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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (CNN) -- The government of de facto Honduran President Roberto Micheletti is not ready to sign a proposed agreement to end the country's ongoing political crisis, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said in Honduras. Interim President Roberto Micheletti is reaching out to Costan Rican President Oscar Arias for a solution. His remarks came on Tuesday at the conclusion of a two-day visit by a delegation of the Organization of American States. "Although the commission concludes that progress was made during its visit, it must recognize that there still no disposition toward full acceptance of the San Jose Accord on the part of Mr. Micheletti or his supporters," Stagno said. The proposed San Jose Accord aims to resolve nearly two months of political turmoil that Honduras has faced following the June 28 coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya. The delegation, which consisted of seven foreign ministers and included the participation of OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza, met with representatives of all branches of government, presidential candidates, the military, clergy, businessmen and representatives of various sectors of Honduran society. "The majority of the actors expressed their conformity with the foundations of the San Jose Accord, although many of them expressed concerns about the same," Stagno said. The biggest obstacles were two points in the proposed agreement: one calling for Zelaya's return to power, and another calling for a temporary political amnesty for both sides. The delegation also spoke with Zelaya supporters, including his wife, who said that the ousted president was willing to accept the San Jose Accord and abide by it immediately. Originally, Zelaya's negotiators had walked away from the proposal, offered by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, citing the intransigence of Micheletti's team. In support of the OAS delegation, the United States announced Tuesday that many visas for Hondurans would be suspended. The United Nations and the European Union have condemned the coup and have refused to recognize the provisional government led by former congressional leader Micheletti. Micheletti has insisted that Zelaya was not overthrown but instead was replaced through constitutional means. The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution, even though the country's congress had outlawed the vote and the Honduran Supreme Court had ruled it illegal.	[ "Who did delegation speak with?", "What does Micheletti insist?", "Who did the delegation speak to?", "Who spoke with Zelaya supporters?", "What does San Jose Accord aim to resolve?", "Who announced that many visas for Hondurans would be suspended?", "What has the US announced?" ]	[ [ "representatives of all branches of government," ], [ "that Zelaya was not overthrown but instead was replaced through constitutional means." ], [ "with representatives of all branches of government, presidential candidates, the military, clergy, businessmen and representatives of various sectors of Honduran society." ], [ "delegation" ], [ "nearly two months of political turmoil that Honduras has faced following the June 28 coup" ], [ "United States" ], [ "many visas for Hondurans would be suspended." ] ]	Proposed San Jose Accord aims to resolve nearly two months of political turmoil . Delegation spoke with Zelaya supporters, representatives of Honduran government . United States announces that many visas for Hondurans would be suspended . Micheletti insists Zelaya was replaced through constitutional means, not overthrown .
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (CNN) -- The head of the Organization of American States said Friday he has found no willingness among leaders of Honduras' interim government to return President Jose Manuel Zelaya to power. OAS Secretary General Jose Insulza doubts Honduras' new leaders will restore ousted President Jose Zelaya. "They have, for the moment, no intention of reversing the situation," Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza told reporters. He said he had reached that conclusion after speaking Friday with members of the Supreme Court, among others. Insulza also rejected assertions by the interim government that the change in leadership was not really a coup d'etat. "I don't know what else you would call it when a group of military take a president out of power and sends him to another country," he said. At the end of Insulza's comments, Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Lorena Alvarado said Honduras is willing to withdraw from the OAS. "If the Organization of American States doesn't deem Honduras worthy of membership of the Organization of American States, then Honduras would renounce, with immediate effect, the inter-American charter." Vice Chancellor Martha Lorena de Casco also said Honduras was ready to leave the OAS, which she called a political organization rather than a tribunal of justice. "Honduras will defend its sovereignty," she said in a televised response. Zelaya was ousted in a military-led coup Sunday and sent to Costa Rica in his pajamas. The same day, the Honduran Congress voted to install Roberto Micheletti as interim president. That sparked international condemnation, with the OAS on Tuesday passing a resolution calling for Zelaya's reinstatement by Saturday and threatening to suspend Honduras from the group. Zelaya has said he will return this weekend with presidents of other OAS member countries, despite Micheletti's vow to have him arrested for violating the country's constitution if he does so. On Friday, thousands of people assembled in front of the presidential residence in Tegucigalpa, where Micheletti praised the armed forces for their efforts and offered a different version of events. "We must tell the world that there was no coup d'etat here," he said, his voice hoarse. "It wasn't a coup! It wasn't a coup!" He promised that the nation would revert to a democracy, but did not say when. "Here, in front of Honduras and the entire world, I guarantee we will have free elections, as soon as we decide when," he said. Micheletti has promised not to run in elections slated for November. "You may choose any candidate from any party," he told the crowd. "I want to tell you that I am governing for all political parties. I am governing for the poor, for the businessmen, for the rich, for the children and for all the people of Honduras." Though the two sides appeared far apart, a compromise might be possible, said Jennifer McCoy, an Americas expert at the Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center. "The options are that neither side backs down and that President Zelaya shows up tomorrow and the police are there waiting to arrest him." If Zelaya returns accompanied by international figures, the result would be "awkward," she said. McCoy added there could be "some kind of compromise, including mutual guarantees." One such scenario -- Zelaya's promise not to pursue legal action against the coup plotters in exchange for their agreement to step aside and not to pursue his Cabinet ministers who are in hiding. McCoy praised U.S. President Obama for supporting Zelaya without qualification. "By taking the principled stand for democracy that he took in this case in favor of a government that is an ally of Venezuela, he did not let politics intervene. This is a change from the previous administration," she said. McCoy was referring to the tacit U.S. approval that was given to the coup that in 2002 briefly toppled leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has been a consistent U.S. critic. "It helps to recuperate the pro-democracy credential of the	[ "According to the OAS head, will Honduras' interim leadership restore ousted Zelaya?", "What does OAS doubt?", "Who vows to return?", "From what is Honduras preparing to withdraw?", "What will restore ousted President Zelaya?", "Who doubts the interim leadership?", "What did Zelaya vow?", "who vows to return to his country?" ]	[ [ "no willingness" ], [ "Honduras' new leaders will restore ousted President Jose Zelaya." ], [ "President Jose Manuel Zelaya" ], [ "the OAS." ], [ "new leaders" ], [ "OAS Secretary General Jose Insulza" ], [ "not to pursue legal action against the coup plotters in exchange for their agreement to step aside and not to pursue his Cabinet ministers who are in hiding." ], [ "President Jose Zelaya." ] ]	OAS head doubts Honduras' interim leadership will restore ousted President Zelaya . Vice chancellor: Honduras prepared to withdraw from OAS . Zelaya vows to return to country despite arrest threat .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A defiant and chaotic protest sprouted in and around a public square Monday despite a warning by Iran's Revolutionary Guard against the kind of street demonstrations that have roiled Iran for more than a week, witnesses said. Security forces patrol the streets of Tehran on Monday. Thousands of Iranians congregated and passed through Haft-e Tir Square, but riot police and the pro-government Basij militia confronted them and smacked their batons against their shin guards, making loud cracking sounds that seemed like gunshots, the witnesses said. As the protests continued, an election official with the Interior Ministry said the "box-by-box details" of the ballots -- which were confidential in previous elections -- would be released in response to claims that the election was rigged, Press TV reported. Iran's Guardian Council declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of the election with 62.63 percent of the vote. His closest rival, Mir Hossein Moussavi, received 33.75 percent, surprising many experts who expected him to win. Iranians have continued protesting the results by taking to the streets. Most stores around the square were closed as the unrest reverberated, with some guarding against damage by erecting steel fences on their windows. Helicopters hovered overhead as the security forces wielded batons and used a spray to push the crowd out of the square. After that, police chased down demonstrators in nearby alleys and streets, with protesters and lawmen playing cat and mouse over several tension-filled hours until the crowd began to thin out around dusk. There were isolated face-offs and quarrels that broke out between demonstrators and the riot police and the Basij militia -- a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard, a military unit under the direct control of Iran's supreme leader. There were no reports of serious injuries, but there were at least eight arrests, witnesses said. "Thirty years after the revolution, this is what we get," one man said dejectedly, watching the noisy and chaotic scene as he remembered the birth and the promise of Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. The location was the spot where a vigil was to be held in memory of Neda, a young woman who became a symbol for the opposition after her death was caught on camera. While Internet postings on Twitter, Facebook and an Iranian opposition leader's Web site had mentioned a possible rally, it was unclear whether people who were at the square were there for a vigil. Some people were clad in black, a symbol of mourning, but placards and banners about Neda and candles have not been seen. However, security forces and demonstrators appeared at the square at the time the vigil was to be held. Watch how women are on front line of protests » Meanwhile, a message on opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi's Facebook page, which could not be authenticated, called for a peaceful demonstration in Tehran on Thursday to honor the dead. "We are waiting for the route of the march to be announced as well as the location of the sit-in," the message said. "Presently the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic seems to be the safest place for the sit-in, so that we can mourn for our martyrs in a place that is close to the spirit of that free man. Demonstrators Monday had brushed off a warning from the Revolutionary Guard that people who "disturb the peace and stand up to security forces" would be met with a strong response. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted the Revolutionary Guard as saying "the guardians of the Islamic revolution and the courageous Basiji together with the security forces following the orders of the supreme leader and following him unquestioningly." It said the authorities "are determined to act strongly to return peace and tranquility to society ... and to clean the country of these plotters and hooligans." Iran's Revolutionary Guard is directly under the control of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and enforces the government's Islamic codes and morality. With more than 200,000 members, it is tasked with overseeing the country's crucial interests	[ "Who was playing cat and mouse with police?", "What will interior ministry release?", "Who was smacking batons against shin guards?", "What are the interior ministry releasing?", "What will release Interior Ministry?", "Who smack batons?", "What will interior ministry release", "Who smacks batons against shin guards?", "Who passed through the square?", "who are propesters?", "what did basij militia do" ]	[ [ "protesters" ], [ "\"box-by-box details\" of the ballots" ], [ "riot police and the pro-government Basij militia" ], [ "\"box-by-box details\" of the ballots" ], [ "\"box-by-box details\" of the ballots" ], [ "riot police and the pro-government Basij militia" ], [ "\"box-by-box details\" of the ballots" ], [ "Basij militia" ], [ "Thousands of Iranians" ], [ "Iranians" ], [ "confronted them and smacked their batons against their shin guards, making loud cracking sounds that seemed like gunshots," ] ]	NEW: Interior Ministry will release box-by-box ballot details, Press TV reports . Basij militia smack batons against shin guards as protesters pass through square . Helicopters hover as thousands play cat and mouse with police, witnesses say . At least 8 reported arrested, but no reports of serious injuries .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A funeral procession for a senior Iraqi Shiite leader wound through the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital, on Thursday. Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, seen in a 2007 photo, was an ally of both the U.S. and Iran. Mourners turned out to say goodbye to Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who spent 20 years in exile in Iran before returning to Iraq after U.S.-led forces toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The funeral procession started at the Iraqi Embassy in Tehran, said Haitham al-Husseini, a senior official with al-Hakim's office and one of his advisers. Iraqi and Iranian government officials attended the procession with senior religious figures and some members of the Iraqi parliament. Another funeral procession is scheduled to be held Friday in Baghdad, Iraq, before the casket travels to several parts of southern Iraq with large Shiite populations. Authorities are concerned about security since Sunni insurgents have targeted large Shiite gatherings in the past. The Iraqi government announced the start of three days of mourning on Thursday, according to state television in Iraq. Al-Hakim died Wednesday in Tehran after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 59. He will be buried in his hometown of Najaf, one of the holiest cities for Shiite Muslims, al-Husseini said. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill and the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, described him as "a national hero" in a joint statement that expressed sadness over the death. "Throughout his life, His Eminence demonstrated courage and fortitude, contributing to the building of a new Iraq," the statement said. "We offer our sincere condolences to his family and colleagues. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki also offered condolences, saying al-Hakim was "like an old brother." Al-Maliki credited him for being a "strong supporter during the phase of fighting the ousted regime and a key figure in the process of building the new Iraq." Watch how al-Hakim helped shape Iraq's future » "His death at this critical stage that we are passing through is a great loss for Iraq," al-Maliki said. Al-Hakim ended his exile in Iran in 2003 when he returned to Iraq after Hussein and his regime were toppled. "It was very emotional for me to meet with my people after Saddam fell," al-Hakim said in a 2006 interview. "I was longing to see them, my goal in this life is to serve those great people and I am very proud to be a part of them." Iraqi Shiites were suppressed under the Hussein regime, which favored the country's minority Sunni Muslims. Al-Hakim played a central role in shaping Iraq's future following his return. During his exile, which began in the early 1980s, al-Hakim commanded the Badr Brigades, the military wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI. SCIRI -- a religious opposition movement to the Hussein regime -- was led by al-Hakim's brother until he was assassinated in August 2003. Al-Hakim himself was also the target of assassination attempts. He took over as the head of SCIRI and began his ascent to power as the Badr Brigades became the bulk of the Iraqi security forces in Iraq's predominantly Shiite south. SCIRI changed its name to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) in 2007 to remove the word "revolution," in an effort to reflect the situation in Iraq. Al-Hakim had always propagated a message of peace, calling on Iraqis to stop taking part in the bitter sectarian conflict that followed the fall of Hussein. But despite his desire for a secular democracy in Iraq, he wanted a country that recognized the importance of religion, religious institutions and its authorities. Al-Hakim successfully harnessed the fervor generated from emotional religious rituals like Ashura, a national day of fasting, and turned them into a powerful political platform. That ability led some to consider him Iraq's most powerful man.	[ "Who was one of Iraq's most powerful, respected leaders?", "For how long did Al-akim live in exile in Iran", "How long did he spend in exile?", "What was the funeral for?", "Where was he in exile?", "Name the two places where the funeral procession will take place", "What did he do before?" ]	[ [ "Abdul Aziz al-Hakim," ], [ "20 years" ], [ "20 years" ], [ "Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim," ], [ "Iran" ], [ "Baghdad, Iraq," ], [ "commanded the Badr Brigades," ] ]	Funeral procession for Abdul Aziz al-Hakim in Tehran; another set for Baghdad . Iraqi Shiite leader spent 20 years in exile in Iran; returned after fall of Hussein . Al-Hakim headed Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, helped shape Iraq's future . He never held public office but was one of Iraq's most powerful, respected leaders .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- An Iranian airliner that crashed Wednesday, killing all 168 passengers and crew, plunged into the ground and disintegrated on impact, according to a security official. Debris from the plane was littered around the crash site. Images of the crash site show a smoldering crater scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports. Ten members of the country's youth judo team were aboard the Caspian Airlines plane, said several sources, including Iran's Press TV. The government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches. The plane "disintegrated into pieces," said Col. Masood Jafari Nasab, security commander of Qazvin, the city nearest to the crash site in northwestern Iran. "The aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact, where you see the crater," a witness told Press TV from the crash site. Watch images of the crash site » The plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been found, state television reported late Wednesday. The crash was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year, following crashes of planes flown by Colgan Air, Turkish Airlines, Air France and Yemenia Airways. A US Airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the Hudson river in New York City in January, with no major injuries, after the plane lost power. But aviation safety expert John Wiley said there is no reason to fear air travel in general, and no single airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous. The three most recent crashes -- in which a total of 548 people died -- involved different planes, flown by different airlines, in different stages of flight, he said. Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 -- a Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154M plane -- went down near the village of Jannatabad near Qazvin at 11:33 a.m. (2:03 a.m. ET) Wednesday, Press TV reported. Conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems, the network's Web site reported, citing the managing director of Iran's airport authority without naming him. Some witnesses say the plane caught fire before crashing, Press TV said. The plane descended very quickly, Wiley told CNN, but it may have been circling, trying to land, rather than plummeting to the ground. Qazvin Police Chief Hossein Behzadpour and Mohammad Reza Montazer Khorasan, the head of the disaster management center in Iran's health ministry, both confirmed that all 168 people on board died, Press TV reported. The U.S. State Department, in a statement, extended its condolences to the victims. Department spokesman Ian Kelly said officials were working to determine whether any Americans were on board. Aviation analyst Kieran Daly told CNN that many aircraft operating in Iran are aging Tupolevs, some dating back to the 1970s. He described Tupolevs as "workhorses of the old Soviet aviation system." But he said the Caspian Airlines fleet is based on a slightly newer design, dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s. Pictures from the scene were "consistent with a high-speed impact," he said. But he added that there could be large debris not seen on television, and that could change his analysis. Watch Daly talk about the crash » A team of investigators from the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee is flying to the crash scene to join the investigation, the agency said in a posting on its Web site. They will work alongside Iranian aviation authorities, the agency said. An agency official declined to comment further, saying the plane was operated by an Iranian company and nothing is known about it. A Tupolev representative told CNN the manufacturer will not comment until the aviation committee releases its report on the crash. The Tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the West because it does not comply with European noise and pollution regulations, but it has a safer-than-average accident record, Wiley said. Wednesday's crash is the first on record for Caspian Airlines, which was founded in 1993, he added. The Iranian newspaper Hamshahri reported	[ "Did they find the data recorder?", "Where did the plane crash?", "How many are believed to be dead in the Iranian plane crash?", "How many died?", "What does state TV report?" ]	[ [ "have been found, state television reported late Wednesday." ], [ "in northwestern Iran." ], [ "all 168 passengers" ], [ "killing all 168 passengers and crew," ], [ "Ten members of the country's youth judo team were aboard the Caspian Airlines plane," ] ]	State TV reports plane's flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder found . All 168 aboard believed to be dead in Iranian plane crash . Plane is thought to have crashed near the Iranian city of Qazvin . Qazvin is the largest city in the province of Qazvin .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales arrived Monday in Iran on his first official visit to the country, the Iranian Press TV reported. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, greets Bolivia's leader, Evo Morales, on Monday in Tehran. Morales is expected to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "review issues of mutual interest" between the Islamic republic and the leftist South American nation, according to the national news agency IRNA. The Bolivian leader arrived in Tehran from Libya, where he met with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Morales has described Iran and Bolivia as "two friendly and revolutionary countries," Press TV said. "The two countries are both energy producers and are staunchly opposed to U.S. hegemony." Morales, a former labor organizer and the country's first indigenous president, was elected in 2005. Like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, with whom he maintains strong ties, Morales has sought to improve his relationship with Tehran.	[ "What is Bolivia and Iran staunchly opposed to?", "Who is the Bolivian President?", "What is the name of the Bolivian president?", "What is the Bolivian leader going to review with the Iranian president?", "Who did Morales meet with?", "Who is the Bolivian leader?", "Who will the Bolivian leader review issues with?", "Who is the Libyan leader?", "What is Iran opposed to?", "Who is the president of Bolivia?", "What are Bolivian leaders reviewing?", "What are Bolivia and Iran opposed to?" ]	[ [ "U.S. hegemony.\"" ], [ "Evo Morales" ], [ "Evo Morales" ], [ "\"review issues of mutual interest\"" ], [ "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," ], [ "President Evo Morales" ], [ "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "Moammar Gadhafi." ], [ "U.S. hegemony.\"" ], [ "Evo Morales" ], [ "\"review issues of mutual interest\"" ], [ "U.S. hegemony.\"" ] ]	Bolivian leader to "review issues of mutual interest" with Iran's president . Bolivian President Evo Morales has sought to improve ties with Iran . Bolivia, Iran "staunchly opposed to U.S. hegemony," Morales says . Morales met with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi before Iran trip .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Dancing in public is not allowed in Iran, but thousands could hardly contain themselves at a recent presidential campaign rally in the capital city, Tehran. Supporters hope Zahra Rahnavard will become Iran's future first lady. On this day, the deafening cheers were not for presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi, but rather for his wife -- a woman some are calling Iran's Michelle Obama. The comparisons to the first lady of the United States stem from the role Zahra Rahnavard is playing in her husband's quest for the presidency. Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a candidate put his wife in the forefront of his campaign. Wherever Mousavi -- a centrist candidate -- goes, Rahnavard is usually nearby. Watch more about Zahra Rahnavard » "We look at her and we say, 'we want to be like her in the future, ' " said Shakiba Shakerhosseie, one of 12,000 people who packed into Tehran's indoor Azadi (Freedom) sports stadium to hear Rahnavard speak. Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile. The revolution also ended the ceremonial role of first lady that the last queen, Farah, enjoyed. At this rally, Rahnavard -- a writer and art professor -- spoke for her husband, who was campaigning elsewhere. Wearing a floral headscarf and a traditional black chador -- a full-length loose robe that women in Iran wear like a cloak -- Rahnavard called for freedoms she says were lost during President Mahmoud Ahmadijenad's term. "I hope freedom of speech, freedom of the pen and freedom of thought will not be forgotten," she said. The crowd, which was clad in Mousavi's trademark color green, cheered wildly. It waved placards with his picture and swayed from side to side, chanting and beating drums. The women sat on one side; the men on the other. The overwhelming majority were young voters, many of whom said they attended because of Mousavi's wife, a mother of three. Iran's population -- estimated at more than 66 million -- has a median age of 27. "I am really angry here in Iran with the position of women," said Saghar Kouhestani, adding that she supports Mousavi because of his wife. Mousavi, a former prime minister, is considered a threat to Ahmadinejad, a hard-liner, in the June 12 elections. He is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy during a bloody eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s. Over the weekend, the Iranian government blocked access to the social networking site Facebook, where Mousavi has a page with more than 5,000 supporters, the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) said. Those attempting to visit Facebook received a message in Farsi saying, "Access to this site is not possible." Political science professor Mohammad Marandi downplays Rahnavard's impact. She may win over reformists and women, he says, but what will win the election is a solution to the floundering economy and a strong performance in the debates. "If Ahmadinejad does well in the debates, I don't think anyone will be able to defeat him," Marandi said. But try selling that to Rahnavard's enthusiastic supporters. "This is the first time after the Revolution we see a lady behind the president," said Farhad Mahmoudi. "And this is why we're so happy because we can have a first lady."	[ "who generates huge crowds", "What voters could it draw?", "in what country does this take place", "Who is Mousavi?", "who is the husband of this woman", "What is media age of young Iranian voters?", "Who's wife is generating crowds?" ]	[ [ "Zahra Rahnavard" ], [ "reformists and women," ], [ "Iran," ], [ "presidential hopeful" ], [ "Mir Hossein Mousavi," ], [ "27." ], [ "presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi," ] ]	Wife of presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi generates huge crowds . Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a wife been in the forefront . "This is the first time after the Revolution we see a lady behind the president" Could draw young voters in Iran, where median age is 27 .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran has released a French academic from prison, though it's not clear when Clotilde Reiss can return home, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office announced Sunday. French national Clotilde Reiss, right, and British embassy worker Hossein Rassam, far left, in court. Reiss, 24, is the second French woman facing charges as part of mass trials in Iran who was released on bond. French authorities are now demanding that Iran drop all charges against Reiss and Nazak Afshar -- an employee of the French embassy in Tehran who was released August 8, the statement from Sarkozy's office said. They were arrested in connection with protests after the June 12 presidential election. Reiss will stay at the French embassy in Tehran while she awaits her return to France, the statement said. She has spoken with her father and is good health and spirits, it said. Iranian media reported Reiss admitted to crimes in court Saturday in connection with protests after the presidential election, and asked for clemency. "I shouldn't have participated in the illegal demonstration and shouldn't have sent the pictures, I am regretful," the semi-official Fars news agency has quoted her as saying. "I apologize to the Iranian people and court and I hope the people and the court forgive me." Human rights groups and Iran's opposition leaders have accused the government of forcing people to make such confessions. Iranian authorities arrested about 4,000 people amid protests against the controversial election, judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi has said, according to the Iran Labor News Agency. He said 3,700 were released in the first week. But 100 defendants, including Afshar, Reiss, and an Iranian employee of the British embassy, appeared this month in Tehran's Revolutionary Court at a mass trial on charges related to recent post-election violence. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the official result of the vote -- the re-election of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The government said he won by a landslide, but his opponents accused officials of rigging the results. A crackdown by security forces followed, and at least 30 people died in the violence.	[ "Who has been arrested in connection with the protests?", "Who else has been arrested?", "Who is Reiss'?", "Who is Clotilde Reiss?", "What are french officials not sure about?", "How many French women have been released on bond?", "What was the date of the election?" ]	[ [ "Reiss and Nazak Afshar" ], [ "and Nazak Afshar" ], [ "French national" ], [ "a French academic" ], [ "Reiss can return home," ], [ "3,700 were" ], [ "June 12" ] ]	Not clear when Clotilde Reiss can return home, French officials said . Reiss, 24, is second French woman facing charges released on bond . Reiss and Nazak Afshar arrested in connection with protests after June 12 election .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday called the U.S. president inexperienced, compared him unfavorably to President George W. Bush and suggested he apologize for "interfering in Iran's affairs." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at President Obama on Thursday. "Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush," the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "You are at the beginning of your way and you are gaining experience, and we do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated during your term of office," the Iranian leader said. President Obama, who has been in office for five months, has been treading a careful line on Iran, which has seen two weeks of street demonstrations following a disputed presidential election there. Watch how U.S.-Iran relations got to this point Pro-government security forces have cracked down on the protests, with officials saying 17 people have died. Unofficial reports suggest the number is much higher. Official results gave Ahmadinejad a 2-to-1 victory over his nearest rival, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi. Moussavi says the results were rigged. Obama has said Iranians must be free to demonstrate peacefully, and his administration Wednesday withdrew invitations to Iranian diplomats around the world to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties. The extension of invitations last month was seen as a cautious outreach to Iran, which has not had diplomatic relations with Washington for 30 years. Obama wrote secretly to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before the election, Iranian sources confirmed Wednesday. See photos from post-election violence » Obama said Tuesday that Iran's government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States, but in the opinion of its own people. "A sizable percentage of the Iranian people themselves ... consider this election illegitimate," he said at a White House news conference. "It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity," he said. "We hope they take it." Timeline of election violence » Ahmadinejad said Thursday that even 5- and 6-year-olds would not allow insults to the Iranian nation, telling Obama: "We hope that you will avoid interfering in Iran's affairs and somehow express your regret so that the Iranian nation can become aware of your regret. If there is real change, the Iranian nation will welcome it."	[ "What did Obama say?", "Who said, \"We do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated\"?", "When did Obama write to Iran's supreme leader?", "Who wrote to the supreme leader?", "Who wrote to Iran's supreme leader before the election?", "What did Ahmadinejad say?", "What does Obama say about the demonstrations?", "Where has the post-election violence been taking place for two weeks?" ]	[ [ "Iranians must be free to demonstrate peacefully," ], [ "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "before the election," ], [ "Obama" ], [ "Obama" ], [ "\"Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush,\"" ], [ "Iranians must be free to demonstrate peacefully," ], [ "Iran," ] ]	Ahmadinejad: "We do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated" Iran has been in gripped in post-election violence for two weeks . Obama has said that Iranians must be permitted to demonstrate peacefully . U.S. president secretly wrote to Iran's supreme leader before the election .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's election authority has rejected claims of voting irregularities by a defeated presidential candidate, while acknowledging that the number of ballots cast in dozens of cities exceeded the number of eligible voters there, state-run TV reported Monday. Protesters face Iranian riot police on a street in Tehran on Saturday. Iran's Guardian Council -- which approves all candidates running for office and verifies election results -- said candidate Mohsen Rezaie alleged irregularities in 170 cities, and that excessive ballots were found in 50 cities, according to government-funded Press TV. Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said voting in those locations did not noticeably affect the outcome of the election, adding that the council will continue to investigate complaints that are filed through "legal channels," Press TV said. The council declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of the June 12 election. Rezaie had reported some irregularities and called for a recount of some ballots, while opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi and candidate Mehdi Karrubi have rejected the election as fraudulent and demanded a new one. Earlier Sunday, thousands of riot police and militia lined Tehran's streets as the public rift among Iranian leaders appeared to be widening. The country's foreign minister disputed allegations of ballot irregularities in Iran's disputed presidential election, and the parliamentary speaker implied the nation's election authorities had sided with one candidate. Amateur video showed large crowds marching down a major Tehran thoroughfare shouting, "Don't be afraid, we're together!" and "Death to dictator!" The person who shot the video said it was taken Sunday, but CNN could not immediately verify that the protest had taken place. Eyewitnesses reported a protest also took place at southern Tehran's Azad University, where final exams were postponed after about 200 students refused to take them. Thousands of riot police and members of the Basij militia lined the streets of the city, according to eyewitnesses. Security personnel surrounded the headquarters of the country's state television and radio. Many shops were closed, and shopkeepers whose stores were open said they planned to close early Sunday. However, no tanks were seen on the city's streets. Traffic was light. Watch amateur video of a volunteer paramilitary forces headquarters burning in Tehran » A statement purportedly from Moussavi on Sunday called on Iranians to "exercise self control" during protests in Tehran, while still supporting their right to demonstrate against the government and the results of the disputed June 12 presidential election. "The country belongs to you. The revolution and the system is your heritage," the statement attributed to Moussavi said in a statement posted on his Web site. "Protesting against lies and cheating is your right. Be hopeful about regaining your rights. Do not allow anyone who tries to make you lose hope and frighten you make you lose your temper." The authenticity of the message could not be verified; it was posted in Farsi and translated by CNN. The message came a day after hospital sources said 19 people were killed in clashes between anti-government protesters and police. Unconfirmed reports put the death toll as high as 150. See images of the clashes Saturday » "The sad news of the martyrdom of another group who protested the results of the elections has caused our society astonishment and our people mourn them," said the statement attributed to Moussavi. "Firing on people, militarization of the city's atmosphere, threats, agitations and show of force are all the illegitimate children of law breaking and we are facing all of that. It is a wonder that the perpetrators accuse others of breaking the law for expressing their opinions." Watch how social-networking sites spread the word on Iranian news » Police have not been given permission to use firearms in confronting protesters, Tehran Police Chief Azizollah Rajabpour told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency. Police have not used firearms on the public, he said. Allegations to the contrary are false and "spread by those who want to muddy the waters," the agency reported. News coverage in Iran has been limited by government restrictions on international journalists. On	[ "who are the leaders?", "When it was released on video?" ]	[ [ "Mir Hossein Moussavi" ], [ "Sunday," ] ]	NEW: Iran's Press TV: Council acknowledges excessive balloting in 50 cities . Amateur video purportedly shows protesters in Tehran for eighth straight day . Rift between Iranian leaders seems to be growing . On Web site, purported message from Moussavi supports protests, urges caution .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader is warning the thousands of people who have been protesting last week's presidential vote to maintain self-restraint or face a stiff reaction from authorities. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a crowd in Tehran during Friday prayers. Members of the opposition -- who have staged noisy demonstrations for the last six days to protest what they believe was a rigged election -- are weighing their options after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei drew a line in the sand during his all-important sermon during Friday prayers. The supreme leader declared last week's presidential election a "definitive victory" for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and sloughed off charges of vote tampering. "Any extremist move will fan up another extremist move," said Khamenei, who criticized the street protests and said those who caused violence during demonstrations would be held accountable. "If the political elite want to ignore law and break the law and take wrong measures which are harmful willy nilly, they will be held accountable for all the violence and blood and rioting." Khamenei called on those who don't believe the results to use proper legal avenues, such as requesting a recount they could observe. Watch Khamenei deny allegations of vote-rigging » He did not, however, issue a call for a new vote -- a move that opposition leaders such as Mir Hossein Moussavi have been demanding. Instead, he passionately defended the election as he addressed a crowd at Tehran University. The election is expected to be a topic of conversation on Saturday before the Guardian Council, which supervises the country's elections. A council official said the body has invited three candidates -- Moussavi, Mehdi Barrubi, and Mohsen Rezaie -- to its meeting to discuss any issues they see fit, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. Watch Khamenei defend the outcome of the election » More protest rallies are planned for Saturday -- one sponsored by supporters of opposition candidates Moussavi and Karrubi and another by supporters of former President Mohammed Khatami. While both camps said they had no plans to cancel the marches, the Interior Ministry told FARS news agency there were no permits issued for either event. Analysts and observers are now debating what will happen next as more developments emerged on Friday. "We do not yet know whether Ahmadinejad will stay, whether Mousavi will somehow be given a second chance, and if the ongoing political struggle will affect the security of the Supreme Leader," Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic & International Studies wrote in a paper published Friday after the speech. Watch CNN's Christiane Amanpour describe what she saw while reporting on Iran election » He said that it's clear Khamenei is backing Ahmadinejad and any review of the election will be under those loyal to the supreme leader. But at the same time, Khamenei "cannot put this genie back in the bottle." "Whatever happens, if Ahmadinejad stays without a truly legitimate election, the result will fester, not go away. Every embarrassing new piece of excessive rhetoric, every new threat to Iran's neighbors, every new problem in the economy, and every new act of social repression will be a reminder of the fact that Iran's leadership has questionable legitimacy at best," Cordesman wrote. Human rights monitor Amnesty International issued a statement on Friday saying Khamenei's sermon "indicates the authorities' readiness to launch violent crackdowns if people continue to protest which may cause a widespread loss of life." "We are extremely disturbed at statements made by Ayatollah Khamenei which seem to give the green light to security forces to violently handle protesters exercising their right to demonstrate and express their views," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa program. "If large numbers of people take to the street in protests in the next couple of days, we fear that they will face arbitrary arrest and excessive use of force, as has happened in recent days." The group said Khamenei should have warned security to act with restraint. "For a head of state to put the onus of security on peaceful demonstrators	[ "what do Khamenei say?", "Who has to maintain self-restraint?" ]	[ [ "\"Any extremist move will fan up another extremist move,\"" ], [ "have been protesting" ] ]	Ayatollah Khamenei urges demonstrators to maintain self-restraint . He criticizes protests, says those who caused violence would be held accountable . He also criticizes international media for how they have portrayed the election . Khamenei says candidates can make appeals through legal avenues .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader on Friday rejected opposition claims that last week's presidential elections were rigged, describing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's win as "definitive" and demanding an end to days of protests. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first address since the June 12 presidential elections. In his first speech since the June 12 election outcome sparked the country's worst unrest in 30 years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the vote accurately reflected the will of the people and accused "enemies of Islam" of stoking anger. He warned opposition leaders, who are planning a new rally on Saturday, against staging further demonstrations, saying they would be held accountable for any violence. The "Islamic establishment would never manipulate votes and commit treason. The legal structure in this country does not allow vote-rigging," Khamenei said, in his first address since the elections. He told a large crowd at Tehran University that the "historic" 85 percent turnout of more than 40 million people was a "political earthquake" and was too large to have been manipulated. "There is a difference of 11 million votes. How can vote-rigging happen?" he added. Watch Khamenei dismiss claims of fraud » Ahmadinejad, whose hardline policies have antagonized Western nations, claimed victory with more than 62 percent of the votes, surprising many experts who had predicted a stronger showing from main opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi. The Ayatollah's speech was likely to come under heavy scrutiny in Iran, amid expectations that, despite conciliatory comments, his strong endorsement of Ahmadinejad will do little to appease Moussavi's emboldened supporters. Read about Iran's power structure » Moussavi's allegations of ballot fraud and calls for a fresh vote have rallied thousands on the streets of Tehran and other cities, in scenes not witnesses in country since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 toppled its monarchy. The unrest prompted Iran to place restrictions on foreign media, limiting their reports on six days of street protests, police arrests and some outbreaks of violence that have left at least eight people dead. Watch militia crackdown » Khamenei described the dispute over the election outcome as a disagreement within Iran's establishment, accusing "foreign enemies" and "Zionists" -- including the United States, Britain and Israel -- of fomenting violence, and criticizing international media coverage of the unrest. Britain's Foreign Office confirmed shortly after the speech that it was summoning Iran's London ambassador in response to Khamenei's comments. His speech was punctuated with exhortations from the crowd, including: "Allah is Great," "Death to Israel," "Death to America," and "Death to Britain." Expressing support for Ahmadinejad, Khamenei accused rival election candidates of insulting the president in the run-up to the vote. "They swore and called the president superstitious and called him names, which is embarrassing. They forgot about morality and law," he said. Khamenei, who has authorized a partial vote recount, said proper legal channels should be used for any challenge to the election outcome. He called for an end to street protests, warning that perpetrators of violence would face punishment. On Thursday, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Iran's capital for the sixth day in a row. Some estimates put the total number of participants in the hundreds of thousands. See where protests have taken place » Moussavi spoke through a bullhorn from atop a building to the throngs of marchers who snaked through the city, in what was described as a peaceful protest. He spoke hours after the Iranian government agreed to meet with candidates for crisis talks to discuss complaints stemming from the election. With restrictions on reporting the unrest, much of the news, video and images emerging from Iran have come via social networking sites, often bypassing authorities' attempts to block applications such as Facebook and Twitter. CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour described Khamenei's address as a heartfelt defense of Iran's establishment but said it was uncertain the opposition would heed his call to end demonstrations. Watch Amanpour discuss speech. »	[ "Who is Khamenei?", "Who rejects claims of ballot rigging?", "Who is Iran's supreme leader?", "What sparked unrest?", "What is his name?", "What is he criticizing?", "What sort of protests?" ]	[ [ "Iran's supreme leader" ], [ "Iran's supreme leader" ], [ "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei" ], [ "June 12 election outcome" ], [ "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei" ], [ "international media coverage of the unrest." ], [ "peaceful" ] ]	Iran's supreme leader rejects claims of ballot rigging in presidential vote . Ayatollah Khamenei delivers first speech since election outcome sparked unrest . He criticizes protests, says those who caused violence would be held accountable . He also criticizes international media for how they have portrayed the election .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian conservatives have said they captured most of the 82 parliamentary seats up for grabs in Friday's runoff election. An Iranian girl drops her mother's ballot for the parliamentary runoff election. Conservatives took about 80 percent of the parliamentary seats, official Mohammad Forouzandeh told the country's semi-official FARS news agency. "The final results are not in yet, but so far, the fundamentalists have 53 seats, Reformists have 12 and the rest went to Independent candidates with fundamentalist tendencies," he said. FARS also published the names of the 11 winners of the Tehran constituency. Ten were conservatives and one was a reformist. Iran's official news agency, IRNA, reported that election results from 47 out of 54 had been finalized, and that the final count would be ready Saturday night. IRNA said voter participation in the second round was 8 percent higher than the second round of the previous election. Last month's first round, in which 204 parliamentary races were settled, was a decisive victory for the hard-line conservatives. The reformists suffered a setback before the March election, when 70 percent of their candidates were disqualified. Iran's conservative Guardian Council screened candidates and disqualified about 1,700 it deemed unsuitable. They were predominantly reformists. The Guardian Council is an unelected body of six high clerics appointed by supreme religious leaders and six lawyers nominated by the head of the judiciary branch. Iran is scheduled to hold its presidential election in the spring of 2009. Ahmadinejad has not announced whether he will run for a second term. E-mail to a friend CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "What percentage of the reformist candidates were disqualified?", "Who claims they captured the most seats in the Iranian parlimentary elections?", "Who captured the most seats in the election?", "Who is the President of Iran?", "Who said they captured most seats in the election?", "What happened to reformists?", "Who suffered a setback when 70 percent of their candidates were disqualified?" ]	[ [ "70 percent" ], [ "conservatives" ], [ "Iranian conservatives" ], [ "Ahmadinejad" ], [ "Iranian conservatives" ], [ "suffered a setback before the March election, when 70 percent of their candidates were disqualified." ], [ "reformists" ] ]	Iranian conservatives say they captured most seats in parliamentary election . Earlier contests seen as victory for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . Reformists suffered setback when 70 percent of their candidates were disqualified .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Marching in dramatic silence, many with tape over their mouths, hundreds of thousands of Iranians kept alive public support for opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi Wednesday even as the government stepped up efforts to thwart daily protests calling for a new presidential election. Supporters of defeated reformist candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi line the streets of Tehran Wednesday. Large crowds gathered in Haft-e-Tir Square in central Tehran Wednesday evening for a fifth day of protests, according to witnesses. The demonstrators are demanding that officials throw out the results of the balloting Friday that kept hardline incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power. More protests are expected Thursday after Moussavi, in a message on his Web site, called for an afternoon "ceremony of mourning," which he planned to attend. Referring to those who have died or been wounded "as a result of illegal and violent clashes" with his opponents, Moussavi urged people to gather in mosques and holy sites and wear "mourning symbols" in a show of sympathy and support for the families. The protests have claimed at least eight lives, according to Iran's government-funded Press TV. The eighth death was included in a report the Intelligence Ministry provided to parliament Wednesday, the network said. View a map of major rallies in Tehran » The National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Majlis briefed lawmakers "about the current situation in the country," Press TV reported. No details of the report have been made public. Iran is also investigating reports of violence at a Tehran University dormitory in the wake of rallies sparked by last week's disputed election. Moussavi and former President Mohammad Khatami sent a joint letter asking Iran's courts to quell post-election violence and release protesters who have been arrested. The letter, posted on Moussavi's Web site, said, "the use of violence against ordinary people, raiding people's residences just because they chant the sacred phrase of Allh-o-akbar (Allah is great), beating up women and men, destroying buildings" is not in line with the standards of the Islamic Republic. For a second day Wednesday, pro-Moussavi marchers urged their peers to march silently -- perhaps as a way of keeping a low profile in the face of riot police, witnesses told CNN. Protesters held placards and posters reading, "Where is my vote?" and "Freedom," the witnesses said. Some held signs that said "Silence" and put their finger to their lips. Several business owners reported that they closed up shop early so their employees could attend Wednesday's rally. The government cracked down by banning international media from covering the protests and blocking access to Web sites. Watch Christiane Amanpour on media restrictions » A CNN iReporter who is not being identified said Wednesday's rally ended without incident. "The people of Iran are finally fed up with the lies, the temperament, the foolish actions of Ahmadinejad," a 20-year-old Iranian man told CNN. Authorities in Tehran transported dozens of protesters to jail Tuesday and blocked access to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The government accused international reporters of being the "mouthpiece" of "hooligans" who have created unrest, and said it could not guarantee the safety of those reporters. (Full story) "I do believe them because the militia, they don't care who you are. If they see a camera, you will be a target," said a CNN producer who is not being identified for his safety. He was referring to the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force that takes its orders from the Revolutionary Guard and is suspected of being behind most of the violent acts. Citizens were barred from using typical means of getting Iran's stories to the outside world, but amateur videos and photos blossomed on sites such as YouTube and CNN's iReport. The content was impossible to verify in most cases, and much of it was posted anonymously or through third parties, some with little information. iReport.com: On the ground in Iran Iran's Revolutionary Guard corps said it	[ "What leader is supported in Tehran?", "Where do thousands protest?" ]	[ [ "Mir Hossein Moussavi" ], [ "Haft-e-Tir Square in central Tehran" ] ]	Thousands protest in Tehran in support of opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi . Iranian elite military warns of legal action against social networking Web sites . Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei urges Iranians to stand behind republic .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Members of Iran's national soccer team wore green arm and wrist bands Wednesday during their World Cup qualifying match against South Korea. Members of Iran's National Soccer Team sport green bands in their game against South Korea on Wednesday. The team does not normally wear green bands. Many Iranians are viewing the team's bands as a sign of support for Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, although that has not been confirmed. Green is the campaign color of Moussavi and has been widely worn by his supporters who have staged massive rallies in Tehran before and after last week's presidential election. Moussavi is disputing the results of the vote that gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term and is calling for a new election. The players took the wrist bands off when the team came out for the second half of the game that was taking place in Seoul, South Korea. It is unclear whether the players were asked to remove the wrist bands. The match ended 1-1.	[ "what is the campaign color", "What is the campaign colour of Mr Hossein Moussavi?", "What are bands a sign of?", "who did they support", "Where is the Iranian national team playing?", "What is the campaign color for Mir Hossein Moussavi", "what sport were they playing" ]	[ [ "Green" ], [ "Green" ], [ "support for Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi," ], [ "Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi," ], [ "Seoul, South Korea." ], [ "Green" ], [ "soccer" ] ]	Many Iranians viewing team's bands as a sign of support for opposition leader . Green is the campaign color of Mir Hossein Moussavi . Iranian national team was playing a World Cup qualifier in Seoul, South Korea .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The Arab world is among the worldwide audience that has been closely watching as events in Iran have unfolded over the past week. Protesters fight running battles with motorcycle-mounted militia members Saturday in Tehran. "In all honesty, I am amazed by these Iranians," Egyptian human rights activist and blogger Walid Abbas posted on his Twitter page. "I have no green t-shirt" Abbas tweeted Saturday. He was referring to the color worn by many supporters of opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi, whose supposed failure to win last week's election sparked the wave of unrest that has gripped the nation. Watching the events unfolding in Iran on Twitter, Youtube and other social networks, the Egyptian activist said he is learning from the Iranian activists. He said he does not support Moussavi because he is part of the Mullah system. "We are not with Moussavi," Abbas tweeted, "We are with the Iranian people and their demands." Taghlob Salah, a 24-year-old Iraqi student at Baghdad Law College, told CNN that the Iranian youths who make up most of the protesters can be inspiring to Iraqis, despite cultural differences. See images of the clashes Saturday » "Despite the difference that we have with Iran and the fact that many Iraqis don't trust their Persian neighbor, we are still Muslims and at the end of the day that matters a lot," he said. "We will look at this phase in Iranian history and learn, for sure and I can say that we will learn from them, 100 percent." Iraq and Iran are culturally linked because their populations are predominantly Shiite Muslims, as opposed to Sunni Muslims who make up the majority of most Arab countries. Salah credited the Internet for giving everyone involved a chance to have their voices heard. "There are so many Iraqi groups all over Facebook," he said. "The world is evolving; we are developing our approach to our surroundings." Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based pan-Arab newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, expressed dismay over the continued protests. He called on Moussavi to be "responsible enough to protect his people and avoid bloodshed, instability and confrontation in his country that may rupture the Iranian internal unity spreading chaos throughout the region." Atwan said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made it clear in his speech during Friday prayers that his patience had run out and he praised the supreme leader for having displayed "leniency" in his dealings with the protesters, but predicted that that leniency would not continue. iReport.com: Share images from Iran Abd Rahman Rashed, editor of the Saudi-owned, London-based Arabic daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, expressed a different point of view. In an editorial published Saturday, Rashed directed comments to Arab supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose landslide victory in last week's election is being challenged by Moussavi and his supporters. "No matter what happens, Iran did technically change and will shift its course in a great way," Rashed wrote. "It is over," he said. "Iran the one system, the street and the agenda is over." They may not understand Farsi or why some Iranians voted for Moussavi, Mehdi Karrubi or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but Arabs can surely relate to the passionate shouts of "God is Great!" And "Down with the dictator" in defiance of Iran's theocracy. Relations between Iran and Arab states have always been tense: through its proxies, Iran sometimes accuses some of the leading Arab states, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, of being subject to the whims of Western imperialism and of failing to confront America and its ally, Israel, in the region. Rashed credited Iranians for speaking with courage against their government's funding of controversial organizations like Hezbollah, Hamas and anti-government groups in Yemen and elsewhere. He said Iranians voted against the current system because they don't want the government to dedicate the country's budget to ally itself to such organizations instead of focusing on the average citizen. Some	[ "What is Iran accused of trying to spread?", "Relations between what countries are tense?", "Who has been watching the events?", "What has happened in Iran?", "Arab world is watching events in what", "What has always been tense?" ]	[ [ "chaos throughout the region.\"" ], [ "Iran and Arab states" ], [ "worldwide audience" ], [ "Protesters fight running battles with motorcycle-mounted militia members" ], [ "Iran" ], [ "Relations between Iran and Arab states" ] ]	Arab world has closely watched as events in Iran have unfolded over past week . Relations between Iran and Arab states have always been tense . Egypt, Morocco accuse Iran of trying to spread Shiite faith among its Sunni population . Some Arab states look to Iran as a regional superpower that can support them .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The bodies of 152 people killed in a fiery plane crash in Iran Wednesday have been returned to their families, an Iranian state broadcaster reported Sunday. An Iranian Armenian woman places flower at crash site. Ahmad Majidi, the head of the special working group investigating the Caspian Airlines crash, also said a Russian team had arrived in Iran to help study the crash of the Russian-made plane, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said. The plane went down in a field near the city of Qavzin Wednesday, killing all 168 people on board and leaving a huge smoldering crater. Majidi did not say what had happened to the 16 bodies that have not been handed over. The plane's flight data recorders have been recovered and are being studied by Iranian and Russian experts, IRIB said. Fragments of the plane are also being examined to help determine the cause of the crash, Majidi said. The plane "disintegrated into pieces," said Col. Masood Jafari Nasab, security commander of Qazvin. See a map of the crash location » Video of the crash site showed a huge crater in the earth scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports. Watch as the flight data recorders are recovered » "The aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact, where you see the crater," a witness told Iran's government-backed Press TV from the crash site. Ten members of the country's youth judo team were aboard the plane, several sources including Press TV reported. The government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches. It was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year, following crashes of planes flown by Colgan Air, Turkish Airlines, Air France and Yemenia Airways. A US Airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the Hudson river in New York City in January, with no major injuries, after the plane lost power. But aviation safety expert John Wiley said there was no reason to fear air travel in general, and no one airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous. Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 -- a Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154M plane -- went down near the village of Jannatabad near Qazvin at 11:33 a.m. (2:03 a.m. ET) Wednesday, Press TV reported. Conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems, the network's Web site reported, citing the managing director of Iran's airport authority without naming him. The Tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the West because it does not comply with European noise and pollution regulations, but it has a safer-than-average accident record, Wiley said. Wednesday's crash is the first on record for Caspian Airlines, which was founded in 1993, he added. The plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff, said the newspaper Hamshari, quoting a spokesman from Iran's civil aviation organization. That would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel, according to International Air Transport Association data. Only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb, 16 to 20 minutes into a flight, when a plane climbs to cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. About half of accidents take place during landing.	[ "How many people were killed in the plane crash?", "How many people were killed in plane crash in Iran?", "Where did Tu-154M go down?", "Where was the plane made?", "What was the number of people killed in the plane crash?", "How many people were killed when Tupolev Tu-154M went down near Qazvin?", "What team went to Iran to help study the crash of Russian-made plane?" ]	[ [ "152" ], [ "The bodies of 152" ], [ "Qavzin" ], [ "Russian-made" ], [ "152" ], [ "168" ], [ "a Russian" ] ]	Bodies of 152 people killed in plane crash in Iran returned to their families . Russian team arrives in Iran to help study crash of Russian-made plane . Iran's Press TV says flight data recorders of crashed plane damaged . All 168 aboard killed when Tupolev Tu-154M went down near Qazvin .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- With hundreds of protesters gathering and riot police out in force on the streets of Tehran, hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the oath of office Wednesday, beginning a second term in a bitterly divided Iran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in Wednesday as Iran's president. He begins his second term. Ahmadinejad, 52, was formally sworn in before Iran's parliament, known as the Majlis, as security forces guarded the building and nearby streets in anticipation of protests. Witnesses reported a heavy police presence -- including members of the pro-government Basij militia -- and several choppers hovering overhead. Some reported protesters, many of them women, sitting in front of the parliament building's entrance. As discontent surfaced yet again, Ahmadinejad vowed to take Iran forward and flung sharp words at those who questioned the validity of the June 12 elections, in which he was declared the winner with almost two-thirds of the vote. He took particular aim at the United States, Britain, France, Italy and Germany, which have not sent formal letters of congratulations to Ahmadinejad. "They said they would recognize the election, but will not congratulate," Ahmadinejad said in his inaugural speech. "This means they only want democracy at the service of their interests and don't respect the people's vote and rights. "Nobody in Iran is waiting for anyone's congratulations," he said. What's next for Iran? » Asked Tuesday whether the White House recognizes Ahmadinejad as the rightful leader of Iran, press secretary Robert Gibbs said, "He's the elected leader." Gibbs expanded on that comment Wednesday, telling reporters "It's not for me or for us to denote his legitimacy, except to acknowledge the fact." "Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that, and we'll let them decide that," Gibbs said. "But I would simply say he's been inaugurated, and we know that is simply a fact." The United States and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since 1980. Britain has maintained ties, but has criticized the Iranian crackdown on protests that followed the disputed election and has not issued a statement of congratulation to Ahmadinejad. However, the British ambassador to Tehran did attend the ceremony, and the Foreign Office in London said the international community still needs to engage Iran on "serious issues," such as its nuclear program. "While we need to engage with Iran's government, today's ceremony does not change our position on Iran's elections," the Foreign Office said. Among others attending Wednesday's ceremony were Iran's top lawmakers, the heads of the three branches of government, the secretary of the Guardian Council and foreign diplomats. But as the camera of the semi-official Press TV panned the hall, an unprecedented number of empty seats were visible. It was unclear whether opposition leaders were boycotting the inauguration. Ahmadinejad struck a note of unity in his attempt to move Iran forward, saying "Who has voted for whom -- this is not the question. Today we need a national resolve. Today we need to join forces." He vowed to promote religion and morality, and support righteousness and spread justice. "I will guard the power that the people have entrusted in me as the sacred trust," Ahmadinejad said. "I will safeguard it like an honest and faithful trustee." Ahmadinejad, however, starts another four years in office with many Iranians questioning his legitimacy. The results of the June 12 election were widely disputed; Ahmadinejad's chief rival, reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi called the elections a "fraud." Since the vote, Iran has seen turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution as thousands have taken to the streets to protest and security forces have brutally cracked down. Analyst Amir Taheri told CNN Wednesday that Ahmadinejad's second term will be closely watched around the world. Taheri said the freshly inaugurated president faces myriad challenges in his second term, among them a faltering economy and a burgeoning popular movement	[ "What has Iran seen?", "What is the name of Iran's president?", "What does Mahmoud begin?", "The Islamic revolution took place in which year?", "When was the election?", "Who is beginning second term as Iran's president?", "Iran has seen turnoil not witnessed since when?" ]	[ [ "turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution" ], [ "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "a second term in a bitterly divided Iran." ], [ "1979" ], [ "June 12" ], [ "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "1980." ] ]	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a second term as Iran's president . The results of the June 12 election were widely disputed, sparking violent protests . Since the vote, Iran has seen turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A Newsweek journalist accused of making false accusations against the Iranian government in the wake of the disputed presidential election in June was released from prison Saturday, Iranian media reported. Various organizations and individuals signed petitions asking for release of journalist Bahari, Newsweek says. Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian correspondent based in Tehran, was among the more than 100 journalists, reformist leaders and former government ministers who went on trial in August in Iran's Revolutionary Court. Bahari was released from Evin prison on nearly $300,000 bail after spending four months behind bars, a revolutionary court spokesman told the news agency. The conditions of his release were not disclosed. Newsweek, which has firmly rejected the allegations against Bahari, reported Saturday that authorities did not specify why the journalist was released. Bahari, 42, is expecting his first child October 26, and "the mother has experienced serious health complications," Newsweek said in an article on its Web site. "Humanitarian considerations were presumed to have played a role in the decision," the article said. "We are relieved that Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari is home with his family today. We would like to thank all of those who supported Maziar through this long and uncertain period," the magazine said in a statement. Newsweek said various organizations and individuals signed petitions asking for his release. Bahari's case was among those raised at recent talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva. The government of Iran arrested more than 1,000 people in a massive crackdown following the June 12 election. Iran's election commission declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race, prompting hundreds of thousands of Iranians to fill the streets of Tehran in protest, contending the election was fraudulent. Bahari was accused of propagandizing against Iran, favoring opposition groups; sending false reports through the foreign media; and disturbing the peace by participating in the post-election demonstrations, according to Fars. The Iranian Labour News Agency said the reporter also was accused of possessing classified documents. According to Fars, Bahari confessed after his arrest at a news conference. CNN was unable to confirm the agency report. Human rights groups have accused prison guards of coercing false confessions among other forms of detainee mistreatment.	[ "In what month was the trial?", "What is the name of Iran's court?", "what were the accusations", "Who stood trial in August in Iran's Revolutionary Court?", "Who was accused of making false accusations against the Iranian Government", "What happened to thousands of people after a disputed election in Iran?", "what were the 100 on trial for", "Who was accused of making false accusations?" ]	[ [ "August" ], [ "Revolutionary" ], [ "Bahari was accused of propagandizing against Iran," ], [ "Maziar Bahari," ], [ "A Newsweek journalist" ], [ "arrested" ], [ "making false accusations against the Iranian" ], [ "Newsweek journalist" ] ]	Maziar Bahari was accused of making false accusations against Iranian government . The Newsweek journalist stood trial in August in Iran's Revolutionary Court . "Humanitarian considerations" thought to play role in release, Newsweek says . Thousands arrested, more than 100 stood trial after disputed presidential election .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A Swiss diplomat was released from jail Thursday after being arrested on a sex charge, the Iranian media reported. The first secretary of the U.S. Interests section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran had been in an "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car, Iran's Press TV reported, citing Iranian police. Police spotted the car with diplomatic plates in a parking lot and caught the diplomat. The woman was "improperly dressed and in an obscene situation," Press TV said. The "sexual relation" occurred after the diplomat, who was not named, promised he would marry the woman, Press TV reported. Both were released on bail. It was not clear what charges were filed against the woman. Press TV said it had contacted the deputy head of the U.S. Interest Section in Tehran, Elizabeth Bucher, but she would not comment on the report. The suspect is a Swiss diplomat who represents the United States in Iran in the absence of a U.S. presence. The United States and Iran have not had full diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic revolution.	[ "What happened to the woman in the car?", "Where does the staffer work?", "Which country's embassy was the diplomat from?", "What was the diplomat said to have been in?", "Swiss embassy staffer was seen with who?", "What did the diplomat promise to the woman?", "What is said to be the relationship of the diplomat and the woman involved in the incident?", "What is the job of the person said to have been involved in an incident of \"indecency\"?" ]	[ [ "\"indecent sexual relation\"" ], [ "the U.S. Interests section of the Swiss Embassy" ], [ "Swiss" ], [ "\"indecent sexual relation\" with an Iranian woman in his car," ], [ "an Iranian woman" ], [ "he would marry the" ], [ "\"indecent sexual relation\"" ], [ "first secretary of the U.S. Interests section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran" ] ]	Diplomat said to have been in "indecent sexual relation" with woman in car . Swiss embassy staffer was seen with woman "in an obscene situation" Incident occurred after diplomat promised to marry the woman, reports said .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A former Iranian presidential candidate is calling on one of the Islamic republic's most powerful clerics to approve a special committee to investigate alleged mistreatment of detainees arrested in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections. Mehdi Karrubi says an "impartial committee" is needed to investigate alleged mistreatment of detainees. In an open letter to Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party's Web site, reformist Mehdi Karrubi says an "impartial committee" is needed to "investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved." He said he is willing to lead the investigation in a "truthful, unbiased fashion." The letter is dated July 29 and was posted on the Karrubi's Eetemade-Melli (National Trust) party's Web site, called Saham News. The Web site said the letter was posted after Rafsanjani failed to respond. The treatment of detainees at Iran's prisons has increasingly become a high profile issue, with human-rights groups accusing guards of conducting harsh interrogations, beatings, sleep deprivation, and threats of torture to coerce false confessions. Iranian media reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, ordered one prison, Kahrizak, shut down amid reports it did not measure up to the required standards. Kahrizak's chief was fired and arrested over allegations of detainee mistreatment, according to local reports Saturday. A special parliamentary committee has made rounds at Tehran's Evin prison, but did not find any signs of abuse, according to recent media reports. Hundreds of detainees have since been reportedly released from Evin, though "political figures" were held and put on trial. In his plea for an investigation, Karrubi says he has heard descriptions of torture and violence that make his "body shake," though he doesn't specify a prison. "Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent, repeated rapes of the young women [in detention] that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems," Karrubi says in the letter. "Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they [the victims] have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses." He adds that an investigation will "teach a lesson to the thugs and criminals in the future and prevent the smearing of the reputation of the Islamic Republic." Rafsanjani -- a former president and head of the Assembly of Experts, the council responsible for appointing or removing the supreme leader -- called for the release of the detainees during a highly anticipated July 17 sermon at Friday prayers. He backed Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi in the presidential election, in which hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner. Karrubi and Moussavi unsuccessfully challenged the results for weeks, and Ahmadinejad was sworn in for his second term last week. Rafsanjani himself has been accused of helping fuel the post-election unrest as part of recent mass trials of the remaining detainees over the past week.	[ "In what elction was Mehdi Karrubi a candidate?", "Who called for investigation into the letter?", "What is he willing to do?", "What was called for by him?", "What is Karrubi looking to investigate?", "What are some of the claims he's making?", "What was he a candidate for?" ]	[ [ "presidential election," ], [ "Mehdi Karrubi" ], [ "lead the investigation in a \"truthful, unbiased fashion.\"" ], [ "most powerful clerics to approve a special committee to investigate alleged mistreatment of detainees arrested in the aftermath" ], [ "alleged mistreatment of detainees." ], [ "alleged mistreatment of detainees arrested in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections." ], [ "Iranian presidential" ] ]	Mehdi Karrubi calls for investigation in letter to Rafsanjani posted on Web site . He said he is willing to lead the investigation in a "truthful, unbiased fashion" Karrubi sites brutal beatings, torture and rapes of both men and women detained . Mehdi Karrubi was one of the candidates in June's disputed presidential election .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A newspaper aligned with Iranian reformist Mehdi Karrubi, who recently made headlines for claims that post-election detainees in Iran were raped behind bars, was shut down for running "unlawful" material, state-run media reported Monday. Mehdi Karrubi says an "impartial committee" is needed to investigate alleged mistreatment of detainees. An investigating judge said the popular newspaper, Etemad-e Melli, was ordered closed for what has been described as "publishing unlawful and criminal material," state-run Press TV reported. Protesters outside the newspaper offices clashed with police Monday, the network also reported. On Sunday Masih Alinejad, a reporter and columnist with the paper, told CNN that officers from Iran's judiciary confronted employees of Etemad-e Melli after hours as they were getting the Monday's edition to print. She and Karrubi's son, Hossein, said the newspaper had planned to run a firm response from Karrubi to his opponents, who have dismissed the allegations of detainee rapes. The officials told the employees that they "were not allowed to come to the newspaper tomorrow," Alinejad, who is temporarily in the United States for a reporting assignment, told CNN. In a statement on Saham News, the official Web site of his father's party, Etemad-e Melli, or the National Trust party, Hossein Karrubi said that the paper was forced to temporarily shut down. He cited the pending publication of his father's response to "the insults" recently hurled at him for the shutdown. Early Monday, Etemad-e Melli's Web site was still up with a report about a ban on the newspaper. It was not printed, and its offices were closed, Alinejad said. Hardliners have criticized Karrubi for openly describing the mistreatment of detainees arrested in the aftermath of the Islamic republic's disputed June 12 election and calling for an investigation into prison conditions. Karrubi and fellow reformist candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was declared the overwhelming winner and was recently sworn in for his second term. The treatment of detainees at Iran's prisons has increasingly become a high-profile issue, with human-rights groups accusing guards of conducting harsh interrogations, beatings, sleep deprivation, and threats of torture to coerce false confessions. In an August 8 posting on the Etemad-e Melli party's Web site, Karrubi said he had heard descriptions of torture and violence that made his "body shake." "Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent, repeated rapes of the young women [in detention] that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems," Karrubi said. "Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they [the victims] have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses." He added that an investigation would "teach a lesson to the thugs and criminals in the future and prevent the smearing of the reputation of the Islamic Republic." Iran's influential parliament speaker dismissed the allegations, calling them "sheer lies," state-run media reported last week. Ali Larijani said a special panel of Iran's parliament, or Majlis, conducted a "precise and comprehensive inquiry" into the treatment at Tehran's Evin and Kahrizak prisons, and found "no cases of rape or sexual abuse," Press TV reported. He challenged Karrubi to "present evidence of such outrages" for the Majlis to investigate, according to Press TV. Earlier Sunday, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Karrubi had backed off the statements, quoting him as saying, "I did not say that such things have certainly occurred, rather I said that there are rumors of such ugliness having taken place and I reiterated that God willing it is a lie and nothing but rumors." Alinejad questioned the legitimacy of the report, saying Karrubi's real response would have been in Monday's edition of Etemad-e Melli.	[ "Where did protesters stand?", "What does Karrubi do?", "Human rights groups accuse guards of what?", "What were guards accused of by human-rights groups?", "Who criticized Karrubi?", "What happened outside of the newspaper offices?", "Who accoused guards of harsh interrogations?", "Who was Karrubi going to respond to in the Monday edition?" ]	[ [ "outside the newspaper offices" ], [ "Iranian reformist" ], [ "conducting harsh interrogations, beatings, sleep deprivation, and threats of torture" ], [ "of conducting harsh interrogations, beatings, sleep deprivation, and threats of torture to coerce false confessions." ], [ "Hardliners" ], [ "clashed with police" ], [ "human-rights groups" ], [ "his opponents," ] ]	Karrubi was to run response to opponents in Monday edition, son and reporter say . Protesters outside newspaper offices clash with police, state-run Press TV reports . Hardliners criticize Karrubi for openly describing mistreatment of detainees . Human-rights groups accuse guards of conducting harsh interrogations .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A well-known Iranian filmmaker has written an open letter calling for the release of journalist Roxana Saberi. In a letter, Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi blames himself for urging Roxana Saberi to stay in Iran. Bahman Ghobadi said he kept quiet about the arrest and conviction of the Iranian-American journalist at the request of her family. After Saberi was convicted last weekend and sentenced to an eight-year prison sentence, he said he felt he had to do something. He told CNN that Saberi, whom he described as his fiancee, is caught in a "game of politics." In his letter, which has been posted by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Ghobadi blames himself for urging Saberi to stay in Iran despite her desire to leave. Also, he writes, "My letter is a desperate call to all statesmen ... and to all those who can do something to help." "From the other side of the ocean, the Americans have protested against her imprisonment, because she is an American citizen," he writes. "But I say no, she is Iranian, and she loves Iran. I beg you, let her go! I beg you not to throw her in the midst of your political games! She is too weak and too pure to take part in your games. Let me be present at her trial, sit next to her wise father and gentle mother, and testify she is without guilt or reproach." The 40-year-old filmmaker said that Saberi was planning to leave the country, but he kept her from leaving until his latest film -- which will be shown at this year's Cannes film festival -- was completed. Ghobadi won the 2000 Golden Camera award at the Cannes festival for his feature film, "A Time for Drunken Horses." Saberi, 31, was sentenced Saturday to eight years in prison after a one-day trial that was closed to the public. The decision prompted sharp denunciations from President Barack Obama, as well as other U.S. and international officials. Iranian officials initially said Saberi was held for buying a bottle of wine. The Foreign Ministry later said she was detained for reporting without proper accreditation. On April 9, word emerged that Saberi had been charged with espionage. Saberi's lawyer has said he will appeal the verdict. Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi has ordered the head of Tehran's Justice Department to make sure the appeals process is quick and fair. Ghobadi wrote that he is "optimistic about her release, and I firmly hope the verdict will be canceled in the next stage of the trial." "My Iranian girl with Japanese eyes and an American ID, is in jail. Shame on me! Shame on us!" CNN's Igor Krotov and Shirzad Bozorghmehr contributed to this report.	[ "Who wrot the letter", "What is Roxana caught in?", "What is the name of the fiancee?", "What does he call for the release of?", "Who is the fiancee of Bahman Ghobad", "What does Bahman Ghobad do" ]	[ [ "Bahman Ghobadi" ], [ "a \"game of politics.\"" ], [ "Roxana Saberi." ], [ "journalist Roxana Saberi." ], [ "Roxana Saberi." ], [ "Iranian filmmaker" ] ]	Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi writes letter calling for release of jailed journalist . Filmmaker says fiancee Roxana Saberi is caught in a "game of politics" Journalist "is without guilt or reproach," filmmaker's letter says . "Shame on me! Shame on us!" the letter concludes .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Ameneh Bahrami is certain that one day she'll meet someone, fall in love and get married. But when her wedding day comes, her husband won't see her eyes, and she won't see her husband. Bahrami is blind, the victim of an acid attack by a spurned suitor. Ameneh Bahrami said her attacker pestered her with marriage demands. If she gets her way, her attacker will suffer the same fate. The 31-year-old Iranian is demanding the ancient punishment of "an eye for an eye," and, in accordance with Islamic law, she wants to blind Majid Movahedi, the man who blinded her. "I don't want to blind him for revenge," Bahrami said in her parents' Tehran apartment. "I'm doing this to prevent it from happening to someone else." Bahrami says she first crossed paths with Movahedi in 2002, when they attended the same university. She was a 24-year-old electronics student. He was 19. She never noticed him until they shared a class. He sat next to her one day and brushed up against her. Bahrami says she knew it wasn't an accident. "I moved away from him," she said, "but he brushed up against me again." Watch Bahrami return to the attack scene for the first time » When Bahrami stood up in class and screamed for him to stop, Movahedi just looked at her in stunned silence. He wouldn't stay silent for long. Bahrami said that over the next two years, Movahedi kept harassing her and making threats, even as he asked her to marry him. "He told me he would kill me. He said, 'You have to say yes.' " On a November afternoon in 2004, Movahedi's threats turned to violence. That day at 4:30 p.m., Bahrami left the medical engineering company where she worked. As she walked to the bus stop, she remembers sensing someone behind her. She turned around and was startled to see Movahedi. A moment later came the agonizing pain. Movahedi had thrown something over her. What felt like fire on her face was acid searing through her skin. "I was just yelling, 'I'm burning! I'm burning! For God's sake, somebody help me!' " The acid seeped into Bahrami's eyes and streamed down her face and into her mouth. When she covered her face with her hands, streaks of acid ran down her fingers and onto her forearms. Watch how the still-pungent acid destroyed Bahrami's clothes » Two weeks after the attack, Movahedi turned himself in to police and confessed in court. He was convicted in 2005 and has been behind bars all along. Bahrami's lawyer, Ali Sarrafi, said Movahedi had never shown any remorse. "He says he did it because he loved her," Sarrafi said. Attack victims in Iran usually accept "blood money": a fine in lieu of harsh punishment. With no insurance and mounting medical bills, Bahrami could've used the cash, but she said no. "I told the judge I want an eye for an eye," Bahrami said. "People like him should be made to feel my suffering." Watch how the acid destroyed Bahrami's eyes (includes graphic content) » Bahrami's demand has outraged some human rights activists. Criticizing acid-attack victims is almost unheard of, but some Internet bloggers have condemned Bahrami's decision. "We cannot condone such cruel punishment," wrote one blogger. "To willingly inflict the same treatment on a person under court order is a violation of human rights." Late last year, an Iranian court gave Bahrami what she asked for. It sentenced Movahedi to be blinded with drops of acid in each eye. This month, the courts rejected Movahedi's appeal. Bahrami's lawyer, Sarrafi, said the sentencing might be carried out in a matter of weeks. He said he doesn't think Bahrami will change her mind.	[ "What punishment does she want her attacker to receive?", "What happened to the woman?", "Who wants \"eve for an eye\" punishment?", "Who disfigured by acid wins?", "Who ordered blinding of Majid Movahedi?", "What was this woman blinded by?", "Who was blinded?", "What is the name of her attacker?" ]	[ [ "an eye for an eye,\"" ], [ "acid attack" ], [ "Ameneh Bahrami" ], [ "Ameneh Bahrami" ], [ "Ameneh Bahrami" ], [ "acid attack" ], [ "Ameneh Bahrami" ], [ "Majid Movahedi," ] ]	Woman blinded, disfigured by acid wins case to have attacker also blinded by acid . Ameneh Bahrami wants "eye for an eye" punishment to be deterrent to others . Court-ordered blinding of Majid Movahedi may happen within weeks, lawyer says .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Amid turmoil over the treatment of post-election detainees and controversy over the mass trials of political figures, Iran's supreme leader on Saturday appointed a new judiciary chief, Iranian media reported. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the announcement that Sadeq Larijani, right, will head Iran's judiciary. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tapped Sadeq Larijani -- brother of Iran's powerful parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani -- to replace Hashemi Shahroudi, a vocal hardliner against the opposition movement, who finished his 10-year term, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. Another brother, Mohammad Javad Larijani, is the secretary-general of the judiciary's human rights office. The development is significant in that the two brothers now head two of the three branches of Iran's government, and tensions between Ali Larijani and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have emerged as the president tried to assemble his Cabinet for his second term. Sadeq Larijani makes the transition as a third round of detainees arrested in the aftermath of the Islamic republic's disputed presidential election were scheduled to appear in court Sunday, the semi-official Fars news agency said. The mass trial of about 100 Iranians is being held in the Revolutionary Court. Reformist politicians, lawyers and journalists are among those accused of protesting in an attempt to overturn government leadership. More than two dozen detainees were scheduled to be on trial Sunday, according to media reports, although it is not clear whether it will be the defendants' first appearance in court. Among the defendants who have been on trial this month are Seyyed Mohammad Abtahi, a former Iranian vice president; Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian reporter for Newsweek magazine; and Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American scholar. Street protests and a brutal government crackdown followed the June 12 presidential election, leading to the arrests of more than 1,000 people. The official death toll from the post-election unrest is 30, although opposition leaders reportedly have said it's more than twice that figure. The new judiciary chief's brother, Ali Larijani, spent the last week dismissing allegations by Iran's opposition that post-election detainees were raped while in custody, according to state-run media. Larijani said that a special panel of Iran's parliament, or Majlis, conducted a "precise and comprehensive inquiry" into the treatment at Tehran's Evin and Kahrizak prisons, and found "no cases of rape or sexual abuse," government-funded Press TV reported. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry also denied that prisoners had been tortured. "What kind of talk is this? There was never any pressure used against these people," Hassan Qashqavi said Monday, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. They were responding to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who, along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election. Iran's election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race, sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protest. Iranian opposition figures, including Karrubi, have compared the treatment of the detainees to the abuse of political prisoners under the "oppressing regime" of the shah, who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In an open letter to former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party's Web site, Karrubi says an "impartial committee" is needed to "investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved." "Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent, repeated rapes of the young women [in detention] that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems," Karrubi says in the letter. "Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they [the victims] have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses." Larijani on Wednesday challenged Karrubi to "present evidence of such outrages" for the Majlis to investigate, according to Press TV.	[ "From which country is supreme leader?", "What is denied by leadership?", "What position will Sadeq Larijani take?", "How many detainees were to be tried Sunday?", "How many detainees were to be tried?", "What is reported by media?", "Who did Iran's supreme leader pick to head judiciary?", "Who replaces the outgoing Hashemi Shahroudi?" ]	[ [ "Iran's" ], [ "prisoners had been tortured." ], [ "Iran's judiciary." ], [ "More than two dozen" ], [ "More than two dozen" ], [ "Iran's supreme leader on Saturday appointed a new judiciary chief," ], [ "Sadeq Larijani," ], [ "Sadeq Larijani" ] ]	Iran's supreme leader picks brother of parliamentary speaker to head judiciary . Sadeq Larijani replaces the outgoing Hashemi Shahroudi, a vocal hardliner . Media reports: More than two dozen detainees were to be tried Sunday . Leadership denies claims that arrested dissidents have been raped in custody .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Defying many predictions, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a commanding lead in the presidential vote count early Saturday, election officials with Iran's Interior Ministry said. Men choose their candidates before voting Friday at a mosque in Tehran, Iran. With 72 percent of ballot boxes counted, Ahmedinejad had 65.7 percent of the vote while his chief rival Mir Hossein Moussavi had 31.4 percent, election officials said. Moussavi, widely regarded as a reformist, had been expected to do well as his campaign caught fire in recent days, triggering massive street rallies in Tehran. An "unprecedented" voter turnout at the polls Friday was also expected to boost Moussavi's chances of winning the presidency. Iran's Interior Minister Seyed Sadeq Mahsouli said 70 percent of 46 million eligible voters had gone to the polls Friday, according to Fars, another semi-official news agency. Both candidates claimed victory. Moussavi's camp accused the Iranian establishment of manipulating the vote. Watch why each side is claiming victory » Voting was supposed to end after 10 hours, but because of the massive turnout, officials initially said polling stations would remain open until everyone in line had a chance to vote. However, Moussavi alleged that doors were being closed with people still waiting outside. Some private news agencies reported many Iranians were milling about on the streets late into the night. Mehr reported that the chief of police declared public gatherings of candidate supporters illegal. Earlier in the day, voters crowded the steps of one polling place in Tehran, some waiting more than three hours underneath the hot sun to cast their ballots. Some were lining up even before the polls opened at 8 a.m. Moussavi is the main challenger among three candidates vying to replace Ahmadinejad. The other candidates are former parliament speaker and reformist Mehdi Karrubi, and Mohsen Rezaie, the former head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Mehr reported Rezaie had 1.72 percent of the vote and Karrubi had 0.87 percent. If no single candidate reaches a simple majority -- 50 percent plus one vote -- a runoff election will be held on Friday, June 19. It was unclear where the ballots that had been counted so far had been cast. Ahmadinejad still has staunch support in Iran's rural areas, but has been blamed for much of Iran's economic turmoil over the last four years. If he loses, it would be the first time a sitting Iranian president has not won re-election to a second term in office. Fawaz Gerges, an academic and author who studies the region, said Friday's vote is really "a referendum on Ahmadinejad," who has been in office since 2005. "The unemployment rate is 30 percent ... the largest in the third world, inflation is [in the] double digits in Iran," Gerges told CNN's "American Morning." "We focus in the United States a great deal on his inflammatory rhetoric on the Holocaust, on nuclear weapons. We tend to forget that Ahmadinejad has basically done a great deal of damage to the Iranian economy, on social policy." While Moussavi's campaign has energized key segments of Iranian voters -- particularly women -- Gerges noted that "Iranians have surprised us many times." Moussavi's supporters crowded the streets of Tehran this week, wearing the candidate's trademark color green. His campaign has also energized Iran's youth, many of whom did not take part in the 2005 election. Yasmin, a 21-year-old university student, said she cast her ballot on Friday for Moussavi. CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports emotions on the street » "I've never even been interested in the politics of my country until today. It was my first time voting, and I am so excited about it," she said. "We are all yearning for change, and I believe Moussavi will bring much more freedom to Iran and our lives. That is why I cast my ballot for him. There is so much anticipation in the air." Moussavi's supporters hope that he follows in the same footsteps as Mohammed Khatami, a reformist candidate who overwhelmingly	[ "Who is Ahmadinejad's main rival?", "What does the Moussavi camp accuse the Iranian establishment of?", "What does Moussavi camp accuse Iranian establishment of doing?", "What percentage of votes are in?", "What percentage of the votes did the incumbent get?", "Was was supposed to get the benefits of a large turn out?", "Who was the large turnout expected to benefit?", "Who does Moussavi accuse of manipulating the vote?" ]	[ [ "Mir Hossein Moussavi" ], [ "manipulating the vote." ], [ "manipulating the vote." ], [ "72" ], [ "65.7" ], [ "Moussavi's" ], [ "Mir Hossein Moussavi" ], [ "establishment" ] ]	Officials: 72 percent of votes in, incumbent president has 65.7 percent . Large turnout was expected to benefit Ahmadinejad's main rival, Moussavi . Moussavi camp accuses Iranian establishment of manipulating the vote . None of candidates expected to change Iran's position on its nuclear program .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- For years Ahmad has been unable to find true love. So the 27 year-old bachelor who lives in Tehran is turning to a professional matchmaker. Jafar Ardabili's matchmaking service provides one option for Iranian singles. "I'm searching for a love that lasts," Ahmad said. What's unusual is Ahmad's matchmaker wears a turban, a robe and could be the first-ever Iranian cleric who plays cupid. "First they say 'wow'," Jafar Ardabili said, "then they take a closer look and say 'since he's a cleric we have faith in him.'" Ardabili made his first love match 10 years ago while he taught at a Tehran university. One of his students had a crush on a person, so Ardabili arranged for the two to meet. A few months later they married. The set-up worked so well that Ardabili and his wife opened the Amin International Family and Cultural Institute, a service that matched Iranian singles in a supervised setting. In Iran, Islamic law restricts social interaction. "You can't just go after someone in public and say would you like to live with me?" Ardabili said. "Especially the women, who often don't have any right to choose their companion, but in our institute women do have the right to choose." Ahmad would love nothing more than one of those women to choose him. On a Thursday morning he anxiously sat in the institute's waiting room. Ardabili had arranged for Ahmad to meet a young lady. Could she be the one? Ahmad had paid a $100 fee, submitted a picture and his information. In return he has access to thousands of other applicants. Once applicants approve of one another's pictures and profiles Ardabili arranges up to two meetings inside his office. After each meeting, the applicants report back to Ardabili. "When there's no connection they look like wrinkled potatoes," Ardabili said. And when cupid's arrow hits the mark? "They look very eager. They're as happy as an ice cream cone." Watch Ardabili describe how his service works » The third meeting for couples takes place outside the institute without supervision. If all goes well, Ardabili arranges for the families to meet and then the couple ties the knot. "You feel good because you're serving humanity," Ardabili said. Ardabili said that during the past 10 years his institute has had more than 50,000 applicants. More than 2,000 of his couples have married without a single divorce, he said. Ardabili gave credit to his 10-member staff that offers counseling to married couples, even sex therapy. "We want to reduce divorce, give families a strong foundation," Ardabili said. On his Web site, Tehran's matchmaking mullah has posted wedding pictures of some of his success stories. Ahmad can't wait to see his picture among them. "At this very moment I'm counting down the days."	[ "How many marriages does the service boast?", "What kind of service was the Iranian cleric, and his wife, running?", "In what country was the cleric running a matchmaking service?", "What is the name of the Iranian cleric?", "What is the matchmaking service called?", "Who runs the matchmaking service?", "What does the service offer?", "How many couples did the Iranian cleric claim to have married?", "who offers service for iranian singles?", "how many people got married through service?", "How many couples were married with the cleric's service?", "who runs matchmaking service?", "Where are the singles from?", "What did the Iranian cleric wife run?", "Where is the cleric from?", "The service offers option for social interaction between who?" ]	[ [ "2,000" ], [ "matchmaking" ], [ "Iran" ], [ "Jafar Ardabili" ], [ "Amin International Family and Cultural Institute," ], [ "Jafar Ardabili's" ], [ "matchmaking" ], [ "More than 2,000" ], [ "Jafar Ardabili's matchmaking" ], [ "More than 2,000" ], [ "More than 2,000" ], [ "Jafar Ardabili's" ], [ "Iran," ], [ "Amin International Family and Cultural Institute," ], [ "Iran" ], [ "Iranian singles." ] ]	Iranian cleric, wife runs matchmaking service . Service offers option for social interaction between Iranian singles . Cleric claims his service has married 2,000 couples without a divorce .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Gunmen on motorcycles fired Friday on a campaign office for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wounding two adults and a child, according to a report by Iran's state-run news agency. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was not present at the time of the attack. The shooting happened about 5 p.m. in front of the entrance to the campaign office, campaign representative Mohammed Reza Zahed Shaikhi told IRNA. Ahmadinejad, who is running for a second term in office, was not present. Iran's presidential election will take place on June 12. The attack happened in Sistan-Balochistan province in southeastern Iran, the same province where a Shia mosque was bombed Thursday. Several suspects have been arrested in connection with Thursday's attack in the town of Zahedan, which killed between 15 and 20 people, according to Iranian media reports. No group publicly accepted responsibility for the mosque attack, but the provincial governor, Ali-Mohammad Azad, blamed a terrorist group that he said would be unveiled to the public once the suspects have been interrogated, IRNA reported. Zahedan is about 1,100 km (700 miles) southeast of Tehran, near Iran's borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sistan-Balochistan province -- which shares a border with Pakistan -- is the site of frequent clashes involving Iranian police, drug dealers and armed groups. The province is located on a major narcotics-smuggling route between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Azad said information on the arrested terrorist group would be unveiled to the public once interrogations were complete. "The terrorists and notorious gang planned to stir order and security in the province on the eve of (the June 12 presidential) elections, using ongoing insecurity in our eastern neighbors," he said Thursday. Several days of mourning were reported to be under way for victims of the explosion. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a hard-line cleric who led Friday prayers in Tehran, said there were signs that the United States and Israel were involved in the mosque bombing, IRNA reported. The cleric, who put the death toll at 25, condemned the bombing before a congregation on the Tehran University campus. CNN's Shirzad Bozorghmehr contributed to this report.	[ "How many were killed in the attack?", "Who was wounded in the attack?", "what time was the attack", "Who was wounded?", "Where did gunmen open fire?", "Who did the local governor blame?", "Who was absent?", "Gunmen fire on campaign office for which countries President?", "What is the name of the Iranian president?", "The local governor blames who for the attack?", "Attack happened near which type of mosque?", "How many adults were wounded in the attack?", "Who was wounded in the attack?", "How many were killed in the Shia mosque bombing on Thursday?", "What was bombed on Thurday?" ]	[ [ "between 15 and 20 people," ], [ "two adults and a child," ], [ "5 p.m." ], [ "two adults and a child," ], [ "Ahmadinejad," ], [ "terrorist" ], [ "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "Iran" ], [ "Ahmadinejad," ], [ "a terrorist" ], [ "Shia" ], [ "two" ], [ "two adults and a child," ], [ "between 15 and 20 people," ], [ "a Shia mosque" ] ]	Gunmen fire on campaign office for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, . Two adults and child wounded in attack; Ahmadinejad not present . Attack happened near where Shia mosque bombed Thursday, killing up to 20 . No group has accepted responsibility, but local governor blamed terrorist group .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- In an unprecedented move in Iranian politics, a reformist presidential candidate accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of tainting the country's image by questioning the Holocaust and by wielding a reckless leadership style. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who came to power in 2005, is seeking a second term in office. The frontrunners in Iran's presidential race clashed during a fiery debate broadcast to a national television audience on Wednesday evening. The verbal jousting between Ahmadinejad and opponent Mir Hossein Mousavi -- a former prime minister and reformist candidate who poses a threat to the firebrand Iranian president -- lasted an hour and half. Mousavi said Ahmadinejad's dictatorial ways have hurt Iran's image across the globe and could be a prelude to a dictatorship. "There are two ways of confronting the country's problems," Mousavi said. "One is through a management style based on adventurism, instability, play-acting, exaggerations, wrongdoing, being secretive, self-importance, superficiality and ignoring the law. The second way is based on realism, respect, openness, collective wisdom and avoiding extremism." He said Ahmadinejad's denials of the Holocaust had repulsed Iran's allies. "This has greatly damaged us," Mousavi said. The Iranian president called the Holocaust, in which six million Jews perished at the hands of the Nazis, "a big deception." Ahmadinejad also has lashed out at the United States and Israel, calling at various times for the end of Israel's existence as a Jewish state. In addition to Mousavi, two other challengers -- former parliament speaker Mahdi Karoudi, another reformist, and hard-liner Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Expediency Council -- hope to unseat Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election. Neither took part in Wednesday's debate. The outcome of the election will set the tone for Iran's policies on crucial issues, including its nuclear ambitions and the possibility of bilateral talks with Washington. Wednesday night's event was the first of four debates that will pair two of the candidates against each other ahead of next week's presidential elections. Ahmadinejad, known for his attacks against his foes, accused Mousavi of colluding with Iran's former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Ahmadinejad, seeking a second term in office, accused the two Iranian figures of mismanagement, corruption and the masterminding of a plot to force him from power. "I have tolerated all the personal insults and lies for four years and I forgive those responsible for them," Ahmadinejad said. "But I do not have the authority to turn a blind eye when the people and the people's choice and their interests are insulted." Ahmadinejad accused Mousavi and the two former leaders of standing against the Iranian nation and conspiring against him. Ahmadinejad said that, in the early days of his presidency, Rafsanjani sent a message to the king of a Persian Gulf state that said: "Do not worry. This government will fall within six months." Hours after the debate, Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani met at a ceremony commemorating the death of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution that overthew the ruling monarchy in 1979 and established Iran as an Islamic republic. The meeting was cordial, with Rafsanjani holding on to Ahmadinejad's arm throughout their talk, the semi-official Fars news agency said. Rafsanjani, a powerful cleric who heads the Expediency Council and Assembly of Experts, remains an influential figure in Iran. He was president from 1989 to 1997 and then attempted to position himself in the political center in the 2005 elections, when he publicly favored a policy that would relax tensions with the United States. The two nations have had no diplomatic ties since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rafsanjani lost to the ultra-conservative Ahmadinejad, who was then Tehran's mayor. Ahmadinejad's accusations against the former Iranian presidents mark a change in traditional politics, in that he named them. Normally, charges are made via innuendo. Though the targets are clear, they go unnamed. The change could indicate that he has the backing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Analysts say that	[ "Ahmadinejad accused the former president of what?", "Who accuses Ahmadinejad of behaving like a dictator?", "Who accused former presidents of corruption, mismanagement?", "Who is accused of behaving like a dictator?", "What's a first for Iran?", "when were the talks" ]	[ [ "of tainting the country's image by questioning the Holocaust and by wielding a reckless leadership style." ], [ "Mousavi" ], [ "Mir Hossein Mousavi" ], [ "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," ], [ "of four debates" ], [ "Wednesday evening." ] ]	In a first for Iran, nation holds debates televised live ahead of presidential elections . Mir Hossein Mousavi accuses Ahmadinejad of behaving like a dictator . Mousavi: Ahmadinejad's denials of the Holocaust had repulsed Iran's allies. Ahmadinejad accused Iran's former presidents of corruption, mismanagement .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran Tuesday successfully launched its first satellite into orbit, a step hailed by Iran's president as a "source of pride" for the Islamic republic, according to state-run news outlets. Reported satellite launch took place on the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran. U.S. Department of Defense officials confirmed the launch, and the State Department expressed "grave concern." "Developing a space launch vehicle that could ... put a satellite into orbit could possibly lead to development of a ballistic missile system," State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. "So that's of grave concern to us." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to discuss Iran in meetings Tuesday with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. On Wednesday officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China will meet in Germany to discuss next steps on Iran. Wood said that Undersecretary William Burns, who is representing the United States, will seek input and discuss some ideas the Obama administration has about how to move forward. Watch Iran launch its first satellite » Two U.S. officials confirmed that Iran had launched a low-earth orbit satellite, CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr said. There were no indications of any weapons activity on the two-stage rocket, although the rocket is capable of launching long-range weapons, the officials said. "I wouldn't think of this in terms of highly advanced technology," one U.S. official said. But it does suggest Iran's two-stage rockets are increasingly reliable. The Pentagon said Tuesday the launch is "clearly a concern of ours." "Although this appears to be satellite, there are dual-use capabilities that could be applied to missiles, and that's a concern to us and everybody in region," Department of Defense spokesman Geoff Morrell said. The launch of the satellite Omid -- which means "Hope" in Farsi -- was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Islamic revolution in Iran, according to Iranian media reports. Iran said the satellite had already completed its first mission -- to transmit a message from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who spoke at the launching ceremony Monday night. In his message, Ahmadinejad congratulated the nation and said the successful launch improves Iran's status in the world, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. He stressed that both the satellite and the Safir rocket used to launch it were made entirely by Iranian technicians. Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that despite the small size of the Omid satellite, it will open the way for an Iranian space program. He said Tehran plans to launch another satellite in the future. In August, Iran performed a test of a rocket capable of launching a satellite into orbit. Iranian officials declared that mission a success, but U.S. officials disputed that. Senior U.S. officials had expressed concerned about the test of the rocket, saying Iran could use the rocket to deliver warheads. CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "What event also took place on the date of the launch?", "Which country launched its first satellite", "What anniversary of the revolution is it", "When did Iran test rocket capable of launching satellite into orbit ?", "When did the satellite launch?", "What did Iran's president call the first satellite?", "What made Iran's president so proud?", "Which country confirmed the launch of Iran's low-earth orbit satellite?", "In which month did they claim to have a rocket capable of launching a satellite" ]	[ [ "30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran." ], [ "Iran" ], [ "30th" ], [ "Tuesday" ], [ "Tuesday" ], [ "\"source of pride\"" ], [ "successfully launched its first satellite into orbit," ], [ "U.S." ], [ "August," ] ]	Iran's president hails launch of first satellite into orbit as "source of pride" United States confirms Iran launched low-earth orbit satellite Monday night . Launch coincides with 30th anniversary of victory of Islamic revolution . In August, Iran said it tested rocket capable of launching satellite into orbit .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran said Saturday that Morocco's decision to cut diplomatic ties between the two countries harms Muslim unity, state media reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says soldiarity in Islamic world needed to support Palestinians. "The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that at the present juncture when the unity and solidarity of Islamic countries is necessary for supporting the Palestinian people, this act of Morocco harms unity of the Muslim world," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a written statement, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported. Morocco decided to cut diplomatic ties with Iran Friday, blaming Tehran's "inadmissible attitude" against the African country as a reason for the decision for the move, Moroccan Press Agency said. The move ratchets up a feud between Sunni Morocco and Shiite Iran. On February 25, Morocco recalled its interim charge d'affaires from Tehran for a week of consultations, the statement said. Morocco has demanded that Iran explain "unacceptable" language in a statement it issued after Morocco expressed its solidarity with Bahrain, the statement said. Bahrain, a tiny Persian Gulf archipelago, embodies the Sunni-Shiite divide. With a majority Shiite population and a Sunni ruler, Bahrain has become a point of contention between Morocco and Iran, said Sandra Mackey, a Middle East analyst and author of "The Iranians." Mackey said Bahrain's government has not allowed its Shiite majority into the political and economic power structure, "so Iran has an interest in egging on this Shia foment in Bahrain -- in order to raise Iran's stature in the Persian Gulf." Morocco has ambitions to raise its stature among Arab states, and "it would make some sense that they would jump on this," she said. "They're far enough away where it's not going to impact on them directly," Mackey added. Mackey said other emirates would likely be more cautious about confronting Iran, she said, "but the Moroccans can do it without posing any serious threat on their doorstep." There is potential for conflict within Bahrain, she said. "The Shia are really pushing against this Sunni government and the Sunni government, I think, is in a fairly significant amount of trouble," she said. CNN's Tom Watkins contributed to this report.	[ "What did Morocco cut?", "Who does Morocco state solidarity with?", "Who did Morocco cuts diplomatic ties with?", "What feud is being ratcheted up?", "Who is the feud between?", "Who rules Bahrain?", "Who cut diplomatic ties?" ]	[ [ "diplomatic ties with Iran Friday," ], [ "Bahrain," ], [ "Iran" ], [ "between Sunni Morocco and Shiite Iran." ], [ "Sunni Morocco and Shiite Iran." ], [ "Sunni ruler," ], [ "Morocco's" ] ]	Morocco cut diplomatic ties with Iran on Friday because of "inadmissible attitude" The move ratchets up feud between Sunni Morocco and Shiite Iran . Rift related to Iran's reaction to Morocco's statement of solidarity with Bahrain . Sunni-ruled Bahrain has become point of contention between Morocco and Iran .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran should be allowed to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday during the first visit to the country by a Kremlin leader since 1943. Putin, right, is greeted by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following his arrival in Tehran. Putin, who is in Tehran to attend a summit of Caspian Sea nations, said that he and the other leaders agreed that "peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed" in the region. "The Iranians are cooperating with Russian nuclear agencies and the main objectives are peaceful objectives," he said. Russia is building Iran's first nuclear power plant and has resisted moves by the U.S. and its allies to impose stronger U.N. sanctions against Tehran. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the Bush administration's stance that "all options" must be kept "on the table" in confronting the threats posed by Iran -- a reference to the option of using military action against the long-time U.S. adversary. "We should have no illusions about the nature of this regime or its leaders -- about their designs for their nuclear program, their willingness to live up to their rhetoric, their intentions for Iraq, or their ambitions in the Gulf region," Gates said in a speech to the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. The leaders of Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan also met Tuesday to reach agreement on issues relating to the sharing and regulating of the Caspian Sea -- the world's largest inland body of water. Speaking afterwards, Putin said that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third parties intent on military action against other countries in the region -- a reference to rumors that the U.S. planned to use Azerbaijan as a base for a possible attack against Iran, The Associated Press reported. "We are saying that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third powers for use of force or military aggression against any Caspian state," Putin said. "The Caspian Sea is an inland sea and it only belongs to the Caspian states, therefore only they are entitled to have their ships and military forces here," added Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Putin, defying reports of an assassination plot against him, was greeted by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as he stepped off his plane at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. During a news conference Monday after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Wiesbaden, Germany, Putin said rumors of an attempt on his life would not stop his plans. "Of course I will travel to Iran," Putin said. "If I reacted to these kinds of rumors every time, I could never leave the house." Iranian officials denied there was an assassination plot against Putin, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman describing rumors of a possible terrorist action during the Putin visit baseless. "Spreading this kind of totally false news lacks any value and cannot damage the trend of the prepared programs," spokesman Mohammadali Hosseini told the Iranian FARS news agency. Hosseini blamed the rumor on Western media, particularly the U.S. media, saying the report was "made up by the enemies of relations between Iran and Russia to create a psychological war." Putin's visit is the first by a leader in the Kremlin to Iran since Joseph Stalin's World War II conference meeting with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. "Putin's trip to Tehran is a show of Russia's independence in global affairs. Putin, who approaches the end of his term, wants to demonstrate that he wouldn't cave in to the U.S. pressure," said Alexander Pikayev, an expert on Iran with Russia's Institute for World Economy and International Relations, in a report carried by AP. Putin's schedule also includes meetings with Ahmadinejad and Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, AP said. E-mail to a friend	[ "where is putin?", "Who is backing Iran?", "What is Iran's nuclear program?", "Who is set to discuss Iranian nuclear program?", "When did Putin visit Caspian Sea?", "What did President Putin back during his visit?", "What program does President Putin back?", "When did Putin visit the program in Iran?", "Who backed Iran's nuclear program?", "What is Putin downplayiing rumours about?", "Who is discussing Iranian nuclear program?", "What country is pushing for sanctions against the Iranian nuclear program?", "Which countries will discuss Iran's nuclear program?", "What did Putin downplay rumors of?", "What did Putin discuss at the Caspian Sea nations summit?", "What summit was held in Tehran?", "What did Putin say about Iran's nuclear program?", "What sanctions is the US pushing for?", "Who attended the summit of Caspian Sea?", "Who was the plot against?", "Where is the summit taking place?", "What was Putin's meeting with Iran about?", "What does Putin back?", "who is russians president?", "what does iran say?" ]	[ [ "Tehran." ], [ "Russian" ], [ "power plant" ], [ "Putin," ], [ "Tuesday" ], [ "Iran should be allowed to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful purposes," ], [ "nuclear" ], [ "Tuesday" ], [ "Russian" ], [ "an assassination plot against him," ], [ "Russian" ], [ "the U.S." ], [ "Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan" ], [ "attempt on his life" ], [ "\"peaceful nuclear activities" ], [ "of Caspian Sea nations," ], [ "\"peaceful" ], [ "impose stronger U.N." ], [ "Putin," ], [ "Putin," ], [ "Tehran." ], [ "nuclear activities" ], [ "\"peaceful nuclear activities" ], [ "Vladimir Putin" ], [ "denied there was an assassination plot against Putin," ] ]	Russian President Putin backs Iran's "peaceful" nuclear program during visit . Putin in Tehran to attend summit of Caspian Sea nations to discuss oil rights . Iran, Russia set to discuss Iranian nuclear program, U.S. push for sanctions . Putin downplay rumors of assassination plot; Iran says claims are "baseless"
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's parliament speaker has criticized U.S. President-elect Barack Obama for saying that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has outlined where he thinks U.S. policy needs to change. Ali Larijani said Saturday that Obama should apply his campaign message of change to U.S. dealings with Iran. "Obama must know that the change that he talks about is not simply a superficial changing of colors or tactics," Larijani said in comments carried by the semi-official Mehr News Agency. "What is expected is a change in strategy, not the repetition of objections to Iran's nuclear program, which will be taking a step in the wrong direction." In his first post-election news conference Friday afternoon, Obama reiterated that he believes a nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable." He also said he would help mount an international effort to prevent it from happening. Larijani said that U.S. behavior toward Iran "will not change so simply" but that Obama's election showed internal conditions in the United States have shifted. He added that Iran does not mind if the United States provides other Persian Gulf countries with nuclear technology, but "you should know that you cannot prevent the Islamic Republic [from reaching its goals in the nuclear field]," according to the news agency. Obama cautioned Friday that it had only been a few days since the election and that he was not in office. "Obviously, how we approach and deal with a country like Iran is not something that we should simply do in a knee-jerk fashion. I think we've got to think it through," Obama said. "But I have to reiterate once again that we only have one president at a time. And I want to be very careful that we are sending the right signals to the world as a whole that I am not the president, and I won't be until January 20th." Larijani was speaking two days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama, the first time an Iranian leader has offered such wishes to a U.S. president-elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. One analyst said the welcome was a gesture from the hard-line president that he is open to a more conciliatory relationship with the United States. Ahmadinejad said Tehran "welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts," according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency on Thursday. Relations between the United States and Iran have historically been chilly and have been further strained in recent years over Iran's nuclear program. Tehran insists that the program exists for peaceful purposes, but the United States and other Western nations are concerned by Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment activities. CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "Iran criticizes who?", "What are US and Iran relations tensioned about?", "Who said Obama should apply campaign message?", "What should Obama apply according to speaker?", "US - Iran tensions are high over what?", "Who was the President of the US at this time?", "Who has tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions?", "Who criticized Obama ?", "Parliamentary speaker says who should apply campaign message of change?", "What kind of weapons are being discussed?", "Who criticized Obama for saying nuclear weapon development is unaccaptable?" ]	[ [ "U.S. President-elect Barack Obama" ], [ "nuclear program." ], [ "Ali Larijani" ], [ "his campaign message of change" ], [ "nuclear program." ], [ "Barack Obama" ], [ "U.S." ], [ "Iran's parliament speaker" ], [ "U.S. President-elect Barack Obama" ], [ "nuclear" ], [ "Iran's parliament speaker" ] ]	Iran criticizes Obama for saying nuclear weapon development unacceptable . Parliamentary speaker says Obama should apply campaign message of change . U.S.-Iran tensions high over Tehran's nuclear ambitions .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday he sees no change in U.S. policy toward Iran despite the U.S. promise of a "new beginning." Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran would change its policy when the U.S. did so as well. Khamenei said a change in rhetoric is not enough, and Washington must practice what it preaches, according to the English-language Press TV channel in Iran. He also promised that Iran will change its policy if the United States does so as well, Press TV reported. Khamenei's comments, which he made in a televised address to mark the start of the Iranian New Year on Friday, come a day after U.S. President Barack Obama reached out to Iran in a videotaped message. A spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned U.S. foreign policy Friday in response to the video. Obama's message spoke of "new beginnings" with the promise of a new year. "My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community," the president said in his message Friday. Obama said the United States seeks engagement with Iran that is "honest and grounded in mutual respect." The president's message is part of a dramatic shift in tone from that of the Bush administration, which branded Iran as part of an "axis of evil" along with North Korea and Iraq. It also echoes Obama's inaugural speech in which he told the Muslim world, "We seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." Ahmadinejad said last month that Iran would welcome talks with the United States "in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect." Khamenei also said world powers have come to realize they are not able to block Iran's nuclear progress. He looked back on the February 25 testing of Iran's first nuclear power plant, at Bushehr, as one of the "joyful developments" of the past year. Last month, the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security released a report saying that Iran has reached "nuclear weapons breakout capability" -- it has enough uranium to make a nuclear bomb. The report was based on an analysis of data from the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, an IAEA official who asked not to be named cautioned against drawing such dramatic conclusions from the data, saying Iran's stock of low-enriched uranium would have to be turned into highly enriched uranium to be weapons-grade material. That hasn't been done, the official said. The United States has had tortuous relations with Tehran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Meanwhile, the widow of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died Saturday morning after a long period of illness, the Iranian-run Islamic Republic News Agency said. A funeral for Khadije Saghafi was scheduled to be held Sunday in Tehran and she was set to be laid to rest in Khomeini's tomb, the agency reported. Khomeini was the leader of the 1979 revolution that led to the toppling of the shah of Iran and the ushering in of an Islamic state. He died in 1989.	[ "What did Obama do?", "what does the Iranian supreme leader say about US policy?", "What does Obama seek?", "When will Iran change, according to Khamenei?", "Who did Obama reach out to?", "What does US seek?", "Is there a change in US policy?", "Who reached out to Tehran?" ]	[ [ "reached out to Iran in a videotaped message." ], [ "U.S." ], [ "engagement with Iran that is \"honest and grounded in mutual respect.\"" ], [ "the U.S. did so as well." ], [ "Iran" ], [ "\"new beginnings\"" ], [ "no" ], [ "U.S. President Barack Obama" ] ]	Iranian supreme leader: No change in U.S. policy despite Obama overtures . U.S. President Obama reached out to Tehran in Iranian New Year message Friday . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Iran will change when U.S. changes . Obama: U.S. seeks engagement that is "honest and grounded in mutual respect"
