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(CNN) -- Senior Bush administration officials authorized aggressive interrogation techniques -- including forced nudity and waterboarding -- on suspected terrorists, despite concerns from military psychologists and attorneys, according to a Senate report released Tuesday.
The Senate report focuses on the authorization to use aggressive techniques to interrogate detainees.
"The fact is that senior officials in the United States government solicited information on how to use aggressive techniques, redefined the law to create the appearance of their legality, and authorized their use against detainees," said the report, which reveals new details about prisoner treatment at U.S. military prisons in Cuba, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Those efforts damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives, strengthened the hand of our enemies and compromised our moral authority," the report said.
The full report on the Senate Armed Services Committee investigation was declassified Tuesday by the Defense Department, less than a week after the Obama administration released several Bush-era memos detailing the use of such techniques.
"In my judgment, the report represents a condemnation of both the Bush administration's interrogation policies and of senior administration officials who attempted to shift the blame for abuse ... to low-ranking soldiers," Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, chairman of the Senate committee, said Tuesday.
"Claims, such as that made by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz that detainee abuses could be chalked up to the unauthorized acts of a 'few bad apples,' were simply false."
The Senate report said that in December 2001 the Defense Department's General Counsel's Office solicited information on the "exploitation" of detainees from the federal agency charged with training U.S. troops on how to withstand enemy interrogation techniques considered illegal by the Geneva Conventions.
The inquiry to that agency, the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, was submitted more than a month before then-President George Bush signed a memo stating that U.S. military personnel "shall continue to treat detainees humanely and, to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity, in a manner consistent with the principles of the Geneva Conventions."
The Senate committee's investigation was largely focused on the influence of a Joint Personnel program called "Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape." The program is used to train U.S. soldiers how to resist enemy interrogation, and employs harsh techniques such as forced nudity, use of fear, sleep deprivation and -- until last year -- waterboarding.
The Senate report said Bush administration officials green lighted the use of Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape techniques on detainees -- despite warnings from military psychologists against doing so.
The report includes an e-mail from an Army psychologist.
"[T]he use of physical pressures brings with it a large number of potential negative side effects ... If individuals are put under enough discomfort, i.e. pain, they will eventually do whatever it takes to stop the pain," said Lt. Col. Morgan Banks, the senior Army Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape psychologist, in an October 2, 2002, e-mail to personnel at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Levin said the program is supposed to prepare troops in the event they are captured and subjected to abusive interrogations, and that it was "never intended to be used in the interrogation of detainees in U.S. custody."
In a section titled, "The Department of Justice Changes the Rules," the Senate report noted that less than a week after the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency sent the Defense Department information about the interrogation techniques, the Justice Department issued two legal opinions signed by then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee.
The first opinion "presented a narrow interpretation of what constituted torture under U.S. law," the report said. The memo said that to constitute torture, physical pain would have to match the intensity of that accompanying "serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily functions or even death."
The opinion said the administration could defend itself against the federal anti-torture statute by arguing necessity or self-defense.
The second opinion concerned the interrogation of a specific detainee, al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydeh, and concluded that 10
|
[
"What was used to train troops to resist enemy interrogation?",
"What was to keep detainees naked?",
"What did the Officials encourage during their investigation?"
] |
[
[
"forced nudity, use of fear, sleep deprivation and"
],
[
"forced nudity"
],
[
"aggressive interrogation techniques"
]
] |
Lawyer's e-mail says, "Many of the techniques appear to violate" Geneva Conventions .
Investigator says "one of our approaches" was to keep detainees naked .
Report: Officials encouraged use of stress positions, phobias, deprivation of light .
Techniques came from program used to train troops to resist enemy interrogation .
|
(CNN) -- Senior Taliban official Maulvi Faqir Mohammad has named himself acting head of the Pakistani Taliban, a close relative of Mohammad and local Taliban spokesmen in Pakistan's federally administered tribal areas told CNN Wednesday. Baitullah Mehsud, right, and a bodyguard arrive at a meeting in South Waziristan, Pakistan, in 2004. Pakistani and U.S. officials believe that the group's leader, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan. Through his relative, however, Mohammad said that Mehsud is alive but ill and temporarily unable to perform his duties. Mohammad believes that he is in line to lead the group because he is a deputy of Mehsud's, the relative said. A year ago, Mohammad was falsely believed killed in a Pakistani airstrike, according to media reports at the time. The relative also said that Mohammad appointed Haji Muslim Khan as the group's spokesman. Khan is a former provincial Taliban spokesman in Swat. Pakistani officials announced Tuesday that two top figures in the Pakistani Taliban had been arrested. Saif Ullah is believed to have been Mehsud's right-hand man, and Maulvi Umar is the well-known spokesman for the militant group. Umar recently declared that Mehsud had not been killed in the drone strike on his father-in-law's house, but a senior Pakistani official said Umar had admitted under questioning that Mehsud was dead. The top U.S. envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, said the Pakistani Taliban have not confirmed his death because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor. Journalist Janummah Hashaimzada contributed to this report.
|
[
"who claims leadership?",
"who announce arrest of two top Taliban figures?",
"who is believed to have been killed in air attack this month?",
"Who was falsely believed killed last year?",
"Who is believed to have been killed in air attack this month?",
"Who was killed in air attack this month?",
"Who announced the arrest of two top Taliban figures?"
] |
[
[
"Maulvi Faqir Mohammad"
],
[
"Pakistani officials"
],
[
"Baitullah Mehsud,"
],
[
"Mohammad"
],
[
"Baitullah Mehsud,"
],
[
"Baitullah Mehsud,"
],
[
"Pakistani officials"
]
] |
Group's leader is believed to have been killed in air attack this month .
Deputy claims leadership; he was falsely believed killed last year .
Pakistani officials announce arrest of two top Taliban figures .
|
(CNN) -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each accused the other of borrowing portions of their presidential campaign speeches Monday. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, left, on the stump with Sen. Barack Obama. The Clinton campaign accused Obama of borrowing from a close supporter, and the Illinois senator responded by saying his own words have been used by Clinton. On a conference call with reporters, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said it was clear Obama had "lifted rhetoric" from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Late Monday, Clinton followed up with a swipe of her own. "If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own words," Clinton said in Madison, Wisconsin. "That's what I think." Obama downplayed the significance of the accusation. "I've written two books, wrote most of my speeches. So I think putting aside the question ... in terms of whether my words are my own, I think that would be carrying it too far," Obama said. "Deval and I do trade ideas all the time, and you know he's occasionally used lines of mine," Obama said. Obama said he also used some of Deval's words at a Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Wisconsin. "I would add I've noticed on occasion Sen. Clinton has used words of mine as well," said Obama. "As I said before, I really don't think this is too big of a deal." Obama campaign officials said Clinton had a pattern of borrowing from some of her rival's signature phrases, including "Yes, We Can" and "Fired Up, Ready to Go." They circulated a YouTube video and list of these alleged instances to reporters. The Clinton campaign earlier pointed to similarities between the words of Obama and Patrick that have raised eyebrows and attracted traffic on YouTube. A central passage in a speech Obama gave Saturday -- aimed at convincing voters that his campaign is not just about lofty rhetoric -- is adapted from one that Patrick used in his 2006 campaign, the Obama campaign said when asked about it. The controversy is lost on the Massachusetts governor, who endorsed Obama. Obama's campaign had Patrick call the New York Times over the weekend and issue a statement. "Senator Obama and I are long-time friends and allies. We often share ideas about politics, policy and language," Patrick said in the statement. "The argument in question, on the value of words in the public square, is one about which he and I have spoken frequently before. Given the recent attacks from Senator Clinton, I applaud him responding in just the way he did." Watch a comparison of Obama's and Patrick's speeches » The Obama campaign also confirmed comments chief strategist David Axelrod -- an adviser on Obama's Senate campaign and Patrick's gubernatorial run -- made to the New York Times about the speeches. "They often riff off one another. They share a world view," Axelrod told the Times about Obama and Patrick. "Both of them are effective speakers whose words tend to get requoted and arguments tend to be embraced widely." Responding to attacks from Clinton that he offers words while she offers action, Obama has been arguing that words matter. Saturday night at a gala for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Obama said to frequent applause, "Don't tell me words don't matter! 'I have a dream.' Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words, just speeches!" In 2006, Patrick, fending off attacks from his rival Kerry Healey, told a crowd, "Her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is all I have to offer is words. Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' -- just words. Just words. 'We have nothing to fear
|
[
"What quote did Clinton use?",
"Who downplayed the significance?",
"who said If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own?",
"What does Clinton say the whole candidacy is about?",
"who said Clinton has used words of mine as well?",
"Whose speech was Obama's speech similar to?",
"whos speech was similar to that of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick?",
"Who used some of Obama's words?"
] |
[
[
"\"If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own words,\""
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Clinton"
],
[
"words,"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"Hillary Clinton"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Hillary Clinton"
]
] |
Phrase in Obama speech similar to that of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick .
Clinton: "If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own"
Obama downplays significance, says: "Clinton has used words of mine as well"
|
(CNN) -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama engaged in a pointed exchange over al Qaeda in Iraq on Wednesday. Sen. John McCain questioned Sen. Barack Obama's way of handling the war in Iraq. McCain questioned whether Obama was aware of the al Qaeda base. Obama's response was: "There was no such thing as al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq." McCain was in Tyler, Texas, and Obama was in Columbus, Ohio. "I understand that Sen. Obama said that if al Qaeda established a base in Iraq that he would send troops back in militarily. Al Qaeda already has a base in Iraq. It's called al Qaeda in Iraq," McCain said. "It's a remarkable statement to say that you would send troops back to a place where al Qaeda has established a base -- where they have already established a base." McCain's comments come in response to remarks Obama made Tuesday night in a debate with Sen. Hillary Clinton. He was asked if the president would have the right to go back into Iraq in order to suppress an insurrection after downsizing the U.S. troop presence. Watch what Clinton and Obama said about the war » "I always reserve the right for the president ... to make sure that we are looking out for American interests," Obama said. "And if al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad." A statement by McCain's press office Wednesday said, "Is Sen. Obama unaware that al Qaeda is still present in Iraq, that our forces are successfully fighting them every day, and that his Iraq policy of withdrawal would embolden al Qaeda and weaken our security?" Obama responded to the latest attacks from McCain, saying his comments were taken out of context. Obama said the question he was asked during the debate was a "big hypothetical." "I said, 'Well, I would always reserve the right to go in and strike against al Qaeda if they were in Iraq,' so you know, this is how politics works," Obama said at a rally in Columbus. "McCain thought that he could make a clever point by saying ,'Well let me give you some news Barack, al Qaeda is in Iraq,' like I wasn't reading the papers, like I didn't know what was going on." "I said, 'Well first of all, I do know that al Qaeda is in Iraq. That's why I've said we should continue to strike al Qaeda targets. But I have some news for John McCain, and that is that there was no such thing as al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq." Obama continued to blast Bush and McCain, saying, "John McCain may like to say he wants to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but so far all he's done is follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq." McCain in his statement said "the Democratic presidential contenders deny progress and see only gloom and doom. Where is the audacity of hope when it comes to backing the success of our troops all the way to victory in Iraq? What we heard last night was the timidity of despair." The latest exchange comes as a new poll suggests McCain would pose a tough match for the eventual Democratic nominee. Obama is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Clinton trails by 97 delegates, but 370 delegates are up for grabs next Tuesday. Watch the shift in Clinton-Obama dynamics » According to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, McCain would be in tight races with either of the remaining Democratic presidential candidates. McCain is statistically tied with Obama, 44 percent to 42 percent, and ahead of Clinton by 6 points, 46 percent to 40 percent. The poll's margin of error was plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. The poll also showed McCain with
|
[
"What did Mc Cain question Obama about?",
"What question does McCain have for Obama?",
"What did Obama call the war in Iraq?",
"Who followed Bush into misguided war, according to Obama?",
"Who linked Bush with al Qaeda's presence in Iraq?",
"Where does Obama say there was no al Qaeda it was invaded?",
"What did Obama say about McCain following Bush?"
] |
[
[
"way of handling the war in Iraq."
],
[
"way of handling the war in Iraq."
],
[
"misguided"
],
[
"\"John McCain"
],
[
"Sen. Obama"
],
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq.\""
]
] |
McCain questions whether Obama is aware of al Qaeda presence in Iraq .
Obama says there was no al Qaeda in Iraq until Bush, McCain decided to invade .
McCain statement: Comments during Democrats' debate were "timidity of despair"
Obama: McCain has followed "George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq"
|
(CNN) -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama hammered away at each other's judgment on the economy, domestic policy and foreign affairs as they faced off in their second presidential debate. Obama tried to tie McCain to President Bush's "failed" policies, while McCain pushed his image as a "consistent reformer" at the debate, which took place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The debate was set up as a town hall meeting, and the audience was made up of undecided voters. Obama and McCain fielded questions from the crowd, Internet participants and moderator Tom Brokaw of NBC News. The candidates spoke directly to each other at times, but at other times they spoke as if their opponent were not on the same stage, a few feet away. Debate report card In comparison to the first debate, Tuesday's event -- which came on the heels of several days of increasingly aggressive attacks from both sides -- took on a more contentious tone. On foreign policy, McCain charged that Obama "does not understand" the country's national security challenges. McCain said he knows how to handle foreign affairs and questioned Obama's ability to do so. Analysts weigh in on the debate » "Sen. Obama was wrong about Iraq and the surge. He was wrong about Russia when they committed aggression against Georgia. And in his short career, he does not understand our national security challenges," McCain said. "We don't have time for on-the-job training, my friends." McCain said the "challenge" facing a president considering using military force "is to know when to go in and when not." "My judgment is something that I think I have a record to stand on," McCain said. Video highlights of key moments » Obama shot back and questioned McCain's judgment in supporting the invasion of Iraq. "When Sen. McCain was cheerleading the president to go into Iraq, he suggested it was going to be quick and easy, we'd be greeted as liberators," he said. "That was the wrong judgment, and it's been costly to us." The candidates spent about 30 minutes of the debate focusing on foreign affairs. They spoke about the economy for about 45 minutes and spent 15 minutes discussing domestic issues. See scenes from the debate » A national poll of debate watchers suggested that Obama won the presidential debate. Post-debate poll Fifty-four percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released 30 minutes after the end of the debate said that Obama did the best job, while 30 percent said McCain performed better. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone with 675 adult Americans who watched the debate. All interviews were taken after the end of the debate. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. iReport.com: Tell us who you think won round two At the start of the debate, Obama said the country is in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. He blamed President Bush and McCain for the crisis, saying they had worked to "strip away regulation." Bush: The elephant in the room McCain said the system in Washington "cries out for bipartisanship" and pushed his record as a reformer. He proposed having the government buy up and renegotiate bad home loans to stabilize the property market. He admitted the plan would be expensive but said it was necessary. Watch McCain talk about his plan for the economy » The Arizona senator also hammered away at his rival's tax policies, saying that "nailing down Sen. Obama's various tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to the wall." Watch McCain slam Obama's tax plan » McCain charged that "Obama's secret that you don't know" is that he would increase taxes on small business revenue, which he said would lead to job cuts. Fact check: Did Obama vote 94 times for higher taxes Obama shot back, saying "the Straight Talk Express lost a wheel on that one
|
[
"What was the debate set up like?",
"What did Obama and McCain discuss during half of the debate?",
"Who is debating?",
"What is the debate set up like?",
"Who did Barack Obama try to tie John McCain to?",
"What kind of image is McCain trying to make for himself?",
"What was the audience comprised of?",
"Who was in the audience?",
"What does John McCain push?",
"Who made up the audience of the debate?"
] |
[
[
"as a town hall meeting,"
],
[
"economy"
],
[
"John McCain and Barack Obama"
],
[
"as a town hall meeting,"
],
[
"President Bush's \"failed\" policies,"
],
[
"\"consistent reformer\""
],
[
"made up of undecided voters."
],
[
"undecided voters."
],
[
"his image as a \"consistent reformer\""
],
[
"undecided voters."
]
] |
Barack Obama, John McCain spend half of debate discussing economy .
McCain pushes reformer image; Obama ties McCain to Bush Obama, McCain question each other's judgment .
Debate set up like a town hall, with audience of uncommitted voters .
|
(CNN) -- Seoul is a bit of curio. On the surface it's as modern as any city could hope to be, addicted as it is to technology and modern design. Let me entertain you, Korean-style. Bars and karaoke rooms abound in entertainment areas. Yet among the blocky skyscrapers and highways running through the sprawling city like monuments to the country's rapid industrialization, are vestiges of the 600-year-old capital. Mountains, parks and 16th century palaces are in stark contrast to the neon and noise of the city's shopping and entertainment areas. Duck off one of the main boulevards like Saemunangil in the center of the city and you can discover one of pulsating areas where Seoulites relax -- often in city's thousands of restaurants, bars and noraebang (karaoke bars) that should feature in even a flying visit. Home to over 10 million people, the best policy is to make the most of just a few of the city's districts. Start near City Hall in Myeongdong, a downtown area close to some of the city's best sites and shopping (located on and around Myeong-donggil) and all within a walkable distance. Steps away from City Hall subway station is one of the city's Joseon dynasty palaces, Deoksugung, where you can sample a quieter side of Seoul. It's the site of one of Korea's King Seonjo's residences; he turned the old aristocratic house into a palace in 1593. If you're in the city on Sunday, a reenactment of the changing of the guards takes place outside the main gate; false beards are moustaches are attached as the brightly colored guards go through the motions. A few minutes from the palace is the decent National Museum on Contemporary Art, where international and Korean artists get a regular showing. The tranquility of the palace grounds are a great contrast to much of the rest of the city -- not far away original parts of old Seoul's city walls can still be seen in mountains to the north. For a closer inspection of Seoul of old, history buffs can get their fill at the Seoul Museum of History, twenty minutes walk from Deoksugung Palace. Better is to push on another 20 minutes from the museum and you'll hit Gyeongbokgung, the largest and grandest of the city's palace grounds. To save pounding the concrete there hop in a taxi -- standard cabs are white, but for the sake of a bit more legroom, shinier leather seats, and twice the cost, black deluxe taxis are also cruising the streets. In true Seoul tech style, many are equipped with a free digital translation service, useful as many drivers don't speak much English. The preserved village of Bukchon lies between Gyeongbok Palace to the west and Changdeok Palace to the east, where you can wander around restored timber houses and courtyards, and also grab a bite to eat in one of the area's cafes or restaurants. The city and Korea in general has a fascination with technology and design and is constantly positioning itself on the cutting edge of both. The most recent addition to the city's modern landscape is Dutch architect Rem Koohaas' "Transformer". His shape-changing building can flip onto one of its three sides depending on its use and is currently home to a Prada Exhibition. It sits in a cozy juxtaposition next to the 16th century Gyeonghui Palace pavilion. For a less ambiguous view of the city, hop in a taxi to Namsan cable car station. It will propel you up to a peak in Namsan park -- central Seoul's biggest -- next to the Seoul Tower, from where you can survey the sprawling metropolis. Throw yourself back into the thick of it by hitting Namdaemun market, also known as the goblin market. It's a hive of goods from cheese to camcorders, often sold at cheaper prices than elsewhere. Don't expect just stalls, it's more a mix of buildings, underground malls and shops. Shinsegae department store is a city favorite in Myeongdong, but those after a bit of South Korean kitsch or quirk should be happy browsing around the boutiques off Myeongdong-gil and Myeongdong
|
[
"What is among the urban sprawl?",
"What is offering a contrast to the city's concrete?",
"Where is the Joseon dynasty palaces located?",
"What is a most offering a contrast to the city's concrete?",
"What do they contrast with?"
] |
[
[
"vestiges of the 600-year-old capital."
],
[
"Mountains, parks and 16th century palaces"
],
[
"Steps away from City Hall subway station"
],
[
"Mountains, parks and 16th century palaces"
],
[
"neon and noise of the city's shopping and entertainment areas."
]
] |
Among the urban sprawl are pockets of tranquility, neon-lit fun and greenery .
The Joseon dynasty palaces are a must, offering a contrast to the city's concrete .
Insadong provides some old world charm and great places to eat Korean cuisine .
|
(CNN) -- Serbian police are conducting another search for war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic and another fugitive, the office of the war crimes prosecutor in Belgrade said Friday. Ratko Mladic, pictured in 1993, is the highest-ranking war crimes suspect still at large. The search, launched at the request of Serbian war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic, is being conducted around the town of Arandjelovac, 45 miles (75 kilometers) south of Belgrade, the prosecutor's office said. Serbia is offering a reward of 1 million euros for information leading to the capture of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general wanted by the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, in the Hague. A reward of €250,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest of Serbia's other fugitive, Goran Hadzic. Mladic is the highest-ranking figure from the conflict to remain at large following the July arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. Mladic commanded the Bosnian Serb military during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The U.N. tribunal indicted Mladic in 1995, along with 51 others, on charges involving war crimes and atrocities committed during four years of civil war. In July 1996, an international arrest warrant was issued for Mladic after investigators collected evidence at the site of the Srebrenica massacre. Mladic stepped down as military commander in November 1996 and returned to Belgrade. But he disappeared after former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was arrested in 2001. The 66-year-old faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity over the killing of some 7,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. He's also wanted for his role in the 1992 shelling of Sarajevo. In 1992, as hostilities broke out in Sarajevo, Mladic led the "shelling and sniping to target civilian areas of the city and its civilian population and institutions, killing and wounding civilians, and thereby also inflicting terror upon the civilian population," the war crimes tribunal contends. The status of Mladic is one of the major stumbling block's to Serbia's admission to the European Union. In April Serbia's government signed a preliminary agreement setting the country on the path to full EU membership. But ratification of the agreement was made conditional on Serbia sending Mladic to the Hague. CNN's Ben Blake in London, England, contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who is searching for the commander?",
"who is still at large?",
"where did the search take place?",
"Where would Mladic be extradited to?",
"who commited the war crimes",
"who is the commander?",
"How far away is Arandjelovac from Belgrade?"
] |
[
[
"police"
],
[
"Ratko Mladic"
],
[
"around the town of Arandjelovac, 45 miles (75 kilometers) south of Belgrade,"
],
[
"Belgrade."
],
[
"Ratko Mladic,"
],
[
"Ratko Mladic,"
],
[
"45 miles"
]
] |
Serbian police search for former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic .
Mladic is the highest-ranking Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect still at large .
Search conducted in town of Arandjelovac, 75kms (45 miles) south of Belgrade .
Serbian EU membership agreement conditional on sending Mladic to the Hague .
|
(CNN) -- Serena Williams has handed a three-year suspended ban from the U.S. Open after her verbal tirade at a lineswoman at this year's event. The incident occurred during her semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters when Williams was called for a foot fault to give the Belgian mum match point and her profanity-laced tirade resulted in a penalty point that ended the match. The punishments handed down by the International Tennis Federation's Grand Slam committee could result in a U.S. Open suspension if Williams commits another major violation in any Grand Slam event in 2010 or 2011. Williams was fined a record $175,000 with the amount to be reduced to $82,500 if she stays on good behavior over two seasons. The fine amount included $10,000 Williams paid the U.S. Tennis Association in September after the incident, the maximum fine the group had the power to impose. The biggest prior fine imposed by the committee came when American Jeff Tarango was fined just under $50,000. Williams initially declined to issue an apology to the line-judge but subsequently issued a contrite statement in which she said: "I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately on this occasion. "It's not the way to act -- win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner." Williams was trailing Clijsters 4-6, 5-6 and serving at 15-30 when the baseline judge called a foot-fault on a second serve. She walked over to the official and waved her racket angrily as she unleashed her tirade at the official, who immediately reported what had been said to the umpire. Having earlier warned Williams for racket abuse, the official called for tournament referee Brian Earley and a penalty point was imposed which enabled Clijsters to claim the match. Replays indicated that the line judge may have got the foot fault call wrong.
|
[
"How long was the suspension?",
"Who was handed a three-year suspended ban from the U.S. Open?",
"who is kim clijsters",
"The punishment follows her outburst in the U.S. Open semifinal against which other player?"
] |
[
[
"three-year"
],
[
"Serena"
],
[
"Belgian"
],
[
"Kim Clijsters"
]
] |
Serena Williams is handed a three-year suspended ban from the U.S. Open .
The punishment follows her outburst in the U.S. Open semifinal against Kim Clijsters .
Williams also fined a record $175,000 with the amount to be reduced to $82,500 for good behavior .
|
(CNN) -- Serie A champions Inter Milan have confirmed the dismissal of coach Roberto Mancini, opening the way for former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to replace him. Mancini guided Inter Milan to the Italian league title for three successive seasons. Ironically, the 43-year-old Mancini, who guided Inter to three successive Italian league titles, is now the favorite to take Mourinho's former job at Stamford Bridge. Inter -- who won the first of their three titles in 2006 because those above them were demoted or deducted points over the matchfixing scandal -- released a statement about the sacking. "Inter Milan have informed Roberto Mancini that he has been relieved of his role as coach, especially because of his comments that he was not going to stay after the end of the season following the Champions League tie against Liverpool on March 11," read their statement. Mancini, however, rescinded those comments the following day declaring that he had made them in the heat of the moment following Inter's elimination from the competition, losing 3-0 on aggregate. Inter's reasons for sacking Mancini appear less credible after club president Massimo Moratti announced that the coach had changed his mind about leaving at the end of the season. "I've had a talk with Mancini, who confirmed to me that he wanted to stay at Inter next year to see out his contract. He wants to win the Champions League for us next season," Moratti said on March 12. "Mancini's words surprised me, I didn't expect it and even less so I believe the people close to him." Mourinho, nicknamed 'The Special One' for guiding Porto to the Champions League in 2004 and then Chelsea to two Premier League titles, would not come cheap, but the exit of Mancini has cost Inter dear too as his contract, which runs till 2012, will leave him 24 million euros richer as compensation. However, Mancini was unable to make Inter into viable Champions League contenders despite the three Serie A titles. Mancini is the ninth coaching casualty under Moratti, following Ottavio Bianchi, Roy Hodgson, Luigi Simoni, Mircea Lucescu, Marcello Lippi, Marco Tardelli, Hector Cuper and Alberto Zaccheroni.
|
[
"Who is the former Chelsea manager?",
"When will Mourinho take over?",
"What comments did Mancini make?",
"What did Inter Milan confirm?",
"Who was fired after making comments?",
"Who is the coach for Inter Milan?"
] |
[
[
"Jose Mourinho"
],
[
"next year"
],
[
"he was not going to stay after the end of the season following the Champions League tie against Liverpool on March 11,\""
],
[
"the dismissal of coach Roberto Mancini,"
],
[
"Roberto Mancini,"
],
[
"Roberto Mancini,"
]
] |
Serie A champions Inter Milan confirm dismissal of coach Roberto Mancini .
Mancini allegedly fired for comments made after defeat to Liverpool in March .
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho favorite to take over at the San Siro .
|
(CNN) -- Seth MacFarlane: Sarah Palin expressed outrage at a Fox television program, created by MacFarlane, for joking about people with Down syndrome and making an apparent reference to her 22-month-old son, Trig, who has the genetic disorder. The former Alaska governor said on her Facebook page that she was too angry to offer a coherent response, so she had her daughter Bristol release a full statement on the family's behalf. The Palins directed their criticism at the prime-time Fox cartoon, "Family Guy." In Sunday's episode, a teenaged female character with Down syndrome told another character that "my mom is the former governor of Alaska." A song and dance routine by another character also used language that ridiculed people with disabilities. According to the show's Web site, "Family Guy" earned an Emmy nomination in 2009 for Outstanding Comedy Series, "only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such distinction." On the show, MacFarlane performs the voices of the father, Peter Griffin, and his 1-year-old son, Stewie, who is, the Fox Web site reports, "a diabolically clever baby whose heterosexuality is hanging by a thread." MacFarlane is also the voice of the intellectually superior family dog. The Web site Seth McFarlane Unlimited reports that MacFarlane began drawing cartoons at the age of 2 and is the recipient of two honorary degrees. While receiving the one from Harvard in 2006, he delivered the Class Day Speech playing the roles of several of the characters from "Family Guy." He also received a degree in 2007 from his alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design. CNN Political Ticker: Palin slams Fox's 'Family Guy' 'Family Guy': About the show Dalai Lama: The Tibetan spiritual leader is on his way to the United States for a number of speaking engagements and is scheduled to meet with President Obama on Thursday, even though China has warned that such a meeting would harm ties between it and the United States, a White House spokesman said on February 2. "The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama, and he intends to do so," Bill Burton told reporters earlier this month. China warned that ties between two of the world's superpowers would be strained if Obama met with the Dalai Lama. "It will seriously undermine the foundation of Sino-U.S. political relations," said Zhu Weiqun, a Communist Party official who is in charge of talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of advocating for Tibetan independence from China. In explaining Obama's intention to hold the meeting, Burton said the Dalai Lama "is an internationally respected religious and cultural leader, and the president will meet with him in that capacity." Tibet is technically autonomous from the central Chinese government, but the Dalai Lama and others have said they favor genuine autonomy and resent the slow erosion of their culture amid an influx of Han Chinese, the most numerous ethnic group in China. Zhu said there would be no compromise on China's control of Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama was born in July 1935. According to his official biography, the child named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized at the age of 2 as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. He went through years of monastic training and assumed political power in 1950, a year after China's invasion. The Dalai Lama ultimately fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He lives in exile in the north Indian town of Dharamsala. CNN: White House says Obama will meet with Dalai Lama CNN: Discord over Dalai Lama DalaiLama.com: A brief biography Jesse Sullivan: The 25-year-old from Petersburg, Illinois, has been living for two weeks at the corner of Florida and North Capitol Avenues in Washington. He's been living there in a tent to show solidarity with Haitian families in crisis, he says, and to remind people that emergency shelter is still sorely needed for victims of the January 12 earthquake. When CNN
|
[
"Who is to meet with Dalai Lama despite protests?",
"Who reacts to 'Family Guy' creator?",
"Who is protesting Obama's visit ?"
] |
[
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"CNN Political Ticker: Palin slams Fox's"
],
[
"China"
]
] |
Sarah Palin reacts to 'Family Guy' creator for jokes about Down syndrome .
President Obama to meet with Dalai Lama despite protests from China .
Carly Simon hosts music video contest, but doesn't reveal who is "so vain"
|
(CNN) -- Seth Meyers will remain the lone talking head on the "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update desk, at least in the near future, according to the comedian. Seth Meyers is thankful that politicians "did not stop being crazy" after the 2008 elections. "It looks like for right now, we're going to stick with doing it solo," Meyers said Monday in New York as he was getting ready for the show's 35th season premiere on September 26. Meyers, SNL's head writer, hosted the popular sketch alone after Amy Poehler left the show last season. Last week, several online sites were reporting that featured player Kristen Wiig was set to become Meyers' partner on the show's longest-running recurring segment. "I'm so heartbroken that the Internet, for the first time, was wrong about something," Meyers joked. "How are we ever going to trust the Internet again?" Meyers called Wiig "almost too valuable," saying making her a full-time co-anchor would mean she could never play guest characters during the segment. Poehler reportedly will join Meyers for some segments of "Weekend Update Thursday," a 30-minute, prime-time version of the skit that debuted during the 2008 presidential election and that the network hopes will have similar success during the upcoming season. "I owe a big thanks to politicians," said Meyers. "They did not stop being crazy and disingenuous after the election. So we have that going for us." Poehler won't be the only cast member from last year missing on the September 26 premiere, hosted by actress Megan Fox with musical guest U2. Fans were surprised last week about news that regulars Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson had been sacked. Both said they were surprised that their contracts were not renewed. "I think that the two who are leaving are going to be incredibly successful wherever they go," Meyers said, declining to elaborate on his thoughts about the decision by creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels. In their places will be Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad, both veterans of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. "They came and auditioned and were outstanding," Meyers said. "We looked at them a couple of times this summer. I think they're both great writers as well as performers." While change can be unsettling, Meyers said turnover among the "SNL" cast helps keep its humor fresh. "It's always nice to have new people," he said. "They'll give new looks at things and see things in new ways. Any time you get new voices in, that tends to help."
|
[
"What rumor about Wiig was the internet wrong about?",
"What show enters it's 35th season?"
] |
[
[
"set to become Meyers' partner on the show's longest-running recurring segment."
],
[
"\"Saturday Night Live\""
]
] |
"SNL" is "doing it solo" on Weekend Update, Seth Meyers says .
Internet was wrong about Kristen Wiig rumor, according to Meyers .
SNL's Watkins, Wilson to be replaced by Upright Citizens Brigade members .
35th season premieres September 26, with Megan Fox and U2 .
|
(CNN) -- Seven French soldiers were killed when their military helicopter crashed off the coast of Gabon, the country's official news agency said Sunday. A French ship with investigators on board look for clues near the crash site area. Two French soldiers survived the Saturday night crash, the agency said. French Defense Minister Herve Morin arrived in Gabon's capital of Libreville on Sunday and met with President Omar Bongo to coordinate recovery efforts for the body of one of the seven soldiers whose remains had not been found. According to the French minister, "the cause of this tragedy remains unknown. It may be natural or human, or a combination of both." Divers were inspecting the helicopter, which was in water 35 meters (about 115 feet) deep, Morin said. French forces were in the former French colony for maritime security exercises with Gabonese soldiers when the incident happened.
|
[
"How many people were killed in total?",
"What was the water depth?",
"How many French soldiers survived?",
"How many people were killed in the crash?",
"How many bodies are still missing?",
"What were divers doing?"
] |
[
[
"Seven"
],
[
"35 meters (about 115 feet)"
],
[
"Two"
],
[
"Seven"
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"inspecting the helicopter,"
]
] |
Seven killed, but two French soldiers survive the Saturday night crash .
Recovery efforts underway for body of one of the seven soldiers still missing .
Divers inspecting helicopter, which was in water 35 meters (about 115 feet) deep .
|
(CNN) -- Seven members of the environmental group Greenpeace were arrested Monday after protesting at a private ship that the group says is scheduled to depart for Alaska this summer as part of a drilling mission.
The group said it was sending a message to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to ban new drilling in the Arctic or any U.S. waters. The ship was docked at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, near the site of the massive BP oil spill that for more than a month has been gushing thousands of barrels of oil daily into the Gulf of Mexico.
Photos from the scene show two protesters repelling off the side of Harvey Explorer, a 240-foot supply vessel, with one holding a sign reading "Salazar: Ban Arctic drilling." The activists also smeared messages -- "Arctic next?" -- on the boat in raw crude from the BP spill in the Gulf.
The seven arrested, between ages 24 and 32, face unauthorized entry charges of a critical infrastructure and an inhabited dwelling, according to the Lafourche Parish County Sheriff's Department. They could face additional charges pending an investigation into the incident, authorities said.
The protest comes as the Obama administration has decided to establish a presidential commission to investigate the disaster and look into federal oversight of offshore oil drilling, safety aboard rigs and environmental protection. Permits to drill offshore were suspended last month pending an Interior Department safety review after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drill rig.
Still, the government is under pressure to issue new permits for offshore drilling as early as next week. The safety review is due this Friday, and the Obama administration will use it to help decide when and how drilling should resume.
The Harvey Explorer is a vessel contracted by Shell for offshore operations off the Alaskan coast that had been scheduled for July.
"The safety and security of this contracted vessel and its crew are a top priority," Shell said in a statement Monday. "While we welcome discussions regarding Shell operations, we are disappointed in the approach taken by Greenpeace today."
Greenpeace and other environmental groups argue there should be no new drilling until the investigation into the disaster is complete, which will take months.
"As long as we continue to rely on dirty and dangerous fossil fuels and offshore drilling, we can't prevent future disasters from destroying our oceans and the industries and wildlife that depend upon them," said John Hocevar, oceans campaign director for Greenpeace.
"Pulling the plug on plans to drill in the Arctic would be a first step towards a comprehensive ban on all new drilling in the United States," he said.
|
[
"where do they want the drilling to end",
"who used crude from BP spill to write messages on boat?",
"when did this happen",
"What did activists use to write messsages?",
"What did activists board?",
"who want interior secretary to ban new drilling?",
"What do activists want?",
"who boarded private vessel contracted by Shell for Alaska operations?"
] |
[
[
"Arctic"
],
[
"members of the environmental group Greenpeace"
],
[
"Monday"
],
[
"raw crude"
],
[
"Harvey Explorer,"
],
[
"Greenpeace"
],
[
"ban new drilling in the Arctic or any U.S. waters."
],
[
"Seven"
]
] |
Greenpeace activists want interior secretary to ban new drilling .
Protesters used crude from BP spill to write messages on boat .
