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(CNN) -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday said he accepts "full responsibility" for granting clemency in 2000 to a man authorities say gunned down four Lakewood, Washington, police officers Sunday. Maurice Clemmons, 37, was shot and killed early Tuesday by Seattle police. He was the subject of a two-day manhunt after the four officers were killed at a coffee shop as they met before their shifts began Sunday morning. Clemmons had a criminal history in Arkansas and Washington. In May 2000, Huckabee commuted his 108-year prison sentence to make him immediately eligible for parole, which was granted by the parole board two months later. Clemmons had been sentenced to 95 years, to run after time he was already serving on previous convictions. In a statement on the conservative news Web site Newsmax.com, Huckabee wrote that he commuted Clemmons' sentence from 108 years to 47 years. Reports that he had pardoned Clemmons or set him free were erroneous, he said. "I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago," Huckabee said. "I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000. If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later, I obviously would have made a different decision. But if the same file was presented to me today, I would have likely made the same decision." But the Arkansas prosecutor who put Clemmons behind bars told CNN on Tuesday that Huckabee was issuing clemency at "an astounding rate" during his tenure as governor. "He was exercising the clemency power at what I call a wholesale rate," Larry Jegley said. "He was letting murderers out, he was letting rapists out, and he was letting the likes of Mr. Clemmons out." One survey, he said, showed Huckabee issued more clemencies from 1996 to 2004 than the governors of all six surrounding states, including Texas. He said he didn't know why so many clemencies were granted. "That was part of the frustration that we felt with the entire process. ... We never felt as though he gave victims, their families, jurors, law enforcement and the community in general an adequate explanation as to why he felt compelled to let people of proven danger go in our community." Huckabee was a Republican presidential candidate in the 2008 election and has not ruled out another White House bid in 2012. During his 2008 campaign, he was criticized for granting clemency to another inmate, convicted rapist Wayne DuMond, who was later convicted of raping and murdering a woman in Missouri. "Between 1,000 and 2,000 requests for some form of clemency came to my desk each and every one of the 10½ years I was governor," Huckabee said Tuesday. "Ninety-two percent of the time, I denied the requests." He noted that in Arkansas, a governor does not initiate a sentence change -- the Post Prison Transfer Board makes a recommendation to the governor after reviewing an inmate's file. The governor then can grant or deny it. Clemmons was 16 when he was charged with robbery and burglary. "For the crimes he committed and the age at which he committed the crimes, [a 108-year sentence] was dramatically outside the norm for sentencing," Huckabee said. The board unanimously recommended that the sentence be commuted. Jegley said that while in prison in Arkansas, Clemmons had a disciplinary record for violent incidents, and that something should have tipped off the board or the governor that "this man was not a good candidate to be put back in society, because he couldn't live in the cloistered environment of prison and stay out of trouble." Watch what Jegley has to say In the case of any form of clemency -- a commutation or a full pardon -- notice is given to the prosecutor, the judge, law enforcement officials, the attorney general and the secretary of state, as well as the media, for a public response period, Huckabee said. "The only record of public response to the notice to commute was from the trial judge, who recommended the commendation in concert with the board." Jegley | [
"What was man accused of?",
"When did Huckabee commute the sentence?",
"What percentage of requests were denied?",
"on what date the event occurred"
] | [
[
"gunned down four Lakewood, Washington, police officers Sunday."
],
[
"In May 2000,"
],
[
"\"Ninety-two percent"
],
[
"May 2000,"
]
] | Man accused of killing 4 Washington officers had criminal history in Arkansas, Washington .
In 2000, Huckabee commuted his 108-year prison term, making him eligible for parole .
Man who put suspect behind bars said Huckabee issued clemency at "an astounding rate"
Huckabee: I "acted on the facts presented to me in 2000," denied 92% of clemency requests . |
(CNN) -- Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick arrived at his home in Hampton, Virginia, on Thursday morning. Michael Vick, left, arrives at federal court with attorney Billy Martin in Richmond, Viriginia, in 2007. "He is happy to be reunited with his family," said Chris Garrett, a spokesman for Vick. Vick was released from a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Wednesday. He will serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement in Virginia, his publicist Judy Smith said. Vick is a native of Newport News, Virginia. Watch a panel discuss his release » Vick, 28, pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia. He could return to professional football as soon as September if reinstated by the NFL, according to the sports agent who negotiated Vick's 10-year, $140 million contract with the Falcons. Meanwhile, Vick's attorneys have said he will work at a Newport News construction firm after his release and he has also agreed to participate in a documentary for $600,000. Last month, a federal bankruptcy judge denied a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan presented by Vick and urged him to offer another plan. The original plan called for Vick to come up with $750,000 to $1 million in cash to be paid to creditors, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro said, but he said he saw no evidence Vick could come up with that much. Santoro suggested Vick's next plan not call for him to keep two houses and three cars, as did the rejected proposal. In testimony, Vick acknowledged committing a "heinous" act and said he should have acted more maturely. He said he has been earning 12 cents an hour as an overnight janitor in prison. His Falcons salary, he said, was between $10 million and $12 million. He acknowledged failing to handle his money well. After his release, Vick will work with the Humane Society of the United States on anti-dogfighting campaigns, Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle told CNN Tuesday. Vick will work on programs aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in dogfighting, and on programs to assist young people who have already been involved in the blood sport. Watch more about Vick's dogs » Pacelle said the Humane Society was approached by Vick's representatives. He said he has traveled to Kansas twice to meet with the former quarterback, and during the second visit, the two discussed how Vick could use his sway over youths to discourage them from involvement in dogfighting, as well as help those who were apprehended in connection with it. Details have not yet been hammered out, Pacelle said, but will be in the next couple of days. iReport.com: Does Vick deserve a second chance? More attention has been paid to dogfighting as a result of Vick's case, Pacelle said. The Humane Society, which offers rewards for tips involving dogfighting, has recently paid out $40,000 in five cases, he said. CNN's Marylynn Ryan contributed to this report. | [
"What did he please guilty to?",
"What did Vick plead guilty to in 2007?",
"Which NFL team did Michael Vick play for?",
"Who was released from prison on Wednesday?",
"What did Vick plead guilty to?",
"What team did Vick play for?",
"When was Vick released from prision?",
"Where will he serve the last two months of his sentence?",
"What number of months will he serve in home confinement?",
"Where will Vick work?",
"Who played for Atlanta Falcons",
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] | [
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"a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation"
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"Michael Vick,"
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"Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick"
],
[
"Michael Vick"
]
] | Ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick released from prison on Wednesday .
Vick will serve last two months of sentence in home confinement .
Attorneys have said Vick will work at construction firm; Vick has OK'd documentary .
Vick, 28, pleaded guilty in 2007 to bankrolling a dogfighting operation in Virginia . |
(CNN) -- Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick left a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, early Wednesday, according to his publicist and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Michael Vick, left, arrives at federal court with attorney Billy Martin in Richmond, Viriginia, in 2007. He will serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement in Virginia, his publicist Judy Smith said. He is a native of Newport News, Virginia. Vick, 28, pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia. He will return to professional football as soon as September if reinstated by the NFL, according to the sports agent who negotiated Vick's 10-year, $140 million contract with the Falcons. Meanwhile, Vick's attorneys have said he will work at a Newport News construction firm following his release, and he has also agreed to participate in a documentary for $600,000. Last month, a federal bankruptcy judge denied a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan presented by Vick, urging him to offer the court another plan to emerge from bankruptcy. The plan called for Vick to come up with $750,000 to $1 million in cash to be paid to creditors, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro said, but added he saw no evidence Vick could come up with that much. Santoro suggested Vick's next plan not call for him to keep two houses and three cars, as did the rejected proposal. In testimony, Vick acknowledged committing a "heinous" act and said he should have acted more maturely. He said he has been earning 12 cents an hour as an overnight janitor in prison. His Falcons salary, he said, was between $10 million and $12 million. He acknowledged failing to handle his money well. Watch a panel discuss his release » Vick plans to work with the Humane Society of the United States on anti-dogfighting campaigns, Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle told CNN on Tuesday. Vick will work on programs aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in dogfighting, and also on programs to assist young people who have already been involved in the blood sport. Pacelle said the Humane Society was approached by Vick's representatives. He said he has traveled to Kansas twice to meet with the former quarterback, and during the second visit, the two discussed how Vick could use his sway over youths to discourage them from involvement in dogfighting, as well as help those who were apprehended in connection with it. Watch more about Vick's dogs » Details have not yet been hammered out, Pacelle said, but will be in the next couple of days. iReport.com: Does Vick deserve a second chance? More attention has been paid to dogfighting as a result of Vick's case, Pacelle said. The Humane Society, which offers rewards for tips involving dogfighting, has recently paid out $40,000 in five different cases, he said. | [
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"What state did he serve his last months of his prison term?",
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"In what year did Vick plead guilty?",
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] | [
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"home confinement in Virginia,"
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[
"28,"
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[
"2007."
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[
"to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation"
],
[
"Atlanta Falcons"
]
] | Prisons official says ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback left facility early Wednesday .
He'll serve last two months of sentence in home confinement, most likely in Virginia .
Vick's attorneys have said he'll work at construction firm; Vick has OK'd documentary .
Vick, 28, pleaded guilty in 2007 to bankrolling a dogfighting operation in Virginia . |
(CNN) -- Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will reunite on stage next month to raise money to teach transcendental meditation to children around the world to "help provide them a quiet haven in a not-so-quiet world," McCartney said. Paul McCartney (above) and Ringo Starr are teaming up for a fund-raising concert. The star-studded list of performers who will join them include two musicians who were with the Beatles when they journeyed to India's Himalayan foothills in 1968 to learn transcendental meditation from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. "In moments of madness, it has helped me find moments of serenity," McCartney said in the concert announcement. Profits from the April 4 show at New York's Radio City Music Hall will fund the David Lynch Foundation's program, which has already taught 60,000 children around the world how to meditate, foundation spokesman Steve Yellin said. The goal of the project -- which is called "Change Begins Within" -- is to teach the meditation technique to a million at-risk children so they have "life-long tools to overcome stress and violence and promote peace and success in their lives," Yellin said. Schools across the United States have asked the group to bring the classes to their students, he said. "I would like to think that it would help provide them a quiet haven in a not-so-quiet world," McCartney said. Singer-songwriter Donovan and musician Paul Horn, who studied at the Maharishi's ashram with the four Beatles, will also perform in the show. "How great to be playing with Paul, Ringo, and Paul Horn again -- as we did in India in 1968," Donovan said. "It's a real reunion after 40 years of Donovan, Paul Horn, Ringo and Paul McCartney," Yellin said. "It's quite an interesting thing that they are still talking about transcendental meditation." Ringo left the ashram after just 10 days -- explaining the food was too spicy for his taste -- and McCartney stayed for six weeks, according to journalist Lewis Lapham in his book "With the Beatles." McCartney and John Lennon wrote many of the songs for the Beatles' White Album while there, but the group disbanded within two years. The list of performers also includes Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Bettye LaVette and Jim James. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 9, through Ticketmaster. | [
"Who was all included on the bill?",
"What other artists will be performing at the concert?",
"Who participated in the fund-raising concert?",
"Who participated in a fund-raising concert?"
] | [
[
"Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Bettye LaVette"
],
[
"Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Bettye LaVette and Jim James."
],
[
"Ringo Starr"
],
[
"Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr"
]
] | Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr participating in fund-raising concert .
Show to benefit David Lynch Foundation program teaching meditation to kids .
Also on the bill: Donovan, Paul Horn, Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder . |
(CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic intends to skip the start of his war crimes trial because he says he has had too little time to prepare, a spokeswoman for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said Thursday. Radovan Karadzic wrote to the court to say he would not attend the trial. The trial is still expected to begin on Monday despite Karadzic's intended absence, which he announced in a letter to the court, the spokeswoman said. "The tribunal judges control court proceedings. They are the only relevant body that can make a decision about the readiness of the case for trial," she said. Karadzic, who is defending himself, faces genocide charges and nine other counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Croats and other non-Serbian civilians during the brutal and bloody dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The conflict introduced the phrase "ethnic cleansing" into the lexicon describing war crimes, as different factions in multi-ethnic Yugoslavia sought to kill or drive out other groups. Karadzic was arrested last year after more than a decade on the run and was found to have been living in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and practicing alternative medicine in disguise. In a letter dated Wednesday and made public Thursday, Karadzic complains that he has not been given the relevant case material on time -- and he says the volume of material would have been too much to go through even if he had received it promptly. "I ask Your Excellencies -- why and how is it possible that the prosecution is allowed to literally bury me under a million of pages, only to start disclosing relevant material many months after my arrest?" he writes. "Why and how is it possible that the prosecution is allowed to file its final indictment against me on the eve of the planned trial date?" Karadzic says he should not be penalized for representing himself. "No lawyer in this world could prepare defense within this period of time," he writes. "I hereby inform you that my defense is not ready for my trial that is supposed to begin as scheduled, on the 26th of October, and that therefore I shall not appear before you on that date." He promised to continue his preparations in "the most intensive way" and inform the court when he is ready. The genocide charges against him stem partly from the most notorious massacre of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, once a part of Yugoslavia. More than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed at Srebrenica when ethnic Serb troops overran a U.N. "safe area" in July 1995. It was the worst European massacre since World War II. Prosecutors at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague accuse Karadzic of responsibility. "On 8 March 1995, Karadzic instructed Bosnian Serb forces under his command to create an unbearable situation of total insecurity with no hope of further survival for the inhabitants of Srebrenica, amongst other places," the tribunal said in a statement this month. The Hague indictment also says Karadzic committed genocide when forces under his command killed non-Serbs during and after attacks in more than a dozen Bosnian municipalities in the early stages of the war. Karadzic, who faces life in prison if he is convicted, denies the charges. The court cannot impose the death penalty. When he was arrested in July 2008, Karadzic had grown a large white beard and let his famous steel-gray hair grow long and turn white. He had spent more than 13 years in hiding, during which he practiced alternative medicine at a Belgrade clinic. Karadzic's arrest leaves his former military commander, Ratko Mladic, as the highest-ranking fugitive still being sought by the war crimes tribunal. Prosecutor Alan Tieger told the court in July that the case against Karadzic would take approximately 490 hours. That means prosecutors are likely to need more than a year to lay out their evidence, a court spokeswoman said. The 1992-95 Bosnian war was the longest of the wars spawned by the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Backed | [
"How many died during the dissolution?",
"who is skipping",
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"how many died?",
"What was he accused of?",
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] | [
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"More than 7,000"
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"Radovan Karadzic"
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],
[
"More than 7,000"
],
[
"genocide charges and nine other counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity"
],
[
"More than 7,000"
]
] | Karadzic says he is skipping the start of his war crimes and genocide trial .
Former Bosnian Serb leader accused over atrocities during Balkans conflict .
Thousands died during the bloody dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1990s . |
(CNN) -- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will begin chemotherapy in the coming days to treat a malignant tumor in his larynx, a hospital official said Saturday.
Lula, 66, will be treated at Sao Paulo's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital, said hospital spokeswoman Mirtes Bogea. It is not clear what day the treatment will begin.
He was diagnosed Saturday morning after undergoing medical examinations, Bogea said.
"This is a localized tumor," noted Bogea, meaning that it has not spread elsewhere in the body. She added that the tumor has not metastasized, a characteristic of most cancerous cells.
Finance Minister Guido Mantega told reporters that he attended Lula's birthday party last week and noticed that his voice sounded hoarse.
"But since he has been traveling a lot and delivering speeches, we all thought it was normal," he told CNN affiliate Rede Record TV.
On Saturday, Mantega predicted Lula would beat cancer. He noted that former first lady Marisa Leticia has been with Lula ever since he came to the hospital for a check-up on Friday.
"He is a fighter," Mantega told reporters, adding he expected Lula will leave the hospital later Saturday. "He has overcome lesser obstacles and will overcome this one as well."
Raul Cutait, one of the doctors treating the former president told Rede Record TV that Lula appears well. He said it is also likely that therapy will begin early next week.
Sao Paulo's Syrian-Lebanese hospital is considered one of the region's top cancer treatment centers.
Founded in 1921 by Syrian and Lebanese immigrants, the facility's staff has also treated Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo and former Brazilian Vice President Jose Alencar, who died in March after a long battle against abdominal cancer.
Its patients also include current Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff -- Lula's handpicked successor and is the first woman to hold the presidency -- who was treated in 2005 for lymphoma.
Rousseff said on her Twitter account that she'd spoken to Lula's wife, and in a press release issued Saturday wished her predecessor a "fast recovery."
"As you all know, I went through the same thing, with the competent team of the Syrian-Lebanese hospital, which allowed me to completely recover," she said. "I am sure the same thing will happen to President Lula."
Lula, who rose from a childhood of poverty to become a union leader, won elections in 2002 to become Brazil's first working-class president.
He is widely credited with helping steer the nation into becoming an economic powerhouse, leaving office last year with high approval ratings. Presidents, however, are barred from running for a third consecutive term.
When Lula turned 66 years-old last Thursday, he addressed the Brazilian public via the Internet, saying that he had dedicated more than half his half to improving Brazil's democracy.
"The cake is not one of the biggest cakes," he said, with a wink, during a speech. "But I hope to give to all of you a tiny bite." | [
"what did the hospital spokeswoman say about the president",
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"what did lula's doctor say about him",
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"what did the Brazil's finance minister say about Lula",
"Who says Lula is doing well?",
"Where is Lula being treated?"
] | [
[
"Lula, 66, will be treated at Sao Paulo's Syrian-Lebanese"
],
[
"Sao Paulo's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital,"
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[
"appears well."
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[
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],
[
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[
"Raul Cutait,"
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[
"Sao Paulo's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital,"
]
] | NEW: Brazil's finance minister says Lula is "a fighter" and will beat cancer .
One of Lula's doctors says that he appears to be doing well .
The ex-president is being treated at Sao Paulo's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital .
His tumor is localized and has not metastisized, a hospital spokeswoman says . |
(CNN) -- Former Democratic Rep. Charles Wilson of Texas, whose support for anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan inspired the 2007 movie "Charlie Wilson's War," died Wednesday at age 76. The 12-term congressman, who served the state's second congressional district, had been in a meeting Wednesday morning with a friend when he complained of difficulty breathing, said Yana Ogletree, a spokeswoman for Memorial Medical Center in Lufkin. The two men were heading to the hospital when they passed an emergency medical services vehicle on the side of the road and stopped for help, she said. Paramedics took Wilson to the hospital emergency room, where he was pronounced dead, she said. Wilson, who had undergone a heart transplant at Methodist Hospital in Houston in September 2007, moved back to Lufkin when he retired from Congress in 1997 after having served since 1973, she said. "I had the unforgettable experience of knowing Congressman Wilson when I was at CIA and he was working tirelessly on behalf of the Afghan resistance fighting the Soviets," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a written statement. "As the world now knows, his efforts and exploits helped repel an invader, liberate a people and bring the Cold War to a close. After the Soviets left, Charlie kept fighting for the Afghan people and warned against abandoning that traumatized country to its fate -- a warning we should have heeded then, and should remember today." "Charlie Wilson led a life that was oversized even by Hollywood's standards," said Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a statement. "Congressman Wilson was fiercely devoted to serving his country and his fellow Texans." "Charlie was a man of courage and conviction who worked hard, loved his country, and lived life to the fullest," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wisconsin. "We will miss him." Tom Hanks portrayed the flamboyant congressman in the 2007 movie "Charlie Wilson's War," based on the book by George Crile. The book and the film told the story of Wilson's efforts to get weapons to Mujahedeen fighters after Soviets invaded Afghanistan. "Hanks did a great job," Wilson said in 2008. Wilson also praised the other actors. "They were too close to the truth," he said. The U.S. Naval Academy grad and Navy veteran was elected to Congress in 1972 -- a Democrat bucking the national Nixon landslide -- and quickly became known for his high-living escapades, which earned him the nickname "Good Time Charlie," and shrewd accumulation of political chits. His savvy came in handy in the early 1980s, when Wilson, a staunch anti-Communist, decided to help Afghan rebels in their war against the invading Soviet Union. Over several years, working behind the scenes, his efforts to raise funds through his defense subcommittee, to establish a bond with a CIA agent named Gust Avrakotos (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film) and to negotiate support from Middle Eastern countries helped the Afghans take the upper hand and eventually forced the Soviets out of the country. Asked what led to the Soviet departure, Pakistani leader Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq was blunt: "Charlie did it," he told CBS News' "60 Minutes." Some people criticized the film because it didn't do much to highlight what happened in Afghanistan after the Soviets left: the Taliban's takeover of the country and al Qaeda's use of the nation as a base. Wilson was asked in 2008 about the consequences of helping the Mujahedeen fighters. "I don't think there was a serious blowback," Wilson said. "I think there was the point that [author] George Crile made in the [book's] epilogue, that the Muslims saw that they took down one superpower and then the radical ones thought they could take down another one. But they're wrong." Wilson is survived by his wife, Barbara Alberstadt Wilson, a sister, a niece and a nephew. Funeral arrangements are pending. CNN's Todd Leopold contributed to this report. | [
"where does he serve?",
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"What movie in 2007 depicted his efforts?",
"What did Wilson serve as?"
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[
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[
"difficulty breathing,"
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"difficulty breathing,"
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] | Wilson complained of difficulty breathing while in meeting, hospital says .
12-term congressman died at Lufkin, Texas, hospital .
2007 movie depicted his efforts to arm Afghan Mujahedeen .
He served Texas' 2nd Congressional District . |
(CNN) -- Former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf has revealed he is flattered to be linked with a move to Premier League Chelsea but insists he will still be an AC Milan player next season. Clarence Seedorf wants to remain with AC Milan, despite Carlo Ancelotti's recent switch to Chelsea. There has been speculation that the 33-year-old midfielder could move to Stamford Bridge to link up with his former Rossoneri coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was confirmed as Blues manager on June 1. But the player is not interested in moving to the English Premier League and has told his own official Web site: "It's beautiful news, that Ancelotti wants me in London, but next year I will still be playing for Milan. "I have a contract with Milan and I am a player of Milan. I hope to still play for at the San Siro for at least three or four more years. After that I have a whole lifetime ahead of me to do good." Seedorf played for six-and-a half years under Ancelotti at Milan. Together they won two Champions League titles, the Club World Cup, two European Super Cups, the Coppa Italia and Italian Supercoppa. His comments will come as a welcome boost to Milan following the sale of Seedorf's fellow-midfielder Kaka to Real Madrid. | [
"Where did the coach recently leave?",
"What is the name of his former coach?",
"Where does Carlo Ancelotti now coach?",
"player age ?",
"What is the name of the Dutch midfielder?",
"What does Seedorf have no plans to quit?"
] | [
[
"Chelsea."
],
[
"Carlo Ancelotti,"
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[
"Stamford Bridge"
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[
"33-year-old"
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[
"Clarence Seedorf"
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[
"AC Milan,"
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] | Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf says that he has no plans to quit AC Milan .
Seedorf was replying to rumors linking him with Premier League side Chelsea .
Seedorf's former coach Carlo Ancelotti recently left San Siro to coach Chelsea . |
(CNN) -- Former England cricket star Chris Lewis was remanded in custody by a British court Tuesday, charged with attempting to smuggle drugs through an airport.
Chris Lewis joined Surrey to play in Twenty20 matches for the 2008 season.
The 40-year-old all-rounder, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals for England in the 1990s, was arrested Monday when border officials at London's Gatwick Airport found cocaine hidden in luggage that had arrived on a flight from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.
Four kilograms of cocaine with a street value of around $350,000 was seized by the UK Border Agency, the UK's Press Association said. The drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins, officials said.
Lewis and basketball player Chad Kirnon, 26, both from London, were held and questioned by Customs officials and later charged.
British Revenue & Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger told PA: "This was an excellent detection by UK Border Agency officers.
"HMRC, together with UKBA, play a vital role in the fight to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK and in protecting our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompany this hideous trade."
The two men made a brief appearance at Crawley Magistrates' Court in West Sussex on Tuesday afternoon, where Lewis had a bail application refused, PA reported.
They were remanded in custody to appear via video link in court next Wednesday. | [
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"How many kilos of cocaine were seized?",
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"What form were the drugs in?",
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"What form were the drugs in?",
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"How many kilos of cocaine were seized?",
"How much was the seized cocaine worth?",
"Where is Gatwick Airport?",
"WHen did Lewis play cricket?",
"Where were these drugs hidden?",
"How many kilos of cocaine were seized at Gatwick?"
] | [
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"cricket"
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"The drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins, officials said."
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"Chris Lewis"
],
[
"a street value of around $350,000"
],
[
"charged with attempting to smuggle drugs through an airport."
],
[
"Four kilograms of cocaine"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"Chris Lewis"
],
[
"Chris Lewis"
],
[
"liquid"
],
[
"in fruit tins,"
],
[
"liquid"
],
[
"London's Gatwick Airport"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"drugs"
],
[
"liquid"
],
[
"cricket"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"street value of around $350,000"
],
[
"London's"
],
[
"the 2008 season."
],
[
"in luggage"
],
[
"Four"
]
] | Four kilos of cocaine worth $350,000 seized at Gatwick Airport .
Officials: Drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins in luggage .
Chris Lewis played cricket for England during the 1990s . |
(CNN) -- Former England forward and Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards has been banned from coaching for three years for his part in masterminding a fake blood injury to one of his players. Tom Williams spitting fake blood from his mouth in a match between Harlequins and Leinster. The 46-year-old was hit with disciplinary action after a hearing by an independent European Rugby Cup (ERC) panel found he had "organized the fabrication of a blood injury" on wing Tom Williams during a European Cup quarterfinal match against Leinster. With his side trailing by one point Williams, under instructions from Richards, faked a cut in his mouth with a capsule of fake blood, thereby allowing goal-kicker Nick Evans to return to the field of play. The plan may have worked if Williams had not winked to the oncoming player as he left the pitch, an action that infuriated their opponents Leinster. The ERC confirmed in a statement on their official Web site that Richards had acknowledged his role as the orchestrator of the plan that has since been dubbed "bloodgate," and the subsequent cover up of the injury. Watch journalists discuss club's 'shame' » Richards was initially cleared of improper conduct by a hearing in July in which Williams was given a 12-month ban, but the verdict was challenged by ERC disciplinary officer Roger O'Connor. Further evidence came to light in an appeal made by Williams before an admission of guilt by Dean Richards, who recently resigned from his position with Harlequins, prompted the ban. The ERC appeal committee chairman Rod McKenzie said details of four other incidents of Harlequins faking injuries had been passed to the relevant authorities. Williams's ban was reduced to four months and the fine imposed on Harlequins has been increased from $340,000 to $425,000 -- the club still awaits to hear whether they will be expelled from this season's European Cup. The physiotherapist for the London-based club, Steph Brennan, has also been banned for two-years. Richards had not decided whether to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but reacted to his ban by telling reporters: "I'm surprised. Three years is a long time but I'll reflect on it overnight. "I took full responsibility for it. It was a farcical situation, it really was. It didn't pan out particularly well on the day. Everybody looked at it and thought, 'That's unreal', which is what I thought on the touchline as well. "But I had to hold my hands up," Richards added. | [
"who else was banned",
"Who received a ban",
"How long is Richards coaching ban?",
"Williams had a 12 month ban reduced to how many months?",
"What did Richards admit?",
"What did Richards orchestrate?",
"What is Richards hit with?",
"What position does Tom Williams play?"
] | [
[
"Dean Richards"
],
[
"England forward and Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards"
],
[
"three years"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"his role as the orchestrator of the plan"
],
[
"a fake blood injury to one of his players."
],
[
"disciplinary action after a hearing by an independent European Rugby Cup (ERC) panel found he had \"organized the fabrication"
],
[
"wing"
]
] | Ex-England rugby player Dean Richards is hit with three-year coaching ban .
Richards admitted orchestrating a fake blood injury to one of his players .
The 46-year-old also admitted a subsequent cover up of the operation .
Wing Tom Williams had 12-month ban reduced to four on appeal . |
(CNN) -- Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has won the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday. Former Finland President Martii Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo. "Ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator," said Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. "Through his untiring efforts and good results, he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts." The committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in establishing Namibia's independence and his "central" role in solving the question of the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005. Watch as Finland celebrates the announcement » Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo -- first in 1999 and again between 2005 and 2007. He also worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution to the problems in Iraq, the committee said. Ahtisaari and his group, Crisis Management Initiative, also contributed to resolving other conflicts in Northern Ireland, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, the committee said. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to express the hope that others may be inspired by his efforts and his achievements," Mjoes said. The committee awards the peace prize annually according to guidelines laid down in the will of its founder, Alfred Nobel. He specified the prize should go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The prestigious prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) in prize money. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared last year's prize with the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. The committee plans to award the prize to Ahtisaari on December 10 at Oslo City Hall in Norway. The peace prize is one of five Nobel prizes awarded annually. The others -- for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature -- were announced this week and will be awarded in Stockholm, Sweden later this year. | [
"what country did they find a peaceful solution",
"Where did they work to find a peaceful solution in?",
"Who cited Ahtisaari's part in Namibia's independence?",
"who did committee site"
] | [
[
"Iraq,"
],
[
"Kosovo."
],
[
"The committee"
],
[
"Ahtisaari's"
]
] | Committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in Namibia's independence .
Worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution in Iraq .
Helped broker a deal in troubled Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005 .
Ahtisaari left office in March 2001 . |
(CNN) -- Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina finally made it official Wednesday: She's running for Senate in California. The first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company made the announcement at an event in conservative Orange County, pledging that her focus will be on "economic recovery and fiscal accountability" "The decisions made in Washington impact every family and every business, of any size, in America. Throughout my career, I've brought people together and solved problems, and that is what I plan to do in government: Set aside ego and partisanship and work to develop solutions to our problems," she told supporters. "I will not settle for a jobless recovery, and we must start the important work of getting our financial house back in order," Fiorina added. "Washington must show discipline to cut spending and create policies that encourage and empower businesses and put people back to work." Fiorina, considered to be a moderate Republican with little history on social issues, will face off against conservative California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for the GOP nomination. In a friendly statement Wednesday, DeVore said he looks forward "to engaging [her] on the issues Californians care about." A recent Field poll suggested that both Fiorina and DeVore polled at about 20 percent, with 60 percent of Republican voters undecided. The ex-Fortune 500 CEO, who left Hewlett-Packard in 2005 with a severance package estimated to be worth between $21.5 million and $40 million, is expected to enjoy a significant financial advantage over DeVore, who entered October with just $144,000 in the bank. The Fiorina-DeVore matchup has all the makings of another Republican battle between the conservative wing of the party and national leaders seeking the most electable candidate. Fiorina has claimed that the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is backing her bid, though an NRSC spokesman said no official endorsement has been made. Still, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn pointed to Fiorina in September as an example of a "strong female candidate" running as a Republican in 2010. A string of conservative bloggers have lined up behind DeVore, and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said Tuesday that he was backing the assemblyman. The winner of that race will face three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer in November. Boxer's favorable rating stood at 48 percent in a recent Field poll, a number that gives Republicans hope she is vulnerable against a well-funded opponent. Boxer is known to be a formidable political opponent, but Fiorina said Wednesday that she's ready for the challenge. "After chemothereapy, Barbara Boxer just really isn't that scary any more, especially when you know what to expect," said Fiorina, who battled breast cancer last spring. "She has always taken the low road to high office." Though spending most of her life outside of politics, Fiorina is no stranger to the campaign trail, having served as one of then-Republican presidential candidate John McCain's chief surrogates in 2008. Fiorina was eventually sidelined from that campaign after telling an interviewer that she didn't think either member of the GOP presidential ticket was qualified to run a major company. In an election season in which the state's economic condition is set to dominate the debate, Fiorina is now the second high-profile former CEO running for statewide office in California. Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman announced last month she is running for governor. National Democrats, meanwhile, appear eager to take on Fiorina, who left Hewlett-Packard five years ago amid controversy. "The hallmark of Carly Fiorina's résumé is her tenure at Hewlett-Packard, where she laid off 28,000 Americans while shipping jobs overseas, just before taking a $21 million golden parachute," National Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz said. "Given that record, the United States Senate is the last place Carly Fiorina should go next." | [
"who was the first woman to lead fortune 500 company?",
"Who was first woman to lead Fortune 500 company?",
"where was she a ceo?",
"who will she face in november?",
"who is barbara boxer?",
"what percent of republican voters are undecided?",
"what percentage is undecided?"
] | [
[
"Carly Fiorina"
],
[
"Carly Fiorina"
],
[
"Hewlett-Packard"
],
[
"California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore"
],
[
"three-term Sen."
],
[
"60"
],
[
"60 percent"
]
] | Former Hewlett-Packard CEO was first woman to lead Fortune 500 company .
She will face off with conservative assemblyman for GOP nomination .
Recent poll found 60 percent of state's Republican voters undecided .
Winner will face incumbent Barbara Boxer in November . |
(CNN) -- Former Italian international striker Christian Vieri has left Serie A side Atalanta by mutual consent, blaming constant jeering from the club's fans for his decision to leave.
Veteran striker Vieri scored twice in nine appearances for Atalanta this season
The 35-year-old, back at his third stint with the Bergamo-based side, has failed to make an impression this season, and has become the focus of fans' frustrations after scoring just two goals in nine appearances.
"I want to thank Atalanta for the way they have dealt with me throughout the season and throughout my previous experiences wearing the black and blue shirt," said Vieri in a statement on the club's official Web site.
Atalanta president Alessandro Ruggeri revealed the club had wanted the former Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan striker to stay but that his mind was made up.
"I'm disappointed as I'm sure everyone who loves football is. I don't know what he will do now, whether or not he will continue to play after this experience with Atalanta," said Ruggeri.
"I haven't spoken to him yet but my colleagues have and he was adamant, I don't think there was any way to make him stay."
Vieri has changed clubs 13 times since beconing a professional in 1991, playing for Italy's three biggest teams as well as Atletico Madrid in Spain and Monaco in France.
His best season was in 2002-03, when he scored 24 goals in 23 league appearances for Inter. | [
"What caused fans to jeer?",
"What role did Vieri have?",
"What will Christian Vieri leave?",
"How many times did Vieri change clubs?",
"What times did Vieri change clubs?",
"When was Vieri's professional debut?",
"What nationality is Christian Vieri?",
"What age is the striker?"
] | [
[
"frustrations"
],
[
"Italian international striker"
],
[
"Serie A side Atalanta"
],
[
"13"
],
[
"13"
],
[
"1991,"
],
[
"Italian"
],
[
"35-year-old,"
]
] | Former Italian international Christian Vieri leaves Atalanta will immediate effect .
The 35-year-old striker blames fans' jeering for decision to cancel his contract .
