girl arrived there?",
"What is the age fo the girl?",
"Who are the search sites linked to?",
"On what date was the girl reported as missing?",
"Who was missing?",
"Who are the men?",
"What time did she go missing?",
"Who is the missing girl?"
] | [
[
"can't confirm"
],
[
"8,"
],
[
"two men."
],
[
"Friday,"
],
[
"Sandra Cantu"
],
[
"suspects,"
],
[
"3 p.m. Friday."
],
[
"Sandra Cantu"
]
] | Tracy, California, police, FBI, volunteers search for girl missing since Friday .
Some search sites are linked to two men who have not been named as suspects .
Sandra Cantu played with one friend on Friday, left for a second friend's house .
It's not clear whether she ever got to the second house, distraught family says . |
(CNN) -- Eighteen people, including two soldiers, were killed Saturday in a gunbattle between the Mexican army and organized-crime suspects in the Mexican resort town of Acapulco, the Mexican Ministry of Defense said Sunday. Mexican soldiers hold rifles Saturday during a clash with organized-crime suspects in Acapulco. The incident began about 7 p.m., when the soldiers went to a location called Avenida Rancho Grande in Acapulco "to exploit information obtained through an anonymous tip," the ministry said in a statement. The soldiers were met by gunfire, it said. Five people were arrested in connection with the shootout. Two soldiers and 16 gunmen were killed, and nine soldiers were wounded, the statement said. The gunmen were not identified, but the statement called them "members of organized crime." Authorities seized 36 large-caliber weapons, 13 small-caliber weapons, two grenade launchers, 13 fragmentation grenades, 3,525 rounds of various caliber ammunition, 180 charges and eight vehicles, the ministry said. CNN's Arthur Brice and CNN en Español's Luisa Calad contributed to this report. | [
"How many soldiers were killed?",
"Where did the fighting happen?",
"Did the shootout result in any arrests?",
"Where did Mexican soldiers fight?",
"What type of tip were soldiers investigating according to the Mexican Defense Ministry?",
"What did authorities seize?",
"What is the number of wounded soldiers?",
"What is the number of people arrested?",
"Who has been killed?",
"What were soldiers investigating?",
"How many people arrested?",
"How many soldiers were killed?",
"What did Mexican soldiers do?",
"Where are the soldiers from?"
] | [
[
"two"
],
[
"Acapulco,"
],
[
"Five people"
],
[
"Acapulco."
],
[
"\"to exploit information obtained through an anonymous tip,\""
],
[
"36 large-caliber weapons, 13 small-caliber weapons, two grenade launchers, 13 fragmentation grenades, 3,525 rounds of various caliber ammunition, 180 charges"
],
[
"nine"
],
[
"Five"
],
[
"people, including two soldiers,"
],
[
"information obtained through an anonymous tip,\""
],
[
"Five"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"hold rifles Saturday during a clash with organized-crime suspects in Acapulco."
],
[
"Mexican"
]
] | Mexican soldiers, organized-crime suspects fight in Acapulco, authorities say .
Two soldiers, 16 "members of organized crime" killed; nine other soldiers wounded .
Five people arrested in connection with shootout; authorities seize weapons .
Soldiers were investigating anonymous tip, says Mexican Defense Ministry . |
(CNN) -- Eighteen-year-old Juan Gonzalez was dying alone in a hospital, thousand of miles from his Guatemalan home. He was separated from the family he had traveled to the United States to help support. Juan Gonzalez was earning $250 a week as a dishwasher when his heart trouble began. Diagnosed with a chronically weak heart, without much money and lacking resources, Gonzalez seemed bound to die without ever seeing his parents again. That changed after CNN aired a story about his plight. Thanks to the help of a compassionate hospital staff, a U.S. congressman and a concerned community, Gonzalez has been reunited with his parents for what may be the last time. Watch Gonzalez make his tearful plea » Like many undocumented workers, Gonzalez came to the United States last fall to provide some financial help for his family, who had fallen on hard times back in Guatemala. He took a job as a dishwasher in Rome, Georgia, making about $250 a week. Then, in November, his heart gave out. Gonzalez has been in and out of the hospital for seven months. Doctors diagnosed Gonzalez with dilated cardiomyopathy, which means his heart muscle is very weak. Dr. Frank Stegall, Gonzalez's cardiologist, said the Guatemalan teen's heart pumps only 20 percent of the blood a healthy heart should. But as Gonzalez's heart failed him, he opened up the hearts of others. Stegall and the staff at Rome's Redmond Regional Medical Center were inspired by Gonzalez's attitude and courage and set out to reunite the dying teen with his parents. They contacted U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Georgia. Gingrey got the State Department involved in expediting visas for Pascual and Maria Gonzalez, Juan's parents. Delta Air Lines donated tickets to Atlanta, and the Gonzalezes boarded a plane for the first time, bound for Georgia to see their dying son. Watch the family reunion » Gonzalez has vowed to fight to the end, but doctors say his prognosis isn't good. With no money, Stegall says, it will be tough for the teen to get a heart transplant. Now, after traveling thousands of miles for more than two weeks to make a better life for his family and himself, Gonzalez faces his final fight, but it's one he will face with his family, thanks to the kindness of others. | [
"Which reason did they go to Georgia?",
"Who got Visas?",
"Undocumented immigrant from where?",
"Where was the undocumented immigrant originally from?",
"Who went to Georgia?"
] | [
[
"see their dying son."
],
[
"Pascual and Maria Gonzalez,"
],
[
"Guatemala."
],
[
"Guatemala."
],
[
"Juan Gonzalez"
]
] | Undocumented immigrant went to Georgia to make money for family .
He has an extremely weak heart muscle; doctors give poor prognosis .
Lawmaker got visas for parents; Delta donated plane tickets . |
(CNN) -- Elephant seals equipped with electronic tags and robotic mini submarines using sonar were just two projects during the International Polar Year (IPY) that aimed to investigate the effects of global warming in polar regions.
An elephant seal with a custom-designed electronic tag. The tags fell off when the animals molted.
The fourth IPY, which began in March 2007 and actually covered two full years, ended last month, after 160 scientific projects were undertaken by researchers from over 60 countries.
A joint project by the International Council for Science (ICSW) and World Meteorological Organization. (WMO), the IPY hoped to spearhead efforts to better monitor and understand the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The project had international funding of about US$ 1.2 billion over the two-year period.
"The International Polar Year 2007/2008 came at a crossroads for the planet's future," said Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of WMO in a press statement. "The new evidence resulting from polar research will strengthen the scientific basis on which we build future actions."
Researchers found that in the Arctic during the summers of 2007 and 2008, the minimum extent of year-round sea ice decreased to its lowest level since satellite records began 30 years ago.
According to a report published by the IPY organizing committee in February, their research indicates that global warming is affecting Antarctica in ways not previously identified.
Other evidence of climate change came from IPY research vessels that found warming waters in the Southern Ocean and an increase in melting ice that is creating fresher bottom water around the coast of Antarctica.
Among efforts to study the effects of climate change on Antarctica, was aNorwegian Polar Institute project to study marine mammals. Custom-designed tags were attached to elephant seals to study the animals' habits, although researcher realized the tags could also help with field research on climate change.
The electronic tags -- which fell off when the seals molted -- sent back data on temperature and salinity the oceans around Antarctica, particularly around the Fimbul Ice Shelf in east Antarctica.
While ice-shelf melt has been recorded in the west of Antarctica, scientists are concerned that it could happen in the east as well.
Another project to study the underside of an Antarctic glacier deployed an autonomous robot submarine. The team from the U.S. and British Antarctic Survey sent the "Autosub" on six missions to study the Pine Island Glacier and how changes in ocean temperature were affecting the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Using sonar, the submarine picked its way around the glacier and sent back data that created three-dimensional maps that scientists used to determine where and how the warmth of the ocean waters was melting the glacier's base.
"If [the West Antarctic Ice Sheet] were to melt completely, global sea levels would rise by as much as 5 meters," said Stan Jacobs, the U.S. lead scientist on the project.
"Because so little is known about ice-sheet behavior, this research will take us a step further in understanding how ice sheets will contribute to sea-level rise." | [
"What is the projects' aim?",
"When did the International Polar Year end?",
"What is the projects aim?",
"How many scientific projects did the IPY feature?",
"What did scientists use?",
"When did the polar year end?",
"How many different countries do the researchers come from?",
"What animals were equipped with electronic tags?"
] | [
[
"to investigate the effects of global warming in polar regions."
],
[
"last month,"
],
[
"to better monitor and understand the Arctic and Antarctic regions."
],
[
"160"
],
[
"seals equipped with electronic tags and robotic mini submarines"
],
[
"ended last month,"
],
[
"over 60"
],
[
"seals"
]
] | Scientists using robot submarines and elephant seals equipped with electronic tags .
The projects' aim is to study effects of climate change on Antarctica .
The International Polar Year ended last month after two years of research .
The IPY featured 160 scientific projects by researchers from over 60 countries . |
(CNN) -- Eleven people were killed Tuesday during clashes with Yemeni security forces after anti-government protests again filled the streets of the country's capital, according to a hospital official.
Crowds marched through downtown Sanaa, where government forces allegedly gunned down protesters -- the latest in a series of confrontations between those loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, demonstrators and rival factions.
Hundreds of security forces attempted to restrict the protesters' movements, and tear-gas canisters could be seen flying toward the crowd, said hospital director Mohammed Qubati.
Others carrying sticks and knives also advanced toward the crowds, Qubati added.
CNN has not independently confirmed the details of casualties, and the government has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The violence comes one day after thousands of women demonstrated in front of Yemen's Foreign Ministry in Sanaa, demanding U.N. intervention in the ongoing unrest in the Persian Gulf nation.
The women called for sanctions against Saleh and asked that the International Criminal Court try him.
Saleh said Sunday that "strong documentation of the cooperation" between al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood indicate a military coup that is destabilizing the country.
He described the opposition as "insane people, who can't sleep and only want to take power." | [
"Where did the crowds march?",
"How many people died in Yemen?",
"Who died in clashes?",
"who has not independently confirmed the details of the casualties",
"who march through downtown Sanaa",
"CNN couldn't confirm what?",
"hosw many people reportedly die in clashes in Yemen",
"Where are crowds marching to?"
] | [
[
"through downtown Sanaa,"
],
[
"Eleven"
],
[
"people"
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"Crowds"
],
[
"the details of casualties,"
],
[
"Eleven"
],
[
"downtown Sanaa,"
]
] | Eleven people reportedly die in clashes Tuesday in Yemen .
Crowds march through downtown Sanaa .
CNN has not independently confirmed the details of casualties . |
(CNN) -- Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of "The View" and author of the new book, "The G-Free Diet," spoke Wednesday with Larry King. Elizabeth Hasselbeck, of "The View," says Bristol Palin is an ideal choice to speak about teen abstinence. Hasselbeck offers her thoughts on being the sole conservative on her show, Elizabeth Edwards dealing with her husband's infidelity, Bristol Palin being abstinence spokeswoman and her battle with celiac disease. The following is an edited version of the interview. Larry King: Were you surprised that "The View" made the most influential list of Time magazine? Elisabeth Hasselbeck: I sure was. I think it's truly a tribute to what Barbara (Walters) has done and the show that she created along with Bill Geddie, our executive producer. It's a great place for women to come to and listen -- men, as well. But, also, for us to get there every day and discuss everything from politics to motherhood and parenting. But it was a shock. I think any time you receive an honor such as that, it's shocking. Watch Hasselbeck defend Bristol Palin » King: As the definitive conservative in the group, do you feel like the outcast? Do you feel put upon? Hasselbeck: I never feel like an outcast there. If anything, I feel more included than ever. I mean, truly that is a table where respect is number one, in terms of we sort of have a vow to one another. And we couldn't come there every single day and talk about the things that -- that we discuss and have the debates that we do and get as fiery as we do and get back there the next day if there wasn't that respect at the table and true value for the others' opinion. I mean the more we tend to disagree, I think the more we sort of dig deeper into that relationship. King: So the anger doesn't carry over? Hasselbeck: No. I wouldn't even classify it as anger. I think it's passion, and I think it's passion with purpose. You know, we do believe different things at times. Occasionally, we agree. It may not be that interesting when we do, but there is passion. It is coming from different places, but we love that conversation. I love being able to hear someone else's opinion on a subject and maybe sort of, you know, push a button here and there and see what they think about what I have to say. King also talked with Hasselbeck about Bristol Palin, the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, being a spokeswoman for abstinence. King: What do you make of that choice? Hasselbeck: I think she's the perfect choice. She has a tangible, living example of what this new responsibility is in her life. I believe that there is a sort of sadistic giddiness on the part of some true radical leftists, who are laughing behind-the-scenes about Bristol Palin's situation. Why are they so obsessed with her being a spokesperson for this? She's promoting a great thing -- abstinence. Find me something else that works 100 percent of the time. King: Elizabeth Edwards has gone public about her pain about her husband's infidelity. Yesterday on this show, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, your compatriot, called John Edwards a dog. Do you agree? Hasselbeck: You never understand the intimacies of someone's relationship with their spouse -- I mean or boyfriend, partner, etc. Those are places that only the two people truly understand. I think we're also looking at a woman of incredible strength, having looked at cancer and battled through. I believe that nothing, truly, can compare to that. And, you know, it's unfortunate. I think this alleged affair and, you know, disturbance, even in terms of allegedly funding his mistress' foundation, is even more complicating the matter. The idea of another child in the mix | [
"What did she says?",
"Who wrote the book?",
"Who was laughing at Palin's situation?",
"Who is laughing at Bristol Palin?",
"Who is Elisabeth Hasselbeck?"
] | [
[
"Bristol Palin is an ideal choice to speak about teen abstinence."
],
[
"Hasselbeck,"
],
[
"true radical leftists,"
],
[
"radical leftists,"
],
[
"co-host of \"The View\""
]
] | Elisabeth Hasselbeck says "radical leftists" laughing at Bristol Palin's situation .
Hasselbeck calls Miss California USA controversy "a big bullying scheme"
Hasselbeck, who has celiac disease, wrote book on gluten-free lifestyle . |
(CNN) -- Elizabeth McCutchen and a friend were walking to book club two weeks ago in quaint Farmville, Virginia, when they strolled by a home on First Avenue. "Something smells dead," her friend said.
Richard Samuel McCroskey has been arrested in connection with the killings of four people in Virginia.
They were thinking animal. A dog, a cat, something like that. They never imagined they were smelling the remains of massacred humans. It was Thursday, September 17. But another 24 hours would pass before police made the gruesome discovery.
Richard Samuel McCroskey III -- a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of "Horrorcore" who sang of chopping people into pieces -- has been arrested in connection with the slayings. The crime scene was so horrifying police would not even describe it, saying only that the victims died of blunt force trauma.
The victims were Mark Niederbrock, 50, the beloved pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church; his 16-year-old daughter, Emma Niederbrock; Melanie Wells, Emma's 18-year-old friend from West Virginia; and Niederbrock's estranged wife, Debra Kelley, 53, a professor at Longwood University.
McCroskey has been charged only in the killing of Mark Niederbrock. Police and the prosecutor's office did not return repeated phone calls from CNN. But in late September, authorities said more charges are pending.
Emma was described as a fan of Horrorcore and had met McCroskey through their mutual affection for the little-known music genre. Police said she invited McCroskey to fly from his northern California home, stay with her in Virginia and then attend the Strictly for the Wicked Festival, a Horrorcore fest in Michigan featuring bands with names like Dismembered Fetus and Phrozen Body Boy.
Nobody saw what would come next.
The slayings have been the talk of Farmville, a town of 7,000 that is home to Longwood University and nearby Hampden-Sydney College. Senseless is the word you hear most.
It's not just the macabre nature of the killings that has people talking. It's the grotesque lyrics of the Horrorcore singer; it's that it happened under their noses.
McCroskey is a young man with no criminal record who took delight in the blend of horror hip-hop that celebrated macabre killings. He went by the name Syko Sam. In one YouTube video, he holds a hatchet and sings about killing people and putting their remains in black bags: "Last night I was the murderous rage. Now, I gotta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting."
'Stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled'
Authorities have not specified when the Virginia killings occurred, but at 4 a.m. on Friday, September 18, tow-truck driver Elton Napier was called out to Poor House Road to help McCroskey, whose car was stuck.
Napier said McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and "was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it."
McCroskey was driving Mark Niederbrock's Honda. Napier said two sheriff's deputies were at the scene and McCroskey was ticketed for driving without a license. At the time, authorities didn't know the pastor had been slain.
When McCroskey hopped into Napier's flatbed, the tow-truck driver said he started gagging from the odor and immediately rolled down the windows.
"I just held my head out the window so the wind would hit me in the face," he said. "That was the stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled."
Napier drove McCroskey about four miles to a convenience store. McCroskey told Napier he was visiting his girlfriend and her father lent him the car. McCroskey fetched a black bag from the Honda before they parted. Napier went inside to get a cup of coffee.
According to police, McCroskey eventually caught a cab to Richmond International Airport. By mid-afternoon that same day, police found the bodies at the home on First Avenue. McCroskey was arrested the next day at the airport, where he had spent the night.
When he was being led to jail, McCroskey told | [
"What did the tow-truck driver say?",
"What did the tow truck driver say?",
"What is McCroskey's first name?",
"Who is accused of murder?",
"Who gave the lift to the suspect?",
"What is the age of the rapper?"
] | [
[
"McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and \"was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it.\""
],
[
"\"was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it.\""
],
[
"Richard"
],
[
"Richard Samuel McCroskey"
],
[
"Elton Napier"
],
[
"20-year-old"
]
] | 20-year-old rapper of "Horrorcore" accused of Virginia slayings .
Little known underground music genre celebrates macabre killings .
Tow-truck driver gave suspect a lift; said he was "stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled"
Defense lawyer said he's unsure Richard McCroskey "gets the severity of everything" |
(CNN) -- Elizabeth McCutchen and a friend were walking to book club two weeks ago in quaint Farmville, Virginia, when they strolled by a home on First Avenue. "Something smells dead," her friend said. Richard Samuel McCroskey has been arrested in connection with the killings of four people in Virginia. They were thinking animal. A dog, a cat, something like that. They never imagined they were smelling the remains of massacred humans. It was Thursday, September 17. But another 24 hours would pass before police made the gruesome discovery. Richard Samuel McCroskey III -- a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of "Horrorcore" who sang of chopping people into pieces -- has been arrested in connection with the slayings. The crime scene was so horrifying police would not even describe it, saying only that the victims died of blunt force trauma. The victims were Mark Niederbrock, 50, the beloved pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church; his 16-year-old daughter, Emma Niederbrock; Melanie Wells, Emma's 18-year-old friend from West Virginia; and Niederbrock's estranged wife, Debra Kelley, 53, a professor at Longwood University. McCroskey has been charged only in the killing of Mark Niederbrock. Police and the prosecutor's office did not return repeated phone calls from CNN. But in late September, authorities said more charges are pending. Emma was described as a fan of Horrorcore and had met McCroskey through their mutual affection for the little-known music genre. Police said she invited McCroskey to fly from his northern California home, stay with her in Virginia and then attend the Strictly for the Wicked Festival, a Horrorcore fest in Michigan featuring bands with names like Dismembered Fetus and Phrozen Body Boy. Nobody saw what would come next. The slayings have been the talk of Farmville, a town of 7,000 that is home to Longwood University and nearby Hampden-Sydney College. Senseless is the word you hear most. It's not just the macabre nature of the killings that has people talking. It's the grotesque lyrics of the Horrorcore singer; it's that it happened under their noses. McCroskey is a young man with no criminal record who took delight in the blend of horror hip-hop that celebrated macabre killings. He went by the name Syko Sam. In one YouTube video, he holds a hatchet and sings about killing people and putting their remains in black bags: "Last night I was the murderous rage. Now, I gotta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting." 'Stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled' Authorities have not specified when the Virginia killings occurred, but at 4 a.m. on Friday, September 18, tow-truck driver Elton Napier was called out to Poor House Road to help McCroskey, whose car was stuck. Napier said McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and "was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it." McCroskey was driving Mark Niederbrock's Honda. Napier said two sheriff's deputies were at the scene and McCroskey was ticketed for driving without a license. At the time, authorities didn't know the pastor had been slain. When McCroskey hopped into Napier's flatbed, the tow-truck driver said he started gagging from the odor and immediately rolled down the windows. "I just held my head out the window so the wind would hit me in the face," he said. "That was the stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled." Napier drove McCroskey about four miles to a convenience store. McCroskey told Napier he was visiting his girlfriend and her father lent him the car. McCroskey fetched a black bag from the Honda before they parted. Napier went inside to get a cup of coffee. According to police, McCroskey eventually caught a cab to Richmond International Airport. By mid-afternoon that same day, police found the bodies at the home on First Avenue. McCroskey was arrested the next day at the airport, where he had spent the night. When he was being led to jail, McCroskey told | [
"What was the rapper's age?",
"What did the tow-truck driver say about the suspect?",
"Where did the slayings take place?",
"What does the little known underground music genre celebrate?",
"The accused is how old?",
"What age is the rapper accused of the Virginia slayings?",
"Who was the \"stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled\"?"
] | [
[
"20-year-old"
],
[
"said McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and \"was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it.\""
],
[
"Farmville,"
],
[
"macabre killings."
],
[
"20-year-old"
],
[
"20-year-old"
],
[
"Elton Napier"
]
] | 20-year-old rapper of "Horrorcore" accused of Virginia slayings .
Little known underground music genre celebrates macabre killings .
Tow-truck driver gave suspect a lift; said he was "stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled"
Defense lawyer said he's unsure Richard McCroskey "gets the severity of everything" |
(CNN) -- Elizabeth McCutchen and a friend were walking to book club two weeks ago in quaint Farmville, Virginia, when they strolled by a home on First Avenue. "Something smells dead," her friend said. They were thinking animal. A dog, a cat, something like that. They never imagined they were smelling the remains of massacred humans. It was Thursday, September 17. But another 24 hours would pass before police made the gruesome discovery. Richard Samuel McCroskey III -- a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of "Horrorcore" who sang of chopping people into pieces -- has been arrested in connection with the slayings. The crime scene was so horrifying police would not even describe it, saying only that the victims died of blunt force trauma. The victims were Mark Niederbrock, 50, the beloved pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church; his 16-year-old daughter, Emma Niederbrock; Melanie Wells, Emma's 18-year-old friend from West Virginia; and Niederbrock's estranged wife, Debra Kelley, 53, a professor at Longwood University. McCroskey has been charged only in the killing of Mark Niederbrock. Police and the prosecutor's office did not return repeated phone calls from CNN. But in late September, authorities said more charges are pending. Emma was described as a fan of Horrorcore and had met McCroskey through their mutual affection for the little-known music genre. Police said she invited McCroskey to fly from his northern California home, stay with her in Virginia and then attend the Strictly for the Wicked Festival, a Horrorcore fest in Michigan featuring bands with names like Dismembered Fetus and Phrozen Body Boy. Nobody saw what would come next. The slayings have been the talk of Farmville, a town of 7,000 that is home to Longwood University and nearby Hampden-Sydney College. Senseless is the word you hear most. It's not just the macabre nature of the killings that has people talking. It's the grotesque lyrics of the Horrorcore singer; it's that it happened under their noses. McCroskey is a young man with no criminal record who took delight in the blend of horror hip-hop that celebrated macabre killings. He went by the name Syko Sam. In one YouTube video, he holds a hatchet and sings about killing people and putting their remains in black bags: "Last night I was the murderous rage. Now, I gotta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting." 'Stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled' Authorities have not specified when the Virginia killings occurred, but at 4 a.m. on Friday, September 18, tow-truck driver Elton Napier was called out to Poor House Road to help McCroskey, whose car was stuck. Napier said McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and "was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it." McCroskey was driving Mark Niederbrock's Honda. Napier said two sheriff's deputies were at the scene and McCroskey was ticketed for driving without a license. At the time, authorities didn't know the pastor had been slain. When McCroskey hopped into Napier's flatbed, the tow-truck driver said he started gagging from the odor and immediately rolled down the windows. "I just held my head out the window so the wind would hit me in the face," he said. "That was the stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled." Napier drove McCroskey about four miles to a convenience store. McCroskey told Napier he was visiting his girlfriend and her father lent him the car. McCroskey fetched a black bag from the Honda before they parted. Napier went inside to get a cup of coffee. According to police, McCroskey eventually caught a cab to Richmond International Airport. By mid-afternoon that same day, police found the bodies at the home on First Avenue. McCroskey was arrested the next day at the airport, where he had spent the night. When he was being led to jail, McCroskey told reporters, "Jesus told me to do it." Suspect's family, community grieve | [
"The sub-genre celebrates what?",
"What type of driver gave the suspect a lift?",
"What was the genre of rap that the performer worked in?",
"who is richard mccroskey"
] | [
[
"macabre killings."
],
[
"tow-truck"
],
[
"\"Horrorcore\""
],
[
"a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of \"Horrorcore\""
]
] | 20-year-old rapper of "Horrorcore" accused of Virginia slayings .
Little known underground music genre celebrates macabre killings .
Tow-truck driver gave suspect a lift; said he was "stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled"
Defense lawyer said he's unsure Richard McCroskey "gets the severity of everything" |
(CNN) -- Elizabeth Taylor is having a "procedure on her heart," she announced on her Twitter page Tuesday. Elizabeth Taylor has used Twitter to share personal information. "It's very new and involves repairing my leaky valve using a clip device, without open heart surgery, so that my heart will function better," the famed actress wrote. "Any prayers you happen to have lying around I would dearly appreciate. I'll let you know when it's all over. Love you, Elizabeth." The 77-year-old Oscar winner did not go into further detail about her heart condition or the medical procedure. She was briefly hospitalized this summer for "scheduled testing," she said at the time. She checked out "sore, but intact," the actress said in an online message posted July 17. Her publicist had denied tabloid rumors that her hospitalization was brought on by her grief over the sudden death of her close friend Michael Jackson in June. Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to publish what they are doing using 140 characters or less. Taylor posts regularly on her account, DameElizabeth, which has more than 155,000 followers. She opened the account this year at the suggestion of her close friend, author and actress Kathy Ireland, publicist Dick Guttman said. She posted emotional messages in July to counter rumors about how she was dealing with the news of Jackson's death. "Although my grief over Michael could not be any deeper, I am not on suicide watch as some of the cheaper 'rags' would have you believe," Taylor wrote July 5. Taylor -- who uses a wheelchair because of scoliosis, or abnormal curving of the spine -- gave fans several days advance notice of her last hospitalization. The London-born movie star has won two Academy Awards for best actress: first for "Butterfield 8" in 1961 and then for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" in 1967. | [
"What kind of heart issues does Elizabeth Taylor have?",
"what did taylor announce",
"did she go into details",
"for what did she use twitter",
"On what organ in the body was Ms Taylor having issues with",
"For what reason did Elizabeth Taylor take to twitter",
"Who is Elizabeth Taylor?",
"Elizabth Taylor used twitter as to talk about how she cope after the death of whom"
] | [
[
"leaky valve"
],
[
"is having a \"procedure on her heart,\""
],
[
"not"
],
[
"to share personal information."
],
[
"heart,\""
],
[
"\"procedure on her heart,\""
],
[
"actress"
],
[
"Michael Jackson"
]
] | Elizabeth Taylor takes to Twitter to announce surgical procedure .
Actress did not go into detail about heart issue .
She has used Twitter to talk about coping with Jackson's death . |
(CNN) -- Elmo and Gordon want you to wash your hands so you don't catch the flu. Smokey Bear, the Ad Council's most famous icon, has moved from 1940s posters to his own Facebook page. The "Sesame Street" stalwarts star in a series of public service announcements to teach children healthy habits in the face of the H1N1 flu virus. The Muppet and the man (actor Roscoe Orman) are the latest in a long line of characters -- human and not -- to star in public service announcements co-sponsored by the Advertising Council. The Ad Council, the charitable arm of the advertising industry, employs the same top-flight talent that creates ads for Budweiser, Coca-Cola and other familiar brands. Watch Elmo and Gordon give the pitch » Growing beyond its early "Buy War Bonds" posters and Smokey TV spots, today's Advertising Council is moving into social media "in a very big way," said Peggy Conlon, the organization's CEO. "There's all kinds of ways the Advertising Council finds its target audience on the web," she said, noting that the group has its own YouTube channel. A marketing executive endorses the approach. "If your target is young people, television really doesn't make a lot of sense now if they're spending hours on the Internet, hours in social media," said Ben Kunz, director of strategic planning for Mediassociates, a media planning and Internet strategy firm. "You need to find a way to reach them in the media that they consume." The "holy grail" is to go viral, as people pass the message around because they like it or think it's important, Kunz said. A gory, four-minute British PSA on the dangers of texting while driving has received nearly 600,000 views on YouTube in less than two weeks, fueled in part by Facebook and Twitter links. Watch how the PSA has changed minds » "If you can leverage these new human networks using mobile and Facebook and Twitter and blogs to disseminate your message, that's the real home run," he said. "But the only way to do that is to give people a real reason to become engaged." One campaign that tries to do that is called Boost Up, aimed at encouraging students to complete high school. Louis Caldera, who at the time was secretary of the Army, initiated the project with a call to the Ad Council because of a lack of qualified recruits. "There was a disconnect between the societal message that said, 'Go to college,' and [the Army's] message, which said, 'Don't go to college, join the military,'" Caldera, a West Point alumnus, told CNN. Caldera wanted people to think of the Army as a leader in education issues, not an alternative to schooling, and he sought the Ad Council's help. "We absolutely did not want people to think this was about recruiting," he said. The council put together a campaign intended for all students, with a particular goal of reaching Latinos, for whom dropout rates are higher than for other groups. "It really encourages people -- both adults and their peers -- to give these kids the encouragement that they need to really reach within themselves and find the personal resolve that they need to overcome life's difficulties and graduate from high school," Conlon said. "It's a really smart campaign. I think it's very genuine, and it resonates really well with kids." Although dropout rates generally and among Latinos remain high, "I think this is making a contribution to creating the environment in which more students can be successful," said Caldera, now a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank. President Obama will appear in the latest series of Boost Up PSAs, to begin airing next week. The Ad Council and its partners measure a campaign's success by how much donated media a campaign attracts. Media outlets will run an ad more | [
"What do Elmo aned Gordon join?",
"Charitable arm of which industry adapts to changing times?",
"What does charitable arm of advertising do?",
"Media evolve from what to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube?",
"What do create minds also create?"
] | [
[
"military,'\""
],
[
"Ad Council,"
],
[
"employs the same top-flight talent that creates ads for Budweiser, Coca-Cola and other familiar brands."
],
[
"posters and Smokey TV spots,"
],
[
"ads for Budweiser, Coca-Cola and other familiar brands."
]
] | Elmo and Gordon of "Sesame Street" join long line of public service spot stars .
Charitable arm of advertising industry adapts to changing times, tech .
Media evolve from WWII posters to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube .
Creative minds that make best commercials also create service spots . |
(CNN) -- Embattled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe signed a power-sharing deal with the opposition party's breakaway faction, his party said Tuesday, though Mugabe's opponents denied the claim.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe leaves a hotel where negotiations had been taking place Tuesday.
Mugabe's party said the deal, which promises cabinet positions to the splinter group of the Movement for Democratic Change, does not involve MDC head Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai said he still is involved with the talks, and that the power-sharing deal with the MDC offshoot is part of larger deal that has not been signed by anyone. Welshman Ncube, spokesman for the MDC splinter group, also said his party has not signed a deal with Mugabe, though Mugabe's party said the deal was signed with the group's chief, Arthur Mutambara.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, the mediator in the talks, would not confirm that a deal had been signed. Mbeki said Mugabe and the splinter group had formed an "agreement" and were awaiting Tsvangirai's position on certain points in the plan.
Another high-ranking official with knowledge of the negotiations told CNN that the deal signed with Arthur Mutambara, head of the faction that broke from the MDC, has to do with the prime minister position that will be created in the new Zimbabwe government.
The official said deciding the duties of the new prime minister has been a sticking point in the negotiations. The MDC has wanted the prime minister to be in charge of government and Mugabe to be in charge of the state, the official said.
But Mugabe has sought to keep control of both and make the prime minister position "ceremonial," the official said.
All the parties involved have been meeting in a hotel in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city. Video footage Tuesday showed Tsvangirai leaving the negotiations stone-faced as he ignored reporters' questions.
Mutambara told reporters he plans to have a news conference Wednesday, and Mugabe smiled widely and shook hands with onlookers as he left the hotel, but did not answer reporters' questions.
Tsvangirai had been in power-sharing talks with Mugabe in recent days as a culmination of his party's protest of Mugabe's disputed re-election in a June presidential runoff. The election was condemned internationally as a sham.
Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff days before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had orchestrated a campaign of beatings, intimidation and murders against the MDC.
Tsvangirai had garnered the most votes in a March general election, but not enough to avoid a runoff, according to the government's official count.
CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report. | [
"What says official about opposition?",
"Who denies discussions?",
"Who is not part of the deal?",
"Who makes power-share deal with splinter group?",
"Who denies he's out of power-sharing discussions?",
"Who made a power-share deal with a splinter group?",
"Who is not part of deal, official says?"
] | [
[
"deciding the duties of the new prime minister has been a sticking point in the negotiations."
],
[
"Mugabe's opponents"
],
[
"Thabo Mbeki,"
],
[
"Robert Mugabe"
],
[
"Mugabe's opponents"
],
[
"Robert Mugabe"
],
[
"Morgan Tsvangirai."
]
] | Official: Zimbabwe's president makes power-share deal with splinter group .
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai not part of deal, official says .
Tsvangirai denies he's out of power-sharing discussions . |
(CNN) -- Emblazoned on a long, tall, concrete barrier in the midst of a rocky Middle Eastern landscape is this spray-painted message: "Mirror, mirror on the wall. When will this senseless object fall?" Messages of peace, marriage proposals and jokes are among the most popular graffiti requests. It's one of more than 900 graffiti messages that have been spray-painted by Palestinians on the controversial wall that separates Israel and the West Bank. The painters take orders through a Web site that lets customers get a message on the wall. For the equivalent of $40, a Palestinian will spray paint the message and send three digital photos of it. Anything goes -- marriage proposals, jokes, notes to friends -- as long as it isn't extremist, hate-filled, or pornographic, said Faris Arouri, one of the founders of the site. "Trying to imagine a clear view between Palestine and Israel," one message reads. "If all humans are equal, why do they have to live separated?" says another. And another simply shouts: "Get along with each other!" "This is an alternative way to send your message to whoever you're sending it to," Arouri told CNN from Ramallah. "It is there physically and it will stay there until someone sprays over it or someone decides to demolish that wall ... Hopefully it won't stay forever, because hopefully this wall will be removed sometime soon." The Israeli government began building the barrier in 2002, about two years after renewed violence erupted in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. In some areas, it takes the form of a tall concrete wall; in others, it is more of a fence. Israel says the barrier has been successful in preventing terrorist attacks by Palestinians. But Palestinians say it amounts to an illegal land grab of Palestinian territory because it does not match the line of Israel's border with the West Bank before the 1967 Six Day War. The barrier cuts so far into West Bank territory at some points that the West Bank settlement of Alfei Menashe and five Palestinian villages are actually now on the Israeli side of the wall. Palestinians in those villages contend they are cut off from both Israel and the West Bank because they are not allowed to travel into Israel and they must pass through military checkpoints to reach other West Bank villages. The Sendamessage Web site says other families cut off by the barrier are deprived of their livelihoods. The site describes how the wall separated a family from the hotel they owned and kept farmers away from their 500 olive trees. Israel's supreme court has twice ruled that the government must reroute sections of the barrier to avoid infringing on the lives of thousands of Palestinians. Arouri represents a Palestinian non-profit group, the Peace and Freedom Youth Forum, that works on the social and political issues facing young people in the West Bank. About two-thirds of the money raised through the site goes to the group, which uses it to pay for projects like building a playground, buying bicycles, or establishing laundry facilities for university students in Bir Zeit, near Ramallah. The group says it only works with organizations that are legal in the Palestinian territories and allowed to operate by the Israeli government. The rest of the money goes to the group's partners in the Netherlands, who maintain the Web site, accept payments, and manage the paperwork. First conceived at a Dutch-Palestinian workshop in Ramallah two years ago, the site has gone on to attract customers from around the world. There have been 910 orders so far, said Justus van Oel, a Dutch screenwriter who volunteers his time maintaining the site in the Netherlands. Spray-painting on the wall is a peaceful way for Palestinians to protest the barrier, Arouri said. "You're not only defying the existence of the wall, but you're also showing the international community our refusal, first of all, to such a structure," he said. "Also, it's an attempt to humanize the Palestinian society in | [
"What can be ordered to be sprayed on Israeli barriers?",
"Where is the barrier?",
"What does the security barrier separate?",
"What does the website do?",
"Where were graffiti messages sprayed?",
"What is a form of peaceful protest for Palestinians?",
"What separates Israel from Palestinian West Bank?"