Activists boarded private vessel contracted by Shell for Alaska operations .
|
(CNN) -- Seven people, including a toddler, died when fire roared through a three-story home in southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday night, fire officials said. Firefighters work to put out a fire at a town home Friday night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Six of the victims -- three adults, a teen and two children -- were found in the townhome's basement, huddled together, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said. A 2-year-old boy who was pulled from the burning house by firefighters was later pronounced dead at Children's Hospital, Ayers said. Eleven people, all of Liberian nationality, lived in the basement of the home, he said. Two were rescued by firefighters and two escaped on their own, Ayers said. Watch firefighters at work on the blaze » There were no stairs from the basement to the upper level and there was only one door leading out, he said. Early clues suggest a kerosene heater may have started the blaze, but the fire marshal has not officially determined a cause, Ayers said. "We found serious issues in the house," he said. The home did not appear to be equipped with smoke detectors, the fire commissioner said. "We have not found any smoke alarms at all, which we are very saddened by," Ayers said. Wade Lee, who lived in the same building, said the landlord had helped tenants work out fire evacuation plans. Lee said the victims often brought his family fresh vegetables from their garden, and the children were a joy. "Our wishes are with them right now, more so than for ourselves," he said. "Just hearing the children laughing, and not being able to hear that no more is grievous to us all."
|
[
"The home had how many smoke detectors?",
"How many people lived in this home at the time?",
"What did officials say about the basement home?",
"How old was the child pulled from the fire?",
"Where did this fire occur?",
"Amount of exits the basement home had?",
"Who was pulled from the fire and later pronounced dead?",
"Who was found huddled in the basement?",
"What nationality were the victims in the story?",
"How many victims were found in the basement?",
"Where were the six victims found huddled in?"
] |
[
[
"did not appear to be equipped with"
],
[
"Seven"
],
[
"Six of the victims -- three adults, a teen and two children -- were found in the townhome's"
],
[
"2-year-old boy"
],
[
"Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,"
],
[
"one door"
],
[
"A 2-year-old boy"
],
[
"Six of the victims"
],
[
"Liberian"
],
[
"Six"
],
[
"in the townhome's basement,"
]
] |
2-year-old pulled from fire later pronounced dead at hospital .
Six victims found huddled together in basement .
Eleven people, all of Liberian nationality, lived in the home, fire official says .
Basement home had one exit, no smoke detectors, official says .
|
(CNN) -- Seven players involved in last week's Champions League final have been excused from England's trip to Trinidad and Tobago for their friendly international on Sunday. Only Jermaine Defoe (second right) of the England players congratulating John Terry will travel to Trinidad. Coach Fabio Capello confirmed that of the men involved in Moscow last week, only Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand, who has links with the Caribbean, and Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge, who did not get onto the pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, will be part of his 22-man squad for the final game of the season. Chelsea's John Terry, who opened the scoring in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the United States at Wembley, is one of those given a holiday along with Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves. England squad: Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Joe Lewis (Peterborough). Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Stephen Warnock (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham). Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), David Bentley (Blackburn), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham). Forwards: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth).
|
[
"When did the players get cut?",
"Which Manchester United central defender will be playing?",
"Where was the Champions League final played?",
"What number of players have been cut from the England squad for friendly in Trinidad?"
] |
[
[
"Sunday."
],
[
"Rio Ferdinand,"
],
[
"Trinidad and Tobago"
],
[
"Seven"
]
] |
Seven players have been cut from the England squad for friendly in Trinidad .
The seven players had all appeared in the Champions League final last week .
However, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand will be playing .
|
(CNN) -- Seven states and two organizations have sued the Bush administration in an attempt to block a federal regulation that would further protect health care workers who refuse to perform abortions or other medical procedures because of religious or moral reasons. A rule protecting the rights of health care providers who refuse to participate in certain procedures is under fire. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of his state, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island. Blumenthal said the regulation would put women's health care at risk and would undercut state contraception laws. "On its way out, the Bush administration has left a ticking legal time bomb set to explode literally the day of the inaugural and blow apart vital constitutional rights and women's health care," Blumenthal said in a statement. "Women's health may be endangered -- needlessly and unlawfully -- if this rule is allowed to stand." He said the regulation "intentionally shrouds" abortion in "new and unnecessary ambiguity," encouraging individuals to define it and to "deny virtually all forms of contraceptions, even emergency contraception to rape victims." The Planned Parenthood Federation of America and American Civil Liberties Union, which was acting on behalf of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, also filed separate suits Thursday. The Department of Health and Human Services said the regulation would allow the federal government to withhold federal funds for state and local governments, health plans and health care facilities that do not follow existing federal laws that ban discrimination against doctors and other health workers who refuse to participate in procedures such as sterilizations or abortions or to make referrals for such procedures. "We have not had an opportunity to review the lawsuits and we will respond to the court on any pending litigation," department spokeswoman Rebecca Ayers said in an e-mail. "The department followed appropriate procedures to put the regulation in place and the regulation is fully supported by law." The department promulgated the rule last month. "Doctors and other health care providers should not be forced to choose between good professional standing and violating their conscience," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement then. "This rule protects the right of medical providers to care for their patients in accord with their conscience." The department has said that it believes the public and health care providers are unaware of the federal anti-discrimination laws. "Many health care providers routinely face pressure to change their medical practice -- often in direct opposition to their personal convictions," said the department's assistant secretary of health, Adm. Joxel Garcia, in a statement in December. "During my practice as an OB-GYN, I witnessed this firsthand. Health care providers shouldn't have to check their consciences at the hospital door. Fortunately, Congress enacted several laws to that end, but too many are unaware these protections exist."
|
[
"who promulgated the rule?",
"who does the rule protect?",
"what would regulation put at risk?",
"Who originally promulgated the rule?",
"What factors put women's health care at risk?",
"What does Human Services have to do with this?"
] |
[
[
"Department of Health and Human Services said"
],
[
"health care workers"
],
[
"women's health care"
],
[
"Department of Health and Human Services"
],
[
"religious or moral reasons."
],
[
"withhold federal funds"
]
] |
Connecticut attorney general: Regulation would put women's health care at risk .
Rule further protects health workers who refuse procedures on moral grounds .
Department of Health and Human Services promulgated the rule last month .
HHS: Rule protects workers' right to care for patients in accord with their conscience .
|
(CNN) -- Seven suspected pirates rescued by a Danish warship were turned over to authorities in Yemen early Friday, two days after they were picked up in the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden.
The French frigate Nivose escorts commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden on November 28, 2008.
The men were rescued by the HDMS Absalon on Wednesday after being found in a powerless skiff with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s aboard, Danish Navy spokesman Jesper Lynge told CNN. They were found approximately 75 nautical miles (140 km) off the coast of Yemen following a distress call, Lynge said.
"These guys had been without propulsion on their small boat for several days without food or drinking water," he added.
After receiving medical treatment aboard the Absalon, the ship's crew turned them over to Yemen's coast guard Friday morning, said Rasmus Tantholt, a reporter for Denmark's TV2, who was aboard the warship. The skiff's small engine was broken, and the Danish vessel sank the boat in order to prevent any hazard to sea traffic. Watch how NATO is fighting piracy »
The men are suspected to be pirates because of the weapons on board, Lynge said. Pirates frequently use small boats to attack commercial vessels with small arms and grenades, but Lynge said Absalon crew could not connect the men "directly with another pirate attack in the area," Lynge said.
Lynge said the skiff was found in Yemeni waters, and the Absalon crew was instructed to hand over the men to the Yemen Coast Guard. Yemeni authorities must conduct any investigation because the episode took place in their jurisdiction, he said.
CNN was unable to obtain an immediate comment from Yemeni authorities.
Pirates have seized many ships in recent weeks in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, which separates Yemen from Somalia.
So far this year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off the coast of Somalia and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
A multinational fleet, including vessels from the United States, NATO member states, Russia and India, has been patrolling waters of Indian Ocean near the Gulf, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
Around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year.
CNN's Katy Byron contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who picked them up?",
"The ship's crew was instructed to hand over who?",
"What did the patrol craft respond to?",
"What did the ships crew do?",
"Who was rescued?",
"A ship from what country picked them up?",
"Who did the Danish Navy pick up?",
"How many Somali men were in possession of rocket grenades?",
"The Somali men possessed what weapons?",
"Who had grenades?"
] |
[
[
"Danish warship"
],
[
"Seven"
],
[
"a distress call,"
],
[
"turned them over to Yemen's coast guard Friday morning,"
],
[
"Seven"
],
[
"Danish"
],
[
"suspected pirates"
],
[
"Seven"
],
[
"rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s"
],
[
"pirates"
]
] |
Seven Somali men in possession of rocket grenades and AK-47 guns rescued .
Danish Navy ship picked them up in the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden .
The patrol craft responded to a small skiff's calls for assistance off Yemeni coast .
Ship's crew instructed to hand over the men to the Yemen Coast Guard .
|
(CNN) -- Seven years after devastating terrorist attacks brought death to New York's World Trade Centers, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, the first permanent, on-site memorial is being dedicated Thursday at the Pentagon. An artist's rendering shows the New York 9/11 memorial, with the museum entry pavilion between two pools. Official memorials at the other two sites are still years away. In New York, construction has begun on a complex that will include a memorial with a tree-shaded plaza and reflecting pools, and an underground museum with an entry pavilion. It's part of a bigger project, including new office towers and a transportation hub, whose target date has been repeatedly delayed. The goal is to open the memorial to the public by the 10th anniversary of the attacks, in 2011, and the museum by the year after. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stressed the importance of those dates and called progress "frustratingly slow" in an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal. "The memorial must be completed by the 10th anniversary," Bloomberg wrote. "No more excuses, no more delays." Watch and listen to Thursday's memorial services » However, on CNN's "American Morning" Thursday, Bloomberg said quality is more important than speed of construction. "We want to make sure what we build is the right thing, that 100 years from now people will look back and say, 'They built it well and built the right thing,'" Bloomberg said. "Nobody's going to remember if it took five years or 10 years. I'd like it to go faster. I've recommended we reduce the level of bureaucracy, but that's not our number one priority." Federal, state and local governments, as well as several agencies and private developers are involved in the planning and construction. "It's a complex site, and there was an extensive public process involved in determining the plans for the site," Lynn Rasic of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum said Wednesday. "And I think what's important now is that we look forward and do everything possible to meet the 10th anniversary date." iReport: How are you observing 9/11? The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the trade center site, says it's on board as far as the date for opening the memorial. Completion dates for the museum and pavilion are part of a review to be finished by September 30, Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said. "We don't want to put any more false hopes, false dates out there in the public domain that can't be met. That's why they want to make sure this thing is a thorough review and we have realistic and achievable dates that we come out with," he said. Coleman said the Port Authority hasn't felt pressure from families of September 11 victims to speed up the process. "What we're hearing from family members is that they want to see it done right, rather than rushed," he said. The memorial will feature two huge reflecting pools, with waterfalls flowing down their sides, where the iconic twin towers stood, according to the memorial's Web site. Engraved around the pools will be the names of those who died in the September 11 attacks as well as the victims of a 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Watch and listen to sights and sounds from 9/11 » The steel and glass entry pavilion will include two large steel columns salvaged from the twin towers. As visitors descend underground into the museum, they'll see the slurry wall, the bedrock that held back the Hudson River when the towers collapsed. The Pennsylvania memorial is also scheduled to be completed by the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It will center on the site where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers apparently wrested control of the plane from the hijackers. A plaza will surround the crash site, known as Sacred Ground. Plans call for a Tower of Voices, with 40 windchimes representing the 40 passengers and
|
[
"What else was due to open in 2011?",
"where World Trade Center memorial are?",
"when World Trade Center memorial?",
"When is the World Trade Center plaza scheduled to open?"
] |
[
[
"complex that will include a memorial with a tree-shaded plaza and reflecting pools, and an underground museum with an entry pavilion."
],
[
"New York"
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"10th anniversary of the attacks."
]
] |
World Trade Center memorial plaza scheduled to open in 2011, museum in 2012 .
Memorial at Pennsylvania plane crash site also due to open in 2011 .
Pentagon memorial including benches, trees, pools is dedicated Thursday .
Watch 9/11 memorials in New York and Washington on CNN.com Live .
|
(CNN) -- Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong brought a Scottish town center to a standstill on Tuesday when hundreds of people joined him for a group bike ride. Lance Armstrong's appearance in Paisley, Scotland, saw around 200 people joining him on a bike ride. The seven-times Tour de France winner used social networking site Twitter to invite fans to take part in the event in Paisley, Scotland and -- as a result -- around 200 people gathered in the town's High Street. Fans took photographs and asked for autographs from the American and the watching crowd applauded and cheered as the group set off on their ride. Asked whether he was surprised to see so many people turn out, Armstrong told reporters before climbing on to his bike: "Yes. It's a chance to meet lots of people. We made up our mind to come and see a show two nights ago and I said hey let's have a bike ride," he added. Watch the chaos as Armstrong starts to ride » Asked whether he knew much about cycling around Paisley, he smiled and said: "I know nothing about it." In the Twitter messages before the gathering, Armstrong wrote: "Hey Glasgow, Scotland!! I'm coming your way. Who wants to go for a bike ride with me??" Followed by: "Hey Glasgow -- ride is at 12 noon. Stay tuned and yes, I have my rain coat!" iReport: Did you see Lance? Send pics, video Cyclists and fans started to gather before 11am ahead of Armstrong's arrival at around 12.20pm. After the group cycle, Armstrong told fans through Twitter: "Thanks to everyone who turned up to ride in Paisley! I figured we'd have a nice ride for a dozen or so. But 100's came. Haha! Awesome!"
|
[
"How many people gathered in Paisley High Street to ride with Armstrong ?",
"Who brought a Scottish town center to a standstill on Tuesday?",
"Where did he announce that he wanted people to join him on ride?",
"A group of 200 people gathered where?",
"What day did Lance Armstrong brought a Scottish town center to a standstill ?",
"The American announced on Twitter that he what?",
"Lance Armstrong brought a Scottish town what?",
"What size was the group?"
] |
[
[
"200"
],
[
"Lance Armstrong"
],
[
"Paisley, Scotland,"
],
[
"Paisley, Scotland,"
],
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"\"Hey Glasgow, Scotland!! I'm coming your way. Who wants to go for a bike ride with me??\""
],
[
"center to a standstill"
],
[
"200 people"
]
] |
Lance Armstrong brought a Scottish town center to a standstill on Tuesday .
The American announced on Twitter that he wanted people to join him on ride .
A group of 200 people gathered in Paisley High Street to ride with Armstrong .
|
(CNN) -- Several of Michael Jackson's comeback concerts in London have been postponed until next year because producers can't be ready in time for the July debut, according to a "Dear Customer" e-mail sent to ticket holders Wednesday. Michael Jackson gestures to the crowd at the March announcement of his series of London concerts. The delay comes days after the concert promoter said Jackson was in good health, contrary to media reports he was diagnosed with skin cancer. Jackson's "This Is It" shows were to begin July 8 at London's 20,000-capacity O2 Arena. "It was not an easy decision to change the schedule but in the end we wanted to ensure that all of Michael's fans attending the concerts get the same quality in staging and level of entertainment," said the Ticketmaster e-mail sent to someone who bought tickets for the third show. "In order to deliver a phenomenal and unprecedented show -- the first show on the 8th July will take place on 13th July 2009," according AEG Live, the promoter of the London concerts. "The subsequent shows on 10th July will be moved to 1st March 2010, 12th July will be moved to 3rd March 2010, and the show on the 14th July will be moved to 6th March 2010." The delay is "due to the sheer magnitude" of the concerts, AEG said. The decision "to move back a few of the opening shows" was needed "in order to meet the challenges presented by such a massive and technically complex show," it said. Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, last week denied reports that Jackson had skin cancer. "He's as healthy as he can be -- no health problems whatsoever," the executive told CNN on Saturday. "Michael, who is directly involved with all aspects of the styling/choreography/band selection and rehearsals, is working around the clock to ensure this is the show to end all shows!" AEG said in it's delay announcement. Jackson held open auditions for dancers last month at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California. Promoters released a video this week showing that process and ending with a clip of the 12 dancers who were chosen meeting Jackson in an undisclosed gym in the Los Angeles area, where he has been preparing for the shows. Ticketmaster, in its e-mail, assured the ticket holders they would "have the same seat originally purchased." "You do not have to do anything as you will be automatically allocated the same seats and moved to the revised date," it said.
|
[
"where are the shows taking palce",
"When were the shows scheduled to start?",
"Several shows were postponed to which year because of because of \"sheer magnitude\"?",
"Several shows have been postponed until when?",
"what are the rumors",
"What was Michael Jackson scheduled to perform?"
] |
[
[
"London"
],
[
"10th July"
],
[
"2010,"
],
[
"next year"
],
[
"diagnosed with skin cancer."
],
[
"comeback concerts in London"
]
] |
Michael Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 shows starting July 8 .
Several shows being postponed until 2010 because of "sheer magnitude"
Jackson health said to be fine, despite UK rumors .
|
(CNN) -- Several thousand barrels of North Slope crude oil spilled into a containment area along the Alaska pipeline Tuesday when an open valve at a pump station allowed oil to overflow a tank, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company said.
Alyeska said the incident took place about 10:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. ET) during a planned pipeline shutdown while the company was conducting fire command and valve leak testing at the pump station.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said a battery failed to control the valve when power was switched from the main grid during Alyeska's tests. The valve has been closed, shutting off the flow, the department said, but the pipeline remains shut down.
The department said the next steps would be to clean up the oil in the containment area, determine the cause of the problem and restart oil flowing in the pipeline. No oil has been reported outside the containment area.
Mark MacIntyre, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency in Seattle, Washington, said two EPA coordinators would arrive on the scene from Anchorage on Wednesday and have a report in the afternoon.
The pump station is near Delta Junction, about 100 miles south of Fairbanks. Ayleska said the lined containment area that took the spill has a capacity of about 104,500 barrels.
Ayleska also said there were no injuries and the pump station was evacuated. An incident management team and other responders were dispatched.
CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
|
[
"What flow has been stopped?",
"Has the source of the flow been stopped?",
"Where did the spill remain?",
"What company owns the pipeline tank?",
"How many barrels of oil overflowed the pipeline tank?",
"In what state did the oil spill take place?",
"How much oil overflowed?"
] |
[
[
"crude oil"
],
[
"The valve"
],
[
"Alaska"
],
[
"Alyeska"
],
[
"thousand"
],
[
"Alaska"
],
[
"thousand barrels"
]
] |
Several thousand barrels of oil overflow Alaska pipeline tank .
Source flow has been stopped but pipeline still shut down .
Spill remained in designated containment area .
|
(CNN) -- Several weeks ago, President Obama announced that $8 billion in government-loan guarantees would be made available to Southern Co. to begin construction of two nuclear reactors in Georgia.
If built, it would be the first nuclear power plant constructed in the United States in almost 30 years. More importantly, this would be the first of what is expected to be many such projects initiated in coming years.
I am a big believer in the necessity for energy independence. I accept that we will all have to make some compromises in achieving that goal. I am willing to consider that nuclear power may have to be one piece of the plan we put together for how to break ourselves free from our dependence on foreign oil.
I would submit, however, that before we start building reactors we need to address another urgent matter. We need to make current reactors secure.
Roughly 18 months ago I started work on a project that ultimately lead to the writing of my recently published book, "Willful Neglect," on homeland security in the United States.
I examined security at a wide range of potential targets inside the United States, including chemical plants, liquefied natural gas facilities, biological research laboratories and nuclear power plants.
This was not a theoretical study. I did my homework up front, but after that, I went out on the street and I did what my 20 years in the CIA had trained me to do. I looked at all these targets in the same way as an adversary would. What I found was deeply disturbing. Eight years after 9/11, we had done little or nothing to enhance security in most areas.
Nuclear power plants were no exception.
Security at nuclear power plants is in the hands of private security companies hired to protect the facilities by the power companies that own them.
Before 9/11, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission mandated that there would be five to 10 private security guards on duty at each site per shift. After 9/11 that number was increased. On average, there are now a total of 20 such security personnel on duty at any one time to guard a nuclear power plant. That is 20 individuals to secure the entire perimeter and interior of what may be a vast facility.
These guards are grossly underpaid. In many cases, they make less than the janitors at the facilities in question. They train with their weapons no more than two to three times a year. Some of them are prior military and have combat experience.
Many others are hired off the street and given less than a week's worth of training before they begin to stand post. Much of that week of training is consumed with administrative matters, which have nothing to do with learning how to repel a terrorist attack.
Morale among the guards at nuclear power plants is chronically low. I was told by many individuals during my research that it was common to hear discussions among guards about where they would hide if there were an attack.
These guard forces are typically trained to respond to a limited number of scenarios. These scenarios are always designed around attacks by very small numbers and are artificially constrained so as to not allow these attackers to use many weapons, such as rocket launchers and machine guns, commonly in use by terrorist groups today. Even so, the guard forces are defeated at least half the time.
These deficiencies have been pointed out for years by any number of watchdog organizations. Likewise, detailed recommendations have been put forth regarding how to improve the situation and increase the size and ability of power plant guard forces.
These include requiring them to demonstrate the capacity to repel attacks by teams of terrorists using the weapons and tactics commonly in use around the world today. These have been largely ignored.
An interest in nuclear power plants by al Qaeda or another terrorist group is not theoretical. Among the targets considered for the 9/11 attacks were nuclear power plants.
Yemeni security forces recently captured a suspected member of al Qaeda, a New Jersey native named Sharif Mobley. Between 2002 and 2008, he worked at several U.S. nuclear power plants. It does not take a counterterrorism
|
[
"What expansion is Obama administration backing?"
] |
[
[
"construction of two nuclear reactors in Georgia."
]
] |
Obama administration is backing expansion of nuclear power .
Charles Faddis says U.S. should first make existing plants secure .
He says security forces aren't well-trained or numerous enough to counter threats .
Faddis: A terrorist attack at a nuclear plant could have dire consequences .
|
(CNN) -- Severe storms hammered North Carolina on Sunday evening, but no fatalities had been reported as of Monday morning, and injuries were minor, officials said.
Residents reported as many as eight tornadoes touching down -- overturning mobile homes, ripping out trees and plunging neighborhoods into darkness.
Survey crews were meeting with local officials throughout the state to get a clearer picture of the storm damage, said Ernie Seneca, spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.
There were reports of damaged houses and downed trees, but injuries were limited, he said.
"It looks like people heeded the warning to seek shelter when the storm came," he said.
"It really did sound like a train. It was pure noise," said William Schlaeppi, who lives on a farm in High Point, North Carolina, where the National Weather Service reported damage to at least 20 homes. "I literally watched my fields disappear in front of me under a wall of water -- circular, spinning water."
A broad band of severe thunderstorms Sunday brought heavy rain and hail, and prompted tornado warnings from Florida to Virginia, the weather service said.
A tornado touched down in Oakland Park, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale, between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Monday, said Tyrone Mosley, a weather service specialist. There was debris but no immediate report of injuries, he said.
In North Carolina, at least eight unconfirmed tornadoes were spotted along the Interstate 85 corridor between Charlotte and Greensboro on Sunday evening.
Metal roofing was ripped off an industrial building in Belmont, west of Charlotte, littering nearby trees with clumps of yellow insulation.
News14: Spencer residents survey damage after storm
Multiple mobile homes were overturned in Linwood, outside of Lexington, and at least three people were reported injured.
And what looked like a huge funnel cloud loomed over High Point, near Greensboro.
"It's been a very active evening for most of central North Carolina," said Julia Jarema, spokeswoman for the state's Division of Emergency Management.
The storms caused power outages throughout the state, but because of the multiple bands of storms, "things are changing so rapidly, we haven't been able to confirm numbers," Jarema said Sunday night.
Is severe weather happening near you? Send photos, video
Local law enforcement reported another tornado north of Greensboro, the weather service said.
The storm also produced 70-mph winds and hail as large as baseballs.
Late Sunday, High Point emergency management officials were going house to house to check for injuries.
Schlaeppi said he spent much of the night in his darkened house, going out with his neighbors to clear downed trees whenever the rain let up.
CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras contributed to this report.
|
[
"What was spotted in North Carolina?",
"What was ripped off a building in Charlotte?",
"What touched down on Monday?",
"Who ripped off building west of Charlotte?",
"Where did the tornado touch down?",
"What touched down monday morning in Oakland Park?",
"Homes damaged outside which town?"
] |
[
[
"eight tornadoes touching down"
],
[
"Metal roofing"
],
[
"eight tornadoes"
],
[
"tornadoes"
],
[
"Oakland Park, Florida,"
],
[
"tornado"
],
[
"Lexington,"
]
] |
NEW: No fatalities reported, injuries were minor after severe weather Sunday .
Tornado touched down Monday morning in Oakland Park, Florida; no injuries reported .
Eight unconfirmed tornadoes spotted along North Carolina's Interstate 85 corridor .
Roofing ripped off building west of Charlotte; 3 hurt, homes damaged outside Lexington .
|
(CNN) -- Severe turbulence shook a Continental Airlines flight Monday, injuring dozens of passengers and forcing the aircraft to divert to Miami, Florida, according to the airline and a fire official. Oxygen masks hang from a damaged part of the plane Monday, in a photo by passenger Camila Machado. There were 168 passengers and 11 crew members on Flight 128, which was heading from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Houston, Texas, according to a statement from Continental Airlines. "I've never seen turbulence like that, so I really thought we wouldn't make it," passenger Giovani Loss told CNN affiliate WSVN-TV. Loss, who is originally from Brazil, said he is a lawyer in the United States and frequently travels between the two countries. He said passengers were afraid the turbulence may have been the result of mechanical problems with the plane. "People [were] screaming, then there was a huge silence for like 30 minutes," Loss said. Ambulances and other vehicles were lined up on the runway to treat and transport the injured passengers when the plane landed at Miami International Airport at 5:35 a.m. Watch passengers describe what happened » "People that weren't seat belted in flew up and hit the ceilings," passenger John Norwood told WSVN. "So their faces, their heads hit the plastics and broke all the plastics up top." Continental said seven passengers were transported to nearby hospitals, and approximately 28 other passengers were treated at the scene. Lt. Elkin Sierra of the Miami-Dade Fire Department said 26 passengers were injured, including four seriously. The Boeing 767-200 hit turbulence about 50 miles north of the Dominican Republic at about 38,000 feet, according to an official with the Federal Aviation Administration. It landed in Miami an hour later with its seat belt signs illuminated, the airline said. Many of the passengers said they did not hear any warning before the turbulence hit. Injuries received included bumps, bruises, neck pain and back pain, Sierra said. Passengers said they saw several people bleeding from their heads, including one woman who sustained a serious gash to her head. The flight is scheduled to depart Miami for Houston later in the morning, according to Continental's Web site. It had been scheduled to arrive in Houston at 6 a.m. local time.
|
[
"What did the airliner hit?",
"Where was Jet en route from?",
"Where was the jet en route to?",
"Where was the airliner forced to divert to?",
"In which state is Miami?",
"What caused the plane to divert?",
"How many people were seriously hurt?",
"Where was the plane forced to divert to?"
] |
[
[
"turbulence"
],
[
"Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,"
],
[
"Houston, Texas,"
],
[
"Miami, Florida,"
],
[
"Florida,"
],
[
"Severe"
],
[
"injured, including four"
],
[
"Miami, Florida,"
]
] |
Airliner hits turbulence, is forced to divert to Miami, Florida .
At least 26 people hurt, four of them seriously .
Jet had been en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Houston, Texas .
|
(CNN) -- Sevilla have sacked coach Manolo Jimenez after their disappointing home draw to bottom-club Xerez on Tuesday extended the club's winless run to seven games.
Despite lying fifth in the Spanish Primera Liga table, Sevilla were knocked out of the lucrative European Champions League by Russian side CSKA Moscow last week.
Jimenez had also secured a Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid but it wasn't enough to save the 46-year-old's job.
The club's sporting director Ramon Rodriguez admitted the decision had been difficult but said he had "done what I had to."
He told the club's official Web site: "It was an unavoidable situation and we had to find a solution, and the pain that it brings.
"Tuesday was the end of the story but the decision comes from the image and dynamics of the team. Without doubt we are grateful to Manolo. He is an excellent professional, he has made all this possible and impossible. However it is obvious that he could not get a response out of the team.
"Fortunately we believe that there is time. The growth and the ambition of the club is shown in the change of the manager. We are fighting for important things."
Xerez's injury-time equaliser on Tuesday meant Sevilla's last league success was against Real Mallorca back in February.
Ironically, it is Mallorca who occupy the much-coveted fourth spot in the table that guarantees Champions League football next season.
Jimenez took charge in October 2007 when former coach Juande Ramos left to take over at English Premier League team Tottenham.
In that season he led Sevilla to a fifth-place finish, while in 2009 they came third in the league behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Rodriguez said a new manager would be in place for Sunday's game with Villarreal. "The matter will be resolved as soon as possible and he [the new manager] will be sitting on the bench for Sundays match," he added.
|
[
"How long is the losing run?",
"Who do they play on Sunday?",
"Who is the sporting director?",
"Who has been sacked?",
"who play Villarreal on Sunday?",
"When was the draw with Xerez?"
] |
[
[
"seven games."
],
[
"Villarreal."
],
[
"Ramon Rodriguez"
],
[
"Manolo Jimenez"
],
[
"Sevilla"
],
[
"Tuesday"
]
] |
Sevilla sack coach Manolo Jimenez .
The club's winless run extended to seven games after Tuesday's draw with Xerez .
The club's sporting director Ramon Rodriguez says no replacement has been lined up .
Sevilla play Villarreal on Sunday .
|
(CNN) -- Seydou Keita wrecked any chance of a Bayern Munich comeback in their Champions League quarterfinal return with a second half equaliser as Barcelona drew 1-1 for an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win.
Bayern scorer Franck Ribery embraces Barcelona's Lionel Messi after Bayern's European exit.
Primera Liga leaders Barcelona arrived in Germany with a comfortable first leg cushion and will now host Chelsea in their semifinal first leg at the Nou Camp on April 28.
No side in the tournament's history had overturned a four goal deficit and Bayern were always up against it.
"We were much better in the personal duels, things were a bit more normal, and we played the way you need to against such a good team," said Germany defender Philipp Lahm. "But unfortunately we have still lost the tie."
And Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer -- who was scathing after the first-leg debacle -- said the Germans had gone some way to redemption.
"I think the team has rehabilitated itself, although Barcelona's equalising goal was needlessly conceded", said Beckenbauer.
After going close in the first-half, Franck Ribery finally unpicked the Barcelona defense on 47 minutes before Keita equalised for the Spanish with less than 20 minutes left.
No Spanish side has ever won the treble of league, Kings Cup and Champions League, but Barcelona are on course to take all three titles as coach Josep Guardiola hopes to lead the Spaniards to a third European title after 1992 and 2006.
France striker Thierry Henry succumbed to a high temperature for Barca, while Bayern's Germany strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose were ruled out with calf and ankle injuries respectively.
That left Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni as the lone forward with Ribery playing just behind him.
Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann was booed by his own fans before kick-off, but this result on the back of the weekend's 4-0 win over Frankfurt in the German league will have taken some of the pressure off the ex-Germany coach.
|
[
"What was the score?",
"where is the match",
"who faces chelsea"
] |
[
[
"1-1 for an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win."
],
[
"Germany"
],
[
"Barcelona"
]
] |
Seydou Keita wrecks Bayern Munich comeback bid as Barcelona progress .
Barcelona led Champions League tie 4-0 from first leg and won 5-1 on agg .
Spanish giants now face Chelsea at Nou Camp in semifinal first leg clash .
|
(CNN) -- Shahid Afridi claimed six victims to pave the way for Pakistan to claim victory by four wickets in their opening one-day international against Australia in Dubai.
Career-best figures from Shahid Afridi helped steer Pakistan to victory in the first one-dayer against Australia.
The all-rounder secured career-best figures of six for 38 as Australia could only manage a paltry 168 in an innings that lasted just 38.5 overs.
The world champions again lost their way in the middle overs, losing eight for 27 at one stage as they wilted against Afridi's spin.
It could have been worse for the Australians who relied on a last-wicket stand of 46 runs between James Hopes (48 not out) and Ben Hilfenhaus (four) to give their score some respectability.
Pakistan's reply always looked on track with Kamran Akmal hitting 48 at the top of the order before Misbah-ul-Haq anchored the innings with an unbeaten 30 from 68 balls.
A near-capacity crowd filled the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium as the venue hosted international cricket for the first time.
The postponed series, which was originally due to be played last year, had been moved from Pakistan to neutral turf because of security concerns.
Meanwhile, a superb half-century from Adam Gilchrist set Deccan Chargers on their way to a 24-run win over Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League in Cape Town.
The Australian smashed a quickfire 71 and Rohit Sharma contributed 52 as Deccan reached 184 for six from their 20 overs.
Bangalore's reply never really got going with captain Kevin Pietersen managing just 11 before he fell to a teasing delivery from Pragyan Ojha and a smart stumping from Gilchrist.
Rahul Dravid gave them hope with a thumping 48 before holing out, and Virat Kohli posted 50, but with precious little support from their team-mates their efforts proved in vain.
|
[
"What is the IPL?",
"Who helped Deccan Chargers",
"How many victims",
"Who helped them win the match?",
"What margin did they win by?",
"Who claimed six victims?",
"Beat Australia at what?"
] |
[
[
"Indian Premier League"
],
[
"Adam Gilchrist"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"Career-best figures from Shahid Afridi"
],
[
"four wickets"
],
[
"Afridi"
],
[
"cricket"
]
] |
Shahid Afridi claims six victims to pave the way for Pakistan to beat Australia .
Pakistan reach required target to win first one-dayer in Dubai by four wickets .
Adam Gilchrist half-century helps Deccan Chargers beat Bangalore in the IPL .
|
(CNN) -- Shaquille O'Neal filed a motion Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit in which a former worker accuses the NBA star of hacking into his personal accounts and attempting to frame him for using child porn.
Shawn Darling, who was O'Neal's personal computer consultant from 2008 to 2009, said the NBA center acted in retaliation because Darling had proof that O'Neal cheated on his wife with several women.
But O'Neal's lawyer claims in the motion that Darling illegally obtained the supposedly incriminating e-mails, text messages and voice mails to support his "baseless" lawsuit in an effort to "extort" O'Neal and sully his name.
"Darling reveals his true intent and methodology in using the stolen material," O'Neal's Miami-based lawyer, Benjamine Reid, writes in the motion.
"The Complaint's rambling, unsupported allegations, through which Darling alleges that he possesses substantial knowledge that would harm the Defendant both in a separate and unrelated lawsuit, as well as in the public eye at large, render Darling's nefarious motive clear."
The 13-page response, filed Thursday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, also argues that Darling's claims of privacy invasion, racketeering and intentional infliction of emotional distress are unsupported by any legal theory.
"Even if everything he was saying were true, we believe there is no basis in the law to bring the case," Reid told CNN Thursday. "But in this case, none of it's true."
The salacious 15-page complaint describes O'Neal's alleged dealings with three women and his ex-wife, whom he was divorcing at the time. Darling claims he was drawn into O'Neal's tangled affairs as a computer consultant, eventually acquiring enough information to make him a liability that O'Neal then sought to have arrested, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in August and reported Wednesday for the first time on RadarOnline.com.
Reid said the lawsuit came about after O'Neal refused to pay Darling $12 million in return for copies of physical and electronic files that Darling, a convicted felon, stole from O'Neal while he was working for him.
Darling's lawyer, however, said the e-mails, texts and pictures in his possession came from accounts in Darling's name that O'Neal asked him to set up for him to use to contact his various mistresses.
When O'Neal realized the damning nature of the evidence Darling had, he began working with associates and contacts in law enforcement to have Darling arrested for possessing child porn on his computer, Darling's attorney, Menachem Mayberg said.
Darling filed the lawsuit out of a real fear that O'Neal would act on his alleged plans, the lawyer said.
"I don't need anyone to take my client's word for it. I have the evidence: Text messages from Shaq, e-mails complaining about how my client is going to ruin him, " Mayberg said Wednesday. "Anyone who says the evidence is not there, he'll eat those words."
O'Neal, who this summer signed with the Boston Celtics, employed Darling while O'Neal lived primarily in Miami. During that time, Darling performed various odd jobs that gave him access to O'Neal's e-mail and cell phone accounts, the complaint states.
Darling's lawyer claims he was hired as an independent contractor for the specific purpose of helping him retrace all the e-mails and texts he'd sent to Alexis Miller, a woman who claimed to have a relationship with O'Neal, and who'd accused him of harassment.
"In the end, my client couldn't get AOL to give him all the information from [O'Neal's] account without getting lawyers involved," Mayberg said. "After that, Shaq used my client and his personal property to send text messages and e-mails to contact his mistresses."
The lawsuit contains allegations that O'Neal used law enforcement contacts to obtain information about Alexis Miller, and that he hacked into a phone belonging to Vanessa Lopez, erasing messages and changing her password.