Vieri changed clubs a remarkable 13 times after his professional debut in 1991 . |
(CNN) -- Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean wants to set the record straight. Carrie Prejean says pageant officials wanted her to make appearances for Playboy and a gay movie premiere. Prejean garnered widespread criticism when she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage in a response to a question posed to her during the Miss USA pageant. Prejean was allowed to keep her Miss California USA crown in May, despite a controversy over topless photos and missed appearances. However, state pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis took her crown on Wednesday, saying it was a business decision based solely on "contract violations." Prejean offered her side of the story when she spoke with CNN's Larry King on Friday. She also discussed whether she would sue to reclaim her title and her future plans. The following is an edited version of the interview. Larry King: You've had a couple of days now, Carrie, to think it all over and it's sunk in. What are your feelings today? Carrie Prejean: I'm definitely a little bit surprised just by the way that I found out about this. You know, I was called by the media to inform me that I was fired. King: Are you saying the pageant didn't call you? Prejean: No. I haven't received any phone calls. In fact, my lawyer found out from the media, as well, before we received any contact. I still have not, to this day, received any contact from Mr. Lewis. King: Now, since they were so supportive of you at the time and after the Trump announcement, what do you make of the fact that they didn't call you? Prejean: Well, I think Mr. Trump was definitely in the middle. And I think that, you know, he has only heard one side. Ultimately, at the end of the day, you have to think about, Are you going to release Mr. Keith Lewis or are you going to release Carrie Prejean? I think that they had to release the beauty queen at the end of the day. King: How do you respond to (charges from Lewis)? Prejean: Well, Larry, all I can tell you was this basically comes down to the answer that I gave the night of the pageant. As you can see, Mr. Lewis does not agree with the stance that I took. I think he's very angry. I think he's hurt. He said in a previous statement that he's deeply saddened and hurt that -- what Carrie Prejean believes in -- a marriage is between a man and a woman. Politics and religion have no play in the Miss California family. My question is, then why was the question asked at the pageant in the first place? If politics has no role in the pageant, why was I given this question? It was a hidden personal agenda that judge No. 8 asked, and I think that they were not ready for my answer that I gave. King: Let's say they were upset by your remarks. They didn't like your answer. Why didn't they just tell Donald Trump, we're unhappy and let's pick the runner-up or whatever? Prejean: He absolutely did. I mean Keith Lewis held a press conference in Los Angeles and didn't invite me to the press conference and, you know, awarded the first runner up as the new ambassador of California. That is just undermining me and undermining his own titleholder from day one. Watch how e-mails between Prejean, Lewis may have contributed to firing » As far as the other appearances, I've had some inappropriate appearances that Keith Lewis has asked me to do. And I'm sure you're aware of them already -- one of them being Playboy; another one being a reality show which is being filmed in Costa Rica. So had I said yes to these, I mean, I would have been out of the country. Again, Playboy, I couldn't believe. I was completely shocked that he would even | [
"What inappropriate circumstances were part of Prejean's complaint",
"What is the reason Carrie Prejean was fired?",
"What did Carrie Prejean learn from the media",
"What was Carrie Prejean asked to do by the pageant director?",
"On what topic did Prejean's response cause controversy",
"Who informed Prejean of her loss?",
"What did Prejen lose?",
"What did Carrie Prejean loss?"
] | [
[
"says pageant officials wanted her to make appearances for Playboy and a gay movie premiere."
],
[
"she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage"
],
[
"that I was fired."
],
[
"make appearances for Playboy and a gay movie premiere."
],
[
"same-sex marriage"
],
[
"the media"
],
[
"her Miss California USA crown"
],
[
"her crown"
]
] | Carrie Prejean says she learned she lost Miss California USA crown from media .
Prejean: Pageant director asked me to make "inappropriate appearances"
Pageant officials say Prejean's firing due to "contract violations"
Prejean's response to question on same-sex marriage raised eyebrows . |
(CNN) -- Former NBA star and TNT sports analyst Charles Barkley attended the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday and answered five questions for CNN.com at the CNN Grill. Former NBA star Charles Barkley says the next president must deal with poverty and the war in Iraq. CNN.com: Why are you here in Denver? Barkley: I just wanted to be here. I'm just so excited. I never thought in my lifetime we'd have a black man with a legitimate shot of being president. CNN.com: Are you a Barack Obama supporter? Barkley: Barack has been a friend of mine for a long time. I met him when I was writing my last book, and he was running for Senate, and I got to know him, and we stayed in contact. I consider him a friend. I think he'd make a fantastic president. I want to make it clear that if I didn't think he could do the job, I wouldn't vote for him. I think he'd make a fantastic president. And I'm not voting for him because he's black. I think he's a great person. CNN.com: What do you think the Democrats need to do here to win the White House? Barkley: I think they've got to just make sure to get those troops home from Iraq, that's a big deal. But No. 1, we've got to give poor people a chance. America is divided by economics, and we as Americans, we've got to do a better job of supporting poor people. CNN.com: How? Barkley: We've got to improve the public school system. If you're born in this country poor, whether you're white or black, you're going to be born in a bad neighborhood; you're going to go to a bad school. It's going to be very difficult for poor people to be successful. iReport.com: Are you at the DNC? Share sights, sounds CNN.com: What are you doing in Denver for fun? Barkley: I'm going to the Hill Harper party tonight. Last night we just went out and had a real nice meal and just took it easy because I knew today was going to be a long day. I just want to be here. Plain and simple. CNN.com: Are you running for governor in Alabama? Barkley: I'm planning on running for governor. I can't screw up Alabama. Politics, it's just so important, and I just want to do good things with my name, and I'm just going to keep continuing to do that. | [
"What has been a priority?",
"What does the TNT sports analyst say?",
"What should be a priority?",
"What office is Charles Barkley running for?",
"What does Barkley say about schools?",
"Whoi is running for governor of Alabama?",
"Who does Charles Barkley favor?",
"What did Charles Barkley say?",
"Who does Barkley favor?",
"What channel that has sports is mentioned?",
"What did TNT say?"
] | [
[
"get those troops home from Iraq,"
],
[
"the next president must deal with poverty and the war in Iraq."
],
[
"poverty"
],
[
"governor."
],
[
"We've got to improve the public"
],
[
"Charles Barkley"
],
[
"Barack"
],
[
"the next president must deal with poverty and the war in Iraq."
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"TNT"
],
[
"the next president must deal with poverty and the war in Iraq."
]
] | Former NBA player Charles Barkley says he favors his friend Obama .
America's public schools should be a priority, Barkley says .
TNT sports analyst also says he's running for governor of Alabama .
"I just want to do good things with my name," he says . |
(CNN) -- Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky faces additional child sex charges involving two more alleged victims, bringing the total to 10, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly.
Sandusky was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, allegedly involving two men who were boys at the time of the encounters.
"Today's criminal charges were recommended by a statewide investigating grand jury, based on evidence and testimony that was received following the initial arrest of Sandusky on November 5th," Kelly said in a news release.
Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
The former coach also faces one new count of indecent assault and two counts of endangering a child's welfare, each punishable by up to seven years behind bars and $15,000 in fines. And Sandusky faces a single new count of indecent assault and two counts of corruption of minors.
"As in many of the other cases identified to date, the contact with Sandusky allegedly fit a pattern of 'grooming' victims," Kelly said in the news release. "Beginning with outings to football games and gifts; they later included physical contact that escalated to sexual assaults."
Sandusky, who maintains his innocence, will face a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
His attorney, Joe Amendola, blamed prosecutors for turning the case into "a media circus," adding that Sandusky would have willingly turned himself in.
Sandusky surrendered when he faced the initial charges.
Amendola, who learned of the new charges from a CNN producer in his office, said he was unhappy prosecutors did not make sure he was aware of the arrest before the media.
"I had a few words with the prosecutor," Amendola told CNN's Kathleen Johnston. "What I told them essentially is, if we are going to play hardball, both sides can play and I was a pretty good pitcher in my day."
"The question begs to be asked, why would the attorney general's office decide not to tell me ... and why did they go to his house and take him out in handcuffs?" Amendola said. "I think the answer is self-explanatory."
Amendola said he expected his client might not be able to post the $250,000 bail before Thursday because he didn't have time to make the arrangements.
The alleged victims -- identified by authorities as Victim 9 and Victim 10 -- are believed to have encountered Sandusky at The Second Mile charity, a nonprofit organization he founded for underprivileged children.
Victim 9 was between 11 and 12 years old when he first met the former coach back in 2004. Sandusky allegedly gave the boy gifts and money and took him to university football games, according to the grand jury presentment.
The alleged victim testified he would make overnight visits to Sandusky's home and stay in a basement bedroom. He described a pattern of sexual assaults over a period of years, the grand jury said.
"The victim testified that on at least one occasion he screamed for help, knowing that Sandusky's wife was upstairs, but no one ever came to help him," the report states.
Sandusky allegedly met Victim 10, then about age 10, in 1997 after a counselor recommended the boy attend the charity "because of difficulties in his home life." That witness said Sandusky performed oral sex on him and indecently touched him in an outdoor pool on campus, according to the grand jury.
A grand jury report made public last month detailed 40 charges of rape and molestation against the former coach in a child sex abuse scandal that, at the time, involved eight alleged victims.
Wednesday's announcement came on the heels of an attorney's statement on behalf of a 19-year-old man who stepped forward with claims that Sandusky gave him whiskey and sexually abused him, also in 2004.
The man pointed to a single incident at the university's football building, according to attorney Chuck Schmidt of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
He was 12 at the time and | [
"What Sandusky`s attorney said about his client?",
"What is announced against Sandusky?",
"what did Sandusky's attorney says ?",
"What does Sandusky's attorney say?"
] | [
[
"\"What I told them essentially is, if we are going to play hardball, both sides can play and I was a pretty good pitcher in my day.\""
],
[
"additional child sex charges"
],
[
"blamed prosecutors for turning the case into \"a media circus,\""
],
[
"\"a media circus,\""
]
] | Sandusky's attorney says his client may not make bail until Thursday .
Charity faces financial troubles and reduces staff .
Additional child sex charges against Sandusky are announced .
Sandusky was arrested Wednesday and faces a preliminary hearing on December 13 . |
(CNN) -- Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky's wife, Dottie, told CNN that she is angry about accusations of child sexual abuse occurring in her home, calling them "absolutely untrue."
"No child who ever visited our home was ever forced to stay in our basement and fed there," she said. "We would never do anything to hurt them."
Her husband faces more than 50 charges surrounding a child sex abuse scandal that allegedly spanned more than 15 years.
"We don't know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue," she added.
An alleged victim testified that he made overnight visits to Sandusky's home as a boy and stayed in a basement bedroom. While there, he described a pattern of sexual assaults over a period of several years, according to the grand jury report.
"The victim testified that on at least one occasion he screamed for help, knowing that Sandusky's wife was upstairs, but no one ever came to help him," the report states.
Responding to the allegations, Dottie Sandusky said she was "shocked and dismayed" by the alleged victim's testimony, calling his accusations false.
"I continue to believe in Jerry's innocence and all the good things he has done," she added.
The former defensive coordinator posted $250,000 bail and left jail on Thursday, one day after he was arrested on 12 new counts of abuse involving two new alleged victims, raising the total number of victims to 10.
Sandusky was then driven in a three-vehicle motorcade from the jail to his State College, Pennsylvania, home.
Authorities say he is currently under house arrest and must wear an electronic monitoring device. He'll also be restricted from contacting the alleged victims, possible witnesses, and must be supervised during any interactions with minors.
"As in many of the other cases identified to date, the contact with Sandusky allegedly fit a pattern of 'grooming' victims," said Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly. "Beginning with outings to football games and gifts; they later included physical contact that escalated to sexual assaults."
A grand jury report made public last month detailed 40 charges of rape and molestation against the former coach in a child sex abuse scandal that, at the time, involved eight alleged victims.
The lawyer for a 29-year-old man who is suing the school, Sandusky and Second Mile criticized Dottie Sandusky's statement.
"It really is a sad, clear demonstration of how sick she is because of how sick he is," said Jeff Anderson, who represents an accuser identified as "John Doe A." The Sanduskys both "in their own way deny what we all know to be and what has been revealed daily."
Anderson's client was not cited in the initial grand jury report. The plaintiff, who Anderson said was 10 years old when he first met Sandusky, alleged the former coach sexually abused him dozens of times over several years during the 1990s, the lawyer said.
"The idea that 11 men (10 from grand jury reports plus 'John Doe A') who have nothing to do with each other have fabricated this many stories of abuse is beyond rational," said Anderson's co-counsel, Marci Hamilton. "Victims rarely make up being sexually assaulted and abused."
"John Doe A" is cooperating with authorities, his lawyers said.
Sandusky, who maintains his innocence, will face a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, where his alleged victims are set to testify. It is expected to be the first time the former coach will face them in court.
The new accusers -- identified by authorities as Victim 9 and Victim 10 -- are believed to have encountered Sandusky at The Second Mile charity, a nonprofit organization he founded for underprivileged children.
Victim 9 was between 11 and 12 years old when he first met the former coach in 2004. Sandusky allegedly gave the boy gifts and money, and took him to university football games, | [
"What does Jerry Sandusky's wife say about the accusations?",
"How many charges does he face?",
"Does wife of Jerry Sandusky believe the accusations?",
"What did the attorney for one alleged victim say about Dottie Sandusky's statement?",
"Who denied the accusations?",
"How many counts related to a child sex scandal does he face?"
] | [
[
"that she is angry"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"\"absolutely untrue.\""
],
[
"he is currently under house arrest and must wear an electronic monitoring device."
],
[
"Jerry Sandusky's wife, Dottie,"
],
[
"more than 50"
]
] | NEW: Penn State provides details on Center for the Protection of Children .
The wife of Jerry Sandusky calls the accusations against her husband "absolutely untrue"
Attorney for one alleged victim calls Dottie Sandusky's statement "sad"
He faces 12 new counts related to a child sex scandal . |
(CNN) -- Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, whose "People Power" movement pushed out longtime strongman Ferdinand Marcos less than three years after her husband's assassination, has died at age 76, her family announced Saturday. "She was the agent of change in Philippine democracy," said Ray Donato, the nation's consul-general in Atlanta. Aquino, the first woman to lead the Philippines, had been battling colon cancer since March 2008 and died of cardio-respiratory arrest at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (3:18 p.m. Friday ET), said Mai Mislang, a spokeswoman for her son, Philippine Sen. Benigno Aquino III. Funeral arrangements were being set up, Mislang said. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has also announced a 10-day mourning period for the former president, said Ray Donato, the country's consul-general in Atlanta. "She was the agent of change in Philippine democracy, and almost all the Filipinos I know revered her during her presidency," Donato said. Aquino had been born into a wealthy family and was educated in the United States. She had not been involved in politics before her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was gunned down at Manila's airport in August 1983 as he returned from exile. The political novice took over the leadership of her husband's movement after his death and challenged Marcos in a 1986 election, making a yellow dress her trademark and bolstered by the support of the country's Roman Catholic churches. Marcos had been backed by the United States, the former colonial power in the Philippines, for two decades as a stalwart anti-communist. He and his wife Imelda were friends of then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy. But widespread allegations of electoral fraud and a mutiny by the country's military led the Reagan administration to withdraw its support, and Marcos went into exile in Hawaii. Aquino took office in a country with a $28 billion debt, widespread poverty and a persistent Marxist insurgency. She put in place a U.S.-style constitution that limited presidents to a single six-year term and survived seven coup attempts -- including one that was supressed with American help. She also oversaw the closure of the major U.S. military bases in the country before leaving office in 1992. The bases had been a bulwark of American power in the Pacific since the early 1900s and employed nearly 80,000 Filipinos, but Aquino's opponents argued the country was too dependent on the United States. Aquino announced in 1990 that it was time to begin negotiating the "orderly withdrawal" of U.S. forces. | [
"How long is the mourning period?",
"What is the president's name?",
"What is being set up?",
"What does arroyo announce?",
"What is Aquino battling?",
"What had Aquino been battling?",
"what is being set up",
"Aquino had been battling what illness?",
"What was the name of the president?",
"What country is President Arroyo from?",
"How long is the morning period?",
"When did Aquino succomb to cancer?",
"what did the president annouce"
] | [
[
"10-day"
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[
"Gloria Macapagal Arroyo"
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[
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[
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[
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"Corazon Aquino,"
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"Philippine"
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[
"10-day"
],
[
"3:18 a.m. Saturday"
],
[
"10-day mourning period"
]
] | NEW: Funeral arrangements are being set up, spokeswoman says .
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announces 10-day mourning period .
Aquino had been battling colon cancer since March 2008 .
She took up opposition to Marcos regime after her husband's 1983 assassination . |
(CNN) -- Former Philippines President Gloria Arroyo was stopped from boarding a plane at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport Tuesday, hours after the country's Supreme Court overruled government-imposed restrictions on her travels.
The Philippines government fears that Arroyo, who is facing allegations of corruption and electoral fraud, will flee if allowed to leave the country.
But the Supreme Court ruled 8-5 in favor of a temporary restraining order on the travel ban, declaring it was unconstitutional as Arroyo has yet to be formally charged with a crime. A Supreme Court spokesman, Midas Marquez, told reporters the court's ruling was "consistent with the constitutional presumption of innocence."
Arroyo was reportedly boarding the flight to seek medical treatment abroad for her bone disease diagnosed earlier this year, following three unsuccessful spinal operations in the Philippines. She arrived at the airport in an ambulance and was transported to the departure gate in a wheelchair while wearing a neck brace.
Arroyo's lawyer, Raul Lambino, told CNN that the former first couple was "subjected to indignity and embarrassment at the airport", calling the government's defiance of the Supreme Court order "abhorrent and in violation of the rights of the individual guaranteed by the (Philippine's) constitution and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
But presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda described the situation as "all high drama," according to media reports. "They (the Arroyos) want the public to sympathize with them," he added.
He said that while the Arroyo couple would be treated with dignity, the government would be "firm in our decision not to allow them to leave the country." Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, is also accused of corruption.
The Supreme Court, which is mostly staffed by judges hired under Arroyo, defied current President Benigno Aquino's stated mandate of investigating allegations of corruption during Arroyo's 2001-2010 presidential term. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the government intends to appeal the court's decision.
Lambino told CNN that even though the government plans to file a motion for reconsideration, its defiance of the Supreme Court order yesterday was nevertheless "illegal." | [
"Who was stopped from boarding a plane at Manila airport?",
"What did the supreme court overrule?",
"Who was stopped from boarding the plane at Manila airport?",
"What did the supreme court do?",
"What do the Philippines government fear?"
] | [
[
"Philippines President Gloria Arroyo"
],
[
"government-imposed restrictions on her travels."
],
[
"Gloria Arroyo"
],
[
"ruled 8-5 in favor of a temporary restraining order on the travel ban,"
],
[
"will flee if allowed to leave the country."
]
] | Former Philippines president Gloria Arroyo stopped from boarding plane at Manila airport .
Supreme Court overruled government-imposed travel restrictions on Arroyo, but to no avail .
Philippines government fears that Arroyo is trying to flee the country to avoid corruption allegations . |
(CNN) -- Former President Alfonso Portillo of Guatemala faces money-laundering charges in the United States, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.
The indictment charges Portillo with embezzling tens of millions of dollars in public funds, "a portion of which he then laundered through bank accounts located, among other places, in the United States and Europe," the indictment says.
A grand jury indicted Portillo in U.S. District Court in New York.
Portillo engineered an embezzlement with co-conspirators that occurred from about 2000 through about 2003, the indictment says. Prosecutors allege the money-laundering took place through at least 2006.
Portillo was the president of Guatemala from 2000 to 2004.
Authorities in Guatemala started searching for him after the United States requested his extradition, a spokesman for the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala told CNN en Español on Sunday.
They executed search warrants in four locations but had not found him as of Sunday night, officials said.
Portillo came into power promising to clean up corruption, but found his own government mired in the same accusations as his predecessors.
According to the indictment, in one instance in 2000, Portillo funneled $1.5 million worth of donations for a literacy project from Taiwan into accounts in Europe controlled by his ex-wife and daughter.
In that case, the indictment alleges, Portillo endorsed three $500,000 checks destined for a program to purchase books for libraries, but diverted the funds into a bank in Miami, Florida. That money was eventually laundered into his family's accounts in Europe, the court document states.
In short, "this money was diverted, in a series of transactions and transfers designed to conceal the sources and origin of the funds," the indictment states.
There was a second instance where Portillo allegedly embezzled money given to Guatemala by the Taiwanese, according to the document.
In addition, Portillo is accused of embezzling money from his defense ministry in 2001. With the help of others, Portillo made large cash transactions that ended up in accounts belonging to him and his co-conspirators, the document says.
Some of the money that Portillo took went to buy expensive watches and cars, the indictment says. | [
"what is his name?",
"What is the name of the former Guatemalan president?",
"who is accused in US courts?",
"has he been found?",
"what was the former Guatemalan president charged with?"
] | [
[
"Alfonso Portillo"
],
[
"Alfonso Portillo"
],
[
"Alfonso Portillo"
],
[
"locations but had not"
],
[
"money-laundering charges"
]
] | Indictment unsealed Monday charges former Guatemalan president with embezzlement .
Alfonso Portillo charged in U.S. court with alleged money-laundering scheme .
As of Sunday, authorities in Guatemala had not found Portillo . |
(CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton said Thursday he thinks that Barack Obama will win big in the upcoming presidential election. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama chat at Clinton's Harlem office. "I predict that Sen. Obama will win and win handily," Clinton said when asked his opinion on the state of the race. Obama smiled at Clinton's prediction, saying, "There you go, you can take it from the president of the United States. He knows a little something about politics." The two men chatted with reporters in a photo-op at Clinton's Harlem office before sitting down for a private lunch. According to CNN's average of national polls, John McCain currently holds a 1-point lead over Obama, 46-45 percent. iReport.com: Still undecided? The poll of polls, released Thursday afternoon, is composed of the following five national general election surveys: Fox News/Opinion Dynamics (September 8-9), NBC/Wall Street Journal (September 6-8), American Research Group (September 6-8), Gallup (September 8-10), and Diageo/Hotline (September 8-10). It does not have a sampling error. Clinton is scheduled to campaign for Obama in Florida once he wraps up some business with his Clinton Global Initiative. According to aides, the former president will do a mix of fundraisers and public appearances on behalf of the Democratic ticket throughout the fall. "We're putting him to work," said Obama. "I've agreed to do a substantial number of things, whatever I'm asked to do," Clinton said. Watch Clinton make his prediction » The image of the two men meeting comes as a relief to many Democrats who have been hoping to put to rest the "Clinton-Obama rift" storyline. Both sides agreed a face-to-face meeting with the former president would go a long way toward putting the contentious primary season behind them. Hillary Clinton campaigned for Obama earlier in the week in Florida and will campaign in Ohio this weekend. Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, spoke Thursday with first responders in Parma, Ohio. He opened up the event by telling everyone he did not plan to talk politics. "Let's pull together, let's say together. This is nothing to do with Democrats, Republicans -- it's about Americans," he said. Obama and McCain also put aside politics Thursday to commemorate the September 11 terrorist attacks. The two appeared together at ground zero in New York City to lay roses at the 9/11 memorial and speak with first responders and family members of victims. They were joined by Cindy McCain and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. iReport.com: See photos from the scene Later Thursday, Obama and McCain will share the stage briefly as they appear back-to-back at the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum at Columbia University in New York. Meanwhile, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin headed home to Alaska after spending the week campaigning with McCain. The pair drew a crowd of more than 20,000 in the sturdily Democratic county of Fairfax, Virginia, on Wednesday. That was their largest crowd to date. After that event, Palin returned home so she could attend her son's deployment ceremony on Thursday. Track Palin enlisted in the U.S. army exactly one year ago. His brigade is going to Iraq. Watch more on Palin's return to Alaska » Later Thursday, Palin will give her first television interview with a national media outlet since being named as McCain's running mate. The Alaska governor will spend two days with ABC's Charlie Gibson. The interview will be part sit-down, part walk-and-talk at various locations in Alaska. So far, Palin has taken no questions from reporters traveling with her on the campaign trail. An issue that could come up in the interview is the controversy that emerged this week over her per diem charges as governor. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Palin had billed the state a per diem for 312 | [
"What did Barack Obama lay at ground zero?",
"What did the politicians place at ground zero?",
"Who spoke with first responders?",
"who attended their son's deployment ceremony?",
"Where did Biden speak to first responders?",
"Where were roses laid?",
"What is the name of Sarah Palin's son?",
"What do polls in key battleground states show?",
"Where did Palin attend a cermony?",
"Where did Biden speak with first responders?"
] | [
[
"roses"
],
[
"roses"
],
[
"Joe Biden,"
],
[
"Palin"
],
[
"Parma, Ohio."
],
[
"9/11 memorial"
],
[
"Track"
],
[
"John McCain currently holds a 1-point lead over Obama,"
],
[
"Alaska"
],
[
"Parma, Ohio."
]
] | NEW: Barack Obama, John McCain lay roses at ground zero .
New polls show both candidates with slim leads in key battleground states .
Biden speaks with first responders in Parma, Ohio .
Sarah Palin back in Alaska for son's deployment ceremony . |
(CNN) -- Former President Clinton on Monday complained about attacks from Sen. Barack Obama on Sen. Hillary Clinton in the latest back-and-forth bickering between the two rival Democratic presidential campaigns.
Obama accuses Clinton of rewriting history in her complaints about his voting record on Iraq.
"I've got before me a list of 80 attacks on Hillary that are quite personal by Sen. Obama and his campaign going back six months that I've had pulled," he said, speaking to CNN contributor Roland Martin on WVON-AM's "The Roland S. Martin Show" based in Chicago, Illinois.
At a campaign rally Monday in Reno, Nevada, Obama said he is "concerned about the tenor the campaign has taken in the last couple days."
"I think that I may disagree with Sen. Clinton or Sen. Edwards on how to get things done, but we share the same goals. We're all democrats, we all believe in civil rights, we all believe in equal rights," said Obama.
"I think they're good people, they are patriots and they are running because they think they can lead this country to a better place and I don't want the campaign in this stage to degenerate into so much tit-for-tat back-and-forth that we lose sight of why all of us are doing this."
Obama also warned his supporters to play fair.
"If I hear my own supporters engaging in talk that I think is ungenerous or misleading or in some way is unfair then I will speak out forcefully against them and I hope the other campaigns take the same approach," he said.
A recording of comments Sunday by Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson that appeared to criticize Obama's admitted past drug use were played on Martin's show.
Johnson later said he was referring to Obama's community organizing efforts.
"When you listen to that tone and the inflection, he was not talking about community organizing. It seemed to be very clear what he was implying," Martin said.
The former president said Johnson needs to be "taken at his word," adding that "nobody knew" what he would say and "it wasn't part of any planned strategy." Watch Martin's take on the interview »
"This, to me, is another example of [the Obama campaign] wanting a double standard," he said. Watch the latest on the war of words »
Clinton went on to say comments from Obama's campaign in the aftermath of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination were "a lot worse" than what Johnson said.
Obama's campaign implied that some of Hillary Clinton's foreign policy decisions helped exacerbate problems in Pakistan.
The ex-president called the attack "appalling" and said his wife did not try to turn it into a larger issue, but instead "said 'I disagree' and moved on."
Hillary Clinton did respond then, saying she regretted that Obama's campaign "would be politicizing this tragedy, and especially at a time when we do need to figure out a way forward."
Johnson, a Hillary Clinton supporter, made his remarks Sunday at Columbia College in South Carolina, a state with a large share of African-American voters that holds its Democratic primary on January 26.
Hillary Clinton also has accused Obama's campaign of distorting recent remarks by her and her husband that have touched off concerns among some African-American voters.
Johnson said he has held fund-raisers for Obama but was unhappy with criticisms of the former first lady by Obama's campaign.
"As an African-American, I'm frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Bill and Hillary Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood that -- I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in his book," Johnson said while campaigning at the largely black Northminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina.
In Obama | [
"Which president spoke out during the campaign?",
"who accuses the Obama camp of distorting her remarks on civil rights?",
"who speaks out in latest back-and-forth between campaigns?",
"Whats the BET founder called?",
"who founded BET?",
"Who accused the Obaam camp of distorting her remark?"
] | [
[
"Clinton"
],
[
"Hillary Clinton"
],
[
"President Clinton"
],
[
"Bob Johnson"
],
[
"Bob Johnson"
],
[
"Hillary Clinton"
]
] | Ex-President Clinton speaks out in latest back-and-forth between campaigns .
BET founder Bob Johnson seems to criticize past drug use by Barack Obama .
Obama supporter calls on Hillary Clinton to disavow Johnson's comments .
Clinton accuses Obama camp of distorting her remarks on civil rights . |
(CNN) -- Former President John F. Kennedy saw a proposed ban on above-ground nuclear tests as a way to thaw U.S.-Soviet relations after the Cuban Missile Crisis, according to recordings released Thursday.
President John F. Kennedy expresses a desire to thaw U.S.-Soviet relatations, on newly released recordings.
"If it does represent a possibility of avoiding the kind of collision that we had last fall in Cuba, which was quite close, and Berlin in 1961, we should seize the chance," Kennedy said in a July 1963 meeting with top government scientists. He signed a treaty with the Soviets and the British the following month that banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater or in space.
Kennedy's presidential library in Boston, Massachusetts, released the four-minute recording of the meeting, held just four months before his assassination. The scientists taking part included John Foster and Norris Bradbury, the directors of two of the top U.S. nuclear laboratories; Glenn Seaborg, then-head of the Atomic Energy Commission; and a member of the commission, John Palfrey.
Kennedy expressed hope that the treaty could produce "the possibility of a detente" between Washington and Moscow, "which may not come to anything but which quite possibly could come to something."
The meeting took place just nine months after the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba brought the world's major nuclear powers to the brink of war. Kennedy said the Soviets were having "domestic, internal economic problems" and he was worried about the rise of China after a major diplomatic split in 1960.
"I don't think anybody can say with any precision, but there isn't any doubt that the dispute with China is certainly a factor," Kennedy said, adding, "They want to avoid a nuclear struggle or ... they want to lessen the chances of conflict with us."
But he said the rising nuclear ambitions of China, which would conduct its first tests the following year, could force the United States to resume its own tests.
"It may be that the Chinese test in the next year, 18 months, 2 years, and we would then make the judgment to see if we should go back to testing," he said. | [
"What was Kennedy hoping for?",
"When was the recording made?",
"What did Kennedy say in the recording?",
"What did Kennedy say?",
"When was the meeting held?",
"What did the library release?"
] | [
[
"that the treaty could produce \"the possibility of a detente\" between Washington and Moscow,"
],
[
"four months before his assassination."
],
[
"expresses a desire to thaw U.S.-Soviet relatations,"
],
[
"\"If it does represent a possibility of avoiding the kind of collision that we had last fall in Cuba, which was quite close, and Berlin in 1961, we should seize the chance,\""
],
[
"July 1963"
],
[
"recordings"
]
] | Kennedy's presidential library released four-minute recording of the meeting .
Meeting held just four months before his assassination .
Kennedy on recording: "We should seize the chance"
Kennedy hoped for "possibility of a detente" between Washington and Moscow . |
(CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described Moammar Gadhafi's crush on her as "weird and a bit creepy," saying she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized a video he made of her was not raunchy.
In her new book, "No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington," Rice said the ruler once played her a video montage of herself set to a tune called "African Flower in the White House."
A Libyan composer wrote the song, she said.
Earlier this year, anti-Gadhafi fighters ransacking his compound in Tripoli found an album of photos of the former top Bush administration official.
"Quite extraordinary, weird and a bit creepy, " Rice told CNN's Piers Morgan on Wednesday night about the scrapbook. "I had actually known that he had this fixation on me."
Rice said when Gadhafi showed her the video montage years ago in Libya, she tried to keep the conversation on business.
"My job was to go there and do diplomatic business and get out, so that's what I did," she said. "But I have to say I did have that terrible moment when he said that he had the video. I am just glad that it all came out all right."
Gadhafi was captured and killed in October, ending a Libyan revolution that started in February against his regime.
Rice also weighed in on GOP presidential contender Herman Cain's claims that racism is behind the recent surfacing of old sexual harassment allegations against him.
"I actually don't like playing the race card on either side," Rice said. "I don't like it when people say that the criticism of President (Barack) Obama is because he is black. The criticism is because he is the president, and we tend to criticize our presidents."
Rice said Cain is "an interesting person. He has an interesting background. Obviously, a lot of business experience. He is sort of shaking up the race. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing."
Watch Piers Morgan Tonight weeknights 9 p.m. ET. For the latest from Piers Morgan click here. | [
"Where did Rice visit?",
"what was the melody of Mount Video",
"Who showed Rice the montage?",
"What tune was used in the montage?"
] | [
[
"Libya,"
],
[
"\"African Flower in the White House.\""
],
[
"Moammar Gadhafi's"
],
[
"\"African Flower in the White House.\""
]
] | Rice says Gadhafi once showed her a video montage during a visit to Libya .
He played the video montage to a tune called "African Flower in the White House"
"I had actually known that he had this fixation on me," she says . |
(CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is using his claims of a successful rocket launch to shore up his political strength within his country. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discusses North Korea on CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday. Albright, who was secretary of state in the Clinton administration, told CNN's "American Morning" that "it was a huge mistake for the United States to stop talking to North Korea" when the Bush administration took over. The communist nation launched the rocket over the weekend in defiance of international opposition. Satellite images released Monday appear to show the rocket in flight, according to a nonprofit institution that focuses on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. The following is a transcript of Albright's conversation with CNN's Carol Costello. Carol Costello, CNN: We do have this video from North Korea of this rocket taking off. What do you make of that? Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: Well, I think that the North Korean leadership is living in a parallel universe of acting as if the launch was a success, when tracking and everything has shown that in fact, it is a failure. And I think it proves a point, which is that the North Koreans, Kim Jong-Il is doing this for his own internal reasons -- because on Thursday, tomorrow, there will be a rubber stamp by the parliament of his leadership -- and the problems that he's generally had since he had his stroke. So this is part of their kind of Orwellian approach of saying that "This is what happened, and wasn't it a success," when we know it wasn't. Costello: The U.N. Security Council hasn't been able to come up with any sort of resolution because apparently that body is split. President Obama made a really big deal of this and said this was like a clear violation. It sort of seems like the United States is stuck, and it can't do anything about North Korea. Albright: Well, I don't think that's true, because what has happened is there have been individual condemnations by leaders of various countries. And I have to say from my own experience of the United Nations, it does take a while to get the 15 members [of the Security Council] together. But the saddest for me is the fact that the U.N. passed a resolution, 1718, which said that this was not acceptable. So the truth is that the U.N. has to live up to its own resolutions. And Ambassador Rice, I think, is working very hard up there in order to get some action, but there have been condemnations already throughout the world. And the bottom line here is that President Obama's speech, for instance, in Prague, when he talked about the importance of cooperation generally on a whole nonproliferation regime -- it's very clear that there's going to have to be a lot of work on that and that President Obama laid out a very, very important set of goals. amFIX: Your thoughts on the rocket launch Costello: And, you know, there has been some criticism that President Obama turned to the U.N. to try to solve this crisis. I want to read you a quote from Politico. It interviewed Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House. I want to read you his quote. Newt Gingrich said, "The embarrassing repudiation of the United States appeal to the United Nations Security Council Sunday afternoon is a vivid demonstration of weakness. This is beginning to resemble the Carter administration's weakness in foreign policy." How would you respond to that? Albright: Well, I think that it's just kind of typical of Newt Gingrich, frankly. But the bottom line here is, I think the United States and President Obama has made very clear the leadership of the United States, his concern about, generally, proliferation issues. I think his trip, for instance, laid out a whole set of issues that prove that American leadership is essential, the respect that he gained for | [
"What was the result?",
"Who were they talking to?",
"What is Jong-Il using for political reasons?",
"What does Madeleine Albright say about North Korean leader?",
"What does Kim Jong-II do?",
"Who made a huge mistake?"
] | [
[
"a huge mistake"
],
[
"North Korea\""
],
[
"his claims of a successful rocket launch"
],
[
"using his claims of a successful rocket launch to shore up his political strength within his country."
],
[
"using his claims of a successful rocket launch to shore up his political strength within his country."
],
[
"United States"
]
] | Former secretary of state: U.S. made "huge mistake" stopping talks with North Korea .
Madeleine Albright says North Korean leader is seeking respect internationally .
Kim Jong-Il also using rocket launch for internal political reasons, Albright says .