] | [
[
"a message"
],
[
"rocky Middle Eastern landscape"
],
[
"Israel and the West Bank."
],
[
"lets customers get a message on the wall."
],
[
"on a long, tall, concrete barrier in the midst of a rocky Middle Eastern landscape"
],
[
"Spray-painting on the wall"
],
[
"the controversial wall"
]
] | Web site takes orders for graffiti messages to be sprayed on Israeli barrier .
Security barrier separates Israel from Palestinian West Bank .
Messages of peace, marriage proposals, jokes among most popular slogans .
Activists says spray-painting is a form of peaceful protest for Palestinians . |
(CNN) -- Emergency crews called off a search in Texas for the wreckage of a C-17 transport plane after reports Monday of a possible crash proved unfounded.
Callers to the Olney Police Department said they saw a low-flying plane, and a spokesman for Sheppard AFB initially reported a crash, but then retracted the report.
Air Force officials said an Air Force C-17 had been flying at low altitude near Olney, but the plane returned safely to Altus Air Force Base in southwest Oklahoma.
CNN's Mike Mount and Adam Levine contributed to this story. | [
"where did the carash happen",
"What type of plane is missing?",
"Are they still searching for the plane?"
] | [
[
"Texas"
],
[
"C-17 transport"
],
[
"called off a search"
]
] | Emergency crews call off search for C-17 transport plane .
Initial Air Force reports of a crash were incorrect, Air Force spokesman says .
Police reported that callers said a plane was flying low to ground, then crashed . |
(CNN) -- Emma Watson may have wanted to just blend in when she started her freshman year recently at Brown University, but it seems not everyone has the same idea. "Harry Potter" actress Emma Watson is an incoming freshman at Brown University in Rhode Island. The actress, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" films, showed up last week at the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, where new students were treated to orientation activities before the official start of classes on Wednesday. Watson was photographed looking very relaxed in jean shorts and a white T-shirt, but reports are that her introduction to academia has been less than low-key, with much excitement being stirred by her presence. The blog Just Jared reported that while the British actress visited the campus on Friday with her mother and her boyfriend, Jay Barrymore, Twitter user @cupcakenar sent out the following tweet: "My dad made Emma Watson mad by taking a photo of her going inside the Financial Aid office at Brown. She was with her mom & boyfriend." Celebrities furthering their education are not new, but with the advent of social networking sites, stars' every move can be tracked and reported. When actor James Franco apparently fell asleep during a lecture at Columbia University in New York City earlier this year, a photo snapped by a classmate made the rounds online and prompted many a tweet. Franco, who has appeared in films such as "Spiderman" and the critically acclaimed "Milk," was reported to be taking classes at Columbia and New York University while also writing a book. Paparazzi were on high alert when Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen began attending classes at NYU in 2004. Photos appeared constantly of the tiny twosome -- often with bodyguards in tow -- on their way to and from class after they moved from Los Angeles to New York City for school. Stars such as Julia Stiles, who enrolled in Columbia, and Natalie Portman, who attended Harvard, have tried to be as under the radar as possible while pursuing their education. According to a 2003 article about Portman in the university's Harvard Crimson newspaper, the "Star Wars" actress lived on campus her freshman and sophomore years while pursuing a degree in psychology. Portman told the college publication that she was able to enjoy her time as a student, despite her celebrity status. "At the beginning of college I was talking to people who were actors who had gone to college, and I heard awful stories about people getting 200 visitors a year knocking on their dorm room, or having awful stalker issues," Portman said. "But I've not been bothered once, and that's also thanks to the police here, who have been really wonderful." Watson also has been quoted as saying she just wants to be treated as a regular student. "I do hope that it will be only a short time before I am known as Emma Watson the student from the UK, rather than Emma Watson who starred in the 'Harry Potter' films," Watson said. The "Harry Potter" actress isn't the only famous student taking her seat at an Ivy League school this year. The Boston Globe reported that actress Ashley Judd has enrolled in Harvard's Kennedy School's Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program and asked officials to take additional measures to ensure her privacy. The paper reported that school officials complied, including having the registrar put a privacy block on Judd's file to prevent information about the actress from being made public and arranging to have Harvard police present during the program's coffee breaks. In speaking with the Boston Globe, Brown University's director of communications Mark Nickel declined to confirm that Watson was a student there, but he did say the school might take extra precautions to protect a young wizard. ''We do whatever we need to do to ensure safety and privacy, and that applies pretty much to all students," Nickel said. | [
"Where is Emma Watson from?",
"What did Ashley Judd ask of Harvard?",
"Who participated in freshman orientation?",
"What movie did Watson perform in?",
"Who have gone Ivy League?"
] | [
[
"the UK,"
],
[
"to take additional measures to ensure her privacy."
],
[
"Watson"
],
[
"\"Harry Potter\""
],
[
"Watson"
]
] | British actress Emma Watson participated in freshman orientation at Brown .
The "Harry Potter" actress' enrollment at the university has sparked interest .
Stars such as James Franco and Natalie Portman have also gone Ivy League .
Boston Globe reports actress Ashley Judd asked Harvard to protect her privacy . |
(CNN) -- Emmy-winning Patrick McGoohan, the actor who created one of British television's most surreal thrillers, has died aged 80, according to British media reports. Fans holding placards of Patrick McGoohan recreate a scene from 'The Prisoner' to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show in 2007. The Press Association, quoting his son-in-law Cleve Landsberg, reported he died in Los Angeles after a short illness. McGoohan, star of the 1960s show 'The Danger Man,' is best remembered for writing and starring in 'The Prisoner' about a former spy locked away in an isolated village who tries to escape each episode. The Internet Movie Data Base Web site says the "mysterious final episode caused such an uproar that McGoohan was to desert England for more than 20 years." In a long career in TV and movies, he was King Edward Longshanks in 'Braveheart,' and he won two Emmys for work on the 'Columbo' series starring Peter Falk. He also did a voiceover on 'The Simpsons' cartoon of his character in 'The Prisoner.' He was born in Astoria, New York to Irish emigrants but the family returned to Ireland shortly afterwards. McGoohan was raised in Ireland and England. | [
"How many decades was his career?",
"Has he won any awards?",
"Who is Patrick McGoohan?",
"What was he best known for?",
"Who is the actor who passed away?",
"Did he win any Emmy awards?",
"Who is the Emmy winning actor?",
"What is the age of Patrick McGoohan?"
] | [
[
"20 years.\""
],
[
"Emmy-winning"
],
[
"actor"
],
[
"thrillers,"
],
[
"Cleve Landsberg,"
],
[
"Patrick McGoohan,"
],
[
"Patrick McGoohan,"
],
[
"80,"
]
] | Actor Patrick McGoohan dies age 80, media reports .
McGoohan best-known for creating and starring in 'The Prisoner' TV series .
He was an Emmy winning actor whose TV and Movie career spanned six decades . |
(CNN) -- Ena Zizi was participating in a prayer group at the national cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, when the structure came down on her during the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the island on January 12.
In New York, meanwhile, her son, Maxim Janvier, had no way of knowing what befell her other than she was missing.
Miraculously, the 70-year-old Zizi survived seven days trapped under the rubble before she was rescued by international search crews this week. A person can, give or take, expect to survive 72 hours trapped without water or food. Zizi managed to hold on for twice as long, something that experts say speaks to the body's resilience in times of danger. It is possible for a healthy person to survive more than 10 days in some cases, experts say.
"I wasn't surprised. I knew she would live through that. She is a tough woman," Janvier said, recalling when he heard the news, via a CNN tip, that his mother had been found. Earlier, he had used CNN's Web site to enter his mother's name, age and approximate location in hope of someone identifying her.
Zizi has since been moved to a medical facility aboard the USS Bataan, and now her son is seeking help moving her to a hospital in Florida for further treatment.
"I haven't given up hope," Janvier told CNN. "It's God's sign to me that I will have another chance to see my mom."
A CNN crew captured video of Tuesday's rescue.
After hours of careful extraction by rescue crews from Germany, South Africa and Mexico, Zizi was carried from the rubble on a wooden board as she grasped the edges, her face covered in dust.
"Thank God! Thank God!" she exclaimed as she was pulled out, the video shows.
"Thanks to teamwork we were able to take this woman that prayed and prayed, and I believe that her faith that is so big was the thing that saved her," one of the Mexican rescuers said. iReport: Search list of the missing and the found
Janvier said he has no doubt that his mother's faith played a role in her survival.
"Definitely, no question. Everyone was praying," he said.
By her side as Zizi was freed, her friends from the church cheered and prayed, Janvier said.
The next step in Zizi's recovery, however, remains unclear. Full coverage l Twitter updates
The life-long Port-au-Prince resident was undergoing surgery aboard the USS Bataan, Janvier said. She was reported to have suffered a fractured femur in the quake. | [
"What does her son say aided in his mother's survival?",
"What age was the woman?",
"How long did Ena Zizi survive under rubble?",
"How many days did the woman survive in the rubble?",
"Was the women in injured in any way?",
"What did Zizi suffer from?",
"What age is Ena Zizi"
] | [
[
"faith"
],
[
"70-year-old"
],
[
"seven days"
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"fractured femur"
],
[
"a fractured femur"
],
[
"70-year-old"
]
] | Ena Zizi, in her 70s, lasted seven days in rubble near national cathedral .
Son, Maxim Janvier says he has no doubt that his mother's faith played a role in her survival .
Zizi was undergoing surgery aboard the USS Bataan, Janvier said .
Zizi was reported to have suffered a fractured femur in the quake . |
(CNN) -- Endless stretches of beautiful white beaches, crystal clear water and stunning marine life: the west coast of Australia is an adventurer's playground. The often uncharted shores of the island continent offer travelers a unique mix of thrills and indulgence.
This week the professional sailing world will turn its attention to West Australia's largest city, Perth, for one of the biggest events on the sport's calendar. The International Sailing Federation World Championships will be held in the coastal city. Twelve hundred athletes from 79 nations will take part in Perth 2011, the principle qualifier for the London 2012 Olympics.
While those boats hit the water to battle it out for gold, most people prefer to take a more leisurely approach to one of the most rugged and striking coastlines in the world.
"The great thing about this coast is that the nature is still very much in charge," says John Longley, Perth 2011 event director and former America's Cup competitor.
Despite the region being littered with protected inlets and charming swimming spots, some areas are not for the faint-hearted. "It's wild country," says Longley. "But the awards for the adventurous are plentiful."
Travelers who dare to explore can feel completely isolated from the rest of the world. It's a massive area with very few inhabitants. The state of Western Australia averages less than one person per square kilometer (0.4 square miles). "You can quite easily find yourself sailing up to a bay and finding no one else around," says Lonely Planet writer Peter Dragicevich.
The Swan River
The centerpiece of Perth, the Swan River is a perfect place to take in the city. At over one mile wide in parts and with several bays, finding a spot to drop anchor is not hard.
Thanks to a thriving mining industry, Western Australia has flourished despite the current economic climate. Perth has been a big benefactor of the boom and the vibrancy of the city is not lost on visitors.
"Good restaurants in Perth are right up there with anywhere in the world," says Dragicevich. "Everywhere people are pretty laidback and very welcoming of travelers."
Fremantle
Following the river, just south of Perth is Fremantle. This city is Western Australia's maritime home. "If you're a keen sailing buff, it's a must see," says Dragicevich.
Located along the water is the striking Western Australian Museum building which has a strong maritime flavor. The museum encompasses the Shipwreck Galleries which claims to be the leading maritime archeology museum in the southern hemisphere. "WA has a history of shipwrecks and it does make for an interesting visit for the boatie," says Dragicevich.
Voyage to bottom of the sea for Sir Francis Drake's remains
For travelers exploring the area by boat, Longley says Fremantle is the perfect pit stop for maintenance. "The Fremantle Sailing Club is very well set up to receive cruising yachts."
Not too far west of Fremantle is Rottnest Island with plenty of bays to drop anchor in. With no cars allowed and beautiful inland waters, this island is perfect for a relaxing getaway.
Margaret River
The Margaret River region in the state's south west is known for its world-class locally grown food and wine. But the area shouldn't be dismissed as one just for the wine lovers.
Beautiful national parks border beaches with powdery sand and the world famous surf breaks make it ideal for those handy on a surf board. "Some of the breaks have got names like 'suicide'," explains Dragicevich. "Those ones are not for beginners."
But right on the doorstep of the Margaret River is Geographe Bay with more family-friendly beaches ideal for swimming. Longley says sailors can find a well-established marina in the small city of Bunbury, located in the bay.
Cape Naturaliste to Albany
The west coast of Australia is known as the "humpback highway" with tens of thousands of humpback whales passing on their annual migration to and from the Antarctic. There are many opportunities to see marine wildlife in its natural habitat | [
"who is the principle qualifier",
"where can the travelers go?",
"where it will be held on ISAF World Championship",
"where is the isaf wordl championships",
"what is a must for travelers",
"where will be held?"
] | [
[
"Twelve hundred athletes from 79 nations"
],
[
"the west coast of Australia"
],
[
"Perth,"
],
[
"Perth,"
],
[
"Fremantle."
],
[
"Perth,"
]
] | The ISAF World Championships will be held in Western Australia this month .
Perth 2011 is the principle qualifier for the London 2012 Olympic Games .
Western Australia averages less than one person per square kilometer .
The remoteness and beauty of the coastline makes it a must for travelers . |
(CNN) -- Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad was stung by a sea creature for a second time Saturday night and was being treated by doctors, her team said in a blog post, leaving the continuation of her swim in question.
The 62-year-old, in transit from Havana to Florida, was stung by some kind of presumed jellyfish, the blog said.
"Her face and eyes and the area around her eyes are affected. She is out of the water and aboard the transom of the Voyager where she is being treated by doctors. It will be up to Diana to decide whether or not to continue to the swim."
The incident was another setback for the athlete, who was stung by Portuguese man o' war earlier in the day.
At 6:30 p.m., Nyad was 49 miles from Havana.
Having passed the 24-hour mark, she was entering a critical time in her quest to cover the 103 miles.
"Tonight, her second night in the open water, may be the most critical," the team wrote. "Steve Munatones, the independent observer for the International Swim Federation who is accompanying the expedition, says that swimmers have a much better chance of success if they can make it through the second night."
There was a bit of excitement early Saturday afternoon. An oceanic whitetip shark swam near Nyad, but a diver on her team faced it off and it meandered away.
The swimmer improved her performance late Saturday morning after struggling to maintain her usual stroke rate, her support team said. Fortified by chicken soup, Nyad was making good progress until the Saturday evening incident.
"This afternoon -- it is stunning to actually witness -- Diana is swimming stronger and stronger," one post said. "Her strokes are up to 50 per minute, she is eating pasta, gobbling bananas, bits of peanut butter sandwiches, along with high-carb & high calorie liquid concoctions."
The going was rough before dawn Saturday, when Nyad had stopped her freestyle stroke and complained that she couldn't breathe properly after getting stung.
Doctors from the University of Miami gave the swimmer a shot to reduce inflammation, oxygen and other medication, the blog said, and after treading water for an hour Nyad said she felt better.
Candace Hogan, a friend who has been on most of Nyad's swims since 1978, said she could recover and complete the 100-plus mile marathon, the blog said.
The team initially said Nyad had likely been stung by a moon jellyfish but revised that to say it was the more troublesome Portuguese man o' war.
A National Institutes of Health report says an encounter with a Portuguese man o' war can lead to "significant systemic reactions" but rarely death. While mild stings generally produce localized pain, severe ones can provoke symptoms ranging from headaches to seizures, delirium, coma and paralysis, as well as breathing problems, cramping and vomiting, the NIH says.
Chief handler Bonnie Stoll said on Twitter that Nyad had been "stung along both arms the side of her body and her face."
Nyad had to clear herself of tentacles, change her swimsuit and put on a shirt for protection after the incident.
Another member of Nyad's support team said the way she handled the setback was a "testament to her strength."
"It was scary," Stoll said. "But Diana is happy that this happened early while she is still at her strongest."
A safety diver who entered the water to help Nyad was also stung numerous times, her blog said. He received treatment back on one of the flotilla of boats accompanying her.
Nyad began her swim just after 6 p.m. Friday from Havana's Hemingway Marina.
The former world champion swimmer expects the swim to take close to 60 hours, which would put her into Florida sometime Monday.
Nyad last attempted this swim in early August and had to be pulled from the water after some 60 miles, and almost 29 hours of swimming. She blamed a shoulder injury she suffered early in the journey, and an 11-hour-long asthma attack. | [
"Where is the swim?",
"When was her first attempt?",
"What she decides?",
"Where do the shark approached?"
] | [
[
"Hemingway Marina."
],
[
"early August"
],
[
"whether or not to continue to the swim.\""
],
[
"near Nyad,"
]
] | NEW: She is deciding whether she can continue the swim .
A shark approached the swim area, but swam away .
This is her third attempt to swim the 100-plus miles from Cuba to Florida .
Her first attempt, in 1978, was cut short by bad weather and strong currents . |
(CNN) -- Energetic, infectious and combative, the music of Nigerian musician Femi Kuti has moved audiences around the world. But the man is just as passionate about getting people to change their world as much as move their feet. Son of Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti, Femi inherited his father's zeal for both music and activism. Kuti was signed to Motown Records in 1994 and his music blends Afrobeat with more current soul, R&B and jazz. He's worked with rappers Mos Def and Common and continues to explore his music and collaborations. While the music matters, the man himself remains just as politically motivated as his father. Kuti's nightclub in Lagos, the New Afrika Shrine, had become a Mecca for West African music and creative expression, until it was closed by the authorities earlier in the summer. It was also homage to his father and continued his legacy of using music to inspire, change and motivate. Kuti recently told a reporter for All Africa Global Media that the Shrine was a place of worship where people can honor "great black people, who fought for the emancipation of Africa through music." Freeing the "Shrine" from being under lock and key is just one of his crusading missions, as with his band, The Positive Force, Kuti remains outspoken about Nigeria, corruption and the positive changes that Africa can achieve. Watch Femi Kuti on African Voices on Saturday, October 31, 12.30 and 18.30 GMT; Sunday, November 1, 18.00 GMT. | [
"Who is Femi Kuti?",
"Who is the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti?",
"Where was the nightclub that was recently closed by authorities?",
"What was recently closed by authorities?",
"Whose is Femi Kuti son of ?",
"Except music, what did his father pass on him ?",
"Who inherited his father's passion for music?",
"What passion did Femi Kuti inherit from his father?"
] | [
[
"Nigerian musician"
],
[
"Femi"
],
[
"in Lagos,"
],
[
"New Afrika Shrine,"
],
[
"Fela"
],
[
"activism."
],
[
"Femi Kuti"
],
[
"zeal for both music and activism."
]
] | Nigerian musician Femi Kuti is son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti .
Inherited his father's passion for music and political activism .
Nightclub in Lagos recently closed by authorities; remains politically outspoken . |
(CNN) -- England and France set themselves on course for the quarterfinals of Rugby's World Cup with their second wins of the competition in New Zealand Sunday.
Fellow Six Nations side Wales also revived their hopes with a hard-fought 17-10 win over Samoa after their narrow opening defeat in Pool D to defending champions South Africa.
Martin Johnson's England saw off another determined challenge from Georgia 41-10 to stay on top in Pool B, while France beat Canada 46-19.
The French were troubled by the Canadians, who only trailed by a converted try after an hour before Damien Traille grabbed a breakaway try and Vincent Clerc crossed twice late on to make the scoreline flattering.
Marc Lievremont's team will have to improve against hosts New Zealand in Auckland next Saturday, with the losers likely to face England in the last eight.
England were scarcely more impressive against a Georgian team who have impressed in the World Cup and were also in touch at halftime.
But England pulled away after the break with Shontayne Hape and Chris Ashton scoring two tries apiece with Delon Armitage and Manu Tuilagi also going over.
After the off-field furore involving Mike Tindall, who captained the side in the opening win over Argentina, England were looking for a big performance but Johnson was disappointed with their display.
"If we are happy with those standards we will go home early," he told AFP.
Wales were behind in Hamilton as they trailed 10-6 at the half, but were sparked into life by winger Shane Williams's 67th-minute try, his eighth in the World Cup.
"We knew today was a must-win game," said coach Warren Gatland." | [
"Who won in the Rugby World Cup?",
"what amount of nations defeat opposition",
"what country edged out samoa for the first win",
"who secured vital rugby world cup wins?",
"what countries secured the world cup win",
"who scored second victories?",
"Who edged Samoa for first win?"
] | [
[
"England"
],
[
"Six"
],
[
"Wales"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"France"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"Wales"
]
] | France, England and Wales secure vital Rugby World Cup wins .
Six Nations teams defeat lowly opposition after hard-fought matches .
France and England scoring second victories in the competition .
Wales edge Samoa for first win in New Zealand . |
(CNN) -- England coach Fabio Capello has been forced to go back on his previously iron-clad rules in selecting his preliminary squad for the World Cup in South Africa.
The Italian has always said he would not pick players who are injured or out of form, but has brought Liverpool's Jamie Carragher out of international retirement to bolster his defensive options as cover with injury-prone captain Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King also in the 30-man line-up.
Neither Carragher nor versatile Tottenham star King have yet played for Capello, who retained his midfield mainstay Gareth Barry despite the Manchester City player being in doubt for the June 12 opener against the United States due to injury.
Carragher made himself unavailable in 2007 after not being often used by previous managers Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren despite being regularly named in squads.
Blog: Will "the Force" be with Capello at World Cup?
Capello also asked Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to become available again following his own international retirement in 2004, but the 35-year-old turned down the opportunity.
"He said no, he preferred to stay with the family. But I tried," Capello told the UK Press Association.
Liverpool fullback Glen Johnson was named despite being sidelined with injury, while striker Emile Heskey retained his place although he has not been a first-choice selection for his club Aston Villa.
Key forward Wayne Rooney was named despite his niggling groin problem, with Tottenham's Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch taking the other striking spots along with Sunderland's 25-goal Darren Bent.
Winger Aaron Lennon was included after only recently returning with Tottenham after a long-term absence, as was fellow right-sided player Shaun Wright-Phillips despite his failure to win a regular place at Manchester City, who also have 22-year-old Adam Johnson in the squad.
Midfielder Joe Cole also got the nod, having last played for England in 2008, after a strong end to a season that saw him on the fringe of league champions Chelsea's first team.
Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcelo Lippi has stuck with the players who qualified for South Africa in his 30-man squad, resisting suggestions that he should bring in-form Roma striker Francesco Totti out of international retirement.
Totti's on-loan teammate Luca Toni also missed out along with veteran Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero, with Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi one of seven strikers named.
Inter Milan's controversial Italy under-21 forward Mario Balotelli missed out as Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Milan), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina) and Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria) were picked.
Lippi omitted his former Juventus player Nicola Legrottaglie despite the defender being included in a recent 29-man training squad.
France coach Raymond Domenech left out young Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema in his 30-man selection, while the omission of veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira means Thierry Henry is the only survivor from the 1998 World Cup-winning squad.
Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri also missed out, but four of his clubmates in England -- Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna -- were included.
However, defender Gallas has been warned by Domenech that he must prove his fitness, having been sidelined since March with a leg injury.
Veteran Netherlands striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy has missed out on a place in coach Bert van Marwijk's 30-man, potentially signaling the end of the 33-year-old's international career.
Van Nistelrooy left Real Madrid to join German club Hamburg to revive his hopes following a serious knee injury, but Van Marwijk said the player had not returned to a high enough level to be selected.
"I told him that we have followed him closely and admire his commitment and dedication to get to the World Cup," Van Marwijk told AD Sportwereld.
"I believe that Ruud is fit, but after his lengthy knee injury he does not have time to get back to his old level."
Dutch champions Twente have only two players in the squad, which features 14 overseas-based names.
Feyenoord defender | [
"which England coach brings Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher out of retirement?",
"who is Italy coach ?",
"How many on Italian World Cup squad?",
"Who came out of retirement for England?",
"which country names 30-man provisional World Cup squad featuring several injured players ?"
] | [
[
"Fabio Capello"
],
[
"Marcelo Lippi"
],
[
"30-man"
],
[
"Jamie Carragher"
],
[
"England"
]
] | England coach Fabio Capello brings Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher out of retirement .
Italian names 30-man provisional World Cup squad featuring several injured players .
Italy coach Marcelo Lippi omits veterans Francesco Totti, Luca Toni and Alessandro Del Piero .
Spain name injured stars Andreas Iniesta, Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas . |
(CNN) -- England soccer star John Terry has again been engulfed in controversy after his car hit a club steward on Tuesday night following Chelsea's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan.
English Premier League side Chelsea confirmed that the club's captain had driven into one of its security staff as he sought to get past a horde of photographers and fans after the match, the UK Press Association reported on Wednesday.
British media had widely reported that police said the man suffered a broken leg, but Chelsea told PA that he had only "a badly bruised leg."
"We can confirm there was an unfortunate accident as John Terry left Stamford Bridge last night," a Chelsea spokesman told PA.
"When driving out of the stadium at approximately 1-2 mph in a queue of traffic exiting the ground, his car was surrounded by photographers and fans. In the melee that ensued a member of Chelsea's security staff was knocked to the ground, making contact with the car. He suffered a badly bruised leg.
"John was aware at the time that there was a lot of contact with his car during the incident, but not that anyone was injured as a result. Upon hearing of the injury, John spoke to the police. He has also been in contact with the staff member to check on his welfare."
Terry's spokesman Phil Hall told Sky Sports News that the player had been breathalyzed by the police, with tests showing he had not been drinking alcohol.
Hall said Terry planned to visit the steward on Thursday as he was upset about the accident.
The incident was another blow for Terry, whose Chelsea team missed out on a place in the quarterfinals of Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 2006.
Italian champions Inter, managed by Terry's former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, won 1-0 on the night thanks to a late goal by Samuel Eto'o which sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory.
The 29-year-old Terry has recently been at the center of a media storm following revelations about his alleged affair with the ex-partner of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge.
He was stripped of the national captaincy by coach Fabio Capello as a result.
Bridge subsequently decided he would not be available for selection by England at the World Cup starting in June as he believed his presence in the dressing room with Terry would be "divisive" for the team.
Bridge, who plays for Manchester City, is sidelined after having a hernia operation on Tuesday which will rule him out for a month.
The defender, who had only just returned to action following a knee injury, aggravated a long-term problem during Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Sunderland.
Meanwhile, the Premier League confirmed on Wednesday that bottom club Portsmouth have been docked nine points after going into administration last month.
League officials acted after Britain's tax department dropped its legal action challenging the club's change of financial status.
The decision means debt-ridden Portsmouth are almost certain to be relegated, with Avram Grant's team now 17 points from safety with only nine matches left in the season.
Fellow strugglers Hull City, second from bottom 14 points above Portsmouth, confirmed on Wednesday that Iain Dowie will be the Yorkshire club's new manager until the end of this season.
Dowie, who replaces the sacked Phil Brown, has previously coached Charlton, Crystal Palace and Queen's Park Rangers. | [
"Who was defeated by Inter Milan?",
"Who did John Terry drive into?",
"What injury did police say Chelsea had?",
"When did the accident occur?",
"What did police initially report?",
"What did John Terry drive into?",
"What is John Terry a star for?",
"Did the man break his leg?",
"Who did Chelea lose the game to?"
] | [
[
"Chelsea's Champions League"
],
[
"one of its security staff"
],
[
"broken leg,"
],
[
"Tuesday night"
],
[
"said the man suffered a broken leg,"
],
[
"steward"
],
[
"soccer"
],
[
"\"a badly bruised leg.\""
],
[
"Inter Milan."
]
] | England soccer star John Terry drives into a club steward on Tuesday night .
Incident happens after Chelsea's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan .
Police initially reported that man broke his leg, but Chelsea say he had bad bruising .
Premier League dock bottom club Portsmouth nine points for going into administration . |
(CNN) -- England striker Wayne Rooney has escaped further punishment after a show of petulance following his sending off during Manchester United's weekend defeat at Fulham.
Wayne Rooney confronts referee Phil Dowd following his dismissal during the defeat at Fulham.
But Rooney will receive a formal written warning from the Football Association after punching the corner flag when ordered from the pitch.
Rooney was dismissed for two bookable offences during his side's 2-0 defeat -- the second caution coming after he hurled the ball in the direction of where referee Phil Dowd wanted a free kick taken.
Although Rooney exchanged words with Dowd after being shown red, the official has confirmed he was not sworn at by the player.
An FA spokesman said: "We have clarified with Phil Dowd that there was no abuse from the player after he was dismissed.
"In relation to the incident when he punched the corner flag, the referee did not see that and we have written to Wayne Rooney reminding him of his responsibilities."
It means Rooney will only be suspended for one game, the Premier League visit of Aston Villa to Old Trafford on April 5. | [
"Who dismissed Wayne Rooney?",
"Who was dismissed at Fulham?",
"who must sit out?",
"Which game must he sit out?",
"who escapes further punishment following dismissal at Fulham?",
"who punched corner flag after being red carded ?",
"Which match will Rooney miss?"
] | [
[
"Phil Dowd"
],
[
"Wayne Rooney"
],
[
"Wayne Rooney"
],
[
"the Premier League visit of Aston Villa to Old Trafford on April 5."
],
[
"Wayne Rooney"
],
[
"Wayne Rooney"
],
[
"the Premier League visit of Aston Villa to Old Trafford on April 5."
]
] | Wayne Rooney escapes further punishment following dismissal at Fulham .
England striker punched corner flag after being red carded by ref Phil Dowd .
Rooney must sit out Manchester United's home game against Aston Villa . |
(CNN) -- England striker Wayne Rooney is expected to be fit for the World Cup in South Africa despite suffering another injury setback on club duty with Manchester United on Sunday.
The 24-year-old, who last month was sidelined with ankle damage, went off with a recurrence of his recent groin problem 13 minutes from the end of United's 4-0 victory over Stoke.
He was unable to score, finishing his European season with 34 goals and missing out on the Premier League's golden boot award to Chelsea's Didier Drogba, who netted a hat-trick in the 8-0 victory over Wigan that ended United's three-year grip on the title.
England coach Fabio Capello will name his provisional 30-man squad for South Africa on Tuesday, and United were quick to dispel any fears that Rooney might be not fit for his second World Cup finals appearance.
"He should be okay," assistant manager Mike Phelan told the UK Press Association. "All the phone calls and all the worries we can dispel straight away.
"He should be fine. It is just a precaution and he will be looking forward to his World Cup."
Marcello Lippi, coach of world champions Italy, will also name his preliminary squad on Tuesday.
Veteran striker Francesco Totti's chances of being called out of international retirement were seriously damaged by his red card in the Italian Cup final defeat by Inter Milan last Wednesday.
The 33-year-old redeemed himself with two goals on Sunday as second-placed Roma kept the Serie A title race going into the final round of the season, but on Monday he was handed a four-match Italian Cup ban for his controversial challenge on Inter striker Mario Balotelli.
Balotelli, who said Totti had abused him, was also given a one-match suspension along with Inter teammate Cristian Chivu for separate incidents.
Totti won the last of his 58 international caps in the 2006 World Cup final win over France, which ended Lippi's first stint in charge, and made himself unavailable a year after that.
Totti's Roma strike partner Luca Toni also faces an anxious wait to see if he will be included in Lippi's squad.
German media reported on Monday that his parent club Bayern Munich do not want him back despite having a contract until the end of next season, while Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport said Roma president Rosella Sensi was unwilling to extend his stay. | [
"When was Totti sent off?",
"How many suspension games does Totti have ?",
"Who was hot with a four game suspension?",
"What problem did Rooney faced in final game of Premier League ?",
"What forced Rooney not to play?",
"Will Wayne Rooney be fit for the World Cup?",
"How many games is Francesco Totti suspended for?",
"On what team does Wayne Rooney play?"
] | [
[
"last month"
],
[
"one-match"
],
[
"Balotelli,"
],
[
"injury"
],
[
"ankle damage,"
],
[
"is expected to"
],
[
"four-match"
],
[
"Manchester United"
]
] | Manchester United insist Wayne Rooney will be fit for World Cup despite latest setback .
England striker went off in final game of Premier League season with groin problem .
Italian World Cup hopeful Francesco Totti hit with four-game Italian Cup suspension .
Totti was sent off last Wednesday for clash with Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli . |
(CNN) -- English Premier League form side Tottenham are on the brink of going out of the Europa League after Greek outfit PAOK Salonika claimed a shock 2-1 Group A victory at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham have been in superb form in recent weeks, winning nine of their last 10 league games to move up to third place in the table.
However, their European form has not been as strong, and this month's 1-0 reverse at Rubin Kazan was followed by another defeat on Wednesday to leave Harry Redknapp's side needing PAOK to win their last game next month in order to help Tottenham achieve qualification through to the last 32.
The visitors went ahead in the sixth minute when an unmarked Dimitris Salpingidis guided the ball home from Giorgos Georgiadis' right-wing cross.
And PAOK doubled their lead seven minutes later when Stefanos Athanasiadis tapped home from close range after more suspect Spurs marking.
The home side pulled one back seven minutes before the break when Luka Modric scored from the penalty spot after Konstantinos Stafylidis was dismissed for handball on the line.
However, despite having a numerical advantage for the whole of the second half, Tottenham failed to find the goal they needed.
The result means PAOK are top on 11 points and have qualified for the last 32 knockout stage. Russian side Rubin Kazan are second on 10 points after thrashing Shamrock Rovers 4-1 in the other group game.
For Spurs to qualify, they will now need to win heavily at Shamrock in their final match, and hope Rubin Kazan are beaten at PAOK in the other tie.
Also through to the last 32 are 2010 winners Atletico Madrid, after the Spanish side won 1-0 at Celtic in Group I thanks to a superb long-range strike from Turkish international Arda Turan on the half-hour mark.
The other match between Rennes of France and Italians Udinese ended 0-0, a result that means Atletico have qualified with 10 points ahead of the final round of matches.