The lawsuit also accuses O'Neal and an associate of throwing his computer into a lake after Darling performed a " 'Defense Department' type
|
[
"What did Shaquille O'Neal file a motion to dismiss?",
"Who is Shaquille O'neal trying to have arrested?",
"What do lawyers claim Darling did?",
"What did O'Neal file to do?",
"What does Darling claim O'Neal tried to do?",
"What motion did Shaquille O'neal file"
] |
[
[
"a lawsuit"
],
[
"Shawn Darling,"
],
[
"illegally obtained the supposedly incriminating e-mails, text messages and voice mails to support his \"baseless\" lawsuit in an effort to \"extort\" O'Neal and sully his name."
],
[
"to dismiss a lawsuit"
],
[
"hacking into his personal accounts and attempting to frame him for using child porn."
],
[
"to dismiss a lawsuit in which a former worker accuses"
]
] |
NEW: Shaquille O'Neal files motion to dismiss privacy invasion lawsuit .
Former computer consultant says he has proof of O'Neal's affairs .
Shawn Darling says the NBA star tried to have him arrested, stole his personal data .
Lawyer says Darling copied O'Neal's e-mails, demanded money in exchange for them .
|
(CNN) -- Shares of scandal-plagued Olympus rallied after three board members of the Japanese camera maker quit ahead of today's meeting with a company ex-CEO turned whistleblower.
Shares soared as much as 25% in early trade Friday after former Chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, former executive Vice President Hisashi Mori and Auditor Hideo Yamada quit. The company claims the trio helped fake payments for merger transactions to cover $1.4 billion in losses.
The resignations are the latest in a series of incidents in a scandal that began on October 14 with the firing of Michael Woodford as chief executive, who subsequently went public with allegations the Olympus management team and board had covered up hundreds of millions of losses in bad investments dating back to the 1990s.
A subsequent probe that looked into the shady M&A transactions, including whether there was Japanese mob involvement, have pummeled shares of the camera and medical equipment maker. The share value has dropped more than 80% in the past six weeks. The company faces the threat of de-listing from the Tokyo Stock Exchange for inaccurate financial statements.
Woodford was back in Tokyo on Thursday, where he met with Japanese prosecutors. This morning he met with the Olympus board that fired him last month. Woodford said the board meeting was "constructive."
Woodford claims he was fired because he asked about the $1.4 billion in questionable transaction fees.
"In Japanese life, it's wonderful to be harmonious on the personal level with your friends and family, but in a corporation you need agitation, you need challenge, you need questioning," Woodford told reporters Thursday. "And if that's not good for Japan, then I'm very sad."
The murky merger and acquisition fees includes a $687 million transaction fee that represented about one-third of the cost of the acquisition, which would make it the largest percentage transaction fee in global merger and acquisition history.
Earlier this week, a third party probe said it found no evidence that funds flowed from Olympus into organized crime, responding to a New York Times report that investigators are looking into whether missing cash went into companies linked with Japanese yakuza, or mobs.
There is speculation that Woodford, who remains a director on the Olympus board, will be asked back as CEO. Woodford has said he would like to return to the company.
If Woodford returns "he would have a big target on his back ... but right now we don't see any viable alternative," Ben Collett, head of Japan Equities for Louis Capital Markets, told CNN. "So I think it's about an 80% certainty that he will (return). But his ability to change the business from inside now I think is going to be somewhat comprised by that fact that: A) he is a foreigner, and B) he's the person who basically brought down the established management."
The company must provide revised financial information to the Tokyo Stock Exchange by December 14 or risk being de-listed.
The company's stock listing plummeted form 2,282 yen on October 13 down to a low of 460 yen on November 11. The stock has see-sawed since then but was trading at 1,230 yen early Friday morning.
CNN's Ramy Inocencio and Junko Ogura contributed to this report
|
[
"What is the amount claimed?",
"Who met with japanese police?",
"What amount of money did the company lose",
"who did ousted CEO meet with?",
"What chairman decided to quit",
"how many board members quit?"
] |
[
[
"$1.4 billion"
],
[
"Woodford"
],
[
"$1.4 billion"
],
[
"Japanese prosecutors."
],
[
"Tsuyoshi Kikukawa,"
],
[
"three"
]
] |
Shares of scandal-plagued Olympus rallied after three board members quit .
Chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, Vice President Hisashi Mori and Auditor Hideo Yamada quit .
Ousted CEO turned whistleblower Michael Woodford met with Japanese police .
Investigation centers on $1.4 billion in losses the company claimed as transaction fees .
|
(CNN) -- Shark attacks on humans were at the lowest levels in half a decade last year, and a Florida researcher says hard economic times may be to blame. Fewer people in the water means less chance for sharks to attack, ichthyologist George Burgess says. Sharks attacked 59 people in 2008, the lowest number of attacks since 57 in 2003, according to George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File, part of the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. There were 71 attacks in 2007. "One can't help but think that the downturn in the economy played a part in it," Burgess said. Fewer people, especially outside of the United States, have the resources to go to the beach, he said. "To have a shark attack, you have to have humans and sharks in the water at the same time," Burgess said. "If you have a reduction in the number of people in the water, you're going to have a reduction in the opportunities for people and sharks to get together." "We noticed similar declines during the recession that followed the events of 2001, despite the fact that human populations continued to rise," the ichthyologist said. Sharks killed four people in 2008, Burgess said: one in California, one in Australia and two in Mexico. Forty-one of the 59 attacks worldwide came in the United States, and 32 of those occurred in Florida. Surfers accounted for 57 percent of shark attacks, swimmers and waders were the targets in 36 percent of the attacks, and divers the rest, he said. Burgess said the U.S. tends to see more attacks because of a large number of surfers, who are a favorite target of sharks. And neither the economy nor the attacks tend to keep American surfers from practicing their sport. "All they have to do is drive to the beach with the board and get into the water, and the rest is free," he said. And while an attack may make them a bit more wary, he said, "I've yet to find a surfer who says he or she won't go back into the water after a bite or a nip." When the economy improves, shark attack numbers are likely to go up again, according to Burgess, predicting the number of attacks in the next decade will surpass those of the past 10 years. "We're putting so many people in the water that humans are dictating the shark attack situation," he said.
|
[
"How many people were killed?",
"What attacked the people?",
"How many people were attacked?",
"What percentage of shark attack victims were surfers?",
"How many were killed?",
"What number of people were attacked in 2008 by sharks?",
"How many people were killed by sharks last year?",
"What did sharks do?"
] |
[
[
"four"
],
[
"Sharks"
],
[
"59 attacks worldwide"
],
[
"57 percent"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"59"
],
[
"59"
],
[
"attacked 59 people in 2008,"
]
] |
Sharks attacked 59 people worldwide in 2008, Florida researcher reports .
Four people killed by sharks last year .
Economic downturn means fewer people hitting beaches, researcher says .
Surfers account for 57 percent of shark attacks .
|
(CNN) -- Sharp-witted. Direct. In control. Loyal. Jenny Sanford, here with her husband, was a Wall Street executive before she married Mark Sanford. That's how friends describe Jenny Sanford, the wife of Gov. Mark Sanford, who confessed to the nation in a rambling news conference that he was having an affair with a woman in Argentina. Jenny Sanford, unlike so many wives of cheating politicians, was not there facing the cameras, standing beside her husband. A reporter asked the governor if he and his wife of 20 years were separated. "I'm here, and she's there," he replied. As romantic e-mails between her husband and his mistress were published by a local newspaper Thursday, the state's first lady, a former Wall Street executive, stayed far away from reporters. She was at the family's home on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina with her four sons and a few friends. "Don't you know that is what Jenny Sanford is about? That is what is authentic about Jenny Sanford. She is not going to humiliate herself by standing next to a story," said Cyndi Mosteller, a friend of the Sanfords since 1992 and the former first vice chairwoman of the South Carolina GOP. "She will stand next to Mark emotionally, but she cannot stand in the glare of others," Mosteller continued. "She is out there taking a dignified road, one that is defined by principle, even if her heart might have difficulty following that principle. But her overriding priority is to protect her children." Jenny Sanford released a lengthy statement late Wednesday making clear she had learned of her husband's infidelity before his recent secret trip to Buenos Aires. His whereabouts were a mystery for six days, leaving his family in the dark and creating a power vacuum and considerable confusion in the Capitol, with aides telling reporters he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. "When I found out about my husband's infidelity I worked immediately to first seek reconciliation through forgiveness, and then to work diligently to repair our marriage," she wrote. "We reached a point where I felt it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity, self-respect, and my basic sense of right and wrong. I therefore asked my husband to leave two weeks ago. "This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage. During this short separation it was agreed that Mark would not contact us. I kept this separation quiet out of respect of his public office and reputation, and in hopes of keeping our children from just this type of public exposure." Mosteller's brother-in-law was with Jenny Sanford on Thursday as the e-mails penned to "Maria" became public. The messages from Mark Sanfordcompliment the woman on her "tan lines" and "gentle kisses." The e-mails were published by The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina's capital, which said the governor's office confirmed they are authentic. When contacted by CNN, the governor's office would neither confirm nor deny their authenticity. "[The e-mails] are almost like reading a novel that you would embarrassed to buy," Mosteller said. "To be one of his four children and know that is there for the world to see, it is incredible to all of us." Jenny Sanford grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, and earned a degree in finance from Georgetown University. She met Mark Sanford when they worked for investment firms in New York, she at Lazard Freres and he at Goldman Sachs. The two married and moved to his native South Carolina, and she managed his campaign for Congress in 1994. "Mark started out with five other opponents, and he didn't really have a shot. That was the opinion of most people," Mosteller said. "But she and Mark worked together and turned that thing around so that candidate three, four and five ended up throwing their support behind him, and he won.
|
[
"Who ran his political campaigns?",
"who is Jenny Sanford?",
"What is he avoiding?",
"Who is avoiding media?",
"What was called \"novel that you would be embarrassed to buy\"?",
"What were the e-mails called?"
] |
[
[
"Jenny Sanford"
],
[
"the wife of Gov. Mark"
],
[
"public exposure.\""
],
[
"Jenny Sanford,"
],
[
"\"[The e-mails]"
],
[
"romantic"
]
] |
Friend: Jenny Sanford, former Wall Street executive, is avoiding media .
Gov. Mark Sanford's wife ran his political campaigns, was major force in his career .
Governor's e-mails called "novel that you would be embarrassed to buy"
|
(CNN) -- She added smart to sexy as a Bond girl opposite Pierce Brosnan's 007, and proved her dramatic and action credentials in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon," but for actress Michelle Yeoh, life and acting are both all about balance. Michelle Yeoh: "There are reasons why you do movies. It's for the love of it." "I think it's very boring for my audience, just to see me in the regular roles. I love my action films. And I think right now, I have a nice balance," she told CNN's Talk Asia. Poise and balance are something that Yeoh is naturally blessed with. Her childhood dream of becoming a professional ballerina was dashed when she sustained an injury while training at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. However, she continued to study completing a degree in dance and a minor in drama, before serving as Miss Malaysia at the age of 21, which was more of an ambassadorial role for the country's tourism industry than bikini modeling. Making her film debut in an action movie in 1984, she made further appearances in Hong Kong action films doing her own stunts, until she married millionaire Hong Kong businessman Dickson Poon in 1988 and put her career on hold. On giving up acting for the sake of her married life she said: "At that time, it's very difficult to try and juggle a normal life, be where your husband is, try to start a family life, and filming months on end in another country. So I weighed my options. I am a person that believes, you have to give your all. There's no half measure in doing things. You do it well or at least you've got to give it your best shot." The couple divorced three years later and Yeoh resumed her film career in 1992 in the Jackie Chan smash-hit "Police Story 3." While she continued to use her athleticism in her roles and do her own stunts, in the pursuit of playing good characters and that all-important balance, she credits the directors she has chosen to work with. "I look at the scripts and you can understand where the story is going ... but it's a director with a vision that brings it to life," she said. "There are reasons why you do movies. It's for the love of it or you're thinking of your paycheck. And you have to find your own balance." When it came to doing "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Ang Lee was the essential ingredient. "I did it really because I adore Ang Lee. That's a true film maker, where they move you, they bring you to places where you can't imagine but want to be." But being an all-or-nothing person has taken its toll when it has come to the stunts she has performed. Yeoh tore her anterior cruciate ligament after the first sequence she performed for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which meant that only the dramatic scenes in the film could be shot until she had recovered. Yeoh has turned her attention to producing as well as acting and found it a challenging experience. "As an actor you would be judged on how your performance is and so that's where your focus is. It's a very selfish environment and that sense, because as you know, you can't make excuses afterwards. But as a producer, you have to make sure everyone is well protected and everyone is safe. And if anything goes wrong, it's all on your shoulders," she told CNN. The films she produced, 2002's "The Touch" and "Sliver Hawk" from 2004 were panned by critics, but she makes no excuses: "That's the nature of the business. You should never take these things personally when it works or doesn't work." And when it comes to passing on what she's learned to young Asian actors, her advice is typically practical. "For any Asian face,
|
[
"What sort of films is she involved in?",
"What films has the person been involved in?",
"What profession did the dancer turn to after injury?",
"What is she most famous for?",
"What made the dancer decide to turn to acting?",
"Is the dancer a professional?"
] |
[
[
"dramatic"
],
[
"\"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,\""
],
[
"acting"
],
[
"\"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,\""
],
[
"she sustained an injury while training at the Royal Academy of Dance in London."
],
[
"ballerina was dashed when she sustained an injury while training"
]
] |
Trained dancer turned to acting after injury at college .
Performs her own stunts and has pioneered stronger female roles in Asian films .
International recognition came as a Bond girl and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
|
(CNN) -- She had many plans for the future: to go to college, start a career, meet the man of her dreams, raise a family -- when the time was right. Expert: "There's a big disconnect between pregnancy rates and what Latina families want and value." It was all cut off by an unexpected pregnancy. The baby became her life, consuming her energy and forcing her dreams to the back burner of her life. She is 19 or younger and Latina, and has had her first baby. It's not what she wanted. Nor did her parents, who are the greatest influence on her decisions about sex, according to a wide-ranging survey released Tuesday by experts on the Hispanic community in the United States. The survey also found that 84 percent of Latino teens and 91 percent of Latino parents believe that graduating from college or university or having a promising career is the most important goal for a teen's future. Somewhere along the way, the aspirations fail to match up to reality. The survey attempts to examine some of the reasons for the disparity and why Latinas now have the highest teen birth rate among all ethnic and racial groups in the United States. "There's a big disconnect between pregnancy rates and what Latina families want and value," said Ruthie Flores, senior manager of the National Campaign's Latino Initiative. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 53 percent of Latinas get pregnant in their teens, about twice the national average. After a period of decline, the birth rate for U.S. teenagers 15 to 19 years rose in 2007 by about 1 percent, to 42.5 births per 1,000, according to preliminary data in a March 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2007, the birth rate among non-Hispanic whites ages 15 to 19 was 27.2 per 1,000, and 64.3 per 1,000 for non-Hispanic black teens in the same age range. The teen birth rate among Hispanic teens ages 15 to 19 was 81.7 per 1,000. Of the 759 Latino teens surveyed, 49 percent said their parents most influenced their decisions about sex, compared with 14 percent who cited friends. Three percent cited religious leaders, 2 percent teachers and 2 percent the media. Watch more on the survey results » Three-quarters of Latino teens said their parents have talked to them about sex and relationships, but only half said their parents discussed contraception. The survey also found that: • 74 percent of Latino teens believe that parents send one message about sex to their sons and a different message altogether to their daughters, possibly related to the Latino value of machismo. • Latino teens believe that the most common reason teens do not use contraception is that they are afraid their parents might find out. • 72 percent of sexually experienced teens say they wish they had waited. • 34 percent of Latino teens believe that being a teen parent would prevent them from reaching their goals, but 47 percent say being a teen parent would simply delay them from reaching their goals. • 76 percent said it is important to be married before starting a family. Flores said it is crucial to understand the beliefs and attitudes that influence teen behavior in order to reduce the high rates of Hispanic teen pregnancy. The survey, co-sponsored by the Hispanic advocacy group National Council of La Raza, was an attempt to to do just that. She said that despite a rich culture and the growing influence of Hispanics in America, the Latino community disproportionately suffers from troubling social indicators. Consider that fewer than six in 10 Latino adults in the United States have a high school diploma. Latino teens are more likely to drop out than their non-Hispanic counterparts, and of all the children living in poverty, 30 percent are Latino. "Teen pregnancy is not an isolated issue," Flores said. "It's related to poverty, to dropout rates. That's going to have an impact on our national as a whole." Flores said 69
|
[
"What is the main believe of teens in the study?",
"What percentage of Latinas are pregnant by their 20th birthday?",
"What do they think will be the key to their futures?",
"What do they believe their parents give?",
"What percentage of Latina's are pregnant by their 20th birthday?",
"What do they feel are key to their future?",
"How many Latinas are pregnant by their 20th birthday?",
"how many are pregnant?",
"What are the keys to the future?",
"What do the parents do?",
"Which ethnic group are they talking about?",
"who gives conflicting messages?",
"What's the reason so many get pregnant?",
"What was the reason for the survey?"
] |
[
[
"do not use contraception is that they are afraid their parents might find out."
],
[
"53 percent"
],
[
"graduating from college or university"
],
[
"graduating"
],
[
"53 percent"
],
[
"graduating from college or university or having a promising career"
],
[
"53 percent"
],
[
"53 percent"
],
[
"graduating from college or university or having a promising career"
],
[
"have talked to them about sex and relationships,"
],
[
"Hispanic community"
],
[
"parents"
],
[
"teens do not use contraception is that they are afraid their parents might find out."
],
[
"the disparity and why Latinas now have the highest teen birth rate among all ethnic and racial groups in the United States."
]
] |
53 percent of Latinas are pregnant by their 20th birthday, survey finds .
Survey: Most feel that college, career are key to their future .
Most teens in study believe that parents give conflicting messages .
|
(CNN) -- She hit the big time in the 1980's with Eurythmics and found huge success as a solo artist with her 1992 album "Diva", but for singer Annie Lennox, being able to express her passion has always been the motivating factor in whatever she's done. Annie Lennox will continue to SING with her AIDS awareness charity. As a result her musical career has taken a back seat to her political activism and charity work in recent years; most notably with SING her AIDS awareness in Africa charity, as well as working with Amnesty, Save the Children and as a UNICEF ambassador. Yet the 54-year-old maintains that she'll always keep singing as well as working on the other things that she feels passionate about. "I'm a multi-tasker. I have to do a lot of things at once. I love music. And I want to keep making music. I hope that I'll always be a music-maker and I'll always be an activist," she told CNN in Hong Kong. Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, Lennox found enormous success with Eurythmics and the 1983 album "Sweet Dreams" and single of the same name. It catapulted her to international success and stardom, something she had always wanted, but at first found difficult to adjust to. "We were really on a whole kind of roller coaster with [Eurythmics], which on the one hand I was very grateful for, and on the other hand, it sort of sucked out your life, any sort of privacy," she said. "Just the ability to be anonymous which I absolutely really value. I love to just to be mixing with people and not have to be the one person in the room with the spotlight and the heads all turning. So that was a little bit hard to adapt to...I might as well have a neon light for a head." She's sold over 80 million records during a career that has spanned four decades, which she credits to hard graft fueled by an unending passion for music. "The glamour side to it is what we see as the end result. But all the rest of it is hard work and dedication. And it's not easy always, you have to be very focused. And you have to be really, really motivated to do it. You have to have a kind of yearning, a passion for that. "I was never thinking, 'Oh, I'm in this for the long haul.' I just think as I'm still thinking, I want to have a life where I'm able to do the thing that makes me feel alive." Aware of the downsides of a career in music, Lennox also has a greater sense of the perils and pitfall in life, something she has often expressed in her music. "I have encountered individuals and I've encountered things in the industry that were vile. Bad things happen everywhere. And the music industry and all that surrounds it, is no exception.". Having experienced unscrupulous people in the music industry and been through her own personal upheaval through two failed marriages, Lennox remain passionate, energetic and sanguine. Ultimately, she says, "its all part of life's rich tapestry."
|
[
"How many records were sold?",
"Who found success?",
"Who set up a charity?",
"who sing charity?",
"How many records has Annie Lennox sold?",
"how much sold over?",
"What is the name of Lennox's charity?"
] |
[
[
"over 80 million"
],
[
"Annie Lennox,"
],
[
"Annie Lennox"
],
[
"Annie Lennox"
],
[
"over 80 million"
],
[
"80 million records"
],
[
"SING"
]
] |
Sold over 80 million records in career that has spanned four decades .
Found success first with Eurythmics, British band founded with Dave Stewart .
Lennox set up SING charity to combat HIV and AIDS in Africa .
|
(CNN) -- She is only 37 years old, but violinist Midori Goto has already spent 25 years taking center-stage with the world's best orchestras. Midori first hit center-stage when she was just 11-years-old. Born into a musical family in Osaka, Japan, in 1971 -- her mother and brother are both accomplished musicians -- her own prodigious talents were spotted at an early age by Zubin Mehta, the conductor and one-time musical director of the New York Philharmonic. Inviting Midori to play with the New York Philharmonic in 1982, he helped to propel her onto the world stage which has been such a large part of her life ever since. She moved to New York to study at the Juilliard School of performing arts and has lead a life entwined with music. Unlike some prodigiously talented people there is no hint of resentment directed toward her and the life she has led. Nor is there any notion of a stolen childhood, despite her admission that she did harbor dreams of being all sorts of other things, from an archeologist or diplomat to a zookeeper or a nun. "This was my life, I didn't know any other. I took it and I was very happy. Being a child performer opened up opportunities. From a fairly early age I was exposed to different cultures and was traveling round the world. It was a great education," she told CNN. Being given the opportunity to learn more about different people and experience different places was only one part of this education. While Midori has been practicing and honing her own skills, she has also been given the opportunity to give something back. In 1992 she set up Midori & Friends, a non-profit organization that brings musical education to young people in New York City. "I was always interested in education; not just receiving, but also helping others and being part of the community," she said. From Midori & Friends came Music Sharing, a similar organization in Japan, offering programs in public schools and children's hospitals. While continuing to perform across the world with renowned orchestras she took some time out to further her own education with a degree in psychology in 2000 and in 2005 received her Masters in Psychology from New York University. But music is and remains her first love and the way in which it connects people and stirs emotions is something she believes is one of the most powerful aspects of music. The world today might be unrecognizable from the world of Bruckner or Bach, but for Midori the way people feel and respond to music and emotions remains the same. "The very basics of being human hasn't changed. We may express ourselves differently, but the fact we do respond and do feel that is something very basic," she said. And while there are hardships involved in being one of the world's finest violinists, it still remains a pure pleasure. "As musicians we're trained to be self critical so we can get better. But fundamentally we love music. It's a love that drives us to practice and keep working at it. It's something I love so much and gives me so much joy. "With that comes hardships... there's never a state of perfection. You try and you try and you try, but at the end you know you can't be perfect. It's humbling, so that it becomes a motivating force," she told CNN. Continuing her work outside of the concert hall, Midori was made a UN Ambassador for Peace in 2007, a role she relishes. While it presents her additional opportunities to talk about issues close to her heart, it's also a position that nourishes her inquisitive mind and another means to connect with people indirectly through her music. These experiences make the world a little more vivid than it was before. And I'm grateful for that; it's also something that motivates me to continue to do it," she said.
|
[
"Who was a child prodigy?",
"What age did the musician play with the NY Philharmonic?",
"What was the name of the violinist?",
"What education group did the musician establish?",
"When did he play with the NY Philharmonic?"
] |
[
[
"Midori Goto"
],
[
"11-years-old."
],
[
"Midori Goto"
],
[
"Midori & Friends,"
],
[
"in 1982,"
]
] |
Violinist Midori Goto was child prodigy; played with NY Philharmonic at age 11 .
Set up Midori & Friends musicial education group and is a UN Peace Ambassador .
Has an MA in Psychology and travels the world playing with leading orchestras .
|
(CNN) -- She'll never forget the day her 17-year-old son, John, asked her permission to enlist in the U.S. military. "Mom, I owe this to my country." Samantha Schroeder of Chester, Maryland, worries about her 19-year-old son, John, who is deploying to Iraq. Now, at age 19, her son is a Marine preparing to deploy to Iraq. "He doesn't care if you do or don't understand his choice; he isn't concerned with political views, religion or race. His greatest concern is doing the job he is asked to do with skill and pride, protecting those abroad and at home and standing up to the standards he has set for himself," Samantha Schroeder said. iReporters shared an array of stories about how the Iraq war has affected them over the past five years. One man said he met his wife, a fellow service member, while serving in Iraq. Others described the pain of having fathers so far away, especially when new children are born. Some military wives said they often keep their true feelings to themselves, fearing that they would affect their husbands' morale in the field. See photos, hear stories of sacrifice » Below are a selection of responses from iReporters, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Angela Fritz of Fort Hood, Texas "Having [my husband] gone is the worst kind of pain. It is the burden I chose to bear but am not happy to. On the outside, I have to stand strong. I have to support my country and my husband, regardless of what I feel. That is the Army way. I am so proud of him for having the courage to step up and serve his country. On the inside, I am angry and worn thin. Of course, I want my husband home, but it's so much more than that now." Samantha Schroeder of Chester, Maryland "I am the mother of a 19-year-old Marine. He joined while still in his senior year. When he came to me to sign his enlistment papers, I was hesitant. No, I was downright, 'Not in a million years.' He was only 17. How could I give him permission? Just wait, I asked, and think about it some more. He looked at me with a mixture of fear in thinking I might not sign and anger in knowing I didn't understand. And what he said next has stuck in my head through all his training, and now he leaves in a week for Iraq. He told me, 'Mom, I owe this to my country.' ... "Now, as he prepares for Iraq deployment, I am a little better prepared for what the future holds mentally. But to me, he and most of the men who will accompany him are so young. They still seem like boys to me, but I know they are men. Willing to serve their country. I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday, and I also remember the fear that was on that seventh-grader's face when he was bused home early that day and watched the events unfold on the TV. And now he stands as a Marine, willing to sacrifice his everyday freedoms to assure we are safe here at home." Katherine Shigekane of Virginia Beach, Virginia "The Iraq war has changed our lives in many ways. My husband has been serving in the Navy for 16 years, and since March 2003, he has been on four different deployments. Our lives have been affected in many ways. Our wedding plans were changed due to the invasion. He missed most of my first pregnancy. He was able to be home for the birth of our twins but left again when they were a year old and was gone until after their second birthday. He is now gone again. ... As a family I think we have learned to appreciate the time we do spend together." joshM "While serving in Iraq with the United States Marines, I met my wife
|
[
"What caused the husband to miss his wife's pregnancy?",
"What did one woman say about her husband?",
"What did the woman say?",
"What is the worse pain for the woman?",
"What changed the wedding plans?",
"What did iReporters share thoughts on?",
"What was the worst kind of pain?",
"What changed wedding plans?"
] |
[
[
"Iraq war"
],
[
"\"Having [my husband] gone is the worst kind of pain."
],
[
"\"He doesn't care if you do or don't understand his choice; he isn't concerned with political views, religion or race. His greatest concern is doing the job he is asked to do with skill and pride, protecting those abroad and at home and standing up to the standards he has set for himself,\""
],
[
"\"Having [my husband] gone"
],
[
"invasion."
],
[
"how the Iraq war has affected them"
],
[
"\"Having [my husband] gone"
],
[
"the invasion."
]
] |
iReporters share their thoughts on how the Iraq war has affected their lives .
"Having [my husband] gone is the worst kind of pain," one woman says .
Wife: Invasion changed wedding plans, hubby missed most of first pregnancy .
iReport.com: Tell us how the war has impacted you and your family .
|
(CNN) -- She's been a comedian, talk-show host and feared red carpet fashion critic. Now you can add winner of "The Celebrity Apprentice" to Joan Rivers' lengthy resume. Donald Trump and Joan Rivers attend "The Celebrity Apprentice" season finale Sunday in New York. After weeks of competition, the 75-year-old dynamo beat out 15 other contestants, including Dennis Rodman, Tom Green and Brian McKnight, to take the top spot in this season's edition of the reality show hosted by Donald Trump. Rivers went up against poker champion Annie Duke in Sunday night's finale in which both women were charged with planning a VIP party and silent auction for the last and deciding task. "They're both tough, they're both smart and they both hate each other," Trump observed at the beginning of the show. The apparent tension between Rivers and Duke continued in the final boardroom, part of which played out in front of a live audience, with both finalists bickering and interrupting each other repeatedly as Trump looked on. In the end, Duke raised far more money at her event, but Rivers was able to attract more celebrities and provide a better overall experience for the guests at her party, and Trump declared her the winner of the competition. "Your level of energy has been amazing," he told Rivers. The victory means $250,000 for Rivers' charity: God's Love We Deliver. If the series thrives on conflict, it got plenty of mileage out of Rivers. She blew up at country singer Clint Black, referred to another contestant as a "stupid blonde" and smashed a champagne glass out of frustration at one point. But Rivers seemed to be especially infuriated by Duke, calling her a "despicable human being" -- the tamest of the insults she hurled in Duke's direction over the course of the series. Rivers even walked out in a huff after her daughter, and fellow contestant, Melissa was fired from the show. The exit, complete with bleeped obscenities, was turned into a cliffhanger of sorts when it seemed like Rivers might not come back, but she returned to the show for the next task. You might think a show that's best known for the phrase "You're fired" might not do so well in a bad economy when thousands of people have heard similar words for real at their workplaces, but the series averaged more than 8 million viewers a week, according to Entertainment Weekly. EW: Did the right one win? Revived formula "The Apprentice" made a splash when it debuted in 2004, making a reality television star out of Trump and contestants such as Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth. For several seasons, the series took ambitious young mogul wannabes, divided them into teams and had them compete in tasks that ranged from selling lemonade to creating advertising campaigns for major corporations. The contestants vied for the chance to run one of Trump's companies for a year, and Trump fired someone from the losing team each week until he selected an apprentice. Over the years, ratings for the show gradually declined, but the formula was revived in early 2008 with the first season of "The Celebrity Apprentice." The tasks, pressure-cooker atmosphere and boardroom bickering stayed the same, but the competition now featured contestants with varying degrees of fame and focused on raising money for charity. The first "Celebrity Apprentice" top spot went to Piers Morgan, the prickly judge on "Britain's Got Talent" who made news this spring when he invited singing sensation Susan Boyle to dinner after her memorable performance on the show. Morgan also made several appearances on this season's "Apprentice," sitting in as Trump's "eyes and ears" during one episode and interviewing the final four candidates in another. Morgan's aggressive questioning seemed to annoy the celebrities, especially Jesse James, who glared icily at Morgan when he kept asking him why he did not turn to his wife, Sandra Bullock, for help in raising money during the various tasks. Perhaps Bullock might be tempted to try competing
|
[
"What charity was Joan Rivers' playing for?",
"What does Duke raise?",
"Who won this season's \"Celebrity Apprentice\"?",
"Who will compete in the final",
"who won this years final",
"Who was in the finale of this season's \"Celebrity Apprentice\"?",
"Who does Rivers go up against?",
"how much money will the winner receive for their charity",
"Who wins this season's \"Celebrity Apprentice\"?",
"Who will she play in the final?",
"Who has won this season?",
"Who won this season's Celebrity Apprentice?",
"What does the victory mean for the charity?",
"How much does the Charity get?",
"What does the victory mean?",
"Who wins this season's \"Celebrity Apprentice\"?",
"Who goes up against poker champion Annie Duke in finale?",
"Who attracts more celebrities?"
] |
[
[
"God's Love We Deliver."
],
[
"far more money"
],
[
"Joan Rivers'"
],
[
"Donald Trump and Joan Rivers attend \"The Celebrity Apprentice\" season finale Sunday in New York."
],
[
"Joan Rivers'"
],
[
"Donald Trump and Joan Rivers"
],
[
"Dennis Rodman, Tom Green"
],
[
"$250,000"
],
[
"Joan Rivers'"
],
[
"Annie Duke"
],
[
"Joan Rivers"
],
[
"Joan Rivers'"
],
[
"$250,000"
],
[
"$250,000"
],
[
"$250,000 for Rivers' charity: God's Love We Deliver."
],
[
"Joan Rivers'"
],
[
"Joan Rivers"
],
[
"Rivers"
]
] |
Joan Rivers wins this season's "Celebrity Apprentice"
Rivers goes up against poker champion Annie Duke in finale .
Duke raises more money at her event, but Rivers is able to attract more celebrities .
The victory means $250,000 for Rivers' charity .
|
(CNN) -- She's been called "America's mom." Strangers stop her for hugs in the airport. And she still dishes up kindly parental wisdom daily in reruns of "The Brady Bunch." "Brady Bunch" actress Florence Henderson founded a service to help older adults learn about computers. Now, actress Florence Henderson, otherwise known as Mrs. Brady, has a new mission: Helping older adults learn to use technology. Her new business, Floh Club, is a "telephone-based technical support service" focusing on people who didn't grow up with computers -- especially grandparents who want to stay in touch with family but are intimidated by webcams, Facebook, instant messaging or even e-mail. Henderson says Floh Club is "like roadside assistance for your computer." She spoke with CNN's Josh Levs about her inspiration, her grandkids and "Brady Bunch" rumors as the show celebrates its 40th anniversary. See more of our chat with Florence Henderson » CNN: What made you think of this? Florence Henderson: I was terrified of computers, Josh. I didn't grow up with them. And I have four kids, and they were always saying, "Oh, Mom, please get connected." And I would go, "No, I don't have time." But I was really scared. And so, a few months ago I decided that if I felt that way, there must be a lot of older adults that feel the same way, or maybe even some younger ones. I am now sending e-mails, I'm videoconferencing. I'm taking photos off my camera and actually putting them on the computer. Facebook, it is so exciting. I mean, I'm thrilled. CNN: What kinds of calls are you getting? What have people been calling and saying they need help with? Henderson: Things like as simple as learning how to send an e-mail. We have all North American-based technical experts standing by. Eighteen hours a day. Seven days a week. They are all very patient and very caring, and they will access your computer remotely, and they will talk you through any problem you may be having. They'll teach you how to use your computer. CNN: The plans and services range from $25 to up to $250 for an entire year. You have grandkids. Do you stay in touch with them this way? Henderson: You know what, Josh? That's one of the most exciting things for me is to be able to videoconference because I have a son and his wife and two children that live in St. Louis. I have a daughter in Florida. And they have two children. And now I can actually see them. I have a new granddaughter who is just a year old. I can watch her grow, and I can talk to them. To me, that is the most exciting thing. And so I'm encouraging older adults to really stay connected and use your brain. CNN: It's the 40th anniversary of the Brady Bunch. We see sitcom stars come and go. But you, 35 years after the show technically ended, you have stayed out there as an icon. What's your secret? What did you do that no one else figured out? Henderson: You know what, Josh? I think it's because I love what I do. I'm passionate about what I do. I've always kind of felt that my career was my vocation, and I love staying on top of things. Now I'm cybermom! I genuinely love to communicate. And I love people. CNN: I got to tell you, when I said I was going to talk to you today, every person I talked to said I have to get the truth about you and Greg (Barry Williams). You write about this on your blog. Just give everyone the real story. Henderson: The real story is that he always had a crush on me and he asked me to go on a
|
[
"Florence Henderson was an actress for what show?",
"Who launched a new service to help seniors learn about computers?",
"Where did the actress play in?",
"What does the new service do?",
"What is the telephone-based technical support service called?"
] |
[
[
"\"The Brady Bunch.\""
],
[
"Florence Henderson"
],
[
"\"The Brady Bunch.\""
],
[
"help older adults learn about computers."
],
[
"Floh Club,"
]
] |
Florence Henderson launches a new service to help seniors learn about computers .
The "Brady Bunch" actress had to overcome her own fear of technology .