Albright says President Obama proving U.S. leadership in response to launch . |
(CNN) -- Former Serbian President Milan Milutinovic was Thursday found not guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo by a U.N. tribunal. Milan Milutinovic had was cleared of war crimes in Kosovo. Five other former high-ranking Serb officials -- Nikola Sainovic, Dragoljub Ojdanic, Nebojsa Pavkovic, Vladimir Lazarevic and Sreten Lukic -- were found guilty on all or some of the same charges. The judgment was the first by The Hague, Netherlands-based tribunal for crimes by the former Yugoslav and Serbian forces during a military campaign against Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in 1999. Their crimes took place during a Serb-led military campaign against Kosovo's ethnic Albanian population during the first six months of 1999 before a NATO bombing campaign forced a halt to the operation. Sainovic, former Yugoslav deputy prime minister and Pavkovic, a former Yugoslav army general were each sentenced to 22 years in prison for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Watch Milutinovic receive not guilty verdict » Lazarevic, another ex-general and Ojdanic, who was chief of general staff, were each sentenced to 15 years on charges of forced deportation of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian population. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had heard during the two year tribunal how military forces of the former Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia waged a campaign of terror against Kosovo Albanians. The court said Milutinovic didn't have "direct individual control" over the army and that "in practice" then-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic "exercised actual command authority" over the army during the NATO campaign. Milosevic eventually surrendered to Serbian authorities in 2001 and had been extradited to The Hague, where he was on trial between 2002 and 2006 for the alleged offences in Kosovo and for alleged crimes in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He died from natural causes in March 2006 before the trial ended and before a judgment was made. He was the first sitting head of state to be charged for war crimes when he was indicted in 1999. Kosovo's government declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008 after being administered by the United Nations since 1999. The U.S., Britain and France have recognized Kosovo's independence, but China and Russia joined Serbia in opposing the move. | [
"Where did the alleged offences occur",
"Who has been cleared of war crimes",
"Who does the U.N. tribunl clear?",
"Who faces charges of crimes against humanity?",
"What happened in Kosovo in 1999?",
"What is Milan MIlutinovic cleared of?",
"What are allegations centered on?",
"What year the campaign take place"
] | [
[
"Kosovo"
],
[
"Serbian President Milan Milutinovic"
],
[
"Milan Milutinovic"
],
[
"Serbian President Milan Milutinovic"
],
[
"war crimes"
],
[
"war crimes"
],
[
"crimes by the former Yugoslav and Serbian forces during a military campaign against Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in 1999."
],
[
"1999."
]
] | U.N. tribunal clears ex-Serb President Milan Milutinovic of war crimes .
Milutinovic, 4 other top Serbs officials face charges of crimes against humanity .
Allegations centered on Serb-led campaign in Kosovo in 1999 . |
(CNN) -- Former South African President Nelson Mandela toiled for 27 years in South African prisons before gaining his freedom and leading his nation from white minority rule to full democracy. In the process, he became an international symbol of strength and hope.
Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1984.
This month he celebrates his 90th birthday with a lavish, star-studded concert in London that confirms his enduring status as a revered global icon. But his journey from young protester to political prisoner to leader of his nation has not been without heartache and personal loss.
Mandela was born in 1918 in the South African village Qunu.
He was the son of the chief councilor to a Thembu chief, and he soon became passionate about political reformation, founding the African National Congress Youth League in 1944 with lifelong friend Oliver Tambo.
Mandela's natural leadership skills pushed him front and center during the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign, which urged South African citizens not to cooperate with certain laws deemed discriminatory.
Mandela urged nonviolent solutions to the South African government's political, economic and social oppression of the nation's black majority.
His commitment to nonviolent change was tested, however, in March of 1960 when black protestors in the township of Sharpeville were fired upon by South African police as they gathered to protest a law that required all black citizens to carry passbooks at all times.
Sixty-nine people were killed and more than 180 were injured in the clash.
The Sharpeville Massacre sparked riots, strikes and protest demonstrations across South Africa, and the government declared a state of emergency.
But the massacre also highlighted the tragedy of apartheid to the rest of the world. The United Nations condemned the massacre, and its security council convened on April 1, 1960, to consider the ravaging effects of apartheid on South Africa's people.
Inside the country, Mandela and his colleagues reconsidered the use of violence to further their cause for freedom. Mandela formed the revolutionary group Spear of the Nation In 1961 and was named its commander in chief. He slipped out of South Africa for military training in Algeria in 1962 but was arrested soon after he returned. See pictures of Mandela's life »
Mandela had several previous run-ins with police, and he was eventually sentenced to life in prison for his actions protesting South Africa's apartheid government.
At the time of his sentence Mandela made a dramatic statement that illustrated his overarching commitment to freedom: "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people," he said.
"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Listen to famous speech »
During his long incarceration, Mandela nearly became a myth. He smuggled out notes of encouragement to his followers that read like pronouncements.
"Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose," one note said.
He might have been condemned to hard labor in a limestone quarry, but Mandela's unyielding moral stance held him high on a pedestal to his followers.
In 1990, it became clear to then-South African President F.W. de Klerk that Mandela's release was necessary for the nation to heal.
Mandela was 71 years old when he walked free from Victor Verster prison, his clenched fist held high.
He'd lived a life of protest for a cause for which he'd been prepared to die. And now he would lead a nation on the brink of civil war to democracy.
Three years later, de Klerk and Mandela would share the Nobel Peace Prize.
"The policy of reconciliation that Nelson R. Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk represent provides hope not only for South Africa; it is also a shining example for the world that there are ways out of the vicious circle of violence | [
"When was he elected president?",
"He spent how long in prison?",
"Mandela was elected as South Africa's first black president in?",
"The anti-apartheid leader spent how many years in prison?",
"Mandela was born in what year?",
"What year was Mandela born?",
"Whne was Mandela born?",
"Mandela was elected as South Africa's first black president in which year?",
"How many years did Mandela spend in prison?"
] | [
[
"1984."
],
[
"27 years"
],
[
"1984."
],
[
"27"
],
[
"1918"
],
[
"1918"
],
[
"1918"
],
[
"1984."
],
[
"27"
]
] | Mandela born in 1918 in the South African village Qunu .
Anti-apartheid leader spent 27 years in prison .
Elected as South Africa's first black president in 1994 . |
(CNN) -- Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a key architect of the U.S. war in Vietnam under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, has died at age 93, according to his family. Robert McNamara took a lead role in managing the U.S. military commitment in Vietnam. McNamara was a member of Kennedy's inner circle during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war. But he became a public lightning rod for his management of the war in Vietnam, overseeing the U.S. military commitment there as it grew from fewer than 1,000 advisers to more than half a million troops. Though the increasingly unpopular conflict was sometimes dubbed "McNamara's War," he later said both administrations were "terribly wrong" to have pursued military action beyond 1963. "External military force cannot reconstruct a failed state, and Vietnam, during much of that period, was a failed state politically," he told CNN in a 1996 interview for the "Cold War" documentary series. "We didn't recognize it as such." A native of San Francisco, McNamara studied economics at the University of California and earned a master's degree in business from Harvard. He was a staff officer in the Army Air Corps during World War II, when he studied the results of American bombing raids on Germany and Japan in search of ways to improve their accuracy and efficiency. After the war, he joined the Ford Motor Company and became its president in November 1960 -- the first person to lead the company from outside its founding family. A month later, the newly elected Kennedy asked him to become secretary of defense, making him one of the "whiz kids" who joined the young president's administration. In October 1962, after the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, McNamara was one of Kennedy's top advisers in the standoff that followed. The United States imposed a naval "quarantine" on Cuba, a Soviet ally, and prepared for possible airstrikes or an invasion. The Soviets withdrew the missiles in exchange for a U.S. guarantee not to invade Cuba, a step that allowed Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev to present the pullback as a success to his own people. In the 2003 documentary "The Fog of War," McNamara told filmmaker Errol Morris that the experience taught American policymakers to "put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes." But he added, "In the end, we lucked out. It was luck that prevented nuclear war." McNamara is credited with using the management techniques he mastered as a corporate executive to streamline the Pentagon, computerizing and smoothing out much of the U.S. military's vast purchasing and personnel system. And in Vietnam, he attempted to use those techniques to measure the progress of the war. Metrics such as use of "body counts" and scientific solutions such as using the herbicide Agent Orange to defoliate jungles in which communist guerrillas hid became trademarks of the conflict. McNamara made several trips to South Vietnam to study the situation firsthand. He, Johnson and other U.S. officials portrayed the war as a necessary battle in the Cold War, a proxy struggle to prevent communism from taking control of all of Southeast Asia. But while they saw the conflict as another front in the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, which backed communist North Vietnam, McNamara acknowledged later that they underestimated Vietnamese nationalism and opposition to the U.S.-backed government in Saigon. "The conflict within South Vietnam itself had all of the characteristics of a civil war, and we didn't look upon it as largely a civil war, and we weren't measuring our progress as one would have in what was largely a civil war," he told CNN. Casualties mounted, as did domestic opposition to the war. In 1965, a Quaker anti-war protester, Norman Morrison, set himself on fire outside McNamara's office window. In 1967, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched on the Pentagon, which was ringed with troops. By November 1967, McNamara told Johnson that there was "no reasonable | [
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"What was his job title when working with President Kennedy?",
"what McNamara became lightning rod for his management of?",
"Who became a lightning rod for his management of that war?",
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"He was a member of which president's inner circle during the Cuban Missile Crisis?",
"Who was the key architect of war in Vietnam under two presidents?",
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] | [
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[
"U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara,"
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]
] | Robert McNamara was key architect of war in Vietnam under two presidents .
McNamara became lightning rod for his management of that war .
He was member of President Kennedy's inner circle during Cuban Missile Crisis . |
(CNN) -- Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has spoken of his relief at finally making public the fact he is gay -- and now wants to become a role model for gay people in sport.
Speaking to British news channel ITN, Thomas revealed why it has taken him so long to speak openly about his sexuality.
"Every gay man will tell you that 'coming out' is like a weight lifted from your shoulders and beng able to walk down the street knowing that there is nothing for me to hide has been a liberating experience, " admitted Thomas -- the most capped player in Wales history with 100 appearances for his country.
"I knew I was gay at 18, but to come out then would have meant I would not have achieved what I did in rugby. I loved rugby so much and it was so important to me that I made the decision to keep my sexuality secret. People may disagree with that, but it was my belief and my decision.
"Since my announcement I have had an amazing response and have not had one negative comment or any abuse. I think it proves there is a place for gay men in every walk of life.
"Gay men are accepted in films, music and politics because people came out and broke the mould and stereotype in those industries.
"What I am trying to do is break the trend in rugby and sport in general and show any aspiring sportsman, regardless of his age, that the mould has been broken.
"It is not an issue if a straight man plays rugby -- and I hope my decision will ensure it is not an issue if a gay man plays rugby." | [
"how many appearances for his country?",
"What sexuality is Thomas?",
"Who is Wales' former rugby captain?",
"what The 35-year-old Thomas now wants?",
"Who is the most capped player in Wales rugby history?",
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"The 35-year-old Thomas now wants"
] | [
[
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],
[
"Gareth Thomas"
],
[
"Gareth Thomas"
],
[
"to become a role model for gay people in sport."
]
] | Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has spoken of his relief at making public the fact he is gay .
The 35-year-old Thomas now wants to become a role model for gay people in general .
Thomas is the most capped player n Wales rugby history with 100 appearances for his country . |
(CNN) -- Former Weather Underground militant Bill Ayers will appear at the University of Wyoming on Wednesday after a federal judge ruled he can't be barred from speaking on campus.
U.S. District Judge William Downes ordered Tuesday that the university must take "all prudent steps" to guarantee Ayers' security at his lecture.
The university had argued that "serious threats" prompted it to cancel the appearance by Ayers, who is now a University of Illinois education professor.
Downes' two-page order requires university officials to take "all prudent steps to maintain order and provide for the security of participants and spectators." University officials won't appeal the order, said spokeswoman Jessica Lowell.
University President Tom Buchanan said the school "will do everything in our power to provide a safe and secure environment for his visit."
Ayers became a footnote to the 2008 presidential campaign because of his history of violent opposition to the Vietnam War and his acquaintance with then-candidate Barack Obama.
Some prominent Republicans suggested that Ayers was a shadowy influence on Obama during his 2008 presidential bid. GOP presidential candidate John McCain urged Obama to "come clean" about his relationship with Ayers and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin accused Obama of "palling around with terrorists."
Ayers and Obama served on the Annenberg Challenge board and on the board of another Chicago, Illinois, charitable foundation, the Woods Fund, in the 1990s. A CNN review of the two men's history found nothing inappropriate in their dealings, and Ayers later called the attacks "a profoundly dishonest narrative."
David Lane, a lawyer for Ayers and University of Wyoming student Meghan Lanker, called Tuesday's ruling "inspirational" and "a huge victory for the First Amendment."
Ayers was scheduled to speak on education issues at the university in early April, but the longstanding invitation drew controversy as the date neared. Republican candidates for governor condemned the school for inviting him, and in court papers Lanker stated she was told Ayers' appearance "would inflame public sentiments" and hurt the university.
But university officials said they pulled the plug because they had "serious threats and other information concerning potential violence" and argued that Ayers could speak freely somewhere else.
"The UW administration did not bar Ayers from campus, but denied permission to rent space for a large event on university property because of serious security concerns," Buchanan said on the school's website.
Ayers was a leader of the Weather Underground, a radical anti-war group that claimed responsibility for bomb attacks on the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and about 20 other targets. No one died in those attacks, though three Weather Underground members blew themselves up building another bomb in 1970.
Ayers and his wife, fellow Weather Underground member Bernadine Dohrn, spent a decade on the run before surrendering to authorities in 1980. The charges against him were dropped due to illegal wiretaps and prosecutorial misconduct. | [
"What university is William Ayers going to speak at?",
"who is the former leader of the Weather Underground?",
"What is Ayers the former leader of?",
"What caused the speech to be canceled?",
"what was canceled over security concerns?",
"what is Ayers is former leader of ?",
"who orders university to allow ex-radical William Ayers to speak?"
] | [
[
"of Wyoming"
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[
"Bill Ayers"
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[
"\"serious threats\""
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[
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[
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[
"Downes"
]
] | Federal judge orders university to allow ex-radical William Ayers to speak .
Judge also orders University of Wyoming to ensure his safety .
Speech was canceled over security concerns, university officials say .
Ayers is former leader of Weather Underground . |
(CNN) -- Former captain Ricky Ponting insists he can still be a key player for Australia after becoming the third cricketer to score 13,000 Test runs on the opening day of the fourth and final match against India.
Doubts were raised about Ponting's international future when he stood down as skipper early last year, but the 37-year-old has now scored two centuries in this series after a barren run with the bat.
With Australia holding a 3-0 lead going into the Adelaide match, the tourists are facing a whitewash after Ponting and his successor Michael Clarke put on a record-breaking 252 runs on Tuesday.
Ponting was on 137 and Clarke 140 at stumps as Australia reached 335-3 in hot conditions, breaking their own record for the fourth wicket against India at the venue.
Ponting joined Indian opponents Sachin Tendulkar (15,432) and Rahul Dravid (13,262) as the only players to have passed the 13,000 milestone, ending the day 56 runs past that mark.
It was his 41st Test century, putting him level with South Africa's second-placed Jacques Kallis and 10 behind Tendulkar.
"Am I still the player I was? I'm not sure," Ponting told reporters. "You guys can answer that, you've seen me over a long period of time, but at the end of the day I think if I can keep making Test match hundreds or having an impact on winning games for Australia, then that's what I'm all about at the moment.
"It is interesting to ask the same question about Sachin or Dravid or Kallis, the guys the same sort of age as me that are still out there playing Test cricket.
"We've probably all realized that we can't play the same way forever, right through our careers, and I don't think there's been anybody that has been able to do that through 160 Test matches.
"But I'm giving it my best shot to be the best player I can be, and to win games for Australia, and if I can keep playing like I did today then hopefully there's more runs around the corner."
Ponting scored 134 in Australia's innings victory in the second Test in Sydney, where Clarke posted an unbeaten 329 as they added 288 together.
"I felt I played better today than I did in Sydney as well, probably a better wicket to bat on than Sydney was -- there wasn't much in it for the Indian bowlers, no sideways movement for the quicks, not a lot of spin, a little bit of reverse swing during the middle of the day," Ponting said.
He revealed he has adapted to his new role at No. 4, having dropped down a spot in the order.
"I know my place in the team, Michael's the leader now and I've stepped back from all that responsibility I once had," Ponting said.
"The last couple of years being the captain and batting at three was getting more and more difficult for me. Not being the captain now and having that little bit of extra time between change of innings to sit back and relax and take it all in has probably been good for me." | [
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"What did Ricky Ponting achieve?",
"What is the name of the highest run scorer?",
"who scored his 41st Test century and passes 13,000 runs",
"who added 252 for the second wicket with the captain",
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] | [
[
"on 137 and Clarke 140"
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"score 13,000 Test runs"
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[
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[
"Ricky Ponting"
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] | Australia batsman Ricky Ponting scores his 41st Test century and passes 13,000 runs .
The 37-year-old adds 252 for the second wicket with captain Michael Clarke .
Former skipper Ponting is the third highest run scorer in the five-day game .
Clarke also scores an unbeaten century as home side reach 335-3 at stumps . |
(CNN) -- Former child actor Gary Coleman remained in a Utah jail Monday after being booked on an outstanding arrest warrant relating to a domestic violence case, authorities said.
"He's still our guest here," Utah County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Dennis Harris said Monday afternoon.
Police visited Coleman's Santaquin City, Utah, home Sunday in response to a civil disturbance call, but no criminal charges were filed, a police spokeswoman said.
A computer check, however, revealed a misdemeanor failure to appear in court warrant for the former "Diff'rent Strokes" star stemming from a domestic violence incident last year, the spokeswoman said.
Coleman, 41, was arrested and booked without incident Sunday in the county jail in Spanish Fork, the spokesman said.
Coleman could get out of jail by posting a $1,725 bail, but that has not happened, Harris said.
Coleman's mug shot released by the jail showed that he was "not too happy," Harris said.
Police did not release details about the previous case related to the arrest warrant.
CNN's Alan Duke and Jack Hannah contributed to this report. | [
"For what reason did police visit the actor's home?",
"Where was Gary Coleman arrested?",
"What did he do to get in jail if no charges were filed?",
"Is it a felony or misdemeanour?",
"Warrant from what incident?",
"What amount bail must Coleman post?"
] | [
[
"civil disturbance call,"
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[
"Santaquin City, Utah, home"
],
[
"outstanding"
],
[
"misdemeanor"
],
[
"a domestic violence case,"
],
[
"$1,725"
]
] | Gary Coleman arrested in Utah County, Utah; actor had outstanding warrant .
Coleman could get out of jail by posting $1,725 bail, police say .
Police: Actor's home visited in response to civil disturbance call, but no criminal charges filed . |
(CNN) -- Former college and pro football star Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith, who went on to an acting career after his retirement from sports, was found dead at his home, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said Wednesday. He was 66.
Police and fire officials were called to Smith's home after "he was found unresponsive" and pronounced him dead, said Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations and investigation for the coroner.
An autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death, Winter said. However, asked if there was any reason to believe the death was due to anything other than natural causes, he replied, "Not at this time."
An imposing 6 foot 8 and 260 pounds, Smith was considered one of the most fearsome pass rushers of his day. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1967 National Football League draft, he played nine seasons in the NFL -- for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers.
Sports Illustrated gallery: The NFL goes Hollywood
He played for the Colts in two Super Bowls and was also a two-time Pro Bowl pick.
Smith was one of the anchors of an overwhelming defense that was heavily favored to win Super Bowl III. Nonetheless, the New York Jets, led by Joe Namath, defeated the Colts in the 1969 championship of pro football, widely considered one of the biggest upsets in U.S. sports history.
The Colts atoned for that embarrassment -- somewhat -- two years later in a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V, but Smith reportedly said he was so dismayed by the game's sloppiness that he never wore his Super Bowl ring.
Smith was sidelined by a severe knee injury during an exhibition game in 1972, and the next season joined the Raiders. He told Sports Illustrated in 1973 that "not playing was terrible. I didn't want to show my face in public. I don't know if it was that we were losing or what, but it almost drove me crazy."
After retiring from pro football in 1975, Smith landed small roles on TV series such as "Good Times," "Charlie's Angels" and "Semi-Tough," according to IMDb, before landing his signature role as Lt. Moses Hightower in the first "Police Academy" movie in 1984. He reprised the role in all six movies in the popular comedy franchise.
Smith was a two-time All-America defensive end at Michigan State University. He played in what the national media dubbed "the game of the century" between Michigan State and Notre Dame in 1966, a 10-10 tie that resulted in the two teams' splitting the vote for that year's national championship.
Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988, an event he called "the jewel in my crown, for my collegiate days were very special to me."
Smith was born on February 28, 1945, in Beaumont Texas. His father was a high school football coach and his mother had earned two college degrees. According to his member biography on the College Football Hall of Fame website, he said he took his parents with him when he went to speak to youth groups "to demonstrate my respect for them." | [
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"What age was Smith when he died?",
"What did he act in?",
"How many Super Bowls did he play in?",
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"He played in two Super Bowls for the"
] | [
[
"dead"
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[
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[
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[
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[
"\"Police Academy\""
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[
"two"
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[
"Charles Aaron \"Bubba\" Smith,"
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] | Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith, 66, was found dead in his L.A. home .
Smith was a two-time All-America defensive end at Michigan State .
He played in two Super Bowls for the Baltimore Colts, and two Pro Bowls .
He went into acting, landed a starring role in the "Police Academy" movies . |
(CNN) -- Former first lady Barbara Bush was moved out of the intensive care unit of a Houston, Texas, hospital into a regular room Thursday after surgery to repair and seal a perforated ulcer, a hospital spokeswoman said. Ex-first lady Barbara Bush has been moved out of ICU and into a regular room. Bush, 83, was in good spirits and was joking with hospital staffers, the Methodist Hospital spokeswoman said. She was being fed intravenously. Her doctor said earlier she will be allowed no food by mouth for about a week, to avoid possibly stretching her abdominal area. The former first lady showed up at Methodist's emergency room Tuesday night complaining of severe abdominal pain, Dr. Patrick Reardon, who performed the surgery, told reporters Wednesday. Doctors determined Bush had a perforated ulcer in her duodenum, the first portion of the small intestine after the stomach, he said. In the operating room, doctors thoroughly cleaned her abdominal cavity of any contaminants that had leaked through the hole, described by the hospital as being one centimeter in diameter. Then, doctors repaired the ulcer and sewed a piece of the fat tissue in the abdomen, on top of it to seal it, Reardon said. Bush's husband, former President George H.W. Bush, was with her Thursday morning, but was leaving to attend Thanksgiving dinner with his son Neil, the Methodist Hospital spokeswoman told CNN. The ulcer was biopsied and is benign, Reardon said Wednesday. He suggested it might have been caused by anti-inflammatory medications. CNN's Sean Callebs contributed to this report. | [
"How is she being fed?",
"What medical procedure did Barbara Bush undergo?",
"How old is Barbara Bush?",
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] | [
[
"intravenously."
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[
"former President George H.W."
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"a perforated ulcer,"
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[
"to avoid possibly stretching her abdominal area."
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[
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[
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] | Barbara Bush had surgery to repair and seal a perforated ulcer .
Bush, 83, is in good spirits and was joking with hospital staffers .
Former first lady being fed intravenously to avoid stretching abdomen .
The ulcer has been biopsied and is benign . |
(CNN) -- Former first lady Barbara Bush will spend the night in a Houston, Texas, hospital Tuesday night after falling ill, according to a family spokeswoman.
Former first lady Barbara Bush has been admitted to a Houston, Texas, hospital.
Spokeswoman Jean Becker said Bush, 83, was admitted to Methodist Hospital for testing after complaining of stomach pain for several days.
She arrived at the emergency room at about 5:30 p.m. Central Time.
After feeling ill, Bush called her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, at his office urging him to take her to the hospital.
The former president's Secret Service detail drove them both to the hospital, Becker said.
Jim McGrath, a spokesman for Bush's husband said all of the tests were negative.
"She's fine," McGrath said.
Bush has been diagnosed with the thyroid condition Graves' Disease. It was not known whether the condition had any relation to her hospitalization on Tuesday.
Bush, the mother of President George W. Bush, was first lady during her husband's term as president from January 1989 to January 1993.
Born in New York in 1925, Bush, born Barbara Pierce, married her husband in 1945. She is the great-great-great niece of Franklin Pierce, who served as president from 1853 to 1857.
She and the former president split their time between Houston and Kennebunkport, Maine. | [
"Where is the former first lady?",
"Is Barbara Bush expected to recover?",
"What did the spokesman say?",
"Where will the former first lady spend the night?",
"What was she complaining about recently?",
"What did her tests say?"
] | [
[
"Houston, Texas,"
],
[
"\"She's fine,\""
],
[
"said all of the tests were negative."
],
[
"Houston, Texas, hospital"
],
[
"stomach pain"
],
[
"negative."
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] | NEW: Former first lady will spend the night in a Houston, Texas, hospital .
NEW: "She's fine," spokesman for Barbara Bush's husband says .
Family spokeswoman: She complained recently about stomach pains .
Tests Tuesday night came back negative, ex-president's spokesman says . |
(CNN) -- Former first lady Nancy Reagan has been released from a hospital after fracturing her pelvis during a fall at home last week, a spokeswoman said Friday. Former first lady Nancy Reagan is shown at an event in the nation's capital in September. Reagan, 87, returned to her Bel Air, California, home, spokeswoman Joanne Drake said. Doctors expect a full recovery, prescribing a regimen of daily physical therapy and a reduced public schedule, Drake said in a written release. The former first lady admitted herself to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Tuesday after experiencing what Drake described as "persistent pain." Tests revealed a fractured pelvis and sacrum, the triangular bone within the pelvis. She also was hospitalized for two days in February after a fall. President Reagan died in June 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Since his death, Nancy Reagan has remained involved with the national Alzheimer's Association and its affiliate, the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in Chicago, Illinois. However, she has appeared in public only rarely in recent years. Reagan expressed her thanks in the release Friday to all those who prayed for her and sent cards, flowers, phone calls and e-mails. | [
"Who admitted herself to hospital?",
"Nancy Regan is how old?",
"will she be fine",
"When was she previously hospitalized?",
"what happened to regan?",
"when was the last time she was hospitalized?",
"what is the age of reagan?"
] | [
[
"Nancy Reagan"
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[
"87,"
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[
"Doctors expect a full recovery,"
],
[
"February"
],
[
"fracturing her pelvis"
],
[
"in February"
],
[
"87,"
]
] | Nancy Reagan admitted herself to a hospital with a fractured pelvis Tuesday .
Reagan, 87, returned to her Bel Air, California, home Friday .
She previously was hospitalized for two days in February after a fall . |
(CNN) -- Former rugby superstar Jonah Lomu has revealed that he is poised to make a shock playing comeback at the age of 34 with French third-division club Marseille Vitrolles. Jonah Lomu pictured in action for New Zealand's All Blacks during the 1999 World Cup in France. The giant New Zealander, who became a global name after an electrifying series of performances on the wing for the All Blacks at the 1995 World Cup, retired in 2007 after a succession of injuries hampered his attempt to return following a kidney transplant. He played 63 internationals, the last of them in 2002, but was never able to regain his previous dominance even after regaining full health. "Marseille Vitrolles is on the point of finalizing the transfer of the greatest legend in world rugby," said statement on the club's Web site. Lomu, who is featuring in a new worldwide advertising campaign for sportswear manufacturer adidas called "Nothing Is Impossible", was also quoted as confirming his desire to return to the playing field. "I took a sabbatical year to be at my pregnant partner's side and to fully enjoy this important moment in any man's life," he said on the Web site. "Everyone thought I had ended my playing career, but that was wrong. I still feel the desire to play and it will be me alone who decides when to call it a day. "My ambition is to help a club like Marseille join the group of top clubs in France." Lomu was first diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a rare and serious kidney disorder, at the end of 1996. He successfully returned to the game after treatment, but in May 2003 he was put on dialysis three times a week due to deterioration in his kidney function, with the treatment's side effects leaving him with severe nerve damage in his feet and legs. Lomu faced life in a wheelchair if a kidney transplant was not performed, so underwent the operation. He signed a two-year contract with New Zealand province North Harbour in 2005, and also played for Welsh club Cardiff Blues during the southern hemisphere's off-season. However, he was unable to achieve his goal of being selected in the All Blacks squad for the 2007 World Cup in France, having suffered a shoulder injury. Lomu agreed to play in a charity match in England last year, but withdrew after injuring his ankle in training. | [
"Player Age ?",
"Who will join French third-division club?",
"What is his nationality?",
"Which side will he play for?",
"When did the 34-year old supposedly retire?",
"What is the name of the former All Blacks winger?",
"When did the New Zealander become rugby's first global superstar?",
"What age is this player?",
"What sport is being talked about?",
"What sport are the All Blacks from?",
"When did he previously return to playing?",
"What club is he joining now?",
"What is Marseille Vitrolles?"
] | [
[
"34"
],
[
"Jonah Lomu"
],
[
"New Zealander,"
],
[
"Marseille Vitrolles."
],
[
"2007"
],
[
"Jonah Lomu"
],
[
"1995"
],
[
"34"
],
[
"rugby"
],
[
"rugby"
],
[
"after treatment,"
],
[
"Marseille Vitrolles."
],
[
"French third-division club"
]
] | Former All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu to join French third-division club .
The 34-year-old will play for Marseille Vitrolles after supposedly retiring in 2007 .
New Zealander became rugby's first global superstar after the 1995 World Cup .
He previously returned to playing after having a kidney transplant . |
(CNN) -- Former top Pakistani military officers Sunday called for Pakistan's former strongman to be allowed back without facing arrest and condemned what they called the "bashing" of the country's armed forces.
More than 100 former officers, most of them generals and admirals, signed their names to a letter calling for Pervez Musharraf to be allowed to return to Pakistan "and contest elections according to democratic norms." The retired brass included the retired Gen. Muhammad Aziz Khan, once the head of Pakistan's joint chiefs of staff during part of Musharraf's rule, and Adm. Shahid Karimullah, who served as head of the navy under Musharraf.
"We feel that Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf should be provided with a level playing field in the political arena and also provided protocol and security as befits any ex-president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," wrote the officers, who have formed a group they called "Pakistan First."
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, has been living in London and Dubai since resigning in 2008. He had announced plans to return from exile in late January and run in upcoming elections -- but his party said he was reassessing those plans when Pakistan's elected government warned that if he returned, he faced arrest in connection with the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
A U.N. report in 2010 accused Musharraf's government of failing to protect Bhutto, who had returned to Pakistan from her own exile to run for office. Musharraf has denied the allegations, arguing that Bhutto had police protection and took unnecessary risks, but a Pakistani court issued a warrant for his arrest.
Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, is now Pakistan's president. If Musharraf were to return, he would be walking into the middle of a public squabble between Pakistan's civilian and uniformed leadership that was sparked by a memo that allegedly asked for U.S. help to rein in the military.
In Sunday's letter, the ex-generals said they opposed the "bashing" of Pakistan's army and its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
"We feel that erosion of these institutions can only lead to weakening of Pakistan's position as a sovereign and proud nation," they wrote. "This forum feels that while all state institutions must be allowed to function within the purview of their respective roles, the demands of national dignity and state security dictate that all organs of the state as well as the media persistently raise and maintain the prestige and morale of the nation and its armed forces, both at home and abroad."
Zardari faces his own legal problems. His prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, appeared before Pakistan's supreme court Thursday in a battle over corruption cases facing the president and other officials, telling reporters the president has "full immunity" from prosecution under an amnesty granted by Musharraf before Zardari and Bhutto returned in 2007.
In 2009, the justices ruled that amnesty was unconstitutional and called on the government to reopen the cases. The government has not done so, and the court has cited Gilani for contempt. | [
"What warned the current government?",
"Where has Musharraf lived in exile?",
"When plans to return to Pakistan?",
"When does he plan to return to Pakistan?",
"Since when Musharraf lives in exile?",
"When did Musharraf resign?",
"Where has he lived since resigning?"
] | [
[
"that if he returned, he faced arrest in connection with the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto."
],
[
"London and Dubai"
],
[
"late January"
],
[
"late January"
],
[
"2008."
],
[
"2008."
],
[
"London and Dubai"
]
] | Musharraf has been living in exile in London and Dubai since resigning in 2008 .
He announced plans to return to Pakistan later this month .
The current government has warned he faces arrest if he returns . |
(CNN) -- Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin joined the national battle over Arizona's controversial new immigration law Saturday, appearing with Gov. Jan Brewer in Phoenix to denounce the Obama administration's criticism of the law.
"It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say 'We're all Arizonans now and, in clear unity, we say Mr. President, do your job, secure our border,'" Palin said, standing beside Brewer at a Saturday afternoon press conference.
Brewer used the event to announce her first appointment to the state's new Joint Border Security Advisory Committee and the launch of a Website to combat what she said was a national misinformation campaign about the state's new law.
Palin and Brewer, both Republicans, decried plans by opponents of the new law to boycott the state in protest.
Passed in April, the law requires immigrants in Arizona to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance.
Critics say it will lead to racial profiling, while supporters deny that and say it is needed to crack down on increasing crime involving illegal immigrants.
President Obama has criticized the Arizona law, saying that in dealing with the immigration issue, "the answer isn't to undermine fundamental principles that define us as a nation."
"You can imagine if you are an Hispanic American in Arizona, your great grandparents may have been there before Arizona was even a state, but now suddenly if you don't have your papers, and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you're gonna be harassed," Obama said, referring to the statute at a April rally in Iowa.
"That's something that could potentially happen," he said. "That's not the right way to go."
Brewer signed a package of changes to the law shortly after it passed that she said addressed concerns about profiling, though critics said the changes made little difference.
Palin joined Brewer on Saturday in denying the statute would lead to racial profiling.
"I think for most American people the reaction to that would be, 'Why aren't (police) already doing that?'" the former Alaska governor said.
"And while Mexico's president has begun to crack down on the violent drug cartels and corruption in his own country," she continued, "It's time for the United States government to enforce the rule of law as well."
Brewer also took jabs at Obama and the federal government.
"Our border is being erased and our president apparently considers it a wonderful opportunity to divide people along racial lines for his personal political convenience," she said. | [
"Who did Sarah Palin join?",
"What do critics claim the law will do?",
"is a racial profiling necesary?",
"what did Sarah Palin say?",
"Who unveiled a website?",
"What state is Brewer from?"
] | [
[
"national battle over Arizona's controversial"
],
[
"lead to racial profiling,"
],
[
"supporters deny that and say it is needed"
],
[
"\"It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and"
],
[
"Brewer"
],
[
"Arizona"
]
] | Sarah Palin joined Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to defend new immigration law .
Brewer unveiled new Website to educate the country about law .
Critics say new law will lead to racial profiling, while supporters reject notion . |
(CNN) -- Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic overcame current top-ranked player Serena Williams in an epic clash to reach the final of the Italian Open on Friday.
However, hopes of an all-Serbian showdown were dashed when the return to form of another previous No. 1, Ana Ivanovic, was ended by Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez in the other semifinal in Rome.
Jankovic, who won the clay tournament in 2007 and 2008, followed up her quarterfinal victory over Serena's fourth-seeded older sister Venus by triumphing 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in two and three-quarter hours.
The seventh seed fought back from 3-0 and 4-2 down to save a match-point in the deciding tie-breaker as she overcame what seemed like delaying tactics by the American when serving on a vital point.
"I was just getting ready to serve and I was serving and all of a sudden she wasn't ready," Jankovic told reporters. "For me when the server comes to play the receiver has to be ready -- that's the rules.
"But unfortunately I had to hit another serve, regroup and refocus because I didn't want to waste my energy on that."
Williams was seeking to repeat her 2002 Rome triumph in what was her first tournament since winning the Australian Open in late January, injuring her knee in doing so.
"I almost feel like I won that match. I can't be really upset, but I am," she said.
"I feel I should have won -- I could have won. But I can't beat myself up over it, I've just come back and hadn't played a match since January."
Ivanovic, who has slumped to 58th in the rankings since winning the French Open in 2008, was seeking to reach her first WTA Tour final since March 2009.
