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Princeton, New Jersey (CNN) -- When baseball slugger Mark McGwire admitted he had used steroids in his record-breaking 1998 season, he recalled refusing to talk about the subject in his 2005 testimony to Congress. "After all this time, I want to come clean," McGwire announced. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll do that, and then I just want to help my team." McGwire's admission come as the House Judiciary Committee has been investigating the problem of brain injuries to football players, following heated discussions October 28, when the committee aggressively questioned NFL officials to figure out why the league had done so little to curb this well-known problem. Any government inquiry of this kind draws the familiar charge that politicians should stay out of the business of sports -- even though the NFL and NCAA have in fact responded to congressional pressure by instituting rules to protect players from brain damage. Still, Texas Rep. Lamar Smith said, we "should also avoid the temptation to legislate in this area. Football -- like soccer, rugby and even basketball and baseball -- involves contact that can produce injuries. We cannot legislate the elimination of injuries from the games without eliminating the games themselves." This is a familiar refrain. Back in 2005, when several committees investigated the use of steroids in baseball, numerous sports officials warned this was not an issue with which Congress should concern itself. Yet insisting on a firewall between sports and politics ignores the long-standing relationship between these two parts of American society. At the state and local level, sports teams depend on government assistance. There have been a large number of public subsidies, ranging from appropriations for stadium construction to the placement of public transportation near stadiums to tax breaks which the sports industry has depended on for growth. At the federal level, sports owners have also benefited from government. In 1922, the Supreme Court exempted baseball from the antitrust laws. As a result of this, baseball owners were allowed to maintain their monopoly, stifling efforts to launch other leagues and using the exemption to collude on limiting the salaries of players. Some legislators introduced bills trying to overturn the decision, but Congress never passed them. When the Senate held hearings about the exemption in 1958, a number of famous players, including Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson, showed up to speak about how the "reserve clause" undermined the rights of players. Congress refused to take any action. Free agency did not start until the 1980s. It was only in 1998 that Congress finally passed legislation declaring that some rules, such as restrictions on the movement of players from one team to another, were subject to antitrust laws. Football has a political history of its own. According to the sports historian Richard Davies, the National Football League started a team in New Orleans in 1966, right after Rep. Hale Boggs and Sen. Russell Long of Louisiana helped push through legislation that exempted the NFL from antitrust laws so that there could be a merger with the successful American Football League. When New York Rep. Emanuel Celler insisted on long hearings to decide whether this was permissible, Sen. Long, desperate for a team, short-circuited the legislative process by having the Senate pass a bill by acclamation and attaching it to important anti-inflation tax legislation. The House, under pressure, agreed to the bill at the last minute. "We couldn't have merged if Congress hadn't passed the law," said NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. "And without a merger, we couldn't have had a Super Bowl. If we'd tried to do it on our own, the antitrust people would have challenged us sooner than later." There is also a long history of congressional investigations into sports. In 1960, the Senate conducted hearings about the influence of organized crime in professional boxing. Americans were shocked when former middleweight champion Jake LaMotta admitted that he had thrown a fight against Billy Fox in November 1947. Members of the	[ "Who balks at oversight yet take government assistance?" ]	[ [ "sports teams" ] ]	Julian Zelizer: McGwire steroids case reminds why congressional inquiry can be useful . He says sports officials balk at oversight yet take government assistance . Zelizer: Football head injury issue is a worthy subject for government investigation .
QINGDAO, China (CNN) -- Another round of toasts and exclamations of "hajiu" sounded out around me. I took a sip and set down my small glass of Tsingtao beer as my new friends downed theirs and refilled. Our seafood dinner, perched on the single cluttered table of a tiny antique shop, was punctuated regularly by such moments. A worker operates the giant fermentation units at the Qingdao Brewery plant in Qingdao. I joined in happily, although somewhat bemused, at each increasingly beery celebration of our host, the worldly Captain Jau. My company, a gathering from four regions of China, was engaging me in Chinese drinking etiquette, in the city of Qingdao. A few drinks in the People's Republic of China led me to discover European delights and other unexpected finds in this modest city. You'd be forgiven for not knowing where Qingdao (pronounced Chingdao) is. The Chinese city in Shandong province doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as Beijing, Shanghai, or even Xi'an. The 2008 Olympics gave it a place on the map as China's sailing hub; no longer a secret that holiday-making officials could keep for themselves. But my American spell-check doesn't recognize it (which says more about my spell-check), and you can still find pre-Cultural Revolution manhole covers. So what is it about this city that seduces the unassuming traveler? Nestled on the coast of Shandong province, almost exactly halfway between its big sisters, Beijing and Shanghai, Qingdao features as a handy pit-stop on East coast itineraries. It boasts great infrastructure, a charming climate, alfresco eateries, good coffee, sandy beaches, German history, international hotels, a brand new airport and even a famous brewery. Qingdao could pass itself off as a miniature Seattle if it weren't for the fact that pretty much no one outside of the five-star hotels speaks English, and that communism still articulates itself through the tourist beaches, stoically named Number One to Number Six. "In mainland China, Qingdao's history is uniquely international; in fact, more of the city's cultural identity is wrapped up in its German colonial past than even its prominent role in the emergence of Daoism" said Eric Blocher, editor of the English-language magazine Red Star. "The local culture bureau once joked to us that Qingdao is a 'cultural desert', because it doesn't have the dynastic lineage of Nanjing or Xi'an, or opera for that matter," Blocher said. "But that's not what makes a city livable, or even fun -- if your office is in downtown, you're never more than five minutes from a protected beach; there's always excellent seafood close at hand; you can buy China's best beer fresh, for 10 cents a pound, and walk around drinking it out of a plastic bag." Following this key advice, I visited Qingdao during the International Beer Festival in late August, an event aimed largely at a domestic Chinese market. The West knows beer. China does not. The annual Beer Festival aims to change this. While the bright lights and myriad beers flowed, one thing was obvious: this was for the tourists. True Qingdaonese people are fiercely proud of Tsingtao beer, produced just down the road on Beer Street, and little else is drunk here in homes or bars. Pijiu, beer in Mandarin, is hajiu in Qingdaonese, the regional dialect. When in doubt, this does as well for a toast as anything else. Indeed, there is no better way of celebrating an occasion than by toasting the guest of honor with a bag of fresh beer. If I was the guest of honor at Captain Jau's table, I certainly wasn't living up to expectations. Particularly not for my self-appointed etiquette guardian and "pure Qingdao boy," Loukas. As I raised my glass for a sip and Loukas jumped to toast the good weather for the nth time, it all became clear. In Qingdao, a beer glass is never raised without a toast. This serves three (frankly	[ "What does the city host?", "Where is Qingdao located?" ]	[ [ "2008 Olympics" ], [ "China" ] ]	Qingdao is located in northeast China, north of Shanghai . The city hosts a beer festival and is home to distinctive European architecture . The Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German settlers .
QUANTICO, Virginia (CNN) -- Motorcycle accidents have killed more Marines in the past 12 months than enemy fire in Iraq, a rate that's so alarming, it has prompted top brass to call a meeting to address the issue, officials say. Despite crashes, Gunnery Sgt. Art Tucker rides a sport motorcycle. "I enjoy it. ... It relaxes me," he says. Twenty-five Marines have died in motorcycle crashes since November -- all but one of them involving sport bikes that can reach speeds of well over 100 mph, according to Marine officials. In that same period, 20 Marines have been killed in action in Iraq. The 25 deaths are the highest motorcycle death toll ever for the Marine Corps. Gen. James Amos, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, told CNN that commanders are trying to drill down on what "we need to do to help our Marines survive on these sport bikes." "The Marines are very serious about it," he said. Watch these aren't your father's Harleys » Marine Gunnery Sgt. Art Tucker knows all too well about the dangers of sport bikes. An owner of a Kawasaki Ninja, Tucker has had two crashes, and the second one nearly killed him. "I sustained a broken collar bone; I tore the shoulder out of the socket; I tore three ligaments in the shoulder, the rotator cuff; I broke three vertebrae," said Tucker, a drill instructor for new officers. "The worst was a head injury I received: a bruised brain. And it caused hemorrhaging, and from that I had partial paralysis of the left leg, full paralysis of the left foot and toes, and that was for approximately six months." Amos said he and other top Marine officials will spend half the day Monday "focusing on nothing but motorcycle issues." The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Conway, and other senior leadership will attend the meeting at the Quantico, Virginia, Marine base, he said. About 18,000 of the nearly 200,000 Marines are believed to own motorcycles, Amos said. The Marines have taken some measures. The Marine Corps has had a long-standing policy for all Marines who ride motorcycles to take a mandatory basic riding course. More recently, it added a second training course specifically designed to train Marines who ride sport bikes. Any Marine caught riding, even on leave, without going through the training courses faces Marine Corps punishment, officials say. On a recent day at the Quantico training track, Marines whizzed by on their bikes. "I think the basic rider course has been great," said Cpl. Austin Oakley. "Here, they put you in situations you want to be wary of out in that open road." Oakley said he recently returned to the United States from Japan, and he immediately jumped at the chance to buy a sport bike. He said it's not uncommon for Marines to have motorcycle clubs within their units. "We'll go out on rides together. Fridays for lunchtime, we'll all meet up and go to lunch," Oakley said. "When I get on my motorcycle, it's me and the motorcycle. I don't need to go fast. I don't need to do anything like that. It's just being free." The rise in motorcycle deaths isn't confined to Marines. The Navy says it's had 33 deaths on motorcycles over the past 12 months, a 65 percent jump from the previous time period. And authorities say motorcycle deaths have been a problem in the civilian world, too. Military officials say they're not sure why the deaths are on the rise. They initially believed that the accidents might involve mostly young Marines and sailors about 18 or 19 years old. But Navy statistics show that five of the victims were 25, the most prevalent of any age involved in the crashes. And two 40-year-old sailors were killed in motorcycle crashes. Amos said the Marines have seen a similar trend. But he says the new training	[ "What have most of the deaths involved?", "What number of marines have been killed?", "How many marines were killed on motorcycles?", "What kind of bikes were involved?", "How many Marines were killed on motorcycles in Iraq?", "What kind of course have they implemented?", "How many Marines were killed on motorcycles in the past 12 months?" ]	[ [ "Motorcycle accidents" ], [ "Twenty-five" ], [ "Twenty-five" ], [ "sport" ], [ "Twenty-five" ], [ "mandatory basic riding" ], [ "Twenty-five" ] ]	25 Marines killed on motorcycles in past 12 months, compared with 20 killed in Iraq . Top Marine official: "The Marines are very serious about" addressing problem . All but one of the deaths have involved super-fast sport bikes . Marines have recently implemented a mandatory sport-bike course .
QUEENS, New York (CNN) -- For Victor Guevares, winning a bid at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago was just the first step toward achieving his dream of home ownership. And after getting through several obstacles along the way, he finally moved his family into the two-story, three-bedroom house in Queens. Victor Guevares, second from right, bought a home at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago. The auction process isn't as easy as it looks, Guevares said. "If you're going to an auction, do your research," he told CNN. CNN first met the Guevares family in March when he grabbed a home once worth $527,000 for less than half that price. Guevares had won an auction at USHomeAuction.com's foreclosure sale in New York. Banks and other lenders were unloading foreclosed houses, and many were selling at 50 percent to 60 percent below their highest values. Foreclosures skyrocketed in March and the first quarter of 2009 to their highest levels on record as banks lifted moratoria on filings. Foreclosure filings -- which include default papers, auction sale notices and repossessions -- reached 803,489 in the first quarter, according to a recent report by RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed properties. Watch Victor Guevares give a quick tour of his new home » That is a 24 percent jump over a year earlier and a 9 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. Of those first-quarter filings, 341,180 happened in March, a 17 percent increase from February and a 46 percent jump from March 2008. Sitting with his stomach in knots on that March 8 afternoon, Guevares made the opening bid and kept pace until they passed $100,000, then $200,000. Looking shell-shocked, Guevares ended up with the winning bid: $230,000. But he soon realized there was much more to it, after plunking down $7,000 in auction fees and another $5,000 required from every bidder. And still, he couldn't immediately lock in a mortgage at the auction as he had hoped because records showed the home faced a possible code violation. "I had a problem," Guevares said. An inspection cleared that hurdle, and closing day ended happily with Guevares holding the deed to his first house. But he wasn't through yet. Guevares, a married father of two, wanted to have his family moved in by the end of May -- and had his work cut out, since the home was split into two apartments. He broke down a wall, opened up a staircase, put in new floors, repainted and created a sunroom. All that work brought his cost to roughly $280,000 -- about $20,000 less than the estimated value of the home, he said. Guevares spent the past 12 years renting and trying to save for his first home, and believes he came out ahead with the auction win. "I got a great deal on the house. My mortgage is $300 less than what I paid in rent," he said. The backyard is filled with garbage bags filled with debris, but the family was able to move in last week. Guevares' son, 8-year-old Devin, is reveling in his bright green room that has a window to peek out into his yard -- and the neighbor's. "They have a dog named Rocky, just the same as the dog we have," he said. Another perk: no more worrying about being quiet as he did at their apartment. "I can just scream," said Devin.	[ "How much less is Guevares's mortgage than his rent?", "How long did Gueveres save money for his first home?", "What isn't as easy as it looks?", "Who spent 12 years renting as he saved for first home?", "Who won the bid at the foreclosure auction?", "What is $300 less than Guevares paid in rent?", "Who won bid at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago?" ]	[ [ "$300" ], [ "12 years" ], [ "The auction process" ], [ "Victor Guevares," ], [ "Victor Guevares," ], [ "My mortgage is" ], [ "Victor Guevares," ] ]	Victor Guevares won bid at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago . The auction process isn't as easy as it looks, Guevares says . Guevares spent 12 years renting as he saved for first home . "My mortgage is $300 less than what I paid in rent," says Guevares .
RAJASTHAN, India (CNN) -- Some call him the River Maker, others the Rainman of Rajasthan. His real name is Rajendra Singh. His nicknames come from his self-imposed mission to solve his state's water problems, one raindrop at a time. Rajendra Singh is trying to solve water issues in Rajasthan -- one of India's driest states. "Today with global warming and climate change so many things are going on. Yes, this is the global problem. This is the modern problem. The solution is indigenous water conservation," Singh says. Singh lives and works in Rajasthan, one of the driest states in India. It is the country's largest state in land mass but has only about one percent of the country's water resources. Singh has spent the last 25 years of his life practicing what he preaches there. His message is always the same. He says rainwater is a resource we cannot afford to waste, instead we should capture and utilize it. "If the drops come from the cloud, we can catch it!" He says with his hands stretched to the sky. "And that drop go[es] into the under[ground] aquifer and fulfills the aquifer. If that drop comes back so [it will] make springs, make a river." We caught up with him in Rajasthan's Alwar district. One of India's so-called "princely states" once ruled by Indian royalty. Back in the 1980s the government declared the area a dark zone: An area villagers could no longer pump up clean water because the water table had gotten so low. "When there was a famine there was a drought I had to leave." Farmer Narin Joshi told us who has lived in the area his whole life. "I had to work as a laborer in Delhi to make ends meet. There was no way I could earn any money here. I had to go." That meant leaving his wife behind to raise their children and try to keep them fed. "If there is a harvest we benefit from the farm." His wife Kalawati Devi his wife says. "And if there is no harvest we get nothing." For 10 years Joshi worked as a snack seller in Delhi sending back money to help his family survive. He says that all changed after Singh and his organization Tarun Bharat Sangh showed up. The group came to teach the villagers something their forefathers once practiced: The building of traditional dams called Johads. The dams are made of earth and rock. They are fashioned to capture the rain so the water will trickle down and replenish the aquifer eventually giving rise to water in the wells and bringing dead rivers back to life. But the work takes a community effort. One family is not enough to get it done. Singh says his role is to teach and motivate the community. "There are more than 10-thousand water harvesting structures we [have] made in last 25 years. And all these structures came through the community effort. I just motivate and realize to the community and [the] community joined hands with us and they made it!" It is easy to see the result when water becomes available again. Everything from water buffalo to majestic peacocks. Water snakes gather at the watering holes. Over the years Singh says his organization and the villagers of Rajasthan have revived seven rivers across the state helping more than a thousand villages. Now instead of traveling long distances carrying heavy vats of water, or migrating to the cities to make a living, the villagers can stay put and begin to enjoy their surroundings more. The availability of water brought the Joshi family back together again because the husband could finally make a living here. "I have planted many kinds of trees. For my livelihood I do farming." He says "My family and I are leading very peaceful lives."	[ "What is India's largest state?", "How many harvesting structures have been made in the last 25 years?", "Rajendra Singh has devoted his life to what?", "What has Rajendra Singh devoted life to?", "How many water structures have been made?", "What does Singh say about rainwater?", "What has Rajendra Singh done?", "What is India's largest state?", "How many harvesting structures have been built?", "What is the largest state of India?", "What can't we afford to waste according to Singh?", "What has Rajendra Singh devoted his life to?", "How many water harvesting structures have been made in the last 25 years?", "Which state is India's largest?", "Who has devoted his life to solving Rajasthan's water problems?" ]	[ [ "Rajasthan," ], [ "10-thousand" ], [ "solve his state's water problems, one raindrop at a time." ], [ "solve water issues in Rajasthan" ], [ "more than 10-thousand" ], [ "is a resource we cannot afford to waste, instead we should capture and utilize it." ], [ "is trying to solve water issues in Rajasthan" ], [ "Rajasthan," ], [ "more than 10-thousand" ], [ "Rajasthan," ], [ "rainwater" ], [ "solve water issues in Rajasthan" ], [ "more than 10-thousand" ], [ "Rajasthan," ], [ "Rajendra Singh" ] ]	Rajendra Singh has devoted his life to solving Rajasthan's water problems . Rajasthan is India's largest state and also one of the driest . Singh says rainwater is a resource we cannot afford to waste . Ten thousand water harvesting structures have been made in the last 25 years .
RALEIGH, North Carolina (CNN) -- Federal authorities are searching for an eighth alleged member of a North Carolina group that authorities say plotted "violent jihad" overseas, prosecutors said Tuesday. Daniel Patrick Boyd, left, and Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan are two of the seven men charged. Robin Zier of the U.S. attorney's office in Raleigh told CNN that the eighth person, whose name has been redacted from court documents, is a U.S. citizen. She added that U.S. Attorney George Holding had said federal authorities hoped to have the person apprehended soon, and the public should not be worried. The U.S. attorney's office would not release further details. According to an indictment released Monday, the eighth suspect, described as a North Carolina resident, traveled to Pakistan in October 2008 to "engage in violent jihad." It offered no other information. Seven other men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder abroad. Officials identified three of the men as U.S. native Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, and Boyd's sons, Dylan Boyd, 22, also known as "Mohammed," and Zakariya Boyd, 20. Daniel Boyd had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan. The four others are: Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, also a U.S.-born citizen; Hysen Sherifi, identified as a native of Kosovo who is a legal permanent resident of the United States; and Hiyad Yaghi and Anes Subasic, both naturalized U.S. citizens. Watch why wife says they were in Mideast » Officials did not immediately identify the native countries of Yaghi and Subasic. All seven are accused of engaging in weapons training and military tactics in North Carolina, the Justice Department said. Sabrina Boyd, the wife of Daniel Patrick Boyd and the mother of the two younger Boyds, said the charges had not been substantiated. "We are decent people who care about other human beings," Sabrina Boyd said in a statement read on her behalf by Khalilah Sabra. "I have raised my sons to be good people and we are a good family," she said, according to Sabra, the North Carolina director of the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation, a civic and human rights group. Sabrina Boyd said in the statement that her husband had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan with the "full backing" of the U.S. government. Boyd went on to say in an interview with CNN that her family had traveled to the Middle East for peaceful reasons, including praying for a son who had died in a car crash. "We all had agreed to go the Holy Land and pray for our son," Boyd said. "It would be a positive action and it would help console us and it would be in a place where we felt, Islamically, we could do the most good for our departed beloved." According to the indictment, Daniel Boyd and his sons left the United States for Israel in June 2007 to "engage in violent jihad, but ultimately returned to the United States after failing in their efforts." It said Yaghi and Hassan had also traveled to Israel in June 2007, and that Daniel Boyd had lied to Customs and Border Protection agents at the Atlanta, Georgia, and Raleigh airports about intending to meet the two men in the Jewish state. The indictment also said Daniel Boyd had traveled to Gaza in March 2006 "to introduce his son to individuals who also believed that violent jihad was a personal obligation on the part of every good Muslim." The indictment mentions mentions other trips -- by Yaghi to Jordan in October 2006; by Sherifi to Kosovo in July 2008; and by the unidentified defendant to Pakistan in October 2008. All the trips were taken to "engage in violent jihad," the indictment alleges, without providing details. The documents make no reference to a direct threat to individuals or property in the United States, but said the men had practiced military tactics in a North Carolina county that borders Virginia. The defendants, with a substantial cache of weapons, had "practiced military tactics and use of weapons on private property	[ "how many men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism?", "How many other men were arrested for supporting terrorism?", "How many sons does Daniel Boyd have?", "who is suspect?", "How many men have been arrested?", "What country is the 8th person from?" ]	[ [ "eighth" ], [ "seven" ], [ "20." ], [ "a North Carolina resident," ], [ "Seven" ], [ "U.S." ] ]	Seven other men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism . 8th person being sought is U.S. citizen; public told not to be worried . Wife of suspect Daniel Patrick Boyd said charges had not been substantiated . Daniel Boyd, a U.S. citizen, and his two sons are among the seven men arrested .
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination was her own fault, the country's president, Pervez Musharraf, said in an interview on U.S. television. Bhutto sits on stage at a campaign rally minutes before her assassination. "For standing up outside the car, I think it was she to blame alone -- nobody else. Responsibility is hers," the former general told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday. Bhutto was killed December 27 in Rawalpindi, south of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, while she was standing in an armored moving car after rallying supporters for now-postponed parliamentary elections. Her head was above the roof and unprotected at the time of the attack. The cause of her death is not clear: a bomber blew himself up near Bhutto's limousine and videotape showed a gunman present, though no autopsy has been carried out. Asked if Bhutto could have been shot, Musharraf said, "Yes, absolutely, yes. Possibility." He has said he welcomes an international investigation. Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, rejected criticism that his government did not do enough to provide security to Bhutto, who was seeking to regain the post of prime minister. He noted that she had already survived one assassination attempt and "was given more security than any other person." Asked about the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, widely rumored to be in the remote border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Musharraf said, "There is no proof whatsoever that he's here. We are not particularly looking for him, but we are operating against this -- and al Qaeda and militant Taliban. And in the process, obviously, it is combined. Maybe we are looking for him also." And Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Mahmud Ali Durrani, told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that, "If we knew where he was, we would have taken him out." Durrani added that Musharraf's comment about "not specifically looking for Osama" means that the Pakistani military is "totally focused on destroying al Qaeda and the Taliban network and not just one person." About Bhutto's death, he noted only that the investigation is not completed "and we should not jump to conclusions." Still, he added, "if she had not come out of the vehicle, the protected and armored vehicle, maybe we would have seen her smiling face again today." Though Musharraf's popularity at home has plummeted, he retains support from GOP presidential contender Sen. John McCain. "I think he's a good man," the Arizonan told NBC's "Meet the Press." "But I think he's made mistakes, don't get me wrong. And we've got to move forward with these elections and have them free and fair. "But I can work with him. He understands the threat to his country that the Taliban and al Qaeda present. And radical Islamic extremists. He's a very smart man. He'd be one of the first to go. They've tried to kill him nine times, OK? Nine times they've tried to kill Musharraf. He's not their favorite guy." The New York Times reported Sunday that the Bush administration is considering expanding covert operations in the western part of Pakistan to shore up support for Musharraf's government and to find bin Laden and his second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson of New Mexico told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that, though he had not heard details of the plan, "it sounds like a strategy that makes sense." He added, "We have got to take whatever action is needed." Richardson has called for Musharraf to step down and has called for free and fair elections. "What we need to do is ask Musharraf, push him, push him to step aside for the good of the country, because he is widely unpopular," he told CNN. Sen. Hillary Clinton	[ "Who spoke in the interview?", "what did he blame her for", "What did Musharraf say?" ]	[ [ "Pervez Musharraf," ], [ "standing up outside the car," ], [ "own fault," ] ]	NEW: British counter-terrorism experts re-inspect Bhutto's vehicle . NEW: Bhutto's assassination was her own fault, says Musharraf in interview . NEW: He blamed her for standing up outside the safety of an armored car . Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, wants a U.N. inquiry into his late wife's death .
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) -- The office of Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas has a bank of six flat-screen televisions covering most of one wall, showing all the main international English-language news channels, and several local ones besides. Major General Athar Abbas addresses a news conference in Rawalpindi on April 28, 2009. This is one of the rooms where Pakistan's media war is being fought, and Abbas, the Pakistan army's main spokesman, is a key part of the battle. I kid with him that CNN isn't among the channels on his screens, and he seems slightly hurt, insisting it is. He's right and I'm wrong -- CNN was on a commercial break. In fact, I rather get the impression Abbas, who has become the face of the army's operation against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley, watches our coverage closely. One of his subordinates complains about one of our reports -- not the accuracy, but something in the general tone. Perhaps CNN has been just a little too questioning of the army's daily press releases, which claim hundreds of enemy fighters killed, and tightly controlled media trips. Whatever Abbas thinks of CNN, he is more than willing to explain how the Pakistan army sees the broad picture as it fights in the Swat Valley. The current conflict there is intricately linked to the situation in Afghanistan, in his view. He sees Swat as a political problem, which can only be partially solved by military intervention. He claims many of the Taliban's arms are coming across the border from Afghanistan. I ask if that includes NATO weapons, as suggested in recent reports, and he agrees. He says Washington is too focused on the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. The United States should "stop worrying about the nukes and start worrying about the weapons lost in Afghanistan," he says. A U.S. government report last month warned that the Pentagon did not have "complete records" for about one-third of the 242,000 weapons the United States had provided to the Afghan army, or for a further 135,000 weapons other countries sent. The Afghan army "cannot fully safeguard and account for weapons," the Government Accountability Office found. I ask how well armed the Taliban are, and he says they are "very well equipped from the border area." He also conspiratorially suggests they also are getting weapons and support from "foreign intelligence agencies." When I ask what that means, he smiles and says he can't elaborate -- declining to repeat the speculation in the press here that India, Pakistan's traditional rival, may be somehow involved in stirring up trouble on Pakistan's northwestern border. India denies that. But the very suggestion plays to a military strategist's nightmare scenario -- the Pakistan army bogged down in the northwest, unable to focus on the disputed province of Kashmir, a key element of its conflict with India. The military wants to get done in Swat as soon as possible, but the general acknowledges its troops will be there for some time. He estimates that 10 to 15 percent of the Taliban there are foreign fighters: "Well-trained Arabs, Afghans, with a sprinkling of central Asians and North Africans." He also says there are Yemenis, Saudis and Uzbeks fighting, as Pakistan has become the destination du jour of the international jihadist, with Arabs in commanding positions and the other foreign fighters bringing in expertise. He thinks that perhaps Mingora, the main town at the gateway to the Swat Valley, may be secured in 48 hours, but it may be much, much longer before the area is totally pacified. "First you have to disarm the Taliban and then re-establish the writ of government," he says. He admits that Swat and neighboring Bajur Districts "were lost to the state" and that now "we are paying in blood for areas we had already occupied." Now, he says, the army is set for a long fight. "We are prepared for that -- we are mentally prepared	[ "Who said Taliban is coming across border?", "From where Taliban`s weapons coming from, comparing to Maj.Gen. Athar Abbas?", "where are the arms coming from", "what is washington too focused on" ]	[ [ "Athar Abbas" ], [ "Afghanistan." ], [ "Afghanistan." ], [ "the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal." ] ]	Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas says Taliban's arms coming across border from Afghanistan . He says Washington is too focused on the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal . He considers conflict in Swat a fight for the existence of Pakistan in its current form . He seems acutely aware that the portrayal of that conflict to the West will be critical .
RECIFE, Brazil (CNN) -- Eight more bodies have been recovered from last week's crash of an Air France jetliner in the Atlantic Ocean, bringing the total to 24, Brazil's military announced Monday. Recovery efforts have found several items confirmed to have come from Air France Flight 447. The bodies were found floating about 440 kilometers (273 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago northeast of the Brazilian coast on Monday, military officials said Monday evening. Air France 447 disappeared over the Atlantic early June 1. The jet was en route to Paris, France, from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro with 228 passengers and crew aboard. The military said earlier Monday that 16 bodies had been recovered. Items found in the same area Saturday were confirmed to have come from the jet, including pieces of the aircraft's wing section, luggage and a leather briefcase containing an airplane ticket with a reservation code for the doomed flight, Brazilian air force spokesman Jorge Amaral said. The exact location of the crash has not been determined, because ocean currents probably caused the bodies and debris to drift in the days since the crash. Two key pieces of evidence -- the flight data and cockpit voice recorders -- remain missing and could lie on the ocean floor. Map of Flight 447's flight path » The part of the ocean where the debris and bodies have been found ranges from 6,000 to 8,000 meters (about 19,700 to 26,250 feet) deep. The search area covers 200,000 square kilometers (77,220 square miles), an area nearly as big as the country of Romania. Watch CNN's Karl Penhaul report on more bodies found » Brazilian officials emphasized Monday that finding bodies was their priority. The French are in charge of finding the black boxes, and a submarine was en route as part of that mission. Fourteen aircraft -- 12 Brazilian and two French -- were participating, along with five Brazilian ships and one French frigate. In Washington, a U.S. defense official said the U.S. Navy will contribute two high-tech acoustic devices to listen for emergency beacons still operating in deep water. The "towed pinger locators," which help search for emergency beacons on downed aircraft to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet, will be placed aboard two French tugs that are part of the search efforts, the official said. Recovery of bodies and debris is significant not only for families but also for crash investigators, said Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Even if they don't find anything else, they can get some very important clues from the pieces that they do find and from the human remains," she said Saturday. Watch an explanation of what could have caused the crash » She said investigators would be able to tell whether there was an explosion from possible residue on the bodies or other items. Or, if water is found in the lungs of victims, investigators would know that the plane went down intact, she said. Investigators in Paris said Saturday that the Air France flight sent 24 automated error messages about four minutes before it crashed. The messages suggest the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through severe thunderstorms it encountered before the crash, officials said. Schiavo said four minutes "was a very long time" for automated signals to be sent from the plane. Investigators also reported that the airline had failed to replace a part as recommended by the manufacturer, Airbus. Airbus had advised airlines to update part of the equipment that monitors speed, known as pitot tubes. The recommendation was a result of technological developments and improvements, an Airbus spokesman said. The change was not mandatory, and the spokesman would not comment on Air France's failure to follow the advice. CNN's Karl Penhaul, Richard Quest, Helena DeMoura and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.	[ "When did plane disappear?", "How many bodies found?", "How many bodies have been found so far?", "where did the bodies come from", "Who will contribute high-tech devices?", "What is US to contribute?", "Where did plane disappear over?", "how many missing" ]	[ [ "June 1." ], [ "24," ], [ "24," ], [ "last week's crash of an Air France" ], [ "U.S. Navy" ], [ "two high-tech acoustic devices" ], [ "the Atlantic" ], [ "228" ] ]	NEW: Brazilian officials emphasize that finding bodies is their priority . Military says total number of bodies found stands at 24 . Plane disappeared over Atlantic Ocean last week . U.S. to contribute high-tech devices to look for plane's emergency beacons .
REDMOND, Washington (CNN) -- Should a bridge that would connect two campuses at Microsoft's headquarters be funded with $11 million from the federal stimulus package? An artist's rendering shows how the proposed bridge would be constructed over a busy highway. Critics of using stimulus money for the bridge say it would give the software giant a break on a pet project. They also say it serves as a warning sign of how some stimulus money is not being used to finance new projects but is being diverted to public works already under way. Supporters argue the bridge is an ideal public-private partnership that will benefit an entire community while fulfilling the stimulus package's goal of getting people back to work. "It's going create just under 400 jobs for 18 months constructing the bridge," says Redmond Mayor John Marchione. "It's also connecting our technical sector with our retail and commercial sectors so people can cross the freeway to shop and help traffic flow." See a larger image of the proposed bridge » Marchione applied for federal stimulus money after costs jumped on the project from $25 million to $36 million. Marchione says the increase in costs were due to a rise in construction prices and because the bridge will be built on a diagonal in order to connect Microsoft's original East campus with a newer West campus that are split by a public highway. Microsoft is hardly getting the bridge for free. The company is contributing $17.5 million or a little less than half the tab of the $36 million bridge, which would be open for public use. And even though the bridge goes from a parking lot behind Microsoft's West campus across a highway to an entrance of Microsoft's East campus, Marchione says, people other than Microsoft employees would use the overpass. "We're not a one-company town," Marchione says. "Our traffic studies show that Microsoft traffic would be about 42 percent of the bridge, yet Microsoft is paying for about 50 percent of the bridge, so we think we are getting fair value. "The United States taxpayer is leveraging their dollars, and I think everyone is getting a fair deal." But a watchdog group monitoring how stimulus money is being spent says the taxpayer in this case is getting ripped off. "This is $11 million where we are substituting public money for private money, and that means there's some other project that would have a greater benefit than a bridge to Microsoft that's not being built," says Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. But without the stimulus money, Marchione counters, the bridge may not have been built. Microsoft had "capped out" its contribution to the project, he explains. And the economic tough times have affected even the biggest companies. "Microsoft laid off 5,000 people in January," Marchione points out. Ellis doesn't buy it. "Let's face it. Microsoft is one of the most lucrative companies in the country," Ellis says. "They could have easily funded this out of pocket change. This is really about getting while the getting is good. Uncle Sam has a big wallet that's there for the taking, and Redmond wanted to take it -- and Microsoft was happy to let them pick up that part of the tab." Microsoft did not respond to CNN requests for an interview on the bridge project. But in a posting online, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith wrote: "As the largest employer in Redmond, Microsoft takes its responsibility to the surrounding community seriously. We have spent over $50 million to assist the City of Redmond and other local governments with street construction, transit facilities, water and sewer facilities and fire equipment." Last week, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire certified 138 projects, including the bridge, to receive stimulus funding. Construction is expected to begin in June. Michael Ennis of the Washington Policy Center, a Seattle-based not-for-profit group that advises policy makers, said there are many reasons the bridge project is a good one. "Any time you	[ "how much will the project cost?", "How much money will the project cost?", "who backs the plan?", "what is the time length of this project" ]	[ [ "$36 million." ], [ "$36 million." ], [ "Redmond Mayor John Marchione." ], [ "18 months" ] ]	Project would build bridge between Microsoft's two campuses . Microsoft paying for about half of the $36 million project . Mayor backs plan, says bridge will benefit entire community . Taxpayer watchdog group says project a good example of waste .
RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Lawyers for convicted September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui urged an appeals court panel Monday to throw out his guilty plea and grant their client a new trial. They argued Moussaoui did not have an adequate defense and lacked key information to defend himself. Zacarias Moussaoui is serving a life sentence at the federal prison in Colorado known as Supermax. Legal analysts believe the appeal has only a slim chance of success. In arguments before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, lawyers for Moussaoui said he was confused about the charges he was pleading guilty to, and he did not have access to information that would have shown he was not supposed to be part of the 9/11 plot. One defense lawyer characterized Moussaoui as "unknowing." Defense lawyers point to statements, later made public, from the man who plotted the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who said Moussaoui was not intended to be a participant. Moussaoui did not know what Mohammed had said because it had been classified. "A guilty plea that is invalid is invalid," defense attorney Justin Antonipillai told the three-judge panel. A Justice Department lawyer strongly countered, telling the court Moussaoui's plea was voluntary and unconditional. Referring to a letter Moussaoui sent the district court at the time of the plea, Justice Department attorney Kevin Gingras said, "He understands what he is pleading guilty to." Gingras told the court Moussaoui knew in general that there was information that could help his defense but chose to plead guilty anyway, thereby waiving any right to now challenge that decision. "He understood there was stuff out there," Gingras said. "He knew the gist," referring to redacted copies of appeal court rulings about what detainees might testify to and the 9/11 commission report. In April of 2005, Moussaoui pleaded guilty to terrorism conspiracy charges, and in May of 2006 he was sentenced to life in prison after a jury decided not to impose a death sentence. Moussaoui, who is being held at the maximum security federal prison in Colorado known as Supermax, was not in the courtroom for the hearing. It's expected to be several months before a ruling is issued. His attorney was met with mostly skeptical questioning by the judges. "He insisted on pleading guilty and was allowed to do so only after extensive efforts to assure that it was knowing and voluntary," said former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, adding the district judge presiding over the case tried to make sure Moussaoui's rights were protected. Moussaoui's attorneys argued his original defense team, which vehemently tried to dissuade him from pleading guilty, should have been able in an unclassified way to brief their client on the contents of the classified information so he knew the full scope of the evidence. They had "one hand tied behind their backs," Antonipillai said. The judges hearing the case and the Justice Department attorney pointed out he probably would have received some of that material if he had gone to trial instead of pleading guilty. "It is his choice to pull the plug" on the process and plead guilty, Gingras said. Another argument made by Moussaoui's team was that he was denied the right of counsel because he could not hire a lawyer he wanted. After telling the court he did not want the court-appointed attorneys to represent him, Moussaoui tried to be his own attorney. But after constant outbursts the judge ended that effort. The court-appointed lawyers then took over the defense, but Moussaoui never had a good relationship with them. He wanted a Muslim lawyer from Texas, Charles Freeman, to be his attorney, but Freeman did not have security clearance. Moussaoui was arrested in August of 2001 in Minnesota after instructors at the flight school he was attending reported he was acting suspiciously and did not have much flying experience. Throughout his legal proceedings he changed his story -- at first claiming he was not supposed to be part of the September 11 attacks and then saying he was scheduled to fly a fifth plane that day and then reversing himself back to his original claim of non-involvement. His	[ "what do legal analysts believe", "Do legal analysts think the appeal stands any chance of success?", "Who was sentenced to life in connection with the September 11 attacks?", "what did defence lawyers say conspirator lack", "What did he plead guilty to?", "how long is he sentenced to", "What did defense lawyers say of the 9/11 conspirator?", "What is the name of the subject?" ]	[ [ "appeal has only a slim chance of success." ], [ "believe the" ], [ "Zacarias Moussaoui" ], [ "key information to defend himself." ], [ "terrorism conspiracy charges," ], [ "life in prison" ], [ "and lacked key information to defend himself." ], [ "Zacarias Moussaoui" ] ]	Defense lawyers say 9/11 conspirator lacked key info to defend himself . Zacarias Moussaoui sentenced to life in connection with September 11 attacks . Prosecutors say Moussaoui's guilty plea came voluntarily . Legal analysts believe appeal stands little chance of success .
RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Maria Stephens barely flinches when her three rambunctious young sons strike up a baseball game in her living room. "I thought you boys were going to play in the front yard," she laughs while Christian, 2, swings a black plastic bat near the kitchen table. Maria Stephens went from making $80,000 a year to being homeless with three boys to care for. It's hard to imagine all that energy cooped up in the small room where Stephens and her children spent seven months last year -- in a homeless shelter. Stephens, a mortgage underwriter who made $80,000 a year, faced a reversal of fortune so swift and devastating she still can't quite fathom it. The single mom went from paying $1,900 a month in rent to bunking at the shelter, an unexpected victim in the foreclosure crisis. And she is not alone. While the foreclosure rate across the country has grown dramatically in recent months, often lost in the statistics are numbers of Americans made homeless through no fault of theirs -- renters. About 40 percent of people facing eviction from foreclosure in the United States are renters, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition [NLIHC]. Yet regulations on the rental industry vary by state, and often there are no protections for those living in rental properties. For Stephens, the ordeal started with bad news from her landlord. "My landlord came and told me that his property was being foreclosed on," Stephens said. She moved her children, one then a newborn and the other two under 7, to a cheaper rental but had to leave there, too, when she lost her job and then her new landlord decided to sell the property. Watch more about the ordeals of some renters » "I had to hold back my tears because I'm like, oh my goodness. I'm from a middle-class family. ... I've had the best of everything," said Stephens. "I've never been in a situation where I didn't have a place to live. I made the money." While Stephens' situation was worsened by the loss of her income, advocates with organizations such as NLIHC say many times evictions hit renters who are working and financially up-to-date. "People who had been paying their rent on time, had been keeping up with their lease requirements, all of a sudden are served with foreclosure notices," said NLIHC Deputy Director Linda Couch. "And in every state but New Jersey and the District of Columbia, renters are not allowed to stay through their lease term and are given no special protections." The problem is exacerbated for low-income renters, who may struggle to find affordable housing on short notice. The director of SERVE, a homeless advocacy group in Manassas, Virginia, has seen an explosion of renters in need of shelter over the past seven months. Officials at another Virginia shelter have braced for an influx of families they believe will start seeking services soon. Some offer emergency shelter for families who might get only a few days' notice before being forced to move out. Last year, an Illinois sheriff temporarily refused to evict renters, some of whom learned about the foreclosure when sheriff's deputies showed up at their door. Bill Apgar, senior adviser for mortgage finance at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the Obama administration is working to solve the problem. The president's 2010 budget proposal includes $1 billion for a National Housing Trust Fund, which would go towards building and preserving low-income housing. There is also a boost in funding to a voucher program that keeps families in their homes. NLIHC's Couch applauded these efforts but urged the federal government to go further. She wants to compel banks and owners who take over foreclosed property to allow renters to stay through their lease. Mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac already give renters that protection. "We do think that solutions as simple as those requirements could have an immediate and dramatic impact on potentially millions of peoples' lives," Couch said.	[ "What states offer protection?", "Who was forced to go to a shelter with her boys?", "Who was forced into a shelter?", "What percentage of people facing eviction from foreclosure?", "Where did Maria Stephens and her boys go", "About 40% of people facing eviction are what?", "What percentage of people evicted are renting?" ]	[ [ "District of Columbia," ], [ "Maria Stephens" ], [ "Maria Stephens" ], [ "40 percent" ], [ "homeless shelter." ], [ "renters," ], [ "40 percent" ] ]	About 40% of people facing eviction from foreclosure are renters, coalition finds . Many times, evictions hit renters who are working and financially up-to-date . Only New Jersey and D.C. offer renters any protections during a foreclosure . Former mortgage underwriter Maria Stephens was forced to go shelter with her boys .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- An American man fighting for custody of his 9-year-old son has been invited to spend Christmas with the boy's Brazilian family, the family's attorney said Friday. David Goldman has been locked in a legal battle over custody of his son, Sean Goldman, with the family of the boy's deceased mother. The family's attorney, Sergio Tostes, said Friday that the legal battle had gone too far. "It is about time that Sean's family, and I mean all Sean's family, get together. I am authorized by Mrs. Silvana Bianchi to invite you, Mr. Goldman, to spend Christmas night at her house," Tostes said, referring to Sean's maternal grandmother. "This will be a long awaited family reunion" "I hope you can accept and we can talk logistics," he said, with the boy's grandmother standing next to him. Tostes also said that the family would consider allowing the boy to go to the United States, perhaps for the holidays, if Sean wants to go. However, "Sean must be heard in court," he said. There was no immediate response from Goldman. Earlier Friday, Goldman slammed a decision by a Brazilian Supreme Court justice Thursday that prevented the boy's return to the United States. That decision had "nothing to do with the merits" of the case, he said. On Wednesday, a lower court unanimously upheld a decision ordering that Sean be returned to his father in New Jersey. That decision was made in accordance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abductions. "Every day that my son is under that roof, he is being severely psychologically damaged," Goldman said. He insisted that there is the "utmost urgency" for Sean to be reunited with him. "My son is suffering, and he's losing the innocence of ... a child," Goldman said. The family argues that it would traumatize Sean to remove him from what has been his home since 2004, when his mother took him to Brazil on what she said would be a vacation. The family said Sean screamed with joy when he found out Thursday that he would not have to leave with his dad. The custody battle began in 2004, when Goldman's wife, Bruna Bianchi, took their then-4-year-old son from their home in New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for what was to have been a two-week vacation. She never returned, instead remarrying there and retaining custody of Sean. She died last year in childbirth. Goldman has argued that as the sole surviving parent, he should at last be granted custody. Instead of traveling to Brasilia, where the high court is, Goldman planned to stay in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, where he is just miles from Sean. He hasn't seen his son since February. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, who is traveling with Goldman, said three court-appointed psychologists tasked with determining the boy's emotional and psychological well-being had unanimously concluded that he is being hurt emotionally "by the continuance of this abduction." Smith said Sean was previously put in front of a video camera as adults asked questions. The boy made remarks in that video that members of his mother's family suggest indicate he should stay in Brazil. If the court allows a child's drawings or such a videotape to be used as evidence in a courtroom, Smith said, "every kidnapper everywhere in the world -- every child abductor in the world" would have the children make such things. Goldman also addressed the videotape: "What is he going to say? 'No, I hate it here,' knowing he'll go back up under their roof? What do you expect? He is an innocent, helpless, vulnerable, defenseless child that needs to be freed from this circumstance." Smith called on Brazil's full Supreme Court to "vacate this illogical and unjust stay on the rightful return of Sean Goldman to his only dad.	[ "who took son to Brazil in 2004?", "who died in childbirth?", "What happened with Ex-wife of Brazil?", "What happened to the boy's mother?", "When was the boy taken to Brazil?", "Where was the boy originally from?" ]	[ [ "David Goldman" ], [ "Bruna Bianchi," ], [ "She never returned, instead remarrying there" ], [ "She died last year in childbirth." ], [ "2004," ], [ "Brazilian" ] ]	NEW: Boy at center of custody dispute may be allowed to go to U.S., family says . U.S. lawmaker says man plans to appeal ruling to Brazil's Supreme Court . Ex-wife took son to Brazil in 2004, never returned him to New Jersey . She died in childbirth; boy's stepfather says he should stay in Brazil .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The death toll from flooding in southern Brazil continued to climb Wednesday, with officials reporting at least 86 dead, the state news agency said. About 30 people are missing, the official news agency Agencia Brasil said, citing civil defense officials. Earlier reports had indicated as many as 100 people were dead. In addition, more than 54,000 residents have been left homeless, and another 1.5 million have been affected by the heavy rains, the state news agency reported. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced he will release nearly 700 million reais ($350 million) on Wednesday, Agencia Brasil said. About 50 federal police are being dispatched to Santa Catarina state, where most of the deaths and damage have occurred, Agencia Brasil said. The authorities will help look for victims and provide security for local businesses. Military police reported that four grocery stores were looted this week in the Santa Catarina city of Itajai, the news agency said. The rain-fueled flooding resulted in a declaration of public calamity in six municipalities -- Gaspar, Rio dos Cedros, Nova Trento, Camboriu, Benedito Novo and Pomerode, Agencia Brasil reported. Another seven municipalities have declared states of emergency -- Balneário de Piçarras, Canelinha, Indaial, Penha, Paulo Lopes, Presidente Getúlio and Rancho Queimado, the news agency reported. Eight communities are cut off from the rest of the nation and have no water and electricity, Civil Defense officials said. The flooding has blocked more than 20 roads, and emergency supplies of food, water and coats are being brought in by helicopter. Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao was scheduled to tour the affected areas Wednesday to meet with Santa Catarina Gov. Luiz Henrique da Silveira and announce emergency measures. The governor has called the situation the worst catastrophe in the state's history. Complicating matters, the flooding also ruptured a pipeline carrying gas between Brazil and Bolivia on Sunday night, interrupting the flow of gas in part of the country's southern region, Agencia Brasil said. Heavy rains have brought flooding to many parts of Central and South America. In Colombia, at least 34 people have died, and another eight are missing, officials said. About 50,000 people suffered damage to their property in northwestern Colombia after the Cauca River overflowed following heavy rains. The Cauca -- a tributary of the Magdalena River, the largest in Colombia -- broke through its levees Tuesday and flooded the town of Nechi, in the province of Antioquia, about 248 miles (400 kilometers) north of Bogota. In Panama, rains have caused damage in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui and Colon. The Panamanian Red Cross said in a release Tuesday it is offering aid to about 5,000 people. Journalist Fabiana Frayssinet in Brazil and Fernando Ramos in Colombia contributed to this report.	[ "How many are dead?", "Amount of people left homeless?", "Where have most of the death and damage been from?", "What has also caused damage in Colombia?", "What caused deaths and damage in Santa Catarina?", "How many have been left homeless?", "How many died in southern Brazil?", "Where has most of the damage been?", "What happened in southern Brazil?", "Where have most of the deaths occured?", "What happened to 54,000 people?", "Where are over 54,000 homeless?" ]	[ [ "86" ], [ "54,000" ], [ "Santa Catarina state," ], [ "flooding" ], [ "flooding" ], [ "54,000 residents" ], [ "86 dead," ], [ "Santa Catarina state," ], [ "flooding" ], [ "southern Brazil" ], [ "have been left homeless," ], [ "southern Brazil" ] ]	More than 54,000 have been left homeless, state news agency says . At least 86 dead, 30 missing in southern Brazil, reports say . Most of deaths and damage have been in Santa Catarina state . Flooding also has caused damage in Colombia, Panama .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- A 12-mile oil slick near where an Air France jet crashed Monday into the Atlantic Ocean indicates the plane likely didn't break up until it hit the water, Brazil's defense minister said Wednesday. Image released by the Brazilian Air Force shows oil slicks in the water near a debris site. If true, that would argue against an in-flight explosion as the cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters. But Robert Francis, former vice chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, said the question of determining where a plane broke up "is a very difficult one to deal with." He told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" that "there are lots of things that cause a plane to go out of control." He added that extremely strong winds are not unusual near Brazil. Pilots who fly over that part of the world keep track of radar and "are very, very wary about the weather as they go back and forth down in that area." Jobim said currents had strewn the debris widely and that the search area had been expanded to 300 square miles. The Airbus A330, carrying 228 people, went down about three hours after beginning what was to have been an 11-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France. No survivors have been found. Map of Flight AF 447's flight path » Investigators have not determined what caused the plane to crash. The flight data recorders have not been recovered, and the plane's crew did not send any messages indicating problems before the plane disappeared. Watch as high seas hamper recovery » The Brazilian Air Force said it found the oil slick and four debris fields Wednesday, but rain and rough seas kept searchers from plucking any of the debris from the water. Among Wednesday's finds were objects in a circular 5-kilometer (3-mile) area, including one object with a diameter of 7 meters (23 feet) and 10 other objects, some of which were metallic, Brazilian Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral said. Searchers had found two debris fields Tuesday and identified the wreckage as coming from Flight 447. The debris was found about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil. It included an airplane seat and an orange float. Wednesday's debris find was about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Tuesday's discoveries, Amaral said. Eleven aircraft and five ships are engaged in the search, including airplanes from France and the United States. Watch as experts question whether recovery is possible » The NTSB said Wednesday it has accepted an invitation from the French aviation accident investigation authority, the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses, to aid in the investigation. NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has designated senior air safety investigator Bill English as the U.S. accredited representative. The U.S. team will include technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration; General Electric, which made the plane's engines; and Honeywell, which made the plane's data recorders. The aircraft's computer system did send about four minutes of automated messages indicating a loss of cabin pressure and an electrical failure, officials have said. Some investigators have noted that the plane flew through a severe lightning storm. Foul play has not been ruled out. Air France had received a bomb threat May 27 for a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Paris, sources in the Argentine military and police told CNN on Wednesday. According to the officials, who had been briefed on the incident and declined to be identified because of the ongoing investigation, the Air France office in Buenos Aires received the threat from a man speaking Spanish. Authorities checked the Boeing 777 and did not find anything. Security was tightened during check-in for Flight 415, which left on time and without incident, the officials said. Although officials have said the likelihood of finding survivors of Flight 447's crash is small, authorities have not closed the door on the possibility. "Until	[ "What will be difficult to determine?", "Where did the Air France flight disappear?", "What disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean?" ]	[ [ "where a plane broke up" ], [ "the Atlantic Ocean" ], [ "plane" ] ]	NEW: Oil slick may argue against an in-flight explosion, Brazilian official says . NEW: Determining where plane broke up will be difficult, U.S. aviation expert says . Air France flight disappeared over Atlantic Ocean after taking off from Brazil . Memorial for the victims of Flight AF 447 takes place in Paris at Notre Dame .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- A Brazilian supreme court judge on Tuesday suspended a lower court's order that would have given custody of a 9-year-old boy to the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, where he was to be reunited with his American father. David Goldman has been fighting for custody of his son, Sean, since the boy's mother took him to Brazil in 2004. Judge Marco Aurelio argued against taking Sean Richard Goldman from what has been his home for almost five years to the United States "in an abrupt manner." Doing so, he wrote in his order published on the court's Web site, could subject the boy to psychological harm. The decision, which means the entire Brazilian supreme court will take up the case, comes a day after a superior court justice ordered Sean taken Wednesday to the U.S. Consulate in Rio and handed over to his father, David Goldman, who arrived Tuesday from New Jersey to pick up his son. The two were separated in June 2004 when the boy's Brazilian mother, Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro, told Goldman -- to whom she was then married -- that she was taking the boy on a two-week vacation to Brazil. Watch Goldman describe his fight to get his son back » Mother and son never returned. Instead, Bianchi stayed in Brazil, where she divorced Goldman and married a Brazilian lawyer. But in September, Bianchi's death during childbirth led Goldman to renew his efforts to regain custody of their son. Sean, who has been living with his half-sister and his stepfather, was to have spent a 30-day adaptation period in the United States before his father gained full custody. That prospect sparked outrage from an attorney representing the boy's Brazilian relatives. "The child wasn't heard," lawyer Sergio Tostes said. "The child said many times that he wanted to stay in Brazil. This is not human, and it is a cruelty." The case has attracted high-level attention. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to the case Monday, telling reporters, "I also wanted just to take this opportunity to recognize the decision by the Brazilian federal court today ordering a young American boy, Sean Goldman, to be reunited with his father, David. It's taken a long time for this day to come, but we will work with the Goldman family and the Brazilian government, with the goal of ensuring this young boy's return." David Goldman's attorney, Patricia Apy, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. CNN's Rob Frehse and Alessandra Castelli contributed to this report.	[ "Who suspended the lower courts order?", "What happened after mom moved with son to Brazil in 2004?", "Where did the mom move with the son?", "What did the Brazilian supreme court judge suspend?", "Where did the lower court order the son to be taken?", "When did the mother die?", "When did mom die in childbirth?" ]	[ [ "judge" ], [ "divorced Goldman and married a Brazilian lawyer." ], [ "Brazil" ], [ "would have given custody of a 9-year-old boy to the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, where he was to be reunited with his American father." ], [ "U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro," ], [ "September," ], [ "September," ] ]	Brazilian supreme court judge suspends lower court's order . Lower court had ordered son taken to dad at U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro . Boy's parents divorced after mom moved with son to Brazil in 2004 . Mom died in childbirth in 2008, leaving boy with stepfather .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Antiviolence protesters stretched out 16,000 coconuts on Brazil's world-famous Copacabana beach Saturday, each one representing a victim of urban violence. Protesters used dummies to represent victims of violence on Brazil's Copacabana beach this week. Activists from ONG Rio de Paz led a protest march Saturday morning that included residents and tourists who usually can be found on the beach on weekends. The protesters strung up a sign on the sand that said "Shame" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French. They finished with a minute of silence for the victims of violence. Rio de Paz said the coconuts represent victims of violence, homicides, dead police officers and those who have been shot in gunfights between authorities and gangs of narcotics traffickers. The figure itself was obtained from official information from the Rio de Janeiro governmental Institute of Public Security. It was the second protest staged this week on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach by the group Rio de Paz. On Tuesday, the group created a mock cemetery in the sand with mannequins representing 9,000 people who Rio de Paz says have been slain and secretly buried since January 2007. Rio de Paz President Antonio Carlos Costa said he believes that about 6,000 of the missing people were killed, many by drug traffickers fighting for territory in Rio's slums and poor neighborhoods. Others, he said, were killed by hit squads and police acting on their own. "In general, they are assassinated by police -- police acting outside of their regular work hours," Costa said Tuesday. "They are also assassinated by narcotraffickers. The bodies are disposed of in secret cemeteries in the metropolitan Rio de Janeiro area or incinerated alive by narcotraffickers in what they call 'microwaves.' " To illustrate the point, demonstrators also constructed facsimiles of the "microwaves" that narcotics traffickers and death squads reportedly use to cremate remains of those they have abducted. CNN's Fabiana Frayssinet contributed to this report.	[ "What did the coconuts represent?", "What was lined up along Brazil's Copacabana beach?", "What does protesters say in four languages?", "What do the coconuts represent", "On which beach were the coconuts lined up", "What did the signs that were put up read?", "What word was written in four languages" ]	[ [ "a victim of urban violence." ], [ "Antiviolence protesters" ], [ "\"Shame\"" ], [ "victims of violence," ], [ "Copacabana" ], [ "\"Shame\" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French." ], [ "\"Shame\"" ] ]	Protesters line up coconuts on Brazil's Copacabana beach . Rio de Paz says coconuts represent victims of urban violence, drug wars . Protesters string up sign in sand that says "Shame" in four languages . Earlier, group staged mock cemetery in beach sand representing missing people .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Antiviolence protesters stretched out 16,000 coconuts on Brazil's world-famous Copacabana beach Saturday, each one representing a victim of urban violence. Protesters used dummies to represent victims of violence on Brazil's Copacabana beach this week. Activists from ONG Rio de Paz led a protest march Saturday morning that included residents and tourists who usually can be found on the beach on weekends. The protesters strung up a sign on the sand that said "Shame" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French. They finished with a minute of silence for the victims of violence. Rio de Paz said the coconuts represent victims of violence, homicides, dead police officers and those who have been shot in gunfights between authorities and gangs of narcotics traffickers. The figure itself was obtained from official information from the Rio de Janeiro governmental Institute of Public Security. It was the second protest staged this week on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach by the group Rio de Paz. On Tuesday, the group created a mock cemetery in the sand with mannequins representing 9,000 people who Rio de Paz says have been slain and secretly buried since January 2007. Rio de Paz President Antonio Carlos Costa said he believes that about 6,000 of the missing people were killed, many by drug traffickers fighting for territory in Rio's slums and poor neighborhoods. Others, he said, were killed by hit squads and police acting on their own. "In general, they are assassinated by police -- police acting outside of their regular work hours," Costa said Tuesday. "They are also assassinated by narcotraffickers. The bodies are disposed of in secret cemeteries in the metropolitan Rio de Janeiro area or incinerated alive by narcotraffickers in what they call 'microwaves.' " To illustrate the point, demonstrators also constructed facsimiles of the "microwaves" that narcotics traffickers and death squads reportedly use to cremate remains of those they have abducted. CNN's Fabiana Frayssinet contributed to this report.	[ "What mock scene did the group stage?", "What was staged on the beach to represent missing people?", "The group staged what in the beach sands?", "What did protesters line up on the beach?", "What does the sign say?" ]	[ [ "Protesters used dummies to represent victims of violence on Brazil's Copacabana beach this week." ], [ "16,000 coconuts" ], [ "16,000 coconuts on Brazil's world-famous" ], [ "16,000 coconuts" ], [ "\"Shame\" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French." ] ]	Protesters line up coconuts on Brazil's Copacabana beach . Rio de Paz says coconuts represent victims of urban violence, drug wars . Protesters string up sign in sand that says "Shame" in four languages . Earlier, group staged mock cemetery in beach sand representing missing people .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Automated messages sent from Air France Flight 447 just before it crashed Monday indicate the plane's systems were providing contradictory information about its airspeed, the jet's manufacturer said on Friday. Friends and relatives of the 228 people aboard Air France Flight 447 attend a memorial service Thursday in Brazil. That suggests the pilots may have been flying too fast or too slow through the violent weather they encountered before the crash, officials said. In addition, investigators have said the plane's autopilot disengaged, cabin pressure was lost and there was an electrical failure before the disaster. Airbus confirmed on Friday that in the wake of the crash it sent a Telex to operators of all Airbus models reminding them what to do when speed indicators give conflicting readings. The spokesman said the notice does not mean there is any major flaw in the aircraft, but is simply a reminder to pilots about what to do in the cockpit if they get conflicting information about air speed. Message transmissions from the aircraft in the final moments before it crashed Monday into the Atlantic Ocean show there was an "indicated inconsistency in measured air speeds," Airbus said. The company did not elaborate. Experts said that could mean the pilot's and co-pilots' sensors were showing different speeds. "If they're malfunctioning, it can give a false read that can be misinterpreted in the cockpit, and a disaster can follow," said Peter Goeltz, the former managing director of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. While the pilots themselves sent no distress calls, the aircraft's computer system relayed about four minutes of automated messages indicating a loss of cabin pressure and an electrical failure, according to investigators. Airbus said it sent the Telex Thursday night after the action was recommended by the French investigating agency, which plans to hold a news conference Saturday morning in Paris, France. Watch as experts question whether recovery is possible » Meanwhile, the hunt for debris continued Friday, a day after a Brazilian air force official said debris plucked from the ocean was not from the Air France jet. A U.S Navy P-3 temporarily based in Brazil has flown three missions -- on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday -- in assisting the Brazilian government search for debris, but found nothing connected to the disaster, U.S. Southern Command spokesman Maj. Darryl Wright said. Earlier Friday, Goeltz said the search for Flight 447's voice and data recorders is becoming more difficult as ocean currents disperse debris from the crash site. "The clock's ticking" in the search for the plane's recorders, he said. "The batteries on these locator devices attached to the black boxes have a limited life span -- just 30 days," he said. "The longer time goes on, the further away from the actual crash site the debris floats." All 228 passengers and crew aboard the Airbus 330 are presumed to have died when the plane disappeared northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil. The flight originated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was en route to Paris. Map of Flight 447's flight path » While the ocean depth in the area where the plane is thought to have crashed presents a challenge, the challenge may not be insurmountable, Goeltz said. "We've recovered boxes as deep as 6- or 7,000 feet," he said. "We've recovered debris from as much as 10,000 feet." Authorities have said the depth of the water in the area ranges from 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) to 7,500 meters (24,600 feet). Cmdr. Christophe Prazuck of the French Ministry of Defense said Friday that a French research vessel was expected to arrive this weekend in the search area carrying a deep-diving submersible. The submersible would try to pinpoint the recorders, but must rely on another vessel to retrieve them, he said. The submarine helped recover artifacts from the Titanic disaster. Meanwhile, France's transportation minister warned that "extreme prudence" should be used in releasing information about why the plane	[ "What makes finding recorders more difficult?", "What did automated messages indicate?", "What did the automated messages indicate?", "What does the ex-U.S. aviation safety official say?" ]	[ [ "ocean currents disperse debris" ], [ "the plane's systems were providing contradictory information about its airspeed," ], [ "the plane's systems were providing contradictory information about its airspeed," ], [ "\"If they're malfunctioning, it can give a false read that can be misinterpreted in the cockpit, and a disaster can follow,\"" ] ]	French officials: Sub could find recorders; other vessel needed for their retrieval . Airbus: Automated messages indicate contradictory info provided on airspeeds . Such a problem "could really be disastrous," ex-U.S. aviation safety official says . Expert: Finding where recorders lie on seabed harder as debris scattered .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Debris located early Tuesday in the Atlantic Ocean off the northeast coast of Brazil is wreckage from the Air France jet that disappeared Monday, Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said. A French search and rescue crew scans the Atlantic for wreckage Tuesday. No survivors have been found, he said. Jobim made the announcement after meeting with relatives and friends of Brazilians who were among the 228 people aboard Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France. Two debris fields were found about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil -- or at latitude 2 north, longitude 30 west, the Ministry of Defense said on its Web site. One of the fields was 5 km (3 miles) long and that both lie near the flight path between Rio de Janeiro and Paris. Among the wreckage was an airplane seat, metal debris, an orange float, a drum and an oil spill, the posting said. See map of suspected crash zone » Brazilian air force planes spotted the debris field Tuesday morning, but it was not until a French commercial vessel arrived on the scene that the debris' origin was confirmed. The planes searched 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) of ocean throughout the day and will continue to search for more debris overnight, the Brazilian Air Force Said. Two Netherlands-flagged vessels were expected to arrive in the area later in the day; a Brazilian navy ship was expected to arrive Wednesday, officials said. Brazilian air force jets were continuing to comb the area for other debris, and a U.S. P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft was assisting as well. Watch how wreckage has been spotted in Atlantic » The searchers also want to find the cockpit voice and data recorders, which might shed light on what caused the jet to disappear before any of the three pilots was able to issue a mayday. "That really is an ominous sign," said former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Managing Director Peter Goelz. "It means, whatever happened, it happened so quickly that the pilots were not able to radio out. It probably indicates a catastrophic failure at altitude." He said that meteorologists have been checking weather data over the area "to see if there was some phenomenon that was taking place -- so far, we haven't seen it." The Airbus A330 encountered heavy turbulence early Monday, about three hours into what was supposed to be an 11-hour flight, according to the airline. The plane carried 216 passengers -- 126 men, 82 women, seven children and a baby -- and 12 crew members, Air France said. The majority of the people on the flight came from Brazil, France and Germany. Other victims were from 29 other countries, including three from the United States. Of the crew, 11 were French, and one was Brazilian. A team of approximately 20 Air France staff members, including two doctors and a nurse, arrived Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro to assist families of the victims, the airline said. An inter-religious ceremony is to be held Wednesday afternoon inside Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral for family and friends of the victims. Though it will be closed to news media, a sound recording of the ceremony will be broadcast into the square outside. An official list of victims by name was not available Tuesday afternoon, but two Americans on board -- Michael Harris, 60, and his wife, Anne, 54 -- were identified by the couple's family and his employer. Prince Pedro Luis de Orleans e Braganca, a member of Brazil's non-reigning royal family, was also on the flight, his family said Monday. Pedro Luis was 26. Also on the flight were two executives of the French tire company Michelin: Michelin Latin America President Luiz Roberto Anastacio and Antonio Gueiro, director of informatics. Read more about victims on Air France Flight 447 The jet was 4 years old and had last undergone routine maintenance April 16. The Air France	[ "Where were two debris fields found?", "What did the pilot fail to do?", "When is service to be held?", "What is to be held Wednesday at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral?", "When will the memorial service by held?", "How many people was Flight 447 carrying?", "Where was debris found?" ]	[ [ "about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil -- or at latitude 2 north, longitude 30 west, the Ministry of Defense said on its Web site." ], [ "issue a mayday." ], [ "Wednesday afternoon" ], [ "inter-religious ceremony" ], [ "Wednesday afternoon" ], [ "228" ], [ "about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil -- or at latitude 2 north, longitude 30 west," ] ]	NEW: Pilots' failure to issue mayday "ominous sign," former NTSB spokesman says . NEW: Memorial service to be held Wednesday at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral . 2 debris fields found about 400 miles northeast of Fernando de Noronha Islands . Flight 447, traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, was carrying 228 people .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Former presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil called Wednesday for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use and a change in tactics on the war on drugs, a Spanish news agency said. People march in support of legalized marijuana in late January in Belem, northern Brazil. Ex-presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil made their announcement at a meeting in Brazil of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, the EFE news agency said. "The problem is that current policies are based on prejudices and fears and not on results," Gaviria said at a news conference in which the commission's recommendations were presented. The 17-member panel worked on the report for a year and will forward it to all Latin American governments as well as the United States and the European Union, EFE said. Gaviria said the time is right to start a debate on the subject, particularly with the pragmatic openings provided by the election of President Barack Obama in the United States. "In many states in the United States, as is the case in California, they have begun to change federal policies with regard to tolerating marijuana for therapeutic purposes. And in Washington there's some consensus that the current policy is failing," EFE quotes Gaviria as saying. Decriminalization should be accompanied by treatment for addicts and public service campaigns on abuse prevention, the commission said. "If you don't help those who are dependent, you are half way there because they are going to commit crime to get money and pay for the drug," Gaviria said. Cardoso said the group called for only the decriminalization of marijuana and not other illicit drugs because "you have to start somewhere" and it would have been unrealistic to ask the same for all drugs, EFE said. Marijuana was chosen because it is grown in all countries in the region and because it is "less harmful." The decades-old criminalization of personal consumption has failed to stop the plant's cultivation and distribution, the group said. The commission urged that all current criminal prosecution be aimed at drug cartels and organized crime and not marijuana smokers, EFE said. Zedillo did not attend the news conference but worked on the report, Cardoso said. Wednesday's recommendation was the second time in less than a week that a Latin American government official called for decriminalization. A mayor in Peru suggested Friday that the federal government legalize illicit drugs and administer them through the national health ministry. Gusto Sierra, the mayor of the Surquillo district in Lima, said a federal drug law is hypocritical because it allows maximum legally allowed quantities for some drugs and plants but doesn't say where to acquire them, the Peru 21 newspaper reported in a front-page story headlined "Say yes to drugs?" Sierra said he will take the matter up with the nation's executive branch. Zedillo served as president of Mexico from 1994-2000. Gaviria was president of Colombia from 1990-94. And Cardoso led Brazil from 1995-2002.	[ "Who is urging for decriminalization of marijuana?", "Leaders are urging treatments for who?", "What did former leaders say criminal prosecutors should target?", "What are the ex presidents of some countries urging?", "Who urged decriminalization?", "Who should be prosecuted?", "Who did they urge treatment for?", "What is the public service campaign about?", "Leaders urge what?", "Prosecution should target what?", "Ex-presidents urge decriminalization of what?" ]	[ [ "Ex-presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil" ], [ "addicts" ], [ "drug cartels and organized crime" ], [ "decriminalization of marijuana for personal use and a change in tactics on the war on drugs," ], [ "Ex-presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil" ], [ "drug cartels and organized crime" ], [ "addicts" ], [ "abuse prevention," ], [ "current criminal prosecution be aimed at drug cartels" ], [ "drug cartels and organized crime" ], [ "marijuana for personal use" ] ]	Ex-presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia urge decriminalization of marijuana . Leaders urge treatment for addicts, public service campaigns on abuse prevention . Criminal prosecution should target drug cartels, not users, former leaders say .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The Brazilian air force said that debris picked up Thursday near where officials believe Air France Flight 447 crashed Monday into the Atlantic Ocean was not from the plane. Image released by the Brazilian Air Force shows oil slicks in the water near a debris site. "It has been verified that the material did not belong to the plane," Brigadier Ramon Borges Cardoso told reporters in Recife about the material recovered Thursday. "It is a pallet of wood that is utilized for transport. It is used in planes, but on this flight to Paris, there was no wooden pallet." He added that oil slicks seen on the ocean were not from the plane, either, and that the quantity of oil exceeded the amount the plane would have carried. "No material from the airplane was picked up," he said. The announcement left open the question of whether other debris that had not yet been plucked from the ocean might be from the plane. On Wednesday, searchers recovered two debris fields and had identified the wreckage, including an airplane seat and an orange float as coming from Flight 447. Officials now say that none of the debris recovered is from the missing plane. Helicopters had been lifting pieces from the water and dropping them on three naval vessels. Brazilian Air Force planes spotted an oil slick and four debris fields Wednesday but rain and rough seas had kept searchers from plucking any of the debris from the water. Officials said searchers had found objects in a circular 5-kilometer (3-mile) area, including one object with a diameter of 7 meters (23 feet) and 10 other objects, some of which were metallic, Brazilian Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral said. The debris was found about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers off the northeast coast of Brazil. Eleven aircraft and five ships are engaged in the search, including airplanes from France and the United States. Earlier Thursday, a public interfaith service was held for the 228 victims at a 200-year-old Catholic Church in downtown Rio. Joining family members were members of the Brazilian armed forces, who are leading the recovery effort. "Whoever has faith, whoever believes in God, believes in the eternity of the soul," said Mauro Chavez, whose friend lost a daughter on the flight. "This means everything." Investigators have not yet determined what caused the plane to crash. The flight data recorders have not been recovered, and the plane's crew did not send any messages indicating problems before the plane disappeared. A Spanish pilot said he saw an "intense flash" in the area where Flight 447 came down off the coast of Brazil, while a Brazilian minister appeared to rule out a midair explosion. Meanwhile, a report in France suggested the pilots were perhaps flying at the "wrong speed" for the violent thunderstorm they flew into early on Monday before the Airbus A330's systems failed. Le Monde newspaper reported that Airbus was sending a warning to operators of A330 jets with new advice on flying in storms. As several ships trawled the debris site in the Atlantic, Brazil's defense minister said a 20-kilometer (12-mile) oil slick near where the plane, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, went down indicated it probably did not break up until it hit the water. If true, that would rule out an in-flight explosion as the cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters. However, both pilots of an Air Comet flight from Lima, Peru, to Lisbon, Portugal, sent a written report on the bright flash they said they saw to Air France, Airbus and the Spanish civil aviation authority, the airline told CNN. "Suddenly, we saw in the distance a strong and intense flash of white light, which followed a descending and vertical trajectory and which broke up in six seconds," the captain wrote. Air Comet declined to identify the pilot's name but said he waited until landing to inform Air	[ "What was found by air force?", "Was the debris from the missing plane?", "where was plane headed?", "What did the two pilot saw?", "What was the report says?", "How many people were aboard the jet?" ]	[ [ "objects in a circular 5-kilometer (3-mile) area, including one object with a diameter of 7 meters (23 feet) and 10 other objects, some of which were metallic, Brazilian" ], [ "not" ], [ "Paris," ], [ "intense flash of white light," ], [ "suggested the pilots were perhaps flying at the \"wrong speed\" for the violent thunderstorm they flew into early on Monday before the Airbus A330's systems failed." ], [ "228" ] ]	Wreckage, debris found earlier is not from missing plane, air force says . Conflicting reports over why Air France jet crashed with 228 aboard . Oil slick appears to rule out midair fire or explosion, Brazil minister says . But two Spanish pilots say they saw "intense flash" in area where jet crashed .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The death toll in flood-ravaged southern Brazil has reached 116 and the first cases of a water-borne, potentially fatal disease are being investigated, the nation's Civil Defense agency reported. People use a boat to navigate flooded streets in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina last week. The number of missing residents has increased to 31, the agency said. The previous tally was 19. Nearly 79,000 residents have been left homeless, many of them in the hard-hit state of Santa Catarina. Many of the deaths have been caused by mudslides. Officials are now worried about disease, as 10 cases of leptospirosis are suspected, the state news agency reported. Leptospirosis is an infection in rodents and other wild and domesticated animals, according to the World Health Organization. In humans, exposure through water contaminated by urine from infected animals is the most common form of infection. The disease is often found in flooded areas. Ten people with symptoms are being treated in the cities of Blumenau and Ilhota, the state-run Agencia Brasil reported. Symptoms usually occur 2 to 30 days after infection and consist of high fever, malaise, sharp and constant headache, intense muscular pain, fatigue and chills. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea also are common. About 10 percent of patients develop jaundiced eyes after the third day, indicating the most severe cases. Authorities also were warning residents in flooded areas to be careful with food and water they consume. Food that has been under water or moist should not be eaten unless it's in a sealed plastic bag or a can, officials said. The health secretary for Santa Catarina said residents who drink contaminated water also run the risk of getting hepatitis A and diarrhea. Rescuers also are at risk of disease and injury. In the city of Maximus in Luis Alves state, eight rescuers were injured over the weekend, one of them gravely, Agencia Brasil reported. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday that Santa Catarina will be rebuilt and become just as strong as it was. "We cannot lose hope," Lula said. "We must be convinced that people will reconstruct the state of Santa Catarina. There is a national solidarity never seen before in the history of the country." Lula flew over some of the flooded areas last week and proclaimed the disaster one of the worst in the country's history. "I've never seen anything like this," he said Thursday. He said last week he was releasing 1.97 billion Reals (more than US$850 million) in aid to the afflicted areas. Officials have distributed 880 tons of food, nearly 1 million liters of water and 60 tons of clothing, toys and cleaning and personal hygiene material, Agencia Brasil said Monday. The Civil Defense said seaplanes have flown 548 relief missions in seven days. The disaster also is having an economic effect, with bridges, roads, houses and buildings destroyed. The Federation of Industries said the closed port in Itajai is costing $33 million a day. The port is the major terminal for frozen goods in Brazil and second in the transport of containers, Agencia Brasil said. Port Superintendent Arnaldo Schmitt said last week part of the terminal could be back in operation in two weeks. Weather conditions may not allow that to happen, though. The Civil Defense issued an alert Monday for heavy rains in 14 states and the federal district.	[ "What is the death toll in southern Brazil?", "What do authorities warn people to do?", "How many are missing?", "What did officials report?", "How many people are missing?", "What is the death toll from flooding?", "Where was the flooding?", "How many people have died?", "What is the death toll?" ]	[ [ "116" ], [ "be careful with food and water they consume." ], [ "31," ], [ "Officials are now worried about disease, as 10 cases of leptospirosis are suspected," ], [ "31," ], [ "116" ], [ "southern Brazil" ], [ "116" ], [ "116" ] ]	Death toll from flooding in southern Brazil reaches 116; 31 people missing . Officials report 10 suspected cases of potentially deadly leptospirosis . Authorities warn people to avoid flood-contaminated food, water . More heavy rain forecast for parts of Brazil .