Floh Club is a "telephone-based technical support service"
It helps grandparents and others stay in touch with family via e-mail, webcams .
|
(CNN) -- She's been compared to the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Tibetan Buddhist leader, but the name Rebiya Kadeer doesn't ring a bell to many people outside of China. Rebiya Kadeer has been dubbed "the Mother of All Uyghurs." Nevertheless, the world-famous man and the relatively obscure woman share similarities that chime with political relevance. A diminutive northern Virginia resident, Kadeer has emerged as the voice of the restive but relatively unknown Uyghur Muslims, a Turkic-speaking ethnic minority in China, and the group's far-flung diaspora. And like the Dalai Lama, she's revered by supporters and reviled by the Chinese government. "Even though one is a man, and the other is a woman, they have one thing in common, and that is they engage in activities to split the motherland and damage national unity," said Qin Gang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Kadeer, 62, emerged in the world media spotlight after China blamed her for stoking July's unrest in China's remote Xinjiang Autonomous Region, an area four times the size of California in the northwestern part of the country. Reports vary on the number of people killed, ranging from around 200 to many more. The problems began in late June, after two Uyghur migrant workers at a toy factory in Guangdong province were killed after a brawl between Uyghurs and ethnic Han Chinese -- the majority group in China. Uyghurs protested in Urumqi, the Xinjiang capital, hundreds of miles from the toy factory. Uyghurs and Han reportedly attacked each other. Nur Bekri, the Chinese government's top official in Xinjiang, accused Kadeer and the World Uyghur Congress she leads of instigating the unrest via the Internet. "The violence is premeditated, organized violent crime," Bekri said. "It was instigated and directed from abroad and carried out by outlaws in the country." China's constitution guarantees ethnic minorities equal rights and limited autonomy. And the Chinese government has implemented several programs designed to help ethnic minorities, but Kadeer says China still treats Uyghurs as second-class citizens -- and she blames China for most of the recent unrest. Since the violence erupted, Kadeer has worked the media with a mission, drumming up support for the Uyghur cause and shining a light on what she says are China's "unjust policies" toward her people. The estimated size of Uyghur population in China ranges from 8 million to 11 million people, making them a distinct minority in a country of 1.5 billion people. Uyghurs have long complained of being treated as a lesser class, but China has dismissed that charge and touted its commitment to ethnic unity. "Let them hear our voice and raise public awareness about our situation," Kadeer told CNN. "That's the main thing that I wish to do right now." Dubbed "the Mother of All Uyghurs," Kadeer doesn't quite fit the profile of a political firebrand. Born in modest circumstances, Kadeer fell into dire poverty amid the late Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong's forced relocation programs. She worked her way up from laundry worker to become a millionaire businesswoman as China opened to free enterprise. She amassed an empire with department stores, real estate, lumber, scrap iron, factories and other enterprises. She was also chosen as a member of a Chinese National Congress and other posts. However, the mother of 11 children -- some of whom are in jail in China -- wasn't shy about speaking out about the conditions faced by Uyghurs, such as political imprisonment. Her activism landed her in jail in 1999, an incarceration that attracted international attention and condemnation from rights groups and Western political officials. China released her on medical grounds in 2005 amid pressure from the U.S. government. She was granted political asylum in the United States, reunited with her husband, and embarked on activist work. Along with her role as president of the World Uyghur Congress, Kadeer is the president of the board of the Uyghur American Association and the full-time director of the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation.
|
[
"Who emerges as a leader of minority Uyghur Muslims in China?",
"Who emerges as leader?",
"Which government reviles Kadeer?",
"What does the Chinese government blame Kadeer of doing?"
] |
[
[
"Rebiya Kadeer"
],
[
"Rebiya Kadeer"
],
[
"Chinese"
],
[
"stoking July's unrest in"
]
] |
Rebiya Kadeer emerges as leader of minority Uyghur Muslims in China .
Chinese government reviles Kadeer, blames her for stoking unrest .
Kadeer mirrors the non-violent sentiment espoused by the Dalai Lama .
This is a "very dark time for the Uyghur people," Kadeer says .
|
(CNN) -- She's being hailed as the "face of the economic crisis," and now Henrietta Hughes has become something of a media star after reaching out to President Obama in an emotional plea for help. President Obama talks to Henrietta Hughes at a town hall rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Tuesday. Her message: My son and I are homeless, and we need immediate help. "I have an urgent need, unemployment and homelessness, a very small vehicle for my family and I to live in," Hughes told Obama Tuesday at a town hall rally in Fort Myers, Florida, as he pushed for passage of his stimulus plan in the Senate. "The housing authority has two years waiting lists, and we need something more than the vehicle and the parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help." Hughes said she had been homeless after her son lost his job and, subsequently, their home. Although her son has been looking for work, Hughes says, so far, no luck. The Fort Myers-Cape Coral area -- in heavily Republican Lee County, which went for GOP presidential nominee John McCain in the 2008 election -- has seen record housing foreclosure rates. Watch CNN's Ed Hornick discuss the story » According to the White House, the area had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation last year, with 12 percent of housing units receiving a foreclosure-related notice. Median housing prices in the Fort Myers metropolitan area have plummeted from $322,000 in December 2005 to less than $107,000 in December 2008, the Obama administration notes. And nearly 12,000 jobs have been lost in Fort Myers in the past year. The president offered Hughes a kiss on the cheek and a promise: "We're going to do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you." Watch more of Hughes' emotional plea to Obama » Some questioned the circumstances of Hughes' appearance at the event. Blogger Michelle Malkin, in a story on the conservative Web site TownHall.com on Wednesday, said that if Hughes "had more time, she probably would have remembered to ask Obama to fill up her gas tank, too." "The soul-fixer dutifully asked her name, gave her a hug and ordered his staff to meet with her. Supporters cried, 'Amen!' and 'Yes!' " she added. One reader questioned Hughes' motives and asked how the homeless woman got to the rally at all. "How does a 61-year-old homeless woman who's living in a pickup truck with her son JUST HAPPEN to get a ticket so she can VERY PUBLICALLY ask Prez. Obama for a HOUSE? Anyone? Who pushes her up on stage? She's right at the front of the crowd. Did she just happen to get a seat there?" asked reader Erik E. In Fort Myers, a city of about 60,000, people began lining up for tickets to the Obama event over the weekend. Many camped out overnight, with tents and sleeping bags springing up near the front door, and all tickets were given away in less than an hour. White House spokesman Joshua Earnest said Wednesday that after she spoke, the administration connected Hughes -- who did not vote in the 2008 election because she didn't have a home -- with local housing officials, who happened to be in the crowd. On Wednesday, the head of the local housing authority, Marcus Goodson, said he met with Hughes. He said he's working on finding her a housing unit with a shorter waiting time and that he's emailed a White House staff member with the update. But it wasn't just officials reaching out. Chene Thompson -- the wife of state Rep. Nicholas Thompson, R-Fort Myers -- offered Hughes and her son a house in nearby La Belle rent-free, according to a spokeswoman, and she is interested in taking it. "Basically, I offered Ms. Hughes and her son the opportunity to stay in my
|
[
"Who offered her assistance?",
"Who questioned how she got to the rally?",
"What did the Conservatives question?",
"What is the name of the homeless woman?",
"Who issued an emotional plea for help?",
"Where did Obama discuss the economy?"
] |
[
[
"Chene Thompson"
],
[
"Blogger Michelle Malkin,"
],
[
"the circumstances of Hughes' appearance"
],
[
"Henrietta Hughes"
],
[
"Henrietta Hughes"
],
[
"at a town hall rally in Fort Myers, Florida,"
]
] |
President Obama discussed economy in hard-hit Fort Myers, Florida .
Henrietta Hughes, a homeless woman, issued an emotional plea for help .
White House and local housing officials offered her assistance .
Conservatives question how she got to the rally in the first place .
|
(CNN) -- She's only 23, but Deepika Padukone is already living a life millions would envy. From calendar model to Bollywood big-time: Deepika Padukone. The model-turned-actress was spotted in a music video and then cast in one of the biggest grossing films in Bollywood history. She still only has three movies under her belt, but star status has already been bestowed upon her. With no family connections to the film industry and not being from Mumbai, Padukone traveled a route to movie stardom millions could only dream of. After deciding to become a model at the age of 16, she was picked out of a music video by acclaimed director Farah Khan and cast in her next film opposite Shahrukh Khan. "Om Shanti Om" went on to become not only a hit in India, but also gained wider acclaim among western audiences. "I completely didn't expect it. When I met Farah I thought she was joking. And at that point it seemed too good to be true. Shahrukh is someone who I've grown up watching, and I didn't think that I deserve being a part of such a huge film. It's only later, when I met Shahrukh and when things actually started happening, when I realized that this is for real," she told CNN. Despite her meteoric rise to fame and work on some big budget films she believes she's learning the job of being an A-list Bollywood actress. "I had great debut, a successful film, but after that...I would think it's quite difficult to choose the right film. You never know what's right and what's wrong," she said. "Things for me changed quite overnight, actually. I remember a couple of months before the film release, not too many people knew me. In November 2007 when my film released and immediately after that I had to travel to New York, to Dubai and to London, and suddenly everyone on the streets started recognizing me, especially the Indians. That's when I realized that things have changed." With the public attention has come the inevitable media spotlight on her private life. She says she never experienced the "casting couch" but is consistently romantically linked with other Bollywood stars, and there were rumors about a relationship with Indian cricketer MS Dhoni. "As someone who didn't know how to deal with it, yes it was really difficult for me initially to read about myself or to read about things that are untrue. But I think slowly you start learning to deal with these things." Padukone's father was a professional badminton player, and she played too as a teenager, traveling across the country to compete in tournaments. But by her late teens she decided she wanted to be a model and got the full support of her parents. "I trained, I lost some weight. I then got a portfolio done. I sent it to Bombay to a couple of agencies and waited for awhile. I think that period is really the most challenging. Because that's really the time that one can really go wrong. The waiting period. You can really make some wrong decisions and go completely wrong," she told CNN. "I had the support of my family. I didn't get carried away. I think I was patient enough to wait for the right assignment to come my way." As a model she appeared in commercials and music videos. Since her move into the movie business more commercial endorsements have come her way, but in an industry notorious for its high turnover of starlets she is aware that for actresses there is often a limited shelf-life. "For me my life now is my work. But I know that at some point I will have to have a life beyond my work. And I know that today there's me, tomorrow there will be someone else. Maybe I'll be here for 5 years, maybe I'll be here for many, many years. "I'm definitely going to work hard and make sure that I
|
[
"How many movies has the person been in?",
"What will she star in?",
"What age is Padukone?",
"What was the name of the music video?",
"Whats the name of the actress?",
"Which movie will the person perform in?",
"Does Padukone have family connections in the movie industry?",
"How many movies has Padukone been in?",
"Where was Padukone picked out?"
] |
[
[
"three"
],
[
"\"Om Shanti Om\""
],
[
"23,"
],
[
"\"Om Shanti Om\""
],
[
"Deepika Padukone"
],
[
"\"Om Shanti Om\""
],
[
"no"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"music video"
]
] |
Padukone was picked out from a music video to star in "Om Shanti Om"
23-year-old began career as a model and has appeared in three movies so far .
She has no family connections to movie industry .
|
(CNN) -- She's petite, she's middle-aged, she's bookish, and if she gets a chance, she'll knock you on your keister. Beth Hollis, second from left, is a librarian who's become a MegaBeth, a roller derby dynamo. By day, she's Beth Hollis, a 53-year-old reference librarian in Akron, Ohio. By night, she's MegaBeth, an ageless dynamo on the roller derby rink. "All my life, when I tell people I'm a librarian, they say, 'You don't look like a librarian,' " Hollis said. "And now that I'm a roller derby girl, they say, 'You don't look like a roller derby girl, either.' So I don't know where I fit in." Hollis has been fitting in at the Akron-Summit County Library for 27 years. "She's my hero," said Diane Barton, 48, who has worked with Hollis at the library for 18 years. "I just think it's so cool she's doing something so different and so active and so aggressive. You know how we are. We're librarians, so we tend to have that meek and mild stereotype." Watch her in action as Beth and MegaBeth » Before discovering roller derby, Hollis had been casting about for a hobby. "I tried knitting and literally got kicked out of the knitting class for just not being able to get the hang of it," she chortled. "I guess it was just too soon for me to try knitting. I needed something that maybe was a little bit more physical for a hobby." Boy howdy. She visited a Rubber City Rollergirls practice last winter after telling her husband, Warren, a retired high school math teacher, that she was going to an audition. "At that point, I just said, 'I don't care that I have an AARP card in my wallet; I'm going to go for this,' " she said. Roller derby is a real sport, having ditched the campy, WWE-like spectacle seen on TV in the early 1970s. The Rubber City squad practices six hours a week and competes against teams in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. A roller derby match, called a bout, consists of two 30-minute halves. Each team has four blockers and one player called a jammer, whose job is to get past the other team's blockers on a 235-foot oval flat track and lap them to score points. Both teams are on offense and defense simultaneously, and the action is fast and rough. "I think she's awesome," coach Brian "Coachise" Phillips said. "She is 53, so she is our oldest girl on the team, but she works every bit as hard as every other girl on the team, and she is in as good a shape if not better than every other girl on the team." And she's an inspiration to the other players. "It makes me actually excited to think that I could play ... for another 30 years, and that's awesome for me, because this is like my favorite thing to do," said Barb "Barbonic Plague" Brown, who at 21 is the youngest player on the team. Hollis has earned the respect of her team captain, too. "She's so tiny -- she's probably like 5 feet 4 and maybe 110 pounds or so -- but when she's out there, she's MegaBeth," said Tracy "Eighty-SixHer" Soulsby, 40. "I wouldn't say she's a very hard hitter, but she's a good blocker. Her strength is getting in people's way and then keeping them behind her, not letting them get around her." The MegaBeth legend grew during a June bout with the Glass City Roller Girls, a team from Toledo, Ohio. Hollis found herself contending with a 6-foot-1, 220-pound foe who goes by the name Pamazon. "
|
[
"After failing at knitting what did she try?",
"What is her nickname?",
"At what did Hollis fail?",
"What age is Beth Hollis?",
"Who breaks stereotypes and occasionally bones?",
"What age is one of the fittest players on the team?",
"What did the librarian use to roller derby?",
"Who is a librarian?"
] |
[
[
"roller derby,"
],
[
"MegaBeth,"
],
[
"knitting"
],
[
"53-year-old"
],
[
"Beth Hollis,"
],
[
"53-year-old"
],
[
"ageless dynamo"
],
[
"Beth Hollis,"
]
] |
Librarian Beth Hollis breaks stereotypes and, occasionally, bones .
After failing at knitting, she tries her hand (and elbows) at roller derby .
"MegaBeth," age 53, is among the fittest players on the team, coach says .
|
(CNN) -- Shel Israel is not the kind of person you'd expect to find on Twitter all day. He's 65. Shel Israel, author of a new book on Twitter. He says the micro-blogging service changed his life. But Israel has been using the micro-blogging service longer than most. In fact, he gave up his lifelong habit of reading the newspaper every day about four years ago and turned exclusively to social media. He now knows how to use Twitter, how not to use it, and how to benefit from it, and he says Twitter has changed his life. The social-media journalist and public speaker is the author of a new book, "Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods." The book shows how Twitter flattens geographical boundaries and helps people connect with others around the world who share their interests. To Israel, it's the mundane details of one's life, shared through tweets and status updates, that matter. He believes that tweeting about what you had for lunch can actually help build a meaningful personal or business relationship. Israel also says that who you follow on Twitter is much more important than the number of people who follow you. That's because the people you follow become "your newspaper -- the way you get the information that you see, that you digest, and that you use." Here is an edited version of the conversation. CNN: Your timing in writing this book seems perfect -- Twitter just blew up. Did you see this boom coming? Israel: Yeah I did, but not with this great prescience. I just thought it was going to get bigger and bigger, and I thought there was a value to Twitter that no other social media tool had. See part of our chat with Israel here » What are those values you mentioned that only Twitter has? There are two values and they're closely intertwined. The first is that Twitter lets people behave online more closely to how we behave in real life than anything that ever preceded it in history. It's kind of past now, but there was this whole wave of admonition of nobody cares what you had for lunch, and to be honest that's absolutely false. If I said that I was in a restaurant in Atlanta, [Georgia,] you'd say, "Oh, where did you go? You didn't by chance try the..." and we have a conversation that way. We care about the details of life. When you bring this into business, I don't think many members of your audience ever bought or sold anything from a conversation that starts with, "Are you going to buy something?" It begins with small talk. And that brings us to the second point. The brevity creates an interaction that no other media tool allows. Until now most social media is I write or create something, and you read it and comment back. In Twitter, it's so brief that no one is the lead conversationalist, really. And it isn't about what you post in 140 characters, it's about the number of spoonfuls of content that you feed people who are interested in eating it. Why are you so fascinated by Twitter? Most people your age don't use social media at all. I was born too soon? (Laughs) I don't know what it is about me, but it's what drew me to Silicon Valley in the first place -- I just get turned on by new ideas and new trends. I am extremely curious by nature. I like meeting people who think and act differently than I do. And that I think keeps me young, along with the fact that I spend much of my time with people younger than me. And they seem to value the fact that this older guy has some wisdom, but they don't understand how much I'm learning from them. You tell a lot of specific Twitter anecdotes in your book. Do you have a favorite character? I have a few real favorites
|
[
"Who is the author of a new book about Twitter?",
"Who is Shel Israel?"
] |
[
[
"Shel Israel,"
],
[
"author"
]
] |
Shel Israel is the author of a new book about how to get the most out of Twitter .
Israel says tweeting about mundane details can help build meaningful relationships .
Who you follow on Twitter is more important than who follows you, he says .
Israel: Twitter is ushering in a two-directional, conversational era of marketing .
|
(CNN) -- Sheriff's investigators in North Carolina launched a search of a turkey farm they say is owned by Butterball -- the largest producer of turkey products in the United States -- on Thursday after an animal rights organization said it infiltrated the farm and videotaped instances of purported animal abuse.
"The organization Mercy for Animals had conducted a covert operation at the farm and documented mistreatment of animals," said Capt. John Kivett of the Hoke County sheriff's office.
"No one has been taken into custody. It's still an ongoing investigation. Nothing has been seized," he told CNN.
The heavily edited videotape from the animal rights group shows what appear to be employees of the farm kicking, dragging and throwing turkeys. During one section of the tape, someone clearly swings what appears to be a metal object, striking one of the birds.
Investigators were trying to determine whether the videotape matches this same facility in Hoke County that they were searching.
"Veterinarians and detectives are inside the birdhouses conducting their investigation and documenting what they see," said Kivett.
"We have no way of knowing if the video is of the same place," he told CNN.
Other sections of the 90-second tape show what appear to be injured, bloodied and, in some cases, dead turkeys.
On its website, the animal rights group bills itself as an organization that promotes a vegetarian diet.
"Our investigation found Butterball employees kicking, throwing, dragging and beating birds. We also documented birds suffering from broken bones, bloody open wounds, and many left to die," said Nathan Runkle, executive director of Mercy for Animals.
The sheriff's department said that Butterball was fully cooperating with the authorities, and that company officials were at the farm.
In a written statement, Butterball said the company was working with Hoke County officials in their investigation.
"Butterball takes these allegations very seriously and fully supports the efforts being made on the part of officials. Butterball has a zero tolerance policy for any mistreatment of our birds or the failure to immediately report mistreatment of our birds by any associates," the company said in a statement.
"We are performing extensive internal and third-party audits as part of our own investigation. Employees found in violation of Butterball's animal welfare policies will be subject to immediate termination."
The company statement did not address the existence or the nature of the videotape.
Butterball did not return CNN's calls for comment.
The animal rights group told CNN that a female member of the organization was hired by Butterball as a driver, and as a worker in the animal sheds. The organization said the unidentified member worked there from the middle of November until the middle of December when the hidden-camera video was shot.
"These animals experience pain and suffering in the same way as dogs and cats. As a civilized society it's our moral obligation to prevent needless cruelty to animals including those raised for food," said Runkle.
North Carolina law states that any person who intentionally wounds, injures, torments or kills any animal could be guilty of committing a misdemeanor or a felony, depending upon the level of infraction as determined by investigators.
|
[
"Which type of farm is the purported animal abuse taking place at?",
"Who launched a search of the farm in North Carolina ?",
"in what state is the farm found in",
"what was videotaped at a turkey farm",
"Who says it videotaped purported animal abuse at a turkey farm?",
"What does Butterball say will happen to any employee who violates its \"zero tolerance\" animal abuse policy?",
"Which state is the farm located in?",
"Which company owns the farm in question?"
] |
[
[
"turkey"
],
[
"investigators"
],
[
"North Carolina"
],
[
"instances of purported animal abuse."
],
[
"rights organization"
],
[
"immediate termination.\""
],
[
"North Carolina"
],
[
"Butterball"
]
] |
An animal rights group says it videotaped purported animal abuse at a turkey farm .
Sheriff's investigators launched a search of the farm in North Carolina on Thursday .
The farm is owned by Butterball, authorities in Hoke County say .
Butterball says any employee who violates its "zero tolerance" animal abuse policy will be fired .
|
(CNN) -- Shoe prints left behind at the scene of several church fires in east Texas, as well as surveillance tapes and witness accounts, led police to two men now charged in one blaze and suspected in a string of others, according to court documents.
Jason Robert Bourque, 19, and Daniel George McAllister, 21, are charged with one count of arson each in connection with a February 8 fire at Dover Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. The blaze was one of 10 church fires in east Texas this year. Nine have been ruled arson, and authorities have said they believe Bourque and McAllister are responsible for them.
Both men appeared in court Monday in Tyler and are being held on $10 million bond.
A federal law enforcement source told CNN that multiple pieces of evidence have been linked to one of the suspects through DNA, and that many of the fires were ignited the same way.
A resident called 911 at 8:45 p.m. after seeing smoke rising from the sanctuary at Dover Baptist Church, according to probable cause affidavits. As firefighters battled the blaze, a second fire was reported at 9:44 p.m. at Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church in Lindale, Texas, about 15 miles northwest of Tyler.
At Dover Baptist, someone apparently kicked in a rear door and threw a rock through a window, according to the affidavits. A Red Wing brand boot print was found on the door. It's the same brand of boot that authorities believe left prints at previous church fires and attempted church break-ins in three counties. A print from a Skechers shoe also was found at several fire and attempted break-in locations, the affidavits said.
Police obtained a surveillance tape from a gas station near Dover Baptist, the documents said. "Subsequent review of this video revealed individuals known ... as Jason Robert Bourque and Daniel George McAllister were present at said location close to the same time the fire at Dover Baptist Church was discovered."
A second surveillance tape, from a store near Clear Spring Missionary Baptist, shows someone police believe is Bourque walking inside at about 10:35 p.m., according to the affidavit.
Witnesses told police they saw a dark blue or purple four-door car parked next to the Clear Spring Church before the fire. A second sighting of such a car was reported on the same road where the church is located, the documents said. One witness said he saw the driver was a white male wearing a T-shirt and tried to flag him down, but the vehicle sped away.
On February 11, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives contacted Bourque at his Lindale home, following up on a tip they received that he was involved in several of the church arsons, the affidavit said. Bourque agreed to talk with authorities, and they checked his blue 2008 Ford Focus, the documents said. The affidavits do not divulge what, if anything, Bourque told the agents.
While agents were at Bourque's home, his grandmother backed out of the garage and left the door open. The agents saw a muddy pair of Skechers shoes inside, the affidavit said. Agents believe the sole pattern on the shoes is consistent with the prints found near the churches.
Authorities contacted a member of McAllister's family, who told them he wears a size 13 or 14 boot, the documents said. A family member was shown a Red Wing boot and said the sole was the same as McAllister's, except his boots were more worn.
The relative took McAllister to the Greyhound Bus Station in Dallas, Texas, on February 10 where he purchased a one-way ticket to San Antonio, Texas, the affidavit said. McAllister was arrested in San Antonio.
Authorities have given no information on a motive for the fires.
|
[
"Daniel McAllister charged with arson?",
"Who was charged with arson?",
"Is there any surveillance footage?",
"Where did the surveillance tapes come from?",
"what the Authorities think?"
] |
[
[
"one count of"
],
[
"Jason Robert Bourque,"
],
[
"tapes"
],
[
"a gas station"
],
[
"Bourque and McAllister are responsible"
]
] |
Jason Bourque, Daniel McAllister charged with arson in connection with church fire .
Authorities think they are responsible for other church blazes in east Texas .
Gas station surveillance tape shows men close to church's at time of fire, court documents say .
Footprints also link suspect to churches .
|
(CNN) -- Shortly after McDonald's celebrated its 30-year presence in France, the fast-food chain is conquering one of the country's most valued cultural institutions --the Louvre. McDonald's burgers and fries will be available under the glass pyramid of the Louvre. The restaurant will be serving its fast burgers in the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall which lies under the main entrance of the museum and which still contains an ancient wall that was discovered during construction works. McDonald's plans seem to have caused more media attention abroad than in France, but for some French outlets, the idea of combining fast food and ancient art is stomach churning. The Parisian Web site "Louvre pour tous" (Louvre for everyone) describes the company's plans to open a restaurant in the prestigious museum as "bad taste" and blamed the Louvre's directors for failing to prevent what could result in "fragrances of fries drifting under Mona Lisa's nose". Marion Benaiteau, spokeswoman for the museum, told CNN it was not their decision and declined to comment further on the issue. The Carrousel du Louvre mall is managed by Unibail-Rodamco, Europe's largest property company, and not the museum itself. The mall, which is situated next to the most visited museum in the world, counts 8.3 million visitors a year and enjoyed a total gross sales of $75 million in 2008. Le Parisien, a daily newspaper described the difference between McDonald's and the Louvre by comparing Ronald McDonald, the restaurant's clown character, to Venus de Milo, the famous ancient Greek statue of Aphrodite, which is on display at the Louvre. Should McDonald's be in the Louvre? Tell us what you think in the Soundoff box below. McDonald's sees the opening of its new restaurant next to the home of Mona Lisa as nothing out of the ordinary. "There are already many other restaurants in the mall, so we will only be one of the many restaurants that offer visitors their products." said a spokeswoman for McDonald's in France, who declined to be named. "There's even a Starbucks," she added. Museum lovers in France are shocked about the news, but not surprised, one told CNN. "Museums have to offer services like restaurants and boutiques, it's completely normal," Jean-Michel Raingeard, President of the Federation of French Friends of Museums told CNN. What worries him, however, is the choice of shops. "Museum directors seem to care more about the number of people they attract rather than the quality of people. Should a museum be a museum or an amusement park?" asks Jean Michel Raingeard, who is also the European Vice President for The World Federation of Friends of Museums. Criticism, though fierce, has not halted the plans: construction work will start soon and the restaurant should be open "by the end of the year," Mcdonald's said. The menu will also very likely stay the same. "McDonald's functions the same way in all of France, so there will probably be no special menus," the spokeswoman said.
|
[
"who is opening restaurant in the mall?",
"What criticisms are people making about the restaurant?",
"where it will be open?",
"Who will open restaurant in the mall of the museum?",
"Is it the only fast food place in the mall?",
"Which fast food restaurant is opening in the world's most visited museum?"
] |
[
[
"McDonald's"
],
[
"could result in \"fragrances of fries drifting under Mona Lisa's nose\"."
],
[
"Carrousel du Louvre,"
],
[
"McDonald's"
],
[
"already many other restaurants in the"
],
[
"McDonald's"
]
] |
McDonald's to open restaurant in the mall of the world's most visited museum .
Decision has attracted criticisms there will be 'unpleasant smells' in the museum .
The restaurant is not the only fast food joint in the shopping mall .
|
(CNN) -- Shortly after McDonald's celebrated its 30-year presence in France, the fast-food chain is conquering one of the country's most valued cultural institutions --the Louvre. McDonalds' burgers and fries will be available under the inverted glass pyramid of the Louvre. The restaurant will be serving its fast burgers in the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall which lies under the main entrance of the museum and which still contains an ancient wall that was discovered during construction works. McDonald's' plans seem to have caused more media attention abroad than in France, but for some French outlets, the idea of combining fast food and ancient art is stomach churning. The Parisian Web site "Louvre pour tous" (Louvre for everyone) describes McDonald's' decision to open a restaurant in the prestigious museum as "bad taste" and blamed the Louvre's directors for failing to prevent what could result in "fragrances of fries drifting under Mona Lisa's nose". A spokeswoman for the museum told CNN it was not their decision and declined to comment further on the issue. The Carrousel du Louvre mall is managed by Unibail-Rodamco, Europe's largest property company, and not the museum itself. The mall, which is situated next to the most visited museum in the world, counts 8.3 million visitors a year and enjoyed a total gross sales of $75 million in 2008. Le Parisien, a daily newspaper described the difference between McDonald's and the Louvre by comparing Ronald McDonald, the restaurant's clown character, to Venus de Milo, the famous ancient Greek statue of Aphrodite, which is on display at the Louvre. Should McDonald's be in the Louvre? Tell us what you think in the Soundoff box below. Museum lovers in France are shocked about the news, but not surprised. "Museums have to offer services like restaurants and boutiques, it's completely normal," Jean-Michel Raingeard, President of the Federation of French Friends of Museums told CNN. What worries him, however, is the choice of shops. "Museum directors seem to care more about the number of people they attract rather than the quality of people. Should a museum be a museum or an amusement park?" asks Jean Michel Raingeard, who is also the European vice president for The World Federation of Friends of Museums. McDonald's sees the opening of its new restaurant next to the home of Mona Lisa as something completely normal. "There are already many other restaurants in the mall, so we will only be one of the many restaurants that offer visitors their products." says a spokeswoman for McDonald's in France. "There's even a Starbucks," she added. Criticism, though fierce, has not been successful: the construction work will start soon and the restaurant should be open "by the end of the year." In spite of its location, the menu will very likely stay the same. "McDonald's functions the same way in all of France, so there will probably be no special menus," the spokeswoman said.
|
[
"What is mcDonald's going to do?",
"What has been attracting people in the museum?",
"Where is McDonald's going to open a new store at?",
"Where is the restuarant not the only fast food joint?",
"Who is opening up in the mall?",
"Where is McDonald's to open a restaurant?"
] |
[
[
"serving its fast burgers in the Carrousel du Louvre,"
],
[
"restaurants and boutiques,"
],
[
"the Louvre."
],
[
"Carrousel du Louvre,"
],
[
"McDonald's"
],
[
"--the Louvre."
]
] |
McDonald's to open restaurant in the mall of the world's most visited museum .
Decision has attracted criticisms there will be 'unpleasant smells' in the museum .
The restaurant is not the only fast food joint in the shopping mall .
|
(CNN) -- Should he stay or should he go? Manchester United insist Cristiano Ronaldo will still be wearing a red shirt next season but the Portuguese winger, courted by Real Madrid, has refused to rule out a move to Spain. Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to commit himself to Manchester United. Football Fan Zone presents five reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo should stay at Manchester United and five reasons why he should move to Real Madrid. Let us know what you think below. Stay: Loyalty: Manchester United took a huge risk when they signed Ronaldo as an unproven 18-year-old for what seemed a vast sum of $25 million in 2003. Since then, under the tutelage of Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz, Ronaldo has developed from a raw talent more famous for his stepovers into the most effective and consistent player on the planet. United also stood by Ronaldo when he was widely blamed in England for getting his club mate Wayne Rooney sent off during the 2006 World Cup. At 23, Ronaldo owes his best years to United, the club that has helped him fulfil that potential. He has almost four years left on a contract worth $240,000 a week -- making him United's best paid player -- and he should honor it. Glory: Having dominated the English Premier League for the past two seasons and won last season's Champions League, Manchester United are a club in the ascendancy. With a young team boasting the attacking talents of Ronaldo and Rooney, outstanding young prospects such as Anderson and Nani and a solid defense built around Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, United could be the preeminent force in European football for seasons to come. If football is primarily about winning trophies, rather than money or lifestyle, then Ronaldo should stay where he is. The Premier League: The English Premier League is the most watched football tournament on the planet and increasingly the stage on which the world's best players want to showcase their talents. It was no coincidence that three of last season's four Champions League semifinalists came from the EPL. This week the current world footballer of the year, Kaka, has been linked with a big money move to Chelsea. Real Madrid may be the Spanish champions and one of the world's most famous clubs, but United are currently the biggest club in the biggest league in the world. Continuity: Leaving a club is always a risk and there is no guarantee that a player will settle successfully into a new set-up in a different country, as Thierry Henry has discovered at Barcelona. At Old Trafford, Ronaldo is the undisputed star with a system built around him and teammates working for him. At Real Madrid he would be one ego among many. Real's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder has already warned that Ronaldo's arrival on a massively inflated salary would not be welcomed by other squad members: "It would be bad for the dressing room if he gets a much higher salary than the rest of the squad. It's not important to me but I know other teammates would not like that at all." Injury: Having been carrying an ankle injury since March, Ronaldo finally went under the knife earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until at least October -- long after the summer transfer window has closed. Ronaldo should be concentrating on getting back to full fitness as quickly as possible rather than worrying about a possible transfer. A move to a new club would also likely put him under more pressure to play before he has made a full recovery. Go: A fresh challenge: Ronaldo has achieved everything he can in English football after two near perfect seasons at Old Trafford, winning back-to-back English Premier League titles and player of the year awards and a European Champions League winner's medal. If the 23-year-old is to continue developing he needs to find new challenges; what bigger challenge than joining Real Madrid -- the club of the "Galacticos" -- for a world record transfer fee? Carlos Queiroz: The former United assistant manager was a big influence on Ronaldo's career and an important mentor figure. With Queiroz departing to coach the Portuguese national side
|
[
"who is moving?",
"what teams were involved?",
"Who has urged him to stay?",
"What position does he play?",
"who wants him to stay/",
"Who is linked to a big move?"
] |
[
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"Real Madrid,"
],
[
"Football Fan Zone"
],
[
"winger,"
],
[
"Manchester"
],
[
"Kaka,"
]
] |
Cristiano Ronaldo linked with big move from Manchester United to Real Madrid .
Move would likely make Portuguese forward the world's most expensive player .
United have urged Ronaldo to stay, say moving to Spain would be a mistake .
Let us know what you think by commenting below .
|
(CNN) -- Should zombies rise up someday soon and take over the world because of an unidentified plague or virus that's caused the collapse of modern society as we know it, how would you react?
Such is the fundamental question of AMC's widely successful show "The Walking Dead," which returns this Sunday for its second season.
Based on Robert Kirkman's comic book, the series is one of the more odd yet complex dramas on television today. At its core, it's about survival and the psychological stress that spending every waking moment together has on a small group. But that could be said about all human beings in that surviving the world is something we do on a daily basis; the trick with "The Walking Dead" is that a pack of ravenous zombies could be lurking around the corner, ready to make you into dinner.
Viewers are consistently presented with questions of morality, instinct and terror, where plots are less about discovery -- there's no race for the cure -- and more about the struggle to exist.
CNN checked in with "The Walking Dead" showrunner/executive producer Glen Mazzara to see what's in store for season two, how the show finds its storytelling voice and just how they get that authentic zombie feel.
CNN: On average, how much are you thinking about zombies each day?
Mazzara: All of them. I wake up thinking about zombies. How do I keep them scary? What's new, what's different, what's fun that we can do with zombies?
CNN: How did this show become so popular on just a six-episode first season? What's the appeal?
Mazzara: It's visceral. There's an immediacy for anyone watching it, where they think, "what would I do?"
People buy into the idea that a plague could wipe out things. We've seen that, and it's in the zeitgeist now. It's playing on the everyman level where it's about the survivors and not about what happened to the collapse of government or infrastructure. You get in the car, and it runs out of gas, and then what? Meanwhile, you're being chased by zombies.
CNN: Remember the swine flu? That was a legit panic.
Mazzara: Yeah. It's like when you're watching a horror movie and the people move into a haunted house. And you're wondering, why didn't think just move out? Everything our survivors are doing, hopefully, strikes people as realistic. They're making decisions that ordinary people would make. And none of those decisions have very good consequences.
CNN: There's also weird psychological dynamics between the characters where they have to get along while also ensuring that they survive, they want to survive, and everyone around them survives too, because as far as they know, they're it.
Mazzara: Right. Our characters are definitely flawed. But they're stuck together because, hopefully, there's survival in numbers. It's an interesting dynamic that we're going to play out all season where people are deciding, are they better off with the group or without?
CNN: In a few of the articles that have come out, you mention the desire to showcase your own storytelling voice. What would that entail, exactly, for the viewer?
Mazzara: Part of what I hope to do this season is really focus on the character of Rick and his questions of leadership. Taking over a successful show, I'm facing my own questions of leadership, so that's easy to write. But I feel that the work I've done in the past, especially on "The Shield," where it was a very surprising, violent show, yet grounded work -- that's something I'm trying to bring to this piece as well.
Because it's a heightened reality, one where people are being chased by zombies, you have to be careful not to tip that line where it becomes unrealistic. You have to be grounded, and that's something we worked very hard on "The
|
[
"What is Mazzara thinking about constantly?",
"who is Glen mazzara?",
"who is executive producer for \"The Walking Dead\"",
"Glen Mazzara is the executive producer of what show?",
"Which season returns on Sunday night?",
"Glen Mazzara is the executive producer on what show?"
] |
[
[
"zombies"
],
[
"\"The Walking Dead\" showrunner/executive producer"
],
[
"Glen Mazzara"
],
[
"\"The Walking Dead\""
],
[
"\"The Walking Dead,\""
],
[
"\"The Walking Dead,\""
]
] |
Glen Mazzara is executive producer and showrunner for "The Walking Dead"
The popular serires returns Sunday night for its second season .