But she was unable to show the form that this week knocked out ninth seed Victoria Azarenka and Olympic champion Elena Dementieva as she was crushed 6-4 6-2 by world No. 26 Martinez-Sanchez.
Her 27-year-old opponent followed up her own upset win over world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki on Wednesday by reaching her third WTA Tour final.
She won minor clay tournaments in Colombia and Sweden last year, and lost in the final in Barcelona the year before.
Martinez-Sanchez has played Jankovic only twice, winning on hardcourt in 2001 when the Serbian retired hurt and losing on clay last year in the Fed Cup teams event. | [
"Which years did Jankovic win the tournament?",
"Who will Jankovic play next?",
"Who beat Serena?",
"Who beats world No. 1?",
"Who did Jelena Jankovic beat in a three-set epic?",
"Who is seeking to win tournament?",
"Who is looking to win tournamet for the third time?"
] | [
[
"2008,"
],
[
"Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez"
],
[
"Jelena Jankovic"
],
[
"Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez"
],
[
"Serena Williams"
],
[
"Jelena Jankovic"
],
[
"Caroline Wozniacki"
]
] | Jelena Jankovic beats world No. 1 Serena Williams in three-set epic to reach Italian Open final .
Jankovic will play Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez, who beat her fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic .
The Spaniard also knocked out world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki earlier in the clay event .
Jankovic is seeking to win tournament for the third time, having triumphed in 2007 and 2008 . |
(CNN) -- Former world number one Tiger Woods scored the winning point in the Presidents Cup for the second competition in a row to help the United States retain their trophy against an International team in Melbourne on Sunday.
Woods claimed a comfortable four and three success over Australian Aaron Baddeley in their singles match to send the United States past the required 17 1/2 points total needed for victory.
Despite enduring a frustrating competition prior to the final day, Woods was able to rediscover some form to replicate the winning point he achieved in San Francisco in 2009.
Golfing presidents: Putting for politics
The American side held a healthy four-point lead going into the 12 singles matches, and those were eventually split 6-6 to ensure a 19-15 win for the visiting side -- their seventh success in nine Presidents Cup events so far.
Woods told reporters: "We didn't get off to a good start early on. We needed to get our point so we went out there and played really well -- putting a lot of heat on Badds (Baddeley)."
The success completed a dominant American display over the four days, as they won both foursomes, split a fourball and narrowly lost the second fourballs sessions.
On Sunday, Woods' victory was complimented by wins for Hunter Mahan, Nick Watney, Jim Furyk, David Toms and Steve Stricker -- with Furyk the only player to finish unbeaten in his five matches.
In response to critics who believe the Americans fail to bond together in golfing team events, Furyk told the official PGA Tour website: "This stuff about how we aren't close and how we can't come together as a group, it's just not accurate.
"We will win some of these events like the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup, and we'll lose some. But whatever we do, we'll always do it as a team."
He continued: "Since I've started playing in these, I've always loved them. But so do all the guys. They all care. Look at Tiger and Phil (Mickelson) in his room. Do they look like they don't care about what we just accomplished?" | [
"Who retained the president's cup",
"Who did tiger woods defeat",
"What year did woods provide the winner",
"Who did Tiger Woods defeat to score the winning game?",
"What was the score in Melbourne",
"What year did the U.S. win",
"What cup did the United States retain?"
] | [
[
"Tiger Woods"
],
[
"Aaron Baddeley"
],
[
"2009."
],
[
"Aaron Baddeley"
],
[
"19-15"
],
[
"2009."
],
[
"Presidents"
]
] | United States retain the Presidents Cup after beating Internationals 19-15 in Melbourne .
Tiger Woods defeated Aaron Baddeley to score the winning point for the United States .
Woods had also provided the winning when the United States won the team event in 2009 . |
(CNN) -- Formula One cars are a marvel of modern engineering, so much so, that many manufactuers who compete in the sport do so in order to benefit from the technical innovations race-honed research and development creates. Car builders such as Renault, Ferrari, BMW, Toyota and McLaren have used technology -- developed to make single-seater race cars as competitive as possible -- to enhance their road-car products. And who can blame them if you consider the performance such a machine can deliver to a driver? The average F1 car can reach 160km/h in under six seconds according to the official Formula One Web site and have top speeds in the region of 370 km/h. Going fast is one thing, stopping is another, and controlling such velocity requires carbon brakes which, in any given race, will have an operating temperature that is over 600 degrees Celsius. In general, the cars weigh around 600 kilograms in race trim, including the addition of KERS that some constructors use to increase performance. This system stores energy normally lost through braking and reuses it for speed boosts during the race. Watch out for KERS powered cars -- including the Mclarens, BMW Saubers and Renault -- using their boost as the lights go green to start this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. | [
"how much does the car weigh",
"what temperature can the breaks operate at",
"What car can reach 160",
"What speed can a Formula One car reach in under six seconds?",
"Who much do the cars weigh in race trim?",
"Over what temperature do F1 car brakes operate?",
"what its about this topic?"
] | [
[
"around 600 kilograms in race trim,"
],
[
"over 600 degrees Celsius."
],
[
"The average F1"
],
[
"160km/h"
],
[
"around 600 kilograms"
],
[
"600 degrees Celsius."
],
[
"KERS powered cars"
]
] | A Formula One car can reach 160km/h in under six seconds .
F1 car brakes operate at a temperature over 600 degrees Celsius .
In general, the cars weigh around 600 kilograms in race trim . |
(CNN) -- Formula One's big-name drivers have spoken of their desire to put on a sporting spectacle which Japan's motorsport fans can enjoy, as the country continues to recover from their devastating earthquake earlier this year.
Japan was hit by a catastrophic quake and tsunami in March which left 27,000 people dead or missing, and F1's drivers have been telling of their continued support for the nation ahead of Sunday's race at Suzuka.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will seal a second consecutive world championship if he finishes higher than 10th in the race and the German expressed his admiration for the Japanese people.
"The fans in Japan are special," Vettel, who has won the last two grands prix in Japan, told Formula One's official website. "What they have been through in recent times is something I cannot begin to imagine, but they are so impressive.
F1 title race: Vettel on the brink
"They are extremely patient and always polite and friendly and their stamina is amazing. I hope we can put on a good show for them this weekend."
McLaren's Jenson Button is the only other driver who can still mathematically overhaul Vettel and the 2009 title winner spoke of his fondness for Japan, saying the Asian country is a home away from home.
"I consider Japan my second home," Button, 31, said. "It's a place that's very close to my heart, and, obviously, it's going to be a very emotional experience for me to be racing in Japan for the first time since the events of last March.
"I'm very proud that the Formula One world championship will put Japan on the world's sporting stage this weekend: while the country is still collectively rebuilding itself.
"I hope we can put on a great race to bring further strength to the people of Japan. And to everyone in Japan, I say: 'Ganbatte! [Japanese for good luck]'"
Button's fellow-Briton and teammate Lewis Hamilton, a world champion in 2008, praised the Suzuka circuit and described it as one of his favorite Formula One destinations.
"The Japanese Grand Prix is one of the highlights of my season," Hamilton, 26, said. "I think Suzuka will play to my strengths: it's a track that really requires you to drive in an attacking way to be able to get a good lap time.
"It's an uncompromising place. But that's when the thrill of driving a Formula One car is at its highest."
Kamui Kobayashi will be the sole Japanese racer on the grid this weekend, with the Sauber driver excited by the prospect of competing in front of his home crowd.
"I am very proud of Suzuka as this is one of the really great circuits," the 25-year-old said. "It is always really enjoyable to drive here as well. Racing here is always great and really thanks to the many fans as they are always waiting for Formula One." | [
"Who expressed their support for japan?",
"McLaren's Jenson Button referred to Japan as what?",
"What month was the quake?",
"Sebastian Vettel said the fans in Japan are what?",
"Where did Button refer to as a second home?",
"Who referred to japan as second home?",
"What did Sebastian Vettel say?",
"F1's drivers have expressed their support for what?"
] | [
[
"Formula"
],
[
"my second home,\""
],
[
"March"
],
[
"in"
],
[
"Japan"
],
[
"Jenson Button"
],
[
"\"The fans in Japan are special,\""
],
[
"the nation"
]
] | F1's drivers have expressed their support for Japan in the wake of March quake .
Sebastian Vettel said the fans in Japan are special as he looks to seal world title .
McLaren's Jenson Button referred to Japan as a second home .
Japan's Kamui Kobayashi is looking forward to racing at his home grand prix . |
(CNN) -- Formula One's new Team U.S. F1 will have the financial backing of YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley -- and the video sharing Web site's chief executive expects to make a big impact in motorsport. Chad Hurley is hoping his start-up experience can help the US F1 team become a major player. The American, who along with co-founders Steve Chen and Jawed Karim sold YouTube to internet giant Google for $1.65 billion in 2006, has faith in the team's prospects for the 2010 season. It is fronted by engineer Ken Anderson, formerly involved with NASCAR team Haas CNC Racing, and Peter Windsor, a journalist who has worked with F1's Ferrari and Williams. "I believe in Ken and Peter and the team that they have put together, and I believe that we have a chance to hopefully start from a clean slate and try to build a team in a different way," Hurley told Web site Autosport.com. Hurley started YouTube from scratch, and sees parallels with his involvement with US F1. "The business aspect of what attracted me to US F1 is just that, that it is a start-up," he said. "And it's a very similar situation to one that would be in Silicon Valley. "It's a small team of talented, smart individuals trying to break the mould, trying to accomplish something that others think is impossible." However, Hurley does not expect instant success for the new franchise, which will be the only F1 outfit based outside of Europe and comes into the sport in difficult economic times when sponsors are dropping out. "Obviously we want to be competitive," he told Autosport.com. "I know there is going to be a lot of competition -- it's going to take quite a few years to ramp up this team and get the cars into a position where we are competing for the world championship, but ultimately that's our goal. "We're not necessarily going to get involved and be satisfied with just getting a car onto the track. Our aspirations and goals go much farther than that." While major manufacturers have been reviewing their participation in motorsport's premium category -- Honda withdrew at the end of last year and BMW will end its association with Sauber at the end of this season -- Hurley is confident that he can find other investors to back the American team. "I hope so, and I hope it goes beyond Silicon Valley," he said. "I am definitely going to be involved in helping the team with sponsors, helping the team with business relationships, and helping the team with integrating technology -- ways that they can leverage and benefit from social media and the Internet broadly. "So in many ways, I hope to add benefit to the team and what they are trying to accomplish." | [
"What is backed by Chad Hurley?",
"Formula One's new team is backed by who?",
"who is chad hurley",
"What company did Hurley sell You Tube to?",
"Hurley sold YouTube to google in what year?",
"which team is chad hurley",
"What year was You Tube sold?",
"What does Hurley hope?"
] | [
[
"Formula"
],
[
"YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley"
],
[
"YouTube co-founder"
],
[
"Google"
],
[
"2006,"
],
[
"U.S. F1"
],
[
"2006,"
],
[
"his start-up experience can help the US F1 team become a major player."
]
] | Formula One's new Team U.S. F1 backed by YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley .
Hurley primary investor in American outfit ahead of its debut season in 2010 .
He sold video sharing Web site to Google in 2006 but is still its chief executive .
Hurley hopes new American team will make a big impact in elite motorsport . |
(CNN) -- Forty years ago this week, three men in a tiny spacecraft slipped their earthly bonds and traveled where no one else had before, circling the moon 10 times and bringing back an iconic image of a blue-and-white Earth in the distance, solitary but bound as one against the black vastness beyond. Host Nick Clooney (left) and astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders answer questions in October. The voyage of Apollo 8 from December 21-27, 1968, marked humans' first venture to another heavenly body. "We were flying to the moon for the first time," said Jim Lovell, one of the three astronauts aboard the historic flight. "Seeing the far side of the moon for the first time. Coming around and seeing the Earth as it really is -- a small fragile planet with a rather normal star, our sun." But beyond the monumental aspects of such a scientific achievement, the feat was a major psychological and emotional boost for many Americans at the end of a particularly bad year in U.S. history. The Tet offensive in January 1968 had left many Americans shocked and doubting that victory in Vietnam was possible. In April, the Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated, and streets throughout the nation erupted in fire and fury. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down two months later. That summer, the nation watched in horror as police and anti-war protesters battled in the streets of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. The launch of Apollo 7 in October was a major victory for NASA, putting the space program back on track after a 22-month interruption because of a launch pad fire that had killed three astronauts in January 1967. Then came Apollo 8. Gallery: Images of the Apollo 8 mission » "Providence happened to put everything together at the end of the year to give the American public an uplift after what had been a poor year," Lovell told CNN on Monday. Reaching the moon was "a big psychological step," said Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham. "The public said, 'Hey, human beings are going to another body in the solar system,' " Cunningham told CNN in a telephone interview from his home in Houston, Texas. The mission produced one of the most famous photos from the space program, showing a large chunk of gray moon in the foreground and a dappled blue-and-white, three-quarter Earth rising in the distance. Apollo 8 also produced what to many was one of the most inspirational and soothing moments in history when Lovell and crewmates Frank Borman and William A. Anders took turns reading from the Book of Genesis. It was Christmas Eve and the whole world was watching. NASA said at the time it was expected to be the largest TV audience to date. The astronauts signed off with these words: "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a merry Christmas and God bless all of you, all of you on the good earth." The timing could not have been better, Lovell said. "It happened that it all jelled," he said by telephone. "The fact that we circled the moon on Christmas Eve. A screenwriter couldn't have done a better job." The success of the mission also gave the United States a major boost in its race against the Soviet Union to see who would get to the moon first. The United States would land two men on the moon in the summer of 1969 on Apollo 11, beating the Soviets and fulfilling a goal set by former President John F. Kennedy at the beginning of the decade. "There was a great psychological significance of sending a spacecraft to the moon," Cunningham said. "It was not a psychological leap for any of us [astronauts] to go to the moon." The astronauts, he said, were used to taking risks and knew they could do it. But NASA officials had some tough choices to make. "For the people on the ground, it was | [
"What was the reading from?",
"What ended the year in a better note?",
"What did the astronauts circle?",
"When did Apollo 8 come?",
"What day did astronauts circle the moon?",
"What team were the first to circle the moon?",
"Which year was Apollo 8?",
"What apollo flight circled the moon on Christmas Eve?"
] | [
[
"Book of Genesis."
],
[
"The voyage of Apollo 8"
],
[
"the moon"
],
[
"December 21-27, 1968,"
],
[
"from December 21-27, 1968,"
],
[
"Apollo 8"
],
[
"1968,"
],
[
"8"
]
] | Apollo 8 came at end of difficult year in world history, 1968 .
Astronauts circled the moon on Christmas Eve; they were first to go that far .
Famous photo of Earth, reading from Genesis ended year on a better note . |
(CNN) -- Forty-four people were killed during an attack on a wedding party in Turkey's southeastern Mardin province Monday. A child lies wounded on a stretcher following the attack by gunmen on the wedding party. The casualties, which included the bride and groom, were slain while many of them were praying, authorities said. Three others were injured and eight people were detained in the attack sparked by a feud between families, said Besir Atalay, Interior Minister of Turkey. There were 17 women and six children among the dead, said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "It is inhuman beyond words to open fire on people including a one-year old child who were having a wedding, living a happy moment, praying," Erdogan said. "The fact that the eight suspects and the victims who died have the same surname increases cruelty of this murder." The assailants attacked the party in the small village of Bilge with bombs and automatic weapons, according to the Cihan news agency. With only 32 households in the village there were too many victims to fit into the local morgue, authorities said. Some of the victims had the same last name, Celebi, as the suspects who were detained, Atalay added. The bride, Sevgi Celebi, and groom, Habip Ari, both died in the attack, Anatolian Agency, Turkey's semi-official news agency, reported. The chief and the former chief of the village were among those killed in the attack, the agency added. Police have blocked access to the village while they conduct their investigation. Mardin Mayor Besir Ayanoglu told Turkish television network NTV that the incident was not terror related. CNN's Ivan Watson and Yesmin Comert contributed to this report. | [
"Who died in the attack?",
"Where did the attacks happen?",
"How many women and children were among the dead?",
"How many children died?",
"What were used in the attack?",
"What weapons were used?",
"Which province was this in?"
] | [
[
"people"
],
[
"Mardin province"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"bombs and automatic weapons,"
],
[
"bombs and automatic"
],
[
"Mardin"
]
] | Turkish PM: 17 women and six children among the dead .
Bombs, automatic weapons used in attack, Cihan news agency reports .
Three people critically wounded, says office of province's governor .
Attack happens at wedding party in Turkey's southeastern Mardin province . |
(CNN) -- Forty-three soldiers suffered heat-related illnesses Friday during a 12-mile road march at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, an Army spokesman said.
The march was the culmination of a week of "expert field medical badge training," during which soldiers are tested on their medic and general soldier skills in order to receive an "expert" badge, Fort Bragg spokesman Benjamin Abel said.
Sixty soldiers were on the march, which started at 6 a.m., and they were carrying backpacks, helmets, weapons and other combat gear, Abel said.
About an hour and a half into the march, the people running the event noticed some personnel "were having difficulties," and medical transports were begun, he said.
Eighteen of the soldiers were transported to Womack Army Medical Center, and one was admitted to the intensive care unit, he said.
Humidity levels Friday morning were higher than expected, but "this is odd, out of the norm, to have this many people treated," Abel added.
The expert field medical badge is deemed by the Army as "the utmost challenge to the professional competence and physical endurance of the soldier medic," Fort Bragg officials said in a statement earlier this week.
"It is the most sought-after peacetime award in the Army Medical Department, and while the combat medical badge is the 'portrait of courage' in wartime, the expert field medical badge is undoubtedly the 'portrait of excellence' in the Army all of the time," officials said.
"To wear the EFMB means you passed a grueling series of hands-on-tests on communications, common skill tasks, emergency medical treatment, evacuation of the sick and wounded, litter obstacle course, day/night land navigation courses, comprehensive written test, 12-mile foot march, CPR, physical fitness test, and weapons qualification," the base said.
In June 1965, the Department of the Army established the badge as a special skill award for the recognition of exceptional competence and outstanding performance by field medical personnel. | [
"How many soldiers were being tested?",
"What number of soldiers were being tested?",
"What proportion of them suffered heat-related illnesses?",
"What makes this badge so difficult to obtain?",
"What did 43 of them suffer?",
"How many suffer from heat-related illnesses?",
"How many are in intensive care?",
"What is the name of the difficult to obtain badge?"
] | [
[
"Sixty"
],
[
"Sixty"
],
[
"Forty-three"
],
[
"a grueling series of hands-on-tests on communications, common skill tasks, emergency medical treatment, evacuation of the sick and wounded, litter obstacle course, day/night land navigation courses, comprehensive written test, 12-mile foot march, CPR, physical fitness test, and weapons qualification,\""
],
[
"heat-related illnesses"
],
[
"Forty-three"
],
[
"Eighteen"
],
[
"expert field medical"
]
] | A total of 60 soldiers were being tested for their expert field medical badge .
43 of them suffer heat-related illnesses .
One is in intensive care .
The difficult-to-obtain badge is considered the "portrait of excellence" in the Army . |
(CNN) -- Four British soldiers have been killed in one day in separate attacks in Afghanistan, the British Ministry of Defense announced Friday. A British marine with an opium haul in Helmand province, where the four soldiers were killed. The deaths happened in three incidents in the southern Helmand province, the ministry said. Two soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing that happened Thursday afternoon during a patrol in Gereshk, the ministry said. One was a member of the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the other served with the Royal Military Police. "With heavy heart we report another extremely sad situation, where lives of our courageous soldiers have been sacrificed for the greater good of the Afghan people," said Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand. "Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go to their families and loved ones and we offer our thoughts and prayers to them all at this most painful and distressing time." Thursday evening, another soldier was killed by an explosion as he traveled in a Jackal 4x4 patrol vehicle, the ministry said. He served in the 2nd Battalion The Rifles. Watch Afghanistan's president talk on U.S. troops withdrawals » Earlier in the day, a soldier from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland was killed by a gunshot wound, the ministry said. He had been on patrol with the Afghan National Army in the vicinity of Woqab, close to Musa Qala. | [
"Who died in one day?",
"where was the bombing",
"how many soldiers died",
"What province was it",
"Where did the deaths occur?",
"where did the soldiers die",
"how many incidents",
"How many incidents were there?"
] | [
[
"Four"
],
[
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[
"Four"
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[
"Helmand"
],
[
"Afghanistan,"
],
[
"Afghanistan,"
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[
"three"
],
[
"three"
]
] | 4 British soldiers die in one day in separate attacks in Afghanistan .
Deaths happened in three incidents in the southern Helmand province .
Two soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing during a patrol in Gereshk . |
(CNN) -- Four Virginia men were arrested Tuesday on allegations of bribery and kickbacks in what prosecutors describe as an elaborate scheme thought to involve hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts connected to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The suspects include two long-time Corps employees charged in an alleged conspiracy involving more than $20 million in bribes and kickbacks, as well as a plan to try to steer a $780 million contract to a favored contractor, the U.S. Justice Department reported. Another of the defendants is director of contracts for a company that did business with the federal government, the Justice Department said.
Corps employees Michael Alexander, 55, and Kerry Khan, 53, as well as Khan's son, Lee, 30, and Harold Babb, 60, were all indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aiding and abetting, according to a Justice Department statement.
Both Kerry Khan and Alexander also face one count each of receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted, both men could each face a maximum 40-year sentence behind bars.
Babb, meanwhile, also was handed a charge related to unlawful kickbacks, and could face up to 35 years in prison. He was director of contracts at Eyak Tek, an Alaska Native-owned small business based in Dulles, Virginia.
Lee Khan, who controlled a consulting company with his father, faces a sentence of up to 25 years if convicted, according to the Justice Department.
All four men pleaded not guilty in federal court in Washington Tuesday afternoon.
Thought to have used their positions within the Corps, the elder Khan and his colleague Alexander are suspected of having funneled more than $45 million in payments by way of a federal contract that they oversaw, according to the indictment.
About $20 million in fraudulent expenses were built into those invoices, which were then diverted to all four defendants, prosecutors say..
Authorities are in the process of seizing funds in 29 bank accounts, as well as three luxury vehicles and seven high-end watches, and are pursing a forfeiture allegation against 16 real properties financed in whole or in part with proceeds from the alleged crimes, the Justice Department said..
It was not clear Tuesday whether the suspects have retained legal counsel. | [
"What did the defendants allegedly plan to do?",
"What two defendents are employees of the Army Corps of Engineers?",
"What are the two defendants accused of doing?",
"What tow are suspected of using their postions to try to funnel contracts?",
"What are the two defendants employees of?",
"The two are suspecting of using their positions to do what?",
"What did the defendants allagedly plan to steer?",
"The two defendants are employees of what?"
] | [
[
"steer a $780 million contract to a favored contractor,"
],
[
"Michael Alexander, 55, and Kerry Khan, 53,"
],
[
"an alleged conspiracy involving more than $20 million in bribes and kickbacks, as well as a plan to try to steer a $780 million contract to a favored contractor,"
],
[
"company that did business with the federal government,"
],
[
"Corps"
],
[
"steer a $780 million contract to a favored contractor,"
],
[
"$780 million contract"
],
[
"Corps"
]
] | NEW: Defendants allegedly planned to try to steer a $780 million government contract .
NEW: Two defendants are employees of the Army Corps of Engineers .
NEW: The two are suspected of using their positions to try to funnel contracts . |
(CNN) -- Four crew members died and one was missing in the frigid waters off Alaska's Aleutian Islands after their fishing vessel sank Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard reported. A crew member of the Alaska Ranger is taken on board the Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Seattle, Washington-based Alaska Ranger was in 10-foot seas and winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour when it reported water was leaking into its steering gear compartment about 2:50 a.m. Sunday. The trawler had 47 people on board, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane, a Coast Guard spokesman. Four of those had been confirmed dead by late morning, Lane said. One person is still unaccounted for, said another Coast Guard spokesman, Lt. Eric Eggen. Watch a report from Lt. Eggen » The 180-foot processing trawler was about 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, in the remote Aleutian Islands, when the crew reported being "overwhelmed by water" and abandoned ship, Eggen said. Most of the crew had survival suits to protect them from water that was near-freezing, said Cmdr. Todd Trimpert, a Coast Guard spokesman. No cause of death was immediately known for the four crew members who died, but "certainly, they were in the water a long time," Trimpert said. "Without a survival suit, generally your survival time is less than 30 minutes," he said. The company that owned the ship, The Fishing Company of Alaska Inc., identified the four who did not survive as Captain Eric Peter Jacobsen, Chief Engineer Daniel Cook, Mate David Silveira and Crewman Byron Carrillo. "They were incredibly brave, hard-working men," the company said. "Our hearts are broken." A nearby ship, the Alaska Warrior, rescued 25 crew members while the Coast Guard retrieved the rest of the crew, the company said. "We do not have sufficient information to determine why the vessel foundered," the company said. "We will do everything possible to find out what occurred with the hope that something can be learned that will be of value to the fishing community." Amy Roman, a niece of Daniel Cook, told CNN affiliate KING-TV that her uncle "died how he wanted to. "If you're a fisherman, you want to die out at sea," she said. "If you're a true fisherman, this is how you want to go." Survivors were being taken aboard the Coast Guard cutter Munro. A helicopter and a C-130 transport plane were also taking part in the effort, the Coast Guard reported. The sinking left an unknown amount of diesel fuel on the surface of the Bering Sea, Lane said. The fishing industry is perennially among the most deadly in the United States. In 2005, 48 fishermen died, up from 38 the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That made it the nation's most dangerous occupation for the year, with a fatality rate of 118.4 per 100,000 -- nearly 30 times higher than the rate of the average worker. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who were the crew members of?",
"What did the spokesman say?",
"What is the number of crew members that died?",
"Who have died?",
"What was 120 miles west?",
"Where was the boat?",
"What is the number of people still unaccounted for?",
"Who were rescued?",
"Where was the Alaska Ranger based?"
] | [
[
"Alaska Ranger"
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[
"The trawler had 47 people on board,"
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[
"Four"
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[
"crew members"
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[
"The 180-foot processing trawler"
],
[
"off Alaska's Aleutian Islands"
],
[
"One"
],
[
"25 crew members"
],
[
"Seattle, Washington-based"
]
] | Four crew members of Seattle-based Alaska Ranger died, Coast Guard says .
Others were rescued, but one person is still unaccounted for, spokesman says .
Boat was about 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor in remote Aleutian Islands . |
(CNN) -- Four days after Haiti's massive earthquake, efforts are under way to bury the dead as thousands of bodies crumpled in the streets of Port-au-Prince lay exposed to the sun or draped in sheets and cardboard.
Throughout the city, people covered their noses from the stench and some resorted to face masks. CNN correspondents in Haiti reported efforts to remove the bodies, including the creation of a mass grave. It's still unclear how many people have been killed in Tuesday's earthquake; the prime minister suggested there could be several hundreds of thousands.
CNN's Anderson Cooper, reporting Friday from a mass grave on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, described seeing hundreds of bodies mixed with garbage in open pits. Some bodies were bulldozed into the half-filled pits.
"These people will vanish," Cooper said in a phone report. "No one will know what happened to them. That's one of the many horrors.
"There's no system in place here. Literally these people here are being collected off the streets, dumped into a dump truck, then brought out here and dumped in the pits," he said.
The fear of disease is frequently the reason for rapidly burying bodies in mass graves. But contrary to popular belief, bodies do not cause epidemics after natural disasters, experts said.
"The reality is that most of the disease that live in us -- once our body is dead they can't survive very long," said Oliver Morgan, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fecal matter from the deceased could contaminate the water supply, posing a risk, but "it's nowhere near the risk of all the survivors living in the streets with no sanitation," said Morgan, who contributed to the World Health Organization's guidelines on managing bodies after a natural disaster.
There has never been an epidemic after a natural disaster that was traced to exposure to bodies, according to the WHO.
The chief priority must lie with the living, experts said.
"Body collection is not the most urgent task after a natural disaster," according to the WHO's 2006 guidance on the Management of Dead Bodies after Disasters. "The priority is to care for survivors. There is no significant public health risk associated with the presence of bodies. Nevertheless, bodies should be collected as soon as possible and taken away for identification."
Mass graves, it warned, are "not justified on public health grounds. Rushing to dispose of bodies without proper identification traumatizes families and communities and may have serious legal consequences."
"There's always talks about mass graves because that's always the easiest solution," said Frank Ciaccio, vice president of commercial services at Kenyon International Emergency Services, a disaster management company that responds to mass fatality accidents. "We don't strongly recommend them. However, sometimes in situations in very developing nations, that's the only thing to do."
In cases of mass graves, teams should at least document or photograph the individual for future identification, he said. Kenyon has deployed an emergency response assessment team to Haiti. Ciaccio was part of the crew that responded to the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 and New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Having bodies on the street is very distressing to survivors.
"That's going to be very stressful," Ciaccio said. "It's hot temperatures and that's not a pleasant sight. There's decomposed bodies. And the hotter the weather, the quicker the decomposition."
Decomposition starts as early as the day of death, bringing stench and pests.
"When you have bodies on the street that begin to decompose, you eventually get maggot infestation because of flies and you have a potential of rats," said Vernie Fountain, the disaster task force leader of the National Funeral Directors Association.
At one of the capital city's cemeteries, people opened up old crypts and shoved corpses of quake victims into them before resealing them. Workers loaded bodies -- piled on the sides of roads -- | [
"Who does Anderson Cooper work for?",
"What is frequently the reason for rapidly burying bodies in mass graves?",
"Who reported on a mass grave with hundreds of bodies?",
"What is the reason for rapidly burying bodies in mass graves?",
"What is not justified on public health grounds?"
] | [
[
"CNN's"
],
[
"fear of disease"
],
[
"Anderson Cooper,"
],
[
"The fear of disease"
],
[
"Mass graves,"
]
] | CNN's Anderson Cooper reported on a mass grave with hundreds of bodies .
Fear of disease is frequently the reason for rapidly burying bodies in mass graves .
This theory is unfounded, because disease-causing agents die with the corpse .
WHO report: "Rapid mass burial of victims is not justified on public health grounds" |
(CNN) -- Four days of heavy rains triggered a landslide that killed 12 children and eight adults near Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, authorities said Friday.
Five of the children were under six, said Suzan Kaganda, a police department spokeswoman.
The death toll could go up as rescue crews search the area for people reported missing, Kaganda said.
Most victims of the late Tuesday landslide live in the Kilimanjaro region near the mountain by the same name, Kaganda said.
The mountain is the highest peak in Africa and is a major tourist attraction.
U.N. officials warned last month that east Africa is facing mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases as a result of heavy downpour triggered by El Nino weather patterns.
Most east African countries have been water-starved in the past few years, exacerbating the results of floods, because a lot of greenery disappeared in the drought. | [
"Who warned east Africa of mudslides?",
"U.N. warned east Africa is facing what?",
"What were the destruction and waterborne diseases related to?",
"which is the major tourist attraction?",
"Where did most of the victims live?"
] | [
[
"U.N. officials"
],
[
"mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases"
],
[
"heavy downpour triggered by El Nino weather patterns."
],
[
"Mount Kilimanjaro"
],
[
"in the Kilimanjaro region near the mountain"
]
] | Most victims of the landslide live in the Kilimanjaro region near the mountain by the same name .
U.N. warned east Africa is facing mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases related to El Nino weather patterns .
The mountain is the highest peak in Africa and is a major tourist attraction . |
(CNN) -- Four days of heavy rains triggered a landslide that killed 12 children and eight adults near Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, authorities said Friday. Five of the children were under six, said Suzan Kaganda, a police department spokeswoman. The death toll could go up as rescue crews search the area for people reported missing, Kaganda said. Most victims of the late Tuesday landslide live in the Kilimanjaro region near the mountain by the same name, Kaganda said. The mountain is the highest peak in Africa and is a major tourist attraction. U.N. officials warned last month that east Africa is facing mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases as a result of heavy downpour triggered by El Nino weather patterns. Most east African countries have been water-starved in the past few years, exacerbating the results of floods, because a lot of greenery disappeared in the drought. | [
"What did the U.N. warn east Africa?",
"Where do most victims of the landslide live?",
"East Africa is facing what?",
"Where do most of the victims live?",
"What is the highest peak in Africa?",
"What are the destruction and diseases related to?"
] | [
[
"is facing mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases as a result of heavy downpour triggered by El Nino weather patterns."
],
[
"in the Kilimanjaro region"
],
[
"mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases"
],
[
"Kilimanjaro region"
],
[
"Mount Kilimanjaro"
],
[
"heavy downpour triggered by El Nino weather patterns."
]
] | Most victims of the landslide live in the Kilimanjaro region near the mountain by the same name .
U.N. warned east Africa is facing mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases related to El Nino weather patterns .
The mountain is the highest peak in Africa and is a major tourist attraction . |
(CNN) -- Four groups that advocate for immigrant rights said Thursday they will challenge Arizona's new immigration law, which allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona and the National Immigration Law Center held a news conference Thursday in Phoenix to announce the legal challenge.
"The Arizona community can be assured that a vigorous and sophisticated legal challenge will be mounted, in advance of SB1070's implementation, seeking to prevent this unconstitutional and discriminatory law from ever taking effect," said Thomas A. Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, known as MALDEF.
"This law will only make the rampant racial profiling of Latinos that is already going on in Arizona much worse," said Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the ACLU of Arizona. "If this law were implemented, citizens would effectively have to carry 'their papers' at all times to avoid arrest. It is a low point in modern America when a state law requires police to demand documents from people on the street."
Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law last week. It goes into effect 90 days after the close of the legislative session, which has not been determined.
Brewer and others who support the law say it does not involve racial profiling or any other illegal acts.
"Racial profiling is illegal," Brewer said after signing the bill Friday. "It is illegal in America, and it's certainly illegal in Arizona."
The National Coalition Of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders said Sunday it also planned legal action.
"Our churches and pastors in Arizona are outraged about the significant threat this anti-immigrant law will have in the lives of Arizona's Latinos," said the Rev. Miguel Rivera, the group's chairman.
"This policy violates the rights of American citizens, particularly the fast-growing Latino population of Arizona, by eliminating the basic right of due process, which we are certain that the courts will agree," Rivera said.
The law requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there is reason to suspect they're in the United States illegally. The measure makes it a state crime to live or travel through Arizona illegally.
It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them.
In addition to signing the law, Brewer also issued an executive order that requires training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling or discrimination.
"This training will include what does and does not constitute reasonable suspicion that a person is not legally present in the United States," she said.
Some officials in Arizona have expressed their displeasure with the measure. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said Thursday that he is "very disappointed."
He said he is concerned that calls to boycott Arizona businesses and tourism will harm the state.
"I'm very incredulous that our state leaders -- our so-called leaders -- have allowed our state to be split when we're suffering economic hardships," Gordon told CNN.
Other critics say the bill is unconstitutional and will trample residents' civil rights.
"Quite simply, this law is a civil rights disaster and an insult to American values," said Mary Bauer, legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center. "No one in our country should be required to produce their 'papers' or demand to prove their innocence. What kind of country are we becoming?"
But a national Republican leader said Thursday that Arizona is just filling a void left by the federal government.
"I think the people of Arizona have a right to pass their laws under the 10th Amendment," House Minority Leader John Boehner said. "I think it is clearly a result of the federal government's failure to secure our border and to enforce our laws."
Gordon said the real solution is comprehensive immigration reform that would allow more immigrants to legally enter the United States.
"This law doesn't | [
"How many groups were there?",
"Which law are the groups challenging?",
"4 groups announce what in Phoenix?",
"Which groups announced the challenge?",
"did they say law encourages racial profiling?",
"what did the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund object?"