Udinese are second on eight points and they will secure their place in the knockout round if they draw at home to Celtic in their final game, with the Scottish side needing a victory to progress.
Group C is the only group where both qualifiers have now been decided, after PSV Eindhoven won 3-0 at Legia Warsaw.
That result means both sides have gone through, on 13 points and nine points respectively. Romanians Rapid Bucharest needed to beat Israeli side Hapoel Tel-Aviv at home to retain any hope, but they were beaten 3-1.
Another side to reach the knockout stage is Standard Liege, who saw off Germans Hannover 2-0 to make it three wins and two draws from their five Group B matches so far.
The Belgian outfit are on 11 points, three ahead of Hannover, who need a point from their final match against Vorskla Poltava to also secure qualification.
Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkov continued their impressive run of form in the competition, thumping Austria Vienna 4-1 to secure their qualification from Group G with 13 points from their five matches.
Malmo and AZ Alkmaar drew 0-0 in the other match to leave Alkmaar needing to beat Kharkov in their final match to join their opponents in the last 32.
However, there is all to play for in Group H, with any two of three teams still able to qualify. Last year's beaten finalists Sporting Braga beat Birmingham City 1-0, while a remarkable match in Slovenia saw Bruges of Belgium fight back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 in injury time against Maribor.
That means Bruges and Braga are level on 10 points and they play each other in the final match. A draw there will see them both qualify with Birmingham, who are three points behind in third place, needing to beat Maribor in their final match and hoping the other game does not end in a draw.
There was a suprise result in the English League Cup quarterfinals, where Manchester United were beaten 2-1 at home by Championship side Crystal Palace in extra time.
That result means Palace now play | [
"What does the team need to do in order to stay in the league?",
"Which year did they won?",
"Who was the 2010 Europa League winning team?",
"What league is Tottenham to be eliminated from?",
"Where goes Tottenham?"
] | [
[
"win their last game"
],
[
"2010"
],
[
"Atletico Madrid,"
],
[
"Europa"
],
[
"out of the Europa League"
]
] | Tottenham on the brink of Europa League elimination after a 2-1 defeat by PAOK Salonika .
They need to win their final Group A match and hope PAOK beat Russians Rubin Kazan .
2010 winners Atletico Madrid clinch their place in the last 32 after a 1-0 victory at Celtic . |
(CNN) -- English Premier League side Chelsea have said they will mount the "strongest appeal possible" following the transfer ban placed on the club by world football's governing body FIFA. English Premier League side Chelsea have been banned by FIFA from signing any new players until 2011 The punishment, which would prevent any new member joining the squad until 2011, was dished out after the club were found to have "induced" Gael Kukuta to breach his contract in a transfer from French league side Lens in 2007. In a statement on their official Web site, Chelsea announced their plan to: "Mount the strongest appeal possible following the decision of FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber over Gaël Kakuta. "The sanctions are without precedent to this level and totally disproportionate to the alleged offence and the financial penalty imposed. We cannot comment further until we receive the full written rationale for this extraordinarily arbitrary decision," the statement concluded. The ruling came after Lens complained to FIFA that Chelsea had acted improperly over the transfer of 18-year-old left-winger Kakuta two years ago. The complaint was referred to the body's Disciplinary Resolution Chamber (DRC) who decided to impose a ban on any further player recruitment by last season's Champions League semifinalists. Have FIFA made the right decision? Sound Off below. A statement on FIFA's official Web site read: "The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. "Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such a breach. As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of €780,000 ($1.1 million), for which the club, Chelsea, are jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players." Kakuta, who was voted the side's academy player of the year in his first 12 months with Chelsea, received a personal suspension of four months as a result of the ruling. "Chelsea are banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision." The first football transfer window in Europe runs from January 1-31 in 2010; the second from the end of the current season until August 31 in Europe, and September 1 in Britain next year. Chelsea were also ordered to pay Lens "training compensation" of €130,000 ($185,000), in a decision the club could appeal at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Football governing bodies have intervened on two previous occasions in recent times regarding the acquisition of new players by Chelsea. In 2005, Nigeria midfielder Jon Mikel Obi was ordered by FIFA to return to Norwegian club Lyn Oslo to see out his contract before eventually joining Chelsea, after protracted transfer negotiations had led to disagreement with Manchester United who also claimed they had signed the player. Chelsea were also fined £300,000 ($490,000) by the English Premier League over the capture of England defender Ashley Cole from Arsenal in 2005. The club were found guilty of breaking rule K3, which forbade them approaching Cole, who still had two years left on his Arsenal deal, "by any means while under contract." Watch a former Chelsea manager discuss the ban » The Blues were also warned they could face being docked points if a similar offence occurred during the 2005/2006 season. It is the second time FIFA have handed out a transfer ban on a club. The transfers of Switzerland's FC Sion were frozen until the end of the 2010 season after they attempted to sign Egypt's Essam El Hadary before the goalkeeper's contract with Al-Ahly had expired. | [
"What will Chelsea do?",
"lub found to have \"induced\" who to breach his contract with Lens?",
"Chelsea prevented by FIFA from signing any new players until when?",
"Who will mount the \"strongest appeal possible\" following the club's ban?",
"who prevented by FIFA",
"When does the ban last until?"
] | [
[
"mount the \"strongest appeal possible\""
],
[
"Gael Kukuta"
],
[
"2011"
],
[
"Premier League side Chelsea"
],
[
"Chelsea"
],
[
"2011"
]
] | Chelsea to mount the "strongest appeal possible" following the club's ban .
Chelsea prevented by FIFA from signing any new players until 2011 .
Club found to have "induced" Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens .
Have FIFA made the right decision? Sound Off below . |
(CNN) -- English Premier League side Liverpool were beaten by two penalties in Lisbon as Benfica came from behind to grasp the advantage in their Europa League quarterfinal.
The Portuguese club suffered a nightmare start when Daniel Agger put the visitors in front after just nine minutes with a neat back heel from Steven Gerrard's free kick.
But just after the half hour mark Liverpool were reduced to ten men when Ryan Babel clashed with defender Luisao after he had fouled Spanish striker Fernando Torres.
Babel appeared to put his hands in Luisao's face and the referee produced a red card.
It took Benfica less than 30 minutes to press home their advantage when Liverpool defender Emiliano Insua brought down Pablo Aimar inside the box and conceded a penalty.
Oscar Cardozo converted the spot kick and was given the chance to put his side into the lead when the referee adjudged Jamie Carragher had handled in the area on 79 minutes. Again Cardozo made no mistake from the spot.
The return leg is at Anfield next Thursday.
Fulham vanquished seasoned European opponents again as they defeated German champions Wolfsburg 2-1 at Craven Cottage.
Striker Bobby Zamora gave the English side the lead on 59 minutes with a precise curling shot from the edge of the area.
Irish winger Damien Duff made it 2-0 just four minutes later as he converted Zamora's pass.
But in the final minute Wolfsburg scored a vital away goal as Alexander Madlung emphatically headed home Zvjezdan Misimovic's cross.
After the game Fulham manager Roy Hodgson told ESPN television: "Wolfsburg are a good team but tonight I thought we made them look reasonably ordinary."
The all-Spanish tie between Valencia and Atletico Madrid finished 2-2.
Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan put Atletico in front on 59 minutes but Manuel Fernandes equalized shortly after for the home side.
Atletico struck again through Antonio Lopez only for Spain forward David Villa to rescue a draw for Valencia.
In the evening's other match Hamburg beat Belgian side Standard Liege 2-1 in Germany.
A strike from Deiudonne Mbokani gave Liege an early advantage but goals from Mladen Petric and Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy secured Hamburg a lead to take into the second leg. | [
"What's the score between Valencia and Atletico Madrid ?",
"Which team did Fulham beat ?",
"which Portuguese club beat Liverpool?",
"Who scored the most?",
"Where was the game held?"
] | [
[
"2-2."
],
[
"Wolfsburg"
],
[
"Benfica"
],
[
"Benfica"
],
[
"Lisbon"
]
] | Portuguese club Benfica beat Liverpool 2-1 in their Europa League quarterfinal tie .
Fulham beat German champions Wolfsburg 2-1 .
All-Spanish tie between Valencia and Atletico Madrid ends 2-2 .
German club Hamburg beat Belgian side Standard Liege 2-1 . |
(CNN) -- English club Birmingham City have released a statement to explain why co-owner and managing director were interviewed by police in a corruption probe. Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan was interviewed by police on Wednesday night. The Premier League outfit temporarily suspended share trading on the London Stock Exchange on Thursday morning after David Sullivan -- who owns the club with David and Ralph Gold -- was questioned and bailed by officers from City of London's economic crime unit along with MD Karren Brady. The club released a statement on Thursday afternoon to "clarify the situation" before trading resumed at 1300 GMT. "The City of London Police investigation is focusing on payments to a football agent and two players dating back to 2002-03," it said. "There is absolutely no allegation that any director of the company or the club itself has benefited financially from any of this activity. "In so far as there may be any implications for the company, these are not considered material to its financial affairs and they are in relation to the payment, or possible non payment of PAYE and National Insurance contributions. The club and its directors are co-operating fully with the police in this investigation and will continue to do so." Birmingham was raided by the unit last month as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption in English football. The club said at the time that the inquiries related to an unrelated third party. Birmingham released a statement on Wednesday night confirming that Sullivan and Brady "willingly attended" the interviews "by long-standing appointment." "Birmingham City Football Club is fully committed to helping the police with their inquiries," read a statement on the club's Web site. Police confirmed that they questioned a 59-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting and that they were released on bail, the UK Press Association reported on Thursday. A London Stock Exchange statement read: "At the request of the company trading on Aim for the under-mentioned securities has been temporarily suspended from 7.30 a.m., pending an announcement." Shares in the company had been selling for 35.5p until the announcement half an hour before the start of trading, PA reported. Sullivan, 59, was in 2004 named Britain's 68th richest man by the Sunday Times, with assets of more than $1 billion. He made his fortune through pornography and newspapers. Brady, 39, became Britain's youngest managing director when Birmingham floated on the stock market in 1997 and is married to professional footballer Paul Peschisolido. She is also non-executive director of Channel 4, Mothercare and Sport England. PA reported that she made no comment as she left her home in Knowle, Solihull, shortly before 8 a.m. today. Dressed in a dark suit, Brady left the gated property at the wheel of a black 4x4 Porsche. E-mail to a friend | [
"what is the investigation into?",
"What sport is this happening in?",
"What month did this happen?",
"What police division is leading the investigation?",
"What club temporarily suspends shares?",
"What is the co-owner's name?",
"Police raided what city in March?"
] | [
[
"corruption probe."
],
[
"Football"
],
[
"last"
],
[
"\"The City of London"
],
[
"Birmingham City"
],
[
"David Sullivan"
],
[
"Birmingham"
]
] | NEW: Birmingham say police investigation involves agent and two footballers .
Club temporarily suspend shares amid corruption probe by the English police .
Co-owner David Sullivan and managing director Karren Brady both interviewed .
Police raided City in March as part of investigation into corruption in football . |
(CNN) -- English contains more words than any other language on the planet and added its millionth word early Wednesday, according to the Global Language Monitor, a Web site that uses a math formula to estimate how often words are created. The Global Language Monitor says the millionth word was added to English on Wednesday. The site estimates the millionth English word, "Web 2.0" was added to the language Wednesday at 5:22 a.m. ET. The term refers to the second, more social generation of the Internet. The site says more than 14 words are added to English every day, at the current rate. The "Million Word March," however, has made the man who runs this word-counting project somewhat of a pariah in the linguistic community. Some linguists say it's impossible to count the number of words in a language because languages are always changing, and because defining what counts as a word is a fruitless endeavor. Paul J.J. Payack, president and chief word analyst for the Global Language Monitor, says, however, that the million-word estimation isn't as important as the idea behind his project, which is to show that English has become a complex, global language. "It's a people's language," he said. Other languages, like French, Payack said, put big walls around their vocabularies. English brings others in. "English has the tradition of swallowing new words whole," he said. "Other languages translate." The Internet, global commerce and global travel have accelerated the trend by putting English in contact with many other linguistic groups. This has made English more rich and more complex -- hence all of the new terms, he said. Still, Payack says he doesn't include all new words in his count. Words must make sense in at least 60 percent of the world to be official, he said. And they must make sense to different communities of people. A new technology term that's only understood in Silicon Valley wouldn't count as a mainstream word, he said. His computer models check billions of Web sites -- including the Global Top 5,000 media sites -- dictionaries, scholarly publications and news articles to see how frequently words are used, he said. A word must make 25,000 appearances to be deemed legitimate. Learn about how other languages stack up » Payack said news events have also fueled the rapid expansion of English, which he said has more words than any other language. Mandarin Chinese comes in second with about 450,000 words, he said. English terms like "Obamamania," "defriend," "wardrobe malfunction," "zombie banks," "shovel ready" and "recessionista" all have grown out of recent news cycles about the presidential election, economic crash, online networking or a sports event, he said. Other languages might not have developed new terms to deal with such phenomena, he said. Language experts who spoke with CNN said they disapprove of Payack's count, but they agree that English generally has more words than most, if not all, languages. "This is stuff that you just can't count," said Jesse Sheidlower, editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary. "No one can count it, and to pretend that you can is totally disingenuous. It simply can't be done." The Oxford English Dictionary has about 600,000 entries, Sheidlower said. But that by no means includes all words, he said. For example, Sheidlower said "great-great-great-great grandfather" could be considered a word, but wouldn't be in the dictionary. There's a similar problem with numbers, which may be counted up by their pieces -- "twenty" and "three" -- but not always as a group, as in "two-hundred twenty-three." Part of what makes determining the number of words in a language so difficult is that there are so many root words and their variants, said Sarah Thomason, president of the Linguistic Society of America and a linguistics professor at the University of Michigan | [
"When did English get its millionth word?",
"On what day did the website estimate English got its millionth word?",
"What language has the most words?",
"Where does English gain more words from?",
"Which language has more words than any other language?"
] | [
[
"Wednesday at 5:22 a.m. ET."
],
[
"Wednesday,"
],
[
"English"
],
[
"news events"
],
[
"English"
]
] | Web site estimates English got its millionth word at 5:22 a.m. Wednesday .
English accumulates new words from other languages and from its global reach .
Linguists question group's formula, which estimates rate of new words .
English has more words than any other language, site says . |
(CNN) -- English football star Steven Gerrard has admitted punching a man in a bar, but the Liverpool captain insisted in his court testimony that it was in self-defense. England international Steven Gerrard is in court defending his actions after a bar brawl late last year. The 29-year-old is facing a charge of affray after an incident in the early hours of December 29, when he attacked businessman Marcus McGee following a dispute about the music that was being played. If found guilty, Gerrard faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of $7,200. Gerrard, who denies the charge, told a judge on Thursday that he was sorry about his actions in Southport's Lounge Inn, but at the time he thought McGee was going to attack him. They had been involved in an argument after Gerrard tried to change the music on the bar's sound system, but McGee would not let him, the UK Press Association reported. "I thought he was going to hit me," Gerrard said. "He was on his way forward to me and his behavior had changed from when I was having a discussion with him. I didn't know why." Gerrard said he was unaware that his friend John Doran had already punched McGee when he himself started to hit the 34-year-old. "I am certainly mistaken in thinking he was coming towards me to throw punches at me," the midfielder said. "Now I know, obviously, he had been struck, reacted and thought the strike was by me and he came into me and that's when I reacted. I am sorry about the whole incident. "I grabbed the back of his jumper as he moved forward to me. When I had hold of Marcus, I remember swinging my right hand two or three times. "I was trying to stop still and I felt I had arms all over me. I could see a melee around Marcus McGee. When I was getting pulled away I realized people were patting me, some of whom were my friends. "I wanted to help control the situation. I was worried the fight I had with Marcus was going to get worse because people were going past me in that direction." Gerrard said that his friends had earlier told him to "forget" the argument, but he felt he needed to confront McGee. "I couldn't understand why the guy had such a problem with me, why he was so aggressive," he said. "I was also concerned that if I did leave it I would not have been able to enjoy my night, he may have come over to me. "I wanted to see why he had such a problem with it, why a total stranger had such a problem with me putting my favorite songs on. I asked why I couldn't have an input in the music and tried to explain that I had permission from the manageress." "I asked Marcus what was the problem with the music machine and why he treated me like that. Very quickly he came off the bar stool and was in my face right by me." Gerrard had been celebrating after scoring two goals as Liverpool thrashed Newcastle 5-1 to remain top of the Premier League, and admitted that he had been drinking alcohol. "I certainly knew I had had a drink. I was certainly in control of how I felt in my surroundings," he said. The father of two said he had not been in trouble with the police since the age of 19, when he was banned from driving for nine months for drink-driving. | [
"What did he do?",
"what was the altercation about",
"Where did he punch the man?",
"What is the sentence?",
"What age is Gerrard?",
"will he be fined",
"Who has admitted punching a man in a bar?",
"Who siad it was self-defense?",
"What is the name of the guy attacked?",
"Who punched a man in the bar?",
"Who denies charge of affray?",
"Who faces maximum penalty of six months?",
"Who has admitted punching a man in a bar?",
"What time of day did the attack take place?"
] | [
[
"attacked businessman Marcus McGee"
],
[
"being played."
],
[
"in a bar,"
],
[
"maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of $7,200."
],
[
"29-year-old"
],
[
"fine of $7,200."
],
[
"Steven Gerrard"
],
[
"Steven Gerrard"
],
[
"Marcus McGee"
],
[
"Steven Gerrard"
],
[
"Gerrard,"
],
[
"Gerrard"
],
[
"Steven Gerrard"
],
[
"early hours"
]
] | English football star Steven Gerrard has admitted punching a man in a bar .
But the Liverpool captain says in court testimony that it was in self-defense .
Gerrard, 29, denies charge of affray for attacking businessman Marcus McGee .
If found guilty, he faces maximum penalty of six months in jail and $7,200 fine . |
(CNN) -- Enough Afghan opium to supply world demand for two years has effectively gone missing, with the Taliban suspected of stockpiling supplies in a bid to corner the market, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed. Pakistani customs officials destroy contraband narcotics on the border with Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the world's leading narcotics supplier. Earlier this month, a U.N. study revealed Afghanistan's opium production had dropped dramatically this year partly because of new aggressive drug-fighting tactics in the country. According to the UNODC report, production dipped by 10 percent this year while cultivation fell by 22 percent. However, a senior U.N. spokesman warned that this positive news should be treated with caution. "We figure the world needs around 4,000 tons of opium a year for licit and illicit purposes," Walter Kemp of the UNODC told CNN. Has enough empasis been placed on drug trafficking? "But this year around 6,900 tons was produced, with 7,700 tons delivered last year and more than 8,500 the year before that. Map showing where Afghan opium is going » "So if the world only needs around 4,000 tons of opium and a further 1,000 is seized, where is the rest of it going?" According to Kemp, world demand for opium remains stable yet prices are not crashing, which suggests a large amount of opium is being withheld from the market. "Our guess is that around 12,000 tons of opium has been stockpiled somewhere -- not all in one place but in and around Afghanistan," he added. "So while production might be coming down -- mostly because of market reasons -- there's still a lot of product around to satisfy demand for about two years." It is unclear exactly who is responsible for this but there's growing evidence, according to the U.N., that the Taliban are becoming increasingly involved in the industry and could be sitting on huge stockpiles of opium to use as credit for financing their activities. "Farmers will be keeping small amounts back as credit for things such as a dowry or buying livestock," said Kemp. "But they won't have the means to store supplies in the kind of quantities we're talking about here. "It's probably in the hands of people with the ability to store it underground and to keep people away from it through corruption or force." Hakan Demirbuken, a research expert on the U.N.'s Afghan Opium Trade Program, said Taliban involvement in the drugs trade is not limited to taxing Afghan opium farmers and traders in return for their "protection." He told CNN: "Last year we estimated that Afghan poppy farmers earned around $730 million, while traders who take the product on to the border earned around $3.4 billion." "From this lucrative business the Taliban took around $125 million in tax. "But according to U.N. figures they need around $800 million per year for their operational needs." However, most of the trade is controlled by organized criminal groups from outside Afghanistan. Therefore Demirbuken believes groups such as the Taliban and al Qaeda will be forging links with criminal gangs in order to become more involved in the production and trafficking stages. In addition to the increased revenue greater involvement would provide, he said groups such as al Qaeda "will have noted the destabilizing effect this industry -- and the sums of money it generates -- can have on more vulnerable countries with weak governments." In October last year, the United States told NATO members that the drug trade was a threat to coalition troops because there was a direct connection between it and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. "There is what we call a nexus of insurgency. There's a very broad range of militant groups that are combined with the criminality, with the narco-trafficking system, with corruption, that form a threat and a challenge to the future of that great country," then-U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. David McKiernan told reporters. As a result NATO combat forces have now been actively attacking militants, drug laboratories and buildings connected to insurgents with ties to drug | [
"Where does the opium come from?",
"What production has dropped dramatically?",
"What did the UN say should be treated with caution?",
"Who is suspected of stockpilling opium?",
"Where has opium production dropped?",
"Who was suspected of stockpiling large amounts of opium?",
"What did a recent study reveal?",
"Who is stockpiling opium?"
] | [
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"opium"
],
[
"this positive news"
],
[
"the Taliban"
],
[
"Afghanistan's"
],
[
"the Taliban"
],
[
"Afghanistan's opium production had dropped dramatically this year"
],
[
"Taliban"
]
] | Recent study revealed Afghan opium production has dropped dramatically .
U.N. says this should be treated with caution as country has been over-producing .
Taliban suspected of stockpiling large amounts of opium "as credit"
U.S. has warned of growing link between Taliban and the drug trade . |
(CNN) -- Entering his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter may not be able to see the finishing line, but he knows it's coming. In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the trail of evil. In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth film in the Potter series, he's like a marathon runner who senses that he's got this course beat: He's still pacing himself, but there's a definite spring in his step. Potter's confidence seems to be a product of Daniel Radcliffe's authority in the role as much as anything. He's decided he's the hero of the piece, and he's happy with that; Radcliffe plays him with such implacable conviction and such lightness, it's becoming harder to worry about the character's plight. He can be reckless and impatient, but by now he's essentially untouchable. His chums may be prey to hormonal surges -- buckets of screen time is devoted to Ron's love life and Hermione's lack of same -- but our Harry stays focused. While Ron moons over his girlfriend, every night Potter takes a textbook to bed with him. Potter 101: A guide to Harry Potter » This battered book of potions comes with scarily insightful scribbles by a former student, the titular half-blood prince, giving Potter a distinct edge over his classmates and that increasingly conflicted bleached blond, Draco Malfoy. More important, it also gets him in good with this installment's designated dodgy faculty member, Professor Horace Slughorn. We know the drill by now: Slughorn has special knowledge that Harry must prize out of him, while the teacher's own leanings remain tantalizingly ambiguous. A special guest star in all but name, Jim Broadbent plays this mildewed academic with appropriately Dickensian panache and an undertow of sympathy (first spotted disguised as an armchair, the suspiciously solicitous Slughorn maintains at least one foot in the closet). Adapted by Steve Kloves and directed (like Potter V, "The Order of the Phoenix") by the efficient, self-effacing David Yates, "Half-Blood Prince" is as brisk and nimble as J.K. Rowling's two-steps-forward, one-step-back narrative stratagems allow. It risks annoying some fans by axing one significant character and a potential action show-stopper, but it's actually the overarching storyline that feels skimpy; the movie is replete with lovely, inventive design details and idiosyncratic effects work, while Yates' reluctance to pump up the bombast might be counted sweet relief after the latest bout of blockbusting overkill. iReport.com: "Potter" fans review the film A trio of evenly spaced set-pieces do generate enough excitement to make this an iffy proposition for parents with younger kids; in particular Dumbledore and Harry's climactic cave expedition is an intense, nightmarish standout. But for all this series' constitutional doom-and-gloom, what's truly charming about the Harry Potter movies is the rare privilege of seeing Radcliffe, Rupert Grint (Ron), Emma Watson (Hermione) and the others growing up before our eyes. Video gallery: See the stars now and then » We've now had eight formative years -- the first film came out in 2001 -- telescoped into 15 hours or so of tumultuous screen time, and anyone who's stayed the course with them will feel a connection. iReport.com: Share your "Potter" review Soon it will be time to let these kids go and find their own way in the Muggle world, but what rich, strange and wonderful home movies we'll have to look back on. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is rated PG and runs 153 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's review, click here. | [
"New film is a great tribute to whose abilities?",
"when was the movie released",
"What is the film rated?",
"What is the sixth film in the Harry Potter series?",
"\"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince\" is which number in the Harry Potter film series?"
] | [
[
"\"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,\""
],
[
"2001"
],
[
"PG"
],
[
"\"Harry"
],
[
"sixth"
]
] | "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is sixth film in Harry Potter series .
New film another success, a great tribute to Daniel Radcliffe's abilities .
Film is rated PG, though not all of it is appropriate for young children . |
(CNN) -- Environmental activist Erin Brockovich was in Kingston, Tennessee, on Thursday to speak with residents affected by a massive spill of coal sludge from a nearby coal-fired plant.
Properties near ground zero of the December 22 Tennessee spill are covered in sludge.
Brockovich said many people in the community told her they don't feel they've been told the truth about the December 22 spill that occurred after a retention wall was breached at the Kingston Fossil Plant.
She quoted citizens as saying they don't get satisfactory answers or they get inconsistent answers when they call the the plant's owner, Tennessee Valley Authority.
"They don't have the answers and they're very, very concerned," Brockovich said. "So we're here to address all of that and begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together."
Brockovich, who said she was invited to the community by residents, planned to meet with them Thursday night. A public meeting is scheduled for Friday night. She hopes people will come to the meetings and air their concerns. She said she will tour the site on the ground and from the air.
Brockovich gained fame after the 2000 release of the movie bearing her name. It told the story of how she, as a file clerk at a law firm, established that a toxic chemical from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's compressor station leaked into the groundwater of a nearby town, compromising the health of hundreds, according to a biography posted on Brockovich's Web site.
In 1996, the company paid the largest toxic tort settlement in U.S. history -- $333 million -- to more than 600 Hinkley residents, the Web site said.
About 1.1 billion gallons of sludge, or ash mixed with water, spilled onto 300 acres from the plant located 40 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee. That is enough sludge to fill 1,660 Olympic-size swimming pools. Fly ash is a byproduct of burning coal.
Brockovich said residents have sent her photos showing fly ash up to 2 feet deep in places. She said citizens are worried about contact with the fly ash, including its impact on the water supply.
Last week, authorities said drinking water in the area was potable, although samples of ash near the site showed "elevated levels" of arsenic. Leslie Sims, the Environmental Protection Agency on-scene coordinator, said the Tennessee Valley Authority is addressing the issue.
"I don't think TVA can move fast enough to possibly satisfy these people," said Brockovich, noting that she hasn't spoken with anyone from the TVA.
TVA, the nation's largest public utility, promised to do whatever it takes to clean the spill in central Tennessee.
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen promised state government will keep a close watch on TVA's cleanup. | [
"What are the residents showing pictures of?",
"When does Brockovich meet with residents?",
"When are the meetings with residents?",
"What are people affected by?",
"Who cannot move fast enough?",
"What were shown in the residents photos?",
"What did the activist say?",
"Who says that people affected by coal sludge spill feel \"misled\"?",
"Who plans to meet residents?"
] | [
[
"fly ash"
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"coal sludge"
],
[
"TVA"
],
[
"fly ash up to 2 feet deep in places."
],
[
"many people in the community told her they don't feel they've been told the truth about the December 22 spill that occurred after a retention wall was breached at the Kingston Fossil Plant."
],
[
"Brockovich"
],
[
"Erin Brockovich"
]
] | Environmental activist says people affected by coal sludge spill feel misled .
Brockovich plans to meet with residents Thursday and Friday to discuss concerns .
Residents show her pictures of fly ash piled up two feet high .
"I don't think TVA can move fast enough to possibly satisfy these people," she said . |
(CNN) -- Environmentalists are encouraged by President Barack Obama's focus this week on renewable energy and stricter emissions standards, although some economists are skeptical he can pull the country out of the recession while cleaning up the planet. President Barack Obama with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Obama must strike a careful balance between stimulating the economy in the coming months and investing in the long-term future of the environment, said Raj Chetty, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. "If you spend money too quickly, you lose site of the long-term vision," Chetty told CNN. "If you focus too much on the long term, you may not act on spending money." Framing his remarks with an eye on the recession, the president on Monday announced a plan for "a new energy economy that will build millions of jobs." Obama proposes to put 460,000 Americans to work through clean energy investments, increasing fuel efficiency in vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By 2025, the Obama administration hopes one-fourth of the nation's energy will come from renewable sources. Over the long term, the president hopes to create millions of new jobs by investing $150 billion in taxpayer money to help private companies develop new sources of clean energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal power. It's about time, say scientists who often clashed with former President George W. Bush on environmental policy. "By repowering our nation with clean energy, we will create millions of jobs that can't be sent overseas. By harnessing the energy of the sun and wind, we can refuel our nation and end our addiction to oil," said Wesley Warren, director of programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Environmental scholars, however, say the changes Obama seeks are not easy. "These technologies are not new. They have been around for 10 to 15 years," said Bill Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University. "Government can push new policies, but it has to prove to be economically competitive or else it will not happen." "It is going to require massive investments," said Joseph Romm, former acting assistant secretary of energy under the Clinton administration and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. "The only question is, are we going to be the leader and export our technologies or a follower and continue importing our resources?" Some economists question whether spending government money on new energy technologies is the best way to stimulate the economy in the short term. Opponents of Obama's proposals say renewable energy would be expensive, take up large amounts of land, and might not even be able to generate sufficient energy given the aging infrastructure of the nation's electric grid. "If the private sector will not invest in these technologies, it will not be efficient," said Alan Reynolds, senior fellow at the Cato Institute. "Creating jobs by switching from one form of energy to another is a bad idea," he added. "You don't need subsidies for anything that is free. Getting a $7,000 rebate on a $100,000 plug-in electrical hybrid that gets its power from a coal plant doesn't make a lot of sense." Several events in Washington this week underscored the Obama administration's commitment to environmental issues. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday named a special envoy to pursue global agreements combating global warming. On Wednesday, former Vice President Al Gore urged Congress to approve Obama's stimulus package and said the United States needs to join international talks on a climate-change treaty. "For years our efforts to address the climate crisis have been undermined by the idea that we must chose between our planet and our way of life, between our moral duty and economic well-being these are false choices," Gore told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "In fact, the solutions to the climate crisis are the same solutions that will address our economic and national crisis as well." Obama may have science on his side. | [
"Do economists think Obama can fix the economy and the planet at once?",
"Obama's focus is on what?",
"What did the President announced a plan for?",
"What plan did the president announce?",
"The new policies must remain what according to scholars?",
"What are some economists skeptical about?"
] | [
[
"skeptical"
],
[
"renewable energy"
],
[
"\"a new energy economy that will build millions of jobs.\""
],
[
"new energy economy that will build millions of jobs.\""
],
[
"economically competitive"
],
[
"he can pull the country out of the recession while cleaning up the planet."
]
] | Environmentalists are encouraged by President Obama's focus on renewable energy .
Some economists are skeptical he can fix the economy and the planet at once .
Scholar: Obama can push new policies, but they must be economically competitive .
President announced a plan for "a new energy economy" that will build jobs . |
(CNN) -- Eos Airlines, the all business-class carrier, has declared bankruptcy and stopped operations Sunday. The New York-based airline reconfigured 220-seater Boeing 757s to 48 seats that could extend into fully flat beds. The seats also allowed passengers -- or "guests" as they airline prefered to describe them -- to sit face-to-face to dine or hold business meetings. The tickets carried a hefty price tag -- up to $9,000 roundtrip from New York to London -- but the luxuries were aimed toward more discriminating business travelers. The privately-held airline, in a news release Sunday, said it had secured additional financing. But "some issues arose that prevented the parties from moving forward," it said. The airline immediately began the process of eliminating the positions of most of its employees. "There are times in business when even though you execute your business plan and even though your employees do their jobs beautifully, external forces prevent you from controlling your own destiny," Eos CEO Jack Williams said in a statement. The airline becomes the latest in a number of small carriers that have gone out of business in recent month. Analysts blame the high cost of fuel, a slowing economy and a credit crunch. Other carriers that have declared bankruptcy recently include Skybus and ATA airlines. Eos asked passengers to contact their credit card companies or travel agents to find out how to obtain refunds for unused tickets. It said frequent-flier program participants will not be able to redeem their points. Any value related to membership will be determined by the bankruptcy court. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who declared bankruptcy?",
"What is the charge for the roundtrip?",
"Who declared bankraptcy?",
"What was charged for trip?",
"What was to blame?",
"What is causes of industry problems?",
"What did analysts blame?"
] | [
[
"Eos"
],
[
"up to $9,000"
],
[
"Eos"
],
[
"up to $9,000 roundtrip"
],
[
"high cost of fuel, a slowing economy and a credit crunch."
],
[
"high cost of fuel, a slowing economy and a credit crunch."
],
[
"Analysts blame the high cost of fuel, a slowing economy and a credit crunch."
]
] | New York-based business class airline Eos declares bankruptcy .
Luxury carrier charged up to $9,000 roundtrip from New York to London .
Analysts blame high fuel costs, slowing economy, credit crunch for industry problems . |
(CNN) -- Erik Roberts, an Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq, underwent his 13th surgery recently to save his right leg from amputation. Imagine his shock when he got a bill for $3,000 for his treatment. Army Sgt. Erik Roberts was badly wounded in Iraq with two comrades in April 2006. "I just thought it was bull---- that I'm getting billed for being wounded in Iraq doing my job. I always put the mission first, and now that I was wounded in Iraq, they're sending me bills," he said. "I put my life on the line and I was wounded in combat, and I came back and they're not going to take care of my medical bills?" It's a level of outrage shared by his mother, as well as the doctor who performed the surgery. "It's hard to understand why we're not taking care of guys like Erik whose injuries are clearly related to their service. They deserve the best care of anybody," said Dr. William Obremskey, an Air Force veteran and surgeon at Vanderbilt Orthopaedics in Nashville, Tennessee. "For him to be responsible for $3,000, I think, is a little ridiculous or is uncalled for, particularly in this situation." His mother, Robin Roberts, put it more succinctly: "Why should any soldier pay one penny of a medical bill from injuries that occurred while they were fighting in a war? That's what really frustrates me." The Department of Veterans Affairs has now decided to pay his bill, but only after prodding from a U.S. senator who got involved after CNN brought it to his attention. Roberts, of Warren, Ohio, is one of more than 31,100 U.S. troops to have been wounded in Iraq. An additional 4,262 have died in the war. Roberts was wounded April 25, 2006, when roadside bombs tore through his Humvee in western Baghdad. Heat from the flames ignited the Humvee's ammunition, which popped off all around. See Roberts describe getting blown up » Roberts and his buddies, A.J. Jefferson and Luke Murphy, were badly wounded and bleeding on the ground after jumping from the burning vehicle. They were saved by comrades who rushed to help them. "The truck automatically filled with smoke. There was fire coming from the middle of the truck. And I just feel my whole right side just like kind of explode," Roberts said. "I thought at that moment that my life was over, so I started praying." All three soldiers survived the attack, but Murphy lost his leg. Days later, on his 23rd birthday, Roberts returned to the States. He underwent a series of life-saving surgeries, including 12 different ones to repair his fractured right leg. A metal rod was inserted in his upper leg to help the fracture heal. He retired from the Army in October 2007, because of his war injuries, and enrolled in college last fall at Youngstown State University, majoring in finance and minoring in economics. But in December, he says, a golf ball-sized lump appeared on his wounded leg. He says he went to a Veterans Affairs hospital and was told not to worry about it. A few days later, he says, he went to the emergency room after the lump flared up more. A doctor there, he says, told him that the leg was badly infected and that it might have to be amputated. Desperate for help, his mother contacted the Army surgeon who had saved her son's life two years earlier. That doctor referred him to Obremskey, the Vanderbilt surgeon. The Robertses say the VA did not approve of them going outside the system. Erik Roberts says he had no choice -- it was have surgery or potentially lose his leg. "I thought my leg was more important than the usual bureaucratic mess," he said. His leg was saved. The $3,000 billed to Roberts wasn't for the surgery itself. It's a portion of the bill for six weeks of daily antibiotics to prevent the | [
"Where did the soldier suffer the soldier's wounds?",
"When was Erik Roberts wounded?",
"What amount was the wounded soldier billed for?",
"Where did Erik Roberts have 13 surgeries?",
"When was Sgt. Erik Roberts wounded?",
"Who was wounded in April 2006?"