Mazzara says he is constantly thinking about zombies in his spare time .
He offers insights into how the show comes together .
|
(CNN) -- Shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons purchased by Venezuela have ended up in the hands of guerrillas, Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro talks on the phone with President Hugo Chavez in Caracas Monday. In an interview with Caracol Radio Monday, Santos addressed local reports of anti-tank weapons manufactured in Sweden being seized from members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and traced to Venezuela. "This is not the first time that this happens," Santos said. "In several operations in which we have recovered weapons from the FARC, we have found powerful munitions and powerful equipment, including anti-tank weapons, from a European country that sold them to Venezuela and that turned up in the hands of the FARC." The weapons have been identified as AT4 shoulder-fired rockets manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden, according to Jane's Defence Weekly. They were seized in 2008 from a guerrilla base, the Colombian magazine Semana reported. Jan-Erik Lovgren, the Swedish official who oversees weapon exports, told Radio Sweden on Monday that his country stopped selling weapons to Venezuela in 2006. Venezuela on Monday denied allegations that they gave the weapons to the guerrilla group. "To me it seems that this is a new attack against our government based on lies," Venezuelan Minister of the Interior and Justice Tareck El Aissami said at a news conference Monday. "We absolutely deny that our government or our institutions are providing assistance to criminal and terrorist organizations," El Aissami told reporters. "It's laughable, it sounds like a cheap film made by the American government." Previous instances of Venezuela's government being accused of aiding the FARC include one last year, when the U.S. Treasury Department accused two senior Venezuelan intelligence officials and one former official of assisting the guerrillas with drug trafficking. The department froze any assets the three men may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibited Americans from conducting business with them.
|
[
"who made the arms",
"What Saab Bofors Dynamics made in Sweden?",
"Which country were the arms made?",
"Which company made the arms?",
"From where weapons were seized?",
"who denied the allegations",
"when were the weapons seized"
] |
[
[
"Sweden"
],
[
"AT4 shoulder-fired rockets"
],
[
"Sweden"
],
[
"Saab Bofors Dynamics"
],
[
"members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC,"
],
[
"Venezuela"
],
[
"2008"
]
] |
Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden made the arms, Jane's Defence Weekly says .
Weapons seized in 2008 from a guerrilla base, Colombian magazine Semana says .
Venezuela denies the allegations .
|
(CNN) -- Sidney Frank made millions marketing Jagermeister and other alcohol brands. Three years after his death, he's a big hit with students at the Ivy League college he briefly attended. Sidney Frank, shown accepting an honorary degree in 2005, gave $100 million to Brown University. He's a big hit not because of what he sold but because he's given dozens of them what he couldn't afford as a young man: an education at Rhode Island's Brown University. On Sunday, 49 students from low-income families became the first four-year Sidney E. Frank Scholars to graduate from Brown, owing virtually nothing except gratitude to the late liquor magnate. "The world of difference that he made for each and every one of us is unbelievable, incredible," one of the Frank Scholars, 22-year-old Shane Reil, said Sunday. Frank -- who left Brown after one year in the late 1930s because he couldn't afford to stay -- gave the school a $100 million endowment in 2004. He stipulated that the fund's income go exclusively to covering all tuition and expenses for the neediest of Brown's admitted applicants. Hear graduates say how their dreams came true » For this year's graduates, tuition and expenses came to a four-year total of about $180,000 each. The median annual income of the recipients' families was $18,984. The gift was the largest single one ever given to Brown and one of the largest ever given for undergraduate scholarships in the United States, according to the school. Reil, a history major who is preparing to co-chair a student conference on U.S.-South Korean relations and aspires to work in politics or foreign service, says the scholarship was the stuff of dreams. He was working up to 40 hours a week during high school so he could pay for clothes and even help with grocery bills. He and his mother were getting by, but the Massachusetts native thought community college or a big state school would be all he could afford. When his academic achievements put Brown in his sights, he thought he'd have to go into too much debt to go there. But he applied anyway, and Brown invited him to campus to tell him about how much the school would award him. "I sat in this guy's office ... and he said, '$37,000 for tuition,' " Reil recalled. "I said, "$37,000, that's going to be split over four years, so essentially I'm getting a $10,000 scholarship per year.' "He said, 'No, no, that's $37,000 for this year, and it will be covered [the rest of the years] too.' " Reil said he cried in the office and ran to his car, where his mother was waiting. "She was crying so much, we had to sit in the car for so long because she couldn't drive. It was a great moment," Reil said. "Having the opportunity to go to a really good school ... I think it took my world from a very small area and physical space and just expanded it in multitudes," he said. Though other universities give full rides, Frank's gift was a coup for Brown. Like many other schools, Brown used to factor a family's ability to pay when deciding whether to accept students. Brown no longer does that, and Frank's gift was "integral" in bringing the change, said Jim Miller, Brown's dean of admissions. The school intends to give 30 to 35 Frank scholarships per year. Most recipients are the first in their families to go to college, Miller said. That was the case for Eliana Reyes Castro, who was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States when she was 6. She said she attended a Massachusetts high school that had regained its accreditation only months before she graduated. Like Reil, she was one of the Frank Scholars who graduated Sunday. She received a degree in education with a concentration in human development
|
[
"How many years did Sidney Frank attend Brown University?",
"Who left the money to brown university?",
"What does the gift Sidney Frank gave, cover?",
"What does the gift cover?",
"How much money did Sidney Frank leave to Brown University months before he died?",
"When did Frank attend brown university?",
"What did Sidney Frank leave to Brown university before he died?",
"What was the purpose of Frank's gift?"
] |
[
[
"one"
],
[
"Frank"
],
[
"all tuition and expenses for the neediest of Brown's admitted applicants."
],
[
"all tuition and expenses for the neediest of Brown's admitted applicants."
],
[
"$100 million"
],
[
"one year in the late 1930s"
],
[
"gave $100 million"
],
[
"for undergraduate scholarships"
]
] |
Sidney Frank left $100 million to Brown University months before he died .
Frank attended Brown for one year in 1930s, left because he couldn't afford it .
The gift covers tuition, other expenses for neediest accepted applicants .
First students to receive Frank's scholarship for four years graduated Sunday .
|
(CNN) -- Simon Cowell may not recognize "American Idol" alumna Mandisa the next time he sees her. Mandisa, who appeared on season five of "American Idol," has lost more than 75 pounds. The woman about whom the acerbic "American Idol" judge once said, "We're going to have to get a bigger stage," has lost 75 pounds -- and hopes to lose 100 or more. Though she has long forgiven Cowell for his snippy comments during season five about her weight, she said she still wants to lose more in part because he is a father figure for her. The last time he saw her was last season when she had lost a few pounds. He raved about how nice she looked then. "He was very encouraging and saying how proud he was of me," she said. "It's sort of like your dad who you really want to please. I want to please him and to show him that I am doing well." Mandisa, whose full name is Mandisa Hundley, said that her faith in God has guided her new lifestyle. "It's more than the physical and more than what I am eating. It's a spiritual change," she said. "I've had to not turn to food for comfort and validation anymore, and that is a complete mind change. Because my entire life, that is what I have done." She named her new album, "Freedom," due out March 24, after the feeling she has gotten breaking what she calls her food addiction. It follows a successful debut CD, "True Beauty," of which Entertainment Weekly said, "Plus-size powerhouse Mandisa ... realizes her considerable pipes and self-righteousness are best suited to Christian pop." It sold more than 160,000 copies. The new album is full of catchy Christian pop tunes such as "My Deliverer," "Dance Dance Dance" and "Freedom Song," and power ballads such as "Not Guilty." The song that is nearest to her heart is "You Wouldn't Cry," a tune based on a fan whom Mandisa met and corresponded with who lost her unborn child. Mandisa said that when she went to put together a CD of songs to help comfort her friend, she couldn't find anything from the child's point of view. "I wanted to write a song about what Andrew would say to his mom about the fact that he's in heaven," Mandisa said. "For people who have faced the situation where a loved one had gone to be with the Lord, I think the song will mean a lot to them." She called "My Deliverer" her personal testimony. In the chorus she sings: My deliverer, you rescued me from all that held me captive My deliverer, you set me free Now I'm alive and I can live The song as a first single is "perfect, because it's a kind of been my story over these past few months" of her weight loss. When CNN.com first spoke to Mandisa in January, she was singing on a cruise ship. (Yes, Simon, a cruise ship.) "I think that this is a cruise ship like no other," she said of the K-Love Family and Friends cruise, a gathering of Christian music bands and their fans. She beamed with pride then as she described her new exercise regimen and diet. The most difficult part has been to retrain her mind to turn to God instead of turning to food, she said. She also talked about her time on the show that brought her to America's attention. "American Idol's" producers gave the fifth-season contestants a speech about being themselves, saying to not pretend to be anybody other than who you are, she said. "I don't know that they realized that I was as vocal about my faith as I am," she said. She was caught in controversy when an article in The Advocate questioned whether she
|
[
"To what does Mandisa credit her weight loss?",
"Amount of weight that Mandisa lost?",
"When is the album due out>",
"What kind of music does Mandisa sing?",
"When is Mandisa's second studio album out?"
] |
[
[
"faith in God"
],
[
"more than 75 pounds."
],
[
"March 24,"
],
[
"catchy Christian pop tunes"
],
[
"March 24,"
]
] |
Former "American Idol" star credits "spiritual change" for weight loss of 75 pounds .
Mandisa's second studio album is due out March 24 .
Singer still watches "Idol" and says she's rooting for Danny Gokey .
Mandisa says she felt called to sing Christian music .
|
(CNN) -- Sin Hwa Dee began operations in the 1970s as a cottage industry in the former soya sauce-producing enclave of Kim Chuan Road, in the Paya Lebar area of Singapore. Mr. and Mrs. Chng Kee started out producing soya and oyster sauces, bean paste and plum paste in the 1970s. It was founded by the late Mr. Chng Kee, a former soya salesman, who ran the business with his wife, a soya production operator. Together they sold mainly soya and oyster sauces, bean paste and plum paste in bulk under the Sin Hwa Dee label to the restaurant, hotel and catering industries. In 1990, the company began producing the preserved fruits and vegetables used to make the traditional Lunar New Year dish of Yu Sheng. One of Sin Hwa Dee's factories is dedicated exclusively to the production of Yu Sheng products, while another factory produces noodles for the restaurant and catering industries. Mr. Chng's daughter Jocelyn first decided to introduce the company's products to the foreign market when she attended the SIAL exhibition in Paris in 1992, noting that there was a clear interest in Asian food. Sin Hwa Dee's first premix, the Laksa Paste, was launched into the food services market under the CHNG Kee's label in 1994, followed by the Kung Bo Sauce, the Black Pepper Sauce and their famous chicken rice mix. In 1996, the company invested heavily in equipment and technology to produce sauces and premixes in bottles for the retail market under the CHNG Kee's label. In 2005, Sin Hwa Dee moved into their own building, CHNG Kee's Foodlink, located in Senoko South Road, north of Singapore, with a production team of over 75 employees producing more than 20 tons of sauces per day. Today, their clientele includes Singapore Airlines, Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King, hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, Conrad International Centenniel, Raffles Hotel, Hilton Hotel, Marriott Hotel, and restaurants such as Lei Garden and Crystal Jade.
|
[
"Who moved to their own building?",
"Who moved into their own building?",
"What is one of the factories dedicated to?",
"When did Sin Hwa Dee move?",
"Which is one of Sin Hwa Dee's factories?",
"What is dedicated exclusively to Yu Sheng products?",
"What is founded by former soya salesman?",
"Who founded Sin Hwa Dee?",
"What is dedicated exclusively for Yu Sheng products?",
"When did Sin Hwa Dee move into their own building?",
"What was founded?",
"What did the soya salesman find?"
] |
[
[
"Sin Hwa Dee"
],
[
"Sin Hwa Dee"
],
[
"production of Yu Sheng products,"
],
[
"2005,"
],
[
"production of Yu Sheng products,"
],
[
"One of Sin Hwa Dee's factories"
],
[
"Hwa Dee"
],
[
"late Mr. Chng Kee,"
],
[
"One of Sin Hwa Dee's factories"
],
[
"2005,"
],
[
"Hwa Dee"
],
[
"Hwa Dee"
]
] |
Sin Hwa Dee founded by former soya salesman and soya production operator .
One of Sin Hwa Dee's factories dedicated exclusively to Yu Sheng products .
In 2005, Sin Hwa Dee moved into their own building, CHNG Kee's Foodlink .
|
(CNN) -- Since 2001, there have been many excellent, award-winning and ground-breaking films, both narrative and documentary, about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The Hurt Locker," "Taxi to the Dark Side," "Control Room," "Occupation: Dreamland," "Gunner Palace," "Why We Fight," "Body of War," "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," "No End in Sight," "Restrepo," "The Prisoner: Or How I Planned To Kill Tony Blair," "Stop-Loss" and so on.
All of these films have their place. Many are exceptional, moving and award-winning pieces of work, but of those that I have seen, none pack the visceral, emotional and artistic wallop that Danfung Dennis' documentary "Hell and Back Again" delivers, and all without any politics whatsoever. There's nothing, not one word of whether the United States should be fighting these wars, why we're there or who's to blame. This is an intimate film about then-25-year-old Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris, his wife (and high school sweetheart) Ashley and the personal cost of war.
It is also an astonishing technical achievement in war journalism and documentary filmmaking that may very possibly change the way conflicts are reported forever.
Dennis designed and built a customized Steadicam rig (a device that enables a filmmaker to move over an uneven surface without the camera bouncing up and down), allowing him to shoot footage that looks "Hollywood," but was shot with a "prosumer" Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR: Basically a still camera that shoots HD video. Along with a customized sound rig, Dennis was able to shoot intimate war footage that until now has been impossible.
The combat footage is, however, only part of the story. Six months into his third tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and just days from rotating out, Harris (Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment) is gravely wounded during a Taliban ambush. His hip and leg are broken, and blood transfusions and multiple surgeries are required to save his life.
Dennis was embedded with Echo Company when it was dropped deep behind enemy lines, and as an embedded reporter, he did his job, filming the troops in combat and interacting with Afghan locals.
During his time with the troops, Dennis got to know Harris, and after he was wounded, Dennis rejoined him in North Carolina and continued filming there. As the film moves back and forth between Afghanistan and North Carolina, where Nathan is undergoing rehab for his injuries, it becomes painfully clear that the hell of war doesn't end when troops return home. And after watching the film, it's unclear whether the "hell" of the title is Afghanistan or back home.
Harris' injuries are horrific, and he's on multiple medications. In an early scene, his wife is driving the pair on a shopping trip and he's going through his meds (OxyContin, Dilaudid, etc.). It's a pharmacy of addictive painkillers. Later in the film, one of Harris' doctors explains the process of weaning him off the drugs, including withdrawal and the risk of dependency. It's clear that Harris doesn't want to have to use the drugs forever, as he continuously complains of being nauseated and out of it, but he is also is just as clearly becoming dependent on them.
In Afghanistan, life is chaotic and dangerous and terrifying, but it is also, on one level, very simple. Troops are there to do one main thing: kill bad guys. (An early shot of a Marine instructor telling his charges that they are "experts in the application of violence" is chilling.) However, once a Marine returns home, the frustrations of everyday life can be crippling.
For example, looking for a space in a crowded mall parking lot can be irritating enough as an everyday experience, but to a Marine recently returned from a war zone, this and many other mundane annoyances can be
|
[
"What is \"Hell and Back Again\"?",
"When was Echo Company dropped behind enemy lines?",
"What happened to a reporter Echo Company?",
"What is the movie about?",
"what is the name of the documentary?",
"What documentary follows the life of a Marine?",
"What is the film showing the marine's injuries?",
"A reporter embedded with Echo Company was dropped behind where?"
] |
[
[
"Danfung Dennis' documentary"
],
[
"Six months into his third tour of duty"
],
[
"he was wounded,"
],
[
"war."
],
[
"\"Hell and Back Again\""
],
[
"\"Hell and Back Again\""
],
[
"\"Hell and Back Again\""
],
[
"enemy lines,"
]
] |
"Hell and Back Again" is a documentary that follows the life of a young Marine .
A reporter embedded with Echo Company was dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan .
The Marine's injuries are horrific, and the film deals with his coping .
|
(CNN) -- Since 2½-year-old Ava Zinna ended up in the emergency room this summer after an allergic reaction to peanuts, her mother, Tara, has worried about her daughter's food whenever they eat out. But when the family went to Blue Smoke restaurant Sunday afternoon in New York, someone had already asked to hold the peanuts. Ava Zinna ate an allergen-free meal at the Worry Free Dinners event on Sunday. The Zinnas took part in Worry Free Dinners, a series of monthly meals for people with food allergies. Sunday's 16-person barbecue -- complete with ribs, chicken, burgers and brownies -- was the first event aimed directly at parents and children affected by food allergies. "When you're going into a restaurant environment, you're putting your child's safety and livelihood into other hands," Tara Zinna said. At the Worry Free Dinners event, "not only was the food phenomenal, but it's wonderful to have an opportunity to interact with other families who are dealing with similar issues." The recent "worry free" meal event took place just days before the Food and Drug Administration's September 16 public hearing on food ingredient labels. Since 2006, food manufacturers have been required to clearly label products that contain any of the most common allergens -- milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soy -- but some allergy experts say the labels should be more explicit. Restaurant dining can be a terrifying experience for people with severe food allergies. When the meal arrives, there's often no way of knowing every single ingredient that went into it, or what else touched the plate and utensils used to serve it. You also have to pester the restaurant staff with special requests. But with Worry Free Dinners, everyone has some kind of experience with all of that, which helps build camaraderie, said Sloane Miller, who started organizing the events in April. Read more tips on how to manage food allergies » "People sit down and start chatting immediately like they're old friends," said Miller, known in the blogosphere as "Allergic Girl." "It's so nice to be with people that you don't have to explain [to] why you want something on the side." So far, Worry Free Dinners has catered to food allergy sufferers in New York -- there are about 12 million in America, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) -- but Miller is looking to take the concept to other cities. A common but mysterious condition One out of every 17 children under 3 years old in America has a food allergy, and some will outgrow their sensitivities, said Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder and CEO of FAAN. But allergies to peanuts, nuts, shellfish and fish tend to be lifelong, she said. As far as she knows, Worry Free Dinners is the first event series of its kind. Experts agree that allergies in general -- both food and inhalant -- are on the rise, but no one is sure why. Research on food allergies has been slow because "for a long time, people thought this was a small problem," Munoz-Furlong said. The largest group of studies on the subject are in progress, including immunotherapy for people with peanut and milk allergies, she said. The majority of food allergy cases -- about 80 percent -- are "cyclic," with mild symptoms that resemble those of pollen or dust allergies: sneezing, itchy eyes, and nasal congestion, said Dr. Alpen Patel, assistant professor of otolaryngology at Emory University. Other people experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea consistently in response to certain foods. But for some people, ingesting something that even accidentally touched tree nuts or peanuts could result in anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that can lead to blocked airways, cardiovascular collapse, and even death. This is called a "fixed food allergy," he said. After one severe reaction, he said, most people consistently avoid the offending food and do not experience another severe attack. But they also always carry a shot of epinephrine to
|
[
"What dpes a woman organize for food allergy sufferers?",
"Why are food allergies on the rise?",
"How many Americans have food allergies?",
"What kind of food allergies?",
"Who does she organize dinners for?",
"What is the leading food allergy?",
"What should you do before going to a restaurant if you have a food allergy?"
] |
[
[
"monthly meals"
],
[
"no one is sure"
],
[
"about 12 million in America,"
],
[
"peanuts, nuts, shellfish and fish"
],
[
"people with food allergies."
],
[
"peanuts."
],
[
"staff with special requests."
]
] |
Woman organizes dinners at restaurants for people with food allergies .
If you have a food allergy, call ahead and tell the restaurant management, she says .
12 million Americans have food allergies, though some kids outgrow them .
Food allergies are on the rise, but no one is sure why .
|
(CNN) -- Since the early days of pop music, the music industry has been searching for the secret formula to writing a successful song -- for that special alchemy that separates a Grammy-winner from a dud. For a period in the 1970s and 80s, the self-styled King of Pop Michael Jackson seemed to have stumbled upon it, but somewhere along the line he, too, seems to have misplaced it. Hit Song Science claims to be able to predict whether a song will be a pop hit But now a piece of software claims it can compute whether a song has chart-topping potential, and a number of record companies and musicians are using Hit Song Science (HSS) to gauge whether they have a hit on their hands. The software, developed by Barcelona-based Music Intelligence Solutions, works by breaking down more than 60 elements of a song, including melody, harmony, tempo, pitch, octave, beat, rhythm, fullness of sound, noise, brilliance and chord progression, and compares it against a database of over 3.5 million past commercial hits. The program organizes songs into clusters with similar-sounding equivalents and then rates the song on a scale of one to ten, with a score of 7.3 being deemed likely to do well in the music charts. Curiously, clusters of songs do not necessarily contain songs that sound the same to the human ear, but from a mathematical perspective they share similarities. HSS analyzed music from Norah Jones' first album before she broke through and the program's algorithms placed her in a cluster with Linkin Park, Aerosmith and JayZ. If you have ever wondered why you sometimes find yourself humming along to some smooth jazz on the radio when you consider yourself a strict thrash metal fan only, then perhaps HSS has discovered the scientific answer. Besides Norah Jones, the program also predicted success for Mika, while "Turn Your Car Around," a song penned by Ben Novak, a singer-songwriter from New Zealand, was rated as a potential hit by HSS, who recommended it to Sony Music in the UK. It eventually ended up as a vehicle for ex-Blue band member Lee Ryan and scored a respectable UK chart position of 16 in 2005. Record producer Carlos Quintero, director of Orixe and Jamm Records in Spain, believes that the software has a high accuracy rate. "I was very skeptical when I was told about it for the first time," he says. "I thought it was science fiction. "But when we choose a tune for an artist and we like it and feel it will be a hit, the surprise is that 85 percent of the time the tracks we have chosen get a positive analysis from the software." The emergence of hit prediction programs such as this -- New York-based Platinum Blue Music Intelligence provides a similar service -- raises concerns that the creative element of writing music would be eroded by breaking it down into mathematical algorithms. But Quintero claims the program in no way writes a song, it simply tells you whether it has the potential to be a hit. He says he mainly uses the software to tweak and refine songs so that he can maximize his chances of scoring a high chart position. "There was a particular case where we had to revise the song as at first it wasn't completely right. Using the software, we managed to make it work," he explains. "The problem with the software is that it can only indicate whether a song is suitable or not. It's up to the producer, the technical team and the artist to make it suitable in the first place." Quintero has since become a member of Music Intelligence Solutions' advisory board, so he is bound to have a positive take on the service. Jimena Llosa, General Manager EMEA of Music Intelligence Solutions, claims the company has thirty to forty clients in the record industry in Europe and the U.S., but she says she cannot reveal who they are, citing privacy issues. CNN attempted to contact several record companies in London, but A&R departments claimed they had not heard
|
[
"they are using?",
"What method does the software use to predict which song will be a hit?",
"what does the software do?",
"What is the name of the Barcelona company that claims its software can tell if a song will be a pop hit?",
"What is being tested?",
"which company developed this software?"
] |
[
[
"Hit Song Science"
],
[
"including melody, harmony, tempo, pitch, octave, beat, rhythm, fullness of sound, noise, brilliance and chord progression, and compares it against a database of over 3.5 million"
],
[
"claims to be able to predict whether a song will be a pop hit"
],
[
"Science"
],
[
"a piece of software claims it can compute whether a song has chart-topping potential, and a number of record companies and musicians are using Hit Song Science (HSS) to gauge whether they have a hit on their hands."
],
[
"Barcelona-based Music Intelligence Solutions,"
]
] |
Barcelona company claims its software can tell if a song will be a pop hit .
Hit Song Science analyzes song's melody, harmony, tempo, beat .
Software cannot write hits, just predict whether they will find success .
Company says A&R departments are using it to tweak tracks for the top .
|
(CNN) -- Since the moment Barack Obama took office, he has made a concerted effort to speak directly to the Muslim world. Election posters hang on the exterior of many buildings in Tripoli, Lebanon, last week. Even his inauguration address sent a new and different message from the United States: "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," he said on January 20, standing in front of a changed nation. "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy." Next month, Obama will deliver a long-awaited speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt. He will speak at a critical time for Lebanon, days before an election that could bring powerful Shia militia group Hezbollah to power. This possibility could shake the foundation of Obama's attempts to bring stability and peace to the Middle East. With one of the most powerful armies in the Middle East, Hezbollah is poised to lead Lebanon's government with the help of Lebanese Christian opposition leader, Gen. Michel Aoun. Aoun signed a memo of understanding with Hezbollah in February 2006 and joined the March 8 bloc, led by Hezbollah. That could give the bloc the numbers it needs to control parliament after the June 7 elections. There have been sporadic incidents of violence ahead of the vote: Billboards have been defaced and just last week, a Hezbollah-aligned political office was burned to the ground. While these acts of violence are small by Lebanese standards, a friend who lives near the burned office told me it was a "terrifying reminder of last May." That is when Hezbollah militants, in a blatant show of force, seized control of the streets of Beirut, marking the worst violence to hit Lebanon since the end of its civil war in 1991. Many saw it as an embarrassment to Saad Hariri's ruling March 14 bloc, which had to grant major political concessions to Hezbollah to restore order to Beirut. Hezbollah's leader has painted May 7, 2008, as a "glorious day that prevented civil war," but journalists like myself remember the day slightly differently: pinned down behind a building by raging gunfire. At the time, I could not believe that Hezbollah gunmen were about to occupy half of the Lebanese capital. They did so until the government gave in; then they withdrew back to Beirut's southern suburbs, allowing the city's wealthy neighborhoods to return to normal for the summer. Regardless, it was a show of force that people in Lebanon have not forgotten. The lead-up to next month's vote has seen the same, typical -- and at times stereotypical -- Beirut antics. Hezbollah has accused Hariri's political bloc of bringing Lebanese expatriates into the country in droves to try to swing the vote in its favor. Anyone who drives out to Beirut's airport can see these expats arriving from countries like Brazil, Canada and the United States. Hariri swept to power in the wake of the 2005 assassination of his father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Many Lebanese blamed Syria, which had dominated Lebanon politically and militarily since the civil war, for the killing. The assassination sparked widespread protests that led to the election of the younger Hariri's anti-Syrian bloc in parliament and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Damascus has denied any role in Hariri's killing, but a U.N. investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement. Now, it appears the tide is turning once again in Lebanon, this time in Hezbollah's favor. Three years ago, Hezbollah -- which is supported by both Syria and Iran -- fought a war against the Israeli military, which failed to weaken the militia. Since that perceived victory over Israel, Hezbollah has been considered by its supporters to be the "defender of Lebanon." So what happens on June 8 when the world wakes up to a Lebanon that sees Hezbollah aligned with Aoun as the majority
|
[
"What would shake Obama's efforts towards Mideast peace?",
"Where is Obama's speech to Muslim world to take place?",
"When are the Links Lebanon elections?",
"When will Obaam give major speech to muslim world?",
"Who could be brought into power?",
"When is Lebanon elections?",
"Who plans to give a major speech to the Muslim world?"
] |
[
[
"an election that could bring powerful Shia militia group Hezbollah to power."
],
[
"Cairo, Egypt."
],
[
"June 7"
],
[
"Next month,"
],
[
"Shia militia group Hezbollah"
],
[
"June 7"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
]
] |
Lebanon elections on June 7 could bring Hezbollah to power, says CNN's Cal Perry .
That would shake President Obama's efforts toward Mideast peace, Perry says .
Obama plans to give major speech to Muslim world on June 4 in Egypt .
Will Obama champion democracy, given the situation in Lebanon, Perry asks .
|
(CNN) -- Since the revolution in 1959 Cuba has been many things to many people, but the collapse of the Soviet Union meant few have seen the island state as a vision of the future. But that could be changing -- at least in one aspect. Cuba experienced a reordering of its food production in the early 1990's. A boom for organic foods, but problems persist. As worries grow in developed nations about a future without plentiful supplies of oil, the communist republic is proving to be an increasingly popular example of how to cope when the spigots run dry, for the simple reason: they've already been there. With the loss of supplies from oil-rich Russia in 1991, and a U.S. embargo preventing imports from elsewhere, Cuba was plunged into a severe recession in the early 1990's, referred to as "the Special Period." Suddenly society was faced with dramatically reduced amounts of hydrocarbon energy, and the result was a fundamental reorganization of food production, leading to a boom in urban organic agriculture, which requires fewer inputs than conventional farming. Despite the increase in organic production, problems remain for Cuba's agricultural system and ability to feed itself with local produce. "Some estimates of the amount of food imports in Cuba go as high as 80 percent of domestic consumption," says CNN's Havana Bureau Chief, Morgan Neill. "This isn't to say that small scale organic farmers couldn't learn for isolated growers, but Cuba's overall agriculture is one of the government's biggest problems." Cuba's organic example, however, has been a source for inspiration for many outside of the country, such as the UK-based Cuban Organic Solidarity Group (COSG). "With the collapse of the Soviet Union Cuba was in a position where no-one thought it would survive -- they lost 80 percent of their trade overnight," says Wendy Emmett of COSG. "As a result the priority given to food changed, and it was immediately seen as much more important." All over Havana small-scale organic gardens were started on roof-tops, backyards and in empty parking lots, spreading rapidly to other cities and urban centers. Farmer's markets known as "Kiosks" sprang up providing city-dwellers with access to locally-grown fruit and vegetables, cutting the use of oil in transporting food in from the countryside. In the countryside, oxen and horses replaced tractors. Manual labor replaced machines. A huge program of land re-distribution was instigated. Many of the vast collective farms beloved by communist planners started to look inefficient, and so were broken up into units more manageable without fleets of tractors. The process is still ongoing. In February 2009 the Cuban authorities announced that 1,827 square miles of state land would be given to Cubans with agricultural experience or other citizens. But this change wasn't easy. Prior to the "Special Period" Cuba had been a heavy user of oil-based chemical fertilizers, and much of the land was heavily degraded, requiring years of careful manuring to restore fertility. However, despite the obstacles, they did it. "I was there in 1992, which was one of the most difficult years, and certainly people were moaning a lot, but they worked together, they still kept the milk coming for the schoolchildren," says Emmett. "Throughout it all they didn't close any hospitals, they didn't close any schools; they kept going against the odds. In many ways they show us what is possible, what a community can achieve when they work together; the power of co-operation." A blue-print to cope with problems post-peak oil? Of course a powerful authoritarian state and strong central planning made such huge changes easier to implement; a similar process of development might be very different, and possibly lees successful, in the West. But as an increasing number of people believe we will soon face a major social and economic crisis as oil supplies dwindle over coming decades, many believe we have a lot to learn from the
|
[
"What kind of farming was implemented?",
"What was the key type of farming implemented?",
"What led to reorganization of agriculture?"
] |
[
[
"urban organic agriculture,"
],
[
"organic foods,"
],
[
"reduced amounts of hydrocarbon energy,"
]
] |
Cuba's economic hardship in early 1990's led to reorganization of agriculture .
Urban and organic farming implemented plus break up of inefficient large farms .
Some see Cuba's experience as way to cope with problems of future oil crises .
|
(CNN) -- Singapore's Gross Domestic Product is expected to shrink as much as 5 percent in 2009, far more than the 1 to 2 percent contraction predicted earlier this month, the government said. People walk out for their lunch break in the financial district of Singapore on Wednesday. The Ministry of Trade and Industry said it expected a GDP reduction of between 2 and 5 percent this year. Singapore's economy grew by 1.2 percent in 2008, the government said, far lower than its 7.7 percent growth in 2007. Slowdowns in manufacturing, trade, transport and storage, information and communications and the financial services sectors contributed to the decline, the government said. The global financial crisis led to a "significant decline in fund management and stock broking activities in the second half of 2008," and a sharper downturn was expected in 2009, the ministry said. The ministry cited data on retail sales and unemployment in the United States, industrial production in Europe and on Asian exports for the weaker outlook. Inflation was expected to ease slightly, however. The finance minister is expected to deliver the 2009 budget statement on Thursday.
|
[
"Who is expected to deliver budget statement?",
"What cites data on US retail enemployment?",
"What is the percentage of GDP reduction expected?",
"Who is expected to deliver a 2009 budget statement?",
"Who cited data?",
"What is the expected reduction of the GDP?",
"What was the reduction?"
] |
[
[
"The finance minister"
],
[
"The Ministry of Trade and Industry"
],
[
"between 2 and 5 percent"
],
[
"finance minister"
],
[
"The ministry"
],
[
"between 2 and 5 percent this year."
],
[
"between 2 and 5 percent"
]
] |
Gross Domestic Product reduction between 2 and 5 percent expected .
Ministry cites data on U.S. retail sales and unemployment, Asian exports .
Finance minister expected to deliver the 2009 budget statement Thursday .
|
(CNN) -- Singapore's economy shrank by 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Thursday, as it forecast the economy would contract between 2 and 5 percent this year.
Boats ply under a bridge near the financial district of Singapore.
Compared to a robust growth of 7.8 percent a year earlier, the economy grew by 1.1 percent for the whole of 2008, the ministry added.
It called Gross Domestic Product growth prospects for 2009 "weak ... on account of the pessimistic global economic outlook."
All major sectors, except for construction, business services and information and communications, saw contractions, the ministry said.
The ministry cited a decline in private sector investments and private consumption expenditure for dragging down total domestic demand.
Declines in global demand for electronics products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals were also likely to weigh on the manufacturing sector.
|
[
"Percentage that economy grew in 2007?",
"How much did Singapore's economy grow in 2008 as a whole?",
"Percentage that Singapore's economy has shrunk in 2008?",
"What does the government forecast?",
"What will shrinks in the fourth quarter?",
"Did communications and construction sectors shrink?",
"What industries have avoided contractions?",
"What was the overall growth rate for 2008?",
"What industries did not have economic problems in this country?",
"What nation's economy contracted 4 percent in the last quarter of 2008?",
"What are the government forecasts for the economy in Singapore for the future?"
] |
[
[
"7.8 percent"
],
[
"1.1 percent"
],
[
"shrank by 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter of"
],
[
"the economy would contract between 2 and 5 percent this year."
],
[
"economy"
],
[
"saw contractions,"
],
[
"construction, business services and information and communications,"
],
[
"1.1 percent"
],
[
"construction, business services and information and communications,"
],
[
"Singapore's"
],
[
"would contract between 2 and 5 percent this year."
]
] |
Singapore's economy shrinks by 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 .
Government forecasts economy will contract between 2 and 5 percent this year .
Economy grew by percent in 2007, but only 1.1 percent for the whole of 2008 .
Construction, business services, information, communications avoid contractions .
|
(CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown's arrest on a domestic violence charge prompted Wrigley to suspend its Doublemint gum campaign that uses Brown as a spokesman.
"Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown," Wrigley spokeswoman Jennifer Luth said.
Brown was arrested Sunday night in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident in Hollywood early Sunday morning, police said. He was released on a $50,000 bond and given a March 5 court date.
A Doublemint commercial features Brown singing about the gum to the tune of his hit song "Forever."
"We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen," Luth said. "However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved."
|
[
"What did Wrigley do after Brown's arrest?",
"what have Wrigley's spokesperson said",
"what has Chris Brown been featured in",
"What ad features Chris Brown?",
"For what charge was Brown arrested?",
"on what day was Brown arrested",
"What ad was Brown in?"
] |
[
[
"suspend its Doublemint"
],
[
"\"Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown,\""
],
[
"Doublemint"
],
[
"Doublemint commercial"
],
[
"domestic violence"
],
[
"Sunday"
],
[
"Doublemint"
]
] |
Chris Brown has been featured in ad for Wrigley's gum .
Brown was arrested Sunday in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident .
Wrigley's spokesperson: We've suspended Brown ads until "matter is resolved"
|
(CNN) -- Singer Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, checked herself into "a medical facility to address some personal issues," her London publicist confirmed Friday. Kelly Osbourne is struggling with "some personal issues," according to her spokeswoman. The British Press Association cited an unnamed source saying Osbourne, 24, is being treated at the Hazelden retreat in Oregon. "Kelly Osbourne has voluntarily entered a medical facility to address some personal issues," spokeswoman Caroline Barrett said in a statement e-mailed to CNN. "Her family stands by and supports her." Osbourne was jailed in London in January on a charge of assaulting a British newspaper gossip columnist at a London nightclub last summer. She was freed on bail. She's been absent in recent weeks from a British radio talk show in which she dispenses life advice to young people. Her father, who rose to fame with the heavy metal group Black Sabbath, and mother Sharon revealed nearly five years ago that Kelly Osbourne entered the Promises rehab facility in Malibu, California, for treatment of a painkiller addiction. Their revelation came in an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" in May 2004. "We just had to take evasive action very quickly, because the amount of pills that was found in her bag was astounding," Ozzy Osbourne told Larry King. Kelly Osbourne gained fame as a teenager when her family opened up their lives to cameras for an MTV reality show "The Osbournes." She used the exposure to launch her own music career.
|
[
"What is the name of her father?",
"Where is Osbourne now?",
"What is she known for?",
"Where did Kelly Osbourne first become known from?",
"Who is she the daughter of?",
"Who is in \"medical facility to address some personal issues\"?",
"From what has she first become known?",
"Where is Kelly Osbourne?"