] | [
[
"Four"
],
[
"new immigration"
],
[
"new immigration law,"
],
[
"The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona and the National Immigration Law Center"
],
[
"of Latinos that is already going on in Arizona much worse,\" said Alessandra Soler Meetze,"
],
[
"new immigration law,"
]
] | NEW: 4 groups announce legal challenge in Phoenix .
American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Arizona, National Immigration Law Center slam law .
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund also objects to it .
They say law encourages racial profiling, but supporters say it doesn't involve any illegal acts . |
(CNN) -- Four members of Florida A&M University's fabled Marching 100 band have been arrested on hazing charges, a spokeswoman for the Tallahassee college said Friday.
The charges are unrelated to the November hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.
FAMU police arrested three of the students Thursday night; the fourth turned himself in Friday morning, said Sharon Saunders, the FAMU spokeswoman.
The students -- Hakeem Birch, Brandon Benson, Anthony Mingo and Denise Bailey -- were charged with hazing five Marching 100 band members who wanted to join a group in the clarinet section known as the "Clones."
The five told police they were made to line up according to height at the start of each meeting. Then they were punched, slapped and paddled, according to the arrest warrant.
One of the students, who quit the pledging process after the first meeting, took a digital photo of the bruising on her body.
The initiation meetings, which began last September, took place at the home of Birch and Benson, the warrant said.
Champion's death prompted FAMU's board of trustees to approve a three-part plan to tackle the issue of hazing on campus. The plan includes an independent blue-ribbon panel of experts to investigate.
Trustee Belinda Reed Shannon told board members the panel would take a "forward-looking" approach at hazing on campus, and would not conflict with any current investigations into the Marching 100 band.
Champion, 26, collapsed in Orlando on a bus carrying members of the band after a November football game that included a halftime performance by the group.
Christopher Chestnut, a lawyer for Champion's family, has charged that Champion died after receiving "some dramatic blows, perhaps (having an) elevated heart rate" tied to "a hazing ritual" that took place on the bus.
Some band members have said Champion died after taking part in a rite of passage called "crossing Bus C." One member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that students "walk from the front of the bus to the back of the bus backward while the bus is full of other band members, and you get beaten until you get to the back."
No one has been charged in Champion's death; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Orange County Sheriff's Office are investigating the case.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also launched a separate investigation into band employees, who were allegedly engaged in financial fraud.
The medical examiner's office has said Champion "collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body."
An autopsy conducted after his death found "extensive contusions of his chest, arms, shoulder and back," as well as "evidence of crushing of areas of subcutaneous fat," which is the fatty tissue directly under a person's skin.
An attorney for the band's director, on paid administrative leave since shortly after Champion's death, said his client issued letters of suspension and withheld scholarships "of all students whose names were provided to him once the incident was reported."
Julian White also informed campus police, attorney Chuck Hobbs said in a written statement.
"Dr. White applauds the efforts of law enforcement to arrest individuals that he suspended for hazing and hopes that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," according to the statement. "Dr. White has been the leading anti-hazing advocate on the FAMU campus for years and his legal team continues to call upon President James Ammons to fully reinstate him to his position since the original reason for termination -- failure to report hazing -- is clearly unfounded by the record evidence."
White originally had been suspended with termination scheduled for December 22, but he was subsequently placed on leave until completion of the investigation into Champion's death.
CNN's Vivian Kuo contributed to this report. | [
"what is not not related to the November hazing death of Robert Champion",
"What is not related to the arrest?",
"How many students were charged?",
"What are the four students charged with?",
"The college is looking into how to address what problem?",
"what was the four students are charged for"
] | [
[
"five Marching 100 band members who wanted to join a group in the clarinet section known as the \"Clones.\""
],
[
"unrelated to the November hazing death of drum major Robert Champion."
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"hazing"
],
[
"hazing on campus."
],
[
"hazing five Marching 100 band members who wanted to join a group in the clarinet section known as the \"Clones.\""
]
] | NEW: The band director's attorney again calls for reinstatement .
The arrests are not related to the November hazing death of Robert Champion .
They four students are charged with hazing those who wanted to join a clarinet group .
The college is looking into how best to address hazing problems . |
(CNN) -- Four minor boys are facing felony assault charges after a 13-year-old boy accused them of sexually assaulting him in the locker room of a Tampa, Florida, middle school, authorities said Friday. The alleged victim told school officials he was assaulted with a broomstick and hockey stick at Walker Middle School, in southern Tampa, on April 30, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. Linda Cobbe with Hillsborough County Schools said police were contacted Wednesday afternoon after the boy reported the incident. The four teenagers, 14 and 15 years old, were arrested at school Wednesday and charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment, the sheriff's office said. The victim said two boys held him down on the ground while the other two sexually assaulted him, the sheriff's office said. The alleged victim had been "continually picked on and harassed by the suspects" before the incident, the sheriff's office said in a news release. All four suspects have been suspended from school, Cobbe said. On Thursday, the school's principal, Kathleen Hoffman, contacted students' parents through a recorded message, telling them the four would not be allowed to return to school "unless their legal issues are resolved." Cobbe said the 13-year-old is back in classes at the school. CNN's John Couwels contributed to this report. | [
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"who was suspended from school",
"What are the ages of the teens?",
"Where do the teens face charges?",
"Where was the 13-year-old boy assaulted?",
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"All four suspects have been what?"
] | [
[
"a 13-year-old boy"
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[
"13-year-old"
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[
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[
"14 and 15 years"
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[
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[
"in the locker room of a Tampa, Florida, middle school,"
],
[
"All four suspects"
],
[
"four teenagers, 14 and 15 years old,"
],
[
"suspended from school,"
]
] | Boy, 13, says he was sexually assaulted at middle school .
4 teens, age 14 and 15, face felony charges in Tampa, Florida .
All four suspects have been suspended from school . |
(CNN) -- Four months after he was escorted in his pajamas onto a military plane and flown out of the country, ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya could return to power within days, analysts said Friday. Negotiators for Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, the politician who was appointed president hours after Zelaya's June 28 removal, reached an agreement late Thursday to form a government of national reconciliation. The nation's congress, in consultation with the supreme court, must approve Zelaya's return to power. The reconciliation government would rule until a new president, to be chosen in November 29 elections, takes office in January. Micheletti announced the agreement in a televised speech to the nation Thursday night. Zelaya said Friday his return to the presidency is "imminent" and should occur within days. He has been staying at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, since secretly returning to the country September 21. "At this moment we are trying to reach a consensus so we can reconstruct democracy," he told CNN en Español on Friday. Although Zelaya's return to the presidency is not guaranteed in the eight-point pact, several analysts say they expect the congress will approve the measure. "If Micheletti came forward with a public announcement, the odds of this being approved by congress are pretty good. It's a done deal," said Kevin Casas-Zamora, a senior foreign policy fellow at the non-partisan Brookings Institution and a former vice president of Costa Rica. "It would be a horrible letdown if congress did not approve the agreement." Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute, also believes "they'll go ahead and vote for it." Said Larry Birns, director of the liberal Council on Hemispheric Affairs: "There seems to be no other way." The United States played a key role in the accord after weeks of stalemate. Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, and two other high-level U.S. officials arrived Wednesday and met separately with Zelaya and Micheletti. An agreement appeared possible Thursday when Shannon announced at a news conference that the U.S. delegation would stay another day. A delegation from the Organization of American States had visited Honduras in early October but failed to obtain an agreement. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias had held consultations with both sides but did not get them to agree on a solution. The OAS, the United Nations, the European Union and the United States condemned the military-backed coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated. The United States and others imposed economic sanctions, which some analysts say have started to hurt Honduras. "The dark secret here is that the Honduran economy has been devastated," Birns said. "Huge numbers of Hondurans have crossed over into Mexico and are desperate for jobs." Crumbling economic conditions left Micheletti little choice, Birns said. "All along Micheletti was holding a diminishing deck," he said. "Not only the poor were being hurt. The cutoffs were hurting the nation's economic elite. So there was a very strong economic motive to reach a solution." There also was a strong political motive, Hakim said. "The candidates for president, the people looking forward, wanted to see the elections on November 29 as being legitimate," he said. Birns agreed that "the candidates wanted a resolution because of legitimacy." The United States and many other nations had said the elections would be considered illegitimate if held under Micheletti's rule. "By far, the most important thing right now is not whether Zelaya will be reinstated, but that the U.S. is going to recognize the elections," said Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm. "The next president will be able to receive diplomatic recognition and much-needed access to international aid and financing, which will be crucial given the weakness of the economy and the fact that the government is running out of money," she said. Zelaya also appeared to have little choice but to accept the pact, | [
"Who could be reinstated?",
"Did the negotiators reach a deal?",
"Who is Manuel Zelaya replaced with?",
"For whom do the negotiators work?",
"Manuel Zelaya is the president of what country?"
] | [
[
"Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya"
],
[
"reached an agreement late Thursday to form a government of national reconciliation."
],
[
"Roberto Micheletti,"
],
[
"Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti,"
],
[
"Honduran"
]
] | Negotiators for President Manuel Zelaya and de facto President Roberto Micheletti reach deal .
Two sides to form a government of national reconciliation that could reinstate Zelaya .
Zelaya forced out of country in June 28 coup, replaced by legislative leader Micheletti .
Crisis stems from Zelaya's referendum plan that may have given president longer term . |
(CNN) -- Four of O.J. Simpson's accomplices in the 2007 robbery at a Las Vegas hotel were given suspended sentences Tuesday by Nevada District Judge Jackie Glass.
District Court Judge Jackie Glass sentenced four O.J. Simpson codefendants to probation on Tuesday.
The four -- Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander -- all turned on Simpson and cooperated in the case against him.
Simpson was sentenced last week to at least nine and as many as 33 years in prison in the case. Glass called him "arrogant" and "ignorant."
Before announcing the suspended sentences Tuesday, Glass said the actions of Cashmore, Erlich, McClinton and Alexander were "stupid but also criminal" when they accompanied the former football star to the Palace Station Hotel and Casino on September 13, 2007.
But she praised them for taking responsibility for their actions and for cooperating with the state's case against Simpson.
Should they violate the terms of their probation, the four could face prison time ranging from 12 months to 84 months, depending on the specific charges against them.
The four apologized to the state and the victims in the case before their sentences were read in court Tuesday.
Simpson, a former Heisman Trophy winner and record-setting NFL running back, had enlisted the help of Cashmore, Erlich, McClinton and Alexander, along with Clarence "C.J." Stewart, in an effort to get sports memorabilia items that Simpson claimed belong to him from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley.
The six men confronted the dealers in a hotel room, brandishing weapons but not firing them.
Stewart received a sentence similar to Simpson's but will be eligible for parole in 7½ years. Watch how Simpson's conviction came down »
Glass ordered Fromong removed from the courtroom Tuesday after he made a comment during the sentencing of McClinton, who admitted brandishing a gun in the hotel room.
Glass still has to decide restitution in the case a schedule a hearing on that for Friday morning.
The four men sentenced Tuesday walked meekly from the courtroom to report to law enforcement officials and get details on their probation.
On Friday, Simpson was led from the courtroom in shackles. He'll remain jailed while an appeal is pending. | [
"How long are the prison terms they could face?",
"Who is in court?",
"How many accompanied Simpson?",
"Who accompanied Simpson and another man in robbery?",
"Number of people that accompanied Simpson during robbery?",
"What is going to be the sentence?",
"What did they rob?",
"Names of the four accomplices of OJ Simpson?",
"What is the judge still deciding in the case?",
"What must the judge in the case decide?",
"What must the judge still decide?",
"Who all is in court?"
] | [
[
"12 months to 84 months,"
],
[
"Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"suspended"
],
[
"Las Vegas hotel"
],
[
"Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander"
],
[
"restitution"
],
[
"restitution"
],
[
"restitution"
],
[
"Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton"
]
] | Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton, Walter Alexander in court .
Four accompanied Simpson, another man in robbery of memorabilia dealers .
If they violate probation, four face prison terms of 12 months to 84 months .
Judge must still decide restitution in case . |
(CNN) -- Four people died and another three were missing Monday after two avalanches in the Swiss Alps, Bern police said. The avalanches occurred at 11:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. ET) and about noon Sunday in the Diemtigen Valley, 34 miles (55 km) south of Bern, said Thomas Jauch, a spokesman for police in Bern County. In the first incident an avalanche buried one person who was with a party of eight cross-country skiers, Jauch said. A nearby party of 25 skiers joined in the search and a physician, who was a member of a ski rescue team, was dropped into the area by one of two helicopters called in to help. As they were searching for the missing skier, a second avalanche buried 10 to 12 of them, Jauch said. Nine were found alive, one was dead, he said. Three of the survivors died later in hospital, he added. The doctor was among the dead, he said. It was not clear whether the original skier who was buried was among the survivors. "It was not a high-risk day; not a high-risk situation," Jauch said. Search efforts were suspended Monday because of the weather in the mountains. "There could be another avalanche," the police spokesman said. | [
"How many people were buried alive in the first avalanche?",
"Where did the avalanches occur on Sunday?",
"How many were buried in the second avalanche?",
"When did the event happen?",
"What happened to the party?",
"How many were buried?"
] | [
[
"one person"
],
[
"Swiss Alps,"
],
[
"10 to 12"
],
[
"at 11:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. ET)"
],
[
"avalanche buried one person"
],
[
"one"
]
] | Avalanches occurred Sunday in the Diemtigen Valley, 34 miles (55 km) south of Bern .
In first incident an avalanche buried one person who was with a party of eight cross-country skiers .
Second avalanche hit as rescuers searched for victims, burying 10 to 12 of them . |
(CNN) -- Four people, including a 12-year-old, died when an Amtrak train hit their car in Hardeeville, South Carolina, an official said Tuesday. The accident occurred Monday night near the South Carolina-Georgia state line, not far from the intersection of South Carolina 46 and U.S. 17. "It appears that the vehicle tried to go around the gate arms ... to beat the train across the tracks," said Ted Felder, Hardeeville's interim city manager. The Jasper County, South Carolina, coroner has not released the names of the dead. The car became wedged onto the front of the southbound train, which pushed it for a mile down the track, Felder said. The Hardeeville Fire Department received a call shortly before 9 p.m. ET Monday, but teams from various agencies reportedly were unable to detach the car until about midnight. Felder said no one on the train was injured, and once the car was detached, a bus took passengers to the Amtrak station in Savannah, Georgia. The train was en route from Charleston, South Carolina, to Savannah when the crash occurred. | [
"Who were killed?",
"How many were killed?",
"Were any passengers injured?",
"What hit the car?",
"Where did this happen?",
"Where was the car hit?",
"Where did the train crash?",
"How many were killed in the car?"
] | [
[
"Four"
],
[
"people,"
],
[
"no one"
],
[
"Amtrak train"
],
[
"Hardeeville,"
],
[
"in Hardeeville,"
],
[
"South Carolina,"
],
[
"people,"
]
] | Amtrak train hits car near South Carolina-Georgia state line .
Car apparently tried to beat train across tracks, official says .
Four killed in car, including 12-year-old .
No train passengers injured, official says . |
(CNN) -- Four police officers fatally shot in a Washington coffee shop last month were "the best of who we can be," Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire told thousands of people gathered at the officers' memorial service on Tuesday.
Nearly 20,000 people -- mostly police officers from across the United States and Canada -- attended the service in the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, CNN affiliate KIRO reported.
"Sgt. Mark Renninger [and] officers Tina Griswold, Ron Owens and Greg Richards were the best of who we can be: Dedicated leaders and citizens who cared for their community," Gregoire said at the service.
The Lakewood police officers -- Renninger, 39; Griswold, 40; Owens, 37; and Richards, 42 -- were fatally shot November 29 in a coffee shop near Lakewood by an Arkansas parolee with a lengthy criminal history, police said.
The suspect, Maurice Clemmons, 37, was shot dead by a Seattle, Washington, police officer two days later after a manhunt that stretched across the Seattle and Tacoma areas.
Before the service Tuesday, a procession of thousands of police vehicles went from McChord Air Force Base to the Tacoma Dome, taking several hours to complete, KIRO reported. In the dome, colleagues and relatives took to the podium to recall the fallen officers, each of whom had children.
KIRO: Local coverage of memorial
Renninger was recalled as a dedicated SWAT member who loved NASCAR. Owens and Griswold were remembered for their love of motorcycle rides, and Richards for jamming with a band.
"If these officers were here this afternoon, to an officer they would tell you, 'On November 29, I was doing my duty.' And there is no higher calling than to do one's duty, and they served well," Lakewood Mayor Doug Richardson said.
Five people, including a man who identified himself as Clemmons' half-brother and neighbor, have been charged on suspicion of helping Clemmons elude police after the shooting, according to court documents. | [
"When were the officers fatally shot?",
"How many people attended?",
"What was held in Tacoma?",
"Officers were fatally shot where?",
"What did the mayor say?",
"Memorial will be held where?"
] | [
[
"last month"
],
[
"Nearly 20,000"
],
[
"service"
],
[
"in a coffee shop near Lakewood"
],
[
"\"If these officers were here this afternoon, to an officer they would tell you, 'On November 29, I was doing my duty.' And there is no higher calling than to do one's duty, and they served well,\""
],
[
"Tacoma Dome"
]
] | Memorial for four Lakewood, Washington, police officers held in Tacoma .
Nearly 20,000 people -- many of them police officers -- attend, KIRO reports .
Slain officers would say, "I was doing my duty," mayor says .
Officers fatally shot in coffee shop on November 29 . |
(CNN) -- Four survivors of the US Airways Flight 1549 that went down in the Hudson River appeared on "Larry King Live" Thursday to discuss a recording of the pilot calmly telling an air traffic controller the plane would ditch. Carl Bazarian, clockwise from left, Vince Spera, Alberto Panero and Brad Wentzell appeared on "Larry King Live." "We're gonna be in the Hudson," pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger radioed on January 15, about three and a half minutes after the Airbus A320 took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration released the recording on Thursday, a day after the National Transportation Safety Board said both the plane's engines contained the remains of birds. Larry King: Carl, what goes through you when you hear the recording, especially the calmness? Carl Bazarian, survivor: You know, to me -- my son played it for me this morning. I found it incredibly stressful and sobering that we were so close to death. And that's the bad side. And I'm really not keen on hearing it too many more times. But on the other side, it's exhilarating. Again, we were blessed with the best feat in aviation, with the best pilot and co-pilot. That's all I can say. King: Vince, what goes through your mind? Vince Spera, survivor: Larry, the entire conversation that you hear going back and forth is just indicative of how the entire cabin was. It was calm, controlled, but tense. That's really what that conversation started to sound like to me. Listen to pilot's communication with flight controller » King: Alberto? Alberto Panero, survivor: It's filling in pieces to the puzzle. While everything was going on in the plane, we didn't have much information of what was going on actually. So hearing this now kind of fits into the puzzle, where we see where I was at the point when everything was happening in the plane. King: Brad? Brad Wentzell, survivor: It's an amazing thing to hear, not only from our perspective, when we were basically going for a ride, but to hear from the man who -- just him and the Good Lord had our lives in his hand. King: How do you feel, Carl -- you'll see the whole crew with us Tuesday night -- when you hear the captain talk? Bazarian: First thing, he's very honest about it. But I don't know how -- we all had disbelief. It was all surreal. How then he was so energized to exhibit the highest professionalism. I think it's an incredible aviation feat. And my fellow friends, they will comment. But how did he get that composure? Watch survivors react to hearing the tape » We were all panicky. Not panicky, I think Vince is right. We were kind of cool, but concerned, overly concerned. How did he regain himself and do what he did? I don't know how he did it. King: Vince, were there a lot of moments, Vince, when you thought you bought it? Spera: Actually, no. There was never a point in time when I thought I was going to die. Obviously, I think the way the people in the cabin behaved contributed to my feeling that way. It was just a lot of control. We felt like the pilot was in control. Obviously, it all worked out. At no point did I feel like I was going to die. I'm very happy to hear the captain truly didn't feel that way either. King: Alberto, how about when it hit the water? Did you think you were going to go under? Panero: No. I think as soon as we hit the water, we realized that the worst was over and the most important thing was to get out as soon as possible, making sure that the doors got open quickly and that everybody stayed calm and tried to exit as calmly | [
"What pilot dealt with an emergency?",
"How many survivors reacted to the recording?",
"What was the pilot doing on the recording?",
"How many survived Flight 1549?",
"What did the survivors of Flight 1549 listen to?",
"At least, how many survived the crash of Flight 1549?",
"What flight crashed?"
] | [
[
"Chesley B. \"Sully\" Sullenberger"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"calmly telling an air traffic controller the plane would ditch."
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"a recording of the pilot calmly telling an air traffic controller the plane would ditch."
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"1549"
]
] | Four survivors of Flight 1549 react to recording of pilot dealing with emergency .
"I'm really not keen on hearing it too many more times," one survivor says .
"How did [the pilot] get that composure?" another survivor asks . |
(CNN) -- Four suspects are sought in connection with the shooting death over the weekend of a Houston, Texas, doctor, Austin County authorities said Monday. Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzales was found shot to death at his ranch in rural Texas on Saturday, police say. Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez, 56, was chief of the critical care section at Houston's Methodist Hospital and "a pulmonary medicine leader," according to the hospital system's Web site. He was found dead Saturday when deputies responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress shortly after noon, said Austin County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Paul Faircloth. The responding officer was met by vehicles leaving the location, Faircloth said, and a person in one vehicle fired on the officer. The officer and his car were not struck, and the officer did not return fire, Faircloth said. The officer was able to provide a detailed description of the vehicles, he said. At the home, which Faircloth said is in a rural, wooded and isolated area, officers found Gonzalez shot to death and another person wounded. The second victim was airlifted to an Austin, Texas, hospital. Watch Dr. Gonzalez's son talk about his father » Gonzalez's wife and small child were found unharmed inside the home, Faircloth said. CNN affiliate KHOU identified the woman as Charleen Gonzalez, 29, and the couple's 2-year-old son, and reported the two hid in a closet. Authorities do not know whether the incident was a burglary or an intended home invasion, Faircloth said, and "we do not know if this is random or targeted." Several leads were being followed Monday morning, he said, and numerous agencies were involved in the investigation. The motive for the killing had not been determined on Monday. The slaying took place at Gonzalez's ranch outside Bellville, Texas, said Lisa Block, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Gonzalez, his wife and child arrived at the ranch about 11 a.m. Saturday, she said, and "the suspects were at the house when they arrived." Gonzalez's wife ran inside with the child and called 911, she said. Ranch worker Noel Galvan was the second victim, Block said. He was listed in critical condition, she said. Faircloth said earlier Monday five suspects were being sought, but later said police were seeking four. The vehicles seen leaving the home were a late '90s white Ford F-150 pickup, occupied by two Hispanic males, Faircloth said, and a red Honda or Acura with dark tinted windows sitting low to the ground, with one Hispanic male inside. The shots were fired from the white pickup, he said. Another vehicle mentioned earlier Monday was a two-toned silver and black Ford F-150 that had two Hispanic males inside. Faircloth said Monday afternoon that vehicle had been located and was not thought to be involved. However, police released a video of a gray Lexus on Monday, and would like to question its owners, Faircloth said. The drivers are believed to be an older couple. The car was seen before the officer encountered the white and red vehicles. "The manhunt continues on the ground," Faircloth said. The suspects are considered armed and dangerous, he said. Faircloth said he had no information on whether the home had surveillance equipment. Family members told KHOU that Gonzalez went to the ranch nearly every weekend. "It's deeply saddening for all of us," an older son of Gonzalez, Juan Mauricio Gonzalez, told KHOU. "We are a tight-knit family and he was just a perfect man, a perfect father and a great physician." The Methodist Hospital System said Gonzalez will be missed, "both as a friend and an outstanding clinician and researcher. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family during this tragedy." "This man had nothing to do with anybody," Juan Gonzalez told KHOU. "He was a peaceful man. He was a wise man. He was just here to make people better and nothing else." | [
"Who was at the doctor's house?",
"What did police find?",
"Who was hiding in the closet when the police arrived?",
"Who did the police find shot?",
"What was the crime?",
"What did police respond to?",
"Who was shot to death?"
] | [
[
"Gonzalez's wife and small child"
],
[
"Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzales was found shot to death at his ranch in rural Texas"
],
[
"Charleen Gonzalez, 29, and the couple's 2-year-old son,"
],
[
"Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzales"
],
[
"burglary or an intended home invasion,"
],
[
"911 call of a burglary in progress"
],
[
"Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzales"
]
] | Suspects were at doctor's house when he, wife and child arrived, police say .
Police responded to 911 call of burglary at rural home of Houston, Texas, doctor .
Police found Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez shot to death and a ranch worker badly injured .
Gonzalez's wife and toddler found unharmed; they reportedly hid in a closet . |
(CNN) -- Four years ago, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei kissed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the cheek before he was sworn in as Iran's new leader. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be in for a rocky second term as Iranian president, analysts say. Song and prayer heralded a new start for Iran with the hard-line Tehran mayor, virtually unknown to the outside world in 2005. He promised to stamp out corruption and fight for justice. With time, the world came to know the Iranian leader with his signature beige jacket and combative -- often anti-Israeli -- rhetoric. Monday, Iran's supreme leader endorsed Ahmadinejad for a second term in office, but there was no hug or kiss this time around. Video from the event shows Ahmadinejad leaning toward Khamenei before the supreme leader raises his left hand to block him, leaving Ahmadinejad to gingerly kiss the cleric's robe. The awkward scene seemed to only bolster the tensions that have emerged in the once strong relationship. Under Iran's constitution, the incoming president must receive the supreme leader's approval before being sworn into office. Khamenei's endorsement is the first step in that process. On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad will take the oath of office before Parliament. But he will begin his second term in a deeply fractured Iran, one in which the conservative leader finds himself under assault from the legions of pro-democracy supporters and the nation's powerful clerical establishment. Given the unprecedented fissures in Iranian society, some longtime scholars and observers now doubt whether Ahmadinejad will finish his second term in office. Some question whether the clerical establishment will sacrifice him in order to save the Islamic republic. Ahmadinejad's main political problem is "legitimacy," said Alex Vatanka, senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane's, a provider of defense and security information. "Can you operate for four years with huge questions over whether you are the rightful president?" Vatanka said. "I think that would undermine everything he does." Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran's June 12 election, but thousands took to the streets in the aftermath to protest what they believed was a rigged vote. They chanted the name of Ahmadinejad's chief rival, reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi, the crowds a sea of green, the color of the opposition candidate's campaign. Since then, widespread demonstrations have plagued Iran's leaders, who have ordered security forces to crack down swiftly and violently. Iranians have been arrested and jailed, their treatment condemned by global human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Khamenei stood by his president, but strains in the relationship have surfaced in recent days after Ahmadinejad refused at first to heed the supreme leader's orders to change a controversial vice-presidential pick. Iran's clerics have made it known they would like Ahmadinejad "to remain a powerful and popular president" and reminded Iran that the supreme leader's word is the last one in the Islamic Republic. On the eve of his inauguration, Ahmadinejad sought to downplay any rift. In a public address, he compared his relationship with Khamenei to that of a father and son. But Kazem Alamdari, lecturer in sociology at California State University, Northridge, said Ahmadinejad has alienated the clerics just as he has the reformists. Alamdari said Ahmadinejad risks losing conservative supporters who may feel that Iran's system has been placed in danger and that the situation has "created an atmosphere for external forces to attack Iran." If convinced the system is truly threatened, Khamenei could use his power to dismiss Ahmadinejad, Alamdari said. It wouldn't be the first time a supreme leader has made such a move. The Islamic Society of Engineers, a conservative group and ally of Ahmadinejad, in a statement warned that he could suffer the same fate as Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq. He lost the support of the clerics, consequently the people, and eventually was deposed in a 1953 CIA-backed coup. Iran's first president after the 1979 Islamic revolution, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, was forced to flee the country after he stood against the clerics, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. | [
"Who is Ahmadinejad?",
"The leader must have the support of who to stay in office?",
"What does the analyst say?",
"Who protested the election result?",
"Who is running for a second term as Iran president?",
"What was Ahmadinejad to be sworn in as?",
"Who is slated to be sworn in?"
] | [
[
"Iran's new leader."
],
[
"the incoming president"
],
[
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be in for a rocky second term as Iranian president,"
],
[
"thousands"
],
[
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"
],
[
"Iran's new leader."
],
[
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"
]
] | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slated to be sworn in for second term as Iran president .
Supporters of opposition candidates have protested election result .
Ahmadinejad must have support of clerics to stay in office, analyst says .
Faltering economy has added to Ahmadinejad's troubles . |
(CNN) -- Four years ago, if someone said "Robert Pattinson" or "Taylor Lautner" to you, nine out of 10 people would have shrugged their shoulders and said "Who?"
Now, they're pretty much among the most wanted and talked-about actors in Hollywood -- and it's all thanks to the whopping success of the "Twilight" franchise. And while the "Breaking Dawn" films will mark the end of that series, nearly everyone in the know has pegged "The Hunger Games" as the next "Twilight."
So, take note of these names: Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth -- the next young megastars who will face the gift and curse of instant Hollywood fame. As the two male leads in "Hunger," their careers will receive an instant injection of megawatt star power and credibility, they'll be remarkably wealthy and among the A-list ... but they'll also be scrutinized and trailed by the paparazzi and media everywhere they go.
That's the trade-off these days, where any form of success or notoriety means everything in your life is now fair game -- chum in the water for the media sharks. Most actors and Hollywood stars gradually work their way up the ladder, but with the cult teen followings of "Twilight" and "Hunger" -- and both series' decisions to go with less-than-well-known names as the leads (save for Jennifer Lawrence in "Games") -- the transition from working actor to on-the-cover-of-everything can be a tough one to swallow.
Thankfully for Hutcherson and Hemsworth, they have co-stars, girlfriends (Hemsworth has been dating Miley Cyrus on and off, and Hutcherson was linked to Vanessa Hudgens) friends and past co-workers who can help steer them through the blinding headlights of fame that are bearing down on them.
Their "Hunger" co-star Lawrence experienced the same instant rise last year when she was nominated for an Oscar for her turn in "Winter's Bone." She went from relatively unknown actress to hot-new during awards season and will surely serve as a fame coach for her male counterparts.
She recently opined on her methodology for avoiding the pitfalls of fame in a Washington Post interview, saying: "As long as you remember what you're here for -- you're here for the work, you're here to make a film. ... There seems to be some very bizarre habit where as soon as you become big and famous, you think that you don't have to work anymore. And it's just such a weird trend that I'm starting to see. But I run into grounded people all the time. Given, most of them are behind the camera. But I definitely by no means think I'm the only one."
So with that mindset, what can Josh and Liam do to stay (relatively) grounded once they become the next big things? Here's a good checklist.
1. Choose wisely: This should apply to every aspect of your life, from who you surround yourself with and who you date, to what movies you are thinking of tackling. All of the minutiae of your life is now in full view, and a certain portion of the media loves nothing more than to exploit every misstep. Take a look to your left or right the next time you're in a business meeting or out with friends and ask yourself: "Is this person here for me, or for their own benefit?"
2. Stay (somewhat) private: We've already discussed the nosy media, but now with Twitter and other social media, celebrities can live out every action, thought and event in real time for all of the world to see. Sure, it's a great promotional vehicle, but it's one more trap that is 100% avoidable. Don't want your Twitter account hacked where someone posts nasty things in your name? Well, don't have a Twitter account. If you keep access to yourself somewhat limited, when you do actually have something to say | [
"Who will see instant Hollywood fame after \"The Hunger Games\"?",
"who will see instant Hollywood fame?",
"who is hutcherson",
"Any form of what means everything in your life is fair game?",
"who was nominated for an Oscar?",
"who experienced an instant rise to fame?"
] | [
[
"Liam Hemsworth"
],
[
"Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth"
],
[
"next young megastars"
],
[
"success or notoriety"
],
[
"Lawrence"
],
[
"\"Taylor Lautner\""
]
] | Hutcherson and Hemsworth will see instant Hollywood fame after "The Hunger Games"
Lawrence experienced an instant rise to fame when she was nominated for an Oscar .
Any form of success or notoriety means everything in your life is fair game . |
(CNN) -- Fourteen alleged members of the Gambino crime family have been indicted on charges including murder, racketeering, prostitution of minors and trying to locate and intimidate a sequestered jury, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Manhattan, New York, said Tuesday.
"Today, the Gambino family has lost one of its leaders, and many of its rising stars have now fallen," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. "We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to eradicate the mafia and to keep organized crime from victimizing the businesses and the people of this city."
Twelve people, including Daniel Marino, named by the U.S. attorney as the current boss of the Gambino crime family, were arrested Tuesday morning. One was arrested last week, and another was at large Tuesday afternoon, Bharara's office said.
Marino has been charged with murder in various cases, including the 1989 killing of Thomas Spinelli, a member of the family who testified before a federal grand jury about the mafia's members and activities.
The other defendants, who authorities say include some high-ranking members of the Gambino crime family, also have serious charges brought against them.
Onofrio Modica is charged with jury tampering, which stems from 1992, when then-boss John J. Gotti was on trial on federal racketeering and murder charges. According to the U.S. attorney, Modica and other members of the Gambino family tried to locate the anonymous, sequestered jurors sitting on the trial. Modica was able to penetrate security measures and locate the hotel where the jury was sequestered, but the plan was called off after Gotti decided that the jury would not convict him, authorities allege.
The U.S. attorney alleges several of the defendants also operated a prostitution business from 2008 to 2009, where young women and girls as young as 15 allegedly were recruited to be prostitutes and advertised on websites such as Craigslist. According to Bharara, the defendants drove the women to their appointments and kept approximately half the money paid to them. The women allegedly were made available for sex to gamblers at weekly high-stakes poker games that authorities say were run by the defendants.
Read how rare it is for women and children to be involved
A press release from Bharara's office detailed the other charges against the defendants, including extortion; assault; trafficking of narcotics, such as cocaine, OxyContin and marijuana; wire fraud, which includes the alleged defrauding of several high-end New York restaurants by inflating invoice costs; loansharking; and gambling.
"This case shows that it's still about making money illegally, by whatever means," FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George Venizelos said. "No crime seemed too depraved to be exploited if it was a money-maker, including the sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old."
According to the U.S. attorney's office, the fourteen defendants are Marino, Modica, Thomas Orefice, Dominick DiFiore, Anthony Manzella, Michael Scotto, Michael Scarpaci, Thomas Scarpaci, David Eisler, Salvatore Borgia, Steve Maiurro, Keith Dellitalia, Suzanne Porcelli and Anthony Vecchione.
Maiurro remains at large. The 13 defendants all entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday, according to the U.S. attorney's office, and they are expected to appear Wednesday before a federal judge who has been appointed to the case. | [
"Who was arrested?",
"What was the crime ?",
"Who is the group's boss?",
"What are some of the defendants accused of?",
"what boss is arrested",
"Who was the groups boss ?",
"What was he charged with ?"
] | [
[
"alleged members of the Gambino crime family"
],
[
"murder, racketeering, prostitution of minors and trying to locate and intimidate a sequestered jury,"
],
[
"Daniel Marino,"
],
[
"murder, racketeering,"
],
[
"Daniel Marino,"
],
[
"Daniel Marino,"
],
[
"murder"
]
] | Boss of Gambino crime family, other members arrested, U.S. attorney says .
Daniel Marino, who U.S. attorney says is group's boss, charged with murder .
One of Marino's charges connected to '89 killing of man who testified about mafia .