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Thousands of people celebrated Friday on crowded Copacabana beach as the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host played live over huge screens erected above the sand. Thousands packed Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro after the city learned it will host the Olympics. "It was a fantastic victory. We beat the big cities. Passion talked louder," said one man as he danced to live samba music in front of the stage. Rio de Janeiro beat out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid to become the first South American city to host the Games, something President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva made clear during his pitch to the International Olympic Committee. "It is a time to address this imbalance," he told committee members making the selection in Copenhagen, Denmark. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country." Happiness was a big part of Rio's pitch after it was voted the happiest city in the world by Forbes magazine. On Friday, thousands of people piled onto the beach wearing green and yellow, many with the Brazilian flag painted on their faces. Exuberant Rio de Janeiro is first South American city to host Olympics » "I thought that more than to the people, we owe this victory to our President Lula," said a woman wearing little more than a bikini. Rio also won points with an ambitious budget and new venues like the Joao Havelange Stadium, which opened for the 2007 Pan American Games. Rio's jaw-dropping natural beauty helped the city pull ahead of the competition. "Rio is full of all things quintessentially Brazilian: sun, sand, soccer, samba, sensuality," the editorial director of Fodor's Travel, Laura Kidder, wrote in an e-mail. "In Rio, it's about taking each day as it comes and living life to the fullest." Erik Torkells, editor for TripAdvisor, the world's largest online travel community, also praised the city for its social scene before the selection was made. "If the Olympic Committee wanted to be sure everyone had a good time, they'd go to Rio," Torkells said. The selection also had its critics in Brazil. "I don't think it's appropriate considering what our country is going through," said Orlando Pinto, a social worker. "We don't have good health services, education; we have transportation problems, housing problems, crime problems." Security and traffic remain enormous challenges to overcome in Rio de Janeiro. But it was all celebration on Friday as crowds continued to stream onto the beach after the announcement was made.	[ "what is the president name?", "What are people celebrating?", "who is the president", "where is rio de janeiro", "what does city emphasize", "who offered ambitious budget and new venues?" ]	[ [ "Luis Inacio Lula da Silva" ], [ "the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host" ], [ "Luis Inacio Lula da Silva" ], [ "Brazil" ], [ "Happiness was a big part of Rio's pitch" ], [ "Rio de Janeiro." ] ]	Thousands celebrate Rio de Janeiro win at Copacabana beach . "We owe this victory to our President Lula," woman at celebration says . Rio de Janeiro offered ambitious budget and new venues . City also emphasized that Olympics have never been held in South America .
RIVERDALE, Georgia (CNN) -- In his darkest moment, Kenneth Brown lost it all. His wife and kids, the housebroken dog, the vacation home on Cape Cod all vanished when he was sent to prison for an arson in 1996. Kenneth Brown, a former inmate, learned to meditate during his nine years in prison. Trapped in his gloomy cell and serving a 20-year sentence that felt like an eternity, Brown, then 49, found himself stretched out on the floor. He was silent. His eyes were shut. His body did not move. Brown, a man raised as a Baptist and taught to praise the Lord and fear the devil, was meditating. "I try to focus on the space between two thoughts, because it prevents me from getting lost," said Brown, who discovered meditation, yoga and Buddhist teachings three months into his sentence. "This helped me stay on track and get me through prison," he said. Eastern religions encompassing meditation techniques have captivated hippies, 20-somethings and celebrities like actor Richard Gere. But since the 1960s, the art of meditation also has found a growing number of unlikely followers behind prison bars. The inmates say meditation -- an ancient practice that develops mental awareness and fosters relaxation -- is teaching them how to cope in prison. "Mostly, the people in Buddhist community are going into the prisons, providing programs, and word of mouth gets from one inmate to another," explained Gary Friedman, communications chairman for the American Correctional Chaplains Association. "It's a break from all the hustle and noise of the prison environment." There is no group tracking the number of inmates converting to Buddhism or engaging in meditation practices. But programs and workshops educating inmates about meditation and yoga are sprouting up across the country. Meditation can help the convicts find calmness in a prison culture ripe with violence and chaos. The practice provides them a chance to reflect on their crimes, wrestle through feelings of guilt and transform themselves during their rehabilitative journey, Buddhist experts say. In the past five years, books like the "Prison Chaplaincy Guidelines for Zen Buddhism" and "Razor-Wire Dharma: A Buddhist Life in Prison" have emerged. "This is transformative justice, as opposed to punitive," said Fleet Maull, founder of the Prison Dharma Network, one of the largest support networks helping inmates learn meditation and Buddhist teachings. Since its inception in 1989, Prison Dharma Network has grown from one person -- Maull -- teaching Buddhist principles to more than 75 member organizations corresponding with 2,500 individuals, many of them inmates. For the past seven years, Maull's group has taught a weekly meditation class in Boulder County Jail in Colorado. Some inmates follow Zen Buddhism, a practice that originated in China, and meet weekly to focus their minds. Others practice Vipassana, a Buddhist practice founded in India, which consists of completing hundreds of hours of meditation in a short period of time. Buddhism has gained momentum in the United States over the past 25 years, becoming the third most popular religion in America behind Christianity and Judaism, according to the 2008 report from the the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. About 1.7 million Americans call themselves Buddhists, and many of them are converts, the study said. According to the American Religious Identification Survey in 2008, there were 1.2 million self-identified Buddhists. Some inmates, like Brown, may not label themselves official Buddhists, but they meditate, practice yoga and follow Buddhist principles on truth, responsibility and suffering. The practice of meditation seeped into the heart of the Bible Belt in 2002. The Donaldson Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Alabama, was notorious for violence. But a group of male inmates, including several murderers, completed a Vipassana meditation retreat that required more than 100 hours of meditation in 10 days. One inmate, who was featured in the 2007 documentary "The Dhamma Brothers," said Vipassana was harder than the 8½ years he had spent on death row. More than 120 men in Donaldson have gone through Vipassana at least	[ "What is the third most popular religion in the US?", "what are the first two most popular religions?", "Who are being educated about meditation and yoga?", "What are the programs educating inmates about?", "What has meditation helped to do?", "What is the third most popular religion in the United States?" ]	[ [ "Buddhism" ], [ "Christianity and Judaism," ], [ "inmates" ], [ "meditation" ], [ "stay on track and get me through prison,\"" ], [ "Buddhism" ] ]	Programs across the country educate inmates about meditation and yoga . Meditation has helped reduce violence in Alabama prison, official says . "They don't feel so close to exploding," documentary director says . Buddhism is third most popular religion in United States .
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN -- Relations between Arab nations and the United States hinge on American leaders living up to their rhetoric about commitment to lasting peace in the Mideast, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal told CNN Saturday. Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal talks with CNN's Nic Robertson about U.S. relations with Arab nations. "President Obama, in his statement yesterday, said that he's genuinely making the effort to accomplish a peaceful resolution," al-Faisal, who served as Saudi ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2007, told CNN's Nic Robertson in an interview Friday. "We've heard this before," al-Faisal said. "We need to see implementation. We need to see facts on the ground change. We need to see rhetoric change. We need to see presence on the ground." He said he was encouraged by Obama's appointment of George Mitchell as Mideast envoy, saying, "Mitchell comes with a track record of success." But he suggested Mitchell spend some time in the region to make real progress. "American envoys, when they've dealt with the Middle East, have always come and gone," he said. "I think it would be wise for Sen. Mitchell ... to pitch his tent in Ramallah or in Jerusalem, let's say, and spend a year, two, perhaps three years on the ground dealing with the daily aspects of making peace there." Watch as al-Faisal talks about how the U.S. and the Mideast could build trust » The United States' backing of Israel, in light of the latest Israeli military operations in Gaza, does not improve its standing in the Arab world, he said. "What happened in Gaza, people have called it a tragedy," al-Faisal said. "I'd go further and say it was a catastrophe in all aspects of that word. The killing and the destruction was so barbaric by Israel, and unprecedented in a such a small area like Gaza. They [Israelis] claim that they were very careful about collateral damage and they targeted only Hamas, as they call them, militants and operatives. Well, look at the figures. "More than 400 children killed out of 1,300 [total deaths]. That doesn't show any precision of targeting. Israel claims that these are mishaps of war. If they are mishaps of war, well, why should you have a war? "I think this is one of the issues that makes the relationship between the Arab world in general and Saudi Arabia in particular threatened when it comes to dealing with the United States," al-Faisal said. "... And President Bush, I think callously and unforgivably, gave Israel a green light to do everything that they wanted to do in Gaza without restraint." U.S. and Israeli officials should recognize that operations like the recent one only serve to strengthen Hamas, as "Israel is a radioactive element in the area. Anyone it touches becomes heroic and legitimate ... because he or she is a victim." Al-Faisal said he believes the United States and Israel should negotiate with Hamas. Reminded that the two nations consider Hamas a terrorist organization, he said, "I think this is another of the things that has to be reviewed by President Obama." He believes that negotiations with Hamas should not undermine the Palestinian Authority, saying the authority's President Mahmoud Abbas "in my view, is the most tailor-made Palestinian leader for making peace and bringing stability and security to the Palestinian people." Israel's operation in Gaza came after what it said was a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas militants into southern Israel. Asked how to stop the rockets, al-Faisal said he thinks the key is to bring Hamas into the political fold. "Put it the other way," he said. "How can we convince Israel itself not to provoke Hamas into firing rockets?" Israel claims that Hamas fired first, and al-Faisal said these claims underscore the importance of having someone on the ground like Mitchell.	[ "What did the Saudi prince say?", "What do US Arab relations hinge on?", "What makes all fasail think that?", "Who should Israel negotiate with?", "Who should the US negotiate with?", "Who is giving an opinion?" ]	[ [ "leaders living up to their rhetoric about commitment to lasting peace in the Mideast," ], [ "leaders living up to their rhetoric about commitment to lasting peace" ], [ "President Bush," ], [ "Hamas." ], [ "Hamas." ], [ "al-Faisal," ] ]	Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal says U.S.-Arab relations hinge on U.S. role in peace . Says U.S. lost Arab support by backing Israel in Gaza "catastrophe" "Israel is radioactive in region ... Anyone it touches becomes heroic, legitimate" Al-Faisal believes U.S. and Israel should negotiate with Hamas .
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- The Taliban in Afghanistan have momentum that makes any effort to negotiate with them difficult, the U.S. defense secretary said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday. He's visiting Afghanistan on Wednesday. Secretary Robert Gates spoke to CNN's Chris Lawrence in an exclusive interview Tuesday evening before leaving for Afghanistan, where he is visiting troops and bases Wednesday. "The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point," Gates said in the interview. "They probably feel like they have the momentum with them. And until that momentum changes, it will be difficult." As part of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, the military and Afghanistan government are attempting to reach out to elements of the Taliban who are engaged in the battle for financial gain, rather than ideological gain. "There are really two groups we're talking about -- the younger, or less committed, who do this mainly to earn a living and put food on the table for their families, and those that are more ideologically committed. The latter are going to be a tougher pull, and we'll probably have to wait awhile before there's an opportunity there." On Monday, CNN's Nic Robertson interviewed a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, who said the Taliban will only negotiate with the Afghanistan government when the United States leaves the country. "Our conditions are clear, we want to negotiate and they [the U.S.] will not interfere in our affairs; secondly, they [the U.S.] will leave the country," Mujahid told CNN. Gates said the stance was not surprising. "Well I don't know what else he'd say. He's leading the opposition, he's leading this insurgency. He's not going to sort of, sort of throw down and say 'We're ready to negotiate, we're about done here,' " Gates said. The United States is adding 21,000 troops to the Afghanistan battlefield. The majority will be moving to the south to confront the Taliban along the porous Pakistani border. The Taliban have had mostly free rein in that area with few U.S. or coalition forces to confront them until now. Gates admitted moving the battle to the south will mean there is "a tough fight ahead." "I think, certainly, I have been pretty clear. As we move into areas of the south that have not seen any Afghan or coalition forces so far, we're clearly going to be going into areas where the Taliban are very entrenched," he said. "And, sad to say, I expect with the rising level of our activity and operations, there probably will be higher casualties." In recent weeks, the Pakistani government has seen the Taliban gain control on its side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Privately, Pakistani officials have expressed concern to the United States that the increased fighting in southern Afghanistan will only push the Taliban back to the Pakistani side. "Well I think it's just the reality that there are extremists on both sides of that border. And they threaten both the elected government of Afghanistan and the elected government of Pakistan. So like it or not, they both have a certain common enemy," Gates said. Gates said he is encouraged by recent cooperation efforts between the two countries to deal with the problem, and by Pakistan's recent confrontation with the Taliban in Bunir province, near the capital of Islamabad. "The signs right now are pretty positive," he told CNN.	[ "What did the Taliban spokesman say?", "who is the US reaching out to?", "Who is the US trying to reach out to?", "when will taliban negotiate?", "What has the taliban got to say about the matter?", "What is the U.S. defense secretary's view?", "Whatever did Gates say?", "Who claims the fight will be tougher in south Afghanistan?" ]	[ [ "will only negotiate with the Afghanistan government when the United States leaves the country." ], [ "the Taliban" ], [ "are engaged in the battle for financial gain," ], [ "the United States leaves the country." ], [ "will only negotiate with the Afghanistan government when" ], [ "\"The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point,\"" ], [ "\"The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point,\"" ], [ "Defense Secretary Robert Gates" ] ]	U.S. defense secretary: Political level not ready for reconciliation, accommodation . U.S. trying to reach out to Taliban interested in financial gain, not ideological gain . Taliban spokesman: We will negotiate with Afghan government when U.S. leaves . Gates says that as U.S. forces build up in southern Afghanistan, fight will be tougher .
ROCKVILLE, Maryland (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated. About 10 percent of catfish eaten in the U.S. comes from China, according to the National Fisheries Institute. "FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of imported Chinese farmed seafood because of numerous cases of contamination with drugs and unsafe food additives," said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's assistant commissioner for food protection, in a conference call with reporters. The species cited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, he said. Basa is similar to catfish; dace is similar to carp. The medications cited include the antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet and fluoroquinolones. Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Use of fluoroquinolones in food-producing animals can result in antibiotic resistance. None of them is approved for use in farmed seafood in the United States and some of them have been shown to cause cancer when fed to laboratory animals for "prolonged periods of time," Acheson said. Alerts have been issued in the past, but Thursday's announcement is the largest. The food will not be allowed into the United States until the importer can prove it is free from harmful contaminants, Acheson said. He said the agency decided to broaden its previous alerts for products from individual companies to a countrywide alert after tests showed that 15 percent of those species of seafood produced by 18 companies in China contained traces of one or more of the contaminants. "FDA is taking this action to protect the public health of the American people," he said. Watch more on the FDA's import alert on five kinds of fish from China. » The products "could cause serious health problems if consumed over a long period of time," he said. Still, Acheson added, the low levels of contaminants means that there is "no imminent threat" to the public health. China is the world's largest producer of farmed fish, accounting for 70 percent of the total produced, he said. It is the third-largest exporter of farmed fish to the United States. The action is an import alert, which means that these products from Chinese processors "will be detained and refused entry into the United States until the importer can demonstrate that the product is safe and in compliance with applicable regulations," said Margaret O' K. Glavin, FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. Last year, the FDA slapped a countrywide alert on all Chinese eel after tests showed residues of an antimicrobial agent, she said. Since then, and "despite extensive communications between FDA and appropriate Chinese authorities to correct the problem, we have continued to find residues of certain veterinary drugs or food additives that are not permitted for use in the United States," she added. Glavin said the FDA inspects 5 percent of seafood from China. The first alert on Chinese seafood occurred before 2001, she said. "We're not asking for this product to be withdrawn from the market or for people to take this out of their freezers and throw it away," Acheson said. "This is a long-term health concern; it is not an acute health concern." China is not the sole offender, Glavin said. Import alerts have been ordered for firms in the Philippines, Mexico "and several others," though this is the first countrywide import alert, she said. More than 80 percent of shrimp eaten in the United States is imported, including 7 percent from China, according to the National Fisheries Institute. About 10 percent of catfish eaten in the United States comes from China, the seafood industry advocacy group said. Last year, the United States imported 590,299 metric tons of shrimp from abroad; 68,150 metric tons of which came from China, according to the Department of Commerce. The United States imported $1.2 billion of fish from China in 2004, according to	[ "What weren't allowed in U.S. fish?", "When will imports be allowed again?", "Where did the FDA block seafood items from?", "When did FDA start blocking these imports?" ]	[ [ "drugs and unsafe food additives,\"" ], [ "until their importers can prove they are not contaminated." ], [ "China" ], [ "Thursday" ] ]	FDA blocks import of shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace from China . Fish won't be allowed until importers prove they are safe . The fish were treated with antibiotics and antifungal medication . The antibiotics are not allowed in U.S. fish .
ROCKWOOD, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Four generations of Saylors have worked the family's dairy farm for nearly a century, but for the past three years, the cows have been doing something besides providing milk: They've been helping power the place. "The farm used to get a lot of complaints," says farmer Shawn Saylor. "It used to stink a lot." Growing up on the sprawling spread 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, 36-year-old farmer Shawn Saylor developed into a self-described science buff. So it was no surprise that, when faced with rising energy costs, Saylor turned to technology. He tapped into an abundant and easily accessible energy source: manure from about 600 cows. Watch how cow poo powers the farm » "It's a pretty simple process. There's not really a lot to it," Saylor said. "Manure comes from the cows, and there's energy left in the manure." The process is known as anaerobic digestion, and here's how it works: With the help of a mechanical scraper in the barn, manure drops into a 19,000-gallon tank. The slurry then moves into the digester, which is 16 feet deep and 70 feet in diameter. It's heated there for about 16 days while the bacteria break down the organic matter in order to produce methane gas. That gas is burned in two engine generators to make electricity. See an interactive explaining the process » Heat created by the generators keeps the digester hot, heats the buildings around the farm and helps provide hot water. The electricity is used to power this farm and a dozen neighboring homes, Saylor said. And there's still some left over, which he sells back to the grid. Overall, the poo power helps Saylor's bottom line. "In savings, there's $200,000 a year, in either extra income from sale of electricity or cost offsets," he said. "So you're talking about system project costs of over a million dollars to build the system but a payback of five years or less." Before he installed the system, the pungent smell from the cows could linger for three to four days, Saylor said. "The farm used to get a lot of complaints from motorists, which is understandable. It used to stink a lot." Now, the digesters reduce 98 percent of all odor, although he admits that if the wind blows, you still "get a whiff." The farm's leftover solid waste is sold to the community. "We use it for bedding for the animals," according to Saylor. "A lot of people like to get it for their gardens ... because it doesn't smell much." Farm-based digesters became popular in the United States during the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s. But the technology didn't catch on, possibly because of the high operational costs and declining energy prices, according to the Department of Agriculture. Although Saylor had been interested in digesters for years, his dream didn't become reality until 2006. That's when he received a $600,000 grant from Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. But Saylor's work isn't done. He intends to make his farm entirely self-sufficient by using waste vegetable oil to make biodiesel fuel. He said his goal is to waste nothing. "In a biodiesel system, all the waste products can either be used or fed back into the digester to make more gas," he said. "I've always looked at new technologies and believed you kind of have to work with that stuff to stay with the future."	[ "What is the waste used for?", "What does the farmer say?", "What can cow manure be converted into to save money?", "How many cows live on the farm?", "what does dairy farmer say", "What is anaerobic digestion?", "What process helps cut dairy farm's odor?", "what does he say", "how many cows?" ]	[ [ "to power this farm and a dozen neighboring homes," ], [ "\"The farm used to get a lot of complaints,\"" ], [ "energy source:" ], [ "600" ], [ "\"The farm used to get a lot of complaints,\"" ], [ "drops into a 19,000-gallon tank. The slurry then moves into the digester, which is 16 feet deep and 70 feet in diameter. It's heated there for about 16 days while the bacteria break down the organic matter in order to produce methane gas. That gas is burned in two engine generators to make electricity." ], [ "digesters" ], [ "\"The farm used to get a lot of complaints,\"" ], [ "600" ] ]	Dairy farmer says he saves money by converting cow manure to electricity . Remaining waste from 600 cows is used as fertilizer and mulch . Anaerobic digestion became popular in United States in 1970s . He says process also helps cut dairy farm's odor .
ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina (CNN) -- Authorities in North Carolina have jailed a suspect in the slaying of one of five women whose bodies have been found since 2005 in remote areas outside Rocky Mount, the Edgecombe County sheriff said Tuesday. Jackie Nikelia Thorpe's body was found along Seven Bridges Road in August 2007. Sheriff James Knight said Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Taraha Shenice Nicholson, whose remains were found in a wooded area on March 7. Nicholson was 29 when she was reported missing on February 22, Knight said at a news conference in Tarboro. Pittman, of Rocky Point, was being held without bond. All five of the slain women were African-American, and authorities said they were from an area frequented by prostitutes. Four of them lived in Rocky Mount, which is about 55 miles northeast of the state capital, Raleigh. Michael Teague, North Carolina's former top forensic psychologist, told CNN's David Mattingly he believes the deaths are the work of a serial killer. "Just the fact that the bodies have been found close together would really argue for a serial killer," Teague said. He also said he believes the killer is someone with a lot in common with his victims. "Their economic level, their background, the same race. So I think it's someone who would fit very easily within the environment," the psychologist said. The body of the first woman was discovered in May 2005. All the remains were found near the Seven Bridges Road, which snakes northeast from Rocky Mount into rural Edgecombe County. The probe into the deaths of the other four women is ongoing, said Knight, who is leading a joint investigative task force of his deputies, Rocky Mount police and the state Bureau of Investigation. Representatives from the other two groups also attended the news conference. "The investigators with the task force have worked countless hours, days and nights in order to bring this case to the point where it is now," said Renee Robinson, special agent with SBI. "We are following up on leads as they develop." Rocky Mount Police Chief John Manley Jr. said the task force also was investigating the cases of three other missing women and a death in Rocky Mount. He has said it appears the women "suffered a similar death," but authorities have not divulged further details. They did tell CNN that two of the victims were strangled, and one was stabbed and beaten. Manley identified the four women whose bodies were found as: • Melody Wiggins, 29, whose body was found May 29, 2005. • Jackie Nikelia Thorpe, 35, whose body was found August 17, 2007, behind a house on Seven Bridges Road. • Ernestine Battle, 50, whose remains were found in a wooded area along the road on March 13, 2008. • Jarneice Latonya Hargrove, 31, whose skeletal remains were found June 29, 2009 in woods off the road.	[ "Who was charged with first-degree murder?", "what was Pittman charged with?", "Whose remains were found on march 7?", "Where were Taraha Scenic Nicholson's remains found?", "What was found since 2005?", "What was the 31 year old charged with?", "How many women have been found since 2005?" ]	[ [ "Antwan Maurice Pittman," ], [ "first-degree murder" ], [ "Taraha Shenice Nicholson," ], [ "in a wooded area" ], [ "five women whose bodies have been" ], [ "first-degree murder" ], [ "five" ] ]	Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, charged with first-degree murder . Taraha Shenice Nicholson, whose remains were found in a wooded area on March 7 . Remains of five women found since 2005 along road outside Rocky Mount . Police chief says it appears women "suffered a similar death" City, county, state agencies have formed task force .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Amanda Knox will testify Friday in an Italian courtroom to defend herself against charges that she took part in the killing of her roommate two years ago, her lawyer said. American college student Amanda Knox, 21, is expected to take the witness stand Friday at her Italian murder trial. Knox, 21, an American college student from Seattle, Washington, will be questioned by her attorneys first and her testimony could continue Saturday, said Luciano Ghriga, one of her lawyers. The trial against Knox and her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 24, began January 16 in Perugia, a university town about 185 kilometers (115 miles) north of Rome. They are charged with murder and sexual assault in the November 2007 slaying of Knox's roommate, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, who died in what prosecutors called a "drug-fueled sex game" with the couple. A third person, Rudy Hermann Guede, from the Ivory Coast, was convicted of murder in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Kercher was found dead in her bed, half-naked, with a knife wound to her neck. In court papers, prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors say they have physical evidence placing the defendants at the scene, and that they gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died. Knox first said she was at the house she shared with Kercher, then changed her story, according to court records. Sollecito, meanwhile, said he was never at the house, but was at his apartment, watching a movie on his computer with Knox. Later, he told investigators he did not remember whether Knox was with him the entire night. Defense lawyers are expected to argue that the physical evidence was tainted by sloppy police work. The case is being heard by a panel of eight judges. The trial has drawn more than 140 journalists from 86 news outlets to the courthouse in Perugia, Italy. The presiding judge in the case, Giancarlo Massei, has barred cameras from the courtroom and said he could completely close portions of the trial dealing with the most graphic sexual assault allegations.	[ "Who faces murder charges?", "what is the name of Knox's former boyfriend?", "what is the name of British student?", "Who was found dead?", "Who else faces murder charges?" ]	[ [ "Amanda Knox," ], [ "Raffaele Sollecito," ], [ "Meredith Kercher," ], [ "Meredith Kercher," ], [ "Raffaele Sollecito," ] ]	Murder trial makes American student Amanda Knox well-known in Italy . British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox . Prosecutors say they have evidence placing Knox, other defendants at scene . Knox's former boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, also faces murder charges .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- American college student Amanda Knox told an Italian courtroom Friday that she was at the home of her boyfriend the night her roommate was killed two years ago, her attorney said. American college student Amanda Knox, 21, testifies Friday at her murder trial in Perugia, Italy. When she later was told that her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, was found dead, Knox said in Italian, "I was like, 'No, no, how can this be?' " Knox, a 21-year-old from Seattle, Washington, testified that she was at her boyfriend's apartment, smoking marijuana, on the night Kercher was killed. Both Knox and the boyfriend are charged with murder and sexual assault in the case. She said she later gave a confused and conflicting deposition to police because she was confused by the questioning and felt pressure from the investigators. She testified that on the night of November 1, 2007, when Kercher was killed, she was at her boyfriend's house all night and not at home, where Kercher's body was found the next day. Watch Knox take the stand » Knox is scheduled to resume testifying Saturday, when prosecutors plan to question her. The trial opened January 16. After her testimony Friday, Knox's father, Kurt Knox, said he thought his daughter did well on the stand and predicted that her innocence would become more apparent as the trial continues. Kercher family attorney Francesco Maresca, however, said the Knox on the stand Friday was a different person from the Amanda Knox seen at a preliminary hearing. She questioned who the real Amanda Knox is. On the stand Friday, Knox said she was with her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, on the night of November 1. She said she checked her e-mails at his place before the couple had dinner, watched a movie, smoked a marijuana joint, made love and fell asleep. In the morning, Knox testified, she went home to the villa she shared with Kercher to take a shower. That's when she noticed a series of "strange things," including dried blood in the sink and on the bath mat, unflushed feces in the toilet and a locked door to Kercher's room. The door to the villa had been left open, too, but Knox said she figured one of her housemates had simply stepped out quickly for an errand or to go for a run. She said she called out but nobody answered. When Knox got back to Sollecito's house, she told him about the strange things, and he suggested they call the police, Knox testified. Sollecito called his sister, a member of the Carabinieri, the Italian military police, Knox said. They returned to the girls' villa to check whether anything had been stolen, Knox said. Once there they met Knox's other roommate, Filomena Romanelli, and the Italian Postal Police. Watch Knox in court » As Knox stood outside, police went in and began shouting and banging down Kercher's door, Knox said. Between trying to understand what police were saying and having Sollecito translate for her, Knox testified that she got a confused picture of what was going on. She sat in Romanelli's car to warm up, and that's when she heard Kercher was dead, Knox said. "I closed in inside myself," Knox testified in Italian. Continuing in Italian, but using English phrasing, she said, "I was like, 'No, no, how can this be?' " Kercher's body was found half-naked in her bed November 2, 2007. Prosecutors have said Kercher, 21, died in a "drug-fueled sex game" with Knox and Sollecito, now 25. An investigating judge found that Kercher died fighting off a sexual assault. A third person, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede, was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing the verdict. Defense attorneys are expected to argue	[ "who was found dead", "who takes stand", "who faces murder charges", "Where was the murder trial?", "Where was Kercher found dead?" ]	[ [ "Meredith Kercher," ], [ "Amanda Knox," ], [ "Amanda Knox," ], [ "Perugia, Italy." ], [ "at home," ] ]	American student Amanda Knox takes stand in well-publicized murder trial in Italy . British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox in 2007 . Prosecutors say they have evidence placing Knox, other defendants at scene . Knox's former boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, also faces murder charges .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian media call her "Foxy Knoxy," portray her as a "devil with an angel's face," and there are 11 Facebook pages dedicated to her, all in Italian. Both Raffaele Sollecito (left) and Amanda Knox deny charges of murder and sexual assault. Amanda Knox, 21, is an American college student from Seattle, Washington, who is on trial for murder in Perugia, Italy. The case has given Knox almost pop star status there. She was voted the top woman in an online "person of the year" poll by an Italian TV channel in December, beating out Carla Bruni, the Italian-born French first lady. Seven of the 11 Facebook pages champion her innocence; four seem convinced that Knox is pure evil. A sampling of comments: "No to Amanda. No to her superstardom" ... "She's a sociopath" ..."Everyone is not sure if she is guilty or not and that she will lead us to a new existential awareness. Please shout with me your anger. ... Let's say no. Let's say Knox." Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24, are charged with murdering and sexually assaulting one of Knox's roommates, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, on November 1, 2007. They insist they are innocent and are disputing the allegations. Knox and Sollecito are due back in court today. The last time Knox appeared before the panel of eight judges, she wore a T-shirt quoting The Beatles: "All you need is love." Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini alleges that Kercher, 21, was killed because she refused to participate in a drug-fueled sex game played by Knox, Sollecito, and a third man, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede. In court papers, prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her. The case is being tried in Perugia, a university town about 115 miles north of Rome that is better known for its chocolate than for its scandalous murder trials. According to the prosecutor's office, Kercher had been in Italy for two months as part of a year-long course with Leeds University, where she was working toward a degree in European Studies. She shared a house with Knox, a University of Washington student in the same exchange program, and two Italian housemates. The crime scene, which has become a tourist attraction, has been broken into twice, police say. Knox and Sollecito were arrested November 6, 2007, and were kept in prison while an investigation continued. The judge overseeing the investigation found both were capable of committing the crime again, fleeing the country or tampering with the evidence. Police sought charges in July 2008, and they were ordered to trial in October. The trial began January 16 and has been held mostly on weekends. Italian newspapers assigned their top crime reporters, and the case has received unprecedented international coverage. Knox has appeared on the cover of People magazine, which shares a corporate parent with CNN. A random sampling of women on the streets of Rome showed that all of them had heard of the case and most believed Knox and Sollecito were at the very least implicated in the slaying. The superheated publicity surrounding the case helped make Knox a household name in Italy. She is usually portrayed as a femme fatale. Consider these headlines: • "Sex, lies and stabbings" • "Lovers without any inhibitions" • "And in prison, she even tries to sun tan" Italian journalists also have plastered their newspapers with photos they found of Knox on the Internet, especially images that showed her as a "wild girl." They pounced on the "Foxy Knoxy" nickname they found on her MySpace page, even though her parents later explained the high school moniker came from the way Knox played soccer, quick like a fox. Although Italian law limits the publication of court and police records, the media ban is less strict than in many European countries. While it is	[ "Who is accused of murder in Italy?", "Who is Knox's former boyfriend?", "Who was found dead?", "whats Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy?" ]	[ [ "Amanda Knox," ], [ "Raffaele Sollecito," ], [ "Meredith Kercher," ], [ "Amanda Knox" ] ]	Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy . Amanda Knox, 21, is accused with former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito . British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox . Italian media portrays Knox as seductive femme fatale .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian media call her "Foxy Knoxy," portray her as a "devil with an angel's face," and there are 11 Facebook pages dedicated to her, all in Italian. Both Raffaele Sollecito (left) and Amanda Knox deny charges of murder and sexual assault. Amanda Knox, 21, is an American college student from Seattle, Washington, who is on trial for murder in Perugia, Italy. The case has given Knox almost pop star status there. She was voted the top woman in an online "person of the year" poll by an Italian TV channel in December, beating out Carla Bruni, the Italian-born French first lady. Seven of the 11 Facebook pages champion her innocence; four seem convinced that Knox is pure evil. A sampling of comments: "No to Amanda. No to her superstardom" ... "She's a sociopath" ..."Everyone is not sure if she is guilty or not and that she will lead us to a new existential awareness. Please shout with me your anger. ... Let's say no. Let's say Knox." Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24, are charged with murdering and sexually assaulting one of Knox's roommates, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, on November 1, 2007. They insist they are innocent and are disputing the allegations. Knox and Sollecito are due back in court today. The last time Knox appeared before the panel of eight judges, she wore a T-shirt quoting The Beatles: "All you need is love." Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini alleges that Kercher, 21, was killed because she refused to participate in a drug-fueled sex game played by Knox, Sollecito, and a third man, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede. In court papers, prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her. The case is being tried in Perugia, a university town about 115 miles north of Rome that is better known for its chocolate than for its scandalous murder trials. According to the prosecutor's office, Kercher had been in Italy for two months as part of a year-long course with Leeds University, where she was working toward a degree in European Studies. She shared a house with Knox, a University of Washington student in the same exchange program, and two Italian housemates. The crime scene, which has become a tourist attraction, has been broken into twice, police say. Knox and Sollecito were arrested November 6, 2007, and were kept in prison while an investigation continued. The judge overseeing the investigation found both were capable of committing the crime again, fleeing the country or tampering with the evidence. Police sought charges in July 2008, and they were ordered to trial in October. The trial began January 16 and has been held mostly on weekends. Italian newspapers assigned their top crime reporters, and the case has received unprecedented international coverage. Knox has appeared on the cover of People magazine, which shares a corporate parent with CNN. A random sampling of women on the streets of Rome showed that all of them had heard of the case and most believed Knox and Sollecito were at the very least implicated in the slaying. The superheated publicity surrounding the case helped make Knox a household name in Italy. She is usually portrayed as a femme fatale. Consider these headlines: • "Sex, lies and stabbings" • "Lovers without any inhibitions" • "And in prison, she even tries to sun tan" Italian journalists also have plastered their newspapers with photos they found of Knox on the Internet, especially images that showed her as a "wild girl." They pounced on the "Foxy Knoxy" nickname they found on her MySpace page, even though her parents later explained the high school moniker came from the way Knox played soccer, quick like a fox. Although Italian law limits the publication of court and police records, the media ban is less strict than in many European countries. While it is	[ "What is the name of the victim?", "What nationality was the victim?", "What is the age of the accused?", "What is the age of the accused student ?" ]	[ [ "Meredith Kercher," ], [ "British" ], [ "21," ], [ "21," ] ]	Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy . Amanda Knox, 21, is accused with former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito . British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox . Italian media portrays Knox as seductive femme fatale .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The murder trial of American student Amanda Knox in the death of her housemate two years ago resumed Monday in Italy after a summer break. The trial of American college student Amanda Knox, 22, resumes Monday, September 14. Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also face charges of sexual assault. They are accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher, Knox's housemate in Perugia, a scenic university town north of Rome. Kercher, 20, died in what prosecutors called a "drug-fueled sex game." She was found half-undressed in bed, with a stab wound to her neck on November 2, 2007. Knox and Sollecito were both present at Monday's court session, Kercher's attorney Francesco Maresca said. Sollecito's defense attorneys requested the annulment of DNA analysis, which investigators say shows Sollecito's genetic material on the clasp of the victim's bra. The judge rejected the request. The next hearing is scheduled on Friday, Maresca said. Knox, from Seattle, Washington, took the stand in June and testified that she was not at the girls' villa the night her roommate died, which authorities think was the evening of November 1. She said she was visiting her then-boyfriend, Sollecito, at his home, where the two watched a movie, smoked marijuana, had sex and went to bed. On her return to their villa the next morning, Knox said, she noticed "strange things," such as the front door left open, dried blood in the bathroom sink and a locked door to Kercher's room. When Knox returned to Sollecito's house, he suggested they call police in case the house had been burgled, she said. Police found Kercher's body in the house. Prosecutors say evidence places the defendants at the scene. They also said the suspects gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died. Knox said she gave conflicting answers at the interrogation on November 6 because of police pressure and her confused state. "When I would say that I was with Raffaele, they would say, 'You are a liar,' and they repeated this," she said in June, speaking about the police. "'You will go to prison for 30 years. ... You must remember.'" During the trial, she said police had slapped her on the head during questioning, a charge she had made before. The case has attracted worldwide media attention. During her testimony in June, cameras were barred from the courtroom because the prosecutor said he wanted to avoid sensationalism. A third person, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede, was convicted of murder in the case in October and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing his conviction.	[ "What accused Knox?", "Who is facing charges of sexual assault?", "who is accused of killing her flatmate", "what do prosecutors say", "What did she tell the court in June?" ]	[ [ "murder" ], [ "Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito" ], [ "Amanda Knox" ], [ "\"drug-fueled sex game.\"" ], [ "was not at the girls' villa the night her roommate died," ] ]	Knox accused of killing her flatmate, British student Meredith Kercher . Told court in June she was not in the villa the night her roommate died . Prosecutors say evidence places Knox and Raffaele Sollecito at the scene . Knox and ex-boyfriend Sollecito also facing charges of sexual assault .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices. Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable. The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year. "One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat," said Mark Smulders, an FAO economist. The hunger report -- titled "The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008" -- said the world's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty. The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices, with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty. The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown, but last year's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are. About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007, or 65 percent of the hungry, live in India, China, the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. Smulders said about 27 percent of the world's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China. The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world's total. There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam, and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi, the report said. Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year, but they are staying high compared to other years, the agency said. The Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before. "Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years," the FAO said. The agency said the "rural and urban poor, landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices." -- CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.	[ "Who issues estimates?", "Who says food prices are to blame for an increase in hunger?", "What is to blame for an increase in hunger?", "What is the increase over the past year?", "How many undernourished?", "What is it compared to last year?", "What is to blame for increase in hunger?", "What are undernourished?" ]	[ [ "The Food and Agriculture Organization" ], [ "U.N. report" ], [ "higher food prices." ], [ "40 million people" ], [ "963 million" ], [ "an increase of 40 million people" ], [ "higher food prices." ], [ "963 million people" ] ]	U.N. agency says food prices are to blame for an increase in hunger . Food and Agriculture Organization issues estimates 963 million undernourished . It is an increase of 40 million people over the past year .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A sixth U.S. service member died Friday from injuries sustained when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northeastern Italy on Thursday, the U.S. military in Europe said. The helicopter, carrying 11 U.S. military personnel, crashed Thursday afternoon about 22 miles from Aviano, Italy. Four people were killed and seven were injured in the crash, and two of the injured later died, the U.S. military said. Treviso fire officials said one of the dead was a woman, and said no one on the ground was hurt. The U.S. military said the helicopter was an Army H-60 Black Hawk attached to the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment. The military was not releasing the names of those killed, pending notification of the victims' families. Police and fire officials said the craft crashed in an open area near the Piave River north of Treviso, between the towns of Maserata Sul Piave and Santa Lucia Di Piave. Watch scenes of the crash site in northern Italy » The helicopter appeared crumpled and charred in photos from the crash. Italy's ANSA news agency said the helicopter crashed near the bridge of a major highway and the road was closed as a precaution. ANSA said the helicopter had taken off from Aviano Air Base, but fire authorities could not confirm whether it was leaving or returning to the base. The Black Hawk is considered the workhorse of the military's helicopter fleet. It is used in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan to carry troops and equipment. The military has employed Black Hawks for about three decades. The helicopter's first combat mission was about 25 years ago. E-mail to a friend CNN's Hada Messia and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.	[ "What number of people were aboard the helicopter?", "who was killed?", "Where did the copter take off from?", "Where did copter take off from?", "What number of people were on the helicopter?", "Who was on the helicopter?", "Where was the helicopter taking off from?", "where did it take off from?", "What was the number of people on the helicopter?", "What number of people were aboard?", "What killed 4 people?", "What number of people died in the crash?", "What amount of people were aboard the black hawk helicopter?", "What killed four people?", "black hawn helicpter aboard how many people?", "what happen so four people died?", "Who is responsible for this crash?", "what was the name of the helicopter?", "Where is aviano base?", "Where did the response copter take off from?", "Where did the helicopter leave from?", "What killed 4 and injured 2?", "What number of people died in crash" ]	[ [ "11 U.S. military personnel," ], [ "Four people" ], [ "Aviano Air Base," ], [ "Aviano Air Base," ], [ "11" ], [ "11 U.S. military personnel," ], [ "Aviano Air Base," ], [ "Aviano Air Base," ], [ "11" ], [ "11" ], [ "Black Hawk" ], [ "sixth" ], [ "11 U.S. military personnel," ], [ "a Black Hawk" ], [ "11" ], [ "Black Hawk" ], [ "the U.S. military" ], [ "Black Hawk" ], [ "northeastern Italy" ], [ "Aviano Air Base," ], [ "Aviano Air Base," ], [ "helicopter crashed" ], [ "Four" ] ]	Four killed in crash; two people die later of injuries . Copter took off from Aviano Air Base, news agency reports . Black Hawk helicopter had 11 people aboard .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian mafia boss used his pet crocodile to threaten people and extort money, authorities said. The caiman was 1.1 meters long (3.6 feet), the Italian Forest Service said. Antonio Cristofaro kept the 40-kilogram (88-pound) reptile on a terrace of his home near Naples and fed it live rats and rabbits, according to LAV, an Italian animal rights group. Authorities discovered the animal during a search for weapons at Cristofaro's home, LAV said. The crocodile was found on September 18 but the news was only made public Wednesday, the group said. The crocodile was 1.1 meters long (3.6 feet), the Italian Forest Service said, and was capable of pulling off a man's limb with one bite. It lived atop Cristofaro's condominium in Caserta, less than an hour northeast of Naples, the Forest Service said. Cristofaro used the crocodile to intimidate people, notably entrepreneurs, to pay him more money, Italy's ANSA news agency reported. The crocodile is of a type known as a caiman, commonly found in Latin America. It is protected under the Washington Convention, which regulates the international trade of endangered animals, and is considered too dangerous to own as a pet, the Forest Service said. Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals, ANSA said. It was not clear whether he had been arrested. The Forest Service is now holding the reptile at an animal center near Rome, ANSA reported. Cristofaro, who the Forest Service said comes from a mafia family, already had a criminal record for weapons-related charges, resisting police, and extortion, ANSA reported. Authorities found a flak jacket during a search of Cristofaro's house, the Forest Service said. It was not the first time the Forest Service discovered an illegal crocodile at someone's home, the Forest Service said. In August 2008 in Naples, authorities found a 2-meter-long (6.5-foot-long) crocodile at the home of a man known for drug dealing, they said. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.	[ "What did the Mafia boss keep?", "who kept 40-kg reptile at his home near Naples?", "what has Cristofaro been charged with?", "Who was charged with illegal possession of animals?", "who found animal?", "Who kept 40kg reptile at his home?", "What was Cristofaro charged with?", "Who found the animal?", "What boss kept a 40-kg reptile in his home?", "What did the police charge him with?", "Who searched for weapons at Antonio's home?" ]	[ [ "his pet crocodile" ], [ "Antonio Cristofaro" ], [ "illegal possession of animals," ], [ "Antonio Cristofaro" ], [ "Authorities" ], [ "Antonio Cristofaro" ], [ "illegal possession of animals," ], [ "Authorities" ], [ "Antonio Cristofaro" ], [ "illegal possession of animals," ], [ "Authorities" ] ]	Italian mafia boss kept 40-kg reptile at his home near Naples to threaten people . Authorities found animal in search for weapons at Antonio Cristofaro's home . Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian newspaper and magazine published excerpts of what they said were audio recordings of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi talking with an escort at the center of a corruption probe. Veronica Lario, the wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, pictured, filed for divorce in May. The daily La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso said the recordings posted on their Web sites Monday were of Berlusconi and Patrizia D'Addario. She has said that an Italian businessman hired her and other women to attend parties at Berlusconi's homes. In June, D'Addario told CNN that she had turned the tapes over to a prosecutor in Bari, southern Italy. Through her attorney, she refused to comment on the authenticity of the excerpts released Monday. But in a statement carried by the Italian news agency ANSA, Berlusconi lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said the prime minister is challenging the "truthfulness and legality" of the recordings. "We can only regard the material as worthless, completely false and the result of invention," Ghedini said. "In any case, the act of its publication is an illegal act in itself, which will need to be pursued, and all legal actions will be taken against any body who publishes such material." Berlusconi, the 72-year-old media mogul-turned-prime minister, has denied the allegations. According to La Repubblica, the conversation between D'Addario and Berlusconi took place in October and November at the prime minister's house in Rome. It also published an excerpt of what it said was a conversation between D'Addario and Gianpaulo Tarantini, the businessman accused of hiring D'Addario and other escorts. Prosecutors in Bari, in southern Italy, are investigating allegations that Tarantini bribed health officials to buy prosthetics and other medical supplies from a company he and his brother own. Tarantini has denied any wrongdoing and says he brought women to the parties to make a "beautiful impression." "I have never paid money to those who accompanied me except for refunding their trip expenses," he said in a statement issued last month. "I exclude that the premier could have been aware of these reimbursements and I want to ask forgiveness for having involuntarily damaged him." Berlusconi's private life has been in the spotlight since his wife of 19 years, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce in May. The split followed reports that Berlusconi went to the birthday party in Naples of an 18-year-old girl, with whom Berlusconi has denied having an inappropriate relationship. And the Spanish newspaper El Pais has published what it said were photos of racy parties at Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia, including one picture that showed scantily clad women. But despite the swirl of scandal, Berlusconi remains popular, consistently scoring approval ratings well over 50 percent. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.	[ "Where did La Repubblica: Conversation between D'Addario, Berlusconi take place?", "What does D'Addario refues to comment on?", "Who published the conversation?", "What was the publication?", "What was the conversation about?", "Who refuse to comment?", "What was illegal?" ]	[ [ "prime minister's house in Rome." ], [ "the authenticity of the excerpts released Monday." ], [ "La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso" ], [ "The daily La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso" ], [ "Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi talking with an escort at the center of a corruption probe." ], [ "Patrizia D'Addario." ], [ "the act of its publication" ] ]	D'Addario refuses to comment on authenticity of excerpts released Thursday . Berlusconi attorney calls act of publication "an illegal act" La Repubblica: Conversation between D'Addario, Berlusconi took place at his home . La Repubblica publishes alleged conversation between D'Addario, businessman .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian woman who had been in a coma for 17 years and whose right-to-die case was being debated in the Italian Parliament has died days after doctors began removing her feeding tube. A portrait of Eluana Englaro. She was in a vegetative state for nearly 17 years. The speaker of the Italian Senate announced the death of Eluana Englaro, 37, Monday night, then called for a moment of silence in the chamber. Even as the silence ended, one legislator declared, "She has not died -- she was killed," prompting other right-to-die opponents to join in with calls of "Murderers!" Englaro had been in a vegetative state for 17 years, after suffering what doctors determined to be irreversible brain damage in a 1992 car crash, when she was 20 years old. For years, Englaro's father, Beppino, fought to have her feeding tube removed, saying it would be a dignified end to his daughter's life. He said that before the crash his daughter visited a friend who was in a coma and told him she didn't want the same thing to happen to her if she were ever in the same state. Confirming his daughter's death Monday, Beppino Englaro told Italian media: "Yes, she is no longer with us, but I don't want to say anything further. I need to be left alone." But the intense debate swirling around her case will go on. Watch as Italians protest against her death » When Englaro's death was announced, the Senate was debating a proposed law that would require doctors to provide nourishment to all incapacitated patients, and that would have forced doctors to resume feeding Englaro through tubes. Debate on that proposal as it would affect other patients is likely to continue in Parliament. Last year, a court ruled that the feeding tube could be removed, and Italy's high court upheld the ruling on appeal. Englaro was transferred last week to a private clinic, where the removal process began Friday -- even as the Senate took up a debate aimed at reversing that process. A decree aimed at preventing doctors from completely removing the feeding tube was passed unanimously Friday by Italy's Council of Ministers, with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi leading the effort. "I will do everything I can to save her life," Berlusconi said. "We have to do everything possible to stop a person from dying." But President Giorgio Napolitano refused to sign the decree. According to a statement from Napolitano's office, "An emergency decree cannot be in contrast with a court decision." The case has been a controversial one in Italy, a heavily Catholic country where the Vatican has great influence. Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims that "euthanasia is a false solution to suffering." Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, president emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said Friday that Englaro had the right to be kept alive. "It is the duty of the doctors, of society, and of the political institutions to administer her essential foods to keep her alive. No one has the right to take her life away from her," he said. Euthanasia is illegal in Italy, but patients have the right to refuse treatment. It is on that basis that Englaro argued his daughter should be allowed to die, because some time before her accident she had expressed the wish not to be kept alive while in a coma -- indirectly refusing treatment, he said.	[ "how many years the woman are in coma?", "What did the father fight for?", "How long has the woman been in coma in Italy before she dies?", "how many years feed for tube?", "What made her stay in vegetative state?", "Who has fought to have her feeding tube removed?", "Who was in coma for 17 years?" ]	[ [ "17" ], [ "fought to have her feeding tube removed," ], [ "17 years" ], [ "17" ], [ "doctors determined to be irreversible brain damage in a 1992 car crash," ], [ "Englaro's father, Beppino," ], [ "Italian woman" ] ]	NEW: Woman in coma for 17 years in Italy has died, her father says . Eluana Englaro has been in vegetative state since a car crash . Her father has fought for years to have her feeding tube removed .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Italy's prime minister held emergency meetings on Monday to discuss the growing garbage problem in Naples, where more than two weeks of closed dumps and uncollected garbage has led to mountains of trash across the city. Collectors stopped picking up rubbish on December 21, saying that dumps are full. The garbage problem has become so bad that Neapolitan residents have started burning their waste, leading to noxious fumes permeating the air in the southern Italian coastal city. On Monday, the government called on the army to help with emergency trash collection for the second time in a year. Bags of rotting, uncollected waste now line city streets and sit in alleys beneath residential apartment blocks. In some places, the piles of trash tower over the cars driving past. Prime Minister Romano Prodi met with the interior and environment ministers in Rome after President Giorgio Napolitano, who is from Naples, said he was alarmed by the crisis. The latest problems began on December 31, when the government closed one of the area's two working dumps. Gian Francesco Raiano, a spokesman for the government's "garbage crisis administrator," said the dump was closed at the request of residents. That left only one working dump, in the town of Serre, which is able to accept only 2,000 tons of trash a day. Raiano said that was the reason trash started piling up on the streets. Authorities are hoping to alleviate the problem when they reopen a long-closed dump in the town of Pianura, near Naples, by the end of this week. The government announced on December 30 that it planned to reopen Pianura, and the decision immediately sparked protests by nearby residents. They blocked roads to stop trucks from entering the site to prepare to open it after 12 years out of commission, and there were scuffles as police tried to move protesters away. Problems with Naples' garbage have been around in some form for 14 years, when Italian authorities first declared the situation an emergency. Complicating the issue is the involvement of organized crime, which has long controlled the region's waste business. The Camorra, as the mafia is known in Naples, controls both dumps and garbage trucks, making the problem enormously difficult for the government to solve. Forty dumping sites have operated in the Campania region over the past 30 years, but most have been closed for various reasons, including criminal investigations related to the Camorra. Residents' protests, over-saturation, and lack of proper equipment were other factors. Italian media have cited statistics saying that Naples produces 1.6 million tons of garbage a year, and that the government has spent 1.8 billion euros ($2.7 billion) over the past 14 years to deal with the problem. E-mail to a friend	[ "City collectors stopped work on what date?", "What were residents protesting?", "Where was the army called to clear rubbish piles?", "What is the name of the Prime Minister?", "When did the work stoppage begin?", "Who held emergency meetings over trash problems?", "Who was called in to remove garbage in Naples?", "What caused Prodi to hold emergency meetings?", "What was the emergency meeting about?" ]	[ [ "December 21," ], [ "that it planned to reopen Pianura," ], [ "Naples," ], [ "Romano Prodi" ], [ "December 21," ], [ "Italy's prime minister" ], [ "army" ], [ "garbage problem in Naples," ], [ "garbage problem in Naples," ] ]	Prime Minister Romano Prodi holds emergency meetings over trash problems . Prodi forced to act after army called to help clear rubbish piles around Naples . City collectors stopped work on December 21 because dumps are full . Residents in a city suburb set up roadblocks in protest at dump reopening .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Nearly two dozen Americans -- most thought to work for the CIA -- were sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday by an Italian court for their role in the seizing of a suspected terrorist in Italy in 2003, the prosecutor in the case told CNN. The Americans did not appear for trial and are not in custody, but the ruling could effectively make them international fugitives. The trial was the first to deal with a practice that human rights groups call "extraordinary rendition." They say the United States has often sent suspects to countries that practice torture. Washington acknowledges making secret "rendition" transfers of terrorism suspects between countries but denies using torture or handing suspects over to countries that do. The case centered on the extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric, Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar. He was seized on the streets of Milan, Italy, in 2003, transferred to Egypt and tortured, he said. He was suspected of recruiting men to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and was under heavy surveillance by Italy's intelligence agency. Prosecutors said he was nabbed by a CIA team working with Italian intelligence officials. The verdict "shows governments and institutions that the fight against terrorism has to be carried out in accordance with the law. There are no shortcuts," Spataro told CNN. Those who were found guilty were ordered to pay Abu Omar 1 million euros ($1.48 million) and his wife 500,000 euros. A total of 22 Americans were each sentenced to five years in prison for their role in his abduction. Another -- Robert Seldon Lady, whom prosecutors said was the CIA station chief in Milan -- was sentenced to eight years in jail, prosecutor Armando Spataro told CNN. Cases were dismissed against three other Americans, including Jeff Castelli, the man assumed to be the CIA station chief in Rome at the time, because they had diplomatic immunity from prosecution. Spataro said he may appeal that ruling. Cases were also dismissed against the former head of Italy's intelligence service and his deputy because of state secrecy provisions. Two other Italians were sentenced to three years in jail for aiding the plot. Sabrina De Sousa, one of the American defendants, was "saddened, angered and dismayed" by the ruling, her lawyer told CNN. She felt the U.S. government had "stabbed her in the back," Mark Zaid said. "We understand why the Italians did what they did. They were following their laws. But at the end of the day, representatives of our United States government abroad were let down and left alone by their own government." De Sousa, a career diplomat, is suing the State Department over the case, Zaid confirmed. She has never said she worked for the CIA. CIA spokesman George Little said Wednesday: "The CIA has not commented on any of the allegations surrounding Abu Omar." But U.S. officials confirmed to CNN when the case first broke that the CIA was involved in the rendition of Abu Omar from Italy to Egypt. The officials never disclosed the number of Americans involved or their names. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell responded to the verdict as it applied to an Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Joseph Romano III, who was among the Americans sentenced. The Pentagon had asserted jurisdiction over the incident under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement, a position that the Italian minister of justice supported, Morrell said. "We are clearly disappointed by the court's ruling," Morrell said. "Our view is that the Italian court has no jurisdiction over Lt. Col. Romano and should have immediately dismissed the charges." The American Civil Liberties Union, a persistent critic of Washington's extraordinary rendition program, demanded the United States match Italy's actions. "The decision in Italy underscores the need for the United States to hold its own officials accountable for crimes committed under the 'extraordinary rendition' program. It is shameful that the first convictions of this kind came from a foreign justice system, where those convicted are not likely to serve their time," said Steven	[ "Which cleric was tortured in Egypt?", "who was ordered to go to jail?", "what can the ruling make them?", "Who was jailed for seizing a suspected terrorist in Milan?", "Who was ordered jailed?", "who was tortured in egypt?", "Who says he was tortured in Egypt?", "Where was the suspected terrorist seized?" ]	[ [ "Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr," ], [ "two dozen Americans" ], [ "international fugitives." ], [ "Nearly two dozen Americans" ], [ "two dozen Americans" ], [ "Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar." ], [ "Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar." ], [ "Italy" ] ]	Suspected U.S. CIA agents ordered jailed for seizing of suspected terrorist in Milan . Americans are not in custody, but ruling could make them international fugitives . Case centered on "extraordinary rendition" of Muslim cleric, who says he was tortured in Egypt .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Officials monitoring the River Tiber in Rome fear it could break its banks as early as Friday evening after a spate of bad weather in Italy -- but do not expect major flooding. A rescue boat patrols the swollen River Tiber in central Rome early Friday. Guido Bertolaso, the head of the Italian Civil Protection Department said that there is a 20 to 30 percent chance the river could break its banks and cause disruption in some neighborhoods in northern Rome, but not in the historic city center. Two people have died in weather-related incidents elsewhere in Italy. "We see that the flow is increasing, but it is not reaching a level that could be dangerous for the capital city of Italy," said Bertolaso about the Tiber, deeming the situation "crucial but not serious." Bertolaso, calling the situation "quite extraordinary," labeled the flood threat and storms as the "fifth most serious situation of the past 100 years." "But I think it is under control and the secret is to have the technology and the kind of organization to monitor the situation and to intervene if an emergency arises," he said. Bertolaso noted that authorities have been keeping a minute-by-minute watch because of heavy storms over the past few days. He said the water level would probably increase for a few more hours and eventually peak between 8 p.m. and midnight local time Friday (between 1800 and 2200 GMT). "If there will be no more rain, the situation is expected to stabilize," he said. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said he did not expect a major flood and noted that only a few dwellings have been evacuated -- primarily those inhabited by immigrants and Roma, who have set up makeshift camps on the banks of the Tiber. "I just recommend people to stay at home and not to rush to the river banks to watch the river swelling," Alemanno said. Hundreds of volunteers and civil protection officials have been deployed around Rome to monitor the situation, the Civil Protection Department said. Sandbags have been lined up to contain any possible river overflow, and the fire brigade is ready with amphibious vehicles. Police have blocked access to some pedestrian bridges and river banks, while residents are being urged to use their vehicles only if necessary. Firefighters Thursday had to rescue dozens of motorists stranded in their cars. Because of the intense rain, the streets of some northern Rome neighborhoods were already flooded by water and covered in thick brown mud. One woman died near Rome early Thursday when her car was submerged by a wave of water and mud in an underpass. The body of a second victim was found in the southern region of Calabria after a bridge collapsed.	[ "What percent chance could the Tiber overflow?", "What has a 20 - 30 percent chance of overflowing?", "What country had a wave of bad weather?", "Who died near Rome?", "Where did the bridge collapse?", "What would overflow its banks?" ]	[ [ "20 to 30" ], [ "River Tiber" ], [ "Italy" ], [ "One woman" ], [ "Calabria" ], [ "the River Tiber" ] ]	NEW: Official: 20 - 30 percent chance that the River Tiber could overflow its banks . Italy has been hit by a wave of bad weather that has claimed two lives . One woman died near Rome when her car was submerged by a wave of water . Body of a second victim was found in Calabria region after a bridge collapsed .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Police Wednesday arrested the suspected head of an Italian mafia murder squad following a two-day manhunt after he eluded police by crawling through sewer pipes, according to Italian media reports. Italian police examine a sewer that may have offered an escape route for a suspected mafia boss. Giuseppe Setola, 38, was arrested near Caserta north of Naples, according to Italy's state-run ANSA news agency and reports in the La Repubblica and Corriere Della Sera newspapers. "This is a great moment for the (Italian) state," Naples anti-Mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti told ANSA after Setola's arrest. "We were certain (Setola) was in a situation of great difficulty. We promised all the citizens that he would be caught. We have kept that promise." Setola is believed to have slipped into a tunnel built under his hideout near Naples on Monday, as police closed in on him, according to the reports. That tunnel connects to the sewer system in Caserta. Corriere published photos of anti-mafia police searching through what was described as Setola's trash-strewn bunker and the tunnel. Anti-mafia police have been searching for Setola for months, and had already arrested his wife and two suspected members of his crew, according to the reports. Monday was the third time he avoided arrest. Setola is allegedly the head of a killing team run by the powerful Casalesi clan which belongs to the Neapolitan mafia known as Camorra. He got out of jail last spring after a doctor ruled that he was legally blind. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into that ruling. Corriere published a photo of Setola wearing sunglasses with his left eye bandaged. The Casalesi clan is featured in the best-selling book "Gomorrah" -- a play on the word "Camorra" -- written by Roberto Saviano who now lives under constant police protection. Saviano recently said he may have to leave Italy to escape constant death threats from the mafia and its supporters. Police began cracking down on Setola and his colleagues after the murder of six West African immigrants in the nearby town of Castel Volturno in September. After those killings, the Italian government activated the army to help bolster efforts against the Casalesi clan, which is believed to have killed more than 20 people since May. The two suspected members of his squad have given police information about his movements. In November, police arrested an Italian police officer suspected of informing Setola about police operations.	[ "What is Setola head of?", "Which town were the sewers close to?", "Who escaped from sewer pipes?", "What organization is the suspect from?", "Name of the head of the killing team?", "Who is the head of the powerful Casalesi clan?", "What did the mafia suspect use to escape?", "What city is the tunnel found nearby?", "How did the suspect escape?", "What clan was Setola associated with?", "What was found in Caserta?", "Where did the tunnel connect?" ]	[ [ "of a killing team run by the powerful Casalesi clan" ], [ "Caserta" ], [ "Giuseppe Setola," ], [ "Neapolitan mafia" ], [ "Giuseppe Setola," ], [ "Giuseppe Setola," ], [ "crawling through sewer pipes," ], [ "Naples" ], [ "he eluded police by crawling through sewer pipes," ], [ "Casalesi" ], [ "Giuseppe Setola," ], [ "to the sewer system in Caserta." ] ]	Italian mafia suspect arrested after escape through sewer pipes . Setola is allegedly head of killing team run by the powerful Casalesi clan . Tunnel found connecting to sewer system in the nearby town of Caserta .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Police made a string of arrests across Europe Tuesday, detaining 20 people suspected of involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers, Italian police said. Eleven of the arrests were in Italy, in the northern cities of Milan, Reggio Emilia, Bergamo, and San Remo, said. Lt. Col. Sandro Sandulli, the head of the Carabinieri special forces. One was already in custody, so authorities served him with a new arrest warrant which included new charges against him, Sandulli said. Three arrests were in Britain, one in France, and one in Portugal, Sandulli said. The remaining arrests happened in European countries but Sandulli did not specify which ones. Those arrested are suspected of forming Salafi Jihad terrorist cells which were recruiting suicide bombers and sending them to Iraq and Afghanistan, said Col. Mario Parente, deputy commander of the Carabinieri special forces unit. Parente said that during the arrests, police found al Qaeda manuals for the production of explosives, detonation devices, and various poisons. He said the manuals also included details of guerrilla-style war operations. Salafi is an extreme school of Islamic thought which developed in Egypt and began to have prominence with militant groups there in the late 1960s and has since been adopted by terrorist groups in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, said Sajjan Gohel, director of international security at the Asia Pacific Foundation in London. "It's become the ideology of choice for transnational terrorism, including al Qaeda," Gohel said. "It's emerging as a very dangerous ideology." The Madrid train bombers and various terrorist cells in Italy were part of the Salafi school of thought, he added. Italian police said Tuesday's arrests were the result of an investigation, started in 2003, into some Salafi cells which were organized by Tunisians and Algerians. The main suspect in the operation is a Tunisian who was arrested in 2002 during a separate antiterrorism operation, police said. The main terrorist cell was based in the northern Italian region of Lombardy and involved what investigators called a "long-term" jihadist program which provided military and ideological training. Another cell, based in Reggio Emilia, had the goal of creating a grand Islamic "empire" stretching from Morocco to China, police said. Parente said those arrested are also accused of producing false documents, facilitating illegal immigration, and covering up other individuals wanted for terrorism-related crimes. E-mail to a friend CNN's Flavia Taggiasco in Rome contributed to this report	[ "What group did the suspected work for?", "What were they recruiting for?", "What nationality are the 20 suspected?", "What are those held accused of?", "Where were they going?", "Where were they all caught?", "what happened in italy?", "what was the total of people held", "What regions did the arrests take place?" ]	[ [ "Salafi Jihad terrorist cells" ], [ "suicide bombers," ], [ "Tunisians" ], [ "involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers," ], [ "Iraq and Afghanistan," ], [ "Europe" ], [ "arrests" ], [ "20" ], [ "across Europe" ] ]	Police say 20 suspected of involvement in the recruiting suicide bombers held . Arrests were in Italy and across other European countries, police say . Those held are accused of recruiting bombers to go to Iraq and Afghanistan . 11 people were held in Italy and nine others across Europe .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist Friday after he broke it in a fall, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI arrives at a resort in northern Italy's Val d'Aosta region Monday. He broke his wrist Thursday. The pope left the hospital Friday afternoon and was returning to his summer home in Italy's Val d'Aosta region, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN. Doctors administered local anesthesia and put the pope's wrist in a cast, Lombardi said, adding the procedure was minor. "There is no particular reason to cause alarm," Lombardi said. The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room in Val d'Aosta, a mountainous region of northwestern Italy, the Vatican said. The pope arrived there Monday. The pope "tripped or slipped in his room," Lombardi said. "It was dark, in the middle of the night. It was not due to dizziness. The fact that the Holy Father waited to go to the hospital shows that it was not serious." He was taken to the hospital in the region's central town of Aosta on Friday morning after celebrating his daily private Mass, the Vatican said. Benedict's schedule for the coming days must still be confirmed, but Lombardi said he believed the pope will be able to hold his weekly Sunday Angelus from his summer home this weekend. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.	[ "Where was he at when he fell?", "When did the pope fall?", "Who went to hospital Friday?", "What age is the pope?", "Who briefly hospitalized after breaking wrist in fall?", "Who was hospitalized after breaking his wrist?", "When did he go to the hospital?" ]	[ [ "in his room in Val d'Aosta," ], [ "Thursday." ], [ "Pope Benedict XVI" ], [ "82," ], [ "Pope Benedict XVI" ], [ "Pope Benedict" ], [ "Friday" ] ]	Pope Benedict XVI briefly hospitalized after breaking wrist in fall . The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room at mountain retreat . He went to hospital Friday after celebrating his daily private Mass .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI preached and greeted well-wishers Sunday, three days after breaking his wrist in a fall. The pope celebrates mass with his broken wrist in plaster. He held the text of his speech in his uninjured left hand, then circulated among the crowd who came to hear him in Romano Canavese, pictures from the northern Italian town showed. The 82-year-old pope had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN on Friday. The pope is "learning" to live with his cast, Lombardi told Vatican Radio. The most painful aspect of the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand, which he had intended to do frequently during his annual vacation Italy's Val d'Aosta region, Lombardi told the official Vatican station. "I know that here, too, in the Ivera region, many families are facing economic hard times due to a lack of work," he said, referring to the now-defunct Olivetti typewriter manufacturer in the region. "Dear friend, do not be discouraged," he added, according to Agence-France Presse. "Providence always helps those who do the right thing and seek justice; it also helps those who think not only of themselves, but also think of those in worse situations than their own."	[ "What is the most painful aspect for the Pope?", "What joint did the Pope injure?", "Which wrist did the pope break?", "When did the pope fall?", "What is most painful aspect for pope?", "Who greeted well-wishers?", "What did the surgery stop the pope from doing?", "What is the most painful aspect for the pope?", "What part of the body did the pope break?", "When did the pope fall?", "Who had surgery on his right wrist?", "Who had surgery?" ]	[ [ "having to give up writing by hand," ], [ "right wrist" ], [ "right" ], [ "Thursday night," ], [ "having to give up writing by hand," ], [ "Pope Benedict XVI" ], [ "the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand," ], [ "having to give up writing by hand," ], [ "wrist" ], [ "Thursday night," ], [ "Pope Benedict XVI" ], [ "Pope Benedict XVI" ] ]	Pope preaches and greeted well-wishers, three days after breaking his wrist . Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night . Most painful aspect for pope is having to stop writing by hand, spokesman says .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Scientific tests prove bones housed in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome are those of the apostle St. Paul himself, according to Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI looks at the tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome in 2007. "Tiny fragments of bone" in the sarcophagus were subjected to carbon dating, showing they "belong to someone who lived in the first or second century," the pope said in a homily carried on Italian television. "This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul," Benedict said in Sunday's announcement. The tomb also holds "traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments," the pope said. The tests were carried out by inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus, "which had not been opened for many centuries," the pontiff said. The probe "also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone." Separately, archaeologists have uncovered an image of St. Paul which "could be considered the oldest icon of the apostle known to date," the Vatican's official newspaper reported Sunday. The painting, in the St. Tecla Catacomb, is "among the oldest and best-defined figures from ancient Christianity," according to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, L'Osservatore Romano reported. St. Paul is one of the most significant figures in Christianity. Originally a persecutor of early Christians, he became a follower of Jesus after seeing a vision on the road to Damascus, according to Christian tradition. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" the vision of Jesus asks Paul, using the apostle's birth name, in the Acts of the Apostles. Saul then took the name Paul and became a missionary. His letters, or epistles, to early Christian communities around the Mediterranean form a significant portion of the New Testament. Paul was beheaded by Roman authorities sometime between 65 and 67 A.D., according to the Catholic Church. He was buried a few miles away, and when the Roman Empire stopped persecuting Christians some 250 years later, the Emperor Constantine had a basilica built over his grave. It currently lies under a marble tombstone bearing the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART (Apostle Paul, martyr), according to the Web site of the basilica. A papal altar stands over the tombstone, which is visible through a window-like opening, the Web site says. Monday marks the end of a year of celebration in honor of the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul's birth. It also happens to be the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.	[ "What was inserted in the sarcophagus?", "Whose bones were they proven to be ?", "where were the bones prior to being removed for testing?", "What method was used to test the bones?", "What also Vatican tomb holds?", "What was in the vatican tomb?", "In which way Vatican tombs were doing the tests?" ]	[ [ "a probe" ], [ "the apostle St. Paul" ], [ "in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome" ], [ "inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus," ], [ "\"traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments,\"" ], [ "\"traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments,\"" ], [ "carbon dating," ] ]	Scientific tests prove bones are those of the apostle St. Paul, pope says . Vatican tomb also holds "traces of a precious linen cloth" Tests were carried out by inserting probe into small opening in sarcophagus .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian capital Rome was spared major damage Saturday as some of the heaviest flooding in the past century reached its peak without bursting the banks of the Tiber river. A rescue boat patrols the swollen River Tiber in central Rome early Friday. Italian Civil Protection officials said the river will take several days to return to normal levels but there was no longer a risk of flooding. Civil Protection teams were also coordinating the removal of two barges that crashed against bridges after breaking their moorings on Friday. Italian media report that last night a young man from Ireland fell in the Tiber, but his body has not been found yet. Hundreds of volunteers and officials had been deployed around Rome ahead of the flood's peak, while sandbags were lined up to contain any possible river overflow. Firefighters Thursday had to rescue dozens of motorists stranded in their cars. Because of the intense rain, the streets of some northern Rome neighborhoods were already flooded by water and covered in thick brown mud. One woman died near Rome early Thursday when her car was submerged by a wave of water and mud in an underpass. The body of a second victim was found in the southern region of Calabria after a bridge collapsed. Earlier this month, much of the Italian city of Venice was underwater as some of the heaviest floods for several decades burst the city's famed canal networks and inundated historic landmarks such as St. Mark's Square.	[ "Where was a second victim found?", "where was the body found?", "how many died?", "Where was the body of the second victim found?", "where was the flood?" ]	[ [ "southern region of Calabria" ], [ "southern region of Calabria" ], [ "One" ], [ "southern region of Calabria" ], [ "Rome" ] ]	Flood waters subside in Rome . Italy has been hit by a wave of bad weather that has claimed two lives . One woman died near Rome when her car was submerged by a wave of water . Body of a second victim was found in Calabria region after a bridge collapsed .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian government is vowing to fight a European court ruling that crucifixes in classrooms violate students' right to freedom of religion. The European Court of Human Rights found unanimously Tuesday that the display of a particular religious symbol -- such as the Christian cross -- in a classroom "restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions, and the right of children to believe or not to believe," a court statement said. The case was brought by an Italian woman, Soile Lautsi, who objected to the crucifixes on the walls in her two sons' classrooms. Italian courts had ruled earlier that the cross was a symbol of Italy's history and culture, prompting Lautsi to take her case to the European court in Strasbourg, France. It awarded her 5,000 euros ($7,400) in damages Tuesday. The Italian government said it would appeal the European Court's verdict and leading Catholic figures expressed astonishment and anger. The ruling "is cause for bitterness and many perplexities," the Italian Conference of Bishop said in a written statement. The bishops said they were still studying the ruling, but it appeared to result from "ideological bias" and a lack of understanding of "the multiple significances of the crucifix." "It does not take into account the fact that in Italy the display of the crucifix in public places is in line with the recognition of the principles of the Catholicism as 'part of the historical patrimony of the Italian people,' as stated in the Vatican/Italy agreement of 1984," the bishops said. The Vatican in Rome, which has been the seat of the Catholic Church for most of its 2,000-year history, did not officially respond to the ruling. But Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told the leading Italian daily La Repubblica he could not understand it, and that no one with common sense could have expected it. "When I think that we are talking about a symbol, the crucifix, an image that cannot but be the emblem of a universally shared humanity, I not only feel disappointed but also sadness and grief," he said. "The crucifix is the sign of a God that loves man to the point of giving up his life for him. It is a God that teaches us to learn to love, to pay attention to each man ... and to respect the others, even those who belong to a different culture or religion. "How could someone not share such a symbol?" Italy has three months to file a request for a new hearing, court spokesman Stefano Piedimonte told CNN. A five-judge panel will examine the request, officially known as a referral, to determine if it raises sufficiently important issues for a 17-judge Grand Chamber hearing. Only the Italian government can appeal the verdict, but other interested parties can file briefs if the case goes forward, Piedimonte said. The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. CNN's Hada Messia in Rome contributed to this report.	[ "What does the government say?", "Where are the crucifixes banned from?", "What is the issue with \"display of religious symbols?\"", "What did the court rule that the display of religious symbols violated?", "Who was the woman who brought the case to trial?" ]	[ [ "it would appeal the European Court's verdict" ], [ "classrooms" ], [ "their convictions, and the right of children to believe or not to believe,\"" ], [ "students' right to freedom of religion." ], [ "Soile Lautsi," ] ]	Italy vows to fight European court ruling banning crucifixes in classrooms . Court ruled Tuesday that display of religious symbols violate students' right to freedom of religion . Case was brought by an Italian woman who objected to crucifixes on walls in her sons' classrooms . Government says it will appeal verdict; leading Catholics express surprise, anger .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Vatican said Tuesday it has worked out a way for groups of Anglicans who are dissatisfied with their faith to join the Catholic Church. The Vatican says more Anglicans have expressed an interest in joining the Catholic Church. The process will enable groups of Anglicans to become Catholic and recognize the pope as their leader, yet have parishes that retain Anglican rites, Vatican officials said. The move comes some 450 years after King Henry VIII broke from Rome and created the Church of England, forerunner of the Anglican Communion. The parishes would be led by former Anglican clergy -- including those who are married -- who would be ordained as Catholic priests, said the Rev. James Massa, ecumenical director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. "This sets up a process for whole groups of Anglicans -- clergy and laity -- to enter in to the Catholic Church while retaining their forms of worship and other Anglican traditions," Massa said. The number of Anglicans wishing to join the Catholic Church has increased in recent years as the Anglican Church has welcomed the ordination of women and openly gay clergy and blessed homosexual partnerships, said Cardinal William Joseph Levada, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Their talks with the Vatican recently began speeding up, Vatican officials said, leading to Tuesday's announcement. "The Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion," Levada said. Levada said "hundreds" of Anglicans around the world have expressed their desire to join the Catholic Church. Among them are 50 Anglican bishops, said Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia of the Congregation for Divine Worship. While married Anglican priests may be ordained as Catholic priests, the same does not apply to married Anglican bishops, Levada said. "We've been praying for this unity for 40 years and we've not anticipated it happening now," Di Noia said. "The Holy Spirit is at work here." One interested group is the Traditional Anglican Communion, an association of churches that is separate from the Anglican Communion and has hundreds of thousands of members worldwide. The TAC in 2007 petitioned the Vatican for unity with the Catholic Church with the stipulation that the group retain its Anglican rites. The TAC's primate, Archbishop John Hepworth of Australia, said in a statement Tuesday that the Vatican's announcement "more than matches the dreams we dared to include in our petition two years ago." That is because the Vatican's move involves not only the TAC but other Anglican groups that want to unite with the Catholic Church, said the Right Rev. Daren K. Williams, bishop ordinary of the western diocese of the Anglican Church of America, which is part of the TAC. The Vatican has yet to release all details of the offer, and the TAC's leaders will meet and discuss how to respond when it does, Williams said. But Williams said he believes much of TAC will respond favorably. Williams, who also is rector of All Saints Anglican Church in Fountain Valley, California, said his parishioners have generally been "very warmly receiving" Tuesday's announcement. "It is encouraging for them to know their worship experience wouldn't be turned upside down by the Roman Catholic Church," Williams said. "The person in the pew should see very little difference in the way we pray. We might be asked to pray aloud for any pope who happens to be in office, in addition to praying for our primate. "Really, there'd be very little other difference." The parishes retaining the Anglican rites would answer not to Catholic bishops but to regional or nationwide "personal ordinariates" who would report to the pope, Massa said. Those officials often will be former Anglican clergy, Vatican officials said. The Church of England said the move ends a "period of uncertainty" for Anglican groups who wanted more unity with the Catholic Church. Both groups have a "substantial overlap in faith	[ "What will enter into full visible communion?", "How many Anglicans have expressed interest in joining?" ]	[ [ "clergy and laity" ], [ "\"hundreds\"" ] ]	Vatican opens door to disillusioned Anglicans wanting to join Catholic Church . Married priests and bishops to be allowed to "enter into full visible communion" Vatican says "hundreds" of Anglicans have expressed interest in joining . Anglicans can retain their rites while recognizing the pope as their leader .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The garbage crisis in Naples encompasses the worst Italian clichés, and in particular those of the southern part of this lovely peninsula: mismanagement, political interference, mafia profiteering and the ability of those responsible to deflect the attention and the blame elsewhere. Naples has had problems in finding sites for municipal dumps -- now workers have stopped collecting trash. There is a popular saying here that roughly goes like this: everybody is competent enough (to find a solution) but nobody is responsible (for actually carrying it out). In many parts of the world waste disposal is a business -- and usually it is a good business. Garbage can be transformed into various sources of energy and then sold for a profit. In Naples, garbage is also good business, but in the sense that millions, if not billions, of euros have been wasted -- and nobody really knows how. The problem is as old and ugly as rotten trash. The region's dumps reached full capacity more than a decade ago, and since then a state of emergency has been declared every year. Eight different commissioners have been appointed, but they have all failed to solve the problem. State of emergency means government money: €1.8 billion (more than $2.5 billion) in emergency funds have been devolved to deal with the problem. It is still difficult to find out where or how that money has been spent. Incinerators that were supposed to be built were never finished, either because the companies in charge of constructing them could not finish the job, or else because magistrates stopped the work, pending ongoing criminal investigations into alleged mafia involvement. One Italian newspaper suggested that a good 20% of the money went to pay for the salaries of those in charge of coming up with a solution to the problem. More worrying perhaps, is another suggestion: that the local mafia, known as the Camorra, is taking advantage of the situation. As the crisis has worsened over the years, so the Camorra's profits, estimated now at around €1 billion (roughly $1.45 billion), are alleged to have increased. How does the local mafia make money? The Naples prosecutor in charge of environmental crimes says city government officials use the state of emergency to quickly award contracts which otherwise would have to be checked by complicated anti-racketeering legislation. Once they receive the money, companies linked to the underworld dispose of the waste either in the open or, ironically, at regular city dumps, even if they are overflowing. The mafia clans have now managed to burrow their way so deeply into the system that every attempt to fix the problem has proved futile. But why are citizens protesting now? Well, the government wants to re-open a previously shut dump to dispose of 3,700 tons of waste which is laying in the streets of Naples and surrounding areas. The problem is that when the site was closed years ago, locals were promised that a golf course would be built there. As a result, many residents invested savings to construct apartments and residences in the vicinity -- in some cases just a few yards away from the site. They are now waking up to a mountain of trash instead of 18 holes. A rotten deal indeed. E-mail to a friend	[ "What amount of money has been spent on this problem already?", "Where is the rubbish piling up?", "What is piling up on the streets of Naples?", "What was planned for one dump?", "What is in the streets of Naples?", "What is the mafia's role?", "What amount of money has been spent on emergency funds in Naples?", "What was one dump supposed to be?", "Whose role do many commentators question in the award of contracts?", "What amount has been spent on the problem?", "What was going to be a golf course?", "What amount of emergency funds have been spent?", "What is piling in the streets of Naples?", "Where is rubbish piling up in the streets?", "what were residents furious about?", "What sum of money was given towards cleaning it up?", "What amount of emergency funds has gone to the problem?", "who questions the role of mafia?", "Who is involved in the award of contracts?", "Where is rubbish piling up?", "What is the amount of emergency funds spent on the problem over the years?", "Is local mafia involved in contracting involving municipal dumps?", "What figure of emergency funds has been spent already?", "What is piling up in the streets of Naples?" ]	[ [ "€1.8 billion" ], [ "Naples" ], [ "garbage" ], [ "re-open" ], [ "3,700 tons of waste" ], [ "profiteering" ], [ "€1.8 billion" ], [ "golf course" ], [ "city government officials use the state of emergency to quickly" ], [ "€1.8 billion" ], [ "a previously shut dump" ], [ "€1.8 billion (more than $2.5 billion)" ], [ "garbage" ], [ "Naples" ], [ "the government wants to re-open a previously shut dump" ], [ "€1.8 billion" ], [ "€1.8 billion" ], [ "criminal investigations" ], [ "city government officials" ], [ "Naples" ], [ "€1.8 billion (more than $2.5 billion)" ], [ "clans have now managed to burrow their way so deeply into the system that every attempt to fix the problem has proved futile." ], [ "€1.8 billion (more than $2.5 billion)" ], [ "garbage" ] ]	Rubbish is piling up on the streets of Naples, with municipal dumps full . Many commentators question the role of the local mafia in the award of contracts . More than $2.5B in emergency funds has been spent on the problem over the years . One dump was going to be a golf course -- residents furious it is being re-opened .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The world's richest countries committed to "any further action that may prove necessary" to restore confidence in the global financial system, their finance ministers said as they wrapped up a two-day meeting in Rome. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is calling on governments to help restart the flow of credit. The Group of Seven finance ministers also urged countries not to close their markets to goods and services from abroad. "An open system of global trade and investment is indispensable for global prosperity," they said in a statement at the end of their meeting Saturday. "Protectionist measures ... would only exacerbate the downturn" in the worldwide economy. The ministers said the global banking crisis had revealed "fundamental weaknesses in the international financial system" and called for urgent reform. Watch workers put pressure on the ministers » New U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, making his international debut at the meetings, called on governments to focus on stabilizing and strengthening financial systems and help restart the flow of credit. "Although the precise mix of measures must be tailored to each country's situation -- our financial systems are different, [the] structures of our systems are very different -- there is a common recognition of more capital and government financing to help restart credit markets," he said. Italy hosted the meeting in its role as G-7 president for 2009. G-7 members includes the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Britain and Canada. The agenda drawn up by Rome calls for adopting global measures and economic policy reforms capable of stabilizing the world economy and ensuring transparency to allow markets to function correctly. Watch CNN correspondents on the impact of job losses around the world » Geithner spoke just after the U.S. Senate gave final approval late Friday to a $787 billion recovery package to boost the U.S. economy. He told attendees that the package "provides a very powerful mix of investments and tax cuts to create jobs and to strengthen our long-term growth potential." "As we act together to build a strong foundation for economic growth and recovery, we need to begin the process of comprehensive reform of our financial system, so that we never again face a crisis of this severity," Geithner said. Another attendee, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said he supports such stimulus packages for advanced countries. "The question is no more to convince the governments to move today, but for them to implement the policies they need to manage," Strauss-Kahn said. He also warned of the dangers of protectionism, which he said may still come "through the back door, especially in the financial sector."	[ "What group urged countries not to close markets to goods from abroad?", "What must the focus be on?", "What did the Ministers urge?", "Who said that focus must be on stabilizing economies?", "What do officials call an urgent reform for?" ]	[ [ "of Seven finance ministers" ], [ "stabilizing and strengthening financial systems" ], [ "countries not to close their markets to goods and services from abroad." ], [ "Timothy Geithner," ], [ "global banking crisis" ] ]	Group of Seven ministers urge countries not to close markets to goods from abroad . Focus must be on stabilizing economies, U.S. treasury secretary says . Officials call for urgent reform of global financial system .