] | [
[
"his right leg"
],
[
"April 2006."
],
[
"$3,000"
],
[
"Vanderbilt Orthopaedics"
],
[
"April 2006."
],
[
"Army Sgt. Erik Roberts"
]
] | Wounded soldier gets billed $3,000 for wounds suffered in Iraq .
"I put my life on the line ... and they're not going to take care of my medical bills?"
Army Sgt. Erik Roberts was wounded in April 2006; he's had 13 surgeries on his leg .
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio urged the VA to act; VA agrees to pay bill . |
(CNN) -- Erika Preuss gave a worried glance over rows and rows of empty cars packing the Wal-Mart parking lot at 3:30 a.m. Sean Blake said he met Black Friday campers in Houston, Texas, who call themselves the "Best Buy family." She was 30 minutes early at the sprawling store in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, where she had arrived to take advantage of Friday's 4 a.m. post-Thanksgiving clothing deals. But there were no tents, no campers, no eager shoppers waiting to spend their dollars. Preuss said she expected to wait in a line to get service, but people were already inside, and the store was filled with frenzied shoppers. She captured video to document her experience. "So apparently Wal-Mart did take pity on the poor souls standing outside in the cold and let people into the store early," Preuss said. "Here's how they handle it: They shrink-wrap all the goodies in plastic wrap, so all the good sale items are wrapped in black Saran wrap, and no one can touch them until 4 a.m." As a self-described "Black Friday virgin," Preuss says, she has lots to learn about the proper technique for this holiday weekend ritual. "I discovered that I was very unprepared for Black Friday, not dressed properly, as you need more padding to avoid all the shopping carts ramming into you," she said. "I feel like that song, 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,' only the reindeer had a Wal-Mart sign on it." She decided to see what the hype was about while visiting from Lake Delton, Wisconsin. "I have three kids, and money is tight," she said. "I'm a single mom. This year, I decided I was going to give it a try and see if I could get some bargains." Preuss said the lines of people searching for discounted merchandise said a lot about the shape of the economy. Many people were fighting over kids' clothes and other essentials, but she saw much less effort being expended on video games and TV sets. She said she came for the $4 kids' track suits and $8 winter coats. iReport.com: See footage of the shoppers packing the store Inside the packed store, she began to realize she needed a new strategy to beat the crowds. She decided to grab a bunch of clothing from which to pick. "I ditched the cart and went in with my bare hands," she said. iReport.com: Huge crowd in Puerto Rico Although Preuss got lucky and immediately entered the toasty store, others across the country were willing to wait in the freezing cold just to get merchandise. Barbara Rademacher woke at 2 a.m. to see the shopping scene and found shoppers huddling outside a Best Buy in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Some had sleeping bags, blankets and winter wear. Chilly hands held lists of the items they planned to buy. "Laptops! We have lists!" exclaimed excited shoppers waiting to get into the store. iReport.com: Watch Arkansas customers wait in the cold Rademacher watched a lengthy stream of people cram through the doors when the store opened. "It's something fun to experience, because you can only do it once a year," one of the aspiring customers said to the camera. Rademacher headed for the nearby Kohl's and found a similar scene as massive queues of people started running into the store. iReport.com: Virginia shoppers join Santa at mall "Whoa, look at all these people," Rademacher said. "I'm less worried about the economy than I might have been." But even these determined shoppers had nothing on the tented campers spotted by Sean Blake of Houston, Texas, who found several temporary shelters set up outside a Best Buy store on Thursday. He said campers told him the first tents went up on Wednesday morning, two days ahead of the store's 5 a.m. sales deals. iReport.com: Retail campout for the holidays Blake said the shoppers refer to themselves as the "Best | [
"Why did shoppers line up early?",
"Who lined up early to take advantage of holiday deals?",
"Who is the Black Friday virgin?",
"What does Erika Preuss call herself?",
"What are shoppers lining up for?",
"How long were people camped outside Best Buy?",
"What did Preuss call herself?",
"Where are shoppers not deterred by the cold weather?",
"What did Sean Blake say?"
] | [
[
"Black Friday"
],
[
"Preuss"
],
[
"Preuss"
],
[
"\"Black Friday virgin,\""
],
[
"Black Friday"
],
[
"two days"
],
[
"\"Black Friday virgin,\""
],
[
"Fayetteville, Arkansas."
],
[
"he met Black Friday campers in Houston, Texas, who call themselves the \"Best Buy family.\""
]
] | iReport.com: Shoppers line up early to take advantage of holiday deals .
Sean Blake says people camped through Thanksgiving outside Best Buy .
Erika Preuss calls herself a "Black Friday virgin," learns many lessons .
Barbara Rademacher says cold weather doesn't deter shoppers in Arkansas . |
(CNN) -- Erroll Southers In the aftermath of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253, it is likely the Senate will move to confirm the embattled nomination of Southers as head of the Transportation Security Administration when it returns from its winter recess. Objections to Southers' confirmation were first made by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina over the potential unionization of TSA employees. Southers is the Los Angeles International Airport's assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence. The airport's police department, which Southers has helped manage since early 2007, is the largest such operation in the country, with approximately 1,200 employees. Southers is also associate director at the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California. The former FBI special agent served as a deputy director of homeland security for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. CNN Political Ticker: DeMint defends blocking appointment Miriam Siefer The attorney who will defend the 23-year-old Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253 is no stranger to terrorism cases, according to The Detroit News. Miriam Siefer, chief federal defender with the Federal Defender Office in Detroit, Michigan, represented James Nichols when he was a suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing. His brother Terry Nichols was convicted for that act of domestic terrorism. Siefer is now the lead attorney for Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, who is accused of hiding explosive materials sewn into his underwear that could have brought down the airplane. "She's one of a handful of people who is universally respected and admired by people in the U.S. Attorney's Office," said Alan Gershel, the former head of criminal prosecutions in Detroit who now is a law professor at Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Detroit News: Suspect's lawyer old hand at terror cases Micah Fialka-Feldman A U.S. district judge has ruled that Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, violated a federal law by refusing to allow Fialka-Feldman, a disabled student, to live in a campus dorm and now must make a room available for him. The Detroit News and NPR report that Fialka-Feldman has a mild cognitive impairment that hinders his ability to read and write. But the university said because he was in a special program and not a full-time student, he couldn't live on campus. It took him two buses and two hours to get to campus from his parents' home. The judge ruled that Oakland University had discriminated against Fialka-Feldman, who says he will hang a poster in his room with quotes from civil rights leaders. One says: "A community that excludes one member is not a community at all." NPR: Intellectually disabled student wins dorm suit Detroit News: Student wins housing fight William Koch The Palm Beach, Florida, billionaire says that a 1787 Lafite Bordeaux with Thomas Jefferson's initials etched into the bottle is fake. "I thought that I had a piece of history, a piece of America's most important history," Koch told the Los Angeles Times. So Koch sued the seller and has filed four other lawsuits. He says there are more to come. His goal is to clean up an industry where a single bottle can go for more than $100,000. In 1989, Koch purchased the Lafite and three other bottles of Bordeaux, also purported to be Jefferson's, for about $500,000. In the federal lawsuit he filed in New York against the wine supplier, Koch claims Jefferson's "initials" were etched into the bottle with modern-day power tools. Los Angeles Times: Wine collector sues over alleged fakery Michael Landers This 15-year-old 10th-grader from Old Westbury, New York, is the youngest player to win the men's national singles championship in table tennis, or pingpong. In a New York Times profile, Landers says his training can last 30 hours each week. For 14 months, Goran Milanovic, a former Serbian discuss thrower, has been putting him through 90-minute workouts two or three times a week. NY Times: The ping-pong prodigy What makes a person intriguing? There are people who enter the news cycle every day because | [
"With what is the lawyer familiar?",
"What age is the youngest national table tennis champ?",
"What is a South Carolina senator holding up?",
"What did 10th-grader win?",
"Is lawyer for terror suspect familiar with terrorism cases?"
] | [
[
"terrorism cases,"
],
[
"15-year-old"
],
[
"unionization of TSA employees."
],
[
"men's national singles championship in table tennis,"
],
[
"is no stranger to"
]
] | Nominee for TSA chief held up by South Carolina senator .
Lawyer for terror suspect familiar with terrorism cases .
10th-grader is youngest player to win national table tennis championship . |
(CNN) -- Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and a champion of the disabled who founded the Special Olympics, died Tuesday, the Special Olympics said. She was 88. Eunice Kennedy Shriver speaks at a dinner in honor of the Special Olympics in July 2006. Born on July 10, 1921, in Brookline, Massachusetts, Shriver was the fifth of nine children to Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. She emerged from the long shadow of siblings John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as the founder of the Special Olympics, which started as a summer day camp in her backyard in 1962. Today, 3.1 million people with mental disabilities participate in 228 programs in 170 nations, according to the Special Olympics. "She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others," the Shriver family said Tuesday in a statement. "For each of us, she often seemed to stop time itself -- to run another Special Olympics Games, to visit us in our homes, to attend to her own mother, her sisters and brothers, and to sail, tell stories, and laugh and serve her friends." No final decision has been made on funeral arrangements, a source close to the family said. Shriver's husband, R. Sargent Shriver, and her five children and their spouses and all of her 19 grandchildren were with her when she died, the Special Olympics said in a statement. Watch a look at Eunice Kennedy Shriver's life » "We are tremendously grateful for the extreme outpouring of support and prayer from the public as we honor our beloved founder," Brady Lum, Special Olympics president and chief operating officer, said in a statement Tuesday. "Today we celebrate the life of a woman who had the vision to create our movement. It is an enormous loss, but I know we can rest assured that her legacy will live on through her family, friends, and the millions of people around the world who she touched and transformed." Even before launching the Special Olympics in 1968, Shriver had established a reputation as an advocate for the disenfranchised and a trailblazer for the rights of the disabled through a variety of roles in the private and public sector. She also persuaded the Kennedy family to go public with one of its most guarded secrets. In September 1962, Shriver wrote an article about her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary, which was published in The Saturday Evening Post. At an event honoring her in 2007, Shriver spoke of her life: "Most people believe I spent my whole life really interested in only one thing and that one thing is working to make the world a better place for people with intellectual disabilities. "As important as it has been, it is not the whole story of my life. My life is about being lucky as a child to be raised by parents who loved me and made me believe in possibilities. It is also about being lucky to have had these extraordinary children. ... It is also about being especially lucky to have a wonderful husband." Watch Shriver reflect on her life » At the same event, Edward Kennedy paid tribute to his sister, saying she had inherited the best qualities from his parents, including compassion. "She had that sense no one should be left out or left behind. She picked this up, obviously, at a very early age. All of us could see that special relationship that Eunice had with Rosemary." After receiving a degree in sociology from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, Shriver worked for the U.S. State Department in the Special War Problems Division from 1943 to 1945, helping former prisoners of war readjust to civilian life. From 1947 to 1948, she worked for $1 at the Department of Justice as executive secretary for the National Conference on Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency. See highlights of Shriver's public and private life » | [
"How many grandchildren were with her?",
"What did the family say in a statement?",
"Who died at the age of 88?",
"Did Eunice have any children?",
"What age did she die at?",
"Who was Eunice Kennedy Shriver?",
"What year did Eunice Shriver found the Special Olympics?",
"At what age did the sister of President Kennedy die?"
] | [
[
"19"
],
[
"\"She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion"
],
[
"Kennedy Shriver,"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"88."
],
[
"the sister of President John F."
],
[
"1962."
],
[
"88."
]
] | NEW: "She often seemed to stop time itself," family says in statement .
Sister of President Kennedy, Sen. Edward Kennedy dies at 88 .
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was Special Olympics founder, honorary chairwoman .
Husband R. Sargent Shriver, five children, 19 grandchildren with her at death . |
(CNN) -- Europe's financial crisis claimed its second scalp in three days when Italy's Silvio Berlusconi announced he will step down after parliament approves new austerity measures in an effort to stave off economic collapse.
The scandal-plagued prime minister will follow his Greek counterpart George Papandreou into early retirement as fears grow that Italy, the eurozone's third largest economy, may default on its debt.
Italy has failed to implement austerity measures designed to reduce its mammoth €1.9 trillion debt load -- nearly six times that of Greece -- and the cost to the country of borrowing more money to pay off that debt is spiraling out of control.
While no one knows yet whether Italy will default, analysts say that the country is vastly too big to bail out -- and that the consequences for the world economy of a default would be a disaster.
What happens next?
Much like Greek premier Papandreou, Berlusconi said he will not resign until the government passes harsh austerity measures recommended by eurozone leaders aimed at trimming Italy's debt.
The next step is for the Italian parliament to consider and vote on the measures -- which include tax rises and an increase in the retirement age -- within the next several weeks.
After the parliamentary votes Berlusconi will tender his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, who will then begin consultations with lawmakers to decide whether to form a government or call for elections.
Berlusconi and members of the Northern League party want elections as soon as possible, but other lawmakers and European leaders would like to see an interim government composed of non-partisan technocrats that could quickly implement austerity measures in order to reassure global markets and restore confidence in the country.
Business figures tapped to lead a potential technocratic interim government include Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, and Alessandro Profumo, former CEO of Italy's largest bank UniCredit.
Political options that have been floated include Angelino Alfano, known to be Berlusconi's hand-picked successor, Gianni Letta, Berlusconi's chief of staff, or Mario Monti, a former commissioner with the European Union.
No one is a fan of uncertainty, and no one is going to invest in a debt-ridden country without a plan for recovery -- much less one without a functioning government -- so Italy's short-term plan will be to get these austerity measures passed, see Berlusconi off, and hold new elections so at least international lenders will know who they're dealing with.
Check out CNN's interactive map of European debt at a glance
What's wrong with Italy?
The basic problem is that it's becoming prohibitively expensive for Italy to borrow money to finance its debt -- a problem rooted in investor confidence in the debt-laden country.
With a defunct government and a shrinking economy, Italy is finding it increasingly difficult to find people willing to lend it money in order to reduce its mammoth €1.9 trillion debt load, which is nearly six times that of Greece.
The less confidence there is in a country, the higher the bond yields, or rate, that country will have to pay in order to secure more money. Right now confidence in Italy is at a euro-era low, which means Italy is paying more than ever to finance its debt.
Business 360 blog on Italy: Too big to fail, too big to bail
What is a bond yield?
A bond yield is basically another term for the rate Italy has to pay to lenders who buy its government bonds. The 10-year government bond is the standard bond used to measure the relative interest rates from country to country.
A government raises money to pay its bills by selling these bonds -- so the higher the yield or rate, the more it costs Italy to borrow money in order to pay its debts.
Italy's 10-year bond yield hit a staggering record high of 7.3% on Wednesday morning; by contrast, the bond yield for Germany -- a relatively healthy economy -- closed at 1.8% on Tuesday night.
Italy will already have to borrow at least €300 billion -- nearly the total Greece owes to lenders -- next year alone to pay off maturing debts, and the | [
"How much was the pile of debt in Italy?",
"Where is the prime minister from?",
"What percentage did the bond yields in Italy pass?",
"Whats the name of the prime minister?",
"What is his name?",
"What is the amount of debt?",
"How much debt is Italy in?",
"Who was the prime minister?"
] | [
[
"€1.9 trillion"
],
[
"Italy,"
],
[
"7.3%"
],
[
"Silvio Berlusconi"
],
[
"Silvio Berlusconi"
],
[
"€1.9 trillion"
],
[
"€1.9 trillion"
],
[
"Silvio Berlusconi"
]
] | Italy's bond yields have passed the dangerous 7% threshold .
Bond yields represent investor confidence in a country's ability to repay its debt .
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced he will resign following the passage of austerity measures .
With a debt pile of nearly 2 trillion euros, Italy is seen as too big for Europe to bail out . |
(CNN) -- Europe, struggling under a debt crisis which has crippled the eurozone's economy, is facing a "lost decade," according to the head of manufacturing giant Hilti.
Bo Risberg, chief executive of Lichtenstein-based Hilti, told CNN that Europe is in a critical condition and businesses are likely to face the impact for years to come.
"We will have a very difficult decade, a lost decade you can call it," Risberg said. "Fundamentally there is so much austerity needed in order to get back into a reasonable debt situation it will [continue to] impact the economy in Europe. There will be some tough times ahead."
Risberg -- head of a company which employs 20,000 people across 120 countries -- says Europe's debt crisis cannot be allowed to worsen.
"What we are seeing now in Greece is practically a default, with a 50% write down [on its debts], but we can't afford that in Italy, Spain and Portugal," said Risberg. "We are just transferring from the more prudent countries to the countries that have big loans -- so it won't work."
The European Central Bank, which has propped up struggling countries through the debt crisis by buying their debt in the open markets -- thus bringing down the cost of funding -- has come under pressure to do more to save Europe. But Risberg is wary about the ECB becoming more active. "The answer is not to print money from the ECB," he said. Such a move would be "dangerous," he added, saying the potential for hyperinflation would be catastrophic.
Risberg said Europeans need to be accept the introduction of austerity measures, noting southern Europe's economy will be "in very bad shape" for years to come.
"Those who are agile and flexibility will come out stronger in the crisis -- those who are not will not survive," he added.
CNN's Emily Smith contributed to this report. | [
"What does he say that Europe needs to accept?",
"who is becoming more active in propping up eurozone economies?",
"Is Europe under debt crisis?",
"What is Bo Risberg wary of?",
"Who is struggling under its debt crisis?",
"what needs to accept by Europe?",
"who faces a \"lost decade\"?"
] | [
[
"the introduction of austerity measures,"
],
[
"The European Central Bank,"
],
[
"struggling"
],
[
"the ECB becoming more active."
],
[
"Europe,"
],
[
"the introduction of austerity measures,"
],
[
"Europe,"
]
] | Hilti CEO says Europe faces a "lost decade" as it struggles under its debt crisis .
Bo Risberg is wary of the ECB becoming more active in propping up eurozone economies .
He says Europe needs to accept austerity measures . |
(CNN) -- European Union peacekeepers in Bosnia on Tuesday raided homes belonging to family members of Ratko Mladic, the highest-ranking figure still at large from the Balkan conflict in the mid 1990s, Serbian media reported.
Portuguese peacekeepers stand guard outside a home raided on Tuesday.
The force raided houses belonging to Mladic's sister, Milica Avram, and sister-in-law, Radinka Mladic, in East Sarajevo, an area of the city inside the Bosnian Serb-controlled Republika Srpska, a seperate political entity to the Muslim-Croat-controlled Bosnia-Croat Federation.
The raids were a part of a broader operation targeting locations and people who are believed to be helping Mladic evade trial, the reports said.
Serbian authorities recently put up "wanted" posters for Mladic at police stations across Serbia, reminding people of the 1 million euro ($1.3 million) reward for any information leading to Mladic's capture.
Mladic, who commanded the Bosnian Serb military during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been the Balkans' most wanted since former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade last July.
The 66-year-old is wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for allegedly overseeing the killings of almost 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
Mladic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws of war. He has been on the run for 13 years, ever since the ICTY issued the indictments against him.
The ICTY has accused Serbia of knowing Mladic's whereabouts and letting him slip through their hands. Serbia's status as a candidate for European Union membership also remains conditional on Mladic being handed over to the ICTY.
Serbian leaders have denied protecting Mladic. | [
"Who orchestrated the massacre in 1995?",
"What is Mladic accused of?",
"Who is the highest ranking accused war criminal still at large?",
"Which Serb general is accused of war crimes?",
"Who raid homes?",
"Who is Ratko Mladic?",
"Who raided the homes in Bosnia?",
"Who is accused?"
] | [
[
"Ratko Mladic,"
],
[
"overseeing the killings of almost 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica in July 1995."
],
[
"Ratko Mladic,"
],
[
"Ratko Mladic,"
],
[
"European"
],
[
"the highest-ranking figure still at large from the Balkan conflict in the mid 1990s,"
],
[
"European"
],
[
"Ratko Mladic,"
]
] | EU troops in Bosnia raid homes belonging to family members of Ratko Mladic .
Former Bosnian Serb general is highest ranking accused war criminal at large .
Mladic accused of orchestrating Srebrenica massacre in 1995 .
Raids part of operation targeting those believed to be helping Mladic evade trial . |
(CNN) -- European intelligence agencies are on alert for new al Qaeda terrorist plots following the arrest of two men at an Italian port and investigations into the activities of an alleged al Qaeda network based in Brussels. Bassam Ayachi officiated at the wedding of Malika el Aroud (pictured), who became an al Qaeda "icon." The two are closely tied to a Brussels-based al Qaeda recruiting network, Belgian counter-terrorism officials have told CNN. They are Bassam Ayachi, 62, and Raphael Gendron, 33 -- and they were detained in the port of Bari on November 11 last year after allegedly trying to smuggle three Palestinians and two Syrians into Italy in the false bottom of a camper van they were driving. Now they face much more serious allegations following a counter-terrorism investigation by Italian, French and Belgian police. Italian authorities have officially charged them with being leaders of a logistical support team for al Qaeda. A bug planted by Italian police in the suspects' detention facility picked up snatches of conversation about an alleged scheme to attack Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. A partial transcript of one of their alleged conversations has now been released. "I'll hit de Gaulle," Gendron tells Ayachi. "We'll hit it there," Ayachi replies. "At night when there will be a lot of people." Later in the conversation they appear to discuss buying grenades off contacts in the Middle East. French authorities have said that they were never aware of a concrete plot to attack the airport. Italy suspects well known to Belgian Security Services Ayachi and Gendron were detained after Italian authorities allegedly found Jihadist propaganda in their possession when they arrived on a ferry from Greece. Belgian police say they alerted Italian authorities that the pair were known extremists. Ayachi is a naturalized French cleric of Syrian descent, and in the early 1990s had founded the Centre Islamique Belge (CIB), an organization Belgian authorities say espoused hard-line Salafist and pro al Qaeda views. Gendron, described by Italian police as a computer expert, was the main administrator of the CIB's Web site in Belgium. In 2006 Gendron and Ayachi's son Abdel Rahman Ayachi were convicted in Belgium for posting threatening anti-Semitic messages on the site. Their prison sentences were later reduced to a fine by an Appeals court. A Belgian counter-terrorism source tells CNN that the CIB has clandestinely continued its operations in Belgium. When CNN reporters visited its headquarters on the Rue Memling in Brussels in February, Islamists appeared to still occupy the premises. In previous interviews with Belgian journalists, Avachi said his organization concentrated on pastoral care for Muslims in Brussels and did not promote pro-al Qaeda views. In April 1999 Ayachi officiated at the wedding of two protégés at CIB, Abdessattar Dahmane and Malika el Aroud. The couple would later become "icons" of the al Qaeda movement, according to Belgian counter-terrorism officials. Two days before 9/11, Dahmane assassinated Ahmed Shah Massoud, the head of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, in a suicide bombing operation in Afghanistan. After his death Malika el Aroud, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent who had accompanied him to Afghanistan, returned to Europe and founded Minbar.SOS -- a Web site promoting Bin Laden's Jihad. She also remarried. In a CNN interview in 2006 el Aroud demonstrated how she and her new husband Moez Garsallaoui ran the site, which contained postings of attacks on coalition troops in Iraq and translations of the speeches of al Qaeda leaders. Alleged recruitment for training in Pakistan According to Belgian police el Aroud and Garsallaoui moved to Brussels in 2007 and worked in tandem to recruit operatives to train in the tribal areas of Pakistan. El Aroud, it is alleged, inspired young men to volunteer for Jihad through her incendiary Web postings. Garsallaoui, the police say, went out to the streets to recruit people. El Aroud was arrested last December in Brussels and charged along with five others with participation in a terrorist group. She denies the charge. El Aroud and Garsallaoui allegedly recruited six individuals in all, four from Belgium and two from France, according | [
"What were the pair tied to?",
"What does the arrest of two men spur?",
"What spurred a European terror alert?",
"What is the pair closely tied to?",
"What did Italy charge them with?"
] | [
[
"a Brussels-based al Qaeda recruiting network,"
],
[
"alert for new al Qaeda terrorist plots"
],
[
"new al Qaeda terrorist plots"
],
[
"a Brussels-based al Qaeda recruiting network,"
],
[
"being leaders of a logistical support team for al Qaeda."
]
] | Italy arrests of two men spurs European terror alert .
Pair closely tied to a Brussels-based al Qaeda recruiting network, officials say .
Italy charged them with being leaders of a logistical support team for al Qaeda . |
(CNN) -- European nations could be penalized by being stripped of some powers if they fail to manage their budgets, according to a memo from European Commission President Herman Van Rompuy leaked Tuesday.
The confidential memo, sent out to leaders ahead of the final European Council meeting of the year at the end of the week, comes only a day after the leaders of Germany and France agreed in Paris on a new fiscal pact they say will help prevent another debt crisis.
But Van Rompuy's proposals, details of which were obtained by CNN, are perhaps even stricter than those of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The five-page memo proposes that the European Commission could perhaps be given the right to strip voting rights within the European Union from some countries who have been bailed out but are still not meeting their deficit targets
For "member states that are under an assistance program and have consistently failed to meet the conditionality, the (European) Commission could receive exceptional power such as ex-ante approval of all major economic reforms," the document says.
As such, the executive arm of the EU could force bailed-out countries, such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal, to comply with deficit regulations, which for the entire EU currently stand at 3% of GDP.
Those rules have been in place for many years but EU leaders are looking for a way to have them more tightly enforced in order to restore confidence in eurozone debt.
Van Rompuy's proposals indicate continuing differences of opinion with other key decision-makers in Europe over how to handle the region's debt crisis.
The proposed change of protocol Van Rompuy has put forward would not need to be fully ratified by all the member states, a person familiar with the plans told CNN.
Merkel and Sarkozy, heads of the two largest economies in the 17-nation eurozone, said Monday that their pact, to be presented in detail Friday, would involve amending or rewriting the treaties that govern the EU to force members to manage their budgets in a more structured and coherent way.
They are expected to write to Van Rompuy on Wednesday to find out whether their initiative would be embraced by all 27 EU countries or just the 17 that share the single currency.
Ahead of that move, Prime Minister David Cameron warned Tuesday he would not sign any reworked EU treaty that does not protect British interests.
"What I'm saying is that if -- and eurozone countries do need to come together, do need to do more things together -- if they choose to use the European treaty to do that, Britain will be insisting on some safeguards, too, and as long as we get those, then that treaty can go ahead. If we can't get those, it won't," he told the BBC.
Resolving the eurozone crisis is a priority, Cameron said, but he would be going to Brussels to "defend and promote" British interests, including the U.K. financial services sector.
As the head of the European Commission, Van Rompuy is expected to steer discussions between the member states as they meet for the final EU summit of the year.
Both Merkel and Sarkozy ruled out Monday the concept of pooling eurozone debt under so-called "eurobonds," saying such discussions were premature.
However, Van Rompuy's memo appears to open the door to such an idea further down the line.
He recommends leaders consider "opening up the possibility in a longer term perspective of moving towards common debt issuance in a staged and criteria-based approach," according to the leaked memo.
Sarkozy said Monday in Paris that the debt crisis, which has shaken markets around the world, must be resolved by March next year.
Meanwhile, Standard and Poor's placed 15 members of the euro currency union on review for a possible downgrade Monday, as the debt crisis in the eurozone continues to worsen.
The warning applies to AAA-rated nations such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Luxembourg, the U.S.-based credit rating agency said in a press release.
A downgrade of France | [
"What did new british PM warn",
"What has the british pm warned he may not sign",
"What sets out tough measurements",
"Did france and germany agree to a new fiscal pact",
"What does the PM warn",
"Which country are european leaders in for the last summit",
"What did the leaked memo set out"
] | [
[
"he would not sign any reworked EU treaty"
],
[
"EU treaty"
],
[
"Van Rompuy's proposals,"
],
[
"agreed in Paris on a"
],
[
"he would not sign any reworked EU treaty that"
],
[
"Brussels"
],
[
"that the European Commission could perhaps be given the right to strip voting rights within the European Union from some countries"
]
] | NEW: British PM warns he may not sign a new EU treaty if British interests are at risk .
Leaked memo sets out tough measures for countries that fail to manage budgets .
It comes a day after the leaders of France and Germany agreed to a new fiscal pact .
European leaders are in Brussels later this week for their last summit of the year . |
(CNN) -- Evander Holyfield failed in his bid to become the oldest heavyweight champion when he lost on points to giant Russian Nikolai Valuev in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday.
Holyfield struggles to escape the reach of seven-foot Russian world champion Valuez in Zurich.
One judge scored the bout a draw while the others had Valuev winning 115-114 and 116-112 thus denying 46-year-old Holyfield the heavyweight title for the fifth time.
American Holyfield will take time to consider whether to return to the ring after his defeat.
"I will go home and think about the future," he said. "But I knew I could still do it.
"I fought very well and won the fight but I did not get the decision. I think I showed tonight that I still can box and that age does not matter."
Valuev said it was an honor to fight a legend like Holyfield. "I am proud to have been in the same ring with him," he said.
"He was very fast and hard to hit. I can only advise people not to get hit by him. I expected a tough fight and that is what it was. Holyfield is a great fighter and he proved it tonight."
With Valuev controlling the centre of the ring in the opening rounds, Holyfield danced around his opponent, hitting with occasional single shots.
He did well to stay away from Valuev´s long left jab and hit him with a big left in the fourth, but the Russian answered with a strong right uppercut.
Much to the delight of the crowd, the fifth was a good round for Holyfield who first landed a right-left combination to the body and later connected with a big left hook to the head.
Both men were on target during a mid-round exchange in the sixth, but Valuev´s left jab looked more effective. In the seventh, the crowd raised the roof when Holyfield fired in a combination to the head.
Valuev´s corner urged him to be more aggressive and he eventually landed a strong right in the eighth when Holyfield seemed to tire a little.
The seven foot Russian remained on the front foot as there was a big exchange during the ninth, and in the 10th Holyfield landed a strong right-left combination. Valuev finished better and pushed his opponent in the corner in the 12th .
After the final bell, both men hugged each other, with either fighter claiming the win. When the scorecards were read, boos rang out as the crowd favorite's narrow defeat was confirmed. | [
"who did he lose to",
"what will he now consider",
"what has Holyfield failed to do",
"Who failed in bid to become oldest heavyweight champion?",
"What boxer beat him?",
"What nationality is he?"
] | [
[
"giant Russian Nikolai Valuev"
],
[
"whether to return to the ring"
],
[
"become the oldest heavyweight champion"
],
[
"Holyfield"
],
[
"Nikolai Valuev"
],
[
"American"
]
] | Evander Holyfield failed in bid to become oldest heavyweight champion .
Lost on points to giant Russian Nikolai Valuev in Zurich, Switzerland .
American Holyfield, 46, will take time to consider whether return to ring . |
(CNN) -- Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard says he contemplated suicide after his relationship with a male escort was revealed in 2006, resulting in his being fired from the influential megachurch that he founded two decades ago. Rev. Ted Haggard tells Oprah Winfrey he still struggles with homosexual urges but says he is not gay. Haggard told talk show host Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday that the scandal forced him to work through his "issues" with homosexuality. "I was dying. I had settled in my mind exactly how I was going to commit suicide," Haggard told Winfrey. "I was preparing, and in my life, Jesus came to me and he said, 'Now, now I can save you.' " The interview also addressed the latest scandal involving the embattled pastor. In a statement from Haggard that Winfrey read at the end of the program, Haggard denied having "physical contact" with a second man whose allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Haggard surfaced recently. Watch Haggard's accuser speak out » Haggard, who appeared in the prerecorded interview segment with his wife and two of his three children, said he continues to struggle with homosexual urges but insisted he is not gay. Haggard continues to have "sexual thoughts about men, but they're not compulsive any more, and I do have temptations, but they're not compulsive," he told Winfrey. He said one therapist described him as a "heterosexual with homosexual attachments," and he admitted to struggling with homosexual urges all his life. "I do believe I don't fit into the normal boxes," Haggard said. "I do think there are complexities associated with some people's sexuality, but it just wasn't as simple as I wanted it to be, because I was so deeply in love with my life." But, he added, "I had this other thing going on inside of me too." Haggard founded the Colorado-based New Life Church in his basement in 1984 and oversaw its growth to a megachurch with some 15,000 members. After the scandal, he was fired from the church in 2006 and also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group that says it represents millions of people in 45,000 evangelical church congregations nationwide. His fall followed allegations from male escort Mike Jones about a sex-for-money relationship that involved drugs. "When it first started to happen, I lied about it because I was so ashamed, and it was the first time that that dark area of my life that I had worked so hard to keep secret and fight against was coming to the surface," he told Winfrey. "I thank God, though, that in this process, I am where I am now and that accusation and the scandal had a lot to do with that," he said. The interview aired as Haggard tries to combat the latest allegations. A senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said Monday that the church agreed to pay the second man -- a 20-year-old church volunteer -- in exchange for his pledge not to talk publicly about the relationship with Haggard. After the taped segment, Winfrey read a statement from Haggard about those new allegations. "Even though there was never any physical contact, I have regretted my irresponsible behavior," Haggard said, referring to allegations from a man he identified as Grant. "I apologized to Grant, my family and the church two years ago. I now ask him again for his forgiveness as well as the people of the church," Haggard said. In the past three weeks, the man told New Life Senior Pastor Brady Boyd that he was considering going public with his story because Haggard was portraying himself as a victim in an upcoming HBO documentary called "The Trial of Ted Haggard," which is scheduled to air Thursday. | [
"What did Haggard say about his homosexual temptations?",
"What did Haggard say about suicide?",
"What organization did Haggard found?",
"Why was Haggard fired?",
"What kind of scandal did Haggard experience?",
"What was Haggard going to do to himself after the scandal?",
"Who had to settle their mind in regards to suicide?",
"What kind of Temptations does Haggard say he still has?",
"What type of religion is associated with the New Life Church?",
"What did Haggard deny?"
] | [
[
"he is not gay."
],
[
"he contemplated"
],
[
"Colorado-based New Life Church"
],
[
"relationship with a male"
],
[
"relationship with a male"
],
[
"says he contemplated suicide"
],
[
"Haggard"
],
[
"homosexual urges"
],
[
"Evangelical"
],
[
"\"physical contact\" with a second man whose allegations of an inappropriate relationship"
]
] | Haggard: "I had settled in my mind exactly how I was going to commit suicide"
Haggard founded New Life Church, was fired after male prostitute scandal .