] |
[
[
"Ozzy Osbourne,"
],
[
"facility to address some personal issues,\""
],
[
"an MTV reality show"
],
[
"\"The Osbournes.\""
],
[
"Ozzy Osbourne,"
],
[
"Kelly Osbourne,"
],
[
"\"The Osbournes.\""
],
[
"at the Hazelden retreat in Oregon."
]
] |
Kelly Osbourne in "medical facility to address some personal issues"
Daughter of Ozzy Osbourne had been doing radio advice show .
Kelly Osbourne first became known from MTV's "The Osbournes"
|
(CNN) -- Singer Nelly Furtado is trying to cross over in a direction many artists don't ordinarily take. Singer Nelly Furtado says she enjoys diversity in music and broadening her fan base. With "Mi Plan," the Grammy Award-winning singer is taping into a brand new market and fan base, almost a decade after she came to fame in 2000 with the single "I'm Like a Bird." While the Canadian-born singer -- whose parents are Portuguese -- has sung in Spanish before, "Mi Plan" is the first time she has recorded an entire album in Spanish, a language she said she learned as a teen. It's seems like a natural progression for Furtado, an artist often noted for diversity in her sound. A few years after her breakthrough, Furtado teamed up with superproducer Timbaland for her 2006 album "Loose," a collaboration that gained her scores of hip-hop and R&B fans as well, and spawned hits such as "Promiscuous" and "Say It Right." "Mi Plan" pairs her with a few Spanish-language music artists, including Alex Cuba, Juan Luis Guerra, Julieta Venegas and La Mala Rodriguez, as well as English-language artist Josh Groban. The first single off the album, "Manos Al Aire," made history as it marked the first time a North American artist reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart with a song that was originally written in Spanish, rather than a translated version of an English-language song. Furtado spoke with CNN about her passion for Spanish, why she feels like an artist reborn and the career path she hopes to take. CNN: What was the inspiration for the new album? Nelly Furtado: There were so many inspirations. The language was the biggest inspiration. I've sang so much in Spanish in the past, and also Portuguese. I get a lot of joy in singing in Latin languages. It expresses the Latin side of me. Watch Furtado talk about her new album » My parents were born in Portugal and they raised us in Canada. We grew up speaking Portuguese and then I learned Spanish at the age of 14. I love being a multicultural artist, I love being a global artist. [The album] is almost like a literal reflection of that this time in the fact that it's all in Spanish and it's a completely original project written from scratch. CNN: So it's all new? Furtado: Yes. It feels like a rebirth of sorts. It's almost like a parallel world where I get to reinvent myself again as an artist, but in a very whole kind of way. It's been a lot of fun. CNN: You have such a loyal fan base. What do you hope they get from your latest project? Furtado: Just because I have collaborated with so many different people with so many different styles of music that I think my sort of goal or mantra my whole career has been to broaden the minds of my fan base. This album is just an extension of that. I'm an inclusive person and everyone is invited to the fiesta. I'm excited because I am meeting brand new fans for the first time who don't have any of my prior albums. Four albums in, it's a tough job to try to attract new fans and I think that's what I am doing with this new music. CNN: Did you consider it risky to do a Spanish-language album? Furtado: I like to take risks. I live for risk taking and challenges. I just find it so much more exciting and it keeps my job entertaining and interesting. Everyone is looking for that next challenge at work. Everyone wants that extra credential on their business card. If it's easy, it's not fun. CNN: How is performing in Spanish different? Furtado: When I express myself in Spanish or in Portuguese I feel very free. There are a lot of things you can
|
[
"What language is Nelly Furtado's new album sung in?",
"Whose new album is sung in Spanish?",
"Where are Furtado's parents from?",
"Where did single make history?",
"who is nelly furtado",
"What nationality are Furtado's parents?",
"What nationality are Furtado's parents?",
"What language is Nelly Furtado's new album sung in?",
"The first single made history on what Billboard Song Chart?",
"wich single made history on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart?",
"What language is Nelly Furtado's album sung in?",
"Where is Furtado from?",
"from where are furtado's parents?"
] |
[
[
"Spanish,"
],
[
"Nelly Furtado"
],
[
"Portugal"
],
[
"Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart"
],
[
"Singer"
],
[
"Portuguese"
],
[
"Portuguese"
],
[
"Spanish"
],
[
"Hot Latin"
],
[
"\"Manos Al Aire,\""
],
[
"Spanish,"
],
[
"Canada."
],
[
"Portuguese"
]
] |
Nelly Furtado's new album is sung completely in Spanish .
The singer worked with noted Latin artists on the project .
Furtado, whose parents are Portuguese, finds performing in Spanish "liberating"
First single made history on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart .
|
(CNN) -- Singer Rihanna, through her lawyer, asked a judge Thursday not to prohibit her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, from having contact with her while he faces felony charges of assaulting her. Chris Brown attends his arraignment in Los Angeles on Thursday. Attorney Mark Geragos is at right. The judge granted Rihanna's request. Brown, 19, allegedly attacked Rihanna, 21, during an argument in February that began when she found a text message from another woman on his cell phone, according to a sworn police statement. Brown appeared before a judge Thursday on the two felony counts, but his arraignment was delayed until next month at the request of his lawyer. Authorities charged Brown on Thursday with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats, the Los Angeles County, California, District Attorney's Office said. If he is convicted, the sentence could range from probation to four years and eight months in prison, the office said. While Los Angeles County Judge Kristi Lousteau warned Brown "not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone," Lousteau did not issue a "no contact" order that would have kept Brown away from the woman he is accused of beating. Watch a discussion of the charges -- and Brown's future » Rihanna's lawyer, Donald Etra, stood near Brown and his lawyer, Mark Geragos, during the brief hearing. Rihanna was not in the courtroom. Referring to the "no contact" order that could have been imposed, Etra told reporters after the hearing, "Rihanna requested that no such order be issued." Etra said the less stringent protective order against harassment and threats signed by Lousteau was "more than sufficient in this case." Etra did not respond when reporters asked if the singer was cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Brown. Brown, dressed in a suit and tie, said little during the hearing, except to answer "yes" when the judge asked him if he wished to waive his right to a speedy trial in exchange for a delay in arraignment. He then signed a waiver, which also allows Geragos to appear without him in court for hearings on routine issues. Lousteau ordered Brown to return to court on April 6 for formal arraignment. Court documents released Thursday revealed details about the case against Brown, including a police statement that the incident began when Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, found a text message on Brown's cell phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with." Watch panelists discuss whether Rihanna will testify » A search warrant used by police to obtain cell phone records related to the case included the sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews in which he detailed what allegedly happened in the early morning hours of February 8. Read the affidavit (PDF) "Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown's cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with. "A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion. "Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle. "Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the s--t out of you when we get
|
[
"when was chris browns arraignment delayed until?",
"who requested a no contact order?",
"till when is it delayed",
"What is he charged with?",
"who is robyn f",
"What is the name of the victim?",
"what is brown being charged with?"
] |
[
[
"next month"
],
[
"Rihanna,"
],
[
"next month"
],
[
"felony charges of assaulting her."
],
[
"Rihanna,"
],
[
"Rihanna,"
],
[
"felony counts of assault and making criminal threats,"
]
] |
NEW: Rihanna's lawyer says she requested there be no "no contact" order .
Chris Brown's arraignment delayed until April 6 .
Brown charged with assault, making criminal threats .
Victim identified as "Robyn F."; "Robyn F." is Rihanna .
|
(CNN) -- Singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died, her publicist, Patty Freedman, told CNN on Thursday. Actress Eartha Kitt, shown at a benefit for the Actors Fund in 2003, performed almost until the end of her life. Kitt, 81, died in New York, where she was being treated for colon cancer, Freedman said. Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, was by her side. She was performing almost until the end, taping a PBS special six weeks ago in Chicago, Illinois. The show is set to air in February. The ringtone version of her recording of the saucy Christmas song "Santa Baby" was certified gold earlier this month. Kitt was well known for her distinctive voice and made a name for herself in her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series "Batman." That role produced Kitt's recognizable sultry cat growl. She worked in film, theater, cabaret, music and on television during her lengthy career. According to Kitt's official Web site, she was nominated for a Tony three times, a Grammy and Emmy twice. According to the biography on that site, Kitt lived in Connecticut near her daughter and four grandchildren. Kitt was ostracized at an early age because of her mixed-race heritage, the biography says. At age 8, she was sent from the cotton fields of South Carolina by her mother to live with her aunt in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, the site said. As a teen, she auditioned for the famed Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe, was hired as a featured dancer and vocalist, and toured worldwide with the company. This launched Kitt into a life of roles in the entertainment field. According to the book "Contemporary Black Biography," she was adored in Europe in the 1950s as a cabaret singer. In the United States, her dance career led to a critically acclaimed stint on Broadway, including the play "New Faces of 1952," which was later made into a movie. Broadway stardom landed Kitt a recording deal that led to a string of best-selling records, including "Love for Sale," "I Want to Be Evil," "Santa Baby" and "Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa." She recorded more than 20 albums, worked in hundreds of television and movie roles, and was invited as a guest to the White House several times. CNN's David Daniel contributed to this report.
|
[
"Kitt made a name for herself in which TV series?",
"Who was by her side?",
"What song was certified gold last week?",
"Where did she die?",
"Where did Kitt die?",
"What song did she record?",
"What was she treated for?"
] |
[
[
"\"Batman.\""
],
[
"daughter, Kitt Shapiro,"
],
[
"\"Santa Baby\""
],
[
"New York,"
],
[
"New York,"
],
[
"\"Santa Baby\""
],
[
"colon cancer,"
]
] |
Kitt died in New York, where she was being treated for colon cancer .
Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, was by her side .
Her recording of saucy Christmas song "Santa Baby" was certified gold last week .
Kitt made a name for herself in as Catwoman in "Batman" TV series .
|
(CNN) -- Singer-actress Mandy Moore and rocker Ryan Adams were married this week in Savannah, Georgia, Moore's publicist told CNN on Wednesday. Mandy Moore first found recording success in 1999 with her single "Candy" and is now a well-known actress. The wedding took place Tuesday, said Jillian Fowkes, who gave no further details about the nuptials. Rumors first surfaced almost a year ago that Moore, 24, and Adams, 34, were dating, as paparazzi photos surfaced of the couple out together in Los Angeles, California. Moore's first success as a recording artist came in 1999 with her debut album, "So Real," which went platinum with the help of her top-10 single "Candy." Adams is known for producing rock music with a country influence. He is best known for his song "New York, New York", which appeared on his 2001 release "Gold." Adams is also an author and has produced music for Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson. He recently announced that he was leaving his band, The Cardinals, because of inner ear troubles affecting his balance and hearing. Adams has fronted The Cardinals since 2004.
|
[
"When was the couple first spotted together?",
"Where Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams married?",
"For which team plays Ryan Adams?",
"Who did Moore marry?",
"When was the couple first spotted?",
"What did Adams recently announce?",
"Who is leaving the Cardinals?",
"Who married quietly in Savannah, Georgia?"
] |
[
[
"almost a year ago"
],
[
"Savannah, Georgia,"
],
[
"Cardinals"
],
[
"Ryan Adams"
],
[
"almost a year ago"
],
[
"announced that he was leaving his band, The Cardinals,"
],
[
"Ryan Adams"
],
[
"Mandy Moore and rocker Ryan Adams"
]
] |
Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams married quietly in Savannah, Georgia .
Couple was first spotted together by paparazzi almost a year ago .
He recently announced he is leaving The Cardinals .
|
(CNN) -- Sir Edmund Hillary has been laid to rest in New Zealand after thousands paid tribute to a mountaineer whose conquest of Mt Everest in 1953 was one of the 20th century's defining moments. A last farewell to Sir Edmund Hillary. Guests filled Auckland's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral and an overflow area next door for a service. Among the guests were politicians, mountaineers and friends. Lady Hillary sat with family and Prime Minister Helen Clark. In the congregation were members of Nepal's Sherpa community and Buddhist monks. In front of them, Hillary's coffin was draped in a New Zealand flag and covered in wreaths. See photos of the funeral service » As the service began, Sherpas laid Tibetan prayer scarves on the coffin. In Nepal, schools were due to ring bells as the service started. Hillary's son, Peter, told the congregation: "Adventure was compulsory growing up in the Hillary household. He took us to the most extraordinary places." His daughter, Sarah spoke of a childhood where Sir Edmund was planning expeditions, and coming home to a family eager to see him again. "When asked at primary school what my father did, I was unable to find an answer." Clark said: "He was a role model for a generation of New Zealanders... We mourn as a nation because we know we are saying goodbye to a friend." On Monday, New Zealanders filed past Hillary's casket as they paid final respects in Auckland's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral. Four soldiers, rifles at rest, stood guard as ordinary New Zealanders said goodbye to a national hero, whose achievements are known around the world. Hillary's widow attended the tribute, which featured Maori song and dance. Clark, called it a celebration of a "very great" life. Hillary, who was 88, died at Auckland City Hospital on January 11. On May 29, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa guide, became the first men to climb the 29,035 feet to the top of Everest and safely return. Hillary, who served during World War II in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, began climbing while in high school and traveled to the central Himalayas to join a British party exploring the southern face of Everest in 1951. He returned in 1953, when he and Norgay made their ascent -- spending 15-30 minutes at the summit. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on his return to England, but continued exploring -- reaching the South Pole by tractor in 1958, joining the first group to climb Antarctica's Mount Herschel in 1967 and boating east Himalayan rivers and the Ganges. His Himalayan Trust has helped build schools, hospitals and airstrips in Nepal since 1961. He was also a strong supporter of environmental causes and worked to improve the lives of Nepal's Sherpas. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"Which two men were the first to climb Mount Everest?",
"Who says goodbye to national hero?",
"Who was in the congregation?",
"What did he do?",
"Who were the first men to climb Mount Everest?",
"What is in the congregation?",
"Who did New Zealand says goodbye to?"
] |
[
[
"Hillary and Tenzing Norgay,"
],
[
"ordinary New Zealanders"
],
[
"politicians, mountaineers and friends."
],
[
"became the first men to climb the 29,035 feet to the top of Everest and safely return."
],
[
"Tenzing Norgay,"
],
[
"members of Nepal's Sherpa community and Buddhist monks."
],
[
"Edmund Hillary"
]
] |
New Zealand says final goodbye to national hero Sir Edmund Hillary .
In the congregation is family, Nepalese Sherpas, politicians and friends .
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to climb Mount Everest .
|
(CNN) -- Sitting at her home in West Seattle, Washington, Amanda Knox's aunt Janet Huff was watching the live television news coverage that her niece had been convicted of murder.
"It was terrible, it was gut-wrenching just to hear them say it," Huff said of the verdict.
She had been up for more than 11 hours while the jury deliberated, anxiously awaiting word. She remained hopeful but deeply afraid. She couldn't eat.
When the verdict was announced at about midnight in Perugia, Italy, her worst fears came true. Knox and her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of murdering Knox's roommate Meredith Kercher. Knox was sentenced to 26 years and Sollecito 25 years in prison.
Following the verdict, people flooded out of the Italian courtroom. When the prosecution emerged, a rush of applause followed.
"To see the people outside the courtroom applauding -- that just made me sick, that people can be that callous and cold," Huff said.
Soon after the verdict, Knox's parents, Curt Knox and Edda Mellas, emerged and swiftly moved through the crowd. Watch Janet Huff's interview with CNN's Campbell Brown
Huff said she spoke to Knox's parents shortly after the verdict.
"They are, of course, shattered. They are not doing great," Huff said. "But we have already started the process of appeals. That's all we can do."
For Huff, Knox is still the strong, kindhearted girl she has always known -- not the cold-blooded killer prosecutors portrayed during the trial.
Huff said Knox was worried about the trial's impact on the family.
"I think that's what gets her through, knowing that she's got to be strong," she said. "If she falls apart, then we are really going to lose it. Knox's parents: Our daughter is no killer
"I know she is terribly disappointed, heartbroken and scared to death, but she's more concerned about her family and how we are."
With Knox's conviction, Huff said the family was moving forward with plans for some relatives to move to Italy to be near Knox. The cost and physical toll of constantly traveling to Italy was weighing on the family, she said.
"We've looked at jobs and apartments just in case this happened," she said. "There's no way we are going to leave Amanda in Italy all alone."
Knox's case has attracted widespread media attention and prompted salacious articles focusing on her sex life. Her name and photo have appeared on the front pages of newspapers all over the world, and now, Huff fears, things may get worse.
"Now that there's a guilty verdict, she's always going to be remembered as 'The convicted killer Amanda Knox,' and I'm disgusted by that," Huff said.
Maria Cantwell, a U.S. senator from Knox's home state of Washington, issued a statement saying she was "saddened by the verdict." "I have serious questions about the Italian justice system and whether anti-Americanism tainted this trial," Cantwell said. "I will be conveying my concerns to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton."
Huff said she hopes the appeals process will show what her family has believed all along.
"She will be vindicated and she will be found innocent," she said.
Despite the pain the trial has brought Knox's family, Huff stressed it is nothing compared to what victim Meredith Kercher's family has gone through.
"They still don't have closure, they may think they are vindicated with the guilty verdict but we know it doesn't bring their daughter back," she said.
|
[
"Who are not doing great?",
"Who is Janet Huff?",
"who was convicted of murder",
"who was murdered",
"what did huff say"
] |
[
[
"Knox's parents"
],
[
"Amanda Knox's aunt"
],
[
"Amanda Knox's"
],
[
"Meredith Kercher."
],
[
"\"It was terrible, it was gut-wrenching just to hear them"
]
] |
Janet Huff: "It was terrible, it was gut-wrenching just to hear them say it"
Amanda Knox, former boyfriend, convicted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher .
Aunt says seeing people applaud verdict outside court made her sick .
Huff says Knox's parents are "shattered, they are not doing great"
|
(CNN) -- Six Nations winners Ireland ended the year unbeaten after defeating world rugby champions South Africa 15-10 in Dublin on Saturday thanks to an assured kicking performance from newcomer Jonathan Sexton. The fly-half, playing only his second international ahead of the veteran Ronan O'Gara, landed five penalties as the Irish overcame conceding the game's only try to Schalk Burger in the 16th minute. The injury-hit Springboks, who won the southern hemisphere's Tri-Nations title this year, were left to lament three missed kicks at goal by fly-half Morne Steyn and one by substitute Ruan Pienaar. The Irish fielded nine players who toured South Africa with the Lions earlier this year, when flanker Burger was banned for eight weeks for eye-gouging Luke Fitzgerald. Sexton landed an early penalty from long range, but Steyn helped to send blindsider Burger over the line and added the extras, before making it 10-3 with a drop-goal. Sexton reduced the deficit before halftime as Steyn three times missed from considerable distance. Ireland moved 12-10 ahead with two more Sexton goals despite struggling at the scrums, and the visitors started to wilt after Pienaar hit the post with a penalty attempt. New Zealand ended their northern hemisphere tour unbeaten after crushing France 39-12 in Marseille, running in five tries to none. The All Blacks have suffered an uncharacteristic four defeats this year -- three of them to the Springboks -- but took the chance to avenge the shock 27-22 home loss to Les Bleus in June. The Kiwis, who had earlier beaten Wales, Italy and England on tour, led 22-12 at halftime as backs Sitiveni Sivivatu and Mils Muliaina crossed for tries along with back-row forward Jerome Kaino. Winger Cory Jane and center Conrad Smith went over in the second half and mercurial fly-half Dan Carter kicked a total of 14 points while orchestrating the All Blacks' most free-flowing performance of the tour against a side who had earlier beaten South Africa and Samoa. New Zealand captain Richie McCaw was named the International Rugby Board's player of the year after the match, becoming the first to achieve the honor twice following his 2006 award. Scotland crashed back to earth following last weekend's first win over Australia in 27 years, losing 9-6 at home to bogey side Argentina. The visitors came back from 6-0 down at halftime in Edinburgh, where they have not lost for 19 years, and inflicted the first defeat on Scots coach Andy Robinson. Phil Godman kicked two penalties to give Scotland hope of winning all their November internationals for the first time since 2002, but paid the price for lock Nathan Hines' second-half sin-binning as Martin Rodriguez leveled with two kicks of his own. Rodriguez then landed a drop-goal two minutes from time to give the Pumas a fourth straight win at Murrayfield and their first victory on this tour. Australia, however, relieved the pressure on coach Robbie Deans by crushing Wales 33-12 in Cardiff, avenging last year's 21-18 defeat. Matt Giteau missed a last-gasp conversion against the Scots which would have won the match, but was to the fore this time as the Wallabies ran in three early tries. Center Digby Ioane, lock James Horwill, flanker David Pocock went over in the first 16 minutes, while Wales lost Shane Williams, try-scorer Leigh Halfpenny and Matthew Rees to injury as they surrendered a 23-12 halftime deficit. Substitute hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau crossed in the second half while Giteau kicked 13 points in total to hand Wales coach Warren Gatland, a New Zealander, his heaviest home defeat in front of a 74,339 crowd. Italy beat the touring Samoa team 24-6 for their first victory in four encounters with the Pacific Islanders, who had Henry Fa'afili sent off for a high tackle on first-half tryscorer Luke McLean.
|
[
"Who was the Six Nations winners?",
"Who were kicked five penalties?",
"How many nations winners?",
"How many penalties did they have?",
"Who lose 9-6 at home to Argentina?",
"What was the Scotland loss?"
] |
[
[
"Ireland"
],
[
"Jonathan Sexton."
],
[
"Six"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"Scotland"
],
[
"losing 9-6"
]
] |
Six Nations winners Ireland ended the year unbeaten after defeating South Africa 15-10 .
Jonathan Sexton kicked five penalties as world rugby champions lose in Dublin .
New Zealand avenge June's home defeat by France with a 39-12 victory in Paris .
Scotland lose 9-6 at home to Argentina, while Australia triumph 33-12 in Wales .
|
(CNN) -- Six Uyghurs who were imprisoned in the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were transferred Saturday to the South Pacific island nation of Palau, the Justice Department said. Ahmad Tourson, Abdul Ghappar Abdul Rahman, Edham Mamet, Anwar Hassan, Dawut Abdurehim and Adel Noori were resettled in Palau, the Justice Department said in a statement Saturday. Seven Uyghurs are still at Guantanamo Bay, where 215 prisoners remain. Uyghur is an ethnic group from western China. Since January, 25 detainees have been transferred to other countries. The United States has coordinated with Palau "to ensure that the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with the Republic of Palau regarding the individuals," the Justice Department said. The 13 Uyghurs were accused of receiving weapons and military training in Afghanistan. Some of them have been cleared for release since 2003, and other Uyghurs have been released to other countries. The United States said it would not send them back to their homeland because of concern they would be tortured by Chinese authorities. The Chinese government has said no returned Uyghurs would be mistreated and has repeatedly warned other countries against taking the men. Beijing officials this summer again urged the United States to hand over all remaining Uyghurs instead of sending them elsewhere. China alleges the men are part of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a group the U.S. State Department considers a terrorist organization, that operates in the Xinjiang region. East Turkestan is another name for Xinjiang. On October 20, the Supreme Court tentatively agreed to accept an appeal from the 13 Uyghurs to be released into the United States from American military custody. CNN's Carol Cratty and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
|
[
"Where did the Uyghurs go to?",
"What does China say about the Uyghurs?",
"What were the 13 Uyghurs accused of?"
] |
[
[
"the South Pacific island nation of Palau,"
],
[
"no returned Uyghurs would be mistreated"
],
[
"receiving weapons and military training in Afghanistan."
]
] |
The Uyghurs -- Muslims from Southern China -- went to South Pacific island nation Saturday .
7 Uyghurs still at Guantanamo Bay; U.S. won't send them back to China, citing torture concerns .
The 13 Uyghurs were accused of receiving weapons and military training in Afghanistan .
China says returning Uyghurs won't be mistreated, warns other countries not to take them .
|
(CNN) -- Six men, including a police officer, are facing homicide charges in last week's killing of French filmmaker and photographer Christian Poveda in El Salvador, the attorney general's office said. Filmmaker Christian Poveda poses for a picture at a workshop in Mexico on August 29. The suspect accused of ordering the slaying, Nelson Lazo Rivera, was already in prison, according to a statement Wednesday from the agency. Officials gave no motive for the slaying and did not say why Lazo Rivera is incarcerated. El Diario de Hoy newspaper said he is in prison for several murders, including three slayings in 2003 known as the massacre of Samcap. Poveda, 53, had recently finished a documentary about a violent street gang, part of the Mara 18 criminal group in El Salvador. He was found shot to death September 2 in the town of Tonacatepeque, about 10 miles northeast of the capital, San Salvador, authorities said. Four of the suspects are members of the same Mara 18 gang that was the subject of Poveda's film, the attorney general's office said. Authorities identified them as Calixto Rigoberto Escobar (known as Toro), Jose Alejandro Melara (El Puma), Roberto Luis Romero (Tiger), and Miguel Angel Rosa (El Cholo). National Civil Police Officer Juan Napoleon Espinoza also was arrested, the attorney general's office said. Officials did not say what his involvement in the crime may have been. But El Mundo, Diario Co Latino, El Faro and El Diario de Hoy newspapers said authorities believe the officer told gang members Poveda was giving information on the group to police. According to El Diario de Hoy, police deputy director Mauricio Ramirez Landaverde said Espinoza was a Mara 18 member, who would drink with other members in his free time and also was involved in giving them weapons, ammunition and information. Authorities said the suspects will be charged with aggravated homicide, proposition and conspiracy in the homicide and illicit associations. Poveda's documentary, "La Vida Loca," follows the lives of members of the Mara 18 gang. The documentary has been screened at a handful of film festivals and is slated for wider release later this month. His body was found in an area controlled by that same gang, officials said. The suspects had set up a meeting with Poveda on August 30, at which time they were supposed to kill him and bury his body, El Mundo and El Diario de Hoy reported. But Poveda did not show, heightening gang members' suspicions that he was an informant. He met with the suspects three days later and was shot by Romero, El Mundo said, but in their haste to get away the gang members forgot to bury his body. A funeral for Poveda was held Wednesday in San Salvador before his body was shipped to France. A photograph of a younger Poveda, with shoulder-length hair, and a 35 mm digital camera were placed on the altar, next to a communion chalice. "This is a painful and brutal act. Unacceptable," said Monsignor Gregorio Rosa Chavez, the auxiliary bishop of San Salvador. "God moved Christian with his work, awoke noble ideals. He tried to film with his camera in order to open the eyes of those whose eyes needed opening."
|
[
"who is christian poveda?",
"What is he suspected of doing?",
"How many were involved",
"What happened in El Salvador",
"Where was he shot and killed?",
"Who was shot last week?",
"What did media report",
"where was he killed?"
] |
[
[
"French filmmaker and photographer"
],
[
"homicide"
],
[
"men,"
],
[
"French filmmaker and photographer Christian Poveda"
],
[
"in El Salvador,"
],
[
"French filmmaker and photographer Christian Poveda"
],
[
"said authorities believe the officer told gang members Poveda was giving information on the group to police."
],
[
"in the town of Tonacatepeque,"
]
] |
French filmmaker Christian Poveda was shot to death in El Salvador last week .
Poveda had just finished documentary on violent street gang .
4 of those arrested are members of the gang, another is police officer, officials say .
Salvadoran media report the gang suspected Poveda was giving info to police .
|
(CNN) -- Six of the seven college students killed in a massive house fire Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, attended the University of South Carolina, a university official said Sunday.
"This is a very sad day for the University of South Carolina family," Dennis A. Pruitt, the vice president for student affairs, told reporters.
The seventh fatality is believed to be a Clemson University student, he said.
The six survivors -- who were treated and released from Brunswick Community Hospital -- are also USC students, he said.
Pruitt said the bodies were being sent to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for identification. Watch home video showing the house in flames »
"It is difficult to ascertain exactly who was in the house and who was not," Pruitt said, explaining that several area houses were filled with college students visiting for the weekend.
Newspaper deliveryman Tim Burns was aghast when he first saw the inferno early Sunday morning. He tried to approach the door but the flames were too intense, he told the Associated Press.
"When I was going up to the entryway, you could hear the windows above me explode," Burns said. "When I knew the flames had taken over, I don't think I've ever felt as helpless in my life."
The USC students were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Pruitt said, although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function.
"It just so happens, as on many university campuses, that certain sororities and certain fraternities hang around together," he said.
One person described as "unaccounted for" was later confirmed dead, Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith told CNN.
"We suffered a terrible tragedy at Ocean Isle this morning," Smith said in a news conference. "Nothing like this has ever happened at Ocean Isle Beach, and we hope it never will again."
She said officials had not yet contacted all the victims' families, and that they were not yet releasing their names. The mayor said one of the 13 people in the house was related to the house's owner.
Smith said the house was fully "engulfed" in flames around 7 a.m. when the fire department arrived on the scene, about five minutes after the fire department was notified.
She said the house had working smoke detectors, AP reported.
Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, Smith said.
"We ran down the street to get away," Nick Cain told the AP. The University of North Carolina student was staying at a house about 100 feet away.
Some of his friends had met several people staying at the house that burned down.
"The ash and the smoke were coming down on us. We were just trying to get away," Cain told the AP.
Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along the southern coast of North Carolina. The 7-mile-long island's year-round population is about 425, while the summer season population is about 25,000, according to the town's Web site. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"What did Mayor Debbie Smith say about the victims?",
"What number of people dies in the fire?",
"What is the total number of USC students who were at the house?",
"Who died in a Carolina fire?",
"Amount of students killed?",
"What school did the fire victims attend",
"What number out of the 7 killed were U of South Carolina students?",
"Who said the house owner is related to one of the 13 at the house?",
"What did Mayer Smith say?"
] |
[
[
"\"We suffered a terrible tragedy at Ocean Isle this morning,\""
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"13 people"
],
[
"seven college students"
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"University of South Carolina,"
],
[
"Six"
],
[
"The mayor"
],
[
"\"We suffered a terrible tragedy at Ocean Isle this morning,\""
]
] |
Six of seven dead in fire were University of South Carolina students .
Official: Six treated at hospital and released were also USC students .
Mayor Debbie Smith said one of 13 at house is related to owner of house .
Victims' names not being released until families are notified .
|
(CNN) -- Six people were killed and six were injured when a small plane crashed at Cork Airport in southern Ireland on Thursday, local officials said.
Survivors were taken to a local hospital, the Cork County Council said.
Four of the injured are in serious but not critical condition, and the other two are "comfortable," Cork University Hospital said.
The crash caused a fire and scattered debris over a large area, the Irish Aviation Authority said in a statement.
The plane crashed on its third attempt to land in low visibility, they said. The airport and roads around it were closed, officials said.
It was coming from Belfast in Northern Ireland. Flight NM7100, an inbound Manx2 airline flight, was due to land at Cork Airport at 9:45 a.m., the airport said.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness expressed shock at the deaths.
Robinson called it "a terrible tragedy," and said his thoughts were "with the families of the bereaved. My thoughts are also with the injured and I hope that they will make a full and speedy recovery."
McGuinness sent his "condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in the plane crash. My thoughts are also with those who have been injured."
In Dublin, Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen said, "my thoughts are with all of those affected by this morning's crash, including the families and friends of those who have died. I also want to send my best wishes and those of the government, to all of those who survived the crash and are being treated in hospital at present.
"I also want to commend the work of the various rescue crews and all of the emergency and support staff working to help those involved in the crash."
The aircraft involved was a Metro Liner leased from Flightline BCN in Spain, low-cost airline Manx2 said.
Irish and British experts will be involved in the crash investigation, authorities said.
CNN's Carol Jordan and Peter Taggart contributed to this report.
|
[
"where was the flight coming from",
"what happened to the plane",
"how many injured",
"How many of the injured are in serious condition?"
] |
[
[
"Belfast in Northern Ireland."
],
[
"crashed"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"Four"
]
] |
NEW: Four injured are in serious condition, while two others are "comfortable," a hospital says .
The flight was coming from Belfast in Northern Ireland .
Northern Irish leaders express shock and hope the injured will recover quickly .
The plane crashed on its third attempt to land, authorities say .
|
(CNN) -- Six years ago Thursday, then-President George W. Bush appeared on television screens across America and somberly addressed the nation. An Iraqi crowd pulls down a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad in April 2003. "My fellow citizens," he began his four-minute speech, "at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger." Six years later, the conflict in Iraq drags on -- with war-fatigued Americans shoving the military operation to the deep recesses of their psyches as they grapple with an economic crisis at home. Only 10 percent of voters questioned in exit polls during the November presidential elections picked the war as their top issue. Sixty-two percent said the economy was. "This is already one of the longest wars in American history. There's nothing new in Iraq," said Steven Roberts, a professor of media studies at the George Washington University. "We've read the stories of instability in the government a hundred times. Every single possible story has been told, and so there is enormous fatigue about Iraq." Against that backdrop, the United States has accomplished much of what it set out to do when it invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was deposed, captured, tried and hanged for a brutal and deadly crackdown against his opponents during his regime. The rate of U.S. troop deaths has slowed. A surge of 30,000 additional troops in 2007 is credited for security gains the country has made. iReport.com: Share your salute to troops And a fledgling democracy is taking hold, as President Obama announced that all U.S troops will be withdrawn by the end of 2011. But America has had to pay a steep price -- literally and figuratively -- to achieve its aims, analysts say. Taking into account operations for fiscal 2010, the conflict has racked up an $800 billion price tag since it began, the Congressional Budget Office said. By Wednesday, 4,261 Americans had been killed in the war, according to CNN's tally. The Iraqi casualty count, while harder to ascertain because of the lack of formal record-keeping, has reached at least 128,000, by CNN's tally. And leaked images of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison and America's programs of detention and torture have tarred the United States' image internationally. "From the first step until now, they destroyed our country," said Sheikh Moffaq Qaraghuli, a Baghdad resident. "Smashed. Not destroyed. Smashed." As the battles rage on, researchers are still trying to gauge the damage the war has done to troops. "I still have the nightmares and wake up and find myself downstairs and I don't know how I got there," said Chris Tucker, who did three tours of duty in Iraq. "Faces. Kids' faces. People that you have engaged or you have had contact with. ... You see your colleagues blown up. Things like that." "I thought we would get there quick and handle our business and we'd be out," he said. "At least that's what we were told anyway." Tucker received a medical discharge from the army last year and is now a police officer in Savannah, Georgia. Many in Iraq also are trying to move on, amid the constant fear of suicide attacks in their ruined cities. The Shahbander cafe, one of Baghdad's oldest, is a favorite haunt of the city's intellectuals. Inside, photographs of five young men hang on the wall. Watch Shahbander Cafe patrons talk about the war » All were sons of the cafe owner, Mohammed al-Khishali -- killed in a car bombing that ripped apart the cafe in 2007. A month later, al-Khishali lost his grief-stricken wife. For almost two years, he could not bear to reopen the cafe, he said. "I remember the tragedies every day," he
|
[
"When did the invasion of Iraq begin?",
"What happened six years later?",
"What does the poll show Americans are more focused on?",
"What is taking hold in Iraq?",
"What date marks the start of the Iraq invasion?",
"What began in 2003?",
"What are Americans focused on?"
] |
[
[
"March 19, 2003."
],
[
"the conflict in Iraq drags on"
],
[
"Sixty-two percent said the economy was."
],
[
"a fledgling democracy"
],
[
"March 19, 2003."
],
[
"invaded Iraq"
],
[
"military operation"
]
] |
U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began on March 19, 2003 .
Six years later, fledgling democracy taking hold, security situation improving .
But U.S. lost more than 4,000 troops; at least 128,000 Iraqis have died .
Polls show many Americans more focused on economy than lingering Iraq war .
|
(CNN) -- Six-time boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring Saturday for the first time in more than a year, squaring off against Victor Ortiz.
Mayweather, 34, has won all 41 of his professional fights and is a six-time world champion at five different weights. He is hoping to add more laurels at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas -- specifically, the World Boxing Council welterweight championship that Ortiz won after beating Andre Berto in April.
The opponent for Mayweather, who has 25 knockouts over his professional career, is not the man many hoped he'd fight next: Eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. But disagreements over drug testing and other issues have repeatedly derailed these talks.