Some defendants accused of operating prostitution business with girls as young as 15 . |
(CNN) -- Fourteen people were missing after a cargo ship sank Monday in Egyptian waters, Red Sea Gov. Majdi Al Qubaisi told Egyptian television. Nine survivors and the bodies of two crew members aboard the Cypriot-flagged Ibn Battuta cargo ship were recovered in separate operations Monday, the Nile TV News Web site said. A rescue boat was headed out to retrieve a 10th survivor. The survivors were "on their way to the naval base, and preparations had been taken to carry out a medical check as soon as they arrive," the Web site said, citing an unnamed Egyptian official. The Ibn Battuta's crew members are of Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, Somali, Iraqi and Sudanese nationalities, Nile TV News said. The Ibn Battuta was carrying 6,500 tons of sand for use in the glass industry and was on its way from the Port of Abu Zenima in Egypt to the United Arab Emirates, the TV station reported. The ship had experienced bad weather in the Red Sea, with low visibility and high waves. The commercial ship Susan K retrieved the two bodies, while the survivors were rescued by the boat Sultan and an aircraft from an Egyptian Search and Rescue team, Nile TV News said. -- CNN's Caroline Faraj and Yousef Rafayah contributed to this report. | [
"Number of crew missing after ship capsizes?",
"Amount of survivors recovered from Cypriot-flagged Ibn Battuta cargo ship?",
"What would the sand have been used for?",
"Where did the ship capsize?",
"Where did the ship experience bad weather?",
"What was the ship carrying?",
"How many tons of sand was the ship carrying?",
"What ship capsized?",
"What was the death toll of the incident at sea?"
] | [
[
"Fourteen"
],
[
"Nine"
],
[
"in the glass industry"
],
[
"Egyptian waters,"
],
[
"Egyptian waters,"
],
[
"6,500 tons of sand"
],
[
"6,500"
],
[
"Ibn Battuta"
],
[
"two"
]
] | Reports: 14 crew missing after ship capsizes in Egyptian waters .
9 survivors, 2 bodies recovered from Cypriot-flagged Ibn Battuta cargo ship .
Vessel carrying 6,500 tons of sand for use in the glass industry .
The ship had experienced bad weather in the Red Sea . |
(CNN) -- Fourteen thoroughbred horses dropped dead in a mysterious scene Sunday before a polo match near West Palm Beach, Florida, officials said. Teams are trying to figure out what happened at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Florida. State and local veterinary teams are trying to figure out what happened at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, as team Lechuza Caracas prepared to compete in a U.S. Open match. Two horses initially collapsed, and as vets and team officials scrambled to revive them, five others became dizzy, said Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the polo club. "A total of seven died on our property," O'Connor told CNN. Seven other horses died en route to a Wellington horse farm and a veterinary hospital. The cause of the deaths has not been determined, and necropsies and blood tests were underway, he said. O'Connor said each team brings between 40 to 60 horses for matches, and they are continuously switched out throughout a match to keep the horses from overexerting themselves. A meeting will be held to determine whether Lechuza Caracas will compete at a later date, he said. "Everybody is kind of in shock and trying to figure out what happened," he said. "Nobody can recall an incident in which this many horses have died at once." CNN's Samira Simone contributed to this report. | [
"What Polo club's comment?",
"How many horses died?",
"Where were the races held?",
"Where was the match set?",
"What was the reason that horses die?",
"How many horsed died?"
] | [
[
"\"A total of seven died on our property,\""
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"International Polo Club Palm Beach in Florida."
],
[
"West Palm Beach, Florida,"
],
[
"has not been determined,"
],
[
"Fourteen"
]
] | 14 thoroughbred horses drop dead unexpectedly before a polo match .
Match set at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida .
Cause of deaths not determined; necropsies and blood tests are underway .
Polo club spokesman: "Everybody is kind of in shock" |
(CNN) -- Fourteen times in nine years, Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij had left his family behind and headed out on deployment as an Army Ranger, taking part in hundreds of combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, all before his 30th birthday.
His most recent tour turned out to be his last.
The veteran soldier's death rattled his commanders, as well as those in his native San Diego. His former football coach, Jeff Carpenter, remembered Domeij as diligent, funny, passionate and team-oriented.
"I told my classes that I was incredibly sad to begin with and incredibly angry," said Carpenter, who besides being an assistant coach the past 18 years is also a social sciences teacher at Rancho Bernardo High School. "Just the fact that it happened to someone like him -- it's hard."
Domeij, 1st Lt. Ashley White and Pvt. 1st Class Christopher Horns all died Saturday in Kandahar province when an improvised explosive device blew up near their assault force, according to a U.S. Army Special Operations Command news release.
The trio's death is far from unprecedented: According to CNN's count, based on U.S. military reports, there have been 1,811 U.S. troops killed during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan that began in October 2001.
Each person, each death, is unique. In Domeij's case, that translates to a man whom his unit commander described as "irreplaceable" -- on the battlefield and in life.
"He was one of those men who known by all as much for his humor, enthusiasm and loyal friendship as he was for his unparalleled skill and bravery under fire," said Lt. Col. David Hodne, head of the 75th Ranger Regiment's 2nd battalion. "This was a Ranger you wanted at your side when the chips were down."
Domeij distinguished himself as a person as much as he did as a player while in high school, his former coach recalled.
"He was just a great kid," Carpenter said, describing his great sense of humor and engaging personality. "And we knew, as coaches, that no matter what, this was a kid who was going to play hard and (all) out."
Carpenter said he wasn't surprised when Domeij told him he was going to enlist. "It made all the sense in the world," the coach said, given Domeij's proven dedication to and ability to thrive as a member of a team.
So Domeij joined the Army in July, a few months after graduating high school and not long before the September 11 terrorist attacks. Nine months later, he became part of the Ranger regiment.
Domeij was based at that unit's headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, where his role was as a joint terminal attack controller. The person in this position often advances into harm's way, directing allied combat aircraft on where and when to strike.
His regiment's commander, Col. Mark Odom, called Domeij "technically and tactically competent" as well as critically important.
"His ability to employ fire support platforms made him a game-changer on the battlefield -- an operator who, in real terms, had the value of an entire strike force on the battlefield," Odom said in the news release.
The military culture is very much ingrained in the Southern California culture in which Domeij grew up. Much of the Pacific fleet is based there at U.S. Naval Base San Diego. A large Marine base at Camp Pendleton is about 30 miles northwest of Rancho Bernardo High, with the famed Marine Corps Air Station Miramar about 11 miles south.
The parents of many of that high school's students -- whose enrollment was about 3,000 when Domeij attended -- are in the military, Carpenter notes. Yet while multiple students enlist each year, Domeij's death is the first his coach can recall since Rancho Bernardo opened in 1990.
Carpenter said he'd kept in touch with his former player since graduation, knowing full well that was in Special Operations and in harm's way. But he said neither | [
"What did the coach say?",
"In which province was Doemij killed?",
"What has been hard on the community?",
"When did Domeij join the army?",
"Where was Domeij killed?",
"When did he join?",
"Where was he killed?"
] | [
[
"\"I told my classes that I was incredibly sad to begin with and incredibly angry,\""
],
[
"Kandahar"
],
[
"Domeij's death"
],
[
"July,"
],
[
"Kandahar province"
],
[
"July,"
],
[
"Kandahar province"
]
] | NEW: Coach says Kristoffer Domeij's death has been hard on community .
Domeij was one of 3 killed days ago while on a mission in Kandahar province .
He joined the Army in 2001 and became a Ranger the next year .
His unit commander calls him "irreplacable" in combat and in life . |
(CNN) -- France has awarded its highest decoration to veteran CNN correspondent Jim Bittermann. CNN's Jim Bittermann at the special ceremony in Paris where he was made a chevalier. At a special ceremony presided over by the Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris Tuesday, Bittermann was presented with the "chevalier" (knight) of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. Bittermann, CNN's senior European correspondent based in Paris, said: "For the past 30 years, I've been explaining France and the French to the rest of the world." During his career with CNN in Paris Bittermann has covered the death of Princess Diana, the last days of Yasser Arafat, the French triumph at the 1998 World Cup and the Concorde air disaster. He joined CNN from ABC News, where he was a Paris news correspondent from 1990-1996; before that Bittermann was a European correspondent for NBC News. He began his career in broadcast journalism in 1970 in Milwaukee. Founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding accomplishment, the chevalier is given annually to around 3,500 Frenchmen and women -- but few non-nationals. Of the 13 honorees this year from outside France, two are American. Previous non-French recipients include former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, fillm legends Charles Chaplin and Orson Welles and Norman Schwarzkopf, who led allied forces against Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War. Apart from his work for CNN, in recent years Bittermann has been a featured speaker at journalism events such as the International Diplomacy Institute, as well as lecturing and moderating panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In 1999 Bittermann was appointed a professor at the American University of Paris, teaching courses broadcast news, writing and production and politics and media among others. | [
"what is the rank of chevalier",
"What is the name of the journalist?",
"Are any Americans set to be awarded the rank of chevalier this year?",
"In what year did Bittermann join CNN?",
"The rank was first awarded by who?",
"Who is Jim Bittermann?",
"Which year did he join CNN?"
] | [
[
"(knight)"
],
[
"Jim Bittermann."
],
[
"two"
],
[
"1990-1996;"
],
[
"Napoleon Bonaparte"
],
[
"veteran CNN correspondent"
],
[
"1970"
]
] | Only two Americans are set to be award the rank of chevalier this year .
Jim Bittermann, a journalist for nearly 40 years, joined CNN in 1996 .
First awarded by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding accomplishment . |
(CNN) -- France international footballer Patrice Evra is determined to follow up his complaint of racism against Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, according to his club manager.
Manchester United defender Evra accused his Liverpool opponent of racially abusing him during Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw, and the English Football Association said it would investigate after match referee Andre Marriner reported the incident.
Suarez denied the claims in a statement on his Facebook page, but United manager Alex Ferguson told reporters on Monday that Evra stands by his comments to French television channel Canal Plus.
"I spoke to Patrice today. He is adamant he wants to follow it on," Ferguson said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Romanian minnows Otelul Galati.
"It is not an easy one for us. It is not something we would want to level against Liverpool, and it is not against Liverpool. Obviously Patrice feels very aggrieved at what was said to him. It rests in the hands of the FA now."
Ask Samuel Eto'o and Roberto Carlos your questions
United and Liverpool are bitter rivals, and Ferguson appealed to both sets of fans before the match at Anfield, asking them not to sing abusive chants about the clubs' respective tragedies in Munich and Hillsborough.
Eight of United's players were killed in the 1958 German air crash that claimed 23 lives, while 96 Liverpool supporters died during an FA Cup semifinal in 1989.
"Saturday was terrific. Both sets of fans were good," Ferguson said. "There was not any of that silly chanting we have had in previous years. Both sets of fans deserve praise for that."
United midfielder Ashley Young was racially abused by Bulgaria fans during England's Euro 2012 qualifier in Sofia in September, but Ferguson said there are no such problems in the Premier League.
"I am not aware of any instances in terms of British football," the 69-year-old Scot said.
"It doesn't happen in England. There are very few examples of that. Maybe this is what surprised Patrice Evra. He thought he was slighted on Saturday.
"We don't want to see it. It is as simple as that."
Ferguson said Evra would be in contention to play in Romania, with last season's Champions League finalists United seeking to kickstart a faltering European campaign after picking up just two points from two Group C matches.
"Yes, yes. There is no problem," he said, while confirming that England striker Wayne Rooney would play despite Sunday's top-of-the-table derby clash with Manchester City looming.
Rooney started on the bench against Liverpool following the news that he will be banned for all three of England's Euro 2012 finals group matches after his red card against Montenegro.
"When the initial news came through it was a definite blow for him. He didn't expect that. None of us did," Ferguson said.
In Tuesday's other Group C game, Swiss side Basel host Portugal's Benfica with both clubs on four points.
In Group B, Italy's Internazionale travel to French side Lille on the back of another domestic defeat at the weekend, while Turkey's Trabzonspor will seek to extend their lead at home to CSKA Moscow.
Group A leaders Bayern Munich visit Italy's Napoli in search of a third successive win, while Manchester City host Spain's Villarreal with both teams in search of a first victory.
Nine-time European champions Real Madrid will seek a third successive Group D victory at home to French side Lyon in the clubs' ninth meeting in six years.
Dutch club Ajax, whose fourth European title came in 1995, travel to Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb -- with neither team having won yet this season. | [
"Who is expected to play?",
"Who will continue his complaint?",
"where English FA is investigating after incidents in Liverpool-Manchester United game",
"Patrice Evra will continue his complaint of what?",
"Evra is expected to play in what league?",
"Who is investigating?"
] | [
[
"Wayne Rooney"
],
[
"Patrice Evra"
],
[
"Football Association said it would investigate"
],
[
"racism"
],
[
"Champions"
],
[
"the English Football Association"
]
] | Patrice Evra will continue his complaint of racial abuse against Luis Suarez .
English FA is investigating after incidents in Liverpool-Manchester United game .
Liverpool striker Suarez has denied the claims by United defender Evra .
Evra is expected to play in United's Champions League trip to Romania on Tuesday . |
(CNN) -- France's reputation as rugby's Jekyll and Hyde team was reaffirmed on Saturday as Marc Lievremont's inconsistent side bounced back from two defeats to eliminate England and reach the World Cup semifinals.
Les Bleus avenged their 2007 semi defeat by the English on home soil with a 19-12 victory in Auckland, setting up a last-four clash with Wales -- who went through after beating Celtic neighbors Ireland 22-10.
With the other half of the drawing pitting hosts New Zealand against Argentina, and world champions South Africa versus Australia -- both games are on Sunday -- there could potentially be a repeat of the inaugural 1987 final when the All Blacks beat France.
Coach Lievremont will be replaced by Philippe Saint-Andre after the tournament, but he has the chance to help France to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time.
His team lost to New Zealand and Tonga in the group stage, but roared to a 16-0 halftime lead at Eden Park as wing Vincent Clerc and fullback Maxime Medard crossed for tries, while Dimitri Yachvili kicked two penalties.
England, the 2003 champions, rallied with second-half tries to fullback Ben Foden and wing Mark Cueto but a drop-goal by Francois Trinh-Duc in between those scores kept France safely ahead.
"You can't give a good team like France 16 points of a start. We had chances in the second half but they deserved to win," said England manager Martin Johnson, a World Cup winner as a player eight years ago.
France captain Thierry Dusautoir was glad to put the nightmare of the shock Tonga defeat behind him.
"We didn't want to go out like this. We wanted to show how we can play rugby," he said.
"I think we did it well. It was a great start for us and we are going to enjoy this victory. Now we need to keep it up and focus on the next game."
The French will take on Wales at Eden Park next Saturday after Warren Gatland's team handed Ireland a first defeat of the tournament to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1987.
The Group D runners-up scored three tries to one in Wellington as Ireland failed to capitalize on a wealth of first-half possession and crashed out at the last-eight stage for the fifth successive time.
Veteran winger Shane Williams put Wales ahead with a third-minute try that young flyhalf Rhys Priestland converted for a 10-3 lead at the break. Ronan O'Gara kicked Ireland's only points with a 24th-minute penalty before Leigh Halfpenny replied in kind just before the half hour.
Ireland leveled five minutes after the interval as O'Gara converted a try by wing Keith Earls, but Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips dotted down in the 51st minute and center Jonathan Davies made it safe on 64.
"We spent a lot of time in that first half in their 22 and we only came up with three points in the half," Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll said.
"It hurts a bit when you're going in at halftime having the opportunities and knocking on the door, but not really getting any points out of the territory.
"We needed to deliver a performance similar to the one against Australia or the one against Italy last week. We didn't do that today, we knocked on way too much ball."
Gatland backed his young team to go further in the tournament.
"They have no baggage and there's no fear factor," Gatland said. "We are in New Zealand and not in the bubble of Wales and listening to any of the negativity that is sometimes generated back home.
"We've worked so hard in the last three, four months. We aren't ready to go home yet." | [
"Who suffered first defeat of the tournament in New Zealand?",
"Where did the tournament take place?",
"When did Les Bleus last lose to England?",
"Who won the game 19-12 in the World Cup quarterfinals?",
"What was the score in semifinal game of Wales-Ireland?",
"What country defeated England in quarterfinals?"
] | [
[
"Ireland"
],
[
"New Zealand"
],
[
"2007"
],
[
"Les Bleus"
],
[
"22-10."
],
[
"France's"
]
] | France end England's World Cup hopes with 19-12 win in quarterfinals .
Les Bleus avenged 2007 semifinal loss to England on home soil .
Victory sets up semifinal clash with Wales, who defeat Ireland 22-10 .
Group C winners suffered first defeat of the tournament in New Zealand . |
(CNN) -- Frances Reid, best known for her decades-long portrayal of Alice Horton on the soap opera "Days of our Lives," died Wednesday at the age of 95.
Reid played the role of the martriarch since the long-running soap series' first episode in 1965, and made her last appearance in 2007.
Reid was nominated twice for Daytime Emmys, and in 2004 she was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award.
NBC said in a statement to CNN that the network "is deeply saddened by the passing of Frances Reid. She was a true icon of the daytime genre and while we mourn her passing, we also celebrate her long life and the tremendous talent she shared with her generations of fans. She will be sorely missed."
On Twitter, "Days" actress Alison Sweeney, who plays Sami, wrote, "I'm so sad to hear the news about Frances Reid. She was a truly talented actress and we are all lucky and proud to have known her." | [
"What did Reid win in 2004?",
"What few years old actress Frances Reid died?",
"When did Reid die?",
"Who died Wednesday at the age of 95?",
"What prize won in 2004?",
"What roles were carried fame?",
"What was she best known for?"
] | [
[
"Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award."
],
[
"95."
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"Frances"
],
[
"Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award."
],
[
"Alice Horton"
],
[
"her decades-long portrayal of Alice Horton on"
]
] | Actress Frances Reid died Wednesday at the age of 95 .
She was best known for her decades-long role as Alice Horton on "Days of Our Lives"
Reid won a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement award in 2004 . |
(CNN) -- Fred Berretta was aboard US Airways Flight 1549 bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, when he heard a loud bang and the plane shook. The New York Fire Department rescued passengers from the downed plane in the Hudson River. "We were still on ascent, and the engine blew out," he said. "The pilot turned around and made a line for the river." Passenger Alberto Panero said that immediately, he smelled smoke. "All of a sudden, the captain came on and said brace for a landing, and that's when we knew we were going down," he said. The Airbus A320, carrying Panero and more than 150 other passengers and crew, crash-landed in the Hudson River on Thursday after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York. Watch Jeff Kolodjay describe the crash » A New Jersey State Police source told CNN the pilot radioed to air traffic controllers that he had experienced a bird strike and declared an emergency. "We knew there wasn't a lot of time because we were quite close to the ground, and it felt as though the descent was somewhat rapid," said Berretta, who said he was sitting in seat 16A. Watch Berretta describe the landing » As the plane headed down toward the river, the cabin was mostly silent, he said. "After he told us prepare for impact, it was pretty evident we were not going to make the runway." At first, it felt like the plane was gliding, Berretta said, as if no engines were working. "People started praying, and there was a lot of silence, and the realization that we were going in was really hard to take in at that moment," he said. As the plane started to go down, some passengers shouted to those in exit rows to be prepared to quickly open the doors. Berretta spent that time contemplating the chances of surviving a water crash. "I think that [it] certainly went through my mind that this probably very much could be it," he said. Then the plane hit the water. Panero said the impact felt like a car crash. Some said that as the plane hit, there were extremely loud noises. "The plane was jockeying about, spinning a bit," Berretta said. "Then all of a sudden, it was 'Get out, get out now,' " Panero said. Jeff Kolodjay was sitting in seat 22A right next to the engine believed to have caused the plane to go down. "The plane started filling with water pretty quick," he said. "It was scary. There was a lady with her baby on my left-hand shoulder, and she was crawling over the seats." Upon impact, passengers left behind their coats and luggage. They grabbed life vests and seat cushions and headed toward the exits. "It seemed like it lasted an eternity," Berretta said. When the plane began to sink, some passengers began to panic, Panero said. Watch Panero describe what he saw and heard » "But there was a couple of people who kind of took charge and just started yelling to calm down, just to get everybody out," he said. "Once people realized that we were going to be OK, everybody kind of calmed down and just tried to get out of the plane to safety." Passengers began to group themselves on the wings to stay out of the frigid water. When they were safely out of the plane, Berretta said, there was one more moment of fear. "Our raft was tethered to the plane, and we worried we might go down with the plane," he said. "But we were able to get a knife off a rescue boat and cut the tether." More than anything, passengers wanted to thank the crew. As Berretta exited the plane, he said that besides a few passengers remaining, the crew and pilot stayed behind to make sure everyone was out. | [
"What plane crash is being discussed?",
"What did Jeff Kolodjay say?",
"What were the passengers doing?",
"What did the woman do?",
"What did the woman with the baby try to do?",
"In what body of water did the plane crash?",
"What plane started filling with water?",
"What did the pilot say to the passengers?",
"What did the plane start to fill with?",
"What did a woman with a baby attempt?"
] | [
[
"US Airways Flight 1549"
],
[
"\"The plane started filling with water pretty quick,\""
],
[
"began to group themselves on the wings to stay out of the frigid water."
],
[
"crawling over the seats.\""
],
[
"crawling over the seats.\""
],
[
"Hudson River."
],
[
"US Airways Flight 1549"
],
[
"brace for a landing,"
],
[
"water"
],
[
"crawling over the seats.\""
]
] | NEW: People were praying, telling exit row passengers to get ready to open doors .
Plane passengers say pilot told them to "brace for a landing"
Jeff Kolodjay: "The plane started filling with water pretty quick"
Woman with baby tried to climb over seats to get out . |
(CNN) -- Freed Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi thanked friends and family Tuesday for their support during her ordeal in an Iranian prison, and said she plans to spend the next few days relaxing. Roxana Saberi smiles ouside her home in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday. "I am, of course, very happy to be free and to be with my parents again," a smiling Saberi, 32, told reporters. Saberi, who was dressed in a black tunic and a blue headscarf, said she was only now learning of a global support campaign on her behalf. "I want to thank all the people all over the world, who, whether they knew me or not, helped me and my family during this period," she said. "I don't have any specific plans for the moment. I just want to be with my parents and my friends and to relax." Reza Saberi, her father, said they plan to leave Iran soon. Saberi was convicted last month on espionage charges in a one-day trial that was closed to the public. She was sentenced to eight years in prison after being accused of spying for the United States. A judge changed Saberi's sentence during an appeal hearing Monday. The court agreed with her lawyers that, because Iran is not at war with the United States, Saberi cannot be punished for cooperating with agents of a hostile nation, according to Saberi's spokesman, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi. Her sentence was changed to a two-year jail term, suspended for five years, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported. Saberi was detained in January after initially being accused of buying a bottle of wine and working as a journalist without proper accreditation, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an advocacy group. She was soon charged with espionage. Saberi went on a hunger strike while imprisoned, but her father said she has since put on some weight. | [
"What did the father of Roxana Saberi say?",
"Who was convicted last month on espionage charges ?",
"What was Saberis sentence changed to?",
"What was her sentence reduced to?",
"What was her career?",
"What was Saberi convicted for?",
"What was changed to a two-year jail term, suspended for five years ?",
"Which relative ofRoxana Saberi says they plan to leave Iran soon ?"
] | [
[
"they plan to leave Iran soon."
],
[
"Saberi"
],
[
"a two-year jail term,"
],
[
"two-year jail term, suspended for five years,"
],
[
"journalist"
],
[
"espionage charges"
],
[
"Her sentence"
],
[
"her father,"
]
] | Father of Roxana Saberi says they plan to leave Iran soon .
Saberi, 33, was convicted last month on espionage charges .
Her sentence was changed to a two-year jail term, suspended for five years .
She has lived in Iran since 2003, reporting for international news organizations . |
(CNN) -- Freezing temperatures plagued much of the nation Thursday after a major storm moved into Canada, but another storm that will dump more snow in the Sierra Nevada was brewing, forecasters said.
That storm, which is expected to start overnight, should last several days and eventually make its way eastward, like its predecessor, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. The Sierras, straddling California and Nevada, received more than 3 feet of snow in the last few days.
Crews in El Dorado County, California, have been working around the clock this week to restore power to residents who have been left in the dark and cold since Sunday, according to CNN affiliate KXTV. That county, near Lake Tahoe, has received more than 30 inches of snow.
Elsewhere, more than 18 inches of snow had accumulated in parts of the Midwest by Thursday, and high winds made the snow difficult to clear.
Unusually low temperatures were in store for much of the nation into Friday, the National Weather Service said.
"Almost the entire Lower 48 is below normal as far as temperatures. In some cases, 20, 30 degrees," CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said.
Freezing or below-freezing temperatures were recorded from Dallas, Texas, and Memphis, Tennessee, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago, Illinois. The temperature in Detroit, Michigan, was 16; in Minneapolis it was minus 5; and in Chicago it was 1 degree.
Overnight temperatures were to dip to 17 in Denver, Colorado, and Kansas City, Missouri; 24 in Seattle, Washington; 31 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 32 in Las Vegas, Nevada; and 27 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Lake-effect snow warnings and advisories were in effect for western Michigan and the state's Upper Peninsula, areas that border Lake Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. Lake-effect snow forms when a mass of cold air moves over a body of warmer water.
iReport: Share your photos, video
Tens of thousands of people were left in the dark in southeast Michigan, with temperatures that plunged well below freezing, after high winds blew down power lines, according to CNN affiliate WXYZ TV.
Schools and government offices were closed in many cities.
In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Jeanne Knurr took advantage of having her two children -- Sierra, 12, and Austin, 15 -- home.
"We told them we were going to put them to work," she told CNN affiliate WLUK on Wednesday. "We told them before they went to bed that they were going to have to help mom shovel because she's going to be all alone."
They didn't seem to mind.
"Well, I think shoveling snow's actually better because afterward you actually get to make forts and stuff," Sierra said. "Sleeping in is a lot better."
iReport: Thousands join campus snowball fight
High winds made snow removal difficult.
Wind gusts reached 50 mph in Omaha, Nebraska; 58 mph in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and 60 mph in Toledo, Ohio. In Omaha, as soon as plows cleared the snow, the wind blew more in their paths, noted former resident and CNN meteorologist Chad Myers as he watched a video clip.
Several states reported storm-related deaths.
In Northumberland, New York, authorities said a freight train struck a snowplow Wednesday, killing a passenger in the plow, reported CNN affiliate WTEN.
In Yale, Iowa, an elderly man was discovered dead Wednesday outside his truck, said Bret Voorhees, spokesman for the state's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
A 28-year-old woman was killed in Omaha on Tuesday night when a truck plowing snow in a parking lot backed into her, police spokesman Jacob Bettin said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In northern Arizona, dozens of elk hunters were stranded this week by deep snow in the area's backwoods. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it has assisted or offered assistance to about 50 hunters Wednesday and Thursday, including some air evacuations.
The Arizona | [
"How much snow has fallen?",
"what do forecasters say",
"What do forecasters say about U.S. temperatures?",
"Where did the major storm move into?",
"Where is another storm brewing?",
"what amount of snow has fallen",
"What is the amount of snow that has fallen in parts of the Midwest?",
"where are the storms"
] | [
[
"3 feet"
],
[
"another storm that will dump more snow in the Sierra Nevada was brewing,"
],
[
"Unusually low"
],
[
"Canada,"
],
[
"Sierra Nevada"
],
[
"3 feet"
],
[
"18 inches"
],
[
"Sierra Nevada"
]
] | Major storm moves into Canada, but another one brewing over Sierra Nevada .
More than 18 inches of snow have fallen in parts of the Midwest .
U.S. temperatures unusually low, forecasters say; several states report storm-related deaths . |
(CNN) -- French Open champion Roger Federer dramatically withdrew from the Halle Open tournament on Tuesday saying he was "overwhelmed and exhausted" after his Paris triumph. Roger Federer quits the Halle Open saying he is "overwhelmed and exhausted" after his Paris triumph. Federer beat Swede Robin Soderling in Sunday's Roland Garros final to complete his Grand Slam haul and equal the record 14 'major' wins by Pete Sampras. He traditionally uses the German follow-up event as his warm-up for Wimbledon which starts on June 22. "I sincerely apologise to the tournament organisers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany," Swiss world number two Federer said in a statement on his Web site. "I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days. "It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don't want to risk injury if I am not 100 percent prepared. "I need to rest and recuperate, but I look forward to returning to Halle in 2010 to go for my sixth title." Serb Novak Djokovic, who scored a straight sets win over Italy's Simone Bolelli 7-5 6-2 in 84 minutes earlier in the day, has now been promoted to top seed. "For my first game here, I was pretty happy," said Djokovic, who faces France's Florent Serra in the second round. Djokovic is using the grass-court tournament to prepare for the next Grand Slam tournament -- and he hopes injury worry Rafael Nadal will be at Wimbledon to defend his crown. Nadal withdrew from the Queen's tournament this week with a knee injury and the Spaniard says he will travel to London next week before making a final decision. "I hope he makes it, it would be a shame for the tournament if the defending champion and world number one doesn't play through injury," said Djokovic. Earlier, third-seeded Fernando Verdasco suffered a first round exit when he was beaten by Germany's Philipp Petzschner 3-6 7-6 6-4. Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt tipped Federer to set a new Grand Slam record at Wimbledon after easing into the second round at Queen's. Australian Hewitt took just 44 minutes to sink Argentine Eduardo Schwank 6-1 6-0 and then turned his thoughts to Federer whose triumph in Paris saw him draw level with Pete Sampras on 14 Grand Slam wins. "It was an amazing achievement," said Hewitt. "His record speaks for itself. From what I saw of the match, he played his best tennis in the final. "There was a lot of pressure and expectation on him. He came out and played one of his best matches. I think coming to Wimbledon is probably his favorite tournament of the year, so he's going to be feeling pretty confident." He added: "Roger's going to be the one to beat. But Andy Murray has got a good chance, no doubt about that, both here and Wimbledon. He's number three in the world at the moment and plays extremely well on this surface." Britain's Murray, who is the top seed in the singles, and Hewitt won their opening doubles 3-6 6-3 12-10 on a match tie-break after dropping the first set to U.S. duo Rajeev Ram and Andy Roddick. Second-seeded Roddick began his challenge for a record fifth Queen's title with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 second round victory over Kristof Vliegen. | [
"Who is overwhelmed and exhausted?",
"What was his reason?",
"What did Federer use the German follow-up event as a warm-up for?",
"Who withdrew from Halle Open?",
"Who is the French Open champion?",
"What is traditionally used as a German followup event?"
] | [
[
"Roger Federer"
],
[
"\"overwhelmed and exhausted\""
],
[
"Wimbledon"
],
[
"Roger Federer"
],
[
"Roger Federer"
],
[
"his warm-up for Wimbledon"
]
] | French Open champion Roger Federer dramatically withdraws from Halle Open .
Swiss world No. 2 is "overwhelmed and exhausted" after his triumph in Paris .
Federer traditionally uses German follow-up event as warm-up for Wimbledon . |
(CNN) -- French Prime Minister Francois Fillon unveiled further details Monday of a 26 billion-euro ($33 billion) business stimulus package which his government hopes can stall falling growth and prevent the country joining other major European economies in recession. Up to 1,000 projects will benefit from the package, which was first proposed by President Nicolas Sarkozy in December and approved by French lawmakers last week. Around 20 billion euros of the total amount will be spent over the next 12 months. Businesses will receive 11.4 billion euros while the same amount will be invested in public projects with social housing identified as a priority. The final 4 billion euros will be spent on improving France's transport, energy and postal service infrastructure. The package is expected to stimulate economic growth of around 1.3 percent, Fillon said. France has so far avoided the worst of the recession that has gripped many of its western European neighbors, including Germany and the UK. But unemployment rose by a further 45,000 in December after surging by 64,000 in November, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said Monday, adding that she would be "very surprised" if France experienced positive growth in 2009. Speaking to CNN this weekend at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Lagarde, defended the case for public spending in the face of fears that stimulus packages amounted to storing up unmanageable debts for future generations. "When the house is on fire we don't look at what can be built, Lagarde said. "We need to kick start (the economy) and we need to restore confidence." | [
"What did PM Fillion hope to stimulate?",
"Who is the French PM?",
"What rose in December?",
"Who hopes the package will stimulate the economy?",
"How much will the government spend to bolster economy?",
"Number that unemployment rose by in December?",
"Amount the french government spent?",
"By how much did unemployment rise in France in December?",
"Who is the French finance minister?",
"How much money was the French government spending to help their economy?",
"What did the French government do?",
"How much did unemployment rise by in December?"
] | [
[
"economic growth"
],
[
"Francois Fillon"
],
[
"unemployment"
],
[
"Prime Minister Francois Fillon"
],
[
"($33 billion)"
],
[
"45,000"
],
[
"26 billion-euro"
],
[
"45,000"
],
[
"Christine Lagarde"
],
[
"26 billion-euro"
],
[
"unveiled further details Monday of a 26 billion-euro"
],
[
"45,000"
]
] | French government to spend $33 billion in effort to bolster economy .
French PM Fillon hopes package will stimulate 1.3 percent in 2009 .
Unemployment rose by 45,000 in December, according to French finance minister . |
(CNN) -- French fishermen suspended their blockade at three English Channel ports Thursday, allowing ferry traffic and freight to move through after two days of disruption, union leaders said. French fishing boats blockade the port of Boulogne. The French ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne were open again after French unions met Thursday and agreed to stop the blockade. Union leaders have yet to agree on how the rest of their protest will develop, and whether the suspension will become permanent. The fishermen began their blockade of the three ports Tuesday to protest European Union fishing quotas, which they say threaten their livelihoods. The flotillas forced a halt to all cross-Channel traffic, including passenger ferries and freighters, stranding tourists on both sides of the waterway and causing a backlog of freight trucks. P&O, the largest ferry operator on the Channel, said it had resumed running normal services to Calais. "It is our hope that we'll be able to continue doing that throughout the day," spokeswoman Michelle Ulyatt said. LD Ferries, which operates services to Boulogne, said it had canceled four sailings Thursday as a result of the dispute. "We do not yet have any information on whether any of our services will be affected beyond 16th April," the company said in a statement. French fishermen held four hours of talks with Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier in Paris on Wednesday, the French news agency Agence France-Press reported. Barnier offered the local industry €4 million ($5.3 million) in aid, but refused to budge on the fishermen's key demand that the European Union increase fishing quotas, AFP reported. Both France and the European Union have ruled out any renegotiation, pointing out that French cod quotas have already been raised 30 percent since 2008, AFP said. | [
"Where were the blockades lifted?",
"What did P&O say?",
"What are they protesting?",
"Who are protesting?",
"who will lift blockades?",
"What are fishermen protesting about?",
"Where have port blockades been lifted?",
"What did the blockades do?",
"What services were affected?"
] | [
[
"at three English Channel ports"
],
[
"it had resumed running normal services to Calais."
],
[
"European Union fishing quotas,"
],
[
"French"
],
[
"French"
],
[
"European Union fishing quotas,"
],
[
"Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne"
],
[
"forced a halt to all cross-Channel traffic, including passenger ferries and freighters, stranding tourists on both sides of the waterway and causing a backlog of freight trucks."
],
[
"passenger ferries and freighters,"
]
] | French fishermen lift port blockades at Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne .
Fishermen are protesting over European Union fishing quotas .
Blockades shut all cross-Channel traffic at the three ports .