Haggard says he still has homosexual temptations, but they are not compulsive .
Haggard denies physical contact, apologizes to man involved in new allegations . |
(CNN) -- Evangelist Billy Graham is showing signs of improvement as he continues to recover from pneumonia in a North Carolina hospital, a spokeswoman for Asheville's Mission Hospital said Sunday.
The 93-year-old Graham was admitted to the hospital Wednesday in stable condition.
"Doctors are encouraged by Mr. Graham's significant clinical progress, but have not yet set a date for discharge," hospital spokeswoman Merrell Gregory said in a statement.
Gregory also reported progress in Graham's physical therapy, saying he is "walking more in the private corridor outside his room."
Graham was visited over the weekend by his family, according to Gregory. He also watched on television his pastor deliver his regular Sunday sermon, she said.
This is Graham's second bout with pneumonia this year. He was previously hospitalized for the infection in May.
Graham, a resident of nearby Montreat, has provided counsel to generations of U.S. presidents beginning with Harry S. Truman and is the founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
The Charlotte native has preached to untold millions over six decades, beginning his missionary work in 1944 when he started speaking at rallies for the Youth for Christ Campus Life ministry. Five years later, Graham was holding crusades in tents in downtown Los Angeles. Originally scheduled for three weeks, the crusades drew so many followers they were extended to seven.
Graham's "last crusade" in June 2005 drew a total of 230,000 people.
He described it as his last American crusade, but hedged his farewells during a poignant appearance in Corona Park in Queens, New York.
"We hope to come back again someday," Graham announced. "I was asked in an interview if this was our last crusade and I said it probably is -- in New York. But I also said, 'I never say never.' " | [
"What age is the evangelist?",
"Is he in okay condition now?",
"When was he admitted?",
"What is his name?",
"who is Evangelist?",
"What is he in hospital for?"
] | [
[
"93-year-old"
],
[
"stable"
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"Billy Graham"
],
[
"Billy Graham"
],
[
"pneumonia"
]
] | Evangelist, 93, showing progress in recovery from pneumonia, hospital says .
He is walking more, North Carolina hospital spokeswoman says .
Graham was admitted to the Asheville hospital Wednesday in stable condition .
No discharge date has been set; he also was hospitalized in May . |
(CNN) -- Evangelist Tony Alamo is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison after an Arkansas judge sentenced him to 175 years Friday on charges that included taking minors across state lines for sex, according to prosecutors. A jury convicted Alamo in July on 10 federal counts covering offenses that spanned 11 years and dated back to 1994, according to documents from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Alamo, the 75-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, will serve the sentences on each count consecutively, for a total of 175 years in prison, prosecutors said. In addition to his sentence, Alamo was fined $250,000, court documents showed. His lawyer filed an appeal Friday. Christopher Plumlee, assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, welcomed the sentence. "Given the number of victims and the difficult type of testimony they had to provide in order to get to trial, it's gratifying for them to see him get this sentence," he said. "Not only did they entrust their lives to him, he did it in the name of God. And he betrayed their trust." Authorities in September 2008 arrested Alamo, whose real name is Bernie Hoffman, and raided his 15-acre compound near Texarkana, Arkansas. An indictment released in November 2008 accused Alamo of transporting five girls across state lines for sex. The criminal complaint included accounts from three girls, two of whom were 17 when the complaint was released last year, and one who was 14. All three said Alamo sexually abused them. In a phone interview last year with CNN, Alamo called the accusations a hoax. "They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." | [
"What do the charges include?",
"who founded this church",
"Who is Tony Alamo?",
"Who discovered that Alamo was taking minors across state lines for sex?",
"What year did charges start?",
"On what date did officials raid the 15-acre compound near Texarkana, Arkansas?"
] | [
[
"taking minors across state lines for sex,"
],
[
"Tony Alamo"
],
[
"Evangelist"
],
[
"Authorities"
],
[
"1994,"
],
[
"September 2008"
]
] | Charges included taking minors across state lines for sex .
Alamo, 75, is founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries .
Charges stem from 2008 raided of 15-acre compound near Texarkana, Arkansas . |
(CNN) -- Even before her 18th birthday, Maria had already been enslaved by a gang of human traffickers and held in captivity for four months in her homeland of Mexico.
While a prisoner, Maria witnessed a sickening trade in human life and recalls how young girls were drugged, forced into prostitution and then murdered.
What makes Maria's story so special is that she was one of the lucky ones who were able to escape.
Maria, whose real name we aren't using, used to live in the border town of Ciudad Juarez.
The city is home to two drug cartels that fight a bloody turf war for lucrative smuggling routes to America.
In a four-day period, 41 people were murdered, while over the past decade, 450 women were killed and 3,000 went missing.
"Today girls are still going missing but their bodies are never found," Miguel Perea, a local journalist told Britain's Channel 4.
"There's no trace of them and their mothers and families of these girls -- they haven't got a clue what's happened to them."
Maria described how at the age of 16 she was lured off the streets by a young man who promised the world, but delivered nothing but pain.
She was raped, drugged and sold for sex. "They took a gallon of gasoline and started pouring it over a girl," Maria said.
"One of the men told me if you don't do as I say I will do the same to you.
"I wanted to look away, but they didn't let me. Even though the girl was on fire they kept hitting her and they were laughing as if they were enjoying what they were doing."
Maria described a cross-border trade in young children and babies -- with orders coming in regularly from the U.S.
"They stole the children and one of the gang members took a six-year-old kid that I had to look after for three hours.
"He told me he wanted to see his mummy then I started crying and said 'I don't think you're ever going to see your mummy again.'"
The claims that Maria made were so serious that she was asked by the Department of Homeland Security to come to the U.S. to tell her story.
Mexican authorities accompanied Maria on her trip to Houston to work alongside U.S. authorities on the case.
The U.S. State Department estimates that more than 20,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year -- mainly destined for the sex trade.
Authorities have launched an immediate investigation into Maria's story.
"I want to tell the story so that in the near future, other girls don't go through the same," Maria said.
"Women are sold, they are abducted, bought and even killed by these men.
"If these men are ever found, jail won't be enough to make them pay for the way they've made us feel." | [
"Maria told her story to who?",
"Hundreds of young women and children disappear each year where?",
"what did maria do",
"what is Ciudad Juarez",
"where is it dangerous",
"What is the name of the Mexican border town?",
"who told her story",
"how many disappear",
"where is the border town"
] | [
[
"Department of Homeland Security"
],
[
"Ciudad Juarez."
],
[
"witnessed a sickening trade in human life"
],
[
"border town"
],
[
"Ciudad Juarez."
],
[
"Ciudad Juarez."
],
[
"Maria"
],
[
"3,000"
],
[
"Ciudad Juarez."
]
] | The Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez is one of the world's most dangerous .
Hundreds of young women and children disappear each year in Mexico .
Maria told her story to U.S. authorities who are now working on her case . |
(CNN) -- Events at a West Virginia air show were canceled for a second day Sunday after a crash a day earlier that killed a stunt pilot, show organizers said.
No one on the ground was injured in the crash Saturday.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Martinsburg on Sunday to begin piecing together what went wrong.
The crash occurred about five minutes into a planned 15-minute flight, said NTSB investigator Tim Monville.
Some victims of Nevada air race crash identified
"During one of the planned aerobatic maneuvers ... two opposing airplanes were to pass each other laterally," then pull up and perform a roll, Monville said. The plane that crashed "did not complete the maneuver."
Monville declined to identify the pilot.
CNN iReporter Jennifer Clark took pictures of the 2:30 p.m. ET crash, showing flames and black plumes of smoke rising from the ground.
"We saw a flash of light ... and heard the explosion sound," she told CNN's Don Lemon on Saturday. "It was scary."
"You just heard the whole crowd gasp simultaneously and everybody just kind of went silent and was just watching what was going on," she said.
Event organizers on Sunday urged those who witnessed the crash "to seek out support if they feel that viewing the accident traumatically affected them."
The West Virginia crash came one day after another deadly air crash.
A pilot lost control of his vintage plane during an air race in Reno, Nevada, on Friday, plummeting toward thousands of spectators before narrowly missing a grandstand and slamming into box seats. Nine people, including the pilot, died in that accident, according to local police. | [
"who was killed in a Saturday crash",
"who was killed",
"Who is investigating",
"where was the pilot killed",
"When did the crash happen",
"Was anyone on the ground injured",
"when was he killed"
] | [
[
"a stunt pilot,"
],
[
"stunt pilot,"
],
[
"Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board"
],
[
"Nevada"
],
[
"Saturday."
],
[
"the"
],
[
"Sunday"
]
] | A pilot was killed in a crash Saturday .
No one on the ground was injured .
NTSB investigators are on the scene to probe the crash . |
(CNN) -- Ever caught a glimpse of the secretive Iberian lynx? Or heard the croaking bark of a Mediterranean monk seal? Arctic foxes are trapped and skinned for the pelts. If not, and you want to do so, you had better hurry because pollution and habitat degradation have pushed both species to the brink of extinction. According to a recent study by the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) human activity is threatening almost one-sixth of Europe's total land mammal population. Among marine mammals the situation is even more grave, with some 22 percent of total numbers being pushed towards annihilation. The IUCN's recently published European Mammal Assessment identified 17 European mammal species that are "vulnerable," seven that are "endangered," and six that are "critically endangered." The Mediterranean monk seal population, for example, has now dwindled to just 350-450 individuals. The outlook for the Iberian lynx is even worse, with only an estimated 150 still surviving, making it the most endangered cat species on earth. Other species on the critically endangered list include the Arctic fox, Bavarian pine vole, European mink and North Atlantic Right whale. "This new assessment proves that many European mammals are declining at an alarming rate," said IUCN Director-General Julia Marton-Lefèvre, a position echoed by the EU's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. "The results of the report highlight the challenge we currently face to halt the loss of Europe's biodiversity," said Dimas. "It is clear that the full implementation of the Habitats Directive (adopted by the EU in 1992 to safeguard Europe's endangered wildlife) is of the utmost importance to protect Europe's native mammals." Europe is home to a rich diversity of native mammal species ranging from the small such as shrews and voles, to the large such as wolves and brown bears. to the enormous -- in the case of the 70-ton North Atlantic Right Whale. Human activity, however, especially in the form of agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution, has reduced the numbers of these species, leaving many of them in danger of vanishing. The aforementioned Habitats Directive -- a corollary of the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats -- introduced a range of measures aimed at protecting endangered species (including plants, birds and fish as well as mammals). That directive has certainly had an effect, with a number of mammals that previously seemed destined to disappear from Europe now enjoying something of a revival. The Alpine Ibex, for example, was almost hunted out in the 19th century, its population reduced to just a small group of survivors in Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park. Thanks to extensive conservation and protection efforts, however, the species is once again flourishing and has been downgraded to the "least concern" category on the IUCN's "Red List." It is the same story for the European bison, which was limited to just a few zoos before re-introduction programs across eastern Europe helped re-build the population to current levels of around 1,800. "The fate of the European bison provides an example of the way in which a species may be brought to the brink of extinction in a very short time, and then saved only through great efforts," said Dr. Zbigniew Krasinski of Poland's Bialowieza National Park. "The saving of the bison has been an undoubted success, although further action will continue to be essential." Dr. Jean-Christophe Vie, Deputy Head of the IUCN's Species Program, agrees that significant progress has been made. "In Europe we now have a network of protected areas, as well as strong conservation laws," he told CNN. "It is possible for species to recover even when their numbers drop to extinction level. "Both the Alpine Ibex and European bison are recovering well because of appropriate conservation measures. "The European beaver is another example. It was persecuted almost to extinction but has now been re-introduced and is colonizing all over the continent." While | [
"How many Iberian lynx are estimated to remain?",
"How many Iberian lynx remained?",
"What is endangering many animals?",
"What is said about human activty?",
"What activity is endangering many animals ?",
"How many Iberian lynx remain ?"
] | [
[
"150"
],
[
"150"
],
[
"agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution,"
],
[
"threatening almost one-sixth of Europe's total land mammal population."
],
[
"agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution,"
],
[
"150"
]
] | Only an estimated 150 Iberian lynx remain .
Human activity is endangering many animals .
Experts say situation is redeemable . |
(CNN) -- Ever find yourself struggling to craft the perfect sentence for a loved one who's, um, serving a sentence? Now, you have a friend in the greeting card business. Terrye Cheathem has created a line of greeting cards geared toward prison inmates. A Los Angeles, California, lawyer has come up with a series of cards geared toward prison inmates, a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population. Some express simple good wishes: "We are all praying for you while you do your time." Others celebrate holidays: "You had the choice to be 'naughty or nice.' And you chose ... Now you have to do your time. But, Christmas won't be the same without you here." Others dole out tough love: "When you called last time, I was not very sympathetic. I guess that I have heard your promises to change too many times. Please - stop promising to change. Just do it." Creator Terrye Cheathem said the cards let family members say "Look, things need to be different when you get out." She came up with the idea a few years ago while looking -- without success -- for a birthday card to send her brother-in-law, who was serving an 11-month sentence. "There are so many people who have mixed feelings about communicating with their loved ones in prison," Cheathem said Thursday. "They are unhappy, oftentimes profoundly embarrassed. People don't know what to say." So she created Three Squares Greetings to capture the sentiments for a captive audience -- one that seems to be getting larger each year. More than 2.3 million people were in jails or prisons in the United States at the beginning of 2008, according to a study released last month by the Pew Center on the States. The center is a private organization that advocates for alternative programs to alleviate prison populations. For the first time in the nation's history, the center says, more than one in 100 Americans are behind bars, a higher proportion than any other country. Cheathem is selling her cards online and through stores. She also wants jails and prisons to carry cards designed for inmates to send their relatives. "They're 'Thank You' cards," she said. " 'Thank you for visiting,' 'Thank you for bringing the kids,' 'Thank you for coming to court.' " Like many, bookstore owner James Fugate was at first reluctant to carry the line in his Los Angeles shop, Esowon Books. "I have some issues of being nice to criminals," Fugate said. "And in my 20 years in business, I've seen some relatives who don't seem to realize the gravity of what (their family members) have done." Fugate said he changed his mind when he realized that most of the cards carried messages asking inmates to turn their lives around. Cheathem understands the hesitation of shoppers and sellers. "I can't think of any other product that anyone wants to receive and certainly no one wants to be in the position to buy one," she said. "But there is a need for this." Cheathem points to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, Michigan. He was charged this week with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct of office. He was released on a $75,000 bond. "I have a card that says, 'I'm sorry to hear about your arrest,' " she said. "Right now , there are probably 50 people or more who would send it to him." E-mail to a friend | [
"The new greeting cards are geared toward what?",
"Study show that the US prison and jail population is what?",
"Who is the new greeting cards geared to?",
"The cards are sold where?",
"who is selling the cards",
"what about the new cards",
"Where are the cards selling?"
] | [
[
"prison inmates."
],
[
"rapidly growing"
],
[
"prison inmates."
],
[
"online and through stores."
],
[
"Terrye Cheathem"
],
[
"geared toward prison inmates."
],
[
"online and through stores."
]
] | New series of greeting cards is geared toward prison inmates .
Study shows the U.S. prison and jail population is rapidly growing .
Card creator is selling her cards online and through stores . |
(CNN) -- Everton scored twice late on and goalkeeper Tim Howard saved an injury-time penalty as they fought back to secure a 2-2 Premier League home draw with Tottenham on Sunday. Jermain Defoe gave the visitors the lead soon after the interval when nipping in front of Tony Hibbert to convert Aaron Lennon's cross at the near post for his 13th goal of the season. And they doubled their advantage soon after when defender Michael Dawson headed home a Niko Kranjcar corner. But Everton got a foothold back in the game when Seamus Coleman's run and cross was converted by fellow-substitute Louis Saha in the 78th minute. And Tim Cahill rescued a point for the home side with four minutes remaining when he stooped low to head home Leighton Baines' bouncing cross. However, there was still further drama to come when Hibbert was penalized for crashing into Wilson Palacios in the area. However, England striker Defoe smashed his penalty too close to Howard and the keeper pulled off a fine save to give out-of-form Everton a morale-boosting point. The result means Tottenham remain in fourth place, behind north London rivals Arsenal, while Everton have now won just one of their last nine league games. In the day's other match, Bobby Zamora scored the only goal of the game as Fulham beat Sunderland 1-0 to move up to eighth place in the table. | [
"who scores the only goal to give Fulham a 1-0 victory at home to Sunderland?",
"Who missed an injury time penalty?",
"what Everton recover from 2-0 behind to earn a 2-2 Premier League draw?",
"who misses an injury time penalty to give the visitors all three points?",
"Who scores the only goal for Fulham?",
"Who missed the injury time penalty?",
"What was Everton's final result with Tottenham?",
"With whom did Everton earn the draw?",
"Who recovered from 2-0 behind?"
] | [
[
"Bobby Zamora"
],
[
"Tim Howard"
],
[
"scored twice late on and goalkeeper Tim Howard saved an injury-time penalty as they"
],
[
"Defoe"
],
[
"Bobby Zamora"
],
[
"Tim Howard"
],
[
"2-2"
],
[
"Tottenham"
],
[
"Everton"
]
] | Everton recover from 2-0 behind to earn a 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham .
Jermain Defoe misses an injury time penalty to give the visitors all three points .
Bobby Zamora scores the only goal to give Fulham a 1-0 victory at home to Sunderland . |
(CNN) -- Every day for decades, it was an essential part of the day for millions of listeners. A voice would boom out over the radio airwaves, announcing, "Hello, Americans, this is Paul Harvey! Stand by for news!" Paul Harvey gave Brent Burns his "big break," giving one of his songs national exposure for the first time. After more than 70 years on the air, Harvey died Saturday at the age of 90. His broadcasts were heard on more than 1,200 radio stations, according to his Web site. iReporters shared their memories of hearing Harvey's program through the generations and told how he affected their lives, and in some cases their careers. When Anna Hiller of Albany, California, heard of Harvey's passing, she was immediately reminded of spending time at her grandparents' home in Baltimore, Maryland, as a child. "His voice was inescapable, ubiquitous and energizing, emerging from the silver radio in the kitchen," she said. She describes Harvey's broadcasts as a "ritual" for her grandparents. "The voice of Paul Harvey would echo throughout the entire first floor, and even though I was too young to follow the stories, I knew my grandmother was listening intently, as was my grandpa from his study." John Hargis Sr. has memories of his mother listening to Harvey every day as well. "I once asked her why we couldn't watch TV when Harvey was on, and she replied that Harvey gave her honest news," he said Hargis has since lost 70 percent of his hearing and says that Harvey's voice was one of the few he could understand. He lost his mother in 2001, and Harvey's death reminds him of her. iReport.com: Hargis pays tribute to Harvey, his mother Bev Cummins of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was captivated as a child by Harvey's skills as a storyteller, as heard on his second daily broadcast, "The Rest of the Story." "He enriched our young lives with his quiet, warm voice that phrased words so well in my mind," she said. "It had all the comfort of a story being read at bedtime." Cummins says that she modeled the way she told bedtime stories to her daughter after Harvey. "The lucky ones among us still have the love of a good Paul Harvey story." For some iReporters, Harvey was not just an important part of their daily lives. He gave one his "big break." Brent Burns of Gulf Shores, Alabama, was at the beginning of his career in the music business, with a few recordings released but nothing hugely successful. Then, Harvey played his song about the 1970s gas crisis, "Cheaper Crude or No More Food." "It bounced me onto the world stage immediately," he said. Burns says he appeared in magazines and television after this first major exposure. "It just goes to show how well-loved and listened-to Paul Harvey was," he said. "He was just a brilliant guy who really had a command of the language." Burns believes that his song might be the only one Harvey ever played. iReport.com: 'Integrity was Paul Harvey's middle name' After entering giant frogs into the famous Calaveras County frog jumping contest in 1990, Andy Koffman of Seattle, Washington, appeared on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" as well as other television programs. "But," he said, "the one thing I will never forget is Paul Harvey's voice talking about me and my giant frogs on the radio." A retired radio host himself, Gerald Dimmitt of Vancouver, Washington, will never forget hosting a dinner where Harvey was the guest speaker. At first, Dimmitt was unsure if he wanted to take the job because of Harvey's then-support of the war in Vietnam. "Due to the fact that he was an icon in the business, I went ahead and did it," he said. Dimmitt and a small group of attendees | [
"Who believes Harvey gave him his \"big break\"?",
"What was Paul Harvey's job?",
"What did Paul Harvey do to the iReporters?",
"Who believes Harvey gave him a big break?",
"Who is the radio host?",
"Whose voice could Hargis hear despite his hearing loss?",
"Who lost 70% of his hearing?",
"What percentage of hearing did John Hargis lose?",
"Who believes that Harvey gave him his break in music?"
] | [
[
"Brent Burns"
],
[
"radio host"
],
[
"he affected their lives, and in some cases their careers."
],
[
"Brent Burns"
],
[
"Paul Harvey"
],
[
"Harvey's"
],
[
"Hargis"
],
[
"70 percent"
],
[
"Brent Burns"
]
] | iReporters remember how legendary radio host Paul Harvey affected their lives .
John Hargis lost 70% of his hearing, but Harvey's voice was one he recognized .
Brent Burns believes that Harvey gave him his "big break" in music .
Share your memories of Harvey on iReport.com . |
(CNN) -- Every time her cell phone rings, Christy Harness thinks of her husband. More consumers download ringtones to their cell phones than full-length songs. The 34-year-old native of Jackson County, Georgia, set her ringtone to Sugarland's "All I Wanna Do," a song that, she says, perfectly expresses the way she feels about him. "I kind of put myself in [the singer's] place because ... she's in love with this guy. If he's not around, she misses him. Basically, I think the song relates to me and [my husband] and our relationship," Harness said. These days, ringtones do much more than alert mobile phone users of a call. Ringtones seem to have become vital fashion statements, a way for people to showcase their personalities and even their feelings about who is calling. According to a 2008 study by Ipsos MediaCT, a marketing research company, approximately one-third of mobile phone users download ringtones, and about 40 percent of users change their ringtones frequently. Ipsos research shows that ringtones are the most common type of mobile music content downloaded by users, compared to full-length songs and ringback tones, tones that replace the typical ringing signal heard by the caller. "I find regular ringtones kind of dull, so I wanted something exciting," said Gordy King, a 51-year-old from Salt Lake City, Utah. King said he gets a kick out of annoying his mostly Republican co-workers with his Barack Obama ringtones, even playing them over the intercom at the electrical supply warehouse where he works. "It's fake news people saying 'Barack Obama has won the election,' " he said. "I really like Barack Obama. I think [my ringtone] probably says that I'm nonconventional and it says I lean a little more liberal. I don't know anyone else who has that ringtone." Using a ringtone creator application on Facebook, King said he also makes his own ringtones by downloading sound files onto his computer and editing them to be shorter and louder or softer. Donald Kaplan found a perfect fit with his ringtone choice. Kaplan, of New York, changed his ringtones often before finally settling on the theme song from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." "I'm thinking of sticking with it. I notice that when people hear my phone ring they get amused ... I think that people really connect with that movie," Kaplan said. But that's not always the case. Kaplan said one of his co-workers wasn't exactly pleased with the ringtone. The co-worker sent a mass e-mail to the office, telling everyone to keep their cell phones on silent. "The ringtone drove him crazy and he tried to be tactful but I knew that [the e-mail] was directed specifically to me," Kaplan said. "I could tell that this particular ringtone just drove him up the wall ... just the repetition of the sound." For some, one ringtone simply isn't enough. Many mobile phone users set specific tones to specific people so that the tones act as audible caller IDs. "I group people," said Natasha Khan, a 26-year-old from McLean, Virginia. "I group all my best girlfriends together, the people I don't want to talk to together, work contacts together, and family together." Khan said when her best friends call she hears "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," by Cyndi Lauper, and when she gets a call from people she doesn't particularly like, her phone rings "Bugaboo" by Destiny's Child. "Bugaboo," about a woman irritated by a male caller, contains such lines as, "It's not hot that you be callin' me." "The 'Bugaboo' ringtone has gotten me in trouble," Khan said with a laugh. "This guy -- I forgot that he was on that list and I told him I needed his number and | [
"What did a Utah man do to annoy Republicans?",
"Who customized the ringtone?",
"What can people do with ringtones?",
"What ringtone did the Utah man use?",
"What percentage of cellphone users download ringtones?",
"What is one of the ringtones used?",
"What do 40% of phone users do?"
] | [
[
"Barack Obama ringtones,"
],
[
"Christy Harness"
],
[
"download"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"one-third"
],
[
"\"All I Wanna Do,\""
],
[
"change their ringtones frequently."
]
] | Ringtones are one way for people to showcase their personalities and feelings .
One third of cell-phone users download ringtones; 40 percent change ringtones often .
Virginia woman uses Destiny's Child's "Bugaboo" as ringtone for dreaded callers .
Utah man customized a pro-Obama ringtone to annoy Republican co-workers . |
(CNN) -- Every week, Jackie Kaminer of Roswell, Georgia, buys fish for dinner at the local market. Although she knows it's full of nutrients -- including good-for-your-heart omega-3 fatty acids -- she's careful of the types of fish she brings home.
Jackie Kaminer contemplates fish choices; she buys only "safe" fish, like salmon, haddock and tilapia.
Her concern? Mercury and the dangers it poses to her children. So, she sticks to certain varieties: salmon, cod, tilapia and haddock are "safe fish," but she stays away from swordfish, sea bass and tuna.
As a mother of three, Kaminer should be concerned. Released into the atmosphere by industrial pollution, mercury contaminates water systems (and soil) when it rains. As fish feed on one another, the mercury stores up in their bodies.
The toxic metal affects the nervous system. And although studies have shown large amounts of mercury can also affect fertility and blood pressure, and possibly cause memory loss in adults, it's particularly dangerous to young children and fetuses.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, during the first several years of life, a child's brain is still developing and absorbing nutrients. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause poor mental development, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness. Even in low doses, mercury may affect a child's development, delaying walking and talking, shortening attention span and causing learning disabilities.
Having mercury levels that are too high isn't someone else's problem. In a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of 17 women of childbearing age in the United States has mercury in her blood above the level that could pose a risk to a developing fetus (5.8 micrograms per liter). So the federal government advises pregnant women and those thinking of becoming pregnant to avoid certain fish, such as shark, swordfish and fresh tuna, usually found in fish markets and sushi. Canned tuna seems to be less of a threat, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says consumption should be limited.
Why avoid these kinds of fish? According to Andrew Heyes, a scientist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, the older and larger the fish, the more mercury it has stored. "As it grows older, it can't eliminate mercury as fast as it takes it in," he says. "So there's an accumulation in the fish." Watch more on fish and mercury »
Because mercury is a growing threat to us and our environment, companies have started to take mercury out of thermometers, switches and even batteries to prevent it from entering our soil. Now, many regions, like the Chesapeake Bay states of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, have instituted new rules to limit mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, one of the largest sources of mercury pollution in the region.
Researcher Cindy Gilmour, also with the SERC, says that is a positive development because mercury contamination is getting out of hand. "We've opened Pandora's Box and we've let that mercury out from where it was buried underground, into the atmosphere and into our soils and waterways," she says. "All that excess mercury causes problems, not just in people."
In an effort to make sure these new regulations on mercury emissions are effective, scientists like Heyes and Gilmour are measuring levels of the toxic metal in watersheds near the bay.
Gilmour says the research is needed. "All those rules are starting to go into place, and we are starting to put those controls on our power plants. So what we want to find out here is whether those rules work and if the money we are investing in these technologies is really going to help," she says.
As they monitor mercury, scientists are also learning more about how it behaves in nature. Gilmour says mercury contaminates more than just the soil and water. "Mercury has a large impact on all kinds of animals -- loons, amphibians, songbirds, are all affected," she says. | [
"what are the effects of mercury",
"where are the fish found",
"what fish contain mercury",
"what New rules near Chesapeake Bay limit emissions from coal-fired?",
"who released mercury into air?"
] | [
[
"affect fertility and blood pressure,"
],
[
"local market."
],
[
"swordfish, sea bass"
],
[
"power plants,"
],
[
"industrial pollution,"
]
] | We're told to eat fish, but some varieties contain high levels of mercury .
The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury can accumulate .
Mercury is released into air by industrial pollution: contaminates water and soil .
New rules near Chesapeake Bay limit emissions from coal-fired power plants . |
(CNN) -- Everyone aboard US Airways Flight 1549 survived when the plane crash-landed into the Hudson River, and that may be due as much to diligent rescue training as luck.
Passengers and crew line up outside the plane as boats move in to rescue them.
The Coast Guard rescuers who quickly got to the scene and many of the ferries and boats that first responded train for water rescues.
"We, the Coast Guard, we do train for these type of events and these type of situations, scenarios, and one thing we do try to do is try to coordinate with our other maritime agency partners [so] that incidents like this go off without a hitch or as safely as possible," said Coast Guard Lt. C.K. Moore, who helped coordinate the response.
Within minutes of the plane crash-landing into the water, the aircraft was surrounded by ferry boats that had been making their regularly scheduled trips across the Hudson and other boats coordinated by, and including, the Coast Guard.
The passengers had begun exiting the plane -- getting into rafts or standing on the wings. But as more people began to exit, the plane started to become submerged and passengers' feet started getting cold. See photos of the crash and rescue
The quick response may have helped save the lives of passengers, who if not for the rescuers may have been subjected to the frigid Hudson water. It's one of the things Moore said the Coast Guard focuses on during water rescues, especially in the winter. After only three minutes in cold water, people can lose the use of their arms and legs, according to the Oregon State Marine Board. At the time of the crash it was 21 degrees outside, the water temperature in the Hudson was 32.5 degrees and winds were blowing at 15 mph. Oregon State Marine Board: Surviving cold water immersion
Thankfully for passengers, ferry captains like Brittany Catanzaro came quickly to their rescue. Watch passengers describe what happened »
She was at the helm of a New York Waterway ferry during a normal commute across the river when she looked to her right and saw a plane in the water.
"I had to do a double-take," she said.
But Catanzaro knew exactly what to do. She said she and her crew train each month for water rescues.
"We have to do man overboard, and we're constantly drilling. Constantly," she said. "And when something comes, you already know how to take effect and how to put everything together, so it just went very smoothly."
Catanzaro immediately told her crew to get life jackets on, take extras to throw in the water, and prepare a cradle to help bring passengers onto the boat. The boat was the second on the scene.
"When I got there, my crew went to work and started pulling out people," she said. "Some people were sighing with relief, some people were crying. It was nerve-wracking."
In all, Catanzaro's crew helped bring 24 people aboard.
"I was telling my crew, even if we pulled out one person, that was one more person we saved," she said. "And to pull out 24 people, that's 24 people."
The Coast Guard was able to pluck at least 35 people from the water and wing of the plane.
Catanzaro's crew and the Coast Guard were able to take nearly half the plane's passengers out of the Hudson.
That's a credit to their training, Moore said, which is done exactly for this scenario.
"We do train with each other from time to time to understand what each other can bring to the table when it comes to -- to search and rescue," he said. "This is one of the situations where this has come to fruition, and it's a great -- it's a great thing to see it happen like this." | [
"What does Coast Guard ferry training enable?",
"When will they drill for man overboard scenarios?",
"What helps pluck passengers off wings?",
"What did the ferry captain say?",
"What do the boats do?",
"What did the boats do?",
"What does the ferry captain say?",
"What did the Coast Guard lieutenant have to say?"
] | [
[
"[so] that incidents like this go off without a hitch or as safely as possible,\""
],
[
"Constantly,\""
],
[
"a cradle"
],
[
"even if we pulled out one person, that was one more person we saved,\""
],
[
"move in to rescue them."
],
[
"move in to rescue them."
],
[
"\"Some people were sighing with relief, some people were crying. It was nerve-wracking.\""
],
[
"coordinate with our other maritime agency partners [so] that incidents like this go off without a hitch or as safely as possible,\""
]
] | Coast Guard, ferry training enable quick response, rescue .
Ferry captain says they drill each month for man overboard scenarios .
Boats help pluck passengers off wings, out of the water .
Coast Guard lieutenant: "It's a great thing to see it happen like this" |
(CNN) -- Everything about Jupiter is super-sized, including its colorful, turbulent atmosphere. But there's fresh evidence that one of the planet's most recognizable features, the Great Red Spot, is shrinking. NASA's Cassini spacecraft photographed Jupiter and its Great Red Spot, seen center near the equator, in 2000. The spot, which is actually an ancient monster storm that measures about three Earths across, lost 15 percent of its diameter between 1996 and 2006, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found. It shrank by about 1 kilometer (about 0.6 miles) a day during that time period, said Xylar Asay-Davis, a postdoctoral researcher who was part of the study. Astronomers have observed for years that the clouds of the Great Red Spot have been waning, but this newest research focused on the motion of the storm -- a much more reliable way to measure its size, Asay-Davis said. He and fellow Berkeley researchers Philip Marcus, Imke de Pater, Michael Wong and Sushil Shetty developed software that tracked the movement of the spot's cloud patterns over long periods of time. "It's not just the motion of the spot as a whole object. Within it, it has a very complicated swirl to it -- sort of a thin ring on the outside and then a sort of quiet area in the center -- and that shape of it has been changing over time," Asay-Davis said. "What we actually look at is where the winds are the strongest in the vortex. It's the ring where they're the strongest, and that ring has been shrinking over time." The findings have been submitted for publication in Icarus, the International Journal of Solar System Studies. See photos of the other planets and find out what makes them stand out » What makes it red? The researchers do not know why the storm is shrinking. In fact, little is known about the Great Red Spot at all. Even the exact cause of its distinctive color is a mystery. "We don't actually know what causes any of the colors on Jupiter," said Amy Simon-Miller, chief of the Planetary Systems Lab at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "One of the leading theories is that [the storm] is dredging up stuff from much deeper below in the atmosphere that turns red when it's exposed to sunlight." The spot isn't always bright red; sometimes it's actually quite pale, Simon-Miller noted. Astronomers have been tracking it since the 1870s, said Glenn Orton, a senior research scientist at NASA'S Jet Propulsion Laboratory who investigates planetary atmospheres. It is possible that the spot may one day disappear, he added. "It's just a storm that, like many things, has a natural growth and disintegration rate," Orton said. Astronomers see a dramatic difference in the spot's shape when comparing photos of Jupiter taken more than a century ago to recent images of the planet. Orton joked that the Great Red Spot used to be so long that its acronym should have stood for the "Great Red Sausage." "I just happened to look at an old picture and said to myself, 'That looks like a breakfast sausage.' It's very long. I mean, if you look at one of those pictures back from then and a picture now, you think, 'My God, this thing is going on a diet," Orton said. Now eye-shaped, the spot is expected to become circular by about 2040, he added. Chemical stew The storm is a fascinating feature on a fascinating planet. It has some of the characteristics of a hurricane on Earth, including a circular motion and strong winds. They're Jupiter-strength inside the spot, with some gusting up to 400 miles per hour, Simon-Miller said. Unlike hurricanes on Earth, which are low-pressure systems, the Great Red Spot is a high-pressure system, so it's more stable -- one of the reasons it has | [
"When did the spot first begin being tracked?",
"Do scientists have any theories on why the spot is red?",
"Astronomers are contemplating what about the spot?",
"What did scientists measure between 1996 and 2006?"
] | [
[
"since the 1870s,"
],
[
"the exact cause of its distinctive color is a mystery."