Instead, Ortiz will be his opponent. The 24-year-old American has suffered two defeats and two draws in his 33 fights.
"I'm a world champion for a reason, and I am not going to let go of my title any time soon," Ortiz said soon after the match was announced. "This is going to be a great fight, but I will remain a world champion for many years to come."
In a teleconference last week to promote the fight, Mayweather said that -- despite concerns about rust and age -- he "still feel(s) strong when I get to the gym."
"I still think I'm very, very sharp ... and I think the reason why is, I don't think that I have been in any toe-to-toe wars," he said.
Recently, Mayweather has made headlines more for his legal run-ins outside the ring than his performance in it.
That includes his arrest last December on a misdemeanor battery charge, after he allegedly assaulted a security guard at his housing complex.
Also, his former girlfriend has also accused the boxer of domestic violence. A criminal trial is scheduled to start in January.
HBO -- like CNN, a division of Time Warner -- reports that Mayweather is the defendant in a total of six court cases, including one levied by Pacquiao alleging defamation.
CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who is facing at least 6 lawsuits?",
"Is Mayweather undefeated?",
"What is Mayweather facing?",
"When did Mayweather last box?",
"Who is Floyd Mayweather?",
"When will he fight Victor Ortiz?",
"What is the name of his opponent?",
"Who is undefeated in 41 bouts?",
"Who will Mayweather fight?"
] |
[
[
"Mayweather"
],
[
"has won all 41 of his professional fights"
],
[
"Victor Ortiz."
],
[
"more than a year,"
],
[
"boxing world champion"
],
[
"Saturday"
],
[
"Victor Ortiz."
],
[
"boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather"
],
[
"Victor Ortiz."
]
] |
6-time world champion Floyd Mayweather hasn't boxed in more than a year .
He'll fight WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz on Saturday night in Las Vegas .
Ortiz, 24, has a 29-2-2 record; Mayweather is undefeated in his 41 bouts .
Mayweather is facing at least 6 lawsuits and has had several run-ins with the law .
|
(CNN) -- Sixteen people were wounded and a guru was shot to death in an outbreak of violence between rival Sikhs at an Indian temple in Vienna, Austria, police said. Austrian police secure the area outside a Sikh temple in Vienna where a shooting occured Sunday. Six people were arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred about 1:20 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. ET) Sunday in Vienna's 15th district, police spokesman Schwaig Hofar told CNN. One armed suspect fired at two gurus, and five other knife-wielding suspects attacked congregants during prayer, Hofar said. One of the gurus, a 57-year-old Sikh preacher, was killed. The number of wounded includes four of the suspects, two of them in serious condition, he said. About 150 people were in the room when the violence took place, he said. Authorities are investigating what triggered the attacks. CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report.
|
[
"How many suspects attacked with knives?",
"What did they use to attack?",
"What were the suspects firing at?",
"What number of people were in the room?",
"What age was the Sikh preacher who was killed?",
"What number of people were in the room when shoootings took place?"
] |
[
[
"five"
],
[
"knife-wielding"
],
[
"two gurus,"
],
[
"About 150"
],
[
"57-year-old"
],
[
"150"
]
] |
Police: One suspect fired at two gurus, while five suspects attacked with knives .
One of the gurus, a 57-year-old Sikh preacher, was killed .
Police: About 150 people were in the room when the violence took place .
|
(CNN) -- Skeletal remains found in a hayfield are those of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police said Wednesday.
The remains were identified based on dental records provided by the victim's family, spokeswoman Corinne Geller said.
Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old education major, went to a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, on October 17. She was separated from her friends and was the subject of repeated searches.
"Investigators are now working to determine how the remains came to be in this particular location, cause and time of death, and identifying who was responsible for the remains being there," Geller said in a news release.
More information is expected after the completion of an autopsy, the spokeswoman added.
Police said skeletal remains were found Tuesday morning by a farmer driving a tractor through a hay field on his 700-acre farm. The area has no public access point, police said.
The farm is about 10 miles from where the concert was being held.
The farm's owner, David Dass, told CNN affiliate WTVR that he was out looking for damage after wind and rain knocked down several trees in his yard over the past week. He told WTVR that the area is at least a mile and a half from a main roadway.
"I looked down and saw what looked like a human skull, and my first thought was that it was Morgan Harrington," Dass told WTVR, adding that he immediately called 911.
WTVR: State police 'confident' remains are Harrington
There was significant evidence leading police to believe that the remains are Harrington's, Virginia State Police Col. W. Steven Flaherty said, though he declined to specify what the evidence was.
Police said the area where the remains were found had not been searched during the early stages of the investigation into her disappearance.
The girl's parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, were in town to identify the remains, WTVR reported.
Dan Harrington, in tears, told WTVR that "this is a horrible day" for his family.
Gil Harrington expressed concerns Saturday that there was beginning to be complacency in the search, she wrote in a blog on the Web site set up to help find their daughter.
On Sunday, more than three months after Morgan went missing, Gil Harrington still clung to hope.
"Despite the length of time Morgan has been gone I remain hopeful," she wrote. "Part of me is waiting to be surprised. Waiting for God to pull the rabbit out of the hat and bring Morgan home.
"I remember that the light always returns, it cannot help but return. Will the light of my life return soon? I cannot imagine that all the water of Morgan's potential is to run down the drain and be wasted. Can it really play out like that?"
Now, it appears, the Harringtons finally have their answer. Police say they have now switched their focus to finding out how Morgan Harrington ended up in the remote farm and who put her there.
During the concert, Harrington left her friends to use the restroom, police said. When she did not return, they called her cell phone at 8:48 p.m. She told them she was outside the arena and could not get back in because of its policy, police said, but told them not to worry about her and that she would find a ride home.
There are restrooms inside the arena, police said, and police do not know how or why Harrington got outside. Witnesses who saw her outside the arena said she did not appear to be with anyone, police said.
About 9:30 p.m. that night, witnesses reported seeing a person matching Harrington's description walking on a nearby bridge, police said. No further sightings were reported.
Harrington's purse, with her identification and cell phone inside, was found the following day in an overflow parking lot near the arena, police said. A friend had driven Harrington's car to the concert, she said, and
|
[
"What was found on the farm on Monday morning?",
"When was student separated?",
"What was found in the parking lot the next day?",
"When did The student go missing?",
"Who do the remains belong to?",
"What type of remains were found?",
"What did they find on Monday morning?",
"What concert was the student at?"
] |
[
[
"remains"
],
[
"October 17."
],
[
"Harrington's purse,"
],
[
"October 17."
],
[
"Morgan Harrington,"
],
[
"Skeletal"
],
[
"skeletal remains"
],
[
"Metallica"
]
] |
NEW: Dental records confirm remains are Morgan Harrington, police say .
Skeletal remains found Monday morning in hay frield on 700-acre farm .
Student was separated from friends at Metallica concert on October 17 .
Harrington's purse, cell phone found next day in overflow parking lot near arena .
|
(CNN) -- Skybus Airlines announced Friday it is shutting down its passenger flights -- becoming the third airline this week to cease operations. Skybus Airlines joins ATA and Aloha Airlines, which announced shutdowns earlier this week. The low-cost carrier couldn't overcome "the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment," the company said Friday. "These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier." Skybus, an Ohio-based airline founded in 2004, will cease operations effective Saturday. Earlier in the week, ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines announced they would shut down flights as both companies work through bankruptcy filings. ATA, an Indiana-based low-cost charter airline, filed for Chapter 11 status Wednesday as a result of financial problems "following the loss of a key contract for our military charter business," the company said. The company started operation in 1973. Hawaii-based Aloha Airlines announced Sunday it would shut down its passenger operations this week after filing for bankruptcy protections last month, concluding 61 years of service. In its bankruptcy filing, Aloha said it was unable to generate enough revenue from its inter-island passenger flights because of below-cost fares by competitors Mesa Air Group's go! airline. The company said it was forced to match the competitor's fares during an unprecedented increase in the cost of jet fuel. Skybus said all flights Friday would be completed; passengers with reservations for Saturday and beyond were told to seek refunds from their credit card companies. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"Which two companies are closing?",
"what did the carrier cite",
"What did Skybus say?",
"What company is closing besides Aloha?",
"who closed after bankruptcy filings",
"What companies are closing after bankruptcy filings?",
"What kind of carrier cited the high price of jet fuel?",
"Which companies are also closing after bankruptcy filings?"
] |
[
[
"ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines"
],
[
"\"the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment,\""
],
[
"it is shutting down its passenger flights"
],
[
"Skybus"
],
[
"Skybus Airlines"
],
[
"Skybus Airlines"
],
[
"Skybus"
],
[
"Skybus Airlines"
]
] |
Low-cost carrier cites high price of jet fuel .
ATA and Aloha also closing after bankruptcy filings .
Skybus says passengers can seek refunds from credit card firms .
|
(CNN) -- Skywatchers are gathering from parking lots in western India to music festivals on remote Japanese islands to witness what NASA describes as an "exceptionally long" total solar eclipse that will cross half the planet on Wednesday. People try out "solar view goggles" ahead of the eclipse on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India. "This eclipse has the potential to be observed by more people than any eclipse in all of history," said MIT astronomer Richard Binzel, who will be in Shanghai leading an expedition of observers and a group of eclipse chasers. "Essentially, every inhabitant of all of India and China will be able to see at least part of the sun covered throughout the day," he said. The path of the total eclipse will stretch across the heart of Asia -- from India's Bay of Cambay, over the Himalayas and across China and the southern islands of Japan. The eclipse is expected to reach its peak over India at around 12:40 a.m. GMT Wednesday (8:40 p.m. ET Tuesday). Though the duration of greatest eclipse will occur over the Pacific Ocean at six minutes, 39 seconds, people in some areas of China and Japan will experience up to more than six minutes of darkness, according to predictions by Fred Espenak of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and J. Anderson of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Watch as eclipse-watchers head to China » The 15,150-kilometer (9,415-mile) journey of the moon's shadow across the Earth will last nearly three-and-a-half hours and be "one of the longest eclipses, if not the longest eclipse, in this century," Binzel said. Forecasters predict stormy weather for Wednesday morning in Shanghai, but this prognosis has not deterred astronomers and tourists from flooding the city. Send us your photos of the eclipse Professor Zhao Junliang of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory said the weather could be unpredictable but staying away from such an historic event would be a mistake. "In 1987, I chased a total solar eclipse in (the western region of) Xinjiang. At the time, the sun was entirely blocked by stormy clouds. Two minutes before the eclipse began, the clouds suddenly cleared," Zhao said. "You just never know, so you have to go." Read blog on how eclipse-chasers are gambling on weather Rick Gille and his wife flew in from Atlanta, Georgia, to catch the eclipse in Shanghai. They were heading to what is known as the "centerline" -- where the eclipse will last nearly six minutes. They are armed with high resolution digital cameras and telescopes. "You'll know us when you see us," said Gille, who travels the world chasing solar eclipses. "We're all wearing beige t-shirts which read 'Eclipse 2009.'" Total eclipses happen about once a year or a little less often somewhere on the Earth's surface and are visible in a narrow band, Benzil said. "This band starts at sunrise in India and ends at sunset over the Pacific, just east of Hawaii about four hours later. The shadow path of the moon is sweeping across the surface of the Earth at about 3,000 kilometers per hour," he said. "The partial eclipse is also visible throughout Thailand and Vietnam, as far south at the top tip of Australia and as far north as Siberia." In some cultures, legends and folklore surrounds eclipses. In India, an eclipse is considered inauspicious. Women forbid pregnant daughters-in-law from going outside out of the belief that their children could be born with marks. Some temples won't offer any prayers on the day of an eclipse -- such as the one next to the planetarium in Mumbai, which said it won't even light a stick of incense. In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to scare off the dog and rescue the sun, said Bill Yeung, president of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society. "In ancient China, we shared the same impression with
|
[
"What does the MIT astronomer say?",
"is any special equipment needed to see it?",
"What does NASA say?",
"What will strecth across the heart of Asia?",
"What was exceptionally long?",
"Where can people see the eclipse?",
"when will it happen?",
"What kind of events people watch the eclipse?"
] |
[
[
"\"This eclipse has the potential to be observed by more people than any eclipse in all of history,\""
],
[
"\"solar view goggles\""
],
[
"an \"exceptionally long\" total solar eclipse that will cross half the planet on Wednesday."
],
[
"The path of the total eclipse"
],
[
"total solar eclipse"
],
[
"from India's Bay of Cambay, over the Himalayas and across China and the southern islands of Japan."
],
[
"12:40 a.m. GMT Wednesday (8:40 p.m. ET Tuesday)."
],
[
"chasers."
]
] |
NASA says it will be "exceptionally long" total solar eclipse; will cross half the planet .
MIT astronomer says it could be seen by more people than any other eclipse .
The path of the total eclipse will stretch across the heart of Asia .
Some watching events include a cruise, plane trip and a music festival .
|
(CNN) -- Slavery may seem like a quaint notion in a 21st century world, but that distinction is lost on up to 40,000 Brazilians who find themselves toiling for no real wages and can't leave the distant work camps where they live.
A Brazilian government official takes notes as he talks with workers about to be freed.
Brazilian government officials and human rights activists call it slave labor, a condition they are aggressively trying to eradicate. A special government task force established in 1995 says it freed 4,634 workers last year in 133 raids on large farms and businesses that rely on workers driven to take these jobs by hunger and the empty promises of labor recruiters.
"Slavery is the tail end of a lot of abuse of poor people and workers in Brazil," said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based policy center. "Bad treatment reaches over to abusive treatment to treatment that becomes virtual slavery."
In Brazil, it often works this way: A recruiter known as a "gato," or cat, plumbs the slums and other poor areas of the vast country and gets people to agree to jobs in distant places. Once separated from home and family, workers are vulnerable to all sorts of abuses, such as being told they owe money for transportation, food, housing and other services.
"This is known as debt bondage, which also fits official definitions of slavery," says Anti-slavery International, a lobbying group based in Great Britain. "A person is in debt bondage when their labor is demanded as the means of repayment for a loan or an advance. Once in debt they lose all control over their conditions of work and what, if anything they are paid ... often making it impossible to repay and trapping them in a cycle of debt."
The United Nations International Labour Organization estimated there were between 25,000 and 40,000 Brazilians working under such conditions in 2003, the latest year for which it offered figures.
Leonardo Sakamoto, the director of the human rights group Reporter Brasil, says he's certain there are still more than 25,000 slave laborers in Brazil.
According to Anti-slavery International, the greatest number of slave laborers is employed in ranching (43 percent). That's followed by deforestation (28 percent), agriculture (24 percent), logging (4 percent) and charcoal (1 percent). Though those figures are from 2003, Sakamoto says they still apply, with cattle ranches and sugar cane plantations among the top employers.
Anti-slavery International estimates there are 12.3 million people working under such conditions worldwide.
"Forced labor exists in Sudan, Nepal, India, Mauritania as well as many wealthier countries (including the UK), where vulnerable people are trafficked into forced labor or sexual slavery," the group says. "A similar situation to the use of forced labor on estates in Brazil can be found in the Chaco region of both Paraguay and Bolivia."
But what may set Brazil apart are the government's attempts to wipe out the practice. One of Brazil's chief tools is a "Special Mobile Inspection Group" that consists of labor inspectors, federal police and attorneys from the federal labor prosecution branch. The group often raids workplaces, looking for abuses and laborers held against their will.
In 2007, the task force freed 5,999 workers, a record number. In 2003, the agency freed 5,223 laborers.
Since the group's inception in 1995, it has freed 33,000 people.
Labor Minister Carlos Lupi vowed in a recent interview with the state-run Brazilian news agency that efforts will be stepped up this year.
"The Brazilian government is to be commended for rescuing more than 4,500 people from the nightmare of slavery during the past year," Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International, said in a statement to CNN.
"Their commitment to step up their efforts in 2009 is even more heartening. The vocal and effective leadership we are seeing from Brazil is rare. Even India, like Brazil a democracy and a G20 member, seems content to remain the country with the
|
[
"What is the number of those in forced labor?",
"How many people working under forced labor?",
"What has task force done?",
"where does this take place",
"How many Brazilians may be slaves?",
"What has the task force been working at doing?"
] |
[
[
"40,000"
],
[
"12.3 million"
],
[
"says it freed 4,634 workers last year in 133 raids on large farms and businesses that rely on workers driven to take these jobs by hunger and the empty promises of labor recruiters."
],
[
"Sudan, Nepal, India, Mauritania"
],
[
"40,000"
],
[
"it freed 4,634 workers last year in 133 raids on large farms and businesses that rely on workers driven to take these jobs by hunger and the empty promises of labor recruiters."
]
] |
More than 12 million people worldwide estimated to be working under forced labor .
Between 25,000-40,000 Brazilians may be slave laborers, U.N. estimates .
Brazil task force has worked to eradicate slave labor .
Poverty seen by experts as primary factor leading to slave labor .
|
(CNN) -- Snow Leopard, the highly anticipated new operating system for the Mac, will be released ahead of schedule Friday, Apple announced Monday. "Ordered already: I'm just one of those nut cases," one Twitter user wrote about the new release. The Mac OS X Snow Leopard will be available as an upgrade to the current Leopard system for $29 and can be pre-ordered now, the company said. "Snow Leopard builds on our most successful operating system ever, and we're happy to get it to users earlier than expected," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. "For just $29, Leopard users get a smooth upgrade to the world's most advanced operating system and the only system with built-in [Microsoft] Exchange support." The company said in a news release that, for Snow Leopard, Apple engineers refined 90 percent of the 1,000 projects that currently make up its operating system. Among the anticipated features will be what Apple promises to be faster applications, including e-mail and Web browser Safari 4, while freeing up 7 GB of drive space, compared with the current system. An upgraded QuickTime system will let users more easily view, record, trim and share video, the company said, and it will include improvements to the system's iCal calendar, podcast producer and wiki server. The system had been scheduled for a September release date. But speculation in recent days had centered on an earlier release. Apple rival Microsoft is set to release Windows 7, a new version of its PC operating system, on October 22. Mac users were reporting that Apple's online stores were unavailable Monday morning, presumably to add the order page for Snow Leopard. The announcement Monday created the buzz typical of any Apple announcement among the world of devoted Mac users. Both "Snow Leopard" and "Mac OS X Snow" had become trending topics on Twitter on Monday morning -- with response mostly positive. "Ordered already: I'm just one of those nut cases," one user wrote.
|
[
"What was changed?",
"What's coming out soon?",
"What did apple promise?",
"What are they building",
"When is Mac snow leopard expected to be out?",
"What is the cost of the upgrade?",
"What is Apple promising?"
] |
[
[
"An upgraded QuickTime system will let users more easily view, record, trim and share video,"
],
[
"Mac OS X Snow Leopard"
],
[
"faster applications,"
],
[
"operating system"
],
[
"Friday,"
],
[
"$29"
],
[
"faster applications,"
]
] |
Mac's Snow Leopard system to be out weeks ahead of schedule .
Apple promises new and faster apps, while saving 7 GB of space .
Upgrade available for pre-order: $29 for current Leopard users .
90 percent of system's projects were changed, Apple says .
|
(CNN) -- Snowstorms and icy conditions on Sunday delayed flights across the northern United States, caused havoc on roads and left thousands without electricity. A worker shovels snow as the storm hits Chicago, Illinois. At least one death has been attributed to storms that hit all over the country in the past week. A 44-year-old Massachusetts man died Friday when a tree limb weighed down by snow fell on him, authorities said. Forecasters say there's more cold weather to come. Authorities urged motorists in north-central and northeast Iowa to stay off roads because of poor visibility caused by blowing snow. Authorities prohibited tow trucks from operating on U.S. Highway 20, near the border with Minnesota, because of concerns the tow trucks would get stuck. Forecasters said wind chills of 20 below and 30 below zero were possible in much of the rest of the Midwest, prompting wind chill advisories and warnings for the region into Monday morning. Blizzard warnings also were expected to be in effect into Monday for parts of Maine and western parts of Michigan's lower peninsula. In much of Maine, between 10 and 18 inches of snow was expected to fall Sunday and Monday, the weather service said. Whiteout conditions were expected at night, with wind gusts of up to 45 mph, the weather service said. The Minnesota Department of Transportation ordered snowplow drivers off the road until Sunday morning in 13 southwest counties, because of poor visibility, blowing snow and wind gusts up to 40 mph, an agency spokeswoman said Saturday. The western U.S. has also been hit with the cold blast. Parts of Washington saw 2 to 3 feet of snow last week. On Friday, two buses carrying 80 people collided on a road in Seattle and crashed through a metal railing, where they hung over a freeway for several hours before two trucks rescued them. Many roads in Walla Walla, Washington, had yet to be plowed by Saturday, and the only practical way to drive on them was to have chains on tires, iReporter Aaron Cloward said. Watch how driving has been difficult in Walla Walla » Cloward, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, said he had "never seen roads this bad or snow this bad." He also said he's been unable to free his car. "Everything is sold out -- snow shovels, ice melt, salt, chains ... so I don't know how to get out," he said. The storm system is expected to move eastward, where people are already dealing with air traffic delays and power outages brought on by snowfall earlier this week. "This is essentially the reincarnation of the same storm that brought the heavy snow to parts of California, southern Nevada and northern Arizona," Steve Corfidi, lead forecaster with the weather service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, told CNNRadio.
|
[
"What kind of warning was there in Michigan?",
"Where have motorists been urged to stay off roads?",
"What kind of warning is there for Maine, Michigan?",
"Who has issued a blizzard warning?",
"How many deaths are from the storms?",
"Who is urging motorists to stay off roads?",
"How many people died because of the storms in total?",
"Who urged motorists in north-central to stay off the roads?",
"Who has issued a blizzard warning for parts of Maine?",
"What was attributed to one death?",
"How many deaths have been caused by the storm?"
] |
[
[
"Blizzard"
],
[
"north-central and northeast Iowa"
],
[
"Blizzard"
],
[
"Forecasters"
],
[
"At least one"
],
[
"Authorities"
],
[
"one"
],
[
"Authorities"
],
[
"Forecasters"
],
[
"storms"
],
[
"one"
]
] |
Authorities urge motorists in north-central and northeast Iowa stay off roads .
National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for parts of Maine, Michigan .
At least one death has been attributed to storms, authorities say .
|
(CNN) -- Soccer mom Meleanie Hain, who made national headlines last year by having a loaded, holstered handgun at her 5-year-old daughter's soccer game, has been found shot dead in her home along with her husband, police said Thursday. Meleanie Hain was found shot dead in her home along with her husband Thursday. Information from 911 calls shows that it took a SWAT team nearly an hour and a half to gain entry to the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, home Wednesday evening. Inside, they found the bodies of Hain, 31, and her husband, Scott, 33, police Capt. Daniel Wright said. Police have avoided labeling the incident a murder-suicide. However, they do not believe that another person was involved, Wright said. A full investigation is under way, he added. "Who [Meleanie Hain] is does not change the course of this investigation," he said. The autopsies are scheduled for Friday. Watch why Hain caused controversy » Meleanie Hain's attorney, Matthew B. Weisberg, said she told him a few months ago that she and her husband were separating. It was not immediately clear whether they were still living together. The couple's three children were unharmed and took refuge at a neighbor's house before police arrived, Wright said, and the children remain in a neighbor's care. During the incident, police told neighbor Ann DiJohnson to avoid rooms with windows in fear of a possible shootout. "It was frightening," DiJohnson said. "I'm still shaking." Thomas Shaak, who lives a block from the Hains, said the couple hardly socialized with neighbors. The avid gardener said he occasionally saw Scott Hain working on his yard, but the two did not greet each other. He said Hain worked as a security officer and often kept odd hours. Meleanie Hain became an overnight celebrity and, to some, a steward of Second Amendment rights when she carried a Glock strapped to her belt to her daughter's soccer game September 11, 2008. Days later, on September 20, her permit to carry a gun was revoked by Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo, who claimed that she showed poor judgment at the child's game. County Judge Robert Eby later reinstated the permit. Weisberg, Hain's attorney, said the sheriff's action violated Hain's First, Second, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights. A lawsuit was filed against DeLeo on Hain's behalf for compensatory damages. She sought punitive and statutory damages, Weisberg said, along with reimbursement of attorneys' fees and lost wages. Although Weisberg called the Hains a "loving" and "unified" couple, he said that about four months ago, Meleanie Hain told him that they were separating and that she wanted to remove his name from the $1 million lawsuit. Although there was no indication of abuse, Weisberg said, Meleanie Hain was contemplating getting a "stay-away order." "It's shocking," Weisberg said of the shooting. "And sadly ironic."
|
[
"Who were shot to death in Lebanon, Pennysylvania?",
"Who are avoiding calling Wednesday nights shooting a murder suicide?"
] |
[
[
"Meleanie Hain,"
],
[
"Police"
]
] |
Meleanie and Scott Hain shot to death in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, home .
Meleanie Hain brought loaded gun to daughter's soccer game in 2008 .
Police are avoiding calling Wednesday night shooting a murder-suicide .
Their three children are unharmed and in neighbor's care .
|
(CNN) -- Soccer star John Terry's role as captain of England's national team is in jeopardy following tabloid accusations of his marital infidelity, according to a British government minister. Terry is alleged to have had an affair with the ex-partner of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge, having failed in a high court bid to prevent newspapers publishing details of his liaison with Vanessa Perroncel. The 29-year-old has two children with his wife Toni, whom he married in June 2007, and was named "2009 Dad of the Year" by a British sauce maker. He reportedly earns more than $200,000 a week. French actress and model Perroncel had a child with Terry's fellow England defender Bridge in 2006. The pair have since separated but Bridge, who is now at English club Manchester City, said on Saturday that he would not be commenting for the sake of their son. Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said he would contact the English Football Association about the matter, the UK Press Association reported. "On the field John Terry is a fantastic player and a good England captain, but to be the captain of England you have got to have wider responsibilities for the country," Sutcliffe said. "And clearly if these allegations are proven -- and at the moment they are only allegations -- then it does call into question his role as England captain. "I speak to the FA on a regular basis, so I will be asking what their viewpoint is and we will see what comes of it." Perroncel has enlisted the services of noted celebrity publicist Max Clifford, PA reported, and he said she told him that some of the allegations were true. "She has never spoken to a single journalist and she's all over all the papers with all kinds of allegations, some of which she said were true and some of which she said aren't true," Clifford told the GMTV television program. "All I'm prepared to say is that she's known John a long time, and obviously I think during that time they've become very close friends, but anything more than that, I wouldn't want to say at this particular stage. It's really for her to decide what she wants to do." While Terry's alleged infidelity may not have the global impact as that of golf superstar Tiger Woods, it could cause big problems for England ahead of June's World Cup finals in South Africa. Bridge, who is sidelined with injury, is not guaranteed to be part of the squad but has represented his country 36 times and is the regular back-up at left-back for Chelsea's Ashley Cole. England coach Fabio Capello is out of the UK following a knee operation, but is expected to make a decision on Terry's future before the friendly international against African Nations Cup winners Egypt on March 3, PA reported. The FA has released a statement saying that Capello, known to be a strict disciplinarian, "alone will make the decision about John Terry's position." "Fabio is fully up to speed with developments regarding John Terry. He spoke with our chairman Lord Triesman and chief executive Ian Watmore today, who both backed him to make the best decision for England on footballing grounds," the FA said on its Web site on Monday evening. "Fabio is dealing with the matter in his own way using his extensive experience as a football manager." Terry was first named captain of England after the 2006 World Cup when Steve McClaren took over as manager from Sven Goran Eriksson, and retained the armband when Capello was appointed in 2008. It is not the first time that Terry has been the subject of controversy. Last year he was accused by a tabloid paper of accepting money to show fans around Chelsea's training ground, and in 2002 he was cleared by a court after being charged with assault and affray following an incident with a nightclub bouncer.
|
[
"who is john terry",
"What is putting Terry's captain role in jeopardy ?",
"what does uk minister say",
"what is in jeopardy",
"Who is threatening of stripping him of captaincy ?",
"What did Terry ironically won in 2009 ?"
] |
[
[
"captain of England's national team"
],
[
"accusations of his marital infidelity,"
],
[
"he would contact the English Football Association about the matter,"
],
[
"John Terry's role as captain of England's national team"
],
[
"Sutcliffe"
],
[
"\"2009 Dad of the Year\""
]
] |
John Terry's role as England soccer captain in jeopardy due to his alleged marital infidelity .
UK government minister says Terry may be stripped of role if tabloid claims are true .
Terry failed in court injunction to stop reporting of affair with teammate's ex-partner .
The 29-year-old has two children with his wife and won a parenting award in 2009 .
|
(CNN) -- Sodden and crumbling, the Pin Oak levee was the only thing standing between Winfield, Missouri, and the flood-swollen Mississippi River on Wednesday. James Burt sits on an embankment near a neighborhood inundated with floodwaters in Winfield, Missouri. "The currents are already doing enough to our levees, but a 2-inch wake can cause an entire levee to break," said Andy Binder, public information officer for Lincoln County Emergency Operations Command. "Right now, we are using the Missouri State Water Patrol to keep people from using their boats around the levees." On Tuesday, the 2½-mile levee was hit by a "down slide" along a 160-foot section of its northern wall. The Army Corps of Engineers rushed in with sandbags and extra dirt for the base to keep the soil from slipping further. The Army Corps of Engineers and Army National Guard announced Wednesday that the troubled section had been fixed, but a 100-foot-long slide west of the original was starting to crumble. Watch the Mississippi's waters rise » For the 5,000 residents of Lincoln County, it is now a matter of waiting and hoping the levee holds until the Mississippi crests and begins to fall. The river level stood just above 37 feet Wednesday on its secondary crest, 11 feet above flood stage, and is expected to crest again Saturday afternoon at 37.5 feet, The Associated Press reported. At Winfield High School, halls normally dominated by teens are being shared with volunteer workers and evacuated families in the school's gymnasium, which has served as an American Red Cross rescue shelter since June 16. Floodwaters have damaged 692 homes. "Right now, I'm feeling pretty desperate and in need," said Sam Payne, who is staying at the high school with his wife and two children. Payne, who left his home June 17, watched as water rose to the roof after one of the first levee breaches. "It's positive that my family is still together," he said. "We're trying to hold back [our emotions]. The hard part -- the working part -- is going to be after the water finally recedes." About 20 Lincoln County residents are completely dependent on the emergency center at the high school, according to the American Red Cross. "What we have been doing is feeding people three times a day, even those who aren't sleeping in the gym, and giving others food and snacks to take home with them," said Dan Flippen, the shelter's manager. "Luckily, the turnout of the businesses have been outstanding up here, and the school's principal and staff have been gems for us." iReport.com: Take a flood tour of Lincoln County, MO The administration and staff memberse have been cleaning, cooking and making space inside the school for people who have been displaced by the flooding. Students have also been taking time to help. "The students here are constantly trying to help out in the gym," Flippen said. "We have to turn anyone who isn't 18 away, but most of those kids just go outside and sandbag." While the gym has been turned into a makeshift headquarters for the Red Cross and Salvation Army, the Army Corps of Engineers has created a loading depot for levee sandbags behind the school. Rescue officials were rushing to fill to 50,000 sandbags to fortify the levee. They brought in 200 tons of sand and called on anyone who wants to volunteer in the sandbagging effort to report to the high school. Their efforts have been vital to keeping the Pin Oak levee intact and protecting the southern end of Winfield. But with the river approaching its cresting level, sandbagging activities at the high school will stop Sunday afternoon, according to Binder. While they wait, officials watch the water levels and keep boats away from the levee. The Missouri State Water Patrol is also looking out for potential looters and people breaking into unattended cars. Only a few incidents have been reported, and law enforcement released a statement saying those caught looting flood victims would be prosecuted "with the utmost prejudice."
|
[
"What is happening at the high school?",
"how many homes was damaged in winfield",
"When is the river expected to crest?",
"What is the worry in Winfield?",
"What river is expected to crest Saturday?",
"What city had 692 damaged homes?"
] |
[
[
"an American Red Cross rescue shelter"
],
[
"692"
],
[
"Saturday afternoon"
],
[
"flood-swollen Mississippi River"
],
[
"Mississippi"
],
[
"Winfield, Missouri,"
]
] |
Town of Winfield, Missouri, hopes crumbling Pin Oak levee holds until river crests .
Mississippi expected to crest Saturday at more than 11 feet above flood stage .
Winfield High School becomes staging ground for relief efforts, temporary shelters .
Floodwaters have damaged 692 homes in Winfield .
|
(CNN) -- Software giant Microsoft is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of hackers behind a powerful computer virus that could lead to millions of PCs being hijacked. Experts say a single infected laptop could expose an entire network to the worm. Experts have so far been baffled by the true purpose of the Conficker or Downadup virus, but have described its spread as one of the most serious infections ever seen. The worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, then -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it opens a link back to its point of origin, meaning it can receive further orders to wreak havoc. Microsoft has issued a patch to fix the bug, however if a single machine is infected in a large network, it will spread unchecked -- often reinfecting machines that have been disinfected. The threat from the virus prompted Microsoft in collaboration with other technology industry names to this week announce a $250,000 reward for information to track down those behind Conficker. "As part of Microsoft's ongoing security efforts, we constantly look for ways to use a diverse set of tools and develop methodologies to protect our customers," said George Stathakopoulos, of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group. Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure says the true scope of the virus is not known, but in the past 24 hours his company monitored Conficker signals from two million Internet protocol addresses. "That's a lot," he told CNN. "And one IP address here does not mean one infected computer, it means at least one infected computer. "Many of those IP addresses are obviously company proxies or firewalls, hiding hundreds of more infections behind it. Unfortunately this also makes it impossible to estimate the total count of infected systems. "So it's still big. Very big." Microsoft has previously paid out similar rewards to informants who helped identify the creator of Sasser, another notorious worm let loose in 2004. The perpetrator was tracked to Germany, where he was sentenced a year later.
|
[
"What impact could the virus allow?",
"What does the worm do according to Microsoft?",
"What can the virus do?",
"How much does Microsoft offer on the bounty?",
"What price is Microsoft offering to catch the Conficker author?",
"What could this virus allow?",
"What company offered the $250,000 bounty?",
"What do industry analysts say about this infection?"
] |
[
[
"lead to millions of PCs being hijacked."
],
[
"Windows"
],
[
"opens a link back to its point of origin,"
],
[
"$250,000"
],
[
"$250,000"
],
[
"PCs being hijacked."
],
[
"Microsoft"
],
[
"Experts have so far been baffled by the true purpose of the Conficker or Downadup virus, but have described its spread as one of the most serious"
]
] |
Software giant Microsoft offers $250,000 bounty to catch Conficker author .
Industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen .
The worm exploits a bug in Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows software .
Virus could allow its creators to hijack entire networks .
|
(CNN) -- Solid support from registered Democrats and women in New Hampshire were crucial Tuesday as Sen. Hillary Clinton rebounded from her third-place finish in last week's Iowa caucuses. Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent the past few days saying she has the experience to change Washington. She narrowly defeated Sen. Barack Obama in the New Hampshire primary, with 39 percent of the vote to Obama's 37. "Last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice," the New York senator said after her victory. "Now let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me." Forty-three percent of self-styled independents said they voted for Obama, and 31 percent said they backed Clinton. Independents made up 43 percent of all voters polled. Addressing his roaring supporters after the race was called, Obama congratulated Clinton. But he was a candidate determined to draw a distinction between Clinton and himself. "But the reason our campaign has always been different, the reason we began this improbable journey almost a year ago, is because it's not just about what I will do as president," he said. "It is also about what you, the people who love this country, the citizens of the United States of America, can do to change it. That's what this election is all about." But Clinton was ahead of Obama 45 percent to 34 percent among those who said they were registered Democrats. Those voters made up a majority -- 54 percent -- of all respondents. Clinton also claimed the majority of women's votes, according to the polling. That's in contrast to last week's Iowa caucuses, in which Obama surprised observers by stealing the female vote from Clinton. Analysts say that shift among female voters was crucial to the Clinton turnaround. "If I had a single word, the word would be 'women,' " said CNN political analyst Bill Schneider. "She got the women back." And Schneider said the support of union voters that put Clinton over the top. "Union voters have her a 10 point lead," he said. CNN projected former Sen. John Edwards to finish third. College graduates, who made up 29 percent of the electorate, opted narrowly for Clinton -- 38 percent to Obama's 37 percent, according to the polling. Those polled who called themselves very liberal, and moderate, went with Clinton over Obama -- although by less than 2 percentage points in each -- and those who said they are somewhat liberal were evenly split. Pundits also were citing the role of former President Bill Clinton in helping his wife recover from what pre-primary polls were suggesting was a deficit of 9 percentage points to Obama in New Hampshire. The former president spent Tuesday in Hanover -- home to Dartmouth College -- where Obama had been expected to win handily. "They dispatched him to the area that Obama was surging," said CNN analyst Donna Brazille, who managed former Vice President Al Gore's campaign in 2000. "I think it had the effect of tamping down Obama support and giving Senator Clinton a real reason to come back in this race." New Hampshire was considered crucial to Clinton's campaign. If Obama had been able to sweep Iowa and New Hampshire -- after months of Clinton being considered the front-runner among Democrats -- it could have given him powerful momentum going into future primaries. "Age is also playing a big factor -- older voters are overwhelmingly outnumbering younger voters -- a proportion that is clearly benefiting Clinton," Schneider said. "Sixty-seven percent of Democratic primary voters are over the age of 40, and they are breaking heavily for Clinton over Obama." Over the past several days, Clinton has trumpeted her experience, saying that she has delivered change as both first lady and as a senator. After losing to Obama in last week's Iowa caucuses, it was unclear whether she could overcome what appeared to be Obama's ability to electrify American voters who had previously taken a sour and skeptical view
|
[
"Who electrified voters?",
"who has electrified younger voters?",
"Who did CNN project will finish third place?",
"who has projected Edwards will finish in third place?",
"Who will finish in third place?",
"who has maintained favor with voters older than 40?"