Ferry operator P&O says it is resuming normal Dover-Calais services . |
(CNN) -- French parachutist Michel Fournier vowed Tuesday to try again to launch a record-breaking skydive in August, hours after a "freak" accident over Canada aborted his second attempt to do so. Michel Fournier tests his equipment a few days before his attempt to break four world records. "I'm not about to give up," the 64-year-old adventurer said of his shot at setting a world record for the highest jump and fastest, longest free fall by a man riding a balloon. Tuesday's attempt was thwarted when an electrical charge broke the cable connecting the balloon to the gondola, causing it to slip away from his ground crew and rise into the Saskatchewan skies over North Battleford. "The question is, why was it electrically activated?" said Michel Chevalet, a balloon expert working on Fournier's technical team. He suggested that static electricity may have been to blame but that it had been an unforeseen possibility. "Unexpected freak accidents do happen," he said. Watch report on Michel Fournier's failed free-fall quest » Fournier said the failure came as a blow. "It was like having a hammer over the head," he said. Watch Fournier talk about trying again » The former paratrooper had hoped his "Big Jump" would start 40 kilometers (25 miles) above the Earth's surface. But his hopes dissipated over the Canadian prairie shortly after 5 a.m. (7 a.m. ET), when the balloon took off before his capsule could be attached. Still clad in his bright yellow pressure suit, a visibly frustrated Fournier waved away cameras after his balloon's abrupt departure. It drifted back to the ground about 40 km away. Fournier says he spent nearly 12.7 million euros ($20 million) on his quest, a risky endeavor that French authorities refused to allow him to attempt over France. Canadian authorities approved the mission over the town of North Battleford, in sparsely populated Saskatchewan. The town's mayor, Julian Sadlowski, said Monday's failure was "a disappointment." "I thought this was going to be the day that we saw history made in the Battlefords," he said. Balloon trouble also doomed Fournier's effort to break the record in 2003. Fournier holds the French record for the highest parachute jump at 12,000 meters (40,000 feet). He says his next chance is in August because that is when the jet stream will next be favorable. The "Big Jump" will collect data that will help astronauts and others survive at high altitudes, he says. Fournier estimated that Tuesday's failed effort cost him and his sponsors about 600,000 euros ($946,000). | [
"What age is Michel Fournier?",
"What does Fournier do?",
"what was broken?",
"What is his nationality?",
"who will be jumping?",
"what record was attempted?",
"Will he try for the record again?",
"What was the free fall record?"
] | [
[
"64-year-old"
],
[
"parachutist"
],
[
"the cable connecting the balloon to the gondola,"
],
[
"French"
],
[
"parachutist Michel Fournier"
],
[
"the highest jump and fastest, longest free fall by a man riding a balloon."
],
[
"\"I'm not about to give up,\""
],
[
"12,000 meters (40,000 feet)."
]
] | NEW: Parachutist Michel Fournier promises to try record jump again .
Balloon escapes as French skydiver attempts free fall record .
Tuesday's attempt thwarted when an electrical charge broke important cable . |
(CNN) -- French researchers have identified a new human immunodeficiency virus, the first derived from gorillas, a report said Monday. A new virus is difficult to detect by tests because it is not closely related to the other three HIV variants. The three previous HIV variants came from chimpanzees. The new findings indicate that gorillas, in addition to chimpanzees, are likely sources of HIV, the researchers concluded in a report published in the weekly Nature Medicine journal. The new virus, called RBF 168, was detected in a 62-year-old woman who moved to Paris, France, from the western Africa nation of Cameroon, the report says. She tested positive for HIV in 2004, and researchers led by Jean-Christophe Plantier identified the virus as being closely related to a recently discovered simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The new gorilla virus "has many of the biological properties necessary for human infection," the report says. "The human case described here does not seem to be an isolated incident, as before coming to Paris the subject had lived in the semiurban area of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, and reported no contact with apes or bush meat," the researchers said. That would indicate that the woman contracted the virus from another human. The significance of the latest findings is difficult to determine without more information, said Robert C. Gallo, who co-discovered HIV in 1984. "It's yet to be known," Gallo said. "It could be zero. ... Let's see a more full report on this individual and let's see wider testing." Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calls the latest HIV variant "an oddity" but said it's not surprising that it cropped up, because the virus has been circulating in non-human primates for centuries. The three previous HIV variants are labeled M, N and O. The new one has been classified P. The N and O variants, Fauci said, are extremely rare. "It's not significant unless it establishes itself as a predominant strain," he said. "We have not seen that with N and O." Fauci lumps the new P variant with the rare group because it has been detected in only one patient. If it were widespread, Fauci said, "we would already know about it. When these things happen, you see a lot of them around." Even if the new variant proves lethal, it's not likely to increase AIDS infections, said Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. There are so many HIV variations, he said, that one more is not likely to make a difference. The new virus is difficult to detect by conventional tests because it is not closely related to the other three HIV variants. "This demonstrates that HIV evolution is an ongoing process," co-researcher David Robertson of the University of Manchester said in a release. "The virus can jump from species to species, from primate to primate, and that includes us; pathogens have been with us for millions of years and routinely switch host species." HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which attacks the body's immune system, giving rise to lethal infections. Patients diagnosed with HIV can take medications to delay or stop HIV from developing into AIDS. There are 33 million confirmed cases of AIDS worldwide. The unnamed woman has no signs of AIDS and remains untreated, Nature Medicine said. The most likely explanation for the emergence of the new virus is gorilla-to-human transmission, though researchers say they cannot rule out the possibility that the chimpanzee SIV gave rise to the new strain "either indirectly by transmission to gorillas and then to humans or directly by transmission to humans and also to gorillas." Researchers said they don't know how widespread the virus is among humans. "The human prevalence of this new lineage remains to be determined," the report says, adding that "it could be circulating unnoticed in Cameroon or | [
"What did the old woman moved to?",
"Who was found to have RBF 168?",
"What came from the gorillas?",
"What is the likely explanation for the emergence of new virus?",
"What is the strain first known to be derived from?",
"Where did the strain come from?"
] | [
[
"Paris, France,"
],
[
"a 62-year-old woman"
],
[
"HIV variants"
],
[
"gorilla-to-human transmission,"
],
[
"gorillas,"
],
[
"Cameroon,"
]
] | Strain is the first known to be derived from gorillas .
62-year-old woman who moved to Paris from Cameroon found to have RBF 168 .
Likely explanation for emergence of new virus is gorilla-to-human transmission . |
(CNN) -- French shoemaker Christian Louboutin is seeing red -- and will likely be seeing a lot more of it -- after a judge in Manhattan denied an injunction that would have kept fellow designer Yves Saint Laurent from selling shoes with red soles.
The lawsuit, filed in June, takes issue with four specific shoes from YSL's Cruise 2011 Collection: the Tribute, Tribtoo, Palais and Woodstock models, claiming the shoes violate Louboutin's trademarked "lacquered red sole."
"Everyone sees the flash of red and associates the red with Louboutin," attorney Harley Lewin said Thursday about his client.
In fact, Louboutin's red soles have graced many a red carpets, adorning the feet of celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Heidi Klum and Sarah Jessica Parker. In 2009, Jennifer Lopez wrote a song about them, "But it's the last time, I'm movin' on, I'm throwing on my Louboutins."
In his decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero acknowleded that in choosing a red sole for his shoes, Louboutin had "departed from longstanding conventions and norms of his industry," to create a product, "so eccentric and striking that it is easily perceived and remembered."
However, Marrero went on to say that, "Louboutin's claim to the 'the color red' is, without some limitation, overly broad and inconsistent with the scene of trademark registration."
"This was a trademark that never should've been issued," David Bernstein, attorney for the defendant, Yves Saint Laurent said.
He adds, "YSL has been using red since the 1970s, other designers have used red on the soles of their shoes. They aren't doing so to confuse people, but because it's a design aesthetic."
Lewin thinks the judge went too far.
"This is no longer about the case," he said.
Judge Marrero's decision drew parallels between painters and fashion designers, calling them both members of a creative industry where no one should be barred from using color to achieve their aesthetic. Doing so could, "interfere with creativity and stifle competition."
Bernstein agrees. "No designer should be able to monopolize a color."
There have been cases when companies have copyrighted color.
Owens Corning, for example, has the trademark for pink fiberglass. Marrero said industrial products are different because the application of color is simply to distinguish one manufacturer from another.
Lewin says his client "separated his shoes from everyone else's by using a red sole."
Lewin said he's never had such an outpouring from his fellow attorneys, law professors and members of the fashion industry, telling him, "This [verdict] is an abomination. Tell your client to appeal."
On August 17, both sides will meet for a case management conference, and Lewin says he will announce his plans to do just that.
"This is not over," Lewin said, "Not by a long shot." | [
"Who asked the judge to do this?",
"What did the attorney say?",
"who is christian laubutin",
"Who won't stop YSL from selling shoes with red soles?",
"Who says color red is associated with Louboutin?",
"Who asked YSL to stop selling shoes with red soles?",
"What won't the judge do?"
] | [
[
"Christian Louboutin"
],
[
"\"Everyone sees the flash of red and associates the red with Louboutin,\""
],
[
"French"
],
[
"judge in Manhattan"
],
[
"Harley Lewin"
],
[
"Christian Louboutin"
],
[
"injunction that would have kept fellow designer Yves Saint Laurent from selling shoes with red soles."
]
] | Judge won't stop Yves Saint Laurent from selling shoes with red soles .
Designer Christian Louboutin had asked him to do so .
Attorney says color red is associated with Louboutin .
But judge said the claim is "overly broad" |
(CNN) -- Fresh faced and pictured wearing a crisp military uniform, the photo of a young Jim Tuckwell looks like it was taken before he'd seen action. But in fact, at the age of just 22, he had already experienced the full horrors of war. World War II veteran Jim Tuckwell as a young soldier. Shot twice on Gold beach during the Normandy Invasion or "D-Day landings," Tuckwell was later deafened by a shell that blew off his friend's legs nearby. By the end of the war, the British soldier had been promoted to the rank of full sergeant, as he put it, simply because so many of his seniors had been killed. Now 86-years-old, he and many of his former comrades will remember the 65th anniversary of the landings Saturday at ceremonies along the French coast. It was a massive air and sea operation that marked the turning point of the war in Europe. And he knows how lucky he is to be alive. "My mate Jimmy went up the beach with two cases of bombs. I never saw him again. If I hadn't been hit, who's to say I wouldn't have been in the same position as he was when he was killed?" With bullet wounds to his chest and arm, Tuckwell collapsed unconscious on the beach. It was more than nine hours later that he was picked up by the stretcher-bearers. Incredibly, he was back fighting within six weeks. Watch Tuckwell tell his story » So much time has passed since then, but the pain is still etched into his face. Sitting there in full military uniform, blazer adorned with half a dozen medals, his voice frequently cracks with emotion. He frequently tails off as he relives the past. "Every time I go back to Normandy I go to his grave, and it brings a tear to me eye even now. We were going do so much after the war ... but it never happened." Tuckwell, who saw action with the 1st Battalion, Dorset Regiment, has since formed a close friendship with Frank Rosier; they are members of the Normandy Veterans Association. Both men say their experiences were so commonplace among their generation that none were able to talk about it until 40 years later. Rosier told me that what he and the veterans discuss among themselves is very different to what is said in television interviews; but when pushed, he describes what it's like to kill another man. "We could never get our fathers to talk about the first World War, because they were involved in close combat. And twice in the second World War it happened to me. "I came face to face with a German, and I beat him to the draw. I killed him. I sat on the grass and was sick and I cried ... he was some mother's son." I get the sense that there was a great deal of respect between these soldiers and the Germans on the other side. Younger generations try to relate to the scale and the carnage of D-Day through movies like "Saving Private Ryan." The veterans talk of the noise, "big battleships firing, rocket ships firing, mortars landing, planes strafing, floating artillery and the Germans were totally unsociable about it, they were firing back at us, so there was a hell of a lot of noise there," recalls Rosier. They are lighthearted at times, citing the fact that British troops are renowned for their humor -- even in the darkest hours. But it is impossible to gloss over the horror and the danger they faced. Standing together in one of the landing crafts at the D-Day museum in Portsmouth, England, Rosier described what it was like to approach Gold beach. Watch Rosier's full interview » He spoke of the bullets thundering into the sides of the craft, a ramp on one side hitting a mine and being disabled, and the knowledge that when the front ramp was dropped, the troops inside would be peppered with machine gun fire | [
"Who remembers the horrors of war and fallen comrades?",
"Who is attending the 65th anniversary services in France Saturday?",
"What do D-Day soldiers remember?",
"Who is attending the 65th anniversary services?",
"What is being held in France Saturday?",
"What was one storming?"
] | [
[
"Jim Tuckwell"
],
[
"Jim Tuckwell"
],
[
"65th anniversary of the landings"
],
[
"he and many of his former comrades"
],
[
"the 65th anniversary of the landings"
],
[
"Normandy"
]
] | D-Day soldiers remember the horrors of war and fallen comrades .
One tells how he survived despite being wounded storming Gold beach .
Another says he still mourns his best friend and cried after killing a German soldier .
President Obama attending 65th anniversary services in France Saturday . |
(CNN) -- Friday marks the passage of one month since a magnitude-7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti. As thousands of Haitians gathered in the center of Port-au-Prince to remember what was lost that day, Ann Veneman, executive director of UNICEF, spoke to CNN's "American Morning" about the situation.
"We don't know how many actually were orphaned by the earthquake. There are so many children in Haiti without parental supervision who need to be cared for, who need to be fed, clothed and so forth and protected," she said.
Tracking down the actual numbers in Haiti can be tough given the circumstances.
Fact check: One month after the earthquake, what numbers are available to tell the story of devastation and recovery?
• Human toll: The Haitian government says the quake claimed the lives of more than 212,000 people and injured more than 300,000. The U.S. Agency for International Development estimates that 3 million people were affected by the quake and 700,000 in Port-au-Prince were displaced.
• Aid agencies: The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that more than 400 agencies were registered with the Haitian government to do work in Haiti before the quake. Because some of the non-governmental organizations are small and work in remote, rural areas, their presence may not even be known to the Haitian government.
• Aid given: According to the U.N. humanitarian affairs office, more than 2.3 million people have received food aid from the World Food Programme and their partners, and more than 10,300 mosquito nets, 23,000 family tents, 26,500 kitchen sets and 79,500 blankets have been distributed.
• Sanitation: The World Health Organization estimated this week that less than 5 percent of the need for latrines has been meet. However, there has not been an increase in reported infectious diseases. More than 900,000 people have access to safe drinking water, but that still falls short of the goal of providing water to 1.1 million.
• Children: About 5,000 schools were destroyed or damaged in the quake. According to the U.N. humanitarian affairs office, the Haitian government aims to have all schools open again before the end of March.
Kathleen Strottman, executive director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, estimates that there were more than 900 orphans in the process of being adopted into American homes when the quake struck.
Bottom line: One month after the most devastating earthquake in Haiti's history, the available numbers show a nation with great needs. However, the numbers also show that aid is reaching a large percentage of the people.
Got something that needs checking? E-mail us at [email protected].
CNN Radio's Steve Kastenbaum and CNN Weather Anchor Chad Myers contributed to this report. | [
"What number of schools were destroyed?",
"How many people were killed?",
"How many schools were destroyed?",
"What number of people were believed killed?",
"Who was registered to work in Haiti before quake struck?",
"Where was the earthquake?"
] | [
[
"5,000"
],
[
"212,000"
],
[
"5,000"
],
[
"212,000"
],
[
"more than 400 agencies"
],
[
"Haiti."
]
] | More than 212,000 people believed killed in earthquake .
Hundreds of aid agencies were registered to work in Haiti before quake struck .
About 5,000 schools destroyed or damaged in quake . |
(CNN) -- Friends and family planned a memorial service in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday for Thor Hesla, who died in Monday's attack on a luxury hotel in Afghanistan.
Friends describe Thor Hesla as a "passionate believer" and "larger than life."
Hesla, 45, loved a game of ultimate Frisbee, a motorcycle ride and a great adventure. Friends say he found no adventure greater than helping people.
He set off for another adventure in October, this time to Afghanistan to work with the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to help build civil society.
"Thor Hesla was a passionate believer in what is possible in the world ," said a statement posted online by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a friend of 20 years.
The Taliban said it was behind the attack that killed him, carried out by suicide bombers and gunmen. Six other people were killed at Kabul's Serena hotel that day.
Six days after Hesla arrived in Afghanistan, he had e-mailed details of his new surroundings to his far-away friends.
Despite the violence wracking the nation, Hesla described Kabul as a city with potential and "astonishing beauty."
He said he was struck by glimpses of "desperately poor" Afghans. "I saw a man moving down the street who was, literally, wearing only rags yesterday," Hesla wrote.
He expressed pride in his work and the American effort to rebuild Afghanistan, writing, "You are forcibly reminded how good and inspirational Americans can be."
Life in Kabul isn't easy. Diplomats and contractors in Afghanistan are under strict security and their travel is severely restricted.
A witness to Monday's attack said terrorists forced their way into the hotel gym and shot three or four people who were working out. Watch witness describe the attack »
Hesla's friends said he joined the hotel's gym and spa as a diversion from his limited daily routine.
"You're always, always, always, reminded how great a blessing it is to come from a land which has never known -- since 1865 -- serious war," Hesla wrote his friends, referring to the Civil War. "It's really difficult to calculate how damaging all-out war can be on a society."
"He was very passionate about everything," said friend Stefan Tigges, according to CNN affiliate WGCL. "He was very generous. He was very spirited, very kind."
Tigges told the Atlanta TV station his friend was "larger than life in every way in terms of his sense of humor, his intellect, his capacity to love, all these things."
At Atlanta's Emory University, Hesla studied English literature and played rugby. He also worked for the Atlanta Olympic Committee and various Democratic political campaigns, including the 2000 campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley.
In countries such as Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Antigua, Barbados and Aruba, Hesla tried to build bridges between feuding groups, and worked on political campaigns seeking to fight crime and corruption, create jobs and improve education, his friends said.
For more than three years, Hesla had worked in war-ravaged Kosovo, where he helped reform economic systems.
After taking time off to travel and write both a screenplay and a novel, he had set off for Afghanistan to work as a contractor for USAID in its "capacity building" program, helping government institutions, social organizations and universities with financial matters.
"We mourn the loss of our fellow employee, Thor Hesla, " said Elizabeth Palmer of BearingPoint, Hesla's employer. "He was a loving son and brother and an important part of our BearingPoint family. His commitment to helping the people of Afghanistan was well known, and we will miss him terribly."
Following Thursday's services in Georgia, another is planned for Hesla in Washington D.C., which friends said was his "adopted home." E-mail to a friend
CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report. | [
"who is responsible for the bombing",
"on what place are the Memorials planned?",
"where was the bombing",
"What happened to an Atlanta native named Thor Hesla?",
"where had astonishing beauty",
"where was thor from"
] | [
[
"The Taliban"
],
[
"Atlanta, Georgia,"
],
[
"Afghanistan."
],
[
"died in Monday's attack on a luxury hotel in Afghanistan."
],
[
"Kabul"
],
[
"Atlanta, Georgia,"
]
] | Atlanta native Thor Hesla, 45, died Monday in suicide bombing of Kabul hotel .
In e-mail to friends, he said Afghan capital had "astonishing beauty"
Memorials planned for U.S. contractor in D.C. and hometown of Atlanta .
Taliban claims attack which killed seven at hotel frequented by Westerners . |
(CNN) -- Friends and strangers across the country gathered on the streets and in schools, churches, bars and auditoriums to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States. A diverse crowd in Los Angeles, California, cheers as Barack Obama takes the oath of office Tuesday. "It's a great day to be an American," iReporter Roger Germann said at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, where revelers watched the inauguration on television monitors among exhibits of sharks and otters. Tuesday's inauguration brought together Americans from different walks of life, united in their hope that Obama will deliver on his promise to change the nation's course. Click the links to read views on President Obama's inauguration from people across the country. Reaction to speech What Obama means to Americans Hopes for Obama Reaction to speech Public inauguration-viewing parties were held in auditoriums, schools and arenas across the country, where the atmosphere mirrored the excitement in Washington. Watch people react at viewing parties » "People are cheering here as if they were there," Irene Koehler of Fremont, California, said of the atmosphere in Oakland's Oracle Arena. More than 200 parishioners from the First AME Church, the largest African-American Church in Los Angeles, gathered in the recreation hall to pray together and share in the excitement of an historic moment Dressed in Obama shirts and hats, the level of audience participation had the effect of transporting the crowd to Washington. They stood when Sen. Dianne Feinstein asked the crowd to "please stand" and bowed their heads in prayer. They sang along with Aretha Franklin and even took pictures of the screen when Obama appeared. A handful of viewers had tears in their eyes, but most were filled with "pure joy." "On Election Night, I was full of tears. I am all cried out -- it is all about joy now," said 72-year-old Shirley Turner-Haymer, the granddaughter of a former slave. Even young parishioners derived some significance from the event. "It's really inspirational that we have a black president now ... because now I could see I can do whatever I want," said David Colvin, 10. Lynn Gabriel Thomas, far right, says she is watching the inauguration in honor of her father. Lynn Gabriel Thomas, daughter of Tuskegee Airman Daniel Moore, was one of about 300 people who crammed into the Jackie Robinson Center in Pasadena, California, to watch the inauguration. "My father would be so thrilled to see this, Barack Obama being sworn in." Thomas said. "He loved parades, and he hated crowds. I'm here for him." Across the country in New York's Bronx borough, students huddled in the halls of a school to watch the ceremony on a projection screen. "They were cheering; they were clapping; they were in awe because everything we had talked about they were able to see," teacher Marta Rendon said. "When they heard Obama's speech, they were right there clapping and screaming with the rest of us. It was really something. It was really amazing. Watch Obama promise hope over fear » More than 100 people gathered at the central library in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, to watch the ceremony. "It was really exciting to see people being excited about the country and really happy about there being a new president. And it was great to see such a collective sense of community ... hope and happiness," said Jessica Namakkal, a 29-year-old graduate student from Minneapolis. "I think Obama's speech was great and that he really addressed the past eight years in a diplomatic and fair way, while also sort of pushing forward in a good way." The unusually bitter cold affected the turnout at Daytona Beach, Florida's, outdoor inauguration celebration, forcing people to take shelter at a local bar. Sean Mingo and his mother, Joan, watched the inauguration in Daytona Beach, Florida. More than 50 people packed into Mai Tai | [
"What inspiration did Obama provide?",
"when did this happen",
"What does the republican hope?"
] | [
[
"I could see I can do whatever I want,\""
],
[
"Tuesday."
],
[
"that Obama will deliver on his promise to change the nation's course."
]
] | NEW: Man says Obama inspires him to make Earth "a better place to live"
NEW: Republican hopes Obama turns out to be "best thing since running water"
Teen who took off school to watch speech with mom calls Obama inspiring .
"It's a brand new day for the country," man in New York says . |
(CNN) -- From "Mississippi Masala" to "Vanity Fair," Mira Nair's movies have entranced audiences in India and the West. CNN spoke to the director of "Monsoon Wedding" and "Salaam Bombay!" at the Bollywood Movie Awards in Long Island about filmmaking in India and America and her adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel about loss and family, "The Namesake." ............................... Film director Mira Nair CNN: What inspired you to make "The Namesake"? Mira Nair: I happened to read "The Namesake" on a plane in early 2004, when I traveled from New York to Jo'berg to finish the filming of "Vanity Fair." I read "Namesake" while in huge grief with the death of a beloved person to me [Mira's mother in law]. It was at that state of mourning that I picked up this novel, and in it Jhumpa writes really acutely of a loss of a parent in a foreign country, and I thought I had been understood by someone. It was also a story that linked the two cities in which I had grown up -- Calcutta and New York City -- and it was almost certainly the road that I had traveled. It just spoke to me and I felt compelled to do this film. A few months later we were shooting it. CNN: It's filmed in both India and New York, such different cultures. Tell us about the universal themes involved during the film. Nair: Well, the story of movement and crossings is as old as the hills. It's a tale of millions of us that have left one home for another, and tried to find out who we are through these places. Then when we have children, life gets more interesting. It is about growing up through our adult lives and our children's lives. It is also equally a love story between two people who come from a culture who don't send roses and diamonds for love; who sit at a kitchen table and look at each other. It's about that generation of parents who have that stillness about one another, versus the clang and hustle of young Gogol who is 15 and grows up in an American world because he wishes to be American. That flow -- that see-saw between parents and children, that's what "The Namesake" is about. CNN: Tell us about casting the role of Gogol. Nair: Well, Kal Penn plays Gogol and he's known as a comic star, but I had no idea that he existed until my 15-year-old son said, "This has to be your Gogol." I didn't take him seriously at all until every night the campaign mounted at home: "Tell me in the morning it's Kal Penn!" he would say. And then Kal wrote to me and told me he became an actor because he had seen "Mississippi Masala" when he was eight years old and realized people on the screen could look like him, and other such seductive things. He came to my office and auditioned and he was just so appealing, and so much the real thing, that I cast him as Gogol. CNN: How have Indian audiences reacted to your heavily western-influenced films? Nair: It's not that different a kind of audience, that's what pleases me. "Salaam Bombay!" we really made for the children on the streets and the kids who really love that Bollywood stuff, and also with "Deeply Alternative," which ran for 27 weeks. "Monsoon Wedding" was also a big hit in India. But no, they don't come to my films for Bollywood fare; it's a completely alternative thing. In terms of audiences on both sides, I've been blessed: the films have been really well received and highly anticipated. CNN: "The Namesake" was filmed in America and India. What differences were there in the two locations? Nair: In India it is more about orchestrating chaos, and it's about sifting the chaos, but I get especially excited about the throb and | [
"What other films has Nair directed?",
"Jhumpa Lahiri's novel is the basis for which movie?",
"what Nair directed \"Monsoon Wedding,\"?",
"Nair directed which filds?"
] | [
[
"\"Salaam Bombay!\""
],
[
"\"The Namesake.\""
],
[
"Mira"
],
[
"\"Monsoon Wedding\" and \"Salaam Bombay!\""
]
] | Nair directed "Monsoon Wedding," "Vanity Fair," "Salaam Bombay!"
Her film, "The Namesake," is based on Jhumpa Lahiri's novel .
Nair cast character of "Gogol" after teenage son's recommendation .
Nair: Indian and American audiences "not that different" |
(CNN) -- From Captain Kirk on "Star Trek" to Denny Crane on "Boston Legal," William Shatner has been a fixture on television for decades. William Shatner has a new talk show and has written an autobiography. Even as his latest series comes to an end, the actor is busier than ever. He has written an autobiography, "Up Till Now," and he has a new talk show -- "Shatner's Raw Nerve" on the Biography channel --billed as an "edgy and off-beat celebrity interview series." Shatner talked with CNN's Kyra Phillips about his career, past and present. CNN: "Boston Legal," what a finale: a wedding between Denny and fellow lawyer and best friend Alan. Don't they know that Proposition 8 [passed]? Shatner: It was all a financial guise, as you learned to your dismay. There was nothing sexual about our marriage. It was all designed to bequeath my fortune to him as [my character] got ready to die. CNN: "Boston Legal" was a brilliant show: the writing, your famous wit. You must have had a blast doing the show. Shatner: We laughed our way through five years of great joy, great entertainment, and we got some wonderful awards during the years and the beauty of it all was that when we came in this season, we knew we were going to do 13 shows and be out. So the writing reflected the fact that we knew we were ending and it wrapped the whole show up. CNN: I cannot believe you have a porn queen [Jenna Jameson] on your talk show. Shatner: We like to call her an adult film star. She turns out to be highly sensitive, vulnerable. ... This is a remarkable interview of a woman who is terribly vulnerable and expresses it. It was so good, we're doing a two-parter. CNN: Who has been your favorite leading lady? Shatner: They go down in the hoary mists of history. The effects of age -- they all meld into one and it looks like my wife. CNN: You reveal a lot in your book. Who would you say your ultimate mentor has been through your life? Shatner: I've thought about that over the years and it comes up that I don't have anybody who ever mentored me, ever was particularly interested in furthering my career. I had to do it stumbling around, trying to do it as most people do themselves. | [
"What show did Shatner laugh his way through?",
"How many years was Boston Legal on?",
"What is the name of Shatner's book?",
"What has the actor also written?",
"What is the name of his autobiography?",
"What does Shatner say about his time on Boston Legal?",
"On what channel is Shatner's show appearing?",
"Who is the host of Shatner's Raw Nerve?"
] | [
[
"\"Boston Legal\""
],
[
"five"
],
[
"\"Up Till Now,\""
],
[
"an autobiography."
],
[
"\"Up Till Now,\""
],
[
"We laughed our way through five years of great joy, great entertainment, and we got some wonderful awards during the years and the beauty of it all was that when we came in this season, we knew we were going to do 13 shows and be out. So the writing reflected the fact that we knew we were ending and it wrapped the whole show up."
],
[
"Biography"
],
[
"William"
]
] | William Shatner is host of "Shatner's Raw Nerve" on the Biography channel .
The actor has also written an autobiography, "Up Till Now"
Shatner on "Boston Legal:" "We laughed our way through five years of great joy"
Shatner: "I don't have anybody who ever mentored me" |
(CNN) -- From Woodstock and a man on the moon to the Manson murders and the Stonewall riots, the summer of 1969 was a tumultuous and eventful time. Listed below are a few of the historic and memorable moments from that summer. April 23 | Sirhan Sirhan sentenced Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of murdering New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign, is sentenced to death a week after being found guilty. Three years later, his sentence is commuted to life in prison after California abolishes the death penalty. May 18 | Apollo 10 The Apollo 10 mission is a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing module. This mission tested "all aspects of the lunar landing mission exactly as it would be performed, except for the actual landing," according to NASA. It also transmitted the first color pictures of Earth from space. May 23 | The Who releases "Tommy" The Who, a key band of the 1960s British Invasion, releases the rock opera "Tommy." The double album features songs like "Pinball Wizard" and "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" May 24 | Beatles' "Get Back" is No. 1 "Get Back" by the Beatles becomes the top song on Billboard's list and stays there for five weeks. Released as a single, the song later appeared on the "Let it be" album. "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in" by the Fifth Dimension was the second song on the list for that week. May 25 | "Midnight Cowboy" released John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy," starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, is released with an X rating, the first ever in wide release. The film received seven Academy Award nominations and won three, including best picture. Other notable movies released during that year include "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Easy Rider" and "True Grit." June 3 | Last episode of 'Star Trek' airs The last episode of the original "Star Trek" airs on NBC. During the episode, titled "Turnabout Intruder," one of Captain Kirk's former lovers steals his body. June 6 | Joe Namath briefly retires Joe Namath, the star New York Jets quarterback who famously guaranteed a Super Bowl victory, briefly retires from the National Football League over a conflict with league Commissioner Pete Rozelle. June 8 | Nixon and Vietnam President Nixon, after being elected on a campaign pledge to pull troops out of Southeast Asia, announces the withdrawal of 25,000 U.S. troops from Vietnam. June 9 / June 23 | Burger becomes chief justice Appointed by President Nixon, Warren Burger is confirmed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court on June 9, succeeding Earl Warren. Two weeks later, he is sworn in. In 1973, Burger votes with the majority in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, establishing a woman's right to an abortion. June 28 | Stonewall riots A confrontation between gay rights activists and police outside the Stonewall Inn -- a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City -- escalates into a riot. Over the next four decades, the riots act as a symbolic force for the burgeoning gay rights movement. July 25 | Sen. Kennedy and Chappaquiddick Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy receives a two-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Mary Jo Kopechne, once a campaign worker for Sen. Robert Kennedy, drowned in the July 18 accident in Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts. July 20 | Moon landing Apollo 11, carrying three U.S. astronauts, lands on the moon. Mission commander Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon; crewmate Buzz Aldrin also walked on the moon. The third man on the mission was Michael Collins. Six lunar landings followed. July 24 | Muhammad Ali convicted Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of evading the draft after he refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army. Two years earlier, Ali applied for an exemption as a conscientious objector but was denied. He was stripped of his fighting license and title. He returned to the ring in 1970, and his conviction was overturned by the | [
"Where were troops withdrawn from?",
"When did man land on the moon?",
"What made news in sports?",
"Which apollo mission was it?",
"What boxer made news?",
"On what date did the Apollo 11 mission land on the moon?"
] | [
[
"Vietnam."
],
[
"of 1969"
],
[
"Joe Namath briefly retires"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"Muhammad Ali"
],
[
"July 20"
]
] | Man lands on the moon on July 20 with Apollo 11 mission .
A new Supreme Court justice and withdrawal of troops in Vietnam grab headlines .
In the world of sports, The Mets, Muhammad Ali and Joe Nameth make news .
For more, go to In Depth: Summer of 1969 . |
(CNN) -- From Yellowstone National Park to the Everglades, America's 391 national parks are in need of repair -- and thanks to the economic stimulus signed into law, help is now underway. President Obama and his family visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a national park. President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus plan passed in February and designated $750 million dollars to the national parks. But not all of the stimulus money is being used -- and the parks are facing a $9 billion backlog in maintenance projects. So far, nearly 10 percent is in the pipeline. "We are picking away at it as much as we can and we've been fortunate to have the recovery act money," said Jeffrey Olson of the National Park Service. Olson said half of the $9 billion is slated to go for road repairs. "Half of that [$9 billion] is roads and about $2 billion of that are the most pressing needs -- those we get some help from the stimulus. The president's budget proposal is calling for more maintenance and construction money," Olsen said. Dan Wenk, the acting director of the National Park Service says most of those pressing needs include, "camp grounds, camp sites, it's amphitheaters for evening programs. It's the bathrooms. It's literally everything we have to make our visits enjoyable." And those needs, Ranger Rocky Schroeder hopes, will be fulfilled soon. Watch more on the national parks facelift » Schroeder patrols Prince William Park, about 35 miles outside the nation's capital. It has more than a dozen historic cabins slated for repair and is just one of the 250 national parks getting a face lift because of the stimulus package. "The stimulus will help keep our visitors here, keep them happy and keep them coming back," Schroeder added. And the numbers are good for national parks. As of the end of July, attendance at the parks is up roughly 3 percent from the same time last year, according to the parks service. In 2008, nearly 275 million people visited the national parks compared to 272 million in 2006. At Prince William Forest park, officials are hoping to start putting the money to use next month -- and said they've had overwhelming interest. For these stimulus projects, they need to hire six additional people. So far, they've received nearly 200 applications. The Interior Department estimates the stimulus allocation will create around 8,000 jobs over two years -- though many will be temporary. "It's stimulus because we are putting people to work ... but it's also stimulus because we're creating a better place ... increasing the visitor experience," Wenk said. Some Republicans, however, are skeptical. "Clearly we need to improve our national parks ... but nobody should confuse that with economic stimulus. I mean frankly that's just false advertising," Rep. Jeb Hensarlin, R-Texas, says. For Ron Tipton of the National Parks Conservation Association, the funding is vital. "We must ensure our national parks are well funded to address the parks' crumbling historic buildings and trails, enhance the Park Service's ability to protect wildlife, and provide needed public education and services," he said on the association's Web site. Olson believes that when economic times are tough -- especially during the current recession -- parks are an economically friendly alternative to more expensive getaways. "We rise above other things like theme parks," he says. "When times are tough economically, people turn inward and ask some really basic questions and there is nothing like being in a national park to ask those questions." Olson adds that 147 parks in the United States and in the nation's territories have an entry fee, which ranges from $5 to $25; 244 do not have an entry fee. But when it comes to this money, the key question being asked: How is the stimulus money being used? Nearly $56 million is for Washington landmarks, which some say are in dire need | [
"The plan designated $750M dollars to what?",
"how much was designated?",
"how many national parks are there",
"There are how many national parks across the country?",
"how much is the backlog?",
"What is the figure for backlog maintenance",
"how many parks in the us?"
] | [
[
"national parks."
],
[
"$750 million dollars"
],
[
"391"
],
[
"391"
],
[
"$9 billion"
],
[
"$9 billion"
],
[
"391"
]
] | Obama plan designated $750M stimulus dollars to the national parks .
There are 391 national parks across the country and in U.S. territories .
Park Service is dealing with a $9 billion backlog of maintenance needs .