],
[
"is shrinking."
],
[
"Great Red Spot,"
]
] | Scientists: Great Red Spot lost 15 percent of its diameter between 1996 and 2006 .
It is possible that the spot may one day disappear, astronomers say .
Jupiter's famous feature is a monster storm that's been tracked since the 1870s .
Winds inside gust up to 400 miles per hour; it's not exactly known what makes it red . |
(CNN) -- Evidence consistent with human decomposition was found in the trunk of a car belonging to a Florida woman charged with killing her 3-year-old daughter, according to a forensic report released Friday. Caylee Anthony, 3, disappeared in mid-June but wasn't reported missing until a month later. "Both odor analysis and LIBS results appear to be quite consistent with a decompositional event having occurred in the trunk of the vehicle," said the report from Tennessee's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, noting that the results were preliminary. Testing indicates that the decomposition could be human, the report adds. Casey Anthony, who drove the car, was arrested this month and charged with first-degree murder and other charges in the disappearance of her daughter, Caylee. Caylee was last seen in mid-June, but Casey Anthony waited about a month before telling her family the child was gone. LIBS is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, one of the techniques used in chemical analysis. Testing was conducted on air and carpet samples from the vehicle. The tests indicated "the presence of the five key major compounds associated with human decomposition," the report said. The tests also found "an unusually large concentration of chloroform" in the trunk, according to the Oak Ridge report. Chloroform can be used to render someone unconscious. However, trace amounts of chloroform were also found on a control carpet sample, the report said. Watch Nancy Grace report on the chloroform discovery » The report also says evidence of possible decomposition was found on a hair located among debris in the trunk. The hair is "microscopically similar" to one recovered from Caylee's hair brush, the report said, but "a more meaningful conclusion cannot be reached as this is not a suitable known hair sample." The report was released by prosecutors as part of the case's public record. Prosecutors said they would not comment further on them. Todd Black, a spokesman for Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said the evidence does not link Casey Anthony to any criminal behavior. "There's nothing in those reports that links Casey Anthony to any wrongdoing with her daughter, Caylee," he said. Casey Anthony was arrested October 14 in a traffic stop after a grand jury indicted her on seven counts of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and four counts of providing false information to police. If convicted of the capital murder charge, she could face the death penalty or a life sentence. Police and prosecutors have said little about the case, but hundreds of pages of documents and investigative reports have been released. They indicate that Casey Anthony went to nightclubs, entered "hot body" contests and text-messaged her friends while her daughter was missing. Copies of cell phone and text records released to the public show that she hardly ever mentioned Caylee during the time just before and after the girl was reported missing. And in May, just before Caylee disappeared, her mother referred to the girl as "the little snot head." Casey's mother, Cindy Anthony, called the sheriff in Orange County, Florida, on July 15, saying her daughter wouldn't tell her where Caylee was. Casey's brother, Lee Anthony, also pleaded with his sister to tell him where Caylee was, according to police documents. She told him she hadn't seen the child in "31 days." When questioned, Casey Anthony gave conflicting statements to police, including some that were later disproved, accounting for the charges of providing false information. She claimed that she dropped Caylee off with a baby-sitter, but when police checked out her story, they learned that the address Casey Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks. The woman Casey Anthony named as her baby-sitter told police she did not know her. Investigators have said cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Casey Anthony's car and her parents' backyard. A neighbor told police Casey Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel. | [
"Who was charged with first-degree murder?",
"Tests found a large concentration of what substance in the trunk?",
"What is the name of Anthony's missing daughter?",
"Preliminary lab tests indicate the decomposed matter may be what?",
"What is Anthony charged with?",
"What did the lawyer's spokesman say?",
"What was Casey Anthony charged with?",
"WHat other chemical was found in the trunk?",
"Tests suggest what about decomposition evidence?",
"What do the lab tests say?",
"High concentration of what was discovered in a trunk?",
"What did tests find?"
] | [
[
"Casey Anthony,"
],
[
"human decomposition"
],
[
"Caylee"
],
[
"human,"
],
[
"killing her 3-year-old daughter,"
],
[
"the evidence does not link Casey Anthony to any criminal behavior."
],
[
"first-degree murder and other charges in"
],
[
"chloroform\""
],
[
"could be human,"
],
[
"\"the presence of the five key major compounds associated with human decomposition,\""
],
[
"chloroform\""
],
[
"indicated \"the presence of the five key major compounds associated with human decomposition,\""
]
] | Preliminary lab tests say decomposition evidence could be human, report says .
Tests also find "unusually large concentration of chloroform" in trunk .
Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in daughter's disappearance .
Lawyer's spokesman says evidence doesn't link Casey to any wrongdoing . |
(CNN) -- Exotic animals should live in the wild, not be exploited in profit-motivated zoos -- or worse — as "pets" or backyard oddities by people who have a deeply misguided sense of dominion or ownership.
What happened in Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday has drawn dramatic attention to the private possession of exotics, an issue that is a major component of Born Free USA's mission to protect wildlife.
On Wednesday, 56 exotic animals — including lions, tigers, bears, giraffes and wolves — were freed from their captivity at a rural residence outside Zanesville. Police report the animals' "owner," 62-year-old Terry Thompson, let the animals out of their cages before he killed himself. Forty-nine of the animals -- including 18 tigers and 17 lions -- were shot dead by law enforcement officers.
Thankfully, other than Thompson's death, no human injuries have been reported as a result of this situation.
Ohio has had a recent flurry of incidents in which exotic animals being held by private individuals in or outside people's residences have been involved in violent encounters with humans. In September, an 80-year-old man was attacked by a kangaroo at an exotic-animal farm in Green Camp. In June, an escaped "pet" grivet monkey scratched two girls while he was on the loose in Fremont. In August 2010, a bear fatally mauled its caretaker on the owner's property in Columbus Station.
Born Free USA tracks such cases in our Exotic Animal Incidents Database. We list 86 incidents involving exotic animals in Ohio in recent years, and probably many other such encounters have gone unreported. Nationwide, our database lists nearly 1,600 incidents.
There is no excuse for wild, potentially dangerous, exotic animals to be kept in private hands. Ohio is one of a handful of states with woefully few regulations on the books to govern such questionable close contact with wildlife, and Born Free USA has been pushing for years to get a stronger law enacted in the state.
In 2006, the Ohio Legislature quickly introduced a bill to restrict private possession of exotics after an Ashtabula County woman was mauled by a 500-pound black bear that escaped a pen kept by a nearby neighbor. The bill failed, and just four years later in 2010, an emergency executive order was put in place after a 24-year-old man was mauled to death by a black bear kept in a Columbia Township compound. The order temporarily banned private ownership of big cats, bears, alligators, crocodiles and certain snakes. In April 2011, the order expired upon the promise by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the governor that a new rule-making process would swiftly be established in order to implement regulations regarding possession of exotics. This still has not happened.
What will it take to get swift action in the state -- and in other states around the country that lack complete bans on exotic pet ownership? Will it take a bigger, more diverse animal escape? A monkeypox outbreak? People dying? There is no need to wait, no need to take this kind of dramatic and incomprehensible risk.
The drain on society from keeping exotic animals as pets is not insignificant. Humane societies, sheriff's departments and wildlife sanctuaries end up bearing the brunt of the cost of placing these animals and giving them humane, lifetime care.
In Texas, the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary provides permanent, safe, naturalistic and free-range accommodations for more than 500 macaques, vervets and baboons, many of whom have been rescued from captive lives of stress, deprivation and danger -- danger to both the monkeys and to their "owners."
Every chance we get, every day we come to work, in as many effective, forceful and creative ways we can, we encourage our members and supporters to spread the word that wild animals belong in the wild.
What happened in Ohio this week is appalling. All those animals, imprisoned for no good reason. Their "owner" was apparently a tortured soul who took his own life and put the lives of nearby residents in peril through his bizarre act. And all | [
"where is exotic animals inexcusable?",
"exotic animals must not be exploited as what?",
"how many wild animals were slaughtered in ohio?"
] | [
[
"profit-motivated zoos"
],
[
"\"pets\" or backyard oddities"
],
[
"Forty-nine"
]
] | Will Travers: Exotic animals must not be exploited as "pets" or backyard oddities .
Travers: Ohio slaughter of 48 wild animals, including 18 tigers and 17 lions, is appalling .
Ohio has a record of violent encounters between animals and people, he says .
"Owning" exotic animals inexcusable, he says, and also puts human lives at risk . |
(CNN) -- Experts said Thursday that the alleged child sexual abuse scandals at Penn State University and another at The Citadel in South Carolina underscore the frailty and inconsistency of the legal system intended to protect children, while some lawmakers called for changes in reporting such crimes.
"As parents, as members of the community, as leaders of organizations, we need to ask ourselves what we can do to prevent the next Penn State," said Stop It Now!, a group that seeks to end child sexual abuse, in a commentary on its website. "Because, unfortunately, it will happen again, unless something fundamental changes."
In the Citadel case, a former cadet-turned-camp counselor faces a series of charges, including three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of lewd act on a minor, according to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, police. The school's president said this week that the university is "profoundly sorry" for not reporting allegations against the counselor in 2007.
In the Penn State case, Pennsylvania's attorney general has charged a former Penn State football coach, Jerry Sandusky, with 40 counts in what authorities allege was the sexual abuse of eight boys. In addition, two Penn State officials are charged with failing to inform police of the allegations, and questions have been raised about the university's response.
Child-welfare advocates are not alone in their calls for reform. The senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee asked Thursday that the chairman call a hearing to determine whether federal laws intended to protect children and students should be changed.
"Potential weaknesses in specific laws designed to keep children safe have come to light in the wake of the alleged sexual crimes committed on the campuses of the Pennsylvania State University and the Citadel," wrote Rep. George Miller, D-California in his letter to Chairman John Kline, R-Minnesota. "Our inquiry should not seek to parallel, replicate, or interfere with those efforts; rather, we must examine the ongoing operation of the underlying federal laws to identify any vulnerabilities and better ensure against future risks to children."
Miller cited two federal laws: The Clery Act requires higher educational institutions to collect information about and report on crimes that occur on campus. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act requires states to develop laws mandating that child abuse be reported.
In a statement, Education and the Workforce Committee communications director Alexandra Sollberger said, "The committee is monitoring the situation at Penn State carefully and will assess the need for congressional action after the Department of Education concludes its investigation into the matter."
One state has already moved to tighten reporting requirements. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday issued an executive order requiring "all public or vocational school, community college, college or university professors, administrators, coaches and other school employees to report child abuse or neglect within 24 hours of observing an incident of child abuse or neglect." The report must be made to child welfare authorities and police.
Changes should include tightening requirements among the states about who must report suspicions that a child is being sexually abused, said Lisa Fontes, a lecturer at University Without Walls at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and author of "Child Abuse and Culture -- Working with Diverse Families."
For example, Pennsylvania has an unusually narrow category of mandated reporters. The Department of Health and Human Services' website says that, in Pennsylvania, professionals "required to report include, but are not limited to: licensed physicians, osteopaths, medical examiners, coroners, funeral directors, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, interns, nurses, or hospital personnel, Christian Science practitioners or members of the clergy; school administrators, teachers, school nurses, social services workers, daycare center workers, or any other child care or foster care workers; mental health professionals; peace officers or law enforcement officials."
"It doesn't include many people who have regular contact with children, such as school bus drivers, children's barbers, athletic coaches," said Fontes, who has a doctorate in psychology.
Under "Reporting | [
"What does the group say?",
"What are the group worried about happening again?"
] | [
[
"we can do to prevent the next Penn State,\""
],
[
"child sexual abuse,"
]
] | "It will happen again, unless something fundamental changes," group says .
A firm says it is working on a civil case against Penn State .
Report: Second Mile records for several years are missing .
Attorneys say more alleged victims may come forward . |
(CNN) -- Explorer Dennis Schmitt found an island nearly two years ago near Greenland. Fishermen pass by Greenland's Ilulissat fjord in this September 2004 picture. Such a discovery would usually elicit curiosity, even wonder perhaps, but it evoked mixed feelings for the explorer. The island was once thought to be a peninsula attached to Greenland by an ice shelf or a glacier. But such a large amount of ice melted, it revealed the distinct island. "I very quickly realized two things," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper during a visit to the island earlier this year. "One [was] that this was going to be significant because it was going to be an example of climate change." "The other thing was that it meant it was really happening. It wasn't a joke. It wasn't just statistics. It was really happening." He calls his discovery Warming Island. Many climatologists and scientists say arctic ice melt and other changes in the Earth's climate are the result of an increase in the world's temperature, a trend widely called global warming. Many global warming experts say the phenomenon, if unchecked, is capable of altering the world's climate and geography. In the worst-case scenario, experts say oceans could rise to overwhelming and catastrophic levels, flooding cities and altering seashores. Other scientists and observers, a minority compared to those who believe the warming trend is something ominous, say it is simply the latest shift in the cyclical patterns of a planet's life. Most of the scientific community believes that some warming is occurring across the globe and through some layers of the atmosphere. But why it is occurring and what that means for the future is scientifically and politically contentious. The Earth's temperature averages about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 16 degrees Celsius). The average surface temperature has warmed one degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) during the last century, according to the National Research Council. The temperatures were relatively unchanged from 1880 to 1910, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They rose till about 1945, cooled until about 1975 and have risen steadily to present day. There are several possible reasons for the warming, scientists say. A change in the Earth's orbit or the intensity of the sun's radiation could change, triggering warming or cooling. The reason most cited -- by scientists and scientific organizations -- for the current warming trend is an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases, which are in the atmosphere naturally and help keep the planet's temperature at a comfortable level. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, for instance, has increased by 35 percent since the dawn of the industrial age, according to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, commonly referred to as the IPCC. The presence of methane is now 151 percent above pre-industrial levels, but the rate of increase has slowed in recent decades, according to the EPA. Meanwhile, nitrous oxide increased by about 18 percent during the past 200 years. Many scientists and experts who have studied global warming believe the increase is primarily the result of human activities, like the burning of fossil fuels, emissions from vehicles and the clearing of forests. "For the last 30 years, there's no way there's anything natural that can explain it," Stephen Schneider, a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University in California, said. "A vast bulk of the knowledgeable and honest community ... will say the science is settled and humans are at least a majority of the reason behind the warming," he added. Many scientific organizations share Schneider's view, ranging from the national academies of the countries that comprise the G8 to the National Research Council, the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union. But there are those who do not share his view, and among the skeptics is Richard Lindzen, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We've suddenly taken to reading tea leaves," he said. "When we saw cooling from 1940 to 1970, | [
"what Majority of scientists say?",
"What will make it not as warm",
"In the past 100 years, how many degrees has the Earth warmed?",
"when Earth has warmed one degree?",
"What is causing temperatures to rise?",
"What critics can do to help the planet"
] | [
[
"arctic ice melt and other changes in the Earth's climate are the result of an increase in the world's"
],
[
"A change in the Earth's orbit or the intensity of the sun's radiation"
],
[
"one"
],
[
"during the last century,"
],
[
"global warming"
],
[
"temperature at a comfortable level."
]
] | Earth has warmed one degree in past 100 years .
Majority of scientists say greenhouse gases are causing temperatures to rise .
Some critics say planets often in periods of warming or cooling . |
(CNN) -- Extra-time goals by Darren O'Dea and Aiden McGeady gave Celtic a 2-0 victory over Glasgow rivals Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park. Darren O'Dea (left) peels away after scoring the opening goal in Celtic's 2-0 victory over Rangers. After 90 tense minutes had failed to produce a goal, the game moved in to extra-time and just a minute after the restart O'Dea, who had not scored since Celtic beat Livingston in February 2007, leapt to head a Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick past goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Then, In the third minute of added time at the end of the match, Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot was red-carded for denying McGeady a clear goalscoring opportunity and the Ireland international scored from the resulting penalty. There was little between the two sides in normal time but Celtic's superior fitness paid off, giving them a psychological boost in their bid for a fourth Scottish Premier League title in succession -- a race in which Celtic lead Rangers by three points. The victory was Celtic's first major final victory over their arch-enemies for 20 years -- and ensured Rangers, who are also through to the semifinals of the Scottish FA Cup -- cannot now lift the domestic treble. | [
"Who did the Celtic defeat?",
"Where was the final played?",
"Who scored the last goal?",
"Celtic defeated the Rangers to win which league cup?",
"Who scored goals against the Rangers?",
"What goalie gave up extra-time goals?",
"Which team do Darren O'Dea and Aiden McGeady play for?",
"What team won the final at Hampden?"
] | [
[
"Rangers"
],
[
"Hampden Park."
],
[
"Aiden McGeady"
],
[
"Scottish"
],
[
"Darren O'Dea and Aiden McGeady"
],
[
"Allan McGregor."
],
[
"Celtic"
],
[
"Celtic"
]
] | Celtic defeat rivals Rangers 2-0 to win Scottish League Cup final at Hampden .
Extra-time goals by Darren O'Dea and Aiden McGeady secure cup for Celtic .
The result will give Celtic a boost as they battle with Rangers for Scottish title . |
(CNN) -- FA Cup finalists Portsmouth will not be allowed to play in next season's Europa League, the English Football Association (FA) have confirmed.
The financially-stricken side, who became the first-ever Premier League club to enter administration earlier this year, would have been gauranteed a place in Europe next season because their final opponents, Chelsea, have secured a Champions League place.
However, Portsmouth's administrators -- who revealed on Wednesday that the club is in debt to the tune of $170m -- have been told that any late application for a UEFA club licence will not be considered due to the club's on-going financial problems.
A joint statement from the FA and English Premier League said: "The FA and Premier League have confirmed to the administrators of Portsmouth that they shall not consider any late application for granting of a UEFA Club Licence for the 2010-11 season."
The decision means the team who finish seventh in the Premier League, with Liverpool currently in that position, will take Portsmouth's place.
European football's governing body UEFA had earlier revealed that the club could submit a late application before May 31 -- but the Premier League and FA have subsequently decreed that the Portsmouth's financial situation is so bad that they would not meet any of UEFA's criteria to enter.
Portsmouth's administrator Andrew Andronikou told Press Association Sport: "We have spent a long time going through all the necessary steps and we had hoped to make a European application next week.
"We felt that we would do our bit and that it would be up to the FA and the Premier League to do theirs. It's wrong for the fans that they should not be allowed to support their club in Europe next season." | [
"What will FA Cup finalists Portsmouth not be allowed to play in?",
"Who will not be allowed to play in next season's Europa League?",
"What team was guaranteed a place in Europe?"
] | [
[
"next season's Europa League,"
],
[
"Portsmouth"
],
[
"Chelsea,"
]
] | FA Cup finalists Portsmouth will not be allowed to play in next season's Europa League .
Portsmouth were guaranteed a place in Europe because Chelsea will be in Champions League .
But the English FA have vetoed this because of the club's financial crisis . |
(CNN) -- FBI agents Monday raided a rural Georgia peanut butter plant suspected as the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak, a CNN affiliate reported. The Food and Drug Administration launched a probe of Peanut Corporation of America on January 30. The Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia, was sealed off by federal authorities Monday morning, WALB reported. The company is accused of knowingly shipping tainted products now linked to nearly 600 illnesses, including eight deaths, in 43 states. The recent outbreak has led to one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, encompassing more than 1,000 products. The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations launched a probe of the company on January 30. Previously, the Peanut Corporation of America had said said it shipped products only after subsequent tests came back negative for salmonella. Representatives from the company have not returned repeated calls from CNN. | [
"Who was accused of shipping tainted goods?",
"how many states?",
"Which plant is accused of knowingly shipping tainted goods?",
"To how many illnesses are they linked?",
"What did the outbreak lead to?",
"what company is involved?",
"What were these goods linked to?",
"how many illnesses?",
"What has the outbreak led to?"
] | [
[
"The Peanut Corporation of America"
],
[
"43"
],
[
"The Peanut Corporation of America"
],
[
"600"
],
[
"salmonella"
],
[
"Peanut Corporation of America"
],
[
"nearly 600 illnesses,"
],
[
"nearly 600"
],
[
"one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, encompassing more than 1,000 products."
]
] | Peanut Corporation of America plant is accused of knowingly shipping tainted goods .
Those goods are linked to nearly 600 illnesses, including eight deaths, in 43 states .
The outbreak has led to one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history . |
(CNN) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed on Wednesday he has apologized enough for remarks he made last week regarding on-field racism in football, with the Swiss saying he now considers the matter "closed."
The head of world soccer's governing body was heavily criticized for comments he made in an interview with CNN, where he suggested racism between players on the pitch could be settled with a handshake.
Blatter, speaking at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Malaysia, reaffirmed his stance against discrimination, saying he was hurt by the accusations which were leveled against him.
"I can only say this item for me is closed," the 75-year-old told a press conference. "There is no tolerance (of) racism. I have been interpreted as such and I have made my apologies. I cannot say anything more.
"There is no discrimination in my feelings, there is no racism, nothing at all. This matter for me is over. We go forward. There is zero tolerance (for) racism, zero tolerance (for) discrimination in all activities in the field of play and outside the field.
"[I was] very much hurt by these comments because it touched me in my conscience and my determination to go against racism."
It has been a turbulent 18 months for FIFA, with allegations of bribery and corruption surrounding the presidential election which saw Blatter voted in unopposed for a fourth term as the organization's chief in June.
Former AFC head Mohammad Bin Hammam was due to be one of Blatter's opponents in the ballot, but the Qatari has since received a lifetime ban from football for alleged corruption during his presidential campaign.
Bin Hammam is challenging his ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Blatter declined to comment on whether there was a way back into FIFA for the former executive committee member.
"We will wait for the outcome of the next step," said Blatter. | [
"what FIFA president suggested last week ?",
"What did the FIFA president suggest could settle on-field racism?",
"What Blatter said?",
"What was Blatter hurt by?",
"What considered Blatter?",
"Who said that he considers the controversy closed?",
"who said he felt hurt by the widespread criticism?",
"What Blatter suggested last week?"
] | [
[
"racism between players on the pitch could be settled with a handshake."
],
[
"a handshake."
],
[
"reaffirmed his stance against discrimination, saying he was hurt by the accusations which were leveled against him."
],
[
"the accusations which were leveled against him."
],
[
"the matter \"closed.\""
],
[
"president Sepp Blatter"
],
[
"Sepp Blatter"
],
[
"racism between players on the pitch could be settled with a handshake."
]
] | Sepp Blatter has said he considers the recent racism controversy closed .
FIFA president suggested last week on-field racism could be settled with a handshake .
Blatter says he felt hurt by the widespread criticism he received . |
(CNN) -- Fabio Cannavaro is to join the Italian national squad on Sunday for their World Cup qualifier against Cyprus next week, despite being under the cloud of a drug test controversy. Fabioo Cannavaro's proudest moment came in 2006 when he led Italy to World Cup glory. It was revealed on Thursday that the 36-year-old Juventus defender recently failed a drug test after taking a medicine that contained the banned substance cortisone. Cannavaro was interviewed by the Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri on Thursday night in Turin but national coach Marcello Lippi does not expect his star to be absent from the squad. "I have not spoken to Cannavaro," Lippi told reporters. "Will he be here with us on Sunday? Of course he will. "I have not spoken to Cannavaro," added national team doctor Enrico Castellacci. "But he is calm and serene. This is just a bureaucratic case." Juventus claimed the defender needed cortisone treatment for an insect sting in August. The player requested an exemption from taking drugs tests on the grounds of having taken a medication in an emergency situation but his request did not include a document necessary to complete the application. While awaiting a decision, Cannavaro took an anti-doping test after a Serie A game at Roma which returned a positive result. "When he came to the national team, after the Roma game, he told us what had happened and he told us that without the medicine that contained cortisone he would have had a reaction, an anaphylactic shock," Castellacci said. "We asked Juventus for all the necessary documents regarding the medicine taken by Cannavaro and all the communication is in our possession." Cannavaro will not travel to Dublin for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Ireland as he serves a one-match ban, but is expected to lead the Azzurri in Wednesday's qualifier against Cyprus in Parma. | [
"who will join italian",
"Who will join the Italian national squad?",
"who tested positive",
"What did Cannavaro test positive for?",
"what is the age of juve",
"Who will be joining the Italian National Squad on Sunday?",
"What drug did Cannavaro test positive for?",
"What did Cannavaro test positive for?",
"Who is the match against?",
"Who will join the Italian Squad?",
"Cannavaro will join what squad?",
"Who tested positive for cortisone?",
"Who has joined the italian squad?",
"What did he test positive for?"
] | [
[
"Cannavaro"
],
[
"Cannavaro"
],
[
"Fabio"
],
[
"banned substance cortisone."
],
[
"36-year-old"
],
[
"Cannavaro"
],
[
"cortisone."
],
[
"cortisone."
],
[
"Cyprus"
],
[
"Fabio"
],
[
"Italian national"
],
[
"Cannavaro"
],
[
"Cannavaro"
],
[
"cortisone."
]
] | Fabio Cannavaro is to join the Italian national squad on Sunday to face Cyprus .
Cannavaro tested positive for cortisone after having treatment for an insect bite .
The 36-year-old Juve defender has an allergy to insect bites which can be fatal .
Defender was interviewed by Italian Olympic Committee anti-doping prosecutor . |
(CNN) -- Facebook's user base is nearly as large as the U.S. population and, for the first time, the site has turned a profit. Facebook now has 300 million users -- almost as many as the population of the United States. That was the double-barreled announcement Tuesday from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who thanked the site's users for helping its online community cross the 300 million threshold. There are about 307 million people living in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. "We're just getting started on our goal of connecting everyone," Zuckerberg wrote on the company's blog. "Because we want to make it as easy and fast as possible for the world to connect, one of the things we think a lot about is how to make Facebook perform even faster and more efficiently as we grow," he wrote. "We face a lot of fun and important challenges that require rethinking the current systems for enabling information flow across the Web." The social networking site, while popular with its exploding user base, has struggled to turn a profit. But Zuckerberg said the company became profitable last quarter, beating its goal of getting out of the red by the end of 2010. "This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term," he wrote. In July, the California startup company announced it had hit the 250 million-user mark, which indicates it has grown by 50 million users in two months. That's more than 800,000 new users per day. About 70 percent of Facebook's users are outside the U.S., according to statistics posted by the company. The site started out as a portal for college students but has attracted the attention of baby boomers and older generations in recent years. Facebook says its fastest-growing demographic is people older than 35. Watch Randi Zuckerberg of Facebook's marketing team talk about the milestone » Over the past year, the social network has seen a challenge from Twitter, the popular micro-blogging site. Many bloggers see recent updates to Facebook's interface as copied from Twitter's stripped-down design. As Facebook has grown, it also has drawn criticism from privacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which says people on Facebook unwillingly give up personal information to advertisers and Facebook application developers. In a video interview with Fortune, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said Facebook gives its users robust privacy controls. She also told Fortune that a new approach to online advertising has helped Facebook's revenue grow throughout the recession. "Our advertisements are very much part of the user experience," she said. "So the same way you can RSVP for an event on Facebook -- you know, a party your friend might throw -- you can RSVP for a movie premiere. And that's really a movie advertisement saying, 'Our movie is opening this weekend. Do you want to go?' " After Zuckerberg's blog post went up Tuesday, more than 500 Facebook users commented, largely cheering him on. "i [heart] facebook. mark, you are my hero!" one user wrote. "Today the Internet, tomorrow the world," said another. Technology blogs jumped on the news from Facebook, which was posted about 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. MG Siegler at the blog TechCrunch wrote that it was inevitable that Facebook would pass the 300 million mark but that its finance news was more significant. New technologies probably are helping Facebook keep its computer server costs down, which is important because Facebook stores a lot of data, he wrote. The site is effectively the largest photo-sharing site online, he said. John Paczkowski, a writer for the Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD blog, said Facebook's financial announcement indicates the startup isn't thinking about selling out. "It would seem then that Facebook has no interest whatsoever in selling itself off to Google or anyone else," he wrote. "It would much rather go public." | [
"Who said that Facebook will be a strong independent service?",
"How many users has Facebook?",
"How many users does Facebook have?",
"To which number can we compare the users of Facebook with?",
"What does Facebook CEO say?",
"How many users count Facebook?"
] | [
[
"Mark Zuckerberg,"
],
[
"300 million"
],
[
"300 million"
],
[
"the population of the United States."
],
[
"\"We're just getting started on our goal of connecting everyone,\""
],
[
"300 million"
]
] | Facebook announces it has 300 million users and has turned a profit .
That makes the social network roughly the size of the U.S. in population .
CEO writes Facebook will be a "strong independent service for the long term" |
(CNN) -- Faced with a nationwide financial crisis, a volatile stock market and rising unemployment and inflation rates, many Americans are making changes in their personal spending habits.
Single mother Ingrid Zaharris said financial woes forced her to take her daughter out of gymnastics classes.
Ingrid Zaharris started cutting back drastically in May. She and her 6-year-old daughter moved into a smaller home in Allen, Texas, after realizing that she would be unable to afford the summer electricity bills coupled with the cost of rent for her house.
Financial worries also forced Zaharris to take her daughter out of gymnastics classes and stop the lawn service.
"I'm just trying to get back to basics," she said, adding that she has considered even getting rid of her car. "I'm just trying to get rid of those extra things just to get by."
Zaharris is one of many iReporters who shared stories of dealing with a worsening economy. Like many others, she wonders how she wound up in such a tough financial situation. iReport.com: Read more of Zaharris' story
"Every day I ask myself, why does someone who has a salary over $80,000 struggle so much?" Zaharris wrote on iReport.com. "Gas costs more, groceries cost more, there are always checks to write for things at [my daughter's] school. The money just trickles away."
Molly Zolad of Woodbridge, Illinois, said she's trying to simplify her life and make smart financial decisions. She stopped using credit cards and has made small day-to-day changes such as brewing her own coffee.
"I had no idea how much waste I truly had in my life until the crunch of everything hit at once," she wrote on iReport.com. "Medical bills for myself, my two dogs, and the pay decrease from my company ... it all adds up."
Zolad says the biggest sacrifice has been her time. She began a second part-time job at her church to earn extra money and avoid paying a baby sitter. She said her new lifestyle has made an "amazing difference." iReport.com: Read more of Zolad's story
Kathleen Fallon shared on iReport.com a list of several luxuries that she gave up such as cable, land-line phones, dining at restaurants and allowances for her children. She told CNN's Josh Levs that the sacrifices have been "a gift in some ways."
"We're having more conversation, we're finding things to do as a family that are free, we play basketball, we play tennis. Homework's getting done better too." Watch Levs' interview with Fallon »
John Stevens, on the other hand, is "scared to death."
"I'm currently in a Chapter 13 to save my condo, but I don't even think that will work for me," he said. "The payment to the trustee every month is too high and along with the mortgage payment."
Stevens works in the automotive industry and said his pay has been decreasing around $200 per month lately. He is considering changing careers, but says that many companies in his home state of Connecticut aren't hiring.
According to a nationwide report released Tuesday by the American Psychological Association, as many as 80 percent of Americans are stressed about their personal finances and the economy.
Nearly 7,000 Americans responded to the survey between April and September of this year. Within five months, anxiety about the economy rose from 66 percent to 80 percent.
"I'm tired of what's going on and how the average citizen is suffering and our top leaders are more concerned with the big corporations and Wall Street," Stevens said. "I'm sad right now because I don't know how my future or even the next day is going to be." iReport.com: Read more of Stevens' story
iReporter Peter Cabrera also expressed anger about the Wall Street crisis because of the financial struggles affecting his parents.
"Both my parents did everything the right way," said Cabrera, a doctoral student at Washington University | [
"What are iReporters giving up in tough economic times?",
"Where can you go to discuss your economic sacrifices?",
"What group is being forced to change lifestyles?",
"Why are these people having to give things up?",
"Who is focused on changing lifestyles?",
"One iReporter is giving up what?",
"What are iReporters forced to change?"
] | [
[
"cable, land-line phones, dining at restaurants and allowances"
],
[
"iReport.com:"
],
[
"many Americans"
],
[
"financial crisis,"
],
[
"many Americans"
],
[
"cable, land-line phones, dining at restaurants and allowances for her children."
],
[
"personal spending habits."
]
] | iReporters are forced to change lifestyles, give up luxuries in tough economic times .
One iReporter is giving up her "dream wedding" because of layoffs .
What are you giving up? Share it with iReport.com . |
(CNN) -- Facing the world after an isolating and traumatic experience is often stressful, especially for those who have been away for a long time. Jaycee Dugard, here at the 1991 Rose Bowl parade, was abducted later that year. Jaycee Dugard is reuniting with her close relatives for the first time in 18 years, after having been found on August 27. Dugard was 11 years old when she was abducted in 1991 from a bus stop in South Lake Tahoe, California. She allegedly was kept in a series of backyard sheds by a convicted sex offender and gave birth to two children in captivity. A bail review hearing is scheduled for Monday in El Dorado County Superior Court in Placerville, California, for Phillip and Nancy Garrido, who face charges related to Dugard's kidnapping. In Illinois, Shannon Wilfong is charged with child abduction, allegedly having forced 6-year-old Richard K. Wilfong Chekevdia to live in seclusion and be hidden, at times in crawl spaces and the attic, for nearly two years, according to court documents. In concealing the boy, Wilfong violated the terms of a court order that granted joint custody of the child to Michael Chekevdia, the documents said. The boy is staying with his father's family under child welfare supervision, according to CNN affiliate WSIL. The situations of Dugard and Chekevdia are extreme cases of people emerging from isolation and returning to the real world. The people who have been away often feel conflicted about leaving the situation they've acclimated to in order to rejoin the loved ones they've left behind, experts not connected to the cases tell CNN. Sometimes children involved in custody disputes are taught to hate their father or mother, and "extreme tactics" may be used, although usually not to the extent of hiding a child in crawl spaces, said Jay Lebow, psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. "While this case is obviously the rarest of things, other children are certainly exposed to many traumas that have meaning connected to this," Lebow said. The case of Dugard Dugard is spending time in "a secluded place, reconnecting" with her mother and younger sister, said her aunt, Tina Dugard, in a statement on behalf of her family. "This is a joyful time for my family," she said. "Jaycee remembers all of us." Watch for more on Dugard » But a person in Dugard's situation would most likely have both positive and negative feelings about leaving the only environment she's known for 18 years and coming back to her family, psychologists say. "She's going to have a lot of mixed feelings about returning to her family of origin because she's spent almost two decades with a different family," said Margo Napoletano, a child and family psychologist in San Diego, California. After allegedly being confined for 18 years, Dugard probably would find the outside world frightening, Lebow said. "You get to know this world you live in -- it may be a terrible world, but it's the world you know," he said. Experts say Dugard may have developed what is known as Stockholm syndrome, in which kidnapping victims identify with their captors. Learning to live with and even like the perpetrator has survival value, Napoletano said, and also explains why someone like Dugard probably would feel somewhat torn about returning to her original family. Learn about other cases of missing children » "It's a concept that explains why a kidnapped victim would stay with a perpetrator even though they had an opportunity to leave," she said. "They opt to stay because it's their comfort zone." But Johanna Tabin, a psychologist in Glencoe, Illinois, said Dugard's readjustment will depend on how she was treated in captivity. Police said Phillip Garrido, one of her alleged abductors, is believed to be the father of her two daughters, and his relationship to Dugard -- whether he framed their alleged sexual encounters as violent or seductive -- will influence her feelings about leaving that situation, Tabin said. It is also important to know how Dugard felt about her family | [
"When was Dugard reunited with her family?",
"What does the expert say?",
"What do people feel after returning to their families?",
"who return to their families?",
"What do people returning to their families often feel about it?",
"Who was found on August 27?"