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- When Anna Elisa Fattori arrives at work the first thing she does is to take off her clothes. All of them. For Fattori is a professional nude model working at Rome's art academy. Anna Elisa Fattori: "You are trying to give inspiration to the students." "It is a tough job!" she tells me just before beginning to pose for a group of students, eager to paint her gracious figure. There is something striking about her bright green eyes and wavy red hair. "It doesn't seem to be hard, but you know, try it! Put yourself in front of the mirror and then stay for a long time in a pose. You start: 'Oh my back, oh something is strange here...'" she says, mimicking pain on her lower back. Fattori is one of about 300 people in Italy who do this job, but only about 50 of them have full-time contracts. She makes the equivalent of about $1,500 each month, but only works three months per year. And that is why she and others recently went on strike, demanding a full-time wage for work they say not everyone can do. "It is not easy because you are naked, so you have to be very comfortable with your body and have a nice relationship with everybody," she says as the students look on, "but not too open and not too close. You are trying to give inspiration to the students. If we lose these artistic roots that are very important to Italy then we lose a big part of our identity." Italian Renaissance art is filled with naked men and women: Think of Michelangelo's David or Botticelli's Venus. But back then artists mostly used prostitutes and lovers as models and muses, often with the complicity of priests who wanted the walls of their churches painted by famous names. "Priests allowed prostitutes to use churches," explains Enrico Bruschini, one of Rome's best known art historians. "Officially it was to convert them, but the practical reason was to have the artist at the church." Bruschini says that the Saint Augustine church, a stone's throw from Piazza Navona, was a famous gathering point in Rome for Renaissance artists looking for "inspiration." Back then though professional modeling did not exist, and most would agree that the art didn't really suffer from its absence. So if Botticelli and Raphael could do without professional models, what is the big deal now? "It all started with the rise of art schools in the 19th and 20th centuries" says Fattori. "During the Renaissance you just thought that a prostitute can be a model or even a lover. But now we are here, so we need to move ahead." Art students hoping to become the next Michelangelo agree. "I think a person should have talent," argues Anastasia Kurakina, a first year student from Russia. "Because you, for example, you couldn't [model]... I don't know you, but Anna Elisa has talent." Anastasia is right, I certainly couldn't do it -- but unbeknownst to me she used me as a model while I was interviewing Fattori. Thankfully I was fully dressed, so all she drew was my head. And she didn't to a bad job at that. E-mail to a friend	[ "How many people work as art models?", "Who has gone on strike?", "What are the art models demanding?", "What did priests allow to use churches?", "What did Italian Renaissance artists use as models?", "Who have gone on strike to demand they get a full-time wage?" ]	[ [ "300" ], [ "professional nude model" ], [ "wage" ], [ "prostitutes" ], [ "prostitutes and lovers" ], [ "professional nude model" ] ]	Italy's art models have gone on strike, demanding they get a full-time wage . Around 300 people do the job, but only about 50 of them are full-time . During the Italian Renaissance artists mostly used prostitutes and lovers as models . Priests let prostitutes use churches so it was possible to attract, employ name artists .
ROME, Italy -- Captain Javier Zanetti saved Inter Milan's unbeaten Serie A record as he rifled home a stunning late volley to earn a 1-1 draw against second-placed Roma at the San Siro on Wednesday. Zanetti celebrates his late strike as Inter retained their unbeaten Serie A record with a 1-1 draw against Roma. Roma captain Francesco Totti had given the visitors a deserved first-half leadbut Zanetti's strike two minutes from time maintained Inter's nine-point lead at the top. Roma needed to win to breathe new life into the title race but they were dealt a cruel blow as French defender Philippe Mexes was sent-off late on for two bookings in quick succession. Inter capitalised and they have now lost only once in their last 65 league matches. The home side had the first clear-cut chance of the match and were within centimeters of taking the lead when Hernan Crespo met a cross from Patrick Vieira with an acrobatic volley, but saw his effort cannon back off the post. The defending champions were made to pay for that miss on 38 minutes as the visitors orchestrated a sublime goal. Neat footwork from Macedonia international Mirko Vucinic released Max Tonetto down the left and his pin-point cross was flicked home at the near post by Totti from six meters out as he stole in front of defender Cristian Chivu. Inter center-back Nicolas Burdisso should have restored parity in first-half stoppage time but his header from Luis Figo's corner flew over the bar. Figo himself had a great chance on 54 minutes but after having time to set himself up for an attempted volley, he skewed his effort so badly that it did not even go out of play. After Mexes' dismissal 10 from time, Inter laid siege to Roma's goal. Goalkeeper Doni had to be alert to tip over Crespo's header three minutes from time but he could do nothing about Zanetti's volley a minute later. Meanwhile, AC Milan slipped to fifth place as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania. Brazilian teenager Pato gave them the lead early in the second half with a skimming long-range shot but substitute Gionathan Spinesi's header earnt the Sicilians a point. Fiorentina are up to fourth after they defeated Livorno 1-0 at home thanks to a goal from Senegal forward Ndiaye Papa Waigo. E-mail to a friend	[ "Who scored a late goal?", "What position is AC Milan at?", "What position did AC Milan slip into?", "Who scored the late goal?", "Which team retains their unbeaten league run?", "Have Inter lost a game?", "What were the results?", "Who scored the tying goal?" ]	[ [ "Javier Zanetti" ], [ "fifth place" ], [ "fifth" ], [ "Captain Javier Zanetti" ], [ "Inter Milan's" ], [ "once" ], [ "1-1 draw" ], [ "Javier Zanetti" ] ]	Javier Zanetti scores a late goal to earn Inter Milan a 1-1 draw against Roma . The result keeps Inter nine points clear and retains their unbeaten league run . AC Milan slipped to fifth position as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania .
ROME, Italy -- Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney scored a goal in each half as Manchester United won 2-0 in Roma's Olympic Stadium to virtually assure the Premier League leaders a place in the Champions League semifinals. Cristiano Ronaldo rises above the Roma defense to power home a superb header. United proved they can still dominate the Italian side, following last season's 8-3 aggregate triumph at the same stage of the competition, with a stylish display. The visitors enjoyed a lot of the ball in the first period as Roma -- missing talismanic striker Francesco Totti -- sat back, seemingly intent on not giving anything away. On 12 minutes, United opened up the Roma defense but after Park Ji-Sung took the ball down on his chest he was crowded out. Christian Panucci headed over the bar from a David Pizarro corner and Mirko Vucinic shot over as he was falling backwards, after Rio Ferdinand had slipped, as Roma briefly threatened. United then suffered a blow as defender Nemanja Vidic was stretchered off with a leg injury, to be replaced by John O'Shea. Chances were few and far between but on 39 minutes United produced a move of majestic quality to take the lead. United switched the ball around the edge of the Roma box before Paul Scholes eventually crossed for Ronaldo to come steaming in to out-jump Marco Cassetti and thump home a header. Just three minutes later Roma had their best chance of the half after a mistake from Ferdinand, but Vucinic dragged his shot from the left just beyond the far post. Roma came out after the break with more purpose and Vucinic played in Max Tonetto, but he lashed his shot wide of the near post, failing even to force Edwin van der Sar into making a save. From a quick throw Panucci had great chance but skied his volley from five meters. Substitute Ludovic Giuly then got behind the United defense but Van der Sar cut out his cross. And the big Dutch keeper then made a stunning one-handed save on 62 minutes from a Vucinic header to keep the scores level. Four minutes later, United scored a crucial second as Park headed a deep cross from Wes Brown back across goal and Rooney mopped up the loose ball after goalkeeper Doni and Panucci impeded each other. Moments later Ronaldo had a shot deflected onto the outside of the post as United threatened to run riot. Rooney had two glorious chances to heap more misery on Roma late on but had one shot blocked and sent the other wide. Ronaldo then almost scored with a stunning late volley from substitute Carlos Tevez's cross but the ball flew over the bar. With Barcelona taking a 1-0 lead over Schalke in the other semifinal, it looks increasingly likely that United will face the Catalan giants for a place in the Moscow final mext month. Ronaldo played down his goal, simply saying his 36th of the season was "a good header" and preferred to comment on the team's overall performance. "That was a very good performance in what was a top game," he said. "We created a few chances,scored twice and deserved the victory. "The defense were terrific and they played their part. It was a good job overall but we must remember that the Champions League is a different style to the Premier League and this match is not over yet," added the Portuguese winger. E-mail to a friend	[ "Who's the top player from Barca?", "What amount did they win by?", "who scored goals?", "who won in the Champions League quarterfinals", "Where is Barcelona from?", "Which people scored the goals?", "Who scored the goals?" ]	[ [ "Nemanja Vidic" ], [ "2-0" ], [ "Wayne Rooney" ], [ "Manchester United" ], [ "Catalan" ], [ "Wayne Rooney" ], [ "Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney" ] ]	Manchester United win 2-0 in Roma in the Champions League quarterfinals . Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney put the visitors in control . The winners will face Barcelona or Schalke for a place in the final in Moscow .
ROME, Italy -- Italian tennis players Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali have been banned by the ATP for betting on matches. Top Italian player Potito Starace has been suspended for six weeks for betting on matches. The country's top player Starace -- 31st in the ATP rankings -- has been suspended for six weeks from January 1 and fined $30,000 (20,890 euros) for making five bets totalling around 90 euros two years ago. Bracciali, world ranked 258, has been banned for three months and fined $20,000 (13,930 euros) for making around 50 five-euro bets between 2004 and 2005. The Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) confirmed the news on its website, www.federtennis.it. However, they denounced the penalties as disproportionate, saying the players never bet on their own matches. "Injustice is done," the statement said. "These penalties are absolutely, excessively severe compared to the magnitude of the violations carried out by the two players." The federation said the two were not aware of the ATP's betting regulations, and that they stopped placing the bets as soon as they learned it was against the rules. Another Italian player, Alessio Di Mauro, became the first player sanctioned under the ATP's new anti-corruption rules when he received a nine-month ban in November, also for betting on matches. Starace and Bracciali said they were scapegoats for a larger match-fixing scandal."It's disgusting," said the 26-year-old Starace. "The ATP doesn't know where to turn. It's all a joke." Bracciali said the two had been "sacrificed." "That's why they came after us," the 29-year-old said. "We are not champions and we don't count in the upper echelons." ATP officials could not be reached for comment on Saturday. Concerns about match-fixing have risen since August, when an online betting company reported unusual betting patterns during a match between fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina. The company, Betfair, voided all bets and the ATP has been investigating. Davydenko, who retired while trailing in the third set, denies wrongdoing. Since then, several players have said that they had been approached with offers to fix matches in exchange for money. E-mail to a friend	[ "What tennis players were banned by the ATP?", "What did the pair do that led to their suspension?", "What length of time is Bracciali banned for?", "For what reason have the pair been suspended?", "Who was suspended for six weeks?", "What did they do to get banned?", "Who was banned by the ATP?", "Who has been suspended for six weeks?", "What nationality are Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali?", "Who was banned?", "Who was suspended?", "Who banned them?" ]	[ [ "Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali" ], [ "betting on matches." ], [ "three months" ], [ "betting on matches." ], [ "Potito Starace has been" ], [ "betting on matches." ], [ "Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali have been" ], [ "Potito Starace" ], [ "Italian" ], [ "Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali" ], [ "Potito Starace" ], [ "ATP" ] ]	Italian tennis players Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali banned by the ATP . The pair have been suspended for betting on matches, although not their own . Starace suspended for six weeks while Bracciali is banned for three months .
ROME, Italy -- Italy national coach Roberto Donadoni has left Cristiano Lucarelli in his squad for next Saturday's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier in Scotland. Lucarelli keeps his place in the Italian squad after scoring twice against South Africa. The Shakhtar Donetsk striker is in fine form and has been rewarded for his inspiring performance in last month's friendly against South Africa, when he scored twice in the world champions' victory. While Donadoni has again left out veteran forwards Filippo Inzaghi and Alessandro Del Piero, he has handed Juventus striker and Italy under-21 international Raffaele Palladino his first call-up to the senior squad. Donadoni's squad is also boosted by the return from suspension of captain Fabio Cannavaro, Italy go into the clash in Glasgow third in Group B, two points behind leaders France and one point below Scotland. Italy end their qualifying campaign by taking on bottom side the Faroe Islands in Modena on November 21. Italy squad: Goalkeepers: Marco Amelia (Livorno), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Gianluca Curci (Roma) Defenders: Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Massimo Oddo (AC Milan), Christian Panucci (Roma), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona) Midfielders: Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan) Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (AC Milan), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Cristiano Lucarelli (Shakhtar Donetsk), Raffaele Palladino (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich) E-mail to a friend	[ "What team does Cristiano Lucarelli play for?", "What position was Cristiano Lucarelli?", "Which club is Raffaele Palladino from?", "Who earned his first call-up to the senior squad?", "Who earns his first call-up to the senior squad?", "Who was called up to senior squad?", "Lucarelli scored how many times?", "Who is facing Scotland?", "Who earned his first call-up?", "which striker of juventus earns his first call-up to the senior squad?", "which was the result of the match against South Africa?", "Who is impressed by scoring?", "who keeps his place in Italy's squad to face Scotland?", "Who was the Juventus striker?", "Who won against South Africa?", "Who's going to face Scotland?", "Who will keep his place?", "What team does Raffaele Palladino play for?", "who was impressed by scoring twice in the recent victory over South Africa?", "Who impressed by scoring twice in the recent victory over South Africa?" ]	[ [ "Shakhtar Donetsk" ], [ "striker" ], [ "Shakhtar Donetsk" ], [ "Raffaele Palladino" ], [ "Cristiano Lucarelli" ], [ "Raffaele Palladino" ], [ "twice" ], [ "Italy" ], [ "Raffaele Palladino" ], [ "Raffaele Palladino" ], [ "scoring twice" ], [ "Roberto Donadoni" ], [ "Cristiano Lucarelli" ], [ "Raffaele Palladino" ], [ "Italy" ], [ "Italy" ], [ "Lucarelli" ], [ "(Juventus)," ], [ "Lucarelli" ], [ "Lucarelli" ] ]	Striker Cristiano Lucarelli keeps his place in Italy's squad to face Scotland . Lucarelli impressed by scoring twice in the recent victory over South Africa . Juventus striker Raffaele Palladino earns his first call-up to the senior squad .
ROME, Italy -- Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after violence flared before the 1-1 Champions' League draw against Roma in Italy. Manchester United supporters were segregated inside the Olympic Stadium for the Champions tie. British Embassy officials in Rome said five fans received stab wounds while two others, including a 16-year-old boy, needed treatment for being drunk, the Press Association reported. None of the stab victims is understood to have serious injuries following the clash between the rival fans outside the Stadio Olympico. An embassy spokeswoman said: "Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after fighting broke out on the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge which fans cross over the river to get to the stadium. "Five are receiving treatment for stab wounds while two others, one who was a 16-year-old boy, were understood to be drunk. "Their injuries are not thought to be serious and most of them will be discharged in the next couple of hours. One person may be kept in overnight for observation. "The situation in the stadium is now fine and everything is running smoothly." The embassy had warned travelling fans beforehand not to use the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge because it was habitually used by Roma's notorious Ultras - a following of hardcore fans. Roma coach Luciano Spalletti condemned the latest violence. "It's difficult to give a comment on what has happened," said Spalletti. After watching a video replay of the ugly scenes, Spalletti added: "These people are sick." The trouble marked the second consecutive game between Roma and Manchester United in the Italian capital which has been marred by violence. Eighteen United fans needed hospital treatment in April after clashes on the terraces in Rome and outside the ground. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped tonight's game would pass off peacefully but the British Embassy in Rome had warned supporters faced a "real danger of attack" by the Ultras. The 1,200 British supporters who made the journey were largely shepherded into the stadium two hours before kick-off, with clear segregation in place in the less than capacity crowd. E-mail to a friend	[ "What did the fans receive?", "What number of fans were stabbed?", "What did the spokeswoman say about the injuries?", "Where did the game take place?", "Were the injuries serious?", "Where were seven manchester united supporters taken?", "Where was the game taking place?", "Which football club did supporters of get injured?", "Who said the injuries weren't thought to be serious?" ]	[ [ "stab wounds" ], [ "five" ], [ "\"Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after fighting broke out on the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge which fans cross over the river to get to the stadium." ], [ "Olympic Stadium" ], [ "None of the stab victims is understood to have" ], [ "to hospital" ], [ "Italy." ], [ "Manchester United" ], [ "embassy spokeswoman" ] ]	Seven Manchester United supporters taken to hospital before game in Rome . British Embassy officials in Rome said five of the fans received stab wounds . Embassy spokeswoman said that the injuries were not thought to be serious .
ROME. Italy -- Italy and Roma striker Francesco Totti has threatened to quit the Italian Players Association, in a row over the starting date of the next Serie A season. Roma striker Totti has complained that the Italian players are never listened to. The row began last month, when the Italian Football League, which is run by the presidents of clubs in the country's top two divisions, voted to start the season on August 26. In doing so, they ignored a request by Italy coach Roberto Donadoni to play the first round of matches midway through the month, to give his players time to gain match-fitness ahead of Euro 2008 qualifiers against France and Ukraine in early September. "I'm ready to leave the Italian Players Association. We are the principal actors, but also the people who are never listened to," Totti was quoted as saying in Italian football magazine Dieci. "This is the moment in which we must make our voice heard. We wanted to start on August 19, to have an extra week's rest at Christmas and allow the national team to come into the big matches in September better prepared. "Those who decided (on August 26) didn't care at all about Donadoni's needs." Serie A is one of the last major European leagues to start next season. The opening round of English Premier League matches is scheduled to start on August 11, while the French Ligue 1 will kick off on August 4. E-mail to a friend	[ "What did Francesco Totti say?", "did francesco totti quit?", "what has Francesco Totti threatened to quit?", "what did he said?", "Who threatens to quit the Italian Players' Association?", "Who is threatening to quit the Italian Players' Association?", "What did he say about being listened to?", "What does he say?", "who has threatened to quit the Italian players association?", "Francesco Totti plays for which teams?", "Who is is upset over the early start to the new season?", "Who does Francesco Totti play for?" ]	[ [ "\"I'm ready to leave the Italian Players Association. We are the principal actors, but also the people who are never listened to,\"" ], [ "threatened to" ], [ "Italian Players Association," ], [ "\"I'm ready to leave the Italian Players Association. We are the principal actors, but also the people who are never listened to,\"" ], [ "Francesco Totti" ], [ "Francesco Totti" ], [ "Totti has complained that the Italian players are never" ], [ "\"I'm ready to leave the Italian Players Association. We are the principal actors, but also the people who are never listened to,\"" ], [ "Francesco Totti" ], [ "Roma" ], [ "Francesco Totti" ], [ "Italy and Roma" ] ]	Francesco Totti threatens to quit the Italian Players' Association . The Italy and Roma striker is upset over the early start to the new season . He says: We are the principal actors, but ... are never listened to."
ROOSEVELT, New York (CNN) -- Lisa Brown was caught off-guard by the offers of help that came from strangers. Lisa Brown has to move out of her rental house because it fell into foreclosure and was sold at auction. "I'm overwhelmed," she said. "People helping people in these tough times. I never meant to solicit any help. This is incredible, really." Brown and her three daughters can't escape eviction. The family is being kicked out of a rental house because her landlord defaulted on the mortgage and the home fell into foreclosure. The house was sold at auction, and they have to move out by May 1. She didn't seek financial help, but it came anyway. An executive from Texas named Kelvin who saw Brown's story on CNN.com was moved by her "unfortunate situation" and wanted to help. He sent a check for $400. A New York man named Dave offered financial help as well as aid planning for the future. When Brown moved into the Long Island, New York, home last summer, she loved the spaciousness she never had in an apartment. "It was bigger than what I had lived in," she said. Brown was also won over by the neighborhood, with its tidy homes and good schools. "I wanted to come here, and I wanted to see my kids graduate from this school district." The bad news came just seven months after she moved in. A real estate broker came to the door and handed her an eviction notice, telling her she had to vacate. "I was hysterical. I was like, 'What do you mean?' " Watch Lisa Brown talk about why she has to move » The broker explained that the landlord no longer owned the property and the lease was no longer valid. Brown had no idea the house was in foreclosure. As a tenant, she always paid her rent on time, and she assumed the mortgage was being paid. "I didn't see there was a problem," she said. "You know, I'm paying rent, and she's putting it toward her mortgage." Brown was astonished to learn that her landlord, who lives upstairs, rented the house when she knew that she was losing it. "She knew that this house was foreclosing on her. She did nothing about it," Brown said. "Nothing except take my money." Brown had been paying $1,900 a month in rent. She had also paid $5,700 for a security deposit and broker fees to secure the house. That money, she said, is gone. "She will not give me my deposit back. Nothing." CNN tried to reach the owner for comment about the security fee, but no one answered the door, and the phone is disconnected. The broker who rented Brown the house and who was paid $1,900 said he didn't know that the house was in foreclosure. He also said the brokerage fee will not be returned. Dave, who lives on Long Island and who also read Brown's story on CNN.com, was perplexed that none of the fees were being refunded. To help recoup her losses, Dave offered help and sent a check for $5,000. Helping with Brown's immediate needs was not enough for Dave, a financial adviser who wanted to do something for her future. "He offered me a retirement plan," Brown said. "He came to my job, gave me his business card and said, 'I want you to get into this plan; I will help you with this.' " Dave met Brown over coffee and set her up with a retirement account, something the 42-year-old said she has never had. He will make monthly contributions of $500 for 10 consecutive months to get her started. But Brown still has one problem: She has to move out. She has no legal right to stay. The bank that foreclosed on the house and owns it has offered her	[ "when A CNN viewer from Texas sent Brown $400?", "Who is being evicted?", "How much money did a CNN viewer send her?", "Who sent Lisa Brown $400?" ]	[ [ "An executive" ], [ "Lisa Brown" ], [ "$400." ], [ "Kelvin" ] ]	Lisa Brown is being evicted because landlord defaulted on mortgage . A CNN viewer from Texas sent Brown $400 . Another man gave her $5,000 and set up her retirement account . The Children's Aid Society offered to cover Brown's moving expenses .
ROOSEVELT, New York (CNN) -- When Lisa Brown moved into her rental house on Long Island last summer with her three daughters, she says, it felt like a new beginning. Lisa Brown has to move out of her rental house because it is facing foreclosure After living in apartments, the spacious house got her attention immediately. "It was bigger than what I had lived in," she says. Brown was also won over by the neighborhood with its tidy homes and good school district. "I wanted to come here, and I wanted to see my kids graduate from this school district." But they hardly had a chance. Instead, fighting back tears, she says, "I have to get out." Brown and her family are being evicted not because of anything they did, but because her landlord defaulted on the mortgage and the house fell into foreclosure. The house was recently sold at auction. The bad news came just seven months after Brown had moved in. A real estate broker came to the door and handed her an eviction notice, telling her she had 30 days to vacate. "I was hysterical, I was like, what do you mean?" Watch Lisa Brown's talk about why she has to move » The broker explained that the landlord no longer owns the property and that the lease was no longer valid. Brown had no idea the house was in foreclosure. As a tenant, she always paid her rent on time, and she assumed the rent was going toward the mortgage. "I didn't see there was a problem," she said. "You know, I'm paying rent, and she's putting it toward her mortgage, I didn't see the problem." Unfortunately, Brown is not the only tenant caught off guard. According to the Center for Housing Policy, nearly 20 percent of all foreclosures are on rental properties, and tenants' rights in such situations are minimal. In most states, when a bank forecloses on a landlord, the tenant has no guarantee of being allowed to stay in the property, and neither the bank nor the landlord has a legal obligation to tell the tenant about the foreclosure. So while the owners know what's going on, renters are usually kept in the dark. New York State Sen. Jeff Klein is aware that renters can run into problems. "In many instances, they're actually paying their rent on time, and the owner of the property who is in foreclosure is pocketing the money," he says. Klein says rental properties are involved in 50 percent of all foreclosures in New York, and he is working on a law to warn renters of foreclosure proceedings ahead of time and to keep them from losing their security deposit and being evicted with nowhere to go. Similar laws are already in place in Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, Rhode Island, Michigan and California. "What we're facing here", Klein says, "is sort of the new homeless population unless we do something about it." Brown was astonished to learn that her landlord rented her the house when she knew she was losing it. "She knew that this house was foreclosing on her. She did nothing about it. Nothing, except take my money." Brown was paying $1,900 a month in rent. She had also paid $5,700 for a security deposit and broker fees to secure the house. She says that money is gone. "She will not give me my deposit back. Nothing." CNN tried to reach the owner, who lives upstairs, for comment, but her phone was disconnected, and no one answered the door. The broker who rented her the house and who was paid $1,900 says he did not know the house was in foreclosure. He also says the brokerage fee will not be returned. "It took everything I had to move in," Brown says, "to give my kids a better environment." And now, "I'm left out with nothing." Because eviction papers trump the	[ "Who was evicted?", "Who is working on a law to help renters?", "What happened to Lisa Brown?", "Who is working on a law to warn renters of foreclosures?", "Who is working on the law?", "What did Brown want for her children?", "Whose landlord was foreclosed upon?" ]	[ [ "Brown and her family" ], [ "Sen. Jeff Klein" ], [ "being evicted" ], [ "New York State Sen. Jeff Klein" ], [ "Sen. Jeff Klein" ], [ "\"to give my kids a better environment.\"" ], [ "Lisa Brown" ] ]	Mortgage meltdown affects renter Lisa Brown after landlord is foreclosed upon . Brown evicted because landlord defaulted on mortgage, house fell into foreclosure. Brown wanted a better life for her three daughters; now she must find a new home . New York state senator working on law to warn renters of foreclosure early .
Ras Lanuf, Libya (CNN) -- The military forces of Moammar Gadhafi on Friday pounded Ras Lanuf, the key oil port once in the hands of rebel forces, with its leadership confidently vowing to retake all territory from the opposition despite growing international pressure. Even as it targeted its domestic enemies, the Tripoli government continued to parry with leaders around the globe. Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim, for instance, said Friday that Libya has suspended diplomatic relations with France, one day after the French government recognized the newly created Libyan opposition movement as the sole representative of the country. In Ras Lanuf, pro-Gadhafi forces cranked up an intense and steady bombardment of the city, believed to be by rocket, artillery and tank fire. A storage tank at an oil refinery was on fire after an air raid there. "We saw a bomb fall about a kilometer to the southwest of the refinery, and moments later saw thick black smoke rising from the refinery. We don't know, and no one we spoke to could say with any level of certainty or veracity, what caused the fire," said CNN Correspondent Ben Wedeman. Dozens of pickup trucks and cars belonging to the opposition were heading away from the city amid fear that Libyan forces were advancing as the bombardment continued. The rebels evacuated to a checkpoint outside the town, but that and other rebel positions also were targeted by airstrikes. Rebels said the eastern city has been essentially empty as civilians fled and opposition forces retreated from sustained attacks. On Thursday, state media said the town was "cleansed" of the fighters. This reflects the turn in fortunes for Gadhafi's well-equipped military, which has gained an upper hand after rebel fighters seized ground across Libya. Along with its offensive in Ras Lanuf, government soldiers beat back rebels Thursday in Zawiya east of the capital, Tripoli. Zawiya's Martyrs' Square was littered with the bombed-out, scorched carcasses of army tanks and other military vehicles. Workers swept up the evidence as Gadhafi supporters chanted slogans and waved green flags. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, one of Gadhafi's sons and a spokesman for the regime, vowed Thursday to retake other areas in eastern Libya that were controlled by the opposition and warned the international community that Libyans won't welcome NATO and Americans. NATO is contemplating the establishment of a no-fly zone, but says it needs a clear U.N. mandate to do it. "I receive hundreds of calls from the east daily, and they are saying, 'Save us.' They are begging us and pleading for us to save them, and my answer is two words. Listen to me, and I want those armed groups to listen to me real well, and I want our people in the east to hear this as well: We're coming," he said. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi is one of two Moammar Gadhafi sons who share the first name Saif. On the diplomatic front, meanwhile, opposition to Moammar Gadhafi continues to gain momentum. U.S. President Barack Obama reiterated Friday that he wants the Libyan leader to "step down." He added that he "won't take (the) decision lightly" to decide whether to use military force, including helping enforce a no-fly zone, saying it is critical to "balance costs versus benefits." Obama noted that NATO officials will meet Tuesday to consider whether to implement a no-fly zone. He said U.S. actions so far, including freezing assets and other sanctions, are "slowly tightening the noose" on Gadhafi. "We have moved about as swiftly as an international coalition has ever moved to impose sanctions," he said. The U.S. Treasury Department beefed up those sanctions Friday, freezing the assets of nine more individuals. Among them are the wife and four sons of Libya's leader, including Saadi, Hannibal, Muhammad and Saif Al-Arab Gadhafi. Libya's defense minister, military intelligence director, external security organization head and public works coordinator are also included. Also Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon introduced former Jordanian	[ "What country broadened sanctions?", "Gadhafi's government suspends diplomatic relations with ?", "Pro-Gadhafi forces steadily bombarded the city of?", "What port city was bombarded?", "Who broadens its sanctions?", "Who called for Gadhafi's departure?", "Who bombarded Ras Lanuf?" ]	[ [ "U.S." ], [ "France," ], [ "Ras Lanuf," ], [ "Ras Lanuf," ], [ "The U.S. Treasury Department" ], [ "U.S. President Barack Obama" ], [ "military forces of Moammar Gadhafi" ] ]	NEW: Gadhafi's government suspends diplomatic relations with France, a minister says . NEW: The U.S. broadens its sanctions, freezing assets of Gadhafi's relatives and officials . The EU council calls for Gadhafi's departure . Pro-Gadhafi forces steadily bombarded the oil port city of Ras Lanuf .
Remember the days when a washing machine lasted for decades? If it broke down it could be fixed. But now it seems it is cheaper to discard our broken products and buy new ones. The side effects of our throwaway society are ever-larger waste mountains festering with toxic chemicals and the depletion of natural resources such as rare metals. Europe produced 8.3 to 9.1 millions tons of waste from electrical projects in 2005. Product makers are responding by designing goods that have a reduced carbon footprint at their point of manufacture, but leading thinkers in the field of sustainable design believe that a radical re-think in the way we consume products is required if we want to halt the growing mountain of toxic waste piling up on the world's rubbish dumps. Figures recently announced by the U.N. University suggest the production of electronic and electrical products is running neck-and-neck with their disposal: An estimated 10.3 million tons of electronic products were put on the market in the European Union in 2005, while 8.3 to 9.1 million tons of waste from electrical products found their way into Europe's rubbish bins. Electronic and electrical products account for four percent of Europe's waste and the rate is growing at three times the speed of any other form of waste. What is sustainable design? Sustainable design is a reaction to the global environmental crisis. It aims to produce products, buildings and services, which have a low impact on climate change and the depletion of the world's resources. In industrial design this includes the use of recycled and recyclable materials; reducing pollution through cutting down the need for transportation, such as by using locally-sourced materials; making products which can be taken apart once they are discarded so that their parts that can be used again; and designing goods which use as little energy as possible while they are being made. While many companies are beginning to think of ways in which they can reduce their environmental impact during the manufacture of their products, many sustainable design experts believe that these measures are not enough to reduce the damage the constant manufacture of products is doing to the world's eco-system. A change in culture "Daily life is becoming increasingly mediated by electronic artifacts," says Jonathan Chapman, editor of Designers, Visionaries and Other Stories, a book which seeks to bring together new thinking on sustainable design. "These products are great but it seems that as their popularity grows, their impermanence grows with it." Chapman believes that true sustainability can only be achieved if we moderate our inclination to strive for the newest product, and he argues that the onus is on designers to initiate a shift away from a disposable culture. He proposes a model for consumer behavior based on a service economy -- that products are designed to last longer and to be fixed when they break; brands can make their profits by providing the services to ensure that this can be done. "It's quite conceivable to make objects that don't necessarily make a profit at the point-of-sale but that, because their life-spans are extended and are punctuated with service and upgrade options, can generate turnover over long periods of time that is greater than making a small profit and having to remanufacture," he explains. He believes that consumers would be prepared to pay more for their electronic goods if they knew they would last longer. It is an economic model that would make most manufacturers choke, but it is an unfounded fear, says economist Andrew Charlton, author of Ozonomics: Inside the Myth of Australia's Economic Superheroes. "The key thing to remember is that human desires know no bounds -- we are never satiated," he says. "If we replace an expensive disposable product with a permanent one, that just frees up income to spend on other things. "Ballpoint pens last longer than quills, tarred roads last longer than cobblestones -- and the economy moves on. Every time we satisfy one demand, another one comes along to take its place." "A quarter-inch hole" But it's not enough to expect consumers to sign up to a longer	[ "What product is Europe's fastest growing form of waste", "What do Europeans find cheaper?", "What do durable products do?", "what is Europe's fastest growing form of waste", "What is the fastest growing form of waste?", "what is the use of durable products", "Who finds it cheaper to throw away rather than fix electrical products" ]	[ [ "Electronic and electrical" ], [ "to discard our broken products and buy new ones." ], [ "are designed to last longer and to be fixed when they break;" ], [ "Electronic and electrical products" ], [ "Electronic and electrical products" ], [ "they would last longer." ], [ "our throwaway society" ] ]	Europeans find it cheaper to throw away rather than fix electrical products . Electrical products are Europe's fastest growing form of waste . Durable products reduce energy needed to manufacture new ones . Sustainable design products have low carbon footprints and use little energy .