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday urged stiff punishment for those who "orchestrated and provoked" the "painful" unrest after the June 12 presidential election, according to Iran's state-run Press TV. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there is no evidence that would undermine the election results. "I call upon security and judicial officials to decisively and mercilessly act with those who committed inhumane acts in the guise of the friends (of the establishment) since they inflicted damage on people and tarnished the image of the establishment, security and police forces," said Ahmadinejad, who made the remarks in a pre-sermon speech to Friday prayers. The government declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 election. The protests sparked a government crackdown that led to thousands of arrests, scores of injuries and at least 30 deaths. Judiciary officials say most of those arrested were released, though several dozen face charges as part of the mass trials. In his remarks Friday, Ahmadinejad said there has been no evidence found that would undermine the election results and he criticized Western nations for interfering in Iran's internal affairs before and after the election.	[ "A stiff punishment for what?", "Who was the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 vote?", "What did protests spark?", "about what are protests?" ]	[ [ "who \"orchestrated and provoked\" the \"painful\" unrest after the June 12 presidential election," ], [ "Ahmadinejad" ], [ "a government crackdown" ], [ "June 12 presidential election," ] ]	Urged stiff punishment for those who "orchestrated and provoked" unrest . Ahmadinejad declared the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 vote . Protests sparked a government crackdown that led to thousands of arrests .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he did not call for a ban on Facebook during the country's presidential election. President Ahmadinejad's challengers are using new technology to spread their message. "I should make an inquiry and ask about this," he said when asked about reports that his government blocked access to the online social networking site. He added, "I believe in maximum freedom of expression." The hardline Iranian president made the comment in response to a question from CNN at a news conference. Asked whether he would order that access to Facebook be reinstated, Ahmadinejad responded that he would "see if there is a complaint" that may be presented to the judiciary. The semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency reported over the weekend that the Iranian government had blocked Facebook amid political jockeying for the June 12 presidential election. Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi -- a former prime minister considered a threat to Ahmadinejad -- has created a Facebook page for his campaign and has more than 5,000 supporters on the site. Those attempting to visit Facebook were receiving a message in Farsi saying, "Access to this site is not possible," according to CNN personnel in Tehran. The news agency reported the Masadiq Committee, made up of representatives from Iran's intelligence ministry, judiciary and others, had ordered the action. After a few hours, the block was lifted, but then reinstated later, the agency said. No reason was given. "We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions," a Facebook spokesperson said in a written statement. "We are investigating these reports. "We believe that people around the world should be able to use Facebook to communicate and share information with their friends, family and co-workers. It is always a shame when a countries' cultural and political concerns lead to limits being placed on the opportunity for sharing and expression that the Internet provides." Ahmadinejad's challengers are increasingly turning to new technology to spread their message, according to a May 13 article in the Financial Times newspaper. Iran's population -- estimated at more than 66 million by July 2009, according to the CIA World Factbook -- has a median age of 27. The Financial Times, which put the country's population at 70 million, said 47 million Iranians have cell phones and 21 million have Internet access. "We are using new technologies because they have the capacity to be multiplied by people themselves who can forward Bluetooth, e-mails and text messages and invite more supporters on Facebook," Behzad Mortazavi, head of Mousavi's campaign committee, told the Financial Times. At a Mousavi rally at a stadium Saturday, the Facebook blockage was a topic of conversation among reporters. Many said they had accessed Facebook on Friday night and believe the site was blocked Saturday morning. CNN's Reza Sayah and Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "Who denied banning Facebook?", "Opponents of the leader are doing what?", "Which candidate created a Facebook page for his campaign?", "What type of candidate is Mir Hossein Mousavi?", "Who created a Facebook page for the campaign?", "What did Mir Hossein Mousavi create for his campaign?", "Who says he didn't call for a ban on Facebook?", "What are Ahmadinejad's opponents using new to spread message their message?", "Who are using new technology to spread the message?" ]	[ [ "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "are using new technology to spread their message." ], [ "Mir Hossein Mousavi" ], [ "Reformist" ], [ "Mir Hossein Mousavi" ], [ "Facebook page" ], [ "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "technology" ], [ "President Ahmadinejad's challengers" ] ]	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he did not call for a ban on Facebook . Ahmadinejad: "I believe in maximum freedom of expression" Ahmadinejad's opponents are using new technology to spread message . Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi created Facebook page for campaign .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose re-election last month led to massive protests, on Tuesday called the balloting "the most free election anywhere in the world." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected last month, setting off days of protests. "It was a great event," he said in a nationally televised address. The election, which opponents charge was rigged, was followed by street demonstrations and civil unrest that led to the deaths of at least 20 protesters and the arrest of more than 1,000, according to Iranian state-run media. The numbers of casualties and arrests could not be independently verified by CNN because the Iranian government banned coverage by international journalists. The president, who said voter turnout was 85 percent, said opponents "did not provide even one piece of document regarding irregularities or vote fraud." Without specifically mentioning the post-election violence, Ahmadinejad said criticism of government "is the key to the success of a nation." Everyone has criticisms, he said. "I have my own." But he accused the "arrogant powers" and "enemies" of Iran of interfering in his country's affairs, including the post-election situation. Some Iranians collaborated with enemies, the president said. Ahmadinejad also said Tuesday he believes the government should be "substantially" reorganized. Although he didn't elaborate, he said the areas of employment, housing, development and civil rights were high on the agenda. "[We] need to create newer capacities and prepare ourselves for this new period," he said, apparently referring to his upcoming second term in office. "With this election, we have entered a new era ... in domestic spheres and on an international level," he added. He called it "an era of solidarity." "The government is at the service of the entire people," Ahmadinejad said. "Things will be done in a better way, more effective way, so we can reach higher aspirations." He said experts have been invited to help the government achieve progress.	[ "what did the president say", "What rocked Iran in days after Ahmadinejad's re-election?", "what did he accuse his enemies of", "What does the president say about government criticism?", "What is the key to success of a nation?", "Who called it the \"most free election anywhere in the world?\"", "what does he accuse?", "What did he say about the criticism of government?", "What rocked Iran in days after Ahmadinejad's re-election?", "what did he say in his address?", "what did the iranian president do?", "What did the Iranian president say of the recent vote?", "What happened after Ahmadinejad's re-election?", "Who does the Iranian president accuse of interfering in his country's affairs?" ]	[ [ "\"It was a great event,\" he said in a nationally televised address." ], [ "protests," ], [ "country's affairs, including the post-election situation." ], [ "\"is the key to the success of a nation.\"" ], [ "criticism" ], [ "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," ], [ "\"arrogant powers\" and \"enemies\" of Iran of interfering in his country's affairs, including the post-election situation." ], [ "\"is the key to the success of a nation.\"" ], [ "protests." ], [ "\"It was a great event,\"" ], [ "called the balloting \"the most free election anywhere in the world.\"" ], [ "\"the most free election anywhere in the world.\"" ], [ "massive" ], [ "\"arrogant powers\" and \"enemies\" of Iran" ] ]	Iranian president calls recent vote "most free election anywhere in the world" In address, he says criticism of government "is the key to the success of a nation" He accuses "arrogant powers" and "enemies" of Iran of interfering in country's affairs . Widespread protests rocked Iran in days after Ahmadinejad's re-election .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday tried to allay Iranian fears over a planned U.S.-Iraq security pact, saying his government would not allow Iraq to become a launching pad for an attack on its neighbor. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, greets Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday. "Iraq today doesn't present any threat as it used to be in the times of the former regime," al-Maliki told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a Sunday meeting between two leaders, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. "Today's Iraq is a constitutional state based on the rule of law, and it seeks to develop its relations with the regional countries based on cooperation and mutual respect," al-Maliki said. Earlier, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA quoted the Iraqi leader as saying that "Baghdad would not allow its soil to be used as a base to damage the security of the neighboring countries, including Iran." His remarks come as the United States and Iraq are trying to reach a bilateral agreement on how long the U.S. military will remain in Iraq and what role it will play in Iraq's security. But al-Maliki media adviser Ali Hadi said negotiations between Iraq and the United States are in their "very early stages" and were not part of Sunday's talks. Watch Ahmadinejad and al-Maliki sit down for talks » "The treaty is purely an Iraqi-American treaty. The Iranians have nothing to do with it," Hadi said. "We will not discuss the progress or the key elements of agreements or disagreements with them because this is an Iraqi issue." The proposed U.S.-Iraqi pact has triggered street protests in Iraq, where many suspect the deal could lead to the establishment of permanent American bases, a long-term presence of U.S. troops and a weakening of Iraqi government control over those troops. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militia was the target of a U.S.-backed Iraqi clampdown in Basra and Baghdad recently, has called for weekly protests against the agreement. Al-Maliki and Ahmadinejad met Sunday afternoon, with Ahmadinejad calling on Iraq's neighbors and the United Nations to help restore security and stability to Iraq, IRNA reported. And al-Maliki thanked Ahmadinejad for his call for an end to longstanding U.N. sanctions against Iraq that date back to the 1991 Persian Gulf war. Iran has long called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, which the United States invaded in 2003. Meanwhile, the United States has accused Iran of arming and training "criminal" Shiite militias in Iraq and of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, allegations the Iranians deny. It is al-Maliki's third visit to Iran since he became prime minister more than two years ago. The two countries, which are neighbors, both have Shiite Muslim majorities, and al-Maliki's ruling coalition is dominated by Shiite religious parties long backed by Iran. Adnan Pachachi, a leading Sunni Arab member of Iraq's parliament, told CNN he wanted al-Maliki to call on Iran to stop supporting armed factions in Iraq. "I think this has to stop," Pachachi told CNN. "I hope that Mr. Maliki will make it absolutely clear that Iraqis of all parties, of all sectarian origins and ethnic origins, are strongly opposed to Iran's attempt to interfere in Iraq's affairs." Pachachi, a former foreign minister, said al-Maliki's predecessor, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, allowed Iraq's security forces to be dominated by sectarian and ethnic militias, and that U.S. troops should remain until those influences are weeded out. "In the long run, it is in the interest of the United States to have a secure Iraq and armed forces and security forces of Iraq with undivided loyalty and allegiance to the state and not influenced by sectarian affiliations or party loyalties," he said.	[ "Who is visiting Tehran?", "What will Iraq not be used for?", "what does al-maliki say", "who is al-maliki" ]	[ [ "al-Maliki's" ], [ "to become a launching pad" ], [ "\"Today's Iraq is a constitutional state based on the rule of law, and it seeks to develop its relations with the regional countries based on cooperation and mutual respect,\"" ], [ "Iraq's Prime Minister" ] ]	Iraq's prime minister in Iran trying to calm fears over any U.S.-Iraq security pact . Nuri al-Maliki visiting Tehran, where he is meeting with top officials . Al-Maliki says Iraq will not be used as a launching pad for U.S. attacks on Iran .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Security forces in Iran on Thursday confronted thousands of protesting Iranians across the city, first at a cemetery and later at a prayer venue and near a government building, witnesses and news reports said. Mourners gather around the grave of Neda Agh-Soltan in Beheshte Zahra Cemetery. Clashes erupted at the cemetery as two of Iran's main opposition leaders tried to join the several thousand people at a memorial for the slain woman who became the symbol of Iran's post-election violence, witnesses said. The gathering was banned, but participants ignored the government strictures. However, security forces barred opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi from the gravesite of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old woman shot in election protests on June 20, witnesses and news reports said. More than 3,000 people were gathered at Agha-Soltan's grave, a witness said. Mourners arrived on the religiously significant 40th day after the fatal shooting in Tehran. For Iranians, a predominantly Shiite Muslim population, the 40th day after a death marks the last official day of mourning. At the cemetery, security forces used tear gas to clear the area of demonstrators and mourners. A witness said riot police and Basij militia were at the scene, but the confrontations with people in the crowd involved the militia. Watch a report on the memorial clashes » The witness spotted instances of the baton-wielding militia charging the gathering, and said as many as nine beatings were seen. Other people appeared to have been beaten as they ran from police, the witness said. One of the mourners had a bloody head and one woman said she was struck on the back of the neck. One security force member sustained some sort of injury to the head and was bloodied. It is unclear exactly how that person was injured. A confrontation between women protesters and police also was seen. The women shouted, "Don't beat up our young people. You, our Muslim brothers. It is a shame to beat up our young people." The crowd chanted "Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein," the first a reference to the revered Shiite imam and the second a reference to Moussavi. Then there were more chants of "Allah wa Akbar," or God is great. iReport.com: Share your photos, video, stories Despite reports of arrests, none were seen on the mourning day. U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said using force to "break up a group of people who were trying to exercise an important ritual in Islam, the mourning after 40 days," was "particularly disturbing." "We stand by the Iranian people who are exercising their universal right to self-expression and demonstrating peacefully," Kelly said. Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, reported that the mourners "disrupted the order" in the city and damaged public and private property and that security forces were merely trying to control the "illegal activity" of the group. IRNA also reported that Tehran residents in the area were angry with the constant protests and wanted a stronger response from the security forces. Another witness told CNN that police directing traffic at the cemetery were helpful and friendly, in stark contrast to the riot police and Revolutionary Guard members who were at the gravesites. From the cemetery, the mourners arrived at the Mossalla, a building under construction that is expected to be the main venue of Tehran's Friday prayers, witnesses said. A couple thousand people demonstrated and police worked to disperse the crowd -- which also was defying a ban on such a gathering. "The police tried to discourage drivers from driving the main highway that would lead to central Tehran, but very few listened," one witness said. "Soldiers standing along the streets flashed the peace sign back at the honking cars with large smiles on their faces. It was obvious the soldiers and police forces were with the people." Thousands also marched and chanted along a prominent thoroughfare called Vali Asr Street, chanting slogans such as "Death to the dictator" amid the honking of car	[ "How many mourners gathered at the grave site?", "Who was shot in street protests after election on June 20?", "What did security forces do?", "Where did forces confront protesters?" ]	[ [ "More than 3,000" ], [ "Neda Agha-Soltan," ], [ "confronted thousands of protesting Iranians" ], [ "across the city," ] ]	Security forces confront protesters across Tehran . Some 3,000 mourners gather at the grave site of Neda Agha-Soltan . Agha-Soltan, 26, was shot in street protests after election on June 20 . Security forces rough up, beat some mourners, witnesses say .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Security forces in Iran on Thursday confronted thousands of protesting Iranians across the city, first at a cemetery and later at a prayer venue and near a government building, witnesses and news reports said. Mourners gather around the grave of Neda Agh-Soltan in Beheshte Zahra Cemetery. Clashes erupted at the cemetery as two of Iran's main opposition leaders tried to join the several thousand people at a memorial for the slain woman who became the symbol of Iran's post-election violence, witnesses said. The gathering was banned, but participants ignored the government strictures. However, security forces barred opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi from the gravesite of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old woman shot in election protests on June 20, witnesses and news reports said. More than 3,000 people were gathered at Agha-Soltan's grave, a witness said. Mourners arrived on the religiously significant 40th day after the fatal shooting in Tehran. For Iranians, a predominantly Shiite Muslim population, the 40th day after a death marks the last official day of mourning. At the cemetery, security forces used tear gas to clear the area of demonstrators and mourners. A witness said riot police and Basij militia were at the scene, but the confrontations with people in the crowd involved the militia. Watch a report on the memorial clashes » The witness spotted instances of the baton-wielding militia charging the gathering, and said as many as nine beatings were seen. Other people appeared to have been beaten as they ran from police, the witness said. One of the mourners had a bloody head and one woman said she was struck on the back of the neck. One security force member sustained some sort of injury to the head and was bloodied. It is unclear exactly how that person was injured. A confrontation between women protesters and police also was seen. The women shouted, "Don't beat up our young people. You, our Muslim brothers. It is a shame to beat up our young people." The crowd chanted "Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein," the first a reference to the revered Shiite imam and the second a reference to Moussavi. Then there were more chants of "Allah wa Akbar," or God is great. iReport.com: Share your photos, video, stories Despite reports of arrests, none were seen on the mourning day. U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said using force to "break up a group of people who were trying to exercise an important ritual in Islam, the mourning after 40 days," was "particularly disturbing." "We stand by the Iranian people who are exercising their universal right to self-expression and demonstrating peacefully," Kelly said. Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, reported that the mourners "disrupted the order" in the city and damaged public and private property and that security forces were merely trying to control the "illegal activity" of the group. IRNA also reported that Tehran residents in the area were angry with the constant protests and wanted a stronger response from the security forces. Another witness told CNN that police directing traffic at the cemetery were helpful and friendly, in stark contrast to the riot police and Revolutionary Guard members who were at the gravesites. From the cemetery, the mourners arrived at the Mossalla, a building under construction that is expected to be the main venue of Tehran's Friday prayers, witnesses said. A couple thousand people demonstrated and police worked to disperse the crowd -- which also was defying a ban on such a gathering. "The police tried to discourage drivers from driving the main highway that would lead to central Tehran, but very few listened," one witness said. "Soldiers standing along the streets flashed the peace sign back at the honking cars with large smiles on their faces. It was obvious the soldiers and police forces were with the people." Thousands also marched and chanted along a prominent thoroughfare called Vali Asr Street, chanting slogans such as "Death to the dictator" amid the honking of car	[ "what was Agha-Soltan's age", "where are the protests", "who forces confront protesters across Tehran?", "what Security forces rough up, beat some mourners, witnesses say?", "how many mourners gathered" ]	[ [ "26-year-old" ], [ "Tehran" ], [ "Security" ], [ "Iran" ], [ "More than 3,000 people" ] ]	Security forces confront protesters across Tehran . Some 3,000 mourners gather at the grave site of Neda Agha-Soltan . Agha-Soltan, 26, was shot in street protests after election on June 20 . Security forces rough up, beat some mourners, witnesses say .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The Iranian government has blocked access to the social networking site Facebook amid political jockeying for the June 12 presidential elections, according to the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency. Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad like Mir Hossein Mousavi are using technology to reach voters. Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi -- a former prime minister considered a threat to current hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- created a Facebook page for his campaign that has more than 5,000 supporters on the site. Those attempting to visit Facebook received a message in Farsi saying, "Access to this site is not possible," according to CNN personnel in Tehran. ILNA reported the Masadiq Committee, made up of representatives from Iran's intelligence ministry, judiciary and others had ordered the action. After a few hours, the blockage was lifted, but was then reinstated, ILNA said. No reason was given for the block. "We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. "We believe that people around the world should be able to use Facebook to communicate and share information with their friends, family and co-workers. It is always a shame when a country's cultural and political concerns lead to limits being placed on the opportunity for sharing and expression that the Internet provides." Ahmadinejad's challengers are increasingly turning to new technology to spread their message, according to a May 13 article in the Financial Times newspaper. Iran's population -- estimated at more than 66 million by July 2009, according to the CIA World Factbook -- has a median age of 27. The Financial Times, which put the country's population at 70 million, said 47 million Iranians have cell phones and 21 million have Internet access. "We are using new technologies because they have the capacity to be multiplied by people themselves who can forward Bluetooth, e-mails and text messages and invite more supporters on Facebook," Behzad Mortazavi, head of Mousavi's campaign committee, told the Financial Times. At a Mousavi rally at a stadium Saturday, the Facebook blockage was a topic of conversation among reporters. Many said they had accessed Facebook on Friday night and believe the site was blocked Saturday morning.	[ "What did the visitors see?", "Who is reportly behind it?", "Who created a Facebook page for the campaign?", "what is the president doing", "Who created the campaign?", "Who is behind the action?", "what has iran's intelligence done", "what do facebook visitors see" ]	[ [ "a message in Farsi saying, \"Access to this site is not possible,\"" ], [ "the Masadiq Committee, made up of representatives from Iran's intelligence ministry, judiciary and others" ], [ "Mir Hossein Mousavi" ], [ "created a Facebook page for his campaign that has more than 5,000 supporters on the site." ], [ "Mir Hossein Mousavi" ], [ "Masadiq Committee," ], [ "blocked access to the social networking site Facebook" ], [ "a message in Farsi saying, \"Access to this site is not possible,\"" ] ]	Facebook visitors see message in Farsi saying, "Access to this site is not possible" Iran's intelligence ministry reportedly behind action; no reason given for blockage . Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi created Facebook page for campaign . President Ahmadinejad's opponents are using new technology to spread message .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The woman whose death has come to symbolize Iranian resistance to the government's official election results did not die the way the opposition claims, government-backed Press TV said Sunday. A boy lights a candle beside a photo of Neda during a protest against Iranian elections in Frankfurt, Germany. Two people told Press TV there were no security forces in the area when Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, was killed on June 20. Neda's death was captured on amateur video -- most likely by a cell phone -- and posted online. Within hours, she had become the iconic victim of the Iranian government crackdown. Eyewitnesses say Neda was shot by pro-government Basij militiamen perched on a rooftop. But Press TV said the type of bullet that killed her is not used by Iranian security forces. A man who told the state-funded network he had helped take her to a hospital said, "There were no security forces or any member of the Basij" government-backed paramilitary present when she was killed. Press TV did not name the man, who spoke Farsi and was subtitled in English on the broadcast. CNN has not identified him and cannot confirm his account. Watch more about Neda's death » "I didn't see who shot who," he said. "The whole scene looked suspicious to me." A second man, whom Press TV identified as Neda's music teacher who was with her when she died, told the station there was "no security forces in this street" when she was shot. Press TV did not name the man, who had a gray mustache and ponytail. He spoke Farsi and was subtitled in English as he walked and pointed at what Press TV said was the scene of the shooting. She was with a family friend who is a music teacher when she was killed. He appears to be the man who spoke to the Iranian broadcaster. "There was no sign of a protest," he said. "We crossed the street to the other side to get a cab... When we reached this spot, a gunshot was heard. There was no shooting here... There were no security forces in this street. There were around 20, 30 people in this street. One shot was heard and that bullet hit Neda." "The bullet was apparently fired from a small caliber pistol that's not used by Iranian security forces," the Press TV anchor said. Iran has strict gun-control laws that bar private citizens from carrying firearms. U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday he had seen the video of Neda's death and called it "heartbreaking. "And I think anyone who sees it knows there's something fundamentally unjust about it," he said. The shaky video of her death shows her walking with a man, a teacher of music and philosophy, near an anti-government demonstration. After being stuck in traffic for more than an hour inside a Peugeot 206 -- a subcompact with a poorly working air conditioner -- Neda and the friend decided to get out of the car for some fresh air, a friend of Neda's told CNN after her death. The two were near where protesters were chanting in opposition to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose calls for an end to anti-government demonstrations have sparked defiance across the nation. Neda, wearing a baseball cap over a black scarf, a black shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, does not appear to be chanting and seems to be observing the demonstration. Suddenly, Neda is on the ground -- felled by a single gunshot wound to the chest. Several men kneel at her side and place pressure on her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "She has been shot! Someone, come and take her!" shouts one man. By now, Neda's eyes have rolled to her right; her body is limp. Blood streams from her mouth, then from her nose. For a second, her face is hidden from view as	[ "What was the age of Neda Agha-Soltan when she was killed?", "What was no in the area when Soltan was killed?", "Who do eyewitnesses say shot her?", "Was her death captured?", "What did eyewitnesses say?", "When was the video posted online?" ]	[ [ "26," ], [ "security forces" ], [ "pro-government Basij militiamen perched on a rooftop." ], [ "on amateur video" ], [ "Neda was shot by pro-government Basij militiamen perched on a rooftop." ], [ "June 20." ] ]	Press TV: No security forces in area when Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, was killed . Her death was captured on amateur video and posted online June 20 . Eyewitnesses say Neda was shot by pro-government Basij militiamen . Press TV say type of bullet that killed her not used by Iranian security forces .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Thirty people convicted of drug and other criminal charges will be hanged on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported Saturday. A convicted Iranian drug dealer is hanged from a crane in the southern city of Shiraz in September. The 30 had their cases tried by the highest judicial authorities and were found guilty of the charges brought against them, Iran's judiciary said in a statement. The verdicts are final, and the sentences will be carried out Sunday, according to Fars. According to Amnesty International, Iran executed 317 people last year, second only to China's 470. The U.S. executed 42 people in 2007, according to Amnesty International. The Iranian judiciary's statement said that all 30 were convicted of crimes including murder, murder in commission of a crime, disturbing public safety and security, being a public nuisance while drunk and being involved in illegal relationships -- relationships between men and women who are not married to each other. Kidnapping and using weapons while committing a crime were among the charges. The statement said that 20 of the people were convicted of drug and alcohol dealing, armed robbery and smuggling arms. The judiciary said it will provide more details later as to the crimes committed by those condemned and added that the hangings should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating committing such crimes. Others are awaiting trial, and their sentences will be carried out as soon as the verdicts are pronounced by the courts, the judiciary said. The judiciary asked the public to notify the authorities if they have any information that might lead to arrest and convictions of criminals. Iran's government launched a campaign March 20 to increase public security and bring the crime rate down. Police cracked down on drug dealers, whom they called criminal gang members, and habitual criminals who use guns in the commission of their crime. Alleged weapons smugglers and people who break social and religious laws, including adulterers, were also targets. National television showed scenes of what were described as criminals being paraded in chains as a deterrent to others. The wave of arrests has subsided, as officials are now prosecuting the suspects and sentencing those convicted. Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "What are they going to do about crime?", "Who does the condemned include?", "When did the government announce a crackdown?", "What number of people did Iran execute in 2007?", "What country did this occur?", "When did Iran's government announce a crackdown on crime?", "What number of people did the US execute in 2007?", "Iran executed how many people in 2007?", "What were they convicted of?", "who was condemned", "who was executed" ]	[ [ "Police cracked down on drug dealers," ], [ "Thirty people" ], [ "March 20" ], [ "317" ], [ "Iran" ], [ "March 20" ], [ "42" ], [ "317" ], [ "drug and other criminal charges" ], [ "Thirty people convicted of drug and other criminal charges" ], [ "317 people" ] ]	The condemned include people convicted of drug and alcohol offenses . Iran executed 317 people in 2007, compared with 42 executions in U.S. Iran's government announced a crackdown on crime in March .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Three leading Iranian reformists who have rejected the results of last month's election questioned the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government Wednesday. Mehdi Karrubi is vowing to "stand by the people and the revolution, until the end of my life." This comes as Ahmadinejad is set to take office at the end of the month. Presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi wrote a letter in his party's newspaper, saying he would not recognize the government and vowing to "stand by the people and the revolution, until the end of my life." His statement prompted Iran's government to block publication of the newspaper. Read Karrubi's letter PDF Ahmadinejad's main political rival, Mir Hossein Moussavi, also released a statement Wednesday criticizing the government and its crackdown on the media, which he said has created a "bitter, coup d'etat atmosphere" in Iran. "We will stand firmly in order to preserve this valuable accomplishment [revolution]," Moussavi said. "Unless we succeed in this, this government will not have legitimacy. The system and the heritage of the Islamic revolution are the fruits of our 200-year-old struggle against oppression."Read Moussavi's statement PDF Iran's former reformist President Mohammad Khatami called on Iranians to keep up the struggle, noting that "all doors are not yet closed." Read Khatami's letter PDF "We must not lose our social capital this easily," Khatami told progressive Iranian newspaper Tahlile Rooz. "I know Moussavi as one of the faithful, original and valuable capitals of our revolution, and considered his return to the political scene as a great chance." In a separate posting on his Web site, Khatami accused the government of having restricted communications in the country. "The state-owned media outlet shows the same scenes over and over again, in order to provoke people's feelings," he said. "Where was this media outlet when tens of people were killed and hundreds of people beaten?" In his statement, Moussavi called for the release of jailed reformists and said he will participate in the creation of a "legal organization" that will release proof of fraud in the June 12 presidential election and take its case to the courts. He said the current political issue is a "family dispute" and cautioned against asking for outside help, warning, "We will regret it." "Many" have asked Moussavi to end his struggle and "close my eyes," but he warned, "If we do not stand our grounds now, then we will have no guarantees that we won't be at this exact point in the future, face to face with the bitter events of this election." Karrubi called the actions of the government before and after the controversial June 12 voting "the foundation for the annulment of the elections," according to a copy of his letter on the party newspaper's Web site. "I will not recognize the legitimacy of the government which has resulted from this process," Karrubi said in the letter. The 72-year-old cleric also said he "will not participate in any of its processes, in any way" and said he is "ready to cooperate with pro-change people and groups." Karrubi's party, Etemed Melli, said Iran's Ministry of Culture and its attorney general prevented the publication of its newspaper because it carried the letter. He and Moussavi have questioned the legitimacy of the vote count of the presidential election that gave Ahmadinejad an overwhelming victory. That outrage sparked bloody street protests and a clampdown on international media coverage, as well as access to certain Web sites. At least 20 protesters were killed in the chaos and more than 1,000 were detained in Tehran, the head of Iranian internal security forces Brig. Esmaeil Ahmadi said, according to Iranian state-run media reports on Wednesday. The actual death toll may be higher, but restrictions on media have made it difficult to verify. Human Rights Watch on Wednesday called on Iran to release prominent Iranian reformist Saeed Hajjarian, who has been imprisoned since June 15. He	[ "Who will not recognize government?", "Who has criticized the crackdown?", "What does Mir Moussavi criticize?", "Who says they won't recognise the government", "What has Khatami accused the government of restricting?", "Who has accused the government of restricting communications?", "What did Mir Hossein Moussavi criticize?", "Who will not recognize the government?", "Who is the former President that accuses restricting communications?" ]	[ [ "Three leading Iranian reformists" ], [ "Mir Hossein Moussavi," ], [ "criticizing the government and its crackdown on the media," ], [ "Three leading Iranian reformists" ], [ "publication of the newspaper." ], [ "Khatami" ], [ "the government and its crackdown on the media," ], [ "Iranian reformists" ], [ "Mohammad Khatami" ] ]	NEW: Former President Khatami accuses government of restricting communications . Mehdi Karrubi says he will not recognize government . Mir Hossein Moussavi criticizes government's crackdown .
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Twenty-nine people convicted of various crimes, ranging from murder to being a public nuisance while drunk, were hanged in Iran, state TV said. A convicted Iranian drug dealer is hanged from a crane in the southern city of Shiraz in September. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported earlier that 30 people would be put to death. It was not immediately clear if the last person's life was spared. The Iranian judiciary's statement said that all 30 were convicted of various crimes, which included: murder, murder in commission of a crime, disturbing public safety and security, being a public nuisance while drunk and being involved in illegal relationships -- relationships between men and women who are not married to each other. Kidnapping and using weapons while committing a crime were also among the charges. The statement also said that 20 of the convicts were convicted of drug and alcohol dealing, armed robbery and smuggling arms. The judiciary statement said that the convicts had their cases tried by the highest judicial authorities and were found guilty of the charges brought against them. The verdicts were final with their sentences carried out on Sunday. The judiciary said the hangings should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating committing such crimes, the agency reported. The statement also said that several other individuals are currently awaiting trial and their sentences will be carried out as soon as the verdicts are pronounced by the courts. According to Amnesty International, Iran executed 317 people last year, second only to China's 470. Iran's government launched a campaign March 20 to increase public security and bring the crime rate down. Police cracked down on alleged drug dealers, whom they called criminal gang members, and alleged habitual criminals who use guns in the commission of their crime. Alleged weapons smugglers and people who break social and religious laws, including adulterers, were also targets. National television showed scenes of what were described as criminals being paraded publicly in chains as a deterrent to others. The wave of arrests has now subsided, as officials are now prosecuting the alleged criminals and sentencing those convicted. Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "What were the convicts found guilty of?", "What kind of robbery were the convicts charged with?", "What was the number of convicts hanged?", "What are hangings used for?", "What were they guilty of?", "what did the judiciary say", "were the convicts hanged?", "What number of convicts were hanged?", "What should the hangings serve as?", "Who was hanged?", "Which state TV reported the hangings?", "What was the punishment for those found guilty of murder, rape, armed robbery and other charges?", "what judiciary said?", "What method of execution was used?", "What did the judiciary say about hangings?", "Do they use the death penalty often?", "what amount of convictes were hanged?", "What happened to 29 convicts?", "What were they found guilty of?", "What were convicts found guilty of?" ]	[ [ "various crimes, which" ], [ "armed" ], [ "Twenty-nine people" ], [ "should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating committing such crimes," ], [ "convicted of various crimes, ranging from murder to being a" ], [ "all 30 were convicted of various crimes," ], [ "in Iran," ], [ "Twenty-nine" ], [ "warning" ], [ "Twenty-nine people convicted of various crimes," ], [ "Iran," ], [ "were hanged" ], [ "that all 30 were convicted of various crimes, which included: murder, murder in commission of a crime, disturbing public safety and security, being a public nuisance while drunk and being involved in illegal relationships -- relationships between men and women who are not married to each other." ], [ "hanged" ], [ "should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating committing such crimes," ], [ "Iran executed 317 people last year, second only to China's" ], [ "Twenty-nine" ], [ "hanged in Iran," ], [ "various crimes, which included: murder, murder in commission of a crime, disturbing public safety and security, being a public nuisance while drunk and being involved in illegal relationships" ], [ "various crimes, ranging from murder to being a" ] ]	Twenty-nine convicts were hanged, according to Iranian state TV . Convicts were found guilty of murder, rape, armed robbery and other charges . Judiciary said hangings should serve as warning to those contemplating crimes .
TEL AVIV, Israel (CNN) -- In Tel Aviv's wholesale fashion headquarters, where textile merchants follow in the legacy of fathers and grandfathers, many Israelis are looking for the latest in tech fashion: the iPhone. Mobile phone store Z-Tov Ltd. in Tel Aviv carries iPhones among other cell phones and products. It's at Z-Tov Ltd. that consumers shop for the latest models of Samsung, Philips and Motorola. The local mobile phone chain even carries the 8GB and 16GB models of the highly coveted iPhone. One customer asks the clerk whether the store sells the 16GB iPhone. But when he hears the price, the customer walks off in disappointment. Z-Tov sells the 8GB iPhone for about 2,600 NIS, or about U.S. $753. The current market price in the United States is $399. The store clerk says the store pays a 50 percent tax to import iPhones from outside the country. But the price doesn't hinder iPhone's popularity here, appealing mostly to young men quick to upgrade their 8GB to a 16GB model as if memory size is a barometer of male bravado. Apple has yet to make its presence official in Israel. The company has limited its iPhone products to four markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Still, as in other parts of the world, the iPhone has strong reception along Mediterranean shores. The coveted phones make their way through customs in both official and unofficial passages; consumers buy them abroad for friends and acquaintances to resell on the gray market. But before the phone can work on a local network, it must be unlocked or "jailbroken," tech lingo for reprogramming the iPhone to work on network carriers not affiliated with Apple. Apple maintains strategic deals with several hand-picked wireless carriers; namely AT&T in the United States. In order to protect these alliances, Apple issues this disclaimer to customers planning to reprogram the iPhone: Unlock at your own risk. The standard one-year warranty on jailbroken iPhones is null and void. At Z-Tov, unlocking the iPhone is big business, and Arik Steinman's services are in high demand. For 100 NIS (about U.S. $30), Steinman, a Russian immigrant, will unlock an iPhone in about 20 minutes, replacing the factory-provided SIM card with the customer's SIM of choice. For an extra 50 NIS (about U.S. $15), he'll change the language program to Hebrew. Steinman, who maintains a growing collection of unused AT&T SIM cards, said he unlocks an average of 30 to 40 iPhones a week. Steinman has no formal technical background; he said he learned the technique through various sources. "In the beginning, it wasn't simple; now it is simple," he said with a smirk. Last year, as many as 1 million iPhones may have been unlocked and activated by carriers not paying Apple a kickback, according to industry experts. Anosh Ishak, a businessman and developer based in Atlanta, Georgia, said his iPhone is a "valuable business tool" that he uses on international trips, notably to Israel, where he'll pop out his U.S. SIM and replace it with one that will run on a local network. Ishak said he paid $20 to a friend of a friend to unlock his phone so he can stay with his current phone carrier, T-Mobile. When he purchased the iPhone from an Apple retail store in Atlanta, he made it clear he wasn't planning to sign on with AT&T. "They told me that they wouldn't sell me the phone if they knew I was going to unlock it," Ishak said. Determined, Ishak told the salesperson that he had the right to buy the merchandise and that the store could not control it. How did the Apple salesperson respond? "To tell me he'll pretend like he didn't hear it," said Ishak. Apple representatives declined to comment on the unlocking phenomenon and iPhones making their way overseas, referring CNN	[ "how much is z-tov selling the iphone for?", "What is the cost of the phone?", "what has apple yet to do?", "Who sells the iPhone?" ]	[ [ "$753." ], [ "2,600 NIS, or about U.S. $753." ], [ "make its presence official in Israel." ], [ "Z-Tov Ltd." ] ]	Z-Tov sells the 8GB iPhone for about 2,000 NIS, or about U.S. $790 . Apple has yet to make its presence official in Israel . In Israel, selling and unlocking the coveted iPhone is big business . Apple COO Tim Cook: Unlocked iPhones "a good problem to have"
THE EVERGLADES, Florida (CNN) -- Joe Wasilewski drives along a narrow stretch of road through Florida's Everglades. The sun is setting, night is coming on quickly, and Wasilewski is on the prowl for snakes -- and one snake in particular. Reptile expert Joe Wasilewski holds a Burmese python he found in the Florida Everglades. "The next 10 miles seem to be the hot spot for Burmese pythons," he said. Wasilewski is a state-sanctioned snake-hunter who regularly scours this area for the reptiles. The Everglades, known as the River of Grass, has the perfect space and climate for pythons to hide and breed. And breed they do: The largest clutches found in the Everglades have contained 83 eggs. They are also speedy travelers, able to move across 1.6 miles of land every day, experts say. The travel lets people like Wasilewski hunt the snakes from the driver's seat of his truck. But it also means that the problems created in the local ecosystem by the non-venomous snakes are spreading. "It's a large predator, and they're eating basically everything in sight. That's the problem," Wasilewski said of the Burmese python. Volunteers like Wasilewski, happy to grasp the problem and the snakes with both hands, are not the only troops in Florida's war on the invading pythons. A "Python Patrol" was launched in the Florida Keys, south of the Everglades, by Alison Higgins of the Nature Conservancy. Her program uses utility workers, wildlife officials, park rangers and police to keep an eye out for snakes and trains them to capture any they find. "The Burmese pythons that are coming out of the Everglades are eating a lot of our endangered species and other creatures, and we want to make sure they don't breed here," said Higgins, the conservation manager for the Keys. It is believed that the problem originated when reptile-breeding facilities near the Everglades were destroyed during Hurricane Andrew. Compounding the problem is the release of these snakes by pet owners. "These pets were released by owners that do not understand the threat to the ecosystem," Everglades National Park spokeswoman Linda Friar said. She said the pets, which can grow to 200 pounds and live for 30 years, often get too big for owners to handle. The state has a pilot program with several volunteer snake hunters such as Wasilewski. Twenty years ago, no Burmese pythons were found in the Everglades, park statistics say. Now, there could be 100,000 snakes in the River of Grass, but no one knows for sure. What Wasilewski, an expert on reptiles, is sure of is that night is the best time for his hunting, as that is when the snakes tend to be on the move. When he finds his prey, he puts the snake in a bag, deposits it in a crate and delivers it to biologists for the Everglades National Park, where the snake can be studied and/or destroyed. On one recent evening, the pickings were slim, and after two hours of driving back and forth along the two-lane Tamiami Trail, Wasilewski's crate was empty. He saw a python on the road, but it was dead, and the other small snakes and a baby alligator in the area did not interest him. Finally, Wasilewski, an environmental and wildlife consultant, spotted something. "Yeah, baby! Hee ha! Look at the size of this one," he exclaimed from the front seat of his truck. He got out and picked up the brownish-green snake, which immediately coiled around his arm. "This isn't a big one," he said, but as he got a closer look, he did not deny that it was a good one: "At least 12 [feet.]" Wasilewski has a soft spot for these species, and one of the reasons he volunteers for the snake hunt is to learn more about them. He says it is not the snakes' fault that they ended up in the Everglades, but he	[ "Where is a perfect place for Burmese pythons to live and breed?", "Reptile experts patrols where?", "What kind of snakes live in Florida Everglades?", "Who patrols the area for snakes to capture?", "Huge snakes do what quickly?", "Where is a perfect place for Burmese pythons to live?", "What does one reptile expert do?", "What state is a place for pythons to live and breed?", "How many in numbers are there", "What breeds quickly and travels quickly?", "What does the expert patrol?", "Where is a perfect place for Burmese pythons to live?", "Where is this place", "What does the reptile expert do?" ]	[ [ "The Everglades," ], [ "the Florida Keys, south of the Everglades," ], [ "Burmese python" ], [ "Joe Wasilewski" ], [ "eating basically everything in sight." ], [ "The Everglades," ], [ "holds a Burmese python he found in the Florida Everglades." ], [ "Florida Everglades." ], [ "100,000" ], [ "Burmese python." ], [ "the Florida Keys," ], [ "The Everglades," ], [ "Florida Everglades." ], [ "holds a Burmese python" ] ]	Florida Everglades are perfect place for Burmese pythons to live and breed . Huge snakes breed quickly and travel quickly . One reptile expert patrols the area for snakes to capture .