An official says the popularity of parks is high because of hard economic times . |
(CNN) -- From a country which brought the world brands like Sony and Toyota, there's another name that's crept quietly to global prominence. Hello Kitty, the moon-faced cat with a bow in her hair and no mouth. Shintaro Tsuji, CEO of Sanrio, famous for its Hello Kitty brand, speaks in The Boardroom. She's one of 450 characters developed by Japan's Sanrio Group, but she's by far most popular -- the embodiment of what's known in Japan as Kawaii, or the culture of cute. Her image adorns some 50,000 objects, from cute, of course, to downright crazy. But there's nothing cute about the numbers. Hello Kitty is responsible for more than half of Sanrio's billion dollar annual turnover. Her creator and founder of Sanrio is the effervescent 79-year-old Shintaro Tsuji. He told The Boardroom's Andrew Stevens what he thinks is the marketing secret behind a cultural icon. Tsuji: Selling something which people want to buy is one of the ways of doing business. But I thought, goods that I want are also something other people want. So we wanted to make goods which people want to send to somebody else as a gift. The idea is that goods are for social communication purposes and that has been accepted worldwide. In addition, to give Hello Kitty goods as a present is very thoughtful. Our three concepts of friendship, cuteness and thoughtfulness have been reaching out to people. It conveys the importance of being friendly. Such gestures are necessary for the Japanese nation. You care about other people by sending some gifts. Those concepts have been accepted worldwide. Stevens: My first question to you is Sanrio has developed something like 450 characters. Why it is Hello Kitty has stood out so much more than the others? What is the secret of its success? Tsuji: At first we were using characters which were created by outsiders, such as cartoonists or artists, but in this case we had to pay the royalty. So we decided to create our own characters. We hired many artists and asked them to create various characters. According to our own research, the most popular animal character was a dog then a white cat and the third one was a bear. Snoopy already existed as a dog character -- that's why we went for the second most popular character. We asked the artists to design a character based on a white cat. Stevens: Let me just ask you a question about your life, growing up. Reading your autobiography, you lost your mother when you were 13 years old. You went to live with your auntie. And you describe your life; your childhood, has been a quite lonely. How do you think that has shaped you in your business life? Tsuji: I felt that the most important thing in your life is to have someone whom you can open up your heart to and talk about anything; to have many friends whom you can talk with your heart is the most blessed thing in your life. Then I asked myself how can you make friends -- in what way people can make a friend with those people. That is not just to avoid behaving, which makes people uncomfortable. But do something, which makes people happy. In this way people can make friends. For example, when people are ill, you can say something to them, or when people did something for you, you say thank you to them. For those kinds of occasions, you send a small present rather than an expensive gift. It is important to show your appreciation since you are able to make good friends in this way. This idea has formed as a business. As a result, Hello Kitty was created. Hello Kitty has become known among everybody and it means that people are becoming friends. I am pleased with this phenomenon. Stevens: What, in your business career, is the most important lesson you think you've learnt? Tsuji: A good company means that, first of all, its sale increases each year and secondly it makes profits each year. This is what people | [
"Who is the most famous character?",
"Who speaks in the boardroom?",
"What is Sanrio's most famous character?",
"Who spoke to Andrew Stevens?",
"What is responsible for more than half of Sanrio's billion dollar turnover?",
"Who speaks to Andrew Stevens in The Boardroom?",
"Who is responsible for more than half of Sanrio's billion dollar turnover?",
"Who is sanrio's most famous character?",
"Who is reponsible for more than half of turnover?"
] | [
[
"Hello Kitty"
],
[
"Shintaro Tsuji,"
],
[
"Hello Kitty"
],
[
"Shintaro Tsuji."
],
[
"Hello Kitty"
],
[
"Shintaro Tsuji,"
],
[
"Hello Kitty"
],
[
"Hello Kitty"
],
[
"Hello Kitty"
]
] | Shintaro Tsuji, CEO of Sanrio speaks to Andrew Stevens in The Boardroom .
Sanrio's most famous character is Hello Kitty, a moon-faced cat .
Hello Kitty is responsible for more than half of Sanrio's billion dollar turnover . |
(CNN) -- From anti-apartheid activist to climate change champion, Kumi Naidoo is a man born to make a change. He's the new International Executive Director of environmental action group Greenpeace, and he takes on his role on the eve of the critical climate talks in Copenhagen. The 44 year-old grew up in Johannesburg and had an early introduction to the world of activism. "I was defiantly the product of the society I was born in, which was apartheid South Africa...I do think that many of us who might have exceptional or out-of-the-ordinary backgrounds are not because we ourselves are exceptional people but because we were born in context of adversity and been able to somehow rise above that adversity," he told CNN. Naidoo was arrested numerous times for civil disobedience against the apartheid regime during the 1980s. He eventually left for the UK in 1987 and earned a doctorate in political sociology at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. After Nelson Mandela was released in 1990, Kumi returned to South Africa and worked with and founded a number of civil society NGOs. Until last year Naidoo was for 10 years the General Secretary of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. One of the first high profile campaigns Naidoo worked on was Make Poverty History in 2005 that gained widespread coverage and a number of celebrity supporters. After several years in the anti-poverty movement, Naidoo has come to see that struggle against poverty and combating climate change are two-sides of same coin. Since becoming head of Greenpeace in November, Naidoo is focused on using his skills as an activist to move issues from the fringes into the mainstream. "[Another] feature of activism is being able to choose the right tools and tactics for the right moment... If you can win through dialogue and engagement then that's great but sadly those with power in both government and business do not have the propensity to do the right thing unless they are pushed and that's why you have to have tools like non-violent direct action," he told CNN. Connecting individuals to ideas and in turn connecting those ideas to a greater audience is one of the things Naidoo is hoping to achieve in Copenhagen. "I don't want history to judge us as sleepwalking into a crisis when all the scientific evidence is saying that we have to stop and take notice of the way that we are living on this planet. "I feel that right now we are all at risk and being severely judged by future generation." Watch Kumi Naidoo on CNN's African Voices on Saturday, December 12, 11.30 and 18.30 GMT and Sunday, December 13, 17.00 GMT | [
"In what country did Naidoo grow up?",
"Naidoo is the International Executive Director of what group?",
"What is part of the same struggle?",
"Who grew up in apartheid South Africa?",
"what are the tasks of the summit",
"Who is the International Executive Director of Greenpeace?"
] | [
[
"South Africa...I"
],
[
"Greenpeace,"
],
[
"poverty and combating climate change"
],
[
"Kumi Naidoo"
],
[
"Connecting individuals to ideas and in turn connecting those ideas to a greater audience"
],
[
"Kumi Naidoo"
]
] | Kumi Naidoo is the International Executive Director of Greenpeace .
Grew up in apartheid South Africa and says he was born in activism .
Sees poverty reduction and combating climate change as part of same struggle .
One of first tasks is in Copenhagen during the COP15 summit . |
(CNN) -- From baby deliveries to unexpected deaths, Mike Bowes, a 911 dispatcher from Quincy, Massachusetts, has handled a wide range of emergency calls. Emergency dispatcher Mike Bowes received a call that his home was in flames Monday night. But Monday night, the 44-year-old received an unexpected call from his neighbor: His own house was on fire. The 911 call came in about 10:45 p.m. Monday, a little more than an hour before Mike Bowes' shift ended. My neighbor's house just blew up, the caller said. "What's the address?" Mike Bowes asked patiently, just as he did with every emergency call for the past 11 years with the Quincy Police Department. The caller frantically relayed the address, Bowes' home address for 20 years. "It was shocking," Mike Bowes said. "I thought she was kidding. It's a long shot. I mean, what's the chances it will be your house?" Out of 90,000 people who reside in Quincy, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, Mike Bowes' was the home in flames, and he had answered the emergency call. Thoughts raced through his mind: Are my parents OK? Are the neighbors safe? What about my stuff? Following procedure, Mike Bowes transferred the call to the fire department. Soon, dozens of calls about the fire from other neighbors began to pour into the control room. Watch Mike Bowes talk about the fire » One of the callers was his mother, Elizabeth Bowes, 68. She and her husband, Donald Bowes, 72, had escaped unharmed. About 10:45 p.m., Elizabeth Bowes was reading a novel in the kitchen when she heard the explosion and saw flames shoot through the kitchen window. She ran to wake her husband in a first-floor bedroom. There was also a landlord living in upstairs. Firefighters arrived within minutes and helped her to safety. Within five minutes of receiving the call, police escorted Mike Bowes to his home. He could see the fire light up the dark sky from afar. Anxious neighbors gathered in the park nearby. He was relieved to find his parents together on the sidewalk. "My parents are alive; my neighbors are alive," he said. "It's an inconvenience, but we'll get through it." In another coincidence, one of the first firefighters to arrive on scene was Mike Bowes' cousin, Tom Bowes. Tom Bowes, a firefighter for the past eight years, scrambled into the house to salvage old albums with wedding and baby photos amid the flames. But everything else -- the clothes, electronics and furniture -- were destroyed. No one was injured in the fire, and firefighters have yet to determine what caused the blaze. They say it started in the garage, about 15 feet from the home. Mike Bowes says his job prepared him to deal with the challenging circumstances. Bowes and his family are living in a hotel, and local police officers and firefighters have donated clothes and money. "A lot of people think dispatchers are strange because I've been joking about what happened," he said. "I say, 'If I'm not laughing, I'll start crying.' This is what I have to do." | [
"What was the neighbor's call about?",
"Who called about the burning home?",
"Who escaped from it ?",
"who answered neighbours call?",
"What helps him cope with losing a home?",
"what helped him cope?"
] | [
[
"His own house"
],
[
"his neighbor:"
],
[
"Elizabeth Bowes,"
],
[
"Mike Bowes"
],
[
"Mike Bowes says his job prepared"
],
[
"his job"
]
] | Massachusetts dispatcher answered neighbor's call about burning home .
Three other people in home escaped uninjured .
He says his dispatch experience with crises helps him cope with losing a home . |
(CNN) -- From color-popping dresses to bold prints and shapes, Afro-centric designs have been storming catwalks in recent years, catching the eye of fashionistas across the world.
But for many international consumers, especially those with no access to shops dedicated to African brands, it can often be hard to get their hands on designer garments from the continent.
As a result, more and more African designers are taking their lines to the web in a bid to reach out to a larger market. And while many are setting up their own websites, others rely on internet boutiques which have more experience navigating the online market.
One such store is My Asho -- launched in June 2009, this UK-based web boutique carries the work of established and up-and-coming African designers, giving them a chance to showcase their creations to a wider audience.
Founder Dolapo Shobanjo says she started My Asho -- taken from the Yoruba word "aso" which means cloth -- when she realized that African designers were not getting the promotion they deserved.
"I contacted the top designers, I spoke to them and asked them about their struggle and how difficult it is for them," says Shobanjo. "That's really how it got started, so to create that credible infrastructure is to show the global demand for the products and that will kick start the productions."
Today, My Asho stocks a variety of womenswear, children's clothes and accessories from more than 30 African designers. Shobanjo says she is very careful when it comes to selecting new designers, making sure they have high professional standards.
"We're very happy to add new people in the site but we have to ensure that the designers we add are serious," she says.
"There are a lot of people out there who claim to be African designers but it's more like 'oh, I have a tailor who can sew very well and who can copy items,' so we have to distinguish between copy-cats and people doing this as a hobby."
One of the designers featured on the site is Erzumah Ackerson who runs clothing label Bestow Elan. She says My Asho is an ideal platform for her work, helping her to make her creations more visible as well as boost demand.
"I think there's still an element of investment that still needs to be done so we are recognized on an international as well as mainstream platform but I think My Asho is a perfect platform because since I've been on there, I've had a lot of international buyers and got into mainstream magazines."
And as this digital expansion is helping create more demand, many African designers are now having to keep up in their supply.
Titi Ademola, a Ghana-based designer who is the founder of the KIKI Clothing brand, says the biggest challenge for many fashion designers is manufacturing.
"You get a lot of excitement from so many places but once you get an order, how do you manufacture in large quantities?" says Ademola.
"So, that's the issue that I'm facing, trying to focus on quality control and trying to ensure that you consistently provide quality and appealing garments to other companies and other markets," she adds.
With clients in more than 50 countries, Shobanjo's goal is to create a sustainable business model for My Asho. At the same time, she also wants her company to help her continent by supporting local African communities where the clothes are manufactured.
As a result, Shobanjo's prioritized working with ethical brands that show a commitment to fair labor practices and create opportunities for their communities.
"I'm supporting Africa, helping it grow and creating jobs but it's not to say that a certain percentage of x is going to here because I don't think that is a sustainable business model," says Shobanjo.
"I think it is better to create from the start ethical principles and work with designers who pay their tailors well, who are investing in helping their communities grow and then once you grow as a business then you know that they | [
"What is the online store?",
"where are the clothes made?",
"where the online store is?",
"Who is the founder?",
"What is My Asho?",
"how many designers stock the store?",
"How many different African designers?"
] | [
[
"My Asho"
],
[
"African communities"
],
[
"UK-based"
],
[
"Dolapo Shobanjo"
],
[
"UK-based web boutique"
],
[
"more than 30"
],
[
"more than 30"
]
] | My Asho is an online store that carries the work of established and aspiring African designers .
It stocks clothes and accessories from over 30 African designers .
Founder Dolapo Shobanjo aims to support local communities where the clothes are produced . |
(CNN) -- From cyberspace to college campuses, many young conservatives are worried that Sen. John McCain is not appealing to their generation. Sen. John McCain says he knows how important young voters are. At a town hall meeting in Ohio this month, a student told McCain that Republicans were a dying breed on his campus. "I understand the challenge I have, and I understand that this election is really all about the people of your generation," McCain said. Many young Republicans said Sen. Barack Obama, the 46-year-old junior senator from Illinois, is inspiring voters their age, but McCain, the 71-year-old Arizona senator who has been in office since the early '80s, is not. Eric Perlmutter, a Republican and student at the at the University of Southern California, said the roaring enthusiasm that follows Obama is missing among conservatives his age. "We try to get people out to our college Republican meetings, but ... we can't seem to draw the same kind of vocal support," he said. At the July town hall meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio, McCain said he knows that he has "a lot of work to do" with the younger voters. The senator said he needs young conservatives to help spread his message for him, because "there's nothing that convinces young people like other young people." McCain also acknowledged the importance of using the Internet to reach out to a generation that stays in touch via social networking sites. On MySpace, Obama has more than 427,000 friends, compared with fewer than 60,000 for McCain. Perlmutter said he cringed when McCain admitted he doesn't use e-mail. Obama, however, is frequently seen with Blackberry in hand. Additionally, Perlmutter pointed out that the images used in McCain's campaign -- such as a message about small businesses showing a barber shop with a traditional red and blue pole -- hardly connect to the younger generation. "Well, when you see the Main Street barber shop image, you think of 1950s America. An entrepreneur, a Silicon Valley guy would definitely make him more attractive," he said. Obama also has increased his college-age appeal by holding rallies and giving speeches at hundreds of campuses. McCain has said he recognizes that he needs to get out to those venues "where young people are engaged and receiving their information and forming their opinions." "Sen. McCain should demand that these same colleges and universities host him or else their tax-exempt status could be in jeopardy," said Jason Mattera, spokesman for Young America's Foundation, a conservative outreach group. McCain must work to connect young voters to conservative principles, Mattera said. "So if they are suspicious of Uncle Sam telling them what Internet sites they can view, they should be equally suspicious of the federal government telling them what health care plan they are going to be a part of," he said. According to a Pew Research Center study conducted between October and March, McCain has a big numbers gap to close. The study found that the current generation of young voters, those who came of age during the President Bush years, are giving the Democrats a wide edge. Fifty-eight percent of voters under 30 identified or leaned toward the Democratic Party, compared with 33 percent who said they identified or leaned toward the Republican Party. The McCain campaign said it plans to increase the senator's presence on sites such as Facebook and MySpace in addition to the candidate making appearance on shows that appeal to younger viewers, such as "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the "Late Show with David Letterman." In past elections, both parties have tended to put less focus on younger voters because historically, their turnout has been low. With fewer than four months until the November election, McCain said he's confident he can convince young voters that he is the candidate for them. "I believe that I can convince them that I have the plan of action and the ideals and the | [
"What is missing the the young GOP voter age group?",
"Who has a big MySpace presence?",
"What is missing among young GOP voters?",
"What does McCain not use?",
"Who doesn't use email?"
] | [
[
"roaring enthusiasm"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"roaring enthusiasm"
],
[
"e-mail."
],
[
"Sen. John McCain"
]
] | Young GOP voters say enthusiasm for Sen. John McCain missing in their age group .
McCain: "This election is really all about the people of your generation"
McCain says he doesn't use e-mail; Sen. Barack Obama has big MySpace presence .
McCain campaign says it plans to increase presence on MySpace, Facebook . |
(CNN) -- From his neatly-trimmed goatee to his love of fast cars and flight, it's not hard to see why Indian industrialist Vijay Mallya is often referred to as his country's Richard Branson.
He's immensely rich and is frequently photographed at lavish events promoting his Kingfisher brand as a lifestyle choice for India's younger, mobile middle classes.
Like Branson, Mallya's stable of businesses also includes an airline -- Kingfisher Airlines -- which risks nose-diving into a sea of debt unless the billionaire can cut costs and lighten its loans.
On Tuesday, Mallya said recent flight cancellations reflected the airline's move out of loss-making routes and should not be interpreted as a sign of impending doom, despite a doubling of the airline's second quarter losses announced earlier in the day.
Who is Vijay Mallya?
The fast-living playboy son of one of India's most successful industrialists was just 28 when he took over the chairmanship of his father's massive beer company in the early 1980s.
"Everybody thought that I'd fritter away what I had inherited. But I was determined to prove people wrong," Mallya told CNN in 2007.
United Breweries is now one of the world's biggest brewers. It holds about half of the market share for beer in India and claims that every single one of the country's tens of thousands of beer outlets stocks at least one of its brands. Kingfisher Premium Lager is also sold in 52 countries worldwide.
But United Breweries is about much more than beer. As well as Kingfisher Airlines, the holding company includes the world's biggest spirits group, United Spirits, as well as interests in the fertilizer business, engineering, property and broadcasting.
Of all its brands, Kingfisher is the most iconic. It's the name of a discontinued beer label that the young Vijay stumbled upon when he was going through the UB archives after his father bought the company in 1947.
"Something excited me about Kingfisher, you know, the bird. I saw color, I saw vibrancy, I saw movement, I saw a bit of cheekiness, you know, the kingfisher sort of fishing," Mallya said.
He revived the beer and later put the bird on the tail of Kingfisher Airlines, which was launched in 2005 and has so far failed to fly into profit.
What's up with the airline?
Results released Tuesday show the airline's second quarter net loss doubled to 4.69 billion rupees ($93 million). Revenue rose 11 % as the company sought to cut costs, but it was nowhere near enough to deal with the airline's reported debt of 65 billion rupees ($1.3B).
Anxious investors have been ditching Kingfisher shares, prompting the company to deny on November 11 that it had sought government aid. It admitted it had asked banks to raise its lending limits, but added that "Kingfisher does not see any risk to its future or long term viability."
Flights have been canceled as the company tries desperately to reduce operating costs inflated by rising fuel prices. The cuts have angered travelers as well as employees whose pay was delayed.
Despite soaring costs, Indian airlines have been slashing fares to compete with discount prices offered by state-owned Air India. Kingfisher has also invested heavily in the future, ordering five Airbus A380s, the first of which is due to be delivered in 2016.
Is it just Kingfisher?
Despite a huge rise in the number of Indians taking to the skies, the extra traffic has failed to translate into profits. Private airlines are engaged in a price war with Air India, which is being propped up by government funds. Air India is reported to have asked for another 65 billion rupees ($1.3B) in federal aid, and to have agreed with lenders to cut its annual interest payments by 13 billion rupees, according to Bloomberg.
Jet Airways is also reported to be seeking to raise up to $350 million from the sale and leaseback of aircraft this quarter and other asset sales, according to Daily News & Analysis.
The industry's struggles come despite impressive figures | [
"What plagues Indian airlines?",
"What includes brewery business, airline, F1 and cricket teams?",
"Who is often referred to as India's Richard Branson?",
"Which airline is struggling under mountain of debt?",
"What is Vijay Mallya is often referred to?",
"who is struggling under debt?",
"What does the empire include?",
"who is considered India's richard branson?"
] | [
[
"flight cancellations"
],
[
"Mallya's stable of businesses"
],
[
"Vijay Mallya"
],
[
"Kingfisher"
],
[
"his country's Richard Branson."
],
[
"Kingfisher Airlines"
],
[
"Kingfisher Airlines"
],
[
"Vijay Mallya"
]
] | Vijay Mallya is often referred to as India's Richard Branson .
Empire includes brewery business, airline, F1 and cricket teams .
Kingfisher Airlines is struggling under mountain of debt .
Indian airlines plagued by high fuel prices, aggressive discounting . |
(CNN) -- From soup kitchen director Rita Baldwin's perspective, the notion that "homeless people are the scum of the earth" has returned to her Gulf Coast town, which still struggles four years after Hurricane Katrina. Loaves and Fishes executive director Rita Baldwin poses with her son, Scott Blain, who works at the kitchen. Baldwin -- formerly homeless herself -- found that "the storm was a great neutralizer. It put us all on the same level." That social pendulum is swinging back to the pre-Katrina world, she said, but she added that the community has shown a renewed sense of compassion. Baldwin, executive director of the Loaves and Fishes community kitchen in Biloxi, Mississippi, lost her home in Katrina as the storm barreled into the coastal community in 2005. She said she watched with sadness as storm victims she dubbed "amateurs" -- "people who didn't know how to be homeless" -- attempted to survive after losing everything. Homeless people who were accustomed to living in the woods and on the streets used their wherewithal to make it through each day, said Baldwin, who relied on the kitchen's services herself before she was hired there. Biloxi was one of the cities that Katrina hit hardest. And though the city has made progress rebuilding, the 26-year-old kitchen has seen steady increases in clients each year since the storm. With few residents in the city shortly after Katrina, there was little activity. But the kitchen reports serving 55,281 meals in 2007, 64,825 meals in 2008 and 38,877 in the first seven months of 2009. Loaves and Fishes nearly closed this summer because of lack of funding, until the public was reminded of the need to feed the hungry. After the Biloxi Sun-Herald reported in late June that the kitchen could close its doors, more than $50,000 in donations poured in, and it is now funded until around March. "I certainly had never gotten that kind of response before. So it just made me realize that they just didn't know" about the hunger problem, Baldwin said. After spending time focusing on themselves and picking up the pieces, the more fortunate Biloxi residents are starting to return to a more philanthropic frame of mind, according to Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Vincent Creel. "There's been a reawakening. People are getting in a closer position where they can help others," he said. 'Hitting us with both fists' Loaves and Fishes hit a "really bad financial crunch," Baldwin said, because its federal grants for disaster relief had run out. She used to provide other services for the homeless, but when the money disappeared, she had to eliminate the additional assistance. "The economy really didn't get bad for those of us in Katrina areas because so much money was flushed into these areas to help us get back up on our feet. And now those funds are gone, so the ... poor economy and the unemployment is hitting us with both fists now," Baldwin said. Baldwin's clients include the expanding homeless population, day laborers, the elderly and other poor people in the area. Terry, 59, who asked that his last name not be used, was homeless for about three years after losing his Gulfport, Mississippi, home in Katrina. He now rents a bedroom and regularly eats at Loaves and Fishes. "Most everyone just tries to keep to themselves right now," Terry said of the atmosphere there. "[We] struggle, try and get everything back in order. However, the community is binding together and helping each other. So that's a good thing." Terry learned about six years ago that he had bone cancer, but only recently began receiving disability checks. Before that, it was hard to get work despite all the post-Katrina construction because outside contractors were not hiring locals, he said. Loaves and Fishes also serves down-on-their luck visitors to Biloxi's casinos. "A lot of people that come in here ... have gambled up their money," Baldwin said | [
"What storm is the city recovering from?",
"What is the city recovering from?",
"Who sees more visitors as the city recovers from Katrina?",
"What are homeless, day laborers and gamblers visiting more often?"
] | [
[
"Hurricane Katrina."
],
[
"Hurricane Katrina."
],
[
"Loaves and Fishes"
],
[
"soup kitchen"
]
] | As the city recovers from Katrina, Loaves and Fishes sees more visitors .
Clientele include the homeless, day laborers, out-of-luck gamblers .
"I think we'll feel the effects of Katrina for a long time," mayor said .
He expects to break ground on a $400 million infrastructure project in January . |
(CNN) -- From street corners, buses and subways to phone calls, e-mails, text messages, online posts and tweets, people around the world commented, pondered, and paid tribute to pop legend Michael Jackson, who died Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles. Pedestrians in Sydney, Australia, watch a TV screen announcing Michael Jackson's death on Friday. Around midnight at London's Leicester Square, as news of Jackson's death spread, Luis Carlos Ameida and his friends were surrounding a car listening to the star's music. Ameida said he'd gotten tickets to see Jackson at his "This Is It" concerts beginning on July 13 in London. "From a young age, you know, I used to have the video game," said Ameida. "I used to have the white suit, and I'd wear it on my birthday. I used to moonwalk ... I remember my mum used to send me to lessons to be like Michael Jackson. And when I heard the news, I had tears in my eyes because of that connection I had because of all the songs he used to play." In Glastonbury, southern England, where one of the world's largest music festivals was to kick off Friday morning, initial rumors and then confirmation of Jackson's death added to confusion and then shock among festival goers. Watch British fans react » "As I was walking back through the crowd it was the word on everyone's lips," Sally Anne Aldous, 29, told CNN over the phone. Reaction from around the world in pictures » Backstage, Michael Jackson songs were being played in tribute, and fans talked of an impromptu memorial for the late singer at the "Stone Circle," a neolithic monument in the grounds of the venue. In Adelaide, Australia, Christos Winter of the MJ Fan Club had organized a petition to bring Jackson to tour there. "It didn't matter if you were 60, 40 or 20 like I am. Michael Jackson's music just spoke to everyone ... It was always uplifting and happy music," Winter told CNN. On a street in New Delhi, India, 31-year-old Sachina Verma said on Friday, "Any of the baby boomer generation or, you know, people from my age or our time, I mean they have grown up on his music. Literally, people have been inspired by his dance movements, by his music. Tributes appeared on YouTube and CNN's iReport. "I remember growing up in the Middle East, influenced, enjoying his music, waiting for his albums," CNN iReporter Rany Freeman, an Egyptian living in Canada, said in a video submission. "Regardless to his strange behaviors or questionable events that happened to his life, let's remember him as the great entertainer he was." Another iReporter, Peter Maiyoh, a Kenyan student studying in the U.S. city of Kansas, Missouri, called Jackson "the voice of change," saying "he was there before Tiger Woods, before Michael Jordan, even before Barack Obama ... I hope people remember him for the work he did." On a Facebook page dedicated to Michael Jackson, fans across the world left hundreds of messages in languages ranging from French and Spanish to Japanese and Hebrew. Watch fan reaction in Tokyo, Japan » "SHANGHAI WILL MISS YOU! NOT JUST SHANGHAI!..EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD WILL MISS YOU! WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL!!!" wrote Vrishti Bhowmik. Kase Ng, a 24-year-old manicurist and member of the Michael Jackson Hong Kong Fan Club, told CNN by phone she had been planning to go with four friends to his August 1 concert in London. Watch fans in Hong Kong, China, react » Expressing sadness and shock over Jackson's death, Ng recalled being inspired by an interview he once gave to Oprah Winfrey. "He said if you have power, try to give it back and help the others, and I will try to do that," she said. At a music store in Beijing, China, Jackson | [
"Where are people posting concern over Jackson?",
"What did iReporter say?",
"Where are Jackson's fans from?",
"Where did the iReporter grow up?",
"who says \"I remember growing up in the Middle East ... waiting for his albums,\"?",
"what Fans across the world remark on Jackson's music?",
"What did fans remark about?"
] | [
[
"phone calls, e-mails, text messages, online posts"
],
[
"\"I remember growing up in the Middle East, influenced, enjoying his music, waiting for his albums,\""
],
[
"London."
],
[
"Middle East,"
],
[
"Rany Freeman,"
],
[
"WILL MISS YOU! WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL!!!\""
],
[
"talked of an impromptu memorial for the late singer at the \"Stone Circle,\""
]
] | Fans across the world remark on Jackson's music .
Postings on Twitter express concern Jackson will overshadow Iran .
"I remember growing up in the Middle East ... waiting for his albums," iReporter says .
Chinese netizens set up Web site memorial for Jackson . |
(CNN) -- From supermarkets to the office supply store, it's hard to miss those tiny bottles of 5-hour Energy. The makers of 5-Hour Energy call it a "no-nonsense drink." "It would be easier for me to tell you where we didn't sell them in the U.S. than list all the places we do," said Carl Sperber, spokesman for Living Essentials, the Detroit, Michigan-based manufacturer of 5-hour Energy shot. The small, shot-glass size bottles promise to provide energy and alertness without jitters to fatigued Americans. Unlike other popular energy drinks that market to college students, 5-Hour Energy's audience is multitasking, working professionals. The market demand has skyrocketed since the product hit store shelves in 2004. The company expects to move more than 350 million shots this year, Sperber said, up from 174 million in 2008. "This is a no-nonsense drink," Sperber said. "It is not a fashion statement. It doesn't have a cool name; it is just a simple grab-and-go product to help busy adults when they can't afford a letdown." Each 2-ounce bottle contains zero grams of sugar, 4 calories and about the same amount of caffeine as a small coffee. It also contains about a dozen ingredients that are broken down into B vitamins (B3, B6, B9, B12) and what the manufacturer lists as an "energy blend." But don't expect superhuman results, one expert said. "The B vitamins are given at extraordinarily high levels, and people need to know they are not some magic potion that's going to immediately raise your energy level," said Dr. Brent Bauer, Mayo Clinic director of complementary and integrative medicine. "There is no data that show that." The overall health impact of the shots' energy blend is a little fuzzy, according to some experts, because little data has been collected about the effectiveness or safety of the natural compounds. The blend contains: citicoline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, taurine, malic acid, glucuronolactone and caffeine. Phenylalanine, taurine, tyrosine are all amino acids our bodies naturally produce. Malic acid is a natural chemical substance found in food. Glucuronolactone is a byproduct of glucose produced in the liver. Citicoline is a natural compound that produces a chemical in the brain. "These energy shots have over a dozen ingredients all together, and consumers are ingesting them at very high doses but there is no research of how the ingredients react all together," Bauer said. "It's plausible if you put these 12 things together you will get a good result but it's also possible for them to cause major interactions to medications, or have a negative impact on the liver or kidney. We just don't know at this point." Watch Dr. Gupta talk about the the safety of 5-hour Energy » Consumers of 5-hour Energy probably won't ever drink enough shots to reach toxic levels of the B vitamins, experts said, but side effects can occur. The maker notes on its Web site the potential "niacin flush reaction" from vitamin B3. It would be noticeable but temporary, one expert said. "If you have too much B3 it can cause tingling in your whole body. You will turn red, flush, but it would only last for about 30 minutes," said Jim White, spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "Research also shows high doses of vitamin B6 can cause nerve spasm, also temporary trouble with muscle coordination." 5-hour Energy's spokesman says that his company doesn't have safety data on the specific blend of ingredients in its product, but believes that side effects are "rare." "None of our ingredients are synthetic drugs," Sperber said. 5-hour Energy also advises consumers to check with their health care provider before taking the booster. Medical experts acknowledged that if taken modestly, the products are unlikely to have a negative impact on health. "In moderation, it can give you energy. But the problem is people drink coffee, then take these energy shots, | [
"What did the expert says?",
"What is energy blend?",
"What is the name of the vitamins?",
"What substance is noted for giving energy?",
"The experts say?"
] | [
[
"don't expect superhuman results,"
],
[
"contains: citicoline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, taurine, malic acid, glucuronolactone and caffeine."
],
[
"(B3, B6, B9, B12)"
],
[
"5-Hour"
],
[
"don't expect superhuman results,"
]
] | 5-Hour Energy promises energy, alertness without jitters to fatigued Americans .
Each bottle contains caffeine, high doses of B vitamins, and "energy blend"
Expert: No research of how the ingredients react together . |
(CNN) -- From the mid-1980s, Hungarian-born investor and philanthropist George Soros pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into foundations in Eastern Europe dedicated to promoting the idea of the "open society" and challenging the region's Soviet-backed regimes. Here, writing exclusively for CNN.com, he describes how the work of his foundations ultimately contributed to the collapse of communism. A Soviet tank rolls through Budapest during the failed 1956 Hungarian uprising against communist domination. I set up my first foundation in Hungary in 1984. The idea behind it was simple. The state dogma, promoted by the ruling communists, was false and by providing an alternative we could expose its falsehood. Accordingly we supported every cultural initiative that was not an expression of the established dogma. I was guided by the concept of the "open society," which I adopted from the philosopher Karl Popper. I saw the open society as a more sophisticated form of social organization than the totalitarian closed societies of the Soviet bloc. The latter were trying to implement central plans; in an open society every individual or organization was supposed to implement their own plan. To make the transition from a closed to an open society would require outside help and that was what my foundations sought to provide. In Hungary the authorities insisted on having a controlling presence on the foundation's board. We eventually agreed to appoint two chief executives, one nominated by them and one by me. The project succeeded beyond my expectations. With very small amounts of money people could engage in a wide variety of civic initiatives ranging from self-governing student colleges to zither clubs. One of our first projects was to offer photocopying machines to cultural and scientific institutions in exchange for local currency. We used the money to give out local grants and support all kinds of unofficial initiatives, but the photocopying machines also did a lot of good. Up until then, the few existing copy machines were literally held under lock and key -- as more and more became available, the Party apparatus lost control of the machines and the dissemination of information. We did not have to exercise direct control. Civil society watched over the foundation. For instance, we were warned that a blind association, to whom we gave a grant for talking books, was stealing some of the money. With a budget of $3 million, the foundation had more influence on the cultural life of Hungary than the Ministry of Culture. Carried away my success in Hungary, by 1988 I had set up foundations in Poland, China and the Soviet Union. I think that I could have influenced General Jaruzelski in Poland to change his attitude toward the opposition and to see that dissidents such as Adam Michnik and Jacek Kuron were also patriots despite their criticism of the ruling party. As the Soviet empire collapsed, and eventually the Soviet Union and also Yugoslavia disintegrated, we continued to expand. By 1992 there were foundations in 22 countries and expenditure had reached $53 million. A year later we were spending nearly $184 million. Right at the beginning, I had a disagreement with the Polish board about the way the foundation should be run. But that taught me a lesson. They were right and I was wrong. I realized that the people living there understood their country better than I did and I deferred to their judgment. It did not always work. In Bulgaria, a board member who made his name as a human rights activist turned out to be a racist. A Latvian businessman sought to hijack the foundation for nationalist purposes. It was the Russian foundation that gave us the most trouble; we had to reorganize it twice. But the foundations were the first out of the gate everywhere. I remembered the lesson my father who had lived through the Russian Revolution in Siberia taught me: In revolutionary times things that are normally impossible become possible. In Ukraine, we set up the Ukrainian Renaissance Foundation before Ukraine became independent. In Tajikistan, we persevered with the foundation during the five-year civil war although we had no way of controlling its activities. Our impact was the greatest during that turbulent period. When | [
"When was the first foundation set up?",
"What was funded in the 1980s?",
"What is the financier's name?",
"Who funded dissident groups?",
"When did Soros set up first Hungarian foundation?",
"What did George Soros do?",
"Who funded eastern European dissident groups in the 1980's?",
"Where did Soros set up his first foundation?",
"In how many countries did Soros set up foundations?",
"Where was the first foundation?",
"Where is George Soros from?",
"What becomes possible in revolutionary times?"
] | [
[
"1984."
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"George Soros"
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"George Soros"
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"1984."
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"of millions of dollars into foundations in Eastern Europe dedicated to promoting the idea of the \"open society\" and challenging the region's Soviet-backed regimes."
],
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"George Soros"
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"Hungary"
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"22"
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"Hungary"
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"things that are normally impossible"
]
] | Financier George Soros funded eastern European dissident groups in 1980s .
Soros: In revolutionary times things normally impossible become possible .
Soros set up first foundation in Hungary in 1984; by 1992 foundations in 22 countries .
West failed many post-communist states; Russia again an authoritarian regime . |
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