Researchers may be getting closer to an effective way of preventing age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans. A new study found that vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid may help prevent age-related macular degeneration. A new study finds that women who took a combination of B6 and B12 vitamins along with a folic acid supplement had lower risks of developing age-related macular degeneration. The women who got the supplements, compared with those taking a placebo, had a 34 percent lower risk of developing any form of AMD, and a 41 percent lower risk of more severe forms of AMD. Epidemiologist and study author William G. Christen, Sc.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, expects that if these findings are successfully replicated in future studies, "the combination of these vitamins might become the first prevention method of early stages of age-related macular degeneration other than avoiding cigarette smoking." Christen also noted that although the study was conducted among women age 40 and older, there is no particular reason to believe the same results would not hold true in a similar group of men. Christen and his colleagues examined the role of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid in AMD partly because previous studies have shown these vitamins are known to lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood that when elevated has been associated with higher risks of AMD. The 5,442 women who participated in the randomized, double-blind clinical trial already had heart disease or at least three risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The majority of them did not have AMD at the start of the study, which lasted more than 7 years. Christen explains that the underlying mechanism of AMD likely involves the vascular system, and researchers widely believe that cardiovascular disease and AMD share common risk factors. Age-related macular degeneration is a vision disease common among people older than 60, involving the deterioration of tissues in the macula, the central part of the retina. The condition impedes the performance of critical everyday functions such as reading and driving because it affects the ability to see items that a person is looking at directly, as opposed to items even a few degrees off to either side of the direct line of vision. "If you affect that central part of your vision, no one goes blind from it but it really interferes with your quality of life," explains Dr. Roy Rubinfeld, ophthalmologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. There are two types of macular degeneration: wet and dry. Wet forms of AMD are caused by abnormal blood vessels growing beneath the macula, which can rupture and bleed. The dry form is generally caused by cells in the macula degenerating over time and thus losing function. While some treatments do exist for the wet form of the disease (including laser surgery, photodynamic therapy and injections into the eye), there is currently not much in the way of treatments for the more common dry form. When asked if the study results mean that people at high risk for AMD should begin taking a vitamin supplement that provides vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, retina specialist Dr. Robert Frank of the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests probably not yet. "If you do anything, I would take a supplement of antioxidant vitamins containing high doses of vitamins A, E, C and zinc," suggests Frank, who has no financial interest in the vitamin supplement industry. These antioxidant vitamins were found to prevent the progression of age-related macular degeneration in the 10-year Age-Related Eye Disease Study conducted by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. However, Frank does say that while it still remains to be seen whether people currently taking a multivitamin containing the B vitamins and folic acid will be able to prevent early AMD from developing -- answers which will probably not be found for several years, after a large-scale clinical trial is begun -- there is little risk for most people in taking a daily multivitamin.	[ "What can prevent macular degeneration?", "What kind of vitamins can potentially ward off age-related macular degeneration?", "What is the abbreviation for \"age-related macular degeneration\"?", "What might B vitamins help to prevent?", "Those taking B vitamins have a 34% lower risk of what?", "What should women take to lower risk of getting AMD?", "What is the current prevention?", "What may help prevent age-related macular degeneration?", "What prevents progression?" ]	[ [ "vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid" ], [ "B6, B12 and folic acid" ], [ "AMD" ], [ "age-related macular degeneration." ], [ "developing any form of AMD," ], [ "B6 and B12 vitamins along with a folic acid supplement" ], [ "B6, B12 and folic acid may help prevent age-related macular degeneration." ], [ "vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid" ], [ "vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid" ] ]	Study: B vitamins may help prevent age-related macular degeneration . Women taking B6, B12, folic acid had 34 percent lower risk of getting AMD . Study findings need to be replicated . Only prevention now is avoiding smoking; antioxidant vitamins prevent progression .
Reuters is a global information company providing material tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Its information is trusted and drives decision making across the globe. In October 1851 Paul Julius Reuter, a German-born immigrant, opened an office in the City of London which transmitted stock market quotations between London and Paris via the new Calais-Dover cable. 18 months earlier he had used pigeons to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels, a service which operated for a year until the gap in the telegraph link was closed. Reuters, as the agency soon became known, eventually extended its service to other European countries. It also expanded the content to include general and economic news from all around the world. In 1865 Reuters was first in Europe with news of President Lincoln's assassination in the United States. As overland telegraph and undersea cable facilities developed, the business expanded beyond Europe to include the Far East in 1872 and South America in 1874. In 1883 Reuters began to use a "column printer" to transmit messages electrically to London newspapers and in 1923 pioneered the use of radio to transmit news internationally. In 1927 it brought in the teleprinter to distribute news to London newspapers. Today Reuters has over 16,900 staff in over 94 countries across the globe, and is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, with 196 bureaux serving approximately 131 countries. In 2006 Reuters filed over two and a half million news items, including 656,500 alerts, from 209 countries around the world, published in 18 languages. Although Reuters is best known as the world's largest international multimedia news agency, more than 90% of its revenue derives from its financial services business. Some 370,000 financial market professionals working in the equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, money, commodities and energy markets around the world use Reuters products. The company supplies news -- text, graphics, video and pictures -- to media organizations across the globe. It also provides news to businesses outside the financial services sector, as well as direct to consumers. E-mail to a friend	[ "Which President's death was first reported by Rueters?", "in what year was reuters founded", "What;s the number of countries that get news from Reuters?", "Reuters has how many bureaux today?", "Who has 196 bureaux serving approximately 131 countries?", "who founded reuters", "When was Reuters founded?", "What company was first in Europe to get news of President Lincoln's assassination?", "Who founded Rueters in 1851", "which president is mentioned", "What is the purpose of the company?" ]	[ [ "Lincoln's" ], [ "October 1851" ], [ "131" ], [ "196" ], [ "Reuters" ], [ "Paul Julius" ], [ "In October 1851" ], [ "Reuters" ], [ "Paul Julius Reuter," ], [ "Lincoln's" ], [ "global information" ] ]	Reuters was founded in 1851 by Julius Reuter, transmitting market quotations . The company was first in Europe with news of President Lincoln's assassination . Today Reuters has 196 bureaux serving approximately 131 countries.
Richmond, California (CNN) -- Four teenagers were arraigned Thursday on charges connected to the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl on a high school campus after a homecoming dance. Cody Ray Smith, described by the court as over 14 years old, pleaded not guilty to charges of rape with a foreign object and rape by force. Two other juveniles, Ari Abdallah Morales and Marcelles James Peter, appeared with Smith at the Contra Costa County Superior Court, but did not enter a plea. The court described Morales as under 16, and did not give an age for Peter. All three juveniles, who wore bulletproof vests at the hearing, were charged as adults. A fourth individual, Manuel Ortega, 19, appeared separately without an attorney and did not enter a plea. He did not wear a protective vest. The four are accused of taking part in what police said was a 2½-hour assault on the Richmond High School campus, in the Richmond community north of Oakland on San Francisco Bay. All of those arraigned are due back in court on November 5. Another adult was arrested in connection with the October 24 attack, but has a different court date than the others. Police said as many as 10 people were involved in the assault in a dimly lit back alley at the school, while another 10 people watched without calling 911. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition but was released Wednesday.	[ "who does not enter a plea", "What did Ray plead?", "How many were accused?", "Where did this take place ?", "who pleads not guilty to rape", "who are the juveniles", "What did he plead not guilty to ?", "What did Ortega not have with him?" ]	[ [ "Ari Abdallah Morales and Marcelles James Peter," ], [ "not guilty" ], [ "Four" ], [ "Richmond High School campus, in the Richmond community north of Oakland on San Francisco Bay." ], [ "Cody Ray Smith," ], [ "Ari Abdallah Morales" ], [ "charges of rape with a foreign object and rape by force." ], [ "a protective vest." ] ]	Cody Ray Smith pleads not guilty to charges of rape with a foreign object and rape by force . Juveniles Ari Abdallah Morales and Marcelles James Peter do not enter pleas . Manuel Ortega, 19, appears separately without an attorney, does not enter plea . Four are accused of taking part in a 2½-hour gang rape at the school .
Richmond, Virginia (CNN) -- "I'm a big history buff," President Obama said in an interview with ABC News" George Stephanopoulos. "And I think that understanding the history of the Confederacy and understanding the history of the Civil War is something that every American and every young American should be part of." I am sometimes asked the same question that Mr. Stephanopoulos put to President Obama: Why study Confederate history? And I agree with the president's response. As we approach the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, we look back to its centennial in the 1960s. A lot has happened in this country since then, and our appreciation of the lessons of history has changed with the times. One constant has been the importance of the Civil War. It remains as the most important era of American history, a time when America withstood its biggest challenges to a constitutional democracy which then was still viewed as an experiment in a new form of government. The crucible of war defined the nation as we know it today, as we became "indivisible" and "with liberty and justice for all" for the first time. During the 1960s, we Americans looked at the war as it occurred on the battlefields, because the conduct and course of the war dominated every single moment of every day. And the Confederate soldiers have historically captured our fascination even more than the Union soldiers. Perhaps it is the gallantry and dash of leaders like Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson or J.E.B. Stuart. Or perhaps it was the common enlisted men in the Confederate ranks, whose valor and courage -- in the face of tremendous privation and against overwhelming odds -- makes them stand out in world history as one of the best bodies of soldiers ever known. Another perspective on the Confederacy and history If the fascination with soldiers continues from the 1960s to today, what has changed? Today, the study of Confederate history is much more "inclusive" -- to use the word of choice for many state's 150th anniversary commissions -- as we look more deeply into the past. Today we ask different questions of history and I think we get better answers. Let me list just a few of those questions. What about slavery? We did not talk much about it in the 1960s. Today, we cannot study the Confederacy without studying 40 percent of its population. So now we look long and hard at this aspect of American history, including its existence and importance in the North. We see so clearly today that it was a wrong, so we need to ask why so many people 150 years ago did not see it as wrong and why several of the important Christian denominations split apart over this issue before the country itself split. What about the slaves themselves? Why did many take advantage of the first opportunity to escape to freedom while others remained "loyal" to the South? And what about the 400,000 African-Americans in the South who were free long before Abraham Lincoln came on the scene? iReporter: Civil War history could have been "teachable moment" What about the Southerners who remained loyal to the Union and chose to fight in blue, rather than gray? What about the thousands of immigrants who "escaped" the wars of Europe yet enlisted in both armies to demonstrate their loyalty to their new country? At the opposite end of the spectrum, what about the Native Americans who had been here long before any Europeans, yet allied with the Confederacy? The last Confederate brigade to surrender was composed entirely of Native Americans and commanded by Brigadier General Stand Watie, a full-blooded Cherokee. What about the very important Jewish community in the South? Many served in the ranks while others saw civilian service, such as Judah Benjamin, who had three different Cabinet posts, or Phoebe Pember, who became the head nurse at Chimborazo, the biggest hospital in the world. And what about the women of the South? The war thrust them into new positions of responsibility and many continued after the war to lead public enterprises that engendered self-esteem and respect. We Americans -- from native Americans to	[ "What is one topic the confederate studies cover?", "Who said that?", "What did S. Waite Rawls say is the key to knowing how the U.S. has evolved?" ]	[ [ "Civil War" ], [ "\"I'm a big history buff,\" President Obama" ], [ "the Civil War," ] ]	S. Waite Rawls: Understanding the Confederacy key to knowing how the U.S. has evolved . Today's Confederate studies cover slavery and many other questions, he says . Millions want to learn more about the Confederacy, he says .
Rio de Janeiro (CNN) -- Rio de Janeiro's special forces moved quickly and didn't stop to chat Monday as they peered in windows and knocked on doors in Rocinha, the city's biggest shantytown. In a predawn raid the day before, 3,000 troops seized control of the hilltop favela, wresting from the hands of drug traffickers. They declared victory in just two hours, without firing a single shot. "Today a lot of the drug dealers are gone," said Luis Machado, one of the officers in charge of the door-to-door searches. "Others are hidden. And it's now that we're going to find them and the weapons." The massive operation was part of efforts secure Rio de Janeiro and eliminate bloody drug gangs ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the Olympic Games two years later. For many of Rocinha's 100,000 residents, it was business as usual on Monday. Food stalls displayed strings of garlic and onions while motorcycle taxis zipped up and down the winding roads. "Thank god it's over," said Giovani, a food vendor. "It's 100% better. It's better than normal." Rocinha's top drug trafficker, Antonio Francisco Bomfim, known as Nem, was captured by police last week, days before the invasion. According to residents, a three-story house overlooking the shantytown and beachside condominiums below had been his home until his arrest. Inside, all appliances and even bathroom fixtures had been ripped out, but the signs of luxury are evident, including a small pool and private gym. An empty bottle of Black Label whiskey sits on the glass bar. Still, in many ways, the hard work has only just begun. Mountains of trash line the streets, and tangled masses of electrical wires dangle over houses. "Before this was called a favela because it was full of criminals," said Juliete, an 18-year-old physical trainer. "Now things have to be done to call it a neighborhood. We need running water, proper sewage and things for young people to do." Raimundo Cesario, who has lived in Rocinha for 40 years, agreed. "The system trapped young people in a life of crime. But it's also true that they helped people when they needed it," he said. "We'll have to see if things are better or worse under the police."	[ "What is Rio de Janeiro trying to do before the World Cup?", "What did a food vendor say about the situation?", "What is happening in Rio de Janeiro in 2014?", "Which city is trying to crack down on crime?", "What kind of search took place?", "Who said that It's 100% better?", "What did the food vendor say?" ]	[ [ "eliminate bloody drug gangs" ], [ "\"Thank god it's over,\"" ], [ "World Cup" ], [ "Rio de Janeiro" ], [ "door-to-door searches." ], [ "Giovani," ], [ "\"Thank god it's over,\"" ] ]	A door-to-door search follows a raid to take control of a Brazilian favela, or shantytown . "It's 100% better. It's better than normal," a food vendor says . Rio de Janeiro is trying to crack down on crime before the 2014 World Cup .
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNN) -- Electricity returned early Wednesday to a large swath of central and southern Brazil that was plunged into darkness when power from a major hydroelectric dam was lost. Up to 18 of Brazil's 26 states were left without power when electricity from the Itaipu dam was interrupted around 10:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. ET) Tuesday, leaving Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other cities in darkened chaos. Hundreds of people were trapped in elevators. Subways, trains and buses stopped running their routes. Video showed long snaking lines of cars at a near standstill on the roads, their headlights the only illumination. The outage also led to medical emergencies, with a report in Sao Paulo of neighbors having to rescue someone who breathes with the help of a ventilator but the back-up battery was running low. Police also reported increased robberies and looting related to the blackout. Authorities in Rio de Janeiro and other cities stepped up enforcement. Officials said up to 60 million of Brazil's nearly 200 million residents were pitched into darkness. "I thought, 'How is this happening?' " said Rio de Janeiro resident Wesley Ferreira. "All of Copacabana is black." Power was restored to most of Brazil by 6 a.m. (3 a.m. ET), the government-run Agencia Brasil news agency said. But some water-treatment plants remained affected Wednesday. Authorities in Sao Paulo reported that 3 million residents in the metropolitan area remained without water, down from a previous 6.7 million. Sao Paulo is the largest municipality in South America, with about 11 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 20 million in the metro area. The Itaipu dam, one of the world's largest hydroelectric facilities, is shared by Brazil and Paraguay, which also lost power. Neighboring Uruguay also reported outages. Itaipu provides more than 19 percent of Brazil's energy and 87 percent of Paraguay's, Agencia Brasil said. The outage affected 18 states, the UOL Noticias news outlet said, citing Brazil's minister of mines and energy, Edison Lobao. The states of Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo went totally dark, while Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Goias, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Parana, Acre, Rondonia, Bahia, Sergipe, Paraiba, Alagoas, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte were partially affected. The Federal District in which Brasilia, the nation's capital, is located also had outages. As a point of reference as to how widespread the blackout was, it is about 2,000 miles from the southern tip of Santa Catarina to the northern tip of Pernambuco. Jorge Samek, the director general of the agency that runs the dam, said the blackouts were caused by a failure in the Brazilian power delivery system, not the hydroelectric plant at the dam. Officials said three transmission lines went out. Officials said they had not determined an official cause for the power failure, but pointed at the weather. They discounted any type of sabotage. "Apparently, according to information that we have, it was because of meteorological conditions that were pretty adverse, with strong winds and strong rain at the same time," Lobao said. Some experts agreed that the electric system should not collapse because of a storm. "There is a problem," said Luiz Pinguelli, director of the Post-Graduate Engineering Center at the Rio de Janeiro Federal University. "And you can't say under any circumstances that this is due to nature. There is a transmission problem, and the worst part of it is the dimension it takes. That is to say, an accident that can tumble one line is always possible. But for the power to go out in so many cities for such a long time, that shouldn't happen." Some residents blamed a sudden surge in electricity use as Brazil, which is in the Southern Hemisphere, enters spring and the weather gets warmer. "Those responsible for the energy supply do not perceive that the weather is changing and that there's a lot of hot weather in the spring	[ "what has been returned to parts of brazil", "What does the hydroelectric dam provide?", "what does the dam provide", "What was reported by Uruguay?", "What other places reported blackouts?", "Where was electricity lost?", "What does hydroelectric dam provide?", "What happened to central and southern Brazil?" ]	[ [ "Electricity" ], [ "power" ], [ "electricity" ], [ "outages." ], [ "Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro" ], [ "southern Brazil" ], [ "electricity" ], [ "plunged into darkness" ] ]	Electricity returns to central and southern Brazil after power from major hydroelectric dam was lost . Neighboring Paraguay, Uruguay report related blackouts . Hydroelectric dam provides over 20 percent of Brazil's energy .
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNN) -- The death toll from flooding and mudslides in Brazil continued to climb Thursday, with official reports of at least 181 fatalities. Thousands of people have been left homeless, said the government-run Agencia Brasil news service. The Rio de Janeiro mayor's office placed that figure at 5,000. At least 161 people have been injured, the Rio de Janeiro state government said Thursday on its Web site. A record 11.3 inches (287 millimeters) of rain fell in Rio within 24 hours Tuesday, Mayor Eduardo Paes said, according to the news service. The downpour continued Wednesday. iReport: Share your photos, video, stories with CNN More than 30 homes were destroyed in a mudslide Wednesday in metropolitan Rio, Agencia Brasil said. About 200 people could be buried or trapped in the mud, emergency officials said. The cities of Niteroi and Sao Goncalo are among the hardest hit, with more than 80 dead and dozens missing, the news service said. CNN affiliate TV Record showed firefighters, military personnel and other rescuers using heavy machinery to dig for buried residents. Brazil's minister of cities, Marcio Fortes, said that housing and sanitation problems are not new for Rio. His department, which works directly with cities on urban development projects, said that before this week's flooding, the government already had set aside some $800 million to cities to help deal with flood waters and poor infrastructure. Now, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has made available another $11 billion for drainage infrastructure across Brazil, Fortes said. As for the project that sits before them, Fortes estimated that about 4,000 homes can be rebuilt, together with better roads, schools and health centers. These would provide a shift from the current structures in the slums of Rio, where housing is often improvised. "You can't correct the past, but you can fix the future," Fortes said. CNN's Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report.	[ "rain of record breaking 288 millimeters fell where?", "How many people could be trapped?", "how many can be trapped following the mudslide?", "How much rain fell?", "How many people have died?", "Who is the mayor of Rio?", "what is the death toll?" ]	[ [ "Rio" ], [ "200" ], [ "About 200" ], [ "11.3 inches (287 millimeters)" ], [ "at least 181" ], [ "Eduardo Paes" ], [ "at least 181 fatalities." ] ]	Death toll climbs to at least 181; thousands left homeless . Mayor: Record-breaking 11.3 inches (288 millimeters) of rain fell in Rio Tuesday . 200 could be trapped following another mudslide, Brazilian media report .
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's interior minister, has been named the new crown prince of the key oil-producing nation, ascending at a time of regional turmoil amid the populist Arab Spring movement and simmering international issues involving Iran and other neighbors. The news, following a royal decree signed by King Abdullah, was announced early Friday on state-run Saudi Television. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the decree was issued the previous evening. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the king's half-brother, died in a New York hospital on Saturday after being ill for some time. His funeral was held three days later in Riyadh. As was the case with his predecessor, the move makes Nayef bin Abdulaziz the heir to the Saudi throne. He will assume his new post at a tension-filled time in the Arab world. The longtime leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have fallen in recent months during the so-called Arab Spring, while those in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere are holding on to power despite continuing popular unrest. Violence remains a problem in neighboring Iraq, as well as Afghanistan. Iran, a longtime rival of the Saudi royal family's, is still at odds with much of the international community over its nuclear program, among other issues. Before the announcement, Nayef had been considered a likely successor to his brother as crown prince. He was named in 2009 as second deputy prime minister, a post held by the second in line to the throne. Nayef has served as the Saudi interior minister since 1975, having overseen the kingdom's counterterrorism efforts. Saudi Arabia is one of the only countries that has truly dismantled a domestic al Qaeda network, said Christopher Boucek, a Saudi expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Nayef is widely seen as a hard-line conservative who, at best, is lukewarm to King Abdullah's reform initiatives," read a classified U.S. Embassy cable leaked by the website WikiLeaks. In addition to his new title, Nayef will remain interior minister, according to Friday's announcement. The Saudi Press Agency noted that he also has been appointed deputy premier, meaning he will officially hold three positions in the Saudi government. He and others met Thursday with a U.S. delegation that included Vice President Joe Biden, CIA Director David Petraeus and Sen. John McCain. Ascension to the Saudi throne is kept within the royal family, though it does not pass from father to son. Instead, it's a complex process, and decisions in the conservative kingdom are often cloaked in secrecy. Nayef's appointment follows the first-ever convening of the Allegiance Council, which the king established in 2006 to discuss and allow for more transparency on succession issues. The king made his decision after receiving their input. Afterward, Abdullah instructed Nayef's fellow princes to pledge allegiance to him as the new crown prince. CNN's Rima Maktabi contributed to this report.	[ "Who died Sunday?", "Who will be the deputy premier?", "What did the king tell the princes?", "What were the princes told", "What was leaked?", "Who is the hard-line conservative?", "What leaked the cable?", "Who is the interior minister?", "When did the crown prince died?" ]	[ [ "Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud," ], [ "Nayef bin Abdulaziz" ], [ "pledge allegiance to him" ], [ "\"Nayef is widely seen as a hard-line conservative who, at best, is lukewarm to King Abdullah's reform initiatives,\"" ], [ "a classified U.S. Embassy cable" ], [ "\"Nayef" ], [ "WikiLeaks." ], [ "Nayef bin Abdulaziz," ], [ "Saturday" ] ]	NEW: Other princes were told, by the king, to pledge allegiance to Nayef, state media says . NEW: Besides being crown prince, Nayef also will be deputy premier and interior minister . A leaked U.S. Embassy cable described Nayef as a "hard-line conservative" The previous crown prince died Saturday in New York .
Robert, Louisiana (CNN) -- Three attempts to pump mud and 16 tries to stuff solid material into a breached Gulf of Mexico oil well failed to stop the flow, top BP executives said Saturday, and engineers and executives with the oil giant have decided to "move on to the next option." That option: Place a custom-built cap to fit over the "lower marine riser package," BP chief operation officer Doug Suttles said. BP crews were already at work Saturday to ready the materials for that option, he said. Suttles said three separate pumping efforts and 30,000 barrels of mud -- along with what chief executive officer Tony Hayward described as "16 different bridging material shots" -- just didn't do the trick. "We have not been able to stop the flow," a somber Suttles told reporters. " ... Repeated pumping, we don't believe, will achieve success, so we will move on to the next option." Suttles and other officials said that the "top kill" attempt to stop the flow did so -- but only as long as they were pumping. When the pumping stopped, the oil resumed its escape. And Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said that BP would resume using undersea dispersants for the new attempt to trap the oil. Suttles said the lower marine riser package cap "should be able to capture most of the oil" that has fed what is now the largest oil spill in U.S. history, but he cautioned that the new cap will not provide a "tight mechanical seal." "We're confident the job will work, but obviously we cannot guarantee success at this time," he said. Engineers should be ready in about four to seven days to make the fresh attempt, he said. Landry said officials were "disappointed in today's announcement," but noted that the immediate efforts to stop the flow were never intended to be permanent. "The real solution, the end state, is a relief well," she said. BP currently is working on two relief wells, but they are not expected to be ready until August, Suttles said. Earlier, Suttles said that BP engineers would try to place a second blowout preventer -- the piece of equipment that failed when the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20 -- should the lower marine riser package fail. The failed blowout preventer is a 48-foot-tall, 450-ton apparatus that sits atop the well 5,000 feet underwater. Suttles and Landry praised the clean-up efforts, however, in light of the failure of the "top kill" attempt to stop the flow. "It's a tribute to everybody that we only have 107 miles of shoreline oiled and only 32 acres of marsh," Landry said. Meanwhile, teams in Louisiana were working Saturday on a clean-up project aimed at protecting coastal marshes. Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser has said that machines would suck oil out of marshes Saturday after crews determined where to deploy them. But Nungesser told CNN that BP needed to "step up to the plate tonight to save our wetlands" by using its might to create sand barriers to prevent the oil from moving into the marshes. "BP needs to say it will pay to move those dredges and pump that sand berm," he said. "We are gonna die a slow death if we don't get that berm. We've got to have that barrier island." President Barack Obama, who toured the area Friday, said federal officials were prepared to authorize moving forward with "a portion of" an idea proposed by local officials, who want the Army Corps of Engineers to build a "sand boom" offshore to keep the water from getting into the fragile marshlands. But Nungesser said the marshes couldn't wait and that the effort needed to start immediately to save the Louisiana wetlands. Government scientists on Thursday said as many as 19,000 barrels (798,000 gallons) of oil were spewing into the ocean every day, making this disaster perhaps twice the size of the Exxon Valdez incident. Previously, BP officials and government scientists	[ "What will BP try ?", "what will it capture", "What will be built ?", "what will the cap capture", "what will BP try to lower" ]	[ [ "Place a custom-built cap to fit over the \"lower marine riser package,\"" ], [ "most of the oil\" that has fed" ], [ "custom-built cap" ], [ "most of the oil\"" ], [ "marine riser package cap" ] ]	NEW: BP will try lower marine riser package cap next . NEW: Lower marine riser package cap will capture most, but not all of oil flow . NEW: Officials: Only sure option is relief wells, still 2 months away . NEW: Parish president wants BP to build sand barrier islands now . Workers toil on beaches and in marshes to clean up .
Rome (CNN) -- Mario Monti, the economist nominated to become Italy's new prime minister, began talks with political leaders Monday to discuss forming a government. The 68-year-old's talks with political parties will continue Tuesday. In comments after several meetings Monday, Monti said some of the delegations had discussed a "temporal outlook" for how long his government might last. The time for the government "which I am trying to create is that period between today and the end of spring 2013," he said, according to a CNN translation. At any time the parliament could dissolve his government "because of lack of trust," he said. It is "obvious" that the task at hand is an emergency, and that to achieve economic growth and social equity "should be the priorities," Monti said. The new prime minister designate will face an arduous task, as Italy has one of the highest national debts in Europe at â‚¬1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion) -- about 120% of GDP -- and has seen low growth in recent years. To take the helm, Monti needs the approval of the Italian Parliament, which is composed of multiple parties with diverse interests. Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party remains the strongest force in parliament, and Berlusconi has said he plans to remain active in it. Those diverse political interests and the pain of austerity measures could weigh heavily on Monti as he steers Italy through economically troubled waters. Some politicians in Italy have already called for elections to take place sooner than their scheduled time of spring 2013. Italian party leaders spoke in support of the new prime minister designate on Italy's senate TV after exiting deliberations with Monti on the composition of a new government. Antonio Di Pietro, leader of the Values Party, said his group is "happy that the Berlusconi government could be replaced by the Monti government." His party will not block a Monti-led government, he said. But when asked specifically whether he would give Monti a vote of confidence, Di Pietro stressed that he would not answer until he learned more about Monti's plans and the composition of his Cabinet. Franceso Rutelli, leader of the Alliance for Italy, also told reporters his block will support Monti's government. Emma Bonino of the Radical Party expressed support for Monti as well. Speaking to reporters, Bonino called for reforms to address Italy's political and economic crisis. Monti was nominated Sunday to replace Silvio Berlusconi as Italy's prime minister. Berlusconi resigned Saturday amid the country's ongoing financial crisis. His role in Italy's political future is uncertain. "For the time being he is waiting to see what is happening under the buildup of the new government under Mr. Monti," said Deborah Bergamini, a member of Italy's Parliament and former assistant to Berlusconi. On Monday, Bergamini said Berlusconi told her he wants to continue acting as the chair of his PDL party. Berlusconi's resignation was greeted with cheers and dancing in the streets, as people waved the Italian flag and sang the nation's anthem. If he becomes prime minister, Monti could bring a distinctly different approach to governing than Italy has experienced over the past three years. "It may be that the strong opposition ... against Berlusconi that has been going on in these years maybe will disperse itself, maybe will finish, and then we'll have a cooperative approach on the part of all the political forces. ... Let's hope that the international credibility of Mr. Monti will be able to work in this direction," Bergamini told CNN. While the hot-blooded Berlusconi was for many years a master of forming political alliances, Monti is known for his achievements as a "Eurocrat," at the heart of Europe's institutions. Dubbed Super Mario for his work in international finance, he served as a leading European Commission member for a decade -- including as commissioner for its financial services, market and taxation committee between 1995 and 1999 and as head of its competition committee from 1999 to 2004. In announcing Monti's nomination, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said the	[ "who is Silvio Berlusconi", "Who supports Monti?", "who support this gentleman", "what did monti say" ]	[ [ "Italy's prime minister." ], [ "Italian party leaders" ], [ "Italian party leaders" ], [ "some of the delegations had discussed a \"temporal outlook\" for how long his government might last." ] ]	Monti says his government would aim to continue through spring 2013 . Heads of some key parties express support for Mario Monti . Italian president: Monti is "gifted, competent, experienced" Silvio Berlusconi is the second European leader to fall this month over the debt crisis .