TILCARA, Argentina (CNN) -- Carmen Salva's mission may be ambitious, but her belief is simple: "It's never too early to start caring for the land you live in and grow up in." Carmen Salva: "It's a great joy to know that I am preparing a new generation to respect the environment." That's why on Saturdays, Salva and a group of 60 to 100 students, parents and teachers can be found venturing into the high altitude of their northern Argentina mountains, trash bags in hand and llamas in tow. They're part of Esperanza de Vida (Hope for Life), Salva's youth environmental group that is out to clean up the surroundings, one plastic bottle at a time. Salva, 49, was born and raised in the Jujuy province of northern Argentina, an area known for its rich culture and spectacular vistas -- "the reason why most people fall in love with it," says Salva. But despite its beauty, Salva says there's no real environmental consciousness in her community. "We have a lot of issues to work on -- the problem of water contamination; there's so much trash," Salva says. "We can't just think that it will take care of itself." Salva, who has been a teacher in Jujuy for 20 years, says the environmental issues aren't recent ones. Ten years ago, she and her students noticed a lot of trash outside the school. "The parks surrounding the school were littered with plastic bottles and beer bottles," recalls Salva. They began volunteering with a government program, collecting and bagging waste in the area. But the program waned after a year, and students and teachers could no longer continue their environmental efforts. "Our city had no formal recycling program or even knowledge of why it was important to learn about fresh water, forestation, and the importance of recycling," says Salva. So Salva began Esperanza de Vida in 1997 to organize and lead young participants in "making our streets and our environment cleaner." "I believe that change begins with the youth," says Salva. "They will teach future generations how to care for nature and everything that surrounds us." At first, the group's activities were limited to cleaning parks near and around the school. But the organization's efforts have expanded well beyond the immediate area, and other Jujuy schools have joined in. About 150 people now take part, including about 80 children. Salva says her students are deeply impacted by the "Pachamama" concept, or caring for Mother Earth. She and fellow teachers have noticed their students apply as much energy and commitment to the weekend environmental activities as they do to their general subjects. "Some even wait by my house on Saturday for the program to begin," beams Salva. The group convenes early in the morning to hike together into the mountains, where they work for hours, picking up trash and separating recyclables. Watch Salva talk about her program's impact on the students and their environment » "We have long days and we accomplish a lot. It gets tiring because it's a lot of walking and sometimes there are cliffs," says Salva. "[But] the students enjoy it a lot. They're making changes while having fun." On an average Saturday cleanup, it's not unusual for the group to collect roughly 60 bags of trash for recycling, clearing thousands of bottles from the mountains. The llamas help carry the heavy load down from the mountains. "The children call them the little eco-llamas." Watch Salva discuss another way the llamas help her group in the mountains » The local government has also pitched in, helping to provide transport of the collected recyclables to the drop-off center, located nearly 50 miles from Tilcara. Salva says the group is making strides, raising awareness throughout her community, continually adding new volunteers, and implementing new projects. Carmen says the children are even teaching their parents to care for the environment around	[ "what does llamas do", "what teacher are doing", "Who started a youth group in Argentina to clean up the environment?" ]	[ [ "help carry the heavy load down from the mountains." ], [ "can be found venturing into the high altitude of their northern Argentina mountains, trash bags in hand and llamas in tow." ], [ "Esperanza de Vida" ] ]	Teacher in Argentina started youth group to help clean up the environment . About 150 people take part, including about 80 children . On an average Saturday, they often collect about 60 bags of trash for recycling . Llamas help carry the thousands of bottles down from the mountains .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Had this custody drama played out in the United States, Christopher Savoie might be considered a hero -- snatching his two little children back from an ex-wife who defied the law and ran off with them. A Tennessee court awarded Christopher Savoie custody of his son, Isaac, and daughter, Rebecca. But this story unfolds 7,000 miles away in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, where the U.S. legal system holds no sway. And here, Savoie sits in jail, charged with the abduction of minors. And his Japanese ex-wife -- a fugitive in the United States for taking his children from Tennessee -- is considered the victim. "Japan is an important partner and friend of the U.S., but on this issue, our points of view differ," the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said Tuesday. "Our two nations approach divorce and child-rearing differently. Parental child abduction is not considered a crime in Japan." The story begins in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tennessee, with the January divorce of Savoie from his first wife, Noriko, a Japanese native. The ex-wife had agreed to live in Franklin to be close to the children, taking them to Japan for summer vacations. Savoie in March requested a restraining order to prevent his ex-wife from taking the children to Japan, saying she had threatened to do so, according to court documents obtained by CNN affiliate WTVF and posted on the station's Web site. A temporary order was issued, but then lifted following a hearing. "If Mother fails to return to Tennessee [after summer vacation] with the children following her visitation period, she could lose her alimony, child support and education fund, which is added assurance to Father that she is going to return with the children," Circuit Court Judge James G. Martin III noted in his order on the matter. After that ruling, Christopher Savoie tried to have Martin recuse himself, as he was a mediator in the case prior to becoming a judge, said Marlene Eskind Moses, Noriko Savoie's attorney. But that request was denied, as Savoie earlier said he had no concerns about Martin hearing the matter. Following the summer trip, Noriko Savoie did return to the United States, and Christopher Savoie then took the children on a vacation, returning them to his ex-wife, his attorney, Paul Bruno, told CNN. Watch latest report on Savoie's situation » But days later, on the first day of classes for 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca, the school called Savoie to say his children hadn't arrived, Bruno said. Police checked Noriko Savoie's home and did not find the children. Concerned, Savoie called his ex-wife's father in Japan, who told him not to worry. "I said, 'What do you mean -- don't worry? They weren't at school.' 'Oh, don't worry, they are here,' " Savoie recounted the conversation to CNN affiliate WTVF earlier this month. "I said, 'They are what, they are what, they are in Japan?' " The very thing that Savoie had predicted in court papers had happened -- his wife had taken their children to Japan and showed no signs of returning, Bruno said. After Noriko Savoie took the children to Japan, Savoie filed for and received full custody of the children, Bruno said. And Franklin police issued an arrest warrant for his ex-wife, the television station reported. But there was a major hitch: Japan is not a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on international child abduction. The international agreement standardizes laws, but only among participating countries. So while Japanese civil law stresses that courts resolve custody issues based on the best interest of the children without regard to either parent's nationality, foreign parents have had little success in regaining custody. Japanese family law follows a tradition of sole custody divorces. When a couple splits, one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children. In court documents filed	[ "Who tries to snatch children from his ex-wife?", "What was the father charged with?", "Who has legal custody in the U.S?", "Ex-wife of who?", "Where is the wife living?" ]	[ [ "Christopher Savoie" ], [ "the abduction of minors." ], [ "Christopher Savoie" ], [ "Christopher Savoie" ], [ "Fukuoka," ] ]	Ex-wife's attorney says dad had other legal options besides grabbing kids . American dad tries to snatch children from ex-wife who took them to Japan . She is a fugitive in Tennessee, but has broken no law in Japan . Father, who has legal custody in U.S., charged in Japan with abduction .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- The U.S. military in Japan has charged a Marine with rape and other violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the alleged sexual assault of 14-year old girl in Okinawa. A civic group member protests against Hadnott near the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on February 13. Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, has been charged with the rape of a child under 16, abusive sexual contact with a child, making a false official statement, adultery and kidnapping, the Marines said Friday. No dates for the court-martial have been set. In February, Japanese authorities released Hadnott after the girl dropped the allegations against him, but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation to see if Hadnott violated codes of military justice. It held him at a Marine facility. The rape accusation against Hadnott stirred memories of a brutal rape more than a decade ago and triggered outrage across Japan. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda deplored as "unforgivable" the allegations against Hadnott. The incident also led to tight restrictions, for a time, for American troops and their families at the U.S. base on Okinawa. The U.S. military in Japan also formed a sexual assault prevention task force after the incident. More than 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, most of them on Okinawa. The troops were placed there under a security alliance after Japan was defeated in World War II and was renounced its right to a military. The U.S. military presence has at times bred resentment among some Japanese, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiments boiled over in 1995 after three American servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women. E-mail to a friend	[ "When did the girl drop the charges?", "Where are most of the troops in Japan stationed?", "What month did the girl drop charges?", "Where are most of the US troops located?", "When is the court-martial set for?" ]	[ [ "February," ], [ "Okinawa." ], [ "February," ], [ "Okinawa." ], [ "have been" ] ]	No date set for the court-martial . U.S. military charges Marine after girl dropped charges in February . Most of U.S. troops in Japan are stationed in Okinawa .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Voters in Japan will turn out for parliamentary elections Sunday in what poll after poll shows will be a historic shift in political power to oust the ruling party. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has approval ratings in the teens. The Liberal Democratic Party has been in nearly continuous control of Japan's parliament for more than five decades. But the country's worst economic crisis since World War II has led a normally sedate electorate to the polls, disgruntled with how slowly the country is emerging from the downturn. Polls show that the opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan, will snag more than 300 of the 480 seats up for grabs in the lower house of Japan's parliament. If the DPJ does win a majority, it will be the first time it will govern the world's second-largest economy. Leading the DPJ is Yukio Hatoyama, who has been mobbed at street rallies by supporters, the kind of support the opposition has never seen. Hatoyama is touting an Obama-style message of change, pledging to raise the minimum wage and discourage hiring through agencies or on temporary contracts. That message is gaining traction in a country that is witnessing historic highs in unemployment and experiencing ramifications like homelessness for the first time. Voters are looking for somebody to pay, and if the polls are right, that target is the current prime minister, Taro Aso. Aso's approval ratings dwell in the teens, and his stimulus packages, though credited for lifting the economy slightly out of recession, are not being credited with helping households feel more secure about a lasting economic recovery. The LDP, in political ads and stump speeches across Japan, says the DPJ is making empty promises and can't pay for its proposed programs. CNN's Kyung Lah contributed to this report.	[ "How long has the Liberal Democratic Party been on top?", "Which party had been on top for five decades", "Who has an Obama style message of change", "What are the voters disgruntled about?", "What party has been on top for almost five decades?", "Which party is set for it's first majority", "What are voters disgruntled with?", "What is the name of the party that is set for their first majority?", "Who has Obama-style message of change?" ]	[ [ "more than five decades." ], [ "The Liberal Democratic" ], [ "Hatoyama" ], [ "how slowly the country is emerging from the downturn." ], [ "Liberal Democratic" ], [ "Democratic" ], [ "how slowly the country is emerging from the downturn." ], [ "of Japan," ], [ "Hatoyama" ] ]	Liberal Democratic Party has been on top for almost five decades . Voters disgruntled with slow progress on economic recovery . Democratic Party of Japan set for its first majority . DPJ's Yukio Hatoyama has Obama-style message of change .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Police found three men dead in a car parked outside a spa Monday morning -- the latest in a string of suicides involving detergent, officials said. According to local media reports, more than 60 people have committed suicide across Japan in the last month by mixing detergent and other chemicals, and inhaling the hydrogen sulfide gas that results. A passerby discovered the bodies of the three men in Tamioka, north of Tokyo, police said. In western Japan, police found a 21-year-old man with a plastic bag over his head Monday. A police officer in Suma, where the body was found, said authorities found detergent containers by the foot of the man. They suspect the man may have inhaled the toxic gas after mixing them in the bag. Earlier this month, police in Japan had asked Internet service providers to take down the recipe for the detergent mix. Even before the spate of recent suicides, Japan had one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. In early May, police evacuated about 350 people from their homes on the island of Hokkaido after a neighbor mixed detergent and chemicals to kill himself. The two most recent cases did not require the evacuation of the neighborhoods where they occurred. In some cases, officials had to order residents to leave because the resulting gas from the detergent mix can sicken people. CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report	[ "what did they find", "what amount of people have committed suicide across Japan in the last month?", "When did police find these?", "What did police find?", "what police found in a car parked outside a spa Monday morning?", "What does Japan have?" ]	[ [ "three men dead in a car" ], [ "60" ], [ "Monday morning" ], [ "three men dead in a car" ], [ "three men dead" ], [ "one of the highest rates of suicide in the world." ] ]	Police found three men dead in a car parked outside a spa Monday morning . More than 60 people have committed suicide across Japan in the last month . Police say string of 'detergent suicides' encouraged by Internet sites . Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.	[ "What did the EU announce?", "What chemical was blamed?", "What was blamed for the deaths of four children?", "What did EU announce a ban on?", "How many products did the Japanese company recall?", "How many products were recalled?", "What chemical was the culprit in deaths of kids in China?", "How many children died as a result of the chemical?", "What imports were banned by the EU?", "What procuts were banned from the EU?", "What did five recalled products contain?" ]	[ [ "banning the import of Chinese milk products" ], [ "melamine" ], [ "the chemical melamine" ], [ "import of Chinese milk products for children." ], [ "five" ], [ "five" ], [ "melamine" ], [ "four" ], [ "Chinese milk products for children." ], [ "banning the import of Chinese milk products for children." ], [ "the chemical melamine" ] ]	Japanese company recalls 5 products after finding they contained melamine . Chemical blamed for deaths of four children in China, thousands sickened . Food safety authorities around the globe pull candies from shelves . EU announces a ban on imports of baby food containing Chinese milk .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine accused of raping a 19-year-old Japanese woman last year was found guilty Thursday of "committing wrongful sexual contact and indecent acts," the U.S. military said, but he was acquitted of rape. The sentencing hearing for Lance Cpl. Larry A. Dean, 20, is scheduled to begin on Friday. Dean is among four Marines under court-martial in the case. The others are Sgt. Lanaeus J. Braswell, 25; Gunnery Sgt. Carl M. Anderson, 39; and Gunnery Sgt. Jarvis D. Raynor, 34, the military said. Local media reported that the four men met the woman in a restaurant in Hiroshima on October 14, 2007, then allegedly attacked and raped her in a car in nearby parking lot. Japanese authorities investigated but decided in November not to file charges. Dean also was found guilty of conspiracy to commit indecent acts and two minor charges. He was acquitted of conspiracy to kidnap or rape. The case is similar to a recent alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl involving a U.S. Marine on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. That case sparked outrage and stirred memories of an earlier rape committed by U.S. servicemen. Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, was charged last month with the rape of a child under 16, abusive sexual contact with a child, making a false official statement, adultery and kidnapping, the military said. In February, Japanese authorities released Hadnott after the girl dropped the allegations, but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation to see if Hadnott violated codes of military justice. The military is holding him at a Marine facility. More than 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, most of them on Okinawa, which accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan's total area. The U.S. military presence has at times bred resentment among locals, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiment boiled over in 1995, after three American servicemen were convicted in the kidnapping and gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women.	[ "Who is among four U.S. Marines charged with assault?", "Who bred resentment?", "What to the locals think of the military?", "When will Dean be sentenced?", "When will sentencing begin?" ]	[ [ "Lance Cpl. Larry A. Dean," ], [ "U.S. military presence" ], [ "resentment" ], [ "Friday." ], [ "Friday." ] ]	Sentencing to begin Friday for Lance Cpl. Larry A. Dean . Dean is among four U.S. Marines charged in alleged gang assault of teenager . Charged Marines range in age from 20 to 39 . U.S. military has bred resentment among locals .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine based on Okinawa has been arrested in connection with the reported rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl, the island's police force said Monday. Police said the assault was reported Sunday night in the Chanton entertainment district on Okinawa, a major hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific. The 38-year-old American was arrested shortly after the report, police said. The Marine was not identified, and there was no immediate comment from the service on the allegation. Previous criminal cases against American troops have triggered widespread protests by Okinawans since 1995, when three American servicemen were found guilty of raping an Okinawan schoolgirl. Under U.S.-Japanese military agreements, the U.S. government has custody over service members suspected of crimes while on duty. In addition, the U.S. military is not required to turn over those accused of crimes until an indictment is issued. E-mail to a friend	[ "Who was arrested?", "What were the servicemen found guilty of?", "What was Marine arrested for?", "What has triggered protests by Okinawans?", "What were three servicemen found guilty of in 1995?", "What triggered protests?", "What was the marine arrested for?", "When did they commit crime?", "Did they arrest someone?" ]	[ [ "U.S. Marine" ], [ "rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl," ], [ "in connection with the reported" ], [ "Previous criminal cases against American troops" ], [ "raping an Okinawan schoolgirl." ], [ "Previous criminal cases against American troops" ], [ "rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl," ], [ "Sunday night" ], [ "A U.S. Marine based on Okinawa" ] ]	Marine, 38, arrested after report of the rape . Previous cases against U.S. troops have triggered protests by Okinawans . In 1995, three servicemen were found guilty of raping an Okinawan schoolgirl .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine pleaded guilty Friday to abusive sexual contact with a child under 16, bringing to a close a criminal case that stoked outrage in Japan, a Marine spokesman said. Protesters turned out in March after the rape allegations surfaced. The Marine pleaded guilty to charges Friday. Staff. Sgt. Tyrone L. Hadnott was sentenced to four years of confinement, said First Lt. Judd Wilson, a Marine spokesman in Okinawa, Japan. The Marine Corps withdrew several other charges, including rape of a child, kidnapping and making a false official statement, Wilson said. Japanese police arrested Hadnott in February on charges alleging that he raped a 14-year-old junior-high school student. He saw her while riding his motorcycle, offered to give her a ride and later assaulted her at a park, the police said then. The case stirred outrage at the highest levels of the Japanese government. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda deplored the incident as "unforgivable." The Japanese Foreign Ministry lodged an official protest with the U.S. government. And Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima said the offense "violates the rights of women" and that "this is a crime that we should not accept." The Japanese authorities released Hadnott after the girl withdrew her allegations, but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation. The Marines charged Hadnott with rape of a child, abusive sexual contact, making a false official statement, adultery and kidnapping. More than 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, most of them on Okinawa. The U.S. military presence has at times bred resentment among locals, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiments boiled over in 1995, after three American servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women. The Marine Corps said in a statement on Friday that it does not tolerate sexual assault. "We remain committed to maintaining an environment that rejects sexual assault and attitudes that promote such behaviors," the statement said.	[ "What was his sentence?", "What did Marine Corps withdrew?", "where was he confined?", "What did the Marine plead guilty to?", "The Marine Corps withdrew several other charges, including rape of a child", "Who was sentenced?", "Who was sentence to four years confinement?", "who was the child?", "What does U.S. Marine plead guilty to?" ]	[ [ "four years of confinement," ], [ "several other charges, including rape of a child, kidnapping and making a false official statement," ], [ "Okinawa, Japan." ], [ "16," ], [ "kidnapping and making a false official statement," ], [ "Staff. Sgt. Tyrone L. Hadnott" ], [ "Staff. Sgt. Tyrone L. Hadnott" ], [ "14-year-old junior-high school student." ], [ "16," ] ]	U.S. Marine pleads guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child under 16 . Staff. Sgt. Tyrone L. Hadnott is sentenced to four years confinement . The Marine Corps withdrew several other charges, including rape of a child .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Anti-whaling protesters hurled containers of butyric acid at a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters, injuring four crew members, a Japanese official said Monday. Activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society hurl objects on to the Japanese ship Nisshin Maru. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society acknowledged the Sunday incident, saying it had lobbed more than two dozen bottles of rotten butter at the Nisshin Maru, "sending a stench throughout the whale killing ship that will remain for days." Butyric acid is found in rotten butter. The Sea Shepherd boat had to move a half-mile away from the whaling ship because "it stinks too bad to remain any closer," activist Todd Emko of New York said in a statement from the group. Watch protesters toss objects at the ship » The conservation group said it also threw packets of a slippery chemical on to the deck of the ship, making it difficult to cut up whales. The unnamed substance becomes more slippery when mixed with water so it will be difficult to wash off the deck, a Sea Shepherd statement said. "I guess we can call this nonviolent chemical warfare," said Capt. Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd boat, the Steve Irwin. "We only use organic, nontoxic materials designed to harass and obstruct ... whaling operations." Itsunori Onodera, Japan's senior vice minister for foreign affairs, described the incident at an international seminar for African and Asian delegates to the International Whaling Commission. He said the Sea Shepherd group threw bags of acid, rather than bottles of rancid butter. Onodera told the audience that the crew complained of injuries afterward, but he didn't elaborate. Sea Shepherd's U.S. office said it did not know of any injuries. Sea Shepherd interferes with Japanese hunts in an attempt to reduce the number of whales taken. In January, two activists from the group were seized when they boarded another Japanese whaling ship. Japan is lobbying a dozen members of the International Whaling Commission in Tokyo to support its much-criticized Antarctic whaling program. The effort comes before all 78 members of the panel this week in London, England. The commission is meeting to discuss reaching an agreement on whale conservation rules. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Fisheries Agency are making their case to officials from Angola, Eritrea, the Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Palau, Micronesia, Cambodia, Laos and Vanuatu. Japan has said it is conducting the hunt as research, calling the practice environmentally and scientifically sound. Watch why Tokyo is furious over the stink between whalers, protesters » The country's annual hunt kills up to 1,000 whales a year; the Fisheries Agency insists it wants "sustainable whaling." However, many in the international community -- particularly Australia -- say such hunts amount to needless slaughter. Critics have said calling these hunts research is a pretext for retrieving whale meat to be sold in markets and restaurants. E-mail to a friend	[ "What did the captain say?", "What is butyric acid found in?", "what said capitan", "what is butyrid acid", "What did the anti-whaling group throw?" ]	[ [ "\"I guess we can call this nonviolent chemical warfare,\"" ], [ "rotten butter." ], [ "\"I guess we can call this nonviolent chemical warfare,\"" ], [ "is found in rotten butter." ], [ "containers of butyric acid" ] ]	Captain of activist ship: "We can call this nonviolent chemical warfare" Japan: Anti-whaling group threw butyric acid on board whaling vessel . Japan: The crew complained of injuries after the butyric acid hit the ship . Butyric acid is found in rancid butter .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Authorities have arrested a U.S. sailor on suspicion of robbery and murder in the death of a Japanese taxi driver. The U.S. military handed him over Thursday at Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo. A Yokosuka police spokesman identified the sailor as Olatunbosun Ogbogu, a 22-year-old Nigerian national. Taxi driver Masaaki Takahashi, 61, was found dead March 19 of stab wounds to the neck about a mile from the base in Yokosuka. The presence of U.S. in Japan has sparked controversy this year amid reports linking service members to crimes. In March, the U.S. military said it plans to court martial four Marines accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in Hiroshima last year. Authorities are also investigating allegations that a member of the U.S. military raped a Philippine woman on the island of Okinawa. And a U.S. Marine was detained in the rape of a 14-year-old girl until the girl dropped the allegations. As Ogbogu was arrested, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Thomas Schieffer, met with Japan's foreign minister. "We're dealing with human beings that do criminal acts from time to time," Schieffer told reporters afterward. "And I think justice is going to be done in this matter because we've been able to work so closely together." Watch the U.S. ambassador to Japan discuss the case » The U.S. military presence in Japan has at times bred resentment among locals, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiments boiled over in 1995 after three American servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women. E-mail to a friend	[ "will there be something done?", "What do the reports say?", "what has been marred by reports of rape and crime?", "Who was arrested for allegedly killing a Japanese taxi driver?", "What has U.S. Navy presence in Japan been marred by?", "what is the punishment?", "what us civilian military staffer was jailed for?", "who japanese police arrest?" ]	[ [ "the death of a Japanese taxi driver." ], [ "linking service members to crimes." ], [ "The U.S. military presence in Japan" ], [ "Olatunbosun Ogbogu, a 22-year-old Nigerian national." ], [ "the death of a Japanese taxi driver." ], [ "jailed for nine years" ], [ "suspicion of robbery and murder" ], [ "U.S. sailor" ] ]	Japanese police arrest U.S. sailor for allegedly killing a Japanese taxi driver . U.S. Navy presence in Japan has been marred by reports of rape and crime . In 2006, U.S. civilian military staffer jailed for nine years for raping two women .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Eleven-year-old Hiroki Ando will likely die if he does not get a new heart. Hiroki in an ambulance on the way to catch his flight to New York, where he will wait for a heart. Hiroki suffers from cardiomyopathy, which inflames and impairs the heart. The same disease killed his sister five years ago. "We have two children in our family who got a disease that happens one out of every 100,000 people. I am sorry for my children. We are having my daughter and Hiroki going through this harsh experience," said father Ryuki Ando. "We were told by his doctor at the end of last year that the heart transplant operation was the only way for him to survive," Ando said. But the law in Japan prohibits anyone under the age of 15 from donating organs -- meaning Hiroki can't get a new heart in his home country. According to the web site for Japan Transplant Network, a non-governmental group that supports changing Japan's transplant law, "this stipulation has greatly reduced the possibility of transplants to small children; heart transplants to small children have become impossible." Watch Hiroki's trip to the United States » Lawmaker Taro Kono is spearheading efforts to change the law, which was enacted in 1997. Japan's parliament is now debating four proposed amendments-- including one that would scrap the age limit. But, beyond the age matter, the issue of organ transplantation in general, has been a difficult one for the country because of perceptions of brain death. Some refuse to accept it if their loved ones' hearts are still beating. "For a long time, it's the heart that mattered in Japan. Some religions ask us not to declare being brain dead as death. But that is not the majority," Kono said. "So it is simply that we have been doing things this way and a lot of people are very skeptical about it." Kono, who gave a kidney to his father, said a total of 81 organ transplants have been conducted in Japan since the transplant law was enacted in 1997, whereas nearly thousands of transplants occur in the United States each year. "A lot of people in Japan waiting for a transplant, waiting for a liver, a heart, other organs, most of them just die simply because they couldn't get any organs," he said. Kono said he believes the public supports changing the law to allow organ donation from children, noting that "when the parents of the child are going on the street asking for donations, they can actually raise more than a million dollars." Incredibly, that's just what Hiroki's family has done. They started a group called "helping Hiroki" and raised $1.7 million in donations. "It was very tough to get the donations, but so many people from all over Japan donated the money," he said. "It was not only the money, but so many letters and messages to energize us, sent to the group. We realized there are so many people supporting us, and they are the reason that we made it this far and will be able to continue after going to the U.S." Hiroki is now at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, awaiting a new heart. His father says he knows that the transplant issue is a difficult one for families. "The honest wish from the recipient's side is to have a donor show up as soon as possible," he said, pausing. "I still do not know whether I can make a decision to give my child's heart to someone else if I am faced with such a situation. But unless the people face the issue and think about it seriously, I do not think the time will come soon to see more people volunteering to donate organs." Ando said he hopes that one day he will be able to play baseball with his son, who is an avid sports fan. "I would like to have a fun time again with Hiroki. I would	[ "What reason why can't he get heart in Japan?", "How much money did Hiroki's family raise?", "What does Hiroki Ando suffer from?", "What did Hiroki's family raise?", "What is Hiroki Ando suffering from?", "What is Hiroki Ando's age?" ]	[ [ "prohibits anyone under the age of 15 from donating organs" ], [ "raised $1.7 million in donations." ], [ "cardiomyopathy," ], [ "raised $1.7 million in donations." ], [ "cardiomyopathy," ], [ "Eleven-year-old" ] ]	Hiroki Ando, 11, suffers from cardiomyopathy, which inflames and impairs the heart . He can't get heart in Japan because people under 15 not allowed to donate organs . Hiroki's family raised $1.7 million in donations to send Hiroki to New York for surgery .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Even before one reaches the front door of Canon's headquarters in Tokyo, one can sense the virtual stampede of employees pouring out of the building exactly at 5:30 p.m. Japan's birth rate of 1.34 is below the level needed to maintain the country's population. In a country where 12-hour workdays are common, the electronics giant has taken to letting its employees leave early twice a week for a rather unusual reason: to encourage them to have more babies. Japan is in the midst of an unprecedented recession, so corporations are being asked to work toward fixing another major problem: the country's low birthrate. Tell us what you think At 1.34, the birthrate is well below the 2.0 needed to maintain Japan's population, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Keidanren, Japan's largest business group, with 1,300 major international corporations as members, has issued a plea to its members to let workers go home early to spend time with their families and help Japan with its pressing social problem. Watch more on this story One reason for the low birth rate is the 12-hour workday. But there are several other factors compounding the problem -- among them, the high cost of living, and social rigidity toward women and parenting. In addition, Japan's population is aging at a faster pace than any other country in the world. Analysts say the world's second-largest economy faces its greatest threat from its own social problems, rather than outside forces. And the country desperately needs to make some fixes to its current social and work structures, sociologists say. The 5:30 p.m. lights-out program is one simple step toward helping address the population problem. It also has an added benefit: Amid the global economic downturn the company can slash overtime across the board twice a week. "It's great that we can go home early and not feel ashamed," said employee Miwa Iwasaki.	[ "Who encourages workers to have more babies?", "What is also aging faster than any other in the world?", "What is Canon encouraging?", "What is Japan's birthrate?", "What is Japan's brithrate?", "What are the workers encouraged to do?", "What is the country doing faster than any other in the world?", "What is the country's population doing?" ]	[ [ "Canon's headquarters in Tokyo," ], [ "Japan's population" ], [ "to encourage them to have more babies." ], [ "1.34" ], [ "1.34" ], [ "have more babies." ], [ "population is aging" ], [ "is aging at a faster pace than any other" ] ]	Japanese electronics maker Canon encourages workers to have more babies . Japan's birthrate of 1.34 is below 2.0 needed to maintain its population . Country's population is also aging faster than any other in the world .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Even in the midst of Japan's deepest economic recession since World War II, the country's love hotel industry is thriving. The Style A hotel in Tokyo offers amenities. "I'd hate to use the term "recession-proof," but it's certainly proven very resilient over the last six to nine months," said Steve Mansfield, CEO of New Perspectives, which operates six love, or "leisure," hotels in Japan. One of them, the Bonita Hotel in Isawa, boasts a 257 percent occupancy rate. Rooms can be rented for three to 24 hours. Mansfield's company estimates the industry in Japan pulls in $40 billion a year in revenue. "It's a natural human desire. Even these days, on the weekend, every love hotel is full of people -- it's hard to get in. You can never stop sexual desire," said a woman with her boyfriend in Tokyo, who laughed in embarrassment when asked for her name. Love hotels fill a need for privacy in a country where high population density often means couples have little time alone. Rooms offer a broad assortment of features, including karaoke machines, PlayStation game consoles, DVD players, a variety of cosmetics, customized condoms and indoor-outdoor Jacuzzis. Watch Morgan Neill's report from inside a love hotel » Though required by law to have a front desk, most can be rented and entered without talking to a clerk. The days of Japanese being ashamed to enter love hotels are coming to an end, though, Mansfield said. "Seventy-five percent of our guests are members of our points program," he said. "They carry our points cards, they collect points and they receive gifts. That's something people are very comfortable with, and I think that reflects the customers that we attract." Takashi Yamamoto, who designs love hotels in Tokyo, agreed. "The bad image that love hotels had has faded over time. Also, customers started to raise their voices and became more selective about choosing hotels. In response, management has improved." The flashiest love hotels are found in Osaka, including a Hello Kitty-themed hotel and one with a room featuring a merry-go-round. Tokyo hotels tend to be tamer, focused on winning customers with amenities. The Style A Hotel, for example, offers a suite for $190 that includes a full-size Jacuzzi and a private sauna. Though young couples make up the majority of customers, they are not the only ones. One man, who declined to be named, said: "I go to love hotels when I'm drunk and don't feel like going home." Whatever the reasons, the hotels have been doing well enough that Mansfield recently went to London, seeking investors to expand. "The industry has 25,000 hotels, and through our research we've worked out that 90 percent of owners have five or fewer hotels," he said. That fragmentation is a structural inefficiency in the market, he said, one he would like to help correct.	[ "Who are most customers?", "What do the venues include?", "Where are the flashiest hotels found?", "How many hotels does the industry have?", "How much does the industry pull in a year?", "How much money does the industry pull in?" ]	[ [ "Though young couples make up the majority of" ], [ "karaoke machines, PlayStation game consoles, DVD players, a variety of cosmetics, customized condoms and indoor-outdoor Jacuzzis." ], [ "Osaka," ], [ "25,000" ], [ "$40 billion" ], [ "$40 billion a year in revenue." ] ]	Industry has 25,000 hotels, says Steve Mansfield, CEO of a love hotel operator . Venues include a Hello Kitty-themed hotel; another has a merry-go-round in a room . Mansfield: the industry pulls in some $40 billion dollars a year in overall revenues . Most customers are young people; flashiest hotels found in Osaka .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japan's GDP fell 4 percent last quarter, the fastest pace on record, the government said on Wednesday. A homeless man pulls his cart filled with possessions and goods for recycling on March 18 in Osaka, Japan. The January-March quarter for Japan was 15.4 percent lower than the same time period last year, according to figures released by the Cabinet Office. Exports fell 26 percent on quarter, while imports were down 15 percent. The GDP slide in the world's second-largest economy is the greatest drop among the world's leading economies. By comparison, GDP in the United States fell 6.1 percent on an annual basis. This was the fourth straight quarter the Japanese economy contracted. Analysts say the drop reflects cuts in domestic spending with job cuts, factory closings and less capital spending as a result of spiraling sales abroad. The news punctuates a month of poor economic news out of Japan in recent weeks. Panasonic, one of the world's largest makers of electronic devices, announced it lost nearly $4 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31. Hitachi lost $8 billion in the fiscal year, with consolidated revenues down 11 percent from last year, the largest loss ever recorded by a Japanese manufacturer. NEC Corporation lost $3 billion in the past fiscal year, down nearly 11.5 percent from last year. Meanwhile, Nissan lost $2.3 billion for the year.Sony Corp. announced net losses of $1 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, finishing a year in the red for the first time in 14 years.	[ "What is the capital of Japan?", "Is the Japanese economy suffering?", "What factors are affecting it?", "Is Japan in a recession?", "What percentage did Japan's GDP fall last quarter?", "The first quarter GDP was how much lower compared to the previous year?", "What was the reason for the 4% decline?", "how many percent fell?", "How much did Japan's GDP fall last quarter?", "How many quarters has the Japanese economy contracted?", "How much lower was the first quarter GDP than the year before?", "how much straight are?", "What was 15.4 percent lower than the same time period last year?" ]	[ [ "TOKYO," ], [ "Japan's GDP fell 4 percent last quarter," ], [ "cuts in domestic spending with job cuts, factory closings and less capital spending" ], [ "GDP fell 4 percent last quarter, the fastest pace on record," ], [ "4 percent" ], [ "15.4 percent" ], [ "cuts in domestic spending with job cuts, factory closings and less capital spending as a result of spiraling sales abroad." ], [ "4" ], [ "4 percent" ], [ "fourth straight" ], [ "15.4 percent" ], [ "fourth" ], [ "GDP" ] ]	Japan's GDP fell 4 percent last quarter, the fastest pace on record. First quarter GDP was 15.4 percent lower than the same time period last year . This was the fourth straight quarter the Japanese economy contracted .