] | [
[
"first time in 18 years, after having been found on August 27."
],
[
"is known as Stockholm syndrome,"
],
[
"conflicted about leaving the situation they've acclimated"
],
[
"Dugard and Chekevdia"
],
[
"leaving the situation they've acclimated"
],
[
"Jaycee Dugard"
]
] | Jaycee Dugard, found August 27, is reuniting with her family after 18 years .
People who return to their families after years away often feel conflicted about it .
Expert: Don't force the person who has been away to talk about their experiences .
It's important to go about day-to-day activities, such as grocery shopping . |
(CNN) -- Faith Hill will sing "America the Beautiful" during the pregame show at the Super Bowl next month, according to the National Football League. Faith Hill is a Grammy Award-winning artist and the voice of "Sunday Night Football's" theme song. The NFL announced Wednesday that singer-actress Jennifer Hudson will deliver the national anthem before the start of Super Bowl XLIII on February 1. The NFL already had announced that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band would perform at halftime at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Hill, a Grammy Award-winning artist and the voice of the theme song for NBC's "Sunday Night Football," delivered the national anthem before Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000. The only other artists who have sung "America the Beautiful" before a Super Bowl are Vikki Carr (Super Bowl XI), Ray Charles (Super Bowl XXXV) and Alicia Keys (Super Bowl XXXIX). The 2009 Super Bowl will be broadcast in 230 countries and territories, the NFL said. More than 148 million American viewers watched the 2008 game, it said. | [
"Who is going to deliver the national anthem at the Super Bowl?",
"Who sings the theme song of \"Sunday Night Football\"?",
"Who is the voice of NBC's \"Sunday Night Football\"?",
"What TV show theme song is Faith Hill the voice of?",
"Who will sing the national anthem before the Super Bowl?",
"On what date will the Super Bowl be shown?",
"Who will deliver the national anthem before the start of the Super Bowl?",
"When will the Super Bowl be broadcast?"
] | [
[
"Jennifer Hudson"
],
[
"Faith Hill"
],
[
"Faith Hill"
],
[
"\"Sunday Night Football's\""
],
[
"Hill"
],
[
"February 1."
],
[
"Jennifer Hudson"
],
[
"February 1."
]
] | Faith Hill is the voice of theme song of NBC's "Sunday Night Football"
Jennifer Hudson will deliver national anthem before the start of Super Bowl .
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band also will perform at halftime .
The Super Bowl will be broadcast February 1 . |
(CNN) -- Famed Uruguayan author Mario Benedetti died at his home in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Sunday, his personal secretary, Ariel Silva, told CNN. Author Mario Benedetti, 88, was battling intestinal problems and had been hospitalized earlier this month. Benedetti, 88, was battling intestinal problems and had been hospitalized earlier this month. A descendent of Italian immigrants, Benedetti authored such best-selling novels as "The Truce" and "Juan Angel's Birthday," as well as a collection of short stories and poems. The poet-turned-novelist became a part of a thriving era of Latin authors including Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Fuentes, and Mario Vargas Llosa, who often intertwined politics with their work. A supporter of Fidel Castro's government, Benedetti left Uruguay to live in exile, partly in Cuba, where his writings grew more political. "I have never hidden my political position so I had to leave the country," he told CNN in a June 2005 interview. "I've had many mishaps, many problems in my short life," he added. Journalist Dario Klein in Montevideo contributed this report. | [
"who supports fidel castro",
"What was Mario Benedetti hospitalized earlier this month for?",
"What was the reason for Benedetti left Uruguay?",
"What novels did Benedetti authored?",
"who was hospitalized",
"What is the state of health of Mario Benedetti?",
"who authored novels"
] | [
[
"Benedetti"
],
[
"intestinal problems"
],
[
"to live in exile,"
],
[
"\"The Truce\""
],
[
"Mario Benedetti"
],
[
"died"
],
[
"Mario Benedetti"
]
] | Mario Benedetti, 88, was battling intestinal problems; hospitalized earlier this month .
Benedetti authored novels such as "The Truce" and "Juan Angel's Birthday"
A supporter of Fidel Castro's government, Benedetti left Uruguay to live in exile . |
(CNN) -- Famed boxer Manny Pacquiao prepared to square off Saturday against Juan Manuel Marquez, hoping to retain his championship and affirm his supremacy after controversy surrounded their first two bouts.
Pacquiao, who also serves as a representative in the Filipino Congress, is regarded by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and has won 53 of his 58 career fights.
Marquez, though, insists he should have been declared the winner in their two clashes to date.
The two look to settle the score Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Filipino entered the bout having won 10 titles at eight different weight divisions in his glittering career, from flyweight (for boxers between 108 and 112 pounds) up to super welterweight (148 to 154 pounds).
The Ring magazine, among other publications, ranks Pacquiao as the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.
That said, there's some doubt about his supremacy over Marquez. The first bout in 2004 was scored as a draw, while Pacquiao won a split decision in the rematch four years later.
The Mexican has been seen sporting a T-shirt that says "Marquez beat Pacquiao twice!!" and claims he will put the record straight when they step into the ring for the third time.
"Everyone, including many of my countrymen, believe he (Pacquiao) really won those fights," Marquez said through an interpreter.
Pacquiao though, said prior to Saturday's contest that the third chapter will resolve the debate once and for all.
"He kept on saying he got robbed in the first two fights. This fight will answer all the doubts and all the questions," he said at a news conference in Las Vegas.
If Pacquiao defeats Marquez, the next big fight for the General Santos City native could be a long awaited showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other superstar of his boxing generation. | [
"Where will the fight take place?",
"Who won the second match?",
"Who will Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas?",
"Pacquiao indicated he may finally fight who?",
"What was the result of their first match?",
"Who does Pacquiao want to fight soon?",
"Who will he finally fight soon?",
"Who won the first match?",
"Who will fight Marquez?"
] | [
[
"MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas."
],
[
"Pacquiao"
],
[
"Juan Manuel Marquez,"
],
[
"Juan Manuel Marquez,"
],
[
"draw,"
],
[
"Floyd Mayweather Jr.,"
],
[
"Juan Manuel Marquez,"
],
[
"Manny Pacquiao"
],
[
"Manny Pacquiao"
]
] | Manny Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas .
Their first match was a draw, while the Filipino won the second on points .
Pacquiao has indicated he may finally fight Floyd Mayweather soon . |
(CNN) -- Famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who died on Thursday at the age of 71, was one of opera's most adaptable and ebullient performers, appearing on stage with singers as varied as Dame Joan Sutherland, U2's Bono and Liza Minnelli.
Much as the star power of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov revived widespread interest in classical ballet in the 1970s and 1980s, Pavarotti's beaming charisma and bravura style captured the attention of the late-20th-century audience for opera.
Widely considered the greatest tenor of his time, Pavarotti began his life modestly in Modena, the son of Fernando, a baker and amateur singer, and Adele, who worked at the local tobacco factory.
"I dreamed to become a singer when I was four and I hear my father singing in the church with a beautiful tenor voice," he told CNN in a 1991 interview. "And I say to myself, well, let's try to do something."
The young Pavarotti -- who played soccer with his town's junior team -- joined the church choir with his father and traveled with him to Wales, where the singing group won first prize at the Llangollen International singing competition.
Although the experience left Pavarotti enthralled with singing, he graduated from the local teaching institute in 1955 and taught elementary school for two years, then worked as an insurance salesman. He continued his vocal studies, however, working first with with Arrigo Pola and then with Ettore Campogalliani.
Then, in 1961, Pavarotti won the prestigious Concorso Internazionale and made his operatic debut at the Reggio Emilia Theater as Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme."
His fame spread throughout Italy and then throughout the European continent as he made his international debut in Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" in Belgrade.
When Dame Joan Sutherland brought him on-stage with her during a performance of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" with the Greater Miami Opera in 1965, Pavarotti began his American career.
He debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera House three years later, and eventually marked 379 performances there, including his final opera, Puccini's "Tosca" in 2004, in which he performed as the painter Mario Cavaradossi.
In between Pavarotti sold millions of records and raised millions of dollars for charity through benefit concerts, often sharing the stage with pop stars as well as other opera singers.
Of his recordings, 1990's "The Essential Pavarotti" was the first classical album to reach No. 1 on Britain's pop charts, where it remained for five weeks. 1994's "The Three Tenors in Concert," with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, remains the best selling classical album of all time.
Pavarotti joined with Domingo and Carreras in 1990, and although critics complained that Pavarotti's vocal skills were waning, the trio performed together for 14 years.
Among his charities were a 1995 "Concert for Bosnia" that raised $8.5 million and other concerts that raised $3.3 million for refugees from Afghanistan and $1 million for refugees from Kosovo.
In artistic terms, Pavarotti brought to the stage a voice neatly suited to the traditional bel canto, or "beautiful singing" style, essential to 17th-century Italian opera. As much about intensity as pitch, bel canto focuses the voice, concentrating the sound with both outstanding warmth and agility.
So demanding is this work even of the best singers that Pavarotti in concert recital could be seen rising to the balls of his feet during the most challenging passages.
A long, white handkerchief always hung from one hand as he sang, his eyebrows arched high in the effort, forming an expression seemingly of surprise at his own success.
From his small beginnings, Pavarotti rose to great heights, performing in front of 500,000 people in New York's Central Park -- a concert seen by millions on television -- and before another 300,000 at Paris' Eiffel Tower.
He won countless awards and honors -- including five Grammies -- and was named United Nations Messenger for Peace by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He launched an international competition, The Pavarotti International Voice Competition, in 1982. | [
"What is he considered to be?",
"Who is the greatest tenor of his time?"
] | [
[
"the greatest tenor of his time,"
],
[
"Luciano Pavarotti,"
]
] | Luciano Pavarotti widely considered the greatest tenor of his time .
The Italian's charisma and bravura style attracted a new audience to opera .
Singer retired from staged opera in 2004; diagnosed with cancer in 2006 . |
(CNN) -- Family members of Phillip Markoff visited him in jail Friday for the first time since his arraignment on murder charges connected to the slaying of a woman he may have met through a Craigslist online ad. The parents, brother and sister-in-law of accused killer Philip Markoff visited him in jail on Friday. Markoff's parents, brother, and sister-in-law visited him Friday, having to get through a throng of media members who gathered near the Boston, Massachusetts, jail. Richard Markoff and Susan Haynes arrived early in the afternoon, CNN affiliate WCVB reported. Markoff's parents stayed at the jail for about two hours and left without making any comments to media, the affiliate reported. Markoff's brother and sister-in-law also visited him on Friday, the affiliate reported. John Salsberg, Markoff's attorney, addressed the crowd of reporters Friday and said he was speaking on behalf of the family. "They love their son very much. They are supportive of him, that's what they would say if they were speaking themselves," he said. It is not yet known if Megan McAllister, Markoff's fiancee, would visit him in jail, but in an e-mail sent to ABC News, she said police have the wrong man and "was set up." "Unfortunately, you were given wrong information as was the public," she wrote. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly!" Markoff, 23, a second-year student at Boston University's School of Medicine, is charged with killing Julissa Brisman, who lived in New York, April 14 at Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel. Police have said Brisman, a model, advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist, a popular online classifieds service. They say Markoff may have met her through the online site. Prosecutors say Brisman sustained blunt head trauma and said the she was shot three times at close range. One of the bullets passed through her heart, killing her, prosecutors said. Markoff is also charged in connection with the April 10 robbery of Trisha Leffler, 29, at a Westin Hotel in Boston, another woman he allegedly met on Craigslist. Leffler was robbed of $800 in cash and $250 in American Express gift cards, police reports said. Prosecutors said she was bound and held at gunpoint. Brisman's mother, Carmen Guzman, released a statement Friday about her devastation. "The feeling of losing my daughter in this way and the pain she must have felt will haunt me for the rest of my life," Guzman said. "She won't live to see her dreams. We will hold Julissa in our hearts every day." | [
"what is he charged with?",
"who is in jail?",
"Where did Markoff's family visit him?",
"who was killed",
"How many years old is Markoff?",
"where did they meet?",
"what was he charged with",
"who was set up",
"Where do police think Markoff met Brisman?"
] | [
[
"murder"
],
[
"Phillip Markoff"
],
[
"in jail"
],
[
"Julissa Brisman,"
],
[
"23,"
],
[
"Craigslist"
],
[
"killing Julissa Brisman,"
],
[
"Phillip Markoff"
],
[
"Craigslist,"
]
] | Philip Markoff's family visits him in jail .
Philip Markoff, 23, charged in death of Julissa Brisman's death .
Police say they believe Markoff met Brisman on popular online classifieds Web site .
Markoff's fiancee says police have wrong man, husband-to-be "was set up" |
(CNN) -- Famous for honest self-portraits, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo said that she painted her reality and that her paintings carried a message of pain. Her life was full of it, both physical and emotional, and she used it to fuel her art. Frida Kahlo was born in this house and lived in it with her husband, Diego Rivera. Much can be learned about both her private and public life by visiting the home she shared, first with her parents and later with her painter husband, Diego Rivera. The bold blue house with red trim stands out in the quiet residential street of the Coyoacán section of Mexico City. It was painted that way because Kahlo and Rivera felt that the bright colors represented Mexican culture better than the original white paint. This home-turned-museum, known as La Casa Azul, is where Frida Kahlo was born, began to paint and died, making the house a witness to one of the most important artistic lives in Mexican history. The museum entrance leads to a large patio where pre-Columbian sculptures collected by Diego Rivera throughout his lifetime are scattered among the plants and fountains. The couple's love for traditional Mexican art can be seen throughout the house, from the large fireplace designed by Rivera that dominates the first room, resembling a step pyramid like the ones built by the Mayas and Aztecs, to Kahlo's paintings and the couple's collection of smaller sculptures. Some of Kahlo's most well-known works, such as "Viva la Vida," a still life of watermelons, are on display in the museum, but it is the personal objects that tell the most interesting stories. An entire room is dedicated to communist paraphernalia. Kahlo was very politically active and did not hide her political leanings. In fact, she and Rivera invited exiled Russian communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his wife to live with them in the late '30s. As visitors move through the museum, it is the remnants of Kahlo and Rivera's private life that begin to tell their story. Part of the collection is a bed with a mirror attached to it, used by Kahlo in order to create many of her celebrated self-portraits. At the age of 18, she was left bedridden for a few months when her spine was broken in a serious bus and trolley accident. It was during those months that Kahlo began to paint, to help pass the time and keep her spirits up. Also on view are several corsets that Kahlo had to wear during her lifetime because of lasting injuries from the accident, several surgeries and a childhood bout of polio. It was because she began painting that Kahlo met Diego Rivera, who was at the time a famous Mexican muralist. Kahlo wanted to know whether she had talent enough to make art a career, so she sought out Rivera to get his opinion. That was the start of their famously tempestuous relationship. They were married for the first time in 1929, but after infidelities on both sides (including an affair between Kahlo and Trotsky), they divorced in 1939. They were married again a year later. She once commented on their relationship, saying that there had been two great accidents in her life, the trolley and Diego; Diego, she claimed, had been the worst of the two. The house, which was witness to the birth of Kahlo on July 6, 1907, was also witness to her death July 13, 1954. Rivera put her ashes in a pre-Columbian urn, which remains in the house to this day. He donated the house in 1957, and it opened to the public as La Casa Azul, Museo Frida Kahlo in 1958. So the blue house, which has seen so much of the history of two of Mexico's most famous artists and was witness to so much of Kahlo's personal suffering, is open to the public, ready to tell their story to all who are willing to listen. | [
"The house has a room dedicated to what?",
"To what is dedicated a entire room in the home?",
"Where was Frida Kahlo born?",
"Who started to paint in bed?",
"Who did Frida Kahlo live with at La Casa Azul?",
"where Frida Kahlo was born?"
] | [
[
"communist paraphernalia."
],
[
"communist paraphernalia."
],
[
"Mexico City."
],
[
"Frida Kahlo"
],
[
"her husband, Diego Rivera."
],
[
"La Casa Azul,"
]
] | Frida Kahlo was born in La Casa Azul and lived there with Diego Rivera .
The house contains the bed where an injured Kahlo started to paint .
An entire room in the home is dedicated to communist paraphernalia . |
(CNN) -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created to help individuals realize the American dream of home ownership, but they now find their survival at risk in the U.S. mortgage crisis. Steps to shore up FannieMae and Freddie Mac could eventually stabilize home prices. Friday's closure of California-based IndyMac bank by federal regulators on Friday sparked investor panic that sent shares of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on a wild ride and fueled speculation of a government rescue. On Sunday, the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve announced steps to make funds available to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac if necessary. IndyMac, which reopened Monday under federal supervision, was once one of the nation's largest home lenders. Thanks in part to the nation's mortgage crisis, it lost hundreds of millions of dollars this year and last, and concerns about the bank led customers to withdraw $1.3 billion in the last two weeks, prompting the government takeover. Below, CNN's Ali Velshi and Gerri Willis answer questions about Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and IndyMac and how you may be affected. Q: What are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and what do they do? A: Originally chartered by Congress, both were converted into private companies with shares traded on Wall Street. Neither company directly loans money to prospective home buyers. Instead, they buy mortgages from banks and other lenders on the secondary market, thus freeing up more funds to home lenders. They resell bundled loans as mortgage-backed securities. Read more about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac » Combined, the two companies own or guarantee almost half of the home loans in the United States, or $5.3 trillion of mortgage debt. Q: How did they get their names? A: Fannie Mae was created in 1938, during the Great Depression. The nickname comes from the acronym FNMA, which stands for Federal National Mortgage Association. Freddie Mac was chartered by Congress as a private corporation in 1970 to end Fannie Mae's monopoly over the secondary mortgage market. The name Freddie Mac spawns from the acronym FHLMC, or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Q: What's the connection between the IndyMac takeover and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? A: Nothing, except both crises stem from the same problem: a drop in home prices and the inability of mortgage-holders to make their payments, thereby leaving banks (whether it was IndyMac, an actual lender, or Fannie/Freddie, the secondary banks that had bought mortgages) holding the bag. Q: Will the government's actions change the value of my home? A: Steps the federal government is taking to shore up Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is ultimately a positive for the housing industry. Although it won't happen overnight, housing prices could be stabilized by the move. The reason? These two institutions are critical to the smooth functioning of the mortgage underwriting industry. Q: Is my money safe in the bank? A: Up to certain limits, money is safe in banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC guarantees traditional bank accounts up to $100,000 and individual retirement accounts up to $250,000. Money beyond those limits isn't guaranteed if a bank fails. In the case of IndyMac, the FDIC says it will cover 50 percent of uninsured balances there. But as a practical matter, consumers shouldn't count on that. Bottom line: Owning accounts with amounts that exceed the FDIC limits is like driving without a seat belt. Watch: Is your bank safe? » Q: How are the government's moves to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac going to affect mortgages, loans and the federal budget deficit? A: Shoring up Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is good news for consumer lending lending generally because it boosts confidence in the mortgage markets. If you already have a loan, it's won't have immediate consequences. We don't yet know if it will be successful and how much the two entities might take advantage of the federal governments offer to lend them money. For that reason, it's difficult to say what | [
"What might happen to home prices as a result of the government's moves?",
"What could the steps do?",
"Who offered to shore up mortgage giants?",
"Who announced steps to shore up mortgage giants?",
"Who owns almost half of the U.S home loans?",
"What are two American \"mortgage giants\"?",
"In what percentage of US home loans are these two large companies involved in?",
"Who will shore up mortgage giants if necessary?",
"What could stabilize home prices?",
"Who owns almost half of home loans?",
"What could stablize home price?"
] | [
[
"could be stabilized"
],
[
"eventually stabilize home prices."
],
[
"Treasury Department and Federal Reserve"
],
[
"Treasury Department"
],
[
"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac"
],
[
"Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae"
],
[
"almost half of the"
],
[
"federal government"
],
[
"Steps to shore up FannieMae and Freddie Mac"
],
[
"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac"
],
[
"Steps to shore up FannieMae and Freddie Mac"
]
] | Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac own or guarantee almost half of U.S. home loans .
Government announces steps to shore up mortgage giants if necessary .
Steps could stabilize home prices . |
(CNN) -- Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration own about 250,000 foreclosed properties awaiting resale. Hundreds of thousands of additional units will likely be taken over by the government and become available in the next few years. At least another 250,000 foreclosed properties are awaiting sale in the private market. This drag on the housing market is one of the reasons why housing prices continue to fall and new housing construction is stalled.
All these properties could provide families with housing instead of sitting empty (and, in some cases, looking the part). To increase the use of idle government properties and recover some of the massive losses on mortgages, the Obama administration is looking mainly for proposals from firms or nonprofit organizations to buy and rent out the vacant properties.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development gets a gold star for this new strategy, but pursuing another approach at the same time — helping more families become homeowners — would take us further still toward ending the housing crisis. Both approaches would reduce rents: As more renters buy vacant homes, demand for rentals will ease, and renting out vacant units will increase the supply of rental housing.
Both approaches are also likely to jack up demand for idle or underemployed construction workers, who'd be needed to repair and renovate the properties.
Right now, millions of families are paying more in rent than the monthly carrying costs of owning a comparable property. In 2009, 3 million families with children and annual household incomes below $30,000 were paying more than $800 per month in rent, according to the 2009 American Community Survey. If they can pay that much, they could certainly afford homes costing at least $115,000 — well above the value of homes at the 25th percentile of the price curve.
With better access to financing, they could take advantage of bargain prices on foreclosed or other properties, and homeownership would immediately cut renters' housing costs and lock in great rates.
Some past efforts at promoting homeownership failed when bad mortgages supported housing costs far higher than monthly rents on the expectation of home price appreciation. But that doesn't mean we can't learn from past mistakes or take advantage of the current market context to make a major dent in family housing costs by using idle housing and human resources.
As we spell out in our book, "Moving Working Families Forward," the government could create 1 million homeownership vouchers to cover the carrying costs of homes up to the 25th percentile of area home prices. Given today's low-home prices, such a plan would cost no more than about $3 billion per year and could be at least partially financed by phasing out the more costly and supply-oriented Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which offers a reduction in tax liability to property owners and private investors who develop low-income housing — and is a corporate honey pot that yields high profits and relatively few units for low-income families.
A second approach would use turnkey programs. Firms and nonprofit organizations would purchase homes, qualify the buyers through credit counseling and credit repair, ready buyers for homeownership, make modest renovations and repairs, and sell the properties. With this option, like the homeowner voucher, government could lay claim to a modest share of any capital gain (say 15%-20%) when the property is resold.
Among others, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Group of Cleveland is already trying the turnkey approach. Starting with unused housing from the Cuyahoga County land bank, the company hired local construction workers and trained the unemployed to spiff up the units, helped renters correct and raise their credit scores enough to qualify for low interest mortgages and down payment assistance, helped them get financing, and walked the families through the sale.
Some renters took classes offered in financial literacy, too. On average, the renters reduced their monthly housing expenditures by a minimum of 25%, including taxes and insurance. As the project scales up to involve scores of properties, it will create new jobs and training opportunities for underutilized construction workers.
Scaling up either homeownership initiative would be a move in the right direction, and either approach would help millions of | [
"What should the government do?",
"What are dragging on the housing market?",
"what is dragging on the housing market",
"What kind of jobs would fixing unused housing create?"
] | [
[
"create 1 million homeownership vouchers to cover the carrying costs of homes up to the 25th percentile of area home prices."
],
[
"At least another 250,000 foreclosed properties"
],
[
"foreclosed properties"
],
[
"construction"
]
] | Lerman, Cherry: Hundreds of thousands of foreclosed homes drag on housing market .
They say government should help families buy these properties; ease rental market .
They say fixing up unused housing for homeownership would create construction jobs .
Writers: Upping homeownership would help families, invigorate economy and provide jobs . |
(CNN) -- Fans of Usher Raymond IV view him as a singing, dancing and acting superstar. Superstar performer Usher Raymond IV at the closing ceremony for Usher's Camp New Look. But to a special group of young people, he is a mentor and a friend. "He leads by example," said Arnold "Supa" LaFrance, a "Mogul in Training" at Usher's Camp New Look. "Usher's all about peace and love and giving back to the community, and it's genuine. He does it when the cameras are on and when the cameras are off." Now in its fifth year, the camp is a passion for the Grammy Award-winning artist, who each year gives more than a hundred teens from underserved communities across the country the opportunity to learn about the entertainment and sports industries. Thomas Springer, a 17-year-old Atlanta, Georgia, resident, has participated in the camp for four years and said he wants to use his talent in filmmaking and what he has learned at Camp New Look to help his community. "Before I came to camp, I didn't think I had a voice in my community and that I could do anything based on my age," Springer said. "The camp let me know that no matter what your age, no matter what you do, you can make an impact on your community." Usher came to fame as a teen and has sold millions of records, including the hit singles "Yeah" and "Confessions II." His success has allowed him to become part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team and to launch his own line of fragrances for men and women. The camp, the singer said, teaches participants the business aspects of the entertainment and sports industries and imparts the importance of being service-oriented. A selection committee selects campers that are nominated by partner organizations in various cities across the country. Now the father of two young boys, Usher said he is also enriched by the camp's experience. "It makes me a better man. It makes me a better individual," he said. "There's a difference between hard work and heart work, and this would represent heart work." Watch Usher talk about his camp » As a youngster, Usher participated in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and he said it helped shape his ideas about mentoring. "I think that the Boys & Girls Club is a very positive environment for kids," he said. "It's another place that allows you to be a product of your experience. I encountered a lot of people who became mentors for me there." At this year's closing ceremony for Usher's Camp New Look, held at the Alliance Theater at Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, the energy level was high as campers and their family members walked a red carpet alongside some of Usher's celebrity friends, including NBA star Alonzo Mourning and San Francisco 49er Allen Rossum. The free, residential camp held for two weeks every summer in Atlanta is an outgrowth of Usher's New Look Foundation, which he established to empower at-risk youth by giving them the skills necessary to enter careers in the sports and entertainment industries and working with them to provide employment opportunities. Mourning said Usher is one who understands that "to whom much is given, much is required." "The service that Usher is providing for these kids with these educational opportunities and expanding their lives to a whole new level, it's important that we all rally around these particular causes and support these initiatives," Mourning said. Gabrielle Brou, 16, a first-year camper from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, who aspires to be an actress, said there were countless opportunities at camp to network with successful people who are living the lives she hopes to achieve. "Once I found out that there were ways I could better myself in acting, learn the business and also give back ... I decided that this camp would be really great for me," she said. "I would love | [
"WHat helps kids?",
"What do campers learn?",
"Usher is mentoring who?",
"What does Singer serve as?",
"Who's camp is it?",
"Who does Usher's Camp New Look help?",
"What does Usher say that the camp represents?",
"Where are these kids from?",
"Who serves as mentor?",
"What did Usher create?",
"Which camp helps kids from underserved communities?",
"What do campers learn?",
"Who said camp represents his \"heart work?",
"Who does Usher's Camp New Look help?",
"What do they teach kids?"
] | [
[
"to learn about the entertainment and sports industries."
],
[
"entertainment and sports industries."
],
[
"teens from underserved communities"
],
[
"mentor and a friend."
],
[
"Usher's"
],
[
"teens from underserved communities"
],
[
"opportunity to learn about the entertainment and sports industries."
],
[
"underserved communities across the country"
],
[
"Usher Raymond IV"
],
[
"Camp New Look."
],
[
"Usher's"
],
[
"about the entertainment and sports industries."
],
[
"Usher Raymond IV"
],
[
"more than a hundred teens from underserved communities"
],
[
"the business aspects of the entertainment and sports industries and imparts the importance of being service-oriented."
]
] | Usher's Camp New Look helps kids from underserved communities .
Campers learn business behind entertainment and sports industries .
Singer serves as mentor to more than 100 participants .
Usher, who was mentored, said camp represents his "heart work" |
(CNN) -- Farrah Fawcett, the actress known worldwide for her beauty and her role on "Charlie's Angels," is reportedly seriously ill and may be close to death after a long battle with cancer. Farrah Fawcett, seen here in 2004, is featured in a documentary about her fight with cancer. A documentary, which airs Friday night on NBC, will feature an intimate look at her life since being diagnosed with the disease. On Thursday, Larry King talked with Candy Spelling, a close friend of Fawcett. Her husband, the late Aaron Spelling, produced "Charlie's Angels." Spelling talks about her relationship with Fawcett and why she believes she did the documentary. The following is an edited version of the interview. Larry King: Did you first meet Farrah in connection with getting that part? Candy Spelling: Yes. Actually, she did a lot of small, little parts in the movies for Aaron starting around 1973. So it's been, my God, 36, 37 years since I, you know, first met her. Watch Candy Spelling talk about her friendship with Farrah Fawcett » King: So you knew her well during all that time? Spelling: Yes. King: Did you know about her getting picked to be on "Charlie's Angels?" Spelling: I remember. She did some small roles. I think the one that Aaron really decided he was really going to use her was this American beauty pageant and, also, it was like "Murder on Flight 502." He did the 90-minute versions. King: Movie of the week? Spelling: Right. Movie of the weeks. King: When did you know she had cancer? Spelling: I found out about a year -- when I first heard, I don't know if it was a year or two years ago when we first heard, and I contacted her. I hadn't talked to her in a while. She said, "I'm going to be all right, Candy. Everything is going to be all right." King: Why do you think, Candy, she did the documentary? Spelling: I think that she wanted to give other people courage that, you know, are fighting this kind of thing. I know how, you know, devastating the press, you know, was with Aaron when he had cancer. And it's just so difficult. And I mean, you know, it's hard to have a private life at that point. King: Why do the tabloids get so tough on someone in such pain? Spelling: It's news. It's kind of a sad thing. I'm always so sorry to see it. But, you know, people believe what they see, and a lot of times, we don't know how true it really is. | [
"What disease is Fawcett fighting?",
"who is featuring in Charlie's Angels?",
"who produced \"Charlie's Angels\"?",
"What did Aaron Spelling produce?",
"Who talked about the \"Angel\" her late husband made famous?",
"What is happening with Fawcett?",
"Aaron Spelling produced what?",
"What does Candy Spelling talk about?"
] | [
[
"cancer."
],
[
"Farrah"
],
[
"Aaron Spelling,"
],
[
"\"Charlie's Angels.\""
],
[
"Candy Spelling:"
],
[
"seriously ill and may be close to death after a long battle"
],
[
"\"Charlie's Angels.\""
],
[
"her relationship with Fawcett and why"
]
] | Candy Spelling talks about the "Angel" her late husband made famous .
Aaron Spelling produced "Charlie's Angels" featuring Farrah Fawcett .
Fawcett, the subject of an upcoming documentary, is fighting cancer . |
(CNN) -- Farrah Fawcett, whose public battle with anal cancer has brought new attention to a rarely discussed disease, has not been given a timetable from her doctor about how much time she has left, according to her friend Alana Stewart. Farrah Fawcett, seen here in 2006, has waged a very public battle with anal cancer. "No one has said to her you have two months to live," Stewart said Monday. "So I'm looking at that as a really good sign." Stewart talked with Lara Spencer, host of "The Insider," who discussed her interview with Fawcett's close friend on CNN's "Larry King Live" Monday night. Spencer said Fawcett, her family and friends are clinging to hope for a recovery. "She [Alana Stewart] doesn't want to throw out a number. And neither does Farrah. ... They're still hoping for that miracle," Spencer said. "Farrah's Story," a documentary-style program that has followed the course of her illness and showed her grueling treatment in graphic detail, aired on NBC Friday and was viewed by almost 9 million people. Fawcett and partner Ryan O'Neal watched the show together, Spencer confirmed. "Alana said it was the ultimate in bittersweet," Spencer said. "You know, they're reliving two years of hell that they've endured together." King asked Spencer whether Fawcett, who made her name a household word on the hit '70s TV series "Charlie's Angels," and O'Neal might marry. "He said you never know. He was cagey about it," Spencer said. "And, you know, I think he would in a second. He's so madly in love with her." King also had a panel of medical experts on his show to discuss Fawcett's cancer. Dr. Thomas Vogl, who at one time treated the actress in Germany, called her medical condition "very, very serious." Dr. Allyson Ocean, a medical oncologist in New York, said only about 5,000 cases of anal cancer are diagnosed in the United States yearly. Unlike Fawcett's case, it usually doesn't spread, and only about 10 to 15 percent of cases are advanced, Ocean said. Fawcett's cancer, however, is in Stage 4 and has spread to her liver. Ocean said there are various causes of anal cancer. "One of the causes is a virus called the human papilloma virus, which is a sexually transmitted virus. It seems to be more common in women, in general, outside of any viral infections. Smoking is actually a risk factor," she said. King asked Dr. Paul Song, a radiation oncologist, if he had seen Stage 4 cancer cured. "Not with anal cancer. I have seen it with other GI malignancies such as rectal cancer," Song said. "But anal cancer is a little bit more difficult to treat." Despite the bleak outlook, Song had praise for Fawcett and her documentary. "I think one of the most powerful things that Miss Fawcett did in this documentary was give patients a sense of hope and to just show how she's handled this with such courage and dignity," Song said. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta told King that doctors have to strike a delicate balance when they are caring for patients such as Fawcett. "You have to be absolutely honest with patients, but, you know, you don't want to strip away their hope and optimism, either. There are people, Larry, as you know, who beat the odds," Gupta said. Vogl told King he developed a close relationship with Fawcett during the time he treated her in Germany and expressed admiration for his one-time patient. "From a lot of treatments and contact and communication, I think she is extremely special, an extremely brave person," he said. | [
"Where are her doctor's offices located at?",
"What stage is Fawcett's cancer?",
"What kind of treatment is she undergoing?",
"What type of cancer does Fawcett have?",
"What did the other doctor say about the condition?",
"What was the seriousness of the condition?",
"What does Spencer host?",
"What does Lara Spencer host?",
"What show does Lara Spencer host?",
"What stage is the cancer?",
"Who is fighting cancer?",
"Farrah has what illness?",
"What type of cancer was she diagnosed with?",
"What does the doctor say about her condition?",
"What are family and friends hoping for?"
] | [
[
"New York,"
],
[
"4"
],
[
"anal cancer"
],
[
"anal"
],
[
"\"very, very serious.\""
],
[
"anal cancer"
],
[
"\"The Insider,\""
],
[
"\"The Insider,\""
],
[
"\"The Insider,\""
],
[
"4"
],
[
"Farrah"
],
[
"anal cancer"
],
[
"anal"
],
[
"\"very, very serious.\""
],
[
"a recovery."
]
] | "Insider" host Lara Spencer says friends, family holding out for a miracle .
Farrah Fawcett has been fighting Stage 4 anal cancer, which has spread .
Doctor who once treated her calls condition "very, very serious"
Another doctor said actress has handled illness with "courage and dignity" |
(CNN) -- Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and members of the Sex Pistols have led tributes to the band's former manager Malcolm McLaren who died of cancer on Thursday aged 64.
As manager of the Sex Pistols and owner, with his then-lover Westwood, of the Sex boutique in London during the mid-1970s, McLaren was considered one of the pioneers of the punk movement.
"When we were young and I fell in love with Malcolm, I thought he was beautiful and I still do," Vivienne Westwood said in a written statement.
Westwood's son with McLaren, Joe Corre, her other son, Ben Westwood, and McLaren's girlfriend, Young Kim, were with him when he died in Switzerland after a battle with mesothelioma.