Rome (CNN) -- Seven people have died and seven others are missing after rains triggered severe flooding in northern Italy, civil protection officials said Friday. Especially hard hit was the tourist-popular Cinque Terre region on Italy's northwest coast. The Italian Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency in the flood region, which means 65 million euros ($91 million) will be put aside to deal with the disaster, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported. A special cabinet meeting was called Friday to discuss the situation, the Italian government said. Heavy rains continued to fall Thursday night in Milan and other spots across the southern European nation, according to the Servizio Meteorologico, Italy's official weather agency. The agency gave an alert about intense, widespread rainfall -- potentially with strong wind gusts and hail -- in the regions of Calabria and Basilicata in southern Italy, as well as the eastern part of Sicily. Meanwhile, Monterosso al Mare -- between Genoa and Pisa in the Cinque Terre region of Liguria -- has been "isolated, accessible only by sea" because of earlier rains and floods, Mayor Angelo Betta told the news agency ANSA. So, too, is the nearby town of Vernazza, with even bulldozers and cranes still not able to reach it. That said, Betta reported some progress Thursday thanks to round-the-clock efforts by emergency workers and volunteers to clean up the town. One volunteer in that community died in the flood Wednesday. "The situation is much better compared to yesterday," Betta said. Italy's Defense Ministry noted Thursday on its website that 348 military personnel have deployed to the provinces of Massa Carrara and La Spezia to assist in the wake of flooding here. Three people were killed after a house collapsed in La Spezia, an ANSA report said. ANSA also reported that prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation related to the deaths of two people from flood-related injuries in Aulla. Authorities are assessing whether their deaths had anything to do with faulty work that may have caused the Magra River to overflow. The weather has also caused major travel headaches throughout the region. A mudslide that trapped a truck driver, who was eventually freed, has caused the A12 highway in Liguria to be blocked since Tuesday. Train services in Liguria have been halted, too, due to mud and debris on the tracks. CNN's Hada Messia and Marilia Brochetto contributed to this report.	[ "What is the death toll?", "How many military personnel are dispatched?", "How many military personnel were dispatched?", "What is declared?", "What have the storms cause across Liguria?", "How many people died?", "What did the mayor of Cinque Terre say?", "What town is \"isolated, accessible only by sea\"?" ]	[ [ "Seven" ], [ "348" ], [ "348" ], [ "state of emergency" ], [ "severe flooding" ], [ "Seven" ], [ "\"The situation is much better compared to yesterday,\"" ], [ "al Mare" ] ]	NEW: The death toll rises to seven and a state of emergency is declared . 348 Italian military personnel are dispatched to help in flood-ravaged areas . Cinque Terre town is "isolated, accessible only by sea," its mayor says . The storms have caused transportation problems across Liguria .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- "The devil tempts everyone -- people in politics, in economics, in sport. And naturally, he tempts, above all, the religious leaders, so you shouldn't be surprised if the devil tempts those in the Vatican. That's his job." Father Gabriele Amorth isn't speaking metaphorically when he says that. The 85-year-old priest means people can be tempted and literally possessed by Satan. "It's not my opinion: I'm saying that if you believe in the Gospels, you believe in the existence of the devil, in the devil's power to possess people," he said in an interview with CNN. The faithful believe "that there are people possessed by the devil, and ... in the power of exorcism to liberate from the devil," he said. And as the chief exorcist of the Roman Catholic Church, it's his job to expel the devil when someone is possessed. Amorth, the founder of the International Association of Exorcists, has performed more than 70,000 exorcisms in his career, he estimates. But there is a difference between possession -- where the devil takes hold of someone's body and actions -- and temptation, where Satan lures a person into doing evil, he said. As a child abuse scandal sweeps across Europe, with accusations being made against priests in Ireland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, Amorth said the pedophiles are tempted, not possessed. He has never done an exorcism on a child molester, he said. "I have carried out exorcisms on some priests who had been molested by the devil," he said, without going into details. "But cases of pedophilia exorcised, no. ... Pedophiles are not possessed by the devil, they are tempted by the devil," he said. "They don't need exorcism, they need to be converted, to be converted to God, that's what they need. They need to confess, they need true penitence, true repentance, that's what they need. They're not possessed." But no one is too strong a believer to be possessed, said Amorth, who is employed by the Roman diocese. "Nothing occurs without the permission of God, and he allows even holy people, even saints, to be possessed by the devil," he said. But, he added, he sees no evil in the Vatican today: "I just see good people in the Vatican. People of prayer, holy people, I don't see any evil."	[ "What is amorths job?", "Who is Gabriele Amorth?", "What does Amorth say about pedophiles?", "What does exorcism do?", "Who is the chief exorcist at the Vatican?", "What does he say?", "How many exorcisms does he claim?" ]	[ [ "chief exorcist" ], [ "chief exorcist of the Roman Catholic Church," ], [ "are not possessed by the devil, they are tempted by the devil,\"" ], [ "liberate from the devil,\"" ], [ "Father Gabriele Amorth" ], [ "his job.\"" ], [ "70,000" ] ]	Father Gabriele Amorth is chief exorcist at Vatican; he claims over 70,000 exorcisms . He says the faithful believe "in the power of exorcism to liberate from the devil" Amorth: "Pedophiles are not possessed by the devil, they are tempted by the devil" Priests from Ireland to Austria have been accused in growing child abuse scandal .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian government plans to participate in the international troop buildup in Afghanistan by sending 1,000 more troops there next year. The Italian Defense Ministry confirmed the troops would be deployed in the second half of 2010, a complement to the nearly 2,800 Italians already in the western part of the country. Italy is one of 43 countries serving under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. Based in Herat, the Italian military is the lead nation in ISAF's Regional Command West. 22 Italian service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict. The Italian escalation would be part of the troop buildup of 5,000 extra non-U.S. service members ISAF intends to commit to the country. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that new troop pledges could be announced at a conference of NATO foreign ministers Thursday and Friday in Brussels, Belgium, where the alliance is based. There are currently 42,000 non-U.S. NATO troops in Afghanistan at present. 28 NATO allies and 15 non-NATO members are contributing to the U.S.-led coalition. The added NATO troop deployment would complement the nearly 100,000 Americans expected to be in the fight once the 30,000 troops U.S. President Barack Obama announced Tuesday night are in place.	[ "What does Italy serve under?", "How many Italian service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict?", "How many members have been killed?", "Where are there currently 42,000 non-U.S. NATO troops?", "How many non-NATO troops are there?", "How many non-U.S. NATO troops are in Afghanistan at present?", "How many service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict?", "How many countries are serving under the NATO-led ISAF contingent?" ]	[ [ "NATO-led International Security Assistance Force." ], [ "22" ], [ "22" ], [ "Afghanistan" ], [ "42,000" ], [ "42,000" ], [ "22" ], [ "43" ] ]	Italy is one of 43 countries serving under the NATO-led ISAF contingent . 22 Italian service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict . There are currently 42,000 non-U.S. NATO troops in Afghanistan at present .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- The Vatican did not know about an American priest believed to have molested up to 200 boys until 20 years after civil authorities investigated and then dropped the case, its top spokesman said Thursday. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi issued the statement in response to a New York Times story alleging that top Vatican officials, including the future Pope Benedict XVI, failed to discipline or defrock the now-deceased Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy of Wisconsin, despite warnings from several American bishops. But Jeff Anderson, a lawyer who obtained the internal church paperwork the newspaper based its story on, said it "shows a direct line from the victims through the bishops and directly to the man who is now pope." Lombardi rejected the accusation. "During the mid-1970s, some of Father Murphy's victims reported his abuse to civil authorities, who investigated him at that time," Lombardi said. "However, according to news reports, that investigation was dropped." The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who would later become pope, "was not informed of the matter until some 20 years later," Lombardi said. The office is in charge of deciding whether accused priests should be given canonical trials and defrocked. "The case of Lawrence Murphy has been well-documented since the mid-1970s, when allegations were first reported to civil authorities, although criminal charges were not filed," the Archdiocese of Milwaukee said in a statement Thursday. "Murphy's actions were criminal, and we sincerely apologize to those who have been harmed. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee continues to reach out to victims-survivors who were harmed by Lawrence Murphy and encourages them to report any abuse they suffered." Anderson, a lawyer representing five men who are suing the archdiocese, obtained correspondence from Milwaukee to Ratzinger as part of the lawsuit, along with other internal church documents related to the case. The documents, dating to 1974, include letters between bishops and the Vatican, victims' affidavits, the handwritten notes of an expert on sexual disorders who interviewed Murphy and minutes of a final Vatican meeting on the case. Murphy began as a teacher for St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis, Wisconsin, in 1950, and was promoted to run the school in 1963 in spite of the fact that students had warned church officials of molestation, according to the documents, which CNN has seen. Many of Murphy's victims were hearing-impaired. Ratzinger failed to respond to two letters about the case in 1996 from Milwaukee's then-archbishop, Rembert G. Weakland. After eight months, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who at the time was second in command of the doctrinal office and now is the Vatican's secretary of state, told Wisconsin bishops to begin a secret canonical trial, the documents show. Lombardi said that church rules did not mean a priest would automatically be punished but that punishment, if warranted, could include being defrocked. "In such cases, the Code of Canon Law does not envision automatic penalties but recommends that a judgment be made not excluding even the greatest ecclesiastical penalty of dismissal from the clerical state," he said. "In light of the facts that Father Murphy was elderly and in very poor health, and that he was living in seclusion and no allegations of abuse had been reported in over 20 years, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith suggested that the Archbishop of Milwaukee give consideration to addressing the situation by, for example, restricting Father Murphy's public ministry and requiring that Father Murphy accept full responsibility for the gravity of his acts," the statement said, noting that Murphy died four months later. Three successive archbishops in Wisconsin were told of the abuse, but none reported it to criminal or civil authorities, according to Anderson, the lawyer. Lombardi, however, said that neither canon law nor Vatican norms prohibit the reporting of such cases to law enforcement. But "he did not address why that had never happened in this case," the Times said. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee said abuse	[ "Who believed to have molested up to 200 boys?", "Who investigated Wisconsin priest?", "what has the american priest done", "Who failed to discipline priest?", "how many did he molest" ]	[ [ "Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy" ], [ "civil authorities" ], [ "to 200 boys" ], [ "Vatican officials," ], [ "to 200 boys" ] ]	American priest believed to have molested up to 200 boys . Authorities investigated Wisconsin priest and then dropped case . Newspaper says officials, including future Pope Benedict XVI, failed to discipline priest .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Prosecutors in Italy allege that a businessman supplied Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with about 30 women, or escorts, in order to win favor with him. It's the latest development in a long-running sex scandal. Transcripts of some of 100,000 wiretap recordings made between September 2008 and 2009 were filed with a court in the southern city of Bari Friday, as prosecutors wrapped up a three-year prostitution investigation. The transcripts reveal that Berlusconi and businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini repeatedly discussed bringing women to parties. Tarantini selected women to be of "young age and slender" and instructed them in what to wear and how to behave at Berlusconi's parties, the prosecutors say. Among them was Patrizia D'Addario, prosecutors say, who in 2009 alleged she and other women were paid to attend parties at Berlusconi's residence. He denied her claim. In another conversation, they discuss what women they should each bring to a party that night. Berlusconi says that the male guests are powerful men "so the girls have the idea of being in front of men that can decide their destiny." He says he has "two young girls whom I've not seen for a long time" -- one of them a journalist and the other a 21-year-old Brazilian "who cried over the phone telling me that I'd forgotten her." Discussing a party the night before in a wiretap from October 10, Berlusconi tells Tarantini there were perhaps too many women. "At the most to have two each, but now I want you also to have yours, otherwise I feel in debt. Why don't you bring yours for you and I bring mine. ... " Tarantini agrees, and Berlusconi continues: "Then we can exchange them ... " In a conversation between Tarantini and one of the women he recruited, she said Berlusconi told her he would help her. Berlusconi is not accused in this case filed in Bari but faces a separate trial in Milan for allegedly paying for sex with a then-17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer named Karima el Mahroug, nicknamed "Ruby the Heart-stealer." El Mahroug has denied having sex with the premier. Both admit that he gave her money, although they say it was an act of kindness to help her. Berlusconi has always denied wrongdoing and also denies ever having paid for sex. The latest revelations in the Bari case have reignited calls among his critics for Berlusconi to resign. In a letter published Saturday to the Foglio newspaper, run by his former spokesman Giuliano Ferrara, Berlusconi wrote that he had no intention of quitting. He said his behavior was nothing like what had been described in the media, and that he had done nothing to be ashamed of. In a separate but linked investigation by prosecutors in Naples, Tarantini is accused of having blackmailed Berlusconi over the scandal. According to the Naples prosecutors, Berlusconi was a victim of "veiled and implied threats" and paid 800,000 euros to Tarantini. The prime minister denies having been blackmailed and says he gave the money to Tarantini as an act of charity. CNN's Livia Borghese contributed to this report.	[ "What do the documents reveal?", "What did they often discuss?", "Transcripts show Berlusconi and", "What did the newly filed court documents reveal?", "What did the transcripts show?", "What does he face?" ]	[ [ "that Berlusconi and businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini repeatedly discussed bringing women to parties." ], [ "bringing women to parties." ], [ "businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini repeatedly discussed bringing women to parties." ], [ "Berlusconi and businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini repeatedly discussed bringing women to parties." ], [ "Berlusconi and businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini repeatedly discussed bringing women to parties." ], [ "separate trial in Milan for allegedly paying for sex with a then-17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer" ] ]	Newly filed court documents reveal details of inquiry into associates of Berlusconi . Transcripts show Berlusconi and businessman Tarantini often discussed girls . Berlusconi is not charged in the case and has always denied wrongdoing . He faces other trials, one over allegedly paying an underage girl for sex .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Seeking to identify the man who shot dead another man outside a store in Naples, Italy, in the spring, an anti-mafia prosecutor distributed on Thursday a video showing the execution. The surveillance-camera video, shot May 11, shows a man wearing a baseball cap, dark jersey, blue jeans and running shoes entering a store, walking to the back and looking around, then walking out. As he exits, he pulls a pistol from his right front pants pocket and shoots a man standing outside the store. As the victim buckles to his knees and then sprawls headlong on the pavement, the killer approaches him from behind and squeezes off a second round into the back of his head, turns and strides unhurriedly out of camera view. Passers-by appear unfazed. One woman tries to lift the victim's head in an apparent attempt to see whether she knows him; a man steps over the body. "Indeed, it is ugly to see people behaving as if that was not a dead body and going on their daily routine," a police spokesman said. "Unfortunately, this is not an anomaly in Naples and in that neighborhood." He said fear led people to behave that way. The spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said anti-mafia prosecutor Sergio Amato released the video to the media in hopes that someone would recognize the killer and his apparent accomplice: a man who had been standing next to the victim and walked off just before the shooting. Police said no motive has been determined for the killing, which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita, where Camorra -- the name for organized crime in Naples -- is strong. The victim was a bank robber, the spokesman said. Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities Maria Rosaria Carfagna called the video "tragic." "It shows us, finally, without any censorship, a disgusting side of the Camorra, which along with all the rest of its disgusting faces, has forced a city, a region, a territory, to be ashamed of itself and to hide its real face. "A street homicide, in broad daylight, in the center of a great European city cannot be considered normal and even less be accepted by the conscience of all Italians as if it were a TV show," she said. "The police forces are waging a battle against organized crime, as the number of arrests shows us. The state is there and in strong force. But, and I speak here as someone from the Campania region, Naples and all of Campania need not only a strong political force but the courage of all its citizens." Roberto Saviano, author of the book "Gomorrah," which details the Camorra, called the video "shocking." "What is shocking about this video is the absolute serenity of the people around the victim," he told the daily newspaper La Repubblica. Saviano, who has lived under police protection since shortly after his book was published in 2006, added, "Unfortunately, though, when a city is at war, its citizens undergo and live almost with normal indifference." Italy's Green Party is offering 2,000 euros ($2,963) to whoever helps investigators identify the suspects. "The Camorra pays them to keep quiet; we pay them to speak," said Francesco Emilio Borelli, head of the Green Party in the Campania region. The police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county.	[ "When did the shooting take place?", "What did the police spokesperson say?", "Who appeared unfazed by the neighborhood shooting?", "What did the video show?", "What is the amount of the reward being offered by Italy's Green Party for informaation about the whereabouts of the shooter and accomplice?" ]	[ [ "May 11," ], [ "Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county." ], [ "Passers-by" ], [ "the execution." ], [ "2,000 euros ($2,963)" ] ]	Video shows man shoot another man twice outside Naples store during day . Passers-by appear unfazed by shooting in neighborhood where organized crime is strong . "Unfortunately, this is not an anomaly in Naples," police spokesman says . Italy's Green Party offers reward for information on shooter and accomplice .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- The Vatican said a lawsuit accusing it and Pope Benedict XVI of covering up sexual abuse by a priest at a Catholic school in the United States has no merit. "While legitimate lawsuits have been filed by abuse victims, this is not one of them," Vatican lawyer Jeffrey Lena said Friday. "Instead, the lawsuit represents an attempt to use tragic events as a platform for a broader attack." The lawsuit by an unnamed Illinois man demands the Vatican release the names of thousands of Catholic priests that the suit says have "credible allegations of sexual misconduct" against them. The alleged victim, who is now an adult, says he was molested by the Rev. Lawrence Murphy while a student at St. John's School for the Deaf, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "The defendant, [the] Holy See, has known about the widespread problem of childhood sexual abuse committed by its clergy for centuries, but has covered up that abuse and thereby perpetuated the abuse," the suit says. "The case against the Holy See and its officials is completely without merit," Lena said. "Most of the complaint rehashes old theories already rejected by U.S. courts." Lena added, "With regard to Murphy himself, the Holy See and its officials knew nothing of his crimes until decades after the abuse occurred, and had no role whatsoever in causing plaintiff's injuries." Benedict was named as a defendant because he has the ultimate authority to remove priests and because of his involvement in reviewing sex abuse cases when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the suit says. Peter Isely, Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, estimated the Vatican is investigating 4,000 cases of sex abuse by church employees. The lawsuit aims to change church policies and practices that conceal sex offenders, Isely said. "It's going to protect children, we hope, around the world," he said, "This is a historic day and hopefully this is going to result in historic changes." Arthur Budzinski, a deaf man who said he was sexually assaulted and raped by Murphy, stood with Isely at a news conference Thursday. He said the priest "may have stolen our bodies," but higher clerics such as cardinals, archbishops and the pope "stole our voices." Budzinski, who is not a party to the lawsuit, made his comments in sign language and his daughter, Gigi, interpreted his words. Murphy, who died in 1998, is believed to have molested up to 200 boys, Isely said. The lawsuit said the church "knew that there was a high probability that these clerics would sexually molest more children, but sought to protect itself from scandal, sought to keep its income stream going, at the peril of children." Murphy, it says, was a "top fundraiser and recruiter" for the church and the "Holy See wanted to retain Murphy's services." The same Minnesota law firm representing the Illinois plaintiff also filed suit Wednesday on behalf of a Mexican resident who says he was sexually abused by a priest. The suit alleges Catholic officials in Los Angeles, California, aided and abetted the abuse by moving the priest to different dioceses as allegations piled up against him. CNN's Alan Duke and Hada Messia contributed to this report.	[ "What does man accuse Pope of?", "who is responsible for the suits", "what are the cause of the suits", "who is covering up" ]	[ [ "covering up sexual" ], [ "unnamed Illinois man" ], [ "sexual" ], [ "The Vatican" ] ]	Some lawsuits legitimate, but not this one, Vatican lawyer says . Illinois man accuses Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI of covering up abuse . Plaintiff says he was molested by priest at Wisconsin school for the deaf .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- The founder of a Mexican Catholic order sexually abused minor-age seminarians and fathered three children with two women, the religious sect has revealed. The Legion of Christ order and its lay Regnum Christi Movement asked for forgiveness Thursday for "the reprehensible actions of our founder," the Rev. Marcial Maciel. "We express our sorrow and grief to each and every person damaged by our founder's actions," said a communique signed by the Rev. Alvaro Corcuera and 15 other Legion of Christ leaders. The abuse allegations surfaced in 1997. The Vatican started an investigation into Maciel's actions in 2004 and concluded in May 2006 that he was guilty of sexual abuse, the group said. "We had thought and hoped that the accusations brought against our founder were false and unfounded, since they conflicted with our experience of him personally and his work," the order's statement said. As a result of the Vatican investigation, however, officials at the Legion of Christ "reached sufficient moral certainty to impose serious canonical sanctions related to the accusations made against Maciel, which included the sexual abuse of minor seminarians. Therefore, though it causes us consternation, we have to say that these acts did take place," the group said Thursday. Law enforcement officials apparently were not informed. The Vatican, "mindful of Father Maciel's advanced age and his delicate health, decided to forgo a canonical hearing and ask him to retire to a private life of penance and prayer, giving up any form of public ministry," the communique says. Pope Benedict XVI approved the decision. Although leaders at the Legion of Christ knew of the abuse since May 2006, they kept it quiet until this week. As of Friday, Maciel's biography on the order's Web page merely said, "In May 2006, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith invited Father Maciel to 'a reserved life of prayer and penance, renouncing all public ministry.' " Maciel died January 30, 2008. Javier Bravo, spokesman for the sect in Mexico and Central America, said Legion leaders did not reveal the accusations sooner because "it has been a very difficult process. We weren't ready to assimilate it before." Now, he told CNN en Español, "we have to recognize the facts as they are." Legion leaders acknowledged the delay, saying in Thursday's communique, "It's taken us some time to assimilate these events of his life. For many -- above all the victims -- this time has been too long and painful." In addition to sexually assaulting young seminarians, Maciel fathered at least three children, Thursday's statement said. The priest had a daughter from a stable relationship with a woman, and two men said they are his children from a relationship with another woman. Maciel, born in March 1920, founded the Legion of Christ in January 1941. According to the order, the Legion of Christ has a presence in 24 countries. The first Legionaries arrived in Spain in 1946, and the order established a center in Rome in 1950. In the 1960s, the Legion established itself in Ireland and the United States. In the 1980s, the order expanded into more countries in South America and Central Europe. The Legion says it recently began pastoral projects in Eastern Europe and Philippines. The announcement about Maciel comes against a deepening crisis in the Catholic church, which is investigating complaints of abuse in Ireland, Germany, Britain and several other countries.	[ "What did the Vatican conclude?", "When did the priest die?", "Who concluded that Rev. Maricial Maciel was guilty of sexual abuse?", "What do the legionnaires ask?", "Who asked for forgiveness for \"reprehensible actions of our founder\"?", "What did the spokeman say?" ]	[ [ "he was guilty of sexual abuse," ], [ "January 30, 2008." ], [ "The Vatican" ], [ "for forgiveness" ], [ "The Legion of Christ order and its lay Regnum Christi Movement" ], [ "\"it has been a very difficult process. We weren't ready to assimilate it before.\"" ] ]	NEW: "We have to recognize the facts as they are," spokesman says . Legionnaires of Christ ask forgiveness for "reprehensible actions of our founder" Vatican concluded in 2006 that Rev. Marcial Maciel was guilty of sexual abuse . Priest allowed to retire; he died in 2008 .
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Two Pakistani men accused of providing logistical support for last year's deadly terror attacks in Mumbai, India, were arrested Saturday in Italy, police said. They were arrested in the northern Italian city of Brescia, said Stefano Fonzi, head of Italy's Division of General Investigations and Special Operations. The attacks on India's largest city lasted four days. The attackers targeted several sites in Mumbai, taking over several hotels and a Jewish center. The attacks left 160 people dead. On November 25, 2008, the day before the attacks in Mumbai, the two men arrested allegedly transferred $229 that was used to activate Internet phone lines used by the suspects. Two others connected with the longstanding money transfer agency in Brescia also were arrested for other illegal activity, Fonzi told CNN. Police are looking for a fifth man. Italian police started their investigation the following month after being alerted by Indian authorities and the FBI that funds had been transferred from Italy, Fonzi said. Authorities suspected the agency after money was transferred under the Muslim name of a man who had never entered Italy, a police statement said. Indian police have said 10 Pakistanis were involved in the deadly assault, nine of whom were killed in the carnage. The lone surviving suspect has linked the coordinated shooting and bombing incidents to the leader of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a militant group that is banned in India. CNN's Hada Messia in Rome contributed to this report.	[ "How many people died?", "What were the men arrested in connection with?", "What were two men arrested in Italy connected with?", "What is the number of people who died in attacks?", "Are they directly involved?" ]	[ [ "160" ], [ "providing logistical support for last year's deadly" ], [ "terror attacks in Mumbai, India," ], [ "160" ], [ "10 Pakistanis were" ] ]	Two men arrested in Italy in connection with November 2008 Mumbai, India, terror attacks . Police say men transferred money to activate Internet phone lines for terrorists . Siege at hotels and attacks on other targets left 160 people dead .
Romulus, Michigan (CNN) -- A Nigerian man is "talking a lot" to the FBI, said a senior U.S. official, after what the United States believes was an attempted terrorist attack on an inbound international flight. The initial impression is that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organized terrorist groups, said the senior official who is familiar with the investigation. The suspect, identified by a U.S. government official as 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, ignited a small explosive device Friday, shortly before a Northwest flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, made its landing in Detroit, Michigan. With the aid of the cabin crew, another passenger quickly helped subdue and isolate Abdulmutallab, passenger Syed Jafry told CNN. Abdulmutallab, was placed in custody and is being treated for second- and third-degree burns on his thighs, according to federal law enforcement and airline security sources. The sources told CNN that the suspect flew into Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on a KLM flight from Lagos, Nigeria, and is not believed to be on any "no fly" list, although his name does appear in a U.S. database of people with suspect connections. He did not undergo secondary security screening in Amsterdam, an administration official said. The administration official said there was no evidence that Abdulmutallab was a hard-core, trained member of al Qaeda. Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian national, claimed to have extremist ties and said the explosive device "was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used," a federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said. The remains of the device used are being sent to an FBI explosives lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis, security sources said. U.S. President Barack Obama, who is spending the holidays in his home state of Hawaii, was briefed on the incident during a secure phone call with aides, and instructed in a subsequent discussion with security advisers "that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel," White House spokesman Bill Burton told CNN. The president made no changes to his schedule, Burton said. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Friday saying that air passengers "may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights." Passengers described the brief moments of panic on board, as screams erupted and flight attendants ran for fire extinguishers. Jafry, who was sitting in seat 16G, said the plane was just beginning to descend when passengers heard a pop. "Everybody got a little bit startled," he said. "After a few seconds or so ... there was ... kind of a flamish light and there was fire" and people around the immediate area began to panic. One woman told CNN affiliate WDIV that a man threw a blanket over Abdulmutallab's legs to help put out the small fire. "It was terrifying," Richelle Keepman said. "I think we all thought we weren't going to land, we weren't going to make it." Passenger Elias Fawaz told WDIV that the explosion sounded "like a balloon being popped" and said he could smell smoke. Jafry said the incident was under control within minutes, crediting the crew and nearby passengers for the rapid response. One person was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. "All passengers have deplaned and out of an abundance of caution, the plane was moved to a remote area," where the plane and baggage were rescreened, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. Passengers were interviewed by law enforcement authorities before being allowed to leave the airport. No other suspicious materials were found on the plane or in luggage, the law enforcement and airline security sources said. The suspect had only carry-on luggage. Another passenger on the Northwest flight transferred from the same KLM flight in Amsterdam but officials found no connection between the two, the sources said. The plane, an Airbus 330, landed shortly before noon ET. It was carrying 278	[ "Who is talking a lot?", "Where did the flight end?", "Where did the flight originate?", "who is investigating?", "Where was the flight from?" ]	[ [ "A Nigerian man" ], [ "Detroit, Michigan." ], [ "Amsterdam, Netherlands," ], [ "FBI" ], [ "Amsterdam," ] ]	NEW: Nigerian in custody, "talking a lot," U.S. official says, after incident . White House is considering the incident an attempted terrorist attack . Passenger is immediately subdued; FBI investigating . Flight originated in Amsterdam, Netherlands, ended in Detroit, Michigan .
SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- Debbie Brown used to process medical and dental forms for a living before a debilitating illness forced her into early disability retirement and left her in a simple, no-frills wheelchair -- a rented wheelchair that has cost taxpayers about $1,200. CNN found a wheelchair similar to Debbie Brown's taxpayer-funded Medicare wheelchair for a fourth of the price. Brown says the public should be outraged about her wheelchair. Why? She says she could buy a comparable wheelchair on the Internet for $440 if she had the money. It sounded hard to believe that her rented, $1,200 taxpayer-funded wheelchair could be bought for $440, so CNN decided to check -- and instead found an even better deal. CNN went to the same company that charges Medicare for Brown's chair, Apria Healthcare, and bought it for $349 -- about a fourth of what taxpayers' have paid for Brown's rented wheelchair. That's why this slightly built woman, who lives modestly with her husband in Sacramento, California, believes her story and her wheelchair underscore the bigger problem of reforming health care in America. "Now you multiply that by how many people have a manual wheelchair, especially the baby boomers, it multiplies and multiplies and that money could be spent, even a hundred dollars out of that ... could give someone else the options that they need," Brown said. Reforming health care is at the top of the agenda in Washington. Everyone seems to agree this nation's health care costs and care availability are out of whack. Fixing it is another problem altogether. The Clintons failed. President Bush tried and got push-back as well. Now President Obama says he will do it because America can't put it off any longer. But he, too, is finding the way forward is not an easy path. Terms like "affordability," "single payer," "universal coverage," and an entire lexicon have become part of the health care buzz lingo. It is a complex issue with so many facets, so many lobbyists and so many special interests that one proposal seems to result in a competing proposal or proposals, or competing parties with concerns of their own. To illustrate how difficult it will be to overhaul America's health care, CNN decided to focus on one item in the nation's health care bill: a basic wheelchair. The wheelchair, in its own small way, CNN discovered, gives a glimpse of the contentious and complex debate swirling around health care reform. CNN interviewed Brown and her husband, Dennis Brown, at a community center in Sacramento. It is a place the couple visits frequently; it is free, offers programs, books, entertainment and features a park to stroll in. Debbie Brown sent an e-mail to CNN months ago, outraged over the continuing Medicare payments for a wheelchair that after four years of use is not in the best shape. It squeaks and is hard to navigate. Her ride in it is made more difficult because her husband, retired from the armed services, is also on disability and has trouble getting the wheelchair in and out of the car. On days he is not well, he sometimes has trouble pushing her. She showed CNN her bills and documented the fact that Medicare is still paying for the wheelchair after all these years. Medicare, with Brown's permission, confirmed the payments. Brown referred us to the Internet sites where comparable chairs -- and better ones than hers -- are listed for a fraction of the cost Medicare pays over time. The Browns have a limited income and say they cannot afford to buy one. That's when CNN decided to check Brown's story by buying one directly from Apria, based in Lake Forest, California. CNN paid cash for the chair after calling one of Apria's offices in an Atlanta, Georgia, suburb. Apria representatives told the CNN buyer that the chair Brown had is no longer made but offered the model that is being rented and sold as the replacement model for the one Brown still uses. When CNN	[ "What does Debbie Brown think?", "Who believes her story?", "What is the debate?", "What can the wheelchair be bought for?", "Who found the cheaper chair?", "Who found a chair that could be bought for a fourth of the price?", "What can be bought for $440?" ]	[ [ "says the public should be outraged about her wheelchair." ], [ "Debbie Brown" ], [ "health care reform." ], [ "$349" ], [ "CNN" ], [ "CNN" ], [ "a comparable wheelchair on the Internet" ] ]	Woman: Rented, $1,200 taxpayer-funded wheelchair can be bought for $440 . CNN found chair that could be bought for a fourth of the price . Debbie Brown believes her story, wheelchair underscore problem health care reform . Legislators, companies debate competitive bidding to fix problem .
SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- For more than two years, undercover cops on the Sacramento Police Department's vice squad have been working one of the most draining beats: trying to crack down on online child prostitution. Sacramento police have nabbed nearly 70 underage girls for child prostitution since 2005. Police have nabbed nearly 70 girls under the age of 18 since 2005. Most of the girls were released to foster or group homes. Those are just the official figures; investigators think there are many more child prostitutes out there. It is no easy task. "We're asking these girls to do a big thing ... which is to stop what they're doing," said Sgt. Pam Seyffert of the Sacramento Police Department. "Stop what's working for them. Surviving is basically what they're doing." Sacramento police are working with the FBI as part of a nationwide campaign to combat underage prostitution called Innocence Lost. The goal of the program, which is now in almost 30 U.S. cities, is to decriminalize the girls and concentrate on catching the pimps who control them. "It really makes me angry," Seyffert said. "I think everybody on the team has different reactions to it, but I just flat out get really angry that some guy thinks he can take this girl and basically deprive her of her freedom." It is not uncommon for the officers on the unit to put in 30-hour shifts. Oftentimes, their work is heart-wrenching. Watch how investigators work to catch pimps » Child prostitution is even tougher on the parents of these girls. Roslyn and Sergio's daughter had been missing for more than two weeks. They waited for hours at police headquarters in hopes that their daughter would be found. Vice squad officers found her in a downtown apartment with Bruce William Carter, a 21-year-old man who police said had posed on the Internet holding fistfuls of cash. He pleaded not guilty to charges of statutory rape and was held in lieu of $35,000 bail. The couple's daughter, who had just turned 17, was detained but not arrested. "It hurt," said Roslyn, who appeared weary and a bit shell-shocked. "Because you don't want to see your children involved in things like this. You don't realize how dangerous the Internet is. Now, we got to keep her away from the Internet." Police say most of the ads appear on Craigslist, the popular and free Internet classifieds site, under a category named "Erotic Services." Even though Craigslist has posted a bold disclaimer warning against human trafficking and the exploitation of children, law enforcement officials said it doesn't seem to deter girls from posting the ads or men who are searching for sex. But why would a girl sell her body online? To help answer that question, Sacramento police made arrangements for CNN to interview a 14-year-old girl who said she'd started selling herself as a prostitute at the age of 11. "I wanted to feel loved. ... I wanted to feel important," said the teen, who did not want to be identified. She said she used Craigslist because it was free and she could post dozens of ads a day. Even though she understood the seriousness of what she was doing, she said she didn't care. "You could put stuff in your ad like 'wet and wild,' 'fun and sassy,' things like that to catch their attention, to make them want you," she said. Craigslist executives said they abhor the fact that their site is being used for child prostitution but believe that the problem could be harder to track if they removed the category. "It would be a bigger problem if we removed that category and had those ads spread throughout the site," said Jim Buckmaster, chief executive officer of Craigslist. Both legal experts and police say Craigslist bears no legal responsibility. Undercover officers said the fact that the listings can be traced helps them pinpoint the girls and sometimes leads them to pimps. For her part, Roslyn	[ "Who posted disclaimer warning against child porn and human trafficking?" ]	[ [ "Craigslist" ] ]	Underage girls are selling sex in free Internet classifieds, police say . Sacramento police have nabbed nearly 70 underage girls since 2005 . "I wanted to feel loved ... important," says girl who began posting ads at age 11 . Craigslist posts disclaimers warning against child exploitation, human trafficking .
SAMSON, Alabama (CNN) -- As the crime scene tape starts to come down in this small Southern town, the residents are leaning on one another for comfort and the strength to move on. The shooter, Michael McLedon, killed his mother before killing others. First Baptist Church, a few feet from the neighborhood where Michael McLendon, 28, opened fire Tuesday, welcomed members of this close community Wednesday night for a prayer service. "It's what community is about, isn't it? Crying together. Holding each other," a pastor said. It's hard for many to believe the shooting rampage could happen in this town of about 2,100 people. Authorities said McLendon went to three towns, slaying 10 people. He started in his hometown of Kinston, killing his mother, before moving on to open fire in Samson and finally Geneva. McLendon was once a police officer in Samson, the small town hit hardest by the deadliest crime in Alabama history, authorities said. His nearly hourlong assault ended at the Reliable Metal Products plant in the last town, 24 miles from where it began and where police said McLendon engaged in a shootout before killing himself inside the building. In the aftermath of the rampage, among those seeking comfort at First Baptist Church was Josh Mathews. He was driving down the street around the time of the shootings. "Could've been anyone -- just missed the gunfire, could've been any of us," Mathews said. Watch report from CNN's Brooke Baldwin » After the shootings, he found out one of the victims was a friend. It will be hard to move on, he said. But "you have to. He was like the happiest dude in the world. He would've wanted us to move on and remember him for who he was." High school baseball coach Chris Reid said he knew almost all the victims. "Everybody knows everybody. Everybody's always been willing to go out of their way to help people in need around here, no matter what the case may be. It's just a small town where you consider your friends as family." Reid was walking out of the Big-Little convenience store when he stopped to talk to CNN. A little more than 24 hours ago, the gas station was the site of one of killings. Watch deputy talk about his loss » Reid was at baseball practice when he heard the shots. "They were one block from us, " Reid said, adding that while driving, he saw a man killed in the street. iReport.com: On the scene as officials investigate "It really hasn't set in yet," he said. "It is still kind of a dream where you wait for it to not be real, to be over. But it's a fact, something we have to go through." Inside the church service, Steve Sellers, a visiting pastor, spoke to several hundred in attendance, praying for God to give the community strength. Some sat in the pews and sobbed. "I want to thank you, Lord, that in the coming days that this community walks through that process of healing, that there is a God who carries them through that valley," he said. Sellers also thanked town leaders, medical personnel and local law enforcement while asking the question that's been on so many minds: "I don't know what set a young man off like that, but I, too, want to pray for his family. We also come, knowing Lord, you taught us to forgive those who trespass against us." Watch how state copes with "shock and disbelief" » While members of this tight-knit town may never fully understand how McLendon could've committed this crime, many find comfort in faith and friends. As one pastor put it, "Thank God for this town."	[ "Amount of people in Samson, Alabama that is coping with the aftermath?", "What church welcomed the community?", "Who is the high school baseball coach?", "What is the number of people living in Samson?", "When is the night prayer service?", "Who is the baseball coach?", "Where was the prayer service?", "How many people live in Samson?" ]	[ [ "2,100 people." ], [ "First Baptist" ], [ "Chris Reid" ], [ "2,100" ], [ "Wednesday" ], [ "Chris Reid" ], [ "First Baptist Church," ], [ "2,100" ] ]	The 2,100 people of Samson, Alabama, cope with aftermath of deadly rampage . First Baptist Church welcomes community for Wednesday night prayer service . High school baseball coach Chris Reid: "It really hasn't set in yet" Community members say their tight bonds will pull them through difficult days ahead .
SAMSON, Alabama (CNN) -- The man who killed 10 people, then himself, in a shooting rampage in southern Alabama had failed in his dreams both to become a U.S. Marine and a police officer, and was depressed and unhappy with his life, investigators said Thursday. The shooter, Michael McLendon, killed his mother before killing others. Michael McLendon, 28, fatally shot his mother in his hometown of Kinston on Tuesday before driving to nearby Samson and Geneva, killing nine more, then fatally shooting himself after a shootout with police. Authorities are calling it the deadliest single assault in recorded Alabama history. "He was going to go until he was stopped, by himself or someone else," said Col. Chris Murphy of the Alabama Department of Public Safety. "He had obviously planned to go out in grand style." McLendon left behind a letter, apparently after killing his mother, that described how he did so and saying that he planned to kill himself, according to Murphy. The letter "describes how McLendon harbored ill feelings toward family members due to a family dispute." McLendon -- a self-proclaimed survivalist who was known to train with the rifles he used in the shooting spree -- enlisted in the Marines in 1999, but was kicked out one month later for "fraudulent enlistment," Murphy said. He was hired as a police officer in 2003, but let go a month later for what Murphy called physical issues. The nearly hourlong assault ended 24 miles from where it began at Reliable Metal Products plant in Geneva, where McLendon had worked in 2003. "McLendon made statements of being depressed and was dissatisfied with his present position in life," Murphy said. "His dream was to become a Marine, and later a police officer. Both those dreams were unfulfilled." McLendon was armed with two assault rifles -- an SKS and a Bushmaster -- and two pistols, and a shotgun was found in his car. "At this time, we believe that he fired in excess of 200 rounds during the assaults," the Department of Public Safety said in a news release. McLendon had no known criminal record before carrying out the rampage, officials said. Coffee County district attorney Gary McAliley said neighbors and co-workers described McLendon as quiet and shy. Some neighbors complained that he was always shooting firearms behind his home, he said -- but feared only that McLendon would accidentally kill one of their cows. Watch how the shaken towns are trying to cope » Co-workers at Kelley Foods, where he unexpectedly resigned last week, said they had a nickname for him -- Doughboy -- that he didn't like. "I don't think anybody could have anticipated this by looking at him and interacting with him," McAliley said. "But, certainly he had a volcano inside of him." McLendon called the Samson City Hall about 1 p.m. Tuesday and asked whether the city council would be meeting in the evening, Michelle Flanery, magistrate and billing clerk, told CNN Radio. Flanery said she replied that there was no meeting scheduled that day and that McLendon thanked her before hanging up. Authorities said McLendon also had a list of current and former co-workers, some whose names were accompanied by notes on ways he felt they'd wronged him. But the note was not a "hit list," as had been reported, and none of the people whose names were listed were attacked, they said. View images from the rampage » Among the dead were the wife and toddler of Geneva County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Myers, who was involved in the standoff with McLendon before he realized his own loss. His 3-month-old daughter, Ella, was also wounded. She was rescued by a neighbor and released from a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, Thursday evening. The shootings rattled Samson and Geneva, neither of which has a population beyond 4,500 people, and sent shock waves outside the small towns affected. "This event formed the single deadliest crime recorded in Alabama," said Murphy of the	[ "What made McLendon unhappy?", "Who left a note behind?", "Number of people that shooter killed?", "Where did McLendon live?", "What did McLendon leave behind?", "Who killed McLendon?", "What was the death toll in the shootings?" ]	[ [ "\"His dream was to become a Marine, and later a police officer. Both those dreams were unfulfilled.\"" ], [ "Michael McLendon," ], [ "10" ], [ "Alabama" ], [ "a letter," ], [ "Michael" ], [ "10" ] ]	NEW: Michael McLendon left behind note describing ill will he harbored toward family . NEW: Shooter was going to continue "until he was stopped," investigator says . McLendon killed 10 people in two towns before killing himself . McLendon unhappy with failed efforts to become Marine, police officer, police say .
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- The three Americans rescued after more than five years in captivity in Colombia say they are doing well but are "overwhelmed with emotion," according to a statement released on their behalf. "Words alone can never possibly express the thrill and excitement we feel to be back home in the United States of America with our families at our side," the Friday statement from Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell said. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had held the three U.S. government contractors since February 2003, after their plane crashed in a remote region of the South American country. They were among 15 hostages rescued Wednesday in a Colombian military operation. Watch Colombians celebrate success » Also among the rescued hostages was French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who returned to France on Friday. She is undergoing medical tests at a Paris military hospital, The Associated Press reported. Watch Betancourt's joyous return to France » Shortly after the plane crashed, FARC members killed contractor Tom Janis, according to employer Northrop Grumman, and Colombian army Sgt. Luis Cruz, according to the U.S. State Department. The three freed Americans are being treated at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Learn about the former hostages » "For five-and-a-half long years, we all hoped and prayed this day would come," their statement said. "Now that it has, we're just overwhelmed with emotion. The love and the joy we're all experiencing is beyond description. "We want to offer our heartfelt thanks to the government and the armed forces of Colombia. The operation they conducted to rescue us was one for the history books -- something we will never forget for the rest of our lives." Colombian authorities unveiled details and a videotape Friday describing the mission, which involved tricking the leftist rebels into giving up their hostages. Watch video of the rescue » Government agents had infiltrated the FARC leadership over several months. This week they talked the rebels into moving the hostages, saying a humanitarian group wanted to check on them. A helicopter carrying fake rebels picked up the hostages at a rendezvous point, ostensibly to take them to another rebel camp. It actually was a government helicopter, and the hostages were whisked to freedom without a shot being fired. Learn about FARC » On Thursday, doctors at the Brooke Army Medical Center said the three Americans appeared to be in good health. Initial tests had for now ruled out the suspicion of infectious diseases, and although other medical tests are pending, "everything really looks well," said Col. Jackie Hayes, a psychiatrist and the lead physician on the men's medical team. Hayes said patient confidentiality rules prevented him from commenting on reports that Gonsalves was suffering from hepatitis. Maj. Gen. Keith Huber, commander of U.S. Army South, said the contractors were in the second phase of a three-phase process designed to ease their transition back to normal life. "They greeted me with a strong handshake and clear eyes and an incredible smile," he said.	[ "Who are the three men?", "What day were the hostages freed?", "Who is undergoing medical tests in Paris?", "Who express gratitude to Colombian military?", "Where are the men?", "Who are said to be doing well?", "Who saved the men?" ]	[ [ "Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell" ], [ "Wednesday" ], [ "French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt," ], [ "Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell" ], [ "Brooke Army Medical Center" ], [ "The three Americans" ], [ "Colombian military" ] ]	Three men, safe in Texas, express gratitude to Colombian military . Ex-hostages said to be doing well, in reintegration process . French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt undergoing medical tests in Paris . 15 hostages freed Wednesday when Colombian agents tricked rebels .