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso announced a historic ¥15 trillion ($150 billion) stimulus package Friday aimed to turn around the recession in the world's second largest economy. Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso has announced a $150 billion stimulus package. Steeped in a recession, with a surge in bankruptcies and sentiment among its largest manufacturers at a record low, Japan has seen unemployment reach a three-year high. The stimulus plan is meant to keep Japan's economy from cracking open, coalition party officials told CNN. It is the biggest-ever supplemental budget to boost the ailing economy. Japan has been hit hard by the global financial slump. Although Japanese banks were spared the brunt of the credit crisis, the drop in exports to the United States has sent the country into its worst recession since World War II. Aso needs the package to boost Japan's economy and his government's popularity. "This could help save his life as prime minister," said Satoru Ogasawara, a Tokyo-based economist for Credit Suisse. The Aso administration's approval rating fell below 10 percent two months ago, but has been buoyed by the stimulus package and the recent North Korea rocket launch, Ogasawara said. If approved, the package could add two points to the country's gross domestic product, Ogasawara said. But its long-term impact remains an open question. "It will help the economy from collapsing from this point ... [but] unless the package improves productivity or increases demand, it will be a short-term fix," Ogasawara said. Jesper Koll, president and chief executive of TRJ Tantallon Research Japan, said the stimulus package was unlike the ¥12 trillion injections into the economy in the past eight months. "This is the first designed with real business input, and that's reflected in the package," he said, referring to a series of meetings Aso held with business leaders last month. "That's outside the normal technocratic, bureaucratic fix. ... It isn't just pork-barrel money for the boys." Koll cites details of the plan -- such as tax breaks for gift-giving, environmentally friendly cars, or measures to increase employment in health care -- as a step forward. "This goes way beyond grand-standing fiscal policy. It's very specific. For Japan, that's something," he said. Still, Japan now has one of the highest amounts of public debt in the world - a rate which could approach 200 percent of GDP next year, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. "The government has since spent billions and billions of dollars to support the economy," Kirby Daley, a strategist for brokerage Newedge, said. "Japan has been trying this and has now gone into almost two lost decades and will likely enter a third lost decade if they continue down this policy path. It has not worked in Japan. It will not work again." Among the package's highlights: -- ¥1.9 trillion for unemployment benefits and the promotion of job sharing. -- ¥3 trillion to boost struggling companies. -- ¥1.6 trillion to promote green initiatives, such as the purchase of environmentally friendly cars and energy-efficient electronics. -- ¥2.6 trillion for infrastructure, such as airport runways, train networks and road extensions. -- ¥1.7 trillion for health and welfare. The proposed stimulus package helped a rally in Japanese stocks this week, with the Nikkei 225 Average briefly breaking the 9000-point level for the first time in three months on Friday morning trading. The Nikkei hit a 26-year record low last month.	[ "Where will the 1.9 trillion allocated be spent?", "What is the stimulus plan about?", "What is the 1.9 trillion allocated for?", "What is the stimulus plan meant to do?", "When did Japan announce extra spending", "What did Japan announce Friday?", "When was the announcement made?", "What is the plan to do?", "What did Japan announce?" ]	[ [ "unemployment benefits and the promotion of job sharing." ], [ "aimed to turn around the recession in the world's second largest economy." ], [ "unemployment benefits and the promotion of job sharing." ], [ "turn around the recession in the world's second largest economy." ], [ "Friday" ], [ "a $150 billion stimulus package." ], [ "Friday" ], [ "keep Japan's economy from cracking open," ], [ "stimulus package" ] ]	Japan announces ¥15 trillion ($150 billion) in extra spending Friday . The stimulus plan is meant to keep Japan's economy from cracking open . ¥1.9 trillion allocated for unemployment benefits and the promotion of job-sharing .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japanese scientists have produced clones of mice that have been dead and frozen for 16 years -- a feat that could lead researchers to one day resurrect long-extinct species, such as the mammoth. Dolly was cloned using cells from live animals. Now scientists believe they can resurrect extinct species. Until now, scientists have only been able to produce clones using cells from live animals. This is how researchers created Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult animal. Researchers had thought that frozen cells were unusable because ice crystals would have damaged the DNA. That belief would rule out the possibility of resurrecting extinct animals from their frozen remains. But the latest research -- published in the journal, Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences -- shows that scientists may have overcome the obstacle. Researchers at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, used cells from mice that had been frozen for 16 years at -20 Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). They extracted the nucleus and injected it into eggs whose DNA had been removed. Several steps later, the scientists were able to clone the mice. "This is the first time a mammal has been cloned from a sample stored at conditions reasonably close to what might be expected in permafrost," Teruhiko Wakayama, who led the study, said in a statement. "(It) gives some hope for those who might seek to clone extinct species from frozen carcasses."	[ "Number of years the cells were frozen for?", "What did researchers use?", "What can the research lead to?", "Scientists produced clones of what?", "Who produced clones of mice?", "Who was able to produce clones of mice dead and frozen for 16 years?", "What did they use from the frozen mice?", "What could be resurrected by researchers?", "What could this feat lead to?", "What did researchers use from mice?", "What did Japanese scientist produce?" ]	[ [ "16" ], [ "cells from live animals." ], [ "could lead researchers to one day resurrect long-extinct species, such as the mammoth." ], [ "mice" ], [ "Japanese scientists" ], [ "Japanese scientists" ], [ "cells" ], [ "long-extinct species," ], [ "one day resurrect long-extinct species," ], [ "frozen cells" ], [ "clones of mice" ] ]	Japanese scientists produce clones of mice dead and frozen for 16 years . Feat could lead researchers to resurrect long-extinct species, like mammoth . Researchers used cells from mice that were frozen for 16 years at -20 Celsius .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Puzzled zookeepers in northern Japan have discovered the reason why their attempts to mate two polar bears kept failing: Both are female. A 4-year-old polar bear sent to impregnate a female polar bear at a zoo in Kushiro was found to be female as well. The municipal zoo in the city of Kushiro in Hokkaido brought in a polar bear cub three years ago. They named it Tsuyoshi, after the popular baseball outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo, and waited until it reached reproductive age. In June, the zoo introduced Tsuyoshi to its resident bear, an 11-year-old female named Kurumi, and waited for sparks to fly. But much to the disappointment of zookeepers, Tsuyoshi never made any amorous advances toward Kurumi. Earlier this month, zookeepers put Tsuyoshi under anesthesia to get to the bottom of the matter. That's when they made their discovery: Tsuyoshi is a female. Still, the Kushiro zoo plans to keep Tsuyoshi because he -- or rather, she -- has become immensely popular with visitors. "I have rather mixed feelings, given the need for breeding, but Tsuyoshi is an idol for Kushiro," Yoshio Yamaguchi, head of the Kushiro zoo, told Japan's Kyodo news agency. Tsuyoshi will even keep her name. "We will not be changing it to 'Tsuyoko' since it is loved by citizens (by the current name)," Yamaguchi said. "Ko" is a common suffix for a Japanese female name. Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi's "brother," who was adopted by another zoo, has also turned out to be female, Kyodo reported. -- CNN's Chie Kobayashi contributed to this report	[ "where is the zoo located", "What was the cub's name?", "What did the zoo do with the polar bear cub?", "what was the discovery made by the zoo", "What was the resident bear's name?" ]	[ [ "Kushiro" ], [ "Tsuyoshi," ], [ "They named it Tsuyoshi," ], [ "to mate two polar bears kept failing: Both are female." ], [ "Kurumi," ] ]	Zoo introduced polar bear cub to its resident bear and waited for sparks to fly . And it waited and waited: Tsuyoshi never made amorous advances toward Kurumi . Months later, the zoo makes key discovery: both bears are female .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- The clicking of dozens of news cameras drowned out the sobs of the 13-year-old girl, but her face explained what was happening in the departure hall of Japan's Narita International Airport. Arlan and Sarah Calderon hug their daughter Noriko farewell. Noriko Calderon, wearing her school uniform, was being forced to make one of the most wrenching choices of her young life: To stay in the country of her birth rather than join her parents being deported to the Philippines. The scene was the emotional climax to a story a decade and a half in the making -- one that has tugged at heartstrings in Japan, but ultimately failed to sway to an unyielding bureaucracy that activists say violates human rights. Sound off: Do you think Japanese authorities are doing the right thing? Filipinos Arlan and Sarah Calderon illegally entered Japan in the early 1990s on fake passports. They married and had a daughter, Noriko. Arlan found a stable job working for a construction company. Noriko grew up Japanese, attending school and never learning her parents' native language. Noriko, like many Tokyo girls her age, loves hip-hop and hopes to be a dancer or a teacher at a dance school someday. But her future in the only country she's ever known went into limbo when Japanese immigration authorities arrested her mother in 2006. Her parents decided to fight Japan's notoriously rigid immigration laws and for three years under a harsh media spotlight, they argued their case all the way to the country's High Court, saying Arlan is gainfully employed and their daughter only speaks Japanese. The family lost their case in the High Court, and Japan ordered Arlan and Sarah Calderon be deported back to the Philippines. Watch CNN interview with family » Activists claim Japan's notoriously rigid immigration laws violate human rights. An estimated 500 families are in the same situation according to lawyers, who accuse Japan of not respecting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Japan's Immigration Bureau in a statement to CNN said the couple's illegal presence in the country as an "extremely malicious" violation that "shakes the foundation of Japan's immigration control." But when it came to 13 year old Noriko, the government gave the girl a choice: Her country or her parents. "Japan is my homeland," says Noriko, when asked why she is choosing to stay behind. She will move in with an aunt, allowed to stay in Japan under a visa that the government will reassess yearly. Her life, say her parents, will be better in Japan. She'll have schooling and the dreams a big city like Tokyo can offer her, versus the impoverished farm community her parents will move back to in the Philippines. But as the Calderons packed up their small apartment in the days leading up to the deportation, the reality of what would soon happen to the family became more and more harsh. "Until I'm an adult, I need my parents," Noriko said, her pink cheeks stained with tears. "We won't be there when she needs us the most," said Arlan Calderon. "She has to protect herself on her own. I'm so sorry about that." Shogo Watanabe, the Calderons' attorney, collected more than 20,000 signatures in Japan to try and keep the family together in the country. "Children should be protected when their parents are punished. It's the child's right. But there's no consideration for that at all. I do not think the government is being flexible," said Watanabe. Under Japanese immigration laws, the Calderons won't be allowed back into Japan for five years. They've asked for a special waiver to visit their daughter after a year, but it hasn't been granted yet. So their last, public hug could be the last time they see their daughter until she's 18.	[ "What is Calderon's age?", "Where was Noriko Calderon born?", "What nationality were her parents?", "what country is this", "where did his parents go" ]	[ [ "13-year-old" ], [ "Japan" ], [ "Filipinos" ], [ "Japan" ], [ "the Philippines." ] ]	Noriko Calderon born and raised in Japan by Filipino parents . Parents deported after years of living in country . Schoolgirl says she will stay, meaning she may not see parents until she's 18 .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Three people were killed and at least 84 were injured Saturday morning when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northeastern Japan, Japanese officials said. The quake struck at about 8:43 a.m. north of Sendai, Japan. Another five people were missing, national police said. Officials said the earthquake led to the buckling of highways and caused some bridges to collapse. Bullet trains were also stopped in the affected areas. Two nuclear power plants in the region were not affected, officials said. Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said one man was killed when he was buried in a landslide in Fukushima Prefecture and the other was struck by a truck as he rushed out of his house in Iwate Prefecture. Officials have not yet released details of the third death. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda sent priority orders for rescue operations, Machimura said. The quake, which struck at about 8:43 a.m. (11:43 p.m. GMT Friday), was centered 100 km (60 miles) north of Sendai in southern Iwate prefecture. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said several strong aftershocks followed the initial quake. The Iwate government office said it had received reports that eight children and a teacher were injured by breaking windows at a preschool and that the earthquake produced landslides in some areas. The Miyagi fire department said there had been some injuries caused by falling furniture, and some bus passengers were injured when the vehicle bounced on a bridge. Two houses collapsed, the fire department said. East Japan Railway suspended Shinkansen bullet trains in the Tohoku region, and many other train lines in the region suspended operation as well. Expressways in Miyagi were also closed. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said that operations at nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture were not affected, Kyodo said. There were no tsunami warnings issued after the quake. Local governments, fire departments and police were working to gather damage reports. CNN's Junko Ogura and Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report.	[ "What number of people are dead?", "When did the quake strike?", "when the quake struck at?", "what's the amount of people dead?" ]	[ [ "Three" ], [ "Saturday morning" ], [ "8:43 a.m." ], [ "Three" ] ]	Three people dead, at least 84 injured after earthquake hits Japan . U.S. Geological Survey reports 7.0 magnitude quake on Japanese island of Honshu . Quake struck at around 8:43 a.m. Saturday .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer manufacture HD DVDs, effectively ending the long-running battle with the rival Blu-ray for a dominant high-definition format. People watch a demonstration of HD DVD at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Toshiba said it made the decision to cease developing, manufacturing, and marketing HD DVDs after "recent major changes in the market." It promised to continue offering support and service for all existing Toshiba HD DVD products. "We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," Toshiba President and Chief Executive Atsutoshi Nishida said in a news release. Toshiba's HD DVD business has been suffering recently with a string of major retailers and rental companies announcing their preference for Blu-ray, developed by Sony. Watch video on the battle of the formats » Last week alone, Wal-Mart and online rental company Netflix said they would abandon HD in favor of Blu-ray. Last month, Warner Brothers Home Entertainment -- which had been the largest media company releasing videos in both formats -- announced it would offer DVDs solely in Blu-ray. The DVD battle has been reminiscent of the VHS vs. Beta fight in the early 1980s. It has left many consumers confused and waiting to see which technology will emerge as the industry standard. Sony's Blu-ray is backed by Disney, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Dell, Panasonic, and Philips. Toshiba's HD DVD is backed by Paramount, Universal Pictures, Microsoft, Sanyo, and NEC. Toshiba said it would continue to work with those companies and study ways to collaborate with them in the future. Tens of billions of dollars have been at stake as major movie studios battled for a dominant format. But rival game consoles have been part of the struggle, too -- Sony's Playstation 3 plays Blu-ray discs, while the Microsoft Xbox will play HD DVDs if users install an add-on component. Both Blu-ray and HD are high-definition DVDs, the successor to ordinary DVDs which show pictures only in standard definition. But Blu-ray and HD involve different hardware and are not compatible with each other, meaning consumers have had to decide which system to invest in. Both formats have an excellent picture quality with a large storage space. But Toshiba has lost the battle because it lacks a retail presence in many markets, said Carl Gressum, a senior analyst at Ovum, a London technology consultancy. "They didn't manage to bring on board some of the China vendors, they didn't bring (on board) the retailers, they've failed to develop in the European and Asian markets," Gressum told CNN. Warner Brothers announced its decision to drop HD DVD right before last month's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a significant event for corporate buyers. Gressum said that led to an immediate drop in retail support for Toshiba's format. Gressum said manufacturers of both formats have made things more difficult for retailers by forcing consumers to make a choice between the gradually-dominant Blu-ray and the much-cheaper HD. "They're losing money in many cases because of the price war between the two formats as Toshiba -- and also Microsoft, to a certain extent -- has been playing the price card for HD DVD players," he said. Toshiba said the company would continue to market standard DVD players and recorders. E-mail to a friend	[ "What did the analysts say is the reason Toshiba lost?", "What will they make instead?", "What will they no longer make?", "Who is Toshiba's rival?", "What does Toshiba say it will no longer make?", "What is the winner for next gen technology?", "What did Toshiba say?", "What will Toshiba no longer make?" ]	[ [ "it lacks a retail presence in many markets," ], [ "standard DVD players and recorders." ], [ "HD DVDs," ], [ "Blu-ray" ], [ "HD DVDs," ], [ "Blu-ray" ], [ "it will no longer manufacture HD DVDs," ], [ "HD DVDs," ] ]	Toshiba says it will no longer make or market HD DVD players and recorders . Move delivers victory to rival Sony's Blu-ray disc technology for next-generation video . Toshiba lost because it lacks retail presence in many key markets, analysts say .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Two hundred thousand boats sat idle in Japan, as fishermen across the nation took to the streets on Tuesday to protest skyrocketing fuel prices. Fishermen rallied in Tokyo on Tuesday against skyrocketing fuel prices. The strike -- the first ever by the country's fishermen -- hopes to convince the government that without its intervention, rising fuel costs will kill the fishermen's businesses. Across Japan's fishing ports, fishermen simultaneously blew their whistles in a symbol of solidarity, and operations ground to a halt. Thousands of others rallied in downtown Tokyo, marching in circles around the fisheries ministry and chanting, "We're dying," through bullhorns. The protesting fishing unions say fuel once accounted for 10 percent of a business' operating cost. It now accounts for 30 to 50 percent. Watch the unions protest in the streets » They want the government to provide subsidies to make up for the price hike. The demonstration was the latest in a wave of protests around the world over fuel prices. Masatoshi Wakabayashi, the minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, told reporters Tuesday morning that he "understands the frustration of the fishermen." He urged reforms within the fishing industry to decrease its reliance on oil, adding it would be "difficult to compensate them for the hike in the price of oil." The deep-sea tuna fishermen's association told CNN it might suspend operations for two to three months later this year, due to fuel price hike. Marine life has long been a staple food source in Japan. Last week, nearly 400 taxis brought traffic to a halt in Berlin, Germany, as drivers drove through the city in a protest over high fuel prices. Truckers in Vienna, Austria, also staged a protest last week. And earlier this month, hundreds of British truckers drove past Parliament to voice their anger about the high cost of fuel. India, France, Spain and South Korea have had similar protests.	[ "What was the minister's response to the fishing unions?", "These demonstrations are against what?", "Where did they march?", "What city did the fishing ministry demonstration take place?", "What do the fishing unions want the government to provide subsidies for?" ]	[ [ "he \"understands the frustration of the fishermen.\"" ], [ "skyrocketing fuel prices." ], [ "downtown Tokyo," ], [ "Tokyo" ], [ "fuel prices." ] ]	Thousands in Tokyo marched in circles around the fisheries ministry . Fishing unions want the government to provide subsidies to make up for price hike . Minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries says he "understands the frustration" Demonstration is the latest against fuel prices around the world .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Typhoon Melor roared into central Japan on Thursday, leaving two people dead and lashing the region with heavy rain and gusty winds. Utility poles lie buckled in the wake of Typhoon Melor. The storm stayed west of Tokyo, but still caused enough trouble to shut down trains for a time and snarl commuter traffic. Numerous flights were canceled and delayed at the city's two major airports. In western and northern Japan, Melor tore roofs off homes, downed power lines and flooded roads. The storm contributed to the deaths of a 54-year-old newspaper delivery man in Wakayama, who ran into a fallen tree, and a 69-year-old man from Saitama, who was crushed by a tree. By late Thursday, Melor had weakened to a tropical storm and was heading out to sea. -- CNN's Kyung Lah contributed to this report.	[ "What did the storm avoid?", "What roars into central Japan leaving two people dead?", "The storm's victims were killed how?", "What did typhoon Melor do?", "What typhoon left 2 dead?", "What happened to the storm's victims?", "Where did the storm avoid?" ]	[ [ "Tokyo," ], [ "Typhoon Melor" ], [ "crushed by a tree." ], [ "Typhoon Melor roared into central Japan on Thursday, leaving two people dead and" ], [ "Melor" ], [ "crushed by a tree." ], [ "Tokyo," ] ]	Typhoon Melor roars into central Japan leaving two people dead . Storm avoided Tokyo but caused major disruption to transport networks . Storm's victims were killed by falling trees .
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- When Japanese police arrested three sumo wrestlers and their stable master on Thursday over allegations they beat a 17-year-old wrestler to death, the case sent shockwaves across a country that links its national identity to the sport. Sumo stablemaster Junichi Yamamoto following the young wrestler's death in October. In scenes unprecedented in Japan's history, where wrestlers are seen as national heroes, the sumo stars were shown handcuffed and with jackets over their heads surrounded by cameras and reporters. Police arrested sumo wrestlers Masakazu Kimura, 24, Yuichiro Izuka, 25, Masanori Fujii, 22, and their stablemaster, Junichi Yamamoto, 57, who is also known as Tokitsukaze. Aichi prefectural police allege Yamamoto ordered the three wrestlers to beat a 17 year old junior wrestler so brutally that he died. Takashi Saito, 17, collapsed at his sumo stable and was rushed to the hospital. Initially, the boy's death was listed as "ischemic heart failure", until his family viewed his body. They say his body was covered in bruises, cuts and burns. They begged police to open an investigation, believing he'd been punished for trying to flee the stable. "He said he'd be a good boy, I just need to come get him (from the stable)," his father told reporters last summer, through choked tears. "I should have listened and trusted him." Police say on June 25, Yamamoto instructed the wrestlers to beat the boy using sticks and a metal bat. Yamamoto publicly denied striking Saito inappropriately, though he did admit to striking him on the head with a beer bottle during dinner that day. He told reporters shortly after Saito's death, "This was an ordinary practice. How could you think I would do anything to hurt someone I consider my child?" The results of an autopsy conducted last year by Niigata University concluded that Saito died of shock caused by multiple injuries. In a separate autopsy, specialists at Nagoya University confirmed earlier this month that shock caused by multiple external injuries contributed to Saito's death. The arrests have shaken Japan's national sport to its core. The Prime Minister, on the floor of the Parliament, urged the nation to carefully examine its sport. The Sumo Association says it will look at how young sumo are hazed, a process that often batters them to toughen them up. "There will be some change in the short-term, but in the long-run, nothing will change," says sumo analyst and Japan Times sumo columnist Mark Buckton. "These are bad apples who took it too far." E-mail to a friend	[ "For what reason did police make the arrests?", "What was the age of the wrestlers?", "What have police alleged?", "Who was arrested?", "Did the crime occur in Japan?", "How many people did police arrest?", "What was the name of the trainer?" ]	[ [ "Thursday over allegations they beat a 17-year-old wrestler to death, the case sent shockwaves across a country that links its national identity to the sport." ], [ "22," ], [ "allegations they beat a 17-year-old wrestler to death," ], [ "three sumo wrestlers and their stable master" ], [ "TOKYO," ], [ "three sumo wrestlers and their stable master" ], [ "Junichi Yamamoto," ] ]	Police arrest three sumo wrestlers and their stablemaster over wrestler's death . Police allege the trainer ordered the wrestlers to beat the 17-year-old wrestler . The case has shocked Japan where sumo is regarded as near-sacred sport .
TOKYO, Japan -- Three-time grand prix winner Norifumi Abe of Japan has been killed in a street crash when his 500cc scooter collided with a truck making an illegal U-turn, police have revealed on Monday. Abe won two grand prix in Japan and another in Brazil during the 1990s. The 32-year-old ploughed into the truck while it was turning in the Tokyo suburb of Kawasaki. In 1994, while racing in his home championship, Abe had a chance to race at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix as a 'wild card'. He was challenging strongly for a remarkable victory until three corners from the finish when he fell off. His impressed Kenny Roberts' Yamaha team sufficiently to be offered two more rides in the 500cc championship that year. Abe finished sixth in both and was given a full-time 500cc ride for the 1995 season. He took his first podium finish in 1995, and his first win and fifth overall a year later. He moved to the D'Antin team in 1999, won at Rio that year, and won again at Suzuka a year later, amidst two seasons on less competitive machinery, in which his solid finishing ensured that his 100 per cent record of top 10 championship finishes continued. Abe was less happy under MotoGP regulations but when he was moved to Yamaha's returning World Superbike squad for 2005, despite having less support than Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt, he finished in the championship top 10. In 2006 he did not make a podium and this year he competed in the All-Japan Superbike Championship, again on a Yamaha. E-mail to a friend	[ "What age is Norifumi Abe?", "Where is Norifumi Abe from?", "What was the name of the victim?", "Where did the accident take place?" ]	[ [ "32-year-old" ], [ "Japan" ], [ "Norifumi Abe" ], [ "the Tokyo suburb of Kawasaki." ] ]	Three-time 500cc winner Norifumi Abe has been killed in a road accident . The 32-year-old's scooter was in collision with a truck in Kawasaki, Japan . Abe won two grand prix races in his native Japan and another one in Brazil .
TOYAKO, Japan (CNN) -- President Bush on Sunday defended his decision to attend next month's Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, saying that to boycott "would be an affront to the Chinese people." President Bush speaks with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda at a Sunday news conference in Toyako, Japan. Speaking to reporters ahead of this week's summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Japan, Bush said he did not need to skip the ceremony to show his position on religious freedom and human rights in China. He said if he failed to attend the Games it would "make it more difficult to be able to speak more frankly with the Chinese leadership." Bush said he would raise concerns when he meets Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Olympics, but he was also "looking forward to cheering the U.S. athletes." He said it was good for them "to see their president waving that flag." Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda also said he would attend the opening ceremony despite concerns about human rights in China that prompted some other European leaders to boycott the event. Bush and Fukuda took questions from reporters at the picturesque lakeside resort of Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido, where the G-8 summit will begin Monday. Watch Bush, first lady arrive in Japan » Bush said he and Fukuda discussed the United States' recent decision to lift some sanctions against North Korea and remove the communist nation from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terror. Bush assured Japan that the issue of North Korea's past kidnappings of Japanese citizens will not be ignored by the United States. He told Fukuda that he was "fully aware of the sensitivity of the issue in your country" and that "the United States will not abandon you on this issue." North Korea has admitted to abducting 11 Japanese citizens -- to teach its spies Japanese language and culture -- but had insisted the abduction issue was resolved. Holding a book about a young Japanese girl abducted by North Korea, Bush said as the father of two girls he "can't imagine what it would be like to have a daughter disappear." Bush said North Korea's recent destruction of a water-cooling tower at its now-defunct nuclear facility and its declaration outlining its plutonium program are positive steps, but there are "more to be taken." Lifting sanctions would not weaken the pressure on North Korea to be forthcoming on the abduction issue or in nuclear negotiations, the U.S. president said. Bush said North Korea remains the most sanctioned nation in the world and that "delisting did not get rid of their sanctions." Fukuda, who is chairing the G-8 meetings, said global warming would be high on the agenda but that he could not predict what might result from this week's talks. Fukuda said he believes the United States "has not lost its sense of direction" on the issue. "Our views are gradually converging," he said. Bush said the United States "will be constructive" in the global warming talks "but if China and India do not share that same aspiration, we're not going to solve the problem." Bush said the United States and Japan leads the world in research on clean technologies. He said Japan's advances in battery technology will some day mean that Americans "will use batteries in cars that look like cars, not golf carts." As world leaders began arriving for the summit, more than 1,000 people protested in northern Japan against the event. Demonstrators urged leaders to take urgent measures to stop global warming, grant indigenous people greater rights, combat world poverty and battle discrimination. Watch police tangle with protesters » Soaring oil and food prices and possible steps against Zimbabwe were also likely to be high on the agenda at the summit. With fewer than 200 days left in his term, Bush says he will press other G-8 leaders to follow through on their commitments from earlier summits, but has warned there is nothing he or anyone else can do in the short term about oil prices. Bush's main economic goal	[ "what did bush say", "What is expected to be the focus of the G-8 summit?", "Where are the Olympics being held?", "What decision does Bush defend?" ]	[ [ "defended his decision to attend next month's Olympics" ], [ "Soaring oil and food prices and possible steps against Zimbabwe" ], [ "Beijing," ], [ "to attend next month's Olympics" ] ]	Bush defends decision to attend next month's Olympics opening ceremony . Bush spoke as G-8 leaders arrived in Japan ahead of summit starting Monday . Climate change expected to be focus of three-day summit . G-8 leaders also expected to discuss global economy, Zimbabwe .
TRION, Georgia (CNN) -- The Dodge Neon sped down Interstate 40 in eastern Oklahoma, its occupants heading to Phoenix, Arizona, to buy a load of dope. It was May 2005. The couple brought along methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana to help pass the time on the long journey. Paul Faulkner, 83, and his son, Michael Smith, were convicted in a drug smuggling ring in north Georgia. At that moment, Detective Rob Rumble had no clue that the traffic stop he was about to make would launch a years-long drug investigation stretching more than 2,000 miles, from the remote mountains of northwest Georgia all the way down to Mexico. The investigation showed how an 83-year-old grandfather adapted to the times, morphing from old school bootlegging to dealing Mexican dope. His son acted as the ringleader of the operation. His grandson was tied in too, authorities say. "I've seen it all. Nothing surprises me," said Rumble, a drug investigator for the district attorney's office in east-central Oklahoma. After making that traffic stop, Rumble persuaded the nervous, lanky driver from Georgia to work with authorities and tell everything he knew. Investigators were led to a sleepy pocket of Georgia with scenic mountain views where people wave to strangers from their cars and where some homes still fly the Confederate flag. Watch moonshine, marijuana and a family feud » It's the last place one might expect drugs from Mexico. But the demand for drugs is reaching even the most remote corners of America. Their story has all the intrigue of a classic Southern novel -- three generations of a family business on the wrong side of the law, complete with an old fashioned family feud. "When they're in that type of business, there's a reckoning day -- and apparently this is it," said Benny Perry, the 78-year-old mayor of Trion, Georgia, one of the towns where the family was operating. Perry is a barrel-chested man and speaks in a welcoming Southern accent. "I'll say this, I was completely surprised," he said. "I felt like we had a problem here, but I wouldn't have thought it was originating in Mexico and coming here." The drugs, mostly marijuana, were trucked from Mexico through California and Arizona and then distributed across five counties in Georgia and one in Tennessee, authorities say. They were hidden in just about anything -- furniture, roofs of big-rigs and tire wells. Once the shipments arrived, the dope was put in 50-caliber ammunition cans and buried in the woods, where buyers would pick up the stash and leave behind thousands in cash, authorities say. See where the family operated » At the heart of the operation was 46-year-old Michael Leon Smith, who authorities say became one of the richest men in Chattooga County, population 25,000, as he laundered his drug money by buying up dozens of pieces of property. One tract of land sits on Old Justice Road, an ironic name considering the law finally caught up with him. Smith's 83-year-old father, Paul Leon Faulkner, was also busted. Eight others, including Faulkner's grandson (Smith's nephew), pleaded guilty to an array of charges related to the drug ring. The drugs mostly involved marijuana, but methamphetamine and cocaine were also part of the smuggling operation, authorities say. "We love it when somebody says they can't be caught," said Del Thomasson, a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation who worked the case. Faulkner, who is suffering from cancer, was handed a 20-year sentence last month and is to head to prison in August. "Twenty years, that is a death sentence," said Giles Jones, Faulkner's attorney, adding that he has appealed the sentence. He said Faulkner was a "full-time mountain shiner" who could talk moonshine until he was "blue in the face," but knew little about the Mexican marijuana operation. Jones said the old man's son "threw his ass under the bus	[ "What did the attorney say about the father receiving a longer sentence?", "How many people were convicted?", "How many years did the 83 year old former moonshiner get?", "How many years in prison was the leader of the operation sentenced to?", "What was the length of the sentences?", "What did the attorney say?", "What were 10 people convicted of?" ]	[ [ "\"Twenty years, that is a death sentence,\"" ], [ "Paul Faulkner, 83, and his son, Michael Smith," ], [ "a 20-year sentence" ], [ "20-year" ], [ "20-year" ], [ "\"Twenty years, that is a death sentence,\"" ], [ "drug smuggling ring" ] ]	10 people, including grandpa, son and grandson, convicted on serious drug charges . 83-year-old former moonshiner gets 20 years; son who led operation gets 9 years . Attorney: "If the father got a longer sentence, it's because he's a lousy father" Authorities say case is a microcosm of what's happening across rural America .
TROUTVILLE, Virginia (CNN) -- For the past year, Donna Chamberlain has worked at a fuel center here in Virginia's Roanoke Valley. It pays roughly half of what her old job did, but after being out of work for 14 months, she feels lucky to have it. Wachovia, which distributes the debit cards, would not comment on how much it receives for their use. Adding to her concerns, she and her husband, Steve, are now the custodial parents of their 7-year-old special-needs grandson, Cayden. The family needs every penny it can collect. So when state officials replaced the roughly $40-a-week child support check with a debit card, Donna read the fine print -- and left it on the table. "It was automatically generated, and had my name on it," she told CNN. "This thing had 10 fees." Watch Chamberlain discuss the hidden fees Virginia is one of two dozen states that use debit cards as one means of distributing child support payments, a move that allows them to reduce the amount of money spent issuing and mailing checks. But the fees attached to the debit cards can accumulate quickly: 50 cents to make a telephone balance inquiry; 65 cents to make an ATM withdrawal after two free withdrawals are taken; and $2.75 if the card is used at an out-of-network bank. Chamberlain found one charge particularly galling. North Carolina-based banking giant Wachovia, which distributes the funds on Virginia's behalf, said it would deduct $2.50 from her account for more than one face-to-face visit at one of its banks. "If you should go to the bank teller window, you get to go once a month," she said. "But if you want to talk to anybody about your money more than once a month, it's going to cost us $2.50 to walk in the door of the bank." Wachovia would not comment on how much it receives from the program, and referred CNN to Virginia state officials. But with an increasing number of states turning to debit cards to distribute money for programs such as child support, the fees attached to those cards are drawing criticism from consumer advocates. "These cards can come with hidden fees, subject to identify theft and unauthorized charges," said Lauren Saunders, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center in Washington. "And, unlike a credit card, you don't get a regular statement, so you can't check on these charges. Some of them have gotchas like overdraft fees that are added on. So, there's dangers, and if these cards are structured unfairly, they can be a problem." Many recipients aren't aware of the fees, even though they are usually sent a list of the charges along with a new debit card, Saunders said. Virginia allows child support recipients to receive payment via debit card, direct deposit or check. But it has been pushing the use of debit cards since 2006, said Nick Young, the head of Virginia's Department of Social Services. In 2008, approximately $279 million in child support payments were distributed via the Wachovia debit cards. Young told CNN that he had no idea how much money Wachovia made from debit card fees, but said most of them could be avoided with "wise" use of the cards. "I will admit that if somebody takes their $300 out, $10 at a time, they will in essence defeat the purpose of the card," he told CNN. "And they will suffer." In 2008, about 52 percent of child support recipients used direct deposit, Young said. A little more than 41 percent chose debit cards. Only 1,877 people chose to get money by check last year in the state, he said. Virginia also uses debit cards to distribute state retiree payments, and it is one of 30 states to use them to pay unemployment benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In a CNN report on the practice earlier this month, the	[ "What are the options for child support recipients?", "What fees are included with the debit card?", "What fees are involved?", "What number of states disburse child support via debit card?", "What are the choices for Virginians receiving child support?", "What does Virginia use to distribute child support?", "What is the 50 cent fee for?" ]	[ [ "debit card, direct deposit or check." ], [ "50 cents to make a telephone balance inquiry; 65 cents to make an ATM withdrawal after two free withdrawals are taken; and $2.75 if the" ], [ "50 cents to make a telephone balance inquiry; 65 cents to make an ATM withdrawal after two free withdrawals are taken; and $2.75 if the card is used at an out-of-network bank." ], [ "two dozen" ], [ "receive payment via debit card, direct deposit or check." ], [ "debit card," ], [ "to make a telephone balance inquiry;" ] ]	Virginia is one of two dozen states that use debit cards to distribute child support . Fees include 50 cents for telephone balance inquiry, $2.75 at out-of-network bank . Lawyer advises against using debit cards: "They will nickel-and-dime you to death" Child-support recipients in Virginia can choose debit cards, direct deposit or checks .