"I thought he is a very charismatic, special and talented person. The thought of him dead is really something very sad," said Westwood.
The lead singer of the Sex Pistols, John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, also paid tribute to the band's former manager.
"For me, Malc was always entertaining, and I hope you remember that," Lydon said. "Above all else, he was an entertainer, and I will miss him, and so should you."
McLaren and the Sex Pistols had a turbulent relationship during the band's brief, spectacular and controversial career.
Originally known as the Strand, McLaren drafted in Lydon as lead singer and renamed the band the Sex Pistols. Lydon had been spotted wearing a Pink Floyd T-shirt with the words "I hate" added to it.
The Sex Pistols' raucous public appearances and raging lyrics on songs like "Anarchy in the UK" and the sneering "God Save the Queen" -- which became a hit despite the BBC's refusal to play it -- made the band notorious on both sides of the Atlantic by 1977.
The Sex Pistols broke up in 1978 after one studio album, in large part because of a feud between McLaren and Rotten, who walked off stage at the end of the band's last show declaring, "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"
The band's surviving members have regrouped for periodic tours since 1996, but its official Web site still refers to McLaren as its "(mis)manager."
McLaren went on to assemble the pop act Bow Wow Wow and record several albums of his own in the 1980s and '90s.
CNN's Stephanie Halasz and Todd Leopold contributed to this report. | [
"Who died of cancer at age 64?",
"when did the band break up",
"Can you name the manager",
"What happened in 1978",
"Who was the onetime manager ?",
"Do you know his age",
"What broke up in 1978?",
"what did he die of"
] | [
[
"Malcolm McLaren"
],
[
"1978"
],
[
"Malcolm McLaren"
],
[
"The Sex Pistols broke up"
],
[
"Malcolm McLaren"
],
[
"64."
],
[
"The Sex Pistols"
],
[
"cancer"
]
] | Malcolm McLaren was the onetime manager of the British punk band the Sex Pistols .
He died of cancer at age 64, his girlfriend said Thursday .
Band broke up in 1978 after feud between McLaren and singer Johnny Rotten . |
(CNN) -- Fate, police say, saved baby Grace from being tossed out with the trash. Baby Grace was born aboard a Pacific Blue flight to New Zealand from Samoa. Were it not for a cleaning lady who chanced upon the newborn waving a feeble arm from a blue trash bag in an airplane bathroom, Grace would have met the fate her mother apparently intended for her, authorities said. On Wednesday, police in New Zealand charged the 29-year-old woman with abandonment and assault -- for giving birth to the child on an international flight and then leaving her, without alerting anyone, in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels. The woman, whose name was not released, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. The case has made headlines in the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The woman is a kiwi fruit picker who was returning from Samoa when she walked off a Pacific Blue flight in Auckland on Thursday, reported the New Zealand Press Association, a cooperative of the country's newspapers. Watch more on incident About 20 minutes later, a cleaning lady discovered the baby in a restroom inside the Boeing 737. Her fellow custodians wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her to authorities. About the same time, police spotted the mother in the airport, "looking pale and bloodstained" after she said she had mislaid her passport, said TV New Zealand, a CNN affiliate. Su'a William Sio, a Kiwi lawmaker of Samoan descent, said cultural stigma and the shame of bearing a child out of wedlock were two reasons why a mother might abandon her child. "This is mostly derived firstly by fear," he told the New Zealand Herald newspaper. "Fear that they've done something wrong and fear of shame of the 'unmarried' mother bringing to the family." Grace did not suffer significant injuries or long-term damage, police told reporters. She is in the care of government officials who are looking at long-term arrangements that would be best for her. | [
"What condition is the baby in now?",
"what left her?",
"Where did the woman put the baby?",
"What happened on the flight?",
"Where did the woman gave birth?",
"What happened to the baby?",
"What is the age of the woman giving birth?"
] | [
[
"\"looking pale and bloodstained\""
],
[
"mother"
],
[
"blue trash bag in an airplane bathroom,"
],
[
"born"
],
[
"aboard a Pacific Blue flight to New Zealand from Samoa."
],
[
"tossed out with the trash."
],
[
"29-year-old"
]
] | Woman, 29, gave birth to the baby girl on a flight from Samoa .
She left her in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels, without alerting anyone .
Police charged the woman with abandonment and assault .
Baby Grace did not suffer significant injuries or long-term damage, police said . |
(CNN) -- Federal Emergency Management Agency officials know the agency's performance in the California wildfires will be watched closely for comparisons to its failures in Hurricane Katrina.
A volunteer distributes donated food and supplies to evacueesTuesday at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
FEMA Director David Paulison promised on Tuesday "a different type of response than the federal government put together for Katrina."
Paulison said Katrina "was a wake-up call" and that "this is a new FEMA."
President Bush signed a federal disaster declaration Wednesday, freeing up federal funds for families affected by the wildfires in seven counties in Southern California.
"I will continue to make sure that our efforts are coordinated, that we are responding to the needs of people, but most importantly I want the people in Southern California to know that Americans all across this land care deeply about them," he said.
The action follows an emergency declaration by Bush on Tuesday morning for the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
He said he's "looking forward" to his visit to the region on Thursday.
According to a statement from the White House, the federal disaster declaration will allow for federal aid that "can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster."
FEMA and other relief and rescue services face significantly different challenges in the fire zone than they did on the Gulf Coast in 2005.
For example, the fires aren't covering every square foot of the region, as Katrina did. The devastation in California is intense but not universal.
During and immediately after Katrina, the destruction was so complete that relief personnel and supplies -- even the U.S. Army -- could not get within miles of the disaster's epicenter, New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, for several days.
By contrast, roads in Southern California have remained open for residents to get out and help to get in without delay. Residents there are generally more affluent and are able to use their own vehicles to escape, whereas many of Katrina's victims were poor and had no means of transportation.
Victims in California are not stranded on rooftops without food or drinkable water, but are able travel the relatively short distances to safe places.
One of those safe places is San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, which is not endangered by the fires. FEMA and other relief agencies are able to stage supplies and meet victims' needs in an organized way.
New Orleans' Superdome, on the other hand, sitting in the center of the disaster zone, was severely damaged by hurricane winds and threatened by rising water. What had been a shelter devolved into a trap.
Katrina also wiped out the Gulf Coast's communications infrastructure, crippling the coordination of relief efforts -- even for the military.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff acknowledged Tuesday that the government's response machinery had benefited from the Katrina experience.
"I think there's no question that [there were] a couple of the lessons from Katrina which we have put into effect here," Chertoff said.
"First of all, planning and preparation in advance for these kinds of challenges, so that we have worked together and planned together with the Defense Department and with state authorities well in advance of the crisis. That's been a big help here," Chertoff said
"Second, we have really flooded the zone as quickly as possible by staging assets to deal both with the firefighting issue and with the response issue," Chertoff said.
Chertoff said federal officials began discussing over the weekend the need to have FEMA ready, "and as we saw the evacuation issue becoming more prominent, and the number of people seeking shelter becoming more prominent, we sprang into action yesterday.
"So we've been monitoring the situation continuously. The president's been on top of it. We've been on top of it. And we're going to continue to stay ahead of this as | [
"What can victims escape in?",
"In what ways can communications infrastructure remain intact?",
"who Agencies learn from",
"What does FEMA not face?",
"What emergency is FEMA facing?",
"What does FEMA face?",
"What do agencies learn from Hurricane Katrina?",
"Do all methods of communication remain intact?",
"What are the victims escaping from?",
"What is the state of the infrastructure?",
"where Victims can escape in own vehicles",
"Is the infrastructure intact?",
"What did agencies learn from?",
"Is the communications infrastructure still intact?",
"Which lessons have they learnt?",
"What kinds of tips did agencies learn from Hurricane Katrina mistakes?",
"What can victims use to escape?",
"What caused FEMA to face utter devastation in the Gulf Coast in 2005?"
] | [
[
"their own vehicles"
],
[
"FEMA ready,"
],
[
"the Katrina experience."
],
[
"the fires aren't covering every square foot of the region,"
],
[
"wildfires"
],
[
"significantly different challenges"
],
[
"\"I think there's no question that [there were] a couple of the lessons"
],
[
"infrastructure,"
],
[
"wildfires"
],
[
"wiped out"
],
[
"Southern California"
],
[
"wiped out"
],
[
"the Katrina experience."
],
[
"wiped out"
],
[
"planning and preparation in advance for these kinds of challenges,"
],
[
"planning and preparation in advance"
],
[
"their own vehicles"
],
[
"Hurricane Katrina."
]
] | FEMA doesn't face utter devastation as in Gulf Coast in 2005 .
Victims can escape in own vehicles on open roads .
Communications infrastructure remains intact .
Agencies learn from Hurricane Katrina mistakes . |
(CNN) -- Federal agents seized 2,880 rounds of ammunition found inside an SUV that was being driven from Brownsville, Texas, to Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
A 19-year-old Mexican was attempting to drive the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer across the bridge that links Brownsville with Matamoros, Tamaulipas state, when he was stopped for a secondary inspection, the release said.
The ammunition, which included 13 armor-piercing rounds and five assault-rifle magazines, was hidden inside 18 plastic bags found inside the SUV, the release said. | [
"who was driving",
"Was Ammo found in SUV driving from Brownsville, Texas, to Mexico?",
"Where was Ammo found?",
"Who was driving the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer?",
"What does Ammunition include?",
"where was the ammo found",
"what was found in the SUV",
"What did the ammunition include?"
] | [
[
"A 19-year-old Mexican"
],
[
"agents seized 2,880 rounds of ammunition"
],
[
"inside an SUV"
],
[
"19-year-old Mexican"
],
[
"13 armor-piercing rounds and five assault-rifle magazines,"
],
[
"inside an SUV"
],
[
"2,880 rounds of ammunition"
],
[
"13 armor-piercing rounds and five assault-rifle magazines,"
]
] | Ammo found in SUV being driven from Brownsville, Texas, to Mexico .
19-year-old Mexican was driving the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer .
Ammunition includes 13 armor-piercing rounds and five assault-rifle magazines . |
(CNN) -- Federal authorities are investigating a New Jersey man suspected of being an al Qaeda member and going on a deadly rampage at a hospital in Yemen.
The FBI is investigating Sharif Mobley, a 26-year-old from Buena, New Jersey, said Rich Wolf, a spokesman at the agency's Baltimore, Maryland, office. He wouldn't comment further.
Mobley had worked at nuclear plants operated by PSEG Nuclear for different contractors from 2002 to 2008, doing routing labor such as carrying supplies and assisting with maintenance activities, company spokesman Joe Delmar said. Mobley, who also worked at other nuclear plants in the region, satisfied federal security background checks required to work in the U.S. nuclear industry as recently as 2008, he said.
Mobley is accused of shooting and killing a security agent and severely injuring another while trying to flee the Republican Hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, over the weekend, a law enforcement source said.
Yemeni counterterrorism forces rushed to the hospital and captured Mobley, who had barricaded himself in a hospital room, said Mohammed Albasha, a spokesman for the Yemeni embassy in Washington.
Yemeni authorities had detained Mobley and 10 other al Qaeda suspects earlier this month in a "successful security sweep" in the capital of Sanaa, Albasha said.
He had been transported to the hospital over the weekend for medical treatment, Albasha said, though he would not elaborate.
The law enforcement source said the FBI has interviewed Mobley's parents.
Another source, a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the case, said authorities have been aware of Mobley for some time.
Both law enforcement sources were unaware of any criminal charges against Mobley in the United States.
Delmar of PSEG said the company is cooperating with authorities investigating Mobley.
CNN's Susan Candiotti, Carol Cratty and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report. | [
"Sharif Mobley is one of 11 whats?",
"who is mobley?",
"How many al Queda suspects were captured this month?",
"What age is Mobley?",
"from where is sharif mobley?",
"who is investigating?",
"What is Sharif Mobley accused of?"
] | [
[
"al Qaeda suspects"
],
[
"26-year-old from Buena, New Jersey,"
],
[
"Mobley and 10 other"
],
[
"26-year-old"
],
[
"Buena, New Jersey,"
],
[
"authorities"
],
[
"shooting and killing a security agent and severely injuring another"
]
] | Sharif Mobley, 26, from Buena, New Jersey, accused of deadly hospital shooting .
Mobley one of 11 al Qaeda suspects captured earlier this month .
FBI investigating; they and Yemen officials offer few details . |
(CNN) -- Federal authorities are moving to rein in the man dubbed "America's Toughest Sheriff" after complaints that immigration raids by his deputies amounted to unconstitutional roundups of Latinos. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio supervises an inmate relocation in Phoenix, Arizona. Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff's department have had an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security since 2007 that allows his department to enforce federal immigration laws. But Arpaio says the federal agency is moving to revise the agreement to limit that power to checking the immigration status of inmates already in his Phoenix jail. Arpaio has cultivated his image as "America's Toughest Sheriff," a nickname earned by his treatment of Maricopa County inmates. Many of his prisoners are housed in tents and forced to wear pink underwear, and he once boasted of feeding them on less than a dollar a day. Now he faces a Justice Department investigation into allegations of civil rights abuses, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona is suing the sheriff over immigration raids conducted by his department. The class-action lawsuit alleges that Arpaio has abused the power delegated to him under his agreement with Homeland Security, known as the 287(g) program. "He's unconstitutionally acted to racially profile many persons in the community, persons who appear or are Latino," ACLU lawyer Dan Pochoda told CNN. Pochoda said the five-term sheriff has launched a series of high-profile raids to appeal to "his anti-immigration base." Arpaio told CNN's "American Morning" the allegations were "garbage" and said he would continue to use state laws to crack down on undocumented immigrants in his county. "We do not go on street corners and grab people that look like they're from another country," he said. "Pursuant to our duties, when we come across illegals, we take action." Watch what Arpaio has to say » Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who was Arizona's governor before taking her Cabinet post, told CNN that Arpaio is reacting prematurely to decisions that have not yet been finalized. But Arpaio says he's now become the poster boy of the emotionally charged immigration debate and is losing authority for political reasons. "They don't want to aggravate the Hispanic community, aggravate the businesspeople who hire the illegals, and they want amnesty," he said. Arpaio said he planned to continue his operations "with no changes." "We do enforce traffic violations. All law enforcement does that, and comes across some serious criminals, which we do in our crime suppression," he said. "We go into workplaces under the state law, and we arrest people in the workplace there illegally with identity theft situations and human smuggling." But according to a 2008 policy report on effective law enforcement by the Goldwater Institute, a libertarian-leaning watchdog group based in Phoenix, Arpaio's department "falls seriously short of fulfilling its mission." The report found that Maricopa County has "diverted resources away from basic law-enforcement functions to highly publicized immigration sweeps, which are ineffective in policing illegal immigration." CNN Correspondent Thelma Gutierrez contributed to this report. | [
"Who rejected allegations",
"What do they want to limit him to?",
"what does the Sheriff says about the Federal Agency?",
"What does the sheriff reject allegations of?",
"Whose raids were called unconstitutional",
"what is the charge of the chief who says \"he's reacting prematurely to decision yet to be made\"?",
"What do some say the deputies raids were?"
] | [
[
"Arpaio"
],
[
"checking the immigration status of inmates already in his Phoenix jail."
],
[
"is moving to revise the agreement to limit that power to checking the immigration status of inmates already in his Phoenix jail."
],
[
"civil rights abuses,"
],
[
"Sheriff Joe Arpaio"
],
[
"civil rights abuses,"
],
[
"unconstitutional roundups of Latinos."
]
] | Some say his deputies' raids were unconstitutional roundups of Latinos .
Sheriff: Federal agency wants to limit him to checking inmates' immigration status .
Sheriff rejects allegations that he abused power, violated civil rights .
Homeland Security chief says he's reacting prematurely to decisions yet to be made . |
(CNN) -- Federal authorities filed a criminal complaint Friday against a 56-year-old man whose scrawled note invoking "Gilligan's Island" led a Hawaiian Airlines pilot to turn around a Maui-bound flight and return Wednesday to Portland, Oregon.
Joseph Hedlund Johnson, of Salem, Oregon, was charged with the federal crime of interference with the performance and duties of a flight crew member or attendant. He is expected to surrender to authorities on Monday.
The crime of interference with the performance and duties of a flight crew member or attendant carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the complaint and a 13-page supporting affidavit, Johnson and his girlfriend, Caroll Ann Miller, boarded Hawaiian Airlines Flight 39 on Wednesday morning bound for Kahului, Hawaii, on the island of Maui.
Once aboard, Johnson became upset because he was not allowed to store his bag under his exit-row seat, according to the affidavit, which was written by an FBI agent after interviewing Johnson, Miller and the flight crew.
About 45 minutes into the flight, Johnson gave a comment card in a sealed envelope to a flight attendant, who opened it, read it and gave it to the lead flight attendant, who then gave it to the captain, it said.
"I thought I was going to die, we were so high up," the card said. "I thought to myself: I hope we don't crash and burn or worse yet landing in the ocean, living through it, only to be eaten by sharks, or worse yet, end up on some place like Gilligan's Island, stranded, or worse yet, be eaten by a tribe of headhunters, speaking of headhunters, why do they just eat outsiders, and not the family members? Strange ... and what if the plane ripped apart in mid-flight and we plumited (sic) to earth, landed on Gilligan's Island and then lived through it, and the only woman there was Mrs. Thurston Howell III? No Mary Anne (my favorite) no Ginger, just Lovey! If it were just her, I think I'd opt for the sharks, maybe the headhunters."
The "Gilligan's Island" references were to a 1960s-vintage CBS television comedy about a charter boat crew and their oddball passengers who become shipwrecked and wind up living together on a tropical island.
The pilot told investigators that, considering Johnson's earlier behavior regarding his bag, he felt threatened by the card and decided -- now about 90 minutes into the flight -- to turn the jet around.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled two fighter jets to escort the plane back to Portland.
Passengers were told that mechanical problems were to blame and did not learn about the perceived threat until after they arrived back at their starting point.
There, Johnson -- apparently oblivious to his role in the decision to turn around -- was met by FBI agents, who interviewed him, the flight crew and his girlfriend.
Investigators searched the plane, refueled it, and sent it off once again for Hawaii -- minus Johnson and Miller.
Johnson told authorities that he had flown only about four times in his life and that the Maui-bound flight was his first over water; that he had occupied himself first by reading in-flight magazines and then by filling out comment cards provided by the airline. He said he had lifted the phrase for the card "I thought I was going to die" from comedian Mike Myers, the affidavit said.
"Johnson stated that he didn't think anyone would open it during the flight," the affidavit added. "He told me that he thought the card was going to be taken back to an office somewhere, opened, and everyone in the room would 'get a laugh' from it, and that perhaps he'd even get some frequent flyer miles out of it. Johnson stated he didn't intend to scare anyone and he would not have written his name on the card if it was a threat. Johnson stated that he felt bad about | [
"Who is charged with a federal crime?",
"What was Johnson charged with?",
"When was the flight disrupted?",
"What disrupted the flight on Wednesday?",
"When was Joseph Johnson charged with a federal crime?"
] | [
[
"Joseph Hedlund Johnson,"
],
[
"interference"
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"a 56-year-old man whose scrawled"
],
[
"Friday"
]
] | Incident disrupted Maui-bound flight on Wednesday .
Joseph Hedlund Johnson, of Salem, Oregon, charged with a federal crime .
Johnson wrote note on comment card invoking "Gilligan's Island"
Affidavit says Johnson said he didn't think card would be looked at during flight . |
(CNN) -- Federal authorities indicted 24 people Wednesday on charges of selling, buying or exchanging archaeological artifacts stolen from Native American lands -- part of what Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar called a crackdown on smugglers of such relics. The artifacts include burial and ceremonial masks, decorated pottery and a buffalo-hide headdress, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. "Let this case serve notice to anyone who is considering breaking these laws and trampling our nation's cultural heritage that the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], the Department of Justice and the federal government will track you down and bring you to justice," said Salazar, who was in Salt Lake City, Utah, to announce the crackdown. President Obama is "committed to a new relationship with America's first Americans," Salazar said, adding that Wednesday's announcements of indictments was a show of that commitment. Officials said the artifacts -- some stolen from grave sites -- were taken from the Four Corners area, so called because it is the intersection of four states: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The area also has a rich history of Native American culture. The Navajo Parks and Recreation Department manages the Four Corners Monument, which attracts tourists as the only point in the United States where four states come together at one point. Authorities recovered 256 artifacts worth about $335,685, said Deputy Attorney General David Ogden. About 150 agents assisted in an undercover investigation that tracked the suspects for more than two years, Ogden said. They had the help of an individual who knew about the smuggling ring, officials said. The investigation is ongoing, said Ogden. The recovered artifacts are evidence, but at some point after the investigation those that are privately owned will be returned to their owners, said Craig Leff, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management. The suspects face charges carrying sentences ranging from one to 10 years in prison for violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation, Ogden said. | [
"What was stolen from North American lands?",
"How many were indicted for buying and selling archaeological artifacts?",
"How many people were indicted?",
"How long were the suspects tracked for?",
"What were the stolen artifacts worth?",
"How many artifacts were recovered?",
"How much were the artifacts worth?",
"The artifacts where stolen from where?"
] | [
[
"archaeological artifacts"
],
[
"24 people"
],
[
"24"
],
[
"more than two years,"
],
[
"about $335,685,"
],
[
"256"
],
[
"about $335,685,"
],
[
"Native American lands"
]
] | 24 indicted for selling, buying, exchanging archaeological artifacts .
Artifacts stolen from Native American lands .
Authorities recovered 256 artifacts worth about $335,685 .
Undercover investigation tracked suspects for more than two years . |
(CNN) -- Federal authorities plan to unseal charges Monday against several people arrested in a series of weekend raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, prosecutors in Detroit said Sunday.
At least seven people were arrested on charges that were under seal over the weekend, a law enforcement source said Sunday.
Gina Balaya, spokeswoman for the U.S attorney's office in Detroit, said those charges will be revealed during a federal court hearing Monday.
Mike Lackomar, a county leader for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said the target of the raid was a Christian militia group called the Hutaree. The group proclaims on a Web site that it is "preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive."
The FBI would disclose no details of the raids. The law enforcement source told CNN the arrests were unrelated to any terrorist plot. The source would not confirm Hutaree members were among those arrested, but said the suspects were not planning attacks against government targets and the raids were unrelated to recent threats against members of Congress.
At least two arrests were made in Huron and Sandusky, Ohio, but the case is being handled out of Detroit, said Scott Wilson, an FBI spokesman in Cleveland.
Lackomar, who cited the FBI for his information, said several Hutaree members were arrested at a wake for one of the group. He said the Hutaree group trained with his organization "on a couple of occasions in years past," but his group stopped about a year ago, after the Hutaree had an "issue" with federal firearms regulators. He did not elaborate.
Lackomar called the Hutaree a "religious militant group" with about a dozen members, who scattered as news of the raids spread over the weekend.
He told CNN his own group is aimed at "aiding the community in times of emergency" and had nothing to do with the raids.
CNN's Carol Cratty, Pat St. Claire and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report. | [
"What three states does the Hutaree operate in?",
"How many were arrested over the weekend?",
"Where do the Hutaree operate?",
"When will the federal authorities unseal charges?",
"where operate hutaree",
"What do Federal authorities plan to unseal on Monday?"
] | [
[
"Michigan, Ohio"
],
[
"At least seven people"
],
[
"Southeast Michigan"
],
[
"Monday"
],
[
"Southeast Michigan"
],
[
"charges"
]
] | Federal authorities plan to unseal charges Monday; at least 7 arrest over weekend .
Nongovernment source: Those arrested part of self-proclaimed Christian militia group .
The Hutaree operate in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, source in another militia says . |
(CNN) -- Federal drug investigators have taken over the inquiry into the January 22 death of actor Heath Ledger in a New York apartment, a law enforcement source told CNN Thursday. Actor Heath Ledger, 28, died January 22 at an apartment in Lower Manhattan. Ledger, 28, an Oscar-nominated Australian actor, died of an accidental overdose of six types of medication, according to the New York City medical examiner's office. The medical examiner's office said Ledger "died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine." Oxycodone and hydrocodone are pain medications; diazepam -- also known as Valium -- is used to treat anxiety; temazepam is a sedative used to induce sleep; alprazolam -- known by the trade name Xanax -- is an anti-anxiety agent. Doxylamine, an antihistamine, can be obtained over the counter as a sleep aid. The law enforcement source said the federal drug investigators are trying to determine if the drugs were prescribed legally, and are looking at two doctors -- one based in California and another in Texas. Ledger's first American film was the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1999. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama "The Patriot" in 2000 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001. He also played a supporting role in "Monster's Ball." But Ledger was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," Ang Lee's film about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned Ledger a best actor Oscar nomination. E-mail to a friend CNN's Brian Vitagliano contributed to this report. | [
"Who did of an overdose?",
"Who is looking into death?",
"Where are the doctors from?",
"who is the dea looking at",
"Who is trying to determine if the drugs were prescribed legally?",
"Where are the two doctors?",
"who died of an overdose",
"When did Ledger die?",
"What was Ledger's cause of death?",
"Who died of an accidental overdose?",
"what are federal drug officers looking into"
] | [
[
"Heath Ledger,"
],
[
"drug investigators"
],
[
"based in California and another in Texas."
],
[
"two doctors"
],
[
"federal"
],
[
"California and another in Texas."
],
[
"Heath Ledger,"
],
[
"January 22"
],
[
"accidental overdose of six types of medication,"
],
[
"Heath Ledger,"
],
[
"January 22 death of actor Heath"
]
] | Law enforcement source says federal drug officers are looking into death .
Ledger died of an accidental overdose January 22 .
Source: Investigators trying to determine if drugs were prescribed legally .
DEA is looking at two doctors -- one in California and one in Texas . |
(CNN) -- Federal health officials are expanding efforts to ensure no additional bacteria-tainted cantaloupes get to consumers in what has become the deadliest U.S. outbreak of a food-borne illness in more than a decade.
The Food and Drug Administration said it has teamed up with state officials in the effort.
"FDA and its state partners are conducting checks at retail stores, wholesalers and distributors to make sure they have received notification about the Jensen Farms' whole cantaloupe recall and that they have taken appropriate action to notify their customers and remove the recalled whole cantaloupes from the shelves," the agency said in a statement Wednesday.
Thirteen people have died in what has become the deadliest U.S. outbreak of a food-borne illness since 1998, according to records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The outbreak -- blamed on the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes -- was first reported September 12. It was traced to consumption of Rocky Ford cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms' fields in Granada, Colorado.
What you need to know about Listeria
As of Monday, it had grown to 18 states, 72 illnesses and 13 deaths, according to the CDC's latest statistics.
"Because some of the wholesalers and distributors may have further distributed the recalled cantaloupes to food processors, it is possible that additional products that contain cantaloupe from Jensen Farms could be recalled," the FDA said. "There is no indication of foreign distribution at this time."
In 1998, 21 people died from consuming tainted hot dogs, according to a CDC database.
Food poisoning 101
In the current outbreak, four people who ate contaminated cantaloupes died in New Mexico, two each in Colorado and Texas, and one each in Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
Public health officials also have reported illnesses in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Listeria can grow even at low temperatures and can also can take three weeks or longer to make a person sick, so more cases may emerge in the coming weeks, officials said.
Listeriosis causes fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It is rarely a serious concern for healthy children and adults, according to the CDC, but it is particularly dangerous for older adults, people with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, it can cause miscarriages, stillbirth and premature delivery.
Pregnant women may experience only mild flu-like symptoms, said Dr. David Acheson, a former chief medical officer for the FDA who is now the managing director for food and import safety practice at Leavitt Partners, a firm which advises clients on health care and food safety. Listeria can be devastating to a fetus, he said, particularly in the second or third trimesters, so pregnant women who may have been exposed and have any flu-like symptoms should see a doctor. Symptoms can be more pronounced in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, he said.
About 1,600 people become seriously ill because of the bacteria each year, the CDC reports, and about 260 die.
How to keep your food safe | [
"What was linked to 13 deaths?",
"How long has it been since this deadly of an outbreak?",
"How many deaths are linked to cantaloupes?",
"What amount of time does Listeria take to make a person sick?",
"How long does it take for listeria to make a person sick?",
"How many states have reported illness?",
"When was the last deadly outbreak in the US?",
"How many died?",
"How long does Listeria take to manifest?"
] | [
[
"bacteria Listeria monocytogenes"
],
[
"1998,"
],
[
"Thirteen"
],
[
"three weeks or longer"
],
[
"three weeks or longer"
],
[
"18"
],
[
"1998,"
],
[
"Thirteen"
],
[
"three weeks or longer"
]
] | Listeria can take three weeks or longer to make a person sick .
Tainted cantaloupes are linked to 13 deaths; 72 illnesses have been reported in 18 states .
It is the deadliest U.S. outbreak of a food-borne illness in more than a decade . |
(CNN) -- Federal officials are urging consumers to put off eating foods that contain peanut butter until assurances are made that the foods do not contain products manufactured by the Peanut Corp. of America, some of which were found to contain salmonella. A salmonella outbreak has sickened almost 500 people and killed at least six. Food and Drug Administration officials said Saturday that peanut butter and peanut paste made from ground roasted peanuts, manufactured in Peanut Corp.'s Blakely, Georgia, plant were found to contain the bacteria, although a direct link to the strain that has now sickened 474 people in 43 states has not been found. Six deaths may have been connected to this salmonella outbreak. Peanut Corp. announced an expanded recall of peanut butter and peanut paste produced from its Georgia plant Friday night. Peanut Corp. doesn't directly supply to supermarkets, so brand-name peanut butters are not expected to be affected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead, Peanut Corp. sells produce in bulk. The peanut butter is sold in containers from 5 to 1,700 pounds. Peanut paste is sold in sizes from 35-pound containers to tankers. The peanut paste is used in the manufacturing of cakes, candies, crackers, cookies and ice cream, FDA officials say. Minnesota and Connecticut health officials have confirmed salmonella Typhimurium linked to this outbreak in bulk containers found in institutions such as prisons, schools and nursing homes. The FDA is urging companies that make these foods to check whether they use peanut butter or paste produced by the company. The recalled peanut butter was manufactured on or after August 8, 2008; the peanut paste was produced on or after September 26, 2008. The administration is urging companies to notify consumers if the products they manufacture may contain peanut products from Peanut Corp. It is also urging companies whose products do not contain Peanut Corp. peanut butter or paste to make that information available to the public. The Kellogg Co. announced a voluntary recall of 16 products, including Keebler and Famous Amos peanut butter cookies, because they contain peanut butter that could be connected to Peanut Corp. The FDA does not have the authority to order a recall of products. It has to rely on companies doing so voluntarily. Congress would have to pass a law to give the FDA such power Peanut Corp. products are also distributed by King Nut Co., which voluntarily recalled its products a week ago. "The majority of products [like cookies, crackers, ice cream] are manufactured with products that don't come from PCA," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. However, until people can be sure that the peanut cookies or crackers they have do not contain product from Peanut Corp., the FDA is asking consumers to hold off on eating them. Sundlof said a previous outbreak linked to salmonella-contaminated peanut butter showed that the bacteria are not necessarily killed if the product is heat-treated or baked. "It took temperatures up to 250 degrees [Fahrenheit] to kill salmonella," Sundlof said. Even if a cookie is cooked at 350 degrees, it doesn't guarantee that the center of the food gets that hot, making it possible for some some salmonella bacteria to survive. CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this report. | [
"What products contained salmonella?",
"Number of people sickened by the salmonella outbreak?",
"how many are sick from Salmonella?",
"What brand products were found to contain salmonella?",
"What company was affected by the outbreak?",
"What caused 475 cases of illness?",
"What is the effect on Brand-name products?",
"What did the FDA urge?",
"Who heads the FDA?",
"How many were sickened by the outbreak?",
"Who urged manufacturers to announce whether they used certain products?"
] | [
[
"foods that contain peanut butter"
],
[
"500"
],
[
"almost 500"
],
[
"peanut butter"
],
[
"Peanut Corp. of America,"
],
[
"A salmonella outbreak"
],
[
"not expected to be affected,"
],
[
"urging companies that make these foods to check whether they use peanut butter or paste produced by the company."
],
[
"Dr. Stephen Sundlof,"
],
[
"500 people"
],
[
"The FDA"
]
] | NEW: Salmonella outbreak has sickened 475 says FDA .
Peanut Corp. of America products found to contain salmonella .
Brand-name peanut butters are not expected to be affected .
FDA urges manufacturers to announce whether they use certain products . |
(CNN) -- Federal regulators announced $7.1 million in fines against American Airlines on Thursday over maintenance issues and problems with its drug- and alcohol-testing programs. American Airlines was fined for allowing aircrafts to fly while they knew they needed repairs. "The FAA believes the large total amount of the fine for these violations is appropriate because American Airlines was aware that appropriate repairs were needed, and instead deferred maintenance," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement announcing the decision. "In intentionally continuing to fly the aircraft, the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew." American can still appeal the fines, the FAA said. The FAA also found the airline maintained inadequate drug- and alcohol-testing programs and failed to inspect safety lighting on a "timely" basis. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier said Thursday evening that it disagreed with the findings and called the penalties "excessive." "In accordance with FAA procedures for handling these matters, we have requested to meet with the FAA after we have had time to thoroughly review their findings, so that we may discuss the issues," the airline said in a written statement. "Since these matters are ongoing with the FAA, we will not have any further comment at this time." Nearly $4.5 million of the proposed fines stem from American's continued operation of two MD-83 jetliners in December 2007 after pilots reported problems with the autopilot systems, the FAA said. The two planes were flown a combined 58 times before the problems were corrected -- and one flew 10 times after an FAA inspector notified the airline that it had wrongly deferred needed repairs. In one incident, the autopilot disconnected during a landing on December 21, the FAA said. "American technicians did not check for the actual problem, and instead deferred maintenance using an inappropriate MEL (minimum equipment list) item. The plane flew another 36 passenger-carrying flights during December 21-31." The problem was later traced to a piece of radio gear separate from the autopilot, the FAA said. Meanwhile, a different MD-83 flew four flights without a fully functioning autopilot after American mechanics put off repairs. Regulators also accuse American of operating planes without timely inspections of their emergency lighting systems. In April, American canceled more than 3,000 flights to conduct inspections of wiring bundles in wheel wells of its 300 MD-80 jets, snarling air traffic for five days. The FAA ordered American and several other airlines to examine the wiring, which had the potential to start fires or cause landing gear to malfunction. | [
"who asks to meet with faa?",
"What did the two planes do?",
"What was airline also fined for?",
"Who flew 58 times?",
"What is the airline accused of?",
"What was the airline fined for?",
"Who was accused?",
"What is accused of not having timely inspections?",
"Who calls fines excessive?"
] | [
[
"American Airlines"
],
[
"fly while they knew they needed repairs."
],
[
"allowing aircrafts to fly while they knew they needed repairs."
],
[
"two planes"
],
[
"maintenance issues and problems with its drug- and alcohol-testing programs."
],
[
"maintenance issues and problems with its drug- and alcohol-testing programs."
],
[
"American Airlines"
],
[
"American Airlines"
],
[
"American Airlines"
]
] | NEW: American asks to meet with FAA, calls fines "excessive"
Airline accused of not having timely inspections of emergency lighting systems .
Two planes flew combined 58 times before problems corrected .
Airline also fined for "past deficiencies" regarding drug and alcohol testing. |
Subsets and Splits