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- The three Americans rescued Wednesday after more than five years in captivity in the jungles of Colombia appear to be in good health, doctors said Thursday. Keith Stansell, left, Marc Gonsalves, center, and Thomas Howes sit in an aircraft after being rescued Wednesday. "They're very resilient, they're very stress-hardy and they're doing very well, and so I think that certainly is a good-news story," said Col. Carl Dickens, a psychologist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell arrived there late Wednesday on an Air Force C-17 to undergo a battery of medical tests and debriefings. All three are U.S. government contractors who were captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in February 2003 when their plane crashed in a remote region of the country. They will begin reuniting with their families Thursday. "They are very grateful, very excited to be home," said Air Force staff Sgt. Daryl Bradley, who accompanied the three men on the flight Wednesday from Colombia to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Watch CNN's Brian Todd report on the hostages' return » "They can't wait to see their families, can't wait to see the differences in the United States, and they're just absolutely pleased to be home." Learn about the freed hostages » A plane the men were on crashed in February 2003 in a remote region of Colombia. They were among 15 hostages, including ex-Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, rescued Wednesday in a Colombian military operation. Read how the military faked out the rebels The FARC still holds more than 700 hostages in camps scattered throughout the jungle. Bradley, who is a paramedic, earlier said all three Americans appeared to be in good medical condition. Marc Gonsalves' father said he would see his son Thursday. "We have a lot to talk about," George Gonsalves told CNN's "American Morning." "There's been a lot of things that have happened, and I'm sure there's a lot of things that have happened with him that we'd certainly like to exchange a little conversation for about two or three hours anyway." Keith Stansell said he was on the beach when his stepfather called with the news of his father's release. "I didn't even know what to do," he said. "I just started freaking out -- screaming, yelling. I ran as fast as I could off the beach." Watch the Stansell family eagerly await the former captive's return » His sister, Lauren, said she was at home when the phone rang with the news. "I knew when I heard the other voice that she had good news. I knew it was good news about Dad," she said. Amanda Howes said she learned about her uncle Thomas Howes' release from a bulletin on her computer at a TV station, where she works in Boston, Massachusetts. "A news alert crossed on the bottom of the screen, I click on it and it's this wonderful news," she said. "I literally screamed with enjoyment. I started shaking. Of course, everyone was like ... 'What's the hot news tip?' " Adm. James Stavridis, head of the U.S. military's Southern Command, has kept a picture of the hostages on his desk since taking his post in 2006 and said their release has been one of his top priorities. "You could hear the cheers throughout the building when we announced the success of the rescue," he said. Watch the hostages land on U.S. soil » The U.S. government considers the FARC a terrorist group and has refused to negotiate with it while publicly urging the rebels to release the Americans. The FARC, which has fought a long-standing and complicated conflict with Colombia's government and right-wing paramilitary groups, defends the taking of captives as a legitimate act of war. Background	[ "What was the reason for capturing the three men?", "were they captured", "Whos is Marc Gonsalves?", "What company does Thomas Howes work for?" ]	[ [ "their plane crashed in a remote region of the country." ], [ "five years in captivity" ], [ "U.S. government contractors" ], [ "U.S. government" ] ]	NEW: Three Americans had medical tests; doctors say they are healthy . Ex-hostages and relatives express joy at rescue operation . Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell U.S. government contractors . Colombian rebels captured three men in 2003 when their plane crashed .
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- Three Americans rescued last week from captivity in the Colombian jungle will return to their homes Saturday, the U.S. Army South said. Left to right, Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes talk about spending more than 5 years as hostages. Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell have been undergoing a reintegration process at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, since their return 10 days ago to the United States. The men were among 15 hostages, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who were rescued July 2 in a Colombian military operation. The men carried with them a metal lock, a bullet and a chess board made of cardboard -- small items that are reminders of the years they spent away from their families, cut off from the world outside the jungle, seeing only fellow hostages and their captors, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The group had held the three U.S. government contractors hostage since February 2003, after their plane crashed in a remote region of the South American country. "They don't recognize humanity, they don't recognize human rights. They're animals. They're terrorists," Stansell said of the FARC. "We don't want to exaggerate what happened. We just want to tell the truth." The men painted a gruesome picture of their captivity, describing months in which they were ordered not to speak to each other and an initial campsite where they lived with a rat's nest above them. They slept on the floors of drug labs and were forced to march for hours while chained. Chains were very much a part of their captivity. "That was put around my neck every night," Stansell told Headline News' Robin Meade on Thursday, holding a heavy industrial lock. "This lock, with 5 meters of chain -- thick, 1-inch links -- went to his neck," Stansell said, pointing at Gonsalves. "We slept like that," he said. Watch how the rescue surprised the hostages » Gonsalves also held small wooden chess pawns he had carved using a broken piece of a machete. It took three months to make them, he said. Watch Gonsalves talk about how chess made him feel free » "We're in chains, sitting Indian-style on a piece of plastic, just playing chess," Stansell said. "And when you're doing that, you're free." Howes, the most reticent of the three, carried with him a bullet from a commander who had once threatened to kill him. But despite the chains, the intolerable living conditions and the isolation, being away from their families was possibly the most difficult hardship to endure, the men said. "I remember my darkest day was in the first month of our captivity," Gonsalves said. "We were, at that point, locked in boxes at night. ... That night, I dreamt about my daughter, who was my little girl and still is. And I had this dream about her that was so real; she was sitting on my lap, and ... she had little braids in her hair," he said. Watch Gonsalves talk about his darkest hour » "It was a wonderful dream, with all of my family. But the problem was, I woke up." Colombian government agents infiltrated the FARC leadership over several months, eventually tricking the rebels into moving the hostages by saying a humanitarian group wanted to check on them. A helicopter carrying fake rebels picked up the hostages at a rendezvous point on July 2, ostensibly to take them to another rebel camp. But it was actually a Colombian military helicopter and the hostages were flown away, free, without a shot being fired. Read about the daring rescue mission The FARC, which has been fighting with the Colombian government and other paramilitary groups for decades, defends the taking of captives as a legitimate act of war. The group is thought to be holding about 750 prisoners in the nation's remote jungles. Along with the former	[ "What year were the contractors hostage?", "When were the contractors taken hostage?", "Who talks to CNN a week after they were freed?", "What was placed around the captives neck at night?", "Where was the chain fastened?", "What does the captives keep to remind them of the hostage?", "When was the U.S. government contractors captured?" ]	[ [ "2003," ], [ "February 2003," ], [ "Thomas Howes" ], [ "Chains" ], [ "neck" ], [ "a metal lock, a bullet and a chess board made of cardboard" ], [ "February 2003," ] ]	Former FARC captives talk to CNN a week after they were freed . One keeps a lock that held the chain that was placed around his neck at night . Another has a cardboard chess set that he carved as a hostage . FARC captured the U.S. government contractors hostage in February 2003 .
SAN BERNARDINO, California (CNN) -- Three-year-old Briant Rodriguez remained in a hospital bed fatigued and malnourished Monday, 15 days after being kidnapped at gunpoint and then dumped on the streets of Mexico. Liberato Vega, 30, left, and Israel Moreno, 28, are suspects in the kidnapping of 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez. Police don't know much about what happened to the boy, who was taken after gunmen tied his family and ransacked his California home on May 3. They don't know why the gunmen broke into the home, why they kidnapped the bubbly 3-year-old or how he ended up wandering the streets of Mexicali with a shaved head, rather than the long hair he had sported before the kidnapping. But police believe they do know who is responsible. In a news conference on Monday, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department and FBI identified the two suspect gunmen as Liberato Vega, 30, and Israel Moreno, 28. The two men, who authorities said were illegal immigrants with criminal records, are believed to have burst into the San Bernardino home, ransacked the house, tied up 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez's family and snatched the child two weeks ago. The boy was returned to his family Saturday in the border town of Calexico. "It was a very emotional and unforgettable experience," said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Sgt. Doug Hubbard, who was with the boy's mother when he was returned. "Enough said there -- before I get emotional." Officials said the boy was still in the hospital Monday and was being treated for malnourishment and fatigue. "We're very happy that he's alive," San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops said this weekend. "A 3-year-old goes missing in this country for two weeks -- sometimes it has an unhappy ending. "This one did not." Now, police are trying to piece together exactly what may have happened during the 13 days the boy was missing. Detectives from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department and Federal Bureau of Investigations agents were able to identify the alleged kidnappers based on unspecified physical evidence at the San Bernardino home and interviews with the boy's family and neighbors. Hubbard said the family has adamantly denied knowing who may be responsible for the kidnapping or having any association with those responsible. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Don Roberts said it was, however, "likely that this family was the target" of the kidnappers. "But why, we don't know," Roberts said, adding that the kidnappers had clearly planned the crime. Officials said they believe Vega and Moreno are the two men they captured on video at a home-improvement store near the Rodriguez home before the crime buying tape like the kind that was used to bind the family. Hubbard said there are no-bail warrants issued for both men for home invasion robbery and kidnapping and Roberts said the FBI also obtained federal warrants for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution for both men. "We will leave no stone unturned until these two are returned to San Bernardino to face justice," Roberts said. "We will not take a break until that day happens." Authorities are hunting for both men, who have criminal records, in Mexico where they were both born. Roberts said both men have previously been deported from the United States, where they were living illegally. Their previous residences are empty, police said. Vega, who police said they considered to be the primary suspect, has had seven encounters with authorities in San Bernardino, according to court records, including four convictions in 2005 for a variety of charges, including driving under the influence. He also has a dismissed burglary case and two open cases against him for driving under the influence, providing false information to police and driving without a license. Police described Vega as a Hispanic male, 5 feet 9 inches weighing 130 pounds. Moreno was convicted in 2008 for driving under the influence and has another similar case open against him. Police described Moreno as a Hispanic male, 5 feet 6	[ "What are the names of the subjects in the kidnapping case?", "what Boy had been missing since May 3?", "Where are the kidnappers believed to be from", "Since when has the boy been missing", "Who was the subject of the kidnapping?" ]	[ [ "Liberato Vega," ], [ "Briant Rodriguez" ], [ "Mexico" ], [ "15 days" ], [ "Three-year-old Briant Rodriguez" ] ]	NEW: Liberato Vega, 30, and Israel Moreno, 28, suspects in kidnapping . NEW: Officials believe both men, illegal immigrants, have fled to Mexico . Briant Rodriguez found wandering streets in Mexicali, police say . Boy had been missing since May 3, when armed men burst into his family's home .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- What if we offered illegal immigrants a path to citizenship that included a stint in the U.S. military? Ruben Navarrette: Be wary of offering military service as a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. The idea has been trumpeted by thoughtful people such as Max Boot, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who thinks this is the time for a "freedom legion." He's talking about a unit of the military made up entirely of the foreign-born -- including illegal immigrants -- where the compensation would include U.S. citizenship. About 70,000 foreign-born men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces, or about 5 percent of the total active-duty force, according to the Pentagon. Of those, nearly 30,000 -- or about 43 percent -- are not U.S. citizens. Roping illegal immigrants into military service could accomplish two goals at once: helping alleviate the military's recruitment worries while giving the undocumented a chance to prove that their commitment to this country extends beyond a paycheck. We're already talking about requiring illegal immigrants to learn English, pay fines, and return to their home countries to earn legal status. Why not, some say, raise the stakes and require men and women between 18 and 42 to serve a couple of years in the military to earn something even more precious: U.S. citizenship for themselves and their children? The idea appealed to a reader in upstate New York who called me to gauge my reaction. I told him that I hadn't made up my mind, but that the concept did fit with my view that any conferring of legal status be laden with onerous conditions so that it really is earned. To earn it, illegal immigrants should have to do everything but walk across broken glass. Still, I told him, I'm not sure how those who oppose comprehensive reform but support turning illegal immigrants into cannon fodder go about squaring that circle. Restrictionists and racists have argued that illegal immigrants are invading this country, and that they're a dangerous menace to society that is prone to all sorts of violent and criminal behavior. Of course, many native-born U.S. citizens are just as menacing. But for those who believe that illegal immigrants are inherently violent, do they really want to give these folks military training and a M-16, to help them graduate from menacing to lethal? After all, assuming they survive their stint in the military, they eventually have to return stateside. Then they're our problem. Consider the ghastly events in Newark, New Jersey, where three African-American students were killed execution-style and a fourth was shot in the head but survived. The accused ringleader is Jose Carranza, an illegal immigrant from Peru, who was previously charged with raping a 5-year-old girl and threatening her parents. Twice indicted by grand juries, Carranza slipped through the cracks and was released on bail. Authorities say that the 28-year-old construction worker led at least four other individuals in attacking the youths with a gun and a machete. If convicted, Carranza could get the death penalty. Glad to hear it. If half the things they say about this creep are true, Carranza belongs on death row. But guess what? He sure doesn't belong on an Army recruitment poster, or handling heavy artillery. Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of The San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. E-mail to a friend	[ "What is a freedom legion?", "What kind of troops would comprise a military freedom legion?", "What could be a way to citizenship for illegal immigrants?", "Who was accused in the Newark killings?", "What is Jose Carranza accused of?", "What are considered dangerous by some?" ]	[ [ "a unit of the military made up entirely of the foreign-born -- including illegal immigrants" ], [ "foreign-born" ], [ "military service" ], [ "Jose Carranza," ], [ "raping a 5-year-old girl and threatening her parents." ], [ "illegal immigrants" ] ]	Is it time for a military "freedom legion," made up of all foreign-born troops? Is military service as a way to citizenship for illegal immigrants a good idea? Jose Carranza, accused in the Newark killings, makes the proposal problematic . Illegal immigrants are considered dangerous menaces by some .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Conditions that created what California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dubbed "the perfect storm for fire" eased Wednesday, helping firefighters gain ground against devastating Southern California wildfires. A plane drops fire retardant on the fourth day of a wildfire pushed by winds through Pauma Valley, California. Winds that gusted as much as 101 mph on Sunday dropped to about 30 mph Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, the dry Santa Ana winds that have fanned the flames, changed direction and began blowing inland from the Pacific Ocean, increasing the humidity and easing the burden on almost 8,900 firefighters in the area. But the destruction was taking its toll on the men and women on the front lines of the fires. "It hurts us to have those homes lost. It hurts us to have those injuries. And it is frustrating for us to watch our community be devastated by this," said firefighter Andy Menshek. As conditions improved, officials allowed people to return to communities that had been off-limits because of intense flames and dense smoke. "It was home," said Mark Davis, whose two-story Rancho Bernardo house burned to the ground. "It was us. We had been there 28 years, and it had a lot of our flavor." The change in the weather also meant that firefighting aircraft -- grounded for most of the week by the winds -- could finally fly. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. Scott McLean called the droning sound of aircraft the "sound of joy." "Their drops are hitting their mark because the wind is not there," he said. The rate of burning had slowed significantly by Wednesday. Still, the fire damage increased to 434,543 acres, said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Watch Schwarzenegger give a progress report » That amounted to 679 square miles, or about 10 times the size of Washington, D.C. By Wednesday evening, the largest fire -- the Witch in northern San Diego County -- was 10 percent contained. It burned about 196,000 acres before combining with the smaller Poomacha blaze. Seven fires among the 22 counted Wednesday were contained. See where the fires are burning » Others, such as the Buckweed Fire in Los Angeles County, were as much as 94 percent contained. One large fire was a suspected arson. The FBI and the Orange County Fire Authority are investigating the Santiago fire that has burned more than 19,000 acres. All three of its points of origin have been declared crime scenes, said Jim Amornino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. A $70,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible for setting the fire. The blaze was about 50 percent contained after destroying 17 structures. Watch the raging flames of the Santiago fire » The smaller Rosa fire in Riverside County, 70 percent contained at just over 400 acres, was also a probably arson, state officials said. As the fire danger eased, residents were allowed to return to several neighborhoods surrounding San Diego: Del Mar Highlands, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley, Chula Vista and Otay Mesa. Helicopters were back in the air over the Lake Arrowhead, California, area after all air activity had been suspended because of extremely smoky skies. In nearby Running Springs, CNN's Ted Rowlands stood in the midst of charred, smoldering rubble strewn with potentially deadly power lines. "It will be a while before these people will come back. When they do come back, unfortunately they'll have this pretty much to look at," he said Wednesday. Watch Rowlands describe a major battle with the flames » About 500 homes were lost in the mountainous region in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles. See photos of the fires » "Yesterday we couldn't be here, because just this little flame and smoldering pieces of wood would be thrown by the intense winds. ... Now you can see the flames just basically burning themselves out," said Rowlands. The fires have already destroyed 1,664 structures --	[ "What size is the reward?", "is win speed drop?", "What is the reward?", "What was the monetary reward?", "What happened after Santa ana winds changed direction", "Where was arson suspected?", "Where did the fire spread?", "What did wind speeds do?", "What caused the fire?", "Which winds changed direction?", "Whats being offered as a reward", "Is there a reward?" ]	[ [ "$70,000" ], [ "Winds that gusted as much as 101 mph on Sunday dropped to about 30 mph Wednesday evening." ], [ "$70,000" ], [ "$70,000" ], [ "increasing the humidity and easing the burden on almost 8,900 firefighters in the area." ], [ "Santiago" ], [ "Southern California" ], [ "fanned the flames, changed direction and began blowing inland from the Pacific Ocean, increasing the humidity and easing the burden on almost 8,900 firefighters in the area." ], [ "suspected arson." ], [ "Santa Ana" ], [ "$70,000" ], [ "$70,000" ] ]	Local and federal officials probe suspected arson, offer $70,000 reward . Wind speeds drop, humidity increases after Santa Ana winds change direction . President Bush signs major disaster declaration for Southern California . Home losses will likely top $1 billion in San Diego County, official says .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Dust off every disaster plan from Washington to San Diego, scrutinize them to your heart's content, and it's still unlikely you'll find mention of the emergency services provided by Shary Shores. Eric Campbell of Palomar Mountain became a reluctant tailgater at Qualcomm Stadium with his two cockatiels. Shores, a volunteer registrar at San Diego's evacuee shelter, has appointed herself the shelter's "hugger." Every person she signs in gets a warm, heartfelt hug. Having lost her own home to foreclosure in March, Shores says she has empathy for the suddenly homeless. Her embraces may not be government-sanctioned, but they are appreciated. "I can't tell you how many people say 'Thank you. ... I needed that,'" Shores said. Welcome to Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers and, for the time being, thousands of people who have fled the California wildfires that destroyed nearly 1,600 homes and burned some 679 square miles. Some 76,000 people stayed in 42 San Diego County shelters Wednesday night, county emergency spokeswoman Lynda Pfieffer said. Those numbers were dropping as residents were allowed to return home. Qualcomm Stadium housed 11,000 evacuees at the peak of the disaster, but that number dropped to 5,000 Wednesday morning. Those staying in shelters represented only a small fraction of the nearly 1 million evacuees. "We believe many people are staying with family and friends or going to hotels," said Red Cross spokeswoman Jeanne Ellinport in Washington. Conceived on paper as a safe -- if uncomfortable -- refuge for thousands of people, Qualcomm Stadium has become in practice a wonderland of surprises. Were it not for the absence of a Ferris wheel, the tent city just inside the stadium's gates could be mistaken for a county fair. Watch volunteers make life easier at Qualcomm » Stiltwalkers stroll around the grounds waving at gawking children. Food and drink are abundant. Signs hawk free massages, acupuncture treatments and spiritual aide. Math tutors -- admittedly not a staple of county fairs -- are available free of cost. "This is amazing, what's going on here," said Robert Norman, who sought shelter at Qualcomm with his wife and 1-year-old son. "They've made it very comfortable." The real purpose of this midway, however, becomes apparent only at second glance. At a booth where one might expect to buy cotton candy, a volunteer pharmacist dispenses aspirin and antacid. Other tents are labeled "Safeco Insurance" and "All State." Catholic Charities has erected a tent, as has a local politician. And, in a cold slap of reality, there is a drab tent where evacuees can privately read the list of homes that have been destroyed. The cost of homes destroyed by the wildfires is likely to top $1 billion in San Diego County alone, an emergency official said. Watch how valiant efforts sometimes fall short » The outpouring of help has been so massive that some volunteers are being turned away, and donated food and water is being stored in tents in the far reaches of the stadium's parking lot. "If you need kosher food, we've got it!," exclaims Phillip Dewitt, a defense department contractor who is volunteering at the site. On Tuesday, volunteer teachers outnumbered kids three to one, said Edwin Lohr, another volunteer. Anitra Means showed up to volunteer on Tuesday and found herself managing one of several food banks that seemed to spontaneously appear on the midway's fringes. She doesn't know who organized the food bank, whether it be a city, state, federal government or a private enterprise, nor does she seem to care. Her one concern is that pallets of donated soup and pudding are appearing quicker then they are disappearing, she said, leaving her to wonder if food will be left over. Meanwhile, nearly 400 Red Cross volunteers from across the country were to arrive in the San Diego area Wednesday, said Red Cross worker John Degnan, who came in from Massachusetts. Also, 75 emergency	[ "Which stadium has become a wonderland of surprises?", "Volunteer registrar Shary Shores has appointed herself as what?", "Tent contains what list?", "What is a wonderland of surprises?", "What has Qualcomm stadium become?", "What does tent allow evacuees to do?", "What did Shores appoint herself?", "Who has appointed herself the shelter's \"hugger\"?" ]	[ [ "Qualcomm" ], [ "the shelter's \"hugger.\"" ], [ "of homes that have been destroyed." ], [ "Qualcomm Stadium" ], [ "a wonderland of surprises." ], [ "privately read the list of homes that have been destroyed." ], [ "\"hugger.\"" ], [ "Shores, a volunteer registrar at San Diego's evacuee" ] ]	Volunteer registrar Shary Shores has appointed herself the shelter's "hugger" Qualcomm Stadium has become a wonderland of surprises . Tent allows evacuees to privately read list of homes that have been destroyed .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Favorable weather and firefighter reinforcements helped ease the fire danger in parts of Southern California Thursday, but the human toll from the disaster was still coming to light. A firefighter watches the Harris Fire. Four bodies were found in a canyon in the path of the blaze Thursday. The number of deaths attributed directly to the fires grew to seven Thursday, after the charred bodies of four people believed to be illegal immigrants were found in a canyon east of San Diego. Seven other deaths are labeled as fire-related: Three elderly people died during evacuations, and four others died after being evacuated. Improving conditions allowed more people to come home Thursday, but new evacuations were ordered in areas where the unrelenting flames marched on. Where residents could return, they often found ash and rubble in place of their homes. "We see pictures from online and on TV, but it's just, it's much different when you see it up front," said Louela Binlac in front of what remained of her Rancho Bernardo home. "The most important thing is that our family is still together, everybody is safe, and eventually we will rebuild again," she said. "Those things you can replace. We are just all grateful that everybody is safe." Rancho Bernardo resident Marilyn Wood said it was "really scary" to come back to the pile of ashes she once called home. Her voice breaking, Wood vowed to rebuild and recounted how she and her husband, Gordon, fled early Monday with only minutes to spare. See photos of the fires » "(Our house) was burning as we were leaving," she said. President Bush got a firsthand look at the aftermath of the devastating fires Thursday -- 10 still burning across seven counties. He promised federal help for those affected by the fires. Watch Bush tour the damage » "We're not going to forget you in Washington, D.C.," the president said after touring the area by air and visiting Rancho Bernardo with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Watch a report on Bush as 'comforter-in-chief' » Bush signed a federal disaster declaration Wednesday, freeing money to help residents rent temporary homes and repair damaged homes and businesses and to help local and state agencies pay for the emergency response. The cost of homes destroyed by the wildfires is likely to top $1 billion in San Diego County alone, an emergency official said. People left homeless by the fires can apply online for federal help at FEMA.gov, said Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison. Watch a tour of FEMA's command center » Almost 9,000 firefighters battled the blazes, augmented by reinforcements from dozens of states across the country. Twenty-three fires have scorched 472,478 acres (738 square miles), an area roughly three-quarters of the size of Rhode Island. See where the fires are still burning » Along with homes and businesses, the flames have destroyed roughly one-third of San Diego County's lucrative avocado crop, along with other croplands, greenhouses and nurseries. A change in the winds -- from a ferocious 100 mph on Sunday to an almost manageable 10 mph on Thursday -- brought welcome relief and allowed a full-bore aerial assault on the fires. Reinforcements from across the country arrived to aid the exhausted firefighters, officials said. While the fires still threatened some 25,000 homes, the burn rate in the region -- a measure made up of factors like wind speed, humidity and available fuel -- was significantly lower Thursday, a spokeswoman at the California Department of Forestry and Protection said. Residents of several communities, including the city of San Diego, were allowed to return home Wednesday and Thursday, but more evacuations were ordered -- the latest covering the communities of Lake Henshaw and Mesa Grande and the La Jolla Indian Reservation in San Diego County. With the shifting fires, some shelters closed as others opened closer to danger. In San Diego, Mayor Jerry Sanders announced that Qualcomm Stadium -- the home of NFL's Chargers that	[ "Who told fire victims they won't be forgotten in Washington?", "What caused the bodies to be charred?", "Who spoke to fire victims?", "Where is the Qualcomm Stadium?", "What has been found near San Diego?", "where were the bodies found?", "what was found near san diego?", "What stadium is closing at noon on Friday?", "what did Bush say to victims?" ]	[ [ "the president" ], [ "the fires" ], [ "President Bush" ], [ "San Diego," ], [ "Four bodies" ], [ "in a canyon in the path of the blaze Thursday." ], [ "Four bodies were" ], [ "Qualcomm" ], [ "\"We're not going" ] ]	NEW: Qualcomm Stadium to close as an emergency shelter at noon Friday . Charred bodies of three men and a woman found near San Diego . More than half of Southern California fires are fully contained . Bush to fire victims: We're not going to forget you in Washington .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Firefighters in Southern California are facing wind-whipped walls of flame from 15 wildfires that have scorched more than 400,000 acres and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Firefighters battle the Witch fire Tuesday in the Del Dios area of Escondido, California. The blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more. Firefighters were aided by resources from Mexico, the state and federal governments and even inmates from California's prisons. San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli described scenes of "utter devastation" with hundreds of homes lost and "many hundreds" of others damaged. "It's probably the worst significant event in my career of 36 years," he said. "It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," Cartelli said. Meteorologists suggested that Santa Ana winds, which have fueled the wildfires with some gusts approaching 100 mph, could die down Wednesday afternoon. "We are still facing some very serious fires," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said after an aerial tour of the affected area. "The weather has made it very difficult for the air assets to get up and fight the fires. ... If the weather cooperates, maybe we can turn the tide tomorrow." Officials have evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County alone, where the worst of the fires are blazing. Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers from the 2000 census, that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires. Watch evacuees shaken, firefighters battling » In San Diego County, at least half a million residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters, schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas. Among the evacuees as more than 4,000 military personnel from several bases in the area. With the winds pushing them across the area, the fires spread quickly, forcing some residents to flee in the middle of the night. "My wife woke me up like 12 o'clock, screaming and yelling that the flames were coming down," said Johnny Villanueva of Spring Valley, who fled with his wife and daughter to San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, which is serving as a shelter to more than 12,000 evacuees. "We just loaded up the car really quick and came down here ... slept in our vehicles." His wife, Elizabeth, added, "I saw on the mountain on fire, and said, 'Oh my God, my family. ... Let's go." With Qualcomm Stadium being used by the evacuees, the San Diego Chargers planned to practice at the Arizona Cardinals' stadium in Glendale for next weekend's game. Lake Arrowhead resident Michelle Dresser, who owns a business and was chased from her home by a wildfire last year, said she was waiting until the last minute to leave. She spent the night in her store, partly to help customers and neighbors. "It is crazy. We are surrounded by fire on both sides," she said. Asked by CNN where she would go, she replied, "I have to find someplace to accept two dogs, two cats and a turtle." Watch people staying with pets at refuge » Animals are allowed in Qualcomm Stadium, a nearby field and Del Mar Fairgrounds and Racetrack. President Bush is scheduled to visit the area on Thursday, the White House said. Chertoff arrived in San Diego Tuesday afternoon for a "first-hand look" at the devastation. "I wanted to see for myself, first of all, how the shelter situation is in San Diego, what the fires look like up close," Chertoff told CNN. The secretary said that the federal response to the wildfires is "phenomenally better" than the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, "because we have been preparing and planning and training together for the last 2 ½ years." "Unlike in Katrina ... we have now built the process ... and we've rehearsed it, so when we take the field, the team already knows what we need to do,	[ "what county was 350,000 homes evacuated in", "What number of people have been injured?", "What was the damage?", "Who said no end until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around,", "Were many homes in San Diego County evacuated?", "What has caused homes to be evacuated?", "what did official say", "What is the problem?", "What is the number of charred acres?", "What county evacuated 350,000 homes?" ]	[ [ "San Diego" ], [ "injured at least 70" ], [ "killed one person and injured at least 70 more." ], [ "Cartelli" ], [ "350,000" ], [ "15 wildfires" ], [ "\"It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around,\" Cartelli said." ], [ "Firefighters in Southern California are facing wind-whipped walls of" ], [ "400,000" ], [ "San Diego" ] ]	No end "until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," official says . Nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County evacuated; 70 people injured . Flames have charred 700,000 acres, more than 1,000 homes . Not "enough fire engines in the state of California," Ventura County official says .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- In a recent commentary, I wrote that, as a Mexican-American, the ugliness of the immigration debate offends me -- not as a Mexican, but as an American. Ruben Navarrette Jr. lists 10 things U.S.-born Hispanics find distasteful about the immigration debate. A woman wrote in and asked me to be more specific: Just what was it about the immigration debate that was so ugly? She came to the right place. After nearly 20 years of writing opinions and insisting that I don't speak for all Hispanics, in recent months, I've heard from hundreds of Hispanics who -- appreciative of my middle-ground approach to the immigration issue -- insist that I can speak for them anytime. So, with the authority vested in me, I'll now share some of what other Hispanics are saying. It's not far off from what Janet Murguia had to say. As president of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, Murguia recently delivered an important speech to the National Press Club. The topic: the immigration debate and what she called a wave of hate sweeping the land -- one that isn't limited to illegal immigrants, but which is now affecting all Hispanics regardless of where they were born, what language they speak or what flag they salute. The way Murguia sees it, immigration is "on the verge of becoming one of the largest civil rights issues of our generation." And, Hispanics are playing the piñata. Murguia was right on the button. To borrow a phrase, it's getting ugly out there. And U.S.-born Hispanics see it as plain as day. Here are 10 things they find distasteful about this debate: • The hypocrisy. We have two signs on the U.S.-Mexican border: "Keep Out" and "Help Wanted." • The racism. With lightning speed, the debate went from anti-illegal immigrant to anti-immigrant to anti-Mexican. • The opportunism. Too many politicians are trying too hard to portray themselves as tough on illegal immigration. • The simple solutions. "Build A Wall." "Deport All Illegals." A quick rule of thumb: If it fits on a bumper sticker, it's not a workable policy. • The naiveté. People ask why Mexico won't help stop illegal immigration. Hint: Last year, Mexicans in the United States sent home $25 billion. • The profiling. Dark skin and Spanish surnames shouldn't be proxies for undocumented status. Been to Arizona lately? • The meanness. Nazi-produced Internet video games let players shoot illegal immigrants crossing the border. Fun stuff. • The amnesia. Americans think grandpa was welcomed with open arms and that he plunged into the melting pot. Whatever. • The buck-passing. Americans love to blame Mexico for their choices, yelling across the border: "Stop us before we hire again." • The double standard. The same folks who have zero tolerance for illegal immigrants easily tolerate those who hire them. Some of this is painfully familiar, recalling earlier versions of this debate as it played out a hundred or two hundred years ago. Hispanics are the new Germans, the new Irish, the new Italians. But it's also ugly. It was then. It is now. Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist. Read his column here. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. E-mail to a friend	[ "What do they find distasteful?", "Who shared what Hispanic readers are saying?", "what did he list", "Who shares what Hispanic readers are saying to him?", "What does Ruben Navarrette list?" ]	[ [ "immigration debate." ], [ "Ruben Navarrette Jr." ], [ "10 things U.S.-born Hispanics find distasteful about the immigration debate." ], [ "Ruben Navarrette Jr." ], [ "10 things U.S.-born Hispanics find distasteful about the immigration debate." ] ]	Ruben Navarrette shares what Hispanic readers are saying to him . He lists 10 things he says they find ugly about the immigration debate . Hypocrisy, racism are two items they find distasteful, columnist says .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Many among the thousands of evacuees from California's wildfires were suffering from stress and worry about their homes after seeking shelter at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, said a pair of Navy medical volunteers Wednesday. Navy medics Daniel Brautigam, left, and Jacob Hackfeld volunteered to help wildfire evacuees. The stadium -- home to the NFL's Chargers -- at one time housed 11,000 evacuees, but that number dropped to 7,500 this morning. Of the thousands of people who've been sleeping, eating and passing time at the arena, many are showing symptoms of stress, said Petty Officer Daniel Brautigam. Patients are showing "a lot of smoke-induced nausea," he said. "A lot of people are watching TV while they're here -- they're watching their houses burn." Brautigam said the word "panic" came to mind to describe how some evacuees were feeling. "But it's not. People are just worried sick. That phrase alone explains it all." Watch sailors tell more about treating evacuees » According to the San Diego's mayor's office, medical staff treated between 70 to 100 people since the stadium opened to evacuees. He said counselors are being made available to the evacuees at Qualcomm, where volunteers have also been providing food, tents and cots to families and others fleeing the fires. "We've been working nonstop now for about 48 hours with a few hours of sleep in between -- just enough to get well-rested," said Brautigam. Brautigam and another sailor, Seaman Jacob Hackfeld, stepped forward on their own to offer medical services after their nearby base was evacuated. Hackfeld said he was "sitting on my couch watching TV and I'm thinking to myself, why can't we come out here? The community provides for us -- the military. Why can't we give back to them all the things that they've given to us?" Although both men said they helped in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, they said the emergency response to both disasters was markedly different. "Here you have complete organization," Brautigam said. "You have a community coming together getting things done, helping people out -- cooperation between civilians, military, everybody. See dramatic photos of the disaster » "Here everybody comes together, and we're all just people. I think that's the most important thing that's going on right here right now. The main focus is just getting people the help that they need." About 300 convalescent patients who had been evacuated to Qualcomm from nearby facilities were expected to be returned later Wednesday, said George Biagi, spokesman for the San Diego mayor. More than 20 fires have scorched 400,000-plus acres from the Mexican border to northern Los Angeles County and inland into the San Bernardino Mountains since the weekend. Statewide, an estimated 950,000 people have sought refuge from the fires in shelters, hotels and at friends' homes. The National Weather Service said a red-flag warning for extreme gusty winds was in effect through 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) Wednesday, but forecasters said firefighters should see an end to the Santa Ana winds that have fueled the fires by Thursday. Some residents won't have to wait for Thursday to get home. People who evacuated earlier this week from Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch and Del Mar Heights can go home immediately, San Diego emergency spokeswoman Lynda Pfieffer said Wednesday morning. The blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more. Thirty-four firefighters have been hurt, authorities said. E-mail to a friend CNN's Kiran Chetry and Miriam Falco contributed to this report.	[ "Who was treated for nausea, worried about homes?", "what Medics describe conditions at Qualcomm Stadium as organized?", "What type of medics stepped in?", "who says \"A lot of people are watching TV here -- watching their homes burn\"?", "What do Navy medics setp forward to do?" ]	[ [ "evacuees from California's wildfires" ], [ "Daniel Brautigam," ], [ "Navy" ], [ "Petty Officer Daniel Brautigam." ], [ "offer medical services after their nearby base was evacuated." ] ]	Evacuees at San Diego arena treated for nausea, worried about homes . Medic: "A lot of people are watching TV here -- watching their homes burn" Navy medics step forward to offer services to some 12,000 wildfire evacuees . Medics describe conditions at Qualcomm Stadium as organized, cooperative .
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- More than 100 homes in an upscale San Diego community were evacuated after a landslide about 60 yards wide pulled the earth from beneath a three-lane road and some of the multimillion-dollar homes that adorn it. Gina Yarbrough sent this picture of the road that collapsed in Wednesday's landslide. Mayor Jerry Sanders declared a state of emergency, asking California and the federal government to help the La Jolla community recover from the Wednesday landslide. As of Thursday morning, he had already received offers of aid from legislators, the governor's office and the White House, he said. Officials warned for at least two weeks that the ground was shifting beneath the hillside community along Soledad Mountain Road. Holes were drilled into the unsettled hillside to investigate the cause and magnitude of the shift, which earlier ruptured a water line, and according to some media reports, began cracking Soledad Mountain Road in July. On Wednesday, a 20-foot-deep chasm opened beneath the road and homes. Holli Weld told San Diego's KGTV that she was walking her son to preschool when the street collapsed. Watch a resident recall how he had to grab his dogs and run » "The street was sinking before our eyes," she said. Authorities told KGTV that most residents were at work and only seven people were in their homes when the landslide occurred. Evacuated homeowner Russell Moore told CNN he remembers hearing the earth "groan" in what he called a "slow avalanche." "The asphalt that should be under my feet was 8 feet in the air," Moore said. "We watched the trees snapping and cracking and more boulders come down to our feet and we were witnessing this move." See photos of the hole the landslide left in La Jolla » At least 111 homes were evacuated, but Sanders said residents would be allowed to return to 75 of those houses by early Thursday morning. Several homes were damaged and at least one was destroyed, according to media reports. Nine homes are "red tagged," meaning no one is allowed to enter them, and 27 more are "yellow tagged," which means residents can return for necessities, but cannot stay, Sanders said. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the landslide downed power lines and caused a minor gas leak. More than 2,400 customers were briefly left without electricity, but most residents had their power restored by Thursday, KGTV reported. The Red Cross opened a shelter at La Jolla High School. Deputy city engineer Robert Hawk told the Union-Tribune that the hillside has slowly been slipping for years because the soil is unstable. Landslide incidents in the neighborhood date back to the 1960s, Hawk told the newspaper. Pat Abbott, a retired geological sciences professor at San Diego State University, told the Union-Tribune that Mount Soledad is made up of weak layers of rock and that the culprit in the landslide is nature. "Gravity pulling on the incline is pulling down masses of earth and those masses of earth have houses on top of them," Abbott told the paper. "It's a geologically bad site and should not have been built on to begin with." E-mail to a friend	[ "What did one resident say?", "what kind of aid?", "What city declared a state of emergency?", "What was the name of the one evacuated resident who made the statement \"We watched the trees snapping and cracking\"?", "What was snapping?", "When can residents return to evacuated homes?", "Who declared a state of emergency?", "when can residents return home?", "What was shifting?", "what number of homes were evacuated?", "What did the mayor of San Diego declare?", "Who watched the trees snapping and cracking?", "What had officials spent weeks investigating?", "What were officials investigating in the area?", "What caused officials to investigate the earth, which seem to have been shifting in the area for weeks?", "Who decalared the state of emergency?", "What did they see snaping and cracking?", "On which Thursday will the mayor allow the residents to return to 75 of the 111 evacuated homes?", "What did one evacuated resident say?", "What did one evacuated resident watch?", "When can residents return to 75 of the 111 evacuated homes?", "Who declares state of emergency?", "Which mayor declares a state of emergency?", "What did the mayor declare?" ]	[ [ "\"The street was sinking before our eyes,\"" ], [ "community recover from" ], [ "SAN DIEGO," ], [ "Russell Moore" ], [ "trees" ], [ "early Thursday morning." ], [ "Mayor Jerry Sanders" ], [ "by early Thursday morning." ], [ "multimillion-dollar homes" ], [ "More than 100" ], [ "a state of emergency," ], [ "Russell Moore" ], [ "that the ground was shifting beneath the hillside community" ], [ "landslide" ], [ "landslide" ], [ "Mayor Jerry Sanders" ], [ "trees" ], [ "early" ], [ "\"The street was sinking before our eyes,\"" ], [ "trees snapping and cracking and more boulders come down to our feet" ], [ "early Thursday morning." ], [ "Mayor Jerry Sanders" ], [ "Jerry Sanders" ], [ "Jerry Sanders declared a state of emergency," ] ]	San Diego mayor declares state of emergency; White House, governor offer aid . Officials were investigating the shifting earth in the area for weeks . Residents can return to 75 of the 111 evacuated homes Thursday, mayor says . "We watched the trees snapping and cracking," says one evacuated resident .

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