TUOL SLENG, Cambodia (CNN) -- The trial of a former prison chief with the Khmer Rouge movement resumed inside a packed Cambodian courtroom Monday, with prosecutors painting a grim picture of inmates who were electrocuted, whipped and beaten to death. Duch ran a prison where people were tortured and killed under the Khmer Rouge. Kaing Guek Eav, a former math teacher and a born-again Christian, displayed no emotion as the U.N.-backed tribunal accused him not just of overseeing the torture and killing of more than 15,000 men, women and children three decades ago -- but of actively taking part in some of them. The trial of the 66-year-old man, better known as Duch, resumed Monday just outside the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. Spectators, many of them survivors of the abuse, watched the proceedings from an auditorium separated from the courtroom by a large glass window. The proceedings began with Duch offering a basic introduction of himself. Court officials then read out the findings of their lengthy investigation. Prosecutors contend Duch ran S-21, a prison that had been converted from a school. Here, men, women and children were shackled to iron beds and tortured -- before they were beaten to death, prosecutors said. Many of the victims were military officials or Communist Party members targeted for not going along with the philosophy of the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge movement, prosecutors said. Duch faces charges that include crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and murder. He has admitted his role in the Khmer Rouge's genocidal reign. Watch why his trial is significant » The movement swept to power in 1975. Three years, eight months and 20 days later, at least 1.7 million people -- nearly one-quarter of Cambodia's population -- were dead from execution, disease, starvation and overwork, according to the Documentation Center of Cambodia. The non-profit organization has been at the forefront of recording the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime. S-21 was one of 189 similar institutions across Cambodia. Duch is the first former Khmer Rouge leader to stand trial. The tribunal, which is made up of Cambodian and international judges, does not have the power to impose the death penalty. If convicted, Duch faces from five years to life in prison. The trial is expected to last three or four months. "Probably the most important thing about this court is: even after 35 years, you are still not going to get away with it. That is the message," said Chief Prosecutor Robert Petit. Even though Duch was not a senior leader with the movement, many Cambodians were relieved that one of the regime's former leaders was facing justice, said Youk Chhang, head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia. "I think there is a feeling of, well you know, finally -- now it's finally happening after all these years of waiting -- hearing, fighting, negotiating," he told CNN last month. "People have that kind of sense of relief that it's now moving. When I ask people around the center today, people say, 'Oh, it's about time.'" Four of the regime's former leaders, also accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, await trial before the tribunal. The regime's leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998. "It all seems so fresh," said Norng Champhal, who was a starving little boy when Vietnamese forces invaded the prison. He was separated from his mother after a night in the prison and never saw her again. "It's hard to control my feelings when I see this," he said, as he watched footage of the prison taken 30 years ago. "I wonder whether my parents were tortured like these people," he said. CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report.	[ "What did Duch admit?", "Where is Duch's trial taking place?", "Where is Duch's trial?", "how long trial will go?", "Who were the prison victims?", "what duch did?", "What did Duch offer?" ]	[ [ "admitted his role in the Khmer Rouge's genocidal reign." ], [ "Phnom Penh." ], [ "just outside the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh." ], [ "three or four months." ], [ "Communist Party members" ], [ "ran a prison where people were tortured and killed" ], [ "a basic introduction of himself." ] ]	NEW: Duch offers basic introduction of himself; court officials read probe's findings . Duch's trial is taking place outside the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh . Prison victims were military officials, Communist Party members . Duch, former prison chief, has admitted role in Khmer Rouge's reign .
TUSKEGEE, Alabama (CNN) -- A trip through sweltering Alabama to experience some of the civil rights movement's most important sites brought history books to life for my family and me. A marker shows the 54-mile route from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that voting rights marchers took. The road trip, with my wife and 14-year-old son, was an extraordinary experience, and not only because I'm African-American. As an American, it was inspiring to experience the places where people fought and died for equality and the right to vote. Many of the places we visited are maintained by the National Park Service, which has made an extraordinary effort to preserve pivotal places related to the movement. When you think of national parks, great natural attractions like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon come to mind. But the National Park System has also preserved and restored many living history sites from the civil rights movement. We started our road trip at Moton Field in Tuskegee, the site of one of the early battles in the civil rights movement. In the 1940s, the U.S. government trained the nation's first black military aviators at Moton in what it labeled a military experiment. Before that time, African-Americans "were believed to be incapable of flying complex combat aircraft," Park Ranger John Whitfield said. Watch more on Moton Field » The aviators were trained in every aspect of their combat aircraft, from flight to maintenance. They made their mark during World War II by not losing a single bomber to enemy fire in more than 200 combat missions -- a record unmatched by any other fighter group. Moton Field was declared a historical site in 1998, and the National Park Service has gone through painstaking efforts to restore and rebuild its hangars and outbuildings, which were used by more than 15,000 men and women from 1942 to 1946. iReport.com: Share your meaningful road trips The site now offers only a small visitor's center in a temporary trailer as construction and restoration are completed. The "Tuskegee experience," as park rangers call it, will officially open in October, when Hangar One, and eventually Hangar Two, will be retrofitted to look as they did when the facility was in full operation in the 1940s. Moton field is a little over three miles from Tuskegee University, the only college campus in the country with a national park. The park includes The Oaks, home of university founder Booker T. Washington, and a museum that houses the work of the renowned slave-turned-scientist George Washington Carver. We browsed the various artifacts and exhibits that outline the life and scientific work of Carver, who is well known for the hundreds of uses he found for the peanut. My family and I learned that Carver was an accomplished painter who made his own paints from red Alabama clay. We grabbed lunch at Taliaferro's, just off Tuskegee's main square, which takes its moniker from the middle name of Tuskegee University's founder. The restaurant offers a buffet of Southern favorites like okra, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding and peach cobbler at low prices. The fried chicken and "mean greens" are listed in "Alabama's 100 meals you should eat before you die" brochure. The chicken certainly lived up to the brochure's claim. It's a 38-mile ride to Montgomery, where we visited Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which is the only church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. served as senior pastor. Amazingly, the church literally lies in the shadow of the Alabama State Capitol, the very building where lawmakers passed segregation laws. Entering the church basement, we could visualize protest strategy meetings for the Montgomery bus boycott or the voting rights march that King presided over in this very room. The church is still home to a congregation of about 300 and is very active in Montgomery's community. Driving down U.S. Highway 80, now the historic National Voting Rights Trail, we thought about the 15,000 people who walked the same 54-mile route in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, protesting Alabama laws that prohibited African-Americans from registering to vote. In between Selma	[ "What does Taliaferro's offer?", "where the museum is", "When will the site open?" ]	[ [ "a buffet of Southern favorites like okra, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding and peach cobbler at low prices." ], [ "is a little over three miles from Tuskegee University," ], [ "October," ] ]	First stop provided early peek at Tuskegee Airmen site, which will open in October . Tuskegee University museum houses work of scientist George Washington Carver . In Tuskegee, Taliaferro's offers tasty, reasonably priced buffet of Southern favorites . During trip, those who experienced civil rights movement gave first-person accounts .
TYRE, Lebanon (CNN) -- Diab Diab lost an eye and part of a leg trying to clear unexploded bombs from the fields of southern Lebanon. But now he is going to lose his job, too. Despite the dangers of clearing mines, Diab Diab wants to continue his work. For though there are possibly thousands of unexploded bombs and shells littering the landscape, the money for cleanup operations has disappeared in the global recession. Diab knows the dangers all too well, but said he wants to continue working for British specialist clearance company BACTEC. "It's hard to lose one's job -- despite the risks and the dangers you run, you get used to it," he said. Countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates all pledged to help Lebanon clear the landmines, cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance left by Israeli forces as they withdrew from their conflict with Hezbollah in the summer of 2006. More than $43 million in international donations has been spent so far on clearing the region. Britain and the Netherlands have been the largest single donors, each giving more than $5 million. The United States gave $2 million soon after the conflict and Saudi Arabia's contributions are now at $1.5 million, a report by the United Nations Mine Action Service shows. But with the economic crisis sweeping around the globe, some of the donor cash has dried up, and BACTEC, which had been responsible for a quarter of the clearing work, has to shut down its operations in Lebanon. There are some areas that BACTEC operations manager Johan Hann can mark as "cleared" on a map in his office. Elsewhere, the map shows areas that have not been touched and a vast swath of land where no one knows what lies in the ground. Watch mom cry for her daughter, maimed by a bomb » Cluster bombs leave huge craters but also spread bomblets over a wide area. Not all the bomblets will necessarily detonate on impact, and those that do not explode are left, like ticking time bombs in the ground. The United Nations Mine Action Service says Israel has provided no information as to where bombs were dropped. Nor has Israel contributed to the funding for the U.N.-led mine clearance effort. Land has to be cleared field by field, section by section and yard by yard. A piece of red and white tape fluttering across a piece of land shows how far Hann's team got before they had to stop. Mohammed Cheaito looks to the other side of the tape, to the land that he should be farming but that could be full of hidden danger. "If they are going to stop now, it means we will stop planting and working, too; we can't get to our land anymore," he said. "Of course, I am upset. They're supposed to finish their work so we can walk freely and cultivate our land in order to make a living." But the risks of straying onto uncleared land are all too obvious. At least 328 people have been killed or wounded by bombs left in the soil of the region that borders Israel. One of them is Naimah Ghazi, who stepped on a cluster bomb in her garden in 2007 and lost half a leg. She used to provide for her family by farming tobacco, but now she spends most of her day sitting in the very garden that hid the weapon that injured her. Her mother, Khadija, finds it almost unbearable to look at her. "I cry so much I can barely see with my eyes. I cry when I look at the state my daughter is in," the 86-year-old wails. Phone calls asking for jobs are still coming in to BACTEC's offices, Hann said, even as the mine clearers pack up their tents and climb into their trucks for the last time. They leave behind thousands of acres of land around the villages that they haven't been able to check and an untold number of bombs, perhaps still waiting for a victim.	[ "What litter the Lebanese villages?", "Thousands of unexploded bombs litter which country's landscape?", "Which country did bomb disposal teams leave?", "What happened as funding dries up?", "What litter landscape around Lebanese villages?", "These deadly remnants are the result of what conflict?", "How many have been killed?" ]	[ [ "possibly thousands of unexploded bombs and shells" ], [ "southern Lebanon." ], [ "Lebanon" ], [ "BACTEC, which had been responsible for a quarter of the clearing work, has to shut down its operations in Lebanon." ], [ "possibly thousands of unexploded bombs and shells" ], [ "with Hezbollah" ], [ "328 people" ] ]	Bomb disposal teams leave Lebanon as funding dries up in economic crisis . Thousands of unexploded bombs litter landscape around Lebanese villages . Hundreds have been killed, hurt by deadly remnants of 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict .
Tallahassee, Florida (CNN) -- Florida A&M University President James Ammons will stay in office during a hazing investigation, the school's board decided Monday. The A&M board of trustees rejected a request from Gov. Rick Scott to suspend Ammons while officials probe various issues at the school, including the suspected hazing death of a band member. "We will stand firm against outside influences which hinder the viability of the university," said Solomon Badger, the board's chairman. "It requires us to rely on facts," he said. The board chose not to vote on Ammons' status. Ammons was not present for Monday's meeting, but took part by telephone. On Friday, the medical examiner in Orange County, Florida, ruled that the death of 26-year-old Robert D. Champion was a homicide. The report said Champion was beaten to death during a hazing incident in Orlando on Nov. 19. No arrests have been made and the case remains under investigation, according to the Orange County Sheriff's office and the Orange County State Attorney's Office. Champion's parent talked about the autopsy report to CNN's Suzanne Malveaux on Monday. Robert and Pam described the anguish they felt after finding out exactly what killed their son. "To see the autopsy and the part where they hit him all over his body,' Champion's father said. "It's pretty painful to know my son had to go through something like that." Champion's mother wants those involved to face criminal charges and be held accountable for their actions. But despite the tragedy of their son's death, the Champions aren't sure hazing will be considered a serious crime until tougher laws with strict penalties are put in place. "We need laws that's going to make a person think of the actions," Champion's father said. The Board also decided to meet weekly for informational reasons during this process. Scott issued a statement saying, "For the sake of appearances, and to assure the public that these investigations are clearly independent, I believe it would have been in the best interest of Florida A&M University for President Ammons to step aside until all of these investigations are completed. However, we have a process in Florida for the administration of the State University System, and that process has been followed." Scott said he will abide by the decision. On Sunday, Scott said he was "disappointed in the direction the dialogue regarding the hazing-murder of a Florida A&M University student has taken." "This week, I learned of reports of at least one child molestation case that took place on campus," Scott said, referring to a case unrelated to the hazing allegations. He added that Ammons told him he was not aware of the alleged incident until months after it occurred. School trustees already have reprimanded Ammons and placed band director Julian White on administrative leave. FAMU's National Alumni Association president said Sunday that Scott could place the school's accreditation in jeopardy by requesting Ammons' suspension. Tommy Mitchell said the president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which oversees accreditation, warned Scott that school governing boards should be free of influence from government bodies. If the board suspends Ammons at Scott's direction, it could have unforeseen consequences for the university, he added. "Gov. Scott should not be in the position of weakening the accreditation of our alma mater," Mitchell said. Ammons met with Scott on Friday. After the meeting, he said the two had a "great conversation" and that both "have the interests of Florida A&M University at heart." "The governor made a recommendation, and as governor, he can make a recommendation," the university president said Friday. "At the end of the day, it is up to the board of trustees. I will be right along with (their) decision." Mitchell said the association's thoughts and prayers are with Champion's family. But he stressed that hazing is a national problem, and said deaths have occurred at other schools. Twelve to 13	[ "Who chose not to vote?", "Will the board vote?", "Will the governor abide by the decision?", "Who will abide by the decision?", "Whose death was ruled a homicide?" ]	[ [ "The A&M board of trustees" ], [ "The" ], [ "the" ], [ "Scott" ], [ "Robert D. Champion" ] ]	Gov. Rick Scott says he will abide by the decision . Florida A&M's Board of Trustees chooses not to vote on president's status . The death of drum major Robert D. Champion has been ruled a homicide . Scott says he was told of a child molestation case on campus .
Taquaritinga, Brazil (CNN) -- Brazil's orange harvest is nearing its end as workers in the state of Sao Paulo pluck late-blooming fruit from the trees. The yellow-green oranges will be shipped off to nearby juice factories and then shipped around the globe. Those exports rake in $2 billion for Brazil, the biggest orange juice exporter in the world, accounting for 85 percent of global exports. But now, it is not clear if Brazilian orange juice will be allowed into one of its key markets: the United States. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration temporarily halted all orange juice imports after low levels of the unapproved fungicide carbendazim were found in some juice shipments from Brazil. More recently, the FDA said the juice is safe for consumption. Growers in Sao Paulo say they have been using carbendazim for some 20 years and point out that it is allowed -- in low levels -- across Europe and Latin America. It is also allowed in trace amounts in other food products, like nuts, in the United States. "We didn't even know that it had been banned in orange juice in the United States in 2009," Marco Antonio dos Santos, a third generation orange grower, told CNN. Dos Santos, also the president of the Citrus Department at the Agriculture Ministry, says there are alternatives, however. In fact, he and other growers already rotate the use of carbendazim with other fungicides and techniques for preventing diseases like black spot, which make the oranges fall from the trees before they are ripe. He says Brazilian growers don't want to lose the American market, which is their second biggest after Europe. The United States currently buys 15 percent of BrazilÂ¹s orange juice exports. "If we have to, we'll eliminate this product completely," he said as he walked, showing off his 60-acre grove. "We want to supply the American market, we don't in any way want to lose it. We can adapt to the American system with other products." Growers here would take a hit if this latest crop were barred from America. Global orange juice prices would rise, too. But Dos Santos says producers can adapt quickly and could produce the next crop carbendazim-free if it were necessary. While Brazilian farmers and industry leaders don't see a threat to consumers' health, they say the most important thing is that people aren't afraid to drink orange juice.	[ "Which country is the biggest exporter?", "Brazil is the biggest exporter of what", "How much does the US buy?", "What does Brazil export?", "What does the producer say?", "who can adapt to American system", "who buys 15 percent of Brazils orange juice", "Which country is the larjest juice exporter?", "What country buys from Brazil?" ]	[ [ "Brazil," ], [ "orange juice" ], [ "15 percent" ], [ "orange juice" ], [ "\"We didn't even know that it had been banned in orange juice in the United States in 2009,\"" ], [ "Brazilian growers" ], [ "The United States" ], [ "Brazil," ], [ "United States." ] ]	Brazil is the biggest orange juice exporter in the world . The United States currently buys 15 percent of BrazilÂ¹s orange juice exports . Producer: "We can adapt to the American system with other products"
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran plans to launch satellites into orbit early in the new year, its defense minister told the semi-official Fars news agency Wednesday. "This satellite, which was built by Iranian scientists, is a big step for the continued presence of Iran in space and for taking advantage of the opportunities offered in this field," Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said. The launches of the Tolou satellites -- which means "sunrise" in Farsi -- are scheduled to take place in February and March, according to Fars. Iran launched its first satellite, Omid, in February, an event that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed at the time as a "source of pride" for the Islamic republic. The U.S. State Department expressed "grave concern" over the launch. "Developing a space launch vehicle that could ... put a satellite into orbit could possibly lead to development of a ballistic missile system," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. "So that's of grave concern to us." The Pentagon called the February launch "clearly a concern of ours." "Although this appears to be satellite, there are dual-use capabilities that could be applied to missiles, and that's a concern to us and everybody in region," Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said at the time. For Iran, the planned launches are an important step for its military. "Using these modern technologies, Iran's armed forces are capable of catching the enemies off guard, identifying their software and hardware potential and depriving the enemy of movement and maneuverability," Vahidi told Fars. The development comes as the international community considers additional sanctions against Iran should Tehran not answer questions about its nuclear program. Western powers fear Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran denies.	[ "Who plans to launch satellites into orbit?", "When does Iran plan to launch Tolou satellites?", "What could satellite launches lead to?", "When will the Tolou satellites be launched into orbit?", "Who have grave concern about the launch?", "When is Iran planning on launching satellites?", "Who has a 'grave concern' about the launch?", "What could the satellite launches lead to?", "What did the defense chief say?" ]	[ [ "Iran" ], [ "early in the new year," ], [ "development of a ballistic missile system,\"" ], [ "February and March," ], [ "The U.S. State Department" ], [ "early in the new year," ], [ "U.S. State Department" ], [ "development of a ballistic missile system,\"" ], [ "Iran plans to launch satellites into orbit early in the new year," ] ]	Iran reportedly plans to launch Tolou satellites into orbit in February and March . "This satellite ... is a big step for the continued presence of Iran in space," defense chief says . U.S. State Department had "grave concern" about Iran's first satellite launch this year . U.S. official: Sateliite launches could lead to development of ballistic missile system .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- As Tehran approaches the 30th anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis, in which dozens of Americans where held against their will for 444 days, the Islamic republic is firmly warning against reformists taking to the streets to protest the government. Still reeling from the massive demonstration that followed the country's disputed presidential election, Iran on Wednesday will commemorate November 4, 1979, when a group of Islamist students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 53 hostages and effectively ending diplomatic relations with the United States. While the government will allow the "faithful" to celebrate the anniversary of the embassy seizure, those who "intend to gather illegally and spread lies among people who gather to peacefully participate ... will be held responsible for their actions," said Ahmad Reza Radan, head of Iran's security forces, according to the semi-official Iran Student Correspondent Association. The government of Iran arrested more than 1,000 people in a massive crackdown after the June 12 election, in which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner. In the aftermath of the fallout, the government accused several reformists, including opposition candidates Mehdi Karrubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi, of spreading anti-government propaganda and fueling the anger among the public. Despite warnings from Iran's hardline leaders, the reformists have largely refused to back down. They released the names of 72 protesters they say were killed in the unrest that followed the election -- more than double the government's official number. Karrubi, a former parliamentary speaker, has been especially vocal about the claims of detainee rape. He publishing a firsthand account of one alleged victim on his Web site last month. He has been scorned by government hard-liners, whose credibility and legitimacy have been publicly questioned since the elections. On Wednesday, Islamic authorities tried to pre-emptively silence anti-government demonstrations and rhetoric. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Hossein Sajedinia, deputy of operations for Iran's security forces, said, "The police will not allow a handful [of individuals] to disrupt the organization and safety of this day, by fooling people and the youth."	[ "how many protesters were killed", "Iran is firmly warning against reformists doing what?", "what is it an anniversary of", "when is the anniversary", "Wednesday marks what anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis?", "How many protesters do reformists say were killed after June elections?" ]	[ [ "72" ], [ "taking to the streets to protest the government." ], [ "Iranian hostage crisis," ], [ "November 4," ], [ "30th" ], [ "72" ] ]	Wednesday marks 30th anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis . Iran is firmly warning against reformists taking to the streets to protest the government . Security forces chief says the "faithful" will be allowed to to celebrate the anniversary . Reformists have released names of 72 protesters they say were killed after June elections .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Britain condemned Iran for allowing protesters to storm its embassy and a separate diplomatic compound in Tehran on Tuesday, warning there will be "serious consequences" as a result. The incursion happened after about 1,000 people gathered near the embassy to demand that the British ambassador be sent home immediately. The rally began quietly, but some participants then stormed the building, breaking down the door, throwing around papers and replacing the British flag with an Iranian one. A CNN producer saw protesters -- identified as students in state news outlets -- throwing stones at the embassy's windows. They scuffled with and overwhelmed police at the embassy gate and around the compound. British Prime Minister David Cameron described the incursion as "outrageous and indefensible" and demanded that Iran immediately ensure the safety of all British Embassy personnel. Iranian security forces are responsible for guarding the embassy under international law, he said. "The failure of the Iranian government to defend British staff and property was a disgrace," he said. He called on Iran's government to guarantee the safety of embassy staff, return property seized in the fracas and prosecute those responsible. "The Iranian government must recognize that there will be serious consequences for failing to protect our staff," Cameron said. "We will consider what these measures should be in the coming days." By Tuesday evening, the protesters had been cleared from both sites by police, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Police arrested 12 students as they left the diplomatic compound, called Gholhak Garden, the news agency said. British diplomats and their families and Iranian families who work for the British Embassy live at Gholak Garden, in northern Tehran. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the "irresponsible action" had put the safety of diplomats and their families at risk and caused extensive damage to embassy property. He had spoken to his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi, Tuesday to "protest in the strongest terms," he said. "While he said that he was sorry for what had happened and that action would be taken in response, this remains a very serious failure by the Iranian government," Hague said. "Clearly there will be other, further, and serious consequences." Hague will address the British Parliament Wednesday, he said. Iran's Foreign Ministry expressed its regret for the student protest, "which turned into an out of control demonstration," in a statement on its website. The ministry said it would "take action through legal channels" against those who stormed the embassy building. The Foreign Office said it had asked the Iranian charge d'affaires in London "to urge the Iranian authorities to act with utmost urgency to ensure the situation is brought under control." It is now advising British nationals in Iran "to stay indoors, keep a low profile and await further advice." "There has been an incursion by a significant number of demonstrators into our embassy premises, including vandalism to our property," the Foreign Office said earlier. "We are outraged by this. It is utterly unacceptable and we condemn it." The U.N. Security Council condemned the incursion "in the strongest terms" in New York. Its statement called on Iran "to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel, and to respect fully their international obligations in this regard." The White House condemned the incident and "urged Iran to fully respect its international obligations, to condemn the incident, to prosecute the offenders, and to ensure that no further such incidents take place either at the British Embassy or any other mission in Iran." "Our State Department is in close contact with the British government and we stand ready to support our allies at this difficult time," the White House said. The Russian Foreign Ministry also condemned the protesters' actions. "We are expressing our support for the British diplomats. We hope that the Iranian authorities will take necessary measures to immediately restore order, investigate the incident and prevent a repeat of such incidents," the ministry said in a written statement. The demonstration followed a	[ "Is the Iran Foreign Ministry sorry for the event?", "What country were the students from?", "Which embassy were the students at?", "Who has left the British Embassy compound?", "who said is was outrageous and indefensible" ]	[ [ "he said that he was" ], [ "Iran" ], [ "Britain" ], [ "12 students" ], [ "British Prime Minister David Cameron" ] ]	Cameron: The embassy incursion was "outrageous and indefensible" "Clearly there will be other, further, and serious consequences," Hague says . The Iranian students have now left the British Embassy compound, local media say . Iran's Foreign Ministry expresses regret for the embassy incursion .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Coming through on a promise to crack down on protesters on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iran's security forces clashed with demonstrators Thursday, as hundreds of thousands filled a "disruption-free" Tehran square to hear their president announce the expansion of Iran's nuclear program. Iran's celebration of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution culminated February 11, a date that three decades ago marked the end of the country's Western-backed monarchy and the start of an Islamic republic. A coalition of Iranian reformist groups had urged opponents of Iran's hardline regime to stage nonviolent protests at central Tehran's Azadi Square on Thursday, on the official anniversary of the ouster of Iran's shah. However, the Iranian government deployed thousands of police and plainclothes Basij militiamen in Tehran and other cities to quash anti-government protests during anniversary celebrations. Eyewitnesses said Iranian security forces quickly squelched out opposition protests, though CNN could not independently confirm the reports. "The city was under siege. It was controlled entirely, it was impossible to protest the way people protested before," said Behzad Yaghmaian, author of "Social Change in Iran." Follow CNN's special coverage on Iran "So the dangers were much higher today." Witnesses said there was some confusion about organizing the protests; for example, it wasn't clear to some whether they were supposed to hold up their signs before or after they arrived at Azadi Square, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was to speak. It appeared that the strength of the opposition response was less than other recent days of unrest in Iran, namely the protests on the holy day of Ashura in late December. Because of reporting restrictions, there was no way to independently confirm the turnout of the opposition. Yaghmaian said the so-called Green Movement, which is demanding democracy and fair elections, suffered a "numbers shock." "The Green Movement anticipated a much larger turnout -- the turnout was not that large, and the turnout of the pro-government people was a lot larger than what people expected," said Yaghmaian, who teaches at New Jersey's Ramapo College. Are you there? Send your photos, video Plainclothed and uniformed security agents assaulted vehicles carrying reformist Mehdi Karrubi, who ran for in the disputed June presidential elections, and former President Mohammad Khatami as their supporters poured onto the streets, opposition sources said. Militia members also beat the wife of opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi with batons, according to postings on the social networking Web site Facebook and opposition Web sites. The forces were preventing the opposition leaders and their followers from reaching Azadi, or Freedom Square, where Ahmadinejad delivered an anniversary address extolling the country's nuclear program to supporters. They fired on crowds in some areas and pepper-sprayed demonstrators in others, opposition groups said. CNN has not been able to independently confirm those reports. Members of the Basij, the paramilitary force loyal to Iran's hard-line leadership, attacked Karrubi while he was headed to a meeting with supporters, his son Mohammad-Taghi Karrubi told CNN. The militia broke a window in the car in which Karrubi was riding, an opposition Web site said. When he switched cars, that car also was attacked. "The guards attacked, and the crowds came to him. When the crowds started to come and surrounded him, again the guards attacked with tear gas, tear as well as the batons and different kinds of weapons against the people. And unfortunately my father received very bad gas tears, and his face is burned," Mohammad-Taghi Karrubi said. iReport video of opposition supporters in Tehran The reformist Raheh Sabz Web site said plainclothes policemen arrested Karrubi's son Ali, as he tried to protect his father's car. Mohammad-Taghi Karrubi confirmed the arrest of his brother Ali, the third of the leader's four sons. "My younger brother is arrested by police. And we were surprised because for two days we just came to demonstrate, to rally, to participate to show what we want and ask for our rights," he	[ "where is tehran", "Where is the pro-government rally?", "What are militia and police trying to keep away from pro-government rally?", "What happened to vehicles carrying opposition leaders?", "Where was the event held?" ]	[ [ "Iran" ], [ "Tehran's Azadi Square" ], [ "anti-government protests" ], [ "assaulted" ], [ "Tehran's Azadi Square" ] ]	Militia, police keep protesters away from pro-government rally in Tehran . White House espouses "universal rights of Iranians to express themselves freely" Reports: Vehicles carrying opposition leaders attacked by security forces . Observers: Pro-government Azadi Square rally was well-choreographed event .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Demonstrators shouting "Death to the dictator" clashed with police in Iran on Monday as students took to the streets to mark a key national anniversary, witnesses said. At least two clashes occurred at Revolution Square, where police attacked demonstrators with batons and chased them onto side streets, witnesses said. A large number of security forces ringed Tehran University, where the gates were shut and large crowds inside also chanted "Death to the dictator," the witnesses reported. Pro-government crowds also inside the university chanted slogans and waved the flag of the Islamic Republic, witnesses said. The witnesses asked not to be identified out of concerns for security. CNN could not independently verify the reports. The Iranian government did not allow members of the international media witness any possible protests this week. The state-operated Press TV acknowledged the protests. "A number of anti-government protesters attempted to hijack the occasion to hold rallies in Tehran. Their efforts were foiled by the presence of security forces which are deployed in several parts of the capital," an anchor said while the station showed images of pro-government demonstrations. The demonstrations are being held on Student Day, an annual observance when Tehran extolls the virtues of the Islamic Revolution. The holiday commemorates three university students killed in 1953 by security forces of the Western-backed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran. He was toppled from power during the revolution two decades later. The students this year are demonstrating against the disputed June 12 presidential election. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner in what protesters say was a rigged election. The election result was met with nationwide protests and the imprisonment of hundreds of demonstrators. Allegations of torture, rape and other abuses have since emerged. Ongoing prosecutions of protesters have resulted in death sentences for some. Since the election, other key anniversaries have met with protests against the current leadership. Protesters and police clashed November 4, the anniversary of the 1979 siege of the U.S. Embassy in Iran. In September, demonstrators took to the streets in protest on Quds Day, an annual event that is meant to show Iran's solidarity with Palestinians. On Monday, police manned major intersections. Shopkeepers, fearing violence, shuttered storefronts. As the protests got under way, Iranian security and paramilitary forces tear-gassed, beat and arrested students on university campuses, said a group called the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. According to the human rights organization, protests have taken place at the following universities in Tehran: Amir Kabir, Tehran, Sharif, Elm va Sanaat, Honar, Tehran Markaz, Sureh, and Tehran Shomal. Protests also have taken place at universities in Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Mashhad and Tabriz, and at Agricultural University of Karaj, the rights group said. Security forces fired plastic bullets at students and protesters outside the Amir Kabir campus, said the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The organization's reports could not be independently verified. In central Tehran, plumes of smoke rose from a large garbage bin that had been set on fire, witnesses told CNN.	[ "What is Students Day about?", "what ws happend in 1953", "what is students day" ]	[ [ "The holiday commemorates three university" ], [ "three university students killed" ], [ "an annual observance when Tehran extolls the virtues of the Islamic Revolution." ] ]	Authorities prepare for gatherings that could turn into demonstrations against elections . Students Day marks anniversary of 1953 killing of three students by shah's security forces . Day is also a "symbol of Iran's struggle against tyranny," says ILNA news agency .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former Iranian president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was sentenced to six months in prison for making anti-government statements, semi-official Mehr News Agency reported Tuesday. Hashemi was arrested last year for taking part in anti-government protests, and the announcement of her sentence comes as parliamentary elections near. Her father, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is a powerful cleric and former parliament speaker. In the past, Rafsanjani has been one of the government's most vocal critics. Rafsanjani served two terms as president from 1989 to 1997, and is still widely believed to be one of the wealthiest and most politically powerful men in Iran. He had long been a staunch critic and bitter political rival of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Weeks after the 2009 elections, Rafsanjani condemned the regime's violent crackdown against the opposition movement and spoke out for the people's right to peacefully protest in a speech delivered at Tehran's Friday prayers. In recent months, Rafsanjani had toned down attacks and made statements of apparent support of the regime and the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Last March, Rafsanjani was replaced as head of Iran's Assembly of Experts, a powerful committee charged with electing and removing the leader of the Islamic Revolution and supervising his activities.	[ "who is Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani?", "Who is her father?", "Who is Faezeh Hashemi?", "When was the announcement made?", "what is Faezeh Hashemi was arrested last year?" ]	[ [ "former Iranian president," ], [ "Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani," ], [ "the daughter of former Iranian president, Akbar" ], [ "Tuesday." ], [ "for taking part in anti-government protests," ] ]	Faezeh Hashemi was arrested last year for taking part in anti-government protests . The announcement comes as parliamentary elections near. Her father is Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former Iranian president .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Five people arrested after street disturbances erupted in Tehran during the recent Ashura holy day could face the death penalty, an Iranian semi-official news agency reported Thursday. The Iran Labor News Agency reported that the five will be tried for Moharebe, or waging war against God -- a charge that could be punishable by execution. ILNA attributed the information in its report to the Iranian judiciary. The case will be tried "soon" with defense lawyers and a prosecutor-general representative present at proceedings. "Confessions of the accused and the investigations of the authorities" will be considered, ILNA said. Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, prosecutor for the Public and Revolution Courts, had stressed that people who created disturbances on the Shiite Muslim holy day of Ashura "by setting fire to public property and other similar crimes" were engaging in acts "tantamount to Moharebe," ILNA said. In-depth coverage of the protests in Iran "The judiciary will severely confront those people based on the law," the report said. Anti-government demonstrations began after the disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi. But late December marked the deadliest clashes since the initial protests broke out this summer. At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested, witnesses said, as they took to the streets on Ashura, which occurred on December 27. The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence. At times, video has shown protesters apparently turning on security forces.	[ "where was this", "what are they protesting", "What possible penalty does the charge carry?", "What did witnesses say?", "How many protesters will be tried for waging war against God?", "What is the charge called?", "How many people were killed according to witnesses?", "How many protesters will be tried?", "what killed the 7 people" ]	[ [ "Tehran" ], [ "disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi." ], [ "death" ], [ "At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested," ], [ "Five" ], [ "Moharebe, or waging war against God" ], [ "seven" ], [ "five" ], [ "security forces" ] ]	ILNA reports five protesters will be tried for waging war against God . The charge, called "Moharebe" carries possible death penalty . The case will be tried "soon," according to Iranian press . Witnesses said at least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested during protests on December 27 .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- International officials arrived in Iran on Sunday to inspect a newly disclosed nuclear facility near the city of Qom, state media reported. Inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog -- the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- will visit the installation to make sure it is being used for peaceful purposes, said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. The three-day visit comes after Iran said Friday that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities. That proposal calls for low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to be sent abroad for further enrichment and then returned for use in medical research and treatment. Tehran is studying the draft proposal and will have an answer next week, Iranian diplomat Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on state-run Press TV. Iran informed IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that it is "considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response," according to an IAEA statement. Delegations from Iran, France, Russia, the United States and the IAEA met in Vienna this week to work out details of the tentative deal reached in early October. And France, Russia and the United States indicated their approval of the arrangement. "The Director General hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation," the IAEA statement said. Tehran sent shock waves through the international community by revealing in a letter to the IAEA the existence of a second nuclear enrichment facility near Qom. "It is important for us to send out inspectors to do comprehensive verification ... to assure ourselves that it is ... fit for peaceful purposes," ElBaradei said earlier this month. After the inspection, but before the end of the month, Iranian officials are expected to meet with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany to further discuss Tehran's nuclear program. Iran's leaders maintain that their nation's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes, but many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities. Low-enriched nuclear fuel can be further enriched into weapons-grade material.	[ "What does the west think Iran is doing?", "Who revealed the existence of a second nuclear enrichment facility?", "What do they believe Iran is doing?", "Waht country revealed it had a 2nd nuclear facility?", "What does Iran claim its nuclear program is for?" ]	[ [ "pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities." ], [ "Tehran" ], [ "pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities." ], [ "Iran" ], [ "peaceful purposes," ] ]	NEW: Visit comes after Iran says it needs more time to mull deal over uranium production . Tehran has revealed the existence of a second nuclear enrichment facility . Iran says its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes . Many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran tested an upgraded version of a surface-to-surface missile with a range that makes it capable of reaching parts of Europe, state-run television reported Wednesday. Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said on Press-TV that the solid-fuel, high-speed Sajil-2 missile has "great maneuverability" and can access targets more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) away, making Israel and U.S. military bases in the Gulf reachable. Vahidi said the missile has a shorter launch time and is intended to boost Iran's deterrent capability. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Defense Secretary Robert Gates had seen the intelligence on the launch, which occurred Tuesday, "and, based on that, is clearly concerned." "At a time when the international community has offered Iran opportunities to begin to build trust and confidence, Iran's missile tests only undermine Iran's claims of peaceful intentions," he added. "Such actions will increase the seriousness and resolve of the international community to hold Iran accountable for its continued defiance of its international obligations." But a U.S. intelligence official said the test launch does not represent "a major advancement" in Iran's missile technology. The official added that Iran carries out such tests on a "routine basis ... to attract attention." Iran tested the initial version of the Sajil-2 in May. In September, days before a key meeting over nuclear issues with industrialized powers, Iran tested two types of long-range missiles. Those tests drew condemnation after the Islamic republic revealed the existence of a covert uranium enrichment site near the city of Qom. Iran shocked the world with that revelation. Since then, it has allowed inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency to visit the plant. Western powers fear that Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons. That's a claim Tehran denies, but the latest test-firing of the Sajil-2 could add to existing tensions.	[ "Who is trying to develop nuclear weapons?", "What only undermine Iran's claims of peaceful intentions?", "which counstries are within range?", "Where they are located missile bases?", "what is the west fear?" ]	[ [ "Iran" ], [ "missile tests" ], [ "Europe," ], [ "Gulf" ], [ "Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons." ] ]	NEW: Gates: "Missile tests only undermine Iran's claims of peaceful intentions" Missile's range puts parts of Israel, U.S. bases, parts of Europe within range . West fears Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons; Iran denies claim .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant is just weeks from operating at full capacity, the country's top nuclear official said Saturday. Feireidoun Abbasi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, also said Tehran has shown its new Iranian-made centrifuges to a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Bushehr plant, located along the Persian Gulf coast, will reach its full capacity of 1,000 megawatts by February 1, Abbasi said, according to the country's official news agency, IRNA. The plant was connected to the country's electric grid in September with a capacity of 60 megawatts. At 1,000 megawatts, Bushehr will be able to provide 2.5% of Iran's current electricity consumption, the IAEA said. Abbasi made the announcement about Bushehr while attending a meeting on Iran's nuclear achievements held in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. He told the meeting that Tehran had shown the new generation of its homemade centrifuge machines to the IAEA "in a bid to demonstrate the ability of Iranian scientists," he said. Abbasi said the centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium, were shown to the deputy of IAEA, Director-General Yukiya Amano, but he did not say when. It was not immediately clear whether an IAEA representative had in fact been to Iran and seen the centrifuges. The new centrifuges will enable Iran to enrich uranium over the current purity level of 5%, according to experts cited by the news agency. Uranium enriched to between 3% and 5% is necessary to make fuel for reactors. Uranium enriched to 93.5% is considered weapons-grade. The construction of Bushehr -- a civilian, not military, plant -- started in 1975 when Germany signed a contract with Iran. Germany, however, pulled out of the project following the 1979 revolution that created the current Islamic republic. Iran then signed a deal with Russia in 1995, under which the plant was originally scheduled to be completed in 1999, but the project was delayed repeatedly. Bushehr finally opened in August 2010. The United States and other Western nations have expressed concerns that Iran's development of missile and nuclear fuel technology mean it is developing a nuclear program for military purposes. The IAEA said in a November report that it has "serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions" to Iran's nuclear program. The agency said it has information indicating Iran has carried out "activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device." Iran has denied such allegations, saying the Bushehr plant will be used only to generate electricity and operates under IAEA supervision. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the concern is not the Bushehr plant, but other nuclear facilities like Natanz, in the middle of the country; a facility at Qom, south of Tehran; "and other places where we believe they are conducting their weapons program."	[ "When will the plant reach full capacity?", "Who believes that iran will be able to enrich uranium beyond 5% purity?", "Who were shown the centrifuges?", "What is Bushehr's plants full capacity?", "What is the full capacity of the plant?", "What is considered to be weapons grade?" ]	[ [ "February 1," ], [ "experts cited by the news agency." ], [ "to a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." ], [ "1,000 megawatts" ], [ "1,000 megawatts" ], [ "Uranium enriched to 93.5%" ] ]	Bushehr plant will reach full capacity of 1,000 megawatts by February 1, IRNA reports . Iran's nuclear chief claims the centrifuges have been shown to an IAEA representative . IRNA cites experts who say centrifuges will be able to enrich uranium beyond 5% purity . Uranium enriched to 93.5% is considered weapons-grade .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry has compiled a list of 60 groups -- several based in the United States -- saying it considers them "soft war" agents against the country, Iranian media reported Monday. The semi-official Mehr news agency reported the following are on the list: -- U.S. philanthropist George Soros' Open Society Institute in New York. -- The Washington-based nonprofit National Endowment for Democracy. -- The National Democratic Institute and its GOP counterpart, the International Republican Institute. -- Human Rights Watch. -- The Washington-based Brookings Institution. -- U.S. National Defense University. Media outlets BBC and Voice of America are also on the list, as are the East European Democratic Center in Poland and British nonprofit Wilton Park, among dozens of others. Iran's deputy intelligence minister urged Iranians to avoid any "unusual relations" with the groups and with foreign embassies and foreign nationals. "He stated that it is illegal to sign contracts with these organizations, and it is also against the law for groupings and political parties to receive financial assistance from foreign countries," Mehr reported. Such crackdowns have become commonplace in Iran since the summer, when thousands of protesters were arrested in the aftermath of Iran's disputed president election in June. The government has been trying to limit the flow of online information and other forms of communications in Iran, according to activists and human rights officials. Amid the unrest, Iran's judicial chief in July ordered the the prosecution of individuals "who cooperate with satellite television programming providers," according to reports by reformists. Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi called on local judicial heads to work with investigators to determine "intentions, objectives and their sources of financial, political and intelligence support" of individuals who "operate against the system," according to Hamshahri, a widely circulated pro-reform publication that has been in print for more than a decade. At the time, Iranian-American Kian Tajbakhsh, an independent consultant and urban planner employed by Soros' Open Society Institute, was among roughly 100 people accused of participating in a "velvet revolution" against the Islamic republic. Tajbakhsh, the only American on trial in Tehran at the time, resigned from his position with the foundation after he was arrested and detained for four months in 2007 on unspecified charges. He holds dual citizenship in Iran and the United States. Iran's election authority declared incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the June 12 race. Opposition supporters accused the government of fraud.	[ "Who is on the list?", "How many groups are there?", "Iran's Intelligence Ministry compiles list of what?", "Official urges Iranians to avoid what?" ]	[ [ "60 groups" ], [ "60" ], [ "60 groups" ], [ "\"unusual relations\"" ] ]	Iran's Intelligence Ministry compiles list of 60 groups it considers enemy agents . Human Rights Watch, Brookings Institution, BBC, Voice of America on list . Official urges Iranians to avoid any "unusual relations" with the groups .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned the United States and other nations Tuesday not to impose tougher sanctions in reaction to the Islamic country's nuclear ambitions. Iran already faces U.N. sanctions and the five permanent Security Council members -- the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France, all of which have veto power -- have been engaged along with Germany in discussions about possible further measures. "It's high time for some people to open their eyes and adapt themselves to real changes that are under way," Ahmadinejad said at a news conference in Tehran. Asked specifically about the threat of tougher sanctions, the Iranian president said, "We prefer that they move in the spirit of cooperation. It won't put us in trouble. They themselves will get into trouble." Ahmadinejad also seemed to threaten unspecified retaliation, saying Iran won't act like it has in the past. "Definitely, we will show a reaction that will put them to shame, like always," he said. Ahmadinejad's comments came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal expressed concern over Iran's nuclear program. Meeting in Riyadh with al-Faisal during a four-day trip to the Middle East, Clinton called Iran's recent announcement that it has started to produce higher-grade enriched uranium "a provocative move in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions." Clinton further warned that the "increasingly disturbing and destabilizing actions" by Iran "will result in increasing isolation." Earlier Monday, Clinton told a town hall meeting in Doha, Qatar, that the United States believes Iran "is moving toward a military dictatorship." Clinton was responding to a question about whether the United States was preparing for military action in Iran. "No, we are planning to bring the world community together in applying pressure to Iran through sanctions adopted by the United Nations that will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, which we believe is, in effect, supplanting the government of Iran," Clinton said. She added, "We see that the government of Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the parliament, is being supplanted, and that Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship. Now, that is our view." Clinton called for stronger actions after Iran announced it is stepping up production of highly enriched uranium. "Iran leaves the international community little choice but to impose greater costs for its provocative steps," Clinton said. "Together, we are encouraging Iran to reconsider its dangerous policy decisions." Speaking at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, Clinton said the United States is "working actively" with its partners "to prepare and implement new measures to convince Iran to change its course." Ahmadinejad said at a Monday news conference that Iran had no choice but to enrich the uranium because the International Atomic Energy Agency did not fulfill its obligation to provide the Islamic republic with the nuclear material. Iran said last week that it had completed its first batch of 20 percent enriched uranium and will soon triple production. Uranium enriched to 20 percent can set off a nuclear reaction, scientists say, but is not weapons grade. Answering a question from CNN, Ahmadinejad said it was not economical for Iran to perform its own enrichment. The Islamic republic would rather buy it from other sources, he said. But the nation's supply of enriched uranium was running low and Iran could not afford to wait any longer, Ahmadinejad said. He would not confirm or deny that Iran would be willing to stop its enrichment program if it could obtain the uranium elsewhere. Iranian enrichment of uranium at 20 percent is "wholly unjustified," three diplomats wrote the U.N. nuclear agency's director-general in a letter obtained Tuesday by CNN. The U.S., French and Russia ambassadors to the IAEA said the move is "contrary to U.N. Security Council resolutions" and poses "a further step toward a capability to produce high enriched uranium." Such an enrichment, the three said in a letter	[ "Who is discussing possible sanctions?", "Who did Ahmadinejad warn against imposing tougher sanctions?", "who are discussing possible actions?", "Who warned the U.N. Security Council?", "What did he tell a press conference he prefers?", "in which way does he prefer the council members move?", "what does ahmadinejad warn?" ]	[ [ "United States and other nations" ], [ "United States and other nations" ], [ "United States, Britain, Russia, China and France," ], [ "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" ], [ "they move in the spirit of cooperation." ], [ "in the spirit of cooperation." ], [ "not to impose tougher sanctions" ] ]	Ahmadinejad warns U.N. Security Council against imposing tougher sanctions . Told a press conference he prefers council members move in the "spirit of cooperation" U.N. Security Council and Germany are discussing possible sanctions . Sanctions would be in response to Iran's nuclear ambitions .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian authorities will observe and control text messages and e-mails that encourage protesters, an Iranian semi-official news agency reported Friday. Messages that encourage demonstrations will be screened, and organizers of illegal protests will face heavy penalties, the Iranian Labor News Agency reported, citing Tehran Police Chief Ahmadi Mogadham. Iran has clamped down on protests nationwide since mass demonstrations erupted after a disputed presidential election last June. Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi. Full coverage of the protests in Iran Many of the protesters e-mailed images worldwide of demonstrators clashing with police, filling the void created by strict government controls on foreign media outlets. Protesters were also active on social networking sites including Twitter and Facebook where one pro-democracy page has more than one quarter of a million members. The mass arrests that followed the protests have led to widespread accusations of authorities torturing and otherwise abusing prisoners. A report released Sunday by an Iranian fact-finding committee found that 147 detainees held after last summer's post-election protests were stuffed into a small room, deprived of adequate food and subjected to other mistreatment, Iranian media reported. The 147 detainees at Kahrizak Detention Center were held with 30 additional inmates for four days in a 750-square-foot room lacking proper ventilation, the parliamentary report found, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. The fact-finding committee blamed former Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi for the decision to send the detainees to Kahrizak -- usually reserved for rapists and other dangerous criminals -- instead of Evin prison, which had informed Mortazavi that it had the space for them. "Even if Evin prison had been full, it was not justified to send other offenders to this special site," the investigation found, according to Mehr. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered the Kahrizak facility shut down after reports of mistreatment surfaced. Three prison officials have been charged with premeditated murder in the beating deaths of three imprisoned protesters. According to the investigation, Mortazavi had claimed the three died of meningitis, Mehr said. Sunday's report found that the 147 detainees arrested July 9 suffered "harsh corporal punishment, humiliating and insulting techniques," and other mistreatment, Mehr said. "The deaths of some detainees were a result of beatings and neglect of the physical condition of the injured by the detention center's officials," an excerpt of the report said on the Mehr Web site. The investigation did not reveal evidence of rape or sexual abuse, as alleged by reformist Mehdi Karrubi, Mehr and state-run Press TV reported. Karrubi, a former parliamentary speaker, and fellow reformist Moussavi, had publicly accused the government of allowing rape, torture, wrongful deaths and secret burials of several detainees. Karrubi had been especially vocal about the claims of detainee rape -- even publishing a first-hand account of one alleged victim on his Web site in October. The parliamentary committee met with Karrubi about the claims, but he "did not present any convincing evidence or reliable documentation of the alleged abuse," Mehr said the report found.	[ "Government trying to discourage protests that erupted after disputed what?", "who is trying to discourage protests", "What did the Iranian press agency report?", "Who reports Iranian government to screen e-mails, texts?", "Organizers of illegal protests warned they will face what?", "What have organizers of illegal protests been warned thy will face?", "what are the Organizers of illegal protests warned", "who is abgry with the government" ]	[ [ "presidential election" ], [ "Iranian authorities" ], [ "Messages that encourage demonstrations will be screened, and organizers of illegal protests will face heavy penalties," ], [ "the semi-official Mehr News Agency." ], [ "heavy penalties," ], [ "heavy penalties," ], [ "heavy penalties," ], [ "protesters" ] ]	Iranian press agency reports Iranian government to screen e-mails, texts . Government trying to discourage protests that erupted after disputed presidential election . Organizers of illegal protests warned they will face hefty fines . Authorities alleged to have tortured and abused prisoners arrested as a result of the protests .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian forces that seized an Iraqi oil well have withdrawn from the installation but remain on Iraqi territory, a top Iraqi official charged Sunday. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government deployed more troops to Maysan province where oil well number 4 is located, Iraqi security officials said. They said workers returned to the well Sunday morning, escorted by the Iraqi army. Negotiations to resolve the diplomatic standoff are ongoing, said Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi. Iran, however, dismissed Iraq's allegations of the takeover. "Our forces are on our own soil and, based on the known international borders, this well belongs to Iran," the armed forces command said on the Web site of Iran's state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam TV. The Iraqi government had issued a strong statement deploring the act after al-Maliki attended an emergency meeting of Iraq's National Security Council to discuss the situation. Iraq demanded the Iranians withdraw remove an Iranian flag hoisted from the well tower in the takeover on Thursday night. Senior Iraqi government sources initially referred to the Iranians as security forces, but the official Iraqi government statement later called them an armed group. Alaeddin Borujerdi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission, also rejected Iraqi allegations, blaming the international media for distributing propaganda intended to harm relations between Iran and Iraq. Drilled in 1979, the well near the city of Amara is within the province's Fakka oil field, which includes a number of wells, the Iraqi government said. The diplomatic scuffle, a manifestation of existing tension between the two neighbors, prompted discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari on Saturday, Iran's state-run Press TV reported. Iraq and Iran share a long border, and high-ranking committees from both countries handle all border matters, an Iranian Embassy official said. Political, economic, cultural and religious ties between Iran and Iraq, which are both majority Shiite Muslim nations, greatly improved after the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. At the same time, there has been widespread concern among Iraqi and U.S. officials that Iran has been providing Iraqi insurgents with material for roadside bombs during the Iraq war. And Iraq and Iran fought a bloody eight-year war that ended in 1988 in a cease-fire with no clear victor and parts of the border under dispute. The report of the oil-well incident comes just after the oil ministry's two-day auction of oil fields. Aimed at increasing Iraqi oil production, deals were struck for seven of the 15 fields offered. Iraq, however, was forced to halt its exports from northern oil fields due to an attack -- the fourth in two months -- on a main pipeline Saturday about 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Baghdad, Oil Ministry spokesman Assim Jihad said.	[ "How long was the war between the countries that ended in 1988?", "Who is in on-going border disputes in the Middle East?", "What does Iran have to say to Iraq's allegations?", "Who said negotiations to resolve diplomatic standoff are underway?", "Are there still Iranian forces in Iraq?", "When did the war between Iran and Iraq end?", "What do both Iran and Iraq claim is in their own territory?" ]	[ [ "eight-year" ], [ "Iraq" ], [ "dismissed" ], [ "Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi." ], [ "remain on Iraqi territory," ], [ "1988" ], [ "Iraqi oil well" ] ]	Iranian forces that seized Iraqi oil well withdraw from facility but remain in Iraq, says Iraqi official . Iran, however, dismissed Iraq's allegations of takeover, saying well is in Iranian territory . Negotiations to resolve diplomatic standoff are ongoing, says Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister . The two countries fought 8-year war that ended in 1988 with parts of border under dispute .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian protesters are vowing to continue their anti-government demonstrations into Wednesday night, despite violent crackdowns and arrests. Witnesses in Tehran tell CNN the demonstrators number in the tens of thousands. The protests are timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy. Iran celebrates the embassy takeover as an official holiday, and tens of thousands showed up to hear anti-American speeches in front of the building that once housed the U.S. diplomatic corps. Many chanted "Death to America." The anniversary was also an opportunity to reignite the anti-government protests that were sparked in June, following a disputed presidential election. Thousands of protesters ignored warnings from Iranian authorities to stay home, many chanting "Death to the Dictator" and others saying, "Obama - Either you're with us or with them," referring to the U.S. president. Riot police and pro-government Basij militia turned out in force to quash anti-government protests. "We were running from the police in the alleys off of the main streets," said Soheil, an opposition protester, who gave only one name for security reasons. "Strangers were opening up their garages so we could hide until the police went away. I ran into a garage for about 15 minutes. When I went back into the main street, I saw riot police arresting a group of young men, then putting them inside a bank and locking the door. "Only God knows what will happen to them after that." iReport: Iranians take to the streets Soheil, like many other of the demonstrators, took part in the protests this summer. As with previous demonstrations, many images of Wednesday's protest were uploaded to the Internet on the site YouTube.com -- including video of protesters walking over an image of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Another clip showed a group of women being beaten by what appeared to be Iranian security forces. Witnesses said many Iranian women took part in Wednesday's demonstration, and were frequently targeted by the Iranian security forces -- which is what also happened during the summer protests. Video posted on YouTube showed many protesters beaten on the head with batons. Iranian reformists have chosen key anniversaries to protest the hardline government -- the same anniversaries chosen for government-sanctioned anti-American rallies. Wednesday's was the biggest annual anti-American observance of all. On November 4, 1979, Islamic students stormed the U.S. Embassy. They held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. There were also small pockets of protest on Wednesday in the southwest Iran city of Shiraz, according to a resident who witnessed the protests. Demonstrators marched down the main street of Shiraz, yelling "Death to the dictator" and "We will not stand down to you, together we are united," according to Najmeh, who only gave her first name for security reasons. There was strong police presence on the streets, and the police force seemed much more organized than past occasions, she said. Earlier in the day, opposition supporters marched defiantly in Tehran's Haft-e-Tir Square, witnesses said. Many held up their hands in V-signs. Others shouted "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great," which has become a slogan of protest. Police blocked all roads leading to the square, creating massive traffic jams. Witnesses described helmet-clad security personnel beating demonstrators with batons and firing tear gas at Haft-e-Tir Square and in a neighborhood a few kilometers north. "I had never seen that many riot police and security personnel," a witness told CNN. "They were brought in by the busloads. As soon as crowds gathered somewhere, riot police were there within minutes." The opposition showed Wednesday that even after five months of government crackdown, people were still willing to take risks. The disputed June 12 presidential election triggered Iran's most serious political crisis since the Islamic revolution toppled the shah. Led by opposition candidate Mir Houssein Moussavi, thousands of Iranians protested what they believed was a rigged vote that	[ "What followed the June presidential election?", "Marchers gathered in which city?", "Where do marchers gather?", "When did the hostage incident happen?", "what caused the protests", "when did this happen", "what did the protests follow", "for what did the marchers gather", "When was the presidential election?", "Where did the marchers gather?", "What do the rallies mark?", "What happened in 1979?", "What were they protesting?" ]	[ [ "anti-government protests" ], [ "Tehran" ], [ "in front of the building that once housed the U.S. diplomatic corps." ], [ "November 4, 1979," ], [ "a disputed presidential election." ], [ "Wednesday night," ], [ "a disputed presidential election." ], [ "anti-government demonstrations" ], [ "June 12" ], [ "Tehran" ], [ "key anniversaries" ], [ "Islamic students stormed the U.S. Embassy." ], [ "presidential election." ] ]	NEW: Reformist leaders stopped from attending anti-government rallies, Web site says . Marchers gather in Tehran on 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover . Anti-American rallies mark 1979 hostage-taking after students stormed embassy . Protests by reformists followed disputed June presidential election .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Nearly 90 professors at Iran's oldest and largest university signed a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticizing the government's violent handling of student protesters. "The issue that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the devout Muslim and patriots of this land is the violent and above the law [illegal] encounters, particularly with University students and faculty members of this land," says the letter, which was posted on the reformist Web site "Rahesabz," or "Green Path." "In fact, the nightly attacks on the dormitories and living quarters of innocent students and daily assaults on them ... are not testaments to the power of the system, just as the violent beatings and imprisonments are not testament to its faith and piety." The professors ask Khamenei to order revolutionary guards, government-sanctioned militiamen and others who have engaged in campus violence to vacate the university. The letter also calls for official apologies for beatings of university members and the unconditional release of detained students and faculty. There was no immediate government response to the letter. The 88 professors -- all of whom are considered employees of the Islamic republic -- who signed the letter are "risking their jobs and God knows what else," said Ali Alfoneh, a research fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute who has researched the relationship between Iranian civilians and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. "Some of them may end up arrested," he added. The letter, posted on a reformist Web site Monday, is a rare and significant showing of discontent among Tehran University's academics. Student unrest has only increased since thousands of protesters turned out on the streets of Iran to oppose the country's disputed presidential election, in which hardline incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner. "Unfortunately and sadly; all of this takes place under the veil of safeguarding Islam and the representation of the supreme leadership and, even more sadly, no institution or organization accepts responsibility for this savagery!" The anti-government demonstrations began following the disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi. Last month marked the deadliest clashes since the initial protests broke out this summer. At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested as they took to the streets on Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holy day. One university researcher told CNN he was one of many beaten by police, struck with a baton 11 times. Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa-Mohammad Najjar warned Saturday that the government will not show leniency to protesters in the future. "It doesn't surprise me that professors wrote this letter, because universities have been one of the first victims of increased government pressure," Alfoneh said. In the aftermath of the election, Tehran University and other institutions quickly became hotbeds of violence, with members of the government's Basij militia attacking young protesters on campus, including dormitories. In August, Khamenei addressed a group of university professors from all over, noting that academics would be held to a higher standard of accountability -- especially after the elections. "Naturally, the expectations that we have of the professors and faculty is much greater than what we expect from the students," Khamenei was quoted by Iranian media as saying on August 30. "The students are the young officers on the front lines of this war and the professors are the commanders [against] this 'soft war' -- the professors who can fulfill this role will be worthy of the Islamic republic." The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence. At times, video has shown protesters apparently turning on security forces. Still, the letter serves as another blow to Iran's Islamic leadership, which reformists say has lost credibility in its handling of the post-election unrest. Several critics, including cleric and former presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi have compared the tactics of the current government to those of the Shah of Iran, who was overthrown by the same fervent followers of Islam more than 30 years ago.	[ "who was the letter sent to", "What is the number of people who signed the letter?", "What occured on June 12?", "what was in the letter", "when was the vote", "What did 90 professors sign?", "What did demonstrators follow?", "What is the purpose of the letter?" ]	[ [ "Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," ], [ "88" ], [ "anti-government demonstrations" ], [ "calls for official apologies" ], [ "June 12" ], [ "a letter to" ], [ "the disputed June 12 presidential vote," ], [ "criticizing the government's violent handling of student protesters." ] ]	Nearly 90 Tehran professors sign letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . Letter criticizes government's violent handling of student protesters . Letter seeks apologies for beatings of university members and release of students, faculty . Anti-government demonstrations began following the disputed June 12 presidential vote .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced 11 people to death after convicting them of participating in post-election riots, state media reported Thursday. Two of the sentences have been carried out; the rest are under appeal, the Iranian Students News Agency said, quoting a court official. These are the first executions known to be related to the post-election violence that erupted across Iran in June and has continued since, Amnesty International said in a statement condemning the hangings. But a lawyer for one of the men executed on Thursday disputed a key part of the official report. "Both of these men were arrested two months before the elections and they were in prison until their sentences were carried out. So how can someone who's in prison take part in protests?" asked Nasrin Sotoudeh, a Tehran-based human rights lawyer who represented Arash Rahmanipour, one of two men hanged Thursday. Full coverage of the protests in Iran His father had been scheduled to visit Rahmanipour on the day of the execution, and learned only from a TV report that his son was dead, Sotoudeh said, describing the family as "extremely upset and shocked." "Arash called his home two nights ago (Tuesday night) -- two nights before the sentence was carried out, and at that point Arash had no idea that his sentence was about to be carried out," she said. She said the hanging violated Iranian law. "The entire process, the investigation, the trial, the handing down of the sentence and the carrying out of the sentence, were done illegally and in secret," she told CNN by phone. "Arash's family and I did not have his case file. A sentence must first be announced to the defendant and his lawyer and only then can it be carried out, but this sentence was never announced to Arash or myself." She said he had been forced to confess. "He told me his pregnant sister had been arrested, too," she said. "In two sessions where he was interrogated, they placed his sister in front of him and told him if he wanted to see her free he had to admit to things he didn't do." Rahmanipour's sister was later released from prison but lost the baby due to stress, Sotoudeh said. Rahmanipour, 20, was charged with being a mohareb, or enemy of God, and being a member of Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API), a banned anti-regime monarchist group, his lawyer said. Amnesty International condemned the execution of Rahmanipour and the other man executed Thursday, Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani. "These men were first unfairly convicted and now they have been unjustly killed. It is not even clear they had links to this group, as their 'confessions' appear to have been made under duress," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa deputy director. The court said the defendants were convicted of "waging war against God, trying to overthrow the Islamic government" and membership in armed and anti-revolutionary groups. Anti-government demonstrations began after the disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi. Late December marked the deadliest clashes in Iran since initial protests broke out in the summer. At least seven people were killed and hundreds were arrested, witnesses said, as they took to the streets on Ashura, which occurred on December 27. The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence.	[ "what has been carried out", "How many rioters were sentenced to death?", "For what reasons did the anit-government protesters dispute the June 12th presidential vote?", "how many rioters", "When was the Ashura holy day?", "When was the disputed presidential vote?" ]	[ [ "Two of the sentences" ], [ "11" ], [ "post-election violence" ], [ "11" ], [ "December 27." ], [ "June 12" ] ]	Eleven rioters sentenced to death for post-election riots, according to Iranian press . Two of the sentences have been carried out; the rest are under appeal, ISNA said . Anti-government demonstrations began after the disputed June 12 presidential vote . Witnesses said hundreds of protesters were arrested on the Ashura holy day on December 27 .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- The lawyer trying to get two American hikers freed from prison in Iran was not able to get a signature on bail paperwork because a judge is on vacation until Tuesday, he told CNN Sunday. Bail has been paid for Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, lawyer Masoud Shafiee said, but he needs the signatures of two judges to prove it. He went to a judge's office Sunday, when he was in court on a separate case, to see if he could get the second signature, but was told that the judge is on vacation until Tuesday and that Shafiee will have to return then, the lawyer said. Separately, a delegation of American Muslim and Christian leaders asked Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to release the hikers, his office said Sunday. The four leaders who met with him in Tehran included Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a photo of the meeting showed. The head of the human rights department of the Iranian judiciary, Mohammad Javad Larijani, linked the case of Fattal and Bauer to America's treatment of detainees. "If the U.S. is so sensitive about two of its spies and tries to free them, it should look at the way it treats other nationalities," he said in an interview Sunday with the semi-official Fars news agency. Fattal and Bauer have been held as spies for more than two years, after they apparently crossed an unmarked border between Iran and Iraq in July 2009. The two men and a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, were seized while hiking in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Iranian authorities arrested them, claiming they were spies and had entered the country illegally. Shourd, who is Bauer's fiancee, was released last year for medical reasons, although authorities said her case remains open. Fattal and Bauer were convicted last month of spying and entering Iran illegally, and each was sentenced to eight years in prison. Ahmadinejad recently said they could be freed, raising hopes that have been dashed and raised again several times since then. He said in an interview with NBC's "Today" show that they will be released on humanitarian grounds "in a couple of days." But the judiciary shot back that only it could make decisions about their release. Shafiee then announced that all the paperwork had been filed for them to be freed on bail, but their release was delayed. He said he was "very hopeful" they would be released on Saturday, but the process is being held up by the lack of a judge's signature. Shafiee said he would not know for sure the amount of the bail or who paid it until he sees the signed document. Earlier reports put it at $500,000 for each American. An Omani official flew to Iran on Wednesday to help work on any negotiation, a Western diplomat told CNN at the time. Oman helped secure the release of Shourd, posting her bail last September, a senior Obama administration official said at the time. Ahmadinejad is slated to travel to New York for the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported. He is expected to give a speech and meet with several other presidents and Iranians living in the United States. But his visit is not linked to moves to release the Americans, said Larijani of the Iranian judiciary. CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.	[ "Where is the judge who needs to sign bail paperwork?", "Josh and Shane were held for being what?", "What country is Ahmadinejad president of?", "Who has requested their release?", "How long have Fattal and Bauer been held?", "Who asks President Ahmadinejad for their release?" ]	[ [ "on vacation" ], [ "as spies" ], [ "Iran's" ], [ "a delegation of American Muslim and Christian leaders" ], [ "more than two years," ], [ "a delegation of American Muslim and Christian leaders" ] ]	NEW: An Iranian official links the hikers' case to U.S. treatment of others . U.S. Muslim, Christian leaders ask President Ahmadinejad for their release . A judge who needs to sign bail paperwork is on vacation, their lawyer says . Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have been held as spies for more than two years .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- The office of a reformist Iranian member of parliament burned Tuesday night, and a reformist Web site said the act was the work of extremists. Mir Hossein Moussavi, an opposition candidate in the disputed June 12 presidential election, blamed the fire at the office of Nasrollah Torabi on plainclothes militia on Moussavi's Facebook Web site, where he also posted photos. The photos showed heavy damage, with charred furniture, peeling wallpaper and floors strewn with broken glass, debris and ashes. Parleman News, a newsgathering organization for the Path of the Imam Khomeini faction of parliament, said the office was vandalized before it was torched. Khomeini was the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Torabi, who represents the southwestern province of Cahar-Mahal Bakhtiari in parliament, told Parleman News that he was awaiting the outcome of an investigation. The office is in the city of Shahr-e Kurd. Torabi urged people not to react to the incident, according to Parleman News. He said intelligence agencies and the Interior Ministry must investigate the fire and punish those responsible. The lawmaker said that after he gave a speech in parliament criticizing the government, he came under heavy criticism from government supporters, Parleman News said. No date was given for the speech. "After that speech in the meeting of the Planning Council for Cahar-Mahal Bakhtiari [Province], we witnessed the anger of the province's governor-general," Torabi said. Investigators "must not allow some people to use force, scare tactics and oppression to bring the three principles of independence, freedom and Islamic Republic under question," he added, according to Parleman News. Torabi said that after he gave the speech, banners condemning him were distributed throughout Shahr-e Kurd, with the backing of the governor's office. According to Moussavi, Torabi told the news organization: "In the middle of the night some made their last pathetic attempt and set the office of a representative of the people on fire with the aim of silencing the members of the parliament." Moussavi called the fire an attempt at intimidation. Opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have held sometimes-violent protests after he was swept into office for a second term despite accusations of election fraud. The latest protest occurred Sunday on the Shiite Muslim holy day of Ashura, which marks the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammed, as a martyr. A prosecutor said seven people died, including Moussavi's nephew, in the demonstrations.	[ "Who criticized government in speech?", "Whose office burned Tuesday?", "Where is his office?", "whos office was burned?", "when did he make his speech?", "Which extremists caused the fire?", "who cause the fire?", "who was under pressure?" ]	[ [ "Mir Hossein Moussavi," ], [ "reformist Iranian member of parliament" ], [ "in the city of Shahr-e Kurd." ], [ "Nasrollah Torabi" ], [ "No date was given" ], [ "plainclothes militia" ], [ "plainclothes militia" ], [ "Torabi," ] ]	Reformist lawmaker Nasrollah Torabi's office burned Tuesday . Opposition figure Mir Hossein Moussavi says fire caused by extremists . Torabi says he was under pressure after he criticized government in speech . Torabi urges people not to react to incident, according to Parleman News .
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- United Nations-backed nuclear inspectors on Sunday visited a newly disclosed Iranian nuclear facility near the city of Qom, Iranian media has reported. "IAEA inspectors today visited the... nuclear installation," the semi-official Mehr news agency said, referring to International Atomic Energy Agency staff. "The IAEA inspectors arrived Saturday night and are scheduled to inspect the... site several times. The inspectors will leave Tehran Tuesday." Tehran sent shock waves through the international community in September by revealing the existence of the previously secret nuclear enrichment facility near Qom. The IAEA announced Saturday its inspectors were leaving for the much-anticipated inspection. The agency declined to give more details on Sunday. "It is our policy not to comment on the itinerary of our inspectors," a spokesman for the U.N. nuclear watchdog told CNN. The inspectors will visit the installation to make sure it is being used for peaceful purposes, said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. The inspection comes after Iran said Friday that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities. That proposal calls for low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to be sent abroad for further enrichment and then returned for use in medical research and treatment. Tehran is studying the draft proposal and will have an answer next week, Iranian diplomat Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on state-run Press TV. Iran informed IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that it is "considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response," according to an IAEA statement. Delegations from Iran, France, Russia, the United States and the IAEA met in Vienna this week to work out details of the tentative deal reached in early October. France, Russia and the United States have indicated their approval of the arrangement. "The Director General hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation," the IAEA statement said. After the current inspection, but before the end of the month, Iranian officials are expected to meet with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany to further discuss Tehran's nuclear program. Iran's leaders maintain that their nation's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes, but many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities. Low-enriched nuclear fuel can be further enriched into weapons-grade material. CNN's Per Nyberg contributed to this report.	[ "What did IAEA announce?", "What do many in the West believe?", "What country says it's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes?", "Iran said what on Friday?", "whai IAEA means", "The IAEA announced what?", "Whatdid Iran say Friday?" ]	[ [ "its inspectors were leaving for the much-anticipated inspection." ], [ "Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities." ], [ "Iran" ], [ "it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities." ], [ "International Atomic Energy Agency" ], [ "Saturday its inspectors were leaving for the much-anticipated inspection. The agency declined to give more details on Sunday." ], [ "that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities." ] ]	The IAEA announced Saturday its inspectors were leaving for the inspection . Iran said Friday it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a nuclear deal . Iran says its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes . Many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities .

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