] |
[
[
"Sen. Hillary Clinton"
],
[
"Obama's"
],
[
"former Sen. John Edwards"
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"Sen. John Edwards"
],
[
"Clinton"
]
] |
Sen. Barack Obama has electrified younger voters .
Sen. Hillary Clinton has maintained favor with voters older than 40 .
CNN has projected Sen. John Edwards will finish in third place .
|
(CNN) -- Solomon Brown of San Jose, California, is one of the millions of voters who helped elect Barack Obama to be the future president. He's also one of the voters in California, Arizona and Florida who cast ballots in support of same-sex marriage bans that got considerable support in each state. Jim Smotherman, left, and Pat Wright of La Mesa, California, rushed to get married in June. His voting choices are a picture-perfect model of the paradoxical results of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. They also illustrate how Obama's inclusive strategy won over many voters who didn't necessarily toe the Democratic Party line. The war in Iraq and the economy were the main issues Brown, 18, a first-time voter, said he considered in choosing a president. But when the time came to vote on the "one man and one woman" issue, he followed his moral beliefs and voted in support of California's Proposition 8. He said he isn't at all surprised that many voters did the same. "They did that because of religion," Brown said of voters. "They wanted change for the country but weren't going to change their religion." He had no qualms about voting for Obama, either, and adds that his choice wasn't related to race. But he worries what moral beliefs will be taught in coming years. iReport.com: Read Brown's thoughts on Proposition 8 "I don't want a man and a man to be married," Brown said. "When I have kids, I don't want them to see that." Still, he says he doesn't hate gay people and has several gay friends. He emphasizes that he dislikes the fact that people are gay, but not the individuals themselves. "I can't be prejudiced against them, with me being an African-American," Brown said. "That would be hypocritical in my eyes." But Maggie Cassella of Toronto, Ontario, said she watched the U.S. elections and couldn't help but feel thankful for being in Canada. iReport.com: Watch Cassella express her disdain over the election "I'm tired of talking about it, because I live in a country where I have all my rights now," she said. "I talk about politics, but it's never gay rights because we're done." She said she felt upset by the election and couldn't help but wonder why voters would want to make the decision to elect a black man as president and then outlaw gay marriage at the same time. "I would just like someone to talk to an African-American gay person from California or any person from California and ask them what it feels like to have your rights to be an equal citizen taken away concurrent with this great day in history," she said. "My guess is it actually doesn't feel so great. After all, civil rights are civil rights. I don't care what anybody says." iReport.com: Share your story or opinion of same-sex marriage The issue hits close to home for Pat Wright of La Mesa, California, who married his partner, Jim Smotherman, in June. He says he doesn't like seeing the animosity from both sides and has personally lost friends over the issue. "A lot of ugliness and nastiness has come out. I don't know how these people have a direct connection to God," Wright said. "How can people be so badly informed, why are they qualified to vote on my marriage, and should 52 percent of the population be able to take away my rights? A very ugly situation." Wright said the couple rushed their marriage because of Proposition 8 and campaigned against it. They were saddened to see "Yes on 8" signs in nearby yards, but never expected the proposition to succeed. iReport.com: "We are still numb and in mourning" Two states away, Fred Thorne of Washington Terrace, Utah, said he was disappointed about the same-sex marriage decisions. Thorne says he comes
|
[
"Who voted for Obama and Proposition 8",
"What is Maggie Cassella upset about?",
"what Solomon Brown voted for Obama and supports?",
"What is Solomon Brown supporting?",
"In view of the upcoming vote who rushed into marriage",
"What did Pat Wright rush into?"
] |
[
[
"Brown,"
],
[
"by the election"
],
[
"same-sex marriage bans"
],
[
"same-sex marriage"
],
[
"Jim Smotherman, left, and Pat Wright of La Mesa, California,"
],
[
"get married"
]
] |
Solomon Brown voted for Obama and supports Proposition 8 .
Maggie Cassella upset that black president elected, gay marriage opposed .
Pat Wright rushed marriage to partner in light of the upcoming vote .
iReport.com: What do you think? Share your thoughts on the issue .
|
(CNN) -- Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said Saturday he will give in to a rebel demand that he impose Islamic law, or sharia, in an effort to halt fighting between Somali forces and Islamic insurgents.
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed says sharia law in Somalia will not be strict.
However, Ahmed told a news conference he won't agree to a strict interpretation of the law, which forbids girls from attending school, requires veils for women and beards for men, and bans music and television.
The president, speaking at his palace in the capital, Mogadishu, said local elders and religious leaders, acting as liaisons with the militants, brought him a message saying the rebels wanted a truce in the two-year-old fighting. He also asked African peacekeepers to stand down.
Ahmed, who was elected January 31, said he would ask the AU contingent to leave once there is a solid political solution to the conflict.
More than 40,000 Somalis have returned to abandoned neighborhoods in Mogadishu over the past six weeks, despite some of the heaviest fighting in months, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Friday.
They are part of the more than a million residents who have been displaced by fighting in Somalia, including 100,000 who fled to neighboring countries last year alone, according to the United Nations.
Ethiopian troops entered the country at its request in December 2006. The Ethiopians ousted the Islamic Courts Union, an Islamic movement that had claimed control of Mogadishu earlier that year.
Ethiopia's action had the blessing of the United States, which accused the Islamic Courts Union of harboring fugitives from al Qaeda. But various Islamist groups -- including al-Shabab, which the United States has designated a terror organization -- rejected the presence of Ethiopian forces and mounted an insurgent campaign against the Ethiopians and the transitional government.
From Mohamed Amiin Adow for CNN
|
[
"Who is the president?",
"Who is fighting in Somalia?",
"who won't agree to a strict interpretation of Islamic law?",
"What is the aim of the concession?",
"who has asked African peacekeepers to stand down?",
"What did he ask African peacekeepers to do?",
"What will President Ahmed not agree to?"
] |
[
[
"Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed"
],
[
"rebels"
],
[
"President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed"
],
[
"to halt fighting between Somali forces and Islamic insurgents."
],
[
"The president,"
],
[
"stand down."
],
[
"a strict interpretation of the law, which forbids girls from attending school, requires veils for women and beards for men, and bans music and television."
]
] |
Concession is attempt to halt fighting between Somali forces, Islamic insurgents .
President Ahmed says he won't agree to a strict interpretation of Islamic law .
President also has asked African peacekeepers to stand down .
|
(CNN) -- Somali government forces have seized control of a central town from an al Qaeda-linked Islamist militia, a spokesman for Somalia's president said Thursday. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has offered aid to Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somalia's president. "Bulo Burde is now under the control of government forces after our forces overran a stiff resistance at the entrance bridge of the town by Al Shabaab fighters," said Abdulkadir Mohamed Osman, communication director for Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somalia's transitional president. Despite the announcement, residents said heavy fighting continued Thursday and the town is still divided between pro-government forces and Al Shabaab fighters. The ongoing exchange of heavy-weapon fire between the two sides has trapped people in the town, residents said. "Everyone inside this house is scared because heavy shells are raining in the town," said one resident, Sahra Muse. Bulo Burde is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southeast of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The United States is supporting the Somali government's fight against the insurgents, including providing weapons to government forces. Al Shabaab is on the U.S. list of terror organizations because of its ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The United States is concerned that Somalia's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency, as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power later that year. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Somalia's transitional president and vowed to continue U.S. support for his government. "The United States and the international community must serve as an active partner in helping the TFG [transitional federal government] and the people of Somalia confront and ultimately move beyond the conflict and poverty that have gripped their country," Clinton said at a joint news conference with Ahmed at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. The United States announced in June that it is providing weapons and ammunition to help Ahmed's government fight the militants. The weapons shipments are in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, which ban some arms shipments to Somalia, said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly. Clinton warned that terrorist groups like Al Shabaab pose a threat to the broader international community. "Certainly if Al Shabaab were to obtain a haven in Somalia, which could then attract al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States," she said. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said that the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda operatives. "Our concern right now is that likely safe havens are areas in the Horn of Africa, like Somalia and Yemen, that are countries that because of their political status can be attractive to al Qaeda in order to operate there," Panetta said in June. Separately, the FBI is investigating what appears to be a massive recruiting effort by Al Shabaab in immigrant communities in the United States. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area in recent months. At least three of them, including a suicide bomber, have been killed in Somalia. Also, Australia recently announced the arrests of four men with ties to Al Shabaab who were suspected of planning a suicide attack on a military base in the southern state of Victoria. President Ahmed is a former member of the Islamic Courts Union, which took part in the 2006 coup. His decision to renounce the bloody insurgency and try to establish peace in Somalia has put him at odds with Islamist hard-liners who are still battling for control of Somalia. It also paved the way for his election as president of Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government in January. Journalist Mohammed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.
|
[
"What did troops overrun?",
"What are U.S. officials warning about?",
"What do officials warn?",
"Who was resisting the troops?",
"What does the U.S. fear could happen to Somalia's government?",
"Which country does the U.S. warn could become a haven for al Qaeda operatives?",
"What do residents still report?",
"Who is backing Somalia's weak government?"
] |
[
[
"a central town"
],
[
"terrorist groups like Al Shabaab pose a threat to the broader international community."
],
[
"terrorist groups like Al Shabaab pose a threat to the broader international community."
],
[
"Al Shabaab fighters,\""
],
[
"fall"
],
[
"Somalia,"
],
[
"heavy fighting"
],
[
"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton"
]
] |
Troops "overran a stiff resistance" from Islamist militia, spokesman says .
But residents still report heavy fighting between Al Shabaab, pro-government forces .
U.S. backs Somalia's weak government, fears it could fall to al Qaeda-linked group .
U.S. officials warn that Somalia could become haven for al Qaeda operatives .
|
(CNN) -- Somali pirates demanded a $7 million ransom for a British couple kidnapped aboard their yacht last week, a British agency said Friday. The British government says it won't pay. "The government will not make substantive concessions for hostage takers, including the payments of ransom," the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said. Paul and Rachel Chandler, who were snatched last week from their yacht in the Indian Ocean, had been held aboard a Singaporean cargo ship hijacked by pirates. They have been moved to a hijacked Spanish ship that pirates have stocked with more supplies and armed men, a local journalist in contact with the pirates said Friday. The pirates moved them to the Spanish vessel after elders in the Somali town of Haradhere refused a pirate request to allow the Chandlers ashore, the journalist said. The journalist's identity is not being disclosed for security reasons. After hours of negotiation, the couple spoke with Rachel Chandler's brother, Stephen Collett, on Friday -- a phone conversation that was videotaped by CNN's British affiliate ITN. In the conversation, Rachel Chandler confirmed only that they had been moved from the Singaporean cargo ship, but not their current location, the network reported. "We're managing. They tell us that we're safe and that we shouldn't worry and that if we want anything, they will provide it in terms of food and, you know, water," an emotional Rachel Chandler told Collett. "They're very hospitable people, so don't worry. ... Physically we're fine; physically, we're healthy." Paul Chandler spoke slowly and carefully in the interview: "Rachel and I are here. We are fine," he told Collett. "We know nothing here. It is nice to speak to you. I can only say we are well and that's as far as I can say." Collett read a message to the captors, asking them to release his sister and her husband to show "your compassionate nature." ITN reporter Angus Walker noted that Paul Chandler's tone sounded more strained than during their conversation Thursday, when he laughed at one point and sounded more relaxed. In their Thursday conversation, Chandler told ITN that men with guns had boarded the couple's yacht, demanding money and taking everything of value. Paul Chandler spoke later with the BBC's Somali Service, reportedly saying, "We are well and being looked after OK." He said they were being fed and "food is OK at the moment." The pirates abandoned the Chandlers' yacht, the 38-foot Lynn Rival, which the British Royal Navy found drifting in international waters Thursday. The Chandlers set off from the Seychelles islands on October 21 bound for Tanzania, according to their blog. A distress beacon was activated on October 23, according to naval officials. Britain's Foreign Office said it has been in close contact with the couple's family. Pirates have been very active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years, operating out of lawless Somalia. Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail. One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles, while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast. Thursday, pirates attacked and boarded a Thai-flagged fishing vessel about 200 miles north of the Seychelles, according to the European Union Naval Force. Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. But successful attacks have gone down as a result of a strong presence of international monitors. The first nine months of this year has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year, the bureau reported October 21. From January 1 through September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, it said. More than half of this year's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia. Out of
|
[
"when did they leave the Seychelles",
"who has been kidnapped",
"Where did the couple leave for Tanzania?",
"What type of weapons do they have?",
"What will the British government not do?",
"where did they move them from?",
"what the government say",
"Who kidnapped a British couple?"
] |
[
[
"October 21"
],
[
"Paul and Rachel Chandler,"
],
[
"Seychelles islands on October 21 bound"
],
[
"guns"
],
[
"it won't pay."
],
[
"a Singaporean cargo ship hijacked by pirates."
],
[
"it won't pay."
],
[
"Somali"
]
] |
NEW: British government says it won't pay ransom .
Pirates move kidnapped British couple to hijacked Spanish ship .
Pirate source says ship has more men and weapons on board .
British couple left Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21 .
|
(CNN) -- Somali pirates have turned high-seas kidnappings into a lucrative business, one that netted between $50 million and $150 million last year, a former Navy SEAL told CNN.
Attackers hijacked the Maersk Alabama, shown here, formerly known as the Alva Maersk.
Kaj Larsen spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper Wednesday night about the changing tactics of pirates in Somalia. Below is a transcript of that interview, portions of which have been edited.
Cooper: You have spent a fair amount of time there. You have actually met with the pirates, right?
Larsen: I did. I met with some of the pirates that were operating out of Port of Mogadishu in 2006. And that was right before this current uptick in piracy that we're seeing so much of right now.
Cooper: And why the uptick? Just because now they realize it's so profitable?
Larsen: Sure, absolutely.
There's an extraordinary incentive to conduct acts of piracy. Last year, they estimate the pirates took in somewhere between $50 million and $150 million in ransom money. It's extraordinary. It's very lucrative. And, obviously, the cheap flow of weapons available in Somalia all contribute to this problem of maritime piracy. See how pirate attacks are skyrocketing »
Cooper: And this is a different situation, because now the USS Bainbridge is on scene. This is the first time an American has been held hostage.
But, normally, a whole crew gets taken hostage, and it's basically a negotiation between the company that owns the vessel or the cargo and the pirates.
Larsen: Right Obviously, this is a very unique situation and it's developing right now as we speak. So, this is setting new standards and new precedents. My concern during this situation is that the pirates, seeing their first batch of resistance, in the future might be using more aggressive tactics now that they see that some ships are willing to fight back.
Cooper: You were a Navy SEAL. What is the procedure in something like this?
Larsen: Well, obviously, each situation is very unique, and so they have to balance the use of force with the potential threat of injury to the hostage. Again, this is a unique situation. This is the first time Americans have been taken hostage, so we could see a new precedent being set. Watch how pirates operate off Somalia »
In the past, the U.S. Navy and the other coalition forces and the combined task force in the region has been reluctant to engage with the pirates militarily, for fear that one of the hostages will be hurt. We will see if that continues to be the case here.
Cooper: And, basically, I mean, if [pirates are] operating 350 miles offshore, and they're running around, and then they're going around in these little skiffs, do they have a larger boat nearby somewhere in the area? ... They can't go 350 miles offshore in a little skiff, can they?
Larsen: No, absolutely not, I mean, although you are seeing improved weather conditions in the Gulf of Aden, which is responsible for the increased in attacks over the past week, 350 miles is a long ways out at sea.
So, again, the pirates are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, are actually [using] mother ships in many cases, from which they send out the small speedboats out to both track and then sometimes assault these tanker and these container ships in the gulf.
Cooper: How do you think this thing is going to end? Do you have any idea?
Larsen: I don't really have any idea.
In the past, what we have seen is a classic kidnap-for-ransom hostage negotiation system, where the insurance companies end up paying sometimes millions of dollars for these pirates.
In this case, I think the very close presence of a U.S. Navy vessel might ... provide some discomfort to the pirates in the area.
|
[
"How much did the pirates make?",
"What does he say about the sophistication of the pirates?",
"what do pirates do",
"Who is kidnapping the Americans?",
"How much money did the pirates make?"
] |
[
[
"between $50 million and $150 million"
],
[
"are becoming increasingly more sophisticated,"
],
[
"high-seas kidnappings"
],
[
"Somali"
],
[
"between $50 million and $150 million"
]
] |
Ex-Navy SEAL says kidnapping of American is change for Somali pirates .
Kaj Larsen says pirates made between $50 million to $150 million last year .
"The pirates are becoming increasingly more sophisticated," he says .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia is facing life-threatening food and water shortages leaving millions at risk for starvation, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday.
A growing percentage of Somalia's population has become dependent on humanitarian aid.
"The Somali people are going through unbearable hardship," said Pascal Hundt, head of the ICRC's delegation for Somalia, in a written statement. "We are witnessing the worst tragedy of the past decade in Somalia."
Somalia's last severe famine, from 1991 to 1993, devastated crops, killed between 240,000 and 280,000 people and displaced up to 2 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Humanitarian workers view Somalia's food crisis as one of the worst in the world. With winds ripping though the country, hundreds of thousands of Somalis are finding their crops as dry as the surrounding landscape, preventing harvests, killing livestock and leading to a mass risk of starvation.
The continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have aggravated the situation, hindering people from accessing shelter and medical attention.
A growing percentage of the population has become dependent on humanitarian aid. The ICRC, World Food Program and CARE plan to deliver four months worth of food to 435,000 Somalis within the next few weeks.
International donors are being asked by the ICRC to provide some of the emergency money. Aid includes giving blankets, kitchen sets and other shelter supplies to 150,000 people.
The WFP will be increasing the amount it spends in Somalia to $163 million in food assistance, the group said at a U.N. conference in Rome Wednesday.
In addition to drought and armed conflict, high inflation on food and fuel have also exacerbated the situation. Similar factors have affected other developing nations in Africa and other parts of the world.
Ethiopia's food crisis has affected 4.5 million people, said the United Nations Children's Fund.
As a result of widespread food shortages and little rainfall, an estimated 126,000 children are in need of medical assistance to combat severe malnutrition, while the WFP projects $193 million will be needed for urgent food distributions.
|
[
"What has exacerbated the situation in Somalia?",
"Inflation on what products has worsened the situation?",
"Who is facing life-threatening food, water shortages leaving millions?",
"What has been exacerbating the situation?",
"What is preventing harvests?",
"What parts of Somalia have experienced a lot of armed conflicts?",
"What items in Somalia are affected by inflation the most?",
"What is the ICRC?",
"What national element is leaving crops dry and preventing harvests?",
"What tension has contributed to the problem in Somalia?",
"What are leaving crops as dry as the landscape?",
"What is Somalia facing according to the ICRC?"
] |
[
[
"high inflation on food and fuel"
],
[
"food and fuel"
],
[
"Somalia"
],
[
"continual armed conflicts"
],
[
"winds"
],
[
"central and south"
],
[
"food and fuel"
],
[
"International Committee of the Red Cross"
],
[
"winds"
],
[
"continual armed conflicts"
],
[
"winds ripping though the country,"
],
[
"life-threatening food and water shortages"
]
] |
ICRC: Somalia facing life-threatening food, water shortages leaving millions at risk .
Winds are leaving crops as dry as the landscape, preventing harvests .
Continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have aggravated the situation .
High inflation on food and fuel have also exacerbated the situation .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia is facing life-threatening food and water shortages leaving millions at risk for starvation, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday. A growing percentage of Somalia's population has become dependent on humanitarian aid. "The Somali people are going through unbearable hardship," said Pascal Hundt, head of the ICRC's delegation for Somalia, in a written statement. "We are witnessing the worst tragedy of the past decade in Somalia." Somalia's last severe famine, from 1991 to 1993, devastated crops, killed between 240,000 and 280,000 people and displaced up to 2 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Humanitarian workers view Somalia's food crisis as one of the worst in the world. With winds ripping though the country, hundreds of thousands of Somalis are finding their crops as dry as the surrounding landscape, preventing harvests, killing livestock and leading to a mass risk of starvation. The continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have aggravated the situation, hindering people from accessing shelter and medical attention. A growing percentage of the population has become dependent on humanitarian aid. The ICRC, World Food Program and CARE plan to deliver four months worth of food to 435,000 Somalis within the next few weeks. International donors are being asked by the ICRC to provide some of the emergency money. Aid includes giving blankets, kitchen sets and other shelter supplies to 150,000 people. The WFP will be increasing the amount it spends in Somalia to $163 million in food assistance, the group said at a U.N. conference in Rome Wednesday. In addition to drought and armed conflict, high inflation on food and fuel have also exacerbated the situation. Similar factors have affected other developing nations in Africa and other parts of the world. Ethiopia's food crisis has affected 4.5 million people, said the United Nations Children's Fund. As a result of widespread food shortages and little rainfall, an estimated 126,000 children are in need of medical assistance to combat severe malnutrition, while the WFP projects $193 million will be needed for urgent food distributions.
|
[
"What can be done to help?",
"What caused the inflation?",
"What is leaving crops dry?",
"What is exacerbating the situation?",
"Where are the continual armed conflicts?"
] |
[
[
"deliver four months worth of food"
],
[
"drought and armed conflict,"
],
[
"is facing life-threatening food and water shortages"
],
[
"high inflation on food and fuel"
],
[
"in central and south Somalia"
]
] |
ICRC: Somalia facing life-threatening food, water shortages leaving millions at risk .
Winds are leaving crops as dry as the landscape, preventing harvests .
Continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have aggravated the situation .
High inflation on food and fuel have also exacerbated the situation .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia needs international help to fight Islamist extremists battling for power in the lawless Horn of Africa nation, the country's moderate Islamist president said Monday. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was recently appointed Somalia's transitional president. "I am calling on the international community to help Somalia defend against foreign militants who have invaded the country," President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said. Speaking at a news conference in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, Ahmed called several times for international help in fighting foreign militants whom he claims are the same fighters who have fought the "international community" in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Wherever they come, they fuel violence," the president said. "The Somali people cannot and should not accept that their countries should be a launching pad for these militants to attack." Ahmed told local journalists that he feared these foreign fighters would turn Somalia into another Iraq or Afghanistan, where U.S.-led forces are fighting Islamic extremist groups. He also praised local militias in the two regions of Hiiran and Middle Shabelle for struggling against the foreign militias. Last week, al-Shabab militants advanced to the presidential palace in Mogadishu, sparking sporadic fighting and shelling in the Somali capital. The recent fighting has killed more than 40 civilians and wounded about 150 others, according to sources at the scene. Al-Shabab -- once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union -- has been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, which says it is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network. Ahmed participated in seizing control of Mogadishu in 2006 along with the Islamic Courts Union before it was ousted by Ethiopian forces later that year. He has since split from Somali jihad movements and was recently appointed Somalia's transitional president through a process shepherded by the United Nations. Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.
|
[
"Where is the conference held?",
"What is the name of the President?",
"How many civilians were killed?",
"Who did the U.S. say Al-Shabab militants are affiliated with?",
"What does Ahmed fear will happen to Somalia?",
"Where is Ahmed speaking?",
"Who will speak at a conference in Mogadishu?",
"Fighting in 2 days killed how many?",
"Where will fighters turn?",
"Who fears foreign fighters will turn Somalia into another Iraq or Afghanistan?",
"How many has the fighting killed in the past two days?",
"What kills more than 40 civilians?",
"Who are the Al-Shabab Militants affiliated to",
"Who is speaking at a conference in Mogadishu?",
"What does Ahmed Fear foreign fighters will do?",
"Who are Al-Shabab militants affiliated with?",
"where is the conference the president is speaking at?"
] |
[
[
"in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu,"
],
[
"Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed"
],
[
"40"
],
[
"the al Qaeda terrorist network."
],
[
"foreign fighters would turn"
],
[
"at a news conference in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu,"
],
[
"President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed"
],
[
"40 civilians"
],
[
"Somalia into another Iraq or"
],
[
"Ahmed"
],
[
"more than 40 civilians"
],
[
"The recent fighting"
],
[
"al Qaeda terrorist network."
],
[
"Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed"
],
[
"Afghanistan,"
],
[
"al Qaeda terrorist network."
],
[
"Mogadishu,"
]
] |
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed speaking at a conference in Mogadishu .
Ahmed fears foreign fighters will turn Somalia into another Iraq or Afghanistan .
Fighting in past two days kills more than 40 civilians .
U.S. says Al-Shabab militants are affiliated with al Qaeda network .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia's hard-line Islamic group Al-Shabab seized control of Jowhar, the president's hometown, after a battle with pro-government forces Sunday. An Islamist fighter mans a position in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Saturday. Jowhar is a major town 55 miles (88 kilometers) southeast of Mogadishu, the capital. "All businesses are closed and residents are already fleeing while Al-Shabab are roaming the streets," a local journalist said. The town had been under the control of forces backing the transitional government, which is scrambling to cope with deadly advances from Al-Shabab in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab was once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. The United States says the group is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network, and the U.S. backed an Ethiopian invasion that drove the ICU from power in 2006. After seizing control of Jowhar on Sunday, the rebels started conducting "search operations in the police station and the provincial headquarters of the town," the journalist added. The clashes extended into the suburbs of the town, where sporadic fighting was going on between the rebels and government forces, said the journalist, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. The town's seizure comes amid escalating tension between Somalia's transitional government and the Al-Shabab militia, which has waged days-long attacks in the capital. In the latest round of violence, one person was killed and 15 others wounded when mortars slammed into a police academy in Mogadishu on Sunday. Clashes between the rebels and the government in Mogadishu have left at least 103 people dead and 420 wounded, Somali officials said Friday. The east African nation has not had an effective government since 1991. Last week, a spokesman for the rebel group said that it had successfully recruited more fighters. "It is not only Somali jihadists that are fighting in Mogadishu against the government," said Sheikh Hassan Ya'qub, a spokesman for Al-Shabab. "There are also foreign Muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us." The new round of fighting stems from an interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law, the spokesman said. Somalia's new president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, recently approved implementing sharia, but the rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form. Meanwhile, a powerful Islamist warlord defected to the government Saturday after he disagreed with rebel Islamist groups on the war against the transitional government. The warlord, Sheikh Yusuf Mohamud Siad Indha Ade, was the military commander of Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is suspected by the United States of being a terrorist.
|
[
"How many people were killed in clashes between rebels and government?",
"What group is Al-Shabab affiliated with?",
"Who is affiliated with al Qaeda?",
"How many rebels died by government?",
"What did Al-Shabab recently say?",
"What do the officials say?",
"Who does the U.S. say is affiliated with al Qaeda?",
"How much people were killed in clashes between rebels and the government?",
"What country is Al-Shabab in?",
"How many were killed and wounded?",
"What did Al-Shabab recently say?",
"What has Al-Shabab been successful at recently?",
"What group is affiliated with al Qaeda?",
"What country did clashes ocur in?"
] |
[
[
"103"
],
[
"al Qaeda"
],
[
"Al-Shabab"
],
[
"103"
],
[
"that it had successfully recruited more fighters."
],
[
"Clashes between the rebels and the government in Mogadishu have left at least 103 people dead and 420 wounded,"
],
[
"Islamic Courts Union,"
],
[
"103"
],
[
"Somalia"
],
[
"one person was"
],
[
"\"There are also foreign Muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us.\""
],
[
"seized control of Jowhar,"
],
[
"Al-Shabab"
],
[
"Somalia,"
]
] |
Group Al-Shabab is affiliated with al Qaeda, according to the U.S.
Clashes between rebels and government killed 103, wounded 420, officials say .
Al-Shabab recently said it has been successful at recruiting more members .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia's president escaped an opportunistic attack by Islamic militants Wednesday as deadly fighting erupted in the center of Mogadishu, officials said. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was returning from a trip to Yemen when insurgents began firing mortars, resulted in a clash with African Union peacekeepers, the president's director of communications told CNN. "The Islamic insurgents were just guessing the arrival of the president so they started firing mortars, just to send a kind of their regular violent message that they are around," said Abdulkadir Barnamij. The heaviest of the fighting was centered on Maka Al Mukarama, which links the airport to the presidential palace but it is heavily guarded by forces from the African Union Mission in Somalia. Meanwhile Ali Muse, head of an emergency group in the city, confirmed to CNN that three people died and 16 others were wounded in the fighting. "The casualty (number) is small because people deserted the streets soon after the fighting started," said Ali Muse. -- Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report
|
[
"Where did the heaviest fighting take place?",
"Where did the fighting center?",
"What was happening outside?",
"How many people was left dead because of the fighting?",
"What did they announce?",
"Who exchanged fire?",
"Where was the heaviest of the fighting centered?"
] |
[
[
"Maka Al Mukarama,"
],
[
"Mogadishu,"
],
[
"\"The Islamic insurgents were just guessing the arrival of the president so they started firing mortars,"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"three people died and 16 others were wounded"
],
[
"insurgents began firing mortars, resulted in a clash with African Union peacekeepers,"
],
[
"Maka Al Mukarama,"
]
] |
President's office: Islamist insurgents, African Union peacekeepers exchanged fire .
Fighting left at least five dead, according to Shabelle Media network .
The heaviest of the fighting centered on area linking airport to the presidential palace .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia's president on Wednesday declared three days of national mourning for the victims of a suicide truck bomb that killed more than 70 people in Mogadishu, the nation's capital.
According to the Health Ministry, 72 were killed Tuesday and 103 remained injured, 38 of those in serious condition. A majority of the victims were students and their parents who were registering for an education program at a government complex.
Al-Shabaab, an Islamist movement that has links to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility.
President Sharif Ahmed visited the scene and some of the hospitals where the victims were, the government said in a statement. Some of the injured who cannot be treated in Somalia will be flown to other countries.
"At this time, when the country is in the midst of a worsening humanitarian crisis, the terrorists could not have attacked the Somali people at a worse time," said Abdulkadir Hussein Mohamed, the country's minister of information.
According to the government, Tuesday's bombing was the second Al-Shabaab attack in two years that specifically targeted students. In December 2009, a suicide bomber attacked a university graduation ceremony in Mogadishu, killing more than 20 people.
Al-Shabaab is a group in Somalia that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States government in March 2008. It is waging a war against Somalia's government to implement a stricter form of Islamic law, or Sharia.
Federal and African Union forces in the impoverished and chaotic nation have battled the group for years. Many analysts believe that Al-Shabaab has been severely weakened by the African Union Mission in Somalia, targeted strikes against foreign members and the weakening of al Qaeda.
|
[
"whats Somalia's president visits hospitals and bombing scene, calls for three days of mourning?",
"A suicide truck killed how many people?",
"What does the Somalian president call for?",
"Who claimed responsibility?"
] |
[
[
"Sharif Ahmed"
],
[
"72"
],
[
"three days of national mourning"
],
[
"Al-Shabaab, an Islamist movement that has links to al Qaeda,"
]
] |
A suicide truck bomb killed more than 70 people Tuesday .
Somalia's president visits hospitals and bombing scene, calls for three days of mourning .
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the blast .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia's transitional government has the right to request military help from its neighbors against armed militants, the African Union said Monday, but Kenya was quick to reject the idea of sending troops and suggested the AU should spearhead such a move. Islamist insurgents patrol part of Mogadishu during clashes with government forces. Somali parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Madowe on Saturday called on Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen to send in their military forces to help government troops stop hardline Islamist militants from taking over. "Militants are wrestling the power from the government and so we call for military help from neighboring countries," the speaker said at a news conference in Mogadishu. "Please send your military to help in 24 hours' time." But Alfred Mutua, spokesman for the Kenyan government, told CNN that "Kenya doesn't engage in military support to our neighbors." He said that any such support would be under the umbrella of the African Union. However, he did say that "different types of support can be given, not just military, and Kenya's options are open." He said that the government should announce by Wednesday how it will move forward. Jean Ping, chairman of the African Union Commission, said in a communique issued Sunday that the transitional government, as Somalia's legitimate government, "has the right to seek support from AU Member States and the larger international community." Ping also said that the AU would "continue to do its utmost to assist the Somali people and its authorities in their lasting quest for peace and reconciliation." Somalia's call for help came hours after a third top politician was killed in ongoing fighting in the capital. Mohamed Hussein Adow, a powerful member of parliament who was leading the fight against the Islamists, was slain Friday in the north of the city. His death came two days after Islamists killed Internal Security Minister Omar Hashi Adan in a suicide attack in central Somalia. The nation's former ambassador to Ethiopia, Abdikarin Farah Laqanyo, was also killed, along with at least 11 others, government officials said. Madowe said a Pakistani militant who is a high-ranking official in al Qaeda is leading the fighting in Somalia against the government. He warned that militants will spread fighting into the rest of the region if they topple the government in Somalia. Mohammed Amiin Adow contributed to this report for CNN
|
[
"What did Somali parliament speaker asks Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen to do ?",
"who is battling hardline Islamist militants?",
"Who said they would help?",
"who did Somali parliament speaker ask?",
"Country is battling what kind of militants ?",
"who will help Somalia?",
"Who is the country battling?",
"Where did the speaker ask the tropps come from?"
] |
[
[
"help government troops stop hardline Islamist militants from taking over."
],
[
"government troops"
],
[
"that the AU"
],
[
"called on Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen to send in their military forces to help government troops stop hardline Islamist militants from taking over."
],
[
"Islamist"
],
[
"AU"
],
[
"Islamist militants"
],
[
"Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya"
]
] |
Somali parliament speaker asks Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen to send troops .
Country is battling hardline Islamist militants .
Kenya says African Union must lead such an effort .
AU says it will help Somalia .
|
(CNN) -- Somalia's transitional president has resigned amid a power struggle with the African nation's prime minister and parliament, sources told CNN on Monday. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed tried to fire his PM this month but later lost a confidence vote. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed announced his resignation Monday before parliament in Baidoa. Ahmed's resignation is the latest turn in the political crisis in Somalia, which is already struggling with an Islamist revolt, a refugee crisis and rampant lawlessness that has fueled a wave of piracy off the Horn of Africa. Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991. The U.N.-backed transitional government has the support of Ethiopian troops that ousted an Islamist government at the end of 2006, but it controls little of the country outside the southwestern city of Baidoa. Ahmed attempted to fire his prime minister, Nur Hassan Hussein, earlier this month for being ineffective. But Hussein said the president did not have the power to fire him, and the vast majority of members of parliament backed Hussein in a vote of confidence. Kenya -- a major player in international efforts to stabilize Somalia -- warned that the government crisis endangered peace efforts and singled out Ahmed over his attempt to sack Hassan.
|
[
"What has Kenya warned about the Somali government?",
"Which other country warned that Somali government crisis is endangering peace efforts?",
"The country struggled with which religious revolt?",
"What country's transitional president resigns?",
"What happened to Somalias transitional president?",
"What did Kenya do?",
"What is the country struggling with?",
"Which country's transitional president resigns amid power struggle with PM, parliament?"
] |
[
[
"endangered peace efforts and singled out Ahmed over his attempt to sack Hassan."
],
[
"Kenya"
],
[
"Islamist"
],
[
"Somalia's"
],
[
"resigned amid a power struggle with the African nation's"
],
[
"warned that the government crisis endangered peace efforts and singled out Ahmed over his attempt to sack Hassan."
],
[
"an Islamist revolt, a refugee crisis and rampant lawlessness that has fueled a wave of piracy off the Horn of Africa."
],
[
"Somalia's"
]
] |
Somalia's transitional president resigns amid power struggle with PM, parliament .
Country struggling with Islamist revolt, refugee crisis and rampant lawlessness .
Kenya has warned that Somali government crisis is endangering peace efforts .
|
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